02 December 2009

Power of One Reading Activities

Power of One Reading Activities
English 9
OReilly


The Power of One is a coming of age story, a bildungsroman. In a story of this type, a young character matures and reaches a state of self-awareness. Peekay, the hero of The Power of One comes to terms with who he is, but like any hero, he has help.

As you read, keep track of Peekay's realizations and how he learns. Also keep track of any classical heroic elements you may encounter. Let's review the mythological traits of a classic hero.

unusual origin, birth, or childhood
friends or guides, close relationships, mentors, teachers
supernatural, mystical aid
darkness, pathos, difficulties, trials
long journey
special "super" qualities, strengths, or powers
defects of character
successes, setting and reaching goals
civic duty, the desire and ability to aid others and benefit society

For each fifty-eighty assigned (50-80) pages, you will find three quotes. These quotes must be examples of a lesson that Peekay learns as part of his bildungsroman AND/OR a classical heroic trait—see above—that Peekay is developing or exhibiting. You need at least one example of each, heroic trait and bilungsroman, for each fifty pages you are assigned.

Here is an example of what I want:

Pages 1-51

Heroic Trait: Unusual childhood/special quality of seeing beyond race
bildungsroman: Peekay, from the very beginning, has a close relationship with a Zulu woman, making him less inclined to racial prejudice. This is a lesson he knows from the start.

Quote: "Before my life started properly, I was doing the usual mewling and sucking, which in my case occurred on a pair of huge, soft black breasts. In the African tradition, I continued to suckle for my first two and a half years, after which my Zulu wet nurse became my nanny. She was a person made for laughter, warmth, and softness, and she would clasp me to her breast and clasp my golden curls with a hand so large, it seemed to palm my whole head" (3).

Note: This example serves for both
bildungsroman and heroic trait. Some quotes might only work for one or the other. That is OK, but you must have an example for each included in your three quotes.

Rubric:

_______ At least three quotes taken from each 50-80 assigned pages.
_______ At least one quote reflects heroic trait. At least one quote reflects bildungsroman.
_______ Correctly format quotes and assignment, including page number as shown.
_______ Correctly format with proper heading, header, font type, and all usual and required formatting.
_______ Turn in on time with this rubric.


Keep up with these reading assignments. I will be randomly checking them.


29 October 2009

Oh, Brother Where Art Thou? Extra Cre...


Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?
Extra Credit Assignment
HA English 9
OReilly

10 extra credit participation points


Using your knowledge of the attributes of a Greek classic hero, write a tasty paragraph with a topic and conclusion, three key ideas, and plenty of examples.

Defend or refute the following statement:

The lead character in Oh, Brother Where Art Thou?, Ulysses McGill, is a classic hero.

2 points: Typed with the usual and required formatting
3 points: You have three key ideas showing how the character is or is not a classic hero. The traits you mention are traits of a hero as discussed in class and as listed on your hero chart.
3 points: you have plenty of specific examples for every key idea
2 points: Style and mechanics







26 October 2009

Myth Research

Humanities Academy 9th Grade World Mythology Project

In addition to exploring Greek mythology, we will explore myths from around the world. For this research paper, choose a mythology or set of myths from a culture/region other than the Greek/Roman. Research as much as you can about your chosen mythology system or set of myths and present your findings in a research paper. It is quite possible that our school library will have limited print resources; therefore, be prepared to conduct some of your research at the public or Cabrillo libraries.
Key ideas you may wish to address in your research paper:
o The creation myth from your culture
o How and why procreation occurs
o Codes of behavior
o How evil entered the world
o The roles and purposes of heroes
o The origins of natural phenomena
o Themes of human experience: misfortune, success, cruelty, love, death, family relations, loyalty, betrayal, fate, war, madness, voyages, conflicts, youth, old age, beauty, jealousy, arrogance, wisdom, curiosity and temptation
o Ages and cycles of history and mankind
For some reason, one of the hardest tasks for HA9 students has been deciding what and how many key ideas they will write about. That is completely up to you; however, if you pick 4 (four) mythological elements such as the ones above, and if you write two paragraphs on each element, your paper will be long enough. You may wish to pick fewer elements and write more on each, or pick more and write less on each topic. Your choice. Ten paragraphs will result in a three to five page paper.

