"99 Red Balloons"

Does this song glorify or denigrate war? Why do you think the way you do?
Remember to respond to specific things other people have said, to write approximately 100 words, and to use correct grammar and spelling.

War: Worth the Cost?

When, if ever, is war worth the destruction it causes? Why?

Compare/Contrast Super Fun Time

Post your evaluative thesis statement here! Remember the format: "While _A__ and _B__ both ______, __A__ is more _____ because __________."

Theme Statements

What is your best theme statement? Be sure to indicate the story you are using.

Thoreau and Whitman

What do each of these authors describe as being the meaning of life? Write one paragraph about each (2 paragraphs total) following the t-sheet format. So you should have, for each paragraph, a topic sentence, three examples, and at least two sentences of commentary per example. Please type.
Some issues you might focus on:

• How we can gain meaning from the present moment
• What happens after we die to give meaning to our existence
• What distracts people from finding true meaning in their lives

Speaking Hypothetically

What would happen if I didn't give you a letter grade for your upcoming essay on The Crucible? (Some options: I give everyone a completion grade or you and I agree on a grade after I read it.) What impact would that have on stress level, learning, and quality of writing? Consider how you think you would react and how you think others would react.

Changing Our Schools

Ryan Kelly says, "Fear alone is what drives our society," and others seem to concur, stating that fear is the primary motivator for doing well in school. Sean writes, "I believe fear does help me...because if there wasn't the concern about succeeding in life I wouldn't care about school whatsoever. It would just be stupid and unimportant."

Yet Robbie and Brianna both argue that fear leads to poor work, and Connor S. asserts that people who push themselves because they are motivated to do well do better than those motivated by fear. Caleb and James talk about the importance of interest, curiousity and passion, above and beyond the fear of an unhappy future, as motivators in school.

How would schools need to change so that more students are motivated by curiousity, interest, and passion rather than fear of failure or desire for good grades? What would make school stop seeming "stupid and unimportant" to large segments of the student body? When do people start to feel this way about school? Is it possible to change this?

Fear and School

Is fear essential to doing well in school? Or does fear keep you from doing your best? James comments, "The reason I do homework is not because I find it stimulating or entertaining but do it because I am afraid of the consequences." Monica agrees, stating, "I believe that if you fear something you will work twice as much harder to achieve it. Matt asserts that fear motivates people to do well in school and asks, "Without that fear what would motivate anyone to do anything good in their life?"

Yet others suggest that fear keeps people from achieving their best because they are constantly focused on the negative consequences of failure. Caleb writes, "The person who is oppressed with fear is always in a state of distress. Therefore, they usually have a hard time overcoming this distress and do not accomplish the task with excellence."

Are there things that might motivate people to do well in school other than the fear of an unhappy future? Does relying on fear to motivate us lead us to expect that nothing we do in life will be "stimulating or entertaining"? Or is it fear alone that inspires us to greatness?

Fear

Is fear an effective motivator? Does fear motivate you? What are the advantages and disadvantages of using fear to influence others' behavior?

The Greatest Country

Is America the greatest country in the world? Use arguments from the debate as well as your own knowledge and experiences to answer.