river oaks [english]

Sophomores Read President George W. Bush's speech to the nation on deciding to go to war with Iraq in 2003; then, write and type a 250-word summary of his main points of support. Consider throughout the process any parallels you see between this speech and Patrick Henry's. Juniors Read this New York Times article on the 400 year anniversary of the King James Bible and its influence on the English language. Write and type a 250-word summary. Seniors Read and summarize the following debate on the U.S. economy in a 250-word typed report: "Is Outsourcing Good for the U.S. Economy?".

Sophomores First, here's the video of Patrick Henry's speech that I promised to post but didn't (sorry): Your homework for tonight is to study the vocabulary and to prepare for a QUIZ for Friday. Juniors Your homework for tonight is to make sure you've read the Introduction to the Renaissance Period (276-82) and the section on Renaissance Drama (314-20). Expect a quiz on Friday.

Seniors Watch (and read) Kennedy's Inaugural Address and answer questions on pages 55-56 on his use of rhetorical strategies: ALSO, start learning the vocabulary terms on pages 58-59. Note that examples from Kennedy's speech are included with the definitions.

Juniors, your PowerPoint is due tomorrow. Remember the following: At least ten slides, not including the title page and works cited page Presentations five minutes in length At least half text/information High contrast design Free of all errors in grammar

We are talking about persuasive rhetoric in both English II - in the context of the American Revolution - and in English IV - in the context of political issues, specifically.  In both, we discussed the various forms of persuasive rhetoric employed by politicians and leaders who are trying to convince fellow citizens of a particular point of view. In politics, rhetoric is perhaps most exaggerated, and looking at political ads and speeches can help us understand how these techniques work: The Living Room Candidate - a site that collects political ads throughout the history of television, beginning in 1952 and updated to include campaigns as recent as 2008 American Rhetoric - a collection of speeches throughout history, not just limited to politics

Everyone has essays due tomorrow. Type, format according to MLA, and attach to the top of your hand-written draft:  Sophomores - refer to the "peer reader" questions on p252 for revision Juniors - your essay should include a works cited page, numbered in sequence -- form found on the website discussed in class - Research and Documentation Online (#34-35) -- sample paper Seniors - refer to the nine-point rubric when typing your revision

As noted, I will not be there for the second half of tomorrow. You have your orders.... You will turn in your work at the end of the day! I will hand all drafts back on Monday, and we will talk about revision then.  Yes, I know I will now have a LOT of essays to grade, but trust me: it's easier this way. Do not forget to bring notes to work with tomorrow. You do not have to rely solely on the notes you've taken in class. Do not bring a pre-written draft. I want all writing completed in class. If you do not finish, then turn it in anyway. Juniors - because your final draft has been moved to Tuesday, your PowerPoint has been moved to Wednesday. Honors students will receive articles for summary tomorrow in class.

Sophomores Look at the assignment on pages 248-252 in your text, and make notes pertaining to the movie you've chosen to review. I'll return the work you did in class today to use, as well. Please do NOT bring a pre-written essay to class. Juniors Answer questions #2-5 on p237 and be ready for a quiz on "Death of Arthur." We will also start on your essay in class, so bring your sources. Seniors You will be writing in class tomorrow - gathering evidence from one of the two essays, formulating a thesis, and organizing your support. We will finish the essay in class Friday.

Please don't hold me responsible for the content of websites other than this one. Thanks. Seniors Here's a more recent article on the football team I mentioned in class - from a mostly Muslim high school in Dearborn, Michigan. Think about the difference between objective reporting like this and the more personal and purposeful essay in your book. Juniors Your essay requires TWO credible* sources. For resources on the Middle Ages, try these sites: NetSERF Medieval Resources - from Fordham The ORB The Labyrinth - from Georgetown Literary Resources - from Rutgers *See UC Berkeley's site for evaluating web pages Sophomores Please select a movie you'd like to review and be ready to take some notes about it tomorrow. The site I mentioned in class for movie reviews is MetaCritic . Your goal is to model these authors, not copy them. Plagiarized papers will receive a zero.

