My growth: The Alchemist, Julius Caesar

Ideas and Content

Comparing the Alchemist essay and the Julius Caesar there is a massive difference of the rules and how what we did to prepare for them. The Julius Caesar essay was completed within a 80min time period and the alchemist was completed over a couple of weeks step by step with revising from teachers and parents. I think that my Alchemist essay had a much more thought out and detailed explanation of the prompt. The Julius Caesar essay was more brief, straight forward and a less detailed essay. Even though the alchemist essay doesn't have as good as a flow of the Julius Caesar essay it shows a lot more detail and understanding of the text. In the Alchemist essay I refer back to most of the important parts of the protagonist's life, and journey to finding his destiny. In these two essays there is still a lot of improvement that I can make to construct a better built essay. I need to mostly focus on my selections of the quotes that I decide on putting into my essays. This will help to give stronger evidence directed to the prompt of the essay. I, think that as a result of stronger evidence I will be able to explain my thinking better which will help me communicate more effectively to the reader.

Organization
The organization of my essays have gained more strength since the beginning of the year to the end of 8th grade. I am capable of explaining my quotes so that the reader will veigly understand the meaning that I'm trying to get across. I've improved in the engagement of the reader, but I still need to improve in this area to keep the text on topic, and interesting. The reader is able to relate to the meaning being across, this is evident in the introduction and the conclusions of my essays. I need to improve on moving away from the structure that was formatted for the essays. This will help engage the reader into the text, the reader will be able to share the empathy of the people being discussed in the essays.

Personal Growth
Once completing both essays I didn't improve to a better score. I have seen a big improvement from myself based on the time duration that I was given, also the lack of resources, like the teachers and parents revising the essay before i was done with the final product. My wording of text has greatly improved, it increased in the amount of effective communication to the audience. When completing the Alchemist essay it took me fairly a long time to get the concept of making the essay sound more straight forward but with many details to help explain the topic. When the Julius Caesar essay arrived I knew what I needed to focus on and was able to apply my background knowledge on this concept to create a better essay. This helped the reader to better comprehen what I am trying to communicate.

Reason Critically

I resoned critically to help prepare me for the timed essay of Julius Caesar. I found many quotes, and made a layout of what I needed in each paragraph. This helped me to complete the essay without rushing and filling under a lot of pressure. The layout of my plan was very detailed, which allowed me to easily create sentences. I thought that this would help me to manage my time throughout writing this essay, I started to rush towards the end of the essay but I was able to finish. I found quotes that were pertaining to the topic. Having all the information needed for writing an essay is very helpful, this allowed me to improve on my writing skills which resulted in the final grade and the comments made about the essay.

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Brutus: Did the End Justify the Means

“It must be by his death; and for my part” Brutus loves the roman people and is very loyal to their wants and view points. Brutus found false letters proving to him that they don’t want Julius Caser to become their king, so Brutus took action. The motivation and authority that the roman people are giving Brutus, has helped to bring Brutus to the agreement of the death of Julius Caesar, for the wants of the Roman people.

The roman people have a huge impact on Brutus, Brutus and the roman people show loyalty towards each other, Brutus is well respected and honored by them. Brutus was given false ( they were not written by the roman people) hints to why the roman people do not want Caesar as their king. Brutus is also afraid of what will happen to the roman republic if a king gains all power in Rome. Before Brutus was given the letters he was very loyal to Caesar, they were best friends, but since he found the letters he has decided to betray Caesar and help plan for his death. ‘Caesar, this is my answer: Not that I loved Caesar less, but that I loved Rome more.’ Caesar loved the Romans so much that he decided to go against his best friend to help the people live a life that they want. Brutus let The roman people influence his actions. Caesar didn’t want the Romans to live with a king as the head of authority. I know no personal cause to spurn him. But for the general he will be crown’d.” Brutus has decided that Caesar must be killed so that they wont have to live with a king instead of a roman republic. Brutus’s motivation is showed through the want of Brutus not want to live in a republic. Brutus is motivated to do what is best for the Roman people.

