Yosemite Trip Countdown!

Preview Prezi

This is a link to my Masterpiece Preview Prezi.  It's kind of lackluster and uninformative without my words to go along with it, but it will do!

IT'S FINALLY HERE!

My 18th birthday present finally came in the mail!  I can't wait to dive into this book and learn more about the life of my hero, John Muir!

THIS SUMMER'S MOTO...

FIVE STEPS

I just got back from a visit in the park and all I can say is that the people going on this trip are in for a huge treat!  I met with Lynnae while I was up there and she gave me a tour of where we are staying and invited Whitney Houg, Breanna Timmons, my dad, and I to have dinner with a group of students that was up there for the week.  It was such a blast and I have no doubt that this trip will be an amazing experience for everyone that's on board!

Over Spring break we are supposed to create a preview for our Masterpiece to present to our class through pictures and videos.  I want my classmates to be surprised when they get there so I don't want to spoil it with pictures and videos.  I just want each and every one of them to know that they are in for something amazing!

Rather than outlining five steps that I would take toward creating this preview I'm kindly refusing to do one.  Everyone will have to wait to be wowed when the project is done!

Here's just tiny sneak peak for you guys...

Macbeth micro-lesson

Lady Macbeth Analysis!  Please click here to see out Prezi!

This is How You Will all Feel When You See Yosemite for the First Time

Macbeth Act V Reading Notes

Sorry they're late!  Forgot to post them!

QUOTE ANALYSIS?

1.       Banquo says: Thou hast it now—King, Cawdor, Glamis, all/ As the weird women promised, and I fear/ Thou played’st most foully, for’t.

·        Literal Interpretation:  You are now king as the witches prophesied, but you didn't play fair to get it.

·         Symbolic/Thematic Interpretation:  The idea of power corrupts and can cause you to do terrible things.

2.       Macbeth says: They hailed him father to a line of kings./ Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown/ And put a barren scepter in my grip.

·        Literal Interpretation:  They made him king.

·         Symbolic/Thematic Interpretation:  This man that needs his wife to make decisions for him and is so afraid of people that he kills everyone now is in control of an entire kingdom.

3.       Lady Macbeth says: Naught’s had, all’s spent,/ Where our desire is got without content./ ‘Tis safer to be that which we destroy/ Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.

·        Literal Interpretation:  Better be safe than sorry (AKA kill 'em).

·         Symbolic/Thematic Interpretation:  Lady Macbeth has a way of controlling Macbeth and uses her words to persuade him to do what she wants. 

4.       Macbeth says: Better be with thee,/ Whom we, to gain our peace, have sent peace,/ Than on the torture of the mind to lie/ In restless ecstasy.

·        Literal Interpretation:  Not quite positive, but it sounds like he is envying those that he has murdered because they no longer have worries or fears.  

·         Symbolic/Thematic Interpretation:He is now questioning his own life as he takes away others.

5.       Macbeth says: I am in blood/ Stepped so far that, should I wade no more,/ Returning were as tedious as go o’er.

·        Literal Interpretation:  He has murdered himself into a pretty deep hole that he can't dig himself out of.

·         Symbolic/Thematic Interpretation:  Rather than be a strong king, Macbeth feared his position 
      and let that fear control his decisions.  The most people he killed, the more fear and guilt he had.  

THE CROSSROADS BETWEEN SHOULD AND MUST

     Elle Luna's relation between should and must perfectly puts the theme our master pieces into words. The entire point of our senior project is to veer away from the should that has be driving us toward that perfect college bound, model student that gets A's on every test and aced their SATs.  Following your "must" releases stress, engages you toward a positive future, and just simply leaves you in a happier state of mind.  After beginning my senior project, and taking steps toward that "must" I have now experienced real life examples that support and defend everything that Elle Luna said in her essay.

     Growing up I always had "should" oriented goals.  Get good grades, impress others, prepare for college.  Yet, I always new what I loved and what I wanted to do; I was just to afraid to go after it for the same fears that I laugh at now: time, money, and failure.  One of the initial factors that led me to veer away from the "shoulds" and more toward the "musts" was my brother, James.  He just graduated from college with a degree to go into a field that I see as the most intimating and unstable field out there, film.  He has been searching for jobs for months and keeps getting turned down because he doesn't have enough experience.  I know, a real catch 22 right?  Despite this, he is always positive and just got an interview today with a company called Motion Picture Company for 3:00 PM tomorrow!  So send him good vibes!  MPC has worked on movies like Man of Steel, Spider Man, World War Z, and Maleficent!  So cool!  He never would have gotten this interview if he would have stuck to "should" and listened to the people who told him that he could never do it.

