LAST BLOG OF THE SCHOOL YEAR :)

I am going to blog about the book we are reading right now in class. I couldn't tell you exactly what it is called because I don't have the book on hand. It starts with a P. But anyways it is a a book that is written in the style like it is a comic. I like reading this book because I find it easy to read and understand. I love the pictures. This book is about the revolution in Cuba. It tells it from the point of view of a little girl. It is very interesting because you can see the point of view of a young rich girl during the time of the revolution. So far many people have been beaten up and her family members have been lost or put in prison. You can tell by reading this book that the revolution was hard on everyone. I am excited to continue reading this book. I am also excited that this is my last blog for a verrry long time!

Q4 Outside Reading #5

Now that I am finished with my book I suggest everyone to read it. I really enjoyed it and it taught me a lot of things about how people act and how to know if something is wrong or not. I think that there a lot of people who go through the same thing that Hannah goes through during the book. I realized that through all of Hannahs reasons as to why she commited suicide there was no main reason, it was just a bunch of things that were happening all piling up on each other and she couldn't take it any longer. She most likely could have continued on if she thought someone was there for her to help her and care for her. And this is the main thing i learned is to just always make sure i am there for everyone and make sure they know that.

Q4 Outside Reading #4

Continuing on with the same book. As the book goes on it just keeps getting deeper and deeper and we are now seeing more and more of what was going through Hannah's head through everything. She says what she was thinking and how she ended up like they did and how everything just piled up on each other. I now think a lot more about my actions and look out for signs of depression. I think that everyone should read this book because everyone would realize more things about what they do to others and how they treat others. Because issues like suicide are very tragic because I think that for most people who commit suicide there was a way to save them.

Q4 Outside Reading #3

As I read through my book the main character is still listening to Hannah's tapes. Finally the tape with the reason why he was a part of her suicide came on. It said that it was not a bad reason why she was on the tapes but a good reason, because he was the only person that was really there for her. I have learned a lot about this book and i have learned how to be more aware. This book has helped me realize signs of suicide and how just being there to tell them that you are there for them helps. If someone would have just told Hannah that they are there for her she would have probably not committed suicide.

Q4 Outside Reading #2

Since last time that I posted I have only read about different things that people did to Hannah that added to why she committed suicide. One of the reasons was because in a certain class people would write you nice notes for compliments and one guy thought it would be funny to take all of Hannah's notes so that she didn't get any. You would think this wouldn't be that big of a deal but at the state Hannah was in she needed as much encouragement and compliments as she could get and she wasn't getting any. I think this shows that just the little stuff can add up and even if you do something to someone and you don't think it is that big of a deal you don't know what else is going on in their life and what you did could just add to the mess. I am learning a lot from this book, a lot about just being nice to people you don't know very well. Also just be nice to everyone cause you don't know what state they are in and you could save a life by just being nice to someone and acknowledging them.

O4 Outside Reading #1

I am reading the book Thirteen Reasons why. This book is about a girl who commits suicide and leaves behind suicide tapes about why she did this. She sent the tapes to 12 people who had something to do with her suicide. This book takes you through one of the boys listening to the tapes, and he doesn't know why he is in the tapes.. yet. So far in the book I have read through about three peoples tapes and why they had a part to do with her suicide. I am really enjoying the suspense in the book but so far its not getting my attention that well. The reasons so far as to why she committed suicide are not that big of deals, every person has to go through a few of these experiences so I am waiting for there to be more reasons why she did what she did.

into

The Holocaust was a very terrible event which will be a reminder of what intolerance and ignorance can cause. The holocaust was an event where the Germans took, killed and tortured Jews. They were taken away without a choice and put in concentrating camps. If they tried to get away from it they would be killed. Boys and girls were separated so many families lost touch and ended up never seeing each other again. The book Night is a great book that brings you through a real life experience of someone who was a victim of the Holocaust. The Holocaust was caused by many things and had even worse effects, it was one of the worst events in history

Q3 Outside Reading Blog #15

I couldn't find a good article about overcoming obstacles but last week I was watching Oprah and there was a good episode about a girl who lived in Iraq and she was severly burned in a fire she was very badly injured and her face melted so her faced looked deformed but she lived. Later on people gave her money to come to america and get a good doctor to help rebuild her face. I thought this was an amazing show because this girl could have so easily died and not only that but she was so strong and even though she didn't look normal she still did the normal things girls do until it got fixed. She overcame a huge obstacle.

Q3 Outside Reading #14

This short clip on Foxnews.com was about the Love Story hoax that was to appear on Oprah. Oprah claimed that she had witnessed one of the best love stories of all time. Turns out, it was fictitious. What happened was that a man wrote a memoir about him being in a concentration camp and having a little girl throw an apple over the fence in the camp, and them falling in love. Then he wrote that later on they met up and got married on an island. In the end his friends in the concentration camp said that there’s no way anyone could have gotten near that fence because it was so heavily guarded. He then admitted it was a hoax and agreed to pay back the money for the book. There was even going to be a movie coming out from the book! He just might have to pay back the money for that too. Things people do for money and fame just don’t always end up in a good place.

