Thursday, 21 April 2016
Sanchez The Slug
1. Sanchez was a cheerful slug.
2. While his parents worked in the gardens during the day, he would spend his time with his friends at the ant hill.
3. Sometimes, Sanchez would race with his Ant friends, Anthony and Antonia. It was one of his favourite things to do.
4. Although, keeping up with his friends was not always easy for the young slug.
5. They would move faster than a racehorse, with 20 times their own weight on their backs.
6. Yet, Sanchez could barely move a meter within 20 seconds.
7. After yet another extreme loss, he headed home for the evening, thinking about why he could not win.
8. “Why can’t I run?” he thought.
9. As he continued to crawl home, he passed Buck, the butterfly. As he watched him flutter beautifully, Sanchez wondered,
10. “Why can’t I fly?” and he kept on.
11. That day, Sanchez had had enough of the embarrassment.
12. “Dad, why can't I run as fast as the ants? Or fly as beautifully as the butterflies? Why can’t I do anything!”
13. “Sanchez, my sweet boy, because you cannot.” his father answered.
14. “But my friends can!” he argued.
15. “Your friends are ants, and butterflies. They are built differently than you. With six legs, muscular bodies, made for heavy lifting, speed and flight, you are not made for that.” explained his father.
16. Sanchez cried out, “Why can’t I do that? I want to do that too! I can’t do anything!”
17. Surprised, his father continued, “Darling, ants and butterflies are made to do fantastic things, but so are you.”
18. “Huh?” he questioned.
19. His father began, “Without you, the gardens to the west would not exist! Us slugs break things down, and reuse what is helpful for the plants. If you didn’t do the job you do, the soil would not be healthy, and the flowers would not bloom!”
20. Sanchez was happy with this. He may not have had the strength of an ant, or flight of a butterfly, but he has his own unique talents.
21. Later that night, he would call his friends. Together, they would head west.
Tuesday, 12 April 2016
Tips on Writing Stories for Children
After reading articles on tips for writing children stories, there was a lot of information I found helpful. Particularly, I found the tips provided under "Story Structure" most informative. It helped me to understand the areas I should look more closely into before creating a story for children. How to alternate between scenes, as well as ways to cut narration short, were all things that made my understanding of the topic more advanced. In the section involving "Style and Tone" the author of the article explained how you must be quick, and short in your sentencing. Children are easily bored, and in order to keep their attention at hand, you must be simple with your words, but full of movement. This made me get a better idea on the style of story I should create.
Similar to my previous blog post on "Analyzing Children Stories", the article talks a lot about characterizing, and theme. It talked of being descriptive of your character, but doing it in a way that develops dialogue. Rather than coming out and saying, as a narrator: "Ashley has purple hair", you can simply have a character state: "I like your purple hair, Ashley!". Also, the author speaks of the theme, and ways to portray it, without coming right out and saying it. They explained how to allow your theme to come out through the plot, and development, of the story.
Information that I found helpful in the "Writing Good Dialogue" article would be the three points that one should aim for in dialogue:
- Reveal characters’ relationships to one another.
- Move the story forward.
- Increase the tension.
To me, assessing this particular assignment should involve creativity and inventiveness. When creating a children's story, you want to be as creative as possible. Children have wild minds, they will believe, or be entertained by almost anything. Yet, stories that follow usual boys or girls are not as attention catching as one about, say a hedgehog and his sister. This should be added to our rubric.
Monday, 11 April 2016
Analyzing Children Stories
For this assignment I chose three different children's stories to analyze. I chose "The Little Gingerbread Man" by Carol Moore, "The Invisible Alligators" by Hayes Roberts, and "The Wiener Dog Magnet" by Hayes Roberts.
The first, "The Little Gingerbread Man" is a story that follows the adventure of "the gingerbread man". He was half the size of all the other gingerbread men that were made in the same batch as him, that day. Yet, he was the only one who could run. There was plenty dialogue in the story, mainly between the gingerbread man, his friend the butterfly, and all of his predators. In the dialogue it is explained of how the gingerbread man feels, as well as how his predators feel about him: they want to eat him. This helps to add to the conflict of the story, and how being a delicious gingerbread man is dangerous. Running away from the ones who wish to eat him is the conflict this "man" faces. Also, he struggles to trust his savior, and friend, the butterfly, throughout the story, fearing that she too wanted to eat him. Young children would easily understand this situation, especially if they themselves love gingerbread. They are able to comprehend how tasty one would think a gingerbread is, and how he would be in danger. To resolve the conflict, the gingerbread man must place his trust in the wings of his friend, the butterfly. After almost being eaten he is rescued by his friend, carried to safety; teaching the children the lesson of friendship and trust. In the end, the butterfly's intentions were good, leading the gingerbread man to a happy ending.
