October Journals

1. October Journals Muhahahahahahhahaaahaaa!

2. Tuesday, October 1 • What would you recommend as the most terrifying horror film to watch this month and why?

3. Wednesday, October 2 • October 2 is Gandhi Jayanti, a public holiday in India to honor the birthday of spiritual and political leader Mahatma Gandhi, who was born in 1869. He was given the name Mahatma, which means “great souled.” Gandhi promoted the use of passive resistance–taking a stand against something without using violence–as a protest method. He was assassinated Jan. 30, 1948. • Describe the last time you resisted something. What did you resist, and how did you resist it? What happened next?

4. Thursday, October 3 • In baseball, the "Shot Heard 'round the World" is the term given to the game-ending home run hit by New York Giants outfielder Bobby Thomson off Brooklyn Dodgers pitcher Ralph Branca at the Polo Grounds to win the National League pennant on October 3, 1951. Thomson’s homer wrapped up an amazing come-from-behind run for the Giants and knocked the Brooklyn Dodgers, the Giants’ hated inter-borough rivals, out of their spot in the World Series. It is one of the most famous moments in Major League Baseball history. • The Giants weren’t even supposed to be in the pennant race--they were 13 1/2 games behind the legendary Dodgers by the middle of August, and everyone thought they were finished. But then they won 16 games in a row. By October, they’d won 37 of their last 44 games and had tied Brooklyn for the lead; a first-ever National League playoff was needed to break the tie. • What is the most memorable come-from-behind win for you? It could be in any sport or activity (like scholastic bowl), and any level. Perhaps it was in little league, or more recently in high school. Or it could be an event in the Olympics you remember. Describe how the underdog was able to come from behind for the win. If you can’t recall any, write about any underdog and how it would feel to win.

5. Friday, October 4 • On October 5th, 1947, President Harry Truman (1884-1972) makes the first-ever televised presidential address from the White House, asking Americans to cut back on their use of grain in order to help starving Europeans. At the time of Truman's food-conservation speech, Europe was still recovering from World War II and suffering from famine. He asked farmers and distillers to reduce grain use and requested that the public voluntarily forgo meat on Tuesdays, eggs and poultry on Thursdays and save a slice of bread each day. The American public was used to rationing and making sacrifices during WWII, so this was not anything new to them. • Have you ever given up eating certain foods or drinks for a cause? If so, explain. If not, would you? Why or why not?

6. Monday, October 7 • How would you prove or disprove what many consider a truth?

7. Tuesday, October 8 • Flames spark October 8th, 1871, in the Chicago barn of Patrick and Catherine O'Leary, igniting a 2-day blaze that kills between 200 and 300 people, destroys 17,450 buildings, leaves 100,000 homeless and causes an estimated $200 million (in 1871 dollars; $3 billion in 2007 dollars) in damages. “Legend” has it that a cow kicked over a lantern in the O'Leary barn and started the fire, but other theories hold that humans or even a comet may have been responsible for the event that left four square miles of the Windy City, including its business district, in ruins. Dry weather and an abundance of wooden buildings, streets and sidewalks made Chicago vulnerable to fire. • The city recovered; reconstruction efforts began quickly and spurred great economic development and population growth, as architects laid the foundation for a modern city featuring the world's first skyscrapers. Mrs. O’Leary, however, did not. She was used as a scapegoat by Chicago Tribune reporter Michael Ahern, who admitted in 1893 that he had made up the story of a cow kicking over a lantern because he thought it would make colorful copy. Mrs. O’Leary turned into a recluse after the fire, overcome with sadness after being blamed by the public; she died in 1895, “heartbroken” according to her family members. In 1997, the Chicago City Council exonerated Mrs. O'Leary and her cow.

8. Tuesday Continued • Journalists today have a responsibility to report the truth without bias. The Society of Professional Journalists has a Code of Ethics that cover four areas: seek truth and report it; minimize harm; act independently; and be accountable. The Code is not a required set of rules, but many newsrooms volunteer to embrace them. • How would you rate today’s media? Can you tell which newspapers/publications, radio, and TV broadcasts honor the Code and which ones do not? Write which ones you think do and which ones you suspect do not. If an organization or individual does not embrace this Code, what do you think their motives really are?

9. Wednesday, October 9 • Possibly the world's only super-eco-terrorist, Poison Ivy was once a botanist who spent too much time around plant-based toxins and chemicals. Once powered-up, her mission is to freeze the world and repopulate it with mutant plants. Yes, it's ridiculous. • How would you defend her actions.

10. Thursday, October 10 • Columbus Day: At 2 a.m. on Oct. 12, 1492, Roderigo de Triana sighted land. He was a sailor on board the Piñta, one of three ships under the command of Christopher Columbus. Though Columbus was Italian, he claimed the land (the Bahamas) for Spain’s rulers King Ferdinand V and Queen Isabella I, who provided the funds he needed for his journey. Since 1971, Columbus Day has been celebrated on the Monday nearest Oct. 12. • Columbus was afraid of “sea monsters” and thought the y would eat his boats and crews. Other sailors of his time also feared falling off the edge of the earth. Write about something you used to be afraid of but are not afraid of anymore. How did you overcome your fear?

