Thesis of My Documentary

The social issue that I am addressing is improving all of our local sports facilities.  Including parks, gyms, etc.  The message of this issue is to persuade the mayor to improve our sports facilities.

Blog Critique

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Betty Smith

The book A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is about a young girl named Francie and her little brother Neely growing up in Brooklyn during 1902-1919. Francie and Neely go through poverty and a lot of hard times growing up. This book made me realize that we have life easier now then people like Francie and Neely did back then. This book is also about how terrible and great life was back then. Francie made life through her eyes fun until she grew up and understood that life wasn't as great as she planned it was when she was a child.

This book reminds me of To Kill A Mocking Bird because it shows me that not only African-Americans went through hard times but everyone was equal because they all went through hard times. In this book all of the children go through rough and hard times in school and growing up in general. In To Kill A Mocking Bird the children got through the same things with having to drop out of school to help their family around the house, to clean and grow food for themselves and others, and learning.

The saddest part of this book to me was when Francie and Neely's dad Johnny died. The was very sick for 8 months straight from January- July and then he got better for three weeks then he got sick from August- December and he died on December 25th, 1915 at age 34.

I would definitely would recommend this book to everyone because honestly it is one of the greatest books I've ever read. The book explains years of the children's childhood to when they get into their tween years. This book will show everyone just as it showed me that we have life easier then those who actually lived during 1902-1919 because they went through poverty and only certain people where allowed to work, and only certain were allowed to vote while others stood in the background watching and wishing that their life were easier. This book is worth five stars and it was wonderful to read.

Reading Response # 22

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn
Betty Smith
Page 131- Page 286

In the past two days I've read my book club book from school A Tree Grows In Brooklyn. Everyone said that this book was a great book. I didn't believe because I'm into the mysterious-weird types of books that have amazing twists but this book bend my book types. I enjoy reading this book so much. It shows me that if we think that life is hard now it was way harder in 1902-1919. We go through better things then the people lived then did.

What they considered expensive back then we consider it cheap now. But we must remember it was expensive to those who had to work as hard as they could possibly imagine and we get money given to us.

This book takes place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. The protagonist is Francie Nolan(really Mary Francie Nolan). And there is only one Antagonist that comes into the book when Francie is 14 years old that tries to rape her.

Before Francie was born her grandmother and mother had a personal mom to mom-to-be talk. Katie is Francie's mom and Mary is Katie's mom. Mary tells Katie that everyday before her children went to sleep she must read them a page from one of Shakespeare's plays and a page from the Protestant Bible even if she didn't understand all of the words. KAtie did that exactly when she had Francie and Neely (Francie's Little Brother).

A lot happens in this book but it's a grat book. I wait to see what happens next!

A Tree Grows In Brooklyn

Living life in Brooklyn
Isn't what you think
A tree grows in Brooklyn
People fall down
It ain't what we want or what we talk about

Living life is hard
No one knows how it is
A tree grows in Brooklyn
If you were me and I were you
You'd know what I mean

Living life in Brooklyn
Isn't what you think
A tree grows in Brooklyn
People fall down
It ain't what we want or what we talk about

You this is just fun and games
1902-1919 it ain't fun at all
Poverty
Living on the street
It ain't what you think it is

Living life in Brooklyn
Isn't what you think
A tree grows in Brooklyn
People fall down
It ain't what we want or what we talk about

Live life
Work hard
Play nice
Get along
A tree grows in Brooklyn

Living life in Brooklyn
Isn't what you think
People get shot
People fall down
It ain't what we want or what we talk about

A tree grows in Brooklyn
It taught us a lot
It went from a seed
To the tallest thing
That that grew in Brooklyn taught us everything

Live life
Work hard
Play nice
Get along
A tree grows in Brooklyn

Living life in Brooklyn
Isn't what you think
People get shot
People fall down
It ain't what we want or what we talk about

A tree grows in Brooklyn
It taught us a lot
It went from a seed
To the tallest thing
That that grew in Brooklyn taught us everything

Live life
Work hard
Play nice
Get along
A tree grows in Brooklyn

Live life
Work hard
Play nice
Get along
A tree grows in Brooklyn


A Tree Grows In Brooklyn is the name of this song
Word

Kids Choice Award

Saturday, March 28th, 2009 Dwayne Johnson hosted the 2009 Kids Choice Award. The KCA had live preformances by the Jonas Brothers, and the Pussy Cat Dolls. The show all started with Dwayne Johnson flying in. After that they pretty much got into the awards. Jack Black was nominated Favorite Animated Movie Voice. The Tiwlight Series won Favorite Book. Jesse McCartney was voted Favorite Male Singer. Miley Cyrus was nominated Favorite Female Singer. This years KCA could have been better. When Justin timberlake was the host in I believe 2006 it was the best KCA ever!

