Tara Mekosh Life is Just Chemistry September 23, 2013 Poster board, Paper, Mixed Media

After much contemplation, I decided to create a Periodic Table Story Board to display my literacy history. I chose to use this genre because I can be found studying for my Chemistry classes in my free time. This genre has the ability to share my experiences in a fun and creative way. The periodic table story board allowed me to incorporate these stories into my project in an organized manner. However, the genre limited the amount of writing and stories I could share because of the small amount of space the columns provide. Within the periodic table there are specific columns that have charges. Certain columns are positive and others are negative while one stays neutral. The first three columns, Group 1A, 2A and 3A, all have positive charges. Inside these first columns, I have written out my positive experiences with literacy. One positive experience I had was reading the Harry Potter books with my mom. Every night when I was younger, we would curl up into bed by ourselves and read the Harry Potter series. We would take turns reading and she would take the time to make sure I comprehended what I was reading or hearing. After completing each book, we would take a trip to the movie theater and have a movie date together. The effort my mom put forth into my reading literacy was greatly appreciated and has led me to love to read. Secondly, columns fourteen through seventeen, Group 4A to 7A, all have negative charges, and within them I have written the negative stories about my literacy history. One of the worst years of my life was fourth grade. I was so young and the teacher, Mr. White, ran his classroom like we were in the military. Every essay I turned in would receive a low grade. Eventually, I began to think nothing I wrote was good enough. I dreaded going to class and for that reason I would make myself sick so that I could stay home. The effects of Mr. Whites downgrading of my work has traveled with me over the years. I still believe I need an immense amount of improvement in writing, and still fear writing for academic purposes. Finally, the last column, Group 8A, has no charge and for that reason I have written about things that I believe did not affect me in a positive or negative light. In tenth grade, every student in North Carolina has to take the writing test; and tenth grade English is supposed to prepare you for the test. Sadly, my English teacher, Mrs. Carriker, did not take her job seriously. Instead of working on our writing skills, we would watch videos and have pot lucks every day. Since we did not spend time working on our writing, I found that my tenth grade year was more neutral than any other option. At the end of the year I neither improved, nor declined in my ability to read and write. My specific audience does not include everyone. Instead, it is geared to those who have a basic chemistry knowledge. Every person may not understand the format of the genre due to the fact that my genre is a periodic table; however, I believe individuals will be able to comprehend the stories contained in my project. I wanted to convey my knowledge in chemistry while also displaying my literacies in a creative way. Overall, I believe this project depicts my history with literacy accurately. Perhaps my project is not flawless, but the time and effort compensate for the imperfections just as my literary history.