Friday, June 1, 2012

Friday, May 18, 2012

The Lottery Response

A person hears the lottery and think money, happy, and luck.  Well in the short story "The Lottery" the person that wins thinks the exact opposite.  They think horrible, devastating, and death because the short story ends with the death of a member in their community.  The story ends with a death in a family.  The story ends with heartbreak. 

At the beginning of the story many boys were outside collecting rocks and putting them into a pile.  What were they making a fort, a fire, or just playing with them?  What you really don't know when reading this story is that they are not making a fort or a fire they are collecting them so the community can use them to kill the lottery winner.  The boys putting the stones into a pile is a example of foreshadowing.  Foreshadowing is helpful when reading a story if you can recognize it because you can then realize what all leads up to the ending of the story.

Recognizing foreshadowing is very helpful when reading a story but also recognizing symbols is a helpful tool.  There are symbols in every book and story but many people don't take the time to think about them and what they mean.  Symbols can help you understand the story more and make it more interesting.  Some symbols in "The Lottery" are the stones, the black box, and the black dot on the piece of paper.  All of these symbols represent death.

Friday, May 11, 2012

Creative Point of View


Hello my name is Walter the window and I need to be cleaned.  I am very dirty and my owner won’t clean me.  I live on a car and always get hit by stones, dirty and litter… its not fun.  I asked my owner to clean me but he won’t.  He says he will do it later but he always forgets because I have just a old, dirty window that will never be cleaned.

Friday, March 30, 2012

Response to the songs

When I read both of the poems "Field Below" and "Big Yellow Taxi" I though that they both had a sad tone and mood to them but when I heard the songs to both of them it was different.  The song "Field Below" had the tone I thought it did, sad and unhappy and I was right the song was sad and lonely.  In "Big Yellow Taxi" the mood and tone was the complete opposite to what I thought it was.  I thought that is was also sad and lonely but in the song it was happy and fun.

I think that in "Big Yellow Taxi" the lyrics are sad and that is why I was so surprised when I heard the song when it was happy.  On the other hand, I was not surprised when I heard "Field Below" and it was sad.  The lyrics were sad so I predicted that the song would be sad to.  In both songs I thought that the tone and mood were sad but it was different between "Big Yellow Taxi" and "Field Below".

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Chocolate Milk

Chocolate Milk

Smooth, liquid deliciousness
Rich and chocolatey
delightful and filling
Yum...

Chocolate Milk

Wednesday, March 14, 2012

Character Development Piece

There are many many characters in the book "My Sister's Keeper" but one of the main characters is Anna Fitzgerald. Anna is a designer baby which means her was specially made just to support her older sister, Kate who has leukemia, of bone marrow and blood. Anna is a unique character that stands out because of her small, interesting, shy personality that makes you suspicious of her. Anna is suing her parents because she wants the right to her own body, but during the process of suing her parents she backs down sometimes and then changes her mind a lot and gets scared of what her parents are going to say and do; That is one of the things that helps you learn her personality. Anna I think affects the book the most because she is the one suing her parents. If Anna's actions were different the book would be enormously different. If Anna wasn't as shy and her personality was different the book would end out way different and the same thing would happen if she gave into everything and let her parents make decisions that put her life at risk but help Kate.

Response to Mother to Son Poem

The emotional poem between a mother and son there are many examples of figurative language. There are a couple metaphors and some hyperbole. The purpose of figurative language is to make the reader or person picture an image in their mind and be able to feel something that hurt or was good. One example of a metaphor in this book is "Life for me ain't been no crystal stair. This is metaphor that really makes you think and imagine what it was like to be the mother and what she went through in her life. A couple hyperbole I think are when she was talking about how life ain't been no crystal stair, she said it had tacks in it, splinters and boards torn up. The crystal stair isn't really and neither are the tacks, splinter and boards torn up but it makes you imagine and feel the pain she went through in her life.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Kate Fitzgerald

Author's Note: This is a figurative language piece and I want the reader to be able to picture Kate Fitzgerald walking into the room.

