Pablo Neruda poem by Jessica

Jessica is studying the poetry by Pablo Neruda for her Poet Project. She wrote a poem in the emotional style of Neruda and also read poems about the theme of love and poems that celebrate becoming a poet and the ocean itself. 


Read Jessica's Poem below. Did you notice the use of personification?

Hope

Hope is a delicate dream

That holds us, sees us,

If we want to leave the thing called hope,

It follows us, trailing behind

As far as she dare

To only cradle us back into her arms

After our last misfortune

We try to escape,

The only thing stable in our life

But she is always there

Waiting for you to cry mercy

So she may swoop in and rock you back and forth

Back and forth, Back and forth

Until you are calm and can breathe

Without fear 

A Poem by Veronica in the Style of...

Veronica recently learned about Mary Oliver, a poet known for her contemplative poems about Nature. We read "The Summer Day" and discussed the question (which is the last line of the poem: "What is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

Silky Lavender

Wiggle Wiggle

Arms as thin as

A cat’s whisker

Wondering Wondering

Sticking his black head

Inside of the fuzzy flower

Cuddling it like a blanket

Whisper Whisper

The flower’s warm and welcoming

Long lavender arms reaching

Out for a hug

Water Water

Laying so still

Sliding slowly down the silky slide

Plop, break

Gone

Why Why

So silky

So smooth

So soft

Why why?

A Peek into the Science Labs

Today, Veronica did a lab called "Speedy Bubbles" which exhibited physical and chemical changes using a carbonated beverage (Coca-Cola), sugar, and water of different temperatures. Tomorrow she will see a demo about heat and conductivity in metals.

Jessica is getting a refresher on the parts of the microscope so that in Life Science this year she can look at micro-organisms as she studies cell biology, genetics, and more.

The Bowers Museum Field Trip

On this field trip, we analyzed art and paintings at the Bowers Museum in Santa Ana. 


We stopped by several different exhibits, including Ancient China, MesoAmerican art and Mayan sculptures, Native American artifacts, and California paintings, to name a few. 

For their artifact study, Veronica analyzed an obsidian blade used by Indians in the Channel Islands as well as a soapstone bowl. 


Jessica analyzed a limestone sarcophagus from the Mayans and woven baskets.


Next, we looked at the artwork. Have you ever wondered how to get more out of your painting viewing experience? We looked closely at beautiful ocean scenes using the questions below.

Looking at Art: Evaluate, Relate, Analyze, Describe!

When looking at a work of art, students might be asked to:

Describe it.

What kinds of things do you see in this painting? What else do you see?

What words would you use to describe this painting?

How would you describe the lines in this picture? The shapes? The colors? What does this painting show?

Look at this painting for a moment. What observations can you make about it?

How would you describe this painting to a person who could not see it?

How would you describe the people in this picture? Are they like you or different?

How would you describe (the place depicted in) this painting?

Relate it.

What does this painting remind you of?

What things do you recognize in this painting? What things seem new to you?

How is this painting like the one we just saw? What are some important differences?

What do these two paintings have in common?

How is this picture different from real life?

What interests you most about this work of art?

Analyze it.

Which objects seems closer to you? Further away?

What can you tell me about the colors in this painting?

What color is used the most in this painting?

What makes this painting look crowded?

What can you tell me about the person in this painting?

What can you tell me about how this person lived? How did you arrive at that idea?

What do you think is the most important part of this picture?

How do you think the artist made this work?

What questions would you ask the artist about this work, if s/he were here?

Interpret it.

What title would you give to this painting? What made you decide on that title?

What other titles could we give it?

What do you think is happening in this painting? What else could be happening?

What sounds would this painting make (if it could)?

What do you think is going on in this picture? How did you arrive at that idea?

What do you think this painting is about? How did you come up that idea?

Pretend you are inside this painting. What does it feel like?

What do you think this (object) was used for? How did you arrive at that idea?

Why do you suppose the artist made this painting? What makes you think that?

What do you think it would be like to live in this painting? What makes you think that?

Evaluate it.

What do you think is good about this painting? What is not so good?

Do you think the person who painted this do a good or bad job? What makes you think so?

Why do you think other people should see this work of art?

What do you think other people would say about this work? Why do you think that?

What grade would you give the artist for this work? How did you arrive at that grade?

What would you do with this work if you owned it?

What do you think is worth remembering about this painting?

These questions were found on Eyes on Art Web Site.

