English 485: Expedition Adolescence

   La Linea is a quick read; one that is worthwhile. I hope a good number of people will take the time to read this book, especially those who believe “illegal” immigrants are  terrible  people. Miguel and Elena’s immigrant journey reflects recent and ongoing sociopolitical conditions. More importantly, they add faces and human emotions related to current events. Students can use this novel as a jumping-off point for the investigation of true immigration stories. They can achieve a better understanding of what motivates people to immigrate by researching their own family histories (send parent request letter home first*), or by comparing the characters’ experiences with that of other Latino and non-Latino settlers of the Americas. I encourage future educators to consider tying in either the whole book or segments of the story into an important lesson on immigration.     When it comes down to it, people are people, and we need to take care of one anothe...

     I firmly believe that reading what I deem to be "honest literature" is paramount for adolescents. Texts that expose the good, the bad, and the ugly give students a realistic view of the world and can expand their perspective. It is important that teachers create an environment where students can learn as much as they can about the world, whether it be across the globe or in their own backyard. The perfect example for "honest" adolescent literature is La Linea by Ann Jaramillo. In this novel, Miguel and Elena leave their hometown in Mexico in an effort to join their parents in California. The pair faces many obstacles including being robbed, hopping on and off of trains, escaping the Mexican police and marching through the unforgiving desert. However, the most incredible thing about this book is the fact that thousands of people go through this exact journey every year, including adolescents.      Through this novel, Jaramillo is able to show the resil...

 La Linea  by Ann Jaramillo highlights themes of desperation, poverty, and hope. While reading the novel, I noticed that I consistently felt the theme of frustration as well. I felt frustrated not only from the characters, but I personally felt frustrated while reading the novel. Miguel and his sister Elena were frustrated with waiting for their parents to send them to America, Elena was frustrated with having to wait for her parent's permission to travel north, and we see them frustrated with each other multiple times in the story.  The feelings of frustration create suspense throughout the novel that increases our empathy towards the characters. In the scene where Miguel discovers his sister Elena has run away to try to reach la linea, we see pain and anger from both characters. "My plan-Don Clemente's carefully laid plan-was in ruins. And Elena was to blame." (Jaramillo 41). At this moment, I felt Miguel's anger that he was forced to change his entire plan beca...

  Essential Question :  How can the representation of the LGBTQIA+ community be expanded in Secondary-level schooling and in adolescent literature?  Focus Questions :  Why is there limited representation of the LGBTQIA+ community within adolescent literature? How can educators foster support for LGBTQIA+ youths? How can adolescents understand and support the perspectives of LGBTQIA+ emerging adults? Why is there discrimination against LGBTQIA+ youths in schools? How can educators, adolescents and even parents support the “coming out” conversations for LGBTQIA+ youths? Why isn’t inclusive sex education offered for the LGBTQIA+ community in secondary level schools? Why is there an excessive lack of representation for the LGBTQIA+ community within middle & secondary level schools? Where does the discrimination against the LGBTQ+ community derive from in many opposing adolescents’ minds? What I already know:   Growing up in grade school, I knew there weren’t man...

  Essential Question: What impact does religion have on adolescents' confidence and sense of self? Focus Questions: What is the difference between religion and spirituality? Are each represented differently in various forms of literature? How is religion and spirituality portrayed in adolescent literature? Does religion and spirituality have a positive or negative impact on an adolescent's confidence? How does religion and spirituality impact an adolescent's identity and search for self? Is there a wide enough inclusion of different faiths in media? Is religion and spirituality viewed or mentioned in different ways in literature than it is in media? Is there an expectation to be Christian and, if so, how does this impact adolescents? Overview: I want to dive into religion in this paper and it's large impact on adolescents. Religion can influence even an adult's morals and view on the world. It can lead to a sense of comfort and community for many people. However, I ...

