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  ESL 3 Student Showcase

 

The House On Mango Street
by
 Sandra Cisneros




Author Sandra Cisneros said, "I used to be ashamed to take anyone...to my house, because if they    saw that house they would equate the house with me and my values."

What would you say to Esperanza about her feelings of shame?


Dear Esperanza,
      I do not think that your house can possibily define your personality.  If somebody ever judges me badly by looking just at the outside of me, I would not mind at all, because I do not want to have friends that care more about the outside than about who a person really is. You should not be embarrassed by living in a small house. The house only represents your social condition which does not have anything  to do with your personality and intelligence.





   A poem adapted from the vignette "There Was an Old   Woman She Had So Many Children, She Didn't Know What to Do."

The Vargas Kids

Too many and too much
Mrs. Vargas: only one against so many
They are bad those Vargases
Bend trees
And bounce between cars
And dangle upside down from knees
And almost break like fancy museum vases you can't replace
They think it is funny

Everybody gave up
Nobody looked up
Not once
The day Angel Vargas learned to fly
And dropped from the sky
Like a sugar donut
Just like a falling star
Exploded down to earth
Without even an "oh"







Based on

“Ode to My Fountain Pen”—from Anne Frank-The Diary Of A Young Girl.— 

Thursday 11  November, 1943

                         



Ode to My Pen

    Once upon a time my mom got me a new pen that had 20 colors inside.  She wanted to give me a surprise gift.  She hid the pen somewhere and then she forgot where she put it.  After one year she found the pen.  I was very happy that she found the pen that I had never seen in my life.

     Actually I was a ten year old kid when she gave me the pen.  I was very excited to have that pen.  When I started to write with the pen, it was not working.  All 20 colors were not working.  I felt very sad since that day was not a lucky day for me because the pen was not working and then I threw it away.  That taught me a lesson that life could happy and it could be sad.



Ode to My Dog
    My friend, Carlos, gave me a 2-month-old puppy called "Poison."  My puppy was brown and black and was a Husu puppy.  I always took care of my dog.  Every day in the afternoon we went to the park to play with the ball.  The dog slept next to my room.  My grandma worked in a supermarket and every day she brought food for my little dog, such as cookies and meatballs.
    Something tragic happened when I came to this country.   My dog stayed alone at home; my dog  was so sad.  Poison did not eat any food, so he got sick easily.  On January 21st, 2001 my Poison died.  Every body in my town in San Salvador was so sad for me.




Ode to My Picture with My Mom

    My picture with my mom is the ornament of my life.  I took a picture when I was a little girl somewhere in Thailand.  This is the first photo that I took with my mom.  I love that picture so much.  I do not take that many pictures with my mom.  I do not know the reason why we did not have a chance to take pictures together.

    I love my mom so much and I miss her. Although I do not live with my mom, I always think she is with me everyday. I wish I could live with her one day.  I know that it might take a long time because I still did not do a lot of things in my life with my family.

    If I succeed in my main goal of life, I wish I could tell my mom how much I love her. I k I do not see her in everyday life, but I know,however, that  she is with me.  





Ode to My Grandmom

     My grandmom is 57 years old but she looks like she is 30 years old and her attitude is like that of  a teenager. She has long, wavy hair and green eyes. Her name is Nelly. Her favorite music is rock. I just have one grandmom left because the other one passed away.

    When I was six years old, my grandmom gave me my first bike. When I was three years old, my grandmom gave me the best gift I have ever had, a soccer ball. Whenever I went to her house, she and I would go to the park and play soccer.  She was the one who taught me how to play soccer.  If she knew that my brother or I  were visiting her, she  would cook special foods for us. She knows everything about me. She always tries to be my friend and help me.  

    All my cousins were jealous because they thought that I was my grandmom’s favorite grandson.  I love her and miss her because for the time being, she is in Colombia.

                                                 
                                                                                                     
                                                                       Persuasive Essay # 1
 

All high school students should be required to do 100 hours of volunteer work before high school graduation.  Do you agree or disagree with this statement?



