Sarah+P



♥♥:)♥♥

//English Greek God project June 8th 2009

//

//Chat June 3, 2009// you read conch bearer right???** Erika: oh yeah me: **so was it good??** Erika: well me: **i thougth it was pretty...ok. but!** Erika: it was pretty touching me: **it was really sad...** Erika: yeah yeah me: **i finished it yesterday. i don't really like anand tho for some odd reason ok.. haha bye** Erika: hmm yeah me: **we have to go**
 * so....about the novel...
 * and touching...like u said.**

The Conch Bearer by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni May 15th 2009 //Chapter 1- **A Strange Old Man**:// In chapter 1, the plot is about a young boy named Anand who lives in a poor, small house with his mother and sister. His sister never talks because some accident happened. They have very little to eat every day, but Anand works extremely hard to please his mother at a shop. His boss is really mean, and hateful with a bitter heart. One day an old man comes and gives Anand a strange but magical feeling. The characters are: Anand, Meera (his sister), Anand's mom, Haru (the boss), and the strange old man. The setting of the story in chapter 1 is in a city called Kolkata, India.

//Chapter 2- **The Night Visitor**:// The plot in chapter 2 is about Anand getting his pay on payday and buying a mango which, later, he drops and loses. On his way home, he feels someone following him. When he gets home, someone knocks on the door and it turns out to be the old man from earlier that day. The old man comes in and he tells Meera and Anand a story while Anand cooks food for the old man. The setting is Anand's home in Kolkata. The characters are Haru, the old man, Anand, and Meera.

//Chapter 3- **The Silver Valley**:// In chapter 3, the plot is: The old man tells Anand and Meera the story of the magic conch shell, how it was stolen, taken back, and how the old man wants Anand to go on a journey with him. The journey is to return the magic conch to the right place. He makes it seem so magical and fantastic that Anand wants to go with him really badly! The characters are, Anand, Meera, the strange old man, and Anand's mother. The setting of the chapter is in Anand's house, in Kolkata, India.

//Chapter 4- **What Anand Saw**:// Chapter 4 is about Anand and the old man, still talking about the magic conch shell, and showing it to Anand. Anand thinks it is unbelievable. The conch gave a powerful and forceful feeling that sort of blows Anand away. Anand decides to go with him and tells his mom about it, but his mom is clever and knows he is a trickster. She doesn't allow him to go anywhere with him and shoos the old man out of their home. Anand wants to believe the old man, but he doesn't want to upset his mom either. The characters are (like always) Meera, Anand, their mom, and the old man.

//Chapter 5- **The Message**:// This chapter is when Anand's mother changes her mind about the old man because he 'claims' to have healed Anand's sister, and it really worked. Of course, Anand is ecstatic! So, he goes to the place the old man said to be, but unfortunately, Anand was too late. He asked a man if he saw an old man leaving somewhere and looking for Anand. Anand also asks a little girl who, too, wants to go on the journey. Finally Anand gives in, and goes to the old man with the girl. They talk about some evil man or wind that was present sometime that day. The main characters are, Panchu, the girl, and Anand. The setting of the chapter is near the soft-drink stall and Panchu's rooming house.

//Chapter 6- **Things Aren't What They Seem**//: What happens in chapter six, is that the girl and the boy sneak into the train station- past the ticket checkers- with a nice old man who saved them from getting in trouble with the police. The old man ends up putting a powerful force on both of them, privately in their own train compartment. He is actually the evil, Surabhanu who is the one who stole the conch shell but got it taken away by the old man in the previous chapters. The force is too powerful to even let the kids move! Luckily, a lozenge salesboy (or was it the old man, Abhaydatta?) comes and spills lozenge powder all over the compartment and breaks the force. The girl and Anand run out of the train, wondering what happened just then. The setting of the chapter is the train station/train compartment. The main characters are, Anand, the girl, Surabhanu, and the lozenge boy.

//Chapter 7- **The Meeting Point**//: Chapter 7, The Meeting Point, is about the sweeper girl with Anand, on a mini-journey to find the old man, Abhaydatta. They come across a blind woman, who gives them a hint to where Abhaydatta might be. They go to this huge, wide tree called the meeting point, where they actually find Abhaydatta! Right away, they start talking about what to do, what happened, and what name the sweeper girl should have. She chooses the name, 'Nisha' and then, they go on their journey. Nisha feels really close and related to Abhaydatta because she says his eyes look just like her grandfather's. The characters are, the blind woman, Anand, Nisha (the sweeper girl), and Abhaydatta. The main setting of this chapter is the meeting point and the bus.

