Day 39

Sunday May 30th.

Finale it's done, the essay is over. Today was a very good day and again Mr. Sparks has been very generous. I didn't finish my essay in the lesson so he gave me and the rest of the class till 2:20 to give it to him. I think I did a pretty good job editing it today. My essay is hopefully going to be successful in getting the grade. I just can not wait until I get it back. I am so exited! Thanks again Mr. Sparks for giving us all the extra time, some of us really needed it!  :D  

Day 38

Thursday May 28th.

Today was a very bad day! Everyone was so distracting and happy and exited. I think this is because of 3 reasons: 

1. It's the last lesson on Thursday.

2. Last Essay day.

3. Most people were done.

Unfortunately I didn't get much work done because of those people..! I only got half my editing done, and even though I still have to recheck it because I don't think I've done the best editing either. Next lesson is truly going to be my last lesson and I will try my best to edit it very well. Mr. Sparks was very kind in giving us an extra day. i think the people who need it will really appreciate that. Thank You Mr. Sparks. 

Day 37

Tuesday May 26th.

Today was a very good day! Today, I actually achieved much more then I thought I would; and that's a major change from being behind my goal and not achieving it! I finished my bibliography and I even started editing! These days I think I am working much better than before, I am more focused and enthusiastic about my work. Next lesson I will have o finish off my editing which I feel will be very easy! Next lesson is the last lesson and I will hand in my essay with pride and hopefully confidence.    :D

Day 36

Monday May 25th.

Finally Mr. Sparks set a due date! YES! Today I worked very well I got my whole conclusion over with and I turned 1 of my book bibliography into an easy bib biography. I had no trouble with my conclusion, it was very straight forward. I have to next lesson's and I think in one of them I'll get my bibliography finished, and in the other I'll get my editing over with!

Day 35

Sunday May 24th, 2009.

Today, was actually a very good day for the first time I actually completed my task in finishing the three characteristics and I have succeeded. I have worked very well today. Next lesson I'll work on my conclusion and bibliography and ow I will also have to edit. I guess I'll need two more lessons until I'm ready to hand in my master piece! 

Day 34

Thursday May 21st, 2009.

Today was an OK day but I was really hoping that it would have been better. I finished my first characteristic and now I'm nearly done with my second. Today I wanted to get done with my second one because most are my friends are in that stage but I'll still try to catch up. Know I'm seeing that my essay plan was good but not good enough to get me that far ahead. Next lesson I'll try to finish my third characteristic so I have time to edit. This is really getting me worried especially not even knowing the exact dew date!

Day 33

Tuesday 19th, May 2009.

Today, everybody came back from WWW and it was time to start writing the essay again. I think we will hand the essay next week on Thursday since most people are starting to finish their essay and now trying to edit them. Today, I just started my first characteristic and I am nearly over with it. I think I will be needing some more time because I have been trying to get every little detail good and I haven't really checked my watch! I feel like the time is just flying, but hopefully I will get the essay done.

Day 32

May 18th 2009.

Today, Mr. Sparks told us to try and remember our notes and get back in to the essay! So I still didn't get to the characteristic Paragraphs. I read all my notes today and put them all into subtopics, I still have two notecards left. Next lesson I really have to get started or finish one of my characteristics at least! I think this situation well be solved next lesson by only taking one look at my so good plan. Today I worked really well because I have a lot of note cards and putting them all in subtopics wan not easy. Ow and WELCOME BACK Mr. Sparks!

Day 31

May 7th 2009.

What do you know I was right! Today I managed to get my introduction done but that was it. Nothing else. I worked well today considering all the distractions. I think my essay is really getting together it actually, in my opinion is very good but this is only the introduction. I think this will get harder as  I get to the characteristics.

Day 30

May 5th 2009.

