river oaks [english]

Why do you need sources? Easy...to support your argument. This is true for the History paper you guys are writing, as well as the Independent Reading essay you are writing for me. A good paper starts with a strong central focus and a sense of purpose. Research is used to provide evidence -- facts, numbers, statistics & examples. In order to find useful information, and to avoid plagiarism, there are some simple guidelines you must follow. First, you have to know where to look. Students now have far more options than their parents did when they were in school because many magazines and periodicals previously available only in print are now reprinted online. Below are two of the many places you can go to begin your search: InfoTrac gives you access to databases of full-text articles on every topic under the sun. Although this database requires a subscription, you have complete access to everything they have there as a student at River Oaks (type in LDOE for the password). Fi...

Your assignment this weekend is to declare your independence -- from anything you believe limits your freedoms. The key here is to make an argument for independence by following specific steps, as outlined in class: First, in the preamble, state WHY it has become necessary for you to declare your independence. You are arguing here that conditions are serious enough, and that you've made all possible appeals to reason. Treat it as an introduction in that you will state your topic and purpose. Second, you must clearly state WHAT your rights are. In other words, which freedoms have been violated? Third, you need to clearly state HOW those rights stated above have been violated. Provide specific details and examples to make your points stronger. Finally, conclude your paper with the declaration itself. This is where you summarize your argument and appeal to the audience's emotion, ethics and logic. Your paper should be at least 250 words, typed and double-spaced. Please form...

Your last assignments of the semester revolve around Fairy Tales (called Marchen in German). You'll read about six total, including versions from Charles Perrault (1697), Mme. de Beaumont (1757), Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm (published in 1857), and Andrew Lang (1889). Many of the tales, although familiar, are quite different from Disney or other popular, modern interpretations. In some cases, the values of the period dictate a slightly different moral purpose; in others, the stories in their original form are quite simply not suitable for children. As I stated in class, the typical audience for these tales is teenagers, who are more likely to face the challenges/dangers symbolically (or literally) presented. Your Reading List: Cinderella (or Aschenputtel ). TEXT . Little Red Riding Hood (four versions). TEXT . Bearskin . TEXT . Beauty and the Beast . TEXT . The Sleeping Beauty of the Wood . TEXT . The Slaying of the Tanuki. TEXT . These six tales, along with the terms discussed ...

Your assignment for the weekend is to write a two-page Mystery story using the elements discussed in class: a crime a main character/detective/investigator a suspect a motive an alibi Setting is important in establishing the mood, so remember to use the five senses in your description. Use the techniques we used in the last paper to establish the Who, What, When, Where and Why. For organization, think about the models we discussed -- the Sherlock Holmes story, TV crime dramas, Suspense/Thrillers, even Scooby Doo . Most stories of this type begin with the crime and the investigator, then the evidence, and finally the suspect (and interview). In the end, there's usually a confrontation and resolution, where the "real" story of the crime is detailed. The ROUGH DRAFT is due Monday. Please type, double-space, and format according to MLA.

I forgot to post the discussion questions when I was at school, but everyone should have the handout. The vocabulary assignment is the same as before -- 10 words, cited in context, along with the Webster's definition and an orignal sentence using the word approriately. Ch 20-22 due Monday Ch 23-24 & Vocab (typed) due Tuesday

Vocabulary: Choose your own! Pick 10 words from chapters 16-19 and provide the original sentence, Webster's definition, and a sentence of your own. Chapter 16: “A Forest Walk” Where does Hester plan to meet Dimmesdale? Why? Describe the scene with Hester and Pearl in the sunlight. What symbolic meaning could the sunlight have? Why does sunlight shine on Pearl and not on Hester? What story has Pearl heard about the “black man”? What does Hester mean when she says, “Once in my life, I met the Black Man. This scarlet letter is his mark.” Why does Pearl think the minister holds his hand over his heart? How is there symbolic truth in what she says? Chapter 17: "The Pastor and His Parishioner" How has Dimmesdale’s secret sin affected his life? Use a quote to support your answers and cite the page number. What is Dimmesdale’s “secret poison his malignity, infecting all air about...

