Final Reflection Blog

     The three most important things that I learned this year are the importance of annotating, how to work well with others, and express my feelings/thoughts . I think that annotating is important because you are making yourself find the meaning of the text you are reading. It also helps you understand the article/passage more. Another thing that I learned this year that was important was how to work well with others. In general I do work well with some people, but in this class whenever we had to work with partners I had to learn to listen to what they thought instead of always saying that I was right and they had to do it my way. In this class I feel that I opened up more. I rarely ever share my feelings with people. Even if you are my best friend, I don't like letting people know how I feel. I think that's because people always label me as being "perfect" but I know I'm not and that's fine. Since people think that I'm perfect, whenever I have a problem I don't like to share it because I don't want people knowing I'm sensitive. In this class we've had many group discussions and I have learned that it's okay to share your feelings. Sharing your feelings allows you to get all the weight of your shoulders, and that is one of the reasons why I really liked this class.

     Something we did this year that I think I'll remember for the rest of my life is when we had reading buddies. I think that I will remember this for the rest of my life because I had a part in a child's life by helping them read.  I had fun helping my buddy Mia because Sumar and I watched her improve in these seven months helping her read. Knowing that I had an impact on a child's life means a lot because I actually helped them with a skill that they will need to use for the rest of their lives.

     The nicest thing someone in this class did for me was having Sumar help me revise my argumentative essay.  Although it took some time for her to get me to understand why I needed to change it, I eventually got my essay to make sense. Sumar gave critical advice and instead of just saying, "Fix that it won't work." she would tell me why it would not work. She did a good job telling me what was wrong and would not sugar coat anything just because we're friends. Sumar would tell me if it was good or if it needed improvement.

     Something that I taught both my teacher and classmates was about how scientist grew mini-brains to help study why certain diseases happen. I used this topic as an AOW a couple months ago and I think that it was my best one because during the gallery walk I explained my topic very thoroughly and many of my classmates seemed interested in why they grew mini-brains.  This article also taught me many things and I thought that if I learned many new things then so would the class. My classmates that saw my article during the gallery walk asked me questions to clarify what this was about and how would it help, and I was prepared to answer all their questions. Based on their expressions and words, I could tell that they were a bit bewildered on why these mini-brains were being grown; after I had clarified it, they seemed to have learned something new.

     The area that I feel I made the most improvement in is summarizing. Before this class I had trouble knowing which pieces of information I should include. I knew that a summary was a brief explanation as to what your article was about, but you only used the key ideas. In this class I learned that you should decide what the main idea of the article is and then analyze the growth it had throughout the text. A good summary consists of the main point of the article and what the impact was on the rest of the writing.

     For me the most challenging part of the year was picking out an article that met the requirements. To me this was difficult because I had to make sure the article gave an adequate amount of information and I had to be able to explain why I chose this article. Explaining why I chose the article was difficult because I had to say why it was important to the world, but I only had a reason on why it was important to the country. I think that the main reason why I had difficulty on explaining was because of the article topic, and it also did not include a good amount of information.

     The best piece of writing I did this year was my poem called, "Crushed".  I think that this poem was my best piece of writing because it really shows the impact that a dream not coming true has on a person's life. Out of all the poems I've written this year, this one uses the most figurative language. I always had a hard time with figurative language, but somehow with this poem it was really easy. While writing this poem I had to imagine what it was like having a dream that was crushed. I think that since I had to put myself into someone else's shoes, I had a lot of emotion showing. This poem is actually one of my favorite's because people don't realize that to someone a dream can mean their whole world.

     Of the books I've read this year my favorite was "Half Brother" by Kenneth Oppel, because this book really showed the meaning of friendship, even though it was between a boy and a chimpanzee. This story had a big character development because in the beginning the boy thought that raising a chimp would be a waste of time, but over the next chapters he started to really care for the chimp. I can relate to the boy in this book a bit because I have become friends with people that I didn't like at first, but then I realized that they were a great person and were fun to be with.

