Literacy History

     I first learned the alphabet in kindergarten. My teachers Mrs. Ebersold and Mrs. Muñoz gave us worksheets, where we had to trace the capital and lowercase letters. They have read to us a couple times, so did my first grade teacher Mrs. Geerdes (she read to us Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss) and fourth grade teacher Mrs. Trent (Hatchet by Gary Paulson). I never really liked people reading to me, because I wouldn't understand the book completely, and also because they read so slow; the teachers also give us too much work to go along with the story. About fifteen papers to complete a small book. I think the first book I read on my own was To Give a Mouse a Cookie by Laura Joffe Numeroff and illustrated by Felicia Bond. Iv'e always like that book because of the little cute mouse eating cookies and just the story overall. I like and enjoy reading on my own because I just get lost in the story and it's like I'm there with the character, feeling their emotions, and understanding their thoughts.

     I first learned to write my name in kindergarten with those three lined papers. I used to always write the letters on top of the middle line, instead of in between the middle and bottom lines, and the teacher would always write on top of my sloppy handwriting to show me the right way to write. It made me feel a little bit upset because I didn't know how to write in between the lines. I never really thought about the feeling of learning to read and write. I thought everyone knew those tools, but apparently not. I am grateful and appreciative of knowing to read a book and write an essay. Going to school for the first time, I think was an adventure for me; learning new things, making new friends. Sometimes on random days, I tell my parents that I don't want to go to school; when they would ask why, I would say 'I don't know.' I still do that now, mostly because the previous day I might have felt lazy and just didn't want to go.

Nightjohn Illiterate

     To live back then where some people were illiterate was hard for many people, especially for females. Girls were not allowed to learn to read or write, to drive, and they can't even go out without a man escort! Being illiterate, is hard, considering everything evolves around words and numbers. My life would be really hard if I were to go back in time because then, I won't be able to understand numbers, posters, books, or letters. I won't know how to write words, and I won't know what numbers are. People would make fun of me, call me dumb, or just ignore me completely, and that would be cruel. If people were to write in code, I wouldn't know what's going on, it might be something bad, and I couldn't to anything to stop it. The law during that time in space, was really cruel and ridiculous, since now, women finally got their rights and we're able to to do the same things as men. 

Summary

     Jackie Robinson is a courageous, selfless, disciplined, and famous man. He may have been an African American (A.A.), but he was an amazing baseball player. Branch Rickey was a bossy man, he wanted to put an A.A on the white Brooklyn Dodgers. However, he had to tell the public that he was forming a new negro team, the Brown Dodgers, because white racists would be furious. A Dodgers scout, Clyde Sukeford, found Robinson and asked him if he wanted to join the "Brown Dodgers." Jackie accepts and later, Rickey tells Robinson the truth, that he is offered the job on the Dodgers. Despite that, Rickey was hard on him, he kept yelling at him what people might say when he's out on the field. He said that Jackie can't and shouldn't fight back, now Jackie is rethinking his choices. He asks him if he just wanted to find a A.A. ball-player who didn't have the guts and who is a coward to stand up for himself. Branch corrects him by telling him, "I'm looking for a ball-player with the guts not to fight back." Jackie takes the job and becomes number 42 for the Brooklyn Dodgers.

Theme

     The conflict of The Kissing Hand is that Chester the raccoon doesn't want to go to school, but his mom tells him a family secret. Chester tells his mom this because he wants to stay home with his mom, but Mrs. Raccoon  tells him that "Sometimes we have to do things we don't want to do." Mrs. Raccoon reassures Chester that he will love school once he starts. He will make new friends, read new books, and etc. Chester was scared and frightened in the beginning of the book, but then Mrs. Raccoon tells Chester her very old family secret, which was when his mom kissed the palm of his left hand and tells him that momma will always love him, whenever he feels lonely and now  he feels relieved and loved. The theme is that sometimes we have to do things in life that we really don't feel like doing, but maybe you'll feel rewarded when you accomplish the task.

Paper Reflection

     I think I did well for my informational paper, because sharks are fascinating creatures. What was my somewhat challenging part of the paper, was paraphrasing, separating the info into paragraphs and the background of your topic for the introduction. I didn't really understand the way it was organized, I was confused in the beginning. For the rest of the paper, it was somewhat easy for me. I understood and comprehended the rest of the paper. My goal is to exceed on writing informational papers. 

Research

Notes:

Physical Features:

• teeth fall out = quickly replaced 
• one large bite = fatal 
• detects one drop blood in 25 gal water - 3 miles away 

Paraphrase: 

     Great White Sharks are the world's most dangerous fish. When their teeth fall out, it is quickly replaced with a new tooth. When sharks chomp their pray to slow them down, they might not survive the fatal bite. They can sense just 1 drop of blood from 3 miles away! Great White Sharks are fascinating and threatening fish.

**Resource 2**         http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vertebrates/Doug/shark.html 

Paraphrasing

PARAPHRASE 1: HEY YOU! WAKE UP! 

Step 1: Notes -- Paragraph 1 

1. not enough sleep = feel dazed, disorganized, uncoordinated 
2. lack of sleep = seems legally drunk 
3. teens at risk for anxiety, despair, grades, obesity, no dignity 
4. dazed driving = more than 100,000 car accidents every year 
5. gov. officials use sleep deprivation = get info from suspects 

Step 2: Paraphrasing 'Permanent Damage'

     When people don't get enough sleep, they might feel dazed, uncoordinated, and other symptoms. Lack of sleep, resolves to being "legally drunk," and puts teens at risk for bad grades, obesity, anxiety, or having no dignity. Dazed or sleepy drivers cause more than 100,000 car accident per year, in addition, sometimes government officials might use sleep deprivation against suspects to get information out of them. People need to sleep so they are fully awake during the day and won't have much health problems. 

Step 1: Notes -- Paragraph 2

1. enough sleep = energized body, strengthens body and immune system 
2. when you sleep, remember more information 
3. enough sleep = healthier body 
4. bed time changes when you get older 
5. don't sleep at the same time (a sleep schedule) = disrupt 24 hr cycle = exhausted 

Step 2: Paraphrasing 'A Wonky Clock'

     When you get the right amount of sleep, your body energized, strengthens your body and immune system, and you have a better memory. As you get older, your bed time changes, if you don't set a time schedule to sleep and wake up, it might disturb your 24 hour cycle. Sleeping is very important for your health and well being.