Next, I read "The Invisible Alligators". The main character is a young, orange, monkey named Sari, with huge eyes. There is dialogue between Sari, and the invisible alligators. It follows the plot, and how the alligators are causing trouble for not only her, but many others. Best of all, the dialogue expresses the main idea best. As the alligators make issues for everyone, they also teach them a lesson in one way, or another. Sari is conflicted as to why things are going wrong in her house. Her homework ruined, toys cover her staircase, her llamas scattered, the invisible alligators have caused it all. I believe it is a fun conflict that children will understand in a way. The comical aspect will make it intriguing to young kids. As well, if they maybe have siblings, or pets, who seem to ruin everything, then they can comprehend the frustration Sari feels. To resolve the conflict, Sari follows the invisible alligators into their lair to examine the damage they do. Afterwards, she remains confused as to why they do this, but as she heads home, it is clear that a lesson has been taught. The message was to teach responsibility to Sari. If she left her toy castle out at night, it was broken; her toys covered the staircase, teaching her to pick them up. In the end, she would know to clean up her messes, and learn how to handle tough situations.
Finally, "The Wiener Dog Magnet" follows Kiki Marie, the monkey. There is no dialogue in this story, just narration. Kiki Marie purchased a magnet, that was shaped like a wiener dog, only to later be conflicted with the fact that her "wiener dog magnet" had actually magnetized to real wiener dogs. Afterwards, spotting two alligators who are stranded in the water, Kiki Marie becomes conflicted about how to help. I think the conflict of being excited about something, then having it turn bad, is a conflict that young children of any age, could understand. They could relate if they had a toy themselves that may have broken not long after they got it. To resolve the conflict of the alligators, Kiki Marie uses her wiener dog magnet to build a bridge and save the day. It teaches the children that even when things appear they have gone wrong, there is always a way to fix them.
The three stories are similar in characters. Though they are not all the same non-human character, they are all not human. This is helpful to catch the children's attention with talking animals, and gingerbread men. Also, they compare with the resolving conflicts. Things seem to be the worse they could be for the character, but later, they realize the solution is simple. Some differences in the stories is how accepting the characters are. In the first, and last stories, the characters learn to accept the way things are. Yet, in the second story, the main character does not understand, and refuses to accept the idea that things will work out for the best.
I believe these stories would be appealing to young children in many ways. In the first story, the idea of a talking, and running, gingerbread man, with a butterfly sidekick, is hilarious. Also, this gingerbread was different than the rest, being smaller in size. Yet, he had his own abilities that are extraordinary, that the others did not. It captures the child's interest if they themselves feel different than others their age. As well, in the second, the story provides the children with an unrealistic idea of "invisible alligators" under their bed. It may scare some, but for others, they may be provided with a theory for all the things that go wrong in their lives. The final story shows a young monkey with a favourite toy. This would be appealing to children because most do have a toy they love best of all. Like the monkey, they would carry it around everywhere, and do everything with it. So, they can relate well, causing a growing interest in the story.
The first, "The Little Gingerbread Man" is a story that follows the adventure of "the gingerbread man". He was half the size of all the other gingerbread men that were made in the same batch as him, that day. Yet, he was the only one who could run. There was plenty dialogue in the story, mainly between the gingerbread man, his friend the butterfly, and all of his predators. In the dialogue it is explained of how the gingerbread man feels, as well as how his predators feel about him: they want to eat him. This helps to add to the conflict of the story, and how being a delicious gingerbread man is dangerous. Running away from the ones who wish to eat him is the conflict this "man" faces. Also, he struggles to trust his savior, and friend, the butterfly, throughout the story, fearing that she too wanted to eat him. Young children would easily understand this situation, especially if they themselves love gingerbread. They are able to comprehend how tasty one would think a gingerbread is, and how he would be in danger. To resolve the conflict, the gingerbread man must place his trust in the wings of his friend, the butterfly. After almost being eaten he is rescued by his friend, carried to safety; teaching the children the lesson of friendship and trust. In the end, the butterfly's intentions were good, leading the gingerbread man to a happy ending.
Next, I read "The Invisible Alligators". The main character is a young, orange, monkey named Sari, with huge eyes. There is dialogue between Sari, and the invisible alligators. It follows the plot, and how the alligators are causing trouble for not only her, but many others. Best of all, the dialogue expresses the main idea best. As the alligators make issues for everyone, they also teach them a lesson in one way, or another. Sari is conflicted as to why things are going wrong in her house. Her homework ruined, toys cover her staircase, her llamas scattered, the invisible alligators have caused it all. I believe it is a fun conflict that children will understand in a way. The comical aspect will make it intriguing to young kids. As well, if they maybe have siblings, or pets, who seem to ruin everything, then they can comprehend the frustration Sari feels. To resolve the conflict, Sari follows the invisible alligators into their lair to examine the damage they do. Afterwards, she remains confused as to why they do this, but as she heads home, it is clear that a lesson has been taught. The message was to teach responsibility to Sari. If she left her toy castle out at night, it was broken; her toys covered the staircase, teaching her to pick them up. In the end, she would know to clean up her messes, and learn how to handle tough situations.
