"Heart! We will forget him!" by Emily Dickinson Visual Representation
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Prompt: Write about a time when you did something out of the norm. What was it and how did others react?
Prompt Response: A time I did something out of the norm was in the 5th grade. My class was walking in a single file line in the hallway and a teacher was walking by us. She had papers in her hand and they slipped out. I was the only to step out of line and help pick up the papers. Everyone else in the line was looking at me with confused looks. They thought I’d be like them, point and laugh at that poor teacher. Instead I helped her out. Summary: In class we worked on our heart assignment. Reflection: Working on the heart assignment was creatively fulfilling to me. I enjoyed drawing the pictures.
Prompt: Dickinson uses the metaphor of a funeral to describe her inner struggles. What metaphor would you use to describe your own mind?
Prompt Response: My mind is a time capsule. It holds memories. From past and present. Every year of my life is kept there. The important moments and the ones that are buried. All of it is there though. I can reflect back on them whenever I want. Everyone I cross paths with in my life knows a different version of myself. My mind holds all of those versions. The good, the bad and the ugly. All pieces of my life are stored in my mind. Summary: In class we read and reflected on two poems by Emily Dickinson; we created a visual representation of the internal conflict between the mind and heart as depicted in Emily Dickinson's poem "Heart, we will forget him." Reflection: I learned that one of the themes in Emily Dickinson's poem, "Heart, we will forget him.", is in order to get over someone, you must put the past behind you.
Prompt: Write about an adventure you would like to go on.
Prompt Response: An adventure I would like to go on is going to an escape room. I am always up for a challenge. I loved to solve puzzles and work with other people to escape. The thrill about it also excites me. It's like a workout for your brain. There are unexpected twists and turns you go on. You're kind of immersed into this world that you have to get out of. The most fun part about it for me is the escaping. I am such a competitive person and I already know I would be doing cartwheels when I escape. It would be such an all around cool and exciting experience. Summary: In class we took notes on Emily Dickinson, read and interpreted a poem by Emily Dickinson and answered 2 discussion questions about the poem. Reflection: I learned that you reread a poem to interpret the meaning.
Prompt: Describe something you will never fully understand.
Prompt Response: Something I will never fully understand is people being so bothered by stuff that doesn't affect them. I think that is a miserable way to live your life. Letting the small things affect your mood isn't doing you any good. Just mind your business. Not everything has to involve you. I like to keep to myself and I am not a person to barge into a situation unless it's necessary. Other people should follow that motto in life. Summary: In class we presented our origin myth posters. Reflection: Through presenting my poster to the class, it helps build my communication skills for the future.
Prompt: Write about something that you wish you had more of.
Prompt Response: Something I wish I had more of is money. If I had more money I'd be able to buy my dream wardrobe, concert tickets, merchandise or CDs. My family and I would be able to move into a house. The majority of people say, "money can't buy happiness", while there is some truth to that statement, I disagree heavily. Money cannot buy you permanent happiness, but it can get you temporary happiness. I'd be happy to live in a nice home right now. I'd be happy to have more CDs. Money can't buy me love, friendship, But it can make a passageway into me getting them. Summary: In class we finished up our origin myth posters. Reflection: Creating the origin myth poster is a good exercise to flow out creativity.
Prompt: What is the most creative thing you have ever made? Share what it was and explain why it stands out as your best work.
Prompt Response: The most creative thing I have ever made was digital collages. I made them on the software, Picsart. All of the collages were of celebrities. The digital collages stand out as my best work because I put a lot of time and effort into all of them. I am also proud of them in general. And most importantly, it was creatively fulfilling for me. Ideas were flowing out of me naturally. I wasn't trying to force anything. The digital collages are definitely my favorite art pieces I have ever done. Summary: In class we finished writing our original origin myth and created a visual representation of our origin myth. Reflection: I learned that a visual representation of a story can bring it to life.
Prompt: Everyone has burning questions about life. Mysteries we wonder about but don’t always have clear answers for. Think about your biggest questions about existence, purpose, or the world around you. Write a blog post where you share at least two of your most burning questions about life and explain why these questions matter to you.
