For my capstone, I teamed up with Jared Bauer to teach a class at Science Leadership Academy Middle School (SLAMS) on sports statistics.  Jared and I are co-founders of the Sports Statistics and Analysis Club at SLA so we wanted to do a capstone together based around our club.  We decided that we wanted to teach middle school students about sports statistics.  Studies have shown that students that have a hard time learning math in the early stages of their education career, will have a harder time learning math later on.  Jared and I believed that sports statistics is a fun and easy way to learn basic math skills so we decided on teaching sports stats as our capstone.  After trying to reach out to our respective middle schools, we decided that we wanted to teach our lessons at SLAMS because of the connect the two schools already had.  We worked with Mrs. Hamilton, a math teacher at SLAMS.  We coordinated with her for lessons and when we would come in.  We also worked with Mrs. Bushnell, our in-house mentor, do help us make lessons for our classes.  Our capstone was made up of 4 classes.  We also created a project for our students to complete during the classes that they would then present to us on the fourth class  The first three classes were us teaching them different sports stats and allowing them time to work on their projects.  The project was them calculating different stats of their favorite MLB or NBA player.  On the fourth class, all the students presented their projects to us and then we ended with an ice cream party to celebrate their projects.  

Link to Photos https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B7A7F0ZYyhrrYUNIMUV1aHltckk?usp=sharing

Link to Project Description

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1MM7lFjwAXWp5o9QNQi35hdaNxYYuUkJjC8AOLYq6DfI/edit?usp=sharing

Link to Lesson Template

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1sxks3MuOejhPRwo_01tttaUKPNMtp7eGXkp-xlgtqEw/edit?usp=sharing

Link to Annotated Bibliography

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1EBvSg6shXTOKPBEm4PKCiaS1k3h1HZ9IvvYB6FUJN-o/edit?usp=sharing

Mac and Cheese Recipe

• 1 box of macaroni

• 1 stick of butter

• 1 can of Carnations evaporated milk

• 3 cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese

• 2 cups of shredded mild cheddar cheese

• 2 cups of shredded 4-state cheddar blend

• 2 cups of shredded colby jack cheese blend

• ¼ tsp of salt

• ⅛ tsp of pepper

• ⅛ tsp of mustard powder

• Lawry’s season salt

• ½ cup of whole milk

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cook 1 box of macaroni and drain.

3. Add 1 stick of butter and let it begin to melt.

4. Pour in one can of Carnations evaporated milk.  Stir.

5. Add two cups of shredded sharp cheddar cheese and stir.

6. Add  1/4 tsp of salt.  

7. Add 1/8 tsp of pepper.

8. Add 1/8 tsp mustard powder.

9. Add two shakes of Lawry's season salt.

10. Add 2 cups of mild cheddar cheese.  Stir.

11. Add 2 cups of a Colby Jack blend cheese. Continue to stir while cheese melts

12. Add 2 cups of 4 State Cheddar blend

13. Add 1/2 cup of whole milk.  Stir.

14. Pour mixture into a glass bowl and cover the top with another cup of cheddar cheese.

15. Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until the mac and cheese begins to bubble and the cheese too begins to brown.  Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes.

For this project, I decided to do my mothers famous Mac and Cheese.  Macaroni and Cheese is a staple in soul food in the United States.  Macaroni, cheese, and butter are fused together to make a dish that seems to be brought down from the heavens.  While everyone says that there mac and cheese recipe is the best, I truly believe that my mother perfected the recipe.  All of the indigirants complement each other so nice that it creates a dish that is one of a kind.

This meal is not that cheap.  You will need about 5 bags of cheese to make this recipe.  If each bag of cheese goes for about 4 dollars then you will be spending about 20 dollars on cheese alone.  A box of pasta for this recipe will go for a little over 1 dollar.  A box of butter will cost you 5 dollars.  Evaporated milk should cost about 5 dollars.  Assuming you have everything else, you will be spending about 35 dollars on this dish.  

We are living in a world where almost every kind of food you get is processed in some kind of way.  Every ingredient in this recipe is processed.  These cheese, the butter, the macaroni.  Even whole milk is processed.  From the cheese alone you are look at almost 500 calories.  If you are someone who likes to watch their calories then you should only eat mac and cheese on special occasions but if you are someone like me who can afford eating something like this then you should.

After writing this essay it has changed my view on war but I also think the whole unit did that as well. I knew what war was but I didn't really know what war meant. I knew that war was two or more groups of people fighting because they had two different viewpoints on a problem. I thought it ended there. I didn't know what war meant to those who fought in the war. I didn't know what happened to them,. Physically, mentally or emotionally. Now I have a different viewpoint on war.

