Westly's Blog

Thesis Of My Documentary

2009-05-08T06:33:00.000-07:00

My social issue is to improve sport facilities in our community. Including schools, gyms, parks, etc. Also it will make kids more athletic and more healthy. Usually kids that stay home all day and don't do sports end up obese. Kids that get out of school mostly go straight to home because they don't feel to go to a unimproved park. My message is to persuade the mayor to improved our sport facilities in schools and parks.

Social Issue: Smoking

2009-05-05T09:31:00.000-07:00

My opinion about smoking is that I don't like it. It is bad for you,it is bad for the people around you and also it can be very tempting for the teenagers. Some reasons it can be bad for you is because it can put you in risk of lung cancer. Also you can give your kids or people around you in risk of lung cancer. Second hand smoke is also a bad issue for smokers. Especially if the smoker has kids. A kid's body is more fragile then a adult so a kid is most reliable to get lung cancer.

It can be very helpful if I can persuade smokers not to smoke in front of their kids because thas

Book Club Blog Critique

2009-04-22T08:38:00.000-07:00

So far Celie had a very sturdy life. She has been physically, mentally, and verbally abused. Celie was separated from her sister because Nettie went to Africa. And also she has been treated like a slave by her own black husband. She had her ups and downs of her life but she still overcame her issues.

I could compare somethings my mother's life to Celie's life. For example, my mom used to be beaten by her father, but she overcame her dads awfulness. Then became a good mom and woman. Also my mom was separated from her mom permanently because she died when my mom was ten. Implying those events my mom had a very awful childhood.

The most happiest moment of my book club book was when Nettie met Celie again at the end of "The Color Purple". I could tell Celie was happy because she hasn't seen Nettie in over 40 years. Also The story stated " When I seen Nettie's foot on the porch I almost died."

I recommend this book to anyone that loves happy endings or a tough adult book. This book is very deep. Also it is very emotional. This book is good for young adults to now about the issues that used to happen in the racial times.

Short Story Itroduction

2009-03-26T06:57:00.000-07:00

There is a speck of a old crusty house that been tumbling down the beauty of a hillside for decades. Cars pass it all the time, saying how its so ugly. Raccoons, rats, and dears passing by all the time around that house. Usually it reeks around that piece of junk. The sun never rises or sets over their, its always dark, sad. Its devil's work.

Too bad he needs to wittiness that piece of junk on his way home and to school. Rumors say there is a still life in that house. But he crosses through it every day and doesn't sense any life.

The Rose that Grew from Concrete by: Tupac Shakur

2009-02-24T08:57:00.000-08:00

I can infer that the theme of this poem is he had a rough life but he made something good of it and he overcame his bad life. For example, he compares himself to a rose growing in the concrete. And the concrete is his tough life. So I can Infer he followed his dreams and thats how he overcame his life. Even though no one notices him.

Hyperbole of my Dog

2009-02-12T07:31:00.001-08:00

Some hyperboles I noticed in this poem was ''Little Girl is my dog. She sleeps like a log.'' I think the poet wrote this hyperbole to give us a sense that the dog sleeps like a log. Also there was ''She has a huge mouth, And eats like a hog'' I think the poet said this hyperbole to show the reader that the dog is very hungry.

Negro

2009-02-09T07:18:00.000-08:00

The mood of this poem is proud and angry because Langston Hughes talks how he is all the people that had been discriminated, owned, and African American. I can infer that he is proud to in history but mad about what was in the history. For example the poem stated I am Negro: Black as the night is black, Black like the depths of my Africa. I can infer he is proud to be black.

Poetry Response Bronx Masquerade

2009-02-06T06:16:00.000-08:00

The best word that could describe ''Bruised Love'' is sympathy because Chankara felt bad for her sister for letting her boyfriend beat her up and now she is following in the same direction. For example, Chankara has just got by her boyfriend for trying to defend herself and she so ''saw'' her sister in her boyfriends eyes. I can infer she doesn't want to follow in her sister's foot steps. I think the meaning of the poem is some one that loves but hit you is not true love.

Poem Response Bronx Masquerade

2009-02-03T09:10:00.000-08:00

The mood of this poem is to be curious. I say that because his poem is about him being curious about death. For example the poem stated that '' Why hasn't someone censored death?'' Implying that he wants to know why death hasn't stopped. I can Infer the poet is hurt by something that happened in his life time that had to do with death.

Braver

2009-02-02T07:15:00.000-08:00

What I can infer about this poem is the poet is doing the same things in life and she wants to be braver wich also means she wants to stop her habits. And she wants to change her ways. The word that best describes how the poet's feeling is ''braver'' because she wants to be outgoing and ambitious in her life. For example she is always doing the daily routines and she is sick and tired of it. The meaning of this poem is not to be ordinary but to be perseverant to your life.

