Blog Homework for Wall-E

To see the film again at YouTube try starting with Wall-E and Eve Talks (for other scenes see the "related videos" box on the right; you may not be able find all of it, however).


Identify one technique (from our handout) used in the film. Briefly explain why the technique is used. (no more than 100 words or so; be sure to make it easy for us to know exactly where in the film it occurs)


What is your personal reaction to what you have seen today? Write a paragraph to explain your feelings. (up to 250 words; no more, please!)

Yale Film Analysis Resource

Click only on the left side links. Don't use the drop down on top left of page. A bit clunky with small photos, but includes a number of good video examples and all is explained simply and clearly. Use it to find a match with techniques you see on Friday.

Yale Film Analysis Resource

"Don't Get Fooled Again!" Learning Persuasion

Remember to write your ideas in a way that someone who has never seen the video can understand and be persuaded. I will provide a sample before Sunday night.

Affluenza Homework and Video Links

Answer one of the following questions in paragraph form:

1. How do you feel towards the program and why do you feel this way?

2. Does the program confront or confirm your personal beliefs? Explain.

3. Write about something important you learned from the program.

4. What stayed in your mind after the program was over? Why do you think that happened?

5. What made the program effective (or ineffective) in your opinion?

Here are the links to Affluenza and the Barry Schwartz videos.

Affluenza: Part One; Part Two; Part Three; Part Four; Part Five; Part Six

Barry Schwartz: The Real Crisis? We Stopped Being Wise

Report on Advertising During a Favourite Show

You do not need to say something about every advertisement! See if you can provide a general sense of the messages and what they convey to you. Is there a connection between the commercials and the show itself? Enjoy the show!

Substances as Stress Relievers: Deconstructing Advertisements (full handout, in colour, of today's advertisement; includes alcohol, cigarettes and candy)

Sample taken from "Adopting the dim-sum strategy"

Example sentence using both semicolon and colon:

"They've clearly read those studies about children and second languages: Children lose their ability to learn a language fully and perfectly by age 4; more languages equates with higher intelligence."

In this sample, the colon is used to introduce. Specifically, the colon tells us that we will read the details of "those studies about children and second languages" after. The semicolon here separates the two related ideas that are found in the studies.

Here is my sentence using the same structure:

Students, clearly, need to learn more about punctuation to be successful writers: Most of them have had little practice; more chances to practice makes for a better result.

Note that Fiona Lam (and her editor, Moira Dann) have bent the rules somewhat. Normally, you are not advised to have a full clause following a colon. In this case (and for practice) I've imitated as best I can the orginal structure. Students, of course, need not select such a complex example!

The Semicolon: Rita, Frank, Wahzma, Jane

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.

Parentheses: Qin, Najlaa, Suzie

Put your examples here. Each student makes one comment before next Wednesday's class.