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ELL Guidance on Assessments & EEs (22-6-24) 

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ELL Guidance on Assessments & EEs (22-6-24) 

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We analyzed the poem "in the park" by Gwen Harwood, delving exploring its various aspects such as setup, characters & major themes. The Poem analysis is attached below!

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In this activity we enhanced our critical thinking and creative thinking skills as we tried to analyze the aspects of the poem. Furthermore we became thinkers, open-minded (we tried to analyze a new poem that we had never read before with an open and positive mind) and inquirers (asked doubts to the teacher whenever we had an inquiry).

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In today's ELL class, we had an insightful discussion about opinion pieces, what they are, what is their importance, components and characteristics of opinion pieces. I personally had no knowledge about it, so this session was quite knowledgeable.

Above is the attached document of the hw that we were given.

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We became reflective as we reflected and noted down our learning from the guest session.

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Research On Rhetorical Devices & Persuasion Techniques (27-6-24)

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Research On Rhetorical Devices & Persuasion Techniques (27-6-24)

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Today Ma'am gave us a research task which was to research, collect information and understand about various rhetorical devices and persuasion techniques. Throughout this research I applied and improved my research skills as I utilized information literacy. In addition, I also got knowledge into many of the rhetorical devices and persuasion techniques that I was not aware of before.

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Rhetorical Devices & Persuasion Techniques

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Analyzing the speech: "This is your victory" by Obama (1-7-24)

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Analyzing the speech: "This is your victory" by Obama (1-7-24)

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In the class we read the speech and then we used our research skills and critical thinking skills to conduct an analysis into the speech, delving into diverse aspects of the speech such as rhetorical devices used, persuasive elements, & much more! Attaching contd. documents below!

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contd. analysis of the speech.

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These are some of the personal notes that I took down from the class, we had a discussion on rhetorical devices, their importance and impact they bring to a literary or non-literary BOW. In addition, we also explored ethos, pathos and logos. This session was filled with learning as I got deeper insights into the detailed definitions of these literary devices and what rhetorical devices are.. Furthermore I also jotted down some of the vivid vocabulary used during the session.

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Presentation on the Analysis of A Literary Text (8-7-24)

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Presentation on the Analysis of A Literary Text (8-7-24)

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Today we presented our task where we had to take a literary text and then explain the literary devices in it and the impact it created.

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Poem Analysis (ELL task, Nikhil Trivedi, IBCP- Gr-11, 2024).pdf

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Compare & Contrast Group Activity 11-7-24

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Compare & Contrast Group Activity 11-7-24

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Today we performed a group activity where we had to compare and contrast the speeches: "this is your victory" by Barack Obama & Robert F. Kennedy's speech on the assassination of Martin Luther King. My group was me and Vandan. We had to represent this compare and contrast information through a graphical organizer. We used a type of venn-diagram to express our points. After we were done. Ma'am made us do a peer review where we assessed each of the group's work and rated them out of 10. After we were done, each group justified their ratings and gave feedback about each of the group's work and performance.

Our group was applauded due to the specificity and detailed aspects that we covered in our analysis such as literary devices, persuasion techniques, rhetorical devices, immediate and long term impact, etc. + our content was not boring to read and we also used precise vocabulary however the only improvement we had to do is in the visual aesthetics of the chart.

Part 2 of the peer review is attached below!

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this was our chart that we made.

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In today's ELL class, we watched a crash course video on existentialism.

We delved into what is it, its roots, history, who sparked the concept of existentialism, why is it significant and we also made notes on the video.

I noted down key points and vocabulary that I wasn't familiar with.

Later on ma'am explained concepts of existentialism, Albert Kamu's perspective and ideology on existentialism, absurdity, etc.

These concepts that we discussed were integral principles and ideas in existentialism itself so this gave us a bit of a background knowledge before we delved into reading the novel by Albert Kamu.

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A task was given to us where we had to research about the life of Albert Camus encompassing his life, background, BOWs, impact, ideology, etc. The above document is my presentation on Albert Camus.

