Say it Ain't Snow

submitted by Colleen O. -  Do you think all these snow days are really affecting our learning?  Be sure to use SEW to explain your answer.

Book Series

submitted by Zack E. - I have noticed that there always seems to be an exciting new series of books out every year or so...from the Alex Rider books to the Last Olympians to Vladimir Tod etc...what do you think the next great series will be about?

1984 Chapter One

After reading Chapter 1 of 1984, reflect on the following:
What does the setting of the novel tell us about life in London in the book?  How does Orwell create the mood of the novel?

Look up the words irony, paradox and contradiction.  What examples of these words do you see in the book?

Winston seems to have a deep hatred for women, specifically young pretty women.  Why?  Have there been times in our history when the fervor of the young has been used for advancing political goals?

What is the significance of the Two Minute Hate?  What does it tell us about people in general?

Do You Believe in Ghosts?

submitted by Kim - There is no proof that spirits of past lives can come back and haunt you but there is also no proof that they can't.  Some people claim they experienced an encounter with the other side.  You may think ghosts are just things children believe in or you may believe that they can interact with our world and even cause  serious damage and interfere with people's lives.  Is there a rational explanation for everything that happens in our world or is there a chance that ghosts do exist?

Note from Horvath:  All responses must try to incorporate the elements of a SEW What? Response.  Also, since this post is by nature one of conjecture I would ask that you do not attack people's beliefs etc...this should be a forum of debate and information.  Think of things you have read/seen/experienced that have to do with this topic.

SEW it up

From now on all blog comments need to be made in SEW format to be considered valid.  This means that when you agree/disagree with someone or make a new opinion statement you must provide a strong Statement with a Reason (your because), Evidence that is tangible and supports the because part of your statement, and then an explanation of Why your evidence proves your statement is true.  This goes for this blog as well as for any comments made on the Just Write Blog.

1984 Club Pre-Reading Reflection

In a written response please answer the following completely:
List the freedoms you enjoy both in your home and in your community.  List the freedoms you are denied.  What is the reason for the denials?  Do you accept the reasons?  Do you feel that you live in a "free" state or do you think you are "controlled" by others?  Explain in detail.

Please have these responses typed and turned in to Mr. Horvath by Tuesday January 25.  Any students not currently in the 1984 club are free to join...just see me at some point.

Next Round of Book Clubs

At the closing of the poll there was a tie between science fiction and a classic.  I will provide the tie-breaker vote and I vote for science fiction.  The number of students who voted was disappointingly low (23 total)!!!  Now comes the hard part...what is science fiction?  Have you read any good science fiction?  What are some great science fiction novels that people would be interested in?

MP2 Final Essay

The last essay you will write for the close of MP2 will be based on all of the ideas and discussions we had during this marking period.  You need to reflect on all of the stories and poems that we read and discussed in the Socratic circles.  Your essay will be based on the quote "Those who desire to give up freedom in order to gain security will not have, nor do they deserve, either one." - Benjamin Franklin.
Though all of you will write your own reflective essay on that topic you can use this post to generate a discussion of the quote and its relevance to what we have read and discussed as we close our MP Theme of "Individual and Society".

The Veldt

Feel free to comment/question/discuss the text here on this post. Remember that we are focusing on big ideas right now in our analysis of literature. For this week's discussion you should be prepared to talk about themes, symbols, and characters from this classic story. Also, don't forget that the 2nd Marking Period is still focused around the relationship between individuals and the societies they belong to. Think of "The Veldt" in those terms.

January Books of the Month

This month's picks are...
Mrs. Lever's Picks
Harris and Me by Gary Paulsen
Hope Was Here by Joan Bauer

Partner Pick
Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

Mr. Horvath's Picks
Shift by Jennifer Bradbury
Scrambled Eggs at Midnight by Brad Barkley

Classic Picks
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Jockey Hollow Book Club Pick
Home of the Brave by Katherine Applegate

Celebrity Pick


Author to Know
Robert Cormier

Remember, when you read any book of the month you need to post a comment on this blog post and then tell me so we can talk about the book and you can get your extra credit for reading it. All Robert Cormier books are considered Books of the Month this month!!!
Happy Reading!

Debate

When we get back from the break we are going to start a unit on debate. This will help us all improve our powers of argument and persuasion without needing to sit in class and write and rewrite prompts. I would like you to think about what goes into a good debate and how that is different from the discussions we have been trying to generate with our Socratic circles. Any ideas/links/tips from the internet are valid to bring up here as well.

Happy New Year!!!

Happy New Year everybody. I hope everyone is enjoying their last days of freedom before getting back to work on Monday. Since New Years Day is traditionally a time for reflecting on the past year and also looking forward to things to come, I hope you all take some time today to think about what your goals are academically for the upcoming year. There is no time like the present to make a change or an improvement and see it through for the remainder of the year.