The River by Valerie Bloom

Theme:

-The changes of faces of the river.

Setting:

-Nature

Tones:

(A) First stanza- admiration and excitement.

- ‘wanderer’ is the same as a traveller. And the word indicates adventures to excite the audience (children).

(B) Second stanza- playful

-‘twists and turns’ show the playfulness in terms of the movement of the river.

(C) Last stanza- fear and warning.

- ‘monster’ and ‘swallow’ are used to show the harm and danger of the river.

(iv) In conclusion, all of the tones are euphoric to show the many faces of the river.

Figurative Language:

a. Metaphor:

- ‘The river’s a wanderer’ , ‘the river’s a winder’ and ‘the river’s a monster’.

-The river is being defined as many characters throughout the whole poem

b. Personification:

-‘He gurgles and hums’ , ‘He’s gobbled up trees’ and ‘And he’ll swallow you next’.

I Wonder y Jeannie Kirby

Theme:

- Curiosity on how nature works from a child’s perspective.

Tones:

- Questioning

- Curious

Figurative Language:

(a) Alliteration:

-‘I wonder why the grass is green’.

-Repetition of the consonant ‘g’.

(b) Personification:

- ‘And told the trees to take a rest?’

- Giving human’s characteristics of taking a rest to a tree.

Forms:

(a) 8 syllables in each line;

- [I] [won] [der] [why] [the] [grass] [is] [green]

- [Why] [is] [it] [now] [do] [you] [sup] [pose]

- [And] [told] [the] [trees] [to] [take] [a] [rest]

- [And] [hangs] [the] [fluf] [fy] [clouds] [so] [high]

(b) Every verse rhymes;

-‘Who lights the stars, when they blow out,’

- ‘And makes the lightning flash about?’

Lesson 7: Realistically.

Optimist? No. Pessimist? No. Realist? Definitely!

What is an optimist?

People who look things at the bright side + positive attitude.

Pessimist?

Tend to look at the bad side + negative attitude.

Realist?

People who are realistic. They keep it real and simple.

Which one are YOU?

Choose a side!

Figure out who you are!

Do you see the glass below as half full or half empty?

(a) Half full = you're an optimist!

(b) Hall empty = you're a pessimist!

(c) Something else other than above? = you're a realist!

Troublesome family? Just lost a lover?

Got an 'F'?

No money?

Terrible friends? Horrific teachers?

Feel like killing yourself eh pessimists?

Pretending it's all rainbow now optimists?

Be a realist NOW!

an optimist would still believe a lie...

but being a realist,

you'd tell the person to shut up.

how to be realist?

-When everyone else walk in the rain, you learn how to dance in it! And thus, creating your own rainbow!

-When pessimists are troubled by the enemies while optimists try to make friend with them, you on the other hand, LOVE THE HATERS! Why? Coz you're famous!

(I mean, who else is going to talk about you all day long?)

- When you're given two wrong choices and have to choose from one, you simply create another option.

-When a friend turned into an enemy and back again as your friend, say this:

i've never liked you anyway...

-Reporter:Your 'so-called-friends' claim they don't love you. Does it hurt?

You: A little bit but it doesn't really bother me.

Reporter: Why?

You: It's okay coz even if they don't, other people still do. And, just because they don't love you doesn't mean there's something wrong with you. It means that there's something wrong with them coz why can't they when a lot more do?

Reporter: So, who is it that loves you?

You: My parents, my brothers and sisters, my grandmother, my grandfather, my cousins, my nephews, my nieces, my uncles, my aunts, my best friends and most of all me.

Source of pictures: Google image

One last tip: When life gives you lemon, you either make a lemonade and sell it OR plant it in the backyard!

Lesson 5: Conjunctions

CONJUNCTIONS

Function: To link words or groups of words to other part of the sentence and show the relationship between them.

TYPES

(1) Coordinating

(2) Correlative

(3) Subordinating

Coordinating Conjunction

-It joins two or more elements of equal ranks.

- Eg: 'and' , 'but', 'or', 'nor', 'for', 'so'.

Correlative Conjunction

-Used in pairs.

- Function: Emphasize the elements being joined together.

-Also join elements of equal rank.

- 'both......and.....'

- 'either......or......'

-'neither......nor....'

-'not only.......but also...'

Subordinating Conjunction

-Join elements of unequal rank.

-Usually a 'sub clause' and an independent clause.

-'Subject + Verb' combination.

-Cannot stand alone.

-Depend on the main clause.

-Function: introduce or join elements.

-Eg: after, although, because, before, if, since, while, as, when, where, which, who.

Other Helps:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlPnBBoca7s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=INMmlDLOJxw

source of images: Google Image.

Lesson 4: Literary Devices

INTRODUCTION TO LITERATURE

Literary Devices are tools used by writers/poets to add creativity to his/her

work.

The devices are divided into 2:

(a) Literary Elements (basic tools)

(b) Literary Techniques (deliberate tools)

Literary Elements:

• Plot

- Exposition (beginning), Rising Action, Climax (middle), Falling Action and

Resolution(ending).

-The graph is usually the same (right image) but may varies (image left) according to the story.

• Theme(s)

- There are major theme and sub themes.

-The theme represents the message the writer/poet wants to deliver throughout the work.

• Setting(s)

-Two kinds: Time and Place.

-Time involves the age or decade the story lingers around. Could also be during the morning until night.

-Place determines the venue. Example: Kuala Lumpur, in the kitchen.

• Characters

-The roles played in the story.

-Only available in stories, not poems.

• Point of View

-How the narrator tells the story.

-First: One of the characters tells the story through his/her/their eyes.

-Third: Narrator is someone who is outside the story. Omniscent (knows it all) or Limited (limit).

