FINAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

Your final essay assignment for GLPS is here! YAY!!!!!!!!
Please follow the same basic essay style for argument we talked about in class. Use the thesis statement I am providing and then you will provide reasons. Your body paragraphs will explain your reasons and provide evidence from the films we have talked about.

TOPIC/THESIS STATEMENT

Among the princesses we discussed in class, ______________ is the most positive role model for girls growing up today.

PRINCESS PROFILES

Here is an example of a layout for your Disney princess profile. I made this using MS Word.

Also, do a profile of Merida from Brave.
You should have two profiles posted on your blog: one for your Disney princess and one for Merida.

DUE DATES:
Class 9: Friday, Jan. 18
Class 10: Friday, Jan. 18
Class 11: Friday, Jan. 18
Class 12: Saturday, Jan. 19

<PICTURE>	NAME:
	AGE:
	MOVIE (YEAR):
	DAILY ACTIVITIES:
	GOOD POINTS:
	BAD POINTS:
	OTHER:

Freedom, Responsibility, and Courage in "Brave"

Have you ever wanted to change your fate or walk along a path of your own choosing? Brave, the 2012 animated movie from Pixar, is about this question. A free-spirited Scottish princess (Merida) who wants to change her fate away from the responsibilities of her position must accept that if she wants others to change, then she herself must change. I think this is a very positive message for young people because it shows that you can be both independent and responsible, and it also shows the true nature of courage.

The difference between daughter's and mother's hair and personality.

At the beginning of the movie, Merida is shown to be an energetic, wild, and adventurous young woman. Her flaming red hair is long, curly, bright, and uncontrollable. It is impossible to imagine Merida wearing a hat. She complains constantly about the duties of being a princess in the same way that her mother, Queen Elinor, complains about weapons on the table. Being free and without responsibility is great, but it is also selfish. The more Merida acts for her own benefit, the more she hurts the people around her. Her mother and little brothers are turned into bears, her father becomes obsessed with hunting and killing the bear, and the clans all want to fight each other. However, when Merida begins to understand her selfishness and her responsibilities, bonds that were broken are mended. Finally, Merida learns responsibility and earns her independence, but, at the same time, is bonded (tied) to her mother and to her duty. Brave shows that a young person can have both of these important qualities.

Since the name of the film is Brave, it is not surprising that courage is one of the ideas explored in the story.Sure, Merida

Merida faces the consequence of selfish pride.

overcomes fear when climbing high cliffs or fighting the demon bear Mor'du, but it is the other aspects of courage that she has more difficulty displaying. Admitting that she was wrong and selfish and must accept responsibility show Merida's bravery, too. I think it is also brave of Merida's mother at the end of the movie to trust her daughter's path. As a parent myself, I know that it is easier to choose the way for my children rather than letting them go their own ways.

I don't think that Brave is the best movie ever or even the best Pixar movie, but it doesn't have to be. It is full of memorable characters and positive messages about responsibility, independence, fate, and courage. It's a great movie for young and old to watch and understand each other.

BRAVE RESPONSE ESSAY

DUE DATE: Saturday, January 19th
about 300 words

HOPE FOR THE FUTURE:

A TEACHER'S REACTION TO ADORA SVITAK

At the end of her TED talk, 12 year-old Adora Svitak says that children will grow up to be adults like my generation, but better. I hope so. She also talks about the value of children progressing and the value of "childish" thinking. Really, nobody other than a child could give a talk like that. The part of Miss Svitak's speech that affected me the most was her idea of children teaching adults. This idea is attractive to me because I am a teacher and I am interested in learning.

As you already know, I am a teacher here at KMLA. One of the great things about this is that my students are very smart (they learn quickly) and already have a lot of knowledge. I think that my place in the classroom is not to be the leader, but to be a partner who is equal to the students. Certainly my opinion is no more or less valuable than my students'. This makes it easier for everyone to share ideas. Miss Svitak called this kind of classroom "reciprocal" because the knowledge travels both ways between me and my students.

In addition to teaching, I am interested in learning. Miss Svitak's speech has given me an idea for how I can research this topic for myself (and to benefit students, of course). I would like to open a class here at KMLA in which I am the student and the students become the teachers. That is, they will choose the materials and the assignments, and I will do the homework and get a grade. From this, I think I can get new knowledge on a subject and learn about how I learn.

I have often said that a good day at work for me is a day in which I learn something from my students. This TED presentation has given me the suggestions of how I already have a reciprocal classroom and how I can make it better. I want to continue to share with my students. I want to put them in the position of being the teacher. In the end, Adora Svitak thinks that the future with children is bright, and I agree.

DUE DATE: TED VIDEO RESPONSE ESSAY

TUESDAY, JANUARY 15th

Response Essay Assignment

Tips for writing a response or reaction essay:

• Step 1: Observe and take notes -- key words, key ideas, key questions

• Step 2: Think and develop -- What is your opinion? Why? Form a thesis statement.

• Step 3: Outline -- What am I going to explain and how am I going to explain it? Organize your essay.

 Remember to do your thinking ON PAPER first. This will help you so much when it comes time to write your ideas in an essay.

Write a response/reaction essay to Adora Svitak's TED presentation.
Here's the video:



Also, if you're interested in finding out more about Miss Svitak, click her name to visit her website:
Adora Svitak