This I Believe Speech

"Have Hope"

I never really saw myself as someone who could ever do something to change the world. I've always thought to myself that I'm just an ordinary person who won't have the courage to do anything too special that can impact anyone's life. I believe that if we have hope for ourselves, and try hard enough we are able to do something that can impact many people.

Recently, while starting on this speech, I came across an essay in class written by a teenager named Dylan who had thoughts similar to mine. His essay inspired me a lot, more than I would have expected. In the essay, he thought about his situation a lot, then realized that anyone was able to make a change in the world even if it seemed impossible. I then realized that I could relate to his story a lot. I kept on thinking, and asked myself how I can build up the courage to do great things in the world. 

After I read the essay I changed the way I thought about myself. I've learned that I'm not the only one who has dealt with the problem. I now see myself as someone who is capable of making a difference, because I believed I could. 

I know it can be hard to believe you can do great things for the world, but just think of all the positive outcomes it has. Believing in ourselves will make us confident people, and I know it can do good in the future. It has worked for me, and it can definitely work for anyone else.

Final Reflection Blog

            I have learned so many new things in my English Language Arts class this year. One important thing I've learned this year in the class is all the writing rules and formats. Writting is something everyone will use for the rest of their lives, so it is good to have learned most of them before highschool, and other events. Another important thing I have learned this year is all of the new vocabulary words. Using the same boring words while writing isn't intresting, and looks like you put in little effort if you keep using them over and over again. Learning new words each week has allowed me to use a larger amount of different words for writing. Another important thing I have learned this year was how to take notes and analyze a book. Everytime we have read a book this year we have done something a little different to understand the book better. We have learned to write in notes into the book, we wrote down quotes from the book, and wrote down important parts of the book. These techniques have helped me understand the books so much better.

            Something from this year I will remember forever is the class, and the people in it in general. My most memorable times in this school year has been in this class. It has definitely been the class I have gotten the most out of, and I have built a good relationship with everyone in the class. Most of the people in the class have been in that class for two years, like me, and that has given us plenty of time to become good friends. Even though it has been a tough class to be in, I still had a great time with the rest of the students and my teacher.

            The nicest thing someone has ever done for me in this class was helped me understand and catch up with work I missed. Whenever I have missed a day, some of my classmates make sure I know what I have to get done. They have always offered to help before I even asked them. It made me thankful for the great friends I have, and how they are willing to go out of their way to help me. I was then able to get my work done without having trouble doing it. 

           Something my classmates and I taught the class this year was to look at things from different angles. After reading To Kill a Mockingbird and Tuesday's with Morrie we have learned to look at things differently. Many things we have discussed about the book has opened our eyes to think of other things. Everyone had their different thoughts about certain things, and I think it has made us able to think a little more. Everyone views things differently, and sharing those views has made us aware of all the different things people see things as. 

           An area I feel I made my biggest improvements was in my writing. This year I've learned so many different rules, and formats for writing to make the piece better. I have also learned many new vocabulary words so it won't have boring, simple words. I recently looked back at my old blogs from this year and the years before, and saw a huge difference. I think I learned more writting skills more than anything I learned at all this year. In the beginning of the school year I had some trouble making a good piece of writing, but it comes easily to me, since I'm used to doing them. 

           The most challenging part of this year for me was all of the To Kill a Mockingbird work. Out of all the things we have worked on, this part of the year has taken away most of my time. There was a lot of work that had to be completed, and it had to be good quality. There was a lot of work to do after each chapter, and it would take even more time if you didn't understand something. All of the work has made me understand the book so much better, so I think all the work was necessary. Although it was very difficult to do it has made certain things easier for me to do now. 

           The best piece of writing I did this year was my argumentative essay. I think I put in a lot of effort and thought into this unit. While writing this piece, I was able to write what I thought, and was able to back up where I stood in a debatable topic. I also think it was written very formally which can sometimes be difficult for me to do. Overall I was really proud of the outcome, because I knew I put in my best effort, and ended up receiving a good grade for it. 

           Of the books I have read this year, my favorite was Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom. Very few books have made me cry, laugh, smile, and think so much while reading the same book, and Tuesday's with Morrie is one of them. I think this book has definitely opened my eyes to the world so much. I have also taken so much out of the book and thought about it for a long time. I think the writing in the book has inspired me to live a better life without being upset, or stuck on something I regret. The book has taught me to live my life to fullest, because it won't be long before everything we once had will all be gone. 

           Advice I would give students who will be in this class next year is to work on your assignments during any free time you have. In eighth grade it can sometimes be hard to find enough time to turn in homework that is good quality, because there are many things, like clubs and events, that can affect the amount of time you have to complete that assignment. Waiting last minute to finish something is only going to hurt you. It can become very stressful having to rush yourself to complete something that could have been finished at an earlier time. It feels so much better knowing you don't have anything to be working on once you finish something. 

Morrie's Aphorisms

"'Dying...is the only thing to be sad over... Living unhappily is something else. '"

Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom

             The quote said by Morrie in Tuesday's with Morrie, "Dying...is the only thing to be sad over... Living unhappily is something else.'" can have a few meanings to it. One way I see the quote is that dying is just one sad moment. Living unhappily is many throughout your whole life. Living unhappily takes time away from your life, and is just wasting it. Everyone will eventually die, and many people can't accept that. They think they will live forever. Since in reality we will not live forever, Morrie thinks that we should not spend our short life living unhappily. Morrie didn't spend the rest of his life being upset about his illness all the time. Instead, Morrie focused on the important things in his life, and appreciated everything he had. Morrie is trying to tell us to not spend our lives being upset, because we have a short life. We shouldn't be sad over things that won't matter in the future.

