Final Reflection

Prompts:

1- What are the three most important things you learned this year?

There were many important things that  learned this year, but at the top of the list were learning how to spot and correct fragments (from doing our To Kill a Mockingbird paper) I learned the true importance of being prepared for class, because if you aren't, you will fall behind.  The third most important thing that I learned was that I learned how to revise my papers well.  This was important because you might look back and say "That does not make any sense" and want to fix it.

2- What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

Something I will always remember will be the TKAM unit because this took up a large portion of the year.  This is something I will remember because it is something that ew all worked really hard on, so there is no way I won't forget it.

3- What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

The nicest thing that someone did for me was probably when we were reading our speeches, and nobody was critical of my writing, which is something I don't like but what is going to help me be a better writer.

4- What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?

Something I might have taught someone was my sometimes weird way of looking at things.  When we have discussion I would sometimes say something a bit weird but I looked at it a new way.

5- In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of? I think I made my biggest improvement in my writing because I no longer use fragments, or have too many grammatical errors in my writing.  Something I am proud of doing is just me passing Mrs. Larson's class.  It was a very hard two years but it was fun because we mixed work with fun. 

6- What was the most challenging part of this year for you?  The most challenging part of the year was probably the constant making sure the grades were up and re-doing what was no good.

7- What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?

The best piece of writing I did was probably the Blackfish paper because I received the highest score on a paper that I have done this year.

8- Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why?

I think Night would be my favorite because I always had an interest in learning about the Holocaust.

9- What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year?

The advice I would give new student would be to work your hardest because this class will prepare you for High School and it will help you in life.

Morrie's Aphorisim

 Explain the aphorism in detail. what was Morrie's main message?

2-     Relate the aphorism to a movie, song, historical event, current event, personal experience, etc. and explain in detail how the example you have chosen relates to the aphorism.

3-     Evaluate the aphorism by explaining why you agree/disagree with it. Give specific reasons for your position and specific evidence from the text to support your position.

4-     Take a picture of your aphorism to use as your graphic.

“Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do.”(p.18) 

Morrie's main message in this aphorism is that  you should be ok with what you can and cannot do.  You should always make sure to do what you can, but don't worry if you can't do something.  You may not always like what you can and cannot do, but you need to be ok with it.  For example.  During my past swimming season, I swam 50 freestyle in 24 seconds.  I really wanted to swim it in 23.  I tried and failed.  Of course, I was upset at first, but then I got over it because I knew I would have other chances and that I did my nest.  That was all I could do at the time.  

I agree with this aphorism because you should not be disappointed in yourself if you did all you can, and you did not want the result, you shouldn't beat yourself up over that.  Since you did all you could, it doesn't make any sense that you would be upset with yourself, because you couldn't do anything more.  Just look at Morrie.  He lost the ability to do a lot of things with ALS, but he was not mad.  Morrie would have his times of mourning, but then he would keep living his life.

Morrie blog 4/30

Prompt: Which 'Tuesday' Has Inspired You?

I think the Tuesday that inspired me the most would have to be the second Tuesday, when Morrie talks about how we should learn to hold on, but not to tight.  That we should let go, but not completely.  This was most inspiring to me because, I have this problem.  I either let go and try to completely un-associate myself with the entity, or I hold on too tight and freak out when I lose the object.  I think this has taught me to find a balance in between the two.  Of course, the only way to know is to experience it again.

Before this taught me to not let go, I would totally un-associate myself with the object that I haven't seen in awhile.  I would probably find it, then not care and put it back where I found it.  I think now, if I had that same situation, I would probably take the thing I found and put it somewhere I would remember, and use whatever I found again.  I think, then, I would be able to appreciate the object more, because I would know that it would be of some use to me.

I also said that I might hold onto something too tightly.  Say, for instance, my playstation broke.  I would probably go curl up somewhere, and look half dead.  I would come to school, half dead, and this would continue on for a long while.  I think after reading what Morrie has to say about not holding on too tightly, I would probably be really sad for awhile, then I would get over it in a few days.  

