WRITE A REVIEW

Everyone did a great job yesterday, talking about punctuation and proofreading with the SWAPS method.  The lab time was very constructive, and reading your writings out loud afterwards was interesting...now we know who the early birds and who is a night owls are! (And the afternoon chick!)

Because this assignment is longer and we don't have class on Friday,  I am giving you extra time. THIS ASSIGNMENT WILL BE DUE BY MIDNIGHT MONDAY OCT. 11th.
Write a two to four-paragraph review of any movie you want. To get some ideas of movie reviews, you can look up different movies online and see what people say. (Note: There are professional reviewers and there are non-professional. Can you tell the difference?  The professional reviewers always try to give a balanced review, including both the good and the bad.) If you do not watch movies, you can review a book, but I prefer a movie review.

Here is Liz's example:

Karate Kid: A Movie with a Kick

The poster for "Karate Kid"  shows the sillhouette if a boy kicking his leg high above his head. That sillhouette is Jaden Smith,  who plays 12-year old Dre from Detroit who must unwillingly move to China with his single mom (Taraji Henson) when she is transferred. As soon as he arrives, he finds himself attracted to a Chinese classmate Meiying (played by Wenwen Han), and is repeatedly attacked by bullies. Their excuse for beating him up is that they do not like his relationship with Meiying; in reality they are being cruel simply because he is different, and an easy target.  He is ultimately shown how to fight the bullies by the local handyman Mr. Han, played with patience and grit by Jackie Chan. I went to the movie because I was interested in seeing how Jaden Smith is developing as an actor; I was impressed with his acting in "The Pursuit of Happyness," where he was a young boy with fresh innocence. I discovered in "Karate Kid" that yes, Jaden Smith is maturing as an effective actor - and he can kick, too.

I didn't expect the story to be compelling or thoughtful, but just light entertainment.  I was wrong.  If you have ever been a foreigner, you can relate to the feelings of "other" that Dre  experiences. The cultural mix of new and old in China was highlighted, and Kung-fu, rather than being just an exotic art, was portrayed as a lifestyle that goes beyond cultural borders.  It is a coming-of-age tale that contains relevant age-old messages about hard work,  discipline and following one's heart. The dialogue was natural, the relationships felt real, and  - despite all the kicking - very little blood was shed. I left the movie feeling inspired; not quite ready to sign up for Kung-fu, but with a fuller understanding of what martial arts can offer and how its approach can be applied to everyday life.

This kind of movie, with a skinny kid and an aging star - and no shooting scenes or even car chases - doesn't stay long in the theaters. It doesn't have the usual PG "Disney" marketing machine backing, and the cast is largely minorities. (Shouldn't matter. But I think it does.)  The good news for Renton residents is, it is now playing at the Regal East Valley 13 for just $3.00.  It is located at 3751 East Valley Highway.  It is a well-told story that could very well kick you when you least expect it.

2. QUIA: There are TWO NEW assignments, "Punctuation Practice" and "Sentences from Blogs 2". They are listed as Week Two/Three.  Don't forget to use your username and password when you do them.

3. Week Two Spelling Assignment: Please go to Spelling City (see link on the right) and do Writing Class Week Two - Vocabulary from "Just Let Me Sleep."  When you get over 90% correct, send me an email!

4. Practice typing at least 3 times this week! See the link on the right.

As always, email me if you have questions or problems.