Debate Points

You will receive points for these final products:

1. Two written speeches with internal documentation. The speeches must be free of plagiarism.
2. A works cited page listing all the sources cited in your speeches. You must use at least five sources between the two speeches, and Wikipedia does not count as a source.
3. Copies of sources to reference during the debate.
4. Your individual performance during the debate.

You will also receive process points for how productive you work during class time, including listening during class, being on-task in the library, and cooperating with your group members.

Disrupting the class will also cost you process points!

Also, if you work productively in the library and during class time and you would like more time to prepare your work, I will consider postponing the debates until after winter break. If you are off task like you were today, then you will need all of your materials in class and be ready to debate next Thursday, December 18.

You also have an All My Sons literary analysis paragraph due next Friday, so keep that in mind and be productive in class if you want to earn an extension on this project.

Debates

Introduction: Debate has a positive role in decision-making in many aspects of our lives. Debate involves the clash or competition of ideas and evidence. It is through such clashes that ideas are thoroughly explored and improved in our society. Debate takes many forms: It may be at a community or business meeting, on the editorial pages of the newspaper, in a court of law, on the floor of Congress, or on the school bus or school hallway. Structures of these debates vary. The different structures only produce different kinds of debates, but the basic tenet is the same: solid argumentation.

Debate also requires public speaking, research and writing skills.

Group debate: In this assignment, students will be working in small groups. There will be six small groups in the classroom (approximately 5 students per group). Each group will debate another group in the Hornet Debate League format. Below are some assignment guidelines:

**All members of the group are responsible for helping with these speeches.

**Each team must compile, research, write and prepare speeches for their assigned side of the resolution they are debating.

**Two speeches must be written before the debate (First and Second speeches)

**At least five sources must be cited in the two prepared speeches. Citation includes internal documentation and a works cited page.

**Other research materials should be on hand to reference during the cross-examination and for rebuttal and closing speech preparation. The closing speech is written during preparation time during the debate.

**All students will be responsible for at least one speaking role.

**Team members not speaking at any given time will be researching during the debate, taking notes, finding evidence for rebuttal and cross-examination and offering coaching advice.

**Teams not involved in the debate will help time and judge the participants.

**No one but the speakers may speak during the debate.

The class will debate the following three resolutions:

Resolved: The United States federal government should establish an energy policy that requires a substantial reduction in the total consumption of fossil fuels in the United States.

Resolved: All competitive athletes should be required to undergo testing for performance-enhancing drugs, and athletes who test positive will be banned from their sport.

Resolved: EHS students should be suspended from school for all levels of academic dishonesty including copying homework.

Here's the order that the debates will follow.

Affirmative construction speech: 3 minutes

Cross-examination (Neg. side): 1 minute

Negative construction speech: 3 minutes

Cross-examination (Aff. Side): 1 minute

Affirmative construction speech: 3 minutes

Cross-examination (neg side): 1 minute

Negative construction speech: 3 minutes

Cross-examination (aff. side): 1 minute

# # #

Preparation time: 4 minutes
# # #


Negative summary (rebuttals too): 2 minutes

Affirmative summary (rebuttals too): 2 minutes

(24 minutes total)

Act 2 Vocab

Complete 4-square vocab box for each of the vocabulary words below. Be sure to use a definition that fits the context of the word as Arthur Miller uses it in All My Sons.

broadcloth, p. 45
surging, p. 54
unabashed, p. 57
solicitude, p. 58
joviality, p. 62
transfixed, p. 68

Ethical Issues Debate

Ethical Issues that we’ve discussed . . .

We need to pick three to debate. Comment here to offer an opinion.

Business Ethics

Businesses should be carbon neutral by 2015.

Businesses should require their employees to do community service (volunteer work).

Employers should provide health care benefits.

The minimum wage should be increased.

Food Ethics

Consumers should reduce their food footprint by buying locally and from companies that use safe environmental practices.

Environmental Ethics

The budget to protect our national parks should be increased.

Oil drilling in Alaska’s National Wildlife Refuge should not be allowed.

The (insert threatened animal of choice here) should be protected.

The U.S. should adopt the Kyoto protocol to reduce carbon emissions.

Regulations need to be increased to protecting the world’s water supply.

Cheating

All competitive athletes should be submitted to drug testing (steroids, illegal substances, etc.) and be banned from their sport if they test positive.

Students should be suspended for all levels of academic dishonesty including copying homework.

Keep Blogging

Many students do not have the eight blog posts completed that they should for November. Keep blogging twice a week all year. I'm trying to make writing for a real audience a habit of yours. All statistics indicate that Web 2.0 writing will be a huge part of your life in the future, so you might as well start now.

If you want to see some awesome classmate blogs, check out Kelsey, Kelly Jo, and Madeleine.

