After a full week of presentations, all of you should be excited about providing your feedback to the two presentations given this past week. First, we had Camille and Carli and then Maria and Morgan. I just noticed that we had the "C" group and the "M" group! How about that???
Your blog should address both presentations - be sure to identify your favorite readings from each of the presentations. What have you learned as a result of each of the presentations? What suggestions do you have for any of the presenters in how they delivered their collections?
Finally, how has the group presentations provided you with an interesting way to learn? Do you feel that there is better class participation when groups are presenting? Why?
Add anything of interest relating to the group presentations. I have certainly enjoyed them! I hope you have too.
Both presentations this week were very informative. They were well put together and presented. First was Camille and Carli's presentation. They did a very good job of explaining the background of their collection. The thing that I found most interesting was definitely the Holocaust. When we learned about the Holocaust in Cultures class it was always something I found interesting and was easy to learn. It is so hard to believe that a prejudice against a group of people was taken to the extreme of killing millions of innocent people. This event was extremely tragic and I feel bad for those who had to endure it. I myself know that's would not have been as strong as they were and would not have been able to deal with the starvation and cruelty they were shown. My favorite story out of their collection was Night by Elie Wiesel. Even though our text only had an exert from it, we read the book last year in English class. This made it even easier to discuss because we already knew so much more about the book and even the background on the holocaust. You both did a great job presenting and had a lot of valuable facts on all of the information. You also did a great job on covering Speaking of Courage. You went over facts from it very well and I learned a lot about the story itself. Your worksheet and handout also went very well with your covered stories! Great job!
ReplyDeleteMorgan and Maria's presentation was later on in the week. They too did a great job presenting! They really knew what they were talking about and added detail along with what other members of the class were saying. My favorite work that you covered was Black Boy. It really showed what a terrible life a lot of people, especially African Americans, had to deal with during the Great Depression. The story was very depressing at certain points. It was very sad that Richard's father could just leave him the way he did. He was left without this father figure which I feel that all boys growing up really need. Not only did he not have a father, he and the rest of his family barely had anything to eat. They didn't have a large amount of income. Twice when Richard's mother sent him out to the store he got beat up by a group of boys and got his money stolen. His mother said he wasn't allowed to come back until he brought back the groceries. This time when the boys tried beating him up and stealing his money he was the one who beat them up. This must have an extremely difficult experience for him having to fight off this group of boys so he was allowed back in the house. He had a terrible life growing up, however I feel like his traumatic experiences only made him a stronger person. He now knows that he can't let others push him around. I feel like he also may realize the kind of father he wants to be for his children some day. This father is nothing like the one he had! Great job Morgan and Maria!
I think the group presentations were very helpful in learning different works from collections. It was easier this way to hear many different ideas on the subjects instead of one or two. The class could easily have group discussions because after one person would say something other people had ideas to contribute until there were many ideas that were out in the open. Sometimes however I felt like too many of the same people were responding and I didn't hear from a lot of the members of the class. Other than that I think the group presentations were definitely an important tool in helping us learn. They also helped us with our public speaking and presenting we will probably have to do later in our lives.
Rachel, you made some very good point in your blog today. I think that both groups did a good job on presenting. The Holocaust was something that I as well found very interesting. I think that what made everyone in our class like this presentation so much more was that most of us got the chance to visit the museum. Some people believe this didn't happen however i don't know how they could think that. The worksheet and handout were very helpful when it came time to us them in both. Morgan and Camille also did a good job. They both knew what they were talking about. The poems that they had us read had a a lot of meaning behind them. I was not a big fan of the poem that you picked out for Morgan and Camille's presentation. But I did like your thoughts on the group work. I think it is a very useful tool! Rachel I thought you had a very good blog this week and made some very good points!
DeleteI meant to say Morgan and Maria in my response! Opps! The names get a little confusing!!
DeleteFirst of all Rachel, thank you for the positive feedback in our presentation! It's really great to hear that you enjoyed what we went over. I very much agree with you about class participation; it seems to be the same group of kids answering over and over again. On the second day I did notice a couple of different hands go up which is nice, but we have no control over the actions of others. I have to admit, the most awkward part of the presentation was actually having to pick the same kids time after time and also waiting for someone to raise their hand. But I do agree there were some very good discussions that went on this weeks altogether. I also did enjoy Camille and Carli's presentation. I also enjoyed Night mainly because the Holocaust was one of my favorite historical topics in Cultures. One thing is I noticed a few times throughout your blog that you did not capitalize "Holocaust". Other than that, great job!
DeleteThis weeks presentations were very good. Camille and Carli did a very good job on theirs. I found their presentation to be the most interesting. I really enjoy learning about this time period. We learned a lot about it during 8th and 10th grade year. Although we knew about the background information on the history of the wars, we never really talked about this aspect of it. The writing if this time period was great. Many people wrote about their experiences over in the wars. My favorite story during this presentation would of had to been Night. Although we already read it I still thought that it was interesting. Sometimes reading it the first time you don't realize everything. Also it refreshed my memory about all the horrible things these people witnessed. One thing that made the worksheet was that it had all different types of questions on it. This made it stand out from all the other ones that we have been doing for people. I thought that you two did a very good job with the way you presented. Good job!