//Chapter 8- **A Change of Plans**//: In chapter 8, Anand, Nisha, and Abhaydatta are united and they ride the bus toward Allahabad. However, they get to Koila Ganj and get off the bus because Abhaydatta felt danger nearing them. When they get settled at an old, and smelly inn -it was actually once a nice mansion- they eat dinner, and Abhaydatta tells Nisha and Anand about what to do if they get separated. Then, while Nisha goes away for a moment to wash up, Abhaydatta gives Anand the conch to keep from here on. While everyone is sleeping, Anand has this weird dream that turns into real life, and feels like someone is taking over him. He feels fear. The main characters are Anand, Nisha, Abhaydatta, and the inn owner. The main setting is the bus/the inn.

//Chapter 9- **The One-Eyed Deer**//: This chapter is about (mostly) the dream Anand had in the previous chapter. He felt so depressed, and he didn't know what to do for the whole morning. It sort of seemed like he was sick, or something. While going up a complicated hill, Abhaydatta suddenly disappears, but later reappears and tells Anand and Nisha that it was just a test. Finally, Anand has the guts to tell Abhaydatta about the dream. Abhaydatta is glad that Anand didn't give in to the evilness of the person who controlled his mind. The main characters are Abhaydatta, Anand, and Nisha. The setting of the chapter is in a place called Ranipur and its forest.

//Chapter 10- **The Voice In the Night**//: Abhaydatta, Anand, and Nisha are in a cave for a rest. Nisha stays up for a while, watching out for danger, when Abhaydatta and Anand are napping. When it's Anand's turn to look out, all is well. Nisha and Abhaydatta are sleeping peacefully, when there's a sudden trick (or is it real?) on Anand's mind again. Anand imagines that his mother is calling (very loudly) for him. He tries to resist the pain and regret -for leaving her home- because he convinces himself it's just Surabhanu. It pretty much is, but fortunately, he doesn't attack Anand. Or Nisha. Unfortunately, he takes Abhaydatta! When the roaring of the wind and the horrible darkness all came to a stop, Nisha and Anand stay still, trying to figure out what to do. Nothing bad would've happened if Anand wasn't so easy to trick, and if he warned Abhaydatta about all of this. The characters are: Nisha, Anand, Surabhanu, and Abhaydatta. The setting of chapter 10 is the cave.

//Chapter 11- **The First Obstacle**//: In this chapter, Nisha and Anand find their way towards the big crouched dog stone. WIthout Abhaydatta, they have a little trouble with going places. Fortunately, Anand has Nisha by her side because he finally showed her and told her about the conch, after she refused to go without seeing it. They eventually come across the first obstacle, which is the river. They try and try very hard to get across it, but something -something alive- in the water prevents them to. So, they cannot get past the river -yet. The main characters in the chapter are Anand and Nisha. The setting of this chapter is the river near the crouching dog.

//Chapter 12- **More Night Visitors**//: Anand and Nisha sleep in a small crevice under the crouching dog stone. Suddenly, they wake up because some strange animal they found (somewhat like a squirrel-they named it Rajah) warns them about something. That something is apes. Apes come and scoop Anand and Nisha up and take them to some random cave. When they get there, Anand and Nisha are searched all over for some kind of 'treasure' that seems to be the conch. Could it be Surabhanu? Thankfully, the conch is not found by the apes, but they tied Anand and Nisha to the ground, tightly. Later on, Rajah saves them and leads them across the first obstacle! The setting of the chapter is the crouching dog stone and the apes' cave. The main characters are: Anand, Nisha, Rajah, and the apes.

//Chapter 13- **The Second Obstacle**//: The 13th chapter is about the second obstacle Anand and Nisha go through to get to the Silver Valley. The second obstacle is this narrow pass with many many rocks and boulders and some fall from above. That's why it's really hard to pass through. Fortunately, Rajah, the squirrel-like thing (which turns out to be a mongoose) discovers a mark on the side of a boulder, and Nisha puts her hand to it which makes a visible glowing path for them to follow. However, without Nisha's hand there, they cannot see the glowing path. So Nisha stays behind for a little bit while Anand goes ahead. Then, when Nisha tries to cross the path, she doesn't know where to go, so rocks fall down from above and hurt her leg. Now, Anand has to go by himself. The characters here are: Nisha, Anand, and Rajah. The setting of the chapter is the second obstacle, the narrow pass.

//Chapter 14- **The Scarlet Snake**//: In this chapter, Nisha and Anand are still together, thinking about what to do. Suddenly, Anand hears this voice that is neither the conch's or Nisha's. However, the voice is coming out of Nisha's mouth. Oh no! Could it be... Surabhanu? Yes, it is! He takes over her body and mind, and controls her. Surabhanu comes in as a snake. He knows Anand has the conch, and tries to kill Anand to get it. Luckily, Rajah steps in and bites the snake and causes a lot of action to happen. Anand only remembers everything turning dark, and him falling to the ground. The characters in chapter 14 are Nisha, Surabhanu, Anand, and Rajah. The setting is the same place as the previous chapter: at the end of the narrow pass.

