Book Post 4

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

     The last night before the end of thanksgiving break I was spending time in prayer and I realized that I had done an awful job of actively seeking after the Lord throughout my days. Unable to fall asleep I began to read my book and thus is the first and only passage that I read.

     “O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, ‘Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away.’ Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.”
                                                                                                           A.W.Tozer

     This passage is the perfect description of the constant internal battle of my heart. I understand my inadequacy and inability to focus on Him, yet I don't burn with an equal desire. I spent so long trying to understand why it was so difficult for me to pursue him fully and I finally realized my problem. Even in all of my insufficiency, I thought that I was capable of producing my own desire and my own satisfaction in my relationship with God. My desire for God is only given to me by God. It is a beautiful gift in return for having a life that reflects a intentional relationship with Him. This one passage was all that I needed to have an unbelievable reflection on where my heart was.


It was also just kind of awesome to see him respond immediately to my prayer. He knew I felt lost and He showered me with love and security.

Book Post 3

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

     Francis Chan begins his book with the undeniable truth of the enormity of God. He gives an extensive description of what God is by comparing the immense universe and smallest cellular composition to God's size and ability. Ultimately, his point was that God is bigger and smaller than anything our minds can comprehend. By being the creator of the universe he attains the ability to make galaxies appear and disappear in a flash that is not bound by the constraints of time. He is also the author of every unfathomable detail of life. For example, after having read this portion of the book Mrs. Bolton shared with me an interesting fact about the giraffe that fully supported Chan's idea. She told me about the placement of a sponge necessary to collect blood that giraffes have at the top of their neck, without them they would die while bending down to drink water. This is one of the millions of aspects of nature that have no underlying reason besides he fact that God is an author of beautiful masterpieces.

Book Post 2

Born To Run by Christopher McDougall

      My favorite aspect of this book is the authors expansive amount of stories about extremely talented runners that overcome unbelievable physical feats. It excites me that their are others who share in my passion and take it to a completely other level. The book begins by McDougall visiting the doctor due to intolerable pain in the arch of his foot, a common impediment faced by runners. Being a journalist for men's health, he heard about  a "mythical" tribe of people in Copper Canyons of Mexico who have seemed to break physical norms/limitations such as injury, recovery, and endurance. This discovery opens an entirely new world of running that goes beyond your average Saturday morning 5k and even your annual Boston Marathon. He stumbles upon the world of ultra-running, a select breed of enthusiastic and motivated runners tackling distances as long as 150 miles in under 48 hours. McDougall goes on too tell the tales of running legends such as Ann Trason, Neil Zatopek, and Steve Prefontaine.
    This book was my chance to immerse myself in the dedication, inspiration, and victory of incredible runners. It gave me the desire to achieve beyond what I am capable of. To the athletes in this book, running truly is a way by which one lives their life, and not just an activity that consumes their time. My take away is that I wasn't born to merely walk and shuffle along in the activities I do, instead I was born to run into the freedom and unrestrained progress of whatever I wish to achieve.

Book Post 1

Born To Run by Christopher McDougall

       This book was the perfect inspiration to achieve my goals in running. I believe it is relatable to all people no matter how much they enjoy exercise, because it encourages you to live up to what you are capable of achieving. The premise of the book is that the author, Christopher McDougall, sets out on a hunt for the mysterious "Caballo Blanco", a running legend said to reside amongst a native Mexican tribe called the Tarahumara. On his journey he discovers that the Tarahumara have exceeded what many doctors say athletes (more specifically runners) can handle. This fact is why this book interested me so much. Although the idea of the Tarahumara tribe and their incredible physical ability was difficult to believe it made me ponder about the conditions I face in my life. I am beyond spoiled in comparison to the children in this book, yet the life they seem to live is much more free, much more enjoyable. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy every bit of what I have, but I don't believe I cherish my possessions and blessings as much as these people. In contrast to the people in this book, I believe that in our society children, students, and young adults are raised thinking mainly about themselves and how the world around them will benefit them. This is nothing like the customs of these people. The way the author depicts these people makes it seem like the were raised quite the opposite with their focus always towards others.
     The culture of these people was not a big portion of the book, but I really stopped and thought about it.

Palmer's Book Post #5

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

by Mark Twain

Kevin's Book Post

Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps

 

     This book taught me that the opening is one of the most important parts of a chess game. It went over some of the basic rules for what to do in the opening so that I could know what opportunities to look for and what I need to accomplish. It mentioned many things that should have happened on the chess board by move 10. Some examples would be castling the king and connecting the rooks on the back ranks. It also explained why it was important to develop the pieces and where each piece was best suited. Interesting past games from grandmasters were shown and their strategies were analyzed in order to see why what they did was effective. It's fun reading about their games and strategies and I get inspired to try and do what they do when I play but unfortunately it doesn't always seem to work out. Nonetheless, I learned a lot from watching how they play, especially during the opening. Because of that and many other lessons in the book, I feel like my gameplay has improved significantly from reading it.

Kevin's Book Post

Catching Fire

By: Suzanne Collins

     After constant harassment from my sister to continue reading the series I finally read book two of The Hunger Games series that I started way back in middle school. Perhaps it was the time difference since reading the first one but I did not enjoy the second book nearly as much as the first. The book started off a lot more boring to me and it seemed rather slow paced. Towards the middle when the rules to the 75th Hunger Games were announced is when it got interesting again to me. Perhaps I just like all the action in these books which is why when they aren't fighting it seems slightly boring.

