This time, our class read a story called "Girl" by "Jamaica Kincaid." This story is about a mother who is very strict and always command on her daughter. She taught her daughter to be the kind of girl that the man want to marry with because on the island that they lived there are many women who had children with men without marry. The story made me think that her mother is too strict and if she was my mother, I might want to live away from her. But, if I think deeper about the story, I think that the mother love her daughter so much that she do not want her daughter became like the other girls and women in the island and because of her love that she give to her daughter it changed her to be a strict mother that always command on her daughter.
While I read this story, I got confused with a lot of the words, for example "Benna" on line six, "Slut" on line eight, "Dasheen"on line eighteen. These words are strange to me because I never saw it before. To help me with these words I used a dictionary to help me understand what I read but I figure out that it did not helpful for me because some words I could not find in the dictionary. So, later I found out that below the story, there is a glossary that give me the definitions of the words that I could not understand and it help me understand the story a lot better. I also got confuse when I read the sentence that said "Don’t throw stones at blackbirds, because it might not be a blackbird at all." When I read this sentence, I could not understand what it means and I tried to guess the meaning of this sentence that if you throw the stones at blackbirds, some unlucky things will happen to you.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
I Had a Hero
What kind of people that you think could be a hero for other people? I just read an article called "I Had a Hero" by "Mike Tidwell." This story is about Mike went to a place in Zairian to teach the people over there about raising fish. One day, he saw Ilunga and they became friend. After that Ilunga decide to dig a fifteen by twenty meters pond by a shovel that he bought from Mike on credit against his next corn harvest. Mike always came to visit him and tried to help him sometime but he got tired. Ilunga was sick but he never stop digging the pond. He kept doing it everyday for two months with no complain. After Ilunga finish digging the pond, they both felt very happy and saw the fishes in the pond together.
When I read this article, I used some reading strategies to helped me remember the things that happen in the article and also helped me out of the part that I could not understand such as, I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read. For example, in paragraph three I used the definition of the words antelope, spear, machete and mongrel so that I could understand what happen in this paragraph. I tried to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read and it also helped me to understand the story better. For example, in paragraph 41 "We ran ... , watching the fish and marveling at what a wonderful thing a pond was," when I read this sentence I tried to picture in my mind that Mike and Ilunga were looking at the pond, smile at it and felt very happy about completing the pond. When the text became difficult, I pay closer attention, read aloud and slowly to help me understand what I am reading. I also think about the what I knew to help me understand what I read. For example, in the article mike and Ilunga wanted to dig a fifteen by twenty meters pond and I knew that the size is as big as twice of my classroom so I knew that this job was going to be a hard job and very tired and it also showed me how hard Ilunga work and what kind of person he is.
I realized that Ilunga is a hero for Mike after Mike saw the hard job that Ilunga did, but I think people who also read this article are also think that Ilunga is a hero for them too.
When I read this article, I used some reading strategies to helped me remember the things that happen in the article and also helped me out of the part that I could not understand such as, I use a dictionary to help me understand what I read. For example, in paragraph three I used the definition of the words antelope, spear, machete and mongrel so that I could understand what happen in this paragraph. I tried to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read and it also helped me to understand the story better. For example, in paragraph 41 "We ran ... , watching the fish and marveling at what a wonderful thing a pond was," when I read this sentence I tried to picture in my mind that Mike and Ilunga were looking at the pond, smile at it and felt very happy about completing the pond. When the text became difficult, I pay closer attention, read aloud and slowly to help me understand what I am reading. I also think about the what I knew to help me understand what I read. For example, in the article mike and Ilunga wanted to dig a fifteen by twenty meters pond and I knew that the size is as big as twice of my classroom so I knew that this job was going to be a hard job and very tired and it also showed me how hard Ilunga work and what kind of person he is.
