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.

Poetry Unit Reflection

       
1- Poetry can be a vital, real part of everyone's life. What place or importance does poetry have in my own life? Does poetry belong to everyone? How do I know?

           Poetry can be really, really, really important in someones life. It is a very powerful way of expressing emotions that are stuck inside that you can't get out, that is what poetry is. Poetry doesn't have that big of a part in my life. I haven't really written any kind of poetry that has pertained to my emotions that I am feeling. They have been reflected of things that I have heard about or seen. I think that in other peoples lives it is important. A lot of poems I have read have been about depression, anxiety, sadness, happiness and many other different type of emotions. I know this because I have red a poem about how it feels to be paralyzed. It talked about how everyday you have suicidal thoughts going through your mind because everything you go through is a struggle. Poetry is a great of expressing or getting those emotions out. Poetry also helps understand what people go through.

2- How does the life and experiences of a poet affect the poem that he/she creates?

            People's life experiences definitely affect what the poet's poem is going to be about. Many poems by famous poets are based on emotion or feelings that the character is having. I think that going through many things in life makes a great poet because they can base the poem of the emotion that they have, that will make the poem even more interesting to read because it is going to be about the person. If a poet is going through depression will make a great poem because they get to write about how being diagnosed with depressions feels and how they ended up being diagnosed with it in the first place. Those are the kind of poems that everyone loves.

3- Choose two poems (one that you have read one that you have written yourself) and analyze how a poem's form and structure contribute to it's meaning. Also, analyze the impact that words/phrases, rhyme, alliteration, repetition, and figurative language have on the poem.

            I chose this poem "Volcano" because of the structure. It is in the shape of a volcano. I think the phrase "Still thousands in the world but they don't all work" contributes to the poem because it is representing it like something mysterious, like it is something that you can't miss because it happens rarely. 

            I chose my poem "Six Dead on Pure Furnish" because it has a lot of emotion. It is about a shooting that happened about 1 month ago. On the last paragraph I kept putting they said after each line because especially adults don't like kids using Uber. That is why I put "...to the many voices telling them" to show this. I alluded to the cities to show how bad this shooting was. It as bad as a shooting that would go on in the west side of Chicago. I also alluded to Harlem which is a corrupt part of Manhattan, New York.

Non-Fiction Poem

Where I'm From Poem

Spine Poem

Found Poem

Nonsense Poem

The War

"Six Dead on Pure Furnish"

"Six Dead on Pure Furnish"

A fourteen year old

Innocently gets into a car with a stranger

Click click click shot after shot

The semiautomatic hand gun goes off

Blood spills out the car

The fifth time the man has done this

Kalamazoo never has had something this serious

An online resource never seemed so deadly

Like it all went well for the villain

The innocent were killed

Justice has to be served

Fear and anger were spreading all around the town

The police angry at the driving co. Uber

Fear from the citizens that this will happen again

Confusion by the police of how they let it happen

Fear from Uber that they are going to get sued

Five more lying on the seat

Staining the pure white furnish

No thoughts at all

While the killer is loose

Will this happen to another

“AAA…” was all you heard

It was like a scene that happens in Englewood

Or Harlem, or Maywood

But why in this innocent town

They had a date with devil

And it didn’t go very well

Don’t do that they said

It’s dangerous they said

There is no reason to they said

Just ask someone else they said

They should have listened

To the many voices telling them

Inspired Article:
http://www.cnn.com/2016/02/22/us/kalamazoo-michigan-shooting/index.html

2/28/15 Bronx Masquerade Blog

            The character that changed the most to me was Diondra. She was really shy because she would be expected to things she wasn't good at like basketball because she was tall. As she was taking Mr. Wards english class she started to show her talents. She started to become an artist and make paintings, but she still will probably be shy because her father yells at her for not using her height as an advantage. She is also admired for her work from people in her class.

            Diondra started painting since she was a little girl. She never thought she would be good at it until she actually started to try and draw good. She always got put down by her dad because he would rather have her be a basketball player and follow his dream instead of her being an artist and following the dream she wants and not the one her father wants. He believes that her height is a wasted on her since she didn't become a basketball player. I think her dad is stuck up and doesn't care about other people's opinions at all.

            I think her dad is a doubter. He doesn't believe she will be a good artist. A basketball player named Damian Lillard didn't make the all-star basketball team this year,  he is really good. There is a quote by him. "My Job? Keep proving the doubters wrong because here in Portland...we never stop believing." This basketball player has doubters just like Damian Lillard. He is trying to prove them wrong just like Diondra should prover her dad wrong. Her dad is giving her the motivation to become an artist.

Ripcity is Portland

Found Poem

Mrs. Bradley said everything's up to date for the second time under into one canopy.

           I know this doesn't make much sense but I didn't have a very good page and the the on the other side was a new chapter. This is the most sense I could get out of this page. I think this has a positive feeling because Mrs. Bradley is probably giving a student or a certain person good news about something that is obviously important. I put the sun there because to me the sun gives me good vibes because summer is my favorite season.

