Kaelyn - anticipating our next book
Ricky - hits and misses
Wednesday, April 26, 2017
Monday, April 24, 2017
Q4 week 5 - anticipating our next book
The next book we will be reading in English class is "Macbeth" by William Shakespeare. I strongly agree with the statement, "If something is destined to happen, it will happen without your interference". This is a statement that my mom has always said to me. She always tells me that if something is meant to happen, then things will all work out just not to worry about it. I have had an experience where I had to let things happen without my interference and see how everything worked out. When I tried out for the competitive dance team, I really wanted to make the team. The only thing I could do was try my best at tryouts and if I was meant to be on the team, then I would make the team. I ended up making the team and was very excited about that. I had to not worry about if I was going to make it or not and let whatever was supposed to happen happen.
I disagree with the statement, "Who we are--our essential character and temperament--is fixed and unchangeable". I do not believe this statement is true at all. I think if a person wants to change the way they act if they are a mean or rude person, then the person has the capability to do that. If a person is very nice and always happy, they also have the capability to change that purposefully or un-purposefully. This is a statement that I just disagree with.
I disagree with the statement, "Who we are--our essential character and temperament--is fixed and unchangeable". I do not believe this statement is true at all. I think if a person wants to change the way they act if they are a mean or rude person, then the person has the capability to do that. If a person is very nice and always happy, they also have the capability to change that purposefully or un-purposefully. This is a statement that I just disagree with.
Q4 week 5 - hits and misses
I feel like a had a lot of hits and misses in my ninth year taking an English class. I feel like because of the "misses" I experienced, I grew to become a little bit better writer. I feel like my "hits" have also made me become a little bit better writer. My favorite piece of writing that I wrote in English class this year was probably the personal narrative. I liked the personal narrative because we got to pick an event that happened to us at some point in our life and write a story about what happened. I enjoyed writing it because I got to write about something that I experienced for myself and that changed me. Even though my personal narrative was not the best, I learned how to write a personal narrative and learned how to make it better next time I have to write another one.
One of my main "misses" in English class this year was the literary analysis. This was a very hard paper for me. I had trouble picking what I was going to write about and being able to back up my topic with details from the book. I did not get a very good grade on this paper, and I did not expect to, but this helped me learn what I can do to improve a literary analysis next time I have to write one. I have experienced a lot more "hits and misses" than just these two, all of which helped me grow to become a better writer and make my writing have purpose, meaning, and still be well developed.
Tuesday, April 11, 2017
Friday, April 7, 2017
Q4 week 4 - Purple Hibiscus post
The novel Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie is a challenging and sometimes confusing book to read. I have never read a book like this before that starts off with events from before the main event, then switches to events that happened after the main event, then to the main event, and finally to present day. My annotations have been a helpful thing for me. When I annotate, I write down questions or things I notice about the book and then discuss them in class with my table. By doing this, it helps clear up questions I have about the book.
The most challenging part of reading this book is the pace we have been reading it. I am a very slow reader, and we are reading the book very fast. To overcome this, I have been using my study halls wisely and reading during class so that I am not up very late reading. When I first started reading this book I did not think I was going to like it, but the more I read the more I like it. Another challenging but helpful thing associated with the book is the projects that go along with it. The projects can be hard, but they also help me understand and analyze the book more by doing the projects.
The most challenging part of reading this book is the pace we have been reading it. I am a very slow reader, and we are reading the book very fast. To overcome this, I have been using my study halls wisely and reading during class so that I am not up very late reading. When I first started reading this book I did not think I was going to like it, but the more I read the more I like it. Another challenging but helpful thing associated with the book is the projects that go along with it. The projects can be hard, but they also help me understand and analyze the book more by doing the projects.
Q4 week 4 - responding to a prompt from New York Times
Where in the world would you travel if you could?
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would travel to the Bahamas. A lot of my friends have been to the Bahamas and none of them have ever said anything negative about their trip there. If I could go, I would go with my family. I like to go on vacations with my family and a trip to the Bahamas would be especially fun with my family. I would go during the summer and stay for two weeks if I could.
I would swim in the clear, blue water every day. I would lay on the warm sandy beach listening to the relaxing sound of the waves crashing against the beach. My brother and I would build sand castles and see who could make a better one. My brother and I would also bury my dad in sand. My entire family would go snorkeling together. None of us have ever been so it would be a fun experience to enjoy for the first time with each other. I hope to go to the Bahamas one day!
If I could travel anywhere in the world, I would travel to the Bahamas. A lot of my friends have been to the Bahamas and none of them have ever said anything negative about their trip there. If I could go, I would go with my family. I like to go on vacations with my family and a trip to the Bahamas would be especially fun with my family. I would go during the summer and stay for two weeks if I could.