 Essential Question: What does LGBTQ+ representation look like in adolescent literature currently and what can we do to create a more diverse and open dialogue in this genre of literature? Focus Questions: What are the most popular LGBTQ+ novels and movies right now? What are some resources we can provide LGBTQ+ teenagers? Why are certain books regarding this genre banned, and what can we do to un-ban them? How can teachers integrate this content in their classroom?  What does the LGBTQ+ community lack in terms of representation? How would this directly benefit LGBTQ+ students and adolescents? Overview: I know that the market severely lacks LGBTQ+ representation, especially for Y/A. I also know that schools and even certain libraries have trouble displaying these books and making them accessible. I know how important being seen and represented in the content you intake is very important to social development and esteem. I know that there are many avenues that can be taken to h...

Essential Research Question: How does reinforcing toxic masculinity affect young men?  Questions: 1. What exactly is toxic masculinity? 2. Specifically, what are examples of toxic masculinity in American culture?  3. How do we (i.e society, individuals) reinforce traits of toxic masculinity? 4. What are the results of toxic masculinity?  5. Why should we redefine masculinity? 6. Does toxic masculinity only affect men?  Why:       Believe it or not, I first heard of the idea of toxic masculinity through Instagram. I was scrolling through my explore page one day when I found a page that posted some quick and interesting facts about toxic masculinity. This small taste of what toxic masculinity is and how prevalent it is in our society spark a flame in me. Since I first came across the topic of toxic masculinity I've been interested in learning more and doing research on what exactly is toxic masculinity and how do we, as a society, reinforce the nega...

Essential Question:  How do adolescents navigate through non-traditional family styles? Focus Questions:   How do adolescents navigate through the physical loss of a parent(s)?   How do adolescents navigate through absent parents- in the situation that the parent has abandoned their child?   How do adolescents navigate through divorced parents?   How do adolescents navigate and develop understanding of same sex parents?   How do adolescents lose connection with parents due to adolescence?   How should parents encourage connections with their children through the period of adolescence? What are the different parenting styles? Which is deemed as “most” appropriate and why? Who should children rely on, trust, and talk to when navigating through a non-traditional family style? Or, what tends to happen to children navigating through non-traditional family styles? Do they fall into peer pressure easier? Do they do worse in school? Do they adopt unhealth...

 EQ: How are Adolescents affected by moving to a brand new place? (Specifically a new country) Focus Questions: Is it more difficult for adolescents to move than their adult counterparts? How do you keep your culture alive in a new place? How long does it take to become fluent in a new language? How long does it take to become academically proficient in another language? In what ways can teachers support English Language Learners (ELLs) to help them learn content? What are some ways that cultural differences cause problems in a new country? How long does it take for an adolescent to feel like their new location is their home? Overview: I want to explore the difficulties that adolescents face when they move to a brand new place. Specifically, I want to research English Language Learners (ELLs) that have moved to the United States. I want to examine their difficulties and I also want to know what I can do as a teacher to help them feel supported emotionally as well as academically. I...

  Whenever I type out my Blog on a word document and attempt to transfer the work over to Blogger it turns my work into an image. Does anyone else have this issue? Can someone help me to better copy and paste my work into this platform? 

  Essential Question: How does mental health concerns affect young adolescents?  Focus Questions: Why are suicide rates so prevalent in adolescents? How can educators implement mindfulness into the curriculum? What is the young adult perception of suicide? Should schools take an active role in mental health education? What are a few coping mechanisms for young teens?  Overview: Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death in people ages 10-25. Suicidal Ideation is extremely prevalent in young teens ranging from fleeting to making an actual suicide attempt. Social media, bullying, drugs, and depression are a few examples of things that contribute to young children being suicidal.  Why: As someone who struggles with mental illness, I have a personal connection to this topic. Suicidal Ideation began when I was 10. My suicide attempt was at the age of 15 during my Sophomore year of high school. I was unaware of any resources or coping mechanisms to help me.  Relating t...

  Essential Question: What impact does social media have on adolescents?  Focus Questions: How are adolescents influenced by social media? What are the positive/negative effects that social media has on adolescents? How is social media represented in young adult novels and what impact does it have in those novels? How is social media portrayed in adolescent literature? Does the representation of social media in young adult literature impact young adults in real life? Is social media represented differently in different genre's of young adult literature? Does the representation of social media in young adult novels add to adolescent's obsession with social media?  Overview: For my topic I want to try to focus on specifically how social media impacts adolescents. I know that many adolescents are obsessed with social media and I just wonder if their obsession/hyper focus is enhanced because of the way that social media is portrayed in young adult novels. Also, with most of t...