            I can relate Morrie's aphorism to a personal expirience of mine. After reading Tusdays with Morrie I have realized that I have been worrying and stressing over things I shouldn't have been worrying about. I have learned from Mitch's book, that we should focus on the important things in life, because we have a short life. Looking back at all the things I have been down about, I have realized that most of the situations don't matter anymore. I don't want to waste my life being unhappy with whatever is going on. All of the moments I have been upset about have built up, and has taken away a lot of time. If I am unhappy about something I should get over with it, like Morrie did, before it gets worse.

            I do agree with the aphorism, "'Dying...is the only thing to be sad over... Living unhappily is something else.'" by Morrie Schwartz. I agree on this aphorism, because I think everyone can relate to this quote. Sadness is an emotion everyone will feel at one point in their life. Sometimes we spend too much time being upset about something, when we could be doing something actually worth our time. On page 40 in Tuesday's with Morrie, Morrie says, "'You take certain things for granted even when you know you should never take anything for granted.'" When people are sad, because of their life it causes them to waste all of their precious time, instead of enjoying the little things in life they could have missed from being sad. Every moment is special, and when people are down it takes time away from that. We think we have all the time in the world, when really we should enjoy all the little things in life, before it is all gone. 

My aphorism: It's good to follow your role model's footsteps, but it's better to take some of your own.

Blog May 4, 2016

Socratic Seminar Morrie Reflections 

Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Prompt: Explain how the past four Socratic Seminars have influenced your thinking about Tuesday's with Morrie and life in general. What trends did you notice with yourself and your personal goals for each seminar? How did your personal goal(s) change and what did you actively do to change throughout our last four discussions? What trends did you notice with the class for each seminar? What did you notice that helped or hindered a specific seminar? 

            The past four seminars have influenced my thinking about Tuesday's with Morrie, and life in general by allowing myself to understand the book a lot better, and to look at different angles on certain topics. Each Socratic seminar was different. The first Socratic seminar mostly just helped my understanding of the book. I kept thinking that Morrie's life was very sad, but then as I read more I learned how Morrie lived a very happy life. The first, and second seminar mainly focused on Morrie, and how he has lived his life so far. Towards the last Socratic seminar my thoughts have changed. I started to really think about my life, and about the things I should really care about. The seminars started to focus on Mitch's life, and our lives as well. The seminars made me aware that everyone has different thoughts. We were able to realize that we can relate to Mitch and Morrie a lot, and even take their advice. 

            Trends I noticed with myself and my personal goals is that I did better with the first and second Socratic seminar than I did with the last two. My first goal was to talk a little more and ask more questions. During the next seminar I think I completed this goal pretty well. My next goal was to bring a person into the conversation. I did ask questions which caused more people to join in and add their ideas, but I didn't ask a question to one specific person. My next personal goal was to share more thoughts while using textual evidence from the book. I hardly talked during the fourth seminar, and didn't accomplish my personal goal. I think I was more interested toward the beginning and middle of the book, so I didn't have many thoughts, or much to say during the last seminar. 

            Not only did I notice trends with myself and my personal goals, but I also noticed trends with the class during each Socratic seminar. After each seminar I noticed everyone really put a lot of thought into their questions. The first seminar, we mainly focused on Morrie, and just summarized the chapters we have read. Toward the last seminars we talked about ourselves, and how our lives changed. Many people shared how they were inspired by Morrie, and that he changed a part in all of our lives. Something I also noticed was how people weren't sharing their ideas, even when they had the chance. I noticed a few people, including myself, who were going to say something but then would get cut off. It seemed like they just forgot about what they were going to say, and waited to say something else. I also noticed how he group would jump into different topics too quickly. A lot of the time, we didn't completely finish what we were talking about, and moved on which sometimes really got off topic.  

Blog April 28, 2016

What Tuesday Has Inspired You?

Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Prompt: Based on the 6 Tuesdays you have read about in Tuesday's with Morrie that has had the most impact on you or inspired you. 

            Based on the 6 Tuesdyas I have read about in the book Tuesday's with Morrie, the Tuesday that has inspired me the most was the 4th Tuesday, which talks about death. I think this chapter has truly opened my eyes to why we should always live our lives to the fullest. We should never take anything for granted, because one day that thing will be gone. To assume that we will never lose someone or something will just make things harder for us in the future. Many people believe it is impossible to have someone being taken away from them, so they don't appriciate the time they have with that person. From this chapter I learned to appriciate all of the little things I normally don't think about. In the book on page 84, Morrie says, "'The loving relationships we have, the universe around us, we take these things for granted.'" A lot of people don't understand that we should be happy for all the people and things we have in our lives. This shows that we should appriciate the loving people we have in our lives. We should also enjoy nature, and everything outside, because we never know when it all can be taken away from us. 

            Another thing that has impacted me was how Morrie said we have to accept that we are all going to die. If we don't accept that we will eventually die, we will have so many things that we haven't done, or said. On page 82 Morrie says, "'Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.'" This means that we have to accept the possibility of our death, before we can truly appriciate what we have on this earth. Anyone can die at any moment, and because of that the things on this earth should be appreciated so much more. If we don't accept that we will die, it will cause us to think certain things will never be lost, but that's not true. We won't be able to appriciate the little things in life, and won't be happy all the time. On page 81 in the book Morrie also says, "'...know you're going to die, and to be prepared for it at any time. That's better. That way you can actually be more involved in your life while you're living.'" Facing the reality of death allows us to see the world and our life at a different angle. We will see the beautiful things we haven't noticed before, and start to feel happier knowing we shouldn't be upset all the time. We should always try and stay positive, because life is too short to be unhappy.

            After reading this chapter it has definitely changed the way I thought. I've learned so many things, and started to look at life differently. I have constantly been thinking to myself about if I were to die today, would there be anything I would regret? Whether it was something I never said to someone, or an action I didn't take, or not appreciated things, they will all add up. I would definitely regret not taking certain actions if I died at this moment. From thinking about all of this, I now know to not be afraid to tell someone something, and not be afraid to take a risk. I appriciate the little things, like having a plate of food in front of me everyday, and the fact that I'm able to go to school, and have caring friends and family by my side. Our lives are truly an amazing expirience, and everyone should learn to make the most of it, before we waste it all. 