You are fighting a war in a foreign country.  You are thousands of miles away from your wife and two kids.  You think about them everyday.  You imagine the beauty of your wife and you see the kids in the backyard playing with the dog. You are fighting this war just to get back to them safely and you’re family prays for the same thing.  They miss you and all they want is for you to come back home in one piece. Then you hear shots fired and you awake from your dream. The enemy performed a surprise attack at your base, bullets are being shot in the air and fly inches from your head.   At the end of the battle you see your best friend dead.  He grew up with you in the same town.  He went to your high school.  You guys won the state championship together.  He was the one who kept you sane in a place of constant violence.  Now he lies lifeless on the ground and you lose it.  When he died to took something with him that you can’t really explain.  This changes you for the rest of your life.  You see the image of his body on the ground for the rest of your life and you will never be able to escape it.

War is not something that is new to the United States.  The United States has been fighting a war over 90% of the time that we have been a country.  As a country we seem to be in love in the idea of war.  War has been an essential part of our identity since our founding fathers signed the declaration of independence.  We took one of the most powerful country at the time for our independence and won.  Since then we have had the mentality that if we don’t agree with something that the first option is war and that we will eventually win.  That we have the responsibility to fight for those who can’t fight for themselves.  While this is a noble cause, what we don’t realize is that not only are we hurting and killing the people we are fighting but we are slowing hurting and killing those who we send overseas to fight for us.

Some veterans are affected by Post-traumatic stress disorder.  According to the Mayo Clinic, Post-traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD is “a mental health condition that’s triggered by a terrifying event - either experiencing it or witnessing it.  Symptoms may include flashbacks, nightmares, mood disorders and severe anxiety, as well as uncontrollable thoughts about the event.”  These events can include being in war or seeing death.  Many war veterans come back from deployment with this.  According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, up to 20% of veterans that served in Operations Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Enduring Freedom (OEF) has been diagnosed with PTSD at one point.  About 12% of veterans from the Gulf War has diagnosed with PTSD.  During Vietnam it is estimated that 30% of Vietnam Vets had PTSD in their lifetime.

So what happens in the brain when someone has PTSD?   Viatcheslav Wlassoff, PHD, who is a writter for BrainBlogger.com said “Understanding how PTSD alters brain chemistry is critical to empathize with the condition of the victims and devise treatment methods that will enable them to live fully and fulfill their true potential.”   After studies of the brains of PTSD patients researchers have a little more understanding on what plays a role in the brain.   There are three big parts of the brain that plays a major role in PTSD.  The parts are the amygdala, hippocampus, and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.  In the first region, the hippocampus, PTSD patients show a reduction in the volume in this area.  The hippocampus is the part of the brain that is responsible for memory functions.  It helps a certain person to create new memories and retrieve them for a later time when in a relevant environment.  This part of the brain also allows us to tell the difference between past and present memories.  With this reduced volume in the hippocampus, people with PTSD can not tell the difference past and present experiences.  The second region is the ventromedial prefrontal cortex.  This is the region of the brain that is responsible for regulating emotional responses triggered by the amygdala.  PTSD patients also show a decrease in the volume of this area which explains the why people who suffer from PTSD exhibit fear, anxiety and extreme stress.  The last region of the brain is the amygdala.  In this region, patients show hyperactivity in response to stimuli that are connected to the individual traumatic experience of the patient.

War veterans who are diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder also could have a higher rate of suicide.  According to the U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, going through a traumatic experience can increase a person’s suicide risk. Veterans Affairs said “Studies show that suicide risk is higher in persons with PTSD. Some studies link suicide risk in those with PTSD to distressing trauma memories, anger, and poor control of impulses. Further, suicide risk is higher for those with PTSD who have certain styles of coping with stress, such as not expressing feelings.”  Since we know more about PTSD, there are better treatments available.  Treatments like cognitive behavioral therapy, which allows those affected by PTSD to understand and change how they think about their trauma.  Or exposure therapy.  The goal of exposure therapy is to help control your thoughts and feelings.  Therapy along with medication like antidepressants can help people affected by PTSD to live a more normal life.

So how can we prevent this?  How can we lower the amount of veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder?  How can we lower the amount of veteran suicides because of PTSD?   I believe that we can end this by not seeing war as the only solution to a problem.  But can we stop doing this?  One day in my English class we had two Vietnam War.  The names of the veterans were Mike and John.  They were from the Veterans For Peace chapter in Philadelphia.  After a very interesting presentation,  I was able to ask one of the veterans a question.  I asked “Can you imagine a society rooted in nonviolence?”  The veteran looked at me for a minute as I waited for a response.  He said “ I think I can but if that were to happen if would have to start from the ground up.  We as citizens would need to take a stand.”  We need to see war for what it is and break up with it.  Not only is war hurting the brains of soldiers but it is also driving some to the point of wanting to take their own life.  Once we can take a stand together as one, that is we can finally start the healing process of the thousands and thousands of men and women who were willing to die to protect their friends, family and country.

