Riddle Me This...

This comes from Rockelle...don't cheat and look up the answer online, use your own intellectual ability.
I am the start of war and the end of sorrow. You can't express wisdom without me, but I am at the heart of dimwits. You may find me in waves, but never in oceans. What am I?

I will post the answer to Rockelle's riddle next Monday (someone please remind me).

Evolution Socratic Circle

You can use this post to discuss/debate/question what is going on in the poem "Evolution" by Sherman Alexie. Remember that our Socratic circles should be rich with connections and reflections on how this poem relates to our ideas of individuality and society etc.

Student Ideas for Blogs

I am still waiting for some students to come up with ideas to blog about. If you have an idea please write it down and give it to me. Thanks

Twins and the Door to Happiness

sorry, forgot to post the answer to the riddle. The question you would ask is "If I asked your brother what door leads to happiness, what would he tell me?"

For the premise of the explanation, let's say that door 2 leads to happiness.

If you ask this question to the brother who tells the truth, he will tell you that his brother will tell you to pick door 1 because his brother is a liar. Therefore, you should pick door 2 in this scenario.

If you ask the question to the brother who lies, he will tell you that his brother will tell you to pick door 1 because his brother would tell you the truth and say that you should pick door 2, but you are talking to the brother who always lies so he will tell you that his brother would recommend door 1. Therefore you should pick door 2 in this scenario as well.

Therefore you know that to choose the right door, you simply pick the door opposite of the answer to your question.

question from Fri

For some reason the post I put up Friday with the answer to the word puzzle didn't post so....the answer is "The Knight" didn't get wet...."One knight, a king and queen were on a boat..." Get it?

December Books of the Month

Remember: After you finish reading a Book of the Month pick, you must write a commentary on this blog post and then tell me so that you can get your "thumbs up" to put on the bulletin board. If you don't do this, you won't get your extra credit points at the end of the month.

Mrs. Lever's Picks:
The 10 p.m. Question by Kate De Goldi
The Midnighters by Scott Westerfeld The Midnighters is a series of books, all books in the series count as books of the month.

Mr. Horvath's Picks:
When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier

Partner Pick:
A Wrinke In Time by Madeline l'Engle

Classic Picks:
The Red Pony by John Steinbeck
The Pearl by John Steinbeck

Celebrity Pick...Mrs. Johnston:
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Author To Know:
Scott Westerfeld - any Scott Westerfeld novel that you read counts this month as a book of the month!!!

Jockey Hollow Book Club Pick:
The Fetch by Laura Whitcomb

"The Pedestrian" Socratic Circle

"The Pedestrian" is a classic Ray Bradbury short story. As you read it you will find that it fits perfectly with our MP2 theme of The Individual and Society. Be sure to read and annotate the story fully using the RICE method.
Don't forget to think of the story and all of your responses in terms of the place of the individual in society. What kind of society does the old man live in? What are their values? How can you tell? Does this mirror our society in any way? Be sure to make connections between this story and other texts, the real world etc...think of different themes relating to individuality and society etc.
You should use this post as a place to start getting your ideas out and thinking through what you want to talk about in Thursday's circle.

Harrison Bergeron

Hopefully everyone has had the time to read the short story "Harrison Bergeron"...(notice that I put the title in quotes because it is the title of a short story). After reading that story and while doing the RICE annotation I want everyone to keep in mind the ideas we discussed and the questions pertaining to individuality, society, freedom and security. Does this story reflect anything that occurs in our world today? Have you ever encountered your own "Handicapper General"? Use this post as a place where you guys can discuss the story together...sort of an online Socratic Circle!

Read My Mind

submitted by Maya - There is one line in the song "Read My Mind" by The Killers that I have been trying to understand for the longest time. I want to see what everyone thinks about it. The line "It's funny how you just break down/ waiting on some sign/ I pull up to the front of your driveway/ magic soakin' my spine/ can you read my mind?" What do these lines mean to you?