Blog April 18, 2016

Bucket List Blog

Tuesday's with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Prompt: What are your initial reactions to what you have read in Tuesday's with Morrie thus far? One of the main themes developing in Tuesday's with Morrie is not to take your life for granted. Based on this premise, what is your bucket list? You can write a paragraph leading up to a bulleted list of what you would like to do/accomplish in your life.

            When I read the first couple of chapters in the book Tuesday's with Morrie I instantly told myself that I would end up loving the book. The thing I liked a lot about the book so far was the way the author wrote. The writing is very descriptive, and I am able to picture the characters and everything that is going on very well. You can also tell what the characters are feeling based on the word choice. From how the author describes actions (especially when Mitch first gets to see Morrie after college) the readers can really tell how their relationship is and how close the two have been in Mitch's college years. It definitely warmed my heart when Morrie was still able to remember Mitch after such a long time. Another thing I like is how the author sometimes goes back in time to Mitch's college years while it still pertains to the book. The author throws in some of his writing he did back in college while he had Morrie as a teacher. The writing tells us a little about Morrie and Mitch's relationship together. 

            When I first started reading the book I did not expect it to be so sad and overwhelming to think of. At the same time it is very heartwarming and thoughtful. The books makes the readers think a lot about our choices in life, and how we should be greatful for everything we have now. The book so far has been full of different emotions. You can see the different pain Mitch and Morrie feel so far in the book. While Mitch talks and spends time with Morrie, he feels awfully sorry for him. While on the other hand every movement that Morrie takes causes him physical pain. Those emotions that the people in the book feel move into the readers own emotions, and I love when books are able to do that. At one point you will be smiling about Morrie's personality, then the next moment you will want to cry at the fact that Morrie is going to die and is constantly in pain. I think Morrie is very strong to still be living with a bright personality in his condition. Mitch is also as strong as Morrie. Personally I get very overwhelmed when I'm with someone who is very ill, and can barely help themselves. Mitch is able to sit in front of Morrie, watching him suffer for hours just to talk with him. The fact that Mitch is able to do this without having an emotional breakdown shows how he is strong. It is tough for both of these characters, but they still try to keep a positive attitude. 

            Based on Morrie's life the readers can see how Morrie doesn't take life for granted. In the book Morrie  says to Mitch, "'Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do.'" This shows how Mitch's disease really affected him and the way he acted. He is always happy and says we shouldn't be sad about living an unhappy life. In many people's eyes Morrie has an unhappy life, but that doesn't stop him from keeping the great personality he has always had. Morrie doesn't want to be sad for the rest of his days, so he remains happy. This had me thinking about what I wanted to do with my life before I pass. Here is a list of things on my bucket list. 

- graduate college 

- walk the Golden Gate Bridge 

- complete a marathon 

- inspire someone 

- get married

- meet all of my favorite band members

- speak fluently in another language 

- learn how to drive

- go sky diving or scuba diving 

- visit at least one of the seven wonders of the world 

- go exploring and get lost 

- learn how to play another instrument 

Blog April 8, 2016

3rd Quarter Reflection

Prompts: In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Launguage Arts?

What is something you accomplished this quarter that you are proud of? What has been the most challenging part of 3rd Quarter for you, and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

            An area I think I made my biggest improvements in English Language Arts is my researching skills, and knowing my strengths and weaknesses. Before this quarter I usually picked a website that looked like it had a lot of information to help me with my work. During the argumentative unit, I learned to pick reliable sources, so I don't have false information in the argumentative paper I wrote. Knowing how to find reliable sources is a very helpful thing to learn, because you can use the skill for the future. Now I can easily tell if I can trust a certain site, or if I shouldn't use the information it has on it. Another improvement I made 3rd Quarter was knowing what I needed improvements on and what I can move forward on. Knowing what I can move forward on helps me, so I'm not doing the same things I am good at all the time. 

           Something I accomplished this quarter that I'm proud of is reading a lot. I think the third quarter has been the quarter I have read most. Usually I don't have a lot of time to read at home or during school, but I somehow managed to read a lot. This school year I have been in Battle of the Books, so that has impacted how much I have read. I can be very indecisive when choosing a book that I am interested in and it's good to be in Battle of the Books, because you can discover new genres you haven't read before and maybe see if you like it or not. For the fourth quarter I definitely want to read even more books. I think it will get me more prepared for highschool. Mystery books are usually not books I will pick out for fun. For Battle of the Books I read a mystery book called The Boy in the Burning House. I was very interested in this book which surprised me. I'm glad I got the chance to read this book, because now I can look for more books in the same genre. Also it has taught me to go out of my comfort zone when I comes to books, so that I know if I really like them or not. I'm proud that I have read a lot even when the quarter was been a little stressful with other work. 

           Something that was challenging 3rd quarter was keeping myself focused and trying my best for everything in my English Launguage Arts class. This class is the most important to me, because I know that everything I learn in this class will benefit me in the future a lot, so doing my best in this class was and still is my top priority. In the previous quarters this school year I didn't have much trouble finding time to complete all of the needed assignment. This quarter has been a little more stressful, because I have been involved in things like Best of Berwyn, and Battle of the Books, and other activities. This took away a lot of my time to do homework or make up work. To overcome this I have been working extra hard and staying focused and not getting off task or distracted. 

Blog March 10, 2016

Prompt: What message or lesson was conveyed?

The Boy in the Burning House by Tim Wynne-Jones

            The message that the author conveyed throughout the book is to understand and accept people before actually judging someone. The author displays two characters in particular that are treated differently, because of their reputation and looks. As the readers get to know them more, we can see that those characters are not how they really seem. This helps show how we should judge people by the actions they do, what people say about them, or how they look, especially if we don't know them personally. The could be going through a tough time that caused them into bad situations. They could also have a dark past, but act friendly and nice. Sometimes we can tell whether someone is friendly or not by their looks, but in this book that is not always the case. 

