The Hunger Games

Author's Note: This is a response to the book The Hunger Games  by: Suzanne Collins.  The book takes place in the future where the government is a lot different. All children from ages to 12-18 are forced to enter their names in the drawing for tributes to participate in the annual Hunger Games. Katniss' sister Prim was chosen and Katniss panics. The Hunger Games is a fight to the death. Katniss quickly volunteers to take her place. I wrote this piece on the bravery and loyalty of Katniss. My focus is voice.

We sit together in our room, playing with our Barbie's. The two of us fight over who gets what house, the biggest car, or the prettiest clothes. But the anger doesn't last for long. We are quickly best friends again. Sitting there playing with my sister, I couldn't imagine ever losing her.  I would do anything that I could to keep her safe. What could mean more then one person risking themselves to save someone else?

Katniss loves her sister more then anyone in the world, and shows it when she sacrifices herself for her. The Hunger Games are almost a certain death. Only one person comes out alive. Katniss demonstrates the importance of loyalty and love. Her sister means so much to her that she would particpate in the horrible games for her.

If my sister, Olivia, was put in any kind of danger, I would do anything to protect her. Katniss feels the same way about Prim. For Katniss, she loves Prim so much, the thought that she would probably die never crossed her mind when she volunteered to take her place. Katniss shows that you have to fight for the things you love.

"The Hunger Games - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Hunger_

Christmas Traditions

Author's Note: This Christmas season has been a year of making and breaking traditions. My grandpa's in the hospital and won't be home in time for Christmas, meaning we'll have to postpone our Christmas celebrations. I wrote this piece about traditions and how much they mean to me. I tried a diffeent type of poetry called an Alliterisen. My focus is word choice.

Every year we celebrate
All of our family traditions.
We all gather together.
Even though they will begin to change,
Some things remain the same.
Like the love that we will always share,
Better then any tradition.

The Titanic

Author's Note: Lately, I've been really interested in the sinking of the Titanic. I decided to write about the actually sinking. My focus is idea development and content.

You are standing on the deck on the beautiful Titanic. You are on your way to America, on one of the world's safest ocean cruisers. What could go wrong? You spoke to soon. There are rumors that the ship has struck an iceberg and it's going to sink. But that can't happen.  The ship was announced safe, one of the safest ships ever made!  Sure enough, the crew is starting to order everyone to the lifeboats. "Women and children first!" they yell. You jump into the life boat just as it is starting to pull away.  Tears fill your eyes as you watch the beautiful ship sink.. This has truly been one of the most tragic accidents in history.  


On 11:40 PM, April 14, 1912, the Titanic hit an iceberg. The captain had received many warnings through the wireless, but only changed his route slightly. On the afternoon of April the 12, the ship had received many warnings that the ship's path was headed right for an iceberg, but the men in charge of messages ignored it. When the Titanic hit the iceberg, it was obvious that the Titanic was going to sink. The captain ordered the lifeboats in the water, and they filled almost instantly. The only hope for some of the remaining passengers was the Carpathia to save them before they sank. Unfortunately, most didn't make it. A total of 1,517 people died out of the 2,223 people that were on board.

One of the things I think could've been changed is the capacity of the lifeboats. Most of the lifeboats hadn't met their full capacity, while some had to many people on board. I think that if all the lifeboats would have been filled to their capacity, it would have not only saved more people, but helped the people in the lifeboats to row the boat. Only 705 people survived, with  a total of 962 lifeboat seats available. If some of the remaining people on deck would've found a lifeboat that didn't have as many people on it and got on, maybe there would have been less deaths. The sinking of the Titanic was truly one of the most tragic events in history.

 
"Disasters." SSQQ. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.ssqq.com/archive/disasters.htm>.  
"RMS Titanic - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RMS_Titanic#Lifeboats_launched>.

"Titanic facts." Palindrome's World. N.p., n.d. Web. 9 Dec. 2011. <http://www.eszlinger.com/titanic/titanfacts.html>.

