A Memory

Author's Note: I was in downtown Pewaukee yesterday at the beach and Chocolate Factory with some friends.  When I was there, it reminded me of back when I was little and my family used to come down quite often.  Slowly over time, we stopped coming so this really brought me back.  

Back to the time

When I was little

Walking down by the shores

Hearing the sound of crashing waves

Squishing rocky sand between by toes

Feeling cool, raspberry ice cream drip down

Back to the time

When we used to walk

Down by the pier

And try to find fishies in the murky waters

Smelling the lake stench

Feeling the warm breeze against my skin

Those were the times to remember 

Back to the time

When I was little

Staying out at the lakefront

Amazed by everything that surrounded me

Ice cream, walking, laughing

Memories from my past

Making a Difference

Author's Note: My sister and I had just planted a tree yesterday so I decided to write a post about it for Making a Difference.  

Nowadays, our world is getting more populated and that means more pollution and dirty air.  Some think that this cannot be reversed or treated whatsoever.  Yet, most, if not everyone knows some ways of going green: plant a tree, ride a bike instead of a car, carpool, pick up litter, and so on.  My sister and I felt like making our world a little bit better yesterday.  We decided to plant a tree in our backyard.  A few years ago, I tried planting a tree but, it was washed away by a huge rainstorm, followed by a flood.

First, we dug up a hole in the dirt wide and deep enough to fit the tree's roots.  I put in the roots and began putting back soil.  My sister and I had just planted the roots of a new life.  In addition, my dad helped out and got the tree watered and positioned correctly.  This time I am confident the tree will stay strong and stay healthy, compared to my last tree.  Someday I hope for the tree to grow to be as big as the others in my yard. 

No matter how small the project, you can always make a difference.  I hoped to help the ecosystem, air, and animals by planting one little tree.  I made a change in my life, a change in our environment, a change in our world.  Now see what you can do even if it's as little as carpooling with a friend. 

       The arrow is pointing at my growing little tree.

Birthday

Author's Note: Today I turn 13 years old.  This poem is to show the true meaning behind a birthday, not just presents and cake.  
 
Today is my birthday,
The day
Where I celebrate my birth
Where I celebrate when I came to life
Where I celebrate history of me

Though presents and parties sound great
It's not what birthdays are about
Though center of attention and praise sound great
It's not what birthdays are for

When I was born
It meant something
When you were born
It meant something
The day a person is born
The world is changed
Each and everyone person made a difference

We are unique
We have our own
Talent,
Use,
And part of someone's life

So a birthday isn't about
Cake, presents, and parties
A birthday is the day to celebrate when we were born
When we changed lives
Happy Birthday

Someday

Author's Note: I am playing around with writing a haiku.  As usual my inspiration is nature.  

Little and simple

Waiting for sun, rain, and love

To blossom someday

Spring is Here

Author's Note: As my non-fiction response, my inspiration is on nature.  I found a picture on the National Geographic website and I decided to write a poem of it.  In my poem, I am doing my best to include syntactic devices, semantic devices, and patterns.  Please leave me feedback.

Grass just turned green

From the morning dew

Flowers just blossomed

Of pink and blue

Snow has gone
Rain has come
Frigid cold has left
Warmth has shown

The sun will shine

The birds will sing

The wind will blow

So peacefully

Above

Clouds, wispy as cotton candy

Below

Fields, sway like ocean waves

For a while you just stand

Looking at the gift of nature

Color

Air

Life

Simply,

Flowers in the field

And sun in the sky

Prove that color is needed

Prove that life exists

Prove that spring is here

A First Communion

Author's Note: Yesterday was my little sister's first communion and it was very special day.  I felt like writing a poem for her.  I also felt like including a picture of my family after her communion.    

My family after my sister's communion.

All gathered together

In a beautiful church

Little boys and girls

Dressed up in black suits and white gowns

Get ready for their big day

She walked down the aisle

Her veil flowed behind

She tried to put on a grin to hide her nervousness

Staring down at her glossed white heels

Left, right, left, right

As she got to the alter,

My parents by her side 

Candles flickered,

Music filled the air,

Sun shined through the stain-glassed windows,

As she got her first communion

Smiles on everyone's face

The most nerve wrecking part

Done

One step to growing up

In the path of God

Animal Farm Final

Author's Note: For book club we recently finished Animal Farm.  This was my final piece for the book.  Instead of the usual essay that you can see on my Animal Farm page, I decided to use some technology and make a Vuvox.  Please leave feedback. 

Wasps

Author's Note: Currently, I am reading the Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins.  In this poem, you are Katniss; a tribute who volunteered herself for her sister, Prim.  I want this poem to descriptive enough for you to imagine yourself, as Katniss, in the Games.  I also decided to include some syntactic devices.  Please give me feedback.

Scorched by flames
Cut by trees
Threatened by the others
You feel hopeless

Surrounded by people who want to kill you
Momentarily frightened by the glowing eyes
Of a girl next to you
Warning you
A wasps nest
Wait why would she help you?

Soon enough welts the size of plum appear
With green venom oozing from your skin
Wasps chase, wound, and kill tributes

Panting, bleeding, disgusted
You feel sick
Hallucinations take over
Smoke thickens
Until all you see is darkness

A Sad Ending

Author's Note: This is a poem relating to the ending of Animal Farm by George Orwell.  Though it's sad, it's quite true.  
 
