5th-12th Grade Favorite Pieces Anthology: RITA 2014

Favorite Pieces 5th-12th Grade River Islands Writing and Technology Workshop 2014

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Table of Contents

Alexia A. ........................................................................................................................................ 3

Armando S. .................................................................................................................................. 5

Bryant B. ....................................................................................................................................... 7

Celeste G. ..................................................................................................................................... 9

Chante W. ................................................................................................................................... 10

Charleen M. ............................................................................................................................... 14

Chianti G. ................................................................................................................................... 15

Christopher V. ........................................................................................................................... 19

Courtney-Jane L. ....................................................................................................................... 22

Cristina F. ................................................................................................................................... 24

Gen M. ......................................................................................................................................... 25

Gilberto D. .................................................................................................................................. 26

Haley S. ....................................................................................................................................... 29

Jared J. ......................................................................................................................................... 31

Jenna V. ....................................................................................................................................... 32

Josh V. .......................................................................................................................................... 33

Laisha S. ...................................................................................................................................... 37

Lillian O. ..................................................................................................................................... 39

Livleen K. .................................................................................................................................... 41

Luis R. ......................................................................................................................................... 44

Maria S. ....................................................................................................................................... 45

Olayinka B. ................................................................................................................................ 49

Oluwafemi B. ............................................................................................................................. 52

Oluwatomi B. ............................................................................................................................. 53

Omar S. ....................................................................................................................................... 54

Seth V. ......................................................................................................................................... 56

Steven W., Jr. .............................................................................................................................. 58

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Alexia A. Teens Are in No Rush to Drive

What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver’s license?

I think the reason fewer kids seek their drivers license is because families

now have two cars so parents can drive kids and they rely on their parents to drive them whenever and wherever they want. When teens get their drivers license it take 60 hours of practice with an adult. Back in the day, it would take them 6 hours. It takes longer now because people want teens to have more experience behind the wheel. Because of that, teens need to practice more hours. If you want to go to private driving school it will cost $300-$600.

Some teens are not ready to take the responsibility and some teens are. Some teens get their license at age 16. Some teens want to get a car so they can go to work at an early age. Some teens don’t want to get a car or a job but that’s their choice. Some teens see really cool cars but they can’t afford them. Their parents can’t afford them either and they have to earn more money or pay the rent. A lot of people need to pay rent so they don’t have money to pay the price of a new car.

There are a lot of nice cars that are really fancy. A lot of people have different taste in cars. When teens get a fancy car they will have to spend more money than they usually spend on a regular car. They also have to pay for gas and insurance. Some teens grow up and when they turn 18 years old, their parents say, “Go get your own car. I’m tired of driving you.” Other teens don’t want their parents to say, “Get your own car.” Sometimes teens go to the DMV to take a written and a driving test to get their driving license. Sometimes they don’t pass the test the first time so their parents have to practice with them and they have to make another appointment to try again. Maybe they will pass that time. That is when they get their drivers license but, sometimes it takes a long time. It can take 1-4 or more times. Some parents can punish their teens by taking away their driving license or they make their teen drive them or their siblings.

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Alexia A. The Boy Who Saved Drowning Girl

A 4 year old boy saw a 3 year old girl drowning and went to go save

her. He took a risk to save her life. The girl was drowning in the deep part of Woodland Springs development pool in Texas. The boy went to the deep just to save her life. She was ok when she got rescued, but he slipped to the bottom of the pool and fell into a coma he never come out of. The young boy’s name was Xander Bento. He saved her by pushing her up to the top until she could reach the surface. He was known as the “Angel of the Pool” to his parents. This is the picture of the boy that fell in a coma and the pool where it happened. They took him to Cook Children’s Medical Center, but 3 days later he died. The pool they almost drowned in was only 4ft 6in. The little girl was in fair condition from drinking the pool water. The boy was in terrible condition.

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Armando S. Introduction Presentation

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Armando S. Teens Are in No Rush to Drive

What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver's

licenses?

Fewer kids don’t want their licenses because they just want to play video games and they are lazy. They also don't want to waste their money on insurance. They will rather spend their money on video games.

I don’t want my driver’s license because it costs too much money. I might crash if I go too fast. If I go somewhere far away I can't go to sleep and I will really be sleepy. I am afraid I will go to jail and get a ticket. But if I had a car I will chose a Bugatti.

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Bryant B. Introduction Presentation

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Bryant B. Rights

Human rights. There are 30

of them. The first human right I would choose is number 7, all people are equal before the law. I Agree because you can be whoever you want to be with your own personality.I think that you should not be judged by the way look or how you act. I think that human right

number 25 , which states Food and Shelter for All is very important because

people all over the world need food. People that are homeless need food to survive.

