Claire hesitated down the crowded hallway on this first day of school. She gazed to her left, and then to her right. Then, she hurried out and joined the throng of students. Was anyone watching her? Although she craved to glimpse around, she kept staring straight ahead. However, it seemed that none of her classmates observe her as they rushed quickly to their classes.

Worked Cited: http://www.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/2928690/2/istockphoto_2928690_young_girl_walking_to_school_on_first_day_of_classes.jpg

Just Because Poem

Just because my parents are divorced...

Doesn't mean I love one more than the other

Doesn't mean they don't get along

Doesn't mean they don't love me because they do and I love them as well.

Just because I am an only child...

Doesn't mean I am spoiled

Doesn't mean I don't have people who love me

Doesn't mean I am alone

I have amazing friends abd family!

Doesn't mean I don't get punished
Doesn't mean I am perfect!

I love the way my life is and I would not change it for the world! I love my parents and family and friends!

Work Cited:
http://www.aftertheget.org/afterlogo.gif

Perfect Leader, Profect Society

Once Upon a Time there was a far away land called Dragonflies Ville. Dragonflies Ville was a place in which magical dragons would live. There were all sorts of dragons big, short, red, blue etc. Dragonflies Ville cared for all. The unique part of this place was that everything was upside down. Hello meant goodbye and goodbye meant hello. Also these Dragons were good they were not like fairy tails say. Usually Dragons are mean and ugly but these Dragons were the opposite. Not only was it a unique place it was also a place in which everyone was welcome. Every Dragon had a particular job. There were warriors; there were also protectors and doctors. Warriors were the ones the looked out for the safety in Dragonflies Ville. The protectors were the ones that protected the princesses from harm and the doctors took care of all the injured Dragons. Everyone had an indicated job so the Ville would be a pleasant place to live in. The job was chosen by a magic mirror. When a dragon was born the baby dragon was shown the mirror and the mirror based on the child personality chose a job that suited them. This Ville did not have a leader because no one was appropriate for the job until Milo came. When Milo was born the mirror said that he would become the leader of this Ville. Dragons were shocked. They believed the mirror was wrong. It was 50 years since this Ville had a leader. No one told Milo and everyone forgot that he was chosen to be a leader. 20 years later Milo was all grown up. Milo was a red and intelligent Dragon. He was also crazy. Milo was not accepted at any job because he was not good at anything. Other Dragons would laugh at him and said he was a loser. He was not strong enough to be a warrior. He was not fast enough to be a protector and he was grossed out by blood so he could not be a doctor either. What he was good at was helping others and leading. He was brilliant.

One day magical trolls invaded Dragonflies Ville. No one knew what to do. The trolls were controlling everything and they were destroying Dragonflies Ville. Warriors and protectors did not know how to destroy them. Milo stood up and confronted the trolls. He leaded the warriors and they all worked together and defended the trolls. They won the battle and the trolls left Dragonflies Ville. The other dragons were amazed in how Milo was leading. It was true then. The mirror was not lying. Milo was a true leader. Milo was named the leader of Dragonflies Ville. He leaded his Ville into a good place. No one wanted to invade again because they were scared of Milo. He had a great army. There was no better leader than Milo. The mirror never named a leader because no one was as good as he was. Dragonflies Ville was a great society thanks to its great leader.

THE END

Work Cited:

http://images.clipartof.com/small/36149-Clipart-Illustration-Of-A-Red-Dragon-Snorting-Flames-Grinning-And-Gesturing-The-Thumbs-Up.jpg

