The Great Macbeth- Doniesha Hinson & Sydney Rogers

Sydney and I chose to create a game board as a way to reflect our knowledge on the Macbeth play because we thought it would be both interesting and informative.The game is a mixture of a trivia game and a common Candy Land style game board. We decided to make the game this way because we figured it would be more interactive than a simple, long and boring old-fashioned game. We thought this would also be a good way to get people thinking outside of the box.

One way we proved our understanding of the play was by using trivia and prophecy cards to embrace the usage of the paradoxes, the prophecies and the tragedies that occurred throughout the play. The two main characters frequently used throughout the game were Macbeth and Banquo. We chose to use those to characters in specific because they were, in our opinion, the two protagonists of the play.

Some of the “prophecy cards” featured include the paradoxes Banquo received from the three weird sisters. We incorporated these specific paradoxes because in the game you can either move forward or backwards. Either way you moved you were always closer yet farther away. In addition we included events that Macbeth came across all through the play. Such as when he became King or when he killed Duncan. We involved events like these because they were the most significant in the changing of characterization we saw in Macbeth.

Another way we demonstrated our knowledge was by making a “metaphoric” board. The board is colored red to create the bloody atmosphere portrayed in the play. Further, the board has 8 spaces titled “Banquo”. This represents the last apparition Macbeth saw — Banquo’s line of infinite Kings. Moreover, we included 3 “Macbeth” spots that represent the repetition of 3’s. There were 3 main witches, 3 prophecies, 3 apparitions and the repeatings of idiocy. Idiocy is the act of really stupid behavior. Macbeth killed Duncan — which in our opinion was insane — this drove him to begin hallucinating weird things. (ex. II.2.44-46 “Still it cried, ‘Sleep no more!’ to all the house; ‘Glamis hath murdered sleep, and therefore Cawdor shall sleep no more, Macbeth shall sleep no more.’”) This quote is also foreshadowing the ending of the play where Macbeth is murdered.

Last but not least, we created a dungeon space. It is similar to the Monopoly’s “JAIL” section and plays a similar role. We included this space on this game board because it refers back to “The Stanford Experiment”. As time went on Lady Macbeth turned Macbeth from good to evil. He was influenced once and took the power to his head, which left Lady Macbeth uncontrollable of his actions. Additionally, Lady Macbeth created a mental prison for herself. She held on to dark secrets and information which made her start to act jittery and insane.

Overall, we generally determined that this would be the most efficient way to show our creative skills and comprehension of the wonderful yet dreadful “Macbeth” play.

My Partner's Blog: Sydney Rogers

https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/document/d/1wnJPhjgUVbLXqpfXVsqFDILSZcmgUAHUqsELl6AARS8/edit?usp=sharing

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Becoming Macbeth- Leo Cassel-Siskind, Raymond Rochester, and Brendan Hall

Macbeth Game


Our group made a game about Macbeth’s life. In the game you become Macbeth and make the decisions we saw he had to make in the story for him. You begin the game by reading the first scenario and question and then choosing one of the answers. Each answer will be a link to a new slide where you will read another scenario and answer another question. Eventually you will reach a point where you win and stay king forever or die and someone else becomes king.

The reason we made a game like this was so everyone could have a fun interesting experience where you get to become Macbeth. It’s a unique experience to try to make the decisions that Macbeth had to make. While many people in the class were saying that the decisions Macbeth was making were stupid now they have the chance to be put into the same scenario with one major goal and the odds strongly against them like they were for Macbeth.

While we made a way that you could make the decisions Macbeth did there are also many ways to select a new approach in an effort to become king. One of the major things you could do began from the first question you see; do you take the witches seriously? Should you select no you have taken a whole different course than Macbeth and the questions you are asked are different. Instead of following a Macbeth approach where you can decide to kill the king and you focus much more on Malcolm, because he becomes king (as his father of course made him heir). You focus on becoming his prince so that you eventually take over and you also get the option at a point of killing him as to become king. All the things that took place here are what we expect would happen had Macbeth made this decision.

If you take the witches seriously it becomes a lot more straightforward. You can decide if you should kill the king or wait for fate (just like Macbeth did in the story). If you decide to kill the king you can second guess yourself like Macbeth did for a little bit or just be tough and kill the king. Then should you kill the king you move on to Banquo and you must decide if it is necessary that he be killed. He could be your best friend, but he could also be a threat. The next thing that will come up is Macduff. He doesn’t attend your celebration as well and you have to decide if he should be killed. If you don’t he goes off to England to find Malcolm and comes back to fight you. Finally you have the choice of whether or not to help your people. If you don’t, everyone hates you even more than they already do and turn on you. If you do help them they rise up and beat England. This entire part is similar to the book and should you stray from what Macbeth does the results are very predictable.

The entire game can take between three and ten questions depending on your choices. Normally it will be somewhere in the middle. The odds of winning are very low, because Macbeth’s odds at becoming king and remaining king are very low. We also wanted to include a reward. Should the class win the game when we present, our group will bring in some prize (dessert) to be handed out the next day or two days later at lunch. The final thing we wanted to do was make a video around each scenario for the classes entertainment and to enhance our overall project.



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My partners pages:


Raymond

Brendan

Black Boy In White SCHool

Being black while going to a private school is like being an exotic animal at the zoo. You’re a spectacle for the people there, because they rarely see black people. Because of your race’s rarity in these areas, stereotypes are given and expectations are laid out for you that you don’t understand or simply disagree with. For some, coming to these schools provide a challenge like no other:Increased workloads, more tests, etc. However, the most difficult part isn’t the class work, but rather what happens outside of class. If you’re not good at the sport assigned to you stereotype, it’s even harder to fit in than if you had. If you don’t act like your stereotype it’s hard to even be socially accepted. My only example can be my personal one, from when I went to private school.

