First Semester RLA Reflection

The most challenging thing of this semester in RLA was completing Back to the Drawing Board every week. It clashed with other homework and activities we had. This semester, I have really improved as a writer. Even though BTTDB interferes with other classes, it has really helped me with my independent writing. Before 8th grade, I never wrote on my own. I just wrote what I was required to write for RLA. BTTDB has given me a chance to write what I wanted to write. As a writer, something that I really want to accomplish next semester is completeing my independant writing story.

RLA Persuasive Speech Reflection

What are you most proud of with this speech?

I am most proud of presenting in front of the class because I get very nervous when having to speak in front of a large group of people

What was the most challenging part of this speech?

The most challenging part of this speech other than presenting in front of the class was making my speech persuasive when spoken. A persuasive essay is drastically different from a persuasive speech because you have to think about tone, pausing, enunciation, etc.

What “unintended learning” did you have beyond the rubric?

As stated above, I learned that a persuasive essay differs drastically from a persuasive speech. With a persuasive essay, the kinds of words used is one of the things that matters most. However, a persuasive speech requires correct tone,  enunciation, etc.

What  did you learn from others (such as from your teacher, mentor texts, or peers) as you developed your speech?

Something I learned from others as I developed my speech was the importance of tone and pauses. 

Video 8: Music Video and Reflection

1. Now that you have finished your music video, what were some of the filmmaking skills or techniques you used the most?  How did they help make your music video better?

For the music video, I decided to have a simple film so that it would require less and simpler shots. They made my music video better by straight forwardly giving the audience the story of the video

2. What were your biggest successes during this project? Why would you label them a success?

One of my biggest successes during this project would be when I  put the film's credits on the late form. This is because the rest of the story is nothing really special, but the credits on  the late form is a great way to start off the film without disrupting the first part with the credits.

3. What were your struggles? Why were they hard for you? How did you overcome them?

A huge struggle was arranging what time everyone could film. Rui was not from my video class, so we could only film after school on certain days. To make up for the lost time, I edited quicker.

4. What was your overall opinion of this project? How would you make it better or different?

I really enjoyed this project because it was something different from the normal film. It would be better if we could work in groups.

My Favourite Music Videos

Weekend by Priory: Narrative
Human by The Killers: Performance
Stay the Night by Zedd (Feat. Haley Williams): Abstract and performance

Levels of Government Part II

Does SAS have different levels of government? If so, how? Discuss.

SAS has different levels of government that are similar to the United States' federal, state, county, and city levels of government. Dr. Kimbell, the SAS superintendent, is like the president of SAS, and the assistant superintendents are at the federal level of the "SAS government." The principals of HS, MS, and ES are similar to governors of the state, who work at the state government. There are team leaders for each grade level, like Mrs. Gach for 8C. They are like the members of the county government because they organize events for their grade level. Each teacher would be like a mayor of their own classroom, which would be a part of the city government.

Federal V.S. State Governments

Why does America have federal and state governments?

America has federal and state governments for many reasons. For example, bigger problems that address the whole country are dealt by the federal government while smaller, local problems can be handled by the state government. America wanted to have this style of government because they didn't want to have a king and a parliament that had all of the power to make taxations and declare war, like the British. It was much easier to handle the federal and state governments. With a balance of power between federal and state governments, America would be able to govern people more efficiently and respectfully.

Podcast Reflection

Something I am most proud about with this podcast is how I got to interview 3 people with completely different backgrounds that provided a lot of insight to my topic. The biggest challenge with this podcast was time management. My interviewees were only free during the last few days of the project, and I needed the interviews for my bridges. Something that I wish I had more time to fine-tune were the bridges and transitions between my soundbites. Sometimes, they did not really flow together, so it really affected the rest of the podcast. Something unintended that I learned was not to procrastinate. I procrastinated my ticket to ride so that heavily affected the rest of my project and schedule.
     The interviews went very well. The interviewees answered the questions with detail, and they slowly opened up more as the interviews went on. During Rui's interview, I asked him how the haze was affecting his learning. He had answered with, "It's not affecting my learning." After some prodding and letting him ease into the questions, he answered with much more detail: "The haze is not letting me go to P.E. classes outside, so we have to do stuff in the gym. It’s really not fun in the gym because you can’t really do the activities that you’re supposed to do, like the mile."
     I think that I could have been better at asking follow-up questions. I was too focused on trying to get all of the questions that I had come up with and too nervous to bring the conversation to a new area that I barely asked any.
I asked Mr. Clark, "How do you think the haze affects teaching at SAS?"
He answered, “It’s had a major impact this year. I’ve been here for 7 years now and it’s never had too much of an impact at all, but in recent months, it’s had a very big impact on me as a P.E. teacher because we found that we have had to restrict our lessons so much, and so many of our lessons that we wanted to teach outside, we’ve had to teach inside. This means that often, a gym that we would have a class of 20, we end up with a class of 60 because of the haze. It has a big impact on the P.E. program, and it also has a big impact on after school coaching. The first season has been really disruptive because of the haze.”
"So you said that you needed to transfer some outside classes indoors. How does that affect physical activity?"
"Well, for example, things like the mile run. The mile run is something that we do each quarter. We didn't even get a chance to do that in the first quarter because we obviously can't do the mile run inside. It also means that when you do things like touch rugby or flag football or ultimate frisbee, a lot of those sports require so much space. Because we have to bring them inside, it makes it pretty much impossible to do those sports."
     There is nothing else I would like to add.