http://www.whiskeysierragrafics.com/grafiken/fantasy/yurassic/dragonland.jpg

The Strange Traveler



Jean Valjean                                PIERRE

It was our 50^th wedding anniversary. My wife and I had closed the Inn to have a romantic and wonderful dinner. Our Inn is called Le Maison which means the house in English. Well we were enjoying our lovely evening when we heard the door knock. “BAM, BAM” Who might it be? I thought. I opened the door and saw a mysterious man standing at our door step. He looked disheveled and smelled nasty. As I opened the door, he yelled: “Sir, Sir, please help me, I need a place to stay! I can pay, I am not asking for charity but no one in D… would let me in”. Before I had a chance to make up an excuse not to let him in, my wife called out: “of course, please come in; there is plenty of food and a spare room”. Immediately, negative thoughts raced through my head. I even thought my wife had gone completely mad, allowing a complete stranger to share our food and our home.  I walked towards her and whispered: “are you insane?” My wife was the noblest of all people. She trusted people blindly. She answered: “My dear, he is a poor soul wandering the streets; God led him to us and it’s our duty to help him. God will reward us somehow, someday”. She moved me aside and greeted the stranger as if she knew him. The strange man had a broken leg, so I helped him in and sat him on the sofa. With hardly any strength left he whispered: “I will pay you; I have francs…” “Do not worry about it just now, you are hurt and I bet you are hungry as well”, said my wife. I served him some soup and asked my wife to accompany me to the kitchen. Once out of the stranger’s sight, I said: “My dear Amelia, I know you are a charitable woman, and I love you for it. After he finishes supper, he has to leave. There is something about this man that has me puzzled”. She responded calmly: “Pierre God protects those who help others, don’t be scared; let’s help him; which is the Christian thing to do”. 

 

“Please eat all you want, we have plenty more” she said. I could not help but to stare at him with my dark black eyes. I wanted him to look into my eyes, but he would not look back. After a brief moment of silence, I asked: “So… who are you?” Amelia instructed me to turn down the bed in room #336. Since I love my wife and her heart of gold, I decided to do what she had asked. Suddenly, I felt a sharp pain in my heart and sat on the bed. I was not having a heart attack, I remembered: “I know this man, I have seen him before. Oh My God, the stranger is Jean Valjean. I ran to the kitchen and yelled “Amelia gets away from that man, he is John Valjean! Get out now I yelled to the man. You are a thief and I do not want you in my house!” “Sir, I understand your reaction, but please allow me to explain… the man began to cough up blood and began to tremble uncontrollably. Amelia and I took him to room 336.  What were we supposed to do? We are hiding a criminal!

 

I tried to explain to Amelia that this man had committed a crime for which he had gone to jail. “We do not know if he is dangerous, if he has escaped prison, and worst of all, he is hurt. What will people think if they find out”, I asked in a harsh and loud voice. “I don’t care who he is, or what he has done. We have got to help, Responded Amelia. She continued saying: “Pierre, we have been together for 50 years and I have always known you to be a wonderful and unselfish man.  Let’s go to sleep and hope tomorrow will be a better day”. I could not sleep thinking there was a criminal sleeping next door to me. I was petrified I felt chills running down my spin. At some point, I must have dozed of because I do not remember anything until next morning.

WORK CITED:

http://www.mtholyoke.edu/courses/rschwart/hist255-s01/thenardier/renee/valjean.jpg

http://s.bebo.com/app-image/6429644617/6429635800/PROFILE/i.idlestudios.com/img/q/u/08/04/12/colmlesmiz.jpg



Do my friends think I have forgotten my wife and children?

John Adams to Abigail Adams

Do my friends think I have forgotten my wife and children?

July 20, 1776

This letter is about John telling his wife Abigail that his friends believe he has forgotten about his wife and children, which is not true. He asks all sorts of questions to see whether it is true. He is so far away from his family that he misses them a lot and they miss him as well. He needs them to help him and to be with him. The loss of Canada has happened which is that most of the lands in the United States are now Canada.

John just found out that his wife is ill and that his kids have small pox. He says that it was a “kind intention” (Adams 688) to keep it a secret but the secret has been revealed and he knows. He asks her to please let him know when she is ok.

Rhetorical Devises:

1. “Do my Friends think that I have been a politician so long to have lost all feeling? Do they suppose I have forgotten my Wife and Children? Or are they so panic struck with the loss of Canada, as so to be afraid to correspond with me? Or have they forgotten that you have a husband and your children a father?” (Adams 688)

This quote is an example of a rhetorical question. John Adams asks Abigail this questions he has in his mind.  Rhetorical questions are important in documents because the speaker asks questions he does not expect the reader to respond and orally. Also the speaker can make the reader understand what the he is going through. The speaker puts the reader in their shoes.

