Essay Writing Reflection

Ideas and Content

The ways my JC writing demonstrated appropriate ideas and content was that i understood my topic very well, and I could easily give reasonable examples to support my topic. Another example to show that my writing demonstrated ideas and content is that I included interesting and relevant details, this also really helped me to get good and reliable examples for my topic. Finally I explained how my quotations relate to the main idea of paragraph, and this is a huge part of giving and getting information in my essay. To improve my writing next time i will have to strongly make sure my writing makes sense. I can't just say anything that i don't understand. I have to be able to understand it well, for my reader to clearly understand it as well. I also have to make sure that I have a clear and focused topic next time. I have to get my reader hooked in my story if i want it to be successful.

Organization

I have several ways that my writing demonstrated appropriate organization. One, is that I begin with an interesting hook to grab my readers attention very well. I included a smart and strong thesis statement, this helped with my hook to grab my readers attention. One important Organization concept I used in my essay was that my body paragraphs started with clear and strong topic sentences. Another strong organization concept i used was that i established enough context prior to introducing a quotation. I believed that i included enough evidence and explanation to cover my quote, and i tried my hardest to embed it within my paragraph. I think my organization In my essay was very strong and I knew confidently what i was doing. I could have improved my writing in various different ways. I could have focused more on ending each of my body paragraphs with a summarizing or transition sentence so i can alert the reader the end of the paragraph and what i will be talking about next. I needed to include a much better conclusion. My conclusion didn't have an interesting ending and probably did not attract many readers. I could have focused on this concept the most, because i believe i did not do well with it and hopefully i can use my mistake to improve my writing next time.

Personal Growth

Yes i do note much improvement between my Alchemist and Julius Caesar essay. My organization has improved dramatically, mostly because of the past mistakes i made. On my Self evaluation it looks like i didn't really know what i was doing for the alchemist essay because my organization and Ideas and content are both quite low. However, in my Julius Caesar essay, most of my concepts that I included are at a reasonable level and i am happy with what I have done. I can also see improvement because I truly believe that i did better. I learned from my mistakes and i tried my best to do a better job.

SLR Reflection

Reason Critically, this is because I learned from my mistakes and i looked at my earlier essays to do a better job. If i never had done this i wouldn't have done a better job and i would not have Reasoned Critically. I believe that when crafting an essay, the best thing to do is to look at the layouts of your earlier essays and follow them as a guide, while adding more details to the piece. From this, you can keep doing it and get better every time rather than starting all over again.

JC Essay on Brutus

In the very beginning of the novel “Julius Caesar”, when we first meet Brutus. He says “…let the gods so speed me as I love the name of honor more than I fear death.(Pg. 32; Line 87)” This quote could foreshadow specific events or even how Brutus might act in the future. The death he fears in the quote could be seen as Caesars death. Brutus commits this murder because of two powerful motivators; his sense of honor and his deep patriotism for Rome. By getting rid of Caesar, Brutus thought he was doing the right and most honorable thing for his country.

Brutus’s true patriotism and his love for Rome motivates him in doing great acts and events for Rome. He thinks by killing the most noble Caesar will be good for Rome, people might even appreciate it and he thinks good things will happen from this. Brutus’s reason for being so patriotic is that he wants his citizens of Rome to have a better life. To make his citizens like him more, he had to do something good. He says that killing Caesar will make the citizens happier because Caesar is not a good leader and he wants Rome to have freedom. He truly thinks this is a better option. Brutus is a very patriotic person, and when his love for Rome ‘pushes’ him, he acts in a certain way. He thinks once he does something for Rome, everything will be okay and he doesn’t have to worry. He believes that people will agree with him and that will make him look good for himself and in front of Rome. It will give him a good name for himself and people will feel so great to have him. He tries to do everything he can to make this happen. An example for his patriotism was when he and the conspirators had a meeting of what they were going to do with Caesar, how they would kill him and how they would look like in front of Rome if they did kill him. Brutus gives some examples of what they should do and what they shouldn’t do. “…our purpose necessary, and not envious; which so appearing to the common eyes, we shall be call’d purgers, not murderers. (Pg. 74; Lines 177-180)” Brutus wants to make Caesars death necessary and not just wrathfully kill him. He wants to look good in front of Rome, so he would like to be known as healers not murderers. He believes what he is doing is great for Rome and he wants to be recognized for that. He is very cautious of what he is doing. He loves Rome so much he does not want to disappoint anyone, so he tries to sound as harmful as possible and look good. He wants Rome to know that he is doing this for a good reason, and most of all, keep Rome happy. Brutus is ready to do something great for Rome, but he is also ready to kill himself for Rome, and that is a huge step that anyone could take. Just after Caesars death, Brutus makes a long speech to the people of Rome. He says that he will kill himself if his country wants him to die. “ …as I slew my best lover for the good of Rome, I have the same dagger for myself, when it shall please my country to need my death. (Pg. 130; Line 41)” Brutus is saying that if Rome disagreed with Caesars death, he is ready to kill himself for his country. He has so mush true love for Rome that he is willing to kill himself! Just by looking at this quote makes all of us surprised and how patriotic he is for his own country. There is true patriotism in this quote above, whoever would do that for their country has a strong heart. After Brutus’s acts of patriotism and what he does to make himself look good, it makes the people like him more, and they don’t want him to die. Brutus doesn’t just have true patriotism, but he is a very honorable man, and does what is best for Rome.

