Reflection

Three most important things I learned this year was how much impact speeches and essays have on you, I learned a bit of time management, and how to catch up if you're falling behind. This year, we did speeches and they were great. I will never forget everyone's speech and how hard everyone worked on it. I cried so much listening to everyone's speech and so did some of my friends. These speeches proved to me how much emotion we all have and everything we believe in written on a piece of paper. Mrs. Larson always told us to prioritize and manage your time wisely. This is an important life skill that I will use in the future. With all of our blogs and IXLs, it's an especially important skill in this class. Lastly, catching up if you're falling behind is also an important life skill. If you just put off your work, you'll just fall even more behind and then it gets overwhelming. You don't want that. So, just do your work and make sure you turn it in on time.

Something we did this year that I think I won't forget are the speeches. The speeches were so touching and I enjoyed hearing everyone's speech. Everyone worked very hard to write their speech and everyone really poured their heart out on the podium. Each and everyone's speech was important and amazing.

The nicest thing someone in my class did was make me feel better when I was having a bad day. I have a lot of good friends in my ELA class. In 3rd and 4th quarter I was sat next to Gabriel Chavez.  Gabe is one of my good friends and first thing in the morning in ELA we would talk and we would ask each other if we're okay. We would tell each other our problems and give each other advice. We would also make each other laugh and I'm going to miss sitting next him. On Fridays, our test day, we would help each other out by quizzing each other on Quizlet. Although we would get in trouble all the time, it was worth it. Thanks Gabe you're a great best friend. (:

Something I taught my

I think I've made the biggest improvements in writing an argumentative essay. In the 7th grade, we also did argumentative essays and I've improved since then. Something that I've accomplished this year that I'm proud of is

The most challenging part this year for me was

I still think that my best piece of writing was my Life Is Beautiful blog. This was an amazing movie to me and it made a large impact on me. I enjoyed writing that blog because I had a lot to say. I think it was my best because of how much I had to say about it. It was a very inspirational movie and I think everyone should watch it when they get the chance.

Out of all the books I've read this year, I think my favorite book would be A Child Called "It". This was my favorite book this year because this

The advice I would give to students who will be in this class next year is don't ever think you'll get away with lying to Mrs. Larson because you will get caught. Also, do your blogs, your IXLs, and all your work because you will fall behind. Mrs. Larson has taught us about lying and that by lying, you won't get far in life, so just come clean and don't make up excuses. Own up to the things you've done.

This I Believe

"Thanks"

I believe that there will always be that one friend that’s there for you.

 Friends will always be there for you. Friends will always make you laugh and feel better. Friends will always keep your secrets and help you through anything no matter what. They will always ask if you're okay and if you need anything.

Even simply asking for help on math homework lead to a friendship that is I cherish and value. Her name is Hazelle Orellana. She’s one in a million and she’s irreplaceable. She’s the friend that checks up on you constantly and the friend where you could just lay on their shoulder and cry. The friend that always listens to your problems and won’t judge you. The friend that wants you to grow and blossom into a beautiful flower. The friend that laughs at your jokes before even reaching to the punchline. She and I automatically clicked and I just want to dedicate this to her. Thank you. Thank you for being there when no one else was. Thank you for supporting me and cheering my name at all those games. Thank you for all the memories we made with each other and I just want to let you know that even when you think you're not good enough, you are. You make me proud everyday even when you accomplish something little. In the future, if we ever go our separate ways, I just hope that you're the happiest you could be and don’t ever lose that beautiful smile of yours. I just know that you'll go far in the future, with or without me.

My 8th grade year couldn't have been better and I just want to say that if you have that special someone in your life, don't let go of them. Even if you haven't known that friend for many years, they still have a very large impact on your life. Once again, thank you for everything.

