Blog Feed

Create a Post

Robbie McCormac English Benchmark

Posted by Robert Mc Cormac in English 3 - Rami on
https://www.dropbox.com/s/sxnlqpg4he6xpm2/New%20Project%203%20-%201080p.mov

Script bellow 

Robbie McCormac Benchmark Script 10/21/12


Inside

Bateman(Calmly)- “Come on in Paul I have been dying to show you around my apartment.” I have a very modern upscale apartment right in the heart of New York City I love being showvnistic about it especially since all Paul talk’s about is wanting to live here.


Paul(Walking around the house)- “Wow Bateman I’m truly In pressed” He stares at the the Polo rug I have sitting by the T.V.(Sit’s at counter) “Any good channels to watch?”


Bateman- Cinemax and HBO something you don’t know about I say smuggle in my head. “Yes you can put on HBO if you’d like, Do you want anything to drink?”


Paul- “Can you make me a Vodka with Cranberry?”


Bateman(Laughing to himself)- I knew he was a bitch but really a vodka and cranberry? “Yes of course I can let’s go to the outside bar though.”


  OUTSIDE BAR.

Paul(Sitting at chair relaxed)- “You really have it good out here Bateman , Your own little private peace of the American Dream.”


Bateman( At the bar making the drink) “Yes I suppose so Paul but Isolation start’s to slowly consume you, It’s a very odd feeling” (Notices an ax by the side of the wet bar)


Paul( Staring at my Louise vitton chair’s) “I’m sure everything will be fine with that Bateman we all have been there, work start’s to make you go a little insane ahah right?”


Bateman(Smiling) “Yes I would agree with that Paul I really would”


Paul (turning on the outside TV) “Amazing you get HBO outside here too? Simply perfect.”


Bateman( Hand’s drink over) “Here you go Paul your drink’s done.”


Paul- “Thank you.”


Bateman(At the bar Pouring himself scotch),(Put’s a rain Jacket on and pick’s up the AX) “Paul, Paul, Paul I don’t know about you but I hate work so goddamn much it’s a pain in the ass, And I dread seeing the same low life scum’s everyday. In fact let’s change that right now.” ( Goes run’s at Paul and put’s the ax in his head)


Bateman (Staring at the body) “Goddamn it there’s blood on my Ralph Lauren chair. THANKS PAUL.” No matter I have business to attend to.

Alphabet

Posted by Tiarra Bell in Spanish 1 - Manuel on
​Alphabet:

In order to say the alphabet in spanish you have to know:
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 9.58.04 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 9.58.04 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 9.58.16 PM
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 9.58.16 PM
Here is a video of Felix saying the spanish alphabet: 

Brownlee, Q1 Benchmark, Eve

Posted by Niyala Brownlee in English 3 - Rami on
Eve - Iris Johansen
Proposal
     The book that I will be using for the Q1 English Benchmark is Eve by Iris Johansen. I will be using an art piece as a representation of the book. the reason that I chose an art piece to represent the project instead of any other means is because, in my opinion, the book is veritably visual. There are also many symbols that are repeated a couple of times.

To represent

Fiery hair
Eves passion and a physical attribute of hers
Skeletal baby
Bonnie
 




Different sketch ideas
- Eve breastfeeding a baby skull
- Eve sitting head turned toward the audience (viewers of the sketch) holding a pile of bones, or clutching her pregnant belly which is a bone x-ray of a baby.
- Eve and Cassandra at the park and them searching (looking panicked) frantically for Bonnie (crowded blurred figures passing)
- John Gallo in a very dark place with a vision of Bonnie (reaching out to her).

