How do you make a good choice when faced with a difficult decision?

As we have learned this year in DARE, there are many different elements that go into decision making. When we make a decision we must think about the unforeseen consequences that may occur as a result of our choices. We must also think about others and how our decisions may affect them.

In our latest novel, My Brother Same is Dead, we are learning about the difficult choices that are required of people during the Revolutionary War.

Question to blog about:

When presented with difficult choices, how do you decide what to do?

Questions Anyone?

Here we go. It's time to put our heads together to study for the big day!

Battle of the Books will be held at Washington School on Thursday, March 31st.

Let's help each other as we read and interpret the story, focusing on the details of this historical fiction novel.

It's time for you to play teacher and compose questions that you would like your fellow classmates to try and answer.

I'll begin: What name did Benjamin Franklin call Qwerty and why?

If you try to answer this question, you may then post a question of your own. Try not to repeat the answer if someone before you answered correctly.

Let the questions begin!!

Shackleton's Adventure of Endurance

Summarize your learning of today's viewing of The Endurance using the notes you gathered from Social Studies. As you write your 10 sentence + paragraph, keep in mind Sir Ernest Shackleton's character as well as The Big Question: What Qualities Make a Truly Great Leader?

Time For Kids Reading Assignment and Blog for Today

Listen Up!

"Everyday activities like listening to an iPod, playing loud video games and going to the movies can put your hearing at risk. Loud noises can damage the inner ear. This type of hearing loss can't be healed. But it can be prevented. Find out how to protect yourself."

Read through ALL the directions below before you begin this assignment.

Read the Time for Kids article titled, "Can You Hear Me Now," as you
create a flyer (or mini-poster) to inform kids about how to prevent hearing loss.

• You must follow 2 separate steps to access the article, and then the flyer template for this assignment;

1. For article, go to: http://www.timeforkids.com/TFK/teachers/wr/article/0,27972,2045237,00.html (You can copy and past this address into the address bar.)
   
2. Worksheet: Look at right side of page (yellow) and click on Teacher worksheets. Go to page 4 and print out that page only, "Listen Up!
   

To efficiently gather the facts you need to complete the flyer, print out both the article and the flyer template. Before you begin, read over the template, becoming familiar with what information you will need to gather to create a informative flyer. Next, carefully read the article, using a highlighter or light colored marker (yellow) to mark off all the important information. Lastly, reread the article, as you fill in the flyer with all the important points that you learned from reading the article. Remember; you want to create a flyer to inform kids at Washington School about hearing loss and how to prevent it. (If you prefer not to use the template, you may create your own 8 1/2" X 11 " flyer using construction or white, unlined paper.)

After you have done all this, you may want to blog and share some thoughts on this article and what you learned about hearing loss and preventing it as a kid.

Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make

Stone Walls Do Not a Prison Make

Stone walls do not a prison make,

Nor iron bars a cage;

Minds innocent and quiet take

That for a hermitage;

If I have freedom in my love,

And in my soul am free,

Angels alone that soar above

Enjoy such liberty.

Text to text, Text to self connection:

Tuck Everlasting

While Winnie stands in the darkness outside of the jailhouse, she has lines from an old poem in her head: Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage.

This poem, To Althea, from Prison is a romantic poem written by Richard Lovelace in 1642. The poem is one of Lovelace's best known works, and its final stanza's first line ("Stone walls do not a prison make, Nor iron bars a cage") is often quoted. Lovelace wrote the poem while imprisoned in Gatehouse Prison for speaking up against one of the King's rules.

Your Task:

Think about what "Stone walls do not a prison make" means before you read on.

Since we are unable to come together today, I will tell you what I believe it means. It means that you don't have to be surrounded by stone and iron to find yourself in a prison or in a cage. The strongest bars are not made of iron, but of your own fears.

People go about their day to day lives never brave enough to step off the path and live their lives. This is due to fear. They're locked inside a cage of their own creation and they don't even realize it. They don't know what it truly means to be free.

Freedom comes from within, from your attitude. Stone walls cannot deny your inner freedom. You are in charge of your freedom. You can change your attitude.

As you comment on my post, answer the following questions. If you feel uncomfortable blogging on my particular request, simply speak about freedom and what it means to you. (COPS apply~at least 15 sentences.)

1. What fear do you have that you would like to overcome so that you may have "inner freedom”? This fear should be something that keeps you from doing things in your regular day. (For example; maybe it is a fear of public speaking; It should not be a fear of snakes, etc., unless you handle them everyday)

2. Do you think that this fear is denying or keeping you from feeling completely free? If so, how?

3. List 2 or 3 ways that you can begin to overcome this fear. Think "baby-steps." These actions can be small steps in moving ahead with overcoming this fear.

4. Write about what your day would be like if you overcame this fear today. Describe how you and the day would be changed

Extra Credit Reading Project: On an 8" x 11" piece of paper, create a collage from pictures found in magazines, newspapers, or on-line, that you feel is representative of the novel, Tuck Everlasting. Include pictures of people who could be the characters from the story. ) For example: a woman for Mae, a young girl for Winnie, etc.) Place them in a setting you also find in the above resources. Include symbols, ideas and/or concepts from the novel.

Mythological Superpowers

Imagine that you're a Greek god. What sort of powers would you have? Write a description of your powers and how you would use them. Begin by stating your Greek name. (At least 10 sentences, COPS apply) Use the prompts below to help you with the writing of your 10 sentence descriptive statement.

What is your Greek god name? Select a name that relates to your powers.

Name the three powers you have.

Power 1

Power 2:

Power 3:

Describe how you would use these powers.