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Thursday, February 26, 2009

Reading Journal Response

Journal: 2/26/09

Book title-The Hunger Game by Suzanne Collins


So far the main character is Katniss and she lives in a small area called District 12. In her country I guess they have districts. She lives there with her little sister Prim and her mother. The main thing that they seem to live for is hunting but the setting is in present time. Their country doesn't seem at all like ours, and they seem to be suffering from poverty. I guess i'll find out more later.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Group Story

Didget
By:
Heidi Thompson
Jacquee Giovo
Micaela Costanzo

It was a normal day for Didget while he walked to school. Most of the teenagers by now had their own cars. Didget didn’t have anything but his walking shoes. Bits of trash were always thrown at him while he walked along the sidewalk. He looked up half heartedly and noticed Bridget and Alana walking ahead of him. This was rather odd considering they never walked to school. Didget began to quicken his pace just to see how close he could get to Bridget. He had always had a crush on Bridget from the start, never quite enjoyed Alana though. Bridget reminded him of one of those olden day movie stars. She was perfect in every way. Her hair was just the right shade of blonde, and the only thing sweeter than her was powdered sugar. Alana was a completely different story. She was beautiful but the only thing that spoiled it was her attitude towards everyone. She loved herself more than anyone else and the only thing that really mattered to her was her popularity, and Bridget. Didget had to admit though she looked like she popped right out of a magazine.
He bowed his head when he realized he wouldn’t be able to catch up. Girls walked surprisingly fast in high heels. He could hear Bridget’s joyful laughter up ahead and for the rest of the walk he imagined her smiling at him.
Hi High School was a pretty nice looking school considering it was public. The only thing that made Didget’s school horrible was the fact that it was divided. It was divided into cliques. Bridget and Alana belonged to the highest one when it came to popularity. Next came of course the regular acting people, then the nerds, then the class pets, then the bugs stuck to your windshield, then there came Didget.
If you hadn’t already noticed he wasn’t exactly the most liked person at his high school. That’s what made liking Bridget so difficult. She was normal… In fact she was above normal, she was perfect. Didget was odd looking, he never had any friends, and his teachers had completely given up on him. They claimed he was crazy so they just pass him to get him out of the way, even if he’s failing. That’s how low he was on the food chain.
Didget walked through the front doors and immediately was shoved into lockers and pushed out of the way. He should have gone through the back doors instead of the front. When you walk into the high school you walk right into the danger zone. At least that’s the way it was for Didget. His locker was the very last one in the back of the school right next to the exit.
Didget looked over his shoulder and saw Bridget and Alana parked right in front of their lockers. They were surrounded by the entire football team. Those jocks were probably the people Bridget wanted to go out with. Didget knew that but it never hurt to use his imagination. Alana suddenly looked up and noticed Didget was still lingering in their hall way.
“WHAT’S HE STILL DOING HERE?!” Alana shouted over all of the noise. Instantly the hall was quiet and everyone was staring down at the short, scrawny form of Didget.
“I was just standing here minding my own business…” Didget mumbled. Of course he knew that the second the words had come out of his mouth he was in deep trouble.
Alana stomped her way over to him.
“Just slap yourself, you don’t belong here in the real world.” Alana scolded. Didget went red with embarrassment. He looked up to defend himself and saw a slender hand on Alana’s shoulder. Beside her, Bridget was speaking in a whisper and frowning. He wondered what she had said that made Alana stop. Alana rolled her eyes and turned to walk away.
“Sorry about my friend here, she’s just having a bad day.” Bridget whispered quickly. Didget just looked at her not knowing how to react. She was actually talking to him… Before he could think of anything to say she turned and glided back to her locker. Didget sighed and moved on down the hallway to his banged up locker on the other side. His finger barely touched his lock when the bell rang, announcing it was time for class.
The day went on like it always did for him. His teachers ignored him as well as all his classmates. The only thing different about his day was the fact that Bridget kept glancing at him with curious eyes. It was almost like she had never quite noticed him before.
Lunch came faster than Didget thought. It was probably the worst part of the day for him and the best part of the day for everyone else. He sat alone at his own little table away from everyone else. Normally Bridget would sit at her regular table with Alana, but today she turned abruptly towards Didget’s table. Alana stared in shock as her best friend took a seat next to the weirdest boy in school.
“Is it alright if I sit here today?” Bridget asked politely. It was sort of an odd question to ask since she had already sat down and began eating her lunch.
Didget smiled and said, “Is that a fat joke?” He couldn’t believe Bridget would even want to sit ten feet away from him let alone ten inches. Bridget raised her eyebrow and laughed a little even though it wasn’t funny. None of Didget’s jokes were very funny, except to him of course.
“I noticed you aren’t in any of my classes.” Bridget said with a sweet smile.
Didget stared at his carrots and said, “Actually I’m in your last hour class. I sit in the back.” Bridget nodded and they sat there for awhile just talking about things that didn’t exactly matter. It felt like the first day of kindergarten for both of them. Neither of them knew each other but it didn’t seem to matter.
Mean while, Alana wasn’t touching her lunch. All she could do was look at Bridget talking to that outcast. She had to do something about this before it was too late. She stood and walked over to them.
“Bridget what on earth are you doing?” Alana asked. She looked Didget up, then down, then up again. His clothes didn’t even match what was she thinking?
“I’m eating actually, want some?” Bridget laughed. She raised her spoon full of applesauce towards Alana’s mouth.
“No thank you…” Alana muttered. Didget looked at her and analyzed what she was wearing just like she had done to him. There was nothing negative about Alana, except the attitude of course. She would never be able to be ‘Bridget perfect’ though.
“You can sit down if you want.” Didget managed to stutter. Alana’s face showed it all. She was absolutely disgusted with him.
The bell rang and lunch ended even though Didget and Bridget weren’t ready to leave. For the rest of the week they ate lunch together and talked about anything that came to mind. Bridget talked the most, probably because she had a bigger mind. Didget just sat and listened. That was ok though, he liked the sound of her voice.
The more they talked the more Alana tried to sabotage them. She would interrupt their conversations, push Didget away, and tell Bridget she was losing her marbles. Nothing seemed to work. It didn’t matter what she did, they spent more and more time together. Secretly they were both feeling the same things. Didget and Bridget liked each other, and there was nothing Alana or any of her friends could do about it.
Before they knew it Bridget and Didget spent every second of the day together. Bridget still talked to her old friends when they actually wanted to have something to do with her. Alana was convinced that once you start dating a freak you become a freak. Bridget wasn’t bothered by it at all. A true friend would understand, and Alana was obviously only concerned about herself.
One day Bridget tried to talk to her friends again but they pretended she didn’t exist. She walked back to Didget and he looked up at her feeling very guilty.
“I’m sorry I ruined your friendship with all of those people.” He sighed. Bridget then did something so strange but so wonderful that it nearly gave Didget a heart attack.
“Aw… That’s ok.” She said as she bent over and kissed his abnormally pointed nose. The spot she had kissed tingled a little. He realized that he could now see her smiling at him. He had wanted her to smile at him like that for so long, and now it was had happened.
Even though Alana wasn't friends with Bridget anymore she still occasionally attempted to ruin their relationship. She still cared about Bridget's former reputation. She would start rumors about Didget doing horrible things. For example, she tried to convince their science teacher that Didget was stealing H2O out of the storage closet. Alana wasn't very smart for her age... They were all hoping she would grow up. Unfortunately the only reaction she got from Bridget and Didget was their laughter. They even laughed in harmony, and it annoyed her. How could two different people from two different worlds have so much in common? It didn't make any sense to her.
One day after school Didget offered to walk Bridget home. Bridget giggled and told him she would just drive HIM home since she had a car. They talked for awhile about school and how everyone was acting so weird.
"I feel like this is my fault." Didget said.
Bridget, hands clutching the steering wheel looked at him and said, "Well I don't see what the big deal is. If we like eachother why should they want to get in the way?"
"Have you looked at me lately?" Didget raised his bushy eyebrows and she roared with laughter.
"Looks have never mattered to me and will never matter to me. I like personality." Bridget said.
"Well personally I think you should have stayed with your friends." He whispered.
"No. My old friends only care about how they look on the outside. You care about different things." She replied.
And so the outcast and the beauty lived happily ever after... Alana lived alone.

