Newscast on Attack Aimed at Atticus Finch's Children Dec. 14.15

Prompt: Pretend you are famous reporter on TV. Write a story about what you’ve read

for the evening news.

*I know I am aware that not all households had televisions and that WGN was not founded until the 1940's, but be open minded!* 

*I am also aware there is a lot of noise towards the end, thanks to my magnificent brother, and that I am a little repetitive, sorry:(* 

Breaking News!! Two young children- Jean Louise [Scout] Finch and Jeremy [Jem] Atticus Finch- were attacked earlier this night by a man who is being described as Robert E. Lee Ewell. According to Jean Louise, “Well, after Jem yelled we walked on. Mr. Tate, I was shut up in my costume but I could hear it myself, then. Footsteps, I mean. They walked when we walked and stopped when we stopped.” According to Jem, he was able to see Jean Louise because of the shiny coat on her ham costume. She then tells us that, “something’ grabbed me an’ mashed my costume…heard a tussling’ under the tree sort of…they were bammin’ against the trunk, sounded like.” Jean Louise then tells us that she was unable to see because she was tucked away inside the ham costume Mrs. Crenshaw had made her. She believed her brother had four her in the dark and pulled her up off the ground. After her said brother helped her up off the floor, she believed Mr. Ewell yanked him back down to the ground, breaking his elbow in the process. 

Sheriff Tate was immediently rushed to the scene of the crime. After sitting down with Heck, he revealed to us that, “Bob Ewell [was] lyin’ on the ground under that tree down yonder [points to tree] with a kitchen knife stuck up under his ribs. He’s dead…” This leads us to believe that Robert [Bob] Ewell is the one who had the audacity to attack young children. However, Bob was not sober while attacking the Finch kids. According to Jean Louise, “I smelled stale whiskey.” Sheriff Tate also tells us a little of his opinion, “low-down skunk with enough liquor in him to make him brave enough to kill children. He’d never meet you face to face.” After news spread like wildfire that Ewell was after Atticus for making a fool of him during the Robinson Trial, police are starting to connect the details. 

We also interviewed Doctor Reynolds, the doctor who rushed to the aid of Jeremy and Jean Louise. “He’s got a bump on the head…and a broken arm…He’s got a bad break, so far as I can tell now it’s in the elbow. Like somebody tried to wring his arm off…looks like he’ll be wearing his arm ‘way out by his side for a while.” On the contrary of little Jean Louise’s idea, Jeremy is not dead and is sleeping off unconscious. Doctor Reynolds was also at the scene of the crime to see if Mr. Robert Ewell was still alive; he was pronounced dead by Heck, we are still awaiting for Doctor Reynolds’ say. 

The Finch family is currently resting inside their home in Maycomb County, with twelve year old Jem resting., as well as Jean Louise. 

What we at WGN are wondering about is how did Jeremy get from the schoolhouse to the Finch residence, if he was unconscious. For more information please read Mr. Underwood’s newspaper article in the Mobile Register. 

Similarities Between Dill and Frances

12.3.15

Prompt: 

a. Similarities to each other

b. Differences from each other

c. Relationship to Scout

d. Effect on Scout.

     

     Something similar between Dill and Francis are their age. Dill and Francis are both a year older than Scout. I feel that this makes them think they have an authority figure over Scout. In chapter nine, Scout tells us, "he was a year older than I...he enjoyed everything I disapproved of, and disliked my ingenuous diversions." This shows that Francis feels that since he is older, he gets the say in what Scout should like; which is most likely what he likes. Dill also thinks because he is older that he gets to boss Scout around. This is shown when Scout is being excluded from Jem's and his daily plans. In chapter four, Scout says, "if you stay you've got to do what we tell you," Dill warned. "we-ll...who's so high and mighty all of a sudden?" "If you don't say you'll do what we tell you, we ain't gonna tell you anything." This shows that Dill thinks he is an authority figure over Scout because, he is ordering her to either go or to be sworn to secrecy and is going to be ordered around. And this isn't Jem telling Scout, or even a classmate! No this is adventurous, creative Dill!

