My Big Question

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ZGp-ZZTfyCKm_mgkfWx-KCRCQVBliwPFArFC1AHdSqQ/edit?usp=sharing

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Do you ever have those moments when you have nothing in your head? I feel like I've been getting those moments a lot. It feels like I'm getting less and less creative every day. Is it school, is it my habits, or what? Well, instead of just complaining about it, I think I'm going to read more books again. I'm pretty sure reading ignited some thinking into my brain when I was really into books in the middle of the school year, so I might as well start reading again. That means I'm going to be going to Barnes and Noble's really often. It's better to do something than just do nothing at all and complain about how crappy your life is.

IGNITE TALK

BIG QUESTION: I feel as though I have terrible memory, and it is terribly frustrating when I can't remember something. How can I improve my memory skills for language, music, and basically, every part of my life?

Over the break, I started my research by spending one day doing what I believed to be the best way to improve my memory skills which is repetition. In terms of music and foreign language, I just repeated parts of music sheets I had trouble on, and I repeated words I had difficulty saying for my foreign language.

The next day I started doing research on memory. Surprisingly, I learned that the first step towards better memory skills is a healthy lifestyle. You need to eat healthy, get enough sleep, and drink plenty of water. The nest step towards better memory skills is a term called Mnemonics. It is a memory device to help remember facts or a large amount of information. It can be a song, rhyme, acronym, image, or a phrase to help remember a list of facts in a certain order. I will do more research in the future to determine if these Mnemonics actually work.

Finally, I connected my big question with Fahrenheit 451 in the way that the homeless scholars in the forest were "books". They remembered books from the past by just using their memory. This part amazed me because I could barely remember some lyrics to a song. In the future, I hope I will be able to recite large portions of information.

THE CHASE IS ON

1. The Hound attacked Montag because he killed Beatty. Montag also secretly kept books in his house, and he was becoming different.

2. Montag defended himself by using a flamethrower. He used the flamethrower to kill Beatty and the Mechanical Hound.

3. Montag realized that Beatty wanted to die. Beatty was literally asking Montag to pull the trigger.

4. Montag went to a gas station to wash his face and hands. Afterward, he starts heading towards Faber's house.

5. When Montag crossed the street. he was almost hit by a car. He thought it was a police car, but it ended up being a car full of kids.

F451 Questions

1. In the scene where Mildred and Montag read books together, Montag is more accepting to reading the books than Mildred. Montag tries to understand what is in the books while Mildred just complains the whole time.

2. The bombers help show the characters emotions during a scene. They help depict whether a character is furious, scared, out depressed.

3. Professor Faber is an English professor who was still alive when books were around. He stands by as books and intellectual life decline. Faber later explains what books mean to him, and he helps Montag with his plans.

4. Montag’s reaction to the commercial on the subway is a turning point in his life. How does he react and why?

5. Professor Faber argues that there are three things necessary for books: quality, leisure, and ability to apply information from books. He then explains that the only importance of books is what is written on them.


6. What is the “small green metal object”?
7. What does the White Clown show lead you to believe about television programming in this society?
8. Why does Mrs. Phelps cry when Montag reads “Dover Beach”?
9. What is Montag’s destination at the end of section II? Why?

HIGHER EDUCATION WEEK

     The college fair was amazing. Even though UC San Diego wasn't there, I was still able to learn more about other colleges and universities. The presenters for each school were passionate about their own schools which made the experience better. Since I always focused on my dream school, I never gave other colleges a second look, but I was wrong to do that because colleges and universities like Westmont College and UC Irvine actually piqued my interest. They gave me really great information on their majors and tuition while being extremely passionate about their schools, so I became engulfed in their presentations. I actually got really interested at a UCSB table about geology because the presenter looked like she really loved what she was doing. One day, I hope I'll be able to talk for hours about my major and career like her. In the end, I left the college fair with a lot going on in my head, but I was glad that I took the time to look at other colleges and universities.

WHAT I SEE IN LITERATURE

"And I have known the eyes already, known them all—

The eyes that fix you in a formulated phrase,

And when I am formulated, sprawling on a pin,

When I am pinned and wriggling on the wall,"

These lines in the poem "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T. S. Eliot help show the theme which is knowing the value of oneself. Throughout the poem, we get a depressing vibe from the author because he makes himself sound so insignificant. He doesn't think highly of himself, and every line talks about how even though his life goes on, he hasn't done anything with it. The author has basically hit rock bottom, and he's describing his experience with it. Because he thinks of himslef as a failure, the whole poem is really depressing and miserable.

GATSBY TEST GRADES

Jesse - 100%
Stephania - 100%
Leydi -100%

GATSBY TEST CHAPTERS 1-4

Chapter 1

1. What does Daisy say that she wants her daughter to grow up to become?
2. What advice does Nick's father give Nick at the beginning of the book?

Chapter 2

1. How does Tom react when Myrtle repeatedly says Daisy's name?
2. Judging from Tom's actions, is Tom happy with his life?

Chapter 3

1. Who does Nick unexpectedly meet at Gatsby's party?
2. How does Nick describe Jordan and himself at the end of the chapter?