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Story Mapping

CHARACTER MAP:
Character name: Sam (one of the characters)
What does the character look like: He's a kid around 10 years old, he has dirty blonde hair, and he is kind of short.
How does the character act: He doesn't talk much anymore since his mom passed away but if i were to sum up his actions I would say he is a loner.
How do the other characters in the story react to this character: Everyone in his life is trying to help him with the one thing he will talk about... His crush on a girl at school.

CONFLICT MAP:
What is the conflict: All of the people in the movie have the same thing in common, they're unhappy and they don't know what to do about it.
Why does this conflict occur: They all neglected the fact that if they want something, like love, they can't be afraid to go out and get it.
What are some ways the conflict could be resolved: Some ways the conflict could or could have been resolved is-they all could have faced their fears and confronted who they loved the most. Another way is that some of the characters could have been more cautious with their actions and how they affected them.

RESOLUTION MAP:
How is the conflict resolved: Every one in the movie ends up with who they want to be with because they took a chance and got what they thought they'd never have.
What happens after the conflict is resolved: In the end all of the characters are happy and their lives are much easier.
How does the conflict and its resolution affect the character: If I was talking about one of the characters, lets say Sam, I think that the conflict affected him because it taught him how to talk to people about his problems and not keep it bottled up. The resolution affected him because it made him happier and showed him that not every story has a bad ending.

