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.
Friday, January 20, 2017
Thursday, January 12, 2017
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 21, 2016
"Will The War End?"
A young girl named Bana Alabed currently lives in Syria on the eastern side of Aleppo with her family. She and her mother tweet to the world about the bombings in Aleppo. One tweet says, “My name is Bana, I’m 7 years old. I am talking to the world now live from East #Aleppo. This is my last moment to either live or die. - Bana.” A tweet from her mother says, “Dear world, there’s an intense bombing right now. Why are you silent? Why? Why? Why? Fear is killing me and my kids. - Fatemah #Aleppo.”
The people of Aleppo are in trouble.
Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, is under attack. Aleppo has been under attack for four years. Aleppo has a population of 2.3 million people and Aleppo was famous for its 13th Century Citadel and its 12th Century Great Mosque. Aleppo was once a tourist destination with its cultural history, is now a seething war zone. This Syrian city has changed drastically over the course of four years.
This whole problem started as the Syrian people protested peacefully in the streets asking for more freedom, democracy, and free press. The government of Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, promised that they would look into the matter. He started to give his people more access to the internet and a bit of free speech.
The Syrian people weren't convinced and demanded more democracy, transparency, and freely elected government officials. The protests continued everywhere in Syria and the country was on the verge of collapsing. At this moment, the Syrian president ordered his army to shoot at the protesters to end the civilian unrest. Protesters then organized themselves as rebel groups and opposition leaders. They began to arm themselves so that they can defend their cause. Violence started to spread in Syria which then divided Aleppo into two sections. The western side of Aleppo is owned by the Syrian government, while the eastern side of Aleppo is owned by the rebel forces. Russia supports the Syrian government, but the U.S. supports the rebel forces.
Many Syrians homes have been destroyed during this ongoing war. This caused many families to leave Syria to find a safer place to stay. Many hospitals in Aleppo have been bombed killing many, many people.
“Over the last six days, about 350 people have been killed, over 1,110 injured.” said Aref al-Aref, an eyewitness who describes the outcome of a hospital attack in Aleppo. “The catastrophe is huge. I saw a whole family die, except for two children. I saw a mother crying after the death of all her family. I saw another mother searching for her family under the rubble. People needed surgeries but there are no rooms to operate in. Only one hospital is functional now.”
Next, Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, is interviewed at MSNBC and is asked how would he handle Aleppo as president. He responds with, “...that has to be the solution is joining hands with Russia to bring the civil war to an end.” Would you agree or disagree and what would you do?
More than 4 million Syrian citizens have fled Syria to go to many other countries like Germany, the U.S., the U.K., etc to find another place to stay. More than 400,000 people were injured and more than 200,000 were killed, including children. At this point, ending the conflict between the government and the rebel forces would be the best option whether the Syrian government wins or the rebels forces wins.
The people of Aleppo are in trouble.
Aleppo, the largest city in Syria, is under attack. Aleppo has been under attack for four years. Aleppo has a population of 2.3 million people and Aleppo was famous for its 13th Century Citadel and its 12th Century Great Mosque. Aleppo was once a tourist destination with its cultural history, is now a seething war zone. This Syrian city has changed drastically over the course of four years.
This whole problem started as the Syrian people protested peacefully in the streets asking for more freedom, democracy, and free press. The government of Bashar al-Assad, the president of Syria, promised that they would look into the matter. He started to give his people more access to the internet and a bit of free speech.
The Syrian people weren't convinced and demanded more democracy, transparency, and freely elected government officials. The protests continued everywhere in Syria and the country was on the verge of collapsing. At this moment, the Syrian president ordered his army to shoot at the protesters to end the civilian unrest. Protesters then organized themselves as rebel groups and opposition leaders. They began to arm themselves so that they can defend their cause. Violence started to spread in Syria which then divided Aleppo into two sections. The western side of Aleppo is owned by the Syrian government, while the eastern side of Aleppo is owned by the rebel forces. Russia supports the Syrian government, but the U.S. supports the rebel forces.
Many Syrians homes have been destroyed during this ongoing war. This caused many families to leave Syria to find a safer place to stay. Many hospitals in Aleppo have been bombed killing many, many people.
“Over the last six days, about 350 people have been killed, over 1,110 injured.” said Aref al-Aref, an eyewitness who describes the outcome of a hospital attack in Aleppo. “The catastrophe is huge. I saw a whole family die, except for two children. I saw a mother crying after the death of all her family. I saw another mother searching for her family under the rubble. People needed surgeries but there are no rooms to operate in. Only one hospital is functional now.”
Next, Gary Johnson, the former governor of New Mexico, is interviewed at MSNBC and is asked how would he handle Aleppo as president. He responds with, “...that has to be the solution is joining hands with Russia to bring the civil war to an end.” Would you agree or disagree and what would you do?
More than 4 million Syrian citizens have fled Syria to go to many other countries like Germany, the U.S., the U.K., etc to find another place to stay. More than 400,000 people were injured and more than 200,000 were killed, including children. At this point, ending the conflict between the government and the rebel forces would be the best option whether the Syrian government wins or the rebels forces wins.
