DAY 3: SPORTS
Athletes as role models? Some would say, "Absolutely!", while others would say, "NO WAY!" Regardless of whether you believe that athletes should or should not be considered role models, consider the following controversy surrounding the new video game, Call of Duty: Black Ops. In this commercial the audience sees everyday people like a cook, a nurse, and even a few celebrities. One of these celebrities is NBA superstar Kobe Bryant. If you watch the advertisement below, you will see Kobe make a brief appearance toting a grenade launcher. Although you never see him blow up anything or anyone, some people have a problem with the message that this commercial may be indirectly sending, "If Kobe Bryant thinks its okay to partake in violent acts (even in a fantasy world) then he is condoning such actions, and therefore, violent acts are okay."
After viewing the commercial, provide your two cents. In 250-500 words, write a response that describes your position on this issue. HAVE FUN.
Dec 1, 2010
DAY 2: ART and ADVERTISING
Although you may not think of comedy as an art form, it is most definitely an art, and a pretty challenging one to truly master. Making something seem funny, especially to a large audience, is much more difficult than it may seem. I want you to think about what makes something funny. There are many possibilies here, but answer the question, "What makes something funny?" Then watch the Charlie Chaplin clip that you'll find below. Yes, this is a very old film, but it is still funny to the modern viewer. Why is this the case?
After watching the clip from the film, Modern Times, explain what makes it funny. Then, write a response that discusses the differences and similarities of a comedy from today's film era and Modern Times. Why are they both funny yet also very different? Consider this question but also just write about what makes both types of films funny. Write a 125-250 word response.
Although you may not think of comedy as an art form, it is most definitely an art, and a pretty challenging one to truly master. Making something seem funny, especially to a large audience, is much more difficult than it may seem. I want you to think about what makes something funny. There are many possibilies here, but answer the question, "What makes something funny?" Then watch the Charlie Chaplin clip that you'll find below. Yes, this is a very old film, but it is still funny to the modern viewer. Why is this the case?
After watching the clip from the film, Modern Times, explain what makes it funny. Then, write a response that discusses the differences and similarities of a comedy from today's film era and Modern Times. Why are they both funny yet also very different? Consider this question but also just write about what makes both types of films funny. Write a 125-250 word response.
Nov 18, 2010
DAY 4: POLITICS
After reading the article about this piece of public art, write about your personal opinion on this type of public display. Do you think that it is appropriate and necessary to share this type of info in this manner, or do you think something different. Explain your position in 250-500 words.
After reading the article about this piece of public art, write about your personal opinion on this type of public display. Do you think that it is appropriate and necessary to share this type of info in this manner, or do you think something different. Explain your position in 250-500 words.
Nov 17, 2010
DAY 3: SPORTS
Today you get an option between two sports related topics:
1. Jeff Reed->Do you agree or disagree with cutting him from the team?
2. Fighting in Hockey->Do you think it is good or bad for the sport?
Pick one of these options and read the article that accomanies each topic. Write a 250-500 word response that shares your position on this issue.
Today you get an option between two sports related topics:
1. Jeff Reed->Do you agree or disagree with cutting him from the team?
2. Fighting in Hockey->Do you think it is good or bad for the sport?
Pick one of these options and read the article that accomanies each topic. Write a 250-500 word response that shares your position on this issue.
Nov 16, 2010
DAY 2: ART and ADVERTISING
Sometimes the art OF advertising is more impressive than the product that's being advertised. The following slideshow sheds some light on the advertising (aka propaganda) techniques that are used to persuade the consumer to think a particular way about a product. The goal is to make the consumer feel good about buying the product and potential not so good if they do not purchase the product. In many cases, this is harmless and it a great way to sell useful goods; however, there is also a darkside to advertising.
Problems arise when products are advertised in a misleading manner when the seller knows of the product's potential danger. One group of products that are commonly advertised and knowingly mislead consumers are alcohol companies. The article, Booze ads 'misleading' youngsters discusses this issue at length. After reading the article and reviewing the advertising techniqes, make a list of specific examples where alcohol commercials practiced some of the techniques mentioned in the slideshow.
Sometimes the art OF advertising is more impressive than the product that's being advertised. The following slideshow sheds some light on the advertising (aka propaganda) techniques that are used to persuade the consumer to think a particular way about a product. The goal is to make the consumer feel good about buying the product and potential not so good if they do not purchase the product. In many cases, this is harmless and it a great way to sell useful goods; however, there is also a darkside to advertising. 
Problems arise when products are advertised in a misleading manner when the seller knows of the product's potential danger. One group of products that are commonly advertised and knowingly mislead consumers are alcohol companies. The article, Booze ads 'misleading' youngsters discusses this issue at length. After reading the article and reviewing the advertising techniqes, make a list of specific examples where alcohol commercials practiced some of the techniques mentioned in the slideshow.
Nov 15, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
The music of The Beatles transcended the 60s Generation; starting out innocent and with romanticized visions of the world, and ending with a jaded perspective on higher authority while still holding on to idealized concepts of obtaining peace and love for all. One song that seems to challange some of these "hippy" values and ask the tough questions to this generation built on change is "Revolution." Some may see this song as a battle cry for the 60s counter culture, but is it really?
Listen carefully to the lyrics and decide for yourself. What is the song really talking about and forcing its listeners to think, do, or say about the world in which they're living? Then, once you decide what goal the song is working towards, discuss how this song could be applied to your own generation. Are there any lines in particular that stick out as significant or applicable today? If not, what other kinds of things do they need to hear? 250-500 word requirement.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah
ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...
You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
The music of The Beatles transcended the 60s Generation; starting out innocent and with romanticized visions of the world, and ending with a jaded perspective on higher authority while still holding on to idealized concepts of obtaining peace and love for all. One song that seems to challange some of these "hippy" values and ask the tough questions to this generation built on change is "Revolution." Some may see this song as a battle cry for the 60s counter culture, but is it really?
Listen carefully to the lyrics and decide for yourself. What is the song really talking about and forcing its listeners to think, do, or say about the world in which they're living? Then, once you decide what goal the song is working towards, discuss how this song could be applied to your own generation. Are there any lines in particular that stick out as significant or applicable today? If not, what other kinds of things do they need to hear? 250-500 word requirement.
You say you want a revolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
You tell me that it's evolution
Well, you know
We all want to change the world
But when you talk about destruction
Don't you know that you can count me out
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
You say you got a real solution
Well, you know
We'd all love to see the plan
You ask me for a contribution
Well, you know
We're doing what we can
But when you want money
for people with minds that hate
All I can tell is brother you have to wait
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
Ah
ah, ah, ah, ah, ah...
You say you'll change the constitution
Well, you know
We all want to change your head
You tell me it's the institution
Well, you know
You better free you mind instead
But if you go carrying pictures of chairman Mao
You ain't going to make it with anyone anyhow
Don't you know it's gonna be all right
all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
all right, all right, all right
Oct 18, 2010
Literary Analysis:
For the next few weeks we will read and interpret literature. Momentarily we will get away from the daily cycle of blogs to focus on other important aspects of writing and expression. Short stories will be our main source of inspiration. Some of these stories will be strange or unorthodox to you; however, that is what makes them fun and interesting to interpret. Below is a video of Neil Gaiman, acclaimed science fiction author, reading one of his short stories. Follow along as he reads the story, Babycakes, aloud.
For the next few weeks we will read and interpret literature. Momentarily we will get away from the daily cycle of blogs to focus on other important aspects of writing and expression. Short stories will be our main source of inspiration. Some of these stories will be strange or unorthodox to you; however, that is what makes them fun and interesting to interpret. Below is a video of Neil Gaiman, acclaimed science fiction author, reading one of his short stories. Follow along as he reads the story, Babycakes, aloud.
Oct 12, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", Ben Folds
At some point in your life you have probably come across an individual who acts like he/she is better than everyone around him/her and is rude towards basically everyone. In many cases this individual is very concerned about their appearance and their social status. In the following song Ben Folds addresses these ideas in a candid and direct way. Please focus on the core message within the song. Think about anything else that Ben Folds may be trying to say? Then write about a time when you felt persecuted by someone like this or when you yourself acted in such a way towards another person. How did this make you feel? What did you learn from this experience. Write a narrative that outlines this situation. 250-500 words.
As always the lyrics can be found below. Please excuse the vulgar language.
WRITING PROMPT
Once you come to a conclusion about the song's overall message, write a 125-250 word Journal Entry that explains the possible reasons for why some people are so concerned with how others view them. Then, continue the Journal Entry by writing about the following: In your opinion, why are people that fit into this category often rude to their peers as well? If possible, provide an example of when you were criticized by a peer for how you looked or acted and briefly explain why you believe this person treated you in this way. HAVE FUN!
"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", Ben Folds
Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you
I know that's hard to believe
But there are people you meet
They're into something that is too big to be
Expressed
Through their clothes
And they'll put up with all the poses you'll throw
And you won't
Even know
that they're not sizing you up
They know your mom f***ed you up
Or maybe let you watch too much TV
But they'll still look in your eyes
To find the human inside
You know there's always something in there to see
Beneath
The veneer
Not everybody made the list this year
Have a beer (not literally, he just means relax)
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be here for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Now that I've got the disease
In a way I'm relieved
'Cause I don't have to stress about it like you do
I might just get up and dance
Or buy some acid-wash pants
When you don't care then you got nothing to lose
And I won't
Hesitate
'Cause every moment life is slipping away
It's ok
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be it for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Oh, there's always someone cooler than...
Life is wonderful
Life is beautiful
We're all children of
One big universe
So you don't have to be a chump
And you know (you know)
That I won't (I won't)
Hesitate (hesitate)
'Cause every moment life is slipping away (away)
It's ok (it's ok)
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
Oh, 'cause there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be it for long
But there's always someone cooler than you
Oh yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Because there's always someone cooler than you
Cooler than you (boy)
Cooler than you (girl)
Cooler than you (sir)
Cooler than you (my lady)
Oh
Nerds go wild
Yeah Yeah
"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", Ben Folds
At some point in your life you have probably come across an individual who acts like he/she is better than everyone around him/her and is rude towards basically everyone. In many cases this individual is very concerned about their appearance and their social status. In the following song Ben Folds addresses these ideas in a candid and direct way. Please focus on the core message within the song. Think about anything else that Ben Folds may be trying to say? Then write about a time when you felt persecuted by someone like this or when you yourself acted in such a way towards another person. How did this make you feel? What did you learn from this experience. Write a narrative that outlines this situation. 250-500 words.
As always the lyrics can be found below. Please excuse the vulgar language.