A sad ending
With death and mourn
Tragedy and forgetfulness
Growing old and gray
Frail and worrisome

Falling apart
With rules not reasonable
Evil takes over
Leaving everything, but
Happiness, fun, life

Not only are lives lost
Not only is work destroyed
Not only is trust abandoned
Nothing good can stay

Where they say everyone is "equal"
But everything has gone wrong

One of a Kind: Poppy

Author's Note: I found this picture of a poppy on the National Geographic website.  I decided to writing a poem about it.  I wanted to be very descriptive and use repetitive syntactic devices.  

Swaying in the field

To the rhythm of the wind

Side to side

Graceful, peaceful, joyful

Unique, one of a kind

A scarlet blossom forever in bloom

An olive stem dancing with the breeze

Fragile as glass

Don't let wind make a poppy snap or fall

Sacred as life

An animal, a plant, a person

A single person is unique

Like one swaying poppy

What if there was no color?

Then it seems lifeless

What if it is drooping down?

Then no one cares

What if it is not there?

Then it's a field like any other

Controlled Burns and Wildfires

 Author's Note: Recently we had a seminar on controlled burns.  Some of the Academy 21 students went out to the prairie to see what the prairie looks like after a control burn that was a few days earlier.  Our task was to research controlled burns and state our opinion on whether or not we should do controlled burns, and whether or not we should stop wildfires.  I felt like including examples of controlled burns and wildfires from recent events.  As for many of my responses, I am working on reducing be-verbs by 30%.  Please give me feedback!


Controlled burns and wildfires happen all of the time.  Since controlled burns can help the land then why do firemen immediately take action when there is a wildfire?  On the other hand, some negatives can come up when doing a controlled burns and having untreated wildfires.  Should people create controlled burns and keep wildfires or stop them altogether?

Controlled Burn

Not long ago, in the prairie behind our school, there was a fire.  Did you get to see the fire or what the prairie looked like afterward?  No worries, that fire wasn't to harm anything, it was one step that we annually do to restore our prairie.  Those kinds of fires are called controlled burns.  Controlled burns are fires professionally set during cooler months as a technique to manage forests, farm, or restore prairies.  Many use controlled burning as a helpful tool to disperse seeds, begin plant growth, and abolish unwanted species. 


On the other hand, controlled burns can be quite harmful.  All the smoke and ashes will definitely pollute the atmosphere.  When inhaling the smoke from a controlled burn or any fire it can be dangerous to people's health.  Sadly, in Oregon during the year 1988, a 23-car crash that took five lives and injured over 35 people due to a vast amount of smoke from a controlled burn.

Texas Wildfire

As for wildfires, nature makes them on their own.  Right now in Texas blazing wildfires take over hundreds of miles due to a drought and gusty winds.  Hundreds of firemen from all over the United States try to put out the destructive fire before it could damage more.  Should firemen put out wildfires?  They are nature's way of a controlled burn.  Those fires could start renewing all of this land, but then firemen will extinguish them before restoration could be done. 


Fires happen for a reason and sometimes I think firemen should let them be.  Though controlled burns can  harm people and the air, they are also great for plant life which people and animals need to live.  In addition, I think that extinguishing wildfires right away isn't the best idea until they get out of hand.  What do you think?  Should we set controlled burns or not?  Do you think we should extinguish wildfires right away?


Bibliography

"Controlled Burn On UCSB’s Lagoon Island Fuels Effort to Smoke Out Invasive Plant - Noozhawk.com." Santa Barbara News and Information - Noozhawk.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. <http://www.noozhawk.com/local_news/article/061909_controlled_burn_at_ucs

"Controlled Burn- Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia ." Wikipedia the free encyclopedia . N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2011. <en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Controlled_burn>.

"Controlled burn." Science Daily: News & Articles in Science, Health, Environment & Technology. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. <http://www.sciencedaily.com/articles/c/controlled_burn.htm>.

"Texas Wildfire Condition Ease; Weather a Concern." Fox News. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Apr. 2011. <http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,514707,00.html>.

Lighthouse

Author's Note: I cannot wait for Summer to come but before that Spring must come too.  I felt like writing a poem on a lighthouse since they are truly great architecture and they seemed like an interesting poem topic.  I wanted to add some syntactic devices and a picture for visual effect.  Please give me feedback.

Standing on rocky shorelines
Lighting the night sky
With rotating beams of light
Leading sailboats or ships
Inland, shore, land

Standing tall to beam light
Standing tall to direct those boats
Standing tall to warn rocky shores nearby

On that lighthouse,
Blue waves crash high
Cool rain sprinkle down
Blustery winds brush by


It stands there perfectly
Shining rays of white light 
Guiding the path of boats
While tortured by weather of nature

A Day to Remember

Author's Note: Over this weekend, I had a great time with my family.  I felt like doing a response-like piece to my weekend.  In this piece, I wanted to add some syntactic devices and my own weekend experience.  I have also been working on reducing my be-verbs by 30%.  
  
Happiness, joy, and fun really bring families together.  On Saturday, my dad's entire family came to my grandma's house and we had a spectacular day.  We had gathered there to remember the passing of my grandpa ten years ago and my uncle's birthday. No matter what the occasion is families should come together and enjoy the time that they can have with each other.

Most of my cousins and I spent the majority of our day outside since it was a sunny and warm.  Later some of my uncles and aunts came out too.  After thinking about it, what we did wasn't really to my interest, it was the time with my family that made it fun.  Whatever game we played, food we ate, or picture we took did not matter; we made it fun and creative by being with the ones we love. 

Any family can enjoy each other and it doesn't depend on what they're doing.  My memory will keep my perfect day with family full of love and joy. 

