Grading Update as of May 1: I am revising the way grading will work in this class. Though you can receive no lower than the grade you had on March 13, your grade will not be higher than the March 13th grade without consistent hard work and commitment to completing all assignments. Thus, you will receive a zero for ALL incomplete work. If this means that your grade appears to go down on schoology, please be advised that your final grade will be adjusted so that it is NO LOWER than the grade you earned on March 13th.Yet, though your final grade cannot be lower than that of March 13, it will not necessarily be higher if you do not continue to complete all classwork at a level that demonstrates mastery of the material. Feel free to submit any late work. Please contact me by email with ANY questions.
CLASS UPDATE Hi all, the new district policy states that no student will receive a final grade of “F” for spring semester. Additionally, no student will receive a final grade lower than the grade they had earned as of March 13. For us, this will mean that all assignments completed by students will essentially be in an effort to raise their grade from the grade they had as of March 13 (or, at lowest, a “D”). Please think of a couple of things before you come to any conclusions about this grading policy: 1.There are skills you are developing through our lessons right now that will be necessary for your next English class. It makes sense that you attempt to continue learning to best prepare yourself for next year and not feel behind. 2.Colleges still do not accept D’s in any course. If you don’t earn a C or higher in this class, you will have to retake the course if you plan to apply to college. (Also, of course, an A in the course is preferable, and attainable, at this point.) 3.Make sure that you focus on the quality of the work you submit in order to demonstrate your mastery of the skill or material. I will still grade the assignments that you turn in—you want the work you submit to help actually raise your grade. 4.You have a unique opportunity to raise your grade! All work is almost like extra credit as your grade cannot be lower than it was on March 13. Take advantage! 5.You all have personal integrity and a drive to learn. Our work together should not just be based on a grade at the end but on the process and what you gain from learning and thinking about academic ideas. Also, we are the teachers you have a relationship with and will be asking for letters of recommendation and such. We want to think the best of you! 6.Consider possible district policy changes or adjustments. Make sure you are always doing your best in all of your classes.
Final Project: 1. Research your topic--find 6 sources on your topic and create a MLA Works Cited Page 2. Read and evaluate your sources--state the central argument, the bias, and the key rhetorical strategies used to create that bias. Is the source credible? You have completed steps 1 and 2. 3. Revise your research. Make sure your research is balanced and represents multi-perspectives. Update your MLA Works Cited Page. In the end, your Works Cited Page should have 10 sources. These first three things are due by Wednesday, June 3. 4. Present your findings about the bias that exists surrounding your topic. 3-mins maximum. Due by Thursday, June 4. Instructions for recording the presentation: Please create a zoom in which you are the only participant. Then, share your screen which will put your presentation as the only thing that can be seen. Then hit record. You will record your voice speaking about your presentation while sharing your screen. After you are finished, stop recording and save the file. You will need to put that file in your google drive and then share only the link on our schoology discussion. Let me know if you have any questions about this process!!! Friday, May 22, 2020 Submit your credibility/bias analysis for all 6 articles.
Wednesday, May 20, 2020 Work on the analysis of credibility/bias.
Monday, May 18, 2020 This week, you will be working on evaluating the credibility of your 6 sources. You stated their central arguments, now you will decide if the author's bias impacts the credibility of the source. In order to do this, you will need to reread each article and find evidence of rhetorical strategies that create bias. Then you will write a short paragraph for each source proving the author's bias. For instance, you might say "The author is biased against reopening the state too soon. The author uses diction such as "drastic" and "detrimental" to describe the impacts of the virus on states that reopen. Additionally, the author uses pathos by...." You will continue to prove the bias through a discussion of the devices. Email me if you have any questions.
Friday, May 15, 2020 1. Read each of your 6 sources. Write a one-sentence statement of each article's central argument.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020 1. Please submit your next 3 sources as MLA Works Cited Page. Read my comments on your first Works Cited Page. Make sure you use MLA format--if it is not correct, you will have to resubmit!
