End of Year Reflection Blog

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

            There were many important things I learned this year. One of the most important things I learned was to annotate. Annotating allows me to explore the article in many different ways. It helps with the understanding of the article. Another important thing I learned this year was to write formally. I never that there were two ways of writing. It could really help me in the future. Another thing I learned was to read. Reading more helped me in every part of the class. It extends my vocabulary, and helps me understand different types of writing that authors use.

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

            I think the thing that I will remember the rest of my life were the open mic Fridays. Even though the parties were fun and all that that was my favorite. Hearing everyones poems was awesome. My favorite poem presented was Nathan's. It was a masterpiece that would be presented at an actual open mic Friday.

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

            The nicest thing someone did for me was bring my stuff down from one class to another. That day was today, which is May 24th. I was taking the math map test and they were nice enough to bring my stuff down to ELA in between periods. Whoever that was I thank you. That made my day and helped me concentrate, I don't know why though.

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

            One thing I taught my classmates was that loneliness in the elderly can give them Alzheimer's disease. This is when they are more prone to forgetting things. They eventually forget there names, their relative, how to put a shoe on etc. This can cause death in a span of 10 years or so. I taught this to the class in a gallery walk. My article was about the elderly being lonely and not just about them having Alzheimer's. It was a good article and a good day to do the gallery walk.

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 in the identifying text area. Early in the year I wasn't very good at doing that. It was a very hard area for me last year and many years before that. Accomplishing that was awesome, I was knew I was never good in that area.  This class helped not only in this area a lot, but also in all. I made a jump from above average, to way above average.

6- What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

            Well everything was challenging for me this year. It was hard jumping from a very easy class in sixth grade, to a hard class. I can deal with the work now, but at the beginning of the year it was hard because it very overwhelming at first, but it was fun making that transition. This is one of the first times I have ever been challenged in school. This class taught to have good time management so I can get most of my work done on time.

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 had this year was my was my poem "Just a Dream". It was about how you dream, but it doesn't come true. The poem made me think a whole lot. The blog really opened up my mind about the reality's of life and how it hits you in the face like a punch from Mike Tyson. I think that was the best thing I made this year.

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

            I think the favorite book I read this year was Of Mice and Men. It was so interesting and had a lot of detail for such a small book. It was about 2 guys traveling around the U.S. during the great depression (1930's). The book always kept me on the edge of my seat. It left me not knowing what is going to happen next, the only thing I didn't like was how it ended. That got me mad, it left me hanging.

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

            There is so much advice I could give you guys. One thing you should do is read a lot over the summer. That helps a lot especially with your vocabulary. Oh yeah extend your vocabulary. It helps a lot with everything. More advice is to study for your vocabulary tests. Those are super hard if you don't study. You will end up getting 2's on all of your tests. I think that the students coming into class will be just fine, it is a hard transition but I think you guys will be able to handle it. Just come to 7th grade willing to work in order to get good grades. in ELA things don't come easy!!

OMAM Movie Blog

Section 2:

Their were many added scenes to the movie. In one part, while George is putting the horse back in its stable Curely's wife walks in and tries to talk to him. He ignores her and she yells and says pay attention to her. They started to talk for a little bit until Curely walked in and forced he to go back into the house and not to talk to George anymore. The other character in that seen was Crooks but he didn't talk at all, he was just holding a saddle.

While Lennie and George were working on the ranch, Curely's Wife walks up to George and asks how Curely broke his hand, he lied and said he got his hand caught in a machine, and then she said that was baloney. When she was done talking to George, she turned to Lennie and asked him how Curely broke his hand, and he said the same thing as George did. Then she asked how he got the bruises and he was so scared that he just said Curely got his hand stuck in a machine not even answering her question.

This really doesn't change my view on her because she has always seemed like that, but I get where she is coming from because she is very lonely. She has nobody to talk to except for the guys when the only one that actually wants to talk to her is Slim. It seems like Curely doesn't even love his own marriage, it was joke marriage that should have never happened in the first place

Section 4:

This was a great book because it had a lot of detail. All of the characters were built up into what they are now. The book and the movie were very similar except they added a few scenes and changed some things up.  I think they could have made the movie a little bit better and has the characters more similar to what they were in the book. Overall, this was an awesome book to read that I never really though I would like, I would recommended this book to anybody who likes to read books.

Of Mice and Men- Conflict

            There are many conflict in the book Of Mice and men. The one person that causes a lot of the conflicts is Curely. Curely is a small guy, like many small guys, he dislikes big guys. I think he has the courage to stand up to a big guy because he was a boxer. One conflict he created was when he got into a fight with Lennie, Lennie has a mental disability, he isn't very smart. He broke Curely's hand, but luckily Curely promised not to tell anyone.
            If Curely had told the boss, it could have caused Lennie and George to get kicked of the ranch. Lennie is a big man, so he could hurt or kill anybody on the ranch that gets him mad. If he did kill someone, they would lose their job and not get the dream ranch they have always wanted. There are many conflicts between George, Lennie, and Curely. I think that this will cause some problems later in the book.
            The one person I am really skeptical about is Curely's Wife. She is a very flirtatious women that could cause problems with the men on the ranch. She could attract people like Lennie, and since Lennie is big, he could hurt Curely's Wife or offend her very easily. I have read the whole book already and Curely's wife has some huge impacts on what happens in the book. So she is a really big part of this book that should;t be overlooked by anyone.

