Final Paper Comparsison

The difference between my third and second paper was several things. First of all, even though they both required research the searching was different. In the 2nd paper there was less of one side or the other and more talking about my own. In the third paper I talked about both sides and made sure to keep the comments professional. I also used only articles for my third paper where as for the second one I used articles that had advertisements and just advertisements. I made sure in the third paper that the people who wrote the article were a reliable source where as the articles just needed to support y position.

Final first paper

Fourth grade is not a big deal to most kids. I was very wrapped up in my own life and couldn’t care less about what we were reading in class. I never thought it would lead me to my favorite book. Although I loved reading, I hated sitting still in a classroom full of sweaty kids for 20 minutes at the end of class just to figure out whether or not the story my teacher was reading was worth my time. I usually got through these moments by tugging on my friend’s hair and pulling it into a braid. Sometimes though, my teacher would pick an amazing chapter book, ones I would never consider reading, and she would work her way through it chapter by chapter. Most of the time, these books were clever life lessons I quickly picked up on and disregarded because who really wants to read books like that. But one day, all of those lessons changed. I found getting read aloud to painful and annoying. I wanted to open a book and finish it in a day, not drag it out over months of reading one chapter a day. The day my teacher pulled out Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen.

            The walls were a buttery yellow, with several paintings on them. Vines and leaves on one wall and students art hung in frames around the room. Book shelves covered the base of the walls, and the windows were always open. Outside there were trees and birds were constantly singing. The desks were in rows of three, with special self-managers located next to the teacher’s desk. Computers were on one side of the room, old and beige with loud keys that stuck when pressed too hard. Cubbies were next to the sink, and to the right there was a Japanese box turtle named Tortel. 30 kids were in the room, and at the front they sat on couches and wooden chairs for storytelling and reading. We played with each other’s hair and tried to stay quiet while the old sassy teacher read Touching Spirit Bear.

            My teacher had silvery grey hair and a pair of unrimmed glasses. She was pleasantly plump and wore loose t-shirts and slacks with black crocs. She had a small tattoo on her ankle as well. My closest friends wore shorts with t-shirts and we all had bangs. Other children wore jeans and a sweatshirt with the schools name on it. Everyone was tired, and barely kept their eyes open as we sat around on the cold floor. We circled her as she started the book, and I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with it. This book was so different from anything I had ever read. The words flowed off my teacher’s lips like she had memorized them. I was so focused on the book I often found myself pulling too hard on a friend’s hair. We all looked attentively towards the teacher who read to us the book of her choice. When she got excited she would jump while reading or her eyes would expand and I was lost in it all. My friend’s never really understood my connection to the book and why I enjoyed it so much.   

            The book, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, focuses on a boy named Cole. Cole is an abused teenage boy, who finds himself in a lot of trouble with the law. With the possibility of being tried as an adult he quickly looks for an alternative choice to become part of the community again. Thinking he doesn’t have another chance at life, his parole officer helps Cole join a group called circle justice. Cole is shortly after asked to spend a year on a remote island in Alaska. Throughout the book I followed Cole in every choice he made, thinking on how people would react if I did the same thing. I told myself this book was it. This was as good as books were ever going to get. I connected with Cole in a much different way than I first expected. This book was shaping me into the person I wanted to become. I spent the next year reading it as much as possible, after getting my own copy for Christmas.

            I wondered for a very long time why I connected to Cole. I had never lived on my own in the woods. I had never tried to fight a bear. I didn’t break laws and beat people up. I was a generally good kid when it came to the law and school. What I realized was I connected to his anger. Cole had never been good enough for anyone. I saw this as an in to his life. I had felt growing up pressure from my own parents and my teachers. I was expected to do well in all aspects of school, because I was good at it. I wasn’t able to release my anger like Cole was. I also found myself connect to his home life. While my parents aren’t physically abusive I find myself in the same frustrating situations Cole is in. This was a lot for fourth grade me to handle, but I understood why this book was important.

            This book has helped me understand not to judge people and to show compassion toward others that we may not know. In some ways the book has helped me relate to others who have read it, and even others who have not. We can compare books and share our feelings on why the book impacted us. This particular book was important at the time because it showed how kids affect other people lives at any age. It also showed us family values and why it is important not to let your own family change your values. I am my own person and the book showed my younger self that I could be whoever I chose to be and change no matter how old I was. My life would not be the same without this book. It is possible I never would have learned to accept myself as I am and change my attitude towards my life. I needed to see that every day is precious and we must live life as well as we can even with challenges. Understanding how to be compassionate has helped me in many ways. When my friends talk to me about a certain situation in their life I can help them figure out a helpful solution. I learned what it meant to be willing to do anything to help someone and this book even helped me decide what I wanted to do when I grew up, which was becoming a teacher. 

           

I realize now that this book was my first real outlet for my life. I tried to busy myself with books for years after this. Even now reading this book brings back memories of finding my true self. I remember the feeling I got from this book and how comfortable with myself I became. I remember finding myself living a happier life after reading this book. I was connecting to people better. I found a way to see positives in my life. This book is something I turn to for comfort. It might not be the most thrilling experience, and getting a book read aloud to you is excruciatingly painful but it definitely helped me grow. 

Article Comparisons

In Sprigs essay, she wrote about how smaller farms are better for society. In our group we have many essays and they were very different from Sprigs. Even though the topics were different, all of the authors used valid arguments to defend their position. In Sprigs essay she uses pathos by bringing back memories from her childhood. She brings her own experiences to the table to connect with others. In an essay we have about terrorism, the author used pathos by using the recent attack on Paris, France as an example. She wrote about how the even was horrific and that the killings was supposed to be taken seriously, as terrorism is as well. A different essay we have on abortion, used pathos by asking questions about being against letting embryos live. In all of the essays, an explicit position was used. Sprigs was on how smaller local farms are better than larger monoculture farms. The essay on terrorism was about how serious the word terrorism is, and how the media throws it around too loosely. The abortion essay was about being pro-choice. All of the essays used a response to what others said, and included ethos in those responses. These topics all have a good reason on why it matters. They make it clear that the issue effects many people not just a small portion of society. They all appeal to readers values by connecting to the readers through personal experience, how people feel on the topic in daily life, and how large parts of society is effected by the topic. The essays were all important because they connected to the readers, made their topic important, and used an authoritative tone to convince the readers to agree with them.

Final Draft

Sarah Page

November 1^st, 2015

Designer Babies

            What would you do if you had the opportunity to change the genetic code of your child in the womb so they came out exactly how you wanted?  You could have blue eyes, brown hair, and amazing intelligence. You would have yourself the perfect child, or a designer baby. Designer babies are children who has a changed genetic makeup, so that a specific gene is present or to avoid a defect that is passed down through the family. Some doubt that designer babies are a good thing for our society, but being able to change the genetic makeup of a child can help it and help advance our sciences. These children will soon be available to many, and what scientists can do for a family is amazing. Designer babies are a good thing for our society.