Today was a very bad day! I only got half the introduction done because of all the distractions people where making it was so annoying. Today i actually wanted to work hard and get all my introduction done but at least I got some of it done. Some people I know couldn't manage to get a sentence done in that lesson it was very disappointing. Hopefully next lesson I'll get my introduction done! I only say introduction because I know that I'm not going to get much done because of 1. It's Thursday. 2. Last lesson. 3. People saying goodbye to each other (Turkey).

Day 29

May 4th 2009.

Today was a very slow day! I didn't do much today because I was too worried that my plan wasn't good enough. I started it all over again! It was both good and bad, good because i had a much better plan, bad because it wasted my time. My plan is really good so I'm planning on catching up to everyone because I can write really fast know that i know what to write. Next lesson I want to at least finish my first paragraph the introduction. I already have the outline of it know i just need to work more on the actual writing part. I think I worked O.K. in this lesson!

Day 28

May 3rd 2009.

Today we started the actual essay it was exiting because it was a change from researching. Which I was getting really bored off! Mr. Sparks explained what to do in the essay and what to include. He seemed quite strict about it but i guess that's better so we can treat the essay strictly and seriously. First of all we started with the PLAN! Mr. Sparks said we have to do a really good plan to make they essay good and organized also it will help right it faster because you know what your next step will be. Today I focused mostly on my plan and i didn't even start with the essay. I think next lesson I will finish my plan and try to start my essay!

Day 27

Thursday, 30 April.

I think I worked very well today! For the last lesson of research I think I did a lot of work. I did 15 back to back note cards. 15 back to back. Today I have worked quietly, enthusiastically, and hardly. I came into the class with a goal of 10 note cards and I came out with 15. 15. I was ecstatically happy with my work and myself but I was a little disappointed that I hadn’t done this from the beginning of the unit. Also I was disappointed when Mr. Sparks wasn’t here because I was really looking forward to a lesson with him. Can’t wait till Sunday!

Day 26

Tuesday, 28th April.

Today I have had a very bad day! I worked very poorly and didn't get one note card completed. I think this was because of the mark i got on my last journal and by the way it was a very poor mark. I think i handled the situation very poorly! Umm I'm really sorry Mr.Sparks! I really should learn how to take in constructive criticisms. And also i should try to improve my mark. Next time I should not get frustrated and go out of control on a teacher because that is WRONG!! Hopefully next time i would put that in mind and be more respectful and get better grades. Next lesson i am going to work very hard 1. because it is the last lesson 2. because i ow that to myself'' Again sorry Mr.Sparks! Ow and sir notice the spell checking.

Day 25

Monday, 27th April.

Today was soo much better than yesterday. Sooo much better. Today i got 10 note cards done 7 more than yesterday. 7. Today i was also sitting next to khalifa and no he wasn't absent but "thank god" today he was working well! Today i got all my information from brainpop and suprisingly it was very good. I think the consept of a movie was so much more relavent for me although it did take some time! I've got 2 more lessons in the lab so i have to be working very very hard. Very hard. In tottal i have got 55 note cards and i asked Mr.Sparks if it was good and he said: As long as theirs good information on it, it's fine! Or something like that. I was so pleased when he said that but i don't want to be to pleased and not get more note cards done..!

Day 24

Sunday, 26th April

Bad, very bad! Today I have had a very bad lesson. Today i have had one of my worst lessons in the lab and it was a bad lesson for many reasons. 1. It was sunday. 2. I was so tired. 3. Computer problems. 4. Khalifa Alnaimi!!! Today i had 3 note cards done 17 less than my 20 note cards recored in one lesson. 17. At the begining of the lesson i tried to be motivated and get with the lesson and even try to break my recored "Hey it's not impossabile". I put away my stress and tierdness behind me and i foucsed on the lesson. 5 minutes in the lesson i got 2 note cards done when this guy who sits next to me "Khalifa" starts talking and talking and talking. And the worst thing was he was talking about football like he knew anything about real football. Huh "Boys". Today my note cards were not enough and i am really disspointed in myself. Hopefully next time "Khalifa" is absent.....

