Adventures of the 1920's - McKenna

Adventures of the 1920’s

          The cold air fills the lungs of miserable working men.  A plead for mercy drifts onto a gust of wind. Hope is lost in the endless patches of ice and freezing water. The smooth surface of a camera rubs against a workers hand. CRACK! Eyes of desperate men shoot to the ship. Pieces start to break and crumble. A stormy cloud of despair settles over the ship. Waiting. Watching. Hoping. The men stare at the ship while it slips under the ice. Helpless and stranded, they stand on the hard, icy ground in shock, unable to process the devastating series events that had happened and that lie in their path. Their hearts sink unto their stomachs. A stinging breeze glides across their faces. Shackleton blatantly stares into the miles of empty space that he would soon fight for survival in. The crew looks at the pen mass of icebergs and impure water. Their eyes fill with desperation and their stomachs with pity and lost dreams. They endured through days of vigorous travelling and miserable coldness. Shackleton and his crew survived years of nothing but rowing boats in icy waters and fending for what they held dearest, their lives.

          Adventure in the 1920’s lured in both men and women who showed courage, but one man in particular, Sir Earnest Shackleton, was brought into one of the most dangerous adventures of American history. Although, Earnest Shackleton had many trips and goals in his life, he didn’t just accomplish them, he persevered through them with courage and bravery. Shackleton was a brave man who would promenade into a situation put in his hands, and come out of it with more dignity and pride. He had many goals in his lifetime. Even though he tried his hardest to achieve them, not all of them were within his reach. Not only did he have numerous goals, he approached prevalent adventures. He attempted to reach the North Pole twice, but both time he sadly failed. He didn’t give up on his dreams though, which showed he had courage. He wasn’t just any average person who had a dream to sail across the open seas, he was a selfless man who didn’t just care about himself he cared about everyone around him and while on his journeys, that definitely paid off. One of his most famous adventures was his attempt to sail across the Antarctic: many called the trip, the endurance. His trip was one that would shift his life into a completely different direction. He set sail on November of 1914. He picked twenty seven crewmen and took nearly seventy sled dogs. He started off into an environment hostile to human life that held many dangers and commodities that no one would dare think about running into. Nothing stopped him from going, which demonstrated the determination and fearlessness he had. Icy winds up to one hundred miles per hour rocked the ship as it sailed through the patches of ice and water.( youtube, Saptakmandal) Eventually the ship couldn’t push through the ice any longer, and froze to the solid ice. Workers tried to break the ship free for days and days, but it seemed impossible. The temperature dropped rapidly, leaving the men stranded. Things couldn’t possibly get any worse, or could they? The cold air filled the lungs of miserable working men.  A plead for mercy drifts onto a gust of wind. Hope is lost in the endless patches of ice and freezing water. The smooth surface of a camera rubs against a workers hand. CRACK! Eyes of desperate men shoot to the ship. Pieces start to break and crumble. A stormy cloud of despair settles over the ship. Waiting. Watching. Hoping. The men stare at the ship while it slips under the ice. Helpless and stranded, they stand on the hard, icy ground in shock, unable to process the devastating series events that had materialized on their path to Antarctica. Their hearts sink unto their stomachs. A stinging breeze glides across their faces. Shackleton blatantly stares into the miles of empty space that he would soon fight for survival in. The crew looks at the pen mass of icebergs and impure water. Their eyes fill with desperation and their stomachs with pity and lost dreams. They endured through days of vigorous traveling and miserable coldness. After the ship stranded them, Shackleton knew that he had to protect his crew so that they could survive. The men started to gain hope in Shackleton.  They decided to try and reach Elephant Island by row boat. It took Months to get there, and along the way all they had to eat was penguin, blubber, and other unknown things. After they finally arrived at Elephant Island, Shackleton picked a few people to start off to Georgia Island. He never stranded them or left them to fend for themselves ( PBS. PBS). After they left, they had a hard journey ahead of them, but they made it. Because of Shackleton’s kindness and consideration for his crew, he saved every single mans life. None of the men died on that trip and they went on to go on more adventures and explorations. (youtube Saptakmanda)

