Informed Argument Podcast

Click HERE to hear our podcast.

What did you learn about writing informed arguments?

I learned a lot during this informed arguments unit, for example, I learned how to make myself sound persuasive, work well with a partner, and I also learned a lot about my passion topic, and both sides of the argument.

What did you find challenging about writing this genre? How did you overcome this challenge?

Something I found challenging was finding good websites that supports my argument, because I was cons for our debate, and most people are pros, and agree with giving students free time.

What did you find challenging about recording a podcast?

While doing the actual recording of the podcast, some students in other grades made a lot of noise, so we tried to carry on and cover it up. Another problem was the techie part, because sometimes we didn't know how to use the Garage Band, and how to add the music.

What are you most proud of about your podcast?

I am most proud of our final outcome, and how we did something a bit different from the usual, because this was our first podcasts this year. I am also proud of the research Ria (my partner) and I put into our scrips.

What are you hoping your listeners will feel/do as a result of listening in your podcast?

I hope the listeners will consider all the things mentioned, and are slightly effected and convinced of our argument.

Poetry Reflection

What do you know now about poetry that you didn't know before? How do your poems demonstrate your knowledge of poetry? Explain with specific examples.

I learned a lot of things I didn't know before about poetry. For example, I learned some new terms like hyperbole, assonance, and consonance, and I learned what they mean and how to incorporate them into my own writing. I also learned about different kinds of poems, like; list poems, summary poems, personification poems, haiku, etc. Additionally, I learned a great process on how to write poems (slash and burn, pick and choose, etc.), and some other things like subjective vs. objective. My poems demonstrate my knowledge of poetry, because I now add some different kinds of poetic devices. For example, I learned how to personify in my poems. In "He Was Responsible", it says, "He took Family and Love, dissembled their...". Also, I wrote a haiku!

For your 'best' poem, explain the following:

• How did you come up with the idea for this poem? What was your planning process?

I got the idea to write a poem about the Holocaust, because I do National History Day, and I learned a lot about WWII, so I decided to write a poem about it. My planning process was mostly in my mind, and I didn't really write my plans out. I sort of went straight into writing it.

• How did your poem evolve while writing it? What moves did you make as a poet? Explain your revision process.

My process was to first put down my thoughts on paper, then I took out unimportant words and phrases, and added some new parts. Next I added effective line breaks and stanzas. I kept doing this until I got my final draft. Some moves I did as a poet, was my revising and editing, and my poem evolved a lot from my first to final draft.

What feelings or ideas do you hope to instill in your reader?

As I stated in the video, I want my reader to be aware of the horrors and terrors of our past, and possibly make them feel pain or sorrow.

Changing Lives for the Better - Literary Essay

We all know that adjusting to a new life can be extremely challenging. Whether it is moving to a new country, changing schools, or dealing with divorce - these events can really change your life. Caitlin, the main character in the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, has to adjust to a new life as she deals with her brother’s death. While coping with her brother’s passing, Caitlin learns that she must persevere, and adapt to her new world.

Caitlin Smith, an eleven-year old girl diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome, is the main character of the book Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine, and she has to adjust to a new life after her brother, Devon, passes away. As Caitlin and her father cope with the loss, she becomes determined to find ‘closure’, as this will become her solution to the challenges she has to face, like making friends, fitting in, and dealing with her brother’s death. Finally, Caitlin and her father completes building the chest Devon had worked on, and this helps her find ‘closure’. On her journey to finding ‘closure’, she also starts to make friends, and in conclusion, Caitlin accomplishes her goal of finding ‘closure’, and is also introduced to new aspects in life.

A character that has to adjust to a new life is Caitlin’s dad. He breaks down because of emotional pain and depression because of Devon’s death, and memories of Devon causes him sorrow. On the day Devon died, Caitlin’s dad “slammed the door shut and put his head against it and cried and said, No no no no no.” (pg. 5) In doing this, Devon’s dad shows the challenges he is facing, and it also shows his love for his son. This is important because it displays how he has to adjust to a new life because of Devon’s death, and cope with the loss. Throughout the book, Devon’s father couldn’t stand memories of Devon, because it caused him emotional pain. At the beginning of the book, he covered up Devon’s chest, and shut Devon’s room door. At the end of the book, he and Caitlin completed building Devon’s chest. This is important because he soon realizes that he should be strong and face his challenges, and he slowly but surely, adjusts to his new life for the better.