     The advice I would give to students that will be in the class next year is to never give up if things do not go your way, and hard work really pays off. I say this because in this class I have had many problems writing poems because I could not get any inspiration, but I did not give up. I would write down feelings I had and found words that perfectly described it.  Working really hard does pay off because if you work hard in this class, you will learn things that you will remember for the rest of your life. What you do in this class will also affect how you do in the future. I know this class may seem really difficult because you work a greater pace than others and get more work, but I had a great time in this class and I hope you do too.

Of Mice and Men: The Movie

Section III

     The flashback at the end of the movie shows George on a train looking back at his memories with Lennie. The beginning of the movie starts off with George on a train and it ends with George on the train. The whole movie was a flashback of George remembering Lennie.

     The flashback leaves the audience feeling sorrowful because George cannot get over the fact that he shot his best friend. The movie shows other memories of George and Lennie walking off, and the audience can almost feel how George was feeling at that moment. George had a grief feeling, and that passed on to the audience. I feel that since George and Lennie were best friends and were always together, the killing scene was really heartbreaking for the audience. Knowing the fact that they were best friends really affects the mood because of how George portrayed his feelings afterwards.

     The feeling from the movie does not match the feeling at the end of the book because in the movie you can actually see how the scene happened and also the emotions shown by the characters helped the mood sink in. The book did not match because you could not see the emotions being portrayed. I think that the director chose to use a different ending rather than what actually happened in the book because it would show more emotion. It would also be hard to show the last line of the book in a movie. The ending line would be a horrible way to end a movie because you would want to see more than just, "'Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?'"

    The line at the end of the book is, "'Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?'" I think what the line is telling us about the speaker, Carlson, is that he doesn't understand why George is acting the way he is. The feeling that this line leaves the reader is confusion. This line made me want more of an explanation on to what it meant. Carlson said it to Curley so I wanted to know if he was trying to be sentimental or sarcastic.

    My general thoughts on this book are that I honestly didn't think I was going to enjoy it as much as I actually did. This story made me think about my friendships and I would put myself in George's situation. What had the most intense impact on me was when George killed Lennie himself because it made me think if I was in that situation would I have done the same. I would recommend this book to young adults (teenagers) because they would be more likely to understand the deeper meaning to this book than just saying it's about friendship, because it's more than that.

   

Of Mice and Men Conflct

     One of the conflicts that I chose is how Lennie doubts himself in what he does. I consider this type of conflict to be Man vs. Self. The way Lennie acts shows how he feels around others. He acts awkward and uncomfortable whenever he's with anyone else and George isn't there. George is Lennie's safe spot.  In the first section of the book it states, "In a panic, Lennie looked at George for help." This was when The Boss was asking Lennie a question and wanted him to answer, not George. Lennie didn't know what to do because he always relies on George to help him with everything. Lennie is not used to talking for himself because he thinks that he'll say something wrong and get George in trouble. George means everything to Lennie because they are always together and the last thing he wants is to hurt him, so that is why he lets George do all the talking for him.

     The effect this conflict has on the plot so far is that Lennie finds it hard to make friends because he is so used to having George talk for him. Since Lennie forgets things easily he might say something he's not suppose to. Like when he told Crooks about his and George's dream when George specifically told him not to tell anyone. In the it book states, "Crooks adjusted his glasses. 'Figuring? What's Candy figuring about?' Lennie almost shouted, ' 'Bout the rabbits.'" This quote shows how Lennie told Crooks about his dream that no one else was suppose to know because him and George did not want The Boss to find out.

     The other conflict that I chose was how Slim and Curley do not get along. This type of conflict is Man vs. Man. Slime and Curley have had problems with each other for who knows how long. The book states, "Curley burst into the room excitedly. 'Any you guys seen my wife?' He demanded. 'She ain't been here,' said White. Curley looked threateningly about the room. 'Where the hell's Slim?'" This quote shows that Curley assumes that since he cannot find his wife and Slim is no where to be found, he thinks that they are together. Maybe the reason that Curley does not like Slim is because he thinks that Slim is trying to get Curley's wife away from him.

