YATW Blog #1: Arbitrary Future


“Man begets, but land does not beget. ”

Cecil Rhodes

Hello, my name is Quinn Grzywinski, and I’m a ninth grade student at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, PA. This is the first blog of three  for my English class; for a project that involves us choosing a subject of interest and writing about it, as well as getting our writing into the world, which is in some ways the whole purpose of this project. I choose overpopulation for my subject, and this blog post provides some key statistics and a possible solution. Hope you enjoy.


I want you to picture something. Imagine a pond, somewhere deep in the forest, full of the richest resources for aquatic life you could imagine. So obviously, the fish that live in this pond flourish, living long healthy lives, and reproduce frequently. But after a few years, the amount of fish has become disproportionate to the pond. and the resources that the pond once had has been used up, and without all the resources the fish die.


This is a grim metaphor for what awaits us if overpopulation is not considered a serious issue to the world. Every minute approximately  269 people are born  and about 108 die; the population is rising every minute, and by the year 2020, yes only 7 years from

A chart of the world’s current population density (wikipedia.org)


now, the population will reach 8 billion, from its current 6.5 billion. This troubling statistic raises the question. How much people Earth hold while still running high on resources? According livescience.com “Many scientists think Earth has a maximum carrying capacity of 9 billion to 10 billion people”, so  by that time will there be enough food to eat? Well from the 2 billion tons of grain that the Earth produces every year, we could actually feed a population of 10 billion. Vegetarians. For a population of 10 billion omnivores, only about 2.5 billion or so could be fed. How long do we have? According to the same article, we will reach a population of 9 billion in 2050, and the fabled 10 billion in 2100. You can view the complete article here.


So what does this mean for all major institutions like medicine and energy? Well thanks to resources like clean water running dangerously low, tensions between nations could well result in wars and conflicts. Another is that unemployment and poverty will become a lot more common, because while the population of any given nation may rise significantly, the total jobs may not. A rise in unemployment levels could result in an increased crime rate, and homelessness. I’ve already mentioned that since food may become a lot more rare than it once was around 2100, things like food shelters may become much more scarce, since they may not even be enough food to go around even more the more privileged ranks of society. Global warming may play a part as well, because since coal and natural gases are already being overused, the polar ice caps will melt, and CO2 will be released in dangerously high levels.  

A future coming all too soon… (conserve-energy-future.com)

However, there is ways to combat the problem. According to a pension I found online, the proper way of dealing with this problem is fairly simple: proper sex education and family birth planning. This way, the number of humans joining the planet can decrease to more fairly balance the deaths per minute. But we seem to be on our way there already. United Nation estimates show that the average sizes of families have been getting steadily smaller over time. The article on live.science.com explains, “globally, the fertility rate is falling to the "replacement level" — 2.1 children per woman, the rate at which children replace their parents (and make up for those who die young). If the global fertility rate does indeed reach replacement level by the end of the century, then the human population will stabilize between 9 billion and 10 billion.” This means with the proper education and control, we may be able to control the population at a relatively safe level. It won’t be by any means ideal, but at least, it will be survivable. At this “replacement level” the human races population will come to a halt.


So all in all, overpopulation is a serious problem. It will increase global warning, flare tensions between nations, and even may lead to a global energy crisis. But it is by no means a fixed event. All it takes is to properly educate our children and families, and make them understand the consequences of having a big family. If we can teach the new generation, then by the time we reach 10 billion, we will be in control. However, if the proper steps aren't taken, if families do teach and be taught what to do, by 2100, the world, will be at a point where it may be already too late to reverse the damage. Let me remind you, 2100 isn't some distant future, some made-up number, but a future my generations descendants may well have to face, or even maybe well before that. With it being very hard to predict when our species will reach 10 billion, this scenario may happen even sooner, which only increases the need to start worrying about this issue now. Because once we reach 10 billion, it won’t be a gradual decline, where there’s plenty of time to repair the problem. It’ll be more in fashion to falling off a cliff. What happens next lies in an arbitrary future.  

Thanks for reading! See you in Blog #2!


My annotated bibliography is here.      


YATW Blog 1: Lack of Art In Philly Schools

Hi! My name is Pedro Castillo and I am currently a student at Science Leadership Academy (SLA). For this project, we were asked to research a local, state, national or world issue and write about it. I think this is a good way for students to put themselves out in the world. It’ll be a way for students to express their way of thinking. Also, a good way to see how they would want to approach their issue.

   I chose to research Philadelphia’s budget cuts and how they caused Philadelphia schools to lose their art education. I believe this is an issue because some students in Philadelphia school love to draw, sing, paint etc. We have to go throughout this entire school year without these things at school and i could not imagine another school year without them. I am interested in this issue because I am a big art fan. I spent much of my leisure time drawing and painting. I use to go to middle school waiting for art class to come and then one year i showed up the first day of school and heard we had no art classes that year. I came to SLA knowing that we had art classes and i got very excited. At the same time I also that the lack of art is still an issue. Other schools are not as lucky as we are and don’t have art classes to participate in. This is a problem because some students like showing their work to world; they want other people to see their spectacular artwork (Like this) or hear their beautiful voices or just hear their amazing thoughts in the form of a poem.

    The loss of art classes has affected some students for example, a young boy at Cook-Wissahickon Elementary School, Ravi Giberson. Ravi states how the losses of music classes are bad for him because they give time time for practice. He also says how music was a way for him express himself and that it would be difficult for him to return to school with no music. Before the school year began, Philadelphia had to borrow $50 million dollars to open schools on time and even with those millions Philly still had to lay off more than 100 staff members! They could have gotten more money with the hidden artwork that was in a Philadelphia school. Here in Philly, a school had millions in artwork in a school and kept debating on if they should sell them or if they should keep them as the “city’s history.” Those paintings could have saved the jobs of many art teachers and some schools could have had the art education they deserve. Will they sell these paintings for next year or will they let the students down...again? Will they get enough money to refund art classes and still be able to keep the paintings? Only time will tell but hoping everything goes good throughout now and next year, the city can begin funding art classes at schools and make the kids happy with their elective classes again.


Picture of million dollar artwork from philly.com



Bibliography


Syria and other Civil Wars, Suffering of Citizens: YATW: Blog Post #1

Hello my name is Gabrielle Kreidie, a student at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. For the rest of the year my class and I are doing individual projects on certain subjects with the goal to change the world around us. We will become Agents of Change by the end of the year with the help of research. This is my first blog post, I hope you enjoy it. For further information visit my bibliography.