Kate Fitzgerald walks into the cafeteria for the first time. Her bald head shines as bright as the sun and her legs are as thin as a twig. Her perfect scent of flowers and raspberries smells like she is walking through a garden of roses.

Her legs shake like bare branches on tress; You can tell she is scared. She is scared of what might happen or what if something happens. The way her left leg points in like a pigeon tells you how shy and unsure she is. Even though she is shy smiles cover the room when her manners and pleasant personality come out of her and to everyone in the cafeteria.

Thursday, February 23, 2012

If Melinda's Parents were Different!

Many things happen to Melinda Sordino in the book Speak by Laurie Anderson but the main thing that happens is that she gets raped by a boy named Andy Evans at her school. Melinda was going into high school for the first year and she was nervous but excited, she was invited to the end of the summer party for high school students. At the party everyone was drinking including her and that is when Andy Evans came into her life. After that Melinda skips classes, failed school, and never talks to anyone. Melinda's parents don't know what has gotten into her and don't know why she is acting the way she is but they really don't do anything about it. They don't find out what is going on and because of them that is why Melinda keeps everything bottled up inside and won't tell anyone what happened. If Melinda's parents were different and cared more everything would have turned out different, and maybe turned out better.

Although what Melinda went through was difficult her parents didn't help her at all. They stood and watched things happen to her. They watched her skip classes and failed school. They watched her lose all of her friends and not want to do anything anymore. Instead of standing and watching these things happen to Melinda they should have acted on it and find out what was really going on. They should have contacted the school and have found out that people would throw food at her and then acted on that and ask Melinda about. They should have cared more about the things that were happening to Melinda and they should have done something about it.

By Melina's parents not acting on anything, everything turned out bad. If they would have done something about things that were happening to her maybe she would have had friends. She never had any friends because no one knew what really happened at the party and if her parents would have stepped in and done something she would have had friends to support her to stand by her through this. Maybe if Melinda's parents acted on things she would have spoke the truth and not have skipped classes or failed school she would have done her best to do well.


There are so many things that happen to Melinda in the book Speak by some of them wouldn't have happened if Melinda's parents were different. If they would have cared more to help their daughter things would be better for Melinda and her life. Parents affect the way that their children act everyday and everything they do their child tries to do it the same. If Melinda's parents acted differently their wouldn't be a book to read because that is how much Melinda's parents affected what happened to her.

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Dear Andy

Dear Andy,

Why did you have to do that to me? Why? What did I ever do to you? You took my life from me. I had friends, I was excited for high school and everything was going right until you came into the picture. You made me miserable and made me suffer for what, you made me suffer for nothing except your sake. For you to walk around school like a beast, like you’re the best thing in world you had to make me suffer. I just don’t get why you had to do that to me and ruin my life, not only did you make me suffer, you made me lose my friends, have everyone hate me, and make high school the worst place. I cut classes, failed classes and was alone, I was nothing. Now that I am back on top, you are going to pay for what you did. You are going to wish you were no one. You are going to hope that you never met me. And you are really going to regret everything you did to me!


Melinda

Friday, February 10, 2012

Speak

Author's Note: I am analyzing two sentences from the book "Speak".

"The next time you work on your trees, don't think about trees. Think about love, or hate, or joy, or rage- whatever makes you feel something, makes your palms seat or your toes curl."

This is a really inspirational point for Melinda in the book "Speak". The symbolism in this book is trees... dead or alive, with leaves or no leaves Melinda always draws them different. The trees symbolize her and her life, she feels dead inside which then she draws the trees dead. Once in a while she draws the trees somewhat growing, like when she met Heather and finally had one friend. When she lost Heather as a friend she was alone again, had no one, was no one, and no one cared and that is when she was drawing the trees dead, alone and nothing just like her.

