Direct and Indirect Objects

Step One: Read Below

In a sentence the direct object is a noun or a pronoun that is receiving the action of the verb. The direct object can sometimes be followed by another object. This is called the indirect object. An indirect object is a noun or pronoun in which the action is done for.

Here are some examples:

Direct object: Angela told the news. In finding the direct object you need to first find the verb.  The verb in this sentence is"told".  Next thing you have to do is find the subject.  In order to find the subject, ask yourself "who or what told?"   The answer would be:"Angela told."  Now you know the subject.   Afterwards you have to think, "Angela told what", in order to find the direct object.  "Angela told the news." So in this case "news" would be your direct object.  

Indirect objects: Angela told her friends the news. To find the indirect object you still have to first find your verb like you did above as well as your subject and determine if there is a direct object.  Please note, if there is not a direct object, then the sentence cannot have an indirect object.  But you know that the sentence above has a direct object.  However, a sentence can have an indirect object if you are able to answer the question: To whom or what did Angela tell the news? "Angela told her friends the news" so "friends" would be the indirect object.

Still confused? Maybe this video will help.

Step Two: Watch The Video

Watch this quick 3 minute video to see if you understand direct and indirect objects. This video will also show you how to diagram a sentence so you can see if you have found the correct direct object and indirect object.

http://vimeo.com/35754058

Step Three: Find the Direct and Indirect Objects

Find the direct and indirect objects. Some just have direct objects.

1) The boy gave Suzy apple baby food.

2) Gary likes mashed potatoes with sour cream.

3) My mother gave me a shiny penny.

4) Selina hates biting her fingernails.

Step Four: Take the Quiz For Practice
Go to this cite and take a quick test to see if you can find the direct and indirect objects. http://www.quia.com/quiz/424608.html. Click Start now and begin taking the quiz. Read the directions carefully. Be prepared for a quiz in class too.

Step Five: Write 5 sentences that have direct objects and indirect objects.  Identify the direct objects and indirect objects like this:

Example: Lani sang me a silly love song.  Songs=D.O. Me= I.O.

Posting Assignment=25 points.
Post  your five sentences by next Monday, April 15th and be prepared for a quick quiz on Direct Objects, Indirect Objects and Passive and Active verbs (voice).  Quiz is on 4/15.

 

Preposition Poetry!

 Step One: Read Below

Prepositions are "words" or "one word" that function as a connecting device to show relationships between other words in a sentence.  They do this without being a Coordinating Conjunction (FANBOYS).  They live in their own little part of speech which I call Preposition Land.

In this land they connect words that reveal:

Notice that without the preposition, the meaning of a sentence is lost.  One would never say or write: "The tornado moved the valley." 

unless of course the tornado completely lifted up an entire valley and moved it.  When the preposition "toward" is added to the sentence, it then connects the idea on how a tornado and a valley relate to each other.  "The tornado moved toward the valley."  Now this is a complete thought, thus a sentence.

Please listen and watch the musical video on Prepositions.  Yes, this may seem silly; nevertheless, a majority of students still have trouble identifying prepositions. There will be another Preposition Quiz, so this is your time to really learn them.

Step Two: Watch the 3 minute video

Click Link Below:
Musical Video on Prepositions   

Please note that this video focuses more on prepositions that show location.  However, the more you see how these little connecting words function, the easier it will be for your to identify them for what they do: Which is to show relationships between words.

Step Three: Watch the 7 minute video on how to diagram a prepositional phrase.

Now, watch the video to learn how to diagram a preposition.  Notice that the speaker does not identify the verb first (big mistake) but at least you will learn the format for diagramming a preposition which you will also be part of the next quiz on prepositions.

Click Link Below:
Diagramming a Prepositional Phrase

Step Four: Create a Poem

Now Create a Poem using a Preposition at the beginning of each line of poetry.  Your poem must create some kind of meaning to the Reader.  It cannot merely be a bunch of lines that begin with prepositions.  Minumun length=15 lines of poetry, each beginning with a preposition.

Post Poem by: Monday, February 11th. = 30 pts.

Quiz on Prepositions, Thursday/Friday, Feb.13th or 14th.  Make sure you know how to diagram prepositional phrases for the quiz. 

Have Fun!

