Paper Revision

When picking which paper I would revise, I read my literary analysis and research paper and they were at about the same level in terms of need for revision.  It seemed that both of them were strong and even in all categories, and I got a 92 and 93 on them.  But then I remembered that I also wrote a Literacy Narrative, and I read that.  Wow- you could definitely tell it was my first paper of the year, and it needs a lot of correcting!  I am going to focus my revisions on Word Choice and Organization.

My paper was about reflection, and I used that word or some variant of it probably more than all the other words in my paper combined.  I kind of knew it was an issue while writing it, but I didn't know how to fix it.  Also, in my paper, I talked about a period of reflection where I wrote my life down at home, and also a paper I wrote in Mrs. Milligan's class where I talked about that experience.  One comment from Dr. D said that I could leave the second writing out, and focus just on the first.  I think that would make my paper more clear, but wasn't the point of the assignment to talk about a paper that we wrote in class?  I hope that I can eliminate the second writing experience from my paper and also work on word choice to make my paper better.

The Memory Keeper's Daughter: 150 minutes, 86 pages

Jane Goodall

After learning all of my life about all of the good things Jane Goodall has done, I would have never thought something like her plagiarizing would occur.  She's in pretty much every science textbook, and well known to students everywhere, but now her role-model status isn't so perfect anymore.  There are a few issues with her new book, Seeds of Hope: Wisdom and Wonder From the World of Plants.  She borrowed 12 passages, as well as other smaller pieces of writing without citing it.  This is a very serious matter, and needs to be fixed.

While some people argue that the liability for the infraction is dependent upon a number of things, I believe that there are no excuses for plagiarism.  At Episcopal, we believe this too, and if you get caught plagiarizing, you are punished.  So, I believe that instead of correcting the mistake and apologizing like she did, she should not be allowed to publish the book or any new versions of it and sell it.  It only seems fair that if you steal someone else's work, you should not be able to make money off of it.  While people should recognize that what Jane Goodall did was wrong, I hope that her reputation is not tarnished and that she still gets credit for all of the many wonderful things she has done in this world.

Nervous Conditions Review

Nervous Conditions should definitely stay on the course syllabus for next year's 9th graders.  It perfectly answered our class question, "How do community and culture shape who we are?"  Through the changing settings like the homestead, mission, and Sacred Heart, the characters had exposure to many types of environments that influenced them as people.  NC was also a very enjoyable read, with the exception of all of the projects that go along with it, but that is what has to be done.  They were a much more useful way of getting us to think deeper about this book than a test would have been.

When moving from the mission to the homestead and to Sacred Heart, Tambu and Nyasha find themselves confused and lost.  The pressure from society to be "english girls" and the pressure from their family to be "shona girls" are fighting each other.  These girls are put directly into the battle, and they are doing much of the fighting.  It is through their experiences with racism, sexual discrimination, poverty, and education that they are shaped into the people they are at the end of the book.   These social and cultural factors all create the plot, one that would not exist without them, therefore changing the outcome of the story.

In addition to how NC perfectly answers the question, I felt that it was a worthwhile read.  The story line was always changing, which made for a interesting read every time I picked it up.  I wouldn't say its the best book I've ever read, but I did enjoy it to a greater extent than some books I've read at school in the past.  Despite my pleasure reading the book, I am not quite sure what the purpose of reading this book would be other than answering our question.  I cannot see a normal person going pick this book out, because it doesn't really have a straightforward message or point to the story unless you're looking at it in the sense of postcolonial literature.

Overall, Nervous Conditions was a stimulating read that successfully answered our class question.  I would highly suggest keeping it on the syllabus.  The many stories that were woven so seamlessly together, and the qualities that made it enjoyable all come together for a great book.

Nervous Conditions B layer and A layer: 1 1/2 hours
Watch "Bend it Like Beckham": 1hour, 45 mins
Total: 3 hours, 15 minutes

Cars- Nervous Conditions

       When I began to think about what message the word car would be associated with in Nervous Conditions, I thought of money and being rich.  Yes, this theme did occur in the book while cars were mentioned, but many others were associated with cars too.
       The first mention of cars is when Tambu tells us of what their daily life is like when Babamukuru is visiting- how they farm all day under his careful watch.  This mention of a car is tied to Babamukuru's presence, but is still in the realm of daily life on the homestead.  The second mention Tambu makes is that Maiguru rides in a car, and her mother doesn't have things like Maiguru, therefore is inferior.  Tambu decides that is is better to be like her aunt than her mom, and declares she will go to school in order to reach this status.  In Tambu's quest for school fees, Mr. Matimba takes her into town where she sees many cars.  Tambu's ignorance and lack of knowledge about common life is revealed then. She asks him many questions about how cars work and the roads operate as a result of it being her first time riding in a car.  The next mention is when Babamukuru arrives home riding in his car.  Everyone gathers to greet him, and he is treated like a prince.  This signifies the symbol of superiority, richness, and power that the car possesses.  Babamukuru's second arrival has a much worse reception, as he carries the news of Nhamo's death.  Thus arises Ma'Shingayi's hatred for Babamukuru and his tendency to divide her from her children.  Tambu rides in a car with Babamukuru on the way to the mission for the first time, and is very excited.  This car ride is the first time Tambu thinks of the changes that will occur in her life.  Babamukuru is supposed to take Ma'Shingayi and Lucia home after the holidays, but he keeps forgetting.  The car is mentioned in relationship to their return home, but then Lucia is given a job cooking at the girls' hostel.  Finally, while arriving at Sacred Heart, Tambu finds herself admiring all of the other girl's cars and how grand and fancy her new school is.
       Contrary to what I had suspected, the car is not only a symbol of being rich and having money, but rather a symbol of change and new beginnings for this Shona family.