Hyperbole of My Dog

Little Girl is my dog.
She sleeps like a log.
She has a huge mouth,
And eats like a hog
In her excitement
Her tail is a whip times ten.
When she sees food
Her eyes start to spin.

Some examples of hyperboles are she sleeps like log, and eats like a hog, her tail is a whip times ten, her eyes start to spin.

I think that the poet Autumn Jones used these hyperboles because she wanted to give us an image about how her dog reacts to food when she is being feed.

Red Cross

Red Cross

by Jessica Rawls

There she is
Ms. Fisher on the steps of the Red Cross
She sleeps there, you know
"The dog who jumps in the sea loses his bone!" she
shouts
We laugh, my friends and I, and swiftly walk by
I notice a tear form in the crack of her eye
I went to her one day at the steps of the Red Cross
She sleeps there, you know
The day after she smelled of shoes
The skin of her face looked as if it were peeled, dried or
fried around her cheeks
Probably from crying
Crying, she pulled me down and whispered in my ear
"When a butterfly is pinned down a stream of time
stops"
I closed my eyes and shuddered because her breath
smelled like moldy
Porkchops
I smiled
Gave her a dollar
And left.
I went home and asked my mother about the woman
always on the steps of the
Red Cross
She sleeps there, you know
She said her name was Vanessa
I thought to myself that Vanessa means butterfly
I heard she was crazy, my mom said
I ran upstairs and called the police,
"There's a woman on the steps of the Red Cross
She sleeps there, you know"
The police went
They looked
She was asleep to the point where she couldn't open her
eyes
It surprised me
Vanessa Fisher
"When a butterfly is pinned down..."
Her stream of time stopped.

The mood of the poem to me is confusion, misunderstood, and depressing because in the poem it says she slept there you know and that is kind of depressing because that means that she is homeless I guess. I think that the poet wrote this poem with these moods because she wanted us to see that the lady that slept on the Red Cross was misunderstood and that confused a lot of the people that saw her.

Poetry Response: Bronx Masquerade

The poem Bruised Love makes me feel like this girl Chankara Troupe has seen and gone through a lot of problems happen in relationships and she is sick and tired of seeing girls get hurt. This poem makes you take the time and think the types of girls that get hurt are the type of girls that let themselves get hurt. I think that the message of this poem is that girls should really take care of themselves and not let their boyfriends hit them because that shows who they really are. If you see that your boyfriend gives you a lot of souvenirs you know that they hit you for little things and if you see that he barely hits you that is how you know that he doesn't mean to hit you but you just really got him mad at you. No I can not relate to this poem at all because I
don't let people hit me because that shows them that they can hit us all of the time and they will continue to hit you if you don't show them that they can't hit you and you give them the satisfactory of hitting you all of the time.

Poetry Response: Bronx Masquerade

Open Mike
Attendance
By: Tyrone Bittings

I like this poem because he talks about everyday life. Tyrone makes this poem sound like he is saying this poem out of frustration or rage because he says that his dad got shot and died. He also talks about how we should celebrate living our lives the right way today. I feel like he also says that we should celebrate our futures because once we find ours we can't change it. Tyrone talks about where he lives. This reminds me of a song called "California Love" by Tupac and another song called "Chicago" by Carl Sandburg that talk about where they live and what they feel about their home towns (or in Tyrone's place his block).

Stopping by the Woods

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.
My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.
He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there is some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.
The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep.
And miles to go before I sleep.