            The first character that is misjudged is Ruth Rose. Throughout the book Ruth Rose is actually very helpful to Jim Hawkins, by helping him solve the mystery on who killed his father. As you get farther in the book we can see that Ruth Rose has become Jim's closest friend even at a difficult time. If it weren't for her being in Jim's life, Jim would have not known who killed his father so soon. Ruth Rose has mental problems such as hearing voices in her head, but Father Fisher exaggerates on that. He says that she is crazy, and a bad kid who is difficult to handle. Enough of his rumors about his own step daughter makes people really believe it. When Father Fisher is talking about Ruth to Jim, Fisher says, "'Young Ruth Rose has had a hard time of it. The death of her father has resulted in some severe psychotic episodes.'" This then made Jim believe that she was crazy, and would not want to listen to her in the begining of the book, because he felt like she was lying. After this when Ruth started to talk to Jim he says, "It was obvious that she was crazy. Jim shook his head in disbelief and turned to go." This shows that even Jim couldn't believe her, because of the rumors he had heard about her. People can't trust her, because they know she is never up to good business, when that is not true. She has a sad past which is part of the reason why she has troubles.

            The second character who was overlooked by his true self was Father Fisher. Father Fisher is the priest to the church in Jim's community. He is seen as a friendly, kind, helpful person. People trust him since he is a priest, and he seems very nice. In the beginning of the book I wondered why Ruth Rose hated his so much. In the begining of the book he is seen as a helpful, trustworthy, smart, friendly man. In the end we see his true identity and the horrible things he has done. Many people just asummed he was a nice man from his smile, and the fact that he was priest. As a reader gets father in the book they can see how their first view point of Father Fisher has changed dramatically compared to how they see him at the end of the book. At the end of the book he is not the person anyone would have guessed him to be if they didn't know him personally. He actually turned out to be secretly an evil man who has caused harm and even deaths to people. He was also found to be part of the murder of Jim's father. This again shows how we really can't judge a person by how they look, because they aren't always as they seem.

Blog March 4, 2016

Prompt: 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.

The Boy In the Burning House by Tim Wynne-Jones

Pages read: 173-finished  

            The first song I would pick would be "Wake Me Up When September Ends" by Green Day. When Billie Joe Armstrong (the lead singer of the band) was just 10 years old his father passed away. This song was written because of his lost. In the book The Boy In the Burning House by Tim Wynne-Jones the main character, Jim Hawkins' father also died. In the book Jim is about 12 or 13, and his father died two years before which made him about 10 or 11 when his father died. The song connects to this event, because they both lost their fathers around the same time. One quote in the song is, "As my memory rests, but never forgets what I lost." This means that he is coping with the fact that his father died, but he will never forget his father. In the book Jim is starting to accept that he will never see his father again, but he still misses him, and doesn't forget about him. In the end Jim and his mother have more closure by having a proper funeral.  

            The second song I would add to the music soundtrack for the book would be "Don't Ask Me" by OK Go. I think this song is perfect for the character Father Fisher in the book. Father Fisher is Ruth Rose's step father, the church's priest, and the man who killed Jim's father. In the middle of the book Ruth and Jim are almost positive that Father Fisher killed Jim's father. Father Fisher is very sneaky and knows that Jim and Ruth knows what he did. Every time he visits Jim's mother or spots Jim he is always fake, acts like he doesn't know what Jim is thinking, and acts friendly. In reality he is a lying killer. In the song it say things like don't act friendly when you're actually not. A lyric in the song is, "Quit acting so friendly...don't think I've forgotten...don't sit there and play just, so frank, so straight, so candid, so thoughtful, so gracious, so sound, so even-handed." This is something Jim would definitely say to Father Fisher, because he knows that he had something to do with his father's death. I also think Ruth Rose would also say this to him, because she doesn't like her step father to begin with. Ruth is a troubled girl who hears voices in her head, and Father Fisher tells people that she is crazy which gave her an even more bad reputation. It seems like he won't let people forget that she is messed up. The song relates to this book, because Father Fisher acts all friendly, and many people believe it, because he is a priest, but really he is the bad guy. 

           The third song I would pick is "The Kids Aren't Alright" by Fall Out Boy. In the book Ruth and Jim have gone through very hard times. Ruth has lost her father, and unborn little brother or sister in a car crash, and now has to deal with her evil step father. Jim lost his dad, and now his mother relies on him to do many things. A lyric in the song is, "Don't you know that the kids aren't all, kids aren't all right." This connects to the events, because Jim and Ruth are the kids who aren't all right. They have both gone through emotional times, and now both have to deal with Father Fisher, and the horrible things he has done. Also many people just know that Ruth Rose is a crazy person, and doesn't think much other than that of her. A lot of the people, don't know that she has lost her family, and why she is the way she is. Another lyric in the song that relates to the book is, "All those people in those old photographs I've seen are dead." This can relate to how Ruth, Ruth's mother, Jim, and Jim's mother all lost someone important. They have a lot of lost loved ones that they lost a long time ago which could be shown in old photographs. 

            The fourth song I would choose would be "House of Gold" by Twenty One Pilots. This song talks about how the singer's mother tells him that when she grows old and his father dies will he take care of her. This relates to the book, because since Jim's father has died his mother relied on him for things to be taken cared of. She feels bad that he has to be put in this situation, because he is still a kid, but he doesn't mind, because he feels bad for her as well. A lyric in the song is, "She asked me, 'Son, when I grow old will you buy me a house of gold? And when your father turns to stone, will you take care of me?'" Jim's mother feels bad, but she and Jim know that she can't do all of the work alone. Jim tries his best to keeps her happy, and not too stressed. I think Jim is doing a really good job in keeping everything stable, because right now they are still doing okay with everything going on, but if Jim weren't there Jim's mother would be in trouble. 