All My Sons Set Direction

To bring the play to life for the class, we will spend time on set direction--as if we were staging the play on Broadway. As you read Act 1, notice the objects that Arthur Miller details in his stage directions and create a brace map that dissects Miller's stage directions into props, scenery and costumes. Here's what a brace map looks like:

All My Sons Act 1 Vocab

Copy the ten vocabulary words for Act 1 into your notebook. Complete the following three steps for each word:

1. Write the sentence in the play that provides the context of the word.
2. Write a definition of the word that you understand. This often means going beyond the dictionary definition.
3. Write an original first person (use the pronouns I, we, us or me) sentence using the word.

Here are the words:

stolid (p. 5)
calamity (p. 6)
tallies (p. 11)
infuriate (p. 15)
undercurrent (p. 19)
chivalric (p. 23)
resigned (p. 25)
relish (p. 26)
resolutely (p. 27)
staunchly (p. 29)

Arthur Miller, Author of All My Sons

Arthur Miller died in 2005 at the age of 1989. To read CNN's obituary, click here.

Click here to watch a video, Charlie Rose's Obituary of Arthur Miller, that recaps Arthur Miller's life and career.

For a rare treat, click here to watch the trailer from the 1948 film version of All My Sons.

Keep Blogging

Remember to keep blogging about texts that you read outside of class. Your second quarter blog posts are just like first quarter when you wrote about texts that you read, including novels, nonfiction books, poems, plays, magazine and newspaper articles, websites, blogs, etc.

You must post TWICE a week (by Wednesday and by Sunday) regarding your outside reading. Write thoughtful responses to the texts that you read. The length of a blog post should be about six to eight detailed sentences. You must cite the selection and author.

I challenge you to read a novel this quarter (since we are reading plays and poetry in class) for your outside reading blog posts. Some possible ways to respond to a novel include: pick a quote from the novel and comment on its significance, make connections to the book (self, text, world, media), analyze the protagonist, pretend you're writing an email to author or a character, or identify the thesis and discuss the supporting evidence.

If you really want to impress me with your blogging, you should be making brief comments on your classmate’s blog posts, and remember that you can explore all EHS sophomore blogs through www.ehsenglish10.blogspot.com.

GRADING OF BLOG POSTS: (50 points)

A - You have all of the posts. You have always posted on time. Your response was always highly thoughtful and reflective. You used correct mechanics almost all of the time.

B - You have all of the posts. You mostly posted on time. Your responses were mostly thoughtful and reflective. You used correct mechanics most of the time, but there are some glaring errors.

C - You have 6-7 of the posts. You sometimes posted on time.You responded to the text. You have several errors in mechanics.

D - You have about 4-5 posts total. You rarely posted on time. You somewhat responded to the text. Your responses do not make an attempt to use proper mechanics.

F - You have 0-3 posts. You did not do what was asked of you in the post. Your responses do not make an attempt to use proper mechanics.

Odyssey Essay Revisions

Today in class you went over your Odyssey essay rough drafts to make sure that you were meeting all of the elements of the checklist.

MLA Format

You also paid special attention to MLA (Modern Language Association) format. Remember that The Odyssey has a special documentation style that requires you to indicate book and line numbers. For direct quotations, cite like this: "They came on Circe's palace / built of dressed stone" (10.229.230). The slash indicates the line break. The cite is for book 10, lines 229 to 230. You need to be so exact that the period is after the parenthesis, not inside the quotation marks.

Another part of MLA format to remember is the spacing of the pages and the headers. Refer to the sample page that is glued into your notebook.

The third part of MLA format that you need to include is to type the Works Cited at the bottom of your essay. When we get to the research paper and you have multiple sources, the Works Cited will appear as its own page (like it is supposed to), but for this paper with only one source, I thought that we'd save paper. I want you to type it on the bottom of your last page so that you practice the format.

Here's what the Works Cited entry for The Odyssey looks like:

Homer. The Odyssey. Trans. Robert Fagles. New York: Penguin Books, 1996.

NOTE: If an entry goes to two or more lines, you need to use the hanging indent feature.

No Personal Pronouns

Since academic essays are written in the third person, you do not include the personal pronouns you, I, us, we, etc.

Punctuation

In class we worked on two comma rules that seem to be causing students problems. Pay special attention to these rules when you proofread your paper.

Coordinating Conjunctions

for and nor but or yet so

Punctuation: (thumb test) When a subject and a verb appear on each side of the coordinating conjunction, you use a comma; otherwise, you do not. Use the comma when both sides of the coordinating conjunction contain independent clauses.

Examples of correct punctuation:

Susie brought her lunch and one dollar.

Susie brought her lunch, and she brought one dollar.


Subordinating conjunctions

These conjunctions introduce subordinate (dependent) clauses that are not complete sentences.

examples—if, as, because, since, when, although, that, than, until, before, after

Punctuation: Introductory adverb clauses have commas after them; ending adverb clauses do not.