The Hero's Journey

1. Read the explanation below about The Hero's Journey inspired by Joseph Campbell and then the short discussion on archetypes by Carl Jung. 
2. Then choose one film, novel, short story, or epic poem and identify the similarities it shares with the stages of the hero's journey. YOU MAY NOT USE A WORK NOTED IN THE DISCUSSION BELOW--such as The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars etc. . . .
3.  Finally, identify the type of hero within the work you chose based upon the archtypes defined by Carl Jung.

Your reponse should be 500 words. You have a "10 word window" of 5 words over 500 words and 5 words under 500 words. Create your response in a Word doc. Verify your word count and place this at the end of your response. Next copy/paste your repsonse with the word count into the blog post. 

Finally, respond to one classmate's posting and discuss to what extent you agree or disagree with their analysis.

First Posting Due: Monday, Jan. 28th.  (50 Points) 
Response to a Classmate Due: Friday, Feb 1st (20 Points)

THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Joseph Campbell, an American psychologist and mythological researcher, wrote a famous book entitledThe Hero with a Thousand Faces. In his lifelong research Campbell discovered many common patterns running through hero myths and stories from around the world. Years of research lead Campbell to discover several basic stages that almost every hero-quest goes through (no matter what culture the myth is a part of). He calls this common structure "the monomyth."
 
George Lucas, the creator of Star Wars, claims that Campbell’s monomyth was the inspiration for his groundbreaking films. Lucas also believes that Star Wars is such a popular saga because it taps into a timeless story-structure which has existed for thousands of years.

Many followers of Campbell have defined the stages of his monomyth in various ways, sometimes supplying different names for certain stages. For this reason there are many different versions of the Hero’s Journey that retain the same basic elements.
THE ORDINARY WORLD
 
Heroes exist in a world is considered ordinary or uneventful by those who live there. Often the heroes are considered odd by those in the ordinary world and possess some ability or characteristic that makes them feel out-of-place.

The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: Dorothy in Kansas
 The Hobbit: Bilbo Baggins in Hobbiton
 Star Wars: Luke Skywalker on Tatooine

The Lion King: Simba at Pride Rock

THE CALL TO ADVENTURE For heroes to begin their journeys, they must be called away from the ordinary world. Fantastic quests don’t happen in everyday life. Heroes must be removed from their typical environment. Most heroes show a reluctance to leave their home, their friends, and their life to journey on a quest. But in the end they accept their destiny.

Usually there is a discovery, some event, or some danger that starts them on the heroic path. Heroes find a mystic object or discover their world is in danger. In some cases, heroes happen upon their quest by accident. Campbell puts it like this, "A blunder—the merest chance—reveals an unsuspected world."

The new world the hero is forced into is much different than the old one. Campbell describes this new world as a "fateful region of both treasure and danger… distant land, a forest, a kingdom underground, beneath the waves, or above the sky, a secret island, lofty mountaintop, or profound dream state… place of strangely fluid and polymorphous beings, unimaginable torments, superhuman deeds, and impossible delight". This description may seem pretty vague, but think of all the various fantasy realms characters have entered throughout the years: Middle-Earth, Oz, Narnia, Wonderland. It could even be outer space, a haunted house, or the Matrix. Regardless of the details, the new world is sure to be filled with adventure. The Wonderful Wizard of Oz: The tornado

The Hobbit: Gandalf the wizard arrives

Star Wars: R2D2’s cryptic message

REFUSAL OF THE QUEST During the Call to Adventure heroes are given a task or quest which only they can complete. They are faced with a choice: accept the quest or deny it. Their choice might seem like a no-brainer. If they don’t accept the quest, there won’t be much of a story—or will there? Actually there are stories where heroes don’t accept their destinies. When this happens, the stage is set for disaster. There’s a reason why the powers-that-be have chosen a particular hero. A refusal of the quest only brings trouble.

King Minos, the monarch of Crete who antagonizes the Greek hero Theseus, does not do what the gods ask of him. Poseidon, Lord of the Seas, sends him a beautiful white bull. The god’s only order is that Minos must sacrifice the creature back to him. After seeing the magnificent beast, Minos decides he just can’t bring himself to do what the god asks and keeps the bull as a personal trophy.

Enraged, Poseidon vows revenge and causes Minos’ wife to burn with lust for her husband’s prized beast. The rest of this story is strictly NC-17. It results in the birth of the Minotaur, a creature half-bull, half-human, a curse to his father King Minos.