        Something different between Dill and Frances is personality. One realization I made is  Francis is more like a parrot, he repeats everything he hears without thinking of the what he is really saying, Dill however kind of wings everything to get a long. He is always making up stories about his life back home and such. On page 82 and 83 of the hard cover books, Francis repeats, "...grandma says..." For example, "if Uncle Atticus lets you run around with stray dogs, that's his own business, like Grandma says, so it ain't your fault." This is found on page 83 in the hard cover book. This shows that Francis is similar to a parrot because, like stated before, he doesn't form his own opinion, he just mimics whatever anyone says and goes with it. Dill is more like the Blue Crown Manakin bird because he is unique in my opinion. He doesn't go through with what Jem and Scout do, like following the storyline of a book. Instead, he makes his own stories, and adds spins to them. Quoted in the text, "Dill recited this narrative: having been bound in chains and left to die in the basement...by his new father...secretly kept alive on raw field peas by passing farmer who heard his cries for help...Dill worked himself free...he wandered two miles out of Meridian...he traveled...all over Mississippi until...he was in Abbott County, Alabama..." This shows that he is unique like the Blue Crown Manakin because, the Blue Crown Manakin makes up his own special mating dance to attract females by puffing out its feathers into a circle, surrounding it's body and dances in front of a female. While Dill doesn't have feathers nor dances, he does create his own stories, which I think is to impress Scout with his wild imagination.  

        Scout's relationship to Dill is completely different than her relationship with Francis. One very important thing to note is, according to the book, "Dill concluded by saying he would love me forever..." This is a major difference to Francis because Scout tells us in chapter nine, "talking to Francis gave me the sensation of settling slowly to the bottom of the ocean. He was the most boring child I have ever met." Scout's relationship to Dill, well in her mind, is engagement and love. Scout's relationship to Francis is family and hatred. It completely differentiates the two boys because Scout has the opposite feelings towards both. 

          The effect on Scout is very different as well between the two boys. In chapter twelve, when Dill is unable to visit, Scout tells us exactly how she feels about Dill's absence; like another part of her was stolen. She tells us, "I had never thought about it, but summer was Dill by the fish pool smoking string...summer was swiftness with which Dill would reach up and kiss me when Jem was not looking, the longings we sometimes felt each other feel. With him life was a routine; without him, life was unbearable." This shows that without Dill visiting over the summer, she couldn't bear to be happy because her summer was filled with Dill's romance and adventures. However, like stated before, in chapter nine, Scout explains exactly how she feels about Francis as well. (This quote is also used in the paragraph above.) Scout explains to us just how boring her cousin is by saying, "talking to Francis gave me the sensation of settling slowly to the bottom of the ocean. He was the most boring child I have ever met." Unlike the completed feeling Dill gives Scout, Francis gives her a desire to drown herself feeling, which isn't too nice. 

Picturing Maycomb County, Alabama 11.23.15

                           

         When I first seen this photo, the first thing I observed was the road and the buildings On page 5 of the hardcover book it says, "...the streets turned to red slop..." The road in the picture reminded me of the road in the book because, from what it looks like, it appears to be clay because the road looks smooth and doesn't appear to have the texture cement would have or have the foundation cement would have. Also on page 5, Scout describes to us how the buildings are founded on the ground. She tells us, "...courthouse sagged in the square." From this sentence I can infer that maybe since the courthouse is sagged, if this is even a literal sentence, that the foundation could be failing. This is shown throughout the picture because, some of the poles that are holding up the overhang are starting to shift sideways.

           I also noticed something else about the road. It is almost vacant! This can relate to Maycomb County because Jean Louise tells us, "people moved slowly then. They ambled across the square, shuffled in and out of the stores around it." This  shows in the picture because some people are milling around and are coming in and out of the Grady Lawless & Co. At the edge of the picture, towards the left, there is a cluster of men just standing around, looking as if they are talking.

          While looking at this photo, I began to think that maybe the photographer took this picture to capture the essence of an average day in Greensboro, Alabama. I thought this because, it doesn't look as if it is a big event such as a fair or holiday because the streets are clear of any decorations and the people inside the photo look like they are dresses in regular clothing. After having a possible idea of why the photographer took this picture, I began to compare it to an any day capture of the mainstreets in "*Downtown" Berwyn, Illinois to the 1940's mainstreet in  Greensboro, Alabama. I noticed that in "Downtown" Berwyn, we have cars parked outside the stores on an everyday basis, like the cars in the photo above. However, one thing that was different was that in the photograph, there are people milling in and out of the stores, at this moment you will most likely not see people clustered outside in front of stores like you do above. 

"Go Ask Alice" theme blog for Nov. 8th *MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

Warning this blog contains sensitive subjects like drugs, and rape. I suggest you not read this if this relates to a personal issue or if you find these topics offensive.