Friday, May 8, 2020 Begin your research. Please submit your first 3 sources as MLA Works Cited Page.
Wednesday, May 6, 2020 1. Please choose a topic for further research about COVID-19. Remember, it should be specific and relate to any issues surrounding the virus, quarantine, economic impacts, social inequalities, health care, governmental response, etc, etc. Please post your idea on this google doc--I will okay it or add suggestions. Make sure it is not the same as anyone who has previously posted. So first come, first serve on the topics. Email me with any questions. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1c20JbYxLZVMMlDNweew9JBDxYgbrOGSy4DK8o7Pj4Tc/edit?usp=sharing
Monday, May 4, 2020 1. Make sure that you read the updated grading policy I posted in red at the top of this page. Spend time this week making up any work you need to.
Wednesday, April 29, 2020 Let's check in--let me know how you are doing. Also, find someone else to respond to, someone you haven't really talked to since we have all been at school. Also, please say YES or NO to meeting as a class via zoom just to say hi before the end of the school year.
Monday, April 27, 2020 Please email your author. In the email, please thank them for working with you, etc. and then attach your story so they can see the finished product. Elena: [email protected] Ryland: [email protected] Michelle: [email protected] Michael: [email protected] Christina: [email protected] Friday, April 24, 2020 1. In order to create bias, credibility, and perspective, writers use many rhetorical strategies. The main ones that I want you to focus on now are "diction," "tone," "pathos," "logos," and "point of view." 2. Read the article: https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/16/us/protests-coronavirus-stay-home-orders/index.html 3. What is the agenda in this article? The bias? Use evidence from the text to support your answers.
Wednesday, April 22, 2020 Let's begin this project by thinking about all the information we are absorbing from the media regarding COVID-19 and our global pandemic. This project will focus on a timely topic that obviously impacts all of us right at this moment. You will have the opportunity to think about media and information as well as research and analyze news based on your own interests. 1. I want you to consider the words "bias," "credibility," and "perspective." Please define these terms in your own words as you understand them. Then compose a few sentences that propose how these terms might connect to the news and media right now.
Monday, April 20, 2020 1. I plan to share the email address of your author with you. I would suggest you write them a quick email and send over your completed story. I am gathering the email addresses and getting permission. Stay tuned! 2. As we are essentially done with our coursework for IB, I would like to shift our work towards a more timely and relevant project that combines current, globally life-changing events and media literacy. I think understanding and addressing the barrage of information we are receiving at this point in time will provide you with important skills that you will continue to use in college and in life. Thanks for all your hard work over the past two years in IB--I think you will all receive the diploma in English as the work we have submitted is outstanding.
Thursday, April 16, 2020 Please submit to me your final Spoken Interludes story or work. I will make sure that your author gets your work at some point. Monday, April 13, 2020 1. I left you all a little message on our last check-in discussion. 2. On this discussion thread, we will discuss our Huck Finn reading for this week. I am going to ask some questions. Please engage in the discussion about at least one question of mine. Also, please make sure to ask a question or respond to the discussion (in other words, respond to another person's answer if you are not the first to respond) at least 3 different times. Make sure you use evidence from the text and MLA citation to support your responses.Thanks! Tuesday, March 31, 2020 A couple of things: Just to let you know, my "office hours" are Monday-Friday 8:30am-3pm during which time I will be answering email within the hour. If you need to talk about anything at all, don't hesitate to reach out to me. I know you are all aware that IB will not offer external exams as part of your assessment this year. Please don't worry about this--I believe all of you will receive the Diploma for IB English as you stand based on what we have already submitted. Also, our class with proceed as it would have anyway as it is still a highly rigorous IB course. We will continue to read Huck Finn and then move on to How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia. We will continue our now-modified "discussions," and we will continue to write essays and other musings. Though I believe that we will not get to present our stories that we wrote with the authors, I still look forward to reading your work and will soon ask you to turn it in. Please, please don't hesitate to reach out to me if you have any questions or want to discuss anything at all. Soooooo, for today: 1. Can we please have another check-in discussion? I would like you to post thoughts about being in quarantine, how you are doing, how you feel about IB, what you are thinking about, etc. Just let me know what's on your mind.
