Final Reflection

1. The three most important things I learned this year is the TIQA format, how to annotate, and how to write objective summaries. I think that the TIQA format is one of the most important things I learned this year because it is an easy way to write a well structured paragraph. It has helped me so much throughout this year and it is going to help me through out high school and college. Knowing the TIQA format not only means that I can write good formed paragraphs but makes an essay better developed as well.

    

     Before, I knew the basics on how to annotate and what annotations were. Being in this class has improved my annotations by so much. Now I use annotations to not only help me understand more what I am reading but also to look for certain things in the text. If I am reading a poem I will annotate for rhyming, figurative language, and sound devices that help the meaning of the poem be more visible. If I am reading an article I will annotate for important details, unknown words, questions I have, and anything that help me understand what the article is explaining. All the annotations I do on any kind of text is to help me understand what I am reading and what the author/poet is trying to display through the text.

    

     Prior to being in this reading/language arts class I had no idea what an objective summary was. I was so used to writing a summary that was about five sentences long or longer. I was taught that a summary should have the main idea and key details. When I was introduced to objective summaries not only was I mind blown but I knew my way of writing summaries would change. Objective summaries stayed on the main topic not details and it's only about three sentences long. I know that this is definitely something that I am going to use not only for high school and college, but for the rest of my life.

2. Something we did this year that I will remember for the rest of my life is the parties we had. It was a different way of rewarding that I had never experienced. These celebrations reminded me that I had worked hard, even though, I didnt think I did at times. They made me not only look foward towards the next one but work hard for it too. I was complacent with all of my work leading up to these celebrations.

3. The nicest thing someone did for me this year is let me borrow materials when I needed them. Sometimes in class I didn't have a pencil or highlighter and I would ask somebody close to me, they were nice enough to let me borrow one. If it wasn't for those students I wouldn't have been able to do my work. They saved me from not being able to do my work and/or getting a falcon faul for being unprepared.

4. I think something I taught my classmates this year was that you always have a choice. At times it may seem like you don't but you really do. Not everything in your life is controlled by somebody you can always take action. Right now we are underage and it may seem like we don't have a choice in anything because we aren't adults. We always have a choice even if it is the smallest of things, like picking out what to wear or what game to play. No matter where you are in your life you always have a choice.

5. The area I think I made the biggest improvement on is grammar. I think I made the biggest improvement in grammar because before being in this class I knew how to make a basic sentence and what grammar is. After being in this class I have learned how to properly use commas, semicolons, colons, quotations, etc. Not only have I learned how to use those but I also now know how to write an independent clause. I now know the difference between a fragment, a phrase, a dependent clause, and a dependent clause.

   Something I accomplished this year that I am proud of is writing poems. I believe that I am horrible at writing poems; I can't put my feelings down on paper and make sense out of them. We did so many poems this year and I don't think mine were the best but they were understandable. I am so proud of myself that I could write a poem and present it in front of all of my classmates.

6. The most challenging part of this year for me was time management. At the beginning of the year I certainly did not manage my time well. I would get home and be lazy, I wouldn't do my homework until around eight or nine. This class was the one that gave me the most homework out of all my other classes, so I had to manage my time well in order to finish my homework. It was challenging to get out of habit that I have had for so long but when I did my homework was done at a reasonable time.

7. The best piece of writing I think I did this year was the AoW #6: China. I think that Article of the Week was my best piece of writing because I got a four on it and I honestly enjoyed writing it. I know when we did that article it was a long time ago and we have learned so much since that time. We know more about grammar, vocabulary, and sentence structure. Another reason why I think that was my best piece writing was because I enjoyed the topic the article was on. China's well known one-child policy is very interesting to me because America doesn't have that, so it's different from what I am used to. I enjoyed writing down how I thought China's new law would affect their citizens.

8. Out of all of the books I have read this year my favorite one was Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. This was my favorite book because it was suspenseful and it made you want to continue reading and not stop. Even though it was short, so many things happened in one day. I liked how the characters were different but similar in some aspects. You would of thought that they would be different from the people of today but they're not.

9. Advice that I would give to students who will be in this class next year is to always be prepared, manage your time, and listen in class. New students should always be prepared for class because that is the fastest way to get a falcon foul. Make sure to always have your homework done on time and turned in if needed. Always bring everything that is needed to class don't forget anything in your locker or at home. Another thing that I think is important to do for this class is to manage your time well. Time management is very important for this class because if you don't manage your time you will not be prepared for class, both go hand in hand. The most important piece advice that I can give to new students is to listen in class. Listening is so crucial because some of the work we do can be complicated so when Mrs. Larson explains what we are doing you should pay attention. If you don't listen in class then you will be discombobulated.

Of Mice and Men: The Movie

     The flashback at the end of the movie shows George and Lennie when they are working at the ranch. George and Lennie are picking up a bag together and putting it on the back of a wagon. They are smiling at each other like best friends. Then they just turn around and walk away into the distance. George being a few steps in front of Lennie and he is holding on to George's back so that he doesn't fall down.