Works Sited

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Mental Health Effects of Serving in Afghanistan and Iraq -. U.S Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 13 Mar. 2016. <http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/reintegration/overview-mental-health-effects.asp>

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Treatment of PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/treatment/therapy-med/treatment-ptsd.asp>

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." Suicide and PTSD. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/problems/ptsd-suicide.asp>

"America Has Been At War 93% of the Time – 222 Out of 239 Years – Since 1776." Washingtons Blog. Washingtons Blog, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.washingtonsblog.com/2015/02/america-war-93-time-222-239-years-since-1776.html>

"Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/post-traumatic-stress-disorder/basics/definition/con-20022540>

"PTSD: National Center for PTSD." How Common Is PTSD? -. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016.

<http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/PTSD-overview/basics/how-common-is-ptsd.asp>

Wlassoff, Viatcheslav, PhD. "How Does Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Change the Brain?" Brain Blogger How Does PostTraumatic Stress Disorder Change the Brain Comments. Global Neuroscience Initiative Foundation (GNIF), n.d. Web. 21 Mar. 2016. <http://brainblogger.com/2015/01/24/how-does-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-change-the-brain/>

While I was writing this essay, one thing I tried to do was tell to my mom’s personal story and my personal story with code-switching in a way that engaged the reader and could allow them to relate.  We all code-switch at one point or another.  It is just if we notice when it happens or not.  There is not just one part of this essay that I can say I am the most proud of.  I am proud of all of the essay.  As I continue to grow as a writer one thing I plan on working on is my storytelling skills.  

The year was 1973.  My mother was born in a small town in Ethiopia. Because my grandmother was not able to provide for my mother and uncle, she decided to give my mother up for adoption.  She knew that if she kept her that she would end up dying of malnutrition.  She lived in the hospital for the rest of the years and the nurses took care of her.  Then two missionaries from the United States heard about her though one of the nurses and fell in love at first sight.  The next year my mom was heading to the other side of the country with a whole another family.  Because of this she learned two languages.  Slang or “black” language she would use with friends and “white” language or talking proper.  The transition from one way of talking to another is code-switching. Growing up she would get teased by her black friends at school for talking “white”.  Her friends would say things like “Sara you talk so white.” or “Why are you talking like that?”  She felt different. She once told me that, she felt like she was between two very different worlds. I also had to go through the same thing.  When I talked to my family that was white I talked a certain way.  More proper.  When I am with my friends I talk another way.

Growing up in the 70’s and 80’s in both Philadelphia and the suburbs my mother still had to deal with the side affects of racism and the civil rights movement.  When she lived in the suburbs, white families would ask why that white family had a black child.  When her family lived in the city, black families would ask why that white family had a black child.  Since she grew up in a white household she adopted parts of the white culture including the language.  When she was at a school and social events with black people, the transition from one language to another was difficult.  The kids would make fun for the way she talked.  It wasn’t her fault because of the environment she was in on a daily basis.

Growing up I didn’t see that side of my family as white.  I honestly did not see color.  I knew my mom was adopted but I just saw them as family.  They were people who loved me and people who I loved back.  It wasn’t until a couple years ago I noticed that they didn’t look like me.  I remember the moment when I realized this.  We were in church and the pastor said “If you can please stand up for our final prayer.” As we stood up I noticed that my sister, mom and I were not just the only black people in our row but the only black people in the audience.  All I saw was white faces.  None of them looked like me, but it wasn’t until two years ago I realized that I spoke differently when around them.  I was going to visit my aunt and her family in Arizona.  I was going to a baseball camp at ASU.  It was my first time going to see them by myself.  When my uncle and cousin picked me up from the airport I noticed that I would talk differently.  When I first noticed it I hated it.  I was allowing my environment to choose how I talked.  I realized that the reason I was doing this to make up for the fact I wasn’t like them.  I didn’t look like them and I thought that the way we spoke our common language could make up for that.

Today our society in this country is divided in many different ways.  Gender, race, sexual orientation are just one of the many ways people group themselves.  Language is also one of the ways we group ourselves. Gene Demby of NPR said “When you're attuned to the phenomenon of code-switching, you start to see it everywhere, and you begin to see the way race, ethnicity and culture plays out all over the place.” We tend to stay with people who speak the same language as us.  We can overcome these divisions though.  We have to learn to accept that people are different.  I am not just talking about language but all aspects of someone’s life.  When we can accept people for who they are and not for what they aren’t we will see society come together.

Sometimes we as humans allow ourselves to get caught up into trying to fit in.  My mother and I experienced this first hand.  With her it was trying to fit into people to looked like her and with me it was trying to fit in with my family that had a lighter skin tone than me.  Matt Thompson, writer for NPR wrote a piece on npr.com called Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch. He said “Very often, people code-switch — both consciously and unconsciously — to act or talk more like those around them. While this can be effective, it can also be perilous…” I agree with this.  In some situations it is a necessary and useful skill.  In others it is not.  We should not allow pressure from society and our environment dictate how we speak.  If we allow this, we change who we are and who we will become.