WRITING PROMPT
Once you come to a conclusion about the song's overall message, write a 125-250 word Journal Entry that explains the possible reasons for why some people are so concerned with how others view them. Then, continue the Journal Entry by writing about the following: In your opinion, why are people that fit into this category often rude to their peers as well? If possible, provide an example of when you were criticized by a peer for how you looked or acted and briefly explain why you believe this person treated you in this way. HAVE FUN!
"There's Always Someone Cooler Than You", Ben Folds
Smile
Like you've got nothing to prove
No matter what you might do
There's always someone out there cooler than you
I know that's hard to believe
But there are people you meet
They're into something that is too big to be
Expressed
Through their clothes
And they'll put up with all the poses you'll throw
And you won't
Even know
that they're not sizing you up
They know your mom f***ed you up
Or maybe let you watch too much TV
But they'll still look in your eyes
To find the human inside
You know there's always something in there to see
Beneath
The veneer
Not everybody made the list this year
Have a beer (not literally, he just means relax)
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be here for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Now that I've got the disease
In a way I'm relieved
'Cause I don't have to stress about it like you do
I might just get up and dance
Or buy some acid-wash pants
When you don't care then you got nothing to lose
And I won't
Hesitate
'Cause every moment life is slipping away
It's ok
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
But there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be it for long
Oh, there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Oh, there's always someone cooler than...
Life is wonderful
Life is beautiful
We're all children of
One big universe
So you don't have to be a chump
And you know (you know)
That I won't (I won't)
Hesitate (hesitate)
'Cause every moment life is slipping away (away)
It's ok (it's ok)
Make me feel tiny if it makes you feel tall
Oh, 'cause there's always someone cooler than you
Yeah, you're the sh*t but you won't be it for long
But there's always someone cooler than you
Oh yeah, there's always someone cooler than you
Because there's always someone cooler than you
Cooler than you (boy)
Cooler than you (girl)
Cooler than you (sir)
Cooler than you (my lady)
Oh
Nerds go wild
Yeah Yeah
Sep 27, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
Pink Floyd is one of the most socially significant bands in the history of rock and roll. Not only do they have a unique sound, but their ability to reflect on the human condition with such pinpoint accuracy has made their music timeless. One of their most famous songs, Another Brick in the Wall speaks to generations young and old because everyone can relate to teachers with power trips and the desire to question authority.
After listening to the song, think about what is really being said. What does it mean to be another brick in the wall? What's the wall? Why is being a brick that makes up this wall not a good thing? What other messages are being transmitted through the song's lyrics and it's music video. Give this some thought. They may be more behind the wall than you think! 250-500 word minimum.
Pink Floyd is one of the most socially significant bands in the history of rock and roll. Not only do they have a unique sound, but their ability to reflect on the human condition with such pinpoint accuracy has made their music timeless. One of their most famous songs, Another Brick in the Wall speaks to generations young and old because everyone can relate to teachers with power trips and the desire to question authority.
After listening to the song, think about what is really being said. What does it mean to be another brick in the wall? What's the wall? Why is being a brick that makes up this wall not a good thing? What other messages are being transmitted through the song's lyrics and it's music video. Give this some thought. They may be more behind the wall than you think! 250-500 word minimum.
DAY 2: ART and ADVERTISING
Some people may downplay the impact that art has on the world today. It may seem like a fringe interest the very few individuals are affected by on a daily basis. Obviously, this is up for debate, but their are certainly some compeling arguments that show just how powerful art can be in the modern world. For example, Pablo Picasso's painting Guernica may seem like a typical cubist painting at first glance; however, once you learn the story behind the painting, one can begin to understand the significances of this magnificant work.
PBS.com shines some light on the history of this painting. After reading this article and observing the painting very carefully, begin to interpret and come to your own conclusions about what is going on in the painting. Explain what is being represented, symbolized, exagerrated, etc. Then explain how it relates to the event that took place in Guernica, Spain in the 1930s. 250-500 word minimum.
Some people may downplay the impact that art has on the world today. It may seem like a fringe interest the very few individuals are affected by on a daily basis. Obviously, this is up for debate, but their are certainly some compeling arguments that show just how powerful art can be in the modern world. For example, Pablo Picasso's painting Guernica may seem like a typical cubist painting at first glance; however, once you learn the story behind the painting, one can begin to understand the significances of this magnificant work.
PBS.com shines some light on the history of this painting. After reading this article and observing the painting very carefully, begin to interpret and come to your own conclusions about what is going on in the painting. Explain what is being represented, symbolized, exagerrated, etc. Then explain how it relates to the event that took place in Guernica, Spain in the 1930s. 250-500 word minimum.
Sep 26, 2010
DAY 3: SPORTS
Performance enhancing drugs have plagued the image of Major League Baseball for the last decade. Outside the Lines recently conducted an interview with a player who was previously caught using performance enhancing drugs while playing for a MLB team. He has been given a new start and is trying to put his previous mistakes in the past and move on with his career. The interview dicusses his difficulty with this transition and how the stigma of the steriod era continues to stay with him.
After watching the video and observing his struggles, explain how you believe a player who is caught using performance enhancing drugs should be treated. Should he be allowed in the Hall of Fame? Should he be allowed to continue playing professional baseball? Should he be paid less? Or should people just let this issue go and turn a blind eye to such indiscretions? Figure out your postion and, as always, prove why it is valid and a worthwhile arguement. 250-500 word minimum.
Performance enhancing drugs have plagued the image of Major League Baseball for the last decade. Outside the Lines recently conducted an interview with a player who was previously caught using performance enhancing drugs while playing for a MLB team. He has been given a new start and is trying to put his previous mistakes in the past and move on with his career. The interview dicusses his difficulty with this transition and how the stigma of the steriod era continues to stay with him.
After watching the video and observing his struggles, explain how you believe a player who is caught using performance enhancing drugs should be treated. Should he be allowed in the Hall of Fame? Should he be allowed to continue playing professional baseball? Should he be paid less? Or should people just let this issue go and turn a blind eye to such indiscretions? Figure out your postion and, as always, prove why it is valid and a worthwhile arguement. 250-500 word minimum.
DAY 4: POLITICS
When one thinks of book burning, the U.S. Government is probably not a group that you would associate with such an action. Until recently, this would've been fairly common. Now, the U.S. Government has made themselves synonymous with book burning after they bought every copy of a book ("Operation Dark Heart") because it included material that was previously authorized but is now considered dangerous if made public.
Fox News just interviewed the author and allowed him to tell his side of the story. The following interview reveals how passionate the government was about taking this book off the shelves. Think about the danger of such an action. Why might it be wrong to destroy a book or a piece of art or an album because it contains quesitonable material.
After watching this video from Fox News, explain and defend your position on whether you believe it is okay (from an ethical or constitutional standpoint) to burn copies of a book that may include documents that are classified. 250-500 word minimum.
When one thinks of book burning, the U.S. Government is probably not a group that you would associate with such an action. Until recently, this would've been fairly common. Now, the U.S. Government has made themselves synonymous with book burning after they bought every copy of a book ("Operation Dark Heart") because it included material that was previously authorized but is now considered dangerous if made public.
Fox News just interviewed the author and allowed him to tell his side of the story. The following interview reveals how passionate the government was about taking this book off the shelves. Think about the danger of such an action. Why might it be wrong to destroy a book or a piece of art or an album because it contains quesitonable material.
After watching this video from Fox News, explain and defend your position on whether you believe it is okay (from an ethical or constitutional standpoint) to burn copies of a book that may include documents that are classified. 250-500 word minimum.
Sep 16, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
Bob Dylan is often hailed as the best singer-songwriter of all time. His musical and social influences have never been matched by any artist since his initial success in the 1960s. During this time, Dylan had the uncanny ability to speak to and speak for the generation of young Americans that were so different from the parents that had raised them.
The Times They Are A Changin' is a song that summed up the disconnect between the young and forward thinking 60s generation and the uptight, conservative generations that preceded them. What makes this song so timeless is its capacity to resonate with every generation. It speaks to the individual who needs reassurance that things are getting better and also to those who do not like it will just have to deal with it.
The Times They Are A Changin', Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Now, think about the world today. What is changing? Is our country changing? If so, do you think it is changing for the better or for the worst? As always, voice your position at the start of your journal entry and then explain why you feel this way with the help of supporting evidence. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about the world today. If possible, try to think positive. Its not always easy, but making things better usually isn't an easy task. 250-500 words should suffice for this response. HAVE FUN!
Bob Dylan is often hailed as the best singer-songwriter of all time. His musical and social influences have never been matched by any artist since his initial success in the 1960s. During this time, Dylan had the uncanny ability to speak to and speak for the generation of young Americans that were so different from the parents that had raised them.
The Times They Are A Changin' is a song that summed up the disconnect between the young and forward thinking 60s generation and the uptight, conservative generations that preceded them. What makes this song so timeless is its capacity to resonate with every generation. It speaks to the individual who needs reassurance that things are getting better and also to those who do not like it will just have to deal with it.
The Times They Are A Changin', Bob Dylan
Come gather 'round people
Wherever you roam
And admit that the waters
Around you have grown
And accept it that soon
You'll be drenched to the bone.
If your time to you
Is worth savin'
Then you better start swimmin'
Or you'll sink like a stone
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come writers and critics
Who prophesize with your pen
And keep your eyes wide
The chance won't come again
And don't speak too soon
For the wheel's still in spin
And there's no tellin' who
That it's namin'.
For the loser now
Will be later to win
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come senators, congressmen
Please heed the call
Don't stand in the doorway
Don't block up the hall
For he that gets hurt
Will be he who has stalled
There's a battle outside ragin'.
It'll soon shake your windows
And rattle your walls
For the times they are a-changin'.
Come mothers and fathers
Throughout the land
And don't criticize
What you can't understand
Your sons and your daughters
Are beyond your command
Your old road is
Rapidly agin'.
Please get out of the new one
If you can't lend your hand
For the times they are a-changin'.
The line it is drawn
The curse it is cast
The slow one now
Will later be fast
As the present now
Will later be past
The order is
Rapidly fadin'.
And the first one now
Will later be last
For the times they are a-changin'.
Now, think about the world today. What is changing? Is our country changing? If so, do you think it is changing for the better or for the worst? As always, voice your position at the start of your journal entry and then explain why you feel this way with the help of supporting evidence. I'm looking forward to seeing what you think about the world today. If possible, try to think positive. Its not always easy, but making things better usually isn't an easy task. 250-500 words should suffice for this response. HAVE FUN!
