TWMM Unit 1 Reflection

1a. If both axes increase by set intervals of a certain number.
1b. If the line follows a straight path.
1c. If the words follow this basic pattern: For every ____ things, there are ____ units (plus ___ other units).
1d. The equation must include the X-axis multiplied by a number (or on its own), and with a Y-intercept (if it possesses one). No other variables may be included.
2. Making a graph is by far the easiest to see, but the graph takes time to create and the graph even more so. The sentence is probably easiest to get ahold of, but requires interpretation to calculate. The generates a spectrum: The easier it is to get ahold of the data, the harder it is to determine if it's linear or not. From easiest to find or make, to hardest: Words, Equation, Table, Graph.

Reading Challenge Reflection - Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

     Reading Uglies hasn't been a major achievement in my life, and it has done little more than kept me up for hours wondering if the world really has made a wrong turn in the development of aesthetic improvement. A world of down-trodden uglies, brain damaged pretties and an oil virus wiping out thousands actually doesn't sound too far off. But there are some true confessions I must make, not of Charlotte Doyle, but of my reading of the first of Westerfeld's trilogy.

     I did, surprisingly finish my book despite several initial setbacks. Not much reading happened over the weekend (which greatly surprised me), no more than fifty pages in total which was seventy pages under my goal. A major amount of homework weighed down my schedule, forcing me to use long forty-five minute bus rides to eat at my book. The end result was the same- I finished my book, but the amount of pages I cleared in a day was erratic and unpredictable.

     No major achievements were gained in the reading of this book, except, of course, this being my first book I have read as an eighth grader. That does not mean that I would not recommend this book to others- it is really a book that forces one to ponder whether our pursuits of vanity are going to cause problems in the future. It is a good conversation starter, but coupled with a plot far more interesting and captivating than what I expect from its type. Slightly clichéd in places, but all in all a good read.

     Sticky noting, inherent to reading in any RLA class, went quite well. I attempted not to see sticky notes not as homework, something you have to find somewhere, but as honest. This means that I am not sure precisely how many sticky notes I used- eight, approximately. There was many big ideas to discuss, and somehow I think I may need another person to gain a different perspective on the story, as currently I have a very one sided view upon the novel.
     It has come to my attention that this book possesses a sequel. In fact, I discovered no less than four other pieces of literature within the series, each showcasing a different facet of this apocalyptic future. I would not plan to continue the series however.
     Many people claim that all these apocalyptic future novels are "making them young whippersnappers hate the world, hate the government, and believe they're going to get arrested by some men in black if they aren't " Goodness, if there's anyone who's paranoid, it's you. You're

































































Rebel Sentence. Doesn't care about paragraphs.





























Hobo Sentence. Doesn't have a paragraph to live in.






























Nomad Sentence. Searching for food and readers.

SUMMATIVE Who Are You?

"In the moment when I truly understand my enemy, understand him well enough to defeat him, then in that very moment I also love him. I think it's impossible to really understand somebody, what they want, what they believe, and not love them the way they love themselves."

- A. E. Wiggin, Orson Scott Card's "Ender's Game"

Throughout my life, ever since the first word I ever made passed my lips, and possibly before that, I have been confronted with one question. "Who are you?" And I know, there are thousands of people who are having this simple and normal question thrown at them. And I know, there is a correct answer and an incorrect one.

The correct answer is the most simple and probably most useless- "I'm Lukas."

Another correct answer exclusively for children is, "I'm Lukas, Professional Soccer Player". Or, "I'm Lukas, detective and secret agent". Whereupon the adult will stare down upon you with smiling eyes, say, "What an amazing imagination," and then completely disregard everything you just said except your name.

There are so many thousands of facets behind that thing that is a human being, that a mere undeveloped human mind cannot comprehend it. So this label of a is pasted upon you to make addressing you easier. And this name pasted on you is helpful. You couldn't just go around saying, "Hey! Person-whose-greatest-dream-is-to-be-a-soccer-player-but-is-in-internal-conflict-over-whether-or-not-he-is-capable-and-is-now-having-that-conflict-affected-by-his-loss-of-imagination-inherent-to-increasing-age-causing-the-side-representing-his-dream-to-fall, how's it going?"

But asking, "Who are you?" doesn't mean, "What is the label that hides your inner being called?" It means, "Who are you?" Lukas is just a name. To someone who wants to know, who are you, Lukas is nothing. It means nothing. It helps nothing. If you want my name, ask me my name, not who I am.

It takes years to come close to finding the answer to who you are. Most people don't even know who they are, or even deny it. So don't ask someone who they are and expect an honest response.

In fact, the ancient Egyptians are the only people who have understood this. A critical part to the Egyptian soul is the ren, or secret name. The ren was everything you were- you hopes, sorrows, loves, dreams, beliefs. It was also impossible to understand another person's ren unless they told you, and most people lived their entire life with no idea what their secret name was.

So don't be ask who anyone is. Ask them what their name is. What they hope, what they hate, what they love,  what they dream, what they believe.

Never who they are.

Tech Ed- Week One

Tech Ed 8 Survivors Diary- Entry One

If you're reading this, there is still hope. I found the secret. The drill saw- you can still use it. It should have battery. End the menace.

Once and for all.

The doge didn't make it.
I hope he forgives me.

Grade Eight Survivors Diary- DAY THREE

This entry was created to attach the gr8 label to, for Mr. Townley's class.