Sources

Demby, Gene. "How Code-Switching Explains The World." NPR. NPR, 8 Apr. 2013. Web. 18 Nov. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/08/176064688/how-code-switching-explains-the-world>.

Thompson, Matt. "Five Reasons Why People Code-Switch." NPR. NPR, 13 Apr. 2013. Web. 17 Nov. 2015. <http://www.npr.org/sections/codeswitch/2013/04/13/177126294/five-reasons-why-people-code-switch>.

Steve Lopez’s book The Soloist is about the true story on when the author met a Juilliard student turned homeless and mentally-ill musician, Nathaniel Ayers.  The story begins when Steve, a writer for the L.A Times, first noticed Nathan playing violin in Pershing Square in the downtown section of the city.  He was interested in him just for a story for the newspaper, but after his story gained popularity and people came out and wanted to help Nathan out, it soon turned into something more.  They become friends and the book is set up in chronological order but includes flashbacks.  This allows reader can get a image in their head of the events in the book, the two characters’ friendship grow and see Nathan deal with his schizophrenia.

When Steve first noticed Nathan playing his instrument in Pershing Square, he decides to come back later.  He comes back  but he isn’t there.  Steve Lopez writes “But when I come back to look for the violinist in Pershing Square I come up empty.  His disappearance only makes the mystery more provocative.  Who was he? Where did he go? What is his story?”.  Steve and Nathan finally meet three weeks later. This is when the story begins.  They get to know each other better and become friends. They talk, go to concerts and other things.

As the story progresses you can see that both of the main characters grow, even if it sometimes rocky because of Nathan’s schizophrenia.  At the beginning, Nathan did not want any help from the Lamp Foundation, an agency that helps the homeless in the Los Angeles area.  But as time goes on he lets not just from the Lamp Foundation but others.  As the story goes on, Steve grows as well.  Even with the ups and downs he goes through with Nathan he helps him.  He learns how to deal with Nathan when he is having problems. He finds out that he has a soft spot for him and likes to help those with mental illness including Nathan.

The story is told by Steve Lopez, so the story is told in his point of view of the events.  “The way Steve (Lopez) writes the story, he also uses a timeline, but in a unusual way” says a writer on teenink.com.  “He finds a way to incorporate flashbacks about Nathaniel in the story.  Steve also incorporates events that were happening to himself at the time”.  An example of a flashback about Nathan from the book.   “The Juilliard pressure was gone, the spirit was light, the mood was festive.  And when the pianist finished his piece, Russo turned to Nathanael (and said) “Boy, doesn’t that sound beautiful”.”  Nathan demanded “What do you mean by saying “boy” are you racist?”  Steve added this to the story as a flashback because it shows the beginning of Nathan dealing with his mental-illness.  Nathan accused his best friend of being something he wasn’t. Turning a happy holiday party into a very awkward situation for not just him and his friend, Russo, but everyone else there too.  During this time, Steve was on the other side of the country.  “ While Nathaniel was at Juillard, the rare black student in the elite world of conservatory, I was at a junior college in the San Francisco Bay Area, where white suburban kids who couldn’t crack four-year schools were killing time while avoiding the draft.”  The author adds this because they were both in the same situation.  They were different.  Nathan was one of the only black kids in all white school studying a type of music only played by white people.  Steve was in college where kids more privilaged than and less smart did nothing while he worked hard.  They were both in similar situations at the same time.

Many stories are told in chronological order.  A great example of this is the Harry Potter series.  There are seven books in the series.  Harry goes to The Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry for seven years to graduate.  Each book represents a year and tells the story of Harry and his friends. If the Harry Potter story wasn’t told in chronological order, readers would get confused when reading.  Same can be said for this book.  John Friedlander of Southwest Tennessee Community College said “It naturally fits in narration, because when we tell a story, we usually follow the order in which events occur. Chronological order applies to process in the same way, because when we describe or explain how something happens or works, we usually follow the order in which the events occur”.  This is true.  Telling a story in the order of which the events happened is the most natural way to tell a story and also the most effective.  If you went from one point in the story then in the next paragraph something completely different is going on, the reader is going to be confused and not want to read.  When you tell a story it is more interesting when you can use the most detail you can.  The Soloist does a great job in telling the story it wants to tell.

The Soloist by Steve Lopez is a fantastic story on a really unlikely friendship between the author himself and former Juilliard student, Nathaniel Ayers.  From the start to the end it will make you want to read more and more.  The chronological order, which allows the reader to understand the events of the book more.  Flashbacks are also key to the story because it allows readers to understand the characters and their actions.  The chronological order also allows the reader to watch the two main characters go from total strangers to really good friends.

Sources

Lopez, Steve. The Soloist. New York: Berkley, 2008. Print.

