12/6/08 ROAR

A History of Costume
By:Rachel H. Kemper

5comments:

• Man's first clothing was a potent weapon for war.
• The use of ornaments such as necklaces became popular.
• Costume was alsoused to enhance man's earliest religious rituals.
• Religious costume retained magical significance throughout much of human history.
• The curious fashion trend has been around ever since the Renaissance.

4questions:

• What started the use of costumes?
• What did costumes have to do with religion?
• What about the ornaments atrracted female attention?
• Were these costumes used for war?

3vocabulary:

• embellishments:Term used to describe personalized engraving or additional ornamentation added to a knife after it is manufactured.
• rudimentary:Basic; minimal; with less than, or only the minimum, necessary.
• relating to viewing simple material phenomena as resultant from innate spiritual beings within the subject matter.

2literary terms:

• "you solute the uniform and not the man."

1overview statement:

• Costumes have been used to define and distinguish men and women throughout history also to shape the appearence of a society.

10/20/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas

5comments

• Piri really hated Long Island, hed often make the scene in Harlem for pot, parties, stompings and chicks.
• He believed that Long Island was a foreign to him.
• Piri's mother said that she saw his father with another woman and her name is Ruthie.
• The people in Piri's neighborhood get mad when they see a black male with a white female.
• Piri's mom had never been the same since Paulie died.

4questions

• Why did his dad do go with another woman even though he knew that Pisi's mom wasnt feeling well?
• Did Piri get the girl pregnant?
• How old is Piri?
• Does his mom really believe it will be okay?

3vocabulary

• bendiga: to bless
• barrio: neighborhood
• chevere:great

1overview statement

• Piri finds out his father might be cheating on his mother, and he had sex.

10/19/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas


5comments

• Piri and his family move to Long Island in 1944.
• Piri's father found a neww job working in an airplane factory.
• Paulie died
• The people in his school don't like him because he is Puerto Rican.
• They want him to go back where he came from.

4questions

• Who is Paulie?
• Why don't they like hispanics?
• What is this girl impling?
• Why do these people think they are being invaded by niggers?

3vocabulary

• barrio: neighborhood area
• suerte: sweater
• dignantly: ?

2literary terms

• "I felt like I was plucking a mental daisy." p.84
• "some of these kids were dancing the mambo like stiff." p.83

1overview statement

• The people in Piri's new school don't like him be cause he is Puerto Rican they believe his ethnicity is a reflection of his behavior.

10/18/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas

5comments

• He worked as a shoe shine boy.
• He was complimented for his shoe shining.
• Piri implies that stealing is instinct in Harlem.
• Piri and his friends stole from a bodega.
• Piri is afraid that his friends might snitch on him becaus he was in on the stealing.

4questions

• Why did he steal?
• Does he still do drugs?
• What does he mean by srealing is natural in Harlem?
• Did his friend snitch on him?

3vocabulary

• tenement: a building divided into apartments
• cuchfritos: dish made of pigs
• syndicate: a group of persons who combine to carry out a financial or industrial undertaking

2literary terms

• "it was like doing something above and beyond the call of duty" p.74
• "you like dope in the funny book" p.73

1overview statement

• Piri decides to get a job and then finds an interest in stealing, in which he finds himself in trouble with his friends.

10/17/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas


5comments

• Piri hates school.
• It was a repetition between Piri and his mother because of the same events that took place in the morning.
• Piri would sneak out of class while class was still going on.
• Piri peed on himself because the teacher would not let him go to the bathroom and al the kids were laughing at him.
• Piri hit his teacher and another woman named Ms. Washington had to defend him.

4questions

• Why didn't she let him go to the bathroom?
• Why did he hit her?
• Why did Ms. Washington defend him?
• Is the principal afraid of Ms. Washington?

3vocabulary

• chastised: to punish
• bodily: in the flesh
• prevarication: act in collision

2literary terms

• "the teacher Ms. Shepard looked like a dried up grape." p.65 simile
• "A stitch in time saves nine." p.67

1overview statement

• Piri figures out a way to avoid being in class and his teacher did not allow him to use the bathroom so that made him wet his self so he decides to hit his teacher.

10/16/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas

5comments

• They moved back to Spanish Harlem.
• Piri started a fight with Waneko the leader of a gang to prove his toughness.
• He was acepted after proving his heart showing how strong he was.
• Piri fights because if he's in a gang he needs to keep up his rep show that he got mucho corazon.
• Piri smokes pot to fit in with his crowd.

4questions

• Why does he try so hard to gain the respect of gangbangers?
• Is his image really that important to him?
• Who is he afriad of?
• Is he trying to impress his dad?

3vocabulary

• glint: to shine by reflection
• cabron: one who consents to the adultery of his wife.
• overture: an opening offer

2literary terms

• "He's like an animal." p.56 simile
• "Your adams apple is doing an upand down act" p.59 metaphor

1overview statement

• Piri decides to fight to prove to thers that he is no punk and id now doin drugs to fit in with the crowd.

10/15/08 ROAR

"Down These Mean Streets"
By: Piri Thomas

5comments

• Piri's mother and father got into a argument and they both left their apartment for a period of time.
• Piri's father lost his job working for the WPA.
• Piri and his mother went to the relief building to help plead for supplies because his father lost his job.
• His father didnt go because he went to search for another job.
• Piri wonders if his dad hates Jewish people as much he hates Italians

4questions

• Why doesn't his father like Jewish people?
• Do they really want to abandon their kids?
• Does the father ever fear that he will not be able to provide for his family?
• Can his mom speak clear english?

3vocabulary

• overwrought: extremely excited
• maricon: homosexual; faggot
• curdroy: a teal jacket

2literary terms

• "She got up slowly like she was old and wasted." p.45 simile
• "The Jews spoke spanish like the Puerto Ricans do."p.46

1overview statement

• Piri's parents got into an argument and they both threatened to leave the apartment but eventually they had to settle there differences for the children.