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.