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Today we understood SCASI which is a mnemonic to analyze any kind of literary text successfully and effectively.

We understood each of the elements of SCASI along with in-depth discussion and use of examples. It was a productive discussion and we were able to understand all the elements properly.

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We continued with the SCASI analysis along with a brief discussion. We understood key elements like theme, mood, tone, etc.

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Understanding Albert Camus PPT by Nikhil Trivedi

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We presented our PPTs on Albert Camus and ma'am graded it and gave us commendations and recommendations.

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Activity on analyzing extract of "The Stranger" (23-7-24)

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Activity on analyzing extract of "The Stranger" (23-7-24)

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Today we did a unique activity where we made 2 circles: the inner circle and the outer circle. The inner circle had 6 members, each of the member had a role such as note-taker, summarizer, analyser, devil's advocate and we had to discuss about various aspects of extract 1 from the book "The Stranger".

We raised questions, shared statements and make conclusions on our understanding of the extract.

Some of the key conclusions we made were:

The protagonist was careless

A dark character was being portrayed

There was a fusion of themes like confused, cold, careless, non-chalant, etc.

The character deals with emotions differently

We interpreted that the protagonist does not share a close relationship with his mother and does not have closure.

There is a dramatic tone reflected throughout the extract

The character is in a poor economic condition and is scared of the authoritative situation

We developed a question: Does the character care more about the job or his mother's death?

Overall this was quite a thoughtful activity and I enjoyed.

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Structured Inquiry + Think-Pair-Share Activity (25-7-24)

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Structured Inquiry + Think-Pair-Share Activity (25-7-24)

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We were given questions regarding the first extract of the stranger and then we were divided into pairs, we answered 2 of the questions. The questions and the response has been attached above.

Through this activity we developed critical thinking, social and communication skills.

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We did the 3-2-1 activity here we wrote 3 things we learned through the discussion we had on extract 1 of Albert Camus, then the 2 things we found interesting and 1 question that we still had.

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We did a SCASI analysis for the entire extract.

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Character Analysis Of Meursault (30-7-24)

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Character Analysis Of Meursault (30-7-24)

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today we made a visual map on the character analysis of Meursault, we discussed the various aspects that should be included in the character analysis such as emotions, actions, reactions, values, ethics, adjectives, etc.

In addition ma'am gave us a question on which we have to research on why Camus named the protagonist Meursault.

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Discussion on Existentialism & Essential-ism. 

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Discussion on Existentialism & Essential-ism. 

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Today we delved in and extracted the intricacies of the terms existentialism and essentialism.

Key learnings include:

Essentialism is your upbrinding, it is what defines and shapes our existence.

Existentialism: it is what defines our essence.

The discussion was quite philosophical and knowledgeable. It finally helped us clearly differentiate between essentialism and existentialism.

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Discussion on our answers for the HW (1-8-24)

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Discussion on our answers for the HW (1-8-24)

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Today ma'am discussed each student's answers for the HW questions given, ma'am analyzed the answers and commented on it.

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Reading The Stranger and Analyzing it (5-8-24)

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Reading The Stranger and Analyzing it (5-8-24)

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We read a couple of pages of the book and understood details and analyzed the texts intrinsically.

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Today we did an activity that we had never done before, a NEWS analysis. NEWS stands for Needs, Exciting, Worrisome, Stance. We were divided into groups and were given specific pages of the book "The Stranger", we had to do the analysis specifically on those pages.

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Alongside the NEWS analysis activity we also did the plot mapping where we came up with the main points from the pages that we were given. Above is the attached picture showing my team's contribution to the plot mapping activity.

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Today ma'am gave us a worksheet where we did a character analysis and a map on Salamano, this included his actions, his thoughts, thinking, feelings, acts, other people's feelings etc.

This was a critical activity to understand and organize our thoughts and understanding about Salamano as a character into an organized graphical presentation.

