Flash Fiction, Tsunamis, and the Rhetoric Triangle! LL #8

Pre-Algebra:

This week I did a couple lessons of Mr. D. Math on multiplying and dividing integers. I got a B- on my Chapter 2 Test. I also printed off my "course work" (the worksheets I do as I watch the video for each lesson) for the next two chapters.

Creative Writing:

This week we worked on writing our opening scenes. We talked about what we needed to include there, such as our character's flaw or flaws. We also discussed book genres and "flash fiction." Flash fiction is a whole story summed up in a couple sentences. This leaves a lot to the reader's imagination, as you can imagine. Get it? Some flash fiction we read:

"baby shoes for sale, never used."

"She read about diseases she did not have until the eyestrain made her blind."

And here's a flash fiction prompt the teacher gave us:

Julie looked out the window and caught the whiff of sulfur.

By the way, sulfur is the smell of a volcano, factory, rotten eggs, and dragon (if dragons were real).

Here's a flash fiction I wrote:

Julie looked out the window and caught the whiff of sulfur. that was the last think she experienced before the discovered what color a dragon's stomach is.

Here's some flash fiction from the other students:

She walked into the window to the smell of cooking fish. The house was on fire and she was a fish.

By the way, the smell of cooking fish is usually someone cooking fish or an electrical fire. One of the students was going to write about an electrical fire, but she either didn't or didn't share or didn't finish.

It was very fun!

Social Studies:

This week I learned about Ancient Africa. I learned the Sahara Desert used to be a green, fertile place. Archeologists know this because they found pollen, seeds, and animal bones (from animals that can't survive in deserts) in the sands of the desert. I also made some yummy banana date bars, because the people of Ancient Africa ate dates and plantains. Plantains are similar to bananas.

This week I also learned something that doesn't make sense. In my Writing For Publication class, I'm learning that Nubia invaded Egypt, and how that went, and so and so. However, I learned in Story of The World that EGYPT invaded NUBIA, and so and so. What? I know my teacher is a good source, because her husband is a skilled search engine user, and knows a bunch of tips and tricks for finding correct information. And Story of The World is my history book. Which is correct? None of them?

I can't wait until my class next week, when I can bring it up and figure out who is right. We're going to be sending a letter to some archeologists, and they should be able to figure out what is correct and what is wrong!

Tech (Exploring Technology):

This week I learned about tsunamis. I learned that "tsunami" means "harbor wave." A tsunami is created by an underwater earthquake or volcanic eruption. The energy from either of the two displaces the water and pushes it toward shore. You often don't see a tsunami until it's near the shore. This is because the water is less deep here, and there's not room for it to go out, so it goes up. Tsunamis are very destructive. My Minecraft assignment this week was to create a beach house after a tsunami hit it. (I would have taken a screenshot of the house before I destroyed it, but I forgot.)

Here is my very destroyed beach house. In the background, you can see the tsunami going to destroy some other house. There is also lots of flooding, driftwood, and fish on the ground.

Inside of the house: a broken loft, lots of holes, and a LOT of water.

A better view of the debris on the beach- fish, driftwood, piles of sand, toppled lanterns, and in even some leather boots. Ha ha.

A better view of the tsunami- I spent a lot of time on it. It's not made of water, because I couldn't shape the water I wanted to, so instead it's made of a blue block in Minecraft called Lapis Lazuli.

Elective (Writing For Publication):

This week I learned about the word Rhetoric, which means "persuasion." I learned about the Rhetoric triangle:

                                                                         /\

                                                                        /  \

                                                                      /      \

                                                                     /        \

                                                         Logos /           \  Pathos

                                                                  /              \

                                                                 /________\

                                                                     Ethos

Each side of the triangle means a different part of persuasion. "Logos" means "reasoning, thinking, and logic". "Pathos" means "passion and feelings". "Ethos" means "honor, responsibility, and ethics". Some people are persuaded by the person's passion, some by responsibility of the person, and some by logic. Some are persuaded by nothing. Apparently. By my experience.

I also got the Wi-Fi password for the building and researched some more about my magazine pages. I'm learning a lot. I love my classes.