Final deadlines and assignments!

There are two deadlines this week:

Death of a Salesman essay is due tomorrow, Tuesday, May 13th. Details are below.

If you are going on internship or have chosen to memorize your poem, your portfolio is due on block day. Details are below.

Note: If you are not going on internship, your portfolio is due on Tuesday, May 27

I am going to ask you to take a course survey on block day. If you are not going to be here, please let me know so I can send you the link to complete.


Death of a Salesman persuasive essay:

In reading and viewing Death of a Salesman, we have contemplated the idea of the American Dream. We have analyzed the choices Willy and his sons make throughout the play.  In your essay, you will articulate your nuanced ideas on any of the following questions: 

This assignment will ask you to use evidence from Death of a Salesman as well as current examples to answer one of the following the questions:

Is the American Dream a set-up?
How does the power of the American Dream influence the pursuit of happiness (or unhappiness)?
In what ways do the expectations of fathers impact Miller's overall message in the play?

You will write a well-organized essay of 750-900 words, using textual evidence from Death of a Salesman and one current example. We'll use the GHS writing rubric as our guide.

You can use the online version of the play for textual evidence:
Death of a Salesman online text


Final portfolio information: If you are leaving on an internship, your portfolio is due on block day, May 14th or 15th. If you do not have your portfolio completed, you may be ineligible for internship.

Here are the details of the portfolio assignment, along with the rubric: Portfolio instructions

Homework for week of 5/5

Independent reading: Check on Monday, 5/5.

Death of a Salesman persuasive essay:

In reading and viewing Death of a Salesman, we have contemplated the idea of the American Dream. We have analyzed the choices Willy and his sons make throughout the play.  In your essay, you will articulate your nuanced ideas on any of the following questions: 

This assignment will ask you to use evidence from Death of a Salesman as well as current examples to answer one of the following the questions:

Is the American Dream a set-up?
How does the power of the American Dream influence the pursuit of happiness (or unhappiness)?
In what ways do the expectations of fathers impact Miller's overall message in the play?

You will write a well-organized essay of 750-900 words, using textual evidence from Death of a Salesman and one current example. We'll use the GHS writing rubric as our guide.

You can use the online version of the play for textual evidence:
Death of a Salesman online text

Friday: Write 500 words for Monday
This essay will be due on Tuesday, May 13th.

Final portfolio information: If you are leaving on an internship, your portfolio is due on block day, May 14th or 15th. If you do not have your portfolio completed, you may be ineligible for internship.

Here are the details of the portfolio assignment, along with the rubric: Portfolio instructions

Death of a Salesman journals

Journal #1:
Choose one of the following statements discussed in class about which you feel most strongly. Then, explain your opinion and reasoning as to why you have formed this belief. Give examples to support your thinking. 
 
It's important to be popular to succeed in life.
If you work hard, you will be able to succeed in your career.
The American Dream is attainable for most Americans.
There is more pressure on men to make money in society.
I feel pressure to succeed financially.
Parents should always tell the truth.
If you think someone is suicidal, the best course of action is to confront the person.

Journal #2:
Part of Willy Loman's issues revolve around his nostalgia for the past and the "golden years" of his teenage son Biff. Do you believe that high school years are the "best years of your life"? Why or why not? Why do you think people say that so often? In your opinion, what do you believe your "best" years will be? Why?

Homework for week of April 28th

All week: Continue to read your independent novel. You should be reading two hours outside of class. I'll check this on Monday, May 5.
Monday: Complete journal #1 for Death of a Salesman
block day: Complete journal #2 for Death of a Salesman

Note: I'll plan to check journals #1 and #2 on Friday.

Homework for week of 4/14

Independent Reading:
This week, I am going to check-in with you on your reading on Friday, so plan on reading 30 minutes a day. Also, as we wrap up our poetry journals, I am going to ask you to write one of the fixed form poems for journal #6. I'll collect your journals on Friday.


Fixed form poetry rules:

Here are the rules for a villanelle:
Rules for a villanelle

Here is an example of a villanelle:
http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/15377

Here are the rules for a sestina:
http://www.bewilderingstories.com/issue197/sestina.html

Here is an example of a sestina:
http://faculty.washington.edu/rmcnamar/383/bishop.html

Here are the rules for a Shakespearean sonnet:
http://www.sonnetwriters.com/how-to-write-a-sonnet/

Here is a famous example:
http://www.shakespeare-online.com/sonnets/18.html

Homework for week of 4/7

Monday: Finish third quarter reflection you began in class. If you were absent, the questions were sent to you on Google. Continue to read. I'll conference with everyone at least once in the next two weeks.
Tuesday: Finish journal #3. Review poetry terms: 12 Advanced Literary Terms  Quiz on Monday.
Here is a quizlet with terms: http://quizlet.com/40485745/flashcards
Read!
Block day: Read. Study for poetry quiz on Monday.
Friday: Read independent novel. Study for poetry quiz on Monday.

