Theme of Lies

The theme to the book Lies is that being loyal pays off. In the book the normal kids act against the "freaks". More and more normals are turning against those with powers, who happen to be the good guys. For most of the kids that switch over to the other side, it does not end well. One character Hank, from the Human Crew, sided with Caine, a freak, and a bad guy, to help them get away. After Hank and the crew burned down part of the town, they turned on Caine. They went after him to try to kill him. Hank ended up being killed by Caine. If he would've stayed loyal he could have lived. There is also another kid who once sided with Sam and the other good guys. Antoine was just another kid in the town. He didn't seem to have a problem with Sam or the other kids with powers. Then we found out that when Zil started the Human Crew he became very anti-freak. He switched sides and ended up being killed by Sam while trying to burn down the town. Loyalty is a very good thing to have. It's good to stick to your side no matter what happens. It usually doesn't end well for those who can't make up their minds on whose side they want to be on.

Lies

LIES

The book Lies lives up to its given title. It's the third book in the Gone series. The main idea of the book is these some hundred kids are trapped inside what they think is a dome. Everyone over the age of 15 has disappeared. The place is falling apart without adults. Kids have to step up in this new place they've nicknamed the FAYZ, short for Fallout Ally Youth Zone. Now going into over six months of being trapped things are starting to change. More people are being introduced, along with new powers being discovered. The war between the Human Crew and Freaks is getting worse and worse. The town council is still trying to figure out laws. In the meantime it seems like only one person is doing anything to stop bad things from happening at Perdido Beach, Sam Temple. He plays the main hero in the story. He's the one always rushing into danger trying to save lives. He's constantly at battle with the main Antagonist's name is Cain, who in the first book reveals he is Sam's twin brother. The books are about the constant battle between good and evil, Sam against Caine. The books are also about survival within the Fallout Ally Youth Zone. This particular book, Lies, is about finding out who's staying on the good side, and who's moving over to the bad. The book is full of deception. Lies sets a great pace for the rest of the series. I feel as if it's the turning point for the whole series. It's the beginning of the end. What will happen next in the FAYZ? Will the kids find a way out? Who will fight for the good of the people, and who will seek to destroy?

Revolution Not Reform

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/dan_meyer_math_curriculum_makeover.html

       The problem with education is that students don't have the right attitude towards it. It's not something students really enjoy doing. When we think of education the first words that come to mind are "boring, dumb, and stupid". We're forced to go to 5 classes a day, 15 classes a year, and half of them will never be used outside of that class. Even some math teachers admit that half the things we learn we will never use in the real world. Unless I'm going to be some rocket scientist, I don't need 4 years of math. I think with most careers you can get by perfectly fine with the basics. In Dan Meyers video he explains that we won't even remember most of our math with the passing years. He came up with a way to get students involved, to get them engaged. He found a way to kind of change the way students feel about learning.

     Some say we should start a revolution. I agree with this idea. Our system now is broken beyond repair. We've fallen into routines that don't allow us to be individual learners. We're all forced to take the same classes, be with the same people throughout our years, and they deny choices we want to make. The lessons are given to us, we just need to memorize the formulas. That's a point that Meyer's made. We need the option to make our own choices. In Joshua Spence's blog (http://spenceenglish.blogspot.com/) he states that his English class is the "perfect poster child" for this revolution. I also agree with him. He gives us choice. He allows us to read what we want. I believe all teachers should follow his example.He says that reading what we want will give us an understanding of ourselves. The only way to discover us is by being us. Think of all the great writers, or adventurers. How do you think they became so great? By being told what to think? No, it was by finding something new, and creating something great. They said no to the system and yes to creative thinking. Joshua Spence and Dan Meyer both have the same dream. Not to fix something that's broken, but to start something better. Let's stop wasting time and do something!