Sophomores—Seven Options! Due May 17

Published on: Author: Ms. Allesandrine 43 Comments

Back by semi-popular demand for all sophomores…  Seven different stories!
Below are seven different options. Review them all and select the one that most interests you. Write a response of at least 350 words.  Your response—AND one meaningful comment to a classmate—are both due by 9 PM, Friday, May 17. WRITE WELL.

Please write the # of the article you choose at the top of your response.  

Here are some possible questions you could address in your response:
*What makes the article interesting?
*What new questions does the article raise?
*Who else should read this article?
*What key concepts are at the heart of this article?
*To what extent does this article give you new insights?
*What connections exist between this article and your own experiences?
Remember that depth is more important than breadth.  Go an inch wide in what you cover, and a mile deep. 

1) “Push To End Teens’ Distracted Driving Targets Parents, Peers”
http://www.npr.org/2013/05/08/182296582/push-to-end-teens-distracted-driving-targets-parents-peers

2) “Lousy Sleep Isn’t Good for Your Body, Either”
http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/ideas/2013/03/lousy-sleep-isnt-good-for-your-body-either/

3) “I Know I’m Supposed To Follow My Passion. But What If I Don’t Have A Passion?” http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/05/09/182403459/i-know-im-supposed-to-follow-my-passion-but-what-if-i-dont-have-a-passion

4) “Owning a Dog Is Linked to Reduced Heart Disease Risk”
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/09/heart-association-weighs-in-on-pets/

5) “Years Underground, Hatching an Invasion”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/14/science/marvels-and-a-few-mysteries-in-cicadas-17-years.html?ref=science

6) “When Helping Hurts”
http://www.nytimes.com/2013/05/12/opinion/sunday/too-much-helicopter-parenting.html?ref=opinion

7) “Would Angry Teens Chill Out If They Saw More Happy Faces?”
http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2013/04/08/176575825/retrain-the-way-those-kids-interpreted-faces

43 Responses to Sophomores—Seven Options! Due May 17 Comments (RSS) Comments (RSS)

  1. #2
    I chose the article “Lousy Sleep isn’t Good for Your Body.” I chose this article because most nights just like everyone else, I can’t sleep. What makes this article so interesting is that it isn’t blaming anything for you not being able to sleep, people don’t know why they can’t sleep. Instead they are saying what will happen if you don’t get enough sleep. You are supposed to get at least eight hours of sleep each night. Most people try and get all those eight hours but sometimes you just can’t fall asleep and you are unable to get those eight hours. I know I don’t get eight hours of sleep each night during the school week, but I make those hours up on the weekends, but not everyone is able to do that. If you ask teenagers why they can’t sleep, most will say because they are stressed out from school or think too much at night. If you were to ask adults, most would say the same thing except about work or money. This article raises a lot of new and import questions for people to think about. The article says that with less sleep you will start to eat a larger meal, so this is a major factor to weight gain in the world. People just need to watch what they eat more carefully when they haven’t gotten a good amount of sleep the night before. Another question this raises for me is if I am not getting enough sleep now, what will my memory will be like in 10 years or more. Studies have shown that less sleep causes you to lose your memory more quickly; this can be a serious problem especially if you develop bad sleeping habits at a young age. The people who should read this article most is people who have trouble sleeping so they can go to a doctor and try to prevent all of these risks like weight gain and memory loss from happening to them. This article gave me so many new insights and I realize that I should try harder to get more hours sleep. For example, go to bed instead of watching a new TV show or starting my homework earlier so that I’m not up late doing it. The key concepts of this article is letting people know what risk their bodies are at if you don’t get enough sleep but the article is telling you these risks so that you can stop them from happening to you. The connection I have with this article is that when I don’t get enough sleep the night before, I see a change in how I eat or how I’m able to pay attention in school and if I remember the next day what I did the day before.

    • Hi, Emma. I always have a great deal of respect for those students who are among the first few to share their work. Good job! This article really does offer several practical tips and important considerations for people who want to improve their sleep habits. You point out how memory is affected by sleep, and I imagine that many teenagers and adults notice this fact in their daily lives.

      Some of your statements seem easier said than done, no? For example, it can be hard for some people to watch what they eat in the evening if they’re accustomed to using food as a way to relax. This is not a healthy habit, but it is rather common. It’s also common for people to watch TV too long into the evening, especially if the TV is in their bedroom. Now… I can think of an easy solution to this issue, but what would be easy for me may not be so easy for someone else.

      Sleep really is an important topic. I’m glad you found so much interesting information in this article!

    • I liked how you connected it to your personal life. Also i liked it how you explained how you and everyone else can relate to this article.

    • Emma, I completely agree with you on getting no sleep during the week. I am constantly thinking about what I need to do the next weather it’s for school or weekend activities. I like that you showed the affects on adults, teens, and younger kids. It gave a verity or effects that can happen to the human body and shows that sleep affects everyone, even if it’s not in the same way. I like your ideas about how to get more sleep, if you miss a new TV show it will most likely be on TV again, or it can be recorded.

  2. 2.) The importance of sleep for our body is crucial. The average person is supposed to get eight hours of good rest. But, with people working or having a family it may not be that easy. Studies show that the average working person only gets six hours of sleep per night. Researchers have also studied the results of people who get enough sleep, and people who do not. This research leads up the results of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure, all from not getting enough sleep. I think that it is important that people should know and be aware of what could happen. Yes, they may have to sacrifice something to get their eight hours, but isn’t it worth it? I know I rather have sleep than mess up my body. Derk-Jan Dijk, the director of the Surrey sleep center, explained, “The surprise for us was that a relatively modest difference in sleep duration leads to these kinds of changes. It’s an indication that sleep disruption or sleep restriction is doing more than just making you tired.” People, especially teens, need to know the consequences for staying up till 2 in the morning. I know that a lot of my own friends stay up late at night, and I always tell them the problems of doing that.

