250 Group Experiance - 4

The group conference last Wednesday was a very beneficial step to put all our ideas and works together to draw our last project image. Everyone gave what he/she has briefly to relate it with what another member has. we discussed what each person job for this group project. We also set an appointment to record the video that we want to do for our website, and meeting to do our project.

250 Group Experiance - 3

Finding information relating to a problem is the key tool to solve it. For our issue, my job narrows to obtain statistics information about raptors collisions from different aspects. The sources I used included web-based journals and “Bird Study” book by N. L. Hodson. The information I found is number of raptors have been killed by automobiles, agricultural pesticides, and lighted communication towers, etc. I also found schedules involve to this issue such as where the accidents occurred, numbers of birds have been killed, summary of information on road causalities, and types of birds have been killed by these reasons.

From "A Sand County Almanac" by Aldo Leopold

What is the writer purpose? And who is the audience?
By reading the two chapters of the “A Sand County Almanac”, which are “Wisconsin” and “The land Ethic” we can conclude that Leopold in his writing tried to bring the reader’s attention to have a human conscience towards the use of land. From “Wisconsin” the writer wants to show what is pretty in nature to enjoy it. People in Wisconsin have the likability to the cranes. Moreover, the appreciation of the bird increases when people get to know its history. This is confirmed when Leopold talks about the Holy Roman Emperor and Kublai Khan in Page 267. In “The land Ethic”, the writer comes up with a new definition to the term ethic by relating a person’s relationship to the land, animals, and plants that live on it.
The audiences are general people living on this earth.
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250 Group Experience - 2

After few days we assigned what each member of the group should do. My job is to find statistics about our issue, which is the “raptor collisions.” Tasia is responsible about getting us an appointment with the clinic. Cynthia will take the care of doing the website that we are willing to do for our project. Rico and Walter are going to find more information about the problem from different sides and aspects. So, step by step we can all achieve our goal easily.

250 Group Experience - 1

From the first day of assigning our group members I really felt excited about this type of project. Generally, when a group comprises many members, it is more likely to have one bad apple in the group, but so far I find that all members share comparable enthusiasm toward this project and we all want to get accomplish top-notch work

A Bad Apple__Group Experiance

Blog Post: Have you ever been in a group with a bad apple? How might you deal with a bad apple? Is there another kind of bad apple that the podcast did not mention?

I have worked with a group for CE 205 project for doing a bridge proposal. I found this activity is very useful way to help students communicate with each other, but at the same time it had some negative parts that came from the existing of a bad apple in the group.

Dealing with a bad apple is a very hard thing. For the CE group project we had The Slacker who always say "whatever", and "I really don't care." We dealt with that bad apple by having a good leadership, who always tried to get everyone’s idea and set the best decision at the end of our conversations. I think good leadership, inspiring leadership can turn most 'bad apples' into 'good apples'.

In-Class Group Exercise

I used to work with a group for CE 205 project for doing bridge proposal. I found it very useful, but at the same time it has some negatives. The advantages were covering the disadvantages most of the time. The group project helped me to have good communication skills, to respect the meetings, and to be more organize.

On the other hand, the disadvantages were coming from the group member actions such as being late, not replying emails, and delaying in sending the information that we suppose to gather.

Personal Responce of Wendell Berry Pieces

Wendell Berry performs similar intent in both pieces “Manifesto” and “Marginal.” His intent is to bring people eyes toward the beauty of life by its simplicity instead of the modern chains. This was confirmed when Berry said in his poem “Love the lord. Love the world. Work for nothing. Take all that you have and be poor.” He also brings the same manner in the “Marginal” piece, when he showed how beautiful the life would be if farmers try using natural things. For example, using horses instead of tractors and using woods instead of petrol for burning-stove.

In contrary, the writer used very significant way in order to deliver his message to the readers. He encourages them by showing the beauty of doing something natural and simple instead of just punch suggestions in the table and wants people to do them.

Things I do for the enviroment

I used to print on one face of a paper when printing papers for the university's staffs such as assignments, exams, and quizzes. But now I am using the two faces of the paper, which this helps to save more papers and makes our planet more green. Moreover, when printing papers I use "fast draft printing," which also helps to save ink.

