I have moved on to English 7 with Ms. Hyde

By Stanley Switalski
Please follow my new blog for my new work. The new URL is Http://StanE7.Blogspot.Com.
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College Admission Essay

By Stanley Switalski
Task : Use the skills from class to write a thorough and descriptive college essay.

The Runner

It was a scorching Thursday afternoon and I was already running late for my job. As I stepped out of the subway into the blazing sun, I recognized a local school must have just released their students. They didn’t look like a welcoming committee, and because I was running late, I thought it would be best to run ahead of the crowd. Successfully in front of the crowd, I continue to walk when I hear another teenager shout, “Yo I swear I’m bloods, I swear!” Few seconds later, I see two teenagers lined up right beside me. One of them said, “You wanna do this?” Next thing I knew I was running for my life.

To this very day, I still feel as though I am the one responsible for that incident. I am the type of guy who displays his emotions very easily. Taking one glance at me could cause an author to write his next big hit. Now prior to stepping off the train, a group of rough teenagers came on the train. Although I wish I could have run off the train, I knew that I was already running late. Stuck between a rock and a hard place, fear started to trounce my face. I felt fortunate to make it through that “ordeal” and into the world. Now I was faced with another group of teenagers, and they read me just like that author. They knew I was a prime target.

For weeks after that event, I could not take the same trip. I kept thinking what could have possibly happened to me. It were these thoughts that made me quit my supreme job, and it were these thoughts that caused me to fear the world. I ended up finding another job at my high school afterschool. This way I would never have to go through that unpleasant experience ever again. However, as each day passed by, I felt as though I was slowly dying. I hadn’t felt the same ever since that day and knew that something was wrong. It took me a while before I realized that I was a runner.

I never pictured myself running away from anything before. When I was given a task larger than I could handle, I would always complete it. I mean if Atlas asked me to hold up the sky, I wouldn’t hesitate. But for some reason I ran away from my fear that day and the days that followed. It wasn’t until weeks after that event that I said I would no longer be a runner. I stood firm and took that same exact trip at the same exact time. Fortunately this time I came out unscathed and continued my life in the right direction. My life was finally back on track and, ever since that day, I have not run away from anything. I now know that, no matter how fearsome attending college might sound, I will not be a runner.
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SAT Vocabulary Song

By Stanley Switalski
Task : Students will demonstrate their understanding of SAT vocabulary in their presentation of said words in song, poetry, multimedia presentation, rap, or article.
(Italicized words are the SAT Words)

Our Eulogy, Their Creed

By: Joseph Cruz and Stanley Switalski

They infiltrate and they annihilate.
Some are diffident, but become impervious
Due to this surreptitious war.
These soldiers are America’s best,
Aplomb in every battle.
Fighting a desultory war,
We sing this song to laud them.

These soldiers are caught in a perpetual fiasco,
And they face several quandaries.
No matter how much they deplore this unnecessary war,
They comply to every demand.

“Suppress! Oppress!
We cannot compromise,
And you must not have remorse.
Smite them to oblivion,
For they are deleterious!”

These words mitigate their situation.
They strategically rectify the war.
Although the sordid commander believes the world shouts in jubilation
Whenever they hear these words.
These words only build our enmity.

[Chorus ("Suppress, Oppress...")]

But the soldiers must follow these words.
And so they pretend to become equable, stolid and recusant.
Yet inside they remain arid, petulant and diffident.

[Chorus]

So here is our subversive eulogy.
To those who “substantiate” our country,
to those who are recluse from their everyday lives.
Your courage is exorbitant
And your dedication is memorable.
But most of all your stamina,
to deal with the torture, battles and false promises,
will never be forgotten.

Word lists 1, 2, 3.

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How to create an image slideshow for your Biography

By Stanley Switalski
In order to make it easier for those who are trying to create the same slideshow effect for their powerpoint, here is a tutorial.
  1. 1st off you are going to need to save your Powerpoint as all images. In order to do this
  2. Next you are going to want to take those images and resize them to 500x375 in order to make it fit properly on the blog page. If you do not have a photo editing program, Photobucket.com has a nice photo editor that will allow you to do that if you host these images there, which brings me to the next step.
  3. You will need to host these images. I prefer Photobucket.com mainly because it is simple, free and has that image resize function. If Photobucket isn't working for you, you can use this service Bay Img, created by , which also ensures your images will not be taken offline.
  4. Now you will need to create a new blog post and choose the Edit HTML tab at the top instead of Compose.
  5. Then copy and paste this code under the Edit HTML tab.
    **NOTE : You need to edit this code so don't press publish post**