          Not only was Shackleton a daring adventurer, a woman named Amelia Earhart became one of the most respected and well know risk takers of America’s history. Amelia took many adventures, crossed the Atlantic Ocean by plane, attempted to fly around the world twice. Amelia knew that she was born for flying planes ever since she was a little girl, and that’s what pushed her to set records and go on dangerous expeditions such as being the first woman to ever fly across the Atlantic. She wasn’t of failure, because she would just try again. She started up the smooth charcoal black runway and was of to prove the world that women could do anything men could do, possibly even better. She had many struggles along the way such as rough turbulence and other near catastrophes. The trip as a whole took twenty hours and forty minutes, and that was the title of one of the books she wrote.( "Amelia Earhart Flies Across the Atlantic.) She could now officially be called, a courageous woman. She was fearless, courageous, and daring. She was the woman of the decade. After she successfully flew around the world, she started on her first attempt around the world. She started on the Honolulu runway nearing her trip towards the adventure of a lifetime. She turned on the roaring engine. The plane rolled along the long black pavement, gaining speed and momentum. She though everything had been checked, but a problem occurred that result in a runway crash. She was not injured but failure had been set at her feet, waiting for her to kick it away and try again. Later that year, 1937, she tried again at her goal of flying around the world.  Courage and bravery ran in her veins. Adrenaline pumped through her body as she departed from the runway. She was so close to achieving her goal of flying solo around the world, it was practically in her hands already. She never gave up on her dreams no matter how scary they were. She once said” The most difficult thing is the decision to act, the rest is merely tenacity. The fears are paper tigers. You can do anything you decide to do. You can act to change and control your life; and the procedure, the process is its own reward.” She always acted with confidence and dignity. She achieved some of the most unimaginable goal a woman could dream of. Although she started off her trip around the world with fierceness and bravery, she never got to finish because she disappeared in the middle of her trip.( centennialofflight) The people controlling and talking to her got some messages from her before she disappeared such as there was rough weather and turbulence.( youtube, NationalGeographic) She always fought through her trials and usually succeeded, and even though she didn’t succeed her last time, she went out of the race with goals that had been acquired.( "Amelia Earhart." Amelia Earhart)( bing.com)

          Sir earnest Shackleton and Amelia Earhart both had dreams of their own, but Gertrude Ederle, a famous speed swimmer, had unique ambitions that she more than achieved, she made them her life. After realizing that swimming is what her passion was, she made it to the Olympics and swam in many, many races. The Paris Olympics were incredible. She set nearly twenty nine records ranging from fastest speed in the one hundred meter butterfly to the four hundred meter freestyle.( REAL VERSION." NBC New York) She loved swimming. It was more than a hobby to her it was her passion, her life. She also swam in the sea. It was her best friend. She said once, "To me, the sea is like a person - like a child that I've known a long time. It sounds crazy, I know, but when I swim in the sea I talk to it. I never feel alone when I'm out there." She also had many, many races. Some were local for her and others were national. One of her really memorable races was when she swam a twenty one mile race across the Lower New York Bay, the water was frigid and the hair on her skin stood up.( "Swim-City.com - Swimming Metropolis." Swim-City.com) She was excited and nervous at the same time. The race took over seven hours of non-stop swimming in the bleak waters, but she didn’t care, every second was worth it. She was a risk taker who would do what it took to achieve her goals and dreams. She never gave up and she tried her hardest at everything she did. She had many accomplishments in her lifetime. Not only did she swim races and set records in the Paris Olympics, she was the first woman to every swim the English Channel. She had to be drenched in Greases and jellies of different sorts. The first time she tried to swim it her coach secretly poisoned her so that she would get sick and be unable to swim the full length. After minutes of struggling, An Egyptian swimmer eventually pulled her out of the water. Her courage kept pushing her through her trials and she decided to try again. The got up on a bright early morning in 1926, she was ready to do what people thought was impossible for women, swim the complete length of the English Channel. She persevered through the rough waters. She dodged jellyfish and sharks that could have been fatal to her swim. She made it in fourteen hours and thirty one minutes. Over two hours faster than any man had ever swum it. She accomplished her dreams and never gave up, that is what made her a courageous, brave, fearless, and bold young woman.

