1. GANADOS, DANICA A. GE 115 â PURPOSIVE COMMUNICATION
BSED MATH II-I 01/02/2021
Lesson 2
TITLE: Writing an Explanation Essay; The Blog
ACTIVITY: LET US EXPLORE
Let us test your knowledge of facts by answering the following trivia questions:
Reason/Answer
Why is traffic heavy in cities? One of the causes of heavy traffic in
cities is its growing population. Many
people from the provinces opt to move
to the city because there are more
establishments such as schools for those
students who chose to study in
universities. Resources and essential
facilities are also found in the city that is
why it is overpopulated compared to
provinces. In addition, some roads are
narrow and there are many sorts of
transportation vehicles running every
day that makes the traffic even worse.
Why do we celebrate the coming
of a new year?
Celebrating New Yearâs Day has become
a tradition that symbolizes a new and
fresh start and reminiscing the moments
of the passing year and looking forward
to a good life ahead, wishing and hoping
for happiness, achievements, and good
luck for the coming days of the year.
New Yearâs Day is proclaimed as a
National Holiday in our national calendar
thatâs why it is celebrated every year.
Why are plants green?
Plants contain green pigment located in
the leaf part called chlorophyll which is
an essential factor for photosynthesis, a
process in which the energy from the
sun is absorbed by the plant and the
green pigment of the plants will convert
it into a chemical compound that will
become the plantsâ food and source of
energy. Most of the plants are green in
color but in fact, some plants are with
varied colors, too and they are great for
decorative purposes.
2. ANALYSIS: GETTING READY
How did you answer the question? Was your information adequate to support your
explanation? Is your explanation convincing?
ď I answered the questions based on gathered information, from the news, and
based on the knowledge that I recall from my past Science lesson in elementary
and high school. I think that the following information was satisfactorily enough for
my explanations in each question and it was convincing because it was based on
true events.
What do you know about Ann Frank? Do a research about her.
Ann Frank was a 12-year old German -born Jew, In 1942 while hiding from the Nazi
Choose 2 classmates and work as a group. Then work with the following:
1. Make a list of all the adjectives and adverbs that you find in the diary entry. What
do these words reveal about the emotional state of the writer?
ď depressing, roughly, away, nothing, less, heartrending
ď These words express a sad and painful emotion of the writer while writing
the diary entry.
2. Comment on the way the diary entry was organized. How is this diary entry the
same of different from another piece of writing such as explanation essay?
ď The diary entry was organized based on the ideas of the writer. She freely
wrote it based on her experience or gathered information and it is an
informal or casual type of writing compared to an explanation essay that
usually contains an introduction and conclusion.
OCTOBER 9th 1942: Today I have nothing but dismal and depressing news to
report. Our many Jewish friends and acquaintances are being taken away in
droves. The Gestapo is treating them very roughly and transporting them in cattle
cars to Westerbork, the big camp in Drenthe to which they're sending all the Jews.
Miep told us about someone who'd managed to escape from there. It must be
terrible in Westerbork. The people get almost nothing to eat, much less to drink,
as water is available only one hour a day, and there's only one toilet and sink for
several thousand people. Men and women sleep in the same room, and women
and children often have their heads shaved. Escape is almost impossible; many
people look Jewish, and they're branded by their shorn heads. If it's that bad in
Holland, what must it be like in those faraway and uncivilized places where the
Germans are sending them? We assume that most of them are being murdered.
The English radio says they're being gassed. Perhaps that's the quickest way to
die.I feel terrible. Miep's accounts of these horrors are so heartrending⌠Fine
specimens of humanity, those Germans, and to think I'm actually one of them! No,
that's not true, Hitler took away our nationality long ago. And besides, there are no
greater enemies on earth than the Germans and the Jews.
3. 3. Comment on the tone of the diary entry. How is it different from the tone used in
an explanation essay?
ď The tone of the diary entry is casual and emotional as if the writer is talking
to someone which is different from an explanation essay in which a formal
tone must be used.
