If life is a play.....what will YOUR verse be?

Remember last month how we were inspired to keep different kinds of Journals?  Well, pull those journals out for this weeks lens and get ready to be inspired!!!  A journal is a great place to write poetry. What do you think when you hear the word POETRY? Does it make you nervous, excited, sad?  Watch this clip to get your creative juices flowing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS1esgRV4Rc



Required
  Study the life of Eliza R Snow.  She is sometimes referred to as Zion's Poetess. Learn about her and teach us what you discover.  How did she emulate the principle of being STEADFAST? 


Here are some links to get you started


https://www.lds.org/liahona/1987/09/eliza-r-snow?lang=eng




Free ebook  "The Life and Labors of Eliza R Snow"  http://books.google.com/books?id=wXFNAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA8&lpg=PA8&dq=eliza+r+snow+poem+for+thomas+jefferson&source=bl&ots=8Z_Meh1Bsf&sig=XMTdsxZEljEoLpHGn1dQ93yBSQI&hl=en&sa=X&ei=uPZcVLe7GM78yQTJw4D4Cg&ved=0CEAQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=eliza%20r%20snow%20poem%20for%20thomas%20jefferson&f=false









Do you have a favorite poem that she wrote and why?  Did you know that she was asked to write a poem at the death of Thomas Jefferson and John Adams as they died on the same day in 1826? 


Did you know that Eliza R Snow wrote several hymns in our hymn book?  Come prepared to share a favorite hymn or you may even perform it on the piano or an instrument of choice.




Choose to do 1 or more of the following
 #1  Research the different types of poetry. 
http://www.poetryfoundation.org/learning/glossary-terms?category=forms-and-types


#2  You may like to try your hand at some poetry and share with the class. 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pYB3u9714IQ
http://www.oprah.com/spirit/12-Ways-to-Write-a-Poem


  Five easy steps to writing a slam poem https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9f8VcV8v2LE







#3  There are many poets and poetess.  Pick a person to research and share some of their poems. 


Here are some to choose from

               William Shakespeare

                Emily Dickenson

                Walt Whitman

                Robert Frost

               Edgar Allen Poe

              W.B. Yeats

              William Wordsworth

              Langston Hughes

             Elizabeth Barrett Browning

              Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

 Gutenburg.org has free poetry in the public domain http://www.gutenberg.org/wiki/Poetry_(Bookshelf)#Children.27s








#4  Write a Haiku   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qP-kx19zgw






#5   Is there any poetry in scripture?  Tell us about some. 


Wow!  If you really wanted to go the EXTRA mile you could read this article and try to explain it to me.  https://www.lds.org/ensign/1990/06/understanding-old-testament-poetry?lang=eng


The sky is the limit here!!  Please feel free to research some of your own unique ideas about poetry.  The more YOU research the more we all learn!!  That is what this is all about.  SO.... come ready to teach and inspire us!!

Eureka! Thomas Edison and Inventions

Hey everyone,

-Thomas Edison said "Genius is one percent inspiration and ninety-nine percent perspiration."  This month we will be investigating Thomas Edison and his inventions along with a few other inventors.   Ralph Waldo Emerson Said” That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.” What do you think inventing has to do with Steadfastness or Persistence? Come back to that question as you do the inspirements for this week.

Inspirements For Everyone:

A. Explore the inventor Thomas Edison by watching  this video.

B. Read or Listen to this talk by President Uchtdorf.  Consider how all inventions have to be created spiritually (in your mind) before they can be created physically.  What force face an inventor when he can see something in his/her minds' eye but no one else can see it?  How is this like us and what do we see that others can't see?

C. Watch this video about Edison's inventions and learn a little more about one of them.  You also could visit Thomas A. Edison and the Menlo Park Laboratory  and make and show or tell about one of Thomas Edison inventions and how it is still being used today.

Then CHOOSE one or more of these INSPIREMENTS, get inspired and come prepared to teach us about it.  You can teach us any way you like!


