big questions 9

melina: why do we dream? why do we forget them so easily?
-we can't see our reflections in dreams
-we can't read in dreams

peter: what is music?
-prehistoric music was more drum based
-related to math
-increases dopamine

paloma: trust and second chances
-multiple types of trust
-hurt bae video
-we practice trust every day of our lives
-trust the process motivational video

big questions 8

kayleen: school system has failed us
-they should've taught us things useful for our future
-horace mann created the school system

clemente: did society make humans evil?
-stanford prison experiment
-evil comes from circumstances
-milgram experiment
-brown and blue eyes experiment
-humans have mob mentality
-no gene makes us hate
-society influences the way humans behave

jackie:what's worse: failing or not trying at all?
-people let fear of failing run their lives
-if you never try you'll never know
-regret of not taking a chance is worse than failing

fatima: why do we fear the unknown?
-fear is being afraid of something dangerous
-we know what's going on with something in our brains before we do something
-we make connections with new and old ones so we won't be as afraid
-amygdala controls your senses

big questions 7

cerenity: why do we hurt the ones we care about the most?

-we may not realize we hurt someone until it's too late

-we often hurt the people we care about because they're a reflection of ourselves

-interview w social worker

-the more you expect from someone the more you get hurt

monse: inside the mind of killers

-scientists found warrior gene that makes someone aggressive mens warrior genes have increased while womens have decreased

-early childhood abuse causes disorders and phobias

-most killers don't have any remorse after murdering

angel: is he going to college?

-wants to become a youtuber

-what would he study?

-bad at math

-wants to be a game developer

-why are games addicting?

-beating your high score

-science behind it

-brain releases dopamine

-brain starts releasing less dopamine so you start playing more often which leads to game addiction

-wants to invent game everybody can be addicted to

linda: why does music sound good to humans?

-music is sound and our ears pick up the vibrations

-so many elements of music get our brain stimulated

-pleasure part of brain

-what do animals feel?

big questions 6

Samary: what's our role in the world?
-bad: racism, drugs, violence, poverty, bullying
-good: technology, democracy, education, recycling
-positive video

Daniel:what would the world be like if there was no school?
-school is beneficial for a career and life
-why do kids have a negative view on school?
-burden for kids
-school reduces crime
-without school people would have more time
-people would be out more
-people wouldn't see their friends as much
-parents would be worried about kids
-kids would most likely follow parents' paths
-less competitive

Jordan: how can we, the next generation, help society?
-parents always tell her we're the next generation
-huge weight on shoulders
-we believe the world's going to get better
-get an education and get smart to change the world
-adults expect that we won't get into the wrong crowds
-don't doubt your kids

Big Questions 5

Abi: what would it be like if she wasn't a twin?
-twins don't have superpowers
-differences in twins
-people do change (like alcoholics and students)
-people can change people (like parents, motivators)

Leydi: strategies to finding good items at thrift store
-been thrifting for a year and a half
-fashion culture now and back in the 80's
-always look at boys' section and get closer to the womens' section
-goodwill discount on monday for students***

Gabriel: how do i improve my memory?
-it's all psychological
-eat healthier food
-exercise
-sleep
-master a new skill

Big Questions 4

Marino: why do people get passionate about sports?
-been playing soccer he was little
-dad always watched it on tv, played at recess
-teams/families
-people feel better about themselves after team wins
Luis: lucid dreaming
-own little Utopia, you decide what happens
-wars won, diseases cured
-dream journal, meditate
-benefits: decide what you dream about, creative overcome fears
-downsides: sleep paralysis, hallucinations
-who does it?: Stephen King, Nikola Tesla, Albert Einstein
Alexis: why hasn't our school systems changed?
-ranked fifth on spending most money on education, but no results
-kids in Finland work hands on, are more involved with teachers
-kids here don't really get involved with teachers or have conversations with parents about their futures
-80% of students don't know what to do after high school, go into low paying jobs after high school

Big Questions 3

Cesar: what are limits to things? paradoxes?
-running and what it taught him- when you find a passion you could do the impossible
-kenyan runner/ chess mozart
-with passion he does a lot of things
Eldrin: why do we laugh?
-we give off message that we're having fun
-contagious
-not only does it feel good, but it's good for you

Big Questions 2

Leslie: what are the effects of music on the brain?
-learned to play clarinet - good at wavelengths/physics
-dopamine: "feel good hormone", music increases this
-listening to sad music while sad is helpful
-music encourages literal brain growth
-felt more attentive after incorporating music in life
-music therapy has helped Alzheimers more than anything else
Adriana: why do we hate mondays?
-media sort of makes an impression on our views of mondays