            First off, designer babies can keep children from having birth defects. Sometimes illness is passed down through genes, and being able to save a child from the pain of having a birth defect can be very important later in life. Living with asthma from birth I can personally say that my life could be a lot easier without it.  People can agree that if this was a simple and easy procedure anyone would do it. Parents now are already trying to help their children in the womb by taking vitamins and only eating certain foods. Doctors even suggest pregnant women take certain vitamins and avoid certain foods. In an article by Paul Walman, an author and writer for The American Prospect, he stated, "What if a hundred years from now the technology had become safe, cheap, and easy, so a pregnant woman could pop a pill that costs a dollar and would boost her baby's IQ by 20 points—would you think it was wrong then? Keep in mind that parents already do a million things intended to help their developing children become healthier and smarter, some of which begin before the baby leaves the womb”(Walman, Paul). This makes sense because if anyone could help their child be smarter or more athletic they would. In every family they try to pass down certain things like a love for sports or an interest in reading. Everyone wants what is best for their child. When a child was born with an illness, parents tend to do everything they can to treat it after birth. If it is possible to treat the same illness before the child is born, why would anyone let their child suffer? Children deserve the best life they can have, and as a parent it would seem selfish to have that opportunity and not do what is better for the child. Another opportunity is for parents who already have one sick child, and can alter their second child to help the first born. It is possible to have a healthier child that can provide blood or healthy bone marrow to help their sibling. These second children would have a close bond to their older sibling, helping the family just by living.

As it stands, many people are against designer babies. A first misconception is that it is thought that this new technology is only for the rich. It can be very expensive and the unreasonable cost cannot be afforded by many. In everyday life it seems the rich have more opportunities than others. Even now the rich can afford to pay for a better nose, or a better body. Now they can pay for a better baby. Why would society support even more separation between the rich and poor? Another downfall would seem to be the child feeling left out of the choice to have the procedure done. Children might feel that they were only born to help the other child not because their parents wanted another baby. It is possible as well that if the parents can choose the sex of the baby it will become an issue, because our society already discriminative towards sex (Ghoose, Tia). It could change the relationship between child and parent in another way. If the parent expects a certain trait in the child, and they do not excel in that area the parents could become disappointed with their offspring. This would leave the child feeling unwanted in the family, and that could cause problems as an adult as well.

Even if there is some potential harm, the procedure is only going to benefit society. As the process goes on, these new designer babies will become available to everyone. To address the cost, even if it is a little expensive at first, as other technology has gone to show, the availability changes over time. In modern day practically everyone has a cell phone, or other technology like a fridge. Things like cups and bowls were once new technology as well. These things were harder to have when they first came around. Only the “rich” could afford them at first but now, everyone has an opportunity to have them. If society did not have an issue with these technologies coming into homes this way then it should not be against the designer babies. As previously mentioned the rich can already alter their bodies, and what society does not realize is, “Right now we manage to distinguish between necessary medical procedures, which insurance will pay for, and elective ones, which are apportioned on the basis of wealth. Which means that rich people can have more symmetrical noses and perkier breasts and creepily unlined faces than ordinary people do, and that doesn't bother us enough to outlaw plastic surgery. You could envision a time when anyone can get their eggs adapted to remove a slate of harmful conditions and diseases, but only the rich can get the platinum service, which will also give your child shiny, manageable hair”(Walman, Paul). Next, the choice to have a child is up to the parents, and someone who wants another child would not bring a child into the world for only use to help their first child. Even if a baby is planned, it is because they want to care and love for another child while it can help their sibling as well. In our society, parents already try to have more kids whether or not their first born was sick. The fact is, an opportunity is presented if the parents decide to bring another life into the world to have that child help their sibling. If the child does feel abandoned then the parents can make an effort to change how they feel, providing them with love and care. Lastly, some scientists do not let parents change the sex of the child, only alter if they have a defect or not (Ghoose, Tia). This would keep them from being discriminative towards one sex or another. Keeping certain things in check like what sex is chosen can be very helpful in the process of helping the child.

I firmly believe this procedure is a good idea for our society to have. The technology is going to advance whether or not society likes it. In an interview with NPR.org Mark Sauer, a member of a scientist team working at Columbia University, comments on the effort the scientists are putting in to help mothers deliver healthy children. He is only trying to help women cure diseases in their children and help them to have happy successful childhoods. He makes it clear that the procedure replaces the mitochondria with a healthy new one. Between 1 in 2,000 and 1 in 4,000 babies born each year with syndromes are caused by a weak mitochondria.  The syndromes can range from simple illness to life threatening. Sometimes there is no treatment, and the child dies early in life (Steien, Rob).

The society also benefits from this because it can cause a smarter generation. Not only is the following generations healthy as well, but they can come up with new technology. Another point to make is that no matter how much someone alters their child, the child is its own person. Someone can give a child a great skill level in athletics, great genes to make them beautiful or an amazing IQ, and that child would still choose to make their own decisions. They could become a baseball player or an accountant, but that is up to the child. The free will is not taken away just because the parents changed the genetic makeup. In the article, “Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”, the author Tia Ghose writes about the new technology behind designer babies, and believes, “When bringing a new child into the world, society has an obligation to determine whether the technologies used to do so actually benefit or harm the infant.” On the Live Science webpage that features her article, Ghose writes “Creating designer babies who are free from diseases and super athletic or smart may finally be around the corner.” The procedure brings about the opportunity to have a smarter generation and a healthier one from birth. Parents will finally be able to look forward to a society where their child does not have to go through the same illness as their family. That is all anyone can hope for, a healthy happy child brought into the world. The only different is now our scientists can help make that happen.

Citations

Walman, Paul. “In Praise of Designer Babies”. The American Prospect Magazine Prospect Publications n.d. Web. 10  Oct. 2013.

Steien, Rob. “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” Heath News from NPR. NPR Publications n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

Ghose, Tia. “Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”. Live Science. Live Science Publications n.d. Web. 13  Mar. 2014. 

Extra Paper analyzed

Clifford Nordstom

He gives background information by writing about the different responses to video games and how they have been debated. He takes a position by stating how he thinks they are a good way to educate students. He understands this topic by showing facts and analyzing video games. He cites many places like Niels Clark, an author, researches on the subject, mental health experts, and neurosciences.He uses quotes and findings from these people as evidence. He uses specific examples on how they change the brain. He concludes the paper by stating how he thinks they can become educational.