     The effect this conflict has on the plot so far is that since Curley has a problem with Slim and wants to start a fight with him because he assumes Slim is with his wife. Curley makes a big scene out of his accusation and others start to get involved. Poor Lennie gets into a fight because Curley thinks that everything the other men talk about is about him. In the book it states, "Curley stepped over to Lennie like a terrier. 'What the hell you laughin' at?' Lennie looked blankly at him. Then Curley's rage exploded." "Curley was balanced and poised. He slashed at Lennie...smashed down his nose..." These quotes shows how Lennie was laughing at something he was thinking about, but Curley went on and thought that it was something to do with him. Curley got mad so he started to go at Lennie and punching him. Curley starts to get others involved into his own problems.

Dreams Of Mice and Men Blog

She had it all planned out

Her dream seemed bulletproof

But something came about

Just out of the blue

Her dream was crushed

The world fell into silence

Her voice now hushed

Everything became unbalanced

All these years working for it

Just for it to be crushed

She just wanted to quit,

Quit having hopes

She never wanted to dream again

Thought there was no point anymore

Was she going insane?

Or did she not know what to hope for?

Her life felt dull

She asked, "Why'd this happened to me?"

Maybe it was just meant to be

She had no hope whatsoever

She realized there was nothing to do

So she moved on

If there was anything she knew

It was that her beautiful dream was now gone

Of Mice and Men Chapters 1-2

     The atmosphere of the ranch and the bunkhouse is both negative and positive. I think this because sometimes George does not get along with some of the other workers, which might cause a conflict.  In the book it states, "George stood still, watching the angry little man." and also "Curley scowled at him..." These quotes show the relationship between George and Curley. These two men do not get along with each other and I think that the reason is because they both like to have smart remarks towards others. Their habit of smart talking might cause them to get into an argument.


     On the other hand, the atmosphere is also positive. I think this because it seems as if George and Lennie get along with Slim. In the story it states, "'You guys travel around together?'" Slim had asked George and Lennie why they travelled together. The fact that he said it in a kind voice, unlike The Boss, made George realize that he could tell him.


     I think the reason that Curley's wife does not have a name is because John Steinbeck probably wants the reader to imagine someone they know that is like Curley's wife. Steinbeck wants the person reading to make a connection as to who this character reminds them of.  I do not think that there is a message that John Steinbeck is trying to give to the readers. The reason that I said that John Steinbeck wants the reader to imagine Curley's wife to be someone they know, is because Steinbeck is really descriptive when he introduced her into the story.

3rd Quarter Reflection

Of the books you have read this quarter, which was your favorite? Why?

     Of the books that I have read this quarter my favorite was "Bronx Masquerade" because this book really showed how different ethnicities can come together and forget their differences. The book "Bronx Masquerade" made me realize that poetry really does have an impact on people. Whenever we had to write poems during class, I would look back to some of the poems that the characters had written so that I can get a better idea on what to write about. What I really liked about the book was that each character was different from the other, and despite those differences they all had one thing in common, poetry. I guess you can say that "Bronx Masquerade" had an impact on me.  

In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in ELA? 

     In the area that I think I made the most improvement was in writing my blogs. What I improved on the most in this was staying on topic and not rambling on about the same thing over and over again. In my previous blogs I would talk about a book and make a connection, and I would focus on the connection more than I did on the book. I knew that I had to change that because some of the things that I talked about did not really have to do with the blog at all. Another thing that I noticed that I have improved on is that I do not ramble about the same things over and over as much as I did before. I think that the reason I would ramble on was because I honestly had nothing else to say and I thought that my blog was not long enough. I would try to fill up some space so it would look like I wrote a lot but in reality I said the same thing too many times. Now I really try to focus on getting the main point out there instead of repeating little details.

     What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of?