I Dont Understand

2009-01-29T07:59:00.000-08:00

I Don't Understand...

I don't understand

why snow is so white
why people make stupid decisions
why people are in gangs

But most of all

why kids are involved in drugs
why the stock market crashed
why we wear uniforms for school
which came first the chicken or the egg

What I understand most is

why I am so smart
why our earth is so beautiful
why I love art
why I cherish life.

Do not go gentle into that good night

2009-01-29T07:11:00.000-08:00

The meaning of this poem is that don't die easy, put up a fight for your life. For example the poem keep repeating ''Do not go gentle into that good night, Rage, rage against the dying of the light.'' Implying that I can infer that the poet wants me to be mad about dieing. The mood this poem gives me a idea to be strong because the poem is about to be strong and don't be ready to die. The poem uses repitition so the poet could give a strong statement to the poet.

DEFAULT

2009-01-28T09:06:00.000-08:00

I am DEFAULT
my heart is a vault.
You cant get in
if you don't know the pin
its 10/11/95
thats the day I came alive.

I am a unknown kid
the one that did.
The ordinary,
but extraordinary.
juvenile from the street,
struggle to make ends meat

My blood leaks from my chest and arms
dark red like bank alarms.
My knees buckle to the floor
while I blank out and count down 1, 2, 3 ,4

I breathe my last breath
and I'm taken down to certain death.

You Win!

2009-01-26T06:33:00.000-08:00

You want change.
Hard decisions,
your focus is in range.
Live up to your expectations.

You won the election,
you beat the old man,
your ready for the inauguration.
To say ''Yes we can''

Inaugural Poem Response

2009-01-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

"Praise Song for the Day"
by Elizabeth Alexander

What I think this poem means to me is that we should still live our lives how we want even if we have a black president. But we should thank the people that came before us that made this happen. For example, without Martin Luther King, Obama would no be president because he wouldn't be able to have rights. Just like the poem stated that ''Say it plain: that many have died for this day.Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,''

This poem made me feel grateful because all of these past people died so we can have rights. The stanza I liked especially was ''A woman and her son wait for the bus. A farmer considers the changing sky.A teacher says, Take out your pencils. Begin.'' I like that stanza because I think it means to just live your life.

Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird

2008-12-22T06:45:00.000-08:00

The major themes in To Kill a Mockingbird is Atticus is very brave when he knows he cant win the Tom Robinson trial. Also another theme in the book is that Jem is growing up to be just like Atticus. The author reveals the Atticus's problem was when Atticus was talking to Jem and Scout about that they need to be brave even if they know there not going to prevail. Also I know Jem is growing up to be like Atticus is when Jem was talking to Scout like Atticus talks to her. They will learn how to be brave and to know that they are going to grow up sooner or later. I think the lesson that Harper Lee wants us to learn is that not helping someone for a crime is like committing the crime your self.

Test Prep Action Plan

2008-12-15T06:36:00.000-08:00

My goals for test prep is to get 4s on the tests and to actually finish the test essay. Those are my goals because I want to keep pushing myself until I cant anymore. What I will do to meet my goals for the tests is I will practice reading faster, writing faster, making connection with my characters, and learning how to make intelligent inferences. I could improve the authors purpose and imagery. And to improve this I will have to go to advisory and Saturday school because ms. Johns is eager for me to go

To My Parents: What I've Learned so far in ELA

2008-12-11T06:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Mom,

My biggest accomplishments in ELA so far was me actually finishing my essays and projects. And I am proud of my self. My most favorite unit so far was the political unit. What we did in that unit was we compared and contrasted issues and political people. And then put them into essays. Our technology helped us a lot in reading and writing because we take tests on the computers and we also did essays on the computers.My goals for the rest of the school year is to read as fast as I can and to earn extra credit all the time and to get 4s on the city wide tests. Reading and writing is important to me in life is because if I want to get a good job I need a education and when I have kids I want to teach them all I know before they go to school.

Onomonopeia Poem

2008-12-10T09:42:00.001-08:00

Behind Bars

Inmates crying, screaming, and yelling
Cups clinking and clanking on the dark rusty bars
crunch,crunch of the inmates eating nasty old leftover food
30 years of pain,suffering,and hatred of my life.
the gaurd hitting the bars to wake me Bang,Bang
I got out of my dark dungeon and I was free
I finally saw the sun in 30 years
It felt like a whole other world I never seen.
Came in as a cruel child now came out as a whole other man.
time to start a new life.
time to go home.

