Zoe's Digital Portfolio!
This is my Mandarin Movie that I made with Kate and Emily. We had to make a movie about a Chinese holiday, so we did The Mid-Autumn festival. Xin said that we did a good job, but we needed to focus on our movie making skills a little bit more.
This picture is showing good note taking because it’s neat and I got all of the information that I needed to get. It is neat and clear, so when I look back on it to study, I can tell what I wrote. I looked back into my notebook and I realized that I’m very good at note taking, so I don’t really have any bad notes.
In vocal majors we have been singing a bunch of different songs. I have been put in the swing sections, so that means I sing both alto and soprano in different songs. My goal for the trimester is to focus on my notes. Sometimes I end up singing the soprano part when I should be singing the alto part, or the other way around. From now on I’m going to focus on listening to the notes that I’m supposed to be singing. I think that I am able to focus in the classroom.
In this picture, I am working on my value chart in art class. There are four different techniques in each chart. The one that I’m working on is the stipple. To do a stipple, you have to make a bunch on tiny dots. You can’t do this in pencil, so we used Sharpies.
I love math. My favorite year of math so far is 5th grade. For some reason, it all just clicked for me. I had never loved math in lower school. Math and I had a strange relationship. I would dread going to class every day and I would rush my homework as much as I could. My parents always pushed me to do better in math and I would always complain about it. But when I got to middle school, something about the learning environment or being in middle school made me start to love it.
Last year, I struggled a little bit. I think that I just wasn’t taking that many notes, so I fell a little bit behind. Also, Margaret was very helpful in having me take more notes and slowing down when I asked questions. Over the summer, my parents had me do a math tutor* and I think that REALLY helped. I will be continuing doing to extra math during the year, to help me with all of my homework.
I love math because of how precise it is. I love to organize things and I feel like math is just organizing numbers. I dislike math because it can be hard. My parents and lower school teachers have told me that I don’t work as hard as I can, and you have to work really hard in math.
I think that I am a good math student, because math is normally the class that I get the best grades in. My routine for studying is when I get home, I do all my homework and study afterword. I try to study for about 15 minutes in each subject. When I get stuck, I always have to remind myself to ask questions, because my instinct is to just ask a friend later.
A few things that you might want to know about me:
My favorite operation is multiplication.
My least favorite is division.
My favorite type of math is geometry because I like finding the area and perimeter of everything. After we learned geometry in 6th grade, I went home and found all of the triangles in my house and measured them.
I am really looking forward to this year in math!
*It isn’t exactly a tutor, it’s just to help me keep up my skills during the year. (At least, that’s what my parents told me.)
For annotations in this book, I made a list of character traits for Winnie Foster and Jesse Tuck. I also gave evidence for each trait.
For Winnie:
Fiesty- ” ‘I will, though. You’ll see. Maybe even first thing tomorrow, while they’re all sleeping.’ ” Page 13. In this quote, Winnie is talking about running away from her family. Her family is very orderly and strict, but Winnie doesn’t feel that way.
Grateful- Throughout the whole time that Winnie is staying with the Tucks, they are asking her how she is and if her bed is okay and so on. When they ask her, she says that everything is good in an especially grateful way.
Scornful-” ‘It sounds like a music box.’ ” Page 21. Winnie says this after her grandmother thinks there is elf music in the forest. Winnie doesn’t believe her, just thinking that it’s a music box. “Winnie did not believe in fairy tales. She had never longed for a magic wand, did not expect to marry a prince, and was scornful-most of the time-of her grandmother’s elves. ” Page 42. (In a way, she is a lot like me!)
For Jesse:
Secretive-“He looked at her anxiously. ‘Well, me, I’ll drink anything. I mean, I’m used to it. It wouldn’t be good for you, though.’ ” Page 29. He is saying this to Winnie after she asks to drink some of the magic water. (She doesn’t know it’s magic at the time.) He is really anxious and reserved.
Sarcastic- ” ‘Alright, I’m one hundred and four years old,’ he told her solemnly. ” Page 28. This happens when Winnie asks him his age. (We later learn that this is true, but to Winnie, it is VERY sarcastic.)
