Reflection Blog

What are the three most important things you have learned this year?                                  
The three most important things I have learned this year is TIQA format because my paragraphs and my information is written very strong and it has really made me grow. Without TIQA format, my paragraphs wouldn’t be organized the right way. Next, I learned about the Holocaust. I think out of all the topics we have discussed, this one was very crucial to talk about. Many people died in this event and my teacher has the opportunity to spread the word about what happened. We can learn about our mistakes and not let history repeat itself. Finally, another important thing that I learned about this year is to be a role model. Now that I am in middle school, and I am graduating, I really had to be a role model this year since we are the “leaders” of the school. I want to mark a role in someone else’s life and going to read to little kids in Emerson really taught me to be helpful. These little kids listen to us read to them and one day, they will be in our place. We are so much older and wiser and I really do see that they look up to us eighth graders.

What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?
 Something that my classmates and I did this year, that I will remember for the rest of my life is giving our "This I Believe" speeches. I put a lot of effort and heart, eventually to the point where I started crying during my speech. It was not easy, but overcoming your fear will help you in the future. In high school, there will be many instances where you will get asked to do something in the whole class, and you will not be able to say no. Mrs. Larson really did show me that public speaking is not that hard, and you will feel relieved once you finish. Opening up to my class about something so personal, felt good because I know they are not the kind to judge. Everyone got to share something about their life and we did get closer as students. Public speaking has been the worst and I am a really shy person, so this speech will never be forgotten.

What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?                                              
The nicest thing someone in our class has done for me this year is when I forgot the book, The Giver, Dena sent me the pages of what I had to read. It is amazing of how technology works these days. I really appreciated what she did for me because I would’ve gotten into consequences for not getting my homework done. I also had to do annotations or during that unit, it was called signposts. Once she sent me the pages to read, I did my annotations and was ready when the teacher came around to check who did their homework and who did not do their homework.

What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?
Something that I have taught my teacher, following my classmates is the power of enthusiasm.  I taught them to live life to the fullest and that we should never take it for granted because we should appreciate the time we have left . Remembering also, to always have a smile on your face and surround yourself with the people that are meant to be in your life.

In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?
The area that I feel I made my biggest improvements on was my argumentative essay. This unit took quite a while to finish, but it was really worth it because I strongly agreed with my reason and stuck by my side with very precise information. Something that I accomplished this year that I am proud of is getting mostly 3's and 4's throughout this language arts class. This class has taught me so much, that maybe I thought I was going to fall a little behind. The amount of homework was okay.  When students say that there was lot of homework , I think it means they do it last minute and that's when they come to a realization there is a lot of homework. But other than that, I was caught up in my work and got good grades, I'm really proud for being a strong student.

What was the most challenging part of this year for you? 
The most challenging part of the year for me was the butterfly project. Reading my poem and understanding it was a little difficult because the children who wrote the poems, used terms that I did not know. Also, this involved a lot of art , which I am not good at but it was a really interesting project.

What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?
My best piece of writing, in my opinion was one of my  Articles of the Week. I think that this was my best because in the beginning of the year, we did a lot of annotations and analyzed the text very well and that helped me develop a good way of writing. If I did not understand a word, I searched it up on the dictionary and that helped me get a clearer background knowledge of what I was going to summarize.

Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why? 
My favorite book I read this year was Night because it was really inspiring to hear how Elie overcame the Holocaust. Imagine losing your dad during this horrifying event, and now you're alone. I mean Elie had to worry about himself now and survive on his own without his father. His father was his motivation to not give up and die. It was very hard to picture what he was going through but it is great to see how he survived and he is a whole different person for what happened.

What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year? 
The advice I would give students that will be in this class next year is to pay attention to what Mrs. Larson says. She takes the time to teach you and you should respect what she does for you. Also, do not do things last minute because it will be harder for you to catch on, on what you are learning about. Do your IXL's or else you will be in working lunch until you finish them. Overall, be positive around your classmates and especially around Mrs. Larson, she is such a great teacher. Appreciate her because you will be in high school, and the things you do in her class, will help you.

   

" This I Believe " Blog

Overcoming Obstacles”

By: Nathaly Galvez

      Growing up, my mom always told me that the life we have here is temporary. At any moment, something can happen to me, my mom, my dad, my brother - in general, my loved ones. I believe that enthusiasm can drive you to overcome any obstacles in life


       When I was in 7th grade, I was bullied numerous times by girls that I thought were my “best friends”. It turned out that my friendship was taken for granted by people that judged me easily. They judged me on how I acted, what I wore, who I was friends with.  Frustration and engagement were the words describing how I felt.It was a very difficult time for me. It led to a point where I let anyone and anything step over me.