I realized that Ilunga is a hero for Mike after Mike saw the hard job that Ilunga did, but I think people who also read this article are also think that Ilunga is a hero for them too.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Harriet The Spy,, Chapter 6
This chapter is about Harriet, Ole Golly and Mr. George Waldenstein ate dinner, went to watch a movie together. Mr. Waldenstein talked with Harriet a lot about his life and after she became to know him more, she thought that he is a good man. During they watching the movie, Harriet was distinguish that Ole Golly and George always look at each other and have no attention to the movie at all. After they went back home after the movie was finish which was already 12:00pm, they found that the door and the light of the house was open. Then, Mrs. Welsch came out from the door and yell at Ole Golly. Ole Golly tried to explain the thing that was happen to her but she just did not listen to anyone and called Ole Golly to get into the house. After that Mr. Welsch also came out of the house and get Harriet into the house he also asked Mr. Waldenstein to come into the house. Mrs. Welsch was very angry about the thing that was happen and fired Ole Golly. Later, Mr. Waldenstein introduced himself and explain about everything that was happen that night, he said that he already asked Ole Golly to marry him and she will leave this house. The next day, Ole Golly was ready to move out and Harriet sent her to the front door, they both cry and then Ole Golly was gone.
The part in the story that explain about how mad Mrs. Welsch was when she found out that they want out and came home very late that night reminds me of what always happen to me and my sister when we went outside and came back late. Our parents was very strict about the time that we had to get home. They said that we could not get back home later than 8:00pm accept there is some accident or emergency. If we came back late, my father would get very angry. He will speak loudly which is very scary then we could not do anything. We could not explain anything because he would not listen to it. I could understand how was Harriet feels when she was at home that night. So every time my sister and I go outside, we try to come back as fast as we could or at least before they come back.
During I read this chapter I used some of the reading strategies to help me increase my understanding of this story. For example, When text becomes difficult, I read aloud to help me understand what I am reading. I think about what I know to help me understand what I read. I also try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. When I read about the part that Mr. Waldenstein took Ole Golly and Harriet to the movie. I tried to picture what it's look like, and I know from the beginning of this chapter that Mr. Waldenstein is Ole Golly's boyfriend so I could understand the story better.
The part in the story that explain about how mad Mrs. Welsch was when she found out that they want out and came home very late that night reminds me of what always happen to me and my sister when we went outside and came back late. Our parents was very strict about the time that we had to get home. They said that we could not get back home later than 8:00pm accept there is some accident or emergency. If we came back late, my father would get very angry. He will speak loudly which is very scary then we could not do anything. We could not explain anything because he would not listen to it. I could understand how was Harriet feels when she was at home that night. So every time my sister and I go outside, we try to come back as fast as we could or at least before they come back.
During I read this chapter I used some of the reading strategies to help me increase my understanding of this story. For example, When text becomes difficult, I read aloud to help me understand what I am reading. I think about what I know to help me understand what I read. I also try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. When I read about the part that Mr. Waldenstein took Ole Golly and Harriet to the movie. I tried to picture what it's look like, and I know from the beginning of this chapter that Mr. Waldenstein is Ole Golly's boyfriend so I could understand the story better.
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Harriet The Spy chapter 5
In chapter 5, Harriet was talking with her parents that she did not want to enter the dancing school but after Ole Golly told her the new idea about going to the dancing school, she became to be OK with it. Then, on Thursday which is the day that Ole Golly will go out, Harriet decided to follow her to see how her boyfriend look like. She felt that Ole Golly was changed when she live with her boyfriend and tried to ask her about it. But Harriet could not let Ole Golly knew that she had followed her on that day. When her mother came back home before she went out to the dinner with her father, Harriet asked them about how they met each other and how did it feel. After she met Ole Golly the other day, she thought that Ole Golly was changed and she did not like it this way.
When Harriet asked her mother about the first time her mother met with her father, I was thinking about when I also asked my mother the same question that Harriet used to ask her mother. My mother told me that they always went to Siam Square together to watch a movie or to eat in some restaurant but that time, my mother did not know Thai very well she could listen and understand a lot better than she could speak. So, I wonder that how could they communicated when they were together. Harriet's mother said that she met her father on the boat going to Europe, she was coming out of the dining room and when he came out, her threw up on her feet and she thought that he was the best-looking man she would ever seen. The fact that he threw up made her want laugh inside instead of being absolutely furious. It seem funny to me that someone could like the person who was threw up on you.
