Devil's Acre Book Report

Write an essay discussing the historical insights presented in Erik Larson’s Devil in the White City, being sure to answer the following questions: In what ways does the Chicago World’s Fair of 1893 represent the contrasts and conflicts of the Gilded Age? What is the Fair’s lasting imprint on American society & culture, & what new trends does it signal for the twentieth century?

This week started off pretty slow. Monday I had the opportunity to go on a home visit to a foster home. This has been one of the most interesting visit of all. I went out with Faith, a Family Specialist. This therapeutic foster home housed 3 special needs children. The oldest girl has a diagnosis of Asperger and the youngest children, a girl and boy, have a diagnosis of Autism. They are awesome kids and they have been blessed with delightful foster parents. I just get good vibes whenever I interact with this family.

First and foremost, I think it is safe to say we have been doing great work this semester so far. We have a great staff to work with, and little conflict between members. Our stories so far have been top-notch, and I expect the next few weeks will produce pieces of similar quality. I look forward to wrapping out the year with both of you.

Andy Stanley once said, “Greed is not a financial issue. It’s a heart issue,” (Brainyquote). Washington Irving was an american short story writer who wrote many stories. In “The Devil and Tom Walker” Irving tells about a poor man named Tom Walker who is offered the greatest riches in the world if he sells his soul to the devil. Throughout the short story Tom Walker is stuck between a rock and a hard place. This results in him making hard decisions and dealing with the consequences. Irving does an amazing job of writing Tom’s emotions into a very believable character. All that Tom goes through opens up this new type of character that is not usually seen, and helps to show a different worldview. Having the different worldview portrayed even affected how I saw the story and now how I see my life. Irving’s bluntness to how greed can cause people to do terrible things and not think twice about it really helped to change the way I viewed the world. Knowing that greed drives people to crazy lengths was never really something I believed, but seeing it in such a realistic manner really brought to light the truth of that idea.

How much is enough? Some people can never answer that question or be satisfied with what they have. When you want more and what you have is never enough, then making a deal with the devil to get what you want might seem like an easy choice. The Devil and Tom Walker is an intriguing tale that tells a tale about a greedy man and his wife who wanted to do just that, and the price that deal cost

Another month has passed at the Boys and Girls Club. As the mini-grant opportunity is approaching, James and I are interested and excited to possibly provide the kids with K'Nex building toys. Many of the kids are interested in these, and we are excited to have the opportunity to possibly provide the kids with their own set. The 'One Day Voices' also had their celebration party to celebrate their past performance. Overall, it has been a great month, and I am excited to see what's in store and we finish out the year.

These last six months were hard. I will admit. We lost some amazing people on our way here, and I wish they could be with us today in Oregon. All things put aside, I am actually glad that Paul made me come on this trip. I’m definitely happier now than I was when we left. Nate and I can’t wait to get married. We announced it to everyone today, and the children took it better than I expected. I think they have grown attached to Nate, and the thought of that makes me so happy.

This week has been a good one so far. I can say I feel really good about my progress and work completed. I am half way done with my curriculum map and I am starting to list resources and strategies that I am using which will add an extra component to my curriculum map. I think I started to piece together my PowerPoint presentation as well.

My aim for today was to make more time for one on one sessions with the residents. This actually ended up working quite well as 5 of the 12 residents in cottage #3 went out for a bus outing from 0930-1100. I came back from my first break and was entirely done all the AM care, including that morning's shower, so I was able to take an hour to file and paint the nails of two residents.

I was getting closer and closer. Not a bird in sight, not even a single cloud. The moon was starting to shine as the sun was descending from the cerulean sky. Drivers were getting closer and closer to their destination, so was I. I took one more footstep where my mind flashes back four years back. It was a warm atmosphere, although it wasn’t my desire to start somewhere fresh. I walked into my first class, two girls came up to me, and secured that I had a nice first day. After my first, class I go into a classroom, which wasn’t what I all expected. It all seemed so historic and antique. It really emphasized his passion. He was teaching something, that I had already learned. He was asking the whole class what the regions of the United States

“Are we there yet?” my brother whined. My mom replied, “Almost”. Finally, after three hours in the car I can get out and stretch my legs. When I open the car door I am overwhelmed by the smell of salt. “We’re here!” my dad cheers. Everyone is mingle ing and having side conversations; catching up on what’s been happening the past year. It’s nice to see my relatives again.

The book I’m reading is Deep, Dark, and Dangerous by Mary Downing Hahn. The book is about a girl who goes to a lake with her aunt. The girl’s name is Ali and she is hanging out with her Aunt Dulcie and cousin Emma. The story starts out when Ali goes to read her mom’s book. She opens a page and a picture falls out. The picture is her mom, aunt, and another girl. On the back of the photo her grandmother wrote their names but the other girl's name was torn off. The first letter of her name was T. It was a mystery to Ali, so she went downstairs to ask her mom who T was, but she had no clue. A few hours later her aunt showed up and asked her if she wanted to go to Maine to go to the lake. While Dulcie was

Even though I have been uneventful I’m looking forward to the next next segment of my project, and I’m very thankful for this wonderful opportunity. I hope my next stage will be more eventful. Working in the south lobby has helped my to learn patience, and that you may not start where you, you have to work for

The Number Devil- A Mathematical Adventure is a trade book by Hans Magnus Enzensberger that talks about the dreams of a boy named Robert. Robert is a typical boy who is in an algebra course. He hates anything involving numbers and feels intimidated any time that numbers are brought into the equation so to speak. Robert begins to dream about a “Number Devil” who starts to teach him the ways of numbers.

This week was has been very productive for me. I’ve started to add resources and activities to my curriculum map and my research for my finding presentation is ongoing. I feel I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I am aware of what I want to put in my curriculum map and things are starting to come together. I feel really good about my progress this week.