ReplyDeleteMorgan and Maria also did a good job this week. Their collection was very different from all the rest. On the other ones I knew some background information. However I was not very familiar with the Awakening and Discoveries. It was really neat learning about all the different things that were going on at this time. One of the groups at the time was the KKK. The video they showed really gave a good description of what the KKK did and stood for. My favorite poem was the one on the first page of the collection. All the different types of imagery that came from it. All the description that was used to describe the season made it seem so real. I found this to be really cool! The worksheets made going over all the stories and poems really easy. Also to help us understand the material because poems can be hard sometimes! You both did great!
I find group presentations very interesting. I think that by doing these we are all learning something. That something may not be the same thing for people however. So,e of us are good at working with people and some are not. For the ones that are not think that this helps the, prepare for the future of presentations. It is always good to have a person there to throw ideas off of. Also just to get a different look on something. I have been learning a lot throughout this whole time!
Hayley, I really appreciate all of the positive feedback that you have provided for both me and Camille. It was a team effort, and I could not have done anything without her. I like how you pointed out how much some of us have learned about this topic from previous years and how it aided in the understanding of the story. When discussing the M group, I think you did a very good job with your discussion on the imagery that the girls discovered in their stories. One thing I liked about their worksheet was how they brought up the questions in their oral discussion to help us catch on and answer. I also think you bring up an interesting point with how some people don't like working with others. It is a skill that everyone should learn to perfect and deal with for the future. Good job!
DeleteHaley, I really appreciate the feedback from our presentation along with with Camille and Carli's presentation; they also did a very nice job. You brought up a very good point that even though we have learned so much about the Holocaust already, we never discussed much of the literature aspect. Sometimes it is hard to imagine that such horrific events could have ever occurred in history. It is quite remarkable that so many talented authors ever had to courage to speak up and write about their experiences. Without them, that time is history could just fade away and be forgotten. But because of these brave survivors, people can read about the past and learn from it so this will never happen again. It is great to hear that you enjoyed "Pine Tree Tops"; it was a small piece, but I thought it was a great introduction into the collection.
DeleteHayley my favorite piece of literature covered by Camille and Carli is also "Night." I thought that Camille and Carli did a great job of going into detail about the Holocaust. The conditions the Jewish and other incriminated people had to face were horrendous. I also thought that Maria and Morgan did a great job with their presentation as well. I especially enjoyed the Native American poem "Remember." Maria and Morgan did a great job of explaining the symbolism within the poem. I found the poetry to be very interesting. I think these presentations are great experience for everyone, not just the speakers.
DeleteThis was defiantly a busy week in English class. We had presentations four of the five days and I was in one of the groups. Carli and I were nervous when we got this project because we thought that it was going to be a lot of work. We later foundiminations out that it wasn't a hard project at all. The first thing that we decided to do was to find the three stories that we were going to discuss. This was very easy because the topic of the collection was Wages of War. The first story that stuck out to us was "Night" by Elie Weisel. We had read this book in eighth grade, but it gave me the same emotions when I read it. Since the story was about a Holocaust, both of us figured we could get the class to be really engaged in discussion. As it turned out, they all had a lot to say on the subject. This was my favorite book from the section because I have an interest in this area of study. it is a major part of history and one of the worst thongs that could happen to humans. Everybody brought up good points about how the Holocaust still affects the world today. Discrimination is still in society and Carli and I were able to discuss the issues with our generation. The next topic that we picked to discuss was the Vietnam War. "Monsoon Season" and "Speaking of Courage" are both short stories that describe a Solider's experience in the war. Both of the authors were able to relate personal experiences to the stories and that made them much for realistic. "Monsoon Season" discusses the difficulty of a Solider's daily walk through the forests. When ever a monsoon would it, the causalities would begin to pile up. The rain and wind caused solider's walking to feel trapped in their equipment and it became to heavy for them to move. The next story discussed a return of a solider named Paul. He is very dad and feels that nobody wants to hear his story. He seemed to suffer from Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. All of theses stories were interesting and it allowed Carli and I to really get the points across that we wanted to. As a partner, Carli was very active in preparing the presentation. Her and I split up the work evenly and communicated with each other very well. I thought that we did a good job presenting. We seemed calm and knew our slides without reading from them. One thing I will say about it was my stuttering. I was trying very hard not to say the work "like" and that resulted with me saying um a lot. I also think that I cold have been a little more clear about what was on the slides. Carli did a very good job speaking and she knew what information was on the slides. I couldn't have asked for a better partner and I think that we did a good job!
ReplyDeleteHere is the rest of my blog.
DeleteMorgan and Maria did a great job on their presentation. I really liked the system that they seemed to have set up. Morgan would concentrate on one story and then Maria would ask the class questions. They would then switch spots and it really worked for them. "Pine Tree Tops" was a really good poem to start out with because it fit the theme of the presentation "Discoveries and Awakenings". It reminded me of when there is a fresh snow fall and everything seems to start over. I really liked the detail that we went into about that. The last sentence really had an impact on me because it suggests that we still don't know as much as we think we do. Black Boy was the next story that we discussed and it talked about an African American boy and how we grew up being discriminated against. He didn't have a father figure because his father left him when he was little. I think that Morgan and Maria explained this topic really well because it has to do with topics that our class talks about all the time. "Remember" was probably my favorite piece that we read from this collection. It really makes the reader think about the little things in life. The suggestion that I wold make to Maria and Morgan is to be just a little bit more on the same page. They seemed to jump around just a little bit, but overall it was a great presentation.
I like the presentations because you are learning everything that you need to but everyone puts their own unique style on it. I have learned a lot more from the presentations than I thought I would. I am the type of person that likes discussions and talking in front of the class isn't a big issue for me. It is also kind of fun to talk about a topic that you feel passionate about. I am very happy that we took the time to do these. I think that they will be very beneficial when we go off to college and have to talk in front of people that we don't know. It is a great way to prepare for the future.