  6. Now you need to change the "dropimages" and "droplinks" lines to point to the URL of where you have hosted your files. In Photobucket the line you should copy is called "Direct Link."
  7. You might also have more then three slides. What are you going to do? Just copy the entire "dropimages" and "droplinks" lines and increment the number by one. So for example, the last line is "dropimages[2]="putimageurlhere.jpg"". Right under neath that put "dropimages[3]="putimageurlhere.jpg"". Repeat this for the droplinks as well.
  8. Now you can go ahead and say Publish post.
  9. And error should come up and say something about title or body HTML errors. Underneath there is a check box that will allow you to stop showing title or body HTML errors for the post. Check that check box and then press publish post.
  10. Congratulations, you should now have an image slideshow just like the one below. Hope that helps. Check out my other tutorial further down the page to see how use HTML to enhance your blog posts.
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H.D. Thoreau Biography

By Stanley Switalski

Good afternoon. I do not wish to force my thoughts upon you, but I feel forced myself. Although I know little of Captain Brown, I would fain do my part to correct the tone and statements of the media. We can at least express our sympathy with, and admiration of, him and his companions, which is what I plan to do now.

Captain Brown was an old-fashioned man in his respect for the Constitution. A man of great common sense, he deemed slavery to be wholly opposed to the Constitution and he was its determined foe. He was a man of Spartan habits and used his passion to attempt to make a change.

As for his recent failure, we do not know the facts about it. It was evidently far from being a wild and desperate attempt. His enemy is compelled to say, “it was among the best planned and executed conspiracies that ever failed.” Yet the government still seeks to punish him and his men, criticizing not their purpose, but their tactics.

I have read all the newspapers I could get within a week after this event, and I do not remember a single expression of sympathy for these men. He was a superior man. No other man in America has ever stood up so persistently and effectively for the dignity of human nature. I would rather see the statue of Captain Brown in the Massachusetts State-House yard, than that of any other man I know. Some eighteen hundred years ago Christ was crucified; this morning Captain Brown was hung. I see now that it is necessary that the bravest and humanist men in all the country should be hung.

Source: A plea for Captain Brown

My reading of "A Plea for Captain Brown"

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A Speech on the Treatment of Native Americans

By Stanley Switalski
Task: Research great speeches on the Treatment of Native Americans and list the speaker, cite source, what is the speech about, pros vs. cons, who, what, when, why, where, how, audience etc. Then analyze the speech by the 6 standards of persuasion.

Creek Chief Red Eagle
Address to General Andrew Jackson
Delivered in 1814, at Fort Jackson, in what is now Alabama

What is the speech about?
The speech is about a Chief, Chief Red Eagle, who visits General Andrew Jackson to pled for assistance. After the United States soldiers had killed off most of their warriors and destroyed their villages, US citizens “invaded” Chief Red Eagle’s land and pushed the remaining tribe members off their land. Now Chief Red Eagle needed to help the remainder his people and the only people who could possibly help would be General Andrew Jackson.
Pros & Cons
There aren’t really any pros in this speech. The US soldiers killed many of Chief Red Eagle’s tribe, the following US settlers chased the remaining off their land and now Chief Red Eagle is looking for help. On top of that, we don’t even know if Chief Red Eagle ever got the help he needed.
How does the Speech follow the 6 standards?
  • State the issue and the writer's opinion:
    In the first couple of sentences, he uses effective language to show his current disposition. Throughout the speech, he exposes the situation that he has been forced to bear with. The U.S. army had came onto their territory and slaughtered them to extinction. Now the Chief of that territory is begging for the US to “send [help] for the women and children of the war party who are now starving in the woods.” Chief Red Eagle has “done the white people all the harm he could.” Now he “relies on their generosity.”
  • Give opinions and support them with facts or reasons:
    “Even hope has ended”

    He says that he once could “animate” his warriors to battle, but cannot “animate” the dead (there is no living warrior).

    “If I had been left to contend with the Georgia Army, I would have raised corn on one bank of the river and fought them on the other. But your people have destroyed my Nation.”

    What he was trying to say was that a small group of white soldiers would not have been a problem for him. He could have a thriving field of corn while fighting the Army. But it was not only the Georgia soldiers who attacked; it was all the citizens who moved out west who caused Chief Red Eagle to beg for the United States’ help.

    “I have done the white people all the harm I could.”

    Because he had given the invading soldiers a good fight, and now can do nothing else but “weep over the misfortunes of his Nation,” he feels as though he has done as much harm as he could. However, Andrew Jackson might think different and view Chief Red Eagle as even more of a savage than before.
  • Have a reasonable and respectful tone:
    “I have nothing to request in behalf of myself; you can kill me, if you desire.”

    This, being the introduction, sets the tone of Chief Red Eagle’s speech. From this we can tell that Chief Red Eagle is in distress, asking nothing for himself but something for his followers.

    “I have done the white people all the harm I could.”

    Although the topic of the sentence might be rude to say to the president, the way Chief Red Eagle phrased, it did not make him sound as a savage. Based on the fact that the United States soldiers were attacking them, Chief Red Eagle actually sounds respectful of the US.
  • Answer opposing views and Conclude by summing up reasons or calling for action
    “Your people have destroyed my Nation. I rely on your generosity.”

