Evaluation Blog

Most favorite poem- “My Papa’s Waltz” because it was about a father and his child and my dad and I are very close, it was just a touching poem.

Least favorite poem- “Thirteen Ways of Looking at a Blackbird,” because it was so repetitive and for me it was hard to understand.

Most favorite short story- Popular Mechanics, because this short story seems to be so popular in the current society and it was an easy story to engage with and to follow.

Least favorite short story- “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,” because it was such a fictional story and I tend to less enjoy the more fictional stories and books.

Death of a Salesman- I think that reading and watching Death of a Salesman was a good thing and a good way to present the drama unit.

Watching both Bartleby and Death of a Salesman was a good way to show the differences that can be present in a film version and also a way to create a deeper understanding of the story line.

My favorite in class activity was the small groups when we made the storyboards and my least favorite class activity is when we had all class discussions.  I was okay with our small groups not doing presentations and the small group discussions instead being led by a list of questions.

I really enjoyed the blog posts, they were creative and seemed like less of an assignment. My favorite post s were the ones where we had to create an imitation/parody for a poem already written.

Grandpa Willy

Grandpa Willy was a great man! You would have been very lucky to know him, granted he started to lose it in his old age he was still a great man. He always wanted the best for the family and always worked long hard hours in order to pay the bills. Your Grandpa Willy traveled long hours in order to go to work every day and drove there and back every day. He was always supportive of us boys going to school, getting good grades, and playing sports. Your grandpa was a great dad and wife. He cared for your grandma and always tried to make things right and keep everyone happy. As grandpa and grandma got older, your Uncle and I moved home to help take care of them and give them any help they needed around the house. Grandpa did get a little cranky sometimes, but everyone has bad days when they are always tired. Your grandma was always such a peacekeeper and tried to take care of everyone. I am sad that you were not able to meet your grandpa and grandma, they were both wonderful people and I loved them dearly.

Linda's Diary

Saturday 1952

Today has been a wonderful day! I just absolutely love having my whole family together! Biff and Happy and Willy, they are all wonderful! I love being so involved in the boy’s life and helping them get off to school. They just love life and seem to enjoy every minute of it. But those dang bills! They just keep getting to me. I need to get them take care of! I wish Willy would just relax and see how wonderful life in this house really is! Oh my! He just needs to calm down. But I love the way the things in my life are going!!

 

Tuesday 2013

I don’t know what to do. I am so worried about Willy and the boys too. Willy gets mad so easily these days. Last night he even hit me when I was trying to talk. I can hardly talk at all anymore without getting told to be quiet. He gets so mad so easily and I am worried about him. All the driving to and from work just isn’t good. It is dangerous. Willy is having so many troubles and he never seems happy anymore. I just don’t know what to do anymore!

The Lottery

In Shirley Jackson’s short story “The Lottery,” all of the town’s people gather in the town square, take place in the drawing of the slips of paper, discover who the victim is going to be, and then say that they need to get it over with so that they can get on with their work. When they say get it over with, the “it” they are talking about is the stoning of the person who drew the slip of paper with the large black dot on it (summary from text). They make this stoning event seem as if it is no big deal and that killing someone by throwing stones at them is a common occurrence. They find a need to generalize and accept the unacceptable act of stoning someone. This is something that has become okay in this small town because the people fear standing up to the other members of the town and this has taken place for so long that it has become the normal.

In the small town where I live, money and who you know, says it all. If your family has money then you can basically do no wrong. People see you as the rich kid and regardless of how many times you get pulled over for speeding you will never get a ticket, or regardless of how many parties you are at that get busted you will never get in trouble. Along with the money factor is the name game, even if your family doesn’t have a lot of money if you are related to the right person, even if it is your dads, brothers, sister in laws, sister, then chances are you are golden. This and money are both very evident when it comes to the playing field, whether it be football, basketball, or soccer it doesn’t matter. In this small town, it has become okay to throw money at any situation and it will become better for those who are related to the money giver. Money and names have become so involved in athletics that even if you are the best player on the team, there is no guarantee you will ever see the playing field.

Facebook Imitation

"The Story of an Hour"

1)      I’m crushed and broken..

2)      What am I going to do now.. lost and alone in the great big world..

3)      Finally free!!! SO excited!!