Camille, Night was my favorite work as well. I think that the reason that I liked it so much is because I am so interested in subjects like the Holocaust. Whenever we took our class trip to Washington and we were able to go to the Holocaust museum, I thought that was the coolest thing. I would love to go back there. The way that they had it set up really let me imagine what it would have been like and the hardships that they had to go through just because they were Jewish. I think that I liked Night so much because Elie Wiesel was able to tell me all about what it was like in the concentration camps and the whole entire journey that he had to go on. It is hard to imagine that all of that really happened in real life. I think you and Carli did a really good job this week! (:
DeleteCamille, I really liked your collection. It's my favorite so far! I think my favorite parts of your collection were the pictures you had, as well as the video which gave us a glimpse into a concentration camp. As for you stuttering I never noticed it. You did a good job not saying like, because that really annoys me even though I'm pretty sure I do it too. I think you did a very good job. You and Carli made a really good team.
DeleteI thought that Carli and Camille did a great job presenting their collection, which covered the most interesting literature in my opinion. The entire World War II Holocoust has always been a point of interest in history for me. We read the story "Night" last year I believe and I thought it was a fantastic piece of literature. Typically I prefer a good plot in anything that has a story, and "Night" was well written. The story was true and opens a new perspective at the inhuman conditions in the concentration camps. The video pretty much summed the ordeals the people had to go through by stating that there is no exaggeration to what happens in the camps. The Vietnam War was much more controversial than World War II was. The war was brutal in general compared to most wars since rather than attempts to force a region into surrender, the war was more about kill count. A majority of America wanted no involvement in the war. I really do not blame them since America became involved because another country had a different idea of government and wanted to spread the idea. As Dr. Pam said, no one came back a hero from this war.
ReplyDeleteMorgan and Maria's presentation did not covered wars, but still had interesting topics. Mainly with the Ku Klux Klan, which surprises me since it still exists. But with subjects like gay marriage lingering around they at least have something to complain about. Personally I think that bigotry is a sign of idiocy. In the collection, the story "Black Boy" was a really good story in my opinion. There were quite a few moments that stood out in this story. One was Richards disappointment when he discovered that the boat he was going to be riding at the beginning was way lower than his expectations. More than anything was Richard and the boys that beat him up. He gets beaten up twice for his money and his mom shows no sign of concern. After the second time she just gives him a stick as if shes saying "Here, purge the heretics, you will claim the groceries." She probably would have given him a gun if she had one. The sort of logic the mother had was probably on the insane side of the brain. The presentation was also good, there was plenty of time supplied to have in class discussion.
Doing these presentation provides an alternative way of learning than the typical way that classes normally do. A change of pace can revitalize what would normally become tedious. Along with the information that we are all receiving in class from the presentations, we are also gaining more experience in standing in front of a group of people and actually doing something. Most occupations in the future will in one way or another ask for this in people. Gaining the ability to do this adeptly now rather than later will likely be a beneficial influence.
Tyler, I think that you did a good job this week. You always provide a lot of information and bring up subjects that I have never thought about before. I really liked what you had to say about the two different wars that we discussed in class. I agree that Night is written a little bit differently than some books, but it is a very powerful novel filled with first hand experiences from the Holocaust. I also think that your sentence about nobody being a hero from Vietnam war was very accurate. America shouldn't have been there but it seemed like we didn't really have a choice. I think that everyone was created equal and they should be treated that way. You seem to agree with this statement because of your blog. Morgan and Maria did a good job of discussing this and Tyler you made it clear that people should be treated with respect. Good job.
DeleteNice job this week Tyler. I agree with you that learning about these wars was interesting, and that "Night" is a different, but also interesting book. Also, your views on the Vietnam war were dead on. The war was controversial, but we will never really know how much good we did over there and how much bad. The "M" group did great on their presentation this week, and gave a great view on how every single person is created equal.
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ReplyDeleteThis week, the presenters did an amazing job in presenting their collections. Both groups of Carli and Camille, and Maria and Morgan, did really well in how they set up their presentations, along with making their worksheets and handouts. First to start the week was the C group, Carli and Camille. Their presentation focused on life in the wars. My favorite story that they presented was a small piece of the novel, "Night". Ive read this book multiple times. Its very hard to process, but its a very informative book that I could stop reading. It really allowed me to understand the harsh lives the people in the Holocaust encountered. I personally find the time of World War II very interesting even though so many gruesome things took place. Ive read many book on the Holocaust because I just wanted to keep reading other peoples encounters. The video that they had on their presentation allowed me to see the harsh effects of the Holocaust instead of reading about it all the time. I feel that during this presentation, our class had better participation because we all had previous information on the Holocaust and the novel "Night". So, we all new a lot about that subject.
ReplyDeleteMaria and Morgan's presentation was also very good. My favorite story in their collection was "Black Boy". This really helped me learn about the racism in that time period. Also it made me see how people who were African American were treated like they were trash. They were segregated from the whites. They weren't called by their names, they were called by their race, "black" and "white". The African Americans of that time pushed through these harsh times of segregation because they believed that new and better things were coming. Also during this presentation, I felt that our participation was okay, not as good as in Carli and Camille's presentation because we didn't have as much discussion points because the poem that was talked about was very short and had one point and that was discovery and imagination towards our world, while as the days went on, our participation on "Black Boy" was much better because we also had a lot of history lessons on black racism and how they were treated in the past. As a result, I felt that both groups did a good job!
