2011!!!!!!!!!

Resolutions (2011)

It's finally 2011 and time to follow the resolutions we have all set for this year. Resolutions can get you further in life. Therefore, this year I have two resolutions for school in 2011. First, I would like to help others more. Secondly, I would like to learn a new skill or improve a skill I already have.

Firstly, I would like to help people more often. When I was in 5th grade I had the chance to buy presents for the Chin Refugees. It made me feel good that I was helping people in need and that on Christmas Day they would have presents to open, just like we do. And now that I am in 6th grade I feel I should help people more often then I normally do. Whether they are new, old or less fortunate. I am currently a peer helper and I joined peer helpers just to follow this resolution. I have met a lot of new people this year (trimester 1 and trimester 2) and I hope to continue. Peer helpers is a really good opportunity, especially if you have the same New Year's Resolution as me. 

Secondly, I would like to learn a new skill or improve a skill I already have. Among my skills most of them aren't mastered but the remaining few are. I made this one of my New Year's Resolution because I would like to learn something. Not only learn but experience. I feel if I become part of more I can do more and learn more (plus finish another New Year's Resolution). One of the skills I would like to work on is reading. I have always made reading one of my resolutions and I feel that I could expand it more. 

Snapshot

My Christmas tree and I

I have had SO many memories this Winter Break, even though I mainly chilled out...but hey, whats wrong with that? I think the best memory was probably Christmas lunch (Picture on the right was taken right after lunch). It was great to just sit down with my whole family and have an amazing lunch, at the Prince Hotel, associated with laughs. The food was 
A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. I had ravioli and the usual christmas food (turkey etc.). All in all, I will never forget that lunch, it will stay with me forever (my family made it more special). 

Abhi's Zeigeist

This is my Zeigeist for the first semester of sixth grade.

Enjoy,
Abhi Narsiman

Working with others

This is my current Lit. Circle book

This time round, for Lit. Circles we had to work with another group member/ members. I think this helped me in a few different ways. Working with another classmate had a some benefits.

When working with a partner you had to do less work which meant that you could get it done in less time. It also meant that I could really focus on putting 150% into my half of the Lit. Circle. You had to make sure that your partner did the same. This brings me to my next topic... The challenges/ obstacles we overcame (tried to overcome).

When working with a partner there were a lot of challenges such as communicating effectively. I think that was something me and my partner could have worked more on. I think that because me and my partner had such different personalities, we looked at the book from different points of view. 

When working with a partner you gain new understandings of the book, that you have never thought before. My partner looked at Brian as a very scared boy, were as I looked at Brian as someone who is just naive.

In conclusion, working with a partner was a great advantage on my part and on my partners.

Images Courtesy of:

• missjkim.wordpress.com

   

Lit. Circle Reflection

In humanities, I am reading Hatchet by: Gary Paulsen, along with Carl, Manuel, Jamie and Alexandra. During Lit. Circles we have to share our passages, questions, connections and most importantly thoughts on the book. This blog post is a reflection on my groups first Lit. Circle reading Hatchet.


1. How your discussion helped your understanding of the novel.
I think that when my group was sharing our thoughts on the book it showed us that there is more than one way to look at something. In other words it made people, like me, look at the book from a different point of view. For example, I thought that Brian was a bookworm but, some other people in my group thought that Brain was very social and that he did not want to go see his dad.


2. Connections that you made during your discussion.
Everyone had different connections. But, most of our connections revolved around feeling scared. I think all of us could relate to Brian and how scared he would have been. We probably have not been in his position but maybe somewhere close to it. His position being having to take over the controls of the airplane and flying it, seeing that the pilot was dead. All of us just couldn't wrap our brains around that fact that a 13 year old boy had the guts and determination to take over and become the pilot 


3. Predictions
I predict that the plane will crash in a lake and Brian will have to survive in the jungle. I also predict that the hatchet will help him survive. I think that Brian might also run into animals and that will cause problems in the book. Brian also might make some friends weather it is native people or some other survivors or animals. I cannot help but think that this novel/story is similar to Call It Courage by: Armstrong Sperry, where the main character (Mafatu) had to survive by himself on an uninhabited island. His only friends/companions were animals. 


Here is a movie trailer a student made:





Graphic courtesy of:

• missjkim.wordpress.com

What role did geographic location and natural resources play in the the development of Malaysia?

Malaysia's Natural Resources:


Malaysia has a wealth of natural resources such as tin, petroleum, timber, palm oil, rubber, copper, iron ore, natural gas and bauxite. But, out of these seven the most important resource that fuels Malaysia's growth is petroleum.