The mood that this poem creates is the mood of depression and the feeling that he is tired. The other types of poetic devices that Robert Frost are rhythm, rhyme, repetition, and alliteration. I think that Robert Frost repeated the last line twice to get his point across and i think that his point is that he is tired but there are way more important things to do before he goes to sleep. I think that the speaker is feeling tired because and depressed because he says that he has miles to go before he goes to sleep and he just wants to travel those miles before he goes to sleep.

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings

A free bird leaps on the back of the wind
and floats downstream till the current ends
and dips his wing in the orange suns rays and dares to claim the sky.

But a bird that stalks down his narrow cage
can seldom see through his bars of rage
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The free bird thinks of another breeze
and the trade winds soft through the sighing trees
and the fat worms waiting on a dawn-bright lawn and he names the sky his own.

But a caged bird stands on the grave of dreams
his shadow shouts on a nightmare scream
his wings are clipped and his feet are tied so he opens his throat to sing.

The caged bird sings with a fearful trill
of things unknown but longed for still
and his tune is heard on the distant hill
for the caged bird sings of freedom.

The inferences that I can make about this poem are that the poet Maya Angelou is comparing this bird to life. I can infer that because she says that the world is waiting for this "bird" to spread his wings and fly. She wants him to fly for everything he wants and everything he believes in.
The best word to describe this poem would have to be excitement because Maya Angelou is telling this "bird" all of the possibilities he has waiting for him and if he tries to spread his wings and fly. She is telling him that if he wants to he could achieve anything that he wants to by trying his all and never giving up what he wants.
The meaning of this poem to me is that when you want something really bad don't let it go too fast because when you lose your meaning in life you lose everything you stand for.

Why...

I don't understand...

I don't understand...

why there is terrorism
why the sky is blue
why the highest number is infinity
why there is Valentine's Day

But most of all...

why there is war
why you must be over 35 to be president
why some people don't believe in aliens
why the Twin Towers had to fall

I do understand...

why plants help us
why people look the way they do
why we go to school
why there is music

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night means that once you die you can't go back to living. So you must live your life and know that death is coming so when it does you are not surprised.
The mood that Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night sets the mood of depression and fury. For example, in the poem it says " Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light," and that means that you are getting older and your young days are over. Once your time comes to permanently leave to
give it a fight and not to die that easy.
I think that the poet uses poetic devices because he want s to get his point across. The other two poetic devices the poet uses in this poem are simile and metaphor. The meaning of simile is comparing two different objects using the words like or as. Metaphor means comparing two different objects without using the words like or as.

Recognition

The wonderful poem below was written by a fellow classmate of mine named Ana. I re-wrote it in my blog to show you how well she did with her Barack Obama poem. Keep on rocking Ana. Great Job with your poem. I personally love it.

The Power of Change

The power of change

We have the power to change the world,

to change our minds,

to think different this time.

Since we have change,

we have hope,

we have faith ,

all around the world.

We don't judge a book by its cover,

just because is old damage or it has a color that you don't like.

The color could be ugly,

but the words help you change the country.

Open your eyes ,

see through what people don't see.

Open your ears and hear him ,

like you hear a white mans speech.

THE POWER OF CHANGE!

Amigos

Friends 2

This picture will say a lot

But only means one thing to me

Friends

A Big Hug For You

A Big Hug For You

Would be like feeding a monkey a banana

So kind and thoughtful

You put a lot of thought

Into what to say

And in what to do

You arrange

Rearrange

You think

And you rethink

To try

To make everything PERFECT

This bear will tell you

What I can't say

So will you please

Be my valentine today?

The Day My World Ended

I thought that this would never happen

You were my best friend

And I thought that it would stay that way

The world was never the same after this

I wasn't allowed to go

They said I was to young

I was young

But smarter then I looked

I was furious

About the way it happened

It was like a twisted tale

So bizarre and strange

But now you are gone

And that demon danced

Right above where you were

I should have been there

To pull her idiotic pigtails

Out of her scalp

She danced and danced right above your wooden bed

She tapped and knocked

But you didn't answer

She thought that you would

But since you didn't she took advantage

When she was finished

She started to cry

Then they asked her what was wrong

She didn't answer at first

But then she murmured

"Tio is gone and never got to say goodbye"

Then they asked her

"Then why did dance over his grave"

And she answered

"Because I want to be there too"

"I want to die and say goodbye to him"

But she can't

Just imagine how it feels

To lose the one you love the most

It is sort of diturbing

In a heart breaking way

Rest In Peace dad

Have good and peaceful dreams

Forever

Poems

Childhood is not from birth to a certain age and at a certain age

The child is grown, and puts away childish things.