Big Question presentations 1

Ale: would things be better if we knew who our perfect match was?
- born w birthmark that matches somebody else's
Ale 2: confirmation bias
Liliy: what are the real causes of death?
-father/grandfather died, Carrie Fisher/ mother died
-broken heart syndrome- partner dies
-psychological causes for death like 13 reasons why
-it's all in your head
Rosie:what happens after we die?
-verses of bible
-heaven/purgatory/hell
-religious beliefs

we eat social media for breakfast

Many authors create relatable stories in order to make the reader feel more engaged and connected. In order to do this, the author uses diction, syntax, tone and rhetorical strategies to develop the atmosphere that is his argument in the story. In this essay, the author does a great job in using all the aforementioned strategies and using personal thoughts and experiences, like texting his breakfast and sharing sentimental moments, to get through to the reader.

The diction and syntax in this essay isn't very formal or sophisticated, which made it easy for the reader to follow along and understand. The author uses the vocabulary or "slang" that the audience understands and gets their attention. For example phrases like, "I'm a wannabe millennial!" or "whipped out my iPhone and started snapping pics" are easy to comprehend and can be found relatable to the audience. Along with being relatable, these phrases and many of the author's sentences and paragraphs are short in length, which make it easier and more compelling for the reader to continue reading.

The author uses humor and rhetorical strategies like heartfelt moments to set the tone of the story. In the beginning, he humorously talks about how he became what he had always made fun of. Towards the end, he explains an emotional moment involving missing a special person. Both of these situations can surely hit close to home for many readers. At these points, the reader feels close and connected with the author and is intrigued to continue reading the essay.

In conclusion, in order to engage the reader, one must know how to properly use diction, syntax, tone, and rhetorical strategies as the author of the essay did. The author connected with the reader and helped understand how technology is changing, how one can benefit from it, and why he texted pictures of his breakfast.

AP 1991 Q3

Ecclesiastes 1:18, "For in much wisdom is much grief, and increase of knowledge is increase of sorrow." Knowledge is power and with power comes a variation of emotions. Ecclesiastes states it brings nothing but sorrow, but plenty can argue it brings nothing but joy. Knowledge does indeed, come with loads of happiness.

Solomon argues knowledge only only brings grief in the book of Ecclesiastes. However, the book of Proverbs states, "Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and gains understanding." I agree that with more wisdom, you find more happiness. Just like when you're healthier, you become happier. Being wise is just being healthy in your mind. When you carry more knowledge, you feel more confident and ready to take on the world.

Some believe choosing to ignore facts will avoid and prevent despair. For example, Daisy, from The Great Gatsby, is not only playing a fool herself, but also hopes her daughter becomes a fool in the world. Being a fool is her way of coping and she believes it brings her happiness. unhappy people believe that the less you know, the less you can be wounded. People fear the hurtful truth.

Being knowledgeable brings many advantages. For example, you won't feel empty-headed in a room full of other people. You'll see things differently and make better decisions. You'll know well enough to make the same mistakes as other people. The more you know, the happier you'll be.

a step ahead of the hound

1. Montag goes to the Blacks house to drop off books like he and Faber had planned.
2. Faber describes the war as something that's just going to pass and it'll give an opportunity to bring back books.
3. Faber's tv is really small, the size of a postcard.
4. Montag's run was on tv when Montag was running. The whole city wanted to watch the police catch him.
5. Montag was running for the river when everyone looked outside their houses to get away.

the chase is on

1. The hound attacks Montag because Montag is a "guilty" one and kills Beatty.
2. Montag defends himself by burning the hound with a flame thrower.
3. Montag realizes that Beatty wanted to die. He wouldn't have intentionally made Montag mad once he was already threatening him with a flamethrower if he didn't want to die.
4. Montag goes to Faber's house. He wants to see him alive one last time and thank him.
5. When Montag crosses the street he's almost ran over by a beetle which he thinks are the cops. Really, it was just a group of young kids messing around.

F451 questions

1. In the scene where Montag and Mildred are reading books together, Montag seems genuinely interested in what he's reading while Mildred sees it as just a waste of time and that they should just burn the books as soon as possible before they get in trouble.
2. The bombers flying gives the effect of tension and chaos. While problems are rising in Montag's personal life, there seems to be bigger problems in the outside world.
3. Professor Faber is a man Montag meets in the park one day. Faber is afraid to speak to him at first, but they later begin to talk about his job and Montag knows he knows about books since Faber was an English professor.
4. Montag gets irritated and angry with the commercial in the subway. He's trying to read the bible before he has to give it back but the announcement won't shutup and won't let him concentrate.
5. Faber makes an argument that books are alive. They're full of life and teach so so much.
6. The small green metal object is kind of like a chip that Montag can put in his ear and have Faber listen and speak to Montag through it.
7. The White Clown leads to believing that the programming in this society is pretty much a bunch of nonsense and somehow lures everyone's attention in.
8. Mrs. Phelps cries when Montag reads a poem because she is just then starting to realize she has feelings. So much pain and ignorance has made her build an emotional wall and when Montag reads the poem her shell starts to break and she gets really sensitive.
9. Montag's destination at the end of section 2 is his own house. Beatty either knew about his library all along or had learned about it when Montag's wife and friends rang the alarm.

