Ten Thousand Hours

Ten thousand hours -- fifty hours a week for four years -- is, according to Malcolm Gladwell's book, Outliers, the key to success in any field.  In other words, you should expect to put in at least 10,000 hours in order to get really good at something.

What is your passion?  What do you care about enough that you are willing to invest ten thousand hours into it?

For some inspiration, listen to the Macklemore song, "Ten Thousand Hours."  The lyrics to the song are here.

College Admissions Essay Resources & Samples

The College Board has useful section on Essay Skills for the college admissions essay. Included are a section on how to choose a topic and tips on writing the essay itself.

Samples of successful essays can be found at quintcareers.com/ and at
college-admission-essay.com

The Common Application essay prompts are at https://www.commonapp.org/CommonApp/Docs/DownloadForms/2012/2012AppFY_download.pdf

A list, "Top Ten Common College Admissions Mistakes," is at
www.college-admission-essay.com/collegeadmissionessaymistakes.html

An extensive list of college admissions essay topics is at:
www.hpregional.org/departments/english/mhassenplug/100%20topics.html

True fact: You can pay as much as $1000.00 to have a professional essay editing service such as EssayEdge help you with your essay. (Or you can just ask me and get help for free).

The College Board suggests you compete the following as part of your brainstorming process:

• Discover Your Strengths: Do a little research about yourself: ask parents, friends, and teachers what your strengths are.
• Create a Self-Outline: Now, next to each trait, list five or six pieces of evidence from your life—things you've been or done—that prove your point.
• Find Patterns and Connections: Look for patterns in the material you've brainstormed. Group similar ideas and events together. For example, does your passion for numbers show up in your performance in the state math competition and your summer job at the computer store? Was basketball about sports or about friendships? When else have you stuck with the hard work to be with people who matter to you?

Sample College Admissions Essay #1

The sample essay is at:
http://www.conncoll.edu/admission/james-walsh.htm

Resources for Research

Locate & bookmark articles on your topic -- especially those that might have loaded words relating to your topic:

Google News Search:
https://news.google.com/

ProQuest News Search:
via Marvel -- scroll 2/3 down the list of links and click "ProQuest Newspapers"

Google Blog Search:
http://www.google.com/blogsearch

ProCon.org
http://www.procon.org/

Issues & Controversies
http://www.2facts.com/icof_home_feature.aspx

Artistic Freedom vs. Respect for Traditional Values: The Battle Goes On

For a very current example of the on-going conflict between freedom of expression and respect, read or listen to the article, "Tunisians Battle Over the Meaning of Free Expression" on the NPR website.

Resources for Freedom of Speech Issues

 ProCon.org

Issues & Controversies

Google News

ProQuest Newspapers via Marvel Teen Resources

--Search the above sources for articles on your topic and then skim the articles to find examples of loaded words used by those on both sides of the issue.

Euphemisms, Loaded Words, & Double-Speak

A euphemism is a word or phrase used in place of another word or phrase.  Often euphemisms are used in order to mislead, to confuse, or to neutralize the reaction of an audience.  An example of an euphemism is to call a used car a "pre-owned vehicle." 

Loaded words are words used to engage the emotions of the reader or listener.  These are words that have strong connotations.  Some loaded words (especially the ones with positive connotations) are also euphemisms.  When Maine legislators who oppose the "estate tax" started calling it the "death tax," they were using loaded words.

Double-Speak is another term for ambiguous language that is intended to deceive of confuse.  Double-speak involves the use of words or phrases such as "War is peace" or "genuine imitation leather."   Double-speak is the use of words in an attempt to make something untrue, true.

Campaign Bumper Stickers

Your challenge is to create a campaign bumper sticker that communicates who you are, what you believe, and why people should vote for you -- all within the space of less than 0.5 square foot and using fewer than a dozen words.