Day 23

Thursday, 23 April

Today was a very good day, again i have been foucing on Government and Law. I have just noticed that "Yes" maybe the books are better in both Art and Architecture and Religion but the internet rescourses ROCK in Government and Law. Today, my friend Latifa showed me the BEST website on Government and Law it just went on and on and on. It was great. I got six back to back note cards only on that website today and i still feel like i haven't covered it well yet!! Also today, on the same website i have found that the ancient Egyptions gave the pharoh other names like 'Lord of the Two Lands' and 'High Priest of Every Temple' and i thought i could use these names in my essay to make it more creative and not to keep saying the pharoh, the pharoh, and the pharoh..... Can't wait till sundays lesson :D

Day 22

Tuesday 22 April

Today, was actually a very good day! We were in another Multi-Media Lab so a lot of people had trouble with getting started with their work because it was probably the first time to log onto this computer. Believe me when i say "it takes ages to get the computer running if its the first time you log on to it". Today, I sat next to Hashim I think that was good because he isn't annoying, noisy. or rude. We just sat and worked and worked and worked (very hard). I did six notecards although they weren't back to back. I think I could have done more notecards if I had better information. Today, I mostly focsed about law and government seen as i only have six back to back notecards on that today i got three more! Hopefully next time will be better and I'm so not looking forward to sitting next to Khalifa...

Day 21

20th of April

Today, we were in another Multi Media lab for some reason. I noticed that Latifa, Al Dana and I were all sitting next to someone we ha-- I mean, strongly dislike. On the bright-side, I finished four note cards back to back. I hate the internet resources really much because I could not find any good websites at all. I think the next time we go to lab, we will have the time to go look for our own websites and that is a really better idea because I am getting sick and tired of Grolier and Brittanica. We will all probably be in the Multi Media Lab we are always in the next time we come to the Lab, which will be , I think, tomorrow. I should really get some work done and get to finish a lot of note cards like as if I was in a hurry or something like that.

Day 20

19th of April

Mr Sparks moved me today because I "talked". More like "whispered". :) He told me that If I did twenty note cards, I could move to my old spot next to Al Dana and Latifa Al Thani. I worked really hard to find good websites but I just got bits and pieces out of every website I had on Ancient Egypt, Art And Architecture, Religion, and Government.By the end of the lesson, I had ten note cards back to back. Technically, that was twenty note cards. Mr Sparks meant twenty note cards, back to back. That meant forty note cards in one lesson. Even if you made a robot do it for you, he wouldn't even reach up to twenty note cards back to back. No human can possibly do forty note cards in less than the last fifteen minutes of class that we had. I had trouble working up the other computer and it took more than twenty minutes to log on the computer. I wasted my whole class time just because I was " whispering ".

Day 19

16th of April

Today, I have to admit, all three of us were a bit not under control. By three of us I mean Al Dana, Latifa and I. We were laughing the whole lesson and I was shocked that Mr Sparks didn't move us today. He will probably move us the next lesson. I finished three notecards. They were not back to back. The internet resources didn't turn out the way the other people said it was. It was MUCH MUCH worse than that. I hope we can go to the library again because these Multi Media classes are getting really boring because we are searching for information that we already have written on our note cards wither from the books or from the other websites we were allowed to use like Grolier and Britannica and in my opinion, are really bad.

Day 18

14th of April

Mr Sparks got the wrong impression of Latifa, Al Dana and I on Tuesday. He said that if he sees one of us talking during his class time, he will move one of us. We were talking at the beginning of class only because we were asking each other what our ancient civilization is. It turns out that we were all doing the same early ancient civilization thing. Ancient Egypt. We were all also doing the same characteristic. That made it really easy to use some if each others website. I couldn't find anything useful on the Britanica or Grolier. It was like bits and peices out of every page made a note card only and that was really difficult for me to do that because I can't type really fast or even use the computer quickly like almost everybody in the class room can. Two very fast typers are next to me and can't be bothered to help me out or anything. I think Mr Sparks will move one of us. Probably Al Dana.

