Senior Sweats Update

Senior Sweats for Class of 2019 are available for ordering online, here: CHS Class 2019 Senior Sweats.

Orders must be placed by January 18, and shipping is free (you will pick up your orders from Mr. Ferzo or Mrs. Kasom.)   

"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 Friday, November 30.

Reading assignments are listed on the calendar.  We will do the majority of the reading in class, but you will be 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 question packet will be provided to you in class, and there is also a link to the questions in the sidebar so you can print a new copy if necessary (I will not be printing/copying additional packets). 

Three important things to remember when answering the Guided Reading Questions, in order to receive full credit:

1. You must somehow indicate which questions you are answering, e.g.: Ch 1, Q 2 or 1:2.  No points will be given for an answer if I can't tell immediately what question it belongs with.
2. Answers must include evidence with page numbers from the book.  These are not "traditional" CEC questions but should be treated like that.
3. With the exception of the last few chapters, completed questions are due on Monday of the week after the chapters were assigned reading.  See the assignment calendar for specific due dates.
4. Answers must be your own work.  No credit will be given for answers that are obviously copied from the internet.

Completed questions are worth ten points apiece (30 points per chapter).


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.

FYI: Calculating your grades

Your marking period grades for this class are each worth 40% of your semester grade.  Your exam grade is worth 20% of your semester grade.  This is true for both semesters.

Use this link to calculate what grades you need to get in order to receive the semester grade you want, based on your marking period grade(s).  

(Please note: a passing grade is 60% or better.)

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:

Leadership Annotated Bibliography Materials 18-19
EasyBib - citation generator 
Google Scholar - academic resource search engine
Template (if you want to use it, make a copy first!)

There are other useful links on the right side of the page under the heading of "Writing and Research Help."  You may also want to look at the links under the heading of "Defining and Avoiding Plagiarism."

Remember:
Your shared document is due by Wednesday, November 14 (25 points)
Document Title = "Last name Hour Leadership Bibliography"


Your rough draft is due by Friday, November 16 (50 points)


Your printed Annotated Bibliography AND printed copies of your sources are all due by Monday, November 26 (100 points)

TEWWG Culminating Essay - DUE November 9

Reminder - To wrap up "Their Eyes Were Watching God," you will be writing an essay on one of the three main themes from the novel.  Printed essays are due no later than 2:45 PM on Friday, November 9 (and late essays cannot be accepted after 2:30 on Monday, November 12).

Use the information in these two documents to assist you in writing your essay:
TEWWG Culminating Essay assignment and Sample Outline
Blank Themes chart for notes

TEWWG Ch 18 Online Assignment

We will soon 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.  

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

This assignment is due no later than midnight on Monday, November 5,
and must be submitted as either an email or a shared Google Doc.  
The completed assignment is worth 50 points.

Labeling Shared Documents

When you turn in a digital assignment via shared Google Doc, regardless of what it is, you need to title your document like this:

LAST NAME HOUR ASSIGNMENT NAME 

So, if I was turning in an online assignment on Ch 7-9 in TEWWG*, my document would be:

Shier 2 TEWWG Ch 7-9 

This makes it easier for you to find it in your Drive and for me to grade it in the right spot.

*TEWWG = Their Eyes Were Watching God

TEWWG Chapters 7, 8, and 9 - Figurative Language Assignment

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 turned in by email or by a shared Google Doc, but the completed assignment is due by MIDNIGHT on Monday, October 29.  

PART 1 - Before you read:

Look up definitions and examples of these types of figurative language.  Share your definitions and examples with me. Each definition and example is worth up to 10 points (total of 60 points).

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

PART 2 - 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. Each quote and page number is worth up to 10 points (total of 40 points).  

The completed assignment is worth up to 100 points.  For extra credit points, share examples from the book 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 29.

"Their Eyes Were Watching God" - information and online assignment

We are starting our first novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God," by Zora Neale Hurston on Monday, October 8.  

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 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 audiobook 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, send me answers to these two questions, either via email or in a shared Google Doc:

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 up to 25 points.  Your answers are due to me no later than MIDNIGHT on Friday, October 12.

Personal Narratives 2018

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 18-19.