     It was night, and they all messaged me saying hurtful things. At the moment, I thought to myself will they ever stop ? I lied to my mom the next day saying that I was sick, I went to work with her and she realized that I was perfectly fine. Eventually, I ended up telling her what happened and I saw in her eyes that she felt hurt I was feeling hurt. That wasn’t acceptable to her. We went home and my brother came home from practice yelling at me. I usually get my charisma from him, he told me to be the bigger person in the situation, to not care because life's too short to be serious all the time. I stress over the minor things and over think and to my brother that is “hilarious”. He would constantly start laughing and pointing his finger at me saying mean things but in a funny way. Not only did I start dying of laughter, but I also thanked him, and I’m very fortunate to have a brother like that, especially one that was in my shoes before.

    The two words I think of when enthusiasm comes into mind is laughing and smiling. I learned to surround myself with the people that came into my life for a change and the people that stood by my side through my many adversities. One girl named Claudia. She has been the most supportive and uplifting girl who for me, she's been like a sister.  Also, for the people that crushed my spirit, I have them to thank for.  I wouldn't be the person I am today without them. My character has definitely built up. I became not only a wiser person, but a stronger and perseverant person.  In the future, I hope to raise my family with the power of enthusiasm . It will strive them to become successful human being.They can use this value for themselves and for the use in someone else's life.
   
     Imagine the smile you can put on others, imagine the impact and influence you can have on someone's life. It is important for people to value the time they have on left with family, friends, and close ones. The real secret to life is living it to the fullest, the key to living it, is living it in an enthusiastic way.
 

                                                       

Literature Circle/Non-Fiction Article Blog

   
      One of my essential questions while reading the book, Things Not Seen, is if Bobby ever goes back to the way he was? This question tied to the novel because the whole conflict happening in the book, was Bobby turning invisible. It was mostly an internal conflict between Bobby and himself. Bobby didn’t want to stay invisible for the rest of life and the fact that he found out that Sheila had been invisible for three years, made him feel more afraid because he thought to himself if his invisibility was going to be a permanent condition. His father and Alicia’s father made up numerous ideas to reverse the invisibility, but they couldn’t decide how much more time they needed. Several weeks, months, and maybe even years. There was also an external conflict because social services came into his home with a search warrant, Bobby has skipped school for many days and it was starting to get suspicious. Social Services had to call the police and interview Bobby’s mother for questions, the lie that the parents told the authorities is that he is in Florida with his Aunt Ethel. Then, social services calls into Florida and makes sure, the authorities follow the address of where Aunt Ethel lives to identify if Bobby is there. Bobby’s mother is starting to get frustrated because social services keep coming in her house, unwelcomed and uninvited. The longer the parents keep the lie up, the more chances of them getting put in jail. Bobby does not want that. It connects with the essential question because it is important to ask if Bobby turns back to himself because the conflicts keep rising. The outcome of the essential question is that Bobby turns back to himself, It was Alicia’s idea, “two negatives make a positive”. If Bobby tries the electric blanket again, he cannot become more invisible, so he decided to try to sleep with it again. As a result, he was back to himself and living a regular life.

     While reading, Things Not Seen and the article, “8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A.”, it showed me multiple differences and comparisons. The relation between the article and the book is that it focuses on the condition of being blind. The two topics that are talked about both in the article and the book is that a disability does not define what you can or cannot do, you have to have a strong mindset and know you can do anything if you believe in yourself. It states in the book, Things Not Seen, “ ...Alicia's smiling and nodding, moving her head to follow the voices of the people at the table. She looks like she could have just graduated from college. With honors. And three proposals of marriage” (Clements 183). This quote means that even a person with a disability, shouldn’t give up on their lives. Alicia is blind but a very intelligent person that can get very far in life.  Alicia clearly shows that blindness will not interfere with her view on her future.  Likewise,it states in the article,” Now, his reading has earned him a bigger honor. In Los Angeles, he'll compete in the Braille Institute's Annual Braille Challenge. Amare, who is blind, is one of 50 finalists from the U.S. and Canada. He made the finals by scoring in the top 10 out of 310 students in his age group on the institute's test.” This means that despite the fact that he cannot see physical things around him, he can read Braille very well and will be competing in a challenge. Amare accepts the fact that he is blind and knows it doesn't affect the way he goes on about his education and learning.