Student Submitted Blog Posts

Last year some of the best blog posts and discussions were centered around ideas from students. If you want to create a blog post for the Horvath Report all you need to do is write it down on a piece of paper and give it to me. I will post it here for you and it will count for your weekly blog submission plus some E.C.
Just remember, blog posts on The Horvath Report should be focused around literature, film, music, art etc and deal with interpreting etc. If you are looking for some ideas you can go through the blog archive from the past two years and see what some of the old posts were.

The Replacement

submitted by Bailey - A lot of students read the book The Replacement for the book club discussion in October, but some students were unable to participate in the discussion itself. This is a place where students who have read or are reading the book to talk about or continue to discuss the book.

Great Fantasy Mag

Since we are focusing on Fantasy Literature for the next month in our Book Clubs I figured I would re-post this...this is a post that I originally put up in late July.... I just picked up the August edition of Realms of Fantasy Magazine. This is a staple magazine for new fantasy fiction etc. There is a great story in there called Super.Family. by Ian Keeling. I mention this because it is nice to be "ahead of the curve" with your reading and a lot of the writers published by RoF are really new and exciting. They also have some great info on their website and they are on Facebook and Twitter(I think) as well. Check it out. The magazine is available at Barnes and Noble and online.

November Books of the Month

Remember: After you finish reading a Book of the Month pick, you must write a commentary on this blog post and then tell me so that you can get your "thumbs up" to put on the bulletin board. If you don't do this, you won't get your extra credit points at the end of the month.

Mrs. Lever's Picks
The Rules of Survival by Nancy Werlin
North of Beautiful by Justina Chen Headley

Mr. Horvath's Picks
The Eternal Ones by Kirsten Miller
The Tomorrow Code by Brian Falkner

Partner Pick
The Giver by Lois Lowry

Classic Picks
Rip Van Winkle by Washington Irving
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

Celebrity Pick

Jockey Hollow Book Club Pick
The Rag and Bone Shop by Robert Cormier

Best Short Stories

Go find a short story somewhere...online, at home, siblings etc. Read it, if you like it post the title here along with a short description of the story and why you liked it. Then read one of the stories that someone else has posted, comment on whether you enjoyed it or not and why. I will start..."The Man" by Ray Bradbury (note that short story titles go inside parentheses). This story is about a group of intrepid space travelers searching for life and truth and the answers to the mysteries of our universe. They encounter an alien people who seem to have just had a visit from some unknown diety...very interesting stuff.

Separation of Blogs

I am going to separate the two class blogs into reading and writing. Anything you have to say/ask/add about writing should be posted on the Just Write blog. Remember that everyone must post a full-length creative piece on that blog before the end of the marking period and students should also comment on that writing as well. If you have not added yourself as an author by giving me your email and responding to the author inquiry...you need to do so soon!

Book Clubs

Don't forget to vote on your next choice for Book Club Books. Just like the real world, your vote is your way of making your voice heard in here. If you don't vote, then don't complain when the Book Clubs are on a genre you don't like.

Comment Names

Anyone who posts under anonymous needs to change it to an actual posting name...comments labaled anonymous will not be accepted for credit as of 10/18.

Questions Questions

Your best resource for success in LA this year are those people that go to class with you every day and encounter the same challenges and difficulties as you do. Some of these people have found strategies to help them succeed. This post is a place for you to ask and answer questions that pertain to anything that will help you succeed. This could be anything from "I was sick on Tuesday...what did we do in class?" to "I can't figure out how to create a simile. Does anybody have a trick?" Whatever your question is, post it here and make sure to check back frequently for answers as well as to answer questions for others.

Just Write Blog

After reading the comments on the personal blog post I noticed that many of you were enthusiastic about the idea but did not want to share EVERYTHING that you write. What I have done is created a new blog called Just Write. This blog is linked to my blog on the left of this page. Anyone can post their creative/critical/persuasive writing or ideas there. In order to do this I have to add you as an author on the page. All I need for this is your email address. Once you have given me your email I will add it to the list of accepted authors for the page and then you can post to it whenever you want. Anyone can go to the blog and comment on the posts and I encourage this. This should be a place where you can have an open forum for creative pursuits. Take it and run!