When Harriet asked her mother about the first time her mother met with her father, I was thinking about when I also asked my mother the same question that Harriet used to ask her mother. My mother told me that they always went to Siam Square together to watch a movie or to eat in some restaurant but that time, my mother did not know Thai very well she could listen and understand a lot better than she could speak. So, I wonder that how could they communicated when they were together. Harriet's mother said that she met her father on the boat going to Europe, she was coming out of the dining room and when he came out, her threw up on her feet and she thought that he was the best-looking man she would ever seen. The fact that he threw up made her want laugh inside instead of being absolutely furious. It seem funny to me that someone could like the person who was threw up on you.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
After thoughts for the Wisdom of Toads
After we review the story again with the teacher today, although we only re-read the paragraph 14 but my thinking about the story has changed a lot. First, the way I think what kind of person he was was changed. In the beginning that I read it my own, I was thought that he was not do anything wrong because I misunderstood about him and his wife. I thought that Karen was his wife who was fourteen and was his student. But this time I knew that actually, Karen was his wife and he did something wrong for his wife and that is felling in love with his fourteen-year-old student. Second, I thought that it was not wrong to fell in love with the person who is younger than you but after I had listen to my classmate's opinion, I thought that they was right, she was too young and that made he look dangerous to be around the girl because we could not know what he was thinking. Third, I thought that he was a good man and teacher but after I knew all the fact that happen in the story I changed my mind and think that he was a dangerous teacher and father to be with. He did not say sorry to his wife and also did not felt sorry. That made him look bad to me.
Sunday, September 14, 2008
Reading Assignment #1-The Wisdom of Toads
My first reading assignment is to read the story called "The Wisdom of Toads" from "Puerto del Sol." This story is about a teacher who fell in love with his 14-year-old student and had arrested and had to live in the prison. He had three daughter, Jessica, Kasondra and Melissa. His wife called Karen who took care all his children alone by herself.
During I read this story, I use some of the reading strategies to help me understand the reading better because I think that this story is very hard to me to understand. I did not have any background knowledge about the people who lick the toads or smoke the toads. Some of the strategies that I use are, I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading. I read one or two paragraph and then stop and think about what the writer want to say and what happen in the story to make me more clear about the story and after I finish reading a paragraph, I wrote the response about what I thought about the writer or what did the paragraph is talking about. When text become difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am reading. For example, When I found some part that I did not understand, I will re-read it again and slowly to increase my understanding. I also try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. For example when the writer talked about when he and his children were playing with the toads and catching them, I had the picture in my head that a man and tree little girls was playing and jumping on the garden with many toads. I think it is funny.
In paragraph 3, I had learn from the writer that he is a father and he is digging a hole get the toad in the hole for his daughter. He was in prison and his daughter might come and visit him in the prison. I wonder why his was in the prison. What did he do that made him get caught and went to the prison? Why he had to dig the hole and get the toad for his daughter? Does his daughter like to play with toads? Why he was so nervous about digging the hole?
In paragraph 6 and 7, The writer showed me that the man in prison had smoke toad to get the poison inside the toad that could make them the intoxicating effects. The narrator said that some of them were licking the toad but that it not help because you could only got sick by doing that. You actually need to get the poison out of the toads' bodies by smoking it or squeeze it out of the toads' glands. The reason why they smoke the toad's poison is because it could help them feel free and relief.
In paragraph 10, I learn that he has three very young daughter named "Jessica, Kasondra and Melissa." They all liked their mother which is blond, lithe and intelligent girl. He wanted his children to had some of his characteristic because they were already liked their mother too much, so he wanted to teach his children about the toad.
In paragraph 11, it made me think that he was a strange father, who did not play the same thing that other father would play with his kids. The game that they was playing was to caught the different toads as many as you could.
