Bamboo Grove final post

1. I found the end wasn't satisfying, and that it should have been more explained rather than the sudden end without any knowledge of the father or Ko, or what happens after that. Why can't they explain more about what happens after, and how they survive? All I know is that the Kawashima family escaped from Korea, Hideyo survived, and they all found each other eventually.
I really have no idea why she chose to end it there. Maybe it's just that nothing exciting happens after that, maybe it's that it's best told that way. Maybe even because Yoko wants us to imagine the rest of the story.



2. I think they do this because they think that the gods might help them, and maybe they just have gotten used to that. I think it keeps them happy knowing that they are Japanese and take pride in it. No matter how poor, unhealthy, or badly treated they are, they are still Japanese and wish to show it to the world. If I were in this position, I probably wouldn't observe any traditions, because we have none and there are more important things.



3. The character in the story I respect and admire the most is Hideyo. He really cares about his family, as anyone should. I like how he keeps going even though it looks like all hope is lost. I also like the way he is friendly to everyone, and helps even when it is not necessary. At one point he asks himself if he should keep going, and he keeps going to find his family. As one person said, you are strongest when you are protecting someone, and Hideyo is protecting his family by finding them.



4. I learned that the Korean war was very dangerous, and it was a hard time for Japanese in Korea. Many were injured or killed. Whoever opposed communism was eliminated. Women were raped, and it was a dangerous time. The Kawashimas might have died, but luckily they survived. I don't really have many questions, and I don't really want to know any more of it.

5. From this book, I learned a lot about human nature. I learned that the most important thing is family, and that the most happiness and sadness come from it. I think that pure strength comes from protecting loved ones, which is why Hideyo made it. Losing someone can cause a lot of sadness, and finding someone that has been gone can bring the most joy in the world.

Bamboo Grove Reading Response #4

1. I think Yoko wants to help Mr. Naido because he and she share a common problem, and Yoko wants to know him better. Yoko helps him cure his stuttering by speaking slowly, like her father did to help a classmate, and she helps him also because she needs school supplies, and she finds out that he has them. He also helps him cure his loneliness, which is something they both share, as she was rejected by her classmates and Naido was rejected by the Japaneese navy.

2. Yoko realises that Ko's idea is shining shoes for money for her, and she realises that she is a good sister after all. She sees that Ko cares about her, and works so hard just to get good food for Yoko. Yoko becomes really nice to her after that, and wants to give back with the good meal that she bought.

3. After all that Yoko has been through, how do you think she has changed overall?

I think that she has become a lot tougher and less whiney. She is more accepting to the bumps of life, and she becomes more appreciative of the things she has. She is also warming up to her sister, and she tries to ignore bad things that can be ignored.

Bamboo Grove Reading Response #3

1. They feel that they must leave for Pusan because they have a ship leaving for Japan there, and the doctor said that all patients were leaving for Pusan. Also, they must leave anyways because of the danger in Korea, with all the rapes. An example from the text is on page 79: "All patients will leave for Pusan by truck by the end of the month. A hospital ship will be leaving from there for japan on October second. Come with us back to 0ur homeland."
EDIT: (so sorry, I didn't see part b.)
b. I think it was a good, but hard descision because it's hard to leave family behind, but they just need to for their own safety. They were at risk, so they had to. I really hope that they meet up eventually.

2. Why do you think even the Korean non-communists are being killed?

I think it's because they don't follow the rules and have independence, but the communists only think of it as disobedience.

Paraphrase example

Ms. I told me to post this.

Source: http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/crucible/section2.html

Original paragraph: (Put a paragraph space between second paragraph because it was too long)

The play is set in Salem, Massachusetts in the spring of 1692, and the first act begins in a small upper bedroom of the home of Reverend Samuel Parris, who kneels in prayer at the bed of his daughter, Betty, a ten year old girl who lays inert in bed. Parris is a man in his middle forties who believes himself to be perpetually persecuted. He has no talent with children, for he sees then as nothing more than small adults.

