English: My Creative Writing

 Hi there! 

Today I will be sharing creative writing I did in English class using a sentence starter from The Outsiders, written by S.E. Hinton in 1967. Here is a link to my work.

Thanks for reading!

English: Dilemmas Essay

Hi there!

Today I will be sharing an essay I wrote in English class based on dilemmas, our focus for this term.

For my topic, but decided to write about how literature teaches us to deal with dilemmas and used three stories to show this. The stories I chose were:

- The Doll's House by Katherine Mansfield

- Hills Like White Elephants by Ernest Hemingway

- The Bear by William Faulkner 

Here is my essay. 

Thanks for reading! 

English: How do I respond to a moral dilemma?

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the Trolley problem. Here is a video about it.

This is a very difficult decision to make, and there are many views. I will write perspectives from three perspectives, saving 5 people by sacrificing one, sacrificing 5 but saving one or doing nothing at all. 

I think if I were in this situation, I would most likely panic but save the 5 people by sacrificing the one person on the separate track. If you save the 5 people you are more likely to be viewed as a hero by the general public, and you would only have to tell one family that their family member has died as opposed to 5. I would choose this option because technically, it is not my fault that the trolley is loose. Someone is bound to die, all I am doing is changing the amount of people who will. 1 person has less family than 5 families all together so it will cause less pain overall. 

Another option is to let the 5 people die and save one. Some people would be inclined to choose this as they might view flicking the switch as them murdering the one person. They are letting events happen as they are 'supposed' to. A person might believe that there is an unknown force acting and that they shouldn't toy with it, as it might harm them. 

Or, you could turn around and not do anything at all. People might be too torn up, or not want any responsibility of deciding who shall live and who shall not. They don't want to live with the knowledge they could have chosen how someone would die.

28/07/2021

The Trolley Problem + variations 

For all of these variations, I will be discussing them with Rieya, one of my classmates. 

The Jim Carrey

The Jim Carrey trolley problem is the same, apart from all the people being Jim Carrey. The person on the separate track is Jim Carrey from his 'Dumb and Dumber' acting period, something very nostalgic for lots of people. On the track there are 5 clones of Jim Carrey.

I would let the trolley on going straight, killing the clones. I would do this because if Jim Carrey has already been cloned, he can be cloned again. Another reason is that people don't love Jim Carrey clones, they love the original, real Jim Carrey. 

The Thread

In this version, there is no second track, but a fat man who is standing right by the 5 people trapped on the tracks. If you shove him onto the tracks, his body would most likely stop the trolley and save the people. You know nothing about him, only that he is on his phone composing a text message and vaping. 

In this situation I think that would push the man onto the tracks in order to save the 5 people. I would do this because I don't have any connection to the man so it wouldn't be as painful to do. Also I would do this because He is standing basically on the tracks and is on his phone in a dangerous place, so he is most likely going to step onto the tracks and sustain an injury or die. 

The Long Overcoat

You can't be sure, but it looks like there is a very tall person standing alone, but when you continue looking it seems as if there are two people, one sitting on the other's shoulders. Are they children? Are they trying to trick someone? Why? They're probably up to no good. But is it worth pushing them onto the tracks and getting a jail sentence?

This is a tough one, but I wouldn't push the 'children'. I chose this because the people on the track are adults and are going to die sooner than the 'children' whereas the 'children' have longer to live and are the next generation of life. 

The Hitler 

The man on the separate track is Adolf Hitler. 

I would flick the switch to the separate track. I feel this is self-explanatory. 

The Violinist

Like the overcoat scenario, there are two people standing. However this time, one of the people is a world-class violinist who has been surgically attached to another person. Whatever has happened to the two people, one of them looks sick of the violin playing, he might welcome death.

I think that I would let the train kill the 5 people, because there aren't very many people who still play violin. Also if the two people have been surgically attached, they can be separated. 

The Henchman

Same problem as the original trolley problem, except the fact that you are now a mob boss who has henchmen. One of your henchmen is standing by the switch, and a simple nod will tell them to flick the switch, no nod to leave it. What will you decide?

I think that I would tell (nod) the henchmen to pull the lever, because I would be saving more people and wouldn't give me as bad of a reputation. 

The Chiseled Features

The lone person on the separate track is athletic and attractive, whereas the other 5 are not. Are attractive people more worthy of life? Yes? No? It's up to you to decide and see how your decisions show what type of person you are...

I would save the 5 people by sending the trolley to the separate track. I would do this because a person might be attractive, doesn't mean they are a good person. Also, the 'ugly' people can always get plastic surgery if they want to. 

The Bowling Pins

Instead of lying across the tracks, the 5 people are arranged in bowling pin formation. While still horrific, it does seem funny they are arranged like that, you just can't help hearing the 'bowling ball knocking over pins' noise in your head. 

