This is a response to Miss Pollock's post about our lunch with Eric Walters.
For the first part of our assignment we had to choose three books by Eric Walters and write what we think is the main idea or message for each book. Here are the three books I chose, along with their messages:
Bifocal: Do not judge or assume things about someone before knowing them or their side of a story.
Run: Do not ever give up because you can accomplish anything with hope and perseverance.
Black and White: Don't judge someone just because of where they are from.
For the second part of our assignment we had to make our own short story about an issue that we think is important. Here's my short story:
I'm the new kid at my school. I've only been here for about two months and luckily I made some awesome friends. Today was just another ordinary day. My friends and I were laughing our heads off, as usual. I had a peanut butter, jelly sandwich, as always. I saw Veruka sitting by herself, as usual. Everyone ignores her for some reason, so I ignore her too, but I do smile or wave at her sometimes. When I do wave or smile at her people give me weird looks. While Emily was talking about her new video game I saw Veruka running towards us. Maybe she wanted to be our friend. No, it couldn't be, her face was as red as a cherry and streams of tears were rushing down her face. I looked around and saw that she was running towards the ladies' room. I couldn't just pretend I never saw her, I would feel too guilty. Finally, I decided to go see what was wrong. While I was opening the door I heard someone sobbing. It was Veruka and she had something sharp in her hand. "Oh no! I hope she's doing what I think she's doing!", I thought. I quickly ran to her and took the sharp thing from her hand. Luckily, I came before she had done any harm to herself. I asked her what she was doing and why. She said that every time she got picked on she held it inside of her, until she couldn't hold it in anymore. That's why she was going to hurt herself. I told her that it doesn't make anything go away or make her feel better. From that day on we became best friends. People gave me weird looks at first, but I didn't mind because why should they care who I become friends with. I learned my lesson. Just because people ignore someone it doesn't mean that you have to ignore them too. Nowadays, I judge people after I meet them not before. Everyone deserves to have the chance of making friends and you never know if that person becomes your best friend.
Well, that's my story! Hope you enjoyed it! (:
Saturday, December 25, 2010
Friday, December 17, 2010
Teenagers and Sleep
I'm writing this blog in response to Miss Pollock's post about Assignment #4
For this assignment we had to work in groups. My group members are:
Jeffrey, Noah, and Walid
If you still want to read more about this interesting topic, here are some websites that are really helpful:
- Chart on the right amount of sleep click here.
- For an article that's really interesting click here.
- Of course Google.ca helped a lot and you can always search there for further information.
This issue is all about teenagers and sleep. People our age are supposed to have eight and a half hours to nine and a half hours of sleep. Unfortunately, many teenagers don't get as much sleep as they should! Some people say that we should change the time school starts because that is one of the reasons for why we don't sleep enough. Another reason for why we teenagers don't sleep enough is because of electronics. Many articles say that ever since laptops, cellphones and other electronic gadgets were invented, we have been getting less sleep. One specific article, that I have listed above, says that before the light bulb was invented people slept more than they do now. This was probably because after the sun set and it was too dark to stay outside with friends, teenagers just went home to sleep.
This topic is important for the "Digital Classroom" because in order to work on a computer and look at the screen, you cannot be tired. You need to be well rested. Some people actually get glasses if they're on the computer all night and are tired as well. Also, when you're doing assignments on blogs you have to do it at an appropriate time, not at 12:00 am. It's crucial to get enough sleep so you can pay attention in school and not fall asleep by accident. We all should get our homework done at least before 10:00 pm. That way you can go to bed and have around 9 hours of sleep, which is how many you should be getting.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP:
ENOUGH SLEEP:
So, think before the next time you decide to stay up late watching TV or doing anything else!
For this assignment we had to work in groups. My group members are:
Jeffrey, Noah, and Walid
If you still want to read more about this interesting topic, here are some websites that are really helpful:
- Chart on the right amount of sleep click here.
- For an article that's really interesting click here.
- Of course Google.ca helped a lot and you can always search there for further information.
This issue is all about teenagers and sleep. People our age are supposed to have eight and a half hours to nine and a half hours of sleep. Unfortunately, many teenagers don't get as much sleep as they should! Some people say that we should change the time school starts because that is one of the reasons for why we don't sleep enough. Another reason for why we teenagers don't sleep enough is because of electronics. Many articles say that ever since laptops, cellphones and other electronic gadgets were invented, we have been getting less sleep. One specific article, that I have listed above, says that before the light bulb was invented people slept more than they do now. This was probably because after the sun set and it was too dark to stay outside with friends, teenagers just went home to sleep.
