I sat in on a pod-discussion of 8th graders who are reading, “Of Beetles and Angels” by Mawi Asgedom.
[7:43] Ballesty SMSTeacher: thanks for sitting in, I told them you complimented their discussion and the other groups were saying, ” Why didn’t she sit in on our discussion?!” I love when they compete for praise & positive reinforcement!
Here is the chat log (unedited):
Jess SMSTrekker: GO TO YOUR DESIGNATED DISCUSSION PODS AND KEEP THIS NOTE CARD OPEN SO YOU CAN DISCUSS THE FOLLOWING:
1. Define the world “culture.” What is it? What does this word
mean to you?
2. How are your family’s culture and traditions affected by where
you live?
3. What effect does your culture have on you as a person, your identity, or your self esteem?
4. How is your main character’s environment affecting how they
feel about themselves and/or their family’s culture
[7:05] Agnia SMSTrekker: culture is the way someone lives
[7:05] Jess SMSTrekker: yea and maxi was not forgetting their culture in sudan
[7:06] Agnia SMSTrekker: what do u guys think
[7:06] Agnia SMSTrekker: culture is like how you do things
[7:06] Amsen SMSTrekker: ya but he has made some changes when he came to the us like how he acts
[7:06] Agnia SMSTrekker: what foods u eat
[7:06] Agnia SMSTrekker: stuff like that
[7:06] Jess SMSTrekker: yea it’s wat u belive also
[7:06] Amsen SMSTrekker: like mawi has learned that he doesnt hve to fight like he does in sudan
[7:07] Agnia SMSTrekker: how you do things around thehouse
[7:07] Agnia SMSTrekker: what sports you play
[7:08] Agnia SMSTrekker: thats what culture is
[7:08] Chaser Brody: can you be more specific about what culture is? And how does Mawi experience “new” culture?
[7:08] Jess SMSTrekker: culture effects the way u act
[7:08] Chaser Brody: How?
[7:08] Chaser Brody: examples plz
[7:08] Agnia SMSTrekker: he eats injera bread
[7:08] Jess SMSTrekker: ur religion wat u belive!
[7:08] Amsen SMSTrekker: and the soup hnsha
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: we are relating it to mawi now
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: guys
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: he relates halloween to his holiday
[7:09] Jess SMSTrekker: they could fight in sudan but now in america they can’t1
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: whats it called again
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: yae
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: yea?
[7:09] Amsen SMSTrekker: his traditions have changed since he moved to the us before he went around saying hoyo, hoyo and now it is trick or treat
[7:09] Agnia SMSTrekker: yea*
[7:10] Agnia SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:10] Jess SMSTrekker: yup
[7:10] Agnia SMSTrekker: he remembered his holiday where they say hoyo hoyo and he pretends that halloween is that holiday
[7:10] Jess SMSTrekker: Talk about Q #4
[7:11] Agnia SMSTrekker: our families
[7:11] Agnia SMSTrekker: culture
[7:11] Amsen SMSTrekker: he tries to fit in but some kids bully him thats when he fight bak
[7:11] Amsen SMSTrekker: like when sam cornerd him in the school yard
[7:11] Agnia SMSTrekker: we live in American so we eat a lot of fast food and play a lot of baseball and other american sports
[7:11] Jess SMSTrekker: we follow our ancestors belives
[7:12] Amsen SMSTrekker: we live the american dream
[7:12] Jess SMSTrekker: yea do american stuff
[7:12] Chaser Brody: Hmmmm DO we? Do we live it or do we aim for it?
[7:12] Amsen SMSTrekker: the american way of life
[7:12] Agnia SMSTrekker: aim for it
[7:12] Chaser Brody: AHhh I see
[7:12] Amsen SMSTrekker: aim for it bc not everyone is perfect
[7:12] Agnia SMSTrekker: we try and follow it as best we can
[7:12] Jess SMSTrekker: well we want to achive different things in america b/c we have more stuff
[7:13] Amsen SMSTrekker: it is like unwritten rules that we all just do
[7:13] Agnia SMSTrekker: more opportunities
[7:13] Jess SMSTrekker: yea
[7:13] Amsen SMSTrekker: like if u dont play sports ppl think ur wierd or somethin
[7:13] Agnia SMSTrekker: we live bc we are scared about what other people thik
[7:13] Jess SMSTrekker: we aim higher than other countries
[7:13] Amsen SMSTrekker: good point jason i agree
[7:13] Agnia SMSTrekker: to many people are under peer pressure
[7:14] Amsen SMSTrekker: bc we have higher standards for ourselves
[7:14] Jess SMSTrekker: yea, wat question is this/
[7:14] Chaser Brody: So you are saying we aim higher than, CHina? India? England? Australia?