I think that I would flick the switch to the separate track, because I would feel horrible killing people who have unwillingly been arranged like bowling pins. 

The Bluetooth

You know nothing about the lone man, but the 5 people are wearing Bluetooth headsets. You go to Twitter asking what you should do, but you are hit by the trolley at 64 km per hour, you never got the chance to save the people. 

I think that it is unfortunate that I went on my phone to decide who I should save. If I hadn't been hit by the trolley, I would have saved the lone person, because the people shouldn't be wearing Bluetooth headsets in such a dangerous place. 

Thanks for reading! 

English: A Short Story Account from 'The Trolley'

 Hi there!

Today in English class I wrote a short account of a character's perspective of their summer school holidays from 'The Trolley' written by Patricia Grace.

Here is the short account/P.O.V. I wrote from the character, Miria. 

WALT: Write an account of Miria or Hoani’s point of view of the gift when they are telling their class what they got at Christmas.

I’m walking to school for the first time since my summer holiday that passed too quickly. Got the best Christmas gift, my mum made me and my brother a racing trolley! Every single day after Christmas morning, Hoani and I would speed down our street in the trolley. All the other kids on the street would look in awe and shock as we would come down the street, tearing it up behind us. I finally make it into class, just before the bell rings. 

After my teacher takes the roll, she asks the class to sit in a circle and share what we got for Christmas. I’m sitting at the finishing end of the circle, so I have to wait even longer until I get to share. Everyone has gotten cool gifts, but I know they don’t compare to mine. I don’t even listen to the last couple of people sharing, I’m too busy coming up with what I will say. 

“Miria, what did you get for Christmas?”, My teacher asks.

“I got a racing trolley! My mum secretly made it for my brother and myself the week before Christmas, we had no idea! Every single day we went zooming down our street in the trolley. We go so fast, that everything outside the trolley is blurry! It’s so much fun to go on, we even convinced our mum to go on it too! I never thought that a gift which is handmade could be so much fun to play with!” I reply, brimming from ear to ear. 

“Wow Miria, it sounds like you had a great time these holidays!” My teacher says.

The whole class is enthralled by my story, I can’t wait to tell my brother and especially my mum about their reaction.

Thanks for reading!

English: Goals

Hi there! 

Today in English class I will be talking about what my goals are for English class as well as some other things.

What are your goals for learning in English this year?

My goals are to: 

- Get Excellence marks in my work

- Learn new things about English studies

- Learn more about film study/analysis 

- Stay focused on my work during class and not get distracted

- Not distract others, whether that be pen clicking or talking to someone about something

- Keeping the quality of my work consistent

- Finishing my work on time without rush

- Not procrastinating!!

- Improve my vocabulary

- Improve my public speaking

- Use more complex punctuation 

What would help you achieve your goals in English?

I believe that the most important and useful things I could do in English are sitting with people who motivate me and don't distract me.  Sitting with people who ask me what we're supposed to be doing and asking me for answers as they don't do work frustrates me which therefore doesn't let me do quality work. I also believe listening to the teachers instructions are extremely important and asking the teacher questions to make sure I understand what I am supposed to be doing. 

What do YOU need to do to achieve these goals?

Some things I think would help me achieve my goals would be trying to do more work in class so I don't need to do it out of school and rush to finish it for the next day. I also think that surrounding myself with people who I work well with and who do their work so I stay on task. Giving myself realistic goals of what I want to achieve so I don't overwhelm myself. 

What could the teacher do to help you achieve your goals?

The teacher could help me achieve my goals by looking at them and seeing if they can do anything in their teaching plan which relates and could help me. The teacher could also ask us how our goals are going every once in a while and if they aren't going well, possibly give us some tips on how to fix it and get back on track.

What could the class/your peers do to help you achieve your goals?

My class could help me with my goals by not making fun of my goals, being kind to others including myself, Listening to opinions that others have to say, respecting every student and respecting the teacher. Showing common sense and not speaking over others purposefully so they aren't heard. I would also like my peers to keep their opinions to themselves if they don't agree with something, instead of causing a ruckus which takes away our learning time. 

What could YOU do to improve learning conditions for others in this class?

- I could keep the noise I make to a minimum so I don't distract my classmates. 

- I could ask people if they are okay with me sitting with them rather than assuming.

- Listen to the teacher's instructions so I don't need to ask others or vice-versa.

- Respect others choices and opinions even if I don't agree with them/not be judgmental toward them

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: 'The Boy in The Striped Pajamas'

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about how reading about genocide helped me better understand the themes shown in, 'The Boy in The Striped Pajamas'. 