1. His claim is that video games can be educational.
a. The main point is that not all games are bad and they can help in education.
b. The thesis is stated at the end of the first paragraph clearly.
2. He uses quotes and facts as support.
a. He claims that games can teach you things about your environment, learning games can benefit cognitive learning, making kids better workers and problem solvers, and they can help you adapt to needs,
b. He uses facts from sciences and people who study the subject and were personally effected.
c. The reasons are plausible because he has the supports for them.,
3. a. He mentions counter arguments about violent games.
b. He responds to them respectfully and even agrees that if used too much they can cause damage.
c. He is respectful.
d. His arguments are qualified because he uses specific facts.
4. He uses books, researchers, and quotes from scientists.
a. He uses a lot of quotes and facts.
b. They are credible because they are mostly scientific but the book could be bias because it was the authors experience.
c. He did not attach a citations page so I do not know the dates.
5. a. The writer assumes we know a little on the subject but does show us why the games are good or bad.
b. He uses us a lot but not you or we.
c. I think that if I knew more about video games we would have similar views on them.

Analyzing an Argument in class lab

Annotation:

Sarah Hamal

Sarah's essay starts with background information on what a sport is defined as. She takes a position on this topic by stating how she thinks that pageants are distorting young girls to think that beauty is what matters most. She shows understanding of this topic by stating reasons why it does this, and then touching base on counter arguments. She sites many places for evidence like an article by Lucia Grosaru and news websites like the Newsweek. She uses specific examples like how controlling mothers change the girls and the real cost of forcing your daughter into pageants. She concludes her paper by stating her position on the subject of pageants.

Analyzing her Argument: 

1. a. Pageants can be more harmful than helpful to young girls.

b. The thesis is stated clearly in the first few sentences of the first paragraph. 

2. a. Her reasoning is that controlling mothers are the ones who enjoy the pageants not the kids, the tradition of doing pageants in the family can be harmful, and that even if the girls enjoy it is it a good thing to let a little girl enjoy fake teeth and overly edited pictures.

b. She uses quotes from news articles and online magazines to support her claims.

c. The reasons are plausible because many quotes come from people like psychologists who work with these kids. 

3. a. She addresses the counter arguments in her 3rd paragraph and deals with them by proving them wrong with facts. 

b. She refutes them and responds to them reasonably. 

c. She respects the argument but makes sure to prove that they are wrong. 

d. Her arguments are qualified because of the facts she uses. 

4. The author uses news articles and quotes from a psychologist. 

a. She uses quotes from them to prove her statement is true.

b. They are credible because they are people who have experienced the emotional damage that comes out of the pageants. 

c. A lot of the sources are from 2009, which is pretty decent and current. 

5. The writer addresses us as a reader by starting with a common question about sports. 

a. She assumes that people know what a sport is and is not but still writes her own definition. 

b. She does not include you and we. 

c. I think we share the belief that little girls should not be forced to do something they don't enjoy no matter how the mothers feel about it. 

 Micah Nelson:                                                                                                            

Micah has back ground information in the first paragraph by defining the dilemmas humans face and how they could be helped. He takes a position by stating what he will be writing on in this paper. He shows his understanding of the subject by stated what the earth is impacted by in the next paragraph. He cites the U.S Energy Information Administration website to make a point about how much energy is really used. He uses reasoning from another author as evidence as well. He uses many specifics throughout the paper like his thoughts on how electricity is effected by climate change.  At the end of his paper he states his position clearly in the first sentence and throughout the conclusion.

1. The claim is that people should cut back on energy.

a. He wants to make the point that we can improve lives with less energy use. 

b. His thesis is clearly stated at the end of the first paragraph. 

2. He uses quotes to support his claims. 

a. He states that cutting back on energy means that it can help climate change, make a healthier environment, and reduce bills.

b. He uses facts from national websites and the news.

c. They are plausible because he has the facts to support his claims. 

3. a. There were no counter arguments in his paper. 

b. N/A

c. N/A

d. His own arguments are qualified because he sticks to facts and not generalizations. 

4. He uses quotes and facts.

a. He uses them by integrating quotes. 

b. They are all credible because they are national data websites and news articles that use correct information. 

c. His sources range from 2000 to 2015

5. His addresses the readers by using we and talking about the earth. 

a. He assumes we all live on earth and know that there are problems with our planet. 

b. He includes the use of we and you. 

c. I think we share beliefs because I know that using less electricity will save money and that our planet is important to both of us.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

                                             