        The theme of Go Ask Alice, by Anonymous is the cause of vulnerability and being taken advantage of. If you have not read, Go Ask Alice, in a brief overview, the book is about this girl who has a low self esteem and in one night, gets sucked into a life of drugs. This is relatable to the theme because, the narrator is feeling very down of herself, and doesn't feel like she is loved after she moves, and her best friend goes away for the summer, so she goes to spend the summer with her grandparents. When she is there, she recalls memories of her and her ex-boyfriend, and is broken down with self-conscience thoughts. According to the book "Alice" recalls, "suddenly I began to feel something strange inside myself like a storm...he [Bill] carressed my face and neck..." This is where she first tries LSD, and she is told to be relaxed and drink her "Coke," as a teenager named Bill tries to make her comfortable. Bill and Jill take advantage of how vulnerable and innocent "Alice" is. 

      

       Another time inside the book, "Alice", was being taken advantage of because of vulnerability and innocence is where Alice believes she found love again after her ex-boyfriend. Really, her new boyfriend is just using her to sell his drugs while he goes to school and works. Alice writes on October 18th, "here I am out peddling drugs for a low class queer...I wonder how many other dumb chicks he's got working for him? Oh, I am so ashamed!" This shows the mood of being taken advantage of because earlier in the paragraph, Alice and Chris catches Richie cheating on Alice. Richie didn't really love Alice, he only used her to sell drugs to grade school kids. Alice was so desperate to find love, she chased after Richie and listened to his orders, no matter what it was, and in one case was to sell drugs to a nine year old. 

       The last example I am going to bring up is when Chris and Alice go to Chris' boss', Sheila, house party. Sheila and her boyfriend Rod drugged up Chris and Alice, and then later rapes the both of them with Rod. According to Alice, "...it wasn't until later that I realized that the dirty s@&$:0-#*%<~+\ had taken turns raping us..." This shows that Alice had been taken advantage of once again becuase, Sheila and Rod had taken advantage of the fact Alice and Chris were willing to take drugs, and then raped them because of their current-vulnerable state. 

   

Quarter One Reflection

        In my forty book challenge, I just finished my sixteenth book, Witness by Karen Hesse. In the beginning of the school year, we didn't get that much homework, so I read a lot. And as a lot I mean finishing books in like two days, flying through about two-three books a week. I am currently reading A Break With Charity, by Ann Rinaldi, which is about the Salem Witch Trials. I have to say out of all the books I have read is The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton because the characters seemed so real and easy to connect with. 

         Strategies that have benefited me in order to be successful this year so far have been copying my vocab on Friday, studying it throughout the weekend since it is the only time I can study with my mom. Then during the week, I do my vocab on Monday, and annotate my article if we receive one that day. On Tuesday I'll study my vocab and read from my book, and then Wednesday I would work on my AoW until youth group. Thursday is when I will study more vocab and finish my AoW. By doing this strategy, I get good grades on my vocab test and I complete my AoW on time. 

         My research skills have improved because, before I would just type the question on Google and look for the answer, not reading the rest of my information. Now I try to not do that so I can get more background knowledge of what I'm learning by reading the entire article and mentally annotating. I do this in case another question asked what is inside the article. Another thing that I do that I didn't do when I was researching before is making my own, quick and easy organizer, or taking little notes about what I am researching on if there is no organizer provided. Before, I would just answer the questions or do an essay by looking back and forth between the book or the primary source of information.

         The world will eat you up if you do not do what you can in order to succeed. I learned this last year in the course of Mrs. Larson's class. In seventh grade, I would ignore my vocab like the plague and then become enemies with it on Thursdays, this goes along with my social studies AoW, and ELA AoW. This is why I would receive mostly low nineties or eighties and then struggle to receive at least a low A. But now that I learned more about time management, I try to exercise it and seperate time for it during the day so I can do all that needs to be done without stressing. 

          In contrast to my seventh grade blogs and my summer blogs, I believe my writing skills grew. In blogs before, I wasn't as creative or descriptive in describing situations, or grabbing the readers attention. For example, in one of my blogs on Heat by Mike Lupica, I was comparing and differentiating the main character from one of the gym teachers. I wrote, "Michael is a funny character, but can easily turn serious just like Mr. Joseph is. Michael has been through a hard time and had the feeling of loss, like Mr. Joseph." Instead of generalizing that he was funny and can easily turn serious, I could have pulled examples from the book that showed he was funny and serious. Now that I learned more about descriptive details, I practice it more throughout my blogs. For example, "On page one and two, he discusses a specific woman that  had perseverance to continue to Sudan. According to Mawi, "she pressed on and on, and soon her limp became a crawl,...,but still, she kept on crawling. For what choice does a refugee have?"" Now, I could have just said that Mawi described a specific woman with a strong, persevering spirit, but instead, I pulled out text from the book. 