Campbell notes that heroes who refuse their quest often become characters in need of rescuing or in Minos’ case, the villain of another hero’s journey. Star Wars: Luke refuses the quest until he learns his aunt and uncle are dead

The Lion King: Simba refuses to return to Pride Rock and accept his destiny

Groundhog Day: Example of the negative cycle caused by refusing the call

ACCEPTING THE CALL:
Once the adventure is accepted, the heroes advance into the next stage of their journey.

ENTERING THE UNKNOWN As they embark on their journey, the heroes enter a world they have never experienced before. Very often it is filled with supernatural creatures, breathtaking sights, and the constant threat of death. Unlike the heroes’ home, this outside world has its own rules, and they quickly learns to respect these rules as their endurance, strength, and mettle are tested time and time again. After all, it is not the end of the journey which teaches, but the journey itself.

The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy must learn the rules of Oz

The Matrix: Neo must come to grips with the realities and unrealities of the Matrix SUPERNATURAL AID  
Supernatural doesn’t have to mean magical. There are plenty of hero stories that don’t have wizards or witches per say. Supernatural simply means "above the laws of nature." Heroes are almost always started on their journey by a character who has mastered the laws of the outside world and come back to bestow this wisdom upon them. This supernatural character often gives them the means to complete the quest. Some of the time the gift is simply wisdom. Other times it is an object with magical powers. In every instance it is something the hero needs to succeed. As Campbell says, "One has only to know and trust, and the ageless guardians will appear." The job of the supernatural assistor is to give the heroes what they need to finish the quest—not finish it for them.

The Hobbit: Gandalf Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi

 Cinderella: Fairy Godmother


TALISMAN:
A Special (and often magical) items that assist the heroes on their quest.

The Wizard of Oz: Ruby Slippers
The Hobbit: The Ring

Star Wars: Lightsaber

ALLIES/HELPERS

Every hero needs a helper, much like every superhero needs a sidekick. Without the assistance of their companions and helpers along the way, most heroes would fail miserably. For example, in the Greek hero story of Theseus, Minos’ daughter Ariadne, after falling hopelessly in love, helps Theseus navigate the Labyrinth. She does this by holding one end of a golden thread while Theseus works his way inward to slay the Minotaur. Without her help, Theseus would never have fulfilled his quest or found his way out of the maze once he did so.

Lord of the Rings: Samwise Gamgee

The Wizard of Oz: The Tin Woodsman, Scarecrow, and Cowardly Lion


TESTS & THE SUPREME ORDEAL The heroes progress through a series of tests, a set of obstacles that make them stronger, preparing them for their final showdown. At long last they reach the Supreme Ordeal, the obstacle they have journeyed so far to overcome.

All the heroes’ training and toil comes into play now. The journey has hardened them, and it’s time for them to show their prowess. Once this obstacle is overcome, the tension will be relieved. The worst is passed, and the quest, while not officially over, has succeeded. Star Wars: Blowing up the Death Star

Lord of the Rings: Mount Doom

The Wizard of Oz: Defeating the Wicked Witch
 

REWARD AND THE JOURNEY HOME
Typically, there is a reward given to heroes for passing the Supreme Ordeal. It could be a kingdom. It could be the hand of a beautiful princess. It could be the Holy Grail. Whatever it is, it is a reward for the heroes’ endurance and strength.

After the heroes complete the Supreme Ordeal and have the reward firmly in hand, all that is left is for them to return home. Just because the majority of the adventure has passed doesn’t mean that the return journey will be smooth sailing. There are still lesser homebound obstacles to overcome. The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies

The Lord of the Rings: Return to Hobbiton
 

MASTER OF TWO WORLDS/ RESTORING THE WORLD Success on the heroes’ quest is life-changing, for them and often for many others. By achieving victory, they have changed or preserved their original world. Often they return with "the exilir," an object or personal ability that allows them to save their world.

The heroes have also grown in spirit and strength. They have proved themselves worthy for marriage, kingship, or queenship. Their mastery of the outside world qualifies them to be giants in their own. Lord of the Rings: Frodo saves the Shire

The Wizard of Oz: Dorothy rids Oz of the Wicked Witch
 
THE MONOMYTH: NOT JUST FOR MYTHOLOGY While Joseph Campbell’s monomyth works best with the traditional form of the quest—folk and fairy tales, myths, legends, and other fantasies—it can be applied to many different genres or types of stories. A quest does not have to include swords and monsters. It can just as easily occur in the real world. The monomyth, ageless and universal, exists anywhere and everywhere.