Body paragraphs:


I’d been going to private school since lower school, but none had been like the middle school I ended up transferring to. The school was called Chestnut Hill Academy, or CHA and it was built like a college campus. Possibly the most memorable event i’d had at CHA was when I was waiting for my father to pick me up. A boy, A.J came up to me and I glanced over, unsure of what he was going to say. He was kind of popular, being a varsity player in every sport he played and even played on the high school team for baseball in middle school. “Do you like, wash your hair?”  He asked. I was appalled and responded “Well yeah, it’s hair...do you?”, hoping he was joking but knowing he wasn’t. “Well I heard you couldn’t like wash your hair for years to get dreads. How do you wash it?”, he responded. “I use shampoo like you.”. We went back and forth like this for awhile until I got tired of answering his questions and tried to cut the conversation short. Apparently I wasn’t quick enough, because now he felt comfortable to give me a nickname. “Mophead. Yeah, that’s what you are, a mophead!”. If i’d been a little older, this wouldn’t have affected me at all, but at the tender age of 12, it felt like a punch in the gut. What right did this random boy have, to prod at my culture and completely disrespect what I wore around as my pride and joy? I was a hotheaded kid, and had already thought of a response to his branding, but my father pulled up so I left without a word. This wasn’t the only time stuff like this happened, and I’d even had a teacher with dreadlocks like mine who was asked the same questions. He was stronger than me though, and knew how draw the line between joking and strictness. He soon became my advisor, and through him I learned to numb myself to the stereotypical, borderline racist comments spewing from teacher and student mouths alike.




This book, A Hope In The Unseen is a story about a young African American boy who miraculously gets into an Ivy League college and follows his story from the process beforehand to his college life after getting in. The first time the author talks about Cedric Jennings as a student is in the beginning of the book, as an  introduction of sorts. “Cedric Jennings is not, by nature, a loner, but he finds himself evermore isolated, walking a gauntlet through the halls, sitting unaccompanied in class, and spending hours in this room.”(page 5)

I chose this quote because it spoke to the lifestyle the protagonist had received when he decided to try to be his best self. This scene is still in public school, but you can tell that based on the way he’s described, he’s an outsider. It is made clear later in the book that it’s because the other kids are afraid he thinks he’s better than them, and because of that they try not to associate with him or if a they do, insult his intelligence. However, when he gets to Brown University, a different, but equally as isolating encounter awaits the protagonist



When I went to SCH, it was fairly eye opening for me about finding myself. I noticed that overall, black people going to white schools has always been a life changing moment, and not always for the better. Going to these schools puts you in between two worlds, and you can never fit perfectly in either. At home, people begin to think you’re bourgeois, or simply trying to be better than them, while at private school, people think you’re a spectacle. One to be poked, prodded, tested, but not to make friends with. There will be the rare occasion where there are people who you’ll be friends with, but it’s not always the case. I was fortunate to be one of the people who did make friends at my school. However, In A Hope In The Unseen, Cedric struggled to make any friends and went through his entire high school years with only the support of his mother and his faith in church. Through the corroboration of these two sources, I believe that the only true way to find and hold onto your identity as a black student in a private school or even just being the best student you can be is to find what makes you happy and then the rest will follow (friends, jobs, camps, etc.).That, in a nutshell, is a peek inside of the world of a preppy black student.


Advanced Essay #3: Society vs. Environment

​My goals for this paper were to give a single real life story that could characterize and explain my thesis. I wanted to expand on the scene of memory and try to take the reader through the journey of society's impact on immigrants. Overall I think I got the story I wanted to tell and was able to connect it to my thesis. The story also helped shape parts of my thesis that were not yet fully constructed. 

Society is characterized as a person, a person who is a bully and a nurturer at the same time. Society constructs and deconstructs the person's feelings of identity and belonging. Society has the ability to mold a person’s identity and belonging through new environments, experiences, and interactions. These tools are also used to “deconstruct” a person’s identity and belonging. What I mean by this is that society can twist these environments, experiences, and interactions into something that makes the person feel unsafe and exposed. I grew up with parents who immigrated to this country and who went through many obstacles to succeed. I saw and have heard stories of how society had destroyed their feeling and sense of belonging. I have also seen society construct and build their identities. Immigrants tend to feel the effects of society’s judgement much more. Not being comfortable in the space you find yourself in, whether it’s not knowing the language, politics, or dynamics of the space you are in, aids in this feeling of aloneness and wanting to fit in.

My father was born and raised in Iran, he at the time had no idea that he would end up living the rest of his life in the United States, away from the rest of his family. Nor did he ever imagine the circumstances which lead him to leave his country. In the 1970’s Iran experienced a revolution, boys above the age 16 were drafted to war with no say. In hopes of saving their children, my father’s parents sent their sons to study elsewhere. My father studied in the United States and often traveled to Italy to visit his brothers who had relocated there. Although he had never seen my mother, he knew of her and they often talked. One day he invited her to the U.S., this was the first time they had ever seen each other. After many visits they got married and my mom made the permanent move to the United States.

I honestly do not know how she did it. She had no friends, knew no one except my father. She had learned english in school but being thrown into this world was not at all the way she expected it would be. It was a harsher place and very big, with no one to talk to who would truly understand what she was going through she felt society tear down her walls. Her sense of belonging was taken away from her. Life around her was completely different than what she had grown up to understand and assimilate to. In the Kite Runner Khaled Hosseini writes “You’ve always been a tourist here. You just didn’t know it.” She felt like an outsider, she spoke through a broken accent which identified her as an immigrant and acted with different mannerisms. Even though society decided to take her sense of belonging away, it aided in building her identity.

My dad had made many Iranian friends in college, which is not surprising because when a person immigrates to another country they tend to find others of their ethnicity. We see this in big cities, such as New York which has Chinatown and Little Italy. Here in Philadelphia we have clusters of one culture or ethnicity. Culture plays a huge role in the way that society affects a person's sense of belonging and identity. By surrounding himself with those of culture he was able to hang onto his country and his family. My mother had studied Farsi, the language people speak in Iran, in college and was fluent in the language. I often think that this saved her sense of belonging in this country. My dad’s friends had also married, however their wives were also from Iran. But because society had affected them in the same way as my mother, she was able to connect and finally find someone to go through this experience with.

