Octavia Butler by Akhir

The African American writer, Octavia Butler is a truly, brilliant author. She has written all of my favorite books from Fledgling to Kindred. She has influenced me to continue to work on my creative writing. I write every night after I finish all my homework. The average time is 4 to 6 hours straight of constant writing.
She was born in California on June 22,1947 and was an only child. Octavia struggled through dyslexia as a child. Dyslexia is a reading disability. Yet, she became one of few to write award winning science fiction novels. As a child she entered numerous writing competitions, and became well known in a short amount of time.

In her story she incorporates race, sexuality and social status. Octavia causes awareness amoungst people who are unaware of the world around them. She potrays what life really is through surreal outlets of her mind. She includes all the social issues through out her writing, in a way so that it grasp your attenion on the 1st word.

She shows that anyone can overcome their disabilities and disadvantages when it comes down to your dreams and what you want out of life.

Yes He can

My hero is barack Obama the reason why I say that is because I know he will make a change in life and he will open the doors and help people in need and also Barack Obama is the first black president in the United States a name like that there will be a change.
By Amani and Mnai

New Animals by Mani Fresh

I have seen some ugly animals before but now I've seen them all. This group of scientist has discovered over 1000 new species. One of the is a spider that is as large as a dinner plate. That reminded me of the movie "Eight Legged Freaks". Also on the list is an animal that was thought to have been extinct about 11 million years ago was also discovered calld a Laotian rock rat. Another specie is the Dragon millipede which has a pink color and emits a deadly poison. They have alot of other species 519 plants, 279 fish, 88 frogs, 88 spiders, 46 lizards, 22 snakes, 15 mammals, four birds, four turtles, two salamanders and a toad

Rise UP Hero: OBAMA by Mani Fresh

Now this is a hero in the making that is if he can pull off his promises he has made. If Obama can pull back the troops in Iraq to reunite the family's of those troops. If Obama can help the country became a safe country where no gays (I am not gay, I don't judge!) or Hispanics have to worry about getting attacked as they walk down the street. If he can do all of this and more than he will make this world better to live and he could become a hero like Martin Luther King, Rosa Parks, and the others that helped the nation become better.

Wonderous World by Mani Fresh

Gess what I say. There where videos about this girl who could pull an empty with her hair. This was only the beginning next there was this man who used some ballons to make a fake guitar and he played a song. The thing that really amazed me was as a way to remember a incedent when a valcano erupted some celebraties get togeather and throw flaming rags at each other. If you have seen even more amazing things you got to tell me please.

Rise Up Hero: Ralph Abernathy

There were the elite few who have as of today, changed life for the better. Martin Luther King Jr., Rosa Parks, Jackie Robinson, and Ralph Abernathy. You may not know who that last one is but were writing this to tell you about him. Mr. Abernathy was the right-hand man behind all of Dr. King's successes. This man helped him acheive his life long dream of creating a better world for all his fellow men.

senoah obama

SENOAH OBAMA WRITTEN BY MARKRIERRA & ANDREW


OBAMA IS MII HERO B/C HE IS THE FIRST BLACK PRESIDENT OF AMERICA. tHIS SHOWS THAT NO MATTER WHAT YOU GO TROUGH OR WHAT RACE YOU ARE, YOU CAN BE A SOMEBODY.ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS MII TWO FRONT TEETH.

The Man Who Created Black History Month by Adryan and Andranae

Carter G. Woodson is the father of Black History Month. He recognized the importance of people having an awareness and being knowledgeable on contributions made by others to humanity. Many people forget about the man who started this. He made it possible for African Americans to be noticed for their great accomplishments.

ralph abernathy

Rosa Parks,a National Heroist by Imani and Porshia

Rosa Parks was not just a black woman who got arrested for sitting in the wrong spot on the bus.......Many people thought she didn't do anything but she acutualy made a difference....She was a heroist who started the Bus Boycott...Rosa helped us people to sit where we want......Rosa really helped us...!!!!!!!!

"Rising Up" by AL'Asia and Akhirrrrrr

Martin Luther King Jr. demonstrates the phrase, "Rising Up." He started off just as a small boy with a dream. He read many books about heroes and a dream started to grow inside of him. He was inspired and he dreamed of becoming a hero himself. Martin Luther King just started out as a preacher at his fathers church. Once Martin Luther King graduated from college and got out more in the world, along with his wife Coretta Scott-King, he started to see the many problems in the world. He saw the racism, slavery, beatings, and killings in the world and he wanted to do something about it...but how? He started to protest and started boycotts to end seperation between races.
He influenced young African-American children to protest against seperation when he went to jail, and the younder kids followed in his footsteps (to get the message out)

Edible cells...yum!

Students got to make 3D model cells using jello and other edible ingredients to supplement the 2D representations that students usually exclusively get to see in textbooks. Now, cells get to come to life as students are able to describe the structures and functions of eukaryotic animal cells!