Draft for 3rd Paper

Designer Babies
What would you do if you had the opportunity to change the genetic code of your child in the womb so they came out exactly how you wanted?  You could have blue eyes, brown hair, and amazing intelligence. You would have yourself the perfect child, or a designer baby. Designer babies are children who has a changed genetic makeup, so that a specific gene is present or to avoid a defect that is passed down through the family. Some doubt that designer babies are a good thing for our society, but being able to change the genetic makeup of a child can help it and help advance our sciences. Designer babies are a good thing for our society.
First off, designer babies can keep children from having birth defects. Sometimes illness is passed down through genes, and being able to save a child from the pain of having a birth defect can be very important later in life. People can agree that if this was a simple and easy procedure anyone would do it. Parents now are already trying to help their children in the womb by taking vitamins and only eating certain foods. In an article by Paul Walman he stated, "What if a hundred years from now the technology had become safe, cheap, and easy, so a pregnant woman could pop a pill that costs a dollar and would boost her baby's IQ by 20 points—would you think it was wrong then? Keep in mind that parents already do a million things intended to help their developing children become healthier and smarter, some of which begin before the baby leaves the womb”(Walman, Paul). This makes sense because if anyone could help their child be smarter or more athletic they would. Everyone wants what is best for the child. If a child was born with an illness, parents would do everything they could to treat it after birth. If it is possible to treat the same illness before, why would anyone let their child suffer? Children deserve the best life they can have, and as a parent it would seem selfish to have that opportunity and not do what is better for the child. Another opportunity is for parents who already have one sick child, and can alter their second child to help the first born. It is possible to have a healthier child that can provide blood or healthy bone marrow to help their sibling.
Even so, many people are against designer babies. It is thought that this technology is only for the rich. It is very expensive and the unreasonable cost cannot be afforded by many. Even now the rich can afford to pay for a better nose, or a better body. Why would society support even more separation between the rich and poor? Another downfall would seem to be the child feeling left out of the choice to have the procedure done. Children might feel that they were only born to help the other child not because their parents wanted another baby. It is possible as well that if the parents can choose the sex of the baby it will become an issue, because our society already discriminative towards sex (Ghoose, Tia). It could change the relationship between child and parent in another way. If the parent expects a certain trait in the child, and they do not excel in that area the parents could become disappointed with their offspring.
Even if there is some potential harm, the procedure is only going to benefit society. As the process goes on, the designer babies will become available to everyone. To address the cost, if it is a little expensive at first, as other technology has gone to show, the availability changes over time. In modern day practically everyone has a cell phone, or other technology like a fridge. These things were harder to have when they first came out. Only the rich could afford them but now, everyone has an opportunity to have them. If society did not have an issue with these technologies coming into homes like this then if should not be against the designer babies. As previously mentioned the rich can already alter their bodies, what society does not realize is, “Right now we manage to distinguish between necessary medical procedures, which insurance will pay for, and elective ones, which are apportioned on the basis of wealth. Which means that rich people can have more symmetrical noses and perkier breasts and creepily unlined faces than ordinary people do, and that doesn't bother us enough to outlaw plastic surgery. You could envision a time when anyone can get their eggs adapted to remove a slate of harmful conditions and diseases, but only the rich can get the platinum service, which will also give your child shiny, manageable hair”(Walman, Paul). Next, the choice to have a child is up to the parents, and someone who wants another child would not bring a child into the world for only use to help their first child. Even if a baby is planned, it is because they want to care and love for another child while it can help their sibling as well. In our society, parents already try to have more kids whether or not their first born was sick. The fact is, an opportunity is presented if the parents decide to bring another life into the world to have that child help their sibling. Lastly, some scientists do not let parents change the sex of the child, only alter if they have a defect or not (Ghoose, Tia). This would keep them from being discriminative towards one sex or another.
This procedure is a good idea for our society to have. The technology is going to advance whether or not society likes it. In an interview with NPR.org Mark Sauer, a member of a scientist team working at Columbia University, comments on the effort the scientists are putting in to help mothers deliver healthy children. He is only trying to help women cure diseases in their children and help them to have happy successful childhoods. He makes it clear that the procedure replaces the mitochondria with a healthy new one. Between 1 in 2,000 and 1 in 4,000 babies born each year with syndromes are caused by a weak mitochondria.  The syndromes can range from simple illness to life threatening. Sometimes there is no treatment, and the child dies early in life (Steien, Rob).
The society also benefits from this because it can cause a smarter generation. Not only is the following generations healthy as well, but they can come up with new technology. Another point to make is that no matter how much someone alters their child, the child is its own person. Someone can give a child a great skill level in athletics, great genes to make them beautiful or an amazing IQ, and that child would still choose to make their own decisions. They could become a baseball player or an accountant, but that is up to the child. The free will is not taken away just because the parents changed the genetic makeup. In the article, “Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”, the author Tia Ghose writes about the new technology behind designer babies, and believes, “When bringing a new child into the world, society has an obligation to determine whether the technologies used to do so actually benefit or harm the infant.” On the Live Science webpage that features her article, Ghose writes “Creating designer babies who are free from diseases and super athletic or smart may finally be around the corner.” The procedure brings about the opportunity to have a smarter generation and a healthier one from birth. Parents will finally be able to look forward to a society where their child does not have to go through the same illness as their family.

Incorporating Sources Effectively

http://prospect.org/article/praise-designer-babies

Paul Walman

“In Praise of Designer Babies”

October 10^th, 2013

What if a hundred years from now the technology had become safe, cheap, and easy, so a pregnant woman could pop a pill that costs a dollar and would boost her baby's IQ by 20 points—would you think it was wrong then? Keep in mind that parents already do a million things intended to help their developing children become healthier and smarter, some of which begin before the baby leaves the womb.”

http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2013/10/09/229167219/proposed-treatment-to-fix-genetic-diseases-raising-ethics-issues

Rob Stein

“Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues”

October 9^th, 2013

In an interview with NPR.org Mark Sauer, a member of a scientist team working at Columbia University, comments on the effort the scientists are putting in to help mothers deliver healthy children.

http://www.livescience.com/44087-designer-babies-ethics.html

Tia Ghose

“Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”

March 13^th, 2014

In the article, “Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”, the author Tia Ghose writes about the new technology behind designer babies, and believes, “When bringing a new child into the world, society has an obligation to determine whether the technologies used to do so actually benefit or harm the infant.” On the Live Science webpage that features her article, Ghose writes “Creating designer babies who are free from diseases and super athletic or smart may finally be around the corner…Not everyone thinks these ethical issues are so worrisome.”

  

Works Cited

Walman, Paul. “In Praise of Designer Babies”. The American Prospect Magazine Prospect Publications n.d. Web. 10  Oct. 2013.

Steien, Rob. “Proposed Treatment to Fix Genetic Diseases Raises Ethical Issues” Heath News from NPR. NPR Publications n.d. Web. 9 Oct. 2013.

Ghose, Tia. “Children to Order: The Ethics of Designer Babies”. Live Science. Live Science Publications n.d. Web. 13  Mar. 2014. 

Developing my Argument

1. How the world views designer babies and why they should be available. 
2. Current and future parents, and people who care about society. 
3. Discussing how designer babies can avoid certain illness that runs in the family that the child would otherwise be unable to avoid. 
4. My audience should believe me because I will take the time to thoroughly research the topic and I hope to be a future parent one day myself. I think having the option to help a child is important. 
5. One reason this should be allowed is because it can help keep children from having birth defects. Another reason is that children who were born first and had a disease can have a sibling that is designed to help their sibling by having either healthy blood or bone marrow to give help to the other child. 
6. Children might feel that they were only born to help the other child not because their parents wanted another baby. 
7. The choice to have a child is up to the parents, and someone who wants another child would not bring a child into the world for only use to help their first child. Even if a baby is planned, it is because they want to care and love for another child while it can help their sibling as well. 
8. The process is very expensive and not everyone can afford to design their child. 
9. As the process goes on, the designer babies will become available to everyone. Even if it is a little expensive at first, as other technology has gone to show, the availability changes over time. 
10. Society will benefit from this change because we will be able to make a smarter and healthier generation to grow up and take over the important positions. These generations will be able to come  up with other technology that will help the world flourish. 

Page 100: Thinking About the Text

1. Katherine Sprigs convinced me that this topic matters by using her own experiences. She taught me about her home town and what it was like growing up. The topic became important because it benefits your town and it benefits the sustainability of the farm and the world. The small farms cause less waste and damage to society. This would also reduce the cost of every day things, like fuel. The long term advantages of local farms are much larger than the disadvantages.
2. Sprigs touches base on how people who do not agree with her argument validate their own. She uses Alex Avery as an example, and gives an appropriate response to his view. She also used the industrial issues as a counterargument, and then brings in facts from a reliable source to prove that they are wrong. She continues to comment on how even though the global effect has some negative outcomes, like children losing jobs in Bangledesh, the United States would be demonstrating how people can change the environment and the government.
3.The last paragraph is effective because she uses a clear position. She uses a response to a counterargument, and gives us a reason why the topic matters. Her reasoning is about  how food tastes better when grown in certain seasons, and she taps into peoples values by talking about how food is something we should enjoy and cherish.
4. The photos contribute to her argument by giving a better visual to her works. She shows a smaller, poly culture farm next to a large mono culture farm to show better how these look. It looks like the smaller farm is more fresh and delightful where as the large farm is more dry, and industrial. She also shows interstate trucking to comment on how expense it is to have to pay to move food sources from one place to another.