Personal Responce

Read emailed article. Write a personal response on your blog (as opposed to a critical response).

The article is well rounded. I like the concept, which said "Your Actions Make A Difference" because this type of thinking could affect our decision making in our life. It could help to make the life has different face and shape. For example, improving the relation between individuals and social structure, helping open people's eyes towards people that have bad situations, and making a person understand the important of our planet and environment.

In accord, “Turning Insights Into Actions” concept brought my attention toward the whole idea of the article, which is donating money, or time for helping poor societies and make the world better place to live. It helps me to think positively and deeply in each step I make for the earth without caring if my action will be distinguished or not.

Personal Mission Statement

I am at my best when the peace covered the world.
I will enjoy my work when it has a hand in making the world better.
I will find enjoyment in my personal life through looking at the beauty of nature, and the environment around me.
I will find opportunities to use my natural talents and gifts such as sports and being a friend.
I can do anything I set my mind to. I will donate whatever I got for poor people.
My life's journey is to spread the idea of peace in people head and bring them to the truth of what god wants us to be.

I will stop procrastinating and start working on:
• Protesting against wars.
• Participating in an organization that helps to make our planet green.

I will strive to incorporate the following attributes into my life:
• strong patient
• determination and insisting
• goodness

I will constantly renew myself by focusing on the four dimensions of my life:
• Working in an organization
• Love the god
• Have the desires
• Helping people to live a better life

Analyze Carson's piece using one of the rhetorical strategies: "Silent Spring"

Blog: Analyze Carson's piece using one of the rhetorical strategies listed on the worksheet.

Rachel Chris reflects a very important issue at her time. She fully succeeds in supporting her substance. The solid substance has a plethora of evidence and facts to connect them with the main subject. Chris used facts, numbers, and different regions as materials to reveal her knowledge about the subject, which is the DDT.

Using these evidence helps to create concrete examples to appeal logos. For instance, at the beginning of her text she limit he talking only on eagles, and she gave a lot of numbers about the inclining of the number of birds on the western coast of Florida. Then, she presents the same sort of situation in other birds. She also brings the same situation in different places in the word such as Belgium and England. All this evidence is to confirm her rightness toward the DDT and to show that we “Earth Citizens” all have same destiny and connected together.

Reading Like a Writer: "A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf" by John Muir.

Question: How does the writer structure the essay and to what effect?

The writer starts with a small terrifying story of his experience with the alligator. Using fierce and cruel at the beginning of the story has the effect to give the reader bad ideas about the alligators and other creatures.

The writer used some questions such as “Why do so many minerals poison him? Why does water drown its lord? Why is the lord of creation subjected to the same laws of life as his subject?” and so on. This assesses higher order or critical thinking. It also can evaluate student thinking and give them more concepts.

Reading Like a Writer: "Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks" by Edward Abbey

Question: Break the piece down paragraph by paragraph. How does each piece act as a “building block”? How does the writer create dramatic tension or interest through these building blocks?

The text is divided into 5 main blocks. Each block has its unique context and content, which lead to a dramatic tension and interest. It is also a form of completion to the blocks that come after. The first block is a describing of Edward’s job with every small detail. It gives a general idea of what the subject of the text is going to be about. The second block is when Edward introduced the problem between “Industrial Tourism” and the national parks by starting with civil engineers came to build new roads and destroy the nature of the national park. Using this block perfectly shows the relation between the governments and the officials in the national parks. Examples of national parks that were destroyed by building highways, interrupting places by large asphalt parking lots, and doing new roads are the main topic of the third block. It reflects what has happened in these particular parks with unnecessary and destructive development. Fourthly, he talks about how people should use their feet, ride bicycles, horses, and how to break the chains of modern life. The way he explains this concept by showing how fun a person can be when using this kind of transportation builds the whole idea revolves in the mind of author. Finally, the fifth block consists of give some practical proposals for the salvation of both parks and people to solve the problem.

Reading Like a Writer: "A First American Views His Land" by N. Scott Momaday

Question: How does the writer structure the essay and to what effect?