    Now, companies are using the research to help with their “new product”. When I say “new product”, I mean energy drinks, sleep aids, and expensive mattresses that can figure out your sleep number to help you sleep. Do the companies really think that doing this will help people sleep? I think the people themselves need to schedule their day to work around their sleep hours. After all, this is for their heath. Researchers have studied many things prior to this subject, but they haven’t focused on the main reason to why people are actually not getting enough sleep. Of course, it all depends on how old a person is, or if they work or just stay home and lounge around. They could even be partying all night but, it does not defeat the fact of the problem of human behavior. For example, the common teen of 2013 spends their night studying, partying, hanging with friends, or doing sports. Now, I know this for a fact because I am a teenager myself. The actions of different teens vary due to the people they hang out with or maybe even want to impress. Therefore, it all leads up to the topic of how lack of sleep can affect the human body.

    • Hi, Julia. Good job! Your skepticism about the products that promise to help people sleep better makes sense. Indeed, as you write, people may “have to sacrifice something to get their eight hours” of sleep, but if health is a priority, it’s worth it. You discuss several consequences of not getting enough sleep, and you’ve included a great quotation to support your own claims. I like how you state that, in many cases, problems with sleep ultimately come down to “human behavior.” People need to be willing to make serious changes if they want to enjoy better health. Keep up the careful reading, writing, and thinking!

    • Hi Julia!

      I liked how you incorporated many details into your response about lack of sleep. Another great thing was your use of “For example” and the use of quotes. The only negative thing I noticed was use of some unnecessary sentences such as “After all, this is for their health.” However, as a whole I thoroughly enjoyed your response. Keep up the good work!

  3. Teenagers think they are unstoppable and think “oh that can’t possibly happen to me!” Well the truth is yes it is possible and anything can happen. One of the dangerous experiences teenagers will go through in life is driving which leads to many risks. Texting and driving is on the top list. It’s dangerous enough driving and to keep looking down at your phone every 20 seconds can increase a persons risk of getting in a car crash by 23 times. Even though yeah your on the right side of the road but should you trust other drivers to be in their lane? I was driving with my mom and a person was on the other side of the road completely, coming into our lane to get the other cars attention my mom beeped the horn to give the other person a heads up. Thinking about it now if my mom was texting and didn’t beep the horn I could of been in a head on crash. I wouldn’t be where I am today playing soccer and something as little as waving to people as they walk by because I could of became paralyzed, brain damaged, or even dead. What make the article helpful is the author interviewed some high school students to get their opinion on texting and driving and neither one of them said it was “cool” to do it or remotely safe. I liked how Elliot Johnson, an 18-year-old high school senior from Brookings, S.D said that parents and teachers should start early telling children and teens that it is not joke to text and drive by making it a big deal in their minds because it will effect them in the future if teenagers do try it. Also if a young child sees that their mom or dad does it then they might automatically think that it is ok for them to text in drive as well. Society all knows how hard it is to convince a teenager that something is dangerous and can hurt them badly so why not just start at an early age? The article has helpful you tube links to show the dangers of texting and driving. One that caught my eye was the cartoon explaining how one mistake while texting and driving can effect a persons life forever. Instead of graduating a teenager will be paralyzed in a hospital bed. That’s when it sunk in my head how scary texting and driving is. It only takes one time, one word, and even one letter to take your life away.

    • Hi, Kaitlyn. Good job. You make many important points here, especially with your own personal connection to the topic of texting while driving. It’s powerful to read. Good job incorporating several details from the article into your response. It really does seem like a good idea to ingrain safe, responsible habits in children so they’ll make the right decisions when they’re teenagers and adults. This is not an area where people should be taking risks. You conclude your response very well by commenting on the video made by another teenager. Scary stuff, indeed, but it also reinforces many positive messages. Keep up the good work that you’ve done here.

    • Hey Kaitlyn,

      We chose the same article and it interested us in the same way! I liked how you gave experiences with dangerous accidents. I’ve experienced more than a few myself and its scary to think what could have happened if that car collided with yours.

      I liked how you put in scenarios of what could have been at the end. I like how you ended with ” It only takes one time, one word, and even one letter to take your life away.” I would say those are words of wisdom. That was a strong, powerful, and meaningful sentence.

      Good job with your interpretations!

    • Hi kaitlyn!
      You make a lot of really good points about texting and driving and the dangers it causes. People don’t realize how dangerous it is to text and drive. I think more people even adults should be educated on texting and driving. In Drivers Ed we watch so many movies about fatal car accidents and most of them are from people texting while driving. Many adults didn’t have those movies when they were learning how to drive and I’m sure that if they watched those movies now there would be a decrease in the number of accidents caused from texting and driving! Not only texting causes these accidents but also talking on your phone causes these accidents! Good job I really liked how it was written and your personal connection!

  4. 3) An important question this article “I Know I I’m Supposed To Follow My Passion. But What If I Don’t Have A Passion?” may raise is whether or not it may be beneficial for a college bound student, with no direct passion to take a year off from school to further develop themselves and personal interests.
    This article raises this question because it revolves around Tyler Cowen, a bright young man who has endless opportunities before him but no specific interests to pull him in any which profession. This predicament is obviously a crisis to any young American as it seems all success depends on how far one carries their education. This being true it’s frequent that young adults like Cowen often enroll in a university with an undecided mind and then bounce between majors until they eventually enroll in one that they feel suits their interest and temperament. However, with the prices of universities at an all time high it’s debatable whether this gamble is worth it or if undecided high school graduates should put on the breaks and really focus on building upon themselves. This may raise the hairs on parent’s backs but who’s to say that having some downtime is an all out disaster? During this year off it allows for student to broaden their horizons and really get down to the nitty gritty of what they believe peeks their interest. Students are able to do this by having no commitments and having the freedom to bounce back and forth with no daunting consequences. Perhaps a student goes through an internship and comes to the realization that the career they thought was a decent choice for them was in fact a toxic match, as everyone says knowing what you don’t want to do is as important as knowing what you might to pursue.
    However, this isn’t only opportunity that rises when a high school graduate takes a year off. A main point that came across in Cowen’s article is the fact that with whatever career he choices he hopes that it will in turn benefit his surrounding community. During his year off he can travel about and obtain jobs that cover a variety of interests. This Perhaps opening his eye to what career would allow him to put himself ahead enough to donate some of his earnings to people in need. For example, if he worked at any type of successful industry it may inspire him to become a business major, in turn placing him in a better position than he was a year before as he now has a concrete major and money to fund his intuition.

