Cristina's Blog

REM Artist Statement

2010-06-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

In my painting I was trying to show the difference between the Leavers and the Takers. Throughout the book My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn Ishmael kept talking about the difference between the Leaver and Taker lifestyles and how the Takers should live and be more like the Leavers. I have two sides in my painting one is the Leaver side and the other one is the Taker side. Each side has many things that each represent something related to the book or stories in the book.

On the left side I put Julie and she represents the Takers because she is a Taker. In the Taker side I put a lock and key because the Takers put the food under lock and key and that's why we have to have a job so we can have money to buy food that was free a long time ago. Also I have the word "Dystopia" because with the Takers ruling we are living in a dystopia. Dystopia is "a society characterized by human misery, as squalor, oppression, disease, and overcrowding." I have a cell phone to represent technology because now we have a lot of technology compared to when Leavers lived. I also have money to represent the wealth that we have now. The world with the person at the top represents how the Takers want to be the rulers of the whole world. I put a sad face because we are sad, not always but we are sadder than the Leavers because of the way we live and the way we are. We don’t walk around and see everyone smiling and laughing. We see more people crying or with a sad face.

On the right side I put Ishmael sitting down and that side represents the Leaver side. On the Leaver side I wrote "Utopia" because the Leavers were the opposite of the Takers. Utopia is "any visionary system of political or, social perfection." I think that even though the Leavers were not perfect they lived in a Utopia because they knew how to live unlike the Takers. I have a group of stick people and they represent how the Leavers are more together and they help each other out. I have a happy face because the Leavers are happy, they aren't always happy because they aren't perfect, but they are happier than the Takers.

I didn’t really like this book because most of the book it was about Julie and Ishmael talking and it got boring just reading their entire conversation. I thought it was interesting sometimes when Ishmael told Julie those stories and gave her examples because it helped me understand better what he was talking about. This book made me look at some things from different perspectives like in the School Daze chapters. I used to think of school as just being a place to learn but I never looked at it as a place the takers make us be in so that when we are out of college we get a job so we can get money so that we can buy food. All this is because of food that is under lock and key.

Reading Enjoyment Maximizers (REM)

2010-06-17T11:06:00.000-07:00

Project Description: For this project we had to read the book My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn and then choose a Reading Enjoyment Maximizer. There were personal, textual, and community REMs but each of those had many different REMs. There were many different options that we could choose from. We could choose the one that we liked the most because the whole point was to do what felt natural and what we personally liked.

Process: First we had to read the book My Ishmael by Daniel Quinn. Then we had to choose one of the Reading Enjoyment Maximizers. I choose the illustrator one. For the illustrator REM I had to draw, paint, or otherwise illustrate my artistic vision of what I read. I had to include a reference to the literature and a brief artist’s statement. First I sketched out what I was going to paint. Then I had to show it to Charlotte and she had to approve it. After she did, I started painting everything in the canvas board and made the 1st draft of the artist statement. I had many people review my artist statement until I got to the final draft. I worked a lot on the painting until I finished.

Reflection: In this project I learned a lot about our world and about our culture. The book My Ishmael made me look at everything from a different perspective and helped me understand why we are like we are. It also helped me understand the difference between Leavers and Takers. By doing the illustrator REM I learned how to show something with drawings. One of the challenges I encountered was trying to organize my time to get everything done on time. If I could do this project again I would spend more time on the painting because even though I did like the final painting I think it could have been better. This will help me later to organize my time better.

Artifact:

Artist Statement

This I Believe

2010-06-17T10:13:00.000-07:00

I can imagine the day she wore her "magical shirt". It was a bright, nice, yellow, red, orange, pink and white shirt. Her squinty eyes overflowed with tears of joy from all the laughter. Her curly dark brown hair was in a ponytail moving back and forth, like a swing, as she bent over holding her stomach laughing. I remember all the people looking at her and me as we laughed about nothing. They had weird facial expressions but we didn't really care; we liked laughing and it made us happy. My friend, Illiana, and I are always laughing, we laugh about things that might not be funny to other people and even though some people might think we are weird, we are happy.

Sometimes people ask us, "Are you guys ever sad?" because we seem like we are always happy. I sometimes have hard things going on my life and I know Illiana does too but we try to be happy all the time and make each other happy. By doing this we also make everyone around us laugh. "I've learned that no matter what happens, or how bad it seems today, life goes on, and it will be better tomorrow." I used to think Thursdays were my bad days because bad things would always happen to me that day. But one Thursday I decided to stop thinking that they were my bad days and just be happy about anything that happened. That Thursday nothing bad happened to me and it ended up being a really good day. Since that day, no matter what happens to me on a Thursday, I try to be happy and positive about it and now I don't think Thursdays are my bad days anymore. Life is short so why spend it being sad? I once heard a quote that said, "If life gives you lemons, make lemonade." This means to make the best of what you are given. I always try not to look at everything as sadness and depressing, I try to make every dark rainy day seem like a bright summer day. Life is like a road, I never know when it might end. Make the best out of life and live life to the fullest. So even though your laugh is not the best laugh in the world, or sounds like a dolphin like mine, try to laugh everyday and your life will be better and longer. :)

This I Believe Project

2010-06-17T09:27:00.000-07:00

Project Description: For this project, we had to write a personal essay of 400-500 words about a personal belief or insight. Also, create a personal silhouette and display our silhouette and essay for the school exhibition. Before that we had to put our essay and silhouette in a frame.