Tituba, Rev. Parris' slave from Barbados, enters the room, frightened and worried that Betty may die, but Parris makes her leave. Abigail Williams, the niece of Rev. Parris, also enters; she is a strikingly beautiful, seventeen year old orphan with a talent for deception. She brings with her Susanna Walcott, who tells Rev. Parris that Dr. Griggs can find no cure for Betty's ailment. Parris claims that he has sent for Reverend Hale of Beverly, who will confirm the possibility of an unnatural cause of Betty's illness, but he orders Susanna to say nothing of unnatural causes to others. Abigail warns Parris that there are rumors of witchcraft and that the parlor is packed with people, but Parris tells her that he cannot explain that he found his daughter and niece dancing like heathen in the forest.

Abigail admits to dancing and is willing to accept the punishment, but will not admit to witchcraft. Parris warns Abigail that he has enemies who will use this against him, and claims that he saw a dress lying on the grass and someone naked running through the trees. He thinks that Tituba was screeching gibberish when he found the girls, but Abigail says that it is merely Barbados songs. Parris demands to know that Abigail has a good reputation, for there are rumors that her former employee, Goody Proctor, thinks Abigail is corrupt, but Abigail calls Goody Proctor a gossiping liar.

My paraphrase:

Reverend Samuel Parris prays that his daughter, Betty, will wake up from her seemingly eternal sleep on the spring of 1692. Seeing children as mini-adults, he isn't very good at handling them. He believes himself persecuted, and he is in his mid-forties.

Parris' slave, Tituba, worries about Betty, so she enters her room. Forced to leave, Abigail Williams walks in, a beautiful orphan that is very good at deceiving others, aged seventeen. Coming with Abigail is Susanna Walcott, but she cannot find a remedy for whatever disease she believes Betty has. In hopes of finding out the source, Parris contacts Reverend Hale of Beverly, but still want to keep it a secret to be untold. He then is informed of witchcraft being the word in the parlor, but he still needs to keep away from the public that he discovered his daughter and niece dancing as there was no tomorrow in the forest. In their parts, dancing is forbidden.

The deceiving orphan confesses of dancing and states it is fine to receive to receive punishment, but denies witchcraft. Parris warns that others will use the information against him, and remembers seeing someone naked. He swears he heard that he heard a load of gibberish from Tituba, but Abigail insists that it were only the songs of her homeland, Barbados. Parris demands proof of a good name, and Abigail states that she is good and true, and that Goody Proctor, who she says is a liar, tells only of untrue words. (Source: http://www.gradesaver.com/classicnotes/titles/crucible/section2.html)

Bamboo Grove Reading Response #2

1. Hideyo is a very caring, protective comrade to his friends. He travels so far in order to be with is family, which he cares very much about. He works very hard at whatever he does. He is very tough and courageous, because even though his friend died right before his eyes, he didn't make a sound for fear of being discovered. His family is in a very tight situation, and going with them would mean trouble, but he does it anyways, which is very morally courageous.

2. I would bring some portable food, such as some snacks, cup noodles, etc. I would also bring a canteen full of water, and a spork to eat with. I would bring a bandanna to wrap around my mouth in case of fire, and a flashlight, with of course extra batteries. I would also bring a blanket and a pillow. I might also bring a pack of cards, and of course my treasured items. I would bring a bit of currency, my ipod, and last but not least, a cell phone to contact relatives, friends, etc.

3. The absolute saddest event in this book is when the baby called Toshi-chan died, and the mother committed suicide. It is so sad, and for an obvious reason. I still am shocked that the wonam killed herself, but it's reasonable because her only child died right after birth. How sad it must've been to watch it. I can't imagine bearing to watch it, and I would be very scared and sad.

Typing progress

64 WPM
2 Errors
62 AWPM

**Edit**
74 WPM
4 Errors
72 AWPM

**Edit**
76 WPM
4 Errors
74 AWPM

Goal:
120 WPM
0-1 Errors

Bamboo Grove Reading Response #1

1. Yoko is a girl who is very scared of the war. She doesn't want to do things the way others want her to do. Stubborn she may be, if the situation demands, she will follow orders. There are many examples in the text, such as page 36 where she is told to put her blanket on a blood-stained new mother, but she says "No! I don't want my blanket stained with blood." After being told one more time, she put it on, which shows that she has some good in her.