Full Moon by Mani Fresh

Lock your windows and doors tight this friday. The werewolves will be at their strongest because friday the moon will be closer the usually. It is said that the moon is usually 238855 miles (384400 km) away but it will be 221560 miles (356567 km) friday. The moon will appear 14% larger and 30% brighter. Also if you live by the beach you might have to worry not only about werewolves but the rising tide. This happens because the moons gravity is pulling the water up. So be on the look out for werewolves friday.

Christmas Capers by Mani Fresh

I read the newspaper every day and for a few times I have read about thieves how tried to be like Santa Clause. They climb down the chimney to rob the place. But heres the twist they always get stuck and have to be released by the police.They are arrested after. This was funny for a while but now I think this is stupid. Ever time they get stuck and then another person hears about it and they try it and gets stuck. Why cant robbers go back to traditional methods. Brake in, steal some stuff, escape and then get caught. These thieves are trying to show off by pulling off a heist acting like Santa Clause.

New Road Destroyer by Mani Fresh

Have you seen the new cars yet? They are 3 axles or have 6 wheels. The first one was originally a Porsche 928 GTS until the owner rebuilt it to have a 3 axle and he says it drives better than a 2 axle. Now a car company is producing the car above the Covini C6W. These cars not only are the good looking but you don't have to worry about your front wheel deflating. This car is said to be on the market after a few months so keep your eyes open for it.

If I was a Reporter for a day....

If I was a reporter for a day, I would travel to Africa and report about the positive aspects of this country. Most of the time when people watch movies about Africa, they see killing and other perils that can occur in Africa. Even though this is true, there are still many wonders of Africa that is not being shown as often as it could be. It's not like I'm avoiding the fact that some parts of Africa need help, but I am trying to point out some wonders of this beautiful country. It is a country of magnificent treasures and cultures... from the 16th century university in Timbuktu to the breathtaking architectures of Africa. There would be so many treasures that I would like to explore there like the Great Pyramid. I wish more people could know and teach these things about Africa to their children. This is something I would definitely do as a reporter in Africa.

If I could live in any time in history, I would live in the year 1787. My reasoning is because I would have loved to express my ideas and put them intothe Constitution.

Being an Oddball by Al'Asia

Most people think that I'm weird because I share a love for Michael Jackson. I don't care because I have my opinions and they have theirs. If I were a reporter I would travel to California (where the home of Michael Jackson is) and I would interview him on his life story. I love how he moves and sings and I honestly think he's an incredible man. Many people have turned against him because of the incident that happened with him and a younger boy. I understand what they are saying, but what happened in the past should stay in the past. Michael made a choice and if it was a bad decision I'm sure he's learned from it.

In New York by Imani

If i was a reporter for a day, I would travel to New York and report about the shopping in Times Square.....Reporting about shopping helps me to understand where the different types of clothing come from....Shopping is also an interesting topic to report about because it allows you to exppress your feelings and your personality...In Times Square there is a lot to learn about shopping and sometimes the history about the clothing...You can learn about the famous fashion designers and how they made the clothing...Clothing in Times Square are very cute..

The Reporter

If I was a reporter I would travel to New York. The reason why I would travel to New York is because I would want to see the Bravo shows and I would like to see how they live and how early they get up to start there day off. I know how busy it is in Washington D.C it's not that busy in fact it's not busy at all there is more crime than anything else in this wold that's the bussiest it's going to get. That's the reason why I am a reprter.
By: Amani

1920's Harlem Renaissance by Akhir

I absolutely adore the 1920's. The style, the classy look and shiny pin curls and tight buns. It was all very......admirable. But of course not as....Good for the African-Americans. It was what the white people had; that is what I adore. The jewelry, the knee-high socks and Mary Jane shoes......Once again it was not that way for African Americans. I am, myself an African American and I want what they had. Or I just want SOMETHING. Sometimes it feels like I'm chasing a lost dream. Seeming so far away from what I want.....Even with the 1920's gone, it still feels like we're seperated by some border line, but this time not by race.....But by money. Ahhh, the 1920's, when candy costs no more than a penny, and a bottle of root beer was a dime. I wish I was there. But then again.......In order to get all that: the jewelry, the laughter, the Mary Jane shoes.....I couldn't be what I am now. An African-American.....If only I could go back and get all that but stay myself. And be myself. But things aren't always like that. Not now, not ever.

If I was the president for a day..... by Andrew

If I was president for a day, I would have a lot of fun. I would go to sporting events. If I have children, I would take them wherever they wanted to go. I'd play golf with superstars such as LeBron James, Micheal Jordan and Barack Obama. I'd go to amusement parks and eat candy until my stomach hurt. I would do my best to loosen up the presidential image. I would make sure that my contry is running well, and when I am done, I'll go to sleep and start all over again.

Why? by Akhir

A young adult decided that she wanted to become a dancer. She wanted the oppurtunity to make something of herself and pursue her dream. But that did not happened. The young Laura did not return home to her family in Texas. Once leaving to NYC she never came back. Why? Because of a man who decided that he didn't want this girl to see the daylight again. He decided to take a life. This man raped and most likely killed Laura. I say most likely because once being convicted and taken into custody he refused to tell officers of the location of Laura. The mother of Laura pleaded and cried and asked, "Why?! Why won't he tell me where my daughter is?!" Her unsuspecting child followed this man, with so many police records, to his home only to never wake up again.....

