FINAL PROJECT

The writing below is all very different, but all very similar. Their are five different genres, but they all share the same topic. This topic is growing up. It happens to everybody. It happens to every human, every animal, every martian and even characters in books and movies. In this 5 genre essay I will talk about how Jem from To Kill a Mockingbird grows throughout the story and even portrait growth as a human being.  



OBITUARY

Childhood,


           You will always be remembered as a hero in the eyes of all. You were the one that started my life, giving me great times. Often you and I would do silly things, like shooting the cat with squirt guns, pushing our friends into pools and watching their surprised look as they plunge into the cool water and even fooling around in school classes when we became bored of addition, subtraction, commas and periods. All of those times were great and filled with fun, but there were also serious times we had when you were still alive inside me. Like the time we learned how to speak, and then later on how to read and how to write. There were also the times we learned right from wrong when parents or teachers put us on time out or took away the TV. We also were furious when we were punished, but now, later in life, I realize it really did help. You have gotten me so far in life and I want you to know that even though adulthood is inside me instead of you, adulthood is not replacing you. Childhood, I will never forget you.



RANSOM NOTE

By now you have probably noticed that your precious adulthood is nowhere to be found.  The reason you can not find this adulthood is because I have captured this adulthood of yours and am keeping him in a top secret location. Now I say top secret because there is no way you will ever find me or adulthood. It is simply not possible. You are probably wondering why I would just tell you I have your adulthood and just keep him from you, but there is a reason. I will return your adulthood, but only for a price. To get your adulthood back you must give me your childhood. You see, you can’t have your childhood and adulthood at the same time. You can’t have all of the silliness and learning of childhood and the independence and seriousness of adulthood conflicting and fighting inside of you. It’s just like having a pet cat and a pet dog and just putting them in a cage together. There bound to fight, just like childhood and adulthood would if you tried to keep them both. I know that it will be almost impossible to just give away your childhood, the thing that taught you what is right and what is wrong, gave you loads of fun doing stupid and goofy things with friends and the feeling of discovery each time you learned something new. It may not seem like it, but I stole your adulthood to help you out. If you want your adulthood you will give me your childhood. 




WELCOM LETTER

Welcome Adulthood,

            Throughout all of my previous childhood years I have waited for you to arrive. Everywhere people and things were trying to help me so I could reach you. Teachers were teaching me functions, equations, graphs, commas, compound sentences, paragraphs, density, volume, solutions and basically anything I may need to achieve you successfully. Although you are just a newcomer in my life, I believe that you and I could become great friends. Together we can share some moments full of ebullience. There will be the time when we get our drivers license, and then later purchase our own car. Farther down the road we will get a good job, which will lead to our first home that we could call our own. Later on we might meet a girl that we might really like and get married; maybe I will even have some kids. Heck, we could even go to space if we wanted to, the possibilities are end less! Even though you and I will have some outstanding times I know that you will also bring bad times. You and I might have an argument. I might lose my job, struggle with money, but I know that much more of our times will be positive and we will still be friends, even if we have a few disagreements. I can’t wait to see what you and I have in store later in life. I know ill enjoy every second of being with you.


Sincerely, Jake DeLapp



RULES TO A GAME

Rules for the game “Grow up already”

*****The objective of this game is to travel through the entire board and make it to adulthood, which is at the very end of the board.

~To decide who moves first you must roll a simple six sided dice. Whoever rolls the highest number gets to move first.

~To determine how many spaces you can move you must roll the dice, much like you did when deciding who got to move first. Whatever number you roll is how many spaces you can move. (can be effected when landing on “special spaces”)

***** When moving along the game board you may land on a “special space”. The rules for “special spaces” are below.

~If you land on a “special space” marked MISTAKE you must skip a turn. MISTAKE symbolizes when you make a mistake when you are growing up. When you make a mistake you are almost always punished, so in the game you must skip a turn.

~If you land on a “special space” marked LESSON you get to double the amount of spaces that you rolled that turn. LESSON symbolizes when you learn a important life lesson while growing up. When you learn these lessons while growing up you grow up faster and get closer to adulthood, which is why your roll is doubled when you land on one of these squares.