//Chapter 15- **The Final Test**//: After the mini-war with Surabhanu, Anand finds out that Surabhanu lost and went away. So, Anand moves on to the Silver Valley. He comes to the front entrance and calls out for one of the Brotherhood Healers. They answer him, without coming out, and tells him what his final obstacle is a question. The question is: (Out of these three virtues) What is most important: Honesty, loyalty, or compassion? Anand ponders upon this question for a long time. The setting is the entrance to the Silver Valley. The main characters are Anand, Nisha, and the Healers.

//Chapter 16- **The Greatest Virtue**//: With having that question in mind, Anand gets to think a lot about many things. Finally he tells the Healer his answer: No single virtue is the most important, but all of them are equally the same because they work together. One can't live without all of them. The Healer tells Anand that it is correct! They open the gate, and three master Healers come out. They say that he is welcomed to come in, but his companions (Rajah and Nisha) cannot. Sadly, Anand tells them that without them, he wouldn't have been here, so he will stay by their side, wherever they go. That meant he was not going to go into Silver Valley because they weren't. Just then, the Healers tell Anand that he passed the very final test, and may now enter with his companions!! The people in the Silver Valley will heal Nisha's leg, and they will try their best to turn Abhaydatta into a man again (he was the mongoose all along!). The characters in the chapter are the Healers, Anand, Nisha, and Rajah. The setting is the entrance to the Silver Valley.

//Chapter 17- **In the Arbor of Water:**// In this chapter, Anand visits many places in the Silver Valley. He hears from his tour guide that Abhaydatta was successfully turned back into a human, but he doesn't speak at all. He sleeps while worrying. All of a sudden, Nisha comes to his doorway and takes him secretly somewhere to discuss the arbor of water. That is where Abhaydatta is, but everyone is forbidden to see him because it might upset a force/spell they put on him to make him normal again. Anand and Nisha both have this great urge to see him, so they break the rule and go to the arbor of water, anyway. Finally, they find him! At first, they catch him not talking, but after they tell him the whole story about what happened to them, he starts acting perfectly normal! Thanks to them, he speaks again. The main characters in the chapter are Anand, Nisha, and Abhaydatta. The setting of the chapter is the Silver Valley/the arbor of water.

//Chapter 18- **Anand's Choice**//: In chapter 18, a big event happens. Anand talks to Nisha about her being accepted to stay in the Silver Valley (because usually, women aren't allowed in). Anand becomes sort of worried and hurt and jealous of her because they have told her that she could stay as one of the people of the Brotherhood, but he has not been told anything. However, right then, he gets a message that Abhaydatta wants to see him. It is about him staying or not. They meet in the Hall of Seeing and Abhaydatta shows Anand what is happening at his home at that moment. After the video is over, Abhaydatta asks him if he wants to stay here as one of 'them' without his family, or if he wants to leave the Silver Valley and go to his family with no powers. //It is Anand's choice//. Anand is so blown away by this dilemma. He really hates to leave his family, hurt, and looking for him, but all he wanted was to become a master Healer! First, he goes to the conch for help, and then the conch tells him to go to Abhaydatta for help. So, he does, and Abhaydatta does help. Since Abhaydatta is the master of forgetting and remembrance, he can make Anand's family forget that Anand even existed, so they wouldn't feel any pain or misery. It was a hard thing to do, but that was Anand's choice. The setting is inside the Silver Valley, and the characters are Nisha, the conch, Abhaydatta, and Anand.

//Chapter 19- **Home**//: This chapter is the last chapter in //The Conch Bearer//. Anand is in a traditional 'Welcome to the Brotherhood' ceremony, where they announce the good things he has done, and what he will be from now on. Anand turns out to be the Keeper of the Conch!! Anand feels very special and proud. He does feel a little bit guilty for leaving his family and staying in the Silver Valley, even though Abhaydatta did make them forget about Anand. Anand and Abhaydatta talk about his duties and his decision he made. Then, at the noontime meal, Anand talks to the conch about his job. Anand did a really good job of brining happiness to the Valley~ The main characters in the chapter are Anand, Abhaydatta, the conch, and Nisha. The setting of the chapter is the crystal hall, in the Silver Valley.