Advanced Strings 8: Cello Promo Video

Disunia

1. What were some of the problems Disunia had when enforcing agreements

One of the problems Disunia had when enforcing agreements was that no one wanted to pay a lot, so they only voted on some of the lowest priced decisions. Another problem was that no one had to follow the bill or even pay the bill.

2. How did the President help or hinder agreements?

The President just made sure everyone listened, knew what they were doing, and made announcements. Other than that, the President never really did anything to help Disunia.

3. What could be done to help Disunia function better?

The President could be stricter and make sure everyone paid the bill and followed it. The President should also make sure that Disunia doesn't destroy itself.

RLA 8: Journalism Project Podcast

Articles of Confederation

Strengths:

• Coin and borrow money
• Negotiate with foreign nations and American Indians
• Try to resolve differences between states
• Ask states for money and soldiers

Weaknesses:

• Pass or collect taxes
• Raise and army (No standing army)
• Enforce its won laws (No judicial system)
• No executive or legislative branches with power
• Most power held by the states
• One branch  of government

Layers of American Government

1. Federal

• Executive branch-Led by the president of the U.S. Spokesperson of America
• Legislative branch-House of Representatives and the Senate
• Judicial branch-Judge, legal, U.S. supreme court
• All located in Washington D.C.

2. State

• Executive branch-Governors, chief executive of a state. Each state has its own legislature
• Judicial branch-State courts

3. County

• County administrators
• County court
• Legislative branch-County administrators make decisions
• County-Smallest piece of a state

4. City

• Mayor
• Legislative branch-Elected
• City courts

American Revolution

1.Battle of Trenton
1776, In November 1776, Washington's Continental Army was almost at its end. He only had 6,000 men who were ready to give ip. Instead of retreating, Washington sailed on the Delaware river and attacked the Hessians who resided in New Jersey. They won the battle with 900 prisoners.
First victory of the war for the Americans. They learned that General George Washington was a good leader. They attacked on the night of Christmas into Boxing Day the next day. The Hessians didn't know when the attack would happen, and a spy told them that it would be a few days after Christmas.

2.Battle of Saratoga
September 19-October 7, 1777. The British were confident that they had the superior force to cut off New England from the rest of the colonies. The miscalculations of the British were later revealed by the secret letters. The spying and the letter-writing games from both sides resulted in the surrender of the British.
The Battle of Saratoga was important because it was the battle in which the British troops surrendered to theContinental Army. After the Continental ARmy's victory over  the British, France decided to become America's ally. Overall, the Battle of Saratoga marked a major turning point in the revolutionary war.
Benedict Arnold was an important leader, first high-ranking trader. Massive ego. He becomes injured in battle and questions his purpose in the battle.
3.Valley Forge
Where: Valley Forge was located 30 kilometers northwest of Pennsylvania.
When: In December 1777, General Washington brought his 12,000 men to Valley Forge.
What: The only enemy was the brutal winter. Around 2,000 soldiers died of disease and malnutrition.
Who:

• Continental Army
• General Washington
• Baron von Steuben

4.The Naval War

• February 1776
• The Atlantic Ocean, West Indies, Gulf Coast
• John Paul Jones, Esek Hopkins, General Sir William Howe
• US damaged the British's ability to operate
• American troops seized the British's main supply base in the Bahamas
• Naval warships provided by French to fight the British
• More convenient for the Frech to help America fight the British
• John Paul Jones: Scottish, fought for America, ended up in Russia

5.Guerilla Warfare

• Improper warfare in which a small group of armed civilians use military strategies like ambushes to sabotage large military groups
• September 14th, 1780
• The Patriots ambushed the Loyalists and won
• The Patriots drove out the Loyalists and Francis Marion became well-known
• In the swamp because Patriots knew the geography
• Loyalists didn't know how to fight in a swamp
• Attack threw the British off
• British thought that the Americans were un-gentleman-like at war

