Much of what students learn about writing and grammar come from reading. Because the reading curriculum is so important to Language Arts, we need to make sure that the books chosen are the best. There are currently eight books in the 8th grade reading curriculum; among those is Jurassic Park. The books chosen for this curriculum require special attention because reading is a major part of Language Arts. Every book read in Language arts such as Jurassic Park and The Book Thief should follow certain criteria to keep the reader interested, challenged, and focused on the book.
The novel, Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton, is a creative book about a new, revolutionary zoo created by a rich dinosaur enthusiast by the name of John Hammond. John Hammond, the owner of InGen and an important financial supporter of Grant's digs, has turned the island Isla Nublar into a zoo called Jurassic Park which is filled with dinosaurs that Dr. Henry Wu has cloned using a breakthrough genetic engineering technology. Donald Gennaro, Hammond's lawyer, is concerned about the safety of the park. Gennaro brings Grant, Sattler, and the mathematician Ian Malcolm to tour the island in an attempt to determine whether the place is safe. Also at the park, is Dennis Nedry, the computer technician who created the parks advanced computer system. Unknown to InGen, Biosyn Corporation, a bioengineering company, hires Nedry to steal fifteen dinosaur embryos for their own benefit. Because Jurassic Park is designed to be run with a minimal amount of people, when Nedry shuts down the security system to steal the embryos, all of the other park systems start to break down. Then Nedry gets lost on his way to the dock to transfer the embryos and is killed by an escaped dilop...
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Based on the three elements of criteria, use of figurative language, uniqueness, and few flat characters, The Book Thief is clearly the better book for the 8th grade reading curriculum. It has more things that students should learn to use such as good, compelling word choice or engaging characters and a one-of-a-kind narrating style. The decision to replace Jurassic Park with The Book Thief is important because if students are reading a book with flat characters and a lacking of figurative language than that's how they will tend to write. Because The Book Thief is more Language Arts friendly because of its higher reading level, it is easier for teachers to point out the good writing in class. Although some students might enjoy reading about dinosaurs eating people’s guts out, The Book Thief is clearly the better academic choice for 8th grade students.
After this "construction accident," the worker's family was suing Jurassic Park for a sizable sum of money. The family sent out a lawyer to the island to see if the park is safe, and if it was the cause of their relative's death. The book tells stories that the movie doesn't show. One of those is about a little girl. The little girl is vacationing with her parents when she goes off to explore.
In conclusion the theme of Jurassic Park, Man playing God, is effectively portrayed by Crichton using an atmosphere of fear. This atmosphere of fear relative to the theme of man playing God makes a definite statement and effectively serves Crichton's purpose of raising awareness about genetic engineering and its possible out comes.
Over the course of this summer I read four books. The books I read were Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling, The Giver by Lois Lowry, Among the Hidden by Margaret Peterson Haddix, and Number the Stars by Lois Lowry again. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J K Rowling was the first book I read this summer and I really liked it. I decided to read the 5th Harry Potter book because I had it and I never really got a chance to read it. The book begins were it had left you of in the 4th book when Harry is just about to enter his 5th year at Hogwarts. He still lives with his aunt and uncle whom he hates because they are mean and evil to him. The letters from his friends are very dull and they have nothing to say, which confuses him and makes him furious. He is also mad because he’s still stuck with the Dursleys all summer long. The story goes with his adventures and challenges throughout his 5th year. The genre is fantasy complete with magic. I would recommend this book to anybody who likes the Harry Potter books. I would also recommend that if you have never read any of the previous books you start from the beginning. I can’t wait ‘till the next book comes out!