A significant object in the book is Devon’s chest. It represents hope, and the ‘closure’ Caitlin had been searching for. At the start of the book, Devon’s chest reminds Caitlin and her father of Devon, and how he is gone forever. Caitlin later on realizes that completing the chest would help her and her father find ‘closure’, and it would bring hope to the tough situations they are forced to face. A part of the book that shows the significance of the chest, is at the very end of the book, when Caitlin says, “I smile and begin.” (pg. 232) I think this is important because it shows how the chest helped Caitlin decide to change her life for the better, and make a new and improved beginning.

All in all, I think it is important to face your challenges, find ‘closure’, and adjust to a new life in a positive way. Caitlin shows us that you can you can fix a situation by persevering, and that you can change your life for the better. Her father teaches that you should always stay strong, even when you are facing challenges. In that way, Caitlin and her father serves as mentors for everyone. So, when you are confronted with a challenge - whether you are moving to a new country, changing schools, or dealing with divorce -, remember Caitlin and her dad, and try your hardest to change your life for the better.

~~~

One of the things I liked the most about reading Mockingbird was learning my group's perspectives on parts of the book, and also getting to read a book in the view of a girl around our age, and someone who faces lots of challenges. What I really enjoyed about my book club was that we all could discuss about the book, give new insights, and sort of relate to it together. Belonging to a book club helped my grow as a reader, because I really learned how to understand different people's point of views on the book, and I learned how to dig deeper, and try to interpret different sections of the book.

I have grown as a writer, because now I can use different writing techniques in my book reports and literary essays, like writing about symbols/objects, succinct summaries, etc. A new skill I feel more confident in applying to my essay writing is good conclusions (mini-lesson), and writing succinct summaries. A challenge I faced was putting all of my thoughts down on the paper. I got stuck on how to write what I wanted to say, and I also had to leave out some parts. I surprised myself as a writer when I related back to the beginning in my conclusions, and this surprised me, because I don't usually do things like that in my writing. I realize this makes my conclusion more interesting, and gives it a good wrap-up to my essay. Some feedback I received was to find the deeper meaning of Devon's chest, and my group agreed on what the chest represented.

Writing Goals: Blog Reflection

My semester two writing process goal is to use checklists and rubrics. I think I have made a lot of progress on this goal, because whenever we are given checklists and rubrics, I always compare my work to them, and make sure I have all the information I need in my writing. For example, for my most recent piece of writing, my Greek myth, I used the checklist and rubric, and I edited my work so that it had all the required parts. My next steps are to continue using checklists so that I accomplish all needed parts, and use rubrics to help me get better results.

highlighted parts are transitions

My product goal was to use more transitions in my writing. I think I have made a bit of progress on this goal, because I try to add more transitions to my writing. For example, I like to refer to my writer's notebook and find transitions to use in our list of transitions. My next steps are to continue to write many transitions to make my writing more interesting. I will do this by using my list of transitions.

Greek Myth Reflection

A Fool’s Battle

At dawn, Crocodaelus, a young hunter, crept out towards the wood near his hut to go hunting. Like the hero Odysseus, Crocodaelus was strong, brave, and handsome. For these reasons, he was pursued by all women and nymphs. But he was also arrogant and prideful - these traits would soon change his life forever.

As he stalked through the woods, the whole forest seemed to be delighted by his company. Branches bent towards him, and squirrels and insects seemed to lean to sniff his luscious, masculine scent.

As Crocodaelus ventured towards the heart of the woods, he stumbled upon a clearing - one he had never seen before. The rising sun shone and lit up the dazzling meadow, and blossoming vivid flowers sprang up from the forest floor.

Camouflaged behind a thick, green tree, he stared at an elegant fawn slurping from a nearby spring, calm and undisturbed. Stupid, naive creature, do you not know that you are in the presence of a huntsman? Crocodaelus smirked to himself. Soundlessly, he raised the bow and took aim.