DAY 2: ART and ADVERTISING
Art and advertising go together because they both work to inspire emotions within your mind and body. By playing off of people's happiness, dreams, ignorance, and fears, art and advertising may be interpreted in a number of ways. At the same time, advertising has more at stake than art, so ads tend to be more persuasive and sometimes much more influential. Take note of the following cigarette ads from the early and mid-1900s. Be sure to observe all of the misleading statements that are being made within each.
Now that you've made some important notes, I'd like you to consider some advertisements from today that are also misleading. Find an ad that provides only half-truths or simply persuades people to feel obligated to buy a particular product. Explain how the ad works to influence and/or mislead the public, and then discuss why this is potentially a negative trend. This response should be 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
Art and advertising go together because they both work to inspire emotions within your mind and body. By playing off of people's happiness, dreams, ignorance, and fears, art and advertising may be interpreted in a number of ways. At the same time, advertising has more at stake than art, so ads tend to be more persuasive and sometimes much more influential. Take note of the following cigarette ads from the early and mid-1900s. Be sure to observe all of the misleading statements that are being made within each.
Now that you've made some important notes, I'd like you to consider some advertisements from today that are also misleading. Find an ad that provides only half-truths or simply persuades people to feel obligated to buy a particular product. Explain how the ad works to influence and/or mislead the public, and then discuss why this is potentially a negative trend. This response should be 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
Sep 15, 2010
DAY 3: SPORTS
The Haves and Have-Nots of Sports
In sports, as in so much of national life, wealth is becoming increasingly concentrated. The payrolls for teams in Major League Baseball recently ranged from $180 million at the top to just $31 million at the bottom. The top six conferences in college football made ten times the income as the second six (click here to check out the big spenders in college athletics). A top NASCAR team requires a budget of more than $20 million a year to be competitive. Those without deep pockets need not dream.
People talk about athletes getting payed too much, but what about the teams that simply cannot keep up with this trend of massive spending as a means of winning games and making more money. Is this fair? Should college programs be allowed to spend so much more money than other colleges? How can a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates ever compete with a team like the New York Yankees? Should more caps be placed on sports spending, or should the wealth be spread around to increase the winning opportunities to "poorer" franchises/programs? You decide.
Write a 250-500 word response that states your opinion on this matter. If you believe that the amount of money being spent should be limited or spread out, then devise a potential plan and explain how it would increase competition. If you do not believe there is anything wrong with the amount of money being spent in sports, then be sure to explain why you feel this way. HAVE FUN!
The Haves and Have-Nots of Sports
In sports, as in so much of national life, wealth is becoming increasingly concentrated. The payrolls for teams in Major League Baseball recently ranged from $180 million at the top to just $31 million at the bottom. The top six conferences in college football made ten times the income as the second six (click here to check out the big spenders in college athletics). A top NASCAR team requires a budget of more than $20 million a year to be competitive. Those without deep pockets need not dream.
People talk about athletes getting payed too much, but what about the teams that simply cannot keep up with this trend of massive spending as a means of winning games and making more money. Is this fair? Should college programs be allowed to spend so much more money than other colleges? How can a team like the Pittsburgh Pirates ever compete with a team like the New York Yankees? Should more caps be placed on sports spending, or should the wealth be spread around to increase the winning opportunities to "poorer" franchises/programs? You decide.
Write a 250-500 word response that states your opinion on this matter. If you believe that the amount of money being spent should be limited or spread out, then devise a potential plan and explain how it would increase competition. If you do not believe there is anything wrong with the amount of money being spent in sports, then be sure to explain why you feel this way. HAVE FUN!
DAY 4: POLITICS
Last week we watched a clip from the CNN show, Fareed Zakaria: GPS. The host of the show also writes an editorial column for Newsweek. His most recent column is titled, What America Has Lost. Here he discusses his position that Americans and its governing body overreacted to the potential threat posed by Al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks. Obviously, not everyone agrees with this position.
After reading the article, please provide a 250-500 word response that voices your personal opinion on these statements. Are they valid? Can you understand why someone might feel this way? Or, do you uproariously disagree? Do you believe these statements to be irresponsible and an inaccurate assessment of America's response? Pick a side and argue for it. HAVE FUN!
Last week we watched a clip from the CNN show, Fareed Zakaria: GPS. The host of the show also writes an editorial column for Newsweek. His most recent column is titled, What America Has Lost. Here he discusses his position that Americans and its governing body overreacted to the potential threat posed by Al-Qaeda after the 9/11 attacks. Obviously, not everyone agrees with this position.
After reading the article, please provide a 250-500 word response that voices your personal opinion on these statements. Are they valid? Can you understand why someone might feel this way? Or, do you uproariously disagree? Do you believe these statements to be irresponsible and an inaccurate assessment of America's response? Pick a side and argue for it. HAVE FUN!
Sep 9, 2010
Daily Journal Entries: Why We Write Them, and How They'll Be Written
The following is an explanation of why a daily journal is so crucial to Writing the Essay. In addition, the following "blog" also features a step by step tutorial on what students should expect on a daily basis and how each student should approach their daily journal entries. Finally, I will explain the process of transcribing the daily journals to the Blogger web-page.
WHY WRITE EVERY DAY?
First of all, every student should have the goal of becoming a better writer by the end of the semester. Of course, the level of improvement depends upon the individual effort of each student.
One way that I plan to make every student a better writer is through daily writing prompts. Nearly every class will begin with a writing prompt. Obviously, the more each student writes the better he will become at writing.
WHY POST EACH JOURNAL ENTRY TO THE BLOG?
Some students and parents may be wondering why I want each journal entry to be rewritten on a personal blog space. There are a variety of reasons and benefits to this process.
1. The first aspect that attracted me to the utilization of an online journal was the fact that nothing can be misplaced once it is saved to the Blogger web-page. This means that both me and the students will be able to access their work at any time and never have to worry about homework eating dogs or the inevitability of absentmindedness.
2. Another aspect that truly benefits everyone is the idea of personal privacy and security. Almost everyone is insecure about their writing skills. Furthermore, a journal can contain many personal emotions and anecdotes that some students might not feel comfortable sharing. Of course sharing is always welcome, but not always required.
By utilizing Blogger's security settings students can make their online journal as public or personal as they would like. For obvious reasons, the only stipulation is that that I can access the blog at anytime. Still, this should provide some necessary peace of mind to many students.
3. Because the students will initially write each entry in class, they will have the opportunity to fine tune or revise their entries as they rewrite them on their blog. Although it is not a requirement to make revisions, the rewriting process will at least provide further practice.
STEP BY STEP: THE "WHAT" AND THE "HOW" OF WRITING THE ESSAY
STEP 1: Practice and Procedure
Each class day will feature a writing prompt on a particular subject. Regardless of the prompt's subject matter, the writing process will be the same.
The first FIVE to TEN minutes of class will be spent writing about the day's prompt.
Each student is expected to be quiet and respectful to all those around him during this time. In other words, Once a student completes the writing prompt, he must remain quiet until the instructor announces that everyone has finished writing.
STEP 2: Madness Behind the Method
Daily writing prompts are the backbone of the course. The ideas and concepts that arise from these prompts act as the foundation for daily discussion. Consequently, students will develop specific arguments and view points. Subsequent writing assignments throughout the semester will then provide the opportunity for students to elaborate on these very ideas.
Moreover, the daily writing prompts are an opportunity to express personal ideals, interpretations, and interests on a variety of topics. These pieces of writing are the least formal but also the most crucial.
The daily journal entries will never be graded for grammatical and/or spelling errors. However, if a student chooses to not take these seriously, the course will be much more difficult and much less fun.
STEP 3: Quantity of Content
Since most students are concerned with how much writing is required of them, here is a consistent word count to keep in mind throughout the semester: 250-500 words/entry.
To break this down more specifically, each student must write a TWO to THREE paragraph response for each daily writing prompt. This response will total a minimum of approximately 250 words and a maximum of approximately 500 words.
STEP 4: Why We Are Here!
Something that I cannot emphasize enough is the idea of THOUGHTFULNESS! I am speaking about the importance for each student to put as much time and thought into each and every response. The idea is for you to express yourself through writing and to voice your thoughts and opinions to the world in a clear and effective manner. Above all, I want this concept to permeate through each piece of student writing.
STEP 5: The Final Process
On Day Five of each cycle, Writing the Essay does not meet. At the conclusion of each Day Five I will assess the four journal entries that were written over the last few classes. Each entry will be graded based on completion and attentiveness. Basically, I will check to make sure that you have rewritten each entry, placed them on your blog, and verify a sincere effort.
My suggestion would be to rewrite each entry on the same day that you write it in class. Then you won't have to rewrite four entries in one day and use Day Five to relax.
I hope this information is helpful.
The following is an explanation of why a daily journal is so crucial to Writing the Essay. In addition, the following "blog" also features a step by step tutorial on what students should expect on a daily basis and how each student should approach their daily journal entries. Finally, I will explain the process of transcribing the daily journals to the Blogger web-page.
WHY WRITE EVERY DAY?
First of all, every student should have the goal of becoming a better writer by the end of the semester. Of course, the level of improvement depends upon the individual effort of each student.
One way that I plan to make every student a better writer is through daily writing prompts. Nearly every class will begin with a writing prompt. Obviously, the more each student writes the better he will become at writing.
WHY POST EACH JOURNAL ENTRY TO THE BLOG?
Some students and parents may be wondering why I want each journal entry to be rewritten on a personal blog space. There are a variety of reasons and benefits to this process.
1. The first aspect that attracted me to the utilization of an online journal was the fact that nothing can be misplaced once it is saved to the Blogger web-page. This means that both me and the students will be able to access their work at any time and never have to worry about homework eating dogs or the inevitability of absentmindedness.
2. Another aspect that truly benefits everyone is the idea of personal privacy and security. Almost everyone is insecure about their writing skills. Furthermore, a journal can contain many personal emotions and anecdotes that some students might not feel comfortable sharing. Of course sharing is always welcome, but not always required.
By utilizing Blogger's security settings students can make their online journal as public or personal as they would like. For obvious reasons, the only stipulation is that that I can access the blog at anytime. Still, this should provide some necessary peace of mind to many students.
3. Because the students will initially write each entry in class, they will have the opportunity to fine tune or revise their entries as they rewrite them on their blog. Although it is not a requirement to make revisions, the rewriting process will at least provide further practice.
STEP BY STEP: THE "WHAT" AND THE "HOW" OF WRITING THE ESSAY
STEP 1: Practice and Procedure
Each class day will feature a writing prompt on a particular subject. Regardless of the prompt's subject matter, the writing process will be the same.