Friedland, John. "Principles of Organization." Principles of Organization. Southwest Tennessee Community College, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2015. <http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/composition/organization.stm>

The Soloist by Steve Lopez." Teenink.com. Teenink, n.d. Web. 15 Jan. 2015.

<http://www.teenink.com/reviews/book_reviews/article/387346/The-Soloist-by-Steve-Lopez/>

(James runs into his bunker and closes and locks the door.)

We should have seen that coming.   I can’t believe that they surprised us like that.  There are hundreds if not thousands out there.

(He sees a piece of paper and pen)

I need to say goodbye to my family.  

(Runs to the paper and pen)

What do you say to someone you love  when you are about to die and they are thousands of miles away?

(Looks at the paper and freezes)

To my loving wife Linda and soon to be born son James Jr.,

It’s me, James.  I have always been a man of few words.  I hate talking and you know that.  But (pauses)  

I don’t think I am coming back home to Philadelphia.  The base was attacked.  We didn’t see it coming.  I am writing this because today I am going to die.  

(pauses again).  

Linda I just wanted to say that I loved you.  Even if I didn’t show it at times, I did.  When I first met you in high school English class, I knew that you were the one for me. When a woman can make a strong man weak by the way she looks at him, you know you’ve found a keeper.  We’ve had our ups and downs but what relationship hasn’t.  To James Jr. I know that you will have no memory of me.  You are not even born yet. That is the one thing that hurts me the most.  I thought that if I fought in this war I would make this world a better place to watch you grow up.  The irony.  I wish I could be there to watch you grow up. To teach you how to catch a baseball, take you to your first game

(a tear comes down his face) (sniffles)

(Come one James, pull yourself together)

and see you graduate and everything in between.  I know that you will become a great man one day.  These words can’t really describe how I am really feel.

(Hears random German commands outside his door.)

Goodbye, I hope you never forget me.

(The door is kicked down. He holds the letter to his chest.)

Please, Please Please!

¨LJ we are leaving soon for the airport now.  Your plane leaves in two and a half hours.¨ My Mom yells.

I finish packing my bag and head downstairs.

¨I am going to miss you while you're gone.¨

¨Mom, you don’t have to worry ‘bout nothing.  I’m call you when I get on the plane and when I get off.

She smiles.

I am heading to Arizona.  I signed up for an advance hitting and fielding camp at Arizona State University.  Arizona State is one of the top baseball schools in the country.  If I could impress them in a two day camp, it could help me get recruited to play for them in college.  While I am there I am going to stay with my Aunt Jenn and her husband and 4 children.  They are on my Mom’s side of the family.  After the camp was over I would get on a plane to Boston, to spend time with my dad and his side of the family.  We leave for the airport 10 minutes later.  As we get to the airport me and my Mom say our final goodbyes.

¨Call me as soon as you can.  You hear me?¨

¨Yes Mom, as soon as I board the plane and land, call you.¨

¨See you in August.¨

My Mom hugs me.  I get to the gate.  It is my first time traveling by myself.  I get scared.  I realized that this will help me in the long run.  I quickly get over my fear.  Next thing I know I am on the plane taking off, heading west.

It is important for me to say that my Mom is adopted.  She was adopted into a white family in the early 1970’s.  This means all of her family is white.  When I am with them there is a different language I use.  This happens by accident.  I grew up in a liberal, urban scene, while my family is more conservative and lives either in a suburban area or out in the country.  When I am with my Mom and sister, the urban part of me talks. The ¨Black English¨ like James Baldwin once said.  When I am with my Grandma or Aunt, I start to talk more proper.  This happens by accident.  Since I am not of the same race, I try to make language as a way to be the same as them, since in my eyes we are not.  We speak the same language, but it is so different at the same time.

¨Welcome to Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.  We know you have a lot of options when flying, but US Airways would like to thank you for choosing us.  We hope we will see you soon.¨  The flight attendant said on the loudspeaker of the plane.  I call my Mom.

¨Yeah Mom, I’m ‘bout get off this plane.¨

¨How was the flight?¨

¨It was ard.¨

¨Ok, well call me when you find your Uncle Drew.  He got a new car, so make sure it is him before you get into the car.¨

¨Ok, I will call you when I see him.¨

I get my bags and walk out of the plane.  I put on my headphones.  Jay-Z is playing in my ears.  

¨I probably owe it to you all, proud to be locked by the force, Trying to hustle some things, that go with the Porsche.¨

I see my Uncle Drew in his new car.  He helps puts my bags in the trunk.  I get into the car and I hear a Christian gospel song.  

¨I’m so grateful for all you have done in my life.  I give my life to you.¨

I turn my music off really quick.  My uncle gets in the car and we have small talk.

¨It’s great to see you buddy, how was your flight over here?¨ He said with a smile on his face.

¨It was great, Uncle Drew.  There were no problems at all on the plane ride here.¨

¨You ready for the baseball camp on Saturday?¨

¨Yeah I really can’t wait, I have been waiting the whole summer for this moment and now it is here.