    Andrew Jackson might have replied, “Why should I take time out to help you, the savage?” to Chief Red Eagle’s cry for help. This is an exact rebound to that question. Essentially, what Chief Red Eagle was saying is if you hadn’t come to attack me, I wouldn’t have come looking to you for help.
  • Use sound logic and effect language
    “I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and children at Fort Mims.”

    Although a sentence is not a picture, I can paint my own vivid picture solely based on that sentence. Chief Red Eagle used passionate words and effective language to demonstrate his dedication for his tribe. This sentence greatly improves the amount of persuasion his speech contains.

    “Once I could animate my warriors to battle, but I cannot animate the dead.”

    Instead of saying “All of my warriors are dead,” Chief Red Eagle choose to use effective language and created that line. Now we are painted a more vivid picture of Chief Red Eagle’s situation than “all of my warriors are dead” would.

    A majority of the first paragraph contains sound logic and effective language. This is vital to the overall persuasion of the speech because most people base their opinions/final decisions early on. By Chief Red Eagle using so much sound logic and effective language in the first few sentences, he easily persuaded the audience to be on his side.

    Shortened Speech Attempt

    General Jackson, I am not afraid of you for I fear no man. I have nothing to request in behalf of myself. I come today to beg you to send for the women and children of the war party who are now starving in the woods. Your people are the cause of their misery.
    I exerted myself in vain to prevent the massacre of the women and children at Fort Mims. I am now done fighting. Once I could animate my warriors to battle, but I cannot animate the dead. If I had been left to contend with the Army, I would have raised corn on one bank of the river and fought them on the other. But your people have destroyed my Nation. I now rely on your generosity.

    Source:
    American Rhetoric.com - Chief Red Eagle Speech

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    English 6 Journal (Update #4)

    By Stanley Switalski
  • My English 6 Journal, Classwork and HW
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    Adding an image to your post and other HTML coding

    By Stanley Switalski
    Instead of using the blogger toolbar at the top of the compose page, what you can do is click on "Edit HTML" at the top. This will allow you to do all sorts of nice things. For example, you can use this code to insert an image straight into your post.
    <img src="the_url_of_the_image.jpg">
    If you have your own image that you would like on the blog, you can host it and the host site will give you a url for that image. I have signed up for an account at photobucket.com

    You can also change the size of the photo so that it fits on your blog by adding the width and height command at the end of a img src code. For example:
    <img src="bighugewallpaper.jpg" width="10px" height="10px">will result in this:

    Click on the image and see what happens

    Other fun things you can do under the edit html tab is:
  • Make a bulleted list like this using the "<li>" code
  • Indent a whole paragraph (like this) using the "<blockquote> text goes here </blockquote>" code
  • Insert a hard return using the "<br>" code
  • Center almost anything using the "<center>" code
  • For those who had Mr. Nellen and want his HTML code/style sheet, here it is
    For any other questions just contact me.
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    Speeches: A form of Rhetoric and Persuasive Language

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Review the speeches and select one and analyze and identify rhetoric and persuasive language.
    Who is giving the speech, where, when, audience, protesting pro/con, message.

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt – Pearl Harbor Address to the Nation: A call for war
    December 8th, 1941 at the Capitol, Washington, DC to Congress
    Audio file of the speech available
    FDR had answered, I feel, 5 out of the 6 standards for persuasive writing. The first standard, State the issue and the writer’s position, is completed in the first few sentences. In a nutshell, he informs the nation that “we were attacked by the Japanese” and, from context, we can grasp that FDR is saying to take action or face dire consequences otherwise.
    In the middle of the speech, FDR gave his opinions and facts on why we need to attack Japan quickly. For example “The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition, American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.” If they could do this in one quick attack, imagine what they would do if we allowed this heinous act. By mentioning the American lives that were killed, FDR tried to make the audience’s emotions and pride influence their decision to go to war.
    Fortunately this speech was performed by FDR for if it was just printed, it would not have the same respectful tone and effective language. FDR had put emphasis on every important sentence and phrase. By reading the speech off a page, one would not receive the same message that FDR was able deliver.
    Probably most vital to the persuasion aspect of the speech, FDR had concluded his speech by summing up his message. “I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost, but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us. Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory, and our interests are in grave danger. With confidence in our armed forces, with the unbounding determination of our people, we will gain the inevitable triumph -- so help us God. I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese empire.”
    Just adding to the persuasion, FDR used powerful persuasive words and situations. For example, “inevitable triumph” and “so help us God.” By adding this to his speech, he tried to connect with the people (by using religion) and tried to make both congress and the American public feel that they were obviously going to win (inevitable triumph). With help from FDR’s great, persuasive speech, Congress had declared war against Japan and entered World War II.

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    Forms of Persuasive Writing - Songs

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Work in twos and assume the role of activists/protestors, and research songs that would best depict your position on your group’s assigned topic. Copy and paste the song in Word and annotate.