Finally, "The Wiener Dog Magnet" follows Kiki Marie, the monkey. There is no dialogue in this story, just narration. Kiki Marie purchased a magnet, that was shaped like a wiener dog, only to later be conflicted with the fact that her "wiener dog magnet" had actually magnetized to real wiener dogs. Afterwards, spotting two alligators who are stranded in the water, Kiki Marie becomes conflicted about how to help. I think the conflict of being excited about something, then having it turn bad, is a conflict that young children of any age, could understand. They could relate if they had a toy themselves that may have broken not long after they got it. To resolve the conflict of the alligators, Kiki Marie uses her wiener dog magnet to build a bridge and save the day. It teaches the children that even when things appear they have gone wrong, there is always a way to fix them.
The three stories are similar in characters. Though they are not all the same non-human character, they are all not human. This is helpful to catch the children's attention with talking animals, and gingerbread men. Also, they compare with the resolving conflicts. Things seem to be the worse they could be for the character, but later, they realize the solution is simple. Some differences in the stories is how accepting the characters are. In the first, and last stories, the characters learn to accept the way things are. Yet, in the second story, the main character does not understand, and refuses to accept the idea that things will work out for the best.
I believe these stories would be appealing to young children in many ways. In the first story, the idea of a talking, and running, gingerbread man, with a butterfly sidekick, is hilarious. Also, this gingerbread was different than the rest, being smaller in size. Yet, he had his own abilities that are extraordinary, that the others did not. It captures the child's interest if they themselves feel different than others their age. As well, in the second, the story provides the children with an unrealistic idea of "invisible alligators" under their bed. It may scare some, but for others, they may be provided with a theory for all the things that go wrong in their lives. The final story shows a young monkey with a favourite toy. This would be appealing to children because most do have a toy they love best of all. Like the monkey, they would carry it around everywhere, and do everything with it. So, they can relate well, causing a growing interest in the story.
Friday, 8 April 2016
This is Your Cup of Tea
Like tea? Love it? Or maybe you just need a "pick me up" that is slightly healthier for you than the high doses of caffeine given to you from ordinary coffee? It can be great, but also a difficult task to master. So, if complicated isn’t really your cup of tea, I’m here to help.
The process:
Step one:
To begin, you must select your favourite flavour of tea. Some beneficial flavours include: Green tea (skin,shrinks fat), Chai tea (improves digestion), or even Peppermint tea (bad breath, reduces pain). If your tea is prepackaged, you can move on to the next step. If you use dry tea leaves, then extra steps must be taken.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
Step two:
Step four:
Tea Bag/Filter Method:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tea
Step two:
Next, you need to prepare your water. If you are a “hot tea” drinker, then boiling your water before hand is the way to go. You can use a kettle, or even just a regular pot (though precautions must be taken as this is a more dangerous method). Fill your kettle or pot with desired amount of water and place on stove. Set on High for 10 minutes (times may vary depending on type of stove). Once it boils, allow your water to simmer for a few minutes.
http://www.cuisineandhealth.com/never-overheat-the-water-twice-heres-why/
Step three:
http://www.cuisineandhealth.com/never-overheat-the-water-twice-heres-why/
Step three:
After that is complete, you can begin the ending processes of your tea. Grab your favourite mug, with tea bag inside and set aside as you will need it in this step. Take your kettle/pot (use oven mitts or cloth for safety as object will be hot), pour the water from inside into your selected mug.
http://jimscherer.com/portfolio/pouring-tea/
http://jimscherer.com/portfolio/pouring-tea/
Step four:
Finally, you should allow your tea some time to cool before drinking as you may burn yourself. Once that is complete, and your tea has steeped, you may enjoy your delicious, fresh cup of tea!
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532902568380773340/
Tea can be a very beneficial drink to many. It is a healthy alternative to other caffeinated drinks; diet friendly; an antioxidant. There can be safety issues in this process, involving burn risks, as well, if you have an allergy to most teas, this may not be for you.
Extras:
For dry tea leaves:
https://www.colourbox.com/image/drawing-from-the-dry-tea-leaves-image-4413403
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/532902568380773340/
Tea can be a very beneficial drink to many. It is a healthy alternative to other caffeinated drinks; diet friendly; an antioxidant. There can be safety issues in this process, involving burn risks, as well, if you have an allergy to most teas, this may not be for you.