Process: First, we had to make a list of 30 things we believed in. Then, we had to chose one belief out of the 30 and write a personal essay about it. We had to go through many drafts and revisions to get to our final essay. After our essay was done we had to make a silhouette. After we were done with both the silhouette and the essay we had to put them in a frame. Then we had to exhibit it in exhibition night.

Reflection: In this project I learned that we all have different beliefs and that we should respect what everyone believes in and express our beliefs, not because our friends don’t believe in that too doesn’t mean we can’t believe in that. We are all different and believe in different things. One of the challenges I encountered was actually choosing what belief I was going to write a personal essay about. It was hard for me to choose out of 30 things I had in my list. Another challenge I encountered was making my personal 400-500 words because first I had had less than that but later I had much more than 500 so I had to cut some things out to make it 400-500 words. If I could do this project again, I would spend more time and effort on the essay because even though I did spend a lot of time I think I could have made the essay better. I think this will help me later to organize my time better and put more effort in everything I do.

Artifact:

My This I Believe Essay

Evelyn Glennie Shows how to Listen

2010-05-20T09:49:00.000-07:00

What will you remember about her performance? Be specific about the experience.

I will remember how much emotion she put while playing those instruments. I will also remember the really nice sound it made when she was playing the marimba. Also, how much she seemed to love music.

Describe what it felt like listening to her play. What factors helped create this moment?

It felt nice and relaxing hearing the music that she played. I think it was how much emotion she put into playing those instruments and her love for music that made the music sound better. It made me feel the music and not just hear it.

What elements of her performance influenced what the audience heard?

I think it is how much emotion she put into the performance and also that she was deaf because she had to be able to feel the music. I thought it was surprising that she was deaf because she didn't seem like she was. Also,she was really good at playing those instruments.

What did she mean by, "Each person experiences music in their own way"? Think about how you experience music and why everyone doesn't enjoy listening to the same music.

I think it is because everyone has different personalities and everyone is different. Not everyone likes the same thing. Also some people are more into music and enjoy it more than other people.

Sustainability Visit

2010-05-08T14:39:00.000-07:00

Interview with a manager at the Imperial Beach Farmers Market

What is your name and your role at the farmers market?

My name is Juan Martinez and I’m practically the manager here, I could say.

How long have you been working here?

With this company like 2 years.

Do you like working here?

Yes, I love working here.

What is the difference between a farmer’s market and a normal store or market?

Well the fruits and vegetables here are not processed it’s like from the tree to you. It’s the most fresh that you can get.

What is your advice to get people to come to farmers’ markets?

That if you are looking for quality and freshness you should go to farmers’ markets.

Do you think the fruits and vegetables at farmers’ markets are healthier than fruits and vegetables at other markets?

Yes, I think it’s probably much healthier because the fruits and vegetables at a farmers market are more fresh.

What is the goal of this farmers market?

Our goal is to expand our commitment to the residents of Imperial Beach and surrounding communities by offering a weekly Farmers’ market, featuring fresh vegetables, fruits, local arts and crafts, and family entertainment.

Since when has this farmers market been around?

Since 1998.

Response to the visit

What struck you about the location you visited? Was it what you expected, or very different?

I went to the Imperial Beach Certified Farmers Market. It struck me how everything seemed so nice and fresh. I thought it was going to be much smaller but it was kind of big and everyone was so nice and welcoming there. Also, I thought there were only going to be fruits and vegetables

but there were also things like flowers and crafts.

Which items were cheaper than expected? Which were more expensive?

I thought everything was really cheap. I didn't think anything was expensive. I think it is because it's gown locally and doesn't have to be taken somewhere else.

Do you think you will start going to a farmers market more often?

I think I am because some of the fruits and vegetables were less expensive and the fruits and vegetables there are more fresh and that could be healthier.

How do these locations fit into our essential question of “Why Don’t People Live More Sustainably?” and “How Can I Convince them to do So?”

The farmers market relates to sustainable living because the fruits and vegetables there are locally grown or organic and healthy. I think more people should go to farmers' markets because most of the fruits and vegetables are more fresh there and even less expensive. I think if more people knew about them they would probably start going to farmers' markets more often.

Senior Garden

2010-05-07T11:20:00.000-07:00

Interview with Senior

What is going to happen to the garden during the summer?

I don’t know because if John would stay here then he would come back and check on the plants but he is not going to be here for next year. So I don’t know.

How often do you work on the garden?

Well it depends on the weather, like when it was raining we didn’t work on the garden but when the weather is okay then we would work on the garden on Wednesdays and Fridays. So that’s like four hours a week.

Do you use GMOs for your seeds?

No, I don’t think so.

Do you add anything to the water?

No, it’s just water.

What is this garden for?

It’s for environmental science class. I love environmental science class because instead of learning about everything in class we come here and work on the garden and we can see what’s going on instead of reading about it.

Have you ever sold any of your fruits and vegetables in a Farmer’s Market?

No, we haven’t.

Do your fruits and vegetables taste good?

Yes, they taste so good.

Response to the visit

Does this inspire you to start your own garden?

Yes it does because I really liked the garden and I think it was really nice to see all those fruits, plants, and vegetables growing.

What did you like or not like about the garden?