6.Battle of Yorktown

• After being harassed by  the continental army in the Carolinas, Cornwallis retreated to Yorktown and George Washington stormed and surrounded him with the help of the French troops. On October 19, 1781, Cornwallis sent out a drummer and a white flag of surrender.
• It was the last major battle between America and the British
• Solidifies America's victory
• George Washington was to be King, but America came up with the president
• Benedict Arnold was a traitor to the Americans

7.Treaty of Paris

• The treaty was signed on September 3, 1783
• Treaty signed in Paris, France by King George III
• David Hartley was  a member of the British Parliament
• The British finally recognized the independence of the United States, so the treaty was signed on September 3, 1782
• Benjamin Franklin convinced the French to help the Americans

Adv Strings 8: Mariachi Recording

Multicultural America Project -- 2015

https://sites.google.com/a/sas.edu.sg/miguel-2015/

Application Essay: The Jump

The Jump

She jumped.
Her limbs flailed through the air as her body fell closer and closer to the vast stretch of blue that is the ocean. There was a thunderous crash as her body splashed into the water. The throng of people watching on the deck roared and cheered as she was swallowed under the water.
It is the second day of the 8th-grade Classroom Without Walls, or CWW for short. The whole 8th grade is at Telunas, Indonesia, and we will stay here for 5 days. Right now, it is C side’s turn to jump off the high deck.
The line of people shuffled forward. I watched as someone climbed the ladder to the high deck, the sun glistening off his back. There were two kids that stood between me and the ladder.
I started to doubt my choice to jump. I have always been afraid of heights. I can’t even walk over to the edge of a balcony without feeling queasy.
I remember the Christmas break when my family and I were visiting the United States of America for the first time. During our stay at New York City, we visited the Empire State Building. I remember the fear slowly growing inside me as we went higher and higher. Once we got to the top, I could not bring myself to stand near the edge and gaze at colourful nighttime New York City. I just stayed inside and watched through the windows.
The earsplitting crack of skin on water brought me back to the high deck. Someone had belly-flopped off the high deck and landed flat onto the water.
The line shuffled forward. Now, there was only one person between me and the ladder. I made a decision. I would jump off the high deck no matter what.
Two more people jumped off the high deck, both sending the water high as they collided with the surface of the ocean. I placed my hand on the ladder and took a deep breath. I will jump.
I climbed the ladder and reached the high deck. I looked over the ledge to see how far down the water was. From the high deck, it looked very high, but I stuck with my decision to jump off the high deck. I walked back to the center of the high deck, my legs shaking. Adrenaline pumped through my veins. I took another deep breath, ran forward… and jumped.
I did not know what to expect. The wind rushed into my face. The water got closer and closer. I was not aware of what my limbs were doing, but later I was told that I was doing a mid-air cannonball kind of pose. It felt like I was in the air for minutes.
Then suddenly, the water rushed to meet me like two friends having a reunion after so many years. I landed back first into the water. There was a stinging pain as I contacted with the water. As I became fully submerged, the stinging lessened to a bearable throbbing. The salty water then continued to rush into every open orifice on my body. My mouth, ears, and nose. I swam for the surface of the water, gasping for air. My legs were sore from landing on them, so I used my arms and the waves to get to the ladder that led back to the deck.
I did it. I jumped.
As the adrenaline died down, I realized that with some effort, I could conquer fear, which led to more possibilities. My conquering of my fear of heights led to me being more confident about myself and have a more positive outlook on life. It allowed me to take note of my surroundings and admire those who have done the same. It allowed me to have a better understanding of myself as a person.
Conquering my fear of heights had, ironically, brought me to new heights that I had never perceived in which I could reveal new opportunities and succeed in them.

Strings 8 Advanced: Solo

Video 8: Manual Focus Formative

MS P.E. Fitness Card

Passion Project: March 17

During this class of RLA, I continued writing my story, for I had started writing it over the weekend. I edited the idea of the story so that the main character and his partner look for jobs to do, but do them only if it follows the main character's code of honour, as opposed to the duo wandering around in space. The main plot: Kevin Mallious and Zephyr "Zeph" Blackford

RLA Application Essay Pitch

RLA Application Essay Pitch

Ellis Island Reflection

How do you think people felt upon their arrival to Ellis Island?

I think that they felt relief that they finally got to America. This is because they spent all their life savings to start a new life for themselves and their families in America. However, they might have felt some fear because they might be separated from their families and/or get deported.

What do you think the immigration hall screening was like?

I think that the immigration hall screening created claustrophobia that added to someone's fear of getting deported and/or separated from his/her family. It was probably also very intense and scary because the people who worked at Ellis Island watched everyone at all times, so the pressure was constantly building up. The six-second screening was probably also very scary for someone completely new to the country because they looked everywhere around the person's body, even under the eyelids, to find signs of sickness. The fact that a lot of them did not know English probably scared immigrants even more.

How did you feel when you arrived at the classroom and learned about you fate?

