Final Reflection

1: What are the three most important things you learned this year?

The three most important things

2: What is something we did this year that you think you will remember for the rest of your life?

3: What was the nicest thing someone in our class did for you this year?

The nicest things my classmates did for me in class was give me a apple juice before class began. Yup, that is all. 

4: What is something you taught your teacher or classmates this year?

5: In what area do you feel you made your biggest improvements? What is something you accomplished this year that you are proud of?

6: What was the most challenging part of this year for you?

7: What was the best piece of writing that you did this year? Why do you think it is your best?

The best piece of writing I made in ELA this year was my Newscast Blog we did at the beginning of the year. I would say it was the best due to the amount of work I had put into the blog. It was about the season premiere of the Walking Dead. Watching the Walking Dead is one of my favorite things to do so I has happy to be able to write about. I think it was the best because since I had interest in the topic I went crazy when writing. I just wrote and wrote again and again, making it in my opinion my best piece of writing this year by far. 

8: Of the books you read this year, which was your favorite? Why?
I'm favorite book we read this year in class was "The Watsons Go To Birmingham". When I heard the description of the book I thought it would be a sad book, but it really wasn't. Yes, there were some parts that were sad but the book was just a fun book to read. It was basically the shenanigans of the Watson family and it made fun to read the book. I also didn't get tired of reading the book like others I have read in the past, making it my favorite book we have read this year. 

9: What advice would you give students who will be in this class next year?
The only piece of advice I'd have to give to the kids coming into class next year is, don't slack, the more you slack the harder it will be to get a good grade in class. 

This I Believe Speech

“Regrets”
By: Lazar Stevlic

Have you ever done something that you have regretted? Everyone has probably regretted something. But have you have done nothing and regretted it?

Yes, no, whatever the case may be don’t hold back.

In elementary school had was a very shy kid. I never really talked to anyone I didn’t know and barely talked during class. The only people I would talk to is my teachers and friends.

I was in the fourth grade, June 2013, it was the last day of school. Kids were excited, I was excited, everyone was excited.

My best friend at the time asked me to sign his yearbook. I signed it and went on with my day. Then school ended and I went home in joy.

Three months later and I went to check on the list to see what class I was in. I saw what class I was in and then I saw that my friend wasn’t on the list. I looked and looked again and again, and I didn’t see his name. After that day in 4th grade I never saw him again. I never saw, heard, seen him ever again. For all I know he disappeared off the face of Earth.

But on the last day I talked to him, I didn't say bye. I didn’t say anything about next time. We talked but I never said goodbye, or see your later. I left the school and I didn’t say a word. He was my best friend. I talked to him, went to his house, and I didn’t say a word.

I still to this day don’t know why I didn’t say bye.

3rd Quarter Reflection Blog

          3rd Quarter is gone and done with. 3rd Quarter was a very long quarter and tough one as well, but I made some improvements you would say in ELA. In ELA this quarter and for most of the year I had one problem, and in this quarter I overcame this problem. It's not writing, talking in front of people, or annotating. It’s paying attention. I kinda have a problem with paying attention and it messes with me especially in this class. I pay attention when the teacher is talking and such but then I doze off towards the end of the talking and then she asks me a question and I look like I haven’t slept in about a month. To fix this when I start dozing off I usually stand up straight or position myself. So then when the teacher ask me a question I’m right on it, and don’t look like a fool either.
          Now onto something that I really want to talk about. In 3rd Quarter we did something I was really proud of, the butterfly project. In 3rd Quarter we probably did one of the biggest grades in 8th grade, the butterfly project. We had to read a poem from Terezin and annotate it and then we had to make a butterfly that represented our poem. At the beginning of the unit I didn't really want to do it. In my mind I thought that it was a waste of time. But then I saw some of the butterflies students made in the past and I was like “Alright fine I do it.” Then I started making my butterfly and was having fun making it. I felt like I was in kindergarten again and making arts and crafts. I was also listening to Johnny Cash which is always a plus. I made it and thought I had made a masterpiece. Then I went to class on Monday and my confidence was destroyed by how much better other butterflies were from mine, but I felt proud. I put in the time and effort to do the project and I felt good by doing it.

          In 4th Quarter I made lots of improvements. I made lots of in improvements on not just my work but on my behavior.  I made improvements in paying attention, structuring my work, and in my behavior. I paid attention more in class in 3rd quarter. I also had a easier time when writing because I found it easier to structure it than in 1st and 2nd quarter. I also didn't get in trouble much in 3rd compared to 7th and 6th grade. I’d say that I made a lot of improvements not just in ELA but in all my classes this quarter. 