Suddenly, a loud rustle of moving ferns made him jerk around. He scowled as he heard the thumping of hooves galloping away. Wanting to find who had scared off his game, Crocodaelus' glanced around, searching.

He saw a couple, hand-in-hand, entering the clearing. The man, he observed, had a tall, robust, and muscular figure. The stunned hunter immediately recognized him as Ares, the god of war and violence. In his strong and calloused hand, was the delicate hand of the most handsome and elegant female to ever roam the earth, Aphrodite. Her golden hair, beautiful olive skin, perfect nose, lush, blue eyes, full lips - they overwhelmed Crocodaelus. Immediately, as if struck by Cupid’s arrow, he fell in love with the goddess of love.

“Aphrodite, my dear one, I do not think you realize how extremely privileged you are, to have someone so grand as I - to want your hand in marriage.” Rage shook Crocodaelus as Ares spoke,

“Tell Zeus that you demand me as your husband instead of Hephaestus, that coward. Declare you do not want the weak and lame god of forge, but I, the strongest and best man there could be.” Before a reply could escape Aphrodite’s lips, Crocodaelus strode out of his hiding place, and chuckled mockingly,

“You think you are so grand and gallant... But behold! The man standing before you, I, Crocodaelus, am a greater man than you - I am stronger, bolder, and someone as fair as Aphrodite shouldn’t have a big, hairy, man. But a beautiful person like myself! I am the only living creature worthy enough for Aphrodite! If we must, I will prove this! We will battle… Unless you are afraid of defeat?” At first, Ares’ face turned beet red, but almost as immediately, his expression became amused.

“Foolish mortal! You dare challenge the god of violence? I must admit, I do admire your ill-advised bravery. I have won many known battles and wars - yet as I speak, your countenance remains confident. For your extreme bravery and courage, we will have this duel -” Aphrodite’s voice rang,

“Ares, you will not-”

“-and we will see who is more worthy!”

Ares’ booming voice sent chills down Crocodaelus' body, but he was still convinced he could beat Ares, He calls ME a fool… Soon every soul on earth will see that not I, but Ares is the fool. When I beat him, then Aphrodite will come to me… He grinned at the wonderful thought.

“Let us not wait any longer!” Crocodaelus demanded. He coveted Aphrodite, and wanted to win her hand in marriage. He felt as if his life would end if he lost. As if all his life he had been preparing for this one moment, to win her over as his wife.

“We need a proper battlefield.” Ares ordered, and as soon as he said these words, wood nymphs ran out to the clearing, and immediately constructed a battle ring made of the wood of a laurel tree. Woven in between were flowers of every color.

Crocodaelus realized that this beautiful ring would soon decide his fate.

He strode towards the ring, and shudder ran through him as he realized that the fight could be the last thing he would ever do. He pushed the thought away, No, I will not lose. I refuse to. I will win. I have to win.

Wood nymphs hid behind trees as they both eagerly and worriedly watched Crocodaelus' every move.

Approaching the ring, he removed his quiver, and lay his bow on the grass. He inspected the two swords in the middle of the ring. Crocodaelus shuffled towards the center, and picked up a sword. Ares did the same. Each sword was made of magnificent silver, and the hilts had marvelous spiral engravings. Crocodaelus yanked the sheath off and watched his nervous face on the blade. Seeing Crocodaelus' nervous expression, Ares jeered,

“What happened to your unwavering confidence? Are you too scared?”

Outraged, Crocodaelus swung his sword at his opponent’s head. Ares quickly ducked, and sliced his sword at Crocodaelus' chest. Both swords collided, and the sound of scratching metal filled the meadow.

Finding his arm stinging in pain, Crocodaelus glanced down. Dark, red blood stained the sleeve of his toga, and dripped down his arm. Instead of hitting his chest, Ares had hurt Crocodaelus' arm, and the deep gash made him enraged.

Furiously, Crocodaelus executed an unexpected kick on Ares’ side, and took the chance to swipe his sword through his foe. Crocodaelus managed to cut Ares’ stomach, and a magical fluid rushed out of the wound. The blood of gods. Pride soared through him as Ares cried in pain.

Ares then thrust his weapon at his opposer’s face. Swiftly, Crocodaelus blocked Ares’ sword with his own - one hand holding the hilt, and the other gripping the blade. He pushed against Ares’ blade with all his might, but soon droplets of blood dripped down his fingers.

Crocodaelus' hand was bleeding. In seconds, his hand was so wet it slipped from the sword, and he tumbled down.