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Today, me and my team presented our group FA task where we covered different components of analysis of the stranger that were mentioned in the task guidelines. Some of them were plot, ideas, themes, character developments, setting and atmosphere, etc.

We were given certain parts of the book "The Stranger" by Albert Camus, our group was given pt.1 chapter 4 and 5 and we presented our analysis specifically on that part of the book.

We presented an analysis, asked questions to the audience to make the presentation more interactive and engaging and also in the end conducted a small humorous skit which entertained everyone.

Overall this was a really thoughtful task and I felt really satisfied with my presentation as we uncovered all the details and had a very nice discussion with the students and the teacher and gave our best.

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Warm Up Activity & Poem Analysis (27-8-24)

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Warm Up Activity & Poem Analysis (27-8-24)

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Today the teacher began the class with a warm-up brainstorming activity where we has to write a few sentences about a place that holds significant personal meaning to You. Why is the place important? How does it make you feel?

This was a very unique activity and here's my response:

The Place: Society Garden Specifically the Swings area. It holds significant meaning to me since I've spent a lot of my childhood sitting on swings with my childhood friends and have made a lot of my core memories there. It's important because it reminds me of my younger self and the way I used to spend time with my friends singing songs, chatting and playing with them. Whenever I think about the place I feel nostalgic.

Then we started with the first impressions analysis of Gwen Harwood's In The Park.

https://allpoetry.com/poem/14330848-In-The-Park-by-Gwen-Harwood

We read the poem and gave our first impressions and thoughts, I said that through the text it seemed that the girl was in a poor economic situation, she lost a loved one who passed away, and through the concept of time the poem showcases how she deals with this death and how she reacts to her surroundings and the situation as a whole. It can also be said that she tries to deal with her own emotions and the death through God.

Furthermore, the main setting where the whole story is portrayed is the park as evident from the title of the poem. She is also a mother to her children however she has contrasting emotions towards them, initially she feels happy and nice to see her children growing and thriving however she feels that "they have eaten her alive" here it can be depicted that "they" refers to the children. According to me, this means that as time passed by she feels exhausted helping her children grow and spending her life supporting their growth. She feels tired, and feels like feeding them and fostering their growth has consumed her ownself.

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Analysis Of In The Park By Gwen Harwood (28-7-24)

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Analysis Of In The Park By Gwen Harwood (28-7-24)

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In today's session we analyzed the poem.

Some of the points we came up with post analysis were:

The woman's emotions throughout the poem were:

Traumatised

Exhausted

Tired

Some of the textual evicence to support this claim were:

"they have eaten me alive",

"someone she loved once passed by-too late"

"departing smile"

"but for the grace of God"

The departing smile as a phrase is a transferred epithet.

In the initial stanzas of the poem a theme of stillness is expressed through the woman's actions.

Furthermore she is in despair.

the poem is a sonnet, it is used to address and convey a serious problem globally.

it has 2 quatrains, and 1 sestet

These were some of the points discussed and concluded upon.

overall this was an eye opening analysis as we got to explore a variety of in-depth points about the poem that we previously had know idea about. This really opened out mind as to comprehend the underlying meanings of the words, stanzas and themes of the poem.

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Presentations and Analysis Of The Stranger (29-8-24)

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Presentations and Analysis Of The Stranger (29-8-24)

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Today there were other presentations on the other chapters of the novel, we engaged in discussions and gained an in-depth understanding into what exactly happens during the trials, how the focus from doing the systematic procedure of a trial diverts into analysing, judging and criticising Meursault's character.

We also noted down various relevant terms and vocabulary that will help us in the mid-terms.

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The Wine Is Drunk By Gwen Harwood Analysis (11-9-24)

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The Wine Is Drunk By Gwen Harwood Analysis (11-9-24)

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today we understood and analysed the poem The Wine Is Drunk By Gwen Harwood, we critically evaluated each and every line and stanza through different perspectives which helped us get an intricate understanding of the various aspects of the poem.

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Today we begun with the advertisement analysis, we understood the various aspects to consider when analyzing an advertisement. We also broke down the advertisements and analyzed them one by one with respect to each aspect.

