Reading Times

4/16    Sea of Monsters pp. 100-135    45 min
4/17    Half of my cover letter draft    45 min
4/18    Finished cover letter draft    60 min

Total: 150 min

What I want most in the world

            I would really want to have the ability to naturally fly, without wings or anything. Just to be able to float up into the air and go wherever I want. I would never run out of fuel or anything, I would want to just be able to fly whenever and wherever I would want to.
            This ability to fly would benefit me in a few ways. I think like feel a lot more free and I would be able to go wherever I wanted. Also, I wouldn't have to buy a car or pay for an airplane trip if I needed to go somewhere. I think being able to fly would be absolutely amazing.

Poem and Reading Details

Reading Times:
Sea of Monsters by Rick Riordan    pp. 1-100    2 hrs.
Portfolio and Writing center    30 min  
Total: 150 min

Tennis

POP

the noise of the ball bouncing off my raquet

on a perfect hit

is such a great sound to hear.

In the middle of a close match,

trying to not get too tired.

But after 15 long games,

I start to feel very worn out.

Every time I have to run to get to the ball,

I get more and more tired.

When the last game is over, 

and I have finally sealed the victory, 

I feel so relieved

and proud 

of myself.

Reading Response

Reading Times: Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz

3/26    pp. 50-75    40 min

3/28    pp. 75-105    45 min

4/7    pp. 105-160    70 min

Total: 155 min

            I have been enjoying Point Blank. I think it is at a good level for me and keeps me interested. I also like how the main character is about my age so that I can relate well, rather than reading about someone who is much older or younger than me. 

            Right now, Alex, the main character, is investigating a school that MI6, the detective team he works for, is suspicious about. The author uses a lot of suspense in this book and allows you to think for yourself about what you think might happen. I like to try to figure it out and form my own opinions. I think that makes reading more fun than it is when a story is just told straight up to you.

Song Analysis

            In the song "Float" by Aesop Rock, there are a few techniques found in poetry used throughout the lyrics. One technique is repeating sounds. In the beginning of the song, I noticed multiple words used that had the 'or' sound, such as portrait, tortoise, tortured, orchard, and order. Another example of repeating sounds is in two lines toward the end of the song: "I am not a crook, I cook the wick at both ends just to blend that element of chance with my tight rope dance." This technique of rhyming within the same line is called internal rhyme. These repeating sounds give the song some rhythm and give it a certain sound. It makes it flow.
            Another technique I saw was saying things that aren't really real or possible to make the listener understand how the author feels. An example of this is in the last line: "I float, while everybody else around me's busy drowning." Obviously, he wasn't actually floating. He said this to convey that he was different and in a better state than everyone else around him.
           
LYRICS: http://www.songlyrics.com/aesop-rock/float-lyrics/

Reading Times

3/20    Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz    pp. 1-15    25 min
3/21    Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz     pp. 15-40    35 min
3/25    ''          ''               ''                 ''            pp. 40-50    15 min
3/25    Jane Goodall post                                                 30 min
3/25    Looked over papers and decided which to revise    15 min
3/25    Paper revision post                                                 30 min

Total time: 150 min
  

Paper Revision

            I think the paper that I am going to revise for my portfolio is going to be my literacy narrative. The two traits of good writing that I will focus my revisions on are probably going to be word choice and voice. I think these were the two main things that I could have done better on the most in this paper.
            When I re-read my literacy narrative, I was pretty happy with it. However, there were definitely some opportunities to use stronger words than I did, specifically things like "to be" verbs, as Dr. D said in the comments. I also could have used a more unique and strong voice throughout the course of the whole paper. I think revisions on these two traits will make a better paper out of my original one.

Jane Goodall's New Book

            In my opinion, what Jane Goodall did in writing her paper was pretty serious. She pretty much copied information almost word for word into her book. Not only that, but she didn't even give proper citations to the sources where she got the information. She at least gave a list of where she got some of the information at the end, but she should have included more citations. Also, it mentions that she used Wikipedia, which sometimes isn't very reliable.
            To fix the problem in Jane Goodall's book, they should go back through to where they used other sources and put quotes around the words from the souce and a direct citation in the text. Another option would be to go back and paraphrase the information, but still add a direct citation in the text. Also, at the end of the book, they should have a clear and correctly formatted works cited list, with all the information from the sources that is necessary. After they have done all of this, I think their book would be in good shape. It would not be considered plagerism if credit is given when needed.