The first FIVE to TEN minutes of class will be spent writing about the day's prompt.
Each student is expected to be quiet and respectful to all those around him during this time. In other words, Once a student completes the writing prompt, he must remain quiet until the instructor announces that everyone has finished writing.
STEP 2: Madness Behind the Method
Daily writing prompts are the backbone of the course. The ideas and concepts that arise from these prompts act as the foundation for daily discussion. Consequently, students will develop specific arguments and view points. Subsequent writing assignments throughout the semester will then provide the opportunity for students to elaborate on these very ideas.
Moreover, the daily writing prompts are an opportunity to express personal ideals, interpretations, and interests on a variety of topics. These pieces of writing are the least formal but also the most crucial.
The daily journal entries will never be graded for grammatical and/or spelling errors. However, if a student chooses to not take these seriously, the course will be much more difficult and much less fun.
STEP 3: Quantity of Content
Since most students are concerned with how much writing is required of them, here is a consistent word count to keep in mind throughout the semester: 250-500 words/entry.
To break this down more specifically, each student must write a TWO to THREE paragraph response for each daily writing prompt. This response will total a minimum of approximately 250 words and a maximum of approximately 500 words.
STEP 4: Why We Are Here!
Something that I cannot emphasize enough is the idea of THOUGHTFULNESS! I am speaking about the importance for each student to put as much time and thought into each and every response. The idea is for you to express yourself through writing and to voice your thoughts and opinions to the world in a clear and effective manner. Above all, I want this concept to permeate through each piece of student writing.
STEP 5: The Final Process
On Day Five of each cycle, Writing the Essay does not meet. At the conclusion of each Day Five I will assess the four journal entries that were written over the last few classes. Each entry will be graded based on completion and attentiveness. Basically, I will check to make sure that you have rewritten each entry, placed them on your blog, and verify a sincere effort.
My suggestion would be to rewrite each entry on the same day that you write it in class. Then you won't have to rewrite four entries in one day and use Day Five to relax.
I hope this information is helpful.
Sep 7, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
Rage Against the Machine has always been a band that questioned authority and was never afraid to ask the tough questions. After watching this music video, discuss what you think of the song's meaning and then what you think of the significance of the video. Your response should be between 250-500 words. Enjoy.
Rage Against the Machine,Sleep Now in the Fire
YAAAAAAAAA
The world is my expense
The cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
So raise your fists
And march around
Just don't take what you need
I'll jail and bury those committed
And smother the rest in greed
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Or I'll drag you to your grave
I'm deep inside your children
They'll betray you in my name
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
The lie is my expense
The scope of my desire
The party blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
I am the Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agent of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
For it's the end of history
It's caged and frozen still
There is no other pill to take
So swallow the one
That made you ill
The Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agent of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
To Sleep now in the fire
Rage Against the Machine has always been a band that questioned authority and was never afraid to ask the tough questions. After watching this music video, discuss what you think of the song's meaning and then what you think of the significance of the video. Your response should be between 250-500 words. Enjoy.
Rage Against the Machine,Sleep Now in the Fire
YAAAAAAAAA
The world is my expense
The cost of my desire
Jesus blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
So raise your fists
And march around
Just don't take what you need
I'll jail and bury those committed
And smother the rest in greed
Crawl with me into tomorrow
Or I'll drag you to your grave
I'm deep inside your children
They'll betray you in my name
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
The lie is my expense
The scope of my desire
The party blessed me with its future
And I protect it with fire
I am the Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agent of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
Hey, hey
Sleep now in the fire
For it's the end of history
It's caged and frozen still
There is no other pill to take
So swallow the one
That made you ill
The Nina The Pinta The Santa Maria
The noose and the rapist
The fields overseer
The agent of orange
The priests of Hiroshima
The cost of my desire
To Sleep now in the fire
DAY 2: ART and ADVERTISING
Describe why you believe the following images are "good" or "bad" examples of art:
Writing Tip: Please be persuasive and reveal your position from the beginning of your response. Always remember to write from the top down. State you position/perspective and then provide proof or explanation that will support the stated position/perspective. The purpose of writing from the top down is to prevent confusion for the reader. You do not want to keep them guessing, you want them to know exactly where you stand from the first few sentences.
Describe why you believe the following images are "good" or "bad" examples of art:
Writing Tip: Please be persuasive and reveal your position from the beginning of your response. Always remember to write from the top down. State you position/perspective and then provide proof or explanation that will support the stated position/perspective. The purpose of writing from the top down is to prevent confusion for the reader. You do not want to keep them guessing, you want them to know exactly where you stand from the first few sentences.
DAY 3: SPORTS
Reggie Bush without his Heisman Trophy: How about that? The Heisman committee has decided to take Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy away due to his acceptance of money and gifts during his tenure at USC. The following video sheds some light on this issue. After watching the video, explain your personal thoughts on this decision. Do you believe that he deserved to have his Heisman taken away, or was this decision unfair. Regardless of which side of the debate you choose, please provide some explanation and rationale to support your perspective.
Reggie Bush without his Heisman Trophy: How about that? The Heisman committee has decided to take Reggie Bush's Heisman Trophy away due to his acceptance of money and gifts during his tenure at USC. The following video sheds some light on this issue. After watching the video, explain your personal thoughts on this decision. Do you believe that he deserved to have his Heisman taken away, or was this decision unfair. Regardless of which side of the debate you choose, please provide some explanation and rationale to support your perspective.
May 6, 2010
SAT Essay "How To":The article "Beat The Essay" will teach you the best ways to approach any SAT Essay prompt. Once you get to the homepage of the essay, click the links that discus the "Fast Food" method of beating the essay. These tips will help you prepare for the SAT.
Be sure to read the samples essays as well.
May 4, 2010
SAT Timed Writing Prompts for Practice:
Read and think carefully about the issues presented in the following excerpts and the assignments below. Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on one of these issues. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. You will have 30 minutes to complete any of the following writing prompts.
1. The discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing and disillusioning. Yet even when people we consider heroes have been tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than people who appear perfect. When we learn that an admired person, even one who is seemingly perfect, has behaved in less than admirable ways, we discover a complex truth: great ideas and great deeds come from imperfect people like ourselves.
Assignment: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
2. Some people say you should be content with what you have and accept who you are. But it is possible that too much self-acceptance can turn into self-satisfied lack of ambition. People should always strive to improve themselves and to have more in their lives — friends, things, opportunities. After all, where would we be if great people, both in history and in our own time, did not try to have more and to improve themselves?
Assignment: Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
3. So-called common sense determines what people should wear, whom they should respect, which rules they should follow, and what kind of lives they should lead. Common sense is considered obvious and natural, too sensible to question. But people’s common sense decisions may turn out to be wrong, even if they are thought to be correct according to the judgment of vast majorities of people. Adapted from Alain de Botton, The Consolations of Philosophy
Assignment: Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
4. Technology promises to make our lives easier, freeing up time for leisure pursuits. But the rapid pace of technological innovation and the split-second processing capabilities of computers that can work virtually nonstop have made all of us feel rushed. We have adopted the relentless pace of the very machines that were supposed to simplify our lives, with the result that, whether at work or play, people do not feel like their lives have changed for the better. Adapted from Karen Finucan, Life in the Fast Lane
Assignment: Do changes that make our lives easier not necessarily make them better?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
5. A better understanding of other people contributes to the development of moral virtues. We shall be both kinder and fairer in our treatment of others if we understand them better. Understanding ourselves and understanding others are connected, since as human beings we all have things in common. Adapted from Anne Sheppard, Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art
Assignment: Do we need other people in order to understand ourselves?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
6. The old saying “be careful what you wish for” may be an appropriate warning. The drive to achieve a particular goal can dangerously narrow one’s perspective and encourage the fantasy that success in one endeavor will solve all of life’s difficulties. In fact, success can sometimes have unexpected consequences. Those who propel themselves toward the achievement of one goal often find that their lives are worse once “success” is achieved than they were before.
Assignment: Can success be disastrous?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
7. There is, of course, no legitimate branch of science that enables us to predict the future accurately. Yet the degree of change in the world is so overwhelming and so promising that the future, I believe, is far brighter than anyone has contemplated since the end of the Second World War. Adapted from Allan E. Goodman, A Brief History of the Future: The United States in a Changing World Order.
Assignment: Is the world changing for the better?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
8. Some people believe that there is only one foolproof plan, perfect solution, or correct interpretation. But nothing is ever that simple. For better or worse, for every so-called final answer there is another way of seeing things. There is always a “however.”
Assignment: Is there always another explanation or another point of view?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
Read and think carefully about the issues presented in the following excerpts and the assignments below. Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on one of these issues. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. You will have 30 minutes to complete any of the following writing prompts.1. The discovery that someone we admire has done something wrong is always disappointing and disillusioning. Yet even when people we consider heroes have been tarnished by their faults, they are no less valuable than people who appear perfect. When we learn that an admired person, even one who is seemingly perfect, has behaved in less than admirable ways, we discover a complex truth: great ideas and great deeds come from imperfect people like ourselves.
Assignment: Do we benefit from learning about the flaws of people we admire and respect?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
2. Some people say you should be content with what you have and accept who you are. But it is possible that too much self-acceptance can turn into self-satisfied lack of ambition. People should always strive to improve themselves and to have more in their lives — friends, things, opportunities. After all, where would we be if great people, both in history and in our own time, did not try to have more and to improve themselves?
Assignment: Is it best for people to accept who they are and what they have, or should people always strive to better themselves?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
3. So-called common sense determines what people should wear, whom they should respect, which rules they should follow, and what kind of lives they should lead. Common sense is considered obvious and natural, too sensible to question. But people’s common sense decisions may turn out to be wrong, even if they are thought to be correct according to the judgment of vast majorities of people. Adapted from Alain de Botton, The Consolations of Philosophy
Assignment: Can common sense be trusted and accepted, or should it be questioned?
Source: www.collegeboard.com, 2009
4. Technology promises to make our lives easier, freeing up time for leisure pursuits. But the rapid pace of technological innovation and the split-second processing capabilities of computers that can work virtually nonstop have made all of us feel rushed. We have adopted the relentless pace of the very machines that were supposed to simplify our lives, with the result that, whether at work or play, people do not feel like their lives have changed for the better. Adapted from Karen Finucan, Life in the Fast Lane
Assignment: Do changes that make our lives easier not necessarily make them better?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
5. A better understanding of other people contributes to the development of moral virtues. We shall be both kinder and fairer in our treatment of others if we understand them better. Understanding ourselves and understanding others are connected, since as human beings we all have things in common. Adapted from Anne Sheppard, Aesthetics: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Art
Assignment: Do we need other people in order to understand ourselves?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
6. The old saying “be careful what you wish for” may be an appropriate warning. The drive to achieve a particular goal can dangerously narrow one’s perspective and encourage the fantasy that success in one endeavor will solve all of life’s difficulties. In fact, success can sometimes have unexpected consequences. Those who propel themselves toward the achievement of one goal often find that their lives are worse once “success” is achieved than they were before.
