Research Update

     My topic is centered around Gypsies during the Holocaust. I've used Facts on File, SIRS, and Galenet for my information to put on note cards and such. Typing in basic words like Holocaust or Gypsy have been helpful to look up things for my research topic. Gypsies are also called Roma, so that would also be a good keyword to type in to help me find more information. For me, it's not that difficult to find the information needed. 

     The thing I'm having the most difficult time doing is the annotated bibliography. I have six citations already, and I put them on noodletools. I am still trying to get in the process of how to do the paragraphs for the citations or whatever it is. I will try to find examples from the people in my research group in class. I should be fine though. 

Reading Times: Tricks by Ellen Hopkins ... Jan 15- 246 through 327... Jan 16- 328 through 408.. Jan 17- 409 through 568 .. Jan 18- 569 through 627

Total: 381 pages, 317 minutes

Inauguration 2013 and MLK Day

        Today is the day that Barack Obama was inducted into office for his second term, and it's also the day we celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. who crusaded through discrimination and racism. Both of these men, being African American, were affronted in some way. The severity of the affronts have lessened tremendously as King used nonviolent ways to issue how wrong racial inequality was back then. Being adroit men, Obama and King are similar in the way that they knew how to handle things and had powerful voices to get their points across.
       Sometimes as I hear negative comments about Barack being back into presidency, I am militant. I just want to bite back with a comment of how he has helped us so much. I don't see why certain people have a negative demeanor towards Obama if they don't really know what he does for us or what he wants to do for the United States. The things King and Obama have done for this world weren't just avocations, but were done to make this world a better place. It took time and hard work.
       Today is a day where we should think about what these leaders have done without being raucous and obnoxious. I think it's tacit that I appreciate these two people. Try not to be a pariah in these types of situations. Get involved!

Friends

          If you are going to be friends with someone, actually be there friend! Don't talk to them only if you want or need something. Friends are suppose to be there for each other no matter what. Specifically best friends, but you don't have to be just their best friend to ask what's wrong if they're looking down. A friend should do that also. Laughing and crying and smiling and frowning together.  Someone who you can always tell secrets to and have insiders that no one else knows about. Someone to joke around with and be comfortable around.
          A friend is someone who can turn that smile upside down because they know what'll make you smile. They almost know you better than you know yourself. They should be the ones that always help you out and you can seek some guidance from.

Reading Response

          I am reading Tricks by Ellen Hopkins. I think the last book I read by her was Burned which I really liked, so I decided to read another by her. I don't believe this one is in that series though. The book is realistic fiction. It is about "the right kind of love. With the wrong person." There are five teenagers who are main characters, and their stories are being told.
          My response to Eden is that I think you found a good type of love with Andrew, but don't go into the relationship too fast because you may be rushing it knowing your mother and father would never approve because of their strong religious belief. If I were you, I wouldn't tell my parents because I know the consequences would be very bad, but for some reason I think they will find out without you telling them.
          Seth, you just need to quit. You already know what you are doing is wrong, and if you told your father he would look down at you. I think the best time for you to cut off your relationship is when Loren goes off to New York. The disconnection would kind of be natural.
          Whitney, I have to tell you I understand why you have a better relationship with your father than your mother. Also, that boyfriend of yours, or if he's even your boyfriend, does not love you at all. It was obvious when he didn't tell you he loved you whenever you told him. Plus, he's way older than you and everything. You have definitely found the wrong person to love.
          Ginger! I feel so sorry for you. I feel everything you're doing is right though. You are helping your family more than your mother when she is the cause for everything. You should think of getting a job since you have so much free time. It'll really help. I don't think your in a relationship or in love with anyone yet so I don't really have anything to say for you.
         My response to Cody is that you are not in love. You just think the girl is really pretty. You don't know anything about her at all. One thing you need to do is to stop drinking and smoking. That is just too bad, and plus you're in high school. You don't need to be doing all of that. But Cody, you have definitely found the wrong person to love.

Tricks by Ellen Hopkins,Reading Times: pages 1-84(70 minutes), pages 85-164(70 minutes), pages 165-245(75 minutes)
Total- 245 pages, 215 minutes

Books Read this Semester

       Books read this semester (least to most challenging):
Girls On Film by Zoey Dean
Grief Girl by Erin Vincent
Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter
Burned by Ellen Hopkins
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley
Nation by Terry Pratchett
In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan
Lord of the Flies by William Golding

          I realized that this semester is the least amount of books I have read in a semester since I was in about first or second grade which is crazy. I really liked the book Burned though. It has a lot of pages and I read it really fast. If I keep reading books that are similar to that, then I may be able to read more. I only read four as this school year was going on that was free choice which I find totally bogus. When did I start reading so little?
          Since I find my amount of books read this semester so tragic, I'll set a goal to read at least six or seven books by the end of this year from the library. I hope to read each one in at most a two-week time period because on the other books it seems that I took about 2-3 weeks on average to read on book. 

Reading Times: 155 minutes on Lord of the Flies from the pages that were assigned for last week
Literary Analysis: 30 minutes
Total:175 minutes

Reading Focus Tracker: Loyalty

           Three significant moments pertaining to loyalty is when Jack blows the conch in chapter 8 and page 125, Jack decides to go off alone by himself in chapter eight and page 127, and when people first sneak off to go to Jack's tribe in chapter eight and page 131. All of these contain Jack in a rivalry with Ralph because Jack wants to take away the power from Jack.
      In the first one, Jack was loyal to Ralph’s leadership. Ralph is the only one who is suppose to blow the conch since he is the chief/leader. Now, Jack has the need to blow the conch and have his own assembly while Ralph is standing right in front of him! Jack wants this:

               Chief/Leader:

              Ralph

             Jack

 For the second one, Jack is leaving the area where Ralph rules because he is sick of him. The loyalty between them is gone. Jack wants to lead his own pack. So he asks everyone who would like to come along with him. No one comes...at first.... For the third one, people start sneaking off to go to Jack's area of the island so they can hunt with him and be apart of his tribe. Jack even eventually has a feast/party/celebration which attracts most of the people of the island to go to his side of the island.

Reading Times

Biology Concepts and Connections, sixth edition by Campell, Reece, Taylor, Simon, Dickey:  pages 88-101, 1 hour
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley : 30 minutes
Wordly Wise 3000 Book 9 Unit 6: 15 minutes