Taking advantage of his fall, Ares kicked his leg, breaking Crocodaelus' calf. Roaring in agony, Crocodaelus scrambled to pick up his weapon that had skidded away while he fell. He didn’t get the chance to.

Ares’ foot pushed Crocodaelus' cheek against the forest floor, and his sword was at Crocodaelus' neck.

Slowly, Ares’ sword dug into Crocodaelus' flesh…

“NO! Please! Mercy! Oh great god! Please spare me!” wailed Crocodaelus. Tears streamed down his face. He wasn’t thinking about Aphrodite anymore, he just wanted to live.

The metal stopped digging into Crocodaelus' neck. Ares chortled,

“You are right. It would be a waste to lose such a brave soul. This fight has been the most amusing battle I have fought since the Trojan War!” He paused and lifted his sword off of Crocodaelus’ neck, “I will spare your life only because it is not often I come by a man with such bravery, confidence, and tenacious behavior. But you will not be the same - your beauty, your admirers, your possessions - they will all be lost. You will live a bleak, depressing life, but you will keep your strength and vicious character.”

With these words, Crocodaelus' skin turn rough and green. His face grew long, his teeth turned pointy, and his arms and legs shrank. Crocodaelus was no longer a handsome mortal, but a crocodile. Embarrassed, Crocodaelus, the very first crocodile, waddled away, and splashed into a muddy swamp.

Because of his actions, crocodiles have always lived gloomy lives, and they are also very fierce and ferocious creatures, just like the first of their kind.

Never again did Crocodaelus show his face, and his story will always haunt him for the rest of his life.

How have you grown as a writer?

Before, I wrote my myths as sort of a personal narrative - which doesn't really make sense, so I've learned to make my myths sound like an actual myth instead of another genre of writing. I learned how to write in third person, and use ADD (action, dialogue, and description) in my scenes.

What new skills do you feel more confident to apply to your narrative writing? Think about your goals...

Well, I learned how to use my plans effectively, in this case, I learned how to make story mountains, and use them effectively. I also really used the rubric and checklist to improve my writing, and to use appositives, participle phrases, and absolute phrases.

What challenges did you face when writing your myth?

A challenge I faced was going through writers' blocks, and making my myth sound like an actual myth instead of a personal narrative. Another challenge was making my scenes sound as I wanted them to.

How have you surprised yourself as a writer?

I have surprised myself as a writer because I thought I'd be absolutely terrible at writing in third person, and I thought I would be really bad at writing a myth that actually sounds (a bit) like a myth.

What feedback did you receive that will help you to grow as a writer?

Feedback I received was to add inner thinking to make the story more interesting, and I also received feedback on making my scenes more interesting.

Semester 2 Reading Goal Reflection

During the second semester, we made habit and thinking goals for our reading. My habit goal is to write flags on my thinking at least twice in every reading session, and to work on jotting down things like claim and evidence, theme, author craft, characters, etc. My thinking goal is to write specific and clear sticky notes (flags) on whichever type of flagging I choose to do (stated above).

I think I have made the most progress on the my thinking goal, because whenever I flag, I make specific notes that usually include evidence from the text (and page numbers) and my own thinking. I used to just state the obvious and show some text from the book, but now I add more of my own original thinking. I think I have made very little progress with my habit goal, because I tend to only write flags on my thinking when it is assigned and necessary, and a lot of the times I don't end up writing flags when I read in my free time. A challenge I have faced in my habit goal is to just remember to flag while reading.

To achieve my habit goal, I think all I have to do is flag more often to make it a custom while I read, so it comes more easily and it is not forgotten. I think to achieve my thinking goal, I just have to flag more.

Overall, I think I am doing okay with my goals, but I will try to work harder to achieve my habit goal, and flag more.

Personal Essay and Reflection

Video Games are Totally Overrated

Many people think that completing a new level in Octagon, making an enormous mansion in Minecraft, or successfully playing 5 Nights at Freddy’s for hours without being scared - is an accomplishment, but I disagree. A lot of kids should know that being an amazing video gamer is not an amazing status to have, and being great at a video game is not the best thing. I believe video games are totally overrated.

