Tuesday 1/3: MLK's "I Have a Dream"

1. Sydney will have a fashion week coming up in May. Do you think that festivals like these still have a place considering all of the devastation in the region (Queensland + NZ)?

(answer in an a persuasive speech that should take about 2 min to deliver - finish for HW)

NY Fashion Week

NZ Earthquakes

2. Review Homework
3. Watch Speech and discuss key elements
4. Assign sections of speech to groups to recite next class.

Friday 25/2 period 5: Martin Luther King Jr - 'I have a dream.'

1. Read a classmate's speeches.
2. Choose one and put a comment on their blog that says which one you like and why you like it.
3. Present speeches to class.

HW Due Monday

1. Summarize the thesis of the speech in one sentence.
2. Mode of Persuasion? (it is ok to have more than one) Give examples to support your answer/answers.
3. Major techniques (highlight all examples)
4. What is the historical context of this speech?
5. Do you feel that this is an effective speech? (answer in a paragraph)

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

In a sense we've come to our nation's capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men, yes, black men as well as white men, would be guaranteed the "unalienable Rights" of "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note, insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check, a check which has come back marked "insufficient funds."

But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. And so, we've come to cash this check, a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.

We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of Now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. Now is the time to make justice a reality for all of God's children.

It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment. This sweltering summer of the Negro's legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. And those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. And there will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice: In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force.

The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to a distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny. And they have come to realize that their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom.

We cannot walk alone.

And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall always march ahead.

We cannot turn back.

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We can never be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality. We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the negro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For Whites Only." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."¹

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow jail cells. And some of you have come from areas where your quest -- quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to South Carolina, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed.

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice, sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having his lips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabama little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."²

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

With this faith, we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith, we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith, we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing with new meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania.

Let freedom ring from the snow-capped Rockies of Colorado.

Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California.

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.

And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

                Free at last! Free at last!

                Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!³

Thur Period 6: The Gettysburg Address and Convincing Your Parents to Let You...

1. Let's read the Gettysburg Address aloud and discover why this is such an effective but short speech.
2. HW: Choose a topic to convince your parents of and write a very short speech that can be delivered in 1 min. Write 3 versions of the speech using each mode of persuasion.

Tue 22/2 + Wed 23/2 Period 6: Naplan Practice, Patrick Henry, and Abraham Lincoln

1. Do the NAPLAN Questions Below.
2. Make sure your post on Patrick Henry's 'Give Me Liberty of Give me Death' speech are all ready and posted.
HW: Look at the speech by Abraham Lincoln at the bottom of this post. Answer the following questions about it in another post titled 'Abraham Lincoln: The Gettysburg Address'

1. What do you notice about the length of the speech?
2. What do you notice about the way it is organised?
3. What do you think is the thesis of the speech?
4. Name two techniques (with quotes) which you feel are successfully employed and discuss why you feel they are so effective.
5. Why do you think that the concluding statement is considered so important and powerful by many Americans to this day?

The Battle of Gettysburg occurred over three hot summer days, July 1 to July 3, 1863, around the small market town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. It began as a skirmish but by its end involved 160,000 Americans and effectively decided the fate of the Union. Read more about the Battle of Gettysburg On November 19, 1863, President Lincoln went to the battlefield to dedicate it as a National Cemetery. The main orator, Edward Everett of Massachusetts, delivered a two-hour formal address. The president then had his turn. He spoke in his high, penetrating voice, and in a little over two minutes delivered this speech, surprising everyone by its brevity and leaving many quite unimpressed at first. Over time, however, this speech with its ending - government of the People, by the People, for the People - has come to symbolize the definition of democracy itself.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But in a larger sense, we cannot dedicate - we cannot consecrate - we cannot hallow - this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember, what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us - that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion - that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain - that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom - and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

President Abraham Lincoln - November 19, 1863

Monday 21/2: Patrick Henry - Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death

1. Mark Antony Speech
    3 parts
        Mode of Persuasion

                    Thesis, Techniques

                

      HW: Analyse the Patrick Henry Speech 'Give Me Liberty or Give me Death'

                  Identify the important technique he employs to win over his audience. 

                  Create a blog post titled 'Patrick Henry - Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death' paste in the speech (and video if you can figure it out) and highlight the technique in the text that you think is successfully employed. At the end of the speech name the technique and discuss how it is effective.

