This Tuesday, the Durham Academy 6th grade participated in a tree-planting event on Ross Road with the organization Keep Durham Beautiful.
Keep Durham Beautiful is a nonprofit organization that works with the City of Durham and Durham County to help keep Durham beautiful and clean. Visit their website to learn more about them and how you can help keep Durham Beautiful. https://keepdurhambeautiful.org/our-work
We planted trees at Ross Road, a place where people who get paid a low amount of money can afford housing and still live a nice life. We planted trees to make the space nicer and provide shade for the people living there.
We could each plant our own trees, and some people had to do two trees. The process took a while, but it made me feel accomplished and proud. Most of us did not realize what it was like to plant trees and what you had to do and I learned a lot that day. Some of the things I learned included
- You have to keep the mulch three inches away from the tree trunk
- The width of the hole has to be two times the width of the bucket
- other leaves can feel if another leaf is getting damaged
- It takes 15-20 years for a tree to grow full-size
- You want to loosen up the roots and dirt before you plant the tree
Overall I learned a lot and it was a great experience. Check out the Keep Durham Beautiful website to see what you can do to help Durham.
Do you know what a wisdom tale is? It could be a Fable, Tall Tale, Legend, Myth, etc. but it has to have a moral. These morals relate to our everyday life and reflect on our day. During our Language Arts we took four months to discover the arts of wisdom tales and create a comic about one. We started out by learning about the history of stories and types of stories. Afterwards we read around twenty wisdom tales from around the globe and learned the summary and moral from each one.
Afterwards we met with visual storyteller and artist Brittain Peck came in and talked to us about strategies, tips and what he had done as an artist. We learned that simple shapes such as circles and squares tell a whole lot especially with color. We also learned that he liked using three boxes and three rows when he was making comics. I also learned that the awesome mural in Happy and Hale in Durham is done by him.
Credit: Brittain peck website
Afterwards we were told to pick a wisdom tale and make a comic about it. I chose The Red and Blue Coat, a tale from a tale from Africa. I chose this one because a lot in our daily life we only think about ourselves and do not realize that we may be hurting someone else. This tale really speaks out to me about this and I like how they used the example of the red and blue colored coat.
The Red and Blue Coat is a tale about best friends who live next to one another. One day a trickster from the town decided to test their friendship. He walked between their houses with a coat that had two sides, a red one and a blue one so each friend could only see one side. After the man left the friends started to bicker about what color the coat was. The man came back later and told them that the coat was two colors and they had not seen the other side. The moral of this story is that there are always two sides to one story and sometimes you do not see the other side.
During the process of making our comic I used Sketchbook and Comic Life 3 to create and design my comic.
Tips for Sketchbook
Tips for Comic Life 3
I encourage you to read some wisdom tales and I propose you will find a moral that relates to your life. I also encourage you to try to make a comic using Sketchbook and Comic Life 3 because it may start out hard but in the end you will be really proud of yourself.
Habits are an important part of our life sometimes you probably do not even realize you are doing a habit. Your habits may be making your bed every morning or reading for 20 minutes . This year in Language Arts we made a habit to plank every day and add 15 mins each week. We started out at 15 seconds and ended at 2 minutes and 30 seconds. We had to plank every day outside or inside of class. At first I thought this was crazy but soon I realized it was going to help me more than I thought it was. As I planked more and more I started to just know I had to plank that day.
During the plank challenge we were supposed to plank as long as we could. My goal for myself was for 5 minutes thinking that would be really hard, but I just kept going at 10 minutes. My face was red and I was getting tired. I ended up getting 16 minutes and 20 seconds, something I thought I could never do I actually did. For me 30 seconds seemed like a breeze. My new habit is going to be wall sits adding 15 seconds each week. If you have any habits you do each day or you are going to do, put them in the comments below.