When the Sun will Shine

Author's Note: Today, well this entire week, it has been cloudy and rainy.  I felt like writing a poem about the weather.  I wanted to add some onomatopoeias and be as descriptive as possible.  Please give me feedback.     

Pitter patter
Drip drop
Down your window pane
Cloudy skies, low and dark
No sun can shine
Skies rumble
Lightning cracks
Sending beams of light 
Splish splash
Muddy puddles
Whoshh
Wind brushing against your cheek
Slipping and sliding
Across the sidewalk
Rain sprinkles down
You wait for another day
When the sun will shine

I have a Sibling?

Author's Note: Currently, I am reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.  Recently in the book, Jason met his sister for the first time in his life.  He never knew about her before.  I try to include syntactic devices in my response.  Also, I would like to reduce by be-verbs by about 30% by replacing them with active verbs.  I wrote this to show my opinion too. 

What kind of world would it be if no one communicated?  What kind of world would it be if no one knew each other?  What kind of world would it be to not know their family?  Of course, exceptions come in here and there for some people, but in general people know these things.  Jason Grace, son of Zeus, discovered at the beginning that he had a sister, Thalia Grace.  No one had ever mentioned her, and now that he is in high school he finds out. 

If you have a sibling, imagine if they never existed.  Then one day they show up at your door saying, "Hi, I'm your brother/sister."  Jason must have had that reaction when first hearing about Thalia.  The idea of a parent not telling their own children about their siblings is not an honest relationship.  I don't think secrecy can be fair unless protecting someone.

Jason Grace must have gotten a lot of shock when uncovering a sister he never knew of.   Why would his parents keep this away from him?  A family should tell the truth when they can, and that would make the world a more understandable place.

"All truths are easy to understand once they are discovered; the point is to discover them." ~ Galileo Galilei

Zones of the Oceans

Author's Note:  I had thought of this content essay on my own since I felt like learning more on the zones of the oceans and the species within them.  In addition, I though that you, the reader, might have wanted to learn something new.  As I wrote this, I thought about reducing my be-verbs throughout the piece and making the descriptions best as possible.  Please give me feedback and comments at the bottom. 

Five oceans surround earth: Pacific, Atlantic, Indian, Arctic, and Southern.  Oceans make up nearly 70% of the earth's surface.  They provide home to thousands of unique aquatic animals and plants.  As you go deeper down the pressure gets stronger and sunlight dims until no light can get through.  Each of the five oceans have five main zones: Sunlight, Twilight, Midnight, Abyss, and Trenches.  
 

Sea Lettuce

The surface zone, named the Sunlight Zone, extends from the surface to approximately 650 feet underwater.  The most visible sunlight exists here hence the name Sunlight Zone.  Plants can only grow in the Sunlight Zone since the most light and warmth exists here.  Plants like Sea Lettuce give food to the vast amount of animals such as dolphins, sharks, and jellyfish. 

Bioluminescent Creatures

Next, the Twilight Zone, which is from 650 feet to 3,300 feet.  Light strives to get through, and any shining light appears to be extremely dim.  There are unique sea creatures living in the Twilight Zone called bioluminescent creatures that can give off light such as the lantern fish and viper fish.  Bioluminescent creatures get food by attracting prey with their light. 

Approximately 3,300 feet to 13,100 feet is complete darkness giving the name Midnight Zone.  The only light shining comes from the bioluminescent creatures.  This deep down pressure can reach 5,850  pounds per square inch, yet a decent amount of animals live here.  The Midnight Zone animals look quite unusual such as angler fish and gulper eel.  Due to lack of light animals found in the Midnight Zone appear black or red in color.

Giant Squid

Between 13,100 feet to 19,700 feet below the surface is the Abyss.  With completely no light, temperatures can get near freezing, 31 degrees Fahrenheit.  Since much deeper in the ocean, pressure is so heavy that only few animals can live here.  Most of the animals are invertebrates meaning they don't have a spinal column.  For example, the Giant Squid has adapted to the Abyss needing to withstand immense pressure, darkness, and frigid waters. 

Mariana Trench

 
The deepest, darkest, and most pressurized zones are the Trenches.  The pressure goes up to eight tons per square inch.  Incredibly, invertebrates such as starfish or tube fish can still live here and cannot be removed from their habitat.  The Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Japan, is the deepest point on earth reaching 35,797 feet!


An ocean has more than just saltwater and waves; it has zones filled with life.  Species of plants and animals that need to withstand pressure, darkness, and freezing temperatures to survive in the various zones of our oceans.  

Bibliography

"Bioluminescence - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/biolumiscence.html>.

Durkee, Debra. "Ocean Plants in the Sunlight Zone | eHow.com." eHow | How To Do Just About Everything! | How To Videos & Articles | eHow.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.ehow.com/list_7483771_ocean-plants-sunlight-zone.html>.

"Florida Museum of Natural History Ichthyology Department." Florida Museum of Natural History. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/education/adapt/adapt.htm>.

"Invertebrate - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invertebrate>.

"Layers of the Ocean - Deep Sea Creatures on Sea and Sky." Sea and Sky - Explore the Oceans Below and the Skies Above. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.seasky.org/deep-sea/ocean-layers.html>.

"Ocean Light Zones." MBGnet. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.mbgnet.net/salt/oceans/zone.htm>.

"Photo in the News: Giant Squid Captured, Filmed for First Time." Daily Nature and Science News and Headlines | National Geographic News. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/12/061222-giant-squid.html>.