2. I think that Yoko is a bit annoyed by Ko, but she appreciates having a sister to help her. Also, I'm pretty sure in their culture they call them Honorable. Maybe she is just so used to calling her Honorable Sister, and maybe she was good back then. An example was when she said "It's mean of Honorable Sister." Ko has good intentions, and needs to find a way to explain it.



3. The Kawishima family is very kind to the passengers because they gave their food, even though they didn't have any to eat, and they refrained from eating so they wouldn't cause the passengers displeasure. Even though Yoko is reluctant and stubborn, she gives up her things for the greater good. Ko and Mother are very giving. On the train they give up some of their things to help people, such as giving water to the passengers. They help each other and others in the toughest of situations, and are very generous.

Weekly Vocab 3

Words that tickle my ears:
Fluttered

Words that warm my heart:

Words that make me wonder:
Flickering

Words that make me feel smart:
Filament
Defective

Words that I've heard someone say:

Words that calm my fears:

Words that are funny:
Zizzed

Reading Response 3

Name: Ethan Chan
Title: Icefire
Author: Chris D'Lacey
Total pages this week: 104
Date: 11-11-07
Time: 1:30 Hours (I read extra last week)
Pages: 317-421


Response:
This book, the sequel to The Fire Within, talks about David trying to find the secret to the "Fire Tear", a tear that dragons shed when they die. Some parts confuse me a lot, such as David's dreams. They sometimes trail off, and most of the time have too many details to follow. I usually have to reread these parts a couple of times, still a bit confused after that. Just a description of a bear can go on for a page! Now that's what I call FOCUS. The book is not that suspenseful, but it has enough to keep me going. At some points, it leaves me mystified at a chapter, so I have to read on to see what's next. David has a friend named Zanna, and at one point they meet, in the next chapter, so I have to read on. I think he made the wrong descision meeting with her because he already has a girlfreind, currently in africa, but still having a relationship. I think that they should've met when at college to do their business like lend books, and leave, rather than going to his house.

Reading Response 2.5

Name: Ethan Chan
Title: Icefire
Author: Chris D'Lacey
Total pages this week: 317
Date: 11-9-07
Time: 2:34 Hours
Pages: 1-317

Reading Response 2

Name: Ethan Chan

Title: The Fire Within

Author: Chris D'Lacey

Total pages this week: Finished

Date: 11-6-07

Time: 41 minutes

Pages: 273-334

Response:
I would give David, the main character, some advice to follow his heart. He has a feud with his writing dragon, Gadzooks, and he's neglecting him because he's helping him too much. What he doesn't realize is that Gadzooks is himself. I would tell him to follow Gadzooks because he is a part of David, the writing part of him. After reading the book, I felt that he did the right thing by apologizing to him and continue writing Snigger and the Nutbeast, a book for Lucy, who is his tennant's daughter. If he still had been so unhappy and mad, he probaly wouldn't have been able to make Lucy happy, not be able to solve a mystery he wanted to know about, and probaly have never been able to write another story again because the writing part would have died. Like acting, when writing skills get unused, they wither away eventually to nothing. One of my favorite quotes from David was "All I want is a nice, happy, believable ending." because it shows how troubled he was. So much was going on, with his story, and many other things that you'll have to read the book to find out about. Since I finished this book, I'll probaly read the sequel, Icefire, to see what happens next. I read some of it, and it was pretty good.

Weekly Vocab 2

Words that tickle my ears:
Squealing

Words that warm my heart:


Words that make me wonder:
Shimmered

Words that make me feel smart:
Diagnosed


Words that I've heard someone say:
Scorched


Words that calm my fears:


Words that are funny:
Wuzzled

Weekly Vocab1

Words that tickle my ears:

Vermin

Words that warm my heart:

Words that make me wonder:

Kilning

Words that make me feel smart:

Fiber-optic

Words that I've heard someone say:

Words that calm my fears:

Columnlike

Words that are funny:

Sploop

Reading Response 1

Name: Ethan Chan
Title: The Fire Within
Author: Chris D'Lacey
Total pages this week: 115