Sophomores Starting fresh tomorrow with the "critical review" assignment on p248. You'll pick a movie you've seen recently, and write a review based on some established criteria.  We will follow the outline in your book and use the example as our model. Juniors Read "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight" and bring printed lyrics from a ballad for extra points (must not be the same as someone else and must follow the criteria outlined in class). We'll also pick paper topics tomorrow in class. Seniors Read "The Real New York Giants" and "Fasting and Football" on pages 471-75 in your book.

Just a reminder to all Honors students - you should be reading your independent study book for this nine weeks: Sophomores - Scarlet Letter (Hawthorne) or Last of the Mohicans (Cooper) Juniors - Grendel (Gardner), The Divine Comedy (Dante), or Complete Canterbury Tales (Chaucer) Your exam will be on Thursday, October 6th .

Sophomores Answer #2-5 on 228 using complete sentences and citing from the text. We are finishing the play this week with a quiz on Act IV on Friday. Your exam is on Monday, Sept 19 (includes the vocabulary). Juniors You have a quiz on "Pardoner" and "Wife" tomorrow -- vocabulary test on Friday, Sept 16 for all three. Seniors Your typed rough draft is due Friday. Bring your books tomorrow.

Sophomores Read Act Three of The Crucible . Study the vocabulary (i.e. make flashcards); it will be included in the exam on Monday, Sept 19 . Don't forget about the flashcards (flipcards) on the publisher's site. Juniors Read "The Wife of Bath's Tale" and answer #2-5 on page 167. You'll have a quiz on both tales on Thursday, and your recitations are due Friday. For help speaking in Middle English (accent optional), try this video: Or maybe this one: Seniors Research solutions to the problem. Your typed rough draft of Solutions paper is due on Friday, Sept 16 . Bring your books tomorrow.

Sophomores Answer questions #2-6 on 206. Answer in complete sentences, and cite specifics from the text. "Examination of a Witch" Thompkins H. Matteson, 1853 Juniors Answer "Think Critically" questions following "The Pardoner's Tale." Answer in complete sentences, and cite specifics from the text. Seniors Find and print sources related to your "Solutions" paper. Review the AP English Language Course Description .

Sophomores Read Act Two of The Crucible and be ready for a reading comprehension quiz. You should also be making flashcards of all vocabulary. Juniors You have a quiz on "The General Prologue" on Monday, including the notes about the context and the author. Your homework is to complete vocabulary exercises A&B on 138, to read the essay on 139-40, and to answer #1-3 on 140. We will begin working on this in class Friday. Seniors The final draft of your "Problem" paper is due on Monday. Your works cited page should include at least three credible sources (each of which is cited in the paper). The next paper evaluates the "solutions" to the problem, so be prepared to talk about that in class on Monday.

Sophomores Answer questions #2-5 on 190. Use complete sentences and cite specifics from the text. Juniors Answer questions #3-5 on 137. Use complete sentence and cite specifics from the text. Also, I have posted the Chaucer notes under "assignments" on your Edline page. Seniors You are writing the " This I Believe " essay in class tomorrow. Think about your topic before you come to class, but please do not pre-write it. You will have the chance to revise.

Seniors Your topic MEMO is due tomorrow, Thursday 9/8. Below the memo heading, you should have three short paragraphs - one stating the purpose for the memo, including a statement about your specific topic, one briefly defining the problem, and one on your progress so far - what you've found, what you've written, what still needs to be done Your typed rough draft of the Problem paper is due on Friday Juniors Read "The General Prologue" to The Canterbury Tales (111-136) Sophomores Learn all terms in "The Conventions of Drama" (161-2) Read Act One of The Crucible (163-89)

I just saw this from Newsweek Magazine and thought it might be useful.

No Class on Monday! Seniors You have a couple of things due when you come to school on Tuesday: The final draft of your Career Paper , including the interview and a revised works cited page (numbered in sequence) Source(s) related to the problem topic you have chosen -- you are writing the first draft of that paper in class on Tuesday Look at the This I Believe website and some of the examples there, like this one from Wayne Coyne of The Flaming Lips -- you will write this essay in class next week Juniors No homework : ) Sophomores Study for your test on Tuesday! The test will include multiple choice, matching (vocabulary from "Sinners"), short answer and a short essay.