Assignment: Can success be disastrous?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
7. There is, of course, no legitimate branch of science that enables us to predict the future accurately. Yet the degree of change in the world is so overwhelming and so promising that the future, I believe, is far brighter than anyone has contemplated since the end of the Second World War. Adapted from Allan E. Goodman, A Brief History of the Future: The United States in a Changing World Order.
Assignment: Is the world changing for the better?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
8. Some people believe that there is only one foolproof plan, perfect solution, or correct interpretation. But nothing is ever that simple. For better or worse, for every so-called final answer there is another way of seeing things. There is always a “however.”
Assignment: Is there always another explanation or another point of view?
Source: The Official SAT Study Guide, The College Board, 2009
Apr 27, 2010
DAY 4: Politics
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the controversial creative minds behind South Park. For the last 14 seasons they have stunned audiences with their off-color humor and uncanny ability to effectively touch on hot-button issues. Recently, South Park has aired to episodes that mentioned the Prophet Mohammad and featured the him in a bear suit. Although all mentions of his name and potential images of the prophet were censored by Comedy Central, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have still received death treats from U.S. based Islamic extremist. The following article titled, "South Park and Mohammad" discusses this issue in more detail. Consider the many angels of this issue: Freedom of speech, censorship, extremist groups, and potential dangers involved with all three. After reading the article and reflecting on the above issues, write a 250-500 Journal Entry that outlines the cause and effect one or all of these issues.
Trey Parker and Matt Stone are the controversial creative minds behind South Park. For the last 14 seasons they have stunned audiences with their off-color humor and uncanny ability to effectively touch on hot-button issues. Recently, South Park has aired to episodes that mentioned the Prophet Mohammad and featured the him in a bear suit. Although all mentions of his name and potential images of the prophet were censored by Comedy Central, Trey Parker and Matt Stone have still received death treats from U.S. based Islamic extremist. The following article titled, "South Park and Mohammad" discusses this issue in more detail. Consider the many angels of this issue: Freedom of speech, censorship, extremist groups, and potential dangers involved with all three. After reading the article and reflecting on the above issues, write a 250-500 Journal Entry that outlines the cause and effect one or all of these issues.
DAY 3: Sports
For all of those NBA fans out there, this blog is for you! Now I wouldn't be surprised if most of you just said to yourself, "Who cares about the NBA?" If you did think or say something like that, I completely understand, especially when you consider the contractual and competitive shambles that the NBA is finding itself in these days.
Bill Simmons, an ESPN, Page 2 columnist writes about this particular issue in his most recent piece titled, "Running on Empty". For this Journal Entry, read the article and summarize Simmons main points. Then discuss the different causes and effects of the current NBA and then the causes and effects that the new NBA that Simmons is posing would have. Write 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
For all of those NBA fans out there, this blog is for you! Now I wouldn't be surprised if most of you just said to yourself, "Who cares about the NBA?" If you did think or say something like that, I completely understand, especially when you consider the contractual and competitive shambles that the NBA is finding itself in these days.
Bill Simmons, an ESPN, Page 2 columnist writes about this particular issue in his most recent piece titled, "Running on Empty". For this Journal Entry, read the article and summarize Simmons main points. Then discuss the different causes and effects of the current NBA and then the causes and effects that the new NBA that Simmons is posing would have. Write 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
Apr 26, 2010
DAY 2: Today in History
Courtesy of the World Almanac: Here is a list of every significant event that has occurred on April 28. There are also celebrity and historical figures birthdays listed below. Please pick ONE event and ONE birthday and discuss separately the cause and effect of the event and a particular individual's existence. Highlight the positive and/or negatives that the event or the person has created. This Journal Entry should be between 200-500 words in length. HAVE FUN!
1788: Maryland enters the Union as the seventh of the 13 original states.
1789: British sailor Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny against Capt. William Bligh aboard the HMS Bounty.
1817: The United States and Britain begin signing the Rush-Bagot treaty, limiting armaments on the Great Lakes.
1945: Italian partisans kill Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
1952: Full sovereignty is restored to Japan , but U.S. troops remain as security forces. The ANZUS mutual-defense pact between Australia, New Zealand (until 1986), and the U.S. comes into force when all three signatories ratify it.
1965: Some 14,000 U.S. troops are sent to the Dominican Republic to support the government in a civil war.
1969: Charles De Gaulle resigns as president of France.
1990: The musical A Chorus Line closes on Broadway after 6,237 performances.
1993: Defense Sec. Les Aspin removes restrictions on aerial combat roles by women in the armed forces.
2001: Wealthy businessman Dennis Tito becomes the first tourist in space after paying the Russian Space Agency up to $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station.
2004: The CBS program 60 Minutes II broadcasts photographs documenting physical and sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Today's Birthdays
1442: Edward IV, king of England (Rouen, France; died 1483)
1758: James Monroe, 5th president of the United States (Westmoreland County, VA; died 1831)
1871: Louise Dilworth Homer, opera singer (Sewickley, PA; died 1947)
1878: Lionel Barrymore, actor (Philadelphia, PA; died 1954)
1889: António Salazar, Portuguese economist and statesman, who ruled Portugal as a dictator (near Santa Comba Dão, Portugal; died 1970)
1908: Oskar Schindler, businessman (Zwittau, Austria-Hungary; died 1974)
1926: Blossom Dearie, musician (E. Durham, NY). Harper Lee, author (Monroeville, AL)
1937: Saddam Hussein, Iraqi president (Tikrit, Iraq)
1948: Marcia Strassman, actress (New York, NY)
1949: Bruno Kirby, actor (New York, NY)
1950: Jay Leno, TV personality/comedian (New Rochelle, NY)
1952: Mary McDonnell, actress (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
1964: Barry Larkin, baseball player (Cincinnati, OH)
1966: John Daly, golfer (Carmichael, CA)
1973: Elisabeth Rohm, actress (Dusseldorf, Germany)
1974: Penelope Cruz, actress (Madrid, Spain)
1981: Jessica Alba, actress (Pomona, CA)
Courtesy of the World Almanac: Here is a list of every significant event that has occurred on April 28. There are also celebrity and historical figures birthdays listed below. Please pick ONE event and ONE birthday and discuss separately the cause and effect of the event and a particular individual's existence. Highlight the positive and/or negatives that the event or the person has created. This Journal Entry should be between 200-500 words in length. HAVE FUN!
1788: Maryland enters the Union as the seventh of the 13 original states.1789: British sailor Fletcher Christian leads a mutiny against Capt. William Bligh aboard the HMS Bounty.
1817: The United States and Britain begin signing the Rush-Bagot treaty, limiting armaments on the Great Lakes.
1945: Italian partisans kill Fascist dictator Benito Mussolini.
1952: Full sovereignty is restored to Japan , but U.S. troops remain as security forces. The ANZUS mutual-defense pact between Australia, New Zealand (until 1986), and the U.S. comes into force when all three signatories ratify it.
1965: Some 14,000 U.S. troops are sent to the Dominican Republic to support the government in a civil war.
1969: Charles De Gaulle resigns as president of France.
1990: The musical A Chorus Line closes on Broadway after 6,237 performances.
1993: Defense Sec. Les Aspin removes restrictions on aerial combat roles by women in the armed forces.
2001: Wealthy businessman Dennis Tito becomes the first tourist in space after paying the Russian Space Agency up to $20 million for a trip to the International Space Station.
2004: The CBS program 60 Minutes II broadcasts photographs documenting physical and sexual abuse of Iraqi prisoners by U.S. forces at Abu Ghraib prison on the outskirts of Baghdad.
Today's Birthdays
1442: Edward IV, king of England (Rouen, France; died 1483)
1758: James Monroe, 5th president of the United States (Westmoreland County, VA; died 1831)
1871: Louise Dilworth Homer, opera singer (Sewickley, PA; died 1947)
1878: Lionel Barrymore, actor (Philadelphia, PA; died 1954)
1889: António Salazar, Portuguese economist and statesman, who ruled Portugal as a dictator (near Santa Comba Dão, Portugal; died 1970)
1908: Oskar Schindler, businessman (Zwittau, Austria-Hungary; died 1974)
1926: Blossom Dearie, musician (E. Durham, NY). Harper Lee, author (Monroeville, AL)
1937: Saddam Hussein, Iraqi president (Tikrit, Iraq)
1948: Marcia Strassman, actress (New York, NY)
1949: Bruno Kirby, actor (New York, NY)
1950: Jay Leno, TV personality/comedian (New Rochelle, NY)
1952: Mary McDonnell, actress (Wilkes-Barre, PA)
1964: Barry Larkin, baseball player (Cincinnati, OH)
1966: John Daly, golfer (Carmichael, CA)
1973: Elisabeth Rohm, actress (Dusseldorf, Germany)
1974: Penelope Cruz, actress (Madrid, Spain)
1981: Jessica Alba, actress (Pomona, CA)
DAY 1: MUSIC
Rage Against the Machine has long been a voice for the marginalized and disenfranchised. Zack de la Rocha, the lead singer of Rage, has written strongly worded lyrics that protest the kind of behavior that has brought down the less fortunate throughout history. After you listen to the song and watch the video, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the cause and effect of destroying people's heritage in the name of "progress". How has imperialism caused prejudices and disdain on both sides of this issue? For example, think of Native Americans and other indigenous cultures that have been forced off of their land and/or forced to convert to another religion. Put yourself in their shoes. Be thoughtful in your writing. HAVE FUN!