I would swim in the clear, blue water every day. I would lay on the warm sandy beach listening to the relaxing sound of the waves crashing against the beach. My brother and I would build sand castles and see who could make a better one. My brother and I would also bury my dad in sand. My entire family would go snorkeling together. None of us have ever been so it would be a fun experience to enjoy for the first time with each other. I hope to go to the Bahamas one day!
Thursday, March 30, 2017
Monday, March 27, 2017
Q4 week 2 - Political Response
https://www.businessreport.com/article/gop-pulls-troubled-obamacare-replacement-bill
Republican and Democratic leaders continue their tug of war over revisions to the Obama Health Care Reform. President Donald Trump has made it a top priority to repeal and replace Obamacare. President Trump and his Administration have been working closely with Republican Party leaders, with House Speaker Paul Ryan, taking the lead. Their efforts to create a better plan for healthcare and make it more fair for all Americans, has hit a roadblock as the GOP pulled their bill in its existing form off of the House floor on Friday. This move was a result of not having enough votes to allow the bill in its proposed form to continue through the process. This move was also done to protect President Trump from the humiliation of not getting his revisions passed.
I chose this article because I feel like healthcare is one of the most important things we face in today's world. I think it is a smart move and good strategy by President Trump and his GOP allies. It is better to delay the passing of a bill when the bill is probably going to fail rather than hurrying to get it passed just to be done with it. This move will allow both parties to go back to the drawing board to see if they can come up with a plan that will be beneficial for all citizens.
Wednesday, March 22, 2017
Monday, March 20, 2017
Q4 week 1 - learning reflection
My first year of high school has gone by very fast and I can't believe that I only have 9 weeks left. I have learned a lot about myself as the way I learn as a student, the kind of reader I am reader, and my writing styles as a writer through my English class. I have learned that I am the most effective as a student when I write things down and participate a lot in class by asking questions and getting extra help when I need it. I have learned that if I find a good book, then I actually enjoy reading. I have learned that if I have the right mindset, writing can be easy and enjoyable for me.
I will use these things I have learned about myself to do the best I possibly can during the last 9 weeks of my first year of high school. I am going to be an active learner by participating in class, getting extra help during tutorial or at a break when I need it to understand the material, I am going to read books that I enjoy reading so that I will read more and become a better reader, and I am going to have the right mindset when starting a piece of writing so that it can be as good as I am capable of writing. I have learned a lot about myself as a student this year.
I will use these things I have learned about myself to do the best I possibly can during the last 9 weeks of my first year of high school. I am going to be an active learner by participating in class, getting extra help during tutorial or at a break when I need it to understand the material, I am going to read books that I enjoy reading so that I will read more and become a better reader, and I am going to have the right mindset when starting a piece of writing so that it can be as good as I am capable of writing. I have learned a lot about myself as a student this year.
Q4 week 1 free post - reading response
For my independent reading book, I am currently reading "Everything Everything" by Nicola Yoon. This book is by far one of my favorite books I have read this year. The main character, Maddy, has a disease in which she cannot go outside. Maddy cannot experience the world for herself until one day everything changes. A boy named Olly moves in across the street and Maddy falls in love. She wishes she could see him all the time and do things in the world outside with him all the time.
One day, this all changes. Maddy decides to go outside. In the middle of the night she writes a goodbye letter to her mother and leaves the house. She goes to Olly's and they pack up and leave to go on a trip to Hawaii. Maddy has been wanting to see the ocean her entire life and now she finally will get to. The author lets the readers feel like they are right there in the plot with the characters by using imagery and giving lots of vivid detail. I am excited to finish this book and see if Maddy will survive.
Tuesday, March 7, 2017
Monday, March 6, 2017
Q3 week 7 - free post
Mardi Gras break this year was definitely one I will never forget. It was filled with lots of fun, great people, lots of laughs, and many memories. Over Mardi Gras break I went on a trip to Disney World with my friend Olivia and her mom. We drove the entire 12 hours there. Once we finally got there, we were so excited that we could not stand it. We got there late Tuesday night so we didn't have time to do anything that night but chill in the hotel and get ready for the next 3 days of being in the Disney parks all day. We got to go to Universal Studios and the three disney parks, Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, and Hollywood Studios. We went to Universal Studios on Wednesday, Magic Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on Thursday, and Animal Kingdom and Hollywood Studios on Friday.
My favorite rollercoaster was "rockin roller coaster" in Hollywood Studios. It was a ride that was very fast and dark with upside down turns and sharp turns. I also liked the rides Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios, The Hulk in Universal, Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom, and Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom. On Thursday of the trip, my friend, my friend's mom, and I were walking out of a store in Magic Kingdom and her mom tripped and broke both arms and hurt her ankle. She refused to go to urgent care until later that night after the infirmary people in Disney told her she needed to go to the hospital. The three of us rode an ambulence out of Magic Kingdom and to the hospital, which not many people can say they did. As the trip came to an end, I was very sad it was over and that I had to go back to school. My trip to Disney World is one I will never forget.