     I think La Linea is one of the most eye-opening books we've read this semester. And I also think it is the best book out of what we have read that serves as a 'window' into the life of another person. There is so much in this book that we could talk about, but I want to focus on the violence Miguel and Elena witnessed close to the border, as well as what has been happening in recent week/months.     I think the most severe instance of violence Miguel and Elena witness is on pages 102 and 103, after Moisés has left them and a moment later they hear a gunshot. We aren't sure what to make of this, until a few lines later when we see  Moisés "held one hand to his right shoulder where blood oozed from a wound" (Jaramillo 103). And we see in earlier lines that he has been shot by the men in a vehicle that has "An oversized United States" flying from the antenna (103). From this I think we can infer that the men who shot and captured Moisés were not of...

Essential Question: How does the presence or absence of parents affect adolescent development? Focus Questions: What roles do parents play in adolescent development? Can adolescents find surrogate parents (adults who fill in for what an adolescent is lacking in parents, like teachers), and how much of an impact do these surrogate relationships make? (Can the effects be long-lasting?) What role does a present parent play in adolescent development that adolescents with absent parents miss out on? Which parts of adolescent development are affected most by parents? Are all of the effects of absent parents negative? What might be some positive effects?  Overview: As a foster alum, I know how the absence of parents affected me personally. I had tremendous responsibility at a very early age that made me feel like I had to grow up quickly. I had abandonment issues (some of which I still struggle with today, despite years of counseling). I experience trauma. However, on the other side of ...

 I think  Zlata's Diary  can be an important book to teach adolescents. With books like  Number the Stars  by Lois Lowry and The Diary of Young Girl  by Anne Frank, students are taught prolifically about World War 2. It seems like more current wars and even other wars do not get much, if any, attention in English classes. I think Zlata's Diary can shine light on a war students may not get the chance to learn about. I skipped World  History because I only had to take four Social Studies classes and got two in Honors and AP US History. I was not familiar with the Bosnia war before reading this book. Zlata's Diary does not have to replace Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl . It can supplement it. There are striking similarities not only to Anne and Zlata's experiences (hiding during a war, losing loved ones, a stolen childhood...)  and the books can be compared and contrasted. What stood out to me as the best part of Anne Frank's diary stoo...

 In Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo, the diary details Zlata Filipovic's account of the Bosnian War from 1991 to 1993. Zlata Filipovic describes her life and the events as she saw them, during the war in Bosnia. Because Zlata was ten years old when she started writing in her diary, which she names Mimmy, her perspective offers a more childlike view of the war and the politics behind what is happening with the war. Zlata's childlike perspective, however, is arguably what makes this novel such an inspiring piece of literature to those who read it. Her hope for a better future and her positivity throughout the remainder of the war, are what draws the reader into her personal retelling of the events of the Bosnian War.  In the midst of war, as a child, Zlata's perspective on the politics of war are simplistic but they add to the raw account of the diary. Zlata refers to the politicians in the novel as "kids," claiming that "the 'kids...

       Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo is a heart-wrenching autobiography written by Zlata Filipović. Filipović's account of her wartime childhood is both educational and emotional. While reading her diary I learned more about the War in Bosnia than I did in any history class, but I was more emotional moved by her unique writing style and personal testimonies about her lifestyle during the turbulent times of the war. It is very interesting and surprising how someone at the age of ten can cope with living in wartime. Specifically, I love how she seeks and finds comfort in her diary.  At the beginning of the book, we can see that she is writing diary entries but they aren't specifically addressed or signed. Then, on page 27, Zlata mentions her connection to Anne Frank and decides to give her diary a name. From this point on, the audience witnesses the relationship between Zlata and her diary form into this coping mechani...

  Zlata's Diary A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo  is the captivating recount of the war in Bosnia from a child's point of view. Over the course of two years, a girl named Zlata held a diary recounting the horror she experienced as her country fall to pieces during war. The book begins like any diary of a young girl: friends, hobbies, interests, and social gatherings. The beginning to this novel makes the remainder of the content incredibly harrowing. The book begins to shift as she has to begin to document the horrors of war. Zlata spends much of the book asking for peace and just asking the question: why? "Why? I keep asking myself why? We haven't done anything. We're innocent. But helpless!" (Filipovic 188) Zlata is in the position for the entirety of the novel to bear the brunt of this confusing time. She is a young preteen girl who went from making plans with her friends and receiving music lessons to becoming someone who has to consistently fight fo...

  Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo is an enlightening and sobering story. It gives an account of two years in the life of a child living in Bosnia during the Bosnian war. Zlata had to endure bombings, hunger, deprivation, and death. All of those factors were hard enough, however, trying to grow up in that kind of environment brought a new kind of loss. Zlata was only eleven when she began recording her diary. By the end of her published work, she was only thirteen.  Zlata mourned for the loss of the life that she was supposed to lead. She cried because school is canceled, and she could not sign up for the courses she wanted. She cried because she wanted to play her piano but it was in "the dangerous room". She cried in fear when her parents left the house because she is afraid of how or if they would return. She cried because deep down she knows that she is "a child without a childhood" (Filipovic 61). Zlata later called this her "wart...

  Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic demonstrates the strength and resiliency of children. Imagine living in a war zone, many of us would be overcome with fear and panic, but our main character Zlata handles war with ease. The novel is a personal journal used by Zlata to help cope with the war. The language used in the journal showcases her innocence and child-like thinking. When describing how hard it is to complete normal activities because there is no electricity, Zlata speaks in a child-like but sophisticated manner, "YES! YES! YES! THE ELECTRICITY IS BACK!!!!" (81). Despite her reality being disrupted, Zlata still has an optimistic adolescent spirit that pushes her forward in the war-torn country.  Lacking basic necessities at times such as water and food did not negatively affect Zlata's spirit. Of course, we know there are moments where we see her vulnerability and need to be comforted by the adults around her. Seeing her friends m...

I think almost everyone can agree that stories keep us all going. Zlata's story kept me going. I'm pretty sure this is the fastest I have ever read a book (not counting la linea lol). I enjoyed learning something new on each page, whether it was about her home life, the war, or just Zlata's thoughts. I would recommend this book to 8th graders and up and mostly because of some of the goriness that was witnessed. Zlata's story can also be seen as an adventure, or at least I think it could be.  Zlata had somewhat of an idea about the war which is what I think made the book even more interesting. Zlata knew so little about the reasons the things around her were happenning but she still had so much to say about it.  Zlata realized that the people causing the war were not representing the people but representing themselves and their ambitions to take over larger areas. She believed that they were perfectly capable of bringing about peace but choosing not to. She also did not ...

      Zlata's Diary is the perfect book for introducing war to adolescents. The story is written by an 11-year-old, making it not too challenging of a read in terms of content and language. Zlata delivers a chronicling of the Bosnian war that comes from the perspective of a child during times of violence and bloodshed. In times of war, I feel as if there are no rules.       I personally love history. It is one of my favorite subjects. I believe I was in 7th grade when I read Anne Frank's Diary. Ever since then I have been dreaming of the day I get to travel to Mss. Frank's house and see just how tight her living space was behind that hidden bookshelf. The Holocaust was one of the first mass genocides that truly caught my attention. After reading Anne Frank I became fascinated with every spine trembling detail. When I learned Zlata was inspired by Anne to start writing in a diary with a name I felt a connection. Anne left her mark on Zlata and som...

     While the entirety of Zlata's Diary focuses on the war in Sarajevo during the early 1990s there is a reoccurring theme of anti-ethnicism woven throughout the novel. Zlata struggles to wrap her mind around the complex politics that rule the scene of the war that surrounds her. Zlata writes "It looks to me as though these politics mean Serbs, Croats, and Muslims" (Filipovic 96). Through Zlata's innocent childlike struggle to understand the complexity of adult ideas the reader is able to see the ridiculous feuding between the Serbs, Croats, and Muslims. This is where Zlata begins to connect the dots that the powers in charge cannot seem to realize. Zlata realizes "but they are all people. They are all the same. They all look like people, there's no difference. They all have arms, legs and heads, they walk and talk, but now there's 'something' that wants to make them different" (Filipovic 96). Zlata, at the age of eleven, realizes it is not...