     Something that I have accomplished this quarter that I am proud of is that I got more 3s and 4s on my vocabulary tests. I am really proud of this because in the 2nd quarter, although I did get some 3s and 4s, the majority of my tests my scores were 2s. This quarter I really wanted this to change because I knew that if I kept this up, it could really affect my final grade. I admit that in the 2nd quarter I didn't really study enough. I would study for about 25 minutes on thursday, which was the night BEFORE the test. This quarter I didn't study for the whole week, but I did study more. During the 3rd quarter I would study on tuesday, wednesday, and thursday for 20 minutes each day. This "schedule" really helped my grades improve. I know for sure that I will do the same for this upcoming quarter.

What has been the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for you 

and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

     What I thinks has been the most challenging part of 3rd quarter was having time to read for the literature circles we recently finished. To me this was the most challenging part because I had other homework to do and I also had other priorities. I think that this was challenging because my group had assigned too many pages to read in one night, and sometimes I was in the mood to read and other times reading was at the bottom of my list. What I did to overcome this was that I would get my other priorities done first so that I had the rest of my time reading the book. This really helped because I did not worry as much as I did when I would read first, because I would think about getting my other work done.

     

Literature Circle - Half Brother

     Our essential question for the book, "Half Brother" by Kenneth Oppel is, did Ben and his dad's relationship improve? Ben and his dad did get a bit closer because they would work together with Zan, the monkey, and that would allow them to spend time together and communicate, but at the same time they did drift apart. The reason that Ben and his dad drifted was because they had different opinions on Zan. At the end of the book Ben and his dad's relationship eventually got better because they had to work together to save Zan from a horrible place.

     The article that my group chose to connect with our book is, "Chimpanzees in Laboratories".  We chose this article because in the book "Half Brother" the main character, Zan, was being treated like he was an experiment. This article talks about how the chimps are being treated. The chimps that are being held in a U.S. laboratory are intentionally being given diseases. In the article it states,"Most chimpanzees in U.S. laboratories were intentionally given diseases—such as HIV, hepatitis, cancer, respiratory viruses, malaria, and heart disease—... experimentation determined that chimpanzees’ bodies do not react in the same way to these diseases as humans’ do." This quote is showing that scientists are testing the chimps by giving them diseases and seeing how they react to it. This is considered animal cruelty because they are basically killing the chimps. The majority of these diseases are not curable.

     This article reminds me about the book because the way the author described how Zan was being taught, it sounded like he was kept in a laboratory half the times. Ben's dad had a chair that they strapped Zan in if he did not behave. Ben hated that chair because Zan would have a tantrum and it would not improve his behavior.  In the book it says, "Zan was buckled into the learning chair, struggling and screaming." The reason Zan was being treated like this was because of Richard, Ben's dad. Richard did not have any feelings towards Zan until the end of the book. For most of the book all he cared about was being successful. Richard said that having feelings towards the experiment will affect the results. The attitude that Richard had really got Ben mad because he just hated how his dad only cared about himself. Animal rights was the theme in both the article, "Chimpanzees in Laboratories" and the book, "Half Brother". 

     Different mediums affect the way animal rights are portrayed by using different information and visuals. For example if you use a video, you can actually see how the chimpanzees are being treated. Videos tend to show more emotion too because since you are watching how they are being treated, than the viewers might feel bad for the chimps. An article shows more information and it is more recent. Articles can be easier to understand because the information is right there. I prefer videos because I would actually want to see how the chimps are being treated instead of an article describing how they are treated.

     The difference between an article and a video is that an article is more informational and has less feelings than a video. Videos show more emotion because of the content that is being shown. An article is more descriptive and a video has minimal information. The similarities between an article and a video is that they both give enough information to understand the topic. Both mediums can be neutral depending on the topic. Overall, all mediums have their benefits and their disadvantages, but are all beneficial in the end.

    

Poetry Reflection - 3/9/16

What place or importance does poetry have in my own life? 

Does poetry belong to everyone? How do I know?