       It has been suggested that high school students in America  do 100 hours of community service during high school in order to graduate.  This suggestion has received many responses.  Some support it and some do not.  I fully support this suggestion.  Many  people around the world are in need of food, a warm blanket, support, love, and sometimes simply a listening ear. Homeless people, orphans, beaten women, drug addicts, the handicapped, you name it- all of these and many more, are in need of your help.  For this help to be provided, we all must donate a helping hand and try to make a difference.

        First and most important is the fact that community service contributes to our society.  Most people that need our help are usually detached from the rest of  the world, and are not part of a normal, ordinary life.  An hour with these people once a day, a week, or even once a month, may open them up to new things and show them life from another point of view.  It may encourage them to try new things and overcome their fears. To others, our help may put food on their tables.  Making someone happy  is a small price for us to pay.

      Second, the time that you give to community service is a great opportunity for you to expand your horizon and educate yourself. You gain information on different careers.  You learn to acknowledge the different and see him as your equal.  You grow and see things in a more mature perspective.  And mostly, you become a better person, and you see that you have not just helped another but also yourself.

      There have been many complaints about this issue.  Many high school students say that 100 hours of community service is just too much for them to handle. They claim that community service interferes with their many activities and slows up learning.  I calculated more or less the time that community service would  take in a period of four years.  In one year you will have 25 hours of community service, in one month you will have to serve two hours of community service, and in two weeks you will have to serve one hour of community service.  Tell me, do you think that is too much?

        In any way that you look at it, community service and helping in general are a mandatory part of making this world a better place in which to live.  It contributes to the society, and it is a learning period for you and for the one you are helping, and it certainly does not take much of your time.  So give a hand in making this world a better place; make a difference.
 


                                                                                
                                                                 ESL 3  - Persuasive Essay #2

                                                                                                                                                                  


      There is evidence that many people need help in order to have a better life, but I do not believe that volunteer work should be a requirement to graduate from high school.  Volunteer work does not evaluate the capacity of the student to go to college like a student's transcript or the HSPA exam.

        The word 'voluntary' means that you have to choose.  You do not have to do it if you do not wish. If a teenager is doing something that he does not like to do, he can get angry and pass on this negative feeling to the person he is trying to help, making this person more depressed.  If the person who needs help is  an elderly person, a sick person , or a young child, the 'volunteer' may not have the necessary patience to deal with these people.  Therefore, volunteer work should not be compulsory.

        Some high school students have no time to do community service.  In a normal high school, the students stay in school approximately seven hours a day.  If the student has homework in all subjects, and if the student spends an hour on each piece of homework, he will study at least eleven hours per day.  This may be longer if the student has extra activities like sports, clubs, or courses.  In addition, many public school students must work everyday, making community service almost impossible.

        Next, community service after high school graduation is an excellent idea.  When you are older and more mature, you can help others in a more responsible way.  You can give more meaningful help where needed.  You can help in an area that you are focusing on in college, so that you can be a more efficient and trained volunteer.  You will also acquire many skills needed for your future career.

        With all these arguments, I am not saying that I disagree with community service.  There are many people who need help and there are many people who can help.  However, it should not be mandatory for those who are unable to give their time and colleges should not see these students in a negative light.
 


                   


ESL 2 Student  Showcase

                                                                                                                                             

A Memorable Day in My Life

           September 11, 2001 was a really sad and horrible day.  This was the day that the World Trade Center vanished from New York City.  This was the worst terrorist attack in America as they tried to bomb the WTC. 

          When I went home from school in Karachi, my mom was making lunch.  The TV was on.  My brother told me what had happened.  I was so heartbroken and sad.  I tried to call my sister in America, but the phone lines were busy. 

         The first plane hit at 8:45 a.m.  At 9:30, the second plane hit the second building. People were horrified.  Nobody could believe what was happening. People were jumping out of buildings.   Now they knew that these were terrorists.  Streets were closed and noone could get back to his or her family.  People tried to call, but all lines were busy.