Personal Blogs

A lot of my students last year set up their own blogs. They gave their blog addresses to friends and teachers etc. Some wanted to share their thoughts with everyone on our class blog and I offered a spot on the blog to link to student blogs. If you have a blog/tumblr etc and want to give your peers access to your thoughts and writing just let me know anfd I will put your blog link on the homepage of the class blog.

Writing Goals

To help you decide what you want to set as a personal writing goal for the next two months I am compiling a list below. Feel free to add to that list if you see that I missed something. Remember, YOU are responsible for working on your writing goal independently. You will be graded based on a piece of writing from before you began working on your goal and your most current piece of writing at the end of the two month goal time. You will be asked to provide strategies that you worked with, reflections on your progress etc in order to justify your independent work towards achieving success.

Possible Writing Goals:
Writing Stronger Leads
Using figurative language to add style to writing
Replacing telling with elaborate dialogue
Developing dialogue by using dialect
Showing events unfold instead of telling the reader that they occurred
Elaborating on main ideas
Including sensory details to make writing more visual
Focusing on specific detail and evidence instead of general support
Organizing paragraphs
Utilizing transitions or transitional language
Writing strong clinchers that drive home a point or finish with style
Generating Ideas
Generating supporting detail
Using strong active verbs
Incorporating adages into writing
Using adjectives/adverbs to expand writing and not to weigh it down
Utilizing allusion to build context into writing
Creating analogies
Anecdotes
Writing in different tones
Characterization
Avoiding cliches
Varying Sentence Structure
Varying sentence length
Using connotation to develop tone/mood etc
Elaboration in general
Using concrete examples to elaborate
Using clear explanation that is not boring
Using researchable facts to add authority to writing
Wordplay such as euphemisms
Expanding moments to slow pace and build suspense etc
Extending metaphors
Using quotations effectively
Adding flashback for style and interest
Foreshadowing in all forms of writing
Using fragments correctly (for effect)
Hooking the reader
Playing with humor in all writing
Including idioms
Writing using implication
Irony
Creating strong Magic 3's to help elaborate and add style
Building motif
Working with paradox
Using setting to builid mood etc
Working towards poignancy
Avoiding redundancies
Using repetition to emphasize emotion or strengthen points
Using clauses to add refinement to writing
Building writing vocabulary

October Books of the Month

Remember: Reading a "Book of the Month" selection will get you some extra credit. Write a short response to the novel under this post and then see me the next day to get your "thumbs up" and some extra credit.

Books of the Month:
Beautiful Creatures by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl
Skin Hunger by Kathleen Duey

Lever's Picks:
Unwind by Neal Shusterman
Fallen by Lauren Kate

Partner Pick:
On the Devil's Court by Carl Deuker

Classic Pick:
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
Dracula by Bram Stoker

Celebrity Pick: (by Miss Healy)
The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Values in Literature

Something that we don't usually talk about when we discuss the books we read is how the literature reflects the values of the author and the values of the society we live in. Do we accept the premises and plots of the novels because they match our own? Does the author want us to examine those things that we value in our world. After re-reading the Dune series, which is based around the importance of a special "spice" that lengthens life and gives deep insight, I got to thinking, is there anything so vital and sought after in our world that we would fight wars etc over it? If so, is there a message about these sought after materials in the novel? Think back to a book you have read or are reading...does the author force you to question your values? How? Does the author demonstrate his own values to you? Be specific in your response.

Quizlet

All vocabulary can be found on Quizlet. Don't forget to create an account to track your practice/progress with the weekly vocabulary. The flashcards can be found under the user "shorvath".

Twitter

Don't forget to set up a twitter account when you get the chance. Parents and students are welcome to join and follow me. You are looking for horvathLAclass. Remember that you will need to set your account to send tweets to your cell phone if you want to get updates sent through text. Standard text messaging rates apply so make sure you know whether or not you have unlimited texts before you sign up.

