Too Young To Drive?

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Students,

This week's blog commentary will be submitted to our blog comments below AND your new TeenBiz3000 accounts!  For this week's blog commentary you must do the following:

1.  Log in to your TeenBiz3000 account using your assigned username and password: http://www.teenbiz3000.com/ 

2.  Select your class (Tr. Lacey and class name - do not choose Spanish version).

Click on your "mailbox" on the lefthand side of the screen and open the message from me, "Teacher Boland."

3.  Read the assigned article, "Too Young To Drive?"

4.  Click on the "Thought Question" at the top of the article and read and respond to the prompt.  Click on the "Include in your answer" button to make sure you are following all directions (it is, after all, the theme of the week!).

5.  Submit your "Thought Question" response to TeenBiz3000 and in the blog comments below (just like last week).  As always, make sure to reread and edit for CUPS (capitalization, usage, punctuation and spelling).

This week's blog prompt/TeenBiz3000 "Thought Question":

Should lawmakers raise the minimum legal driving age to 17 or 18?  Respond to the poll on the blog's sidebar and in your commentary below.  Write a letter to lawmakers expressing your views on this issue. Be sure to include facts that support your opinion.  Support your answer with details from the article, as well as ideas of your own.  If you can, connect your thoughts on the issue to the events in Sharon Draper's Tears of a Tiger.  Would raising the legal driving age prevent tragic accidents like the one involving Andy and his friends?

Due date (posted to the blog and TeenBiz300): Tuesday 4PM

Let's Roll!

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Students,

Welcome to our class blog 7 Speaks!  For our first entry of the year, in honor of the Book Fair this week (don't forget to visit on Thursday from 1:00-1:30), I'd like you to discuss your identity as a reader, and reading in general, by responding to at least three (3) of the prompts below.  As you compose your first commentary, remember to keep our commenting guidelines in mind.  The purpose of our class blog is to start a discussion, so try to read and respond (at least once) to your peers' posts as well.  Your commentary is due on Friday and should be at least two MEATY paragraphs in length.

Keep in mind that we cannot indent our paragraphs in our commentaries, so make sure to skip a line between paragraphs instead.

Have fun, good luck, let's blog!

• Do you remember when you first learned to read?  How old were you?  Who taught you?  Describe your earliest reading memory.
• What was your favorite book, or who was your favorite author, as a child?  Did you ever return to one book again and again?  Do you still enjoy this book/author today as a 7th grader?
• Who is your favorite literary character?  What do you love about this character/What makes them your favorite?
• What is the definition of a good book for you?
• Describe the book you are currently reading.  Include the title and author and tell us about it without giving away any spoilers.  Who would you recommend this book to? (Let's share some titles and get reading!)
• Have you read The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins?  What are your thoughts on this book being made into a movie?  Do you think the film version will do the book justice?  Why or why not?
• What other film versions of books have you seen and loved (or hated)?