Correct examples:

If I eat a good breakfast, I will not be hungry.

I will not be hungry if I eat a good breakfast.

The Odyssey Vocab

Click on the comments section of this post to add the four-square information for your assigned word. A full 4-square includes a definition, image discussion, a sentence about The Odyssey using your word, and two or three synonyms.

In addition to your 4-square, your comment must include the etymology of the word. In other words, is the word's origin Anglo-Saxon, Latin, Greek, French, or some other language? An impressive discussion of the etymology of the word will also include a breakdown of any prefixes and suffixes.

To find the etymology, search your word at either of these links: dictionary.com or etymology online. To find etymology you might have to search the root word (the most basic form of the word.)

Here are the vocab words:

harangued
insolent
reparations
prophecy
libation
sovereign
lustrous
nymph
vaunted
suppliants
mutinous
squadron
sinews
deft
demurred
shroud
charlatan
mawkish
bard
lyre

By the way, the lexicon of the native English speaker generally breaks down like the image below.

The Odyssey Essay

The final essay is due on Monday, November 17. However, we will work on the essay each day in class this week, so bring the latest version of your typed essay to class each day.



Essay Question


Even though The Odyssey is an Ancient Greek story, Homer’s epic teaches the reader many lessons about life (theme) that are still applicable today. Choose a topic from the following list and develop it into a theme that is still relevant today:

· Arrogance
· Revenge
· the role of women
· hospitality
· the role of a hero
· perseverance (the quest)
· reverence
· patience

Essay Checklist

____ The essay is at least two pages long.


____ The essay has a creative title that connects to the thesis statement.


____ The introduction paragraph has an attention-getting device that makes a thematic connection between The Odyssey and life today.


____ “The Odyssey by Homer” appears somewhere in the introduction.


____ The introduction ends with a thesis statement that not only states the theme that will be developed in the essay, but also includes and a brief outline of the sub-points of the theme that will be developed in the body paragraphs. This outline is often simply a list of key words that are part of paragraph topic sentences.


____ There are transitions between paragraphs.


____ The body paragraphs have clear topic sentences, often at the beginning of the paragraph.


____ Body paragraphs include analysis of the sub-points of the theme.


____ Analysis is supported with direct quotations from the epic. The quotes are integrated naturally with the text instead of with phrases such as “this quote shows.”


____ A strong technique for developing analysis is the PIE format. Point, Illustration, Explanation.


____ Body paragraphs end with a recap sentence.


____ MLA Format is followed throughout the essay including:
1. The essay is double-spaced, 12-point font, with one inch margins.
2. A header appears on the top right of each page with student last name and page # (e.g. Jones 1).
3. MLA format includes a heading on the first page of the essay with student name, teacher, class and date. This heading is double-spaced, just like the rest of the essay.
4. Epic poems follow a specific MLA format to cite all direct quotations, e.g. “They came on Circe’s palace / built of dressed stone” (10.229-230). That citation indicates the book and line numbers for the quotation, and a slash is included at the line break in the direct quotation.
5. A work cited appears at the end of the essay.


____ The conclusion leaves the reader with a lasting impression by commenting on the relevance of the topic for the reader’s life today. In other words, why do we still care about this topic so many years after Homer wrote the epic? The timeless relevance discussed in the conclusion should connect to the attention-getter in the introduction.


____ Each day during composition week, students will bring the latest version of the essay.


____ The final essay is due on Monday, November 17.

Odyssey Character Exploration

Each partnership selected one character from The Odyssey and created a bubble map to describe the character. Textual references from the epic poem and the film were included in the frame of the bubble map to support the selected adjectives.

To fully bring your character to life for the class, you will share your bubble map, a physical sketch of your character, and one of the following pieces of writing about your character:

Option 1
Write a letter of recommendation for your character who is applying to Greek Hero Idol, a new reality show modeled after American Idol. Your letter should be at least two paragraphs long and detail how your character best exemplifies the ideal of the Greek hero.

Option 2
Write a who, what, when, where and how song. Each line is composed in the four-beat framework, and you should make some attempt at rhyming. Here's the frame--

Who, What, When, Where and How
Who, What, When, Where and How
Who, ____ ____ ____ _____
What, ____ _____ _____ _____
When, _____ _____ _____ _____
Where _____ _____ ______ ______
and How _____ _____ _____ _____

Option 3
Write the I am Frame poem that goes like this--

I am ________________
I know ______________
I think ______________
I feel _______________
I believe _____________
I am ________________

I am ________________
I wonder _____________
I always ______________
I intend ______________
I never ______________
I am _________________

Odyssey Reading Schedule

You are not required to read the entire epic, but you may wish to read the parts that are not assigned and comment on those for your outside reading blog.

