My 8th Grade Portfolio
Writing:
Two of my favorite pieces of writing include: "The Attempt" and "Video Game Violence v.s. Real Life Violence"
The Attempt
By: Denae Paul
Ding. Ding. Ding. “Attention students: a man has attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Thank you for listening.” The cafeteria tables were littered with crumbs and you could smell the french fires being prepared for the days meal. As Daniel walked into the cafeteria he saw his friends sitting at a table and walked over to join them. Daniel heard the announcement just as he was sitting down. Once the announcement was made he was shocked. Everyone was shocked. Daniel took a bite of his sandwich; it was PB&J as usual. Daniel loved PB&J, but the news of the event left it dull, almost like there was no taste at all. This major event all happened on March 30, 1981.
“Do you think he's dead?” said one of Daniel's friends.
“I don't know,” replied Daniel, “If he is then he didn't get to be president very long.”
Daniel and his friends were talking as they were eating. Daniel was the cleanest out of his friends. His spot was clean and pristine, while his friends were messier than he. He looked around the cafeteria and heard tid-bits about the event. The most informational things Daniel heard came from teachers that were discussing the topics. Daniel eventually learned that President Ronald Reagan was exiting the Hilton Hotel when he was shot on the left side of his chest. Just then the bell rang, signaling all students to return to class.
Throughout the rest of the school day the news was swimming in Daniel's mind. Daniel was spacing out in class after a while. Daniel heard his name being called, but his brain couldn't quite focus on it. He finally said, “Yes?”
“Daniel, can you please answer the question?” said his teacher.
“Uh. Can you repeat it please?” is what Daniel replied.
After that Daniel found himself looking around the classroom. It was bright and clean. The walls covered in posters, the desks lined up precisely in rows of six or eight, the students focusing on the lesson. Some focusing more than others. Another thing he noticed is the room smelled vaguely of honey suckle flowers. The smell brought a sort of happiness or lightness to himself. Daniel finally found a way to push his thoughts to the side and concentrate on the task at hand. Next thing Daniel knew the bell rang; everyone rushed up out of their seats and out the door, eager to get home and relax.
When Daniel arrived home he heard the television in the background and smelled dinner in the oven. Daniel could tell his mother was cooking lasagne with bread, corn, and salad on the side. The aroma of corn filled Daniel's nose, he loved corn, and the bread smelled freshly toasted with what seemed like the perfect amount garlic. The only thing Daniel didn't particularly like was the salad. Daniel personally thought salad was rabbit food, that and the fact he just wasn't fond of lettuce. Once dinner was served Daniel and his family sat down to eat and talk about their day. Daniel shared a two bathroom, three bedroom one story house with his mother, father, and four brothers. When talking about each others day the attempt assassination of the president was mentioned. Daniel learned that the president wasn't killed, and that before the president exited the building he was giving a speech to an assembly of AFL-CIO union members. Daniel asked what AFL-CIO stood for and his mother explained that it stood for American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. This is a fancy way of saying there's a group of people who work everyday to improve the lives of people who work. When Daniel was done at the dinner table he did his chores and then retreated to his room to read.
Daniel's view on the event hasn't changed since he was a seventh grader. Daniel's outlook on the subject is there are too many severely mentally ill people on the streets. Daniel personally feels that there should be more mental institutions to insure proper care for those people. Also, for the danger that the severely ill people pose to the public. Daniel also thought it was interesting that President Ronald Reagan was the one who cut spending on mental institutions and was attacked by someone who should have been put into one. Daniel puts the attack into comparison of any school shootings or movie theater shootings; the people who cause the catastrophe are the ones who should be properly cared for. Daniel will remember this event for the rest of his life.
By: Denae Paul
Ding. Ding. Ding. “Attention students: a man has attempted to assassinate the President of the United States, Ronald Reagan. Thank you for listening.” The cafeteria tables were littered with crumbs and you could smell the french fires being prepared for the days meal. As Daniel walked into the cafeteria he saw his friends sitting at a table and walked over to join them. Daniel heard the announcement just as he was sitting down. Once the announcement was made he was shocked. Everyone was shocked. Daniel took a bite of his sandwich; it was PB&J as usual. Daniel loved PB&J, but the news of the event left it dull, almost like there was no taste at all. This major event all happened on March 30, 1981.
“Do you think he's dead?” said one of Daniel's friends.
“I don't know,” replied Daniel, “If he is then he didn't get to be president very long.”
Daniel and his friends were talking as they were eating. Daniel was the cleanest out of his friends. His spot was clean and pristine, while his friends were messier than he. He looked around the cafeteria and heard tid-bits about the event. The most informational things Daniel heard came from teachers that were discussing the topics. Daniel eventually learned that President Ronald Reagan was exiting the Hilton Hotel when he was shot on the left side of his chest. Just then the bell rang, signaling all students to return to class.
Throughout the rest of the school day the news was swimming in Daniel's mind. Daniel was spacing out in class after a while. Daniel heard his name being called, but his brain couldn't quite focus on it. He finally said, “Yes?”