There are several useful links on the right side of this page that you may want to consult as you work on your essays and your applications.  I would also recommend taking a look at these articles as you brainstorm and write:
The Best and Worst Topics for a College Application Essay
How to Come Up with Great College Essay Ideas
5 College Application Essay Topics That Always Work
Stuck on the Essay? Try Writing a Letter to an Imaginary Roommate

Good luck!  Remember that your personal narrative is due on Monday, September 24th, and that you are required to show proof of at least one completed college application by Wednesday, October 31st.

Presentation Days Reminders

In-Class Presentations:
You will be presenting in class on your chosen day, which is either May 9, 10, 11, 14, or 17.  If you are not prepared to present on your day, you lose 10% off your grade.  

You can earn extra credit for being dressed up for your in-class presentation, but it is not required.

Presentation Fair Day, May 15 & 16:
You will be presenting in the library for the Presentation Fair days on Tuesday and Wednesday, May 15 and 16.  You will have a station with your presentation board and a Chromebook with your slideshow.  This event is open to anyone who wants to come, so be prepared to speak to high school and middle school students, administrators, School Board members, and parents.  

You must be dressed up for both days; this is part of your grade.

Scholarship list

If you are planning on going to college or trade school next year, you may want to take a look at this article.  There is a lot of scholarship money still available, here and out there in the world (or on the internet), and all you have to do is apply:

33 Scholarships to Apply to by the End of May

Editing advice from Grammarly

This article from the Grammarly blog might be helpful once you start editing your research essay.  I especially suggest #2, #3, and #8 as being very good ideas:

10 Perfect Pieces of Advice on How to Edit Your Writing

Tips and Tricks

Very useful site - Tips and Tricks from the Writing Center at University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill:

https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/

I especially recommend you check out the links on Transitions and Editing & Proofreading.

Reminder as you write your essay

Every body paragraph should looks something like this:

Topic Sentence (NEVER a quote) - should be your point

Support #1

Detail #1

Detail #2 or example or quote

Support #2

Detail #1

Detail #2 or example or quote

Support #3

Detail #1

Detail #2 or example or quote

Conclusion sentence or transition sentence

Notes from CMPL Guest Speakers on March 1

To begin:

Go to cmpl.org.  If you have a login/library card number, click on “My Account” and log in.  This will give you access to everything on the library site.  If you don’t have a login, you can still use many of the library services, including most research databases.

To do research:

Click on “Research.”  Under “Advanced Research Databases,” use the drop-down to choose the database you want to search based on the topic you are searching.  Once you pick a database, remember to search using KEYWORDS, not sentences - you will get a better result that way.

“MeL” (Michigan eLibrary) and “ERIC” are good for scholarly sources like academic journals.  “InfoTrac Student Edition” and “Britannica School - High” are good for magazines and newspapers, as well as academic journals.  There are many, many databases to choose from, but they should all give you good, reputable, scholarly sources that you can use for your research and Senior Project essay.

Once you open an article from any of the CMPL databases, you will find a toolbar on the right side of the page to help you.  Tools include citations, the ability to print or download articles, and the ability to highlight text and save notes about your highlighted sections.

If you need to pick a topic (also helpful for researching):

On the Research tab, use the drop-down and pick “Opposing Viewpoints.”  Once there, click on “Browse Issues.”  This brings you to a list of possible topics.  Clicking on any of these will bring you to a dedicated page of information, sources, and links about that topic.  

OR

On the Research tab, use the drop-down and pick “InfoTrac Student Edition.”  Once there, click on “Topic Finder.”  This brings you to a search box that then gives you a chart (wheel or tiles) of increasingly narrowed topics related to the broad topic you search for.  Clicking on any of these will bring up a list of articles that could work for your research.

Senior Project 2018

It’s the most wonderful time of the year: it's Senior Project Time!  

The project is broken down into a few main components: Annotated Bibliography, Research Essay, Digital Presentation and Presentation Board, In-Class Presentation, and Presentation Fair.  All due dates and work days are listed on the assignment calendar already, to help you as you work.  Remember that I take due dates and deadlines very seriously, so it is important that you keep track of what is due when and plan accordingly.