MOVIE REVIEW: To Kill a Mockingbird   

           

            The movie To Kill a Mockingbird was great. In the movie I witnessed all sorts of amazing things such as amazing camera angles, a fascinating plot, well formed themes or morals, very well developed characters, but the thing that stuck out the most for me was the way Jem grew up throughout the movie. In the beginning of the book he seemed to be a foolish child who did foolish things and made bad choices, but at the end of the book he was helping others, being nice to everyone, understanding other people and just acting as if he were an adult. I thought it was amazing when Jem told Scout not to kill the roly poly beetle because it hadn’t done anything to her. It really marked the start of an incredible transformation. From then on Jem just continued to grow. He did things like realize that reading for Ms. Dubose really wasn’t that bad and started looking at the way other people saw things. All these little things indicated that Jem was growing up, but at the end of the story there was one event that showed us that Jem really was all grown up. This was when Jem saved his sisters life. When he was attacked he risked his life and tried to stop his sister from being killed when he could have very easily just left his sister for dead because she didn’t have a chance of keeping up with him in her ham suit. Everyone behind this movie did an incredible job and put together an excellent movie. I enjoyed this movie just as much as I enjoyed the classic Romeo and Juliet, a fantastic tail of two star crossed lovers. In many ways I see lots of the same things in both stories. One thing that I really noticed was that in both stories characters had to overcome huge obstacles. In Romeo and Juliet both Romeo and Juliet had to overcome the fact that there families were enemies, and they were bound to run into troubles throughout their relationship. In To Kill a Mockingbird Atticus had to try to overcome the fact that everybody in Maycomb was racist when he was trying to defend Tom Robinson, a black man.


Sincerely, Jake DeLapp

Essay 13

Essay 12- not just first body.

         

Television

An Essay on Friendship

By: Jake DeLapp

Pine Point School

Eighth Grade A English

          In many ways I am a TV who has lots of remotes. My remotes are what guides and helps me along life. They help me when times are tough or if I need some adjusting. I feel, that in many ways, companionship can be compared to a TV and remotes.

          In many ways friendship is more than friendship itself. It can be compared to so many different things and explained a variety of different ways. I think that companionship is a lot like a TV and a remote because, for one, a television and a remote go together perfectly. If you look at an actual TV and an actual remote you notice that TV’s always have, or come, with remotes. I think that I could compare myself to the TV because I am incondite without my remote, the device that guides me, helps me choose which way to go, giving me hope in the hardest times. I also think that TV’s and remotes are a lot like companionship because the remote guides the TV. In real life the remote is whets telling the TV to change channels, go down a different path or even shut down. This is like friendship because if you are the TV and the remote is your friend, your friends, or remotes, are always bolstering you out in life and making sure you head down the right path. Finally there’s the fact that a TV would be nothing without a remote. If you had a TV without a remote you wouldn’t be able to change channels and you might be watching the food network all day long. In friendship if you’re the TV that’s lost its remote or friend you suddenly find it a lot harder to do accustomed things without your remote and it’s certainly not as enjoyable. If I look at companionship I can always see a lot more
than just a bond itself.
         
          TV’s and remotes are literally meant for each other, whereas my friends and I are made for each other. My friends always help me out and make my life better. My mates also help me out when times are hard and I need to talk to someone or have someone to talk to. Friendship is basica

outline-first body of essay 13

TS: Love can be good and bad: need to work for
        SD: Love just happening-doesn’t make sense
                CM1. Crooks don’t go to crops
                CM2 Why love someone you barely know
        SD. True love takes lots of work
                CM1. Like a school project-bad without effort
                CM2. Life requires work, so does love
CS. If you want love work for it

Essay 13

Working for love

An Essay on Finding True Love

By: Jake DeLapp

Pine Point School 8A English

April, 2011

          Love can be great, but at other time it can just plain suck. I feel that love is something that you need to work for. People who think love is going to sneak up on them and bite them in the butt, I feel, won’t find this to be the truth as they progress in life. I don’t think that you just fall in love because it‘s like having the police think that whenever someone breaks the law the crook will just show up at the door of the police station and tell the cops what they did, it doesn’t make any sense at all. How can you love someone and want to spend lots of time, or even your entire life with them if you don’t even know them that well, it‘s like wanting to marry the creepy old guy that lives down the street. If you wan to find love I think it’s something a lot like a school project, if you want it to be good you have to put a lot of time and effort in or, in the end, it wont work very well. As in almost everything in life, if you want to be successful you must work hard instead of sitting back and watching other people live their lives, and love is no exception. My opinion is that if you want true love then you have to work for it, it doesn’t just happen.

