Month: October 2023

Home of the Brave Reflection

Jennie # # #

Other times in literature, the characters have lived happy times and small problems. Well, Kek, the main character of Home of the Brave, written by Katherine Applegate, his life is the exact opposite. His country is in a war and he doesn’t know where his mom is. After he leaves the refugee camp to go to the US, he lives with his aunt and his cousin Ganwar. Read more to find out some of the things Kek is still not used to.

One window for me is Kek is not used to technology since he comes from a country (Sudan) that doesn’t have that much technology. This is a window for me because I have had technology in Turkey even though not as much as in the US but, still, there was technology and Kek didn’t have ANY. I can’t possibly imagine no technology even simple things like light switches and other everyday simple technology things.

One mirror for me is I have moved before like Kek and it is very, very hard  to get used to this new place, new things, and other things you need to get used to still. Like how Kek still didn’t know what snow felt like and thought the trees were dead when they were actually the leaves fell. This is a mirror for me because I have moved before from a country to another country and I know what it feels like to get used to different things that are new to you.

Categories: 5th Grade, Reading, Social StudiesLeave a comment

Identity Map Reflection

Jennie # #

In 5th Grade, for Social Studies, we made identity maps and Mrs. Cooper hung them up on a bulletin board (well, I think it is one) so everyone can see it. Here are a few pieces of information about me and other three people from the table where I sit.

 I really, really love reading all kinds of books, for example, stories, chapter books, non fiction, and graphic novels and maybe more. My favorite graphic novel series is 5 Worlds (5W1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and my favorite chapter books are Upside – Down Magic series, Whatever After series, Harry Potter series, and Best Wishes series, Front Desk series,  and more, just to name a few series. I just can’t decide. I am also a Chinese person and I am very proud of my culture because I just am (in fact, I love my own culture so much that for Halloween, I’m dressing up as an ancient Chinese person). The book, The Proudest Blue has inspired me to like my own culture even more because the characters have a culture like me and they are also proud of their culture a lot. Something I especially like to do is to play the violin, I just started to practice two hours a day, and I like it because I love classical music so I chose the violin because it would be easier for me since, in Turkey, I learned the piano and another reason is because I love to learn new, interesting things

The three people at my table I decided to write about is Ebrar, Suhana, and Nina. Ebrar says she is a cat lover because she thinks kittens are cute and fluffy. 

Suhana says she is an ice skater because she said when she was five she tried it and she liked it. Nina says she is a gymnast because it is her favorite sport to play.

I think that this will get us to know each other because our identities are about us and our identities can express us more about ourselves and get to know each other in our classroom community. Do you agree or disagree and have another reason?

Categories: 5th Grade, Social StudiesLeave a comment

First Few Weeks of 5th Grade

Jennie # # # #

Ever since the moment I first stepped into the classroom, I realized fifth grade was amazing, not as scary and as stressful as I thought. We got to do many nice (and challenging) things like the Four Fours Challenge and the True or False game about Mrs. Cooper (not that the questions are challenging, the smartboard was giving everyone a hard time and it was challenging handling it).

So far, I really liked everything we did but my favorite was the identity chart, the locker sign, and the We Make a Difference portraits and quotes because the portraits required creativity and imagination to how I draw and describe myself, for the identity chart I needed to express my identity myself a lot and and for the locker sign I just chose one thing I love a lot and drew whatever I wanted that I knew I would still for the rest of the year.

I’m REALLY looking forward to the Halloween party because to me it seems like 5th grade privilege because when Zoe, my friend, and I saw it, our eyes popped out of our heads since you probably don’t get a Halloween Party in other grades (maybe kindergarten, I have no idea). Another thing I can’t wait for is the Hot Dog Field Day because I’m wondering if I will get to taste a hot dog for the first time and I normally still like field days, so basically, I’m really looking forward to these things.

So, 5th grade is very enjoyable in my opinion, and I do hope I will continue to enjoy the rest of 5th grade throughout the school year and on and on and on.

Categories: 5th Grade, WritingLeave a comment