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Celeste G. Introduction Presentation

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Chante W.

Teens Are in No Rush to Drive Are you eager to get your driver’s license? Turns out many teens don’t want to get them or just don’t have the time. Donna St. George states in her article that in 1988 only 44.7% of 16 year olds got their licenses. In 2008, only 6 years ago 30.7% of 16 year olds got their license. That is a major decrease in numbers! Now the question is why? Why have the numbers gone down? Why are teens showing less interest in getting their licenses? What has changed since all those years ago? From a website called US Today they show this: People who are too busy: People who prefer to ride a bike 18-19 years old= 56.6% or walk: 20-29 years old= 33.6% 18-19 years old= 24.2% 30-39 years old= 21.4% 20-29 years old= 19.6% 30-39 years old= 21.8% People who think its too expensive: 18-19 years old= 30.3% People who prefer public 20-29 years old= 31.8% transportation: 30-39 years old= 34% 18-19 years old= 9.6% 20-29 years old= 20.1% People who prefer a ride from others: 30-39 years old= 20.9% 18-19 years old= 40.4% 20-29 years old= 24.8% 30-39 years old= 28.2% For 18-19 year olds the biggest problem seems to be that they are too busy to get a license. That seems fair. Now and days the schools give more tests and assignments, plus, the work at home; chores, errands, and everyday things. Oddly, the same things go for 20-29 year olds. They also say that it is more expensive. Witch I can understand because usually around that time you go to college and that is really expensive for everybody. Maybe they have to spend all their money on college and have no money left for anything else. 30-39 year olds’ biggest problem is that its too expensive too. Wow! Again? It seems like being too busy and it costing too much are the top biggest reasons why people

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aren’t getting their license. Well I won’t speak for everybody but I think that’s my answer. Why are people not interested in getting their license anymore? The answer is because people are either busy or it is too expensive. My response to that is: I think that if they think they don’t have time they have to make time. Put priorities first. Learn how to say “No”. If you think it’s too expensive there is almost always a solution for that. Just ask for jobs, look around and see what you can do to make some extra bucks. With saying all that I think I’ll just wait till my time comes and make my decision later.

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Chante W.

The Angel in Water

He was a hero who gave his young life to

save another. His name was Xander Vento. He was only four years old when he saved a life. On Monday August 6th, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas Xander Vento went to Woodland Springs, a public swimming pool to take a dip in the shallow end. Quickly Xander noticed something odd. He spotted a 3-year old girl struggling to stay above water in the 4ft 6in deep end of the pool. Xander made a brave decision to dive in and save her. The boy supports her all the way to safety. Xander becomes too exhausted at the end and slips under the water. He was found in the bottom of the pool still alive. He wasn’t breathing and he was unconscious but he had a pulse. They brought him to the surface and he fell into a coma. They immediately took him to Cook Children’s Medical Center where the child was put on life support. His parents Chris and Misty Vento reported on thursday of that week, only three days after the incident that they would end poor Xander’s misery and take him off life support. Both parents were very upset. They told the media: “We have made the extremely difficult decision to remove our precious son Xander from life support,” the parents said in a statement. “We in some way hope our son’s life serves as an inspiration. He was the angel in the pool who sacrificed himself to save another. “And now he continues to give as an organ donor. We were blessed to have such a kind and caring boy as Xander, who set an example for all of us and even now he will be saving lives by giving of himself.”

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Chante W.

Why Do Children Lie, Cheat, or Steal?

Chances are by the time you’re 20 you have either lied, cheated, or stolen. As a human we have natural instincts to do something or to not do something, Conscience. Children these days are learning how to ignore their conscience. As children become careless the rate of teen crimes grow. Luckily, most teens grow out of these behaviors as they grow into an adult, but it’s better sooner than later.

Many parents have found it very difficult to manage their child when they have sort of an addiction to theft, or stealing, or even lying. Until the age about 3 children don’t understand the concept of lying, cheating, or stealing. The might take something thats not theirs or say they’re doing something that they’re not really, but they don’t know why it might be wrong. All you can do is tell them no and apologize to who ever the victim is. From the ages of 3-5 or 6 children can now understand what is wrong or right. They now know that those things are wrong, but they usually only lie about small things and as far as cheating and stealing goes it really just depends on the child. Some don’t and some do. The ages 6 and up children have a full understanding of things and that is when you should get a bit strict of that stuff but don’t over react.

