A jump worth dying for

     If I were standing on a bridge with my hands tied behind my back and a rope around my neck looking down at the water 20 feet below me, I would be worried for my life. There would probably be a lot of different things going through my mind. I think I would be thinking about my family and my standing point with God. I would think about how my family would handle me dying or surviving the chaoitic situation. I believe my family would be devastated if I were to die, especially dying from a tragic incident like this one. I would think about my standing point with God because if I die I sure do want to go to heaven. I would probably ask for forgiveness for my sins. I would do my very best to not move so I wouldn't fall to my death and pray I make it through alive.

My goals in life

      Thee are many different things that one could do with their life. I for one plan on living the life of luxury. To get this kind of life style, I will have to work extremely hard to achieve my goals. As of righty now, I plan on graduating high school and going straight into college to become a pharmacist. I don't know if I will continue to try to peruse a degree in pharmacy, but I know for sure that I want a job in the medical field. You'll will be able to make a lot of money in the medical field so that you can peruse a luxorious life style. When I get older, I would like to have a big brick house in the country or a log cabin in the mountains. Maybe both! I also plan on getting married after college and having a couple of kids. I hope that my goals fan out and I can live a luxorious life.

Modern conveniences taken for granted

    There are many things in our life that we use to make things convenient for us. Many of these things we all take for granted. One of these things that I feel like I take for granted, is air conditioning and heating. I personally don't think that we 100% have to have heating and cooling but it is a nice advantage. When my grandparents were kids growing up, there was no such thing as heating and cooling. Today, almost everyone is accustom to having heating as well as cooling. If we had to come up the way that our ancestors did we would be in major trouble. Most of us don't realize how bad people in the older days had to live. We have all grown accustom to the upgraded world that we live in today.

Individuality and conformity

    In many ways people are either their own individual or they conform to the people that are around them. It is much better for you and for others for you to just be yourself and do what you feel is best. Other people don't usually know what's best for you, and most of them don't care. If you conform to the people that are around you it could be bad for you and make you chose wrong decisions. You are the one person that knows what's best for you and you have to be wise enough to make your own decisions. In the long run, being you own individual is always the best choice to make. It can be hard to not conform to those around you at times but you have to be in control of the situation.

In what ways do individuals make a difference in our society?

     Individuals can play a major role in our society. One individual can become mayor or some sort of officer that affects our everyday life. A mayor keeps things in check in a town or a community. Officers carry out laws that we as citizens have to follow. Some indivuals can come together and create a group to try to boy cott something. This action would make a difference in our society. There are multiple ways that an individual can make a difference to our lives in our society.

How much power do formal institutions have in our society?

    I think that certain formal institutions have a good bit of power in our society. For example, a church plays a major role in a society or in a neighborhood. Churches can have different organizations going on at many different times. For instance, my church does a lot of cook outs, church plays, youth get togethers, and meetings. I also think that our government plays a big role on our society. Our government is basically our lay out for the laws we have to follow and rules we are governed by. If our government makes a decision, then it affects all of the citizens in our society.

Can one be to determined with persistence?

        It is not really a bad thing for someone to be persistent. If you are persistent, then you are more than likely going to achieve something or get things done. Persistent people don't stop trying to reach a goal. I think that it is possible for one to be too determined. If someone is so persistent with something and does not know when to stop then it can become unhealthy. Persistence cane become an obsession. I personally don't think that it is healthy for a person to be obsessed with anything. However, I do believe that persistence can be a good thing for one to have. You just have to know when to stop before it becomes an obsession.

Do you agree that there is darkness within us all?

         I personally believe that everybody has a dark side. It doesn't matter who you are there is something that can make or break you. I know that I personally have a dark side even though it takes a good bit to make me get there. Some people are really good with controlling their anger and temper. Anyone can be pushed to their breaking point and show you their dark side. Darkness lies within us all. For some of us darkness is deeper within us than it is for other people. Everyone has their breaking point.

Most Important Quality of Gothic Stories

     There are certain things that a story needs to be able to get and keep the readers attention. If someone doesn't find interest in a story, then they probably won't take their time to read it. In a gothic story, I think that the most important quality for the author to have is the ability to create suspense and mystery. The reason I think so is because if something is suspenseful then it keeps you "on your toes" and makes you want to read through to the end. Also, if something is a mystery, then it leaves you wanting to know the outcome. There are many other different qualities that a gothic story can have to make the reader interested. To me the ability to create mystery and suspense grabs my attention. If I read a story and it's suspenseful, I have to read till the end because I always want to know what is going to happen next. If I read a story that creates a mystery, then I want to read it all the way to the end because I have to know the result or the outcome.

Example of a dreamlike clip

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ORneQd87xXs
This is a clip from Alice in Wonderland

Elements of gothic lit in The Fall of the House of Usher

Bleak or remorse settings: 

The house of usher is remorse.

Macabre or violent incidents: 

Roderick predicts the Madeline will die, and she does. 

Character sin psychological or physical torment: 

Roderick appears to be a sick man. 