Brutus Is an Honorable man who thinks wisely, does what is true and does what should be done. Brutus is motivated by Honor because he thinks he is doing what’s right for Rome. He loves Rome so much he wants to be Honorable so people will respect him and follow his rules. Being honorable is a big key factor to lead you to success. By being truly Honorable, he thinks very carefully about things. He always considers the consequences and the different options or even roads he can take to lead him to what’s right. He always does what he thinks is noble. Brutus was very Honorable when the conspirators and himself were talking about how they should kill Caesar and what they should do. “Let’s kill him boldly, but not wrathfully; Let’s carve him as a dish fit for the gods…”(Pg.74; Lines 172-173) Brutus wants to kill Caesar in a noble kind way instead of in a horrible way. He wants to kill Caesar as quickly and cleanly as possible. It shows Brutus’s Honor because he thought of the consequences and his choices. He thought honorably and a lot to make him sound like a good person. Even if he wants Caesars death to be noble, he wants it to have a reason. He doesn’t want people to think he did it for no reason at all. In the same paragraph as the other quotes, Brutus shows more honor when he talks about how Caesar should die and what they will do. “To cut the head off and then hack the limbs, Like wrath in death and envy afterwards” (Pg. 74; Line 163)

The main conflict in the Novel is that the people wanting to reach there goals and everyone to be happy. But Brutus had to decide if killing Caesar was the right thing to do. To help Brutus choose if he should kill or not, was his key motivators, his ture patriotism and his sense of honor. This made him focus on his goals more, but he was also arrogant and this made it hard for him to work with. In the end Brutus’s arrogance and over confidence ended him up on the ground like his dear friend Caesar. Brutus did not achieve his goal because at the end of the novel, people started to realize he wasn’t doing any good to Rome and started to dislike him. Antony became an enemy of Brutus. Brutus later fell down, and lost his power. Eventually he had killed himself. This goal he had was not noble or even worthy. Killing someone, no matter the reason is never worthy or noble.

Sudan Collage Video Reflection

Collage Reflection

I will include my collage picture later when i get it on the mac. I will also include my i-movie later.

While working on my collage, i tied to include and put in several creative elements inside. I thought to myself that it would be quite creative to split my pictures into different categories to make the reader understand more of what happened to the lost boys and show the problems they had to face. So i did, i split the photos roughly in 2 areas of the poster, with the pictures i found on the internet. On my poster, i divided the pictures into the bad and horrible things that mostly happened in Sudan with the war and pictures of the boys in America, and being able to travel there (some of the good things). When i was being creative in constructing my poster, i found it quite difficult to split my pictures. This is because there wasn't really a lot of good things that happened to the lost boys and there was so much bad things that happened to them and that i could find. Also what i included in my poster is that every picture is not a square cutting, some of them are also cut around people or significant parts of their life. I did this because it could give the readers/audience a better idea of the important things that happened to them. It is very important that the reader views all these photos and sees the pain the boys went through.