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Introduction to Waiting for Godot (16-10-24)

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Introduction to Waiting for Godot (16-10-24)

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In today's class, we began studying a new text: Samuel Beckett's Waiting for Godot, a play that has garnered attention for its unique structure and deep philosophical themes. Ma'am provided us with a comprehensive introduction to the play, covering its background, historical context, and giving us a glimpse into the ideas we’ll explore as we dive deeper into this work.

First, we learned that Waiting for Godot is a central work in the "Theatre of the Absurd," a movement that emerged after World War II, reflecting the feelings of disillusionment and existential anxiety that followed the devastation of the war. This background helped us understand why the play, despite its seemingly simple plot, addresses profound themes like the meaning of existence, the passage of time, and the human experience of waiting and uncertainty.

Ma'am also introduced us to Beckett’s style — minimalist in both language and setting. The play’s two main characters, Vladimir and Estragon, wait by a barren tree for a mysterious figure named Godot, who never arrives. This seemingly repetitive and uneventful structure is central to the play’s meaning. As she explained, the ambiguity of Godot’s identity and the endless waiting reflect larger philosophical questions about the purpose of life and whether there is any meaning to be found in it. This was particularly fascinating because it opened up discussions about how Waiting for Godot defies traditional storytelling norms, focusing instead on the human condition in its most raw, existential form.

The historical context also plays an important role. Beckett wrote this play in a post-war world that had witnessed destruction on an unprecedented scale. Ma'am explained how this environment influenced Beckett’s vision of a world where traditional values and structures had crumbled, leaving individuals in a state of uncertainty, grasping for meaning in a seemingly indifferent universe. This context helps us appreciate the sense of despair and absurdity that the characters express as they wait without knowing what, or who, Godot is.

Overall, today’s class gave us a solid foundation for approaching Waiting for Godot. We are beginning to grasp its layers of meaning — from the overtly simple to the deeply philosophical — and I’m excited to explore how Beckett uses his characters and setting to communicate such complex ideas. This play will undoubtedly challenge us to think critically about the human experience, and I look forward to engaging with its themes in more detail in the coming weeks.

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Preparation for Chart Presentation Activity (17-10-24)

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Preparation for Chart Presentation Activity (17-10-24)

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Today, we focused on organizing and finalizing the elements for our softboard presentation on The Stranger by Albert Camus. We decided on three key components: a memorabilia section, which will include Meursault's case paper; a timeline of events; and a chart focusing on themes and literary devices.

Once we had these elements in place, we divided the tasks among different groups. My group was assigned to create the chart on themes and literary devices, so we spent the rest of the class brainstorming and searching for graphic organizers that could help us present our ideas clearly. We explored various ways to visually represent the major themes like absurdism and alienation, as well as the literary devices used by Camus, such as symbolism and imagery. By the end of the class, we had outlined a few ideas and started drafting our approach for the chart.

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Today we worked on your board display activity where each group was assigned a task. My group had to make a theme and literary device chart so we worked on that.

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Today we watched multiple creative ads and analyzed them based on its context, what was interesting, what were the captivating elements of the speech. Some of the ads that we saw were:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErwS24cBZPc&pp=ygUVYXBwbGUgMTk4NCBjb21tZXJjaWFs

The 1984 Apple commercial, directed by Ridley Scott, is a powerful allegory representing Apple's challenge to the tech industry status quo, symbolized by IBM. Inspired by George Orwell's 1984, it shows a dystopian society controlled by a totalitarian figure (Big Brother), meant to represent IBM. A heroine, symbolizing Apple, breaks this control with a sledgehammer, announcing the arrival of the Macintosh.

The ad uses vivid contrasts—monochrome, oppressed masses versus the heroine's vibrant colors—emphasizing innovation and freedom versus conformity.