I liked how the garden didn’t just have fruits or just vegetables; it had fruits, vegetables, and plants. It had a great variety. I also liked how it was really clean and nice.

How does the garden reflect sustainable living?

It reflects sustainable living because they are growing and planting their own fruits and vegetables instead of buying everything from super markets. It’s almost like that family that we learned about that planted and grew many things, like fruits and vegetables.

Would you like to continue the seniors work?

Yes, I would really love to and I think it would be a really good idea.

Talking these ideas out

2010-04-25T13:26:00.000-07:00

I decided to talk to my brother about Food Inc. and organic foods because he also watched a part of that movie so he knew what I was talking about. We started off by talking about organic food. I asked my brother if he knew what organic food was and he said "Yes, organic food is good that has no pesticides or things like that in them. It's food that in grown naturally." He said that he thinks that some people are not aware about what’s in their food or about the effects of eating non-organic food might be in the future. He said that some people don’t know about all the pesticides and stuff in them. He also said that organic food is really important so we can all be healthy and we should all eat organic food. He also said that some people don’t eat organic food because of the prices. Some organic food is more expensive than non-organic food, and that is why sometimes some people don’t eat organic food. I told him about in the movie where that family was buying food from Burger King because it was less expensive than having to buy vegetables and things like that. I told him that it struck me how they treated the animals like they were all crowded together and could barely even move or also how they treated the cows like they would push them with those cars. Also how they would feed the cows with corn because that made them more fat but cows are healthier when they eat grass. He said that it struck him how many things they put in chickens so then they would be fat but then they could barely walk because of how fat they were. At the end, my brother said that we should tell people we know about organic foods and about what is going on so then everyone can be aware and we could all make a difference. I didn’t talk to my dad for this blog post but he is always telling us to eat healthy and to eat fruits and vegetables. He always aware of what we eat and does what he can so we can eat healthy food. I think the Food Inc. movie was really interesting and I learned a lot from it.

School Daze- Dialectic Journal

2010-04-19T17:44:00.000-07:00

Quote: "Because they have no survival value on their own, they must get jobs. This isn't something that's optional for them, unless they're independently wealthy. It's either get a job or go hungry."

Response: I picked this quote because that’s exactly what happens every day and now I understand why that happens. Everyone has to get a job because the people of our culture keep the food under lock and key. So then adults have to work to get the money and then buy the food, which was once not under lock and key so then no one had to work to buy it. They only had to hunt or farm for it. Also Ishmael tells Julie that "they have no survival value on their own" and he was talking about us and this happens because in school they don’t teach us how survive by ourselves, they teach us things that are going to help us in the future in our jobs. Having a job is not optional because there is no other way of getting food only buying it and the only way of getting money is by working.

The Black Shadow

2010-02-03T22:09:00.000-08:00

Florence’s eyes shined like the bright sun on a summer day. She just kept saying “Thank you, thank you, I love it….Oh I sure love it.” She stood with her short blonde and white hair looking at the house her sons and daughters had bought for her and her husband. Her face had many wrinkles, her lips were small and as pink as a rose, and her eyes were blue as the ocean. It was a nice big house. It was a cream color with white at the top. It was two floors tall. There were big, green trees everywhere with a beautiful garden in the front. It was a perfect house, or almost perfect. Florence loved the house; it was what she had dreamed about all her life. She would always talk about what her perfect house would look like, and it was exactly the same as the one she was seeing right before her eyes. Her husband, John, just smiled happily, but he wasn’t as excited or happy as his wife. He wasn’t a really happy person since he had hearing problems, but he sure loved the new house.

Florence’s sons and daughters started to move all her and John’s things to the new house. The house had many windows and had four big rooms. It had a garage and a very large living room. The sun poured in from everywhere into the house. The house was located about fifteen minutes away from the main town. It was the only house there in that area; there were no other houses around only trees. In the afternoon Florence finished putting everything in place and thanked her sons and daughters again for the house.

At night, she was very tired like her husband. She went to bed and turned off all the lights. Even though she was very tired, she couldn’t go to sleep thinking about the beautiful house she had and the flowers she was going to put in her garden. Suddenly she heard footsteps going up the stairs. She was a little scared but she thought it was just nothing. Then she heard something break in the kitchen. She woke up quickly. Her husband was asleep so she didn’t want to wake him up. She went to the kitchen and saw a black shadow. The shadow seemed to have red eyes glowing like stars in the sky. It was tall and skinny and it seemed to be floating in the air. She turned on the light quickly, but there was nothing there, only a broken cup on the floor. She walked to the living room and turned on the light, but there was still nothing. She looked everywhere but didn’t find anyone or anything. She thought it was only her imagination and the wind that broke the cup so she closed the window and went back to sleep.

The next day she woke up. Her husband was already awake, making breakfast. She decided not to tell John what happened yesterday so he wouldn’t get scared. “Good morning, why did you wake up so early?” Florence asked.

“I don’t know I probably went to sleep too early and I wanted to make breakfast for both of us. I made eggs and pancakes,” John replied with a happy voice as he put the food onto Florence’s plate. He was as happy as a man who won the lottery. Florence hadn’t seen him that happy in a long time.

“Thank you,” Florence replied as she looked at John’s facial expression.

“Why was there a broken cup on the kitchen floor?” John asked.

“It must have been the air,” Florence replied.

“Oh, I love this house; it’s really big and peaceful. There is nothing bad about it,” John said with a smile on his face.

