I read a an article about how pizza is one reason kids are getting fat. Experts say that pizza has more calories than a kid should have in one day, and when kids eat multiple slices of pizza it can be very unhealthy. Some words that have a big meaning to the text are:

1. Obesity – the condition of being fat or overweight

2. Calories – either two units of heat energy.. Kids can have up to 1,600 to 2,200 calories per day.

3. Diabetes – a metabolic disease in which the body’s inability to produce any or enough insulin causes elevated of glucose in the blood.

4. Professor – a teacher of the highest rank in a college or university.

                                                                                                                     This pizza represents how eating pizza can make kids more obese because pizza has a lot of calories in it. I think that it is ok to eat 2 slices of pizza, but if you eat more than that it can be unhealthy Besides, life would be hard without pizza!

I read a Non-Fiction Article about tough times for polar bears. Some people think that Polar Bears should live  in zoos, while others think polar bears should live in the wild. However, Polar Bears are facing challenges in both captivity and in the wild. There are many different viewpoints about whether Polar Bears should live in captivity or in the wild. Some Viewpoints are:

People that think Polar Bears shouldn’t be in captivity: It is sad to see Polar Bears having to live in such small man-made habitats.

People that think it is good for polar bears to be in zoos: If Polar Bears weren’t in zoos, you probably wouldn’t get to see one in your life.

Polar Bears: Polar Bears probably wouldn’t want to be captivity. They would rather live in their home in the wild.

Scientists: Some scientists think it helps Polar Bears to have them in zoos. However, others think Polar Bears should be living freely in the wild.

One really important sentence in this article was,” People don’t want polar bears to be kept in zoos at all.”

This sentence explains the big idea of the article because it talks about the challenges polar bears face in captivity. Some people think it is ok for polar bears to be in zoos, but others strongly disagree. 

                 ” Clara Barton is noteworthy for doing humanitarian work at a time when few woman worked outside a home.” (wikipedia) The Civil War was a horrible, long-lasting war between the Confederate  States Of America. In 1861, the Confederate states left the Union to form their own country, with slavery. However, the Union States were against this decision and more importantly they were against slavery. This was one of the reasons the Civil War began. There were many battles in the Civil War. Sadly, this was the bloodiest war in history and over 620,000 soldiers were killed. The Confederacy’s General, Robert E. Lee, surrendered on April 9, 1865 due to the Confederacy’s lack of supplies, soldiers, and power. That lead the Union to the victory of the Civil War. There were many heroes from this time frame. One, was Clara Barton. Clara Barton is a very important person in history, and to find out about her you need to know about her early life, her being ” Angel of the Battlefield”, and when she founded the American Red Cross.

Clara Barton was born on december 25, 1821 in Oxford, Massachusetts. Clara’s real name was Clarissa, but she preferred to be called Clara. Clara Barton discovered that she liked caring for others when she cared for her brother David. She attended collage to become a teacher, and graduated in 1851. As a child and teenager, Clara was an expert at horseback riding. ” Clara’s horseback riding skills reached a level that none of the boys could match. No one, not even Clara, doubted her physical strength and endurance.”         ( Tilton, 16) On top of her horseback riding skills,  she was one of the first woman to gain employment in the federal government. During the Civil War, very few woman had a job. 

                   Next, Clara Barton was nicknamed ” Angel of the Battlefield” because she put her heart and soul into helping injured soldiers during the Civil War.” Barton  went to the hospitals to help, but as battle after battle was fought, the stories told of suffering at the line of battle showed her a greater need” ( Tilton,30)  Clara was always the first to go and help the soldiers. She carried a wagon full of medicine and other supplies, and she was very prepared. ” She wrote letters for the soldiers. She notified their mothers of their condition.” One day while helping a soldier, Clara was almost shot, but the bullet went through her her dress sleeve and hit the soldier. Barton was very caring and always made sure the soldiers were okay. 

  On top of caring for the wounded soldiers,  Clara also started an amazing organization. When she went on a trip to Switzerland, she saw an organization, that was joined with many other nations too, called the International Association of the Red Cross. She said, ” As I journeyed and saw the work of these Red Cross societies in the field, accomplishing in four months under their systematic organization what we failed to accomplish if four years without it – no mistakes, no needles, no suffering, no starving, no lack of care, no waste, no confusion…” ( Tilton, 52). When she returned to the United States, she told about the great work the Red Cross did and decided to start the American Red Cross. ” She was excited to think that she could both bring help to soldiers and gain firsthand information she could use later for introducing the Red Cross to America.” ( Tilton, 52 ). 