"Sunlit Ocean (Euphotic) Zone - EnchantedLearning.com." ENCHANTED LEARNING HOME PAGE. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://www.enchantedlearning.com/biomes/ocean/sunlit/>.

"Three New Marine Monuments in the Pacific Ocean | Surprising Science." blogs.smithsonianmag.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. <http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/science/2009/01/three-new-marine-monuments-in-the-pacific/>.

Country Comparison: France, Switzerland, or Vietnam?

Author's Note: Recently we had a seminar where we compared different countries to the United States.  We were assigned to choose one of those countries to live in with reason to back up our answer.  I compared France, Switzerland, and Vietnam to the United States.  I really want to show my voice and opinion in this essay.  Please leave feedback and comments at the bottom.   

From north to south and east to west lay thousands countries all around the world.  I choose three countries out of so many: France, Switzerland, and Vietnam to compare to our home, the United States of America.  All countries had pros and cons in comparison to the United States.  In the end,  all I would need to do is answer one simple question, Where would I rather live France, Switzerland, or Vietnam? 


France is a country not much smaller than the Midwest region located within western Europe.   With a population of over 60,000,000 people there is a 4.3% higher chance to be left unemployed and if they had a job they would make 29.31% less money.  In comparison to the United States they have more pros than cons.  For example, the convenience to pay less for health care since they don't earn as much money.  They also get 17.92% more free time, in addition their life expectancy is 2.85 years longer.  People save earth and stay healthy by nearly cutting the use of electricity and consumption of oils by 50% compared to the U.S.

Switzerland, a country also within Europe, with only one con and various pros when compared to the United States.  Unlike France they have a 52.6% higher chance of being employed, but they will get paid 10.13% less money.  For health care, the people don't need to spend as much for coverage too.  In Switzerland, they have a 32.9% less chance of dying in infancy, one years old or younger.  As they get older, they are expected to live 2.73 years longer than average Americans do.  Switzerland's use of electricity and consumption of oils are also about 35% less than the United States.

Vietnam is the thirteenth most populous country with almost 90,000,000 residents.  They have a birth rate of 25.02% more children for every 1,000 people.  Unfortunately, babies one and under have 3.5 times higher chance of dying in infancy.  Plus a grown person's expectancy for life is about 6.3 years sooner than an American's life expectancy.  On the other hand, there would be about a 70% higher chance to be employed and they don't need to pay as much for health care.  Then again, they make almost 95% less money than the average United States employee. 

Though learning about Vietnam was quite interesting, I wouldn't want to live there out of the three countries.  The change from the United States to Vietnam would be very drastic making it harder to adapt.  To choose either France or Switzerland had me stumbling upon all these statistics for what would make a better life and environment.  In conclusion, I decided that I would rather live in France more than Switzerland and Vietnam since the statistics had more positive percentages, and the two cons weren't so big to greatly impact my life.  Personally, I would rather live in France, but where would you rather live: France, Switzerland, or Vietnam?

Earthquake

Author's Note: I am assigned a new goal of posting a non-fiction response every three days.  I decided to do mine on the Japan earthquake, not the tsunami, since it was something that I can relate to.  In this response, I am working on reducing my be-verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being, by 30%.  In order to do that, I replace be-verbs with active verbs.  I also am trying to include some syntactic devices.  Please give me comments and feedback on this response. 

March 11, 2011 a devastating 8.9 earthquake shook Japan triggering a tsunami.  Buildings rocked and crumbled, furniture toppled down, and people ran of fright.  Japan remains as a disaster zone with thousands of lives lost.  The earthquake became the largest recorded earthquake in Japan's history.  The earthquake left horrible result with ruined shelters, ruined belongings, and ruined lives.  

I felt earthquakes various times in Riverside, California, but I was fortunate that nothing as severe as Japan's happened.  Some books, papers, and little things fell, but luckily nothing was destroyed.  At times, we slept through some quakes or didn't panic at all.  Some places near Riverside had experienced worse where buildings and roads shook until they turned to debris. 

Earthquakes are frightening even if it is not an 8.9 magnitude earthquake.  People living in earthquake zones obtain a risk of losing homes, losing precious items, and losing loved ones.  Though it may be interesting to watch from here, just think about what was left and what was lost.

Is the Golden Touch really a gift?

Author's Note: I am assigned a book response every third day.  Currently I am reading The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan.  The response is on the theme of taking advantage.  I am trying to reduce my be-verbs: is, am, are, was, were, be, been, being, by 30%. I will achieve that goals by replacing them with active verbs.  I try to include syntactic devices throughout my response.  Please leave me comments and feedback on this response. 

After crash landing in Omaha, Jason, Piper, and Leo came across King Midas' mansion.  Inside the three of them met King Midas who has power to turn anything to pure gold.  His house shined of golden furniture and his wall lined with golden statues.  Everything King Midas owned was gold and could only be reversed by running water.  He easily took advantage of his golden touch by turning his house, workers, and daughter to gold.  With surplus of gold, he sold it for millions of dollars, and he never reversed golden statues of people.  Having the greater benefit isn't right especially when using it in a sinful way. 

Though he can have all of the riches in the world, is it truly a gift to turn everything he touches to solid gold?  Does he take advantage of his power and people?  Do you take advantage of what you have?

Inspirational quote

"No mother would ever willingly sacrifice her sons for territorial gain, for economic advantage, for ideology." ~ Ronald Reagan

Would I like to go to Rome?

