Q3 W2 Comments

JC's Research Update
Thomas's Free Post: Snowdays

Q3 W1 Comments

Nick's "New Semester"
Greg's "New Semester"

My winter break

This winter break, my family decided to not go out of Louisiana because my father has recently had surgery. After exams ended, my sister and mother went to Florida to pick up some clothes and personal items from the condo my parents sold. They came back on Christmas eve, and we went to  my uncle's house to have dinner and open presents. Everyone received an abundance of good gifts and was happy.

After Christmas, we stayed at home and basically did nothing until New Years. On New Years Eve, we made our way over to my mom's friends' home. They did fireworks and allowed us to play with some smaller things as we awaited 2018. The break was not the most fun, but it was definitely the most relaxing one we have had in a long time.

Research Reflection

My research topic is the Ilkhanid dynasty. It is not very well-known, so it was difficult to find the ten sources that were required. I struggled the most with finding primary sources because most of the library databases did not have information on this empire. I finally found two primary sources on art and decoration of the empire, so I had to find a way to incorporate these into my research question. I ended up with quality of life in the empire.

The best parts of this assignment are that these steps are making the rough draft process much easier by using annotated bibliographies to determine the quality of a source and notecards to help us form our paragraphs. The annotated bibliographies were the easiest part of this assignment, but they also took the longest. I hope the rest of this assignment is as helpful as the beginning parts.

New Semester Reflection

The previous semester of school was our first semester of high school. It was more difficult than I'd imagined, but it was more fun than any other year of school, at times. I learned many things this semester, all of which were tips to do better in this new environment. The first of these tricks is that you need more sleep than ever once you get to high school because of the constant effort and energy you must put into your work. The second most important tip is that you should manage your time wisely because assignments are often spread to allow us to finish in time. The most important thing to remember in high school is that you should study every night because cramming will almost never work.

My goals for the spring semester are attainable but difficult. I am going to try to use my tips from the fall semester and become a better student for the second half of the year. I hope that these tips improve my grades and my overall image of school. I will also try to have more fun with my friends and sports to decrease some stress about school

11/30 Comments

Gregory's "The Flash"
Robert's "Review of COD: WWII"

Thesis: Golding portrays Jack as a power-hungry and bloodthirsty bigun which suggests that the lonely boy values his needs and power over friendship with others. This selfishness causes a war between the two groups of boys.

"He came-disguised. He may come again even though we gave him the head of our kill to eat." (Pg. 160)

In this situation, Simon (seen as the beast) has just been killed, and Jack claims that the beast is still not dead. Jack needs to maintain an illusion of the best for his followers so that he can maintain his power. His installment of fear in his "subjects" keeps him leader because he is favored in times of chaos. This destroys his friendship with Ralph, and it shows his hunger for power.