Enter the Epicness

December 13, 2011

Figurative Language affects Tone and Mood

The figurative language can set a mood and tone in a piece of writing in many different ways. It can produce a sad, happy, loving, hating, jealous or even indifferent mood to a work. Figurative language can be used to replace a lot of descriptions. Instead of saying, "everybody was sad in thanksgiving", you can enrich the sentence by using a simile; "thanksgiving was as sad as a veteran without a leg" or, "the environment was as sad as a tree with no leaves". See how the environment was completely sad?

This was only one example with a simile. The other forms of figurative language can also work with many of the cases. So you only have to use figurative language and a clever play with words to enrich your papers and pieces of writing completely.

December 11, 2011

Examples of Figurative Language

Allegory:  in Yertle the Turtle by Dr. Seuss, Yertle has a resemblance to Adolf Hitler's character because he wanted to control the world.

Understatement: "You're a mean one. Mr. Grinch" How the Grinch Stole Christmas--by Dr. Seuss

Paradox: "It was a cheerful, gray afternoon at the cottage." --Anonymous

Irony: "She was scared of the plane, so she went on the crashing train". --Anonymous

Synecdoche: "One, two, three, eyes on me" (eyes=attention)

Apostrophe: "My Evangeline" --The Princess and the Frog by Disney

Onomatopoeia: "Boom boom Pow"-- the Black Eyed Peas

Metaphor: "I am the holy sheep"-- Jesus Christ

Simile: It dries up like a raisin in the sun-- "a Dream Deffered by Langston Hughes

Rhyme: I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them Sam I am. "Green Eggs and Ham" Dr. Seuss

Personification: The house stood beside the river-- Anonymous

Repetition: Barbara Streisand, ooooooooooooooooooooooo "Barbara Streisand"--- Duck Sauce

Hyperbole: Messi is the best soccer player ever!!

Alliteration: how much wood would a wood chuck chuck if a wood chuck could chuck wood?

Assonance: he saw a ball far away

Imagery: The place smelled like fresh roses.

Allusion:   "Don't be such a Grinch" Dr. Seuss

Song about Stocks

Stocks 'Round the Clock

Turn on my iPhone and I see the stocks
My parernt talk about them but I dont know what they are
I see Apple google dax, yahoo and many more
But I still dont understand what the f**k they are

Im talking to my teacher at school school
Asking her what stocks are are
And her response surprised me

She told me
Big Companies sell stocks stocks
To the regular jocks jocks
So they can fund their projects

Buy stocks, they’re part
Of a very big buisness.
Buy low, sell them high
So that we can win cash
Buy stocks ‘round the clock
you can party every day
And go. Ooooooooo

Buy stocks, they’re part
Of a very big buisness.
Buy low, sell them high
So that we can win cash
Buy stocks ‘round the clock
you can party every day
And go. Ooooooooo

December 6, 2011

10 things about stocks

  1. They are part of a company that you can buy
  2. A person who buys stocks is named a stockholder
  3. Companies sell stocks so that they get more money and they can grow
  4. the whole point of having stocks is to have more money. When the company grows, the stockholders gain money.
  5. there is a famous saying that says "buy low, sell high" which is what stockbrokers do.
  6. stockbrokers are people who are in charge of all the trade inside the stock market.
  7. people hire brokers to buy and sell for a profit.
  8. Two very important stock markets are NASDAQ and The New York Stock Exchange
  9. the Great Depression in 1929 was caused by a great drop in stocks in the Black Tuesday. 
  10. If a company grows pretty fast and you have stocks in it, then you will gain a lot of money!

Math Project

My math project will be about stocks.

December 3, 2011

Vocabulary Lesson 2

NORMAL WORDS

subvert
tr. v. To upset; to overthrow; to ruin

subservient
adj. Excessively willing to yield; submassive.

contort
tr. v. To twist or bend out of shape.

distort
tr.v. 1. to change something to make it false.
       2. To twist (something) out of its natural shape.

retort
       1. tr. and intr. v. To reply quickly and sharply, often as if in reply to an accusation.
       2. n. A quick, witty, sometimes biting reply.

tortuous
adj. 1. Having many twists and turns
       2. Deceitfully roundabout; tricky

adversity
n. Hardship; misfortune.

avert
tr. v.1.To turn away (one's eyes).
       2. to prevent.

introvert
n. A person whose thoughts and interests are directed inward.

pervers
adj. Stubbornly doing something other than what is reasonable or required.

prose
       1. n. ordinary speech or writing without thyme or meter (that is, without verse)
       2. adj. Referring to speech or writing other than verse.