In paragraph 14, it showed me that he had married with his fourteen-year-old student, Karen. They thought that if they run away they would be fine. But after two weeks that they had left Arizona, he was arrest because his wife was only fourteen years old. I think he feel sorry for his wife that he could not be with her after they got married and also he felt sorry that he had to let her, who was still very young , take care of their kids for a long period. I wonder what was he really do wrong. I think that he was not love to love his student, you could not control the feeling of love.
In paragraph 15, I think he had been punished enough already for the thing that he did. I think he should had been relief form the prison and lived with his family. In my opinion he was a good person. He did not do anything that most of the prisoners did, like smoking the toads. He did not even made a crime.
During I read this story, I use some of the reading strategies to help me understand the reading better because I think that this story is very hard to me to understand. I did not have any background knowledge about the people who lick the toads or smoke the toads. Some of the strategies that I use are, I stop from time to time to think about what I am reading. I read one or two paragraph and then stop and think about what the writer want to say and what happen in the story to make me more clear about the story and after I finish reading a paragraph, I wrote the response about what I thought about the writer or what did the paragraph is talking about. When text become difficult, I pay closer attention to what I am reading. For example, When I found some part that I did not understand, I will re-read it again and slowly to increase my understanding. I also try to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. For example when the writer talked about when he and his children were playing with the toads and catching them, I had the picture in my head that a man and tree little girls was playing and jumping on the garden with many toads. I think it is funny.
In paragraph 3, I had learn from the writer that he is a father and he is digging a hole get the toad in the hole for his daughter. He was in prison and his daughter might come and visit him in the prison. I wonder why his was in the prison. What did he do that made him get caught and went to the prison? Why he had to dig the hole and get the toad for his daughter? Does his daughter like to play with toads? Why he was so nervous about digging the hole?
In paragraph 6 and 7, The writer showed me that the man in prison had smoke toad to get the poison inside the toad that could make them the intoxicating effects. The narrator said that some of them were licking the toad but that it not help because you could only got sick by doing that. You actually need to get the poison out of the toads' bodies by smoking it or squeeze it out of the toads' glands. The reason why they smoke the toad's poison is because it could help them feel free and relief.
In paragraph 10, I learn that he has three very young daughter named "Jessica, Kasondra and Melissa." They all liked their mother which is blond, lithe and intelligent girl. He wanted his children to had some of his characteristic because they were already liked their mother too much, so he wanted to teach his children about the toad.
In paragraph 11, it made me think that he was a strange father, who did not play the same thing that other father would play with his kids. The game that they was playing was to caught the different toads as many as you could.
In paragraph 14, it showed me that he had married with his fourteen-year-old student, Karen. They thought that if they run away they would be fine. But after two weeks that they had left Arizona, he was arrest because his wife was only fourteen years old. I think he feel sorry for his wife that he could not be with her after they got married and also he felt sorry that he had to let her, who was still very young , take care of their kids for a long period. I wonder what was he really do wrong. I think that he was not love to love his student, you could not control the feeling of love.
In paragraph 15, I think he had been punished enough already for the thing that he did. I think he should had been relief form the prison and lived with his family. In my opinion he was a good person. He did not do anything that most of the prisoners did, like smoking the toads. He did not even made a crime.
Harriet The Spy- Chapter 4
This chapter is about Harriet kept doing her work as a spy and went to the store again, went to the Robinson’s house, went to see Mr. Harrison Withers with his twenty-six cats and went to with visit her friend Janie. This time she found out that there is something strange happened with the store, the life of the Robinson was very boring and they thought that their lives are perfect but Harriet did not agree with that, she knew what Mr. Harrison Withers eat with his twenty-six cats, just yogurt and lastly she got a bad knew that she and her friend Janie had to go to the dance school which they did not want.
When Harriet was arrived Janie’s house and saw that Janie was smile to her strangely, she knew that Janie was angry about something. After they got into Janie’s bedroom, Janie told her that her mother wanted her to attend the dancing school which she really does not want to go. She want to be a famous scientist and she thought that no scientist attend the dancing school. She told Harriet that her mother had talked to Harriet’s mother to send Harriet to the dancing school with her daughter and Harriet’s mother thought that it was a good idea too. Harriet wanted to be a spy and also a writer. She also did not want to go to the dancing school and understand the feeling that Janie had had. This reminded me about when I talked to my parents about the university that I would go after graduate from high school. They know that I want to go to the university about design and they said they wanted me to go Italy for studying design. I told them that I do not want to leave my home so far so I decided to go to Japan. First, they did not understand me but now they are OK with it because I show them the information about the university in Japan and they like it. I think Janie and Harriet should keep doing what they want to do and show their mother that there is nothing wrong with what they want to do in their future. I hope that their mother will change their mind and not send them to the dancing school.