11. Friday, October 11 • Anna Eleanor Roosevelt, the wife of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, was born on Oct. 11, 1884. Because of her many humanitarian pursuits, she was called the “First Lady of the World.” She was a delegate to the United Nations and a writer. In her book, This Is My Story, she wrote, “No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” • What do you think Eleanor meant by those words? What do they mean to you? Have you ever been in a situation in which you felt inferior? Explain.

12. Monday, October 14 • U.S. Air Force Captain Chuck Yeager becomes the first person to fly faster than the speed of sound. For years, many aviators believed that man was not meant to fly faster than the speed of sound, theorizing that transonic drag rise would tear any aircraft apart. That changed on October 14th, 1947, when Yeager flew an experimental X-1 rocket plane over Rogers Dry Lake in Southern California. The X-1 was lifted to an altitude of 25,000 feet by a B-29 aircraft and then released through the bomb bay, rocketing to 40,000 feet and exceeding 662 miles per hour (the sound barrier at that altitude).

13. Monday Continued • The rocket plane, nicknamed "Glamorous Glennis," was designed with thin, upswept wings and a streamlined fuselage modeled after a .50-caliber bullet. • Because it was a secret project, the achievement was not announced until June of 1948. How long could you keep a secret? If you were Yeager, knowing that you were the first person to achieve this amazing feat, would you be able to wait eight months before telling anyone? Why or why not?

14. Tuesday, October 15 • The third Saturday in October is Sweetest Day. People who observe this day try to do a kind act or remember someone who has done a kind act. It began sometime in the 1940s in Cleveland, Ohio. A man started to spread cheer to sick, elderly, and orphaned people in that city by taking them gifts on the third Saturday in October. Since then, the idea behind Sweetest Day (“a thoughtful word or deed enriches life”) has caught on in other parts of the country. You, too, can celebrate this day tomorrow. • Write about a kind act that someone you know has done. (Maybe it’s something she or he did for you.)

15. Wednesday, October 16 • If you were the principal of our school, what changes would you make? What would you keep the same? Explain each in detail.

16. Thursday, October 17 • Catwoman, alias Selina Kyle, has been amazing readers for over 50 years now. As part of the DC Comics superhero universe, she is a female cat burglar who literally dresses in a cat-like costume while on her capers. Although originally introduced as an opponent for Batman, the status of Cat-woman as hero or villain is ambiguous; she has her own moral code and has occasionally teamed up with Batman against greater threats. • Is Catwoman a hero or a villain. Defend your position.

17. Friday, October 18 • October 18th is National Grouch Day. One of the biggest grouches in history was a man named William Claude Dukenfield. He was born in Philadelphia in 1879. He was famous for saying things like, “Anybody who hates children and dogs can’t be all bad,” and “I never met a kid I liked.” He had a big nose, wore a top hat, and talked out of the side of his mouth. He starred in many movies in the 1920s, 30s, and 40s, including My Little Chickadee and Give a Sucker an Even Break. He was known as W.C. Fields. • Who is the grouchiest person you know? What kinds of grouchy things does he or she do? Are you ever grouchy? Why?

18. Monday, October 21 • John Dewey was born on October 20, 1859, in Vermont. He was an American educator who disagreed with “rote” learning (memorization) and felt young people should “learn by doing.” He believed students should attend labs and workshop classes and learn practical things. He also felt classes and studies should be related to students’ own interests and problems. He died June 1, 1952. • How do you learn best? By listening, reading, watching, “doing”? Write about a time you learned something by “doing” it. (For example, you didn’t learn to ride a bike by looking at pictures in a book!)

19. Tuesday, October 23 • http://prospect.org/article/friday-nerd-blogging-batman-crazy • Based on your knowledge of the Toulmin methodology, how could you prove that Batman is not crazy?

20. Monday, October 28 • October 25: On this day in 1971, Midori Goto was born in Osaka, Japan. She is a world-famous violinist who was invited to play with the New York Philharmonic when she was only 11 years old. She founded the organization Midori and Friends which helps bring music into the lives of children. • Midori often plays a beautiful-sounding violin that was constructed in 1734. Do you have something old that’s very special to you? Write about it. If you don’t have anything old, write about a newer possession that you can imagine keeping for a long time.

21. Tuesday, October 29 • If you had to be trapped in a TV show for a month, which show would you choose? Why?

22. Wednesday, October 30 • Detroit, Michigan deals with excessive arson and vandalism every October 30th. It has been dubbed: “Devil’s Night.” What would you recommend to Detroiters trying to stave off such acts of recklessness?

23. Thursday, October 31 • Halloween is the last day in October and many kids will be dressed up in costumes, trick-or-treating, and going to haunted houses. Describe your favorite costume from the past. Or describe a costume you’d like to wear (or are currently wearing or have worn!) if you could be anyone or anything. Why would you choose this costume?