Thursday, March 26, 2020 1. On this discussion thread, we will discuss our Huck Finn reading for this week. Please either ask a question or post a response. Make sure you use evidence from the text to support your response. Please make sure to post at least 3 different times on this thread. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 24, 2020 Practice Paper 2: Please use both Candide and Huck Finn in your essay. Don't forget, the real Paper 2 will require the use of at least 2 different texts for this essay. Time yourself for 2 hours. Prompt: Literary works often show men and women struggling to resolve problems and not succeeding very well. To what degree do you find this to be true in at least two of the works you have studied?
Thursday, March 19, 2020 I WILL SUBMIT GRADES AFTER THIS ASSIGNMENT. REMEMBER, THIS IS ONLY A PROGRESS REPORT. 1. On this discussion thread, we will discuss our Huck Finn reading for this week. Please either ask a question or post a response. Make sure you use evidence from the text to support your response. Please make sure to post at least 3 different times on this thread. Thanks!
Tuesday, March 17, 2020 1. Please check in with me on this discussion thread. Let me know how you are doing/feeling about our current COVID-19 situation. Please either post a thought and/or respond to someone else's post. Monday, March 16, 2020 I hope you are all doing well and taking this time to sleep a little extra and be healthy. Over the next few weeks, you can expect 1-2 assignments per week to be posted on the weebly and submitted on schoology. All discussions will be assignments on schoology. We will continue reading and discussing Huck Finn as well as practice writing Papers 1 and 2. I will provide feedback on your work on schoology. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me about [email protected].
Thursday, March 12, 2020 SI 7
Tuesday, March 10, 2020 Practice Paper 1
Monday, March 9, 2020 1. HF Seminar Tuesday, March 3, 2020 https://contentserver.adobe.com/store/books/HuckFinn.pdf Write about some connections you make between the Context discussion and Huck Finn so far. Submit on schoology.
Monday, March 2, 2020 1. Submit IOC and FOA
Thursday, February 27, 2020 1. SI 6
Tuesday, February 25, 2020 1. Essay (Paper 2) 2. Seminar on Research Docs https://docs.google.com/document/d/1D_-DKF6qwY9zIl9IILLGQMipGnxvkeBIAr7T8_Li4Kg/edit?usp=sharing
Monday, February 24, 2020 1. Finish Presentations
Thursday, February 20, 2020 1. SI 5 2. Review Essay
Tuesday, February 18, 2020 Presentations All students should have books with them All instances of satire in Candide on your topic. 1. What they are satirizing according to Voltaire, 2. How does he create that satire? No reading off paper 5-10 minutes Thursday, February 13, 2020 1. SI 4 Tuesday, February 11, 2020 1. Work on Presentation (conferences) 2. Research Groups Mark Twain: Hanna and Tommy Underground Railroad and Abolitionists: Eva, Samantha, Lila Mississippi River and Riverboats in 1800s: Ramon, Gil, Emma Antebellum South and Slavery and Plantation Life: Yizhak, Alejandro, Andranik Postbellum South Reconstruction and Jim Crow: Farhan, Zhien, Steve American Civil War: Anupam, Susan, Yanely Antebellum North: John, Chloe, Jasmine Postbellum North: Alyssa, Gabriela, Joana
Monday, February 10, 2020 1. Work on Presentation 2. (conferences)
Thursday, February 6, 2020 1. SI 3 2. WT2 Conferences
Tuesday, February 4, 2020 1. Seminar 2. Essay
Monday, February 3, 2020 1. Peer Edit WT2 Thursday, January 30, 2020 1. SI 2
Tuesday, January 28, 2020 Practice Paper 1 Monday, January 27, 2020 1. Seminar--make sure you summarize all the chapters during your discussion.
Thursday, January 23, 2020 1. SI 1 2. Conferences on WT1 (Cont.)