Please excuse the vulgar language
People of the Sun, Rage Against the Machine
yeah people come up
yeah better turn the bass up on this one
check it
Since 1516 minds attacked and overseen, now
Crawl amidst the ruins of this
Empty dream
with their borders and boots on top of us, pullin'
Knobs on the floor of their toxic metropolis
So how you gonna get what you need ta get ? tha
Gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like tet, the fifth suns sets get back reclaim, tha
Spirit of cuahtemoc alive an untamed
now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker, on the one maya, mexica
That vulture game ta try and steal your name but
but now you got a gun
This is for the people of the sun
It's comin' back around again
This is for tha people of tha sun
Neva forget that tha wip snapped ya back, ya
Spine cracked for tobacco, oh I'm the Marlboro
Man
Our past blastin' on through tha verses
Brigades of taxi cabs rollin' broadway like
Hearses
Troops strippin' zoots, shots of red mist,
Sailors blood on tha deck
Come sista resist
From the era of terror check this photo lens,
Tha city of angels does tha ethnic cleanse
Heads bobbin' to that funk out ya
Speaker, on tha one maya, mexica
That vulture game ta try an steal ya name but now
You found a gun... you're history
This is for the people of the sun
It's coming back around again
This is for tha people of tha sun
Rage Against the Machine has long been a voice for the marginalized and disenfranchised. Zack de la Rocha, the lead singer of Rage, has written strongly worded lyrics that protest the kind of behavior that has brought down the less fortunate throughout history. After you listen to the song and watch the video, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the cause and effect of destroying people's heritage in the name of "progress". How has imperialism caused prejudices and disdain on both sides of this issue? For example, think of Native Americans and other indigenous cultures that have been forced off of their land and/or forced to convert to another religion. Put yourself in their shoes. Be thoughtful in your writing. HAVE FUN!
Please excuse the vulgar language
People of the Sun, Rage Against the Machine
yeah people come up
yeah better turn the bass up on this one
check it
Since 1516 minds attacked and overseen, now
Crawl amidst the ruins of this
Empty dream
with their borders and boots on top of us, pullin'
Knobs on the floor of their toxic metropolis
So how you gonna get what you need ta get ? tha
Gut eaters, blood drenched get offensive like tet, the fifth suns sets get back reclaim, tha
Spirit of cuahtemoc alive an untamed
now face the funk now blastin' out your speaker, on the one maya, mexica
That vulture game ta try and steal your name but
but now you got a gun
This is for the people of the sun
It's comin' back around again
This is for tha people of tha sun
Neva forget that tha wip snapped ya back, ya
Spine cracked for tobacco, oh I'm the Marlboro
Man
Our past blastin' on through tha verses
Brigades of taxi cabs rollin' broadway like
Hearses
Troops strippin' zoots, shots of red mist,
Sailors blood on tha deck
Come sista resist
From the era of terror check this photo lens,
Tha city of angels does tha ethnic cleanse
Heads bobbin' to that funk out ya
Speaker, on tha one maya, mexica
That vulture game ta try an steal ya name but now
You found a gun... you're history
This is for the people of the sun
It's coming back around again
This is for tha people of tha sun
Apr 22, 2010
DAY 5: Example of a Cause and Effect Essay
Learning to Hate Mathematics
by Anne Miller
I started to dread arithmetic back in the third grade because I didn't want to memorize the multiplication tables. Unlike learning how to read, studying math seemed to have no purpose other than to give me massive headaches and shattered nerves. The alphabet was a wonderful code that, when deciphered, entertained me with stories and revealed all kinds of secrets about the world. Multiplication tables, on the other hand, just told me how much six times nine was. There was no joy in knowing that. Although even in third grade I understood that I shared with many other students a terrible fear and hatred of mathematics, I drew little comfort from that fact. Since then, I have struggled with math for a number of reasons.
I especially began to hate math when Sister Celine forced us to participate in her sadistic counting contests. Having ordered us to stand in rows, side by side, this jolly nun would shout problems at us: "Forty-eight divided by three? . . . Nine times twelve? . . . Three times eight divided by two?" The students who called out the correct answers fastest would win; those of us who answered wrong or not at all would have to sit down. To be honest, losing never bothered me that much. Rather, it was that feeling in the pit of my stomach before and right after she called out the numbers. You know, that awful math feeling. Not only did mathematics seem irrelevant and dull, it also became forever associated in my mind with speed and competition. During the counting contests, I would deliberately give an incorrect answer early on so that I could escape the game quickly.
As I grew older, math grew worse, like a persistent headache that makes you want to scream to relieve the pain. Negative numbers, I thought, were simply insane. You either have some or none, I figured--not negative some. Patiently, my older brother would try to talk me through the steps when helping me with my homework. Oh, eventually I would puzzle things out (long after the rest of the class had moved on to something else), but I never understood the point of the game. My teachers were always too busy droning out formulas to explain how and why any of these calculations mattered. Who on earth cared about determining the departure times of trains or figuring how long it would take Arthur to walk to the playground? Constantly frustrated by the sheer meaninglessness of it all, I even grew to hate the people and places mentioned in word problems: I imagined trains crashing in the dead of night and little Arthur becoming hopelessly lost on his way home from the playground.
After years of hating math and only barely passing my classes, I started to compound my difficulties in high school by skipping homework. With geometry, of course, that means death. My teachers would punish me by making me stay after school to do--what else?--more math problems. In anger and frustration, I broke pencils and tore paper as I dutifully filled page after page with utterly meaningless calculations. Not surprisingly, I came to associate math with nothing more nor less than pain and heartless punishment. In my recurring nightmares, my head was fractured by fractions and crushed by multiplication signs.
Though I'm through with math classes now and carry a calculator in my purse, math still has a way of making me queasy. Sometimes at work or on line at the bank, I get that old nervous feeling again, as if Sister Celine is still out there barking out problems. It's not that I can't do the math; it's just that it is math.
Recently, however, a strange thing thing has happened. All those curious (probably maddening) questions that my teachers ignored have begun to crop up again. On a whim the other day, I bought a book called Mathematics for People Who Hate Math, and even though parts of it seem to have been written in a foreign language, I've actually been enjoying the book. In architecture and engineering, in physics and electronics, even in art and music, mathematics does have a purpose and a meaning. Like the letters of the alphabet, numerical signs can tell stories and reveal secrets about the world. Now, without sadistic teachers conducting drills or staging competitions, I think I might even enjoy learning more about math--on my own terms, at my own pace. But don't you dare throw any problems at me when I'm not looking, because I still get that feeling in my stomach sometimes.
Learning to Hate Mathematics
by Anne Miller
I started to dread arithmetic back in the third grade because I didn't want to memorize the multiplication tables. Unlike learning how to read, studying math seemed to have no purpose other than to give me massive headaches and shattered nerves. The alphabet was a wonderful code that, when deciphered, entertained me with stories and revealed all kinds of secrets about the world. Multiplication tables, on the other hand, just told me how much six times nine was. There was no joy in knowing that. Although even in third grade I understood that I shared with many other students a terrible fear and hatred of mathematics, I drew little comfort from that fact. Since then, I have struggled with math for a number of reasons.
I especially began to hate math when Sister Celine forced us to participate in her sadistic counting contests. Having ordered us to stand in rows, side by side, this jolly nun would shout problems at us: "Forty-eight divided by three? . . . Nine times twelve? . . . Three times eight divided by two?" The students who called out the correct answers fastest would win; those of us who answered wrong or not at all would have to sit down. To be honest, losing never bothered me that much. Rather, it was that feeling in the pit of my stomach before and right after she called out the numbers. You know, that awful math feeling. Not only did mathematics seem irrelevant and dull, it also became forever associated in my mind with speed and competition. During the counting contests, I would deliberately give an incorrect answer early on so that I could escape the game quickly.
As I grew older, math grew worse, like a persistent headache that makes you want to scream to relieve the pain. Negative numbers, I thought, were simply insane. You either have some or none, I figured--not negative some. Patiently, my older brother would try to talk me through the steps when helping me with my homework. Oh, eventually I would puzzle things out (long after the rest of the class had moved on to something else), but I never understood the point of the game. My teachers were always too busy droning out formulas to explain how and why any of these calculations mattered. Who on earth cared about determining the departure times of trains or figuring how long it would take Arthur to walk to the playground? Constantly frustrated by the sheer meaninglessness of it all, I even grew to hate the people and places mentioned in word problems: I imagined trains crashing in the dead of night and little Arthur becoming hopelessly lost on his way home from the playground.After years of hating math and only barely passing my classes, I started to compound my difficulties in high school by skipping homework. With geometry, of course, that means death. My teachers would punish me by making me stay after school to do--what else?--more math problems. In anger and frustration, I broke pencils and tore paper as I dutifully filled page after page with utterly meaningless calculations. Not surprisingly, I came to associate math with nothing more nor less than pain and heartless punishment. In my recurring nightmares, my head was fractured by fractions and crushed by multiplication signs.
Though I'm through with math classes now and carry a calculator in my purse, math still has a way of making me queasy. Sometimes at work or on line at the bank, I get that old nervous feeling again, as if Sister Celine is still out there barking out problems. It's not that I can't do the math; it's just that it is math.
Recently, however, a strange thing thing has happened. All those curious (probably maddening) questions that my teachers ignored have begun to crop up again. On a whim the other day, I bought a book called Mathematics for People Who Hate Math, and even though parts of it seem to have been written in a foreign language, I've actually been enjoying the book. In architecture and engineering, in physics and electronics, even in art and music, mathematics does have a purpose and a meaning. Like the letters of the alphabet, numerical signs can tell stories and reveal secrets about the world. Now, without sadistic teachers conducting drills or staging competitions, I think I might even enjoy learning more about math--on my own terms, at my own pace. But don't you dare throw any problems at me when I'm not looking, because I still get that feeling in my stomach sometimes.
Apr 21, 2010
DAY 4: Politics
The Decriminalization of Marijuana
What are the effects of a law that decriminalizes marijuana? Before you answer this question, consider the effects that the current laws have on our society.
Watch this video and consider both sides. Then chose a side that you most closely agree with and explain what the effects would be of either keeping the law the same or changing it. This Journal Entry should be 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
The Decriminalization of Marijuana
What are the effects of a law that decriminalizes marijuana? Before you answer this question, consider the effects that the current laws have on our society.
Watch this video and consider both sides. Then chose a side that you most closely agree with and explain what the effects would be of either keeping the law the same or changing it. This Journal Entry should be 250-500 words. HAVE FUN!
Apr 19, 2010
DAY 3: SPORTS
The following column was taken from sportsfeelgoodstories.com and is discussing the recent film "The Blind Side". The column also makes a list of the top 20 inspirational sports films of all time. After you read the column, please pick a film that you have seen and that you believe to be inspirational. Then, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the cause and effect that the film had both on you and on the characters in the movie. If the film is based on a true story then you may talk about the influence that the events in the film had on the real life people and/or society in general. HAVE FUN!
Is “The Blind Side” one of the top inspirational sports movies of all time?
