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Tag Archives: Books
Frances Dowell Story
Just Write from CreativeCommons
Hello and welcome back to my blog! I am going to be telling you about the story I wrote while working with author Frances Dowell!
Francea Dowell is an author who lives in North Carolina. My classmates and I worked with her on our stories for three to four months using the methods below.
The process started with What If? questions. We generated questions that started with “what if”, like “What if I could fly?”. Then we would take that what if question and turn it into a starting scene.
The starting scene had to have action to draw the reader in. We had to generate a paragraph to kick the story off. We didn’t put too much detail in or too much information about the character. We just created action.
After the starting scene, we wrote something called a background check. This is where we would share information about the character and their background. We detailed who they were and what their families were like.
Then we did stick and stone problems. These problems were problems that got bigger as the story went on. The stick problem was just a little problem, a “stick” in the path. Our characters could get over this problem pretty easily. The stone problem was a little bigger, but our characters worked to solve it and with a little time and effort, they fixed the problem.
Then came the big monster problem. This was the hardest problem to solve, and it required a lot of effort and thinking to get through it. Our resolution came after the monster problem scene, and that’s when everything got fixed.
After we wrote our stories, our classmates and Mrs. Dowell gave us feedback. This was a time for revising and editing what we had written. I learned a lot from the feedback my friend and Mrs. Dowell gave me, such as to make sure that I had equal parts dialogue and informational texts, and to make sure that I described things that people maybe couldn’t picture on their own.
I love to write, and this project was super fun to do. I am very proud of the work that I did and I owe a lot of my help to Mrs. Dowell!
Check out her website below!
Window or Mirror?
Hello and welcome back to my blog! In this post I am going to be talking about windows or mirrors.
First off, what is a window and what is a mirror? You may be thinking of the window that you see on a building, or a mirror that you find in a bathroom. This is a good interpretation, but not quite the one I’m talking about. A window or mirror refers to a book. Is the book you’re reading a window into another world, or is a mirror, reflecting back your own life?
For me, the books that I’m reading (Keeper of the Lost Cities series) is a mirror and a window. It’s more window than mirror; it’s an incredible fantasy book that has aspects and things I’ve never heard of before. But sometimes I catch glimmers of things that I’ve felt in my own life. I’ve had moments over the course of my life where I’ve felt nervous and scared, like the character, or where I’ve felt confident in what I’m doing, like the character. Or when I’ve just had a conflict with my friends and I need to fix it. Or when there’s a problem that needs solving and there’s that ice cold determination to fix it deep inside of me. These are the things that make it a mirror sometimes.
So, in the comments, respond to this question: Is your book a window or mirror? Why?
Thank you!
Virtual Week #1
Computer keyboard from CreativeCommons.
Hi everyone and welcome back to my blog! Today I am going to be talking about my first virtual week.
Last week the students at DA took a virtual week after Thanksgiving to quarantine. During that time we did all of our lessons virtually.
The pros during that week of virtual learning are that I could spend more time with my family, I could work at home where I can be slightly more relaxed than sitting in a desk all day, and that I could get my work done at my own pace. Some cons are that it was definitely louder in my house, Wi-Fi was sometimes a problem with so many people using it at once, and sometimes it was harder to stay on schedule.
A thing that really helped me through this was my calendar. I was able to access my calendar easily and I could clearly see what I had and when.
I was also doing soccer through that virtual week, and that helped me be able to get out, see some of my friends, and to exercise in a COVID-19 friendly environment. I did a lot of reading during that time too, and that helped me stay calm and it gave my brain a break from all of the work.
I stayed organized by having my own space upstairs with a desk and outlets for chargers, and a place to put all of my materials. Having those things at my disposal really helped me to not have to get up and walk around to get things, especially when I was on a call and I needed to get materials.
If you’re all remote for school, I recommend finding your own space where you can work by yourself without any huge interruptions. I would also recommend having all of your materials where you can get them at a moment’s notice.
I would also have chargers on hand for your devices, because all of the screen time that goes into virtuality can seriously wear down your battery.
