Friday

Good morning,I'd like to share an email I received today.
BitternessLifting Pain's Veilby Madisyn Taylor
Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing.It is natural to feel resentment or anger when life does not unfold as expected. We consciously or unconsciously anticipated one experience, and we grieve for the loss of it when the universe puts something else in our path. Most of the time, we work through these feelings and they pass. Occasionally, our anger and resentment do not fade and are instead transformed into bitterness. Bitter feelings allow us to become perfect victims in that we no longer feel obliged to work toward healing and choose instead to identify with our pain. Yet as unwholesome as bitterness can be, it is also a natural element of our emotional palette. When we acknowledge that it is okay to feel bitter, we reconnect with our hurt in a constructive way and can begin the process of working through it.
The nature of bitterness is rooted in the fact that the pain we feel provides us with a rationale. We may feel that we deserve to embrace our bitterness to its full extent. And to be bitter is, in essence, to cut ourselves off from all that is positive, hardening our hearts and vowing never to let go of our hurt. But just as bitter feelings can be self-defeating, so too can the release of bitterness be life-affirming in a way that few other emotional experiences are. When we decide that we no longer want to be bitter, we are reborn into a world filled with delight and fulfillment unlike any we knew while in the clutches of bitterness. The veil it cast over our lives is lifted, letting light and warmth touch our souls.
Divesting yourself of bitter feelings can be as simple as truly forgiving and moving on. Even when your bitterness has no concrete object, you can forgive situations too. Healing pain can be challenging but may be easier if you remind yourself that you are the only entity truly affected by your emotional state. In time, you will discover that letting go of your bitterness frees you to initiate the healing process and allows you to once again celebrate the possibility of the more wonderful life you deserve.

Hopefully that leaves you with something to think about over the weekend.  

Your homework for tonight:

The Destruction at Hiroshima, the victimization at the Nazi concentration camps, and the carnage of 9/11 can all be considered "technological" disasters because they resulted from human actions. They can be considered "human-made."Other disasters, such as the tsunami of December 26th, 2004 and the San Francisco earthquake of 1989 can be characterized as "natural" disasters (often called Acts of God); they are considered beyond the control of humankind.
And finally, some disasters fall into a grey area somewhere between this dichotomy, such as a mine collapse, in which the responsibility can be attributed to both natural occurrences (natural shifts in the earth) and human negligence/error (careless people, poor construction of mine systems, weak supports). Hurricane Katrina may also fall into this category—although Hurricane Katrina herself was a natural disaster and was responsible for much damage, the subsequent effects can be attributed to human negligence and error as well (the weak/inadequate levy that allowed more widespread flooding, the insufficient response to those in need, resulting in more, resulting in more deaths and damages than might have otherwise occurred).
Additionally, regardless of whether a disaster results from human actions or from the natural environment, the events are felt at both the individual and community levels ("Individual" and "Collective" Trauma)—each of which has its own repercussions.Compare and contrast the psychological impacts/reactions of the victims when a "human-made/technological" disaster occurs, as opposed to a "natural" disaster. How do individual and societal repercussions differ?

I'll see you on Monday.  Bundle up, it will be a very chilly day.
-Ms. Betsy

The bomb heard round the world...

Hello,

Thank you for continuing to be incredibly patient and wonderful as we go through a transitionary period.

Your homework tonight:

Option one:  Using direct evidence from the text and your own opinions, answer the following question:  How justified was the  United States in dropping the bomb?

Option two:  How have your views or insights about the bombing of Hiroshima changed since reading the first few chapters of the novel Hiroshima?  Use two pieces of evidence from the text to support your answer.

It's Friday, Friday.

Good morning,

Thank you to everyone who helped with the audio visual today.

As the weekend approaches, please remember to hydrate, be safe and to be nice to each other.

Your homework for tonight is:
(drumroll please...)

Option 1:  Choose one of the characters from the story.  Describe what happened to them 40 years after the atom bomb was dropped.