Emma you had a good blog this week! You made some very good points. Learning about life in the wars is very interesting. I love learning about that. As reading a lot of the other blog I have come to realize that most people liked the story Night. I think it was because we had all read it before and most of us liked it back then! The video was great in a way that it really showed how to us people lived in the harsh conditions. As for Morgan and Maria I found their collection interesting as well. Although Black Boy was an interesting story. I did not find it to be my favorite. However it was still very good. I could not imagine going through what some of the blacks had to go through. Also not having a father in my life. My dad is one of the most important people to me. I could not imagine growing up with out him. I do agree that not a lot of us got as involved as we did in the second presentation as the first. I feel like this because we already knew so much about Carli and Camille's it was easy to talk about. Nice job on your blog!
DeleteEmma, the story "Night" by Elie Weisel is almost indescribable. It is by far one of the most interesting stories that I have ever read. The extremely harsh realities of the Holocaust are things that need to be known by everyone. I still can't imagine what families had to go through during that time. Morgan and Maria's presentation was very informative, and it provided a great deal of information about racism as specified in the story "The Black Boy." Racism is always a very touchy subject, but the way that they presented it was very good.
DeleteThe first speakers of the week were Camille and Carli. Their presentation was executed very well. Although the Holocaust was a horrible event, the presenters did a great job of making their lesson interesting. In previous years I have learned about the Holocaust and the best novel I have read pertaining to the Holocaust is "Night" by Elie Wiesel. This novel presented a survivors point of view and he shared other people's experience in the concentration camp. This novel gave he the chills not of excitement but fear and disturbance. I am utterly appalled and disturbed by the events of discrimination and torture those victims had to go through. Also during this presentation I learned that their was more than just Jewish people involved in these concentration camps. I also find it disturbing to learn that there are more mass killings similar to the Holocaust in history's recent past. Elie Wiesel made it certain by writing " Night" that the Holocaust, those involved, and the victims will never be forgotten. I thought that this presentation was well done and interesting.
ReplyDeleteThe second group to deliver their presentation this week consisted of Maria and Morgan. The theme of the their collection was about possibilities, discoveries, mystery, and exploration. Their opening poem fit the theme of the collection perfectly, and this poem consisted of symbolism. I particularly liked the poem "Remember" by Joy Harjo. This poem was very intriguing. I like the use if repetition used in this literary work. The author is stressing remembrance especially relating to family. Within this poem the author writes about how everyone makes up the earth. "Black earth, red earth, yellow earth, and white earth" are used to explain that all people of different races and ethnicity make up one earth. In Native American literature and culture aspects of the world are personified. For example the moon and wind are referred to as a she(s). Also the earth takes on the role of being skin. I found learning about Native American literature and culture was very interesting. I believe that this group's presentation was awesome. The only thing I can think of that could make your presentation better would be to add Native American art to your lesson. Great job!
Throughout all the presentations so far the teaching aids have been great. I feel like I am learning more by following along with the power points and handouts. I also feel as though classroom participation is improving. These presentations allow students to practice public speaking, organization, and other life skills.
Marla, I agree with you that reading "Night" also gave me chills of fear and disturbance. This is so disturbing to think about how so many people were killed, but it is interesting to learn about. I still wonder how that could have ever happened. "Remember" was probably my favorite poem. It fit the collection of discovery and awakening, but it also included the different races and how we are all one. I was a little disappointed, I would have liked to see some art as well. The presentations were still both very good. Also, good job on your blog this week!
DeleteI enjoyed "Night." It gave a great feeling of how it was to be in the shoes of someone who went through that. It is a great book to read, and it can teach you some interesting history. "Remember" was one of the poems I liked the best, and it fits well with "Night" and the ideas to never forget what happened and where you came from. Well done on your presentation, and your blog!
DeleteMarla, I agree that Night was a ver disturbing book. It really showed how the Jewish people were treated in the camps, and how it affected the ones who survived. I can't imagine losing all of my family and friends in one short time period. This must have been very hard on them. I liked the poem remember as well. It showed how we need to remember what has happened In the past so we can prevent it from happening in the future. They talked about the subject of racism here when they called the earth different colors, all colors of skin. Great job!
DeleteBoth groups did great on their presentations this week. They both had interesting topics in their collections, and did well with explaining their collections. First with Carli and Camille, I enjoyed their collection. They covered some information that was familiar to me because we covered the book "Night" in English class before. I feel that this helped because it gave us a good idea of what was going on at the time. This time in history is probably one of the most interesting to study, and the presenters nailed it. They did great with presenting their information through the video, handout, worksheet, and the keynote presentation itself. Overall the presentation was pretty good, all of the information was easy to see and understand. It was also explained great and in depth.
ReplyDeleteWell done on your presentation Carli and Camille!
The "M group" of Maria and Morgan also did great. What surprised me the most, is when we found out that the "KKK" still exists. This was an interesting time to study, and the literature really reflects it, The story "Black Boy" was a reflection of a hard life, and having to make the best of what you had. This matches the theme of the collection quite nicely. The remaining stories in this collection had the same theme of looking forward. In each story there was a persistence and want to move forward and better their situation in life. The people in this collection were always looking forward to a better future. This was important to the people then, and is important to anybody in a similar situation today.
