Journal Assignment
You are now a historian. Starting on Monday, April 13, you will be keeping a written journal.
Once a week (or more if you would like), you will detail what you are seeing in the news. How
the world, how the United States, how your friends, neighbors, and family are responding to
this pandemic. You are creating a primary source that can be used by people in the future to
learn about our lives during this crisis from your unique perspective. You can also use one of
your other talents as you see fit. Drawing, poetry, etc.
Be authentic, be honest, be reflective.
Guiding Questions:
You can write anything you like about your experience.
The following is a list of potential things you can respond to.
1. What did the government announce/declare/implement today?
I. Does it make sense?
II. Does it impact your life? Why or why not?
III. How did your family respond?
2. What is open in your neighborhood? What is closed? How does this affect you?
3. What does your neighborhood look like? Are people walking around?
4. How is today different from yesterday for you, your family, our nation, the world?
5. Did you see anything today that gave you hope? Anxiety? Fear?
I. In person, in the news, or on social media?
6. What does your family need today that you might not have, have enough of, or
have no access to acquire?
7. What has been your experience with distance learning? Do you think this
experience will impact you when you’re back in an actual classroom?
5/1/2020:
Today I did my usual routine: I stretched, ate breakfast, did my school for the day, worked out,
read my book, played with my sister, relaxed, and ate dinner. For my relaxation today I just
watched YouTube and my favorite show to watch with my mom, Flea Market Flip. I have been
trying to make my routine the same things, but different things each time. For example, I will
still run every day, but changed my speeds and rest. I am also trying to find time to do those
things that I have always wanted to do. For example, I am overseeing planning my little sister’s
5th birthday party. I will be able to get out of the house and go to a store, this time Walmart,
for the first time in over a month. I am super excited to plan games and crafts for the whole
family to do because my sister cannot invite her friends from preschool.
5/2/2020:

Yesterday, late at night, my family and I decided to take a walk together in order to get out of
the house. This was the first time I was able to leave the neighborhood for about a month and
a half. After this nice walk I immediately went to bed in order to try and keep my sleep
schedule somewhat regular. Today I realized how much I love going outside and getting fresh
air. Sometimes going on a walk or going shopping can really calm me down. In this experience I
realized how grateful I am for everything outside of my house and family that makes up my
routine. The next time I can go to the Nampa Recreational Center or Lone Star Middle School I
will be so much more thankful. Even when I stop getting faster in swimming for a while or get I
bad grade I will be so much more thankful that I have the opportunity to do the sport I love
and learn from a teacher that I can communicate with face-to-face.
5/3/2020:
On this Sunday I decided to try and take things slower and be thankful for every step. I was
thankful for my breakfast, church online love stream, workout equipment I have at home, my
family, the internet, lunch, and dinner. I was especially thankful for my little sister that is just a
blast to hangout with. She is just able to be happy and positive during everything. Also, my dog
has been in a really good mood as expected. I tried to be thankful and spend an extra minute
in pray before I ate. I decided that after I worked out, I would read a lot because I am grateful
that the library has set up a way to check out eBooks. I decided I would take advantage of that
and try to knock down as many books I can off my reading list that I created a long time ago. I
am going to try to keep this type of mentality for the rest of the pandemic and forward in my
life. This could be a way to help the other things in my life that I cannot do right now because
of the virus.
5/4/2020:
I have noticed that I keep waking up later and later in the day. In the beginning of the
quarantine I would wake up at about seven. Today I woke up at eight fifty-three. It is a good
thing that we are not going back to school because I do not know how I would survive waking
up that early. At least I have the rest of the summer to try and get my sleep schedule back in
order. Other than that, my days have been very productive in my opinion. I have not been into
any TV shows or movies. I think that is a good thing even though if one of my family members
asks me to watch something with them, I do most of the time. This is kind of the same as
before the virus. I wouldn’t watch too much TV. The virus has definitely affected my sleep
schedule. Ever day I want to get out of quarantine and do something more and more. I am fed
up with quarantine by now and just want everything to go back to normal.
5/5/2020:
Today I decided I would do my run outside with my dad. We stayed pretty close and only went
a mile out from the house, two miles total. On the run we passed my old elementary school