Mostly all of my pictures in my poster were about the pain the boys went through and had to face. Since most of my pictures were about the pain the boys went through, i decided to make my 6 word memoir sound sad and really make the audience think more because i want everyone to understand that the boys went through so much hell. Underneath and around the word 'Genocide' i put a picture of a baby crying, and an old man who looked extremely thin and sad. Just these two powerful pictures tells us the hell and sadness they had to face. The picture with the skinny helpless man was there for a reason, it was to show us that they didn't get much food at all, anywhere. It wasn't the only picture of a person who was skinny, there were loads more. I got a picture of the UN sign and a dove with peace on the top of it. I chose these two picture because the UN was very generous to help these lost boys start a new life and help them out. When the UN did this, the boys felt a little hope and they believed america will be like heaven and they will all be happy. In the beginning they were in huge amounts of pain and loss, especially when there parents and friends died. Then they were lonely on their way to America because of the new culture, and then they were in hell, the moment they had to figure out ways to survive in America while trying to keep their family alive in Sudan.

In my collage, both my pictures and my text shows awareness for the lost boys plight. I think the combination of my text and pictures show a little bit of fun they had and there were no worries at some points. But i also combined pictures of the pain they had to go through. I have some pictures that tell the readers that the lost boys could forget about their past and the bad things that happened to them, but they could still remember their true culture, the Dinka Tribe. When the boys arrived in America, they were trying as hard as they could to forget about about the past and to think about their future. In my collage, i have a picture of Peter attending high school. This picture shows that he wants to and is getting a good education, so that he can get a good paying job and send reasonable amounts of money back to his family in Sudan. Some of the boys are now quite popular in America because their long story has been told to thousand, maybe millions of people. Its so popular and important they made a documentary out of it. I have many pictures of the lost boys that show their success in America and being able to forget all about their past and work extremely hard in America.

I think my poster demonstrated empathy and it might even evoke an emotional response in several different ways. I put really strong picture of people in Sudan suffering from all the pain. I have several children who look miserable and despratley need help fast. These pictures i have chosen might get the viewer thinking more, and might even want to do something about it. The pictures can easily get the reader feeling extremely sorry for the people in need and it will make them want to make a move and do something. My 6 word memoir is basically the whole story of their life, but only in 6 words. My powerful 6 words i have chosen to put together can tell the reader what they have gone through. It is a brief description of their life in hell. Maybe it might get people to act and do something helpful for them.

Peters Difficulties in America

1. I am a lost boy from Sudan. I am in Houston Texas now. Before, I was in a refugee camp in Kenya for many years. When I found out that i would be going to Houston, Texas, I heard it was like heaven. I hoped i would start a new and much better life their. But America wasn't what i expected it to be like.
2. In the past couple of months here in America, i have gone through several major difficulties and it has been really tough assimilating into this American culture. I thought it would be a really easy start, and it was, but later on in the months it got more complicated for me and i didn't know how i was going to get through it all. I didn't know a lot of English when entering the US but i think i got better after awhile. It is a very tough language. When i was first introduced to my new house, the lady showed us around and taught us how to use things. She showed us a metal box called a stove, i had no idea what it was or any of the other appliances in the house. i was very confused. People in America also kept on staring at me weirdly and it looked like they were were afraid of me. My friends said it was because we were black and they were very prejudice against black people here. Our boss at WalMart said that we were used to working out in the heat because we were black Africans. I had to just continue with my job so i could make enough money to pay my rent. It was really hard work. When i came here there was a huge difference of cultures from where i used to live. I suffered incredible culture shock when i arrived and didn't know what i was going to do about it. I did really different things back in Africa than what they do here. The people here had different music/songs, different dances and lots of different traditions that i was completely new to. People in America didn't do the same things in Africa like we used to do. In america, they were people that had something to do and work for. They didn't have much free time at all to play around like what we did in Africa. For me, life was much harder and much more different here because i had to get used to all these new and unfamiliar subjects. I also had to keep myself busy to be like the other people. After another couple of long busy months i enrolled myself in a high school so that i could become well educated. When i first went to my new school everything was new to me and people had different groups to hang out with. I was a new student and i did not know any of the people there, i didn't have many groups to join. During school i met new friends that were nice to me and cared for me. I was able to join groups that they were in. My friends invited me to come and join them in their Christian group. I didn't know Christianity well and i felt alone because all of them new what they were doing and i was the only black person there. I had many conflicts while here and it has been a tough challenge to overcome them and get familiar to the American environment and culture.
3. 
   

1. 
   

Duet Acting

Calpurnia has just had a dream about Caesar dying and is worried for him. She tries to persuade him not to go to the capitol because she believes that he will die. He is about to stay until Decius comes in and reinterprets Calpurnia's dream so that Caesar goes to the Capitol after all. This passage foreshadows Caesar's death and it is when his death is almost sure because the conspirators get him to go to the place where they are going to kill him.