The world has heard of the civil war in Syria. The attack of chemical weapons of people of Syria from their military a total of nearly 1,500 people killed, 426 of which were children. The media covered the decision President Obama had to make. A military strike or not. Sure the media talked about those who were lost in this tragic event portrayed by Bashar Al Assad, Dictator of Syria, however, right after Obama’s decision was taken off the table, the news ended.  People continue to suffer from this dictator but the public nor the government seem to really care about those that are suffering.


Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, Turkey are holding in total over two million refugees, and more adding on everyday. Those two million are known to the world now as refugees. Two million people who are on the streets of countries with small populations and problems of their own. Lebanon alone has over one million refugees from Syria, with a addition of refugees from Palestine and other countries. Lebanon has a population of four million with a stronger economy than some of their neighbors, however, they are struggling with the addition of over one million new people and problems with bordering countries, Syria and Israel. Two million people are a lot! Even though Syria has a population of twenty two million, as of 2012, a decrease of two million is a lot. Two million is just over the size of Philadelphia. Now imagine all Philadelphians having to leave their homes with barely anything because it’s not safe for them. Imagine two million lives broken, without food, money, medicine or professions, leaving everything behind.


A family living in a refugee camp in Jordan during the cold, snowy winters.


Living in the USA, we do not see that much news on the refugees. We do not see information on people who are suffering from Bashar Al Assad. This makes me want to learn more. I want to get down to the truth. I want to see the people we should be caring about, the people that are suffering. Read Abdulmajid’s, a fifteen year old Syrian refugee living with his family in Lebanon, here. The issue of war within a society of citizens is not something the media is covering. This is my chance to bring the real news, the news of those who are in pain, to not only the US but the world.


A Syrian refugee living in Lebanon holding up a poster during a protest.


Syria is not the only country to have a civil war, in the past couple of years. There has been the civil war in Sierra Leone, civil war in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Nepal civil war and so many more. That means that I have to understand the media coverage of these wars. I have to understand if huge news outlets, such as CNN, talked about these civil wars. Throughout this project I will not only be talking about the horrible civil war in Syria, but I will be talking about the Congo, Sierra Leone, Nepal, Colombia, countries that have had their fair share of people suffered as well.


My goal at the end of this project is to fully understand who are really suffering from all of this. I must educate the public in appropriate ways to allow them to fully understand the struggles. I want to make a change in the right way. The people of Syria, and all that have suffered from civil wars, need someone to help them, to show that they care. That’s my job and it starts now.

YATW Blog #1 - Animal Cruelty Must End!

 Hello, my name is Kara Heenan and I am a freshman at Science Leadership Academy. For a project in English 1, Ms. Dunn told us to find an issue in the world that we really care about. The topic I chose is Animal Cruelty. I am against any type of animal abuse. Animals are living, breathing things just like us and they deserve to be treated the same way we do. The type of animals I am mainly going to be focusing on throughout this blog are the two common household pets, dogs and cats.

 First, I would like to discuss the types of abuse there are to these animals and the statistics. According to the Humane Society Hall County,

  • 32% of it is neglect or abandonment

  • 12%  of it is hoarding

  • 11% of it is shooting

  • 9% of it is fighting

  • 7% of it is beating

 A huge factor in Animal Cruelty in our country are puppy mills. There is no legal definition of a puppy mill, but the ASPCA defines it as "a large-scale commercial dog breeding operation where profit is given priority over the well-being of the dogs." It has been estimated that there are at least 10,000 puppy mills in the U.S. More than 14 states have no laws to even address puppy mills. In these places, dogs are forced to be in cages most of their lives with no room to play or exercise. These places are crawling with dogs affected by illnesses, wounds, and diseases. No one even seems to care!

What an average puppy mill looks like


 Another factor, especially in this country, is hoarding. Hoarding is keeping a high number of animals as pets without being able to take care of them properly. Approximately 900 to 2000 cases are discovered in America with a quarter of a million animals falling victim. Hoarding is usually a side effect of a mental illness in a person. It is a form of neglect. Most of these poor animals are living in a disgusting home without proper care or love but the owner of these dogs do not realize they are doing harm.

 All a dog or cat really needs is love and care. They don’t ask for much. One thing people forget is that these animals have actual feelings like us. We as humans have no right to treat them as they are less important than we are. I hope after reading this article it really opens your eyes to how important it is to treat animals with respect.

.

A homeless man with his dog. All you need is love.


“He who is cruel to animals becomes hard also in his dealings with men. We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals.” - Immanuel Kant, an 18th-century philosopher

You can view my sources and bibliography here.

YATW Blog Post # 1 - 'Miseducation' In Science Among Minorities (African Americans Specifically)

Oh, you’re reading this already? I’m sorry, I was hardly prepared. Hello, My name is Damir Hunley and I am a 9th grade student here at Science Leadership Academy. Progressively, we have grown as students in Ms. Dunn’s classroom, as far as grammar, writing structure, and “point-making” is concerned. We were given a project, though it was up to us to write the rubric. Not literally, but as far as information is concerned, we made the project. The project was based on our ideas, beliefs, and feelings about what’s going on in our world; what are the problems. Given the task I immediately knew what I was going to do because it was something I felt strongly about. In Philadelphia, standardized test percentages in the science sections are extremely low among minorities; my target especially, African Americans. For years, African Americans have been under the 20th percentile of proficiency in the biology section of the Keystone exams. What will we do to change this? What are the catalysts to these problems?


The main point, and my issue being the fact that African Americans are belittled as far as scientific education is concerned and it is our fault, as well as the world’s. Specifically, I’m interested in the subject for a few reasons, one being the pursuit of my dream in the science field, the achievement of becoming a profound and renown Marine Biologist. Even though that sounds beyond the point there is reasoning behind it. The pursuit of this career is not for myself but for my race, and people as a whole. As shown in the chart found on The American Physical Society Site below, There is only a small, 14% of African Americans in the United States that are at college level age.In the last 15 years the amount of graduates has decreased by 1-2 percentiles in almost every field. The chart depicts the percentages of those few that graduated with bachelor degrees in science majors from 1995-2010.


