Talking about My Antonia!

Willa Cather in her novel, My Antonia, offers her view on life in the pioneer times.

How would My Ántonia be different if it were told from Ántonia's perspective?

                          Everything would be different, because things would be seen through a different eye, things
                          things would be told in a different way, and things would be from a different mind.

How effective is Cather, a woman, at narrating a story from the point of view of a man? Does Jim sound like a man writing, or does the narrative sound like a woman pretending to be a man?

                     I think she is very good at making Jim sound like a man. You couldn't tell it was a woman!

Why do you think Jim changed the title from Antonia to My Antonia?

                     Because she was his. His best friend.

ARGUMENT: RELIGION SHOULD BE ALLOWED IN SCHOOL!

• Assertion/Claim: Religion should be allowed in school.
• Evidence: If religion is allowed in school, it will prepare kids for the future in many different ways. 
•  Commentary One : If you learn about all the different religions, then maybe people would understand what goes on in the world. When 9/11 happened, a lot of people thought it was a hate crime. But in all actuality, it was a religious thing.
• Commentary Two: If people understand the different types of religion, then maybe there would not be such misunderstanding. People would also know what offends people and how to not do that.
• Evidence: If the kids are taught about religion in school, they are free to make their own decisions and not have their hands forced by someone else, and they will be able to understand more about it.
• Commentary One: If you teach all religion in school, kids are more likely to understand it. There is a better chance that they wont think wrong about it. "Theologians, clergy, scientists, and others belonging to many religious traditions have concluded that their religious views are compatible with evolution, and are even enhanced by the knowledge of nature that science provides." This quote is from the National Center for Science Education. There are a bunch of kids who think you can not believe science and have religious views, but if scientist can, why can't you?
• Commentary Two: If a child is taught all different types of religion, then they can make their own decision. If they are not, then they will grow up believing what people tell them, no matter what it is.
• Opposing Claim/They Say: Teaching religion in school would offend many people.
• My Rebuttal/ I Say: If you teach all different kinds of religion, then why would someone be upset? You are not trying to force your religion on them, you are simply trying to explain that there are others out there.
• Paragraph: Religion should be allowed in school. If religion were allowed in school, then many people would understand the world better, because right now, people do not. You could understand why certain people act the way they do, or why people believe differently. It would also give kids their own free choice, instead of growing up believing what they are told, they would believe what they wanted. Sure, some people might say some religion is offensive, but  not rightly so, because there would be more than on kind taught. We do not want to inundate people, but at the same time, they need to understand. So if people taught religion in school, everyone would be better off in the future.
• My Thinking: My thinking during all of this would probably be inductive. I think this because, while I would love to see religion in school, i do not believe it is very likely to happen.
• Sources:
• Science and Religion

Rembering 9/11

September eleventh two thousand one. I would be willing to bet that anyone who hears that would know exactly what I'm talking about. Children learn about it in school, and we remember it all the time. Nine eleven was a scary day for me. I was in the first grade and had no clue what was going on. My daddy came to the school and picked me up, telling me that something bad had happened when I asked him why. Then we got home and I remember that my daddy was watching it on the news... Only later did i find out that it was not a movie he was watching, but real footage. I sometimes find it hard to imagine that one day could change the lives of all of America forever. Airport security is tighter, school security is tighter, you cant buy certain things in huge amounts. I sometimes wonder why and how someone could hate us that much? I don't always understand. Then President Bush declared war, and some Americans thought that was the wrong idea. I, however, find it to be the right idea. What if we had sat back and done nothing? I bet worse things would have happened. But, ten years later, we are slowly but surly getting back on track, and I fully believe that everything will all be okay.

Fight or Flight Reflex: Henry vs. Forrest

My Inference about Running:

In intense situations, a person's instinct to run varies because of one's self preservation.

Henry thought that if he couldn't even save himself, how would he save others?
Henry didn't think there was much he could to to protect himself, so there is no way he protect others. Was he supposed to run? No. He was supposed to stay and fight, for his fellow officers and his country. But he had a greater instinct to save himself rather than stay and die.

Forrest ran because he was told to, although he did not want to.
Forrest knew he was supposed to stay and fight, but everyone was telling him to run, so he had to stay and follow directions. Like Henry, Forrest gave in to his greater instinct, but unlike Henry, that instinct was to go back and help the others. Forrest did not like leaving people behind, especially if they were hurt. Forrests greater instinct was to protect others. He did not care what happened to him, as long as his friends were safe.

So yes, i believe that a persons instinct to run varies on self preservation, but Henry was more focused on preserving his own life rather than other people's lives, like Forrest.

Book Review - The Summoning.

This book takes place mostly in a group home for teens, where Chloe ended up after having a "mental" break down at her school in Buffalo. Chloe is the main character in the book. She is fifteen and very short and undeveloped for her age. She has blond  hair, but decides  to shake things up a little bit and  adds  bright  red streaks all over her head.  Chloe  discovers, while in the group home, that she has magical powers. She has to learn what they mean, and how to use them, before somebody else takes advantage of her. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who loves a good, suspenseful, mystery!

Wounded Warrior Project

The Wounded Warrior Project is a great way for the community to give back to the soldiers who sacrifice their lives for us everyday. We don't often think about what they do for us. We get comfortable watching our princess fairytale movies, or playing a football game every Friday night, or even just being lazy and lounging around the house day in and day out. Take, for example, me. everyday after school, I have something I have to do. I go to band practice, go to choir practice, or go to work. And do you think that with my 'busy' life i stop and think for one minute that there are wonderful men and women that are sacrificing  their lives for me just so i can do all those things? Nope, I sure don't, and I am ashamed to admit that. Another thing it does is let us do something to help people, and show a kind of citizenship. Citizenship can mean a lot of different things, but one thing it means to me is people working together toward one common goal. And if were all working together toward one goal, then lets make it a good one! The Wounded Warrior Project also helps us understand what they go through while protecting us. If we get to see, and hear the story of a person who was wounded fighting for our country, I think that will help us understand what is going on and how serious it is. Then maybe more people would remember to mention the soldiers in their prayers, or send good thoughts their way, or even send a care package. Now that would be awesome! I really hope we get to do a Project! It wont only help us as students, but as a community as well!

War Is...

War is scary, killing people we know and love.
War is remembering, knowing and never forgetting what your fighting for.
War is needed, protecting our rights.
War is serving, protecting our country and it's freedom.
War is spending, using a lot of money to keep it going.
War is killing, taking away innocent lives.
War is expanding, being used to solve problems.
War is standing, remembering that our country is worth fighting for.
War is believing, knowing you are right and need to protect what belongs to you.
War is devastating, killing people and taking away homes.