Expectations

       There are expectations in every aspect of our life, whether good or bad, and it is our decision how we are going to live up to these expectations.  Some people, usually called "people pleasers," totally abide to them.  Others choose to let themselves decide how they will act, as opposed to people around them dictating their actions.

       The first place that I think of expectations is school.  There are many different types of expectations, but let's just take a simple one for example.  Being on time to class- we all have problems with it, so you kind of just have to learn how to work the system.  For example, in Spanish, you can be late, because Sr. Ramos fiddles on his computer for 5 minutes before even looking at the desks to see who's there.  Also, in World History and Biology, you can sneak in late.  However, In english, or math, you are expected to be on time and working when the bell rings.  I know that I have to have my materials ready and have used the bathroom before class, so I can meet those expectations.  

       On a more serious note, the big expectation at school is to make good grades.  To my advantage, yet sometimes disadvantage, I put the expectation on myself that I should make good grades and have all A's.  My parents know that I have that motivation, so they basically leave it up to me to do my school work and make good grades.  I am very fortunate to have it this way, because I see so many of my friends who just don't care, so their parents get on them all the time and they get grounded.  While usually good, these expectations can lead to a huge amount of stress.  I know that I am not perfect, and never will be.  Sometimes I have to remind myself of that in order to be happy.

       Another scenario is swimming.  Swimming is a huge part of my life and who I am, and I'm so lucky to be able to do it.  It has helped shape me into a determined, motivated, and focussed person.  Before practice, the only real expectation of us is that we're on time.  Naturally, my full blown crazy personality is revealed, especially when I'm with my good friends.  But when I'm in the pool, it's all business.  I expect myself to have a good practice so that I keep my confidence up all season, and my coach expects us to practice as hard as we can, so that we can swim fast at the end of the season.  We are also expected to know what set we are doing in practice, so we can do it correctly and get it done.  

      Expectations are a hard reality of life to deal with, but once you learn which expectations matter, and which ones aren't as necessary, you can have a better understanding of how to live your life.

Nervous Conditions Chpts. 7-10: 2 hours
C Layer 2: 2 hours
Total: 4 hours

Maiguru

I am astonished with the language that my daughter has been using with me lately.  Well, not lately, really.  Every since she came back from the place...that horrid, unstable place...England.  She talks with a bratty tone and thinks that she can get whatever she wants.  I find myself in a state of turmoil.  I don't know how to respond to my daughter's behavior.  I let her do what she wants, yet she never stops asking for more.  I guess I've been too lenient, because now she's rubbing off on Tambu.  Still, I cannot want to be so strict like Babamukuru.  He beat my daughter.  My beautiful, perfect Nyasha.  Oh I must stay on her side.  I love her too much...

I am alone.  Alone in the quest for recognition of my achievements.  What about me?  My accomplishments?  I went to school and got an education.  I work and work, yet my money has no use to me.  Only Babamukuru.  He gets all the credit, and I'm left in the dirt.  But that's ok.  That's the way it's supposed to be.  And it may never change.  Unless you- Tambu, you- do something.

C Layer 1 Reflection

       I made it through C Layer 1.  But boy oh boy will I do it differently next time!  I read pretty much everyday, but I really procrastinated on my projects.  I found myself working late at night and early in the morning just to get my projects done in time.  I do have to say though, I did put my best effort into them and they actually helped me understand the book better.
       I don't really mind annotating, and it helps me understand the book so much better, so I did annotate.  Annotating was helpful for determining what needed to be clarified or discussed in class.  Also, the character bookmark was a very useful tool to have because at the beginning of the book, I found myself completely lost as to who was who.  I did chapter one reading guide, just because the beginning of books are always hard for me to get through.  One reading guide wasn't that beneficial to me, but I'm sure if I did them for all chapters, it would really help me out.  Finally, I did the story board.  I couldn't do this until I had read all the chapters, so I did it at the last minute.  I think it was probably the least beneficial one, which I wasn't expecting.  Never the less, I did find these projects much more interesting than a normal test, and now I know how to improve my experience on the other parts.

Projects: 2 hours, 45 minutes
Nervous Conditions: Chapters 4-6: 63 pages, 3 hours
Total: 5 hours, 45 minutes