Tuesday, January 21, 2020 1. Seminar 2. Work on WT2 Edits and Conferences on WT1
Friday, January 17, 2020 1. Intro to SI 2. Research Seminar
Wednesday, January 15, 2020 1. Research--1 page document Satire: Group 1 French Politics in 1750: Group 2 Metaphysical Optimism and Principle of Sufficient Reason: Group 4 Voltaire: Group 5 Enlightenment in France: Group 6 Candide Influencers--Lisbon Earthquake of 1755, Seven Years' War, John Byng: Group 3 2. Introduce Presentations 1. prostitution/rape/VD: Susan and Zhien 2. war: Gabriela 3. colonialism/imperialism: Andranik 4. Islam: Yizhak 5. Christianity: Anupam and John 6. Judaism: Emma and Joana 7. gender: Samantha and Steve 8. race: Jasmine and Alejandro 9. the bourgeoisie and wealth: Eva 10. homosexuality: Hanna 11. sex: Chloe 12. class: Tommy and Yanely 13. what is "civilized" vs. "savage": Farhan 14. notions of equality (and how it might be achieved): Gil 15. good/evil: Ramon 16. science: Lila 17. police and the law: Alyssa
Tuesday, January 14, 2020 1. Finish Peer Edits
Monday, January 13, 2020 1. Change Seats 2. Intro to Unit Goals and Assessments and Context 3. Peer Edit WT1 _________________________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, December 19, 2019 Finals: FOA Presentations (15 minutes)
Tuesday, December 17, 2019 1. Review Winter HW 2. Work on FOA Presentations
Thursday, December 12, 2019 1. Work on FOA Presentations 2. Edit WT2: Due at end of the period with edited original
Tuesday, December 10, 2019 1. Work on FOA Presentations 2. Edit WT1: Due at end of the period with edited original
Monday, December 9, 2019 1. Peer Edit WT1 and WT2
Thursday, December 5, 2019 Work on WT2: at least one full page of essay Tuesday, December 3, 2019 Work on FOA Presentations
Monday, December 2, 2019 Seminar
Thursday, November 21, 2019 Work on WT1: at least one full page of speech
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Work on WT2: Outline due
Monday, November 18, 2019 Seminar
Thursday, November 14, 2019 Work on WT1: Rationale Due
Tuesday, November 12, 2019 1. Seminar 2. Work on FOA--Proposal Due at end of period
Thursday, November 7, 2019 Practice Paper 1
Tuesday, November 5, 2019 1. Discuss Paper 1 and Samples 2. FOA Assignment and Groups: Language and acculturation, assimilation, and identity.
Monday, November 4, 2019 1. Seminar (with a focus on Alvarez's other texts)
Thursday, October 31, 2019 Practice Paper 1
Tuesday, October 29, 2019 1. Unit Docs Read your document with your group. Take notes on a paper. 1. Identify the text type. 2. Who is the audience? (1 sentence) Identify 3 rhetorical strategies and quote them to prove your answer. 3. What is the author's central argument? (1 sentence) Identify 3 rhetorical strategies and quote them to prove your answer. 4. What is the author's purpose? (1 sentence) Identify 3 rhetorical strategies and quote them to prove your answer. 5. Is the author credible? (1 sentence) Identify 2 rhetorical strategies and quote them to prove your answer. 6. How does this text reflect central themes and/or ideas presented in HGGLA? 7. How does this text reflect stylistic elements presented in HGGLA? 2. Review Guidelines for Paper 1 Some advice: 1. Intro should recognize text types and conventions of those text types AND thesis 2. How do texts conform to conventions of text types? 3. Context and Credibility 4. Audience (2 paragraphs, compare and contrast) 5. Purpose and/or Argument (2 paragraphs, compare and contrast) For each of these, use rhetorical strategies to support your arguments! (This covers formal and stylistic features) Topics can be arranged in any logical order based on the texts and your ideas.