1. Watch one of the many movies that he made  on YouTube and find out how he made them

2. Philo Farnsworth invented television there are many videos

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KOlJCezrUE4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PMwEhrRmIVE

3. So who gets credit for inventing the radio?

http://www.history.com/topics/inventions/nikola-tesla/videos/radio-creates-a-

cultural-phenomenon

4. More on Nikola Tesla http://www.pbs.org/tesla/ll/

5. Who invented the diesel engine? Here is a simple explanation of how it works.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UiiqiiTDj0A

6. Where did gun come from? http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/03/12/the-

history-and-evolution-of-guns-as-told-through-pictures/

7. This is an amazing ted talk on the brain

http://www.ted.com/talks/jeff_iliff_one_more_reason_to_get_a_good_night_s_sleep

?language=en

8.  Here is an article how music effects

us http://www.classicalforums.com/articles/music_brain.html

              Make Paper Models of Polyhedra

9. http://www.korthalsaltes.com/

10. balance http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/10/31/when-you-see-his-gravity-

defying-completed-artwork-youll-likely-just-stare-in-astonishment/

11. read this talk //www.lds.org/new-era/2013/07/forgiving-the-one-in-the-mirror?lang=eng

12. Make a flip book here is a how to video.   What does this have to do with Thomas Edison?

Twas the Night before Vanguard and all through the house ...

WARNING!  There is A LOT of cool, thought provoking, I want to know more about that kinda of stuff, stuff.  So turn on the Christmas music and lets get in the spirit of Christmas!


Twas the Night before Vangaurd and all through the house
The children were studying as quiet as a mouse

Their folders were packed with  inspirements real tight
With past Christmas' and traditions, oh, what a sight......


Christmas is so rich with traditions! Where did these traditions come from?

Read the story of Handel.  How does his life relate to Steadfast and ....
How does his life influence you?


Here are some wonderful videos you can watch about the birth of the Savior.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVi6MxynryE&safe=active
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KuDXORaBRTc&safe=active

We would like all of you to come and share some of your favorite Christmas traditions that you do in your families. What are some ideas that your family have to make Christmas a Christ centered time of year?

Scroll down to see a few primary source   documents to study.  After looking them over, choose one or more of these inspirements to teach your classmates about the history of Christmas. (These are taken from the JackDaw study of Christmas traditions)

Finally,  travel to Europe through Christmas traditions. Do you have family ties to a country in Europe? How did they celebrate Christmas? Choose one or more inspirements from the Geography section and teach us what Christmas was like for your ancestors. 

History

1. In recent years, the Supreme Court of the United States ruled that city governments could not sponsor nativity scenes during the holiday season. The court concluded that this practice violated the First Amendment guarantee of the separation between church and state. Do you agree or disagree with the court's ruling?  Provide an argument for your position.

2. Exhibit 2 is a proclamation by Parliament in 1652 banning the celebration of Christmas. Puritans ruled England at this time. The Puritans in the american colonies also forbade the holiday. They argued that the festivities were unholy, sine Christmas had its roots in pagan winter celebrations. Do you think the Puritans were justified in banning the holiday? Was their argument sound? Or were there problems with their reasoning?

3. Christmas has elements of both pagan and Christian traditions. Review Broadsheet 2, "Is Christmas Christian? and the Christmas customs described in Broadsheets 3 and 4. Create a chart that categorizes the customs as either pagan or Christian. Divide a large sheet of paper in half. On the left side, list and briefly describe al the customs whose roots can be traced to pagan practices. On the right side, list and describe the customs which sprang from
christianity. Do  you think Christmas is mainly a Christian, or a pagan celebration? or is it a balanced mixture of both? Discuss these questions with your classmates.

4. Make the "kissing bough" shown in Broadsheet 5. Kissing under the mistletoe is an English tradition, but mistletoe was a very special plant to the Scandinavian peoples. Read about the death of Balder, a Scandinavian hero, in a book of Norse mythology. Hang your bough in the classroom, and tell your classmates the story of Balder. Explain why the Scandinavians saw the mistletoe as both helpful and harmful to humans.


Geography...
Europe - What countries does it consist of?

1. Find a favorite Christmas carol and tell us its history. You can share it with us using any medium you like, art, music(your favorite version of the song),storytelling, food, video, etc.

The story of Silent Night-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMTR2vwn3Mc&safe=active

2. Research Christmas traditions of Europe, there are so many to choose from. Bring anything you need to tell about or to demonstrate these traditions. You could bring items to show us, food traditions to share, traditional clothing, games etc.

Rick Steves videos on traditions in different countries in Europe. Here are a couple
Italy-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFEQ68K4_zs&safe=active
Austria-  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJFGwyH7wvM&spfreload=10

3. How is Santa Clause celebrated in other countries? What does he look like? What is his role in the Christmas Holiday. You may find some very interesting things out. Come prepared to show us the differences.

4. You can listen to or read the Christmas Carol if you want or you could learn somethings about Charles Dickens and tell us about his life.

Audio of The Christmas Carol  https://librivox.org/a-christmas-carol-by-charles-dickens/

5. Make a Nativity and bring it to show us.