Book Shelf

Books to read:

West Side Story by Ernest Lehman

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Of Mice and Men by John Stienbeck

Speak by Laurie Halse Anderson

In the heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick

It's Kind of a Funny Story by Ned Vizzini

Looking for Alaska by John Green

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 

Final Blog Post

Dear 811 ELA class,

One thing that I learned from 8th grade ELA is how to write a synthesis page. We wrote so many synthesis pages in the beginning of the year so later in the year they were really easy because we had already made so many. One text that was memorable was Lord of the Flies. It was memorable because of how difficult the reading was, but with using the strtegies that we were taught it was really easy to understand. Another thing that was memorable was preforming Romeo and Juliet. It was very fun to watch and interesting to see another way that Romeo and Juliet was interpreted.

My hopes and goals for reading  in High School are to read a lot more often and to read more complex books. Also, I want to read more classic books. My writing goals are to write more complex stories and to explore new topics that I haven't explored before. Something I hope to read is Sherlock Holmes and something I hope to write is a complex mystery.

Poetry project

Poem 1: Haikus

 

 

As the sun peeks out

Over the tall green trees

It’s rays begin to warm us

 

The falls come crashing down

In between two countries

Divided

 

Facebook status—

Failure to update means

You are forgotten

 

Through the mountain

Is a tunnel

To the other side

 

One blemish

On a perfect record

Can ruin your life

 

One wrong decision

Can change your life

Forever

 

 

To write these poems I would just think of a meaningful sentence, then I’d divide it into 3 parts. I incorporated some personification into some of the haikus make the objects and ideas seem more humanlike.

Poem 2: Free Verse

 

 

Being in the wrong place

At the wrong time

Can get you convicted of something

That you could never have done

 

When the cop cuffs you

And reads you your rights

“You have the rights to remain silent”

You know you didn’t do it

 

In the car ride to the station

You try to reason with the officer

But he just ignores you

You know you didn’t do it

 

On the prison transport bus

You try to reason with the Warden

But he just ignores you

You know it’s not you

 

When your time is over, 20 years later

Your life will be different forever

Because you were convicted of a crime 

That you know you didn’t do

 

 

To write this poem I thought of something that could ruin your life and I wrote about it. I didn’t use any literary devices because I didn’t think my poem needed literary devices to make the 

Poem #3: Sonnet

 

 

Baseball is a lot more than just a game

The bases, the players, the field, the coach

And all the best are in the Hall Of Fame

The player walks toward the plate on his approach

Around the bases the players do run

Fast as they can, so they don’t get called out

They run so fast like they’re being chased with a gun

The crack of the bat makes everyone want to shout

As the batter rounds the bases everyone cheers

The pitcher is as mad as a Lyon

But the batter has done this for many years

The batters name is either Brian or Ryan

All these things about baseball I do love

Baseball was sent from the gods above

 

 

This poem was very hard to write because I had to make each line have 10 syllables and also I had to follow the correct rhyming scheme (ABAB CDCD EFEF GG). I used similes in this poem to compare two things.

Heart Poem Reading Response

 

​The poem “Touchscreen” contains many literary devices such as repetition and irony. There are many examples of repetition. The first one is “Doesn’t it feel good to touch? /Doesn’t it feel good to touch? /Doesn’t it feel good to touch?” This repetition is used to put emphasis on the certain sentence. Also, the word “click” is repeated many times in the end of the poem to show how much people are “clicking” digital technology. Another literary device is irony. One example, is “my problems can be solved with a 1600 by 1700 resolution.” This is ironic because problems can’t be solved by a certain amount of pixels. In addition, another example of irony “When our technology is advance enough…/to make us human again.” This is ironic because our technology won’t be able to touch us back for a very long time.

​

​The poem’s meaning is that technology is getting too advanced and the human race is getting too absorbed in their devices. One example is “but with 3,000 friends online /only five I can count in real life / why wouldn’t I spend more time in a world where more people that ‘like’ me.” This quote shows the meaning of the poem. It also shows how the writer of the poem feels about technology.