Society constructs and deconstructs the person’s sense of belonging and identity. We see this happen to those around us everyday. Some are more affected than others. But each person can come out with a more positive outcome. There will always be a negative in the world we live. People will judge others but people will also help get others through societies maze. My mom had her sense of belonging taken away. She came to a place where society played by a different set of rules. But through this maze she was also able to construct her identity and build it to one that can succeed not only in the environment she grew up in but the one she moved to.

Macbeth Project Q2 Amado Alfaro-Allah, Ethan Larrebee, Sean Johnson

Amado Alfaro-allah

Ethan Larrabee Slate Ethan

Sean Johnson Slate Sean

Rational


Macbeth Rational

The reason why we chose to do a playbill is because we thought it would give us a chance to show our creative freedom and are adaptation of Macbeth. The reason we choose to make it in a pamphlet way is because it can show a lot of things in a flip book style. The people we choose to to act in our play are very different from a typical cast of people because we thought that these peoples personalities would fit better in the extreme characters in Macbeth. The actors were chosen from there acting history. For example when we picked Michael Cain as King Duncan we thought of his role in batman and how he sort of acted as a mentor or parent for him. The purpose for this playbill is to get the audience excited for the play and make them feel like Macbeth is a really big deal to anybody who has read it. The reason for our ads is to get the reader of the playbill into art and to make them recognized the potential of any kind of art that we have.


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This is a picture of us working on the Macbeth project and brainstorming ideas for our actors and other ideas for our playbill. It took us a while to find an appropriate list of actors that were at least semi-decent.


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This is me writing the cast of characters and finishing there descriptions of why we put them in the play. It took a while for us to make reasons for our actors and for us to explain why they would be in our play. Also why they would be these characters it was, very difficult for us to get in the mindset.


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This a photo of me trying to draw something good for the playbill but I couldn’t figure out so I spent awhile trying to draw something good.


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This a photo of what me and my brother were working on to actually put into the final product it took us a while to figure out what would be the best fit as an ad.

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Here is a photo of me working on the rational it is difficult to work on it because I had to fish for photos I took on the school days and figure out our whole process and how to do it in the right format.


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Believe it or not I took all the photos I used in the pamphlet while walking with my family and when I saw these locations and I thought they were totally appropriate for Macbeth.




This play is brought to you by the local art studio BLACK CAT BANDIT without there support this play would not be possible please help support their art after the show. There will be a support box after the show.IMG_2223.JPG

(by Elogio Alfaro-Allah and Amado Alfaro-Allah)


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(Elogio Alfaro Allah)

(Amado Alfaro-Allah)

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Macbeth summary



The premise of the play is that our main character Macbeth is told that he is gonna be king. So during the play we see his struggles as king as the change we see him change the action is like no other and it is very exciting. Throughout the story there are a lot of different problems Macbeth runs into for example; he is very conflicted for most of the play when he is told a prophecy by three witches and now he is unsure whether to kill the king to be king or not do anything and not knowing whether he should stand by not knowing if the prophecy was true or not. This play will have you on the edge of your seat, wishing for more.








A playbill by the Three Kings brings you...



MACBETH


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By Amado Alfaro-Allah

Ethan Larrabee

Sean Johnson









Costumes of Macbeth description

Since all of this takes place during the elizabethan era all of the costumes are fairly simple, but also full of variety. For example during that time period all of armor was very common on warriors and divine dresses would be worn by woman.

  • Macbeth will be wearing armor that looks very re-enforced and very protective. At the part when he becomes king he will be wearing a crown most of the time, also he will have blue robes that will compliment his large of gold jewelry.

  • Banquo will have a large amount of fur on most of the time with a stone that has his family crest which is very warrior like.







  • Lady Macbeth will have a single dark green dress and hair bun covers because that was a very popular style in the elizabethan era. When she becomes queen she will have a more frilly and divine colored dress but the colors would be very monotone.

  • The weird sisters will have ragged robes and that are black to really emphasizes their mysterious intentions and they will have gray hair because they are old.

  • Malcolm will have a plain color robe most of the time when he is not doing much but he will usually have his yellow armor on.

  • Macduff will have a rusty armor set most of the time and a lot of facial hair on his face and scruffy hair on his head.

  • Lennox will usually have some sort of paper he is constantly carrying and a very formal shakespearean clothes that are red.

  • Fleance will have a single colored shirt and baggy cloth pants that are held together by a rope. His face will usually be dirty and his hair will be short.

  • Porter will be wearing a bag over himself and he will have a dirty persona all together.

  • The murderers will all have black clothes all together and face masks with different animals for example; First murder will have a dog, the second will have a crows mask and the third murder will have a cat mask.




Macbeth Characters/Cast

  • Macbeth: He will be played by Chuck Norris because he has a reputation of being menacing and very scary in the few movies he has been in. Also because he could fit well in the age of the elizabethan era.

  • King Duncan: He will be played by Michael Cain because he is old and brittle, but still has that feeling of a wise old man. Also because it would be very interesting to have someone so calm and collected to be in the same position as King Duncan

  • Malcolm: Malcolm would be played by Nicolas Cage because he has the tendency to look young but still brave and cunning. In the play we picked him because we felt like he would make a pretty good Malcom because of his facial expressions

  • Donalbain: Donalbain will be played by Tom hanks because he still looks old but not to old to be the son of somebody. He also looks like he has the face and the body shape to play Donalbain


  • Banquo: Banquo would be played by Keanu Reeves because he is outgoing and still gives off the vibe of being brave and heroic from the Matrix series. Also because I feel like he has the record of playing brave and powerful people

  • Lennox: Lennox would be played by Harrison Ford because I feel like he isn’t really a fighter character but one that watches everything unfold from the sidelines.