My favorite rollercoaster was "rockin roller coaster" in Hollywood Studios. It was a ride that was very fast and dark with upside down turns and sharp turns. I also liked the rides Tower of Terror in Hollywood Studios, The Hulk in Universal, Splash Mountain in Magic Kingdom, and Space Mountain in Magic Kingdom. On Thursday of the trip, my friend, my friend's mom, and I were walking out of a store in Magic Kingdom and her mom tripped and broke both arms and hurt her ankle. She refused to go to urgent care until later that night after the infirmary people in Disney told her she needed to go to the hospital. The three of us rode an ambulence out of Magic Kingdom and to the hospital, which not many people can say they did. As the trip came to an end, I was very sad it was over and that I had to go back to school. My trip to Disney World is one I will never forget.
Q3 week 7 - analyzing a song
The song I chose to analyze is "Umbrella" by Rihanna. Rihanna uses an alliteration when she sings, "Good Girl Gone Bad" because of the repetition of identical or similar sounds at the beginning of neighboring words. She also uses alliteration when she sings, "Under my umbrella", because of the repetition of the "U" sound. Rihanna expresses her love to whoever she is singing the song to by saying "when the sunshines, we'll shine together". This is an example of a euphony because she is using the pleasing smoothness of sound to express her love.
The speaker of this song is Rihanna because she is singing it. Rihanna's purpose for writing this song is to express her love and say that she will always be with her lover and "stick it out 'til the end". The tone of this song is romantic because it is about love.
The speaker of this song is Rihanna because she is singing it. Rihanna's purpose for writing this song is to express her love and say that she will always be with her lover and "stick it out 'til the end". The tone of this song is romantic because it is about love.
Wednesday, February 22, 2017
Q3 week 4 post - reading response to ATDPTI
At this point in the novel, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, I am on page 207. This book is about an Indian named Junior who lives on the rez and decides that he wants to go to an all white school called Reardan. Junior experiences many things since he is transitioning from a poor school that only Indians attend to a white school called Reardan where it is unheard of for an Indian to attend an all white school. Junior has some trouble the first few days. The other students at Reardan are not very accepting to the fact that an Indian living on the rez has just suddenly showed up at their all white school. People make fun of Junior and he is not liked the first few weeks of the new school.
At Juniors new school, he meets a white girl who he thinks is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He is in love with her, but doesn't know what to do about it because he is a poor Indian and she is a rich white girl. Junior starts to hangout with the white girl, Penelope, and he becomes more "popular" because of this. Junior joins the Reardan basketball team and is liked by the coach and most of the players. I like this book so far and it has many important lessons that readers can learn from.
At Juniors new school, he meets a white girl who he thinks is the most beautiful girl he has ever seen. He is in love with her, but doesn't know what to do about it because he is a poor Indian and she is a rich white girl. Junior starts to hangout with the white girl, Penelope, and he becomes more "popular" because of this. Junior joins the Reardan basketball team and is liked by the coach and most of the players. I like this book so far and it has many important lessons that readers can learn from.
Q3 week 4 - research post
I have learned many things from our research work in English class. One of the many things I learned that I feel like is one of the most important is how to correctly include an in-text citation in a research paper. At first, I had no idea what I was doing but the more I started doing it, the more I understood it. Knowing how to include in-text citations in a research paper, or any paper that uses another source, is very important and I feel like since I know how to do this now, I will be able to use this skill for the rest of my writing days in high school and college. In-text citations are used to prevent plagiarism and give credit to the source you are using. Another important skill that I learned during the process of completing the research paper is how to properly include a list of MLA citations at the end of my paper and how to properly format them. All research papers should include a works cited page that is properly formatted, includes all the sources used in the paper, and is in alphabetical order. I can use this information that I know about creating and adding a works cited page to a paper in the future to help prevent plagiarism by giving credit where credit is due. Knowing how to use in-text citations properly and knowing how to properly include a works cited page are two very important skills that I learned during the process of writing my research paper.
One thing that we have learned about that I don't feel very comfortable with is connecting each paragraph to the thesis with a strong transition from one paragraph to the next while still connecting it to the thesis statement. I did do that in my paper, but I feel like it is a skill that I could improve on to make future papers stronger and better. I would like to learn more about strong transitions from paragraph to paragraph.
One thing that we have learned about that I don't feel very comfortable with is connecting each paragraph to the thesis with a strong transition from one paragraph to the next while still connecting it to the thesis statement. I did do that in my paper, but I feel like it is a skill that I could improve on to make future papers stronger and better. I would like to learn more about strong transitions from paragraph to paragraph.
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