Ameena Atif Public Feed

Ameena Atif Capstone

Posted by Ameena Atif in Capstone · Reddy · Wed on
Link to my website:


Link to purchase my e-book: 
http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/annabelle-and-the-garden-ameena-atif/1126371123?ean=2940157282059  


As a graduation requirement, I am challenged with creating a project that cultivates what I have learned in my four years at the Science Leadership Academy. The project must engage our 5 core values: Inquiry, Research, Collaboration, Process, and Reflection. 

I wrote a short story e-book titled "Annabelle and the Garden". “Annabelle and The Garden” is a short story piece about one girl's curiosity and thankfulness. While on a class trip to her garden Annabelle learns about less fortunate people in her neighborhood. The garden is a symbolic place for growing and learning. Throughout the book Annabelle and readers are taught the value of family, gratitude, and love.


I am extremely passionate about children's education. It is my ‘life mission’ to ensure that every child I meet has access to books and quality education. In addition to my passion for literature, SLA has taught me the importance of community and gratitude. I asked myself, "How you can combine your literary passion and your love for the community?" From there, "Annabelle and The Garden" was born.

I created a website to serve as a home for "Annabelle and The Garden" and my senior capstone. This website is not just a home for my senior capstone. It's main function is to engage little readers with our beautiful planet Earth and the worlds in books all around them. On the “Lesson Plans’ parents/guardians and educators can perform experiments and activities with little readers.

My SLA admission interview ended with the question, "How can you make SLA a better place?". As my graduation ceremony approaches and my capstone process ends, I leave a similar question for you.  "How can you make the world a better place?"


"Annabelle and The Garden" is available for purchase on Barnes & Noble. You can also read an excerpt of the book on Barnes & Noble's website. All of the proceeds are being donated to KidsGardening.org. For 35 years KidsGardening has been a leader in the school gardening movement. They encourage garden based learning. 




AmeenaAtifAnnotatedBibliographyCapstone

Amandla Stenberg

Posted by Ameena Atif in Gender Studies - Menasion - d1 on
Amandla Stenberg


Ameena Atif - March 20, 2016 Introduction

The name Amanda means power.  That alone should tell who Amandla Sternberg is.

She was born in Los Angeles, California, on October 23, 1998, to Karen Brailsford and Tom Stenberg. Amanda is an American actress and social activist. She landed the first of her Disney catalog modeling shoots when she was four years old. Amandla has shot numerous commercials and films. In April 2011, Lionsgate announced that Amandla had landed the role of Rue in the screen adaptation of Suzanne Collins' popular series, The Hunger Games. The highly anticipated film opened in theaters on March 23, 2012. The Los Angeles Times noted "the presence of young actress Amandla Stenberg, who makes a powerful impression as 12-year-old Rue.” Amandla earned an NAACP Image Award nomination for Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Motion Picture. She also won (with Jennifer Lawrence) a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie Chemistry.


Amandla is making her mark in the social media world. The teen social activist helped catapult the topic of cultural appropriation into the public when she posted her school project video, "Don't Cash Crop My Cornrows" on her Tumblr. She has been name one of The 30 Most Influential Teens of 2015 by Time Magazine. 

The teen dishes on feminism, #blacklivesmatter, and films in several interviews. In an interview for her cover story for ASOS magazine she said, “I’m not saying it’s unexpected to hear a 17-year-old speak with eloquent authority. It’s just in a world where appearance-obsessed Kardashian culture is inescapable, talking to a girl who takes pride in the power of her own voice, and understands its reach [and the possibility that by using it properly she can change the world], is incredibly inspiring.” She has inspired girls all over the world to have confidence and follow their dreams. 


Sources:


"Amandla Stenberg Tackles." World News. Accessed March 21, 2016. http://article.wn.com/view/2015/07/13/amandla_stenberg_tackles_x22double_standard_x22_of_beauty_fo/.


