Wednesday, May 28, 2014

Thursday's homework: due Monday



1.       Write an analytical paragraph about the following quote: “Ignorance is bliss.” 
You must address three sources: Flowers for Algernon, "Homr," and "Patrick Smartpants."

"Patrick Smartpants" can be found on You Tube.
"Homr" can be found online if you know how to look for it.  There is also a Wiki or summary found online. 

**7Eleven and SK8 due Tuesday (technical difficulties Thursday).

Monday, May 19, 2014

Study Guide for Friday



Name:                                              
Flowers for Algernon 35 Multiple Choice
Vocabulary:

  • ·        Words used in context and within sentences.

Characters:

·        Charlie Gordon

·        Fay Lillman

·        Norma Gordon

·        Dr. Strauss

·        Prof. Nemur

·        Alice Kinnian

·        Rose Gordon

·        Matt Gordon

·        Hymie
Literary Elements:

·        Figurative language?

·        Flashbacks?

·        Themes:

o   Ignorance is bliss.

o   Perception vs. reality

·        What are some examples of symbolism from his flashbacks?

·        Allusions?

·        Foreshadowing?
Comprehension and Critical Thinking:

·        What is the purpose of the surgery?

·        How does Charlie feel after the purpose?

·        What discoveries does Charlie make about the people around him?

·        What are some of Charlie’s memories about his sister growing up?

·        Describe how Alice and Charlie’s relationship is changing.

·        What happened at Dr. Guarino’s?

·        What were the major events of the convention?

·        What is Charlie’s new plan after the convention?

·        How have Charlie’s emotions changed since the surgery?

·        What are some of Charlie’s issues with women?

Week 3 Vocabulary terms

http://www.vocabulary.com/lists/433490

Vocabulary Week 1 & 2 (will appear on test)

http://www.vocabulary.com/lists/433488

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

SK8 Notes

SK8 Notes Round 1
Shocked that Gimpy betrays Charlie even though he used to stand up for Charlie.
Alice and Charlie: How is that going to play out? It would be awkward and CHarlie doesn't deal with awkward well.  Alice seems more like a maternal figure than a love interest.  Charlie begins to feel angry and bad when she doesn't want to date him.  Alice has been a teacher and guide, so she's maybe not the best person to date because he's not emotionally.  To whom would he turn?  He doesn't deal well with rejection and he can't handle the feelings that he has.
Technology threatens medical and ethics-- he's totally changed due to technology.  His emotions are tender and young.
He CHOSE this, but did he UNDERSTAND it?
By May 9 (since March), his writing is chock full of figurative language, which he coudn't do at all before.
At Central Park, he was overly worried about putting his arm around Alice.
His emotions are stunted. 
Technology has just led to confusion, even though it's supposed to be academic.
Reading books has become an outlet for Charlie.
Surgery has not helped him, it's just created problems with... Alice, Gimpy, family.
Did Strauss and Nemur have grounds to ask Charlie for permission when he couldn't understand the consequences or possibilities of his surgery?
Technology as a violation isn't confined to computers and phones.  It's about progress, so Charlie is a product of his time.
Flashbacks of childhood: His memory is opening up.  Bad. :(
Rose cared and tried to help, but she became mean and tried to do it in the wrong way.  She should have accepted him and been more patient in helping him to learn instead of forcing him along.  He has been influenced by her so much that he is scared of women and doesn't want to be punished and spanked. Norma=normal
Personal past: It makes you a complete person, but his old self keeps coming up (hallucinations). Rose denied that he had a problem, but if they had admitted it, they could have helped him along.  She may be a large part of why Charlie wants the surgery and to be so smart.  Isn't it sad how much he wants to please her even though she was so mean?  Love is so confusing.
Matt was interested in helping CHarlie, but he couldn't have a say with Rose's crazy role.
His idea of family has been tarnished because of the surgery.  Before, they were a non-entity.  Rose punished him and wouldn't help him (bathroom example).
Charlie had high expectations for the surgery.
Academic vs emotional knowledge: Academics can be stressing him out, just like students now.
The prostitute in the park. 
Round 2:
Charlie's frustration--> yelling and making a scene (like he learned from Rose)
Charlie has become intelligent, but he can't understand what other people feel.  You can't learn those skills in books. 
The bakery guys became resentful that Charlie was acting smart.
Matt could have, and should have, done a lot more than he did.  He leaves Charlie alone, which is better than yelling at him like Rose did.
Mom and dad-- Is she out of the ordinary for being aggressive?
Charlie being fired at the bakery.  Not his fault. 
Rose seemed to be very self-centered and only when out in public did she act like she cared.  At home, in private, she yelled and wasn't helpful.
Why did Charlie get the surgery?  He told Alice that he did the surgery for her outright.  That would make her very uncomfortable (social awkwardness).
Changed himself to please those around him.  We need past to understand why we are the way that we are.  We can learn from what we've already experienced.  Understanding and responding to emotions comes over time.
His life has restarted at 32. 
Intelligence has opened his eyes to the world and to the relationships going on arund him.
Charlie has learned "be careful what you wish for."  He has misconstrued that smart = likeable.
Charlie had friendships with people prior to the surgery, but now he follows rules, which interfere in his relationships. 
His mom makes his self-esteem very low when he is yelled at.  He whimpers and crouches.  He has the spinner.
The bakery guys have become jealous because they aren't as smart.  They influence Donner's decision to fire him... what does that say about Donner after all those years?
Raising a kid with a disability requires patience and kindness. 
Charlie is back in a cycle of bullying at work now instead of at school.
Gimpy (think of what a "gimp" is) is caught, but why isn't he grateful that Charlie didn't tell on him?
Temple Grandin's parents prove that kindness and patience are the key.  Rose and Matt would learn from them.
Ignorant that Gimpy was stealing. 
Norma=normal but she is a mean one!
Surprising that after Charlie confronted Gimpy he asked if he wanted some of the money.  That would be out of character for him because he's not a money-driven person.
Wouldn't it be just as likely that a person was bullied