Required Reading Due Dates

Oct. 23: Book 1
Oct. 24: Book 2
Oct. 27: Book 3, lines 1-287; Book 4, lines 1-390 & 698 on
Oct. 28: Book 5
Oct. 29: Book 9
Oct. 30: Book 10
Oct. 31: Book 11
Nov. 3: Book 19
Nov. 4: Book 20, lines 357 on; Book 21
Nov. 5: Book 22
Nov. 6: Book 23, lines 1-258

Heroes In a Box

Your Hero in a Box blog assignment is due Friday, October 25.

Introduction:

When an anthropologist begins to study a group of people, he or she collects artifacts of the culture. Depending on the group being studied, these artifacts may include writing, songs, pictures, art, etc. As an introduction to our study of hero quests, you will take on the role of digital anthropologist, collecting and studying digital artifacts of heroes.

Assignment:

1. Begin by using an Internet search provider to look for artifacts about heroes. Since heroes will lead you to thousands and thousands of findings, you need to narrow your focus. Think about aspects of heroes that you may be interested in studying. Examples may include: female heroes, Canadian heroes, African-American heroes, local heroes, Hmong heroes, gay heroes, etc.

2. Find as many artifacts as you can about your topic. Types of artifacts may include: literature (poetry, short stories, excerpts from literary works), images (pictures, other digital images), videos, songs, quotes from famous people.

3. Next, it’s time to make sense of these artifacts. Study each artifact you found (watch videos, study images, read literature, etc.). Identify patterns in what you find. Create a tree map to help classify the artifacts that you find by theme.

4. Finally, organize your artifacts and write about the classifications you discovered. Create your final product on your blog. Paste photos, literature, quotes, etc. on to your blog; link videos to your blog; discuss your findings in sentences and paragraphs in the same blog post. What did you learn about heroes from your search? For example, while studying sisters, a student discovered that there are two categories of sisters: sisters who are best friends, and sisters who are enemies. End your study with a final paragraph entitled “Conclusion” in which you discuss your overall findings.

Other Heroes to Consider:

First name heroes (e.g. Jackie heroes)
Nerd heroes
Soccer heroes
Vampire heroes (Twilight fans)
Amish heroes
Alien heroes
Hip-hop heroes
Bassoon heroes

Writing Reflection

Since you were handed back your first English essay of high school today, you should stop and reflect on your writing and set a writing goal for the year. Most students also received their ninth grade writing portfolio piece to provide further reflection information.

To set your goal, create a multi-flow map in your notebook. Put the writing goal in the center box and list what items will cause you to reach the goal. The effects on the multi-flow map are the long-term results that will occur in high school and beyond if you meet this writing goal.

Errors on this first essay included the following:

Ideas
Too much plot summary and not enough analysis
Not focusing on the essay question and search for self
Quotations were chosen to show a plot point when they should have been chosen for analytical points on searching and finding yourself.

Organization
Attention-getters not included
Conclusion was just a recap of paper's ideas--you need to give a final lesson for your reader
Missing transitions
No clear paragraphing

Voice
Most students had strong word choice, the main problem here was that academic writing requires essays to be written in third person, so you cannot use you (second person) or I, we, etc. (first person).

Conventions
Very few students followed MLA format exactly. After a quotation the proper format is
. . . " (Kingsolver 34).
Commas with coordinating conjunctions and adverb clauses appear to be the most common punctuation error, so during peer review of the next essay, we will have a lesson on those punctuation rules. To review the coordinating conjunction and subordinating conjunction (adverb clause) rules, click here.

Siddhartha Part I

Siddhartha: Part 1

Chapter 1: “The Brahmin’s Son”

1. In your notebook, start a page entitled “Siddhartha Bubble Map.” Write at least 3 adjectives that describe Siddhartha in chapter 1 and support those adjectives with how you know this in the frame of the bubble map.

2. Why does Siddhartha leave his father?


Chapter 2: “With the Samanas”

3. What happens during Siddhartha’s stay with the Samanas? Why does he leave?


4. Contrast the circle and the spiral as discussed on the top of page 18.


5. What are Siddhartha’s goals? Do they change over the course of the first two chapters?



Chapter 3: “Gotama”

6. Why does the Buddha tell Siddhartha to “be on your guard against too much cleverness” on p. 35?


Chapter 4: “The Awakening”

7. What does Siddhartha mean by the quote “I will learn from myself the secret of Siddhartha” on p. 39?


8. Add more adjectives to the bubble map of Siddhartha in your notebook and in the frame record direct quotations that prove your points.

Siddhartha Vocabulary

English 10 students, click on comments for this post and write the information for your assigned vocabulary word. Complete information for 4-Square vocabulary includes 1) a dictionary definition, 2) a symbol or image that represents your word, 3) two synonyms that you think that your classmates will understand, and 4) the word used in an original sentence that shows complete understanding of the word.

