End of Year Reflection: 7th Grade Year

The three most important things I learned this year are time management, being ready to be called on at all times, and to finish your work no matter what (even if the quality is subpar.) In reading we have a lot of homework and it's in our best interest to finish everything or face the consequences (usually in the form of falcon fouls). We have to plan out time and make room to finish our homework with time and quality. Something is almost always better than nothing. If you finish your homework you'll be ready to be called on at all times. It's better to mentally be thinking about how you'll phrase things, then you won't look like a fool. If you are prepared and your called on when momentarily distracted you will at least know what to say. Not everyone gets a round of applause for saying one word.

I have a lot of moments that I will remember for the rest of my life. One of these moments is sadly not lessons, but the parties and the food. These memories stand out to me because it is unique from other teachers. Other teachers don't usually have small parties like this, except for celebrations with pizza after basketball season. One of my favorite things about this is how everyone collaborates together and happily brings things along. Even if people don't bring food they bring games (board games) and good attitudes which is very important. I love how this class is like a family and we work together well. This memory is something I will remember. 

The nicest thing anyone has done for me is unfortunately, let me copy a few things off of them. I have to admit, sometimes I don't do my work. As I said before, something is better than nothing. So, I asked a classmate to help me out with a few things. Of course, I made it up later on and never needed their help again. Another thing that's nice is when they help me pick up my things. I'm a clumsy person so I drop my things a lot. I feel really grateful when people help me pick them up. These are some of the nicest things people have done for me in class.

I have taught my classmates and teachers that if you try hard enough and don't look for short cuts all the time you will reach a good balance of quality and quantity. It is very hard to have enough time to do perfect in everything, but as long as you follow directions it'll be okay. If you think about things a little more you might see that the answer was actually right in front of you and not impossibly difficult. All it needs is a little effort. With a bit of hard work and perseverance you will reach the requirements and even more. 

I think I have made my biggest improvement in writing and thinking patterns. I have accomplished many things this year. Some of these are the argumentative essay, spine and found poems, and the Lady and the Tiger continuation. I am proud of these things because they show how much I have improved so far this year. As for thinking patterns I've gotten a more responsible attitude towards homework and work in class. A positive attitude is one of the most important things you can have. These are my biggest improvements. 

The most challenging part of this year was time management in second quarter and even a little bit in third quarter. I was unprepared, sleepy, and late almost twice a week. Being unprepared in class hit me hard. I almost got close to a detention and couldn't follow along in class. When the teacher called on me I was unprepared and nervously making things on the spot while embarrassing myself. It was a bad time but I got over it. 

My best piece of writing this year is my "C Poem". The poem is about living day to day life without passion and dreams. It's not the longest thing I've written but I think it has a certain quality to it. I think it's the best poem I've written this year because it has many themes which are embodied in it. Three of the themes are loneliness, dreams/hopes, and freedom. These themes are the most important themes in my point of view/perspective. Everyone has their own views and problems but these are the ones that can be interpreted in the most ways. They are relevant to all people as we all face difficulties with this. This is my best piece of writing in my opinion. 

Of all the books I read this year my favorite was Ender's Game. Ender's Game is a book about Ender Wiggin and his siblings as they deal with different problems. Ender is dealing with alien invasion and inner battles about morals. His siblings are dealing with politics and their secret online identities. It is my favorite because it I really like the sci-fi genre as well as school based themes. I really like the way they portray Ender as a genius because they don't make him all powerful, he also makes mistakes and thinks about things in the wrong way. It has universal themes about love and war as well as how to deal with tough situations that are forced on you. Another reason why I love it is because it has sequels and continuations. If you aren't satisfied with book one there are many sequels and different take on the novel. You can also compare it with the movie, even though in my opinion the book it infinitely better as the movie portrays things differently and leaves out important events. Ender's Game was one of my favorite books this year. 

