Literacy 9 Assignment for Monday, Feb. 12

Today, I'd like you to use the Literacy 9 class as follows:

(1) first 40 minutes of class -- online computer critical thinking challenges, including some really fun ones. See below.
(2) next 30 minutes of class -- silent independent reading.
(3) last 10 minutes of class. Write and submit a recap of (a) what computer challenges you attempted / what you learned, and also (b) what you read about during the independent reading period. This "recap" should be 1/2 page or more in length and should be submitted to the basket on my desk.

Online critical thinking challenges:

1. Growth of Knowledge in your lifetime
2. Missionaries and Cannibals
3. Wolf, Sheep, and Cabbage
4. Vocabulary Challenge

English Without Borders: White Man's Burden Unit

Look up the definition of imperialism.
Look up definitions for parody and satire.

Re-Read the Kipling poem, "White Man's Burden." Copy of poem should be on front table. Students already have copies of this poem. Poem is also at http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/kipling.html

In what way does the poem reflect imperialistic ideas?

Browse through the response poems at http://www.boondocksnet.com/ai/kipling/index.html

Working with a partner, choose one of the response poems (must be more than 12 lines). Complete 2 of the handout (students already have this handout) by responding to the questions about the response poem.

Next, create your own response to Kipling's poem about imperialism. This may be in the form of a poem, a cartoon, or a letter to the editor.

Literacy 9 Assignment for Jan. 16

Please go to http://www.snopes.com and then complete the following:

1. Choose a category.
2. Choose an urban legend marked with a red circle -- this means the urban legend is false
3. Click on the link associated with that urban legend. (If there is no link, choose another legend)
4. Read the article associated with that urban legend.
5. Write a half page summary of the story behind the urban legend and how it became accepted as truth.
6. Add a brief statement to number 5 on what you learned from this activity.

While half the class is completing the above assignment, the other half should be on the computers completing Carmen SanDiego cases. Have fun!

Podcast Coming Soon!

Wirthy English podcast coming soon to this site!
(Be the first to hear it).

College Admissions Essay Helpers

Sample questions, tips on writing an essay, and more can be found at:

http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-26-0-108,00.html

http://www.quintcareers.com/college_application_essay.html

Resume Writing Resources

BEGIN HERE (and read the note below): Online Resume Builder

Important note: You can save the resume you complete using the above Online Resume Builder by:
1. Dragging your browser over the resume, copying it, and pasting it into Microsoft Word.
2. Saving the Microsoft Word document on the transfer drive.

Other resume resources:
Resume Tutor from University of Minnesota.

A second online resume builder (click on free trial)

Welcome to the 2006 - 2007 School Year!

Please bookmark this space and check back for updates. Major assignments, information on thematic units, useful links, as well as extra credit opportunities will be posted here.

Extra Credit / Alternative to Booknotes

AP English Students, here is an opportunity to build a bit of community as you do your summer reading -- and to get some extra credit as well:

Each time you post a comment here about one of the summer reading books, you get extra credit -- or can complete one fewer "booknote." For example, post ten comments here over the summer and you only need a total of 70 booknotes (rather than 80) on the two books.

If you complete 80 or more booknotes plus make comments here = extra credit.

Reading more than two books plus booknotes = extra credit.

Extreme English -- Online Research May 25

By the time we got to the take out on Tuesday, you guys were starting to really starting to look like paddlers. But there is still a lot more to learn. Today, you are being asked to research kayak skills and places to paddle in Maine. Take notes and / or print out information -- and be ready to report to the class next time we meet. Aim for a 5 minute detailed report, including photos, maps, or drawings where possible.

Please individually research one (1) kayaking skill or technique using one of the 2 websites below:

Kayaking Skills: Strokes & Braces
Kayaking Techniques

Please individually research one (1) place to padde in Maine (lake, river, or ocean). This could be a place we might go as a class, or it might be a place you might go on your own someday.

Maine Island Trail system
Penobscot Bay Area Sea Kayaking
Whitewater Kayaking in Maine
Listing of River, Lake, & Ocean Trips in Maine
Waterways Paddle Trips (Gotta check out this site! :-)

Biography Project Begins

Students are asked to sign out a biography before February vacation and have 3 - 4 weeks to complete reading it. A biography read for this course should meet one of three criteria: (1)focus on a person from a different time period (2) focus on a person from a different place or who travels to a different place (3) focus on a person from a different culture.

One way to find a biography you might be interested in is to think of an interest, a place, or a person who interests you and then search for that topic (include the word biography in your search) at Amazon.com

Hamlet Question paper

This essay, due before February vacation, should be based on one of the unanswered questions presented by the play (Why does Hamlet wait so long to kill Claudius? Does Hamlet love Ophelia? How much did the Queen know about King Hamlet's death). An interesting and helpful Hamlet site is at http://www.pathguy.com/hamlet.htm

Plum Creek Company and the Future of the Moosehead Lake Region

Sources suppporting the Plum Creek plan:
http://www.plumcreek.com/downloads/whitepapers/moosehead.pdf
http://www.pcedc.org/news/022305.html

Sources opposing the Plum Creek plan:
http://www.restore.org/Maine/plumcreek_watch.html
http://www.meepi.org/files05/pa021005.htm
http://maineindymedia.org/newswire/display/3140/index.php
http://www.landgrant.org/maineplum2005-5-9.pdf

Both Sides:
http://kennebecjournal.mainetoday.com/news/local/2116132.shtml

Extreme English -- Assignment for Monday, November 7

Assignment for Monday, November 7:

(1) Please divide up the following 4 readings among the class. (Each reading should be read by at least one person; some readings will be read by more than one).

http://www.thewildwest.org/native_american/religion/Quest.html

http://www.crystalinks.com/visionquest.html

http://www.spiritquests.com/home/articles/modern_day_vision_quests

http://www.wildernessdrum.com/html/myths.html

(2) Each student-- please record the following in your journal:

• 8 specific facts about Vision Quests
• 1 paragraph in which you connect ideas from your reading about vision quests to a solo experience we could do for this class.

Resume Writing Resources

BEGIN HERE (and read the note below): Online Resume Builder

Important note: You can save the resume you complete using the above Online Resume Builder by:
1. Dragging your browser over the resume, copying it, and pasting it into Microsoft Word.
2. Savin g the Microsoft Word document on the transfer drive.

Other resume resources:
Resume Tutor from University of Minnesota.

A second online resume builder (click on free trial)

Help with the College Admissions Essay

Sample questions, tips on writing an essay, and more can be found at:

http://www.collegeboard.com/article/0,3868,5-26-0-108,00.html

http://www.quintcareers.com/college_application_essay.html