The way the article and the book contrast is the age difference. In Things Not Seem, it states," ... Plus she's right about people avoiding her. No one walks near her, no one even looks at her for more than a second." (Clements 84). This quote is stating that Alicia also feels invisible because no one even bothers looking at her and no one walks near her. She feels isolated and sadness. She was once very popular in school but when she woke up one day and couldn't see anything, her world shifted into a different way. She lost contact with her old friends and it was a very hard time for her to cope. In the article it states," ...Maybe that's why stories in books are so real to him. "It's like if he reads it, he truly believes it," Peterson says." This quote clearly states that Amare is a young boy that likes to read. He is taught by his teacher who is trained to teach students with vision problems. Amare hasn't reached the stage of an adolescent and it changes the perspectives because he has a different mind than Alicia. Amare has his family who supports hi, and his teacher who loves and appreciates the time spent together of learning and reading. Overall, in Things Not Seem, it talks about isolation and in the article, it talks about how you should surround yourself with the people that help you the most. It all ties in because both main characters are blind and their disability doesn't stop the, from becoming wiser and stronger.

Clements, Andrew. Things not seen. New York: Puffin , 2006. Print "8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A." Newsela | 8-year-old who is blind prepares for reading competition in L.A. N.p., 17 June 2016. Web. 12 May 2017.

Literature Circle Blog

 
     The book I am currently reading with my literature circle is called Things Not Seen. It is based on a boy named Bobby suddenly waking up invisible and does not know how it happened. Bobby ends up telling his parents and at first, his parents thought he was joking, but Bobby demonstrated a trick to them so that they could believe him. He grabbed a spoon and placed it on his nose and his parents could see a spoon in mid-air. This is unusual because the day before, Bobby had a visible human body. How could a 15 year old just turn invisible all of a sudden? However, with all these questions, his fear rises because as he turns on the news, his parents got into a car accident. He is all alone now. No one can figure out that he is invisible because they will take him and break him up and his family, that is the least he wants to do. While in the house alone, he goes to the library and bumps into a blind girl named Alicia, Alicia and Bobby start talking and build a connection fast. As Bobby's parents heal, him and Alicia spend time together, and I learn a lot about their relationship continuing the book.

    Who is the most important character to you? Why?

   I think the most important character to me is Alicia. I think she is the most important character to me because I can relate to her so much even though I am not blind. Last year, in seventh grade, it was a pretty bad year for me. I was distant from a lot of people and I don't regret going through that because it made me stronger as a person. She says it seems like she was "invisible" as well as Bobby. Being seen but not noticed. I think the people who decided to put me down, came into my life as a lesson, to be the person I am today, and accept my differences and the beauty behind them. I was invisible to the people who blocked me out of their lives, they never seemed to notice me, they always had to say something that dropped my low esteem, so being invisible was part of my daily basis in school. It did hurt but God put me through those obstacles, and I overcame them with the people who did stay by my side and defended me.

    Is what you are reading believable? Why or why not?

      The book I am reading is not believable because a person cannot just become invisible. It is physically impossible for a person to disappear from their human body. It would be a scientific phenomena. It is based on a fiction story. Gravity does not work like that either. A spoon cannoot just float in mid air without scientific explanation. I think this book really has its own perspective on things, it makes it seem believable though. The police coming to check Bobby's house to see if he's there, he can feel people, the whole story seems believable but it is not. The science of this Earth does not work in a way making people invisible. I do think, that a person can be emotionally invisible to other people, but the question does ask if what I am reading is believable, and the main conflict here, is a boy becoming invisible and not knowing what happened to him. 

 

I commented on  Christian's blog. 

3rd Quarter Reflection Blog

    Of the books I have read in 3rd quarter, my favorite book was Night by Elie Wiesel. I think that this book really influenced my way of learning about the Holocaust. I didn’t know much about the topic, mainly about Jews and the Nazis. In our Language Arts class, we had to complete tasks and go to websites to look for the answers. But reading Night gave me background knowledge, it portrayed imagery, and most of all it portrayed its mood and tone the most. Imagine being in a concentration camp, living under that type of torture, it really touched my heart knowing he survived and still lives up to this day. He survived through the work, through the exhaustion, starvation, and the losses of his loved ones. The courage to build up that strength was impressive. At such a young age, everything was taken away from him, that is one thing I admire of this book, he accomplished to focus on himself and learn to live without anyone at his side, the world is not perfect, but he definitely did his best to great through his adversity.