May 21, 2009**
 * FunBrain- score
 * [[image:http://www.funbrain.com/funtab.gif width="141" height="14" link="http://www.funbrain.com/index.html"]] ||
 * [[image:http://www.funbrain.com/correct.gif width="58" height="14"]]
 * 16 ** || [[image:http://www.funbrain.com/incorrect.gif width="72" height="14"]]
 * 4 ** ||

3 poems Limerick There once was a man named Fish. Who atejust overcooked knish. But the knish weren't glad, To be overcooked. So sad. They were depressed to the emptiness of the dish. Sarah, Ate ice cream, On the rooftop, At midnight, Because she wanted ice cream and she wasn't tired. I am jealousy. I dress in a green fuzzy dress with boots. I need to be included in everything. I am related to selfishness and greediness. I vacation wherever other people don't invite me to. My job is to make people feel... jealous. I desire to know all things.
 * May 12th, 2009**

May 8, 2009**
 * Haiku Poem Evaluation

Korea
 * Kevin**

The place where we live, The place where we seek for peace. This country comforts

Evidence: 3 Example: seek for peace
 * A.** Words are adequate and correct in a general sense, and they support the meaning by not getting in the way.

Clouds came into the sky a drop of rain gently fell on the dirty silent foor.
 * Jon**

Evidence: 2 The writer demonstrates a limited vocabulary or has not searched for. Example: Clouds came into the sky

May 7, 2009
 * Haiku Poems

Spring in Korea Many flowers bloom, Earth is a colorful room It's spring, I assume. **

It is very very warm. Birds will start to sing. **
 * Korea- Spring**
 * Allergies in spring.

Deer are loitering. Bears are being malicious. Skunks stink the place up.
 * In the Woods...**

My Side of the Mountain- Qs and vocab 1. He thinks about books he read, what things he had seen before he escaped, and whatever he learned. He also used a map of the whole mountain that his great grandfather owned. 2. No, I wouldn't want to live in the woods just like the main character because I wouldn't be able to survive. I hardly know any type of flower or tree, I can't tell what kinds of birds I see, and I'm not able to use a map to find my way around. I might be able to use landmarks to go places, but that's probably it. Also, I don't eat seafood like crayfish or mussels. I've never made my own fire, and I've never handled an ax or even a cooking knife! 3. The author uses so many great adjectives! Some of them, I don't even know. She shows every scene instead of telling. She describes every detail in the story, and makes it so realistic. I got this nut from that tall hickory tree over by the lake. The lost sweater fell from the branches to the crotch of a tree, and there, it was hanging. //**remote**//- Far in distance. We were remote in the woods from the rest of New Jersey. That tree was the only slender one in the woods with the other stout trees. The twigs gathered to make a fire were arranged in a scrabbly way.
 * May 5, 2009**
 *  Answers to Questions**
 * Vocabulary**
 * //hickory//**- A North American type of tree that belongs to the walnut family.
 * //crotch//**- The splitting wood on a tree.
 * //slender//**- Thin; graceful.
 * //scrabbly//**- Small and scattered; scratchy.

Blues Song** //Sadness Comes and Goes// Sadness is a tragedy, Everybody knows. Sadness is a tragedy, but it comes and goes. Keep on going- it won't hurt that bad. Keep on following the path you chose.
 * May 5, 2009

I've been through it too, You're not the only one. I've been throught it too, //**I'm**// not the only one. Happiness comes and goes too, Without both, nothing is done.

April 28, 2009** Langston Hughes- a famous author, a playwright, a poet, and a novelist!! Wow, didn't he do many things? Langston Hughes was born on February 1, 1902 in Missouri and he died on May 22, 1967. He was the class poet when he went to school in Lincoln. He loved to read and he worked for the school yearbook and newspaper. Langston Hughes died because he had cancer. He had written many poems and many many books. Langston Hughes was very successful~
 * Langston Hughes

April 24, 2009** Earth is our planet, where everyone lives. The Earth is innocent and to us, it gives. How mean is it for us to pollute our planet? Tell everyone to stop, even your friend Janet.
 * Earth Poem
 * POOR EARTH**

The environment is slowly fading away. I wonder how long it will take to pay. Poor, poor Earth didn't do anything wrong. It's not even well enough to sing a song.

April 24, 2009** Price tags, purchases, items, and gifts, bags, and ONLY SOMETIMES: shop lifts.
 * Synonym Poem
 * STORES**

April 23, 2009** Earth Day is celebrated in many different countries. It is celebrated on April 22nd. The purpose of Earth Day is to be thankful for the Earth and to take care of the environment. Earth is endagered right now because of global warming and pollution. To help Earth on Earth Day, you could help clean rivers, conserve energy, conserve water, recycle, and much more! Basically, Earth Day is for helping Earth survive from what we did to it.
 * Earth Day

April 23, 2009**
 * List poems

__Everything is possible__ You say pigs can't fly? They could ride a plane. You say dogs can't talk? They bark- that's their own language. You say no one can touch a cloud? Touching doesn't always mean feeling. You say the sun is to hot to touch? We could always wear extra clothing.