Holocaust AOW Impressions

That week that we had the Holocaust blogs was a week of gaining new knowledge.  One thing that I remember from my article is that there was a man that was being charged for being a SS member.  He was being charged for 300,00 murders in Auschwitz.  My article taught me that people are still trying to find and punish the remaining SS members, who are at the end of their lives due to their old age.  That week also taught me that people are (naturally) still extremely sensitive to anything related to the Holocaust.  I remember Steven's article was about a model train set, and it was modeling Auschwitz.  In his article, it talked about how some people were highly offended and upset that someone decided to make a place of death and suffering, into a toy.  That week taught me that people are still feeling that the world may not be ready to take that situation as lightly as the toymakers did.

Theif Lord 4/21

Prompt:  If you could ask the author three questions, what would they be?

Well, I think that my first question would be:  Why did you make the character "Hornet"  have some of the characteristics as a hornet? (Hair made to look like a sharp point, and responds sharply)  When I first started reading the books, I wondered this.  What made the author make this character?  There could have been thousands of other characters that the author could have created.  What made her make such an unusual character?

The second question I would ask her would have to be:  Why did you make the aunt so unusual?  I am being broad for a reason.  When she is first introduced, one of the first things that is said about her is her appearance.  She has a long neck, and a pale complexion, and she is a little bony.  The next thing that is said about her is that he is a bit stuck up, and snooty.  It's just that to me, her character seems a little out of place.  Maybe she is a literary foil to a character that we have not met yet.


My last question I would ask the author would have to be:  Why did you make the main characters siblings?  Why did you make them two brothers?  I am just curious.  Maybe later in the book the importance of the two brothers who are two twins will come out.  Maybe they have a special magical bond.  However, I may just be overthinking it.  I tend to do that a lot.

Life Is Beautiful

Prompt: Based on the Holocaust literature and poetry we have read, what connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading?  What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different? What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces?

There are many connections that can be made between my butterfly poem, and the book Night.  In connection to my poem, the children actually do play with each other.  We saw that in the film, the children who were permitted to live got to play with the other children who were permitted to live.  Not only that, they were provided with adequate food.  In connection with Night, the children who were too young, or adults who were too old, were almost immediately sent to the gas chambers.  Also, if anyone did anything at all wrong, they were either shot, or brutally beaten.

There are a bit of similarities and difference between the readings and the film.  One similarity to the poem was that the children who are still alive all play with each other.  Once they go through the selections of course.  Another one is when Dora wants to get on the train, but does not get selected because she is not Jewish.  The same things goes in my poem because the boys father is not with them because he probably is not Jewish.  A difference is that in the book Night the children are able to play and eat ok food.  In Night, when Wiesel says that he is 16 during the selection, they send him to work almost straight away.

What is similar about the movie to the poem or Night?  Well there are not many when it comes to Night.  While this movie is happy and humorous, Night is sad, and rather depressing.  Guido is happy with his son, and wants to protect him by any means necessary.  Elie's father would do the same thing, but he would not go out of his way like Guido did.  Partially because Elie is old enough to know what is going on.   There are a few similarities between my butterfly poem and this movie.  The children are allowed to play with each other, and they do have gatherings with everyone.  Just like in the poem.

3rd Quarter Reflection

I think I had a pretty good third quarter.  I was able to get all my school work done and done right,  I was able to get some of my work ahead of time, and it felt like I just had more time to relax because I was on top of things.

What is something you accomplished in the new year that you are proud of?- Well, one thing that I am very proud of myself for doing is being less of a procrastinator when it comes to doing homework.  Before third quarter, I would normally save all my work until the day before it was actually due.  Now, I normally do my work two to three days in advance (Other than this blog).

Where are you in your 40 book challenge?- I have been reading a lot this year, and I have actually gone over my 40 books.  I believe I am somewhere around 45 books.  Of course, I will not stop reading because I have met my goal,  I will continue to read because I would like to make it to 50 by the end of the year.

