Purpose of Myth Review

1. Name 4 fundamental questions that myths address.

• Who am I? What is the nature of the universe in which I live? How do I relate to that universe? How much control do I have over my own life?

2. Name 4 themes in world mythology.    
     a.The first parents are often the gods of sky and earth.
     b.The creator god creates the first humans from the earth.
     c.The world being destroyed by a great flood.
     d.The idea of rebirth.

3. What is the beginning of the universe for most major cultures?

• The beginning of the universe for most major cultures is often when a deity or deities, bring order to chaos and separate it into regions for existing or emerging gods to rule. 

4. What do hero myths and epics teach members of society?

• Hero myths and epics teach members of society appropriate attitudes, behavior, and values if that culture.

5. Why do ordinary people identify with heroes?

• Ordinary people identify with heroes because they possess human weaknesses and imperfections, which people can relate to.

6. What is the foundation of the Matriarchal Society?

• The foundation of the Matriarchal Society was the agricultural year.

7. What is Sigmund Freud's view of myths?

• Sigmund Freud's views myths as the expression of the individual's unconscious  wishes, fears, and drives.

8. Myths demonstrate that people possess...

• Myths demonstrate that people possess the intellectual capacity to understand the world in which they live.

Apparently This Is Me

           Ever since I was a young child, I remember being competitive. Something as insignificant as tic-tac-toe would light the aggressive side of my personality. In addition to being a fierce competitor, I have also been an extreme perfectionist ever since my early years. I can remember building Lego towers and train tracks, and not resting until they were exactly how the box depicted them. In the birth order research, being aggressive and being a perfectionist are listed as personality and work traits respectively for firstborn children. After reading all of the most common traits for firstborns, there is sufficient evidence to say that the majority of the Birth Order Research accurately describes my personality, mental, and work traits.

            As the oldest I have become accustomed to my parents focusing their attention on my younger siblings rather than on me. Self-reliance appears as a personality trait for the firstborn children, and this quality pertains to me as well. An example of my independent nature is my school work. Up until second grade my parents assisted me with any school related subject. Upon reaching third grade, my parents proceeded to guide my brother through pre-school, while I struggled alone with the multiplication tables. Being self-reliant is a logical personality trait for firstborns to possess. Not only do parents need to focus on helping our younger siblings, we need to be able to guide them as well. At some point in their lives, the younger siblings look up to us. Being self-reliant allows us to set an example for them in work habits, as well as preparing them for life. The world isn’t going to cater their every whim. To this day my parents still lend a helping hand to my now seventh grader sibling, where as I have managed to maintain a near-perfect record of straight A’s (one B in geometry). Although they have not helped me, my parents maintained high expectations for me. I was expected to excel in school, sports, and performing arts. Being a high achiever is also one of the many personality traits listed for firstborns. Over the years, I am proud to be able to say I have achieved a lot in my past years. This trait of mine can be testified by some of my achievements such as: earning a spot as the top ten percent of students in America for both my Jr. High years and my freshman year, maintaining a 4.0 GPA while also participating in sports and performing arts, and having won five scholarships in the past two years. Not only was I expected to be an achiever in academics, but in chores around the house as well. I was expected to know how to accomplish various tasks they had already taught my brother, but not me. It’s not easy living up to my parents’ expectations, but with the write mentality and strong powers of concentration, anything is possible.

            Were it not for my strong concentration skills and my mental discipline, I would have died in school by now. Sometimes I still feel overwhelmed by the amount of responsibilities I have on top of my school work. However, I have a “give up and it will haunt your dreams forever” mindset. I hate to abandon or leave tasks unfinished.  Another attribute common to firstborns, including me, is having a patient and tolerant nature. It is necessary for me to be patient, if I’m not I risk going insane. My family is one massive migraine. Between overprotective and controlling parents, and a pre-pubescent brother who argues with anything that breathes, I need to possess equanimity. Being able to maintain my cool allows me to deal with my parents’ assumptions and my brother’s rants. Another trait that matches my personality is being precise. Precision is something that I admire and respect. I like being exact and receiving precise answers. One of my favorite things about English is its so called “gray areas”. Even if you want English to be precise, most times it’s not possible. I like challenges and trying to be exact in English is something I enjoy attempting. Being precise, having strong mental discipline and concentration skills come in very helpful if you’re a perfectionist. As it turns out, most firstborns are, including myself.

            I am a very analytic person. Apparently so are a lot of firstborns. I tend to analyze situations frequently and base my decisions on the most logical or beneficial choices. Being a perfectionist, I will obsess over the minutest flaws, and will redo an entire group project by myself if necessary. If I cannot hit a note perfectly in a song, I will practice for hours until I get it just right. Because of the way my parents raised me, I feel as if I have to provide only my best, or else its disappointing to me and to others. Perfectionism is something that is unobtainable, but to us perfectionists it means get as close as you possibly can.