Jess, I think that you did a very good job on your blog this week. I am glad to hear that you enjoyed my presenation. Carli and I tried really hard to make the topic interesting and make it easy to understand. I think that it was a good topic because we have learned about it before so there was familarity there. However, as we started to discuss it, people were able to put their own experiences into it and everyone was able to learn something new. I really liked what you had to say about Morgan and Maria's presentation. I had forgot about how they opened the presentation with the KKK. I also didn't realize that this group was still active and I find that really sad. Everyone is equal and they shouldn't be discriminated against because of their backround. I also think that it was a good idea to point out how each story is trying to look ahead into the future remember the little things. Really good job this week.
DeleteJess, I agree with you that the WWII time period is one of the most interesting to study. I love to read books that authors have published from then. Maria and Morgan's time period was a good one too. It is very scary to think that racial discrimination still has not ended in 2013, and that the KKK still does exist. It's a sad thing that we still can't all live together in peace. However, you didn't include the last part of the blog in here about how you feel about group presentations. This was still a good blog, good job
DeleteJess your feedback this week was very well thought out and put together. I agree that one of the most interesting time periods to study was the time of World War Two. The Holocaust was a good subject to discuss because of how terrible an event it was and because of our prior knowledge on the subject. I forgot that Maria and Morgan opened their presentation with the KKK. It is crazy to think the types of things this group did to the African Americans. The discrimination African Americans had to endure was crazy and the KKK made it even worse. Everyone should be treated equal no matter their race which is something this collection was trying to show. Great job
DeleteUnfortunately, I did not get to see Camille and Carli's presentation. However, I took the time to do my own research on the collection to gain some knowledge about it. We read the book, "Night" in English class before so I already had a sense of what it was about. I find that that to be a very good read. I, personally, enjoy this time period. Even though it can be very gruesome and it is horrible what went on during WWII, I like to learn and read about it. I'm sure Carli and Camille did a great job with teaching this information to the class.
ReplyDeleteI also really enjoyed Morgan and Maria's presentation. This is another very interesting time period to read about. I liked "Pine Tree Tops" because it really fit into the collection title, "Discoveries and Awakenings." I enjoyed how we went into such detail on that. "Black Boy" was interesting as well. It helped to show the discrimination and what it was like for blacks during this time. The overall presentation was good. However, maybe try to discuss the questions more.
I enjoy the group presentations over a regular class of lecturing. It switched it up and gave the students a chance to teach. I have not done my presentation yet, but I am excited to go. I think the group presentations help us to see how everyone interprets different stories and information. I think that there is more class participation during group presentations. I definitely like this method of learning.
Larissa, you certainly missed a great presentation by Carli and Camille. Even though you probably already know a lot about the Holocaust, they provided even more details about it that were very intriguing. I did not pick "Pine Tree Tops" as my favorite story in the presentation by Maria and Morgan. It did fit well into the collection as you specified however. I agree that the group presentations are very informative. Much like you, Tyler and I have yet to present, but we are both very excited to do so.
DeleteLarissa, I am sorry you missed our presentation, but I appreciate the fact that you still took the time to read our collection over. Even though you missed some backgrounds of the wars, I think it is pretty easy to understand the majority of the time periods. I was a little suprised when you said "Pine Tree Tops" was your favorite, but I can totally see where you are coming from. it is an interesting story that really made me think about what I see whenever I look up and makes me think of a different meaning to the world. When I was reading your opinion of the presentations in general, I was thinking the same exact ideas that you wrote about how the let us speak our minds and use more of a personal point of view on the collections. I am very excited to see you present!
DeleteI really enjoyed Carli and Camille’s presentation. I always love learning new material about the different wars around the world, so their presentation was very beneficial to me. Their presentation was well thought of, informative, and well-presented. I will begin by saying that I enjoyed learning about the Holocaust the most. What happened in the Holocaust was so hard to believe, it’s almost not comprehendible. The German soldiers slaughtered 6 million Jews for no apparent reason whatsoever. I just cannot imagine how I would feel if I lived at that time. I am glad that the book “Night” was presented in this collection. Even though we read the story last year in English class I still enjoyed reading it once again. It a very interesting story because it provides information from a first-hand witness of the Holocaust in Elie Weisel. It talks about how people were transported to concentration camps, what they did when they arrived there, how their lives were, and how people were executed in various ways. Although the video was gruesome, it provided some great information about what actually happened in the Holocaust and peoples reaction behind it. Not only was their great information presented about this presentation, it was also well delivered. The presenters seemed very comfortable in talking about this information to the class. This was a great presentation by Carli and Camille.
ReplyDeleteThe second presentation by Maria and Morgan was also very informative. It talked about the harsh realities of the Great Depression, along with how people were truly discovering the awakenings that were taking place. My favorite poem in this collection was “Remember” by Joy Harjo. I specifically enjoyed this poem because of the word “remember” which was written sixteen times in the short poem. Almost every line began with the word “remember” so obviously the author wants to put emphasis on that word. I think this a very unique talent that authors have. It gives the reader a sense of discovery in what they are trying to say. The presentation was also presented very well. Maria and Morgan seemed to know a lot about their presentation. This was a great job by the M group Morgan and Maria.
I really believe that these group presentations are helping me learn. I don’t know about other people, but they are certainly helping me. Maybe it’s the worksheets, handouts, and videos that we get to hear about, or maybe it’s just an interesting collection. Either way, my knowledge has greatly increased because of these group presentations, and I also hope that I will be able to do my best in my presentation to come.
