GLO Portfolio

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Sorry Zavala. I didn't get my parent comment on this.

The Impact of Media

Article: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2014/04/16/psychologist-social-media-causing-a-distancing-phenomena-to-take-place/
Picture: http://unteleported.com/assets/projects/menubis/teens-09449158b518ba269d8bb62a4fbcfebc.jpg
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-3RopS-RF4

Social media has benefited us today in so many ways. It has helped us to stay informed, connected, entertained, and much more. However, researchers have noticed that social media has also affected us mentally. Social media has caused a distancing phenomena to take place.
Over the coarse of years, media production has grown larger and larger. We can now roam around and still get access to social media through many devices; phones, laptops, tablets, etc. Because of this, we have become addicted to media and it's devices. According to a Pew Research study, 63% of Facebook users visit the site at least once a day with 40% doing so multiple times a day. Not only is their Facebook, but there is also Instagram, Tumblr, and Twitter.
Through these accounts, we interact a lot with other users. So much so that when it comes to face-to-face conversations, we lack the good communication skills. As research psychologist Krystine Batcho states, “The greater fear of what’s perhaps taking place is that kids are not learning how to behave in a face-to-face conversation." We constantly talking to others online and creating relationships online that we lose all the important communication skills that we are supposed to have. "It has brought on anxiety and has made some people feel nervous or worried," says Batcho. When the time comes that we have to talk to others in person anxiety takes over and communication becomes rather difficult. Teens and young adults are more negatively affected by media. As it shows in the picture (link above), a group of young adults are all on their phones while sitting at a restaurant table instead of talking and bonding with each other.
Although social media has its perks, there are downsides to it. Not only do you get addicted, but you lose important communication skills. Later, it becomes hard to effectively interact with others face-to-face. Social media has created a distancing phenomena in this generation.

Hunger Games

Macbeth Final Essay

'Macbeth', by William Shakespeare, is a well-written play about a man who struggles between what he wants and what is morally right. Throughout the story Macbeth develops certain characteristics that end up having consequences for themselves in the end. The story itself holds many different themes. The main theme of 'Macbeth' is that power is the root of all evil. 

            Power can cause a person to lust after many things- most likely, evil things. After hearing about his prophecy, he says, " I am thane of Cawdor. If it's good, why am I thinking ghastly thoughts that make my hair stand on end and my heart thump unnaturally?/Just thinking about murder is enough to rattle my nerves and paralyze me." (1.3.135-140.) He so badly wanted to become king that he started speaking to himself about his horrid thoughts. He also told his wife, Lady Macbeth, about his prophecy. When she heard, she started getting all power-hungry as well. "Make me remorseless, so that no urging of conscience can alter my foul plans, nor stand in the way of what must be done." (1.5.3-5). Lady Macbeth began speaking to herself about what she'd do to gain more power. As you can see, power causes a person to lust after many things.

            Power can also cause a person to act inhumane. After hearing his prophecy Macbeth planned to murder King Duncan to fulfill the prophecy. "The bell is my invitation. Do not hear it, Duncan! It's a bell that summons you to heaven- or to hell!" (2.1.60-61). He killed his king because he so badly wanted to have power. However, after the murder he started to regret it. He couldn't even finish up the deed, so his wife says, "Give me the daggers!/Only children fear a picture, even of the devil. If he's still bleeding, I'll smear the faces of the servants so it will look as if they did it." (2.2.53-57). She was going to blame the murder on Duncan's servants. She was willing to finish off the deed all for the power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were so power-hungry that they had to murder to get what they want.

            Now because power can cause a person to be lustful and act inhumane, they begin to do things that they start to regret later on. Power causes a person to be regretful. Lady Macbeth started to regret forcing Macbeth to kill the king. She starts going insane; talking to herself, hallucinating, talking in her sleep, etc. She starts to say aloud all the horrible actions that she did. "Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. Don't look so pale. I tell you yet again: Banquo is buried. He can't rise from the grave."(5.1.54-56.) She starts to go crazy until one day Seton announces, "The queen, my Lord, is dead." (5.5.17.) She got so fed up in all her guilt that she ended up committing suicide. Because of all that power that she had in the beginning, she ended up regretting a lot of the actions she took.

            In the story 'Macbeth', Shakespeare really portrays all the different themes and lessons that the story holds. The biggest theme is that the pursuit of power is the root of all evil. Power causes a person to become lustful. They start to crave things that they can't have. But because they want it so badly, they start to do horrible actions to get it. Power can cause a person to act inhumane. In Lady Macbeth's case, she so badly wanted power that she was willing to murder a person for it. And then when she realized what she's done, she starts to feel guilty. Power causes a person to be regretful. The pursuit of power is the root of all evil. 