Plan:
10/19/12
- Plan out the sketches.
- Start have a really rough sketch (blueprint)

10/20/12 - 10/21/12
- Start the draft sketches
- Buy the supplies
 
    Description
    Though this is only one painting and has few things on it it represents a whole lot in the book. This central piece (two skulls) is the main focus because its the main thing the book involves. One of the main characters - Eve Duncan - is a forensics sculptor and has to be around skulls during work and 'normal' living. The next main character - John Gallo - has dealt with so much hardship and death in his life.
The halo - yes it is a halo- over one of the skull is supposed to show that victims are noticed and the crimes are brought to light. It also shows that some people do experience joy and ecstasy because of the murders.
    The plaid blanket helps to show the bond - wanted or not - between John Gallo, Eve Duncan, and Bonnie. The colors aren't just random, it's to show the many different feelings between them.
    The color scheme represents the variety of feelings and the bond between them. I had not done named a specific emotion to each color for a reason. Its up to the viewers to decide what colors represent what emotions.



Reflection -
    During this project I had had a hard time deciding what to paint. Something I would be able to do but would represent a lot. I am - In my opinion - fairly talented at drawing, though not so much when it comes to painting. So even though it looks like not so much time was put into it, it had taken a while to do.  I also have a smaller version of the project in my sketchbook where I had planned most of the painting out. I had also experimented with what colors would be the best. and most of the colors I used were not just for no reason.
    Over the course of the week I had changed the ideas a bit, and sketched out different versions. The final took one or two days to paint. The whole project took the course of the week.
    If I were to do this project again, then I would choose to do an abstract piece. I find that its easier to represent emotion and themes with abstract art.


- I do not have a digital picture of the final version because it is at school already.


What's you're Birthday?

Posted by Tiarra Bell on
​What's you're Birthday?

In order to ask someones birthday and age you have to know:
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 10.25.13 AM
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 10.25.13 AM
Here is a video of Carlos asking tinker bell how old she is and when is her birthday: 

Respecto

Posted by Tiarra Bell in Spanish 1 - Manuel on
​Respecto:

In order to know how to speak informal and formal you have to know:
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 10.05.56 AM
Screen Shot 2012-11-03 at 10.05.56 AM
Here is a video of Carlos being told how to respectfully address an adult or elderly person: 

Bezhani, Q1 BM, Language is an Instinct

Posted by Anonymous in English 3 - Rami on
​
Language is an Instinct
By: Kristi Bezhani

Proposal

The independent reading book that I decided to use for this project is called "The Language Instinct". This is book is compacted with rich knowledge of what Language is, and how it has evolved. Steven Pinker, the author of the book,  elaborately informs readers of how the brain computes language. Pinker is a Professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at MIT and his book has received National bestseller as well as the Williams James Book Prize from the American Psychology Association, and the Public Interest Award from the Linguistics Society of America.

"Absorbing. He makes a persuasive, entertaining case." - Time

"A brilliant, witty, and altogether satisfying book." - New York Times

"Pinker writes with acid verve… This is an exciting book, certain to produce argument"
- Atlantic Monthly

English Benchmark Reflection

I’ve always been interested in the cognition. Language, the method of expressing thought, is a particular area that strikes me as very interesting. For instance, the subconscious manner of a human mind processing language has always brought forth a question in me: Is language instinctive within people, or has it been constructed through evolution?

After researching the matter, when pertaining to the evolution of people’s cognitive state, language is not simply constructed. Specifically, in theory, evolution must have some kind of beginning consisting of an explanation behind the development.
In this case Language originated from people’s instincts to be further developed.
When I looked into it even more, I was surprised to meet an unexpected enlightenment: a child’s cognitive state (in language) is more developed than in an adult's. I found the idea of a child being more developed than an adult inconceivable. In the end it all made sense. The enigmatic manner in which the mind processes language is quite comprehensive in a youthful mind due to its fresh and natural start in life. Language is instinctive, which would only mean that the younger a mind is, the more likely it is to follow its natural instinct.
The way that the human mind works, has always fascinated me. I feel very accomplished and fulfilled to have assembled this research project. Cognitive science has truly made me the intellectually curious and driven person that I am. The fact that I got a chance to make a research project revolving around my favorite subject is amazing to me. I feel strongly about this subject, and I hope to pursue a career in it.

