Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Evaluating Online Sources


Evaluating Online sources: 5-Question quiz

1. Please read and discuss the "Evaluating Your Sources" handout together as a class.

2. Below are a few tips related to the handout:
---Authority (authorship) can often be determining by scanning the top of the web page, the bottom of the web page, and the "about us" page (if any). Keep in mind that unless the person is famous and/or known to you, a name only tells so much. Who is this person? What do they do for a living? What kind of education do they have?
---Objectivity: Is the site selling anything? Trying to persuade you of anything? Are there ads on the site?
---Authenticity / Reliability: Is there an organization, corporation, or educational institution associated with the site? What is it? As before, look at the top of the web page, the bottom of the web page, and the "about us" page (if any).
---Timeliness: Is there a date provided somewhere on the page or even in the copyright (if any) at the bottom of the page?

3. Visit each of the 3 diet sites below and complete the chart by making comments about these sites in each respective box in the chart:
Weight Loss Center (article)
Medicine.Net (article)
Diet Pills Hoopla & Hype (article)

Coming Soon:
You can travel into space for $200,000.00

Right now you can go to
The End of the Internet
for free.
Check it out!




Tuesday, January 19, 2010

English Wide Open Exam

An online copy of the English Wide Open Exam will be placed here.

(If typing your exam, please copy and paste the exam into a word program and then type each of your responses below the respective question.)

Thursday, January 14, 2010

English 12 Semester Outline

Writing:
Acadia storm wave essay
Resume
College admissions essay
Persuasive essay
Question paper (interpretative paper)

Readings:
Beowulf (3 episodes)
Canterbury Tales: Prologue, Pardoner's Tale
"The Somebody"
Hamlet
Independent reading: ________, __________ (2 or more books)
Biography: ________________

Terms:
Concrete detail
sensory detail
chronological
functional
voice
organization
revision vs. editing
simple, compound, complex sentences
thesis
argument
opposition argument / rebuttal
objective
critical
analysis
synthesis
evaluation
literary period
genre
alliteration
rhythm
climax
resolution
conflict, internal & external
ambiguity
point of view

Themes:
The Story of English (how our language has evolved)
Inheriting Earlier Voices
Writing for Results

English Wide Open -- Semester Outline

Writing:
Descriptive writing
Writing about a place
Persuasive writing
Wild places essay
Acadia storm wave essay
Resume
College admissions essay

Readings:
Island Girl
The Reach
The Island / Polar Dream
Into the Wild
Into the Wild (film)

Terms:
Concrete detail
sensory detail
chronological
functional
voice
organization
revision vs. editing
simple, compound, complex sentences
refute
critical
analysis
synthesis
evaluation
literary period
genre

Themes:
The Importance of Place
Going to Extremes in Search of Truth

Friday, January 08, 2010

Going to Extremes in the Search for Truth

In a world where extremism is so prevalent, we might ask why is it that so many individuals are going to such extremes. We also might ask if extremism is more a reflection of the individual or of society.
  • What is extremism? Do all (most, many) of us have extremist tendencies? Can any of us become an extremist?
  • Is extremism always bad? Are some forms of extremism more harmful than others?
  • What are the causes of extremism?
  • What would a world without extremism look like?
  • Are some people more susceptible to extremism? What characteristics do these people have?
  • What can we do as individuals and as a society to reduce extremism?
Links for further research:

ADL: "Extremism in America"

Islam for Today: "Muslims Against Extremism and Fundamentalism"
SPLCenter: "Active U.S. Hate Groups" (map)
Religious Tolerance: "Hate Websites"
Hate Groups for Dummies: "How to Build A Successful Hate Group"
Tolerance.org: "Responding to Obama: America at the Extremes"