Isabella's English Blog

  Prompt Response:   When something stays on your mind for a long time, how do you typically deal with it? What helps you move forward? Usually when something stays on my mind for too long, I like to talk to someone about it. I always look for comfort in other people and ask for advice to help me get over it. If that isn’t an option, I listen to music to try and help me calm down. Summary: Today in class, we read chapter 12 of Into the Wild Reflection:  Today I got to listen to different answers to connect questions.

Prompt Response:   The movie makes Chris’s journey feel more justified because the beautiful scenery and emotional music make his rebellion look like a mission to find himself. You see his pain in close ups, which makes you sympathize with his journey against his parents. On the other hand, the book makes him seem more reckless because it reads like a factual investigation without the cinematic distractions, you focus more on his lack of a map, his anger in Chapter 11, and the experts who thought he was unprepared. The film uses emotion to make him look like a brave explorer, while the writing uses logic to show a kid who was in over his head. Summary: Today in class we watched the first 40 minutes of the film version of Into the Wild. Reflection:  Today I got a different perspective of Chris’s journey.

Prompt Response:  Growing up, you realize your parents aren't these perfect superheroes. They’re just regular people who mess up. When Chris found out his dad had this whole secret double life and another family while he was growing up, he didn't just see it as a mistake. He saw his entire childhood as a lie. While most people eventually just "deal" with their parents being messy, Chris’s black and white personality couldn't handle the hypocrisy. It shifted his perspective from "my dad is annoying" to "my family is fake," which is a huge reason why he ditched everything to find something "real" in the wild. Summary: Today in class we read chapter 11 of Into the Wild. Reflection: Today I learned about what changed Chris’s perspective of his family.

 Prompt Response:  The chapter that stood out to me the most was Chapter 3. This chapter focuses on Chris’s time in Carthage, South Dakota, where he works for Wayne Westerberg. What made this chapter meaningful was seeing a different side of Chris. Instead of just being a wanderer, he forms real connections with people who care about him.  I found it interesting that even though Chris values independence, he still builds relationships and leaves a strong impression on others. Westerberg and the people around him respected his work ethic and personality, which shows that Chris wasn’t trying to reject people completely. He really just wanted freedom. Summary: Today in class we took a test on chapters 1-10 of Into the Wild. Reflection: Today I learned how to answer questions about the book.

 Prompt Response: At the moment,  I think of success as doing well in school, getting good grades, and working toward college. Achievements like passing classes, improving skills, and reaching goals feel important because they show progress and open up future opportunities. At the same time, I also see success as being happy and feeling proud of what I accomplish.  A lot of these ideas come from school, family, and society. Teachers emphasize grades and performance, and there is always talk about college and future careers. Family expectations and what I see others doing also shape how I think about success. Summary: Today in class we read chapters 9 and 10 of Into the Wild. Reflection: Today I learned how to make connections with the book we are reading.

Prompt Response:  Chris chooses independence over relationships because he wants freedom and to discover himself. There was a time when I decided to handle a challenge on my own instead of asking for help. I wanted to prove that I could do it independently. At first, it was difficult and stressful, but I learned a lot about my own strengths and abilities. In the end, I was proud of myself for not giving up. Summary: Today in class, we read chapter 8 of Into the Wild. Reflection: Today I learned how to create my own critical thinking questions.

 Prompt Response:  The word   luminous   stands out to me because it means shining or full of light. To me, it represents positivity and hope.  I think of moments when someone’s kindness or a simple smile can brighten a bad day. Those small actions feel “luminous” because they bring light into dark situations.  This word reminds me to be a light for others and to stay positive, even when things are difficult. Summary: Today in class we did an assignment with new vocabulary words. Reflection: Today in class I learned a new set of vocabulary words.

Prompt Response:  My desired SAT score is anything between a 1150 and above. My top three colleges are UGA, Emory, and KSU. These schools appeal to me because I want to major in biology. I want to pursue a medical or a science-based career so these schools really appeal to me, especially Emory. Summary: Absent Reflection:  Absent  

Prompt Response: Personally, I find it harder to adjust when we lose an hour during the spring. The nights are a lot shorter so I'm never really sure when to sleep, especially when it's 8 PM outside and still really bright. The days always feel so much longer but I definitely feel more motivated than in the winter time. I feel like I get more time to do assignments now then I did before because I don't get as tired as fast anymore. Summary: Today in class we read chapter 5 of Into the Wild and did a 3-2-1 assignment. Reflection: Today in class I learned more about Chris McCandless' story.