Superheros By: Mani Fresh

Have you heard the superheros Batman, Superman, and more? Well this has nothing to do with them it is about the everyday animals that save the day. Yesturday a dog was added to the list of super animals. This dog saved another dog after it was hit by a car on the highway. Now the other dog has a chance to be adopted. How about the cat a few years back it helped some people get out of a burning building. I don't feel people are giving the right props to these animals who save people.

Inauguration Confusion by Imani and Porshia

President elect Barack Obama's inauguration day is coming up...!!!!There is going to be a lot of confusion....Now people are renting out thier homes for more than $4,000 and people are really buying them....The people who are buying these homes for this amount of money are CRAZY!!!!!!!Another thing is that there are going to be many people downtown so it might be hard to move around.....This is going to be a historic event.Of course there's going to be millions of people. Take a look at this and imagine what it would look like on January 20th,2008. So many people say they would love to attend but, there's just going to be too much confusion.....

Terrorists Confess by Andrew

On December 8, 2o08, five men confessed of being the planners of the 9/11 plane crashes. They said they decided to tell on November 4,when Obama won the election, and told at their next trial. One man named Khalid Sheikh Mohammed he and two others said they would wait to plea until everyone would agree they would plea together. They said they would all accept immediate death as a penalty for what they did.

EDUCATION GONE WRONG!

What is this world coming to? Teachers tying their students up to imitate slaves is UNACCEPTABLE. A white history teacher who teaches at a middle school in New York attempted to teach her students about how slaves were tortured during slavery. One of her students who is an African-American girl volunteered for the activity. Another African-American girl was designated for the activity by the teacher. The teacher tied the two girls arms and legs together and made them crawl under the table to demonstrate how slaves were tortured. The designated African-American girl went home crying to her mother about how scared she was when the teacher tied her up and made her crawl under the table. Her mother then called the school and then went up to the school to have a meeting with the principal and the teacher who committed this "crime", but the teacher was not punished in anyway at all.

The Great Overcome

On December 8th 2008 I was watching the news at 10:00pm ,Something very interresting caught my eye it was about the crime in our world and they said that 80% of the men who is locked up right know is in prison because they admited that they did there crime just because Barack Obama is our president.The criminals says that it's time for a change because we have a black president.
By: Publisher Girl

"Military Jet Crash Kills 2 People In San Diego" by Al'Asia

A tragic incident happened in the borders of San Diego. "A military plane crashes and kills 2 people." As firefighters look into the incident they come to fine that a planes failure to land the aircraft destroys two houses leaving two people dead in a densely neighborhood in California."

I think that the passengers were killed in the crash. The plane was found completely wrecked. The streets were filled with the remains of the damaged plane. Either the plane had ran out of fuel or the pilot experienced a moment of stupidity.

Expert Guest Speakers in Science Class by Ms. Lerenman

In science class, it is of the utmost importance that students are provided opportunities to interact with experts in the field of science. A knowledgeable teachers is sometimes not enough when kids want to get really in-depth with a topic.

The above pictures display the following expert guest speakers:

• Ms. Diane Yabut, biomedical engineer and patent examiner for heart defect devices. Ms. Yabut helped teach the the class about the heart deffect Atrial Septal Defect, or ASD. Students had the opportunity to learn about the causes and effects of cardiovascular dysfunctions such as ASD. They also got to build model clamshell occluders, the devices that Ms. Yabut helps to examine at her job. Students now know how doctors treat such problems with a virtually non-invasive, non-open heart surgery.

• Mr. George Hughes-Strange, a medical student and former Teach For America corps member, came to our 7th grade class to teach students about the endocrine system dysfunction, diabetes. He modeled the disease by explaining the human body in terms of a hotel and had students physically demonstrate the process of insulin production or lack there of.
  

Field Trips by Ms. Lerenman

Students thrive when they are endowed with opportunities to build their social and cultural capital for life. These experiences will serve them well when they interview for high schools and colleges.

The pictures above show field trips to:

• The National Museum of Health and Medicine as a culmination of our Human Body Systems unit. Students got to explore various body systems while completing a field trip guide. Students also got to do forensic science inquiries by discovering who the diseased soldier was using medical anthropology, DNA, and other forensic evidence.
  

• Williamsburg and Jamestown as a reward trip for the 7th graders that showed the best academic performance and social habits. Students worked on a Social Studies project with the help of chaperons. In Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown, students got to experience how the colonists, slaves, and Native Americans lived during those times.
  

• The Koshland Museum for a filming of an EPA segment for "Greenscene," an environmentalist podcast that comes out every couple of weeks on the EPA website. Students got to meet the foremost expert on acid rain and were filmed doing an experiment where they measured the levels of acidity and Ph balances of various fruits, beverages, and household items to simulate the work that the EPA does when it meausures rain acidity. Students will get to watch themselves online soon!