Go! Blog Assignments

Week 1- Self-introduction & Set Goals

Self-introduction: Three things I know to be true

What are three things you know to be true? Think about three unique things about yourself and write a self-introduction explaining your three things. 

Here are three things about me:

1. Nabi
2. 45
3. Yoga

Can you guess what these things mean to me? Now write your own "Three things you know to be true".

Set: Goals

At the start of a new year, people often set resolutions or goals for the following year that they would like to achieve.  For your first challenge, you will create 3 goals that you would like to accomplish over the next 30 days.  A goal is the end result of your efforts to change a behavior or create a new one. 

Now that you have an idea about goals and goal setting, go to page 8-9 in your writing book.  Use this page to brainstorm and create your goals.  Watch this video for inspiration on goal setting:

After writing your goals, create a post in paragraph form.  Write an introduction explaining the topic of your post, then write the body (each goal should be a separate paragraph) and finally a conclusion summarizing what you have written. 

We will revisit our goals in a couple of weeks to see how you are doing.  Good luck!

Week 2- Creative Writing & Movie Review

Creative Writing: Choose your own ending!

Creative writing is a great way to express your imagination.  You will create a story where anything is possible.  These kinds of stories are fiction (not real or based on fact).  For this story, you will include the following:

* Genre

*Character

*Setting

*Plot

*Conflict

*Resolution

You will also need to make a title for your story.

Now, here is where it gets interesting.  After creating your story, you will need to write 3 different endings for the story.  This is called "choose your own ending".  You will post your story on your blog with links to your 3 endings.

To post your 3 endings, do this:

First type your story as a blog post.  Then after the story, write " Click here for ending 1", "Click here for ending 2" and "Click here for ending 3".  Save this post.

Now go to "Design", then on the left sidebar click "Pages". Change "Don't show" to Top tabs  or Side Bar. Click "Save Arrangement" on the top right side.

Next click on New Page, and "Blank Page". Here add the title "Ending 1", write your ending 1 here and then hit "Publish". Follow the same steps for Ending 2 & 3.

Now you need to copy the URL for each page and paste it into your blog post. To do this, hit "View Blog" then click on the tab for "Ending 1", copy the URL. Then go back to your post with the story and follow the steps below:

If you rollover every button on your Compose toolbar, you can see one button called "Link" where the word Link will pop up when you hover the button like this:

Now, all you have to do is to highlight or select the word "here" on that phrase, click the link button or press Ctrl+Shift+A, type or paste the URL (the link address) and press Enter or click OK.

Pretty fast huh?... here is the slow motion...
1. Select the word "here"

2. Click on the Link Button or press Ctrl+Shift+A


3. Type or paste your link address (Um... technically it is called URL) and click OK

You did it! To see what it looks like take a look at my story:
http://missangela20.blogspot.kr/2013/08/tails-from-dog.html

The minimum word count for this story is 500 words.  Get started and have fun creating your own tale and 3 different endings. 

Movie Review- Princess Bride Classes 15-20

Last week we watched the movie "The Princess Bride".  This movie was made in 1987 and directed by Rob Reiner.  The genre is fairy tale or romantic, comedy, adventure.  Now it is time to write a review about the movie.  In your review, you need to include the following:

* Genre
*Characters
*Plot
*Setting
*Opinion

You can watch the trailer below:

Now let's write a review.  The movie review should include an introduction where you should introduce the movie, the genre, when it was made, the director and a brief introduction to the movie.

In the body of the essay, explain the plot, characters and setting in one or 2 paragraphs.  In another paragraph explain your opinion and answer these questions:

1. What lessons can you learn from this movie?
2. What qualities of leadership can you learn from the characters in "The Princess Bride"?

Characters:

Grandson (sick boy)
Buttercup (Princess)
Westley
Prince Humperdinck
Fezzik (giant)
Inigo (Spanish sword fighter)
Vizzini (smart man who dies)
Count Rugen (six fingered man)
Miracle Max (brings Westley back to life)
Dread Pirate Roberts (Westley was actually this man in black)

Setting:

Cliffs of insanity
Shrieking Eels
Fire Swamp (lightning sand, R.O.U.S.- Rodents of Unusual Size)
Forrest of Thieves
Pit of despair


Finally, write a conclusion summarizing what you wrote in your review.  The movie review needs to be a minimum of 500 words.

Movie Review- Wizard of Oz Classes 5-10

In 1939, the Wizard of Oz was made and has been an American classic ever since.  It is based on L. Frank Baum’s book "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz". The film,stars Judy Garland as Dorothy, and offers some important leadership lessons.