I felt curious about what the people who got to America and the people who got quarantined had to do. I was also sad that I was separated with my friends. However, since this was a simulation, what I felt is probably nothing compared to what the actual immigrants felt at that time.

Rethinking Historical Thinking

Knowledge and Concepts:

1. What is wrong with an art museum?
2. Primary VS. Secondary sources (What is reliable?)
3. DO THE MATH!

Literacy:

1. Directly state a thesis
2. Provide solid evidence, not make believe or wild speculation
3. Conclude
4. No Personal Pronouns (I, We, You, Us)

Native American Stereotypes

1. Native Americans were conquered because they were inferior. Reality: Native Americans were conquered because of disease
2. Native Americans had no civilization until Europeans brought it to them. Reality: Native Americans had a civilization, but it was just different from the Europeans' civilization
3. Native Americans were warlike and treacherous. Reality: Native Americans only became warlike when Europeans tried to invade their land
4. Native Americans had nothing to contribute to Europeans or to the growth of America. Reality: Native Americans contributed to the Columbian Exchange
5. Native American tribes did not value women. Reality: Women had a lot of power in the Native American society
6. Native Americans have no religion. Reality: Each Native American tribe had a religion
7. Native Americans are a vanishing race. Reality: They decreased, but then increased because of medical attention, and there are now 5 million Native Americans
8. Native Americans get a free ride from the government. Reality: The Native Americans work as hard or harder than regular people for money, land, etc.

Wellness Prezi

Letter to Bartolome de las Casas

Dear Bartolome de las Casas,

When the Spanish Crown took me away from you, I was brought to the mines to work under harsh conditions. Even though I was your servant, you had treated me like a friend. Now the Tainos and I have been forced to work for other cruel Spaniards. Since then, they have yelled at us, whipped us, and forced us to convert to Christianity. I remember you teaching me about the Bible and Christianity. You said that God created every man equally. Are the Tainos and I not men? Should we not be treated equally? Are the Spaniards the ones who should review the Bible? The encomienda system is not working. Please, Bartolome, please help me and my people escape from this evil tragedy.

Your good friend,

Juanico

The First Few Days -- Christopher Columbus

1. What attitude does Columbus have about the people he encounters? Find 3 quotes to support your perspective.

When he encounters people, Columbus does not think of them as human beings, but thinks of them or their belongings as items of value. "... I gave to some of them some red caps and some glass beads, which they hung round their necks, and many other things of little value." This shows that Columbus just wanted the natives' valuable items, but wanted to scam them and get the items cheap. "They should be good servants and of quick intelligence..." This shows that Columbus was only thinking of them as good servants and not as actual human beings. "However, when Your Highnesses so command, they can all be... held captive in the island itself, since with fifty men they would be all kept in subjection and forced to do whatever may be wished..." This shows that Columbus only valued the natives as slaves that could be "forced to do whatever may be wished...".

2. What does Columbus care about?  Give evidence.

Columbus only cares about the amount of land he discovers and the resources that are held in that land. This is shown with all his interactions with the natives (as stated above), and is also shown when he saw a piece of land and thought about how it could be turned into a fort.

3. What, if anything, can you tell about the kind of people the “Indians” are? Give evidence.

The "Indians" were very generous people because they immediately took in Columbus and his crew as friends and gave them items that were important to them. Whenever Columbus and his crew came close to the shore, many of the "Indians" came to greet them and gave them food and drink. Also, whenever someone capsizes their boat, "everyone at once begins to swim and right it...". This shows that they are also very kind to each other as well as Columbus and his crew.

Important Historical Ideas

• Reliable: Is the source trustworthy or not

• Biased: Always leaning towards one side of an idea and ignoring the other side(s)

• Background Historical Knowledge: Knowledge about an event prior to learning something new

• Inference: Educated guess based on hard evidence

• Sources that Conflict: Two or more sources that say different things about a topic

Source: Cartoon Stock

This cartoon is not reliable because it is not intended to be a historic record; instead, it is supposed to be purely for humour. Also, this comic was made in 2012, but construction for Stonehenge started in 2,600 B.C. It is biased against archaeologists. This comic is wrong because people still do not know what the purpose for Stonehenge was. I think the author is trying to say that some historical artifacts should be left alone. There are many sources that conflict this cartoon. While stone structures have been found underground nearby Stonehenge, they do not resemble the shapes of specific letters.

Considering Perspectives

     Some things that make up who I am:

• My name is Miguel
• I am 13 years old
• I am a male
• I am from the Philippines
• I lived most of my life in Singapore
• I lived the first four years of my life in the Philippines
• My first language is English
• I have one mom, one dad, and two younger brothers
• I like comics, music, and movies
• I love Star Wars
• I don't like having a lot of homework

Label Test

Astronomy Unit Project

What are you most proud about your presentation?