  5. What makes this article so interesting is that I am in the same boat. I have a passion but the question is can I make a living? I don’t know. If I am going to pursue a long and successful career I am going to have to explore my options and try different things. I think about my situation just about everyday. I think about how I don’t know what I am going to do for the next 20 years of my life. This interesting article also made me realize that it is okay too not know what you are going to do for a career.
    A question that this article raised for me was “Can I Differentiate my passion from my career?” I asked myself that question and I think I can but it will be very hard. I say that because your passion is something that you love to do. Its part of why you wake up and do the things you do. Your passion defines who you are. That’s why I found it so odd that he did not have a passion. I was even more the economist said that he can use it to his advantage. That really didn’t make any sense to me because that can’t really play to an advantage if you don’t have a passion for something.
    My friends should read this article because I feel as if they could relate to it as easily as I did. I think my friends could really relate tot this easily because we all have passions we just don’t know how that passion is going to work for a career. This article gives me new insight by showing me that I don’t have to have it all figured out at this age. I could even finish collage and not know what I am doing as long as I have a passion.
    One thing that caught my attention is how he said he was told to “follow your passion.” “Do what you love and make a living off of it.” I don’t think that really relates to me because if I followed my passion I wouldn’t make too much money.

  6. I choose article number 2 “Lousy Sleep Isn’t Good for Your Body, Either”. I decided to read this article because I never get enough sleep and can never seem to fall asleep. When the article said that almost a third of working adults only get about six hours of sleep a night, it did not surprise me. But what did surprise me is all of the side effects of not getting enough sleep. For example, not getting enough sleep can change the patterns in the way genes turned on and off. Getting too little sleep just a couple nights in a row can disrupt hundreds of genes, including those tied to stress and fighting diseases. Also, that not getting enough sleep can do more than make you tired. Not having enough sleep can lead to gaining excessive weight. Not getting eight to nine hours of sleep can cause some individuals to make the wrong choices. For example, some people choose to eat the unhealthy food over the healthy food. Also, not getting the required amount of sleep a night can lead to individuals not exercises because they are ‘too tired.’ Researchers’ say not to exercise close to your bed time because then you are going to be ‘charged’ so you will not be able to get any sleep.
    You should get your sleep now because in the future you can have big consequences. For instance, research shows that poor sleep can lead to memory problems down the road. Also, studies showed that people who said they had trouble falling asleep or remaining asleep were three times more likely to develop heart failure later on. I found this article very interesting. It made me understand how important sleep really is. Sleep affects not only your mental ability but also you physical. Also what I found interesting was the fact that there is a boom in sleep medication such as energy drinks and sleep aids. This article shows people that sleep is important. That lack of sleep does not benefit you. Poor sleeping habits could lead to obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure. Therefore, everyone including myself should get at least eight to nine hours of sleep a night because it really does benefit your health.

    • Hi Amber!

      I think you did a really good job explaining your thoughts about this article. I like how you put a lot of information from the article to support everything you said.

      After I read this article I had the same ideas as you did. You supported all your ideas very well and you did a great job interpreting everything you stated.

      Keep up the good work!

    • Hi Amber!
      I really love how you incorporated your own personal examples on how being deprived of sleep can affect one’s own health down the road. I also enjoyed how you used for example frequently throughout your response to further explain your thought process on the article. Keep up the great work!

  7. #2
    I chose the article “Lousy Sleep isn’t good for Your Body” because I had a hard time sleeping when it came to day light savings time, and when summer ended I had to transition into school mode. It says the average person is supposed to get at least eight hours of sleep on a normal school night. I get seven hours of sleep every night. I do not have time to eat in the morning because I always want to get as much sleep as I can, especially in the morning. The article says that with less sleep you will start to eat a larger meal, so this is a major factor to weight gain in the world. It also says that a recent study by two Michigan hospitals found that they treated almost twice as many heart attack victims on the first day of Daylight Saving than on a typical Sunday. This is because we lose an hour of sleep and most people don’t think it will affect them. Many people will use energy drinks to help stay awake or they will use medicine to help them fall asleep, this is also not good for your body and it just putts you at a grater risk of health problems in the future. A health risk that they have discovered is that when sleeping time was limited to six hours, the genes that govern the body clocks of the volunteers changed dramatically. Almost 400 genes stopped cycling in a circadian rhythm altogether, a disruption that could throw sleep patterns even more out of whack. Not only does it affect that but also, studies have shown that less sleep causes you to lose your memory more quickly. Many teens lose sleep over homework activities, and sports, so could lack of sleep be leading to teens getting bad grades and how we learn in school. Many kids at HK are in prep for success because of grades, is lack of sleep the reason for this. Although many kids have activities out side of school they do have many opportunities to do work. For example, they can do home work at lunch or in advisory, depending on there schedule. Because getting eight hours of sleep is important many people could try going to bed instead of watching a TV shows, playing on there cell phones10., and going on the computer.