essay 12 outline

TS; Lots of things you can compare to friendship (TV and remote)
        SD: Friendship is like TV and remote because they go together perfectly
                    CM1: TV’s are always with remotes
                    CM2: Friends are always with friends
        SD: Remotes guide TV’s
                    CM1: tell TV what channels etc.
                    CM2: Friends help guide you, like TV and remote
        SD: TV is nothing without remote, vice versa
                    CM1: Can’t do anything without remote
                    CM2: Without your friend life is hard/unenjoyable
CS: Lots of different things compare to friendship

Essay 12

Televison and Friendship

An Essay on Friendship

Pine Point Eigth Grade English

April 2011

By: Jake DeLapp



        In many ways friendship is more than friendship itself, it can be compared to so many different things and explained so many different ways. I think that companionship is a lot like a TV and a remote because, for one, a television and a remote go together perfectly. If you look at an actual TV and an actual remote you notice that TV’s always have or come with remotes. I think that I could compare myself to the TV because I am incondite without my remote. I also think that TV’s and remotes are a lot like companionship because the remote guides the TV. In real life the remote is whets telling the TV to change channels or go down a different path and even shut down. This is like friendship because you are the TV and the remote is your friend, your friends or remotes are always bolstering you out in life and making sure you head down the right path. Finally there’s the fact that a TV would be nothing without a remote. If you had a TV without a remote you wouldn’t be able to change channels and you might be watching the food network all day long. In friendship if you’re the TV that’s lost its remote or friend you suddenly find it a lot harder to do accustomed things without your remote and it’s certainly not as enjoyable. If I look at companionship I can always see a lot more than just a bond itself.

Assessment essay!

On the Streets

An essay on Volunteering at the W.A.R.M shelter

Pine Point Eighth grade English

February 2011

Did you know that around 3.5 million people in the United States are homeless and that around 1.35 million of them are children? At the WARM shelter and many other homeless shelters around the world are aiming to change this. Throughout all of my research I have realized that homelessness is much different than I had interpreted it to be and I would like to show all of you what I learned, much like Atticus, from the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee taught his children, Scout and Jem, about Racism, stereotypes and all of the news from Maycomb County, the town in which To Kill a Mockingbird takes place.

Before I chose WARM I considered volunteering at many other various sites for the assessment project such as the westerly animal shelter or apple rehab, but once I looked at the WARM shelters website I knew it would be a good place to volunteer where I could make a difference. When I first logged onto the website I saw that there really were lots of people who are homeless or living in poverty and that by volunteering my time at the WARM shelter would really help lots of people who are less fortunate than I am. After searching the WARM shelters website further I stumbled along some statistics for homeless people and realized that my idea of how many people are actually homeless was not accurate at all, much more people were homeless than I thought. Once I found out that so many people are living in homeless shelters or on the street I realized that if I chose the WARM shelter for my assessment site I would make a big difference to the homeless or poor people who go to the WARM shelter for meals or actually live there. I also realized that if I worked at the WARM shelter I would learn more about homelessness and poverty, which would be a good thing because my idea of the two topics was not even close to what homelessness or poverty are like. As I was considering the WARM shelter as a site to volunteer at for the assessment project I began to grow curious and began to wonder what the people who are living in poverty or who are homeless are like, How they acted and how being poor or homeless has affected them. I also wondered what the people looked like, in movies and TV shows homeless people were portrayed as people who wore rags and sat on the side of the road begging, but I wondered if this was really true. After seeing the WARM shelters website I decided that volunteering there would be a really great learning experience. I would have a chance to talk to people who are homeless or poor and see what life is like for them, and if they really are who most people draw them out to be. Besides learning more about homelessness and poverty themselves I also thought it would really teach me how to appreciate what I have in my life even more. Considering all of these facts or ideas I decided to start volunteering at the WARM shelter in Westerly.