I am most proud of researching a relatively new topic but still finding more than enough information for our presentation.

How did you challenge yourself?

I challenged myself by picking a topic that didn't have a lot of information (compared to other topics)

What are two things you learned from your classmates’ presentation?

One thing I learned from my classmates' presentations was that a sudden change in the Earth's tilt could theoretically tear the world in half. Another thing I learned from my classmates' presentations was that we theoretically live in a 3D universe within a 4D universe.

Video Semester Reflection

What were your initial expectations about taking Digital Storytelling? What were you expecting to learn or do?

I was expecting to learn about how to make good quality films through filming and editing.

Describe the skills that you learned in this semester. What were the skills you felt were the most beneficial? Did you use them in other courses? Which ones and how?

I learned how to storyboard my ideas before producing them, create a good video of those ideas with unique shots, and editing the footage I had so that I could make the video flow seamlessly. Editing was the skill that I feel is the most beneficial because you could still create a good film with bad shots if the editing was done well. I also used editing in RLA to make a book trailer.

Which project did you enjoy most this semester? Why did you enjoy it? What was the best lesson you got out of it?

The project I enjoyed most this semester was the Movie Trailer Remix because we got to take a well-known movie and completely re-create the story by changing the genre.

Which project did you least enjoy? Why? What could have been done differently to improve it?

The project I least enjoyed this semester was the Logo and Branding project because it wasn't really related to everything we were doing before: storyboarding, filming, and editing.

What are your opinions about having a 100% project-based learning class? Do you wish it was more traditional with formal assessments? Why or why not?

I like that this class is 100% project based because then we wouldn't have to be so stressed about any tests coming up.

Overall, what was your opinion about the graphic design unit? What were the most useful skills you learned? Should it be taught in all digital media classes?

I didn't really like the graphic design unit because it wasn't really related to everything we were doing before: storyboarding, filming, and editing. The most useful skill I learned was how to create a colour palette that didn't have clashing colours.

What was your biggest lesson or take away from Digital Storytelling this semester? How do you plan on using it?

My biggest take away from Digital Storytelling this semester was my improved skill of editing footage. I plan to use it in future projects in other classes and maybe some projects of my own when I have the time.

If you could add ANY digital media project to the semester what would it be and why?

I wouldn't add anything.

What did you enjoy most about this semester? Why?

Something I enjoyed this semester was that we got to make our ideas into films because it lets us have time to do what we want instead of sitting through a boring class.

What did you enjoy least about this semester? Why?

Something I least enjoyed this semester was that less time was given to some projects, so I had to rush to finish them.

The Truman Show

1. What unusual camera angles can you remember in the film?

There were shots from the mirror, the dog, and inside the car.

2. What genre would you say the world of Seahaven is reminiscent of? Does this change within the film?

The world of Seahaven is reminiscent of the dystopian genre. This doesn't really change throughout the film, but Truman rebels against the system.

3. How have the lives of people who have become celebrities by television exposure been affected both in a positive and a negative way?

Positive: They would become famous, money, and maybe become a role model for other people
Negative: They might be targeted for paparazzi and stalking, so they would get less privacy than regular people.


4. Imagine that Mrs. Gach has been approached to allow a television series to be made about Singapore American School. Do you think the filming should be allowed? Why or why not?

 No, because it invades people's privacy.

5. From a different perspective, would YOU watch a show that was like Truman's? Why or why not?

No, I would not want to because I would feel guilty invading someone's privacy by watching someone's life without them knowing.

Youtube Header

Primate Project Presentations

One similarity I saw between my monkey and my classmate's monkey was that they had long arms and legs to enable ease for swinging from tree to tree.

One difference I saw between my monkey and my classmate's monkey is that my monkey has webbed hands and feet so it would be easier to swim, but other monkeys didn't swim.

One thing I learned was that the lion-tailed macaque is very similar to the orangutan.

Tiger Tales Submission

The Dinner Table

Shots are fired
A battle rages
War is coming
At the dinner table

Armies clash
Plots are formed
Plans are conceived
At the dinner table

Legions charge
Guns fire
Heroes die
At the dinner table

Bombs drop
Cities burn
Smoke rises
At the dinner table

Wind blows
There is silence
All is calm
At the dinner table

Social Media Pledge

I use the computer too much, mostly for watching Youtube videos or browsing Imgur after I am done with my homework, so my social media pledge is to use my computer less and be more aware of my surroundings.

Pixar Movie Pitch Critiques

What do you like about this movie pitch?

Original idea, kind of reminds me of Daedalus' escape from the Labyrinth.

What do you wonder/suggest?

Why is the mad scientist trying to get to his mother?

Would you fund this movie? Why or why not?

