Important Senior Video News

From Mrs. G:

Pictures for the Senior Video are due by Friday, January 5.  You need to turn in a current/recent picture and a baby picture.  

Pictures can be turned in to Mrs. G, or emailed to clintondaleseniorvideo@gmail.com

Baby pictures will NOT be accepted after the deadline.

See Mrs. G with questions.

"Brave New World" - Important notes and information

After Thanksgiving break, we are starting to read the novel "Brave New World," by Aldous Huxley.  We will discuss background, setting, and genre in class before we start reading on Thursday, November 30.

Reading assignments are listed on the calendar.  We will do the bulk of the reading in class, but you will required to catch up on any missed reading caused by absence, field trip, etc.  For your convenience, there is a link to the ebook in the sidebar, as well as a set of links to an audio recording read by the author.  I strongly recommend using the links to access specific chapters (the full recording is about nine hours long).

For each chapter read, you are to answer three Guided Reading questions.  The packet has been provided to you in class, and there is a link to the questions in the sidebar.  It is important to note that completed questions are worth ten points apiece (30 points per chapter), and with the exception of the last few, are due on the Monday of the week after the chapters were assigned reading (see the calendar for specific due dates/chapters).

You will wrap up the novel with a research project chosen from a provided list.  If you would like to think ahead, the project options are in the "BNW Handouts and Assignments" folder on the right.

Leadership vs Inspiration Annotated Bibliography

Here are a few helpful links to assist you as you work on your research and complete your Annotated Bibliography:

Annotated Bibliography assignment/requirements

Annotated Bibliography Tips & Tricks

Annotated Bibliography grading rubric 

EasyBib - citation generator

Google Scholar - academic resource search engine

Remember:
Your shared document is due by Friday, November 17 (25 points)

Your printed Annotated Bibliography AND printed copies of your sources are all due by Monday, November 27 (100 points)

Scholarship Opportunity for Wayne State University, from Mrs. Hall

Wrapping Up 'Their Eyes Were Watching God'

Now that we've finished reading the novel, it's time to reflect on the themes that appear in 'Their Eyes Were Watching God.'  Hurston explores the themes of race, gender, speech, and community in the three different areas of Janie's life.  You are being asked to pick one of the themes and explore how it is addressed throughout the novel.

Culminating Essay Information - description of the assignment and a sample outline to guide your writing

You will have limited time in class to work on the essay, so you will need to use that time wisely.  Printed copies of your essay are due by 2:45 PM on Friday, November 10. 

Reminder about upcoming due date

Most of you have already done this, but...

Please remember that you are required to complete AT LEAST one college or trade school application by October 31st.  I don't care if it's Harvard University or Macomb Community College, I don't care if you have no intention of going there at all, all you need to do is apply.

I will also give you credit if you show me proof that you are actively involved in the enlistment process for one of the military branches.

If you need help, or have extenuating circumstances, talk to me about it before the due date.

TEWWG Online Assignment on Chapter 18

You should now be reading Chapter 18 of "Their Eyes Were Watching God."  As you read this chapter, you will notice many examples of suspense and foreshadowing.  

Your assignment is:

1) Define Suspense and Foreshadowing.  You may use Google or an online dictionary to find these definitions.
(20 points - 10 points for each definition)

2) Provide two examples of each literary device from Chapter 18 of TEWWG, for a total of four examples.  All four must be in the form of a quotation and must include the page number on which they were found.  

(40 points - 5 points for each example AND for each page number)

This assignment is due no later than midnight on Friday, November 3, and must be submitted as either an email or a shared Google Doc.  The completed assignment is worth 60 points.

TEWWG Online Assignment on Chapters 7-9

Chapters 7, 8, and 9 of "Their Eyes Were Watching God" have some fantastic examples of figurative language in them.  Before you read these chapters, and then as you read, complete the assignment below.  Your answers can be sharing by email or by a shared Google Doc, but they are due by MIDNIGHT on Monday, October 30.

Before you read:
Look up definitions and examples of these types of figurative language.  Share your definitions and examples with me by email or Google Doc by the due date:

• Metaphor
• Simile
• Personification
• Allusion
• Irony
• Alliteration

As you read:

Find examples of four of the six types of figurative language listed above in Chapters 7, 8, and 9.  Share your findings with me as a quote and a page number, by email or Google Doc.  You can do examples of four types, or multiple examples of one (four metaphors, or two metaphors and two examples of personification, etc.).

For extra credit points, share examples of all six types.

You are welcome to share this as either two separate emails/Docs or as one email/Doc with both parts of the assignment.  Either way, the entire assignment is due by midnight on Monday, October 30.

