Tuesday, October 28, 2014

Day 1- My blog's name

I'm really not going to lie, this blog's initial name was English Class because it was for English/Literature class, the teacher later clarified that it was personal too that she didn't care if we put what we wanted you just had to do the assignments.
I changed the name to "Paola's Blog" that way i find it seems more personal, at least from my point of view.

30 Day Blog Challenge

Tuesday, October 21, 2014

Memoir

When I was 2 years old, i couldn´t remember a thing, I just know that my grandfather passed away and that everyone was sad. After all that the only thing I can remember is my 8th birthday. I had a blast! Sharing with my friends and family. Honestly, it was my favorite part of the year, spending my day with friends. Playing, opening two giant bags of gifts, princesses, everything was perfect. Well, not that  perfect, since that day I fear clowns or everything that is dressed up as a fiction character, just because the clown at my party scared the hell out of me and smelled bad.
In Summer 2012, I went on my first and only flight. I loved it there in Boston. A completely different world. I saw my great-grandmother, cousins, aunts and uncles. I once went to the beach walking with a friend and my grandmother thought I was in her apartment, we had so much fun! Since that summer i became really close with my sister and cousins, since that summer my cousins spend more time at my house than in their own. I always get a way to convice their parents! We have so much memories together: I dressed them up like a girl even with makeup! We didn´t even sleep because we were playing, dancing, singing everywhere. We have this game in which they had to model and i was the judge. Oh gosh! I love them!
2 years ago, I also was in 8th grade, coolest year ever except for the fact that we had to study a lot because of the National Tests, but at the end we all got really good grades. We also took those tests with Karllennys class, what a great coincidence! I loved that year, I wish I could go back and hug my Biker again!
There was also a summer (2013) that I spent in Summer Camp SEK where I met Jennifer & Mariella. When I first met Jennifer I thought that she'd be a creep and crazy, jumping, shouting everywhere and anytime. I wasn't wrong at all, she turned out to be way more crazier, cool, great friend, outgoing, hilarious and much more qualities! Even though I get mad at her lots of times I love her!
I met more people too and that's really odd in me, i'm not the type of person that makes lots of friends or is kind, people may know me as the one that twerks and dances a lot, but in the inside i'm shy, REALLY SHY! I met a lot of people and spent time with some friends too, there were really crazy moments in that camp.

Friday, October 17, 2014

Chapter 5 Summary!

Non-Fiction Narration


Narrative Nonfiction

Narrative nonfiction is writing that tells a true-life story. There are different types of narratives:

  • Autobiographical Narrative: is a piece written about an experience in YOUR life, from your point of view. Characteristics: 

  1. An engaging story that hold the readers' attention.
  2. A well-developed conflict that shows why a situation created a problem.
  3. A resolution, the outcome of the conflict.
  4. A range of literary strategies and devices, such as dialogue and suspense.
  5. A specific mood, or emotion.
  6. A unique attitude towards the subject.
  7. Sensory details, appeal to the five senses of taste, touch, sight, sound, and smell.
  8. Correct spelling, grammar, and usage.
  9. Specific details about personal experiences.
  10. Strong characterization of real people.
  11. A main idea about a life lesson you learned through this experience.
  • Biographical Narratives: are stories that share facts about someone else's life.
  • Blogs: are comments that writers share online, it may include opinions, reflection, etc. Blogs aren't considered a "permanent" form of writing because it may be able to disappear or be a copyright.
  • Diary entries: are personal, talks about thoughts and feelings. The audience, most of the time, is private unless the writer says contrary.
  • Narative essays: uses autobiographical narative to support the writers wishes or to illustrate.
  • Memoirs: contains a writer's reflections on an event from his/her own life.
  • Reflective essays: are personal experiences that expresses the writer's feelings or point of view from something. 