Topics

Position paper topics:

Should people be allowed to have designer babies?
My position: Yes because if the parents are ill or would pass on a sickness the child can be born without it

Does teen pregnancy have a positive or negative affect?
-Negative

Should college athletes be paid?
No

Should sex education still be taught in schools?
Yes because it is important but they should teach a certain type of sex ed.

Should birth control be as available as condoms?
Yes because it is unfair to young girls that they have to trust that a condom will do the job

"The Last Text" Summary and Analysis

This video contains three stories of three young people who were driving and texting and were in an accident because of it. The first story was told by a sister of the victim. She sent one word and her sister died in an accident. The next was a boy who was in the passenger seat of the car when it hit a tree. He had brain damage and now cannot do what he referred to as "normal things". The last was about a teenage girl who was on the way to watch a baseball game. One of her friends was giving her directions and she looked away too long and crashed. These stories were all used to tell people the hazard of texting and driving. At the end of the video AT&T states "Texting and Driving...It can wait".
 This video works to make people stop texting and driving because it appeals to the emotions. The people who spoke were the family of people who passed, and one survivor. The families were hurt tremendously in the accidents because these good people died and were wounded. This appeals to our hearts because no one thinks that a text message is worth a life. It also appeals to our logic because we know we should not text and drive, but tend to do it anyways. This video shows you the reason why you should not text and what the consequences of that is.

Position Paper in Class Lab: How things mean

Album Covers:
They suggests that your face sells a product a certain way. The softer sexier feel of the woman suggests that her music is for other women who enjoy soft maybe even pop music. The men have strong and serious poses. This suggests their music shouldn't be taken lightly and that they are serious artists. The eyes work on the viewer to tell them what the music is about. The woman has a certain soft feel behind her eyes that the men don't have.

Peace sign buttons:
These buttons suggest world peace is more important than wars. They do this by saying "peace" and "make love not war". The elements that work are the peace sign because a lot of people are familiar with them and worlds like love and war because a lot of controversy surrounds them.

Different types of symbols and images in the media can suggest what the topic of the item or selling point is. The first way you can see this is on album covers. Images of people on the cover can change the whole selling point of the music. A picture of a woman, the singer, having soft eyes and a sexy feel can sell to both women and men. Women are attracted to the album because the feel of the music is softer and could contain pop undertones. Men on their albums tend to be seen as  strong and almost cold on the cover. The music in those albums are seen as serious and important where as on the woman's album it is light hearted and sexy. Another way to see different images and symbols suggesting the topic is on buttons. On two different buttons they suggest that peace is important in life. On the first button it is easy to understand because of the common peace sign and the word peace. The words flow on the button and help to suggest a calming feel to it. The second button suggests that love is more important than war. It uses the peace sign again to suggest peace is more important than war. These symbols work because the faces have a certain tone and the symbols are common and recognizable to the public.

Page 269-284 Summary

An argument is a way to express yourself. You argue for or against something all the time without realizing it. It is important to understand how arguments work to make sure you can write the best argument you can. Arguments can be found everywhere in the media, and can sometimes be seen as manipulative. The purpose of an argument can be many things from trying to make someone understand a certain point of view or to more a decision on something as simple as where to eat. Religion, facts, statistics and personal testimony are all things you can use as evidence for an argument. It is important to keep in mind your intended arguments even though it can be perceived in many ways. What you wear and what you use to represent yourself give off a certain impression on who you are. You should make sure to think carefully about your argument and what you are trying to say. Make sure the source is a reliable one when looking at arguments of others. You should dig deep to find where it came from and if it is important to your argument as well. Make sure your stance comes across clearly and that it is reasonable and knowledgeable. If your argument matters to you, you should make sure it matters to others as well. Your claim should be strong and clear. A thesis can help support your claim. And make sure to appeal to all audiences.

Taking Stock: 2nd Paper

1.        How did you go about analyzing the text? What methods did you use—and which ones were most helpful?

I used the questions at the bottom of the page of the 2nd paper work sheet and questions from the book to help me analyze the text. I found that questions about what the focus of the article really helped break down what I wanted to write about. 

2.       How did you go about drafting your essay?

I started out by writing a thesis and beginning paragraph. then I analyzed the articles from oldest to most recent and broke them down together for my conclusion.

3.       How well did you organize your written analysis? What, if anything, could you do to make it easier to read?

I organized it by date, and my classmates said it was well organized and put together. I am not sure what I would change to make it easier to read. 

4.       Did you provide sufficient evidence to support your analysis?

I quoted phrases from the ads to support my analysis and explained why it supported my reasoning.

5.       What did you do especially well?

 I think I analyzed the articles really well while they were separated. 

6.       What could still be improved?

I think my thesis and concluding paragraph could be better and use more detail.

7.       Did you use any visuals, and if so, what did they add? Could you have shown the same thing with words?

I put all three of the articles at the end of my paper. I think that they couldn't have been put into words because the advertisement it meant to be seen.

8.       How did other readers' responses influence your writing?

My classmates responses helped me write more in depth about certain advertisements  and  made sure to add a citations page.

9.       What would you do differently next time?

I would definitely use either a different thesis or make sure I can really explain in more depth how these related to my thesis.

10.   Are you pleased with your analysis? What did it teach you about the text you analyzed? Did it make you want to study more works by the same writer or artist?

I am pleased with my analysis. I think I did a very good job breaking down each ad and explaining why they worked in the world. The ads taught me that hidden messages are used more than I thought. When I look at an ad I usually don't even realize what it makes me think but know I understand better how to break down what they are trying to get me to do. 

11.   What are the transferrable  skills you can take from this into other writing situations?

I can take citations and quotations away from this and put them in other research papers. I think that learning the proper ways to do those will benefit me further down my writing career and make it easier to teach others how to do those things.