     Petroleum. You can probably guess what Petroleum is, if not Petroleum is PETROL (Petroleum).Petroleum is probably the highest selling resource, because countries not only want it but need it (to power cars etc.). Petroleum is a very important resource and countries all over the world would die for it. Luckily, Malaysia has come to the rescue. Even countries like America import Petroleum from Malaysia!

Part played by geographical location in the exploitation of these resources:

Peninsular Malaysia can be found in South East Asia, bordering Thailand and just on the South China Sea. Malaysia is also located near India and China, therefore Malaysia took advantage of this geographical location to benefit from cheap labour to work on these resources, from China and India. In the early days of Malaysia's development, Indians labour was brought in to work in the rubber and oil palm plantations. The Chinese migrated in large numbers to work in the tin copper and bauxite mines. Native Malays were either fishermen or farmers. In recent years Petronas (of the twin tower fame) the company, was tasked with exploiting the countries vast petroleum and natural gas resources. 

Part played by geographical location in the export of these natural resources:

Malaysia is also very close to the equator, therefore Malaysia only has two seasons: Rainy Season and Dry Season. Peninsular Malaysia is placed in a very strategic location along the Strait of Malacca and on the South China Sea.This helped malaysia with excellent ports that enabled it to trade in these natural resources. The Strait of Malacca is probably the most important shipping lane in the world! Giving us the first topic: Trade Routes. 

     Trade Routes. Definition: "A trade route is a logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo." (Definition courtesy of: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_route). 

As you can see Malaysia's geographic location and natural resources played a big part in the development of Malaysia.

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• www.wallpapers.free-review.net
• www.phuket-guide.net

       
      


     
     

My Life as a Mud Skipper!

Tilly and I

     Today was like any normal, lazy Wednesday, I got up brushed my teeth and had a mud bath. Then I said good morning to mum and dad and finally had a well deserved nap. Oh sorry, how rude of me I forgot to introduce myself. I am Gabrielle and I am a Mudskipper. Anyway, after my nap I went outside and to my surprise there were some unexpected visitors. 


     A few thoughts ran through my brain. My first thought was, ugh not again, I mean come on yesterday the same rotten giants had arrived in our habitat and caused chaos. Also, we spent ages building our houses. But wait what were the giants. Were the creatures monkeys? No, they couldn't be they were not as hairy, even though they looked a little monkey like.  Maybe they were some new breed of monkeys. I remember Daddy telling Tilly (my brother)and I something about humans. He didn't say much he just said that if we ever encountered any breed of human not to panic. Humans were much bigger than I imagined. As I zoomed back into reality, I realised what I was witnessing, it was way worse than yesterday it was........ WORLD WAR III!

     Suddenly,the humans were treading and falling on my friends homes, they  were being destroyed within the blink of an eye. I rushed back inside our home to alert Mum and Dad that the giants were back. But, THEY WEREN'T THERE! Ok at first I was just a little shocked and panicky, but now I was TERRIFIED. Diary if you are thinking, what a wimp and that you wouldn't have been scared to death........ well your WRONG! I mean how would you feel if you were home alone and big huge giants were destroying your friends houses and now they were targeting you and your house. Well let me tell you something you wouldn't act as heroic as you think. Anyway, getting on with the story.

    
    I watched in horror as a human tore down my sapling school. At least there was something in it for me........ NO SCHOOL TOMORROW! To my amazement I heard a noise that sounded very familiar.... Crying! I saw the human fall on his butt, with a BANG! All the crabs hurried out of their brand new homes, just barely surviving. I looked to my left. I jumped. A human had almost ended my life. I ran behind a sapling. 


     Seven minutes had passed by and the human was still stuck. And might I add she wasn't going to get free easily. I mean the mud was already passed her knee. "Ahhhhh" I heard a human scream. I directed my attention behind me. A man had fallen and was in agony. All my friends gathered to see what had just happened. Then without a word they all backed away. But I didn't, I just stayed and stared.
     
     Finally, another man arrived and helped him back on to his feet (even though his boot was firmly wedged in the stinking mud). I heard a crack. Ohhhhh he won't feel good tomorrow. I ran to Mr. Crabs house, he told me that World War III would soon be over. I let out a sigh of relief. 
"Gabrielle"  
"Mum, Dad" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I kept following the voices. I could see my mum and not to mention my dad! I skipped over to them and gave them a hug. I couldn't help myself, so I shed a few tears. World War III was finally over!










Image courtesy of:

• treknature.com 

   

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