Reading Is For Awesome People

          “Suffering has been stronger than all other teaching, and has taught me to understand what your heart used to be. I have been bent and broken, but - I hope - into a better shape.” Written by Charles Dickens in his famous book, Great Expectations, this quote has such depth, such a great moral. It was written in the 1860’s, over one hundred years ago, in a book about a young orphan coming of age. It was published as a serial in the newspaper All the Year Round from December of 1860 to August of 1861. The book, although apparently unimaginably difficult to plan week to week, kept fans extremely excited to read what came next, keeping them in suspense and leaving them wanting more like popular weekly television shows today. Published in the same way that the famous Sherlock Holmes installments by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle were released, the All The Year Round earned Dickens and the paper lots of money and buyers in the year that book was distributed. Here is another quote by a hugely popular author today. “Mr. Moony presents his compliments to Professor Snape, and begs him to keep his abnormally large nose out of other people's business. Mr. Prongs agrees with Mr. I, and would like to add that Professor Snape is an ugly git. Mr. Padfoot would like to register his astonishment that an idiot like that ever became a professor. Mr. Wormtail bids Professor Snape good day, and advises him to wash his hair, the slimeball.”
Now this, written by J.K. Rowling, author of the equally, if not not more famous Harry Potter series, is magically written on a piece of paper to offend a teacher of the namesake of the series. This boy is also a young orphan who is coming of age, but the way his story is told is much more modern, and more magical, than that of books written in the 1800’s. As you can see, it is not as deep as the previous quote, and definitely does not have the same moral. Although these are just examples of quotes in literature from long ago to now, it seems pretty obvious that way back when, literature and writing was taken a little more seriously than it is today. Now I’m not saying that today there are no serious books with important messages that old college professors make their students read, because there definitely are. I am just saying that today, more so than in the 1800’s, there are more books that all ages enjoy, some created for children, like picture books, and others made for young adults, like the ever popular Hunger Games series. Books and stories have come a long way, from being spoken and memorized, to being written over and over again by hand, to being printed in mass production companies. Now, most people have even started reading of things on a screen, computer, phone,or tablet, like you might even be doing now! From the first pieces of literature, like the Epic of Gilgamesh, to the works of Shakespeare, to the Brothers Grimm, to Twilight, stories haven’t stopped coming yet, and hopefully will keep on coming until the last pencil breaks.

Sources:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpZOOsSq1sjx68uJQKUH0x23WWe6xBS_CPqHxI04Pws4VJueHIF0bWGBHk8azMvNVKVAWkEB_lxmQXYyzf6vgeStb74lx3VIFcFE_r05EndUbBKXej49PAIdk8OhvADM07V6qzq4Mf1YCs/s1600/great_expectations_by_charles_dickens.jpg

http://whatanerdgirlsays.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/harry-potter-books-LARGE.jpg
http://www.feistees.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/rdsxy.jpg

http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/2612809-great-expectations
https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/tag/harry-potter
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Expectations#In_periodicals
Paul
my parents


Here is the link to my Table of Contents

Remember this? A shocking story about our brains.

   What do you do when you want to learn something? Do you research it in a dictionary? Do you skim for it in a book? Do you look it up online?
   Studies by William Glasser show that people only remember 10% of what you read. That's it! A large majority of this project is reading, whether it's in a history textbook or an excerpt of a story. It's not your fault if you aren't remembering everything!
   However, it's a possibility that reading is the right way for you. Here are some ways to remember your reading:

• margin notes: write the key facts and main ideas of the text you're learning on the side.
• highlighting: (also a visual strategy.) Try not to use a lot of highlighters, because you're brain will be drawn to the colors instead of the text. *
• Don't read all at once: smaller passages are easier to remember.
• Try to find connections to what you're reading. Make mental connections between the book and another part in the book, the book and another book, the book and yourself, and the book to what's happening in the world today.

Here are some other techniques for remembering reading.

Remembering is one of the toughest things about learning.

   You may think that reading up on a topic is the best way to learn about it. It very well may be, but it's not the best way to remember what you've learned.
   Every person has a learning strategy that works best for them.

   Here, I'm going to share some learning and remembering strategies that have worked for me. Here's a quiz that determines your learning style based on habits.
   Which way do you learn how to do something? Those who are visual, then learn faster if they see it done. If someone could tell you how to do something, then you're auditory. If you are kinesthetic, you can learn by doing something. Here are helpful resources for each type of learner. When I took a quiz on how I learn, I actually got even amount of points in each of the three categories. You most likely don't use just one strategy all the time.

Sound: A Step Up

You remember more of what you hear than what you read.