4)      Figuring things out, it’s time to live for me!

5)      Prayers would be appreciated!

6)      Love- confusing; can’t live with it, can’t live without it

7)      Why do things like this have to happen?

8)      Goodbye world!

9)      So lucky to have people who love and care about me in my life!

10)   Never take what you have for granted, in the blink of eye your whole life can change

I love my sister! :)

FRIENDS!! Check out this link.. looks like some great ideas.. Let me know what you think.. Also I want to do thr dirty dash.. (the second link) any takers wanna join me?!
CLICK HERE!!

DIRTY DASH!

"Girl" Imitation

Listen here, do your best all the time, even when no one is watching. Go to church, go to school, do your best in everything you do. Never give up and always work towards your goals, set goals, always set goals. Help out around the house, help your father, he is very busy it won’t hurt you in the least to put down the game control and help out. Treat your lady like a princess; all women deserve to be treated like a princess, nothing less. Never give up, do things the right way, if you start something finish it, we don’t quit. Sports, be active and be involved, stay out of trouble or you sure as heck will wish you had, remember moms know everything. Be nice to your sisters and help out even without being asked. Treat your women right, treat all women right, and remember everyone is fighting their own battles. Love your family and appreciate them, don’t hide things from us and always tell the truth. Remember do what is right even when no one is watching and remember we always will love you, no matter what!

Dialogue

* Two sisters tallking, Person 1 comes into the room to start the conversation while Person 2 is sitting on the couch.

Person 1

“Oh my gosh Aimee, Aimee guess what?”

Person 2

“What, what?”

Person 1

“So today I was walking through the park and there was this giant bird”

Person 2

“What kind of a bird?”

Person 1

“Like a uh.. how am I supposed to know, and I was like walking past the bird and there was this girl walking by talking on her cell phone saying all these mean things, I think to her boyfriend”

Person 2

“What was she saying?”

Person 1

“Stuff like I can’t believe you did that you stupid a**hole”

Person 2

“Ok? What does that have to do with the bird or anything related to even being at the park or anything at all?”

Person 1

“I have no idea it was just a cool looking bird, but the girl was like arguing with someone and I think she said something like “so he isn’t my real dad?””

Person 2

“Ok hang on I am so confused! What are you talking about?”

Person 1

“I have no idea, I’m confused too, this did have a point but I kinda forgot where I was going with it”

Person 2

“Oh my gosh!! But I really do have a story for you, today my computer broke down again so I called dell and I was on hold for 48 minutes before I even got to talk to someone, and then they were foreign and I couldn’t understand anything they were saying, and the dumb guy kept trying to get me to buy this hundred dollar plan in case anything else happened again”

Person 1

“Did you?”

Person 2

“No way, I was like I don’t want to buy any dumb plan of yours, I’m not spending my money, I just want my computer fixed, I have been on hold for 48 minutes and nothing is getting done, then the dell guy was like I’m sorry mam let me try and help you now”

                “And I was thinking try? Your only gonna try? Dumb company”

“Then the dumb foreign guy who I don’t think knew much about computers was like well there is nothing I can do for you, it looks here that the warranty on your computer expired yesterday”

                “Then I was like are you kidding me? You sold me this stupid piece of crap, you better fix it or I am never going to buy anything from dell again”

“Then he was like mam, mam, mam, please calm down..”

                “And I interrupted and was like calm down? You want me to calm down? No way! Just fix my computer already”

“Then the stupid dell guy was like mam, I’m sorry but there isn’t anything I can do for you, if you go to our website you can shop for other computers and you can just buy a new one”

                “Then I was like are you freaking kidding me!! I am NEVER going to buy another product from you again, they suck! Goodbye! And then I hung up the phone!”

Person 1

“Oh my gosh dell sucks so much, I’m sorry Aimee, you can use my computer until you get yours fixed”

Person 2

“Aww thanks!!”

Person 1

“And your story was soo much better than mine!”

*laugh *hug

 

 

 

Test Prep Round 2

The term I chose is allusion.

Examples

Below is a video that contains further examples of allusion.

Test Question:

1) A reference to a person, place, or thing that has previously happened is considered an allusion?
True or False

Test Prep

Apostrophe- a figure of speech in which the poet addresses something that in inanimate or abstract as a personified thing

Below is a link in which differently explains and defines apostrophe. There are also several examples provided! Click below!

