Row Boating Gone Bad!

"Abbi, come on!" I yelled, trying to keep her to keep rowing.

 "I can't! I'm too tired." Abbi whined, struggling to keep rowing.

"You know what, I'll row then." Kaitlin problem solved.

 Relief flooded Abbi and the three of us were almost to the doc.

"We have 5 minutes to get back or we pay $15 more!" I said, worried that we weren't going to make it back.

 "We'll be fine. I can see it now." Abbi exclaimed!

"Great, because I'm tired." Kaitlin relieved.

We were almost there and I was sure that we'd be okay but that's when it happened…

I heard a huge bump under the boat.

"What was that?" Abbi questioned, confused.

"No idea." Kaitlin said, "But let's keep going. Come on, we are almost there!"

All of a sudden the boat bumped again, but harder and we all fell out! No one had life jackets on and I started to panic! What hit the boat? Where are Abbi and Kaitlin?

"Guys! Where are you?" Kaitlin screamed, struggling to keep aflout.

"Over here!" Abbi  yelled.

I was so happy they were okay I almost forgot to keep treading water!

"Guys, lets get the boat on the right side. We need to get back in time." I said, swimming over by them.

So, we lifted the boat onto its side and hopped in.

"What tipped us?" Abbi asked, worried.

"Oh my gosh! Guys, look!" Kaitlin screamed, a surprise look on her face.

There in Pewaukee Lake, was a giant fish. Yes, a fish. It had to be as big as a baby shark!

"That's what tipped us! Look how big it is!" I said, shocked at the size.

"Poke it!" Abbi told Kaitlin.

"Are you crazy? Do not poke it! We have to get back to the doc." I explained, taking control as the most mature one.

Abbi and Kaitlin muttered a small fine and we were off again to the doc, soaking wet and so tired we could pass out.

When we got to the doc, all the employees gave us a weird look but just took our boat.

"Don't ask." Kaitlin explained.

We paid and started to wait for Abbi's mom.

"What are we going to tell my mom?" Abbi asked.

"The truth! Some massive size fish tipped us over!" Kaitlin said, always wanting to be honest.

"Like she'll believe that." I muttered.

"She probably won't believe it, knowing us. I'm surprised we didn't tip sooner! But it was fun! One thing done on our summer list!" Abbi exclaimed!

All three of us, got into her mom's car with the biggest smile on our face, always knowing that we'd be best friends  till the end.

Too much Power

In the story, "The Lottery" By Shirley Jackson everything happens around the theme power and control. At the beginning, everyone is gathering for the lottery that takes place every year. It seems like a normal day but really it's not. The government controls the people of the village to come and draw out of a box for the black piece of paper. Whoever gets the piece of paper, their family has to draw to see who will get the black dot, meaning they will die. The government has brainwashed these villagers into thinking that this is right and completely normal. They have total control on everyone! When Tessie draws the black dot, she screams in panic. "It's not right! It's not fair!" And when a man tells the people to start throwing the rocks at her, everyone does. The villagers can't really do anything about it but to throw big stones so she dies quickly and less painfully. As you can tell, the government has all the power and control and the villagers can do nothing but obey.

This story also relates to one of the huge, best selling books, the Hunger Games! In the Hunger Games, 24 tributes have to kill each other to win. The government has all of the control and think that they have to keep continuing this tradition, like The Lottery! They have all the power and basically can do whatever they want to the children who are fighting and even before they are in the arena! They have so much control that each district has to do whatever the government tells them to do, no matter how stupid or how huge of a project. This book is exactly like "The Lottery" because of control and powering covering this whole book. Both of the books have the exact same overall theme, power and control.

A Crack In The Mirror

One day, I was just sitting on the dresser making sure I make the best image back at the person standing in front of me.  I loved seeing all the beautiful faces that look into me and especially, my owner, Dakota. She was the most beautiful of them all, inside and out! Yes, I saw other pretty faces but nothing like her. She was one of a kind. I was waiting for her to get home from school when all of a sudden I hear the door open. The person looks into the mirror and CRACCCKKK! I felt like I was going to die, right there in front of the stranger. I looked at myself, cracked like a sidewalk. This never happened to me before and I started to feel weak. Who could have done this? I tried to see who was the person and finally saw that it was a burglar, trying to take all of Dakota's stuff. I was getting tired, dropping into unconscious when I knew I had to do something. With all my energy left I slammed into the intruder, now unconscious and so was I. Before I drifted out, I thought to myself, I just saved Dakota and all her family. I guess that was my purpose in life. Goodbye Dakota, you will and always be the most gorgeous human I've ever saw….