The writer used very special techniques to develop his text. In my opinion, “A first American Views His Land” by Momaday is a model of an interesting excerpt mixed between actual text and poems. Using some specific poems, which relate to the subject play very important part to make the text more interesting to read. It also helps to bring readers attention for reading.

Moreover, I agree with the student who said in the class that reading the poems in Momaday’s text in different rhythm and way gives the poems different meaning.

Thoreau/McCandless Questions

Thoreau compared many things in nature on his simple way of life. The relation between Thoreau and McCandless was very obvious. Both Thoreau and McCandless revealed the relation between the environments around us and our souls and how beautiful the nature is. Also, they showed the simplicity of life and the beauty of nature if people implied it to their daily life and know how to use it.

People know themselves better than anyone else, so consequently when you paint your own house, that you built with your own hands, the same color as you, you know your own house’s personality. When it rains, the house becomes pale, just as you become pale when it rains, and when it shines, your house blushes, just as you turn red in the hot sun. That was very understandable when Thoreau said “One man says, in his despair or indifference to life, take up a handful of the earth at your feet, and paint your house that color.” He also added “Better paint your house your own complexion; let it turn pale or blush for you.”

Thoreau’s work might have enlightened McCandless in the idea of that everyone should do something in their life instead of “sitting in their butts”. We can get this when Thoreau metamorphisized the cuckoo birds with how people today buy houses, in which they do not contribute to any of the house’s architecture and they just live in it.

Imitation Poem of What Was The First Sound

A seven-month-old child,
one of the lucky ones,
born outside Kuwait.

This tale has enlightened me,
for the past two decades.

Everything was black and white,
and all shades of grey.

As if I stepped into “Singing in The Rain”,
but it was raining burning oil and ash,
days turned into nights.

Music can be heard,
the instruments were guns and tanks.


This is describing the 1990 Gulf War, which has influenced Kuwaitis around the world. This happened to my family and me when I was only less than a year old.

Reading Like a Writer: Blood Dazzler

Assignment for May 24th
From Patricia Smith's Blood Dazzler

Question: Find specific examples of abstract (ideas and concepts) and concrete (specific details, sensory, implications) language. What are the effects?

Through out the first half of Blood Dazzler, Patricia gives plenty of poems, which all related to one subject that is Katrina Hurricane. She is kind making daily experiences for Katrina with different aspects and examples of abstracts. Patricia Smith Blood Dazzler chronicles the human, physical and emotional toll exacted by Hurricane Katrina that has lasting spiritual and political impact.

Blood dazzler has some abstracts about the Hurricane Katrina. For example, in the Won’t Be But A Minute poem, she gives the concept of (fear) that New Orleans people had. Also, the idea and descriptions of the moment of horror, and how everyone just wants to get him or herself out of the disaster by leaving the dog tied to the cypress. That indicated when she says “You heard the man, he said go, and you know white folks don’t warn us ‘bout nothing unless they scared too.”

In addition, in Only Everything I Own poem, from its title it kind gives us the introduction and the implication at the same time of that poem. She talks in short sentences. Also, nearly every sentence ends with comma or Punctuation. This kind of tool she uses to make sensory language and emphasize her emotions about her house and beauty of it, and how it was everything in her life even the cobwebs.

Three 50- word "snapshots"

Snapshot 1
There was a soccer match being held in the heart of London. The stadium looked very bright and I could hear the screaming of the fans from everywhere, one of them shouting, “SHOOT!” and another screaming, “PASS!” But later on, a loud whistle sound came from the referee to end the match because of freezing temperatures and heavy snow.
Snapshot 2
Cold icy weather, white sand (snow), a lonely tree in the middle of that snowy dessert, a long day after school, and the weather makes me want to jump on my overly-sized cradle. This is my situation everyday when I am done with my classes in spring semester.
Snapshot3
The time is passing hurriedly. I could not keep up with the seconds. I wish I had the power to stop the time and stay more. This is the moment when I was in the airport with my friends and family waiting for my flight to come to the U.S.

Reading Like a Writer: "The Summer Day" by Mary Oliver

Question: What are the major themes in this piece? Are there any minor themes as well? Is there any kind of “subtext” in this essay? What kinds of murmurs run below the surface?

