Anya’s Digital Portfolio

Mrs. McGeeAP English 12 2B

Table of Contents

Slide 3 Introduction Slide 7-10 Research paper AP 12: AtomsSlide 14-15 Descriptive Writing Honors 9

Slide 19 Visual Representation of My Writing Process 12Slide 23-24 Timed Writing 12 SAR

Slide28 Six Word Life StorySlide 32 My Soul

Slide 36-38 Elementary school works

S3

S14

S7

S19

S23

S28

S32S36

Letter to the ReaderWhat you are about to read may shock you, but probably not.

What lies ahead are a few works from high school,senior year and freshman year to be exact, and some very early pieces from some grade in elementary school, which

gives reason to the adorable spelling errors. It is nice to knowmy writing now is better than that of a second grader, buton the other hand, it is quite depressing to know that my

hand writing is quite similar to that of a second grader. I hope you like what I have put together, just for you, so sit back,

relax and be prepared to read.

Audacity

Portfolio InfoWelcome to my Digital English Portfolio! I hope you enjoy all

the greatness in which you are about to immerse yourself. As you make your way through

my portfolio, take note of the various random pictures that make up my thematic component. Each picture

represents one item on my Bucket List. Each Bucket has a lyric matched with it as a vague explanation. But have no fear, if you are in need of further assistance, click on the

picture which is linked to a Document with a full explanation. Also, don’t forget the external links to YouTube videos of the

song where each lyric is found.

“Ain’t no mountain high, ain’t no valley low”

Marvin Gaye

“And I’m Free, Free Falling”John Mayer

Anya Voloshin Voloshin1 Ms. Mcgee

AP English 12 2B 14 January 2009 Who Discovered What? In the 1950's, James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure of DNA. Around

the 1500's, Ferdinand Magellan made maritime history with the first voyage of circumnavigation, and in the year 250 BC, the philosopher Democritus, discovered atoms. Each individual claims a firm foundation in history for their discoveries, even though they may not deserve all the praise. The DNA duo, for example, modified the research of Rosalind Franklin, while Magellan died in the Phillippines during his travels, never actually completing the trip he is best known for. But Democritus may be the most deceitful, for his ‘discovery’ was more of a proposal that such a thing as atoms existed.

Democritus, a Greek scholar, hypothesized the existence of invisible matter that formed every substance (Wikipedia). But he did not pursue any further research beyond the idea of invisible matter due to “Aristotle’s dismissal of the atomic idea as worthless”(Walker). It would be over two-thousand years for Democtitus’s idea of atoms to even be considered again by the scientific community.

In the 1800's, John Dalton dusted off the multi-millennial atomic theory, and added his own thoughts. He proposed five basic principle’s; “All matter consists of tiny particles, atoms are indestructible and unchangeable, elements are characterized by the mass of their atoms, when elements react, their atoms combine in simple whole number ratios and when atoms react, their

atoms sometimes combine in more than one simple whole number ratio”(Senese). Being the

AP 12 Research PaperAtoms

Voloshin 2 early beginnings of atomic evolution, there were errors to his logic. Dalton’s proposal that atoms

could only combine in a ratio of one to one, a binary system, created problems when his ratio measurements for ammonia and water were incorrect (Senese).Despite such difficulties, the atom did not drop off the radar forever, just for a century.

Both Democritus and Dalton were toying with the idea of a solid atomic structure, meaning they did not consider subatomic elements such as the electron. But while conducting experiments with cathode rays, Joseph John Thompson unintentionally discovered its existence (Chemical Achievers).

The cathode ray experiments and the discovery of the subatomic electrons led Thompson to create his, Plum Pudding Model. It was his idea of the structure of an atom, with the negative electrons floating in a positively charged cloud, or electron cloud. However, this theory soon became disproved by experiments conducted by Ernest Rutherford in 1911 (Robertson).

The experiment began with radioactive particles, such as alpha particles, fired through a metal foil, mainly gold. Surrounding the foil was a thin detection wall designed to determine how the particles passed through the foil. Rutherford found that most of the particles hit the section of the wall directly behind the foil, but some particles were deflected to other sides.