Page 62: Think About the Genre/ Page 66 in class lab

Things I've taken positions on over the week:
1. What car to drive to school
2. What type of food to eat.
3. What time to leave for work.
4. What to write about for class.
5. What advertisements were most powerful for my essay
6. What tooth paste is best to use.
7. Where to eat for lunch with friends
8. Responding to classmates papers and their position.
9. Debate position: Pro vs. Con
Other peoples:
1. Outfit choices
2. When to eat
3. If it is okay to hit people

Page 66 in class lab:

Gun control memes:

https://llwproductions.files.wordpress.com/2013/04/meme-deer-shooting-back.jpg
This appeals to us because it is a funny way to say someones position. They used a joke, and a picture of a man everyone knows to make a meme about gun control. To support its position it asks a question, and then answers it with a punch line that delivers their stance. For a serious audience we would change it to saying "No one needs 30 rounds in their gun, because deer can not shoot back.". To change its medium we would switch the position and explain why so many rounds are needed.

https://stophittingyourbrother.files.wordpress.com/2013/01/gun-control-memes.jpg
On this website there are two different memes that have two different positions. The fist one has a quote from Ronald Reagan saying how he feels about guns. He said that it was okay to have guns for self defense but a machine gun is too much and no one really needs one in their home. The second meme has the word guns repeated several times next to phases that represent what we use to defend things like our homes and president. At the bottom it reads "We defend our children with a sign that reads 'this is a GUN FREE ZONE'". The quote from a historic person works because people trust his opinion and they logically can follow what he says. The second meme speaks to peoples emotions because their children or niece is not being protected while at school or in certain environments. To change them we would make them either appeal to someones comedic genre or have them be more serious depending on the audience.

http://www.quickmeme.com/img/5d/5d3a151b7d0d3b9e0bf5fd0f87d5023c63d74801655090fcf02f5579247c51f1.jpg
This memes is a picture of a man trying not to laugh while pretending to think. Around him it says "That Facebook post really make me think about my stance on gun control, said no one ever".  This appeals to us because it is funny and relatable. Really it means that it is hard to sway peoples opinions, but when you're on Facebook and something about gun control comes up you kind of laugh and scroll past. The thing we would change is maybe using a picture of someone we know. We would change the content to change the medium. We would make the meme have a position on gun control itself.

Bibliography:
Michelle. Cartoon. Motley News, 6 April. 2013.
Sallah. Cartoon. Stop Hitting Your Brother. 31 January. 2013
Quick Memes. Cartoon. Quick meme.com.

Page 167-168

Thesis: Society has always told women what they need to look like in order to be happy and healthy.Evidence: Quotes and picture analyzations from three advertisements. Opening: Interviews, magazines, and television shows all tell us at one point or another what women need to have a perfect body. Young girls scrolling through Instagram see a social media model and hope to be her one day. What does this say about our world? Why do pictures of slim, fit women work to make people want to change their bodies? In our society, the “ideal” body type is a slim woman, with large assets. The media industry did not always hold standards like this.  In the past it was a thicker, curvier woman.Conclusion: In conclusion, no matter what time period we are in we still see that society wants to control what women do and how they look. These ads all together show the world that women need to be a certain way to be happy and accepted. The publishers of all these ads want to change women’s appearance by using her weight as an issue. They all target younger women, by using images of women who are flawless and young looking. The purpose of all of these ads is to chow women there is a way to change your body to be happy and get more people to like you. They want to change the way they look, so others will change the way they see them because according to these ads women cannot be happy until they are accepted by everyone. They work because they all target a certain group of people by putting them down, and then showing them what they can do to be better. They all value the shape of women’s bodies and how women look. We can tell that is what the ads target because they use words like “pretty” (Seventeen Magazine) or “rundown” (How do you look in your bathing suit). The key phases they use are “women naturally alluring curves and new popularity” (How do you look in your bathing suit ad), “The new, easy way I have all the dates I want” (Men wouldn’t look at me when I was skinny) and “Look pretty for spring!” (Seventeen Magazine). Together these ads promote body shaming to adjust the way a woman looks and feels about herself and change the way women see themselves so that their products will sell better in day to day life.

First Draft Textual Analysis Paper

The Weight in the World

                Interviews, magazines, and television shows all tell us at one point or another what women need to have a perfect body. Young girls scrolling through Instagram see a social media model and hope to be her one day. What does this say about our world? Why do pictures of slim, fit women work to make people want to change their bodies? In our society, the “ideal” body type is a slim woman, with large assets. The media industry did not always hold standards like this.

The next ad starts out by saying “Men wouldn’t look at me when I was skinny…” and has a woman in a swim suit saying this. This ad is promoting weight gain, which means women can be too skinny. This ad is from somewhere between 1930s to the 1960s. The text tells women that they need to gain weight because if you are too skinny you become sad and alone. The ad does this by saying in the first sentence “Now there’s no need to be skinny and friendless…” they go on to mention being skinny can make you “weak” and your “flat chest will develop”. These ads were put out by an ironized yeast production company. They were intended for women seeking men, or feeling disappointed in their weight. This is shown by the woman, who looks around her early twenties representing the ad. What she is saying, “Men wouldn’t look at me when I was skinny...”, is also an indication that it is pointed towards single females. The purpose of this ad was to put women who are “too” skinny in a shamed place so they will buy a product to six their insecurities. The creator wants to change what women look like and how they feel about their body. They want these women to buy their product, so they targeted a certain group who they think will benefit from it. They work towards this by making the thought of being skinny repulsive and less great than being a thicker body type. They support women changing their ways to please a man. As a whole, this advertisement wants to change women. It is giving power to a certain body type and trying to force women to conform their bodies.

The next ad has a headline of “How do you look in your bathing suit?” another ad from the 1960s, and it promotes gaining weight. It shows an image of two women, one with brown hair, a frown, and a slim body. The other woman hair light blonde hair, a bright smile and a curvier body. She looks happy and excited whereas the other woman looks dull and sad. It is telling women to be happy they need to gain weight. The publisher of this ad was another ironized yeast tablet maker. Theses texts are mainly pointed towards women, but at the very bottom there is a quote from a man who “gained 14 pounds in five weeks”. We know these texts are pointed towards men and women because they used a woman in their photograph, and in the smaller text they wrote “Thousands of skinny, rundown men and women…”. The purpose of these texts is to get skinny people to buy their product. They want men and women to feel bad about being skinny so their product will sell better. They want to change society from being skinny to becoming more thick and curvy. These ads work because they tear down one type of person and promote a different kind. They use society views to sell their product. They wrote “Read how thin, tired-out, nervous, rundown people have gained health and strength-quick!” this promotes becoming thicker by saying when you gain weight you gain positive qualities like strength. It tears down thin people by describing how bad being skinny can be to your body. This ad helps to control women and even men who have a body type society does not see as beautiful or perfect.

The cover of Seventeen Magazine from March 2009 promotes “Flat abs and a great butt” and you can get all of that by spring break according to them. This ad is telling young girls what they need to have for men to be interested in them. Not only are they targeting their bodies, but mentality by telling them it is what they need. This ad works because society has already put pressure on teens to look a certain way, that putting “FLAT ABS” in all capitals on the front cover makes the subject want to buy it. We know this ad targets younger girls because they include words and phrases like “Free lip gloss!” and “The best guy advice EVER”. The magazine itself is called “Seventeen” and has a star from a popular young adult show on the cover with flawless skin and hair. The purpose of this ad is to get young girls to buy the magazine so they can have a particular body type. In large bolded font the cover reads “672 WAYS TO LOOK PRETTY FOR SPRING” because of this the magazine is cleverly telling the reader “You aren’t pretty now, but with our help you could be!”. Not only does this give society the power to tell young girls what they should look like, it tell them how they should act and what they need to get a man.

