1st Quarter Reflections

In this first quarter I have already learned a lot. I definitely still have stuff to work on. However, this quarter set me back on track. I am about four books in on my 40 book challenge (counting the ones for the summer reading project). My blogs on them are okay but I think I can do better. I just need to find the right format again. 

Some strategies that benefited me this quarter were time management and focusing on my work. Of course I still need to work on things like procrastinating and other things like that. However, I think time management helped me get things done. I should also put a little more effort into my work, the procrastinating side of me doesn't help with that unfortunately. I know what goals I need to set for the next quarter.

I feel this quarter I have learned a fair amount of information about the world. I learned about the refugees in Syria and places like that. I learned about their struggles and how no one should have to go through all that. I learned some moral lessons from Of Beetles and Angels. I learned to treat everyone with kindness no matter what they look like. I have a better sense of what is going on in the world now.

After this quarter I definitely think that my research skills have improved. I think this because I found a lot of good resources and information for my banned books project. That project helped get back on track. While we were reading "The Cask of Amontillado" I looked up every word I didn't know, I wouldn't have done that at all last year. I can also annotate better because of our AOWs and other things we've done. 

Overall, this quarter was very productive. I am organized and ready for the rest of the school year. I'm improved in my research skills and have more knowledge about the world. Of course I still need to work on things such as procrastination. The quarter was a good set off into the rest of the school year. 

 

Blog for the week of 10/14/15

Prompt: List the personality characteristics of the main character (feelings, interests, behaviors, etc.)

Melinda Sordino has an interesting personality, she has gone through a traumatic experience, because of this she is quiet and depressed. Her experience is always in the back of her mind, she is constantly reminded of it where ever she goes. She is mute, she never speaks if she doesn't absolutely has to. Melinda doesn't have any interests except for maybe art. Other than that she would much just rather be in bed. 

           Melinda is very smart but her confusing feelings put an interesting point of view on the other characters. The author doesn't really describe how Melinda acted before her incident. However, I feel that her experience affected her point of view very deeply. I feel like this because she talks about her group of friends before the trauma happened. She seemed like a normal girl, she seemed to be happy with that life. After the misfortune she lost her friends, and basically everyone in school hates her now. Even though what happened was entirely not her fault.

             During Malinda's traumatic experience she was basically muted, she couldn't speak, she was completely speechless. She was stunned and panicked, which caused her to do something that everyone hated her for. Malinda's lack of being able to speak with ease causes her to release through biting her lips until they bleed and picking at her skin anxiously. Sometimes her lips cause people to give weird looks which causes her to do it even more. She was stuck in an awful cycle she created for herself because of her silence. 

         

        

The Hero and Angels

Haileab Asegedom found himself 

transformed in a monstrous black beetle

It hurt to see our parents struggle 

People always mistreated the Angels 

Because the Angels never looked liked Angels 

He said we should always treat them kindly because the are sent by God

Because the most unsightly beetles are sent from heaven 

He said a heart that sees Angels, a lifelong inspiration

We wanted to help them someday

He said a small act of kindness can become tomorrow's whirlwind of human progress

He might still be a hero

Tragic and flawed he might be

We have often thought of you

We look towards the heavens, your true home

Because you are but a visiter here 

Mawi Blog

    

      The individuals in OBAA, Mawi's parents, and my AOW, the author's father and grandmother who were refugees in World War II, are similar. I think they are similar because Mawi's parents were refugees and they both went through their own hardships and still survived. I think the author's family members are similar because they have their own refugee story, but it's from World War II. I think this because in the text it says,"My father and grandmother had survived only because strangers had helped them..." This is showing the author's relatives were going through rough times, but strangers had helped them. Strangers also helped Mawi's parents. 

       The event in my article that was similar to OBAA include war, world war II and the war between Ethiopia and Eritrea. The title of my article states, "...My Father's World War II Refugee Story" which right away shows that it is related to war. In OBAA it states,"He fled our war-ravaged home a year earlier, driven away by the advancing Ethiopian army." This shows that there was also war going on in the story. Both of these are major events in everyone's story.

        The idea in OBAA and my AOW are basically the same thing. The idea is being kind to anyone, it doesn't matter what they look like or if you know them or not, being kind can change someone's life forever. I think this because in OBAA it states, "I had watched him see angels in the least likely places, and wanted nothing more than to be like him." This is showing Mawi admiring tewolde about being kind and respecting towards everyone, and wishing everyone was like that. In my AOW it states,"My father and grandmother had survived only because strangers had helped them..." This shows the author's relatives survived only off the kindess of absolute strangers helping them. 