Monday, February 6, 2012

Speech for the book "Speak"

In the book "Speak" one of the main conflicts is that Melinda called to cops when she was at the end of the summer party and busted everyone for drinking. Many people would think that calling the cops on people when they weren't following the laws would be the correct thing to do but the students at Merryweather High School don't think that she should have done that and now that she did everyone hates her including her best friends. Melinda is hated at school and outside of school by her friends, classmates and even people she doesn't know that were at the party. Freshman year of high school is going terrible for Melinda and the only thing that will help is that if she speaks the truth about why she really called the cops at the party.

Thursday, January 26, 2012

Short Response to "Thank you Ma'am!"

The short story "Thank you Ma'am" is a very interesting story that makes you think about what you would do if you were in the same situation that Mrs. Jones is in. Most people would grab their purse and run but she grabs him and her purse and takes him to her boarding home. Now someone tried to rob you and you take your purse and you taking them into your home… that doesn't sound like a good idea! The technique that Mrs. Jones uses to make the young robber "Roger" regret and what he did and never do it again is very tricky and a very good idea but no one would normally do it. By taking Roger into her home, feeding him, making him wash up and then give him money teaches Roger not to steal because nothing good will ever come out of it. Mrs. Jones could have taken Roger to the cops and he could have gone to jail but instead she teaches him a lesson to never do it again and lets him free. Maybe if we didn't have jail and we had more people like Mrs. Jones in this world their would be less crimes in our world.

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Deborah Sampson and The Patriot

Have you ever thought about what is was like to fight in the Revolutionary War or to live when the war was going on? I never thought about it until I read the book Soldier’s Secret. This book is about I woman named Deborah Sampson disguising herself as a man so she can fight for her country. Reading this book is very inspiring because what she goes through just for her country makes you think twice about what you would do! Also, the movie, The Patriot, makes you think more about what people went through so that we have freedom. This movie shows you how many people were dying and it shows what people had to do for their families or loved ones. There are many events that happened in the movie and book that are very alike and many that are different.

In the book Soldier’s Secret Deborah goes off to war because that is what she thinks is right, well in the movie The Patriot, Gabriel feels the same way about his calling to go off and fight. They both believe that going off to war is what God wants them to do and that is their calling in life to go fight in the war for our freedom. Another thing that is the same is that people tried to stop, Deborah and Gabriel, but both were too stubborn to listen and ignored what people would have to say. People like their families or the ones that loved them would try to convince them that going to fight was not the right thing but they would not listen to anything people had to say and followed what they thought was right. The last thing is that Gabriel and Deborah were about the same age when they went into the war. They were both around 17 and 18 when they enlisted into the war.

There are many a likes between the book and the movie but I believe that there are even more differences like that Gabriel had a family and a father but Deborah was a servant for a house where she lived because her mother didn’t want her. Gabriel lived with his sisters, brothers and had a father but Deborah didn’t have any family besides the mother that she didn’t like that gave her away to be a servant. Another difference is that Gabriel is a man and Deborah is a woman. Back when the Revolutionary War was women could not fight they had to stay home with their families but Deborah didn’t have a family to take care of that’s why she disguised herself as a man when obviously Gabriel was a man and was legal to fight. Also, at the end of the movie Gabriel dies trying to kill the man that killed his wife but instead of Gabriel killing the British man, the British man kills him. In Soldier’s Secret Deborah gets very injured and sick but she does not die! Eventually everyone finds out about her disguised and normally they would kill the woman for lying to them but instead they just gave her and honorable discharge.

There are many a likes and differences between the book Soldier’s Secret and the movie The Patriot but in my opinion these two stories are more different then a like. I believe they are more different because the main things that happen in the stories, like people dying or living makes the stories very different! The book Soldier’s Secret and the movie The Patriot are two different stories about life during the Revolutionary War but the thing that I thought about throughout reading and watching the movie is What it would be like to fight or live during the Revolutionary War?

Monday, January 23, 2012

Best Last Day of School!

Author’s Note: Creative piece incorporating the sentence “David froze, checking his pockets. Where was the money.” The story is based on dialogue.