Prompt Response:  I think Drake's music has influenced the way I think. His music often focuses on how personal growth affects old friendships and family ties. He shows that you can be at the top of your game while still feeling lonely or lonely. It also teaches that as you move toward your goals, the internal weather of your life changes, which requires constant reflection. Summary : Today in class we read chapter 4 of Into the Wild. Reflection: Today I learned more about Chris McCandless’ journey.

Prompt Response:  If I had to pull a Chris McCandless and simplify my life to the bare essentials, I’d keep a good pair of hiking boots, clothes, and food. These items cover the basics: I’d have a way to move, clothing to change whenever I got dirty, and food to give me energy and keep me physically stable. The hardest thing to leave behind would definitely be my phone. Summary: Today in class we worked on a writable assignment. Reflection: Today I learned how Chris McCandless started his journey without any belongings.

Prompt Response:   Last semester, I realized how I was basically doing whatever my friends did and not my own thing. I was constantly surrounded by my main friend group. I started to notice that I was just agreeing with whatever they said and doing whatever they wanted to do. I felt like I was losing my own personality just to fit in. I finally decided to take a break from the constant group chats and weekend plans for a few weeks to just focus on my own thing. I realized how much I actually enjoy being alone. Summary: Today in class we worked on a word sheet related to the book we are reading. Reflection:  Today I learned how to connect certain themes to events in a book.

Prompt Response:   Working on my Vocabulary Digital Cards in Adobe Express today helped me get a much better handle on my new terms. The word  culpable  was the easiest for me to understand because it’s easy to picture someone being "at fault.” On the other hand,  corroborate  was the most challenging word to grasp because it’s a more technical, formal term for supporting a claim. Summary: Absent Reflection:  Absent

Prompt Response:  After reading Chapter 1 of Into the Wild, my first impression of Christopher McCandless is that he might be mentally unstable or he could be running away from something. In the book he told Gallien that he was missing a lot of things, which in my opinion are VERY important for hiking, especially alone. He was going wherever the wind took him and honestly that's something a lot of people, who run away, do. He clearly didn't understand the risks if he wasn't fully prepared and thought he could just live off the land. He asked what there might've been to eat or the kind of animals in the area. That's something you should already know before. Summary: Today in class we started reading a book. Reflection:  Today in class we learned about the essentials we need to hike and the safeties to hike.

  Prompt Response :  After viewing my classmates’ digital posters and reading the feedback on my own, I gained a new appreciation for how differently people can approach the same assignment. Even though we all had similar guidelines, everyone’s creative choices such as color schemes, layouts, images, and wording were unique. Seeing their work helped me realize that there isn’t just one “right” way to communicate an idea.   Summary : Absent Reflection : Absent

Prom Response:  When I completed the simile and metaphor worksheet, the topic that challenged me the most was describing anxiety using figurative language. It was difficult because anxiety is more of a feeling than something you can see or touch. With other topics, like weather or sports, it was easier to compare them to something concrete. For example, comparing it to a cloudy sky feels natural. Summary : Today in class we worked on a project Reflection : Today I used the metaphors and similes in created to create a project

Prompt Response:  During my break, I focused on spending quality time with my family and giving myself a chance to rest before returning to school.  I also spent time outdoors. The weather was pretty nice and warm. I made an effort to go on daily walks around my neighborhood. It gave me time to think, listen to music, and take a break from screens. Summary: Today in class we read a poem by Maya Angelou Reflection: Today I learned how to identify metaphors and similes in the poem ‘Still I Rise.’

Prompt Response:   Writing similes and metaphors about my struggles, growth, and resilience actually helped me understand myself better. When I compared my challenges to things like storms or climbing a mountain, I realized that the hard times I’ve been through didn’t break me. They made me stronger. Putting my feelings into figurative language made them easier to talk about, because it felt less direct but still honest. It also made me think more deeply about how much I’ve grown over time. Summary : Today in class we compared our struggles to metaphors and similes. Reflection : Today I learned how to compare my struggles to metaphors and similes