Link to the Timeline and Creative Piece here


Colorism towards Black Women

Posted by Ameena Atif in English 3 - Block - E on
My goal for this podcast was to explore a topic that affects me. Colorism is a very sensitive topic to African American women. My essay also focuses on colorism in the black community. For this podcast, I wanted to interview light skin black women and dark skin black women. Another goal for this podcast was to improve my editing skills. 
I learned that forming a story arc in a podcast is very hard. Some of my struggles were forming the climax and my interview questions. At first, I didn't know what questions to ask my interviewees. However, over time I learned to let the interview be more of a conversation than a podcast. 
English Podcast - 1_28_16, 11.28 PM

Feminist Film Review: Disney's "Descendants"

Posted by Ameena Atif in Gender Studies - Menasion - d1 on
​

Ameena Atif

January 7, 2016

D Band

  1. The film that I will be testing is Descendants. Descendants is a 2015 American film directed and choreographed by Kenny Ortega. The film stars Dove Cameron, Cameron Boyce, Booboo Stewart and Sofia Carson as the sons and daughters of Disney villains Maleficent, The Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella De Vil. The plot follows these teenagers adjusting to life outside the Isle of the Lost (an island specifically for the villains), while on a mission to steal the Fairy Godmother's wand and free their parents from captivity. Descendants meets the Bechdel test because of its characters and plot. The movie features multiple young women in major roles. It also stars two young women in lead roles. These two women often conversate with each other and it is not always about a man. In fact Maleficent’s daughter, Mal, encourages daughter of The Evil Queen, Evie, that she doesn’t need a prince to make her feel special.

  2. Bechdel Test

  • The movie has to have at least two women in it.

    • The film has two main characters that are women and other supporting characters. However there is a young man in this film that is getting ready to obtain a position of the power (Mitchell Hope as Prince Ben, son of Queen Belle and King Beast). This does display a patriarchy. The roles that the women play in this movie do not depend on the roles that the men play.


  • who talk to each other

    • The female characters in this film talk about the legend of the good and the evil, their current situations, and eventually how they can make everything better.

  • about something besides a man

    • The female characters in this film talk about different things than men. The main focus is the legend of the good vs. the evil, their current situations, and eventually how they can make everything better.


  1. My Film Test and Review

    1. The roles that women in this film perform should not be dependent on the roles that men perform.

      1. The film has two main characters that are women and other supporting characters. However there is a young man in this film that is getting ready to obtain a position of the power (Mitchell Hope as Prince Ben, son of Queen Belle and King Beast). This does display a patriarchy. The roles that the women play in this movie do not depend on the roles that the men play.

    2. The women in this film should not pictured to mimic the “bitchy woman” stereotype.

      1. Maleficent and The Evil Queen are portrayed negatively however that is credited more towards their role as a villain and not their role as a woman. Their children, Mal and Evie, are portrayed negatively in the beginning of the film because of their mission to steal the Fairy Godmother’s wand. However I must say that all of the villains’ children (boys and girls) are portrayed negatively because they all worked on the mission to steal the wand.

    3. There should be people of color in the film.

      1. There are people of color in this film.

Overall I think that Descendants is a good movie and perceives women well.

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uk_aaa_promo_image_decendants_600x338

Advanced Essay #2: Women of the World

Posted by Ameena Atif in English 3 - Block - E on

Introduction Paragraph

In my advanced essay I choose to explore the way women are viewed by men in American society. Women are taught to have skills in many fields, and be literate but they should never interfere with the skills of a man. After reading many essays such as, “To Tame a Wild Tongue” by Gloria Anzaldua, I questioned whether it was possible to tame (control) a woman when she has so many skills and attributes. In conclusion, I have learned that it is not possible to tame a woman because her skills and attributes are powerful. I am most proud of my scenes of memory. I worked hard on them for this essay and believe that the quality of them improved in this essay.


V. Women of the World

The first mistake I made in giving up my power was thinking I didn’t have any. Honestly, most of my insecurities about my power came from being the only girl (and the youngest) with 5 brothers. Many would think that because of me being the only daughter and the youngest, many would expect me to have been praised, treated like a princess, and in fact, some parts of me were. But the generalization of who women should be and what we should be doing was shown to me early on. I was also underestimated and other qualities of myself were not praised. “Oh you’re such a beautiful girl,” I would hear from my brothers because evidently, to men, beauty is most important. I would wanted to have been recognized for me intelligence. This does not compensate for the ugly stigma that remains unspoken but clearly seen. A woman can aspire to have skills in many fields, and be literate, but they should never interfere with the skills of a man. This stigma was obvious between us and is obvious in many American families. My personal views have changed as I’ve gotten older. I have read different articles and pieces that have changed my view on what women are able to do. In the essay, “To Tame a Wild Tongue” author Gloria Anzaldua questioned, “Is it possible to tame someone’s tongue when they have so many?”. This made me question if it was possible to tame (control) a woman when she has so many skills and attributes.  

I have been exposed stigmas through woman empowerment programs and organizations.

