Virtual book club

Book Battle

Lots of students all over the state are reading the same books as you are, from the Sunshine State Young Readers and Florida Teens Read lists. Join in the conversation about these books at http://blogs.tampabay.com/bookbattle. Choose the book from grade level lists, check out the discussion questions and blogging prompts. Blog your heart out, then come back and see what other students have to say. 

Most of the books on the Sunshine State Young Readers and Florida Teens Read lists have a conflict. Look for an article in the St. Petersburg Times that focuses on a conflict. Click on the link below to share your thoughts about the conlfict and how the conflict can be resolved.

Hip hip, HooRAYS!

Even if you're not a baseball fan, no doubt you know our Tampa Bay Rays are doing better than ever! Securing a spot in the playoffs on Saturday night, the Rays are heading to the post season. Just dream a little here and tell us what it would mean to you if our hometown team were to be in the playoffs as the AL East Division champs or (dream bigger!) playing in the World Series.

Digital technology

Digitial technology is every where. You can watch the presidential candidates debate on You Tube, watch a video on your iPod or download a book on your Kindle. You even can read the entire St. Petersburg Times from the comfort of your own PC or laptop.

College campuses around the nation are making textbooks available electronically for students. Are high schools students next to be reading about history, mathematics and grammar on a laptop instead of in a traditional textbook? How do you feel about this new technology? Do you think schools should replace textbooks with laptops for each student? If so, why? If not, why not? Look for an article in the St. Petersburg Times electronic edition that helps support your perspective. Share your thoughts by clicking on the link below.

Happy Hispanic Heritage Month

Time for a fiesta!

The United States observes Hispanic Heritage Month starting today, through Oct. 15, to celebrate the culture and traditions of those who trace their roots to Spain, Mexico and the Spanish-speaking nations of Central America, South America and the Caribbean. What influences of these traditions do you see in the Tampa Bay area? Click below to share your thoughts.

Politics: Take two

Talkin' politics, again

  Get used to it; with the general election only weeks away, 'tis the season for lots of political pontificating! In that spirit, pretend presidential candidate Sen. John McCain has chosen you to be his running mate, as he did with Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. What is the first thing you would tell voters about yourself? Click on the link below to share your thoughts.

Topic 1: Life and culture

Southern folkore

The author’s life can inform and expand the reader’s understanding of a novel. For example, authors often integrate their expertise into the story. In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston infuses the setting, characters and dialogue of the novel with Southern folklore and anthropological research. Also, events in the novel mirror some circumstances and events in her life. What events in the story seem to come from Hurston’s life? Do these events add realism to the story? Click on the link below to begin blogging.

Topic 2: Sharing your life

Sharing experiences

Janie tells her story to her best friend in the novel Their Eyes Were Watching God. If you could tell your life story to only one person, who would it be? Where would you begin? Begin with a significant event or moment that changed your view of the world. Describe your experience through images or word pictures. Click on the link below to write a journal excerpt about this moment.

Topic 3: Everyday influences

Everyday events

In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Hurston infuses the setting, characters and dialogue of the novel with Southern folklore and anthropological research. Societal events affect our lives every day. What events have influenced your life? Look in the St. Petersburg Times for examples of everyday events that influence your life. Do these events influence your life in a positive or negative way? Click on the link below to share your thoughts on the NIE Blogging Zone.

Topic 4: Linking history and music

Culture and music

During the big band era (1935 to 1945), jazz music was at the very forefront of popular culture in the United States. Research what was going on in the United States during that decade. Look for articles in the St. Petersburg Times, online or in print, focusing on current popular music and culture. Is our culture represented in music? Is our culture influenced by music? Share your thoughts at the NIE Blogging Zone.

Topic 5: Dialect and oral tradition

The beauty of language

A great writer’s work often reflects the arts and culture of the era. The Jazz Age of the 1920s and the Harlem Renaissance marked the artistic, political and cultural birth of the “New Negro” in literature and art. This renaissance relied upon its deep roots, including the oral traditions of storytelling and folktales. These traditions corresponded to a variety of musical styles: Negro spirituals, blues and jazz. In Hurston’s prose, the old and new converged into the dynamic, vibrant language of Janie, Pheoby and the Eatonville townspeople. Click on the link below to discuss why Hurston would use Southern black idiom to tell her story?