          During the time I volunteered at the Westerly WARM shelter I had to deal with many challenges. Lots of times, as I was serving lunch, I would have to deal with a poor or homeless person who came for a meal, but constantly tried to get seconds when seconds weren’t aloud yet. I found this challenging not only because I had to deal with the person trying to get more food than they were aloud to have, but also because I had to say no to someone who seemed so hungry and couldn’t afford to buy food for himself. Every one of the few times I had to tell someone seconds weren’t aloud yet I felt awful inside because I knew that they were struggling and were hungry, but I wasn’t able to give them the food that was right in front of me. Another challenge I faced while volunteering at the WARM shelter was that one night a drunken man with a short, dark grey, beard, dark, dark eyes, a heavy winter coat, blue jeans and a flashy green Celtics hat came in to the WARM shelter while I was serving dinner. When the man entered the room it was obvious he was drunk because he was talking strangely and he seemed unsure when he was walking. The man ate his dinner, but then asked for some to take home and even though the WARM shelter doesn’t allow takeouts the man who was running the WARM shelter that evening let him this time because he didn’t want to upset the man because he was drunk and might do something irrational if he was rubbed the wrong way. One other problem I faced while serving at the WARM shelter was having to balance it with other extra curricular activities that I take part in. A couple times I had to reschedule a visit to volunteer for a soccer or basketball game, or I would have to skip a sports practice so I would be able to make it to an assessment visit at the WARM shelter. When this happened I would have to try to contact Joy, the women who runs volunteer services at the WARM shelter and tell her I wouldn’t be able to make it to volunteer and try to find a time where I could make up the visit I missed or I would have to e-mail or talk to one of my sports coaches telling them I wouldn’t be able to go to a practice. Although I did face some challenges volunteering at the WARM shelter I feel that it was worth it.

          While I volunteered at the WARM shelter I believe that I made a big difference and really helped people out. Probably the biggest difference I made when I was volunteering at the WARM shelter was when I helped feed hungry people. Everyone who came to the WARM shelter was in need of food because they couldn’t afford to buy food for themselves. Just by giving the people who visited the WARM shelter one meal it meant that they could breathe a sigh of relief, they wouldn’t have to worry about not being able to eat today or whether what they were eating was safe to eat. Another thing that I did while I volunteered at the WARM shelter that also made a difference was just giving some company to the people that came in for food or shelter. Lots of people who are homeless or poor are often lonely due to the fact that they are normally out of work and often they don’t have or are not in contact with their family. Most of the time I just talked with the people of the WARM shelter about sports, TV shows, news, weather and really just what people normally talk about, but I think it really made a difference and made people feel good. During my time at the WARM shelter I believe that I really made some peoples days. People who come to the WARM shelter normally have a pretty tough life, but when they come to the WARM shelter it’s sort of like a break or a breathe of refreshing air, they don’t have to worry about how hard life is and they have the chance to just sot back and have a nice meal. In many ways the WARM shelter is like a community, many of the people who go for lunch know each other, they all have their own set of rules and they all help each other out. During my time at the WARM shelter I feel that I really made a difference.

          All of the research I did for the assessment project really helped me understand the people that arrived at the WARM shelter every day for food. Through my research I was able to discover that lots of people, not only in Rhode Island, but around the world are homeless due to mental disabilities. I found out that in just Rhode Island 40% of the people who are homeless due to mental disabilities. When I learned this it made me feel extremely sad because their struggling, trying to find food to stay alive and it’s just because they were born with a disability. I also learned about how lots of children in RI are living in poverty and many of them don’t even have an adult with them. I discovered that 22% of children in Providence, Rhode Island alone are living in poverty either because they don’t have parents to help them grow up or because their parents don’t make lots of money or make no money at all. At the WARM shelter when some kids my age or even younger came in for food I was extremely sad and I became even more disheartened when my research came to mind and I realized that they were just a couple out of many poor or homeless children living in Rhode Island. One ting I learned about in my research that actually made me happy was learning all about the WARM shelter. I found out more than I had known before, such as grants they have applied for, how they are a non profit organization, how lots of their food come through their donation, all of the different programs they have to help feed or house the homeless and much more. Learning about all of this made me happy because it showed me that times may be hard for a lot of people throughout the world, but some people care and are trying to make a difference. Throughout all of my research I learned a lot about homelessness and poverty and it strengthened my understanding of them both even after volunteering at the WARM shelter.

          In English class we have recently been reading the book To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee very closely and have noticed many themes or messages in the book that also were present during my time at the WARM shelter. In To Kill a Mockingbird determination is a theme that comes up time and time again; I feel that determination is also a theme that occurs at the WARM shelter. In To Kill a Mockingbird Scout and Jem are constantly trying somehow see Boo, or Mr. Arthur Radley and never give up, Atticus is also extremely to win in court to prove Tom Robinson innocent. At the WARM shelter everyone who comes in is determined to turn their life around no matter how much effort it takes and the employees are determined to make a difference and really help the people who are less fortunate than them out. I also noticed that treasures were a reoccurring theme in To Kill a Mockingbird that also came up while I volunteered. Scout and Jem treasured the gifts and small trinkets that repeatedly were found in the knothole of the tree by the Radley place and Aunt Alexandra treasured her set of rules saying that all girls should be ladies and such. At the WARM shelter many residents hovered over their food as if it were a plate full of solid gold and others seemed to be hypnotized by their phones or I-pods as they looked off into space, completely unaware of what was going on around them. Finally I noticed that teaching was a theme from To Kill a Mockingbird that also was apparent at the WARM shelter. In To Kill a Mockingbird Jem taught Scout about all sorts of things ranging from football to roly polys and Atticus also taught the kids all about how racism is wrong and how everybody is equal. At the WARM shelter lots of residents were teaching their fellow residents about all sorts of things such as the outcome of last nights game, whether they were in for another big snow storm and lots of other things that were very similar. While I volunteered at the WARM shelter these were some of the themes that I saw that were also apparent in the novel To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee.