Some children might lie because their scared or to satisfy their parents. Often children steal out of jealousy and cheat out of greed and to get revenge. The best thing to do when you hear that your child has either lied, cheated, or stolen is to first stay calm and don’t over react. Ask your child what their story is. It is always good to get both point of views. Then get an understanding of why they did it or what lead them to do it. Give them consequences and make them understand what was wrong that happened.

Over all just set a good example for your child. They learn best from their parents. No matter what your little girl or boy does they don’t hate you! <3

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Charleen M.

Teens Are In No Rush To Drive What new reason did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver’s licenses?

The reasons why fewer teens seek their driving license is because some teens don’t have to drive over to see their friends when they can just talk over the phone or text each other, I would think that, not to be lazy, it is a good idea to talk in person. Also, teens maybe don’t have

enough time for 60 hours of supervised driving with an adult, they may have practice for a

sport, or maybe in a club. Another is that the school may cost more money now, and families can’t afford to pay for the school of the test, so teens may feel that they can’t take the test. Teens may not want to take the responsibility. There are different things teens have to do then go to driving school, and can just ask their parents to drive them to places, like a store or a friends house, now that families have more than one car. The cars, gas, and car insurance may cost too much for the families. Some teens don’t have a job. Teens are also afraid of being hurt or in a injury when in a car crash. Many teens are afraid of taking the test because they think they might fail. Also, teens think that they don’t need to go outside, and they just can do their stuff at home, like eat and sleep. More teens think their education should come first before driving. Some teens just don’t care about their drivers license, and may just use public transportation instead. Some moms also say that there daughter or son is not driving because of anxiety. According to the article “Teens Are in No Rush to Drive”, in 2008, 30.7% of the 16 year olds got their driving license. But in 1988, 44.7% of the 16 year olds got their driving license. I agree that teens shouldn’t be in a rush for getting their driving license because of all the things that can happen.

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Chianti G.

Introduction Presentation

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Chianti G.

Teens Are In No Rush To Drive

What New Reasons Did You Discover For Why Fewer Kids Seek Their Driver’s License?

According to the Washington Post, “Driving is real important to a lot of the kids in the culture, but it is not the central focus like it was 25 years ago.” Why? Maybe it costs too much? Maybe teens are afraid to learn how to drive? Is it too much of a responsibility?

Studies show that 30.7 percent of 16 year olds got their licenses in 2008 compared to 44.7 percent in 1988. Our teacher showed how many teens now do not want to drive. Of course it did not match the studies’ percentages but I can visual it in big numbers. The drop was pretty big. The laws for getting a license has changed. To get your driver’s license you are required to drive 60 supervised practice hours with an adult and an additional 5 to 10 nighttime driving hours.

Most teens do not have enough money to purchase a car and the insurance and gas. “At the same time, drivers’ education has been cut back in some public schools, so families must scrounge up money- often $300 to $600- for private driving schools. Then there is car insurance and gas expenses that make driving too costly for some families and a stretch for others.”

There is so much social media and technology, teens no longer need a car to connect with their friends. “A generation consumed by Facebook and text messaging, by Xbox Live and smartphones, no longer needs to climb in a car to connect with friends.” I think that they are too lazy to get up drive. They are can text and call their friends.

Driving gives teens is a major responsibility. That’s true. You can’t be playing around on the road or you might get into an accident. You also have to follow the driving laws. You can’t talk or text on your phone while you are driving. So I think teens are maybe afraid that it is too big of a responsibility and that they are scared that they might get into a car accident.

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Christopher V.

Food and Shelter

What if we did not have the human rights to have food and shelter? What would happen to us? Everybody should have the right food and shelter because if we didn’t we would starve to death. We should all follow it because it is a commandment. Another thing if we did not have food and shelter the human race would collapse. Also we would have not be alive to this very day, we

would have been wiped out and extinct a long time ago. Because we did not have enough food and the criminals would have tried to take them away, but we don’t let them.

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Christopher V.

Eating Bugs as a Snack

Now that you have learned about insects

would I include them in my diet?

Yes, because we all need to try new things right so I think that I would include them in my diet. Another thing now that they are in my diet that I would try would be fried scorpion, fudge cricket, and last but not least is a carmel beatle. But some insects look beautiful but they're also quite dangerous. See this carnivorous plant is a butterfly just like us and they are eating them we should do the same because it is working for them may

work for us. But probably that is just my point of view. And this one article that I have read says that a great powerful army is going to come from the east and a lot of bugs come from the east.

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Christopher V.