     I also watched the movie this semester as they added it onto Netflix. I don't like watching movies after I've already read the book. All the suspense is gone so it's not nearly as exciting as the first time. It's nice to see the director's image of what happened in the book but often times it's not different enough from my own to keep things interesting. I also experienced this after watching the Maze Runner movie this semester. I had already read the book back in middle school so watching the movie wasn't as great for me as it was for my friends because I already knew the big twist at the end.

Kevin's Book Post

Chess Openings: Traps and Zaps

 

     I orgininally only planned on reading Mr. Murder this semester but I'm glad I decided to also read this book. After rediscovering my joy for the game of chess I wanted to get better. I found that my play in the beggining of the game was usually kind of weak so I figured that finally reading this book which had been sitting untouched in my room for years would be very beneficial to me. I was right.

     The writing of this book shows the openings and then it talks in depth about what moves were made and why they were made. This helped me build a better understanding of what makes a good opening and how to find good moves early on. Often times an opponet doesn't follow a standard opening so it's important to know the concept behind all the popular opening moves so that you can adjust them to whatever your opponet is doing. Throughout the book the author occasionally invludes an anecdote or two relating to each opening to help keep the book entertaining. I think this book was definitely worth the time invested.



Kevin's Book Post

Mr. Murder

By: Dean Koontz

 

 

     Reading this book again was a good reminder as to why it's one of my favorites. I enjoy all the action that is constantly taking place and it makes reading a fun experience. I enjoy the author's style and his descriptions of the events that are taking place. His strong development of the characters makes it easy to grow attached to some of them. The attachment to the characters is weird though because throughout the book he followed the story of two opponents so you have to decide which one to root for. In the beginning I gained sympathy for the clone but after he continues to be evil it becomes harder to side with him. By the end I had completely sided with Marty and his family so I was glad with the outcome of the book.

 

     Although I don't read a lot, Dean Koontz is probably one of my favorite authors. I usually enjoy any book I read by him regardless of my initial thoughts on the book from just reading the cover. I look forward to reading more books by this author in the future.

Chace's Book Post 5

Los Juegos del Hambre

by Suzanne Collins

     The Spanish in this book has given me a huge insight into the deeper meaning of The Hunger Games.  In the title, it says los juegos. Juegos are games like tag or hide-and-seek. When I first started looking for the book, I expected it to be los partidos. Partidos are games like a soccer game or a basketball game. The fact that it is juegos means that the hunger games aren't games like the Olympic Games. They're games like tag to the Capitol. That realization was a big "woah" moment for me. There's also places where the details are better because of the multiple words there are for one English word. However, there are places where detail is lacking due to the restrictions of the language. Many times, proper nouns, such as locations, are different than I would have expected because of the restrictions. The translator app I have on my phone has been really useful when I have absolutely no idea what a word means. Something that makes me laugh a little is how I mentally pronounce things when I get into the Spanish mind-frame. For example, Gale is Katniss's friend. Sometimes, instead of pronouncing it "gay-ul" I think "gah-lay" which make me chuckle. 

Chace's Book Post 4

Divergent 

by Veronica Roth

     So initially, I was going to read the Divergent series this semester. I wanted to read the book because I saw the first movie and really enjoyed it. However, the books were really slow in my opinion. They just seemed to drag on and I didn't like Roth's writing style. They were written in first person, however; which is something I enjoy. I like the story line of the Divergent series, but the books were just excruciatingly slow. I'm a really fast-paced person, and when books are slow I just give up on them. A few times in middle school I started books that were really slow, found where they sped up, read a summary up until that part, and then picked up the book again. I gave up on the Divergent books pretty quickly because of how slow they were. I only wish they read as good as the movie was, because I don't like to watch a movie without reading the book. After giving up on the Divergent books, I quickly switched over to the Percy Jackson books because they related to my directed study subject and I really enjoyed them when I read them the first time.

Chace's Book Post 3

Los Juegos del Hambre

by Suzanne Collins

     Recently, for my AP Spanish class, I started reading The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins in Spanish. At first, it was nearly impossible. However, as I've started to read more of it and increase my vocabulary, the recurring words are becoming less difficult to remember. Luis told me to read a book I had already read in English, and The Hunger Games came to mind immediately. The book is really thick, but I think that's just because the font is bigger and the wording is longer. Many phrases in Spanish take more words to say than they do in English. I am enjoying learning more Spanish and rereading one of my favorite books. The Spanish in the book has some phrases that are only used in certain Spanish-speaking countries, so sometimes I get stumped. That's when the prior knowledge of what is going on at that point in the book comes in handy. Knowing what is generally going on in certain parts of the book is very useful because it helps when I don't know a certain word or phrase. I think The Hunger Games was an excellent choice of book to read in another language. 

Chace's Book Post 2

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan

      I really forgot how much I love these books.

     The Percy Jackson story line has always been one of my favorites, but since I have been studying mythology, the story is has only gotten better. The accuracy with the greek mythology only enhances the story. I really enjoy books that are written in first person because it makes the story seem more personal. Honestly, if I hear that a book is written in third person, it kind of makes me want to not read the book. The Percy Jackson books are written in a more modern tone, and therefore they are very quick reads. The first book isn't my favorite, however. The fifth book in the 5-book series has to be the best one. I really like the "everything is coming to a close" part of books and movies, so the fifth book is the best. Simply because it is mostly the ending action and more interesting parts of the story.