¨Well your cousins are up and waiting for you at the house.¨

We get to the house and all four of my cousins are happy to see me.  My youngest cousin, Quincy takes me to see all of her new Legos.

¨See this one.  It’s really pretty.  This is my favorite Lego because it’s pink.¨ Quincy said with a smile on her face.

¨Yeah you're right it is very pretty, my favorite part is that it is pink.¨ I said back to her.

We look and play with Legos for a couple of minutes, then it is time for her to go to bed.  I decide that I should go to bed too.  The camp doesn’t start tomorrow but I should get some rest anyway.   I text my mom and tell her that I got in safely and that I would talk to her in the morning.

On Sunday, the camp ended.  When I talked to the coaches after it ended, they said I did good and they hope to see me again.  I get in the car.  My friend texted me.

¨How did the camp go?¨

¨I fried at the man bro.  Coaches said I did good.  They hope to see me again.¨

¨Ayye I see you bro. You going to go to another camp?¨

¨Idk, maybe they have a camp in September, but that is even more money and school has started.

¨Ard I will ttyl.¨

¨Peace¨

My Uncle asked me the same question.

¨It was really good.  The coaches helped me a lot, especially when it came to hitting.  I’m glad that I came out here for the camp.¨

We head back home and I pack up.  I am heading to Boston for the rest of the summer.  I get my bags and I get back into the car.  My cousin Aiden and Holden tag along for the ride to the airport.  We talk about school and sports.  As we get to the airport we say our goodbyes.  I head to the gate.  I like spending time with my family, even if I think I have to change a little for them.

Casa de Tomás

Jason Greene y Harry Freed, arquitectos

Cliente: Tomás Arango

Nuestro cliente se llama Tomás Arango. Es muy listo y feliz. Tiene 15 años. Vive en el Centro de la ciudad. Le encanta skateboarding y jugar videojuegos. Le mucho gusta plantas, y le gusta verde y la playa.

La casa de Tomás es en la playa en Los Angeles. Es cerca de un parque y un supermercado. Es una casa mediana, moderno, sofisticado, y elegante. La casa tiene dos pisos. Es muy bueno para perros y gatos. En la piso primero de la casa, Tomás tiene muchos partidos.

• La sala de estar tiene dos consolas y una mesa para la tele fantástica.

• En el dormitorio de Tomas, hay una piscina caliente.

• El comedor tiene cuatro sillas elegante y una mesa.

• Hay a baño en el piso primero  y cuatro dormitorios en el piso segunda.

• Tiene un bidé y un lavamanos en el baño.

• No hay un sótano en la casa de Tomás.

• Tiene una nevera frío, una estufa, y una fregadero.

• Hay muchos videojuegos divertidos.

• En el piso segunda, hay un baño más, con una ducha.

• Tiene un invernadero grande, también.

Fotos:

El piso primero y el invernadero:

La fachada (muy narcisista)

Diseñado por Jason Greene y Harry Ford

Nuestro número 215-215-2152

Hello again.  If you do not remember me my name is Jason Greene.  I am a 9th grader at Science Leadership Academy.  In English class we are finishing a 6 month project called You and The World.  During this project we have to find a issue we are passionate about then go into the world and try to make a change in it.  My topic is public education in the city of Philadelphia.  I am passionate about this issue because I grew up in this city and went to public school in the city for all of my life.  In my first blog post I introduced the issue.  Link for that blog is here. In my second blog post I talked about the original research I did on the subject.  Link for that blog is here.This is my third and final blog called the post for change.

During the last part of this part of this project was a part called Agent of Change.  This is when I go out into the world and try to make a change.  I went to my elementary and middle school, J.S Jenks in Chestnut Hill and volunteered for half of a day.  I got to volunteer in Mrs.Croak’s classroom.  She is the 6th and 7th grade English teacher.  While there I helped out in the classroom, stapled papers together and answered some questions about high school the 7th graders had for me.  While it was fun to see lots of old friends and teachers it was hard to see how the budget crisis affected the school.  This last year some teachers were laid off.  Because of this the remaining teachers either had to teach a new grade or teach more students.  Mrs. Croak also said the school only gave her limited supplies like one case of paper to last her the whole year. Only about 10 to 12 laptops work on a daily basis. The students also had to buy the three books that they were going to read during the course of the year. I left the school around noon to head back to school.  No teacher should have to go through that. Budget cuts hurt and we need to find a solution.

Sign outside the school

The three books students had to buy for school

The advance group reading ahead

How can only one box of copy paper last a whole year?

I am not the only wants a solution to this problem.  The School District of Philadelphia is facing another shortfall for the 2014-2015 school year.  If they do not get the funding from the city and state they will have to make more cuts. There have been protests to stop the cuts and get more funding for the schools.  So far there has been no solution.  I think protesting is a great way to get your voice heard but at the end of the day we need to get results. According to superintendent William Hite the district needs almost 210 millions dollars. Most of the money would come by extending the one percent city sales tax hike and a two dollar per pack tax on cigarettes.  Without more funding up to 1000 more layoffs could happen and class sizes could go up to 41.  To make a change we need funding.

