Day 25

Current event day. The current event must come from within the last week. As always, no entertainment and no sports. Try and not do one that someone else has done. If you do, then you must somehow comment about theirs (if theirs was done first) in your blog. NO CITE, NO POINTS

Day 24

"All human actions have one or more of these seven causes: chance, nature, compulsion, habit, reason, passion, and desire."
Aristotle

Do you think this is true? Why or why not? If you had to rank order these seven causes for your life what would the order be and why?

Day 23

Remember to email me at kaym@huronvalley.k12.mi.us by 8 pm with your website. Make sure that I know whose site it is.

For this evening you can free blog. I would prefer not to hear a blow by blow description of your weekend but pick a topic that shows you are an enlightened human being.

Day 22

Tell me about your project. Why did you pick the topic you did? Where there personal experiences or just an interest? How could you become more active in the cause that you are working on? How can you get more people involved in this area? After working on this project for so many days, do you feel or think differently about the topic? Why or why not? Why do you think this specific project was put into the 10th grade curriculum?

Day 21

Current event today. No sports or entertainment and try and stay away from a topic once it is discussed. NO CITE NO POINTS and cite must be in original blog.

Day 20

Tomorrow we will keep on working on your websites. Remember to closely look at spelling and grammar. Also refer to the sample at sawexample.weebly.com to make sure you are doing this correctly. There needs to be a significant amount of research on this project not just the flashiness of the site itself.

For this evening:


Here are the words from the song we listened to the very first day of class Holy Ground. I stated at the beginning of the year that my goal was to create an educational holy ground for you in my class. I have begun reflecting on the year. The good, the frustrating and the fact that honestly, there was no bad. As you begin to reflect, what are your thoughts about our "holy" ground. What have you gained from puting your feet on this space every day? What do you take with you as you enter the next year of school? Do not write things you think I would want to hear. I would hope by now that you would know me well enough that I respect honesty above all else. I am sure that we will add on to this again prior to the last blog in two weeks. What are the thoughts about having to put up with me again next year? Pros/Cons?

Reflect on how the song is or is not accurate to your experience. I know that this class has been hard for some with high expectations but without these high expectations you would not truly be ready for the next step.

“Holy Ground”
By Craig Taubman

Every Second Every minute Every hour Every day
Every thing Every one Every place Every way
Where you walk Where you stand
Where you love Where you praise
All of it is holy ground.
Every he Every she Every what Every who
It’s in her It’s in them It’s in me It’s in you
In the bitter in the sweet in the calm in the storm
All of life is holy ground
(Chorus)
So walk as if it’s holy ground
Breathe as if it’s all around
Talk and make a holy sound
Take your shoes off you’re on holy ground.
When you hurt When you heal
When you laugh When you pray
When you doubt When you keep
When you give it away
Every Second Every minute Every hour Every day
Take your shoes off you’re on holy ground.
(Chorus)
So walk as if it’s holy ground
Breathe as if it’s all around
Talk and make a holy sound
Take your shoes off you’re on holy ground.
One stop One Journey One Tapestry we weave
One people One glory One legacy we leave.
Every Second Every minute Every hour Every day
Every thing Every one Every place Every way
Where you walk Where you stand
Where you love Where you praise
All of life is holy ground.
Can you feel the holy ground?
Take your shoes off your on holy ground.

Day 19

Keep working on your project. Remember, research info due at end of hour tomorrow.

For this evening, choose from one of the following and relate it to what you think it means, your life and the world around you:


1. “Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do it. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive.”

2. "A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles.” Christopher Reeve

3. "People's dreams are made out of what they do all day. The same way a dog that runs after rabbits will dream of rabbits. It's what you do that makes your soul, not the other way around.”

Day 18

Hope you are doing good work on you websites. Remember the research is key before the site is completed.

Please respond to the following:

"It doesn't take a majority to make a rebellion; it takes only a few determined leaders and a sound cause."
H L Mencken

What do you think this quote means? How does this quote relate to being social activists? How can this relate to something in American history that you have learned this year?

Day17

Some people love it and some hate it but today we shall free blog. You cannot talk about anything you have previously talked about in a free blog. Stretch your mind. Pick a topic and give an opinion. Something that you like or something that you do not! No free blogging about blogging that will get you no points.

Day 16

Current event me today. As always, no sports no entertainment unless you can attach it to something current. Cite in your original response. NO CITE, NO POINTS.

Remember, it is the connection that you make that is more important than the summary of the article.