         

      Patrick Henry took, like Mark Antony, a crowd of people against his view of going to war against Britain in 1775 and transformed them into a unified group willing to immediately go to war.

       

       What technique does Patrick Henry do to address an audience with a negative view of his argument? (There is one that really stands out.)

H

Give Me Liberty Or Give Me Death

Patrick Henry, March 23, 1775.

No man thinks more highly than I do of the patriotism, as well as abilities, of the very worthy gentlemen who have just addressed the House. But different men often see the same subject in different lights; and, therefore, I hope it will not be thought disrespectful to those gentlemen if, entertaining as I do opinions of a character very opposite to theirs, I shall speak forth my sentiments freely and without reserve. This is no time for ceremony. The questing before the House is one of awful moment to this country. For my own part, I consider it as nothing less than a question of freedom or slavery; and in proportion to the magnitude of the subject ought to be the freedom of the debate. It is only in this way that we can hope to arrive at truth, and fulfill the great responsibility which we hold to God and our country. Should I keep back my opinions at such a time, through fear of giving offense, I should consider myself as guilty of treason towards my country, and of an act of disloyalty toward the Majesty of Heaven, which I revere above all earthly kings.

Mr. President, it is natural to man to indulge in the illusions of hope. We are apt to shut our eyes against a painful truth, and listen to the song of that siren till she transforms us into beasts. Is this the part of wise men, engaged in a great and arduous struggle for liberty? Are we disposed to be of the number of those who, having eyes, see not, and, having ears, hear not, the things which so nearly concern their temporal salvation? For my part, whatever anguish of spirit it may cost, I am willing to know the whole truth; to know the worst, and to provide for it.

I have but one lamp by which my feet are guided, and that is the lamp of experience. I know of no way of judging of the future but by the past. And judging by the past, I wish to know what there has been in the conduct of the British ministry for the last ten years to justify those hopes with which gentlemen have been pleased to solace themselves and the House. Is it that insidious smile with which our petition has been lately received? Trust it not, sir; it will prove a snare to your feet. Suffer not yourselves to be betrayed with a kiss. Ask yourselves how this gracious reception of our petition comports with those warlike preparations which cover our waters and darken our land. Are fleets and armies necessary to a work of love and reconciliation? Have we shown ourselves so unwilling to be reconciled that force must be called in to win back our love? Let us not deceive ourselves, sir. These are the implements of war and subjugation; the last arguments to which kings resort. I ask gentlemen, sir, what means this martial array, if its purpose be not to force us to submission? Can gentlemen assign any other possible motive for it? Has Great Britain any enemy, in this quarter of the world, to call for all this accumulation of navies and armies? No, sir, she has none. They are meant for us: they can be meant for no other. They are sent over to bind and rivet upon us those chains which the British ministry have been so long forging. And what have we to oppose to them? Shall we try argument? Sir, we have been trying that for the last ten years. Have we anything new to offer upon the subject? Nothing. We have held the subject up in every light of which it is capable; but it has been all in vain. Shall we resort to entreaty and humble supplication? What terms shall we find which have not been already exhausted? Let us not, I beseech you, sir, deceive ourselves. Sir, we have done everything that could be done to avert the storm which is now coming on. We have petitioned; we have remonstrated; we have supplicated; we have prostrated ourselves before the throne, and have implored its interposition to arrest the tyrannical hands of the ministry and Parliament. Our petitions have been slighted; our remonstrances have produced additional violence and insult; our supplications have been disregarded; and we have been spurned, with contempt, from the foot of the throne! In vain, after these things, may we indulge the fond hope of peace and reconciliation. There is no longer any room for hope. If we wish to be free-- if we mean to preserve inviolate those inestimable privileges for which we have been so long contending--if we mean not basely to abandon the noble struggle in which we have been so long engaged, and which we have pledged ourselves never to abandon until the glorious object of our contest shall be obtained--we must fight! I repeat it, sir, we must fight! An appeal to arms and to the God of hosts is all that is left us!

