Journal- December 17th

Root Word: pend= hang, weigh

Revision Day- Choose one of your journal from this week or last week, reread it, expand on it, and make edits to it, and revise it, for when you turn it in tomorrow.

Journal- December 16th

Root:

psych-soul, spirit, mind

What are three changes you think need to be made to the public education system in the U.S. Explain why for each answer. Also, for each answer, what would your alternative be. Propose solutions where students are still getting an education.

1.


2.


3.

Journal- December 15th

Root: Liter= Letter/Words


"Words are, of course, the most powerful drug used by mankind."
-Rudyard Kipling

1. What do you think Rudyard Kipling is trying to say with this quotation?


2. How are words and drugs similar on their effect on people?

3. What are ways people abuse words?


4. Do you agree with or disagree with this quotation?

Journal- December 14th

Root: Mar= sea

Read or listen to the following article. Then answer the questions below.

1. In one sentene, what is the main idea of the article?

2. What are three key ideas from the article?

A.

B.

C.

3. Do you think that the climate change should be considered a national security threat? Why or why not? Give reasons to support your answer.

4. Do you believe that climate change is exaggerated by scientists/media or is it threat we should be concerned about? Why or why not?

December 14, 2009

Global warming is now officially considered a threat to U.S. national security.

For the first time, Pentagon planners in 2010 will include climate change among the security threats identified in the Quadrennial Defense Review, the Congress-mandated report that updates Pentagon priorities every four years.

The reference to climate change follows the establishment in October of a new Center for the Study of Climate Change at the Central Intelligence Agency.

The projections lead us to believe that severe weather events will increase in intensity in the future, perhaps in frequency as well.

- Amanda Dory, deputy assistant secretary of defense for strategy

But the new attention to climate concerns among U.S. security officials does not mean the Pentagon and the CIA have taken sides in the debate over the validity of data on global warming. As with nuclear terrorism, deadly pandemics or biological warfare, it only means they want to be prepared.

"I always look at the worst case," says one senior intelligence official who follows climate issues. "Whether it's global warming or the chance of Country A invading Country B, I just assume the most likely outcome is the worst one."

Military officials, accustomed to drawing up detailed plans for a wide variety of contingencies, have a similar view.

"The American people expect the military to plan for the worst," says retired Vice Adm. Lee Gunn, a 35-year Navy veteran now serving as president of the American Security Project. "It's that sort of mindset, I think, that has convinced, in my view, the vast majority of military leaders that climate change is a real threat and that the military plays an important role in confronting it."

Among the scenarios that concern security planners is the melting of the massive Himalayan ice mass. In theory, the rivers fed by the Himalayan glaciers would flood at first, then dry up once the glaciers retreat. That would endanger tens of millions of people in lowland Bangladesh.

Retired Air Marshal A.K. Singh, a former commander in India's air force, foresees mass migrations across national borders, with militaries soon becoming involved.

Boats vie for passengers at a flooded intersection in downtown Sirajganj, Bangladesh, in this 2007 photo. The flooding was caused in part by melting snow in the Himalayas. Among the scenarios that concern U.S. security planners is the melting of the massive Himalayan ice mass, endangering tens of millions of people in the region.

"It will initially be people fighting for food and shelter," Singh says. "When the migration starts, every state would want to stop the migrations from happening. Eventually, it would have to become a military conflict. Which other means do you have to resolve your border issues?"

The drafters of the Quadrennial Defense Review were instructed by Congress to accept the assessments of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), the international body established by the United Nations and the World Meteorological Organization to gather and report world climate data.

Neither the Pentagon nor U.S. intelligence agencies make an independent effort to assess the planet's climate, and U.S. security officials have generally tried to distance themselves from any debate over the validity of the IPCC data. Instead, they focus on the security repercussions.

"The [IPCC] projections lead us to believe that severe weather events will increase in intensity in the future, perhaps in frequency as well," says Amanda Dory, the deputy assistant secretary of defense overseeing the review process. "This is a mission area where the Department [of Defense] already responds on a regular basis in support of civil authorities, whether for floods, wildfires [or] hurricanes. We believe there's a possibility those types of requests will increase in the future."

