This I Believe Speech

"Everything Happens for a Reason"

        “What you do now will affect your life later. Even the little things like taking out the garbage, so go take it out.” That is what my dad says. He has always loved to say little snippets of life lessons now and then. One saying I never understood is a belief I still carry today: Everything happens for a reason.

        When I was six years old I had this one dog named Bebe. She was a handful. She always chewed on our shoes, used the bathroom everywhere, and barked at just random times.  I don’t remember a lot about her except the day she ran away.

        My cousins Jackie, Ricky and Alex were walking with me to my house after school. When we got to the street my house was on, Alex and I ran the rest of the way home. I called for Bebe to come and I saw the front door wide open. She had ran away since Jackie didn’t close it.

        Then a couple months later I got a new dog, Husky. He didn't pee and chew on everything.

        Even though this was long time ago and a very small event I still remember it because this was the day when I knew that everything happened for a reason.  This has changed me because I needed to know that after something horrible, there is always hope for something better. I know not to always be sad but to accept it because God has a plan for us, even if it means we lose our dog and get a better one.

Final Reflection Blog

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          Throughout the year I have learned three main important things. The first one is that Mrs. Larson is always right. She has a reason for doing the things she does. She has a reason for having expectations and explicit directions. I had to learn this the hard way however, I did learn it. I might've learned it a little too late in the school year, but at least I learned it. The second one is that presentation is key. This can be seen in writing. You might have the best essay completed, but if the formatting is sloppy then nobody is going to want to read it. If nobody wants to read it then no one is going to know how great it was. This can be applied to other things in life besides writing. It can be important to know for future college and job applications. This I know I will remember continuing into high school. The third one is to manage your time. Without time management your life will be a mess. Especially with this class because you will get a lot of homework. No time management can lead to procrastination which will then lead to stress. I have gone through this experience, and I am telling you that it is not fun.


     This year we did Socratic Seminars. These were times when we would ask any questions we had about the book. The Socratic Seminars we had about Morrie is what I will remember for the rest of my life. Thinking about his way of thinking opened a new door to a mindset I never knew I had. We talked about the way Morrie thinks and wondered if we should be thinking the same way. We wondered if we have purpose and meaning in our lives and wondered if we are living our lives to the fullest. We questioned whether or not we give out and receive love. The thoughts, wonders, and questioned from these Socratic Seminars will continue to affect my mindset for the rest of my life.

     The nicest thing someone in our class has done for me this year was to help me embrace my ideas about my writing. I was struggling in my writing when starting on the topic of 8th grade speeches. One classmate helped me a lot by brainstorming with me. She helped me brainstorm ideas, topics, and values. My speech has, so far in my opinion, turned out to be pretty good. I appreciate the fact that my classmate took the time to help me.

     Something that I have taught my classmates is that sometimes it's necessary to step back a little in order to step toward again. I knew someone in this class that was trying too hard to do perfect in this class. While trying to do so it became hard for them to do simple assignments because they would go too overboard with it. This resulted in a non-so-perfect grade. I told them that they needed to back off a little. They listened and took a step back. After taking a step back they took that step forward again and did great in the class. I'm proud to have been able to teach that to somebody.

     I feel that I made my biggest accomplishment in vocabulary. This year I really started to use the vocabulary we were tested on each week more often. Not just in my writing, but I've noticed it has started to fall into my speech as well. This vocabulary has also been trickier than last year. This was better in a way because it challenged me more. I am proud of accomplishing my good grades on my vocabulary tests. I hope to do good on any test so getting a good grade on these felt good.

     The most challenging part of this year for me was time management. I really struggled in this. Between school sports, traveling softball, and accelerated classes I was booked. I had no time for time. I had too many things to do and way too little hours. I would have to leave right after school for softball practice far away and not come back until 9:00 in the night. Even in trying to rush through my homework I couldn't finish it all. This continued for a while. The fact the the homework is no longer as much helps with this. However, I might still slightly struggle with time management in the future.

     I think the best piece of writing I have done this year is the explanation for my butterfly project. I think this is my best because I was really specific in my explanation. I talked about what each part of my butterfly represented and in what way. I also made connections that made it easier for the audience to understand my poem and butterfly. I put a lot of work into the explanation along with the butterfly itself. I think that my hard work was also a factor that contributed to the explanation.