     Poetry in my life is somewhat important. It is important to me because it tells a story with deep meaning that does not always directly say what the poem is about. It is a way for the reader to think about how the poet is feeling. Poetry is a way to discreetly tell how you feel without exactly saying your emotions. I do not think that poetry belongs to everyone. I know this because not everyone enjoys it. Many people may not know how to put their feelings in poems without explicitly saying them. Poetry can be very difficult for some people and maybe that is the reason why not everyone likes it. 

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

     The life and experiences of a poet can affect the poem he/she creates because it will depend on the mood of the poem. if the poet goes through a tough time, then the poem will be bitter. The reader will instantly infer that the reader went through a horrible event that influenced the poem. On the other hand, if the poet goes through a jubilant event, then the poem will have a positive tone. The reader will know how the poet felt while writing the poem. The emotion and feeling put into the poem will most likely be coming from a past event. While I was writing my picture poem about volleyball, I had to imagine myself being in a game while writing the poem. 


     The poem that I chose that has been published already is "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost. The structure and form of this poem contribute to its meaning because it talks about how he is sorry that he could not travel both roads.  The poem is called "The Road Not Taken" and throughout the whole poem the narrator describes how the road he took looked and how he felt taking it. The impact that rhyme has on this poem is that it has a beat to it, and the reader will be more likely to remember the actual meaning of the poem. This poem uses a great amount of imagery. The impact that imagery has on this poem is that it helps the reader visualize the path that he is taking. The narrator says, "Two roads diverged in a yellow wood...". I picture one road being split in two and the main character having to choose which one to take. Imagery really helps visual learners understand poetry because the description of the poem will let them imagine what it's like being in that position.  The poem that I have already written and chose to analyze is my picture poem called, "The Final Game". The structure and form of this poem contribute to its meaning because it talks about the final game of the season and how the main character was feeling. The impact that imagery has on my poem is that the reader will feel like they are the character playing in the poem.

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

"Abbylicious" Nonsense Poem

"Court Session"

"Court Session"

Imagine getting abused by the person you love.  

All I did was defend myself. I didn’t even hurt anyone. 

And yet the police still came almost knocking down my door, yelling my name 
and gettin’ arrested for no reason. 

Now don’t say “Oh but you could’ve killed him” 

because I didn’t even aim at him 

I aimed at the wall behind him just to give him a lil’ spook, you know shake him up a bit.

I am completely outraged!! This is considered discrimination. 

Just because I’m black and not white right? That’s what it is. 

I understand that I was tryna shoot him but I missed okay, and that was the whole point.

 My hands were shaking as if they were maracas. He was comin’ right at me, like he was some kinda dog chasing a chew toy.

I ain’t just gonna stand there and let him hurt me. He’s an abuser.

If anyone should be in jail it’s him. Why should I be put in jail?

 I felt betrayed. Being tortured for so long, I just couldn’t take it anymore. 
I had t do something about, even if it meant killing him

He acts as if he some kind of romantic guy that 
would do anything for the love of his life. 
Yea right he ain’t ever gonna actually die for someone and
 face the consequences for seeing someone. 

I never thought this would happen to me. 
He is and abuser, and was violent, 

and I brought a witness and everything to prove my point 
but y’all just sit there and do nothin’ 

I have bruises and scars to show you but I’m not because they won’t even matter. 

My bruises are purple and hurt so bad that with 
any movement I make, I wince in pain. 
My scars, oh how I wish they could go away, 
I try so hard to hide them. 

And y’all just gonna act like a wall is talking to you. 

I was sentenced 20 years for a crime that ain’t even that big of a deal. 

I didn’t even kill the poor man, this is uncalled for, 

sure I’ll serve your little punishment, but not 20 years worth of  my life.

Okay I’m done with my point but Imma say 1 more thing,

 just wanna let you know ya’ll gonna be leaving people wondering things. 

They gon’ be confused, split in 2, all because ya’ll cant be fair,

 But it’ll come back, just you wait, because when I get out, I’ll be waiting...