          If I had the chance to go back and volunteer for the assessment project again there are a few things that I would do differently my second time around. Although I did talk with some of the people at WARM I feel I could have interacted with the people a little bit more. When people came for food they would just pass by me as I served them and then I wouldn’t have the chance to talk to them. I also believe that I could have talked with some of the people that actually worked at the WARM shelter and learned more about the history of it than the website itself provided.  I also feel as though I may have had a better experience if I had volunteered more at different times. When I volunteered I volunteered I served lunch every single time except once, If I had volunteered more to serve dinner I believe I may have gotten a better learning experience. The one time I volunteered at dinner I noticed people I didn’t recognize from my previous visits during lunch and wondered if different people came for food at different times and maybe they could have told me interesting stories and shown me even more aspects of homelessness or poverty than I had received by serving mainly lunch. One other thing I feel would have made my time at the WARM shelter more valuable was doing more than just serving. I rarely did anything but serve food, and although this was a great experience I believe it could have been even better if I had done other tasks more often. In another part of WARM they have a place where people can go for clothes, much like goodwill except it’s free, and I feel this could have been a great way to learn more about poverty or homelessness and I could have made an even bigger impact as well. If I ever have the chance to volunteer at the WARM shelter again I will definitely make sure I incorporate these ideas as I volunteer.

          I believe that working at the WARM shelter has actually changed me as a person. I now have a better sense of homelessness than I ever did before. I had the chance to really learn what homelessness is like, and now I know that almost all the movies that draw out the homeless as grouchy old people wearing rags isn’t true at all. Even if people are homeless they can still be extremely nice, kind and normal people who don’t wear rags and at the WARM shelter I got to see this first hand. While working at the WARM shelter I also found a greater appreciation for everything I have, the fact that I have a house to live in, food to eat and lots of luxuries that lots of people all over the world can’t afford. I also realized that at times I might feel like I have it bad like when my parents say you can’t watch TV or if they say “No! We won’t buy that for you!” but if you think about what all of those tough men and women out there who have it much worse than me you really realize that you are very lucky. As I volunteered I gained a greater appreciation not only for the things I have such as food and shelter, but a greater appreciation for everyone around me such as my family and friends because many of the people at the WARM shelter have very few friends and it seemed as though a lot didn’t have or weren’t in contact with their families. I also found out what so many people throughout the world are coping with. After doing lots of research on the topic of homelessness I realized that lots of times homelessness is worse than I had interpreted it to be. I also realize that people on the side of the road, holding up cardboard signs are actually homeless and aren’t just trying to get easy money, and I actually do feel bad for them, which is more than I could have said before I volunteered at the WARM shelter. I feel that when I volunteered at the WARM shelter that I really did change.

          In the United States alone 3.5 million people are homeless and around 6,000 people in RI, one of the smallest states in the United States, are homeless as well. At the W.A.R.M shelter I saw that many people are trying to change this and thousands of non-profit organizations in the United States are trying to help out with the issue of homelessness and poverty as well. After volunteering at the W.A.R.M shelter I also realized that books and reality aren’t actually that different. In to Kill a Mockingbird and at the W.A.R.M shelter I noticed many themes that were in both such as teaching, treasures, determination and many more.

Assesment outline #7 "how has working at your site c hanged you?"