     My main interest in the PJ books is due to my love for mythology. The books were actually what inspired me to study mythology this semester. The modern aspect of the mythology was what initially grabbed my attention and pulled me in. Basically, the first book is about Percy's journey to recover Zeus' stolen master lightning bolt, and the adversities he faces along the way. The second book is about his journey to recover the Golden Fleece because the borders of his camp are dying and they need to be healed. The third book is about his journey to find Artemis and stop a war with the Titans. The fourth book is about Percy's battle with opposing forces and the use of Daedalus' Labyrinth as a war tunnel. The fifth book is about the battle for New York city and Percy's internal struggles. Overall, the series covers everything there is to know about greek mythology. Rick Riordan also has a series out about roman mythology.

Sarah's Book Post #5

Sarah Jory

Directed Studies

Book Post #5

Looking for Alaska

A novel that took my breathe away that I finished in a single car ride back to Atlanta from Savannah.  Looking for Alaska is one of my favorite books that I have read in 2014.  The novel was written by John Greene, the infamous author of A Fault in Our Stars.  However, this novel was nothing like the forced, literary drudge that is “AFIOS.”  After reading AFIOS I had many assumptions about John Greene and his style of literature.  But he did impress me as a reader with Looking for Alaska.  

The story does not take place in Alaska but at Culver Creek boarding school in Alabama.  The main character, Miles, is tired of his old, boring life that reminded me a lot of “Charlie” from Perks of Being a Wallflower.  This is a character I love to read about because they might seem boring from the outside but the “shy guy” is an awesome and quirky story teller to read from.  So Miles sets off to boarding school his junior year of high school and meets Colonel (real name Chip Martin), Takumi, and Alaska Young.  Alaska is a beautiful, wild girl who shows little to no interest in Miles.  

Throughout the story is is obvious of Miles’ fascination with Alaska Young.  But, right when they finally kiss and I became so interested in the story because I was so excited about their kindling love, she goes crazy and leaves campus while drunk and crashes her car and dies.  It was a tearjerker and I did not see this coming. However, the story had so many themes and lessons that apply to high school students.

Life is fleeting.  At boarding school, with tight dress code and strict rules, the students seemed more wild and reckless than at typical high school.  The juxtaposition between order and chaos is something that is typical of high school students.  The more order that is enforced upon us, the more chaos most students seek to create.  But, the chaos created by meager Miles and his wild friends caused Alaska’s death.  After her death Miles spent all his time obsessing about how this could have possibly happened to the girl he loved.  The tragedy taught Miles and Colonel so much about adolescence.  It was a tragic story but I think it was well written and I learned some life lessons from their tale.

Sarah's Fourth Book Post

Sarah Jory

Directed Studies

Book Post #4

Dark Places

This is another book by Gillian Flynn and I have to say it was not my favorite.  Dark Places was about a family that goes through a horrible tragedy and only one daughter and one son survives out of the six member, single parent household.  When I started reading Dark Places I had the idea it would be as intriguing as Gone Girl, since the two novels were written by the same author.  However, I was wrong.  Dark Places was much “darker” than Gone Girl and I did not think that was possible.  

I did like the style, however, that the novel was written in.  It is just like Gone Girl in that way.  Gillian Flynn goes back and forth switching the narration from past to present.  It keeps me, as a reader, on my toes.  The book would flash in and out of the son as a boy and back to the daughter telling the story from the present, as an adult.  Libby Day, the daughter is not a very strong protagonist.  When she is telling the story everything seemed dull and distant.  It was a contrast to the flashbacks to the past in her brother, Ben Day’s perspective.  He told his story in a much more detailed way that kept me interested in the novel.

Ben Day was accused of murdering his family but sparing his sister, Libby Day.  She was six at the time and pointed her finger at her thirteen year old brother when she was being questioned at the trial.  So, Ben went to jail for a life sentence because of his child sister’s accusation.  However, throughout a series of twists and turns I discovered Libby Day was hiding in her closet at the time of the murder, she has no idea who killed her family.  Her lawyer had coaxed her into believing that Ben had committed the murders because it was the easiest way out of the trial. The book leads you down the path of realizing Ben did not commit the murders but Libby’s estranged father might have.  It was a very interesting story but it was too vulgar for me.  

The story was about mainly a twisted and awful family dynamic.  But I was so interested in who committed the murder I kept reading to find out.  However, the book ending is not clear and Libby gets no real resolution.  It left me unsettled.  I believe that Runner Day, her father committed the murders.  If there is a sequel I will read it to find out.  Poor Libby has no resolution.  She does not get married, find the murdered, or find a sustainable source of income.  The book was unsettling for me so I hope there is a sequel.