Starting TEWWG - Background information and online assignment

This week, we are starting our first novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston.  

A couple of reminders before we read:

1 - We will be doing a lot of the reading for this particular novel in class.  Yes, that means you should have very little outside reading to do, but that also means that you are responsible for catching up on missed reading assignments if you happen to miss class for any reason.  You will sign out a book to use, and I have provided a link to an ebook you can read if you forget your book at school.  The assignment calendar above will tell you what readings are due when.

2 - This book is written in a mix of dialect and formal English.  This can make reading a challenge.  To assist you on this, I have provided links to the audio book we will be using in class.  See the set of links on the right side of the page for the recording, as well as a link to the ebook version.

This book is an excellent example of a work by an African American writer, and is based in a real location and loosely based on actual events.  Before we read, you need to read these two short background essays and complete the assignment described below:

Reading: History of Eatonville, FL

Reading: Zora Neale Hurston biography

When you have finished the assigned reading, email me answers to these two questions:

1) Who were five of the twenty-nine men who signed the incorporation papers for Eatonville?  What is odd about the men who signed?

2) Who discovered Hurston's grave and published an essay about Hurston?  Where was that essay published, and in what year?

Each answer is worth 20 points.  Your emailed answers are due to me no later than midnight on October 13th.  Please send the email from your ccs-student email account.

HBCU College Fair Invitation - October 14, 2017

Scholarship Opportunity from MTV and Get Schooled!

Check out this scholarship opportunity from MTV.  They are awarding five $20,000 scholarships, but the window is small - the application is only available until October 2nd:

Tuition Request Live information



You can also get the application on Get Schooled! (which also has a lot of other useful information for high school seniors).

College Applications

For the next two weeks, you will be working on college applications.  Regardless of your actual future plans, you are required to show proof of at least one completed application.  It doesn't matter if it's Harvard or Macomb Community College, you need to apply somewhere, even if you have no intention of actually attending or no chance of actually getting accepted. 

We will discuss the Common App, the Universal App, and some important information you will need to complete your applications in class.  We will also talk about the FAFSA, and you will have a chance to start it once it opens in October.

A few things that will help you:
Article on Navigating the Common App
Universal Application
FAFSA instructions
CHS information you need for applications

Narrative Essay updates

By now, you should have completed a draft version of your essay for editing.  I have read and commented on/edited all of the drafts that were turned in on Friday, and I have spoken with almost everyone about the current state of their essays.

Over the next few days, you should be working on final revisions and focusing on meeting the word count requirement (500 to 650 words, unless you have spoken to me about needing a different requirement for a specific college/university). 

Before you are completely done, I strongly recommend reading your essay aloud or having someone else read it aloud to you (or both).  Experiencing your writing in a different way may help you catch misused words, awkward phrasings, or other flow issues.

Your finished essay is worth up to 50 points, and I will be using this rubric for grading:
Narrative Essay rubric

Good luck, and don't forget to ask me if you need help!

Stuck on your personal narrative essay?

Several people have said they are having problems coming up with ideas for their essay.  These articles might help you with brainstorming:

5 College Application Essay Topics That Always Work

How to Come Up With Great College Essay Ideas

Best and Worst Topics for a College Application Essay

Good luck!

Personal Narratives and College Applications

We are starting the year with personal narratives.  If done correctly, you should be able to use or adapt your narrative as the essay for your college applications.

As we work on your narratives, and later as we work on application coaching, use the information in this folder to help you: Essays and Applications 17-18

There are also several useful links on the list of "Important Sites" in the right-hand column that you may want to consult as you work on your essays and your applications.

Good luck!  Remember that your personal narrative is due on Monday, September 25th, and that you are required to show proof of at least one completed college application by Tuesday, October 31st.

Don't panic!

It's time to get started on our Senior Projects.  Included in the folder linked below is pretty much everything you will need to successfully complete your research project.  The folder contains subfolders with information about each of the sections of the project, plus some other helpful information and some samples from years past.

If you want to use any of the templates that you find in this folder, you need to make a copy before you can do any editing - you have permission to view everything, but you can't make any changes to my original documents.

Shier - Senior Project 2017 Information

I'll be working with you every step of the way, and I have absolute faith that you can do this.  Good luck!

"The Great Gatsby"

Our final novel this year is "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  We will primarily be reading in class, but use the information from the list of links on the right to help you if you miss or need to catch up.

Also useful in that list - a set of "$5 words" that Fitzgerald used in the novel.  The list is broken down by chapter and page from the printed book, so if you are reading the ebook, you may have to hunt a little, but it should help with any unfamiliar words you encounter in the book.

This is a good one, so enjoy!