(Chart found on The website for The American Physical Society

             Labeled: “Percentage of Bachelor’s degrees earned by African americans by Major”)


This issue is extremely significant and beneficial to the future of Philadelphia. If change comes from it, then the educational value of the city will improve drastically. If there is some sort of way to solve the problems at hand then everything I’m ranting about will be of good meaning. Hopefully with further pursuit, I should be able to make a change, this is how I plan to discover who I am, and what effect I have on the world. To start my research I wanted to find a way to get involved in the educational system of Philadelphia. To do that, I went to the root, The School District of Philadelphia. I found great results when coming across an article on the website which really supported my already ‘assumed’ hypothesis on how the educational system in the science fields was at a halt. The article briefly describes how only 20% of the 11th grade students in Philadelphia (who knows what portion of that percentage was African American) scored proficient or advanced on the biology section of the Keystone exams.


Right after, they give a direct link to a document which portrays in more detail, the information presented to the reader. They have several charts which give a great visual representation of statistics for less confusion. After I read and analyzed the disappointing statistics I pondered on what I’d physically do about it. My first thought was to volunteer somewhere that aided in inner city education, though no schools were accepting. Secondly I decided to try and assist at the Academy of Natural Sciences  as a Live Animal Care Center volunteer or an exhibit guide, anything to help educate,though neither of the positions were available.


(The Academy of Natural Sciences official logo)


Questions had arisen the moment I started this project but how would I get the answers? I wasn’t specifically sure though I was fueled by ambition  to find out. What is the source of this “miseducation”? I was bound to that question first as it is the most important. You find the source and you find the problem, you find the problem and you solve the problem. I like to call this question the “Eye of the Storm”. Who was responsible for the slacking? Are the children at fault, or is it society’s mishaps that curse our children intellectually? Although the questions linger still, some of them may have been partially answered in this editorial. The hard-hitting point of the editorial is deep and beyond explanation at this time though there was one thing that stuck with me. Credit due to the author(s) :


Entrenched stereotypes about who does well in science and math also work against minorities in classrooms. Too many teachers give up easily on them simply because they are not expected to do as well as white students. Despite those challenges, many minorities still enroll in science and math programs in college but fewer of them earn a degree in those programs in five years.


Could this be the direct source of the problem at hand? The issue is currently under further investigation and coverage by myself. I hope to continue pursuing this topic to find better results and to hopefully in time, help fix the problem.


Hey! Find my Annotated Bibliography HERE -

Blog#1 YATW: US Media Bias

Hello, my name is Tomas Arango. For this year’s You and The World project I decided to focus on U.S media bias. To me this is a very important topic because it’s something that always stands out to me when I read and watch the news. I also feel that it’s an issue many people don’t know about, especially younger audiences like me.


U.S media shows bias in many different ways, but some very repetitive ones I have noticed are only showing one side of the story and sometimes completely telling the story incorrectly. But what bothers me most is that these bias opinions are mostly present when news stations talk about the Middle East. They try to make them look bad and deliver a strong stereotype whenever the topic is brought up.


I started researching and expanding more on my idea for YATW and found many articles focusing on Western Media Bias. I also found examples on media bias towards the middle east and Islam. Many studies showed that most of this started after the 9/11 bombings in 2001. Media began to blame killings and random attacks on Islam and Muslims. Many times news can tend to focus on the bad side of the story like only on the extremist when it comes to Islam.


A great example would be the shooting in Norway  in 2011, killing 85 people according to police. When this massacre happened there was little information on the background the perpetuator. Giving the opportunity to the media, especially conservatives an opportunity to make assumptions and blame it on Islam.  




This picture shows the meaning of Islam and how it’s a symbol of support, love, and peace.


My goal is to inform readers about these bias opinions that news stations make and educate them on how to avoid falling into to medias traps. I plan making an activity for my advisory where they have to identify what type of bias a news article contain. I want to make an interactive experience so my peers can learn about this issue. I really enjoyed writing this and be sure to watch out for my next blog post!






Another picture displaying Islam is not an icon of terrorism and violence


These are some type of media bias I want people to be able to identify through my blog posts:


  • Omission

  • Selection of Sources

  • Story Selection

  • Placement

  • Labeling

  • Spin


For definitions of words, click here!


You can view my bibliography here!


























Q2 Sumario 3

Sieanna Williams                                                                                                  Q2

Srta. Manuel


Brian de "Family Guy"

volvió a la vida


Los creadores de la serie animada estadounidense "Family Guy" revivieron a Brian, el perro de la familia Griffin, tras las críticas recibidas por la audiencia del programa por la muerte de uno de los personajes principales.” Yo no puedo estar de acuerda más con la frase primero del artículo. Yo soy una admiradora grande de la serie Family Guy. Yo podría verlo todo el día, todos los días y yo hago cuando yo puedo.

Porque mi familia no tiene el cable o el internet no más, es difícil ver mis series. Es por eso que no ví ninguno de los episodios nuevos de Family Guy. Un día, sin embargo, mis amigos estaban hablando sobre Brian (el perro) de Family Guy murió. ¡Cuando yo oí esto, yo estaba enojada inmediatamente!

“Qué dijiste?” Yo recuerdo diciendo.

Nosotros tuvimos reacciones como, “Eso no tiene sentido.” “Eso es ridículo, que pasa con Seth McFarlane?”

Family Guy empezó en 1999. Eso significa que para catorce años, Brian estaba un carácter principal. Lo no tiene sentido matar de la serie porque Seth McFarlane hace la voz de Brian, por eso, ¿por que mata él? También, el modo que Brian murió no estaba aún honorable. Brian murió de un carro. He podría murió en su sueño. Eso escucha como un modo bien para un carácter morir.   