  • Angus: Angus will be played by Philip Seymour Hoffman because he gives off that vibe of being a man to old for battle and watches from the sidelines. Also because he looks very cunning and doesn’t really have an opinion of war.

  • Fleance: Fleance would be played by Peter Ostrum (when he was still young) because he gives off the joyfulness of being a kid but when times gets tough it looks like he can get very serious

  • Porter: Porter would be played by Adam Sandler because he gives off a silly vibe and is very funny to see him play roles where he is the comedic parts


  • First murderer: Brain Wect will be playing the first murderer because he gives off a very menacing vibe and a scary glare that is perfect for a murderer.

  • Second murderer: Christian Bale would play the second murderer because when he gets mad it is very scary and fits the role as murderer pretty well.

  • Lady Macbeth: Anne Hathaway would play Lady Macbeth because she looks very light hearted and nice on the outside,but she can also be very menacing and mean.

  • First Witch:Susan Sarandon would play the first witch because I feel like she can be very mysterious, but also confusing to talk to and very scary.

  • Second Witch: Sandra Bullock because I feel like she can still give off scary and mysterious tension if she wanted to.

  • Third witch: Pam Ferris because she is very scary looking and her voice and really powerful. Also because she would make a good witch because of her role as Trunchbull in matilda.

  • Macduff: Macduff would be played by Joe Pesci because I feel like when he is in a position of power he does his best. Also him speaking in Shakespearean language would be entertaining to watch.



Macbeth Locations

Witches hut entrance

I picked and took this photo for the witches hut because the stone looks really nice with all the nature surrounding. It fits the motif of nature in Macbeth perfectly.


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Macbeth’s castle of Dunsinane hill. The reason why I took and picked this photo is because the for and eeriness goes great with the prophecy that when the trees come to dunsinane hill Macbeth will be slain.

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Forest where Banquo gets slain took this photo and picked it because I feel like the eeriness of the forest goes great with the vibe of Macbeth.

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Here it is the finished project it took a while but with everybody's help we made it possible it was mostly just typing and taking pictures. But it was super fun to let our creative ideas flow into this small pamphlet that contains all our hopes and dreams. It was really fun to work with the guys it was very interesting of having Ethan and Sean as partners because they're 2 very different people kind of like opposites.

Banquo Murder Scene!- Justin Stewart and Ashton Reigner

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How the video came to life!

        

For our project, Ashton and I chose to do a Video Scene Depiction. We reenacted the scene, The Murder of Banquo. This scene takes place on Act 3 scene 4. We had to recreate the scene in our own words by using the language of Macbeth. We chose to pursue this scene because it is one of the most action packed scenes in the play and we thought it would be interesting to act this scene out. We start the scene with the three murderers, Ashton, Brendon, and, Leo. They were sent by Macbeth, Zaire, to Kill Banquo, Justin, and Fleance, Raymond. The third murder approaches the two original murders. He explains that Macbeth has sent him to help them with the deed. Suddenly, One of the murderers notices Banquo and Fleance approaching them. The murderers confronts Banquo and Fleance for a show down! But the numbers were too much for Banquo that lead to his downfall and Fleance escapes.


  Original idea

      

When we first decided to do this project, we wanted to design a board game for the whole class to play. We didn’t have any ideas for the objective of the game. This was our initial plan but it went downhill. We then decided to do an even more interesting project for the both of us. This is when we decided to do a Video Scene Depiction. Ashton suggested to do the murder scene of Banquo. Then we both agreed to pursue that scene. But there was some obstacles  we needed to overcome. First we had to redo our Check point #1 since we changed our idea. After we did that, We also had to find extra support. So we asked our friends to make appearances in it as well. Now that we had our actors and our scene, We also needed to design a script. After we designed the script it was time to create the film!



Supporters


      For our video, We had supporters to play some extra roles. I would recommend giving them extra credit for being supportive to other students. They were willing to take time out of their own project schedule to be supportive to their fellow classmates. The names of these supporters are Raymond, Brendon, Leo, and Zaire. We all agreed to help each other prepare each other’s projects. We all wanted to take time out of our own project to help each other.  I personally believe that every one of these supporters should receive extra credit because of their encouragement, Commitment, and, Leadership.



Conclusion


    In conclusion, We enjoyed doing this project and we hope you will prepare another project in the future. For the next book we will be reading, We should have different options such as writing our own version of the book or creating a continuation of the book. If we do get another creative project, I would recommend giving us the same amount of time as you did for this project. I would also recommend putting us in groups of four just in case it is a major project. I enjoyed doing this project because, it helped show the teamwork of the project.




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Macbeth The Musical: Christina Santana & Myah McCoy

Listed below are pictures of our process and our Rationale. To view our program click on the last picture, and it will direct you to the pdf download.
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Macbeth The Muscial Program- Christina Santana (1)

Rationale


The purpose of our Macbeth Creative Project was to demonstrate our understanding of the book Macbeth in a unique and creative way. We could demonstrate this by creating a musical, playbill, board game, video scene description, theatrical playbill, etc. Christina and I decided that we were going to do a musical to demonstrate our understanding of Macbeth. We thought that a musical would be the most interesting way to recreate the story in a sense of singing and acting. Our musical consist of all five acts in the story. The characters that sing in the main two songs of our musical are The Three Witches, Banquo’s ghost, Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, and Various Lords. In Act 1, The Three Witches are singing their song “The Fortunes”  to Macbeth and Banquo as they tell them each their three fortunes. This is the opening act in the musical. We choose to include this scene because this is where Macbeth’s personality and mindset change and will progress from then on throughout the book. Now that Macbeth knows that he will be king of Scotland, he is willing to do anything to make that happen because of his vaulting ambition. In Act 3, Banquo’s ghost singings the song “A Ghost Hath Come” to Macbeth because he is trying to understand why would Macbeth hire murderers to kill him. We wanted to included this scene because this is where Macbeth has one of his many inclusions and shows his true state of mind.

