Thoughts from Our Class

We just completed a unit of study on the pyramids of Egypt and King Tut.  Write a paragraph on two amazing things that you discovered in your study about the pyramids or King Tut and his tomb.  Describe why they are so amazing to you.  Feel free to do some more research and add more facts to your writing.  Please include a picture that goes along with the main idea of your paragraph.

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My study is on King Tut, his tomb, and the two amazing things they found in there. One of the things the researchers found in King Tut’s tomb was his body. The researchers were looking all over for him, because he was the first and youngest emperor to rule Egypt. They also wanted to uncover the mystery of how he died. There were many interesting ways he supposedly died. The first way he supposedly died was that he got hit on the head. Another theory was that he died in a big battle. The last way he supposedly died was that someone killed him on purpose.
Other things that were found in King Tut’s tomb were his toys and weapons (boats). King Tut was a kid and an emperor. The toys were made to make him happy and not bored. In Egypt there were not many things to do, so the Egyptians created toys to amuse themselves and to keep them somewhat happy. The weapons and boats were from all the battles that King Tut won. There were a lot of battles that King Tut was in. Some of the weapons found were swords, spears, daggers, helmets, and chariots. The boats were for King Tut to use in oversea battles. The researchers found model boats, sail boats, and toy boats.The two things I found interesting in King Tuts tomb were the weapons/boats and the King Tut himself. (mr)

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I found two interesting things in our study of King Tut’s tomb. The first interesting thing is the amount of material found. For example, ostrich feathers fans, swords, daggers, and shields were found in the tomb. Inside the treasury room there was 5,000 items as thieves had not been inside the tomb to steal everything. The room was very crowded with material. The second interesting thing is the length of time it took to get into the tomb. The search for King Tut’s tomb took nearly 6 years. Inside the tomb there were many stone walls that took time to take down. Carter, the archaeologist who discovered Tut’s tomb, saw other rooms in the tomb but he sealed them back up. He just wanted to find King Tut’s coffin. Scientists figure that King Tut died at age 18 and he became pharaoh at the age of 9 years old. King Tut’s death is a great mystery to the scientists. His treasure is available for public viewing and draws a lot of crowds. (mkk)

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The pyramids are so amazing because they are so big and it’s really cool on how they are made. The workers have to cut the rock, dig holes in the ground, fill the holes with water then the workers take the water out and then they put in dirt/sand. This takes several days to do and the workers make a lot. There are over 100 pyramids in Egypt. Most of them were built for the tombs for the countries. These pyramids have been around for thousands of years. (mr)

Our high school just completed its first career day.  Each grade level participated in a different career activity.  Please describe what your activity was and your thoughts on it.  Was it valuable?  What information did it give you on a career?  Would you recommend it for next year’s classes?

If you did not participate in the career day activities, please write a paragraph on the career that you are considering.  Why is it a good career for you?

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I went to a nursing home in the kitchen at a nearby town. The cafeteria was like a little restaurant. Lisa showed me around the kitchen and cafeteria. I was watching what they were doing. The people chose what they wanted to eat. I gave some people some big bibs so they won’t spill stuff on their clothes. I deliver their food to the people. I got along with the people I worked with. They were teaching me what to do or not. I got winked at by an old man. And an old woman with a cane asked me how tall I was. I told her I was 5 foot 7.5 inches tall. She said to me, “Boy you are tall.” I had a great time. I would like to work there as a job some day.  (mk)

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I though the career day was very interesting. The first class I went to was the Air Force which was very interesting. She talked about what it was about and what jobs you could do which was also very entertaining. She also talked about doing an eight week training which would probably really kill you if you were out of shape.

The next class that I went into was kid’s care which  was boring to me but she talked about schedules and time events for the kids which wasn’t bad. Also she told us that you need patience for the kids.

The third class that I went to was architecture which was also fun. What she talked about was how the buildings were built and how much time it took to build the plans for them which was about six to eight weeks. Also she talked about how much planning goes into the designing the plans for the building. Finally she talked about how you need to know what is the buildings structure and also you need to be accurate on the building plans.

The last class that I went to was the police. He talked about how you get to use certain things and that you need to be on the job as soon as you get up or earlier to late at night. Also he talked about how you need to be alarmed all the time and need to know what to do in an instant. Another thing he talked about is that you needed to be nice to the person you are arresting because it shows respect.

