Weekly Bloggg

I am really excited that the eight page paper is almost out of the way! I came up with a little over five pages for the rough draft, so I'm hoping the next three pages come easy. I feel like there's not much more I can add to my paper, so hopefully my peer review partners can give me a few ideas. I have seven sources, so it seems like my paper would be done, but not quite ha.

I enjoyed having class outside today. It was a little chilly and super windy, but I hate sitting in the classroom on a nice day. The reading exercise wasn't too exciting, but we each noticed things we wouldn't have noticed if we didn't read. Hopefully the class at Starbucks goes fast because I always get a headache in there haha.

I can't wait to get started on the final paper, because it will feel closer to the end once that one is finished. A lot of my friends are done with class, or will be next week. Having a whole month or so to go is kind of depressing. Plus, the four page paper will hopefully be really easy because I came up with five for this one in like a half an hour. I really like my topic, and I think it is interesting, so I think that's why I'm able to come up with the stuff. Just three more pages to go!!

outline

Thesis=Although feral children don't know the basics to a civilized life, and may come across as dangerous, they are still humans, and they deserve a shot at a normal life.

studies have shown they can learn enough to live in society
-Genie recovered (look at article)

they can be saved, it's happened
A1 C6

they develop disorders, which can be treated
-**d7 D8

-------------------------------------
they've lived on their own long enough, they can keep doing it.
-not all feral kids come from the wild
- they could die from diseases

they're dangerous
-animals can be tamed, so can the kids.

they need to be locked up
-they're kids. treat them
- locking up is making them worse

they are a hoax
- there are lots of hoaxes people waste time on.
- these cases have been proven and researched.
-feral children.com
- B3 B4

Weekly Blog

This week I feel like I got a lot accomplished. The exercises we have been doing in class, and the homework assignments have been really helpful. Usually, I have an issue writing my intro and conclusion, especially as fast as I had to in class. With this topic though, things were coming to me quick, and I think I have a solid intro. By the end of the paper I think I will be able to tweek my conclusion a little more and make it better. I was surprised how fast I came up with them compared to others I have written. I feel like I'm way ahead of the game, and my paper is coming along well. Hopefully I don't get off track!

I am really glad we did an outline in class. I try to do one for every paper I write, but sometimes I don't feel like dealing with it, or can't come up with anything to put on it that would help me. I got this outline mostly finished today, and I think it is really going to help me out. My sources are solid, and I have good quotes that fit in right where I need them to. I found out though that I am going to need a few more sources. While doing the outline, I came up with a few points that I could add into my paper, but I haven't researched them too much. I've learned about some of it in my psychology class, but I need the sources. So that sort of stopped me from finishing my outline. Hopefully over the weekend I can find some good sources to help add these points to my paper.

Intro and Conclusion

In 2002, a girl named Genie was found in California at the age of thirteen. She couldn't stand on her own two feet, wasn't potty trained, and couldn't speak. Instead, she growled like an animal at anyone who came near her. As police found out, she had been locked in the bathroom for twelve years, and never interacted with a single person. Her mother was blind, and her brother had a few seconds to feed her a day, then he had to leave, or their father would beat him. There are hundreds of cases like this, reported every so often, and they call these kids "feral children." They can be considered dangerous, and the ones found in the wild are usually left there. They are not receiving the help they should be, because people think they pose a threat to others. Although feral children don't know the basics to a civilized life, and may come across as dangerous, they are still humans, and deserve a shot at a normal life.

As I have pointed out throughout this paper, these children deserve a shot at a normal life. Studies show that there is hope, and there is a chance that they can lead a civilized life. As for the ones who can't, we can't give up hope. They still need help, and shouldn't continue to be neglected, or left to fend for themselves like they have all along. If people can take animals out of the wild and teach them things, then they can with these children, too. Kids aren't supposed to have to fend for themselves that way. They also shouldn't be beaten and denied attention once they're saved. We can help these children, and it's time we start.

Proposal

Britainy Gober
Prof. Kraft
English 102

Research Topic-Feral Children
Research Question-Is there hope for them after they are found, and should we be doing more for them.

I am choosing to write about feral children because I think they deserve a shot at a normal life. I do not think they are safe out in the wild on their own. Children aren't meant to be out there like that, otherwise everyone would be. They are not animals, so they shouldn't have to live and be treated like animals. This topic is important because there are thousands of cases of feral children across the world, and there doesn't seem to be much going on to help them. They are not put on the news, or brought to peoples' attentions, so a lot of people don't even know that a kid out there needs their help.

I plan on addressing my audience with this topic by throwing stats at them, and going in to detail about some of the more serious cases I have learned about. I want the readers to get a feel for what is going on to these children, even after they are saved. I plan to use emotional tactics to have the audience feel sorry for these kids, and hopefully try to find ways to help them. This topic is important to me because I am a very pro life person. And I believe pro life doesn't just have to do with abortions. Kids should not be thrown into the wild and left to fend for themselves, just because the parents are unable to help them. There are shelters and other places to leave the children. I have been doing large amounts of research on this topic, for a few weeks now. I believe I know enough about the topic to explain it to other people and try to get my point across that these children need help and deserve a better shot at life.