Public education is this city is a very important topic and it is not going anywhere anytime soon.  We can not expect the students of this city to be the best they that they can be if they don’t have the resources. Recently, a seven year old boy passed out while at school in South Philadelphia.  Because of the budget cuts there was no nurse at the school that day.  The counselor ran to the boy and called 911.  He died later that day at a hospital.  Maybe if there was a full-time nurse on duty that day he might have lived. We can not let this happen again.

This whole project has been a great experience.  I never did a project like this before I am glad that I got to this. The whole process, from the first to the last blog the project went very smooth.  One thing that I feel like I could have done better was when I was volunteering at Jenks.  I wish I could have volunteered there for the whole day but I couldn’t.  I feel like if I stayed there the whole day I would have done better.  I would like to thank Mrs. Dunn, Mrs. Lucy,  Mrs. Croak, Mrs. Lynskey and everyone that filled out my survey earlier in the year.  Thank you.

A. What is negative space (explain this concept to a fourth grader that has never heard of it)

Negative space is the space around a subject in a image.

B. Explain how you found negative space in your 1. your cut out? 2 in your stool drawing?

I found the negative space in my cut out by finding the space that was outside the tree the I cut out.  In my stool drawing it was the same as my cut out.  I founf the space outside the stool and lamp.

C. Why does it help an artist to see in negative space?

It helps when an artist can see in negative space becasue it can help the person who is looking at the art to get a better undersanding at what they are looking at.

D.  How is negative space useful in creating art?

Negative space is useful in creating art because it helps make the drawing look better.

1.  What is one thing that you learned specifically that you did not know before?

One thing that I learned during this quarter in art was that if you knew how to draw three different lines that it would be much easier to draw.  I am not an artist so know that helped a lot.

2.  How did learning this thing make your drawing better?

Yes it helped a whole lot while drawing.  All I used was lines to complete this drawing and I believe it turned out great.

3.  If you did this assignment again, what would you do differently?

One thing that I would do differently was not fold up the paper to be so small.  As I was drawing I found it harder and harder to draw with the creases that I made.  Another thing that I would change is how much empty space I have in my drawing.  

4.  What advice to someone who has never drawn a one point perspective drawing before?

One piece of advice that I would give to someone who has never drawn a one point perspective drawing is that its all about the lines you draw.  You want to make them as straight as possible because that is what makes or breaks the drawing.

5.  What resource helped you the most and why?

Hello again.  My name is Jason Greene and I am 9th grader at Science Leadership Academy.  In English class we are doing a project called You And The World.  During this project we have to find a issue we are passionate about then go into the world and try to fix it.  My issue is Public Education in the city of Philadelphia.  This is my second blog post.  To read my first blog post click here.  In my first blog post I introduced my issue and how it is one of the biggest problems facing the city today.  I also talked about how there was a lack of funding for public schools.

   

For my original research I decided to do make a online survey.  I wanted to find out if the people taking the survey had special classes while in middle-school.  I also wanted to find out if there were cuts while they were attending the school.  I got lots of good responses back.  Almost all the people who responded said that they went to middle-school in Philadelphia in the past few years.  Most if not all of them said while they were there that the school made cuts that hurt their learning and safety. Some of these positions were Teachers, Counselors, Secretaries and Lunchtime aids.  All of these positions are very important.  If you don't have enough teachers than you have to put more students in each class.  If you don't have any lunchtime aids there will be no one to watch the kids while at lunch.  The results I got really informed me on my issue because now I knew that the budget cuts of the school district just did not affect me but also my friends.

While most of the people who filled out my survey did have special classes like art and music…

Does/Did your middle-school offer...

Art               6  22%

Music/Band  5  19%

Computers   6   22%

Gym            5   19%

Health          5   19%

Over the past few years there have been lots of layoffs.

Over the past few years did your middle-school cut any of these positions?

Guidance counselor	2	15%
Secretary	1	8%
Dean	2	15%
Teachers	5	38%
Lunchtime Aids	3	23%

Now that I got my results I believe even more that this has to change.  The change has to happen now.  It is not fair for kids not to be able to get the best education they can get.  They can not get that without simple things like teachers and counselors.  As I was doing my research I started to wonder how many schools in Philadelphia were shut down and how many students had to be relocated because of that?

The next part of this project is called Agent of Change.  This is when go out into the real world and I go volunteer somewhere and try to have an impact on my issue.  As I said in my last blog post I will be going to my old school, J.S Jenks.  J.S Jenks have been badly hurt by the recent budget cuts.  My sister still goes there and she told me that they don't even have an art teacher anymore, that a dad that used to be an artist now comes in 2 times a week and teacher classes.  When I volunteer at the school I want to help out in a 6th, or 8th grade classroom.  I think I will have a big impact when I come because I the school needs as much as it can get. When I am at the school volunteering I hope to help the teachers in anyway I can if that means making copies or help teach the lesson I will try my best.