The Future of Libraries

The modern, open space contains 48 desktop computers and a touch-screen checkout area. I do not think that that is accurate because then we will become lazy. Americans love libraries. In a recent Pew Research Center survey of 6,000 people ages 16 and older, 91% said that if the local public library were to close, that would have an impact on their community. I like libraries as well but, as we continue to grow in technology we will grow to lazy. I think as we advance in the future there will be books but, they will be mechanical librarians. Also I think that we will have

mechanical giant grabbing hands to get the books for us, and as we get lazier the higher the chances that we will evolve. Then as we get higher in technology we will have floating tablets and we can just pick the book we want.

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Courtney-Jane L.


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Courtney-Jane L.

Teens are in No Rush to Drive

According to the article “Teens are in no rush to drive” fewer teens seek their driver’s licenses because they have so many other things to do in the day like sports, lessons, and play dates. For example, my 18 year old sister couldn’t get her licenses as soon as she thought because she was caught up in all her homework and other activities. Another reason why teens are in no rush to drive is because teens are used to having their parents drive them. Personally I disagree, because I can’t wait to be able to drive. I’ll be able to help my parents, friends, and relatives and be able to make it less of a hassle for my parents. Another reason is that driving costs a lot of money. For example, families have to save up about $300 to $600 for private driving schools because education has been cut back in some other public schools, and the price of gas and insurance are increasing. Some parents are worried about their teens and don’t want them to start driving yet. Another reason is that driving takes a lot of responsibility and some teens aren’t ready to handle all of it. Teens may be aware that the dangers of driving are increasing or that the licenses requirements are tougher now. Back then other people didn’t have to take the test to get their license because it was a class they were required to do. This generation is mostly consumed by Facebook, text messaging, Xbox live, and smartphones. With all of these electronics teens no longer need to drive to their friends/relatives house to see them because they have face time. I think that’s why the number of teens who wanted to drive decreased from back then and now because back then teens didn’t have electronics to FaceTime each other, they had to drive to their house to see them. Some teens don’t want to get a license because they don’t have a car. They think that there’s no reason to have a license if they can’t drive. I think that it would be good to have a license in an emergency. What if that teens is the only one who can drive if an emergency occurs? Teens know that they can get their license if they took the test, but they don’t feel the urgency, and these are some reasons why teens are in no rush to drive.

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Cristina F.

Teens Are in No Rush to Drive Teens aren't getting their drivers license because they are expected to do so many things in the modern age. The days of messing around in school are over. Having free time and doing a sport or activity for fun is no longer a choice. You want to show colleges and others how much better you are than everyone else. That means more practices and more commitment that some teens just don't have time for. If you're in school, you need to get straight A’s in honors classes to even be considered for a worthwhile college. To greatly improve your chances of getting in, you need a whole bunch of extra credit activities, a ton of volunteer hours, as well as a few different clubs. Colleges also really like it if you did a couple sports. This is expected of students while also maintaining at least a 4.0 GPA or higher. It’s about priorities, as explained in Marianne Lavelle’s article, U.S. Teenagers Are Driving Much Less. “The top reason for putting off getting a license, cited by 37 percent of respondents, was far less lofty: "too busy or not enough time to get a driver's license." You can see why kids don't always have the time or energy to get their driver's license. If you have to choose between studying for a big test that is coming up that could make or break your semester grade or going for an hour’s drive for your license, you’re going to choose studying. Among other reasons that teens are in no rush is that kids just don't need to know how to drive. With the addition of two cars in the family and friends of driving age, it’s a pretty good bet that they could almost always find a ride if needed. Also, with improved public transportation in cities, children can just ride their bike or take the bus to their in-town destination. Many parents expect teens to focus on doing well in school in addition to getting their license. This is frustrating and difficult for teens. Kids will always want their driver licenses; they will just wait until they absolutely need it (before heading off to college) or until they have enough free time (during the summer). I think the amount of teen drivers who get their license on their 16th birthday will decrease because I predict the amount of school work will continue to increase. This will decrease how self-sufficient teens will be. This means parents will continue to drive their children around or children will have to continue to try to find a ride. Parents may be unhappy about driving students around because they don't understand why teens aren't getting their licenses. In previous generations, the amount of schoolwork was not as high and they had Driver’s Ed classes during their school day. Teens are rushing on to many other things that are more important. From school to sports, to clubs and volunteering, they really don't have time to rush to get their license because getting good grades in school takes priority over driving. Parents need to be more should understand the amount of activities teens are expected to do. Pressuring teens to get their license adds more stress and distracts them from focusing on their future.

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Gen M.


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Gilberto D.


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Gilberto D.

