Procrastination Test

Take the 10-Question Procrastination Test at psychologytoday.tests.psychtests.com/

Just don't put it off until tomorrow!

You can read more about procrastination here.

According to the article, "Procrastination is, in fact, an emotional issue, not a time-management issue. It is about the fear of losing, the fear of guilt and the fear of making a mistake."

Sample Critical Review

A sample critical review, together with suggestions and an outline, is here.

Sample Character Sketch

Several sample character sketches as well as suggestions about writing a character sketch are at:
http://grammar.about.com/od/c/g/Character-Sketch.htm

• Annie Dillard's Sketch of Her Childhood Friend Judy Schoyer
  "My friend Judy Schoyer was a thin, messy, shy girl whose thick blond curls lapped over her glasses. Her cheeks, chin, nose, and blue eyes were round; the lenses and frames of her glasses were round, and so were her heavy curls. Her long spine was supple; her legs were long and thin so her knee socks fell down. She did not care if her knee socks fell down. When I first knew her, as my classmate at the Ellis School, she sometimes forgot to comb her hair. She was so shy she tended not to move her head, but only let her eyes rove about. If my mother addressed her, or a teacher, she held her long-legged posture lightly, alert, like a fawn ready to bolt but hoping its camouflage will work a little longer."
  (Annie Dillard, An American Childhood. Harper & Row, 1987)



• Dave Barry's Final Sketch of His Father
  "It was time to go have my last words with my father. He was dying, in the bedroom he built. He built our whole house, even dug the foundation himself, with a diaper tied around his head to keep the sweat out of his eyes. He was always working on the house, more than 35 years, and he never did finish it. He was first to admit that he really didn’t know how to build a house. . . .
  
  "The doctor told us he was dying, but we knew anyway. Almost all he said anymore was thank you, when somebody brought him shaved ice, which was mainly what he wanted, at the end. He had stopped putting his dentures in. He had stopped wearing his glasses. I remember when he yanked his glasses off and jumped into the Heymans’ pool to save me.
  
  "So I go in for my last words, because I have to go back home, and my mother and I agree I probably won’t see him again. I sit next to him on the bed, hoping he can’t see that I’m crying. 'I love you, Dad,' I say. He says: 'I love you, too. I’d like some oatmeal.'
  
  "So I go back out to the living room, where my mother and my wife and my son are sitting on the sofa, in a line, waiting for the outcome and I say, 'He wants some oatmeal.' I am laughing and crying about this. My mother thinks maybe I should go back in and try to have a more meaningful last talk, but I don’t.
  
  "Driving home, I’m glad I didn’t. I think: He and I have been talking ever since I learned how. A million words. All of them final, now. I don’t need to make him give me any more, like souvenirs. I think: Let me not define his death on my terms. Let him have his oatmeal. I can hardly see the road."
  (Dave Barry, "A Million Words." Dave Barry's Greatest Hits. Ballantine Books, 1988)

Biography Project Research

The goal is get started on researching topics related to the biography you are reading.  Don't worry about what the research will be used for.*  Follow your interests.  Find some sources.  Save the source information so you can easily go back later.

1. Identify topics for research, using instaGrok the this handout

2. Set up a place to save and organize all your bookmarks.  This could be a folder with Safari or Firefox Bookmarks.  Or you may choose to set up an account on Delicious or Diigo.

3. Start identifying sites that are potential resources.  Don't just rely on Google.   See the Biography section of  Wirthportal (also on the right sidebar link of this site) and check out Marvel, Internet Public Library, Biography.com, and Google Search tools such as "Advanced Search" and Time Defined Searchs, Google News, and Google Blogs.  New and Recommended:  For deeper search (and an introduction to college level research) see NoodleTools.

4. Save your sites you find within your bookmarks folder (or on Delicious or Diigo).

*Some of your research may be later incorporated into a review of your biography. Some of your research may help you write genre pieces and may become part of your presentation. Even if your research is not directly used, it may help you have a better understanding of your biography and -- importantly -- you will get credit for each source you include as part of your bibliography.