The Hunger Games

Author's Note: I just finished reading the book : The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. One of the things I loved most about the book is the relationship between Katniss and her sister Prim. It reminded me of the relationship between my sister and I, and how happy I am to have her. That's what I decided to write about in my poem. My focus is voice.

Olivia and I

Running through the field,

Laughing as we hold hands

Not caring who sees me,

As I play with my sister,

My best friend.

Never one without the other,

That's how we've always been.

She will always be there for me.

My best friend

As we start to grow older,

We become too stubborn,

But no matter how much we fight,

She will always be,

My best friend.

Giving

Author's Note: As the Holiday's are approaching, everyone is thinking about giving gifts and receiving them. I wrote this piece on the giving -- when people started giving gifts for Christmas, why they started, and what it's like today. I focused on idea development and content.

You are sitting in your living room.  Outside, snow is falling, there's Christmas music playing in the background, and everyone is smiling. While you are there with your family, you think of how lucky you are. Spending time with the people you love on Christmas.A famous Christmas pastime for most families is giving gifts. People give gifts to each other to symbolize friendship and love. 

Giving gifts on Christmas goes all the way back to the birth of Christ, when the three kings gave the gifts to Him. This was originally celebrated on the feast of Epiphany. Eventually, giving gifts was done more on Christmas then Epiphany. The original purpose of giving gifts is to show how much you care for a person.
Like, when you give a gift to someone for there birthday, you don't give it to them because you have to. It's because you care.

Some families can't give gifts to each other on Christmas. They can't afford it. But, they still show their love to each other. Although giving gifts is fun,  we can't forget the real meaning of Christmas. It's to celebrate the birth of Christ, and His love for us. Giving gifts to each other is a great way to show you care.



"Why Do We Give Gifts at Christmas?." Pregnancy and Parenting - From The Labor of Love. N.p., n.d. Web. 4 Dec. 2011. <http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/why-do-we-give-gifts-at-christmas>.

Asa Clark Middle School

Author's Note: I am writing this piece on the pros and cons of going to Asa Clark Middle School. My focus is voice.


When you start your first day of middle school, you're scared. You suddenly forget where all your classes are, you are afraid of all of your teachers, and for some reason you can't remember your locker combo. When you start middle school, you want to go to a school where you can feel confident starting. Asa Clark is that school. The teachers are nice, there is a friendly environment, and there are great opportunities there.


One of the pros of going to Asa is that there are many different sports and activities. With such a wide variety, there is a club for all students. Since there are so many clubs, it gives students a better chance to find friends that enjoy the same things.Also, Asa provides each student with their own laptop, which they can use for the year. The laptops are so important because it can help students communicate with teachers, research for projects, and they are used for math. They are really helpful.

Laptops can also be a con of going here. Students can be gaming during class, without the teachers knowing it. This distracts not only the student playing, but other students around them. Another con is the size of the school. Since the size of the school is smaller, class sizes increase, which could potentially eliminate 1:1 time with a teacher, or class participation.

Although Asa has its cons, it is a wonderful school. The helpful staff, Asa is one of the few middle schools in Wisconsin to be only seventh and eight grade. This is nice because it creates a friendly environment for the students and staff. I am glad I go to Asa Clark Middle School.

Waiting

Author's Note: I am anxiously waiting for the first measurable snowfall of the season. I decided to write a poem about it. I tried using the Ode format. My focus is voice.

Falling gently towards the ground,
Piling up all around.
Children laugh,
Throwing the snow.
Schools are closed,
There's no more work.
Time to play.
Forts are built,
Snowmen are made,
And as the sun sets,
you smile,
knowing that tomorrow's another day,
to play.

Matched

Author's Note: I am in the middle of reading the book Matched by: Ally Condie. The book takes place in the future. In the Society, the Officials make all your decisions for you. They decide when you will die, who you will marry, and where you work. Cassia is matched with her childhood friend, Xander. Things were perfect until Ky's face flashes on her screen. Now she has to decide between the two of them. I think that it would be scary living in a world where everything is so strict and you can't make decisions for yourself. That is what I decided to write about. My focus is voice.