 

​My reaction to the poem is that it is very creative and very well written. It is also a very interesting topic. One line that is very good is “I face Facebook/ more than books face me/ hoping to/ book face-to-faces.” I like this line because of all the repetition with the words “face” and “book.” Another line that I like is “I update my status/ 420 spaces/ to prove that I am still breathing.” I like this line because it shows many different aspects of technology. My overall reaction is that the poem is very good and flows really well.

Argument essay

Raising self-esteem is always difficult, but when you've been bullied since you were six it is even harder. In the book Will Grayson, Will Grayson by John Green and David Levithan there's a character named Tiny Cooper that is gay. Since tiny was little he was bullied for being gay. Tiny's feelings change throughout the story. In the beginning he feels unwanted by the end of the story his feelings change and he feels wanted. 

In the beginning of the story Tiny feels unwanted and uncared for. When Tiny gets dumped by his boyfriend Zach he feels totally unwanted. "' My heart is broken,' Tiny say" (19). At this point Tiny feels like the whole world is against him. He feels like nothing will ever go right for him. He also feel like no one is on his side  and no one cares at all about him.

In the end of the story Tiny feels cared for and very wanted. During a play that Tiny wrote, acted in and directed he gets a surprise that makes him feel much better.  "me: my name is will Grayson and i appreciate you tiny cooper!" (307). This goes on for about a dozen more people. At this moment Tiny feels appreciated and cared for. He feels like people are on his side. Tiny doesn't feel unwanted anymore.

Throughout the story Tiny's feelings change. In the beginning he feels unwanted and uncared for but at the end his feelings change and he feels wanted and cared for. This book shows how big events can change people's lives and their feelings.

Foreword for picture

At a young age Antonio Brown wanted to play in the NFL. The road to the NFL is usually hard, but for Brown it was even harder. When Brown was 16 he was asked by his Mom to leave the house. Brown thought of the situation as a positive moment in his life rather than a negative one. He thought of it as a way to help him become a better person and a better man.

            Antonio grew up in Liberty City just outside of Miami. Liberty City sounds like a nice place but the name can be deceiving. It was impossible not to be affected by crime and violence and for most growing up there gunfire was just background noise. Liberty City was not a nice place to grow up. When Brown got kicked out of his house he bounced around from his friends houses. Anywhere where he could get a few hours sleep he would go to.

Brown’s life consisted of going to school and football. Despite the trouble he wasn’t angry or envious at anyone.  He didn’t hold any grudges. “ Brown didn’t allow the experience to make him bitter and angry, and today he holds no grudge against those who weren’t there for him growing up… Today Antonio Brown is a young man with a constant smile and a positive despite attitude.” Brown stayed positive despite all that happened to him.

Boy 21 synthesis page

How does this text make you think about justice in the world?

This text makes me think about all the towns all of the country that just aren't a safe environment to live in. The town in the text is full of mob violence, drugs, and graffiti. "Only, seven or so blocks from our homes, drug dealers hang out by the town courts and old men sit around drinking from brown paper bags." This quote shows how the town is not safe to live in. The town is not the only one, many towns across the US struggle to maintain order. In a few towns the police are corrupt and don't help people. The book has made me realize how tough it is for some children to grow up in areas where it's not safe to step outside of your house alone.

This text has also made me realize how affected some people are by a loss of a loved one. In the story a boy named Russ loses his parents, and then moves to live with his grandparents. There he pretends that he is an alien and that his parents are going to rescue him. He did all this because he was so upset by his parents loss. Russ does this to avoid get his mind of his parents death and to try and forget about it. Russ, who was being scouted by colleges for basketball, gave up his basketball career because he was so sad when his parents died.

 Is this story fair? Why/why not?

No, the story is not fair because children should not be forced to live in a neighborhood where you are not able to go outside alone. Also, there is a very powerful mob in town, and they killed the main characters mother, and hit his friend with a car and severely injured her. Kids shouldn't have to grow up with this type of violence so close to them. 

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Social Awareness Project

2) Observing My Surroundings

·      Bullying

·      Drugs

·      Underage Drinking

·      Homelessness

·      Racism

·      Poverty

Homelessness is a major issue all over the US but especially in New York City. In October 2014 in NYC, there were 59,246 homeless people. Without a home, these people can’t have all the necessities that they need to survive. Many people are homeless because they have lost their jobs, but is it fair for them to lose their house and live the streets and into shelters just because they can’t come up with enough money to pay rent? People shouldn’t be allowed to live on the streets and in parks. The city needs to provide aid to people who desperately need it.