I would not because the mad scientist does not have a motive for wanting to get to his mother.

What do you like about this movie pitch?

I liked the plot.

What do you wonder/suggest?

How did he discover the secret powers?

Would you fund this movie? Why or why not?

I wouldn't fund this movie because it is too cliché.

What do you like about this movie pitch?

It is very detailed, the plot and characters can be clearly envisioned.

What do you wonder/suggest?

Nothing.

Would you fund this movie? Why or why not?

I would fund this movie because the pitch describes each major detail in the plot, and there is a big plot twist at the end that the audience would not be expecting.

Artificial Selection

     Artificial selection is when humans breed two different species of animal to create a hybrid with traits that the breeder wanted in the animal. However, the new hybrid could inherit traits that the breeder does not want. For example, in our lesson today, we tried to create the perfect dog we wanted by breeding two dogs with the preferable traits spread between them. We flipped a coin to randomly select each trait. For me and Raghav's experiment, we got mostly traits that we didn't want or need (Loud bark, below average smell, etc.). The traits can vary between each artificially selected baby, with each baby inheriting a different mix of traits from his/her mother and father. Because of this, it would take many years of trial and error to breed the perfect dog that has all the traits that you want it to have

Movie Trailer Remix Reflection

1. What made you choose this film for remixing? Was it your original choice or did you have to change your film in the middle of editing. Why?

I chose this film for remixing because I wanted to not only change the genre but also change a huge part in the plot. In the original Thor film, his hammer Mjölnir is used in good and heroic ways. I wanted to change it so that Mjölnir is something that Thor and the other characters are afraid of. This was my original choice.

2. What did you enjoy most about this project? Why?

I enjoyed having to change a film's genre and plot because I could make the film become something completely different.

3. What did you not enjoy about this project? Why?

There was nothing that I didn't enjoy.

4. What changes would you suggest to this project for future semesters?

Maybe more time, but the time given was already good enough.

Time Capsule Reflection

1. How did you decide what to include in your video? How did you decide what to exclude?

I decided to include anything that was either an important point in recent history or anything that held a lot of positive symbolism.

2. How are the videos produced by your peers different from one another, and what does this say about the author of the video as well as yourself?

They are different from one another because we all have different opinions on what is most important to share with future generations or aliens that find these videos.

3. How do you think the people of the future might react when they see these videos?

They will be reminded of the values that our generation thought were important, which might change in the future.

Natural Selection

   Today in science, we simulated natural selection by imitating finches' beaks. We used a clothespin, hairpin, and chopsticks for the different beaks of each finch species, and there were different types of foods (rubber bands, paper clips, and beans) on each island (table). The purpose of this experiment was to show how a species better suited to its surroundings will be more likely to survive and evolve.

1. What role do you think natural selection plays in the evolution of finches, of man and of other organisms?

It selects the best species suited for the environment it is living in so that the species can live longer.

2. Are there other things involved in evolution?

There are a lot of other things involved in evolution. For example, the ability to escape predators, effectively hunt for prey, etc.

3. Why do you think there are so many different kinds of dogs?

I think there are so many different kinds of dogs because they used to be wolves and foxes a long time ago, but the areas where they lived, the available prey, predators, and domestication by humans made them evolve into a diverse species.

Remixed Movie Trailer Proposal

Proposed movie to re-edit: Thor
Genre to re-edit to: Horror
Proposed re-edit plot: Thor is afraid of Mjölnir because it is trying to hunt him down and kill him and the people around him.

Passion Project: March 16

During this class of RLA, I planned and wrote the questions for my interview. The three questions were: "What is your opinion on science fiction in general?"; "What is your opinion on western fiction in general?"; and "What is your opinion on science fiction and western fiction being combined to make a story?". I wanted to know what other people thought about the two genres and how well they would fit together. Unfortunately, I did not have time to ask anyone in class because there was not enough time. My next steps are to interview someone once I get home.

Passion Project: March 13

During this class of RLA, I created my characters' personality. The main character, a former crew member of bounty hunters and interplanetary smugglers, will be a middle aged male, somewhere in his thirties or forties. He will have a serious, bleak outlook on life, which portrays the illusion of him being a strong person, but inside, he holds many regrets from the time he was a bounty hunter and a smuggler. It is kind of cliche, so I will tweak it over the weekend. His partner will be a young female, maybe in her twenties, who was abandoned while she was a teen and had to live in the streets of a city until the main character meets her (I have not figured out how yet). Because of her tendency to run into things head on, she usually gets her and the main character in trouble during illegal jobs. The reason I wanted the partner to be female was because I wanted the characters to have a father/daughter relationship, and because her personality would counter with the main character's personality.