Author's Note: I was assigned to do a response to my project on the five themes of geography in Rome.  My prompt was: Why would you like or not like to go to Rome?  I would have to incorporate the information that I learned from the project to answer the question.  I tried using the repetitive syntactic device.  I wanted this to show my voice and opinion also with a description of each topic.  Please leave me any comments on this piece. 

Going to Rome would be a dream.   I'd love to go there, but it probably won't be anytime soon.  Rome is a magnificent city full of much to see and do.  A place of great architecture, great gifts, and great stories. 

All of the historical sites to see such as the Colosseum, Pantheon, and Trevi Fountain lure me in most.  Imagine going to a building where people once were in ancient times or tossing coins in for a wish at a historic fountain.  It's a miracle to have buildings that are thousands of years old and still standing while being open for visitors.  With many precise and unique works of architecture there would be an educational experience of buildings from medieval to fascist time periods.  

Wisconsin's weather and climate can sometimes be agitating when I have to shovel, bundle up, or stay indoors.  On the other hand, mild temperatures are in Rome year round due to the nice Mediterranean climate.  They have 2,473 hours of warm sunshine and only 34 inches of precipitation on a yearly average!  I would enjoy being able to walk outside and not freeze in the winter. 

The nature in Rome has so much to offer, from the Apennines to the Tiber River.  Peaceful is the walk along the river bank.  Relaxing is the view atop the mountains.  Beauty is looking out at the Mediterranean coast.  Farm land rolls on forever eventually giving fruit, vegetables, and grain to everyone.  Some don't notice what nature has to give, but it's truly magnificent.

Over the past couple of years, I have found it quite interesting to learn about gods, goddesses, and mythology in ancient Rome.  Ancient Romans worshiped and had strong beliefs for much of what we call today mythology.  Statues, buildings, and stories were created honor of gods which would be amazing to see and study first hand. 

A trip to Rome would be a lifetime experience.  There would be a chance to learn by seeing the most splendid architecture, statues, arches, and monuments.  I'd enjoy the pleasant weather when admiring the scenic view from natures blessing.  Someday I hope to go to Rome and have the experience that I dream of now.  

Japan's Disaster

Author's Note: For a seminar, we focused on current events.  Not long ago there was a tsunami in Japan and that was the main focus of our seminar.  We got a prompt to respond to which was: Do you think the U.S. should help Japan after the disaster?  Why or why not?

In the morning of March 11, 2011, an 8.9 magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami shocked Japan.  Everything shook and crumbled down, then washed away by waves about 30 feet high.  Buildings ruined, things missing, and lives lost.  

Do you think the U.S. should help Japan after the disaster?  Yes, we should.  The U.S. is the ninth richest place in the entire world so I think we can pitch in to help Japan.  With a little help from other countries around the world there will be a great difference in Japan.  Imagine this happening to the U.S.  We would want others to support us if something happened so we should support them.  There are so many people in need, so many people missing, and so many people who died.  Japan needs all the help that they can get. 

Over two weeks ago a life-impacting earthquake and tsunami hit Japan, and right now is when they need help most.  The United States should help Japan since it is the right thing to do.  Everyone and everything has been severely impacted and they need our support. 

Check out the link below to see before and after pictures of Japan

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/13/world/asia/satellite-photos-japan-before-and-after-tsunami.html

5 Themes of Geography: Rome

I recently finished my project on the five themes of geography in Rome.  To present my work, I made a website.  Please click on the link below to view my website.  Afterward, you can leave comments and questions at the bottom of this post.  Thank you.

http://5themesofgeographyrome.weebly.com/

Bibliography

" SOL Practice Test." Harrisonburg City Public Schools - Staff Web Pages. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Feb. 2011. <http://staff.harrisonburg.k12.va.us/~cwalton/walton/solpracticetest.htm>.

Category. "Geography and Map of Italy." Geography Home Page - Geography at About.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://geography.about.com/library/cia/blcitaly.htm>.

"Climate In Rome Italy: Weather In Rome Italy Throughout The Year.." Rome Italy: Travel Guide to Rome & Italy.. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://www.romanlife-romeitaly.com/climate-in-rome-italy.html>.

"Climate of Italy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Italy>.

"Dictionary.com." Geography. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Jan. 2011. <dictionary.reference.com/browse/geograpy >.

Dougall, Alastair. The Dorling Kindersley world reference atlas . 2nd ed. London: Dorling Kindersley, 1996. Print.

Empire, a wolf). As the centre of a massive Roman, and Rome was."City Profiles: Rome." Welcome to the United Nations: It's Your World. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Feb. 2011. <http://www.un.org/cyberschoolbus/habitat/profiles/rome.asp>.

"Geography of Italy - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geography_of_Italy>.

"Italy - Italian Language, Culture, Customs and Business Etiquette." Professional Translation Services | Interpreters | Intercultural Communication & Training. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Feb. 2011. <http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global-etiquette/italy-country-profile.html>.

Kottek, Markus. "World Maps of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated." World Maps of the Köppen-Geiger climate classification updated. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. <http://koeppen-geiger.vu-wien.ac.at/>.

"Religion in Rome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Rome>.

"Roma." Architecture. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <library.thinkquest.org/26907/archi.htm>.

"Roman Gods." The Roman Empire. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2011. <http://www.roman-empire.net/children/gods.html>.

"Rome (Italy)." Rome, Italy. N.p., 1 Jan. 2011. Web. 20 Mar. 2011. <http://www.italysoft.com/curios/rome.htm>.

"Rome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ROME>.