“Daniel, can you please answer the question?” said his teacher.
“Uh. Can you repeat it please?” is what Daniel replied.
After that Daniel found himself looking around the classroom. It was bright and clean. The walls covered in posters, the desks lined up precisely in rows of six or eight, the students focusing on the lesson. Some focusing more than others. Another thing he noticed is the room smelled vaguely of honey suckle flowers. The smell brought a sort of happiness or lightness to himself. Daniel finally found a way to push his thoughts to the side and concentrate on the task at hand. Next thing Daniel knew the bell rang; everyone rushed up out of their seats and out the door, eager to get home and relax.
When Daniel arrived home he heard the television in the background and smelled dinner in the oven. Daniel could tell his mother was cooking lasagne with bread, corn, and salad on the side. The aroma of corn filled Daniel's nose, he loved corn, and the bread smelled freshly toasted with what seemed like the perfect amount garlic. The only thing Daniel didn't particularly like was the salad. Daniel personally thought salad was rabbit food, that and the fact he just wasn't fond of lettuce. Once dinner was served Daniel and his family sat down to eat and talk about their day. Daniel shared a two bathroom, three bedroom one story house with his mother, father, and four brothers. When talking about each others day the attempt assassination of the president was mentioned. Daniel learned that the president wasn't killed, and that before the president exited the building he was giving a speech to an assembly of AFL-CIO union members. Daniel asked what AFL-CIO stood for and his mother explained that it stood for American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations. This is a fancy way of saying there's a group of people who work everyday to improve the lives of people who work. When Daniel was done at the dinner table he did his chores and then retreated to his room to read.
Daniel's view on the event hasn't changed since he was a seventh grader. Daniel's outlook on the subject is there are too many severely mentally ill people on the streets. Daniel personally feels that there should be more mental institutions to insure proper care for those people. Also, for the danger that the severely ill people pose to the public. Daniel also thought it was interesting that President Ronald Reagan was the one who cut spending on mental institutions and was attacked by someone who should have been put into one. Daniel puts the attack into comparison of any school shootings or movie theater shootings; the people who cause the catastrophe are the ones who should be properly cared for. Daniel will remember this event for the rest of his life.
Video Game Violence v.s. Real Life Violence
People playing a video game have the CHOICE of actually playing the game or living the game. Murderers who play video games are already not thinking correctly or are, in some cases, mentally ill. This is one of the reasons why video games do not cause violence. Two other reasons are: it's the person who commits the real crimes, not the video game, and video games can be a good in a person's life. Video games do not lead to violence.
First of all, murderers who play video games are already thinking incorrectly or are mentally ill. People whose brain does not function correctly may not be able to tell the difference between what is reality and what is fiction. In the article, “Do Violent Video Games Lead To Real Violence?” Royer states, “There's a lack of provideers (therapists, psychiatrists),...” Meaning we, as a society, need to find more ways to treat, monitor, and care for the mentally ill. To conclude, you can't dismiss the functionality of the person committing the crime.
Secondly, it is not the video game committing the crime, it is the person. A single individual decides to yeild a gun, knife, or any weapon, and uses it to inflict pain on others. It would be quite surprising if a video game counsole could pick up a weapon and use it against someone. Some authorities have suggested banning video games, but as Jenny Brook states in the article mentioned before, “...a ban might be going too far-punishing those who would never take a leap from playing a video game to murder.” To explain, there can be two types of people who play video games: ones who play it and no more, or ones who play it and bring the violence outside of the game, but banning a video game because one person did something wrong would be like punishing the other for absolutely nothing. All this is saying is to focus more on the person's actions, and not the video games.
Lastly, video games can be good in a person's life. According to the website, videogames.procon.org, studies show that 45% of boys play video games to get their anger out; while another study shows that 62% play video games to simply relax. Both telling us, considering that a raise in stress and anger can cause a higher blood pressure, that a little violence can decrease our blood pressure, ultimitely helping our health. Another good stance on video games is say you win a level, beat a boss, or complete the game all together, you're going to be rewarded for your achievments and that will most likely put you in a good mood. In conclusion, there are many benefits to having a violent video game in your life.
Most may argue that video games with violence may send the wrong message to impressionable children and or youth. Although this true, a child's parent or guardian is supposed to monitor their child(ren) and decided what is best for them in their life. A parent can have their own opinion about video games and control what their child(ren) can and can't do. Overall, the parent(s) sends their kid(s) messages on how to act, not a video game.
Some people may choose to play the video game and some may choose to live the video game. Three reasons why video games do not lead to violence are: murderers who play video games are most likely already not thinking correctly or are mentally ill, it's not the video game commiting the crime it's the person, and video games can be good in a person's life. A well said quote from Professor James Twitchell from the University of Florida says, “It seems doubtful, from the point of view of the species history, that the human brain,...can be turned to the jungle at such speed simply by watching flickering pixles on a nineteen-inch screen.”
People playing a video game have the CHOICE of actually playing the game or living the game. Murderers who play video games are already not thinking correctly or are, in some cases, mentally ill. This is one of the reasons why video games do not cause violence. Two other reasons are: it's the person who commits the real crimes, not the video game, and video games can be a good in a person's life. Video games do not lead to violence.