Date: 10-31-07

Time: 1:04 Hours

Pages: 158-273

Response:

This book, The Fire Within, makes me wonder about a lot of things, mainly if inanimate objects will come alive. When they do, it's probably just imagination at work, but it might actually be moving. It's about a 20 year old guy named David who needs a place to stay, so he stays at the Pennykettle's. He is surprised to find clay dragons there, and later on he begins to get suspicious about wether or not they are real, as they act unusually. If dragons could come to life out of clay, I would be amazed, perplexed, and speechless. I would surely hope that they wouldn't set fire to anything in my house, but still have fun with them. If dragons could be animated, then other things could probaly act as if alive as well. I would be astonished if my book spoke to me and walked around. The book itself is very good, and it's exciting and interesting. One of the most exciting things that has happened so far is that David had a dream where he was going to enter the Dragon's Den (the place where dragons were made and kilned, and where David wasn't allowed), and oddly, wearing a coat over his pajamas, with a tea cozy on his head, a pair of oven gloves on his hands, and a burned slice of toast in his pocket. Whenever he touched the doorknob of the Dragon's Den though, it scorched his palm, so he looked through the keyhole, and saw a dragon. He bribed him with toast to get by (folded up toast that could fit through a keyhole), but the dragon realized he was being tricked so he quickly set the doorknob with flames so he got burned, and then he finally woke up. He woke up, and pretty much thought he was going insane.

FHP Reflection

Name:Ethan Chan
Project Reflection
Project Title: Family History Project
Class: D Dates: 10-17-07
PURPOSE
In this section, explain what you were supposed to learn and what you were supposed to do.
Sentence Starters
The purpose of this project was to learn about…
In order to learn about _________________, we had to create/perform/ write/etc…
In order to learn about our history and our ancestry, we had to either do a newsletter or a scrapbook on a historical event. What we had to do was conduct some research on an important events in the Internet and books, and take notes. While we were doing that, we recorded the sources we got the information from. We also conducted interviews with family members to learn their side of the historical event. Afterwards, we made a historical narrative using our notes, wrote up our interview, and made a personal narrative about ourselves.
WHAT I LEARNED
In this section, tell what information or skills you learned or improved.
Sentence Starters
I learned about…
I explored the concept of …
In this project, I learned how to…. (skills)
In this project, I learned how to make a newsletter and I learned my family's history. I learned how important that your ancestors are and different points of view. You have to not only write, but revise again and again because no first draft is perfect. I also leaned a lot about immigration because that was what I researched. I learned that Chinese immigrants had a hard time settling in. They were hard-working and worked for little money, so everyone hired them instead of the others in America, so the Chinese were rejected everywhere because they took away jobs.
REFLECTION
In this section, reflect on your experience. Did you like the project? Why or why not? How did you do? What would you do differently next time?
Sentence Starters
I enjoyed this project because…
I feel like I could have done better on this project because…
Next time, I would…
I enjoyed this project very much because it taught me what my parents went through and it was really fun doing a newsletter. I feel that I could have done better because I didn't do the best point of view, and I could have put it in first person instead of third person. Next time, I would try a different type and do a scrapbook and I would try first person view.
ARTIFACTS
You should have at least one artifact from each project on your DP. What document, picture, or link will you have for this project?
I will include my newsletter in my DP for this project.

FINAL WAVE ASSIGNMENT

1. I think that this means that you should follow your own path and not someone else's. If you do that, you have no freewill, and you cannot control your life. You can still be part of a group, but if you don't want to do something, then don't, and if you want to, then do it.


In my life, I'm usually part of a specific group or with my friends. Whenever I'm with them, they do a lot of things, but some I don't really like. They might want to do something bad and sneak off, but I say no and stay put. I usually go along with them, but I can't cross my line in the sand. When It's just too much, I just go somewhere else and do something else, rather than do what I don't want. For me, freedom is a necessity, so I can choose my path and choose to follow or not, to fight or defend, to take action or stay put.


2. At the beginning of the novel, Robert was lazy and seemed a bit of a weirdo. He was definitely a nobody. When he got into The Wave though, he started to change. He began to taste power and respect, finding equality among his classmates and The Wave. Then he became power-hungry because he liked the taste of power and wanted more, and turned it into communism by accident. Everyone was included in The Wave, so he liked it, but they all didn't notice that outsiders weren't included.