APPLICATION:
Task 1 LETâS SHARPEN YOUR SKILLS
Prove that you have understood the article by answering the activity below. Answer the
following questions in the Opinion Proof template
1. How does the author introduce the topic of his essay?
2. In paragraph 4, the author asks the question âwhyâ this signals that he is
explaining something. What exactly is the phenomenon he is explaining?
3. What are the explanations he provides for phenomenon you identified in no.2
above? Give three answers.
4. In paragraph 7, the author writes,â Let me explain âwhat exactly is the
phenomenon he is explaining?
5. What are the explanations he provides for the phenomenon you identified in no.4
above? Give three answers
6. How does the author end his essay?
Santa &Daily (1985)
Opinion Proof
1. The author
started his
topic with a
quote from
his mentor
on literature.
In 1977, my mentor, the National Artist for Literature
and Theater Rolando S. Tinio, said: âIt is too simple-
minded to suppose that enthusiasm for Filipino as
lingua franca and national language of the country
necessarily involves the elimination of English usage
or training for it in schools.
2. He explained
that many
Filipinos are
being hired
in different
Asian
countries.
With the of the doors of the Association of Southeast
Asian Nation (ASEAN) to everyone in the region ,
more and more Filipinos are being hired to teach
English in Indonesia, Thailand and , yes, even our best
friend , China.
4. 3. 1. First , Filipino teachers will accept a pay scale
lower than that of their Western counterparts .
2. Second, they are conversant with American
popular culture, a happy (or unhappy) results of
decades American colonialism and neo-colonialism.
3. Third, they are still Southeast Asians beneath their
skin, and are thus familiar with Asian Cultural
practices, whether said or unsaid.
4. The author
explained
that his best
students in
English are
also best
students in
Filipino.
Three long decades of teaching English and Journalism
to students (together with four years of teaching
Filipino) have shown me that the best students in
English are also the best students in Filipino.
5. And how did they master the two languages?
1. One, they had very good teachers in both
languages.
2. Two, they inhabited the worlds of both languages.
3. Three, they have gone beyond the false either-or
mentality that hobbled their parents.
6. The author
ended his
essay as how
he started it
by
presenting a
quote from
his mentor.
To end in a full circle, we must return to Rolando S.
Tinio, who said: âOnly the mastery of a first language
enables one to master a second and a third. For one
can think and feel only in oneâs first language, then
encode those thoughts and feelings into a second and
a third.â
In short, as a friend and fellow professor has put it,
âThe Philippines is a multi-lingual paradise.â The
earlier we know we live in a paradise of many
languages, the better we can savor its fruits ripened
by the sun.
Task 1.2
Answer the following questions below. Pls refer to rubric on page 98 table 4 as your
guide in answering the task.
1. What is a blog?
5. ď A blog is similar to a journal which contains a personal and subjective point
of view of the writer which accounts his or her personal experiences and
emotions. A blog however, is uploaded to an online website which can be
more accessible to many online readers and eventually makes the message
or the blog content more interactional and communicable rather than merely
expressing a certain idea or message.
2. What are the similarities and differences between blog and journal or diary entry?
Use the Venn diagram to show your answer.
APPLICATION: LET ME TRY
WRITING: Write an explanation essay on any topic of your choice. You may need to do
some research about the in order to explain it. The essay must be at least 500 words
long and it is organized as follows:
Please refer to rubric on page 97 table 3 as your guide in writing the essay.