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Great Expectations- Summary & Personal Opinion

Pip is a 6-year old orphan raised by Mrs. Joe (his sister) and Joe Gargery "the blacksmith" (sister's husband). Pip goes to the graveyard and meets a convict who says that if he doesn't bring food and a file he'll cut his throat, next morning Pip steals what the convict demanded and sneaks. He meets a second convict and gets scared, he finds his convict and returned home. Pip feels guilty and expects that the police will arrest him, he has a not so pleaseant christmas dinner with his family Uncle Pumblechook and Mr. Wopsle. Police go into the house with handcuffs, Pip gets scared, but the police only want Joe to fix them for the escaped convicts, which Joe and Pip agree to help search. They find the convicts wrestling in mud, Pip's convict admits stealing from the blacksmith's house in order to protect Pip, both convicts get arrested. 
Mr. Pumblechook takes Pip to the Satis House where he meets a beautiful girl named Estella, he falls in love inmediately but her mother taught her not to love but to be loved, her mother made her cold-hearted. Miss Havisham (Estella's mother) demands to see Pip, Pip finds odd that this woman is wearing a wedding dress, sitting in front of an old mirror and surrounded by stopped clocks. 
Pip is taken back to the Satis House in which he goes to the garden and is asked to a fight by a pale young gentleman, Pip knocks him down in the first punch, Estella allows him to kiss her on the cheek.
Long time passes as Pip begins working with Joe, he becomes an adolescent and hates it there. And then there's Orlick, he has always worked with Joe as he has always been jealous of Pip. Later that same day, Pip went to Mr. Pumblechooks place to read about a play, on their way home Pip sees Orlick in the shadows and hears a gun fire, when they arrive home Mrs. Joe had been attacked.
Pip will soon become a gentleman, he had great expectations, lawyer Mr. Jaggers told him and Joe, he will soon inherit a large fortune, move to London and start the education of a gentleman inmediately, there's just one tiny detail: he can never ask or talk know about his benefactor.
Pip goes to London and finds it ugly, narrow and dirty. He meets his roommate Herbert, who ends up being the pale young gentleman he fought long time ago. Herbert explains Pip his relation with Miss Havisham, his father Matthew is Miss Havisham's cousin, the son of her father and the cook. Miss Havisham fell in love with a man that just played her to take a part of her fortune, Matthew tried to warn her but she didn't listen and demanded him to leave the house and never come back. The day of the wedding her fiancé left her on the aisle with only a letter, the rumor was that the fiancé had worked in conspiracy with her young brother, then Miss Havisham adopts Estella.
Joe visits Pip in London, Pip's not that happy because he's a bit of ashamed well let's face it, he is ashamed of Joe and also mad because he refers to Pip as Sir, also Pip obviously had to change his manners Joe hasn't and the way he dresses, eats, talks isn't helping Pip's image as a gentleman. Pip finds out that Estella is back at the Satis House, so he goes to his hometown with no intention of seeing Biddy or Joe.
A little while later Magwitch (the convict Pip helped) shows up in Pip's bedroom, he's been working hard and came to see what a gentleman he has created, Magwitch was so grateful that he did a fortune and gave it all to Pip. Want to know what happened to the second convict? Well, his name is Compeyson and turns out he was Miss Havisham's fiancé.
Magwitch wants to stay in London so that way he's closer to Pip. Estella gets married, even though Miss Havisham wanted men to get what they deserve she gave up, it wasn't worth it at all, she apologized to everyone she has hurt. Pip finds out Molly (Mr. Jaggers' housekeeper) and Magwitch are Estella's parents. 
Compeyson dies drowned, Magwitch dies in jail, Miss Havisham dies burned, Pip learns to value a human being for himself rather than according to his social position and no longer feels ashamed of Joe, Estella no longer feels the need to take revenge on men. 

"Bent and broken into a better shape..."
 
Personal Opinion

Honestly i think this book can teach anyone not to lose hope or to stop chasing your dreams, Pip is a great example! He was just a blacksmith that wanted to be someone in this world, since he was a kid he wanted to be a gentleman and so did he, why? Because he didn't lose his hope, also i think that if in real life someone does what Compeyson did to Miss Havisham he/she deserves going to hell. If you want fortune earn it, don't steal it.

