The Olive Tree Sept. 2

Writing Portfolio
Students finished writing their 5 paragraph essays on whether all American high schools should adopt uniforms. After drafting, students saved a few minutes for editing.

Core
Bellwrite #2: How would you explain who Jesus Christ is to someone unfamiliar with Him? What do you think about and feel about Him?

We explored the layers of meaning in the symbol of the olive tree in the scriptures. I shared a selection of pictures that helped us consider the following:
1) The olive tree is an evergreen and trees over 1800 years old are known to bear fruit.
2) Olives are used for food but must be processed first to remove the bitterness. Likewise they may be pressed to extract oil.
3) Olive oil was used anciently as a source of light and heat in homes.
4) Olive oil was used medicinally, as a salve to soothe and to draw out infection and toxins from wounds.
5) The menorah was a branching candlestick which burned olive oil to light the ancient tabernacle of the Israelites. It is a tree of light.
6) The tree is used symbolically in Lehi's vision of the tree of life, in which the fruit, which is white and delicious above all else, represents the love of God.
7) The cross on which Christ was hung is sometimes referred to as a tree.
8) Olive trees require extensive labor to produce good fruit. Typically, a tree must be nourished and pruned for 8-10 years to produce desirable fruit. Grafting can preserve a root that might otherwise appear to be dead and is a method for improving harvests.
9) The Hebrew roots of Gethsemane mean "press" and "oil." Likewise, the title "Messiah" (Greek equivalent is Christ) means "anointed one" and the Hebrew root of messias (yishar) means "to glow with light as one glistens when anointed with olive oil." We watched a video depiction of Christ's suffering in Gethsemane which "pressed" great drops of blood from every pore.
10) Anciently, kings were anointed with olive oil to set them apart for their office and authority.
11) The olive tree is sometimes used to represent the House of Israel. This family tree is the covenant line through which the power of the Atonement becomes available to mankind.

After our study, students wrote a well-crafted paragraph explaining the symbolism of the olive tree.

Class B considered indicators that China has been asserting its status as a world leader, including the announcement that it would build the world's tallest tower and the opening ceremonies of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 (we watched a few highlights from the following video).

Homework:
1) We CHANGED the DUE DATE for the State of the World project.  It will now be due on Monday instead of this Thursday. Please continue watching/listening to world news.
2) Students should read all of the Allegory of the Olive Tree packet from class. They should annotate and prepare to answer in class tomorrow the six questions inside the packet.