Your habits shapes your identity and you identity shapes your habits
Finally it is Christmas time, the temperatures have dropped, school is almost off for break, everyone is searching to find presents while everything is sold out, kids are writing Christmas lists and grandparents are begging to know what they want, and everyone just wants it to be Christmas. Do you celebrate Christmas? Well, I do. We finally finished decorating a week ago and everyone is in the Christmas spirit. The Christmas tree is hung with ornaments. The elf on the shelf is hiding somewhere in our house and the house is decked with lights and decorations. Some of my favorite traditions at my house are decorating cookies, matching pajamas and reading Christmas books. If you have any Christmas traditions tell me in the comments below.⛄️❄️🍪🎅🏻🎁
Icy, distant, perfect constantly failing spectacularly.
Eric improved during ski school a natural was better.
He lied he wasn’t bad at skiing slopes spent time.
Her determined she wiped out alone.
Thank you UnSplash for this image.
I am a reader. I read because it is a way to learn and experience a life different then mine or the same. It is always a way to relax and enjoy peace and quiet. While other kids read for school, I read for fun. It is a way to spend time doing something productive while being relaxed.
Reading can be hard for me and can be hard for all of us. Maybe you don’t understand the book or you don’t like the book. Sometimes I need a change in my reading and that is okay. Reading can be easier for me when I am in a quiet and comfortable place.
I love reading historical fiction and realistic fiction. Currently I am reading a book from the nonfiction genre called The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind by Willam Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer.
I am usually not a fan of nonfiction books because they bore me but this book is one of my favorites because it is based on the author’s life and his story about how he became an African hero. This story is an amazing true story of survival against the odds.
Do you have favorite authors? Well I do. One of my favorite authors is John Grisham. John Grisham has written many books for adults but his Theodore Boone series is one of my favorites. I found this series over the summer at a local book store near my beach house. Early into the summer I found his first book of the series Kid Lawyer. I loved it so much I read it for a full day on the beach. I immediately wanted to read the next one. There are seven books in this series and all of them have been as good as the other one. This series is in the mystery and adventure genre. They are full of adventure, mysteries and they leave you on a cliffhanger. This is an amazing series that I think you should read.
Reading can take you into a whole new world away from the real one. If you have any recommendations of authors or books please tell me in the comment section below.
Thank you UnSplash for this image.
I have just finished reading Navigating Early by Clare Vanderpool. This book is an adventure fiction novel. I chose this book because a friend recommended it to me and told me it was one of her favorites. This book is a window for me. A window book is a book that you can not relate to in a personal way. Mirror books introduce you to a whole new world or a new lifestyle. Navigating Early is about a boy named Jack whose mother died while his father was off at war and when his father returned he was sent to a boys boarding school and goes on a mission through the woods where he meets all times of creatures and humans to figure out the great mystery of his boarding school. I often choose window books over mirror books because I like learning about something different than my life because I am already living my life. Realizing your book is a mirror or window book is a good strategy because it helps you mix up your taste in books a little bit and it helps you figure out what you are reading.
Soccer
Soccer, also known as fútbol in most countries, is one of the most popular sports around the world.
Soccer was born in 1001 in china. It was played with soccer balls that were made out of human, animal and clothing. Soccer did have real rules till 1863. These rules were made by Ebenezer Cobb Morley in England. He made 23 rules but today there are 17 rules that were made by the IFAB (International Football Association Board.) Each year they change the rules a little bit but there are still 17 rules of soccer.There are many different types of soccer. They include Futsal, Beach Soccer , Street Soccer, Indoor Soccer , Freestyle Soccer and Regular Soccer or Futbol as they call it in Spanish.
Types Of Soccer
Futsal Soccer Is played on a court with five people on the court at a time.One goalie and four players. The courts have small goals and are smaller than a soccer field. It is played on hard wooden floors. The ball is harder and smaller but weighs the same as a regular soccer ball.
Beach Soccer is played on sand. With five people playing at a time One goalie and four players. The goals are smaller and are about seven feet high. It is played on the sand. There are special places where you can play beach soccer but you can play it on a regular beach. Beach soccer balls are softer and lighter than Normal balls because you play with no shoes.