These results led Rutherford to conclude that a large percent of an atom is empty space, which was why the fine radioactive particles could pass directly through the foil to the other side. But the reason for the deflected particles, he determined, were due to the center of the atom, which contained a dense, positive nucleus surrounded by the negative electrons Thompson discovered (Rutherford Experiment).

Rutherford modified Thompson’s Plum Pudding theory to incorporate

Voloshin 3 his own research and stated atoms as, “having a central positive nucleus surrounded by negative orbiting

electrons”(Robertson), meaning an atom is more than an electron cloud as Thompson had thought. Rutherford then assumed that the atom contained another subatomic particle, the neutral neutron, to balance out the ‘new’ atom (Darling).

Rutherford’s discoveries are still accepted today and have been described as, “the greatest change in our idea of matter since the time of the ancient Greeks. This nuclear theory provided the basis for new science of nuclear physics” (Darling).

Not long after, another atomic model was born, the Planetary model, also known as the Bohr Model, named after its creator, Niels Bohr. This theory is not entirely correct, but “the correct theory of the atom is called quantum mechanics,[and] the Bohr Model is an approximation to quantum mechanics that has the virtue of being much simpler”(Astronomy). The model basically represents an atom as a miniature solar system, with the nucleus, composed of protons and neutrons, acting as the center and the electrons orbiting around them. These orbitals, however, do not follow as strict a path as planets do, the electrons travel more loosely and they are held in place by electrostatic forces rather than gravity (Wikipedia).

At this point, it becomes obvious that Democritus is not the sole founder of the atomic theory, though he may have been the first to propose it. But even among Dalton and Rutherford, there are more scientists involved that assisted the developments thus far.

Antoine Lavoisier formulated of the first version of, “the law of conservation of matter which states the total mass in a chemical reaction remains constant”(Xtimeline). Lavoisier’s influence is apparent in Dalton’s second law, which states that atoms are unchangeable. William Crookes created the Crookes Tube which Thompson created his own version and

Voloshin 4

used it in the experiments that led to his discovery of the electron. Gilbert Lewis discovered that atoms can

share one or more electrons during covalent bonding and he found the maximum number of electrons an atoms outer shells can hold and James Chadwick proved the existence of the neutron, the subatomic particle the Rutherford only proposed existed (Xtimeline).

Each and every one of these scientists efforts and research created a chain of events that amounted to an entirely new field of study, molecular biology. These were monumental discoveries that influence many fields of study today, such as medicine, nuclear energy, genetics and nano-technology, which bases its studies on the atomic level.

The modern atomic theory was surely not the creation a single mind, just as today’s oceanic travel and trade were not just the results of Magellan’s voyage. His crew and the other captains were apart of its success. Rosalind Franklin’s research, when combined with Watson and Crick’s findings, influenced the study of genetics, leading Watson to direct the Human Genome Project (Historic Figures). In fact, it seems that finding out who discovered what is just like the development of the atomic theory. At first, it was believed the atom was one solid particle that constructed all matter, but further research led to the discovery of the electron, the nucleus and the neutron. The subatomic particles that still have a great deal of importance.

Work f rom c l as s 1

“All You Need is Love”The Beatles

“And we’ll all Float On, okay”

Modest Mouse

“I know my destination”

Kanye West

Anya Voloshin Mrs. Ebert Honors English 9 November 7, 2005  Overboard

Racing thought e black sea, he waves crashed with incredible force against my feeble yacht. I was in fourth place as far as I knew. The cold, bitter wind of the Pacific tore at my face, forcing me to retreat to my cabin. What a mistake. The cold seems to slither into our heads and mess with our simple minds, for I had completely disregarded the fact that no one was on lookout, or steering. The moment I remembered, the most horrible sound came to my ears. The unmistakable, blood chilling sound of steel folding like paper, the massive mast thrusting forward and breaking like a brittle twig, and the roar of ocean water entering my sinking boat. It had been sailing blind and smashed into a rock bed. The ocean had decided to take me as its next victim.