     Of the book I have read this year, my favorite was Tuesdays With Morrie. I really enjoyed this book because it taught me to think in different ways. It taught me to really think about my life and wonder if I am taking advantage of it. This book taught me to reflect upon everything single little thought in my head, regret from the past, and any future decision. It also taught me the true value of friendship and how we shouldn't take friends, nor family for granted. Most importantly, this book has to me to be a better person.

     To all of the future students of this class. The first piece of advice is to manage your school work with your everyday life. Don't get too caught up in one over the other. Otherwise you will either end up doing more school work than doing extracurriculars that you enjoy, or end up doing more extracurricular activities then work. You have to find the balance. The second piece of advice is to try your hardest to not fall behind. Once you fall behind in this class it is very hard to come back. It get homework almost every single day and if you continually fall behind, you will end up having to do more than necessary. The last thing that I can tell you is good luck.

Morris's Aphorisms - Final Project

Prompt:

- Explain the aphorism in detail. what was Morrie's main message?

- Relate the aphorism to a movie, song, historical event, current event, personal experience, etc. and explain in detail how the example you have chosen relates to the aphorism.

- Evaluate the aphorism by explaining why you agree/disagree with it. Give specific reasons for your position and specific evidence from the text to support your position.

- Include your own aphorism regarding life.

       Morrie’s main message in this aphorism is to keep your family close. The aphorism states that there isn't a secure foundation to base yourself off of and to always have that isn't family. Family is what shapes you into the basics of the kind of person you are. Whether or not you notice it, you have a little bit of every family member in you. Without this basic foundation, some people might go about life without purpose or meaning. Family, when keeping it close, is also what you will always have in life. People come and go, friends come and go, but family will always be there for you. Some friends might even become family, if you keep them close enough.

        This aphorism can be related to the book ‘Night’ by Wiesel. In the book, the main character, Wiesel, was in a concentration camp. During His time in the camp, he looked into the face of death a few times. However, Wiesel got motivation to stay alive from his family, his father. He valued the family he had left. Wiesel also had to go on a death march A death march was a very dangerous because if you stopped running you would get killed. During the death march Wiesel would also think of his father. He thought how if he gave up he would leave his father alone.

        I agree with this aphorism because family often will keep you grounded in life and will always be there for you. What I mean by saying that it keeps you grounded is that they will keep you from making the big mistakes in life. They will tell you when you are messing your life up. They will tell you when you need to get your mind straight. That is what will maintain you in the secure ground. Family will also be there for you when you need it. Like I had mentioned earlier friends come and go. Friends also can turn out to be fake. Family, on the other hand, will never leave you.

You can kill a man, but not an idea.

Morrie Socratic Seminar Reflections

Prompts:

- Explain how the past four Socratic Seminars have influenced your thinking about Tuesdays with Morrie and life in general.

- What trends did you notice with yourself and your personal goals for each seminar? How did your personal goal(s) change and what did you actively do to change throughout our last four discussions?

- What trends did you notice with the class for each seminar? What did you notice that helped or hindered a specific seminar?  

        The past four Socratic Seminars have influenced my thinking about Tuesday's with Morrie and life in general in many ways. Someone mentioned that Morrie was okay with the tape recorder. Before I thought that Morrie was wasn't okay with it at first because it reminds him on how he is going to leave. Then someone brought up how Morrie has said before that he wanted his thoughts and beliefs to be remembered, even after his death. That evidence persuaded me to thinking that Morrie was okay with the tape recorder. I also listened closer to what Morrie meant in his life lessons. One aphorism was, "Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent," (Pg. 103). In one of the discussions we really elaborated on that. We focused on the examples he gave such as loneliness. We thought about how it must be easier said that done. Like Morrie said though, it would really improve life.

        Trends I noticed with my personal goals with each seminar was to involve people. One of my goals was to include someone that hasn't contributed to the conversation. Another one was to elaborate on what someone said. I felt like I did improve on those areas. I actively changed throughout our last four seminars because I was more focused and I would always bring someone in. I would also elaborate on what another person said.

       I noticed that in each seminar we brought up aphorisms, and our thoughts on it. One of the aphorisms, "Don't hold on too long, but don't let go too early," (Pg. 103). We thought about what it actually meant. For this one we concluded that if you hold on too long there is no point, but if you leave to early there was so much more you could have done. Another trend is that we usually laugh a lot at the humor in the book. Like how Morrie talks about the Ted Turner message he wouldn't want on his grave. I found it funny that Morrie could joke about it and then he became serious.

