Final exam essay question

Essay question addressing standard 10.3

Science Fiction Continued and Text Structures

Our exploration of the role of women in science fiction has led some of you to genuinely interesting conclusions. Before we wrap up our study of science fiction, I'd like to pose another big idea question to you: What about the issue of race?

Please read these two articles with a focus on the text structure of each.

The Topics Dystopian Films Won't Touch

Star Wars and the 4 Ways Science Fiction Handles Race

Books I've Read

Fahrenheit 451: Enduring Classic or Overdone Dud

Your next writing assignment is to address the topic that has been part of our conversations over the past couple of weeks: should schools continue to teach Fahrenheit 451, or should we ditch it in favor of a different science fiction novel?

Before you begin your essay, please read these articles/ blog posts:

http://radicalscholarship.wordpress.com/2013/11/12/fahrenheit-451-60-years-later-why-do-we-need-the-things-in-books/

http://www.outsidethebeltway.com/ray-bradbury-and-the-real-lesson-of-fahrenheit-451/

http://www.teach4real.com/2013/02/04/curriculum-upload-teaching-fahrenheit-451-in-the-urban-classroom/

Your essay needs to address the following topics:

• Why are you keeping it or ditching?
• the good and the bad
• relevancy to your lives
• themes/ social commentary 
• reading standards
• alternative readings/ novels/ benefits of free choice

From Anthem to Fahrenheit 451

After our excellent discussions of Ayn Rand's Anthem, you are ready to tackle Fahrenheit 451. As we read this novel, our goal is to deepen your thinking about literature. We are going to examine this novel a little differently through this project.

Peer Editing

Click here to access a peer editing document for your literary analysis.

Articles of the Week #3: APUSH

As a former U.S. history student, you have been called upon to review the recent events in Colorado and recommend a course of action for the Jefferson County School District, the second largest district in Colorado. Your task this week is to read several articles on the APUSH issue. In a two to three page letter to the Jefferson County school board, please address the following:

• Review why students and teachers in the Jefferson County School District are unhappy. Identify the source of the conflict. 
• Explain why students and teachers are justified in their walkouts, or why the school board is correct in proposing revisions to the APUSH curriculum. Analyze the fairness or unfairness of the APUSH curriculum.
• Explain how the media has influenced public perception of this issue. 
• Discuss any other points you consider pertinent to the issue. 
• Propose a course of action for the school district.

Read these articles (and others as well) to help you write your letter:

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/lifestyle/education/what-in-the-ap-us-history-curriculum-apush-sparked-controversy-in-the-jeffco-school-district

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/24/jefferson-county-students-protest_n_5876716.html

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/09/24/hundreds-colorado-students-protest-proposed-history-curriculum-changes/

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/local-news/student-walk-outs-possible-at-pomona-arvada-west-and-ralston-valley-high-schools-tuesday

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/trending/jeffco-school-board-lampooned-on-twitter-over-proposed-revisionist-history-lessons

I will not be grading annotations this week. I will only be assessing your letter for your ability to summarize the issue, make inferences, cite evidence to support your thinking, and write a clear, cohesive argument in favor of the board and its actions or the students and teachers who are currently protesting. 

Your letter is due Thursday, October 9th. 

"Harrison Bergeron" Compare/ Contrast Literary Analysis

After reading "Harrison Bergeron" and watching 2081 (directed by Chandler Tuttle), you are ready to tackle standard RL.7:

Analyze the representation of a subject or a key scene in two different artistic mediums, including what is emphasized or absent in each treatment. 

That seems easy enough. We've already identified some major differences between the two mediums. But what do you analyze? For the purposes of this paper, you may focus on either of these standards to help you with your analysis:

RL.5: Analyze how an author's (or director's) choices concerning how to structure a text, order events within it, and manipulate time (e.g., pacing, flashbacks) create such effects as mystery, tension, or surprise (or changes in mood and tone). 

or

RL.3: Analyze how complex characters develop over the course of a text, interact with other characters, and advance the plot or develop the theme. 

Assessments...

Click here for an EOC-style assessment over our memoir unit and then take this quick "Harrison Bergeron" quiz. The last question will be homework.

Memoir Scoring Guide

Review your memoir using the following scoring guide:

After you have made any necessary changes, please submit your memoir to turnitin.com.

Your class code is: 8663506/

Your password is "Write!"