Mythology Research Paper Criteria: 80 points

8____ Your paper includes the primary myths of your chosen mythology and their meaning
5____ Three to five pages typed text in the proper format
12____ Minimum of six entirely different research sources in your Works Cited and in your paper:
o At least three from print, such as an encyclopedia, book, or periodical o The rest of your sources may be from websites
10______ A Bibliography with a minimum of three entries of any type: See handout "MLA Quickie Reference Guide."
10____ A minimum of ten different, properly cited quotes or paraphrases smoothly introduced into your writing using a variety of signal phrases. Type all your signal phrases in bold print. See handout "MLA Quickie Reference Guide."
5____ Your opening paragraph introduces your chosen mythology and the key ideas that will be discussed.
10____ Your body paragraphs each have topic sentences and clearly describe, with cited excerpts, examples, and explanations, the various key ideas which you have chosen to research.
5____ Your final paragraph summarizes your paper and shows how your mythology was significant to the culture from which it derived or to today’s culture. For instance, how did the mythology reflect and influence its society? How are the values inherent in the myths still influencing culture today?
10____ A correctly formatted Works Cited and a Bibliography (see MLA Quickie Reference handout) appear at the end of your paper
5____ Above and beyond your three to five pages of text, include two illustrations—self-created or from any source. Properly label your illustrations and cite their sources as per example provided.
As always, points are lost due to mechanics, usage, and grammar errors.
Turn-in your all drafts with this criteria sheet stapled on top with rough drafts underneath.


A label, title, or caption ordinarily appears directly below the illustration and have the same one-inch margins as the text of the paper. Label your illustration as Figure 1 or Fig. 1. Name as much about the illustration as you can ascertain in the following order: title of piece, artist, book where art appears, museum where art is housed, year of creation. See example below:


Mythology Sample Outline:

Opening paragraph: Brief Plan (one sentence), Thesis: introduce your mythology (Greek), Plan: The creation myth, the Titans, The Olympic Gods, Lovers Myths, and Hero Myths

Key idea 1: Creation myth
A. Body Paragraph 1: Father Son, Saturn, and Mother Earth, Gaia
B. Body Paragraph 2: Give birth to Cronus who destroys his father
Key Idea 2: The Titans
A. Body Paragraph 3: Prometheus
B. Body Paragraph 4: Epimetheus
Key Idea 3: The Olympian Gods
A. Body Paragraph 5: Zeus
B. Body Paragraph 6: Hera
Key Idea 4: Lover Myths
C. Body Paragraph 7: Cupid and Psyche
Key Idea 5: Heroes
C. Body Paragraph 8: Hercules

Closing paragraph: How the Greek myths affected Greek and Roman culture and the world today.

To write a three to five page paper, you will need around ten to twelve total paragraphs. Structure your paper any way you like, but do not exceed five pages.

LP in a research paper
HA English 9
OReilly

Part of your paper will be in literary present (LP) and part of it will be in historical past (HP).

When you are writing about how the ancient culture thought, acted, or behaved, you are writing about history, so use HP. When you are summarizing a myth, which is a form of literature, use LP.


The ancient Greeks believed in bravery, heroism, and the transcendence of human thoughts and endeavours. Since theirs was a culture of miraculous achievement and invention, they respected and adored the human capacity to achieve against all odds. This is clearly reflected in the labours of Hercules. Hercules, to atone for the sin of killing his wife and children, embarks on a series of labours: among these labours are the killing of the Neemean Lion, the destruction of the Hydra…

Mythology Research paper: writing examples
HA English 9
OReilly

Sample Opening:

Beginning with Homer approximately 3000 years ago, Greek and Roman mythology provides modern man with insight into the underpinnings of Western Civilization. Greek and Roman mythology includes a vast collection of magical tales that explain, instruct, and entertain. Chief among the stories are the dark and brooding creation myths; the tales of the mighty, doomed Titans; the capricious and violent Olympic gods, and the mystery cults.


Sample Body Paragraph with citation:

According to Ingri A’Aulaire in his text, Book of Greek Myths, for the Greeks, creation begins with love and the need for companionship. After Gaea, the Earth, emerges from the formless darkness, she is "young and lonesome, for nothing lived on her yet." As if in answer to her yearnings, Uranus, the sky, looms above her, and they are "joined in love" ( 2). The fruits of that love are the mighty Titans, the first generation of Greek gods.



In a later paragraph, if you use the same source, you need not introduce the book:


…Rhea, who has given birth to Zeus and is tired of her husband’s insatiable appetite for their children, asks her mother, "Mother Earth, to help her save the child from his father" (A’Aulaire 4).


Make sure you introduce the entire source, the medium as well as the author:

"In his online article, "The Greek Way," Charles Atkins asserts that….
The website, Roman Heroes acknowledges…
The article, "Greek and Roman Mythology" in the World Book Encyclopedia mentions.

Odyssey log

HA English 9
OReilly
The Odyssey: Your side of the story

It is not commonly known that a few students from Soquel High were actually in the boat when Odysseus sailed the Mediterranean in search of his home.  Actually, you were on the boat, you kept a log of the entire trip, and you are going to give it to me, so I can read all about it and give you a grade on it!