Copyright 2010 The Incredible Art Departmen 

3-D Cell Model

Today in Life Science, Jessica made a 3-D Cell model using mostly edible items. You may wonder, how is cytoplasm like Jell-o? If you see her model including cell organelles, then you'll understand. Don't worry, pictures to come!

Ode to Chocolate

 Today, Veronica read Neighborhood Odes by Gary Soto. Then she wrote an Ode celebrating chocolate. The ode must be dedicated to an object, include short lines in the style of Soto, include a simile and metaphor with an option to include repetition and alliteration.

Ode To Chocolate

By: Veronica James Guerinot

The soft crunch

The explosion of flavors

In your mouth

Oozing out the sides

I lick my lips

My taste buds start doing a little jig

Sweetness erupts everywhere

My fingertips sprinkled

With delicious chocolate

I breathe in the

Healthy, sweet air

I jab my fork in

The mini cake

It’s covered in rich

Dark chocolate

I slice the

Heavenly circle

And hot lava

Spills out

Yummy yummy

I spoon it in my mouth

And with every bite

It is like eating

A

Moist double chocolate

Layer cake with dark chocolate

Frosting and chocolate chips

On the side

Delicious!

Study Tips for Middle Schoolers

How to Study for Tests or Quizzes

Learning to prepare for tests is an important middle school skill. Remember these points as you get ready for tests:

·     Gather all materials — The first step to good test preparation is collecting all the materials you need to study for your test. These may include class notes, prior quizzes, and review sheets provided by your teacher. Whatever information you have should be at hand when you start to study. Review your notes and the bold words in your textbook.

·      

·     Choose your study style — Different students develop different styles for studying. You need to develop techniques that work for you. Maybe you should study alone. Maybe your parents should help by asking you questions to help you review. You might study best with a friend. You might want to make charts or flashcards. Try several methods and pick the one that's best for you and the test you're preparing to take.

Distribute your study time over more than one day. Don’t cram for two hours straight! It is more effective to study for 15-30 minutes on four different days than for two hours straight.

·      

·     Ask your teachers for suggestions — Your teachers can help you learn how to effectively prepare for tests. As you prepare to study (several days before the test), ask your teacher if the materials you plan to review are the right ones. The day before the test or the morning of the test, go to school early and ask any last-minute questions.

·      

·     Get a good night's sleep — A good night's sleep the night before a test will help you think more clearly and focus on the questions. Record television shows and save video games for the weekend, especially when you have a major test.

·      

·     Eat a good breakfast — No need to overdo it, but taking time for breakfast can help you think more clearly. A growling sound for the duration of the test may have you concentrating more on food than the test questions!

·      

·     Listen to the teacher's instructions — Before the test begins, pay particular attention to the teacher's instructions. You may hear some helpful suggestions or some details about a particular section of the test. Read all directions carefully before starting the test. If you don't understand the directions, ask the teacher to clarify them. A teacher won't give you an answer, but an extra explanation of the question may help.

·      

·     Budget your allotted time — Work as quickly as you can, but don't rush. You won't get an "A" for finishing first.

·      

·     Use good strategies when completing the test — Answer the questions you're sure about first. Next complete the sections of the test that are worth the most points. For true/false questions, remember the trick about watching out for words like "never" and "always." Frequently such statements are false. Read each question carefully. For multiple choice questions, try to recall the answer before you look at the choices. Use the process of elimination to help you on the tough ones.

·      

·     Last, but not least, don't turn in your test the minute you finish — If you finish the test before time is up, take a few minutes to review your answers. It's easy to make a mistake when you're rushing. When teachers say it's a good idea to "go over the test," they're right.

·      

For more ideas, check out: http://www.aie.org/MiddleSchool/Planning/tests.cfm

The Lights of Paris

After visiting the Photographic Journeys exhibit, Jessica wrote a thoughtful poem about the Eiffel Tower, all lit up at night.

The Tower

from a photo By: Colleen Bevacqua

                 

To everyone I’m just

A large tower lit

Illuminating the sky

Always trying to touch the clouds

So close, I still need try

A goal you’re never going to reach

Staring up, seeing what could’ve been

It’s ruined. It’s done. I’m stuck in the sky

Sunflowers smiling down...

After visiting the Photographic Journeys exhibit, Veronica wrote a vivid description of a scenic photo, titled "Back to Back Sunflowers"by Jane Fellow, Switzerland.