Day 17

13th of April

" Hoo Hoo ". Majed kept making owl noises in the library because he suddenly realized that when you speak really really loud in the library, it echoes. Al Dana kept getting up and getting tissues, and the people behind us were talking non-stop. I couldn't focus. In the end of the lesson I managed to get two note cards done. They were back to back. I hope at the end of this unit I pass because it looks like that I am going to fail with the rest of the people that are in my class that concentrate when people are talking. I hope in the next lesson, at the multi media lab, I can work harder than how I worked in the library because I need and want to raise my grade and I seriously want to pass Humanities.

Day 16

12th of April

It was the first day back from spring break and everybody was all tired and couldn't be bothered to go to the library, or even walk. Some people in the class room decided that they need to go to the library again to finish up researching more information or just getting all of the bibliographies. I needed more time at the library because I was told the internet resources were really bad. Even worse than the books. So I wanted to get as much notecards as possible today. We raced up the stairs, to the library, and sat in our usual places. Mrs Korbatit's class was not there so the girl that takes all the books wasn't there to take all the ancient Egypt books, as she usually does. All the books were there because all of our friends are separated in to different grade 7 classes and they all said that they were in the multi-media lab right now and that they finished with library a long time ago. I am starting to feel that the internet would not be as worse as the sound.

Day 15

2nd Of April

I could not focus in class today because it was the last day of school and the next day, friday, will be spring break. I tried to wright some notes but some people were distracting me. A boy and a girl from the other class told Al Dana and I that it was o.k to copy off the book and then write it in our on way when it comes to the easy because the notes are not graded as a part of our humanities early civilization, they were just for you. I went to Mr Sparks and asked him if that was true or not because I've been getting the impression that it was not true. I've been copying from the books for a week. I found out that if we did that, we could get in serious trouble for plagiarizing. I had to start all over again because I have made a lot of note cards this week and it was the most, out of all the weeks I worked in the library on the early civilization, notecards I have ever made. I hope after the break, I will realize not to copy off of the book.

Day 14

31st of March 2009

At the beginning of the lesson, a friend of mine and I spent the first ten minutes of class trying to find a book we needed to use for one of our characteristics. Mr. Sparks then came and handed it to us. My friend and I ALWAYS work together and we always work well in class-time. Mr. Sparks told us that this Thursday was our last day at the library and when we would come back from the Easter break, we would be in the multi-media labs. I had to improve my work because up to now I have not a lot of note cards compared to the other students. I did SIX note-cards today so that means I wasn't sitting with the wrong group of people like last week. I think I concentrated a lot not only because I wasn't sitting with the group of people I normally sit next to but because Mrs. Korbatit's class wasn't there because they had finished there days at the library and now they are in the Multi-Media Labs. By what my friends in 7D told me, I think Mr.Sparks was right when he said that the books are more useful than the internet sources. Today was one of those day where you feel that I needed to improve my Humanities term 3 grade so I asked my friend to stay after-school with me. I think today in class, I did amazingly well. I think I will stay after school tomorrow with my friend and work on the Humanities Early Civilization Project.

Day 13

30th of March 2009

Today was an O.K. day. It was a little slow. I found a good book but my friend really wanted to use it more than me so I gave it to her for the beginning of the lesson if she gave it to me at the end half. But that did not happen. NO. She took the book the whole lesson. Unfortunately, I only got two note cards done by the end of the lesson. I decided to come in at break, remembering what I wrote on the 26th of March 2009. After the lesson directly, we had lunch. So my friend and I stayed and worked o our note cards for twenty minutes. So, all in all, today I had five note cards done and I was really proud of myself.