Q3 Outside Reading #13

I read an article online at Star tribune relating to the war in Iraq. While people were killing each other the dogs were multiplying and now there is a bunch of stray dogs wondering around. Now people are killing the dogs because they are such a pain. I think that this article shows what kind of little things get out of control when there is a war going on and there are so many other important things. I think that wars are so bad and cause so many things to go wrong. Its not only the war itself that is bad but it is also the things that are caused by the wars. This dog instance was a perfect example of a little thing that has happened because of the war.

http://www.startribune.com/world/41262122.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aUUsZ

Q3 Outside Reading #12

I read an article about colonization from an encyclopedia and it was about what could have been causes of early colonization. It said that some most likely causes were over population, economic distress, social unrest and religious prosecutions. It also said that colonization could be many things like a state policy, or private project and other stuff. I think that colonization was really important to the start of our country. It caused people to start to live in certain places and it caused culture. Without colonization we would just be a bunch of people wondering around this country.
http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-coloniza.html

Q3 Outside Reading #11

I read an article online from The New York Times about the global issue of global warming. It says that human action is very likely to the cause of the warming. Recently many people are coming together to limit carbon dioxide that is being emitted into the atmosphere. Some estimated facts that I found interesting was that if the same about of CO2 keeps being emitted into the air that by 2100 the average surface temperature will rise 3.5-8 degrees and the water level will go up by 7-23 inches. I really enjoyed this article because it showed both sides of the opinion about global warming. I learned that even if it isn't being cause by humans the earth is warming up and we need to do something about it. It probably wont effect us as much as it will effect out grandchildren and etc. I am going to try to limit how much I drive around to help.
http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html

Q3 Outside Reading #10

Today I read an article in the Star Tribune about the Fourth of July titled U.S. troops celebrate July 4th by reenlisting by New Services. This article showed me how Fourth of July unites our nation and brings people together. This article also demonstrated how the fourth can be about honoring those who fight for our safety. This holiday is about celebrating what America the beautiful is all about, and being thankful for our rights and privileges. This article also demonstrated to me that being in the military is one of the best and most important ways to illustrate your nationalism and honor to your country. I believe that on the fourth we should all say a little thanks to our armed troops. One way American's say thanks to those who fight to keep the USAthe same, is on the Fourth we give the troops food and even in some cases a small celebration. The Fourth of July is also a great holiday because unlike most other holidays that do not apply to everyone, but everyone in America and celebrate how lucky we are to live where we live, this holiday does not discriminate against anyone. It is a time to reunite with those around us and say a thanks to those who go to the extremes and show pride everyday for America, not just on the 4th of July. (http://www.startribune.com/local/23266384.html?location_refer=$urlTrackSectionName).

Q3 Outside Reading #9

I read an article about Slum Dog Millionaire in the Star Tribune, it was titled A world away from the red carpet, Mumbai's slums ring out in celebration for 'Slumdog' Oscars by Sam Dolnick. I believe the central message of this article was showing how far India and Bollywood have come. This article reinforced what I learned after I watched Bride and Prejudice, which is that India is not full of poverty but it has large buildings and thriving culture. This article also showed much promise and allowed me to feel better about the progress of other countries in the world. India has come a long way, as have many countries. I learned that USA economy might not be at its height but other countries can be making progress and be at their height of the economy. I really am very happy for everyone associated with Slum Dog Millionaire. This is a huge accomplishment for overseas producers and Bollywood as a whole industry. I have no yet watched this movie but after reading about it, and seeing how many Oscars it won, I just have to watch it!
http://www.startribune.com/entertainment/movies/40212247.html?elr=KArksUUUUToday

Q3 Outside Reading #8

Since we just finished reading Nectar and a Sieve, and we are now going to be learning a bit more about Bollywood, I thought it would be fitting to learn a little bit more about Indian culture than what I already know. I always wondered what the red dot on the forehead meant in Indian culture. Turns out, it is called a bindi and it is often worn by young girls and women. They wear them because it symbolizes Goddess Paravati, and it means female energy. It's also supposed to protect women and their husbands. It is also decorative. It's made out of vermillion powder, and typically worn on a woman's forehead between her eyebrows. I also learned that bindi's can range from different colors, shapes, sizes, and materials.

Q3 Outside Reading #7

In an article I just read it wasn't about as much as about change, it was about an event that changed someone's life. While reading People magazine I saw an article about change. It was titled, “ The Face of Courage”. While Allena Hansen was outside in her own yard, a bear jumped out of the bushes and started attacking her. She eventually stopped fighting back and just when Hansen thought she was going to die, her two dogs jumped in and started to defend her. She escaped the bear but she was in extremely bad shape. When she drove herself to the hospital, workers there said she was ‘extremely calm for having half her skin hanging off’. Although her dogs got off with only minor injuries, Hansen’s injuries were seen as ‘ the worst the plastic surgery team had ever seen’. The bear had torn away her jaw, lips ears, and half of her forehead was torn apart. After surgery, about 10 hours, she had about 1,000 stitches. Even though the bear changed her appearance, Allena Hansen is still the same person on the inside. She decided she’s going to write a book about her experience to let people know that, “When things look bleakest they can turn out all right. Given how much misfortune and terror there is”.