Street Soccer is usually played on concrete With whatever size soccer ball you want to use. But when you play for real you use a size four futsal ball. You can play on the street but there are special courts that you can play on. They are 72 feet long and 52 feet wide. The goals are 4 feet tall and 12 feet wide.
Indoor Soccer is played indoors on a turf field. With hardcourt walls all around it. It is played with 5-7 players on each side including the goalie. The goal is 12 feet in width by 6 ½ feet high. Indoor soccer is played with a size four soccer ball.
Freestyle Soccer is skills with a ball such as juggling, the rainbow and more. Freestyle soccer is Not really played on a field. You do go up against different teams but you do it during halftime shows and before games. One freestyle team is the Red Bull’s they perform before games and at halftime shows. In freestyle soccer you can do almost anything as long as the ball doesn’t touch the ground but some moves the ball might bounce and that is okay.
Soccer is played on a field with eleven players at a time one goalie and ten players.The field has two large goals at either end it usually depends on how old you are but a regular field is between 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length. People think that soccer fields are usually the same length and width but that is not true. The home team gets to pick between 50-100 yards in width and 100-130 yards in length. Soccer is played with a ball that ranges from size 1-5.
Famous Players of all Time
- Alex Morgan
- Christanino Ronaldo
- Lionel Messi
- Pelé
- Marta
- Ronaldinho
- Neymar Jr.
- Diego Maradona
- Mia Hamm
- Johan Cruff
- Birgit Prinz
- Christine Sinclair
- Hope Solo
Alex Morgan #13 full name Alexandria Patrica Morgan was born July 2nd 1989 in Diamond Bar, California.
Christano Ronaldo #7 full name Christians Ronaldo dos Santos Aveiro was born February 5th 1995 in Funchal, Portugal.
Lionel Messi #10 full name Lionel Andres Messi was born June 27, 1987, in Rosario, Argentina.
Pelé #10 full name Edson Arantes do Nascimento was born October 23 1940 in Tres Coracoes, Brazil.
Marta #10 full name Marta Vieira da Silva was born February 19 1986 in Dois Riachos, Brazil.
Ronaldinho # 10 full name Ronaldinho de Assis Moreira was born March 21, 1980, in Porto Alegre, Brazil.
Neymar Jr. #11 full name Neymar da Silva Santos Junior was born February 5th 1992 in Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil.
Diego Maradona #10 full name Diego Armando Maradona Franco was born October 30 1960 in Lanus Buenos Aires, Argentina.
Mia Hamm #9 full name Mariel Margaret Hamm was born March 17th 1972 in Selma, Alabama.
Johan Cruijff #14/#9 full name Hendrik Johannes Cruijff was born April 25, 1947, Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Birgit Prinz #9 full name Birgit Prinz was born October 25, 1977 in Frankfurt, West Germany.
Christine Sinclair #12 full name Christine Margaret Sinclair was born June 12, 1983 in Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
Hope Solo #1 full name Hope Amelia Stevens born July 30, 1981 in Richland, Washington.
The Timeline of Soccer
- In 1001 soccer started in China
- In 1836 the real rules of soccer were made
- In 1900 soccer me came a Olympic sport
- In 1904 FIFA was made
- In 1924 women were aloud to play soccer
- In 1930 the first World Cup was hosted
- In 1991 the first women’s World Cup was hosted
- In 1996 soccer me came a women’s Olympic sport
- In 1996 the US women’s team won their first gold medal
- In 2011 the World Cup was played on African soil for the first time
- In 2021 Carli Lloyd and Wayne Rooney hung up there cleats and retire
- In 2022 Argentina won the men’s World Cup by beating France
- In 2023 the women’s team fought for equals rights and got millions of dollars back
On August 30th we took off on a bus down to Camp Kirkwood with a hurricane riding up the coast. After 2 hours of snacks, talking, games, and singing we arrived at Camp Kirkwood where a lunch awaited that I did not expect. After we unpacked and got settled we set in our groups to do activities. I was in group 3. We had pool time first where we took a swim test, had a diving contest and played moss. As it started to rain we started our second activity on the Kanga Jump where we bounced around, played games and got ruined socks. Finally, we got our third activity team bonding on the field. We all got soaked because it was pouring but it was really fun. We played a game called Presidents where two people had to protect the president and the others tried to throw dodge balls to hit the president. We also got to play World Cup which is a soccer type game. After we finished all our activities we went back to the cabin to change out of our wet clothes and take a shower. We all were a little grossed out by the showers but they were surprisingly warm. After we were ready we zipped up our rain jackets and ran to the mess hall for a dinner of Spaghetti and Meatballs🍝. Once we finished dinner we sang happy birthday to my friend.