Childhood is the kingdom where nobody dies.

-Edna St. Vincent Millay

______________________________________________________________

And yet, to say the truth,

reason and love keep little company together nowadays.

-William Shakespeare

A Midsummer Night's Dream

Act III, Scene i

____________________________________________________________

Personal affection is a luxury you can have only after

all your enemies are eliminated. Until then, everyone

you love is a hostage, sapping your courage

and corrupting your judgement.

-Orson Scott Card

Empire

Readers Response # 21

Title of Book: Breaking Dawn

Author of Book: Stephenie Meyer

Pages Read: Page 500- Page 600

'

"Dont' be afraid," I murmured.

"We belong together."

I was abruptly overwhelmed by the truth of my own words.

This moment was so perfect, so right, there was no way to doubt it.

His arms wrapped around me, holding me against him... It felt like every nerve in my body was a live wire.

"Forever," he agreed.

That was the blurb of the book Breaking Dawn. That is important because Bella and Edward get married and go on their honeymoon. But that is difficult because they have physical contact and they end up having a baby together. They decide to name the baby Renesme as in Renee(Bella's mom) and Esme(Edward's mom) Carlie as in Carlisle(Edward's father) and Charlie(Bella's father) Cullen. The baby is very rare.

She has a gift of showing you what she is trying to tell you. Literally. She can talk but she just rather show you. She isn't all vampire or all human. Renesme is half and half. Half vampire and Half human. She has Bella's chocolate brown eyes, Edward's bronze color hair, Charlie's curls, and Edward's skin. Renesme grows at in incredible pace. By one month she looks like a tall five year old or a short six year old. Renesme is very smart. When Bella tries to read her stories(not the picture book type) she sometimes takes the book from her and starts reading the book. She is very INTELLIGENT.

______________________________________________________________

They Said It Wouldn't But It Did

They Said It Wouldn't But It Did

They said this terrible things would never happen

Two very important things

The Twin Towers stood proud

And the Titanic could swim

But these precious things came to an end

The towers fell downAnd the ship sunk

They thought that it would tear us apart

But that just made us stronger

We learned from our mistakes

That helped stay united

They say it wouldn't but it did

We planned our moves

We preformed them in synchronization

We won and lost a couple of things

They say it wouldn't but it did

They said he wouldn't become president

But look at where he's at

He has proven them wrong

They say it wouldn't but it did

He has lightened our burden

He has shown us the way

He was proven as worhty

They say he couldn't but he did

They Said He Couldn't But He Did

Grew up in hard neighborhood
Didn't have respect
But then he ran for President of the United States
He had a good campaign
He was not ashamed of his past
He used it to push himself ahead
He is not ashamed
But he played a fair game
His words
His life
Based on hope and change
That said that he couldn't
But look at what he did
He made it this far
And now he is on the presidents wall of fame
He says that will change the way we live today
But not everyone believed him
They said he couldn't but he did
Now look at what he has done
He is the first left handed president
That may not be important
But on his side he has one
That helps him stand out
And it helps him fit in
They said he couldn't but he did
He did a great job
Running his campaign
They said he couldn't but he did
Now he lives in the White House
And counts a lot
Congratulation Barack Obama
They said you couldn't but you did
Now he did his fair share
He did all he could
And now he is at the top
John McCain did great
But not as good
Barack Obama did what he should
Now he is President of the United States
They said he couldn't but he did

Piece of Cake

Last week the 8th grade took the state wide ELA test. Some thought that it was hard. But out of the three books the second one was the easiest and the third one was the hardest. Some people in my class didn't get to finish and that just made me wonder 'Did they try s hard as they say?' The only answer to my question is another question. "Did you give it 100%?"

I would have said yes. But now that I think about that test was a piece of cake. Hopefully that cake tastes good. Because if it did I will pass the 8th grade and continue on to high school and then on to college. the test could have been a little harder but that is just me.

