English 101 -- Plan for Wednesday, Feb. 11

Class time: Revisit “Facebook” article; MEAL Plan 1; MEAL Plan 2 (including sample paragraphs); exercises to begin planning a response to the article; additional work with evidence as needed; peer review of summaries time permitting.
Unfinished from previous class -- side-shadowing; writing a response; review double-entry journal.  Intro to Eng 101 page.

Homework due Friday, Feb. 13:
1. Make necessary revisions to your summary of “Facebook” article.  It will be helpful to re-read the article.
2.  Follow your summary with a response to the article.  Your response should include a thesis statement saying whether you agree/disagree, or both, with the main idea(s) of the article.  State specifically with what points you are agreeing/disagreeing.  Be sure your paragraphs begin with clear and specific topic sentences.  Back up your points with specific evidence.  Your summary/Response essay should be roughly 3 pages in length.  Bring this to class.

English 101 -- Plan for Monday, Feb. 9

Class time:

• Discuss response writing
• discuss editing versus revising
• discuss thesis statements
• side shadow the responses you brought with you, looking specifically at evidence
• discuss double entry journals.

Homework due Wednesday, Feb. 11:

1.  Read Chapter 3 in the handbook “Using a Thesis to Shape Your Material” pages 29-36 AND read Chapter 5 “Writing Paragraphs” pages 64-73 in the handbook. 

2.  Read “Facebook Threatens to Zuck Up the Human Race.”   Complete exercise 3.3 (“outlining,” see page 36) in the handbook, using the Facebook article.  In other words, you will first create an outline of the article.  Then you will write a summary of the article.  Bring both to class.

3.  Create a double entry journal with at least 3 reasons why you agree or disagree with the article.  Refer to specific points made in the article and then provide your reaction noting whether you agree or disagree and why.  Bring this to class.

English 101 -- Plan for Thursday, Feb. 5

Class time:

• Strategies for Critical and Analytical Reading
• in-class annotation of article (Facebook article)
• guidelines for writing a summary 
• summary checklist; sample summary 
• intro to portfolio 1
• free write

Homework due Monday, Feb. 9:
1.  Revise your summary of the article.  Be sure to re-read the article and look at the sample summary provided.  Bring your original and your revision (stapled together, new version on top) to class.  I will collect both the summary draft and revision.
2.  Write a personal response to the article.  You should be agreeing or disagreeing (or both) with the main idea(s) in the article.  This is a rough draft and should be 1 ½ to 2 pages.  Bring this to class.  We will talk more about response writing in class.

Eng 101 -- Assignment for Tuesday

(1) Read and annotate the New York Times article at the link below:
"Losing is Good for You"  (2) Then write a one-paragraph / half-page summary of the article.

Please see me for tips on annotation.  A couple of resources for annotation are here and here.

The Writing Process -- Insights from Working Writers

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During class, you will be asked to complete a Writing Process Questionnaire.

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.)

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."

College 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?

Freedom of Speech Project Resources

Written Report:

Freedom of Speech Project Rubric

Sample Paragraphs, sections 1 and 2 -- Freedom of Speech Project

Sample Paragraphs, section 2

Sample Paragraphs , Section 6 (Language Use & Your Issue) 

Sample Annotated Bibliography

Interview:

Interview Guidelines & Suggestions

Interview Transcription Guidelines (courtesy of Oregon State University)

Sample Interview Transcript

Why Interview (compares different types of interviews according to purpose)

Resources for Freedom of Speech Research

Issues & Controversies on File
http://online.infobaselearning.com/

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

Debate.org
http://www.debate.org/ (use the search bar and key words for your topic)

Allsides.com
http://www.allsides.com/

Opposing Views
http://www.opposingviews.com/

Advertising
https://www.truthinadvertising.org/cost-winning/

Freedom of Speech
https://www.aclu.org/free-speech

News articles about these issues also mention the types of people who are most involved in the issue and why those people believe what they do about the 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

The Seven Big "Don'ts of Writing Survey Questions:
http://www.slideshare.net

Euphemisms, Loaded words, and 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:
Campaign Sticker & Critique Rubric
Sample Stickers with Brief Critiques (slideshow)
Typography Basics
What Color Communicates (Quick reference chart)
Sample Critique


Additional Resources:
Color as Symbol
How Color Communicates Meaning
Color Symbolism
DaFont.com
10 Awesomely Dorky Facts About Fonts 
MakeStickers.com

Tips for Creating Your Campaign Sticker:
1. Use the Drawing Program on Libre Office
2. On Libre 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.)

Intro. to Language & Power

Norman Rockwell, "Freedom of Speech"

 Prompt:  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?

"The Somebody" Resources

Can the presence of graffiti be a sign of a healthy society?  (Essential Question)

"The Somebody" (full text of the short story online)

"Graffiti Psychology:  Why Vandals Strike" (article) [Google drive version of article]


"Can Graffiti Be Good for Cities?"  (article) [Google Drive version of article]

"Art Crime:  Graffiti Wars"   [Google Drive version of article]

"The Pyschology of Graffiti--from Gang Signs to Street Art"  (article)

"Why Graffiti?" (article)

"Graffiti:  from Destructive to Constructive" (short history of graffiti plus blurbs on several famous graffiti artists)


Additional Resources:
The Somebody / Graffiti Essay Rubric
Using Quotes in an EssayPunctuating Quotations -- from LEO
The Somebody / Graffiti Essay Mind Map
"The Somebody" Notes from Newclassroom.com
Daniel Lewis James on Wikipedia.com
"The Somebody" Lesson Plan on Teachers.net

Welcome to Senior English

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