Climate change could also have implications for ship and aircraft designers.

"When you talk about building ships that are going to last from 30 to 50 years or programming for aircraft that are not going to be put in the air for 20 years, you have to be thinking about the kinds of changed conditions into which you're going to throw them in the future," Gunn says.

Still, there is only so much military planners can do to prepare for the consequences of climate change. The 2010 Quadrennial Defense Review, due to be delivered in February, is required to identity what global warming may mean for the Defense Department's "roles, missions and installations."

But Dory of the Pentagon says there won't be much change in that area.

"We don't anticipate that there are new mission areas as a result of climate change," Dory says. "Similarly, there may be changes in technical specifications for platforms, but not the need for new types of platforms that we don't already possess." (In Pentagon jargon, "platforms" are the things on which weapons are carried, like ships or aircraft.)

In the short term, climate change may be a more important subject for intelligence officials than for military planners.

Analysts at the National Intelligence Council are trying to develop a set of early warning signs that could suggest where the next famine might arise or which countries are in most danger of being destabilized as a result of dramatic climate changes. Intelligence officials put those countries on a "stability watch list."

But how far to go with such climate and security projections is a matter of dispute.

"We suck at predicting wars, and we're not very good at predicting peace," says James Carafano, a retired Army officer and former West Point instructor who now directs foreign policy and national security studies at the Heritage Foundation. "These are huge, giant, complex systems, and people who take a linear approach to these things and say, 'Oh, well, if this happens, then we'll have to worry about that' — that's not how reality works out."

Perhaps not, but it's the job of national security officials at least to imagine future climate and security scenarios, whether they can do something about them or not.

Journal- December 11th

Root Word: Plan= Flat

The following questions are about "The Catbird Seat".

1. Why does Mr. Martin want to kill Mrs. Burrows?


2. What about Mr. Martin's personality makes it ironic that he wants to murder someone?


3. Do you think Mr. Martin is going to go through with his plan? Why or why not?


4. What is an idiom? Give an example of one.

Journal- December 10th

gam= marriage

Free Write- Write what's on your mind for today.

Journal- December 7th

Mut= Change

Today, we're going to read "The Catbird Seat", a humorous story written by James Thurber.

1. Describe your sense of humor. What things tend to make you laugh(TV shows, movies, books)?




2. Is it important to have a good sense of humor? Why or why not?



3. Do you think that writers can use humor and still make a serious point?



4. Do you think there are things in society that shouldn't be made fun of? If so, what are some examples?

Journal- December 1st

Root

Aqua=Water

"Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment."
--Buddha

1. In your own words, paraphrase what Buddha is saying in this quotation?


2. Do you agree of disagree with him? Is it better to focus on the here and now instead of reflecting on what has happened or planning for what will happen? Why or why not?

Journal- November 30th

Root

Culp= guilt

Click on the following link to listen to the news story or read it below.

1. In one sentence, what is the main idea the article is presenting?

2. What are some of the reasons why people want to get rid of the penny?
A.

B.

3. What are some of the reasons why people want to get rid of the penny?

A.

B.

4. Do you think we should keep the penny as a currency or get rid of it? Explain your reason.



November 29, 2009

This month the U.S. Mint releases the last of four special Abraham Lincoln pennies, which coincide with the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth.

Not everyone is celebrating.

The future of America's one-cent coin has been the subject of much debate, and one store owner in Berkeley, Calif., has decided to take a personal stand.

Not Even One Red Cent

Alko Office Supply in downtown Berkeley is an average-looking store, with one exception. Hanging above the cash register, a sign reads: "We are a penny free store."

Cashier Andrew Allen says that with so many people using credit and debit cards, he only has to explain the no-penny rule about once a day.

ALKO Office Supply cashier Andrew Allen says most customers laugh at the penny-free policy.

I purchased a 2010 planner. Total: $15.53. Allen asked for $15.50. I proffered $15.53, pennies and all, and Allen didn't accept the superfluous cents.

"I won't take them," Allen said. "I refuse to take them."

But Is It Legal?