“Yes…Yes it’s really peaceful,” she answered with a strange look on her face.

After they were finished eating, John went to read a book as Florence went to fix the garden.

That night Florence went and closed all the windows, closed all the doors, put chairs in front of them, and turned off all the lights. She went to bed and was reading a book when suddenly she heard the footsteps going up the stairs again. She got scared for a little but then kept reading her book. She heard something fall and break in the kitchen but she thought she probably forgot to close a window. As she was about to go to sleep, she heard doors opening and closing and heard some voices. The voices were a little loud and scary but didn’t sound like human voices. A few minutes later Florence heard screams. She just covered herself with the blankets and fell asleep.

In the morning she woke up before her husband and saw that all the chairs she had put in the doors where still there, exactly where she had put them and the windows were all closed. She saw the broken cup on the floor so she picked it up. John walked into the kitchen and saw Florence looking confused. Her mouth was open and her eyes were looking carefully at where the broken cup was. She was more confused than a kid on his first day of school.

“What’s wrong? You seem worried and scared,” John asked putting his hand on Florence’s shoulder.

“Nothing, nothing I’m okay,” Florence said, in a very low, soft voice.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes, what do you want to eat for breakfast?”

“Anything…”

After they were done, John went outside to walk around as Florence stayed inside to clean. As she was cleaning her room she noticed that there was a knife in one corner of her room, it was one of the knives she had in her kitchen. She went to the kitchen to check if the knives were in their place, but there were only two and she had four. She thought she probably had moved them, but couldn’t remember. She went to the other rooms and as she opened the closet of the third room she noticed a place that was red. The red looked like blood but it was dried. It looked like human blood and as if it had been dripping from something. Then there were some places with red in the blue carpet of the closet. She closed the closet quickly and went outside to walk around.

Florence was starting to get scared, but at the same time she tried to convince herself that everything was okay, that the house was perfect. At night, Florence tried to go to sleep and not hear anything. As she was about to go to sleep she heard the footsteps and something fall and break. John woke up and asked, “What was that?”

“I don’t know,” Florence said with a scared look in her face.

“I’ll go check.” John went over to the kitchen and saw a black shadow. It was the same black shadow as the one Florence had seen the first night in the new house. The black shadow had big, red, glowing eyes starring closely at John. Suddenly he had a knife in his stomach. He started to scream as the pain traveled through his body. He fell to ground screaming and crying for help. Florence woke up quickly and went to the kitchen. She saw John on the floor with a knife pierced through his stomach like in a scary movie. “OH MY GOD JOHN, PLEASE SPEAK TO ME!” She moved him and grabbed his hands, which were as cold as ice. When no one replied she turned on the light quickly. John had died on a dark Friday night. His eyes were closed and his face was pallid. His hands were on his stomach wet from all the blood. There was blood all in his white shirt. Florence began to cry. The tears went down as rain drops on a rainy day. She stood up quickly holding a knife and began to look around for whoever had killed her husband. Her hands were shaking so much the knife almost fell from her hand. “WHO’S THERE?” she screamed in an angry and scared voice. No one answered. Florence grabbed the phone quickly and called her daughter. She came and started to ask her what happened.

The next day the police came and took the dead body. They investigated what had happened for a month but they didn’t find anything. Florence stayed alone in the house. She always thought that a person had killed her husband because that was the only logical explanation for what had happened to John. Also, Florence didn’t believe in ghosts she thought they just came out in scary movies to scare kids. After her husband had died she didn’t hear any noises in the house.

Five months had passed since her husband died and she still didn’t hear anything at night. She lived there in the big house. She was a little happy but sometimes missed and remembered her husband and became to feel sad and lonely. She remembered her long life with John and how it had all ended in the perfect house.

One night, as she was reading her book she looked over at the clock. It said in big red numbers “11:00.” She closed her book and turned off the lights. She closed her eyes and covered herself with the blankets. Suddenly, she heard the footsteps and something fall and break. She got up from her bed but fell so she turned on the light and stood up and walked over to the kitchen with a bat in her hand. As she was about to go into the kitchen a knife pierced through her stomach. She fell to the floor screaming and crying for someone to help her but no one was there. As she laid there with the knife in her stomach she screamed “WHO ARE YOU?” The blood soaked her clothes as she shuddered. As she laid there with the pain she saw a figure that was all black. Her face turned pallid and her eyes opened wide. You couldn’t see the shadow’s face because it was covered with a black cloth. Florence’s hands fell to the ground as she died on that dark Friday night. The ghost moved the black cloth from its face and laughed with an evil laugh. It stood with its red evil eyes looking at Florence.

Link to zine

Space and Aviation

2010-01-13T21:15:00.000-08:00

1. In this article about Space and Aviation it talked about that in 2005 a satellite was designed to take measurements of the sea, ice, and glaciers but the satellite failed to work, making the original CryoSat satellite crash into the Arctic Ocean.

2. The satellite will offer unprecedented tracking of cloud-covered regions like Greenland. Pinpointing their thickness will help climate scientists make better computer models to predict polar temperatures, ocean circulation and, perhaps most important for those of us on the rest of the planet, rising sea levels.

3. In late February, the European Space Agency will get a second chance to launch a satellite designed to take the most sensitive measurements yet of sea ice and glaciers.

4. One of the main setbacks would be if something happened to the satellite again because they would lose a lot of money.

