Frolicking at Frim

For our school field trip we got to go to Frim. During our 2 day stay there we played a humanities game based on the famous book, The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins. The Hunger Games is about the future and how there is only one country left in the world called the Panem. There are 12 districts in Panem and every year one boy and one girl is chosen from each district to fight to death.

In the activity we were separated into 5 groups to represent the districts. Each district was allowed to choose 5 items that they wanted to use to survive. My group, district one, was Stephen, Victoria, Sandy and me. The items that my group chose was flint, first aid kit, mosquito net, compass and flash light. The flint was to make a fire, the first aid kit was for injuries, the mosquito net was to prevent mosquitos and catch fish, the compass was for direction and the flash light was for the night time.

Although not all of the groups got what they wanted. My group only got the mosquito net and after that we had to improvise and get whatever we could. In the end we ended up with a mosquito net, file, soap, t-shirt and hand sanitizer. Our group was frustrated because most of the stuff we had was for luxury and we needed stuff to survive. Also we were stressed and found it unfair because we went first and were sent back.

That's not all. The teachers suddenly came and we were told to preform a skit. We had no idea what it was on and we were surprised and confused. In the end our group did the Haka and got a shovel in return as the audience/teachers didn't think we did very well. I thought that was unfair as we weren't given any information or time to prepare and we had to preform. Our group thought doing that Haka on the spot and even getting the idea to do it was worth a lot more than a shovel. Especially since our group was first.

The main dangers for my group was the people, animals, and weather. In the book the Capitol controlled the weather and we were scared. The people might not seem scary as they were our friends but if you were thrown into an arena to fight to death every one is your enemy. If I could have 1 extra item it would be a machete. The machete could help us kill for food and enemies and also we can carve a bow and arrow or make traps. It would also be useful for starting a fire because we could carve the wood into the shape we want and then rub the sticks together to start a fire. In the group I wasn't the leader but I don't think I was the weakest link either. I always got a chance to contribute my ideas even though they weren't always listened to.

All together this whole trip wasn't as bad as I thought. I liked being able to survive like in the book. I now understand all the frustration that Katniss felt. The trip was about learning to live ethically and I think that we did a good job. We learnt how to take care of the environment without leaving a trace behind. It was a good trip but I think that some items were missing from the list like a torch because at night it was really dark and hard to see. In the end the trip was a nice trip.

The Black Box

1. I would call this story The Black Box because the whole story talks about the black box and of what's in it.
2. I wasn't exactly sure what was going to happen but, I thought that something bad would happen to the person who contained the sheet of paper with the black dot. The reason I thought this was because Mrs. Hutchinson, who had the black spot, was screaming "I think we ought to start over." and "I tell you it wasn't fair". Also the mood was very tense and everyone was relieved when they found out they didn't have the spot.
3. When the end of the story wasn't given to me I was flooded with questions. I didn't feel satisfied as if there should be more descriptions on what happened next.
4. When I was given the mystery paper I was curious on what was inside. I thought that if you had the black spot you would be told what would happen to Mrs. Hutchinson. Even though I was bursting with curiosity, I opened the paper at home to see what was in it to add more void.
5. I was confused about the black box and what was in it. I was also confused about the black spot and what it did and why when the people didn't get the black spot they were so relieved.
6. When I read the end of the story it made a little more sense but I was still confused. I didn't understand what the rocks had to do with the pieces of paper and the black box and why everyone was scared of the black spot.
7. No, my predictions were not correct but I felt good that at least there was an ending and I felt much more satisfied than I did before we got the slip of paper.
8. I think what would have helped me make a better prediction was to be given hints in class, even if they weren't obvious.
9. I think the author left these voids in the story because it keeps the reader captivated, thinking and gives the reader a chance to imagine what happens.
10. The void in having no title and no author information doesn't give you any idea on what you are going to be reading. Having no ending lets the reader imagine one but doesn't give you much satisfaction. The text clues and foreshadowing throughout is a type of void that can only be found if you are paying attention as it isn't very obvious. The mystery paper makes you curious and makes sure that you don't forget what happened in class. The delayed ending caused you to be unsatisfied and confused. Lastly getting no information on what we were doing caused a void because we weren't sure what was the purpose of reading this and how this was relevant to anything we had done so far.

Dominant Profile L

1. I learn best when I get to move around so that I can process my thoughts, and by looking at the "big picture". Rather than looking at each detail, looking at the end product helps me more. I learn best when I am relaxed because when I am stressed my brain, ears, eyes, hands and feet don't work well. If I am relaxed I can learn faster than most gestalt (right brained) people and I can use both my logic (left brain) and gestalt brain more. In other words the two parts of my brain work better together when relaxed.

2. I need to be seated in an area on the right side of the classroom, where it is quite and I can move without disturbing others. I need to be on the right side of the classroom because I use my right ear and right eye to see. Also, if I were to sit on the left side of the classroom I feel uncomfortable and uneasy. If something is explained to me I need to have examples and metaphors so that I can fully comprehend what I am doing.

3. The stratiges that would help me in learning is to be able to move around so that I can process what I am thinking. Working with my non-dominant body parts will help me engage both sides of brain, like trying to draw with my left hand instead of my right. Also when I am trying to concentrate it is best for me to be in a quite area on my own so that I don't get distracted with the sounds.

4. Something I would like my teachers to know about me is that when I am under stress I move with caution and often feel clumsy. When I am relaxed my movements are spontaneous and I don't think as much about what I am doing. I also tend not to do things in order and rather think about what the end product would.