          This will always remain in my heart.  My heart goes out to families who lost special people on this horrible day.  I want to thank all the policemen and firemen who assisted.  We will move on but will never forget all the Americans that we lost.  This is a memorable event in my life-one that will stay in my mind for a long time.



                                                      The Human Comedy by William Saroyan


Make up another title for the novel, The Human Comedy.  Explain why you chose this title.


Write a letter to a family member whom you admire or respect. 
Refer to Marcus'  letter to Homer in Chapter 14.



     Another title for this novel could be The Telegraph Office, because Homer is the main character in the novel and he works there.  He has a great responsibility in this office. He has to deliver bad news to people, especially about the war.  In the telegraph office, Homer discovers many feelings.  He learns about war, love, and death. 

 Dear Mommy,

           I admire you so much.  You brought me into this world and I admire you for that.   I know that being a mother is difficult, especially if you have more than one child.  When I have my own family, I want to be just like you.  It is easier for me to write that I love you than just say it out in the open.  I hope you keep this letter and keep on reading it. This way you will know that I love you forever.  Once again, thank you.

 


Write a Chapter 18 for the novel, The Human Comedy.


Tobey in Ithaca

       Tobey goes to the Macauley  house because he wants to get to know Marcus' family.  Marcus had always talked to Tobey about his family. 
        Tobey says, " Hi. I'm Marcus' friend.  My name is Tobey"
        Mrs. Macauley replies, " Hi, nice to meet you.  But, where is Marcus? "
       Tobey mumbles," Mmm...well, I don't want to say this because...it is too sad.... I am sorry."
        Mrs. Macauley begins to cry and looks at her daughter, Bess.   Tobey said," Marcus is dead."

         Everybody is in shock and Homer runs to his bedroom while his sister takes her mom to the living room.
         Tobey mutters, "Sorry, it is not a good moment  I know, but Marcus is happy because he died with honor.  He loved you so much and he will always be here with us. "

          Tobey stayed and lived with the Macauley family in Ithaca.   He was like a son to Mrs. Macauley.  He became Bess' boyfriend and later, his wife, as Marcus had dreamed.   Homer was happy because he had a new brother, but he was still sad because he missed his real brother.   He became the manager of the telegraph office  and his younger brother, Ulysses, became a telegraph messenger.   Mrs. Macauley was sad because she had lost a son, but she said to herself, "Life is fair.  When you lose something,  you win something else."   She won a new son-Tobey.
 

 



  ESL 1 STUDENT WORK



NEW JERSEY 
     New Jersey is located between New York in the North east, and Pennsylvania and Delaware on the West. The Atlantic Ocean is on the Southeast Coast of the state.  New Jersey has twenty-one counties.  New Jersey's nickname is the " Garden State."  The capital city is Trenton.  The state flower is the violet, the state bird is the Eastern Goldfinch, and the state tree is the Northern Red Oak. The area is 22,590 square km., and some of the biggest cities are Newark, Jersey City and Paterson. The state population is 8,414,350.  Some of he major products are tomatoes and corn.  Two rivers in New Jersey are the Hudson and the Hackensack Rivers.  Some animals that live in New Jersey are the deer, squirrel, and the fox.  Some of the minerals are limestone, gravel, and stone.  New Jersey got statehood on December, 18, 1787.  There are two senators and thirteen representatives in Congress. Some interesting places to visit are the museums, the parks, and the beaches.


 


What I Learned About Martin Luther King
Based on The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. by Angela Bull


     Martin Luther King was born in Atlanta, Georgia on January 15, 1929.  His father was a preacher.  As a child, his best friend was a white boy, but he was not allowed to go to the same school as his friend. 

    Martin followed Mahatma Gandhi to tackle discrimination using non-violent methods.  Martin spent his whole life campaigning in Selma, Montgomery, and Birmingham, Alabama and in Chicago. His goal was equal rights for black people who were suffering from racial discrimination.  He was successful in all the cities that he visited except Chicago.  He fought against discrimination in buses, schools, and hotels.  He also disliked the war in Vietnam.  He won the Nobel Peace Prize.  He was shot and killed by James Earl Ray in 1968.