On the right side of the page is a set of Senior Project links, including: 

• a detailed overview of the ENTIRE project
• the letter that was sent home about the Senior Project
• a checklist/due date list with everything you are expected to do, with point values for all assignments
• the late work cover sheet that is required to be included with anything turned in after due dates
• folders of information and handouts specific to the Annotated Bibliography, Research Essay, and Presentations

Many of the materials included here will be given out in class, but you are responsible for making sure you have everything you need, so these links and folders are to help you as you work.  If you plan on using any of the templates provided here as a basis for your work, you will need to make a copy before you can make any edits.

Once you create your Annotated Bibliography, Outline, Research Essay, and Digital Presentation, you will share each of these with me for points.  Before you do, you will need to name your documents using the following format: Last name First Name Item.  So, my annotated bibliography would be called "Shier Miss Annotated Bibliography."  My essay would be "Shier Miss Research Essay."  My presentation would be "Shier Miss Media Presentation."  Points will be lost for misnamed files.

I know this seems like a lot of work, and it is, but I'll be working with you every step of the way, and I have absolute faith that you can do this.  Good luck and DON’T PANIC!!!

Gatsby Vocabulary Assignment - DUE February 23*

By now you've noticed that F. Scott Fitzgerald likes to use big words in his writing.  Your assignment is to use the Gatsby Vocabulary List by Chapter to complete the Gatsby Vocabulary Worksheets.  

You have two choices when it comes to turning in this assignment:
1 - Print the vocabulary worksheets found above, and complete the work on paper.  This option is due no later than 2:35 PM on Friday, February 23.

2 - Complete your answers in a digital format, either via email or by typing your answers onto a shared Google Doc.  If you choose this option, points will only be awarded if it is clearly indicated which chapters your set of answers belongs to (there are six sets of ten questions, so just numbering answers 1-10 will not work).  *If you know how to type your answers directly onto a copy of the pdf, that is also acceptable (but you will then need to show me how you did it.)  This option is due no later than 11:59 PM on Friday, February 23.  

Note #1 - Do not use an online dictionary for this assignment.  The Vocabulary List provides definitions that Fitzgerald would have known for the words nearly 100 years ago, which are not necessarily the same as the modern definition of the words.  

Note #2 - If you do not turn in a paper version of the assignment by end of day on February 23, it will be assumed that you will be turning in a digital version before midnight, and late penalties will accrue accordingly.

Starting "The Great Gatsby," by F. Scott Fitzgerald

Our final novel this year is "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald.  This is a short one, only nine chapters, but it's a great story.  And yes, we will watch the movie adaptation after we finish.  I would not recommend watching it beforehand, though - it's a good adaptation, but not close enough to help you on any of the assignments we'll be doing in conjunction with the reading.

We will primarily be reading in class, but you should use the information from the list of links on the right to help you if you miss or need to catch up.  This should be your first stop with any questions.

As we read, you will be working on two long-term assignments: one deals with F. Scott Fitzgerald's extensive use of symbolism in the novel, and one deals with the advanced vocabulary that appears in the novel.  We will discuss both in class, but information about these two can be found in the "Gatsby Handouts and Worksheets" folder at right.  Be aware that you will have very limited class time to work on these, so manage your time wisely.  UPDATE: There is a list of color assignments in the Handouts folder, in case you forgot what you were given.

Also available is an ebook of the novel, a set of links to the audio book version, and a pair of videos that walk you through the story, the setting, and the themes of the novel ("LCC: Gatsby Part 1" and "LCC: Gatsby Part 2").   We will talk about most of this in class, but you may want to watch these videos for yourself, especially if you are confused by anything we read in the novel.

Lastly, be aware that we will be wrapping up "The Great Gatsby" differently.  For the other novels we read, you wrote an essay or completed a project about what we read, but for this one, you will be taking a quiz based on the reading.  Be prepared - the quiz is scheduled for February 22.

"Brave New World" Final Project

Even though we haven't quite finished the novel, now is a good time to start thinking about which of the ten project options you would like to work on.  The complete list of options, as well as the rubrics I will be using for grading, are in the "BNW Handouts and Assignments" folder on the right side of the page.  

You will need to make a decision and report your project choice to me by the end of class on Wednesday, January 10.  There will be class time available for working on this project, but you may need to do some out-of-class work in order to finish on time.

Your completed project and accompanying Works Cited page are due by 2:45 on Friday, January 19, regardless of whether you have chosen to do a written (and printed) essay or some form of digital project.  Late work will not be accepted after 2:45 on Tuesday, January 23.

Good luck!