Macbeth Essay

'Macbeth', by William Shakespeare, is a well-written play about a man who struggles between what he wants and what is morally right. The story itself holds many different themes. The main theme of 'Macbeth' is that power is the root of all evil. she said.

            Power can cause a person to lust after many things- meaning, evil things. After hearing about his prophecy, he says, " I am than e of Cawdor. If it's good, why am I thinking ghastly thoughts that make my hair stand on end and my heart thump unnaturally?/Just thinking about murder is enough to rattle my nerves and paralyze me." (1.3.135-140.) He so badly wanted to become king that he started speaking to himself about his horrid thoughts. He also told his wife, Lady Macbeth, about his prophecy. When she heard, she started getting all power-hungry as well. "Make me remorseless, so that no urgingings of conscience can alter my foul plans, nor stand in the way of what must be done." Lady Macbeth began speaking to herself about what she'd do to gain more power. As you can see, power causes a person to lust after many things.

            Power can cause a person to act inhumane. After hearing his prophecy he planned to murder King Duncan to fulfill the prophecy. "The bell is my invitation. Do not hear it, Duncan! It's a bell that summons you to heaven- or to hell!" (2.1.60-61). He killed his king because he so badly wanted to have power. After the murder, his wife says, "Give me the daggers!/Only children fear a picture, even of the devil. If he's still bleeding, I'll smear the faces of the servants so it will look as if they did it." (2.2.53-57). Even she was willing to finish off the deed for power. Macbeth and Lady Macbeth were so power-hungry that they had to murder the king to get what they want.

            Now because power can cause a person to be lustful and act inhumane, they do things that start to regret later on. Power causes a person to be regretful. Lady Macbeth started to regret forcing Macbeth to kill the king. She starts going insane; talking to herself, hallucinating, talking in her sleep, etc. She starts to say aloud all the horrible actions that she did. "Wash your hands. Put on your nightgown. Don't look so pale. I tell you yet again: Banquo is buried. He can't rise from the grave."(5.1.54-56.) She starts to go crazy until one day Seton announces, "The queen, my Lord, is dead." (5.5.17.) She got so fed up in all her guilt that she ended up committing suicide. Because of all that power that she had in the beginning, she ended up regretting a lot of the actions she took.

            In the story 'Macbeth', Shakespeare really portrays all the different themes and lessons that the story holds. The biggest theme is that the pursuit of power is the root of all evil. Power causes a person to become lustful. They start to crave things that they can't have. But because they want it so badly, they start to do horrible actions to get it. Power can cause a person to act inhumane. In Lady Macbeth's case, she so badly wanted power that she was willing to murder a person for it. And then when she realized what she's done, she starts to feel guilty. Power causes a person to be regretful. The pursuit of power is the root of all evil. 

Macbeth Pre-Reading Work

Part One

1) Behind every man is a great woman (every great man is supported, guided, helped and even pushed by a great woman)

            I disagree. It's possible that a great man can be supported by a great woman, but I don't think that that's applied for every single guy. Guys could also be supported by their loved, or even better, they could support them self. I know tons of guys that are great, not because of some woman, but because they had really good morals.

2) Witches demons, and evil spirits actually exist.

            I wouldn't say witches exist, but I agree that demons and evil spirits exist. I believe that when people get possessed, a demon or evil spirit is in them. I don't have my own experiences with them, but I just believe they exist.

3) Sometimes it is necessary to do something wrong to get what you want.

            I totally agree. I think that if you really want something you'd fight for it even if it means going against what is morally right. Sometimes you do "wrong" things to prove a point or to stand up for what you believe in. For example, my parents told me do the dishes, but I said no because I wanted to watch Breaking Bad (hahaha).

4) What goes around comes around (karma).

            I totally agree with this, too. I'm pretty sure everyone does. Do something good, life will reward you. Do something bad, life will punish you. When I'm really mean to people life punishes me by making me feel like a huge idiot for it.

5) Human beings are easily tempted by things they want, even if it's wrong.

            I agree. Like I said earlier, when we really want something we give in to our temptations and sometimes do what is wrong just to have it. This even applies to really small things. For example, when I was in the fifth grade I wanted a boyfriend. I knew I wasn't supposed to have one, but I really wanted to so I did (hahaha).

6) If someone feels that the ruler/s of his/her country is destroying the country, that person should try to overthrow the ruler/s.

            I disagree, kind of? If MAJORITY of the country feel their ruler is destroying their country then they should do something about it. Maybe not overthrow the ruler, but you know what I mean. I don't have an experience with this, but from my history text books I know trying to overthrow someone can just make things a lot more worst.

7) There are circumstances or events that justify murdering someone.

