Pre-AP: Ayn Rand/Anthem PowerPoint

Can't get enough of that Ayn Rand/Anthem PowerPoint?

Check it out at Ms. Farinas' Class Blog.

Pre-AP: Tuesday Tutorial

Students who have not received credit for the third six weeks IWA should come to a special essay/IWA-writing tutorial on Tuesday, January 18 from 8:30 to noon. Discussion will revolve around difficulties you have with the assignments, strategies for success, and the opportunity to get your IWA/project credit.

If you are in the process of writing IWA-3B, you may email it to me, but you won't get credit unless you attend the tutorial.

A "robocall" is going out this weekend, inviting students to this tutorial. Some students who completed the IWA on Friday may still receive the phone call, most likely if the work was turned in after 2pm when I submitted the "to be called" list. It happens; don't freak out.

OpenOffice.Org

Don't have MS Word? Use OpenOffice.Org, instead. It's free and will allow you to save .doc or .rtf files.

You're welcome.

IWA #3b: “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” / “The Necklace”

Please write an essay based on the following prompt (this graphic organizer may help):

Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “Money often costs too much.” Both “How Much Land Does a Man Need?” and “The Necklace” explore the paradox that wealth can carry a great cost to an individual, a family, and/or a community. In a well-developed, two-page (minimum) essay explore the literary strategies Tolstoy AND Maupassant use throughout their short stories to communicate this idea to the reader.

A REWRITE/70 grade will NOT be awarded for this IWA. Please submit a draft early in the post-ACP study hall week so you can get a REVISE/85 grade by the end of the 3rd Six Weeks (1/14).

Tips to success:

Do not simply recount the tragedies the characters encounter. Extensive plot summary will result in a REDO grade (no points). Substantial focus on plot summary will result in a REWRITE (also no points). Look at diction, metaphor, imagery, etc., and how the authors’ uses of these techniques changes over the course of the story to help you explore the subject of the cost of wealth/money.

Do not personalize with first-person POV (I/me/my) commentary.

Focus on both of the short stories equally. Do not write more than 60% on either one or you will be directed to REWRITE (accruing 0 points in the process).

All essays must be typed and adhere to the MLA formatting requirements (see below). All essays must be submitted with the draft in the LEFT pocket (inside front cover) of a 2-pocket portfolio folder. Failure to meet these minimum requirements will result in the draft being returned to the student unevaluated and with no score recorded.

• Type your paper on a computer and print it out on standard, white 8.5 x 11-inch paper.


• Double-space the text of your paper (paragraph settings). Use Times New Roman (Garamond if you're “fancy”); the font size should be 12 pt. (font settings).


• Leave only one space after periods or other punctuation marks.


• Set the margins of your document to 1" on all sides.


• Indent the first line of paragraphs one half-inch from the left margin. MLA recommends that you use the Tab key as opposed to pushing the Space Bar five times, or set your paragraphs to indent the first line 0.5". Do not skip a line (i.e., leave a blank line) between paragraphs.

Double-Dog-Dare-Drop-Dead Deadline: Friday, January 14, 2011.

Pre-AP: Things for Tomorrow

Tomorrow is the drop-dead deadline for IWA #3. Find the prompt and details on formatting here. You've known about this since Nov. 16th, 2010. If you have questions, ask them before 10:30 tonight. If you need me to print your IWA for you, it must already be properly formatted; I won't fix it for you this time.

For tomorrow's 6-Week Exam, you should know:

• Definitions of Christmas Carol vocabulary


• Literary Terms from this semester


• Tolstoy's use of literary devices in "How Much Land Does a Man Need?"

The vocabulary and story questions will be multiple choice. You must be able to define the literary term and provide a creative example in Section II of the test. (Using or modifying the examples I have provided takes no creativity and will not result in receipt of credit.)

English II Essay Project

After responding to one of the following prompts, submit your essay online at my.hrw.com -- e-mail me if you need your Login ID again.

1. Occasionally, students in elementary school are advanced to the next grade even though they have not successfully completed the lower grade. Advocates of "social promotion" think that keeping a child in a grade for longer than a year hurts the child's development and self-esteem. Write an essay stating your opinion on this issue, making sure to support your opinion with convincing reasons.


2. Your city council is considering a proposal that would ban the use of cell phones in privately owned businesses such as restaurants, movie theaters, and retail stores. Violators would be subject to a fine. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter in which you convince the city council to support your position, giving strong evidence for your reasons.


3. In some countries every young person must serve two years of military service. Should we have a similar policy in the United States? Write an essay stating your position on this issue and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


4. Your state legislature is considering a bill that would require a person to earn a high school diploma before he or she could receive a driver’s license. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to convince your state legislature to accept your point of view.


5. Your city council is considering a curfew that would make it illegal for teenagers to be out on the streets after 10 p.m. on weekdays or after midnight on weekends. What is your position on this issue? Write an essay that would convince the city council to agree with you. Be sure to support your position with detailed reasons.


6. A well-known football coach once said, "Winning isn’t everything, it’s the only thing." Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Write an essay in which you state your position and support it with convincing reasons.


7. Your local school board is considering requiring students to take part in community service programs in order to graduate. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to the members of the school board stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


8. In an effort to save money, your local school board is considering eliminating elective subjects such as art, band, and auto mechanics. What is your position on this issue? Write a letter to the school board stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.


9. Some people believe it’s better to grow up in a small town. Other people think it’s better to grow up in a big city. What is your position on this issue, and what reasons support your position?


10. Your principal is considering a new grading policy that replaces letter or number grades on report cards with pass or fail. What is your position concerning this issue? Write a letter to your principal stating your position and supporting it with convincing reasons. Be sure to explain your reasons in detail.

Literary Terms "Flash Cards"

Remember: The examples in green are for demonstration purposes only. You need to come up with your own examples of the literary terms.