     The flashback leaves the audience feeling unhappy. It left the audience unhappy because it shows how good of friends Lennie and George were. When George shot Lennie in the back of his head it was a shock because it happened so suddenly. When a person is killed it isn't happy or joyful, it's very sad and downcast. It shows how much Lennie actually meant to George and that Lennie wasn't a disturbance in George's life. At the beginning of the movie Lennie says how he could take care of himself and doesn't need George if he is disturbing George. George says no not just because Lennie's Aunt Clara told him to but because they have been through so much together.

     The feeling at the end of the movie kind of matches the feeling of the end of the book. This is because in both Lennie gets shot in the back of his head, like I said before death isn't a merry thing. The ending in the movie felt a little bit more sad because you could actually see how George shot Lennie. In the movie it is also the interpretation of how the director thought it should look. The ending in the book was very personal; you could visualize how you thought it would happen. It's like you are the director of how you see what happens in the book.

     The line of dialogue at the end of the book is, "And Carlson said, "Now what the hell ya suppose is eatin' them two guys?" (pg. 107 paragraph 13) This line tells us that a friendship like the one Lennie and George wasn't very common back in that time and also that dead people really didn't mean a lot. When Carlson says this he is confused because he knows Lennie is dead but doesn't think much of it. He sees it as nothing special or a reason for George and Slim to be sad about. Not only does this expression describe Carlson at that point in the book but at the same time it describes Curley. It describes Curley as well because Curley is next to Carlson also seeing George and Slim. Curley doesn't really say much and he was the one who wanted to kill Lennie in the first place. Both don't realize how much doing what George did hurt him.

     The feeling that the line leaves the reader with is confusion. Confusion because the way they spoke in that time was so different from how we speak today. Since this book was written in that time the dialogue is very different. By just reading the line you won't understand what it means. You have to use context clues to understand what Carlson is trying to say and show. I felt kind of angry because when I first read it I didn't know what it meant until we discussed it. I also felt angry because how could John Steinbeck end the novella with just this one line and nothing else.

     I really liked the novella Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck. When I was reading it seemed like an easy read but once we started discussing different conflicts in the book, I started to realize that it wasn't just an easy read. Everything that just seemed like nothing while reading it all had a meaning after you analyzed everything. At the end of the book I felt sympathetic for Lennie because he was just standing there, listening to George talk about their dream, not expecting his best friend to shoot him.

     I feel that writing down questions or notes on a sticky note or an index card really helped with understanding more the text. If you ever had a question about a conflict in the book you would just write it down on. Sometimes the answer to a question came as you read further into the book or when we discussed about it in class. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes book with the theme of friendship with a twist. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes reading books with the theme of friendship with a twist because this novella shows the theme of friendship a lot, but at the same time it has a twist at the end. I feel that this novella is a great representation of that kind of story.

Conflicts in 'Of Mice and Men' 05/09/16

     In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck there are many different conflicts between characters, with society, with nature, and with a character's oneself. All of these conflicts that are happening in one day help build the plot. They make the novella more interesting and the same time give more information about different characters. Two conflicts that are currently happening in the novella Of Mice and Men are the problem between Curley and Lennie and discrimination toward Crooks.

     The first conflict that I am going to address is the war between Curley, the boss's son, and Lennie. Since the minute Lennie and George walked into the ranch Curley has not liked Lennie. The novella states, "He hates big guys. He's alla time picking scraps with big guys." (page 26) Off the bat Curley doesn't like Lennie just because he is a bigger guy than him. He doesn't think about the reason Lennie doesn't talk to him or is looking at George for help. The novella also states "Come on, ya big bastard. Get up on your feet. No big son-of-a-bitch is gonna laugh at me. I'll show ya who's yella." (page 62) When Curley got shot down by Slim he automatically turns to the biggest person in the room so that he seems like he didn't get shot down. This war between Curley and Lennie is still going on throughout the novella.This conflict is man vs man. The reason why this conflict is man vs man is because it is two human being going against each other not only verbally but also physically.

     The second conflict that I am going to address is the discrimination towards Crooks. In chapter 5, Crooks talks about the issues he has because of his skin color. The novella states, "S'pose you couldn't go into the bunkhouse and play rummy 'cause you was black." (page 72) He can't go into the bunkhouse like everyone other worker because he has skin of color. He is forced to have his own room with no one else to talk but read books. The novella states, ". . . I ain't wanted in the bunkhouse. . . Why ain't you wanted. . . Cause I'm black." (page 68) This conflict is man vs society. The reason why this conflict is man vs society because for so long colored people were slaves and now that they are like normal people they aren't seen as equals. So the other workers think that Crooks is different because he is african-american.
   