What 'Tuesday' Has Inspired You?

Based on the 6 Tuesdays you have read about in Tuesdays with Morrie, choose which topic (The World, Feeling Sorry For Yourself, Regrets, Death, Family, or Emotions) that has had the most impact on you or inspired you. On your blog discuss the importance of this topic with your own opinions, including textual evidence (direct quotes) from the book.   

        Based on the six Tuesday's with Morrie the one that spoke out to me the most was Emotions. One of Morrie's aphorisms stated, "Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent," (Pg. 103). This aphorism really spoke to me, and the way Morrie described it moved me. He describes how it is okay to be scared and have bad feelings, but he says not to cling to them too long. If you do that then you can't feel all the emotions out there. You are able to let the experience "penetrate you fully."

        He used many emotions as examples. My favorite was the one about loneliness. He specifically said, "All right, that was my moment with loneliness. I'm not afraid of feeling lonely, but now I'm going to put that loneliness aside and know that there are other emotions in the world, and I'm going to experience them as well," (Pg. 105). You're stuck in one place thinking about that one experience or emotion, you move on to other things. This is great because otherwise you would always be lonely, sad, depressed, or even worse things. Don't cling to things, cause there is more out there than that one thing.

        This chapter has really inspired me to know all the other great things in life.to not cling to the past, but to move forward, otherwise you will lose the great experiences that could have  happened. Sticking to one feeling drags you down, I know that this has happened to everyone at least once. It isn't a good feeling. Morrie is just saying that it is okay to have that feeling but do not have it for so long that it overwhelms you otherwise the experience will penetrate you.

Tuesday's With Morrie - Bucket List

What are your initial reactions to what you have read in Tuesdays with Morrie thus far? One of the main themes developing in Tuesdays with Morrie is not to take your life for granted. Based on this premise, what is on your Bucketlist? 

    Thus far in Tuesdays with Morrie I have had many reactions just because of Morrie. The way he puts little things into life lessons makes me very surprised and interested on having a conversation with him. He gives little aphorisms about life such as, "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in," (Pg. 52). He helped people with these little sayings, because they are entirely true. He surely has spoken to me, and I assume many others by this point. 


     Morrie has ALS, and there is no cure for the disease. He already knows it is terminal yet he is still positive. He does not see his illness as a setback, "'It's horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it's also wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye.' He smiled. 'Not everyone is so lucky,'" (Pg. 57). I find that very powerful, how could have have a terminal illness and still be this positive? Personally, I don't know how but Morrie did. He has gone through so much and he still continued to grow into a better person everyday. He shocks me.

My Bucket List:

- Jump out of a plane
- Graduate from college
- Eat a spider
- Have an impact on someone's life
- Travel to all the continents
- Travel to all 50 states 

- Learn to speak fluent Spanish
- "Repay" my parents somehow
- Hug a lion

3rd Quarter Reflection Blog

- In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts? 
- What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of?

-What has been the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for you and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

        The area I think I improved the most in my ELA class is in my arguementive writing technics. I've learned how to organize my research so that when i actually have to write my paper it's way easier. After I have conducted all of my research I then know I have to put my essay in TIQA format. My first sentence includes the claim made for that particular paragraph. Then the second sentence I state  where, when, and who the quote or information came from. The final sentence is the analysis, basically how this quote helps out my argumentative claim. I feel more confident in argumentative writing, TIQA format, and organization. 

        Something I have accomplished that I am proud of is my butterfly project. I thought I did really good on analyzing, the actual butterfly, and the meaning of each and every piece I put on the butterfly. My favorite part on the butterfly was how I explained the difference of both the sides. The positive and negative side. The positve was very colorful, it represented how life used to be before the Holocaus. The negative side was dark and gloomy, which represented life in the camps. I thought that showed a lot of the poem I was given since there was some good and some bad in the situation. 

        The most challenging part of the 3rd quarter for me was keeping my reading on track. For some, point in this quarter I wasn't reading. Which led to me doing poorly in the MAP testing and even entrance exams. On my entrance exams I did an amazing job on my math, but my reading was not as high. To fix this all I need to do is read. I just have to make sure I read a little everyday so that I don't fall behind this year and next year. 

40 Book Challenge 03.09.16

The Year of The Hangman by Gary Blackwood

Prompt: 

- List some problems the characters faced? 

- What do you think will happen next?