Socratic Egg Notes

7Eleven:
Surgery is harming Charlie because... he has become too smart and others are noticing it.  Good: he can write and read well.  Bad: he realizes that people are making fun of him.  The more intelligence a person has, the fewer worries that they  have: Charlie is actually worried and has concerns about his past and his flashbacks.
A person should be paid based on their IQ: It's all about work ethic.  86- Gimpy was skimming some money off the top and he was an average guy. 
Ignorance is bliss, to a point.  He realizes that the Donner's guys are making fun of him.
Alice encourages him to trust himself and have some confidence.
IQ measures knowledge of analogies.  Motivation and dedication are not measured by the IQ test. 
Alice is being helpful amongst the doctors who are concerned about the experiement, whereas she is concerned about his well-being.
Charlie's past could hold keys to his future by helping him discover from where he's come. 
Technology is making Charlie feel like a lap rat.  It's a risky surgery and could be very harmful... they've only tried it on a mouse!
Without your past, you can't understand why you are the way that you are at this moment in your life. Question: How does his family play into that?
Past helps you to learn from your mistake.  He doesn't want to get in trouble because he remembers that his mom used to spank or smack him.
Raising a person with a disability requires time and patience... which Rose does not have.  Temple Grandin was being helped by lots,  but only a few understood her and were able to be supportive.
Society judges each person, and so Charlie has become convinced that he is "dumb."
Alice and Charlie: He acts like a teenage boy instead of a 32-year-old man.  He is reliving what he missed out on in his childhood.  HE's almost reborn.
Dating Alice is a bad idea... she had a different role as teacher, not as a GF.  She understands that it's not time for him since he's struggling so much.
Charlie==lab rat.  As if he has no feeling or emotions and that he's going to be going through a lot personally.
Alice understands him and has been encouraging all along.  She's his only support system and real friend. She gives him time to adjust to his new life and perspective.
Charlie was a victim of technology.  They took advantage of his prior state by preying upon his desire to be smart.  He was convinced.  Strauss and Nemur knew the options and went to his sister, who clearly doesn't care about him. 
Surgery fears-- the setting was not that technologically advanced, a lot could have gone wrong.
If Alice goes away, he loses his one person.
Emotions and intellect-- as one goes up, does the other go down?
Alice and Charlie: Charlie didn't like Alice before, now he likes her.
Intelligence makes a person more likeable: "You've got beyond my intellectual reach.  In a few weeks you might become a different person."
Alice is helpful and gives advice.
Charlie has become impatient, even though she is being patient with him.
Charlie has been fired because of his intelligence and what he notices now about what's going on (Gimpy).
Why wouldn't Charlie tell Mr. Donner about Gimpy?  Mr. Donner has been loyal up until this point. Charlie doesn't let others walk all over him like he used to when he was in the dark.
The dreams and flashbacks of his family.  They put these feelings into his mind.  His dad abandoned him when Rose was picking on him.
His realizations about his childhood may morph him into someone new-- good or bad?
Rose was trying to support him... but was it too much??  Matt supported and accepted him, but he abandoned him... ??
They approve surgery only to make him smart... who cares if something goes wrong.  Socially awkward --> flashbacks
His mind is being renewed and refreshed.  The world is really all new to him.
Families of disabilities: It's a neverending committment.
So... how IS Charlie a product of his childhood?  Can you relate Charlie to other character about which we read this year?
We learn from life, but Charlie's has been a large void physically and developmentally.
Self-confidence: Before surgery, somewhat confident.  After, he loses... do you think it's possible for a person to have TOO much confidence?
Rose's role as mom is BAD.  She was pushy and ignored the obvious instead of teaching him with patience (like Temple's mom).
Why is Charlie both a man and a teenager?  As a man, he carried a job.  As a teen, he's exploring his feelings for Alice.  As a child,  he's overeager to learn.  Think about when little kids learn something-- they want to do it and show it again and again.
Fewer worries? If you're smart, you can go to college and get a job... which, really, he sort of has, right?
He missed out on a chunk of his life and his foundations.
Academic development has sky-rocketed, but he's like a robot.  He's not really very human.  He is under surveillence and study all the time.
Rose: Roses have thorns and can be harmful.
Norma: "normal" there's nothin "wrong"
Matt: like a doormat, and Rose walks all over him.  He doesn't stand up to her.

