What did you learn?

Over break I learned how to use a posthole digger (and prybar) to dig holes in really rocky soil. I learned how to use carriage bolts to secure 2x8 boards to 4x4 posts. I also got to practice a couple of things I learned to do while completing previous projects. I practiced mixing and pouring concrete, and hammering lots of nails.

What did you learn over break?

Whew!!!

Portfolios are done!!

You did a fantastic job crafting, editing, and working to perfect the elements of your portfolio and your presentations. If you had one more day, what would you do to make your portfolio or your presentation even better? Feel free to think big on this one.

Outside activities

I hope that everybody had a chance to get out into the great weather this weekend. I love spending chunks of time playing, digging, and planting outside in comfortable weather. I've been working recently to make my yard as beautiful as possible.The dogwood tree, pictured here, are a classic image of springtime here in America (I planted one last fall). Azaleas are very common down south, and can be seen in full bloom beautifying the Masters golf tournament in Georgia. Washington DC is famous for its gorgeous cherry blossoms in the spring, and forsythia are quite common locally. If you are unsure what each looks like, head over to google images and do a little searching.

Of these four spring blooms, which is your favorite? If you could plant the ideal spring garden, which two of the above plants would you be sure to include? Which of the four is your least favorite? Why?

Which will you choose?

You have been walking in the woods for hours. You only meant to take a short walk to clear your head, since you've been really stressed out about your portfolio recently. You inadvertently lost track of where you were going, and now it seems as though you've been walking in cricles. You feel as though you've been here before; if you remember correctly, the last time you tried the left fork. You can't really remember for sure, though. Part of you thinks that maybe you went right last time, and maybe you haven't really been here before - maybe your mind is just playing tricks on you. You're ravenous, and on top of that you're so thirsty that your tongue feels like it's made of cotton and covered in sand.

You really need to make it back to your cabin soon. Not only are you hungry and thirsty, but you can see the sun beginning to descend toward the treetops. Before long it will set. The air will cool, nocturnal predators will come looking for you, and you'll have an even harder time finding your way along the path.

Which direction do you head next? Why?

Retribution?

Most of you did a good job of locating good information about the Manhattan Project and commenting on Truman's decision. Some of you were a little confused on the timeline of events. Japan and America were not in direct conflict until the attack on the military base at Pearl Harbor. Although there is some debate as to whether anybody knew of the attack before it hit, it is widely accpeted that those on the base were taken completely by surprise. Further, the American public was shocked and outraged by the attack.

Locate some good information about the attack on Pearl Harbor and on the reaction by regular American citizens. Do you think that public opinion regarding Japan played any role in the decision Truman made to attack Japan with atomic bombs a few years later? Would you change your opinion of Truman's decision now that you know more about the attack on Pearl Harbor?

Important Decisions

The series Band of Brothers was an incredibly popular HBO show about soldiers in the European theater of the Second World War. HBO will soon be airing the series, Pacific, which will detail the experiences of soldiers in the Pacific theater of the war. As the battles between Allied and Japanese forces were prolonged, it seemed to some that many were being killed and captured for relatively little territorial gain. While it seemed likely that the Allies would be victorious in the Pacific theater, it looked as though achieving the victory would be a very long, arduous, and bloody affair.

The Manhattan Project was undertaken in part to find a way to more speedily achieve surrender on the part of the Japanese. Harry Truman was the President of the United States who ultimately gave the go-ahead on the plan to drop nuclear bombs on two Japanese cities. Going through with the plan meant killing a vast but unknown number of civilians; generally, the killing of civilians is considered wrong even during war. However, it was thought that many American lives could be saved in the process, and that many soldiers on both sides could be saved from gruesome death and injury in battle by a quicker Japanese surrender.

Do a couple minutes of research on the web. What information can you find about the decision? What source did you use to learn this information? Based on this information, do you think Truman made the right move?

Decisions, decisions

Mazes and puzzles present us with obvious points at which we have to make a decision. Should we go left? Should we go right? Have we already strayed down the wrong path?

One strategy for making good decisions is to pause and consider the REASON that you might choose one thing or another. Since it is supposed to be sunny today and tomorrow, I might choose to do some outdoor work on my house today rather than putting it off until later in the week, since there's a chance of precipitation later on. If I choose to do other things now and end up cleaning up my yard in the rain, I'll have nobody to blame but myself. Generally, the more information I consider before choosing to do something, the better chance I have of making a solid decision.

What important choice have you made recently? What were your options? What reasons led you to choose one path over the alternatives?