“Finally, Matt, the last day of Middle School!” exclaimed David.
“I know and we get to go on a field-trip!” said Matt happily.
“Remember your money kids, otherwise you won’t be able to go into the movie theater!” yelled Ms. Johnson.
“Ms. Johnson that is the third time you reminded us!” David said annoyed.
“I know but every year kids tend to forget their money and get mad because they can’t go in!”
“Well I know I have my money! I have 40 dollars that I had to earn in order to come!”
“Okay well lets load onto the bus” screamed Ms. Johnson so all the kids could hear her and load the bus
Matt and I walked on to the bus and sat all the way in the back together. We were going to see a little kid movie but that’s only because our school won’t let us see anything PG-13. Even though it was a little kid movie it would still be fun with all of our classmates. We arrived at the movie theater and everyone raced off the bus, which mad the teachers mad! Matt and I waited until everyone except the teachers were off the bus to get off. We didn’t care if we had to wait in a line for a ticket, we will all see the movie eventually.
“Here sir, I can help you over here” said the ticket lady.
“Hi, I need one ticket to Nemo please” David said.
“Okay, that will be 10 dollars!”
“Let me get my money out of my pocket”
David froze, checking his pockets. Where was the money? Where was his 40 dollars that he earned on his own? How is he going to get into the movie? Many things went through David’s head at that point. He was so mad, things like this always happen to him and he finally thought things would go right because he had everything under control but apparently he was wrong.
“Sir I need your 10 dollars” the lady exclaimed to David.
“I can’t find my money… I can’t pay for it!”
“Next!” the lady screamed.
David walked out with his head down. How could this happen to him all the time? He never knew why things always had to happen to him like 2 years ago when he went to a fun house for school and he didn’t have enough money to get in and had to sit outside and watch his friends have fun.
“David, what are you doing out here?” Matt asked.
“I lost my money, like I always do!” David cried.
“What are you talking about losing you money? It’s right here!”
David looked up just to see his money in Matt's hand…
“Where did you find it?”
“I didn’t find it! You didn’t lose it either!”
“What are you talking about? I lost my money and couldn’t find it! You had to have found it somewhere!”
“No David! Don’t you remember giving it to me and say that you wanted me to hang onto it because you knew you would lose it?”
“Oh yes now I remember! Thank you because I was so scared I lost it all and wouldn’t get to go into the movie or eat lunch!”
“Well lets hurry and get our tickets because the movie is starting soon!”
David was so happy he gave Matt his money to hang on to and that he could go watch the movie and eat lunch with all of his friends. Finally one time something worked out and turned out perfect for David.
“BEST LAST DAY OF SCHOOL!” David screamed to the world.

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Point of View-- Dead Man's Path

Author's Note: This is a point of view piece about the short story "Dead Man's Path".

There are a couple of characters in this story, there is Mr. Obi, the chiefs of the village, the villagers, the priest and Mr. Obi's wife. When Mr. Obi closes the path way for the villagers Mrs. Obi doesn't really say anything about how she feels about it.

Mrs. Obi doesn’t really say anything about Mr. Obi closing down the path but I think that she cares a lot about the path and that he shouldn't close it but she won't speak up and tell him that. I believe one time she said something but didn't do anything and he just ignored her. Instead of just standing by and doing nothing I think that she should stand up for what she thinks is right and tell him that he shouldn't close down the path.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Ice Skating

Author's Note: The purpose of my creative piece is going to be to describe ice skating. I want feed back on if I used good word choice and described ice skating enough.

Ice skating is a fun, challenging and interesting activity that is hard at first but once you get the hang of it, it isn't. It is difficult to balance and be able to move because it is very different then most things people do. If you are good at rollerblading it isn't as challenging to learn because you already can balance and push off to move the only different part is that your on ice and you fall a lot easier. When I went ice skating I had to chose between hockey skates and figure skates. My dad was a hockey player and he told me that hockey skates are harder then figure skates because on the tip of the figure skates there are little spikes that dig into the ice and make it easier for you to push off and move. Ice skating was a good experience for me and I would encourage anyone to go if they haven't already!