 I found out why the German Nazi's didn't like Jewish people because they were told that Jewish people 'weren't human'. Also, that they were an inferior race to German people. Jewish people were represented as vermin, unworthy of life and deserving of death. 

I also learned that Jewish people would be sent to concentration camps because of this, as well as believing in a different religion. At the concentration camps, they were forced to become slaves and work terrible jobs at these camps. The conditions at these camps were horrible, Jewish people would get little to no food. The average workday would start at 4:30a.m. or 5:30a.m. and go on until 7:00p.m. everyday. 

I also learned that at these concentration camps the Jewish people would be killed by gas chambers and being shot with guns. This happened to over 11 million Jewish people from 1941 to May of 1945. 

Learning this helped me better understand what is happening in 'The Boy in The Striped Pajamas' because I found out why the Nazi Germans hated Jewish people as well as why they said they were an 'inferior race'.

Thanks for reading!

English: What do I like?

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about what I like, don't like and what I would change in regards to my English class.

What I like:

• I like the film we will be studying for our film study
• I like my teacher's sense of humor
• I like the '321 RIQ' blogging format we use in class
• I like they way we are learning about certain things
• I like that my teacher listens to everyone's opinion
• I like how my teacher involves everyone in the class
• I like that my class feels like a safe environment where I can express myself
• I like the topics we are learning about
• I like that my teacher listens to us before deciding what will do in class

What I don't like:

• I don't like how some people talk while the teacher is talking as it can be distracting, which therefore prevents me from working a my best.

What I would change:

• I would change what periods I have English to later on in the school day, but of course that is not possible. 

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: Thoughts on, 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing a brief summary of what I thought about the film, 'The Boy in the Striped Pajamas'. 

Storyline: Bruno, a boy who is eight years old and from Berlin, Germany moves to the countryside of Europe with his sister, mother and father who is an SS Commander. We find out the reason for their moving is because Bruno's father has been appointed to control a concentration camp so close to their house, it can be seen out a window. Bruno, an avid explorer goes looking about and finds a Jewish boy called Shmuel in striped "pajamas" sitting inside the camp. 

I found the film quite numbing. I felt like this because I couldn't comprehend how horribly the Jewish people in the concentration camps were being treated by the German soldiers. I couldn't believe that people had the ability to be so terrible towards others, purely their ethnicity is different. 

I felt sorry for Bruno, because he was thrust into a world he didn't understand much about, far away from what childhood should be like. I also felt sad seeing Shmuel inside the concentration camp, he looked so fragile and afraid. Not only did he not look like a child, but he acted in a way that he wasn't too. It was such a crazy difference between Bruno and Shmuel, although they are both 8 years old their worlds are completely apart. 

Thanks for reading! 

English: 321 RIQ

 17/02/2021

Hi there!

Today I will be doing another 31 RQ for English class. 

Recalls - 

• I remember learning about different camera shots in film and what they capture in the frame. 
• I remember learning that people are normally used to show the example of what camera shot is being used as people are all generally the same size and have the same proportions. 
• I learnt about different angles too, I learnt that  they can portray characters in a different way. For example, a low angle can be used to show a character is strong and important and better than everyone else. A high angle is used to show a person is weak and not important in the film. 
• I learnt about static images and how they can send messages. For example, we looked at 12 different signs from a typical Spanish train station, static images used for 'entry' and 'exit' were arrows pointing into and away from the box. Whereas in New Zealand, we have a green sign with big block letters saying 'entry'. For an exit sign, we have a green sign with big block letters saying 'exit' or, a green sign with a person running away. 

1 Question - 

• My question for today is, are there specific machines film makers use to create different shots in film?

Thanks for reading!

English: 321 RIQ

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about a new blogging strategy/system I will be using in English class this year called '321 RIQ'. Here is a quick summary of how it works: 

3 Recalls - (3 things I remember about the lesson)

2 Insights - (2 new things I learnt in the lesson

1 Question - (1 Question about something I didn't understand/would like to know more about)

Here is a 321 RIQ about my most recent English lessons:

3 Recalls - 

• I remember making sentences with the word 'disappearance' in class yesterday.
• I remember writing a story which had to include the following words:
• Fallacy
• Enigma
• Disappearance
• Suspicion 
• I also remember learning about different types of nouns.

2 Insights - 

• Something that I learnt last lesson was the definition of 'fallacy'.
• I also learnt the definition of 'enigma' last lesson too.

1 Question - 

• Something I still want to know more about is the different types of nouns as I found it interesting to learn.

Thanks for reading!

Film Study/English: Coraline Timeline/Freytag's Pyramid

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about a timeline I made regarding the film, Coraline in Film Study/English.