Have you ever felt trapped? You don't know what to think. You don't know who to trust. This is exactly how Cassia felt in the book, Matched. She has so many questions about the way they live; why can't she pick who she wants to marry, why is her death date chosen for her, why can't she pick what she wants to do? It's not fair. I think that it would be horrible living a life like that. Cassia can't make any decisions for herself.  The Officials choose everything for her. What could be worse then having your life chosen for you?

Cassia's life is defined by the rules the society has made for her. I could never live like she does. There is always someone telling her what to do, where to go, and what to think. This isn't fair. She has no choice but to do what they ask, unless she wants to cause trouble for her family. I feel bad for her. If that were me in her place, I don't know how I could survive. It's important to be able to make your own decisions.

Everyday, we make decisions. Whether it's what to eat, what to wear, or even what to watch on TV, it's still a decision. One that Cassia couldn't make. Simple decisions, ones that don't matter, Cassia still would have loved to make on her own. In our society, we are lucky to have the opportunities that we have. Cassia never had the opportunity to do most of the things that we can do today.

"Lands of Pleasure: Matched by Ally Condie." Lands of Pleasure. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Nov. 2011. <http://landsofpleasure.blogspot.com/2011/05/matched-by-ally-condie.html>.

If It Were My Home

Author's Note: Last year, Mrs. Giese gave a seminar about Country Comparison. We used a website called: ifitweremyhome.com. Ashton reminded me of this and so I decided to write an essay comparing the United States to Romania. I focused on sentence fluency.

Have you ever thought what it would be like if you lived in a different country? How much your life would change? If you lived somewhere else, you would never meet some of your friends, you would go to a different school, and possibly even learn another language. That is a lot of change. If you lived in a different country, nothing would be the same.

If you lived in Romania, you would spend 92.98% on health care. In the United States, there is $6,719 USD spent, while in Romania there is only $472 USD. There's a big difference. You would also have a better chance of being employed. The unemployment rate in Romania is 7.6% while in the United States it is 9.3%. Although there are some positive aspects of living in Romania, there are many negative ones that come with them. If you lived in Romania, you would make 75.22% less money, die 5.53 years soon, and have a 3.6 times higher chance of dying in infancy. Both places are nice places to live. Which would you choose?

I would choose to live in the United States. Even though there are some positive aspects to living in Romania, I think that the United States is a better place to live. No other country in the world has the wonderful freedom, opportunities, and safety like our country does. There are brave soldiers who gave their lives to give us this.  Although Romania is nice, there is no other country like the United States.


"Comparing The United States to Romania. ." IfItWereMyHome.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://www.ifitweremyhome.com/compare/US/RO>. 

"RyanTestpage." The Official Site of Stony Brook Middle School. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://sb.westfordk12.us/pages/6mweb/6mss/travelpages/orange10/oemily/index.html>. 

"american flags." Stayton (Oregon) Daily Photo « Located in Stayton, Oregon, USA, also featuring other nearby towns in the Willamette Valley.. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2011. <http://staytondailyphoto.com/tag/american-flags/>.

 

Victory

Author's Note: Today when I was trying to think of a topic for my poem I was looking out the window. I saw the land behind the school where there are sometimes cross country meets for high school. I decided to take that thought and write a poem about the feeling of victory. My focus is voice.

Hitting the hardest serve,
Leaping that final hurdle,
Making the winning shot,
Winning the game for your team,
That's the feeling of victory.

Hitting a home run,
Kicking the winning goal,
Crossing the finish line,
Finally winning everything.
That's the feeling of victory.

Making the best team,
Passing the hardest test,
Having the highest score,
Being the best out of everyone.
That's the feeling of victory.

The 5 People you Meet in Heaven

Author's Note: In my lit. group we are reading the book The 5 People you Meet in Heaven. In the book, Eddie is a lonely old man who lives in regret. One day while working at the amusement park, he's killed trying to save a girl from a broken roller coaster. When Eddie gets to Heaven, he meets 5 different people, each of them teach him a different lesson. I wrote this piece explaining what my lessons would be. My focus is word choice.