School is tough, and everyone needs a few tips on how to survive. Somethings I would advise the students next year is to finish your work, respect the teacher, don't be afraid to admit you weren't paying attention or you don't know, and always be prepared to be called on. If you finish all your work you'll have a better relationship with your teacher and if you do your work you will know what to say when you are called. The most important advice we can give is to follow all directions said by the teacher. The teacher tells you to do things for a reason. Whenever you get free-time don't waste it and do your work. You can have full free time later. This is a part of time management. Basically, listen to your teacher and follow all directions. Also, if you don't want to be called on blow your nose, or drop a pencil, or make the sneeze face, and if the teacher looks at you don't look away because it'll be suspicious. (This goes for all classes and teachers, however don't overuse it.)

C Poem

“C” Poem:

The sun sets

confidently in the sky

causing all the shadows to run

but chains keep them stuck to us,

a burden we must carry,

I am my own shadow,

and there is no escaping,

not when the sun isn’t strong enough

to erase my burdens

so I walk as a prisoner

and every morning I wake up

and live like a zombie as

every and any other day, routinely

like a puppet without will,

then the sun disappears

and my shadows unchain

In nights I dream

of truly living

Of Mice and Men (Book and Movie), Comparing and Contrasting, Section 1 and Section 4

Right from the beginning of the movie we see immediate differences. For example, "the incident in Weed" is shown in the beginning instead of starting with the pond like in the book. We see a woman in a red dress running away from Lennie and George. Lennie and George then hide in a pond under long pieces of grass until the search party leaved. In the book the incident in Weed is only mentioned out of George's mouth when he speaks to Slim and Lennie, as well as Candy, and not described in any other way by the narrator. I think the director choose to show it this way to explain their suspicious behavior and why they are on the run. This changes the story because it gives us  insight on what happened to make them run instead of making us wonder like in the book. We can understand their actions better and get a better idea of the atmosphere and mood of the book.

In the film there is a reason for everything. The reason why George is first shown in the train embodies the theme of the movie and the book. The theme is loneliness. George is shown alone in the darkness and later on in the story there is another reason. When George kills Lennie he returns to the train. The train scene foreshadows what will happen later in the book. The director is telling us about the loneliness that will go into his lives.

One of the most important characters of both the book and the story is Curley's Wife. She is the catalyst for the problems on the farm, the fight between Lennie and Curley and the search party for Lennie at the end. She has to embody innocence as well as "tartness." I think the casting choice was great. She showed innocence while having flirtatious whiles. She looks similar to how I imagined her in the book however I thought she had  blonde hair and blue eyes. I don't think a lot of people could replace her however I think it would be Chloe Grace M. or Amanda Seyfried.

I really liked Of Mice and Men. This was because of the themes of loneliness and friendship. Thy were portrayed in a manner that I could understand. Something that impacted me was the friendship between Lennie and George. It made me think about my life and what I would do in his situation. I would recommend this book to anyone. This book is a favorite to both adults and children due to it's universal themes.

Conflict Blog

In every story there has to be some kind of conflict, in Mice and Men the conflicts all vary in degrees. One example of conflict in the story is the fights between Curley and himself. This type of conflict is man vs self. Curley keeps starting trouble for himself due to his temper. He thinks that everyone is sleeping with his wife and that big guys automatically are his enemies. In the book it says, "He hates big guys...Kind of like he's mad at 'em because he ain't a big guy." Page 26. Later on in the book he confronts Slim about his thoughts that his wife is cheating with him. He started the fight for no reason and then continued it even when Lennie was saying, "Make 'um leave me alone, George." Page 63. He caused the fight and broke his hands for no reason. His boxing is now in jeopardy.

Another man vs self conflict is Lennie having problems controlling himself due to his mental problems. In the beginning we can see how he harms himself by not having the restraints of common sense. The book says, "he wants to touch ever'thing he likes. Just wants to feel it. So he reaches out to feel this red dress..." it also says, "... that girl rabbits in an' tells the law she been raped." This shows that he has a problem controlling himself. Another problem is how he is forgetful. In Of Mice and Men George says, "Don't tell nobody about it. Jus' us three an' nobody else." However Lennie forgets and tells Crooks all about it. He says, "Gonna get a little place an' live on the fatta the lan'." and he even goes as far to say, "an' you can ast George." He might ruin things for them if Crooks tells anyone. He trusts everything and everyone, which might turn out to be a problem in their situation.