Here is a Freytag Pyramid about Coraline:

• Exposition: 
• In the exposition of Coraline, we are introduced to the Pink Palace and the area around it. We also meet Coraline, her parents, Wybie and the other tenants of the Pink Palace apartments. Coraline begins to explore the area and meet new people along the way also.
• Complication:
• The complication introduced in the film is when Coraline finds the small, sealed up door in the living room of their new apartment. Wybie also gives Coraline a doll which looks exactly like her, which we then find out is spying on her. 
• Rising Action:
• The rising action in Coraline is when Coraline goes through the small door which leads to the ‘Other World’. She continues to go back to the ‘Other World’ and interact with the ‘Other People’ in the ‘Other World’. 
• Climax:

• The climax in Coraline is when the other mother offers/gives Coraline the box with button eyes inside it. 

• Falling Action:
• The falling action in Coraline is when Coraline doesn't accept the button eyes, the lighting changes when this happens too. The 'Other Mother' also starts to show her true colours towards Coraline, we also see how she treats the people from the 'Other World' too. Coraline tries to escape from the 'Other World' but fails. 
• Resolution:
• The resolution in Coraline is when Coraline prepares to go back into the 'Other World' one last time to save her parents' soul's. She gets a jade triangle from Miss Spink & Miss Forcible which helps her find the souls of the lost ghost children stuck in the 'Other World'. Most importantly in resolution, the final battle between Coraline and the 'Other Mother' occurs. This is when we see Coraline fighting her way out of spiderweb which belongs to the 'Other Mother'. 
• Denouement:
• The denouement in Coraline is when she drops the hand/claw of the 'Other Mother' into the 'never-ending' well we are introduced to in the beginning of the film. The denouement also includes all the characters we have met throughout the film all having a nice time together in the front garden at the Pink Palace Apartments. This is the ending of the film and it ends in nice, happy way.

What am I learning?

I am learning how to lay out a timeline explaining different parts of a film.

How does this work show my learning?

This work shows my learning because I was able to understand and explain the different parts in a Freytag Pyramid while studying a film.

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

I am not currently wondering anything. 

Thanks for reading!

Film Study/English: Character Challenges

 Hi there!

Here is a slide show I made about Character Challenges in the film, Coraline.

What am I learning?

I am learning how to identify and record challenges characters face in films.

How does this work show my learning?

This work shows by learning because I have explained they way the characters' act, challenges they have faced in the film and how they have reacted to these challenges. 

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?

I am wondering if this activity is able to be used out of film studies. 

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: Colour & Lighting in Coraline

 Hi there!

Today I will be writing about how colour and lighting enhances the film, Coraline.

There are spoilers in this text for the film. 

In Coraline, when we first see the 'real world' all the colours are faded, dull and unexciting. It seems like almost every object or thing has a grey undertone. The only thing which is bright is Coraline, which shows she is a character we will be following as well as the stray cat's eyes. The lighting seems artificial, cold and dull in the house too. 

When we first see the 'other world' in Coraline, it seems so much brighter, it seems a lot more welcoming and loving. The lighting is much warmer and makes us feel like the 'other world' is a better place. It also seems like Coraline fits much better in the 'other world' because everything is brighter and warmer, like Coraline. 

After the Other Mother gives Coraline the button eyes for her to get sewn into the place where her real eyes actually are and refuses the lighting and colour changes. It is still bright, but brighter than it actually should be to seem welcoming. The colours are really vivid and it gives scenes with this colouring an eerie or scary effect. The lighting is artificial, which actually tells us something bad will happen to Coraline. 

When Coraline finally returns to the 'real world' after challenging the Other Mother and winning the 'real world' seems more inviting than it was before Coraline discovered the 'other world'. It is brighter and warmer, in a natural way which gives us a sense that the 'real world' is a safe and welcome place. 

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: Coraline Theme Guide Booklet

Hi there!

Here is a blog post about a Theme Guide Booklet I have in English/Film Study regarding the film, Coraline.

What am I learning?

I am learning to analyse different themes in films.

How does this show my learning?

I have showed my learning by creating a guide for people to use while watching a film to understand the themes displayed. 

What am I wondering?

Currently, I am not wondering anything.

Thanks for reading!

English/Film Study: The Language of Film

Hi there!

Today I will be writing about the language of film and showing you a crossword puzzle I made about the language of film too. 

What am I learning?
I am learning about different terms in film, what they mean as well as why they're important.

How does this work show my learning?
Because I created a crossword puzzle, it shows that I know what specific film terms are as well as what they mean. I can also help others learn about these topics too. 

What am I wondering as a result of this learning?
I want to know about other techniques used in film, I would like to learn about these because I want to be able to identify different things in films when I am watching them. 

Here is my crossword:

Thanks for reading!

English: Kate Sheppard