El Guamuchil

As I sprinted back up the numerous flights of stairs I knew that this was El Guamuchil. It had all started as I slowly got out of the truck exploding with excitement. I could hear all the splashes, and yells from the parking lot, and as I looked forward I saw a beautiful castle-like entrance with blue waves painted on the vibrant yellow walls. As I

looked around I noticed how beautiful it looked. Even the kids section with bright green

caterpillars and spotted mushrooms was enticing. It was beyond great and I wanted to go everywhere at once. The first slide I noticed was of course the tallest. The twin purple and yellow slides towering down in spirals was obviously the first we visited. As we climbed to the top of the numerous stories we saw each and every sparkling pool in surprising detail from the one on the farthest side with steep slides and the ordinary one near the restrooms jam-packed with people. Then we reached the top, shivering with cold and got into the slide in turns. As the youngest I naturally went last in and was extremely nervous. Never did I imagine why I would allow myself to be taunted into doing this. It was as simple as this: “Gil you coming!” yelled my dad “Yeah dad! Just a moment” I replied. I was THRILLED! It was easily the biggest slide I had ever been on. I was there. It was a big moment. This was important. It was a once in your life thing. Am I ready? Yes. But, could I do it? I don’t know this was- “C’mon Gil. What are you a chicken?” hollered my brother! Oh, no he didn't. Offended and knowing I was no chicken I screamed, “HECK NO!” and bolted head down onto the wildest ride of my life. It was amazing! The speed was incredible. I was flung past each and every turn with the water lashing me in the face over and over. But of course it had to end. At top speed I shot out of the slide and too fast for my dad’s hairy arms to catch me. I flew past and splashed face first into the water coming back up. Only one thought was on my mind “AGAIN!!!” As I sprinted back up the numerous flights of stairs, I knew that this was El Guamuchil.

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Gilberto D.

Teens Are in No Rush to Drive

Federal data has lately shown a curious drop in the number of teenagers getting their licenses, and I have written this to find out why. One reason I found for the lack of teens getting licenses is that driving classes in schools are being disbanded because of budget and there aren't as many public driving schools as they're used to be, so “families must scrounge up money” to pay for private schools. I also found this excerpt from an article posted on Stuff.co called “Kiwi teens turn off driving” by Kirsty Johnston. In the article she states “Growing numbers of of teens are refusing to get behind the wheel, because they think cars cost too much, they're worried they might drive into someone, or they just can't be bothered sitting their license.” This happens because if a teenager can just text or call a friend what would propel them to actually drive over and say it in person. Also with new activities like sports and studying for tests teenagers have to prioritize and choose what they do because there is only a certain amount of hours in the day.

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Haley S.


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Haley S.

The Two Most Important Rights

1. No slavery I think getting rid of slavery is important because nobody deserves to be a slave. Everyone should be treated kindly and respectfully. Getting rid of slavery is also important because it hurts to be whipped, crammed on a boat, taken away from your family, and sometimes the slaves die. It is cruel to put people into slavery and should not be done. 2. No torture I think getting rid of torture is important because it is cruel, mean, and rude. Getting rid of torture is also important because it could leave scars that you will have for life, it hurts, and it can happen to the smallest of kids. I hope it stops because I can’t even stand the thought of it happening to anyone.

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Jared J.


What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their drivers license? Sometimes they don’t want to pay the money for private schools.300$-600$. Also joy riding can cause a serious injury or death. Money ($$) can cause the person to lose their car. I believe that teens should wait for their license. ● If they want to get a good job and a good car lets just say for

instance a bugatti you would have to know how to work the shift

and if you do not BOOM!!! ● Should have more experience because it lowers the chance of you to

crash. ● Need to be able to drive safely because you won’t crash your car or

blow up your engine.

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Jenna V.

Schools Take Aim at Popular Flamin’ Cheetos

In the text, “Schools Take Aim at

Popular Flamin’,” ABC News informs us

about Flamin’ Hot Cheetos being a

health hazard to children and students

everywhere. The Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

can be addictive and you could get very,

very sick. The article provides the facts that

Hot Cheetos contain 26 grams of fat and a quarter of the amount of salt

that can be the amount of one day. It became so addicting that these kids

have made a video about Hot Cheetos and Takis.

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Josh V.


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Josh V.