Entertainment

2010-01-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

1. In 2010, you'll be able to watch TV on any screen, anywhere. Previously, the only way to access TV on a mobile screen was by paying a subscription service to send video over an unreliable 3G wireless broadband network, and the service didn't deliver local channels. Today, television broadcasters for 30 stations in 17 major cities have spent up to $150,000 per tower to install transmitters that send free, live broadcasts to specially equipped mobile devices. TV on the Go falls under the field of research of entertainment.

2. This is important because it will help people that want to watch TV on their cellphones save money. With TV on the GO it costs broadcasters less than a penny a minute to provide the service, compared with the $4 per minute price that cellular carriers pay.

3. This year consumer products capable of receiving the signal will arrive in stores. This month, USB dongles that act like TV antennas for laptops will go on sale nationwide. TV-ready cellphones, as well as add-on dongles for current phones, will be available by the second half of the year.

4. Something that could happen to the creators of TV on the GO is that maybe not that much people will want to buy that even if it's better than paying $4 per minute because they might not think it is necessary to watch TV on your cellphone.

Semester Academic Goals for Hummanities

2010-01-06T22:24:00.000-08:00

A goal I want to set for myself this semester is sharing more my WEX writing and not just one time because I have to. Last semester I was a little more shy so I didn't really like talking in front of everyone or sharing what I wrote in my WEX. I hope I can achieve this goal so I can become a better writer.

Another goal would be to use the habit of mind of wonder in my writing so I don't just write something boring but ask myself "what if I add showing not telling here?" or "what if I add another simile?" This will help me be a better writer and practice the literacy devices we have learned.

The last goal would be participating more in class like volunteering to read the WOD or raising my hand whenever I don't understand something or ask the people around me for help instead of just staying confused. This will help me not be as shy as I am and understand everything better.

Time Travelers Pillar

2010-01-06T21:47:00.000-08:00

Project Description: For this part of the project we had to paint in one of the pillars in the 9th grade commons. There are four pillars and one was about art and architecture, the other one about religion and society, another about science and technology, and another about government. Everyone in our team had to paint in the pillar of what they wrote about in their research paper. For example, I had to write about Roman government in my research paper so I had to paint a picture representing the Roman government in the government pillar.

Process: First, I had to look at different pictures about Rome and about things that related to Roman government. Then, I drew out what my picture would look like. Then, I had to get it approve by Charlotte in order to start painting. Then, I started drawing in pencil what everything was going to look like in the square or rectangle we were assigned within our pillar. Then, I painted everything. At last, I wrote my name in the bottom.

Reflection: By painting this pillar I learned how to paint better and be able to show something with pictures or a drawing. For example, I showed Roman government by putting a crown, the word "Republic", an a mad emperor, which all meant that Rome went from a monarchy to a republic and at last was ruled by emperors. One challenge I encountered was trying to find how to represent Roman government because I couldn't think of anyway of representing the Roman government by a painting. If I could paint my pillar again I would spend more time on it because I kind off rushed through it at the end. This will help me later when I have to get stuff done on time and do it well and when I have to manage my time so I don't have to rush through stuff.

Artifact:

Semester Academic Goals Mysics

2010-01-06T10:29:00.000-08:00

Goal: Participate more in class.

First Step: Raise my hand if I don't understand something.

Goal: Explore different applications for math.

First Step: Start doing the challenge assignments.

Goal: Study for every test.

First Step: Study at least 30 minutes a day before a test.

Time Travelers Essay

2010-01-05T14:19:00.000-08:00

Project Description: In the Time Travelers Project for humanities class each one of us had to write a research paper but not about the same thing. In our groups we had to write about our civilization but one had to write about art and architecture in our civilization, another one about science and technology, one about government and one about religion and society. My group and I had the Roman civilization. I had to write about Roman government in my research paper. Our research paper had to be at least 3 pages but no more than 5 pages. We had to use footnotes in MLA style to cite our evidence. We also had to include a bibliography in MLA style.

Process: First we had to write our first draft, which could be handwritten and didn't have to include a bibliography or footnotes. Then, we had to write our second draft that had to be typed. Then, we had to write the third draft, which had to include a bibliography. Charlotte checked our third draft and we learned about conclusion and introductory paragraphs and made any changes in our paper. At last, we had to write our final draft with footnotes and a bibliography in MLA style.

Reflection: I learned a lot of things about Roman government and about Rome in general. I also learned about other civilizations in the exhibition. One of the challenges I encountered was putting footnotes in MLA style in my research paper because I didn't understand it until I asked Johanna if she could help me. If I could do this research paper again I don't think I would do anything different because I did a really good job on it and I improved a lot from my first draft to my final draft. This will help me later if I have to write something and write footnotes and a bibliography in MLA style.

Artifact: My Research Paper

Hero Project Reflection

2009-11-09T18:42:00.000-08:00

1. I think a hero becomes a hero when they do something for someone that not everyone could or would do. For example, almost everyone could probably save someone from drowning but not everyone would take their time or be brave enough to do it. A hero can also become a hero by doing something really important or significant for someone although not everyone sees that person as a hero. A hero cares about others and not just for themselves.

2. Project Description: In the Hero in My Eyes project we had to choose a hero but it couldn't be any hero, it had to be someone we could be able to interview and take pictures of. After we picked a hero we had to write a character sketch describing how they are heroic to us or just writing about a heroic moment of our hero. We had to have with the character sketch two black and white pictures of our hero.

