Actually, I knew how to do a debate. In Mr Khan's class last year, we had plenty of debates. Most of them is about general knowledge. A few examples are ' Are girls smarter than boys?' and 'Should pets be put to sleep?'. As the debate started, I answered the first question and when the debate goes on, I stopped answering as Mrs Chien said I answer too many and my teammates did not answer. But this debate is quite special because last year, there were only 2 teams and we were arguing among the speakers and what they said. This debate was all about the Hatchet book and the comments on this blog. Also, there were 8 teams participating. I love debates as I like to talk alot. And of course, I would like more debate about some other stuff. Maybe we can debate about science like what I did in the scienceispire blog or many others. Seriously, this debate had allowed me to learn more in english and literature and survival stuff. There were many 'tricks' like snapped open and hammered open, perfect home and the tears thingy. Using these small little words, we know alot about the situation that are happening. So compositions need not be like 100 words that are perfect. But we must use more to score for vocabulary but we cannot overdo it as it is not sincere anymore.More debates please!!!!

the debate was really fun. It really fits my learning style. I also learn to seize the opportunity when i have the chance. It also helped me to speak up and brought out my comfidence. I also learnt that in oral, i don't have to care if the answer is correct, i just have to say whatever comes to my mind and put it in proper sentence.The author used ordinary words, but the way the he uses it makes it extraordinary.~ru yan

The debate allow us to speak out our thoughts and have more confidence in ourself even if the answer is irrevelant.A debate like this enable us to share our thoughts,crack our brain and have fun at the same time is a great way to improve our English.This debate show us how the author captivate the readers by choosing the right words and would give clues to every ideas slowly which make the reader wanting to find out more.I hope that there will be more of this event.

juan pang

I think that , after the debate , i have more confidence in English ! The debate really fits my learning style as i don't really like to read.. but after the debate..i feel like reading again like i was in primary 3. when i was in primary 3 and 4 , i think that english is very difficult and literature seems crazy to me... i found out that the author uses strong verbs to describe and capture the heart and mind of the reader


By ChenZung*~

How did this debate affect my perceptions of myself?
In what ways did the debate fit my learning style?
Has it influenced the way I perceive English and Literature?
What did the debate show us about the 'tricks' authors use to captivate the heart and mind of the reader?

This debate affects my perceptions by allowing me to speak out even though sometimes, I thought my answer was irrelevant.
It makes the lesson more interesting and interesting lessons is the best way to learn:D
I finally loved literature.
This debate requires lots and lots of thinking skills and I think it it very good for us.
(I wish to have more of this!!)

Ben

Actually, I love debating but when I saw how the tables is
arranged,a shiver went down my spine but then i realised
that it is fun as there is ponts and make us eager to accumulate
points. I was actually shy to speak out as all the eyes will be on me..
but I did not want to get my group get disqualified.After sharing my
thoughts, a huge wave of relief overwhelmed me.I had overcome my
weakness.
The debate make me think that there is not only one type of
learning which is reeeaaaddd, dddooo.Makes my life so boring.. I get to
learn Literature while having fun.
I thought Literature is soo boring but it teach me a lot of good words
and phrases that can be used in my composition. Literature
is wonderful story which is to me as 'long-winded ' story.
The authors chose its words carefully to make the reader imagine what is
happening and also used strong words that have its own meaning. The author
also show us what is happening than telling us.
=Syafiqah=

How did this debate affect my perceptions of myself?
Before the debate it thought that our team would not participate a lot but i was wrong we actually cracked our brains .


In what ways did the debate fit my learning style? Has it influenced the way I perceive English
and Literature?
The debate was fun and it also helps in my oral and listening skill. Yes it has influenced the way I perceive English and Literature i thought that literature was a boring subject but through this debate l realise that literature was a fun and exciting suject .