"Servizo Meteorlogico." Ministero Della Difesa. N.p., 6 Sept. 2010. Web. 2 Mar. 2011. <http://www.meteoam.it/modules.php?name=viewClinoFile&station=239&name_station=Roma%20Ciam

"Simply Rome." Rome Architecture. N.p., 1 Jan. 2008. Web. 17 Feb. 2011. <www.simplyrome.org/ce/architecture >.

"Transport in Rome - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transport_in_Rome>.  

World Travel Atlas: the atlas for the travel industry.. 7th ed. London: Columbus Travel Guides, 2000. Print.

Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Author's Note: I wrote a stream of consciousness and then turned it into a poem.  This was a memory that I had from school on St. Patrick's Day when I was little.  

Back to the time in kindergarten
It was Saint Patrick's Day 
You wore green shirts and socks
As you arrived to school
Saw a large green mob

Day started normal
Walked into class
Shaving cream pictures on mirrors
Notes left around
Toilet paper thrown everywhere
Desks, books, chairs flipped over
"Who did this?"
Leprechaun

Recess, we scavenge to find
Little clues here, there
"I saw something move!"
Found hats, found shoes, found signs
But no real leprechauns

Going home
Tomorrow will be another day
Go green today
Happy Saint Patrick's Day!

Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill

Author's Note:  After our seminar on the Wisconsin Budget Repair Bill we were supposed to write a response that includes our thoughts on the bill.  

The bill that was just passed has a lot of impact everywhere in Wisconsin.  It has caught much international attention since its a very enormous and life-changing bill.  The reason behind this bill is to cut down on the overall debt of Wisconsin.

The idea of passing the bill wasn't a good choice though for some people it was completely fine.  Since this bill was passed we will have to cut many public workers' jobs such as teachers and firefighters.  It gets rid of many union rights for the public workers too.  Also health coverage for low-income families will be changed.  It's not fair how the bill will only affect public workers that aren't in Milwaukee. 

On the other hand, I agree that Wisconsin has to reduce their debts, but it shouldn't have to be this way.  We could get rid of unnecessary things that could be causing debt in Wisconsin.  Or reduce spending rates. Cutting jobs, union rights, health coverage to people out of Milwaukee is unfair.  If we had to, we could cut some, but not so many jobs in Wisconsin.

Right now this bill isn't equal to public workers.  It will put a lot of impact on everybody even students because if teachers get cut then we might have to get rid of activities or combine classes.  Overall, I don't think this bill was the best choice for everybody.  I wonder what will happen.

Sunrise

Author's Note: This is an open poem on the sunrise.  I am working on not adding in be-verbs.  This is just a fun poem and I'm trying to be descriptive as usual.

The glowing stars and moon fades away
Dark blue and clouds swirl overhead
Six in the morning
Sun rises above the horizon
Wispy clouds fill the sky
Above the clouds a colorful scene
Birds chirp peacefully
The sun getting higher
Light blue skies coming over
The warm sun shining down from above

Peace in the Forest

Author's Note: This is a stream of consciousness turned into a poem that I wrote.  I'm trying to be as descriptive and smooth as possible through the poem.  I placed myself in a forest where I just lie there.  Then I describe the wonderful scenery.  

Lying down on the ground
Looking up at a canopy of leaves
Rays of sun squeeze though
Birds chirps so peacefully
Animals trot and fly around
The sky bluer than sea
Patches of green grass grow

Soothing winds brush my skin
Sprinkles of mist descend down
Thinking about everything so great
Soon the sun will set completely
So I must go
One last glance
Then I walk out to the open

Spring is Soon to Come

Snow melting into puddles

The sun peaking out giving warm rays

Rain falling down the window pane

Humidity climbing up

The temperature rising from zero to forty

Animals are peaking out
Flower buds blooming
Grass becoming green and lush
Leaves popping back up on branches

Fire

Author's Note: In The Lost Hero by Rick Riordan, Leo was claimed immediately as he came into Camp Half-Blood.  His dad is Hephaestus the Greek god of fire, crafts, and blacksmiths.  He has lost many things in fires that he made on accident.  One was his own mother.  This is describing what has happened in the book so far.  

Putting his palm out
Fire dances across
Burning things into ashes
And sorry for everything gone

Pockets filled with junk
Building random contraptions and toys
Where ever he goes
Keeping his hands busy

He walks into a camp
A glowing symbol above his head
Trying to get rid of it
He's the son of Hephaestus

He can burn and build
Create and destroy
He is not normal
He is a demigod

Blizzard

Author's Note: Today a huge snow storm started, so I decided to write about it in a short, quick, descriptive poem.  
 
Winds are picking up
Snow is swirling around
The sky is as white as ever
Temperatures drop so frigid
Icicles freezing to gutters

A Day at the Beach

Author's Note: I felt like writing this poem dedicated everyone.  I see that a lot of you like my warm, summer poems in the winter.  I am making a free verse poem and I am trying to be as descriptive as possible.  

Squishing sand though my toes
Riding the vigorous waves
Making castles atop the golden sand
Having a picnic in the grass
Sun beating down from miles above
Playing in the refreshing waters
Climbing rocks and jumping off
Spending time with family and friends
Taking a sunset walk on the shore
You wish this day will never end
But then it's time to go
You will see the joyful beaches again someday
It will stay in your memory forever

Civil Rights Movement

Author’s Note: I decided to do my essay on the Civil Rights Movement because it interested be, but I did not know much about it.  In my paper, I tried to put in a fictional narrative.  Throughout my paper, I was working on a little bit of vocabulary and transitions.  