DUE MONDAY Questions -- answer the following in complete sentences: Chapter 13: “Another View of Hester” How old is Pearl in this chapter? How has the townspeople’s view changed toward Hester? What does the “A” now stand for? How has Hester’s appearance changed? What does Hester resolve to do? Chapter 14: “Hester and the Physician” How has Roger Chillingworth changed in the past seven years? What does Hester want Chillingworth to do? What revelation is Hester going to make to Reverend Dimmesdale. What effect has Chillingworth had on Dimmesdale? Quote a line to support your answer. Chapter 15: “Hester and Pearl ” Read Hester’s description of Chillingworth carefully. How does she feel about him? What questions does Pearl ask her mother? Why does this trouble Hester? Vocabulary (page numbers refer to the Modern Library edition) – For each of the following, provide the origin...

For any of you who caught the Cedar Creek contingent who came to speak with students about their annual publication Southern Voices , and even for those who didn't, here is a link to their website . You can find all the information you need there for submitting your work for consideration. They even offer cold hard cash to contest winners. I'd like to encourage you to consider submitting your work to either Mr. Thompson or myself first, as we are looking for poems and stories for this year's edition of Musings . He and I can both offer editorial assistance in getting your writing ready for publication. Also, I'd like to announce that Riley Weston will be on campus November 15th for a reading/discussion/talk about the world of publishing. She's a screenwriter and recently published her first novel, Before I Go . She'll be at Windows the following day for a book signing.

There is NO vocabulary homework for the next reading assignment! Please answer the following questions for Friday 11/3 and be ready for a quiz: Chapter 9: “The Leech” To whom in the colony does Chillingworth attach himself as a medical advisor? Describe Dimmesdale’s health. What gesture has become Dimmesdale’s habit? Quote a sentence from this chapter that associates Chillingworth with evil. What two opposing views do the townspeople hold about Roger Chillingworth? Chapter 10: “The Leech and His Patient” What “investigation” consumes Chillingworth? Who is Chillingworth’s main suspect and victim? What is a leech? What double meaning does the world “leech” have? What secret does Chillingworth believe is buried in Dimmesdale’s heart? Why would Dimmesdale live with guilt and not confess his sin openly? What reaction does Pearl have to Chillingworth when she sees him with Rev. Dimmesdale? What discovery doe...

I'd like to thank the Irish for Halloween . It's always been one of my favorite holidays...

Freshmen are currently reading (and watching) "The Birds" and working on an essay revision. The revision assignment follows: First, you are to "grade" your essay based on my comments and the Six-Traits handout. Then, based on the comments, the handout and our discussion in class, you are to revise your paper. I want everyone to think about what RE/VISE means -- to look at the paper again, with a new set of eyes. The final step is to submit the revised draft, along with a letter summarizing your experience revising the paper -- what you saw on second look, what you changed, and how your perception of the paper (or the experience itself) has changed, if at all. The goal of the assignment is two-fold: students learn what the essay grade is based on (and how their perception matches up with mine) while learning to become more critical readers of their own work.

CHAPTERS 5-8 As before, for each word, include the sentence from book (cited), the definition (from Websters ), and your own sentence. *VOCAB & QUESTIONS DUE FRIDAY* 1. annihilate 2. inscrutable 3. assimilations 4. martyrdom 5. plebeian 6. superfluous 7. repugnance 8. ignominious 9. venerable 10. talisman 11. mutability 12. despondency 13. inviolable 14. phantasmagoric 15. imperious 16. dauntless 17. tome 18. expatiating 19. plumage 20. unwonted Please respond to each of the following using complete sentences and MLA citation when needed: 1. Give at least TWO reasons why Hester does not leave the colony. 2. Describe Hester’s home (and location). 3. Name one thing Hester sews (for someone else) and one thing she's not allowed to sew. 4. What special knowledge does Hester feel the Scarlet Letter gives her? 5. Why did Hester name her child “Pearl”? 6. Describe Pearl. What do the townspeople think of her? 7. Name TWO reasons Hester visits Governor Bellingham. 8. How can Belling...