This topic is important for the "Digital Classroom" because in order to work on a computer and look at the screen, you cannot be tired. You need to be well rested. Some people actually get glasses if they're on the computer all night and are tired as well. Also, when you're doing assignments on blogs you have to do it at an appropriate time, not at 12:00 am. It's crucial to get enough sleep so you can pay attention in school and not fall asleep by accident. We all should get our homework done at least before 10:00 pm. That way you can go to bed and have around 9 hours of sleep, which is how many you should be getting.
NOT GETTING ENOUGH SLEEP:
So, think before the next time you decide to stay up late watching TV or doing anything else!
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Assignment #17: The Slam!
This is a response to Ms. Pollock's post.
3)a) What did you learn from Greg and Beth Ann? (at least 2 things)
- I learned a lot about how to perform and how to make my poems flow better.
- Both of them gave me new ways to write my poetry.
3)b) When writing your own poem, what did you use as inspiration? (at least 3 things)
- I made a list of world wide problems and then I chose one that I thought was the most important to me.
- I also chose a topic that I knew I would be able to work with easily.
- A topic that the audience can relate to and understand is also important, so I chose a topic that everyone has heard of before.
3)c) What are you most proud of from your poem or your presentation of it? (at least one thing)
- Well I was proud of how I thought of nice metaphors, I usually suck at them, but since I chose a topic that I think is really important, I was able to write a lot about it.
3)d) How did you feel before you performed?
- I felt super nervous. I kept on reading my poem and making sure everything was okay.
3)e) How did you feel AFTER you performed?
- Right after my performance I felt embarrassed because I kind of messed up. After a while I felt relieved that I got it over with.
3)f) What would you change about your own poem or performance for next time? (at least 1 thing)
- I would try not to be so nervous and I would also make more eye contact with the audience.
- I would rehearse a little more next time because I didn't really feel ready.
3)g) What did you learn/like about someone else's poem?
I liked how some people didn't just read words from their paper, they added actions and performed well. I think everyone in our class had really deep poems and I thank everyone for sharing their words with us, I really enjoyed the slam!
Here's the poem I read at the slam:
Mother Earth
Crystal clear oceans. Fields of green grass with colourful plants, like precious gems. Wonderful white snow all the way up north and way down south. Rainforests rich with exotic life. She tries her best to sustain it all. Everyday we wake up to the sweet melodies of birds chirping. Breathing in fresh air and drinking fresh, ice cold water. We take her beauty and protection for granted and what do we do for her in return? We build factory after factory, filling up her lungs with smoke. We tear too many trees for our own needs. Using the fertile ground as a garbage can. Staining the clear, blue oceans with our own filth! Slowly, we're turning her into a furnace, melting away all the magnificent glaciers. We behave selfishly, using up all of her resources. Her beauty is slowly fading away, she's turning green to grey. If we keep this up then we'll be living in a colourless world, slowly burning her up. But, it's not too late, we can still make a difference. There is still time to save all her glorious wonders. Start by doing little things because they all add up. We can all work together to patch her up, and remember, by hurting her we are only hurting us.
Well, that's my poem. Feel free to comment! Hope you enjoyed it!
3)a) What did you learn from Greg and Beth Ann? (at least 2 things)
- I learned a lot about how to perform and how to make my poems flow better.
- Both of them gave me new ways to write my poetry.
3)b) When writing your own poem, what did you use as inspiration? (at least 3 things)
- I made a list of world wide problems and then I chose one that I thought was the most important to me.
- I also chose a topic that I knew I would be able to work with easily.
- A topic that the audience can relate to and understand is also important, so I chose a topic that everyone has heard of before.
3)c) What are you most proud of from your poem or your presentation of it? (at least one thing)
- Well I was proud of how I thought of nice metaphors, I usually suck at them, but since I chose a topic that I think is really important, I was able to write a lot about it.
3)d) How did you feel before you performed?
- I felt super nervous. I kept on reading my poem and making sure everything was okay.
3)e) How did you feel AFTER you performed?
- Right after my performance I felt embarrassed because I kind of messed up. After a while I felt relieved that I got it over with.
3)f) What would you change about your own poem or performance for next time? (at least 1 thing)
- I would try not to be so nervous and I would also make more eye contact with the audience.
- I would rehearse a little more next time because I didn't really feel ready.
3)g) What did you learn/like about someone else's poem?
I liked how some people didn't just read words from their paper, they added actions and performed well. I think everyone in our class had really deep poems and I thank everyone for sharing their words with us, I really enjoyed the slam!
