Weekly Blog for 2/23/15 A Little Princess

- Pretend you get to create the music soundtrack for what you’ve been reading.

What five songs would you include? Write an explanation for each song: why

would you include it, how does the song connect to events.

1. A Thousand Years by Christina Perri 

          I would include this song because the in the song it says "I have loved your for a thousand years, I'll love you for a thousand more". I feel like this connects to Sara after her father dies. That she had always loved him and that she still does. I would include this song because I feel that it is implying what Sara is feeling, for example at the beginning of the song it says "How to be brave, how can I love when I'm afraid to fall". I feel like this explains when shes in shock, and she doesn't know how she will over pass her fathers death. 

2. Outside by Calvin Harris ft Elli Goulding

        I would include this song because I think this goes perfectly when they move Sara from being rich, to being a servant. In the song it says "Gotta be so strong", I think this goes with how Sara felt after her father dies but also when she is confused after why they made her a servant, yet she still had to be strong. The title also fits perfectly on how Sara feels as well. She was like a princess to all the other girls especially the little ones, but now no one talks to her only orders her around. A perfect example of the use "Now I'm on the outside".

3. Ten Feet Tall by Afrojack ft. 

       I would chose this song because it relates to how Sara feels when she thinks of everything that has happened, or how she reacts. She would act like if she was on top of the world, sort of like this song. In the song it says "Been trying so hard not to let it show" I think that it connects to how she doesn't want them all to see how she feels on the inside of all that has happened. Also in the song it says "I'm stepping on builds, cars, and boats I swear I could touch the sky" I think it means that she again is trying not to let anyone get her down and that she will always be positive, reaching for the sky.

4. Leave the World Behind by Swedish House Mafia ft. Lune

        I would chose this song because in the book, when its night time she would cry her self to sleep. I think this would go perfect with her because she makes up a stories to cheer her self up and forget about what is happening around her as she is telling them. As if shes leaving the world behind her. In the song it says "People can you hear me?" I think that this would go with the story because at one point its like no one can hear her, just boss her around. This song to me represents that when she imagines, she forgets about the world even if its only for a bit to get her mind off of and away from reality.

5. Atmosphere by Kaskade

       I chose this song because it relates to how Sara felt when she was put up in the attic. In the song it says "When I was young I would stand alone" I feel like this connects to when she would do chores and would be all alone, all her thoughts to herself. The song also says "All my life I've been a star, holding a light up in the dark, while I try to keep clear of all the waves in your atmosphere" I feel like just this line of the song explains how she was very rich and was looked at by everyone like a star. Then soon after she starts to fade as in when her father dies, then suddenly shes in the dark trying to keep the light in her heart and not be let down. Then this also explains how she doesn't want to be sad and doesn't want to go that way so she tries to stay clear of it like in the song.

Commented on:

Omar's Blog

Devin's Blog

Joseph G's Blog

Global Collaboration Reflection

        
           My global awareness to be honest was barely anything before entering 7th 

Grade. I don't really remember anything, besides this year with ISIS and Ebola 

effecting the whole world. I remember before entering 7th grade I didn't really pay 

attention to the news, which was really something I should have done. That didn't 

help in me knowing. Then also I was mainly focused on what was happening in the 

U.S. last year. For example when President Obama used executive actions in order to 

stop deportation. 

       The collaborations between my Swedish and Indian pen pals have changed my 

level of global awareness because they both have told me so much about their  

countries. They have told me about places that after researching, fascinate not only 

them, but me as-well. Bringing me to know more places of the world I never knew 

about. Both of them have taught me of where they live, which is very different 

from where I do. It makes me imagine how it could look like and when I research on 

it, it makes me more aware of what other parts of the world may look like. 



         My perspective has changed because before I knew that all cultures where

different in one way or another. I didn't know It was this much of a difference  

however. When they talked about what they eat, what they celebrate it made me 

think and it changed my perspective, that not all the cultures are the same. I 

always knew this but seeing it first hand and actually having people tell me about it 

made me really think  about it and change the way I looked at it. 