and there was caution tape all around it. This made me feel like I shouldn’t be outside. I was
only outside for twenty minutes though and I stayed six feet away from everyone I saw on the
way including workers and even my dad. Also, I listened to a podcast which discussed
something I really got to thinking about. It stated how the last time we were in a national state
of emergency was 9/11. Before 9/11 you could just show up to the airport and get on your
flight and go, but after the tragedy the government put up a lot of security in airports and
now, we have to wait in long lines for police officers to look in our bags and sometimes pat us
down. The last national emergency changed the world. We may think that the social
distancing, quarantines, mask wearing, hand sanitizer, and elbow shakes instead of hand
shakes are just temporary, but the reality is some of these things might stick and become a
part of our world. It is a crazy thought that you might always have to carry a mask with you to
the water park, school, etc. However, it could happen. Ultimately, this pandemic will change
the world.
5/6/2020:
Today was really super chill. I woke up pretty late. This has been happening lately. I stretched
because one of my goal during this quarantine was to get a split. After stretching I ate
breakfast. I was surprisingly hungry this morning. Which is another thing I have noticed during
this quarantine. I have been snacking a lot and am always hungry. After I wolfed down
breakfast, I did my schoolwork. I can get my school done pretty fast. So, I am trying to do extra
work and put my best foot forward in my schoolwork despite the circumstances. I then went
to do my daily workout that my swimming coach sent me in hopes of maintaining myself. After
I took a nice shower and read a book online. I do not like reading books online, but that is the
only way for me to read books from the library. I can’t wait for the all the bans to be lifted so
that I can go to the library and get myself a big fat paper book to read.
5/7/2020:
Today I decided to take my sister to preschool. I did this because I was at home and because of
the virus she had to miss preschool. Next week is her birthday and there are only a few kids in
her class to celebrate. Since she missed preschool, she cannot have her preschool graduation
because the kids did not have enough time to learn the songs. Since her final days in preschool
are somewhat sabotaged, my mom and I went to get her tons of decorations for her fifth
birthday. We went with a unicorn theme because that is what we could find the most
decorations for, because of the virus there are not many decorations for things like L.O.L Dolls
or My Little Pony. This virus has really impacted my sister’s birthday which means a lot to her
as since she is just turning five. She won’t get the cake she wants, her ideal theme had to
change because of what is in stock, and she cannot invite any of her friends over for a party.
5/8/2020:

Today was a normal day. It is really weird to think about it that day because no day is the same
or has the same feeling. I would do different workouts at swim practice or learn new things at
school. Even though I am switching up my workouts and home and am doing schoolwork I still
feel like every day is just the same and boring. I am counting down the days until the Rec
Center opens. (10) In a little bit I will be able to have access to all the things in the Rec Center. I
can’t wait to go to swim practice, play rachet ball, run on the indoor track, and climb on the
rock wall. Today I also decided to bake blueberry muffins because I was getting tired or only
eating a couple different foods. They turned out really good, so I am happy I didn’t burn the
house down. After they cooled, I ate three of them. I have learned how to bake many new
things this quarantine. My grandma is stuck here since they are not allowing travel to
Romania, where she lives. She has taught me many different recipes during this time.
5/9/2020:
Today I tried to make the day different while going through my same routine. This meant that I
tried to workout harder and spend time with my sister and mom so that we can make
something that lasts longer like crafts. Today was just really solid because I was so much more
focused on what I was doing that it made me get through things faster. This helped me not
snack as often because I didn’t really wait and think that I am hungry. I have still been sleeping
in later as I have been waking up at about 8-9. I just recently found out that I was accepted to
be a Student Ambassador for my school in my eighth-grade year. I was really excited to be
accepted and am happy to have the opportunity to help make my school a better place during
my last year at this school. This also shows me how people are making plans for life to resume
pretty soon. The Rec Center is opening, my sister’s preschool is having lessons, and people at
school are making plans for when students return back to school, showing that Distance
Learning is almost done for good.
5/10/2020:
Today I tried to make my day more interesting by staying more focused on what I was doing
right at that moment. I feel like this helps me to make the day go by faster and have a better
quality of the things I did. Today I did my workout and then helped my mom make my pinata
for my sister’s 5th birthday. We took a pizza box and covered it in different colored and cut
streamers. We also put a picture of a unicorn in the center since that is the theme of the party.
Even though it took a really long time and hurt my back my mother and I had a lot of fun and
were very proud with the results. This Mother’s Day I was more thankful that ever for my
mother because she is the one who has kept my family together during this tough time. The
coronavirus has made this day different since my family would normally treat my mother to
her favorite restaurant. I don’t even know what is open or if something will ever open which is
a scary thought.



4085