TS. Working at the WARM shelter has changed me

            SD. Better understanding of the homeless

                        CM1. Know what homeless is really like

                        CM2. People aren’t mean-don’t look poor or homeless

            SD. Made me appreciate what I have even more

                        CM1. Hard to think you have it bad when other people have it much worse

CM2.  Make you appreciate family more-people there don’t seem to have    any

            SD. Understand what people are going through

                        CM1. After doing research I know that homeless people go through a lot

CM2. Actually feel bad for people who are on the side of the road asking for money

CS. Working at WARM has changed me

Assesment essay #6 "looking back what would you have done differently"

TS. I would have done a few things differently if I could vollunteer again

        SD. More interaction with the people at WARM

                CM1. Didn’t talk too too much with people who came for food
                CM2. Didn’t talk enough with employees-learn more about WARM
        SD. Vollunteered at different times
               CM1. Vollunteered at lunch every time except one
               CM2. Vollunteering at different times-may have seen different people-might be a different   experience
        SD. Done more than just serve food
               CM1. Almost every time all I did was serve lunch
               CM2. Could have learned more helping with different aspects than hunger
CS. Looking back I would have done a few things differently

Assessment essay #5 "themes from TKAM that were alos noticed in your service site"

TS. Many themes from TKAM carry over into WARM shelter
        SD. Determination is in TKAM and people at the WARM shelter
                CM1. Jem and Scout determined to see Boo/Atticus determined to win in court
                CM2. Residents determined t turn their life around/employees wanted to help out alot
        SD. Treasures is in TKAM and the WARM shelter
                CM1. Jem and Scout had their knothole gifts/Aunt Alexandra had her own set of rules
                CM2. Some residents/customers hovered over their food/some were totally into their phones,
      SD. Teaching was in TKAM and at the WARM shelter
                CM1. Jem taught Scout how to do a lot of things/Atticus taught the kids about racism etc.

                CM2. Residents always telling others about the game-what happened/where certain things were
CS. Lots of themes from TKAM were noticeable at the WARM shelter

Assesment outline #4 "how did your research affect how you felt about your service site?"

TS. Research helped me understand WARM “customers” more.
SD. Learned about the homeless with mental issues
CM1. Around 40% of homeless in RI are mentally ill
CM2. Made me sad-homeless through no fault of their own
SD. Learned about poor or homeless children
CM1. About 22% of children in Providence, RI are poor.
CM2. Some kids looked sad/angry-understood how they fealt
SD. Learned more about WARM shelter-its past, what it does etc.
CM1. Found way more than what I knew before
CM2. Made me happy-WARM is making a big difference-helping lots of people
CS. Further research helped me understand WARM and its people better

Assesment outline #3 "how did I make a difference"

TS. I think I helped lots of people-WARM shelter
SD. Fed hungry people

CM1. Everyone that came to WARM was hungry/needed food
CM2. Noticed some people licking lips/drooling
SD. Gave some people company
CM1. Some people were lonely-started conversation
CM2. Talked about TV shows/sports etc.
SD. Just made peoples day
CM1. Life is normally hard-WARM is a good break from their tough life
CM2. WARM is like a community-most people know each other, watch TV etc.
CS. I believe I really made a difference during my time at WARM

Circles

An essay on reoccurring themes in my like and TKAM

English class, grade 8

January 31, 2011

Throughout the novel To Kill a Mockingbird, I have noticed many themes that go around in “circles”. Throughout the book a theme I have often noticed is curiosity. While reading the book, I haven’t noticed a single character that hasn’t been curios about at least one issue. Dill, Scout and Jem have always been curious about Boo or Mr. Nathan Radley, Atticus was curios as to why people could be so cruel just because of skin color, Aunt Alexandra has always been interested in other people’s life and gossip and Mr. Dolphus Raymond was curious why people didn’t accept him for who he was. Another big theme I have noticed that repeatedly comes up in To Kill a Mockingbird is treasures. Throughout out the book many characters, I believe, own treasures, something that’s important to them and they kind of guard over. Dill, Scout and Jem had the small gifts and trinkets that appeared in the knothole of the tree near the Radley place, Miss Maudie has her flowers and various other plants, Aunt Alexandria has a certain set of values she feels all girls, especially Scout, should fallow. Another theme in To Kill a Mockingbird, which I feel is the biggest theme in the entire book, is determination. Everyone in To Kill a Mockingbird, whether it’s good or bad, seems to have a goal. Dill, Scout and Jem tried time and time again to get Boo Radley to come out of the house and even when it didn’t work or they got in trouble they didn’t give up, Atticus stayed up all night and worked all day to try and prove Tom Robinson innocent, Aunt Alexandra constantly tried to change scout from a tom boy to a proper lady and Misses Dubose was constantly going out of her way to try annoy or get under the kids skin by insulting their father.