"Live your life, where your funeral is easy to do," my pastor said one night at youth group after a girl died in a tragic event. The point of this quote was to tell the audience to think about their actions and attitude. For example, Eddie regretted so much from his past, and his attitude showed it. Kids were afraid of him. Everyone can learn from Eddie in this book. The book can give everybody a different outlook on life.

In the book, Eddie meets up with five different people. Each person was either impacted by Eddie, or Eddie was influenced by them. The first person he met was the Blue Man. When Eddie was little he was playing with his new baseball in his yard. The ball rolls in the street, and Eddie carelessly runs to retrieve it. He runs in front of a car to get it. The driver slams on the brakes and avoids hitting him. Eddie thought the incident was forgotten and continues to play. But it wasn't. The driver dies shortly afterwards of a heart attack. The lesson he taught Eddie was that we are all connected; nothing happens by accident.


Even though Eddie didn't struggle with it too much, patience would be my first lesson. Patience is a life skill. In school you have to be patient with other students and teachers you might not like. In your adult life, you will have to work with people you might not get along with.

The second lesson I would learn would be the impact of my attitude. Although it was not one of the lessons he learned in Heaven, it was one of the things Eddie struggled with as well. After his wife died, Eddie lived without meaning. His attitude impacted everyone. I can have a really negative attitude. This book helped me put in perspective how it can affect other people.

Lesson number three would be how bad procrastination can be. This lesson doesn't necessarily relate to one of the lessons Eddie learned. Every week, I wait till the last minute to finish something. This is not the best idea. Not only is it a bad habit, but most likely, the work isn't the quality it should be.

My fourth lesson would be the lesson of forgiveness. This lesson is very similar to the third lesson Eddie learns which teaches Eddie to let go of his anger towards his father. His dad abused him when he was young, and Eddie never got over it. Forgiving someone is hard to do. According to dictionary.com (2011), "To forgive means to cease to feel resentment against." After talking to Ruby, the third person he meets in Heaven, Eddie finds his father and forgives him.

My fifth and final lesson would be the importance of hard work. Eddie never had a problem with this. He resorted to doing this after his dear wife died. This was how he escaped reality. For me, it's not doing too much hard work, but too little. I can learn from Eddie's example -- to work hard, but not make hard work your life.

Eddie can help us all learn different lessons by putting life in perspective. If he would have had another chance, he would have forgave his dad earlier. This would have erased the stress felt by his mom, his brother, and even himself. This book makes you think what you struggle with in life, what are the five lessons you would learn, and how would you going to change them.

"Define Resort." Dictionary.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <dictionary.reference.com/browse/resort>.
"FREE SUMMARY The Five People You Meet In Heaven STUDY GUIDE/BOOK NOTES/CHAPTER ANALYSIS by Mitch Albom." TheBestNotes.com - Free Study Guide Book Notes Online Literature Summaries Booknotes. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Nov. 2011. <http://thebestnotes.com/booknotes/Five

Snow

Author's Note: We just had the first snowfall of the season! I love playing in the snow, so I decided to write a poem about it. My focus is voice.

Flurries of snow fall all around

Melting as soon as they hit the ground

Images of playing

Run through your mind

Instead, you're stuck inside

Taking tests.

But soon, they will be done

Inches of snow will be on the ground,

School will be closed

And you will be outside

Playing in the snow

Stress

Author's Note: This week is the week of volleyball tryouts. I have camps almost every night in order to prepare for them. So, this week is really stressful for me. I decided to write a poem about it. I tried the Diamante form. My focus is voice.

 Stress,

Busy, Rushed

Running, Hustling, Racing,
Fret, Hassle, Easy, Calm,
Sitting, Sleeping, Resting,
Free, Slack,
Relaxed

The Holidays

Author's Note: Over teacher's convention, my family and I went Up North. While we were up there, we went to this Halloween festival/ craft fair, where my mom got this really good smelling candle. The candle smelled like a Christmas tree. It made me think of how fast the holidays are coming and how much fun it is to decorate for them. I focused on word choice in this piece.