Resources for Persuasive Writing

Overview of Persuasive (Argumentative) Writing from Purdue Owl

Issues & Controversies

ProCon.org  

Hemingwayapp.com -- a web-based "writing coach" that points out overly long and complicated sentences, overuse of adverbs, excessive wordiness, and more.  Try it and you'll learn something about yourself as a writer.

Prove It! An Intro. to Persuasion

Prove It!

You are a lawyer involved in the case spelled out below.  Your job is to read the facts, think about the facts, think outside the facts, and then develop a logical, well-supported case to prove the guilt or innocence of the accused.  We will not actually conduct the case in class, but your job is to spell out what you would research, what you would aim to find out, and how you would support your case.


The case:

The theft of $2 million has been reported by Bangor Savings Bank in Bangor, Maine.  The bank believes it was an inside job because no doors, windows, or locks were broken during this nighttime robbery.  They believe that whoever entered had a key and also had knowledge of the security camera and alarm system.  .  

The accused is Janet Con, a 32-year old former employee of the bank.  Evidence gathered at the bank included a security camera video that showed a shadowy, hat-wearing figure who seems to resemble Janet Con.  Additionally, a partial fingerprint of Ms. Con was found on the door to the vault.   

Create an outline for your case that looks something like this:

Janet Con is __________________________ (guilty/ innocent)  Choose one.

Issues to Investigate:

--Argument 1 and supporting details:

• We would investigate and aim to show . . .
• We would investigate and aim to show

--Argument 2 and supporting details:

--Argument 3 and supporting details

(The more arguments you can present,  and more more closely you are able to tie the details (evidence) with your case, the better chance you have of winning the case.  Be creative.  Think outside the box.  Leave no stone unturned.

Midyear Exam -- Essay Prompt

Essay Prompt:

How do our beliefs about freedom of speech define us?

Where do you personally stand on the continuum between absolute freedom of individual expression and limitations that my be imposed for the "good of the group"? Where does our nation as a whole stand in comparison with other nations? What are the benefits and drawbacks of your / our beliefs? Refer to 3 or more case studies as examples.  

Respond in an essay of 4 or more well-developed paragraphs.

 Sample Essay Outline:
 1. Intro. / My beliefs about freedom of speech 
 2. How my beliefs have affected my decisions & practices.  Include benefits & drawbacks of my beliefs -- refer to 
       case studies & experiences 
 3. American in general -- beliefs about f.o.s. 
 4. Americans in general -- Benefits & drawbacks of American beliefs -- refer to case studies 
      & experiences 
 5. Closing -- summary statement and comment in response to prompt

Beowulf Resources

Fate vs. Free Will Resources

Beowulf -- Easy to read version

Beowulf -- Hypertext version

Beowulf in 100 Tweets

Beowulf -- Greene Hamlet Resources 

Beowulf Translations.net

Tim Romano Translation

Beowulf -- Translations.net zip file
(This valuable site with dozens of translations of Beowulf from different time periods is now available in the form of a Google-hosted zip file that can be downloaded, expanded, opened, and then used as a website that will be private to your own computer.  To download, click the link above and then click the download link on the top right corner of the page.)

Resume Resources

A list of ACTION VERBS for your resume is at:
Boston College Career Center
A sample FUNCTIONAL RESUME is in Google Doc format
here.
A useful online Resume Builder is at
http://www.resumizer.com/
Another good option for resume templates is via Google Docs.
(If you don't have a Gmail account, see me for the login info for the class Gmail account.)

