Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. once said..
Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life; love harmonizes it. Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.

"Love is the only thing that can save us"...Mr.G

Examine these quotes. Is there love without hate? Are there different kinds of love? Are there different kinds of hate?

Do I Care?

Because you’re so darn nice, you’ve decided to put together some care packages. Six lucky people will be getting a care package from you. In each of the care packages, there will be a book, a song, and a fortune cookie sized piece of advice.

Choose at least 2 of the following people, choose 1 book, 1 song, and a brief piece of advice to leave them. Explain why you chose the pieces that you did.

• 2 close friends
• 2 family members
• 2 fellow bloggers

If You Love Me...

In Nineteen Minutes, Josie is in an abusive relationship with Matt Royston. He repeatedly takes advantage of her under the pretense of love.

Some people believe that if a boy wants to have sex, his girlfriend owes it to him. What do you think about that idea? Do you agree or disagree? Why? How does that idea make you feel?

Peter's Theme

Compare the thoughts and feelings of Peter with the lyrics from the song, “I’m Just a Kid by Simple Plan”.




"I'm Just A Kid"

I woke up it was 7
I waited till 11
Just to figure out that no one would call
I think i got a lot of friends but I don't hear from them
What's another night all alone?
When your spending everyday on your own
And here it goes

[Chorus:]
I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me
Tonight...

And maybe when the night is dead, I'll crawl into my bed
Staring at these 4 walls again
I'll try to think about the last time, I had a good time
Everyone's got somewhere to go
And they're gonna leave me here on my own and here it goes

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me

What the **** is wrong with me?
Don't fit in with anybody
How did this happen to me?
Wide awake I'm bored and I can't fall asleep
And every night is the worst night ever

I'm just a kid [repeat x5]

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is
Nobody wants to be alone in the world.

I'm just a kid and life is a nightmare
I'm just a kid, I know that its not fair
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is
Nobody wants to be alone in the world
Nobody cares, cause I'm alone and the world is
Having more fun than me tonight

I'm all alone tonight
Nobody cares tonight
Cause I'm just a kid tonight

Earlier this year we watched this clip from Rocky Balboa. We believe that this scene epitomizes the philosophy of this class. Rocky tells his son to go get what he is worth and don't make excuses for not succeeding. What are you worth as a person?

Did you know? The U.S. Bureau of Chemistry and Soils has one answer to the question, “what am I worth?” They have determined that the chemical and mineral composition of the human body is worth less than $5.00. Of highest value is the skin. The average person has between 14 to 18 square feet of skin, depending on his size, which is said to be worth about .25 cents a square foot.

This is a Tough One!

Do you recognize your true abilities? What are they? Do you know your flaws? What are they? Are you realistic about how others view you?

Judging Lives

The underlying question throughout this novel is whether or not one event should be used to judge a person and his life. Yes, in nineteen minutes Peter shot many classmates. This was a horrible act and one that he had to be punished for. Does this act negate all other aspects of Peter?

“When you begin a journey of revenge, start by digging two graves: one for your enemy, and one for yourself.” From Nineteen Minutes

Write a blog explaining your belief that seeking revenge can be justified or can never be justified. Support your thesis with examples from texts your have read, examples from the news, or your own experiences.

Boys: Do you feel like your manhood is on the line every time you're around a girl?




Girls: Do you feel like your womanhood is on the line every time you're around a boy?

Are You Educated for the Real World?

Some people feel that the public school system does not adequately prepare students for the real world. Identify one improvement you think schools need to make in order to better prepare students for life after high school. Write a blog to the school board in which you describe this improvement and explain why it is needed.

Who Would It Be?

If you could morph into anyone (alive, dead, fictional, etc.), who would it be and why?

Imagine that some day you will have children. Write a letter of advice for them to read when they reach the age you are right now. Tell them about the goals you had at this age, and what those goals did for you. Tell them about taking risks - what kinds of risks are good to take and what kind aren't. And tell them how to deal with failure and disappointment so they won't be discouraged when things don't work out the way they want.

If you had the power to change any aspect of your relationship with your parents, what would it be? Is there anything you could do to make that happen? What?

If I were the teacher, I would...

Create a T.V Show

A television network is looking for ideas for a new television series for teenagers. Write a letter to the president of the network explaining your idea for the new television show. Include all the information that will help the president evaluate your idea, including the show’s title, what kind of show it is (such as reality, comedy, music, game, or sports), specific details or features of the show that would be appealing to teenage viewers, and an example of what viewers might see in a typical episode.

What to Do?

Your parents reluctantly permit you to go to a party after you promise there will be no alcohol or other drugs. Your date's older brother is driving. After an hour you notice that he's on his third can of beer. Nobody else at the party has a car. What do you do?

*Please write review in previous post

It's the Principal

Ms. Carr and Mr. G would like you to write a post to Mr. Carroll telling him about your year in our classroom. Explain to him why you think this class is important. Has this class helped you? Will you use some of the lessons taught and discussed throughout your life? Do you think it is important to continue this type of classroom for future students?

Self-Esteem Room

Having high self-esteem means that you value yourself. What are the things you value most about yourself? What are some of the things you do that show that you value yourself? Are there things you do that indicate you don't value yourself?

Is T. V. True to Life?

Our class will watch Oprah soon enough and have an open discussion about the emotional aspects tied with romantic teen relationships but in the meantime...

How is sex portrayed on television, in the movies or the book Nineteen Minutes? Is it accurate? Is it helpful to you? Does it influence you in any way? How does it affect you? What do you think about it? How would you change it?

Popular

"Popular kids didn’t really have friends. They had alliances. You were safe only as long as you hid your trust. At any moment someone might make you the laughing stock, because then they knew no one was laughing at them."

This quote is from Nineteen Minutes. Do you think this is how the socially elite view themselves? Are their lives devoid of any real friendships?

Welcome

Welcome to our new blog. Here we will discuss books, quotes and anything we find relevant in Room 211. This is a place to connect and further the progress of our class. Remember, when the world has proven to be a difficult place...The door is aways open in Room 211.