Block Day...Library

Bring your Vocabulary Book and creativity!

We'll review vocabulary and work on the Being American Essay Contest.

Key Details:
Contest Home Page
Student Resources
Founding Principles
Constitution
Turnitin.com
OWL Website - MLA Format


What to keep in mind as you write:

Paragraph 1 A CATCHY introduction and your thesis

Paragraph 2 Discussion and Analysis of Founding Principle in the Constitution, Explication and analysis of the ongoing importance of the principle

Paragraph 3 Discussion of how at least one Founder believed the principle would safeguard liberty as expressed in a primary source document from the Founding Era

Paragraph 4 Personal response explaining what the author has done and/or will do in order to preserve a culture of liberty in the U.S. that protects the inalienable rights of all

Paragraph 5 Conclusion

Works Cited Page - an Alphabetical list of works cited w/in paper.

BEFORE you turn in your draft...now write a catchy title...try for 3-5 words that draw the reader's interest and relate to your paper

REMEMBER ... your paper should be 1000 words or less



JUDGES SCORING RUBRIC can be found here





The Rough Draft needs to be uploaded by Block Day November 9/10, 2011

Your Admission Ticket...

In order to start the research portion/MLA review for PAPER #2 ... when you arrive in the library on BLOCK DAY next week you need to have completed the following:

1. Thesis approved by me
2. Read the comments on paper # 1 on turnitin.com ... you need to see what mistakes you made and learn from them. ASK me if you have any questions.
3. Make sure you know your password to get on the computers in the library...no wasting class time with that...

It's Almost November...time flies when you are having fun!

Monday 10-31-11 Halloween
Since you are allowed to be in costume...you can come dressed as your favorite character from literature (SCHOOL APPROPRIATE). You will need to tell the class who you are and how your attire corresponds with a literary character. This can be through a "guess who I am riddle" or a simple explanation. Bonus points will be applied to the Holocaust Test.

Upcoming Assignments
10-31-11 Read SIA Chapters 6-8-9 and Complete Study Guide

BLOCK DAYS 11-2- and 11-3
Meet in Library...Vocabulary work and time to work on ROUGH DRAFT of Being American Essay Contest Paper. Due Uploaded to turnitin.com by 11:59 on YOUR Block Day 11-9 or 11-10.

11-3
IMH Quiz Part 3
SIA read and complete Study Guide for Chapter 12

11-4
SIA read and complete study guide for Chapter 14
Vocabulary Quiz Lessons 9 and 10 Sentence Format

11-7-11
Work in Library on SECOND group Holocaust Project...due 11-15-11

Key Dates to REMEMBER
Paper #2
ROUGH DRAFT SUBMITTED MIDNIGHT BLOCK DAY 11-9/10 (RESPECTIVELY) and rubric handed in in class
THREE PEER REVIEWS BY 11-14-11
FINAL DRAFT DUE TO TURINITIN.COM BEFORE THANKSGIVING BREAK...11-22-11 (RUBRIC BROUGHT TO CLASS THAT DAY)

Outside Reading ... depending on your choice...
Report Due 11-28-11
Blog/Report Due 12-8-11
Rubric Information is located on the Papers Page of the Class Website

BRAVE NEW WORLD ... Bring BOOK to class Starting 11-14-11

Cross Country Connections ... Blogging About Books

A new post has been added to the blog. Those of you who are doing this assignment have work to do...10 posts meed to be made by the time the report is due 12-8-11.

Visit the Cross Country Connections Blog...Join in the conversation!

Library of Congress Contest

If you wish to submit your paper into the contest, please do the following:

Create a cover page with the Book Title, Author’s Name and Your Name
On Page 1 add to the upper right corner: Your Name and complete HOME return address
Print your paper (perhaps making changes from comments on final draft??)

Entry Coupon in the PDF I emailed your parents needs to be completed

IF YOU WISH TO ENTER THE CONTEST, Please bring the above items to me by MONDAY NOVEMBER 14TH AT THE LATEST. I WILL COMPILE AND SEND EVERYTHING OUT!

Being American Essay Contest

Perhaps a quick read of the CONSTITUTION, from the National Archives Website, will help you as you work on your thesis.

Remember that this needs to be FINALIZED by FRIDAY...as of 5:56 PM today...it is NOT done for anyone. Saving this till FRIDAY will not work for anyone. DO NOT DELAY!

Being American Essay Contest

As you work on your Thesis...go to the Contest Home Page.

The go to the Resources Tab on the left...The Student Resources TAB has links to Founding Principles, quotes from founders and links to relevant news stories today. All will be helpful as you develop your thesis.

Survival In Auschwitz

We have been reading PARTS of "SIA" in conjunction with In My Hands.
Chapters 6-8-9 are due Monday 10-31-11
Chapter 12 due 11-2/3
Chapter 14 due 11-4
Chapter 16 due 11-7

Study Guides for those chapters can be found on the Survival in Auschwitz Page of the class website.