Inspiration for poem: "Get rid of minimum mandatory sentencing laws"

March 1, 2016 - Bio Poem

Thomas

curious, determined, a leader, daring

A character in The Maze’s Story

Lover of adventures, solving problems, and challenges

Who notices the slightest things, the friends who’ll actually stay, and the anxious faces of the runners.

Who feels ignored by others, mocked for wanting to be a runner, and as if he doesn’t belong to be there.

Who learns how to accept other people because that’s who they are.

Who used to think this was all just a dream, but now knows this is the real world

Major character in The Maze Runner

A book that teaches you to show people that you are capable of doing anything that comes your way.

Bronx Masquerade Compare and Contrast

     The character that I think changed throughout the book "Bronx Masquerade" was Tyrone.  I think this because towards the beginning he wasn't interested in school, all he cared about was wanting to stay alive. He didn't accept others because they were different. Tyrone states, "School ain't nothin' but a joke." This shows that he doesn't take his education seriously. Nikki Grimes had a page for Tyrone after every other character. I think that was very helpful because it showed the reader how Tyrone felt and what his thoughts were on each person. Tyrone doesn't accept others, he treats them differently if they aren't African-American like him and his friends. He is stereotypical. After Raul shared his "Zorro" poem Tyrone says, "...I didn't know he knew that much English!" This shows that Tyrone believes stereotypes because since Raul is a latino, he assumes that he won't know as much english. He would judge Raul because he didn't care how much money he got for working, he was just happy to do it. I felt that towards the beginning, Tyrone wanted everyone else to be like him.

     Towards the end of the book Tyrone changed his perspective on things. He learned to accept others for who they are, and that everyone has feelings and problems. The Open Mike Friday's was what helped him realize those things. After Diondra's first poem, Tyrone was talking about how fast she read and not explicitly making fun of her, but it was implied. Later on after Diondra's "Self Portrait" poem, Tyrone understood what she meant. He says, "I didn't get her first few poems, but I dig this one. The future is ours. Let us have it. That's what she's saying." On her first poem, Tyrone didn't understand the deeper meaning to it, but now that she's read more and expressed her feelings, he understands what she's going through.

     The plot, setting, conflict, and characters of a story influence each other because they all make a difference to the story. The setting of the story impacts the characters because it shows why they act a certain way. If a character is from a bad neighborhood, the characters attitude or reputation will reflect on it. The character can have a bad reputation because of what he/she does. The plot impacts the conflict because the plot is the events that lead up to the problem. Everything that happens before the conflict/problem is what leads up to it. Without one of the elements of a story, you will not be able to tell the mood of the story.

Spine poem 2/24/16

Poem:

Children Of The Night

Reached

Dreamland

Waiting for the Rain

Dancing on the Edge

    The theme of my spine poem is fear because the kids of the poem are afraid of growing up. The children decide to go to dreamland where they can be kids forever and are dancing in the rain and having the time of their life.

     The main point of my poem is to live life to the fullest because you'll grow up with regrets because you never did your biggest dreams. The children go to dreamland and do all the things they wanted to do in their life. Whenever someone enters dreamland, you are automatically a kid again.

Found Poem 2/24/16

     The theme if my found poem is effects of the past because the girl in my poem is having flashbacks about a conversation with a friend. About her telling a secret and it is driving her crazy because of her guilty conscience. She is full of regret and wants to take it back but cannot because the past is the past and she has to live in the future.

     The main point of this poem is to show what can happen to you if you do something wrong. I decided to draw a silhouette of a person to show her thoughts and the words in her mind. She is filled with sadness and guilt. I think that it has a deeper meaning with the silhouette because it is showing what she is thinking and that the words aren't actually being spoken, but being remembered.

"Where I'm From"

Bronx Perspectives Take One- 2/16/16

     The book Bronx Masquerade by Nikki Grimes is about a high school that contains students that are completely different from one another. All these students do not show who they really are because they are afraid of being judged. Instead, they express themselves throughout poetry. Their poems show who they really are, they talk about what they want to be. They have an event called Open Mike Fridays, where the students can go and share their poems to the rest of the class. After each character talks about themselves and shares their poem, Tyrone, the main character, shares is thoughts about each character.