As a young student, I know that video games are bad - people waste their childhood playing video games instead of creating memories and getting things done. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve played video games, and now and then I game for short periods of time, but I used to throw away many hours playing video games. For example, when I got my Minecraft account, all I ever did during my free time was play Minecraft for hours on end. I distinctly remember spending many days working on an underground hotel, a glass mansion, a roller coaster, and many other monuments that I now regret making. I now realize that when a child gets addicted to video games, they usually spend time gaming rather than hanging out with friends and family, or getting homework done. Kids should be using their time more wisely, and instead of staring at a screen, they should do something more productive.

Furthermore, video games make it hard for people to socialize when they are addicted to computer or video games. According to Raise Smart Kid, too much video game playing makes kids socially isolated. Many video game addicts who are immersed in their screens probably don’t have time to hang out with real people. I remember a time in the past where I asked someone if they wanted to hang out on a certain day. This person said she couldn’t, because that was her gaming day. Let’s face it, it’s not normal - having a certain day just for playing video games, and wanting to hang out with fake creatures on a screen instead of real human beings. Additionally, video games has shown signs of making school grades worse. The article, The Positive and Negative Effects of Video Games claims, “Not surprisingly, kids addicted to video games see their school performance suffer.”

Video games rot childrens’ minds. Research has shown that up to 90% of video games contain some form of violent content. Is that okay? No. Do violent games negatively affect children? According to studies - yes. Studies have shown that violent games can replace positive actions to more aggressive emotions, thoughts and behaviors. ‘CHY.com’ states, “it is clear that exposure to violent games is linked to increased aggressive behaviour (as indicated by things like the degree to which they get into physical fights or argue with teachers).”

Some say video games have positive aspects. For example, there are some people that play video games as a job and as a living. They compete in video games and even earn money! Also, some studies claim that video games can help improve concentration. I think if people really want to pursue being a video gamer, they should know the downsides and control the amount of time they spend gaming.

Another negative effect is video games can also reduce kids’ helping behaviours. Not only that, video games also teach kids wrong values. Often in video games, being violent and representing bad actions are rewarded. In countless games, the character’s ‘mission’ is to physically hurt others, for example stabbing, shooting, and kicking, and in return for cruel behaviors, they are rewarded.

Finally, video games can cause many unwanted health problems. In the essay, Physical Consequences of Gaming Addiction, the author stated, “Physical consequences of gaming addiction include carpal tunnel, migraines, sleep disturbances, backaches, eating irregularities, and poor personal hygiene.” In many occasions, studies have found that video games also links to obesity and eye strain, which can lead to dizziness, blurry vision, and headaches.

These are just a few consequences of video games, and there are still so many more things they can do to aggravate a child’s health and daily life… Now you know that while you are completing a new level in Octagon, making a mansion in Minecraft, or playing 5 Nights at Freddy’s for hours - you can be doing something way more productive, and you just may be changing your life possibly in a negative way. So shut your computer, and stop playing those video games!

I have grown as a writer from my PE On Demand and my recent personal essay, because I now know how to make a nice, easy flowing plan for my essay (which made my writing much easier), and I learned a couple of ways to start and end my essay (from mini-lessons). A new skill I learned that I will now apply to my essays is my plan layout. Challenges I faced while writing my personal essay was constant writer's block, adding a strong voice (strong 'I' voice), and concluding my essay. I surprised myself as a writer because I realized I really believed in what I was writing about, and I was surprised that the personal essay planer really helped me. Feedback I received (from Mrs. K and peers) that helped me grow as a writer was; to add anecdotes to make my essay more meaningful, to have a stronger 'I', and to add more transitions.