While all U.S. currency is legal tender for paying debts, public charges, taxes and dues, the Treasury Department says private business can decide, as a matter of policy, whether to accept currency as payment, and if so, in which denominations. About a year ago, Gary Shows, the owner of Alko Office Supply, felt pennies were no longer worth the hassle for customers and cashiers.

"One evening, I had this idea," Shows says, "That if we went penny free and rounded everything down to the customer's favor to the nearest nickel — if everybody was four cents, I decided that we would lose about $500 a year."

Shows says that the lost $500 is likely overcome by customers who remember the store and come back. For Shows, it was an issue of convenience. But there are other figures starting to stack up against the penny. For instance, since 2006, producing a penny has cost more than one cent due to the rising price of zinc, the main ingredient in the coin. Inflation is also an issue.

"It's important to separate the idea of something being used, and something being useful," says Jeff Gore, the founder of a group called Citizens for Retiring the Penny. Gore points out that every year, our currency is worth less.

"There's just a very natural process where we have to retire currency," Gore says. "The penny used to be a useful coin. But it hasn't been useful for many decades."

Penny Proponents

But the penny has some serious fans — and lobbyists — behind it. Mark Weller is the executive director of Americans for Common Cents. He represents zinc producers, coin manufacturers, coin collectors and various other penny-loving constituencies. Weller's economic theory is that if the penny is eradicated, prices of everyday goods will rise.

"The alternative to the penny," Weller says, "is rounding to the nickel, and that's something that will negatively impact working families every time they buy a gallon of gas or a gallon of milk."

Weller also argues that charities would suffer greatly without pennies.

Only a couple miles away from the penny-free office supplies store, Dagmar Serota is weighing the pennies collected by a class of pre-kindergarten boys at Linda Beach Cooperative preschool in Piedmont, Calif. She calls the pennies "good cents."

In 2005, Serota founded Good Cents for Oakland, a nonprofit organization that helps children raise money for charity. Since then, she's helped school children raise more than $35,000 for homeless shelters, soup kitchens and other charities by collecting pennies and other coins. This haul — $159.54 — will be donated to the local food bank.

"Pennies are easy to ask for and they are easy to give," Serota says. "And it's very easy for a child to say, 'Will you help me support this nonprofit, will you give me your pennies?'"

When Rep. Jim Kolbe, a Republican from Arizona, introduced bills in the House to quash the penny, charities such as Serota's came out in full force to object. The bills went nowhere, and Kolbe is no longer in office. So it doesn't seem that the Lincoln coin will be disappearing any time soon.

Penny lovers and haters have plenty of time to debate what makes sense — one cent at a time.

Journal- November 24th

Root Word

neuro= nerve

In honor of Thanksgiving,

1. What are you thankful for in your life? Why?

2. Do you think people focus on the negatives in their lives more than the positives? Why or why not?

Journal- November 23rd

Root Word: Jud= Judge

John Steinbeck's "Flight" deals with a young man growing up.

1. Do you consider yourself mature for your age? Why or why not?


2. What are some privileges that you're giving as you grow up? Do you think people should have to prove that they're mature before they get those privileges?


3. Do you think going through difficult experiences makes a person more mature? Why or why not?

Journal- November 19th

Root:

Voc = Call

Free Write--What's on your mind? What are your worries right now? How do you think class is going? What's frustrating you? How are you excited about? What are you confused by?

If you have time, proofread another journal.

Journal- November 18th

Root

Retro= Back

In "The Killers", Nick Adams comes to Ole Andreson, an old boxer, to tell him that two gangsters are planning to kill him. Surprisingly, Ole seems indifferent saying, "there isn't anything I can do about it" and "it wouldn't do any good[calling the police]".


1. Why do you think Ole doesn't take action and leave?

2. Is he brave and noble of him or is he being foolish and stubborn? Explain why you think so.


3. Do you think sometimes it's okay to run from a problem or should you face it already right away? Why?

Journal- November 17th

"Rather fail with honor than succeed by fraud." --Sophocles (Greek philosopher) 1. What is Sophocles arguing with this quotation? 2. What does having honor mean? 3. What's more important to you: to be successful or to have honor? Why? 4. Who do you think people respect more: those who have honor or those who are successful? Why or why not? 5. What's an example of a person who succeeded in life but not in an unhonorable way? Root Word: Mono= One

Journal- November 16th

Root Word: Micro= small
Come up with own example words

Read the article below about militias in America.