     Growing up I have always had a passion for the environment.  Yosemite has always been my home away from home and is where I find my solitude.  It's where I do my best thinking and feel most at peace.  For my senior project, I wanted my classmates to get a taste of what goes goes on inside my mind so I planned a trip to take them up there.  I found a program called Nature Bridge that is willing to host us and we are all going up on Memorial Day weekend to learn about the ecology of the park and how to protect the beauty around us!  I am so excited for it to happen and I owe everything to following that "must" that Elle Luna talks about.

     When trying to accomplish a must, Elle Luna talked about three fears that everyone has: money, time, and failure.  I'm here to tell you that those fears don't exist, they are just excuses.  Once you find your true niche, nothing can get in the way.  When I booked the program with Nature Bridge, I received an invoice for almost $8,000.  Rather than giving up there, I started planning ways to raise the money.  This weekend we are having a HUGE BBQ and Krispy Kreme doughnut sale, and I expect an awesome turnout!  Outside of planning this trip, I take four AP classes, volunteer coach, work, and travel on the weekends for club soccer tournaments.  Time still isn't an issue because I'm doing what I love!  The third fear that the Elle talked about was failure.  Growing up, this has always been my biggest fear, but I'm happy to say that it isn't anymore.  There is no such thing as failing, just learning the wrong way to do things!  The most impactful observation that I have taken away from my Yosemite experience is that people want to help you, and they want you to succeed.  I have been amazed at the support that I have had as this project has progressed.

     Elle Luna also talked about three qualities that help you practice your "must."  These are thing that I have done naturally, but it was interesting to see them surfaced in Elle's essay.  The first one is solitude.  To be honest, I need to find a happy medium with solitude because my friends don't understand it and I think that they're getting frustrated with me.  That's an easy fix though.  Elle said, "I had long dreamed of being in a place where the inside and outside were one and the same."  I feel the same way; similar to the observation about Picasso's art and life being on the same medium, I have studied John Muir and have found happiness and solitude in the same way that he did.  Adventuring out into the wilderness with no plans but to discover something new around every turn embodies the must that he and I share.  Another quality is focus; nothing can break my focus at this point.  Once you find your must, you'll understand.  The third quality is to bring others in.  That was my goal from the beginning, by bringing my classmates to Yosemite, I'm hoping that they will be inspired to live more sustainable lifestyles and take extra steps to preserve our environment.  They may not have the same reaction to Yosemite that I have, but I have confidence that nature's presence will speak to them!

     It is amazing to see life experiences put into words, and crazy how closely mine connect with Elle Luna's essay.  Don't let your life be driven by "shoulds".  Give "must" a shot!

Enjoy the Natural World

Macbeth Act IV Reading Notes

Macbeth Essay Prompts

PROMPT 1:
Using analysis of literary techniques and quotes from the text.  Explain Lady Macbeth's purpose in act III.  How does her character influence Macbeth?  How does the way the audience sees her compare with how she is seen in the play?

PROMPT 2:
MACBETH

Bring them before us.

Exit Attendant
To be thus is nothing;
But to be safely thus.--Our fears in Banquo
Stick deep; and in his royalty of nature
Reigns that which would be fear'd: 'tis much he dares;
And, to that dauntless temper of his mind,
He hath a wisdom that doth guide his valour
To act in safety. There is none but he
Whose being I do fear: and, under him,
My Genius is rebuked; as, it is said,
Mark Antony's was by Caesar. He chid the sisters
When first they put the name of king upon me,
And bade them speak to him: then prophet-like
They hail'd him father to a line of kings:
Upon my head they placed a fruitless crown,
And put a barren sceptre in my gripe,
Thence to be wrench'd with an unlineal hand,
No son of mine succeeding. If 't be so,
For Banquo's issue have I filed my mind;
For them the gracious Duncan have I murder'd;
Put rancours in the vessel of my peace
Only for them; and mine eternal jewel
Given to the common enemy of man,
To make them kings, the seed of Banquo kings!
Rather than so, come fate into the list.
And champion me to the utterance! Who's there!
Analyze the meaning of the text.  Use literary techniques to support your conclusions.  How is this soliloquy important to the play as a whole?