Dream Poem 05/02/16

You know what

I just learned something in my short life                                          

People dream of the most pointless things

"I want to be a Kardashian" she said

"I want to be Drake" he said

"We want to be a whale" they said

But it's funny because we all think our dreams set in stone

In reality dreams change

Dreaming is a privilege

that we are given since we're young

In order to run away from the truth

because everyone has lived a terrible life

A dream is your ambition

A repetition

Of what you want your life to be

but we simply make impossible things

Things that will never come true

Of Mice and Men Blog 05/02/16

     Different settings in literature or real life have different atmosphere. In the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck has different settings introduced to the reader. One setting that is introduced to the reader is the bunkhouse. The bunkhouse is where all the laborers sleep, eat, and just hang out when not doing work. The book states, "Against the walls were eight bunks, five of them made up with blankets. . . an apple box. . . so that it made two shelves for the personal belongings of the occupant bunk." (page 17) The bunkhouse in the book is very described so the reader understand one setting of the book. The atmosphere of the bunkhouse is like a home, the workers have their personal belongings and sleep in there. It is comfortable like a home would be. The book states, "In the middle of the room stood a big square table littered with playing cards. . ." (page 17) Not only was the bunkhouse where they slept and got ready for a day filled with work, they also hung out there. Playing with each other when they weren't working. Just like in a house, the workers do everything in the bunkhouse the same way.

     Another setting in the book Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck is the ranch. In the sections that we have read in Of Mice and Men, the author doesn't really describe the ranch. He doesn't really say much about how it looks or anything. I think that the reason why John Steinbeck didn't really describe the ranch is because it's where George and Lennie work. There really isn't a lot of importance to it unless maybe there is conflict or something between the characters. The atmosphere of the ranch seems be more professional and proper. The reason why the atmosphere is professional and proper is because it is a job, in a job you are professional and proper. You aren't going to talk to the boss with vulgar language or think you are at home by making others do your work. A job is a job, no matter what it is you have to professional and proper.

     I think that the reason why Curley's wife doesn't have a name is because back in the olden days, women weren't treated as equals. People back then believed that the man was the one who had to work and support his family, while his wife stayed home taking care of the children, cleaning, cooking, etc. So, if women didn't do the "hard job" then why should they deserve to be referred by their name. I think that back in those times men didn't get married with women because they were in love with them. I think they just got married so they could have a person who did pretty much everything for them at home and say they had a wife. Some men didn't have respect for them while others might have. The book states, "You seen a girl around here?" (page 37) Curley clearly doesn't have any respect for his wife, because if he did would've known her name. Now a days some men treat women like objects but back then they treated women like maids. Making them pick up after the man, feeding him, cleaning him, and anything else he wanted. Overall I think the message John Steinbeck is trying send is that women back then weren't just treated as equals but also weren't even respected by the opposite gender.

Third Quarter Reflection

Questions: In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts? What is something you have accomplished this quarter that you are proud of? What has been the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for you and what did/can you do help overcome this?

    The area in English Language Arts that I think I made the biggest improvement is in poetry. My biggest improvement was in poetry because now I can write different kind of poems properly. Also before doing this poetry unit, I didn't really like and cared about poetry at all. Now I actually like poetry because you can they can be really meaningful. I feel like that is the area where I made the biggest improvement.

    Something that I have accomplished this quarter that I am proud of is getting mainly 4's on my vocabulary tests. I am proud of this because before I would try to get a 3, but now I want to get that 4. For me getting a 4 means that I really know understand what the word means. Now I an add eight new words to my vocabulary. I also like getting a 4 on the roots and prefixes, because now when I see a word with a root or prefix I know what it means. 

    The most challenging part of 3rd Quarter was doing the Poetry Reflection blog. I know I said that poetry was the area I made the biggest improvement in, but it was hard to explain everything without rambling on too much. I had a lot to say, but I knew that most of what I wanted to say would be off topic. It was hard for me to limit myself so the blog wouldn't be saying things that had nothing to do with the questions. That is what I believe was the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for me.

Literature Circle Blog-The Giver

Literature Circle-The Giver

EQ: What happens when someone is released?

My essential question is what happens to people when they get released? It ties in with  The Giver by Lois Lowry because it is a big question that Jonas has in most of the book. Jonas is very curious about what happens to the elderly, babies, and just citizens who get released. Just like everyone else he thought that being released was normal thing that everyone would have to experience when they get older. In the end it turned out that they actually give people a shot that kills them and then throw them down a chute. Realizing that everyone who ever released a person, including his father, is actually a murder.

The article that we thought related to The Giver was “North Korea: Life in cultural isolation” by BBC News, because in both communities everything controlled. The article stated, “When asked which world leaders - other than the Dear Leader - he admired, he quickly answered ‘Stalin and Mao Zedong!’ However, the students had not heard of Nelson Mandela.” ( paragraph 7-8) North Koreans only know about their leader who was a great person, not any other people who did great things in the World like Nelson Mandela or Malala Yousafzai. In The Giver the only leaders that they know is the Committee of Elders, because they choose everything for their citizens. The Committee of Elders pick where their citizens live, who they marry, their kids, and their jobs, they don’t choose anything.

North Korea and the community in The Giver don’t just have similarities, they also have differences. In The Giver all of the citizens know that there is other communities, but don’t know there is animals or different climates. In the article, North Koreans know that other countries exist, but they aren’t allowed to know what is happening in those countries. The article states, “North Korean TV only broadcasts hagiographies of the two leaders and pictures celebrating the country's army, model farms, model villages etc.” (paragraph 17) Just like they don’t know what happens in other countries, those same countries don’t know what is happening inside of North Korea a lot.