CHALLENGE WORDS

extort
to steal info or money by violence or humiliation

torque
power in cars

tort
a cake :D

truss
a triangular structure in engineering

vertigo
a feeling of uneasiness you feel at great heights

vortex
the hole in a hurricane or tornado

PHOTOS
















November 30, 2011

Volleyball

I am currently on the school's volleyball team. We are not that bad since we have won two straight tournaments. However, we now have a really big challenge. The upcoming city league for international schools is really difficult since there are some few schools who have a really high sports level. There is especially one; an all-boys school who trains its kids 24/7. It is really difficult to beat them because they train a lot, they are really tall, and they are really strong. We have never beaten them but this year it will be different. This season, most of the great people in the other school have passed to a superior category and we are left with our best team and their substitutes from last year. I really hope we can beat them this year-

I hope I wasn't very confusing in the way I described my special situation. I love volleyball.

Figurative Language COMPLETE

These are the words that were on the board. I took photos of them :D


Figurative Language in "the grinch"

Onomatopoeia- Aaaaaaaa!!! (Syndey screaming)
Metaphor-
Simile-
Repetition-maybe be wasn't so bad. Maybe, just maybe.
Hate hate hate, hate hate hate, double hate, YOU!!
Hyperbole- only creature in a billion miles who hates Christmas
Alliteration- the whippo whip winds whiped
Assonance-
Imagery-what's the stinch!
Personification- every lamppost is dressed

November 22, 2011

Figurative Language

Onomatopoeia "pop"
Metaphor "you are my sunshine"
Simile "quiet as a mouse"
Rhyme "hall, fall, mall"
Personification "the lamp sat on the table"
Repetition "baby, baby, baby, ooo..."
Hyperbole "he's the fastest runner ever!"
Alliteration "Peter piper picked a peck of pickled peppers"
Assonance "he saw a ball far away"
Imagery: appeal to 5 senses to create picture in reader's mind.

Evaluation of Peers PSAs

I wasn't present in the day that the presentations were being shown so I do not have the notes. I was competing in the National Math Olympics. I am sorry :(

Tennis Tournament

Last saturday, I went to the Country Club to play a tennis tournament. This was an internal tournament so it wasnt so important. However, I won it. I had the privilege to beat a close friend and another friend who was a bit harder to beat. It was a great experience and a great accomplishment because it is my second year in a row in winning the cup.

November 14, 2011

Preposition poster Critiques

POSTER #1

Interesting
Strength: it uses a really interesting use of pictures
Weakness: you can't read the letters.
Score: 8

Persuasive
Strength: it uses a very professional view of colleges
Weakness: it was presented really fast so I didn't understand most of the presentation
Score: 7

Word Choice
Strength: it put the word STOP in really big font
Weakness: it had very basic languages
Score: 5

Style
Strength: it showed the advantages of having a good use of prepositions
Weakness: it wasn't very decorated
Score: 7

Total score: 7

POSTER #2

Interesting
Strength: it is very colorful and it catches your attention
Weakness: letters are difficult to understand and it is messy
Score: 6

Persuasive
Strength: uses examples
Weakness: it is messy, therefore not really eye-catching
Score: 6

Word Choice
Strength: puts important words in larger fonts
Weakness: uses the word noob incorrectly
Score: 5

Style
Strength: it shows that it is supposed to be abstract
Weakness: it was shown sloppyly
Score: 7

Total Score: 6

POSTER #3

Interesting
Strength: It is well drawn and neat
Weakness: not very decorated
Score: 8

Persuasive
Strength: uses many examples to show prepositions
Weakness: none
Score: 10

Word Choice
Strength: Puts important words in bold
Weakness: It is all in one color
Score:8

Style

Strength: it is relaxing
Weakness: the presentation people had to tell what the style was in order to get it
Score: 9

Total Score: 9

POSTER #4

Interesting
Strength: It uses 3D objects to grasp attention
Weakness: it was messy
Score: 9


Persuasive
Strength: Uses examples
Weakness: Puts mainly the to-too-two relationship instead of the assigned at-to relationship
Score: 5


Word Choice
Strength: Capitalizes important words
Weakness: It is not very understandable
Score: 7


Style
Strength: Pilas con las Pilas style. It was creative
Weakness: The presentators had to demonstrate the style in order to get it
Score:7


Total score: 7

PSA Editorial


Child abuse is a major problem nowadays because it damages the lives of millions of children who will someday be worldwide criminals. It risks the world’s future by damaging the childhood and lives of people who can be future world leaders. It is also illegal according to the Declaration of Human Rights to abuse anybody. Abusers, if caught, will be sent to jail for more than a decade.

I would like to start off by giving the definition of child abuse. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) defines child abuse as, “any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child." This can include four major categories: neglect, sexual abuse, emotional abuse and physical abuse.