2. “What have I done, or omitted to do, that I should be thus forgotten and neglected in the most tender and affection scaene of my Life!” (Adams 688)

This quote is a representation of appeal to pathos or pity. John Adams is feeling sorry for what he is going through. People believe he has forgotten his family which is not true. He needs his family for support. Appeal to pathos or pity is important because it makes the reader feel sorry for the speaker. It makes the reader have the same emotions as the speaker does. The reader can process these questions in a way that they can not have a answer.

http://www.learnnc.org/lp/media/uploads/2008/11/john_abigail_adams_450.jpg

Work Cited:

Letters of John and Abigail Adams packet

Blog #4 Refuting Patrick Henry

Mr. President, fellow citizens of the 13 colonies and fellow citizens of Virginia. I stand here today to speak the truth and to persuade you to find a better way to achieve freedom from British rule. We are all intelligent and rational people. How can we not find a better way than with blood shed? Indeed we must fight, but not in battle. Are we willing to sacrifice our own citizen’s lives? Are we ready to fight a great army and live with the consequences of a loss? Every citizen has entrusted their future to us and are we willing to risk it for our own failures? With all do respect sir, my predecessor; Patrick Henry is a man of great skill with words. His words appeal to our emotions instead of our rationale. He calls himself a patriot but he calls for death in the name of freedom: “Give me freedom or give me death” (Henry 2). If we are not granted freedom, is every man in this room prepared to die? There just has to be a better way! Are we ready to give up what we came to this land for? Great things require patience and suffering, and I think freedom is no exception.

Mr. President, Mr. Henry explicitly states that God will “rise up friends to fight battles for us”. I believe it’s wrong to invoke God so that others can do those things that we have to do for ourselves. He also states that “a just God presides over the destinies of Nations”. If this were true, a just God would have abolished slavery and would have guaranteed each citizen its freedom. It is the people and not God who control the destiny of their own nation. Mr. Henry is also implying that it is god’s will for us to fight when in fact a just God is a God of peace and mercy. Through out history, too many people have died and killed in the name of God. Are we ready to take our own destiny in our hands?
Finally sir is it really true that there is no longer any room for “peace and reconciliation”. Have we really exhausted every form of negotiation with the British Empire? Mr. Henry is accusing the British of the exact same thing he wants us to do; to use force to do the job instead of reconciliation. No wonder he has no more hope! No sirs! I have hope because hope is what keeps us alive.


Fellow patriots, I encourage all to unite. Let’s put our minds together and do the job the good citizens of our colonies have entrusted us to do. War is not the answer, peace is.

Picture:
http://www.knowledgehouse.info/images/Patrick_Henry.png
Speech in the Virginia Convention by: Patrick Henry (Article)

Blog #3- Plan to save the world

My plan to save the world consists in getting Peace Corps and underdeveloped countries where Peace Corps already has a working platform, to work together to undertake a challenging yet simple project to plant soy bean gardens as an alternative source of food and income. “Growing soybeans has become increasingly popular with home gardeners. These warm weather plants are native to Africa, Asia, and Australia. They have gained popularity here due to their health benefits. They are high in fiber and protein, and area good source of calcium. They taste good, too. Home gardeners find it is easy to grow soybeans. They are grown just like any other bush bean, and produce high yields” (http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/soybean.htm). Soy beans can be eaten as nuts, milk, cheese, tofu, etc. They are not only nutritious, they are easy to grow in home gardens for individual consumption and can be a good product of commercialize in cooperatives, which Peace Corps volunteers are great at forming, as a source of income for poor families and whole villages.



This plan to save the world is intended for Peace Corps Leadership Team formed by its Director, Aaron S. Williams, Deputy Director, Carrie Hessler-Radelets, Inspector General, and Peace Corps three regional post managers. They in turn can give life to this plan by presenting it to United States Congress and Executive Branch since Peace Corps report to them. The other audience this plan is intended for is the Host Country Governments that allow Peace Corps to carry out their projects.