After The Wave, he felt pretty depressed, but Mr. Ross helped cheer him up. When he said that he would talk with Robert, I think that he's going to talk with Robert about how life is good and that he should try to be his best at all times. I think that he can only improve, and now that The Wave is over, he learned his lesson, and won't go power-hungry again. He might go on to be a good person someday, and help benefit mankind.


3.
a. I see that The Wave is an absolute example of fascism, in fact they are the same. Ben seems to be the dictator, and it's a fact because Ben Ross states himself that he was "a teacher that had accidentally slipped into the role of a dictator". If the students are The Wave, then Ben is the earthquake causing it. He also has a society that excludes non-Wave members from certain things, such as the Wave rally. The students follow his commands like little Nazis and without question.

b. A historical event that was fascist was of course Nazi Germany under Adolf Hitler. It was the whole reason The Wave started. When Hitler ruled, he destroyed all of the Jewish people because they didn't want to be Nazis. I don't really know about it because I don't remember learning it, but I know that fascism is the general idea.


4.
AVOIDING MOB MENTALITY: A PRACTICAL GUIDE BY A MIDDLE STUDENT
Many times during the year, you see groups and want to join, even if they're bad. How can you stop yourself from joining? First of all, think of yourself as an individual body, not part of anything. Sure, we're all humans, but we all have different personalities and feelings. Don't join, but instead use your willpower and do something else. It's like smoking, you do it because of peer pressure, then get hooked and can't stop. What you have to do is say no, and walk away. It's very hard to because your mind wants to be led by others. Use your own willpower and start bottom-up. Do little things like staying inside when everyone wants to go outside, play volleyball instead of kickball, and you'll have less trouble handling these situations later in life.

OP #5

1. Currently unavailable

2. My favorite part is "For the first time she heard sounds she'd never heard before: the hums and buzzes of electrical current running to and from alarms and smoke detectors. A bubbling, splashing sound came from the science room where some overnight experiment must have been left brewing. Even the unusually loud, hollow echo of her own shoes as they rapped the hard corridor floors." I like the image described in this part because I could really hear those sounds, and I would imagine how horrible it would be to be in her position, as I am a bit scared of sudden noises.

3. What do you think the students learned? Will they remember this forever? How important is this lesson, and why?

OP #4

1. Ben is feeling pretty conused, not knowing where to go and how to proceed. At least that's what I think. His wife Christy is pushing him to stop it, and he feels like he should stop it, but at the same time doesn't want to. He's basically so involved that he doesn't care about anything else. He's disrupting the class ecosystem and everyone thinks he's "going on an ego trip". He wants to end it here and now, but he doesn't want to leave the students hanging. It's like he's driving a car blindfolded.
2. My favorite sentence is "Looks like I've stumbled into Anne Frank's attic", he said." (Page 90) What really stood out to me about this sentence was that it really was like hiding from the Nazis, and history was repeating itself under a different name. It makes me wonder if it'll happen again.
3. Do you think that Laurie will cave in to The Wave, or stand up? If Laurie will stand up, what do you think David will do? Will David ever make up with Laurie?

P.S. Tell me if these are too many questions.
^.^

The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid

Olny srmat poelpe can raed tihs. I cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde Uinervtisy, it deosn't mttaer in waht oredr the ltteers in a wrod are, the olny iprmoatnt tihng is taht the frist and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it wouthit a porbelm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Amzanig huh? Yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt! If you can raed tihs psas it on!!

OP #3

1. Some evidence that the experiment was getting out of control was that they added more to the wave. For one thing, they added another part to the motto, which is "Strength through action". Also importantly, they made membership cards. Another thing is that the pep rally has changed to wave rally. The principal was starting to disapprove too. Even other grades joined!