Child abuse must be put to a halt because it is the most common trait that criminals in jails have. 84% of criminal inmates have been abused as children. This means that if child abuse is eliminated, most people in jail wouldn’t be there.  Also, “Children who experience child abuse & neglect are 59% more likely to be arrested as a juvenile, 28% more likely to be arrested as an adult, and 30% more likely to commit violent crime.”-http://www.childhelp.org/pages/statistics

Here is a fun fact: before there was a law against child abuse, there was one against animal abuse. The case of Mary Ellen Wilson, described in my group’s PSA Video, was the origin to the child protection law. A church worker went to check on her family and she saw a whip. When the worker saw Mary, she noticed that the little girl had several marks of the whip being used. The worker went to the police and reported the abuse that was occurring in the Wilson household but the police could not do anything because there were no laws against child abuse. There was, however, a law against animal abuse so the church worker debated that Mary was part of the animal kingdom and she had the right to be protected. She won the case and then inspired the creation of the law against child abuse.

Some cases are just horrible. Some include sexual harassments, brainwashing, name calling, humiliating, physical abuse and many other cruel ways. These make the victims feel unsure, unprotected and, in the long run, dangerous. What amazes me the most is that people would actually do this to innocent children. Why would someone actually take the time to abuse their defenseless child and ruin their childhood?

I believe that we have to act and protect the children who have been abused. We must donate to funds, make protests, and help children, ANYTHING! WE MUST HELP THEM!

November 12, 2011

November 7, 2011

Game of Prepositions

THE GRAMMAR RACE 2-6 players

Pieces: 40 flashcards, 6 player identifications (cars, drawings.etc), 1 playing board, 1 dice.

Object: the object of the game is to get to the finish as fast as possible while answering correctly the problems.

Procedure: 
At the beginning, each player gets an identification. Each player rolls the dice and the player with the highest roll starts the game. Gameplay goes counterclock wise.

The first player gets a flashcard with two sentences. The player has to identify the gramatically correct sentence and check if it is correct with the back of the flashcard.
If it is correct, the player advances one spot.
If it is incorrect, the player moves back two spots. 

The player to reach the finish line first wins the game. 


Here are some photos of the game..

Mind Map of Grammar

The second mind map we did was for prepostitions.

2nd Popplet

Mind Map of the Campaign

The first mind map was for my persuasive project. It is made on Popplet.

 Popplet Mind Map

November 5, 2011

15 facts of Child Abuse

FACTS
  1. The Department of Children and Families (DCF) defines child abuse as,"any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or other caregiver that results in harm, potential for harm, or threat of harm to a child."
  2. There are four types of child abuse: Neglect, Physical Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, and Sexual Abuse.
  3. Child Neglect is when the adult in charge of the child does not provide the necessary materials needed to live. These could be hygiene, medical uses, education, and food. 
  4. Physical Abuse is when the adult in charge harms the child physically. That can involve punching, slapping, burning, whipping and many other horrible actions.
  5. Psychological/Emotional Abuse is the hardest to define. It is when the abuser hurts the child emotionally. It can involve name calling, excessive critisism, torture or killing of a pet, destruction of personal belongings and many others.
  6. Sexual Abuse is when the adult abuses the child for sexual purposes. A list made by wikipedia shows the ways sexual abuse can be used: asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities (regardless of the outcome), indecent exposure of the genitals to a child, displaying pornography to a child, actual sexual contact against a child, physical contact with the child's genitals, viewing of the child's genitalia without physical contact, or using a child to produce child pornography.
  7. The most frequent abuser is someone who knows the child but is not part of the family. This may be a babysitter, a neighbor, a friend of family. etc. 60% of all abusers fit in this category.
  8. 30% of the times, it is a member of the family who abuses the child. 
  9. 10% of the times, the abuser is a complete stranger. 
  10. Women are the abusers in 14% of the boys cases and only 6% in girl cases. Men are responsible for the majority of abuses, whether in boys or girls. 
  11. Today, 5+ kids die each day due to child neglect.
  12. A report of child abuse is made every 10 seconds.
  13. abused children are 25% more likely to experience teen pregnancy.
  14. Children with alcoholic or drug-addicted parents are 3 times more likely to be abused and 4 times more likely to be neglected than children with sane parents. 
  15. Incidence of Reported Cases of Child Abuse: Neglect 54%, Physical abuse 25%, Sexual Abuse 11%, Emotional Abuse 3% and others 7%.
SOURCES

November 2, 2011

Commercial Analysis

I watched a COLGATE commercial from the 1960s. It has the three rhetorical devices and I thought it was pretty fun to watch. Here is the link to the Colgate commercial (1960).

Analysis:


Style. The style of this commercial is jumpy and happy. It shows happy people and makes us want to buy the Colgate.


Rhetorical Devices:
   Ethos. In one part of the video there is a man who explains all the effects that the Colgate dental paste did in your mouth. It showed diagrams and pictures that showed how the Colgate eliminated most of the bacteria.

   Pathos. The jumpy and happyness of the video makes us feel happy about the product. Also, the white teeth and the "cleaner breath, cleaner taste, cleaner teeth" makes you want to have that kind of mouth.

   Logos. The expert used some facts such as "it foams in your mouth" and "it eliminates most bad breath for most users".

