Being an Original

You will all be embarking on the greatest journey in about a month.  High school will be over and you will have many paths to choose from.  Some of you have already accepted that your life is your own and that you make choices everyday that will propel you forward.  Others may blame everyone else for your life and the choices you make. What we do not see is that the world requires us to think.  There will be no multiple choice test for you to fill out at work or before you buy a home.  You will have to think.  Be an original in all aspects of your life.  I want you to watch this TED Talk and tell me how it applies to you.  Are you a pre-crastinator, a procrastinator, or an original?  Does he say anything in this talk that you can take with you as you prepare to head down your next road? 

The people we meet

The people we meet in life leave a profound impact on who we are currently, as well as, who we will become.  Look back over your four years in high school and think about those people who have impacted you.  Write your post this week as a thank you letter to that person.  Remind that person how you met and then go on to explain how they have impacted your life.  If you wish to change the names to protect the innocent, go ahead.  

New Beginnings

The 4th quarter begins today and this is the beginning of the end.  After this quarter, you will be leaving not just a grade, but high school.  Your days as a high school student will end, and you will assume the responsibilities of an adult.  Life only gives us so many chances to start over.  When those chances present themselves, it is imperative that we embrace those chances and make the most of the opportunity.

For your blog this week, think about how you will use this new beginning to make changes.  Think about what new beginnings mean.  What do you need to do before the end of the year to help you enter the adult world confidently and ready?  Tell us where you will find yourself after high school and the steps you need to take to make it happen.  

Revenge

I am sure you have heard that The Lion King is closely connected to the storyline of Hamlet.  We see the idea of revenge in both stories and the outcome of what happens when we seek revenge.  For this week's blog, I want you to think about revenge.  How do you see revenge?  Is it justifiable?  Think about your world and how this idea of revenge emerges?  What is the result?

Explain your definition of revenge, where you have watched revenge play out, and what the result of revenge is.

Betrayal

Betrayal is a powerful word.  It is about disloyalty and about breaking trust.  We will see betrayal in Hamlet.  Think about why people betray others and what that says about the state of trust in a relationship.

In this week's blog, think about how one character is betrayed in Hamlet and what that causes. Then connect that betrayal to your world--pop culture wise.  Look at how betrayal is portrayed in film, television shows, books.  What is the result of betrayal and how do people in the pop culture pieces feel about the betrayal?

Roles of Women

Each generation sees a change in the roles assigned to women.  When my mother was growing up, the expectation was for women to grow up, get married, have the 2.5 kids and the house.  My generation had different gender expectations.  

For this week's blog, think about the expectations being put on your generation.  Examine how those roles are conveyed: television, movies, songs.  

Your post should include the following information:
1. What roles or expectations are placed on women today?
2. How do you see those roles/expectations being conveyed?
3. What are your thoughts on those roles?

Loyalty

We often hear people say that we live in a "dog eat dog world."  With this in mind, we need to look at where our loyalties sit.   What makes a person loyal to another?  How do we know if someone is loyal to us?  What happens to break that loyalty and how do we feel when we are disloyal?  

Think about this idea.  In your post, explain how and why you are loyal.  Who are you loyal to and why does loyalty matter?  

Innocence and Experience

This week as you read keep in mind how we see our characters remove their rose colored glasses.  What do I mean by this?  Often times we go through life thinking that the way we live is the truest and clearest perspective possible.  Sometimes, we do not see the evil that exists in the world or we do not see the world from outside our small glimpse. 

Think about how in the Harry Potter series Professor Snape was perceived.  Throughout the entire collection, unless you read very closely, you see him as a villain.  He is seen as evil.  This is our innocence in this world.  We are unable to see the world for what it is.  At some point, the curtain is pulled back and we are able to see the entire picture.  When that happens, we see that Snape was really looking out Harry and only had his best interests for him as a result of his love for Harry's mother.  

The same would hold true for those who did not believe that He Who Must Not Be Names was still alive.  They only saw the world in a certain light.

For this week's post, look at how a character in your book gains an element of experience in the book.  They move from being innocent to seeing the world more clearly;they gain experience.  Provide the context for how this happens and then write  about the result of this happening.  

Government and the Individual

As you begin reading this week from A Clockwork Orange and 1984, think about the governments presented in your texts.  What is the government like?  How does the government impact the lives of those who live within/under that government?  Who has power and who does not?  How is it different from your government?  

In your post this week, explain the government in your book and how it impacts the individual thus far.  Give examples from the book and then explain how you would feel if you had
to live under that government rule.  

Movies and societal problems

Over this break, I am sure you watched at least one movie or show that addresses a societal problem the writers wanted you to take note of.  I had entirely too much screen time.  It was nice to just veg out while watching the television.  Of the shows I watched, these are some of the social problems observed: society's reliance on technology and how it will destroy culture; bullying and its long term effects; drug use and how drugs destroy the lives of those who use, distribute, and are in the lives of users; the corruption of power and man's desire to acquire it.  

I want you to think about what you have watched over the last two weeks.  Identify the societal problem presented within the film and what message is being conveyed through this medium.  In your post, include the following information: a brief summary of the film or show, how the problem is presented, and the overall message conveyed.