In what area do you think you made your biggest improvement in the english language?- I think a pretty big improvement that I have made is using proper grammar.  Before third quarter, I would find my self saying things like "Stan and me are going to..."  or "Me and Stan are going to...".  Now I am find myself saying "Stan and I are going to go to the..."  which makes me sound more educated and well versed.

Night

Prompt:  What changes do we see in Wiesel?

     There are many changes that occur to Wiesel but there are only two that I am going to focus on.  How he changes in faith, and how he changes as a person. These two I felt are the two with the most significance because they are the two biggest aspects of his life, and quite frankly all that he has.  The only other three things he has are a number, a bowl, and his father.  Those are also  big aspects of his life but him as a person and how he changes in faith are probably the most significant.

     He changes in faith so drastically when he is in the Nazi death camps.  He entered as someone who believed in his god without question.  Some could say it's only because he had never been faced with a situation like this before, which is true.  I believe that it is not the situation that broke him, it was his will.  We see people like the Rabbi who continue to have faith, almost to the death march.  Wiesel is quick to lose his faith.  If he had the will to endure the camp and still believe in god then he probably would have continued being faithful.  Almost a quarter way through the book he starts to question and not believe in his god.

     We also see Wiesel as a person change drastically early in the book as well.  One of the first exhibits of this is when his father asks a gypsy deportee where the bathrooms are, but when the deportee strikes his father, Elie does nothing to stop him.  He says "I would have clawed and dug my nails into the criminals neck before all this."  He would have defended his father before he was sent to the camp.  Not far after that, we see that Elie is angry with his father for being struck.  He thinks that his father should know better, to be able to handle those beating in a proper way.  Then we see towards the end of the book when his father of sick and dying and Elie is looking for him he thinks, "Oh, please don't let me find him."  He thought he could lose the dead weight and take the rations that would be given to his father.

My Butterfly

 www.bicycle-tours.cz

 www.prague-airport-transfers.co.uk

Momma told me to write to you today,
but I had no time. New children arrived
with the latest transport, and
I had to play with them.
I didn’t notice time pass.

I live better these days.
I sleep on my own mattress on the floor,
so I will not fall down.
At least I don’t have much work to fix up my bed,
and in the morning I see the sky from my window.

I was coughing a bit, but I don’t want to get sick,
for I am happy when I can run in the courtyard.
Tonight there will be a gathering
like the ones at Scout camp in the summer.

We will sing songs we know,
a girl will play the accordion.
I know you wonder how we fare here,
and you would surely like to be with us now.

And something else, Daddy. Come soon
and have a more cheerful face!
When you are unhappy, Momma is sad,
and then I miss the sparkle in her eyes.

You promised to bring me books
because, truly, I have nothing to read.
So please, come tomorrow, right before dusk.
I will surely be grateful for this.

Now I must stop. Momma sends you her love.
I will rejoice when I hear your footsteps
in the hall. Until you are with us again,
I send you my greetings and kisses.

-Your faithful son.

Night 3/26/15

     Personally, this chapter really made me angry.  The people in this story are treated so terribly, I could fell myself getting a little hot under the collar.  In this portion of the book, we see that the people have high times, and low times.  They first arrive at Auschwitz, only to have an evil mad scientist conduct them into lines that decided if your life was extended or not.  Once they are there, they are just removed or anything they have on them; including their hair.  After that they are given cramped quarters to sleep in.

     When they wake up, they do get some food, and that cheers them up quite a bit.  They get regular meals,and at the end of the day they must go through roll call.  This was a way to make sure all the prisoners were all present and accounted for.  Wiesel meets a relative; a cousin.  He does not recognize this person at first, but his son does.  Out of sympathy, his son lies and tells him his cousin's family is alive and well.

     Thought it may not seem it, I like to think that I have a strong sense of justice when it comes to bigger things like this.  This really made me upset because this is the kind of thing that would actually happen at camps.  To know that this actually happened, and that it's not just a story, really gets to me.