What did the debate show us about the 'tricks' authors use to captivate the heart and mind of the reader?
The author would use strong vocabulary to make us captivate to read on and the author would use a tick called 'develop the suspense" which he would give a bit clue by a bit before reveling what is the thing he wants.

by hansheng

I found out from the 'Hatchet' debate that I am quite good in debating compared to last year's debate in my class 5Grace.Nearing the last day of school,5Grace last year(my class last year)had debate classes,everyday we have to debate on a topic.On everyday debate we had,I hardly argued to my opponents or give any ideas to my team members but this year,I spoke out and shared my ideas to my team members.The 'Hatchet' debate fit my learning style by improving our listening skills and oral which makes us more prepared for oral and listening comprehension.At first I do not like Literature as I thought it was hard to learn and all that but it was actually fun as it teaches us new,great words and phrases to use in our composition.The author uses outstanding vocabulary and words to describe how he felt very clearly.
by John Carlo Songcuan

The debate was definetly the most fun part of the day. I had learnt many thing on english literature and the class also talked about the sloshing oil and many more . It has really changed my perception of a debate as I thought it would be very serious and difficult to answer questions but it turned out to be relaxing and the debate ran smoothly.I would agree that english literature is very interesting and i really enjoyed the opportunity to take part in a debate.

This debate had changed my prception of myself by learning to talk more and not to afraid to speak out.I used to think that literature is boring ,but after the debate i felt that literature is actually quite fun as it teaches us a lot of things .It fitted my learning style by teaching us listening and oral.The author uses great vocabulary to make us feel what what happeing

After the recent hatchet debate, it had changed my prception of myself when you feel your answers are not correct, it may just be the correct answer. I had also learnt that alternate answers will be much better, and this also connects to composition. This debate is not only about english literature, it is also practice for our oral and listening comprehension. This debate also connects to science when we talked about the ''sloshing oil'' and kinetic energy. The author showed his feelings that he felt and it was very clear.

~Nicole~

This debate did help boost my confidence in debates from what had happened last year [a debate ended in disaster]. Now I am not afraid anymore of debates. This debate somehow fits my style of doing work, thinking carefully before putting down an answer. However, it did not really change the way I perceive Literature as I have always liked reading Literature books like Animal Farm. The authors use top-notch vocabulary and such discriptions that make you see and feel the picture in your head. Timothy Timuari

The debate was very nice. I like it very much.It has fully change my perception of that the debate was very serious but our class's was fun and relax. It let me could say out why i think and this was fitting my learning style if i was wrong other classmate would let me why i wrong so it was a good lesson.This debate had influenced that the english could be preceive in a such a fun way and now i had started to interested in Literature because it could be written in a such a great vocabular to captivate heart ang mind of reader like it would give us some clue before some things happened so it would let the reader to know what would happened next so the reader would keep read on at last i just wanted to say that the debate was really fantastic and fun i like it very much. yiwen

Different people have different way of seeing things.Sometimes the way otehers see things may be better and make more sense than what i am thinking.No matter how differently someone see thinks,it always have its right point.Unless it is totlly not relevent to the question.Listening to others on what they think isalso important during a debate.It truely did help in my listening skills.It is like an hour of listening comprehension just that it is much more interesting.Engish is like a very horrible subject tome,not to say literature.I had never ever related debating to English.I had never thought it would ever be related but it ended up that it actually relates very well.While I was enjoying the debate,i did not know theat actualluy the words or phrases can be used in compositions.Just a little change to the words and there a very good new and original phrase.The aurthor used words, just words but words with deep meaning.Thinking a little deeper to the meaning of the word, the word has great meaning.
Pauline

.After this debate,I learned to talk more, and felt that I changed from my previous years.

.It fitted my learning style as it helped me to practice oral, and it was fun and interesting. And it helped me to speak up for myself.

.Yes. At first I thought Literature and English was very boring, but after the debate I now think it is very interesting and fun.

.The debate shows us that the authors uses words and phrases that describe his feelings a lot and some of the sentences in the book could make us visualize what is happening during that time of the day.