Thank you for reading about my strategies, my ideas, my experience and my recommendations for the virtual week that I had.
What I Am Reading
Creative Commons Book Stack.
I am reading a fantastic book called Maya and the Rising Dark by Rena Barron. In this contemporary fantasy, twelve-year-old Maya’s search for her missing dad throws her into the center of a battle between her world, the Orishas, and the mysterious and sinister Dark world. Will Maya find her way and find her father? Will she be able to stop the fighting?
Read Maya and the Rising Dark to find out!
This book is perfect for people who like magic in a story. It is a series; but the second book is set to be released on September 21, 2021! Look out for it next year!
Thank you for reading what I am reading right now!
Books To Read
Book Stack from CreativeCommons.
Have you had trouble deciding what you want to read during COVID? Well, I have some amazing book titles having to do with romance, mystery, realistic fiction, and more.
One of my favorite books that I’ve read is The Selection by Kiera Cass. It’s a series of three books. Here is the description of the first book.
When America Singer gets chosen for the Selection, she has no feelings whatsoever for Maxon Schreave, the crowned prince of the new country Illea. She wants no romantics with him, and has agreed to become friends, With no affectionate moves applied. As the contest goes on, America finds herself with new friends, new enemies, and a lasting feeling for another back home. What will happen to America? Will she get over the feeling for the person back in her province? Will she enhance the possibility of finding feasible affection for the prince, even though she had previously decided not to? Or will she be confused and upset forever? Read The Selection to find out!
The next book is a spy/realistic fiction themed book called City Spies. It’s by James Ponti. Here is the description:
Working out of a castle in Scotland, the City Spies are a group of five kids who have slipped through the cracks only to form an unbreakable bond. When they’re not at the local boarding school, they’re handling CIA and FBI level explosives, breaking and entering, and more. When a bad guy comes to them, it’s up to the City Spies to stop it. Will they? Or will the villain get away with his crimes?
Here’s one that is realistic fiction/historical fiction. It’s one of my most favorites that I’ve read. It’s called Echo Mountain by Lauren Wolk.
When the Great Depression takes almost everything they own, Ellie’s family is forced to leave their home in town and start over in the untamed forests of nearby Echo Mountain. Ellie has found a welcome freedom, and a love of the natural world, in her new life on the mountain. She meets new people, such as a hag name Cate and a boy who could make a knife sing.
And here’s one more. If you like way back history with hilarious touches of comedy, you’ll like Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan.
Percy Jackson is a modern-day demigod, a son of Poseidon. He knows a lot about the Greek Gods, and he’s here to share his knowledge with you. There’s dos and don’ts, with or withouts, and all around humor that brings laughs to the table. Read this book to find out more about the Greek Gods and what they stand for (and what they don’t!).
Thanks for reading this blog post about books to read during COVID-19.
6th Grade Through Covid
This is me on a school day wearing my mask, sitting at my desk.
This year hasn’t been a normal year. Everyone can relate to that simple statement. But as the world rebounds in the way that we always do, Durham Academy Middle School has gone back to school.
We’re on a staggered schedule, last names A-L on Mondays and Wednesdays and M-Z On Tuesdays and Thursdays. On days where we’re not at school, we’re virtual, learning through apps like Google Classroom and Microsoft Teams.
Other things in my life have gone from nonexistent to existent. For instance, my soccer team, 2009 Barcelona (Triangle United) have started doing contact soccer. I have played in one game as of right now, and I have more to look forward to. My first game was in Wilmington. When I stepped out of the car, I could smell the salt we were so close to the ocean!
Covid-19 has provided me with more opportunities than not, if you can believe it. I got to spend more time with my family, which is always fun and interesting. Normally we all have activities every day of the week, and so it was nice to be able to spend time with them.
As the whole world works through COVID, I know that we will pull through. We have faced things like this before, and we have gotten through those stronger than ever. This will only make us stronger, believe it or not.
But right now, if wearing masks and staying six feet away is what we need to do to stay safe, I encourage everyone to do those things! This will not just go away on it’s own. We have to take the necessary precautions to help this virus to go away. I know we can do it.
Thank you for reading my very first post!