Here's the poem I read at the slam:
Mother Earth
Crystal clear oceans. Fields of green grass with colourful plants, like precious gems. Wonderful white snow all the way up north and way down south. Rainforests rich with exotic life. She tries her best to sustain it all. Everyday we wake up to the sweet melodies of birds chirping. Breathing in fresh air and drinking fresh, ice cold water. We take her beauty and protection for granted and what do we do for her in return? We build factory after factory, filling up her lungs with smoke. We tear too many trees for our own needs. Using the fertile ground as a garbage can. Staining the clear, blue oceans with our own filth! Slowly, we're turning her into a furnace, melting away all the magnificent glaciers. We behave selfishly, using up all of her resources. Her beauty is slowly fading away, she's turning green to grey. If we keep this up then we'll be living in a colourless world, slowly burning her up. But, it's not too late, we can still make a difference. There is still time to save all her glorious wonders. Start by doing little things because they all add up. We can all work together to patch her up, and remember, by hurting her we are only hurting us.
Well, that's my poem. Feel free to comment! Hope you enjoyed it!
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Assignment #15: Slam Poets Response
This is a response to Miss Pollock's post.
Miss Pollock organized a couple of sessions with professional slam poets. It's really cool working with them. So far we have had 2 sessions with them. Here's a response to the first session we had with them:
3 things that you are looking forward to learning, developing or using in your poetry over the course of our Slam workshops.
- Well, by the end of these sessions I want to be able to make my ideas more organized. I want to be able to make my poems more organized and get better at poetry.
- I want to learn a new way of presenting my poems. I want to be able to project my voice when I'm talking in front of an audience. Hopefully they'll give us some tips about performing and how to make your performance more interesting.
- I like how Beth Anne had a good way of saying her poem and how it all flowed. Greg also did it too with his poem that he sung. I'm hoping to make my poetry have a good flow in it.
2 things that Greg or Beth Anne reinforced that we have already been doing in class, or you are already using in your own writing.
- Well, I like how Greg said that anything you write is a poem because poetry is your thoughts and creativity written on paper. Also, he reinforced that there are only two types of poems in this world, poems that rhyme and poems that don't rhyme.
- They also talked about brainstorming and how you just write a bunch of things that you think are related to the topic. It doesn't matter how weird it sounds, it's just a place to start thinking about your poem.
1 poem that you wrote yesterday.
For the first session we had to write a noun or adjective on a piece of paper and then switch your paper with someone else. The word that I got when I switched papers with someone was the word "blank". That word made my mind go blank and it was really hard to work with, but eventually it came to me. Here's my poem:
Blank
Imagine if the world lost its colour
All the beauty drained out
No more waking up to a chorus of chirping birds
How boring would it be?
Take time to observe the beauty around you
Listen to all the sounds around you and breathe in the rich oxygen
Don't take it for granted
Who knows, it might disappear one day
Miss Pollock organized a couple of sessions with professional slam poets. It's really cool working with them. So far we have had 2 sessions with them. Here's a response to the first session we had with them:
3 things that you are looking forward to learning, developing or using in your poetry over the course of our Slam workshops.
- Well, by the end of these sessions I want to be able to make my ideas more organized. I want to be able to make my poems more organized and get better at poetry.
- I want to learn a new way of presenting my poems. I want to be able to project my voice when I'm talking in front of an audience. Hopefully they'll give us some tips about performing and how to make your performance more interesting.
- I like how Beth Anne had a good way of saying her poem and how it all flowed. Greg also did it too with his poem that he sung. I'm hoping to make my poetry have a good flow in it.
2 things that Greg or Beth Anne reinforced that we have already been doing in class, or you are already using in your own writing.
- Well, I like how Greg said that anything you write is a poem because poetry is your thoughts and creativity written on paper. Also, he reinforced that there are only two types of poems in this world, poems that rhyme and poems that don't rhyme.
- They also talked about brainstorming and how you just write a bunch of things that you think are related to the topic. It doesn't matter how weird it sounds, it's just a place to start thinking about your poem.
1 poem that you wrote yesterday.
For the first session we had to write a noun or adjective on a piece of paper and then switch your paper with someone else. The word that I got when I switched papers with someone was the word "blank". That word made my mind go blank and it was really hard to work with, but eventually it came to me. Here's my poem:
Blank
Imagine if the world lost its colour
All the beauty drained out
No more waking up to a chorus of chirping birds
How boring would it be?
Take time to observe the beauty around you
Listen to all the sounds around you and breathe in the rich oxygen
Don't take it for granted
Who knows, it might disappear one day
Assignment #14:Poetry of Hope with Reading Buddies
In class we read a poem about the Holocaust. Here's one poem that we read in class about someone that lived in the ghetto:
The Butterfly
Pavel Friedmann was born in Prague on January 7, 1921. He was deported to Terezin on April 26, 1942 and later to Auschwitz, where he died on September 29, 1944
For this assignment we had to do research about the ghetto and write a poem about living in the ghetto with our reading buddies. Me and my reading buddy, Emily, wrote the poem below together:
Here in the Ghetto:
Here in the ghetto,
Life's so hard,
I can never sleep at night,
It's too crowded and the space is tight
Whatever happened to our houses?