First of all, murderers who play video games are already thinking incorrectly or are mentally ill. People whose brain does not function correctly may not be able to tell the difference between what is reality and what is fiction. In the article, “Do Violent Video Games Lead To Real Violence?” Royer states, “There's a lack of provideers (therapists, psychiatrists),...” Meaning we, as a society, need to find more ways to treat, monitor, and care for the mentally ill. To conclude, you can't dismiss the functionality of the person committing the crime.
Secondly, it is not the video game committing the crime, it is the person. A single individual decides to yeild a gun, knife, or any weapon, and uses it to inflict pain on others. It would be quite surprising if a video game counsole could pick up a weapon and use it against someone. Some authorities have suggested banning video games, but as Jenny Brook states in the article mentioned before, “...a ban might be going too far-punishing those who would never take a leap from playing a video game to murder.” To explain, there can be two types of people who play video games: ones who play it and no more, or ones who play it and bring the violence outside of the game, but banning a video game because one person did something wrong would be like punishing the other for absolutely nothing. All this is saying is to focus more on the person's actions, and not the video games.
Lastly, video games can be good in a person's life. According to the website, videogames.procon.org, studies show that 45% of boys play video games to get their anger out; while another study shows that 62% play video games to simply relax. Both telling us, considering that a raise in stress and anger can cause a higher blood pressure, that a little violence can decrease our blood pressure, ultimitely helping our health. Another good stance on video games is say you win a level, beat a boss, or complete the game all together, you're going to be rewarded for your achievments and that will most likely put you in a good mood. In conclusion, there are many benefits to having a violent video game in your life.
Most may argue that video games with violence may send the wrong message to impressionable children and or youth. Although this true, a child's parent or guardian is supposed to monitor their child(ren) and decided what is best for them in their life. A parent can have their own opinion about video games and control what their child(ren) can and can't do. Overall, the parent(s) sends their kid(s) messages on how to act, not a video game.
Some people may choose to play the video game and some may choose to live the video game. Three reasons why video games do not lead to violence are: murderers who play video games are most likely already not thinking correctly or are mentally ill, it's not the video game commiting the crime it's the person, and video games can be good in a person's life. A well said quote from Professor James Twitchell from the University of Florida says, “It seems doubtful, from the point of view of the species history, that the human brain,...can be turned to the jungle at such speed simply by watching flickering pixles on a nineteen-inch screen.”
Books:
Books I have read over this school year include:
- I Am Number Four by Pittacus Lore
- 13 Gifts by Wendy Mass
- The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
- Hunger by Michael Grant
- The Power of Six by PIttacus Lore
- The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
- Allegiant by Veronica Roth
- The Heroes of Olympus: The House of Hades by Rick Riordan
- The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
- Lies by Michael Grant
- Plague by Michael Grant
- Chasing Lincoln's Killer by James Swanson
- Altered by Jennifer Rush
My favorite out of the 13 would have to be The Fault in Our Stars by John Green. The book is a wonderfully, painful journey of two cancer patients who make a journey to Amsterdam together and fall in love. I love it because it focuses more on the cancer part, and really shows how cancer can be difficult, it doesn't talk about how "you'll get through this" or the hope filled mushy stuff, it just plain and simple focuses on the hardships, frustration, and pain that comes with it. I highly recommend you read it.
Science:
My favorite science unit this year was the galaxy, stars, planets, etc. I, honestly, love the universe and think it's funny that we-people-are so little in the galaxy, yet we are a species that thinks the world revolves around us. Really though, think of how amazing it would be to go into outer space, seeing Earth from a far, the sun up close-ish (staying far enough way so you don't burn would be smart), and discovering all the little things that exist in the universe. The most mind blowing part is that there used to be nothing. Absolutely nothing. Like literally nothing, and it's so hard to imagine, because you really can't. What we picture as nothing is a black void, when really nothing is nothing. Like I said, we can't picture it so it is harder to purely understand.
History:
My favorite unit this year was the overall learning of how the U.S. was built and established. Learning about the people who helped found the country we live in and how technology has improved from fire to electricity or a wagon to a car. Also, how the soldiers of the Civil War, and any other battle, were brave and fought for what he believed in and the freedom of our country. If I were to be specific though, slavery, segregation, and women rights, etc. were especially cool to learn about. Questions that go through my head are things like, "How did the human brain automatically think an African American is lesser than a white man?" Really though, who was the 'genius' (mocking tone) who thought that was okay? This could be made into a huge essay so I'll just stop here. Anyway, learning about our country's history was fun.
Accomplishment:
An accomplishment of mine would have to be being selected to be one of three designers for the Step Up Day t-shirt. Step Up day is when the incoming 5th graders get to visit and tour the school so they know what to expect. They always make t-shirts for this and I was chosen to help design what was on the t-shirt. It was really cool because I got to work with some professional graphic designers and contribute to the school even when I'm leaving. It was overall a great experience.