Day 12

29th of March 2009

Today in Humanities, was a really busy day. Before we even got to take our books, Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Fletcher called us and told us that we all had to update our bloggers and we all had to finish updating quick because Mr. Sparks would be checking them sometime early this week. That took us a lot of time because some people were chatting behind us and we couldn't get them to shut up. After Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Fletcher told us to update our bloggers, we all went and took our normal books or find new/other books. Mrs. Korbatit's class were also there and we didn't have the time from the beginning of the lesson to take the useful books out so now, only two good books about Ancient Egypt were left and unsurprisingly, someone from our class took them before I did. Today was a really rough day. I did not even start ONE note card because there were no good books left. My friend offered me her book before the end of the lesson and when I just wanted to write the first word, Mrs. Fletcher and Mr. Sparks called us. Again. This time, a lot of people wanted to know their term two grade and we did not want to miss out on this so we had to come.  Luckily, I got a six and that left me happy the whole day. Unluckily, the class ended. I hope tomorrow will be a MUCH better day than today.

Day 11

26th of March 2009

Today was a very bad ay but not as bad as that bad day when that girl from Mrs. Korbatit's class took all of those useful books. Today was just another busy, loud, and crowded Thursday. I only got half a note card done and that was by chance. I tried to work better today but unfortunately,too many people were talking and playing AND laughing. From that lesson, I decided that I was lying to myself in the Journal and in my head. For I have said MANY times before that I would be working harder or coming in breaks to get some work done. And I haven't done any. So from now on, I am going to work harder every day not only in lessons, but in breaks, lunches and also after and before school.

Day 10

24th of March 2009

I worked very hard today! I did like three back to back note cards of really good information. I also found new useful books. " Ancient Egyptians " by Rupert Matthews and also, " Ancient Egyptian Art" by Susie Hodge. Ancient Egyptian Art was really good because I found information about both art and government and law with religion. I think I worked really hard today and I want to keep up the good effort and work for Thursday.

Day 9

23rd of March 2009

Mrs. Korbatit's class weren't in the library today, which was a relief because of the variety of books I can choose from and get my notes of. Unfortunately, even though I had a variety of books to choose from, the library was packed .  And because we were late to Humanities ( because my friend and I helped the teacher bring in the P.E. equipment from the VCU field ) , we were forced to sit next to girls who wouldn't shut their mouths. They were talking and talking and talking throughout the whole period. I had barley one note card done when the whole class started a big argument on how many blog posts we should have done, which eventually made us miss like twenty minutes of the lesson. After that, Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Fletcher were telling us some things about the blog and about approximately how much note cards we should have done by now and finally, the lesson ended. My friend and I decided to work our best in the up coming periods and even use some time during breaks and lunches. 

Day 8

22nd of March 2009

Today, nothing big happened other than that at the beginning of the lesson, I had a few words with Mr. Sparks. I wrote three notecards, talked to nobody, and used some of the useful books that the girl, form Mrs.Korbatit's class, had finished from. I was hoping to get more done but I really don't think that it's the quantity that matters, but the quality and my note cards quality were pretty good. This lesson I mostly focused on getting notes on Government and Law because I had very few of Government and Law note cards. I think I achieved that. Today was a simple, and normal, lesson and I hope all my lessons are like this one where I would work, work and WORK.

Day 7

19th of March 2009

The girl was at the library again! and she didn't change AT ALL!  She still has all the useful books. I even think that she is doing the same three characteristics that I'm doing because all the books that I used, she did too. But instead of waiting on the books that the girl had, I tried to do something useful, unlike yesterday. Today, I actually looked deeper for other books and to my great surprise, I did find some which had bits of good information. By the end of the lesson, today I got two notecards filled out and found some new books I used. I think I improved a lot from yesterdays lesson.

