Story Planning: The Giant Crab

The Giant Crab:

The giant crab lived in the deep waters of a lake in Oregon. He was a sad crab but everyone only saw him as dangerous and mean.  He didn’t understand why! Typically what happened when he tried to meet new friends, was he would show his face and everyone would freak out. Then one of the animals would panic so bad they would end up drowning and while he was trying to save them everyone thought he was eating them and so they built up this hatred for him. Every time for years he did the same thing over and over again until he thought of a new way to show them he is their friend. He would sneak up on them and then they would have to listen to him. So, instead of showing his face he would swim deep under the water until he got to them and he would tap them on the foot and when he did that he realized he got the same ugly response from them. He was so hurt and sad that he gave up and decided to live alone forever.

Authors notes: 

This is just a snip it of what I am going to turn this story into. I want to change it to where the crab is not the bad guy but portrayed like the bad guy. He is more of the outsider that just wants to fit in but can’t seem to get the right luck. In the end I think I am going to use a baby animal to show the rest of the animals that the crab is not a bad guy, he is just misunderstood. I think that this will not only change to be a positive ending but also give the book a moral code in the end, “Don’t judge a book by it’s cover.”

The Giant Crab

The Giant Crab and Other Tales: Part A

The Giant Crab:

Retold by W.H.D. Rouse

·         This crab lived alone in a lake.

·         He always killed one of the animals from the forest that drank water from the lake.

·         He would nip at them and they would drown and become dinner.

·         He grew bigger and bigger each day.

·         The elephants planned against him. They put some elephants on watch and the others drank and bathed.

·         Finally the crab snuck up and the wife of the elephant getting attacked begged for the crab to show mercy.

·         The crab was flirt and flirted with the elephant’s wife.

·         He asked for a kiss and the crab went in for a kiss and the injured elephant jumped on his back.

·         The elephant cracked the crabs shell and crushed him to pieces.

·         The elephant and his wife were declared king and queen of the land.

·         The claws were unable to break and they floated down the river to the king’s son who made them drums and they wounded those drums when they went to war. 

Giant Crab 

Famous Last Words

This week was an eye-opening week for me. I learned if I pass all of my classes I will be graduating in a year from now. I you know me and the things I have gone through, you will know this is a big deal. I am so excited and relieved, but I also realized I need to pick up my game. I am behind in this class and could be putting in more time and effort to make sure I pass this class and start this last year off right. All I have wanted to do is give up on school because I never felt like I was getting out of here, but then this week when I found out that news I got very hopeful and decided from here on out I want to try my hardest and finish off strong. I am so extremely excited to prove all of those people saying I couldn’t do it wrong.

With all that being said I was able to do several extra credit assignments turned in as well as do all my work for this week. I started my portfolio and got that up and going. I have some ideas on where I want to take that and am excited to get started on that. Plus with me doing the extra credit I am seeing that I enjoy some of the extra credit topics and enjoy learning from those. Overall this was a very successful week that sparked a lot of ambition and perseverance to get through. Hopefully this can continue strong through the end of the semester and even into the next semester. I can’t wait to start fresh next week and to get things done. The last few weeks of the semester should probably go by fast this way as well.

Learning Challenge: Tips to healthy and happy

I thought I would share something that has helped me a lot this past year. I was diagnosed with Depression and anxiety and it has been a hard road getting through it. One of my counselors recommended an app form my phone called Happify and it is a tool you can use to get yourself out of a mood or emotion you were in on the go. There are games and tools to help you find the happy in things and to keep your mind focused on the better things rather then the poor emotions that sometimes arise. Here is the link to the app just in case you wanted to download it!

Happify

Tech Tip: Canvas App

I downloaded the canvas app and started using it a bit tonight. I think it is very easy to get around and very helpful. It is easy to check assignments that I need to do and also check my grades whenever I want.

Divakaruni: Palace of Illusions, B

Blue

Both dark skin which is frowned upon in this culture because they like milk skin. They tried getting rid of it but they couldn’t.
He charmed his was in hearts of women without using his skin color as a hold back.
He had several wives.
He smiled to answer all of her questions. “A problem becomes a problem only if you believe so.”
Men in front, women behind, go to the temple to pray dressed in their best.
She felt awkward in this group. She allowed her servants to dress her in the best and she held her head high this time.
She thanked other women when they said how beautiful.
People were asking who she was and where she has been.
Songs were made about her, the amazing princess.
Over night she became a celebrated beauty rather then an outcast.
He had several different stories on how he was born that never happened.
He had his own kingdom and many wives to take care of so he didn't visit much.
He was always there to answer questions.
She kept tabs on who was important in her life. Keshna is the he.
Servant, king, brother, Keshna.
He challenged her beliefs and that was good.
Keshna said she was the female version of him.