April 23, 2009** Sarah's self portrait My shoe is like a grape. It is purple and bright. My arms are like branches. They reach out above me. My hands are normal. They are shaped like they are supposed to. My hair is soft. It is like cotton. My heart holds weirdness that is green as grass. I live in Korea.
 * Self portrait poems

's self portrait Her face is a cartoon. She always smiles~ Her shoes are like fog. They are dark-ish. Her eyes are normal. Nothing is wrong with them. Her hair is black. It is like space without stars. Her heart holds kindness that is pink as bubblegum. She lives in Korea and eats food.

__**Short Story Reading Assignment April 5, 2009** //For each story, write a paragraph on the following:// //1. The author’s background.// //2. Plot-the major events in the story.// //3. Setting-describe it. Also, how does it add to the story?// //4. Characters. Describe them. Do they seem real? Likable? Why?// //5. Your favorite part of the story.// __

**Darnell Rock Reporting ** The author of //Darnell Rock Reporting// is Walter Dean Myers. He is an award-winning author. When he was a kid, he wrote fictional stories in his notebooks, filling them up. In the 1960s, he joined a writing contest and he won! He started writing novels about teenagers, a few years after he had won the writing contest. He also wrote books that are mystery, adventure, and nonfiction stories.

These are the three major events in //Darnell Rock Reporting//: The first one is when Darnell Rock interviews Sweeby Jones, a homeless person, and writes an article about making a garden for the homeless. The article goes into the town newspapaer. The second major event is when Darnell goes to the City Council meeting and speaks about his opinion. He and a girl named Linda Gold are against each other. They are voting about either turning the empty lot into a garden for the homeless, or making it into a parking lot. The last major event is when Darnell's idea loses, but fortunately different place is available for the homeless.

The setting of this story is in the Oakdale Court Building. THis is where Darnell Rock and Linda Gold speak about their articles that they wrote in the newspaper. This adds to the story because this is where decisions, votes, and agreements are made. It is the official place to do those things. It is where they meet to discuss different things. It would not be held in a gym, or a cafe, or a playground. Also, there is enough space to fit everyone who needs to come.

The main characters in //Darnell Rock Reporting// are Darnell Rock, Linda Gold, and Sweeby Jones. Darnell Rock is a kind and caring person. He thought about the homeless and tried to do something about it. He seems real because a lot of people do things to help unfortunate people. He seems likable because he is caring and unselfish. Linda Gold wanted to turn the empty lot into a parking lot for teachers. She gave many good reasons for it, too. She seems pretty real because many people in real life don't think much about the homeless. She seems likable because she is not a bad person, and she doesn't tease Darnell about losing the vote. Sweeby Jones is a very confident, homeless person. He stood up for what he believed in and didn't give up. He seems real because homeless people usually want a place to stay, just like Sweeby. He seems pretty likable becuase he was only doing what seemed right.

What is my favorite part of the story, you ask? I think my favorite part was when Darnell spoke to the City Council about turning the empty lot into a garden for homeless people. He gave many excellent reasons for it and he explained, too. I just felt really into the story during that part because I was on his side and I felt his speech was great.


 * The Summer of the Swans **

//The Summer of the Swans// is written by Betsy Byars. She so popular that her books turned into movies and she receives as many as 200 fan letters each week. Betsy Byars also learns some things from children and teenagers. She got her idea about //The Summer of the Swans// while being with kids who had disabilities. She is also an award- winning author. The Summer of the Swans won an award, too.

In this story, there are different major events. One major event is when Charlie gets lost while looking for swans that he liked. Another event is what Sara was searching for Charlie with Joe. She learns things and thinks a lot during the search. Another event is when Sara and Joe find Charlie. Everyone is relieved and happy when this event happens.

The setting of this story is the woods. That is where Charlie gets lost. It is also where Sara and Joe search for Charlie. It adds to the story a lot in many ways. This forest setting lets Charlie gets lost. Otherwise, there would actually be no story at all! It also makes Sara and Joe's journey (to find Charlie) harder. Without all the different heights of the hills and the trees and leaves in the woods, Sara and Joe would probably be able to find Charlie right away. That would leave nothing and there would be no story at all.

The characters are Charlie, Sara, and Joe. Charlie has a developmental problem and cannot speak. He seems real because there are many people like that in real life. He is not a bad person, so he could be likable. Sara is a very caring and loving big sister. She seems real because many siblings of disabled children act the same way. She seems likeble because she is a nice, kind, and caring girl. Joe is Sara's classmate and he helps her find Charlie. He seems real because it isn't unusual for a friend to help search for someone. He seems likable because he was nice and he was helping Sara the throughout the whole story.