` Rachel Ngo

The debate was so fun!It had totally change my perception of there were not only one thoughts was correct and there were lots of thoughts that i did not think about and they made perfect senses.Thank you for letting me i was wrong.
It had also influenced the way i perceive English.I did not went any Literature class so i do not know.Last few years,teachers only teach in 'form'way,means took out textbook and teach teach teach then do do do, some times must use different ways of teaching, so we will able to learn more things!Mrs Chien, thank you for thinking out so much fun learning for us, i really enjoyed it.
LiWeiWei

I think I did not do my best in the debate as I did not say what ever is in my mind. But at least i have connected whatever the question was.The debate helped me to understand some of the tricks used during hatchet and let me know what my friends are thinking.After the debate and activities of hatchet,I realised that 'hey,English and Literature are not as boring as what i thought,'i have started to understand that the author of hatchet use these tricks to show instead of tell the
reader.
#LYDIA#:)

I did really enjoy the debate it was like wow so real i hope it may come to television(joking:)-a lot of us speak out and share our thoughts we did also discuss about the answers-after this debate i think all subjects should be taught by playing and at the same time learning this will made the child have more interest in the subject now i like english and composition science which i thought is boring come alive
-i hope we will have more debate It is So Fun!





Kelvin Ruty

This debate allowed me to learn how to stand up for the right and for the wrong. It affected my perception of myself as it told me that others thinking may not be the same as you. However, others thinking can also make a whole lot of sense that i did not thought about.
It fitted my learning stlye as it was fun and interesting. We can learn how to speak up to train for our oral and learn how to make all our ideas into one good phrase. It also helps with the composition writing.
Yes, it has influenced the way i learn English and Literature. I used to think that Literature would be a very boring subject. However, after having Literature classes with Mrs Chien, I realised that Literature could be so exciting! It affected the way i learn as now i know that learning is not only reading and writing on blank pieces of paper. I now know that thinking out of the box and always relating what you now to what you are doing will always come in handy.
It showed us that the author used a variety of adjectives to describe the actions and others. It also used short sentences with strong vocabulary to captivate our heart and mind. It taught me that when we are writing a composition, not making the story boring and having another idea would be the best! Its best to be extraordinary!!
Xinyi(:

-After this debate i think that i can talk,i can talk infront of everybody.I felt that i have changed from when i realise i wasn't like this I felt different a change for the better.
-To practise oral,maybe because i didn't get to practise this way at home or any where else i felt a little nervous that first but after i raised my hand and talk well...it wasn't that bad at all.
-Not really.I think English and Literature is fun in some kind of way,and i have always think that english is interesting~Never ending words,no-matter how old you are how good you are,knowing all the words in the world is something kind of impossible.It is a never stop learning subject.
-The author uses alot of discribing words and always gives us clues on what is happening next and they discribe what the characters are doing,thinking,gives us the idea of the place the surrounding,the look sometimes they write stories with interesting storyline or with jokes and even imagination from the characters-all of this makes a book the best and hard to put down.
~Audrey

1.How did this debate affect my perceptions of myself?
--It somehow showed me that being shy is not going to help me in anything and I realised that almost everyone[including Rae Ann of course] is not shy. Even Rae Ann spoke loudly and everyone was mesmerised by her voice and it was so quiet until a needle that dropped on the floor could be heard.[I am exaggerating a bit]
2.In what ways did the debate fit my learning style?
--It fitted my learning style in a sense that the whole class discussed with each other and told each other they're mistakes or add in to what the previous person said.
3.Has it influenced the way I perceive English and Literature?
--I would say YES for Literature as I never thought that Literature was so much fun but I would say NO for English as I always have loved English and Science.
4.What did the debate show us about the 'tricks' authors use to captivate the heart and mind of the reader?
--The authors use strong words to describe something to make the reader see in his imagination what the author really means for example : "Brian felt his eyes beginning to burn and knew there would be tears." & "Instead his eyes burned and tears came, the seeping tears that burned, but he didn't cry.". The other 'trick' is to use his/her own words that he/she created to form a nice sentence.

Yi Lin*~