Thursday, December 1, 2016
Nonfiction Book
The book I'm currently reading is Maya Angelou Greeting In The Morning by Sarah E. King. This is a biography about Maya Angelou. Marguerite Johnson, also know as, Maya Angelou, is one of America's most famous writers/poets. Growing up, Maya has been through tough experiences in her life, like racism, but that hasn't stopped her from becoming a writer. As a child, Maya was a very bright girl who loved many different writers. She's moved several different times to her mother and her grandmother. Maya grew up with her brother Bailey. They have a very strong relationship and they look out for one another. Maya loved writing and was a smart student in school.
One passage that I found in the book that was interesting and stuck out to me was that, Maya, who had always been a good student, was given a scholarship to attend the California Labor School when she was 14 years old. She also took evening classes in drama and dance. This passage stuck out to me because when I read it, I felt really happy for her as if she was one of my friends. This also really stuck out to me because I'm also 14 and I haven't even accomplished something that big. I hope that I do. I also have always wanted to receive a scholarship, but that's a one in a million chance. All in all, Maya is a hardworking student and she really deserves that scholarship.
Some things that I have learned that I will remember in the near future is how much of a great person Maya Angelou is and how creative her work is. I never really knew much about Maya Angelou till I read this book. I always thought she was just a great writer and she's known for her poems. Maya has a very interesting backstory that made me really interested in this book. She writes about self peace and love which I think is really interesting. I hope to read some of her pieces in the future. I also learned that she met Martin Luther King Jr. which I thought was really amazing. She's made it very far in life despite her past. Maya has also created a book called I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. I hope to read this book in the future and learn more about herself and more about her past.
I commented on Lesly's blog.
One passage that I found in the book that was interesting and stuck out to me was that, Maya, who had always been a good student, was given a scholarship to attend the California Labor School when she was 14 years old. She also took evening classes in drama and dance. This passage stuck out to me because when I read it, I felt really happy for her as if she was one of my friends. This also really stuck out to me because I'm also 14 and I haven't even accomplished something that big. I hope that I do. I also have always wanted to receive a scholarship, but that's a one in a million chance. All in all, Maya is a hardworking student and she really deserves that scholarship.
Some things that I have learned that I will remember in the near future is how much of a great person Maya Angelou is and how creative her work is. I never really knew much about Maya Angelou till I read this book. I always thought she was just a great writer and she's known for her poems. Maya has a very interesting backstory that made me really interested in this book. She writes about self peace and love which I think is really interesting. I hope to read some of her pieces in the future. I also learned that she met Martin Luther King Jr. which I thought was really amazing. She's made it very far in life despite her past. Maya has also created a book called I Know Why The Caged Bird Sings. I hope to read this book in the future and learn more about herself and more about her past.
I commented on Andrew's blog.
I commented on Kiana's blog.I commented on Lesly's blog.
Monday, November 21, 2016
Who Am I Thankful For?
There are so many people in my life that I'm thankful for and have changed my life for the better. The first person I am going to talk about is my best friend, Jaqlyn. I'm sure you know who she is, if not, she's a really funny person, she's quite tall (well to me she is), and she's very jumpy. I'm thankful for her because she has been there for me since 2007. She's everything that you could ask for in a best friend. She makes me laugh and she makes everything better. I must admit though, she gets on my nerves. No one annoys me more than her, but I wouldn't trade her for anything in the world. We have so many similarities, but then again we have our differences. She's helped me through so much and I appreciate her so much. I can tell her anything without her judging me. I don't know what I would do without her. She's really made an impact on my life and I love her. Therefore, I'm thankful for my best friend, Jaqlyn.
I'm also thankful for my parents. If it weren't for them I would be here, literally. My parents are the greatest. They're always supportive of me and they take good care of me. Yes, they do get annoying from time to time, but I'm very grateful for them. My parents give me some great advice which can really help me in the future. My parents have introduced me to amazing music and I'm very grateful for that, as well. My parents pay for basically everything that I need and even things that I don't need, so I'm very grateful for that. My parents have made many sacrifices for my sister and I. My parents care about my education as much as I do. They push me to do well in school so I can have a good future and get out of their hair. My parents really care about me and I care about them too. I'm very grateful that I have the amazing parents that I do.
Lastly, I'm thankful for my older sister. She's a very weird person but I love her. I can tell her pretty much everything without her "snitching" on me. My sister also gives me some helpful life lessons and advice about things she's experienced. She helps me through a lot. My sister and I, have many differences, but we still love each other. She keeps her room dirty, while I keep my room organized. We have many memories together. Funny memories and some bad memories. We hardly argue anymore which is a positive. She's a good person, just don't get on her bad side. All in all, I love my sister no matter what and I'm grateful that I have an older sister to learn from.
