Wrestling with wrestling

submitted by Jeff - Do you think that girls should be allowed to wrestle in a boys league if there is no girls league for them to wrestle in?

John Lennon...Peacenik or Commie?

submitted by Anna D. - Listen to the song "Imagine" by John Lennon.  There has been an ongoing debate whether this song is peace-and-love-in-the-world driven or a song trying to make everyone a communist.  After listening to it, what do you think?

Online Privacy

submitted by Anthony - Recently the Playstation network, a server for online gaming, was hacked and crashed.  People are now concerned that their personal information (credit card numbers, addresses, emails etc) have been compromised.  What does this incident tell us about our privacy?  Is anything really private anymore?

The Influence of the TV

submitted by Jenna - How do the shows we watch on TV impact the decisions and choices we make?  How does it affect the way we think about things?

Huck Finn Questions

The following questions need to be answered by 4/29.  Please have them typed and turned in to Mr. Horvath by that date.

1.  Why did Twain include the "Notice" on the opening page?
2.  Each stage of Huck's moral growth culminates in a crisis of conscience and a decision to assist Jim.  What are these stages and decisions; when do they occur; and what are their consequences?
3.  What are the consequences of Huck and Jim going past the mouth of the Ohio River in the fog?
4.  How do the king and duke impact Huck's and Jim's life on the raft, their quest for freedom, and the novel's movement?
5.  Is there any justice in the fact that Tom is wounded in the final chase through the swamp?
6.  The story is told by fourteen-year-old Huck, who admits to elaborate lies and fabrications.  Can we trust him?  Can we accept his version of things or must we read between the lines to get the story?

Fantasy or Science Fiction

submitted by Mike - For those of you who have seen the movie Star Wars...do you think this movie is more science fiction or more fantasy?  Remember to refer to what we know about both genres as well as the film.

April Book of the Month Picks

Mrs. Lever's Picks:
My Most Excellent Year by Steve Kluger
The Wednesday Wars by Gary D. Schmidt

Mr. Horvath's Picks:
White Fang by Jack London
The Maltese Falcon by Dashiell Hammett

Parter Pick:
The Uninvited by Tim Wynne-Jones

JHS Book Club Pick:
Undiscovered Country by Lin Enger

Classic Picks:
The Good Earth by Pearl S. Buck
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Author to Know
Agatha Christie

Celebrity Pick
?

Huck Finners

Please respond to this post question and also respond to someone else's response (Meaning comment on someone's response to the post).
This books is often banned/censored due to its use of historically accurately but offensive language.  It is something that I took into consideration before challenging you with this book.  In order to prepare you for the book and context I would like you to do the following...

Think about the following statements, rating each statement using the following guide:


4 strongly agree
3 agree somewhat
2 disagree
1 disagree strongly.

1. Some words are so offensive that they should never be used to tell a story.

2. The names we use for others are not important.

3. The saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is true.

4. Members of an ethnic group can refer to themselves in language that would be inappropriate for others to use.

Choose one of the statements with which you agree or disagree the most, and free write about why you believe as you do. Begin with statements to which you have the strongest reactions—either positively or negatively.

NCAA Final Four

submitted by Jeff - Now that the final four teams are set for the mens tournament, who do you think will win it all?  Make sure you SEW it up, use evidence, stats etc...

Why do you Like that?

submitted by Bailey - When people talk about their favorite composers/singers/artists is it because they truly enjoy the music or are they looking to define themselves and be judged based on the music they like?

It's the Remix

submitted by Sammy - When folk stories are remade, they are often changed, both story and concept.  Movies like Peter Pan, Red Riding Hood etc have all updated or changed a classic tale.  Why do you think they change the story?  Should they?  What about people who don't know there is an original?  Are you for stories staying the same or do you like the changing of these stories?

Man's Best Friend

submitted by Sean - Some say dogs are "man's best friend".  What do you think the impact of having a pet is on a person or family?

April Book Clubs

The polls have closed and the results are in...April book clubs will be Mystery books.  Now the question is...what do you want for a final assessment of this book club.  My thoughts always go right to an essay, but I am open to suggestions.  Remember, an assessment needs to be designed so that you can show that you have read and understood the text as well as can take that understanding and apply it to your life and the world around you.

Oh, Is it CMT time?

sbmitted by Brooke -  What are you most concerned about for CMTs?  What do you think is the easiest part of the whole test?

March Book of the Month Picks

Remember that you need to:
1.  Read the book and have it on your reading log.
2.  Record that you finished the book on your book log.
3.  Post a comment about the book on this blog post.
4.  Fill out two "Thumbs Up" to put on the bulletin boards in Mr. Horvath's and Mrs. Lever's classrooms.

Mrs. Lever's Picks
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
Marcelo in the Real World by Francisco X. Stork

Partner Pick
Mockingbird by Kathryn Erskine

Mr. Horvath's Picks
Peak by Roland Smith
Lament by Maggie Stiefvater

Jockey Hollow Book Club Book
Genesis by Bernard Beckett

Classic Picks
To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne

Celebrity Pick
Beastly by Alex Flynn (Mrs. Johnson's Pick)
Author to Know
Agatha Christie (any novel written by Agatha Christie qualifies as a Book of the Month Pick.