The two main songs in our musical are  “A Ghost Hath Come” and “The Fortunes” . The Fortunes is sung by The Three Witches and A Ghost Hath Come is sung by Banquo, Lady Macbeth, Macbeth, and Various Witches. The lyrics for “Ghost Hath Come” show Banquo explaining his feelings about Macbeth knowing that he hired murderers to kill him. He feels confused, betrayed, and heartbroken that his closest friend would do such a thing. Christina and I wanted this song to have a sad and depressed tone to it so the audience can feel Banquo’s ghost emotions towards Macbeth. The lyrics for the song “The Fortunes” show The Three Witches telling Macbeth and Banquo their three fortunes. This song unlike “Ghost Hath Come” because it has a completely different tone to it. The tone of this song is comical and fun. It’s also much faster than Banquo’s ghost song. I wrote it like this because I wanted the witches to have a different approach to the musical. In the play the witches are creepy and scary, so I wanted them to come off as fun, creepy, and comically in our musical.   

Other than the actual musical we also had to create a program for our musical. The program consists of each Act in story following various scenes from that act that Christina and I really felt stood out for us. All the scenes in the program have a song title based on what that specific scene is manly about. We decided to make it like this so when the audience reads our program they can have a better sense of what’s going on in the musical. The program also gives a brief description of each act and the scene that  goes along with it. It also has the characters and setting in that scene and act. Lastly, our program includes the lyrics of our two main songs so the audience can follow along when the characters are singing. This will make the audience have a stronger connection with our musical. Therefore, making our theater(The Dagger Rimmed Crown & Co.) business succeed.


My Partner’s Blog: Myah

Q1BM2: Macbeth Choose Your Own Adventure - Kwan Hopkins and Jack Sugrue

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My partner, Jack, and I decided that it would be really fun to write an Macbeth version of a "Choose Your Own Adventure". We felt that this was a very creative approach to this project. We found an amazing resource to help us with this kind of thing and it really set what we were going to do in stone. We started off thinking that there should be only the main story line and every time that there would be a decision to be made one would be either one that progresses the story or one that ends the story. We decided against that because it really takes a lot of the creativity out of the "Creative Project".

The purpose of this project was to find ways to make Macbeth even more interesting than it already is. We thought "What better way to show this than to create our own tellings of how Macbeth's life may or may not have gone?" To fully understand how this project works, one should have a creative and open mind so that they can see the other sides of Macbeth's story and not get upset. Many readers of Macbeth think he deserved what happened to him at the end of his story but others do not. Either way, anyone could get upset at the creativity that comes out of our Adventures.

We decided to use Inklewriter to help create our book. We used Inklewriter because it is for making interactive stories and that's exactly what we wanted to do for our benchmark. While it's not collaborative, we used it because it was our best option to complete this task. Since Inklewriter is not collaborative, we thought that we should find a way to work together or this. We thought that we should use Google Docs to type out our scenarios together. Then, we would copy and paste them into the interactive story. 

Another idea that we just had to integrate into out "Choose Your Own Adventure" book was a line that comes up very often in our stream: "IT'S OVER." When the reader has made a bad decision, they will most likely be killed. So when they are killed a picture of Kwan comes up with the caption "It's over." We decided to do this because it adds even more creativity to our book and it's really, really funny. We want whoever's reading this to be able to enjoy themselves and see that even Macbeth is something everyone can enjoy.

Writing a "Choose Your Own Adventure book" seems to have been a fun experience and a great productive use of our time. Not only were we able to review things that we read in Macbeth, we were able to have fun while doing it. We were able to create something. We chose to do this because it seemed to be very different from all of the other options. We think that that this is truly one of the reasons that we decided to create this interactive book and hope that everyone who reads it will be able to enjoy it.

You can find our story here.

Bajirao Mastani-Mako Mori Test

The movie Bajirao Mastani, is a newly released movie from Bollywood. The movie was based on a true life story of Mastani, a princess, a warrior, a court dancer. Mastani in real life, was born 1699, Bundelkhand. Mastani was a princess, but was also a warrior, trying to protect her homeland. She met Mastani, a male warrior in the battleground, and ask of him to help her. She grew to like Bajirao. She then left her home, to go find Bajirao, who had already went back to his homeland, after helping her homeland. She did not follow by the rules, she set her own, venture out after what she wants. It was about her life, and the control she had of it, instead of the typical thought when it come to princesses. It was not about Bajirao, the person she went after, that lead her to a whole new land, but what she believed in, and how she get what she wants.

The movie passed the Mako Mori Test. The Mako Mori test consist of three things.

“ -A film having at least one female character.
  - That character having her own narrative arc.

  • The narrative arc can not be about supporting a man’s story.”

Bajirao Mastani, had more than one female character. Mastani had her own narrative arc, that does not support a man’s story, even though she did fought for the love she had for Bajirao. She did it out of what she want, what she believed in, she went through great measures, that women at that time would not do. She was also a warrior, who actually went to was with Bajirao. It was about her, taking control of her life, as a powerful woman.

My anti-gender bias film test would be…

  • There’s a female with leading role in the movie.

  • Female being able to be independent.

  • Female fight for what they believe in.

  • Female who have her own narrative arc.


The movie Bajirao Mastani and my own test.

The movie would still pass, it pass each and everyone of them. Even though the name of the movie is Bajirao Mastani, Mastani and her lover Bajirao. The main focus is on the power Mastani had, going against all odds. Of going to a new kingdom, having people want her dead left and right Protecting herself and her baby. It was how the character Mastani portrayed as one of the strongest characters in the movie.
bajirao-mastani-hindi-film-2015-hd-wallpapers-free-download-1
bajirao-mastani-hindi-film-2015-hd-wallpapers-free-download-1

U2-#8 (Benjamin Seing)

​​​The video we watched was called "Growing Up Online"

The show was about the online usage and the people behind it. All of the social that the children was using was doing stuff behind their parents back. Some people were doing games and talking gossip on others. Some students were being teased and made fun of, yet some people suppress these issues and some may hurt themselves. 

