The first week has flown by (metaphorically, right?). We’ve already begun our first book and have had in-depth conversations regarding media and how we use it. If you have missed a single day, you have missed notes, most of which are vocabulary. That is why we have the Internet machine:
Dystopia: a society that is frightening in its implications; characteristics typically include society playing the role of antagonist, a totalitarian or authoritarian government, loss of civil liberties, bad living conditions, constant surveillance, depicted as a utopia, and a society that can make you believe the loss of something is beneficial (as in civil liberties)
And the scariest part of dystopia is that we may be living in one and not even know it (dun, dun, dun!).
Make sure you have all of the notes on dystopia in your notebook–the place where notes belong. Here is the rest of the vocabulary as well, most of which is focused around the book we began today, Amusing Ourselves to Death by Neil Postman:
Media: the main means of mass communication
Medium: a single vehicle for communication
Mass Media: a form of communication that is able to hit a very large audience
Discourse: written or spoken communication
Amuse: to entertain
Metaphor: a symbol
NEWS! NEWS! NEWS!
If this is news to you, you must catch up immediately. Tomorrow, Friday the 13th (dun, dun, dun!), three things are due: your student contract, your summer assignment, and questions 1-3 from today’s lesson.
If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please email me at key@whsad.org.