I also find that information on wars and back story on them is interesting. The Holocaust is always one that stands out. The entire massacre caused by people being deemed flawed. I personally did not find the video gruesome, but it did not really show the deepest extent of what really happened. I actually did like the over usage of the word "remember" in the poem. Repetition tends to make things stick, worked for Head On. I also find that the presentations are making the collections more interesting.
DeleteAndy, I have to say that I liked Night the best as well from Carli and Camille's presentation. I just cannot believe how so many people could be so cruel. The Jews did not do anything to deserve the way that they were treated and they should not have been discriminated against like that. It is hard to believe that Hitler had so many followers because he had the most awful ideas. I cannot believe that people would want to follow someone like him and it is also hard to believe that some people still have the nerve to say that the whole thing didn't even happen.
DeleteAs the year is winding down, I have begun to notice how much we need to fit in, especially by means of presentations! This week was very busy with two different presentations spanning four days out of five. With my own presentation, I felt like a nervous wreck the whole time. I never really thought I would struggle since I enjoy talking to people, but being the presenter changes the whole game plan. However, with a partner like Camille, it felt like an effortless task to perform. We really got lucky with the collection that we drew, the Wages of War. This is a subject that people have familiarity with and can also relate to in some ways. My favorite story in the collection was Night, which takes place in different concentration camps all across Europe during World War II. It was beneficial for us to receive this collection because of all of the previous research that we have done in past years concerning both this subject and book. There were only certain parts, but I think the overall message was taken in. We also had a short poem that spoke of the weather and other aspects of war called Monsoon Season. Then, we learned about some of the hardships of returning home from Speaking of Courage. These two stories both pertained to the Vietnam War. Each of the stories we picked pertain with different wages of the war in one way or another. We hear about death, weather problems and explosives people have to fight through, and a soldiers personal toll from the war. We received one of the best collections to present on. And I also received the best partner to help me put everything together as equals!
ReplyDeleteMaria and Morgan had an interesting topic as well that can be seen in many ways: Awakenings and Discoveries. I mainly liked their collection because the discoveries that were made are seen differently by almost everybody; there is not a concrete answer to what the writer is saying, you have to think about the idea yourself. When I picture discrimination, I never really think that any horrible atrocities would happen to little boys. I know I am wrong, but it is almost too much to handle, especially when we dealt with the KKK. My favorite story from the collection is Black Boy. I liked going on the journey with Richard to see how he would grow and develop as a person when he has so much to deal with in his life, including being fatherless and poor. Poor people suffer many disappointments. Richard was expecting a bigger boat to travel on. He thought walking to the grocer store would be no problem at all. However, it seemed like almost anything he tried to do or have failed him. He was beaten up by boys while trying to get groceries, and was abandoned by his father for another woman. Later on, Richard and I both realized that the hardships he endured only made him stronger as the discovery of the story. Sometimes, you have to play with the cards you were dealt with to win the ultimate jackpot. If anything, they should maybe add some more KKK background or discussion of the group. I think it is an interesting subject that they were smart to add but a little more would be great. Good job girls!
I think that the group presentations might be my favorite of the major projects that we have done all year. They give us students opportunities to brush up on subjects that we are faintly familiar with while hearing the point of views from other groups as well. There is increased discussion I think because the presenters sometimes give us more of an opinion with what we can say and how we view the collections. Every group has there own way of doing things and the presentations let us express ourselves.
If you were nervous during your presentation, you did not show any signs of it. I do think that you did get the most interesting collections to present. The various wars make a good topic for literature. Especially with stories like "Night" which are both true and a showcase of the inhuman conditions of wars. I personally never think of atrocities when I think of racism. Although there were still some horrific events because of discrimination, they never really are mentioned much in life. Since you mention it, more information on the KKK would be interesting.
DeleteCarli I would first like to congratulate you on your collection presentation. I thought that you and Camille did a great job. I found the information about the Holocaust interesting and disturbing at the same time. I thought that you presented this gruesome topic in a respectful way. I especially liked how much discussion that went all with it! In my opinion you did not look nervous at all and you had great eye contact throughout the presentation. I also agree that Maria and Morgan did a great job as well. I could tell that each group was confident when presenting their collection. Maria’s and Morgan’s presentation was very interesting. I found the poetry in their collection intriguing. I liked how they explained the symbolism and personification within their collection.
DeleteThis week we had four out of the five days of presentations. One of those was mine and Morgan’s on “Discoveries and Awakenings.” We went through the collection and picked out a few things that really stood out. The first piece was on the very first page. “Pine Tree Tops” made such a good opener for this collection. Even from the title, we get the sense of limitless opportunities and a sense of adventure. We chose this poem for the amount of imagery in it. While it was very short, it gave inspiration of new discoveries and awakenings, such as the animal tracks in the snow or the boots of a traveler. Those two pieces probably made the poem. We also decided on “Black Boy” and “Remember.” What were important from these two pieces were the authors. Both authors come from poor backgrounds. They had to overcome harsh experiences in their past living with single mothers and also considered minorities. They put their pasts into their work in different ways. Richard Wright wrote about his experiences as an autobiography, while Joy Harjo wrote a poem that talked about the importance of remembering where you came from. I liked these two together in the presentation so that we could see the differences in how they related their experiences into their works.