Soy feliz que Brian es vivo otra vez. Yo entiendo completamente porque personas estaban enojado sobre la muerte de Brian. Yo solo puedo esperar que Seth McFarlane no mata otras caracteres de la serie.


~~~

BBC Mundo. "Brian De "Family Guy" Volvió a La Vida." Http://www.elnuevodia.com/. BBC Mundo, 16 Dec. 2013. Web. 16 Dec. 2013

PALABRAS: 253

Edgar Allan Poe't

Edgar Allan Poe’t

I am.

Art defines me.


It defines my being and when I’m gone my art will live through the people who thought the most of me. 



Poet, they say. Favors asked upon misconception. They said I am not who I say I am but in fact I am who made me. Rappers are just rappers but I was put here to create. 



Create, they say. They ask for the old me back. Though I am a futurist. 2023 they ask where will I be. I am Edgar Allan Poe, no “Edgar Allan Poe’t”, I have been longing to present a piece with this title. I am all my grandmother taught me about art. 



Art, they say. They ask for Picasso not realizing Poe was an artist. Words are expression. Expression is me. I express that I am not perfect I long for perfection. I lost my ambition at a point when my mentor was taken. At that point I was awakened, then I began a journey to turn my art into more than visual; but instead turn them into the words and paint the painting in your mind. These painting have a home.



Home, they ponder. (the nonbelievers) of course. This is a sport, the paintings live where you believe. I live where my mentor passed, in the same place where I keep those paintings that these paintings from my mind. I am my mentor in the flesh. 



Deep thought, they know nothing of. 4 years and counting my mentor has been above not where I keep the paintings but paradise. This is the paradise. Cairo Casanova is the new reformed me, I am writing this with tears in my eyes knowing you could not read this to you. 



Application, I tell. I apply my philosophy to life and my life to your teachings to my day to day. This is a genre itself. A reflection into the horizon I am looking at just looking back. I cannot pretend that I have it all figured out. Though I am looking at myself from the outside there’s two of me; the reformed me.



Genre, they only know hip-hop. Not the origin just the modern. Color, is expression, which is deep thought. Application to the art itself makes a home, there you will learn to create they know nothing of it. If you cannot grasp this you simply have not the right mentor as I. My mentor is in the sky, she is awake like I, I think of her everyday and won’t forget the AY. Deeper meaning behind the things I do if you have influence this piece will be more to you than a rant but a different look on life.


Edgar Allan Poe lost his mother, he was influence, genre, application, deep thought, home, art, he did create, and he was a poet. 


Art defines me. 

Sincerely, TJay The Poet or Cairo Casanova

For Edgar Allan Poe’t

The Paradox of the Internet

  Hello my name is Ian Fay and I am a freshman at Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. I am currently working on an assignment known as the You and The World Project. What I will do is I take a very pressing issue and try to be an "agent of change" for the issue. Then I am to create a series of three blog posts for the issue (this one being the first). The issue that I chose to tackle is Internet Privacy, the issue of companies invading the online privacy of many online customers.

    The issue is interesting to me because the Internet is a big part of current technological history. It is a very reliable resource that most of the world has access to for information, entertainment, and many other things. However, It seems to lend itself to have perfect anonymity. If you have seen companies ask for your personal information then it is very wise to keep it a secret. All of these websites that you use are very susceptible to hacking. Over the years many insurance, video game, and entertainment companies have been hacked allowing the hackers to have access to personal information. This would lead to many crimes such as identity theft, hacking bank accounts of customers, and in a few cases stalking and murdering innocent customers. This is the reason why this is such a hard and murky issue to solve. The internet is an open tool usable by many of the world’s population but, these hackers can be camouflaged by the internet allowing for complete ambiguity. The issue itself is mostly seen as a paradox.


    What I and the many others who fight this issue hope to achieve in this issue is an idea known as net neutrality. Net neutrality is the idea of everyone having equal access to the internet. With it, nothing stops anyone from having a lesser connection or having inferior virus software than someone that is richer, smarter, a better job, etc.. That one principle is the keystone to having total equality in the internet. Unfortunately companies are planning to violate this idea of equality. While conducting research I stumbled upon a website that I found to be quite alarming. The site had a video that explained how these companies are doing this. Imagine a street with cars going at the exact same speed, this is how the line that cable providers such as Verizon, Comcast, and Time Warner Cable is visualized. Everyone has the exact same connections whether they may be people living in apartments or business tycoons with gigantic salaries. That line isn’t allowed to be interacted with by these companies, so what do they do? They create a separate line that has a better connection than the standard line. The only people who have access to this line are those that are willing to pay more money to use it while the rest are left with the worse connection. This discriminatory act is defying the very principle I and and those who fight this hope to uphold.

     While this may all look grim, many people have not given up this battle. The website that provided that video was a site named savetheinternet.com. These freedom fighters have created a big following that have voiced themselves to the world. Also a affected by this issue, minorly or majorly, then we can finally be rid of this problem for good. website named internetsociety.org helps employees manage their online lives to ensure that they do not face the same fate as other unsuspecting workers. This is where these people and I see hope. If more people join this cause we can once again achieve perfect net neutrality.

    The invasion of Internet Privacy is a very difficult issue to solve. There are many differing points of view, multiple technological snafus, and the notion of something as open as the internet allowing for complete anonymity is very paradoxical. It doesn’t seem to be feasible to achieve. However we cannot give up this fight. If everyone who feels

Annotated Bibliography     

States Laws pertaining to online privacy

Net Neutrality

Q2 Reflection #3:“7 maneras de escapar a la Navidad”

Audrey Pham

Q2

Melanie Manuel

Word Count: 200


7 maneras de escapar a la Navidad”



