**Extra Credit**

This assignment will be counted as EXTRA CREDIT if you choose to accept the mission =) The last day to post your response is January 2, 2011 !!!!!

"Do not let your life go out, spark by irreplaceable spark in the hopeless swaps of the not-quite, the not yet, and the not-at-all. Do not let the hero in your soul perish in lonely frustration for the life you derserved and have never been able to reach. The world you desire can be won. It exists...it is real...it is possible..it's yours."-Ayn Rand

1. Analyze the quote. What message is Ayn Rand trying to send through this quote?

2. Which character(s) does this relate to in Anthem? Explain

3. Do you ever get disappointed and give up? What do you strive to accomplish, that you will never give up on?

Anthem PowerPoint Notes =)

Hello Block 2,
      I told you I was going to post the notes from our Anthem powerpoint on the blog, so here they are. Also, there is a change in Monday's class. I will not be in school Monday, I know this is very upsetting for you! (lol jk) We will have our test Wednesday, at the end of class. This gives you even more time to complete reading the author's foreword and to finish completing chapter 1 questions.

If you see this post and know that some of your fellow classmates have not, then let them know what's going on and the changes being made. Help them out =)
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Ayn Rand Background
- Ayn Rand was born in St. Petersburg, Russia, on February 2, 1905.
-At age six she taught herself to read.
-At the age of nine, she decided to make fiction writing her career.
-Thoroughly opposed to the collectivism of Russian culture, she thought herself as an European writer.
-The final Communist victory brought the confiscation of her father's pharmacy and periods of near-starvation.
-When introduced to American history in her last year of high school, she immediately took America as her model of what a nation of free men could be.

Anthem
-1st person plural (Anthem is his diary) describes his society and his attitude towards it.
-Constantly barraged with propaganda from the leaders, who preach the glory of working for one's brothers and the duty of fulfilling "the needs of the society."
-Leaders recognize Equality 7-2521's ability and considered to be a threat.
-Even to think of these times has been forbidden
-"What is not thought by all men..cannot be true...What is not done collectively cannot be good."
-Conformity, obedience, and sacrifice are the cause of human unhappiness and destruction.
-INDIVIDUALISM V COLLECTIVISM
Society in Anthem is a collectivist society.
The subjugation of the individual to the group whether to a race, class, or state does not matter.
In such a society, the individual is owned by the group; he has no right to lead his own life, pursue his own happiness or use his own property.
The individual exists only as part of a group.
Worth determined by his service to the group.
Communism (1818-1926) is one kind of collectivism, where the desires of the group are more important than the desires of the individual.
Ayn Rand was a high school student in Russia when it became Communist. Her father's pharmacy was confiscated and her family almost starved.

Selflessness
-Self is destroyed in a collectivist society
-No one has a personal name(relate to ID numbers)
Individuals are interchangeable
-To prefer one person to another is to commit the cardinal sin(i.e, choosing friends)
FREE WILL v. DETERMINISM
-Free Will- People can make choices, can make up their own minds, can make decisions, can direct their own lives by the ideas and values they adopt.
-Determinism-People are by nature in the grip of forces beyond their control, that their beliefs and values are the result of some force such as God, other people, the stars, economic conditions, instincts or one's racial heritage. (pre-determined)

Poem by one of your classmates!!

One of your classmates wrote a poem and asked if I could post it on the blog. So here it is! Post comments so your classmate can get some feedback =) Enjoy and feel free to do the same!

“LOVE”

Even if it takes forever to see
What happiness really means to me
I understand love will always be
 There except for you and me 

One day you will come to know
That no matter how far you may go
The joys and sorrows that we have shared
Are just like a touch of your hair

Yet I can only say
This love for you will never fade away
I love you every single day
 In every single way

Pain runs through my veins
As I have to
See my love for you
Just fade away. . .
 

Thanksgiving Thanks!!

You were given this poem during class today, and asked to write down what you are thankful for this Thanksgiving. Here are some of your responses...

More Than A Day

As Thanksgiving Day rolls around,
It brings up some facts, quite profound.
We may think that we're poor,
Feel like bums, insecure,
But in truth, our riches astound.

We have friends and family we love;
We have guidance

We have so much more
Than they sell in a store,
We're wealthy, when push comes to shove.