Caring- ” ‘We could get married, even. That’d be pretty good, wouldn’t it! We could have a grand old time, go all around the world, see everything.’ ” He is looking out for her future and he wants to make sure that she will be okay.
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Babbitt
To All The Boys I’ve Ever Loved Before by Jenny Han
P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han
The Chosen by Chaim Potok
The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
The Nameless City by Faith Erin Hicks
Sunny Side Up by Jennifer L. Holm and Matthew Holm
Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem by Rosalyn Schanzer
Wicked Girls by Stephanie Hemphill
Persepolis & Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
American Born Chinese by Gene Yang
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
Symptoms of Being Human by Jeff Garvin
Second Star to the Right by Deborah Hautzig
Tumbling by Caela Carter
We Are All Made of Molecules by Susin Nielsen
I would like to name this work of art Home. I created this work of art by using water color, foam core and a map. One thing I learned while creating this was that I like using water color. It was really fun to paint over lot’s of things to give it a tint. My favorite part are the letters on the middle of Manhattan. I like it because they really sum up my thoughts about New York. If I could change something, I would change the background of the foam core. It’s kind of raggedy on the edges. 
In humanities, we made articles and newscasts. In my group, we talked about weather and the sandstorm in the Cholistan desert, but we also interviewed Shabanu and Dadi.
SHABANU NEWS ARTICLE
There have been some interesting weather patterns throughout Pakistan recently. But the main story has been the sandstorm that covered all 10,200 square miles of the Cholistan Desert. Some families have had to deal with the sand covering tobas and animals and family members blowing away in the harsh winds. We interviewed two residents of the Cholistan Desert. Shabanu and Dalil Abassi. Here are some things that happened during the sandstorm according to Shabanu:
“The night that the [sandstorm] happened, I was sleeping and my sister, Phulan woke me up. I thought that my skin [because of the sand], was being pierced by a thousand needles.” The storm’s high winds prevented Shabanu from seeing anything until the winds subsided. Her luck didn’t turn out very well.
“We found that our camel, Mithoo, Sher-Dil, our dog and my grandfather were all gone. The storm injured Shabanu’s grandfather fatally, but he was found alive under sand. He survived for a few days. He died in his sleep. After talking to Shabanu, we interviewed Dalil Abassi, Shabanu’s father. It was a very scary moment for him because he was the head of the family. He had to make sure that everyone was safe.
“When the storm hit, I was very scared. Not for me, but for my family. I didn’t want anything to happen to them.” They stayed inside and waited out the storm. Somehow, Dalil’s father blew away. “I was very scared [for my father], but I knew Allah would save him.”
We also talked to Dalil about his other daughter, Phulan’s wedding. “I wasn’t worried that the storm would hurt the wedding. “I knew that Phulan wanted this very much, and I knew she would do to what she had to do [to make the wedding happen]. Let’s all send Shabanu and her family our best wishes.
SHABANU SCRIPT
Newscasters: Breaking news!!!!!
Harvey: There has been a very intense sandstorm in the Cholistan desert.
Grace: The storm covered all 10,200 square miles of the desert. Tobas have dried up, camels have gone missing, and families have lost members.
Harvey: Today, we are going to give you an exclusive look into one of the Cholistan residents, Shabanu Abassi. Welcome to our show, Shabanu!
Zoe: Hello and thank you for having me on your show.
Grace: It’s so nice to have you here.
Zoe: It’s so nice to be here!
Harvey: So, today we are going to ask you some questions about the sandstorm that hit your home.
Zoe: Ok.
Grace: What was your first reaction to the sandstorm?
Zoe: Well, the night that it happened I was sleeping and my sister, Phulan, woke me up. I thought that my skin was being pierced by a thousand needles.
Harvey: When you looked around, was anyone missing?
Zoe: I couldn’t see anything until the storm subsided, and then we found that my camel, Mithoo, Sher-Dil, our dog, and my grandfather were all gone.
Grace: We also heard that your grandfather has passed away. Are you willing to share anything with us?
