Tuesday, June 26, 2012
Weekly Quiz 6/25-7/2
A fresh quiz, hot-off-the-presses (or at least the keyboard), is available here!
Weekly Assignment 6/25-7/2
A fresh new assignment for this last week in June...
Read Ch. 4: "The Advent of the Inevitable", then thoughtfully answer the following questions:
1. Describe Lara's character throughout this chapter. Does she sometimes do things that are impulsive or is she more indecisive or both? Is she a likable character? Do you think we will be able to talk about Lara as the heroine of this novel?
2. Why do Pasha and Lara decide to get married? How does this marriage go?
3. Choose either A or B:
A. There are two rather philosophical discussions in this chapter. One is on the nature of war and modern warfare. What is Yury's opinion of war? How does his being a doctor affect this opinion?
B. As I said, there are two rather philosophical discussions in this chapter. The other is about religion. What is said about religion? Using your prior knowledge (or do some quick internet research) how did the Soviets (who will become, as we know, the leaders after the Revolution) feel about religion? What did they attempt to do about religion? How does this compare with what Yury and Misha say about religion?
4. Describe the events that take place both to the main characters (Lara and Yury at this point) and nationally at the end of this chapter. How are they significant? Were they inevitable as the title suggests?
5. What did you not understand about this chapter? Is the novel becoming less confusing for you or not yet?
Read Ch. 4: "The Advent of the Inevitable", then thoughtfully answer the following questions:
1. Describe Lara's character throughout this chapter. Does she sometimes do things that are impulsive or is she more indecisive or both? Is she a likable character? Do you think we will be able to talk about Lara as the heroine of this novel?
2. Why do Pasha and Lara decide to get married? How does this marriage go?
3. Choose either A or B:
A. There are two rather philosophical discussions in this chapter. One is on the nature of war and modern warfare. What is Yury's opinion of war? How does his being a doctor affect this opinion?
B. As I said, there are two rather philosophical discussions in this chapter. The other is about religion. What is said about religion? Using your prior knowledge (or do some quick internet research) how did the Soviets (who will become, as we know, the leaders after the Revolution) feel about religion? What did they attempt to do about religion? How does this compare with what Yury and Misha say about religion?
4. Describe the events that take place both to the main characters (Lara and Yury at this point) and nationally at the end of this chapter. How are they significant? Were they inevitable as the title suggests?
5. What did you not understand about this chapter? Is the novel becoming less confusing for you or not yet?
Monday, June 18, 2012
Weekly Quiz 6/18 - 6/25
This week's Weekly Quiz is really good, you guys.
Just kidding. It's totally just "normal" good.
Here it is. Right here.
Just kidding. It's totally just "normal" good.
Here it is. Right here.
Weekly Assignment 6/18 - 6/25
Yo yo yo. What is up?
Comin' at ya is Chapter Three: "The Sventitskys' Christmas Party" (which is pages 62-90 in my copy of Doctor Zhivago). Read this section, then come back here and answer the following questions as a comment to this post:
1. Briefly compare & contrast Lara and Yura. Think about their dispositions, backgrounds, motivations, etc. It becomes pretty clear the two of them will be intimately linked throughout the story; what do you make of this/them? What kind of people are they?
2. What about all this talk of marriage? Why do people get married in early 20th century Russia? Who is getting married or talking about getting married in this chapter, and why?
3. What is the significance of Anna Ivanova's illness & death? And what of Yura's response--first, his comforting words when she is at death's door, and second, how he responds when she has actually died?
4. What the heck is Lara's problem? Jeeze. (Oh. Right. It's all the stupid MEN in her life. THAT'S her problem.) Who does Lara love? Anyone? Who does Lara hate? Who does Lara shoot? Why?
5. What didn't you understand in this part? Or, maybe the better question is, what DID you understand?
(Don't forget to check back and respond to what other people have said!)
Comin' at ya is Chapter Three: "The Sventitskys' Christmas Party" (which is pages 62-90 in my copy of Doctor Zhivago). Read this section, then come back here and answer the following questions as a comment to this post:
1. Briefly compare & contrast Lara and Yura. Think about their dispositions, backgrounds, motivations, etc. It becomes pretty clear the two of them will be intimately linked throughout the story; what do you make of this/them? What kind of people are they?
2. What about all this talk of marriage? Why do people get married in early 20th century Russia? Who is getting married or talking about getting married in this chapter, and why?
3. What is the significance of Anna Ivanova's illness & death? And what of Yura's response--first, his comforting words when she is at death's door, and second, how he responds when she has actually died?