In the beginning these conflicts were different. Curley used to be nicer or less of a brute before he started to, "impress his wife". He started conflicts before however they weren't as big and didn't lead to so many injuries. In Lennie's case his disabilities were not as big as a problem when his body was actually of a child. To add to this he was also being taken care of by his aunt. Once he got older and his aunt died he gained responsibilities which he couldn't deal with and started getting in trouble. These problems changed over time in this way.

Of Mice and Men Dream Poem

They walked in grey clothes and with zombie steps on straight lines,
their hearts were still and their minds in binds,
they were chameleons of behavior,
all blending in without flavor,
their sky was still and covered,
by grey and heavy crying clouds,
the raindrops fell and caused a splatter,
but their hearts were already shattered,
the sky was grey and colorless,
and the only way they told the time was when they stopped to dream,
but the only thing they dreamed was screams,
Until one day when she appeared,
they stopped and started in wonder,
and the thunder of their hearts woke them up,
her name was Hopes and Dreams,
she was filled with color schemes,
bright yellow, pink, and red,
she cheered and asked them what they wanted,
until they were all daunted,
the sound waves changed their bodies,
their hearts started to beat,
their feet were released from the chains,
and determination, strength filled them,
color returned to their lives,
Hopes and Dreams came back to them,
so they no longer screamed

Of Mice and Men Blog

In the start of chapter 2 we are introduced to the setting of George and Lennie's sleeping quarters. The setting is, "The bunkhouse was a long, rectangular building. Inside, the walls were whitewashed and the floor unpainted." It seems to be a an old big cabin, which says a lot about the depression and how migrants lived. The atmosphere is different from the setting in which it is the feelings in the place not what it is or how the place looks like. Due to the characters having conflicts about power, as shown by Slim being more respected, “There was a gravity in his manner and a quiet so profound that all talk stopped when he spoke.” Page 33 Meanwhile Curley is more tolerated,"He just don't give a damn. Won't ever get canned 'cause his old man's the boss." They even insult him with the vaseline rumor.

All characters in the story are important however when introduced they are all showed differently. George and Lennie's appearances are directly stated in the book, “-small and quick, dark of face, with restless eyes and sharp, strong features. Every part of him was defined:small, strong hands, slender arms, a thin and bony nose.”, and “-a huge man, shapeless of face, with large, pale eyes, with wide, sloping shoulders;and he walked heavily-” Page 2 However like most of the other characters we are left to interpret their character though their actions and mannerisms, like George's foulmouth and anger towards Lennie or Lennie's forgetfulness and dull manner. Some characters like Carlson are introduced very briefly, “A powerful, big-stomached man…” Page 35 and then left vaguely until the next chapter. Carlson's wife is an exception to this and is explained by other characters, specifically the gossipy old man Candy. He is the one who reveals her "tart" and "tramp" actions without even having her being seen or introduced by us. They are all introduced differently, but every character is still important to the story and the way it develops.

Curley's wife, in my predictions, will have an influence on the conflict of the story however she has no name. I think that John Steinbeck is trying to make a point of her eyeing other men by stating that she is Curley's wife constantly. In the book they mention her as a "tart" a "tramp". All descriptions except of her beauty all have negative meanings. They even go as far as mentioning she has the eye in page 28. By not giving her a name they can enhance the connotation the name brings. When I think of her I think of Curley's flirtatious wife.  Another reason is the possibility that Curley's Wife could be based off of one of John Steinbeck's past relationships and the name is kept that way due to secrecy. 