But... it's just not about hope and dreams, Pip chased his dreams and i at first thought he deserved it but then, the way he treated Joe, The one who always protected him, his bestfriend, that was pretty tough. So, if you take and drag around your dreams or achievements too far, you're the one that's going to end up dead.

Friday, September 12, 2014

Chapters 1-4 Summary!

Chapter 1

YOU, THE WRITER

Why do you write?

  • To Share
  • To Persuade
  • To Inform
  • To Enjoy

What do you write?

  • Fiction Stories
  • E-mails
  • Blogs
  • Thoughts
  • Books

How can you find ideas?

You can find ideas by:
  • Observing
  • Reading
  • Watching

How can you keep track of ideas?

You can keep track of ideas by:

  • Starting an Idea Notebook
  • Keeping a Personal Journal
  • Free Writing

How can you get started?

  • Get comfortable
  • Have your materials ready
  • Spend time wisely

How do you work with others?

  • Brainstorming
  • Cooperative Writing
  • Peer Feedback

Chapter 2

TYPES OF WRITING

Genres and Forms

Genres are types of writing.
  • Each genre has a specific purpose.
  • Each genre has specific characteristics.
Forms is the way texts are structured.

Selecting Genres

In some writing situations, you may need to select the correct genre.
  • To entertain, you may need to write a humorous essay.
  • To describe an emotion, writing a poem helps.
  • To persuade someone, you may need to write a persuasive essay.

Nonfiction Narration

Is any kind of literary text that tells a story about real people. 
Types:
  • Personal Narratives
  • Biographical Narratives
  • Blogs
  • Diary & Journal Entries
  • Eyewitness Accounts
  • Autobiography

Fiction Narration

Is any story (or book) that tells a fictional tale, or one which isn't true.
Types:
  • Realistic Fiction
  • Fantasy Stories
  • Historical Fiction
  • Mystery Stories
  • Myths and Legends
  • Science Fiction
  • Tall Tales

Poetry and Description

Expresses ideas and feelings about real or imagined people, events and ideas.
Types:
  • Ballad
  • Free Verse
  • Prose Poem
  • Sonnet
  • Haiku

Exposition

Is writing that seeks to communicate ideas to specific audiences.
Types:
  • Analytical Essay
  • Compare-and-Contrast Essay
  • Cause-and-Effect Essay
  • Classification Essay
  • Problem-Solution Essay
  • Pro-Con Essay
  • Newspaper and Magazine Articles
  • Internet Articles
  • On-Demand Writing

Persuasion

Aims to influence the actions of a specific audience on specific issues.
Types:
  • Argumentative Essays
  • Persuasive Speeches
  • Editorials
  • Reviews
  • Advertisements
  • Letters to the Editor
  • Propaganda

Chapter 3

THE WRITING PROCESS


Writing Traits



















The Writing Process

What is the Writing Process?
Writing is a process because your idea goes through a series of changes before the product is finished.


Revision ARMS




Chapter 4

SENTENCES, PARAGRAPHS AND COMPOSITIONS


Sentences

A sentence is a group of words with two main parts: a subject and a predicate.

Writing Strong Sentences
To write strong sentences/paragraphs, you need to:
  • Combine Sentences
  • Use Compound Elements
  • Form Compound Sentences
  • Use Subordination

Paragraphs

A paragraph is built from a group of sentences that share a common idea.
Writing Strong Paragraphs
To write strong paragraphs, you need to:

  • Express Your Main Idea With a Clear Topic Sentence
  • Write Effective Supporting Sentences
  • Include a Variety of Sentence Lenghts, Structures, and Beginnings

Composition

Refers to the collective body of important features established by the author in their creation of literature.
The Parts of a Composition:
  • Introduction
  • Body
  • Conclusion