Tech Tip: Canvas Mobile App

I decided to look at the mobile app for Canvas on my iPad. It installed quickly and properly. I do not see the benefits of the app because it seems to just open up the webpage in the app. I have canvas bookmarked in my safari browser on my iPad. Going through safari seems to be the exact same as using the app.

Reading Notes: Alice in wonderland Part A

Rabbit from Alice in Wonderland

By: John Tenniel found on Wiki

Alice had a sister who would site with he on the bank. Alice was very bored and hated to read books without pictures or conversations. One day a rabbit ran past her. The rabbit was saying it was late to something and had a watch in its pocket. This baffled Alice so she followed. Alice followed the rabbit down a rabbit hole. She fell down a huge well. She kept falling for a long time, wondering what was going to happen to her. She began to worry that her cat would be neglected if she wasn’t home. She landed at the bottom unharmed and continued to follow the rabbit. She found a key that unlocked a tiny door. She could not fit through the door. She then found a tiny bottle that said drink me. She was skeptical of the bottle but ultimately drank it. The bottle made her tiny and she was able to fit through the door now. The problem was that she was too tiny to reach the key on the table now. She eventually made it into the garden. She then found a caterpillar. They argued about who should explain who each other is first. The caterpillar began to give Alice advice. The caterpillar told Alice that one side of the mushroom would make her bigger and the other side would make her smaller. She ate the mushroom out of her right hand which began to shrink her. She then quickly began eating the mushroom out of her left hand. She began to grow again but had no shoulders. A pigeon attacked her thinking she was a serpent. She tried to explain she was a girl not a serpent but the pigeon didn’t believe her. She continued eating the mushroom until she was back to normal height.

Bibliography:

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (1865). Link

Story Planning: Harry and Potter

Basic Story Notes:

Once, animals challenged the birds to a game. They agreed on a time and a place to do the ball dance. The animals were led by a strong bear, a great terrapin, and an agile deer. The birds were led by an eagle, a hawk, and the great Hawk. They were all swift and strong but feared the animals. Two tiny animals approached the birds and asked to join their team because the animals made fun of their size. The captain of the birds agreed out of pity. They fashioned wings out of a drum head which made the bats. The bats were so nimble that the birds thought they would be the best of them all. Next they stretched the skin of the other animal making a flying squirrel. This squirrel jumped quickly from tree to tree. These two animals proved worthy in the bird’s win. When the game started a ball was tossed up. The squirrel snagged it and tossed it to the bat, who tossed it to another bird who scored the winning goal.

Hogwarts Coat of Arms

By Jakovche found on Wiki

Plan for storytelling:

Being a big Harry Potter fan, I think this story could be written as a quidditch match. It reminds me of when Harry first played in a quidditch match as a first year and everyone underestimated him. He went on to win the match for his team and became a hero. Similarly, everyone doubted the squirrel and bat, yet they became the heroes of the match. The birds will obviously belong to Ravenclaw. The animals will either belong to Gryffindor or Slytherin. The squirrel could be named Harry. The squirrel could be named Potter.

Direction options:

1.       I could focus on the backstory of the bat and squirrel and how they were always looked down on. Then show them overcoming that to become heroes.

2.       I could start with them joining the birds, and transition into how they go on to be legends at the school.

3.       I could focus squarely on the match itself.

Bibliography:

Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths Part B

 Malaclemys terrapin

By Rasmussen AR, Murphy JC, Ompi M, Gibbons JW, Uetz P. Found on Wiki

The Possum and the Terrapin went hunting together and found a tree full of fruit. The possum climbed the tree and began to throw down the fruit to the terrapin. A wolf came by and began taking the fruit before the terrapin could catch the fruit. The possum waited till the right moment and threw down the largest fruit he could find. When the wolf jumped to grab it, he choked on the fruit. The terrapin took the wolf’s ears to use as spoons. On his walk home, he was offered to eat gruel out of many jars. He used the wolf ears to do so, which intrigued the others. The word travelled to the wolves who were angry. They took the terrapin prisoner. The wolves decided they would boil the terrapin in a clay pot. The terrapin laughed and said he would just break the pot. The wolves decided to roast him in a fire, but the terrapin said he would put it out. The wolves then said they would throw him in the river to drown. The terrapin used reverse psychology to trick the wolves into following that plan. When the wolves tossed him in, the terrapin swam to the other side and escaped.

Once, animals challenged the birds to a game. They agreed on a time and a place to do the ball dance. The animals were led by a strong bear, a great terrapin, and an agile deer. The birds were led by an eagle, a hawk, and the great Hawk. They were all swift and strong but feared the animals. Two tiny animals approached the birds and asked to join their team because the animals made fun of their size. The captain of the birds agreed out of pity. They fashioned wings out of a drum head which made the bats. The bats were so nimble that the birds thought they would be the best of them all. Next they stretched the skin of the other animal making a flying squirrel. This squirrel jumped quickly from tree to tree. These two animals proved worthy in the bird’s win. 

Bibliography:

 Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link

Reading Notes: Cherokee Myths Part A

In the beginning of the world, there was no fire. The Thunders sent their lightning to strike a tree, creating fire. The animals saw the smoke and held a meeting to decide who would fetch the fire. The raven volunteered because he was big and strong. When he got near the fire, he was burned and quickly went home. The screech-owl volunteered next. A blast of hot air burned the owl’s eyes, and so he scurried home. The hooting owl was next. The smoke blinded him and the ashes created a white ring around his eyes. He left without the fire. The birds gave up, and so the snake went. He slithered into a hole nearby but was burned by the hot coals and retreated. The great Blacksnake offered to go next. He was suffocated and burned by the smoke. Lastly, the water spider volunteered. The spider spun her web to make a bowl. The spider then went to the fire and gathered a single coal and her bowl. They then had fire from then on out.

Sun of May

From the Uruguayan Flag found on Wiki

A long time ago, several men decided to find where the Sun lived. They set out travelling east, meeting many other tribes. One of the tribes had a man who was on the verge of death. It was custom to bury the women alive with their husband’s dead bodies. The sun lived inside the sky which was a door. It would come out of the door and travel around the arching sky to the west. It was a human figure, but was too bright for anyone to see. They waited for the sun to come out so that they could sneak into the door. One man was crushed by the sky when he tried. The others decided to go home, but were old men by the time they reached home. 

Bibliography:

 Myths of the Cherokee by James Mooney (1900). Link