Reading/Working Times for 12/9

12/4 Lord of the Flies Chapters 8-11 120 mins
12/5 Reading Focus Logs for Ch. 8-11 60 mins
12/7 LOTF Chapter 12 and Reading Focus Journal 45 mins

Writing Center

Unfortunately, I did not get around to going to the writing center this semester. I was planning on going, but I didn't realize that the literary analysis was the last paper we were going to write. I thought that I would have the chance to go for another paper after. I regret not going because I really feel like it could have helped me a lot on my literary analysis because I did struggle a little bit on that paper.

Next semester, I will make sure to go to the writing center for help on my papers. I think that once I go I will want to go back for every paper because it helped me.

Reading Times 11/18-12/2

Date	Thing	Pages	Time
11-19	LOTF	Ch. 4-7	120 mins
11-25	LOTF  Journal on Blackboard	Ch. 1-6	100 mins
11-30	LOTF	Ch. 8-11	120 mins

Thanksgiving Break!

Thanksgiving is so close! I can't believe that next week is Thanksgiving break, and then we only have about three weeks after that until Christmas break. Over Thanksgiving break, I will going to Houston. We are leaving Saturday afternoon and coming back Wednesday night. I am kind of sad that we can't stay and shop at the Galleria on Black Friday, but I have to be back because I have swim practice. However, I'm going to go Black Friday shopping in Baton Rouge! I can't wait because all of the stores have good sales, Christmas music is playing, and it is just a really happy atmosphere!

I am also excited about Thanksgiving Day! I think that it is such a fun day because I wake up at around 8, and I watch some of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. You can smell all of the delicious food already being cooked in our kitchen because for some reason my family has Thanksgiving lunch, not Thanksgiving dinner. Also, this year, we are doing something different. After we cook all of the food, we are going to bring it out to our barn and eat there. My aunt and cousins are going to come, so that should be fun. If you can't tell, this time of year puts me in a very good mood!

Lord of the Flies- William Golding

11-11 pages 7-47 1 hour
11-13 Pages 48-59 1 hour

The Book Thief- Markus Zusak

11-16  pages 78-97  40 mins

Total Time: 160 mins

Free Prompt

Prompt: What would happen in a world where it was the child's choice to go to school? Would you go to school?

I believe that if children had the choice to go to school, the world would be a completely different place. I think that lots of parents would make their kids go to school, including mine. However, I feel like if it was a choice, I wouldn't try as hard because I would think that some people aren't even going to school, at least I'm showing up. I think that this would be the case for a lot of kids. I probably would whine and complain to my parents about going, but in the end I would be glad that I went. I don't think that it would be a good thing having the choice. I also think that it would lead to more unemployment and crime because more kids wouldn't have an education.

I am glad that it is mandatory for everyone to go to some type of schooling. I feel like if it was not a law, our society would be chaotic. Also, I think that how schools work would be a whole lot different if it was not mandatory. I think that they would not be as hard and difficult because they would not want to try and make people stop going. Also, as stated before, people would not have as much motivation toward doing well because at they are going. Overall, I am glad that our society has mandatory schooling because I believe that without it, our society would be chaotic.

Christmas is Coming!

A few days ago, I had the sudden realization that December is next month. That means Christmas is coming! I love Christmas time so much. I love when it gets cold and all of the stores are decorated and Christmas music is playing. It seems like the year has gone by so quickly. I can't believe it is already November. 

Over Christmas break, my cousin, aunt, uncle, and great aunt all come in town. It is the best thing because I love visiting with them and doing everything with them. When Christmas Eve comes, my uncle makes spaghetti. We eat our dinner and we then go and open all of the presents from each other. After we finish opening presents, my aunt, uncle, and cousin go back home to New Orleans. My brother and I then go to sleep, and wake up the next morning to get our presents from Santa. On Christmas night, my family and I go to visit with my dad's side of the family. We go to my Nanny's house and eat Christmas dinner and exchange gifts. Christmas is definitely my favorite time of the year.

Reading Time 11/11

Date	Assignment	Time
11/6 11/7	Literary Analysis Rough Draft	70 mins 20 mins
11/8	LOTF Reading in Class and annotating	20 mins
11/11	LOTF Reading and Annotating	30 mins

Stranded on an Island

Honestly, I do not think that our class would do very well stranded on an island. I think that too many people would try to be leaders, and we would end up splitting into groups. I think that one group would try to escape and build a raft, and another would try to build shelters. I think that the group that I would join would begin with assessing the area and beginning to start a fire. We would also try to find a water source and food.

If we were stuck for a long period of time, we would have to start a government. I would try to become the supreme ruler and I would tell everyone jobs. I would give the jobs out as builders, food collectors, and doctors. The names are pretty self-explanatory. I would make sure that everyone did their jobs.

Reading Times 11/4

Date	Book/Assignment	Time	Pages
10/29	Go Ask Alice by Anonymous	25 mins	1-40
11/2	Trying to find thesis stament	40 mins
11/4	Detailed Outline	60 mins

Reading Log 10/28

I forgot to post it!

10/22- The Book Thief Markus Zusak 60 mins Pages 1-78
10/24- The Book Thief  Markus Zusak 20 mins Pages 79-102
10/27- The Extra Short Stories (Araby, Sucker, The Sniper) 60 mins

Halloween

When I was little, Halloween was one of my favorite holidays. I loved going and shopping for my costume. I would spend at least an hour in the costume store searching through each and every costume. Eventually after a long journey of shopping, I would finally find the perfect costume. I would try on my costume multiple times before Halloween night would come.

When Halloween night would finally come, all of our neighbors would come to our house before we would set out to trick or treat. All of the kids would beg the parents until 7:00 when we finally got to set out. We would all run out of the door, going to each house and asking for candy. Our bags would fill up quick because our neighbors were very generous. After we went the whole route, we would all go back home, and feast on our candy.

Reading Response 10/28

This weekend, I read the three short stories I was assigned. However, one of thing stood out to me. "Sucker" by Carson McCullers, "The Sniper" by Liam O'Flaherty, and "Araby" by James Joyce was very interesting. One thing that I have noticed with many of the short stories, and particularly this one, is that at the end of the story, there are not happy endings. Most books and movies end happily, but lots of the shorts stories that I have read do not. I think it may be because books and movies take a long time to read/watch, so the author probably wants to please the viewer for spending so much time on their work. However, with short stories you don't spend so much time with them and you don't get as attached to the characters. In "Sucker", "The Sniper, and "Araby" the endings leave you sad.

Another thing that I noticed is that the stories are about very strange things that books would not be about. For example, "Araby" was about a guy who went to a bazaar and ended up going crazy. Other stories such as "The Waltz of the Fat Man" and "Harrison Bergeron" also had very strange plots.

Reading Times and Personal Questions

10/9      Ready Player One-  Ernest Cline      35 mins pages 344-370

10/10     Rereading Short Stories for test          55 mins

10/12  Ready Player One- Ernest Cline        50 mins     pages 371-425


Personal Questions:

How does a person's personality form and change over time? What causes it to do this?
What would happen to the world if all electricity suddenly went out?
What compels people to do terrible and tragic things?
What would happen if we lived in a world with no rules or laws?

Reading Log

Date	Book	Time
9/30	And of Clay Are We Created	25 mins
9/31	Ready Player One- Ernest Cline The Girls in their Summer Dresses	45 mins 20 mins
10/2	Waltz of the Fat Man	40 mins
10/3	Ready Player One – Ernest Cline	30 mins
10/6	Short Story Draft	40 mins