Introduction

Are children more accomplished than adults?

How is it that one who is inexperienced is more accomplished than one who is experienced?

It can be assumed that maturity enlightens people about life. Children, people who are yet to experience life, have a fresh, innocent perspective. But in some cases they are seen as under-developed. This is in fact scientifically proven. Based on the physiology of a child in relation to an adult, a child is cognitively less developed. Children are incapable of being immersed in intense knowledge. Adults on the other hand have a more developed mind and can endure more. The adult brain has a larger capacity for knowledge. Nonetheless, there is one case where children are in the superior situation. It is the case of verbal expression. Children are more naturally accomplished.


Central Idea

Is language a cultural invention or is it biological?


Claim

According to the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science at MIT, the art of speech holds a person’s instinctive self-expression. Thus it should not be used as a liability to dissemble one’s subconscious intuition of language.

Instinct is simply an automatic and effortless manner of response. From an evolutionary standpoint, language is an instinct, meant to be naturally expressed.  Consequently, people can never be improper of grammar in their speech. This is because of diversity. People have their mind wound up differently. In respect to a human population, when people speak, what they say, how they say it-- grammatically, as well as their cadence-- is all a part of what makes the person unique. One can only conform to society's standards of speaking "correctly" with the consequence of losing one’s idiosyncratic articulation. Language is a bare ability that gradually becomes a concealed ability.

If society upholds a system in which individuals are hidden from their own originality, inevitably obscurity is created in those people’s lives. When society evokes a cognitive-stereotype (how a person should talk) that person, if submissive, is no longer human, but robotic. To be human is to be instinctive of the signals that the body sends out, whether it is conscious or not.  Once a person is structuring her instincts, she is fabricating her character.

Writing, another form of expression, is an optional accessory for a person. It comes as a result of oral expression. It is taught through directions of shape, size, and visualization. Writing is expressive as much as speech is, however it is not instinctive. Ultimately the only form of expression that can never be incorrect, is speaking. Writing is a constructed form of expression and without an eloquent mechanism of expression like speech, there is no beginning, middle and end.

The language that a person acquires in his youth is the beginning of that person’s development. Language explains a person in every physiological approach. It is simply the start of a person’s cognitive life. However, the way that language is held at a young age in comparison to how society alters the person as they reach an older age, is life-altering in negative way.

As humans to grow they become more and more conscious of society, and when their mind is set on changing, they change. People change their humanity and that influences their initial and natural ability to speak. Children are self-accepting, on the other hand. They are not impacted by the need to change a natural instinct; therefore children are more accomplished speakers than adults are.


Research paper

The genesis of language was described in 1871 by Charles Darwin in a book called The Descent of Man. Darwin described language to be “an instinctive tendency to acquire art”. He began the entire idea of language being identified as an instinctive. William James, a supporter of Darwin cognitive work, also suggested that a human being is physiologically instinctive. Hence a person should not act like a “fatal automaton” when they have the opportunity to act human. Throughout his arguments and recognitions of the world, James concluded that humans and animals share the same instincts, and that language was one of them.

Studies have shown that language is crucial in a person’s life. When there is no other human to talk to, humans turn to themselves, plants, and animals. But it is not until a person becomes fully grown that they lose the natural ability of comprehension. Children have a natural ability to develop and grasp dense grammatical structures, without any set of directions.

In fact, Noam Chomsky performed showed evident patterns of this in his technical analyses. He selected the outlines of grammar that people accept as their mother language, and what they accept as universal. He introduced into neurology and genetics the speech patterns within child development. Chomsky widened speech perceptions with his analyses. He is currently amongst the most-cited writers in all of the humanities.

Conclusion
In essence, because children are new to humanity, that also makes them the most original and genuine in their self-expression. The majority of adults on the other hand, are so determined to structure everything, including their linguistic expression, that they lose sense of their bare instinct. Fully-developed people fabricate their sense of expression to suit the standard societal rules of speaking norms. Language is an instinct and should be expressed as such, and only as such.