November 1, 2011

Style Brainstorm for Child Abuse

1.      Make the people feel sorry for the kids that are abused.
2.      Show how you can help child abuse.
3.      Effects of child abuse.
4.      Why does child abuse happen
5.      How kids suffer. What happens to the child after he or she gets abused

Pros and cons

1.      People get sentimental/ does not give hope
2.      Makes the person realize that they should help/ doesn’t show what happens
3.      Makes the person feel sorry and realize how terrible children are treated/ doesn’t give a solution
4.      Shows the start of child abuse/ doesn’t give a solution
5.      Shows the consequences of child abuse/ doesn’t show why it happens


The one we will use is the first one. We will show photos of abused kids and, with the help of music, we will make the audience feel sorry for the abused children. This will make the most effect on the audience because it does not hide the realities that occur in the world. 

Style

I believe style is the "voice" of the author that you can identify. For example, I can identify anything my sister Ana Maria writes WITHOUT knowing beforehand she wrote it. I do not know what it is, it may be her use of the word "like" when describing something. That voice that identifies the author is the style.

Many authors have been successful because of their style. A great example is Rick Riordan, author of the Percy Jackson series. His style is to mix suspense and humor and to make the reader chuckle in the most intense situations. That is basically why Riordan has had a successful career.

That is why style is important. It is your identity in the immense literary world.

October 31, 2011

Ethos, Pathos and Logos

Ethos: credibility.
Convincing your character. Be likable, thoughtful and respectful. Ethos is expert on the subject. For example, if I am going to persuade people to buy a detergent, I will use a mom to show the product.

Pathos. Emotional. The emotions you want the audience to feel. Sad, sorry, happy, scared.etc.
In the detergent example, I would want the audience to feel surprised and amazed about the product.

Logos. Logic/facts. Some facts and information about the product you are advertising.
I will use as an example the video of the girl with the "retarded" brother. She used facts such as the urbandictionary.com definition on the word.

Capitalism vs. Communism

Many people do not understand the significance of a capitalist economy versus the disastrous communist economy. I will begin by describing both economic systems.
Communism, otherwise known as Marxism, is an economic system in which everyone wins the same amount of money, no matter their work hours, job nor effort. For many people, this system can be alluring. This especially is appealing to the lower classes- the hard workers. There is another point about communism: everything is government owned. This means that you cannot have a private business and all the goods are government owned and that all the goods are distributed among society “for each according to his ability, to each according to his need”.
In the modern world, a Marxist society would be very appealing. The idea that everyone has an equal share, even though it can be defined by taking from the rich and giving to the poor, seem fair. There is, however, a flaw to the plan. A Marxist world would require a type of human nature that is not present. It would have to eliminate greed and jealousy and it would require the best effort from everybody in order for the society to be stable. If everybody did little effort, expecting to get paid equally as the people who work hard, the economy would be unstable and, eventually, collapse. Also, humanity has a lot of jealousy and greed that would be evermore present if everyone gets paid equally with different work hours. Marxism would work if those who work the hardest and have higher abilities are willing to get paid equally as those who have fewer abilities and work less. This is very unlikely. Communism would lead to slacking and inefficiency.
Communism in the 20th and 21st centuries hasn’t worked. In the cases of China and the Soviet Union, there has been a rather totalitarianistic way of government. There is an upper class that decides all the decisions and everything is government owned. The government cannot put 1 sixth of the world population into one big communist society.
Meanwhile capitalism is an economic system that allows private ownership. Dictionary.com describes capitalism as:
 “An economic system in which investment in and ownership of themeans of production, distribution, and exchange of wealth is madeand maintained chiefly by private individuals or corporations,especially as contrasted to cooperatively or state-owned meansof wealth.
This allows that the ones with higher abilities win more than the ones who don’t. In my opinion, this is the fairest deal. I would not want to be in a job in which I had to work 12 hours a day and receive the same amount of money as my next-door neighbor who only works 2 hours a day.
Capitalism uses willpower to foment business and economy. 

Prepositions Used Correctly

OF
    The Empire State Building is in the south of Manhattan.
    In Africa kids die of hunger.
ABOUT
   The book is about horses
   The people were talking badly about him
ON
   Gabriela was standing on the chair.
   Beatriz was putting make up on her face.
IN
   Jack in the box.
   The cat put his paw in the fish tank.
AT
   The map says we are at the traffic light.
   The taxi driver said to turn left at the next Wal-Mart.
FOR
   My aunt jogs every morning for her physical condition.
   One million dollars were donated for the charity cause.
FROM
   A soccer ball was a gift from my grandmother in my 9th birthday.
   The robber stole 1,000 dollars from the bank account.
TO
   My Rolls Royce was going to crash into the building.
   His family was going in vacations to Paris.

October 27, 2011

Literary Techniques

Symbolism: using an object to represent an idea that cannot be drawn nor touched.
Example: In Pocahontas the wind shows her mother and peace. Whenever she is mentioned, the wind appears and peace is transmitted.