The water was at my waist now, if I didn’t act fast, I would, with no doubt, drown. I took a deep breath, a breath that may be my last, and dove into the chilling water. The black water was like a heavy blanket blocking my vision to every degree. I knew death was inevitable. But, after what seemed like an eternity, I at last broke the surface and heard the breaking of waves on shore. I opened my eyes that had been closed from fear. I had drifted at least a hundred yards from my boat, whose mast and sail were only visible. She was waving goodbye. The sound of waves breaking had finally sunk in, I was near land. Without a second thought, I was swimming to shore, to life.

Firm, sandy ground was under my feet, it was the best feeling in the world. A wave ran past my feet, and recoiled back into the ocean. Without an ounce of strength left, I collapsed on the warm golden sand. I the ocean that had almost killed me, now serenaded me with soft sounds and lulled me to sleep.

Searing pain woke me. I looked down, my leg was shining red and seeping blood. A wave rushed up the beach and swept past me. The sand and salt on the open wound felt like daggers. I tried to move my leg and escape the clutches of pain, but in the feeble attempt, more pain aroused. I had somehow broken my leg while escaping death. There was no hope for me now. With a useless leg, I could not gather precious food or make shelter.

I had dragged myself further up the beach and away from the water. I now say under a magnificent pine tree. The topaz pine needles underneath me, cushioned my sore body. The wrinkled trunk, which bore scars of weathering, added to its charm. Protruding from the trunk were gigantic boughs covered in millions of dark green needles. The trees around me were not nearly as big as the one that was now protecting me. I thought about its age, anything to avoid thinking about the pain or my situation. It has seen so much and must have so many stories to tell. I leaned against my new friends and listened, listened to all it had to say.

A cool breeze wrapped around me, carrying the scent of pine and sea air. The leaves were swept up and carried to far off lands. I only wished I could join them. A rustling of leaves brought my attention to small chipmunks playing on a fallen log. While running up the damp wood, one of them lost his footing and tumbled back to the groung. What a life they had. No care or worries. They had all the time in the world, but I guess I do too now.

Another sound came to my attention, one that was more familiar, at least in these waters. It was the sound of a whale taking a breath of air. I slowly scanned the water to spot it. A thin,

Descriptive WritingHonors 9

silver mist was forming. I heard the sound again and again, but I never saw the creature. The fog was in now, the water and sky were mottled together in a pallet of grey, but I continued to look. Not far from shore, I saw the water move. As if in slow motion, what seemed like a black dagger rose out of the water. More and more was visible until the body came into view. The sleek, black and white body of an orca appeared. I’ve seen these whales around the straights often, but I never came this close to one. I could see the animal’s eyes. As quickly as he came, he dove down again and disappeared into the water.

The air turned cold and all was quiet. I felt like I had just seen a ghost. A shiver went up my spine. A moment later, lights pierced through the blanket of fog. A shape of a boat became more and more clear, so did the words written on it, Coast Guard. Without warning, I began to cry. A bright light shined on my face, and I was saved.

Once on the boat, they explained to me that the race ended three days ago and that they were sorry to tell me that I had come in last place. I laughed for the first time in days and I am not sure whether it was at the joke, or because I had been days from death. The last sound I heard that nigh, was the breath of a whale.

Work f rom Hono rs 9

“Whisper words of wisdom, Let It Be”

The Beatles

“Where I go I just don’t know I got to got to gotta take it slow

When I find my piece of mind, I’m gonna give you some of my good time.”

RHCP

“The sun is shining down, burns my feet as they touch

the ground”

“Good Day, Sunshine!”

The Beatles

Sorry it’s not so visual

Visual of Writing Process

C r e a t i v e w r i t i n g

“Living is easy”The Beatles

“Watch the way I navigate, hahahahaha!”

RHCP

Gorillaz

“Lend me your ears and I’ll sing you a song and I’ll try not to sing out of key”

The Beatles

Directions: Write one paragraph analyzing Hemingway’s use of diction, detail, syntax and figurative language in establishing the tone. The tone should be in your topic sentence. You have 20 minutes.

  Before the waiter brought the sherry, the rockets that announced the fiesta went up in the square.