    Maggie's Farm - Sound File

    Image Analysis


    I found it extremely difficult to find a direct connection between the song and a photo but this was the best I could do. Imagine having to scrub floors hard knowing that if you slip up just a little you could get a few lashes. This was the reality that the narrator had to face everyday.

    This photo truly does the justice of demonstrating the abuse the slaves would take if they refused to listen to their masters. They could have been given many lashes as this man has received, they could have had dogs released on them and cigars put out in their face. The reason I feel as though these two images are fitting for the song is because they both show how rough of a life slaves lived and they play with your emotions.

    Sources

  • Lyrics thanks to sing365.com
  • Image one thanks to viewimages.com
  • Image two thanks to Wikipedia Commons
  • Sound File thanks to thefrump.typepad.com
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    Chief Joseph's Speech - Interpretation

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Answer the Following Questions about Chief Joseph's Speech
    1. How is the art of rhetoric evident in Chief Joseph’s speech?
    There are two examples of how the art of rhetoric is evident in Chief Joseph's speech. The first would be the repetition that Chief Joseph used. He used two different types of repetition in his speech. The first would be repetition of words, as seen in the end of his speech where Chief Joseph repeats "free" as in "Let me be a free man -- free to travel, free to stop, free to work..." The other type of repetition Chief Joseph used was the repetition of examples. Constantly we are reminded of the examples of kindness his tribe offered the white men. Through his repetition, he made me feel sad for them and was hoping to make the United States government feel guilty about their inhumane actions.
    Another example of the art of rhetoric in Chief Joseph's speech would be his use of religion. Chief Joseph used religion in order to persuade the US government that he only wants peace and to remain in the land that the Great Spirit Chief initially gave to his people.
    2. Who is he addressing in this speech?
    Chief Joseph is addressing Government officials in Washington D.C., especially those who ordered the soldiers to move his people off their land.
    3. Who is he indicting and why?
    Chief Joseph is indicting the US Government, its officials and various settlers. He is indicting the government and the officials because they are the ones who gave the unjust and inhumane orders to the officials and various soldiers. He is also indicting the various settlers because they had committed acts of crime against the Nez Perces. Such crimes included the white settlers stealing horses, branding young cattle and horses calling them their property and the white settlers drove many cattle off their land.
    4. Identify any heroic characteristics
    The first heroic characteristic is that, by making this speech, Chief Joseph fought against the oppressive force in order to defend his people. Another heroic characteristic is his dedication to make sure that his people possess the land where they have buried their ancestors.
    5. Why is this speech Protest Literature?
    Chief Joseph's speech is definitely Protest Literature for it demonstrates all the unjust and inhumane acts that most Native Americans had to cope with during Manifest Destiny. It gives us a first hand look of what the other side had to deal with and how they dealt with it. Now not only does his speech give us examples, but it was also a speech designed to make the oppressive force feel guilty and rethink their choices. This clearly makes Chief Joseph's speech Protest Literature.

    Do Now: Interpret the following quote:

    “The Earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it." (Chief Joseph)
    It is impossible for one man or one group to own the Earth. It was created for everyone and no one man can dictate who receives what part of the Earth and how they should receive it. In Chief Jospeh’s example, the US Government was telling the Nez Pereces that they had no other option but to move to a reservation because the US Government had acquired the land that they are living on. However, because “the earth is the mother of all people and all people should have equal rights upon it,” he refused to move. He felt that it is impossible for the US to own any land and therefore had no right to tell his people where to live.
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    English 6 Journal (Update #3)

    By Stanley Switalski
  • Download my journal here
  • KWL Chart
  • Venn Diagram Comparing the two works of literature
  • Ambush annotation page 1 & page 2
  • Dulce Et Decorum Est Annotation
  • Venn Diagram comparing Ambush and Dulce Et Decorum Est
  • Sense Chart of Ambush and Dulce Et Decorum Est
  • Venn Diagram of the terms "Hispanic" and "Latino"
  • My entire Notebook - Includes HW and any other miscellaneous notes/works
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    I Am What I Am

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Define your own identity in an autobiographical poem titled “I Am What I Am.”

    I Am What I Am

    I am what I appear to be.
    I am a mixture of Caucasian races.
    American, Irish and Polish blood rages through me.
    I am a hard-working student,
    dedicated to getting the work done under any circumstance.
    I am a hard-working technician.
    I will never quit a job until the problem is resolved.
    I am a good friend.
    My peers know I can shed light on their darkest hours.

    Although deceiving, I am not what I appear to be.
    I am a regular teenager.
    I appreciate a good laugh and enjoy life.
    I am an athlete.
    Playing soccer and bowling is my passion.
    I am a musician.
    I express myself more freely though a guitar.