     Two characters that I found to be similar were Diondra Jordan and Devon Hope. I think that these two characters are similar because people judge them based on their looks. Everyone assumes that since Diondra is tall that she plays basketball, but she actually hates it. Her dad wants her to be in the WNBA. She wants people to see her for who she really is, she loves to draw and write poetry. Devon also gets judged on by his looks as well. Everyone assumes that just because he loves basketball and wants to be a basketball player, that he doesn't care about his education. He actually really likes poetry, he just doesn't want anyone to know because he thinks that he'll get made fun of. Both characters are keeping a secret from the rest of the students because they do not want to get made fun of.


     Two characters that I found to be different were Lupe Algarin and Gloria Martinez. I think that these two characters are different because Lupe wants to have a baby to feel loved, and Gloria thinks that having a baby won't make a difference. Lupe is having trouble at home because her dad left her, and her mom and stepdad do not really pay attention to her. She thinks that by having a baby she will feel loved. Lupe thinks that having a baby is the ONLY way to be loved. Gloria on the other hand is already a teen mom. She's a single parent so it is harder on her to care for a baby and go to school. She doesn't regret having a baby but she does wishes she could go back to hanging out with friends and not worrying as much. She doesn't think that a baby is the only way you could get someone to love you. Gloria wants Lupe to rethink about having a baby. I think that Gloria will eventually convince Lupe that a baby will not solve her problems, but only complicate them more.



                       

Poetry Response

     The poem I chose to research is called "A Valentine" by Edgar Allen Poe. This poem is about a woman that Poe fell in love with and he basically pours all his feelings towards her in this poem. Poe tells the characteristics of the woman and what he loves about her.

     I think that Edgar Allen Poe wrote this poem because he really loved the woman, and he wanted to let her know how much he did. Somewhere in the poem the woman's name is hidden. Throughout the poem he is giving hints to the reader as to where to find the name.

“A Valentine”
Edgar Allen Poe

For her this rhyme is penned, whose luminous eyes,

Brightly expressive as the twins of Lœda,

Shall find her own sweet name, that, nestling lies

Upon the page, enwrapped from every reader.

Search narrowly the lines! -- they hold a treasure

Divine -- a talisman -- an amulet

That must be worn at heart. Search well the measure --

The words -- the syllables! Do not forget

The trivialest point, or you may lose your labor!

And yet there is in this no Gordian knot

Which one might not undo without a sabre,

If one could merely comprehend the plot.

Enwritten upon the leaf where now are peering

Eyes scintillating soul, there lie perdus

Three eloquent words oft uttered in the hearing

Of poets, by poets -- as the name is a poet’s, too.

Its letters, although naturally lying

Like the knight Pinto -- Mendez Ferdinando --

Still form a synonym for Truth. -- Cease trying!

You will not read the riddle, though you do the best you can do.

HINTS: 
first letter of her name is the first letter on the first line
the second letter of the first word on the second line
third letter of the first word of the third line
fourth letter of the first word on the fourth line
fifth letter of the first word on the fifth line
sixth letter of first word on the sixth line
seventh letter of the first word on the seventh line.

The poem "A Valentine" reminds me of two teens that are in love and the guy is too shy to admit it so instead of telling her he dedicates a poem to her. I think that because the way Poe (the teenage boy) wrote the poem, by hiding the girls name, it makes me think that maybe he was too shy to actually tell her he loves her, so he dedicated a poem to the woman. I do not know the actual reason why Edgar Allen poe wrote it, but where I found the poem it says he wrote it on Valentine's Eve 1849.

     As I was reading the poem "A Valentine" I visualized a heart with the name of the woman because to me the heart is Edgar Allen Poe's heart and since he loves that woman so much I thought that she was forever in his heart. I wrote Frances Sargent Osgood inside the heart because that is the woman's full name, but in the poem 'Frances' is the part that is hidden in the poem.