Socratic Circles

Socratic Circles are something we will be doing every Thursday for the rest of the year. This is your chance to really take control of your own learning. I will be providing you with texts to discuss and frameworks for analyzing the text, but the discussion will be totally up to you. This site is very helpful in explaining the background of Socratic Dialog as well as some of the common questions you should ask yourself as you prepare and participate.

When Do You Put it Down

Here is a situation I know everyone has encountered...I picked up a book the other day because it was strongly recommended by a friend of mine. After reading about 40 pages I thought, "This is amusing but not really outstanding." The book is really long and I usually trust my friend's judgment on literature so I am continuing to read it. It is not that the book is bad, it is just that I know it is going to take me a while to get through and I don't know if it's worth it...my question is, "When do you decide enough is enough and just put the book down and find something else to read?"

Generating a Lead

In class today we discussed how to generate a lead. Remember, our goal for leads is to get the reader interested...this means we have to trick the reader into continuing regardless of whether or not they enjoy our topic.
For example. I don't like vegetables. Am I going to read an essay that starts with "I am going to tell you some interesting things about vegetables."? Of course not. You need to think and give me some information that will force me (the reader) to ask a question about the topic...hopefully something you will address later on.
How about..."Before kids were spitting them into napkins to make them 'disappear', vegetables were being used to conquer the cuisine and culture of continents."
Now, regardless of my attitude towards veggies, I have something that I can relate to and a question that draws me in...how does a veggie take on a continent?
As a writer our goal is to identify the topic and then ask some questions about the topic
Example:
Topic - My dog
Questions - Does he do anything funny? What kind of dog is he? Is he friendly?
Then you take one of those questions and develop it into a lead.
Another option for generating the lead is to give a small amount of info that will force the reader to ask themselves a question...
"Though I never want to talk about them, the events of last week are certainly noteworthy." what happened last week?
"Dinosaurs don't know how to stand on one leg." how can you know this about dinosaurs?
When a reader asks a question in their mind they are engaging with the text, something that we as writers must have!!!

Unforgivable

So I am sure many people have noticed the back board in LA labeled "Unforgivables"...Lidia guessed that this is where I plan on hanging the student work that is so atrocious that the creation of it is an unforgivable act, one that must be made public so all can see the horror of it. She wasn't far from the truth. I will certainly not use the board to single out "unforgivable" work, but it will be a place where I can post those things that are unforgivable in our LA class. First on the agenda...Countable versus Mass Nouns
Knowing the difference between a countable and a mass noun helps the writer determine what "number" adjective to use in front of it. This is important for these cases...much, many, less, fewer.
You would never say "How much pens do you have in your bag?" This is because pens are a COUNTABLE noun. Countable nouns use the adjectives many and fewer.
For example:

How many pens do you have?
I have four pens. (pens are countable, see?)
Oh, you have fewer pens than I do. (again, pens can be counted)

Some nouns you can only determine MASS for. You would not tell me how MANY water is in the lake, you would tell me how much water there is....you can determine mass, not number.
Example:
How much money do you have? (money is mass not countable)
I have a lot.
Oh, I have less money than you then.

What gets confusing is that some things are mass nouns that can be made up of countable nouns...try this one:
How much money do you have? (mass)
I have five dollars. (countable)
I have fewer dollars than you (countable)
Then you also have less money than me. (mass)

Therefore our first unforgivable error as writers is the confusion of countable and mass nouns when it comes to counting...no finished piece will be accepted if it contains such an error.

September Books of the Month

This month's Book of the Month: The Dark Divine by Bree Despain, The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti.
Classic of the Month: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

Mrs. Lever's Picks: No and Me by Delphine de Vigan, The Great Wide Sea by M.H. Herlong, Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson

Partner Pick (one we both love): Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Remember, reading these books during the month of September will get you some extra credit points. Don't forget to do a short write up of the book on the blog. Once you do this, get your "thumbs up" for extra credit and staple it to the reading board. Any questions, comments, responses regarding the books can be commented under this blog post.