Everywhere you go, you are discriminated by white people because of your race.  You want to fight to be as equal as whites, so you participate in the marches, involve yourself in the boycotts and sit-ins, and strive to desegregate public grounds.  Repeatedly, other non-whites like yourself were beaten, arrested, and sometimes killed trying to get equal rights.  This was what it was like for non-white people between the years 1955 and 1968 - the Civil Rights Movement.  It was when non-white people, especially African Americans, rallied for equal rights.  

Many great leaders such as Rosa Parks and Martin Luther King Jr. came together, organized, and lead these rallies.  The reason behind the Civil Right Movement rallies were because people of non-whites were discriminated and not treated fairly, especially African Americans.  In all public grounds such as bathrooms, water fountains, and restaurants they would have a signs that said “white only” or “colored only.”  Buses also had rules.  If a white person wanted to sit down at a seat that was taken by someone non-white, the non-white person would have to give up their seat and move.  Non-whites also did not have fair housing or equal rights.  If anything was not followed there could have been harsh punishment.  

               

One of the most important civil rights rallies was the Montgomery Bus Boycott.  The Montgomery Bus Boycott was took place between 1955 and 1956.  It began when Rosa Parks, an African-American woman, declined to move from her seat on the bus for a white citizen.  She was arrested, and the news spread about the incident.  Fifty African-Americans organized the bus boycott[1] that protested for a more humane[2] bus system.  In Montgomery, there were about 50,000 African Americans, which most of them joined the bus boycott.  After 381 days, the segregation on buses was overruled.
              

After the bus boycotts, the sit-ins began in the 1960s.  The first sit-in began during the Civil Rights Movement.  A sit-in is when someone would simply sit down in segregated places, or a place that they thought should protest in.  The sit-in started when four students sat at a segregated[3] lunch counter to protest against a policy that excluded African-Americans from being served.  The protesters would dress professionally and would sit quietly.  When protesters sat, they left a space on both sides of them to let any white supporter to sit too. That one sit-in encouraged many others throughout the United States.  Protesters started to sit-in places other than lunch counters.  Sit-ins took place at parks, libraries, theaters, and other public places.                 
 

Freedom Riders took place right after the sit-ins.  The Freedom Riders were Civil Rights protesters, both African-American and white, that took trips on interstate buses into southern states that were segregated.  They went to states and tried to desegregate buses, trains, water fountains, and restrooms.  Protesters soon found out it was a very dangerous mission to do.  Fights had broken out, a bomb was set in one of the buses, and protesters had gotten brutally injured.  Yet, the Freedom Riders kept on going.  Over a period of time, over 300 protesters were arrested and imprisoned in extremely harsh conditions.   In the end, due to sympathy from the public, President J.F. Kennedy decided on a new desegregation law.  All citizens were allowed to sit anywhere on buses, and signs that said “white” and “colored” were taken down.  In addition, desegregation in restrooms, water fountains, waiting rooms, and lunch counters was put in place.  It did not matter what race someone was, he/she would be treated as an equal.
              

In 1963, there was the March on Washington.  Although the Freedom Ride gave a lot of equality to the non-whites, they still had things that they were not allowed to do. For instance, they could not vote, and they could not have good housing.  According to the Committee on the Appeal to Human Rights (COAHR) the March on Washington had six certified goals: “meaningful civil right laws, massive federal works program, full and fair employment, decent housing, right to vote, and adequate integrated education.”  The March on Washington turned out to be a grand achievement.  Over 200,000 people gathered around the Lincoln Memorial and heard Martin Luther King Jr. say his famous “I have a dream” speech.

Over the thirteen years of Civil Rights debate, there were many more marches, Freedom Rides, sit-ins, and boycotts than what was mentioned previously, but these were some important civil rights actions.  There were many life-changing achievements and leaders who lived between 1955 and 1968 who made this movement possible.  Today, everyone is more equal, thanks to the Civil Rights Movement.

Resources
1960, the end of, and border state. "African-American Civil Rights Movement (1955–1968) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African-American_Civil_Rights_Movement_%281955%E2%80%931968%29>.
Only, Invitation. "Atlanta Student Movement - Schedule 50th Anniversary - An Appeal for Human Rights - Committee on the Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR)." Atlanta Student Movement - Schedule 50th Anniversary - An Appeal for Human Rights - Committee on the Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR). Committee on Appeal of Human Rights, n.d. Web. 17 Jan. 2011. <http://www.atlantastudentmoveme

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[1] To refuse (In their case, to refuse to move from their seats for a white passenger)
[2] Kind
[3] To keep apart, separate

Sleeping

Author's Note: When I wrote this poem, I was in a peaceful yet tired mood.  I just felt like writing a small poem about sleeping.  I am trying to be descriptive throughout the poem. 

I imagine myself slowly rocking to sleep
A pillow as fluffy as a cloud holds my head
Bundles of comfy blankets surrounding me
The relaxing sound of silence or maybe some music 
Feeling of being free and thinking of nothing
After a long day of learning and activities
I lay in bed, goodnight

Don't Let a Little Mistake Hold You Back

Author's Note: This is based off of a quote that I read. "Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new." ~Albert Einstein

Some may think mistakes are bad,
Others say it's good,
When you do something wrong,
Then give up on it,
It will hurt you,
When you do something wrong,
And then learn from you mistake,
Everything will be fine,
Just remember to never give up,
Even if a mistake gets in your way,
Stay positive,
Never look back,
Don't be scared,
Keep going on forward

Explosions

Coca Cola Trial 1

Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.