Spine Poem

Unlikely Warrior

Sold

Children of the Night

Marley and Me

Auggie and me

            The idea of this poem is slavery. I always wonder why slavery doesn't get as much attention as it deserves. It is an important thing that we need to learn about in the world. This is why I added peoples name to this to give it that feel of slavery. That is why I put sold in there so it could all fit together into one big piece that made sense.

Where I'm From Poem

Where I'm From Poem

Commented On: Nathan's Blog

Bronx Masquerade Perspectives- Take One

            The book, Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grime is about several teenagers that live in the bad part of Bronx. They talk about their struggles in living in the bad part. Every Friday they hold an Open Mike Friday where they each present a poem that they made. All of these poems each represent the persons personality or what they have gone through in life. The main character Tyrone, after each supporting character shares something about themselves in the book, Tyrone has an opinion on what they say.

            Two characters that I found similar in this book were Lupe and Gloria. I found these two characters alike because one of them is a teen mom which is Gloria, and the other one which wants to be a mom which is Lupe. I think that Gloria will end up telling Lupe that a baby isn't the only person that is going to lover her, she is soon going to find out that other people care about her. I think she won't have a baby after the book is over.

           I think Devon and Tyrone are two different people. Devon actually wants to be successful in life where Tyrone doesn't really care if he is successful or not. Tyrone said the only reason he is going to school now is because is best friend Wesley is encouraging him to go to school, he said without him he wouldn't show up at school at all. Devon actually seems like he wants to learn something and actually do something in life instead of being a bum. Devon is really good at basketball and Tyrone is really good at rapping. He is like Kendrick Lamar, he actually sings about life experiences instead of irrelevant stuff like drugs, alcohol etc.

Blog for Week 1/27/15 Poetry Response

           The poem "Caged Bird" by Maya Angelou was the most interesting. This poem is about a depressed bird that has been in a cage its whole entire life. This bird talks about life and how it is be tortured and just wants to be free. I think that when the bird says it opens its throat to sing that is the last thing it can do because it is limited or tortured that all it can do is sing. This is talking about how sometimes when you are not in the best or lowest part of your life, you have to make it though it and hold on.

            I think the author chose to write this poem because she might have been through rough times and wanted to get it out through a poem. I think this is a good way to get you feelings out because there are really no rules to writing and they can just say what they want. I know that this is a really deep poem because Maya Angelou was living during the slavery time, she is known as a very famous poet.

            This poem has a text to world connection because everyone has had a deep or really low moment in their life. This poems is about learning how to get through those moments. It also talks about how when you do overcome these adversities, the reward after is the best feeling ever. Imagine how the bird feels being free after being locked up in a caged with its wings and its feet tied up and finally being free, that feeling is priceless.

The free bird leaps

on the back of the wind

and floats downstream

till the current ends

and dips his wings

in the orange sun rays

and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks

down his narrow cage

can seldom see through

his bars of rage

his wings are clipped and

his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings

with fearful trill

of the things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom

The free bird thinks of another breeze

and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees

and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn

and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams

his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream

his wings are clipped and his feet are tied

so he opens his throat to sing

The caged bird sings

with a fearful trill

of things unknown

but longed for still

and his tune is heard

on the distant hill

for the caged bird

sings of freedom.

http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/caged-bird-21/ 

2nd Quarter Reflection

            My second quarter was fine. I think this quarter was the better than last quarter. My favorite book this quarter was probably "Curveball: The Year I Lost My Grip" by: Jordan Sonnenblick because it was about a boy that was a lot like me. We were about 1 year apart and played the same sports. It also would never get boring so it always grabbed my attention. For this class my whole entire reading aspect has improved overall because ELA class has taught me to work and think and expand on my work into great detail. I am very happy that this class has done this to me.

            I think the most challenging part in the second quarter was trying to get my work turned in on time. I sometimes procrastinate a lot so I forget to do a lot of things. That is one of many things I need to work on going into quarter three. One thing that I have improved on a lot was knowing how to write formal and informal writing. Now I know what type of writing to write in different situations. my favorite part in ELA this quarter was probably the argumentative writing about internet censorship because I just love to research and I also love to expand andy all about my research.

            I think the best thing I learned that helped me a lot was knowing how to write thoroughly. I improved on this a lot because I wasn't very good at it before. I had very choppy writing that didn't make sense sometimes. Knowing how to write thoroughly overall helps all of my ELA skills that I am going to learn in the future. I think that quarter three is going to be my best quarter to improve on this year!

A Monster Calls

       

A Monster Calls: By Patrick Ness

Pages Read: 1 - 129

Genre: Fiction

   The title of my book is "A Monster Calls" by Patrick Ness. The genre of this book is fiction.
This book is about a boy named Conor, Conor is a very depressed boy who has had to suffer through divorce. Conor is having very realistic dreams of a monster coming every night too is house. This is an exciting book because you never know what is going to happen next, it is like a horror movie without the non-scary jumpscares. The theme of this book is fear because Conor is always afraid that this monster will kill him in his dream or as he thinks of it as a dream when it is reality. He bleeds from his face every night from the monster. This is a good book because it is very spooky and gloomy book that i think all readers would enjoy to read.