Month: April 2010

  • The Medium is the Message

    According to Marshall McLuhan, television is a “cool” medium because it provides little information and makes the user fill in what is missing. How do the House Hippo and Media Monkey ads make the user fill in the information? House Hippo Media Monkey Do young people accept what they see in media as being reality?…

  • Borrowed Poetry

    Poets and other writers often use a quotation or line from someone else’s work to inspire them or provide a context for their own creations. Choose a line for one of your favourite poems(Canadian or American) and use it as a starting point for a poem of your own.

  • Louis Riel

    Research Louis Riel. Think of five questions you would like to ask Riel if you were to meet him. Then, imagine how Riel would respond. Write an interview from these questions and your imagined responses.

  • Canadian Fisheries.

    Write about the current state of Canadian fisheries. In which areas of the country are moratoriums in place? How have the communities that have been affected dealt with the moratoriums? Beyond their concerns about changes to their way of life, what complaints might people in these communities have about the moratoriums.

  • Human Rights

    Write an essay about a current human rights issue. It could be a world-wide concern or one with a Canadian focus.

  • Hiroshima and Nagasaki

    Floating Lanterns XII On August sixth every year the seven rivers of Hiroshima are filled with lanterns Painted with the names of the fathers, mothers, and sisters they float on their way to the sea Almost there, pushed back flame snuffed out Darkly coming back in pieces Tossed by ocean waves That time, years past…

  • Teen or Child Empowerment in Film

    Consider movies you have seen that portray teen or child empowerment (for example, Finding Forrester). What is the appeal of these movies? What similarities do they share? Are they believable? Why? Write a comparison-and-contrast essay comparing two of these films.

  • Injustice in Film

    Justice Justice seems to have many faces It does not want to play if my skin is not the right hue, Or correct the wrong we long for Action hanging off-balance Justice is like an open field We observe, but are afraid to approach. We have been burned before Hence the broken stride And the…

  • Vertigo

    Alfred Hitchcock’s thriller Vertigo is a movie that explores the fear of heights. View the movie and critique how effectively the director portrayed the main character’s phobia.

  • Examine Popular Culture

    Choose a person, event, or thing that is part of popular culture. Write an essay outlining the reasons the event, person, or thing has become part of popular culture. As you develop your essay, use the following process: Write a brief outline stating your position on the topic. Jot down notes for three or four…