Algunos personas realmente odian Navidad. Algunos personas piensan Navidad es una pesadilla. Hoy el mejor manera a deja las vacaciones es dejan el país. Ve a nueva Zelanda, visita un país no cristiano, visita un país comunista, ve a un retiro, ve a una ciudad fiestera,  trabaja, piérdete. Billete de avión a nueva Zelanda es barato. Van a un país no cristiano con no tiene Vanidad porque es otro religión. Van a visita un país comunista sin embargo, China y Vietnam tienen árboles de Navidad porque comercializa Navidad. O haces yoga o meditación de silenciosa. Hacer ejercicio o haces yoga o meditación de silenciosa puede ayudar escarpase desde personas especialmente Navidad. También, usted puede trabajar. La hora pasan rápido. Sin embargo, mucha gente quisieren no tenían trabajar. Mi madre debe ir a trabajar en Navidad y mi familia no le gusta. Hay maneras más a escapar a la Navidad sin embargo este artículo no tiene no más. Es agradable a celebrar Navidad porque es mágico hora de año. Me gusta navidad aunque no soy cristiano. Más, los niños les encantan Navidad porque presentes desde relativos y amigos. Nueva palabras de vocabulario aprendí es evasión, helicóptero, ardiente, azotada, salir, y conexiones.

Article Response #3 [Q2]

http://www.pontealdia.com/estados-unidos/secuestrados-en-siria-dos-periodistas-espanoles.html


Lauren Thomas          Q2

Senorita Manuel


Secuestrados en Siria dos periodistas españoles


Secuestrados en Siria dos periodistas españoles. Desde dieciséis de septiembre dos mil doce, dos personas, Javier Espinosa y Ricardo García, que hayan sido secuestrados. El grupo que los secuestra Javier Espinosa y Ricardo García es una organización radical conectada con Al-Qaeda. El grupo es el Estado Islámico de Irak y Siria (ISIS en inglés). Javier Espinosa y Ricardo García son periodistas. Javier y Ricardo fueron en Siria por un semana de trabajo. Ellos fueron capturados en Raqqa, una provincia del norte de Siria. Ellos fueron liberados tras 12 días.


El director de El Mundo, Pedro J. Ramirez, dijo el último contacto con los secuestrados fue hace un mes.


Yo decidí escribir sobre este artículo porque este artículo es triste. Eventos como este necesitan que se hable de más para que todos sepan lo que está sucediendo.


Yo aprendido nueva vocabulario de este artículo. Yo aprendido que abandonar es “to leave” en Inglés. Yo aprendido que secuestrados es “kidnapped” en Inglés. Yo aprendido que retenidos es “retained” en Inglés.


Deseo y espero que los secuestros de personas en todo el mundo se detendría. Es triste cuando se toman las personas. La gente tiene familias y vidas y la gente los ama. Es triste cuando están tomadas de la vida cotidiana.


WORD COUNT: 209

Articulo #3: Qr. 2

Word Count- 206


Este artículo hablando de la reciente tifón en los Phillipines. Specificamente, este artículo hablando de los niños en los hospitales.


En un hospital, todos los personas en la hospital aplaudieron cuando una niña nacieron. Por fortuna, el nacimiento no tenía problemas. El nacimiento era en la zona Tacloban. El tifón golpeó de Tacloban con muy fuerce. La nacimiento es una pequeña victoria, por que en la área, hay mucho muerte ahorita.  


La área está recibiendo ayuda de muchos países. Por ejemplo Singapur, Alemania, Noruega, y otros países está dando ayuda de está y otros áreas en los Filipinas. Los países está dando ayuda porque en la semana pasada, un tifón impacto los Filipinas.


Yo creo que es muy importante por otros países ayudar los Filipinas ahorita. Es una problema grande. En el mes pasada, Este artículo hablando de la reciente tifón en los Phillipines. Specificamente, este artículo hablando de los niños en los hospitales.


Tambien, yo piense que mientras los Filipinas es en una crisis, otros países es un una crisis tambien, porque Los Estados Unidos es antipatico. Todos los situaciones que tienen personas que mueren es triste. 

“Sobrevivientes del tifón Haiyan luchan por proteger a los niños en medio del caos”

CNN

http://cnnespanol.cnn.com/2013/11/13/sobrevivientes-del-tifon-haiyan-luchan-por-proteger-a-los-ninos-en-medio-del-caos/


Dos barcos caros: Articulo #2 Qr. 2

Word count - 214

Este artículo fue sobre dos barcos caros destruidos por un incendio grande. El daño fue Doscientos cincuenta mil dolares. El fuego comenzó de un corto circuito. Fue un barco, a la otra, y me dolió la cubierta. Nadie resultó herido. La policía y los bomberos llegaron en buen momento porque dejaron el primero justo antes de que estaba a punto de conseguir más grande. No hoy partes del barco izquierda.

Este artículo estaba triste porque los barcos eran muy importantes en ese lugar. También me recordó cuán caro barcos son debido a los daños. Me gustaría que saber más información sobre cómo el corto circuito provocó el incendio. También el artículo no dice que estaba en el barco y lo hicieron.

Además, se trataba de la pérdida de algo. Quería leer más sobre lo que se llevaron y cómo sucedió. Nunca he estado involucrado en algo como esto antes y espero que nunca estoy. Me pregunto por qué los dos barcos fueron tan importantes para la ciudad. ¿De donde vienen los circuitos? ¿Que les hizo un incendio? ¿Los barcos fueron históricos? Espero que traen nuevos barcos porque fue una gran pérdida para el medio ambiente

Los nuevos vocablos que aprendí son 'barcos, pérdida' y mucho más. 


http://www.elnuevodia.com/sequemandosbotesenmarinadefajardo-1607518.html

"Se Queman Dos Botes En Marina De Fajardo." El Nuevo Dia. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Oct. 2013. <http://www.elnuevodia.com/sequemandosbotesenmarinadefajardo-1607518.html>.

Es Mortal Qr2 Reflection #1

En dos mil diez, 223,000 personas murieron porque ellos tiene cáncer. La aire tienes contaminación cuando personas juegan con tecnologías. El contaminación es muy peligroso para el contaminación es en la atmosférica. Muchos personas tiene cáncer y es muy mal. En científica, tumores son en pulmón y vejiga. Las personas respirar la aire y es difícil limpiar la aire. En China, hay muchos fábricas y el contaminación es súper mal y hay más personas van a respirar el humo. Es importante cuando el mundo tiene calor. También, Agencia Europea del médico dijo 90% personas respira mal aire.

En Estados Unidos, muchos gentes conducen un carro. Es importante cuando personas no caminan. Nosotros come muchos y somos gordos. Yo pienso, personas deben montan un bicicleta.   

Mi familia en Iran tiene carro y nosotros vivimos lejos. A veces mis hermanos y yo usamos bicicletas en la parque. Necesitamos un carro ir a ciudad y es rápido. La gasolina es muy cara. Yo sabo muchos personas tienen cáncer. Hay diferentes cáncer y gentes debe ir a hospital. La doctor ayudó mi amigo pensar bien. La aire en el mundo es horrible. Es triste cuando personas muere porque la aire. Personas usan muchos gasolina y electricidad.



"La OMS Considera Comprobado Que La Contaminación Atmosférica Causa Cáncer." - 20minutos.es. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.20minutos.es/noticia/1951292/0/contaminacion/causa-cancer/oms/>.

Media Fluency

I am a big time chocoholic. I like chocolate candies, chocolate pretzels, and even chocolate covered chocolate. Whenever it is in my presence I literally go “coo-coo for cocoa puffs.” In my family I have always been known as a chocolate lover, knowing this as it still shows today brings back precious memories. In my slide it views a picture of chocolate shreds in the shape of a heart and quote on top. The picture on my slide includes empty space. After reading the 7th lesson (“Empty Space”) on the presentation zen website I decided to design it this way so it wasn't viewed as extremely serious. My slide also includes large sized text. I decided to include this in my slide so that it stands out. I also got this idea from the presentation zen website, which is talked about in lesson 3(“Make Type Big”).


Sherell Q2 media fluency

YATW Blog Post 1: Efficient Energy