Bibliography

- Pinker, Steven . The Language Instinct. 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022: HarperCollins Publishers Inc., 1994. 2-525. Print.

My Quarter 1 Benchmark- Book Review

Posted by Lexus Forman in English 3 - Rami on

“A Child Called It,” written by Dave Pelzer is spectacular. This book is an autobiography about a child with a very unstable and abusive home. Dave, the helpless main character, was brutally abused by his mother, Catherine Rovera. His child abuse case was one of the most severe in California history.  Buckherry Band dedicated two songs to Dave, titled Rescue Me and A Child Called it.  Furthermore, the novel was on the New York Time’s best seller’s list for six years straight, which is really remarkable.  Clearly, David’s tragic story is very popular.

This autobiography is about a man, Dave Pelzer who was abused as a child by his alcoholic mother. His mother had something against him. She didn’t treat her four other sons anything like she handled Dave. She tortured Dave. For instance, she smashed his face into his younger brother’s soiled diaper and tried to make him eat the feces.  She also forced ammonia down his throat. Dave encounters a lot of near death experiences during the book. The ironic thing is, that his mother wasn’t a always an evil woman. She was actually a very caring and nurturing mother before she became an alcoholic. Many readers could relate to this dysfunctional relationship, and perhaps his story could help them cope with their own struggles.

The characters in this memoir are Dave, Dave’s mother, Catherine Rovera, Dave’s father, Stephan Joseph Pelzer, and Dave’s brothers Stan, Ron, Russell, and Kevin. In this book, the main conflict is between Dave and his mother. However, Dave also has several minor conflicts with his father.   Dave’s father is too tired and stressed out to tend to Dave’s needs because he is a firefighter and works almost a 24- hour shift every day. Dave is a remarkable person. Dave became a very successful person despite the tragedy he went through as a child. Surprisingly, even though Dave’s mother is so evil and cruel, he doesn’t hate her. He actually loves her to death and cares deeply for her, conveying his strength and heart as a character.  

This book is a powerful memoir that makes its audience reflect. It made me think of all the times I said “I hate my mother!” or “She gets on my nerves!” Dave would have killed for a mother like mine. I believe that this book teaches people how to be grateful for the blessings in their life. When I am going through rough patches in life, this memoir grounds me, causing me to realize that I have a lot to be thankful for.

Even though I had a hard time directly relating to any of the characters, I felt a connection to Dave’s relationship with his dad. Dave was never able to see his dad because he works a 24-hour shift.  His dad knows what is going on in the house, but he is unaware of how serious it is. Comparably, my dad doesn’t live with me, and I barely see him. I could be going through hell right now (even though I am not) and he wouldn’t have a clue. Similar to me, other readers could develop their own connections to the novel.

I would recommend this book to all teenagers because  Dave’s story is a stellar example of a memoir. However, I wouldn’t recommend this book to the younger audience (7 years and under) because the material is too graphic.  I barely ever hear teenagers say “I am so blessed and thankful for what I have been given” and this book will make you stop and think about  small privileges.  

Because “A Child Called It” is so well written, I don’t think this book needs any adjustments or has any weaknesses. His autobiography kept me entertained from beginning to end. The drama never stopped, and this might sound a little weird, but it kept me yearning for more. Because the story was like a drug,  I can’t wait to read Dave Pelzer’s next book, “The Lost Boy.”