ďˇ Introduction one or two paragraph
ďˇ Body at least three paragraphs
ďˇ Conclusion one or two paragraph
The Bright Side of Failure
A quote by Mary Engelbreit that says, âIt's just a bad day, not a bad life.â
reminds me of the past moments when I needed to be hopeful and positive in life
despite of the struggle that I was going through, that was three years ago. Going
through a tough situation in which I had to quit my studies was really devastating. I
went through a lot of sleepless nights which eventually turned into insomnia. Anxiety
totally consumed me at that time. I lost my appetite and became sick of constantly
thinking that I was a great failure which brought painful emotions and tears that lasted
for a month. It was hard life, I thought. Then a day came when I was invited by my
mom to go to church. I am very glad that I agreed to come because I realized that it has
been a month since I imprisoned myself at home just thinking about my misfortunes
instead of going out and do things that I usually do. Because of that day, I started to
accept my unfortunate moment and I tried new things. I learned to see the bright side
Similarities
accounts of a writerâs
experiences and
emotions
personal and
subjective
Differences
Blogs are uploaded to online
platforms while journals are
traditional handwritten diaries.
Blogs are more concerned with
communicating a message
while journals express or
document ideas or emotions.
Journals are written privately
while blogs are public in
nature.
6. of the situation. I was able to discover peace within myself, became more positive in life
and I loved myself even more. Most of all, I was able to move on from the pain.
That experience made me realize that I have to embrace my failure in order
to go on in life. Iâm not saying that it is good to fail, however, when uncontrollable
things and hard situations come into someoneâs life which includes failures then it is
better to accept such unfortunate circumstances and use it as a motivation do much
better next time. Eventually, I am happy now that I was able to go to school again. Still,
Iâm in the process of healing and growing.
A personâs failure doesnât make him or her pathetic or loser. Why? Because
there are certainly many things that he or she is capable of doing. Itâs just that there are
times in life wherein we can encounter failure no matter how hard we try and things
donât work out the way we wanted to. Think about failure as a blessing in disguise and
keep pursuing your goals in life no matter how hard it gets or how many times you have
failed as long as you put efforts and passion into your actions, anything is possible.
Think about the famous people who have failed many times before they
actually reached on top of success. The famous author J.K. Rowling for instance, a
British author of Harry Potter Series who went through a lot and her works had been
rejected by several publishing companies which made her lose confidence of her book
had faced all the rejections and strived constantly for success until she became one of
the best-selling authors of all time. She is just one of the people who had gone through
the hardest times and eventually made it in life. There are many more out there that
had similar experience like her who can give us inspiration to strive hard no matter
what.
Clearly, failure is not a reason to give up but it rather must be the fuel to
keep pushing on until you may reach your goals in life. So, whenever you feel like giving
up because things are not working according to your plan, remember to always motivate
yourself and think positive. For as what Mary Engelbreit said, âIt's just a bad day, not a
bad life.â Better days are definitely coming in your way. Cheer up!
Pre-writing
Before you write a blog, fill in the table below.
What is the topic of
your blog? Is this
topic interesting to
the general public?
Explain your answer.
My blog content will be about some healthy
things to do in the midst of pandemic to avoid
stress. I think this is an interesting topic since
almost everyone is experiencing stress and
depression nowadays and it is important to
give attention to this issue.
What is the purpose
of your blog?
The main purpose of my blog is to promote a
positive mindset andhealthy lifestyle to the
people who are struggling with anxiety due to
the sudden changes in the environment.
How do you plan to
organize the parts of
your blog?
I am planning to create at least 5 to 10 healthy
things to do in order to avoid mental stress.
What images or
graphics do you plan
to include in your
blog?
I would like to add animations and cartoon
characters or some other images that can be
related to my topic.
What links to others
websites do you plan
to include in your
blog?
I will include links that are related to my topic
and I will make sure that those are beneficial
to other people as well.
How do you plan to
lay out the blog?
I am thinking of a theme that can be eye-
7. What color scheme
do you plan to use
for the blog?
catching and interesting for my viewers. So,
instead of gloomy colours, I plan to use bright
colours as background theme.
Writing: Write a blog on any topic of your choice. decide first on your purpose for
creating a blog. You may choose from any of the following reason for blogging: The blog
must be at least 500 words. Once done with the blog, you are to convert the blog into
vlog. You may use bilingual in your blog or vlog. Answer the following questions below.
Please refer to rubric on page 97 table 3 as your guide in answering the task.