     

Seal of J.S Jenks

Stay tuned for part 3!

My bibliography.

Soy Jason Greene II pero mi apodo es LJ.  Tengo catorce años y mi cumpleaños es el veintecinco de abril.  Soy estudiante de Science Leadership Academy.  Está en Centro Filadelfia y esta cerca de el río de schuylkill. Los estudiantes tienen computadoras.  Hay 500 estudiantes y hay cinco pisos.  Tenemos un café y una escuela tienda.  Soy en béisbol y fútbol en SLA porque soy deportisa y es divertido.  Science Leadership Academy es una gran escuela.

Mi clases son Bioquimica,Drama,Español,Mathemática,Inglés,Historia y El Almuerzo.  Me gusta Espoñol.  Me gusta Espoñol porque cantamos y bailamos.  La profesora es Srta. Manuel.  Para tener exito es necesario trabajar duro y hacer la tarea.  Necesito una carpeta y un lapíz.  Saco buenas notas en esta clase.  No me encanta mucho bioquimica.  No me encanta bioquimica porque es difícil.  Escribimos y leemos en bioquimica.  Necestio un bata de laboratorio y  unos bolígrafos.  Para tener exito en esta clase trabajar duro y se responsable.

La Srta. Manuel enseña Español uno.  Su cumpleaños es 17 de mayo.  Le encanta tucar la guitarra y jugar fútbul.  Su es más o menos baja.  Ella es muy lista y muy habladora.  El Señor Sherif enseña bioquimica.  El Señor Sherif es increiblemente calvo.  Tiene los ojos pardos.  Ello es alto.    El Señor Sherif tiene dos hijas y una espona.   Su clase es muy dificil pero aprendo mucho.  Su clase es bastante tranquilo a veces.  

My name is Jason Greene and I am a 9th grader going to Science Leadership Academy.  For my You and the World project,  I chose to talk about public education in the great city of Philadelphia.  I chose this issue because this is one of the many issues facing the city today.  Public education has a lack of funding. This is important to me because me and all of my friends are affected by the lack of funding for our school district.  Education is important and we need to find out how to fix this.

This is the headquarters of The School District of Philadelphia in Center City.

When my English teacher gave me and my class this project I started to think about what I wanted to do.  One of my goals in life is to become Mayor of Philadelphia.  Since I want to do that when I grow up I started to think about some issues that face the city today.  I decided to do my YATW project on public education because I feel like it is the most significant.  Most of the money goes to charter schools and not public ones.  Because of this you can get a better education at charter schools.  We should care about this issue because most kids in the city go to public schools and it’s not fair that kids that go charter and private schools get a better education.  Coming from a public middle-school I know how these cuts feel.  At my old school we don’t have a music teacher no more.  I used to play trombone and was part of the all-city middle school band for three years.  Since my old school doesn't have a music teacher anymore there is no more band.  We also do not have an art teacher.  A parent that used to be an artst now comes in twice a week to teach.  Now I go to Science Leadership Academy.  This is my first year here so I don’t know how this school was effected but I am sure that a this school was effected.  I am just lucky that I can go to a school that can give me a great education.

This is the graduation rates of boys and girls who went to public schools from 2002-2011.

This is the graduation rates of boys and girls who went to charter schools from 2008-2012.

In 2012 The School District of Philadelphia had a 304 million dollar budget shortfall.  Because of this they had to close down they had to close down 23 schools and lay off 3700 teacher,nurses,music teacher,art teachers and other workers.  While all of this was happening according to labnotes.com 9 more charter schools opened and their budgets have been increased by 107 million dollars.  Why would they do this?  Instead of increasing the budget for the charter schools and opening new ones why don’t you use that money to fund public schools.  That 107 million dollars could have saved 9 public schools.  Now that makes more sense to me.  Over 10,000 students are at new schools this year because the school that they went to last year is closed now.

This is University City High School.  637 students went here last year.  0 go there now.

Going on with this project there are some things I want to learn.  I am going to go volunteer at my old school John Story Jenks Elementary School in Chestnut Hill.  When I am there I also want to talk to some of my old teachers to see how they are dealing with the budget cuts.  I will also talk to some of the students there to see if they notice anything different from last school year to this school year.  I hope to find out other thing while working on this.

This is J.S Jenks.  This is the school where I will be doing my volunteer work at.

This issue is very important to me.  This is important to me because this is effecting me and my friends.  This is also going to the kids that live in Philadelphia and get a public education in the future. I feel like no one really cares about this or say that this will change soon.  I don’t want soon I want now. We could change this.  If we come together and show that we care about we can change this.  

If you want to see my bibliography click here.