Eating Bugs

Crickets and other insects are the key to solving world hunger. Raising

insects requires less grain per pound than beef or pigs. According to TED talks

Bug Eating Show mealworms have twice as much protein per square inch than

a side of beef. Also apparently in the United States we already eat large amounts

of insects in products such as chocolate peanut butter. In the ingredients section

of a processed foods, natural flavoring and natural dyes are used and these

ingredients are composed of beetle juice and parts. To help end world hunger,

developed countries also need to stop eating red meats, in developed countries

the population eats roughly 80 kilograms per person a year. In developing

countries the population eats roughly 25 kilograms per person on average a

year. However the latter’s statistics are likely to change. It is believed that in

developing countries within a few years the population would have a three

times increase in the need to consume meats. Because of the huge biological gap

between insects and mammals, it would be unlikely for insects to transfer

diseases to us. In conclusion the conversion factor between insects and

livestock, 10 kilograms of feed results in only one kilogram of beef, three

kilograms of pork and five kilograms of chicken. However 10 kilograms of feed

results in 9 kilograms of locust meat. I believe that people should be more

adventurous and start eating insects as an alternative protein source. Because

the more developed countries export large amounts of food to lesser countries,

if the populations of these developed countries begin eating insects they will

undoubtedly begin exporting insects to their clients. In addition, because it is

easier to raise large quantities of insects rather than livestock it will result in

more food for everybody. There’s no real reasoning why not to eat insects

except that westerners are afraid to try new things because in the western

culture, insects aren’t a common food item so they are skeptical.

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Josh V.

Processed Meats

The New York Times article “Not Grass-Fed, But at least Pain Free”

relates to the readers the cruelty and the horrors that happen in factory

farms. The article states that in these factory farms the cows are extremely

mistreated; they aren’t seen as animals but as milk and meat making

machines. The cattle are viewed as hunks of meat that they need to meet

their quotas. Whether the cows are in extreme pain or being abused is

irrelevant to the companies that just see it as profit. The conditions of the

cows are cruel as they live in cramped metal cages and the owners just

want to make the most amount of profit as quickly as possible. The cattle

are kept in cages and are herded into corrals where many die at the hands

of inexperienced workers using stun guns. Animal husbandry has been

morphed from the free range green farms that we think they are, to open

dirty yards that are packed with beasts. These packed yards hold all sorts

of animals; gestating animals, newborns, very old, and sick. All are kept in

the yards indiscriminately. Because for a cow to be used as food it doesn’t

have to be healthy or in good physical condition. The owners don’t need

to take the extra time to treat the animals well. According to the video “All

Jacked Up Slaughterhouses” the cows used to produce milk are forced to

make 10 times as much milk as they would in the wild. The solution is that

we should use all the undeveloped land in Central United States and turn

them into free range farms or at least farms with more room for livestock.

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Josh V.

Thai Giving Video

In the video, “Giving”, Tweentribune focuses on the fact that if you do a good deed such as give selflessly then you might be rewarded in the future. Tweentribune illustrates this because when the thief in the video needed the supplies for his sick mother he was caught, but the Giver paid for it so that the thief could help his mother. Thirty years later the Giver was rewarded because the thief that the Giver helped later became a doctor and when the Giver had to go to the emergency room the Doctor paid for all his medical expenses. What Tweentribune is trying to relate to us, is that we should all perform good deeds and expect nothing in return. A personal experience that I have would be when my brother really wanted to buy something and I gave him some of my money so he could buy it and told him that he wouldn’t have to pay me back.

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Laisha S.


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Laisha S.

Teens are in No Rush to Drive

What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver’s licenses?

Fewer kids seek their driver’s licenses because they may be scared.

The kids may be scared that they will not have enough money to get a car.

They want to drive a convertible but they don't have enough money. The

kids may be scared that they will fail the driver’s test. They will tell

themselves that the test will be scary because they may think they are not

ready to take it. I will get my drivers license when I am 21 years old

because I think I will be brave enough. When I am 16 I will be too young

to have a license and I think you should be like 20 or 21 years old. I think I

will be ready when I am 21 because I won’t be scared because I will be

ready to get my license. When I get my car I could drive wherever I want

and I could drive my mom and dad anywhere. I will be so happy when I

get my car and my family will be happy.

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Lillian O.


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Lillian O.

Thai Giving Commercial Response

In the video, “Thai Giving video number two” by Thai Life Insurance focuses on giving to others and not expecting or wanting anything in return. Within the video Thai Life Insurance shows, that giving and not expecting anything is really nice. For example, most people wouldn’t want to give their food to some strange dog. But, when the man did, after a while he gained a new pal.

Basically, Thai Life Insurance is saying giving is the right thing to do.

Don’t forget, why does this matter?

This matters because we all need to remember that when we give you should not expect anything in return because it is very rude.

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Livleen K.


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Luis R.


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Maria S.


What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver’s licenses?

