All you need is love?

March 27, 2012

Thematic Essay

Final Draft  


Defining “Love”

By Jessica

 “L is for the way you look at me, O is for the only one I see, V is very, very extra-ordinary, E is even more than anyone that you adore and Love is all that I can give to you…” You may have heard this song performed by Nat King Cole or Frank Sinatra. This is one of my favorite love songs, because it expresses how much the man in the song would do for his woman. Through specific examples, I will define the abstract concept of love. Some important topics in my essay are a meaningful quote about an article about the psychology of love, and a discussion of the love triangle in The Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins. Through this process I will define the indefinable…love.

 “Love is a glimpse of heaven.” This is the perfect quote to describe what being in love should feel like.  That moment when you are counting down the seconds until you see them again. I cannot wait to be able to look at someone and be overwhelmed with happiness and love. Love can make you do crazy things you might not even know you are capable of doing. But most importantly, if you are with the right person you will be a happier, nicer, and more caring version of yourself.

In an article in Pscyhology Today magazine, psychologist Lisa J. Cohen discusses “The Psychology of Love.” This article was mainly about the psychology of love. The report discusses three aspects of love includes intimacy, passion, and commitment. Intimacy is about being close, including cuddling and feeling close to the person. Passion includes the lust and emotions we could feel toward another person. Commitment is about what a relationship can overcome and how long it endures. Psychologists derived these three parts of love from a method called “factor analysis,” a research method that uses questionnaires about love, and comes up with clusters that “can then be labeled as components of love.”

Both in real life and fictional stories there are strong connections to love.In the thrilling novel The Hunger Games the two main characters Katniss and Peeta are forced into love. Gale says, “Katniss will choose whoever she can’t survive without.” Gale Hawthorne is referring to Katniss choosing between her love Peeta and Gale.  Throughout the book Peeta and Katniss learn and need the love of one another. They lean on each other for moral and emotional support like couples do in real life. At the end of the book they have shared numerous kisses that could have been their last and have built many memories that will live on.

In conclusion, love is different for everyone. Whether it be passion, intimacy, or commitment or all three, “when you’re in love, all the songs make sense.” Love is when you go weak at the knees. Love is calling them in the middle of the night knowing they will pick up. Love is when you’re having a bad day and they don’t leave your side until you smile again. This is the kind of love I want, this is the kind of love I’m in love with.

Biography--Jessica's English class

In English Class, Jessica started a biography unit. She is learning how to "think like a biographer." She is analyzing primary and secondary sources about this topic, watching film clips, and later completing a biography project on her subject of choice. We will focus on the concepts of CHANGE, CHOICE, CHALLENGES, AND EXPERIENCES. 


Jessica is considering studying Coco Chanel for her project. 

We are also reading some wise words from famous biographer David McCullough: http://www.writermag.com/en/sitecore/content/Home/Articles/2001/09/David%20McCullough%20on%20the%20art%20of%20biography.aspx

Jessica is Learning Classification! Seashell Lab!

In Science class, Jessica is learning about classification and the kingdoms of plants, animals, and more.


To apply her knowledge, she classified seashells by many different criteria. 

Jessica's Art Critique Questions

he last waterfall at the very back that’s crystal blue. The color is prominent but is mostly covered up by fog.

2.)  I mostly notice the colors because I am a visual learner. The colors are so bright and cheery!

3.)  There is fog misting up throughout the whole painting. It’s very subtle.

4.)  At Niagra Falls there is lots of mist and it’s very refreshing as well. It’s important for a realistic painting to have realistic elements.

5.)  Contrast has been used throughout the painting by a very rocky structure and then melting right in to a serene, blue, waterfall.

6.)  What leads my eye is definitely the use of color and realistic elements.

7.)  The artist is definitely is a realist and like to suggest that in his work.

8.)  I noticed as I kept looking in the bottom right corner there is a subtle rainbow. This means even in your toughest days there is always a rainbow.

9.)  I noticed the rainbow because of the subtle pop of color in a blue painting.