PROMPT 3:
Using evidence from act III, analyze the difference between truth and reality in the play.  Use textual examples as well as literary techniques to support your point.
 

Now This is How Civil Engineers Make Pancakes!!!

Macbeth Act III Reading Notes

Macbeth Act II Reading Noted

LOOK AT MY BRAIN

My masterpiece is the result of this overbearing love and passion that I have for Yosemite National Park that I have kept to myself since I was a little girl.  Now that I have been handed the opportunity to share that passion with people who have never been to the park, it is spewing out of me in every word, thought, and action that I posses.  There's something about being able to share your passion with like-minded people that just makes you feel confident, important, and renewed.  It's like the floodgates in my mind have opened and all of these trapped thoughts and ideas are coming to the surface. The other day I started thinking about ways that Yosemite Valley could run off  of 100% natural energy; AKA wind, water, and solar.  This project has pushed me outside of my comfort zone and has encouraged me to talk to new people, try new things, and test my limits.  So far, the most valuable realization that I've gotten from this experience is that people are kind, and they do want to help you. So don't be afraid to ask for help and build up your connections.  There are thousands of possibilities so don't lose out on them by assuming that they can't be done because they can.

                                   

What's a nemophilist?

MEET MACBETH

     Macbeth's characterization begins with the Sergeant, "For brave Macbeth--well he deserves that name."  Macbeth is immediately introduced as a brave soldier.  From then on, he is praised by his peers (other than his wife).  We can see into his inner thoughts through his asides to himself which gives the audience the knowledge that he's not as courageous as the people around him think he is.  The witches have a large role in foreshadowing as the play begins.  Their famous line, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair.."  tells the reader that what will happen will happen and it can't be changed.  I also think that there is some foreshadowing in them saying that Banquo's son will become king because I think that this means that Banquo's son will end up killing Macbeth for the crown.  They also foreshadow Macbeth killing Duncan and becoming king.  Shakespeare's use of the witches was a great way to set up the play without giving away what will actually happen.  Shakespeare's characterization of Macbeth immediately evokes a dork and questioning tone because he struggles making decisions for himself mentally, but seems perfectly sane on the outside which is really suspicious for a reader.  He is already thinking about murder for self-gain which makes the audience seem weary and skeptical of what's to come next.  At this point in the play, one act in, the theme seems to be centered around the quote, "Fair is foul, and foul is fair.."  I think that this phrase will stay as a recurring motif throughout the rest of the play because it's meaning is dismal and anyone who reads Macbeth knows that it doesn't have a sugar-coated plot line.

LOVE IS BLIND

There's a word for people like Macbeth that I feel is represented pretty well in this video.  When Lady Macbeth says jump, Macbeth asks how high.  He will bend over backwards for her because she is perfect in his eyes.  To the audience she is seen as a sick, twisted, deranged female mind that loves to be in power and make men feel inferior.  She is kind of psycho, and everyone but Macbeth can see it.

WHAT ABOUT MY MASTERPIECE?

I had a meeting on Tuesday to collect Medical Release Forms and Student  Contracts for my Yosemite Trip.  I now have almost everyone's.  I also handed out the Volunteer Services Agreement.  I talked about our BBQ fundraiser coming up and reminded everyone to keep selling their tickets.  I also organized a Krispy Kreme fundraiser for the same day.  Hopefully April 19th will bring in a lot of funds for the trip!  Another thing that I'm actually pretty proud of is this AWESOME spread sheet I created to keep track of ticket sales, contact info, who has turned in their forms, and who has raised money.  I'm pretty proud of it!

We are currently reading Macbeth which is considered one of Shakespeare's master pieces.  The difference between his work and mine is that he had all day and night dedicated to his endeavor whereas I have many other things on my plate.  Although, I wouldn't say that I need a clear plate to be satisfied with my work because there are periods of waiting as well as periods of a lot of stress.

Macbeth Act I Reading Notes