1èreES-L literature blog: 2015

Thursday, December 17, 2015

Written Expression : "Pig" Roald Dahl.

Lexington grew up as an orphan, the boy had a difficult and painful childhood. The orphanage which welcomed him was one of the worst, located in a poor slum of Brooklyn, away from the Upper East Side where he was supposed to live a happy and comfortable life, but fate had decided otherwise.

However, his early teen years were kind of instable.

He turned into a thug, a thief and he swore to get vengeance when he discovered the truth about his parent's death. On the other hand, the policemen kept doing their job, the judges had been corrupted and they were declared innocent and the case had been closed since then.

Lexington reached adulthood but couldn't attend any college or university since his criminal record proved he was a potential danger.

He finally decided to get his revenge. He set up some smart traps in which the gun would open fire on the police at the moment they opened the door.

The gun would automatically trigger since it was linked to a wire. He was sitting in his armchair, an evil smile on his face when the bell rang.

"That must be the pizza deliverer!" He said.

Lexington was so hungry that he totally forgot about the trap, he ran to the door and opened it, but before he could say a word, the sound of a gunfire rang out tnad the man fell down on the ground.

Too bad.. Lol.

Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Written Expression "Pig"

Lexington was sent to his old great-aunt. She was a strict and unpleasant woman with a smile which looked more like a grimace. Abandoned, he was on his own. One day, while he walked into the farm, he arrived in the pigsty. One pig was alone in a corner. The employee informed him that the pig's baby died a few days prior. Sadly, he understood its feelings. Himself, he was orphaned from parents of whom he knew nothing. And that's how this little boy of six years old became friends with a pig. Quickly, they became inseparable and Lexington behaved like a pig. Soon, it became his nickname. At nine years old, he was a disgusting and savage tourist attraction.

One cold and harsh winter, whereas they were starving to death, a circus arrived in town. His old selfish great-aunt accepted to sell him to the circus for some pennies.

And that's how the little orphan Lexington became a freak. Lexington didn't exist anymore, now he was "Pig"...

Creative writing - homework

Seventeen years passed since the tragic incident. Lexington lived with his grand-mother, Agnes, the most embittered woman in the world, and who didn't hesitate to let him do all the chore. Do the housework, the cooking, the ironing, the shopping, and on top of that, he had to go to school. All of his tasks didn't permit him to have very much spare time, and he only had one friend, Carter. Both of them spent their time playing many practical jokes and doing mischief at the expense of Agnes who didn't miss telling Lexington off as soon as he went back home. In fact, at his parent's death, the child had no other choice than to come live with her, because Agnes was the only one still alive of his father's side, and his mother's side had mysteriously disappeared, so he just had to go and live with the old lady.

One day, while Carter and Lexington were playing in the woods around the grand-mother's cottage, a stag came towards them, with a spring in his step. He tensed his muzzle in direction of the young boys, implicitly asking them for a stroke. They looked at him with a lot of stars in their eyes, but a little bit hesitant. Then, Lexington delicately put down his hand on the deer head. Suddenly, a distant crackle frightened the stag, and because of it, he ran away, abandoning them, alone, in the middle of the woods. Agnes's voice raised, angry and exasperated :

"- Lexington ! Where are you again, idiot ?! If you are with that stupid kid you consider as a friend, you must come back NOW !

- Oh, sorry dude, I better go before she finds us ! It was a good day, see you soon !" said Carter, disappearing into the forest, towards his house.

Lexington sighed. He didn't want to go home with his grand-mother, where he will be her personal slave. So, with sadness, he got ready to do a U-turn, but his head started spinning, and spinning again and again. Flashes. 1406, 1652, 2078, 3014... His head was buzzing with numbers, everything was confused and hurting. The world was spinning, it darkened, and collapsed. Just like him. He sank into unconsciousness. The last thing he will remember when he wakes up is one man, whispering : "You're timeless."

Sunday, December 6, 2015

Here is our classroom summary for "Pig".

This text, an extract from “Pig” by Roald Dahl is about the birth of a boy, the death of his parents and how he became an orphan.