Literature Blog

         One essential question I had for the book Trash by Andy Mulligan is what was the importance of the suitcase that is hidden with Rat and why do the police want it? As we read farther into the book, we realize that the bag is very, very important. The bag's importance was the fact that it lead Gardo, Rat, and Raphael to a locker key with a secret code. This secret code leads to 6 million dollars stolen from a the vice-president. The vice-president has been stealing money from the government. The police interrogate Raphael, but he doesn't give in.
         Both the book and the article are about child poverty. In the book, there are many perspectives on Behala. Behala is the setting and where the three boys, Gardo, Raphael, and Rat, live. One perspective in the book is by depicted by Raphael. He states, "...there's a lot of things hard to come by  in our sweet city, and one of the things too many people don't have is toilets and running water. So when they have to go, they do it where they can. Most of those people live in boxes, and the boxes are stacked up tall and high." (1) Another perspective we see from in the book is from a temporary house mother named Olivia. She says, "The Behala children are beautiful, and to see them on the rubbish tips all day can break your heart. If you come to this country, do the tourist things. But come to Behala too and see the mountains of trash, and the children who pick over them. It is a thing to change your life." (84) These quotes show the harsh reality of Behala. The government is so corrupted that they aren't taking any action into the matter. It's sad to think these children neglect their education and drop out of school because education in Behala is less important than picking through trash. Children drop out of school to pick trash and help support their families.
         On the other hand, in the article "The Child Poverty Prescription," it states that, "Clearly, we can and should do more. According to a 2015 analysis...we could cut child poverty by 60 percent, raising 6.6 million more children out of poverty." In contrast, in the book, the government isn't doing anything about child poverty. While in the article, there have been some forms of help and ideas to decrease child poverty. The article also stated that, "We can and should cure child poverty. Each child deserves a fair chance at a healthy, productive life." I agree with this quote because it's very true. No child should live in poverty. Children should just live their life as happy as possible. Overall, I felt bad for the families living in Behala. Although this book is just fiction, it hurts to hear about the everyday experience these children and their families go through.

Dreyer, Benard. "The Child Poverty Prescription." U.S. News & World Report. U.S. News & World  Report, 09 Mar. 2016. Web. 11 May 2017.

Mulligan, Andy. Trash. London: Definitions, 2015. Print.

Trash

       The book I am currently reading is Trash by Andy Mulligan. This book is about three young boys who live in Behala dump site. The three boys, Raphael, Gardo, and Rat, depend on picking and searching through trash to survive. Kids in Behala drop out of school and miss out on their education to rummage through trash to help their families. Education isn't viewed as important in Behala. As Raphael and Gardo sift through the trash, they come across a bag and they don't understand what it is and it's importance. They find money, a wallet, a map, and a piece of paper with numbers that don't make sense. They decide to keep the bag a secret from the police which leads them to a turning point and events unfold as they figure out the truth of their government.
       As I read, some of the things that I come across are unbelievable. For example, Rat literally lives with rats. That's basically how he got his nickname. He doesn't have any family as well. I feel very bad not only for Rat, but for the many children that have to pick trash to support their families. This is heartbreaking and no child should ever live this way. Another example is the fact that education isn't important to the citizens of Behala. In the book, they stated that each year, the amount of children who go to school decreases. In Behala, they don't believe that education is important because why waste time learning when you're just going to end up picking trash? This is terrible and every child deserves an education. Overall, these children have no future and they have to look forward to picking trash to live.
       Reading this book makes me feel many ways. I feel melancholy but also very intrigued. This book makes me feel unhappy because of what the children in Behala have to go through. Everyday, children with hardly any family, pick through trash in order to get food and the essentials to live. Some children don't even live in homes, but in trash. Also, they don't have the proper education at all.  This book also keeps me intrigued because everything is unexpected for me. Just when I think one thing is about to happen, something totally opposite happens. This book keeps me interested and there's always a plot twist. This book has a much deeper meaning than you think. This book is new to me and I enjoy it a lot.

I commented on Jose's blog

3rd Quarter Reflections

In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts?

