What do you think of when someone says "You throw like a girl."? Chances are, it's negative. "Throw like a girl" is used to say "You're weak." or, "That was a terrible throw." Why is this? Why is doing things, "Like a girl" a bad thing? Many of the most influential and talented people in the world are girls. Examples include Michelle Obama, Angelina Jolie, J.K. Rowling, and Eleanor Roosevelt among many others. In the election this year, a woman is running for president. Girls have proved time and time again that we are just as capable as boys. So, why isn't doing things, "Like a girl" a compliment?
And this isn't just about an offensive phrase people throw around; according to the National Girls Collaborative Project, females make up just 29% of the STEM (science, technology, engineering, math) workforce, despite equal achievement in K-12 STEM courses. The Women's Sports Foundation found that by the age of 14, girls are dropping out of sports at two times the rate that boys are. None of these things are because girls are any worse than boys, it is because of the underlying message that females are simply not as capable. We could be deprived of incredible athletes and scientists, just because society decided that boys could do those things better. So why not make, "Like a girl" a positive phrase? Imagine how humanity could be benefitted.
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1. What do you learn about the main character, Martin, in the exposition?
I learned that Martin is a thin 12 year old, who gets nervous about elevators. He is very uneasy about the elevator at his new apartment. 3. What internal conflict is plaguing Martin in lines 81-84? Martin does not know why the lady in the elevator pressed a different button than the floor she had gotten off the day before. It seems like she is following him, but there is no way for him to know for sure. There might be other explanations. So, Martin is anxious because he doesn't know what the lady is trying to do. 5. What details in lines 121-139 suggest a conflict between father and son? Martin's father does not seem very sympathetic. He says, "What am I going to do with you Martin? Honestly, now you're afraid of some poor old lady." This shows that he thinks Martin is making a big deal of nothing. The story also says, "He managed not to cry until he got to his room-- but his father probably knew he was crying anyway." This shows that Martin was trying not to cry in front of his dad, probably because he knew he would make fun of him. 7. Judging only by line 175, the climax of the story, is Martin in danger? Explain your opinion. I think Martin is in danger. The lady seems like she has been following him, and furthermore, she knows his name even though they have never spoken to each other. They are also in an enclosed space, and no one else is with them. 8. The author ends this story at the climax. What is your opinion of the plot's development and of leaving the conflict unresolved? Explain. I don't like the fact that the author left the conflict unresolved. This way, we don't know what ends up happening; we are left in suspense. That being said, it is an interesting way to end it. It keeps us wondering about what happened. The first trait I think is most important in a US President is honesty. I would really want a president who is going to tell US citizens the truth about what is going on, instead of hiding things from us. For example, what if there was a national threat to our safety, but our president failed to inform us about it? We would be much less prepared to deal with the threat.
The second trait I think is most important is patience. If our president did not have patience, he or she would be likely to make an impulse decision. That could result in a number of bad results. In serious cases, a war could even be started. A president with patience would take time to make good decisions for the benefit of our country. I think the third most important trait is kindness. It is important for our president to be polite and kind, especially when talking to other world leaders. If we did not have a kind president, many things could go wrong. If they are not kind, their morals could also be bad. |
AuthorJust an 8th grader trying to make it through middle school language arts Archives
March 2017
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