3rd Quarter Reflection

The Five People You Meet In Heaven is about an old man named Eddie who works and has worked his whole life at the fair despite hating the place. In his last day of life he saves a little girl from being toppled by a ride. In heaven he meets five people who influenced his life and caused him to head down the path he did. The Five People You Meet In Heaven is my favorite because it tells the message that all our lives are connected in many ways, some people affecting your life more than others. It isn't the most challenging book by far, but it has rich messages about life and death and especially forgiveness.

My biggest improvement this quarter is my reading speed and summaries. In the beginning of the year I could only read a 300 page book in 4 hours, now it's been halved. You might say that reading too fast could be a problem but my understanding of books and their messages has improved to match my reading speed. My increased understanding of this has been improved and this has helped me in many ways. For example I can now write better summaries that get to the point.

In this quarter I am most proud of getting into art and sketching. During my elementary school days I used to draw all the time. But as I got busier in middle school I haven't had the time to get to it again. But after being done with everything I got back into art again. I am proud of being able to draw good enough and for getting back in it.

One of my biggest struggles this quarter was getting up and reaching school. I have some problems sleeping and I always have to turn on at least 10 alarms to get to everything in time. I also live far from school and I have no way of getting here and back other than walking. It takes at least 15 minutes, if I run, and for me that just means I have to wake up 15 minutes earlier. Another problem is the weather. I have to walk and somedays, like today, it rains. A way that I can solve this problem is by asking friends for rides or pay $2.00 to take the bus. Since my dad is here now, when he doesn't work I might also be able to ask him.

I am not a stranger to blogs since 6th grade but after around a year and a half I have to say that I've gotten better at writing them. For example in the past I used to get to the point quickly without showing descriptions but now I can describe things with a little bit of work and no problems. Another change is the length which goes hand in hand with better and bigger descriptions. But another thing would be word choice and understanding their affects in different mediums. I've gotten better at this thanks to practice in ELA.

In the past I never had any exposure to other countries except for the rare news channel or movies, which are very biased and exaggerated however after researching things I learned many new things. I learned these things because of new research skills. For example after verifying the website's expertise I can learn more accurate facts about many different countries, like Pakistan, no matter if its for personal interest or projects. I verify websites by checking if they are .com or .edu or .org. Sites with .edu are much more safe and informational. Some things I've learned about Pakistan is it's relationship with other countries, especially neighboring ones. I learned that Pakistan and India hate each other and have had many wars against each other. All these things are changes in this quarter.

Half Brother Blog

The book Half Brother by Kenneth Oppel is about an ordinary boy named Ben who's family adopts a baby chimp named Zan as an experiment for teaching sign language to a species other than humans. Throughout time the relationship with Zan and Ben improves greatly but my essential question was how does Zan affect the relationship between Ben and his Dad. Throughout the book we see that their relationship is less than perfect. They fight constantly about Zan, school, money, and grades. They don't have a great relationship. When Zan goes into their life they do go into a rough period, Zan is being treated like an experiment by his dad meanwhile Ben and his mother see him as family. After Ben's dad finally accepts Zan, Ben and his dad are much more peaceful. I think that Zan made them think about their family and fix things. The answer to my essential question would be that Zan has changed their relationship for the better.

Animal rights and family was the main theme and topic in both the book Half Brother and the article, "Chimpanzees in Laboratories," but that doesn't mean they are the same. There are many differences which can be seen immediately. For example the book is written in the first person view of a troubled teenager meanwhile the article is written by an educated animal rights activist. But there are many similarities.

When Zan is bought by Helson they describe his life there as violent. One scene in particular says, " But before she even reached the slot, Zeus had given Sheba a hard smack across the chest. She cowered in submission, but Zeus kept at her." (Page 285) This means that Zeus, the leader chimpanzee is violent and controlling towards women and even baby chimps, they live their lives in fear. Later on in the book they describe experimental facilities as making the violent place as, "a five -star resort." (Page 324) Meanwhile in the article they say, "In these prisons, chimpanzees were frequently caged alone and deprived of the freedom, autonomy, and meaningful social interaction essential to their well-being. There were no families, no companions, no grooming, and no nests. There were only cold, hard steel bars and concrete—and terror and loneliness that went on for so many years that most chimpanzees would sink into depression, eventually losing their minds." This means they are both similar in the way that they portray experimental facilities. The book describes it more emotionally meanwhile the article is more informal.