In conclusion, no matter what time period we are in we still see that society wants to control what women do and how they look. These ads all together show the world that women need to be a certain way to be happy and accepted. The publishers of all these ads want to change women’s appearance by using her weight as an issue. They all target younger women, by using images of women who are flawless and young looking. The purpose of all of these ads is to chow women there is a way to change your body to be happy and get more people to like you. They want to change the way they look, so others will change the way they see them because according to these ads women cannot be happy until they are accepted by everyone. They work because they all target a certain group of people by putting them down, and then showing them what they can do to be better. They all value the shape of women’s bodies and how women look. We can tell that is what the ads target because they use words like “pretty” (Seventeen Magazine) or “rundown” (How do you look in your bathing suit). The key phases they use are “women naturally alluring curves and new popularity” (How do you look in your bathing suit ad), “The new, easy way I have all the dates I want” (Men wouldn’t look at me when I was skinny) and “Look pretty for spring!” (Seventeen Magazine). Together these ads promote body shaming to adjust the way a woman looks and feels about herself and change the way women see themselves so that their products will sell better in day to day life.

Summary, paraphrase, and quote

Summary:
Bidding Farewell to Arms by Roman Skaskiw is an essay about the time he spent in the army. He could not decide whether he wanted to stay in the army, or to resign. He spent most of his time as a name on a list, until he spent 545 days in Afghanistan. After leaving, he spent a year finding himself and his friends. He spent time with family and got a job. After a year he resigned from the army.

Paraphrase:
Decisions shape our lives in many ways. We make simple choices everyday that we often do not even think about. We brush our hair and teeth, go to bed, and decide what we want to do for the day. When faced with a hard question, we have to decide what is best for us. Roman Skaskiw discussed his choices with the army in a narrative titled "Bidding Farewell to Arms". He challenges himself to find what life can be like without the army, and after a year of trying to decide whether or not he wanted to continue to serve, he resigned from the army but kept all his memories with him.

Quote:
Roman Skaskiw made the decision to resign from the army after a year of waiting. He wanted to make it clear life was more important to him, and he wanted to live it to the fullest. He writes, "I would also say that greater than the adventure of fighting our government's wars is the adventure of pursuing your own happiness in the world." (Page 121, paragraph 18). This quote is important to the text because it shows that his decision is his own, and he wants to make himself happy where as being in the army did not cause him happiness anymore.

Understanding Writing Analyses

What we now understand about analyzing writing:
You need to follow certain steps, in order.
You need to know what questions to ask.
You need to know what the point of the analysis is.
How to identify patterns in data and info.
You need to know how to connect to readers.
You need to look at text and see how it supports your claim.
You need to know how authors establish authority .
You need to know what emotions the text appeals to.
You need to know that analysis has to be instructional and informational.

How "Stay Sweet As You Are" fits the criteria:

The author uses a clear point to establish the topic sentence. He claimed that advertisements aimed at women encourage them to like beauty products that reinforce a male's role in their life.  He identified patterns in his data by analyzing the advertisements. He specifically picked apart ads that used men to reinforce the product. In the soap ad he proved that the soap was showing that women who want to get married need to have clear skin and even if they have wit and grace men wont be attracted to them. He looked at the text in the ads and explained how this supported his claim. He also knew what the emotions in the advertisements were and showed that they were trying to shame women into buying the products. He also is informative in his analysis by sticking to his claim, and using three different ads to prove his point. The essay "Stay Sweet as You Are" definitely fits the criteria to be an analysis essay.

Page 175, Mad Men: Stillbirth of the American Dream

1. Heather Havrilesky's main insight about Mad Men is that it represents the current desire for more than we have in America. It represents the difference between the American Dream and reality for most people in America. Paragraph four page 171 she writes "Somehow Mad Men captures this ultra-mediated, post modern moment, underscoring the disconnect between the American dream and reality by distilling our deep-seated frustrations as a nation into painfully palpable vignettes."
2. Havrilesky establishes her authority by connecting with readers. She starts by addressing the audience clearly as Americans, and then goes on about how we are striving for more things. She insists that stories from when we were younger make an importance to expand our dreams.
3.She appeals to readers emotions by bringing up what it is like to be an American and grow up in a country like this. On page 170 she wrote "It's a sickness that's infused in our blood, a dissatisfaction with the ordinary that's instilled in us from childhood." She also connected through talking about stories the general public knows. On page 170 it is said "Having been told repeated stories about the fairest in the land, the most powerful, the richest, the most heroic, (Snow White, Pokemon, Ronald McDonald, Lady Gaga), eventually we buy into these creation myths and concede their overwhelming importance in the universe."
4. I did not know anything about Mad Men before reading this passage. I still do not want to watch it because I don't find shows like that interesting. I think that when I am older I will probably enjoy it, but for right now shows like Mad Men are too heavy for me.

Page 138 and Page 141

Large Decisions during the week	How it affected me/How I decided	Small Decisions during the week	How it affected me/How I decided
When to show up to class	I decided I would show up for classes a little bit early because it could help in case I had any questions about the homework or struggled with anything. This has affected my grades by keeping me prepared and helping to keep my grades where they are.	What to buy for meals	I know that when I eat certain things my skin with break out or I won’t feel full. I buy things that keep me full and energized and then I am prepared for classes and focused throughout the day.

Large Decisions during the month	How it affected me/How I decided	Small Decisions during the month	How it affected me/How I decided
Travel team softball	It affected whether or not I would keep my job. I decided not to play because I wanted to focus on school.	When to get my nails done	I decide around when I have free time. I also choose the design depending on the month and what I find interesting

Large Decisions during the year	How it affected me/How I decided	Small Decisions during the year	How it affected me/How I decided
Where to attend college	I decided based on where I wanted to go and what my major was. I really wanted to go somewhere far away from Washington	When to go to softball practice	I wanted to be on time but also have time to finish my homework. I decided to show up at a time that worked for me and the practice time

Page 141

Traveling: Kayak vs. Expedia

Expedia had better pictures of the travel destinations. They both were ordered by price, but I preferred Expedia because I was able to pick and choose where I was going and from where I was departing. Kayak auto filled a lot of information and made it harder to choose where to go. The pictures were not very satisfying and the prices were more expensive than Expedia had. Expedia was a more advanced website, with lots of customer reviews and helpful hints on where to stay. They definitely had more options on the site and made sure their website was easy to navigate. I would add more color to the Kayak website. Besides being less interesting it also opened more browsers instead of staying on the one browser I was on. I would add more choices for the costumer and make sure the price was in numerical order because the prices were more all over the place. The hotels on Expedia definitely caught my eye a lot more than Kayaks so I would add in better pictures. Expedia also had helpful information like when you can cancel tickets and how many people were looking at the hotel. It also told you how many tickets were left without even clicking on the show more tab. Kayak shows you very little information even when opening the show more tab. Overall Expedia had a better layout and had more information than Kayak did.  

