Projecting an image

Some people love their hair.  Others don't.  Some people change their hairstyle as styles and trends change, rendering their old hairstyle less fashionable.  Others still do their hair the same way they have since high school.  Some people try to make a statement with their hair.  Others make the statement, "I have more important things about which to worry than how my hair looks".  Some play with, style, twist, turn, braid, fidget with, ruffly, shake, or otherwise manipulate their hair almost constantly.  Others only touch it when they wash it.  Some maintain their hair at a high level.  Others choose a style specifically because it is low maintenance.

What does your hair say about you?  How do you think others perceive your hair?  Do you care about what others think about your hair.  When getting your hair cut, do you think about what others might think when choosing your style?

The future

Typically when we write a story we write about something that has happened; naturally when doing this we use the past tenses.  Write a five sentence story about a day in the life of a student 30 years from now.  Try to imagine how schools and learning might change.  Keep in mind that some things will remain the same; for example, 30 years ago students sat at desks.  Students today sit at desks.  It's entirely possible that students 30 years from now will sit at desks.  Be creative, have fun, and write about how things WILL BE.

Tense

Verbs have five characteristics - person, number, tense, mood, and voice.  Tense is used to tell when an action happens or a state of being exists.  Helping verbs help us to control the tense.  As such, they can be very useful in describing a sequence of events.  I was thinking about what to type.  I am typing words.  I will walk away from my computer.

Write three sentences about this picture.  The first sentence should be in the past tense; it should describe what was happening immediately before this picture was taken.  The second sentence should be in the present tense; it should describe what is happening in the picture.  The third sentence should be in the future tense; it should describe what will happen next.

Fall

Authors are often inspired by visually beautiful scenes from nature.  These scenes not only add inspiration to our daily lives, they also remind us of the rhythm of the seasons.  The glorious transition of leaves from green to bright yellows, reds, and oranges can be visually stunning.  Additionally, the crispness of the air can be a welcome respite after summer's heat.  In the back of our minds, though, we know that the fall foliage is temporary beauty that will soon be replaced by the stark, bare scenery of late autumn and early winter.

What do you like best about fall?  What do you like the least?  For bonus, include three abstract nouns in your response and underline each one.  You may use the passage above as a reference for these, but do underline any of the abstract nouns from above in your writing.

Practice makes better

Dustin Johson is a talented golfer.  Some of his ability is natural; some comes from dedicated practice.  At one point in the video he mentions that he occasionally gets results that are not ideal; he has determined that often these results come from a mechanical problem in his swing.  This is great for him to know, because he  can fix the problem when it arises by concentrating on that specific element of his swing the next time around.  Just as a certain swing can generate a great shot, a good study routine can generate great results on a quiz or test.  What is the most important part of your study routine?  What do you do, and how can you adjust this if it isn't producing the results you desire? 

The power of water

Thursday was certainly an unusual day; it's rare to use a "snow day" in September!  While many of us weren't directly affected by flooding, quite a few people were either impacted personally or knew people who were impacted by rivers and streaming leaving their banks behind.  How did the rain and flooding affect you and those you know?  What did you do with the unexpected day off yesterday?

Learning from our history

If I could travel in time to spend a week in any other year in American history, I would spend a week in 1933.  During the Great Depression many were called upon to find strength beyond what they thought they possessed because of truly desperate circumstances.  Many who had worked hard and done the right things saw everything for which they had worked snatched away through no fault of their own.  I believe that by spending time with people who clung to hope and resolve during such trying times I could learn some valuable lessons about the depth of human courage and our capacity to overcome misfortune.  Spending this time would make me feel better about the human race; it would also help me appreciate my circumstances rather than taking them for granted.

If you could travel through American history to spend a week in another time, what year would you choose?  What would you hope to learn from the time you spent?