“Hey, you put that non-recyclable plastic into the recycling bin” or “Hey, you put that recyclable plastic into the trash bin!” These are scoldings that are heard frequently. “Is it really important? Do I really have to care about where this ends up? How will my life change?” These are retorts often thought but seldom uttered. In this first blog post for my You and the World project, I seek to answer those questions, and talk a little bit about poop (which will make sense soon, I promise).

To start, let’s establish that things can’t be recycled infinitely- every iteration of an item can’t be used as the thing it was last, as quality is lost every time something is reconstituted. A prime example from HowStuffWorks is paper. Paper’s second life will be of a lower quality, meaning it might be lined instead of copy paper. After that, it might not be able to surface as paper at all, and someone might take personal initiative to turn their paper into art or furniture, at which point it has reached the approximate end of its lifecycle. Americans mostly know their job in this (even if they don’t follow through); recycle plastics, papers, and metals, throw out everything else. But is there a point at which it isn’t worth recycling something? Is there a point at which something isn’t a resource, it is merely garbage? Michael C Munger thinks so. He believes that if any item can’t be clearly and efficiently turned into another useful item, it may be just as eco-friendly to shift our focus entirely off of reusing trash and onto turning real, usable materials into energy.

Materials like cow feces (see now?). I’m not limiting the terms “real” and “usable” to poop, but it certainly applies. Here is an interesting infographic on the subject- the most interesting thing it points out, however, is this: “Two adjacent dairy farms in Rexville, WA  produce enough methane to provide electricity for about 1,000 homes.” That’s twelve-hundred cows fueling one-thousand homes. That’s incredible. That raises a very important question: why is this not more widespread?

These guys make lots and lots and lots of gas. Like, a lot.


I’m not trying to refute the usefulness of recycling-bin type recycling- whether or not  that’s truly effective is not an easily answerable question. Some say recycling isn’t even really followed through with. There is no debate on one front, however: green energy is good. I can’t imagine anyone could disagree with saving the environment and saving money.

Recycling is more than just putting things in a bin (though that can help). Recycling is reusing materials, ideally in a way that makes the repercussions tangible. That means composting, and solar panels, and turbines. In a world where so much money is spent on creating energy in processes in which so much exhaust is output while we have the capabilities to cut that price and to clean those emissions, why do we continue? For my You and the World project, I want to help people (my own family included) meaningfully recycle.



Check out my annotated bibliography here.

YATW Blog #1: Kitten Neglection in Philadelphia

    Hello my name is Vilma Martinez in Ms.Dunn's English 9 class and for this project we are required to find an issue in the community and find a way to help solve the problem. An issue I have with the community is Kitten Neglection. Many citizens of this community appreciate dogs more than cats. They don’t realize that cats need as much care as dogs do. Cats roam all over the street and they don’t deserve that. If you are a dog owner and you see a cat roaming around in the street do something to help them out. Now don't go overboard, I'm not saying to take the cat in as a pet, but the least you can do is give it some food or water or milk or a blanket to let them know that there are actually people in this world that care about them. They need to be shown that there actually people with hearts that don't treat them like trash as their previous owners did by throwing them out onto the street, if you know that you are going to get a cat then throw them out onto the street or do anything to endanger it, then don’t get the cat at all. Like, seriously the more cats there are in the streets the more heart breaking it becomes to see those cats die when you finally have the chance to save them. 


    
In the article The Story of Bramble: A Story of Neglection A cat Bramble always wandered around the streets. People wanted to help him and then one night he somehow he got trapped in a random family's kitchen. The poor cat was so skinny the family thought his legs were broken, but it was his shoulder blades giving them that impression. Someone finally came to his rescue and decided to take the cat into her home, She gave the cat necessary essentials, but she knew he was slowly slipping away. She rushed him to the hospital where they tried their best to help him survive to live a good healthy life, but he died the second day of being in the hospital because his breathing collapsed. This right here is a tragic story that brought tears into my eyes for quite a while. Now the article Justin the Kitten, this cat went through just as much as Bramble did with the only difference that he actually... lived. Now Justin suffered from heinous physical abuse at only five weeks old. When he was found he had been set on fire by his owner. He was rushed to the hospital for immediate recovery. Both his ears were lost because of dead cartilage ( I know this was to happen because my kitten lost an ear due to a similar situation where only hers was an accident ) but he still has his hearing. After his recovery he was sent with a family that actually cares for him and being with that family helped him become healthy again.
And so we say thank you, Justin! You're an inspiration to us all.


    Now people need to learn to care for these cats. If they tend to bad habits they are worth making them change instead of throwing them out onto the streets because you can’t take what they are doing. Give them a chance to change or at least help them change instead of leaving them alone to have no one to depend on. They are innocent creatures, if you have the courage to do that to an animal who knows what you can do to a child. An animal is another version of a child it’s like seeing a baby try to survive the terrors of the city. If you wouldn’t want to see a child in the same position don’t do this to a small creature who has as much feelings as a child. 





    Well my question why do people do this? Why do they decide to get rid of a precious animal who is in need of help? This project will help me get into the community to do something about this issue. Kitten Neglection is critical and it needs to come to an end.


Click here to see My Resources and Annotated Bibliography

Media Fluency

Tech..

Jamilah Woodards

Red

Tech Slide Presentation


  When making my project, I first used my online sources. I initially went to the “Design Slide Website” link. One of the first things I read basically said Color is the first thing that is seen. My original slide consisted of a black and grey New York themed background. I completely changed everything and went for more appealing colors. I used a bold red  font to make the words eye catching then put a thin black shadow behind the text.. I next went Presentation Zen and utilized their sources as well. I used the rule of empty/blank space isn't always a bad thing. The background that I used had a black&white color scheme. Therefor in my opinion, it gave somewhat of an empty space/spacious setting on its own. With that being said, I wanted the text to stand out like the two website links that were provided said. To make the pictures my own, I edited them using two apps on my phone and iPad. The first app; Color Splurge,  allowed me to enhance the black&white color background. While the other app; A+ Signature allowed me to watermark my picture by writing my text. Finally I used tips that I read offline which included; bold text makes the work more appealing, make sure the text stands out, have a statement in your presentation, and etc.