          Adventurers of the nineteen twenty’s were not only daring went to extreme measures to achieve their goals. Sir Earnest Shackleton was one of the most fearless men of American history by far. He endured through many trials that he faced and never gave up on himself or his peers when it came to survival or anything else for that matter. Amelia Earhart was an American idol for many people. People praised her for he talents, she achieved numerous goals, and while trying to persevere through her trials, she learned to be a courageous woman. Gertrude Ederle, much like the other adventurers, she set multiple goals for her life, and achieved them. Even if she failed the first or second time trying to break a record or do the impossible the always tried again and usually succeeded because of that. All three adventurers ended their races with dignity and pride, and never gave up on a dream. 

Dear Parents

Dear Parents,

We just finished our 8^th grade integrated unit on the Progressive Movement and the Roaring 20’s. In English we learned about writing with elaboration such as anecdotes, indirect quotes, direct quotes and descriptions; we also wrote two essays. After watching the Disney movie the Newsies, we read about, wrote about and acted out anecdotes about the real newsies from Kids on Strike by Susan Bartoletti and the New York Times newspaper articles from 1899. Students then put their new knowledge and writing skills together by writing an anecdotal essay about the newsies. This essay was done with a fair amount of teamwork and teacher guidance. Finally, we wrote an essay on the Roaring 20’s, students choose a topic, researched it and wrote an essay with less guidance and teamwork. 

Our next integrated unit is the Great Depression. We are going to use the theme of the Great Depression to anchor our writing and our literature. In English students are going to be working on word choice, figurative language, sentence fluency, conventions and parts of speech. They will also be learning how to write an analytical paragraph and essay. In class we will use excerpts from Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand as a model text of great word choice. In Literature we will use clips from the movie Seabiscuit to learn about literature elements such as symbolism, motifs, themes and allusions. Students will also be reading either Out of Dust by Karen Hesse, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, A Long Way to Chicago,  by Richard Peck, Hitch by Jeanette Ingold or Bud, Not Buddy by Christopher Paul Curtis and doing a packet of activities with classmates to gain a further understanding of the literature. A reading calendar is on sms8students@blogspot.com. Also, I purchased extra novels this year, so that parents could check one out to read along with their child.

During the 8^th grade year I would really like the students to read every night. I do not give students much time to read their novels in class, so it is helpful if they read their assigned novel at home or another novel, magazine, graphic novel when they do not have an assigned novel. Students learn to be better writers, gain more vocabulary, and become faster readers by simply reading. I really strive to not give students homework, so that they have time to read for twenty minutes at home. 

Coming Soon

Seabiscuit

Click here to watch trailer

Newsies by Brenna

            Fresh, thin air freezes the lungs of a newsboy. His feet are crooked to rest his sore arches and prevent the cold that lingers on the concrete from seeping through his boots. With pleading eyes, the boy, his frozen fingers clasped on his papers, urges people to come and buy his burdens. Customers pass by vanishing into the distant smudge of snow and gray without even noticing the poor child. His breath billows around him as frosty, bitter winds swirls thought the city, pushing his red-nosed customers into the depths of wintery New York. Emptiness sweeps through his frail bones as he stands alone by the light post. Watery light drenches around him and the barren city. This cold light is foreboding. Teeth chattering, the boy frowns as his only chance to help his poor family is swept away. The dampness of the day comforts him as he looks at the place where the people he begged vanished. Selling the papers required the newsboys to mash and twist the headlines, tug the sympathy of their customers, and bombarded society with devilish tricks at all costs.