Throughout everybody’s life there are also themes or patterns that come around in a circle. A big thing I have noticed throughout my life is that nothing is easy. If you want to achieve something it just doesn’t magically happen, if you want it you have to work hard and make it happen yourself. When I was younger I had to work hard to learn how to talk, walk, read and write, recently I have been having to work hard with grades because I know I don’t just get an A by asking for one, and I know that as an adult I will have to work hard when I have a job so I can by food and pay taxes. Another “circle” theme in my life is disappointment. Whether you like it or not, some time in your life you will be disappointed. As a young child I was always disappointed when I had to start doing homework or when I was told I couldn’t watch TV, Now I am often disappointed when I have things to do so I cant hang out with my friends, an as I grow older I know everything’s not going to be perfect and I will have to deal with many disappointments, some small and some huge. Pain is also a big theme that keeps appearing in my life. Throughout my life I have felt a lot of pain, some of it has been emotional and some of it has been physical. Throughout my entire life I have always been interested in skateboarding and other freestyle sports and I have a great time with it, but sometimes I fall down and hurt myself. I have also dealt with a lot of emotional pain, i have had pets die, such as my cat max, and I have also had girlfriends that have broken up with me, both hurt me, but not in a physical way.

outline-essay 10

TS. Throughout TKAM there are many “circles” themes that often occur
SD. Curiosity is a theme that is often seen in TKAM
CM1. Everyone in TKAM has curiosity, Atticus, Scout, Jem, Dill etc.
CM2. Jem, Scout and Dill - Boo Radley Atticus - why are people raciest, tom Robinson case etc.
SD. Treasures is another theme that is often found in TKAMCM1. Many characters have their own treasures- may not be much but is a lot to them.
CM2. Scout and Jem-trinkets in the knothole of tree Miss Maudie-flowers
SD. Determination is the biggest theme I have noticedCM1. Every character in the book has been determined to reach a goal, good or bad
CM2. Jem, Scout and Dill-seeing Boo Atticus-winning court case Mrs. Dubose-annoying the children　　
TS. In life there are also many themes that occur often.SD. Hard work/effort is a common them in life
CM1. Everything in life is not easy to get to-have to work hard
CM2. As a baby-learning to walk middle/ high school-good grades, making friends adult-job, taxesSD. Disappointment is another theme
CM1. You are often disappointed in life, whether you like it or not
CM2. Kid-not getting fed or able to play videogame etc. adult-getting layer off, having to pay taxes, dealing with a mean bossSD. Pain is another big theme that comes up in life
CM1. Different pains, physical and emotional
CM2. Girlfriend breaking up with you, breaking a bone, hitting yourself with a hammer, losing a friend etc.

assesment visit #4

Today I made my fourth visit to the WARM shelter, and it was much different than my first few visits. When I was serving almost no one was there. I believe there was almost no one there because it’s so close to Christmas and lots of family members are helping people out by giving people a place to stay and providing food to people that don’t have it. I also believe that there were so little people coming for food at the WARM shelter because many rugulars at the WARM shelter were participating in or watching the penguin plunge, an event where people jump into freezing cold water. Another thing I noticed was that there was a lot more food than usual. I believe that there was so much food because of donations because of people trying to be generous around the holidays. When I looked inside the fridge I was astounded with how much food they had fit into that one refrigerator. I was happy when I saw how much food had been donated. Although people had been very generous I was a little sad that food was mostly donated during the holidays though. I believe that people should be generous all of the time, not only during the holidays.

Visit #3

Today I made my third visit, and I have finally started to settle in. Much different than my first couple of visits, I didn’t feel nervous at all. I knew everyone that came in would be nice, polite and appreciative and that I had nothing to worry about. I was even starting to learn some of the “regulars” names and had a conversation with a couple people. One thing that struck me today was how many kids came in for food. I found it very sad that kids had to come in because they or their parents didn’t have enough money for food. I don’t know how I would manage if I had to go to the WARM shelter everyday for food if I was only thirteen. Another thing that made me feel sad was when people came in with heavy winter coats panting. This made me sad because they were probably forced to walk to the WARM shelter because they didn’t have a car. I don’t think its fair that a whole bunch of people have to walk miles to get food because they don’t have a car and can’t afford food themselves when some families are living in huge houses eating, eating amazing meals and watching TV on big flat screens.

visit #2

During my second visit to the warm shelter I was much less worried than the first time I went. I think I wasn’t as worried because I kind of knew what to expect. When I arrived I knew the people didn’t look poor and they were all polite. In a way I was very relieved that it was very unlikely for me to deal with any psychotic people that might pull a gun on me. While I was serving I got a chance to talk to some people who came in for lunch, which was a great experience. One woman, who wore jeans, a blue sweater and had short grayish hair and appeared to be in her sixties told us about how she was layed off the day before Christmas and only had a week until her insurance ended. I felt very bad for her, but was amazed at how she approached the whole situation, she only thought of the best and seemed positive that better times would come. Jut like the first time I noticed that people didn’t appear to be homeless or poor at all. Again they all had nice clothes, cell phones and more. One new thing I found surprising though was the fact that around winter the WARM shelter had less people, I would think in the winter there would be more people who needed help. Maybe more people will come in later months as I continue to make visits to the WARM shelter.