HAPPY READING!!!
H

Discuss vs. Debate

In order to put students in charge of their own learning, we will be having weekly discussions based around the Socratic method. Quickly put, a Socratic dialog is one where participants hope to gain new understandings by incorporating the ideas of others into their own thinking. Before we can have one of these dialogs, we need to recognize the difference between a discussion and a debate. What is your definition of discussion? Debate? What are some things that make for a successful discussion? Debate?

Same Old...Or is it?

So the school year is officially underway and I would have to say, from a teacher's perspective, this year looks promising. I am hoping that as the processes and procedures of the class become more familiar there will be a great independent learning spirit in the English classroom. Take a moment and reflect on this first week. What were your expectations? Are you surprised by anything? Is it the same old song or is this year going to be different for you?

Welcome to the Blog

To anyone coming here for the first time, this blog is something that will be very important to our discussion of literature and our work as authors this year. There are some rules to the blog that must be followed so that everyone can have a safe and enjoyable experience here. In a few days the class website will be up and running and I will give you directions on how to get there and some things you should look for. Until then, if you decide to comment on the blog just be sure you know it is a public forum (anyone can see it).
Therefore:
No obscene language
DO NOT use full first AND last name (ie. JeffSmith etc)
Also, do not refer directly to our middle school.
This will keep the blog anonymous enough to avoid any internet related problems.

Thanks and enjoy!

Treasure Island

Students who are reading or have read Treasure Island should use this post as a place to ask and answer questions about the book.

Zen and the Art

Any students who are reading or have read Zen and the Art of Faking It can use this post to ask questions and make comments about the book.

Happy Birthday

Because I am a man that keeps my word...HAPPY BIRTHDAY TYLER!!!!

I sat down this weekend to figure out possible summer reading for incoming 8th graders and my mind started to drift back to my days as a student and what summer meant for me. I clearly remember one of the greatest summer experiences for me was our weekly trips to the public library. My mom would pack all four of us into the van and head for the Plumb Memorial Library. Once there we would spend close to an hour picking out books and sitting down and doing some reading while everybody else picked out their reading for the week. When we got back home we would sit around the pool or hang out in the family room reading for the rest of the day. I think these summer trips helped me become a lifelong reader and probably a better student. I would love to hear how people incorporate reading into their summer vacation and I would love to hear about your plans as a reader and writer this summer as well. I will say that I plan on reading the biographies of Grover Cleveland and James Madison. I am also going to write 3 new stories this summer as well.

Troy

I am going to leave this post up all summer so that anyone reading Troy or anyone who has read the book will be able to share ideas and ask questions back and forth. Remember, my advice BEFORE reading the novel is to do some pre-reading on Greek mythology. Learn a little bit about the gods and goddesses and how they "play" with the mortal world. Next, do a little research on the Trojan War, you don't need to read the Iliad or anything crazy, but do some google searches and wikipedia searches on the Trojan War and its big players. Doing this prepwork will make the story of Troy more understandable and ultimately more enjoyable.

Poetry Essay

I am creating this post so that students can bounce ideas off of each other regarding the poems chosen for the poetry essay. This post is dedicated to the Robert Frost poem After Apple Picking. The text of the poem can be found below. Even if you are not using this poem for an essay, feel free to comment and share your ideas about it.

My long two-pointed ladder's sticking through a tree
Toward heaven still,
And there's a barrel that I didn't fill
Beside it, and there may be two or three
Apples I didn't pick upon some bough.
But I am done with apple-picking now.
Essence of winter sleep is on the night,
The scent of apples: I am drowsing off.
I cannot rub the strangeness from my sight
I got from looking through a pane of glass
I skimmed this morning from the drinking trough
And held against the world of hoary grass.
It melted, and I let it fall and break.
But I was well
Upon my way to sleep before it fell,
And I could tell
What form my dreaming was about to take.
Magnified apples appear and disappear,
Stem end and blossom end,
And every fleck of russet showing clear.
My instep arch not only keeps the ache,
It keeps the pressure of a ladder-round.
I feel the ladder sway as the boughs bend.