10.)                 Serenity and tranquility

11.)                 Fall of Love, Peaceful Waters, Always a Rainbow

12.)                 I cannot express enough how much I LOVE this realistic waterfall. I love seeing pictures and paintings having to do with water. 

If you look below at Veronica's entry, you will see the form we used/the questions they answered for art critique!

Stem Cell Position Paper

This position paper was a challenging assignment, a joint effort between English and Science classes. Jessica took a stand on the controversial topic of stem cell research. Position papers must be short and concise but power-packed with information.

Stem Cell Research and Single Organ Transplants

By: Jessica Guerinot 


The United States of America should support stem cell research leading to single organ transplants. If a citizen of the U.S.A has a failing heart, kidney, and lung or other vital organ, that doctors should use the organs from stem cell research. Ethically doctors and medical researchers should limit the outcomes of stem cell research to vital organs.

            Embryonic stem cells are undifferentiated cells that are totipotent, which means they can become anything in the human body, from a skin cell to a kidney or heart. Embryonic stem cells are found in a blastocyst, which is a newly dividing zygote, a fertilized egg. According to Marcovitz (2011), stem cells have another source: “Stem cells can also be found in the bodies of newborns and adults as well” (p. 17). The adult stem cells are pluripotent, which means “the ability of stem cells to change any other cells found in the body” (Marcovitz, 2011, p. 19). Stem cell research has serious potential for medical innovation in the future.

 By conducting research and applying the results to medical cases, doctors could save the lives of many patients. According to the United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS), there are currently 112,639 on organ donation waiting lists. Nancy Reagan, former first lady supports stem cell research by saying, "Science has presented us with a hope called stem cell research, which may provide our scientists with answers that have so long been beyond our grasp. I just don't see how we can turn our backs on this - there are just so many diseases that can be cured, or at least helped. We have lost so much time already, and I just really can't bear to lose any more." Overall, doctors could benefit thousands of people by conducting such research.

Stem cells can be easily made to benefit patients worldwide and help move the medical world into a more modern state. Altogether, stem cell research should be used for vital organs.

What Happens to Vitamins after you swallow them?

For health class, the girls read an article about Vitamin Absorption. Read the "info-mmercials" they wrote below for an audience of children.

Veronica

Jan 17, 2012

Vitamin Absorption Script for Info-mmercial

Advertiser: Have you ever wondered happens after you eat your vitamins?

Little Girl: Uh… ‘scuse me what you talking about?

Advertiser: We chew our vitamins and cover it in saliva to help break it in to smaller pieces. That vitamin moves through the esophagus into the stomach, where stomach acids break it down. The vitamin then moves to the small intestine, (where it is absorbed) the large intestine, the rectum, and finally the anus.

Little Girl: (Plugs ears) AAAAAAAHHHH!!!! YOU SAID BLOOOOOODDD! (Runs away)

Advertiser: (Chuckles) Yes, er… yes. Anyway, when you eat salmon, for instance, all the vitamin D in it gets sent into your blood stream. Since all fat - soluble vitamins like A, D, E, and K, stay in your body for up to 6 months, you don’t need to eat them everyday.

Little Girl: Eeew… salmon is pink and has big eyes. EEEEEWWWW!!

Advertiser: (Asks manager) Why is she even in this? Oh, hello again. (Waves at camera) Water- soluble vitamins that include, the big B group and the C vitamin need frequent consumption, or else you’ll run out of energy!

Little Girl: Can I go now, please?

The End

                            

Science/English Interdisciplinary Unit

For 7th grade English class, Jessica is reading The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, a young adult novel with elements of science fiction. The sequel to this book recently came out (The Fox Inheritance) and Jessica is excited to read that book as well. In class, we read a short story from the author which was from Jenna's friend Allys' perspective. We discussed this story and you can read the multiple perspective creative writing prompts below, which Jessica responded to.

In science class, we are discussing issues this book raises and gaining background on information about bioethics, stem cell research, neurons, and antibiotic resistance. Jessica will be writing a short "position paper on a similar topic. 

A.     Write from Allys’ perspective, her thoughts and feelings when she realized the truth about Jenna Fox at the time of the novel The Adoration of Jenna Fox.