The most memorable thing that I remembered was the part when the kid in school was made fun of and was thinking of suicide. He was taking with another person online and searching how commit to suicide. He would search how to tie a knot that he hang himself to. After he passed, his father went to his laptop and talked the people he chatted recently and searched his history to find out why he has done such thing. 

What I felt that it is important to watch the video is because the world and generation today is filled with internet and online usage. We needed to see the first hand experience of the problems that the people were facing. These things may help the parents to control the internet and the online social media. 

To keep my future family safe from the dangerous acts, I can always lock Safe search on. For the ones for online social media, keep an eye out for the ones they follow and check their devices casually. 

If our family were not to talk about the safety, then there will be a situation that will linger in the safety. The thought about safety will at least be a magnet when using the internet when they do use it. It will keep the family from separating and have still a physical connection. 

My advice for parents that don't know about these possibilities is to show and explain what consequences their children will face and the fear they might contact to. 

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2061329074_226f714dd6_o (1)

Él Triángulo De Amor: Doniesha, Imani, Lauren, Hamidou

In this show, you will see that Blanca really likes Pablo and gets distracted by his handsomeness. She likes him so much that she can even speak clearly when he is around. However, Pablo does not like Blanca but he likes her best friend, Liliana. What a change in events! In the end, everyone is friends-- or are they? Tune in next week for the next episode of: Él Triángulo De Amor!!

U2-#8 - Seng, Meymey

What TV show did you watch in class?

The TV show that we watched in class was "Growing Up Online".

What was this show about?

This show was about how technology affects people differently. For example, it may make other people get cyber-bullied, while others feel like being online is like their safe haven. Also, this show tells us about how it affects schools and education. Having laptops for everyone in the school really increased the drop-out rates and the academic rates. Although, the kids could get distracted online. Even with this, adults took the turn to look at it in a positive way, that the kids learning how to multi-task is good. A third thing that this show tells us about is how technology separates kids from their parents.

What is the most memorable thing to you about this show?

The most memorable thing to me from this show was how business meetings are taken place in a 3-D game called "Second Life". The reason behind this is to save money from having to travel into an actual meeting. The concept of this is okay, but I think they take it too far. Second Life is made for gaming and having a business meeting in a game takes out the seriousness. Also, when they say wait a second, they have to change their avatar's outfit for the meeting was a bit too far because they are taking it as if it was real life. Another thing was that they had to move their meeting to another table because it was able to fit everyone in better. I would say that these things are a bit too much because they're treating it like a game.

Why/Why not -  is it important to watch shows like these?

I think that it is important to watch shows like these because it allows us to see parents, teachers, and children's point of views about technology. It shows us the bad things that can happen online and it shows us to be careful of the reality that goes on.

How will you keep your future family safe online?

I will keep my future family safe online by setting a time limit for them online and taking their electronic devices when they go to bed. I will also be honest with them and tell them about what can happen online and hope for the best.

Why is it important to talk with your family about internet safety

It is important to talk to my family about internet safety because you will NEVER be able to know everything that someone does online. So, there's only so much you can do, and that's telling them the truth about what can happen.

What advice would you give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online?

Some advice that I would give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online is to just talk to their kids and tell them about the things that could happen online. Also, to not to ask them for their personal passwords and stay on them every time their online. If they do this then the child will feel integrated and not want to share with their parents. This is extremely bad because you want your child to be able to talk to you.
Screenshot 2016-01-16 at 7.34.47 AM
Screenshot 2016-01-16 at 7.34.47 AM

U2#8 - Myah McCoy

​   In class we watch Frontline's Digital Nation. The show points out many different things about the internet. One of them was teens growing up online. Teenagers are coming more and more amune to the internet. It can become addictive. Some teens in the video were addicted to social media others were addicted to video games. The most memorable thing that stood out to me was when one of the teenagers said that "when your're online you can anybody you want". This stood out to me because it's so true. Nobody knows who you really are online, it's a escape from reality. It's important to watch videos like these because it makes you realize hoe much we really do use the internet everyday and to not become addicted to it. It also makes you aware of all the dangers the internet can bring if you're not careful. I will keep my future family safe online by having a family computer in the living. Everyone will have their seprate account on the computer and everyone will have a hourly limit on the computer. I will also talk to them about all the dangers that are on the internet so they can be more aware. The advice that I would give to parents that don't know how to keep their their children safe will be to talk to them about the dangers of the internet. Also to have a hourly limit on how much time they can be online.

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U2#8-Elbakhadaoui

Frontline: Growing up online


  1. It was about the internet and what parents think about it and what they think about how teens these days are using it.

  2. The most memorable thing about this show was when a kid was convinced by his friend to kill himself and a website.

  3. It is important to watch shows like these so we can learn about everyone's point of view about the internet and the different ways people decide to use it.

  4. Make sure they don’t talk to people they don’t know and not to post anything stupid.

  5. It is important to talk to your family and friends about internet safety because it can also keep them safe and they can give you good advice.

  6. I would tell not to be too protective but just enough to know that they’re not talking to strangers so they should give their children advice then let them do what they need to do.

Growing Up Online - #8

​1.What TV show did you watch in class? 
Growing Up Online
2.What was this show about?
It was about how high school students and the dangers of them basically growing up in such a technology friendly era.
 3.What is the most memorable thing to you about this show?  
The most memorable thing about this show was when the mother of a high school student informed her kid's friends parents about a video showing the inappropriate behavior of them on a train. The mother received many different reactions from the parents from "thank you for informing me" to "get out of our business. It surprised me because what parent wouldn't want to know any trouble there kid is getting into.
4. Why/Why not -  is it important to watch shows like these?
It is important to watch shows like this because it aware you of all the dangers that lurk online from social media to games themselves.


5.How will you keep your future family safe online?
To keep my future family safe online I would establish early on the rules of online to build it into them early so they know their rights for their wrongs. I would also create parental controls to restrict bad things from happening.
6. Why is it important to talk with your family about internet safety
It is important to teach your family about internet safety so, again, they can be aware of dangers that lurk online.