ReplyDeleteCamille and Carli also presented this week. I really enjoyed their collection mainly because that is one of my favorite time periods to learn about. Over the years, we have learned so much about World War I and II along with the Holocaust. The highlight of their presentation was “Night” by Eli Wiesel. This was one of my favorite pieces of literature that we covered last year, compared to “To Kill a Mockingbird.” It is hard to believe sometimes that Eli actually lived through his entire story; it is hard to imagine that the entire situation actually happened. I know in situations such as this that sometimes people tweak the story, but I don’t think that this is the case. If so, I would say the only thing that was written would be the story of Madame Schacter and her visions. I found this very symbolic and foretelling for the horrors they later faced. The group did a great job with their collection.
I was extremely nervous this whole week, even as Camille and Carli were doing their presentation! I think that Camille and Carli did very well with their presentation. They seemed to both know a lot about what their presentation was on. My favorite out of the collection that they covered was "Night." I think that this was my favorite work because I am so interested in the topic of the Holocaust. It seems so strange to me that someone can actually bring themselves to harm people on that kind of level. Even now we are able to see something like this, for example what happened at the Boston Marathon only a week ago! I do not know what goes through people's minds that make them feel that performing acts like these are even remotely okay. I also cannot believe that some people choose to deny that the Holocaust even happened. There is proof, but they still choose to say that it never occured. This story was interesting to me because it was almost as if I was able to experience the whole Holocaust with Elie.
ReplyDeleteThe second presentation done this week was by Maria and myself! I was dreading this all week because I was so nervous! I am very loud and seem to never be able to shut up around people at most times, but whenever I get up in front of a class it all changes for some reason. Once we were presenting, however, it wasn't as bad as I thought that it would be. Maria did a better job than I ever could have asked her to! I wish that I had spoken a little bit more though. My favorite work out of our whole collection was the story by Richard Wright. In a way, "Black Boy" can be compared to "Night." Both of these authors take us on a journey with them into a place where they were discriminated against. It is sad to say that while today we have come a long way since then, discrimination is still happening.
I think that group presentations have provided us with a new and more interesting way of learning. Presenting these collections is good practice for later in life. I also think that the presentations are good for us because it is interesting to see what other people have to say. It seems to be the same people that volunteer a lot and you get to see a different part of people whenever they present, especially if they are one of those who do not regularly volunteer! Good luck to the people that are presenting next week! I am glad that mine is finally over.
Morgan, I don't know why you were so nervous you did fine! I find it really funny how quiet and reserved you get in front of people when you are so not that way :). In the beginning Maria talked a lot more than you, but on the second day you really came out of your shell. I really liked "Black Boy" and I think you and Maria did a good job covering the story.
DeleteMorgan, after hearing about how nervous you were I knew you were gonna do well! It was obvious this presentation meant a lot to you but you did great presenting. I liked your description of the story Black Boy, that story was so sad and upsetting about how they were treated. You knew so much about your topic, you and Maria both! You guys worked great together and I enjoyed your presentation and learned a lot from it. Good job!
DeleteI really enjoyed Camille and Carli’s presentation. I think that they had a really good section to talk about. My favorite reading in Camille and Carli’s presentation was the story about Paul Brian, which I can’t recall the name of right now. I really liked this story because of the way it put you into a soldier’s shoes. I think it provided many discussion points. I didn’t learn anything new from Camille and Carli’s section, but that was only because we covered both the Holocaust and wars in history class. I still think they did a great job! I wasn’t bored rehearing some of the facts. I have very few suggestions for Camille and Carli. Sometimes they talked over each other, but that wasn’t a big deal. Another thing I would have done was clarify the discussions about Paul Brian and the author of the story. I wasn’t confused, but I know there was a comment about that. I think that Camille and Carli did a very good job. Their presentation is my favorite so far!
ReplyDeleteI know Morgan was really stressed out about her presentation but I think that both she and Maria did a great job. My favorite reading in their presentation was Black Boy. To be honest, I was no looking forward to reading such a long story, but once I began I found it very interesting. I think we could have even discussed it a little more than we did. Once again, I don’t know if I really learned anything specific through their presentation because we brought up a lot of previous topics such as racism. It wasn’t that their presentation wasn’t informative! As I’m sure a lot of people have already mentioned I think our discussions were lacking for this presentation. I don’t know about other people, but I felt there were a lot of general questions that I didn’t know how to discuss. Maria and Morgan weren’t the only presentations with general questions, I know that my presentation had some. The only suggestion I would have for them would be to pose more in depth questions and not to answer the question within the question… if that makes any sense.
Overall, I think we’re doing a great job with our presentations. I like talking to my classmates better because I feel more comfortable sharing my opinions with them. I think that these presentations are a great way for us to learn, even if we encounter a few little bumps in the road. As for class participation I think that there are select people who participate more often during these presentations, but most of the students who participate a lot participate a lot either way.
Maddie, you did really good critiquing their presentations. I agree with liking the story Black Boy the best, I thought so too. This really showed all of the racism in our world. It's crazy to think people were treated that way. Overall I think the toe sensations were good also. I agree that they are a better way for us to learn rather than reading them all on our own. Having classmates discuss then with us is great!
DeleteMaddie, I enjoyed your blog. I also liked the story including Paul Brian, because I am really interested in the soldiers' lives after returning home from war. I also like that you stated that this is an easier way for our class to participate, and it is nice because it is basically a full class discussion, with two "leaders."
DeleteI really enjoyed both of the presentations this week. Four of the five days we were presenting and it was great to hear about the topics! They were both very informative and i learned much about the topics that i didn't hear before. they also both discussed them well and there was great crowd involvement.
