Term 1 Week 8 (Blended Learning Assignment)

Types of Point of View (P.O.V)
1) Grammatical "Person"
    - First Person (I)
    - Second Person (You)
    - Third Person (He/She)
2) Level of Insight
    - Objective P.O.V (Sees and hears like a camera)
    - Limited Omniscient (Only knows one character's thoughts)
    - Omniscient (All-knowing)

Dead Poet Society

Headmaster

I ambled up the small flight of steps, my head held high. I noticed the watchful eyes of new students following my every move as I stood to face them. “Ladies and gentlemen, the light of knowledge!” I announced loudly as I gave a signal with my eyes to my potbellied assistant. He stepped slowly to the first person sitting in the first row, carrying a lighted thick, white candle. His trembling hands lighted the boy’s candle, stepping back to see the usual ritual of the flame being passed down. I looked back at the mass of students and cleared my throat of phlegm, preparing to give my speech.

New student

As I received my candle flame, I smiled at the headmaster’s assistant, thanking him silently. I stared at it. It was a lovely sight and it looked like a leaping, jumping dragon that raced and danced about wildly in its confines of the candle. I was so mesmerized by it that I did not notice another candle coming into my view, breaking my trance. I then realized it was just another boy wanting to light his candle. As I turned behind, I saw this process repeating itself until the hall was filled with the “light of knowledge”, as the headmaster called it, all the flames burning steadily.

Term 1 Week 7 (Reflections)

Language Arts this term has been very enriching and interesting. I have learnt how to effectively input characterization, dialogue, setting and mood, and plot into any piece of writing I have done. The short story, All Summer In A Day, and the novel To Kill A Mockingbird have been exceptionally helpful in aiding me in these topics. I feel that getting into groups and discussing together to work out solutions and answer question is very innovative and time-efficient. It improves our teamwork and at the same time also lets us share ideas to get the best solution. I hope that we will have more interesting lessons especially ones that involve the use of IT as it appeals more to us.

This term, our ACE points have been narrowed down to only blogging. I hope that we are given a wider variety of options so that our creativity and knowledge is not only limited to the use of blogging. I can suggest using Prezi for presentations as we have used it before for our IH lessons. The comic strips used during the HBL really surprised me as I thought that it would be just writing essays and doing analysis.

Through these points I have mentioned, I am confident that the changes made will surely be for everyone's benefit and we will enjoy Term 2 very much.

Term 1 Week 5 (Literary Devices)

The view stretched for miles into the distance. Far away, the view shrunk in size and dulled in colour as the view blended into a thin, faint line of horizon. The trees stood upright as if they were sentinel guards, giving shade to those who needed it. These were known as the still guards, never leaving their position and never moving. The long, winding road was like a path in the forest, providing more convenience for those who wished to travel. The buildings were proudly erected, showing its worn-out facade of almost twenty years of Singapore's history. Part of the stadium looked like a walled fortress that ironically held most football matches. As the sun rose and a busy day began again, the trees were fondled by the light breeze, waving their evergreen leaves as a greeting. This view represented what was part of the Queenstown estate, symbolizing its beauty, cleanliness and serenity. As people began leaving their homes, the trees were not alone anymore. The day brought new hope, new desire and new courage to strive for the country's prosperity, peace, security and lastly, harmony.

Characterisation: Story Excerpt

He limped painfully away. The man who once was a fearless man, the command of the whole nation, was no longer there. Now a fugitive in his own homeland, two main cities, Lviv and Warsaw were lost. Now was his choice. To return to Moscow and be massacred by the Polish troops on the way, or stay in the fields and starve. Stalin looked at Yakov, tears flowing down his face. He could not remember the last time he shed tears, or even the last time he lost a battle. For him, victory was his personal motto and this unprecedented defeat was a great blow to him. "Come," he said to Yakov. He gently took hold of his son's tender hand and led him away from the muddy fields, mingled with blood. He turned his head and looked to the distant horizon, only to see his beloved country in ruins. He sighed. He should have listened to his advisor. Now, it was too late. All too soon, the country would be overwhelmed by the French, who had allied with the Polish. The two figures, one burly and one small, disappeared into the forest maze, never to be seen again.

Term 1 Week 4 (Neighbourhood)

This picture depicts the view from my bedroom window. Most people do not get such an unobstructed view as it is usually blocked by other residential buildings and I am very fortunate to have this luxury. I have seen this view every day of my entire life and I find it becoming part of myself as I will keep wanting to look outside at least twice a day, in the morning and at night, if not more. Looking out of the window has certainly become a daily routine for me.

I remember that when I was young, I always liked to pester my mother to carry me up to look at the view as I was too short at that time. We could see part of the MRT track and I always got tensed whenever my mother warned me that the train was approaching. Then, we saw the train zooming past the clearing and we cheered loudly. The scene is very peaceful from the busy city life and that also describes my nature and my identity. I am like nature, serene and peaceful.

Home Learning Comic Strip (24 Jan)

By WLCheng | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

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Title: The Christmas Present
Theme: Treat Others Well
Characters: Boy, Boy's mother

Plot: It is Christmas. A boy opens a Christmas present from his friend, Bob. However, it is a prank present as a mechanical devil toy pops out like a jack-in-the-box and growls fiercely. The young boy gets a shock as he thinks that it is real. He begins to cry as his mother rushes out to see what had happened and comforts him.