  8. Laws are strictly made for protection and prevention. Texting and driving is against the law. I chose to write about the first article “Push To End Teens’ Distracted Driving Targets Parents, Peers”. I took a look at a few of the optional articles but this one vividly stood out to me. “Don’t text and drive” is a message constantly reoccurring as more rebellious teenagers start driving. Texting while driving can lead a driver of any age to severe consequences, for example, terrible injuries or death. It’s more common to see a young teen on their phone trying to multitask because quite frankly older adults aren’t sure how a cellphone works. Let alone texting, there are many other dangerous things a driver can attempt to do while driving, even the littlest thing such as listening to the radio. I know from my own experience that it’s distracting to try and listen to my favorite song or even my mom talking while I’m driving. I like to have complete focus on the road to keep complete control. I found this article interesting because not only is it a reality check and eye opener, it’s also a lesson.

    The most significant part to this article was the personal interview with an actual high school student. The student stated his opinion on texting and driving. Elliot Johnson, an 18-year-old student from Brookings, S.D, wants to raise the awareness of the danger and risk. He believes children should be taught to focus on driving without any distractions early enough to the point that it’s embedded in their mind. I confidently stand next to Elliot on this point. I also believe it’s safer and smarter for a child who’s already starting to learn, to learn the rights of driving. As the brain is just developing, children are absorbing everything that is set as a model for them. Children look up to, idolize, and admirer adults and teenagers. The most obvious thing that children do is copy. For example, adults have the tendency to use harsh language and their children will repeat those words. If a parent were to embed the idea of safe driving into their child’s brain, their children will most likely mirror safe driving. This can help prevent the high death rate from specifically texting and driving.

    After reading this article I began to question how important driving safety is to most people. Everyone has experienced a situation where another car pulls a dangerous stunt. Those drivers are rude and disrespectful and I can only say they have no courtesy for safety of others. Not only are they putting their own life in risk but the lives of others. There are too many deathly accidents caused from texting and driving. It may seem like you’ve only been looking at your phone for 2 seconds but if you’re driving fast and you’re distracted, those 2 seconds become 20 seconds and before you know it, it’s too late to swerve back into the right lane. As a teenager who loves to catch up with my friends and make plans, I know how important it seems to text back your best friend immediately. It can wait. When my mom’s driving and she receives a message, she asks me or whoever is in the passenger seat to text for her which is a good way to solve the texting-while-driving problem.

    I’m sure a majority of people have witnessed the AT&T commercials for “It can wait”, “Don’t text and drive”. In my opinion, they’re influential because they sink into my heart. Its reality, it can happen to anyone. The only prevention is not committing the crime. Anyone and everyone are recommended by me to read this article. Another significant piece to this article is the video links. It’s definitely more heart felt and it creates a bigger realization when people view real incidents.

    • Hello Emma,
      I like your blog alot because I found this article very interesting. I like how you focused on the consequences of texting and driving and then went into the perspective of a teen to emphasize the dangers of this action. I also liked how you gave a real life situation to open the eyes of the reader and possibly a teen driver. Then, you said that this isn’t only in this article but it is everywhere we look. Thank you!
      -Sarah :)

  9. I got intrigued with this article because of the title,“Years Underground, Hatching an Invasion.” Right away I got interested about the life cycles of the insects, the fact that they remain in the ground for 13 or 17 years, and than come out and are alive just long enough for them to reproduce. Its amazing how, when related to humans, it would be like living 60 years as a kid, than suddenly growing up for around 5 years, than dying. Also knowing that this insect is the longest living insect that we know of, makes me wonder if there are other insects that live longer that we don’t know of, maybe some that have been in the ground for much longer and haven’t come out yet. Are there more to be discovered? And what more could they teach us? Anyone interested in any kind of insects of bugs should defiantly read this, but I would not limit it to them as its easy for anyone to follow. Anyone just interested in learning something new, and knowing what is going to be happening this year of interest should read this. Most insects I thought lived just for no more than a year or so, some I knew lived just days or weeks. Knowing that some can live for as long as seventeen years actually changes the way I see the world, slightly. Just thinking about what it would be like living 60 years as a kid, and than only 5 years as an adult, it would be so drastically different that nothing would be the same. Although these bugs live 90% of their lives as “children”, or in the ground, once seventeen years pass they “grow up”, or come out of the ground. You can relate this to our lives as when we turn eighteen we are considered adults.

  10. #3
    Having a passion for something is the first thing many high school students think of when trying to choose a career and major. We are taught to do what we love, but doing what we love isn’t always a good career choice, but should be followed through in a person’s everyday life. Many high school students and even college students don’t know what they want to do when they start to pursue their career. Many don’t even think they’ll like any career because they don’t have a passion for something. Does a person really need a passion in their career choice? If someone does have a passion that could be a career choice, should they follow through with it? I agree with what the article and Tyler Cowen has said. A person doesn’t need to passionate about their work, that’s why it’s called work. People who love art and painting don’t always become an artist because it would cause stress and low pay, but they can still do it in their free time. It probably wouldn’t be the smartest choice to stick as an artist, but instead do something in that field. People who want to pursue their passion should think about how far it will take them in life, money, family, happiness, and success. If not all of those will suit the choice, then work around it and do something that involves it.
    Anyone who is struggling to find their “passion” in life or even just their career choice or major should read this article. It will open up a new way of thinking and understanding how life works in the working world. It’s not always something that is great and enjoyable, but it should make life outside of it enjoyable.
    I have recently started experiencing this and thinking about this. In college, I plan to major in psychology, but I’m not sure what career I would like with this. Whatever that career may be, I think I may enjoy somewhat of it at least. Many jobs have at least some parts that are enjoyable, and some parts that aren’t, but I think mine will have more enjoyable parts than negative ones. That is because I have realized that I want to read things about psychology, and watch movies on it, and study it without even being in a class or as an assignment. It is something that I want to do on my own, which could make it as a passion for me. Although I still have to think more about it and the future that it will bring, this article has helped me realize that its okay not to love what you do, and if you do, then you’re one of the luckier ones. I hope to be one of them.