My favorite part of the story is when Charlie is found because everyone was overjoyed. I usually don't like it when stories are too sad. They make //me// feel sad, and then I am afraid it would happen in real life. I like happy endings because they give me joyful thoughts. Although happy endings could be kind of cliche and boring at times, in my opinion, they are the best.

**Old Yeller**

Guess who wrote //Old Yeller//? Fred Gipson! He is also an award winning author. He used to work on a farm, too. Fred Gipson also entertained his family. Since he grew up in texas, most of his stories are set in Texas. Fread Gipson enjoys realistic, and exciting stories. His book //Old Yeller// was the most popular. In fact, it was even turned into a movie! Have you seen it?

There are major and minor events in this story. I will name three major events. The first major event was when Old Yeller came into the story. Without him, the story couldn't go on. He helped Little Arliss with catching animals. Another major event was when Little Arliss got hurt because of the live fish, but fortunately, Old Yeller helped. Then, Little Arliss lied to Mama and said that he did all the work. Finally, the biggest event that happened was when Little Arliss was trying to catch a little bear cub. He did, but when the cub started to whine, its mom barged in and roared like crazy. She was about to attack Little Arliss when Old Yeller attacked the bear and saved Little Arliss.

The setting of this story is in central Texas. This place helps the story go along. If it was central New York, bears and wood- chopping wouldn't make sense. Since the story doesn't take place in a city, and it takes place in a rural area, boys chopping wood makes sense. Another thing that makes sense is the fact that there are many live animals wandering around. Travis works on a farm, and the setting is right for that.

The characters are: Travis, Little Arliss, Mama, and Old Yeller. Travis is a teenage boy who is left to take care of the family by his dad. He seems pretty real because a lot of families have older sons take care of their family while the dad is gone. He seems likable Little Arliss is young, and he loves to catch live animals and he loves to keep them. He doesn't seem real because it is unusual to catch live animals and keep them in your pocket. He seems likable because he is fun and adventurous. Mama is a very nice, and quiet person. She doesn't really do much in the story. She does seem real because she does what a typical mom does. She seems likable because she helps and is kind. Old Yeller is a dog who is very helpful. He helps catch animals and he saved Arliss from a bear. He seems doesn't seem very real because usually, dogs don't catch animals or attack bears. He seems likable because he saves people and helps with many things.

My favorite part of the story was when the mama bear ran away with the cub. As I said before, I enjoy happy endings- not scary or tragic endings. Sometimes, I get into the story, and if the bear attacked Arliss, I would actually feel it. I would be really scared. If I was Arliss, I would be truly thankful that I had a dog by my side, who saved my life.

April 3, 2009** Jon's essay:
 * Word Choice/Voice Evaluation

B. **Familiar words and phrases communicate but rarely capture the reader's imagination.** Example- **I was a little annoyed when my friend came up to me and said, "Hey Jonah, Let's go to the Lunch room for a snack, I don't want to go alone."
 * Word Choice: **3

Voice: **3 E. **Narrative writing is sincere, but does not reflect a unique or individual perspective on the topic.** Example- **I looked over at Kelvin and his face told me one thing, LETS GET OUT OF HERE!**

April 1, 2009**
 * Mundane/Striking Chart
 * Mundane || Striking ||
 * afraid || terror-stricken ||
 * ran || sprinted ||
 * screamed || yelped ||
 * small || miniscule ||
 * amazing || prodigious ||
 * happy || elated ||
 * isolated || secluded ||
 * shouting || clamoring ||

March 30, 2009** 28. Everyone has a favorite season of the year. What is your favorite season? What do you like to do? Write a story about your favorite season. My favorite season is summer because it is really warm and you get to do all kinds of things in the summer. I like to swim, jump on trampolines, ride my bike, and hang out with friends. I can't do any of those things in the winter. I can't swim because it is too cold, trampolines could be covered in snow, I don't really like riding bikes when it's freezing outside, and during winter, there is school so I can't really hang out with friends. Story: It was a cold, bitter, and dry morning when she woke up. Mrs. Mississ had never known the season, summer. There was only spring, fall, and winter in her world. She felt cold all the time because it was mostly winter. Spring came only once in a while, and fall came every other year. One day, Mrs. Mississ said to herself, "I wonder what it's like to have a season that is warm all the time. I bet you could do anything like... riding bikes, swimming, and going for a walk." She didn't know about summer, but she was right about it. "I bet this world will never change. I will always be stuck in my house because of snow, and I can't even take a walk. It's too cold." That could be true, too. Mrs. Mississ wished that seasons will have an equal amount of days and rotated all the time. That was a good idea, but sadly, in her world, summer never ever came.
 * Writing Gym