Currently, there are over 100,000 people employed in the Christmas tree industry. This is about 8 times the population of Pewaukee. So many people are needed because up to 36 million Christmas Trees are produced each year. (That would be enough trees for each person in Wisconsin to have about six trees!) Christmas trees are a big part of celebrating the holiday. Families love setting up the trees and putting delicate ornaments on them. Decorating for Christmas is so much fun, because I love the memories that it brings back.

Setting up decorations means so much to me because I love tradition. The definition of tradition is: the handing down of statements, beliefs, legends, customs, information, etc., from generation to generation, especially by word of mouth or by practice. My mom has an advent calendar that has been handed down to her by her mom. There are 25 pockets on the calendar. In each pocket, there is a handmade ornament along with a poem about the ornament. My sister and I take turns on who gets to put it up. This is one of our many Christmas traditions.

All families have their own customs. Some watch movies. Some put up their tree together. Whatever it is, each family has a tradition of their own. This makes the holidays special. Christmas also brings families together. For some families, this is the only time of year they see each other. With all that goes on with Christmas though, we can't forget the real meaning of why we celebrate it. We celebrate the birth of Jesus. Why do you like Christmas?

" Wisconsin's population growth ." Department of Workforce Development. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://dwd.wisconsin.gov/oea/articles/populationgrowth_0304.htm.

"Christmas Tree facts - fun and true." Christmas Tree Farms, Tree Lots, Hayrides, Sleigh Rides and Other Winter Fun . N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. http://pickyourownchristmastree.org/facts.php.

"Pewaukee, Wisconsin (WI 53072) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders." Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.city-data.com/city/Pewaukee-Wisconsin.html>.

Chocolate

Author's Note: I wrote this persuasive piece telling the reader why they should eat chocolate. My focus is sentence fluency.

Did you know that chocolate can be good for you? Studies have proven that small amounts of dark chocolate can keep your heart healthy. Cocoa contains antioxidants that help prevent some diseases. Chocolate is not only good for you but it is good to eat, too. This makes chocolate one of the most famous candies on the planet.

Chocolate comes in so many different forms. Today, America's top selling chocolate is the Snicker's bar. It consists of peanuts carmel, and milk chocolate. If you don't like peanuts, then you could try M&M's. Small pieces of colored milk or dark chocolate. So many varieties make chocolate easy to love. My favorite kind of chocolate would be the Reece's Peanut Butter Cups. These are made of milk chocolate

If you want chocolate that is healthy for you, try to find one with more cocoa. The more cocoa there is in the chocolate, the less sugar there can be. Also, there are more antioxidents in chocolate then almost any other food. It's nice to know that when you are eating one of your favorite treats, it can also be healthy if eaten properly.

The reason why some people don't like chocolate is because of it's sugar content. Even though the typical amount of sugar in chocolate can be high, it is lower then other foods. I think that as long as chocolate, along with every other food is eaten in proportion it can be a healthty snack. One of my favorite shows, the Biggest Loser, focuses on this. The point of the show is to lose weight. But, the trainers also give the contestants tips on how to stay fit at home. All of them really want the contestants to get that once in awhile you can still have your favorite snack as long as it's eaten in proportion.

"Chocolate." Veronika Love. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 Nov. 2006. <www.veronikalove.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/chocolate.jpg>.

"Types of Chocolate - Facts About Chocolate." Facts About Chocolate - Everything about Chocolate. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2011. <http://www.facts-about-chocolate.com/types-of-chocolate.html>.

Life

Author's Note: In my lit. group, we are reading the book The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom. The main character,  in the book has just died and is in the after life. I decided to write a free verse poem on why we should enjoy life.

Cherishing the time that's spent,
with everyone around you,
enjoying life,
while you are still fortunate,
to have it,
So live it up,
treat everyday as if it were your last,
Because, you never know,
One day,
It will be.

Soul Surfer

Author's Note: I wrote the rough draft of this piece while I was Up North. My sister has watched the movie, "Soul Surfer" one thousand times, so I decided to write about it. My focus is word choice.