That One Serve- District Writing Assessment

Author’s Note: This is a persuasive piece on why you should play volleyball. This will also count for my DWA. This will be graded on the writing rubric. Enjoy!

            You’re in the championship volleyball game at the state finals. You’re exhausted, so thirsty you might just die, but you have to keep going if you want to win.  It’s your turn to serve; its 23-24 and you’re up. Everyone is counting on you to make the serve that could potentially affect your whole life. It’s so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. You throw the ball in the air and serve it over the net. Next you hear screaming and cheering from the stands. All of a sudden your team is picking you up and cheering your name. You have just won the state finals! Moments like these are really what volleyball is all about. You should play volleyball for many reasons!

                        First of all, volleyball is all about being part of a team. If a specific team does not get along with each other or if there is drama between the athletes, you will never win a game. You have to be like one, big, happy family, always cheering other girls up if they make a mistake. This will create such a bond between a group of girls and might even change your life. A connection I can make is the first time I started playing volleyball I didn’t know a lot of the athletes on the court, but eventually we all became like sisters! I also met for the first time, my best friend, Abbi, who now, I could not live without. As you can see, being on a volleyball team can have so much impact on your life and you will never, ever want to stop being part of a team.

            Even though being part of a team is an important reason why you should play volleyball, the actual game of it, is extraordinary! In this wonderful sport, you never know what’s going to happen. Since the ball could go anywhere, you have to be ready at all times! Everyone has their own positions and knows exactly where they are supposed to be on a serve, hit or a free ball. In volleyball, there’s a position for everyone. Whether you are amazing at passing, a great setter or just love to spike it down at the other team. Also, if you are not a runner, like me, this sport is just right for you!

            On the other hand, volleyball is a terribly amazing, very active hobby. In this activity, you’re never standing still! You have to be on your toes all the time, always moving toward the ball or toward your position! You get very exhausted trying to not let the ball touch the ground, kind of like how you played with balloons when you were a kid. Volleyball is a very hard-working sport, always keeping you in shape! If you are in a very serious and competitive team, you usually do a lot of conditioning to get you ready to dive for the ball any second. If you’re looking to get in shape and have tons of fun doing it, play volleyball!

            In conclusion, for many reasons, you should play or at least try volleyball! It shows you how to be part of a team and what beautiful friendships can happen in this sport. The actual game of volleyball is so intense that it just gives you a thrill every time; you’ll never want to stop playing! Also don’t forget that it is a very active sport! It can help you stay in shape and be healthy while being with your friends and having the time of your life. So, will you try volleyball? How might it change your life?

The Blood Red Car

I stood there in the middle of the road, playing with my jump rope. I started to count how many times I could jump! Fifty, fifty one. Have I really jumped that many times?! Excitement and determination filled me and I started jumping more and more, not paying attention to anything else. All of a sudden I hear a horn and finally the screeching of the tires, trying to come to a stop. The car didn't stop and that's when I flew. By the time I woke up, I couldn't feel anything. I didn't really think much about this at first because all I could see was a blob of random colors. Something was seriously wrong....

To be continued

Who did it?- DNA Fingerprinting Uncovered!

Author’s Note: This is a research paper, informing the reader about DNA fingerprinting and how it has helped us. This will be graded on the writing rubric. It will also be used for my science project! Enjoy learning about DNA fingerprints! 

            BOOM! You hear a gunshot and then someone running away. The only way you know who did it is by the DNA fingerprint left on the gun. Would you know what to do if you were at the scene?  This is exactly what happens in many crime scenes these days! DNA fingerprinting has helped improve solving crimes and many other cases.

            First off, what exactly is DNA and where does it come from? Well, DNA is a big molecule made up of smaller molecules located in the nucleus of a cell (Deters). Even though it’s a big molecule, you still can’t see it with just your eyes (Deters). It has chemical information from your parents, half from both, that determines what you look like and who you are (Deters). But DNA fingerprints are different than just plain, DNA. DNA fingerprints are formed from the fetus rubbing against his or her mom’s womb (Where do fingerprints come from?). They are not made in early pregnancy, but become noticeable around four to five months down the line (Where do fingerprints come from?).  So, everyone has their own, unique fingerprint!