        One problem Creighton has faced is he is taken to the colonies. He was taken by two men onto a boat which was heading to the colonies. Those men took him because his mother couldn't handle him alone. Creighton was always getting into trouble and taking his mothers things to gamble. His mother thought that sending him with his uncle in the colonies he might be disciplined. His uncle and lieutenant were taken as prisoner so Creighton was alone now. He had to be a spy and find out what the Americans were doing. He couldn't handle being in the colonies by himself without money or a home. He then finds a job and home with Dr. Franklin. From there he gets many secrets to pass onto his uncle.

        Another problem Creighton has faced was helping his uncle and lieutenant escape, since they were being held as prisoners. He first had to get a gun as protection. He stole the gun from Peter, his friend. The gun belonged to Benedict Arnold and Peter was supposed to keep it safe. Creighton took the gun by falling on the ground and then when Peter helped pick him up he snatched it from him. He brought the gun to his uncle to help him escape. They escaped but now everyone was looking for the person that helped his uncle and lieutenant.

        I think that next Creighton will get caught being a spy. Dr. Franklin figured out that Creighton had helped the two prisoners escape. I think that Dr. Franklin will figure out he is a spy, but let Creighton choose on what Dr. Franklin should do about it. Another thing I think could happen is Creighton could be caught by the people he hangs out with, like Peter. All the people he gambles with are getting suspicious ever since they brought up Harry Brown (Creighton's father). They might find out that Creighton is a traitor just like his dad. 

40 Book Challenge 03.07.16

The Year of The Hangman by Gary Blackwood

Prompt: 

- Describe the main character

- What has been the most interesting part of your reading?

        The main character is Creighton Brown. He is a fifteen year-old Brit. He has gotten in trouble with the law many times in England. He sneaks out late at night to go gamble with men, even though he is becoming poor. Creighton's mother sends him off to the colonies so he may be disciplined by his uncle. He must act as a servant for a "cover" because they don't like the English. I know that he is very stubborn, conceited, arrogant, and rude because he can't even handle pretending to be a servant. He also has grown up to see death as entertainment, which shows his character. Overall he is very rebellious. 

        One thing I found interesting was how the author described Benjamin Franklin. Since he was a real person it is nice to hear from a different view rather than all these facts. He is viewed as a respected American Patriot. They even call him Dr. Franklin. He has a lot of knowledge and has made many  useful inventions, which is why he is called Dr. Franklin. another character stated how Dr. Franklin knows a lot and tells how a certain item came to be, which is why he is great in his business. One thing I found funny about Dr, Franklin was he was at his desk naked because he says "it allows the body to breath."

        Considering that I have never read a historical fiction book, I really enjoy it. Rather it being a nonfiction book with just facts you get a plot, which personally makes it more interesting. You get a different approach with the characters, that are real. I was never into social studies or history class, but I am interested into historical fiction now. I find it very interesting that I still can make connections with this genre. A connection I had was how Creighton behaves, he is rebellious. He is a teenager. Every teenager relates to another. 

"Life is Beautiful" and "Night"

-What connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading? 

-What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different?

-What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces? 

-How is life shown as beautiful throughout the film. Pull out at least two examples from different parts of the film and explain your rationale.

Between “Life is Beautiful” and the memoir Night there are many connections that can be made. One connection is the father and son relationship shown throughout both pieces. In the film, Guido goes the extra mile for his son and does absolutely anything to help him. One of the things he did for him was when they reached the concentration camp. Guido does everything in his power to prove to his son that the Holocaust is all a game. Guido "translates" the rules of the "game", however everyone knew that he was just making up things as he went along. 

       On the other hand, the book Night shows the father and son relationship differently. In the memoir, it is the son that does everything possible to help his father. Wiesel, the author, would always try to keep his father alive. He did this even though he father was sometimes a burden to his survival. In the memoir there were a couple times when sons betrayed their fathers during the Holocaust. One of the times was when Rabbi Eliahu’s son betrayed his father. Wiesel thought a lot of this and thought, “What if he wanted to be rid of his father?... had this thought of separation to free himself of a burden that could diminish his own chance of survival” (91). After thinking about this, Wiesel felt the need to say a prayer. Wiesel prayed to promise himself to always help his father in this time of need.He also asked for “‘the strength never to do what Rabbi Eliahu’s son has done’” (91). In both the memoir and film, in the father and son relationship, one sacrificed themselves for the others' well being. 