  • women accept this stigma

  • women fade into the shadow of men

  • Men rely on women to do the “behind the scenes work” and then reward them with the gift of superficial compliments

  • Girls need only women to teach them how to love being a woman.

As many times as I fell into the shadow of my brothers, I’ve learned that as much as men are involved in the demise of women, they can help women understand their worth worth. My fifth oldest brother, Ali was involved in building my confidence in positive ways.  I remember the day he taught me the first lesson of how to love being a woman.

Lesson 1: Love being smart.

My father’s office was so quiet that only the clocks ticking could be heard. I brushed my pencil lightly across the homework page looking for answers that weren’t coming to my head. I was trying to do my math homework but it just wasn’t happening for me. The door opened, closed and the room went pitch black. I could smell the stench of hard working hands. “Assalam Walikum” Ali said. “Walikum Assalam” I said, barely containing my smile. I knew it was him. “Whatcha doing.” he asked. He didn’t know that I had been doing the same thing for twenty minutes. Brushing led against paper, back and forth, back and forth. I tried telling him that my math homework “wasn’t working out” and “math isn’t for me” but all I received was, “You’re smart...try it again.” repeated 10 times and “You surely won’t get anywhere if you don’t apply yourself. I tell you you’re smart all the time, you just have to believe it.” I was silent after that last part. Everyone had told me I was smart but when he had told me I believed it. I had learned lesson one of loving being a young woman.

I wish I had paid a lot more attention to Lesson 1 and the many other lessons. Hearing them from my other brothers was a lost cause and shortly after that office visit, Ali had died from a motorcycle accident. Stepping out of my house after 3 days in hibernation, I became the lost cause. I had forgotten all the lessons he taught me about loving myself just because he had left. On the day of his funeral, silence filled the air. Tears fell and hit my chest almost in a rhythmic tune. My mom walked me to the car and I slipped in, but no words slipped out from either of our mouths. The entire ride I kept looking at the bright orange paper in the wind shield screaming FUNERAL. Ironically, cyclists zoomed past my car crossing through traffic in weird dangerous patterns. I made eye contact with one. Four seconds of contact and my brother’s face became the man’s face. “You’re smart...try it again” I heard in my head. I ended eye contact with the driver immediately. I saw her face and the screaming orange sign.

    Slowly but surely I began to live out the lessons he taught me. Women should love different things about themselves and shouldn’t fade into the shadow of men.


Works Cited
A, Gloria. "To Tame A Wild Tongue." Borderlands: The New Mestiza = La Frontera. San Francisco: Spinsters/Aunt Lute, 1987. Print.


Lost in Life

Posted by Ameena Atif in English 3 - Block - E on
​My goals with this paper were to write about a personal topic and control my use of descriptive language. I wanted to describe the details of the scenes without confusing the reader on what was happening. I would like to improve on "exploring the larger idea". A couple of people suggested that I expand on my larger idea but I don 't know how to do that without including a lot of irrelevant language. Writing my scenes went well. 

One, three, five, six. I count my steps slowly and press my toes into the carpet, avoiding making noise. My mother’s room is dimly lit with the door slightly cracked. Sharp rays of burgundy sunlight peep through the curtains. She takes place on the left side of the bed with her elbows on top of her crisis-crossed thighs. The palms of her hands are pressed together and gently covering her face. Murmured speech is what causes my feet to stop, wait, and listen. “I come to you today Lord to thank you. Thank you for my children and to ask you to strengthen my health. I try to..to trust that everything will work out but it’s hard. I ask that you teach me the meaning of life and my purpose in it. God I ask that you be with me every moment and strengthen my health. I need to be here for my children and family. Please God.”

I sit on the steps, listening to my heart break. She’s praying for her health as if she isn’t going to make it. I contemplate any signs of sickness that I have seen her show but, I don’t really know exactly what is going on with her. In the blink of an eye I questioned my priorities. It is so easy to forget what matters and get trapped in the valleys and peaks of life. Slowly, I sit down on the step, careful not to let her know that I am listening. As I sit down I can see more of her burgundy and white mixed covers. It is now visible that her hand is pressed against her Bible. Her silky nightgown falls over her body and puffs up at the shoulders. Her hair tightly wrapped, tied, and covered for bed. I began to deeply worry for my mother.

This is the moment I realize that I am truly getting older and so is she. Thoughts of my future, life without my mother, and death run marathons through my head.