4. What the heck is Lara's problem? Jeeze. (Oh. Right. It's all the stupid MEN in her life. THAT'S her problem.) Who does Lara love? Anyone? Who does Lara hate? Who does Lara shoot? Why?
5. What didn't you understand in this part? Or, maybe the better question is, what DID you understand?
(Don't forget to check back and respond to what other people have said!)
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Confused?!?!
Ok, Casey is telling me that it's OK to use sparknotes and other sources of assistance to help with the comprehension of Dr. Zhivago. I am in a state of confusion that (almost) rivals that of when we read A Tale of Two Cities. I can't focus at all! Is her claim accurate? It would be of great help if it is, if not, is there any other strategy that anyone can recommend for understanding what the heck is going on? It seems like a bunch of disjointed events so far, and this is like and ADHD nightmare haha. Thank you (anyone) for any help. Elias.
Thursday, June 14, 2012
Super Super Late Doctor Zhivago book picture!
Sorry, I know it's super, super late, I just managed to get a copy yesterday! -_- Man I look AWFUL in this photo! Note to self, aviod webcams, etc, lol! By the way, can't wait to start with you guys once the school year year starts!
Tuesday, June 12, 2012
Weekly Assignment Wk. 8 (6/11-6/18)
Hello, Decathletes, thanks for some great and thoughtful answers to last week's assignment. For this week, Read book two, "A Girl from a Different Circle". Then thoughtfully answer the following questions as a comment to this post. Please don't forget to respond to someone else's comment.
1. Why do you think Amalia and her family have moved to their new home?
2. There are many different threads to the plot in this chapter. Describe the changes to scene and character.
3. How do these changes come together at the end of this chapter?
4. How does Lara feel about Komarovsky?
5. Was there anything about this section that you did not understand?
1. Why do you think Amalia and her family have moved to their new home?
2. There are many different threads to the plot in this chapter. Describe the changes to scene and character.
3. How do these changes come together at the end of this chapter?
4. How does Lara feel about Komarovsky?
5. Was there anything about this section that you did not understand?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Weekly Assignment 6/4-6/11
Hello, Decathletes! I hope your summer is off to a good start! Remember, this week, we will be taking "attendance" based on who posts and completes the quizzes in a timely fashion. May I politely remind you that failure to post and/or take quizzes will result in eventually being cut from the team.
Assignment: Read Part One of Dr. Zhivago, "The Five O'Clock Express" (in my version of the book, this is about 23 pages in length). Then, post thoughtful responses to the following questions as a comment to this post:
1. How is the blizzard described in the beginning of the novel? What are the powerful words which create imagery in this scene? Does this imagery better help you understand/empathize with Yura and his feelings about his parents?
2. Nikolai Nikolaievich says, "Only the solitary seek the truth." What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree or disagree?
3. What happened on the 5 o'clock Express? Why?
4. Describe Nika and Nadya's relationship.
5. Was there anything you did not understand about this section? (I will comment back to help you understand, unless it is one of those plot points that might just be foreshadowing something else in the novel, in which case, I'll leave you curious).
Don't forget to respond meaningfully to at least one teammate and to take the weekly quiz, which will also be about the reading assignment! Happy reading!
Assignment: Read Part One of Dr. Zhivago, "The Five O'Clock Express" (in my version of the book, this is about 23 pages in length). Then, post thoughtful responses to the following questions as a comment to this post:
1. How is the blizzard described in the beginning of the novel? What are the powerful words which create imagery in this scene? Does this imagery better help you understand/empathize with Yura and his feelings about his parents?
2. Nikolai Nikolaievich says, "Only the solitary seek the truth." What do you think he means by this statement? Do you agree or disagree?
3. What happened on the 5 o'clock Express? Why?
4. Describe Nika and Nadya's relationship.
5. Was there anything you did not understand about this section? (I will comment back to help you understand, unless it is one of those plot points that might just be foreshadowing something else in the novel, in which case, I'll leave you curious).
Don't forget to respond meaningfully to at least one teammate and to take the weekly quiz, which will also be about the reading assignment! Happy reading!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Tuesday, May 29, 2012
Monday, May 28, 2012
Weekly Assignment 5/28-6/4 & Announcements
Happy Memorial Day, Decathletes! Amidst all the celebrating, here are some announcements and your weekly assignment for this first week of summer!