Weekly Blog 2

This week went by super fast, since we only had one class meeting. I had some trouble with the bibliography because every source I planned on using either didnn't have quotes, or there was no information for me to use to cite it. It was a long homework assignment, and it took me quite awhile to do. But I'm glad we had to do it because now I have a lot of the information I will need for my paper, and my sources are already cited.
I was one of the about five people who didnt get the email on Wednesday about class being cancelled. So I drove all the way to school and found out, and didn't have another class until one. But I got a lot of homework done in that time!
I'm still feeling a little confused about our papers. I feel like I'm behind or something, when we haven't really gotten too far into it yet. I want to just get it out of the way and move onto the shorter paper ha. I was wondering if we're only allowed to have five sources, or if we can have more. And I also wanted to know if we have to stick with the ones in our bibliography, or if we can drop and add some if we find better sources.
I at least feel like I am getting a good grasp on my topic and understanding it more because of the assignments we have been given to do. Hopefully it continues to get easier and isn't as stressful as I'm expecting!

Bibliography

Newton, Michael. "Feral Child." Savage Boys and Wild Girls. 2002. Book. 13 April 2010.

• "Children with some human experience before isolation are more easily rehabilitated after discovery."

• " Early years in childhood development are absolutely crucial."

This article gives definitions of "feral" and lists certain cases of children who were found. It talks about the chances of recovery for certain situations.

Thesis= Early years in childhood development are absolutely crucial.

Lopez, Barry. "The Wolf Girl of Devil's River." Of Wolves and Men. 1978. Book. 13 April 2010.

• "During the past forty years, I have, in the country, met more than one wolf face strongly marked with human characteristics."
• "Her hands and arms were well muscled, but not out of proportion, and she lacked the ability to speak."

This article tells the story about a wolf girl who's mother died in 1835, and the baby was taken by wolves. Cowboys spotted her years later, and tried to take her but she got away. She howled and refused to wear the clothes they gave her.

There isn't a thesis.

Pines, Maya. "The Civilizing of Genie." 8 October 2002. Book. 13 April 2010.

• "Genie, unlike 99% of right handed people, used the right hemisphere of her brain for language."
• "One the Mooney Faces test, Genie's performance was the highest reported in literature for child and adult."

This site talks about Genie's situation, and how she became the way she is. It pointed out all the steps taken to help her, and her recovery along the way.

Thesis= Genie, now 24, has stirred up new questions about language and intelligence.

Stewart, Heather. "Feral Children." Neuroscience of the Movies. Web. 13 April 2010.

• "Studies of feral children have led to new methods for teaching children with learning disabilities."
• "Depending on the age at which they are removed from human contact and the age at which they are retrieved, feral children may not ever be able to develop normal communication patterns."

This site talks about the ways the discovery of these people are helping advance research for disabled people in our society.

Thesis= Stories of feral children have intrigued many people for possible clues to the effect of socialization on language and communication skills.

"A list of Isolated, Confined, and Feral Children." Web. 13 April 2010.

There are no quotes.

This article gives pictures of hundreds of cases of feral children, and their story. For some of them, they tell whether or not they adapted back to the civilized life, or were left in the wild.

Weekly Blog 1

So we're at the end of the second week so far and I think the class is going pretty smooth. I

was a little worried about the whole 8 page paper, but the more exercises we do, the more

confident I feel about it. I'm sure it will still be pretty hard and stressful, because most

research papers are that way.

I liked the exercise we did today with our random topics. I did mine on procrastination.

It helped get a better understanding of ways to start the paper. I think I am going to use the

story telling option, because it takes up a little more room, and I get my point across better

when I can tell a story related to the topic.

I'm glad we don't have any written homework for the weekend, and I hope we keep

working on things next week to help with our papers, that way it comes as easy as possible.

Homework for friday

http://www.feralchildren.com/
the audience would be anyone interested in these cases.
there isn't a thesis statement, because they are just reports, but I think it will be helpful for my paper.


http://www.findarticles.com/
The audience for this article would be doctors or researchers.
The thesis is "researchers seek to answer the question of whether their abnormalities existed before their removal from society or because of their isolation.


http://www.mysteriouspeople.com/
audience= people who are into science fiction and horror. They make the article seem scary.
Thesis=There doesn't seem to be a set thesis.

http://www.ebscohost.com/ "dog boy"
audience= People who are researching this topic
thesis= "Dog boy sounds like a headline from a trashy magazine in a grocery checkout line. But rest assured, it's quite the opposite."

Homework for Wednesday

Question=

Do feral children deserve a chance at a normal life or should they be kept in shelters/ hospitals.

Thesis=

Although feral children were raised in the wild and seem dangerous to some people, I think they should be given a chance at a normal life because they are still humans and have the same rights as everyone else.