We analyzed the words that we didn't know by dissecting words, by putting things in the context and by using different clues we tried to picture the scene using our imagination and by broadly guessing.

Thursday, November 26, 2015

Hello Students,

I know that there is a problem posting the audio documents. I have to imbed an MP3 player into the blog, which I haven't quite figured out how to do yet.
The homework for the blog is canceled, but your presentations are still necessary!

Mrs. Buckley

Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Edgar Allan Poe was born in Boston, January nineteen, eighty nine is a poet, novelist, short story writer, literary critic, playwright and American publisher and one of the leading figures of American romanticism. Known for his tales he is considered the inventor of the detective story. Edgar Allan Poe, in his early childhood, loses his parents, David Poe and Elizabeth Arnold;

he is taken in by John and Frances Allan.

After a brief stint at the University of Virginia and military career Poe attempts Allan leaves.

His literary career began humbly by the anonymous publication of a book of poems.

twenty-six, he married his cousin Virginia Clemm, then aged twelve years.

In January eighty forty five , Poe published The Raven, which was an immediate success.

But two years later, his wife Virginia died of tuberculosis twenty January eighty forty seven.

On October seven, January eighty forty nine , Poe died at the age of forty in Baltimore.

Friday, October 9, 2015

This is the summary that we wrote in class for the Hunger Games.

This document is an extract from the Hunger Games written by Suzanne Collins in 2008. This novel is a dystopian novel which talks about people in power and the powerless. It could be a totalitarian regime or a dictatorship.

The main character is a girl, and she is 16 years old. She lives in District 12, we can think that numbers are used for neighborhoods because it is a dehumanizing classification.

The extract begins with the main character who wakes up, gets dressed and goes outside.

Next we are introduced to district 12, which is nicknamed the Seam. The inhabitants seem unhealthy and function like robots. The life of District 12 is described and the people live like prisoners. Nevertheless, she crawled into the wood, and retrieved her weapons. We learn that she sells animals she hunted on the black market. She is reminded of her father's tragic death. She still wakes up from nightmares.

She then reflects on District 12's rules and that the people are too frightened to make weapons like her father. We see that the people are angry and powerless and they feel like they are under constant surveillance.

When she was young she scared her mother by talking about the government, but she learned to hide her emotions because she is scared her sister might repeat what she says.

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

Here is the address for the Oxford Online Pronunciation Dictionary.

http://www.oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com/about/pronunciation_english

Use it often and enjoy working on your pronunciation.

Monday, October 5, 2015

Written expression

Now that I have the right to say everything I want, let me tell you how it was, in 1984.

First, our lives were unbearable. We lived in a complete dystopia. None of us was free, there wasn't enough food, we were almost starving. Plus, there were posters everywhere! There were showing us a man, wih a heavy mustache, and beneath there was a text saying: "Big Brother is watching you", while cameras were filming every single thing that was in front of it. Nobody dared to go out of their houses. Our city looked like a wasteland. Everywhere we went, we felt stalked, or Under constant surveillance. We couldn't do what we wanted to, the government was telling us everything. It looked like a real totalitarism regime.

Secondly, we all had to wear an ugly blue uniform. And every week, we had to go in a big rooom to watch a film, which was showing us Big Brother ideology, and what he wanted us to do, or to act. We all were part of his regime, the 'ingsoc" as he called it. For him, war was peace, freedom was slavery, and ignorance was strenght. Loads of us were feeling trap. We couldn't go anywhere, or do what we wanted.. We were like toys that he was playing with. Fortunately for me, one day I found a corner of a room that was out of the cameras vision. So everyday I went in that corner, and I wrote in my diary everything I was feeling or thinking. It kind of prevent me from losing my mind.

I truly hope that you will never have to live what I've been through, or know a totalitarism regime like that. We all deserve to be free, and live in a wonderful utopia, not in that kind of dystopia.

(Julie R.)