Milk

What is milk? The poor mother mixed water and flour to make milk for her child but he found out it wasn't milk and he never trusted her again.
Stories made the kids not question Rupert other life.
story about the king: The prince was distraught when he had to leave his friend. He told him to come see him when he is a king.
She got upset because her brother kept giving him excuses and not allowing their father to look bad. He always gave excuses.
His friend came back to get his friendship.
If he took this friend back in would the people see him as weak.
He turned him down and told him he was wrong and only friends who are at the same level can be friends.
in time it grew dim in his memory and he still remembered that moment.
one day he was awoken by the horns saying the army was waiting out front.
They captured him and said he had to come with them but they would not hurt him. He just admired the young man that did this. He said if only he was my son.
His teacher asked them to take him and that teacher was his old friend.
The king asked to be killed rather then mocked. The teacher gave back half of the kings land and riches back.
He breathed in the vapor that will fuel him for the rest of his life.
What started with milk then got taken and changed to blood.
She met him after her marriage and she held his hand and he welcomed her.

Divakaruni: Blue - Milk

Divakaruni: Palace of Illusions, Part A

Ch. 1 Fire:
Confined.
Always loved the story of her birth. Favorite, made her feel special.
Daughter of king Rupert
Fancy names for her because of her importance.
Held to a higher standard because a princess.
Brave for 30 days for the fire ceremony, priests, king, and ministers.
 Flattened rice for food. King only drank water.
The 30th day – fish curry finally.
Everyone was scared that the fire ceremony wouldn’t work right and them not praying hard enough would get blamed.
Everyone held their breath when the king poured the stuff on the fire.
Then the smoke rose spiraled with voices “here is the son you asked for”
Then her brother stepped from the fire.
What did he look like? True prince, noble and gold, even his clothes were gold. Not older than 5 yr old.
She worried if he could win the battle.
Even before the clapping finished you walked out coughing and reaching for help.
“Behold we give you this girl. A gift beyond what you asked for she will change the course of history.”
King gave both of them love and then they went to feast.
Boy name: Destroyer of enemy’s, Girls name: daughter of Rupert.
She wanted/needed a new more important name.
She questions what really happened when she stepped form the fire.
She is a bit sad that she recognized the king (her father) only planned on raising her brother.
The kids clung together so he had to pick them both up even though he had hesitation.
He provided everything a princess would need.
She couldn’t forgive him for that first moment. She also lacked trust.
She took it out on his palace. Describes the palace that she hated.
No trees or flowers that she noticed.
He removed everything he didn’t like.
She would close her eyes and imagine colors and pretty items.
Unbearable if she didn’t have her brother. He refused to abandon her.
Shielded each other from bad things.
She wrote letters to her brother in her head.

Divakaruni: Fire

Divakaruni: Palace of Illusions, Part A

Ch. 1 Fire:
Confined.
Always loved the story of her birth. Favorite, made her feel special.
Daughter of king Rupert
Fancy names for her because of her importance.
Held to a higher standard because a princess.
Brave for 30 days for the fire ceremony, priests, king, and ministers.
 Flattened rice for food. King only drank water.
The 30th day – fish curry finally.
Everyone was scared that the fire ceremony wouldn’t work right and them not praying hard enough would get blamed.
Everyone held their breath when the king poured the stuff on the fire.
Then the smoke rose spiraled with voices “here is the son you asked for”
Then her brother stepped from the fire.
What did he look like? True prince, noble and gold, even his clothes were gold. Not older than 5 yr old.
She worried if he could win the battle.
Even before the clapping finished you walked out coughing and reaching for help.
“Behold we give you this girl. A gift beyond what you asked for she will change the course of history.”
King gave both of them love and then they went to feast.
Boy name: Destroyer of enemy’s, Girls name: daughter of Rupert.
She wanted/needed a new more important name.
She questions what really happened when she stepped form the fire.
She is a bit sad that she recognized the king (her father) only planned on raising her brother.
The kids clung together so he had to pick them both up even though he had hesitation.
He provided everything a princess would need.
She couldn’t forgive him for that first moment. She also lacked trust.
She took it out on his palace. Describes the palace that she hated.
No trees or flowers that she noticed.
He removed everything he didn’t like.
She would close her eyes and imagine colors and pretty items.
Unbearable if she didn’t have her brother. He refused to abandon her.
Shielded each other from bad things.
She wrote letters to her brother in her head.

Divakaruni: Fire

Week 8: Reflection

I enjoy the reading for the most part. There is not one piece I haven’t really liked. I struggle at some points in stories, trying to keep up or it just lingering, but other then that I enjoy all of the readings. Overall I think my reading strategies are really working for me. I typically read the whole piece and pick a chapter I enjoyed out of the section we are assigned. I then write detailed notes on that chapter which makes it really easy for me to transition to my writing. Because I focus so much on one chapter I am really prepared when I go to write my story. I have clear details that I can either completely change and just go with the general idea or I can take little details and expand it from there. I think I have done decent in the writings I have done but would love to spend more time on them. I typically rush through them and then proof read, which is fine, but I think I could do better if I write a small amount and then come back to it with fresh ideas. I have done very few comments on others but from the few I did and from the glancing I did earlier today I enjoyed the unique outlooks on the books. I enjoy the diversity it brings with everyone and their background story.

Reflection