    The area that I have most improved in English Language Arts is collaborating with my group. For example, we had to create a poster and discover themes for Night, we each had to look for quotes in our book and discover how it related back to the theme. We all helped each other out and I think it is really important to work with my table because we all put in effort and do not give up when we think something doesn't seem right, we continue and try our best.  PARCC is coming up, and my mind has to get ready for the questions being asked. Reading is not my strongest subject, but this quarter definitely helped me learn new things for the future.

    Something that I have accomplished during this quarter, that I am proud of is, persevering into my argumentative essay unit. I have always looked at presidential debates for the running of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. One day, I want to debate for something important in my life. Something small that affects me , to something big that affects everyone. The thing that I accomplished, is researching into gun control laws. I am proud of myself for choosing this topic because it affects communities and people. People are getting killed and we do not have it under control. We need stricter gun control laws and stricter background checks on people. Although it is hard for me, I stay too specific. My teacher checks up on me, sees how I am progressing, she says that I am too specific. I searched for sources that relate to my claim. I am proud for reminding myself that I can accomplish this type of goal. It makes me stay persevered and strengthen my confidence.

   The most challenging part of this quarter for me was research. Research and research. Looking for credible sources is not easy. Many websites have grammar errors, punctuation and spelling errors. It Paraphrasing quotes is also a challenge for me because I try to interpret the information at my best ability but some of the words in articles,  are complex . As fourth quarter arrives, I want to rise and improve in my complications. I also got distracted by personal things outside of school, my focus is important because it strives for success. Third quarter overall, was not my best quarter, but it was not bad either. Fourth quarter will be better, it is my goal to get fours in projects and assignments. I usually go for meeting standard, but I want to achieve fours.

Life is Beautiful Blog

 

Life is Beautiful

 While watching Life is Beautiful, I observed some similarities that can be compared to Night. For example, one similarity that happened in Life is Beautiful, is that Guido (main character ) receives a message from his Uncle Leo, that the Germans are on their way to capture them. Guido is in fact an Italian Jew. According to the information about the Holocaust, the Germans’ goal was to get rid of Jews. In the movie, the horse sprayed in green paint, had a message from the Germans. Uncle Leo warns Guido that they are coming to get him and he must evacuate the area. Guido does not believe him and he stays optimistic. In Night, the people are ignorant and do not listen to what Moshe the Beadle has to say about the Nazis coming to Sighet. Moshe survived because he acted dead. He came rushing to his community, spreading the word that the camps the Jews are being sent to, are meant to put them to work until their last breath. The Sighet Jews stay optimistic and hope for the Nazis to not come their way. Another similarity shown in Life is Beautiful, is the son and father relationship like the one in Night. As they are heading to the concentration camps, Guido and Joshua (his son) travel in the same cattle carts and in Night, Elie and his father were inseparable. They both remain together, and do everything in their power to stay alive for each other. They both care deeply about one another and make sure they are safe. The love really shows in both Night and Life is Beautiful because the bond they have is incredibly strong, Guido takes food given to him and gives it to his son and in Night, Elie and his father watch over each other when going to sleep. These are some similarities shown in Life is Beautiful  and Night.

    As well as similarities, comes differences. I observed many differences from Life is Beautiful and Night. One difference shown in Life is Beautiful and NIght, is that Joshua is much younger than Elie. This can affect the way they are both different because Elie is much more mature and realizes that his life's in danger. However, Joshua thinks that he is in a game. A game that if you win 1st prize, you get a tank. In order to get 1st prize, you must receive 1,000 points. Joshua is still a little kid and doesn't understand what is happening to him and his father. He is still living in his childhood while it was taken away from Eliezer. In the movie, they incorporated the defeat of Ethiopia, by bringing an animal and a flag. Everybody in the Grand Hotel, started to clap because they took power over Ethiopia. They also have two different leaders. In Life is Beautiful, the leader is Mussolini. Mussolini brainwashed children and had an inspector go to schools and had them learn about their beliefs. In Night, the leader was Adolf Hitler. Hitler didn't brainwash children, however he sent them to the crematorium or gas chambers because they were “useless”. They could not do the heavy work because they did not have the strength. Not only were the events different from each other, the mood and the tone were also different.