Brutus has had a rapid increase in authority from when he made the decision to do what is best for the roman people. The conspirators took orders from Brutus from the start of the planning of Caesars death to the end of Brutus’s life. When the authority kept coming in he started to abuse the authority in some sort to where he was very strict and harsh when talking to his wife, and the roman people. “Be patient till the last. Romans Country men and lovers hear me for my cause, and be silent, that you may hear. Believe me for mine honor, and have respect in mine honor, that you may believe. Censure me in your wisdom, and wake your senses that you may be the better judge.” Brutus is facing the Roman people for the cause of Caesar’s death. Brutus knows the type of audience that he wants, so he tells the audience what to do to make them a better judge, and listener. Brutus really liked all of the authority that he had been shown but he took it for granted, and talked to people in a way that they shouldn’t be treated. But the romans didn’t mind the way that they’ve been treated. “Live, Brutus! Live! Live! Bring him with triuph home unto his house. Give him a statue with his ancestors. Let him be Caesar.” The roman people are very gullible and are easily influenced of the hero at the time, first it was Pompey, then Caesar, now Brutus and later Antony. This would have boosted Brutus’s confidence after hearing how the audience reacted to his speech. Brutus’s love for authority has led him to become the new Caesar, which gave him more power in Rome.

Brutus achieved his goal of killing Caesar, which started a civil war in the outcome. The Roman people and the authority that Brutus possessed lead him to completing his goal, but misjudging the outcome. These motivators changed Brutus’s personality, by having more control and misusing what he now possessed. Brutus achieved his goal because he was determined to help the roman people and make life better for everybody. His goal was worthy since he betrayed his friendship to help the people that he loved more.

The Struggles Sudan

Think Creatively! :

There are a number of creative techniques that I used in this collage. In the middle of the collage I placed the memoir a fire coming from all of he surrounding sides. This represented the cruelty that the migrants were faced with. The picture of the people walking, as they get closer to the foreground of the picture they increase in size, this shows the growth that these people have made and how they are now stronger both mentally and physically. As they get bigger they build their confidence and become stronger for their friends and families in their tribes that are relying on them to succeed.

Reason Critically! :

To show my understanding of the conflict I placed multiple phrases, and pictures of what the Sudanese had overcome in Sudan and what they had trouble with. Towards the middle of the collage there is a boy with little to eat but as you get to the boarders of the picture there is a lot more food. The outcome of this disadvantage was a better lifestyle, of nutrition. The disasters that they were faced with in Sudan were then healed when they migrated to the refugee camp, they were safer and happier, since they were in an environment where they could trust for safety. The Sudanese people knew that this new environment was more stable than the tribes that they were living in before they were forced to migrate.

Communicate Effectively!:

I wanted to make sure that my audience will understand the reasoning of this collage, which was to raise awareness of the Sudanese Civil war. I used the statement “its Heaven or Hell” I thought this will help share the empathy of the people in Sudan to average people, the aim of this was to expand the audience's knowledge of how difficult people are living their lives. It also shows how the Sudanese people feel about America, and their feelings about America and Sudan. They think of America as heaven, Sudan as Hell, since there is a lot of war and conflict, but they soon find out that America is just as hard as Sudan.

Live Ethically!

My main goal in this collage was to share the empathy of how the Sudanese are struggling with very little inspiration, and hope to a better lifestyle. Using the knowledge that I have learned from this study of the Dinka Tribe I was able to communicate to the audience using pictures to express the struggles that the Sudanese people had to go through. To demonstrate this message I added pictures of people crying, faces with hope, and faces that show happiness. This shows how they have come over many hurdles in their life. I thought this would evoke the audience if they could experience the empathy of the Sudanese people. The accomplishments of the southern Sudanese have made will keep increasing with the help and commitment that the communities outside of Sudan.

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The Lost Boys of Sudan

Discuss the difficulties “Lost Boy,” Peter/Santino experienced while assimilating into the American culture?
Discuss how they dealt with their culture shock ~ what did they do to adjust to the cultural divisions?

Due to the Civil War between the north and south of Sudan it has caused the refugee camps (the Dinka tribe) in Kenya to be formed, southern people moved to the refugee camp for their safety and satisfaction. Forced migration was then set up for selected men to migrate to America, to receive a better education, and to live a life without so many difficulties, so that they could help their tribe with the money benefits that they made. The men that migrated to America were called 'The Lost Boys of Sudan', Peter a man from the Dinka tribe was one of the men to leave Kenya to embrace new lands, which would expanded their knowledge. In this Dinka tribe most of the people said that America is like heaven, but they weren't expecting the hardships that they faced.