The movie “The Blind Side,” based on the book by Michael Lewis, took in an amazing $34.5 million in its opening weekend at theaters. The movie tells the story of Baltimore Ravens’ first round pick Michael Oher. A homeless teenager, Oher was adopted by the Tuohy family in Memphis, Tennessee. Sandra Bullock plays the Leigh Anne Tuohy role, and this movie opened stronger than any other Bullock release. It’s also receiving strong votes from most critics.
But where does it stack up related to other inspirational sports movies?
Sports Feel Good Stories “Top 20 Inspirational Sports Movies”
1. Hoosiers
2. Remember the Titans
3. Cinderella Man
4. Miracle
5. Rocky
6. Seabiscuit
7. Field of Dreams
8. Rudy
9. Coach Carter
10. Brian’s Song
11. Friday Night Lights
12. Bend it like Beckham
13. Glory Road
14. The Rookie
15. We are Marshall
16. Finding Forrester
17. Bull Durham
18. Chariots of Fire
19. Breaking Away
20. The Natural
The following column was taken from sportsfeelgoodstories.com and is discussing the recent film "The Blind Side". The column also makes a list of the top 20 inspirational sports films of all time. After you read the column, please pick a film that you have seen and that you believe to be inspirational. Then, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the cause and effect that the film had both on you and on the characters in the movie. If the film is based on a true story then you may talk about the influence that the events in the film had on the real life people and/or society in general. HAVE FUN!Is “The Blind Side” one of the top inspirational sports movies of all time?
The movie “The Blind Side,” based on the book by Michael Lewis, took in an amazing $34.5 million in its opening weekend at theaters. The movie tells the story of Baltimore Ravens’ first round pick Michael Oher. A homeless teenager, Oher was adopted by the Tuohy family in Memphis, Tennessee. Sandra Bullock plays the Leigh Anne Tuohy role, and this movie opened stronger than any other Bullock release. It’s also receiving strong votes from most critics.
But where does it stack up related to other inspirational sports movies?
Sports Feel Good Stories “Top 20 Inspirational Sports Movies”
1. Hoosiers2. Remember the Titans
3. Cinderella Man
4. Miracle
5. Rocky
6. Seabiscuit
7. Field of Dreams
8. Rudy
9. Coach Carter
10. Brian’s Song
11. Friday Night Lights
12. Bend it like Beckham
13. Glory Road
14. The Rookie
15. We are Marshall
16. Finding Forrester
17. Bull Durham
18. Chariots of Fire
19. Breaking Away
20. The Natural
Apr 18, 2010
DAY 2: This WEEK in History
Because late April has historically been a tragic time in American history, I wanted to highlight a number of events that have taken place on April 19 and 20 that are very significant. Although there are other events that have happened on these days that are more positive, I'd like you to focus on the negative for this Journal Entry. The next piece of writing is going to be a cause and effect essay, so you will be writing about what caused a particular event and then the immediate and long term effects that it had on the American people.
The following videos are from April 19 and 20. Please ignore any events that seem to be positive. Again, I want you to focus on the negative events that have taken place on these days and then chose one of them. Once you chose an event, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the causes and effects that surround this incident. You may conduct additional research to help you with the Journal Entry. HAVE FUN!
Because late April has historically been a tragic time in American history, I wanted to highlight a number of events that have taken place on April 19 and 20 that are very significant. Although there are other events that have happened on these days that are more positive, I'd like you to focus on the negative for this Journal Entry. The next piece of writing is going to be a cause and effect essay, so you will be writing about what caused a particular event and then the immediate and long term effects that it had on the American people.
The following videos are from April 19 and 20. Please ignore any events that seem to be positive. Again, I want you to focus on the negative events that have taken place on these days and then chose one of them. Once you chose an event, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that discusses the causes and effects that surround this incident. You may conduct additional research to help you with the Journal Entry. HAVE FUN!
Apr 15, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
Below is a YouTube video for Tupac Shakur's song, "Changes". The song talks about the injustices that exist within urban communities throughout the United States. Tupac also discusses the changes that need to be made within both the white and the black community in order for anything to ever change for the better. Write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that talks about changes that you'd like to see made throughout your community, the Pittsburgh area, or even the world in general.
"Changes", by Tupac Shakur
Come on come on
I see no changes. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself,
"Is life worth living? Should I blast myself?"
I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black.
My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch.
Cops give a damn about a negro? Pull the trigger, kill a nigga, he's a hero.
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares? One less hungry mouth on the welfare.
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers.
Give 'em guns, step back, and watch 'em kill each other.
"It's time to fight back", that's what Huey said.
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead.
I got love for my brother, but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes.
Learn to see me as a brother 'stead of 2 distant strangers.
And that's how it's supposed to be.
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids,
but things change, and that's the way it is.
[Bridge w/ changing ad libs]
(Come on, come on) That's just the way it is. Things'll never be the same.
That's just the way it is. aww yeah...
[Repeat]
I see no changes. All I see is racist faces.
Misplaced hate makes disgrace for races we under.
I wonder what it takes to make this one better place...
let's erase the wasted.
Take the evil out the people, they'll be acting right.
'Cause mo' black than white is smokin' crack tonight.
And only time we chill is when we kill each other.
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other.
And although it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President, uhh.
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact...
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks.
But some things will never change.
Try to show another way, but they stayin' in the dope game.
Now tell me what's a mother to do?
Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you.
You gotta operate the easy way.
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way.
Sellin' crack to the kids. "I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is.
[Bridge]
[Talking:]
We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.
And still I see no changes. Can't a brother get a little peace?
There's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East.
Instead of war on poverty,
they got a war on drugs so the police can bother me.
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do.
But now I'm back with the facts givin' 'em back to you.
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up, crack you up and pimp smack you up.
You gotta learn to hold ya own.
They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone.
But tell the cops they can't touch this.
I don't trust this, when they try to rush I bust this.
That's the sound of my tune. You say it ain't cool, but mama didn't raise no fool.
And as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped & I never get to lay back.
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs.
Some buck that I roughed up way back... comin' back after all these years.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat. That's the way it is. uhh
[Bridge 'til fade]
Some things never change.
Below is a YouTube video for Tupac Shakur's song, "Changes". The song talks about the injustices that exist within urban communities throughout the United States. Tupac also discusses the changes that need to be made within both the white and the black community in order for anything to ever change for the better. Write a 250-500 word Journal Entry that talks about changes that you'd like to see made throughout your community, the Pittsburgh area, or even the world in general.
"Changes", by Tupac Shakur
Come on come on
I see no changes. Wake up in the morning and I ask myself,
"Is life worth living? Should I blast myself?"
I'm tired of bein' poor and even worse I'm black.
My stomach hurts, so I'm lookin' for a purse to snatch.
Cops give a damn about a negro? Pull the trigger, kill a nigga, he's a hero.
Give the crack to the kids who the hell cares? One less hungry mouth on the welfare.
First ship 'em dope & let 'em deal the brothers.
Give 'em guns, step back, and watch 'em kill each other.
"It's time to fight back", that's what Huey said.
2 shots in the dark now Huey's dead.
I got love for my brother, but we can never go nowhere
unless we share with each other. We gotta start makin' changes.
Learn to see me as a brother 'stead of 2 distant strangers.
And that's how it's supposed to be.
How can the Devil take a brother if he's close to me?
I'd love to go back to when we played as kids,
but things change, and that's the way it is.
[Bridge w/ changing ad libs]
(Come on, come on) That's just the way it is. Things'll never be the same.
That's just the way it is. aww yeah...
[Repeat]
I see no changes. All I see is racist faces.
Misplaced hate makes disgrace for races we under.
I wonder what it takes to make this one better place...
let's erase the wasted.
Take the evil out the people, they'll be acting right.
'Cause mo' black than white is smokin' crack tonight.
And only time we chill is when we kill each other.
It takes skill to be real, time to heal each other.
And although it seems heaven sent,
we ain't ready to see a black President, uhh.
It ain't a secret don't conceal the fact...
the penitentiary's packed, and it's filled with blacks.
But some things will never change.
Try to show another way, but they stayin' in the dope game.
Now tell me what's a mother to do?
Bein' real don't appeal to the brother in you.
You gotta operate the easy way.
"I made a G today" But you made it in a sleazy way.
Sellin' crack to the kids. "I gotta get paid,"
Well hey, well that's the way it is.
[Bridge]
[Talking:]
We gotta make a change...
It's time for us as a people to start makin' some changes.
Let's change the way we eat, let's change the way we live
and let's change the way we treat each other.
You see the old way wasn't working so it's on us to do
what we gotta do, to survive.
And still I see no changes. Can't a brother get a little peace?
There's war on the streets & the war in the Middle East.
Instead of war on poverty,
they got a war on drugs so the police can bother me.
And I ain't never did a crime I ain't have to do.
But now I'm back with the facts givin' 'em back to you.
Don't let 'em jack you up, back you up, crack you up and pimp smack you up.
You gotta learn to hold ya own.
They get jealous when they see ya with ya mobile phone.
But tell the cops they can't touch this.
I don't trust this, when they try to rush I bust this.
That's the sound of my tune. You say it ain't cool, but mama didn't raise no fool.
And as long as I stay black, I gotta stay strapped & I never get to lay back.
'Cause I always got to worry 'bout the pay backs.
Some buck that I roughed up way back... comin' back after all these years.
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat-tat. That's the way it is. uhh
[Bridge 'til fade]
Some things never change.
Apr 5, 2010
Short Story Writing Prompts:
You're riding an elevator when the power goes out. The situation take a turn when the pregnant woman next to you goes into labor (375 word minimum).
You're late for work because you overslept, but your boss hates over-sleepers. He does love entertaining stories, so create the most outlandish excuse as to why you were late (375 word minimum).
One week after attending the funeral of a close friend, you receive a postcard in the mail with the words, "I'm not dead. Meet me tonight at Guido's Pizzeria. Tell no one" (375 word minimum).
Your name is called: You've won the "Album of the Year" Grammy for your album, (fill in the blank). You step up to the podium to accept your award and, halfway through, the orchestra tries to play you off. You've worked too long and hard to allow this to happen, so you don't--to the surprise of everyone. Write this scene. Please limit your response to 375 words.
You're standing outside a restaurant next to a phone booth when, suddenly, it rings. Your gut tells you not to answer it, but with each ring you can't resist. Finally you pick up the phone—and end up having the most amazing night of your life (375 word minimum).
You wake up one day with an unusual super power that seems pretty worthless—until you are caught in a situation that requires that specific "talent" (375 word minimum).
You wake up shackled to a chair and can't remember how you got there. Two voices are talking. You recognize one of them (375 word minimum).