"Just a Dream"

"Just a Dream"

It's hard to believe

The only thing I had

Was just a dream

That didn't come true

When you lose the only thing you had

Nothing is possible

It outs you in a hole

That is impossible to get out of

Dreams are dreams

That can become a reality

But luck and work

Play a part

A broken dream

Is just the beginning 

To a broken life

That leads to nothing

I'm sorry to say

I didn't succeed

In fulfilling what I once had

That was a dream

It's hard to believe

The only thing I had

Was just a dream

That didn't come true

Of Mice and Men

            The book I am reading is Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. The book is about two men, one named George, and the other name Lennie. They are two on the run in the 1930's, safe to say that they are living through the great depression. George is a short man with strong features that kind of acts like a leader. Lennie is almost the exact opposite. He is a tall, man that drags his feet. Lennie is very very forgetful, he depends on George to do a lot of things for him. Lennie also gets in trouble a lot, and George has to talk him out every single time.

            I think that the atmosphere in the ranch is that everyone should know everyones business. There is a lot of gossip and a lot drama. The biggest gossiper is Candy.  He knows everything about everyone, he even knows that Curely has a glove on full of vaseline on him. I think this is how it is because they have been working with each other and it seems like they trust each other enough to tell them about there personal lives. George and Lennie are now starting to get to know each and everyone of the characters and it is good for them to hear some stuff about them.

            Steinbeck's reason on not giving Curely's wife a name is to show that she not respected like the men. She is known as Curely's wife not as her own women. When Candy is talking to George he disrespects her calling her a tart. This shows she not respected as much as Curely, and if she is, it is probably because she is the wife of the bosses son. Also because she might not be as important to the other characters as she is to Curely. Just because she is a women she shouldn't be treated badly. Women have some power in society today.

Third Quarter Reflection

Prompts: Of the books you read this quarter, what was your favorite? Why?; How have your blogs been progressing since August?; What strategies have benefited you?

             I think quarter 3 for me hasn't been different from any other quarter. The book that I loved most out of all them was probably The Lost World by Michael Crichton. It was one of the only books that I actually enjoyed reading. The reason it was my favorite was because I was never bored reading it. It was always interesting. It was about how scientists tried to ship a T-Rex and its baby to San Diego for a zoo. The T-Rex ended up escaping and started creating chaos in San Diego. A lot things are going on.

            My blogs have progressing a lot since August. The reason is because I have been learning how to be a better writer and how to write more thoroughly. I have also been writing more. Another reason is because writing a blog off of a book helps because I have something to inspire my writing about instead of just writing about anything, but I think this quarter my blogs have been better than the last 2 quarters.

           I think just remember to do homework has benefitted be in this class. I haven't been as forgetful as I have been other quarters. This class has taught me many things to life skills, all the way to managing my priorities. But I am still stunned that this quarter has gone by so fast. In 2 months we will already be out of school and beheading to eighth grade. I still to freshen up on everything so I can be ready for eighth grade.

       

Tangerine Lit Circle Blog

Our EQ: How do the conflicts affect Paul's relationship which his new home?

            There are many conflicts in our lit circle book Tangerine by Edward Bloor, but the main conflict that drives all the side conflicts is Paul Fisher trying to adjust to his new home, Tangerine, Florida. Paul went from the Hot and dry place of Houston Texas, to the even hotter an humid Palm trees of Florida. He has to adjust to a lot of different things in Florida. While he was in Florida his private school got eaten alive by a sink hole. He was forced to go to a new school with kids that had completely different personalities. He didn't adjust very well.

            In Florida there are many sinkholes. In our book Tangerine it is a major occurrence that happens all throughout the book.In the book it says, "Immediately kids started screaming and vaulting over the handrails, landing in the ankle-deep mud. Another whoosh and more violent cracking sounds followed" page 81. This is when the sinkhole occurs. This gives good description on what is was like to be in the position they were in.

            In the article we chose it describes how a man was eaten in a sinkhole while he was in his own house. It talks about how this is a problem at that it is happening all the time in Florida. In the article it says, "Sinkholes are even more common in Florida during the winter months. "There's a high occurrence specifically in January or February," Tihansky told LiveScience. "And that's related to freezes, when farmers pump groundwater onto crops, strawberries and oranges, to protect them from freezing." This is one of the reasons why sinkholes are occurring so often.