Day 6

17th of March 2009

Today was a DISASTER ! I haven't found any of the books that I thought were useful yesterday, or any good, descent and New book. I only filled out half a note card. On of the girls in Mrs. Korbatit's class had six, really amazing and good, Ancient Egyptian books. Whenever I went over to ask her if I could borrow any book ( which I did over a million times ) , she would say " I am using them, all SIX OF THEM ! " Today was a very bad day ! I didn't get much accomplished by the lack of co-operation and friendliness  from "some" people. ( That girl from Mrs.Korbatit's class). By the way, I have used many hyperboles in this paragraph. :) I hope next lesson will be better than the one today.

Day 5

16th of March 2009

Today it was a lot less crowded because of the fact that Mrs. Korbatit's class weren't at the library. I had more variety of books I could choose and more quiet. Today, I sat with people who worked hard, were quiet, and usually got good grades. I found it much more easier to work than yesterday and I actually got three notecards filled out. Two of the note cards were only about Religion. Religion was the most characteristic I have found in the books about Ancient Egypt, other than Art And Architecture that is. I could not find ANY books about Government and Law in Ancient Egypt and it seemed that it did not exist at that time since I cannot find any book about Government and Law, Government , and LAW ! At the end,  I had a very good and useful Humanities lesson today.

Day 4

15th of March 2009

Last Humanities lesson, we were at the Multi Media Labs. There, we were supposed to do another blog on our real actual blog. It was confusing at first but I got the ides. After we had make the other blog, we were supposed to hyperlink it into our wiki-spaces. So instead of opening our blogs to see our journal, you can just open our wiki-spaces. Today, we went to the library to start getting research about our Early Civilization. Mrs. Korbatit's class were also in the library working on the Early Civilization project, so it was really hard on getting a good book on Ancient Egypt because a lot of people were doing it. I think today I did a good job, even with all the distraction for the other people. Next time, I would like to sit next to people who would work instead of chat.

Day 3

9th of March 2009

Finally! Mr. Sparks came back! Today we stayed in class and created out Process Journal that Mr. Sparks gave us. In the Process Journal, we had to put in six little "sticky paper" that would hold our notecards later on(I guess). Each little sticky paper had a title. On the first sticky paper, we had to write Introduction. On the second sticky paper, we all had to write the first characteristic that we choose which mine was Government and Law. On the third sticky paper, we had to write our second characteristic, which mine was Art and Architecture. On the fourth sticky paper, we had to write our final characteristic, which mine was Religion. On the fifth sticky paper, we all had to write Conclusion. Finally, on the last sticky paper, we had to write Bibliography. For each characteristic, we had to write three questions we wrote on Thursday on the pocket. Today was a really easy, straight forward lesson for me and I think I did really well.

Day 2

8th of March 2009

Today, Mrs. Fletcher took us to the library. In the library, the librarian taught us on how to do a bibliography, using "easy-bib". The librarian even let some people demonstrate the steps. After that, we choose a book about any Ancient Civilization and read it. I choose a book on Ancient Egypt, because I think that religion, art and architecture, and Government and Law all have to do with Egypt. In the beginning of the lesson, I did not pay much attention to the librarian which will not help me in the future. I think I could have improved this lesson by behaving more maturely in the beginning of the lesson and not have talked in the beginning.

Day 1

5th of March 2009

First lesson on Monday, I was in the Under 13 football tournament so to my disadvantage, I was not here. The next day, on Tuesday, I was in class and we were copying questions about Government And Law, Art and Architecture, and Social Class in our books. Although in the beginning, Mr. Sparks and Mrs. Fletcher were shouting at people because they didn't have their homework with them. Also, Mrs. Fletcher said that we always have to bring our homework planner with us to every class. For the last lesson of the week on Thursday, Mr. Sparks was absent, so Mrs. Fletcher and a substitute were teaching us. We were filling out the characteristics of civilization sheet. We could choose two of the three characteristics. They were : Government And Law, Art and Architecture, and Social Class. Also we had to choose one of the three other characteristics which were : Religion, Variety of Jobs, and Education. I choose Government And Law, Art and Architecture, and Religion. For every characteristic, we had to write eight questions but for Art and Architecture, I wrote nine questions.