Creative Writing Blogs

By Jessica 

Allys’ Perspective

It all made sense to me now. How Jenna could run so fast, was so strong, so smart, and so obedient. She was a creation not a person. An engineered machine. I sat in my bed looking at my stumps, my pallor skin, appalled she wouldn’t just let the world take her. Who would do this? Who would choose that…that lifestyle? Waking up every morning only to remember its not you fingers, not your heart? She mentioned she was in an accident, a terrible accident. Her parents! They knew she would die, and her father being the creator of BioGel figured he would try everything to save her…and did. He saved his daughter by replacing everything in her body.    I couldn’t believe it, I gasped. I had to tell the FSEB offices, they would be arrested for sure. For playing with life, blatant disregard of the law. I screamed only to find a tube in my throat. Tears welled up in my eyes. I held my breath and the monitor that made sure I had enough oxygen, started to beep immediately. My parents rushed in, their faces masked with concern. They removed the tube.

“What’s wrong?!” my mother screamed frantically.

“Nothing mom, nothing. I just need to tell you something,” I rasped.

“What, honey? Anything.”

“I need you to…to, turn Jenna in. She’s engineered, by her parents.”

I breathed  a sigh of relief as my mom nodded. The world shifted in front of my eyes and I slipped into darkness.

B.      

C.     Write from Allys’ mother’s perspective, as she decided to reconstruct Allys’. This scene will take place AT the same time as “The Rotten Beast” short story. 

 Allys’ Mom’s Perspective

After Mr. Fox told me he would save Allys   I was overjoyed. It was something I had never felt. This relief, this overwhelming sensation that everything would be okay. Everything was fine, Allys would live, my daughter would be living. When she woke up, it was the best day of my life. Until she was outraged. Bitter it wasn;t her body. Her body before had a stump for and arm, a stump for a leg.

Now she had long, slender fingers. He body was smooth and graceful. Her face was renewed, he long dark hair shiny and soft. He voice was a series of musical notes, entrancing. Dr. Fox told me she would be fast, so smart, and strong, she would still have her same memories and opinions though. Our Allys was her, living, breathing talking. When We brought her home she was stubborn. We had to lock her door, keep her confined. My husband was scare she would attack him. He spent his days out in the garden while I tidied and cooked tiptoeing around Allys’ feelings. Jenna came to the house one day. Allys looked at it and inspected it, it was ripe and fresh and absolutely mouthwatering, She peeled some of the skin and immediately put it back in the bag. She shuddered and went in to the garden. She ran. Allys ran. I never thought those words would leave my mouth. I sat down wondering how long it would take for Allys to realize we did this for her. How long she would actually want to run and play with her new arms and legs?

Jessica's In-class Essay about "In the Blink of an Eye" by Norma Fox Mazer

written in one hour only!

Lessons Of Life

by Jessica

What would you do if everyday you came home sobbing? Uncontrollable tears spilling down your face. Your sisters teasing you constantly, “Turn off the faucet, somebody! She cries at the drop of a hat”; everyday you see what goes wrong in life. You put on a brave face outside your home, but every jeer someone throws, you cry a little more inside. In the story, “In the Blink of an Eye” by Norma Fox Mazer, Norma Fox is a female teen struggling to see the good in the world and others. She is warring with her mind and her heart all day, everyday. Norma wants to keep the tears from coming but she  “…doesn’t ask for tears. They just come,” and sometimes in life we don’t ask for the good or bad, they surprise us, just like Norma’s tears.

            At the beginning of the story, Norma picks up a cigarette from the gutter taking a long drag. She glances around the neighborhood; if anyone spotted her smoking her mother would kill her! She speeds home bumping into Herbie Sternfeld. His parents are the landlords and her “mother says [she] has to be polite to the Seinfeld’s,”; for Norma it’s easy being nice to Herbie’s parents but it’s difficult to be nice to Herbie. Herbie is weird, he does experiments in the shed, he walks funny, and his hair is stiff and black. When Herbie calls Norma a dirty liar she blows a breath of hot, stinky gutter smoke into his face. He reels back and pushes her, cracking her head into a tree. He walks off leaving Norma and her secret, silent cries, alone.