Option 2:  Choose one of the characters from the story.  Draw a picture of them 40 years after the atom bomb dropped.

ENJOY your weekend and I'll see you on Monday,

Ms. Betsy

Hiroshima cont'd

Good morning!

Like always, you did a great job in class!

Your homework for tonight:

Option one:

Draw a picture of someone with disease X.

Option two:

What is disease X?  Describe the symptoms.

I'll see you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

Galaxies, planets and dwarf planets, oh MY!

Good afternoon,

Thank you for being patient as we go through several changes as a class.  Your patience is noticed, recognized and appreciated.

Your homework tonight:

Option one:  Explain the criteria for a celestial being to be considered a planet.  Why was Pluto demoted?

Option two:  Describe the differences between a comet and a moon.

Remember, we don't have the classroom tomorrow so meet me in the library.

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

Chapter 4 Homework

Good morning,

Our new classroom assignment is a new adventure! I'm excited to share it with you.

Your homework for tonight:

Option one:  Describe how some of the survivors felt about the atomic bomb.  Did they feel it was ethical?  Why or why not?

Option two:  What are some of the effects of radiation sickness?

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

I'm proud of you

Wow!

I am so proud of the work you guys did in class today.  Not only did you conduct yourselves like young responsible adults, but you demonstrated a dedicated work ethic that made me shed a tear of pride.

You should be proud of yourselves!

Your homework tonight:

Option one: What are three reasons that Harry Truman decided to use the atomic bomb?

Option two:  In your OPINION, was Harry Truman justified in his decision to use the atomic bomb? Support your opinion with facts from the lesson today.

I will see you tomorrow,

Ms. Betsy

Homework

Hello,

I trust you worked hard and had a lot of fun in my absence.  I'm sorry that I couldn't be there today but I cannot very well tell you to make healthy choices and then come to class sick myself.

Today in class you should have read chapter 3 of Hiroshima.  If you didn't finish the chapter or the chapter questions, please have it finished by class time tomorrow.

We might not have a classroom tomorrow, so be prepared and patient.  In other physical classroom news, remember there is NO FOOD ALLOWED in the library at all.  This includes and is especially important for any classroom we are in.  If we want to continue being treated like young professionals dedicated to our future(s), we must continue to act like young professionals who are able to understand and abide by the rules.

Your homework for the remainder of the evening is as follows:

1. Who did Mr. Tanimoto find standing up to their necks in the water?

2. How many hours had Dr. Sasaki worked before he tried to sleep?

3. What delighted Hatsuyo Nakamura's children that night?

4. What did Mr. Tanimoto realize when he saw what was in the river?

5. What was the first duty according to the army doctor?

6. How many days was Miss Sasaki left under the lean-to?

7. Where were Miss Sasaki's mother, father, and baby brother when the bomb went off?

8. How many hours of sleep did Dr. Sasaki get during the first three days?

9. What happened at 11:02 am, August 9th?

10. what is a greater moral responsibility to the Japanese than caring for the living?

11. What did the emperor do that Mr. Tanimoto called a "wonderful blessing?"

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

The Fire

Good morning,

Thank you for hanging in there with me today.  I know we're getting into the swing of things and I appreciate your continued hard work.

Happy Birthday, Hector!!!

Your homework tonight:

Option one:  Based on chapters one and two do you think that John Hersey was for or against dropping the atomic bomb on Hiroshima?  Explain why and cite evidence from the text.

Option two:  Describe the confusion in chapter two.  Why were people so confused?

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

Good morning students,

Remember, try to do at least one kind act for someone every day.

You will get an option for homework tonight:

Option one:  Describe the 'noiseless flash' based the six different descriptions in chapter one.

Option two: Draw the noiseless flash based on the six different descriptions in chapter one.

Have fun with it!