Announcements: Beginning NEXT WEEK, we will have a weekly reading assignment from Dr. Zhivago, as well as a weekly quiz based primarily upon the reading. Beginning next week, we will also be taking virtual attendance--that is, noting who is posting and taking quizzes each week. Let me remind you briefly of your responsibilities to this team:
1. Complete the weekly assignment & post it as a comment to the assignment itself.
2. Complete the weekly quiz--remember, it's perfectly wonderful to use the internet or other resources to help you--it's about learning, not about already knowing.
3. Comment meaningfully back to another team member's post.
An habitual lack of posts and quizzes from you will result in your being cut from the team.
If you are unable to post, post as soon as you can and then check the Excuses section beginning next week for the excuse form you will need to fill out and give to one of the coaches (via e-mail over the summer) whenever you miss a week's assignments.
Ok, now that that's out of the way...your weekly assignment! No quiz this week, that will begin next week. In preparation for reading Dr. Zhivago, do the following:
1. Research the Russian naming system--I promise this will help you understand and keep track of who the characters are! After doing this, you should understand and be able to identify patronymics and diminuatives. Post what you learned about the Russian naming system as well as what your name would be using the Russian name formulation. For example, my Russian name would be Elizavieta Royovna. Figure out what yours would be!
2. Look at a map of Russia--just play around with Google Maps and Google Earth for example. Get some kind of idea about:
a. where Moscow and St. Petersburg are
b. what part of Russia is European and what part is Asian
c. how big Russia is
Post your impressions and some interesting way in which we could understand how vast Russia is. For example, it would take x number of days to walk/ride a bike/ride a horse/ride a unicycle/train, etc across the country. Or maybe how many marbles it would take to cover the surface of Russia., something like that...be creative!
Announcements: Beginning NEXT WEEK, we will have a weekly reading assignment from Dr. Zhivago, as well as a weekly quiz based primarily upon the reading. Beginning next week, we will also be taking virtual attendance--that is, noting who is posting and taking quizzes each week. Let me remind you briefly of your responsibilities to this team:
1. Complete the weekly assignment & post it as a comment to the assignment itself.
2. Complete the weekly quiz--remember, it's perfectly wonderful to use the internet or other resources to help you--it's about learning, not about already knowing.
3. Comment meaningfully back to another team member's post.
An habitual lack of posts and quizzes from you will result in your being cut from the team.
If you are unable to post, post as soon as you can and then check the Excuses section beginning next week for the excuse form you will need to fill out and give to one of the coaches (via e-mail over the summer) whenever you miss a week's assignments.
Ok, now that that's out of the way...your weekly assignment! No quiz this week, that will begin next week. In preparation for reading Dr. Zhivago, do the following:
1. Research the Russian naming system--I promise this will help you understand and keep track of who the characters are! After doing this, you should understand and be able to identify patronymics and diminuatives. Post what you learned about the Russian naming system as well as what your name would be using the Russian name formulation. For example, my Russian name would be Elizavieta Royovna. Figure out what yours would be!
2. Look at a map of Russia--just play around with Google Maps and Google Earth for example. Get some kind of idea about:
a. where Moscow and St. Petersburg are
b. what part of Russia is European and what part is Asian
c. how big Russia is
Post your impressions and some interesting way in which we could understand how vast Russia is. For example, it would take x number of days to walk/ride a bike/ride a horse/ride a unicycle/train, etc across the country. Or maybe how many marbles it would take to cover the surface of Russia., something like that...be creative!
Monday, May 21, 2012
Dr. Zhivago and my attempt at pretending to be Russian
I have always thought of Russians to be very artistic so I decided to put that trait in to place. You have no idea how long it took to get that mirror to align perfectly.
Weekly Assignment #5 5/21-5/28
When I say Russia, you say...
1. Comment on this post and tell us the first word that pops into your head when you read/hear the word Russia...let's find out what our stereotypes are and what we already know!
2. It's finals week! YAY! (Well, not so much for the finals as for the end of school, right?) Comment on this post and tell us how your finals went! Are there areas you feel super confident in ("I know I got 100% on my calculus final!") or areas you're a little nervous about ("I'm not so sure about that culinary arts final!") We want to know!
3. Comment back to at least one teammate about their finals...offer encouragement, light-hearted mockery or congratulations for a job well done!
1. Comment on this post and tell us the first word that pops into your head when you read/hear the word Russia...let's find out what our stereotypes are and what we already know!
2. It's finals week! YAY! (Well, not so much for the finals as for the end of school, right?) Comment on this post and tell us how your finals went! Are there areas you feel super confident in ("I know I got 100% on my calculus final!") or areas you're a little nervous about ("I'm not so sure about that culinary arts final!") We want to know!