SETTING MAP:
Place: London, England
Time: Present time, December around Christmas.
Environment: The weather was very cold and very snowy because it's in the middle of winter. The noises you would hear are all the noises you would hear in a city (cars, trucks, people, etc..).
The colors that I saw were all the Christmas colors (reds, greens), white from the snow, also gray because in winter its so dull looking.

Friday, February 13, 2009

Response to Friday the 13th

FRIDAY THE THIRTEENTH:


Did you ever notice how the closer it gets to the end of the school day the slower the clock is? Well I was definitely noticing it today. I was sitting in math class just waiting for the last five minutes to fly by even though I knew deep down that they wouldn’t.
“So everyone,” Mrs. Andrews sighed, “have you all been careful today?” She said this with a sly grin on her face. I rolled my eyes. I knew she was going to ask that stupid question, she just couldn’t resist.
“I saw someone walk under a ladder today!” Anna shouted from across the room. A few people laughed, while the rest of us just looked away in annoyance.
“Well not everyone believes in Friday the Thirteenth…” Mrs. Andrews began.
“What’s the point? This holiday is ridiculous.” I muttered under my breath, secretly hoping no one would hear me. Another thing that I knew wouldn’t happen…
“Do you know what happens to non-believers Jean?” Anna whispered.
“I hear they disappear.” Charlie laughed… I hope he chokes on that laugh.
“Now children, that’s enough.” Mrs. Andrews finally said. She looked across the room at me, but I refused to meet her gaze. She was one of those superstitious nuts and I was afraid to even look at her. Every year this happens to me. Someone brings up this subject, I tell them my opinion, and they take it the wrong way.
“Jean,” Mrs. Andrews said, “You don’t think you have anything to worry about?”
“I’ve never had to worry before. Why should I choose to believe now?” I replied. I could hear Anna pitching a fit behind me.
“Why does she have to spoil everything..?” She whispered. I turned around and said,
“Be quiet we all know why you PRETEND to believe. It’s just so you can make teachers, like Mrs. Andrews, give you an A.”
Before we knew it the bell rang and the weekend was finally here. I was the first one out the door but I realized I had left my math book on my desk and was forced to slump back to class.
Mrs. Andrews was erasing the black board when I opened the door.
“I forgot my math book… I’ll just get it and be on my way.” I mumbled. I grabbed my book but before my finger tips even touched the knob of the class room door she called my name.
“Jean, could you come here for a second.” Mrs. Andrews asked. I groaned. The weekend was in the palm of my hands and she wanted me to ‘come here for a second’.
“Yes?” I asked, not even bothering to hide my disappointment. She looked at me with those eyes again and said,
“You should be careful for the rest of the day. You never know what could happen.”
“For heavens sakes Mrs. Andrews it’s just Friday the Thirteenth! Why does everyone insist on making such a big deal about it?” I shouted, then without even saying good bye I stomped out of the class room.
The walk home was just as bad. Half my class lived by me, including Anna, so the entire time I could hear them whispering about me. Ridiculous! All of them were acting like children. I ignored them until I finally reached my house.
“Hey Jean how was school?” Mom asked as I slammed the door shut.
“Lousy.” I answered. Suddenly my little brother Tommy ran into the room wearing a plastic medallion around his neck. As usual he was covered in glitter and glue.
“What on earth are you wearing around your scrawny neck today?” I asked, grabbing the medallion and pulling him closer so I could have a better look.
“My teacher handed them out to the class for good luck today.” He squeaked.
“Mom what is the elementary school teaching these kids?” I flicked the medallion so it flung around his neck once or twice as I leaned against the kitchen counter.
“Jean come on it’s just for fun.” Mom laughed. Tommy stuck his tongue at me and hissed,
“I hope a safe falls on your head or something…”
“You don’t even know what you’re talking about that only happens in those silly cartoons that you insist on watching. Besides Friday the Thirteenth is about killers and all of that crazy garbage. It has nothing to do with good luck or bad luck."