Jo Last Week

Mon- work on slides
Tues: present
Wed: final
Thurs: final
Fri: LAST DAY! Merry Christmas(:

Jordan Book Post 5

Crazy Love by Francis Chan

     Chan writes a lot about living radical lives through Christ. He points out believers' call to live Christ-like, to love the Lord with all your heart, to follow His will completely, to lose our lives to gain it...and often, these callings go against human nature and what the world desires. As a believer, I have been faced with the temptations and challenges of this battle. I have experienced some of the doubt and fears that hold believers back from taking the calling on completely. Chan writes about the Sovereignty of God that has the power to overcome the challenges, temptation, fears, and doubts, but believers still face them. Chan writes about the Mercy, Compassion, and  Guidance the Lord has for His people, but the battle within the world is still real. The things of this world may be real, but they are not true. Believers are made Holy, set apart, brought into unity with God; they are no longer "of this world" when they commit their lives to Christ. The reassurance of that new identity is what fuels the ability to live radical lives like the ones Chan describes in Crazy Love.  He knows the reality of the hardships that come with living a completely surrendered life, but he writes about how promising, rewarding, and fulfilling it is. The good thing about Chan is that he does not only use the wisdom he has gained over time with the Lord, but he also incorporates Scripture to influence and defend his claims along with other people's experiences. His words are not only meaningful to the believers, but they have the power to speak to a wide variety of people. It is that approach along with the power, truth, and calling behind his words (about God, believers and Christianity) that make his book so great.

Plans Week Dec. 8th-12th

Monday: Make animals video. Meet Henry and turn in Final.
Tuesday: Work on Products
Wednesday: Work on Products
Thursday: Work on Products
Friday: Meet with Missy

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (12-8)- Friday (12-12): Work on book posts

Jordan Book 4

Crazy Love 

By: Francis Chan

"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness, and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need for further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune God, I want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, "Rise up my love, my fair one, and come away." Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long." - A.W.Tozer

Chan uses this quote to start off the chapter in Crazy Love that spoke the most to me. Not only did it speak truth to me in this season of my life, but it also reminded me of so much I have lost sight of. The book is about the Lord inviting His people into a life and love with him, and this chapter held so much of its meaning. The ideas of love and God are huge in themselves, but Chan touched on it in such a way that it was clear that love and God are intimate, chosen, desirable things the Lord offers us. 

Lately, I have lost my "fire" for truly LIVING every day through the Lord. I feel as if I have just existed; I have not been living fully in the ways I know are possible with God. On top of that, I have started this book three times now; the third being the time I actually finished it. With some of the things on my heart and mind as I began the book, I knew this could be a time I saw some of that "fire" again. Thankfully, and by the Lord revealing to me and my choice to abide in those things, I feel like I am living more than just existing. I was rereading this chapter, and this sums up the challenge and lesson I am learning.

 "As we being to focus more on Christ, loving Him and others becomes more natural. As l;long as we are pursuing Him, we are satisfied in Him. It is when we stop actively loving Him that we find ourselves restless and gravitating toward other means of fulfillment"(Chan 104).

Back to the A.W.Tozer quote. I read that over and over; it gave me goosebumps. Although the language is above what my cry to the Lord is, it meant the same thing: I know I need you, God, but help me want you and life with you again and again. Because of my lack of desire lately, I found myself in between the words of Tozer's. And I have had a few moments here and there when I recognized it and sought out the Lord. There have also been the times when I didn't know what to do. I have finally come to a place where I am consciously asking and seeking and desiring the Lord every day in every situation. The "fire" is rekindling. A.W. Tozer said it in a way that treats our ears, swells our hearts, and inclines our spirit, and I am so glad that Crazy Love has shown this to me in a fresh, personal, obtainable way.  It is a challenge, but an even greater to be thirty, to desire, to long, to know, to rise, and to go again. 

Palmer's Book Post #4

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

by Amy Chua

Part #2

Palmer's Book Post #3

Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

by Amy Chua

Part #1

Palmer's Week (12/8-12/12)

Monday (12/8): Read linguistics paper.
Tuesday (12/9): Analyze linguistics paper.
Wednesday (12/10): Begin writing critique of linguistics paper.
Thursday (12/11): Finish writing critique of linguistics paper.
Friday (12/12): Submit critique.

Sarah's Book Post #3

Sarah Jory

Gifted Directed Studies

Book Post #3

Comparing Gone Girl the novel to Gone Girl the movie

In the past two weeks I have been obsessed with this author.  Gillian Flynn has written a few other dark novels that do not rival Gone Girl in content but are much darker and much more twisted.  I made the mistake of seeing Gone Girl in theatres before I read the novel.  This took much of the dazzle away from the twisted plot.  However I simply did not have time to leisure read before I saw the movie.

I do like the novel more than the movie but the movie was no cop out.  But, in the novel Gillian Flynn tells the story in such an interesting format it is hard to translate it into a movie.  The book fast forwards and flashbacks between every chapter.  One chapter would be told from Nick in the present, searching for his wife Amy and the next would be told from Amy, before she went missing.  For me, it created suspense because I was going back and forth in their life trying to divulge any clue I could from the plot.  The time warp did not translate as well in the film because a film is only two hours long.  I enjoy reading more because I read novels over the span of five to ten days.  While I am not reading I ponder over the next twist or turn.  But in the movie, I had no time to do that.  

My next point, never go see the movie before reading the book.  I knew the plot while I was reading the novel so it took half of the fun out of it.  But, I did pick up on a few more clues since I already knew the ending.  When Amy disappears the only evidence of struggle is in the living room.  There is a turned over, shattered table but nothing else is disturbed in the room.  When I watched the movie I did not pick up on the small detail but when I read the book I noticed that could have been a clue for false disturbance (someone botching evidence).  Also, there were no signs of struggle anywhere in the house and no neighbors heard.  How likely is it really for a wife to disappear in the morning with neighbors around and no one notices?