Steven Spielberg’s Jaws (1975) and his other film Jurassic Park (1993) both contain a major theme of what makes a successful hero in society. In Jaws, police chief Martin Brody must successfully eliminate the threat of a Great White Shark from attacking Amity Island. In Jurassic Park, billionaire John Hammond creates a theme park where cloned dinosaurs come alive, hoping that his ideal resort becomes a major success. Through the use of film style elements, such as editing and mise-en scene, Spielberg develops Brody’s character as a person who must learn from his past mistakes in order to become a successful hero while Spielberg creates Hammond’s character as a man who only sees himself as a hero of science and technology without realizing his attempted control over nature is what leads him to his ultimate failure.
Jurassic Park is a book about the cloning of dinosaurs and they are used as the park entertainment on an island. In this park where dinosaurs are the attraction, not every thing will go as planed. Reading this book will teach someone how Michael Crichton feels about biological science and the cloning of extinct animals. There are things that caused the park to be unsuccessful. Dr. Malcom and Dennis Nedry where two of the parks problems, and the other was the nature of the animals.
Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. Tenth edition. Edited by Laurence Behrens and Leonard J. Rosen. New York: Longman Publishers, pp. 371-377, 2008.
Michael Crichton’s classic novel Jurassic Park sparked controversy among scientists, excited science-fiction fans, and captivated paleontologists as Chrichton proposed the idea that dinosaurs could be cloned. The plot elicited criticism from scientists around the world, but support from others. Cloning a dinosaur was made possible in the fictional text: take some amber, fill in missing DNA, obtain an ostrich egg, keep the egg in a controlled environment, then a dinosaur is born. Unfortunately, each of the steps are of intricate design.
Begrens, Laurence; Rosen, Leonard J. Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum. 7th ed. New York, Longman, 2000. 320-322.
Richard Wright, in his essay “Discovering Books,” explains how reading books changed his outlook on life and eventually his life itself. The first book that widened his horizons was an overtly controversial book by H. L. Mencken. I have a story not so dissimilar from his.
Jurassic Park, by Michael Crichton is an incredible book, which describes genetic engineering and the creation of an extinct species. Michael Crichton uses marvelous detail throughout the book. As great as the book is, it is not that appropriate for children who are 15 and under because of the gore, description, violence, and obscenities through out the story.
Amanda Spake, “Chapter Eight” Writing and Reading Across the Curriculum, (New York: Pearson, 2007) 337-337
While I believe every child is a reader, I do not believe every child will be enthralled with reading all the time. All students have the capability to read and enjoy reading, but just like any other hobby, interest will vary from student to student. The students in my classroom will be encouraged in their reading, be provided with choice, taught how books can take you into another world but, my students will not be forced to read. This paper will illustrate my philosophy of reading through the theories I relate to, the way I want to implement reading and writing curriculum, and the methods I will use motivate my students to read and help them become literate.
My relationship with books and reading has not been the greatest adventure for me thus far. I will not say that all my experience has been terrible but for the most part not that great. I know for me it started when I was little and unfortunately it has carried to my adulthood.
In our schools today, literacy should not just be a task for the English or Reading teacher. Instead, literacy should be a shared venture by all teachers within all content areas. Teaching literacy in all content areas is important because a teacher with a solid understanding of teaching literacy in his/her content area will tremendously help all students achieve greater success on class assignments and standardized assessments. There are three main points that surround the idea of teaching literacy in all content areas. Teachers need the necessary skills and knowledge to teach literacy, once the necessary skills and knowledge are gained then there is justification for teaching literacy across content areas, and
Reading was never something I fussed about growing up. As a child, I loved genres of realistic fiction. I was hooked on The New Adventures of Mary Kate and Ashley, Goosebumps, The Amazing Days of Abby Hayes, Judy Moody, and especially, Zoobooks and Highlights magazines. My mother was always ready to help build my reading and writing skills. She took me to the library constantly to feed my passion for books and knowledge. I loved exploring the shelfs, organizing the books, and filling up my library cart. I tried keeping a diary in elementary school to keep track of my outings with my parents and grandparents to museums, zoos, movies, and libraries. This flash of writing enthusiasm was spun from books I read in the 4th and 5th grade that were