      There are many events, scenes, or situations that are similar or different in the novel and film. In both, they have love as a common theme. The main characters both do everything they can do for their family. Guido risks his life to help save Joshua's and Dora's lives. He risks his life when he went up to ‘translate’ orders for the German officer. He was actually making his son think that the officer was explaining the rules of the game, but he wasn't. Had he been caught, he most likely would have been killed. Which is obviously a huge risk to take for his son. In the memoir, Elie motivates his father to keep trying and moving forward. During the death march, they stopped at a small resting place. When soldiers go around collecting dead bodies, they were going to take Wiesel's dad because they thought he was dead. Wiesel explains having to, “hit him harder and harder. At last, my father half opened his eyes" (99). This saved his father’s life. In order to make these risks for your family, you need a lot of love for your family, especially during the Holocaust. 

        There are also events that are similar between the the memoir and film. An event that was similar was that both Guido and Elie were not educated while in the concentration camps. They were not aware of what would actually happen in the camps. Guido was forcing his son to take a bath when actually he would have been killed. With Elie and his father they had to lie about their age to not be placed in the gas chambers. They didn't understand why they were told to lie until later. A mother huge similarity was that both Guido and Elie's father died close to a few days before they camp the camp was liberated.

        There are many similarities and differences having to do with the mood or tone in the novel and the film. In the novel the tone is tragic and very depressing. Wiesel describes more of the hardships while he was in the concentration camp. One of the hardships he faced was finding out about the crematorium. When entering the camp for the first time he describes the smell and states, “In the air, the smell of burning flesh” (28). This brought a negative tone upon the memoir. It made it a lot more gloomy. On the other hand, the film's tone had a happy portrayal and some humor added in. Guido's reactions towards horrible situations makes you see happiness in everything. When the evacuation of the camp was happening, he hid his son and told him to stay in the hiding place. After saying goodbye for one last time, he gets caught by an officer and had a gun pressed up against him. He pretended not to be scared and marched in a goofy way. He showed his son that everything is fine. He does everything he can for anyone that matters to him. 

        There are many ways in which life is shown as beautiful in the film. One way is when Dora basically sacrifices herself to be with her family. That shows that even though she was not Jewish she would risk her life to be with her family. That personally brings light into my eyes. It shows that there are people that live their families so much they would put their life on the line for them. Another way in which life is shown as in beautiful in the film is how Guido does everything to protect his son from the truth. When he translates the "rules" of the "game" to his son was a huge risk because he didn't even speak German. Also, when the guard took Guido to kill him he exaggerated his march with a smile on his face to show to his son that he had no fear. He hid him from the horrible truth. Risking your life for the people you love, now that is what is beautiful.

"Night" Blog Two

        Throughout the story Elie's experiences during the Holocaust change him as a person spiritually. Elie was thirteen years old when he met Moishe the Beadle, "By day I studied Talmud and by night I would run to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple." He devoted himself to studying Talmud and one day he wanted to study Kabbalah. In the beginning of his life he had faith and innocence. Throughout the story, Elie changes his views on God. He questioned God many times in the camps, "Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the Universe, the All-Powerful and Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for?" (31). He questioned God because he thought why would God let these horrible things happen to innocent people. Elie and the prisoners worked long hours, were given small rations of food, and overall they were exhausted. He gave up on God more and more throughout his experiences in the Holocaust.

        Elie's experiences during the Holocaust change him emotionally too. Elie's family arrived at Auschwitz and they were separated, "I didn't know that this moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever." (29). When you're separated from your family than you are unstable. They have always been with you, and for Elie to not know it would be the last time they were all together emotionally changes a person. They weren't even allowed to say goodbye to each other.

        Another experience Elie went through changed him emotionally and mentally. Elie's father had asked a Gypsy were the bathroom was located, "... he slapped my father with such force that he fell down and then crawled back to his place on all fours... My father had just been struck, in front of me, and I had not even blinked. I had watched and kept silent. Only yesterday, I would have dug my nails into this criminal's flesh. Had I changed that much? So Fast?" (39). Elie had watched his dad getting slapped just for a simple question, and Elie didn't act on it. He had changed because before, like he said, he would have hurt the person that has hurt his father. That is a lot of change, especially in one day at Auschawitz.

      Wiesel's experiences also changed him not only on the inside, but n the outside. Elie and the prisoners had to face the heat and thirst while on the train ride to the concentration camp, Auschawitz. Also, the hard labor and starvation at the camps, the prisoners were given rations of food that were small. Most importantly, nature's fierce elements and long marching when he was being evacuated. He also was injured on his foot, and he still had to keep marching otherwise he would die.