Prompt Response: One burning question I have about life is, how many unknown species are out there that we haven't discovered? This question matters to me because I am intrigued by the concept. The earth is so huge, so many species of some kind are just waiting to be found. Especially in the ocean. Another burning question I have about life is, what happens to our souls after we die? I find the idea of life after death interesting. We always say you go to Heaven or Hell and that's it. But, what if some souls stay lingering in the real world? There are a plethora of ideas of what happens to our spirits after death. Summary: In class we created an original origin myth. Reflection: I learned that incorporating culture values is important to a origin myth.
Prompt: Describe a time you felt completely lost.
Prompt Response: A time I felt completely lost was in 6th and 7th grade. It was the only time period in my life where I completely doubted my intelligence and work ethic. I struggled to get work turned in on time and didn't grasp some concepts. I remember in a science class my grade was 70%, which was so unlike me. I felt like I peaked in elementary school. There was no direction in my life at that time. I felt lost academically and also within myself. Summary: In class we presented "The Jealous Father" Group PowerPoints. Reflection: I learned that the theme of a story is not just one word, it should be a statement.
Prompt: Analyze how you’ve adapted to the demands of this course over the past week, and evaluate one strength and one challenge you anticipate as we progress, justifying your insights with personal examples.
Prompt Response: I think I've adapted pretty well to the demands of the course. I show up on time, I do my work, I am engaged and learning every day. The demands of the course do not intimidate me. One strength I anticipate as we progress is I have been able to easily take information in. For example, when we took notes on the Native American Literature PowerPoint, I took the information being given to me and organized my notes in a way that is easy for me to understand. One challenge I anticipate as we progress is trying to manage my time better. For example, sometimes I get stuck on answering a blog prompt and I end up doing it as homework. Even with some challenges along the road, I know I have the capability to be successful in this course. Summary: In class we took the Origin Myth assessment on our Chromebooks. Reflection: I learned that "The Origin of the Robin" is considered a creation myth because it explains how the first robin came into existence.
Prompt: Describe a real-life situation in which jealousy negatively affected a relationship you experienced.
Prompt Response: A time when jealousy negatively affected a relationship I experienced was with my sister. I remember I had gotten a package and it was a pair of jeans from Old Navy. I had tried them on and showed them off to my two sisters. I noticed my older sister was frowning and I asked her if she was okay. She just straight up said, "Give me the jeans." I told her no and she had an angry look on her face after I said that.She stomped to her room and slammed the door shut. I was speechless when she did that. We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the day until the next morning. Looking back at the situation, we both can laugh about it now. Summary: In class we read "The Jealous Father" and created a collaborative presentation in groups to analyze different components of the short story. Reflection: I learned that the lesson the short story, "The Jealous Father", teaches is that jealousy can lead to destruction.
Prompt: Write about a meaningful object or place in your life that carries a story.
Prompt Response: A meaningful object in my life that carries a story is my 1989 (Taylor’s Version) by Taylor Swift CD. It is meaningful to me because it was the first CD I ever bought. I remember it was a few days after my 15th birthday. I was in Target with my mom and two sisters. While they were in a different aisle, I ran to the music and book section. The first CD that caught my attention was 1989 (Taylor’s Version). It had been one of my favorite albums at the time, so having a physical copy of the album excited me. I picked it up and my mom bought it for me. Since that day, I’ve collected over 50+ CDs. Summary: In class we read and analyzed Navajo Creation Myth. Reflection: I learned that the lesson the story teaches to the Navajo people is that the right way to live is to avoid chaos and be at peace with nature.
Prompt: Write about a time you felt connected to nature, like the kinship in Native American myths.
Prompt Response: A time I felt connected to nature is when I was walking on a park trail and I noticed a cherry blossom tree off to the side of the trail. It captured my attention so suddenly. I stopped to look at it. I admired the beauty of the flowers. They were so pink and delicate. For ten minutes I stared at them. I ended up taking a photo of the cherry blossoms right after. I framed the photo and it currently sits on my nightstand. Through the appreciation of the beauty of the cherry blossoms, I made a connection with the flowers. Summary: In class we took notes on Native Americans and the history of their literature. Reflection: I learned about the details of an origin myth.