"You're wrong Jean! My teacher said that if a person doesn't watch out ANYTHING could happen. Friday the Thirteenth can be about BOTH bad luck and killers." Tommy argued.
"Some day you're going to have to grow up." I said as I made my way to my bedroom.
I sat on my bed and looked at the floor. That’s when I saw Tommy’s baseball next to my dresser.
“TOMMY!” I yelled, “HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU TO STAY OUT OF MY ROOM!”
“I wasn’t in your room!” Tommy yelled.
I picked up the baseball, opened my door, and threw the ball as hard as I could. That’s when I heard the shattering sound of glass. Perfect, I thought. I walked out into the hallway and saw what was left of the mirror that had been hanging on the wall.
"What's going on?" Mom yelled, in a matter of seconds she was standing next to me. I could hear Tommy giggling behind me.
"What's so funny?" I growled at him.
"Oh your going to get it now!" Tommy laughed pointing at the glass on the floor.
"It was an accident. Besides it's only bad luck if you're looking at the mirror and it breaks. I wasn't looking..." I said. That was a lie. I was looking at the mirror when I threw the baseball. So what? I don't believe in any of that anyways...
"Enough! I want this cleaned up right now!" Mom yelled. Wow, talk about overreacting. She didn't even like that mirror.
I spent the rest of the day in my room. Tommy kept knocking on my door asking if I was dead yet. Ever since I broke the mirror everything was going wrong. Mom grounded me for a week... For no apparent reason. Whenever I needed something I couldn't find it, and everything that was breakable I managed to break. I'm being clumsy, I told myself, it's nothing...
"Jean!" Tommy burst into my room looking excited and scared at the same time.
"What do YOU want?" I groaned.
"There's... You're never going to believe this but..." Tommy stumbled over his words so much you would think he didn't even know how to talk.
"Spit it out what is it?" I yelled.
"There's a DEAD BLACK CAT right outside your window!" Tommy pointed to my window and put his hand over his mouth. I could feel my face losing color. I ran to my window, opened it... And right there on the lawn was a black cat... It wasn't moving... At first. I swear it was dead I SWEAR IT, but it just got right back up! It stared at me for a moment and I thought I saw Mrs. Andrews eyes staring at me.
"OH MY GOSH!!!!!!!!" I screamed and shut the window as hard as I could.
"What did it do?" Tommy ran to the window and tried to open it.
"Get out of my room! This is all your fault!" I shoved him away from me.
"It's not my fault! Your the one that broke the mirror, and this is happening to you because you don't believe in any of this stuff." Tommy stuck his nose so far up he almost looked like Anna.
"I'm pretty sure you were looking at that mirror when I broke it too!" I screamed. Tommy grabbed his plastic medallion and said,
"I don't have to worry about anything." I grabbed his medallion and threw it across the floor.
"Go walk under a ladder or something." I glared at him while he picked up his medallion and left.
That night I couldn't sleep. Every dark corner in my room scared me, and every sound echoed in my head. Why was I letting all of this get to me? Suddenly I saw something move in the darkness. A shadow moving silently out of my closet, moving like a snake ready to attack. I tried closing my eyes, but it wouldn't go away.
"Who.. Whose there?" I whined.
"We've come for you Jean...." I'd never heard such a raspy voice before. Chills ran down my spine and my teeth began to chatter.
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to break the mirror! I'm sorry!" I cried. Tears rolled down my cheeks and blurred my vision so much that I couldn't even see the shadow anymore. This couldn't be happening! This had never happened before...
"Please..." I whispered, "Please leave me alone." When there was no reply I wiped my tears and looked around. The shadow was gone. Just like that? Gone? If my heart had legs it would be miles away by now, every heart beat felt like a foot on the ground.
I walked slowly into Mrs. Andrews class on Monday. I hadn't slept the entire weekend. Friday night scared me half to death, but I didn't dare tell anyone about it.
"How was YOUR weekend Jean." Charlie asked. The room went quiet.
"It was fine... I told you guys Friday the Thirteenth was stupid." My voice shaked no matter how hard I tried to stop it. When the bell rang I walked up to Mrs. Andrews desk. She had been looking at me occasionally all day, and had asked me to stay after. Friday had already passed and she was still on my case.
"How was the rest of your Friday?" She asked. I couldn't look at her. Her eyes reminded me of that cat.
"I told you it was fine." I murmured.
"Jean you should just admit that you believe in all that superstitious stuff that everyone talks about." Mrs. Andrews sighed. I walked to the door slowly, and before I left I turned back and said,
"I don't know what you're talking about."
I will never admit it, and I will never tell anyone about what happened that night... That frightening Friday the Thirteenth. As I walked home I began think of the seven years bad luck that I would have for breaking that mirror.
THE END.


Thursday, February 12, 2009

response to mini bio

Hey, my name is Micaela Costanzo. I'm 14 years old and I've been living in West Wendover most of my life with my mom and my older sister D.J. School and sports have always been a big part of my life, but family has always been the most important to me.
I've always enjoyed learning new things at school. Since i was little I have been taught to learn and take in as much as I can, and that is what i intend to do. College is a goal for me. I'm also hoping on majoring in English and becoming a writer.
My sister D.J. introduced me to sports when I was in third grade and I've been playing Basketball and participating in track ever since.
I have two older sisters. D.J. is 17 years old and she is graduating this year. My other sister Kristina is 27. My parents have been divorced for many years and at the moment I live with my mom.
Believe it or not this school has given me a lot of opportunities and being apart of it means a lot to me. All of my family and friends are here, so this is the place for me.