          The birth order research states that children of a certain birth possess many of the same attributes, mental qualities, and work habits. After analyzing the various traits listed, there is a sufficient amount of evidence to suggest that the research is correct. This research both negative and positive for me. It affects me positively by being able to assume that the research on the other birth orders is mostly accurate, and being able to interact and work with others more effectively based on their birth order research. I do not like that I can be classified into a group with others. I like being unpredictable and undefined. Being classified as a specific birth order makes me feel like just another fact or statistic on a chart, something easily studied or grouped with others just like me. This has somewhat changed my views on the individuality of each person. I used to think that an individual was a mix of random personality types and everyone having their own unique mindset. Apparently, people possess more in common with others than I originally thought. However, it amazes me how accurate this research was in explaining the kind of person I truly am. 

Birth Order Traits

BOR Research and Evidence T-Chart 

Research Aspect	Accuracy or Inaccuracy
Close-minded	I do not think I'm close-minded. I'm pretty open minded to other's ideas. I like using others' ideas and combining them all together. I enjoy observing and learning others' ways of thinking. When I do decide to present my ideas or views, I always expect someone to not agree with me. And that's alright, I try to see it from their side and even if I still don't agree completely, I will admit they have a point or an interesting point of view.
Mental Discipline, Stubborn, Strong powers of Concentration.	Yes. I don't like admitting my strong points, but this is one I am proud of. I have very strong mental discipline. Especially during sports, mind over matter is my motto. No matter how tired, lazy, depressed, etc. I am, I will finish whatever it is I have to do. I do some of my best work when I'm under pressure, because I concentrate to a point where I come up with more ideas than I need, and I end up doing more than necessary. I can survive with a couple hours of sleep throughout the school day and 2 and a half hours of running for cross country, just because I have disciplined myself to concentrate and get it done.
Strong-willed and Aggressive	I am very competitive. That is something important, because I will most likely get aggressive over tag. I am very, very determined. If I decide on doing something or that I want something, I will get do it or get it. You will most likely not win an argument with me over something I strongly believe I'm right in. My determination is one of my favorite traits, and what has gotten me through a lot in life. I've been through some pretty rough experiences in my life, and if it hadn't been for my strong-will, I probably wouldn't be here writing this right now.
Tolerant and Patient	I need to patient, or else I'd go crazy. My family is one big headache. You can't even talk to my brother now without him telling you to shut up or get out. My parents mean well, but they interrogate me on the 2 minute gap between the time my practice should have been over and the time I called them. Not just that, but an A- is considered a failing grade to them. And yet they complain how I stay up late doing homework. My brother will enter my room at 3am, turn on all the lights, pull my blankets off, and leave the door open just because he couldn't sleep, and I "am not worthy of sleep if he can't sleep". But I just breathe and usually I don't hurt anyone. Usually. I tolerate everyone, even if I detest you with a passion. If I don't like you, you most likely won't ever find out.
Skeptical	You have to be skeptical in order to survive. There's a degree of trust between siblings that remains from the younger years. However, you never know when they will turn their back on you and snitch. When they do something randomly nice, they usually want or need something from you. Or they spit in it.
Perfectionistic	This bothers me so much, but I am a perfectionist. I can not sleep if I feel like my homework wasn't perfect. Everything I do has to be just right, and my OCD doesn't exactly help. If there is even a TINY flaw, I will redo the entire task. I feel like this may have developed from my parents who would make me rewrite my kindergarten homework if the numbers or letters weren't perfect. Those expectations from my parents eventually made me want everything perfect myself.

Latin Roots #1

ROOTS AND DERIVATIVES

1. act, ag, ig: to do, to move, to drive
2. ali, alter: another, other
3. am: at/ to love
4. anim: life, spirit, soul