• Tone [restricted to poems only]

-The emotions/feelings underneath the chosen w

ords by the persona.

-Varies from happy to sad.

*more info go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13NYEimqla8&feature=related

*images are obtained at Google Search (image)

Literary Techniques:

• Imagery

-Figurative languages.

-Examples: metaphor, simile, personification, etc.

• Structure

-The form of the story

-Example: Dialogue, Narrative, Descriptive, etc.

Chapter 3: Smiling & Laughing

Hey peeps! So today we’re going to talk about the power of smiling and laughing.

Smile?

Smiling is defined as “a facial expression characterized by an upward curving of the corners of the mouth and indicating pleasure, amusement, or derision,” (American Heritage Dictionary, 2011).

So, according to psychologist, Dr Michael Lewis, whenever we smile

, we put ourselves to a happy mood. Plus, when we smile, we would seem friendlier that it would make easy for us to communicate and mingle around with strangers.

Laughter?

Laughing is defined as “the experience or manifestation of mirth, amusement, scorn, or joy,” (Collins English Dictionary, 2011).

Don’t you feel infectious whenever you hear laughter nearby? Aren’t you envy of those people, laughing their lungs out? What’s stopping you? Laughing really is the best medicine because of the benefits it channels to our mind and body.

The Benefits?

Firstly, laughter reduces the level of stress hormones

thus it increases the number of antibody-producing cells and grows our immune system stronger (Scott, 2011). Secondly, it provides a physical and emotional release. Third, we get to exercise our diaphragm. Fourth, it can divert us from all the negative emotions (About.com, 2011).

How is it possible?

Go catch that humorous movie on the cinema with your friends or

google for jokes online. Then spread the glee of your heart to others so they would be affected by the positive aura as well.

How do we actually smile? By stretching our cheeks to the extent of our oral cavity? Not really. We just have to curve our lips upward (or whichever direc

tion they go to). What’s the limit of it? There’s not limit AT ALL!

Just smile the way you want to smile and to the extent you want to smile. No one can tell you the right or wrong for to smile. So what’s the reason you’re hiding your beauty after all? There’s no harm in smiling or laughing. You get to exercise, keep yourself healthy and be happy. Isn’t that enough of a reason to smile and laugh?

So remember, whenever you see a friend who is in a bad mood or just plain boring, crack a joke. And even if you’re sad or PMS, try to smile. When you do that boring facial expression, you also give out a dark aura that will affect the people around you to feel the same way. Just smile all day long!

No one is smiling? Take out a piece of paper and a pen. Write ‘SMILE’ on the paper and show it around them. Oh, don’t forget to smile too okay! Coz that’s all a part of the plan, remember? Keep smiling! ;D

Lesson 2: Depressed Much?

Hey ya!

The world has started its new beginning.

Have you started yours?

What? You're feeling down like the person

on the left? Feeling stressed,

depressed and lonely?

SNAP OUT OF IT!

What better way to start your day then to MOVE ON?

Go out and celebrate because it is going to be blast! The streaks

of bad lucks are over. Yes, 2010 sucks but come on! Pick up your

lazy bones and start enjoying your life.

Hey you, yes you, the one stuck in the room, sitting in front of the

monitor all day? Don't you have anything better to do? This isn't

the Victorian era you know! People of all ages,

races and genders are free to do everything they want to do!

WHAT? TOO MUCH WORK??

Have you ever heard of the term

'take a break' or seen the Kit Kat commercial lately? Change your attitude!

You've just lost someone? What better way to honour

that person other than to start appreciating life more?

How about that?

FEELING LOW AND DOWN?

You don't need anyone to push you except for yourself. Go out there and do something f.u.n.

Do something crazy, something out of the ordinary, something that's adrenaline rush! Ride that

crazy roller coaster, or scream like a crazy person in the middle of the crowd or go for a run! It

might not totally cure yourself but it's a start. Trust me. It will drive you insane!

As a start, look in the mirror and say this to yourself repeatedly:

I am AWESOME! I feel AWESOME and I am the NEW DEFINITION OF AWESOMENESS!

*you may replace awesome with other positive word like

beautiful, confident and such.

Just go out there and be free! You know you want to!

It's time to change! Look forward to everything

in your life! And you will end up like these people here...

FYI: Change that awfully sad songs on your IPod. Try listening some cool grooves from the

90's or something that will pump you out! It will work like a charm!

Lesson 1: Adverbs

The topic of the day would be about ADVERBS!!! (The image above is from http://img.mappio.com/gillianmarie/adverbs-Pixel600.jpg. I don't own it)

What is adverb?
-Adverbs is a word that modifies VERBS, ADJECTIVES & ADVERBS!

How to detect an adverb?
- It depends on the sentence. Look at the word. If it complements (or explain more) a verb, an adjective or another adverb, then it is an ADVERB!

Examples:

1. She ran fast.
*Note that the word ran is a verb. Since fast complements/modifies the verb 'ran', therefore it is an ADVERB!

2. The hat is totally expensive.
* Notice that hat is a noun and the word 'expensive' describes the noun, 'hat'. So, expensive is an adjective. BUT, the word 'totally' modifies the adjective 'pretty', hence, totally is an ADVERB!

3. They walk very slowly.
* Know that the verb 'walk' is referring to 'they'. 'slowly' is an adverb because it complements the verb 'walk'. Meanwhile, the word 'very' modifies the adverb 'slowly' to show the degree of manner so 'very' is considered as an ADVERB too!


How to distinguish an adverb?
-It all depends on the sentence. If you are unsure to which group the word belongs to, just check what the word modifies or is referring to. If it refers to a noun or a pronoun, then it is an adjective BUT if it modifies a verb, an adjective or another adverb, then it is an ADVERB.