Independent Reading and Poetry journals

Journal #1:

Consider the questions the author is asking in the independent book you are reading and what you think about those questions. Most of these big questions are at the center of the character's struggle and journey and when we step back, we often understand more. Don't spend too much time on summary. 1-2 sentences at the beginning will suffice.

Note: I have sent an exemplar for this question to each student in Google docs. 

Journal #2:
Brainstorm at least five ideas about potential topics. They could be anything, but think about a variety of things which you feel strongly about. These could be likes, dislikes, passions, loves, heartbreaks.

Based on the poem "Remember How We Forgot?" consider the following questions:

What have you forgotten about the person you used to be?  What memories show that person? What do you wish we as a society would remember more? What do we seem to have forgotten? 

You can take one of these questions or weave in all three. Try to use at least some specific detail or language every three lines. 

Journal #3:
For these journals, I want you to draft a poem. If you have an idea from journal #2 you want to try out, go for it. Below is a suggested prompt. 
Write a poem to an old flame. To make sure it doesn't get sappy, use one of the following words: dung beetle, politician, nuclear, exoskeleton, oceanography, pompador, toilet.

If you would like to add some poetic moves, try to write this poem in couplets.  

Journal #4: 
Turn on the radio (or your ipod) to any channel. Write a poem inspired by the first thing you hear (lyrics to a song, commercial, etc.) 

Journal #5:
Look at the poem you constructed and compare it to the original (either "Faith" or "Hanging Fire"). Then write an analytical paragraph in which you compare your choices with the poet. Here are some questions to consider:
What was your poem title? Why did you choose it? How does it compare to the original? Why might the poet have chosen this title?
How do your line and stanza breaks compare with the original poem? Talk about some of your decisions and compare it to the original poem. Be specific.
How do the endings compare? Which poem is more effective? Why? 

Journal #6 
Write a sonnet, villanelle or sestina. See rules on blog for 4/14 post. 

Homework for week of 3/24

Monday and Tuesday: Revise your final draft for your biography. Due on date assigned from last week, either tomorrow, 3/25 or block day, 3/26 or 3/27.
Throughout the week: You should read your independent book, as we have done all this quarter. You are expected to read two hours. We'll check in on Monday.
Block day: Begin to memorize your poem. Recitations will happen next week, 4/2 or 4/3.
Friday: Read and memorize poem.

Homework for week of 3/17

Biography paper:
I am working on getting feedback to you. So far, I see a lot of good drafts, but not final papers. Most of you will have to spend a significant amount of time on your revisions. This is what the writing process looks like in real life: 3-5 drafts, at least. As soon as you get feedback, begin your revisions and see me with questions. On this Friday, March 21, I'll expect that you will have made some revisions and we'll spend some time with your peers looking over those changes.

• Please look at the rubric again to review the criteria: Biography rubric
• Also, see sample MLA paper (on top of blog) or Purdue OWL for MLA questions.

Revised and final draft of the biography will be due one week from when you receive feedback. Please note your due date given out in class. You will be held to that deadline.

Reading:
You will be expected to read two hours per week again, beginning today. We'll have a bit of time in class, but you should monitor that work and plan accordingly.

Homework for week of March 10

Biography Draft due on Block Day!
We are finishing up the draft of the biography this week. As some students noted in class today, the word count seems to be a bit off in terms of page numbers. So, your paper should be 12-15 pages in Times New Roman 12 pt. font. This means that your word count might be less than 4,800 words. It might be closer to 4,000. Follow page count to guide you here. The most important thing is to have an arc to a story and have these questions in mind which were on the board last week:

Do you have….

1.     Several examples of description/anecdotes?

2.     An example or insight or reflection in every paragraph?

3.     A snippet of dialogue or facts in every paragraph?

4.     Good pacing? Use of transitional devices?

5.     A question which is complex and open-ended?

6.     Proper MLA citations?

7.     A focus for each section/each paragraph?

Revision: I'll look at five pages of your draft and provide comments. You'll then have one week to implement those revisions and any others you see fit. Ideally, I'll have the drafts back to you by Monday, 3/17.

Independent Reading returns!