NOTE: If you know how to post an image with your comment, great. If not, simply describe the image.

Once all of the entries are made this weekend, students may wish to copy and paste the complete definition information into a Word document and print that to glue in their notebooks. Students may even want to print a second copy of the vocabulary to make flash cards to study for the test on Monday, October 13.

Siddhartha Vocabulary by Chapter

“The Brahmin’s Son”
Hindu Ablutions (p. 3)

“With the Samanas”
Onerous (p. 16) cycle of samsara,

“Gotama”
Siddhartha as Samana (p. 26)
The Illustrious One’s exalted (p. 32) teachings,

“Awakening”
Siddhartha seeks Atman (p. 38)
Siddhartha’s years of asceticism (p. 40)

“Kamala”
Siddhartha’s thoughts and erudition (p. 47)
Kamala, the well-known courtesan (p. 52)

“Amongst the People”
Siddhartha surpasses Kamaswami’s equanimity (p. 67)

“Samsara”
Knowledge engendered (p. 83) a new thirst in Siddhartha.

“By the River”
Siddhartha is full of ennui (p. 87).
Siddhartha reflects back on expiation (p. 96) of his youth.

“Ferryman”
Kamala’s pallid (p. 113) face
The funeral pyre (p. 115)

“The Son”
Siddhartha fears his son will be lost in samsara (p. 120)
Exhortation (p. 121) is no way to find oneself.

“Om”
The river voices were entwined (p. 135) in a thousand ways.
The river voices consisted of one word: om (p. 136).

“Govinda”
Govinda, the venerable (p. 140) one
Is Nirvana only intrinsic (p. 147)?

Outside Reading Blog Assignments

Our first quarter outside reading assignment is for you to read text, including novels, nonfiction books, poems, plays, magazine and newspaper articles, websites, blogs, etc. Starting next week, you must post TWICE a week (by Wednesday and by Sunday) regarding your outside reading.

Here are the due dates for your outside reading posts:

Post #1, Sun. October 5
Post #2, Wed. October 8
Post #3, Sun. October 12
Post #4, Wed. October 15
Post #5, Sun. October 19
Post #6, Wed. October 22
Post #7, Sun. October 26
Post #8, Wed. October 29

What should the posts be about?
Write thoughtful responses to the texts that you read. The responses should be about 150 words. That’s about six, detailed sentences. You must cite the selection and author. Some possible ways to respond to texts include: pick a quote and comment on its significance, make connections to the book (self, text, world, media), analyze the protagonist, pretend you're writing an email to author or a character, or identify the thesis and discuss the supporting evidence. Just think of all of the reading minute thesis statements that you’ve written. You must attempt to use correct spelling and punctuation and capitalization

Commenting
You should make brief comments on your classmate’s blog posts, and remember that you can explore all EHS sophomore blogs through www.ehsenglish10.blogspot.com.

Other Blog Posts
Occasionally, you will be informed of other blog assignments and due dates that include writing and thinking maps on class content and discussion points.

GRADING OF BLOG POSTS: (50 points)

A - You have all of the posts. You have always posted on time. Your response was always highly thoughtful and reflective. You used correct mechanics almost all of the time.

B - You have all of the posts. You mostly posted on time. Your responses were mostly thoughtful and reflective. You used correct mechanics most of the time, but there are some glaring errors.

C - You have 6-7 of the posts. You sometimes posted on time.You responded to the text. You have several errors in mechanics.

D - You have about 4-5 posts total. You rarely posted on time. You somewhat responded to the text. Your responses do not make an attempt to use proper mechanics.

F - You have 0-3 posts. You did not do what was asked of you in the post. Your responses do not make an attempt to use proper mechanics.

Animal Dreams Essay

A main idea of Animal Dreams is that Codi is physically returning home. Codi has never felt emotionally secure, and her journey in the story is to actually feel "at home" for the first time in her life. Discuss what Kingsolver believes about finding your true self by analyzing three things (people, objects, places or ideas) that help Codi “come home” and “find herself.”

Literary analysis goes beyond summarizing the plot and also discusses theme and style. The theme (or main lesson about life the reader learns from the book) should be discussed throughout the entire essay in the thesis statement, paragraph topic sentences and other analytical statements in the body paragraphs, and the conclusion. In addition, the best essays will discuss the connection between the finding self theme and Barbara Kingsolver’s use of symbolism and characterization in the novel.

Essay Checklist

____ I have completed two multi-flow maps in my notebook that analyze the causes and effects of Codi coming home, both literally and thematically. I have reviewed these maps for ideas for my essay.

____ I have a completed an A to Z Taxonomy on “Search for Self” in my notebook, and I have reviewed that taxonomy for ideas on theme and symbolism.

