Midterm details

Your midterm will consist of two separate assessments:
1. An in-class essay which asks you to respond to the following question:
What does it mean to be a young American?
Using  Into the Wild, The Catcher in the Rye and one other example of your own choosing, you will answer this question fully and specifically. We shall use the rubric from the beginning of the year to assess you:
You may outline and bring notes to the exam, but the actual essay will be written on demand. This will be worth 30% of your midterm grade.
2. A portfolio which asks you to reflect upon the work you have done this semester as a reader, writer and thinker. This will be worth 70% of your midterm grade.

Here are the documents which will help you with this task:
Overview and instructions
Checklist of Skills
Assessment Sheet
Other reader letter

Homework for week of 1/7

Monday: Finish rough draft. 750-900 words. See "essay scaffolds" for reminders about conclusions. Prepare for Round Two of Poetry Out Loud.
Tuesday: Prepare for Round Two of Poetry Out Loud.
Block day: Prepare for Round Two of Poetry Out Loud.
Friday: If rough drafts are not returned yet, none.

Homework for week of 1/2

Thursday: Complete introduction for Into the Wild essay for Friday. Complete rough draft is due on Tuesday, 1/8.
Here is the prompt:

What flaw(s) in Chris McCandless or society contribute to his tragedy?

In this paper you will come up with an interesting claim and argue your point, using direct evidence from the text. The best papers will not only support its claim, but also address the opposition.

Length: 750-900 words.

This essay should be thesis driven and engage the reader with a compelling, complex voice. It should also include direct citation from the novel in each body paragraph.

Friday: Complete body paragraphs, including evidence: 650 words. Due Monday. Begin to memorize second poem for Poetry Out Loud. Memorization should be complete by Thursday, 1/10.

Biography research project

Hi all,
As you know, we are beginning our biography research project. I am pasting the overview and timeline here. I would suggest starting interviews now! Remember to record your conversations.In addition, I'll post important document here as well at the top of the post.

Guidelines and suggestions for Interview Questions

MLA Resources

Mentor texts:
New Yorker profile of Taylor Swift
New Yorker profile of Manny Ramirez
Sports Illustrated profile of LeBron James
Guimond mentor text  


Overview

I know you have felt a certain void in your life this year and have wondered what it could be. Rest assured, the answer is at hand: a meaty research project to get you ready for the rigor of next year’s standards. I believe this project will be fun and engaging if, like Einstein, you become passionately curious in the investigation of the life you have chosen to know more about. That curiosity will be the foundation and you will use a variety of research skills to collect the data needed for the project. Your goal is to create a rich and complex narrative about your subject. There are many ways to do this and we’ll discuss strategies for success as we move through this project. This work will accomplish a few objectives taken from the Common Core Standards, which establishes skills necessary to be college and career ready:

1.  Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources; assess the strengths and limitations of each source; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

2. Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome.

3. Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

4. Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

Length:                                            12-15 typed pages, exclusive of cover and bibliography. These are minimums and maximums. The length in words is approximately 4800-7500. (use a font and line spacing which allows 400 words/page).

Subject:                                           May be living or recently deceased, may be any age, must be susceptible to a variety of kinds of research, must agree to be the subject (authorized).

Research:                                         Almost entirely primary, i.e. interviews, letters, oral histories. Some secondary research is acceptable when applicable, especially newspaper and magazine articles about the time period. Photos, clippings, etc. are encouraged. It is expected that every biography will have an extensive appendix, including transcripts (or notes) of interviews, letters, photos not included in the text, etc.

Sources:                                          Total of five sources are needed. Minimum of three people, including primary subject. At least two secondary source is recommended.

Initial Concerns:                            Family, extended family, education, town or city, religion/philosophy, career experiences, leisure activities, achievements, growth, changes, and challenges

Theme of a Life:                            Those conclusions, inductively ascertained, that give unity to the biography.

Description and Anecdote:            All should serve to reveal character. For a good guide to biographical profiles, check any recent edition of The New Yorker, which consistently presents the type of writing that I'd like you to emulate.

TIMELINE:

            DATE                                          TASK

            Monday, December 10                Selected your subject and received permission.

            Monday, December 17                Drafted a set of questions for primary source

            Friday, January 4                         Sent letters/emails of inquiry to secondary sources

            Block day, January 30/31             Conducted at least two interviews (audio recordings and transcript
            Friday, February 8                       Completed interviews (audio recordings and transcripts)

            Friday, February 22                     Researched newspapers and other sources; took notes

            Wed/Thurs March 6/7                  Formulated general “themes” of life; written at least one page of ideas

            Friday, March 15                         Researched newspapers and other sources; took notes                       

           Tuesday, April 23                          Written outline and two pages typed of draft                        

           Tuesday, April 29                          Rough draft due

           Friday, May 10                       Final draft due

!

            Note: The key to success is staying on top of the timeline, asking for help when you need it and being willing to put in the time it takes to finish with a final product of which you can be proud!

Homework for week of 12/17

Monday:
Even if I didn't see you, please finish Into the Wild for Tuesday. We'll discuss and begin to think about essay which will be due after vacation.
Memorize and practice poetry performance. Recitations will take place on Thursday.
Journals will be due on Friday.
Tuesday: Memorize and practice poetry performance. Recitations will take place on Thursday.
Journals will be due on Friday.
Block day: Journals due Friday.
Friday: Begin interviews for biography project. Select second poem for Poetry Out Loud. Second recitation will be on Thursday, January 10.

Homework for week of 12/10

Monday: Complete vocabulary crossword puzzle. Study vocabulary words. Quiz tomorrow.
Tuesday: Read chapters 12-14 of Into the Wild. Choose poem for Poetry Out Loud by block day. Minimum of 15 lines: www.poetryoutloud.org
Block day: Read chapter 15 of Into the Wild. Begin to memorize poem. Recitation will be on 12/20.
If you would like to record your poem and save it as an mp3 file, go here:http://www.recordmp3.org/
Friday: Read chapters 16-17 of Into the Wild. Complete book will be due on Tuesday. Begin to memorize poem. Recitation will be on 12/20.

Homework for week of 12/3

Monday: Read chapters 6-7 of Into the Wild. Revise The Catcher in the Rye essay. Due block day.
Tuesday: Revise essay. Due block day.
Thursday: Read chapters 8-9. Due Friday. Brainstorm possible biography subjects. Subject due by Monday, December 10.
Friday: Read chapters 10-11. Brainstorm possible biography subjects. Subject due by Monday, December 10. Vocabulary test due Tuesday.
Here are the words for the second round:Chapters 4-9 vocabulary words