Then answer these questions

1. In complete sentences, write three main ideas from the article.

A.

B.

C.

2. Do you think these militias have the right to train? Why or why not?



3. Do you think these militia's fears about having their gun taken away are valid? Why or why not?

4. Look at the title of this blog. Are these militias patriots or extremists? Explain your answer fully.

Militias: Patriots or extremists?

Posted: 05:50 AM ET

Jim Acosta - Correspondent, CNN's American Morning
Filed under: Controversy

By Jim Acosta

Out in the woods, 30-minutes from the nearest city, the Southeast Michigan Volunteer Militia meets for training once a month.

Armed with a small arsenal of semi-automatic weapons, the question that crosses your mind at one of these exercises is: training for what?

That depends on who you ask.

Our visit with the militia is the first installment of our three part series on something called "the Patriot movement."

The members of the militia in Michigan would certainly call themselves patriots. The folks at the civil rights organization, the Southern Poverty Law Center prefers to use the word "extremists."

Critics of the modern-day militia point out how some of the members of this movement are highly secretive. For example, we contacted nearly a dozen militias for permission to observe their exercises. The militia in Michigan is the only one that said yes.

Watch: Patriots or Extremists?

Still, some of its members would not give us their names. Others wore masks.

Then there are the members' constant fears the Obama administration will eventually take away their gun rights.

Another member told us he thinks the president could be "dangerous for the nation."

In nearly the same breath that member said he hopes the militia's training exercises would give some in Washington "pause."

Not to worry, says the group's leader Lee Miracle. A military veteran and postal worker, yes postal worker, Miracle says he urges respect for the president.

He's out to change the way the world views militia groups. We get an up-close look at his family in part two of our series. A family Miracle refers to as "Lee and Kate plus eight plus a gun rack." That's because they have eight kids and 22 guns in the house. And the kids take part in militia day.

In part three of our series, we go to Las Vegas to go behind the scenes with an organization called "Oathkeepers." It's a group of ex-law enforcement officials and military veterans who say they've sworn an oath to the Constitution, not the president. The president they're referring to, of course, is Mr. Obama.

Journal- November 12th

Living well is the best revenge.

--George Herbert

1. What do you think George Herbert means?


2.Do you agree that being a bigger person than the person who wronged or harmed you instead of going to down their level? Why or why not?



If you have extra time, edit and revise your other journals this week.

Journal- November 11th

1. In honor of Veteran's Day, do you think it's an important holiday? Why or why not?


2. Do you think organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and American Legion will still be around in 20 years? Why or why not?


3. Do you think Americans show enough respect to our veterans? Why or why not?

Journal- November 10th

Today, we're going to beginning reading an excerpt of an autobiography by Lorraine Hansberry entitled "To Be Young, Gifted and Black". In the excerpt, the author describes how she developed pride in herself.

1. What does it mean to 'have pride in yourself'?


2. Is 'having pride in yourself' always a good thing? Why or why not?


3. What are some ways a person can develop 'pride in themselves'?


4. Can parents or other adults teach children to be proud or do children have to learn it on their own?

Journal- November 9th

Read the the following article from CNN.

Then answer these questions

1. In one sentence, write a summary of the main idea of the article

2. Write down four interesting, important facts that you learned.

A.

B.

C.

D.

3. What does the tearing of the Berlin Wall symbolize 20 years ago? Do think the tearing of the wall is still an important event to remember today? Why or why not?


4. Do you think that a small group of individuals can really change the course of history, or is the Berlin Wall story an exception?

Berlin, Germany (CNN) -- Thousands of people joined world leaders in the German capital Monday to remember the night 20 years ago when a euphoric wave of people power swept away the Berlin Wall and consigned the Cold War to history.