Another significant difference shown in Night is that it's tone is depressing and Life is Beautiful, the tone is humorous and cheerful. Throughout all the torment, Guido still manages to protect his son by the truth by filling him with humor. In Night, the whole story was depressing and scary. Elie and his father write about their experience, living in harsh conditions while in the concentration camps. They had a point of view of being desperate to live. Their life was in their hands, the Nazis were treating them so bad, they sometimes felt like giving up. Death always crossed Elie's mind, I would too because the things, the work, the labor we had to do, was so exhausting. My bones would ache, and my stomach would be in flames. On the other hand. in Life is Beautiful, their point of view creates humor because when Guido, gets captured by the SS, he knows that he is going to die. He says goodbye to Joshua, and walks away in his goofy, silly, walk. The final thing Joshua saw, was his wink. I find it so amazing that in the goodness of his heart, he finds his sense of humor, knowing that he is going to die, he still smiles and makes Joshua smile. He is a true father, a father that loves his son so very much, that he has to hide all that fear and terror in his body, to make Joshua think he will be okay. But this goodbye, meant that he was on his way to his death.

Life is being shown beautiful throughout the film in so many ways. Life is Beautiful really impacted me. It was such an emotional movie that teared me up. One example shown in the film that makes it beautiful, is the setting. Guido mainly travels in the city and finds his first true love there (Dora). The setting is really important because the audience wants a better picture of where the time period is taken place. His family enjoys living in the place they are in the beginning, the nature, the animals. The grand hotel was a marvelous beauty, that so many people went to. Guido was a servant and really enjoyed his job. Another example, that shows how life is beautiful in the film is the love. When it asks how life is beautiful, it does not have to be something physical, it can be emotional. The love Guido has for his wife is breathtaking. The first time he laid his eyes on her, he completely fell in love with her. They went on a couple of dates, had fun, and smiled endlessly. As well as Guido's love for Dora, Dora's love for Guido is jaw dropping. Dora's husband and child were being sent to concentration camps on cattle carts and she told the soldier that there has been a mistake. When the soldier tells her, that there is no mistake, she decides to put herself on the train. Incredibly courageous. It inspired me because love is so beautiful, if you truly love a person, you will do anything for that special person, in tis case, putting your life at risk is one thing she decided to do for the sake of her love for Guido and her child, Joshua.

"Night" Blog

As our language arts class finished reading “Night”, we have witnessed many changes that have impacted Elie as a person and character in the book. His struggles to maintain his faith. In the book, while Elie and all the other prisoners were marching to Buchenwald, Akita Drumer lost his son on the way. Unfortunately his son was trampled to death. Elie responds to this by asking,” Where is the divine Mercy? Where is God? How can I believe, how could anyone believe, in this merciful God?” (Wiesel 73). This quote shows how Elie has changed because in the beginning of the book, it really explains how pious, Elie was. Elie had no teacher to teach him the Cabala, however he finds Moche the Beadle, and Moche becomes the teacher. It states,” We would read together, ten times over, the same page of the Zohar. Not to learn it by heart, but to extract the divine essence from it” (Wiesel 3). This quote differs from the first quote because it shows the change Elie has been through relating to the relationship he has with God. At first he was religious, he even wept while he prayed, but now he doubts his God and believes he doesn't help him in anything. This is one way that Elie has changed as a character, the faith he has in his God.

Another way Elie has changed as a person and character in the book is that he becomes emotionally mature. In the beginning of the book, it states,”I didn't know that this was the moment in time and the place where I was leaving my mother and Tzipora forever” (Wiesel 29). This quote shows how Elie was separated with his mother, and this really affects him because he is so young, losing a parent and a sister is difficult to cope with. Elie was innocent and naive, his childhood was beginning to fade by entering a concentration camp. In the beginning of the book, he is really devoted to his family, his mother, his sister and dad. As a result, Elie’s mom and sister die. The way he changes is that he becomes mature and focuses on only surviving, once his father passes away, he watches out for himself. It states in the book,” Your age?" he asked, perhaps trying to sound paternal. "I'm eighteen." My voice was trembling”(Wiesel 31). This quote shows how an age difference can mean life or death. Now that Elie is “18”, he has to go through painful obstacles and he has to make sure he comes out alive in the end. It states," I spent my days in total idleness. With only one desire: to eat. I no longer thought of my father, or my mother” (Wiesel 113). This quote shows how he only focuses on himself and the only desire he has is to get food. The thought of his parents do not pop into his head because now that he has no one, he must stay persevered and determined to survive. In the beginning, he is naive but he transforms into a mature, single minded, young man.  

In conclusion, after reading "Night", we have witnessed many transformations with Elie as a character. The Holocaust really impacted his life and changed him into a completely different person than he was, back then living in Sighet. Elie changed in positive and negative ways, he lost faith in his God but also started focusing on his survival. He was selfless because he had his dad, his dad was the reason that he kept going and not give up, but now that his father passed away, he shone the light on himself. 

Wiesel, Elie. Night. New York : Hill & Wang, 1960. Print.