"Night" Blog

Night by Elie Wiesel

Prompt:

- Explain how you have been surprised by what you are reading.

- How has the main character changed from the beginning of the story to the point you are at now?

        I have been surprised by what I am reading because of the crazy things the author describes that happened to him and the people around him in the camp. Yes, I already know how horrible the Holocaust is from learning git in school. Honestly, it is totally different from a survivors point of view. They tell you what happened to them, what they had to go through. Elie and the other people in the camp had to watch the three hangings that were taken place. Especially the child that was hung was horrible, it took him about an hour to die. All the people in the camp were forced to watch, that really could hurt someone emotionally.

        In the beginning of the story Elie was very religious. He would follow Moishe the Beadle and listen to what he had to say, "Man comes closer to God through the questions he asks Him, he liked to say." He really believed in everything Moishe the Beadle had to say because his father was very religious. To become closer to God he listened to Moishe the Beadle all the time. They would pray and talk about god. Then that one day Moishe the Beadle came back to town and tried to warn everyone about what was going to happen. Sadly, no one believe him, even Elie didn't believe him.

        Elie in this point of the story isn't very religious anymore. He doesn't believe in God, he is drifting away from God. Elie stated, “For the first time, I felt anger rising within me. Why should I sanctify His name? The Almighty, the eternal and terrible Master of the Universe, chose to be silent. What was there to thank Him for?” After all he had seen and been through in the camps he cannot believe in God. He questions him because if their was a God then why would he let all this horrible stuff happen? He slowly continues to not believe in God, and so do the others.

Holocaust AoW Impressions

        My impressions on the Articles of the Weeks about the Holocaust was surprising. One part I thought was very surprising was that Nazis were still being hunted today. I was informed that there was a former SS guard being convicted of 300,000 murders. They barely found the guard that worked at Auschawitz during World War II. I also heard that a famous Nazi hunter found the last Nazi. He caught the last Nazi, the Nazi was a well-known guard at a concentration camp. They found him in New York at 92 years old. I thought why do they continue to look for the Nazis after many many years? I now know that they must pay for what they did, they do not get freedom after what they have did.

        I also found that many survivors of the Holocaust still have a life today. Many of them are making a difference in the United States. One man goes to Middle Schools and teaches the kids about his experiences in the death camps. He most importantly teaches them about hate. He tells them that he does not hate Hitler, otherwise he will become just as low as Hitler and the Nazis. I thought that was a strong message. Overall I notice that the Holocaust still affects us even after many years later, which I find very important.

Butterfly Project - Task Four

"Homesick"

I've lived in the ghetto here more than a year,
In Terezín, in the black town now,
And when I remember my old home so dear,
I can love it more than I did, somehow.

Ah, home, home,
Why did they tear me away?
Here the weak die easy as a feather
And when they die, they die forever.

I'd like to go back home again,
It makes me think of sweet spring flowers.
Before, when I used to live at home,
It never seemed so dear and fair.

I remember now those golden days…
But maybe I'll be going there again soon.

People walk along the street,
You see at once on each you meet
That there's a ghetto here,
A place of evil and of fear.
There's little to eat and much to want,
Where bit by bit, it's horror to live.
no one must give up!
The world turns and times change.

Yet we all hope the time will come
When we'll go home again.
Now I know how dear it is
And often I remember it.

9.3.1943. Anonymous

I commented on Nick's, Mariza's, Siari's, Mia's, and James' Blog.

Berlin Memorial Activity

1- What did you learn?

2- Why do you think this monument was built?

3- What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years? 

4- Which restrictions do you think you would have the most trouble dealing with and why?

        I learned that many of the Jews that lived in Germany were not treated fairly at all. The Jews were first segregated by Hitler, who then got the whole country against them. Germany started passing the Nuremberg Racial Laws over the years, which was against the Jews. They laws started by taking away jobs (so no income) and then no entertainment. Technically these are stuff they could live without, so Germany took away milk and eggs. Which was a huge surprise to me since that is nutrition people need. Germany started of small then grew way larger.

        I think the monument was built to honor all the Jews that have died or survived the Holocaust. The slabs of cement are there to symbolize the deaths of many Jews. The Memorial was built to show the many deaths and t honor them. I also think so history does not repeat itself, but it already has...