There are many things that New York City could do to improve life for homeless people. The city could turn more parts of the city into affordable housing for the less fortunate. The city could also make more jobs in different areas so that people who are jobless can begin to work, and get enough money to move off the streets and into homes. Homeless people may need to take course to train themselves with certain skills, so they can get new jobs. Homeless people also need free healthcare. All doctors could offer services to people in need. If the mayor raised awareness and oney for the homeless many lives would be saved and New York City would be a better place for everyone.

4) Reading Response

           

Last Sunday, 5 members of the NFL team, the St. Louis Rams raised their hands to show support for Michael Brown. As the players ran out of the tunnel before the game against the Oakland Raiders, they held up their hands like Michael Brown did before he was killed. “The article St. Louis Rams Players’ Display Is Condemned by Police Association,” is about how the players of the Rams responded to the act of injustice that the police did a few weeks earlier. I think that what the Rams’ players did should not be punished, because they were expressing their freedom of speech.

At the moment, it looks like the Rams’ players are not going to be punished by the team or the NFL. But it has created some tenseness between the players and the St. Louis Police Officers Association. They demanded that the NFL discipline them. They also said that they were “profoundly disappointed,” by what the players did. The Rams head coach has yet to punish them and he says that he doesn’t think he will. He didn’t think that what they did was right but he also didn’t think that it was wrong. “As far as the choice that the players made, no, they were exercising their right to free speech… They will not be disciplined by the club nor by the National Football League,” he told reporters. I think that what the Rams’ players did wasn’t meant to offend the police officers. Their actions were no different then a protest.

This wasn’t the first time athletes have inserted themselves into political debates. Muhammad Ali refused to join the army during the Vietnam War, because of his opposition to war. Ali was charged with draft evasion and stripped of his boxing title. Later, the case went to Supreme Court and he got his title back. In 2012, the Miami Heat led by LeBron James wore hooded sweatshirts like the one that Trayvon Martin wore. James and his teammates were not punished by the NBA after the act of protest.

The Rams’ players should not be disciplined or punished in any way. All they were doing is expressing what they thought about the killing of Brown. The only difference between the Rams’ players and the protesters in Ferguson, was that the Rams’ players had football uniforms on. It’s not fair that they should be punished for expressing their feelings.

5) Poem

Some think as a teenager it is cool

To drink alcohol in middle school

But alcohol messes up your brain

Not healthy, not legal, nothing to gain

Giving into peer pressure makes you a fool

The social issue I wrote my poem about is underage drinking. It’s a much bigger problem then it seems. Alcohol use in middle and high school leads to lower grades and more absences. It also makes you more likely to get certain illnesses. Drunk driving is a big cause of death in the US. Every 53 minutes, in someone is killed from drunk driving. This means almost 27 people each day. I think all kids should be educated about the dangers of alcohol.

Bibliography

1.     "Basic Facts About Homelessness: New York City - Coalition For The Homeless." Coalition For The Homeless. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2014.

2.     "Fact Sheets - Underage Drinking." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014

3.     "11 Facts About Driving Under the Influence." DoSomething.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Nov. 2014.

4.     Belson, Ken. "St. Louis Rams Players’ Display Is Condemned by Police Association." The New York Times. The New York Times, 02 Dec. 2014. Web. 02 Dec. 2014

Non-Fiction Reading Response

       The article "Adrian Peterson Suspended by N.F.L. for Remainder of Season," is about a NFL 

player that got suspended for child abuse. The author talks about how the commissioner of the NFL, Roger Goodell suspended Peterson for the rest of the season. Originally Peterson was going to have a trial to see if he could return to the NFL for the end of the season but, Roger Goodell decided that Peterson couldn't be reinstated in the NFL until April. What Peterson did was wrong and he should have gotten jail time or at least a longer suspension. 