Taking stock of your writing

1.      What was your main point (thesis)?  “The Moral of the Story”?

My main point was to show that books can change a person, and how this book changed me.

2.      Who was your audience?  What did you assume about them?  What “audience needs” did you have to consider in writing the paper?  How did you tailor your writing to them?

My audience was my peers so I wrote for a group of people who could easily understand the situation.

3.      What feedback or reactions did you get at various times while composing this paper, and how was this helpful?  What other kinds of input or support did you get from classmates, teacher, tutors, others?  Were you able to make use of it?  How, or why not? 

My teacher was helpful and made sure that I was writing properly up to the point of writing the paper. She used in class assignments to help us fill in missing spots in our paper and to help guide how narratives are written. My peers helped me correct my mistakes and they pointed out placer where I could use some work. It was helpful to see where I needed more or less writing and explanation.

4.      What did you find interesting about the process you went through in writing this paper, and what did you learn from it?

I found how easily it was to write about myself versus another person, and that I knew myself a lot better than I thought I did.

5.      What questions do you have for me about the paper?  (What part(s) of the paper would you like me to focus on?  What do you see as the paper’s strengths, and what areas are you unsure of?)

I'm unsure my paper flows very well. I think an important part of my paper are the first and last paragraphs. I think that it could use some adjusting to flow and work better together. I also think I could've told more of the story within the paper. 

Narrative Rough Draft

Fourth grade is not a big deal to most kids. I was very wrapped up in my own life and couldn’t care less about what we were reading in class. I never thought it would lead me to my favorite book. Although I loved reading, I hated sitting still in a classroom full of sweaty kids for 20 minutes at the end of class just to figure out whether or not the story my teacher was reading was worth my time. I usually got through these moments by tugging on my friend’s hair and pulling it into a braid. Sometimes though, my teacher would pick an amazing chapter book, ones I would never consider reading, and she would work her way through it chapter by chapter. Most of the time, these books were clever life lessons I quickly picked up on and disregarded because who really wants to read books like that. But one day, all of those lessons changed. I found getting read aloud to painful and annoying. I wanted to open a book and finish it in a day, not drag it out over months of reading one chapter a day. The day my teacher pulled out Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen.

            The walls were a buttery yellow, with several paintings on them. Vines and leaves on one wall and students art hung in frames around the room. Book shelves covered the base of the walls, and the windows were always open. Outside there were trees and birds were constantly singing. The desks were in rows of three, with special self-managers located next to the teacher’s desk. Computers were on one side of the room, old and beige with loud keys that stuck when pressed too hard. Cubbies were next to the sink, and to the right there was a Japanese box turtle named Tortel. 30 kids were in the room, and at the front they sat on couches and wooden chairs for storytelling and reading. We played with each other’s hair and tried to stay quiet while the old sassy teacher read Touching Spirit Bear.

            My teacher had silvery grey hair and a pair of unrimmed glasses. She was pleasantly plump and wore loose t-shirts and slacks with black crocs. She had a small tattoo on her ankle as well. My closest friends wore shorts with t-shirts and we all had bangs. Other children wore jeans and a sweatshirt with the schools name on it. Everyone was tired, and barely kept their eyes open as we sat around on the cold floor. We circled her as she started the book, and I found myself falling deeper and deeper in love with it. This book was so different from anything I had ever read. The words flowed off my teacher’s lips like she had memorized them. I was so focused on the book I often found myself pulling too hard on a friend’s hair. We all looked attentively towards the teacher who read to us the book of her choice. When she got excited she would jump while reading or her eyes would expand and I was lost in it all. My friend’s never really understood my connection to the book and why I enjoyed it so much.   

            The book, Touching Spirit Bear by Ben Mikaelsen, focuses on a boy named Cole. Cole is an abused teenage boy, who finds himself in a lot of trouble with the law. With the possibility of being tried as an adult he quickly looks for an alternative choice to become part of the community again. Thinking he doesn’t have another chance at life, his parole officer helps Cole join a group called circle justice. Cole is shortly after asked to spend a year on a remote island in Alaska. Throughout the book I followed Cole in every choice he made, thinking on how people would react if I did the same thing. I told myself this book was it. This was as good as books were ever going to get. I connected with Cole in a much different way than I first expected. This book was shaping me into the person I wanted to become. I spent the next year reading it as much as possible, after getting my own copy for Christmas.

            I wondered for a very long time why I connected to Cole. I had never lived on my own in the woods. I had never tried to fight a bear. I didn’t break laws and beat people up. I was a generally good kid when it came to the law and school. What I realized was I connected to his anger. Cole had never been good enough for anyone. I saw this as an in to his life. I had felt growing up pressure from my own parents and my teachers. I was expected to do well in all aspects of school, because I was good at it. I wasn’t able to release my anger like Cole was. I also found myself connect to his home life. While my parents aren’t physically abusive I find myself in the same frustrating situations Cole is in. This was a lot for fourth grade me to handle, but I understood why this book was important.

            This book has helped me understand not to judge people and to show compassion toward others that we may not know. In some ways the book has helped me relate to others who have read it, and even others who have not. We can compare books and share our feelings on why the book impacted us. This particular book was important at the time because it showed how kids affect other people lives at any age. It also showed us family values and why it is important not to let your own family change your values. I am my own person and the book showed my younger self that I could be whoever I chose to be and change no matter how old I was. My life would not be the same without this book. It is possible I never would have learned to accept myself as I am and change my attitude towards my life. I needed to see that every day is precious and we must live life as well as we can even with challenges. Understanding how to be compassionate has helped me in many ways. When my friends talk to me about a certain situation in their life I can help them figure out a helpful solution. I learned what it meant to be willing to do anything to help someone and this book even helped me decide what I wanted to do when I grew up, which was becoming a teacher. 

           

I realize now that this book was my first real outlet for my life. I tried to busy myself with books for years after this. Even now reading this book brings back memories of finding my true self. I remember the feeling I got from this book and how comfortable with myself I became. I remember finding myself living a happier life after reading this book. I was connecting to people better. I found a way to see positives in my life. This book is something I turn to for comfort. It might not be the most thrilling experience, and getting a book read aloud to you is excruciatingly painful but it definitely helped me grow.