Hanna Crisp

For Open Gothic Tales:

We will be creating Powerpoints that introduce us to examples of famous Gothic architecture. In your Powerpoint you should include:

1. A Title Slide with you and your partners names and the name of the cathedral/castle
2. 8-10 slides, including 1-2 slides that introduce the building and provides some background information such as where it is located, when it was built and any other information that you find interesting to share. The remaining slides should describe/explain the elements of gothic architecture that can be found in the building you and your partner choose
3. Images may be used as long as a caption explaining it is included
4. A Works Cited slide (with more than just a website copied and pasted in). All information you would normally include on a works cited should be included.

Gothic Elements to look for include, but are not limited to: Flying buttresses, stained glass, gargoyles, ribbed or groin vaulting, pointed arches, and height.

We will finish these Powerpoints in class Monday and will present them in class Wednesday. Happy Working!

Over the years the idea of vampires has changed drastically. As we watch Blade: Trinity in class, we notice many different characteristics. However, we only have a basic image of vampires to go from. Over the weekend, do a search for vampires and even look at different cultures and the way the myth was presented. Post some of the characteristics that you find on this post. Make sure you do not use your actual name when you comment, initials or a screen name of some sort are okay.

Reading for the weekend: The Shining p226 (there will be a quiz)

Hello and Happy Holiday Break! I hope everyone has been able to enjoy some time off. I have been grading like crazy and getting ready for when we come back. On that note…Heroes & Villains, your homework for the break….

There have been many villains throughout literature, movies, history and so on. Who would you consider to be the #1 Villain? When I asked myself this question, I actually had quite a hard time trying to come up with an answer. When you are looking across the board there are just so many to choose from. I toyed with the idea of one of the killers from the Television show “Dexter,” and then I contemplated a character from a recent novel I read. One thing remained, I kept going back to a novel I am reading right now, “In the Garden of the Beasts.” It is a novel about the start of WWII and a family that moved to Berlin right at the start of the war. So, in the end, I go back to a name we have mentioned in class a few times; Adolf Hitler. Yes, he shows leadership and oratorical skills that render him someone to be respected in some ways, but ultimately, I would have to conclude that he is a villain, and in my eyes, the #1 Villain.

Sample response: Hitler was selfish in trying to push his ideals on everyone and ruthless in the way that he went trying to achieve them. He treated people cruelly killed them for the sake of trying to reach a personal goal; an Aryan race – a master race. The people that he murdered, with the help of his SS Soldiers, had done nothing to him, nor the people that assisted him and followed his lead. He allowed people like Josef Mengele to do cruel and unthinkable experiments on prisoners of the camps. His lack of emotion and cruel and horrific treatment of the Jewish race, and many others at the time, are what lead me to choose him as my #1 Villain.

But what about you? Who is your #1 Villain? Your homework is to choose someone, or  character, that you can, and will, defend as your #1 Villain. Think about what we have defined a villain as and fully support your response. Type your response as a comment to this post. You will need to create a login/screenname. PLEASE DO NOT POST USING YOUR ACTUAL NAME.

Happy posting! And have a Happy New Year!

Did you know that November is National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)? NaNoWriMo is also an annual novel writing project where writers of all abilities, professional to beginners, challenge themselves to write a novel. “Impossible!” you might say, but I beg to differ. Although I have yet to finish one myself (and I keep trying), I have seen many people surprise themselves by taking on the challenge of writing a novel through this program.  The website has a lot of useful tools for getting started, planning, and things such as character development. I encourage all avid writers out there, and even people that just like to write on occasion, to check it out. Who knows, you might just surprise yourself and write a novel!

http://www.nanowrimo.org/

This week we wrapped up our extended unit on Alfred Hitchcock’s Pyscho. Although an oldie, this classic sure surprised everyone in class in many ways. Who would have thought it would take SEVEN days to film a THREE minute shower murder? Or what about the fact that Hitchcock made sure no one could enter a showing of the film once it had started?

Reminder to Film Study Blocks D & H: Test on Psycho will be in class on Monday 11/7 and your viewing notes will be due as well. I strongly suggest using the synopsis and study guide to help prepare. Everyone did great on their quizzes today and I am sure will do great on their tests Monday

Now that we have started reading V for Vendetta in Heroes & Villains, it is helpful to take a look at terminology for comics and graphic novels. In todays class we will be using the link below along with the handout you got in class.

http://www.graphic-novels.com/graphic-novels/category/9-chapter01.html

Happy working!

Welcome to my page!  Here you can see announcements and access information on courses that I teach.  If you need to reach me you can do so by email: hanna.crisp@sau24.org.