       In September, Peterson was arrested for child abuse. Normally, someone would get arrested for committing child abuse, but not Peterson. "…penalized Peterson because he injured a defenseless 4-year-old child with a with, or a small tree branch…" This quote shows what Peterson did. It's horrible how little he was punished for hurting a 4 year old child. In act of violence, such as Peterson's should be punished severely. "…the league took the unusual step of putting him [Peterson] on the commissioner's exempt list, which allowed him to be paid while he sat out." This shows how Peterson was being paid while he was suspended. Peterson was basically being paid to do nothing. With his new suspension he is now not being paid which is more fair.

       Peterson committed a major crime and should be punished more severely punished. Child abuse should be one of the crimes in the US that has the most jail time for, because it can seriously scar the child both physically and mentally and it can ruin their childhood and/or life.

Field Trip Homework

On the trip to the Museum of the City of New York I learned about activism. I learned about how many activists were based in New York. I didn't know that the gay pride parade was based in New York, and then duplicated all over the world.  I also, learned that bike lanes were such a fought over and important thing. In addition I learned how comedy can be used during protests, to draw attention to the protest. Also, buttons are used to draw attention to a protest, or major issue.

I learned about women suffrage, gay rights, african american rights and bicycle rights. I learned about how they all dealt with there issues and what was similar and different about how they dealt with there issues. What i noticed was that they all held protests. But the protests were all different in their own ways. For example, the Black Panthers held violent protests while others just protested peacefully. Some would mock the people that they were protesting against but others would respect them.

Lord Of The Flies Reading Response

It’s very hard to survive on a deserted island, especially when you are kids without any adults setting rules about how to live. In Lord of the Flies by William Golding, a group of boys are stranded on an island struggling to survive peacefully together. There are many symbols in the book that reflect their predicament. The most important symbols in the story are fire and the conch.

The fire is important because it symbolizes the boys’ chance of getting off the island. Without the fire, they won’t have a way to alert nearby ships to get rescued. It’s also important that they make fire so that they can stay warm and cook food. The longer the boys are on the island, the more conflict there is between them.  As Piggy says, “’Course it’s no use Ralph. Now we got no fire.’” This shows that the group that is focused on the fire because they believe it will get them off the island. Ironically, the fire does get them off the island, but not in the way they expected. They hoped that a nearby ship would see the fire and rescue them.  Instead, some of the boys try to kill Ralph by lighting the island on fire and then, unexpectedly, a ship sees the smoke.

The conch is important because it represents power. Whoever has the conch at the moment is the only one allowed to speak. When someone holds the couch and blows it, all the boys go to that spot for an assembly. Also, all the younger kids listen to whoever has the conch. Ralph’s group of boys are very protective of the conch and it is much more than a shell to them. “’Careful you’ll break it­­—’” Piggy screamed angrily. This quote shows the conch is the center of the boy’s struggles to create order when there is none.  They are living without adults and without rules so they have to create their own power structure. The conch is the symbol of that power. It gives the boys the illusion that they are safe and there is order in their new life together on the island.

The symbols also affect the plot. The fire represents their survival and hope for rescue. Without the fire, there would be no way to get off the island. The conch is their object of power. Without the conch there would be chaos, and no way to call meetings. The two main characters have different reactions to these symbols. Both of these items are important to Ralph but neither means anything to Jack. These symbols represent the conflict between Jack and Ralph, and henceforth the central conflict in the book. This causes the boys to split into two groups with two different leaders with different ideas. And, the continued stress within the smaller groups ultimately leads to the death of Piggy.

The fire and the conch are pivotal to the conflict and plot of the Lord of the Flies. Both of these symbols have deep meaning because they are central to the story. The story is about whether a group of boys can survive without adults on a deserted island. The fire symbolizes their hope for rescue and the conch symbolizes their hope for a peaceful life. Though the boys do get rescued eventually, terrible pain and death happen along the way.

Coming Back Stronger By Drew Brees Synthesis Page

Mentor:  All of Drew’s high school and college coaches over the years. They have helped him with so much and taught him all he knows about football.  Drew’s coaches have been there to mentor him through good and bad. One of his coaches, Greg Olsen gave him words of advice after a tough game, “You’re going to be a great player in this league someday.” That was a turning point for Drew, and after that he had much more confidence.