____ My essay is at least two pages, double-spaced, 12-point font, with one inch margins.

____ I have included a creative title for my essay.

____ My introduction paragraph has an attention-grabbing device like an anecdote or relevant quotation.

____ The book’s title and author is incorporated into a general statement in the introduction or my thesis statement

____ The thesis statement sets up the theme of finding self. If you are struggling with writing a thesis statement, consider the following metacognitive frame: Barbara Kingsolver teaches the reader of Animal Dreams that to truly find self a person needs ____________, _______________, and _____________, and these ideas are enhanced by Kingsolver’s use of ____(insert symbolism and/or characterization ideas here)____________.

____ The body paragraphs have clear topic sentences.

____ Body paragraphs include analysis of the point Kingsolver is making about finding self.

____ Analytical statements are supported with direct quotations from the novel.

____ MLA format is used to cite all direct quotations, e.g. (Kingsolver 24).

____ The conclusion leaves the reader with a lasting impression by commenting on the relevance of the topics for the reader’s life. In other words, why do we care about finding our true selves?

____ The typed and nearly-completed essay is brought to class on Monday, September 29 for a graded peer review assignment.

Animal Dreams Exams

On Thursday, September 25, you will take a 45-question scantron exam on Animal Dreams. The test contains multiple choice questions on the end of the book--page 250 to the end--and a matching vocabulary section. Remember to study your vocab words and check that the synonyms that you wrote are words that you understand.

On Wednesday, September 24, you will be given a checklist for your Animal Dreams essay on search for self and what things people need to truly find themselves and home. Come to class on Monday, September 29 with a nearly-completed, typed essay to share for a peer review assignment.

Blog Assignments

On Tuesday, September 16, you will have time to work on your blogs in class. You will also receive instruction on how to make Thinking Maps with Inspiration software. You may use Inspiration, Paint, Word Art or find an online web site to make any Thinking Maps to post as images to your blog.

Below is a list of all of the items that should appear on your blog by Sunday night, September 21. U of M grad students will start reading your blogs soon, so we need to have some posts there for your blog pals to get to know you.

1. A symbol that represents you since you cannot include a photograph of yourself.
2. A list on the side of your blog that includes your favorite books of all time. Include at least five books. You can make this a link list to a book review.
3. Your Hall of Fame paragraph with the school name and your last name removed.
4. Your bubble map paragraph with your last name removed.
5. A discussion of your favorite book of all time. Include an image of the book cover so that I know that you have figured out how to add images to a blog post.
6. Write about something that you have read recently. This is the start of your outside reading assignment. You can write about anything that you have read outside of school work--a magazine article, another novel, a manual for a video game, a cookbook recipe, a poem, a short story, a children's book to the kids that you were babysitting for, whatever. Think of our reading minutes in class. You can write about anything that you are reading outside of school. Just start with the thesis statement like you do for the reading minute, and then tell more details about the reading.
7. Create a double bubble map that compares and contrasts you with a character in Animal Dreams. Post the Thinking Map as an image on a blog post. I want to assess that you have figured out how to make maps on your blog, and I want to assess that you are making any text to self connections with Animal Dreams.

Animal Dreams Vocab Words

Here's the complete list of Animal Dreams vocabulary words. Although we will continue to work on a few words at a time, check to make sure that your notebook is up-to-date.

pp. 3-50: Arroyo, p. 19; Ostensibly, p. 32

pp. 51-78: Stolid, p. 52; Feign (Feigning, p. 54; feigned, p.60)

pp. 79-98: Arcane, p. 81

pp. 101-118: Sublime, p. 107; Putative, p. 108

pp. 119-142: No vocab words for this selection.

pp. 145-170: Turpitude, p. 147; Apparition, p. 159

pp. 173-204: Furtive, p. 184; Existential, p. 186

pp. 205-225: No vocab words for this selection.

pp. 226-249: Benevolence, p. 233; Precipice, p. 233

pp. 253-284: Obstinate, p. 257; Detritus, p. 281

pp. 285-323: Austerity, p. 285; Succinct, p. 310; Malevolence, p. 314

pp. 324-342: Incipient, p. 324; Exhumed, p. 339

The Search for Self

The first unit in English 10 is "The Search for Self." The class will come up with a variety of ways and means that people use to find their true self--or their true identity.

Practice Essay Question: What does Barbara Kingsolver believe about finding your true self?

As you compose a practice essay with three words from the A to Z Taxonomy, consider incorporating some of the following quotations that illustrate the general idea of search for self. You also need to support your ideas with examples and quotations from the novel that support your specific key words/ideas that you use in the practice essay.

"I was hoping that had changed: I would step off the bus and land smack in the middle of a sense of belonging” (Kingsolver 12).

