And since it’s Martin Luther King, Jr. day; we might as well spend some time talking about history. He obviously had an enormous influence on our country, the world, and generally the way people think. Martin Luther King, Jr. is arguably one of the most influential men in American history, which is why we celebrate him today.
So, are there any historical figures you admire? Why?
As Martin Luther King, Jr. day comes to a close here, I’m reminded of how many wise words he said during his lifetime. It also reminds me of how I like to put a famous, or thought-worthy, quotation on the board each morning before school begins. So with that said, what are some of your favorite quotations and why?
I’m not one for bumper stickers, but while driving home from AG today, I noticed a car that caught my attention. There were two bumper stickers on the back. One read a very famous saying, “An eye for an eye and the whole world goes blind.” And the other (the one that really made me stop and think) “If ignorance is bliss, why aren’t more people happy?” Essentially, both of these bumper sticker are worthy of discussion. I, for one, spent the rest of my drive thinking about this idea of ignorance. Sometimes it’s easy to turn the other cheek and say, “Ah, I don’t want to know about it – it’s not my problem!” But how often do you continue to think about that thing anyway? It festers in your mind. So, maybe ignorance really isn’t bliss.
What are your thoughts about either one of these bumper stickers? Can you connect it to anything happening in the world, or anything you are talking about in school (any subject)?
This past week has also been heavy on the political front with some issues overseas. Gaddafi (one of the various spellings of this name), the Libyan dictator, was killed. President Obama also announced that American Troops would be returning soon. These issues are all very complex and important for the world to recognize.
What political issues do you think are most important for your age group to be aware of now and why?
The weather has been pretty crazy over the last few years, to say the least. At home, we’ve had blizzards, hurricanes, and flooding. We even had an earthquake at the end of the summer! Watching the news again this weekend, I heard about a horrendous earthquake in Turkey. Read the article from CNN here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/24/world/europe/turkey-quake/index.html?hpt=hp_t1 .
This makes me think about how much there is to fear and/or consider when it comes to natural disasters. Which natural disaster are you most fearful of and why?
As period 11 is well aware, I’ve been pretty troubled by some events I’ve heard in the news recently. One story was about a little two year old girl in China who was left in the street after being hit by a car. The other story involves a man in Ohio whose actions resulted in the deaths of several Bengal Tigers (an endangered species), lions, and other animals. Both of these stories are being widely discussed in the news at the moment. By researching them a bit (warning: these stories are upsetting!), you’ll likely see many points of view represented.
It reminds me of a line from Tuesdays with Morrie where Morrie discusses his belief that our culture is teaching us the wrong things. So in America, are we taught to be helpful, good samaritans? Are we respectful to animals? Discuss your feelings and include a reference to something you’ve found online as well.
I was surfing around on CNN and I found an interesting article about the make-up of the teenage brain and how it affects decision making. Read it here: http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/19/health/mental-health/teen-brain-impulses/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 .
What are your reflections about this article? Surf around on your own and find some other interesting things about the brain and post it!