Sunday, October 4, 2015

Written Expression

The place was crowded. Many journalists stared at me, am I a freak? One of them, a tall man with long hair, was smoking in the corner of the room.
- Sit down! Mr. Smith will answer your questions in one minute! Screamed a man.
I tried my best to sit but my leg injury reminded me. I smiled.
- Mister Smith, can you explain your story for the public?
- Call me Winston please. I have lived in London since I was born. I don't know any other version of London.
- Any version?
- A version without Big Brother, a version where you're not afraid of thinking, a version where nobody talked to you with a telescreen. I was scrutinized since always like a laboratory rat. We all were under surveillance! Big Brother turned us into slaves...
- It's your impression of the former politic regime?
- Of course. Tell me, do you know any other country where posters of the leaders are everywhere? Do you know another country where you're not able to speak out loud? Personally, I don't know any other. The former regime, our former regime was a dictatorship!
The tall man looked me in the eyes. A small smile at his face. He was interested by what I said. Probably...
- We had a normal life before! Exclaimed a women.
- No we didn't! It seemed normal but it wasn't. The place, the odors seemed normal but what about Big Brother? What about the constant voice in our telescreen? It was an illusion! An illusion of normality.
- Are you saying that we lived in a world of lies?
A silence. I didn't know what to answer. The truth will be like a bomb. I took a big breathe...
- Yes, we did. We were traped. Afraid to speak. Big Brother was everywhere; in the uniforms, in the posters... Like the Ministry of Truth. Or I had better say the Ministry of Lies!
Some people laughed with me.
- The Minitrue will be destroyed. One word about that?
- It's good news! We will never be trapped. We will live in peace. We will hear the sound of birds and we'll see happiness in the street. It will be a better world, a world without oppression. And I hope that our children will be happy...
- One last word Winston? Asked me the man with long hair.
I looked him in the eyes with seriousness.
- Peace, freedom and strength.
I smiled. Yes, this will be a better world...

Saturday, October 3, 2015

written expression

I was sitting in front of an old man. He had white hair and black eyes. I was nervous. Many people were looking at me, waiting for my words. The man held a paper on his hands and started speak to me.

Journalist: So Winston, you are here today to talk about your experience in this totalitarian regime. I asked myself, how was it ?

Winston: Well, when I was at my apartment, there were always the same odors, the same normal things that everyone in this world sees. But, when I wanted to go outside, I passed by the hallway and I started to hear this horrible voice on the telescreen. She always repeated the same things and never shut up. The posters of Big Brother were everywhere: when I wanted to go to work or to the baker. It was like I was watched all the time by something following me, like a stalker. There was no liberty. I had to be carefull of any words and any moove I made.

Journalist: You were under surveillance all the time ?

Winston: Yes, always ! Big brother was watching us like the posters said. This horrible face was in my nightmares. I dreamt of a perfect world where I could be free. Free to make anything I wanted, say anything I wanted to say. A world where everyone is equal. I'd live in these perfect world for a moment but after I woke up and I realized I lived here. Every morning I hoped that "Big Brother" let us live in peace and every morning I saw it's not.

Journalist: What are the elements that show you that you are in this totalitarian regime ?

Winston: Like I said: the propaganda with the posters everywhere, a fruity voice that I heard all the time, the impression that I was under constant surveillance. I don't know how I could work everyday, day after day, week after week, years after years whitout becoming crazy. The food was rationned by the government. I don't eat what ever I wanted. It was very awful and tiring.

Journalist; What happed next ?

Winston: A revolution. I was so happy and excited by that ! We are finally be free ! But it was not beautiful. Many people died. Houses were destroyed. The streets were on fire. It was... well there are no words to describe it. After, the government fell and a new rebublican one arrived. It's not perfect but now I can speak freely with you. I can eat anything and I feel free. It's not a perfect world but I still dream that one day we will live in the world I imagine, a better world where there is no more Big Brother.

Friday, October 2, 2015

1984 follow-up task

Your task : Either post a rewritten story or read and comment on one of the short stories written by a classmate.

Objective : share work and expand ideas about what can be written.

Step 1 : go on the class blog and choose and read one of the stories posted.

Step 2 : write a comment. Suggestions : the originality of the story, the use of vocabulary from this sequence, the reflection of understanding of the extract, and anything alse you think is important.

Remember : Be positive. Constructive criticism can point out weaknesses but must have suggestions to make it better as well.

Date due : Friday, October 9^th