Resume Headings: Activities Activities & Interests Additional Experience Additional Skills Additional Training Affiliations Associations Awards/Recognitions Career Goal Career Objective Certifications Coaching Experience Achievements Community Involvement Community Service Computer Skills Conferences Attended Education Employment Employment History Employment Objective Experience Goals Highlights of Qualifications Hobbies & Interests Honours & Awards Language Skills

Memberships Extracurricular Activities Objective Personal Achievements Presentations Publications Qualifications Related Activities Related Experience Relevant Experience Relevant Skills Scholarships & Awards Skills Special Skills Summary of Qualifications Teaching Experience Technical Skills Training Volunteer Activities Volunteer Experience Volunteer Work Work Experience

Just for Fun:  An extensive list of resume bloopers and blunders is at jobmob.co

Assignment for December 9

1.  Read the following two essays:
           Sample Essay #1 (submitted to Princeton)  http://www.quintcareers.com/collegegate4.html
           Sample Essay #2 (submitted to Cornell)  http://www.quintcareers.com/collegegate5.html

2. Write a critique of the 2 essays in which you compare the essays in term of the following.  (Write a brief paragraph on each):

• contains rich use of detail
• shows voice and personality
• portrays values likely to be important to the college

3. Submit your completed critique to the basket in front of the classroom.

4.  Use the remaining time to draft, revise, or polish your own college admissions essay.

College Admissions Essay Tips & Resources

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 http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/a/common-application-essay-prompts.htm 

Bad topics for your college essay are graciously provided for you at:
http://collegeapps.about.com/od/essays/tp/bad-essay-topics.htm

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:
http://www.eduers.com/University/College_Admission_Essay_Topics.html

True fact: You can pay more than $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?

Reading for Variety

Standard 2 in English reads: "Students will read a wide variety of literature from many periods and genres to build an understanding of the dimensions of human experience."

It's a worthwhile standard and one that we hope you continue to build on through your lifetime.

Your Quarter 2 online reading journal, which is due by Jan. 21 (no penalty for getting it done early!), should include a personal reading list of books you have read during high school. It's ok to include a few favorite titles from your earlier years as well. Details, as well as a sample list, are below:


The goal is to list 12 or more titles that you have read in entirety during high school. These can be assigned texts or independent reading. If you have read dozens and dozens of books, it is ok to list only the top most memorable titles in your post. If you have read fewer than 12 books, it is ok to list books that you have read at least in part.

Listing author names is also a nice touch.

Sample List: The Adventures of Ulysses
Monster
The Outsiders by SE Hinton
To Kill a Mockingbird
Romeo and Juliet by Wiliam Shakespeare
Night
Speak
The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway
After the First Death by Robert Cormier
Where the Heart Is
The Crucible
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Scarlet Letter
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Where Men Win Glory by John Krakauer --IR
Into the Wild by John Krakauer --IR
Great Heart: The History of a Labrador Adventure --IR
Born to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race
the World Has Never Seen --IR

*IR= Independent Reading

Poetry Out Loud!

Every senior at SDHS is expected to find and learn a poem and to present it during our classroom competition.  (The date of this competition will be announced soon).

Poems are at http://poetryoutloud.org/poems-and-performance/find-poems

Poetry Out Loud learning goals include:

• in-depth understanding of a poem
• exposure to a variety of poems through the classroom competition
• develop skills in memorization
• develop ability and confidence in public speaking
• increased appreciation of poetry

Poems that are high on the short, easy, & accessible scale include:
"Another Feeling," "Battlefield," "Boy and Egg," "Carmel Point," "Catch a Little Rhythm," "The Cities Inside Us," "Domestic Situation," "Dream Song 14," "Eagle Plain," "Golden Retrievals," "Keeping Things Whole," "Layabout," "The Last Laugh," "The Lamb," "Question," "Sadie & Maud," "Thoughts in a Zoo," "War Widow," "Youth."

Loaded Words and Your Issue

Loaded words, as we have defined them, are words that have a strong positive or negative "charge" to them.  Your job, in this part of the project, is to read a number of news articles related to your topic and to highlight any use of loaded words as you do so.

The next step is to group the loaded words according to which side of the issue is likely to use them and whether they are positive or negative.

Finally, you will use your list of loaded words to write up this section of your report.  Additional guidelines and a sample Section #6 are on a Google doc.

Norman Rockwell, "Freedom of Speech"

 Interpretation:  Why is this man standing?  What is going on?

What attitude do the other people seem to have toward him?

How is he different from them?  Are there places in the world

where this kind of scene could not take place?