Extras:
For dry tea leaves:
https://www.colourbox.com/image/drawing-from-the-dry-tea-leaves-image-4413403
Tea Bag/Filter Method:
You can purchase empty tea bags/tea filters at many locations, (i.e. Teavana, David’s Tea, Walmart). Majority of the time, there will be a opening where you can easily pour your leaves in, (for subtle flavour add leaves sparsely; for more intense flavour add plenty). Once your tea is in, you can tighten the sac, or place on the cover, and use as usual.
http://www.banggood.com/Mr-Tea-Infuser-Silicone-Herbal-Tea-Strainer-Filter-p-932820.html
Steeping Method:
http://www.banggood.com/Mr-Tea-Infuser-Silicone-Herbal-Tea-Strainer-Filter-p-932820.html
Steeping Method:
If you are more the type to allow your tea to steep for several minutes before drinking; removing the bag/leaves, then a Perfectea Maker is what you want, (purchased at Teavana). You simply place your leaves inside, pour boiling or cold water (depending on the type of tea you want) over top; close the lid; then, after several minutes you can place the Perfectea Maker above your cup, and set it there. The internal filter holds back the leaves as the bottom of the object allows the tea to pass through, into the cup.
For Iced Tea:
Follow the above steps, only pouring water over top of ice, placed in your glass, rather than not.
For Iced Tea:
Follow the above steps, only pouring water over top of ice, placed in your glass, rather than not.
Wednesday, 6 April 2016
"How To Make Lipstick Out of Crayons" Review
For this assignment I chose to inspect a "How to Make Lipstick Out of Crayons" article. Some characteristics that make it a good how to article are the constant safety reminders that the writer provides its readers with. That is something that I see as essential when explaining situations to others. It is important to be aware of the risks, as well as the benefits. Another aspect of the article that makes it well written is the ability to be descriptive and brief. The author is able to provide as much information as possible, in only a few short steps. This is especially important to those who may not have the time to read through pages and pages of information, for a simple task. When explaining "How To" you do not want to confuse your readers with pointless phrases that may not be necessary for your overall result. I believe this article was very efficient in doing so. Finally, they gave extra resources for information, like a how to video, and tips at the end.
I felt this article was well written because as a reader, I found it easy to understand, to a point that I could probably do it on my own. It was so well written that I find you could read it over once, and then never again. You would not need to have the "How To" opened in order to preform the task, you could retain enough information afterwards that you would be able to do it efficiently. Although this article was very informative, and well written, there are always things that could be improved. Some of these things that I believe could be looked at in this situation include: possibly providing a list of manufacturers that produce some of the ingredients. For instance, non-toxic crayons, where you can purchase extracts and essences, etc. As a teenager, I am not well informed of the majority of this information, so it would be helpful to me in this case. Also, it could be looked to, for the interest aspect, to create a more "catching" statement, or even why would we want to do this? What benefits does it provide? Overall, the issues with the article are all very simple fixes.
Rubric:
I felt this article was well written because as a reader, I found it easy to understand, to a point that I could probably do it on my own. It was so well written that I find you could read it over once, and then never again. You would not need to have the "How To" opened in order to preform the task, you could retain enough information afterwards that you would be able to do it efficiently. Although this article was very informative, and well written, there are always things that could be improved. Some of these things that I believe could be looked at in this situation include: possibly providing a list of manufacturers that produce some of the ingredients. For instance, non-toxic crayons, where you can purchase extracts and essences, etc. As a teenager, I am not well informed of the majority of this information, so it would be helpful to me in this case. Also, it could be looked to, for the interest aspect, to create a more "catching" statement, or even why would we want to do this? What benefits does it provide? Overall, the issues with the article are all very simple fixes.
Rubric:
There are no more than three grammatical or spelling errors in the article: 5
The article has a catchy headline that makes you want to read it: 3
The article has a purpose, explaining benefits to the reader: 4
The steps in the article are clear and easy to understand: 5
In the end I give the article found at: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lipstick-Out-of-Crayons , a solid 17/20. It was grammatically correct in most cases, and clear to understand, but it lacked in interest, and the beneficial elements of this process were unclear.
Another statement I think should be added to the rubric is: "Did the author provide additional resources for the information provided? (ex. videos, tips, other articles, etc.) "
The article has a catchy headline that makes you want to read it: 3
The article has a purpose, explaining benefits to the reader: 4
The steps in the article are clear and easy to understand: 5
In the end I give the article found at: http://www.wikihow.com/Make-Lipstick-Out-of-Crayons , a solid 17/20. It was grammatically correct in most cases, and clear to understand, but it lacked in interest, and the beneficial elements of this process were unclear.
Another statement I think should be added to the rubric is: "Did the author provide additional resources for the information provided? (ex. videos, tips, other articles, etc.) "
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