Now we're trapped in here like mice,
Trapped in a hole
Disease spreading everywhere
Oh how I wish I can go back home
Yet,
We still have hope because we still have dreams
That will not be demolished
Until they are accomplished
One day this nightmare will stop
Someone, something, will stand up to these bullies
...
One day
- By Sara and Emily
Hope you enjoyed it! (:
The Butterfly
- The last, the very last,
- So richly, brightly, dazzlingly yellow.
- Perhaps if the sun’s tears would sing
- against a white stone. . . .
- Such, such a yellow
- Is carried lightly ‘way up high.
- It went away I’m sure because it wished to
- kiss the world good-bye.
- For seven weeks I’ve lived in here,
- Penned up inside this ghetto.
- But I have found what I love here.
- The dandelions call to me
- And the white chestnut branches in the court.
- Only I never saw another butterfly.
- That butterfly was the last one.
- Butterflies don’t live in here,
- in the ghetto.
Pavel Friedmann was born in Prague on January 7, 1921. He was deported to Terezin on April 26, 1942 and later to Auschwitz, where he died on September 29, 1944
For this assignment we had to do research about the ghetto and write a poem about living in the ghetto with our reading buddies. Me and my reading buddy, Emily, wrote the poem below together:
Here in the Ghetto:
Here in the ghetto,
Life's so hard,
I can never sleep at night,
It's too crowded and the space is tight
Whatever happened to our houses?
Now we're trapped in here like mice,
Trapped in a hole
Disease spreading everywhere
Oh how I wish I can go back home
Yet,
We still have hope because we still have dreams
That will not be demolished
Until they are accomplished
One day this nightmare will stop
Someone, something, will stand up to these bullies
...
One day
- By Sara and Emily
Hope you enjoyed it! (:
Saturday, December 4, 2010
Professor Scott's Visit
This is a reflection about Professor Scott's second visit. He's a retired history professor and he sits with us and talks to us about history, mostly about technology in the past. If you want more information about my post click here. Here's my reflection for his second visit:
1. What did you learn? (3 marks)
I learned that all of the new technology that was created in the 1800s led to new jobs because to create those technologies you needed to make it, so more people were needed and there weren't only farmers anymore. Therefore, more people had money and became wealthier. Another thing I learned was the first steamboat was built by John Molson. He also started a beer company called Molson's Brewery in 1809. I learned the reason for why there were so many Irish people migrating to Canada that caused a huge population growth. It was because of the potato famine in Ireland. Potatoes were one of the staple foods in Ireland and when the potato crops weren't growing many people went hungry.
2. Which technology interested you? (1 mark)
The technology that interested me most was the telegraph which included Morse code. There were these codes with only dots and dashes and to me it seems really confusing and complicated. I cannot imagine using it. It would probably take me so long that I wouldn't want to even send the message anymore!
3. How did it impact society? (3 marks)
The telegraph was one of the greatest inventions at that time, in my opinion. Even though people were very fond of it they probably wanted an easier and faster way to communicate. That's what got some people thinking and having ideas. Then, eventually the telephone was created, but I'm not sure who invented it. The whole point is, without the telegraph there would not be any telephones or cell phones.One technology leads to another new technology and it keeps on going. Like how the telegraph led to a telephone, which led to a wireless telephone, which led to a cell phone, which led to a touch screen cell phone and so forth. The telegraph also made sending messages faster and easier. Someone didn't have to go on a long journey just to send a message anymore. They were able to easily send them in their own home.
4. What questions do you have? (2 marks)
Well, I was wondering who invented the first telephone? I also wanted to know when the first printing press was invented and if it was first used in Canada, if not, who invented it and where was it invented?
5. Tie into a big history idea. (1 mark)
This ties into the big history idea about knowing the past to understand the present and prepare for the future. All the new technologies( in the 1800s) were like the older technologies, but an improved and more modern version. Even now people look at technology in the past to help them create new technology, which will help people in the future. An example is the telegraph and how people used that to help create the telephone, which was easier for people.
1. What did you learn? (3 marks)
I learned that all of the new technology that was created in the 1800s led to new jobs because to create those technologies you needed to make it, so more people were needed and there weren't only farmers anymore. Therefore, more people had money and became wealthier. Another thing I learned was the first steamboat was built by John Molson. He also started a beer company called Molson's Brewery in 1809. I learned the reason for why there were so many Irish people migrating to Canada that caused a huge population growth. It was because of the potato famine in Ireland. Potatoes were one of the staple foods in Ireland and when the potato crops weren't growing many people went hungry.
