Blog for the week of 10/27/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Pages #1-151

Prompt: Describe the similarities and differences between the main character and you.

              A big difference between me and the main character Callie is that she is quiet. In fact she basically mute throughout most of the book. I think I talk a lot, sometimes a little too much. Her voice is also very small and quiet. My voice isn't loud but it isn't like I'm whispering either, it is more normal tone I guess. 

              A similarity we have is the way we think. She always distracts herself by looking out the window or counting the stripes on the walls. I tend to trail off myself when I'm bored, I usually just sit and space out. I don't really count stripes or things like that. She is also somewhat stubborn. If she doesn't want to talk, she doesn't talk. I'm stubborn like that too, by procrastinating if I don't feel like doing it, I do it at last minute.

              A difference we have is running. Before Callie went into Sick Minds she was a runner. She thought it was easy and effortless. She felt like she could just escape when she is running. However when I'm running I get so tired really fast. I think running is one of the hardest things in the world. I feel for me you can use running as a punishment for me. I really hate it. 

"The Lady or the Tiger?"

"The Lady or the Tiger?" 

(New Ending)

          "Every heart stopped beating, every breath was held, every eye was fixed immovably upon that man. Without the slightest hesitation, he went to the door on the right, and opened it." He slowly backed away terrified to see an immense tiger slowly moving towards him. The huge tiger gives a little growl and jumps toward him. The man surprisingly ducked on time and the tiger went flying over him. The crowd gasped. This sort of thing has never happened before. The man surprised as everyone else stood up and backed away from the tiger. The tiger was struggling to get up, right when the tiger got up it collapsed. At that moment the giant tiger died. The king was turning red with fury.  The men who were supposed to take care of the tiger starved it for too long.

                  The man stood directly in the center of the arena looking right at the princess. The princess ran down the stairs, and leaped into his arms. She said she was was sorry for telling him to choose the wrong door, she asked for forgiveness. He forgave her and was never happier. After that, the king saw that they were perfect for eachother and they immediately were married. And they all lived happily ever after.

1st Quarter Reflections

1st Quarter Reflections

                In this 1st quarter I learned a lot of things. I learned how to annotate, write a proper paragraph, have an essential question and lots of other things. However, the biggest thing I learned was to have better research. I feel in this quarter my research skills have definitely improved. I feel that when I do research I now feel I know exactly what I'm looking for. Before I always felt a little lost and unsure. I felt like I didn't get all the information I needed. The AOW's and annotating and EQ have really helped me. Even though they are a little hard and dreadful, they helped a lot. 

                Also in this quarter I learned how to be a better reader. I can understand a story a lot easier now. In this quarter we read a short story titled "The Necklace". In that lesson we learned direct and indirect characterization, plot, conflict, sequences of a story, symbols, etc. This made me think more about character development and setting and everything we learned every time I read. I think that is a good thing because now I can fully understand the story I'm reading. 

               This was a good quarter. I can feel that the next quarter is going to be a lot harder. However, I also think it will be better because I will learn more. I will be more challenged, which will be hard but in the end I will have learned valuable lessons. I think 2nd quarter is going to be great!

Blog for the Week of 10/13/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick 

Direct and Indirect Characterization

            Patricia McCormick wrote this from Callie's point of view. I think it is 2nd person and 1st person being combined. Callie describes things from her point of view, but when she goes to therapy, she describes things in second person. As if you were the therapist. "You say it's up to me to do the talking. You lean forward, place a box of tissues in front of me, and you black leather chair groans like a living thing." I feel this proves it is also second person. 

            "Her nick-name for me is S.T., for Silent Treatment", this is indirect characterization. I can infer that this means she doesn't talk much. In fact, Callie doesn't talk at all in the beginning. An example of direct characterization is, "Debbie turns red." From this text I obviously knew that she turns red or blushes.

              Another example of characterization is, "I trace a square on the couch, nod yes, once, and watch, stunned as a tear makes a small dark circle on my jeans." This is direct characterization, there is also a little bit of indirect characterization. Callie said she was stunned which is direct characterization. Then she was also crying so you can infer she was sad. 

Blog for the week of 10/20/14

Cut by Patricia McCormick

Pages #1-49

Prompt: Do you like what you are reading? Why or why not?

         I like what I'm reading. However, I would like it to move a bit faster. Right now it is just Callie (the main character) describing life in Sea Pines. I feel like it is moving pretty slow, but I am learning more about the other characters in the story. She is also describing how life is and the rules and stuff for her. I do like it I just would like it to move a bit faster. 

       I also like it because I can easily understand how she looks at things and how she thinks. Callie thinks a little like me in a way (but I don't cut). She notices things that other people don't. But that distracts her. She doesn't talk either. I wish she did, I think the book would be a little better if she did.


       Another thing I like is in the beginning I like how she sort of explains what the other characters problems are. She described the people in her group, the people who work at Sea Pines, and her family. She also describes what the building looks like on the inside. You can see how the setting affects the characters, both mentally and physically. In the book it says one of the rooms feels like it 100 degrees because the window isn't open. So, it affects all the characters.

Blog fro the week of 10/1/14

Crank by Ellen Hopkins
Pages #1-#537

                                            Prompt: Write the biography for one character.

                  

               Kristina Georgia Snow is a regular teenage girl. She grew up in the town of Reno. Kristina was a gifted, innocent, normal high school junior. Her parents are divorced, she hasn't seen in her father in a long time until she visits him in Albuquerque. When visited him it was a life changing summer for her.

                It was court ordered for her to visit her dad. Kristina hasn't seen him in eight years. In that life changing 10 days in Albuquerque, she meets the monster. She becomes addicted. After that, she was never the same, she wasn't Kristina she was Bree. Bree was her wild side she finally set free. Kristina/Bree was never the same. The decisions she makes will take drastic turns and nothing will ever be the same for her.