Passion Project: March 12

During this class of RLA, I have decided to go with my second idea. However, I am not sure if I should give the main character a partner at the start of the story or if the main character will meet the partner during the middle of the beginning part. The reason I want the main character to have a parter is because it would provide more internal and external conflicts, so the main character cannot make choices based on only his wants and needs. Frankly, I am leaning towards giving him a partner at the start of the story because that would give me opportunities to write flashbacks that would give more depth to the character.

Passion Project: March 11

During this class of RLA, I brain stormed some new and improved ideas based on the information that I found while researching space western fiction. One of my ideas was a crew of outlaws on a space ship that flew around looking for jobs, which were mostly smuggling and bounty hunting. During one of their jobs, they would be asked to smuggle something very important, or kidnap someone very important. However, something would go wrong (i.e. space police, space pirates, etc.), and the crew would be conflicted, only to be reunited at the end to get through the whole adventure. My other idea is about an ex smuggler or bounty hunter, possibly a former member of the crew in my first idea. He would travel the planets, interfering when he sees the need to follow his code of honour. However, he would come to a scenario when his code of honour would interfere with him doing the right thing.

Passion Project: March 10

During this class of RLA, I researched a bit more on science fiction and western mash ups, or space western. Since space western uses amounts of both science fiction and western, I decided to do research on both of them. Science fiction is basically fiction that should be scientifically accurate and possible, whereas a Western fiction story "...centres on the life of a semi-nomadic wanderer, usually a cowboy or a gunfighter." (Wikiwand - Western [Genre]). Using this information, I am going to slightly or drastically change the main idea of my space western fiction story. After that, I will begin planning, outlining, and writing.

Passion Project: March 9

During this class of RLA, I have watched episodes 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10. I will not be watching episode 11 because it is about studying linguistics and creating an alien language, which is something that I will not do because it is not needed in my science fiction story. The episodes I watched are about the structure of the story, the outlining, the protagonist and antagonist, originality, and researching. Since I have just recently finished watching the first and only season of Firefly, I am very familiar with the theme of science fiction and western being mashed together.

Passion Project: March 6

During this class of RLA, I have watched episodes 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 of Frank R. Haugen's "How to Write Science Fiction" Youtube video series. They talked mostly about rules that could be applied to any kind of fiction, like how to come up with an idea, the different types of genres, the conflict needed for a good fiction story, the character stereotypes, and the character's or characters' motivations. I have also decided that my science fiction story will be a science fiction and western mash up, and it will be heavily influenced from the TV show Firefly.

E-Column Video

Passion Project: March 5

During this class of RLA, I continued my research on how to write science fiction. I found this site, and it went into a lot of detail on what science fiction is and is not. Star Wars, for example, is usually mistaken for a science fiction movie. However, it is actually a movie about a (Jedi) knight (Luke) going to save a princess (Princess Leia), who is trapped in a castle. (Death Star). The site also went into detail on the 3 main rules of writing science fiction: Know your thesis, do your research, and don't be afraid of the new.

Passion Project: March 4

During this class of RLA, I went to the library to look at the blurbs of some science fiction books to get some inspiration for my story idea. A lot of them were about dystopian futures, but I want to test myself and try something unique. One idea I came up with was a story on a crew on a spaceship in the future smuggling things from planet to planet, like the cancelled TV show Firefly. I also found another article on what I should and should not do in science fiction. It was mostly about how I should not use cliché. Tomorrow I will aim to finalise what my ideas are before writing either over the weekend or next week.

Passion Project Progress: March 3

During this class of RLA, I researched a bit more on the basics and techniques of science fiction. I found this site explaining how to write a science fiction novel or short story in seven steps. The site talked more about the actual structure of the story, as opposed to coming up with an original idea. I also came up with some ideas to write about. For example, 'What if the world's resources ran out and we had to go back in time to get more, but that would disrupt the space/time continuum?' or 'What if humanity started trading with other civilisations, but we were so desperate to have their resources that so much mass is taken off Earth and the pull of gravity lessened?'

Science Field Trip: Dairy Farm

This is an example of a decomposer, fungi, breaking down a dead log. Eventually, the log will fully decompose.













This is an example of commensalism where the tree is not being harmed or benefited, and the fern is being helped. The fern grows on and receives nutrients from the tree while the tree is not strangled or deprived of anything.










This is example of a plant with a disease, where the leaf has a yellow-green tone and some brown spots. The plant might not be receiving enough nutrients or sunlight, or parasites might be killing it.

Passion Project Progress

March 2nd

Today we were given twenty minutes to research our project. My project is about how I can improve my creative writing. I started by reviewing writing techniques Ms. Bucknall taught us. I then decided that I would write a science fiction story for my project, so I searched up some articles and got one on how to write science fiction. I started brainstorming some ideas on what my story could be about. Tomorrow I will research other techniques on the internet.