         War affects induviduals and societies in very negative ways. War affects society by corrupting everyone in that society. They would have to live through such torture and stress and things that no one should have to go through. It makes everything miserable. War can also change induviduals. It can sometimes change people in a positive way but sometimes in a negative way. People can change in positive ways like Mawi and his family by seeing the angel in everyone. It could change people in negative ways by people not being able to trust anyone or make them traumatized by all the horrible things they've seen. War's affect on anything really is mostly negative because it is such an awful thing no deserves to go through.

       

Summer Reading #4

I'll Give You the Sun

By Jandy Nelson Pages #240-371

Prompt: Draw 4 objects that represent your reading. Write a sentence for each, telling what each item says about what you’ve been reading.

      The first image I chose was a cliff. I chose this to represent Jude during her wild stage. She went cliff diving, surfing, went to parties, etc. This stage of Jude was when she was thirteen. The second image is of paint brushes. I chose this to represent Noah at age thirteen and Jude at sixteen to show that they were very artistic. 

       The third image is a picture of asteroids. This symbolizes Noah and Brian's relationship. Brian was crazy about space. He would take Noah out to look for asteroid pieces in the woods. He also had a suitcase with him that was full of asteroid rocks that he found. This made them very close. Noah felt best when he was with Brian. 

       The final image is an orange. This represents Jude and Oscar's relationship. Jude's grandmother always said that if a boy gives you an orange, your love for him will multiply. At this time she was sixteen and on her "boycott". She stayed away from them. Oscar tried to give her an orange and Jude refused. This turned into a little game, Oscar would give her an orange and Jude would put it somewhere like a jacket pocket. This was important to jude in their relationship. 

Summer Reading #3

I'll Give You the Sun

By Jandy Nelson Pages #1-239

Prompt: List the personality characteristics of the main character (feelings, interests,

behaviors, etc.)

      The book starts off with the main characters at age thirteen. Noah tells the story at thirteen. Jude tells the story at sixteen. Noah at thirteen is super artistic. He draws and paints and does everything related to art. He is shy and bullied by Zephyr and Fry. He desperately wants a best friend. Then a new boy moves into the neighborhood. They become friends instantly. Brian ( his new friend) is obsessed with space. They hang out a go to the woods together. Noah almost loves Brian but feels unsure about it.

      Jude at thirteen is wild and fears nothing. She goes surfing and cliff diving and hangs out with the hornets. The hornets are basically the group of popular surfer girls. Only Noah calls them the hornets. Just has long blonde hair, Noah describes her as Rapunzel. She goes to parties and is just wild. Her mother always talked to her telling her not to be that girl.

     At sixteen, both of them completely changed. Noah completely stopped being artistic. He became "normal", he became an athlete and hung with his own group of friends. Jude cut her hair a turned away from every boy, going on a "boycott". She went to a fancy art school and became quiet. She followed her Grandmother's "bible". They switched lives basically. They used to be super close. Now they hate each other. 

Summer Reading #2

We Were Liars

By E. Lockhart Pages #136-225

Prompt: 

Do you like what you’re reading? Why or why not?

(Spoilers)

        I liked what I read, but the ending I thought was just awful. I like the beginning because it doesn't start off too slow or too fast. There was a map of the island and a family tree of the Sinclair family. It was very interesting from the start. The author did a good job of pulling me into the story. The beginning made me think and question if she would ever figure out what would happen. 

        The middle was good because it seemed she was so close to figuring it all out and one thing lead to another and the plot shifted. However it still revolved around her figuring out her amnesia and what happened Summer fifteen. The middle seemed to be more about her and Gat. She figured out she loved him. Even though being with him or any of the Liars didn't feel the same since that last summer.

        The ending was just so surprising and in your face it makes you question the entire book. Personally, I didn't like how (spoiler) the Liars were just visions or weird ghosts the entire summer she was trying to figure everything out. I just didn't like the fact that they died and the whole time they weren't actually there. However, now that I think about it, it was kind of obvious. The ending just made me so frustrated because they seemed so real. Other than the ending I did like the book. The just ruined it for me.