- To entertain - to inform
- To instruct -to persuade
Stressful Days: How I Deal With It
Iâm sure we all have those stressful days when we are not in a good mood,
everything is a mess and we feel so irritated or maybe we have so many activities to do
but somehow weâre feeling grumpy or too lazy to do anything throughout the day
especially during this time of pandemic with the new normal that we are dealing with.
Well, lucky for those who donât experience that, Good for you!
I personally experienced all those things and most times I suddenly become
confused of what I needed to do first because my thoughts are not organized and just
ended up being unproductive the whole day! If that habit goes on and on, stressful days
will follow and we donât want that. Believe me, itâs terrible!
So, here are some tips that I want to share with some students like me or
anyone who are also struggling with stress right now, I personally do these things in
order to reduce my stress in life. I suggest that you also give it a try and find out if it
works for you!
ďź Meditation and prayer
Meditation just after waking up in the morning is really an effective way of
having a good vibe. Pray in the morning, be thankful for being alive, think of
the things that you want to do for the day, and organize your thoughts. You
can also do this in the evening before sleep which is some kind of self-reflection
by thinking of the things you have accomplished during the day and being
grateful for everything you have.
ďź Self-motivation
Whenever I encounter a difficult situation, I learned to motivate myself that I
can do it instead of complaining that the task is hard to do because the more I
complain, the more I lose interest of doing the task which is not good. So,
motivating yourself in every situation is really important in order to eliminate
negative thoughts.
ďź Positive thinking
Positive thoughts can definitely eliminate stress and help us obtain a healthy
mind. Whenever you are going through a hard situation, always look for the
bright side of it and donât let negativity take over your thoughts. Remember
that every problem has many solutions. A quote from Mary Engelbreit says,
âIt's just a bad day, not a bad life.â So, be reminded!
8. ďź Healthy Lifestyle
Start with a healthy eating habits and regular exercise for at least a few
minutes. Remember to keep it constant because itâs the consistency that
matters. In time, it will become a habit and it is definitely worth a try! Itâs very
good for your body, too!
ďź Take time to relax.
I usually take a break whenever I feel exhausted and tired. Lie down while
listening to a soft music can calm my stressful mind in a few minutes. Taking a
short nap also works for me.
ďź Self-care
The best way to avoid the negative vibes of life is to simply take care of
yourself. Self-love is very important. Donât be too hard on yourself; itâs not
good for you! Instead, love yourself! Surround yourself with good vibes!
ďź Sleep properly!
Most of us always forget this important part, right? Because I do! Lack of sleep
is really bad for our health, we canât argue with that. So, as a reminder, please
do take enough sleep and it can really give you a good vibe.
These are just some of the tips that may reduce your stress. There are
certainly many other ways on how you can deal with your own anxiety by
discovering the things that can truly make you happy even in this pandemic
situation. I think happiness is the greatest thing that can really eliminate our
emotional or mental stress in life. If a person is truly happy by doing the things he
or she loves, or just being with the people that can make him or her smile
genuinely, then he or she will not be consumed with stressful thoughts and
depression, instead he or she will be at peace.
Before this topic ends, I wish for peace and genuine happiness for everyone!
Reflection
In this section, your task is to write an evaluation on the unitâs lesson. how did
you find the performance task? how did the task help you to see the real world? What
part of the task you find it difficult to do? What part is the easiest? Do you find it
relevant as a TED student?
Todayâs Lesson
As I was doing the activity, I was able to know more about how to write a
particular essay in which I had to choose my own topic; it was quite challenging to pick
a certain topic so I decided to relate it to my personal experience so that I could come
up with a realistic concept. In the blog making activity, choosing an interesting topic is
also quite hard, so I decided to make a concept in which I can inspire other people with
the content of my blog. I also made sure that the words I used will be easy to
understand. So far, the activity was challenging and it was brainstorming as well. The
activity is indeed relevant for me. It helped me enhance my vocabulary and writing
skills, too.