Creative ending to Romeo and Juliet DUE Mon., May 26, 2008

Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy because love led the main characters to horrible deaths. In this blog, you have the power to change the ending of Romeo and Juliet. Rewrite (change) the ending of the story. What happens to Romeo and Juliet? Do they live? Where do they go? What happens to their families and other characters in the story? Be CREATIVE - have fun!!

Your favorite scene in Romeo and Juliet DUE Mon., May 26, 2008

Congratulations to the cast of Romeo and Juliet for their spectacular acting!

Blog assignment for all:
What was your favorite scene in the SSSD production of Romeo and Juliet? Describe the scene and explain why you chose that particular scene. Explain how the characters interacted in the scene and how any props were used.

Romeo and Juliet Characters DUE Mon., May 5, 2008

Now that you are more familiar with the story, Romeo and Juliet, choose your favorite character. Explain the characteristics that you like or find fascinating about the character. Do you share any characteristics with this character? Can you compare this character to another character in a book you have read or movie you have seen? Explain.

WORD CHALLENGE Due Mon., May 5, 2008

(This blog is for Wed., April 30, 2008)

What is the longest word in the dictionary? Find the word and answer the following questions:
(If someone beats you to it, then you can find the 2nd or 3rd or 4th longest word or find looong words that are used in songs or movies)
1. What is the word?
2. What is the root word?
3. What is/are the prefix(es)?
4. What is/are the suffix(es)?
5. What does the word mean?
6. CHALLENGE - Use the word in a sentence!

GOOD LUCK!!

Vocabulary Discussion DUE Tue., April 29, 2008

Last week, we discussed the importance of developing your vocabulary. Everyone agrees that vocabulary knowledge has an impact on your reading and writing abilities.

The teachers in all departments here at SSSD agree, also. Everyone will work as a team to help all students develop their vocabulary. For this blog, choose one or two words that you have learned in other classes (math, social studies, science, etc.). Define the words, use them in sentences, and explain where you learned the words.

Learning New Vocabulary DUE Thur., April 24, 2008

Is learning new vocabulary important to you? Why or why not? If you see a word that you do not understand while you are reading, what strategies do you use to analyze and understand the word?

How many new words do you learn each day or each week? Tell us about a new word you learned yesterday - define the word and explain where and how you learned it.

Earth Day DUE Mon., April 21, 2008

Earth Day is Tuesday, April 22nd. People from all over the world will take action on that day to raise awareness of how we can take care of our home, Earth. There are many issues that are being discussed - especially RECYCLING. Check out this website: http://ww2.earthday.net/plasticbags It shows the harm that plastic bags, which are used in grocery stores (like Wal-Mart, Wegman's, etc.), do to our environment. They harm wildlife (animals). Imagine the millions of these bags that are thrown away everyday.

Think about what we can do at SSSD to improve how we recycle. Are we doing our part as a school community to recycle? What can we do better to recycle plastic bags, plastic bottles (water/soda), newspapers, paper, etc. Explain why recycling NOW is important.

Making hasty decisions DUE Wed., April 16, 2008

In Romeo and Juliet, Romeo hastily decides to marry Juliet. Friar Laurence tries to warn him about making rush decisions, for him to go "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast."

Look back and think about a time in your own life in which you made a decision hastily and you later regretted your actions. Describe the experience and how you felt.

Light and Darkness in Romeo and Juliet DUE Mon., April 14, 2008

Think about different scenes in Romeo and Juliet in which Shakespeare has used light and darkness. Describe the scenes and explain the symbolism for light and darkness as they are used in the scenes.

Fundamentalist Church DUE Wed., April 9, 2008

Members of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints believe in polygamy. This group of people live in a large ranch in Eldorado , Texas. Recently, a man was accused of raping a 15 year old. Reports of child abuse, marriage between young women and older men, rape, etc. have prompted the police to raid the ranch. So far, 401 children and 133 women are in shelter.

This group’s polygamy is based on their religion. Do you believe that in America, we have the right to interfere with another group’s religious beliefs? Polygamy is illegal in America. What about the marriage between a minor and older man?
Give your opinion. Read the story at: http://www.cnn.com/2008/CRIME/04/07/texas.ranch/index.html

Dreams vs. Premonitions DUE Mon., April 7, 2008

Do you have vivid dreams? Do you remember your dreams clearly?

Do you believe that dreams predict what will happen? Have you ever had a dream in which something happened, then a few days later, it came true? Explain your experience.

Do you believe in premonitions? Have you ever had a premonition of something happening and it actually came true? Explain your experience.

"Time" in Romeo and Juliet DUE Wed., April 2, 2008

"TIME" is an important theme in Romeo and Juliet. In the play, Romeo says that when he is sad, time goes by very slowly. He feels this way because his old girlfriend, Rosaline dumped him. Later in the play, Juliet feels that her relationship with Romeo is going FAST. Think about "TIME" in your own life. What experiences are you going through when you feel that time is going fast? What about when time goes slowly? Would you rather that time go quickly or slowly? Explain.

Bullying in Romeo and Juliet DUE Mon., March 31, 2008

This is a two-part response. Make sure you answer BOTH!

1. In the movie, Romeo and Juliet, the Capulets bully the Montagues and vice versa (Montagues do the same). In what way do the Capulets and Montagues bully each other? What causes the bullying to start? What are the consequences of both families participating in the bullying?

2. Identify a time when YOU either experienced bullying, saw others being bullied, or participated in the bullying of others. Describe the experience, what caused it to start and what were the consequences? Express your feelings about the situation - how you felt while it was occurring (happening) and how you felt afterwards.

LOVE is a POWERFUL emotion DUE Wed., March 26, 2008

Love is a very powerful emotion. Love makes people do strange things. Has your love for something or someone ever made you do strange things or made you brave enough to sacrifice something? An example of this can be - a brother loves his sister so much that he donates one of his kidneys to her. Remember, this can be about your love for a thing or for a person. You can share what you have seen other people do.

Book Sharing DUE Tue., Mar. 26, 2008

Choose one of your favorite AR books and discuss it here! Tell what kind of book it is - fiction or nonfiction. What made this book so special? How did it make you feel? Explain why you think other students in our class should read this book.

Your Relationship with your Parents Due Tue., Mar. 26, 2008

Is your relationship the same with your mom and with your dad? Describe how it is the same or different. If one parent says no to you, do you go to the other parent? This is called playing one against the other. Who is the disciplinarian in the family? (punishes, sets rules, etc.) Who can communicate the best with you or can use sign language?

Holding Grudges DUE Tue., Mar. 26, 2008

Has someone ever done something to make you angry then you held a grudge against that person? Has someone held a grudge against you? Does holding a grudge against someone solve the problem or issue? Did you do anything to solve the problem?

Public figures private lives DUE Wed., Mar. 11, 2008

Think about the discussion in class today about the governor from New York. Think about other public personalities (our president, governors, senators, movie stars, famous musicians, etc.). Should their private lives be open for other people to discuss? If they make mistakes or break the law, should the public know about it or is it only their business. Discuss your opinions, whether you think their lives should remain private or public.

Theatres - comparing and contrasting DUE Mon., Mar. 10, 2008

You have briefly studied Shakespeare's Globe Theatre. Think about what you have learned - what it looks like, the stage, the lighting, the shape of the building, the people who attend the theatre, etc. How is the design of the Globe Theatre different from or similar to the design of theatres today?