I am so extatic that this test was the last ELA test that I would have to take if I pass. Wow what a great test to begin the new year. Seriously I think that the test makers slcked off just a little bit becasue last year the 8th graders thought that their state test was hard. This years test was as easy as 1 2 3.

But maybe that is because this 8th grade is and always will be the smartest 8th graders that 339 has had in the year of 2009. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You. But the teachers we have are awesome. So great job Ms.Johns, Ms.Levine, Ms.Kaelin, Mr.Blanchard, and Mr.Goldsmith. You guys and ladies have helped us a lot. So this is our thanks to you as the class of 2009.

Inaugural Poem Response

I think that the poem Praise Song for the Day by written and recited by Elizabeth Alexander means that we should be ecstatic about our new America. Now that Barack Obama is our new president we should praise that everything is going to change. Barack Obama is going to be a great president and he is going to help us change everything because if he has come this far and has given us hope why in the world would he let us down now?

This poem makes me feel like Elizabeth Alexander wants us to see how eveything is going to change soon. For example, she states in the poem:
We cross dirt roads and highways that markthe will of some one and then others,
who said I need to see what’s on the other side
I know there’s something better down the road.

We need to find a place where we are safe.
We walk into that which we cannot yet see.
Say it plain: that many have died for this day.

Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,
who laid the train tracks, raised the bridges,
picked the cotton and the lettuce,
built brick by brick the glittering edifices they would then keep clean and work inside of."

This tells me that she wants no that she knows that with Barack Obama on our side he will right what was wrong.

Some of the pharses that I really liked from the poem are:

Some live by love thy neighbor as thyself,
others by first do no harm or take no more
than you need. What if the mightiest word is love?

Love beyond marital, filial, national,
love that casts a widening pool of light,
love with no need to pre-empt grievance.

In today’s sharp sparkle, this winter air,
any thing can be made, any sentence begun.
On the brink, on the brim, on the cusp,

praise song for walking forward in that light.

And to me those phrases connect and say to me some people learn to accept each other no matter what is happening between them. Also that love is the most powerful thing in the world and no matter what that will always stay the same.

This poem really relates to Barack Obama and his life because she states in the poem:

Say it plain: that many have died for this day.
Sing the names of the dead who brought us here,

That means that people like Martin Luther King Jr., Sojourner Truth, Malcolm X,etc. have died fighting for the future of people like Barack Obama. They fought for the rights for African-Americans to have bright long futures.

Readers Response #20

Title of book: Breaking Dawn

Author of book: Stephenie Meyer
Pages Read: Page 1 - Page 756
Chapters Read: Chapter 1- Chapter 39

The book Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer is a very great book so far. This book is all about romance but with a twist. One because one of the main characters is a vampire. And the other reason is that he is immortal and the life of his life is mortal(which means his heart doesn't beat and hers does).

Bella Swan is one of the main characters(she is the one below)

You have to watch read Twilight(or watch the movie), New Moon, And Eclipse in order to know what is going on between Edward and Bella to know how strong their love is.

In this book Edward and Bella get married and have a baby girl. Bella decided to name her Renesme Carlie Cullen(hers and Edward's moms names are Renee and Esme, their fathers names are Charlie and Carlisle and their last name is Cullen). She has hard skin like Edward, chocolate brown eyes like Bella, Edward's color hair and Charlie's type of hair(brown and curly).

Like Edward Renesme gas a special talent. She can show you what she is thinking just by putting a hand on you. Bella also has a special power which is to shield. Bella can stretch her shield very far from her body and anyone in her shield is protected well enough so that they don't get hurt.

Only one problem really happens in this book. The Volturi(a very powerful coven of ancient vampires) think that Renesme is an immortal child(a new vampire which is a child that was bit and never ages). Though she is half mortal and half immortal she is non-venomous. She bites people all of the time and they are still perfectly fine.

Another not so big problem happens in the book. Once Bella became a vampire she and to keep that secret from her father Charlie.

Readers Response # 19

Title of book: Eclipse

Author of book: Stephenie Meyer
Pages Read: Page 404- Page 629

In the dead silence,

all the details suddenly fell into place for me

with a burst of intuition.

Something Edward didn't want me to know.

Something Jacob wouldn't have kept frome me....

It was never going to end, was it?