            The bright green stems stand rooted in the soft soil reaching up stick straight with soft yellow petals lying lightly on a bed of seeds. They  face away from the loud city watching snow fall softly on the powder covered mountain tops then slowly melt away. The baby blue sky slowly mixes into a burnt orange then changes to an onyx black, the only source of light are the twinkling stars and glowing yellow moon. Leaves start to change auburn then slowly descend to the ground. They know that that too will soon happen to theirs.

Book-o-mmercials!

Do you know which book to give your favorite voracious reader next? During our first week of school, we wrote commercials about our favorite books that we read over the summer. These book-o-mmercials went above and beyond the typical book report by addressing characterization, theme, plot, and how the book could be improved. We also addressed which audience will relate to the book and why.


Middle Grade Readers can make informed decisions after reading Veronica's review of Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone.

Book-o-mmercial: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone

Meet Harry Potter, a lonely eleven-year-old boy who lives with his mean aunt, uncle, and spoiled cousin Dudley. He has lived most of his miserable life under the Dursley’s stairs, until a hairy, humongous man walks in their front door and tells Harry he is a famous wizard. Harry believes him because he has noticed that he has been able to do weird things, and he doesn’t care where the man takes him because anywhere is better than the Dursley’s. After a while at Hogwarts (a school for witches and wizards) Harry has to be brave and go on an amazing adventure.

At the beginning of the book, Harry notices weird things happening when he gets angry or scared. When Hagrid, a half-giant walks into the Dursley’s house and tells Harry he’s a wizard Harry immediately believes him. When Harry goes to Hogwarts, he meets two new friends, Ronald Weasley and Hermione Granger. When Harry, Ron, and Hermione stumble upon a three- headed dog standing on a trap door, they know something suspicious is happening. On top of that, they notice their Potions teacher, Snape, acting sneaky and assume he’s helping Voldermort to get to the Sorcerer’s Stone. Harry Potter has to be clever and use his intelligence to try and beat the best dark wizard in the world, but will an eleven-year-old kid be able to do it?

I think people should read this book because it has a very good plot, which gets you hooked and makes you want to read more. After I read the first book, I grabbed the second book from my room and started reading it right away. The adventure that the three friends go on is so thrilling that you want the book to last forever. It’s very action packed and suspenseful. The author J.K. Rowling tells you all about Harry, Hermione, and Ron so that you feel almost as if you known them your whole life. Rowling really describes how Harry feels every step of the way. Since the book was a fantasy, it was very interesting because you didn’t know what was going to happen next. Also, it gets your imagination going. You get to imagine what Hogwarts looks like and Voldermort. All in all, this was the best book I’ve ever read.

In the book Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, I think every thing was perfect except for one thing. I think that Harry should’ve spent more time at Hogwarts, because the first chapters were a bit boring compared to the rest of the book. He was at the Dursley’s house doing nothing that interesting.

The theme of this book is friendship. The audience of this book  (eight – twelve year olds) can relate to this story because when Ron had to sacrifice himself so that the other two could go fight Voldermort he showed friendship. If your friend lets you do something that she can’t do, she is showing true friendship by not just caring about her/himself.

Next, Jessica will review the dystopian hit for young adults, The Hunger Games. 

BOOK-O-MMERCIAL ON HUNGER GAMES

BY: JESSICA C. GUERINOT

         Have you ever imagined a world where murdering one another was considered a game? Meet Katniss Everdeen, a brave and smart 16-year-old girl who lives in District 12.  Her father, who died in a mining accident five years ago, was a skilled hunter and taught her everything he knew to survive. She is very protective of her family and she will do almost anything to save them, even if it means that she will put herself in grave danger.

         In the suspenseful novel The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins, Katniss and her best friend Gale go hunting illegally in the woods to provide for their families, one of the few things they care about in their district. One day every year there is a reaping, where children ages 12-18 meet and have their names drawn to participate in the Hunger Games. Two tributes, a girl and a boy, from each district get picked to participate in the deathly and murderous games. Only one person out of 24 will live and be crowned with life and eternal satisfaction. At the reaping, Prim, Katniss’s sister gets chosen to be a part of the Hunger Games. Katniss steps forward to take her place. The boy from District 12 is Peeta, a shy and good-hearted boy Katniss’s age. Their sponsor, one of the only people who can help them in the arena, is a drunken man who has won the Hunger Games for District 12 before. When all three of them arrive at the Capitol, the richest district in Panem, Katniss hides her excellent archery skills from her opponents, so they do not know what to expect once they are all thrust in to the arena, forced to kill one another to live.