At the age of thirteen, Bethany Hamilton was attacked by a shark. The young surfer lost an arm. But this didn't stop Bethany. She worked every day to get back into shape, and used to surfing with one arm. It paid off. Bethany has won many awards for her amazing comeback. Not only did she continue surfing, but her story continues to inspire others.

Do you know a person like Bethany? Somebody who's had a major accident or event occur in their life, but continues to persevere? My friend Kylee is a perfect example. Kylee is a very skilled gymnast. Just recently, eight year old Kylee found out that she broke her foot. The injury happened right before competition season. Although she couldn't do her full routine, Kylee worked hard to stay in shape until her foot had healed.

People like Kylee and Bethany continue to influence people today. Both suffering from major pains in their lives, but still they continue to work hard at their goals. If you go through an obstacle at achieving your goal, use stories like these to motivate you to keep going.


"Bethany Hamilton - Shark Attack Survivor and Surfer - Oprah.com." Oprah Winfrey's Official Website - Live Your Best Life - Oprah.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://www.oprah.com/spirit/Bethany-Hamilton-Shark-Attack-Survivor-and-Surfer>. 

Fall

Author's Note: I just got back from an amazing trip Up North. It's right around Halloween so everyone is dressed up. I decided to do a Haiku on Fall. My focus is voice. 

Leaves always dropping,

Halloween and Thanksgiving,

The beauty of Fall

"Bob Atkins - Digital Photography - Camera Reviews - Lens Tests - Canon EOS FAQ - Nature - Wildlife - Gallery." Bob Atkins - Digital Photography - Camera Reviews - Lens Tests - Canon EOS FAQ - Nature - Wildlife - Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://bobatkins.com>.

Scarlett O'Hara

Author's Note: I just finished reading the book: Gone With the Wind. This piece is about the main character Scarlett and how she is ignored by her "friends". I focused on sentence fluency in this piece. 

Have you ever felt that you just don't fit in? That no matter how hard you try, you just aren't accepted by society. Maybe you are bullied because of it. If this is you, then you know exactly how Scarlett O'Hara felt. She didn't have the same political views as the other families in Georgia. She was ignored because of it. Bullying is a selfish way to hurt somebody, both emotionally and physically.


Scarlett is good friends with Rhett Butler. Rhett is the only person who truly understands Scarlett. This is the reason why she likes him. Unfortunately, Rhett is an outcast as well. This makes the problem with her friends grow worse. After they get married, they are both completely ignored. That is, until Melanie hears about what's been going on. Scarlett never liked Melanie, but she sticks up for Scarlett anyways. 

Ignoring someone is a mean way to bully them. It is very effective. The person bullied can be hurt by it. This was the case with Scarlett. No matter how hard she tried, her friends would never accept her for who she was. The only person who never left her side was Melanie. She was also the one to get the bullying to stop.

On average, 70% of kids are bullied some time in their life. If more people became like Melanie, the bullying would decrease. All she did was make people think about what they were doing, and they stopped. If you see someone being bullied, stand up for them. Even if the bullying doesn't stop, it would be nice to know that someone is there for you.

"CyberMentors is a Beatbullying project - How many people are affected by bullying?." CyberMentors is a Beatbullying project - Home. N.p., n.d. Web. 30 Oct. 2011. <http://cybermentors.org.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=19&Itemid=40>.

Technology

Author's Note: I came up with this topic by doing a word association. It's a persuasive piece on laptops at our school and how they are useful.

Everyday, people use technology.  Whether it is used for work, school, or pleasure, technology can come in very handy. For example if cell phones weren't invented, if you were in an emergency situation away from a town you wouldn't be able to call for help. Technology was made to help make life easier. It has. Without, many new devices, we would not be where we are today.

At the Pewaukee School District, middle school and high school students are all very lucky. Everyone has their own laptops. Students can use these when working on projects, math, or researching different information. They can also be used to email teachers or other students for help.  But, as useful as the laptops are, there are some negative aspects about them.

Students can often be caught playing games on their laptops. This can be negative because likely, the teacher won't catch them. This could encourage the student to play more often. Also, cyber bullying is a possibility. Although it may not happen as much in the Pewaukee Schools it's always possible. Students could receive hurtful emails, or even have their computer hacked. For these reasons, laptops may not be the best idea.