Merrik Saunders Q1 Benchmark

Posted by Merrik Saunders in English 3 - Rami on
Severed
Merrik Saunders

Story From Crazy Mans Perspective

I have been called many things according to my situation.  Today I spot a little girl all by herself.  Probably a runaway just like all the others, perfect.  When I approach her she seems scared and alone.  She is just so trusting of me.  So desperate for help that an old man like myself would seem harmless.  She tells me of how she wants to be a blacksmith.  Stupid little girl doesn't she know in this time they would never allow a girl to work as a blacksmith.  But somehow she hopes to become one.  Just what I like, for them to have hope so I can take it away.  I tell her I know the best blacksmith in town and that I am a craftsman.  All we have to do is ride up to my house to get my supplies.  Surprisingly she gets in the car with me so willingly.  Does she really think that I can make her dream come true, is she that hopeful?  Well this makes my job easier and more fun.  I’ll show her soon.  As we drive she tells me how hard her life was were she came from.  As if I care about where she is from or how she got here.  All I care about is how hopeful she was to be a blacksmith.  Something about that makes it all the better.  When I get down to business its gonna taste so good.
It is night now and we aren’t to my house yet.  I tell the girl that we will stop at an Inn and stay for the night.  When we get to the Inn she tells me that her name is Sam.  We go up to the room and she goes straight to bed.  It has been a long day for her.  The only thing she had with her was a small backpack.  I decide to look through it.  Just the usual travel bag.  At the bottom of the bag there is her diary.  Now I can see what is really going on in her head.  Sam only lived with her dad.  He wasn’t the meanest person but also wasn’t the nicest.  Whenever Sam would mention becoming a blacksmith he would scold her.  Any of Sam’s dreams that she had her Dad would shut them down no matter what it was.  He must of made up a plan for her.  Also Sam wrote that her mother disappeared.  It was around the area where I live, where we are heading tomorrow.  I’ve learned a lot and can use this to my advantage.  Her pain will make this so much better.
It is the morning now and we get ready to check out.  As we wait, I tell her that I may be able to find her mother.  Sam looks surprised and happy that I have this information.  Luckily she already told me about her mother in the car ride up to the Inn.  I need to pay attention now on getting to my house the fastest way possible.  I tell Sam I have a surprise for her when we get to the house.  Sam looks up at me with joy in her eyes.  Little does she know I’m just playing with her emotions.  How can one chilled believe and trusting so much of a stranger?  I’ve seen many runaways and they are all the same.  They think that their life is hard but when they have no one they really see how bad life can be.  Now Sam is all alone; desperate for someone to help.  But no one is coming for her.  That is why she is perfect for what I do.
We finally arrive at my house.  Its show time.  As I lead her up the steps to my house I try to contain myself.  I have to stay in character until the time is right.  Sam asks me where are my tools at?  I say in the basement, they’re always in the basement.  As Sam reaches the bottom of the steps I quickly go down with her closing the door behind me.  It locks and I’m the only one with the key.  She sees that there are no tools for crafting of any sort.  No, these are my crafting tools that I use to cut up and eat my victims.  Sam tries to run but her head meets my bat.  Let the feeding begin.
First I take out my false teeth to reveal my sharpened ones underneath.  I get my tools ready and I bound Sam’s hands and feet to the table.  I can already tell this one is going to taste so good.  My bounded meal finally awakes.  Sam drastically tries to shake herself loose from the table but my knots are far too tight.  I sit at the table and began my feast.  This is the surprize that I had for her.  To trust an old man like myself was the worst mistake ever.  Now she will wish she had never left her father or anyone else.  I tell Sam that I have one last thing to show her.  I go over to my chest, trying to find what i need.  I have found it.  Slowly I bring it over to the table being very careful to to let Sam see what it is.  I place it on the table and force her head to look at what was on the table.  I saw that look in Sam’s eyes that she knew exactly what was on the table.  It was a head but not just any head.  This was the head of her mother.  Yes I was the one who took poor Sam’s mother and now she knows the truth.  Sam came to these parts to find her mother and that she did.  She was never missing at all.  I made sure to make it seem like a business trip gone bad.  Now Sam knows what happened, I think I will show her first hand what I did to her mother.  So now I sit at the table and begin my feast.  I take a meat cleaver and chop off one of Sam’s fingers.  I take my first bite of the delicious flesh.  I knew this would be good.