The message is clear: Apple’s Macintosh will revolutionize personal computing.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1n6hf3adNqk&pp=ygUmdm9sa3N3YWdlbiBkYXJ0aCB2YWRlciBjb21tZXJjaWFsIDIwMTI%3D

The 2011 Volkswagen Super Bowl commercial, titled "The Force," features a young boy dressed as Darth Vader attempting to use the Force on various household items, only to be disappointed by his lack of success. However, when he "uses the Force" on a parked Volkswagen Passat, the car starts, thanks to his father using the remote control from inside the house. The ad blends humor and nostalgia, leveraging the Star Wars theme to highlight the advanced technology of the Passat, while connecting emotionally with both parents and children.

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4K Restoration: 1984 Super Bowl APPLE MACINTOSH Ad by Ridley Scott

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Waiting For Godot Script reading (18-11-24)

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Waiting For Godot Script reading (18-11-24)

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Today we read a little portion of the script and tried to understand its underlying meanings and significance.

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Ma'am discussed regarding the "Who run the world" activity. She discussed about what we need to do, how we should go about it and we also got a brief about different feminist speakers who've spoken impactful speeches.

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Today we conducted a socratic seminar where ma'am divided us into 2 groups: "outer circle" and the "inner circle". The inner circle had to prepare answers for questions that were given to us and present it to the outer circle, then the outer circle had to argue based on their points.

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We continued the activity, today the outer circle became the inner circle and the inner circle became the outer circle. We heard the other team's points and then made arguments.

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Reflection on HLE Session for HL Students (21-12-24)

The session conducted on 21st December 2024 for HL students on Higher Level Essay (HLE) was insightful and engaging. It provided a comprehensive understanding of the expectations, structure, and assessment criteria for crafting an effective essay.

Key takeaways included the importance of selecting a focused and relevant research question, maintaining a coherent argument throughout the essay, and integrating critical analysis with supporting evidence.

The session also emphasized the need to adhere to the formal register and academic style while showcasing personal interpretation and originality.

Practical tips, such as effective time management and techniques for refining drafts, added significant value. The session served as a strong foundation for approaching the HLE with confidence and clarity, equipping students with tools to excel in this component of the IB program.

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Reflection on Analyzing The Alter Ego by Gwen Harwood

Today, we explored Gwen Harwood’s poem The Alter Ego, delving into its profound themes and intricate language. The poem’s exploration of identity and the duality of the self resonated deeply, prompting discussions on how Harwood uses vivid imagery and metaphors to depict the conflict between the internal and external personas.

We examined how the interplay of tone, structure, and word choice conveys the tension and eventual reconciliation within the speaker’s psyche. The symbolic use of nature and time as recurring motifs highlighted the inevitability of change and self-awareness.

Analyzing the poem also led us to consider how Harwood’s personal context and philosophical perspectives might influence her portrayal of the human condition.

Overall, this session enhanced our understanding of the complexities of self-identity and the universal struggle to harmonize opposing facets of one’s existence.

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Today's ELL lecture offered an engaging exploration of street art. We began by analyzing its key components, such as icons, logos, symbols, and signals, understanding how these elements contribute to its unique visual language. Observing examples of street art helped us appreciate its diversity and the creative ways it conveys messages. Researching street art further deepened our understanding of its cultural and social significance, as well as its ability to communicate powerful ideas in public spaces. This session highlighted the dynamic nature of street art and its role as a medium for artistic expression and societal dialogue.

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Today, we focused on creating infographics based on our assigned topics.

After completing our designs, we engaged in a peer review session where we carefully analyzed each other’s infographics. The evaluation was based on multiple key aspects such as overall design, visual appeal, use of illustrations, structure, clarity of information, and effectiveness of communication.

This thorough peer analysis allowed us to practically apply the skills required for evaluating infographics. It not only helped us understand the strengths and areas for improvement in our own work but also enhanced our critical thinking, visual literacy, and constructive feedback skills.

Through this activity, we gained a deeper appreciation for the importance of thoughtful layout, balanced visuals, and clear messaging in effective infographic design.

(Attached above is the infographic I created for this task.)