  11. 2)

    Many people around the world do not get a sufficient amount of sleep every night. Studies show that most people get six hours, while the recommended amount is eight. Work, school and life in general can be very demanding, and more than six hours of sleep may not be possible. As a student, I find myself sometimes arriving home at nine or ten because of sports and other activities. On these nights, I struggle to complete my work, but lately have found that I’ve been choosing to sleep rather than to do work. On the nights that I arrive home at an earlier time, I find that I still do not sleep an adequate amount, either because I go to bed too late or because I cannot fall asleep. My parents often also only receive 6-8 hours of sleep nightly. Would our lives be extremely different if we received eight or more hours of sleep every night? This article has made me realize that maybe we should be scheduling our lives around our sleep rather than other activities. Possibly, to optimally perform, this would be best. What if everyone scheduled his or her life around sleep? Would we have less car crashes? Would we be happier people in general? Studies show that genes are disrupted when adequate amounts of sleep are not obtained. 711 genes are expressed differently when people are sleep deprived. If we all could get eight hours of sleep, I think that our world could run more efficiently.

    Insufficient amounts of sleep can be extremely harmful to the body. Studies show that people who get less sleep are prone to bigger portion size, and attracted to junk foods. People who have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep are three times more likely to develop heart failure. Sleep is clearly a vital necessity to overall health. Many over the counter supplements are available for those of us who have trouble getting sleep. These medications are dangerous, and can lead to injury. There are also many products available to keep us awake, such as energy drinks and foods that claim to keep energized. These products increase heart rate, and provide a temporary fix for a long-term problem. These products are harmful to the body and should not be used.

    I think that more people should be exposed to articles such as this one. We can slowly change our bad sleeping habits, and eventually become healthier individuals. We can achieve more fulfilling lives by getting more sleep.

  12. 2.

    It is a mystery why humans sleep at all. There is no science behind sleep and why it exists. However, we do know that we all need it. The sleep recommendation is at least 8 hours. As a high school student I refuse to go to bed early, even if I am tired, as if it is hardwired into my brain. This should not be the case as recently discovered; lack of sleep has adverse effects on DNA and cells. As people have stated already, I tend to sleep more on weekends than weekdays. Many Americans have jobs that require hours of nightly work and they can’t always receive the 8 hours so they find something to boost their energy. These new boosters are known as energy supplements, most commonly found in drinks. These drinks will be able to provide quick energy, but it will also cause you to crash and will mess with your sleeping pattern even more. Furthermore, students as well adults should focus on building a new sleep pattern because most are not meeting the required hours. Humans are not nocturnal creatures and we are not meant to go into the deep hours of the night without a proper pattern of sleep. The truth is that nothing is going to give that boost of energy you’re looking for except healthy sleep. Drinks, fancy beds, medications will only increase your tolerance to sleep, therefore taking longer to fall asleep without these things. If one was to continue this pattern for the rest of his/her life, then I would not say that they would live long. To continuously poor artificial ingredients into your body everyday cannot be a good thing. All it is is a temporary solution to a seemingly permanent problem.

    In conclusion, people must accommodate the things in their life to create a revised sleep schedule. I believe that procrastination also has an adverse effect on sleep habits. As a student, I procrastinate often and I frequently find myself doing a rushed project at 2:30 in the morning. If I could go back and tell myself one thing, it would be to utilize time better. If I was smart enough I could have evaded many sleepless nights.

    • Your response made me think about sleep in a whole different way. I also sleep more on weekends than weekdays but my brother and dad sleep close to the same they did in the week. I never thought about how something like a supplement or coffee can only be a temporary solution and we have a permanent problem that most of us don’t even realize. Many people who take supplements end up stopping them because they find that it makes them feel worse and is affecting their health. People should change their sleep patterns to better, more healthier ones rather than drink something the next morning that only provides help for a limited number of hours before making them feel worse. We never think about how our sleep patterns affect us except if we’re going to be tired the next day.
      Good job!

  13. What I found interesting about the article is it wasn’t just an article about how teen need to not be distracted but it also gave insight as to why. Also the article backed up what it had said using statistics such as when you are on your phone you are 23 times more likely to get into an accident. Another interesting thought I had about it was that if you instill in your child these activities early you are more likely to have a child that is a better driver. Another thing was that if parents show safe driving hobbits then the children will be more likely to follow the rules and to live by the example of their parents. Despite the fact that distracted driving is the largest killer of teen most teens still don’t follow the restrictions set forth by the government such as no electronic devices, a curfew of how late you are able to drive and passenger restrictions. There was a statistic that a car with 4 teens in it was four times more likely to get into an accident.
    I believe that this is an article that parents should read because it teaches the parents of the children what they should do in order to make their child a better driver. In the article it talks about how if the parent drives without breaking laws such as speeding and not driving while distracted by a cellphone then the child is more likely to follow these behaviors. I also believe that the second audience that this article was directed toward was teens because the authors may believe that showing the teens the devastating effects that having that useless 10 word exchange can do to their life or to even kill their best friend or family member may motivate a teen to drive slower and to follow the guidelines set out in order to ensure their safety.
    The article gave me insight to how much distraction a single phone call or something as simple as having a couple of passengers in the car can do and the statistics of how many thousands of people die I cars may motivate them to slow down and wait till they are not driving to have a social life. This is less important than having your health and safty as well as your passengers.

    • I like how you used specific statistics from the article to support your claim that distracted driving is the leading cause of teen deaths. Also I enjoyed the fact that you focused more on the parents duty in preventing distracted driving instead of just the kids.
      I would like to here more about the insight you gained by reading this. Do you think it will help you in the future?