You arrive at an annual Halloween party only to discover that someone else is dressed in the same costume as you. Bad things start happening to you throughout the night and you suspect this person has something to do with it (375 word minimum).
Your plane crashes on a deserted island. You and two other passengers survive. The only salvageable items from the plane are pair of scissors, a stopwatch and an electric keyboard. Use these items creatively to get off the island (375 word minimum).
Write about a heated argument you had with your parents--real or fictitious--(375 word minimum).
You're riding an elevator when the power goes out. The situation take a turn when the pregnant woman next to you goes into labor (375 word minimum).
You're late for work because you overslept, but your boss hates over-sleepers. He does love entertaining stories, so create the most outlandish excuse as to why you were late (375 word minimum).
One week after attending the funeral of a close friend, you receive a postcard in the mail with the words, "I'm not dead. Meet me tonight at Guido's Pizzeria. Tell no one" (375 word minimum).
Your name is called: You've won the "Album of the Year" Grammy for your album, (fill in the blank). You step up to the podium to accept your award and, halfway through, the orchestra tries to play you off. You've worked too long and hard to allow this to happen, so you don't--to the surprise of everyone. Write this scene. Please limit your response to 375 words.
You're standing outside a restaurant next to a phone booth when, suddenly, it rings. Your gut tells you not to answer it, but with each ring you can't resist. Finally you pick up the phone—and end up having the most amazing night of your life (375 word minimum).
You wake up one day with an unusual super power that seems pretty worthless—until you are caught in a situation that requires that specific "talent" (375 word minimum).
You wake up shackled to a chair and can't remember how you got there. Two voices are talking. You recognize one of them (375 word minimum).
You arrive at an annual Halloween party only to discover that someone else is dressed in the same costume as you. Bad things start happening to you throughout the night and you suspect this person has something to do with it (375 word minimum).
Your plane crashes on a deserted island. You and two other passengers survive. The only salvageable items from the plane are pair of scissors, a stopwatch and an electric keyboard. Use these items creatively to get off the island (375 word minimum).
Write about a heated argument you had with your parents--real or fictitious--(375 word minimum).
Mar 24, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
"I Shot the Sheriff," by Bob Marley
The short story that you were given today refers directly to this song so please listen to the song to provide some further context. As you read the story, pay attention to how the piece of writing exemplifies each of the categories of a well written story that are provided in the rubric.
No need to post this on the blog. Just read the story and as always HAVE FUN!
"I Shot the Sheriff," by Bob Marley
The short story that you were given today refers directly to this song so please listen to the song to provide some further context. As you read the story, pay attention to how the piece of writing exemplifies each of the categories of a well written story that are provided in the rubric.
No need to post this on the blog. Just read the story and as always HAVE FUN!
Mar 22, 2010
DAY 4: POLITICS
Last night the U.S. House of Representatives past an historic health care bill. This has been a very highly debated topic over the last 6 months; however, major health care reform has been a controversial issue for decades. As far as you know, why do people make such a big deal over this issue? Doesn't everyone deserve to have health insurance? Is this question even what the debate is over.
What are some of the reasons that people oppose the current bill? After considering the above questions, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry about your personal opinion on the health care bill. To hear from both sides of the political spectrum on this issue click here. In addition, there are two videos surrounding this post that offer a concise but effective explanation of both opinions on health care reform through fun animation. HAVE FUN!
Last night the U.S. House of Representatives past an historic health care bill. This has been a very highly debated topic over the last 6 months; however, major health care reform has been a controversial issue for decades. As far as you know, why do people make such a big deal over this issue? Doesn't everyone deserve to have health insurance? Is this question even what the debate is over.
What are some of the reasons that people oppose the current bill? After considering the above questions, write a 250-500 word Journal Entry about your personal opinion on the health care bill. To hear from both sides of the political spectrum on this issue click here. In addition, there are two videos surrounding this post that offer a concise but effective explanation of both opinions on health care reform through fun animation. HAVE FUN!
Mar 18, 2010
DAY 3: SPORTS
Think about a time when you lost an important competition (sporting event, academic debate or competition, video game). After you think about a time when you lost, write about this time. Explain how and why you lost. What was at stake--a championship, money, pride, respect? Explain how this lost made you feel. Did you feel responsible? Did you blame someone else for the loss--a bad call, a fellow teammate, a coach?
Be as specific as possible and tell the story from a retrospective approach. This means that you are looking back on the event after it has happened and reflecting on the outcome and your response to the outcome.
Write 250-500 words Story Journal Entry. HAVE FUN!
Think about a time when you lost an important competition (sporting event, academic debate or competition, video game). After you think about a time when you lost, write about this time. Explain how and why you lost. What was at stake--a championship, money, pride, respect? Explain how this lost made you feel. Did you feel responsible? Did you blame someone else for the loss--a bad call, a fellow teammate, a coach?
Be as specific as possible and tell the story from a retrospective approach. This means that you are looking back on the event after it has happened and reflecting on the outcome and your response to the outcome.
Write 250-500 words Story Journal Entry. HAVE FUN!
DAY 2: HISTORY
Here is a link to LIFE Magazine's "100 Photos that Changed the World". I want you to search through the photos and write a fictional story based on the photo. The story can be directly related to the actual context with which the photo was taken or it can be completely unrelated to the actual context. Either way, you need to write a 250-500 word fictional short story that is inspired by any ONE of these photos. HAVE FUN!
Mar 17, 2010
DAY 1: MUSIC
I'd like you to find a song on your own that you would like to write about. However, the catch to this task is that the song needs to be in the form of a story. In other words, the song should be telling a story of some kind. The song can be from any genre of music and is allowed to have a moderate amount of cursing. Once you find a song, I'd like you to write 125-250 words that continue the songs story. Tell me what happens to the characters in the song.
Here is an example of a song that is in the form of a story/tells a story:
Rocky Raccoon, by The Beatles
HAVE FUN!
I'd like you to find a song on your own that you would like to write about. However, the catch to this task is that the song needs to be in the form of a story. In other words, the song should be telling a story of some kind. The song can be from any genre of music and is allowed to have a moderate amount of cursing. Once you find a song, I'd like you to write 125-250 words that continue the songs story. Tell me what happens to the characters in the song.
Here is an example of a song that is in the form of a story/tells a story:
Rocky Raccoon, by The Beatles
HAVE FUN!
Mar 8, 2010
DAY 2: TODAY IN HISTORY
Instead of watching the typical "Today in History" video from the Associated Press' YouTube channel, here is a link to the History Channels' video that outlines the main events from this day in history. You won't have to worry about picking a topic because I want you to consider something else. One of the events from March 10 happened in Tibet in 1959 when China threatened to capture the Dalai Lama. The people of Tibet were so worried about this potential action that 300,000 Tibetans made a human wall around the Dalai Lama's palace to ensure his safety.
So, I want you to think of something or someone that you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for. The people of Tibet were willing to give their lives to protect their religious leader. Is there anything in this world that you'd give your life to protect. If so, who or what is it? Now, this doesn't have to be a person that you'd sacrifice yourself for, so this means that it could be your religion or something else that you believe strongly about. Whatever it is, you must also provide an explanation. Your Journal Entry should be a minimum of 125 words. HAVE FUN!
Instead of watching the typical "Today in History" video from the Associated Press' YouTube channel, here is a link to the History Channels' video that outlines the main events from this day in history. You won't have to worry about picking a topic because I want you to consider something else. One of the events from March 10 happened in Tibet in 1959 when China threatened to capture the Dalai Lama. The people of Tibet were so worried about this potential action that 300,000 Tibetans made a human wall around the Dalai Lama's palace to ensure his safety.
So, I want you to think of something or someone that you would be willing to sacrifice yourself for. The people of Tibet were willing to give their lives to protect their religious leader. Is there anything in this world that you'd give your life to protect. If so, who or what is it? Now, this doesn't have to be a person that you'd sacrifice yourself for, so this means that it could be your religion or something else that you believe strongly about. Whatever it is, you must also provide an explanation. Your Journal Entry should be a minimum of 125 words. HAVE FUN!
DAY 1: MUSIC
The following is an excerpt from the Micheal Moore film, "Bowling for Columbine". The film discusses many issues surrounding the the 1999 school shooting. One of these issues is the possible negative effects that music and television have on adolescents, and most specifically, the two Columbine gunman. Watch the following interview that Michael Moore conducts with Marilyn Manson concerning this very issue.
Now that you've watched the interview, write a 125-250 word Journal Entry that discusses your stance on the possible effects that music lyrics have on society and teens. Does it really matter? Pick a position and argue for it. HAVE FUN!
The following is an excerpt from the Micheal Moore film, "Bowling for Columbine". The film discusses many issues surrounding the the 1999 school shooting. One of these issues is the possible negative effects that music and television have on adolescents, and most specifically, the two Columbine gunman. Watch the following interview that Michael Moore conducts with Marilyn Manson concerning this very issue.
Now that you've watched the interview, write a 125-250 word Journal Entry that discusses your stance on the possible effects that music lyrics have on society and teens. Does it really matter? Pick a position and argue for it. HAVE FUN!
DAY 4: POLITICS
Pennsylvania legislators recently passed a law that bans texting while driving. Yes, that's right, it is officially illegal to be texting and driving at the same time. All cell phone while driving a vehicle now requires a hands free device in the state of PA. Some of you may be upset by this law. Others may find this law to be stupid or an invasion of personal liberties. If so, you may want to consider the statistics that are outlined in the following video. The texting while driving report start at the 6:00 mark of the video. Consider what the report is saying and then begin your Journal Entry.
In 125-250 words provide your opinion on the texting while driving. Do you think its a big deal? Remember the statistics in the above video. Then offer your thoughts on what you think about the recent legislation that bans texting while driving. Do you believe this to be a fair law or not. Please explain each opinion. HAVE FUN!
Pennsylvania legislators recently passed a law that bans texting while driving. Yes, that's right, it is officially illegal to be texting and driving at the same time. All cell phone while driving a vehicle now requires a hands free device in the state of PA. Some of you may be upset by this law. Others may find this law to be stupid or an invasion of personal liberties. If so, you may want to consider the statistics that are outlined in the following video. The texting while driving report start at the 6:00 mark of the video. Consider what the report is saying and then begin your Journal Entry.
In 125-250 words provide your opinion on the texting while driving. Do you think its a big deal? Remember the statistics in the above video. Then offer your thoughts on what you think about the recent legislation that bans texting while driving. Do you believe this to be a fair law or not. Please explain each opinion. HAVE FUN!
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