YATW First Blog Post - Financial Education

Hello, my name is Felix Schafroth Doty, and this is the first of three blog posts for my English You And The World (YATW) project. For this project, we are to choose an issue in the world, anywhere, and combat it with some form of volunteering. I have chosen Financial Literacy and Education, and the fact that not nearly enough people have the knowledge to live a financially savvy life.


This problem came to my attention when I read a book on teenage finance and education. This book is called The Motley Fool Investment Guide For Teens, written by David and Tom Gardner, owners of a stock investing site. However, this book isn’t just on investing in the stock market. The Motley Fools, as they call themselves, teach you throughout the book about how to be smart and safe with money, and ultimately use it to your advantage. Their website is here.


But anyway, back to the problem at hand: Financial Literacy. This is a definite problem in America, as shown by a recent survey:



The 2012 Consumer Financial Literacy Survey, released in April, Financial Literacy Month, found that despite the recession, Americans still lack basic money skills. More than half of the 1,007 adults polled for the survey admit to not even having a household budget.


Also revealed in the findings:

  • 33 percent, or more than 77 million Americans, do not pay all of their bills on time.

  • 39 percent of Americans carry credit card debt from month to month.

  • Only 59 percent of adults say they have savings -- a 5 percent decrease from last year.

  • More than one in four adults say they are now spending more than last year.

  • 42 percent of respondents give themselves ratings of C, D or F on their personal finance knowledge



personalfinanceeducation
personalfinanceeducation
Just looking at this image should show you how bad Financial Education is in America!


This means that some of the most fundamental financial tools are not being taught to people, which brings me to the issue I want to address with my project. Financial education is not something that is routinely taught to children, either by parents or schools. When I googled, “Financial Education” and “Lack of Financial Education,” (google search, google search, and other google search. As you can see, just by skimming these searches, there’s an issue.) I saw a lot of programs funded by banks or government branches, but all of these programs are only for people who can access them. People who aren’t members of these banks, or don’t take advantage of their own banks’ education programs, aren’t getting their education from their bank or financial institution. As a side note. some of these bank programs are taking advantage of this advertising opportunity, and teach kids what they want them to know (our bank has the best rates, other banks will cheat you out of money, etc.) Additionally, some neighborhoods don’t have access to a good financial institution, or even a financial institution period.


In addition to the mentioned problems, some parents don’t want to teach their kids about financial education, either because they themselves don’t know about it, or are embarrassed that their kids will find some fault in them. Talking about money and finances is a big taboo in American culture, and frankly shouldn't be. Financial independence and the benefits that come from it can only be achieved if financial education is actively taught in America, both by parents and schools. This is something that has been supported by many sources, including the aforementioned Motley Fools.


This means that action needs to be taken. To me, Health classes (and similar programs) should include a section on financial literacy. In ‘the real world’, something these programs are supposed to prepare you for, money is one of the biggest assets you can have, but only if you know how to use it right. If you don’t handle things like debt, loans, and credit cards correctly, you can be in a lot of trouble. The same goes for sexual education. It’s a big taboo in American culture, but it is also one of the things we need the most. That’s why I think that there needs to be more abundantly accessible financial education programs out there in ‘the real world.’


As a solution to this serious issue, I'm hoping to have talks at my old school and in some advisories here at SLA. That way I can teach more kids about how to be safe and smart.




This is my Annotated Bibliography. You can find plenty more sources there, and some statistics, too.

FEChart
FEChart
A chart showing what to teach children at different stages in their lives.

Quarter 2 Reflection 3

Zack Hersh Quarter 2 Reflection 2

12/15/13 Señorita Manuel


“Clemente y Yo”


El autor de este artículo admira Roberto Clemente, un jugador de béisbol por los Piratas de Pittsburgh en la década de los setenta. Su familia visitando Filadelfia la semana pasada para para promocionar su libro, que es sobre el fenecido patriarca de Clemente, le hizo recordar. Aunque Clemente está muerto ahora, (él se murió en la treinta y uno de diciembre, en el año mil novecientos sesenta y dos, en un accidente de avión), su familia está promoviendo su libro. Porque de este, el autor, Will Gonzalez, se recordaba recuerdos de la infancia sobre Roberto Clemente, y cómo Gonzalez le admiraba y como Clemente fue su hero. El recordaba cuando todo el mundo pensaba que el carrera de Clemente terminó cuando él golpeó en un doble juego con un out y las bases llenas en la parte baja de la novena entrada, en un juego muy importante, pero Gonzalez todavía creía en el. Clemente continuó para firmar con los Piratas, y ayudarles ganar el Serie Mundial contra los Orioles de Baltimore. Ademas, Clemente fue el Jugador Mas Valioso del serie. Gonzalez nunca se rindió en él, y la Famila Clemente visitando Filadelfia volvió todos de estes recuerdos a él. Este artículo fue conmovedor.


Palabras: 203


Gonzalez, Will. "Clemente y Yo." Ponte Al Día. Ponte Al Día, 26 11 2013. Web. 15 Dec 2013. <http://www.pontealdia.com/philadelphia/clemente-y-yo.html>.

Reflection #3

¡A celebrar la navidad en Filadelfia!

15/12/13: Andrew Roberts




Este artículo describe algunas características de Navidad en Filadelfia. Muchos lugares públicos tienen espectáculos de Navidad que son divertidas a ver o hacer. El Please Touch Museum tiene su famoso villa navideña colonial. Esto ya es una tradición para muchas familias.  El Franklin Square tiene un programa nueva en este año llama “Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show.”  Tiene cincuenta mil luces y una programa especial cada treinta minutos, 4:30 pm a 8:00 pm todas las tardes, con música navideña.  Penn’s Landing tiene, para el vigésimo año, el Blue Cross River Rink en su programa “Waterfront Winterfest,” que cuesta tres dolares para aceptación o trece dolares para aceptación y patines.  La torre Comcast tiene una programa libre llama “ The Comcast Holiday Spectacular.” Es un video de quince minutos que tiene música y muchos imágenes clásicas navideña.  He visto este programa, y es muy divertidas.  ¡Yo lo recomiendo!