Supernatural or unworldly elements: 

As the narrator reads the story on the stormy night, all the sounds from the story comes to

life. 

Strong language full of dangerous meanings: 

Roderick feels he will die from the fear he feels. 

Dreamlike settings in literature and films

       Dreamlike settings make something seem fake and unreal like fiction. Dreamlike settings can make a work powerful because it reaches you in a different way. If something is unreal or fake, then you're usually interested in it because it's something that you're not familiar with or that you're not use to seeing. Something fake draws your attention and makes you want to know more about it. I think that authors use dreamlike settings in their work to get our attention and to make us interested in their work. If they can interest you into their work then they are satisfied because they have achieved their main goal. If you think about the movie, Alice in Wonderland, then you know that not everything in that movie makes sense or relates to real life situations because it's all made up.

If a secret is kept too long...

       There's some things in life that we consider to be "secrets". Sometimes, we have friends or acquaintances that we feel are worthy enough of knowing our secrets. A secret can make or break any relationship or friendship. If someone tells you a secret, then you're suppose to keep it to yourself and not tell anyone else. Is there a result for keeping a secret in for too long? I personally think that you're suppose to talk about stuff to keep things off of your chest, but I don't think you should let someone's secret out if they have trusted you enough to tell you. If a secret is kept for too long I think that people will accidentally let the secret out then that could cause major problems for your relationship.

Greedy Behavior in Others.

     There are a lot of greedy people in this world. Some people just don't understand when to stop or when to be satisfied. I personally don't like to be around people that are greedy because greedy people try to leech off of you. I'm the kind of person that does not like to be used and I'm sure that there are a lot more that feel the same way. It is usually easy to be able to see a greedy behavior in a person by meeting them. People that are greedy are usually out for their self and don't care about others. Greedy people strive to get to the top of the ladder and will try to do whatever they feel is necessary to get there. I don't think that a greedy behavior is a healthy one, because you could hurt the people around you just because you're greedy.

Why people hear voices.

       I believe that some people are traumatized as a child. If you are traumatized, especially at a young age, then it can mentally mess with your head. Some peopl are also just flat out crazy and kind of psycho. If someone hears a voice randomly and no one is around them, then they probably have way to much on their mind at that time and just think they hear voices when indeed they don't. Some people have to take medication because their mind is so messed up. Others might have to be sent to stay in a mental facility where they can be monitored 24/7. It takes a lot for some people to get so mentally crazy that they have to be sent away, but it happens more than you think it would.

Why we fear what we do not know.

           A lot of people fear the unknown. I think that most people are more comfortable with what they know and are familiar with. If there's something that you don't know and you're being introduced to it then there's a high chance that you will be reluctant or distant to it. Sometimes, change isn't a bad thing. How do you know what you like or may be good at if you never branch out and try something new that might be out of your normal schedule. People fear change because they're scared of what might happen to them or their life after the change. Don't be afraid to venture out. You may find something worth your while.

Values you defend most fiercely

        Many different things are worth fighting for. I say that family is one of the main things that a person should value. Without family you don't have much in life. I've always heard the term "blood is thicker than water". This term means that family should be closer to you than your friends or acquaintances. Another thing that I value a lot is a true friendship. I find it important to have someone there for you that you can talk to about anything. I don't think that a friendship should come before your family but a good strong friendship is something that I find worth fighting for.

Effective speeches

          There are three reasons that an author writes. To entertain, inform, and to persuade. For me, a speech is usually effective whenever it plays with my emotions or if it logically deals with a situation I'm in. When I get emotionally involved with something, it tends to draw my attention very easily. If I hear a speech and I can relate to the speech logically, then it will also draw my attention. There are many ways that an author can use techniques to get a reader or a listeners attention. There's probably other ways that an author can manipulate a piece of work or literature and use it to get your attention.

Own Examples

Restatement
I am so tired.
I didn't sleep at all last night.
I'm hungry.
I haven't eaten today.
My English teacher has a blue board in her classroom.
There is a blue board in my English teachers classroom.

Repetition
The sky is blue. 
Today, blue is the color of the sky.
The apples in my kitchen are red. 
I have red apples in my kitchen. 
I got two red flowers today. 
Two red flowers were given to me today. 

Parallelism
Like father, like son.
The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Rhetorical Questions
A rhetorical question would be as if your parents get mad at you about something then ask...
"Cant you do anything right?"

Good/effective Speech

        There are many different things that can make a speech good as well as effective. A writer or speaker needs many different skills to draw the audiences attention. Ethos is a very good skill to have. Ethos is credibility. Logos is used by logic. A writer or speaker has got to be logical to be able to make sense. Another is pathos, which is emotions. If you can emotionally involve the reader or audience then they will be more attentive to what you have to say.

Persuasive Techniques

         For some people, it's very easy to get them to do something. For me it's almost impossible sometimes. Reverse psychology works pretty well with trying to get me to do something because I like to feel like I'm the one that made the decision to do it. I don't like feeling like someone else got me to do something against my will. There are any ways to persuade someone into doing something. Bandwagon is also a very good technique. Most people want to be "on board" with everyone else. Another good way to persuade me to do something, is by touching on my feelings. I have a very big heart so if something touches on my feelings, I usually give in.