Peter's main goal was to receive an education that will help him to provide for the Dinka tribe. When Peter left his friends in Houston he was sacrificing a lot for himself and the Dinka tribe. Leaving his friends would have increased the pay for shelter, which caused both, the group of friends that were living together in Houston, and Peter to work harder, so that they wouldn't get in troublle with the law in America. Leaving Houston would have decreased their relationships with each other since they lived so far apart from each other with little communication. When Peter went to his School he knew that it was not going to be easy for him to fit in. He experienced racial comments from people a lot throughout his education, and since the school that he attended didn't have a lot of students that looked like him, he had to try even harder to be apart of the school. When Peter was at a bible study at a friend's house Peter didn't fit in at all. Peter didn't sing a long when the group was singing bible songs, and the way that they were living was so much nicer than how Peter lived. Peter coped with this cultural shock by isolating himself from the rest of the group, he sat at the back of the room and just observed what everybody else was doing. Peter had a lot of mislabeled first impressions from both his piers, and his teachers from the school. When he was talking to the counselor about applying for a college, the counselor thought that he wasn't a good student, since he was black. So the counselor wanted to take the easy way out of helping him by telling him other options and not doing right away what he had requested. Peter proved the counselor wrong. Peter told the counselor that he was on the National Honors Board this showed that he was prepared for the meeting with the counselor, he already had the essay he needed to take the test that he was requesting. Peter showed his determination by answering all of the questions that were directed to him with boldness and showing that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. Peter lived a very difficult life, but he proved to himself and the Dinka tribe that you can do anything, if you keep your mind to it and do not loose track at what really matters at that certain point of your life. Peter is now an inspiration to the younger members of the Dinka tribe, they now have someone reliable to look up to when it comes time for them to leave Kenya and go to America.

Julius Caesar Duet Acting

This is a very significant passage, it not only starts off the play but it also helps the audience to identify the types of moods and attitudes that the characters posses. Flavius is introduced as a take control person who has a lot of authority and respect. Marullus isn't afraid to show what he is thinking, he makes sure that what needs to be said, is said. This passage lets the audience start to foreshadow the rest of the story based on the information that they have at the moment. They would use the information that they gain throughout the story to build their predictions, which will help create a stronger hypotheses.

Context:

Marrulus and Flavius have a lot of respect in Rome. They discuss with the commoners their reasons to be out celebrating for the wrong reasons. Marrulus and Flavius pursued them into leaving the towns to go to their patient families.

FLAVIUS

Hence! home, you idle creatures get you home:

Is this a holiday? what! know you not,

Being mechanical, you ought not walk

Upon a laboring day without that sign

Of your profession? Speak, what trade art thou?

MARULLUS

Wherefore rejoice? What conquest brings he home?
What tributaries follow him to Rome,
To grace in captive bonds his chariot-wheels?
You blocks, you stones, you worse than senseless things!
O you hard hearts, you cruel men of Rome,
Knew you not Pompey? Many a time and oft
Have you climb'd up to walls and battlements,
To towers and windows, yea, to chimney-tops,
Your infants in your arms, and there have sat
The livelong day, with patient expectation,
To see great Pompey pass the streets of Rome:
And when you saw his chariot but appear,
Have you not made an universal shout,
That Tiber trembled underneath her banks,
To hear the replication of your sounds
Made in her concave shores?
And do you now put on your best attire?
And do you now cull out a holiday?
And do you now strew flowers in his way
That comes in triumph over Pompey's blood? Be gone!
Run to your houses, fall upon your knees,
Pray to the gods to intermit the plague
That needs must light on this ingratitude.

FLAVIUS

Go, go, good countrymen, and, for this fault,
Assemble all the poor men of your sort;
Draw them to Tiber banks, and weep your tears
Into the channel, till the lowest stream
Do kiss the most exalted shores of all.

See whether their basest metal be not moved;
They vanish tongue-tied in their guiltiness.
Go you down that way towards the Capitol;

This way will I

disrobe the images,
If you do find them deck'd with ceremonies.

MARULLUS

May we do so?
You know it is the feast of Lupercal.

FLAVIUS

It is no matter; let no images
Be hung with Caesar's trophies. I'll about,
And drive away the vulgar from the streets:
So do you too, where you perceive them thick.
These growing feathers pluck'd from Caesar's wing
Will make him fly an ordinary pitch,
Who else would soar above the view of men
And keep us all in servile fearfulness.