They tell us, sir, that we are weak; unable to cope with so formidable an adversary. But when shall we be stronger? Will it be the next week, or the next year? Will it be when we are totally disarmed, and when a British guard shall be stationed in every house? Shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us hand and foot? Sir, we are not weak if we make a proper use of those means which the God of nature hath placed in our power. The millions of people, armed in the holy cause of liberty, and in such a country as that which we possess, are invincible by any force which our enemy can send against us. Besides, sir, we shall not fight our battles alone. There is a just God who presides over the destinies of nations, and who will raise up friends to fight our battles for us. The battle, sir, is not to the strong alone; it is to the vigilant, the active, the brave. Besides, sir, we have no election. If we were base enough to desire it, it is now too late to retire from the contest. There is no retreat but in submission and slavery! Our chains are forged! Their clanking may be heard on the plains of Boston! The war is inevitable--and let it come! I repeat it, sir, let it come.

It is in vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, Peace-- but there is no peace. The war is actually begun! The next gale that sweeps from the north will bring to our ears the clash of resounding arms! Our brethren are already in the field! Why stand we here idle? What is it that gentlemen wish? What would they have? Is life so dear, or peace so sweet, as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery? Forbid it, Almighty God! I know not what course others may take; but as for me, give me liberty or give me death!

Julius Ceasar III.ii.82–96

Mark Antony:

Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him;
The evil that men do lives after them,
The good is oft interred with their bones,
So let it be with Caesar ... The noble Brutus
Hath told you Caesar was ambitious:
If it were so, it was a grievous fault,
And grievously hath Caesar answered it ...
Here, under leave of Brutus and the rest,
(For Brutus is an honourable man;
So are they all; all honourable men)
Come I to speak in Caesar's funeral ...
He was my friend, faithful and just to me:
But Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man….
He hath brought many captives home to Rome,
Whose ransoms did the general coffers fill:
Did this in Caesar seem ambitious?
When that the poor have cried, Caesar hath wept:
Ambition should be made of sterner stuff:
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And Brutus is an honourable man.
You all did see that on the Lupercal
I thrice presented him a kingly crown,
Which he did thrice refuse: was this ambition?
Yet Brutus says he was ambitious;
And, sure, he is an honourable man.
I speak not to disprove what Brutus spoke,
But here I am to speak what I do know.
You all did love him once, not without cause:
What cause withholds you then to mourn for him?
O judgement! thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason…. Bear with me;
My heart is in the coffin there with Caesar,
And I must pause till it come back to me.

Friday 18/2 (HW at bottom): Pathos, Logos, or Ethos? - Susan B. Anthony and Women's Right to Vote

In the 1800s, women in the United States had few legal rights and did not have the right to vote. This speech was given by Susan B. Anthony after her arrest for casting an illegal vote in the presidential election of 1872. She was tried and then fined $100 but refused to pay.

1. Read the following speech and determine what form reasoning (from Aristotle) she is using in her argument. Give quotes to support your decision.
2. What is the 'thesis' (main point) of her speech. Give the sentence you feel serves as the thesis.
3. Divide the speech into three parts: Intro, Body, Conclusion

Friends and fellow citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime of having voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be my work this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead, simply exercised my citizen's rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the National Constitution, beyond the power of any state to deny.
The preamble of the Federal Constitution says:
"We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquillity, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."
It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the male citizens; but we, the whole people, who formed the Union. And we formed it, not to give the blessings of liberty, but to secure them; not to the half of ourselves and the half of our posterity, but to the whole people - women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talk to women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the only means of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government - the ballot.
For any state to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entire half of the people, is to pass a bill of attainder, or, an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are forever withheld from women and their female posterity.
To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of the governed. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odious aristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex; the most hateful aristocracy ever established on the face of the globe; an oligarchy of wealth, where the rich govern the poor. An oligarchy of learning, where the educated govern the ignorant, or even an oligarchy of race, where the Saxon rules the African, might be endured; but this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers, husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters, of every household - which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord, and rebellion into every home of the nation.
Webster, Worcester, and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled to vote and hold office.
The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then, women are citizens; and no state has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shall abridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in the constitutions and laws of the several states is today null and void, precisely as is every one against Negroes.

Susan B. Anthony - 1873
Highlight the text where you see the techniques below being used in the speech. When highlighting the text in the speech where one of these techniques is used use the colour provided.
• Repetition
• Exaggeration/Hyperbole
• Generalizations
• Clichés
• Statistics/Distortion of facts
• Imperatives
• Emotive words
• Use of imagery/symbolism
• Puns
• Use of endorsements/testimonials
• Rhetorical questions
• Inclusive language
• Euphemism 
HOMEWORK: Due Monday 21/2
Go to the post with the video and text of for the important speech in Julius Ceasar.
Determine the thesis or goal of the speaker (what is he trying to persuade of the audience?)
What mode of persuasion is used?
Highlight the techniques he uses using the list (with colours) below.