Gatsby chapter 8

-Gatsby and Nick talk about Daisy all night
-Nick and Jordan talk, Jordan is with another man
-Wilson thinks Gatsby had an affair and killed Myrtle on purpose, since the car that murdered her was Gatsby's
-Wilson kills Gatsby
-Wilson kills himself

Great Gatsby chapter 7

-Gatsby, Tom, Daisy, Nick, and Jordan all hang out
-Myrtle wants to move away with her husband
-Gatsby and Tom get into a fight, Gatsby tells Tom about him and Disy
-Myrtle gets ran over by a car and instantly dies
-Daisy killed Myrtle with Gatsby in the car by accident

Great Gatsby chapter 6

-Jay Gatsby- name given to Gatz by Dan Cody
-"on the surface"- Gatsby goes to Dan Cody when he's on a yacht
-Gatsby is a self-made man

Gatsby chapter 5 notes

-Nick invites Daisy to tea when Gatsby is there
-Gatsby seems scared to death to talk to her
-nick leaves the house & when he comes back inside, Daisy's crying and gatsby is glowing
-Gatsby takes nick and daisy to his place, gatsby seems in love with daisy
-gatsby looks at the GREEN LIGHT on daisy's house at the end of the dock at night
-GREEN LIGHT=DAISY?!!?!!!!

Great Gatsby chapter 4

-gatsby tells nick he went to oxford, but nick doesn't believe him, that his family all died, then he went to war

-nick & gatsby go to lunch

-mr. wolfsheim tells nick gatsby went to oggsford college in england

-nick sees jordan that afternoon and she tells him gatsby and daisy had a thing before gatsby was sent to war & that nick should invite daisy to his place so gatsby can go over and they can reunite

-nick kisses jordan

great gatsby chapter 3 notes

displacement: when character is out of familiar context
chronos: time
anachronism: out of time
prodigality: it's supposed to be there

nick & miss baker go to gatsby's party and can't find him anywhere until nick finds a guy that was in the war with him, and it turns out to be gatsby
gatsby talks to jordan alone and tells her something amazing
nick in love with jordan???
gatsby keeps getting interrupted by different cities ?

great gatsby chapter 2 notes

nick goes w tom to meet his girl, Mrs. wilson
tom is constantly drinking
mrs. wilson is constantly buying things
tom and mrs. wilson argue & tom breaks her nose

The Great Gatsby Chapter 1 Quiz

1.city/state: A. Long Island, New York
2.narrator: D. Nick Carraway
3.areas in which characters live: C. East egg & West egg
4.Tom Buchanan: B. aggressive, condescending, arrogant
5.east/west egg: C.
6.daisy's daughter: A. a beautiful little fool
7. A. Nick himself
8.Daisy & Jordan Baker: D. white
9. quote: C. Tom Buchanan
10.telephones Tom: D. Tom's other woman
11. reaches out to water: B. Gatsby
12.end of dock: B. green light on dock

Great Gatsby chapter 1

characters:
Nick: narrator- nonjudgmental
Daisy: Nick's second cousin once removed
Tom: Daisy's mean husband
Miss Baker: friend
Mr. Gatsby: mystery

Daisy: "I'm glad it's a girl. And I hope she'll be a fool-that's the best thing a girl can be in this world, a beautiful little fool."
Tom may have "some woman in New York"

music as literature

Music is literature. Music is creative and imaginative writing with artistic value. Music has a story behind it like all pieces of literature. Novels, poems, raps, songs, operas, and symphonies are all forms of literature. The only thing that sets them apart  is the way they're presented. Some have rhythm, some have a beat, some rhyme, some just tell a long story, and some have a funky beat in the background.

hello 2017!

Since January 2106, I think I've become a lot more optimistic. Sure, there were some bumpy times but I think I handled things pretty well. I've become more understanding and less judgmental. I've also been more interested and looking forward to my future. I've been looking into universities and careers and making an effort to try and explore my options. I plan to do a lot more of it this year & i hope 2017 goes amazing!