            The last song I would pick would be "Thriller" by Fall Out Boy. I think this song best connects to Ruth's life. The song is written by Pete Went, and the song shows his gratitude toward the people  who have stuck by his side through his tough times. The song also adds in the critics on the band and the people who put labels on the band. One song lyric in the song is, "Make us poster boys for your scene, but we are not making an acceptance speech." This means that people have made put the band in positions that they didn't intentionally put themselves into, so they won't admit that they are what people said they were. This relates to Ruth Rose, because Father Fisher has told people that she has problems, and that she is just plain crazy. People now know her as crazy, when really she is not going through a good time. She admitted that she does hear voices in her head, but she knows she is not all what Father Fisher says she is. Another lyric that relates to Ruth Rose that is in the song is, "So long live the car crash hearts." The "car crash hearts" are the people she lost that were in a car accident. Ruth lost her father, and unborn brother or sister. Her mother was crippled after the accident. The lyrics say "long live the car crash hearts" several times over and over again, and Ruth rose constantly remembers the ones she lost.

Blog March 1, 2016

Life is Beautiful film

Night by Elie Weisel 

Prompt: Based on the Holocaust literature and poetry we have read, what connections can be made between Life is Beautiful and our reading? What events, scenes, or situations are similar or different? What is similar or different about the mood or tone of the pieces? How is life shown as beautiful throughout the film. Pull out at least two examples from different parts of the film and explain your rationale.

            In the film Life is Beautiful and the book Night there were many similar connections. One that I noticed the most was how the father and son stuck together for the majority of the pieces. In the film it was Guido and Joshua, and in the book it was Elie and Shlomo Weisel who stuck together. Both families had a loving relationship, but also went through a tough time. In the book Elie's father was the only reason Elie was still living. He didn't want to lose him or even be separated from him. The novel states, "I held onto my father's hand - the old, familiar fear: not to lose him." This show show Weisel truly cared for his father and wanted to be with him the whole time. In the film Guido makes the concentration camp seem like a big game to his son Joshua. Guido tells Joshua that they are there to win a tank, and they need to get a certain amount of points to win. Guido tells Joshua this so that Joshua will survive. He was willing to lie to German guards and other people in the camps along with Joshua, because he loved him so much, and didn't want him to die. In the end the fate of the fathers were very similar. Both fathers died in the camps. In the film Guido is shot after he is caught sneaking around. In the book Weisel's father dies from starvation, sickness, and weakness. 

            Scenes and situations that were similar between Night and Life is Beautiful is that both characters were in concentration camps, and both experienced deaths of people. In the book Night, Weisel was put into different concentration camps along with his father. The book states, "We have arrived - at Birkenau, reception center for Auschwitz." This shows that Weisel and his family were put in a concentration camp. In the film it shows how Guido, Joshua, and Dora were all put in  the same concentration camp, and we saw how the soldiers acted and what living conditions they were in. This shows that both of these character's situations were similar, because they both went through having poor quality beds, and constantly being hungry. In both the film and book they saw and had loved ones and friends killed by the Nazis. They also both were separated from the women. In the book it states, "I saw them disappear into the distance... And I did not know that in that place, at that moment, I was parting from my mother and Tzipora forever." It also states, "In my father's place lay another invalid. They must have taken him away before dawn and carried him to the crematory." This shows that Weisel was separated from his mother, sister, and father, and never saw them again, because they have all been killed. Weisel has lost the people he loved the most. In the film Guido and Joshua are separated from Dora who was the mother and wife. This shows that both titles were similar, because they went through the the same time period and witnessed similar situations. Near the end of both pieces, both Weisel, and Joshua lose the person they were most close to during their time in the concentration camps. This person was their father. Joshua and Weisel survived the Holocaust, because of their fathers. 

 

            The mood between the film and book are similar, but are displayed in a different way. Throughout the entire book, Night, the mood is very melancholy. The book focuses on all of the terrible things that went on during the time in the concentration camps. The book states, "Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never." This shows that he will never forget the horrible things that happened to him in the time he was in the camps. Weisel doesn't look back at those times in the camps as a happy time at all. Instead he sees a wrecked time in his life. In the film most of the film takes place during this tragic time, but the mood is not shown like how it is in the book. Throughout the entire film there are humorous parts. When the German guards come into their sleeping area and asked if anyone spoke German to translate the rules, Guido goes up and tells the people in the room all the wrong information that the German speaker is saying. He says these false rules to make Joshua believe the whole situation was a big game. The things he said were very funny, and the people who were listening were confused. Watching this scene made it funny, but in reality the German people were probably saying rules that if anyone disobeyed they would get killed. 

            Life is shown as beautiful thoughout the film in many ways. In the begining of the film Guido and Dora kept on bumping into each other unexpectedly. Guido fell in love with her the first time they met. After some time of being in love with each other the film introduced their son, Joshua. They all seemed so happy together. We can tell that they all had a wonderful, happy life. In the concentration camps that feeling changed a little, but there were moments when the family was still smiling. In one part of the film Dora is working with many other women while Guido is serving people. Guido then plays a song that him and Dora both heard at a party loud enough so that she could hear it. When she heard it she smiled and knew that Guido was there thinking about her. There was another time when Guido was able to talk on a speaker and tell Dora that he loved her. Even through this tough time Guido was still able to make his family smile. Towards the end of the movie Guido managed to save Joshua's life. He kept up his trick to make Joshua hidden so he wouldn't get killed like the rest of the children. A couple of times Joshua could have gotten killed, but Guido got away with it. One time a German server hears Joshua say "Thank you" to him in Italian, and the man went to go get someone. If it wasnt for Guido's next action Joshua would have been taken away and probably killed. Guido pretended to be teaching the kids how to say "Thank you" right before the people came back, so that it wasn't suspicious. This act saved Joshua's life. In the end of the film Joshua reunites with his mother and they are both happy. Dora knew what happened to kids and she was so happy that he was still alive. Life was truly beautiful at this time, because Dora and Joshua had survived the rough time.