2. ""What the football team needs," Laurie told him, "a quarterback who can pass, a running back who doesn't fumble, a couple of linebackers who aren't afraid to tackle, and an end who--"
This sentence stood out for me because it stated the obvious and was an idea different than David's, but it was still the right answer because the team really needed those. It was really funny because... it just is! You get what I mean, right? ^-^

3. Do you think the experiment will really get out of hand? Will The Wave be unstoppable? Will The Wave overtake the world? So many questions, which will be answered in time....

OP #1 Comments

Sorry, I thought this was for directors. Guess I wasnt paying attention.

Students who posted right:
Kassidy
Tim

Students who posted wrong:
Luis

Students who didn't post at all:
Alex
Kasia

Sorry for the inconvenience caused. Won't happen again! ^-^

OP #2

1. The motto was spreading through friends and further through that. It first spread from the football team because this was exactly what they needed to win a few games. They were already applying it to their everyday lives by sitting properly, getting tidier and more organized, and trying to work as one.

2. "For the last quarter hour Mrs. Saunders had been scratching a wax stain out of the tablecloth with her fingernail." (Page number 49) The sentence was unusual and it shows how boring Laurie's father talking was, and it was so boring that Mrs. Saunders had been reduced to scratching wax, and that she probably thought it was pretty entertaining compared to listening to her husband talk and talk and talk....

3. Do you think that The Wave will become an unstoppable force? If so, why?

OP #1

1.
a. The book occurs in Gordon High School during 1960-1990, but it is based on an event that took place in 1969.
b. One: The event it is based on is in 1969. Two: The room in the beginning is filled with typewriters. Three: Using film projecter instead of computer-projecter. Four: Blackboard instead of whiteboard.

2. "Then Laurie did her famous fish face: she pushed her ears out, crossed her eyes, and puckered her lips." (Page number 3)
The sentence really stood out for me because it was really descriptive and funny. I could just imagine her face like that. It made me laugh on the inside because the imagery the author used was really funny.

3. What do you think that Ben Ross has in store for his students the next day? In the back, it asks if history really will repeat itself. What could this message mean?

Betty Ann

1. The saddest part was when Betty had a nervous breakdown. I think this because normally people get over it with the help of friends, but she had none and I think that it was very hard to live her life after what she had been through in school.

2. I would have not acted like the person in the story at all. I would have tried to befriend Betty because she was new to the school and did not deserve to be made fun of. Who knows, she could have been a very good friend.

3. The moral to this story is not to discriminate people by looks and abilities, but to take time to know them, and not to ever make fun of someone because they're diffrent. Another moral to the story was to not judge a book by it's cover.

Response to 7th grade

1.My favorite sentence is "The rosebushes of shame on his face became bouquets of love." This is my favorite sentence because it is very descriptive and authors don't usually write sentences like this and it is a great change of pace for me. I think that new ways to write give new meaning to reading.
2.I really connected with the part where at lunch he tried to find Teresa. At lunch I usually try to look for people without others noticing. I'm pretty good at it because so far no-one has said anything. Sometimes when I'm discovered they try to find out who I was finding, but they never find out unless I tell them.

"Test"

1.The uniformed man said, "How do any of us know?"
This sentence really stood out for me because it made me wonder if life is just a dream.
2.I think hypnosis is not really that good because it controls your mind. The government needs only to know capabilities. If you are hypnotized, it is only viewing your response to an accident.
3.I think that "How do any of us know?" is very hard to interperet because of many possible meanings. It could mean that it is possible for it to be a dream that the person had. It could even mean that life is a dream in a bigger life! No-one knows for sure...

Movie

The first part of the movie was talking about plains, and the second part was about jungle, though we only got a little into it. Plains was about where plains are and what inhabit it. Lots of grass and several different types of animals live there, including gazelles, birds, wilderbeast, snow geese, arctic fox, arctic wolves, caribou, tibetian fox, elephants, baboons, and ass (donkeys). In the jungle, trees falling is actually a good thing, because lower plants can grow, but the gap closes in a few months. Also, food is hard to get because it is high up, but monkeys thrive because they can climb. The movie was pretty good, I think I've seen it before.

What's your favorite book? Mine is Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. The reason I like it is because it is the book that started it all. It is a thourough story and it's short enough to read in a day, but long enough to keep you entertained. I'ts actually fun to read! I like the other books in the series too.