Reading Times and Nervous Conditions Review

3/11    Finished Nervous Conditions    60 min

3/14    Worked on B Layer    30 min

3/17    Finished B Layer    40 min

3/17    A Layer Project    60 min

Total Time: 190 min

Nervous Conditions Review

            I have mixed opinions about the value of having Nervous Conditions as a required book to read for the 9th grade class. Overall, I think it was probably a good book for our grade to read. I feel like it provided us a different type of book to read, being that it was set in a different country and written by an African woman. It exposed me to a new culture and a different style of writing.

            One of the good things that I think came out of reading this book was the amount of characterization in it. It made me really think about identifying the characters and what kind of people they were. I think this probably made me a better reader and will help me with books that I read in the future, whether for school or just for pleasure.

            Another reason I think this was a good book for the 9th grade to read was because apart from the literary value, it also contained some historical information that none of us would have probably ever learned. It was set in a country that I have never really learned anything about, and I think that it is good to keep learning about other places around the world. Without Nervous Conditions, our class probably wouldn't have even known what Rhodesia was or what it was like in the 1960s.

            The only reason I would say 9th graders should not have to read this book is because it just felt a little random to me. The book sort of just came out of the blue and wan't really related to anything we were doing at the time. However, it was an interesting and valuable book, so I think that it should continue to be a part of the 9th grade syllabus.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 10

            Tambu gets very deep into study at the Sacred Heart. She gets so into her work that she never even responds to Nyasha's letters. This surprised me because I thought Tambu would have been missing Nyasha and would definitely be writing her. At her school, there was more evidence of whites dominating blacks when the school had six beds in one room instead of just four, and they also only had four wardrobes for the six blacks. I could tell this bothered Babamukuru, but he didn't do too much about it.
            I thought it was pretty sad when Nyasha basically went crazy. She was under a lot of pressure in trying to impress her father and also Tambu being at such a higher level. I guess Nyasha won't be going to school for a while. I found that Babamukuru didn't even seem very concerned about Nyasha. It didn't say anything about him trying to comfort her or anything like that.

Free Post

           The hot fishing season is just around the corner. I absolutely cannot wait for the speckled trout to start moving in. Every year, they come in early April. In about a month, Grand Isle will be full of anglers ready to get into the fish.
            This is one of my favorite times of the year. The weather starts warming up and the fish come with the warmth. I can't wait for waking up at the crack of dawn, going to the marina to buy the shrimp, putting the sunglasses on, and riding out to the spots. The season can't come fast enough.

Different Expectations

           Different situations and places definitely can affect how I act. One example of this could be when I am playing tennis. If I am playing a school match against someone I don't know, I am expected to have good court etiquette and have god sportsmanship. I am not supposed to start yelling and smashing my racquet on the ground if I get frustrated. However, I might act differently if I was having and informal match for fun with a friend or family member. I wouldn't really have to act with such good etiquette, but I could just be a little bit more relaxed and just have fun. I wouldn't be under the pressure of representing my school.
            Another example of this could be going out to dinner at a restaurant. The quality of the restaurant would affect how I acted. If I were at somewhere like Subway, I wouldn't have to have such great manners. If I were at a nice steakhouse, however, I would be expected to have the napkin in my lap, to sit up straight, and things like that.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 9

            In this chapter, Tambu decides she wants to go to another school. Babamukuru says that the only reason he is hesitant to let her go is because being with white people could cause her to become a bad person. This shows the racism of the time and that it was definitely there.
            It is pretty sad how Nyasha will be alone with her mother and father since Tambu ill be transferring schools. I think Tambu feel bad for leaving too, but she is so excited for the opportunity for such a good education. I think Tambu will get far in life because she is so passionate about her education and she wants to learn so badly.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 8