Queen Elizabeth Notes

My loving people,

        We have been persuaded by some that are careful of our safety, to take heed how we commit our selves to armed multitudes, for fear of treachery(fear of a trader killing her); but I assure you I do not desire to live to distrust my faithful and loving people(sense of connection with people). (they shouldn't surrender) Let tyrants fear, I have always so behaved myself that, under God, I have placed my chiefest strength and safeguard in the loyal hearts and good-will of my subjectsTRUST; and therefore I am come amongst you, as you see, at this time, not for my recreation and disport, but being resolved, in the midst and heat of the battle, to live and die amongst you all; to lay down for my God, and for my kingdom, and my people, my honour and my blood, even in the dust(physical presence shows her support and commitment to cause). I know I have the body but of a weak and feeble woman; but I have the heart and stomach of a king(physically weak, mentally and internally strong and committed; humility is a powerful motivator), and of a king of England too, and think foul scorn that Parma or Spain, or any prince of Europe, should dare to invade the borders of my realm; to which rather than any dishonour shall grow by me, I myself will take up arms, I myself will be your general, judge, and rewarder of every one of your virtues in the field.(appreciates efforts of soldiers - showing personal responsibility) I know already, for your forwardness you have deserved rewards and crowns; and We do assure you in the word of a prince, they shall be duly paid you. In the mean time, my lieutenant general shall be in my stead, than whom never prince commanded a more noble or worthy subject; not doubting but by your obedience to my general, by your concord in the camp, and your valour in the field, we shall shortly have a famous victory over those enemies of my God, of my kingdom, and of my people(repetition).

Remember the Titans - Coach Boone Speech

Anybody know what this place is? This is Gettysburg. This is where they fought the Battle of Gettysburg. Fifty thousand men died right here on this field, fightin' the same fight that we're still fightin' amongst ourselves today.
This green field right here was painted red, bubblin' with the blood of young boys, smoke and hot lead pourin' right through their bodies. Listen to their souls, men:

'I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.'

You listen. And you take a lesson from the dead. If we don't come together, right now, on this hallowed ground, we too will be destroyed -- just like they were. I don't care if you like each other or not. But you will respect each other. And maybe -- I don't know -- maybe we'll learn to play this game like men.

Tuesday 15/2 Period 6

Do the following in one blog post and submit your work when you :

1. Answer Questions + Discuss Al Pacino's speech from 'Any Given Sunday'
2. Answer Questions on Queen Elizabeth Speech (finish for HW)
3. HW: Due tomorrow: complete the Reading Questions and answer the following questions:
        

1. Define the following in a new blog post: Aristotle's 3 modes of persuasion: Pathos, Logos, Ethos
2. Choose a speech and try to figure out which of the three is the predominant type of persuasion. Do this by first describing what the speaker is trying to persuade of their audience.

Books or TV (example)

Excellent organisation of points. Makes the argument very clear!

Sent to you by cav via Google Reader:

Books or TV

via Harrison's BLOG  on 13/02/11

Reading books is better than watching TV.

I agree with the statement above.In my personal opinion i think that books are better then tv because they provide various forms of entertainment and knowledge that TV cant create.

Firstly, Books contain knowledge and information that TV shows only have limited time and shows on, especially when we consider how much money it takes to create a program. The greatest writers in the world didnt host or create a TV show, they read books. Also books are always accessible and can be read at anytime whereas TV shows or only available a certain times.

Secondly, Books can create a vastly entertaining world through imagination and awesome creative writing. TV shows can only do this with a huge budget, especially if it is a science fiction theme which requires lots of high tech special effects to create a stimulating experience. From personal experiences, i discovered a sci fi genre of books and found it to be a page turning which satisfied me way more then any TV show.

Thirdly, Through an academic perspective reading books will vastly increase your creative and persuasive writing as well as understanding books and plots easier, making reading a whole lot more convincing to choose over bland TV.

In conclusion, Boos are better then TV because they provide; Easily accessible information and knowledge that can boost your academic skills and also entertain you for countless hours with page turning, stimulating novels. 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Harrison's BLOG using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

Monday Feb 14: 2011 NAPLAN Sample Prompt

1. Compose a persuasive piece using the prompt below. Publish your piece on your blog.
2. Make sure you have all the work regarding Aristotle's 3 Modes of Persuasion complete.