So all in all the career day was very interesting and I think they should have it again next year. (mr)

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When I graduate from high school I want to become a nurse. I think it’s a good career for me because I love helping people. Something I would love to do as being a nurse is helping in the nursery after the babies are delivered. I also have thought about being the nurse to put the iv’s in for the sick people or even give them shots. I would love being a nurse because its fun to help people and you can’t ever get enough of them!!!  (bl)

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When I graduate from high school I want to go to a good college that is big on cosmologist stuff. I’m going to take 4 years of college to become a good cosmologist. Since I was a little girl I always wanted to do hair for the movie stars. I think it would be a good experience for me. (ar)

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My activity was to go to the Wahl cutters, YMCA, and the Holiday Inn. I thought it was pretty fun. It was valuable to me anyways. The information it gave me on a career is that no matter what job you have you are working for other people. If you are making something in a factory like Wahl cutters you are making a whole lot of different things. (mr)

In our Current Events magazine this week, you considered whether there should be an all-out ban on using a cell phone while driving.  According to the article 80% of the drivers in the United States use a cell phone while they are driving.  It was also stated that you are 4 times more likely to be involved in an accident while using them.  This article stated what the pros and cons are with an all-out ban.  What are your thoughts?  Should there be a ban?  Why or why not?

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I think that they should ban everyone from using cell phones while driving. Just because teenagers get into more accidents doesn’t mean that just us should be banned from using cell phones at the wheel. If most of the teens know more about cell phones and still get in an accident what makes them think that adults can do better with cells phones at the wheel? They should make it a law for everyone not to use their cell phones while driving. They can get into a bad accident and actually kill someone in the other car or even in their own. (ar)

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I think people should only be allowed to use cell phones while driving if there is an emergency and you have to get a hold of someone. If it is just to talk then I think the person on the phone should not be on the phone. Stay off the phone and save lives. There should be a ban on cell phones while driving. People get in accidents a lot while people are on the phone talking. So unless its an emergency please stay off your phones. SAVE LIVES  (mr)

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My thoughts are before you drive put your cell phone in your purse, coat pocket, and pants pocket. You shouldn’t talk on the phone behind the wheel. I heard a story about a teenage girl that was text messaging behind the wheel and not watching the road. She head on with another car. The car was ruined in the front, she went to jail, and a little boy got injured in the head. He has been in the hospital for 3 days. He is out of the hospital on the fourth day. Yes I think cell phones should be ban from driving because you might not watch the road or get stuck in the ditch, and crash with another car. Please don’t drive with a cell phone in your hand or talking on the phone at the wheel at the same time. (mkk)

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My opinion on cell phones when you are driving is that you should only be using them when you really need to like you got lost and you needed to call someone? I also think that cell phones shouldn’t be banned. People ages 18 and up should be able to talk on them because they had more driving experience. Another thing is that Teenagers definitely shouldn’t be talking and driving if they need to use the phone. They could pull over on the side of the road and call someone if they are lost or something. (bl)

Stress is part of our lives!  During the high school years, there are many changes going on along with decisions to make.  All of these pressures can make your life stressful.  There are pressures with your family members and your friends.  You face pressures to try drugs or alcohol.  Decisions such as “what do I do after high school” are needing to be made.  And the pressures of jobs and schoolwork also factor in.

According to Helping Teens Cope with Stress, there are several skils you can practice to reduce the stress in your life.

• Taking deep breaths accompanied by thoughts of being in control (”I can handle this”)
• Progressive muscle relaxation, (repeatedly tensing and relaxing large muscles of the body)
• Setting small goals and breaking tasks into smaller manageable chunks
• Exercising and eating regular meals, and avoiding excessive caffeine
• Focusing on things you can control and letting go of things you cannot control
• Rehearsing and practicing feared situations (e.g., practicing public speaking or asking someone out on a date)
• Talking about problems with others, including parents, older adults and friends
• Lowering unrealistic expectations
• Scheduling breaks and enjoyable activities, such as music, art, sports, socializing
• Accepting yourself as you are and identifying unique strengths and building on them, but realizing no one is perfect!

What causes stress in your life?  Which of these skills have you tried before and did they work?  Which of the skills do you think would help you deal with the stress in your life?