2. Which technology interested you? (1 mark)
The technology that interested me most was the telegraph which included Morse code. There were these codes with only dots and dashes and to me it seems really confusing and complicated. I cannot imagine using it. It would probably take me so long that I wouldn't want to even send the message anymore!
3. How did it impact society? (3 marks)
The telegraph was one of the greatest inventions at that time, in my opinion. Even though people were very fond of it they probably wanted an easier and faster way to communicate. That's what got some people thinking and having ideas. Then, eventually the telephone was created, but I'm not sure who invented it. The whole point is, without the telegraph there would not be any telephones or cell phones.One technology leads to another new technology and it keeps on going. Like how the telegraph led to a telephone, which led to a wireless telephone, which led to a cell phone, which led to a touch screen cell phone and so forth. The telegraph also made sending messages faster and easier. Someone didn't have to go on a long journey just to send a message anymore. They were able to easily send them in their own home.
4. What questions do you have? (2 marks)
Well, I was wondering who invented the first telephone? I also wanted to know when the first printing press was invented and if it was first used in Canada, if not, who invented it and where was it invented?
5. Tie into a big history idea. (1 mark)
This ties into the big history idea about knowing the past to understand the present and prepare for the future. All the new technologies( in the 1800s) were like the older technologies, but an improved and more modern version. Even now people look at technology in the past to help them create new technology, which will help people in the future. An example is the telegraph and how people used that to help create the telephone, which was easier for people.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Assignment # 12: Awesome
For a list of more awesome things click here.
For the link to Ms.Pollock's post about this blog click here.
For this assignment we had to read a list of awesome things from a website that I linked to above. It's a really cool and funny list, you should check it out if you haven't done so already!
Here are three awesome things from the list that I really liked and related to strongly:
Awesome Thing #412: The air just before a thunderstorm.
Right before a thunderstorm the sky goes all dark. The wind starts to howl and you hear the noises from the leaves on trees.The sky looks really beautiful. It's especially soothing when you step outside and just watch the sky as it turns into a thunderstorm. Most of the time I go outside and watch the sky right before a thunderstorm. I always like to read a good book during loud thunderstorms.
When you listen to a song enough times to have the guitar solo memorized is awesome! Sometimes my sisters and I play this game where you have to imitate the guitar solo and guess which song it's from. It sounds really lame but, it's something to do when you're bored and it's quite funny. One of us imitates the guitar solo and the other has to guess which song the guitar solo is from. It's a really funny game because sometimes the imitations we make of guitar solos fail and the other person has no clue of what guitar solo you're imitating.
Awesome Thing #539: When you open a book to the exact page you were looking for.
This is really awesome because you don't have to flip through the entire book to find that one page. Also, the feeling of accomplishment after you open a book to the exact page you were looking for. It feels like you've just done magic, but when you tell the nearest person to you what just happened they don't really care.
Miss Pollock told us to make up one awesome thing that was not on the list. My awesome thing is about one of my own experiences.
Awesome Thing #1001: Finish reading the entire list of awesome things!
I find this really awesome because when I read the whole list it was just plain awesome! Every time I read the list it makes me laugh or it puts a smile on my face. I think everyone should read that list. That's why it's on my list of awesome things!
For the link to Ms.Pollock's post about this blog click here.
For this assignment we had to read a list of awesome things from a website that I linked to above. It's a really cool and funny list, you should check it out if you haven't done so already!
Here are three awesome things from the list that I really liked and related to strongly:
Right before a thunderstorm the sky goes all dark. The wind starts to howl and you hear the noises from the leaves on trees.The sky looks really beautiful. It's especially soothing when you step outside and just watch the sky as it turns into a thunderstorm. Most of the time I go outside and watch the sky right before a thunderstorm. I always like to read a good book during loud thunderstorms.
When you listen to a song enough times to have the guitar solo memorized is awesome! Sometimes my sisters and I play this game where you have to imitate the guitar solo and guess which song it's from. It sounds really lame but, it's something to do when you're bored and it's quite funny. One of us imitates the guitar solo and the other has to guess which song the guitar solo is from. It's a really funny game because sometimes the imitations we make of guitar solos fail and the other person has no clue of what guitar solo you're imitating.
Awesome Thing #539: When you open a book to the exact page you were looking for.
This is really awesome because you don't have to flip through the entire book to find that one page. Also, the feeling of accomplishment after you open a book to the exact page you were looking for. It feels like you've just done magic, but when you tell the nearest person to you what just happened they don't really care.
Miss Pollock told us to make up one awesome thing that was not on the list. My awesome thing is about one of my own experiences.