    I am what I am.
    There is nothing or nobody who can change that.
    I am a unique individual
    For I am what I am.
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    English 6 Journal (Update #2)

    By Stanley Switalski
    2/1/08
    Course Description: ELA Regents preparation Winter/Spring 2008
    American Literature Survey Themes : “The Spirit of Freedom” , ”Protest Literature” “The American Dream.”
    Write a research paper using MLA style format.
    Need to create a Blog page to post assignments.
    Daily work will be posted on website.

    Tentative Reading
  • Wilson, August Fences
  • Hansberry, Lorraine A Raisin in the sun
    Grading:
    20% Participation
    20% Projects
    30% Tests
    30% Papers
    • 2/4/08
    Focus Question: How prepared are you for college?
    Not to be arrogant, but I feel as though I am somewhat prepared for college. I have a list of 10 colleges that I would like to attend. As for what I am doing currently, I feel as though my grades will be plenty in order for me to place in a good college. On top of my grades, I am taking a Princeton Review SAT class so I can be sure that my SAT scores are good enough to land me in a phenomenal college. Now as for attending college, I can balance a large workload without going insane, which is extremely vital as well.
    2/5/08
    Aim: How can we integrate technology in this English course?

    DN: Write a paragraph on how you think technology should be integrated in an English class. What things would you like to do using technology?
    Technology in an English classroom is a perfect example of our society moving towards the future. Although many may agree on this statement, many disagree on how technology should be integrated. I feel as though the perfect technology to be used in an English class is a projector and a cart of laptops for the students. With the projector, the teacher is able to display their lesson plan to the entire class and the students can follow along as the teacher goes through her lesson. As for specific activities, I feel as though our class can utilize the World Wide Web to enrich ourselves. Through the Internet we have access to the latest news, copies of literature and information that could only enrich our education. On top of that, the teacher can utilize on-line activities that could make a lesson more interesting or explain a topic better without having to worry about students having access to the Internet or a computer in general.
    2/7/08
    Aim: What is a slave narrative?
    Do Now: Explain in one paragraph what have you’ve been taught about slavery in social studies. How can slave narratives be a form of protest literature?
    I have been taught a lot about slavery so far. It was a terrible, corrupted system where we (Americans) would invade towns in Africa, steal their people and bring them back to America. Although a free trip to a new land might sound great, this is far from the truth. The, at this points, slaves were packed into ships where they had to bear with terrible living conditions. After a month at sea, they would arrive in America and immediately auctioned off. The reason the slaves could be auctioned was because they were viewed as property. Once the (plantation) master had received his slave(s), he/she had forced them to work long hours and abused them most of the day. After the long work day had ended, the slaves would often retire to their “shacks” and be fed little or no food. From this point, the cycle would repeat. Fortunately for the woman, if the master had liked the slave, he would ask the slave to be a maid in the house.
    Slave narratives are a perfect form of protest literature. They show the true feelings that some slaves had to undergo and show the true torture the slaves had to endure. The narratives could show real hopes and dreams of real slaves. These hopes and dreams are the source of protest.

    A slave narrative is an autobiographical text about one’s experience in slavery.
    2/8/08
    Aim: Students will gain insight into the horrifying conditions facing slaves throughout the ordeal.

    Do Now:
    KWL Chart
    2/11/08
    Aim: How can we use a Graphic Organizer to better identify and compare Equiano’s similarities and differences to Harper’s and Whitfield’s poems?
    Do Now: Compare One of the poems to Equiano’s narrative.
    When I was reading “Bury me in a Free Land,” I felt as though that poem completed the excerpt.
    In Equiano’s narrative, we are exposed to all the terrible acts and conditions that slaves had to experience. However, the excerpt ended at the point where slaves are sold. “Bury me in a Free Land” shows what happens to slaves once they are put to work.

    Venn-Diagram Comparing the two works of Literature
    2/12/08
    Aim: How can we compare protest literature?
    Previous night's HW:
  • Annotate Ambush: Page 1 & Page 2
  • Annotate "Dulce et Decorum Est" What specific images, lines or scene from each work makes these two works anti-war?
    In “Dulce et Decorum Est”, line 27 is the most supportive of the statement that it is an anti-war work. “The old lie : [translated] Sweet and fitting is it to die for your native land.” Another piece of evidence is the imagery presented in lines 16-22. It shows how vicious and inhuman war truly is.
    In “Ambush,” from the scenes depicted, we can clearly tell that this piece of work is anti-war. I mean could you imagine telling your daughter that you killed a man? Can you imagine killing a man automatically? This is what happens after soldiers come back from war and obviously this is not a positive aspect of war.

    Venn-Diagram comparing Ambush & "Dulce et Decorum Est"
    Sense Diagram comparing Ambush & "Dulce et Decorum Est"
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    A Letter to the Soldier in "Dulce et decorum est"

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Write a letter to either speaker in O’Brien or Owen’s work, sharing your reactions to his narration and asking any questions you have about his experience.