ReplyDeleteCamille and Carli's presentation was exceptional! It started off with a discussion about the Holocaust which interests me a lot. They had a great video to go along with their topic too! They also had a few stories in this section, my favorite being Night by Eli Weisel. We read and discussed this book in depth last year in English class. It is so interesting to hear about someone's personal experience in concentration camps and in the Holocaust. It was very easy to discuss in class and everyone had a lot of information to show. Something that I think they could have done better was to focus more on the stories and less background, but other than that it was very great! One of the best so far! They both knew exactly what they were talking about and they barely referred to the power points or notecards! Good job girls.
Maria and Morgans presentation was also very good and informative! Their topic had a lot to do with racism. My favorite story dealing with that topic was Black Boy. This was a depressing story about a black boy that who's father left him and he was discriminated against. He was also beat up a few times by some of the white boys. It is sad to think that young children had to go through this torture. This story was a great story to describe the racism back then but also the racism in the world today. Maria and Morgan presented great! The only thing I noticed was that maybe they could have discussed other people's answers to the worksheet in their own words also instead of just moving on so fast, but other than that they did great and I learned a lot about these pieces of literature! Good job girls!
There is definitely better class participation when groups are presenting. I think this because our peers know what is easy to discuss because we all have minds that are alike and we can discuss well with each other and take other people ideas and expand them.
Leah, I liked the way you said Camille and Carli's presentation was exceptional. It was really good, not only in just the way they presented but the information was very interesting. I enjoyed that they included the class the way they did. Our class works well when we present because we are all in the same generation so we have same thoughts on racism and such. Good blog, Leah.
DeleteLeah, I also liked the story Black Boy. I found it very interesting and informative in how African Americans were treated during that time period. Segregation was really shown when they had to ride on a seperate boat to Memphis than the white Americans. Also during their presentation, I felt that they did very well in talking about the racist groups like the Klu Klux Klan that killed African Americans because of the racism in their society. Good job Leah.
DeleteLeah, I also really appreciated that Carly and Camille chose a story, "Night", that we had read in the past. It was good to relate more to the author of the story today because of the fact that we knew so much about him through his story and had seen his deepest fears and some of his most regretted decisions. I enjoyed seeing all of the things that had been caused by the writing and publishing of the story of his time in the Holocaust prison camps.
DeleteI love listening to a presentation, because I feel like I learn so much from them. Our presenters have done very well so far, and I am excited to see the other presentations. Our class is very involved, and you can tell that we really try to stay connected with the presenters.
ReplyDeleteCamille and Carli did so well with their presentation; they really knew their information and added just enough class participation in it. They included the background of the time period that they were discussing and they also were able to add onto what a classmate had pointed out in discussion. I loved that their era was set in the time of the holocaust because that topic just intrigues me. I cannot fathom the fact that someone can purposely kill millions of people just because of the religion, race, and sexuality. Night is a really good story, and I liked that we had previously read the whole story in last year’s English class. It helped us to be able to pull everything together and discuss the topic more. I applaud these girls because they did so well with their presentation.
Maria and Morgan had a time frame set in the Great Depression, and the worksheet they gave out allowed us to follow along with the presentation. It worked very well, and I am glad I have this worksheet now to remember what was discussed. Morgan looked nervous at first, but should not have been! She did very well. Towards the middle of the first day, you could tell she was realizing it wasn’t as bad as she was expecting it to be. The poem “Remember” was very interesting, but it took a little while for me to like it because the word “remember” was said so much. “Black Boy” was the absolute best part of the collection, because it is sad to me that this poor little boy had to go through such rough times. Also, you would think this racism problem is over by now, especially because we have an African American president, but the older generation is still stuck in the same mind-frame.
Nicole, I also feel that with all of these pesentations, it really helps to get ourselves involved with eachother through participating and reacting to questions and comments that are asked during the presentations. I also thought that Carli and Camille did an awesome job with their presentation. I feel that because our class was previously taught about WWII and the Holocaust, that it really helped with boosting our participation. I know that I really find that time period interesting and factual. So good points in your blog!
DeleteNicole, I also love listening to the presenters because it really helps me to understand what we are talking about. If we had just been reading the stories as we went through the book, I wouldn't really receive the full effect of each presenter's knowledge on the subject. We would also not receive the full benefits of each person's research into the time period and circumstances surrounding what they are presenting about.
DeleteThe first week of presentation of the week was Carly and Camille's. They had a very interesting topic and they did a really great job with it. While we have learned much about wars and the trials that people have been put through due to the wars that don't always make sense to us. Their presentation was highly informative and I feel as though I've learned a lot about different wars and America's reaction to them. This is shown through how America received "Night" as the truly horrifying image that the Holocaust. Great job guys!
ReplyDeleteThe second presentation of the week was Maria and Morgan's. They went through the plight of the African American person during the Great Depression, which is truly a very difficult thing to imagine. It's hard for us to think about going to bed on an empty stomach for the sole reason of having nothing more to eat than what was already eaten. In the story that we read, we saw the life of a young boy whose father had abandoned him, whose mother was working as hard as she could in order to support her family by becoming a cook, and all she could give them was one loaf of bread for Richard and his brother to share for the day. After that, the mother became ill and they could no longer afford even the small amount of food and shelter that they had previously, and was forced to put them into an orphanage. This story was incredibly depressing and showed different facets of the lives that were led by everyone during this time period,especially African Americans. I think that Morgan and Maria both did very well in the way of relating the story to their overall theme. Great job to all of the presenters this week!