Awesome Thing #1001: Finish reading the entire list of awesome things!
I find this really awesome because when I read the whole list it was just plain awesome! Every time I read the list it makes me laugh or it puts a smile on my face. I think everyone should read that list. That's why it's on my list of awesome things!
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Assignment # 11: Letters of Remembrance
For the link to Miss Pollock's post about this blog click here.
To read letters from real soldiers click here.
September 17th, 1916
Dear Mother,
I am terribly sorry for not writing back in so long. My best friend, Stephen Woodsworth, died recently. He got a serious injury and I spent all of my free time kneeling beside him and comforting him. One day while we were conversing, he stopped talking abruptly and it was then that I realized that I will never hear one of his jokes ever again. My emotions got the better of me and there was a big lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow and my eyes started to water. I cannot stand the fact that he died. He was a loyal friend, one that I will never forget and keep in my heart always.
Enough about me, how is my dearest little sister? Does she still worry about me? Tell her that I am alright. How I miss her joyous laughter. I miss your cooking, especially your wonderful blueberry pie. All the food here tastes like nothing. I really enjoyed the batch of cookies you sent me, even though they were stale by the time they arrived, they were still better than the food here. I would really like a new pair of trousers and maybe a new shirt because it's really hard to do laundry here, I have been wearing the same clothes for about a month.
Apart from the food,the worst thing about living here is the trenches! There are millions of rats, some the size of cats! They eat everything and are really irritating. I got lice from other men and feel itchy all the time. I never get proper sleep these days. Some men think that the war will be over soon, I hope so too. Now I wonder why I ever agreed to go to war. Maybe it was because of all the fame and glory. Now that I think of it I might die before the war is even over!
Well, it is 10.00pm and I'm very exhausted. The guys are telling me to hurry and blow out the light. There are no words to describe my sadness of all this death around me and how much I miss home and all of you!May God protect us!
Loving Wishes,
From Your Dearest Son,
Matthew Dickinson
To read letters from real soldiers click here.
September 17th, 1916
Dear Mother,
I am terribly sorry for not writing back in so long. My best friend, Stephen Woodsworth, died recently. He got a serious injury and I spent all of my free time kneeling beside him and comforting him. One day while we were conversing, he stopped talking abruptly and it was then that I realized that I will never hear one of his jokes ever again. My emotions got the better of me and there was a big lump in my throat that I couldn't swallow and my eyes started to water. I cannot stand the fact that he died. He was a loyal friend, one that I will never forget and keep in my heart always.
Enough about me, how is my dearest little sister? Does she still worry about me? Tell her that I am alright. How I miss her joyous laughter. I miss your cooking, especially your wonderful blueberry pie. All the food here tastes like nothing. I really enjoyed the batch of cookies you sent me, even though they were stale by the time they arrived, they were still better than the food here. I would really like a new pair of trousers and maybe a new shirt because it's really hard to do laundry here, I have been wearing the same clothes for about a month.
Apart from the food,the worst thing about living here is the trenches! There are millions of rats, some the size of cats! They eat everything and are really irritating. I got lice from other men and feel itchy all the time. I never get proper sleep these days. Some men think that the war will be over soon, I hope so too. Now I wonder why I ever agreed to go to war. Maybe it was because of all the fame and glory. Now that I think of it I might die before the war is even over!
Well, it is 10.00pm and I'm very exhausted. The guys are telling me to hurry and blow out the light. There are no words to describe my sadness of all this death around me and how much I miss home and all of you!May God protect us!
Loving Wishes,
From Your Dearest Son,
Matthew Dickinson
Friday, November 12, 2010
Assignment # 8: How Are You Creative?
For the link to Miss Pollock's post about this blog click here.
Some things I like to do are:
-Reading
-Writing
-Listening to Music
-The Clothes I Wear
Now here's how they show my creativity:
Reading: It lets me use my imagination and use a description of a character to put together a picture of that person in my mind. I also do that to imagine a landscape and other things in any book I read. It also helps me learn new vocabulary to express myself with, as well as to describe things better.
Writing: This one lets me use my imagination becuase I can write anything I want down on some paper. I can make a story, a poem (even though poetry isn't one of my strongest areas in literature). You can write anything at all and there are no limits! Writing can also express your emotions. You can do anything with it, that's what makes it so great.
Listening to Music: I think it's one of the things that show my creativity because I really like to listen to music! It also helps me with my writing because the songs I listen to use some words that I don't fully understand so I search them up and then I learn a new word! I also think music is one of the best things in the world!