   Though it's still a low percentage, you remember more of what you hear. Though none of these percentages apply to everyone, the average person remembers 20% of what they listen to. If you don't think that's true for you, maybe you're auditory!
   Here are strategies I've used to learn by listening:

• educational songs: Put what you want to learn into song. In 5th grade, my class listened to a song for learning the states and capitals. When you were in preschool or kindergarten, you probably listened to the ABC song. It's a very helpful method.
• audio books: If reading just isn't your thing, then maybe it would be better to hear the information spoken to you. There are lots of free and low-priced audio books about many topics.
• conversation: In class, a group conversation or a debate can help the facts stick in your head. At home, you can either talk about the subject or have a friend or family member quiz you orally. In fact, it is believed that you'll remember 70% of what you discuss!

Sight: Visualize Your Learning

Another strategy to learn is to see things.

The quote from Glasser says that people remember about 30% of what they see. Luckily, there are tons of great ways to learn visually! Here are my top picks:

• movies: Watch a movie or video about the subject you're learning about! There are plenty on YouTube, guaranteed.
• slideshows: These are easy to put along with a lecture. A popularly used program for making slideshows is PowerPoint. Also, Google docs has a presentation mode, if you have a Google account.
• flashcards: a rapid way for learning. For something like an language test, write a word on one side of a card, and the definition on the other. There's a really helpful site called Quizlet, where you can use flashcards, take tests, and learn.
• graphs: more for facts having to do with numbers. Bar graphs and circle charts (pie graphs) are good for visual learners.
• maps: If you're taking a course in history or geology, then you should look at a map of an area you're studying: you'll remember it better than reading about it.

Teach and Learn: The Best Strategy

Helping another helps you learn.

   Believe it or not, Glasser believes that you remember a shocking 95% of what you teach to others. So next time you're prepping for an exam, try helping someone else. While teaching another person, you're forced to think about and recall what you're telling them. A real live person will ask follow-up questions, which could lead to a conversation, or even a debate if you don't agree.

A brief video about how to improve your memory.

Note: I didn't mention all the percentages of what you remember determined by William Glasser. For more information about him: click here for a slideshow and biography. However, if you still remember this post, you know that you'll probably learn more from the slideshow.

The Battle of Yorktown

              
    As many people in the world know, the United States was not always its own country. The Battle of Yorktown was the last major battle of the United States Revolutionary War.

                  The United States Revolutionary War started when the British military received word that the colonists were collecting weapons in Concord to use against Britain. They were gathering weapons because the crown was taxing them, going against the British law of “no taxation without representation.” The colonists had no representation in the British government, therefore, by British law; it was illegal for the colonists to be taxed. The Parliament insisted that they had the right to tax colonists because their land was not part of the British mainland.

                  General Thomas Gage sent troops to the colonies to confiscate the weapons. The colonist fired at the troops, starting the Revolutionary War. The first battle was called the battle of Lexington and Concord.

                  The battle that I am focusing on is the last major battle of the war, the battle of Yorktown. Prior to the battle of Yorktown, 5,550 French soldiers landed in Rhode Island to assist the Patriots in recapturing New York City, which was under British occupation. The fate of the United States depended on the soldiers arriving. If the French soldiers had been unable to arrive, for reasons such as weather, then the Patriots may have lost the Revolutionary War, and there would be no US.

"Siege of Yorktown." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown>.

                  The French commander, Comte de Rochambeau, convinced George Washington that an attack on New York City would be a bad idea, and recommended that they attack the 9,000 men army of Lord Cornwallis. This army was stationed in Yorktown, Virginia. Rochambeau recommended that attack because he had Comte de Grasse’s navy fleet in Yorktown, which could assist in the attack.

                  De Grasse defeated a British fleet in Yorktown, which blocked all sea escape for Cornwallis. Washington dispatched French General Lafayette to hold Cornwallis in Yorktown. Here again we can see that the fate of the United States really rested on a few very important things that happened in the battle. If Lafayette had been unable to hold Cornwallis in Yorktown, Cornwallis would have met up with more soldiers and attacked the American forces again. The American forces had been prepared for government, and were now ready to make the final attack. On October 14, 1781, Washington sent two columns to attack the remaining outer British forces. On October 17, Cornwallis asked for capitulation terms. The surrender ceremony was held on the 19^th. Cornwallis claimed to be ill and was not present. The United States began bargaining with Britain, resulting in the Treaty of Paris. The Treaty was signed in 1783.


Image Sources
 

"American Revolution : The Battle of Yorktown." British Battles - Analysing and Documenting British Battles from the Previous Centuries. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. <http://www.britishbattles.com/battle-yorktown.htm>.

"Battle Pics." Mercer Island School District. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. <http://blogs.misd.k12.wa.us/rcimprich/2011/04/26/the-battle-of-yorktown-diary-entry-5-due-427/>.

"Siege of Yorktown." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Feb. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Siege_of_Yorktown>. 

Further Reading
 

Wikipedia on The Battle of Yorktown

Another Good Website

Weapons Information For The Battle of Yorktown

My Website on The Battle of Yorktown (For my Do/Make)