My Archaeology Google Site 2014

This is a link to my Archaelogy Google site that I made in Grade 6 Social Studies. I hope you learn something about the Terracotta Warriors!

Terracotta Warriors

Personal Narrative Reflection

I have grown as a writer by adding more internal thinking. My PN on Demand didn't have much inner thinking, whereas my personal narrative had a lot. I am more confident in applying more thinking into my narratives after having lessons about it, and after using it. My biggest challenge in writing personal narratives is getting writers block. I always get stuck during writing periods. I surprised myself by seeing how much I can improve in just a little more than a month! I received a lot of helpful feedback from my peers and teacher (Mrs. K) about how to improve my writing.

A Day to Remember: April 8, 2012

I peel off the plastic, and pull out the brand new pantyhose. I scrunch up the beige material, and struggle to fit my legs into it without slipping of the glossy, wooden floor. I gently tug the dress off of the hanger, and slowly change into the black dress. I smooth down the wrinkled ends. Careful Maddy, I remind myself for the hundredth time, don’t ruin your dress… No matter what. I picture myself back in the small store in Korea, taking measurements for the dress. My grandma had got it made just for my concerts.

Why can’t I have longer arms? I think, as I stretch in an awkward position to button the back of my dress. I walk to the tall mirror, and try to tie the sash. Finishing with a sloppy bow, I untie it, and leave it hanging. I turn from the mirror, and grab the light brown feathered headband. Dragging my feet behind me, I feel the soft wood turn into a rough, tiled bathroom floor. I open the mirror cabinet and pull out a brush. It takes a while until the bristles flow through my hair like silk. I comb through one last time with my fingers, then lay the headband on my head. Seeing that my work is complete, I hop out of the bathroom, grab my black flute case, and hop down the carpeted stairs.

“I coming down!”

* * *

Only an hour has past. An hour since I was back in Connecticut, getting ready for the concert. Now I stand in the streets of New York City, by the back entrance to Carnegie Hall. Musicians surround me. I spot a young girl about seven years old. Thank goodness, I’m not the youngest. For some reason, I feel alone in a way… Out of place. As if Dad knows what I’m thinking, he squeezes my hand. Suddenly, the doors open.

I look out from the backstage door, and stare at the stage. How am I ever going to get on that thing? Finally realizing that I can’t stand there forever, I close my eyes, take a deep breath, and take my first step onto the stage.

Shivering, my accompanist and I walk up to the middle of the platform. I stop at the center, and as he walks towards the grand piano, I look at the audience. Oh. My. Gosh. What happened to the usual, small, crowd? Why did so many people show up? I start to think about what Dad made me do yesterday. He had told me to move on if I make any mistakes, and to practice that, I purposely played my song with mistakes, so I know how to carry on. I first had found it amusing, playing the climax with a bunch of wrong flats and sharps… Now I’m just scared of errors.

My hands get moist… Really moist. As if my hands were a faucet, sweat pours out and makes my flute slippery. My legs shake as if they were to give out. Beautiful white walls and columns surround me. Long drapes fall like water, and tickle the floor. Suddenly, my flute feels like ice in my sweating hands. I gulp down, blank everything out, and focus. I try to push away the fact that a bunch of people are staring up at me. Instead, Dad’s words ring in the back of my mind, “No one will notice if you make a mistake.” Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale…

I bring the metal cylinder towards my mouth, and suddenly, music fills the room.

When I look back to that 8th day April, the thing I remember best was standing up on the cream colored stage, grinning from ear to ear as I receive my plaque. That day I realized; that concert was only the start of my music career. And there’s always going to be more and more chances and events in the future... always.

AmericanProtégé

Presented to
Madeleine Park

Flute

Judges Distinction Award

of the
American Protégé International

Music Talent Competition

2012

Chairman of Competition

Dr. Mark Weinstein

Carnegie Hall, New York

April 8, 2012

Laptop Care Poster

DCA Pledge

As a responsible Digital Citizen at SAS, I,  Maddy, promise to respect and protect myself, others, and intellectual property while learning, sharing, and collaborating online.

Using Your Laptop