            

Blog for Mon. Oct. 12th- "Tale of Despereaux"

Prompt: Draw a comic strip of what you just read
Pages Read: 0-89

Pg. 27 Ch. 4
In this picture is Princess Pea, her father the king, and Despereaux. Despereaux is in the little mouse hole next to Pea's bed. I chose to draw this scene from the book because it is really what gets Despereaux in the trouble he is later in the book.
Princess Pea lays down while the king sings her to sleep. Despereaux hears the sweet melody of the king's music and listens from the edge of the hole. 
Despereaux: Oh! It sounds like honey! 
When Desperaux's older siblings were trying to teach Despereaux how to act like a mouse, they told him to sniff for cheese, and listen for crumbs falling. Instead of hearing crumbs, he heard the King playing the music. He described it to sound like honey, which his brother tells him nothing can sound like honey. This cause Despereaux to follow his ears and find where the honey sound was coming from.

Pg. 28 Ch. 4
In this picture, I drew Despereaux now outside of the mouse hole, standing on his hind legs next to Pea's bed. Princess Pea is now sitting on her knees pointing the mouse out the her father who cannot see. Despereaux freezes once he realizes he has broke mouse code and has been caught.
Despereaux was so dazed by the music he forgot all about the mouse code. He fully revealed himself to the king and princess. The princess quickly spotted him. 
Princess Pea: Ooh! Papa look! A mouse! 
King: Where?
Princess Pea: There!
King: That my dear Pea, is a bug not a mouse. It is too small to be a mouse. 
Princess Pea: Look! He's so afraid, he's shaking! I think he was listening to the music. Play him something papa! 
I stopped here because, I didn't think the rest was of value. The king continued to argue with Pea that Despereaux was indeed a bug, not a mouse. Until he gives in and sings to the mouse and Pea.

Pg. 30-31 Ch. 5
This picture is just a simple drawing of the princess loking down on Desperaux, who is amazed by her beauty. The author states later, "...the mouse fell in love." I feel this also adds onto the big conflict that rises up later during the trial between the mouse and the Mouse Council. You probably cannot see the tear drops on Princess Pea's face. This is because later in the chapter, the king finally realized it is not a bug, but a mouse. He tells the mouse to leave, but Despereaux does not leave. The king tries to stomp on him, but Pea stops him, and she begins to cry.
As the king played, Princess Pea looked at Despereaux. He was awed by her beauty. Until Furogh, Despereaux's brother, seen the two in the doorway. He immedieantly went to report to his father, Lester, what he has seen. 
Princess Pea: You're so sweet. You're so tiny. 
Despereaux: Please, do not cry...My name is Despereaux!
Princess Pea: Despereaux? 
Despereaux: I honor you. 

On the left side of the paper is Lester and Antonette, Despereaux's parents. Furough has just told Lester about Despereaux's scandelous incounter with the humans. Lester is very upset about this and says some very harsh unnecessary things. Antonette is more upset with Lester's behave rather than Despereaux's actions. Lester begins to blame Antonette for Despereaux's decisions because she brought in the bad French blood to his system.
Lester was mad and Antonette was upset with the way Lester was reacting. Lester, in Antonette's words, was being 'so overdramatic', and summoned the Mouse Council to decide Despereaux's punishment.
Lester: He simply cannot be my son...I will call a special meeting of the mouse council. 
Antonette: What do you mean he is not your son?... Oh you and this coucinl of the mouse. 

The picture on the right side of the drawing is a picture of the Head Mouse sitting at a table with 13 other mice in front of him. This is representing the Mouse Council trial, which will decide the fate of Despereaux. I didn't want to spoil anything for the people who haven't read the rest of the book, so I left it at;
So, the thirteen mice will together decide whether or not Despereaux will be sent to the dungeon. 

"Take a Second Look"

"Take a Second Look"

But no matter how much strangers,

resemble beetles,

They could be Angels,

Given 

To us

By 

God 

Thieves,

Thieves can loot minds, 

Culture

And even 

Bodies.

For once you enter,

You cannot return,

So make your choice carefully 

It starts small, 

With a tiny,

Tiny egg 

But before you know it,

The egg becomes a chicken, 

And the chicken? 

It becomes, 

A 

Cow

Hope? 

Too much hope can lead 

To

In, 

Insanity 

Do you want to reach out?

Or do the covers over your 

Head, do they make 

You 

Hide?

Hide behind the fear?

The fear to make you,

Vulnerable?

Where does true,

True power come from?

True power is not just on what we can take,

True power comes from what we can give

So take a second look, 

At everything around you,

For you cannot judge people,

Places

Objects

And ideas,

Without taking a deeper, second look.