  14. I chose the article “Lousy Sleep isn’t good for your Body
    “. I thought that this article was very interesting because it explain certain sleeping habits that people may not have known before. Before I read this article I did not know that the way peoples brains function depends on how much sleep you got. As I was reading this article, I was asking myself how little sleep could cause so many problems. I don’t think that people understand how important enough sleep is, especially teenagers. Teens usually like to stay up late; however, they have to wake up early for school each day. If teens go to sleep late and don’t get their eight hours of sleep, then they would not function correctly throughout the day.

    It would be good for people of all ages to read this article because everyone is guilty of not getting enough sleep. If everyone read this article then they would realize how important sleep actually is and how terrible it is to not get enough sleep. However, mainly teens and young adults should read this article because those to age groups are most likely to stay out late with their friends or doing whatever they want.

    I could greatly relate this article to my own life because I have stayed up to late on occasions having to wake up early the following day. The article states that if you don’t get enough sleep, some of your genes wouldn’t work properly. Scientists tested different people by having them only get six hours of sleep for one week and the next week get ten hours of sleep. The results came back that their brains functioned better when they got more sleep rather than less.

    • Hi Alyssa, I like how you included your own question of “how little sleep could cause so many problems.” Also I enjoyed how you connected the article to your own life and then ended your response with a detail from the article.Excellent use of paragraphs to seperate idead and you gave great analysis of the article.

  15. “Push To End Teens’ Distracted Driving Targets Parents, Peers” carries an important message that I think all teen drivers should understand. Texting while driving breaks your concentration and that could lead to you swerving off the road and hitting a tree. As it said in the article some adults are distracted drivers, but just because they’re doing it doesn’t make it right. Also, parents should be the ones setting an example for their kids even at a young age.

    The second and third PSAs reminded me of the “don’t text and drive” AT&T commercials that everyone has seen because in both they show the consequences of distracted driving. They show the severity of what could happen just like in the commercials where they use true stories about people dying in car accidents as a result of texting as examples. The fact that both of these examples don’t just say “Don’t text” they show what could happen is why they are so influential. They scare teens into not doing it which seems to be the only way to do it.

    I think this article is important for people of all ages to read because of the critical message it represents. Although most people recognize the dangers of distracted driving, they don’t really get it until they are given examples and statistics and that is what this article does. In the article it says the number of 16 and 17 year-old deaths by car accidents has increase 20 percent since last year. That is an alarming number. If more people read this article I think they would drop their “It can’t happen to me” idea because it can. Adults should also read this because they are just as unaware as teens to the risk of distracted driving.

    The PSAs definitely added to the punch of message that awareness needs to increase among teens. The fact that they were made by high school kids also had an impact on the message.

    Lastly, I think the PSAs helped make the message of the article stay in my head better because they were three different interpretation of the issue at hand and they were made by kids my own age.

    • Hi Julia, I really enjoyed reading your response. You were successful in making the response relatable to the audience, which many people struggle with. You mention the AT&T commercials and their relation to the PSAs. I also liked how you mentioned “it could happen to anyone” and how many people neglect that fact. I admire your use of knowledge from the article itself to support your claims.

  16. Everyone please take the time to listen to this article. Spread the word. It could save your life and others as well. Make a change.

    “Texting while driving” is a very serious situation that has been the leading cause of highway deaths. Teens that just start to drive are inexperienced and their brain is not as developed. To be a good driver, it takes time, concentration, and restrictions. That is why there is a law prohibiting the use of a cell phone while driving. This category falls under distracted driving which causes thousands of teen to die every year.

    As interviewers are getting answers from parents of teen drivers, a common concern is how the parents are a part of the texting while driving situation. People who study teen fatalities in crashes say that a majority of how the teens learn to drive is based on their parents. From a very young age, we watch are parents on how they drive and what they do when they drive. As many adults who have cell phones are constantly using it, teens feel that they are just as able to multi-task as well as their role models. The “Do as I say, not as I do,” phrase is just an excuse for the dangerous actions of parents themselves. In result, many teens don’t understand the dangers and how they really can’t do everything.

    Studies show that just talking on a cell phone is just as dangerous as drunk driving. This is the equivalent to having 4 drinks and then immediately going out and driving. In result, you are 4 times more likely to get in a collision. However, you are 8 times more likely to get in a car crash texting while driving. Not only is it worse than talking on the phone, but it is twice as more dangerous than being drunk. As this only pertains to a fully developed adult, imagine the dangers of being a teen and texting while driving. Despite the laws and statistics and stories, teens still aren’t getting the message across and fatalities are still at high levels among young Americans.

    Scientists say that the younger you are, the more details you miss that are necessary while driving. Experiences, either good or bad, give us the knowledge to become better drivers. However, adding in a dangerous distraction to the mix is incomprehensible. In order to prevent more teen deaths, the government and supporters are reaching out to the young Americans to show them how dangerous a simple act of everyday behavior can have a major affect on our life when we get behind the wheel.

    The reason why I picked this article is because I feel that this message needs to go around warning teen drivers including myself. It clearly shows that teens really can’t text and drive unless they are willing to face the horrible consequences. Not only are they trying to teach teens, but they are also trying to educate adults who are just as likely to die from texting and driving. That’s why I think more teens should consider the consequences of disobeying the law that could save their lives and others that they put in harm’s way.

    Here is a message to everyone: Don’t text and drive.

    • Hi Sarah, you did a really nice job of using depth on this issue. I agree with you about how dangerous it is. I like how you connected your response to your own life by including that you are a new driver yourself. This really made me reflect on my own experiences as a new driver and I will remember all of the facts you used while I am in the car. Again, great job!

