UNIT PROJECT: FACEBOOK a CHARACTER!!!

Today you will create a facebook page for your favourite character. Many students will choose Spaz or Lanaya, but Little Face, Ryter, Billy Bizmo, Lotti Getz, and other characters are options as well!

Sign into Facebook by creating a new identity (one of the characters!). You may need a secondary email account to do this.

Before you get too far into building a character, make a FRIEND REQUEST with "Mean Ol' Featherstone" - that's your teacher. The whole class will be linked to this page. You can 'FRIEND' other classmates, as well, of course.

Fill in the FACEBOOK PAGE as if YOU ARE the character. Include pictures, likes, dislikes, etc...maybe links or lists that apply. Explore the platform, but make everything suitable for that character!

CAN YOU PICTURE IT?

?

First off, read an Autobiography of our class novel's author, Rodman Philbrick. http://teacher.scholastic.com/writewit/bookrev/bio.htm

1) How old was he when he was first published? How long did this take?

2) What do you think makes him a good writer?

Next, today's blog asks you to find images that fit our class novel. Use an image search site like google image, choose your key words carefully, and select the best pictures possible.

Find an image that fits each of the following. Put them in today's blog.
A) Spaz
B) Ryter
C) Little Face
D) The Proov Girl
E) A Monkey Boy
For each, put a heading. Explain why each picture fits the character.

Done early? EDIT!!! Look at some of your classmates' sites. Make comments. Are you sure that YOU are fully caught up?

PRE-READING - CLASS NOVEL!!!

PRE-READING DAY

BEFORE continuing with today's blog, BE SURE that you finished last week's blog. Many didn't, and I will be marking your blogs again very soon (before calculating your midterm mark).

Click on your face to the right under 'followers' to see what I will see when I mark you! BE SURE YOU ARE CAUGHT UP!!! Check the various blog days below or cross check with a neighbour to be sure!

You have researched a topic that is related to the novel (as assigned in class).

1) Type your write up as a new blog entry. Use sentences and paragraphs - proper english language use, please!

2) Edit carefully! Use the spell check. Have others help. You will be marked on this!!!

3) Make the format/layout attractive! Paste in at least one picture that will add to your blog.

Done early? Research the novel, the author, or one of the other topics on the sheet that interests you!

CYBERPUNK!!!

Today we explore a sub-genre of fiction known as Cyberpunk!

Before we begin a) read the 'tips' on the right and b) read 2 NEW classmates' entries and comment upon them.

Read this description of Cyberpunk.

Definition of Cyberpunk
"Cyberpunk" is a sub-genre of Science fiction. It deals with slightly futuristic settings where computers, cybernetics and technology have affected our society. Often these worlds are dark and damaged - sometimes called "Dystopias". The stereotypical cyberpunk novel is positively dripping with chromed artificial limbs, bizarre prostheses used to ill ends, futuristic slang and lingo, crazed artificial intelligences and genetic manipulation run amok. The concept is more subtle than that, however. The underlying aesthetic is often one of going beyond the flesh. Drugs are a prominent feature of many cyberpunk books as are powerful Corperations and government powers, "underground" subcultures, as well as a variety of vices and crimes.

The most famous Cyberpunk novel, Neuromancer by W. Gibson, has a character named Case that "jacks" into the Matrix not just for work, but for liberation from the "meat"--the ability to play unfettered in a purely mental arena, a "consensual hallucination." Similar ideas have been used in the Matrix movies. Bladerunner, Aeon Flux and Total Recall are other examples of cyberpunk influenced movies. There are computer games and Anime that involve this genre, as well. Ideas from this can also be found in our class novel, The Last Book in the Universe.

A) Watch this scene from Bladerunner:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qnh_CMsIoLg&feature=related

1. List the futuristic things you noticed about this clip.
2. What mood is created? How does the film maker set the mood?

B) Read the "book back" and comments about the novel Neuromancer.

http://www.williamgibsonbooks.com/books/neuromancer.asp

3. What types of things about this book might appeal to you? (Pick 2 or 3.)

C) Find a Cyberpunk Character!

i) Go to google.com and research images. Try words like "cyberpunk, science fiction, cyborg" etc. in your search.

ii) Find a picture of someone you don't recognise (ie. not a movie star) that you like that fits the idea of 'cyberpunk' as discussed above!

iii) Copy the picture into your blog.