            That night Norma lays down in bed hearing Herbie yell at his parents next door, Norma wishes she had parents like the Sterfeld's. Every time she passes by them they “nod their white little heads and say, ‘Nice girl! Nice girl!’” and Norma’s heart swells with joy at their love and compassion. The next day Norma plays her favorite game called “Spies”. She runs down to her shed and presses your eye against the slats only to see Herbie across the room mixing things in jars and beakers. It excites Norma to be so sneaky and, “Once or twice, Herbie looks toward the flimsy wall separating us, and seems to look at almost the exact spot where I’ve got my eye.” She runs back up the stairs promising herself she won’t do it again, but she doesn’t want to stop, so she goes on playing Spies.

            One day as Norma peeks her eye into the slat she realizes Herbie is not across the room, “He is right there standing by the wall staring back at me,” a hypodermic needle in his right hand. He raises the needle and pushes the plunger sending a stream of hot acid into her eye. She staggers backwards running up the stairs. Soon the doctors arrive saying, ”that if it was a fraction closer, she might have lost sight in that eye.” Norma realizes she hasn’t cried the whole time that this ordeal has been happening. She wonders if she doesn’t cry in front of strangers but soon comes to understand that she had passed over the invisible line between childhood and becoming more mature.

            Norma proved to be a dynamic character; she changed in a significant way over the course of a story. She started out as a crybaby with a rough exterior but ended up as a mature teen who would never lose the sense of gratitude that she had sight in her left eye. When we reach that point where we are stuck between being a child and an adult, it can be a rough transition.  You make mistakes, take the wrong road, but that is what life is about. This story taught me that it is okay to change who you are. Norma will always remember her sensitive past, and try to carry the lessons she learned with her into the future. 

When I Was Your Age Best Story Paragraph

Wondering which story to read first in the collection of true stories called When I Was Your Age Vol II? Jessica will advise you about her opinion on the best story in the collection.

“Food from the Outside” was the best story from the collection of short stories. Rita and her siblings are shielded from outside food. They are not allowed to eat anything other than what is cooked at home. Rita is so honest and heartfelt, just like a kid should be. When she first takes a bite of fried chicken you feel so happy for her. She is ecstatic to have peppered cabbage and gravy for the first time. The way she describes mashed potatoes and fried chicken is so humorous. “I tore into the golden brown meat, savoring the juices, still remarkably in the tender white flesh, I could not ever recall being so giddy at the dinner table!” I suggest you take time to learn about Rita and find your inner child.

Mapping the Human Genome

Jessica is learning about the Human Genome Project as part of her genetics unit in 7th grade Life Science.

She watched a clip from the NOVA film "Cracking the Code of Life." Check out this movie here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/cracking-the-code-of-life.html

Here she summarized some very complex scientific information:

The Human Genome Project

By Jessica

Nov 20, 2011

The Human Genome Project was designed to complete the following goals:

¨     Identify all the approximately 20,000-25,000 genes in human DNA,

¨     Determine the sequences of the 3 billion chemical base pairs that make up human DNA,

¨     Store this information in databases,

¨     Improve tools for data analysis,

¨     Transfer related technologies to the private sector, and address the ethical, legal, and social issues (ELSI) that may arise from the project.

Researchers studied genetic makeups of organisms. This was the first big scientific experiment to address potential ELSI implications from project data. A genome is all the data in an organism, including it’s genes. DNA is made up of four chemicals; adenine, guanine, thymine, and cytosine. The order of the As, Ts, Cs, and Gs is very important. Knowledge about DNA leads to ways how to diagnose, treat, and someday prevent thousands of disorder and diseases that affect us. 

More Nutrition: Protein!