March 19,2009** 3 grocery items: //**Bananas**//- Nice, ripe, yellow bananas- in a bunch. That's what you want to buy. Not //too// ripe, and not the kind that is squishy, but ones that are just right. Buy bananas that smell sweet and refreshing. They taste best, but you can choose- the one that you feel most right about. Bananas go bad easily, so try not to let the store rip you off. That's why I'm telling you now, to look at them- closely. Ripe, yellow ones, sweet smelling, and refreshing bananas are the ones you want. Trust me.
 * Writing Workout- Voice
 * //Strawberries//**- Do you like it when you feel starved and you want something sweet, but refreshing and cold? When you get that feeling, there is nothing you can eat, right? Wrong. You can eat strawberries! Strawberries are sweet, refreshing, cold, and they fill your stomach, too. There are some things you need to know about them, though. At a store, at the strawberry section, you want to look for the ripe ones-not the ones that are way squished. Ripe strawberries are the sweetest. If you let the store deliver them to your house though, they might be squished with all the other groceries. Take them home with you! That way, you can eat them when you get that weird, unusual feeling.
 * //Cookies//**- Cookies always smell really tempting! There is chocolate chip, macadamia nut, double chocolate chip, oatmeal, and much more! I know that everyone has a favorite kind, but why don't you be the leader this time, and give others a try! Every cookie could be addicting, you know. The soft cookies always seem to taste better, but some hard ones are good, too. Cookies are really good!

Writing Gym--Word Choice** What could a **happy teacher** do in a **mall**? A happy teacher was teaching her class when, all of sudden, a package delivery man came into the classroom. He said, "Here's your free //99% off of everything you buy today// coupon! Have a nice day!" Then the package delivery man left. The teacher suddenly became the happiest person in the universe. She left her class and just sprinted off to the mall. She entered the mall, and went to every single store in alphabetical order- since she was a teacher.
 * March 17, 2009

She bought almost everything you can think of. She bought accessories, aluminum foil, apples, an arm chair, bathtubs, beds, books, bottles, candles, clothes, cookies, dinner, and an egg. She also bought fireflies, fish, hair ties, hot glue guns, jewelry, juice, junk, jeans, a kite, leggings, mandarin oranges, necklaces, presents, scarves, ties, vests, a watermelon, and much more! The happy teacher went bananas and bought a banana! She was pretty satisfied with what she bought. She took all of them home, and sorted everything out. That's when a police officer came to the door. He said that the //99%off of everything you buy today// coupon was not valid, therefore he was going to take everything she just bought and return them. Now she is the saddest person in the whole universe.

Habibi journals** March 13, pages 265-71: (Mrs. Abboud) Today was a wonderful day, with Sitti, Liyana, Rafik, Omer, and Poppy. We went to Galilee because of Sitti and there, we went to a restaurant. Everyone ordered The //Disciple's Special// and everyone had hot tea, except for me. Before the food came, we were done drinking the hot tea (except for me) and Sitti read our fortune in the tea leaves. We were sitting outside, near the water and there was a nice breeze.
 * March 9-13th

March 12, pages 255-64: (Omer) I spent the whole day with Liyana, Rafik, Khaled, and Nadine. Later, at Liyana's family's house, someone asked who I was and Liyana's father said that I was just a friend. Nobody was suspicious of me. After everyone was done eating, Sitti told us that I remind her of someone she used to really like, and she kept on going on about that person. Then, all of us went home.

March 11, pages 244-54: (Poppy) I didn't want to go and meet Omer, an Israeli, but it didn't turn out so bad after all. I asked Liyana if she felt comfortable here in Palestine, but I'm still not sure if she's enjoying it here. I kept on thinking about the future- Rafik and Liyana might love it here so much, that they would stay here, and Mrs. Abboud and I would go back to the U.S. someday. Then, a few days later, I told Liyana to invite her friends to spend some time in the village with us. Everybody had a fun time- even though I still felt a little awkward, being with an Israeli.

March 10, pages 233-43: (Liyana) Rafik and I came back from the hospital in a taxi. When we got home, Omer called and reminded me about the poetry reading...I had forgotten about that!! The good news is that Poppy came home from jail and he is safe now. Later at dinner, I asked Poppy if Omer could come to the village to meet us and spend time with us. Everyone convinced Poppy to say yes, and now we are meeting Omer!