           I think that I've made my biggest improvements in writing blogs. We've created a numerous amount of blogs throughout the year and after writing each blog I get better. I've noticed that my blogs are much longer than what they were. Also, I've been putting more effort into my blogs and I've revised them more often to give them a better outcome. Compared to my 7th grade blogs, my blogs this year have made very large improvements. My blogs are longer, there are barely any grammatical errors, and the format has also improved. Looking back, I'm very proud of my Syrian war blog because it took a while for me to research and come up with all the information. My father helped me greatly on this blog. Everyday we would sit down and have a discussion to give me a better understanding of this war. All in all, I am proud of my blogs and I hope to blog in the future.

What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of?

           Something that I have accomplished and that I am proud of is my butterfly. I really like the outcome of my butterfly and I didn't think I was creative enough to pull it off. I worked hard on my butterfly and I think I made it the best it could be. I started to stress when we started to begin with our butterflies. I thought mine wasn't going to be as creative and that my ideas were dull. I basically was on my own for the most part because I hardly asked for help. So in reality, that's my fault. After working on it for a couple of days, I was really proud of what I've created. It was a creative project and in my opinion, hands on projects help me get a better understanding rather than reading a textbook or watching a video.

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

           The most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for me was staying focused. This quarter, it was harder than usual for me to focus on my work and stay on task. This quarter, I found myself delaying my work and putting it off simply because I was just too lazy to do it or just irresponsible. What I did is, which you may find foolish, give myself pep talks and remind myself why I need to continue to work hard. I wanna become successful in the future, so I can't just slack off. I promised myself to not let anyone get in the way of my learning and to try to focus on myself. Work like this is just small compared to what is in store for me in the future. Blogs and math worksheets are still important nonetheless, but it's so simple compared to writing essays and reading textbooks in college.

Life is Beautiful

         Similarities between Life is Beautiful and Night were that both father and son have very strong bonds/relationships. In Life is Beautiful, the relationship between Guido and Joshua was very strong and they were inseparable. Guido sacrificed so much for Joshua which shows how much he loves him. In the book, Night, Elie did not want to lose his father and didn't want them to get separated. Elie doesn't abandon his father and also Elie takes care of his father when he gets sick. Another similarity between Night and Life is Beautiful is that in Night, Elizer and his father were separated from his mother/wife. In Life is Beautiful, Guido and Joshua were separated from Dora, Joshua's mother and Guido's wife. Also, they were separated once they got off the cattle car.
         Differences between Life is Beautiful and Night is that in Life is Beautiful, Joshua wasn't killed instantly. In Night, Elizer states that when they arrive at the concentration camp, children and elders were sent to showers and gas chambers because they were either too weak or too old to do labor work. Joshua somehow wasn't seen by any of the SS officers and was well hidden. Another difference between Night and Life is Beautiful is that in Night, many prisoners were killed on sight if they did something wrong. While in Life is Beautiful, Guido was taken behind a building and then was shot. He wasn't killed on sight, instead he was killed discreetly. The SS officers in Night were portrayed as aggressive and merciless while in Life is Beauitful, they were still very strict, but they were less harsh than the SS officers depicted in Night.
          The mood and tone between Night and Life is Beautiful is quite different. One difference is that Night doesn't have humor at all. There was tons of humor throughout the movie, though. The book was a bit more serious than the movie. Even though the topic is very serious, the humor in the movie was very powerful and showed the relationship between a father and a son. Both Night and Life is Beautiful have different perspectives. In Night, the perspective is shown through Eliezer's eyes and what he sees and goes through. In Life is Beautiful, the perspective is more focused on Guido and what he sacrifices on a daily basis.
         Life is depicted beautiful in the movie by showing the love Guido has for his son, Joshua. One example is the fact that Guido made many sacrifices for Joshua just to make him happy and suppress him from the dark truth. Guido tried his very best to keep Joshua hidden and technically keep him alive. Guido is an amazing father who truly puts his son and his wife before himself. Another way life is depicted beautiful is the relationship between Dora and Guido. Guido falls in love with Dora and is mesmerized by her beauty that he goes out of his way to see her and talk to her. He eventually marries her and they have Joshua. Also, even in the concentration camp, Guido would go out of his way to make sure that Dora knows that he and Joshua were alive and okay. Dora and Guido, in my opinion, are the definition of true love.
         Life is Beautiful is such an amazing movie, I'm glad I got to watch it. This movie is so beautiful and well put together. This movie definitely tugged at my heart strings. It's amazed me how the movie starts off happy and content and then slowly gets depressing. That was pretty neat and clever. All in all, I love this movie and I'll definitely be watching it again.

