Journal Question #18

There are lots of external reasons to study and to learn: to please your parents and teachers, to get a good grade in school, to get a good score on the TOEFL or SAT, to get into a good college after you graduate from high school, to get a good job in the future.  But there are other reasons to learn that have nothing to do with grades, parents, tests, colleges, or jobs.  I'm talking of curiosity, inquisitiveness, the joy of learning for learning's sake.  Why do you learn?  Take a minute as we approach the end of the school year and ask yourself this question.  Tell me your answer.

Journal Question #17

Sunday is Mother's Day (May 13).  Also, we have been reading stories about family relationships in ELL III.  So, think about families.  First, what is a family?  Must it have two parents?  Children? A mother?  Next, why are families important, both to individuals and to society?    How do they stay the same over time and how do they change?  Can you imagine life without your family?  You can write about your own family, if you wish, or families in general.