There are also more similarities. They both talk about how chimps act. The article says, "They care deeply for their families and forge lifelong friendships. " (First Paragraph) This means that Zan cares deeply for them and that no matter what he won't forget. In the book they say, "They care about each other. It's hard for some of them, because they came from all sorts of different places and families, so it's difficult for them to feel loyalty. But when they do, it's phenomenal to see." (Page 288) Overall, they all have their benefits and setbacks.

The book Half Brother was a good one. It showed universal themes like family and gave me knowledge on the closest animal to a human. Though it was fiction it felt possible for everything to exist in real life. It was amazing to see the development between all of the characters and though some of them like the relationship unbeneficial like the one between Janelle and Ben, it was nice to see his relationship with his family change for the better. This book is a very strong book in family values. 

Poetry Reflection Blog

In my life poetry is important in the way that its everywhere. From the moment you step into a room you see poetry. From songs, catchphrases, slogans, posters, and more. It is a natural part of my life. In a way since I can't live without music, you could say, I can't live without poetry. Poetry is not for everyone. I know this because most of the people around me hate poetry and sometimes I know exactly how they feel. It can be for a wide variety of reasons. They might not understand it, they might hate the rules, or they might just think its boring. 

The life and experience of a poet effects their poems. It gives them inner depth and understanding of a subject. Everyone can assume about death, loss, and happiness but unless they've experienced it, it might not mean anything to them. Edgar Allen Poe used his lovers death to write the poem, "Annabelle."  Every word expresses his grief and anger at the events. When poets can understand their topic they can add more feeling and truths to poetry. They give the insight and experience to a subject and show others the emotion in it. 

Different authors and topics can be brought out by using literary devices. In my poem,"Am I a Terrorist?" I chose to write as the victim speaking to the bullies. In the poem, "A Stereotype of Me" by Kyle Ezra Kriticos he is also speaking as a victim to the people of wrongdoings.  I use personification when I say, "My hijab screams my religion." The hijab is a symbol of pride and individuality to the people of the Muslim religion and by using personification I give it emotion. I use an allusion to a poem in the book, "Bronx Masquerade" when I say, "Do you still want to call me names?" I use a simile when I say, "like Osama Bin Laden". In the poem, "A Stereotype of Me" by Kyle Ezra Kriticos he also uses literary devices. He uses repetition in his stanzas  by saying, "a stereotype of me" to give emphasis on his point. He uses personification like, "your voice is long since dead to me" to give more emotion to his poem. He says, "I'm worth a million times the weight". This metaphor shows his feelings for the events that made him write this poem. 

- Non-fiction poem
- Bio-Poem of a Literary Character
- Where I'm From Poem
- Spine Poem
- Found Poem
- Nonsense Poem

Prompt Blog - The Great Gatsby - Spoiler

THE GREAT GATSBY

By: F. Scott Fitzgerald

Genre: Realistic Fiction, Satire, Modernism

Pages: 180

Prompts:

Is what you're reading believable? If so, why?

What surprises you in this story? Why?

The Great Gatsby is an amazing book. It has a movie (with Leonardo DiCaprio), plays, and more in its honor. But do you really know what it's about? 