And I keep hearing from the cellar bin
The rumbling sound
Of load on load of apples coming in.
For I have had too much
Of apple-picking: I am overtired
Of the great harvest I myself desired.
There were ten thousand thousand fruit to touch,
Cherish in hand, lift down, and not let fall.
For all
That struck the earth,
No matter if not bruised or spiked with stubble,
Went surely to the cider-apple heap
As of no worth.
One can see what will trouble
This sleep of mine, whatever sleep it is.
Were he not gone,
The woodchuck could say whether it's like his
Long sleep, as I describe its coming on,
Or just some human sleep.

Poetry Essay

I am creating this post so that students can bounce ideas off of each other regarding the poems chosen for the poetry essay. This first post is dedicated to the Emily Dickinson poem There is another sky. The text of the poem can be found below. Even if you are not using this poem for an essay, feel free to comment and share your ideas about it.

There is another sky,
Ever serene and fair,
And there is another sunshine,
Though it be darkness there;
Never mind faded forests, Austin,
Never mind silent fields -
Here is a little forest,
Whose leaf is ever green;
Here is a brighter garden,
Where not a frost has been;
In its unfading flowers
I hear the bright bee hum:
Prithee, my brother,
Into my garden come!

Poetry Challenge

Here is the challenge for this post. Write an image poem that is based on something you have in your garage. Make sure the poem is less than 7 lines and includes a metaphor. The best submitted poem will get 10 extra credit points for the poetry workshop.

The Perfect Image

Strong modern poetry is often based on powerful imagery. Imagery is created by a poet when he uses a sense to turn a detail or an object into an experience. Instead of writing He sat and watched the sun rise, a good poet will try to take the reader's breath away with a specific sensory image of the sun rising such as...He sat and watched as the sun splashed against the horizon and spilled its orange warmth across the bay, slowly swirling and coloring even the deepest recesses of his private inlet. The contrast between these two lines should be apparent and helps illustrate how a poet needs to be an observer and shower, not a teller. With the second line I have tried to create the image of the sun as a liquid (used proper diction...splashed, spilled, also connotation of swirling etc). Even more poetic is the inclusion of secondary senses inside or alongside the original image. A more interesting line might be He tugged anbd tore at the slowly fraying hem of his sleeve as the sun splashed against the horizon and spilled its orange warmth across the bay, slowly swirling and coloring even the deepest recesses of his private inlet. Now this line helps develop the idea of a speaker who is uncomfortable with this approach of sunlight to his private area, maybe metaphorically suggesting that there is something about his person that he does not want held up to be viewed in the open.

Our goal as poets is to try to use the words we know to create the perfect image that will lead the reader to our meaning without coming out and saying it. I would love to have some people resond to this with some of their favorite image line/lines from poems they have read or written.

Poets I Read

One of the best ways to improve the way I write and think about writing is to try and get into the head of another poet. I think the biggest disservice done to students in poetry is that they are shown different styles (haiku, limerick, sonnet etc) but don't get to spend a lot of time really getting to know a single poet, someone they can learn from and appreciate and understand.

One of my favorite poets is Lord Tennyson. Even though he wrote in the mid-1800's, his lines are filled with imagery that I find inspirational in my own life. Consider the following stanza from his poem "Choric Song"
There is sweet music here that softer falls
Than petals from blown roses on the grass,
Or night-dews on still waters between walls
Of shadowy granite, in a gleaming pass;
Music that gentlier on the spirit lies,
Than tired eyelids upon tired eyes;
Music that brings sweet sleep down from the blissful skies.

In one short stanza there is so much poetic device. I read a lot of Tennyson and it affects how I write and what I like to read. I think it is important to think about finding a poet that you can identify with and use as a sounding board for your own poetry as well as for the world around you. Do you have a poet that you have read deeply? If not, maybe post some ideas of what kind of poetry you like and others will have some ideas for poets you may enjoy.

