Thursday, May 27, 2010

Quizlet Vocabulary List

The final exam words have all been entered on Wallyjr's Quizlet account. Check it out for studying purposes. The name of the list is Semester 2 Final Vocab. Thanks to Nika for her time and efforts on this.


Click here for the link.

Final Exam for Semester 2

The vocabulary final on second semester words will be on Monday, June 7. You have gathered the word lists to know in a vocabulary packet. They are Things Fall Apart, Carlito, Night, Phobia and Friends.

The final exam during your finals block will involve creating a comic strip that captures a common theme and four characters encountered this year in English 10. The final assessment also involves reflection papers on what you were trying to accomplish in the comic strip.

Sunday, May 23, 2010

Creative Director and Historical Advisor Papers

Creative Director

Complete all three of the papers described below:

Prop Analysis Paper:
Identify the most significant physical object from the book. For example, if the book were to be made into a movie, what physical prop would be absolutely necessary to the movie’s production? Write a 1-page typed, double-spaced analysis paper describing the prop’s significance to the novel. Your analysis should also include specific scenes where the prop would appear and the prop’s connection to themes developed by the author. Including direct quotations from the novel, about your prop, is also needed for your analysis.

Character Monologue:
Write a 1 to 2 page typed, double-spaced monologue sharing a character’s thoughts at a specific point in the novel. You should write from a 1st person perspective and try to capture the voice, thoughts and motivations of the character as accurately as possible. Your monologue should reveal things inferred but not stated in the novel. This should be similar to a diary entry and should include specific details from the text to show evidence of your close reading.

Scene Music:
Identify a song that would be played during the film version of one specific scene from your novel. Download the song onto your iPod or burn a CD, in order to share it with the class. Write a 1- page typed, double-spaced paper discussing your song choice. Including direct quotations from the novel related to the theme that your song explores is also needed for your analysis.


The Second option for the paper is:

Historical Advisor

Each of the choice novels references a real-life historical event. As Historical Advisor for a hypothetical film adaptation of your book, you will research and write a 5-paragraph paper on a specific historical topic related to your choice novel. The final paper will be in proper MLA format and be 2-3 pages in length.

Requirements- Each paper must have the following:
-An opening paragraph that effectively introduces your topic and assers a thesis
-Body paragraphs that give detailed information about your topic. 2 PIES per paragraph.
-A concluding paragraph that provides a statisfying resolution to your paper
-In-text documentation for any information you use from an outside source
-Signal phrases to introduce the source of your information before the quote
-A properly formatted Works Cited page
-A thoughtful title
-Proper MLA formatting
-Four sources cited in the paper beyond Wikipedia

Some suggested topics:

In the Time of the Butterflies:
The Mirabal Sisters
Dictator Rafael Trujillo
The Movement of the 14th of June

Fallen Angels:
The treatment of African American soldiers serving in Vietnam
The reasons behind the US involvement in Vietnam
The US government controlling information out of Vietnam, like body counts, friendly fire etc.

The Weight of All Things:
The Civil War in El Salvador
Arch Bishop Oscar Romero and his assassination
The massacre at the funeral of the Archbishop

Slaughterhouse Five:
The Dresden Bombings
The Battle of the Bulge
Treatment of WWII Prisoners of War

Monday, May 17, 2010

Choice Novel Due Dates

May 20th: 5 typed questions and responses for discussion day
May 21st: Bookmark due
May 24th: Paper or Film Due - In-class Film Festival. Film should be 7-10 minutes long.
May 25th: Final Test for Choice Novel
May 28th: Notebook, Extra Credit Due, Vocab Prep
June 4th: Final Vocab Test*
*Things Fall Apart, Carlito, Night, Phobia, Friends

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Choice Book Discussion - Questions Due May 13th

Due Thursday, May 13th: 5 typed discussion questions with responses (75 word minimum) . See the Choice Book Club Requirements sheet for details. Please consult the Open-ended Discussion Questions sheet for details about the types of questions you should be posing. You are working to ask questions that illicit critical thinking about the text. Avoid simple plot-based question. Work to create questions and answers that require analysis, evaluation, and creation- the higher levels of Bloom's Taxonomy.

Come ready to discuss tomorrow. See you tomorrow.

Friday, April 23, 2010

Dulce et Decorum Est- If you missed it

For those who were absent, here are the questions for the Dulce et Decorum Est poem that we discussed in class.

Here is a link to the poem Dulce et Decorum Est.

Here are the questions:

Discuss and then record your answers to these questions at your table. Be prepared to share your answers aloud.
1. Read- Draw-Talk-Write
a. Listen.
b. Draw a picture of the images the stanza elicits.
c. Talk with tablemates about what you picture
d. Write a one sentence summary of the stanza.
2. What is Owen’s tone? (attitude toward the topic)
3. What 2 lines and literary devices best convey his tone? How?
4. What is the rhyme scheme of the poem? What is the effect of the rhyme scheme?
5. What is ironic about the title?
6. Write a complete, concise theme statement for the poem.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Reader Response Journal for Night

Here are the details for the Reader Response Journal:

Create 5 reader response journal entries in your notebook, one for each reading assignment. You need not have an entry for the first reading assignment.

In the left column of the journal, copy down a significant quote from the night's reading. Then beneath the quote, decide what topic is most important in that quote. Work to reduce the quote down to a single issue. For example, you may decide to discuss one of your quotes as it relates to the role of silence, religion, hope, perseverance, despair, family etc. In the right column of the journal, record your thoughts, feelings, and reactions to the text. Think deeply and work to make connections between what you see in the memoir and what you know about the topic you've identified. The concept behind reader response is to discuss the writing in terms of your own personal experiences.

Final typed assessment: Choose your best entry, revise it and type it up. Turn in your typed journal entry ( Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced) on Monday, April 26th, length should be between one to two pages.