    Stanley Switalski
    1 Infinite Loop
    Cupertino, CA 95014

    February 14, 2008

    Dear Speaker,
    I have recently read your story through your narrative “Dulce et Decorum Est” and I am quite intrigued by the peril and torture that you had to face. Although the government states that joining the army is a fantastic thing, I now know better. However, I did not know that war was so brutal. If you don’t mind, I would like to ask you some questions and compliment your bravery and honor.
    I feel as though you are a very strong soldier. If I had seen one of my colleagues “plunge at me, guttering, choking, drowning,”1 I don’t believe that I would ever be the same. Seeing him suffer would permanently destroy my life. On top of that, I do not believe that I could “limp on, blood-shot”2 with pounds of equipment on my back. It is too demanding of a task for the average person such as I. Meanwhile you are trudging through sludge fighting against gas bombs to defend “the old Lie: Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”3 It’s this that causes me to ask, how did you do it? Did you have to go through intense training? I, personally, cannot operate without sleep. Meanwhile you are defending your life and your nation with little to no sleep. Another question I would have to ask is how many battles have you faced where you had to bear with these same conditions? From the way you described putting your helmet, it doesn’t appear as though you had much experience. The final question that I have for you is if you believed “the old lie” when you first became a soldier. In other words, did you sign up to fight in the war or were you picked as part of a draft?
    To conclude, I salute you. I cannot come to understand on how you fought and lived through these conditions. To be able to stay focused for hours on end and still be able to fight is beyond me. To have the courage to rush though poison gas and still fight for your country is courage I wish I possessed. To be able to stand strong while your closest friend is dying is something I could not do. I hope that you can answer these questions, as the answers will assist me in comprehending exactly how a soldier becomes so strong during a terrible time.

    Sincerely

    Stanley Switalski
    1 Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen – Line 16
    2 Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen – Line 6
    3 Dulce et Decorum Est by Wilfred Owen – Lines 27-28
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    Wiki-elements

    By Stanley Switalski
    Task: Give definitions for each of the following literary elements and identify each in Equiano’s narrative.

    Genre- A category of artistic composition, as in music or literature, marked by a distinctive style, form, or content. Example: The Genre of Olaudah Equiano is protest literature.

    Symbolism- An object, event or person that represents a larger idea or set of ideas. Example: The quadrant that Equiano is so curious about could symbolize his “zest for life.”

    Imagery- Descriptive language that evokes one or all of the five senses. Example: “The closeness of the place, and the heat of the climate, added to the number in the ship, which was so crowded that each had scarcely room to turn himself, almost suffocated us. This produced copious perspirations, so that the air soon became unfit for respiration”

    Plot- The chain of related events that take place in a story. Example: The basic plot of the excerpt is as follows: First, Equiano is stolen from his native land. Second, Equiano is packed onto a cargo ship where he spends many days as he is transferred from Africa to America. Third, Equiano arrives in America and is inspected by fellow slave traders. Finally, Equiano is put on display for sale at the slave auction.

    Characterization- The method used by a writer to develop a character. The author demonstrates characterization by describing the character’s: Qualities, Appearance, Actions, Beliefs, and Thoughts. Example: From Equiano’s characterization, we know that he is a brilliant man with an iron will who is curious about everything new to him.

    Setting- The time and the location in which a story takes place. Example: The setting of Olaudah Equlano takes place during the 17th to the 19th centuries in Africa, the Atlantic Ocean and the Barbadoes.

    Conflicts- A struggle between (external) or within (internal) characters. Example: One conflict in Olaudah Equlano and that is Man vs. Man. The slaves on board, naturally, were always in conflict with the slave traders and buyers. For example, when some slaves tried to escape, they were caught and whipped by the slave traders.

    Point of View- The perspective from which a story is told. Example: The point of view of Olaudah Equlano is First Person due to the fact that Olaudah Equlano is a narrative.
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    Wiki-cabulary

    By Stanley Switalski
    Vocabulary from Olaudah Equiano
    • Pestilential (adj.) – Pernicious or harmful.
    • Avarice (noun) – Extreme greed for wealth or material gain.
    • Inhabitants (noun) – A person or animal that lives in or occupies a place.
    • Apprehension (noun) – Anxiety or fear that something bad or unpleasant will happen.
    • Clamour (noun) – A loud and confused noise, especially that of people shouting vehemently.
    Vocabulary from "Dulce et Decorum Est"
    • Trudge (verb) - To walk, esp. laboriously or wearily: to trudge up a long flight of steps.
    • Fatigue (noun) - Weariness from bodily or mental exertion; a cause of weariness; slow ordeal; exertion: the fatigue of driving for many hours.
    • Floundering (verb) - To make clumsy attempts to move or regain one's balance.
    • Ecstasy (noun) - an overpowering emotion or exaltation; a state of sudden, intense feeling.
    • Writhing (verb) - to twist the body about, or squirm, as in pain, violent effort, etc.
    • Cud (noun) - the portion of food that a ruminant returns from the first stomach to the mouth to chew a second time.
    • Vile (adj.) - repulsive or disgusting, as to the senses or feeling: a vile order.
    • Zest (noun) - hearty enjoyment.
    • Ardent (adj) - Having, expressive of, or characterized by intense feeling; passionate; fervent: an ardent vow; ardent love. Intense devotion.
    Vocabulary from "Ambush"
    • Peril (noun) - exposure to the risk of being injured, destroyed, or lost.
    • Gape (verb) - to stare with open mouth, as in wonder.
    • Ammunition (noun) - the material fired, scattered, dropped, or detonated from any weapon, as bombs or rockets, and especially shot, shrapnel, bullets, or shells fired by guns.
    • Repellent (noun) - something that repels, as a substance that keeps away insects.
    • Platoon (noun) - a military unit consisting of two or more squads or sections and a headquarters.
    • My Khe (noun) - a place in Vietnam.
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    Slave Narrative: Olaudah Equlano Questions

