Short Stories: Sept. 29 - Oct. 2

Fri. Oct. 2/09
Review:
"House," the short story written by Jane Rule, is about a young couple with two children who live a little differently than other families in their community. The parents, Harry and Anna, decide to change their lifestyle, and finally buy a house.
Read:
"God is Not a Fish Inspector," by W.D. Valgardson, is a story about family conflict and issues related to aging (or ageing). The story is set in Manitoba, and it has been developed into a film.

Thurs. Oct. 1/09 - Work in the Computer Lab J219 today.
-Read "House" by Jane Rule on p. 20 of Inside Stories II.
-Complete terminology notes on this story (from the long blue handout). Get information from the Glossary of Terms. You can write or type your notes on the computer.
-When finished, you can start watching the movie version of Harrison Bergeron.

Wed. Sept. 30/09
"Ashes for the Wind" was written by Colombian journalist and author Hernando Téllez. Although Téllez wrote this story around 1945, the problems of Colombia's internally displaced persons (IDPs) persist today.

This Refugees International YouTube clip, produced in 2008, outlines the scope of the IDP problem in Colombia.

An April 2008 news agency report provides another view on Colombia's IDP crisis.

Tues. Sept. 29/09
- Today, we begin our short stories unit.
- Review the short story plot diagram activity.
- Read Harrison Bergeron.
"Harrison Bergeron" was written by American author Kurt Vonnegut. In this YouTube clip, Vonnegut offers advice for short story writers. After reading "Harrison Bergeron," do you think that Vonnegut has followed his own advice?

Media Literacy: Sept. 21 - 25

Fri. Sept 25/09 - Projects - We are using the library computer lab to work on journal responses, My Media projects, and video postcard projects. See previous posts for details.
DUE DATES:
"My Media" project (Due Fri. Sept. 25)
"3 Journal Responses" (Due. Tues. Sept. 29)
"Dear Compy" letter assignment (Due Tues. Sept. 29)
"Video Postcard" (Due Fri. Oct. 2)

Thurs. Sept. 24/09 - Cyberbullying
- Review the Cyberbullying videos Parts 1, 2, and 3 from Real Life Stories.
- Select one of the letter response choices from the activity sheet. Write a two page double-spaced response to "Betrayed" or "Undecided." In your letter:
--- Analyze the problem
--- Offer strategies and/or advice
--- Provide encouragement and support
--- Use complete sentences with proper grammar, punctuation, and capitalization.
*Do NOT put your name on the letter. I will give you a writing code for this exercise. (Due Tues. Sept. 29). We will be peer editing these letters.
Wed. Sept. 23/09 - Cyberbullying
- Review the Terrible Text video. Review types of cyberbullying. Work in groups to analyse one case study and prepare a presentation about the case. Each student should present at least one question and response. (5 mark group participation task)

Tues. Sept 22/09 - Projects - We are using the library computer lab to work on journal responses, My Media projects, and video postcard projects. See previous posts for details.

Mon. Sept. 21/09 - Advertising
- Read the booklet "Scams to Avoid" and complete the crossword puzzle.

Media Literacy - Sept. 14-18

Friday. Sept. 18/09 - Video Postcard
-We are in the computer lab today. You should work toward completion of your media literacy projects:

• Video Postcard - Due. Oct. 2/09
• Three 1/2 page typed double-spaced journal responses (any media-related topics we've touch on in class). - Due Sept. 29/09
  
• My Media: Consumer/Producer (image and text collage). Details on these projects can be found on previous blog posts. - Due Sept. 25/09
  
• If you have completed everything, sign into the provincial exam site and access the 2005/2006 e-exam to practice online. The provincial exam is worth 20% of your final English 10 mark.
  

Thurs. Sept. 17/09 - Advertising
- Self-Evaluation on group advertising strategy session (10 marks).
- Review the Video Postcard assignment that we will be working on Friday in the computer lab.
Wed. Sept. 16/09 - Advertising
- Killing Us Software 3 (video in class) looks at the portrayal of women in advertising.
- Discussion of film.
- Continue work on your three journal responses

Tues. Sept. 15/09 - Creative Commons / Advertising
We will discuss Creative Commons and copyleft licensing, which is now a popular means of sharing creative work on the Internet. Many people are sharing their work through copyleft license terms, while others select copyright and public domain options. Students will participate in a group advertising activity to come up with a strategy for promoting a male or female oriented product to the opposite gender.

Mon. Sept. 14/09 - Advertising Techniques

• Today, we're learning about advertising techniques. We'll be looking for examples in print media and reviewing a video example. Please continue working toward completion of your three journal responses (each 1/2-1 page double-space typed on any three media-related topics) and the MY MEDIA project. See last week's blog entries for specific details on this assignment.