Todos de estas programas son divertidas, y son lleno de espíritu navideño.  Es cosas como estos que hacen Navidad excelente.  Es por estas cosas que yo y muchas otras personas disfrutamos mucho este temporada. Yo elegí este artículo porque disfruto cosas que son sobre el temporada navideña, y yo quiero compartir.


200 palabras


"Latino News and Opinion." ¡A Celebrar La Navidad En Filadelfia! - . N.p., 11 Dec. 2013. Web. 15 Dec. 2013. <http://www.pontealdia.com/philadelphia/a-celebrar-la-navidad-en-filadelfia.html>.


Why Did the Shrews Get Married?


Why Did The Shrews Get Married?

           In Shakespeare's "Taming of the Shrew," A man named Baptista is searching for possible husbands for his two daughters but he has a rule; his eldest daughter must get married first, however, everyone wants the younger daughter, Bianca, because the oldest, Katherine, is a bad-tempered woman, known as a shrew. A man named Petruchio steps in to marry Baptista's Katherine, not for love, but for money. Once she is married Bianca is open to suitors . Throughout the book, Katherine and Petruchio's relationship is tracked as she becomes calmer and actually obeys her husband.


In the movie, " Why Did I Get Married?" , marriages are put to the test when honesty is missing from relationships and deception is present. There are four married couples who go on a retreat every year to strengthen their relationships with their spouse and one another. When first arriving to the retreat, the couples' stereotypical titles are revealed. There's the strong couple, the crazy/arguing couple, the "normal" couple, and the distant couple.


The couple most similar to Katherine and Petruchio's relationship is the crazy/arguing couple, Marcus and Angela. Angela is a shrew like Katherine, but she remains a shrew even after she's married. Marcus doesn't attempt to "tame" her as Petruchio does, for the simple matter of different time periods. All that Petruchio did to Katherine such as starving her is now illegal in America. Marcus on the other hand argues with Angela, only to let her get her way in the end. She whines and complains about her husband's baby mother, with whom he is still secretly sleeping with. If Petruchio cheated on Katherine, it wouldn't have been such a big deal. Katherine didn't love him initially in the marriage since she was forced into it , so she more than likely wouldn't have cared too much about his infidelity. Besides, in those times, a woman was supposed to obey her husband and that is what was mostly enforced, not vice versa.


Although times have changed, deception in marriages always play a role in how strong the relationship is.



"Marry me so I mean, sweet Katherine, in thy bed…. father hath consented that you shall be my wife, you dowry ‘greed on. and will you, nill you, I will marry you"


(Act 2, Scene 1, 82-86 )


Petruchio deceived his wife. Before they were married he attempted to make her believe he was in love with her, and that was his reasoning for marrying her. He actually wanted financial power from their marriage, not her. Still a shrew at the time, Katherine turned him away but her stubbornness was no match for his persistence. His persona was presented as loving and admiral, but that’s not Petruchio’s actual characteristics. He also made Katherine believe her father already consented their marriage, which turn her against her own father for a short period.



While Petruchio’s deception started before marriage, Marcus’ began after.


Like Petruchio, Marcus also deceives his wife by lying to her. He tells her she's crazy and is worried about nothing with his mistress. He encourages the two to get along for the sake of the kids, but little did Angela know Keisha (the baby mother)  was laughing in her face. Angela attempts to believe him ,but she had that “itch” that made her believe everything but what Marcus tells her. Similar to Katherine’s response to Petruchio’s lies, Angela snaps and crabs at Marcus, in an effort to be heard. The difference between Marcus and Petruchio is that Marcus lets it slide, while Petruchio is not afraid to put Katherine in her place of an obedient wife.


"PETRUCHIO: I say it is the moon that shines so bright.

KATHERINE: I know it is the sun that shines so bright

PETRUCHIO:  Say as he says, or we shall never go.

PETRUCHIO:I say it is the moon.

KATHERINE :I know it is the moon.”


(Act 4, Scene 5, line numbers)

As for Katherine, she deceived her husband into thinking he was right at all times. He tamed her to obey and respect him, but she was deceiving him to strengthen their marriage. Katherine knew her husband wouldn't stop forcing her to starve or sleep on the floor if she kept up with her horrible attitude towards him. What he said goes, so even when he was wrong, she would still tell him he was right.



   Petruchio's "taming" process proved to be efficient, as Katherine obeys him over all of the other wives to their husbands. Shocked, everyone watches her come to him the second he summoned for her; when she came, she announced in front of everyone how her feelings for Petruchio changed and she's in love with her husband, that's why she's obedient to him. She understands her wifely duties now, and believes Petruchio's actions towards her were out of love. As far as deception in their marriage, they used it to strengthen their relationship, unlike Marcus and Angela. Petruchio's deceived Katherine into the marriage, but overall made her a better person. Katherine's newly obedient manner caused her to stand by her husband and do as he pleases, even if it's not necessarily right. In the end, they are a happy couple and their deception in their marriage positively affected them.







Petruchio and Katherine’s deceptive tactics had the purpose of strengthening their marriage, but it’s not the same for Angela and Marcus.



    It isn't revealed that Angela was cheating until her and Marcus contracted  a sexual disease, and Angela admits she's already been treated for it. The two get into a physical altercation, but then settles their issues verbally. In this case, their deceiving was hurting their marriage as well as one another; their infidelity was done out of lust, not hatred. After putting all problems caused by deceiving on the table, they still decided to rekindle their marriage. Angela's shrew-like behavior is shortly paused as she shows her soft spot for her husband, admitting she only acts the way she does because she's scared to lose him. In order to be faithful to Angela, he demands his baby mother stops contacting him or visiting him unless it's for the sake of their child. She also talked about Angela in a degrading manner to the kids, which Marcus also demands for her to stop doing. With an attitude, his baby mother unwillingly agrees.



In Taming of the Shrew, the purpose of deception was to strengthen and  create a bond between two who didn’t have one prior to marriage. In the movie, “Why Did I Get Married?” , lust controlled the deception, and hurt the relationship more than anything. While many believe deception is a negative aspect, “Taming of the Shrew” proved otherwise. The portrayals in both the movie and play prove that the purpose behind actions is what is the deciding factor whether it is hurting or benefiting the marriage. As stated, while deception is often connected with negative actions, the purpose behind it could change the direction in what it does for the relationship.