  17. In the article “Owning a Dog Is Linked to Reduced Heart Disease Risk,” I learned many new concepts. For example, the main message in this article was that not owning a dog itself will help you lead a healthier lifestyle; all of the responsibilities that come with owning a pet will. For example, every day most owners walk their dogs. This helps them to relieve stress, get fresh air, and exercise. Most people who don’t own a pet usually don’t have the motivation to go walking or running by themselves, whether it’s due to lack time, interest, or just plain laziness. “People who own dogs certainly have more reason to get outside and take walks, and studies show that most owners form such close bonds with their pets that being in their presence blunts the owners’ reactions to stress and lowers their heart rate, said Dr. Glenn N. Levine, the head of the committee that wrote the statement.”
    I can relate to this article because I have a dog named Karl. He is two years old and since he was old enough to be walked on a leash, I have taken him for a walk or run every day. This has helped improve both my physical and cardiovascular shape. Also, whenever I come home from school he is always at the end of the driveway waiting for me to get off the bus. If I had a bad day, he is always there to cheer me up. I have really formed a special bond with him that is very important to me. That’s probably the most rewarding aspect of owning a pet for me.

    Everyone should read this article, not just people who have a heart condition. People should be aware of ways to avoid the issue before they are faced with it. If something as simple and enjoyable as owning a dog can keep you in better health, I can’t think of a reason not to adopt one. That is why the only question that came into my mind while reading this article was why more people don’t own dogs. They can help you maintain your appearance, relieve your stress, and even help you live a longer, fuller life.

    • Haili I like the story about Karl waiting at the bottom of your driveway and how he can cheer you up. I liked your argument about how people who don’t own a dog will less likely go on a walk or a run. Good job overall I liked reading this post

  18. Aticle3
    What makes this article so interesting is the fact that it relates to us as high school students. As we approach our last days in high school everyone is asked to choose a career they might be interested in. However, no one can tell them what kind of passion will drive them to reach their goals in that career. Wither it is for money or fame or helping people there are many passions that drive people in their work but many people, as this article states, don’t know there passion.
    This article shows that even for college graduates they don’t know what passion there going to persuade. There told what careers to choose and how it will affect them but never can anyone tell them what to do after that career. This article tries to show the reader that it’s okay to not know your passion and they’re not alone. I myself don’t know what passion will fuel my career but I plan on finding a passion through my work rather than before.
    I believe any college student and high school senior should read this article because they can relate. Wither they have their whole life already planned out it is worth the read because in the article it shows several questions to base your passion on which can help. Even people who know exactly what their passion is could change it in an instant and this article could cause them to rethink it.
    This article shed light towards my future. I never thought about this idea of a passion and that’s what really interested me. I always thought about what career I could pursue but I never thought about any passions to drive it. Mark, a recent Ivy League graduate, inspired me to think about my passion to an extent. The key concept at the core of this article is the idea of passions. The idea that one belief will push you farther and faster through life is what this article really tries to get at.

  19. I chose article one. This article interests me the most because I am a teen driver and this largely relates to my life. As I teen driver I understand how hard it can be to drive without distractions so adding the distraction of texting or using the phone increases the danger of driving greatly. A driver that texts and drives is 23 times more likely to get in to a collision. When driving the driver needs to have their mind and eyes constantly on the road because so much can happen in such a little amount of time. If you ask anyone to close their eyes for 5-6 seconds while driving no one would do that but if you asked someone to text and drive many would do it. Texting a single text is equivalent to looking off the road for 5-6 minutes.

    The greatest amount if driving fatalities occur during the summer months. During the summer many kids get to drive around freely without parental vision and kids are constantly texting their friends about plans. That raises the risk of a crash greatly. 16 and 17 year olds have a 20% increase of crashes so highschool student Elliot try’s to spread the word about distracted driving. Now in drivers Ed classes the instructor is putting a lot more effort about teaching kids to not text and drive. Elliot and drivers Ed can only do so much though, parents are really the ones who have to teach the kids not to be distracted while driving. They have to be role models by not using their phones and to drill it to the kids that texting can wait.

    • Good job Taylor. I liked how you related the article to your life. It is very relatable to me too and the information was very helpful. I also like how you used statistics to support your claims.

    • Hey Taylor
      I lie how you included all those numbers and facts in your response. I think that you cold develop your thoughts even more and give more examples like what kind of things can happen and why if you look of the road. maybe give an example of what has happened in the past to someone or even relate it to those AT&T commercials where they talk about stories of what has happened to people. If you added some more detail i think your writing would be superb.

  20. Article #2
    What makes the article “Lousy Sleep Isn’t Good for Your Body, Either” interesting is the useful information that it contains. This article offers eye-opening information that gives you proof that there are many benefits to getting an ample amount of sleep. One benefit is that those who receive a good amount of sleep will be able to withstand up to 25 percent more pain that those who didn’t get a good amount of sleep. Another benefit of getting a good amount of sleep is that you will be more likely to eat a smaller amount of food throughout your day. Those who don’t get the right amount of sleep are more likely to suffer memory-loss at a later age. They are also more likely to make poor food choices which can lead to obesity and diabetes. I liked this article because this information it provided me with can help me stay healthy and live a long life.
    Some of the key concepts of this article are; sleep will keep you healthy, and if you are missing sleep you will pay for it. There are multiple examples of how sleep can keep you healthy in this article. You can resist more pain, you will eat less food, you are at less of a risk to get a heart attack and heart disease, and your cells will work better. Studies have shown that people who get a good amount of sleep each night can resist up to 25 percent more pain than those who didn’t get enough sleep. Studies have also shown that “those who were sleep-deprived invariably chose larger portions of food than they did when they had a good night’s sleep.” Studies have also shown that those who get enough sleep, are at less of a risk to get obesity, diabetes, heart disease and high blood pressure.
    I think that everyone should read this article. The information in this is applicable to people of all ages. It is important to inform everyone about the consequences of lack of sleep, especially young people because it will help them live a long and healthy life.