Blog Feb. 23, 2015

Prompt: How do Elie's experiences during the Holocaust change him as a person?

Night by Elie Wiesel

            One way Wiesel changed throughout the book is his belief in God. Toward the beginning of the book Wiesel was very pious. Toward the end of the book he started to question God's existence. The book states, "For the first time, I felt revolt rise up in me. Why should I bless His name? The Eternal, Lord of the universe, the All-Powerful no Terrible, was silent. What had I to thank Him for?" Page 31. This shows that Wiesel had nothing to thank God for, because what was going on was so terrible. At this point in his life he questioned God's existence, because if God was really looking after him then these things that happened to innocent people couldn't have happened. The memoir also states,"Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God..." This shows that from Wiesel witnessing these horrid events, he felt as if God wasn't doing anything to help. This made Elie's belief for God pretty much dead. It also made Wiesel feel like God has failed him.

Another way Wiesel changed throughout the book was the way he saw himself. In the beginning of the book Wiesel was still human. This meaning that he was still very healthy, and has not yet experienced tragic life changing events. In the book it states, "Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust." Page 32. This shows that because the events he witnessed were so terrible, his soul was gone and he was a different person. Toward the end of the book Wiesel talks about how he looked in the mirror and saw himself as a corpse. This shows that he didn't even see himself as human anymore. Also he said in the book that once he was free they did not think about family at all, but food instead. This shows how the Holocaust changed his life, because he was acting as is he was an animal, and saw his soul as someone who was dead.

Another way Wiesel changed throughout the book is his relationship with his father. The beginning of the the book showed how he was scared to be apart from his father. He was so afraid that him and his father would be separated from each other, because then he would be all alone. This showed that he really was dependent on his father to make him feel safe. Also at this time his father was the only one in his family who survived, and he didn't want to lose his whole family so soon. Near the end of the book he still deeply cared for his father and his father's health, but he felt as if he was only dragging him down. Since Wiesel's father was on the verge of dying Wiesel often felt as if the roles had switched, and now he was the one taking charge and trying his best to keep his father alive. Wiesel even prayed to not become like Rabbi's son who left his father so he could have a better chance of surviving. In the end he almost did turn out like him even though it seemed like he didn't want to admit it. When his father died he was upset, but Wiesel says that he didn't cry. This shows that at that moment family didn't matter as much as getting healthier, and being glad that he was finally free.

Blog Feb. 17, 2016

Night by Elie Wiese

Prompts: Why do you think the author wrote this?

What are two emotions the main character has felt? What made the main character feel that way?

            I think the author wrote this book to show the readers what horrid things went on in the camps and how it changed people's lives. I have always heard stories about how the holocaust scared people's life's and how this event really shaped the person they are today. From reading this book, I can now clearly see the process in which people's lives changed. A lot of the things that the Nazis did to the people in the camps are displayed in the book, and we can learn how people responded to the things the German were doing. It has shocked me to see how many people did not stand up and say what they think, because they were so afraid of what could have happened to them if they did. As I'm reading this book I can see how Elie has been changing. Elie and his family have always been very religious, but ever since they were put in the first camp he has lost hope for God. As Elie's journey continues throughout the book I think he will change even more and will have less hope for getting out from seeing what has happened to innocent souls. This book shows the readers all of the fear the people had through this tough time. 

            One emotion that Elie has faced in this book is fear. He has been fearful for a various amount of reasons, because of what he has seen what the German were capable of. I think the first time he has been afraid during this time was when he was separated from his mother and sister. As they were separated he had no clue on what was happening or if they would ever reunite. He was also scared if he would be separated from his father. He seemed to be worried about not being able to be with his father, because that would mean he would be all alone with strangers. Another time he has been afraid is when he saw the children being thrown in the ovens alive. I think this would have terrified me the most as well. Knowing that he lied about his age, and was still young would make me very scared of what would ever happen if they found out. Elie witnessed many people being killed right in front of his eyes. He has been scared now that he knows what the Nazis are capable to doing to anyone. 

            Another emotion that Elie has felt is mournfulness. Since he has been separated from his mother and sister and put to work he has seemed miserable and dismal. He has felt upset of all of the innocent children dying. He knew that one of those children could have easily been him. Elie has also felt bad for all of the people he saw get hanged. He has lost almost all of his hope for God or for anything in general. He also has no reaction to when his father is beat. You can see how bad the camps affected people by the way Elie didn't feel any emotion watching his father get beaten up right in front of him. It's difficult for him to keep on believing that his sister and mother are perfectly fine. His religious devotion has even went down dramatically so quickly. All of the sadness that was in these people's lives from the camps have been stuck with them to the point where it hurt them so much they only really think of themselves having to survive. 

Blog Feb 12, 2016

Holocaust AOW Impressions

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

            One thing I learned from the Holocaust article gallery walk is how different people who lived though the concentration camps had different thoughts and actions toward the Nazis and other people. One article talked about how a man didn't have any hate towards the Nazis even though he witnessed harsh events. His reason for this is because he didn't want to be a hypocrite. The Nazis loathed the Jews, and if he felt the same way toward them it would make him feel the same way the German felt about the Jews, and he knew that wasn't right. Another group of people wanted to help Syrian refugees, because they didn't want those people to experience a similar situation. When these holocaust survivors saw a dead baby on the beach they knew they had to help. The holocaust survivors probably witnesses seeing their loved ones die, and didn't want to see other people having to deal with the same problem. As I was learning about all of these articles I could see that some people had different actions and thoughts after surviving the Holocaust. 