In scenes calmly mirroring the events of November 9, 1989, crowds thronged through the center of the once-divided city, joining German Chancellor Angela Merkel in a symbolic re-enactment of the first crossing of the breached Wall.

"It was worth fighting for," Merkel said, after crossing the Bösebrücker bridge on Bornholmer Strasse, the checkpoint where people first poured across the frontier.

Merkel, the first former East German to lead the reunified country, was accompanied by Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev and Polish ex-president Lech Walesa as she kicked off events to celebrate the demise of the iconic structure and remember the darker sides of the communist regimes behind it.

"It is not only a day of celebration for Germans. It is a day of celebration for the whole of Europe," Merkel said.

Merkel was expected to join Britain's Gordon Brown, France's Nicolas Sarkozy and Russian President Dmitry Medvedev in a series of events, including solemn tributes and boisterous music concerts.

At the climax, a line of 1,000 giant dominoes is to be knocked over along a 2-kilometer strip where the Wall once stood --representing the domino effect the structure's collapse had in ending communism across Eastern Europe.

Memorials were to be held for the 136 lives lost of those who tried to eascape through the barrier that cut Berlin in two -- many in the so-called "death strip" at the heart of the Wall's fortifications.

Read more in our Autumn of Change special report

A crowd of 10,000 people is later expected to converge on the Brandenburg Gate, the symbol of reunified Germany which once stood at the center of the no man's land between East and West Berlin.

Rock acts including Bon Jovi will join the festivities, echoing the popular music of the late 80s which soundtracked the cold night when rigid communist control gave way to an exhilarating tide of people clamoring for freedom.

Testament to the powerful legacy of the Wall's collapse have been the vivid memories recounted by many of the dramatic and emotional events before and after the fall.

"It was a circus-like atmosphere, people were enthused and exuberant and thrilled to see the Wall coming down," said David Paul Noel of Maryland, who was working for the U.S. State Department in Germany at the time.

Former CNN correspondent Richard Blystone, who watched the Wall collapse was struck by the difference in appearance of each side of the Wall

"On the west side, there was all this graffiti and dirty words, and names of rock groups and 'down with that' -- all the chaos of a pluralistic society," he said. "On the eastern side, it was clean and white, just so sterile."

Though dominated by nostalgia, Monday was also an opportunity to assess progress in a reunified Germany and democratized Eastern Europe, with many airing concerns that the world still has lessons to learn from the events of 1989.

With many in Germany feeling the economic, social and psychological divisions once demarcated by the Wall, Merkel said Monday that the country had yet to fulfil promises made when East and West reunited in 1990.

"Germany unity is not yet complete," Merkel told public broadcaster ARD earlier.

At an event in Berlin on Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called for renewed global action to liberate those still living under repressive regimes.

"Our history did not end the night the Wall came down," Clinton said. "It began anew. And this matters not only to tens of millions of Europeans, and to the United States, but to people everywhere."

She added: "To expand freedom to more people, we cannot accept that freedom does not belong to all people. We cannot allow oppression, defined and justified by religion or tribe to replace that of ideology.

"We have a responsibility to address conditions everywhere that undermine the potential of boys and girls and men and women that sap human dignity and threaten global progress."

Journal- November 5th

Read the following article
(Notice your can also listen to the article)
1. What are three facts that you learned from the article

A.

B.

C.

2. In one sentence, write a summary of the main idea of the article?


3. Do you use a social networking site? If so, which one? Why do you use this one?


4. Do you think that the article is correct that MySpace and Facebook have different target audiences? Why or why not?

Journal- November 4th

The reputation of a thousand years may be determined by the conduct of one hour. --Japanese Proverb 1. What do you think the proverb means? 2. Do you think that people should be judged by one decision they make or their overall behavior? Why or why not? 3. Do you think actions speak louder than words? Why or why not?

Journal- November 3rd

Currently, the Obama administration is debating whether or not to sent additional troops to Afghanistan.

What's your opinion on this?

In one sentence, give your opinion on what the United States should do or not do in Afghanistan


Now, give three reasons why you believe this. Write in complete sentences and explain them fully

1.


2.

3.

Journal- October 28th

Click on this link to read this article about changes in medical training.