When Harriet was arrived Janie’s house and saw that Janie was smile to her strangely, she knew that Janie was angry about something. After they got into Janie’s bedroom, Janie told her that her mother wanted her to attend the dancing school which she really does not want to go. She want to be a famous scientist and she thought that no scientist attend the dancing school. She told Harriet that her mother had talked to Harriet’s mother to send Harriet to the dancing school with her daughter and Harriet’s mother thought that it was a good idea too. Harriet wanted to be a spy and also a writer. She also did not want to go to the dancing school and understand the feeling that Janie had had. This reminded me about when I talked to my parents about the university that I would go after graduate from high school. They know that I want to go to the university about design and they said they wanted me to go Italy for studying design. I told them that I do not want to leave my home so far so I decided to go to Japan. First, they did not understand me but now they are OK with it because I show them the information about the university in Japan and they like it. I think Janie and Harriet should keep doing what they want to do and show their mother that there is nothing wrong with what they want to do in their future. I hope that their mother will change their mind and not send them to the dancing school.
Monday, September 8, 2008
Reading for the Theme
Do you believe if I told you that the sun would be break next month? I just read a story called "The Summer the Sun Did Not Blow Up" by "Birmati Lakhan." This story is about what I did ask you at the first sentence. The story has only 14 paragraphs and it is very easy to read. It has the picture of a sun and also the title of the story is about the sun so I can guess that this story will be about the sun. This story happened in Fiji, which is an island country on the pacific ocean. During the time of 1960's when the author, Birmati Lakhan, was six years old. He was told by the other kids that the sun would be break in next month and the children were all shock about it. They decided that they will buy a big big boat and a refrigerator and they will stay in it and be safe form the sun. Then, they told the grown ups and their parents about this thing, the grown up found out that was the rumour from a 14 year-old-girl who had read an article in a book that the sun might explode after millions of years and after she told other kids by mouth to mouth, it changed from 'millions of years' to 'next month.' Reading this story made me think that sometime telling one things to too many people, the massage might change from good to bad, small to big and that will made other people got the wrong massage.
During I read this story, I used a lot of reading strategies to help me figure out what would be the theme of this story. For example, I used a dictionary to help me understand what I read. In this story, I found the meaning of the word "rumour" in my dictionary and found out that this word means "gossip" which is very useful for me because this story talks about the gossip about the sun. I tried to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. For example, when the children talked about the ways that could save themselves from the sun explosion in paragraph six and seven, I tried to make a picture in my head so I could remember what did they wanted to do. I also used what I have read and understood in the text to help me understand better what I am reading in the same text. For example, When I read "the children could not eat properly" in paragraph nine, I knew that the children could not eat properly because the gossip of the sun that they heard from other children made them felt worry and could not eat anything. Last, I underline the information or ideas in the text to help me remember it. For example, I underline 12Th paragraph which I think it is the most important part of the story and it also is the theme of this story so I underline the whole paragraph. I think this story is a good story because the theme of the story is very good. It reminds me of some game that I played when I was in the elementary school. In the game, teacher will write some thing on the card and let the first student read it and tell it to the next students until the last student. Which group comes up with the right answer and the fastest will win the game. It is very fun. I think the two main theme of this story are "Rumors are easy to start but hard to stop" and "Rumors plays on our deepest fears."
This time I use four strategies of the reading strategies to help me more understand this story. While I read the story, I tried to think about what should be the theme of the story that the writer want the reader to learn from this story. I think all of the strategies are worked very well and very useful for me. It helps me understand the story better and also I could find the theme easier because of using these strategies. Next time when I read the story like this, I will try to use for reading strategies and try some different strategies to find out what strategies is the most useful for me.