                To conclude Clara Barton did a lot to help soldiers and she is very appreciated. “The founding of the Red Cross came as a crowning achievement of a woman with high ideals and intense energy.” ( Tilton, 9)  Barton is not only recognized for founding the American Red Cross, but also for all the hard work she put into helping wounded soldiers. We will always remember Clara Barton for her incredible work!

Life as a free manLife as a slave

Do you have a sibling that cares about you and is nice to you? A good brother or sister is someone who is loving, caring, and loyal. In Wonder, Via is a great sister to August, who has facial deformities. Via is very loving, caring, and loyal in almost all her actions.

 To begin, Via is a very caring sister. For example, Via feels left out in her family because her parents are always paying attention to August, and not her. Via doesn’t let it bother her. She also listens to August when he is hurt, and comforts him.

             Secondly, Via is very loyal and forgiving. For instance, she didn’t tell her mom about the play, because she didn’t want her new friends to see August. When Via’s mother finds out about the play, she gets really mad. Via then feels bad about leaving her family out, and is very apologetic.                          

                Lastly, Via is very loving. According to the text, August was very hurt on Halloween and didn’t even want to go trick-or-treating. Via went into August’s room to talk to him, and made him feel better. She also convinced him to go to the Halloween Parade. Via sure is a great sister to August.

                   Now, what comes to mind when I say that a good sibling is compassionate and caring? I think Via is the best sister for August. A nice sister or brother is always there when you need them. If you have a sister or brother, how do they act like a good sibling?

I really enjoyed doing Piano Maestro for Q3. At first the song                                        ” Spooky” was really hard and I thought it was impossible, but after a lot of practice it became easier and easier. I hope you enjoy the video! 🙂

                 The fireworks looked as if they were going to set the ocean on fire. When my parents and I were watching the Disney characters preforming we couldn’t wait to see the fireworks. It was Pirate Night on the Disney Cruise. I was standing there when suddenly Mickey Mouse came zip lining across the pool area. My Mom said,” That was really cool! What did you think about that?” I answered  with a big smile on my face,” Yeah. How could he zip line without his shoes falling off ?” I turned around and saw a rainbow of booming colors in the sky. I heard all of the people around me ooing and awing. After the fireworks I saw a long line heading into the buffet. We decided to go in, although, we weren’t hungry. I could hardly believe my eyes. There was so much food that it made me feel sick just looking at it. My dad asked,” Karissa, Do you want to get some food?” I nodded my head saying no. Although I wasn’t hungry I ate a cookie. My Mom and Dad weren’t hungry either. My ears were aching from the loud music so we decided to head back to the room. I will never forget pirate night!                        

                  In school my class is reading the book Wonder. The book is about a 10 year old boy named August who has a cleft palate and a deformed face. He was homeschooled up until 4th grade when  his parents decided that should go to school. August decides that he wants to go to school, and has an good first day! August’s favorite holiday is Halloween. He loves it because he is able to cover up his face so that people won’t laugh at him or notice him. On Halloween, August’s overhears his friend Jack talking to other boys about August’s face. They said very mean things that made August feel sick to his stomach. In the second part of the book Via, August’s older sister, narrates. She talks about how sometimes she feels like no one loves her. She talked about how her grandma said that she loves her more than anyone in the world. Sadly, Via and August’s grandma dies, but Via will always remember what her Grandma said.

Novel Update:

I chose the following question for my Noel update: If You could ask any character in Wonder three questions that would help you better understand his/her actions, what would you ask? I wrote:

If I could ask one character in the book Wonder it would be Jack. The first question I would ask Jack is,” Why would you laugh and joke with August, and the next minute be saying hurtful things behind his back?” The next question I would ask Jack is,” What do you really think about August? Do you really not like him?” The last question i would ask is,” When you were saying all of those mean things about August did you really mean them or were you  just saying  that to act cool  in-front of Julian?” If Jack was talking mean about Julian just to act cool I think that it would have changed the actions of Jack and how mean he to August.

Today I turn 10 years old!  Yes today ( my nickname) “pumpkin” came to the earth a decade ago!! Here is a picture of me a decade ago  🙂  ♥♥♥♥♥