1. Name three facts you learned from this article

A.

B.

C.

2. In one sentence, what's the main idea of this article?


3. Do you think this virtual operating/emergency room is a good tool for training future doctors? Why or why not?

Journal- October 27th

For today, I want you to look at an existing journal from the past week and work on expand your ideas, writing in complete sentences, and edit for grammar(subject/verb, commonly confused words).

Journal- October 26th

"If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything"
--Peter Marshall

1. What do you think Peter Marshall is trying to say with this quotation?


2 Do you agree or disagree with him? Why or why not?


3. What's an issue that you have a strong opinion about? Why do you have a strong opinion on this issues?

4. Do you think teens care about local or national problems happening around them? Why or why not?

Journal- October 21st

Class Reminder: Have your two column research boxes done by the end of today. Be productive!!

Read the following blog and answer the following questions.

1. Do you think the school lunches in O'Neill are health and nutritious? Why or why not?

2. If you think our school lunches aren't healthy or nutritious, how could they be improved?

Journal- October 20th

Reminder:

Do the Unit 5 Review in your workbook before starting the project today!!

Question:

1. What topic are you doing your project over? Remember it has to be an author we read in Unit 5 or a historical event or movement from 1900-1940.


2. Why are you choosing this topic?


3. What do you know about this topic currently?



4. What do you hope to learn about your topic through your research?

Journal- October 19th

Read the following article.

1. Who's side do you believe--the Heene's who said it was true or law enforcement who said it was a hoax?

2. Do you think the media should've put as much coverage as they have on the subject? Why or why not?

Journal- October 15th

Read the following quotation:

"It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend."
--William Blake

1. What do you think William Blake is trying to say with this quotation?


2. Do you agree with him? Why or not? Explain in complete sentences

3. Have you ever had someone you considered a friend betray you? How did you feel? Were you able to forgive them?

Jounal- October 14th

1. Do you think the student lounge needs to be improved? Why or why not?


2. If you think if should be changed, what changed would you make in it?

Journal- October 13th

Today we're going to read a poem "This is Just to Say" about apology.

1. What's a time where you've had to apologize to someone what you did or said?


2. Do you find apologizing to people difficult to do? Why or why not?


3. How can you tell if an apology is sincere or not?


4. Is it easier for you to forgive someone after they apologize to you?

Journal- October 12th

Read the following article

1. Write a summary of the big ideas from the article. Three sentences


2. What are some reasons people think Obama doesn't deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?


3. What are some reasons why people think Obama does deserve the Nobel Peace Prize?


4. What's your opinion? Does Obama deserve the Peace Prize? Why or why not?

Journal- October 8th

Robert Frost's poem "The Mending Wall" uses the phrase, "good fences make good neighbors"


What do you think "good fences make good neighbors" means?


Do you agree with the quotation? Why or why not?


What do you think it means to be a good neighbor? Should neighbors help each other out? If so, how?

Journal- October 7th

Poetry is an echo, asking a shadow to dance --Carl Sandburg 1. What is an echo? 2. How is poetry like an echo? 3. What is a shadow? 4. How are shadows and echoes similar? 5. After answering these questions, what is Carl Sandburg saying about the relationship between a poem and the person who writes it?

Journal- October 6th

Skim the following article for information with a controversy over a team's mascot.

1. What is the controversy over it?

2. What are reasons people are against the mascot?

3. What are reasons why people want to keep the team mascot?

4. Do you think they should keep the mascot or get another one? Why or why not?

Journal- October 5th

As the weather changed outside, what is your favorite season? Give me 3 reasons why that's your favorite season. Be detailed in your answer.

Topic Sentence:

Reason 1-
Example:

Reason 2
Example:

Reason 3
Example

Wrap Up Sentence:

Journal- October 1st

This week is Banned Books week raising awareness of books that have been banned from libraries, both school and public. For more information click on this link .

1. What are some reasons why people might want books to be banned from their communities' libraries?




2. What are some reasons why people might be against banning any book in a library?



3. What's your opinion on banning books? Is it sometimes that best thing for a community or is it against the freedom of speech?