In your movie review, include the following:

* Genre
*Characters
*Plot
*Setting
*Opinion

You can watch the trailer here:

In your review also include leadership lessons:

Lessons # 1 : There’s no place like home, and no motivator like clarity of purpose You have to hand it to Dorothy. She fully engages the wonders, adventures, friendships ,and dangers she encounters in Oz, but she is never deterred from her purpose of finding her way home.

 Does your organization have that clarity of purpose and vision? How, as a leader, do you keep yourself, and your followers, focused on that purpose?

Good luck and we look forward to hearing your thoughts about the "Wizard of Oz"!

Week 3- Persuasive Argument and Photo Essay

Persuasive Argument

Persuasive writing tries to convince you of something.  Have you ever wanted to do something and your parents say no?  What do you do then?  Sometimes we try to convince them to change their minds.  This is persuasive argument. 

The advertising world uses this style of writing to convince us to buy their products or believe their advertisements.  This skill is very useful in the business world and also as a leader.

A good leader has the power of persuasion so let's try to develop that skill through our writing.  We will create a letter trying to persuade someone to do something.  To start think about the following:




Purpose: What are you trying to do?

Audience: Who are you writing to?

Identity: Who are you writing as?

Feelings: What feeling are you trying to create?






Now think of a claim or thesis that you are trying to convince your audience to believe and write 3 reasons to support your claim. 

After brainstorming and completing the "Persuasion Map" on page 16 in your book, start writing your very own persuasive argument.

Photo Essay: One Picture Every Day

A photo essay tells a story using pictures.  For the next 7 days you will take a picture and then use the pictures to tell your story.  A famous saying is that "A picture is worth a thousand words".  We will not be writing that many words but we will be writing a paragraph about each picture. 

Cesar Kuriyama has been doing a similar project called "One Second Every Day" project. You can watch it here:

So let's get started with our version of Cesar Kuriyama's idea.  Before you begin, think about these things:

Choose a topic

Theme/Story

Pictures

Captions/descriptions

You will be using descriptive writing to describe your pictures.  Use your five senses to describe the photos. 

Take out your camera and start capturing shots to share with us.  Have fun!

Week 4- Diamante Poems, Bucket List and Odes

Diamante Poems

Diamante poems are fun to write. Below you will see a diagram which shows you the structure of a "Diamante Poem." As you can see, it is shaped like a diamond, and that's where it gets its name.

NOUN
ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE

ING-VERB ING-VERB ING-VERB

NOUN NOUN NOUN NOUN

ING-VERB ING-VERB ING-VERB

ADJECTIVE ADJECTIVE

NOUN

Refer to your book for more pointers on creating your own diamante poem!

Bucket List

Have you ever heard the expression "kick the bucket"? No, well let me explain what it means.  The expression means to die.  So a bucket list is a loist of things you want to do before you die.  There is a movie called "The Bucket List" that explores this idea:

 

 

Now you may be thinking you are too young to create a bucket list but even 4 year olds are doing this.  Check out this inspiring video about a little boy in Africa:

Think of 10 things you want to experience, try or learn in your lifetime.  Write an introduction and a short paragraph about each item on your list and a conclusion.  Write this as a post and also write a list on the "Home" page.  Check out my list as an example.

To do this, go to "Layout" and select "Gadget" then select "Lists" and type each item on your list.  I look forward to seeing what is on your bucket list!

ODES

An ode is a poem in praise of someone or something.  for this project we will create an ode to an inanimate object, that means something that is not living but we will personify it (give it human qualities).

Here is an example of an ode that my dog Nabi wrote:

Ode to Wide Open Spaces

Dear Wide Open Space,

How I love to run free in you.  You welcome me with your never-ending charm and mystery.  As far as my little eyes can see, there is you.  No buildings, no cars, no people, and no other dogs.  How strange it is to see nothing but open space.  You are free and endless.  Not bound by rules, fences or fears.  I envy your courage to be open to all who come your way.

As I marvel at you, I wonder where are the tall buildings that usually surround me? Where are the honking horns?  Where are the people cluttering the sidewalks? Where are the tiny dogs that bark their hellos?

Nothing here but you.  Space.  I drink in the silence, the trees rustling in the wind and the birds chirping in the distance.  Oh nature of grass and trees, birds and bees.  You wrap around me like a hug and I embrace you.  The silence is deafening and the space frees me.



I run trying to find the end of you.  Running fast and free but I never reach your edges.  Like the air I breathe, you keep going to eternity.  I have always been surrounded by things but now I am surrounded by openness.  You.  Stay with me and I will stay with you.

Woof! Woof!

Your friend and admirer,

Nabi