            In this chapter, Tambu really stood up against Babamukruru for the first time. She would not get out of bed on the morning of the wedding, even when Babamukuru told her to. Then, when she finally got out of bed, she told Babamukuru that she did not want to go to the wedding at al. I was surprised that she did this because in the past, she always talked about how she treated Babamukuru with so much respect and did everything he asked. I also understand why she would't want to go to the wedding; it would be pretty weird to watch your own parents get married.
            Maiguru also had a little rebellion against Babamukuru when she pretty much just randomly told him that she was tired of housing all of his family and tired of him taking her money to spend on things that Maiguru didn't really care about. She goes away to stay with Chido, but only for about five days. Though these were two relatively small rebellions, I have a feeling that there may be a bigger one against Babamukuru soon in the book. It seems like the tensions are growing in that house.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 7

            This chapter basically consists of a big argument within the family. It pretty much starts when Tambu tells her mother that the bathroom is filthy. Tambu did not mean to offend her mother by saying this, but her mother took offense from her saying this. Tambu's mother felt jealous that her daughter had been living without her for so long, and when they finally see each other again, Tambu complains about how things are at her home. Also, Tambu's mother gets mad at Babamukuru and blames him for killing her son and now taking her daughter from her. I think Tambu's mother just feels bad about not being able to provide as much for her children, and also may feel jealous and think that Tambu likes Maiguru and Babamukuru better than Jeremaiha and herself.
            There was more involved in argument than just Tambu's mother. The men started talking about how so many bad things were happening within their family. Jeremahia thinks these bad things are happening because of some kind of evil spirit and thinks the family should have a cleansing ceremony. Babamukuru disagrees and thinks it is because they are living in sin. The reason he thinks this is because Jeremahia was not married in a church before God as their mother had told them to. Babamukuru even offers to pay for the wedding so that all these bad things will stop happening and they can start to get along as a family. I don't think the marriage will help, and I think this family is going to start falling apart even more as the book progresses.

Persona of Tambu

            I fell like Tambu always thinks hard about what she does and about what other people do. She is very judgmental of others and in my mind tries to please everyone. I am going to write from the point of view of Tambu about the fight between Babamukuru and Nyasha.
            This fight astonished me. I could not believe that Nyasha could ever have the courage or disrespect to venture to actually hit Babamukuru, the one who has provided her with so much. On the other hand, I did not think Babamukuru should have treated her daughter like that, either. He should have gone so far as to call Nyasha a whore just because she had been talking to some boys her age.

Reading Times and C Layer Reflection

Reading Times - Nervous Conditions

2/25    Ch. 4 and blog post for project   75 min

2/26    Ch. 5 and blog post for project    75 min

2/27    Ch.6, blog post for project, and vocabulary list and test    2 hrs

Total Time: 270 min

            I felt pretty good about the work I did for the first C Layer of this project. My blog post were not just summaries, but had evaluation of the chapter and what I noticed. Also, I completed the vocabulary list, test, and test key, and learned some good new words from doing this.

            Something I could have done differently was to be making the vocabulary list as I read the chapter, and not done the whole thing in one night. I had been marking words that I didn't know in the book while reading, but hadn't started making the actual list or test until I finished Chapter Six. I didn't realize how long the process of making the list and test would take. I definitely would have started the list earlier or done it as I was reading if I did it again.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 6

            This chapter confirmed my thoughts about Babamukuru not being as fun and loving as I had thought in the beginning. I could not believe the fight that him and Nyasha had. He basically had a brawl with his own daughter. It said he punched her head and slammed it on the ground. That seems pretty harsh for a dad to do to his daughter. This fight had a big effect on Nyasha and Babamukuru's relationship and how they both acted. Nyasha seemed to be recovering by the end of the chapter, but I don't really know if Babamukuru is going to want to talk to Nyasha for a pretty long time.
            One little thing that I just noticed throughout the course of this book was that there is some weird spelling of 'z' or 'ze.' For example, she will write 'realises' instead of 'realizes.' I don't understand why she is spelling these words this way. Is it because of where she is from?