Act 1 Scene 1 lines 1- 76 ( skipping over some bits of the text)

Karolina will be preforming with me for the performance assessment.

Mystery Story questions and answers

1.What would you call this story? Why?

I would call this story The Box. This title makes me wonder about the box and why it is so important in this plot. The title lures me into the story, which makes me feel mysterious about the story and want to keep reading.

2. What did you think was going to happen? What clues in the text led you to think this?

I thought the lottery was very bad, since nobody wanted to get the wrong piece of paper. Since everyone in the story wasn't excited about the drawing, of the lottery it gave me the assumption that it wasn't something that you wanted. But I didn't think it would as bad as it turned out to be, I thought you would have to leave the city, not get stoned to death.

3. How did you feel when the end of the story was not given to you?

I felt a lot of tension within my mind. I felt anxious to open the paper but I waited until 5pm to open it. The tension within my mind made me feel excited and looking forward to the end of the day. It was a very exciting experience but I found it a really tempting to open the paper.

4.How did you feel when you were handed the mystery paper? What did you think was in it? Did you follow the instructions? Why or why not?

I wondered what the paper was for and why some people had a black dot on their paper. I assumed it was the end of the story since we didn't finish it in class. Yes I did follow the instructions since it was an assignment that had to be completed.

5. How did you feel about the black box and the black spot/blank paper? Explain.

I was happy to know that nothing was on my paper and that I was lucky since I didn't have the black dot. But I didn't know what was going to happen to the people with the black dot. I think that as people we don't want the worse to happen to us so we make ourselves think that nothing will change, for ourselves but for the person with a different paper in this case.

6. Were your predictions correct?

No my predictions were not correct I thought that the person with the unlucky draw would end up being executed from the town

7. How did you feel when you read the end of the story? Explain.

I felt relieved when I was able to finish the story. If I really like a book I usually don't put it down until I know what will happen, thats how I felt when I read this story in the group. All of my questions were answered when I was able to finish the story, which cleared up a lot of confusion that I had inside of me.

8. What would have helped you to make a better prediction?

If I could have had more proof within the begining of the story I would have been able to know a more definite answer to what was going to happen.

9. Why did the author leave these voids in the story?

The author wanted us to keep on reading the story and not to stop. He didn't want his readers to loose intrest in the book, so added voids to make us wonder more throughout the book which kept us reading his book.

10. Explain the power of the void in this experience:

a. No title/author information – It made me wonder, what is the overall idea of this story

b. No ending – This made me eager to find out what happens with the lottery, the tension was really increasing at the point that we stopped at.

c. Text clues and foreshadowing throughout – The clues of foreshadowing helped me answer some of my questions, but there wasn't a lot of foreshadowing in the plot.

d. Mystery paper – I wondered what was in the paper and I was hoping that the answer of the black dot was in there.

e. Delayed ending – This created a lot of tension throughout my day and made me wonder what was going to happen.

f. Anything else that created tension and conflict for you… The wait was agony since I was really into the story/plot.

The Power of the Void

Part 1

The International School Of Kuala Lumpur provides an exceptional education (silence) that challenges each student to develop attitudes, skills, and understanding to become a highly successful, spirited, socially responsible global citizen.

The ISKL's mission statement demonstrates the values of education, knowledge and understanding that the school posses. To build the tension in the mission statement I added a silence in between education, and that. The silence was placed to show where the reader should gain tension within their minds if being read to them. At this point of the statement, the statement starts to lure the reader into whats about to be justified. After the silence the statement goes into further explanations and specifics which would bemore interesting for the reader. The silence has the reader pause, wonder, and question what the school is really about, the answer is then revealed after the pause.

Part 2

Composers use tension and void to develop questions inside of the listeners mind. You can experience an immediate, or a hesitant answer from the void. Immediate answers can be a sudden silence, or a pause. A hesitant answer would be a change in dynamics and articulations. From staccatos, and pianos, to accent shorts and fortes. Sudden changes of sound makes the music sound unique. The void and tension that are made, makes the music interesting to listen to, it changes the music from an ordinary simple piece to an interesting, and exciting piece of music. The listener gets confused to whats happening when tension is used, to keep the listener tuned into the music. Tension and void is very powerful in all music, it gives a different impression of the music to the audience which keeps the audience attentive throughout the piece of music.

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