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My stress in my life is many things. My homework and some people who don’t even listen cause me stress. I lose my stuff at home that cause more stress. I picked scheduling breaks and enjoyable activities to deal with the stress. It really does work with me. I do it when I have time. My other skills are talking about problems with a parent or older adults. Talking to someone really does work. What could help me with focusing on things, and accepting who you are the skills I need to work on. (mkk)

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The things that cause stress for me is when something or someone is annoying or bugging me and they or it won’t stop. It causes stress for me. So what I do to prevent this is just relax and cancel the sound out of my head. It goes away and it really works. Another thing I do to relieve my stress is just to sit down and turn on some music. (MR)

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Things that cause my stress in my life are work, people at school, homework that I never get to get done, and I always lose my stuff! For my opinion I think that I should work less and do my work and maybe I wouldn’t be so behind. Some things I’ve tried to do for stress is talk with some friends and it works a little bit but not as much as you think it would work because what if they go back and tell someone. Something I didn’t do is talk to a older adult. I think that I should either talk to my mom or my teachers to get some help with something like for example my home work. I just need a way to help me so I don’t lose my things. 7bl

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A lot of things cause stress in my life. When I don’t get some of my homework done I stress about. The skill I use is just saying I can get it done before I go to that class. Trying to tell someone you want to break up with them but trying not to hurt them that much is stress. The skill I used was talking to him about it all. And when I’m under stress I blast my music. It usually helps me calm down quicker. I also used the skill by talking to my mom and some of my friends. (ar)

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I have a lot of stress in my life with school, friends, and stress at home that I can’t deal with. I have tried the breathing that kind of worked and I have talked to people that I can trust not to tell anyone about my problems. I just want all the stress to go away. I can’t help the stress at home but I can help the stress at school, and with my friends. (mr)

Photo from Flikr Creative Commons, anitpretty’s photostream, My Stress Monster

Many schools are trying to decide what to do about cell phones that are brought to school by students.  Some schools allow them with few restrictions, but most schools have guidelines and rules on when and where they are allowed.  Is there a need for students to bring their cell phones to school and should they be allowed to take them to class?  What are the problems that can happen with cell phones in school?  How do you think schools should handle the issue?  What guidelines or rules should be used?  Give us your thoughts.

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Yes, I think there is a need for students to bring their cell phones to school and to classes because if someone decides to bring a gun to school then one of the students can call the police. They would have to be careful in doing it though. The problems that can happen in school are that students don’t pay attention in class and they are usually busy texting people. But some students are good they can text underneath their desk and still look at their teacher. Well they already take our phones away if we get caught. But if they get caught the teacher can give the students a detention. But I don’t think anything will stop the students in bringing their cell phones to school.    (ar)

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I think that students should be able to bring their cell phones in school. One reason is because if you are walking around the school or lets say your in the bathroom and someone is really hurt and the quickest way to get a hold of someone is with your cell phone to call 911. I also think that students should be able to bring their cell phones in class and they could use them when they have free time but other wise they should have them shut them off when they are doing class work. Some problems could be by the student being too busy looking at their phone and not doing their work. The school should handle this by maybe when they get to school to make them go through a metal detector or something, or maybe when you get in the class room the teachers should take their phones and when they go to the restroom or have free time they could give them back. (bl)

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I think it is a great idea that students have cell phones in school. If you were in trouble and needed help, wouldn’t you use a cell phone to call 911 or something? Also what if you were hurt and needed help, or a family emergency occurred, wouldn’t you call for help? I think that cell phones should be allowed to be put on vibrate while in class. But I understand that the students could be using their phones to text other people and not pay attention in class and probably end up not passing a test or quiz and also end up failing the class. So what I think you should do is put your name on the phone and gives it to the teacher. That way it doesn’t confuse any one that might have the same phone. When they get a call or text message the teacher will give the student the phone and have them talk out side the door. Or if they need to go anywhere they can take their phone with them just in case they need it for an emergency. (mr8)

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I think students should be allowed to bring cell phones to class because something could happen and no one was around to help. If you do bring your cell phone to school and it is in your pocket it could fall out and break or someone could take your phone. I think schools should let students have there cell phones but the students can only use them when or if the teachers say it’s ok. I think students should be able to use there phone during lunch and on some days if the teachers don’t really have anything planed and the students don’t have anything to do for example on a half day. When finals come along no cell phones should be allowed only at lunch. (mr7)

No, because the students should leave their cell phones in the car before they are going in the school. They can’t bring cell phones in class; they might not learn anything like what happen in class today. The students always text message to somebody every second of their time. That should be stopped right now. I think the schools should stop the students every morning, ask them to give up their cell phones to them and put their names on a name tag so they could know who the cell phones belongs to. When school is done give the cell phones back to the students. The student should use their cell phone at home not in school. (mk)

Photo: Flikr Creative Commons, silly_a’s1804 photostrea,Cell Phones Galore

In English, we have been reading about what makes someone a hero.  The writing assignment was an opinion essay on whether a student council should recognize a hero of the month at school.  After brainstorming the pros and cons, you outlined your response and wrote your opinion essay.  Let’s see what you had to say:

I think that it’s a good idea that the student council should have an election for hero of the month. This is a good idea because it could encourage good behavior, leadership skills, and awareness of problems and opportunities.

