Elina's Blog

In english class, we learned about instructional writing, which is basically a piece of writing that is an instruction for something. For p.e class we had to make an instructional writing for a strategy for capture the flag, and we learned about instructional writing to improve our instructions for our strategies for capture the flag.

One thing I learned was that it has to be short and clear, like in a cooking recipe. It also should have visuals so its easy to understand and you can see what the step in the instruction should look like.

This is my finished capture the flag instructional writing.  https://docs.google.com/a/yis.ac.jp/file/d/0Byu-inP-ruFxTmJvcm5waDcxNXc/edit

I think our values change because of our experiences, for example you might have had a certain value before something happened, but after something happens you might have a value that is completely different. My values have changed during the past few months, and I think it is because lots of things happened and those things can change how we think and who we are.

In music class on Thursday, we went to the drama room (black box) and listened to and learned about Japanese music and instruments. The instruments we learned about were koto (which I used to play in 5th grade), shamisen, and shakuhachi (a vertical flute).

My favorite instrument was the koto, because I always liked how it sounds. Also, with a koto not only you can play pretty Japanese traditional music but you can also play more modern type of music on the koto.

My favorite piece of music was Deep Forest, the koto and shakuhachi duet. I just really liked how it sounded, I liked how it sounded really deep, and it made me feel… I’m not really sure but I really liked that piece.

I think what made the music sound Japanese was how the sound of the instruments kind of vibrates (??).

In P.E class, we got into groups and made up a dinner table dance, and also we got into groups of 3 or 2 and changed a part of oppan gungnam style.

I think me and my group contributed about the same amount, most of us gave ideas and things, but some people were just goofing off and not being much help. Because most of us contributed to making the dance most of the time, making the dance went pretty smoothly. But I admit I goofed off and lost my concentration a few times.

Some people in my group wasn’t concentrating at all sometimes, but we dealt with it by just practicing without them or shouting at them which was kind of bad and not the smartest way to deal with it. Though everyone else in the group was working effectively most of the time, it probably would have made a difference in the dance if everyone worked effectively. I tried to work effectively with the group, but sometimes, I goofed off and probably was not much help, but I did try to work effectively with the group.

What makes a good performance? 

I think the top three qualities ranked in order is:

1. Synchronization because I think the dance is not going to look very good if the dance is not synchronized with the music.
2. Flow because even if the synchronization is good, if the dance doesn’t flow it just looks unnatural and not very nice.
3. Energy because if you don’t put any energy into the dancing, the dance is going to look floppy and weird.

We tried to put as much energy in our dance as possible, and I think our dance is pretty synchronized with the music an I think it flows well.

For the past few weeks in art class we have been drawing a line drawing, which uses a variety of different types of lines. (hatching, cross hatching, stippling, etc…)

We first learned about the different techniques that can be used in our line drawings. The technique I used most in my line drawing was stippling, because it does take a lot of time but I think it looks really nice. We also looked at drawings by famous artists and identified all the different techniques that was used in the drawing. We also used our computers to combine 2 pictures together to make one picture ( yay technology! ), which was quite fun. After that we just planned our line drawing, drew drafts and drew our final line drawing.

Drawing the line drawing was harder than I expected, because it takes so much time and its hard to get the right darkness of the sky or water or whatever because I decided to use stippling for most of the drawing which I kind of regret while drawing because it takes so much time, but I think it looks nice so its ok.

My weakness while drawing this line drawing was to try to get the darkness and intensity right in the right places. My strength was putting more dimension into the drawing(maybe).

I think this unit was very fun, though some of the things were a bit difficult for me.

So basically in music class we were assigned to write our own blues song. I did my background music with my guitar. It’s not the best sound quality, but it works.

blues song 4 music

This is the recording for the SLC we did in tutor class. WE did the SLC with a partner and one of them was the mom/dad and the other re-did their SLC while recording it. Here it is!

SLC recording Elina

In french class, we learned about cafes, and we got paired up and researched about different cafes. Me and my partner were assigned to do research about the cafe ‘ Les Deux Magots ‘ Here are the questions and our answers.

• Historical background of your café

The café started life in 1813 as a drapery, selling silk and other luxury items. It took its name ‘Les Deux Magots’ from a successful play of that time: ‘The Two Magots of China’.By 1884 “Les Deux Magots” had transformed itself into a wine merchant’s on the corner of St Germain des Pres just as the area was transforming itself into a artistic quarter with the presence of the publishers Grasset and Gallimard and the theatre ‘Le Vieux Colombier’.

In 1914, Auguste Boulay, an ancestor of the present owners, realised the potential of the building’s location. After a refurbishment, the café “Les Deux Magots” emerged, and rapidly became the place to “see and be seen”. Soon, legendary figures of the art world were frequenting the café : Verlaine meets Mallarme, Oscar Wilde takes tea, Guillaume Appolinaire and others have animated debates on important issues of the day.

With the twenties came the exuberance and energy of the surrealist movement and its leading proponents could be found in passionate discussions over a coffee or a drink in “Les Deux Magots”. Then in 1933, after Andre Malraux had been awarded the prestigious Goncourt Prize for an academic novel, a group of enthusiastic writers decided that there should be another independent prize for talent and originality. At that moment “Le Prix des Deux Magots” was born and it was first awarded to Raymond Queneau for ‘Le Chiendent’.

• Names of the famous people who frequented your café

Jean Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, etc…

• The reason or purpose for those people to go to this café. Did they have a particular activity going on in this café?

Because people like to go to the cafe for a drink or lunch or just chill and rest

• Has your café been at the origin of some changes in French society? Has it had any impact on any aspect of French society?

In the decades that followed up until the present day, “Les Deux Magots” has been a witness to the changes in art literature, philosophy and politics.

• Is this café playing the same role nowadays and why/why not?

Yes I think it is because it is a very relaxing place for french people and tourists.

• If you can have access to some figures, would you say that the number of cafés in France is generally increasing or decreasing? How would you explain this trend? What future developments can we foresee? Are there any new types of cafés that you are aware of?

I think it is increasing because people like to go to the cafe and stuff, and in the late eighties, a ‘ Les deux Magots’ opened in the cultural centre of Bunkamura in Tokyo as a restaurant and cafe with a french boutique of French products.

• French cafés have existed for more than three hundred years. What is it that makes cafés still a popular tradition? Explore several aspects of your café and report on its location, its atmosphere, its menu and prices. From your results, what would you say contributes to making it a popular place?

I think it is still popular because cafes are places where people can relax and eat with friends.

In science class we have been learning about chemicals and elements and all that stuff. In class we all chose a element from the periodic table and I decided to do my poster about titanium.

One thing  I am proud of in my poster is how I lay it out.

If I could re-do the poster, I probably would have done a bit more research, not just the things that I thought were most important.

for me,freedom is to have no restrictions. That means to be able to do anything you want freely and without any worries. I think no restrictions also connects to making your dreams come true. I think that because if you are being restricted to do certain things, it can stop you from making your dreams come true.

I think equity is also related to freedom because I think it is important that people are being treated equally. Equity is important because if people are being treated the way they don’t like to be, they will feel mistreated.

I think having no restrictions is the biggest thing in freedom . I think the words young, wild, and free are related to freedom because it makes me think of being very free, and having nothing stopping you from being happy.

I really like how Maya said on her blog that we should have the right to believe in our beliefs and not criticize other people’s beliefs. I also really love how Mihaela said on her blog, that freedom means to be able to be with anyone you want to, even if they have different skin color, or even if they’re rich and you’re poor, even if they’re famous and you’re not. I agree with both of the things Maya and Mihaela said on their blogs.