            Headlines, both good and bad, was the way a newsie made the money that they needed to survive, but it would have to be just right if a newsboy was to be successful. First, hawking, or selling, newspapers needed more than just a paper; a headline had to be good. Each good headline could affect the way the newsie felt on a day. Weather, season, sports, or anything else could help the newspapers sell. Susan Bartoletti, author of “Kids on Strike,” writes “The more war, murder, mayhem, and disaster, the happier the newsies seemed to be.”(Kids on Strike) Second, a headline wouldn’t be the best all the time. If a headline was horrible, the newsies, using their devious ways, would twist and mash it around to make it sound more exhilarating to alert their patrons. Although mixing the headlines around was beneficial, calling out “Extra! Extra! Read all about it!” seemed to work too, even if it didn’t work as well. As well as calling out “Extra,” Susan Bartoletti claims anything at all from Washington DC or the Whitehouse would sell easily, made up or completely true. (Kids on Strike) For example, Philip Marcus was a newsboy. He recalls yelling, “Read all about the White House scandal! The White House scandal! Read all about it!” (Kids on Strike)

Even if editing headlines was on a newsie’s agenda, messing with people’s sympathy was a dominant way to sell newspapers. To begin, the injuries, both real and fake, mixed up the sympathy of the newsboys customers. With so many newsboys that had lost limbs trying to hop about a trolley, one woman felt eager to do something. She started a fund to earn money to buy wooden legs for the newsies, but they refused. The more helpless they looked, the more papers they could sell, even if there were fake cripples. Not only did crutches and empty pant legs help sell the papers, but they also evoked more tips from customers. Next, having an illness of any kind prodded the sympathy of the newsies’ customers. Coughs, colds, and running noses, any type of illness, would make the customers feel bad for the newsboys, and give them an extra bit or tip. Being hungry, which was on a regular basis, could also lead to illness, so the customers did what they could to help. To conclude, tears of any kind brought in more sympathy- and more money- for the newsboys of 1899. Being poor with little family on the streets made customers relies the issues around them. Those poor newsies one may think. A man by the name of Philip Marcus was a newsie during this time. He told Susan Bartoletti that he, one day, had made a deal with guy. Philip remembered that he said he’d buy all of the guy’s papers. That is when he discovered that there was much too many for him to sell. Knowing that losing money was a big deal, he bawled out all his sorrow. But while he was letting his tears rain down, people kept on coming until all of his newspapers were gone. “And while I was standing there bawling,” Philip continued his tale to Susan Bartoletti, “I sold all them sheets.” (Kids on Strike)