Night by Elie Wiesel

          Throughout the book, Eliezer loses faith in God and is treated inhumanely. In the beginning of the book, Elie was very pious and was connected to God. On page one it states, “One day I asked my father to find me a master to guide me in my studies of the cabbala” (Wiesel 1).  This shows that Eliezer is going further and seeks a mentor to get closer to God and his religion. Another quote on page one states, “During the day I studied the Talmud, and at night I ran to the synagogue to weep over the destruction of the Temple” (Wiesel 1). This quote explains that Eliezer is passionate and emotional about praying. His relationship with God is very touching and important to him.
          Towards the end of the book, he loses faith in God and questions him. Wiesel states, “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). This quote explains that Eliezer is questioning God and refuses to praise his name because God isn't taking action. Another quote that shows that Eliezer loses faith in God states, “What are You, my God? What does Your grandeur mean, Master of the Universe, in the face of all this cowardice, this decay, and this misery? Why do you go on troubling these poor people’s wounded minds, their ailing bodies?” (Wiesel 63). This quote shows Eliezer's hostility towards God. God is letting all these people die and get hurt and isn't doing anything about it. Eliezer at the moment is angry at God and yet again, questions him.
          While in the concentration camp, Elie and all the other Jews were treated inhumane and lower than a human. They weren’t called by their names, they wouldn’t give them food and the necessities needed to live, and they were treated as if they were animals. “...a workman took a piece of bread out of his bag and threw it onto a wagon. There was a stampede. Dozens of starving men fought each other to the death for a few crumbs. The German workmen took a lively interest in this spectacle” (Wiesel 95). The German workmen think it’s very amusing that these starving Jews are fighting over food as if they were animals. Clearly, they aren't giving these starving men the basic needs to live/survive. Also, Eliezer and other Jews weren't called by their names. They were given tattoos instead. “I became A-7713. After that I had no other name” (Wiesel 39). This was a way to dehumanize Elie.
          Eliezer has gone through many transformations and changes throughout the book. He transforms in a negative way impacting his faith in God and his life in general. Eliezer can never take back what he's gone through and what he's seen. Eliezer is clever and courageous and I adore that about him.

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York: Bantam Books, 1958. Print. 

"Pain Strikes Sparks On Me, The Pain Of Terezin"

Fifteen beds. Fifteen charts with names,
Fifteen people without a family tree.
Fifteen bodies for whom torture is medicine and pills.
Beds over which the crimson blood of ages spills.
Fifteen bodies that want to live here.
Thirty eyes seeking quietness.
Bald heads that gape from out of the prison.
The holiness of the suffering, which is none of my business.

The loveliness of the air, which day after day
Smells of strangeness and carbolic.
The nurses that carry thermometers
Mothers who grope after a smile.
Food is such a luxury here.
A long, long night, and a brief day.

But anyway, I don't want to leave
The lighted rooms and the burning checks,
Nurses who leave behind them only a shadow
To help the little sufferers.

I'd like to stay here, a small patient,
Waiting the doctor's daily round,
Until, after a long, long time, I'd be well again.

Then I'd like to live
And go back home again.

I commented on Jaqlyn's, Sophia's, Andrew O's, Mario's and Kiana's blog.