Some Poetry Craft to Consider

This post is a place where poets can share some of the literary devices/craft that they use to create meaning and mood in their poetry. I personally tend to use a lot of alliteration to drive the rhythm of the lines of my poetry. example - While trees take their time, slowly maturing/ the oft' forgotten fly experiences all seasons in a single day;
The use of the same consonant to start the words in these lines helps me create a backing rhythm to the poem that is not "sing-songy" but hopefully develops and pace and speed for the audience. What do you use to emphasize/create feeling or importance in your poetry?

Ray Bradbury

submitted by student - Ray Bradbury writes about the impact of technology on society in some of his short stories. In both "The Veldt" and "The Pedestrian", the protagonist is punished for "disagreeing" with technology in some way. Is Ray Bradbury's perspective realistic? Do you see our world in the world of his stories? Explain.

What to Read?

submitted by student - Wondering what you should read next? Click on the "What Should I Read Next" button on the left of the blog home page. Type in the title of the last book that you read and enjoyed. What comes up? On this post, please comment with some books that you have read and enjoyed that some people might not know about. Why did you like it? Give a quick synposis of the book.

Complex Characters

submitted by student - Artemis Fowl is a very complex character. He is constantly scheming to enter the world of magic. His life is quite complicated and it has therefore made his character and personality quite complex. Who is the most complex literary character you can think of? Why?

Jason Mraz

submitted by student - The song "The Remedy (I Won't Worry)," was written by Jason Mraz just after he learned that his friend had been diagnosed with cancer. The song has a very moving message about life, particularly when he sings, "I won't worry my life away..." What do you think Mraz is trying to teach us/share with us with this song? How can this message apply to your life?

Hope is the Thing With Feathers

submitted by student - In the poem "Hope is the Thing With Feathers" by Emily Dickinson, hope is portrayed as an animal, a bird. Why do you think hope is portrayed as a bird and what is the significance of the lines..."Yet, never, in extremity, / It asked a crumb of me"?

Kiwi quick film

submitted by student - Watch this Towards the end, the kiwi drops a single tear on his descent. Why do you think the kiwi was crying? Was he happy, sad, etc....? What message do you think the creators were trying to convey with this short Pixar Animation?

Love Like Crazy

submitted by student - The song "Love Like Crazy" is a very emotional song that can teach a lesson, especially the chorus..."Be a best friend, tell the truth, and overuse I love you! Go to work, do your best, don't outsmart your common sense. Never let your prayin' knees get lazy and love like crazy". What do you think Brice Lee is saying with this song?

MP3 Elaboration

Our MP3 writing goal is elaboration. Use this post as a place to discuss strategies, ask questions, make commentary about how you are working on this writing goal. Remember, you need to work on this goal as often as possible.

Watchmen

submitted by student - The book Watchmen takes place in Cold War era New York. America and Soviet Russia are close to nuclear war. The only way to stop the war involves killing half of NYC...would you do this in order to stop a nuclear war or would you save NY and allow the war to start? Why would you make your decision?

Jumpman

student submitted - In the book Jumpman, the character Jules is getting really jealous of a kid who "jumped" back to Jules's time from some point in the future. This kid is spending a lot of time with a girl that Jules likes. Unfortunately, the future kid's jump pack is broken so it's not likely that he is leaving any time soon. How can Jules stop the girl that he likes from getting sucked in by this kid from the future?

No Boundaries

student submitted - This is an amazing an inspiring song. What do you think the song is telling you? What message is there in this song?

Vanilla Twilight

Vanilla Twilight by Owl City is a song about falling out of love/ missing an ex. Can you relate to the songwriter's feelings and words? Have you ever been in this kind of situation, feeling alone after a breakup? If you don't know the song you can listen here

Sherlock Holmes

submitted by student -- In the movie Sherlock Holmes, Holmes and Watson have to solve a mystery regarding someone who apparently came back from the dead. If you have seen this movie I would like to know what you thought of it. I personally liked it a lot.

Jars of Glass

submitted by student -- The book Jars of Glass by Brad Barkley and Heather Hepler is a heartbreaking story about a family that has had their lives turned upside down. The mother is insane and has been hospitalized and it is up to the daughters, Chloe and Shana, to keep the family together. If you were in this situation how w0uld you feel? How would you try to "fix" your family?