  21. I chose article #7
    While reading this I tried to connect it and apply it to my own life and times when I have seen it happen. One instance is during sporting events. Since I have played soccer my whole life it is easy for me to say that when one of the teammates puts his head down the whole team’s effort will soon get worse. It also works in the totally opposite way, when one person is working really hard and keeps his head up then the team will try and help and they will soon put more effort into the game. It doesn’t matter what sport or where, it’s something that as humans we do. One of my teachers has a poster in his/her room, there is a quote that states “Attitude is contagious.” I never really realized the importance and reality of that quote.
    We had a guest speaker come to our school. He said that the people that you hang around with will affect what you will be like in the future. If you want to be rich then hang around the rich. Unfortunately, it works both ways. The bad things of the group that you hang around will also affect you and who you become. It states in the article, “If you hang around sad and negative people then you will not be happy. “ This is because their attitude has a very big effect on you. You don’t get the chance to encounter happiness or a smile therefore the base of that day will be the people that you hang around more
    I decided to look through the comments and noticed something that kept re appearing. People were saying that it is hard to be happy or good when you are encountered each day by news that talk about tragedies, unfairness, and people killing each other. Which would make sense, that if more good things would be done around the world, then it would spread among the people, and the better would have to outnumber the worse. People also have to remember that they have to be independent minded but at the same time show others what being good is. Holding the door for someone might get noticed by a by-walker and either next day or next chance they get they will try to open or hold the door open for others. The key to the idea of this article is spreading positive attitudes and actions amongst everyone that we pass each day. Even if it is just passing them by on the street.

  22. What makes this article so interesting because it’s something that everyone goes through eventually in our lives. Everyone always asks each other “so what are you going to be when you grow up?” some people will tell you a general idea that they might pursue later in life and others have absolutely no idea what they are going to do with their lives. I think that the people that should be, reading this are people who are still lost in looking for a career path or someone who just feels that they don’t have something they enjoy doing like many people do such as hiking, working with animals or running. The key concepts that this article has is how is someone going to find their passion, if they have no idea where to even start? This goes with my own experiences because at times I don’t feel like I have a passion but then I think that I enjoy helping people anyway I can and I enjoy the science and medical portion, and that’s my passion helping people that have been hurt. It also raises questions such as should we offering students courses to try and explore more fields and encourage them to keep their options open ,and offer more courses that expand on these career fields and, don’t just zone in on one particular career. It gives new insights because many kids are faced with this question everyday and there is so much pressure on them because they are expected to search for this career within, such a short time. What also is interesting, about this article is that not many kids are willing to say they have no clue what they are going to be because I know in my personal life my mother asks what I’m ,going to be or if I have thought about what I’m ,going to be at least once a month. Another key concept that this article brings up is that the professor didn’t even, know how to answer his question because it’s such a difficult question, to answer because its one of those questions that there is no simple answer and that everyone has to figure it out for themselves.

  23. 4.) I chose the article “Owning a Dog Is Linked to Reduced Heart Risk” mainly at first because the title had attracted me to it. Being an owner of three dogs, the message of this writing seemed to be important and pertained to me. I had read about articles with a very similar message before but to finally see a more direct and official link between owning a dog and having a lower risk of heart disease was very pleasing. The main point in this article is not that dogs are magical pets who have the ability to rid the world of the risk of heart disease, but it is that dogs are able to provide more opportunities for people to become active and healthier. Also, having a dog was linked to the relief of stress which I would personally be able to vouch for. For example, every afternoon when I get home I look forward to seeing my Golden Retriever and spending time with her because she is always happy to see me and brightens my day. However, with all of this data collected for this article, a question seems to grow which is do other pets have this effect on humans and if not why are not they able to? Is is because of a mental or physical trait that dogs have?
    I find this article would be extremely interesting for other pet owners especially those who own dogs. The medical knowledge that is discovered in this piece of writing would be helpful to anyone who is looking to turn around their life due to the fact that some might extremely want to improve their health but aren’t sure how to begin, and to own a dog would definitely be a perfect way to spark that change in their life. Also, by owning a dog, someone who is physically unhealyhy would also be able to improve their mental and social health because they would be brought into situations requiring socialization and would always have that moment of happiness to look forward to at the end of the day which would be the unconditional love provided by owning these lovely pets.

  24. The article, “Owning a Dog Is Linked to Reduced Heart Risk,” caught my attention because I, myself, am a beloved dog lover. The article really interested me because my dog died of heart disease, so I had some unanswered questions, Then, I realized dogs are the ones who help the humans to reduce the possibility of getting heart diseases. I also find it interesting in the tests of those who adopted a pet had better results six months later compared to those who didn’t adopt.

    When reading the article, “what if” questions certainly popped in my head. For example, what if you can’t control your pet, therefore you can’t take it out in public. What happens when you constantly work, you don’t have time to walk your pet everyday. Another question I had was answered when Dr. Levine said, “If someone adopts a pet, but still sits on the couch and smokes and eats whatever they want and doesn’t control their blood pressure, that’s not a prudent strategy to decrease their cardiovascular risk.”

    People who are thinking of adopting a pet should consider reading this article, because who knew that all the chewed up shoes and dog bones could be worth saving your heart someday. They should also share the article with people who are more likely to get a heart disease, and those who may already have one. I also think those who live alone without any pets, and may be older should read the article.

    The key concept of this article has to be the discovery of a new theory to prevent heart disease. The article involves a variety of opinions and tests. The link to pet ownership and a better health is also very important for the article. The article really makes me feel good about myself because I am a happy pet owner myself. My dog Avo is constantly crazy but now that I’ve read the article I realize that his craziness reflects upon me. Although sometimes I don’t feel like taking him on walks everyday, now I know it will pay off in the future.

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