One way the student council should have an election for hero of the month is so it could encourage good behavior. You can do that by recognizing them and rewarding the students. Also you could work with the school principal for the day and you wouldn’t even have to be in any of your classes.

Another reason the student council should hold hero of the month is to could make the students learn how to be a leader. They could learn how to be a leader by observing the principal and see what he does and discuss all the decisions he makes. The student could also develop skills in being a leader and also prepare them for what’s ahead.

The final reason I think student council should hold a hero of the month is to make them aware of the problems and opportunities. Having a hero of the month will encourage students to help and learn how to do something and doing that will make a school a better place.

 I think that the student council should have a hero of the month. If you think we should have a hero of the month, then please help by talking to the student council.   (mr)

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    I think it’s a good idea to pick a hero of the month. Three reasons why are because you get to work with the principal, learn to be a good role model, and more people become heroes.

    First you could get to work with the principal. A good reason why is so that you could get to understand his or her job. Also you could get out of a class that you don’t want to be in. It could be something fun to do instead of being locked up in a boring class and it also would be something different.  I think it is a good idea to pick a hero of the month. The students would get to work with the principle, be good role models, and more people would become heroes.

     Second you get to be role models. You could pick up good behaviors from the other heroes. You get to be like them and share your feelings and give them good ideas. Last you get to make it a better place.

      Finally, more people become heroes. More people would get to be helped. You get to learn how to help and you also get to help them at the same time. You get to learn a better attitude.

     I think it’s a good idea for a hero of a month. If student counsel brings this to a vote be sure to say YES!!!  (bl)

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            First reason is that the person would get to work with the principal. You would get to understand his job. That person would get out of class. The hero would get to do something different.

            Another reason to pick or have a hero of the month is they would be a good role model. The other students would pick up the good behaviors. They would all want to be like them. The hero would give them ideas on how to be. Everyone would change for the better.

            Last reason is that more people would become heroes. People in the world would get more help. They would know to help others in need. They would all have a better attitude.

            I think it’s a good idea to pick a hero of the month. People will get to work with the principal, be a good role model, and more would become heroes. (mr7)

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      I think the student council idea to have a Hero of the Month is good. Having a Hero of the Month is to encourage kids to be good, to be leaders, and improve our school.

          The first reason to have a Hero of the Month is to encourage kids to have good behavior and to award them for good deeds. Kids should try to help others. Other kids should be a tutor people are behind. Kids should show more respectful. 

          The next reason to have a Hero of the Month is that some kids want to be leaders. Kids should show respect to the school. Kids should help other people for the needs. They should help people to solve problems. Kids should try to be a good role model.

          The last reason to have a Hero of the Month is our school would be better and stronger place. There could be less fighting. Kids should try to listen to each others. There are ways to calm yourself down. There are some kids who want to be recognized everyday.

          The reasons to have a Hero of the Month are to encourage kids, encourage leaders, and to make our school a better place. Please tell student council to have a Hero of the Month.  (mk)

The feature article this week discusses the effects that high energy drinks have on teens due to the levels of caffeine in them.  In your response to this topic, please answer the following questions in a paragraph:

• Do you drink high energy drinks?  If you do, what type and how often?
• Why do teens like high energy drinks?
• List at least one negative effect high levels of caffeine have on teens.
• Should high energy drinks be taken off of the shelves or regulated in any way?

If you would like to read more on this topic, here are some other links to articles.

• Energy drinks may put teenagers at risk
• High Energy Drinks Can Pack More Than A “Pick Me Up” Punch
• Heavy use of energy drinks can threaten teens’ health

The article “Show Me The Money” in your November 10th Current Events magazine describes how some middle schools in Washington, D.C. are paying their students up to $50 a week for attending school and earning good grades.  The article gives two viewpoints on whether schools should be paying students cash.  What do you think?  Should schools pay students?  Why or why not?

In your current events magazine this week, you read about our new President Elect Barack Obama.  There are several major issues facing our country that President Obama will need to address when he takes office such as the war in Iraq, the poor economy, or unemployment.  What do you think is the most pressing need that the new President should work with first and why is it your first choice?

In your reading this week, you read about 16 year olds voting in the national elections in the countries of Austria, Brazil, and Cuba.  In the U.S., you must be at least 18 years old to vote.  The article gave you reasons why 16 year olds should and shouldn’t be allowed to vote.  What are your thoughts on this?  Should 16 year olds be allowed to vote in the United States?  Why or why not?