Berlin Memorial

I learned that during this time period, not all the laws were established at once.  The laws were established sporadically.  I also learned that the Jews did not only had freedoms taken away from them, they also had things like common necessities and pleasures away.  You can live without the pleasures that life offers, but the Jews could only buy food at certain times and stuff like that.   I think this monument was built to remember all the people who lost their lives to the lack of basic needs, or the people who were just killed in death camps, or killed in their own homes.

I noticed that laws were passed in certain years to avoid suspicion.  Just after the olympics there were so many laws that were past.  Almost none were passed before.  The Nazi probably wanted to slide the new laws in so that the people could get used to them and not protest against them.  I think the restriction about when the Jews could buy their food would be most troubling because, what it they could not buy food at that time?  They would starve until they could buy more food.

Bio-Poem

Solvieg
Strong, courageous, overpowering, caring
A Character in Matthew J. Kirby's story
Lover of her gurdians, brother, and sister
Who notices the real person within her people, who notices her real self, who notices her true potential
Who feels unimportant, like nothing compared to her siblings, who eventually feels that she is strong
Who learns what it means to be a skald, who learns who she is as a person, who learns how people are on the inside
Who says "Will you stay with me now, my memory, my bird of Odin?"
Who used to think she was insignificant, but now know she is a strong and powerful women.
Major character in  Icefall
A book that tells us the tale of the people of a warring country

AOW Impressions March 8th

Of course, this week we had some articles that were about ISIS.  Did we really expect anything different?  However, this weeks ISIS topics were a bit different, they were not about the group, rather the people who are going to meet up and join ISIS.  This is a little change of pace because all we really hear about is how they are killing people, or advancing their territory a bit further in the middle east.  This focus allows us to take the people who are being affects by ISIS in a different way into account.

One of the big things that we heard about during this week's gallery walk was about how teenage girls have been fleeing their respective countries to join ISIS militants.  These girls go to join, or get married.  It is not only girls running away to ISIS, it is also boys.  I couldn't imagine that these boys are going to get married into ISIS, so they could only be going there to join up.  All in all, a very disturbing topic indeed.

Icefall

Pages: 114-207
Prompt: If the author were here, what would you say and ask him/her?

What would I ask the author?  That's easy.  I wold ask him why he decided to call the book Icefall.  From what I have read so far, there aren't anything about the title.  I suppose that the ice is melting away but it is not falling in any manner.  In the cover of the book there appears to be a hammer striking ice.  Perhaps this hammer is called "The Icefall" or something like that.  From what I have read, the title does not fit the story. It may at the end, but I don't see it making sense anytime soon.

Another thing I would ask the author would be, why he chose the setting.  I think it is a good setting, but I just want to know why he choose that particular cave in the mountain.   Why not send the characters over seas, or beneath ground closer the the kingdom?  The cave is very secluded, so it makes sense to send them there because no one would ever find the royal family.  That makes an even bigger problem because they would not be able to receive supplies.

The last thing I would ask the author would be why are the berserkers be considered outcasts?  They are the nations strongest and most ferocious warriors!  Surely they have nothing strange about them.  Since they are so strong, many people could fear them.  Perhaps the people were just scared that something was going to happen to them if they made the berserkers upset.

 

AOW Impressions 2/20

What many people seemed to focus on was the ISIS beheadings and or what Egypt did in response.  What seems to be in most of those articles though, is that ISIS is spreading and becoming more a serious problem.  During the early days of ISIS they would only do maybe one or two beheading at a time, now we see them doing group killings.  This problem is only growing, and we need to stop it before we see more countries than in the middle east having these problems.

We now know that some of ISIS is stationed in Libya, which is only a boat ride away from Rome/Europe.  Like I said before, this problem is only going to spread and get bigger.  We see them growing at an exponential rate which we have not yet been able to gain control of.  We must stop this here and now before too many more lives are lost, and we can only blame ourselves for not acting sooner.