Paper #2 .... Thesis formation NEXT WEEK

Paper # 2 is the BEING AMERICAN ESSAY CONTEST. It is an opportunity to do research and incorporate that research in proper MLA format into a paper. PLUS IT IS AN OPPORTUNITY TO WIN A PRIZE! Details about the contest are on the CONTEST WEBSITE LINKED HERE.

starting NOW you can read the instructions and respond (with your thesis) to my original discussion thread on the www.turnitin.com DISCUSSION TAB.

Block Days 11/2 and 11/3 we will be in the library researching and working on MLA format.

Tips for Writing your Thesis Statement Linked Here

MLA STYLE Guide (Pay special attention to IN TEXT CITATIONS and works cited for this paper)

Bonus Writing Opportunity

A Writing Contest that has been posted on the back board in the classroom is nearing its DEADLINE of November 1st. The CATE Writing Contest prompt states: Write an essay, short story, or poem that includes the following phrase:

Now you’ve crossed the line.

Details can be found on the CATE website.

If you wish to submit for a BONUS...it needs to be given to me NO LATER THAN FRIDAY 10-28-11 With all necessary parent release forms, etc.

What's Coming Up?

Friday 10-21-11 MASS DAY...school starts with Homeroom then Mass.
Vocabulary Quiz will be on lessons 8 and 1 (10 Multiple Choice Questions)
Read IMH or Outside Reading after Quizhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blanhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifk.gif

Monday 10-24-11 Day off for Students
BUT starting Monday...Thesis proposal for Paper #2 due to www.turnitin.com DISCUSSION BOARD. You have ALL WEEK to work on this...responding back and forth to me until it's ALL SET TO GO!
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Paper 2 Topic ... Being An American Essay Contest is Linked HERE.

Key Due Dates:
Thesis completed week of 10-24-11 (rubric handed in 10/25/11)
ROUGH DRAFT SUBMITTED MIDNIGHT BLOCK DAY 11-9/10 (RESPECTIVELY) rubric handed in in class
THREE PEER REVIEWS BY 11-14-11
FINAL DRAFT DUE TO TURINITIN.COM BEFORE THANKSGIVING BREAK...11-22-11 (RUBRIC BROUGHT TO CLASS THAT DAY)

Tuesday 10-25-11
In My Hands Part 3 Study Guide Due
Vocabulary Lesson 9 Words and definitions
Continue class discussion that we started block days 10-19 and 10-20

Block Days 10-26 and 10-27
Vocabulary Review
QUIZ IMH Part 2 and SIA Ch 2 and 3
IMH and SIA discussion

Friday 10-28-11
No Vocabulary Quiz This Week

Monday 10-31-11
Read SIA Chapters: Work, The Side of Good and Evil, and Comrades Study Guide will be linked here by 10-24-11
Introduce Vocabulary Lesson 10


BLOCK DAY 11-2 and 11-3 we will be in the library researching for PAPER #2, working on rough drafts and MLA formatting

VOCABULARY QUIZ Friday 11-4-11 Lessons 9 and 10 (Sentence Format)


****I'll be going through Turnitin.com grading PAPER #1 - rubrics slowly returned as I go through the papers.

Opportunity...TUESDAYS WITH RENE'

STARTING TOMORROW I'll be in the classroom on TUESDAYS at lunch...I'll show films Tuesdays with Morrie then The Five People You Meet in Heaven as review...opportunity for Summer Reading Category Bonus Points.

The "film screenings" start 5 minutes after the block 4 bell and end 5 minutes before lunch ends...

We'll screen Holocaust Films and Brave New World after summer reading as additional review/bonus opportunities.

First 32 here into the classroom get seats!

Due to Schedule Change...

Tutoring time will be from 8:00-8:30 AM on Wednesday due to the LATE start.

Wednesday's Schedule:
8:50-10:15 Blk. 2
10:15-10:20 Break
10:25-11:50 Blk. 4
11:50-12:30 Lunch
12:35-2:00 Block 6

Maus

Art Spiegelman tells his father's story in Maus. In MetaMaus he tells his story of how he came about writing a graphic novel about the Holocaust. See the YouTube Video.

Check out the Article in the New Republic about Art Spiegelman..."This writer is not Elie Wiesel or Primo Levi, though his work, like theirs, is based in testimony. He is not Piotr Rawicz or H.G. Adler, though he shares their interest in viewing real events through a filter of surrealism. He is not Thomas Keneally, though his work has a quality of the “nonfiction novel” about it; nor is he W.G. Sebald, though his books, like Sebald’s, have been described as a mix of fiction, documentary, and memoir. He is Art Spiegelman, and he has done more than any other writer of the last few decades to change our understanding of the way stories about the Holocaust can be written. Maus, Spiegelman’s “epic story told in tiny pictures”.