3. Process: First, I had to choose a hero and write possible questions I could ask my hero in the interview. Then, I had to interview my hero, which was my sister Ana. Then, I had to write a manuscript of the interview. After that, I had to write the first draft of the character sketch. Then, in class we looked at other people's draft and made corrections. Then, I included in my character sketch the corrections I received and wrote the second draft. I had to then turn in the second draft so Ms. Charlotte could make corrections on my paper. After she gave me back my paper I had to include the corrections and write the final draft. After I was finish with my character sketch I had to make a template which had to include my character sketch, two pictures of my hero, and a hero blurb, where we had to tell why that person is a hero to us in less than 50 words.

4. Reflection: In this project I learned how to make a manuscript and how to conduct an interview in a better way. I learned how to make a character sketch and write a blurb. I think the only challenge a encountered in this project was trying to make my character sketch shorter but keeping the necessary parts. I solved that challenge by taking a few little parts that I thought weren't really important. I think this project went really good and if I had to do it again I wouldn't change anything. I think this will help me later if I have to write a manuscript or write a blurb.

5. Habits of Mind: I think I used the ownership habit of mind in this project because in my final draft I kept asking myself "Is this my best work?" because I wanted it to be really good so I kept adding showing not telling and literacy devices and description to make it better.

6. Artifact: http://cristina-michel.blogspot.com/2009/11/little-white-shoes.html

7. Picture:

The Origin of Zero

2009-11-05T18:50:00.000-08:00

What stroke me about the articles was how the number zero didn’t exist a really long time ago and the people would use symbols to represent zero. For example, “the Mayans used an eyelike character to denote zero. The Babylonians displayed zero with two angled wedges. The Hindus depicted zero as a dot. The Chinese started writing the open circle we now use for zero.”

In both articles it doesn’t say who really discovered zero it just says where it came from. I think the person that first brought up the concept or the idea of the number zero could be named the person that discovered zero. “The first evidence we have of zero is from the Sumerian culture in Mesopotamia, some 5,000 years ago. There, a slanted double wedge was inserted between cuneiform symbols for numbers, written positionally, to indicate the absence of a number in a place.” I think the whole world got to know about the number zero by probably people who traveled and told others about recent news and then that person told another and another.

Little White Shoes

2009-11-04T13:10:00.000-08:00

“I heard something small fall in the water but I didn’t think it could be you. I decided to turn around anyway to see what you were doing. As I turned around I saw part of your little white shoes coming up from the surface. At that moment my mind became full of thousands of thoughts.” Ana’s small brown eyes grew bigger and her mouth opened wide. She breathed harder than usual as if there was no more air. She held her hands up like she wanted me to come over to her. She ran as fast as she could with her bright red shirt, her jeans, and her black Converse. Her long, soft and curly black hair moved wildly with the fresh wind. The sun brightened her face making it lighter. Her face was as if she had seen a ghost and looked more worried than someone who hadn’t studied for a test.

“You were really small. You were almost completely in the water. I could just see your little shoes but your head and all your body were in the water, which made me more worried.” She pursed her little red lips together and tightened them. “I was really scared that I might not be able to save you but at the same time I felt hopeful and tried to be positive and think that you were going to be alive when I pulled you out of the water.” As she sat there she brought the whole memory to life. She ran and thought “Will she be alive? Will I be able to save her? What if I’m too late and I don’t save her?” She was thinking about all the bad things that could happen but also that I was going to be okay. As the words flowed out of her mouth and entered my ears I traveled back to that day at the river.

As she finally got to the river she submerged her hands in the warm water and grabbed my little white shoes and kept pulling me until my whole body was out of the water. She held me in her big, warm hands. I was more scared than a little kid going to school for the first day and I was really surprised that I was still alive. My clothes were wet and felt sticky and uncomfortable on my skin. My face was without expression just standing with my eyes closed. My whole body was shaking. At that moment, I didn’t know what to think or what to say, I wasn’t even sure if I was really alive. When I was drowning I kept trying to think that I was going to be okay but at the end I just thought I wasn’t going to make it and now I was just here standing. As I stood there all of my thoughts and feelings were out of place. I didn’t know if I should be happy, sad, confused, surprised or even what to do.

“I kept on saying ‘Cristina! Cristina! Are you okay?’ because you didn’t open your eyes but as soon as you opened them I said, ‘Oh Cristina, I’m so happy your okay! Are you cold? Do you need anything? How did you fall? What happened? Are you hearing me? Are you listening?’”

“Y-e-s,” I muttered under my breath. I was only five years old. I could not believe I was standing here with my sister. I could not believe I was even alive. The whole scene played over and over in my head. I was listening to my sister but I was thinking about what happened and how this all happened so quickly. I didn’t want to talk I just wanted something warm. I looked into my sister’s eyes and the more I looked at them the more I felt like that moment was real, that I was alive.

She carried me in her arms and tried to keep me warm. I put my head on her shoulder as the scene kept repeating in my head over and over. I was shaking a little but then I stopped when she put her hands tighter around me. It smelled like sun block combined with flowers. That smell made me feel comfortable and secure like if nothing had happened. As she carried me in her arms she looked really happy that she had been able to save me from drowning. “I was filled with joy and happiness. You were alive! I actually saved you!” I looked and observed the big smile on her face, her eyes shined like the sun, her hair was moving as the wind blew. I kept looking at her and thought, “This is how a hero really looks like.”