            Another thing I learned from the holocaust AOW gallery walk is how much the Holocaust affected people. Holocaust survivors have a high chance of developing schizophrenia, because of past events. People who faced the Holocaust are more likely to develop schizophrenia than people who were indirectly affected. The people who had been born into the Holocaust have had the highest rates of schizophrenia among all of the Holocuat survivors. People who were indirectly exposed to the Holocaust have a 27% chance of being diagnosed of schizophrenia than the people who actually faced the holocaust. People who were directly exposed to the holocaust have a 41% higher chance than the people who indirectly faced the holocaust. Holocaust survivors have been traumatized with this event. They have seen their loved ones killed in front of them, and had everything taken away from them. From this event people have been dealing with it it many different ways.

Butterfly Project Thinglink

Preparing For The Commission's Visit by Helga Weissová

. . . The commission, because of which a transport left and the three layer bunks were torn down, has departed, and I believe they were satisfied. They didn't see through very much, stayed scarcely a half day, but that seems to have been only a rehearsal. The camp command issued new orders about the "beautifying campaign" that must be finished on two months.

     It's ridiculous, but it seems that Terezín is to be changed into a sort of spa. I don't know why I was reminded of the fairy tale "Table. Set. Yourself!" But that is how everything seems to me. The orders are received in the evening, and in the morning everyone's eyes are staring with wonder, where did this or that thing come from? For three years it never occurred to anyone that streets might be named anything but Q and L. . . But all of a sudden the Germans had an idea, and overnight signs had to be put on every corner house with the name of the street, and at crossroads arrows pointed: To the Park, To the Bath, etc. . . . 

     The school building that had served as hospital up to today was cleared out overnight and the patients put elsewhere while the whole building was repainted, scrubbed up, school benches brought in, and in the morning a sign could be seen afar: "Boys' and Girls' School." It really looks fine, like a real school, only the pupils and teachers are missing. That shortcoming is adjusted by a small note on the door: "Holidays." On the square the newly sown grass is coming up, the center is adorned by a big rose plot, and the paths, covered with clean, yellow sand, are lined with two rows of newly painted benches. The boards we wondered about for so many days, trying to puzzle out what they were for, tuned into a music pavilion. We even have a café with a fine sign "Coffeehouse." 

     . . . They have already got quite far in painting the houses. . . . In two of the barracks some bunks and shelves were painted yellow and they got blue curtains. In the park in front of the Infants' Home they put up a luxury pavilion with cribs and light blue, quilted covers. In one room there are toys, a carved rocking horse, and so on. None of us can explain why they are doing all of this. Are they so concerned about that commission? Perhaps we don't even know how good the situation is.

I commented on Mia's, Evie's, James', Rebecca's, and Nick's blog.

Blog Feb. 3, 2016

Based on our Berlin Memorial Activity today in class, take a moment to reflect on what you learned about the Jewish decrees established during the Hitler years.

Prompts:

1 - What did you learn?

2 - Why do you think this monument was built?

3 - What did you notice about the number of laws passed in certain years?

4 - Which restrictions do you think you would do have the most trouble dealing with and why?

            While learning about the Berlin Memorial, I learned that Jews ended up losing most of their rights that they had before. Most of the Jewish people were forced to lose their jobs, because of new laws that had passed. I also learned that the laws the Jews were forced to follow had gotten worse as time passed. The laws went from losing their jobs, to going into forced labor, to have Jews relocated into concentration camps to get killed. As learning all of this I understood the struggle that Jews had to live through. These people lost families, pets, and their own lives just because people didn't like them. The Jews were treated very unfairly from the laws, and it caused many people to lose their lives because of it. 

            I think the Berlin Memorial was built to remember all of the people who had lived through the Nuremberg Laws. When people see that memorial they can look back at all of the tough times the Jews had to go through. It reminds people of how many people were affected by these cruel laws. Many Jews died during that time, and I think the memorial was built to bring awareness of the people who had lived through it. I also think the Berlin memorial was built to remember this tragic historical event. This memorial shows people who are unaware of this event of how many people were killed from this. It also shows that these people who lost their lives shouldn't be forgotten. The many lives that have been killed and are remembered in this memorial shows that we shouldn't repeat history, because it will affect, and even kill many people just like this event. 

            The number of laws passed in certain years varied from year to year. Some years there were only a few, while others there were more. The laws also seemed to be getting more hurtful to the Jews as the years passed. Comparing 1937 to 1938, a lot more laws were passed in 1938. In some years there were a lot of laws passed like in 1942. In other years only a few passed like 1934. Through the years 1933 - 1939 it seemed as if most of the laws focused on entertainment and occupations. A lot of the Jews couldn't have their jobs anymore, because of these laws. In the years 1940 - 1942 the Jews started to lose most of their freedom. There were laws such as, they couldn't be outside at a certain time, they were limited to their food rations, they were forced to wear certain clothing, and had to preform forced labor. We can clearly see that as the years passed the worse the laws became for the Jews, and the less freedom they had. 

             The restriction that I would have the most trouble dealing with would be not being able to have a pet and not being able to go to school anymore. If you have a pet at home you know that they become part of the family. My family loves our pet, and I know we would all be heartbroken if it was taken away from us. A lot of people get so attached to animals, it's hard to let go of them. In this situation Jews were forced to not have any pets. Pets also give us entertainment, and a loving friendship sometimes. I couldn't imagine how hurt my family would be at the time if we were forced to give our animal away. I would also have trouble dealing with not being able to school. Most kids complain about going to school everyday, including me sometimes. Then you realize that school is where all of your friends are, and the place where you laugh. Without an education (especially at this age) you would have a hard time to find work.

2nd Quarter Reflections

Prompts: 

- In what area do you think you made your biggest improvements in English Language Arts?

- What has been the most challenging part of 2nd Quarter for you and what did/can you do to help overcome this?

- What is something you have accomplished since the new year that you are proud of?