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 5

            In this chapter, my thoughts about Babamukuru changed a little bit. At first, I thought he was kind of a fun person who would sometimes joke around, but also worked very hard. In this chapter, however, it seemed like he was very serious and strict, especially when he talked to Nyasha. A few times, he said he did not like the way she was turning out and that she needs to behave better. I never realized that Babamukuru was so stern.
            It seems like Tambu is enjoying and doing well in school. She says that she is at the top of her class. It impresses me that she could learn the english language so well to actually excel in school. I found that Tambu and Nyasha's relationship has been improving. When Tambu first got to Babamukuru's house, she didn't really approve of Nyasha. By the end of the chapter it sounded like they had become pretty good friends again.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 4

            At the start of the chapter, we see Tambu leaving with Babamukuru in his car to go to his house. Tambu feels very excited and thinks about all she will be doing with Babamukuru and his family. However, when she gets there, she starts to feel a little bit uneasy. This does not really surprise me because I think she realizes that the only real reason she is there is because her brother had died.
            It was interesting how Tambu kept pointing out all the big differences between her old home in Rhodesia and in Babamukuru's home. For example, she says how nice the beds were compared to the ones ad her old home. She said that she was excited about having more than one blanket on her bed so she could be warmer.
            Tambu continues to judge people in this chapter. She critiques Nyasha's manners and how she acts as a person a lot. It seems like in Rhodesia they were more strict on manners than in Babamukuru's place.

Research Paper Reflection

1.) I think the most difficult part of the process was planning out how the paper would be organized. This process was made easier by making the detailed outline.I liked how the outline allowed you to organize and plan the paper without actually writing the whole paper yet. However, I didn't end up exactly following my outline when writing my paper. The outline still helped get my ideas on paper and figure things out. The peer editing of the outlines was pretty helpful because I got different views of how my paper looked. The jump from the first draft to the final seemed kind of quick.

2.) The most useful feedback I got was about making my thesis relate to the rest of my paper better. I responded to this feedback by altering my thesis and adding things to the body and conclusion of my paper that would make it all come together in a better way.

3.) My ideas and organization were probably two of the strongest aspects of my paper. My information was presented in a clear way and the information was good. I also think my convention use was good. My voice and word choice probably could have improved and been less casual.

4.) No.

Reading/Work Times

2/17    Nervous Conditions Chapter One    45 min
2/19    Nervous Conditions Chapter Two    45 min
2/21    Nervous Conditions Chapter Three    45 min

Finished up my final research paper draft    60 min

Total Time: 195 min

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 3

            In Chapter 3, everything changes. Nhamo dies when he was on the mission with Babamukuru. This is the event that makes a lot of things happen. The most significant thing that happened because of Nhamo's death is that Tambu is chosen to go back to the mission with Babamukuru. Nhamo's death shocks his parents and makes them extremely sad. The mother of Nhamo, who has always loved and trusted Babamukuru, blames him for Nhamo's death. So Nhamo's death basicaly affected evryone in the family negatively except Tambu.
            It surprised me that Tambu was not sad about her brother dying. I know that they didn't like each other at all and Nhamo was mean to her, he was still her brother. All she cared about was getting his spot in the mission with Babamukuru. I could not imagine having one of my family member die and not completely fall apart. This just shows how much Tambu wanted to get educated and how much she disliked her brother.

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 2

            There was a strange jump back in time from the end of Chapter One to the beginning of Chapter Two. Chapter Two basically started where Chapter One had started: talking about her brother, Nhamo, and how he went to school. However, the difference that I found between Chapter One and Chapter Two was the detail. Chapter Two definitely went into more detail of specific events that happened and the thoughts of the narrator. An examples of these details would be how it told that the narrator really wanted to go to school when she was little and tried to earn the money for it herself by growing her own maize and trying to sell it.
            After reading this chapter, I found out more about the narrator than in Chapter One. One thing I found is that she does not get much support from her parents or siblings. The only person that seemed to support her or even respect her was Mr. Matimba when he tried to help the narrator sell her maize so she could get some money for school fees. Her parents just laughed at her when she told them that she wanted to try to earn her own money for school. It seems to me that the narrator was living a pretty tough life at this time.    

Nervous Conditions: Chapter 1

           In Chapter One, I felt that I got familiar with the narrator and what kind of person she was. She seems like a confident person who will stand up for herself if she needs to. This chapter also told about her family and how her life was. She was living in poverty and her family grew crops to make money.
            Although I learned a lot in reading this chapter, I got confused sometimes while reading it. There were a lot of strange names to learn and remember. I think the purpose of this chapter was to give little bits of background information and set the stage of the story for the reader. It gave an overview of what was going on in the narrators life.