The Question

2009-11-02T18:00:00.000-08:00

Catching the signal from one of her friends, Angela brushed her skirt, took a deep breath and walked towards where he was sitting. Her blonde straight hair hung besides her elbows. Her eyes were two long blue rivers. Her lips were pink like a rose. She wore a wavy black and white skirt that was above her knees and a white tank top. She walked slowly.

“Hi! Angela,” Daniel screamed. He had short brown hair. His eyes were blue like the sky and his lips were red as blood. He was wearing jeans and a black shirt. He smiled as he looked into Angela’s eyes.

“Hi! Daniel,” Angela replied as she smiled back. They both looked at each other as the wind blew making their hair move from one side to the other.

Angela remembered a year ago when she asked a guy to go with her and her friends to the beach. She remembered how happy she was when the guy said yes. Now she was about to ask Daniel if he wanted to go with her and her friends to the movies, hoping that he would say yes.

“Would you want to go with my friends and I to the movies tomorrow?” Angela asked.

“Yes! Thanks for inviting me.”

“Okay, see you tomorrow,” she smiled.

“Bye,” he stood up and walked to his class.

She walked towards her friends and started telling them what happened.

The First Day of School

2009-10-06T13:08:00.000-07:00

I was a little scared but at the same time I felt as if my heart was beating faster than usual. I felt like I was shivering and I could not stop. The wind was cold and fresh in my face. My stomach felt as if I was going down a rollercoaster. My mind thought so much things that I walked slower than usual.

I finally got to the door. It was blue in the corners and in the middle it was kind off like a mirror because you could see yourself. My face looked pale and scared when I saw it in the door. The door felt warm in my hands as I pulled it open. As I walked slowly inside I felt the warm air in my face. It was the delicious and mouth-watering smell of fresh popcorn. The delicious smell traveled through my nose and made me hungry for a moment.

The walls were smooth and were the same color blue as the door and at the bottom they were orange. There were a lot of different colored backpacks on the floor in the right side. I kept walking slower and slower. As I walked I heard things like “OMG I love your hair!” or, “I haven’t seen you in a long time,” and “How was your summer?” Probably that is what I would be telling my friends if I wasn’t here. Everyone’s faces were bright as the sun and their smiles as big as the earth. They looked as happy as a person who won the lottery and as excited as students waiting for summer. Their eyes brighten more than a diamond but my eyes didn’t even shine. I didn’t want to be here. I did not know anyone here and I was going to go to 8th grade. Almost everyone had been in that school since 6th grade. My heart was beating faster and faster with every step I made. At that moment, I wished I had not moved school but it was too late I had already moved to High Tech Middle.

Suddenly, I started thinking everything out and I realized how much I loved my school and my friends and how much I was going to miss them. As I thought more about my old school and friends I felt more and more pain in my heart. My mind was full with thousands of thoughts about everything. My face was still pale and looked as if I had seen a ghost. My hands hung beside my body like nothing. My eyes were open big and brown as a shiny coffee grain. My stomach felt as when you see someone you love or like. I stood there like a statue looking around. I was still shivering and my skin felt cold as ice. I knew it wasn’t going to be easy.

Sensory Detail: Sound

2009-10-05T21:23:00.000-07:00

Click here for audio The Toy Choral Top

It first started like a really soft sound that you could barely hear. It made you feel like you were on another place alone without anything or anyone around you. Then it was a little louder but still soft and calm. It sounded like the songs movies play when something sad happens or when someone dies and everyone is crying. In the beginning it also sounds like when someone is in a really dark room alone and a ghost is behind them and that person is turning around to see what is behind them. It was a sound that was calm and peaceful but at the same time sad and a little scary. It sounded like a train going through a lonely forest on a cold, dark, and stormy day. Going without direction just going forward to see what it finds. In some parts it also sounds like a train going through a city when the sun is going down on the afternoon. This sound makes you think about sad things but it also makes you a little sleepy. This sounds fills you with hope. This sound made me think of someone alone in their house playing an instrument while it was raining outside. That person was playing how he felt and what he felt through that sound. That sound made that person express all of his sadness and loneliness. At last, it also sounds like a carousel but a little softer.

The Locker Problem

2009-10-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

My group and I found out that there were 31 perfect square roots in 1,000. Then we connected what we got to what other groups got and came out with the answer that when 1,000 students follow the pattern with the 1,000 lockers, there would be 31 lockers open. The lockers that would be open would be the ones that have perfect square roots. For example, 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, and until you get to 961, which its square root is 31. These lockers are open because only perfect square roots have numbers that multiply by themselves. For example, locker number 4 is open because it has been changed the state of, 3 times. It is 3 because you can make 4 with only three numbers, which are1, 2, and 4 because you don’t count the numbers twice. So 1*4 and 2*2. Only perfect square roots have odd amount of factors because they have numbers that multiply by themselves and you just count them once. Locker number 4 is open because student #1 opened it then student #2 closed it, then student #3 didn’t do anything to it, and at last student #4 opened it, so it stayed open like shown in the diagram below. Each factor corresponds to the student who touched the locker. The perfect square roots have to have odd amount of factors to be open because if they had even amount of factors they would be closed. Odd amount of factors mean open and even amount of factors mean closed.