CHAPTERS ONE-FOUR *Questions due Monday (Vocab due Tuesday)* Study Questions -- respond to the following using complete sentences: What is the setting? Where exactly does the book begin? Why does Hawthorne mention Anne Hutchinson ? What two possible symbols does the rose have for the reader? Describe the Puritan women (use quote to support your answer). Describe the appearance of Hester Prynne. What is Hester’s sin? Punishment? What punishment is usual for her "crime"? What is astonishing about the “A” on her bodice? Importance? What things does Hester think about while she is on the scaffold? Describe her baby. Who are Hester and her baby compared to? Describe the man who is standing on the outskirts of the crowd. What does the stranger learn from the townsman next to him? Who is the father of Hester’s baby? What are Hester’s feelings toward the stranger? Who is Dimmesdale, and what is his relationship to Hester? What does he ask her to reveal? Why does the jailer call ...

Your next PowerPoint assignment is to deliver a presentation on one of the United States' National Parks. The presentation must include at least twelve organized and informative slides. Please include a title page and a works cited page. We picked topics in class, but if you'd like to change your topic (as long as no one else has the same topic), then please let me know by Friday 13th. Although the National Park Service ’s website will most likely be your best source, you are required to use at least two other credible Internet sources.

When Shirley Jackson published "The Lottery" in 1948, in the pages of The New Yorker , neither she nor her publisher could have guessed the response. According to Wikipedia , "many readers canceled their subscriptions, and hate mail continued to arrive throughout the summer." South Africa banned the story altogether. What is so dangerous about the story? Is it that the brutality is committed by people very much like us, and not some foreign dictatorship? Remember that Miller's The Crucible was published some years after this, and was set in the distant past. This story seemed to take place yesterday. Again, from Wikipedia: Amid the optimism of the post-WWII years, when such issues as racism, torture, the Holocaust, child abductions, police brutality and serial killers were not regurgitated daily in the mass media, many readers of family magazines were shocked or confused by reading about the traditions and values of small town America twisted into violence...

REMINDER: Independent reading papers are due SOON! FRESHMEN ~ Your paper is just like the summer reading paper ...don't forget to CITE. Also, don't forget that you must take a "reading practice" test on the computer (50 points) JUNIORS & SENIORS ~ You have three options, as discussed in class: Historical Criticism -- placing the text in its historical context, whether the time of publication or the setting, discussing either the impact OF the period or ON the period Character Analysis -- looking closely at the development of a major character, focusing on turning points/realizations, or mental and physical attributes Thematic Analysis -- focusing on a central theme, or idea central to meaning in the novel, including the various "forces" affecting the major characters (socio-political issues, economics, class struggles, etc.)

Although there are infinite visual interpretations of the places and characters in The Hobbit , I though I'd post a sampling. First, Bag-End : Here's Gollum (by Inger Edelfeldt): And, finally, Smaug (by David Wyatt) Also, there are more than few websites dedicated to Tolkien and his collected works. Here are some specifically related to The Hobbit : Abiator's The Hobbit (this one has quizzes) Wikipedia: The Hobbit Houghton Mifflin (publisher) Middle-Earth Tours (includes sections about places and people in The Hobbit ) Okay, so these last two are just because they made me giggle: The Hobbit Restaurant The Hobbit Pub (dig that swirling logo!)

As we are watching The Crucible , and soon beginning Scarlet Letter , you may want to learn more about the Salem Witchcraft Trials of 1692 (also at Discovery School ) Again, we will have a test on the film on Monday , including the vocabulary from the play (in your book). I also recommend that you read the introductory pages to Act One, at the very least. As noted, we will begin Scarlet Letter next week, so you must have your book with you when you come to class on Tuesday . Although no particular edition is required, I recommend the Modern Libary version (and I'll be referencing page numbers from that version in class).

Your next paper, the Solutions to your Problem , requires that you evaluate at least two solutions using a set criteria (the basis for your comparison). For Monday, you are all required to construct a sentence outline of your third paper. Please insert your information into the following outline, using complete sentences and including any relevant information you have gathered so far: I. Introduction -- Restate Problem, and introduce Solutions and Criteria II. Solutions A. Solution One (brief description) B. Solution Two III. Evaluation A. Criterion One (why is this a good basis for comparison?) Evaluation of Solution One Evaluation of Solution Two B. Criterion Two Evaluation of Solution One Evaluation of Solution Two IV. Conclusion -- State your conclusion based on the evidence presented Remember that the purpose for this paper is to provide the best (or primary) solution to the problem you've been researching. This outline should be ty...