            Even though knowing how DNA fingerprints are formed and what exactly DNA is, is important, knowing how it can determine a suspect’s guilt or innocence is a key point! Your DNA fingerprints cannot just be found by dusting fingerprints, you have to get DNA from cells of your body to really determine who did the crime or other options. It can be a skin cell, hair root cell or even a cheek cell. DNA is the same in all of your cells .Also in a crime scene, if a type of DNA is left behind, you can find out if that person did the crime or if he/she used, for example a weapon, to commit the crime. If the police do find their fingerprint on the weapon, automatically they are probably guilty. (Cline)

            Next, what is the process of analyzing DNA fingerprints? When you record a person’s fingerprints, you take two sets. The first one is called “rolled” prints. Each finger and thumb is inked and recorded on paper. Then the same ones are taken plain. This is to make sure that both sets are made in the same sequence. Some examples are when suspected criminals had held out their fingers in a different order or do the same hand twice! If it is in the case of a criminal crime, it is relatively simple but in many other cases, the question of identification arises. Now these days, computer databases make it really simple to identify fingerprints but in 1927 it wasn’t so easy. Technology has really improved throughout the years! (Innes)

            Even though knowing the process of DNA is very valuable information, important facts about DNA fingerprinting is a big part! DNA fingerprinting is when you identify a specific pattern within a person’s DNA. Each person has a specific pattern which repeats them. To be able to use DNA identification the same way fingerprints are used, every human being would need their DNA tested and electronically placed into a database. This database, by the FBI, is called CODIS. DNA is used to identify a certain person related to the sequence of base pair patterns rather than just looking at one patter. Scientists have to narrow down base pairs. Even though the patterns cannot create an actual fingerprint, it can reveal whether or not the identified stands are statically likely to happen in the same person or a relative. (Guide to DNA Fingerprinting)

            On the other hand, how has DNA Fingerprinting helped us? Well, it has improved so much throughout the years! It can help solve many crimes, identification issues, if someone was adopted and needed to know their parents or to prove innocence. You can only find someone’s parents though by only their DNA because everyone has their own, specific fingerprint.  They are also used to diagnose inherited disorders in both prenatal and newborn babies. Also by studying the DNA fingerprints of relatives who have had a specific disorder, compared with people with and without the disorder, it can help identify DNA patterns similar with the disease. The FBI and police labs have started to use DNA fingerprints to link suspects to biological evidence-blood or other types of objects found at the scene of the crime. Also, the US armed services have started to collect DNA fingerprints from all the soldiers in case they need to identify them later on. Where would we be without DNA fingerprinting?  (Betsch)

            Lastly, an interesting question that was brought to my attention was if twins have the same DNA and fingerprint. I discovered that no, any kind of twins do not have the same fingerprints. Everyone has their own, special fingerprint. However, twins do have the same DNA because they came from the same egg. This is called monozygotic-rising from one egg. Fingerprints are made by many things, nutrition, blood pressure, womb positioning and growth rate of fingers. Some patterns should be the same but there also many differences. Everyone is their own person, even if they do look the same! (Do Identical Twins Have the Same Fingerprints and DNA)

            In conclusion, DNA fingerprinting is a very important tool in our world today! This helps us in many ways! Without it, we would not be able to solve many crimes or identify brave soldiers who have died fighting for our country! Imagine if we didn’t have our amazing technology we have today. It seems like such a little thing that wouldn’t really matter, but really, it would change everything! How would your life change if DNA fingerprinting didn’t exist? 

 

Bibliography

Betsch, David F. Biotechnology Information Series. 1994. 16 April 2012 <http://www.biotech.iastate.edu/biotech_info_series/bio6.html>.

Cline, Erin. "DNA Fingerprinting is everywhere!" Understanding Genetics. 18 April 2012 <http://www.thetech.org/genetics/news.php?id=16>.

Deters, Joseph T. Where does DNA come from? 2011. 17 4 2012 <http://cms.hcpros.org/node/821>.

"Do Identical Twins Have the Same Fingerprints and DNA." 3 December 2008. Stumblerz. 19 April 2012 <http://www.stumblerz.com/do-identical-twins-have-the-same-fingerprints-and-dna/>.

Guide to DNA Fingerprinting. 19 April 2012 <http://www.forensicscience.org/resources/guide-to-dna-fingerprinting/>.

Innes, Brian. "Analyzing Prints." Innes, Brian. Forensics Science. Broomall, PA: Mason Crest, 2003. 28 and 29.

Where do fingerprints come from? 4 AUgust 2011. 18 April 2012 <http://www.somersetwestcpf.org.za/node/533>.

My perfect match

 I will never, ever you let you go 

You are like my nail to my toe

My ever so perfect match

And I know you will always catch

Me and you. Ahh. it really flows.