Student #1:

The first student goes along the row and opens every locker.

Student #2:

The second student then goes along and shuts every other locker beginning with locker number 2.

Student #3:

The third student changes the state of every third locker beginning with locker number 3. (If the locker is open the student shuts it, and if the locker is closed the student opens it.)

Student #4:

The fourth student changes the state of every fourth locker beginning with number 4.

Locker #1:

Students that have opened or closed the locker:

1= Open

1=Open 2=Closed

1= Open

2= Closed

1= Open

2=Closed

4= Open

1= Open

5= Closed

M.W.B. Character- What I Did This Weekend

2009-09-28T10:39:00.000-07:00

Dear Diary,

Yesterday was Saturday. I stayed in Uncle Tommy’s National City apartment. I was bored of being there but I could not come out. I was really sorry for what had happened to Uno’s little brother. It was all my fault. Why did I have to let go off the bat? I wish I would have just said that day that I did not want to play. I also did not want to come out because I didn’t want to see Uno. I was scared that he would hit me again, but I understand why he hit me last time. He was protecting his little brother.

Yesterday I was the entire day in bed. Sofia kept coming in to see if I was okay or if I needed something, but every time she came in I pretended I was sleeping. Probably she was worried about me. I had a long time already being in bed all day, but I felt really guilty for what had happened to Uno’s little brother. Also, sometimes Uncle Tommy came in to check on me but I also pretended I was asleep. I did not want to talk to anyone. I just wanted to be alone. Every time after Uncle Tommy came out of my room he would talk to Sofia about me, but I couldn’t really hear what they were saying. I only heard things like “he has been there for a long time” or “he is depressed.”

Today was Sunday. I knew it was going to be another boring day in Uncle Tommy’s apartment. I was going to stay in bed and pretend I was asleep whenever Uncle Tommy or Sofia came in the room. I woke up in the morning. I looked out the window. It was a bright sunny day. I wish I could be outside playing baseball but I still felt guilty about everything that happened last time I played baseball. I went back to bed and wished that I could soon come out of Uncle Tommy’s apartment.

Danny Lopez

Order of Operations

2009-09-09T10:09:00.000-07:00

1. -3+2^2/2-4

2. (5^2+3)+7-1

3. 2*6+3*2=36

Favorite Fictional Hero

2009-09-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite fictional heroes is Spider- Man. Spider-Man is the creation of Marvel Comics legend Stan Lee. While attending a lab demonstration on the safe handling of nuclear waste, Peter Parker(Spider-Man) was bitten by a spider that had been inflicted with radioactive rays. This gave Peter Parker, who was a teenager at that time, the proportionate speed and strength of a spider.
Spider-Man has spider like abilities including superhuman strength and the ability to cling to most surfaces. He is also extremely agile and has amazing reflexes. Spider-Man also has a, “spider sense,” that warns him of impending danger.
Spider-Man has supplemented his powers with technology. Being a brilliant chemist and scientist, Peter has made web-slings, bracelets that shoot out a sticky webbing, allowing him to swing from building to building. He has also developed stingers that shoot powerful energy blasts that can stun his enemies.
In the recent storyline, Spider-Man has been reborn with even stronger abilities. He has the ability to see in the dark, enhanced senses, and can feel the vibrations through his webbing. In addition to this new suit he has increase his strength further and gives protection from damage. Recently, however, he has gotten rid of the suit and returned to the classic costume.

Spider-Man is one of my favorite fictional heroes because I really like the powers and abilities he has. Also, I like how he is like a spider and I think he is really nice to use his powers to help people.

What is math? What is physics?

2009-09-04T10:07:00.000-07:00

What is math?

Math is the study of numbers, quantities, shapes and measurements. Math is really fun and easy even though sometimes it seems really hard, when you don't understand it. Math is something really important in life. It is found almost everywhere. Math is mostly numbers but it can also have letters in the formulas. Math can help us make decisions and perform everyday tasks. Math can help us shop better, buy the best insurance, remodel a home within a budget and many more things. Almost everyone uses math everyday.

What is physics?

Physics deals with matter and energy. It includes the study of light, heat, sound, electricity, motion and force. We can find physics in lots of places. Physics is also something important in life that a lot of people use. I don't know that much about physics but I'm hoping to learn more about it this year in mysics class.

30 Things You Didn't Know About Me

2009-09-02T21:53:00.000-07:00

1. I like math.

2. I speak Spanish.

3. I was born in San Francisco.

4. Part of my dad's family is french.

5. My last name is french.

6. I like winter more than summer.

7. I don't like seafood.

8. I don't eat chocolate a lot.

9. I love strawberries.

10. I don't eat donuts.

11. I like Chinese food.

12. I don't like cheeseburgers from McDonald's.

13. I like to travel.

14. In the summer I went to Yosemite National Park.

15. I have watched the Twilight movie more than 5 times.

16. Over the summer I read the Twilight book "New Moon."

17. I like reading.

18. 7 is one of my favorite numbers.

20. I saw snow for the first time when I was 12 years old.

21. I have 4 sisters and 2 brothers.

22. I am the youngest one from all of my family.

23. My favorite color is turquoise.

24. I don't really like the color pink.

25. Two of my best friends are twins.

26. I have 1 niece and 1 nephew.

27. My birthday is in July 18.

28. I have two little turtles.

29. I like laughing.

30. I want to learn how to play the bass.