Diet Coke Trial 1

Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.

Coca Cola Trial 2 (Sorry it's cut off at the end)

Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.

Diet Coke Trial 2

Untitled from Madeline A. on Vimeo.

Scientific Process

Problem/Purpose

What will react more, Mentos in Diet Coke, or Mentos in regular Coke?

Hypothesis

Mint Mentos will react more in Diet coke more than regular Coke because Diet Coke has more carbon dioxide, which creates more bubbles, so that it will make a bigger explosion. 

Experimental Design

Materials

o    3 bottles Diet Coke

o    3 bottles Coca Cola

o    6 packs of mint Mentos

o    95 inch stick

o    Buckets

Variables

o    Constant

·         Flavor of Mentos

·         Amount of Mentos

·         Temperature outside

·         Elevation of the coke bottle

·         Weather

·         Amount of Coke

o    Independent Variable

·         Type of Coke (Diet vs. Regular)

o    Dependent variables

·         Size of explosion

·         Amount of Coke left in the bottle

o      Procedure

 First we went out and gathered all of our materials.  Then we brought both the bottles outside in the snow. We set the Diet Coke in a bucket so it would not fall over on a flat surface in the snow. After that, we opened the Diet Coke bottle and taped a tube onto the top and inserted the Mentos. One of us stuck our finger in the tube to keep the Mentos from going into the coke. Meanwhile, the other one of us stood next to the bottle holding a 95 inches stick to measure the explosion. One of us removed our finger from the tube and we watched as the Diet Coke shoot up into the air and using the measuring stick we calculated how high it went. Then we repeated with the Coca Cola. We did both of the experiments two times.

Observation

We did the experiments two times with the Diet Coke and two times with the Coca Cola and we did a test trial with both. In our test trails we tried to get the Mentos all into the coke at once by stringing them one by one on tape. That didn't work because the first time only half of the tape dropped into the Diet Coke bottle and the rest hung out and clogged the bottle so the explosion went two inches high. The second time was with the Coca Cola and it was a tragic blunder because the Mentos didn't stick to the tape and they all fell off before we put them into the bottle. Only about two reached the bottle and the only reaction it made was a little fizz. 

After that, we did a little research on how other people have done the experiment.  We came up with the idea to use a tube with something clogging it to stop the Mentos from going in.  We cut a little hole in the tube and I put Madeline's finger in the hole while I inserted the Mentos. That way all the Mentos went in at once. When we did the Diet Coke using the tube method the Coke shot up 80 inches (approximately) into the air and because of a slight draft coming from the south the Coke went to the side and came down on me. Now you probably are wondering why I was standing that close to the explosion. It was because I was holding a 56 inches stick to measure the height of the explosion. We did not expect it to go that high that is why 80 inches high is an approximate height.  Then we did the Coca Cola using the tube method and a longer stick.  We did the exact same thing that we did with the Diet Coke, but it only when 64 inches. 

Just like our hypothesis stated, the Coca Cola when less high then the Diet Coke.  That reason was because the Diet Coke had more carbon dioxide to fill in for the high fructose corn syrup.  Also, the reason why the Mentos reacted to the Coke is because as the Mentos began to dissolve in the Coke, it released gelatin and gum arabic. Gum arabic a natural ingredient used to make many gummy candies. When these chemical are mixed with caffeine, potassium benzoate, aspartame, and carbon dioxide, which are all ingredients of Diet Coke, it makes a jet-like reaction. Now some of these chemicals are not in Coca Cola which is why it didn't explode as much as the Diet Coke. Then we did both the explosions again using the tube.  The results were about the same. The Diet Coke when 76 inches and the Coca Cola went 56 inches.

Conclusion

Our hypothesis was correct.  The Diet coke had a bigger explosion than the Coca Cola.  The average height of the Diet Coke was 78 inches and the average for Coca Cola was 60 inches.  Also the amount of Coke left in the bottle for Diet Coke had an average 2.9375 cups, and the Coca Cola was had an average amount of 3.375 cups left.  Therefore, because Diet Coke has more carbon dioxide to make up for high fructose corn syrup, it went higher.  Thus there was less left in the Diet Coke bottles.  Now, remember to never eat Mentos with Diet Coke, or any other soda with carbon dioxide. 

Narrative

Madeline and I had some ups and downs for our Coke and Mentos project.  Though we had a great time, we had some conflictions in our process.  Our project used almost all sections in the core competencies rubric.  We used the problem solving core competency to solve our input problem of the Mentos.  Then it worked very well when we did the tube.  We also used creativity and innovation by creating a different way to input the Mentos by using a tube and finger.  We also collaborated and communicated with each other and teachers to share ideas and facts.  In addition, we used a fair amount of technology throughout the project when we made graphs, taped videos, and used blogs.  For college and career readiness, we mastered the scientific process!  We are very proud of project and how great it worked.  We learned to move on and learn from our mistakes. 

               

Goals for Next Project

               1. Do a better job logging time

2. Do more research before we start our experiment

3. Use more out of school resources

Bibliography

"Soda and candy eruption - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diet_Coke_and_Mentos_er

Spangler, Steve. "Mentos Diet Coke Geyser at Steve Spangler Science." Science Projects Experiments, Educational Toys & Science Toys . N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/experiment/00000109>.

"Why do mentos make diet coke explode?." Food Allergy Symptoms | Living with Food Allergies. N.p., n.d. Web. 14 Jan. 2011. <http://babyandkidallergies.com/diet-coke-mentos.php>.