RLA Realistic Fiction Story Reflection

The strategies I used to improve my realistic fiction story were peer and teacher feedback. In class, I asked multiple people to read my story and give me some constructive criticism. This included elaborating the message of the story, not going on and on, and show more internal thinking. After improving my story, I asked Ms. Bucknall about anything else I could improve. She said I could improve the placement of my flashbacks to improve the complexity of my story. IXL also helped me practice with conventions. This raised the meaning and understanding of my story. I also used the rubric to help me improve my story.

Video 7: Movie Plots

1. Call to Adventure

Luke finds C3-P0 and R2-D2, and Princess Leia's message in R2 leads him to Obi-Wan (Ben) Kenobi. Kenobi wants Luke to come with him to Alderaan to save Princess Leia.

2. Refusal to Call

Luke wants to stay on Tatooine to take care of Aunt Beru and Uncle Lars.

3. Spiritual Aid

Stormtroopers burn Luke's house along with Aunt Beru and Uncle Lars in an attempt to find C3-P0 and R2-D2. Since Luke has nothing else to do on Tatooine, he decides to go with Obi-Wan to Alderaan to save Princess Leia.

4. Crossing the First Threshold

Luke, Obi-Wan, R2, and C3-P0 go to Mos Eisley Spaceport to find a pilot that is willing to take them to Alderaan. They find Han Solo and Chewbacca, who pilot the Millennium Falcon.

5. Belly of the Whale

Luke, Obi-Wan, Han Solo, Chewbacca, R2, and C3-P0 travel through space to Alderaan. It is the first time Luke has gone to space, and there is no going back.

6. Road of Trials

Luke trains with Obi-Wan on how to use a lightsaber while travelling to Alderaan. Obi-Wan teaches Luke how to use the Force by making him deflect lasers with a lightsaber while not being able to see.

7. Meeting with the Goddess

Luke and Han find Princess Leia in her cell on the Death Star.

8. Temptation

Luke is tempted to save Obi-Wan from Darth Vader, but since he would get killed in the process, Han pulls him into the Millennium Falcon.

9. Atonement with the Father

Luke witnesses Darth Vader killing Obi-Wan.

10. Apostatis

Obi-Wan is killed by Darth Vader.

11. The Ultimate Boon

The Rebellion destroys the Death Star.

12. Refusal of Return

Luke decides to stay with the Rebellion.

13. Magic Flight

The remaining starfighters head back to the Rebellion base

14. Rescue from Without

Han Solo decides to also stay with the Rebellion, which encourages Luke even more to stay too.

15. Crossing the Return Threshold

Rebellion celebrates.

16. Master of Two Worlds

Luke and Han are rewarded by the Rebellion.

17. Freedom to Live

Rebellion has defeated the Empire

Video 7: The Door Scene Reflection

1. What did you learn from the Door Scene? How do you think the skills or lessons you learned will help you in future projects?

The most important thing I learned from the Door Scene was how to storyboard. Storyboarding will help me in future projects because I can plan out what my shots are going to look like and how they are going to be shot.

2. Which version of the Door Scene was better? The first or second? Why?

I liked the first one better because I had better envisioned it, which resulted in it looking better on screen.

3. What was it like working with your group? Was it a good group dynamic? Why or why not? Also explain why you would or would not work with them again

There was good group dynamic because we all liked the idea and were determined to get it done. We mostly agreed with each other. I would work with them again because the ideas we have as a group can make good films.

4. Give your honest opinion about this project; should it be done again next year?

The Door Scene should definitely be done again next year because it teaches new people at video many necessary skills needed for the future, and it is a great topic because it can be interpreted into many different ways. 

P.E./Health TED Talk: Is Sugar Really Bad For You?

The Hero In Me

If there is a place where there is a lot of pollution (and there are a lot of places like that), I would raise awareness through posting videos on the internet, making posters, etc.

P.E./Health Running Form Reflection

     I think that I did well on bringing my arms from my hips to my chin, but I need to work on keeping my legs from flicking up too high.

Population Pyramid Reflection

     What is the relevance of studying demographics? In other words, why is this important to me? How will this impact my life? Today? In 5 years? When I'm an adult?

     Studying demographics is important to me today because it makes me more aware of the economic status of other countries, and since more people means more of the world's resources are used, it makes me more aware of how much of Earth's resources I am using. In 5 years, it would help me decide where I should focus my career later in life, which would influence where I would go for college. When I'm an adult, this would help me make business decisions on what to sell in any country if I go into sales.

Sim Government Reflection

     During this project, I learned that I should manage my time better. My partner and I did not work hard enough or do a lot for most of the given time on this presentation. Consequently, we had to rush our project and do most of it last minute, and we did not give our best on this presentation. We did, however, achieve a decent product, and our flag held more meaning than the others who had to present on this country.