Wednesday, September 27, 2017
Self Assessment
Throughout this first part of the year I think I've learned a lot. I learned how to write good thesis statements for history and how to properly paraphrase and quote authors. I think these are really important skills to have developed before we start working on more research projects. I'm also really into psychology so I loved doing the Choices work. I'm looking forward to the police things that we talked about at the end of class today. I'm interested in learning about it and how police actions affected history and how their past decisions effect how people feel about police today.
Reflection of Paraphrase Practice
Reflection
I learned a lot today. I was nervous paraphrasing would be something I couldn't do very well, but I actually enjoyed doing it and I think I did a fairly good job at it. It's helpful to know when to use a quote and when to just reword what the author was saying because I don't think I fully understood when to use each before. I used to just use a quote to help an argument but now I realize that I can paraphrase the quote and still help the argument which makes an actual quotation more powerful because it adds more meaning. I also know to always cite the author no matter if it is a paraphrase or a quotation. Hyperlinking is also really cool and super easy to do. I feel really good about doing all of this and I think this activity was really helpful.
This What I learned Today
I learned a lot today. I was nervous paraphrasing would be something I couldn't do very well, but I actually enjoyed doing it and I think I did a fairly good job at it. It's helpful to know when to use a quote and when to just reword what the author was saying because I don't think I fully understood when to use each before. I used to just use a quote to help an argument but now I realize that I can paraphrase the quote and still help the argument which makes an actual quotation more powerful because it adds more meaning. I also know to always cite the author no matter if it is a paraphrase or a quotation. Hyperlinking is also really cool and super easy to do. I feel really good about doing all of this and I think this activity was really helpful.
This What I learned Today
- Only use a direct quote when it adds power and style to my writing.
- Always make it clear, from context, that I understand the full meaning of the quote.
- Whether I quote or paraphrase, I must always be transparent about the source and how I'm using it.
- If I use another author's exact words or phrases, to any extent, I have to use quotation marks and give credit.
- If I use another author's presentation of facts or ideas, but put their ideas in my own words, (paraphrase) I better have a good reason for doing so, and I MUST give credit.
- Hyperlinking is so easy, there is no excuse for not being transparent about my sources.
I understand how to do all of these things and I feel confident that I can do them well.
Tuesday, September 26, 2017
Practicing Incorporating a Quotation
While reading A.O. Scott's review of the movie Lincoln, he uses a lot of style in his writing. Scott writes, "A flock of first-rate character actors parades by in the heavy woolen plumage of the past." Scott uses this figurative language to introduce a metaphor that relates the characters to birds.
The quote that I chose is from the paragraph that I paraphrased. While trying to paraphrase it I had difficulty rewording it, so I thought it would be a good quote to put in directly instead of trying to put it in my own words.
The quote that I chose is from the paragraph that I paraphrased. While trying to paraphrase it I had difficulty rewording it, so I thought it would be a good quote to put in directly instead of trying to put it in my own words.
Monday, September 25, 2017
Paraphrase Practice
Excerpt from A.O. Scott's review of the movie "Lincoln":
After a brutal, kinetic beginning -- a scene of muddy, hand-to-hand combat that evokes the opening of "Saving Private Ryan" -- "Lincoln" settles down into what looks like the familiar pageantry and speechifying of costume drama. A flock of first-rate character actors parades by in the heavy woolen plumage of the past. The smaller, plainer America of the mid-19th century is evoked by the brownish chiaroscuro of Janusz Kaminski's cinematography, by the mud, brick and wood of Rick Carter's production design and by enough important facial hair to make the young bear farmers of 21st-century Brooklyn weep tears of envy.
Paraphrase:
The movie "Lincoln" begins with a scene reminiscent of the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan". The movie opens with a violent, dynamic, and muddy hand-to-hand combat scene. After this dramatic opening, the movie moves to the more familiar look of movies about the past, particularly to do with the costumes and sets. The characters wear the heavy wool coats that people of that standing wore during the time period. Janusz Kaminski uses his skills in cinematography to create a shaded and brown look that makes the movie feel more like mid-19th century America. Production designer Rick Carter also helps to do this with the mud, brick, and wood that he used throughout the movie and also the facial hair that 21st-century bear farmers in Brooklyn would be jealous of.
Revised:
The movie "Lincoln" begins with a scene reminiscent of the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan". The movie opens with a violent, dynamic, and muddy one-on-one combat scene. After this dramatic opening, the movie moves to the more familiar look of movies about the past, particularly to do with the costumes and sets. A group of some of the best theatrical professionals processes by throughout the movie wearing in costumes that look like the clothing of the time period. Janusz Kaminski uses his skills in cinematography to create a shaded and brown look that makes the movie feel more like more simple mid-19th century America. Production designer Rick Carter also helps to do this with the normal building materials of the time period that he used throughout the movie and also the facial hair that modern day Brooklyn hipsters would be jealous of.
After a brutal, kinetic beginning -- a scene of muddy, hand-to-hand combat that evokes the opening of "Saving Private Ryan" -- "Lincoln" settles down into what looks like the familiar pageantry and speechifying of costume drama. A flock of first-rate character actors parades by in the heavy woolen plumage of the past. The smaller, plainer America of the mid-19th century is evoked by the brownish chiaroscuro of Janusz Kaminski's cinematography, by the mud, brick and wood of Rick Carter's production design and by enough important facial hair to make the young bear farmers of 21st-century Brooklyn weep tears of envy.
Paraphrase:
The movie "Lincoln" begins with a scene reminiscent of the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan". The movie opens with a violent, dynamic, and muddy hand-to-hand combat scene. After this dramatic opening, the movie moves to the more familiar look of movies about the past, particularly to do with the costumes and sets. The characters wear the heavy wool coats that people of that standing wore during the time period. Janusz Kaminski uses his skills in cinematography to create a shaded and brown look that makes the movie feel more like mid-19th century America. Production designer Rick Carter also helps to do this with the mud, brick, and wood that he used throughout the movie and also the facial hair that 21st-century bear farmers in Brooklyn would be jealous of.
Revised:
The movie "Lincoln" begins with a scene reminiscent of the beginning of "Saving Private Ryan". The movie opens with a violent, dynamic, and muddy one-on-one combat scene. After this dramatic opening, the movie moves to the more familiar look of movies about the past, particularly to do with the costumes and sets. A group of some of the best theatrical professionals processes by throughout the movie wearing in costumes that look like the clothing of the time period. Janusz Kaminski uses his skills in cinematography to create a shaded and brown look that makes the movie feel more like more simple mid-19th century America. Production designer Rick Carter also helps to do this with the normal building materials of the time period that he used throughout the movie and also the facial hair that modern day Brooklyn hipsters would be jealous of.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Civil War Era Letters
All of the letters in this collection are written to one Jasper N. Betram by his friends in the years 1864 and 1865. A common theme throughout all of the letters is the Civil War that was currently going on, which makes sense since they were all written during that time period. All of them also include some form of personal information, be it an opinion or just discussing the author's personal life. As far the exchange of information, a couple of the letters discuss the current affairs of the time period, such as updates about soldiers that knew Betram and the assassination of President Lincoln. The places the letters came form varied, however, most of them were from places in Tennessee and Kentucky. Is there a particular reason these are where the majority of the letters came from? All but one of the letters was written to Betram by fellow soldiers. The only letter that wasn't was from a woman. It isn't surprising that all the men were in the military because most young men of that time fought in the war. This set of letters offers an insight into the life of a soldier that otherwise may have been forgotten. Jasper N. Betram isn't a Civil War soldier that most people come across in their lifetime, but through letters that were written to him, he can be remembered in the modern era.
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