               Probably I've had two most funny/interesting facts that I have 

learned throughout this experience. One being the interesting fact, was when my 

Swedish pen pal told me that her school was divided by buildings or colors, 

because there are three different houses. A yellow house, a red house, and an orange 

house. The second one, being the funny fact was when my Indian pen pal 

told me that they celebrated Chocolate day. I was laughing because at first I thought  

it meant something else, like if it had a different meaning. I was laughing harder 

when I actually searched it on Google to see it was where you actually each chocolate 

that day. 

Weekly Blog for 2/16/15 A Little Princess

-Describe the main characters.
-Draw 4 objects that represent your reading. Write a sentence for each, telling

what each item says about what you’ve been reading.

      

      In the book A Little Princess the main character is Sara Crewe, the daughter of a rich captain. She has so much imagination in the book and thats why many of the other girls in the school like her. Shes very kind and likes to help people. She is also always very happy and likes to read very much. For example the maid or servant of the school named Becky fell asleep on Sara's chair (Most of the other girls don't have fancy furniture but because her father is very rich, she can). Sara lets her sleep for a bit and even offers her cake. Sara can imagine the most intriguing stories that when she ever starts to tell them theirs always a group of the younger girls around her to hear it. She even is an adoptive mother to a younger girl who would always throw tantrums because she didn't have a mother, (which she ended up calming down).

 

1. A Doll

In the story before her father leaves she wanted a doll for her to not be lonely while her father was away. She named her Emily and always thinks that she can hear her, not like other dolls. In the story shes always saying that Emily can move while she is not there. Then when you come back they go back to there place. This says what I'm reading because Emily is very important to Emily and it shows that Sara wants someone to not be lonely. 

2. A dress

In the story before her father leaves he buys her a whole wardrobe of very expensive clothing. Which two of the girls despise her because she has better things then them. 

(This is sort of the dresses she wore only you know like different colors, styles etc. Also Sara is much older then the girl in the picture but the dress looks like the ones she wore, of course just a bit bigger). This says what I've been reading because it describes Sara as in like is she wealthy or not, in this case she is.

3. A school

In the story it takes place at "Miss Minchin, Select Seminary for Young Ladies", which is the school where her father left her while he was away in India. This shows what I'm reading because the whole story basically takes place here. 

4. London

In the story the setting is in London. It was based of around 1887 to 1888. This says what I'm reading because this is where the school is located. It also shows what I'm reading because later in the story she goes out on the streets to buy things.(I'm not going to spoil it). 

Commented on:

Siari's Blog
Justin's Blog
Jared's Blog

Poetry Response ~ Family is Forever

"Family is Forever"

By: Crystal-Lynn Barringer

"A family

is made of love and tears

laughter and years

It grows stronger

with the passing of time

More precious

with the making of memories

sometimes a family is made of ones

you don't like for a while and fight with a lot

But you love them for a life time

Not in numbers but in its capacity to love

It's the place you find

someone to encourage you

believe in you

Celebrate with you and comfort you

A family is where your heart

feels most at home because you're

Always wanted always welcomed           

Always needed

Always Loved

And always precious to everyone

So always love your family"                                        

      I think that the poem is about your love for your family, what it should mean to you and what they are meant to do for you. Like an example would be when the poem says "Always needed, Always loved, And always precious to everyone" to me it means that no matter what your family will always make you feel like your meant to be there and thats never going to change because a family loves each other forever. Also I think that this poem is about how you can never change your family, that you only have one so its like telling you not to get angry at them because you never know god forbid something could happen to them. 

      I think the author wrote this because maybe her family did something very kind or was very supportive of her so she wrote this as a way to say thank you. I think the author may have also wrote this because maybe one of her family members died so she maybe wanted to write this in order to remember someone in her family that was close to her. I finally think that she may have wrote this for no reason, like just to remind her family that she loves them and that they will always be apart of her.

      I chose this photo because the poem talks about the love you should have for your family so I though it would be appropriate to have a heart to symbolize that love. I also chose it because the poem talks about family is where your heart feels most at home so I felt that that was a very important part of the poem. I finally chose this picture because this whole poem is about family is forever and where family is so is your heart and they will always be there if you want them or not which I thought was very important so i added it because of that.