ARCHETYPES APPEARING IN THE HERO’S JOURNEY

Joseph Campbell was heavily influenced by the Swiss Psychiatrist Carl Jung whose theory of the collective unconscious involved archetypes—recurring images, patterns, and ideas from dreams and myths across various cultures. Below are several archetypes often found in myths.

HEROES: Central figures in stories. Everyone is the hero of his or her own myth.

SHADOWS: Villains, enemies, or perhaps the enemy within. This could be the repressed possibilities of the hero, his or her potential for evil.

MENTORS: The hero’s guide or guiding principles.

HERALD: The one who brings the Call to Adventure. This could be a person or an event.

THRESHOLD GUARDIANS: The forces that stand in the way at important turning points, including jealous enemies, professional gatekeepers, or even the hero’s own fears and doubts.

SHAPESHIFTERS: In stories, creatures like vampires or werewolves who change shape. In life, the shapeshifter represents change.

TRICKSTERS: Clowns and mischief-makers.

ALLIES: Characters who help the hero throughout the quest.

WOMAN AS TEMPTRESS: Sometimes a female character offers danger to the hero (a femme fatale)

Mythology Teacher.Com.  Jan. 21, 2103.  Web
http://www.mythologyteacher.com/documents/TheHeroJourney.pdf

1. Read the explanation above about The Hero's Journey inspired by Joseph Campbell and then the short discussion on archetypes by Carl Jung.
2. Then choose one film, novel, short story, or epic poem and identify the similarities it shares with the stages of the hero's journey. YOU MAY NOT USE A WORK NOTED IN THE DISCUSSION ABOVE--such as The Wizard of Oz, Star Wars etc. . . .
3.  Finally,  identify the type of hero within the work you chose based upon the archtypes defined by Carl Jung.

Your reponse should be 500 words.  You have a "10 word window" of 5 words over 500 words and 5 words under 500 words.  Create your response in a Word doc.  Verify your word count and place this at the end of your response.  Next copy/paste your repsonse with the word count into the blog post. 

Finally, respond to one classmate's posting and discuss to what extent you agree or disagree with their analysis.

First Posting Due: Monday, Jan. 28th. (50 Points)
Response to a Classmate Due: Friday, Feb 1st (20 Points)

On-Demand Writing Assignment

You will have 45 minutes to plan and write an essay on the topic assigned below. Before you begin writing, read the passage carefully and plan what you will say. Your essay should be as well organized and carefully written as you can make it.

Create your essay response in a Word Doc then cut/paste it when you are ready to Post it.

PROMPT:
Most of us are so busy that we seldom spend time learning to cook a healthy meal. Instead, we spend extra money eating out or having food delivered, or we pop frozen food into the microwave, or we open a soft drink and a bag of chips. We have no idea what is in most of the processed food that we eat, nor do we want to know. Often parents work, so they are no longer the ones responsible for making sure that their children have healthy food in the home or that they eat well. Since parents are too busy to teach their children how to shop for food or how to cook, perhaps it’s time that middle and high schools have required courses for students so that they learn the essential skills for maintaining health: how to shop and how to cook.

—Tom Small


 Explain Small’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or disagree with his analysis. Support your position, providing reasons and examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.

Don't forget the basics of argumentation: Ethos, Pathos, Logos. 

In this response you are analyzing Small's argument; yet you are also creating your own argument.   So be persuasive!  And remember: you are not looking at how he created his argument or what rhetorical features he uses.  You are merely explaining his argument and then agreeing, disagreeing, or qualifying to what extent you agree with him. 

Once you make your claim on how you feel about the topic (his argument), then use examples to support your claim.  Show me logic and emotion with well-written sentences that are punctuated correctly in order to prove your credibility. 

You can also include the counter argument--something we have not discussed yet.  Here you would acknowledge the opposing viewpoint by either giving that viewpoint some concessions, (meaning to point out that parts of it may have merit) or you can discuss the opposing viewpoint by taking it apart and proving why it is wrong.

Good Luck and Begin--

Due at End of Class= 50 POINTS

 

Response to a Peer:

 

Due by Monday Night (NO EXCEPTIONS) = 20 POINTS

 

Respond to one peer by discussing how they incorporated elements of argumentation and evidence into their response and how it affected you as a reader.