There were clues all throughout the novel and movie that I missed.  In the end, Amy does a great job of plotting her escape.  When she showed but up at her home with blood all over her body and the news reporters outside I was shocked.  What kind of crazy person plots their own “death” and then reappears in their life without any blame being cast on them.  

I loved the novel and I love the way Flynn writes.  She does such a great job of leaving no loose ends.  Gillian Flynn could get away with a crime like this because she plotted out the perfect story.  It scares me a tad that people are so smart to write such intriguing novels.

Chace's Book Post 1

Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief

by Rick Riordan

(I switched books after reading a little in Divergent)

       I read the Percy Jackson series quite a few times in middle school, but I haven't read them in a long time, so I decided to read them again. The series focuses on a boy who is the son of a mortal woman and Poseidon, the Greek god of the sea, and therefore goes to a camp for demigods where he will be safe from the mythical creatures that tend to kill demigods. 

     I particularly enjoy the Percy Jackson series because it is written in first person. I really tend to stay away from third person books because they seem so unattached. However, if the book is about real events and the person in the story is no longer around to write an autobiography, I can deal with a third person story if it's a quality story.

    Percy has really always known he was different, but he never understood why. He is dyslexic and has a really hard time in language arts class because he can't read well. His best friend Grover is a little protective, despite the fact that he is crippled and uses crutches. Everything in his life is going fine until his history class takes a filed trip to the Greek history museum. On the field trip, Percy realizes that he can read Greek because his dyslexia unscrambles the letters. Also, he is attacked by a harpy and his teacher (who is in a wheel chair) gets up and fights off the harpy. It becomes evident that Percy has a lot to learn about who he really is. 

Sarah's Week (12/8-12/12)

Monday (12/8)- Finish blog post.
Tuesday (12/9)-Friday (12/12)- Make my final product (the video)

Jo 12/08-12/12

Mon: book post
Tues: work on presentation
Wed: work on presentation
Thurs: work on presentation
Fri: work on presentation

Chace's Week (12/8-12/12)

Monday-Friday: work on book posts :/

Palmer Book Post #2

Babel No More

by Michael Erard

Part #2

Palmer Book Post #1

Babel No More

by Michael Erard

Part #1

My Week (12/1-12/5)

Monday and Tuesday- Work on book posts.
Wednesday and Thursday- Edit poem and canvas.
Friday- Continue book post.

Book Post #1 (Dulari)

Habits How They Work by Charles Duhigg focuses on the idea that habits can be changed if we understand them. The book is split into three parts; the first part solely focuses on the neurological background of habit and how habits are formed. During this part, Duhigg also suggests that our lives are a conglomeration of habits. When we think we are making conscious decisions we are actually just using habits we have formed over time. This idea took a while to digest because it changes the way you think you think about choices you make even from small, daily tasks. For example, thought I chose to wash my face before brushing my teeth this morning, but according to Duhigg's ideas that was just a habit I formed.

Also crucial to this section, is the habit loop. It consists of three parts - a cue, routine, and reward. This loop is best defined through the example of how Pepsodent created the world phenomenon of tooth brushing.
Step 1: Find an obvious cue. In this case, Claude Hopkins, the creator of the habit loop and advertiser of Pepsodent, used the idea of plaque (he dubbed it as "film"). This caused him to sell tooth bushing as not a healthy habit but as a "beauty" item and let's face it, who doesn't want to be beautiful.
Step 2: Routine. In order to create a routine, Hopkins said the film gives teeth a yellowish color and causes rotten, brown teeth. People began brushing their teeth (routine) in order to gain the reward.
Step 3: Have a reward. Hopkins pushed a beautiful, white smile as the reward for brushing your teeth. He also used glamorous movie stars to bolster the campaign.

This habit loop is still used today but an aspect that is crucial to the formation of a habit is neurological cravings. We usually don't realize see the developments of these cravings because they develop slowly. Cravings begin when we associate cues with specific rewards which then leads to the beginning of the habit loop. Smoking exemplifies this concept. A smoker see a cue (a pack of cigarettes), then her brain anticipates the hit of nicotine (reward) which in turn creates a neurological craving for the nicotine. If the smoker's craving is unfulfilled then it continues to grow until the smoker unconsciously reaches for a cigarette.

This section of the book was a lot to grasp because I had to spend some time thinking about the novel ideas that were presented to me. Although the text is not difficult to read, new ideas can change aspects of your ideology. Overall, this book is interesting. I enjoy the way Duhigg wrote the book; he compasses examples of well-known products and people (Michael Phelps, Febreze, Starbucks) which helps translate the scientific facts to the reader more easily and he also included diagrams. So far, I'm impressed and I will try to use Duhigg's suggestions to change some bad habits in my life.