The Great Gatsby is about an educated young man named Nick Carraway who moves into a small house in a rich neighborhood during the summer of 1922 in pursuit of the knowledge of bond business. He meets his neighbor Jay Gatsby a great party thrower and a surprisingly young and naive man when it comes to love. He has loved a married woman named Daisy for years and due to Nick's relations with her Gatsby tells him to invite her over so they can meet. After an awkward time they fall in love like younger times but her husband, who has been cheating with a woman named Myrtle is infuriated after finding out of her cheating. After a heated confrontation between Gatsby, Tom, and Daisy the Great Gatsby and Daisy are both found in a car with the dead body of Myrtle. Myrtle's husband is enraged and confronts Gatsby, who took the blame to protect Daisy, and kills him and then commits suicide. After having a small funeral in Gatsby's honor Nick leaves back to the midwest in deep thought and disgust of their actions. 

The Great Gatsby is extremely believable. Everything that happens in the book could very well happen in real life. People do cheat in hopes of true love and warmth like Myrtle with Tom and Daisy with Gatsby. Marriage is not always a happy tale and the Great Gatsby shows that. It also shows that in real life circumstances sometimes override true love. People also kill when driven to a corner with rage or shame. Everyday thousands of people are murdered no matter what the reason. There is no escaping death and for these people it comes early. 

After reading the book I was extremely surprised at the sequence of events. In the beginning the book was peaceful with it's events but after giving us an introduction goes to the extremes with love crimes (cheating) and murders as well as suicides. When Daisy and Gatsby got together again I thought that Tom and Daisy would simply divorce because both of them were already cheating with others and didn't have a stable relationship. But instead the confrontations turned violent and Myrtle was killed by Daisy, Gatsby was killed by George, and George was killed by his own hands. It was a horrific ending with a realistic portrayal of life and how fate can't be controlled and how things don't always end in a happily ever after.

"The Lady and The Robber" Nonsense Poem

"Am I a terrorist?"

“Am I a terrorist”

By: Citlalli Esquivel

I walked into my classroom

at Glenview Illinois Middle School

The stares were immediate

Sweat gathering on my forehead

I quickly sat on my white desk, like them

They all stared at my head

At my “towel-head “hijab,

My hijab screams my religion

It screams I’m different

When I only want to be accepted

I grew up hearing

Muslims are murderers

Muslims are most troublesome

Adults with islamophobia say it

And their innocent, ignorant children repeat it

You laugh at me, judge me

Muslims are murderers

and terrorists to boot

“like Osama Bin Laden”

The whole package

I wasn’t even born yet

When the tragedy happened

Do you still want to call me names?

My innocent, responsible bullies

Call me a terrorist

When they don’t even know

What terrorist means

I can’t help but get angry when

they don’t even know what my religion is.

Do they even know what values I follow?

They don’t, do you?

Inspired by the article, "Chicago teens confronted with new wave of Islamophobia speak up"

Bio Poem: Lupe

Lupe,

Smart, insecure, beautiful, "unloved?"

A character in "Bronx Masquerade"

Lover of children, parents, and friends

Who notices the cry of hearts

Who feels the unloved and the unloving

Who learns to be a better her

Who used to think she was alone

But now knows how loved she is

Major character in "Bronx Masquerade"

A book about true self, secrets, acceptance, and identity

Character Development: Lupe

Lupe Algarin is a hispanic teenager in high school. She has many insecurities about not being loved because all her sisters are married and even her mom has a step-husband.  On page 35 she says, "So it's just me now, with Mami and her husband, Berto. Besides her factory job all she cares about is him." Another part of that is because her father left her when she was 5 years old. On page 36 she says, "Why Papi? There's nobody here to love me now." Her mom doesn't stand up for her or shows affection and when anything about her father pops up her mom goes on the offensive. That's why she wants a baby to give her affection to, she's even jealous of Gloria who is knocked up and still goes to school struggling each day. Lupe also mentions, on page 36, that, "Raul's been giving me the eye lately, but he can forget it." She says this because she is "dating" Marco.

In the middle of the book we can start to see some changes as she opens up because of her situation. On page 65 she says, "I broke up with Marco and I was a mess." She had broken up with him on the phone. She goes to her friend Leslie for help and she assures her that she isn't alone because she has friends and that she went through the same thing when her mom died. After getting support from friends she finishes her section on page 67 with, "Maybe we can all be alone together." This shows that she is starting to accept her situation and the fact that she is not alone no matter what she thinks. In her poem, "El Noche, she talks about her loneliness and then notes that, "and you come - a pale skinned surprise, a friend." She is starting to realize she is not alone.

