Unit 1
Winston
Winston is the main character of the novel, 1984. We learned about this in Unit 1 when studying 1984. He is significant because the novel is written from his perspective and we follow his journey in discovering the truth about the world he lives in.
Claudius
He is a character from Hamlet. He is the uncle but also stepfather of Hamlet who is now king after the death of his brother, Hamlet Sr. He is significant to the play because he is the one who murdered Hamlet's father and becomes the villain for Hamlet and the target of his revenge.
Fact
A fact is information supported by evidence from experts. We learned about this in Unit 3 when studying journalism. It is significant because the news is expected to share mainly facts so it can be credible and trustworthy for readers.
Simile
A simile is a comparison between 2 things using "like" or "as". We learned about this in Unit 4 when studying poetry. It is significant because it is a literary device that writers use in poetry to help the reader understand what something may look or feel like.
Design Thinking
Design Thinking is a process used to find creative hands-on solutions for real-life problems. We learned about this in Unit 5 when studying the Design Thinking process. It is significant because many companies and designers use this process to come up with solutions that we use every day (ex: Google Maps, Uber Eats, Netflix, etc).
Big Brother
Big Brother is the name of the leader of the IngSoc political party that controls Oceania. We learned about this in Unit 1 when studying 1984. He is significant because he is used as a propaganda and surveillance tool, encouraging people to follow the party's rules and remind everyone that, "Big Brother is watching them".
Ophelia
Ophelia is a character from the play, Hamlet. She is the love interest of Hamlet, daughter of Polonius and sister of Laertes. She is significant in the play because she is one of the characters who gets manipulated the most by other characters which leads to her own suicide - that pushes Hamlet further into his madness.
Opinion
An opinion is information that someone believes or thinks from personal experience but is not necessarily supported by reliable evidence. We learned about this in Unit 3 when studying journalism. It is significant because opinions can sometimes come across as facts but readers today have to learn to spot the differences in order to avoid getting unreliable information.
Blackout Poetry
Blackout poetry is a form of poetry where you remove words on a page to create a poem and even an image. We learned about this in Unit 4 when studying poetry. It is significant because it is a modern type of poetry that is visual but also makes you see a text in a new way.
Empathize
Empathize is when you take the time to research and understand your user's needs and concerns. We learned about this in Unit 5 when studying the Design Thinking process. It is significant because it is the first step in the process that helps us identify what users really need and what has been done so far.
Desensitization
Desensitization is an element of dystopian societies where people are no longer sensitive to things that are violent or intense because it has been normalized/accepted by society. We learned about this in Unit 1 when reading 1984. It is significant to 1984 because the people in the novel are desensitized to war and the strict rules of Big Brother.
Revenge
Revenge is when you take action against someone or something that has hurt you or as a result of grief. We learned about this in Unit 2 when studying Hamlet. Revenge is significant because it is one of the main themes of play as Hamlet is trying to seek revenge against Claudius, for the murder of his father.
Vox Pop
It is Latin for "voice of the people". It is a type of interview where you ask questions to many people, usually in public spaces, to get a variety of opinions and answers on a topic. We learned about this in Unit 3 when studying journalism. It is significant because it is a fun and engaging way to learn about what society thinks about a popular topic.
Free Verse
Free verse is a type of poetry where there are no rules or patterns to follow. We learned about this in Unit 4 when studying poetry. It is significant because it is a modern type of poetry that goes against the traditional type of poetry and encourages freedom of expression.
Ideate
Ideate is a step in the Design Thinking process when you come up with ideas and possible solutions for your user's needs. We learned about this in Unit 5 when studying the Design Thinking process. It is significant because it is when you brainstorm on your own and with others to come up with all sorts of ideas, good and bad, that eventually lead you to the right idea.
Dystopia
A dystopia is a genre and a type of society that is the opposite of a utopia. It is a setting/society that may seem perfect but has many problems and flaws that impact humanity. We learned about this in Unit 1 when reading 1984. It is significant because the novel is one of the famous dystopian novels because it has many elements that we associate to that type of society and it warns of us things are happening or could happen in the future.
Willow Tree
A willow tree is a type of tree whose leaves droop and has a sad look to it. We learned about this in Unit 2 when studying Hamlet. It is significant because it is where Ophelia commits suicide (in a river under a willow tree), which emphasizes her sadness and depression due to the loss of her father and Hamlet's love.
Fake news
Fake news is news that may seem real and factual but is not. We learned about this in Unit 3 when studying journalism. It is significant because many people don't know the difference between real news and fake news and this spreads false information to the public.
The Rose That Grew From Concrete
The Rose That Grew From Concrete is a poem written by Tupac. We learned about this in Unit 4 when studying poetry. It is significant because it shows us how rap can be poetry and how a metaphor like a rose can show us a deeper message (ex: The Rose That Grew From Concrete = a beautiful person who overcame a difficult situation/challenge).
Prototype
A prototype is a sample or version of a product/solution. We learned about this in Unit 5 when studying the Design Thinking process. It is significant because this gives users an idea of what your product/solution will be like and this will eventually become the final product/solution that you could sell or provide to users.
Newspeak
Newspeak is the name of the new language that is being used in Big Brother publications. We learned about this in Unit 1 when studying 1984. It is significant because it shows how this dystopian society is trying to literally limit freedom of expression by removing words and vocabulary. It focuses on efficiency rather than creativity.
Osrich's skull
Osrich is the name of the former court jester/clown and his skull is found by gravediggers. We learned about this in Unit 2 when studying Hamlet. It is significant because this skull belonged to someone that Hamlet actually knew and it emphasizes the theme of life and death/morality as the skull is a symbol often associated to Hamlet and the play as he questions the meaning of life.
Bias by word choice
Bias by word choice is when writers use specific words to manipulate the reader. We learned about this in Unit 3 when studying journalism. It is significant because writers can manipulate how people perceive the news depending on the words they use (ex: death vs murder)
Emulation Poetry
Emulation poetry is a type of poetry where a writer will take elements or techniques from another writer or poem and make it their own. We learned about this in Unit 4 when studying poetry. It is significant because it shows us how we can improve our own stym
Test
Testing is a step in the Design Thinking process where designers will test out their prototype with users and collect their feedback. We learned about this in Unit 5 when studying the Design Thinking process. It is significant because this allows designers to see if their solution will actually work, identify any issues and fix them for future updates.