I think that in the Pewaukee School District that more likely then not, laptops are used appropriately.  The technology department does a good job blocking harmful sites, and pictures. Also, most students are respectful to others, and their laptops. I think that the Pewaukee School District is very blessed to have this opportunity.

Survival

Author's Note: I started this piece while I was at the Milwaukee Public Museum, in the Rainforest exhibit. I focused on voice in this piece.

Fear of what will happen next

Scared of the world around you

Running,

Chasing,

Hiding,

Insecure in your home

Never having enough to eat

Looking, but finding none

Hunting,

Nothing,

Starving,

Always hungry

All alone all the time

Nowhere to go

Waiting,

Crying,

Hurting,

Left to die, by yourself

Then you look up

You see the sun

Hoping,

Praying,

Wishing,

A friend is there

Gone With the Wind

Author's Note: I wrote this piece about Scarlett O' Hara, the main character in the book: Gone With the Wind. I focused on Sentence Fluency in this piece. 

Scarlett O'Hara is a typical southern girl in the 1800's. She has been brought up with the ways of her society. She is vain, and spoiled, she is used to getting what she wants. This isn't the case with Ashley Wilkes. Scarlett claims she loves Ashley and begs him to stay with her, even though he is engaged  to someone else.  Jealousy is a terrible thing, especially when it will cause you to have hatred for someone or something.

 

Have you ever had a friend make a team, or get a part that's better then what you got? Even though, you know that you're better than them. This is the case with Scarlett. Ashley is engaged to Melanie Hamilton. A weak, skinny, girl who's not nearly as pretty as Scarlett. Scarlett's confused -- why would Ashley want to marry a girl like Melanie? Sometimes it's hard to understand why others get better things then us, even though we think we deserve it.

Scarlett knew she deserved Ashley. She was used to having every boy want her to like them. Now she wants what she can't have. Jealousy is awful in her case because now Scarlett hates Melanie. When someone is jealous like in this case, it can hurt the other person. Melanie does not yet know why Scarlett doesn't like her, but at times, it's obvious that she doesn't. Melanie loves her sister in law Scarlett and tries to please her. This case proves that jealousy is mean, and it can affect others.

Halloween

Author's Note: I really enjoy doing closed poetry so I did a Cinquain poem on Halloween. My focus is on voice.

Halloween

Trick-or-Treating,

Walk door to door,

Making all of the kids happy,

Candy

43, A.D., Romans had conquered the majority of Celtic territory. They combined their own festival for the passing of the dead with Pamona, and Samhain.. "Halloween - History - Information - Projects." Halloween - History - Information - Projects. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://halloween.whipnet.net>.

The 5 Themes of: St. Germain

Author's Note: I chose to write about St. Germain, because I love going there. I thought it would be interesting to learn something about a place I love. I focused on sentence fluency in this piece.

The five themes of geography help you understand facts about a certain place. For example, St. Germain. It helps you analyze specific things, such as immigration of the area, plants and animals there, and the population. The five themes of geography is really useful when you need help thinking of things to research when doing a project, essay, or report.

One of the five themes of geography is Location. When researching location, it is concerned with the question, "where  is it?" The latitude and longitude of St. Germain  are 45.902, and -89.487. That is the Absolute Location. St. Germain is located in Vilas County, Wisconsin. It is near  Eagle River and Sayner.

The next theme is Place. A question to ask yourself when studying Place is, "what is it like there?" In St. Germain, the total area of land is 40 square miles. Out of this, 6 square miles is water.  There are many lakes in St. Germain, including: Lost Lake, Found Lake, and Shannon Lake.  Because there are so many lakes, the amount of precipitation is high year round.  Also, St. Germain gets a lot of snow in the winter months.  Snowfall can get up to 20 inches a month.

