Tag: article

What do your hobbies do for you?

What do your hobbies do for you?

Do you knit, run, read, eat, garden? Hobbies are acticities that we do for the sheer pleasure of doing them. They help us take time for ourselves. Whether they are sports related or a more relaxing activity, a hobby is something to enjoy. In other words, when you have given them a bit of time, you feel recharged and happy–as opposed to guilty or tired.

Personnally, I have more hobbies than I probably should. I love relaxing. I knit, paint, garden, cook, take long walks with my dog, read and write blogs. In fact, my hobbies help me channel a lot of creative energy. My husband on the other hand uses hobbies like obsesive video game playing to expell his stress. I’m not sure that it works though.

Moreover, not everybody nutures hobbies. In fact, in many cultures hobbies can be viewed as lazy or a waste of time–something you do when you are children or you want to avoid ‘real’ work. What do you think? Are hobbies healthy or a waste of time? In this Huffington Post article, the author develops the idea that there are good and not so good hobbies.

Warm up

Do a Mind Map of the different hobbies.

The Artcle: Healthy Hobbies That Will Improve Your Life

  • Scan for words that describe the benefits of hobbies.
  • What hobbies do you have?
  • Out of the 11 hobbies listed in the article, which would you like to try?
  • What is it about that activities that sparks your interest?

Why do humans treat their pets like human beings?

Why do humans treat their pets like human beings? Yep, I’m guilty of that sometimes. And why wouldn’t I? Sometimes my dog is nicer to me that my children are. This phenomena is called anthropomorphism and there are many reasons we do this.

Somehow the relationship with a pet is a more intuitive and perceptually deeper. Since they don’t have words to tell us what they really think , we use empathy to ‘read’ them. And since animals are very good at picking up our vibes, it feels like they understand us better than our human counter parts.

I think it is normal to appreciate this, but do you think that showering them with treats and love and affection is good for them? It is also normal to want to give our pets a good life, but what should that really look like?

Pre discussion

  • What do pets bring to our lives?
  • How would you describe a healthy pet-owner relationship?
  • Some vocabulary:
    • pampered
    • appealling
    • mischievous
    • bond and bonding
    • alleviate stress
    • Behaviour

Video and Article: New York Times Why Humans Treat Their Dogs Like People

Discussion

  • Do a Mind Map of the main points of the video
  • Who is Tinker Bell?
  • Why does Annie Grossman think anthropomorphizing animals is problematic?
  • What did B.F. Skinner do to help us understand behaviour?
  • Is anthropomorphizing animals a northern hemisphere phenomena? How do you view animals in your culture?

Bitmoji Image

Would you like to visit Mars?

Would you like to visit Mars? At one time this would have been a question to engage in hypothetical thinking, but now, it could be a real possibility. According to the Washington Post, NASA expects that trips to Mars may be possible in the next 20 to 25 years. In fact, they have launched an exciting competition calling companies, universities and anybody to build models of habitats for Mars.

And if you were to go, what would you bring? Some baggies to collect Mars sand? A good pair of shoes? Camera (of course)? It is an interesting thought to play with. Thus in this post I am referencing the Washington Post article Where to stay on Mars? Robots could create living quarters before humans arrive. The article is featured in the Kids Post, so the vocabulary is relatively simple. And the subject matter may spark some interesting discussion about basic needs, isolation, and exploration.

Pre discussion

  • Would you like to go to Mars? Why?
  • What do you think it will be like? Dry, hot, cold, lonely, weird, exciting?

The article: Washington Post Where to stay on Mars?

Questions

  • To get the gist of the article, do a series of Tell Backs for each section
  • What are some of the things that have to be planned in order to make this possible (food, habitat, etc…)?
  •  What is the habitat competition all about?
  • What kind of entertainment would you bring if you were to stay a year?
  • What would you put in your suitcase?
  • How do you think visiting Mars will change life on Earth?

Bitmoji Image

Have a good trip!

 

What museums would you recommend?

Why not indulged is some culture and beauty?

I love going to museums. They are like a breath of cultural air. Something about spending time with other people’s stories that inspires me.

Pre discussion

  • What type of museum do you enjoy (if at all…you can say you don’t like them…that’s ok too)?
  • What museums or exhibits have you been to that you would recommend?

The Article

Scan through this National Geographic article on the top 10 museums in the world and flesh out what makes each extraordinary.

  • Have you visited any of the museums on the list? What was it like?
  • Which museum would you visit?
  • What are some of the main attractions of each museum?
  • What type of museums do you like? Art? History? Science?
  • Do you have any memorable experiences at museums?
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