The Clothes I Wear: Some of my creativity is shown in the clothes I wear. It's a way of showing my creativity because I choose my own clothes and no one else tells me what to wear, I just wear what I want to wear. Most people have their own unique style, even though some people might think it's weird, it's still their own cool, unique style and they don't really care about what people might say to them. It's one way that everyone uses to express their creativity, well that's what I think. I use it as one way to show my creativity.
Some things I like to do are:
-Reading
-Writing
-Listening to Music
-The Clothes I Wear
Now here's how they show my creativity:
Reading: It lets me use my imagination and use a description of a character to put together a picture of that person in my mind. I also do that to imagine a landscape and other things in any book I read. It also helps me learn new vocabulary to express myself with, as well as to describe things better.
Writing: This one lets me use my imagination becuase I can write anything I want down on some paper. I can make a story, a poem (even though poetry isn't one of my strongest areas in literature). You can write anything at all and there are no limits! Writing can also express your emotions. You can do anything with it, that's what makes it so great.
Listening to Music: I think it's one of the things that show my creativity because I really like to listen to music! It also helps me with my writing because the songs I listen to use some words that I don't fully understand so I search them up and then I learn a new word! I also think music is one of the best things in the world!
The Clothes I Wear: Some of my creativity is shown in the clothes I wear. It's a way of showing my creativity because I choose my own clothes and no one else tells me what to wear, I just wear what I want to wear. Most people have their own unique style, even though some people might think it's weird, it's still their own cool, unique style and they don't really care about what people might say to them. It's one way that everyone uses to express their creativity, well that's what I think. I use it as one way to show my creativity.
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Assignment # 10: Mystery History Maker
For the link to Miss Pollock's post about this blog click here
To play the Mystery History Maker Game click here
My Mystery History Maker match is...Laura Secord! I think she was a pretty cool person because she had the guts to go and warn people about an attack, without knowing that she would get a reward for it! I kind of knew who she was, but I mostly guessed. The things we have in common are the love for books! I would've dopne what she did and warn the army about the attack, so maybe that's something else we have in common! This person is historically significant in Canada becuase she walked for kilometres and kilometres so she could warn the army of an attrack that she overheard. Thanks to Laura Secord the attack failed and the British army were able to defend themselves. Laura Secord is a really courageous person and I'm really glad that she was my match!
To play the Mystery History Maker Game click here
My Mystery History Maker match is...Laura Secord! I think she was a pretty cool person because she had the guts to go and warn people about an attack, without knowing that she would get a reward for it! I kind of knew who she was, but I mostly guessed. The things we have in common are the love for books! I would've dopne what she did and warn the army about the attack, so maybe that's something else we have in common! This person is historically significant in Canada becuase she walked for kilometres and kilometres so she could warn the army of an attrack that she overheard. Thanks to Laura Secord the attack failed and the British army were able to defend themselves. Laura Secord is a really courageous person and I'm really glad that she was my match!
Friday, October 29, 2010
Assignment 7: World of Work
I'm really excited for the World of Work field trip!
The sector that appeals the most to me is the Service sector. It appeals the most to me because I like to cook and bake things and I also like to do work that lets me be creative.
I picked these jobs because they appealed the most to me:
Construction Sector:
- Architectural Technology and Design
- Landscape Gardening
- Cabinetmaking
Employment Sector:
- Job Skill Demonstration
- Prepared Speech
- This is related to Prepared Speech: Teacher
Information and Technology Sector:
- TV and Video Production
- 2D Character Computer Animation
- This job is related to a graphic designer: an Art Director
Manufacturing Sector:
- Mechanical CADD
- Robotics
- Mechatronics
Service Sector:
- Fashion Technology
- Cooking
- Baking
Transportation Sector:
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Outdoor Power and Recreational Equipment
- Aircraft Maintenance
The sector that appeals the most to me is the Service sector. It appeals the most to me because I like to cook and bake things and I also like to do work that lets me be creative.
I picked these jobs because they appealed the most to me:
Construction Sector:
- Architectural Technology and Design
- Landscape Gardening
- Cabinetmaking
Employment Sector:
- Job Skill Demonstration
- Prepared Speech
- This is related to Prepared Speech: Teacher
Information and Technology Sector:
- TV and Video Production
- 2D Character Computer Animation
- This job is related to a graphic designer: an Art Director
Manufacturing Sector:
- Mechanical CADD
- Robotics
- Mechatronics
Service Sector:
- Fashion Technology
- Cooking
- Baking
Transportation Sector:
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Outdoor Power and Recreational Equipment
- Aircraft Maintenance
Four questions that I have for World of Work is:
- If you're a welder do people give you a picture of what they want and you have to try to make it out metal?
Or could you just make anything you want and sell it?
- Are all the people at each booth people that go to college or are they still doing the apprenticeship course?
- If I was a welder then what would my salary be?
