A Chosen People Oct. 2

Writing Portfolio
Today we worked on transitions within paragraphs between sentences. A toy slinky walking downstairs demonstrates how each sentence must be linked first to the previous sentence before advancing new ideas. We analyzed several pieces of writing for their sentence to sentence transitions.

Core
Bellwrite #15: What does it mean to be God's chosen people? Chosen for what? Who is chosen and why? What burdens and privileges come with being chosen? Are you chosen? How do you feel about that?

We discussed at length the idea of being chosen. A few insights from our conversation:

• "Many are called but few are chosen." We choose if we will be chosen.
• Those who make and keep covenants are chosen, but those who are not the "covenant" people are still called to perform the work of God. At some point they will join the covenant, even if it is after this life.
• God gives the means to those who are chosen to accomplish their mission.
• Lineage of the House of Israel does relate to being chosen, though spiritual lineage is far more important than physical (bloodline) lineage.
• Those who make covenants have greater blessings as well as responsibilities, including greater consequences for disobedience.
• In The Chosen, Reb Saunders gives a Shabbat sermon on the responsibility Jews have to study the Torah so that the divine Presence can be in and save the world. He indirectly warns Danny that leaving the study of Torah, for one who has been chosen to that calling, can bring dire consequences, even the forfeiture of one's life.
• We are chosen in the furnace of affliction.
• What does being chosen have to do with the Allegory of the Olive Tree?

For history, students are learning to ask questions to drive their inquiry. Today Class A asked several questions relating to the United Nations and its role in the Middle East Conflict. Class B began considering questions relating to the origins of current relations between Iran, Iraq, and the United States. Starting next week, students will be responsible for demonstrating which questions they have been considering and how they have answered those questions. More details to come.


Homework

• Read and annotate (index) Chapter 14 of The Chosen.
• Fix the two locations on the sample student essay where sentence-to-sentence transitions are needed. You may need to add a sentence or two to help "the slinky move downstairs smoothly."