After dinner we had a little bit of time to go back to our cabin and choose what activity we wanted to do that night: dodge ball or The Lorax. I chose dodge ball where we got to play boys vs girls sadly the boys won but we won the second round! We were about to start a second round when “boom!” thunder rumbled and lighting crackled we all ran into the dining hall were everyone else was watching The Lorax we grabbed some snow cones and sat down to watch the movie while the teachers and staff decided what to do as it poured rain outside. Everyone kept whispering we were all scared. A little later they made an announcement for all of us to go back to our cabins. All of us huddled together and ran back together to our cabin. We were all really wet and gross but we still had an hour and a half till bedtime. so we decided to braid one another’s hair and make bracelets. Soon it was lights out and time for bed. We all fell asleep to the rustle of people sleeping and the rain outside our cabin.
The next morning we woke up and it was still raining! We looked outside our window and it was flooding. The water from the lake was touching our cabin and trees were underwater. After we were all awake we started getting ready for our day, We put on clothes and made our beds. Once we were ready we zipped up our rain jackets and ran to the dining hall for a breakfast of croissants, eggs and ham. After breakfast we were sent off to our first activity of treeology where we learned about the native trees and about what things are made out of trees such as toothpaste. Next, we headed over to the pavilion where we had orienteering where we had to use compasses to make a map and other people had to solve it. We were always told to make sure red Fred was in his shed.
After orienteering, I went to one of the big cabins to play games including BS, Apples to Apples and Jenga. It was a bunch of fun and we all stayed dry. Finally, we headed to lunch for hot dogs. Once we finished lunch we headed he Kanga Jump again for some more fun. Once we were done we headed back into the dining hall for team building where we played a game called slaps where you could not talk but you could only slap the table in a circle and if you messed up or hesitated you were out. Finally we quickly changed into our bathing suits because we would be going to the pool later and headed over to the V-swing, my favorite part of the trip. Where your friends pull you up to one side of the poles and you let go and you swing in a V side to side high in the air. Once everyone had gotten a turn we head to the pool to swim. We played moss and did handstands in the pool. Finally, all the activities were over and we had time to go back to our cabins and shower up. Once we were ready we head over to the dining hall for a dinner of Barbaque chicken and mac’n cheese. After dinner we celebrated all of the 6th graders who had birthdays while we were there and had cake. After dinner we had a little of time to go back to our cabin but then we got to meet up with our advisory have a little talk about how things were going. When everyone had finished we set of through the woods to a campfire were we made smores. After s’mores we ventured back through the woods to our cabin to get ready for bed.
The next day we awoke and started to pack because we were leaving that day!! We went to breakfast and had eggo waffles and cereal. Straight from breakfast we went canoeing. It was really fun but we had daddy long legs along in our boat and ours had leak so we were sitting in water. Next we got to go on the zip line everyone was a little scared but it was really fun. It was above water so we did not have to get wet. Sadly I had to go last and by myself but it was really fun. Next we got to go play Gaga and play with bubbles you are probably wondering whose bubbles. She is a mini pot belly big! After we played with bubbles we played Gaga ball. I won one round. Finally, we had finished all our activities and it was time to have lunch were we got pizza and granola bars. After lunch it was time to load our stuff and head back home. The bus ride this time was quick and easy. Finally, we were back on campus. It was a fun and interesting experience and I enjoyed it. 