I discovered, and already knew from my, and others point of view, why fewer teens want their licenses. In the article, “Teens Are in No Rush to Drive” it is said that this generation is consumed by social media, and that is true. In an internet article, (I know, I know, how typical it is of me to find a statistic about how many kids are on the internet, from the internet. Welcome to the 21st century) called, “59 Percent of Tiny Children Are On Social Media”, by Maggie Lange, most kids, despite the age restrictions, are signed up for Facebook, ages ranging from 8 years to 16 years old. When we were discussing this topic earlier in class, one of the students, (Josh Van Allen) said exactly what I was thinking: If teenagers have their license, their parents will have them do chores outside the house. Also, if teens have to pick up groceries, that means we will need to have money, and in order to get money, we will have to work, and if we work, we wont have time to be with friends or be on social media. If you have a car, you have to pay for the gas and insurance costs. Between gas money, insurance, shopping for the house, and auto repairs, we won’t have any money to go shopping for ourselves!!! We know very well that our parents won’t buy us that new video game or that cute t-shirt we saw at the store, we will have to pay for it ourselves!!!!! If this is what having a car is like, and I know it is, I can wait. I’ll just walk, ride my bike or skateboard, or hitch a ride with mom or my friends. I’m not ready for a car, I can’t even keep my room clean!! I’m not ready for a car.

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Maria S.

Human Rights

My two personal favorites are Freedom of Thought and Freedom of Expression.

I believe that people should be able to express their thoughts and feelings as any individual would. I do not think that it is acceptable to express meanness or cruelty. That is a completely different thing from expressing yourself; thoughts and actions. When you are told it is okay to express yourself, you are expected to do so kindly, not meanly. When it comes to speaking your mind, you should do so in a way that won’t hurt the other person’s feelings. Yes, everyone accidentally lets loose sometimes and you can’t really help that. We are only human. And humans should be free to express themselves freely. But that does not mean that discrimination is acceptable. Discrimination is not acceptable. If you discriminate, you will never know how smart or talented someone is. I think Albert Einstein is a good example for a serious case of discrimination. He looked liked the most mad scientist you have ever seen in your life!!!!!! But hey, he made the Theory of Relativity! He found out something that possibly no one else could have found. He was a genius!!! And he spoke his mind and expressed himself. That is a right every human should have. And I am very happy to say that we have those rights! ☺☺☺

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Maria S.

Lying, Cheating, and Stealing

In the article, ‘Lying, and Cheating, and Stealing, Oh My! Raising Honest Youth in a Dishonest World’ the journalist says that more and more people are lying, cheating, and stealing.

And the author mentions that kids could be learning these habits from TV, and other people around them.

Obviously, the majority of people around kids are adults so maybe adults are teaching kids this without even realizing that they are do so. In the article, the author tells parents to ask themselves these questions:

1. How honest am I and how often do I follow or play by the rules? 2. Has my child witnessed my dishonesty and, if so, what have I said/done

about this? 3. Do I hold double-standards for myself or other people or am I consistent? 4. Am I physically/emotionally attuned/available to my children or do I need

to improve this? 5. Do I put too much pressure on my kid(s) to get good grades, achieve, never

make mistakes? 6. When my kid(s) get in trouble or make a mistake or get a bad grade, how do I

react? 7. Do I convey unconditional love for my child(ren) or do I convey love only

when they behave?

And depending on how you answer these questions, shows how your child gets their honesty or dishonesty. You cannot control where all of these examples come from but you can control the examples that come from you.

The author also gives a list as to why break rules and take risks. Those reasons being: 1. Not proactively taught value of following rules/being careful/being honest 2. Had too many rules/too many cautions against taking risks (rebelled) 3. Witnessed rule breaking/risk taking by others (poor role-modeling) 4. Had own boundaries violated/was abused or betrayed 5. Was let down by authority/saw hypocrisy of authority 6. Peer pressure--broke rules to fit in and/or taught rules were made to be broken 7. Attention deficit/hyperactivity—easily distracted/restless 8. Narcissistic tendencies--rules don’t apply to me 9. Had to raise self; therefore, little respect for authority 10. Experience excitement, power, satisfaction from risks/rule-breaking

That is why people break rules, take risks, and lie. But why do people steal? Maybe because they can't afford it or someone keeps telling them they will buy/give something but they never do.

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In the article, the author interviews a lady whose son stole something.

“I asked my client why she thought her son stole the rope Her response was, “He said he stole it because I never buy him anything and always say no when he asks--which isn’t true.” I asked her why he might feel this way. She said that her son was probably missing his Dad who’d been working overtime the last several months and, also, because she had been saying “no” more recently given she wasn’t just shoplifting things for her kids. She also stated that her son had a substantial amount of money in the bank from inheritance and allowances he had saved and that he didn’t like to touch it.”

So is this why people steal? It’s one of the reasons. I’m sure there are many other reasons. But why do we feel the need to do something like, lie or cheat or steal? I don’t think I will ever understand why.

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Olayinka B.