Monday, October 28, 2019 1. Seminar
Thursday, October 24, 2019 1. Seminar 2. Edit WT2: Due at end of the period
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 1. Research Seminar 2. Edit WT1: Due at end of period Monday, October 21, 2019 1. Peer Edit WT1 and WT2
Friday, October 18, 2019 1. Seminar 2. Research Groups John, Alyssa, Alejandro: Biography and general writing style of Julia Alvarez (please do not discuss plots of the novels she wrote. Themes and general content are fine, though) Chloe, Anupam, Susan, Samantha: Colonialism in Dominican Republic before 1924. Please discuss impacts on language and culture. Eva, Joana, Yizhak, Ramon: Trujillo, government, and dictatorship in Dominican Republic from 1924-1961: a brief history. Farhan, Andranik, Emma, Gil: Impacts of Trujillo's government on culture, economics, language of Dominicans. Lila, Tommy, Yanely, Jasmine: Relationship between US and Dominican Republic from 1924-1970. (political, economic, and attitudes) Steve, Hanna, Gabby, Zhien: Relationship between US and Dominican Republic after 1970. (political, economic, and attitudes)
Friday, October 11, 2019 1. Speech 2. Work on WT2 Tuesday, October 8, 2019 1. Seminar 2. Work on WT2
Tuesday, October 1, 2019 1. Seminar 2. Work on WT1
Thursday, September 26, 2019 FOA Presentations
Tuesday, September 24, 2019 1. Work on WT1 2. Work on FOA
Monday, September 23, 2019 1. Introduce WT1 and WT2 Assignment 2. Seminar
Thursday, September 19, 2019 1. Seminar on Phillipson 2. Discuss Proposals--Work on FOA Tuesday, September 17, 2019 1. Speech 2. Work on FOA--FOA Proposal Due
Monday, September 16, 2019 Seminar Thursday, September 12, 2019 1. Research Doc Seminar 2. Work on FOA
Tuesday, September 10, 2019 1. Research Assignments: Please compose a complete, single-spaced, 1-page document in which you synthesize research about your topic from multiple sources. Include an MLA works cited page. Send these docs to [email protected] as attached word docs by Wednesday, Sept 11 at 11:59 pm. Colonialism in Rhodesia (British perspective): Ramon, Zhien, Jasmine, Gil Colonialism in Rhodesia (Rhodesian perspective): Alejandro, Alyssa, Chloe, John Culture and Religion (Pre-Christian) of Shona people: Andranik, Yizhak, Yanely, Farhan Missionaries and Christianity in Zimbabwe: Gabby, Hanna, Steve, Samantha Tsitsi Dangarembga: Emma, Tommy, Lila Language and Gender Roles of Shona people: Susan, Anupam, Eva, Joana 2. Finish Saussure Seminar 3. Work on FOA
Monday, September 9, 2019 1. FOA Assignment: With a group of 3-4, develop an FOA (15 mins) in which you synthesize the linguistic theory we have read to address the central question in this unit: To what extent is language effective at communication? Can thoughts exist without words? Make sure to include all of the following: Chomsky, Langer, Pei, Bryson, Postman, Baldwin, Pinker, Saussure 2. Saussure Seminar
Thursday, September 5, 2019 1. Pinker 2. Work on Group Speech 3. Begin Saussure
Tuesday, September 3, 2019 1. Baldwin Seminar 2. Work on Speeches 3. Group Rationale: For example, What are some implications of an accent on communication?
Thursday, August 29, 2019 1. Postman Seminar 2. Work on Speeches
Tuesday, August 27, 2019 1. Conventions of a Speech 2. Speech Analysis
Monday, August 26, 2019 1. Pictures 2. Seminar on Bryson
Friday, August 23, 2019 1. Review Course Goals and Assessments 2. Begin Bryson
Thursday, August 22, 2019 1. Continue Seminar on Langer, Pei, and Chomsky
Wednesday, August 21, 2019 1. Continue Seminar on Langer, Pei, and Chomsky
Tuesday, August 20, 2019 1. Review Syllabus 2. Turn in Summer HW 3. Introduce Unit 4. Seminar on Langer, Pei, and Chomsky