Foreshadowing: a HINT about what is coming later in the story. Example: Cinderella. The look of her mother in the darkness shows that she is plotting something bad for Cinderella

Flashback: when story is interrupted to go towards something that happened in the past.
Example: Lion King. Zimbabwe has a flashback about watching Mufasa die.

Atmosphere: the way the SETTING feels. Does not refer to characters mind.
Example: An Extremely Goofy Movie. Goofy feels the home different after his son left to college.

Plot Twist: when something unexpected happens. Must have had clues.
Example: Bambi. The music and the mother's alertness hint the mother going to be shot

Photos of Prepositions

The book was about horses.
The boy is standing on the chair.
The arrow goes from left to right.
The Empire State Building is in the south of Manhattan. 

The letter is from Berlin.
The map shows that you are at the intersection
This gift is for you!
Jack is in the box. 

October 26, 2011

What makes things persuasive

Persuasion is really important for people who want to achieve certain accomplishments for a certain cause. In class, we saw a video about wild horses and how many people are trying to protect them. The creator of the video used many different traits that made the viewer feel affected. Here are some of these things.

     Music. The music in the video made us feel sorry for the horses. It created an environment that helped the horses.

     Celebrities. The video used celebrities to talk about the horse crisis. This makes the celebrities' followers to join the cause, therefore being a success.

     Facts. The video said that the original 2 million wild horses were reduced to 30 thousand or less. The facts make things more persuasive because they show that there is proof behind the causes and not just some people asking for help.

American Heritage. "if we kill all wild horses, the american heritage will be lost". That was the message of the video. It makes all USA feel sorry and wish to join the cause. It is a very clever persuasive technique.

     Happy vs Sad horse. The video showed clips of happy wild horses in the open galloping and their manes dancing with the air AND they showed clips about confined, stressed out wild horses that are not happy and are not moving around freely like mother nature decided.

These were the persuasive traits that we discussed in class about the video. I bet there are more persuasive traits but these were the ones we saw in class.

October 25, 2011

Progressive Time, Digressive Time and Suspense

PROGRESSIVE TIME


Authors use progressive time when the stages of the story move in chronological order. This means that there will be no flashbacks nor foreshadows. An example of this is The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy moves through the story without thinking about the past nor the future; the story does not move towards the past nor the future in any moment.

DIGRESSIVE TIME


Authors use digressive time in books when they use the methods of foreshadowing and flashbacks. A foreshadow is when the character or the book applies a guess of what will happen in the future. This is more rare than the flashbacks. A flashback is when the story goes to the past towards a significant event. An example of a flashback is in the Hunger Games, when Katniss recalls the story of Peeta's bread. This event and magnanimous gesture from Peeta is very significant in all the trilogy. That is why digressive time is really important in literature.

SUSPENSE


Suspense is the feeling of anxiety that one experiences in the moments preceding a big moment. Many authors use it as a page-turning device that doesn't allow you to drop the book. A big example of this is Suzanne Collins in the Hunger Games trilogy. One cannot stop reading because, at the end of each chapter, something big happens and you must read the consequences of the problem.
A big factor in suspense is music. If the creator uses the right music at the right time, the effect is really surprising. One example is "Scary Mary" video on YouTube because it shows actual clips from Mary Poppins and it only changes the music. It is really scary and creates a lot of suspense.

October 23, 2011

1st Quarter Project (step 4)

I showed Katniss's character development by making a Blabberize picture. The voice recorded was my sister Ana Maria's.

Here is the link to the picture:

Blabberize Picture

For the prevention of all future problems...

For all future problems I will meet the deadline and avoid these problems by doing the following.

I will not procrastinate and leave everything for break. I will pay more attention to what the assignments really are in class so I do not have to email Ms. Shawn asking an obvious question. This will help me by letting me organize my work time better. Also, it will delete the stress that can build up after working 8 hours on a vacation day.

I will also read the rubric carefully so that I do not make silly mistakes that can affect my grade. This will let me accomplish my tasks and it will remove doubt about assignments.

I need an upgrade

I need an upgrade because, even though I got a really high score, I want the grade to be a perfect 4. All my assignments were a 4 except for one, so I am going to fix that minor detail in order to gain the 4 I deserve. I appreciate the opportunity Ms. Shawn just gave us to fix our projects because it shows that she does want us to get the highest score possible, even though it means more work for her.

October 14, 2011

1st Quarter Project (step 3)

Ana Maria Samper's





I think that you explained well the character development and story elements pretty well but you are missing a few examples to each section. You just gave one way in which Harry developed and I think that is not enough to make me understand all the character development in your story.

Mathias Kling's

I like the way you described the 5 things that make up a story and the character development. I think you should put examples of how Katniss develops in Catching Fire. It will show that you do understand character development in your story and use it in real life.

Mateo Osorio


I liked the way you described the conflict Robert Langdon was in. It shows that you really did enjoy and understand the book. It does not need more examples of character development. I really liked it and keep up the good work!

