"My Dream Job"-- a persuasive writing assignment

My dream job is a rapper

Dear Sarah, I want to be a rapper because I love music and I love vibin and I want people to be able to bumb my music and be able to understand me I want the world to know my name and I want people to want to meet me and be me and I want to have money for my family. Id be a good rapper because I can rap fast or slow and spit really good and can come up with stuff pretty quick and I want to be rappin with all rappers so that's my dream job.

AS, age 17

"My Dream Job"-- a persuasive writing assignment

My dream job is tatoo artist

Dear Sarah, I want to be a tatto artist because I love drawing. When I draw it makes me feel happy. When I give some one a tatoo I forget about every thing else and I really concentrate on the tatoo Im doing. And being a tatoo artist will just make me happy.

EA, age 15

"My Dream Job"-- a persuasive writing assignment

My dream job is tatto artist

Dear Sarah, I want to be a tatto artist because I love tattos and I love to draw and I've done then of theme so far they came out really good and I got my own tatto gun I love seeing it go from paper in to a tatto and i like seeing the joy people get wene I finish ther art my dream is to own my own tatto shop. I bleav that if i really want to all i got to do is keep my mind to it.

SR., age 16

"My Dream Job"-- a persuasive writing assignment

My dream job is to be a swat member.

Dear Sarah,

My dream job is to be a swat member. I wanna be a swat member because I like guns & I wanna help
out my community & save peoples lives that are under hostile danger. I also want to prevent terrorist attacks which causes wars & also just ends up killing more people. Swat will be a fun, good job for me that I will enjoy because I like to shoot gun & I don't like jobs that you sit around on a chair because its boring which would cause me to wanna quit, Id rather be out there physical training, shooting guns, & saving lives.

SB, age 17

"My Dream Job"-- a persuasive writing assignment

My dream job is to be a famous jockey.

Dear Sarah, I want to be a famous jockey when I grow up cause I been around horses since I was small and I life to ride horses I like to see horse racing a lot my dad took me to my first one when I was 12 since then I like to watch horse racing It look pretty cool to be a jockey but at the same time it can be dangerous.

AP, age 15

Locked Up on Christmas

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel sad but happy at the same time it makes me apperatiate my family more and makes me choose better disisons."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel lonely & like I can't do things right. I want to change and fix my wrong doings. I can't wait to see what happens."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel very sad and kind of upset and made and that i want to cry and be sad every day of my life until I get to go home and stay their."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel kinda sad because i cant be with my family and my girl for the holidays but im staying because i rather miss this Christmas than all of theme I know i'll be home soon."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel very disappointed with myself because i feel like I have made my mom feel like it's her fault that Im in here I feel bad because my sisters don't even get to spend Christmas with me so its very hard."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel Homesick. I terribly miss my family. My mom, my family are going to miss me. I love them very much, and this is the only year I won't be with them. My folly, my punishment, I love them extremly."

Locked Up on Christmas

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel very unfortunate and guilty because I know my family feels very sorry for me, and I feel very unfortunate because I am not with them celebrating the holidays and my girlfriends birthday." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel upset & deppressed. I need to do my duty to stay good. I feel realy bad that I am not at on Christmas. I will miss my mom."

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel sad because I can't be home with my family to see what everyone got & I can't thank everyone for everything they have gave me. I also feel angery at myself for making stupid mistakes." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel superduper awesome. it doesn't really matter or care about being here on Christmas. Doesn't make much difference to me because I don't get gifts on the out anyways." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel pretty good because I not going to miss it. At least I alive in stead of dead. I lucky to be locked up in ona ensted of being bad on the outs." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel really sad and I wish I was at home with my family. I wish they knew that Im really sorry I messed up." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel really sad and frustrated. I feel like I am a failure to my family and an of my friends." 

"Because I am locked up at Christmas, I feel very mad! I look forward to Christmas every year. It's a time of giving and a jolly time. A time of peice and joy. And caroling." 

Class Poetry: "The world doesn't understand"

The world doesn't understand
What's going on in me
I work hard to have
a good destiny
I always look forward
to the future as far
as the eye can see
but the world doesn't understand
what's going on in me.

AS, age 17

-------------------------------
The world doesn't understand
What's going on in me
The world can only comprehend what's going
wrong with me
well obviously
even a young man could point at everything
wrong with me
do you want me to show you how
much of a bad man someone can be
I can pull out a video clip and show you how
visually
Looking at me with that dumb smug look, casually
Judgin a book by its cover, pfft, honestly
This is why the world doesn't understand
what's going on in me.
The world can only comprehend what's going
wrong with me, Ima tell you positively
that I can show you how much of a real man  that
I can be
or I can show you how much of a bad man that I can be
I can pull out the deepest, darkest anger and show you physically.

JA, age 17

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

The world only see's what's 

wrong with me they don't 

see the good things in

me they cant see the 

good thing I do for my 

family. 

VR, age 16

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

Conflicts of the mind

hurts of the heart

trying to live my life

not knowing how it'll end

but who cares

every things ends in the end.

CH, age 16

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

Depression, regresion, love from 

above. I know my life is messed

up but Im not top thug. so death

my breath Im happy life's best.

JC, age 12

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

so much pain you can't even see me cause

people don't even pay attition to me ya'all

don't know how I feel with all this pain inside

me. 

TA, age 15

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

By what do you mean? 

I have nothing to hide,

no reason to flea.

By the looks of it nothing to see.

To be honest, I feel quite free!

CW, age 15

-------------------------------

The world doesn't understand

What's going on in me

they don't know what I 

boen through so just let me

be trying to go the right 

pat but the gang life just

wont let me. 

EA, age 15

Class Poetry: "Take a Look and Tell Me"

Take a look and tell me,
what you see in me,
this is what I see
I see a kid who wants money
but can't find a job
I see a kid who wants to finish school
but doesn't have the dedication
I see a kip who wants to rap
but can't cause he doesn't have enough time
I see a kid who is making a change
and that kid is me.

-AS, age 17

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

A person with a strong personality

with the right mentality.

No matter what you see in me

I know who I am and who Im destined to be

A few bumps in the road now please don't judge me

A few sticks and stones wont even budge me

They cheatin there way to the top so they try and nudge em

Trust me

They couldnt reach the top and tell me

what they see. 

JA, age 17

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

I see a youngster trying

to make it in this 

life of sin trying to 

take care of his problems

with the law and get 

back in school and do

good in life so that 

he could get a good

example n his family

and let them see that he 

could do good and be

secsead in life so 

that one day he could

have a family of his own. 

SR, age 16

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

A big 6 ft 2 redneck hilbilly rebel from way

down south who loves to use duck tape for

everything & can fix almost anything with it.

We all should use it because it can fix

everything.

TA, age 15

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

A person with low self Asteem,

Not much to believe in.

Tryna find who he is in this

world & no one believes him.

Lost his first love that wasn't part

of his blood.

His heart is torn apart.

SB, age 17

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

Nothing special

hard working, fine grades

doing my best, at one stop

I might deserve a rest, but that is next.

CW, age 15

-----------------------------------------------

Take a look and tell me, 

what you see in me, 

this is what I see

I see a full time Mexican 

trying to be free trying to make it

through this crapy society trying 

to live and not die and showing

my family that I do love my life.

EA, age 15