Hi kids. Here is the homework assignment for the weekend:

10th Grade- Read chapter four of To Kill a Mockingbird and prepare for a quiz on Monday.   The quiz will include previous vocabulary words and themes that we have discussed dealing with racial tensions and the Jim Crow South.  You can find the link to the audio file here .

9th Grade- You will have a quiz on Monday regarding Hercules and Greek heroes. You may simply watch the video we started in class and take notes on the 12 deeds that Hercules must perform and what they signify for mankind. Keep in mind how Greek heroes differ from our modern day heroes --   sacrifice.  The video is embedded below.

9th Grade Homework:
Write a paragraph on a 'modern-day' hero.  The hero can be someone you know, or whom you have heard of via the news or the Internet.  When all else fails you can Google "Modern Day Heroes"

Here is my hero, Amy Hawkins.

Getting to the theme for today, there are strong differences between Greek heroes and what 'we' consider to be 'real-life' heroes.  As my classes pointed out, sacrifice is a key quality for the 'modern day' hero. In Amy's case, she sacrificed her safety to protect her children from the house falling on top of them.  When a F4 tornado hit their home, Amy rushed her children to the basement and used her body  to shield them from the falling rubble of her house. 

Greek heroes are almost always on a quest that will solve a problem they are dealing with. More often than not, these problems revolve around displeasing the Gods in some way.  Hence, the Greek hero is on a mission that is self-motivated rather than a mission to help someone else.  

Now the story of Hercules,  If you did not get an opportunity to see it in class please watch it  and take notice of the 12 deeds and the symbolism of them.  This movie is 44 minutes long.