October 13, 2011

How I did as an Audience

   In the time when this assignment was put, I was in a Model United Nations model in a university. I was United Kingdom in World Bank and I believe I acted with a good audience in the committee because I didn't talk with any neighbors, I didn't eat anything and I followed all the rules present.
  But, in the ceremonies that took place in the mornings, I wasn't the best audience. I did talk to my neighbors, played in my iTouch and I chewed gum. In my defense, the presentations were really boring and LOOOOOONG!!! I know it was a bad behavior and manners, but in the bright side, I did my personal best in Angry Birds!

1st Quarter Project (step 3.5)

Dear Suzanne Collins,

I admire your work completely. You are one of my favorite authors because of your creative writing, good descriptions and turn of events. I read your book the Hunger Games and I fell in love with it. The whole book was flawless and really interesting. Even Stephanie Meyer loved it!

If I would change anything about the book, it would be that Peeta and Katniss team up from the beginning of the Games and that during the games, Katniss is seriously injured and it is Peeta who must take care of her. This will be much more romantic and it would allow Katniss to end in love with Peeta in real life. This will be a very good change for Peeta because he has been in love with Katniss for a very long time and I think that he must be rewarded for it.

Another good thing about this change of plans is that there will be a lot of mixed feelings in the love triangle between Peeta, Katniss and Gale. It would be an interesting approach.

You structured and developed the book so flawlessly that I had to hide it beneath the dinner table to keep reading. It is a book that gets you hooked so easily that you cannot place it down. There is not one part of the book in which I felt bored. I think this is because at the end of each chapter you generated a large amount of suspense so you felt bad if you left the book. I read it in two days and I have never been so absorbed in a book in my whole life.

I have a mental list of best book series and authors. First there was the Harry Potter series that were in the first place and then there were the Mysterious Benedict Society series. I never thought a book could reach the level of the previous two mentioned but I think the Hunger Games is tied in first place with Harry Potter. I absolutely loved your book and I wish you could make a new book after Mockingjay. Maybe a sort of epilogue or a continued story.

I think what most influenced me in my attitude towards the characters were the actions and feelings they had. I always felt sorry for Peeta because he loves a girl who doesn't love him back and is only acting to love him for survival. He is a very educated and respectful boy and I think it isn't at all fair that he is the boy tribute from District 12. I think the most important actions he did were on the cave at night when he and Katniss were in the sleeping bag together. His honesty and romance he generated won the sponsors and practically saved him and Katniss.

I have also felt sorry for Katniss because she was the one in charge of her family after her father's death, she is the one that did anything possible to protect her sister Primrose and she is the one who volunteered to be a tribute in order to save her. In some parts of the story I felt mad with her because of her thoughts and feelings. This was especially at the beginning of the Games in which the Peeta and the Careers were teamed up. I though this was a beautiful strategy planted by Peeta because he gains trust with the Careers and at the same time he survives with extra amount of food. Katniss's feelings against him were really maddening to me because he will not kill her and he is in some hidden way, protecting her. He is diverting the Careers from her and he is risking his own life in doing so. That is why he was slashed in the thigh by Cato and he almost died. However, I loved the character produced by Katniss and I wish to read the rest of the series.

I loved your book and your writing.

Sincerely,

Alejandro Samper



My Summative Self Assessment...

A.
  1. Gaby
  2. Blonde, blue eyes and averagely tall. 
  3. To eliminate all rumors from Flying Hills Middle School For Werewolves
  4. There are rumors in her school that she is on drugs.
  5. Ashley
  6. Goddess Esopam and Bullies
  7. Lipstick, Full wallet, makeup, cellphone...
  8. She has lost the confidence and trust she once had from her parents because of the untrue rumors.
  9. She is a very sweet, unselfish girl. She donates 100 weekly dollars to the UNICEF children's fund and she is a very good student. 
B.
  1. Exposition: Introduce the problem, Gaby and the situation.
  2. Rising Action: Esopam visits and Gaby is proposing the offerings. 
  3. Climax: Esopam allows and accepts the offerings and eliminates the rumors.
  4. Falling actions/Resolution: The normal day at school and at home. Everything is normal again. 
C. My story is a myth because it explains how people live now a days, and some of the problems found in middle schools in a way that involves mythological traits (Goddesses, werewolves, sacrifice. etc). 

D. I explained the rumors problem by showing a case of a girl who's life has changed completely because of a rumor. Also, I explained the problem of drugs in the world (even though this is not really a middle school problem).

E. I edited my rough draft by adding places in which the story seemed incomplete. I also fixed the one problem I had in which I confused that with who. I only found those errors when someone else read my story
and they pointed them out to me. 

F. I read Mateo Osorio, Ana Maria Samper and Samuel Fajardo's stories. My feedback and comments are in a post I made titled "Feedback on Virtual Stories" and it is in the project section of my blog.