Chapter 4

1. What is the connection between Gatsby and Daisy's past?
2. What do Nick and Gatsby talk about in the car ride? Be specific.

GATSBY NOTES 4

• Why does F. Scott Fitzgerald list and describe the numerous people that have been to Gatsby's house?
• Is it to show Nick's keenness and observation skills?
• Or is it to show that no matter how many people Gatsby invites over, it will never fill the real isolation he feels?
• Gatsby reveals his past to Nick.
• All of Gatsby's family died, and he inherited the family fortune.
• It is revealed to us that Gatsby is in love with Daisy.
• Jordan tells Nick the story of Gatsby and Daisy as well as Gatsby's true intentions.
• Nick and Gatsby meet Tom Buchanan at the restaurant, but Gatsby disappears when Nick tries to introduce him.
• I believe this is because Gatsby knows that Tom is married to Daisy.

GATSBY NOTES 3

• Why isn't Gatsby with his guest at his own party?
• Superficiality - All the characters want to be seen as who they are
• Nick's idea of Gatsby was red-faced and fat, but he was unexpectedly surprised.
• Gatsby has two sides that he shows to people: a public Gatsby and a private Gatsby.
• Everyone at the party becomes more drunk or depressed as the party goes on.
• The implication is Gatsby fills his house with people because he feels isolated.
• Nicks thoughts on Jordan, "She was incurably dishonest."
• Nick believes that he is "one of the few honest people he has ever known."

GATSBY CHAPTER 3 REMIX

     All summer, the music was blasting from my neighbor's house. Fancy men and women from all over East Egg would enter his house except me. I wasn't jealous or anything; I just wanted peace and quiet. Anyways, one night I decided to sneak into one of his parties. What I didn't plan on doing was getting severely drunk. I remember very little from that night.
     The first thing I remember is being in a library. I was drunk in a huge library, and I would just say random things when people entered. The next thing I remember is being on stage with a woman who was playing the piano. I pretty sure she was just as drunk as I was because she started crying out of nowhere. She ended up getting off the stage and passing out. The vaguest part of that party was meeting some random guy there, but I didn't catch his name.
     "Are you okay, old sport?" the man said, "I'm..."
     I only remember pieces of that conversation. Whatever he said just flew right over my head. The last thing I remember from that night was getting into a car which was a huge mistake. It resulted in me crashing into a wall. I didn't care that a crowd had amassed around me due to my drunkenness. I ended the night by stumbling to my front doorstep and passing out right there.

The End

GREAT GATSBY REMIX 1

     In my early years, my father gave me some advice that I've used throughout my entire life.

     "Nick, judge everyone you meet," he told me, "everyone is an open book. Criticize everyone you meet."

     He didn't say much, but we've always had this weird kind of relationship. When I was finally old enough, I moved to New York to learn the bond business. To be honest, though, I just wanted to get away from my family. They were getting on my nerves, so I told them that. I was basically kicked me out.

     In New York, I lived in one of the crappy, run-down houses of West Egg. My neighbor just so happened to be a rich, snobbish, man living in East Egg. I was pretty jealous of him.

     The next day, I met with my cousin, Daisy Buchanan, and her husband, Tom Buchanan. They also invited another guest named Jordan. When we had dinner, I got to know them better. I learned they were spoiled rotten human beings, and Tom is a dick and a jackass. I was honest with them, just like my father told me to be. They hated me, and they never invited me over again.

The End

The Great Gatsby Test

The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Quiz

1. In what city/state does the story take place?

 Long Island, New York   

                                      

2. Who is the narrator?

 Nick Carraway

3. The two areas in which the characters live are

East Egg & West Egg

4. The following set of adjectives BEST describes Tom Buchanan’s personality

Aggressive, condescending, arrogant                 

     

5. What is the main difference between the houses in East Egg and West Egg?

In East Egg, the houses look like rich mansions, but in West Egg, the houses look more poorly built and “run down.”

6. What does Daisy want her daughter to grow up to be?

 A “beautiful little fool” 

7. Who reacts strangely/curiously when Jordan Baker says to Nick that she knows a man named Gatsby?

Daisy Buchanan, Tom’s wife

8. What color is repeatedly used to describe Daisy and her friend Jordan?

White

9. Who says the following quote: “Well, these books are all scientific…This fellow has worked out the whole

    thing. It’s up to us who are the dominant race to watch out or these other races will have control of things.”

 Tom Buchanan

  

10. Who telephones Tom at the dinner at his house?

 Tom’s “other woman on the side”

                                                       

11. Who reaches out his/her arms across the water at the end of the chapter?

Jay Gatsby  

12. As Nick looks to see what this character is reaching for, what does he see at the end of a dock?

An eerie, green light lighting the water under the dock

The Great Gatsby Chapter 2 Notes

The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Notes

HELLO 2017!

   Since January 2016, I feel as if I am more dedicated to finishing things. In the past, I would stop halfway and not finish what I wanted to do either because I lost interest or I got lazy. Now I actually work towards accomplishing my goals. I try to do more things that would help me reach my goal, and I motivate myself with the thought of how I can help myself or others. Because of this, I also feel more responsible. I know my responsibilities and the consequences of not doing them. I know that I have definitely grown since January 2016.