             Although their sorrow was just a way to sell papers, playing tricks, or dodges, was another kind of way to make a quick profit. For starter, change given to customers made all the difference to a newsboy because it was one of the most common of tricks around. In a hurry, a customer may make his or her way down the streets. This customer may stop to buy a paper from a newsie, but it could be a mistake. Waiting impatiently, the customer watches the newsboy fumble around his pockets looking for the change. Still taking his time fumbling for the customer’s change, the newsie waited and hoped that the customer would be too impatient to wait for their change. Again, Philip Marcus retells a tale of one of his experiences. He remembers that the newsboys would run up along the sides of a streetcar to sell the day’s papers. The customer may need change, but they had to wait for the newsie to look, and look, and look until the car started to go, and the Newsie couldn’t catch up. (Kids on Strike) Next, being inattentive could lead to less change that was supposed to be given. A customer could get three pennies instead of four. Susan Bartoletti writes of this sneaky dodge. Some customers would notice the issue, and turn back to teach the newsboy, who played them like a lute, a lesson. Sun shines down on the streets of New York City. Footsteps bounce off the concrete until they end at the feet of a Newsie. On such a beautiful day, the customer observes the trees in the nearby park rustle in the summer breeze. “One paper please,” the person hands the boy nickel. Still watching the birds soar high from tree to tree. Jolted back to reality, the customer notices three shiny pennies in their palm. With papers being only one cent, the customer doesn’t realize that they got cheated as they stroll of into the city park. Finally, rough, burly newsboys of 1899 were ready to pick a fight along with their other dirty tricks to sell their papers. Some boys would take on a territory like a busy street corner. If someone tried to pull in to sell some newspapers, the corner “owner” would sweep in to get rid of the pest. On the other hand, a fake fight could earn just as much money, or more. During a blistering hot July day in City Park, New York of 1899, disturbing wails echoed around the buildings, sending dreadful chills down the spines of Brooklynites. People rushed in to view a heavy-set boy with a plump belly standing above a scrawny boy with dirt covered clothes; the smaller one bore a couple of bruises. Rising with trembling distress and determination, the thin boy plants a fist to the other, but is quickly thwacked back like a fly. With the battered boy writhing in pain on the earth, the plumper newsboy shreds a couple of the papers and he vanishes, leaving tatters in his place.  That poor boy people contemplate as they eagerly crowd around the slightly tattered boy, change rattling in their pockets. After the customers disperse from buying the frayed papers, the scruffy boy hops up and takes his newfound money to the café as if nothing ever happened to him. Joy spreads across his face as he settles down next to his friend, the plump boy who pounded him. They push juice filled pie into their mouths, not really worried on how ill-mannered they look. Customers far off grumble at the shredded papers. The papers they had just bought are a couple of weeks old. (The New York Times July 6, 1899)

            Converting the headlines, revealing sympathy, and using innovative tricks all assisted the Newsies to get their customers’ attention and make a profit. Being a sleek fox to preserve as much money as possible is what the newsboys of the late 1800’s did. The streets of New York were being filled with the newsboys, helping others know that they could overwhelm any obstacle with strength of mind. Any risk was worth taking for a Newsie if they were to live a prosperous life.  

A Newsie Lead- McKenzie

            The hot sun beat down on the crowd as a single newsboy stood in Park Row, New York, on a nice July day in 1899. Park Row was filled with the common loud chatter and the reverberating footsteps as a lone newsboy stood and handed out both his new and old papers with a stunningly bright smile on his young face. Not long after the shrewd young boy had taken notice that there were no competitors nearby to interfere with how much money her earned, a long bone-chilling "Scab!" rang out, and almost immediately hundreds of the striking Newsies dashed to swarm him. Shock dominated the boy's face as well as a frown as he looked up at the group of boys and saw that their jaws were obviously set. They wasted no time and asked the latter of the majority, "Why don't you stick to your union?" The boy, who was reluctant in giving his reason for becoming a traitor, had the papers that had previously filled his arms violently knocked to the cold, muddy ground, tearing loudly as the striking newsboys carelessly tread over them. Cries of pain could be heard from afar as the boy was beaten by the larger group of boys who had the advantage in numbers. Since Pulitzer and Hearst had raised the prices and made making money nearly impossible, the young and furious Newsies threw their own papers into the mud, went on strike, and fled from the angered police while evading nearly certain arrest.

The 1920's were a HIT

Babe Ruth not only changed baseball, but his success changed all sports from a hobby to a national passion. Sports Illustrated named him the greatest baseball player of the 20th century. This left handed wonder batted 714 home runs.

"Every strike brings me closer to the next home run" - Babe Ruth

"Never let the fear of striking out keep you from coming to bat" - Babe Ruth

check out The Babe's home run by clicking on the link 60th home run in one season

Listen to the roar of the roaring 20's

The roaring 20's, what a crazy time. A time full of adventure, movie stars, sports and music. About all the things that entertain us now exploded into a roar during the 1920's. We will learn and write about Charlie Chaplin, Louis Armstrong, Trudy Elderly (first women to swim the English Channel), Babe Ruth, Henry Ford, and much, much more.

"What we play is life." Louis Armstrong

Check out Louis Armstrong singing, click on the following link. 

What a wonderful world by Louis Armstrong