At the end of the book Lupe stops mentioning her insecurities about being alone. She doesn't mention a baby except on page 147 where she says she wants to work in something with kids and starts dating again. On page 146 she's questioned about how her date with Raul went. She says, "Him and me had our first date over the weekend-" Her poem, "Imagine", ends with, "I'm still learning to imagine" This means that she is starting to accept herself and plan for her future life. Tyrone also comments that she is starting to look up at people in the eyes and is gaining confidence and intelligence. At the end of the book Lupe is way more confident and self-assured of herself and her worth. She realizes she still has a grand future ahead of her.

Found Poem: The Desert

The classrooms were bright with daylight, 

tinted windows set near the ceiling to protect,

the dazzle of the desert sun, in alternate oranges and blues, 

the color of wind swept sand, 

was steadily around subtle change, 

to touch his mood, 

back through empty buildings, 

she no longer felt, 

a different desert scene, 

distant pals that seemed to be etched, 

on the shimmering air, 

another a dramatic stretch of wild panorama

The poem I wrote had a message, theme, and 

main point. The message was that sometimes 

in "classrooms" or life our minds are like a desert empty

but filled with meaningful thoughts. The theme is the 

beauty of thoughts.The main point is that we shouldn't 

be afraid to wonder about the world because everything

\ you think of is wonderful in its own way, like a desert. 

Spine Poem: Hope Was Lost

That Was Then, This is Now

Hope Was Here 

Peace Like A River

Dancing on the Edge

Where She Went

20,000 Leagues Under the Sea

The Lost World

Deal With a Ghost

The Inheritance of Loss

The poem I wrote had a message, theme, and main 

point. The theme is hope and dreams. The message is 

that hope can be lost and that we have to hold on and 

fight for our dreams no matter what comes our way. The 

main point is that there is no end for dreams and hopes 

as they will always sleep inside us. We should take care

 of our dreams. 

"Where I'm From"

Character Comparison

There are many characters in the Bronx Masquerade. They all have depths to them and certain characteristics. Which is why it's easy to compare and contrast them. But the variety of characters means that there is so much to choose from. I have chosen to compare Devon and Diandra and Gloria and Lupe.

Devon and Diandra are both tall people who are seen as sporty people because of their height. In reality Diandra isn't good at sports and is actually a shy person. Meanwhile Devon is great at basketball, but sports are neither of their passions.  Devon likes to read poetry but is afraid of being seen and judged because he is seen as a complete jock. Devon is also fairly confident compared to the shy Diandra. Diandra's father was very disappointed in her gender and his opinion that her height was wasted on her.

Gloria and Lupe are complete opposites in certain areas. Gloria has a baby boy who is taking up all her time and making her abandon her party girl ways. Lupe doesn't have a child but wants one because she feels it's the only way she will get love. The father of Gloria's baby wants no part in his life and Gloria only has her mom, who seems to have a close relation to her, to help her. Meanwhile Lupe's mom is suffering abuse and mistreatment from her husband and Lupe's dad is out of the picture. Lupe is suffering from neglect. These are just some of the differences between them.

Blog For Week, 1/27/16, Poetry Response

The Poem, “The Giving Tree”, by Shel Silverstein found in the website, http://allpoetry.com/poem/8538991-The-Giving-Tree-by-Shel-Silverstein, is about a boy and a tree. The boy and the tree are best of friends they talk to one another, they give each other things, and they support each other. But life happens and as time passes on in want of more companionship the tree gives everything it has to the growing up boy.

I think the author had many reasons for writing this poem. It has many lessons to teach young children. It teaches them about giving, friendship, relationships between parents, and growing up. This book helps children, like I used to be, to understand a bit more about life even with their limited point of view.