            An area that I think I have made my biggest improvement in English Languge Arts is annotating. Usually when I annotated I would write down whatever came up in my mind. Now I put more thought into it and really think about the topic the piece of writing is informing me about. When reading To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, I annotated so much. Usually I don't annotate in books at all, or when I do it would be a a thought on every couple of pages. Taking out all of the notes I wrote from the book made me realize that I put a lot of effort to understand the book. In articles I use to just highlight things that seemed important and wrote small explanations on why I thought that was important. Now I really think about the important details and write a lot more thought into it. I think most of that reason why I used to not be good with annotating is, because I was just being lazy, and wanted to get it done without much quality.

            The most challenging part of the 2nd Quarter for me was to do all of my assignments and turn them in on time. Eighth grade has been very challenging for me these past two quarters, because of the homework. In seventh grade I would get very little to no homework in most of my classes. This school year I now get loads of homework for each class. It has been a little stressful for me, but then again I have been lazy with my work lately. I've noticed that my work changes from when I take my time to do my work to when I do all of my work at the last minute. Lately I have been putting off my work simply because I don't want to do this. I know I have to break out of this habit, because I am just putting more stress on myself. I want to just finish the homework as soon as it's given instead of waiting for the last day I can work on it. It's like I know that I should do the homework when I have time to do it, but instead I just put it to the side, and think that I have more time to do it. That just makes it worse for me, and I know that, but I still seem to put it off. In the third quarter I will focus of homework before I focus on other things that are not important. 

            Something that I have accomplished since the new year that I am proud of is getting good grades on my vocabulary tests, and other units in this class. Ever since the new grading system I have been nervous to see if my grades would be lower than usual. Since the new year I have busy with after school activities and every week I kept thinking that I wouldn't do good on my tests and in school work, because I didn't have enough time to study. I ended up doing really well on those tests. I think after more and more tests they will become easier, because I will know more strategies to study better, and when the right time to study is. This quarter has been so challenging for me to get good grades and finish all of my assignments, but I managed to do it all, and that's what I'm most proud of. 

Blog Jan. 19, 2016

 

Prompt: What do you think is the most important difference between the written and filmed version? Provide evidence with specific details.

How would you prove that one version of To Kill A Mockingbird is more affective in delivering its message that the other?

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

            There were many differences between the book and the film To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, but I think the most important difference between the written and filmed version of To Kill a Mockingbird is that there were not as many interactions with Boo in the movie than there was in the book. Another difference was how Boo's character didn't develop in the movie as much as the book did. In my opinion I think the book had more significance and importance towards Boo much more than the movie. What I saw in the movie seemed like Boo didn't have much of an impact of the children than the book did. The film displayed him more as a minor character, while in the book he was very important. In the film it didn't show much of the different periods of times when Boo made an impact on the kids, and in the book he wasn't just a kind stranger, like they showed him in the film. The book stated, "'When I went back for my breeches...they were folded across the fence...like they were expecting me.'" This shows that Boo did this to help Jem get out of the trouble he got into. In the book Scout seemed very determined to meet Boo throughout the entire book, while in the movie very few scenes showed how Scout was curious to meet and see Boo Radley for the first time. When the children attempted  to give Boo a note, the book states, "Jem was merely going to put the note on the end of a fishing pole and stick it through the shutters." This shows how the children really wanted to have an interaction with Boo. The film kind of missed the determination the kids had to get the chance to see and meet Boo in person. 

            In the book while Ms. Maudie's house was on fire and it was cold, Boo put a blanket over Scout's shoulders. When Scout noticed the blanket put around her shoulders and was curious to find out how it ended up on her, Atticus told Scout, "‘Boo Radley. You were so busy looking at the fire you didn’t know it when he put the blanket around you.’” This showed that Boo was not the mean, scissor stabbing person people said he was. The little events like this in the book start to develop the reader's vision on what they think about Boo Radley. The film made it seem as if he was really just a friendly person who was being very shy. In the film it did not show this part at all. I think this would have been good to put in the movie, to show how Boo maybe wanted to have friends and how he interacted with the kids more. In the book there were several times when different gifts were left in the knothole for the kids by Boo. The gifts were an important part of the book, because it slowly showed what kind of a person Boo really was, and how the children's view on Boo changed throughout the book. The book stated, "We were walking past our tree. In its knot-hole... we found a whole package of chewing gum...yielded a tarnished medal...a pocket watch that wouldn't work, on a chain with an aluminum knife...'' This shows how Boo was leaving many gifts in the tree rather than just one or two things. The movie briefly mentioned the gifts in the tree and the significance of them. These things have shown the readers that Boo was very misunderstood for who he really was, and it was very touching to see his real character as a friendly, brave, shy, and caring person. 

 

            The book version of To Kill A Mockingbird was a more affective way in delivering its message than the film was. The book had greater detail into the town, the Finch Family, and Boo Radley than the film did. The film seemed to be mainly focused on the Tom Robinson Trial. The book was able to explain all of Scout's thoughts, and actions. It was hard to understand what Scout was thinking and it  missed out on some of her actions in the film. When Aunt Alexandra came to stay at their home, the book states, "'We decided that it would be best for you to have some feminine influence.'" Scout was very angry about this. In the movie they didn't show Alexandra. This was important in the book, because it made it more clear to us that Scout didn't like girly things and liked to be how she was already. In the book as we read along, we can see how our feelings have changed about Boo Radley. In the beginning of the book the characters and the readers saw Boo as a mean, scary person. We made assumptions that he was a bad person by what people have said about him, these were all rumors and later in the book the readers find the rumors to not be true. The message the versions were trying to convey was to get to know someone before judging them. When Cal brought the kids to her church, Lulu stated, "'You ain't got no business bringin' white chillun here-they got their church, we got our'n.'" This scene was also not added to the film. This would have shown the racism in the town, and how all people were affected by it. In my opinion this film didn't do a good job in getting the message across, especially since the message mostly pertained to Boo Radley, and he was seen more as a minor character.