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Olayinka B.

Insects

Do you want insect for your diet why or why not?

Once I ate an ant and tasted really good. I ate a grasshopper and it

tasted really nasty. I wish I could eat really healthy insects that taste really

good yummy. I want to eat a spider ones but maybe it taste good or bad. I

want to eat a cricket on taco, yogurt, burgers, pizza, ice cream, and other

food I want to eat. Which insect taste nasty? Maybe it is spider that taste

terrible and which insect taste really good I guess the cricket that taste

really really good. I want to fry a butterfly and eat it but first I have to

catch or buy a butterfly and next I have to fry a butterfly and now you

already fry a butterfly. Maybe when I grow bigger maybe I will eat insect.

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Olayinka B.


What reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver’s licenses?

Teens don’t want to get their drivers license because there are too tired and busy to take the drivers license test. If the teen passed the drivers license test they have to waste money to buy gas and go shopping for food for their mom. Teens are always busy because a lot of people do sports and lessons and play and other things. If you pass the test you may have to buy a car. It would be a lot of money to drive because you have to pay the car every month. When I grow up I will never want could crash. If I was 16 year old I would not take the drivers license test. I would be at home watching T.V and studying all day. I know one day I will learn how to drive.

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Oluwafemi B.


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Oluwatomi B.


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Omar S.


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Omar S.

Teens Are in No Rush to Drive What new reasons did you discover for why fewer kids seek their driver licenses?

One reason why fewer kids don’t want their driver licenses is because they want to play video games with their friends. Another reason they don't want a car is taking people around to places like the mail or store. They are not responsible.

I want a car because I can go to different places without my mom and dad. I don't want a car because I might speed, crash and get a ticket and go to sleep when I am driving .

I will get a car after I finish the University because I don't have to take school test and I can just take the driver’s test and I think am going to pass.

If you just concentrate on the driver test you can past because you are going to concentrate only on the drive test. If you are in school and you do the drive test you have to concentrate on the school test and drive test you are not going to pass.

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Seth V.


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Seth V.

I Have the Rights

I have the Right to choose what sport I want to play. I have the Right to play soccer. I have the Right to choose if I want to play Right, left, or center mid. I have the Right to play when I want to play. I have the Right to choose what

team I want to play for. I have the Right to go

to a different country like Portugal and Mexico. I have the Right to watch a movie or TV. I have the Right to go to school. I have the Right to choose my friends. I have all these Rights because I live in America and I’m glad.

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Steven W.


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Steven W.


I think teens are lazy, and they just use their parents as an excuse not to drive. Then they get lazy, and next thing you know, you have 21 years old who didn’t even get his or her license. They don’t want to be prepared for the driving life of paying for gas and having that responsibility to take their parents to work or take their siblings to school. If you drive now, it wouldn’t be as hard later on in life. You will mature more with driving your car and making the right decisions for yourself.

But driving at the age of 16 can be very dangerous. There are 217 teens who got in a car accident in California and throughout the US there were 2,739 teen crashes. All those crashes were caused by teenagers between the age of 16-19. The perfect age would be 21 because you make better choices as you get older. Teens text and drive, and then they drink and drive; so they make bad choices. Sometimes they don’t even have their license. It's like putting a kid behind the wheel! Parents should continue to drive their kids places until they are 21 which will make the safer.

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Steven W.

The Right to Education

In the USA, everyone has the rights to education and to better themselves in life. People go to school and become professionals in a certain area of work. Around the world, not everyone has rights for education and that's really important. In life, knowledge can unlock your world and make you a better and smarter person. As I watched a video, this girl moved from a different country and found a friend. The two girls were walking to school and the girl who had already lived in the US was disregarding the school. But the local girl never went to school, and she was happy to learn. Her friend asked her, “Did you have schools at your village?” Then she said, "No." This law is very important everyone should have a right to education.

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Steven W.

Food and Shelter for ALL

Food and shelter are important to everyone because people need food to survive in this world. You can’t keep on living if you don’t have any food. You might start to catch a disease or get sick without proper food. I think shelter is needed for everyone. People can’t live long in this world without shelter and food. If you don't have shelter, you can get beat up on the street then next thing you know you can get killed. Some people will try to take stuff from you, so many things can happen to you. It's just like living in the wild. These images I watched on a video made me feel disgusted! You can’t get your way out of watching it because this is reality; this is how life is in a world without water, food and shelter. The action people should take after watching this video is to have more places where more homeless people can stay asleep for the night and provide food for them.

5th-12th Grade Favorite Pieces Anthology: RITA 2014

Education

Transcript of 5th-12th Grade Favorite Pieces Anthology: RITA 2014