Tag Archives: session 9

Writing Strategies 2, session 9: November 25th, 2011

Illustration by British artist Arthur Rackham for the first edition of "The Allies' Fairy Book" (1916)
Illustration by British artist Arthur Rackham for the first edition of "The Allies' Fairy Book" (1916) http://spiritoftheages.com/Arthur_Rackham_-_%27%27The_Allies%27_Fairy_Book%27%27_%281916%29.htm

Please read about the final presentations. I have updated the information, and added a link to a list of children’s books for you to choose from.

Today,

we answered these questions about chapter 13:

  1. Q: What is written on the golden gate?
    1. A: “Come in by the gold gates or not at all, /Take my fruit for others or forbear,/For those who steal or those who climb my wall / Shall find their heart’s desire and find despair.”
  2. Q: Digory wants to taste the silver apple. What arguments does he make to convince himself? What stops him?
    1. A: Digory wonders if it would be wrong to taste one; the words on the gate “might only have been a piece of advice – and who cares about advice?” Digoro also wonders if, since he’s already obeyed the part about taking one “for others,” would it be wrong to take a second for himself? Digory is stopped because he sees a beautiful bird roosting in the tree, seemingly watching him. Had the bird not been watching, Digory might have done it.”
  3. Q: Who does  Digory see leaving the garden? What is she doing? How has she changed?
    1. The Witch. She is throwing away the core of the apple she has just eaten. She looks stronger and prouder, even triumphant, but also she looks deadly white.
  4. Q: How does the witch try to turn Digory against Aslan?
    1. A: She tells Digory that whoever eats one of the apples will never grow old or die. She also tells him that one bite of the apple will heal his mother. She asks him, “What has the Lion ever done for you that you should be his slave?” and “What can he do to you once you are back in your own world?” She says that Digory’s refusal to bring an apple to his mother shows that Aslan has made Digory heartless.
  5. Q: How does Digory know he has made the right choice?
    1. A: He remembers the tears in Aslan’s eyes. It means that Aslan also cares about Digory’s mother, and perhaps he will help.

Silver apples

CS Lewis probably knew the poem “Wandering Angus” by his fellow Irishman, W.B. Yeats. The last stanza contains these lines

Though I am old with wandering
Through hollow lands and hilly lands,
I will find out where she has gone
And kiss her lips and take her hands;
And walk among long dappled grass,
And pluck till time and times are done
The silver apples of the moon,
The golden apples of the sun.

What is the difference between an essay and a report?

A list of differences between essays and reports
from the University of Canberra website http://www.canberra.edu.au/studyskills/writing/reports

Homework for week 10, Dec. 2nd

  1. Read chapters 14 and 15.
  2. Read John 10:1-30. What does Jesus say about those who do not come in by the gate?
  3. Read Genesis 3. How did the serpent tempt Eve to eat the fruit?
  4. Read Genesis 3:22. Why did God expel Adam and Eve from the garden of Eden?
  5. Choose your topic for your final presentation and tell me as soon as possible. Start reading your chosen book.

Writing Strategies 1, session 9: June 24th, 2011

Students worked on the Study Guide, finishing the questions for chapter 7 and 8  (pages 24-26), up to question 8, and starting to read chapters 9 and 10.

Mr. Sheffner interviewed most of the students one by one, checking their Study Guides.

Homework:

Read chapters 9 and 10, and answer the Study Guide vocabulary questions and questions 1-5 on pages 28-30.

Aslan
Aslan (from http://aslanism.tumblr.com/)

Research in English (Linguistics) A session 9: June 17th, 2011

Charlemagne, one of the greatest European medieval rulers, lived from 747 to 814
Emperor Charlemagne, one of the greatest European medieval rulers, lived from 747 to 814

Today we finished chapter 2. Yay!

Some key points about today’s class:

  1. Celtic was once the main language of Europe. Paris, Belgrade (I said it’s in Yugoslavia, but I was wrong – it’s in Serbia!) and Dundee are all Celtic place-names (click the links to see where those towns are in Europe).
  2. Emperor Charlemagne, in English here and in Japanese here, ordered sermons to be conducted in lingua romana rustica (click here for Japanese Google translation)  instead of lingua latina from 813.
  3. Classical Latin (click here for Japanese) was different from ordinary or vulgar Latin. Today’s Spanish, Italian and French developed from this vulgar Latin rather than from classical Latin.
  4. This chapter refers to some places and people that Japanese people may not be familiar with, such as
    1. Charlemagne (see above)
    2. Pompeii (click here for Japanese Wikipedia entry)
    3. Sardinia (click here for Japanese Wikipedia entry)
    4. Mario Pei (click here for Japanese Yahoo Books search).

Homework:

Read chapter 3. Ms. Aoki will prepare pages 35-36. Ms. Watanabe will prepare pages 36-37.

  1. In your summary, highlight the key points, not the details.
  2. Research about one topic that interests you, or some topic that may be unfamiliar to Japanese readers  in chapter 3.
  3. Quote your sources. Where did you get the information from? Always use at least two sources of information.
  4. This book is in English, for English speakers and uses English or European examples. On your own, find some Japanese examples for some of the topics in chapter 3.

Student voices

Ms. Aoki researched about Latin vulgate. Read about it in English here, and in Japanese here. She also researched about Romance Language.

Ms. Watanabe researched about Thracian language, the Etruscan language and Tocharian languages.