Background: In the house with a lighted Christmas tree and presents under it.
Explanation: This background was chosen as most families would be at home during Christmas and to open presents especially for children.

1st Scene
Characters: Boy
Explanation: This scene shows the boy excited at Christmas as he has had a lot of presents given to him, especially one given by his friend, Bob.

2nd Scene
Characters: Boy
Explanation: The boy unexpectedly gets a shock after opening a prank present and getting a mechanical devil toy popping out like a jack-in-the-box and growling fiercely.

3rd Scene
Characters: Boy
Explanation: The boy was both angry that his friend would actually play such a trick on him, and also afraid as he thinks that the toy is real. He begins to cry loudly.

Final Scene
Characters: Boy, Boy's mother
Explanation: The boy's mother rushes out to see what made her son cry. She hugs and comforts him that it is only a fake toy and there was absolutely nothing to be scared about.

Term 1 Week 3 (Black Eyed Peas -- Where Is The Love?)

Why be prejudiced?

 
Summary of song

Firstly, I would like to provide the meaning of the two words, Prejudice and Discrimination. Prejudice is an unreasonable feeling, opinion, or attitude, especially of a hostile nature, regarding a racial, religious, or national group. Discrimination means treatment or consideration of, or making a distinction in favor of or against, a person or thing based on the group, class, or category to which that person or thing belongs rather than on individual merit.

The main message of the song is that the blacks are against and lamenting on their discrimination and prejudice around the world. After listening to this song a few times through, I realised that it holds great meaning in it. In the first stanza, the sentence "But if you only have love for your own race Then you only leave space to discriminate And to discriminate only generates hate And if you hatin you're bound to get irate" shows that one thing leads to another and that everyone should love both their own race and other races so as to prevent any discrimination from happening. In the chorus, the song tells what happens to people whom other people are prejudiced to, "People killing people dying Children hurtin you hear them cryin". 

I feel that the part of the song which I have the strongest feeling is the last stanza before the last chorus. It shows that children are wrongly influenced by the media as they show negative images and it is "Infecting their young minds faster than bacteria". They act prejudiced, like what they see in the cinema, and as this goes on, all the values of humanity, fairness and equality are lost. "Instead of spreading love, we're (they're) spreading animosity". 

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Reflections

Racial discrimination cannot carry on as all humans have their own rights and status. Even though the blacks are of a different skin colour, they are still part of this society. In Singapore, everyone is equal regardless of our race, language and religion, as stated in our pledge. Everyone should strive to accept one another regardless of skin colour. We can discriminate somebody in our heart, but no matter how small it is, once we voice it out we are considered a racist. If one was put into the blacks' shoes, he would realise that their plight is worse than it seems, so, we have to sympathize with the blacks. After all, they are still part of our society and have their own capabilities and needs. 

As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.” If this is the wish of a fellow human being, why do we not fulfil it? Why do we still carry on and even make things worse? What's inside a person matters more than what's outside. Therefore, we should carry on the message of racial harmony so that there will eventually be world peace.

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Where Is The Love Full Lyrics

Term 1 Week 2 (The Coral Island)

Summary of book
Recently, I read a book titled "The Coral Island", authored by R.M Ballantyne and written during the peak of the British Empire in 1857. Firstly, let me give you a brief introduction of the main plot and storyline.

The Coral Island

Ralph Rover, Jack Martin and Peterkin Gay, were three boys who were sole survivors of a shipwreck on one of the Polynesian islands in the Coral Sea. The islands were better known as the Coral Islands for their abundance of necessities such as food, water and materials. Their life at first was quite idyllic, with only a few tools at hand. However, they seemed to have landed upon one of the most plentiful islands in the region, without any savages inhabiting the island, and thus had no plan whatsoever for the future, deciding to follow fate.

The story continued on to describe their adventures together and the challenges they faced. They met savage Polynesians and even British pirates who claimed to be traders of the Polynesians but were actually no less savage than the Polynesians themselves. The boys found themselves in Mango Island, after Ralph discovered that Tararo, a chief whom they helped in a tribal battle, was living there. They intervened in the conflict between the islanders who were converted to Christianity and those who were not, and Tararo who called for their arrest. They were rescued in the end by a missionary who converted Tararo and the other unbelieving islanders. The boys soon set sail homebound, older and wiser.

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Reflections
After reading this book, I was very touched by the bond of friendship between the three boys. They went through thick and thin together and never gave up on each other. The part when Tararo and his men rubbed noses with the boys as a form of a farewell gesture after the gory battle between the two tribes was very heartwarming as they had spent a few days living and communicating together. Peterkin even shed tears when they left in their war-canoes.

The author used a very wide range of vocabulary. He also had a very exciting plot and could make the story seem very realistic. Once I picked up that book, I was so engrossed in it that I was sometimes reluctant to stop for my meals! The first part of the story was very useful and enriching as it told about basic survival skills. The author used a lot of dialogue in his story and also described in great detail what condition and surroundings the boys were in.

I would definitely recommend this novel to my friends as this story is very interesting and it can be considered as one of the popular classics. This book has upped my interest in reading and it would certainly be the same for anyone who reads it.

WELCOME!!!

Welcome to my Sec 2 Language Arts Blog 2011!!! :D