Icefall 2/19/15

Prompt: Do you like what you’re reading? Why or why not?

I do like what I am reading because of three aspects that really help build the book up.  The first thing that I think really makes this a good book is how the story progresses.  The story does not progress too fast or too slow.  They bring up parts that have been in previous chapters so we know what is going on, and they progress from those parts.  The author keeps the story moving along at a good pace so it is easy to keep track of what each character is doing and or thinking.

Another thing that I think helps build up the story is the suspense.  It uses this to force the reader to keep wanting to read the book, because they want to find out who the traitor is.  This helps build up the book because it gives it a more interesting plot.  With the development of the plot, the suspense thickens along with the desire to figure out who is the mysterious traitor who s sabotaging their means of living.

The last thing I m going to talk about are the characters.  The characters personalities really help get the plot further along.  All of them at time to time act suspicious, which really makes it interesting when someone plays detective and ties to blame them for being the traitor.  Little by little people are cleared of suspicion and everyone seems to always find someone new to blame.

Reflection Blog

For what I have done so far, I think it's pretty good.  Sure, we do not have any posts on our blog, but we set it up in 2 days.  Nadrian, Reese, and I are now figuring out who does what show.  Other than that, we just need to do some extra decorating to make it look really cool!  What I was doing before, is the effects of CO2 and why we could do to help stop the execs amount of it.  I decided to do a different thing instead simply because I got bored, and was not being very productive at all.  What I am going to do with my current blog for my Passion Project, is wait a few week before putting it up places so we could have more materials.

12/15 Late Blog: Icefall

Prompt: List at least three problems the characters faced? Which was the most life

changing? Explain

     Solvieg seems to face many challenges that the group as a whole needs to overcome for them to last the whole war.  They all seems to stem out from a long list of trust issues.   They all seem to be getting onto each other nerves and they all are throwing accusations at each other.  Better yet, these accusations are based on nothing but suspicion, which of course, make everyone mad when it is they who is being accused.

     They all know that someone in their midst is a traitor, they just have yet to find out who that is.  Some of the problems that they have faced are the loss of their cows, their guard being poisoned, and Solvieg's goat Hilda was killed by one of the guard for food.  With their cows gone, they no longer have a supply of drink which is milk.  With their guard poisoned, they are all able to be attacked with virtually no defenses.  The goat dying takes a huge toll on Solvieg.

  I think the biggest problem that they faced is Hilda dying.   Not only did Solvieg feel extremely sad and depressed for awhile, it also had huge affects on the rest of the people in the cave.  Once the goat is eaten, all the people who ate is fell sick.  It was poisoned to the traitor.  One berserker has already died from it, and there are still many who we have yet to see their fate.

House Of Hades Book Talk

     House Of Hades is a fantasy book written by Rick Riordan

     This book takes place in multiple places in Europe and in the Underworld.  Two of the main characters, Percy(son of Poseidon) and Annabeth(daughter of Athena) fall into the Underworld while trying to retrieve a item of power for the godess Athena.  They fall into a crevice that opened from the Underworld.  They need to make it to the exit the same time their friends make it to the entrance or they cannot cross through to the other side.  Think of it as a portal that needs to be opened from both sides instead of one.  Both sides make their way through the perilous land, to extract Percy and Annabeth.  The mood is both a funny and serious one, and the theme is never give up, because both sides had to endure life threatening challenges.

I really liked this book simply because it was very exciting, and because there are so many ties to the previous ones.  I remember most about this book is all the characters hardships that the characters had to endure.  I would recommend this book to all middle schoolers because it is challenging, but not too challenging.  I think you would want to go out a get this book because it is a really good book, and it's just plain awesome.  That's it.  It's just awesome.

Icefall 1/27/15

Pages: 50-114
Prompt: Describe the major conflict. What side are you on?