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Betsy

Hiroshima homework

Good morning,

Happy Friday!!! I'm proud of all of you who braved the freezing temperatures to come to school.  Your homework for tonight is to answer the following questions:

1. Why is the atomic bomb so unnatural?


3. Write a short paragraph about why the USA dropped the bomb on Japan.

Have a great weekend.  Rest, refocus and do your homework!

See you on Monday,
Ms. Betsy

From the number line to the coordinate plane...

Good morning,

You did a great job this morning.  Thank you for being patient and trying hard.  It's perfectly natural to be frustrated when you don't understand something but don't let it take away your opportunity to learn.

Your homework tonight is:

Write the inequality associated with this graph.

You can do it!!!

See you tomorrow,
Ms Betsy

Graphing inequalities on a number line

Good morning students,

Thank you for working so diligently this morning.  I am proud of all of you!

Your homework for tonight:

1. Define "inequality"

2.Write an expression for the following graphs:

See you tomorrow,

Ms. Betsy

Revolution!

Nurishtar Invents the Ard

Directions: Read this fictional story about a farmer named Nurishtar, who lived in the Fertile Crescent of Mesopotamia around 4000 B.C.E. After reading the story, complete the assessment by answering the questions.

Nurishtar was the eldest son in a very large family of farmers who grew grain used to make bread called bappir. Bappir was made from starch extracted from wild grains. Bappir was spread on a flat rock, placed over a fire and cooked into a primitive form of fl atbread. Bappir could be stored for a long time. Nurishtar and his five brothers spent over 60 days in the spring each year tilling the soil on their small plot of land. They used long pointed wood spikes to work the soil by hand. It was very hard work. Each year, they grew just enough grain to produce the bappir the family would eat for the year. If the weather was good, they might have enough bappir to trade a small surplus of grain to others. If the weather was bad, they risked periods of hunger and had to forage for other food. One day, Nurishtar had an idea: If he could attach the spike to one of the cows they raised, the cow could pull the spike through the hard soil. He designed a tool he called an ard. He attached the spike to a frame that was harnessed to the cow. The cow dragged the ard through the soil, creating furrows in which to plant seeds. Nurishtar or one of his brothers put their weight on the frame to sink the spike into the ground. It took a long time to determine the right way to use the new tool and to train the cow to pull

the ard.

By using this innovation—the ard, pulled by the cow—Nurishtar and his brothers could work their plot of land in far less time and increase their productivity. Because they saved so much time, some of the brothers could spend their time making a new harness for the cow or building an irrigation ditch to bring more water to their land. When they had more water, they could plow a larger plot of land and grow more grain to make more bappir. They increased their production of grain and bappir. With some of the brothers free to work on other jobs, they built better homes and more tools. With a more abundant and sure food supply, they could have more children and enjoyed better health. Their standard of living improved, and they made a major contribution to the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution.

Nurishtar Invents the Ard –Assessment

Fill in the blanks with the correct economic term (bolded in the reading).

1. When Nurishtar and his brothers were able to plow their land in a shorter period of time, they improved their ____________________.

2. The ard was a/an ___________________ that made farming easier.

3. When Nurishtar’s family could consume more food and build better homes, they improved their _______________________________.

4. Because Nurishtar could work more land with the ard, he was able to increase his ____________________ of grain.

Paleolithic Era

Good morning,

Welcome back to school!! I'm so excited for a wonderful 2015 full of learning! (I know you feel the same way :) )

Your homework for tonight:

1. What are three (3) characteristics of the Paleolithic Age?

2.  The Stone Age is the prehistorical era in which historians believe that humans began the practice of farming and agriculture.  Within the Stone Age classification of the three aged system, there are various sub-groups that classify the evolution of humans.  Which of the following subgroups is most closely associated with agricultural development?

A.	Epipalaeolithic

B.	Paleolithic

C.

Neolithic

D.	Mesolithic

3.	What was it that allowed for the transition from the Paleolithic Age to the Neolithic Age?

A.	Industrial Revolution

B.	American Revolution

C.

War

D.	Agricultural Revolution

I'll see you tomorrow,

Ms. Betsy