STAB 2018

Today was exciting : our first day of combined English/History classes! Mr. Passmore and I will combine our classes for the next month. Together, we will read Among the Hidden , discuss the purposes of government, begin to examine the Middle Ages, and write informative papers about medieval castles. I am really looking forward to working on these important -- and interesting -- topics and skills. Today, I learned from the student about the techniques they've been learning, during English class, to annotate texts . The students taught me about several types of annotations: Things you notice Connections you make Questions you have Reactions you have The students' annotating skills are going to be especially helpful as we research medieval castles.  Here are some of Lila's clever annotations made when we read about the history of shelter during today's class:

Artwork by Veronica Dylan : Who was the very first Muslim? What convinced him or her that Muhammad was a real prophet? Lucca : What do Christians believe about Muhammad? Do they believe that he was a true prophet? Lyra : Why do Muslims believe in certain parts of Christianity and not other parts? Laney : Why do only women have to cover their heads? Do some women choose not to cover their heads? Ben : Why do Sunnis and Shiites fight each other? Artwork by Gus, Sophia and Will

Mosques of the World REVIEW QUESTIONS (remember that the quiz will include pages 37, 50-51 and 75 from your World Religions textbook) 1. According to page 50 of the textbook, what is a "parable"? 2. When did Jesus tell his disciples that he was about to die? 3. What did Siddhartha Gautama realize, when he saw a sick man, and old man, and a dead man for the first time? 4. What phrase is often the first thing said to a newborn Muslim? 5.  What is a "sin"? 6.  In Christianity, who wrote the Gospels? 7. Which vocabulary word means "a woman who devotes her life to her religion"? And now for today's Twitter winners... By Jesus: Just read Hammurabi's Code. WRONG! Taking revenge is never fulfilling. If you agree, retweet and come to the Sermon on the Mount. #Turn_the_other_cheek (by Jackson, Martha, Mason and Whitt) The starlight above gave the shepherds a fright It was blinding in the middle of the night Despite the night's fright It was really quite...

By Abraham: With his Chosen People, I must follow the Commandments Ten. To God, all power and glory -- forever and ever, Amen. (by Abby, Taylor, Isabella and Griffin) Just made a covenant with God. Going to destroy my dad’s shop now. So excited I “god” the Chosen People on my side. I’ll start obeying the Fifth Commandment tomorrow -- Nine out of ten isn’t bad. #Daddy’sBoy (by Polina, Whit P., Jack K., William, and Edward) Buddha: Went to Dunkin Donuts today. Ordered a moksha with ‘ karma'l. #Coffee_is_life (by Laney, Lyra and Lila) Who rules the world? I don’t really care I’m working on a way to cure all of despair I made the Path of Eight, isn’t it great? If you need me, I’ll be under the fig tree Ready to meditate (by Sonia, Harrison, Peyton and James) Artwork by Benny and Maggie

The students got off to a great start writing tweets from the perspective of ancient religious leaders . They are working diligently to craft short, informative messages that summarize important points about each religion. Can you identify the ancient "author" of the clever tweet below (in truth, written by Whitt, Mason, Jackson and Martha)? Just saw a fake news report about polytheism. Got so mad that I wrecked my dad's shop. Monotheism is number 1.  #Not_my_gods

Before we get to the video, check out the awesome artwork and thoughtful reflections by your classmates... Do you think the Buddha ever argued with his parents? Griffin : Yes, I think the Buddha argued with his parents, because they were Hindus and he started a different religion, Buddhism, which included different beliefs. On the other hand, maybe he didn't actually argue with them. Maybe the Buddha believed arguing is wrong and you should find a different way. Also, Hinduism and Buddhism actually have a lot  in common  with each other. Do you think the Buddha believed people should try to reach nirvana  by themselves  or  with others ? Lucy : I think the Buddha believed people should try to reach nirvana together. In a lot of the reading we've been doing, it talks about kindness in some way. If people are helping each other with what everyone wants -- nirvana -- then people would be being kind to each other. Also, the Buddha might have thought that people cou...

The students have learned that each of the major religions incorporates the idea of pilgrimage : taking a journey to a sacred place , in order to more fully understand the religion or to feel closer to God. There are several places in India to which Buddhists take pilgrimages. The most famous is the village of Bodh Gaya, to visit the banyan tree where the Buddha achieved enlightenment . ------------------- The Core 2 students engaged in fascinating discussion about the Buddhist belief in non-attachment. Several students questioned whether Buddhism does not put enough emphasis on the positive aspects of human relationships and attachments: Max : Doesn't being attached to people bring you lots of happiness (in addition to the occasional times of suffering)? Andrew  and Sonia : If a Buddhist is not supposed to be attached to other things, can a Buddhist truly love another person? Spicer : What about the Buddha himself? Did the Buddha love others?

Veronica (#1) and  Sean : Did any of Buddha's family members become Buddhist? Jake ,  Edward , and  Alex : Since Buddhism doesn't seem to contradict some of the other religions, and since some people consider Buddhism to be a philosophy, can a Buddhist believe in a second religion? Ben : I think that suffering is a good topic for religions to explain. Why is Buddhism the only major religion that really focuses on suffering? Elle : Can Buddhists really avoid suffering? Isn't suffering natural? Whitt S. : In many of the statutes and paintings, Buddha has really long ears. Why ? Jackson : Is it hard for Buddhist children to not become attached to their parents? Veronica  (#2): Buddhism teaches that you should not be attached to things. But if you follow Buddhism, aren't you attached to Buddhism?

The students are coming up with  fantastic questions about Buddhist beliefs and rituals... Maggie : In Buddhism, if each person is to be treated with love and kindness, how are criminals (and people who aren't kind to anyone else) supposed to be treated? Jack L. : Why does the lotus flower often represent Buddhism? Mason : The "lotus" is a pre-game warmup stretch, too. Are the reasons that some athletes use the lotus position the same as the reasons that Buddhists use it? Chaolin : Has there ever been a person, in history, who did not suffer at all? If so, was he or she a Buddhist? Alex : If Buddhists ever complete their quest to stop suffering, will they then care about whether God is real and how the Universe was created? Lucy : Do some Buddhists believe that there is a god or supreme being?  Martha : Is there a country with zero Buddhists?  Tatiana : Why did the Buddha lay on his side as he entered nirvana? Harrison : Did Buddha ever regret leaving his family?

Today we began to study our fourth religion:  Buddhism . Buddhism is sometimes called a "philosophy" rather than a religion, since many Buddhists choose not to focus on the question of whether god (or another higher power) exists. In this class, though, we are going to classify Buddhism as a religion. ------------ The Buddha was very interested in the topic of  suffering . He asked a number of deep questions: Why do people and other creatures suffer? Is it possible to escape from suffering? How can humans lessen the amount of suffering in the world? To begin thinking about these questions, I posed a couple of " thought questions " to the students today. They came up with fantastic responses: What would you think if you saw a bird eat a worm? How would you feel? Andrew : I would feel sad for the worm, but I would feel  happy  that the food chain is in balance. Kelly : I would feel fine with seeing this. This is how birds stay alive -- it is their natural instinct. M...