“They had no idea. I’d sell my soul and all my traveling shoes to belong some place” (Kingsolver 30).

“Few people know so clearly what they want” (Kingsolver 36).

"What I failed at was the activity peopled called 'nesting.' For me, it never seemed like nesting season had arrived yet" (Kingsolver 77) .

Loyd, describing why his dog turns around in circles before lying down: "Beating down the tall grass to make a nice little nest.... Even if there's no tall grass.... We take these good, smart animals and put them in a house and then wonder why they keep on doing the stuff that made them happy for a million years. A dog can't think that much about what he's doing, he just does what feels right" (Kingsolver 91).

“I’d like to find a place that wants to take me in” (Kingsolver 183).

“It wasn’t a matter of courage or dreams, but something a whole lot simpler. A pilot would call it ground orientation. I’d spent a long time circling above the clouds, looking for life, while Hallie was living it” (Kingsolver 225).

Animal Dreams Reading Schedule

The date indicates the due date for the reading selection. Be prepared for discussion or a quiz each day.

Sept. 8: pp. 3-50
Sept. 9: pp. 51-78
Sept. 10: pp. 79-98
Sept. 11: pp. 101-118
Sept. 12: pp. 119-142
Sept. 15: pp. 145-170
Sept. 16: pp. 173-204
Sept. 17: pp. 205-225
Sept. 18: pp. 226-249
Sept. 19: pp. 253-284
Sept. 22: pp. 285-323
Sept. 23: pp. 324-342

Bubble Map and Paragraph

After completing your bubble map, draft one paragraph that details one of your adjectives. Remember to concentrate on one adjective to give focus to the paragraph.


The typed paragraph is due on Thursday, Sept. 4, 2008 along with your completed bubble map. Your bubble map should include specific details that support the adjectives in the frame of reference.


Be sure to keep an electronic copy of the paragraph for posting eventually on your blog for English class. Since classmates will be reading your blog, be sure to keep this public audience in mind when writing your paragraph.

Here is the paragraph inspired by the green adjective on my bubble map.

Roehl Seeing Green

Having grown up on a farm in Medina, I have an affinity for rich, black soil laced with a little cow manure. Such a garden that yields the juiciest tomato or the tenderest ear of corn is a thing of beauty. However, my small yard in St. Louis Park doesn't afford me the space for a large vegetable garden, so I supplement my longing for my farming ancestry by belonging to a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. My CSA farmer Richard delivers one box of fresh, organic vegetables each week for my family to enjoy. I make an awesome chocolate zucchini cake and a beans and greens dish sure to please the most sophisticated Italian palette. Richard also provides my family with organic fruit that he gets from his farming friends on the West Coast and in Mexico. For nine months out of the year my produce needs are met by this buying-locally, earth-friendly CSA method which allows my family to know we are being as green as possible where groceries are concerned. I have taken this green philosophy to other areas of my life. Two years ago I began mowing my lawn with a reel mower; that's the type of push mower that's powered only by humans. Although the reel mower might not leave the most manicured lawn, I enjoy the quiet, peaceful mowing experience that saves gas and carbon emissions. Speaking of emissions, I have also reduced my clothes dryer emissions by hanging most of my family's laundry on the line. While my family was in Spain for three weeks in 2007, I noticed that most, if not all, Spanish families hang their clothes on the line from their apartment windows. I figured that if they can do it without a backyard, then I was being wasteful of the planet's resources my using a machine to dry my clothes, a machine that also pumps emissions into the atmosphere. Although being green takes a lot of work, I am glad that I have taken a few simple steps to reduce my carbon footprint.

Anticipation Guide Statements

If you would like to continue your discussion of the Surviving High School Anticipation Guide, click on the comments to this post.



Here are the agree or disagree statements:


1. High school is going to be difficult.

2. I feel a lot of pressure to get good grades.

3. Copying a friend’s homework once in awhile is no big deal.

4. The purpose of high school is just to prepare me for college.

5. If I complete all aspects of an assignment, I deserve an “A.”

6. If you’re popular, school is easy for you.

7. School has nothing to do with the real world.

8. Adults don’t understand what it’s like to be in high school today.

Hall of Fame Assignment

“If you want sweet dreams, you’ve got to live a sweet life.”
Loyd Peregrina, Animal Dreams


Hall of Fame Plaque


Due Date:

The Hall of Fame Plaque is due on Friday, September 5, 2008.

Scenario:
It is the year 2061, 50 years since you graduated from Edina High School. Because you have accomplished so much since you graduated, Edina High School would like to honor you with an induction into the Edina High School Hall of Fame.