First time volunteering for the service learning project! As I was arriving I was actually very nervous. So many thoughts were in my head, what would the people be like, how many people would there be, what would be served for lunch etc. I was worried that people would be in rags and begging for more food, but that was not the case at all. When I arrived at the WARM shelter I was surprised at the normality of the people I was serving lunch to. Every last person that came in for food had normal, nice clothes, clothes you wouldn’t expect poor or homeless people to own, and they almost all had phones. People there were also very polite and didn’t beg for more food even though they couldn’t afford food themselves, they took what was given to them, and when seconds were aloud, only about three people came up for more. A big thing I noticed was that everyone that came in for lunch seemed to “trust” WARM. Everyone seemed to know WARM could provide them food for their next meal. Also, the residents that lived in WARM’s homeless shelter knew they had a bed to sleep in at night, they knew WARM wouldn’t kick them out on the streets. In many ways WARM seemed to be like a best friend to almost all of the people at WARM.

Just Normal Heroes

An essay on "quiet" heroes

By: Jake Delapp

8AX english

January 2011

       (TS)   If you think about the word “hero” you probably think about a man in a tight suit with a big emblem on his chest and a cape flying around town and saving the day, but that is not what most heroes are like, many heroes often just go about their own business and live a relatively normal life. (SD) In the book To Kill a Mockingbird I believe Atticus is someone you would consider to be a “quiet hero”. (CM1) When Tom Robinson was accused of rape, Atticus was decreed to be his judge and, unlike most judges would do, he worked incredibly hard to prove Tom was innocent because he knew it was the right thing to. (CM2) Atticus also saved the town from Tim Johnson the “mad” dog with his amazing marksmanship. (SD) What Atticus has done, I believe, makes him a hero, but the fact that he keeps to himself and does not boast is what makes him a “quiet hero“. (CM1) When Atticus was defending Tom, a colored man, he kept it quite, well as quiet as defending a colored man can be. (CM2) Atticus didn’t even tell his own children that he was an incredible marksman, the kids found out for themselves when they saw Atticus take out Tim Johnson the “mad” dog. (SD) Even though Atticus is, in a sense, a superhero he doesn’t get the praise that movie and cartoon heroes receive. (CM1) I believe people respect him and know he’s a good person, but they don’t get down on their knees and pray to him. (CM2) I believe Atticus likes the mellow sort of praise he receives more than having people worship him because he seems to be a quiet man who doesn’t want to be the center of attention, but at the same time I think he amours to be thanked and congratulated. (CS)

       

         (TS) In my life I know many people who I consider heroes, but they don’t fly around wearing a cape, they are what I would call “silent” heroes. (SD) I think my mom would be classified as a hero to me. (CM1) During my entire life she has always been there for me, driven me to friends houses, made me food to eat, helped me with hw and much more. (CM2) Although these things may seem miniscule, I really appreciate them and think that the things that she does make her a hero. (SD) I would also call my dog Oakley a soundless hero. (CM1) I know it seems silly for me to be calling my pet dog a hero I really do deem it to be true. (CM2) Oakley will play fetch, tug of war or a variety of other games with me when I’m bored, fallow me and make me feel special, just sit down with me and lots of other things animals or pets can do that humans can’t. (SD) Another hero in my life would have to be Harry. (CM1) Harry has been my friend for a long time and is someone I feel I can trust, he always has my back and he always knows how to cheer me up by just being Harry. (CM2) Although all the qualities I have always listed about Harry are great I think the biggest thing to like about Harry is his sense of humor, he can ALWAYS make you laugh no matter what. (CS)
　






SELF ASSESMENT
If I were to give myself a grade for this assignment I would give myself an B-. In this essay I think I used good use of descriptions and fallowed directions well. One thing I still need to work on is making my opening and closing sentences for my body paragraphs more interesting. I could do this by reviewing what makes a good opening or closing sentence and apply it to my next essay.