The reason why Peace Corps should follow this plan is because it fits with its founder’s, President John F. Kennedy, “idea to promote peace and friendship. Its mission has three simple goals: Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women. Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served. Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans” (http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=about.mission). Today many people around the world are portraying The US as an imperialist, capitalist enemy of the underdeveloped world. The United States can benefit by allowing people to actually experience that they do want to promote peace and friendship. This can be a great project to celebrate Peace Corps 50th anniversary in 2011. In addition, the US can benefit from this project since it would lessen the migration of thousand of people looking for a better way of life for themselves and their families.


Underdeveloped Host Country Governments can benefit since there is much hunger, poverty and violence plaguing their countries. People can not achieve a better way of life if their basic necessities are not met first. Migration also affects host countries. Loss of a strong workforce and broken families are among the few problems it causes. In addition, Human Trafficking has become a great business for those whose lack scruples and disregard human life for cash. Last week news shocked the world when 72 people were massacred in Mexico, many of which were Honduran.


Instead of punishing people for not planting soy beans, incentives should be offered. Initial bean seeds and fertilizers should be given to them free of charge, as part of the project. The governments should protect soy bean planters.


“Peace Corps Statistics


Current number of Volunteers and Trainees:


7,671


Current number of countries served:


77 countries


Volunteers by Work Area


Education: 35%


Health & HIV/AIDS: 22%


Business Development: 15%


Environment: 14%


Agriculture: 5%


Youth Development: 5%


Other: 4%


Where Volunteers Serve


Africa: 37%


Latin America: 24%


Eastern Europe/Central Asia: 20%


Asia: 7%


North Africa/Middle East: 4%


Pacific Islands: 4%


The Caribbean: 4%”


(http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=about.fastfacts)

“How to grow soybeans


Days to Maturity: Plants require about 85 days to harvest. Try succession planting for continuous harvest over several weeks.


Sowing Soybean Seeds: Plant outdoors after the last frost date for your area. Soil should be warm before planting. Sow Soybean seeds 2 inches apart, in rows 20" to 24" apart. If your garden space is limited, plant in double rows. Water well after planting and a second time two to four days later, only if there has been no rain. Side dress the rows with general purpose fertilizer during planting.


How to Grow Soybeans: Soybeans are easy to grow. They grow best in full sun and in warm weather. They prefer a rich soil, high in nitrogen. Soil should be kept moist for optimum growth.


Soybeans grow best in rich soil. Add manure and compost prior to planting. Fertilizer regularly during the growth period.


Harvest soybeans when the pods are full. Rinse the pods, and then boil them for twenty minutes. Allow to cool, and then squeeze the pods to remove the beans. Beans can be frozen or canned.


Did you know? Soybean plants are rich in nutrients. After the harvest, put plants in the compost pile; turn them into your soil.


Insects and Pests: Like other beans, soybeans are susceptible to a variety of insects, most notably beetles. They can be effectively treated with Sevin, Diazinon or a variety of other insecticides.


Rabbits eat the the tender new leaves. If there are rabbits in your area, a rabbit fence is not a nicety, it is a necessity. They will devastate a row of beans in a hurry, eating the tender new leaves. As new ones develop, they will come back for more.


Diseases of Soybeans: Bacterial and wilt diseases are common among the Bean family. This plant disease arrives with summer heat and humidity. This often occurs just before, or during, the ripening of the crop. Fungicides are recommended in areas of high heat and humidity.


Hardiness: Beans are not a hardy plant. They are susceptible to cold and frost. Hold off planting until a few days before all danger of frost is past. In the fall, cover the crop on nights when the temperature is expected to go below 40 degrees” (http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/soybean.htm).

Work Cited:
http://thewindbeneathmychickenwings.files.wordpress.com/2007/11/peacecorps.jpg
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/peace-corps/images/volunteers-1961.gif
http://www.collegenews.org/Images/peacecorps_logo.jpg
http://www.gardenersnet.com/vegetable/soybean.htm
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=about