Please bring your independent reading book beginning on Tuesday. We'll return to this work as we finish up our biography project and begin our poetry study.

Poetry

As we discussed in class today, you will have to memorize and recite two poems over the next month. The options for this poetry are as follows:

1. Select a poem from the Poetry Out Loud website: www.poetryoutloud.org. Poems should be at least 15 lines with more than three words per line.

2. Write your own poem, memorize it and dazzle your friends with your brilliance.

Homework for week of March 3

I am not going to check independent reading, but certainly keep track of any books you finish. We'll return to them at the end of the month.

This week is focused on getting a complete draft of your biography paper. In order to receive full credit each day, your draft must contain direct citation and have an arc, although you may choose to write in sections. In other words, no writing the big ideas and saying, "I'll fill in the quotes later."


Also, make sure you have your BIG idea question as your guide written at the beginning of the paper. I think you will find the mentor texts, both from The New Yorker and the student exemplars, as helpful guides. Return to them and see what the "literary moves" were and what allowed the writer to convey a complex idea about the character. We'll spend time in class writing, but you should expect to block out a significant amount of time at home as well over the next week and a half.

Sources: Remember to meet the standards, you must have a minimum of four sources: three people and one reliable secondary source. These must be cited in the text AND the transcriptions must be included in the final product. Students who exceed this standard will have more than four reliable sources.

Here is the rubric for the final product. Keep the indicators in mind as you draft: Biography rubric

Here are the specifics for benchmarks this week. I have included minimums, but I would encourage you to write when you have time, so you don't leave everything to the end.
ALSO, many of you have not completed the additional 30 minutes of interviews. You may want to take some time to fill in gaps and complete this work.

Monday: Draft biography. 1,000 words due Tuesday.
Tuesday: Draft biography. 1,800 words due block day.
Block day: Draft biography: 2,300 words due Friday.
Friday: Draft biography. 3,000 words due Monday
Block day of week of 3/10: full draft due (4,800 to 7,500 words)

Eventually, you will need transitions in your draft. Here are some suggestions for examples and when you might use them:
http://www.uark.edu/campus-resources/qwrtcntr/resources/handouts/transitions.htm

Homework for week of February 24

Monday: You will continue to read two hours by Friday. We'll have some time in class to complete this work. In addition, you should catch up/Revise journals. They are due Friday.  Lastly, begin outline. Due block day.
Tuesday:
1. Finish reading and annotating or taking notes on one profile from the New Yorker:
 Profile on Taylor Swift
Profile on Taylor Swift
Profile on Manny Ramirez
Profile on Barack Obama
Profile on J.K. Rowling
Think about what the writer is doing to portray the subject and, again, what "moves" the writer uses to move the story along. Where does it begin? How does the writer create suspense or tension? How does the writer incorporate "backstory" or history?

2. Outline due on block day.
Block day: Complete biography journals.
Friday: Read! Complete at least 500 words on your biography draft.

Biography samples and reminder of timeline and requirements

As we get ready to write, I thought I would post some exemplars here. If you need the overview of the project, as well as the timeline, here it is: Overview and Timeline

Here is a sample from a college course on Feature Writing:
Short sample mentor text

Here are samples from last year of students who exceeded the standard in both research and writing:
Biography Exemplar A
Biography Exemplar B
Biography Exemplar C

Before you write, you will generate a question which will frame your biography. It may be centered around an event or it could focus on the role that person played in the family. Usually the question begins with "How" or "Why". Here are a few examples:

How does a person overcome addiction?
How does tragedy impact a person's relationships with others?
How does a close-knit family affect a person's response to life's challenges?
 

Then, you will write a detailed outline, thinking about the sections of your paper and then what key points or ideas you will cover. The more detailed this outline is (specific quotes and evidence), the easier the drafting will become.

Homework for the week of February 10

Monday: Continue to read a total of two hours for Friday. (If you read over the weekend, this counts towards your goal.)
Block day:
1. Find two articles from a reliable source that could enhance your biography. Annotate or take notes. (Make sure to add this entry to your works cited page. )
Read two hours. Both assignments are due Friday.
Friday: Work on outline for biography paper. Due Monday, February 24.

Homework for week of February 3

Your work this week is an extension of last week:
1. You will need to read a total of two hours on your independent reading book. Due block day.
2. The remaining interviews and transcriptions are due Friday. You should have about 90 minutes from your primary subject and two 30 minute interviews from secondary sources.  Due Friday.