Commented on: Amilee's, Emily's, Hazelle's

2nd Quarter Reflection

In what area do you think you made your biggest 
improvements in English Language Arts? 

     The area I think that I have improved on this quarter in ELA is vocabulary because I got better scores this quarter than last quarter. I think that I improved because in the 1st quarter I was not used to studying that much and having to memorize words and their definitions was really difficult. It still is but I've gotten better at focusing on the words and I repeat them over and over again. 

What has been the most challenging part of 2nd Quarter for you

and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

     The most challenging part of the 2nd quarter for me was getting all my homework done in time. Although I did turn my homework in on time, I struggled with this because I had sports started and I did not have enough time to do my homework after my games. What I did was to do my homework ahead of time, or finish everything in class so I did not have to do it at home. If I had a blog or AOW due at the end of the week, I would finish it on Tuesday afternoon so I wouldn't have to worry about it. 

How have your research skills improved?

     I think that my research skills have improved a lot since 1st quarter because in the 2nd quarter we did much more assignments that required research. A lot of those assignments were very difficult because I could not find the proper information so I had to learn some strategies to help me. One of the strategies I used was that if I couldn't find what I was looking for, then I would search something similar. Most of the time I would find something else and I would use it in my work, but other times I didn't find anything so I had to remove that question. I honestly struggle with research because I get frustrated when I cannot find any information, and most of the time I just give up. I know that's not the best thing to do, but I can't think of anything else to do. The next time I feel frustrated for not finding information, I will try looking for key words, or specific things, instead of broad topics. I think that if I do that instead, then I will find what I am looking for.

Blog Week of 1/18/16

     The book that I am currently reading falls under realistic fiction and is called Stray Voltage (1-70) by Eugenie Doyle. This book is about a boy named Ian that lives with his father, his older brother named Ray and his Aunt Julie. Ian and his family live in a rural place in northern Vermont. A winter storm hits and it gets hard for the farms because the storm pulled the power lines and stray voltage gets loose on the farm and accidentally shocks humans and animals. Ian's mom leaves them and it gets hard for the rest of the family to run the farm. Ian is feeling sorrow because his mother abandoned him and he gets really lonely since he isn't that close to his father or brother. He starts to struggle and has no idea what to do, he wants to look for his mom but he does not think she'll want to come back. His life changed negatively ever since his mother decided to go "figure things out". 

     The main character in my book is Ian. Ian is a smart 11 year old boy that enjoys writing poetry.  He is hardworking because he loves to help out in the farm and always does his homework no matter how difficult it is. Ian never gives up. Even though his mom abandoned him, he always has hope that she'll return. 

     Ian's biggest conflict that he had to overcome was the feeling of emptiness when his mom left him. Although she did not leave because of anything he did, but it was because she had to figure some things out, so in her place she sent her twin sister Julie. Ian has been struggling in the last 4 chapters that I have read. He really wants to go and visit her, but is very indecisive on what to do. He's afraid that she won't agree to come back. 

     The mood of this story is fair-minded because at times it can be upsetting but other times it can be pleasant. The reason that I find it upsetting is because of the struggle he goes through without his mom and the way his dad treats him, but I find it amusing because he has a great time with friends and he enjoys school. In the story it also includes the poems he writes and I think that is great because the poems are really good and interesting. 

     I think that the theme is perseverance because he never gives up on his work and he keeps living life to the fullest, even though he is going through a tough time he doesn't let that get in the way. 

     I enjoy this book because it focuses on friends and family and I think that it's relatable and many people can picture themselves as the main character as if it was their own story. What I remember most about this story is that Ian's mom had left him an early Christmas gift, which was a kitten, and at times he really hates the cat and other times he loves it and shows his sensitive side and I find that amusing because he can call it stupid one minute and the next he'll be cuddling with it.  I would recommend this book to anyone that loves a family/friends story because this book is full of it. It talks about family problems and I think that most of these problems are really relatable. 

     

commented on: Sumar's, Amilee's, Evelyn's