More Information and Examples

Test question:

1) An apostrophe in poetry is used to combine two words and form a contraction.   True or False?

Howl Imitation

I see a generation of people bound together by material goods, who only want more even though they are already surrounded by way too much.

A generation that says “large please” when ordering the already unhealthy burger, fries, and soda from the local fast food restraint, while complaining when it takes longer than 30 seconds to receive the food.

I see a generation so immersed in technology that they don’t see what is going on around them, like when they are driving down the road 80 miles per hour texting and looking down at their phone.

A group of people who stands hours in lines for free food as well as the newest latest and greatest piece of technology.

I see a generation of people becoming more and more round and more and more lazy every day. A group of people who are saying tomorrow I will start, day after day after day.

A group of people so drastically different from the last, so changing and unconnected from the past generations. So stuck in the “new ways” that they don’t know any different, creating TV shows out of things that used to be considered highly inappropriate.

I see a generation that should reconsider all their values, beliefs, and morals and create a more positive look for the generations to come.

 

 

Imagist Poem

Running

The pale black pavement under the bright blue sky
Lifting the world off my shoulders

 

Sestina

The best time of the year is always summer
After the storm, you can find a rainbow
The oh so soft grass of green
And the full bloom flowers of red
All the wonderful grass and flowers fueled by the sun
Only to be cooled by the breeze

The blowing wind, sometimes only a breeze

Fills the hot days of summer
Ever so, hot from the sun
Off in the distance the faded rainbow
The sunset with the deep color of red
The trees with deep leaves of green

 Deep shades of green

The wind calming to a breeze
The flag oh so red
The wonderful time of summer
The storm calmed with the rainbow
The bright yellow sun

Behind the clouds the sun

Peeking out to make the flowers grow green
The so bright rainbow
Often with no breeze
The hot hot summer
Making little children bright red
 
The children all red
Having fun in the sun
Enjoying the summer
Laying in the green
Enjoying the breeze
Wanting the gold at the end of the rainbow

The many colors of the rainbow

The brightest is red
Hidden from the breeze
Made brighter from the sun
Barely can see the green
The fun times of summer
 
The bright rainbow only seen in the sun
All the colors both red and green
Always a breeze in the hot days of summer

Ode to My Blanket

Worn and ragged, soft and cuddly

always by my side, early in the morning or late at night

old seams, new seams

faded yet still mostly white.

 

Young days to old days

happy days to sad days,

short nights, sick nights, long nights, and even sleepless night,

all days and nights.

 

My blanket forever by my side.

 

Literary Litany

To my dad..

 

You are the sword and the stone,
the rock and the foundation.
You are the sunshine in the morning sky
and the green upon the fields.
You are the birds in the sky,
and the breeze in the air.

However, you are not the lion in the den,

the hurt and defeated,
or the sting of sad tears.
And you are certainly not the hurt captured by death.
There is just no way that you are the hurt captured by death.

It is possible that you are the wind at the mountaintop,
maybe even the sunset at night,
but you are not even close
to being the hurt and defeated.

And a quick look in the mirror will show
that you are neither conquerable
nor invincible.

It might interest you to know,
speaking of the plentiful imagery of the world,
that I am also the wind at the mountaintop.

I also happen to be the trees on the mountains,
the breeze in the air
and the laughter in the room.

I am also the stars and moon in the nighttime sky

and the sunshine beaming down.
But don't worry, I'm not the rock and the foundation.
You are still the rock and the foundation.
You will always be the rock and the foundation,
not to mention the sword and--somehow—the stone.

 

Personal Introduction

Hello!! My name is Aimee Ploss and this is my second semester here at LCSC. My birthday is July 25, so that makes me a very young 18 years old. Home is a little farm town in Southern Idaho, Jerome (not far from Twin Falls).

I grew up on a farm in Jerome and have moved pipe and picked rock as long as I can remember. In my later years on the farm, I also started driving tractor. I am always outside in the summer time and because of this I have developed a love for warm weather and the outdoors.
My major here at LC is Elementary Education; I have ALWAYS wanted to be a teacher and my dream is to teach 1st grade. Many people say that little kids are gross and germ infested; however, I love being around them and they brighten my day!!

I look forward to learning about and meeting many new people!!