      The major conflict in the books so far is pretty bad for the characters in the book.  The conflict they are being faced with is that there is a suspected traitor among them.  They start to suspect a traitor when there have been a series of unfortunate events that severely weaken them, and most importantly, their guard.  Without the guard of the berserkers, the two princesses, Asa and Solvieg, and the prince and their brother, Harald will be completely defenseless against the invaders that are currently invading their country.  

     Solvieg has been having this strange dream, that is reoccurring.  She sees all the people in her company dead on the floor, and a strange figure that appears to have broken through the door, and there is a cloud of dark energy above that person in the shape of a wolf's head.  Once she tells her friend and storyteller, he starts to wonder if that dream can come true and if they can prevent it.  Once doing so, it seems that the traitor is alerted and decides that it is time to strike.  The traitor takes the one of the people's main source of food, the cows that give them milk, and leads them to the forest.  There, he kills them, then gives them to the wolves.

     I think it is pretty easy to pick a side here.  I choose the side of the King, his guard, and the princesses and the young prince.  The Kingdom they live in seems to be just and fair to everyone.  We are given no reason to doubt the integrity of the kingdom and the people that live in it.  Since we are given no reason to doubt, we can infer that the attackers have no justification for as to why they are attacking.

I commented on Stanley, Nadrian, and Gianna

Icefall **LATE**

Pages: 23-50
Prompt: Are the characters realistic (do they seem like they could be read people)? Why

or why not?

     I think that the characters are realistic.  Maybe not realistic to this day, but during the time period the the book takes place which seems to be the middle ages, I would say that the characters would be realistic.  They seem to have thoughts similar to us if we would have been in their situation (under attack).  Like most people, they form strong bonds with other characters that are introduced in the beginning of the book, or later on in the story.  Or they form strong dislikes.  

     The main character Solveig has a best friend Raudi who has been her best friend since they were both little, but they have grown more distant over the years/gotten older.  Naturally, Solvieg is confused as to why Raudi is starting to treat her differently.  She starts to wonder what happened to make them increasingly more distant.  She also forms a pretty strong bond with a goat, Hilda.  She always lets the goat sleep with her, defends the goat from being eaten (since she does nothing but eat and produces nothing).

SPOILERS

     Solvieg also seems to form strong dislikes very close to the beginning.  Since they are being attacked, and since she is a princess, the King sent his best men to guard her in the time of war, the Berserkers.  They all get drunk, swear, and fight all the time so it is easy to understand why she doesn't like them.  The thing that really gets her upset is when they KILL Hilda.  Solvieg is going to bed and since Hilda is not allowed to sleep with her in the place which they are hiding, she puts her at the end of the hallway.  She goes into her room and falls asleep.  When she wakes up she starts to look for Hilda.  She looks in the freezer to see if she is eating something, but she finds a dead Hilda hanging from the ceiling.  

TKAM Film

Prompt: What do you think is the most important difference between the written and filmed version? Provide evidence with specific details.

     I believe that the most important difference between the movie and the book, was in chapter 9.  In chapter 9 we have the Christmas scene where some pretty nasty things are said by Scout's cousin Francis.  One thing that Francis said was about Atticus, she said " He's nothin' but a nigger lover!"  This of course was after we found out that Atticus was going to represent Tom Robinson.  I believe that this is one of the most powerful quotes in the book, simply because it explains the mindset of most of the people in the south in the 1930's. 

     First, let's think about who was saying this.  Francis who is Scout's cousin, and is no more than a child.  We can see that he is somehow being influenced to think that way because nobody is born with hatred, people just normally acquire it from an influence at a young age.  We see from this kid when he says that Atticus is a "nigger lover"  we see that the younger generation is being influence to say things like that.  It's a long vicious cycle that I will explain.

Second, we should focus on where this kid could have possibly heard such language. Answer is, everywhere!  At home, on the street, and possibly even school.  He probably hears his parents saying this like that so he is just repeating that.  Remember that cycle I was talking about?  Well the cycle is, he hears it from his parents, then remember and goes on talking like that for the rest of his life, so he eventually teaches his kids that.