The Gift of a Day - Ch. 13

In this chapter, the message was clear:  Why should we wait until the last day of our lives to begin living the maximum day?  Create your own "last day" in which you describe your perfect day.

The Gift of Gratitude-Golden List

On p.124, Jason learned about "The Golden List"- a visual tablet on which was written ten thing in his life he was thankful for.  Write your own "Golden List" using numbers to separate each one.

The Gift of Problems - Ch.7

Jason Stevens learned about dealing with problems through other people's situations.  He learned that joy does not come from avoiding a problem or having someone else deal with it for you.  Joy comes from overcoming a problem or simply learning to live with it while being joyful.

Write in detail about a time when you learned something through a problem you were experiencing.

Ch. 5 - The Gift of Friendship

Answer in detail ONE of these questions:

Describe something important you did for a friend.

                         OR

Describe something important a friend did for you.

Grow Your Own Food

http://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerilla_gardener_in_south_central_la.html

This TED talk is devoted to the possibilities of gardening.  Since it's almost spring... let's just think about that potential for a moment.  Watch Ron Finley blend gardening and graffiti.

Answer one or more of these questions, or talk about any connection to the TED talk:

What is your experience with gardening like?  How could you see Finley's mission affecting our community?  Explore the financial sense Finely is making "growing your own food is like printing your own money."  How is that true?  Make plans to develop a garden of your own.  What are your favorite vegetables?  Where would you put gardens in our community?  Talk about the thing about sustainability.  Do you attend the farmer's market in Appleton?  How could you get gangsta' with yo shovel?  Why is this TED talk effective?  What is this guy doing that makes you want to do something?  How is he convincing?

The Gift of Money - Ch. 4

In the book, Jason had to find a way to help people with $1500.  If you had $1500 to give away five different ways, who would you spend it on and what ways would it help?

Cost of Dropouts

http://kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%2012_06%20Dropout%20Rate.pdf

After reading this article, respond to ALL 3 of these writing prompts (1 paragraph each):
 - Why do you think the dropout rate is so high?  Reflect.
 - What might schools do to lower the dropout rate?
 - Pick one (or more) statistic from this article and reflect

Dynamic Characters-Messenger

Write 1 paragraph for each of these characters and show how they are Dynamic characters- include details on how they started in the book and how they changed....use examples!  Each paragraph should use this format:  TS, SD (how they were at the start of book), Elab, SD (how they were at the end of book), Elab, Closer

Ed
Audrey
Marv
Ritchie

Four Paragraphs Total

Four of Hearts - Figurative Language

Identify 3 lines in Ch. "Four of Hearts" (p.287-296) that contain figurative language (simile, metaphor, personification, etc.).  Write down the lines, and explain what the author is trying to say.

Ex.  METAPHOR "...which nearly makes me throw my temper from my skin and hurl it at her."  (281)
 - The author is using Ed's temper as a metaphor for his pent-up anger to describe how he wants to snap on his Ma.

Sleep Deprivation Essay

http://kellygallagher.org/resources/AoW%2012_13%2026%20Sleep%20Deprivation.pdf

After reading this article, answer this question:

What did you find out from this article that you may not have known before?

Use facts from the article to support your answers.

Ch. 8 of Spades (p.228)

Write a FIVE sentence summary of this chapter.....We wrote the first one together in class:

Ch. 8 of Spades
Ed is thinking of how he helped the Tatupu Family and he carries the good-luck Cross with him now as he watches the Italian Restaurant on Clown Street. 

Write 4 more sentences that summarize this chapter