Journal- September 30th

Read this quotation:

"You must be the change you wish to see in the world."
--Mahatma Gandhi

1. What do you think Gandhi is try to say in this quotation?


2. How does this quotation relate to taking personal responsibility for your actions?


3. Do you agree with what Gandhi says? Why or why not?


4. What's an example of a time you were unhappy with something in your life and you decided to do something about it?

Journal- September 28th

Click here to read an article about teen dating violence. Then, answer the questions.

1. What is the statistic the article gives about the amount of teenage dating violence out there?


2. What does the article say are some causes of teen dating violence?



3. What are some of the programs the article mentions to help teach teens about healthy dating? What do students do in the program?


4. What are different examples of abuses that can occur in a dating relationship?


5. What do you think are some ways to reduce the amount of teen dating violence out there?

Journal- September 24th

Read the following quotation:

Imagination is more important than knowledge...

Albert Einstein (1879 - 1955)

1. What do you think Albert Einstein is try to say in this quotation?

2. Do you agree or disagree with this quotation? Why or why? (Explain in complete sentences)

Journal September 23rd

"The Freshest Boy" by F. Scott Fitzgerald tells a story of boy who isn't accepted by his fellow classmates because of he comes from a poorer family and different background than them.

1. Do students still discriminate against other students by how much money they have or their family background? If you think so in what ways?

2. How do you think it makes students feel when they're made fun of for factors they can't control--their race, their looks, and how much money their family has?

3. Do you consider yourself a follower who likes to blend into a group of people or a person who has their own style and doesn't conform to what others expect?

Journal- September 22nd

Click on the following link:


http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=9zL4zLF_2fao1uY6Y854Wpog_3d_3d


Follow up question:

1. Do you think bullying is an issue in our school system? Why or why? If you think it's a problem, what can be done to create a safer, more positive environment at school?

Journal- September 21st

"The Sculptor's Funeral" describes the negative behavior and attitude of people living in a small town. It is also about jealousy about another person's success?

1. How do you think growing up in a small influences you? If you lived in a large city, do you think you would be a different person in the way you thought and acted?

2. Why do you think people become jealous of other people's successes?

3. When someone dies, do people tend to speak nicer about them than when they were alive, or are they harsher toward them? Why do you think so?

Journal- September 17th

We're going to read a short story by Nebraska's most famous author. Even though Cather left Nebraska by her mid twenties, many of her novels and short stories are based on her experience there. Even though she eventually lived in New York and New Mexico, a part of the state she grew up in stayed with her.

1. What do you think are the positive aspects of living in Nebraska?


2. What do you think are some of the negative aspects of living in Nebraska?

3. How does the community that you grew up in influence the rest of your life?


4.Do you want to stay in rural area after you graduate or do want to live in a rural area? Why or why not?

For Clifford:
Wednesday:
Pel/Puls= Push Examples: propel, repel, compulsory, propel, propeller
Thursday
Arch= Leader or Government; Old Example: archaic; monarch; anarchy; archaeology

Journal- September 16th

"I am From" Poem--


Go to Angel, HS English 11, Writing Folder; then download "I am From" Poem Template/Example.

Journal- September 15th

Read the following article :

1. Write a three sentence summary of the article?

2. Do you think Kanye West, Serena Williams, and Representative Joe Wilson should have apologize for the comments they made? Why or why not?

3. Do you think that celebrities should be held to a high standard for their behavior than the regular public or do you think that celebrities are criticized too much why or why not?

4. Do you think the media(TV, radio, newspaper) focuses too much on celebrities instead of on other issues happening in the U.S. and around the world? Why or why not?

Journal Topic- September 14th

In the short story, "The Far and the Near", we learn that appearances can be misleading as the engineer finds out that the view close up of two women is much different than from a train. We learn that you can't 'judge a book by its cover'

1. Do you think our society/country cares more about the outside appearances/looks of people, objects, and events instead of understanding things at a deeper level? Why or why not?

2. Have you ever judged a person by their outside appearance without getting to know them? Did your opinion of the person change once you got to know them?