Biography journals

Journal #1: Think about the subject of your biography. Describe that "character" in terms of physical appearance and "essence". Try to think of small details that will bring that person into focus. It could be facial expressions, gestures when they are particularly angry, sad or excited. It could be based on a memory too, especially if that person has died. It may include a description of that person in a particular place (a lazy boy recliner or tree stand, the mini-van covered in trash, the back porch of a cottage). Think about the exemplars I read and try to make this person come to life for us. For now, don't worry about weaving in dialogue; that will come later.

Journal #2:

What strikes you about these initial interviews? What can we tell about the subject through them? What surprised you about the interview(s)? What follow up questions can you think to ask which would give more detailed information? (A good beginning to a follow up question: Can you tell me more about...) Can you find a snippet which shows personality? Write the actual section of the transcription here and then your brief reflection about what it could eventually show us.

Journal #3:
What big idea questions do you think will guide your biography? Brainstorm at least three. Perhaps from these questions, what do you see as the "themes" of this person's life so far? Which themes or questions are most interesting to you? Why? Do they interconnect? In what way? What thoughts do you have about the "arc" of your paper? How will you shape the transcriptions you have to make it a story? In other words, how will you avoid just writing the "facts" of your subject's life and instead, transform it into a narrative that paints a complex portrait of the person? What possibilities do you see for structure? This should be a journal where you might not have any definite answers yet, but you are exploring possibilities. One page, at least, double-spaced.

Journal #4:
Like we did with Lebron James, I would like you to notice what the writer is doing in your profile that you chose to read this week. (See weekly blog for choices). In addition to annotating, I would like you to identify the following types of sentences and paste them into your journal:
Part One:
1. A sentence which describes the subject physically.
2. A quote, either from the subject or a secondary source, which tells us something about the subject's character.
3. A sentence that uses facts to add to the profile of the character.
4. A snippet from an anecdote the author has included (a partial excerpt is fine)
5. A reflection from the writer which gives the reader a sense of the writer's point of view or opinion.

Part Two:
How does the writer portray this subject? What are the writer's most effective literary moves from the above five. Choose no more than two and then write an analytical paragraph which explains HOW the writer portrays the subject. Think about the analytical paragraph you wrote on Lebron James and review my comments and then build on the work and thinking you did in that paragraph.




 

Welcome to second semester!

Can you believe it is here already? I am excited to have a few more months to work together before you go off into the great unknown. As I said in class, this quarter will combine some choice reading and will also involve the drafting and revising of your biography research paper. It's going to be excellent. Trust me.

Here is your homework for reading:
You must read for 2 hours per week. You decide what you read. Three times a week, I'll ask you to record what you have read on a sheet I'll pass around class. You must determine your reading rate for each book. Assessment will happen in weekly conferences, but may not happen on every book you read. I'll ask you to write a letter about a book every two weeks.The key is to read, not fake read, or spark note. You'll need to keep track of the books you complete. We'll follow this format through the end of March.

Your writing work will consist of biography work and some short analysis on shared texts.

For this week, here are your specific deadlines:

Read two hours by next block day, February 5 or 6.
Due block day: Select book you would like to read.
Due Friday: Complete two interviews and transcriptions. Minimum of 60 minutes. (The other two interviews and transcriptions are due next Friday, February 7.)

Here is the overview and timeline for the biography, in case you lost your paper copy: Overview and Timeline

Homework for January 13

Monday: Finish revisions on Butterflies assessment. MAKE SURE YOU COMPLETE PROCESS PARA. Begin to review vocabulary for midterm.
For the rest of this week, here are your major assignments:
1. Prepare portfolio for midterm. I sent you documents in Google including instructions, other reader form and checklist of skills. They are also linked here for your convenience. 
2. Make sure you have scheduled interviews with all subjects for biography interview. I'll verify that on Friday.
Midterm exam will be next Wednesday for period 6 and next Thursday for period 7. You should come to class with the portfolio complete, including the other reader response! Questions? Email or drop by to chat.

Happy New Year!

It's hard to believe it is already 2014! Our work for this week centers around finishing up In the Time of the Butterflies and completing the final assessment. Specifically, here is your work this week:
READ DETAILS FOR ASSESSMENT HERE
Final Assessment for Butterflies: Final Assessment Butterflies
Exemplar for assignment: Exemplar for final assessment

Tuesday: Select scene and character for block day.
Block day: Draft vignette for Friday. Full credit will only be given for full draft. No partial credit. Include at least five vocabulary words in your writing.
Friday: Revise vignette and write process paragraph. Due Tuesday, January 14.

Note: Begin to review vocabulary for In the Time of the Butterflies. This will consist of 20% of your midterm.