2008 NAPLAN Reading Questions (HW at bottom)

HW:

1. Define the following in a new blog post: Aristotle's 3 modes of persuasion: Pathos, Logos, Ethos
2. Choose a speech and try to figure out which of the three is the predominant type of persuasion. Do this by first describing what the speaker is trying to persuade of their audience.

Go to Knoword and complete one quiz

Go to http://www.knoword.org/ and complete one quiz. After that go to today's speech.

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

This is a great example of using dialogue. Well-punctuated.

 

 

Sent to you by cav via Google Reader:

 

 

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

via Stuart's Blog For English by Stuart.Bridges on 2/6/11

The year is 4030 the month is January the person is Jack Auralien and he has discovered the 1st plannet that is more than 5 billion light years away but it dosn't take 5 billions years to get their they have invented hyperspeed which travels at whatever speed  you require so it took Jack 5 minutes to get their because he likes to have some time in space. Jack Auralien is 30 he has brown hair but he always has it in a buzz cut he has violet eyes and he is quite tall. He is on the ship the "Space Conquerer". He is right above the world 18323 the 183 planet found by him and his number in the Interplanetary Expedition force. They are the explorer of the League of Planets, Earth, Mars, Pluto, Venus, Cadia and about 150 others rethese people asses and see if planets are habitable, already inhabited or violent against the League of Planets. His expeditionary force consists of 10 men including Jack, he is the Platoons Lieutenant, their is Sargent Bob, Corporal Gene, Corporal Sam, Corporal Edd, Private Harry, Private Chris, Private Ray, Private Jim and Private Stuart.

 The men are mustered around a holographic map in the Ships 2nd room that has their gear food bunks and weapons. "Okay men so here we are at 18323 our 183 planet found so lets get it over and done with" Said Jack to the troops, "Jim what's the scans say?"

"the scans say their is life forms that are in a primitive level, so this will be a habitation Sir." said Jim very bleakly as if without interest.

"O.k. Bob get me on the horn to Cadia and tell them we have found a base and are landing shortly." Said Jack while pulling on his Armour and grabbing his Laser rifle off the shelf.

"Yes Sir!" Said Bob with an undying loyalty and energy for his Lieutenant.

"Harry I want scans on the plannets Gas levels" Said Jack while pulling on his full face helmet

"No need for that sir its the same as Cadia so we can all breathe perfectly down their."

"Good, Chris whats their gravity like?"

"they have 1/20 as strong gravity as ours so things are little more heavy down their." Said Chris Bleakly.

"Okay guys same deal, Suit up and ship out on the Hells Wings, we are making land fall so check weapons and Stuart start doing some Pre-flight Checks. okay so here is the deal as always if the begins are sentient and intelligent we ask them to join our league if not we leave it for the reviewers and if they are hostile we wait for reinforcements and remember the Hells wings has many weapons and i have got us a Wellington hover tank if we need it. So all aboard the Hells Wings NOW!!!." Jack instructed them.

"Welcome aboard Hells wings flight 1984 to 18323 please remain seated and have you tray tables up and guns on safety. Ok we are clear for landing get this show on the road."

The flight down from the orbiting shuttle took 10 Minutes and it took another 10 minutes to find a suitable spot to land. When they landed millions of birds and other animals ran away or took flight to get away form the shuttle. The shuttle is a mean looking thing it has a slanted nose with 2 front mounted laser cannons which can shred tank amour as easily as a hot knife through butter, if has 2 missile pods loaded with HE round for lightly armoured take down, it has a crew compartment which looks like a metal box shoved in the middle in that compartment it can seat 30 people easily and has 2 useable Gatling guns for quick take down of infantry. The wings are slanted and they come out of the box and the thrusters stick out of the box on the top.

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Stuart's Blog For English using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

This is a great example of building tension at the start of a story.

 

 

Sent to you by cav via Google Reader:

 

 

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

via Cams English Blog by Campbell Fisher on 2/6/11

Discovery 

 "Good morniinnngg sunnyvile, today's weather, fine and…"

Another day had begun, Tim's radio alarm went off, and he was awake. He was awake and looking forward to the day ahead. It was the 3^rd day of his summer holidays. 3^rd day out of another 53 days to come of freedom. Although for the next 3 weeks he was to be traveling around Europe. His plane left in five hours, and he was so excited he had been packing for the past 3 weeks. He was flying solo for the first time, and although he had been flying everywhere with his family for the past fourteen years of his life, there was something about the thought of just flying by yourself, that is just thrilling.