Next week...

Today in class we had vocabulary quiz 6/7. Papers were returned after the quiz,. Time was given to read In My Hands or Outside Reading Book.

Next Week's Plan:
Monday: Introduce Vocabulary Unit 8 (words and definitions), In My Hands (Part 1) and Survival in Auschwitz (Chapter 1), discuss Literature

Tuesday: NEW SEATS TODAY
In My Hands Part 2 Study Guide Due
Continue vocabulary Study and Literature Discussion
DUE BLOCK DAY: Read Survival in Auschwitz Chapters 2 and 3

Block Day:
Review Vocabulary...Quiz 8 and 1 on Friday...Multiple choice format
Discuss Literature

Friday (Mass Day):
Vocabulary Quiz 8/1 (Multiple Choice)
Time to read after quiz (IMH, Outside Reading)

Monday 10-24-11 Day Off For Students
Thesis proposal submitted to turnitin.com DISCUSSION based off paper #2 Being American Essay Contest. Paper linked here.
Tuesday 10-25-11 Lit Quiz IMH Part 2 and SIA Chapters 2 and 3

This coming week...

This week's schedule is a bit different from last week. Yet another anomalous schedule (vocab word):

Monday
we'll introduce vocabulary Lesson 7
library group web project due
bring Survival in Auschwitz .. read Chapter 1 for Block Day

Tuesday is MASS day and Block 2-4-6
we'll discuss In My Hands and Survival in Auschwitz and well as work on vocabulary

Wednesday is PSAT testing...spirit attire...test in HOMEROOM

Thursday Blocks 1-3-5 and club day during homeroom
Same as Tuesday

Friday
Vocabulary quiz 6/7 (6 = sentences and 7 = multiple choice)

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
1. IN MY HANDS QUIZ ... PART 1 ON FRIDAY 10/14 OR MONDAY 10/17
2. PAPER 1 FINAL DRAFT DUE BY MONDAY 10/17 AT 11:59 (UPLOADED TO WWW.TURNITIN.COM) I POSTED THE TAB TO SUBMIT THE FINAL DRAFT ON FRIDAY 10-7-11. You can turn in the final draft early. The rubric (same one from rough draft) is due on Monday 10-14-11 in class...or earlier if you submit it early!!!! Make sure you write word count on rubric as well as write out your thesis. You get points for both.
3. In My Hands...Part 2 Due Tuesday 10-18 and Part 3 due on the 25th... Link to study guide documents

Mitch Albom

Many of your Library of Congress Rough Drafts were letters to Mitch Albom. I am linking his website here so you can peruse his site for other books, his latest newspaper articles, etc.

Block Day...World Cafe Day

Block Day...Announced that Vocabulary Lesson 6 and 7 will be a JOINT Quiz on Friday 10-14-11.Lesson 6 will be covered with sentences and 7 will be multiple choice.

Today we had World Cafe Discussions...will continue Friday. Powerpoint we look through will be linked to the website on Friday.

Friday...In My Hands Read Part 1 and Study Guide Due

Due Monday: Group Project from Tuesday in the library

PSAT WEDNESDAY 10-12-11

Friday 10-14-11 Vocabulary Quiz 6-7

Holocaust Studies Web Search in the Library Today

You will work with your classroom "neighbor" today. The assignment is due by the end of the period. If, for some reason, you do NOT get the assignment completed, you and your partner are responsible for turning it in No LATER THAN Monday 10-10-11.

What do you do?

Start with going to the class website...Holocaust Studies Page.

Download the Holocaust Web Activity Document...that is the one you are teaming up to complete.

Useful link to open in a NEW window...United State Holocaust Memorial Museum (www.ushmm.org). ALL of your web research will be from this site.

Monday 10-3-11

Today I passed back Vocabulary Quiz 5 ... corrections due Block Day.

Literature Quiz 1 (Short Answer format) was given in class...time was given to sign up for Outside Reading, Read In My Hands, correct vocabulary Quiz or start Vocabulary Lesson 6 words and definitions.

Complete Vocabulary Words and Definitions lesson 6 if not done in class...due Block Day

Tuesday:
Mass Day...wear Tie Day Attire
Meet in the library for group work/research ... library work is due Monday 10-10-11.

Block Day:
Vocabulary Study
Literature Discussion "World Cafe"

Friday:
Vocabulary Quiz Lesson 6 (sentence format)
In My Hands Part 1 reading ans Study Guide Due

Books About Football History

Perhaps this is a topic about which you wish to read...check it out

Smithsonian Magazine Article The Essentials: Five Books on Football History

TOP 10 Books Lost to Time

Read this fascinating article from Smithsonian.com