Zoe: Yes, I am, even though it was sad for me. When I found my grandfather’s body, all I wanted to do was scream. I wanted to scream for the rest of my life. My grandfather was a very big part in my life and it was really hard to let him go.
Harvey: Well, we are very sorry for your loss.
Grace: Well, we will be back in just a minute, after this short commercial. Stay tuned!
Harvey: So, welcome back.
Grace: Let’s all thank Shabanu for coming into be on our show!
Zoe: Goodbye!
Harvey: Now, we are going to meet Shabanu’s father, Dalil Abassi.
Grace: Hello Dalil.
Dora: Hello!
Harvey: We would like to talk to you about the sandstorm. What are your thoughts?
Dora: When the storm hit, I was very scared. Not for me, but for my family. I didn’t want anything to happen to them.
Grace: How did you keep safe?
Dora: Well, we stayed in the mud hut and prayed that we would all be okay. Thankfully, Allah saved us.
Harvey: That’s wonderful. When you found your father, what were your thoughts?
Dora: I was very scared again, but I hoped that Allah would save him.
Harvey:Were you worried that the storm would ruin the wedding?
Dora: I wasn’t worried that the storm would hurt the wedding. I knew that Phulan wanted this very much, and I knew she would do what she had to do.
Grace: On a different topic, we know that you and your family are nomads. Is it hard for you to move from place to place, and leave homes behind?
Dora: Well, it is hard, but I know that it is best for the family. I know that we need water to survive.
Grace: Well, thank you for coming to our show!
Dora: Goodbye!
Harvey and Grace: Tune in tomorrow for more news!
SHABANU NEWSCAST LINK
How To Make a Wedding Dress:
I can’t believe that I’m already planning my wedding! It seems like it was just days ago that I would sit in my bed and think about my wedding. One time, my mother yelled at me for day dreaming. “Phulan, stop daydreaming and bring more milk,” she said. The thing that I would think about the most would be my wedding dress. I always imagined that it would be beautiful. I’m sure that I’m not the only bride to be in Pakistan who has to sew their own dress, so I have a few tips for making your wedding dress.
Here they are:
There is lot’s of embroidery on traditional Pakistani wedding dresses, and all of that should be done with silk thread, to enhance the beauty.
Zardozi is the detailed applique that you see on so many wedding dresses these days. If you want your wedding dress to be in the height of fashion, than you should definitely use zardozi.
Cut dana are the small beads that are sewn on as a border or extra pattern. Cut dana can be VERY hard to use, but it still makes the dress even prettier. When sewing with cut dana, you must loop the thread through the bead multiple times, if you want the bead to stay on.
My last tip is about the shape. It should be a very tight bodice with a very full skirt. It also should have small, short sleeves. The color should be something rich and deep, like red or dark blue. This is to symbolize growing older and being more mature. You can’t use childish colors, like pink or yellow.
I am making my dress with my mother and it has been a great bonding time for both of us, before I have to leave my home. I hope you all love your wedding dresses!
Diary Entry:
It seems so strange, to be thinking about my wedding. It seems so far away, but so near as well. I have a strange mixture of feelings. I cannot decide which way is better. I cannot wait to leave this place, to start a new life with my new husband! I will get to start a family of my own and build a new life. I will live up to what Mama and Dadi expect of me. I will become a mother. Of boys, I hope. Sharma says I will. But what if I don’t? What if I have girls? Then who will work? I know that I am just being nervous, but what if that happens? What if I end up like Mama? That might not be a bad thing, but what if it is?
I hope that Hamir is kind to me. He is wild, like the wind, like Shabanu. I hope that I have the same luck that Mama had with Dadi.
Then, the other part of me wants to stay home. I will have to abandon the camels, the mud hut, the chapatis, Auntie and her boys. Mama and Dadi. I will have to leave them. I don’t know how I will be able to deal with that. Then, there is Shabanu. She cares for me in a way that no one else does. ” ‘ Don’t worry.’ I say, smoothing Phulan’s hair and kissing her tears.” She is the only thing that keeps me happy. What if I never see her again?
I want to believe that I will see them again, that that part of my life isn’t over, but I know it is .