- What are some safety tips for welding?
I'm not sure what I'll do after high school. Well, welding looks pretty awesome becasue you can make anything and it would be made out of metal! After high school I'd like to go university and maybe take something in science or teaching. If I cannot be a teacher I would like to do something with science, foreign affairs and my last option would be a writer or journalist. I haven't made my final decision yet, but hopefully by the end of high school I'll find something I really like and pursue that in my career.
REFERENCES:
The page that Mrs. Polluck listed: skillscanada.com
For the images I used Google
REFERENCES:
The page that Mrs. Polluck listed: skillscanada.com
For the images I used Google
Monday, October 18, 2010
Assignment #5: Island Man
Island Man (for a Caribbean island man in London
by Grace Nichols
.
Morning
to the sound of blue surf
in his head
the steady breaking and wombing
wild seabirds
and fishermen pushing out to sea
the sun surfacing defiantly
from the east
of his small emerald island
.
He always comes back
groggily groggily
comes back to sands
of a grey metallic soar
to a surge of wheels
to dull North Circular roar
muffling muffling
his crumpled pillow waves
island man heaves himself
another London
I think the 10 most important words in this poem are: Morning, wakes, surf, seabirds, sun, island, back, dull, heaves, London.
I wouldn't like to wake up anywhere else, becasue I like my comfortable bed in my comforatble room. Also because it's a really nice view whenever I look out my window. It's nice and calm where I live and there's not much commotion going on outside so it's really quiet and I like it because while I read I like the quiet so I can really get into my book. I also like the countryside and would like to wake up there becuase it's nice and quiet and when I learn to ride a motorcycle you can ride it as fast as you can becuase there are like no other cars.
Behind My Name: Sara Khan
Before I started this assignment, I thought my name was really common, because I meet a lot of people with the same first name.
I think my parents chose this name for me becuase they liked the name.
After searching on Behind the Name, I learned that my first name means "Princess". Sadly I do not have a middle name so I'll go straight to my last name, Khan, means "Ruler".
I think my parents chose this name for me becuase they liked the name.
After searching on Behind the Name, I learned that my first name means "Princess". Sadly I do not have a middle name so I'll go straight to my last name, Khan, means "Ruler".
Something interesting I learned is that Genghis Khan is my ancestor and he had one of the largest empires in the world. I think he changed his last name to Khan because since he "ruled" several countries he decided to call himself a "ruler" which is Khan, my last name. My first name Sara is really popular in English, Danish, Spanish speaking countries and in South Asia. In South Asia the used to call the the leader of their tribes "Khan". My family tribe is called "Bungish"( if that's how you spell it). I found my family's coat of arms, but I'm not so sure what the pictures mean, but it looks really cool:
I think my does suit me becuase I can't really imagine myself without any other name and plus it's nice and short. If i could give myself a new name, it would be Avalon, because I think it's a pretty name and because it's in the title of one of my favourite Iron Maiden songs, which is called Isle of Avalon.
Saturday, October 9, 2010
EMPATHY
Empathy means to put yourself in someone else's shoes. Like trying to feel how the other person feels. I think empathy is one of the most important characteristics to have, for example if your friend is telling you something sad that happened to them and you start laughing because you don't have empathy for them then they'll be really mad. There are many things that include empathy like the month of Ramadan. It's when Muslims like myself don't put anything in there mouths from sunrise to sunset. One of the reasons why we do this is because we try to feel empathy for those around the world that may not be able to have a meal for more than a day. I use empathy whenever there's a new student by talking to them and asking if they want to hang out during recess because if I were them I would want someone to hang out with during recess and make new friends. A synonym for empathy is sympathy. A lot of people don't know the difference between empathy and sympathy, well here it is:
Empathy:
- you know exactly how they feel because you have gone through the exact same thing
Sympathy:
- you have not gone through the exact same thing, but you still try to help them out and try to feel whatever they feel
Empathy:
- you know exactly how they feel because you have gone through the exact same thing
Sympathy:
- you have not gone through the exact same thing, but you still try to help them out and try to feel whatever they feel
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
WELCOME EVERYONE!!!
Hello everyone my name is Sara. I'm really excited to start my blog it's really fun so far! I hope you'll enjoy my blog and follow me. I love heavy metal and my favourite band is Iron Maiden because their lyrics are so awesome and deep. I think they're really talented. Another part of heavy metal that I enjoy are the guitar solos, they're really awesome! I am also a huge fan of reading fantasy novels like Harry Potter and The Series of Pellinor. I like to read fantasy novels because there is so much creativity and weird, made up creatures, I find that really cool. My favourite subjects at school are English and Art because you can be as creative as you want. I hope you'll come back soon and check out my blog! (:
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