7. What advice would you give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online?
I would tell that to make there children aware of the dangers and for them themselves to learn dangers so they know how to prevent it. 




U2 #8 Reflection Media

In class we watched Frontline's Digital Nation. The show was about a couple of teenagers who viewed online as a their own digital reality. They were able to really be themselves on the internet without any real physical judgement. The most memorable thing that stood out to me was the ending part when "Autumn's" parents begin to accept her for who she is and who she really wants to be. It is very important to watch shows lie these because it is REALITY! It gives you a feel of people's everyday life. It makes you feel for them and basically just lets you know that there are people out there who are struggling with these types of problems. My future family will remain safe online by following rules and regulations that I set for them. (ie. Tell an adult if there is anything that makes you feel uncomfortable) Also, I will be really strict with enforcing those rules. I believe it is important to talk about internet safety with your family even though people don't do it. It is important because at the end of the day you want to keep your family safe and at well-being. Make sure you check in on your child's online activity even if you have to do it on a sneak.
Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 9.31.38 PM
Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 9.31.38 PM

U2-#8 Amaris Ortiz

In class, we watched Digital Nation, which was a show about the dangers of technology. The most memorable thing to me about this show was that the teachers or principals could see what was on the students’ computer screens. It is important to watch shows like this because it shows kids what to do and what not to do while using the internet. I will keep my future family safe online by making sure that they now about the precautions when using the internet so that they do not run into trouble later on online. I would tell parents who don’t know how to keep their children safe online to make sure they trust that their kids, know what they are doing on the internet, and to not constantly be checking what they are doing.
Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 9.17.51 PM
Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 9.17.51 PM

U2-#8 Jowon Dorbor

  1. What show did you watch in class? We watched Digital Nation.
  2. What was this show about? This show was about the different outcomes of using the internet in different ways.
  3. What is the most memorable thing to you about this show? This most memorable was the websites that kid have access (How To Have a Successful Suicide ).
  4. Why/Why not -  is it important to watch shows like these? It's important because parents need to know how much of an influence the internet can have on their child.
  5. How will you keep your future family safe online? By making them thing of the outcomes of the action they make.
  6. Why is it important to talk with your family about internet safety? It's important because anything can happen from poor usage on the internet.
  7. What advice would you give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online? Advice is to have rules. What you should/should not do.
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images

U2-#8 Naima DeBrest

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stock-vector-smart-home-and-internet-of-things-concept-cloud-computing-to-connect-global-wireless-devices-with-277469792
1. The film that we watched was called Growing Up Online and it was about growing up in the digital age. 
2. The most memorable thing was that the teachers could look at a live feed of what the student where looking at on there laptops.
3. It is important to show this type of media because it lets kids know about how to be safe online and the consequences of risky behavior. 
4. I will keep my future family safe by knowing when, why, and what they are doing on the internet. 
5. It is important so your family can know how to be safe also because adults also get tricked and act negatively because of the internet. 
6. I would tell them to make sure the know what there child is doing on the internet and how long they will need the internet.  

Reflection

Digital Nations

  1. The show was about the how children are online and unsupervised too much. It also touched bases on what kids are hiding from their parents online.

  2. The most memorable moment was when the group of girls realized how petty the fight they got into was over something that happened online.

  3. It is important so that children and adults will know what they are getting into in case something bad might happen to them.

  4. I will keep my future family safe by warning them about situations like these and monitoring their internet time.

  5. It is important to talk about these things with your family so you will not have to hide anything and they can help you if you get into some kind of trouble.

  6. If you do not know how to keep your kids safe at least have a talk with them about what can happen and what is already happening.

Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 7.56.31 PM
Screenshot 2016-01-15 at 7.56.31 PM

U2-#8 - Lauren Matthews

Growing up online

  1. What was this show about?

    1. this show was about a school in NJ where the internet is very popular and is used in different ways. Ways such as for school purposes, music videos, blog post, fights for entertainment . etc.

  2. What is the most memorable thing to you about this show?

    1. The most memorable thing was people regretting for the wrong of what they did.  

  3. Why/Why not -  is it important to watch shows like these?

    1. It is important to watch these shows to understand the dangers of online.

  4. How will you keep your future family safe online?

    1. To keep my family safe online, we will use online sites that all ages can use and  make sure everything website that is used is overlooked by a parent each week.  

  5. Why is it important to talk with your family about internet safety

    1. It is important because you want to be aware of what happens on the internet because it is used all over the world.

  6. What advice would you give to parents that don't know how to keep their children safe online?

    1. Keep track of what sites your child uses.

Against_Cyberbullying
Against_Cyberbullying

Busted Houses and Bullet Holes

 https://vimeo.com/151731261

Some movies are set in neighborhoods to portray certain hoods like Compton, Queens, the Bronx, Detroit. Some documentaries try to delve into the dynamics of living in the hood, the systems, rivalries, etc. The portrayals and the footage of the busted houses, bullet holes in signs, expensive cars with special suspensions to rock with down the block, thugs giving you side eye. Most of these aren’t the reality in my hood. Southwest Philadelphia isn’t home to any Bloods or Crips, most of the crew's’ names don’t exist. We don’t have cars rolling down the block at 5 m.p.h., bumping to the bass of any N.W.A or Tupac song. We do have busted houses, bullet holes in signs up and down Elmwood Ave, and people throwing out looks that would make you cry. It isn’t all bad though.

My neighborhood affected me in ways I had never realized until this question was posed to me, what is the relationship between the self and a changing world? It raised me, especially the people in my neighborhood. My neighbors may not have always been the most law abiding citizens, they were pretty dangerous. But they are my second family. They helped me with my throwing arm, protected me, teased me like any big brothers and sisters would. More than anything, they taught me about the world and how people work. I learned how to physically and mentally protect myself. They did not have to say anything to me for me to learn. I would watch.