Chace's Week (12/1-12/5)

Monday: Work on book post
Tuesday: Work on book post again
Wednesday: Start final product
Thursday: Finish final product
Friday: Turn in final product and be sad because I turned in my last product

Week of 12/1 - 12/5

12/1: work on blog post (reading)
12/2: post reading blog
12/3: write second reading post
12/4: go to the High Museum and complete objective #10
12/5: present objective #10 and post reading blog #2

Week Plans (Dec. 1 - Dec. 5)

Monday: Work on posters for products
Tuesday: Work on posters for products
Wednesday: Type papers on deaf culture
Thursday: Type papers on deaf culture
Friday: Meet with Henry

Jordan 12/1-12/5

Mon: ideas for presentation
Tues: ideas for presentation
Wed: start presentation
Thurs: book
Fri: book

Kevin's Book Post 1

Mr. Murder

By: Dean Koontz

      I read this book because I had read it before a long time ago and remembered that it was very entertaining so I figured it would be worth another read. Mr. Murder was an exciting novel the second time around too. It follows an assassin who was cloned from a writer that does not know about the assassin's existance. The assassin has no knowledge of his past or who he is and begins to feel a strong desire to be someone. His desire inexplicably draws him towards Marty Stillwater, who he is cloned from. The whole book follows his adventure as he tries to kill and replace Marty Stillwater.

      I have not read a lot of books since entering high school but this book served as a good reminder that reading can be fun. A lot of the required books for classes can be boring so it was nice to be able to pick my own book to read.

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (12-1): Research for essay due Friday
Tuesday (12-2): Research for essay due Friday
Wednesday (12-3): Begin writing essay
Thursday (12-4): Continue writing essay
Friday (12-5): Turn in essay

Palmer's Plan (11/17 - 12/1)

Goal of week (11/17) to (11/21): Begin study of historical linguistics.
Goal of break (11/22) to (11/30): Prepare presentation on historical linguistics.
Due date (12/1): Present historical linguistics.

Dulari's Week (11/17 - 11/21)

Monday - Thursday: work on objective #10
Friday: turn in objective #10

Chace's Week (11/17-11/21)

Monday-Thursday: Look into mythical creatures and read about their mischievous behaviors.
Friday: Turn in my product on the creatures.

Sarah (11/17-11/21)

Monday-Friday (11/17-11/21)- Read and do two blog posts. (Gone Girl)

Jordan 11/17-11/21

Mon: research
Tues: product
Wed: TURN IN
Thurs: look at next objective and start
Fri: research

Palmer's Week (11/10 - 11/14)

Monday (11/10): Continue research on language semantics.
Tuesday (11/11): Continue research on language semantics.
Wednesday (11/12): Begin writing report on language semantics.
Thursday (11/13):  Finish writing report on language semantics.
Friday (11/14): Submit report on language semantics.

Palmer's Week (11/5 - 11/7)

Wednesday (11/5): Begin research on language semantics.
Thursday (11/6): Continue research on language semantics.
Friday (11/7): Continue research on language semantics.

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (11-10): Work on project due wednesday
Tuesday (11-11): Work on project due wednesday
Wednesday (11-12): Turn in project and begin next project's research
Thursday (11-13): Continue to research
Friday (11-14): Research for next project

Sarah's Week (11/10-11/14)

Monday(11/10)-Thursday(11/13) Work on art product.
Friday(11/14) Turn in product.

Jordan 11/10-11/14

Mon: work on product
Tues: work on project
Wed: turn in
Thurs: look at next objective
Fri: start next research

Dulari's Week 11/3 - 11/7

- Monday through Thursday: work on objective #8
- Friday: turn in objective #8

*Post on book sometime this weekend!

Jordan Book Post 3

A Thousand Splendid Suns

By: Khaled Hosseini

"She thought of her entry into this world, the harami child of a lowly villager, an unintended thing, a pitiable, regrettable accident. A weed. And yet she was leaving the world as a woman who had loved and been loved back. She was leaving as a friend, a companion, a guardian. A mother. A person of consequence at last. No. it was not so bad, Miriam thought, that she would die this way. Not so bad. This was a legitimate end to a life full of illegitimate beginnings" (Hosseini 370).

In the context of the book (Afghanistan before, during, and after the Taliban), those few sentences are saddening. Miriam, the woman the quote is about, is facing the death penalty for murdering and running away from her husband. Even though it is heart wrenching, this quote applies to each of the character in a special way. Since this book is a life story, a love square, and a difficult topic to read about, I picked the four important characters that I liked the most. I gave you a brief summary of their story along with the meaning of this quote for them individually.


Miriam:
     She was born outside of wedlock, so naturally, she and her mother were shunned and lived alone in their own little world. When her mother committed suicide because Miriam left for a few hours, Miriam was sent to her father's. But not for long. He married sweet,thirteen year old Mariam off to an aged man with graying hair, Rasheed. Her life went from the shunned daughter, the maid of a wife, the "old hag" of the family, then the burden in the house.
     This quote is Miriam's thought in the book. She was walking up to her death spot thinking those very things by reflecting on her fight through life. Her life embodies that quote perfectly because of how mistreated, unappreciated, and looked-over she was in her childhood and adulthood home. Even though she was surrounded by a strong husband and a good family, Miriam life behind closed doors was one of fear and obedience. Miriam was trapped under authority and lived like a "weed," but the best part about Miriam is that she overcame that false identity. At the end of the day, Miriam was thankful for her little family of Leila and the children, she treasured the richness of life they had together despite the barrenness of their surrounding, and she always humbly took the place of others. Miriam was a warrior, and she was proud of her life in such a way that she stared death in the eye fearlessly and with no regrets.