[7:14] Agnia SMSTrekker: i dont know
[7:14] Ballesty SMSTeacher: REMEMBER IF THERE IS SOMETHING YOU WANT TO DISCUSS THAT COMES UP FROM THE ANSWERS TO THE QUESTIONS YOU SHOULD DISCUSS IT EVEN IF YOU DON’T GET TO ALL THE QUESTIONS TODAY. YOU WILL HAVE MORE TIME NEXT WEEK TO ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS, SO USE YOUR TIME TO HAVE GOOD DISCUSSIONS EVEN IF THEY DRIFT AWAY FROM THE QUESTION. FEEL FREE TO REFERENCE THE BOOK WHEN ANSWERING QUESTIONS. USING THE TEXT FOR QUOTES IS SOMETHING YOU SHOULD BE DOING!
[7:14] Chaser Brody: *smiles* intresting thing to research at another time, eh?
[7:14] Jess SMSTrekker: ok
[7:14] Amsen SMSTrekker: i think that we try to put ourselves at the top
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: lets do #3
[7:15] Amsen SMSTrekker: but countries like china out work us
[7:15] Amsen SMSTrekker is Online
[7:15] Jess SMSTrekker: yea america is #1
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: they work harder i guess
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: in money
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: not hardworking
[7:15] Jess SMSTrekker: and millitary
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:15] Agnia SMSTrekker: lets do #3
[7:15] Jess SMSTrekker: ok #3
[7:15] Amsen SMSTrekker: i think that we think that we’re #1 but we aren’t making inventions as much as we use to
[7:16] Jess SMSTrekker: yea but do #3
[7:16] Amsen SMSTrekker: china is starting to creep up on us
[7:16] Agnia SMSTrekker: we almost think that we have to do things like everyone else or we wont be liked or talked to
[7:16] Jess SMSTrekker: culture on you as a person
[7:16] Jess SMSTrekker: people might judge u b/c of ur culture
[7:16] Amsen SMSTrekker: this is #3 we r talking about how we live our life and how living in aMERICA EFFECTS US
[7:17] Chaser Brody: China has more honor students than the US has students Did you know that?
[7:17] Jess SMSTrekker: ur culture effects wat people think of u
[7:17] Agnia SMSTrekker: i personally dont buy abercrombie, but generally everyone else does bc they wanna be “cool”
[7:17] Agnia SMSTrekker: people think they have to be like everyone else
[7:17] Chaser Brody: do you mean what people here in America think or what the world thinks of Americans?
[7:17] Agnia SMSTrekker: both
[7:18] Agnia SMSTrekker: and what we think of ourselves
[7:18] Amsen SMSTrekker: it is the american image that everyone is rich just like what mawi’s family thought
[7:18] Jess SMSTrekker: yea people juge you on ur clothes, hobbies and stuff
[7:18] Agnia SMSTrekker: we have a stereotype to follow almost and if u dont u are considered weird
[7:18] Chaser Brody: so – are you saying that ther is a problem inside America with how accepting or not we are of each others different cultural heritage?
[7:18] Agnia SMSTrekker: yea
[7:18] Jess SMSTrekker: yup
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: we should follow our own things and dont worry about what everyone else thinjs
[7:19] Chaser Brody: religion, ethnicity, wealth, job, race, etc?
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: thinks*
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:19] Jess SMSTrekker: but we are a nation of immigrants
[7:19] Amsen SMSTrekker: ya
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: exactly
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: so we should all have different beliefs for plenty of thing
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: s
[7:19] Jess SMSTrekker: so every 1 is differerent in the Us
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: like sports, clothes
[7:19] Chaser Brody: that brings us back to the American Dream – the melting pot was supposed to give everyone a chance to be successful? Is it happening?
