AnitaKathleen

Click HERE to view my own storytelling rubric and how I graded myself.

So you think Giant Pandas are just animals that are cool looking right? WRONG. I am a Giant Panda, and although my black and white patches may be visually appealing to many, there's more to me than just these legendary patterns. The entire Giant Panda has been having a lot of survival problems caused both naturally and by man. This is mostly caused by man due to our habitat decline, and this has been going on since even the 1930's. More people are starting to realize this problem, and more reservations and rescue areas are being set up to help us. Our disappearance would cause problems as well. Since 99% of our diet is bamboo, if we became extinct then there would be a bamboo overload.
Some problems we face are simply natural. Low breeding rates is one example. Our breeding season is very short and only happens once a year. So if we aren't able to find a mate in this short time, then we will not mate and soon reproduce. If we do though, only 1-2 baby cubs are born at a time, and the mom will only care for one of the cubs. The other cub most likely will not survive for much longer because they are very dependent on their mother during their first few years.
Us Giant Pandas are mammals related to both the raccoon and the bear, but we are closer to the bear. We do not hibernate though, as many bears do. Our scientific name is Ailuropoda melanoleuca, literally meaning "cat-foot black-and-white". We only live in the mountains of China mainly in Sichuan, and we were discovered in 1869. At birth, we are extremely small, but as we mature we can grow to be 3 ft. tall and 300 lbs. (average). Females are generally 10-20% smaller than males. A cool fact about us is that we actually have six fingers, including our thumb. Unlike humans who have four fingers and a thumb, we have five fingers and a thumb. This helps us hold bamboo while we eat. We can be considered nomads because we spend most of our life roaming around looking for food and such.
To conserve pandas, many reservations have been set up around the world. Most are in China. Some include the Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuaries and the Wolong National Nature Reserve. We need to stop destroying so many forests and nature areas. Not only is it bad for the giant panda and many other animals, but it's also bad for humans as well. A small percentage of pandas are also hunted and killed especially for their skins. This is illegal but there are people who still do this. If everyone works together to car for this animal, we should be able to get it off the endangered species list. We are the only hope for the Giant Panda.

Click Here to view my own storytelling rubric and how I graded myself.

This digital story is about my participation in my dance school. We all work together to put on a show. We go to dance competitions, perform at halftime for local football games, and perform in dance recitals at the end of every year. These things take long work, time, and practice, but together we always come out strong. During the process, you make friends, have bad days, and sometimes get very frustrated. Costume issues and nailing dance moves may all occur, but in the end it's all for fun and your love of dance. This video takes you behind the scenes of a dancer's life.

Dancing is one of my favorite hobbies of all time. I have been a dancer since I was 2 years old (and still counting!). That's 13 years! Dancing is pretty much in my blood. From a little girl, my mother was also a dancer. She danced her entire life. As a teenager she assisted at her dance school, and as she finished high school she studied dance in college. Dance was her passion. After she married my dad and had my sister and I, she performed in shows, and occasionally took classes in the city. She also became a dance teacher at the Staten Island Ballet. This is where I began dancing. I started at the age of 2, and I mainly did ballet. As I got older I began doing "pointe" which is like ballet except you use point shoes which have wooden pieces at the toes. This allows you to go up on them. During this time, I also started dancing at a different dance studio called Planet Dance. I did jazz and tap and every year we would do a recital in June. After dancing at Planet Dance for about 3 years, the owners split and the dance school got a new name, Rhythm Central. I continued doing the same recreational classes for a few years, but I always looked up to the older girls who did competition. I used to go to some competitions with them to watch and root them on. In 7th grade, I began my first year in Rhythm Central Dance Company. I competed doing 4 dances my first year, 5 dances my second and third year, and this year (my fourth year) I compete with 6 dances. The styles of dance I do include jazz, tap, hiphop, modern, lyrical, ballet (but I don't compete with ballet), and also I participate in a "production". A production in dance is a long dance, usually between 5 and 10 minutes, that include many songs put together rather than just one. In my dancing school every year we put together a themed production with all the kids in company. This year, we had 84 kids in the production! We use different costumes, props, and music that relate to the topic. As for my other dances, I have also experienced many different costumes and props used. From masks, wigs, and hats, to stools and plastic fiddles, I've experienced it all! I love going to dance competitions. It gives you confidence, and you gain so much by performing in front of judges, family and friends, and other dancers. You get the chance to take new classes if they offer it, and make new friends from other dance studios. Even when we're not dancing, we're always supporting our dance studio. It's also a lot of fun, and when you win awards you feel like all your hard work has paid off! Besides dance competitions I also participate in our annual recital in June, and occasionally we perform at halftime shows for Wagner College. One of the things I like most about dance is the friends you gain from it. On average, you spend 3 hours, 3 days a week with them, and you grow very close. I love dancing and want to continue dancing through adulthood, but I don't think I want to go pro. It will always be a valued hobby of mine, and no matter what anyone says, dance IS a sport!

I think that my Digital Story relates to the "Literate for the 21st Century" skill in the CSI Graduate Portfolio. The main reason is because this entire project was created by myself on the computer. Through these digital tools, I have presented information. I used pictures, words, and music to present this story in an organized, attractive, and interesting manner. In the 21st century, this is what I should be doing. I should be using the newest technologies to create projects and presentation. I think that this is a perfect project, and skill for me. This is because I feel that I am very handy with using computers, and I am very interested in them. My project is also very informative about me. It would be useful if I were to give this to someone who doesn't know me. It also is short, sweet, and to the point.