Blog Conclusion!

For some reason, throughout this year blogs have been really difficult for me to do. Never because the topic was too hard to write about, I just honestly forgot to do them allllll the time. I wouldn't realize i had to do it until it was too late. So for this last blog, I made sure I remembered! Blogs were definitely a hassle for me over the year.

One thing I really like about blogs is the freedom allowed in your writing. I like that there aren't specific guidlines on how to write your blog, I could just be myself and write like I talk. I found that to be way more enjoyable than essay type writing.

Looking back at my past entries, it reminded me of some of the terrible books we had to suffer through, but also the great books that really made me learn a lot. In all my blogs I noticed my sense of humor shown in my writing and a hint of sarcasm here and there. I especially liked running across my Animal Farm project. I don't think I'll ever forget making that video with Katherine, Kayla, and Hayden, and how hilarious every second of it was. It turned out to be one of the weirdest videos I've ever seen.

I think a good quote to wrap up my blogs for the year is “Writing is an exploration. You start from nothing and learn as you go.” That is kind of how I felt writing all of these blogs. There was never a rough draft, or solid idea. I just wrote whatever popped into my mind and learned as I went.

Essay

Throughout middle school, essays had always been something I felt very confident about. I felt like I was a good writer and I always got a good grade. Boy did that change this year. Before this class I never looked any deeper into a novel than exactly what happened in the story. I didn't care what the theme was, finding motifs and symbols, or character development. Writing essays became quite a challenge for me because of this.

I've come a long way since the beginning of the year with my writing. Now when I read I find myself naturally noticing symbols, figurative language, and developing themes. I feel like my writing has become a lot better but I still have a lot to work on. I tend to repeat words or phrases over and over, seeming to be at a loss for new ideas. I also have a hard time transitioning into new paragraphs and I can't seem to come up with an interesting hook if my life depended on it! Although I have a lot to work on, I've learned a lot about writing essays this year and feel like it will help me a lot in years to come!

Summer Reading List

One book I'd like to read over the summer is The Truth About Forever by Sarah Dessen. Last year in 8th grade all of my friends read it and always talked about how amazing it was. So I figured I would probably enjoy it too. Another book I'd like to read is The Last Song by Nicholas Sparks. I saw the movie twice and it was amazing. So I'm guessing the book is probably a hundred times better! You can never go wrong with a Nicholas Sparks book!

Culture Shock

The chorus of this song relates to Romeo and Juliet because it describes how Romeo feels towards Juliet.


Hey Juliet- LMNT


Hey Juliet
I think you're fine
You really blow my mind
Maybe someday
You and me can run away
I just want you to know
I wanna be your Romeo
Hey Juliet

Extra Credit Blog

Though I can recall many times I just about wanted to die writing that Great Expectations essay, looking back on the past seventh months of honors english, its been a pretty enjoyable experience. Through elementary and middle school, english always came easy to me.. let's just say this year has been a little different. Nothing has been so extremely hard that I couldn't handle it, but I definitely have had to work way harder in this class. Although my english class last year really helped me to prepare for all the work. Sometimes this class can be a little overwhelming for me, but I know it's only going to help me in the long run. I really have learned a lot in honors english and I feel like it will really help me in years to come. It also helps knowing that when I'm really tired and dreading going to school, I can atleast count on some entertainment in first period. Wether it be Luke and Evora fighting, Miles disgusting Mrs. Gilman with his 8:00 am pasta salad, or Tom and Jack being.... welll, Tom and Jack. Though I've struggled from time to time in this english class, I feel like it has definitely been worth it, and an overall good experience.

Animal Farm Trailer-Seven Commandments

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW888a-Bx2U

Mockingbird Motif

Since reading To Kill a Mockingbird, i have understood what motif is much better. The motif in this story to "never kill a mockingbird." Which means to not punish someone that doesn't know any better and can't help themselves. This is referred to several times throughout the book.

Once when they kill Tom Robinson, an innocent, disabled man. Not only did they kill him but they shot him way too many times. Another time is when Boo Radley killed Bob Ewell to save Scout and Jem. Punishing Boo, a man that stays in his house all through the day, would be like killing a mockingbird. All he was doing was protecting the kids.