The passage is in Act 2, Scene 2, Lines 57 - 107 (pg's 92 and 94)

Enter DECIUS BRUTUS

Here's Decius Brutus, he shall tell them so.

DECIUS BRUTUS Caesar, all hail! good morrow, worthy Caesar: I come to fetch you to the senate-house.

CAESAR And you are come in very happy time, To bear my greeting to the senators And tell them that I will not come to-day: Cannot, is false, and that I dare not, falser: I will not come to-day: tell them so, Decius.

CALPURNIA Say he is sick.

CAESAR Shall Caesar send a lie? Have I in conquest stretch'd mine arm so far, To be afraid to tell graybeards the truth? Decius, go tell them Caesar will not come.

DECIUS BRUTUS Most mighty Caesar, let me know some cause, Lest I be laugh'd at when I tell them so.

CAESAR The cause is in my will: I will not come; That is enough to satisfy the senate. But for your private satisfaction, Because I love you, I will let you know: Calpurnia here, my wife, stays me at home: She dreamt to-night she saw my statua, Which, like a fountain with an hundred spouts, Did run pure blood: and many lusty Romans Came smiling, and did bathe their hands in it: And these does she apply for warnings, and portents,

And evils imminent; and on her knee Hath begg'd that I will stay at home to-day.

DECIUS BRUTUS This dream is all amiss interpreted; It was a vision fair and fortunate: Your statue spouting blood in many pipes, In which so many smiling Romans bathed, Signifies that from you great Rome shall suck Reviving blood, and that great men shall press For tinctures, stains, relics and cognizance. This by Calpurnia's dream is signified.

CAESAR And this way have you well expounded it.

DECIUS BRUTUS I have, when you have heard what I can say: And know it now: the senate have concluded To give this day a crown to mighty Caesar. If you shall send them word you will not come, Their minds may change. Besides, it were a mock Apt to be render'd, for some one to say 'Break up the senate till another time, When Caesar's wife shall meet with better dreams.' If Caesar hide himself, shall they not whisper 'Lo, Caesar is afraid'? Pardon me, Caesar; for my dear dear love To our proceeding bids me tell you this; And reason to my love is liable.

CAESAR How foolish do your fears seem now, Calpurnia! I am ashamed I did yield to them. Give me my robe, for I will go.

Our group is Tavis and Jussi and we may need someone to say Calpurnia's one line.

Band - VOID based on the story

1) "The Black Box" because i think the whole story was based around the Black Box. I thought the Box was the most important object in the story.

2) I thought something bad was going to happen, because Mr. Graves pulled out a piece of paper that had a black dot on. The color black is usually a negative scary color, so i thought something bad was gong to happen. Mr. Graves could have been kicked out or something.

3) I was quite annoyed and i wanted to hear the rest of it and what will happen next. It made me ask questions and come up with ideas to find out the ending. I wanted to hear more.

4) I wanted to open the paper really badly and see what was inside. But i followed the instructions because i thought the instruction on the front had to do with some surprise(open at 5 p.m). I thought the ending of the story was in it, and thats all. cause it wanted me to ask questions, then give me the answer. yes because i thought a surprise according to the time was going to happen.

5) I felt scared and i thought something bad was going to happen to me. When Mr. Housego told us people with the black dots are doing their playing test, i was kind of happy that the tension was over and shocked at the same time(i had the black dot) i was also annoyed with the people without a black dot.

6) I felt confused and i did not understand the ending. But then again i was happy i didn't have to keep going through the tension.

7) No, my predictions were not correct. i felt confused and did not understand. The ending was not as important as i thought it would be. But i am happy i found out the answer.

8) I don't know what would have helped me make a better prediction. Maybe calm down and not think about it so much, think outside the box.

9) To make the readers ask questions and want to find out more about the story and what happened. He wanted to give the readers a questions, make them ask questions and throw an answer at them.

10) When there is no title, it takes away the clue of what the story would be about, and when you don't know anything about the author you can't tell the point of view they are telling it from. It could be a boy or a girl's perspective, or a homeless or rich guy's perspective.

When there is no ending, it makes lots of people ask questions and want to know the answer (ending). It creates tension for the readers in the same way that TV shows create tension when they say "to be continued".

The mystery paper made me want to open it and made me wonder more about what was inside. Making me wait until 5 pm created more tension, and then, when I read the ending I was disappointed that it was not as exciting as I thought it would be and the tension disappeared and I was no longer asking questions or imagining what would happen.