[7:19] Agnia SMSTrekker: and other stuff
[7:20] Jess SMSTrekker: religion,
[7:20] Agnia SMSTrekker: sort of
[7:20] Amsen SMSTrekker: but we do we all have differnt religions and hobbies thats wat makes everyone unique
[7:20] Agnia SMSTrekker: for some people
[7:20] Jess SMSTrekker: yea
[7:20] Agnia SMSTrekker: and for others it hurts more than helps
[7:20] Agnia SMSTrekker: but everyones hobbies are pretty much the same because u wanna be “cool” or popular
[7:20] Jess SMSTrekker: in the book they are adapting to the american life, b/c they don’t fit in
[7:21] Amsen SMSTrekker: everyone has a chance in america if u get good schooling
[7:21] Agnia SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:21] Agnia SMSTrekker: they wanna fit in so they dont get beaten up
[7:21] Chaser Brody: does everyone have a chance to get good schooling?
[7:21] Jess SMSTrekker: exactly
[7:21] Agnia SMSTrekker: and so they can focus on school as much as they can
[7:21] Jess SMSTrekker: not in all parts of the US
[7:21] Agnia SMSTrekker: most people but not everyone
[7:22] Amsen SMSTrekker: ya this book is a perfect example an african kid in a refugee camp goes to america and lives on welfare then get a full scholorship to harvard
[7:22] Amsen SMSTrekker: everyone has a chance in this world
[7:22] Agnia SMSTrekker: what do u mean a perfect example of the american dream?
[7:23] Amsen SMSTrekker: it is just a matter if u take the chance and use it
[7:23] Agnia SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:23] Jess SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:23] Agnia SMSTrekker: and u focus on important things, not what people think of u because ur hobbies or sports u play
[7:23] Agnia SMSTrekker: okay lets do #4
[7:24] Chaser Brody: welll so what are the important things?
[7:24] Amsen SMSTrekker: lets do #4
[7:24] Agnia SMSTrekker: school or if you are going to get to college playing a sport
[7:24] Agnia SMSTrekker: whatever gets u to the best college
[7:24] Agnia SMSTrekker: bc better education means a better job
[7:25] Agnia SMSTrekker: which means more $ and u can live a better life
[7:25] Amsen SMSTrekker: he is taking advantage of his good schooling
[7:25] Agnia SMSTrekker: yea
[7:25] Agnia SMSTrekker: lets do #4
[7:26] Agnia SMSTrekker: mawi isnt fighting anymore like he used to because he wants to fit in and so he doenst get in trouble from his family or school
[7:27] or
yeah b/che will get in trouble more and not get a scholarship
[7:27] Amsen SMSTrekker: wat do u think his dad means when he says I WILL MAKE YOU LOST???
[7:27] Agnia SMSTrekker: mawi is trying to keep his culture for ex.injera bread
[7:27] Agnia SMSTrekker: ruin his life
[7:27] Amsen SMSTrekker: wat do u think his dad means when he says I WILL MAKE YOU LOST???
[7:27] Jess SMSTrekker: he will get in trouble more in the US
[7:27] Agnia SMSTrekker: but mawi is changing his culture more and more to fit in and get the best education that he can get
[7:27] Agnia SMSTrekker: answering amesen ruin his life
[7:27] Jess SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:28] Chaser Brody: that is called assimilation – is it good ? or not?
[7:28] Jess SMSTrekker: he says that alot
[7:28] Agnia SMSTrekker: its good for his education but bad for keeping his culture
[7:28] Amsen SMSTrekker: yeah
[7:28] Agnia SMSTrekker: its a matter of perspective
[7:28] Jess SMSTrekker: yup
[7:28] Agnia SMSTrekker: its good in one way, but bad in another
[7:29] Amsen SMSTrekker: i think it gives mawi discipline
[7:29] Chaser Brody: so as a society – what can we do to make it easier to maintain ones heritage and still live the American Dream?
[7:29] Jess SMSTrekker: true b/c he wants to fit in, but shouldn’t forget his lifwe in sudan
[7:29] Agnia SMSTrekker: do what u can to get the best education and job, but at home follow ur culture
[7:29] Chaser Brody: Amsen – can you give an example of the discipline comment?
[7:30] Agnia SMSTrekker: amsen?
[7:30] Amsen SMSTrekker: i think that if it wasnt for his dads discipline he will think he can do watever he wants
[7:30] Chaser Brody: THank you for letting me be a part of your discussion. I will post this on the Ramapo Islands blog today! Very good thinking!
[7:31] Agnia SMSTrekker: okay i have to give the notecard so this is the end
[7:31] Agnia SMSTrekker: thanks
[7:31] Platform-One whispers: Platform-One now descending.
[7:32] Ballesty SMSTeacher: THANKS, THE KIDS ARE REALLY RESPONSIBLE I LOVE HOW QUIET AND THOUGHTFUL THEY ARE!
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