Tim jumped out from his top bunk of his bunk bed that he was sleeping in and landed on the ground with a good solid thud. He looked around his bedroom knowing that this would be the last time he would see it for the next 3 weeks. He saw on his desk directly across from his bed, a compass, a gold exploration compass. The light from the little crack between where the curtains met, shown down onto and shined of leaving a gold light on the roof of his room. Tim walked over to take a closer look. As he picked it up he noticed the note underneath it. Once Tim had finished marvelling the stunning beauty of this amazing compass, he picked up the note that had been lying underneath it. It was address to Tim, as he unfolded it, he quickly looked down the bottom of the note to see whom it was from. But it didn't say.  Written on this piece of paper said, "Tim, I hope that this compass brings as much adventure, as it did for me. I know you will respect it, and take care of it, and I wanted to pass this down to you." Tim now knew who it was from. It was from his grandfather. He was an amazing man. He was the first man to climb mount Everest, he had sailed to Antarctica, he had travelled the world. Tim always wanted to be like his grandfather, and now that he had just recently passed away, he now strived to be more like him.

Tim ran downstairs and didn't mention a word about what he had just been given, but by the look on his mums face, he knew that she had left it there for him, as she knew it was a big day for him. He quickly rushed through his breakfast, and did the finishing touches of his packing. It was now time to head to the airport. Tims family lived reasonably close to the airport, as they did fly alot. and it was only a 15 minute drive until they arrived there. It was the longest fifteen minutes of Tims life, and he new that the 10 hour plane trip would be even longer. 

To be completed...

 

 

Things you can do from here:

• Subscribe to Cams English Blog using Google Reader
• Get started using Google Reader to easily keep up with all your favorite sites

 

 

2009 NAPLAN Language Test

2009 NAPLAN Reading Magazine (use to answer questions)

2009 NAPLAN Reading Questions

2009 Naplan Writing Prompt

Inserting Yourself in a Speech - 'Any Given Sunday'

Questions to answer in your blog: 
Title: Inserting Yourself in a Speech - 'Any Given Sunday'
1. How does Al Pacino's character talk about himself in his speech? 
2. What effect does this have on the speech? (Use Quotes in your answer).

Al Pacino's Inch By Inch speech from

“Any Given Sunday”

I don't know what to say really.
Three minutes to the biggest battle of our professional lives
all comes down to today.
Either
we heal
as a team
or we are going to crumble.
Inch by inch
play by play till we're finished.
We are in hell right now, gentlemen
believe me
and
we can stay here
and get the shit kicked out of us
or
we can fight our way
back into the light.
We can climb out of hell.
One inch, at a time.

Now I can't do it for you.
I'm too old.
I look around and I see these young faces
and I think
I mean
I made every wrong choice a middle age man could make.
I uh....
I pissed away all my money
believe it or not.
I chased off anyone who has ever loved me.
And lately, I can't even stand the face I see in the mirror.

You know when you get old in life things get taken from you.
That's, that's part of life.
But, you only learn that when you start losing stuff.
You find out that life is just a game of inches.
So is football.
Because in either game life or football
the margin for error is so small.
I mean, one half step too late or to early
you don't quite make it.
One half second too slow or too fast
and you don't quite catch it.
The inches we need are everywhere around us.
They are in ever break of the game
every minute, every second.

On this team, we fight for that inch.
On this team, we tear ourselves, and everyone around us
to pieces for that inch.
We CLAW with our fingernails for that inch.
Cause we know,
when we add up all those inches
that's going to make the fucking difference
between WINNING and LOSING
between LIVING and DYING.

I'll tell you this
in any fight
it is the guy who is willing to die
who is going to win that inch.
And I know if I am going to have any life anymore
it is because, I am still willing to fight, and die for that inch
because that is what LIVING is.
The six inches in front of your face.

Now I can't make you do it.
You gotta look at the guy next to you.
Look into his eyes.
Now I think you are going to see a guy who will go that inch with you.
You are going to see a guy who will sacrifice himself for this team
because he knows when it comes down to it,
you are gonna do the same thing for him.

That's a team, gentlemen
and either we heal now, as a team,
or we will die as individuals.
That's football guys.
That's all it is.
Now, whattaya gonna do?