During I read this story, I used a lot of reading strategies to help me figure out what would be the theme of this story. For example, I used a dictionary to help me understand what I read. In this story, I found the meaning of the word "rumour" in my dictionary and found out that this word means "gossip" which is very useful for me because this story talks about the gossip about the sun. I tried to picture in my mind what I have just read to help me remember what I read. For example, when the children talked about the ways that could save themselves from the sun explosion in paragraph six and seven, I tried to make a picture in my head so I could remember what did they wanted to do. I also used what I have read and understood in the text to help me understand better what I am reading in the same text. For example, When I read "the children could not eat properly" in paragraph nine, I knew that the children could not eat properly because the gossip of the sun that they heard from other children made them felt worry and could not eat anything. Last, I underline the information or ideas in the text to help me remember it. For example, I underline 12Th paragraph which I think it is the most important part of the story and it also is the theme of this story so I underline the whole paragraph. I think this story is a good story because the theme of the story is very good. It reminds me of some game that I played when I was in the elementary school. In the game, teacher will write some thing on the card and let the first student read it and tell it to the next students until the last student. Which group comes up with the right answer and the fastest will win the game. It is very fun. I think the two main theme of this story are "Rumors are easy to start but hard to stop" and "Rumors plays on our deepest fears."
This time I use four strategies of the reading strategies to help me more understand this story. While I read the story, I tried to think about what should be the theme of the story that the writer want the reader to learn from this story. I think all of the strategies are worked very well and very useful for me. It helps me understand the story better and also I could find the theme easier because of using these strategies. Next time when I read the story like this, I will try to use for reading strategies and try some different strategies to find out what strategies is the most useful for me.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Harriet The Spy's Theme
I think the author of this book, which is "Louise Fitzhugh," wanted the reader to know that "Knowing a lot of people 's thought is not always a good thing. Sometime you could get problem from knowing too many things." This story is about Harriet an eleven-year-old girl who wants to be the writer in her future and so now she is collecting the data by being a spy and write down all the things that she knew in her notebook. She always have to be careful about the things that she do and every time she get into someplace like some body's house. some day, she might get caught by someone. And it will be more dangerous for her someone has read her book and tell everyone about the things that she wrote.
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Harriet The Spy Chapter3
This week, I keep reading the book called "Harriet The Spy" on chapter 3. This chapter is about When Harriet was being a spy and went to look at a house and a store. The house belongs to a rich woman who is always talking with her phone and sleep on the bed. She went inside the house to figure out why this woman is so rich without doing any job. After that, she went to the store and see what happened in the store and looked in a room that had a worker who was eating a lot of food and share them to the poor children. Finally, she went back home and talked with Ole Golly and wonder who is Ole Golly's boyfriend.
I think I is interesting to look at the people's behavior and thought and write it down to help you remember what kind of person they are, but it is also dangerous to go into other people's houses. I felt surprise when I know that the worker that worked in the shop, who is always eating, is very thin and very kind to the poor children. I think he is a good man.
I predict that the next chapter will be about Harriet is doing her job at a spy and go into a man's house who has twenty-five cats at his house. His house has only two room, one for himself and another one for his cats. She wanted to find out how could he lived with his cats. This man reminds me about one of my friends who also has more then twenty dogs at her house. She said that her mother loves dogs. I also would like to have a dog at home, but my parents don't like it.
I think I is interesting to look at the people's behavior and thought and write it down to help you remember what kind of person they are, but it is also dangerous to go into other people's houses. I felt surprise when I know that the worker that worked in the shop, who is always eating, is very thin and very kind to the poor children. I think he is a good man.
I predict that the next chapter will be about Harriet is doing her job at a spy and go into a man's house who has twenty-five cats at his house. His house has only two room, one for himself and another one for his cats. She wanted to find out how could he lived with his cats. This man reminds me about one of my friends who also has more then twenty dogs at her house. She said that her mother loves dogs. I also would like to have a dog at home, but my parents don't like it.
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