Blog #17 due by Tuesday, 11/24/14

How do we exert power by speaking differently?

People can include and exclude others by the way they speak.  Factors include:

●word choice

●speed

●syntax

●accents

Blog #15: Photo Journal Questions Due Wednesday, 11/5/2014

For each picture, answer the  following:

What is going on in this photo?

What does the photo remind of you of?

What is this photo suggesting about children of immigrants?

How could someone else interpret this photo?

Overall question:

What connections do you see between the interviews with the photo subjects and Alvarez’s novel, How The Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents?

Blog #14 Due Tuesday, 10/14/14

Reread “Daughter of Invention”chapter.

Post the idioms Laura says wrong onto your blog.

Tell the figurative meaning of the idioms.

Due on blog by Tueday, 10/14/14.

Garcia Girl questions due on Tuesday, 10/14/14.

Blog #13: Classwork for Tuesday, October 7, 2014

The Power of Storytelling

Characters in the novel, especially the girls' mother Laura, love to tell stories. Unlike straightforward facts, stories allow the listener to immerse him or herself in the life of an individual or a given moment, absorbing emotional information that would otherwise be lacking. Stories also reveal much about the storyteller. By structuring the novel as a series of stories about each character, sometimes with characters telling stories within stories, Alvarez conveys not only events in the García family’s life, but also how the characters perceive or have been shaped by those events. The chapter "The Four Girls" shows Laura in various settings, telling stories to diverse audiences. The chapter establishes her habit of storytelling and creates a communal history that binds those individuals into a family. Her stories also reveal her own values and attitudes. Today is your chance to tell a story. Keep in mind this is a blog post. Do not share a story that you do not feel comfortable having other people read.

Story requirements: 1) At least two paragraphs in length.

2) Should include the following: - Setting (physical setting/emotional setting) - Reveal some of your own values and attitudes - Lesson learned (how has this shaped you into the person you are today?) - Resolution/Conclusion (is there one?) - Questions you still wonder/ponder about this incident (any?) ** If the story discuss something uncomfortable, do not include names of other students. Simply say a friend/person/etc.

3) One image to help capture your story.

4) Double check grammar and spelling :)

Due: By class period tomorrow, October 8.

Have fun with this!

If you finish early..

- Read and comment on other blogs (keep it positive!)

- Read the assigned reading for the week from Garcia Girls

- Check out the links below:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4f/IndoEuropeanTree.svg

http://www.lizardpoint.com/geography/caribbean-quiz.php

http://www.bbc.co.uk/languages/guide/languages.shtml

http://www.open.edu/openlearn/languages/english-language/the-history-english-ten-minutes

Blog #12- Due Tuesday, October 7, 2014

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-languages-evolve-alex-gendler#review

Review the "How Languages Evolve"video.

Write a one paragraph reflection on what you viewed. What surprised you? What did not make sense? Was there anything that helped you to connect ideas to your own life?

Due Tuesday, October 7, 2014.

Blog #11- Due Thursday, October 2, 2014

Blog Post #11: "What's Current Creates Currency"

This idea holds true for many types of popular texts including TV, music, and music videos. By growing up with a broad range of 'popular’ texts, we can, in a sense, take the pulse of a culture. This blog post examines popular texts as reflections of our cultural values.

Due: Thursday, October 2^nd by class time.

1) What kinds of values are prevalent in music videos?

2) How does entertaining, popular music portray social groups in a certain light?

3) Does popular music dictate what we believe? Or does it reflect our beliefs and cultural values?

4) What makes music 'popular'? Can 'pop' music be 'real' music?

5) How is music used in various forms of media to entertain?

6) How does music influence people's ideologies?

7) How does music reflect cultural values?

Task:

Step 1: Title blog post- Blog Post #11: "What's Current Creates Currency"

Step 2: Select five out of the seven questions to respond to. You do not need to write the question BUT write the number of the selected question(s).

Step 3: Write in complete sentences and include an image for at least one response.

Step 4: Read other blogs from last week and post (at least) 5 comments. Keep it positive and be specific on what you like!

Blog #10- Due Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Choose one scene from the novel and explain how it represents culture in the novel. (CANNOT USE THE BIRTHDAY SCENE WE DISCUSSED IN CLASS!)