The weeks following flew by and somehow we ended up meeting a doctor. Even as I walk off the doctor’s elevator those same thoughts run marathons through my head. The hairs on my arms spike up with each step I take. One, two, three, four. Trying to suppress the loud beats of my nervous heart, I open the doctor’s doors. Light wisps of cool air push me to the front counter. “Hi, I’m here to see Dr. Bashira” my mother says, so calm it scares me. She rummages through the paperwork signing her name away. I drag my feet to the seating area, sit down, and wait. Soon, she sits next to me and sighs. "We're gonna be okay...you hear me?" she suggests. I couldn't hear her. The comfort I always feel when around my mother was so far away. She was just as nervous as me if not more and trying to reassure me didn't work. For a couple of minutes, all that speaks is the guest tv. “Ameena for Dr. Bashira" an assistant says cheerfully. God be with me. God be with me, is all I can say.

Forty minutes seemed like eternity. She appears in front of me smiling as if life was perfect. As if the same thoughts running through my head simply skipped over her’s. Strength is plastered all over her face. We return to the front counter then float out of the office. Blessed we are.

My mother’s health has led me to question life a lot more. I think about what I should be doing, what I’m going to do in the future, and how easy it is to stay tucked in the wrapping paper called life. I do not think that all of us purposely get comfortable, but we do. Some of us want to avoid troubles like this, so we let ourselves drown in life’s harsh and rough sea. It is sad that such alarming and heartbreaking wake up calls, such as my mother’s health, are what wake us up from our self induced coma. A self induced coma let’s your life live on without you. It distracts you from the people that mean the most to you. It distracts you from fulfilling what you want to do with your life, whatever that may be. It distracts you from truly enjoying life. Don’t wait for a wake up call to realize what’s important in life.


Climate Change Monologue

Posted by Ameena Atif in World History - Block - B on



In this unit we studied how climate change impacts the lives of people all over the globe. Looking at different individuals in different areas (Brazil, China, Africa) made me realize how fortunate I am. However at the same time it made me look more into how climate change will impact me and my future. I don't want to give the total idea of each monologue away but the first is a girl giving a class presentation, the second is a man walking into work and the third is a man in a business meeting. These monologues are not the deepest or scariest of monologues however they tell a message and I hope that comes across.

Stealing From The Youth

*turns and faces the students* Um..okay so I guess I’ll um..start. *quickly faces the board and breaths slowly then turns back around* So like the adults and stuff talk all this mess about um….. climate change. I know it sounds really boring but just listen. We have raaallies and paraaades and maaarches and the whooooole nine yards about...climate change. Kinda scary ya know? I MEAN….not scary as in ahh ghosts, but...scary to think that people are doing ALL THIS WORK, but still it seems as if nobody cares. Well atleast that’s what it seems like TO ME. You know what Bob! Thank you for your sarcastic ignorant remarks but it is something WE need to think about. Well, yes we do learn about it school but...I don’t really remember it and I’m pretty sure you..don’t..either. So shutup and listen. Bare with me here. If you had a child...and knew that the ONLY reason your life was being kept was because you were slowly stealing from your child...would you do it? Would you put yourself before them? No….SO WHY THE HELL are they doing it to us, huh!…. someone please explain to me why they are fracking the land we have to live on! Why people are signing papers without OUR input..ya know just SIIIGNING our rights away! Crazy right?! Unbelieveable! Unthinkable! Unacceptable! Unimagined!...that’s just thing though...it’s all so unimaaagined. Like nobody really sees the fact that someday some generation SOMEWHERE….is gonna have to deal with this mess. I end by saying, pay attention to what’s goin on with this climate change sharade. Pay attention. Thank you.


Day To Day

Hello, yea its me. The usual walking into work...again. Of course there’s people around but I don’t care. Don’t tell me how to act..dude, there’s no other way to say it, this damn sure aint something i love. yea yea you don’t have to tell me..I know exactly what I’m doing here. I know that I’m killing the earth but this is my job. It’s the only thing that brings me money and keeps my family going. Sara’s getting blown off left and right with the job stuff so i gotta do what needs to be done. Sometimes...stuff is just more important than other stuff. You know more than anyone, I love my family man. I hate making people suffer but if somebody in...idk China, sweating a little more because its hot...saves my family...then I’ll do it. Don’t try and make it seem like it’s all me! Its THE MAN too...no I will NOT be quiet. Matter fact..it needs to be heard. Stop acting stupid man. The big man and his “international friends”. The one that runs all this mess. The one who gives us all these orders knowing damn well we don’t wanna do it. Exaactly! now you got it. Yea! and then you got the frauds walking around here screaming SAVE MOTHER EARTH...GO GREEN. The only thing green about them is the money they got.