Historic Leaders

2008-12-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

Obama is a very outgoing, ambitious, historic person just like Abraham Lincoln. Obama should be President because he knows what his ideals are. Also what he is going to do for the U.S. Lincoln was a legendary man. But it was a tragedy in April 14, 1865 when Abraham Lincoln got assassinated. Maybe that person who killed Lincoln didn't believe in change.In conclusion Barack Obama is more similar to Lincoln than ever before. Obama is our new 2008 President of the United States. Just like Obama stated "Rosa sat so Martin can walk, Martin walked so Obama could run, Obama ran so children could fly." If he sticks up to his speech and his issues he will be a extraordinary President. He made Obama Lincoln proud.

Readers Response 4

2008-11-24T11:51:00.000-08:00

Title: Trials of Death
by: JK Rowling
pg.1-21
The title fits the story because ''Trials of Death" is so far about a vampire named Darren and he is about to get sent to the trials of death. If Darren passes the trials he would be the next prince of vampire mountain. I can infer that if he fails one of the trials he will die. For example the story is called ''Trials of Death''. And also one of the trials is a maze that fills up with water in 20 minutes and Darren would drown if he doesn't get out in time.

Character Unit Intro

2008-11-17T11:21:00.000-08:00

Do people ever really change? Use example from your readings and personal experience to support your answer?

People can change because there is a time that someone needs to snap out of it, but also they grow up maturely. For example, in "To Kill A Mockingbird'' a white lawyer in the 1930s named Atticus Finch is involved in segregation and he wants to change and help a black man with his case. More over my brother was so quiet in my house and once he turned 15 he is so loud.

Election Reflection

2008-11-05T08:59:00.000-08:00

What made this election historic was of course we have the 1st African American President but also Barack Obama won by humungous amounts of electoral votes. What Obama's election means to me is that I am a part of history. Now I could say that when I was middle school the first African American President was elected. What I hope Obama takes care of 1st is education because I want to have a good school to have a great life.

Readers Response 2

2008-10-17T06:52:00.000-07:00

The Afterlife

by:Gary Soto

p.g. 16-22

So far in my book "The Afterlife" Chuy has been brutally murdered by a another student from his school in the bathroom at a dance. So now Chuy is in the afterlife and I can infer he wants to go back in his regular life. For example, he cant touch anything. He cant talk to anyone. And no one can see him. He is literally dead to everyone. I can infer he cant have no contact with anything because after he died he tried to get some food and he couldn't touch it, so far Chuy is having the most worst time of his ''afterlife''.

Reading Response: Questioning

2008-10-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

Obama Counts on the Youth

FAT QUESTIONS:

1. What point did Obama want to get through to the collage students? He wants college students to vote.

2. Why is it so important for the young adults of tomorrow to vote? So they can know whats in for their future.

3. Why did the unemployment rate double in the past year in Michigan? Because the a lot of drop out students don't have education for jobs.

SKINNY QUESTIONS:

1. What was Obama talking about? He was talking about how college students should vote.

2. What is he running for? He is running for president.

3.What party is Obama part of? Democratic party.

RAFT: This Land Is Your Land

2008-10-15T08:45:00.000-07:00

Question: How does the information in the box "A Day in the Life (of me!) help the reader understand the article?

The way the information in the box "A Day in the Life (of me!) helps the reader understand the article is by to show the reader that Ashirah has a hard working time where she lives. For example, she wakes up at 6:30 and she goes to sleep at 9:30 or 10:30. Mostly 75% of that day is hard labor.

Readers Response 1

2008-10-07T08:48:00.000-07:00

The Afterlife

by:Gary Soto

My character Chuy I think so far had the worst day of his life. His worst day was the day he died. Now in my book he is dead right now but he is alive in the afterlife. So now I can infer he is going to haunt the boy who killed him because no one can see, hear, or talk to him because he is dead. So he cant get caught. I loved how the author use so much detail while Chuy was dying. For example, "My legs buckled as I turned and straightened when he stuck me in the lower back." (p.g3)

I think the person that killed Chuy will be very careful of where he goes because he might soon find out that Chuy is haunting him, and he might think twice before killing someone.

Westly's Blog

Thesis Of My Documentary

Social Issue: Smoking

Book Club Blog Critique

Short Story Itroduction

The Rose that Grew from Concrete by: Tupac Shakur

Hyperbole of my Dog

Negro

Poetry Response Bronx Masquerade

Poem Response Bronx Masquerade

Braver

I Dont Understand

Do not go gentle into that good night

D*E*F*A*U*L*T

You Win!

Inaugural Poem Response

Themes in To Kill a Mockingbird

Test Prep Action Plan

To My Parents: What I've Learned so far in ELA

Onomonopeia Poem

Historic Leaders

Readers Response 4

Character Unit Intro

Election Reflection

Readers Response 2

Reading Response: Questioning

RAFT: This Land Is Your Land

Readers Response 1

DEFAULT