            Yes and no. Being mad at someone doesn't give you the right to murder that person. BUUUT, if they murdered someone you loved then that's a different story. I have no experience with this.

8) Success is worth any price you have to pay.

            Again, yes and no. Success is worth it when you know  you know you worked hard and you feel proud of yourself. It's not worth it when you're like Hitler and you plan on killing a bunch of people to feel successful. To me, success in school is being on the honor roll. In this case, success is worth it because I know I work hard in school and I feel proud of myself.

9) Kings are appointed by God, and they rule as His representatives on Earth.

            Um, depends? I think everyone's God's representative on Earth. It all depends on if they go by his word and all. My entire family are die-hard Christians. I think they're God's representatives.

10) Your astrological forecast (your horoscope) is a good indicator of how your day will go.

            I disagree. I think that your day is what you make of it. And, plus, anything can happen. My horoscope told me something negative about my day, but I made sure that it didn't get to that. I stayed positive throughout the whole day and that's exactly how my day went.

11) Traitors should be executed.

            I disagree. I think everyone should have a second chance. There are always two sides to a story. For example, talking crap about someone behind their back; yes, you're a traitor, but no, you don't deserve to be executed.

Part Two

1) Is evil inherent in human nature? That is, are some people just “born evil,” or is evil caused by circumstance or environment?

            No. I don't think that people are born evil. Actually, I think that we're all born pretty clueless. I believe that when a person is evil or does evil things it's because of their environment or how they're raised. They might see or hear things that make them act a certain way. Or something could happen to them and it just brings out the worst in them. Sometimes they just feel so angry and overwhelmed that they act out, and it makes it seem like they're horrible people, but they're not. No one is really "born evil".

2) Are our lives determined by fate, or by the acts of our free will?

            Both, I guess. I believe that everyone is born for a reason. All our lives are determined by fate. But I also think that it's up to the person on what path they choose for their life. For example, they could be born to be a role model for their peers, but because of free will they decide to do something entirely different which leads them a whole new path.

3) Is redemption truly possible? That is, is it possible to commit an act of genuine evil and truly recover from it?

            Yes, I think so. It's possible for someone to do something so evil and horrid and then truly recover from it. Because I go to church a lot, I hear many stories of people whose lives were touched and changed by the works of God. There are murderers, thieves, and gang members who end up in prison for doing horrible things. But after years and years, their lives get touched by God and they just become some whole new person. It sounds ridiculous, but I believe it's possible.

4) Is it possible to admire or respect a person whom you know has committed acts of genuine evil?

            Of course, it's possible to respect someone who's committed acts of evil. The reason you respect them could actually be because they've committed such acts and that they've changed from it. You can admire and respect someone so much because of how much they've grown and changed; how different they are from their past. In fact, I admire the person that I admire today because partly because of this; they've gone through so much and has changed into a whole new, better person because of it.

5) Do “the ends justify the means”? That is, if one uses morally evil methods to acquire a goal, is that goal forever tainted or polluted by the actions one has taken to achieve it?

            I guess in a way it is. If you know you've used really horrible ways to achieve a goal then you're probably going to be so filled with guilt and disappointment for yourself. It wouldn't be too late to change and work towards the goal again, but I'm sure all those horrible things you did would stay with you forever.

LC Reader Response #3

Theme: In the book "Night", we learn that desperation can cause a person to do very inhumane things.

Character: The Holocaust is a tragic story about the mass murder of millions of Jews. Ellie Weisel, a survivor of the Holocaust, shows us how faith and perseverance can really drive a person to success.

Dialectical Journal #2

1.      Dehumanization means to deprive of personality or interest. Or to remove a persons individuality.

A.    In the beginning of the story, Eleizer had a very strong faith in his God. He would constantly pray to him and praise him. But towards the middle of the book, Eleizer, and some other prisoners, begins to lose faith. He no longer believes or praises his God. Also, in the beginning, the prisoners were more scared. They would sob and wonder why they were at the camps. But in the middle, they got more familiar with the things they were seeing. They got used to all the killing that they didn't respond much to it compared to how they did before.

B.     Like I said earlier, Eleizer stops believing in his God. He see's all these people being murdered, and abused. When he sees that people are still praying for God, he thinks that they're stupid for praying. 

2.      "Why should I bless him? In every fiber I rebelled. Because he had thousands of children burned in pits? Yes, man is very strong, greater than God. When you were deceived by Adam and Eve, You drove them out of Paradise. When Noah's Generation displeased You, You brought down the flood. But these men here, whom  You have betrayed, whom You have allowed to be tortured, butchered, gassed, burned, what do they do? They pray before You! They praise Your name! (page 64)", Eliezer says angrily. He is upset that throughout all that they've been through, God still hasn't gone to save any of them. He's still allowing them to be tortured. He no longer believes in this "God". "Its the end. God is no longer with us. Where is the divine mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how    anyone believe, in this merciful God? (page 73)," one man said. He too was losing faith in God.