Reading Times

2/10:
Point Blank    pp. 102-156    70 min 

2/15:
Point Blank    pp. 156-181    30 min

2/17/13:
Nervous Conditions    pp. 1-34    65 min

Total: 165 min

Research Details

1/29    Detailed Outline    90 min
1/30    Worked on Notecards   30 min
1/31    Looked over Outline and revised thesis statement    30 min

Research Post

            The topic for my researech roject is shotgun shells and how they have changed and improved since they were first introduced. I am interested in this topic because I love hunting and shooting shotguns and never really knew much informations on how the shells actually work and how they have changed since when they were first invented. So far, I have learned that the first shotgun shells had brass casings. Later, shells with paper casings were made but did not work as well as the brass casings. Shells with plastic casings, which are most common today, were first made by Remington in the 1960s. Today, shells have become more advanced in that there is a wide selection of sizes, brands, and shot velocity that you can choose from.
            The topic that I have focused on for this paper is the history of shotgun shells and how/what improvements have been made for better performnce and quality. I foind interest in this topic because I am and avid hunter and shooter of firearms, particularly shotguns. However, I never really knew exactly how shells work and in what ways they were different, or less advanced, than today's modern shells. Lokng into this topic so far, I have fond that early shell cases were made of brass, not plastic as most are today. About a decade later, shells with paper casngs came available, but were not as reliable and efficient as the brass cases because they would swell up when in contact with water and could not be reloaded nearly as many times as shells with brass cases could. The common modern shotgun shells with plastic cases were introduced by Remington in the 1960s. Today, shells have become more advanced in that there is a wide selection of sizes, brands, and shot velocity that you can choose from.

Reading Times and Research Update

Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz:
1/15    p. 73-78    10 min
1/16    p. 78-84    10 min
1/17    p. 84-96    25 min
1/20    p. 96-102    10 min

Research Time:
1/16    1 annotated bibliography    25 min
1/17    4 annotated bibliographies    75 min

Total Time: 155 min


            I have found ten sources for my topic so far. Most of them are useful to me in some way. Some contain modern information, while others contain historical information. This is useful for making comparisons and how shotgun shells have changed since they were invented, which is the focus of my topic.
            I have not had much success at all with the databases. I only could find a couple of useful sources using the online databases. I am confident that my sources are reliable because the information is consistent between them.

Free Post

            I am so glad we have a three day weekend ahead of us. It will be so nice to have one extra night of no omework and one extra morning of sleeping in or doing whatever I want. Also, that means that the next week of school only lasts four days, instead of five.
           We have a couple of fun things planned for this weekend. First we may go skeet shooting. I am disappointed that we don't get to duck hunt this week because of all the rain we've gotten in the past week. Then, we may head down to Grand Isle on Sunday afternoon and fish for redfish Monday morning. I think this will be a fun weekend.

Reading Response

Reading Times for Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz
1/7    pp. 1-6    10 min
1/8    6-20    30 min
1/10    20-40    45 min
1/11    40-73    65 min
Total Time: 150 min


            This week, I started Point Blank by Anthony Horowitz. It is the second book in the Alex Rider series. I decided to read it because I really liked the first book in the series, Stormbreaker. It is about a young boy who works as a spy for MI6.
            I like these books because they are the appropriate reading level for me and i really like the action and suspense in them. I also like to try to figure out things while reading the book, like who I think commited the crime, or who I don't trust, and other things like that. I enjoy the book so far.

Free Post

            I can't wait for Mardi Gras break. I will be going to Vail, Colorado with my family to snow ski. I have gone skiing a lot when I was little and have gone every year since about 1st grade. It is so much fun going down the mountain. I also like the snow and all the beautiful scenery.
            This will be me 2nd time going to Vail. My family loves to ski there. It is an enormous mountain with tons of slopes ranging from greens to double black diamonds. I love to go fast and try to jump, but I fall a lot doing it. I cannot wait to go skiing with my family.