4) Write a character description about the 'person' you selected. Some considerations: What is their name? Physical traits/powers? Personality? What do they like to do? Do they have a job? Do they have friends? Enemies? What does their home look like? Hobbies? Favourite food? Music?

5) Edit this CAREFULLY before posting. Have others proofread it!

D) Done early? Look up more Cyberpunk related "stuff" at http://project.cyberpunk.ru/idb/scifi.html or http://top100.cyberpunk.co.uk/ or http://en.wordpress.com/tag/cyberpunk/ or http://misery.subnet.at/2007/index.html or through google.

Famous People in Advertising

Famous people, big money, product promotion and your thoughts about these ideas are what you will be exploring today!

Before you start, read at least two blogs that other classmates wrote last week and comment on them. Be nice!

A) Here you will find some pictures (9 pages of them, actually) of celebrity advertisements. Look through them.
http://www.frankwbaker.com/ca1.htm
i) Which one do you like the most? Why? Would you buy the product?
Paste their advertisement below your answer.
ii) Which one do you like the least? Why?

Watch these celebrities promote a video game: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2bXkvhzYt-k

B) Here is a list of some of the top celebrity endorsements:
http://www.frankwbaker.com/Celebrity_earnings.htm
Do you think celebrities deserve this kind of money? Why/why not?

C) Read the following article on celebrity endorsements:
http://advertising.about.com/od/celebrityendorsements/a/celebendorse.htm
i)How much influence do celebrities have over what people buy?
ii) Do you think this is too much or too little?

iii) Michael Phelps, multi-gold medal winning swimmer, has been dropped by Kelloggs after a picture of him smoking an illegal substance was exposed. Do you think this is right? (1 paragraph, min.)

D) i) Copy a picture of the famous person you are studying to your blog.
ii) Copy a picture of a product they might promote. (hint: use google images to find almost any product or person)
iii) Tell us why you chose this product.

Done early? Research your famous person or find images of them that you might use in your project!

TOP 10 DAY

Before you start, read the "Tips" in blue to the right and make sure you have everything in order.

Today we are going to look at top 10 lists of famous

(or infamous) people.

A) Here is a list of 50 heroes and 50 villains. Read through it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AFI's_100_Years..._100_Heroes_and_Villains

Which is your favourite hero? Why?

Which is your favourite villain? Why?

B) Read through this page.

http://mooni.fccj.org/~ethall/top10/top10.htm

Which scientist do you like the best? Why?

C) Look through and read the comments about who Forbes says are the top actors and actresses today.

http://www.forbes.com/2002/06/20/celebactorslide.html

http://www.forbes.com/2002/06/20/celebactresslide.html

Which is your favourite male? Why?

Which is your favourite female? Why?

D) Read through this site:

http://www.toptenz.net/top-10-sports-figures-steroids.php

Which figure is your LEAST favourite? Why?

E) When you have finished writing your blog to this point, stand up and yell, "Chicken lips"!!! If you do this too early, you must walk around the class flapping your wings and sounding like a chicken.

Now that you have written the content of today's blog, edit it!

Watch for things like spelling (dictionary.com?), punctuation and capital letter use.

1) Read it over yourself.

2) Call at least 2 classmates over to read it over with you.

Done early? Try the top 10 lists on:

http://www.top10lists.com/

http://www.davesite.com/humor/top10/000.shtml

FUNNY FACE DAY!!!

Feb. 20 Blogging

As mentioned in class, you need a jpeg picture of your face to do this one.

1) Download your picture to your desktop for easy access.
2) Sign up for an account at http://www.faceinhole.com/
3) Look through the many different "people" you can put your face on. Choose one that you want to use.
4) Click on it and follow the instructions. Manipulate your face to make it match the "hole".
5) Save it on your account - then you can save it to your desk top.
6) Put the picture on today's blog. (If you wish to permanently save any pictures, save them to your G drive).
7) Write an entry under your picture. You may want to address such topics as
- Why did you choose that picture?
- How did it turn out, in your opinion?
- What do you think about the famous person you have used?
- Did you have fun creating your picture?

You may use this new picture as your profile picture, if you like (especially if you don't have one yet).

Done early? Look at some other blogs and comment if you wish, or try another "face in hole"!