Dialectical Journal #1

In the book 'Night', the author uses a character, named Weisel, as the narrator. Wiesel explains his experience throughout the Holocaust. Of course the Holocaust was a tragic story, but by reading through the narrators actual experiences it makes the story a lot more touching. As we read more into the book, we can see that things get worse and worse for the Jews. However, throughout the entire mess, Weisel and the rest of the Jews cling onto hope- their Lord.
In the beginning of the book, Weisel talks about his strong belief in his God. He prays to his God. On page 17, the Hungarian police were ordering the Jews to run, screaming at them to go faster. "Oh God, Lord of the Universe, take pity upon us in Thy great mercy...," Weisel says. He was exhausted and worn out, he prayed to his God to take pity on him and the rest of the Jews. When they finally got to have a break, the narrator explains, "There were no longer any questions of wealth, of social distinction, and importance, only people all condemned to the same fate- still unknown. (page 19)" I think that when he says "fate" he's talking about his fate in the Lord. Again, the story talks about faith on page 29. "You must never lose faith, even when the sword hangs over your head. That's the teaching our sages." A man is reminding everyone to have eternal faith in the Lord. "May His Name be blessed and magnified... (page 31)," prays Weisel's father. He thinks he is going to be executed so he prays this to the Lord. In the concentration camp, one of the German leaders also talks about staying in faith. He says, "Have faith in life. Above all else, have faith. We are all brothers, and we are all suffering from the same fate. (page 38)". He, too, is reminding the Jews that no matter what happens, they must have faith in making it through all the obstacles they're going to face in the concentration camps.

Allusion Graphic: Final

Allusion Poem: Final

I'm adventurous and courageous.

I enjoy going to new places,

experiencing new  things,

and having fun.

I was adored by many.

I was everyone's best friend.

In fact,

I was Andy's favorite.

But,

I wanted more than that.

I wanted to  feel like a hero.

I wanted to make a difference.

However,

I wasn't like the others.
I was too skinny-
a twig, perhaps.

I never came with cool gadgets.
I was never going to be

talented enough,

smart enough,
cool enough. 

I just wasn't enough.

I was underestimated by many.

The others thought I was incredible.

For a moment,
I thought I was too.

But who was I to think.

I could never be as marvelous

 as Andy made me feel.

I wanted more than this.

I wanted to  feel like a hero.

I wanted to make a difference.

Holocaust: Tasha and Christine

The Holocaust was a very heartbreaking and tragic story about the mass murder of Jews. This murder was brought about by the Nazis during World War II. The Holocaust was a process that occurred in carefully organized stages. It first began with laws that required the Jewish to be removed from the rest of society. These laws forced Jews into filthy areas in the city, used as concentration camps. Because of their race, they were stripped from their homes, their friends, and their families. These people were not even given a choice if they wanted to leave or not. The Nazis also forced the Jews into slave labor. They had to do work at these concentration camps. Some of these people weren’t even physically capable of doing labor. They later died of disease, starvation, and exhaustion. The Nazis continued to take over different areas in Europe and set up more concentration camps. Death squads began executing Jews in mass shootings and burying them in mass graves throughout the continent. In the end, approximately six million Jews were murdered. 

There are many perspectives to the reason for the Holocaust. One being that the Holocaust started because Germans didn't like the Jews' religious beliefs. The Jews shouldn't of had been murdered just for their own beliefs, but in this tragic story that is what happened. Another reason would be that many people just wanted someone to blame for all the corruption in their government, so they chose to blame the Jews. I don't think this was right. The Holocaust was very inhumane because The Nazi's killed many innocent lives for no real apparent reason. 

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005143

http://www.hitlerschildren.com/article/1646-a-brief-holocaust-summary

http://www.hitlerschildren.com/article/1408-why-did-the-holocaust-start
World History Textbook

Allusion Graphic

Allusion Poem: Draft

I'm adventurous and courageous.

I enjoy going to new places,

experiencing new  things,

and having fun.

I was adored by many.

I was everyone's best friend.

In fact,

I was Andy's favorite.

But,

I wanted more than that.

I wanted to  feel like a hero.

I wanted to make a difference.

But I wasn't like the others.

I wasn't good enough,

talented enough,

smart enough.

I just wasn't enough.

The others thought I was incredible.

I mean, aren't I?

But who am I to think.

I could never be as marvelous

 as Andy made me feel.

I wanted to  feel like a hero.

I wanted to make a difference-

to be the difference.

Mythological Allusion Ad