3. Comment back to at least one teammate about their finals...offer encouragement, light-hearted mockery or congratulations for a job well done!
Sunday, May 20, 2012
Saturday, May 19, 2012
(Late) Weekly Assignment #3
The three topics that caught my eye were
1. Euler's constant, because, as you know, I am an extreme math nerd. I bet you all (Elias, Allen, Casey, Mr. Riggs, and Mrs. Taylor) can imagine the scream of joy I let out when I learned that the math this year was NOT geometry-based, but rather based upon algebra. I know too much about polynomials already, however, so there is not much left for me to learn about them. Euler's constant, however, I have never really looked into in depth. I use it periodically in Calculus when discussing natural logs, but the concept and origin, quite frankly, confound me. I am excited to further my knowledge on this topic to better grasp the concept of "e" and finally understand why e^iπ is equal to -1.
2. Analysis of Tolstoy's story "After the Dance," because of my abilities in the short reading section of Literature. I hadn't heard of the other authors, however, but I am aware that Leo Tolstoy is a very famous author (apparently Russian) and so I figure that he contributes greatly to the Russian literature that I am so excited to learn about. I love Russia and want to learn about Russian culture and values. That is all.
3. Soviet Unmanned Missions is, by far, much cooler than whatever history and science nonsense I had no knowledge about last year. The answer is never Hawaii and I think, with this subtopic, that I will be able to remember that rule. I used to work at the museum with Alaina Wiwi actually as part of a student volunteer group that learned about space. We never got too much into the space race stuff, but the stuff we did touch upon was fairly interesting and I hope to understand more how Russia and America contributed to the exploration of our solar system.
Does anyone else like how my longest and most thoughtful response was about Euler's constant?
1. Euler's constant, because, as you know, I am an extreme math nerd. I bet you all (Elias, Allen, Casey, Mr. Riggs, and Mrs. Taylor) can imagine the scream of joy I let out when I learned that the math this year was NOT geometry-based, but rather based upon algebra. I know too much about polynomials already, however, so there is not much left for me to learn about them. Euler's constant, however, I have never really looked into in depth. I use it periodically in Calculus when discussing natural logs, but the concept and origin, quite frankly, confound me. I am excited to further my knowledge on this topic to better grasp the concept of "e" and finally understand why e^iπ is equal to -1.
2. Analysis of Tolstoy's story "After the Dance," because of my abilities in the short reading section of Literature. I hadn't heard of the other authors, however, but I am aware that Leo Tolstoy is a very famous author (apparently Russian) and so I figure that he contributes greatly to the Russian literature that I am so excited to learn about. I love Russia and want to learn about Russian culture and values. That is all.
3. Soviet Unmanned Missions is, by far, much cooler than whatever history and science nonsense I had no knowledge about last year. The answer is never Hawaii and I think, with this subtopic, that I will be able to remember that rule. I used to work at the museum with Alaina Wiwi actually as part of a student volunteer group that learned about space. We never got too much into the space race stuff, but the stuff we did touch upon was fairly interesting and I hope to understand more how Russia and America contributed to the exploration of our solar system.
Does anyone else like how my longest and most thoughtful response was about Euler's constant?
Friday, May 18, 2012
Great Topics
1. I like the science the most. As of now, my knowledge of it isn't much, but I plan on it eventually being my best event. The one topic in it that I find to be really interesting is satellite telecommunications. I have always found satellites to be radical.
2. Surprisingly, I am looking forward to the economics. It was one of my stronger subjects last year, but I never got a medal in it, unless you count the medal Mr. Riggs gave me after our first little competition. I think that imperfect competition is a good place for me to start studying because imperfect competition is radical.
3. This year, I took absolutely no time studying for the art competition. It's surprising because my brother almost always won a medal in Art when he was doing Academic Decathlon. One of the artworks that caught my eye was the monument to Peter the Great. It's so much better than the Saltcellar of Budapest or whatever it was called. It's so radical.
2. Surprisingly, I am looking forward to the economics. It was one of my stronger subjects last year, but I never got a medal in it, unless you count the medal Mr. Riggs gave me after our first little competition. I think that imperfect competition is a good place for me to start studying because imperfect competition is radical.
3. This year, I took absolutely no time studying for the art competition. It's surprising because my brother almost always won a medal in Art when he was doing Academic Decathlon. One of the artworks that caught my eye was the monument to Peter the Great. It's so much better than the Saltcellar of Budapest or whatever it was called. It's so radical.
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