The poet gives fairly straight forward idea about that every organism will die at last. He starts with saying “Who made the world? Who made the swan, and the black bear?” then he talks about the grasshopper in details such as how it flies, how it moves its jaws back and forth, and how it snaps its wings open, and floats away. I believe he uses that tool of giving details about the grasshopper to show the similarities of the way of life between the grasshopper and the human.

He uses subtext to support his poem and make it more interesting. For instance, after he finished giving details about the grasshopper he starts to bring the idea of living and dying to the human being by the use of talking about himself “which is what I have been doing all day. Tell me, what else should I have done?” Next, the poet brings the readers to the truth of death at any time without expecting the death even to knock your door. This indicated when he says “Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me what is it you plan to do with your one wild precious life?

Map Assignment

I chose this map because it was a tool that I utilized on a day-to-day basis for a significant period of my life. I used to study in London, England and this map was my guide to go from one place to another. This map is a schematic diagram representing the lines and stations of London’s rapid transit rail system “The London Underground.”

The map is not a geographic map, so it only shows the positions of stations with their names and the relative connection between them. The lines are labeled with different colors, which help the users of the underground to easily transfer and know which direction or path to take. This basic map design has been extensively adopted for other transportation maps around the world.

I would like to present this map differently by showing a small image of one landmark or tourist attraction within walking distance from each station. For instance, putting a small picture of London Bridge for London bridge station, for Piccadilly Circus, a picture of Eros Statue, and so on. Having a picture of a landmark or tourist attraction for each station would make it easier for underground users to find their destination and therefore, save time. This would be beneficial for both tourists and citizens of London.

Reading Like a Writer: The Ninemile Wolves

Question: What specific details stay in your mind? Why? How do these small details lead to larger ideas?

A detail that Rick Bass described was the brutality of wolves at the beginning of his writing, how he pictured the way of their killing to their prey such as deer, elks, and cows. For example, he said “that the dear or moose calf, or young dumb elk is still warm (steam rising from the belly as that part which contains the entrails is opened first), is now dead, or dying.” He also said “they eat everything, when they kill, even the snow that soaks up the blood,” and his more description in the second paragraph on page 761.
How these small details leaded to larger ideas are that they demonstrated that he is with the people who are “against” wolves, but after reading the subject we discovered that he is actually with the people who are “for” wolves and that confirmed when he said “not just ranchers and wolf-lovers are following them, but men and women in suits-politicians, and worse-and scientists, too, with all sorts of drugs and needles and electrical equipment” etc. Furthermore, by using this tool, Bass wanted to clarify how people can see that kind of violence by wolves are very dreadful, without looking at themselves first. Also, he wanted to point out that this is a lifecycle can happen between any organisms to save the balance on earth.

100 Words Photograph

I have chosen "A dead bird", number 54.

I see it laying on the ground with its feathers covered in oil. I see it struggling with the waves crashing behind it with the black sand caused by the oil spill off in Santa Barbara. Its dead body burning by the heavy mid-day sun. Behind it lays in the horizon a wooden harbor with the ocean, polluted with oil, around it. My heart aches from the scene in front of me. Pollution is like a fire in the middle of a forest, it kills everything that it touches, even this innocent bird.

Reading Like a Writer: From Refuge: An Unnatural History of Family and place

Question: Break the piece down paragraph by paragraph (or section by section). How does each piece act as a "Building Blocks"? How does the writer create dramatic tension or interest through these building blocks?

The sections are well organized by the writer, but at the same time I think she takes so many sentences and paragraphs to explain the object of her subject. For instance, at the beginning of her writing, she talks about the Great Salt Lake and gives a lot of information about it; she explains the location of the Great Salt Lake with all its details, its features, and the environmental affects that act on the lake. In my opinion, that kind of descriptions could make the context a little bit boring. After that, she clarifies the image of the River Migratory Bird Refuge and birds that this refuge contains. She talks about the refuge and how the rising waters of Great Salt Lake can destroy this refuge.

The writer creates dramatic interest through these building blocks by using dialogs. I think these dialogs have the great outcomes to make the writing interesting and can bring the readers attentions.