March 9, pages 222-32: (Rafik) Oh no!!! Poppy is in jail, Khaled is in the hospital, and mom is gone!! All of a sudden, one day, soldiers tried to take Khaled away, but then Poppy tried to stop them and now they are both in trouble! It is okay now because Liyana visited Poppy and she saidhe was fine, and when we went to Khaled, he was fine, too. I just hope everything is going alright with mom... where could she be?

Writing Gym- 5 paragraphs** 6. Think of your favorite year in school. Explain why it was your favorite year. __My favorite year in school was in 4th grade. This is because it felt like the most warm and friendly place ever. I had a lot of friends and my teachers taught well and were nice. My classmates were familiar, the classroom was big, there was snack time, and class time was fun. I will explain further about why 4th grade was a great year.
 * March 4, 2009

I especially liked social studies because the teacher was nice and we did a lot of fun projects as we learned. In social studies once, we did a project about plateaus, tributaries, and all the other land forms. We made all the land forms out of clay and put everything in a little pizza box as if it was a real place where you can go. It was individual work, the teacher made it feel like one whole project. I loved social studies in 4th grade.

I also liked how a lot of big events happened in 4th grade. One time, the whole class threw a surprise birthday party for our teacher. We had a really good time doing it and it was good for working together, socializing, etc. The teacher was really surprised and we had snacks, music, and even a disco ball! That was a really big event and I enjoyed it a lot.

I also had many friends there who were my type, who always cared, and were really fun to be with. When I was about to leave to Korea, I was invited to someone's house to hangout, but when I got there, it turned out they threw a surprise party for me. Whenever something seemed to be wrong or I was sad, they would always try to make me feel better. When I hung out with them, it wouldn't be awkward silence, but we would do many fun things. My friends were really special to me.

A lot of things happened in 4th grade, and I felt like I belonged there. The teachers were nice, projects were fun, and friends were special. I miss 4th grade the most. I think I will always remember what 4th grade was like. Those are the reasons why my favorite year in school was 4th grade.__

March 2, 2009 Read pages 189-199 Habibi. __3 Questions; 3 vocab; 3 sentence summary; 1 prediction.__ Questions __1. Liyana dreamt that something fell off of its plate. What was it? 2. Who left the silver package on the stairs for Liyana? 3. Who did Liyana choose to do her author report on?__ Vocab __quizzical- odd or comical essence- the basic nature of a thing or its significant features extravagant- spending much more than needed__ 3 senctence summary __It is Liyana's birthday and gets presents from her family and Omer. She goes to the library with Rafik to do her author report and meets Omer ther. They find out they like each other.__ Prediction__ I think that Omer and Liyana will hang out together more and they will get into trouble because Liyana is from Palestine and Omer is from Israel.

Habibi Questions/Vocab/Summary** 1. What did the first rule on the stone wall say? 2. Why did Liyana's whole family believe in reincarnation? 3. Why didn't Liyana tell her friends that the word was INDIVISIBLE, and not INVISIBLE? -**denomination**: a large religious group; group of churches. Summary: Omer and Liyana meet up together and talk. While they are talking, Omer asks about religion. Then, Liyana was thinking for a long time about religion, what people said about it, and the good/bad things about it.
 * February 26, 2009
 * -wavery**: not divisible or separable.
 * -crucial**: involving a very important decision.

Writing Gym** 6. Think of your favorite year in school. Explain why it was your favorite year. My favorite year in school was in 4th grade. This is because it felt like the most warm and friendly place ever. I had a lot of friends and my teachers taught well and were nice. My classmates were familiar, the classroom was big, there was snack time, and class time was fun. I especially liked social studies because the teacher was nice and we did a lot of fun projects as we learned. I also liked how a lot of big events happened in 4th grade. One time, the whole class threw a surprise birthday party for the teacher and we had a really good time doing it. In social studies once, we did a project about plateaus, tributaries, and all the other land forms. We made all the land forms out of clay and put everything in a little pizza box as if it was a real place where you can go. That was really fun and I enjoyed it a lot. There was another project about science and it was reallly fun, too. We were studying electricity and we made a little game out of a shoe box. You pick a topic, ask 10 questions, answer them, mix them up, and paste them on opposite sides on the box. Then, you have to get 20 brass pins and put them next to the questions/answers. There are also 2 wires sticking out of the sides of the box. We set the box up so that when you touch a question to the correct answer, a lightbulb lights up. That was really fun and I got to play everybody's games. A lot of things happened in 4th grade, and I felt like I belonged there. Those are the reasons I liked 4th grade the best.
 * February 26, 2009

Emotion Recipe** [| Recipe for being cranky.doc]
 * February 25, 2009

February 13, 2009 Israel-Palestine Conflict [| Israeli-Palestinian Conflict.ppt]