G. Based on the rubric, I think I deserve a 4. I have completed all the necessary work 


October 12, 2011

1st Quarter Project (step 2.5)

Katniss Everdeen Development:

1.     At first she was a normal District 12 girl who lived challenging the laws. She hunted in the woods to keep her family alive and to feed them. She loved her family, especially her sister Prim. She wanted to protect her from the reaping in all ways she could.

2.     The first noticeable change occurred when Prim’s name was called out in the reaping. She felt horrible and forced herself to volunteer to be in the games instead of Prim. That is how she started to gain control over her family and protecting them. Here, Suzanne Collins (author) made us understand that she is willing to sacrifice herself in order to save her family.

3.     When Peeta Mellark announces that he is in love with Katniss in the interviews, Katniss’s reaction to the love announcement made her develop to a lovebird. It is then when the strategy to her survival begins. She is going to act being in love with Peeta and that will get her a lot of sponsors.

4.     After the games begin, Peeta is grouping up with the Careers. This is a bomb to Katniss because she hates the Careers and cannot believe that Peeta is in someway “betraying” her being buddies with the Careers. This makes her feel insecure and unsafe without the company of Peeta.

5.     When Rue dies, Katniss feels extremely mad the people of the Capitol because it is them who, in the end, killed her only ally. The Capitol uses the tributes as puppets to fight to death just so that they can enjoy themselves yearly. This sparks a feeling of rebellion in the heart of Katniss and she wants revenge.

6.     Katniss is considered a really good actress because of all the kisses and romance between her and Peeta when they finally team up. It is really sad to know that Peeta really is in love with Katniss but she is only acting it to survive the Games. In this part, I felt disgusted with Katniss and sorry for Peeta.

7.     When Katniss and Peeta swallow the berries in order to survive, Katniss grows a love for Peeta. This is because instead of killing him in his vulnerable state, she is willing to die in order for him to live. I knew what she was planning because if she managed to kill her supposedly “love of her life”, she would receive a lot of hatred from the Capitol and she wouldn’t be able to forgive herself. What she didn’t know is that this was an act of rebellion to the Capitol. It was challenging their rules and allowing two victors to be winners. 



      Setting:  The setting of the story is in the nation of Panem 700 years from now. It especially takes place in 3 places: District 12, the Capitol or the Arena. It is in a very harsh and cruel environment because there is hunger and fights to death.


     Plot: the annual Hunger Games are a series of competitions in which twenty four tributes compete to win. They will fight to death for survival. It is really cruel because the tributes are forced to be part of the harsh environment and situations. Katniss and Peeta have to act as if they are in love to gain sponsors and to survive the Games.


     Character: Katniss was a poor girl from District 12 who is in charge for her family after her father died. Her sister, Prim, was chosen to the games but she volunteered to be a tribute in order to save her little sister. She goes to the games and acts to be in love with her partner from District 12, Peeta Mellark.
     Peeta Mellark is a boy from District 12, son of a baker, who is in love with Katniss. He is chosen to go the Games and he is heart broken when he finds out that Katniss is only acting being in love with him. He is very respectful, strong and a really good painter.


    Conflict: Peeta and Katniss have to survive the Hunger Games and they do so by using Peeta's art of camouflage and Katniss's gift with the bow and arrow. They mainly have to fight the Careers.


    Theme: Survival. The theme of the story is Survival because all the events that occur in the arena are in order to survive. They have to kill each other to be the last one standing. It is a really cruel situation.

Feedback on Virtual Stories

1. Mateo Osorio: "The Great Teacher Deception".
I liked this story a lot  because it war really neatly developed and it wasn't at all boring. Also, I liked that Mateo changed voices when each different character is speaking. That made the story be easier to understand.
But, I would make more slides because there were some parts that you could not see the text and it was difficult to understand the story in those specific parts.

2. Ana Maria Samper:  "Molly's Revenge"
The story was really interesting and fun. I liked the way Ana Maria mixed greek mythology with middle school bulling. It reminded me of Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Also, I liked the pictures she drew when she could not find the perfect picture to insert. It made it look a lot more childish and fun.
What I would change in the story is the technical difficulties. There were parts in which the voice said something that was not in the text (1st slide) and there were parts that the voice was cut and the story was interrupted (2nd slide). All in all, the story was great.

3. Samuel Fajardo: "Homework Monster"
The story was enjoyable and funny. I liked the way he related the homework monster to our everyday lives. I connected the story to the cookie monster because of the picture shown in the story about this character of Sesame Street. I liked that the problem can be applied to almost every student in any Middle School.
I wouldn't change anything.

If I were a god, I would...

If I were a god, I would create a long-lasting world peace. The main purpose of the United Nations is to avoid future wars. I believe that it has not worked because in the past half century there have been a lot of wars. There has been the Vietnam, Persian Gulf, Korean, Anti-terrorist, and many other wars. Also, right now there is a World War 3 threat in Israel because of the issue they are having with Palestine. Wars do not only kill millions of innocent people, it destroys nature and, therefore aiding and helping Global Warming. This is why I would end wars and violence in the world if I were a god.