         This is one of the best books I’ve read for numerous reasons. Katniss is dealing with moral discomfort, the fact she has to kill people in order survive. She knows everyone in Panem is always watching her so she has to act like she doesn’t care about anything that means something to her. This book is extremely suspenseful because you never who is out to kill her or who Katniss is going to kill. She is extremely honest with the readers, which makes her character appeal to us, the audience. She is very tough and such a trooper that Katniss makes you want to root for her the entire book. The last reason you should take the time to read this book, is because this is about what our world might turn into in many years to come. It really makes you wonder what will happen a hundred years from now. Know one really knows, but this book creates an example of what could happen if we aren’t careful.

        This book is practically perfect…practically. The one thing I wish is that Peeta, who you grow to love, would be in more scenes. For many chapters in the book you don’t hear anything about him and every time you turn the page, you want to see his name so badly.

         There are many themes in this book, but one of the most important things in this book is trust. Peeta and Katniss literally have to have to trust each other with their lives. This book is so moving and touching I want to cry just thinking about. This book is for people with a strong heart and stomach, it can get very gory and violent. I suggest this book for people ages 12 and up.

In conclusion, if I had to read one book for the rest of my life, this would be the one. There are also 2 more books in the series, Catching Fire and Mockingjay.  Katniss is a role model, a great sister, caretaker and a fighter.  Everybody has a calling in the world, thank you Suzanne Collins for finding yours.

         

Our First Field Trip

What's not to like about the Chocolate exhibit? Last week, we visited the Chocolate exhibit where we learned about the history of chocolate and how it affected our culture. We learned about how the Mayans and Aztecs used chocolate as part of their daily life, from religious rituals to trading with cacao beans in the market. On a scientific note, we learned about how the rainforest ecosystem supports the growth of cacao trees.  
Next, we stopped by the Photographic Journeys exhibit, which lead to enriching creative writing opportunities. Each student chose one portrait to write about and one landscape shot. 


Read Jessica's creative writing:

Kyoto Girl

By: Al Russell

         A pale and flawless face; natural…untouched, beautiful. Fair black hair, short, barely grazing her shoulders. Her small lips, slightly red are closed, as if she wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Her wide brown eyes are innocent and questioning. Always questioning. Her small hands grip a large red umbrella. It rests lightly on her shoulders, the rose like canvas filling the empty space behind her. The plaid sweatshirt and striped sweater hug her body protecting her from the wind and rain. She’s young and innocent, forever and ever.

         I stare up at the grey sky. The clouds hang limply as if forced to there. Something sharp hits my head. I touch my forehead, it’s wet. I focus my eyes. In front of me millions of delicate raindrops are dancing and then splashing against the pavement. Destroyed forever. They create a shield so I can barely see a few feet ahead of me. I grasp mommy’s big, red umbrella tighter. Only a few more blocks and I will be at daddy’s flower shop. Our house is a couple blocks away and whenever I walk to daddy’s shop he always gives me a single pink peony. My favorite floe. He even lets me sip from his mug hot chocolate. I see him in the distance and realize it will all be okay once the storm blows over. 

Now read Veronica's creative writing:

Miss Primavera By: Gary Degarimore

Peruvian Amazon, Peru

           

            The girl is about three years old. She sits on a polished wooden chair facing away from the big feast.  She stands out from the rest of the casual room with her twinkling tiara and diamond scepter. She stares straight at the camera with her big brown eyes.  They look full of curiosity at why such a young girl is wearing a gold and red sash labeled, “Miss Primavera” around her pink and white frilly dress. Her tiny feet are right next to each other wearing silver sequined shoes and pearl white socks. Behind her, people are laughing, eating cornbread, and having a good time.

            I felt excited and elated because everyone kept congratulating me. I don’t know what I did, but it must have been something good or else everybody wouldn’t be so happy and welcoming. I sat on my chair and waited for the feast to begin, for me. I felt like a princess in my flowy dress and diamond tiara. I was also curious, though, at what I had done right. I remembered walking down a stage then getting handed a tiara and a sash. Clink!  I quickly turned around to listen to the rest of the speech.

Don't you love the use of visual imagery and eye for detail?

Welcome to RW Academy Adventures!

Two students during their first year trying a WHOLE NEW type of school. Jessica and Veronica are in 7th grade and 5th grade. Follow us on this exciting journey!