Leila:
     She was the daughter of modernized parents who encouraged her to dream big and live like the special little girl she was. She was learning, playing, and of course, falling in love with her very best friend, Tariq. When the Taliban affected her family, she became the new, young, beautiful prize of Rasheed. Going into the marriage, she had become pregnant with Tariq's child--she had to do something to cover it. Rasheed was the last person she wanted, but there was no way out, just like Miriam.
     Leila came in this world a bit different than Miriam; Leila came in already beautiful, smarter than most young ladies, and passionate. But that life was quickly taken form her when she was forced with Rasheed and his home. She clung to Miriam and their children for all hope and goodness, but Leila was weak emotionally. She had her own battles under Rasheed's control, lust, and demands, but she too came to a point where she looked back on life and saw that she had loved and been loved. Leila's outward beauty faded over the years, but her beautiful heart prevailed, and it ignited when she was with her love, Tariq. Leila had the blessing of her difficult life in Rasheed's home, and it was exactly that challenge that made everything else so much sweeter.

Tariq:
     He was the goofy, intelligent, cripple of the town. He had one real leg and one attached leg, but that did not stop his humor, determination, and care for others. Tariq was the boy in the story anyone would "crush" on or get excited when they saw his name down the page. He had his family, but he also had his best friend, Leila, who he didn't realized the truly loved more than anyone or anything until they were forced to part. Tariq brings hope to this difficult story, he comes when everyone leasts expects, and he brings only the best.
     Tariq's physical disability automatically gave him the label of a weed or an unintended accident. All the boys attacked him with words and fists over the years, but even sweet Tariq defeated the label of inadequate. Like Miriam and Leila, Tariq had a special, huge heart that was constricted by the circumstances around him. His determination and pursuit in life made his life something to be proud of and something worth so much more than it was labeled. He fought and pursued and gave all he had to survive the difficulty in life, and that is was made his happy ending with his dear Leila so worth it. Personally, I loved seeing Tariq in the story, and he was the man of the story giving it an extra touch of strength, pursuit, and even true love.

Aziza:
     She was the lively but tender daughter of Leila and Rasheed in other's eyes, but she was the rebellious, bright daughter of Leila and Tariq is actuality. Aziza loved her mother, Leila, but she also loved her Miriam. Aziza was the flower in a messy family situation; often times, Aziza manifested the only and little hope Miriam and Leila had at home. She grew up, learned what she could, blocked out the terrible memories she could, and found a way to love her little life and her mamas.
     Aziza was born into harshness, ugliness, and difficulties. As the child of the story, she brought child-life faith, curiosity, and audacity that helped her survive. Aziza radiated these things off to others in her family, and I think her energy is what kept them going at some desperate points. She has the experience of a rough childhood, loving mothers, a fought for future, and a new,hopeful family. Aziza is still young, but she overcame so much just as a young girl and she can justifiably say she was a "person of consequence at last."

Sarah's Week (11/3-11/7)

Monday(11/3)- Work on book post.
Tuesday(11/4)- No School thank you political persons of America.
Wednesday(11/5)- Starting interpreting "Novelty" into artwork.
Thursday(11/6)-Continue
Friday(11/7)- I will be gone at state but I need to continue my art over the weekend.

Chace's Week (11/3-11/7)

Monday: Study the war between the Greeks and the Romans
Tuesday: No School
Wednesday-Thursday: Look into the wars and battles more
Friday: I won't be here...

Week 12 Plans ( Nov. 2 - Nov. 7th)

Monday: Review directional Verbs.
Tuesday: Finish products for Bolton
Wednesday:Turn in some products (HOPEFULLY)m Keep reviewing vocab and sentences.
Thursday: Work book pages.
Friday: Meet with Henry

Jordan 11/03-11/7

Mon: look at new objective

Tues: no school 

Wed: finish book post 

Thurs: research

Fri: research

Sarah's Book Post #2

Sarah Jory

Book Post #2

Sylvia Plath The Bell Jar

For one of my products I read The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath.  It is an autobiographical book about her early life up until her early twenties.  Sylvia wrote this book about “Esther” but really it is just a story of her own personal life.  Plath’s novel was not published until after her early death at age 30.  I did not know what to expect when I opened the book a few weeks ago because none of my friends have ever read it and it does not have rave reviews.  Now I know why.  Sylvia Plath battled with mental disorders such as depression and paranoia.  Reading about someone’s life, in their own words, who struggles with such disorders can be a tad concerning.  

Plath describes huge, life events with understatement and indifference.  I would be reading about one of her suicide attempts and before I knew it she was trying to kill herself.  Every event in Plath’s tale is described with the same lack-luster, cold, uninvolved vocabulary.  Her words made me feel depressed.  Most people read books to make them feel better or feel some type of emotion because that is what books do, they invite us in to places we are not familiar with and give us a bird’s eye view of the situation.  Sylvia’s life was sad and uninviting but very powerful to read about.  I know empathize with those who go through depression.  I read Plath’s own retelling of her life.  It is sad to think that is how she truly felt about it.  

Plath has the opportunity of a lifetime presented to her at a very young age.  She interned for a magazine in New York City.  In her own words, Plath says that every girl would kill to get such a job opportunity.  But she honestly did not care that she was given this chance.  Sylvia described it as a negative experience.  I know personally, that getting to work in New York City would absolutely exhilarate me.  My heart hurt reading about a young girl who got that chance but was so depressed that she could not even enjoy it.  I felt just some of Plath’s life of sadness and it made me aware of how awful she must have felt.  No one around her understood her depression and she felt trapped (in a “bell jar”).  