Berlin Memorial

        I learned so much about the Holocaust and World War II today. I learned that there were over 400 laws against Jews restricting them from essentially everything. The Nazis took away everything from the Jews. Their jobs, their education, their pets, their freedom, communitcation, entertainment, specific foods, and many more. Hitler was very strategic and only created these laws time after time. No one has spoke up and rebelled against Hitler. No one cared till it was them who lost their job or the law included them. I also learned that during the Olympics, Anti-Jewish signs were removed. Hitler didn't want his country to look bad in front of the world. Hitler was just trying to save himself.
        I think this monument was built so people won't forget this important time in history. The Holocaust was a very important time in history and we should learn about the Holocaust. This monument was built to show respect for the Jews that were killed during the Holocaust. Visiting the memorial or any other place that relates to the Holocaust (like visiting a Holocaust museum) gives you a much better experience rather than just sitting in a classroom learning about the Holocaust. I would enjoy visiting a Holocaust museum or even visiting the Annex in Amsterdam. It would be eye-opening and would give me a greater experience.
        I noticed that the laws kept getting stricter and much more narrower. In the beginning, Hitler started off with only a couple of laws that only dealt with a couple of people. People who weren't included in the laws didn't really show concern because those laws don't affect them. People just went along with the laws and did nothing.
        I would have the most trouble dealing with the law that states, "Jewish doctors not to be reimbursed for treating patients." I would the most trouble with dealing with this because I've always wanted to become a doctor because doctors make a lot of money and learning about the human body is very fascinating. I can't wait to become a doctor and make money. I would be heartbroken and angered if I were a Jewish doctor living during the Holocaust.

Second Quarter Reflection

       I think I've made my biggest improvement on citing evidence and using the TIQA format for the AOW's. I've improved since the beginning of the year. I've also noticed that I've been using better word choice for my writing. Looking back on my old AOW's, I noticed that I always missed something so I needed to revise. The most recent AOW, in my opinion, is the best one I've done. I made sure I added the essential question and made sure that I chose the best pieces of evidence.
       Something that I've accomplished since the new year that I am proud of is my recent investigative journalism piece. I think I did the best that I could've. I worked on that piece for a while and I'm pretty proud of what I've written. I tried my hardest to make it as best as possible. It was a great topic for me to work on since I knew some background information and also I've always been interested in wars in middle eastern countries.
       The most challenging part of 2nd quarter was annotating articles. I'm not used to annotating books and articles as I read. It's a good learning tool and I should do it more often. I've gotten more used to it since in science we always has to annotate Newsela articles for homework and in ELA class.
       Out of the books I've read this quarter, my favorite was Small as an Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson. This was my favorite book this quarter because this book is different and it captured my attention. So far, this book has been really good. At the same time, this book is confusing. I can't wait to find out what happens at the end.

Book Talk

        The book I am currently reading is Small As An Elephant by Jennifer Jacobson. The genre of the book is realistic fiction. Small As An Elephant is about an 11-year-old boy named Jack and his mother. Jack and his mother are on a camping trip in Acadia National Park in Maine. Jack wakes up one morning and realizes his mother is gone. Jack refuses to tell anyone, he'd rather solve this case himself. He has no company but a plastic elephant by his side.
        So far this book is very exciting but also confusing. It's exciting because Jack is on mission to find his mother. It's also very confusing because I don't understand why would a mother do this to her 11-year-old child. I've made some assumptions and guesses. I can't wait to find out why and what happens towards the end of the book.
        I liked this book because the summary of the book in back caught my attention and the title is unique. What I remember most about the book was that Jack has no one but this small plastic elephant that he adores so much. I would recommend this book to middle schoolers because this book isn't as challenging, but it's still very interesting and attention grabbing. I recommend this book to you guys because I feel that you'll enjoy it as much as I have been so far. This book has a lot of plot twists that you wouldn't expect.