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?