Day 15

For this evenings blog, I want you to pick one of the themes discussed in the Animal Farm. If you are not sure what they are then do some research and I am sure you will find them. Then, I want you to find a song that you think fits that theme and explain how the song and the theme work together. Make sure you mention the song and the sing or song writer when discussing this. If you want to post a video or youtube url feel free.

Day 15

So, people trying to overthrow their dictator. Interesting idea. Actually, I give Taylor and Conner a great deal of respect for having an idea and trying to get people to join. While it may not have been the best made plan, they had an issue and wanted to do something about it. This is called social activism and is something we will be talking about for the next couple of weeks.

I know that some people are tired of blogging. I want you to realize what blogging has done for you. First, it has made you write, create sentences and think. If you have blogged almost everyday this school year, you have technically written about 5 papers. Why do I do this? Because it will end up helping the writing section of the ACT. I have asked you to think and analyze quotes and situations as well as, having you think about the items we discuss in class at a more adult level. Through this, you have become more critical thinkers and I have seen this in both class discussions and in the way you answer questions on quizzes.

I know to you that it is just something that you need to remember to do everyday but this skill of thinking about this will help you as your classes get harder and then when you go to college, to the military or to work. There is a method to my madness and you will all appreciate it one day. Some of the other teachers have gone to the blog site and have commented on how better your responses are to their students who are responding in class or in a notebook at home. Most of you are on the computer as some point in the evening anyway and it would seem that being able to respond in your world would make it better for you. For some people, the blogs are a place where they can express their opinions when often they are not allowed or encouraged.

For me, the blogs give an insight into each of you. I feel that I have gotten to know each of you better by reading your blogs and getting a sense of how you think, feel and yes, even write. I truly think that this exercise has created a more cohesive class. I think that I have the best 2 10th grade sections out of all the teachers. Truly, why would I want to teach you all again next year if that was not true. Am I a harder teacher than most? Yes. Why? (and I know you are dying to get to the actual prompt but bear with me). Because I believe that each of you are capable of meeting me at the level I expect. It would be a waste if my class was just easy and you walked away with less information or lower expectations. It is hard to understand that at the age of 15 & 16 but trust me I know what I am talking about.

So here is what I want you to write about: NOTHING. I want you to enjoy this weekend and know that I appreciate the work you have done this year and will continue to do for the next 5 weeks. I want you to know that I learn from each of you everyday as much as you hopefully learn from me. Enjoy your weekend but the blogs will be up and running on Monday!

To Conner and Taylor, good idea, poor execution but I am proud that you even had the thought. In the end, I am more powerful than you combined or separate so don't even think about it again. You took what you read and tried to put it into action and for that you deserve to not blog tonight.

Day 14

Today we reviewed in groups chapter 6-10 for the quiz tomorrow. If you were not here today, you are still responsible to be ready for the quiz which will cover those chapters.

For this evening, you are a newspaper reporter who has gotten permission to come to Animal Farm and interview one animal on the farm. Please create 10 questions and then "interview" that animal with their responses. Any animal cannot be used more than 4 times so pick wisely and make sure you look to see who others have done.

Day 13

Today we shall current event. Please make sure you cite in the blog. NO CITE, NO POINTS. You should also avoid doing a current event that someone else has blogged about. The only way you can do so is if you react to their blog and then find a different article that supports or refutes what they were saying.

Day 12

We have clearly illustrated how Animal Farm is an example of totalitarianism. If you still do not know the definition of this word, look it up!

With that said, answer the following:

• Find 3 examples of Napoleon’s totalitarian
regime in ch. 6-10.
• Note the page number where you found the
example.
• Copy down, in quotation marks, the section
of the text that illustrates how Napoleon’s
regime has become totalitarian.

Then, write a dialogue between Napolean and any one of the animals (pick a specific one) that would show that he is following in totalitarianism ways. There should be at least 6 lines for Napolean and 6 lines from the animal you chose.

Day 11

How might have Snowball run things if he had gotten rid of Napoleon? Would things have been any different? Are there indications that Snowball’s ideas for running the
farm would have proved more beneficial to the animals? Or would things have turned out the same? Because Orwell is writing about the corrupting force of power, things might have remained the same. Assume one side or the other of the issue (That Snowball would have been a better leader, or that he would not have
been) and write a persuasive slogan or piece of propoganda supporting your opinion.

Day 10

For Monday you must have read through chapter 8.

One of the themes in Animal Farm is Truth and Falsehood. What do you think this theme is talking about. Find me 3 examples thus far of this theme and internally cite them in your response. Then, give me an example in history or in your life when this theme was evident.

Have a great weekend.