What would your community be like if everyone was completely equal? Who would be in charge? What information would be withheld from citizens? Lois Lowry's book The Giver is a great story that tells about the struggles of a young boy in this type of community.
The setting of this book is sometime in the future. The weather is always the same with no rain or snow. There are no hills and the temperature is always mild. Jonas lives in this community with his family. Here, students go to school until they are twelve then they are assigned their occupation. From then on, they spend their time working at this specific job.
When Jonas turns twelve, he goes to his assignment ceremony and is told he will be the next "Giver." Unsure of what this job actually is, Jonas is nervous to start. On his first day, Jonas goes to see a man who is the current giver. He tells him that the giver is the one chosen to hold all the memories of the past. They keep these memories from the public because some are much too painful for the average person to deal with. The giver then begins to transfer all his memories to Jonas. Some are happy and loving but others are harsh and show scenes of war, hate, and other negative things that don't exist in Jonas's time.
Will Jonas be able to handle all of these truths? How will he react to some of the harsh realities that he has been sheltered from his entire life? I would highly recommend this book to anyone. It was a great story and really inspired me to think outside the box.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Animals Portray Utopias
George Orwell uses animals in his book Animal Farm to portray his message about utopias. Pigs, dogs, horses, chickens, and many other barnyard animals are characters in this book. All the animals take on human qualities like the ability to speak, but they remain in their animal form.
In the book, the animals are inspired to have a rebellion against their master, Mr. Jones. When the rebellion happens, everyone is ecstatic about the future. They make plans together and are sure they will have a wonderful life. The pigs take the leadership of the farm. Napoleon and Snowball, two of the pigs, assume joint leadership of the farm. When the two leaders begin to disagree, Napoleon trains young dogs and runs Snowball off the farm.
At first, all the animals are happy and content. Things are running smoothly on the farm and work is shared evenly among all the animals. Then, things start to turn for the worse. Napoleon begins to abuse his power and makes the animals work like slaves. He takes advantage of their lack of intelligence and changes the rules. With eloquent speeches or claiming the animals remembered incorrectly, Napoleon was wonderful at making the animals believe his every word.
The message in this book is that what you might think is or will be a utopia can quickly turn into a distopia. The animals were all sure the new farm without Mr. Jones would be their version of a utopia. In the beginning, it probably was or was very close to that. But slowly, as Napoleon began to abuse his power, the animal's conditions got worse and worse. This book proves that a utopia is impossible to obtain.
In the book, the animals are inspired to have a rebellion against their master, Mr. Jones. When the rebellion happens, everyone is ecstatic about the future. They make plans together and are sure they will have a wonderful life. The pigs take the leadership of the farm. Napoleon and Snowball, two of the pigs, assume joint leadership of the farm. When the two leaders begin to disagree, Napoleon trains young dogs and runs Snowball off the farm.
At first, all the animals are happy and content. Things are running smoothly on the farm and work is shared evenly among all the animals. Then, things start to turn for the worse. Napoleon begins to abuse his power and makes the animals work like slaves. He takes advantage of their lack of intelligence and changes the rules. With eloquent speeches or claiming the animals remembered incorrectly, Napoleon was wonderful at making the animals believe his every word.
The message in this book is that what you might think is or will be a utopia can quickly turn into a distopia. The animals were all sure the new farm without Mr. Jones would be their version of a utopia. In the beginning, it probably was or was very close to that. But slowly, as Napoleon began to abuse his power, the animal's conditions got worse and worse. This book proves that a utopia is impossible to obtain.
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Cross-Examination
One thing I do that is a little out of the ordinary is keep all my school binders after the school year is over. I have a coat closet with shelves lined with binders, folders, and random school papers.
A lot of people might think this is weird, but what if i need them?! I could be doing a project and realize a whole unit we did on the subject in the past. All I would have to do is go to the closet, find the right binder from the correct year, and then flip through to the information I might need.
Some might argue that there are so many other resources, like the Internet, that I could use to find this vital information. What I have found is that most of the time you can find these topics but they are usually not in as much detail or as explanatory as your fourth grade teacher might have taught it.
Maybe this is weird, or maybe it will pay off. Who knows? Having these binders gives me a secure feeling that I have what I need. They are real pieces of paper in a time of almost completely paperless education.
A lot of people might think this is weird, but what if i need them?! I could be doing a project and realize a whole unit we did on the subject in the past. All I would have to do is go to the closet, find the right binder from the correct year, and then flip through to the information I might need.
Some might argue that there are so many other resources, like the Internet, that I could use to find this vital information. What I have found is that most of the time you can find these topics but they are usually not in as much detail or as explanatory as your fourth grade teacher might have taught it.
Maybe this is weird, or maybe it will pay off. Who knows? Having these binders gives me a secure feeling that I have what I need. They are real pieces of paper in a time of almost completely paperless education.
My Red Wheelbarrow Poem
Spring is wonderful
and great.
Plants come back to life
and bloom.
Spring is a time for hope
and peace.
The sun shines bright on Earth
with light.
Rejoice for Spring and its
wonders.
and great.
Plants come back to life
and bloom.
Spring is a time for hope
and peace.
The sun shines bright on Earth
with light.
Rejoice for Spring and its
wonders.
Monday, April 12, 2010
Celebrate!
One thing I can celebrate everyday are my WONDERFUL friends. They have so much influence and impact on my life. Everyday I can rely on them to support, care, and love me without question. Through rough times they always have my back and stay with me when I need them most. True friends are hard to find, but once you find them, you know exactly who they are.
My friends are there to celebrate with me. April is a month full of birthdays! We have so many parties and fun activities to do. Buying each other special presents, birthdays are always time for celebration.
My best friends know who they are and I really hope they know how much they mean to me. Friends are such an important aspect of my life, I don't know what I would do without them. They are like a second family to me.
My friends are there to celebrate with me. April is a month full of birthdays! We have so many parties and fun activities to do. Buying each other special presents, birthdays are always time for celebration.
My best friends know who they are and I really hope they know how much they mean to me. Friends are such an important aspect of my life, I don't know what I would do without them. They are like a second family to me.
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