The Worst Audience Behavior is:

The worst audience behavior is shouting out. Shouting out can be put in different occasions. It can be used when you shout a the speaker without his/her permission. Also, it can be used when you talk to your neighbor beside you. I believe it is the worst audience behavior because it is disrespectful to the speaker and the audience. A shy presenter is putting a lot of effort in the presentation and it would help him/her if the audience is respectful. Also, talking to your neighbor will interrupt the learning opportunities of your surroundings. That is why the worst audience behavior is shouting out.

October 10, 2011

Gaby and Esopam (final draft)

Gabriella closed the cubicle door and started to cry. She never wanted to go out of that bathroom again in her life. No more hearing the words "drug addict" or "coke smoker" said about her. She did not want to go to school again in her life.

   Earlier that morning, every werewolf at school had been scowling at her and looking at her weirdly. All of the people were whispering "that's the girl who was caught yesterday smoking after hours". Gaby did not understand what they were talking about, for she was in a surfing national championship at that time. However, that did not matter to the bullies at school who started to make fun of her and push her around all day.

   Confused about everyone's peculiar attitude, she went to ask her best friend Ashley what people were talking about. She was just as confused as her because they were together in the ocean competing for the national championship. But, she had heard that there was a rumor that she was caught smoking cocaine after hours the day earlier.
   Now, after a day of bullying and rumors, Gaby is in the bathroom cubicle unwilling to leave.
---
   Gaby is in bed awake crying (you would think that werewolves do not sleep, but that is just a common mistake made from the outside world).She had just been in a fight with her parents. They think she did smoke cocaine after hours and they do not trust her anymore. Gaby reminded them that she was in the surfing championship but they still wouldn't believe her. Of all the people in the world, Gaby thought it was her parents who would understand that it was just a stupid rumor. Apparently, they didn’t. After a few hours of lying awake she gives in to sleep. In her sleep, she receives a message from the Goddess of Rumors, Esopam.

 "Gabriella, you have now seen what happens to little disrespectful girls when they mess with me. It is I who has created the rumor of your drug addiction. It is I who has filled all minds on your drug addiction. It is I who has felt disrespected and dishonored for you cursing at me the last month. It is I, who in order to get revenge, has made your social life miserable. I now advise you to offer me a gift in order to negotiate a resolution to this little issue of yours. You see Gabriella; I am the only goddess who dislikes having haters and is willing to negotiate peaceful solutions to teenager social lives. I will be awaiting an answer."
---
   Gaby woke up puzzled by her preposterous dream. Did Goddess Esopam visit her in her sleep? Was she really that insulted when Gaby cursed at her last month?
  
   It happened a Sunday the month before. Ashley was suffering because a group of girls spread a rumor against her. She had cried an entire ocean because the whole school had found out and she felt embarrassed. Gaby, trying to make Ashley feel better, cursed at the Goddess Esopam and said she was unfair and stupid.

  If this was why the Goddess created the rumor, Gaby would have to find a way to be forgiven.

   Gaby started to think what she could offer the goddess. She already donates 100 weekly dollars to the UNICEF children’s fund, so that will not be a way out. After a lot of thinking, she finally decides what she will do. She will pray for the Goddess every day and she will offer delicious food for her. In the prayers, Gaby begs Esopam to please forgive her and to eliminate the rumors in her school, Flying Hills Middle School For Werewolves.

   After a week of offerings and prayers, the Goddess visits Gaby again in her sleep. This time she says that she appreciates the prayers and offerings but that will not be enough to fulfill the bargain. She needs something else, something "that involves sacrifice".
   The teenager started to think what the Goddess was referring to. Something that involves sacrifice? Did the goddess want her to kill her puppy in an offering mode to the goddess? No, definitely not that. Does the sacrifice involve her? She now knew the consequence of insulting a Goddess.

   Gaby knew what the Goddess was referring to. She knew that this was for the greater good and there was no other way of saving her social life. She would have to do it.

   That night Gaby went to her room to pray for Esopam. "O Goddess, I know I have insulted you and I have faced my consequence. Now, I am willing to make the sacrifice you expected of me. I am willing to swear to my own death that I will not whine, complain or insult in the rest of my short, insignificant life. Please, Goddess, accept my offerings and eliminate all rumors in Flying Hills Middle School For Werewolves."

   And after that, Gabriella went to sleep.
---
   The next day at school, the weirdest thing happened. Everyone was acting normally; there were neither insults nor murmurs traveling around the hallway. All the girls were wishing her well in her surfing championship. All day Gaby was waiting for a mocking tone from a bully, or an insult from a girl, even a weird look from a teacher, but nothing like this occurred.

   She went home feeling happy and normal. Her parents treated her as usual, greeted her with, “what did you learn at school today, Gaby”, and life was back to normal. It was then when Gaby knew that she could never complain again for the negotiation had worked.

  Gaby went to bed and the only thing she said this night was, “Thank you Goddess”.