Link from YouTube

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zCNt7FrtaPQ

This is a Doritos commercial. This commercial pulls on your emotions by the way the dog keeps taking stuff from the little girl. In the end the little girl gives the dog what he deserves by taking her toy and Doritos. I believe this would be a pathos commercial because of the emotions that are within the commercial.

Best Speech

       The best speech that I have ever listened to has to be any speech my softball coach has given me. A speech from a softball coach actually means something to me because when they tell you something they truly want the best for you. In almost any sport, your coachs job is to train you to be a better person or athlete. There are many things that you can learn from a coach. I think the reason a speech from my softball coach sticks to me so we'll is because they speak from their heart to you and honestly want to see you excel in whatever you do.

Summary of the overall findings

           My topic was "The Pilgrims, Myth vs. Reality". I found a lot of interesting facts about the pilgrims and their thanksgivings. I found a lot of facts that I found to be important. The pilgrims were puritans and their ship, "The Mayflower", landed at Cape Cod. The major meal that the Pilgrims had was turkey, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes. The most surprising thing that I learned was that some people think that the pilgrims being the origin of thanksgiving was a myth. I honestly don't have any questions left on this subject. I found four different sites that were full of important and interesting information. Now I feel a lot more confident about pilgrims. I felt like I was enlightened with all of the information that I found. 

ACE

          The pilgrims are the whole reason that Thanksgiving began to be and no, that's not a myth. I have researched and found four different sites containing a lot of information all about how the pilgrims are the reason for thanksgiving. In one source that I researched, I found "The Pilgrims and Indians ate turkey, cranberry sauce and sweet potatoes at their Thanksgiving feast."this soon became a huge tradition for many Americans across the United States. Most of Americans found this to be a family tradition and every November have a "Thanksgiving". As you can see, the whole thing with the pilgrims giving thanks for their many blessings way back when, has became a well known tradition for many American families. 

Summarizing a Source

http://www.manataka.org/page269.html

        This is an online article made by Susan Bates. Susan's central idea in this passage, is telling the story about how the pilgrims began. She talks about the battle the pilgrims went through and how thankful they were for their blessings afterwards. Susan's purpose is to inform the readers about pilgrims. Susan's work is important because her work tells us about how the pilgrims became thankful for all of their many blessings.

http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_social_history/summary/v044/44.4.pleck.html

        This is an online biography made by Elizabeth H Pleck. Elizabeth asserts how the pilgrims once lived. The author Elizabeth tells how the pilgrims use to dress and eat when they would have a "thanksgiving". The authors purpose is to inform people about the history of pilgrims. Elizabeth's work is important because it gives you valuable information about history.

http://www.familytreemagazine.com/article/5-Thanksgiving-Myths

        This is an online magazine made by Diane Haddad. Diane asserts all of the different names that the pilgrims went by in the past. The author Diane tells about how many of Americans descended from the pilgrims. Diane's purpose is to educate people about the pilgrims. Diane's work is important because it talks about history and most of our ancestors.

http://hnn.us/article/406

        This is an online article from the news network by Rick Shenkman. Rick asserts how the first thanksgiving took place. The author Rick tells about how our thanksgiving began. Ricks purpose of this article is to inform us about thanksgiving and how the pilgrims made that to be. Ricks work is important because we should know about history and how things began.

What do the qualities these myth makers saw in nature show about the human traits they valued?

There are many different qualities that the myth makers could see in nature as well as in human traits. In the story, "When Grizzlies Walked Upright", the author valued the human traits of being able to walk and talk, as you would see when you read and realize that the grizzlies in the story walked and talked like humans do. In the story, "The Earth on Turtles Back", the author valued human traits of being able to talk to the "sky lady". They also valued the nature traits of the ocean and North America. In the last story, "The Navaho Origin Legend", the author valued traits of an eagle, because in the story the eagle meant something to the Navaho Gods.

Essential Question Blog #1 Entry

There are many details in stories made up by people who respect nature. The details that I expect to find in these stories are very pretty days and things that are in our nature, such as sunshine and trees beside flowers and birds or historical sites. People who respect nature obviously are in touch with things that are in nature and natures sites. There are many different views that you are able to see such as the ocean, mountains, gardens, wide open plains, farms, forestry, and much more. If someone respects nature, then they probably have personal reasons that they are involved with nature like they are. When a person that likes nature wrights a story, then I'm almost positive that nature scenes are going to be somehow included in their work.

Early American Spoken Forms Mini-Research Project

1. Abraham Lincoln's purpose of the Gettysburg burg address was to honor all of the brave soldiers that taught in the battles. 
2. Abraham Lincoln delivered this speech on Thursday, November 19, 1863 by the entrance of the towns National Cemetery in Gettysburg Pennsylvania during the American Civil War.
3. The speech sounded very peaceful because Lincoln's voice carried into the crowd beautifully. 
4. Abraham Lincoln spoke no other languages besides English.