I'm also thankful for my parents. If it weren't for them I would be here, literally. My parents are the greatest. They're always supportive of me and they take good care of me. Yes, they do get annoying from time to time, but I'm very grateful for them. My parents give me some great advice which can really help me in the future. My parents have introduced me to amazing music and I'm very grateful for that, as well. My parents pay for basically everything that I need and even things that I don't need, so I'm very grateful for that. My parents have made many sacrifices for my sister and I. My parents care about my education as much as I do. They push me to do well in school so I can have a good future and get out of their hair. My parents really care about me and I care about them too. I'm very grateful that I have the amazing parents that I do.
Lastly, I'm thankful for my older sister. She's a very weird person but I love her. I can tell her pretty much everything without her "snitching" on me. My sister also gives me some helpful life lessons and advice about things she's experienced. She helps me through a lot. My sister and I, have many differences, but we still love each other. She keeps her room dirty, while I keep my room organized. We have many memories together. Funny memories and some bad memories. We hardly argue anymore which is a positive. She's a good person, just don't get on her bad side. All in all, I love my sister no matter what and I'm grateful that I have an older sister to learn from.
I commented on Tammi's blog.
Friday, November 18, 2016
What I Learned
Another thing I learned about was bonneted bats. They are very unusual, far from normal bats. Bonneted bats are located in Miami Florida and are endangered. These bats are called bonneted bats because their wings wrap around their arms. Also, these bats fly higher than usual bats, so they get caught in wind turbines.
Thursday, November 10, 2016
Election 2016
What are your thoughts on this election in general?
I think that some people are overreacting. Many people who are born in the U.S. keep saying that they're going to get deported. That really bothers me and it's starting to get on my nerves. I'm not trying to sound ignorant, but that's not even a joke. Saying that you're going to get deported even though you're born in the U.S. is not even logical. Just think of the many people who may get deported just because of Donald Trump won the election and what his plans are. Also, many students my age and older, hate on Donald Trump just because other people do. I highly doubt that they actually know what Trump's plans are for our country and his political ideas. Although, I sometimes agree with what many people say about him because Trump is a big mouth and he just makes blurts out some things that offend people. He probably doesn't think twice about what he says.
What are your thoughts on the election results?
I think that it's whatever. It didn't really matter to me who won. But I also read an article about what Hillary's plan was on college and tuition. This article really persuaded me to want Hillary to win. This article persuaded me because I really care about my future and I really want to go to college, but I worry that I won't have enough for college. Hillary's plans seemed promising and they were well thought out. Although, all politicians say they're going to do this and that, but nothing ever happens.
Some of you will be voting in the NEXT election! Are you excited? Why or why not?
I'm kind of excited and kind of not. I'm excited that I can finally vote and see what it feels like. I finally can make my own decision. I'm not as excited because what if the people that are running for president aren't the best options? For example, this year I was thinking, "What if I was old enough to vote? Would I?" I was highly debating on whether or not I should vote. I know I should vote, but Trump and Clinton are an embarrassment and just to think that they're going to run our country one day. Also, being able to vote puts a lot of pressure on you. Many people try changing your opinion and some people will push you to vote for who they want, not what you want. I hope that when I'm able to vote, I'll let no one change my opinion and I get to vote for who I want.
I think that some people are overreacting. Many people who are born in the U.S. keep saying that they're going to get deported. That really bothers me and it's starting to get on my nerves. I'm not trying to sound ignorant, but that's not even a joke. Saying that you're going to get deported even though you're born in the U.S. is not even logical. Just think of the many people who may get deported just because of Donald Trump won the election and what his plans are. Also, many students my age and older, hate on Donald Trump just because other people do. I highly doubt that they actually know what Trump's plans are for our country and his political ideas. Although, I sometimes agree with what many people say about him because Trump is a big mouth and he just makes blurts out some things that offend people. He probably doesn't think twice about what he says.
What are your thoughts on the election results?
I think that it's whatever. It didn't really matter to me who won. But I also read an article about what Hillary's plan was on college and tuition. This article really persuaded me to want Hillary to win. This article persuaded me because I really care about my future and I really want to go to college, but I worry that I won't have enough for college. Hillary's plans seemed promising and they were well thought out. Although, all politicians say they're going to do this and that, but nothing ever happens.
Some of you will be voting in the NEXT election! Are you excited? Why or why not?
I'm kind of excited and kind of not. I'm excited that I can finally vote and see what it feels like. I finally can make my own decision. I'm not as excited because what if the people that are running for president aren't the best options? For example, this year I was thinking, "What if I was old enough to vote? Would I?" I was highly debating on whether or not I should vote. I know I should vote, but Trump and Clinton are an embarrassment and just to think that they're going to run our country one day. Also, being able to vote puts a lot of pressure on you. Many people try changing your opinion and some people will push you to vote for who they want, not what you want. I hope that when I'm able to vote, I'll let no one change my opinion and I get to vote for who I want.
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The book I'm currently reading is Maya Angelou Greeting In The Morning by Sarah E. King. This is a biography about Maya Angelou. ...
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