1. What Did You Learn Yesterday About Writing Thesis Statements? 2. What Do You Think Makes A Strong Introductory Paragraph?

    1. Yesterday, I learned that in a thesis statement you can't just say something is "awesome" and not go into detail on the things that make it  "awesome". Also your thesis has to be worth arguing about. What I mean by that is like when you give detailed facts on the things that make your subject "awesome", you have to argue about why they are awesome.

    2. A strong Introductory paragraph.....hmm, I am not very good at making introductory paragraphs. Actually, I was NEVER good at making introductory paragraphs! I'm not sure what makes a good intro. paragraph so I'm not sure how to answer this question.

How Would You Describe A Thesis Statement To Someone That Had Never Heard Of Them? What Do You Think Are Three Essential Elements Of A Strong Thesis Statement?

    I don't know how to describe a thesis statement to someone who has never heard of it before. I can't describe something to someone of I don't even know for sure what it is myself. I sort of know what a thesis is, but I can't explain it into words. I remember doing thesis statements in middle school for 5 paragraph essays, but that was a long time ago. Now that I am in the 11th grade, I cannot even sum it up to words. If you gave me a subject to write an essay on, You would probably see the thesis statement as like "The three best subjects in school are English, Science, and Art" or something like that. And if that's not a thesis statement, then I don't know what it is. At all.

Reflect On Your Project. What Are You Proud Of? What Would You Have Done Differently If You Had Infinite Time/Resources?

    I think Jaquel and I's project is looking good. The pictures are looking good, we were able to find quotes for the pictures, etc. I think it was more difficult to find some quotes form both the web and from the book. If we had more time, I think our video would have been longer. We could've found more pictures and maybe even add some background music if we wanted. I am still proud of our project because when we were first assigned the project, I thought it wasn't going to look this good (p.s. I also learned a little bit of how to work iMovie!!) and we actually took time and worked hard on it.

If A Genie Granted You Three Wishes, What Would You Wish For? You Can't Wish For More Wishes Or More Genies.

    If a genie granted me three wishes...hmm.... what would I wish for? I guess I would wish for being a little smarter, say, like, I would wish my IQ was 160. I would also wish for a time machine so I could go back in time and fix some things in my past (WAY in the past). My last wish would be to read people's minds. I don't know why I would want to read people's minds. I just always thought it was interesting and it would probably make me a better psychologist in the future.

How Does O'Brien Embrace Or Reject Binaries In The Things They Carried?

    I think he rejects the gender binary. When Mary came to visit she came to visit her boyfriend, looking all pretty and girly. Her boyfriend on the other hand is a soldier who fights in the war so he's all macho-man. It kind of changes in the book when Mary disappears and she comes back looking like she can cut you with a stick (a.k.a. she looks like a soldier, therefore manly).

Do You Trust Tim O'Brien (The Narrator, Not The Writer)? Why Or Why Not? Does Whether Or Not You Trust O'Brien Change The That You See His Stories?

    I really don't know at this point. In the beginning of the book, I believed him. As I am going through and reading more of the book, I kind of began to feel that he is not telling the truth, or at least all of it. Then again, there is a part of me that sort of still believes at least a part of what he says. The other half of me is kind of skeptical about what he says. I'll just keep reading the book and find out along the way because I'm kind of torn between believing and not trusting what he says.

What Do You Wish Someone Had Told You About School When You Were Little?

    School isn't all that's cracked up to be. I mean, educational wise, it's god (in some schools). But when you work with other people you don't know, it gets complicated. The other person might not want to compromise or want to do anything at all, but you want to do and finish the work. I wish someone would've told me that working with strangers was going to be difficult. I also wish someone would've told me that school was going to get difficult as you get older. I was never told that. I was just told to focus on the work I had at the time and do good on that.

What Is Courage? What Kinds Of People Have Courage?

    I think that courage is when you stand up for yourself and have the ability to say or do whatever you feel like saying or doing when you are in fear. Courage is kind of like having confidence in yourself while your in fear. Everyone has courage in them in some way. I don't think it's different kinds of people that have courage. Every person is different. Every person's situation/definition of courage is different, so they would approach it a different way than what I just said.

Is This Sort Of Exaggeration The Same As Lying? Where Do You Think O'Brien Has Done This In The Book So Far? Do You Believe Rat Kiley's Story About The Sweetheart Of The Song Tra Bong?

    It is kind of the same thing as lying. I mean, Rat might be telling some truth in his story, but I bet most of the stuff he says are just lies. I'm not sure where O'Brien has done this in the book so far. I don't completely believe Rat's story. In the book it says that "Rat had a reputation for exaggeration and overstatement" (O'Brien 89). So little parts in his story could be true, but most of the story could be made up, a.k.a. lies.

What's The Most Difficult Moral Dilemma You Have Ever Faced? How Did You Cope With The Situation?

    I don't think I have ever faced a moral dilemma. I am not quite sure what a moral dilemma is, but I have heard of it a couple times in my life. I don't even remember how it was used in a sentence, but I do remember hearing the word.