Polonius- a good dad or a boor?

In Act I, Scene III, Polonius gives his son, Laertes, some advice before Laertes returns to France. Some of the advice is famous; some is pithy and shallow. Please choose one piece of advice and write it in "Shakespeare" and then paraphrase in your own words. After that, evaluate this advice. Is it helpful? Is it cliche? Have you heard something comparable in Judaism? Have you been given this advice from your parents? Are Polonius' words helpful or is he a horrible dad who does not know his own son well enough to give him real advice? Blog and respond by May 1, 2010!

Blogging about books

Boys,

Since a blog is a place for YOU to state your opinion, please use this space to comment on your book. This should be purely an opinion- and it should be your opinion. I recently finished a novel by Val McDermid entitled A Darker Domain. This mystery was riveting and it held my attention from page one all the way through the final page. One aspect of McDermid's writing that I enjoy most is her complex plot. McDermid is constantly weaving in twists and turns and just when you think you know "who done it", there is another surprise that totally throws you off. Although I generally do not like reading mysteries, much less murder mysteries, McDermid's focus on the story rather than the gory details of the crime hold my attention. In addition, McDermid brings in rich scientific and forensic analysis, by way of compelling minor characters that add to the tale. Another wonderful aspect in all of McDermid's novels are her attention to detail in establishing a setting. I love reading about England or Scotland- locations I may never visit in person, but love to read about in ficiton!

Independent reading

Thank you to all who responded to the previous blog. We will read Speaker for the Dead as a group. Each of you found another book you would be interested in reading. That book wil be your independent reading book for the month. Chaim- Hitchhiker's Guide, David- Ender's Shadow, Daniel- Ender's Shadow. Ilya and Yaakov- you have until this evening to post a title- otherwise, I will assign you a book to read.

Be prepared to write an in-class essay on March 10, 2010.

Happy reading!

Literature

So we read a work of science fiction, one of the best in fact, and now we are ready for a new literature unit. What do you want to read and why? Should we stay with sci-fi? With Ender? Or branch out into historical fiction, non-fiction, mythology, short stories...the possibilities are endless.

You need to post what you would like to read and why by Wednesday, February 3, 2010, so we can get the books and start reading.

Choose a novel or type you will enjoy reading and something you think the class will enjoy reading.

Mrs. Tsuna

The Nobel prizes are awarded

This week's blog focuses on the Nobel prizes. If you recall, a number of years ago we displayed a bulletin board filled with fun facts about Nobel and the various Nobel prizes. This year, you boys will use this space to collaborate about the Nobel prizes and decide how that information should be displayed on the bulletin board for your school mates to learn new information about these important prizes. See the official website, http://nobelprize.org/ for more information. Each of you will report on a prize and this year's recipient. First come, first served. Our president is a recipient this year. What prize did he receive and why? Are there Jewish/ Israeli recipients? Seek and you shall find out about these genii among us. I am anxious to read what you uncover about these men and women, individuals who, I hope, will serve to inspire you this year. You have until October 29 to blog! The bulletin board you create will be ready to display on November 2, 2009. Enjoy this "nobel" endeavor!

Reading articles

I am quite fond of certain magazines (The New Yorker is just one of my favorites) and urge you to find a "favorite" magazine. Today, you don't need to subscribe to a magazine in order to enjoy reading quality articles. Perhaps you have a talent or interest that you want to pursue. Journals exist on most topics under the sun- find one that suits you. Blog about your journal article and the journal itself. We are eager to read your article, so be sure to link the article directly to your post, as I did. To do so, underline the word you want to link and click on the hyperlink icon. Viola!

You have until Chol HaMoed.

Happy reading!

Malcolm Gladwell

You have read one article by Malcolm Gladwell. Gladwell is one of my favorites. He is an excellent writer who writes for a phenomenal publication- The New Yorker; aside from that, he has great hair! We will read Gladwell in the future. For now, tell me something serious and something fun about him (as I told you something serious and something fun already!).

Gladwell posts should arrive by September 15. Otherwise, I open it up to all my fine readers on the World Wide Web...so students- make me proud!

Mrs. Tsuna