WORD DEFINITIONS/SENTENCES 

1. agenda: a list of things to be considered or done                                                                                                Ex). The tasks on his agenda were so numerous, that he decided to take a nap.
2. agile: quick and well-coordinated in movement; lithe.                                                                                        Ex). The hurdler was as agile as a panther in the jungle.
3. alienate: make somebody unfriendly: to cause somebody to change his or her previously friendly or supportive attitude and become unfriendly, unsympathetic, or hostile                                                                      Ex). Sometimes, kids in high school alienate shy kids in school activities or events. 
4. altercation: heated argument.                                                                                                                                    Ex). I was removed from the cafeteria by security after having an altercation with the lunch lady after she refused to give me orange chicken.
5. amiable: friendly and pleasant: friendly and pleasant to be with                                                                        Ex). Everyone likes my best friend, because he is an amiable person.
6. amorous: expressing or feeling love: showing or feeling romantic love or sexual attraction                                Ex). The girl rejected the boy's amorous advances at the dance.
7. animated: full of life and energy                                                                                                                              Ex). The Zumba instructor was a very animated man who made the class look asleep.
8. equanimity: calm temperament: evenness of temper even under stress                                                              Ex). I have never understood how some students possess equanimity the day before a huge project, when they haven't even started.
9. inalienable: impossible to take away: not able to be transferred or taken away                                                    Ex). Music is inalienable in today's culture, no one can live without it.
10. inanimate: not lively: not active, energetic, or alive.                                                                                                Ex). Today in art we drew inanimate objects we would be such as pencils, baseballs, and chairs.
11. magnanimous: noble-spirited: very generous, kind, or forgiving                                                                            Ex). The magnanimous man donated $500,000 to his high school, even after years of torture.
12. reactionary: opposed to progress: opposed to progressive social or political change                                            Ex). Teachers opposed against technology are reactionary, for technology helps us learn, communicate, and teach more efficiently,

Reflections On Week1

1. Are there any factors that you think are going to affect your participation or experience in this class? Access to a computer?  Mobile/smart phone?  Transportation?  Friends/family? Schedule?                                                   Response: I think that the schedule is going to be the biggest negative factor. Its only been a week and I already feel overwhelmed. Too much homework, and too little sleep. 7 classes, 4 textbooks, and a sport are going to be hard to work with. 
2. Think of an awesome best ever learning experience that changed you. What did you learn? Where were you? What happened? Who else was there? Did it teach you anything about how you learn (or pay attention... or remember, or think?) How did you know what was happening?                                                                   Response: My 8th grade avid/algebra teacher started a community service club that was basically 14 of her students. We all mostly knew each other well, and she ended up taking us on a week long trip to San Francisco. As it was "supposed" to be an "educational" trip, we did go to the San Francisco Exploratorium, and we learned a lot of interesting things. From being inside a giant protector, to standing inside a room where sounds are amplified, to even being able to see how your face and another person's face would look like combined it was pretty interesting. In addition to that, we also went shopping in downtown where we quickly learned the hobos are not as safe and friendly as those here in Santa Maria. I learned that I can adapt to new environments pretty quickly. I can also think on the spot if needed, and sneak into 5 star hotels in shorts and a t-shirt. The most important thing I learned is how close you can strengthen bonds with people in a short amount of time, over the simplest of things. Before going on the trip to San Fran, I would have never guessed I would make close friends over making fun of pigeons named Alex. 
3. What are you most [excited/concerned] about in this class? What do you look forward to in learning?  How do you think it can/will make a practical difference in your life?                                                                          Response: I am excited about the importance of technology required for this class. Many teachers refuse to use a lot of technology, because they either don't understand it, or they don't "trust" it. I look forward honestly to the reading. I try to find some time to read new unknown novels, and the reason I like English is that they assign interesting books (sometimes), to read and study. I am also curious about the new ideas and perspective of the world that every English teacher I've ever had seem to have. I am concerned about the amount of work, and the amount of creative thinking we will have throughout the year. Creative thinking can make a difference in my life, because on a large scale it prevents communism, zombification of the children, and boring tumblr pages. On a smaller scale, it makes great 4am conversations on Friday nights and keeping everyone from thinking the same way. 

My Six Words

   Little things are the best things. I decided on these six words for several reasons. My little brother was recently born and I finally understood what they mean by the little things are what matter. I went over various ideas, but this one was the only one I could use him for. I also picked these words, because most people can relate to it. This could mean different things to people. Most people have an object or memory that might not seem important to others, but to them it could mean the world. It could be their first baseball, a wedding ring, a cape you won as a kid at six flags, etc. The point is that that item and its memories are yours, and exclusively yours. 
  Little things can make a person's day. It could be opening a door, getting chocolates from your loved one, or a friend giving you their muffin. For others, it could be getting their first A, running a mile in under 7 minutes, little accomplishments that aren't huge, but they certainly feel like it. Little things can mean a lot even though they might not seem "big and important", and they might just be the only good thing in someone's day. I believe that you earn trust, affection, etc. from multiple little things, rather than just one huge action or material thing. Little things are the best things in life, because they're easier to save, get, and to treasure for a while. That one little thing that holds so many memories, struggles, or meaning, that thing was at one point, even if just for a minute, the best thing in the world to you and only you.