I am empathetic to her personal life and writing now.  The depth of her poems and pieces literature comes from a troubled life.  Reading this book made me understand how hard life can be for some people.

Week of 10/27 - 10/31 (Dulari)

Monday - Thursday: work on objective #7
Friday: turn in objective #7, book post #1

I'M AT SCHOOL! :)

Chace's Week (10/27-10/31)

Monday-Thursday: Work diligently on my product.
Friday: Bring in my amazing work.

Palmer's Week (10/27 to 10/31)

Monday (10/27): Begin drafting research paper on language syntax.
Tuesday (10/28): Work on research paper on language syntax.
Wednesday (10/29): Work on research paper on language syntax.
Thursday (10/30): Work on research paper on language syntax.
Friday (10/31): Submit my research paper on language syntax.

Palmer's Week (10/20 to 10/24)

Monday (10/20): Research language syntax.
Tuesday (10/21): Research language syntax.
Wednesday (10/22): Research language syntax.
Thursday (10/23): Research language syntax.
Friday (10/24): Research language syntax.

Jordan Week 10/27-10/31

Mon: I need to breath today...
         start looking at next objective/product
Tues: plan activity and do activity with girls today
Wed: write about experience
Thurs: keep writing and find supportive info
Fri: book post and check product one last time (Due Monday)

Sarah's Week (10/27-10/31)

Monday(10/27)- I turned in my annotations and themes/symbols from The Bell Jar.  This took me a lot longer because instead of doing just a poem I read her autobiographical novel.
Tuesday (10/28)- Start product 7.  I had to change the due date because the annotations and novel set me back in my progress.
Wednesday(10/29)- Continue writing my piece.
Thursday(10/30)- Edit poem/ piece and finish it.
Friday(10/31)- Turn in poem.

Jordan 10/20-10/24

Mon: sick
Tues: product
Wed: Turn in
Thurs: start next research
Fri: research

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (10-20): Finish research for project
Tuesday (10-21): Prepare for presentation
Wednesday (10-22): Prepare for presentation
Thursday (10-23): Finish presentation and practice
Friday (10-24): Present project

Week 10 (Oct. 20th - 24th) Plans

Monday: Workbook Pages Unit 1-3
Tuesday: Workbook Pages Unit 1-3
Wednesday: Vocabulary review
Thursday: Work on Product
Friday: Meet with Henry

Chace's Week (10/20-10/24)

Monday & Tuesday: Finish up product
Wednesday: Turn in Product
Thursday & Friday: Look into Roman vs Greek gods

Sarah's Week (10/20-10/24)

Monday (10/20)- Finish reading The Bell Jar
Tuesday (1021)- Copy annotations from the book onto a google doc.  I had a project due last week of highlighting and annotating major themes a piece of Sylvia Plath's work.  But since I took on reading her book instead of a poem it has taken me longer than I allotted to annotate.  I have annotated and written notes in the margins.
Wednesday (10/22)- Continue work from Tuesday.
Thursday (10/23)- Continue annotating.
Friday (10/24)- Begin to construct a poem using her themes and styles.

Jordan 10/14-10/17

Mon: no school
Tues: work on product
Wed: finish product
Thurs: turn in product
Fri: pep rally

Palmer's Week (10/14 to 10/17)

Tuesday (10/14): Work on presentation for systems of writing.
Wednesday (10/15): Work on presentation for systems of writing.
Thursday (10/16): Work on presentation for systems of writing.
Friday (10/17): Submit presentation for systems of writing.

Chace's Week (10/14-10/17)

Tuesday-Friday: Study the Roman gods (pretty chill week yay)

Sarah's Week (10/14-10/17)

Tuesday (10/14)-  Finish reading The Bell Jar.
Wednesday (10/15)- Annotate the book and transcribe the annotations from the book into a word document.
Thursday (10/16)- Finish annotations and themes about The Bell Jar.
Friday (10/17)- Write a book post about The Bell Jar.

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (10-13): No school
Tuesday (10-14): Research for next project
Wednesday (10-15): Research for next project
Thursday (10-16): Research for next project
Friday (10-17): Research for next project

Week 9 (Oct. 14th - 17th) Plans

Tuesday: Workbook pages for Unit 1-3
Wednesday: Workbook pages for Unit 1-3
Thursday: Workbook pages for Unit 1-3
Friday: Workbook pages for Unit 1-3

Jordan 10/6-10/10

Mon: drive home
Tues: research
Wed: research
Thurs: research
Fri: start product

Palmer's Week of 10/6 to 10/10 Plan

Monday (10/6): Begin research on systems of writing.
Tuesday (10/7): Research on systems of writing.
Wednesday (10/8): Research on systems of writing.
Thursday (10/9): Research on systems of writing.
Friday (10/10): Begin preparation for presenting the systems of writing.

Chace's Week (10/6-10/10)

Monday & Tuesday: Study the Greek and Roman interactions and how they influenced each other
Wednesday: Bring in product
Thursday & Friday: Start looking into the Roman gods

Kevin's Weekly Schedule

Monday (10-6): Begin to catagorize fears
Tuesday (10-7): Decide on which catagories to include and which are more important
Wednesday (10-8): Work on pamphlet
Thursday (10-9): Work on pamphlet
Friday (10-10): Turn in project