It burst and there was a gray ball of smoke high up above the Theatre Gayarre, across on the other side of the plaza. The ball of smoke hung in the sky like a shrapnel burst, and as I watched, another rocket came up to it, trickling smoke in the bright sunlight. I saw the bright flash as it burst and another little cloud of smoke appeared. By the time the second rocket had burst there were so many people in the arcade, that had been empty a minute before, that the waiter, holding the bottle high up over his head, could hardly get through the crowd to our table. People were coming into the square from all sides, and down the street we heard the pipes and fifes and the drums going, They were playing the riau-riau music, the pipes shrill and the drums sounding and behind them came the men and boys dancing. When the fifers stopped they all crouched down in the street, and when the reed pipes and the fifes shrilled and the flat, dry, hollow drums tapped it out again, they all went up in the air dancing. In the crowd you saw only the heads and shoulders of the dancers going up and down.

In the square a man, bent over, was playing on a reed pipe, and a crowd of children were following him shouting and pulling at his clothes. He came out of the square, the children following him, and piped them past the café and down a side street. We say his blank pock marked face as he went by, piping, the children close behind him shouting and pulling at him.

AP 12 Timed WritingThe Sun Also Rises

Anya VoloshinScore: 9

Mrs. McGee AP English 12 Essay Timed Writing The Sun Also Rises   The paragraphs tone is excitement which is supported by diction, detail, figurative

language and syntax. The diction in the paragraph supports the excited tone with words that are light, airy

and exciting. Such words would include, ‘burst,’ which is used multiple times, ‘announced,’ ‘gray,’ instead of black which would be more negative, ‘ball,’ which is more playful, ‘trickling,’ ‘bright sunlight,’ ‘little,’ ‘so many,’ ‘playing,’ ‘shrilled’ and ‘shouts.’ They are positive words that create that happy and excited feeling.

Detail creates the tone by its shear abundance. The shot paragraph contains so much detail, indicating that there is a lot going on at once, creating an the excited feeling one would have in such a stimulating situation. To be more specific, the detail about the children brings in the happy and youthful element, for if children are happy and playing, then the feeling is intensified.

Figurative language, such as repetition and similes, is present in the paragraph. Burst, bright, shouting and playing are repeated often. These words enforce the idea that so many things are going on at once. The simile, ‘hung in the sky like a shrapnel burst’ has the same effect because it is a reference to a battle, which is known to be chaotic and over-stimulating.

The syntactical elements, such as sentence length, shows the consistency of new events that he keeps noticing at the fiesta. Each sentence is about the same length, meaning that there is always something to look at, something that needs to be written about, but gets the same amount of attention because there is another distraction that needs to be seen.

All of these elements, syntax, figurative language, diction and detail combine to create the excited tone n the fiesta paragraph.

Work f rom c l as s 2

“Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends”

The Beatles

“DON’T LET ME DOWN”

“I’d like to be, under the sea, in an Octopus’s Garden, in the shade. WeWOULD

BE

WARM

BELOW

THE

Storm, in our little hideaway beneath the waves. Resting our heads ON

THE

SEABED,NEAR

A

CAVE“

The Beatles

Six Word Life Story

Around the World in…

Who’s Counting?

?

The Beatles

“That’s what I want”

“Tell everybody I’m on my way, and I’m loving every

step I take”

Phil Collins

“Some say the sky is just

the sky but I say why”

Paul Simon

My Soul

“Peace Like a River”

Paul Simon

My Text Here

“MAMA DON’T TAKE MY KODACHROME AWAY”

Paul Simon

I will leren how to ride a bike.I will ride to Taylor’s.

I will have fun.I will ride with my fraens.I’ll ride aroned the blak.

I’ll ride fast.It will be cool

I am going to spined the nite at Taylo’s hawes.We will play haf of the time.

We’ll git snaks.I’ll spined the nite on saterday.

We will have fun.We’ll play pogs.We’ll play SEGA.

I play socker this yaer. I like playing socker.I have a socker game thisxt sadarday. It is fun.

Writing sample- Grade 2Beginning of School Year

“I’d like to be, Under the Sea”

Invent a Time

Machine

Just so I can do it all over again