      This poem reminds me of when my uncle died, how after its like the rest of my family became closer and we realized that even if hes not here anymore we will always remember him and that we always loved him. This poem reminds me of a movie I watched with my mom, I forgot the title but I remember how the family had gotten in a huge fight and then a member of the family had died so they all forgave each other and came closer over the death. Like my family with my uncle. This poem also reminds me of a story which was about your family and that you should never let them go as there the only one you will ever get.

Weekly Blog for 2/9/15 A Dogs Life WARNING: Spoilers!

1-26 Prompt: List three problems the characters faced.  

WARNING: Spoilers!

     One problem Squirrel or Addie faced was when a couple threw both her and Bone (her brother) out of a car on the side of a road. they where injured but then a girl takes Bone and leaves Squirrel all alone. Squirrel turns sad, eventually she goes into the forest, moves on and finds Moon (another dog). Where they live in the forest for a long time.

     A second problem that Squirrel faced was when Squirrel and Moon where at a resting stop on the side of a highway and where spotted by a pack of rouge, rabid dogs desperate for any kind of food. They start to fight Squirrel and Moon and eventually they (Squirrel and Moon) both back off and run to the forest. Squirrel and Moon come out very injured and spend many days in the forest trying to heal their wounds to keep moving. After that they go further away and find a small town to eat and regain their energy.

     A third problem that Squirrel faced was when Squirrel and Moon hadn't ate for about two days and when they found food on the other side of a high way they ran towards it. What they didn't know is that there was a truck speeding down the lone highway and ran over both of them. Moon died sadly but Squirrel survived and watched her in pain as the family took them to a hospital. They announced Moon dead as soon as she was hit dieing instantly and Squirrel was very sad but moved on as well. 

Commented on:

~ Lillian M. Blog 

~ Evelia C. Blog 

~ Rebecca T. Blog

Book Talk The Maze Runner

 *Transcript* 


Hi my name is Yareli and I am doing my book talk on The Maze Runner by James Dashner. The Maze Runner is Science Fiction because of all the not realistic creatures and science involved. 


The story takes place in a Maze simulation. Surrounding a group of boys in a ginormous maze and walls that close every night. The main character in the book is Thomas. Thomas is at first a shy and curious boy asking why he is in the maze but soon becomes more brave and confident. The main conflict or struggle that they all have is that they want and have been looking for ways to leave the maze. The Maze Runner was a bit of everything, funny, sad exciting, mysterious. It had that feeling to where sometimes you would be on the edge of your seat. The main theme is guessing would be to face your fears because in the Maze Thomas takes it on head first many times, and saves Alby when he is sick in the Maze. 


I liked the book because It has so much feeling and excitement to it. Even if I tried to put it down to do my homework I would eventually find myself going back and reading it, to me it was that good. I remember a lot of the book but thing I remember the most would be when Thomas first arrived, how scared he was and wouldn't talk to any of the other boys there. 

 
I would recommend this book to a friend called Karen because she loves to read and this is her type of books. I think that the viewer should want to go out and get this book because this book has so many feelings in it at one point I was crying and the next I was smiling so hard It hurt. To me this book was so fun and such a roller coaster but in the end I was so happy I continued to read the whole series.

I commented on, Rebecca's Blog, Saul G, Sam T

01/30/2015 Gallery Walk

Prompt: Take a moment to reflect upon your impressions of what you have learned from the array of articles in at least two well written paragraphs, using evidence from your graphic organizer.

One of my reactions was to Rebecca's Article about Boko Haram Attacks and all I was thinking was like those poor people. Her article talked about how the deaths which were brutal and they where trying to make the deaths painful (for the sake of keeping this appropriate I won't say how the people where killed). Her article also said that over 10,000 people where killed and to think that those 10,000 had families and where each an important part of Earth makes me feel very sad for them and their families who have to suffer knowing their sisters brothers etc. died horrible deaths.

Another one of my reactions was to Mia's article which was about the boy in the box. I was thinking how could a boy just magically appear there with no one finding it until then. Its been 60 years since they have found him inside the box. What was very interesting is that they don't know who he is. Like they don't know his name or where he came from, and the mystery still continues till today. Which sparks my curiosity to investigate further into this mystery.

Overall I learned a lot, from curing cancer, to Ebola vaccines, to even Measles at Disney Land. It was really fun presenting and I hope we can do it again soon! :D