Autobiographical Poetry

As we finish up our memoir unit, let's take some time to examine poetry. While a more traditional memoir requires you to make a few inferences, a poem requires you to infer constantly. Please read these poems. As you read, annotate each line to help you determine the meaning and tone.

Article of the Week #2

Click here for your most recent Article of the Week. Your annotations and analysis are due on Monday, September 22nd. Please turn in your annotations and analysis on time: 10% will be deducted for each day that your thinking and writing is late.

Review of symbolism and CEI

Dialogue take two

When writing dialogue in your memoir, you must format and punctuate it correctly. Here's a before and after picture of how to fix up your dialogue. BEFORE: AFTER:

Another Memoir

Let's examine a memoir that deals with a different kind of parent-child dynamic. As you read this memoir, highlight the figurative language that you notice as well as word choice that you think expresses a certain tone or mood. In addition, annotate as you read by making comments. What are you thinking as you read this memoir?

Click here to access the memoir. 

Make a copy for yourself. Instead of "Copy of...", you should title your document with your first and last name in front of the title. 

Share it with me (mtaylor--Melissa Taylor). 

Please ask if you don't know how to highlight or comment. 

"Dialogue!" she exclaimed.

       "View this slide show for a refresher on how to punctuate and write dialogue," Ms. Taylor told the exhausted class.
       Holden sighed and put his head down on his desk. "I've never gotten this whole dialogue-punctation thing," he whined. "Why, Ms. Taylor, why? Why do we have to learn this?"
       Ms. Taylor smiled at Holden and the rest of the class. "Someday, Holden," she said gently, "you or someone else in this class will be a famous author--probably Isaac. He's very adept at writing fiction." She looked directly at Isaac. "Or Marissa may write a memoir filled with wonderful similes. Reading her memoir is like finding the marshmallows in a box of Lucky Charms."
     "That's a horrible simile, Ms. Taylor," Archie exclaimed. "Can't you come up with anything better?"
     "It's pretty bad," Mattie whispered to Bryce, who stifled a laugh.
     "Enough!" Ms. Taylor yelled. "This isn't a lesson on figurative language. This is about dialogue! You had better write some excellent dialogue in your memoirs."
 

Punctuating Quotations and Writing Dialogue in Narrative Writing from jfreisen

Comma Drama

Commas from gibb0

Article of the Week #1: ISIS

Please access this document.  Make a copy for yourself with your name at the beginning of the title. Share it with me (mtaylor--Melissa Taylor). As you read, make quality annotations about your confusion and your thinking. Write a one-page analysis which will be due next Friday, September 5th.

Vocabulary Roots

Vocabulary is often the best predictor of overall intelligence and academic ability. How can you improve your vocabulary without learning thousands of words? Discover your roots. Let's take a pre-test to see where you're at.

Over the weekend, please complete the vocabulary homework.

If you want to further increase your vocabulary, you should:

• visit freerice.com--Play and save the world. Each time you get a question correct, 10 grains of rice are donated to the World Food Program.
• download the iVocab app on your Macbook.
• download Vocab Hero on your smartphone.

Smiley Face Tricks

Smiley face tricks are what writers use to make readers...well, smile. Here's a list of the most popular tricks with examples. Let's focus on reworking your introduction if it is less-than-perfect. Choose one technique to use as your very first sentence (2-7 would work best) and build on that to make your opening engaging. Then add figurative language and Magic 3 anywhere else in your memoir.

Course Expectations and Your First Writing Assignment

You will be completing a writing assessment today. Here are the steps you need to follow:

1. Access this document.

2. Make a copy for yourself.

3. Change the title to include your name (instead of "copy of").

4. Share it with me (mtaylor@student.liberty.k12.mo.us). PLEASE DO NOT SEND ME AN EMAIL NOTIFICATION.

5. When you are finished, please print out a copy (LMC printer) and turn it in to me. While you are in the LMC, you need to check out a book.

6. If you finish your writing before the class period is over, please review these expectations.

7. Once you understand how your behavior should look in class, you may read your book (the one you just checked out from the LMC). You may not play on your computer--reading is important. If you choose to use your computer for things other than our class activities, you can store it on my back counter each day.

If you do not finish your writing, please complete it over the weekend and turn it in to me on Monday.

Thank you for a great first week. Have a wonderful weekend!