3. Do you think people ever judge you or form an opinion about you without really getting to know you? How so?

4. Why do you think

Journal Topic- September 10th

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view.
-Harper Lee

1. What do you think the author of this quotation is saying?

2. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?

3. What's an example from your life, someone else's life, a movie, a book, or something in the news that relates to this quotation?

Journal-September 9th

Read the following article about surprising research about teenage maturity and risky behavior.

1. In a four sentence summary, what were the main ideas the article presented?




2. Do you think that teenagers have to take risks in order to mature faster or do you think teenagers can mature without engaging in risky behavior? Why or why not?



3. Why do you think some teenagers mature faster emotionally and mentally compared to other teenagers?

Journal- September 8th

If available listen to Obama speech by clicking this link or read the speech by clicking this link.

Write in complete sentences responding to these questions.

1. What are the main messages of Obama's speech?

2. Obama talks about setting goals for yourself. What are some of your short term goal(ones you can do right now) and long term goals(ones for the future) for yourself educationally and job wise? What steps can you do to achieve those goals?

3. Obama talks about overcoming obstacles in your life by taking responsibility for your education. Do you agree with him that all obstacles can be overcome?

4. What do you think is the biggest challenge/obstacle facing your generation? What do you think can be done to solve it?

Journal Topic- September 3rd

Health care reform is one of the biggest issues being debated in Congress and the White House today? Why is or isn't health care an important issue to you? Do you think teens care about what happens with changes to the health care system? Why or why not? Should access to health care and health insurance be available to every U.S. citizen? What do you think should be done to help reduce the cost of health care and keep the same quality people can receive?

Journal Topic-September 2nd

"Continuous excellent effort, not maximum strength or superior IQ, is thekey to unlocking your potential as an achiever."
--Greg Werner

In your own words, what does this quotation mean? Why do you agree or disagree with the author of this quotation? Give an example from your own life, another's life, a book, or a movie to help support your answer.

Journal Topic- September 1st

Click on the following link . Read the article about texting while driving.

1. Write a summary about the article including the main idea and then important details you thought were important.
2. After reading the article, what's your opinion about text while driving? Is it a danger? Should it be made illegal? Why or why not?

Journal -August 31st

Write about a time when you felt that you weren't valued by someone: a time when someone didn't have any faith in your opinion or abilities and so didn't believe you or a time when someone publicly stated that they didn't trust of believe you. How did that make you feel? Did you eventually show that person that they could trust you? Has there ever been a time when you didn't trust what a person said or have faith in what they could do? Did they prove you wrong in the end?

Journal Topic- August 27th

1. In the last 100 years, how have women gained more equality to men?

2. Are there areas today where women aren't considered to men? How so?

3. Are women's thoughts and experience valued in some areas more than men?

4. In your experience, how do males and females see the world differently, communicate differently, and approach problem differently? How does sometimes create misunderstanding between males and females?

August 26th- Journal

Every plant knows this: It’s only when you get crap thrown on you that you really start to grow. Scott Sorrell¨ What do you think the author of this quotation means with it? Why do you agree or disagree with this quotation? Give an example from your own life, somone you know, or something that's happened in the news, history, movie, or book that supports you answer. Write in complete sentences.

Journal Topic- August 25th

Go to the following link about the possibilities of aliens if other solar systems/planets. Answer the following questions.

1. Why do you think or not think there are aliens on other planets? Give reasons to back up what your position is.

2. Should NASA and other government organizations focus more money on satellites and other missions to search for life on other planets? Give reasons to back up what your position is.

Journal Topic- August 24th

Technology has advanced a lot in the hundred years since the literature we're going to start read this year was published. What are some examples of the advancement in technology in the last hundred years? fifty years? 20 years? 10 years? What pieces of technology do you think you couldn't live without and why? Do you think we are over dependent on technology? Why or why not?

Quotation Blog Week # 1

1. Go to www.quoteland.com

2. Search for a quotation about a topic: success, failure, inspiration, hope etc.

3. Paste the quotation and author at the top.

4. In your own words, what does the quotation mean?

5. Why do you agree of disagree with a quotation?

6. Give an example from your own life, somebody you know's life, a person is the news, or a movie that helps to support what you say.