    By Stanley Switalski
    Comprehension Check: For what crimes were slaves punished? What was the punishment?
    There were two crimes mentioned in this excerpt that the slaves committed. The first is when the ship’s crew had feasted on fish. Although there were plenty of fish left over that the crew could have given to the slaves, the crew tossed the remaining fish back into the sea. “Being pressed by hunger,” some of Equlano’s countrymen took an opportunity, when they thought no one was watching, to see if they could get some fish. The second crime the slaves committed was trying to escape. Two of Equlano’s countrymen, chained together, somehow made it through the netting and jumped ship; they preferred death over their current conditions. A third slave, severely sick, also jumped ship after he saw the first two make it. In both crimes, the crew was “instantly alarmed” and the slave’s punishment had been “very severe floggings.” Fortunately two of the slaves that had jumped ship were lucky and escaped.
    Critical thinking: Why does Equiano blame the illness aboard the ship on the “improvident avarice” of the traders?
    Equiano has every right to blame the illness aboard the ship on the “improvident avarice” of the traders. I mean the illness aboard the ship is mainly caused by the cramped spaces, unbearable smell and lack of food. These factors are all caused by the trader’s greed and thoughtlessness. The reason the ship is so crammed is because the more slaves the traders can fit on the ship, the more pay they will receive. As for the lack of food and unbearable smell, the trader’s were completely thoughtless about how the slaves felt. All they could care about was that their stomachs were full and that their quarters were clean. Furthermore, I can completely agree with why Equiano blames the illness aboard the ship on the “improvident avarice” of the traders.
    Support from the text: How can you tell that Equiano has a great zest for life despite his assertion that he wanted to die?
    Equiano has a great zest for life due to his curiosity about this “other world.” For example, he was extremely curious about the quadrant that the mariners used. Once Equiano had the privilege to examine the quadrant, he was fascinated; Equiano was only more persuaded that he was in another world and that everything about himself was magic. Furthermore, it is this curiosity and this wonder that shows the readers that Equiano has a great zest for life.
    Infer: What does this passage reveal about the author?
    I feel as though this passage reveals that the author was a brilliant man with an iron will. He understood that he was stuck between a rock and a hard place and dealt with those conditions. To be honest, I do not think that I could survive the terrible stench and close quarters that Equiano had to survive. As for why I believe the author was brilliant? It is because of his curiosity and wonder. Equiano was curious and intrigued by all the new things that this new world had to offer. However, not only was Equiano curious but he was eager to learn and experience everything that was new to him.
    Draw a conclusion: Explain what a variety of languages indicates about the slave trade.
    Because there were a variety of slaves, each speaking a different language, we can conclude that the slave trade was not a one man, one town job. The slave trade had to span many different areas and incorporate many different traders. It is close to impossible for a group of 5 traders to round up such a large variety of slaves.
    Thematic Focus: When one culture dominates another what troubles might society face?
    There are many troubles that a society experiences when one culture dominates another. A prime example would be the United States during the 1940’s and 1950’s. One problem was discrimination. Those who are dominated are consistently ridiculed and are not able to receive the same treatment as the dominant race. Another problem that arises are hate groups. Because the dominated culture is “naturally” discriminated against, there are a group of indviduals that go even further than basic discrimination. For example, a popular hate group in America during the 1950’s was the Ku Klux Klan. They would dehumanize, torture or even murder the dominated race. One last major issue is inequality. When one culture dominates the other, the dominant culture believes that the other culture is inferior and should be treated as thus. To conclude, when one culture dominates another, society is sharply divided and the dominant culture denies the dominated culture any rights.
    Final task: Select a scene from Olaudah Equlano and Draw the scene and narrate it in your own words.
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    English 6 Journal (Update #1)