So add up your blessings, I say;
Make Thanksgiving last more than a day.
Enjoy what you've got;
Realize it's a lot,
And you'll make all your cares go away.

By Karl Fuchs

-I'm thankful because I'm going to be with my family and enjoy it all together and have fun.

-I'm thankful to have food on my table each and everyday, and for a healthy family.

-My family, life, money, girlfriend, and for no school =)

-My family, friends, teachersk and the break coming up.

-My parents, my boyfriend, my family, food, school, teachers, and friends.

-I'm really thankful for the family that I have. They care and they are always there for me when I need them.

-I am thankful for my mother, sister,and grandma.

-My family,health, and the food I get to enjoy.

-I'm thankful for just being here, getting an education, someday it will pay off.

-I'm thankful for no school the next two days, family, friends, and turkey.

Fahrenheit 451 Final Project Ideas

Start brainstorming! Once you or your group decides on a project I will be handing out the designated rubrics in class next week.

Have a nice day off!

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Video/ Skit

Choose a scene from Fahrenheit 451 that is especially important. With a group (no more than 3) type a script for the scene and film it. Hand in a typed copy of your script and perform your skit for the class! (5 minutes)

Illustration

Many characters in Fahrenheit 451 are faced with life changing decisions. Keeping in mind our class discussion based around Howard Zinn’s quote “You can’t stay neutral on a moving plane,” create a portrait of two characters in the book depicting the choices they are forced to make and their double personalities. You must add at least 5 quotes for each character.

CD  Soundtrack

Make your own soundtrack for Fahrenheit 451. Create a playlist of at least 6 songs(Rated G), then burn a CD. The songs must be arranged in the order they would appear in the book. Create a CD jacket that illustrates the book (in your eyes). It should be creative and original! Type a list of song titles, along with the artists, where the song fits into the book (page number required) and explain why the song you chose fits that scene. Select one song to explain and play for the class.

Collage

Cut out magazine pictures, create your own, or print from the internet, pictures to make a collage illustrating the themes of the book. Include a brief explanation of the symbols and pictures you used. Your poster must include a minimum of 10 pictures.

Comic Book

Create a comic book complete with bubble style conversations(quotes included) showing the major events in Fahrenheit 451, in the order which they appear. Your comic book should be color, creative, and original! All major scenes and characters should be featured.

Wanted Poster

Create a “wanted” poster for one of the characters in Fahrenheit 451.  Include a drawing or cut out picture of the character, physical description, the misdeeds of the character, other information about the character that might be important, and the reward offered for the capture of the character. Must include 3 quotes from the book!

Current Events

Gather a collection of 5 current events from the newspaper or online, that reflect the themes or incidents that closely parallel those in the novel. Annotate the article, and write 5-7 sentences about each article and how they relate to the novel.

T-Shirt

Design your own T-shirt with an illustration about the novel. The illustration might be all about a specific character, scene, or an object from Fahrenheit 451(i.e. parlor walls, seashells). The T-shirt must include a minimum of 5

Fahrenheit 451 and Pleasantville Movie Clip

Hey Everyone!

I found these awesome clips from Fahrenheit 451 and Pleasantville on YouTube that I thought you would enjoy. Check it out and comment on it, I want to know what you think! Have a great weekend. See you Tuesday  :-)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9n98SXNGl8 Fahrenheit 451 Movie Clip

These youtube clips are from the movie Pleasantville. The themes in both movies are similar. They both deal with social conformity and you can see the houses and fashion style from the 1950s which we talked about in class!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0mDydOSY4I Pleasantville Movie Clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YJCZSe2dRDQ&feature=related Pleasantville Movie Clip

Let's Get Bloggin!

Hello All :)

I am confident we are going to have a great year together. I have created this blog to serve as a form of communication from me to you, but also for you to use to post things to your classmates. I will be posting regularly and therefore some topics I will expect you to comment on for a grade, and other topics will be posted purely for your enjoyment :) So how will this work? In class or through e-mail I will tell you when to check out our blog. If I tell you a comment is necessary then you will need to post your comment and sign your first and last name at the end so I can give you credit for the assignment. If you have anything you want me to post email me at nrubinet@gmail.com. This could be almost anything. Maybe you want to remind your classmates about an event after school or maybe you just want your classmates to read something you have written and want our feedback. I will post your topic either with your name by it or anonymously. Let’s make it a great year!