This spoke to me because when I was young it was one of the things that awoke my eyes. It made me think of my relationship with my parents, me being the “boy" and my parents being “The Giving Tree.” It made me realize that the relationship between the boy and the tree can happen in real life and it made me want to give back to my parents. 

I connected the text and words written to parents around the world. They do everything for their children and some of them aren't given anything in return. Sacrifices are necessary but parents should be given something in return. That's why we have mother and father's day. But we should honor them like that every day. This picture shows a mother stressed out by her work, to support her children, and her family life.

Second Quarter Reflection

Two Quarters ago I started 7th grade. I got new classes, schedules, friends, projects, etc. Things have changed throughout the year, for the better and for the worse.  I've learned many new skills but I've been reading less and less throughout the year. This year I have accomplished joining sports, volleyball, which was one of my goals for the New Years.  In this blog you'll learn about my second quarter life.

I have been reading less and less but the 40 Book Challenge has helped me greatly. If reading wasn't mandatory I wouldn't be doing it. Reading has expanded my vocabulary even more and has opened a window of opportunities for me. So far I have read 11/40 books all ranging from lengths and genres. Out of all the books my favorite book has been the Vampire Lestat by Ann Rice. It was everything I looked into for a book. 

One of my biggest improvements in English class is that I've been learning more about the world. In the past  I wouldn't willfully look at the news in current events. But throughout the quarter I've realized important issues around the world. These things are Obama's Let Girls Live program, El Chapo's extradition, debates on toy stores, etc. 

The most challenging part of the year has been keeping up attendance and on time behaviors. This year I've been late for more than 12 days. It could be because of the season, winter, or because its in my nature, it might've even been something I inherited. I've been minorly sick constantly because of the cold, stress, lack of sleep, etc. However unless completely unavoidable I've been present and ready to work. To overcome this I can try to be more time aware. That's something I've been proud on.

Throughout the year some things are necessary to survive in school. One of these things are time management strategies. In the first quarter I've been trying to gain strategies to plan time better. This has helped me with getting homework done, being on time, being ready to go, and other things as well. Another thing is my research skills. Research skills are of major importance in ELA class. We use them for almost everything. I think this has been my biggest improvement. I've been progressing well since August but I feel I've been doing the bare minimum. That's something I need to work on. 

Blog for Week, 1/18/16, The Count of Monte Christo

        The Count of Monte Cristo  

by: Alexander Dumas

   Historical Drama, Fiction, and Adventure Fiction.

    

            In 1815, after the fall of the Napoleon empire, in Paris a sailor names Edmond Dantès with a bright future arrives at a harbor. He is a candidate for promotion to captain, he is marrying a beautiful girl, and he is young. However 3 men corrupt with greed have another thing waiting for him. Watch and see as you read a book with a dramatical mood that keeps  you on the edge of your seat. The themes of revenge, perseverance, justice, and judgment will astound you.

                 My favorite thing about the book was the drama. From the very first few chapters I was addicted. Through ought the whole week I reached for the book at every spare moment. My family thought that I was crazy for disappearing into Edmond Dantès's life and revenge story. 

                 What I remember most about the book is the chapter where he is betrayed by people who he didn't know not to trust. I remember the scene where he is confronted and taken from his very own wedding. The surprises in the drama are what is needed to carry on the book. If you reread it the story might not give the same experience. Instead the second time you read it will be an eye opener because of how much foresight and clues as to what would happen is written. Viewers and readers should get and read this book because of the wonderful story it tells on the revenge and bitterness that is Edmond's reality.

                I would recommend this book to people who are in love with drama. You need to be able to understand complex emotions, plots, hints, and words. This is because the book has so many plots, emotions, and they are all portrayed with only words. The reader of this book also can't be afraid of the length of the book or the level of it. The book is long but only because so many things can't be put into little words. 

I commented on Brimady's Blog, Jude's Blog, and Evelyn's Blog.