    By Stanley Switalski
    2/1/08
    Course Description: ELA Regents preparation Winter/Spring 2008 American Literature Survey Themes : “The Spirit of Freedom” , ”Protest Literature” “The American Dream.” Write a research paper using MLA style format. Need to create a Blog page to post assignments. Daily work will be posted on website. Tentative Reading • Wilson, August Fences • Hansberry, Lorraine A Raisin in the sun Grading: 20% Participation 20% Projects 30% Tests 30% Papers
    2/4/08
    Focus Question: How prepared are you for college? Not to be arrogant, but I feel as though I am somewhat prepared for college. I have a list of 10 colleges that I would like to attend. As for what I am doing currently, I feel as though my grades will be plenty in order for me to place in a good college. On top of my grades, I am taking a Princeton Review SAT class so I can be sure that my SAT scores are good enough to land me in a phenomenal college. Now as for attending college, I can balance a large workload without going insane, which is extremely vital as well.
    2/5/08
    Aim: How can we integrate technology in this English course? DN: Write a paragraph on how you think technology should be integrated in an English class. What things would you like to do using technology? Technology in an English classroom is a perfect example of our society moving towards the future. Although many may agree on this statement, many disagree on how technology should be integrated. I feel as though the perfect technology to be used in an English class is a projector and a cart of laptops for the students. With the projector, the teacher is able to display their lesson plan to the entire class and the students can follow along as the teacher goes through her lesson. As for specific activities, I feel as though our class can utilize the World Wide Web to enrich ourselves. Through the Internet we have access to the latest news, copies of literature and information that could only enrich our education. On top of that, the teacher can utilize on-line activities that could make a lesson more interesting or explain a topic better without having to worry about students having access to the Internet or a computer in general.
    2/7/08
    Aim: What is a slave narrative? Do Now: Explain in one paragraph what have you’ve been taught about slavery in social studies. How can slave narratives be a form of protest literature? I have been taught a lot about slavery so far. It was a terrible, corrupted system where we (Americans) would invade towns in Africa, steal their people and bring them back to America. Although a free trip to a new land might sound great, this is far from the truth. The, at this points, slaves were packed into ships where they had to bear with terrible living conditions. After a month at sea, they would arrive in America and immediately auctioned off. The reason the slaves could be auctioned was because they were viewed as property. Once the (plantation) master had received his slave(s), he/she had forced them to work long hours and abused them most of the day. After the long work day had ended, the slaves would often retire to their “shacks” and be fed little or no food. From this point, the cycle would repeat. Fortunately for the woman, if the master had liked the slave, he would ask the slave to be a maid in the house. Slave narratives are a perfect form of protest literature. They show the true feelings that some slaves had to undergo and show the true torture the slaves had to endure. The narratives could show real hopes and dreams of real slaves. These hopes and dreams are the source of protest. A slave narrative is an autobiographical text about one’s experience in slavery.
    2/8/08
    Aim: Students will gain insight into the horrifying conditions facing slaves throughout the ordeal.
    Do Now:
    If the following picture does not fit on your screen, click on this link
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    Quote Interpretation & "I am nobody who are you?"

    By Stanley Switalski
    "I never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. A small bird will drop dead from a bough Without ever having felt sorry for itself." -D.H. Lawrence
    I feel as though this quote holds an important meaning and that meaning is no one should ever feel sorry for himself/herself. As D.H. Lawrence stated, he never saw a wild thing feel sorry for itself. The key phrase in that sentence is “wild thing.” Typically, wild animals have a much harder life than most people. They have to hunt for their food and must live through some of the hardest conditions. While people always feel sorry for themselves, compared to the wild animals, we have nothing to be truly sorry about. It isn’t like we have to go out and hunt for our own food. Unlike birds, we don’t have to worry about flying thousands of miles to live once the season changes. Even a small bird that drops frozen dead will not have felt sorry for itself while people always feel sorry for themselves about the most unimportant things. In conclusion, I believe D.H. Lawrence was trying to state that humans, of all living things, have no reason to be sorry for himself/herself.
    "I am nobody who are you?" -Emily Dickinson
    I believe that I am many things. I am definitely a scholar. I am constantly concerned about my schoolwork and my grades. On top of being a scholar, I am an athletic person as well. I enjoy soccer, cricket and currently hold a 171 average in bowling. I am a hard worker as well; currently I work two jobs. I work at my middle school two days a week afterschool as a computer technician and I work as a chess tournament director every Saturday. Although I work hard, I am also a typical teenager. I enjoy being with my friends and I enjoy participating in typical teenager activities, such as playing video games. Although I may not be great, I am a musician. I have been playing the guitar for three years and hope to become almost as good as my idle Jimi Hendrix. I am also a chess player. I have been playing chess ever since the fourth grade and I have traveled across the country playing in many national chess tournaments. As for my personality, I feel as though I am a kind and supportive person. I never enjoy seeing people suffer. As for my career, I hope to become a computer engineer and find a job working for Apple. Although I may currently be a “nobody,” I hope that I can someday become “somebody.”
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