Follow the Money

Follow...the...money...Lets just all be completely honest and realistic here, okay? It’ll save everytimes time and energy. NOW, After reviewing the low reliability on coal usage (long term solution) we have decided to lower the amount of energy used in burning coal by 10%. This 10% will be distributed evenly amongst hydro and solar/wind. For Hydro Plan John here...thank dude...came up with the idea to design and install a watering system similar to the Waterworks in Philadelphia, PA, US. Gotta hire people to design and build and ummm...use tax money to pay for this. Is everyone with me...any questions...okay good. For the solar and wind part of the policy we’re gonna increase use of solar panels and tax cigarrettes and alcohol beverages so we can pay for it. And finally for the natural gas plan we need to stop fracking and reduce energy by 20%....use this 20% to install more wind turbines and solar panels. *audience claps* thank you...thank you...

Climate Change Monologue from Ameena Atif on Vimeo.

Final Perspective Drawing

Posted by Ameena Atif in Art - Freshman - Hull - y2 on
Before this project I didn't know about orthogonal lines. Orthogonal lines really helped me draw 3D objects.

Using what I learned about the different types of lines made my drawing neat and clean. It helped me achieve the goal of drawing the room to the best of my ability. This project provided me with a lot of practice of drawing the different types of lines. If I did this project again, I would try to ask Ms. Hull more questions. I would also work on it at home more than I did. I would tell someone who has never drawn a one point perspective drawing is to keep going even though it is frustrating. Also, I would tell them to never forget their vanishing point Some things may look weird but when you are finished it will be good. One of my resources were my classmates. They answered all of my questions and taught me a lot.


photo (25)
photo (25)

Foto de primero familia de estados unidad

Posted by Ameena Atif in Spanish 1 - Manuel - B on
Foto de primero de familia de estados unidad. Barack Obama, Michele Obama, Malia Obama, y Sasha Obama. Barack Obama es presidente de estados unidad. El es muy trabaja siempre. Barack pratica deportes por lo general y Michele Obama es habla por teléfono de costumbre. Michele y Obama salen cenar a veces. Sasha y Malia dibujan a veces. Mailia juega con su perro. 
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obama_family_portrait_2011_620x433

Me fascina mi escuela!

Posted by Ameena Atif in Spanish 1 - Manuel - B on

Ameena Atif

Green Stream

04/02/14


Me fascina Mi escuela!

Mi nombre es Ameena. Soy estudiante de Science Leadership Academy. Science Leadership Academy es una muy bien escuela. Los estudiantes en Science Leadership son inteligentes y extrañas. Está cerca de Schuylkill río. Es desafiante y extraña. Además hay cuatrocientos setenta y cinco estudiantes pisos y cinco pisos y muchos maestros en Science Leadership Academy. Tenemos cafetería escuela pequeña. Tenemos baloncesto y urimo frisbee equipo. Participó en el equipo cheerleading porque es divertida.

Tengo clases de ingles, español, bioquímica, teatro, historia, tecnologìa. Mi favorita clase es inglés porque es difìcil. Leemos, hablamos, escribimos. El Señor Kay es profesor la clase de ingles. En la clase de ingles necesito unos lápices y unos libros. Para tener éxito en la clase de ingles prestar mucha atención.  La Señorita Manuel la profesora es la clase de español.  En la clase de español porque escuchamos música. Es por eso que me gusta la clase de español.  Saco buenas notas en esta clase. En la clase de español necesito una carpeta y unos lápices. En la clase tomamos pruebas.  Para tener éxito en esta clase de español trabajar duro.

Tengo siete professors en SLA. Mi favoritas son La Srta. Hull y El Señor Kay. La Señorita Hull enseña la clase de tecnologìa. Ella es franca y fuerte y divertida. Ella tiene un hijo.  La Srta. Hull es super inteligente. Le gusta sustantivos. El Señor Kay enseña la clase de ingles. El es muy comìco y bajo. El Señor Kay es bastante bobo. įEs un amor de gente! Le gusta deportistas y poesìa y clases de teatro. Participa en club de poesìa.

Lo que más me gusta de SLA es mi amigos. Ellos inteligentes y bobos. No me gusta de SLA es que pronto comienzo. SLA es una muy bien escuela. Somos una escuela proyecto basado.  Los estudiantes en SLA es super trabajadora. Tenemos consejrìa en lunes y jueves. įQue chévere! Me asesor es Señor Reddy. Además, me fascina mi escuela!


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