Lit Circle Blog 2

          In the book The Watsons Go To Birmingham there are many essential questions I had about the book. One of those essential questions was “How would Birmingham affect the Watson family”, that essential question ties in with the book. For the entire book the Watson family encountered basically little to no racism. By the way they were in the 1960s and were African Americans which was kinda of a shock to me. Maybe it was because they lived in Flint, Michigan but then later in the book they went to Birmingham, Alabama. Which was a hotspot for racism in the 1960s. But still they hadn’t encountered any racism. Then on a Sunday in the book Joey the youngest child went to church all by herself. Then the church got bombed. The church got bombed due to it being all African American church. Then hearing about the bombing Kenny went to see if his sister was alive, and luckily she was. Then a few days after the left and went back home to Flint. It didn’t really seem like Birmingham had an effect on anyone until Kenny started to isolate himself from the rest of his family. He had gotten depression from the bombing because even though his sister was safe other children had died in the bombing, which is a clear effect from Birmingham on a member of the Watson family. It lead to Kenny breaking down in tears just about thinking about it, until his brother Byron made him stop crying.

          One of the main points of The Watsons Go To Birmingham directly ties into a Smithsonian Magazine article named “Racism Harms Children’s Health, Survey Finds”. The book and the article both have similarities. In the article it talks a lot about stuff that happens in the book. It talks about how racism affects children. While in the book Kenny is affected by racism. The church is bombed and weeks after Kenny is still thinking about it. Kenny’s health is affected by the bombing of the church, which was a act of racism. The main point of the article is exactly what happened to Kenny. The article talks about the health effects that racism has on the lives of children, which we see what happen in Kenny. Kenny gets depression due to racism. 

          Another thing that the article and the book have in common. One of the points in the article directly could affect Kenny’s life as a whole. In the article it talks about how children affected by racism tend to avoid other races of people. Kenny kept thinking about the bombing weeks and weeks after it happened. What if Kenny starts to avoid people of different races in fear of another attack due to racism. What if the bombing makes Kenny paranoid? The effects that racism can have on Kenny’s health is endless.  

 

Work Cited Page

Curtis, Christopher Paul. The Watsons go to Birmingham: 1963. New York: Yearling Book, 2013. Print.

Panko, Ben. "Racism Harms Children’s Health, Survey Finds." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian     Institution, 05 May 2017. Web. 12 May 2017.

Lit Circle Blog

          The book I have been reading in my Lit Circle is The Watsons Go To Birmingham. So far I have up to page 138, I will know summarize what I have read so far. The Watsons are a very weird family. They have a juvenile delinquent named Byron who got his lips stuck on a frozen car window, killed a bird with a cookie, and conked his hair. Then we have Kenny who is actually very smart for his age. He gets made fun of by his brother By and gets bullied by him. They also have a little sister who is very protective of them. Their father is a very dramatic person in a good way. There mother is very protective and a little bit crazy. They both give out harsh punishments. So far in the book we have just watched their lives fold out. He learned about Byron and Kenny’s school life and how their mother is crazy. Byron was caught playing matches and his mother as a “punishment” also burned his finger. He also learned that Byron is such a bad kid that he being sent to Birmingham, Alabama so he could change.
          While reading the book I still haven't gotten the answers to some of my essential questions. Some of the essential questions I had were “Why are they going to go to Birmingham?” Another one was “How would Birmingham change them?” One of those questions was answered. The question that was answered was why they went to Birmingham. The reasons the Watsons go to Birmingham is because they are going to discipline Byron. Byron’s behavior was so bad that they were going to drive from Flint, Michigan to Birmingham, Alabama to discipline him. That is over 700 miles. They would drive there so Byron could live with Grandma Sands so she could discipline him. But my other essential question isn't answered yet. The are in Birmingham when I was currently reading but nothing has happened yet. So my question should be answered soon.
          There are many characters in The Watson’s Go To Birmingham. But there is only one character in the book that I hate, and his name is Byron. He isn't a bad guy or anything he is just stupid. He those things that gets him in trouble but he is so stupid when doing it. When his parents told him that he was moving to Birmingham he didn't know why he was going. But before then he had conked his head before asking his parents and was playing with matches and when they told him he just stood there in shock, like a idiot. That is why I hate him.