Mother Figure:  Drew’s wife Brittany gives Drew guidance and comforts him when he’s down about a game. After one particular game after drew got home there were post-its all over the house. They said, “You’re the greatest! You’re the best! Best husband ever! The best quarterback! You can’t keep a good man down!” Brittany was always there for Drew after tough games and tough experiences. She helped Drew rebound.

Father Figure:  Sean Payton, Drew’s coach in New Orleans was always there for Drew once he and Brittany moved to New Orleans. He always asked if they needed anything, he would always give them recommendations for places to go. He welcomed Drew with an open heart and immediately let Drew adapt the offense to Drew’s likings and Drew’s needs. Sean is always there to help drew become a better player. He constantly works with him so that he can be the best player that he can be.

Warrior: Drew is a warrior because he faces physical challenges and overcomes them. He sufferers a serious shoulder injury and then heals and wins a super bowl for the suffering city of New Orleans. After hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, the city needed a hero to liven the moods of all of the citizens that were displaced by Katrina. Drew took at team that had never won a playoff game before to the super bowl, and they won. Drew brought happiness, excitement and joy to a city that had just suffered a devastating blow.

Quest for Acceptance:  Drew came to New Orleans as a football hero but as he made the team better, he became a hero to the citizens of New Orleans. Drew was accepted into the city when he was picked up as a free agent, but he quickly emerged as a hero to the people of New Orleans

Thirteen Reasons Why

     Have you ever heard a dead girl speak? Thirteen Reasons Why is about a girl named Hannah that committed suicide and then sent out tapes with reasons for her death to the people who caused it. The story follows one particular person as he listens to the tapes. Hannah's feelings in the tapes change from the beginning to the end.

     In the beginning of Hannah's tapes Hannah is optimistic about going to a new town. Soon after Hannah moved to the new town she found two other new kids and they became great friends. "…Monet's garden was our safe haven." Whenever they would have a rough or tiring day they would meet at Monet's. This made Hannah optimistic because she she wasn't alone anymore for school. She had someone to talk to, someplace to go when she felt scared.

     In the middle of the tapes Hannah feels betrayed, her friends had moved on. "The first to drop out was Alex." Shortly after that,"Jessica stopped going…" Without Alex and Jessica to talk to and a safe place to go to, Hannah felt betrayed. her only friends had ditched her. She felt inferior to them. She resented them. Then Alex made a 'Who's hot/Who's not' list. He put Hannah's name opposite Jessica's so that Jessica would get mad. Hannah felt even more betrayed.

     At the end of the book Hannah felt hopeless. She had given up. Leading up to her crucial visit with the guidance counselor she had considered suicide but never this serious. "'I need it to stop' (Hannah) ' You need what to stop?' (Mr. Porter) ' I need everything to stop. People. Everything.' (Hannah) This shows how Hannah is giving up. She is truly hopeless. 

     Hannah's feelings change tremendously throughout the tapes. In the beginning she was hopeful but toward the end she gave up. This book shows how every little thing matters and how nothing in insignificant. Little things can impact people in different ways then others.

Wonder by R.J. Palacio

The book Wonder  by R.J. Palacio is about a physically challenged kid named August who attends school for the first time. by the time August was 10 he had over 20 surgeries. His face is described as many mean and rude things throughout the course of the book. His experiences over the course of the book are explained sometimes from his point of view and sometimes his peers, friends and family. Attending a new school is hard, but its even harder if you have been homeschooled your entire life and your physically "deformed." August made some friends right away but some took longer to adjust to his special ability. August was immediately treated nicely by Summer and Jack, but some took longer to adjust to him such as Julien. His friend jack wasn't always nice to him. For example, on Halloween, they came to a rough spot in they're friendship, he overhears Jack talking to Julien and one other kid, "I don't know…Tushman [The principal] asked me to hang out with with him in the beginning of the year…"August is hurt by this and pretends to have a stomach ache so he can leave school. August then spends the next few weeks avoiding Jack and spending more and more time with Summer who has been very supportive of August for his whole time at the new school. Over Thanksgiving break, they made up and the worked on a history project together. Reading this book made me realize how unequally people treat people who are different then them. It's really sad that August is treated differently just because he was born differently then everyone else. This book has many themes that are bullying, inequality and disability.