Monday, May 5, 2014

"Flowers for Algernon" Animoto



Literary Analysis: Paired Text response


Selection #1
An excerpt from Flowers for Algernon
By: Daniel Keyes

progris riport 1 martch 3
Dr Strauss says I shoud rite down what I think and remembir and evrey thing that happins to me from now on. I dont no why but he says its importint so they will see if they can use me. I hope they use me becaus Miss Kinnian says mabye they can make me smart. I want to be smart. My name is Charlie Gordon I werk in Donners bakery where Mr Donner gives me 11 dollers a week and bred or cake if I want. I am 32 yeres old and next munth is my brithday. I tolld dr Strauss and perfesser Nemur I cant rite good but he says it dont matter he says I shud rite just like I talk and like I rite compushishens in Miss Kinnians class at the beekmin collidge center for retarted adults where I go to lern 3 times a week on my time off. Dr. Strauss says to rite a lot evrything I think and evrything that happins to me but I cant think anymor because I have nothing to rite so I will close for today...yrs truly Charlie Gordon.
progris riport 2-martch 4
I had a test today. I think I faled it and I think mabye now they wont use me. What happind is I went to Prof Nemurs office on my lunch time like they said and his secertery took me to a place that said psych dept on the door with a long hall and alot of littel rooms with onley a desk and chares. And a nice man was in one of the rooms and he had some wite cards with ink spilld all over them. He sed sit down Charlie and make yourself cunfortible and rilax. He had a wite coat like a docter but I dont think he was no docter because he dint tell me to opin my mouth and say ah. All he had was those wite cards. His name is Burt. I fergot his last name because I dont remembir so good.
I dint know what he was gonna do and I was holding on tite to the chair like sometimes when I go to a dentist onley Burt aint no dentist neither but he kept telling me to rilax and that gets me skared because it always means its gonna hert.
So Burt sed Charlie what do you see on this card. I saw the spilld ink and I was very skared even tho I got my rabits foot in my pockit because when I was a kid I always faled tests in school and I spilld ink to.
I tolld Burt I saw ink spilld on a wite card. Burt said yes and he smild and that maid me feel good. He kept terning all the cards and I tolld him somebody spilld ink on all of them red and black. I thot that was a easy test but when I got up to go Burt stoppd me and said now sit down Charlie we are not thru yet. Theres more we got to do with these cards. I dint understand about it but I remembir Dr Strauss said do anything the testor telld me even if it dont make no sense because thats testing.

Selection #2:
Poem 28
By: e.e. cummings
My Thoughts:
Structure, sentences, grammar, figurative language, paragraphing, etc.
as joe gould says in

his terrifyingly hu
man man
nner the only reason every wo
man

should

go to college is so
that she never can (kno
wledge is po
wer) say o

if i

‘d
OH
nlygawntoco

llege


Use what you have learned from reading “Poem 28” and the excerpt from Flowers for Algernon to write a paragraph that provides an analysis of how theme of knowledge is depicted in the two pieces addressing the writers’ use of style and diction.

As a starting point, you may want to consider what is emphasized, absent, or different in the two texts.

Develop your paragraph by providing textual evidence from both texts.

Use the provided lined paper to compose your response.