Resources to Review as a Class:
Sample Stickers with Brief Critiques (slideshow)
Typography Basics 
The Basics of Fonts & Typography  (Site temporarily down)

Additional Resources:
Color as Symbol
How Color Communicates Meaning
Color Symbolism

Tips for Creating Your Campaign Sticker:
1. Use the Drawing Program on Open Office
2. On Open Office Draw, Go to "Format," select "Page," and then change your document width to 9 inches and your document height to 3.5 inches.
3. Set your background color.
4. Add text and images.  (Images can be from clipart or can be located on Google images and pasted to your sticker from your clipboard.)

Welcome to the 2012-2013 School Year!

This blog is a home base for Senior English.  Visiting this page often can help you be successful.

Please bookmark this page on your laptop browser.

Reasons to visit this blog include:

• to complete class assignments
• for links for research and reading
• to get caught up in case you are behind or absent
• if you are confused and need more information
• if you want to challenge yourself and complete an honors assignment
• if you missed a class and want to make sure you are on the right track
• if you are interested in something we discussed in class and want to learn more

Links to the Future

newsoffuture.com Future News for Year 2020 and Beyond

futureforall.org/ A Layperson's View of Future Technology and Society

globalfuturist.com Harnessing the Power of Innovation

thefutureofourworld.ytmnd.com The Future of Our World

wfs.org World Future Society

A template and sample outline for the future essay is at:
http://wirthyenglish.blogspot.com/2011/06/sample-outline-for-future-essay.html

Resources for Freedom of Speech Issues

Issues & Controversies

Google News

ProQuest Newspapers via Marvel Teen Resources

--Search the above sources for articles on your topic and then skim the articles to find examples of loaded words used by those on both sides of the issue.

Additional Resources for Your Report:
--To create pie charts based on your survey data (and bump your grade up toward "exceeds"), see http://nces.ed.gov/nceskids/graphing/classic/pie.asp 

--A sample Language & Power Paper (Sections 1, 2, 6) is here.

Euphemisms, Loaded Words, & Double-Speak

A euphemism is a word or phrase used in place of another word or phrase.  Often euphemisms are used in order to mislead, to confuse, or to neutralize the reaction of an audience.  

Loaded words are words used to engage the emotions of the reader or listener.  These are words that have strong connotations.  Some loaded words (especially the ones with positive connotations) are also euphemisms.

Double-Speak is the use of words or phrases such as "War is peace."  Double-speak is the use of words in an attempt to make something untrue, true.

Campaign Bumper Stickers -- Resources

Resources to Review as a Class:
Sample Stickers with Brief Critiques (slideshow)--Block White 1 reviewed this on Wednesday
The Basics of Fonts & Typography 

Additional Resources:
How Color Communicates Meaning
Color Symbolism

Tips for Creating Your Campaign Sticker:
1. Use the Drawing Program on Open Office
2. On Open Office Draw, Go to "Format," select "Page," and then change your document width to 9 inches and your document height to 3.5 inches.
3. Set your background color.
4. Add text and images.  (Images can be from clipart or can be located on Google images and pasted to your sticker from your clipboard.)

Avoiding Plagiarism

The Purdue OWL site provides a good overview on referencing sources and avoiding plagiarism.

Click here for that site.

A 5-Minute Poem to Kick Start Your Week

Use this site to create your own list poem based on your biography:

http://ettcweb.lr.k12.nj.us/forms/listpoem.htm

Notes:

• A list poem may appear random but it is not
• The poem should end with something surprising, insightful, or important.  One way to do this is to move from the literal to the figurative (see example poem below).
• Once you have made your initial list, consider re-arranging the order of the items.  Also consider adding more detail.  Use precise and concrete language as much as possible.  Provide your reader with a clear image of what you see.

Sample below:

________________________________________________

What’s in the canoe
a sharpened axe with a battered wooden handle
a weathered tent green with mold
a bag of pea flour
a plug of tobacco
three long poles with metal boots
four damp wool blankets
a refusal to turn back
a lot of heart 

--based on the book Great Heart:  History of a Labrador Adventure