Learning About Proteins

By Jessica 

Health Class

           

What is protein? The best sources of protein are found in beef, poultry, eggs, dairy products, nuts, seeds, and legumes such as black beans and lentils. Protein makes sure to maintain, build up, and replaces tissues all throughout your body. Your strong muscles, your organs, and your immune system are mostly made up of protein. When your body ingests foods that contains protein the digestive liquids in your intestines and stomachs start going to work. They break the proteins down into basic units called amino acids. The acids can be reused to make the proteins in your body needs to maintain muscles, bones, bloods, and body organs. Of the 22 amino acids, your body makes 13 of them without even thinking about it! Your body can’t make the other nine acids, but you can get them by eating certain foods. It is essential you eat these foods to stay healthy. You can’t get all these proteins from dairy alone, you need to vary the proteins you eat. Maybe have some nuts and milk one day and meat and eggs the next. Certain combinations like red beans and rice will give you one type of acid but alone they just are food. You can figure out how much protein you need a day by how much you weigh. Each day kids need to eat about 0.5 of protein for every pound you weigh. To figure out how much protein you need, multiply you weight in pounds times 0.5 or you just take your weight and divide by two. Now have fun choosing foods you like and offer protein to fuel your body!

When In Rome...

In History class, Jessica is learning about ancient Rome. She will be hosting a roman forum. Check out her amazing invitation.

Ave mater, pater, and amici. You are cordially invited to the best roman forum of all the centuries, on the 16^th in the year 356 ano domini at 11:30 am. Bring your best toga and gladiatorial shoes for libations and foods of the gods. Athena will make a guest appearance, so have your quills ready. A revered roman poet named aurelia guerinotus will read her prophecy of what will happen to our beloved empire.

Our menu: Authentic roman cuisine

§  “Wine”

§  Pumpkin Bread

§  Toasted almonds

§  Lemonade

§  Fresh fruits

Please send an rsvp to the home (email) of Aurelia (Jessica).

Gratias vobi ago!

Thirteen Questions and Thoughtful Answers.

 Jessica has read the short story collection, Thirteen, for English class. She shared her thoughts about one of the stories while learning about literary devices at the same time. If you ever remember feeling embarrassed in middle school, then you'll like this story. 

Bruce Coville’s “What’s the Worst that Could Happen?”

1. p. 8. As grandfather likes to………… fill in the rest of the quote.

 “He is…as my grandfather likes to say, the type of guy who can fall into a pile of manure and come out smelling like roses.”

Is this a simile or metaphor? What does it mean?

 “Smelling like roses” is a simile, but overall, it is a metaphor. It means he can get into a sticky situation, and come out just fine.

2. p. 10. Find the hyperbole on this page and write below.

“ I personally don’t know how the human race has managed to survive this long. “He is exaggerating to use his sense of humor to impress his friend and make himself feel better.

3. p. 12. Find the simile and write below.

 “Your words would be like nectar flowing into hungry mouths of my ears.” (also personification).

4. p. 16. Look up the definition of the word “parlay” and write below.

 When you transform into something new

5. Overall, how does the character grow and change as a person during the story? What new things does he learn about himself?

 He learns that he is more capable than he thought. He is capable of facing his fears. He was scared to act and hated to be on the stage; he was also afraid of being in front of his crush. He learned that he can overcome liking a girl and it is not that big of a deal. He realizes that he loves to make people laugh and they actually think he is funny.

6.    Write down your favorite description from this story where the character describes being embarrassed.

“I am filled with deeper horror than I have ever known.”

Freedom and Edna St. Vincent Millay's Poetry

As part of her Modern American Poetry lesson, Jessica learned about modernism and aspects that make poetry "modern" and American. She read "Recuerdo" by Edna St. Vincent Millay and "One Perfect Rose" by Dorothy Parker. Then Jessica wrote a poem about an experience related to freedom in her life. 

Freedom

At the top

Waiting for the drop

Hair flying

Courage dying

Hearts beating

People freaking

Sweat at the brow

It’s starting…now!

The machine roars

Tracks quiver

We are pushed down the hill

Our body shivers

Not from the cold, not from being ill

But from the complete and total thrill

Rushing down

There is not time to think

My eyes are stuck open

Can’t even blink

My heart twists

My stomach churns

My hands fly up

I can’t believe

I’m finally free! 

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 

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!