        I noticed that throughout the years of the laws being made it started off basic. At first they made sure that Jews could have any jobs, so no income (I expected that). They later then took away their  entertainment like driving, movies, and etc. After that it got more serious like they took away prized jewelry that had been in the family for ages. They then took their pets and Jews couldn't drink milk. The laws just kept piling on and on. I think that because during the later years Germany started expanding so they wanted to be more powerful and make new laws.

        I think that the most trouble to deal with is the laws past in the later years. Personally, one for me would be to get my pet taken away. All the pets I have had have always been apart of the family, and to take that away kills you. Another one would to not be able to go to school. For us we teat it as a luxury, but for many people on the East they aren't able t go to school, which deprives them from learning right from wrong. I also thought that milk being taken away just because they were Jewish is just horrible. It is something that would be hard for me, since I love to drink milk. Overall, all the laws were hard to deal with.

Second Quarter Reflections

      In Language Arts I think I have most improved on is using the format TIQA. For the topic sentence I no longer repeat the same sentence for every paragraph, I have a different (but similar) one each time. For introducing the quote I don't say "The book stated." I now introduce what happened before or background information. For analyzing the quote I do not just say what the quote says, I explain it and go more in depth on why I chose the quote. I learned how to use this method in different papers.

     Something I have accomplished since the new year was having time management. Especially in this class because we get many assignments throughout the week. On Mondays I annotate my Article of the Week. On Tuesdays I finish my write up on my AoW. On Wednesday I finish my blog. On Thursday I study for my vocabulary. On Friday, Saturday, or Sunday I write down my vocabulary words for the next week. Throughout the whole week I read five days. I have learned to manage my time best, and if a conflict occurs I fix my schedule.

     I think my research skills have improved a lot. I know how to organize the facts I get into categories based on their website and importance. Color coding or bolding the text to make it stand out emphasizes important information or the answers to my questions. Numbering or sequencing the information really helps if you're going to do an essay because you know the order already. Finding the best website is a skill you need when researching, and just by looking at the url I know if it is reliable or not. With all these skills researching is a lot more efficient and easier to do.

TKAM Comparative Analysis

Prompts:

- How would you prove or disprove that one version of To Kill A Mockingbird is more affective in delivering its message than the other? Be sure to provide specific pieces of evidence to support your opinion.

- What do you think is the most important difference between the written and filmed version? Provide evidence with specific details.

     Between the book and movie of To Kill A Mockingbird, the book was more affective. In the book, Jem had to take care of Mrs. Dubose because he had messed up her flowers. This later taught Jem and Scout a lesson about courage, "'I wanted you to see you what real courage is, instead of getting the idea that courage is a man with a gun in his hand. It's when you know you are a licked before you begin but you begin anyway you see you through no matter what. You rarely win, but sometimes you do'" (149). Atticus thought that Mrs. Dubose was a great example of a courageous person, he wanted his kids to follow into his thinking too. Being courageous isn't someone with a gun, but that is exactly what the kids thought when Atticus shot the gun. Atticus wanted to see courage from a different perspective, so he uses Mrs. Dubose's death as a lesson. Atticus said "...when you know you are a licked before you begin but you begin anyway you see you through no matter what." That meant that Mrs. Dubose was going to overcome her morphine addiction, even if she was going to die. Courage is when you know it is going to hurt but you do it anyway. This was one thing that made the book more affective than the movie, it delivers the message of courage (to the readers) in a great way.

     In the movie it didn't really show the different themes such as courage. It just talked about Tom's case, which showed a little empathy but not as much as the book did. The book had many examples including: when Jem found Dill, when Miss Maudie didn't want to go to the trial, when Tom felt sorry for Mayella, when Atticus didn't get revenge on Bob, when Scout understood Boo, and many more. The movie had about two: when Tom felt sorry for Mayella and when Atticus didn't get revenge on Bob. The book emphasized the themes, such as empathy and courage. The movie didn't show much of both.

     One of the most important difference between the written and filmed version was that in the book they went to Calpurnia's church, and in the the movie they didn't. When the kids and Cal went to the church they met people from both sides. They were treated respectfully by some, and by others (Lula) they where treated badly because it wasn't "their church." When the kids and Cal entered the church this is what Lula said, "'You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here—they got their church, we got our'n,'" (158). It really showed that discrimination can go both ways. It isn't only segregation going one way. This impacted the story cause of that, you get two pints of views. In the movie you don't.