Theme number three is Human-Environmental Interaction. It is concerned with the question, " what is the relationship between the people and their environment?”   The pollution levels in St. Germain are relatively high.  Air pollution is 80%, Ozone is 86%, Lead is 60%, Carbon Monoxide is 104%, Nitrogen Dioxide is 69%, and Particulate Matter is 56%. All these are either the same or lower then the pollution levels in Eagle River, which is a bigger city.

Movement is the fourth theme. A question related to movement is, " how are people and places connected?"  In St. Germain there are many hike and bike trails. Everyone enjoys the beautiful scenery while getting a good exercise. I love riding my bike here because there are so many places to go. My aunt and uncle know all the routes up there so I get to go on a lot of new ones.

The last theme is Region. Region is concerned with the question, " how can we divide up the world to make sense of it?" St. Germain is in the temperate deciduous biome. This biome is characterized in many ways, including: having trees that are deciduous. This means that they have trees that the trees shed their leaves in the fall.

Throughout the year, St. Germain is a wonderful place to be. Whether you go on a bike ride, or just sit and relax. The five themes of geography helped me understand more about the area, and analyze all the information that I learned. 

Giese, Julie. "5 Themes of Geography." Social Studies. ACMS. N/A, Pewaukee. 15 Oct. 2011. Class lecture. 

"Biomes." Washington DC High-Speed Internet, Digital Cable TV and Home Phone Service Provider - RCN. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/B/Biomes.html#TemperateDeciduousF

"Saint Germain Populated Place Profile / Vilas County, Wisconsin Data." Wisconsin Gazetteer: City Profiles, Physical & Cultural Features. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://wisconsin.hometownlocator.com/wi/vilas/saint-germain.cfm>.  

"Saint Germain, WI Pollution Levels and Indexes - CLRSearch." Real Estate Search Engine - CLRSearch. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.clrsearch.com/Saint_Germain_Demographics/WI/Pollution-Levels?compare=54521>.

"St. Germain, Wisconsin (WI) profile: population, maps, real estate, averages, homes, statistics, relocation, travel, jobs, hospitals, schools, crime, moving, houses, news, sex offenders." Stats about all US cities - real estate, relocation info, house prices, home value estimator, recent sales, cost of living, crime, race, income, photos, education, maps, weather, houses, schools, neighborhoods, and more. N.p., n.d. Web. 16 Oct. 2011. <http://www.city-data.com/city/St.-Germain-Wisconsin.html>. 

Ocean Energy

Author's Note: I wrote this piece on whether Ocean Energy is a viable alternative to our current energy crisis. I focused on idea development and content in this piece.

Oceans cover over 70% of the Earth. That being said, they are the world's largest solar collectors. Oceans can produce two types of energy; thermal energy, from the sun's heat, and mechanical energy, from the tide and waves. With so much surface area, more sun can hit it, providing more energy. However, mechanical energy is caused by the gravitational pull of the moon, and wind, which makes it less consistent. So, is Ocean Energy, really the answer to our current energy crisis?

Thermal Energy depends a lot on the temperature. The warmer it is, the more Thermal Energy is produced. It also depends on how much of a substance there is. In the case of Ocean Energy, it could be very helpful since there is a lot of it.When converting into energy, there are three main types of systems used; the closed-cycle, open-cycle and the hybrid. The closed-cycle uses the ocean's surface water. This vaporizes a working fluid. This vapor expands and turns a generator, providing energy. The open-cycle boils the water which creates a steam. This steam passes through the generator. The hybrid system is a combination of both. Thermal Energy is much different than Mechanical Energy.

Mechanical Energy is primarily effected by the wind, which causes the waves, and the gravitational pull from the moon, causing the tide.Unlike Thermal Energy, Mechanical Energy usually requires more mechanical devices then Thermal Energy. I think that Ocean Energy is not a viable alternative to our current energy crisis. This is because of it's consistency. Although Thermal Energy is fairly constant, Mechanical Energy is not.This makes it an unreliable source.



Dumas, Leila, and William G. Lamb. Forces, motion, and energy. Austin: Holt, Rinehart And Winston, 2007. Print. 
"Programs & Services | World Ocean Observatory." Programs & Services | World Ocean Observatory. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Oct. 2011. <http://thew2o.net>.