Why is Marjane's relationship with her uncle so important to her?

I think that Marjane's relationship with her uncle started out as just wanting to have someone that was related to her be a hero. She was jealous that her friends got to tell stories of how their friends dads were heroes and she wanted that attention. I think that after she met and spent time with him though they bonded and had a true relationship. His stories fascinated her and he loved her. He treated her like a daughter because he lost his and she wanted to be with him. He gave her stories of rebellion and adventure. She was beginning to feel like it was time to start taking action with her life and I think he stories gave her ambition to do it. I really enjoyed reading about their relationship and seeing them interact with each other. It made me so sad when he died.

ELA This Year

1) What was the most fun/engaging activity that you did in ELA this year? Why was it fun/engaging?

The most fun activity I did this year hands down is the music video based on the Odyssey I worked on with Jordan Barger. It was fun and we got other students engaged. It was fun to write and film. It was funny, fun, and just overall an amazing project. 

2) What was the most boring activity that you did this year? Why was it boring?

I really can't think of anything that was boring. I have always felt engaged and not wandered off because I was so bored. 

3) What was your favorite book this year? Why?

My favorite book was a Raisin In The Sun. It was my favorite because we got to act in out in class and I like any chance to preform a little and because I really enjoy learning about the times of segregation it just really confuses me how people could find others less because of their skin color. 

4) What was your least favorite book this year? Why?

My least favorite book was Maus or Gatsby. Maus because the way the book was written and drawn was just really confusing for me to understand the story. Gatsby because the story was just really confusing for me 

5) What should I definitely keep the same for next year's ELA curriculum? Why?

Keep the seminars. The seminars help me to understand the story and see others peoples point of the book. I really enjoy seminarians the book. Also keep response projects the same. I love the response projects. 

6) What should I definitely change for next year's ELA curriculum? Why?

I really hated the vocab work exercises. They were just tedious and a waste of time they never helped in any way. It would be easy to just get the words and their definitions. 

7) Is there anything else that you would like to tell me about your experience in ELA? If so - please put it here.

I really enjoyed ELA overall. I think you are a good teacher I did learn a lot of new things. It did frustrate me though that I had specifically said I needed help with grammar and sentence structure and that you said we could do lessons and work on that but only did two lessons. The two we did were so helpful and then we never did them again. Again though overall I had a great experience. 

A Raisin in the Sun

I really enjoyed reading this play. My favorite part about reading this was getting the chance to read it in class and act it out with everyone. We should read more plays! Something that really interested me in this book was the topic of segregation. I have had an interest in learning about the times when segregation and racism was a very common and normal thing in the U.S. for a long time. I really enjoy learning about it and hearing peoples stories because I think everyone should be treated equally. It doesn't matter what the color of your skin is, where you come from, what accent you have, we are all people. No one is better. We are all incredible and beautiful human beings. One of the most impactful moments for me in the story is when the character Linder comes to the family and basically tells them they are not welcome because they are African American's moving into a white neighbor hood. I love that the family moved anyone despite what those people might do to them. I am glad that I am in a time where its better than it was but I would like future generations to not have racism at all. I hope our society and world can get to that place someday.

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A Raisin in the Sun

On p. 143, Walter states, "There ain't no causes - there ain't nothing but taking in this world, and he who takes the most is smartest - and it don't make a damn bit of difference how."  Do you think that this is true? Why or why not? 

I agree and disagree with this statement. I agree that this is a tough world a more than the majority of people take rather than give. Everyone wants to be on top. Betraying others taking what they have its so common now. The takers have been the ones to get ahead in life. I disagree becasue it shouldn't be like this. I think everyperson should give 60% and take 40%. I don't think you should have to take from others to get ahead in life. Taking from people does make a difference. You could make their life harder or hurt them in the process. 

Putting myself in their shoes

Put yourself into the shoes of the Younger family. What do you think it would be like to live in a tiny, three-room apartment with three generations of your family, without the choice or resources to move elsewhere?
Thinking of living with three generations of my family in a three room apartment is terrifying. I would want more than anything to get out. It would just make me feel trapped. The thought of not having a choice, that my race and skin tone was affecting my chance to have basic living conditions. I consider basic living conditions space, privacy, and comfort. Living with that many people can't be comfortable and there is definitely no space and privacy. I feel bad for the family. I see the family as not complaining about it though. They are strong willed and what good does complaining about something you can't change do?

Brighter Bites

A couple weeks ago the 9th and 10th grade students went on an outing to Kashmere Gardens Elementary School. We were there to help with the Brighter Bites program. The Brighter Bites program gives families who live in food deserts, food during the school week. When we got there we helped unload the food bank truck. It was a lot of fruits and vegetables. Once we unloaded all the food and arranged it in the auditorium we started placing the food in bags. I was on the mushroom team. We placed one package of mushrooms in each bag with a recipe slip. After we had finished all the bags we got to interact with some of the students at the school At my table I had 4 second graders. I really enjoyed getting the chance to hang out and talk with the students. My group at the table had so much fun and we were able to get all the kids at our table to try the healthy snack. We had to dance for 10 seconds though it was the only way we could convince them to eat the snack. I look forward to doing this kind of work again.

Topic of interest

1. Choose any topic of interest that we have discussed in class (or not discussed, if you have a new one)  in relation to The Great Gatsby and explore it further. Use textual evidence to support your ideas.

A topic that I really enjoyed talking about in class was the concepts of the subconscious. It really interested me all the theories there are about the subconscious. For example the idea that every night when you fall asleep you actually die and are just given a new body with the same memories, or that you can't really prove anything behind you or is out of your vision range is real that just every time you turn your head your brain is just creating it all. The topic kind of just blew my mind. That maybe I'm in a coma and that everyone and everything is just a figment of my imagination. These philosophical thoughts are just fun and crazy to think about. The beginning of thinking these things really kind of shook people. For so long the world was that the world revolved around us and that God made us and to start thinking that well maybe that isn't true kind of knocked people off their pedestals and really made people think. I can't even imagine having the whole aspect of life all of sudden being questioned. This topic really interests me and I hope to research and learn more about it. I don't have any textual evidence of this in Gatsby because I didn't receive my copy of the book back.