I was a pretty observant child. I would pay attention to all the conversations I wasn’t supposed to, their body language, everything. Just by watching the world around me, I became a very complex person. My neighbors and even my parents were very quiet but loud. I know that sounds kind of stupid. How can you be quiet and loud? They were quiet about relevant details to stories, what was going on with them and their lives. They were loud about things that did not matter, and what made them mad, etc. I never seen any person or adult around me growing up, back down from a fight or a problem. In turn, I was taught how to defend myself with words and my hands. I was taught that my voice and my opinion mattered, and anyone who said differently could get shut up. I was taught to not be a wimp.

Everyone in their life probably has a bullying story, I have a few of my own. My elementary school was very interesting, and I stuck out a lot. I was very intelligent for my age, I was small and thin, basically an easy target. I started to hate myself then. Yet, I never let anyone get away with it. I learned that you never had to put your hands on someone to hurt them. The problems at school got really bad, but I never let anyone see. I never told my parents or my neighbors, or teachers. I would go off, start firing insults back. I can not really remember the things I would say, but I was eight so I doubt any were worth remembering.

I got to middle school and I was the new kid, but I didn’t really care. I had built up this new person I would be, like most new kids do. I became open about anything, but I caused a lot of problems for myself. Everyone is a mess in middle school, no doubt. No one can look back on those years and say, “Wow, those were some fun times.” I got into a lot of arguments. A lot. The new school, new me attitude had a really strong personality. Anytime I felt disrespected, I popped off. I am still really surprised I never got in a fist fight in my life.

I started to be disliked a lot, just because I didn’t take shit from anyone. With losing friends each year, I never lost my love of learning. So I engulfed myself in school even more. Yet, by the end of middle school, I only had two or three close friends. Which was fine with me, because they were loyal and I am still friends with two of them to this day.

If there was anything I learned from growing up in the hood, it was that you only need two or three people to rock with. Telling your business gets complicated and messy, and nobody deserves to know any part of who makes you who you are. If people aren’t worth it, then you cut them off. Of course in southwest people cut other people off in an entirely different way! Even in this paper, I am not opening up in detail about everything. It is permanently etched in my brain to not give a lot of myself or what I go through up.

In turn, everything I went through in middle school tore me up inside. I never showed it, until one mental breakdown in the hallway in 8th grade. After that incident and graduation, that summer became one of the hardest of my life. I had so much going on and a lot of the problems were all inside of my own head. But just as my hood taught me, you do not let people see. So, I breezed through my freshman and sophomore years as smoothly as I could. And I never got to work out so many things about myself.

I have always known I was a good person, that was never a question. But I had so much to get over. So, I did. A lot of people who have major insecurities and self esteem issues deal with it outwardly and even harm themselves. I never hurt myself, but I took my insecurities out on other people. When I got mad, I was furious, because I had so many emotions going on. I would hone in on something that made me mad other than myself, and feed off of it. It is easier to hurt other people than hurt yourself.

A lot of my neighbors and people I grew up with started to get in trouble. A lot of people who were a big part of my life, got locked up. A lot of my close family friends and family started to die. Not from the streets, but losing them nonetheless. This closed me off even more. I felt as though I did not fit in anywhere. Just as the characters in the novel, “The Yellow Birds,” their worlds were changing everyday, and they felt so closed off from society.

There is this Evergreen tree at the end of my street. If you have ever seen any hood movies, or live in the hood, there are not always a lot of other trees than plain oaks. So an Evergreen is almost impossible to come by. I am mesmerized by it every time I am walking home. It is so out of place. The tree is never bare, but it is magnificent and beautiful. Captivating if you stare for more than a beat. I am that Evergreen. I always have my armour on to protect me from the outside world, I stick out in places, but I am magnificent and beautiful. It may have taken me a long time to grow, but I am not going anywhere anytime soon. I thank my hood for everything it has taught me, my home.


Digital Nation- Reflection: Aysha Siddiquee

1. The tv show that we watched in class was Digital Nation.
2. This show described and gave many examples of how teens and children in Korea were becoming addicted to the internet and how there were institutions created to help them. As well as how laptops are helping students with their education in schools.
3. These shows give you an idea of whats taking place all around the world how other are being affected by the same things we use.
4. I will keep them safe by making sure there is a limit to everything they do online.
5. It's important to talk about internet Safety so they know everything that's out there and how it could affect them so they are aware.
6. To limit the children's internet and as well as occasionally check up on them


Our Counterweight to Discrimination of Muslims in Airports & Planes

Statement:


We believe that this specific bias needs to end. It is extremely unfair and biased for muslims to be targeted anytime they are in an airport or plane. We should not judge the majority for what the selective few have done. We do not say all Christians are murderers just because the selective have taken multiple lives. Therefore, we neither think nor utter that all muslims are terrorists, for all people have the ability to become a Muslim, therefore implying that if all Muslims are terrorists then all people are terrorists.


Pledge:


We pledge to spread awareness of this important issue by having a notice on the advisory memo and the SLA Media page that supports Muslims and spreads knowledge on this topic. We also want to encourage you to use the hashtag #searcheveryone created by Ijustice Avery on all  social media based on the research of Laith Abuharthieh and Alexander Torres in effort to stop bias against muslims in airports.

Our Counterweight to Asian Bias

Statement:

With 5 of the 7 of us that regard our parents as “strict”, it is true that the boundaries of strict parents aren’t just residing in that of Asian families. It can occur to every race and/or gender, no matter your background. Usually the term of strict parents comes from the parents childhood as well, as they might have considered their own parents as ”strict”. It’s a big cluster of “strict parents”, and you were possibly born into that lineage. But it’s not something that should overtake every family. They should take ease on their children. Hard work is needed, not just good grades. The parents should take into the account the amount of work the child puts forth to attain a B or below.


Pledge:

We pledge to put forth more effort into our work, and show our parents the hard work, opposed to the good grades. Confronting the parents themselves about the topic could be risky, but it’s nice to resolve with the parents. It’s some understanding between them and you.