Q3 Outside Reading #6

I recently read an article in People magazine, the article is titled “The Right Stuff” and is written by Bill Hewitt and Nicole Weisensee Egan. Just by looking at the cover I instantly knew this was the article I was going to write about for my blog. Captain Sullenberger is the pilot of US Airways Flight 1549. “Sully” managed to land the plane, holding 155 people plus the crew on the Hudson River. What happened was after take off the plane flew through a flock of geese that pounded the windshield and knocked out both engines. Sullenberger stayed calm and continued to proceed with a practical fashion. Instead of freaking out, and possibly causing 155+ people to die, he did what he had to do in order for the plane to make the landing. Sullenberger would have been unable to land the plane without hope. After clearing the George Washington Bridge by 900 feet, he guided the 80-ton plane along the river. In order to land the plane safely, Sullenberger had to be able to keep calm and not put any one at risk. Because he did so he is now named as one of Peoples “Heroes Among Us” and he also got to meet the president!

Q3 Outside Reading #5

I read an article on startribune.com about how children in schools shouldn't be pressured to believe in a certain thing. I think that many kids start to believe what people tell them to believe just because that is what they learn to do. I don't think there is anything wrong with that but I just think at school they should not talk about religion and let the child figure out their religion from their parents. I enjoyed reading this article and reading about the different effects of having influences at school.
http://pd.startribune.com/sp?aff=3&keywords=spirituality

Q3 Outside Reading #4

I read an article in startribune.com about how women do more things with their child in school. When a parent comes and reads to the class it is usually the mom. Schools are trying to change this and get dads to come in more often also. I think that this is interesting cause I didn't feel like this actually happened. But it also makes sense because more dads work then moms. So that could be part of the reason why you get more moms coming in. I think that roles of both genders should be the same and both respected equally.
http://www.startribune.com/local/south/38783792.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Q3 Outside Reading #3

I read an article on startribune.com about the Sami people celebrating their traditional reindeer holiday. I found it really interesting that they celebrate a reindeer holiday. The main reason they still do this holiday is to make sure that their culture isn't forgotten in the mainstream culture it is becoming. I can see why they would do this because a lot of cultures are becoming the same these days. Everyone is sorta coming together and some cultures are getting lost. Also some cultures are getting lost in modern day stuff. People are becoming obsessed with tv and computer and such that they are forgetting their original culture. I think its really cool that the Sami people still celebrate their traditional reindeer holday.

Q3 Outside Reading #2

I read an article from startribune.com about people getting over poverty. It was about how this one building that housed homeless has not passed safety regulations so now the many that it housed at night it cant anymore. I think that if it puts the homeless under great risk to be staying in there that it is good that they arnt letting people stay there. But I also think that if the risk isnt that great that the homeless would way rather be staying in there then outside. I think that overcoming poverty is a great struggle in life. Many people over come it but also many don't. It is just like any other struggle, you have to be strong to overcome it and believe in yourself.
http://www.startribune.com/lifestyle/faith/39071542.html?elr=KArksUUUU

QT 3 Outside Reading #1

I read an article about a natural disaster on startribune.com, the title of the article was Record-breaking heat wave drives wildfires, heat-stress illness across southern Australia. It was about a heat wave in Australia that lead to many wild fires. There was more than 20 houses destroyed and thousands lost power. There was also people dying from the heat being so hot, heat stress. The temperatures were above 109 degrees Celsius. The purpose of this article was to inform people of dangers in other Countries and to encourage others to potentially help with the fight against the heat wave. This article was also very informative and taught me a lot about heat waves, I learned that in order to fight heat related illnesses you must drink excess amounts of waters.

http://www.startribune.com/world/38694302.html?elr=KArksUUUU

Outside Reading
I just read an article on startribune.com talking about how 2008 was so cold. There was five consecutive months of below normal temperatures and that is the first time since 1979. Through all of the five months snows were heavier and many Minnesotans fought through the cold temperatures trying to do the things they normally do in that time of year. I was surprised at this article cause I didn't realize this. I couldn't really tell that last year was super cold. I think once you are in the cold you don't remember what it could have been like. I found this article very intersting.

Outside Reading
I read an article on Startribune.com about Edina not being as rich as people thought. IT said that the average household income is 76,000. And for Edenprarie and Minnetonka their household incomes top 90,000. Of course this doesn't include accumulated income but it still shows that Edina isn't all that rich, and people think Edina is way richer than it is. This article intrested me because it is about where I live, also people always call us the cake eaters and the truth is we arn't any richer than other suburbs.

Outside Reading
I read an article about Al Franklin and about his votes and about his two hundred extra votes he got and how another guy was really angry. He was saying where the votes just came from and now its ndown to thirty votes. I found it interesting because I think to pay attention to those kind of thing, and also it is kinda interesting that such a big election has come down to only thirty votes. Its super intriguing that if you can just get a few car fulls of people to go vote it can change the election.