Objective:
Create a plaque that Edina High School may make for you in 50 years. Your plaque must adhere to the following requirements:

Must be written in third person point of view
Must be written in past tense
Must contain at least 6 COMPLETE SENTENCES.
Your paragraph should contain ZERO grammar, mechanics, usage, or spelling errors.
MUST BE TYPED (Honestly, do you think EHS would honor you with a handwritten paragraph?)
Include a picture of yourself.
Make it pretty to look at—your classmates, as well as many future students, may view your plaque!

FYI: your plaque paragraph will be read by the teacher and displayed in the classroom.

Supplies Needed

English 10 students use a single subject, composition notebook to showcase much of their work for class. Notebooks need to be in class every day! Use a Sharpie to write your name on the notebook and bring it to class every day starting Thursday, September 4, 2008. Fully prepared students also come to class with a pen, pencil, and highlighter.

In fact, you need to bring the following supplies to class on Thursday, September 4, 2008 as a required 3-point assignment:

1 composition notebook

1 pack of two glue sticks for use as a common classroom supply

You may also bring one of the following items for use as a common classroom supply to receive two points of extra credit:

a box of Kleenex

a ruler

a scissors

a pack of markers

a box of #2 pencils

English 10 Expectations

Three words summarize my philosophy of classroom management. They are work, respect, and belong. Read more about each below.

Work: Show up for class—physically and mentally. Your fellow students and I need you here. Your primary purpose here is to participate in your learning and to produce work that contributes to the good of our class community. As Michael Hartoonian, scholar of education and public policy, says, “Work that we do to improve our personal circumstances always affects others. If we do good work, that good radiates to others. Of course, poor or bad work also radiates to others, causing a general decline in the wealth of the community.” Knowledge, which you gain through work, is key to successful citizenship in a multicultural world. To this end, expect homework each night and prepare to speak in class each day. Turn in your assignments on time. If you are absent, find out what you missed, and turn in any missed assignments within two days of your absence.

Respect: At all times, be respectful of scholarship, of yourself, of each other, and of me. The mis-use of cell phones, calculators, or Ipods distract from your learning and the learning of other students and will not be tolerated. I reserve the right to confiscate these items if they are mis-used during class. In addition, we have a mouse problem in the school. Mice infiltrate any classroom where students bring in food or sugary drinks. Water ONLY is allowed in this room. Please, please, please respect my abhorrence of mice in my classroom. We don’t need them running over our feet, up our pant legs, or into our backpacks.

Belong: Foster community by welcoming others. You need to take care of each other, be ready for anything, and appreciate the differences that each person brings to class.

English 10 Major Units of Study

Finding Self: Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver and Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse

Hero Quest: The Odyssey by Homer and Oh, Brother Where Art Thou (film)

Ethical Dilemmas: Antigone by Sophocles and All My Sons by Arthur Miller

Comic Relief: A Midsummer Night’s Dream by William Shakespeare and screwball romantic comedy films

Cultures Collide: Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya and Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

Persecution: Night by Elie Wiesel and choice of In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez, Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut or The Weight of All Things by Sandra Benitez

Tying it all Together: Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi and Rabbit Proof Fence (film)

Ongoing areas of study:

Visual literacy, including photography, film, and other images
Poetry
Vocabulary
Grammar, usage, and mechanics
Digital Literacies

Some notes about literature selection in our school district:

• Literature that is studied and read as part of a course has been sited for excellence by an independent source. For example, it has won literary awards, received positive reviews by independent book reviewers and/or recommendations from professional organizations.
• Students should read and analyze a variety of literature in print, auditory and visual texts including: Fiction, poetry, drama, short stories and nonfiction.
• Students should study a diverse selection of topics and themes including race, gender, age, economics, and geography through a combination of contemporary and classic selections.
• In grades 9-12 literature is adult, not young adult.

English 10 Course Description

English 10: Classical and Contemporary World Cultures refines the language arts skills of reading, literary analysis, writing, vocabulary development, research, critical thinking, speaking, listening, visual literacy, and digital literacy. Each unit includes a classical work and a contemporary text so that students can explore the connections between the past and their world today, and some selections align with the World History sophomore course so that students can make interdisciplinary connections. Selections include both Western and non-Western texts that reflect diversity in race, gender, age, economics and geography.

Students maintain a blog to create an online learning community that not only extends classroom literary analysis discussions, but also provides an authentic audience to outside reading and writing assignments.

Regular instruction in vocabulary will use both explicit lessons and vocabulary specific to the literature being studied in class.

Intensive writing instruction will help students develop thinking skills and a personal voice. Students will write one formal, typed assessment each quarter for a total of four formal assessments per year. Essay assignments throughout the year will include multiple modes such as narrative, persuasion, and critical analysis. Grammar and usage review will include explicit lessons, but focus on using correct conventions in writing. Writing instruction and assessment will use the Six Traits of writing, rubrics and exemplars. Research skills will be taught throughout the course.

Students will also develop and practice effective speaking skills in individual presentations and group discussions.