The focus of your log is Odysseus. You are just not sure what kind of man he is. Do you respect him? Are you afraid of him? Do you think he is a good leader? What are his negative and positive qualities? Every step of the journey, you watch him and discover new evidence of the complexity of this hero’s character. Perhaps, you are the ship psychiatrist or priest, and you take a special interest in the psyche or soul of the leader of this hazardous enterprise.

For thirty five homework points: The Odyssey Log
 4___________Your log is typed and double-spaced, with all the usual and required formatting. Stay up to date on your logs. They will be randomly checked.
6___________There is one entry per book, and it briefly (less than a page) tells the adventures contained in that book. You may wish to focus on one part of the book to keep your pacing lively and engaging.
6___________Each entry records your insights on Odysseus as a character. What do his actions tell you about his character?  Highlight the sentences that discuss Odysseus’s character.
4___________Your log is illustrated with at least two illustrations that relate to the story. These illustrations can be maps or photos of the area or renderings of the monsters and witches Odysseus encounters.  Illustrations may be self-created or come from any source.
5___________There are no comma errors, fragments, run-ons, or errors in mechanics. (The log is in HP).
5___________ This rubric is attached to the front of your log. Your diary is also proofread by two peers. They both sign and fill out the peer edit rubric. The peer edit rubric is stapled to the back of your diary with any preliminary drafts.
5__________For each book, you will use and underline five of the vocabulary words from that book. The vocabulary words are listed at the bottom of the pages in a box labeled "Words to Know."


For 15 Writing Points: The Tasty Paragraph—A Character Analysis:
10___________ Write this paragraph in LP. At the end of the journey, using your insights gathered during the trip, you reach a conclusion about Odysseus. Describe his personality in one cohesive paragraph with a topic sentence, conclusion, at least three key ideas, and plenty of specific examples and explanations. Please staple your paragraph to the front of your log as a kind of introduction. No 1PV, 2PV, comma errors or other nasty errors or transgressions. No more than one page please!!!!!!
5 points____________ Your topic sentence is a complex sentence beginning with a subordinate clause or a compound sentence with a conjunctive adverb.

First drafts: We will periodically proofread each other’s log, and there will be occasional checks to make sure you are up-to-date on your logs. Always bring your typed log to class.


    Here is an example tasty paragraph about Hercules. Your character analysis, of course, will be out Odysseus.
    Although Hercules is gifted with strength and bravery, his stupidity and impulsiveness often get him into hot water. Clearly, Hercules is brave and strong. He never hesitates to face danger and overcome immensely powerful foes. He performs the twelve labors, facing creation’s worst and most terrifying dangers without a thought for his safety. Despite these assets, Hercules often fails to comprehend reality. He shoots arrows at the sun in an attempt to stop its heat. On another occasion, he threatens to punish waves with his fists when his boat is violently rocking in heavy seas. Most tragically, however, Hercules’ impulsiveness leads him to kill others, including his loved ones. A short list of his victims includes his wife, his children, and an innocent messenger. He always regrets his hasty actions, but that never stops him from indulging in more rash behavior. Hercules is a powerful, brave, and hardy soul, but his mythical life story is a reminder that tremendous power must be tempered with self-restraint.

Notice please that this is all written in LP because it is about literature










Expand your hero paragraph to essay

Expand your hero paragraph to essay
HA English 9
OReilly

Using your hero paragraph you will write a hero essay

Create your opening paragraph

Add one to two sentences of background (Blues) to the top of your essay in the opening paragraph. Avoid obvious statements such as Everyone has heroes in his life. Heroes are everywhere, but one person really stands out to me as a hero. Provide true background. The classic hero possessed a host of powerful attributes that allowed him to achieve more than the average mortal. Add no more than one or two backgound sentences.

Following your background, in the opening paragraph, your paragraph topic becomes your thesis; just add a plan (both green)
Keep your topic sentence from your paragraph the same, or alter it slightly if you wish. This topic becomes your essay thesis. Then add a plan after the thesis. Your plan will briefly outline the topics in your body paragraphs: Your plan can be part of your thesis or added on as one separate sentence.

Example: My grandfather embodied aspects of classical heroism: bravery, wisdom, and pathos.

My grandfather was a powerful example of a classical hero. His life embodied the heroic traits of bravery, wisdom, and pathos. In both thesis/plans, you can see that the body paragraphs will be about bravery, wisdom, and pathos.
Create your three body paragraphs

Use your three key ideas (yellows) from your paragraph to be the topic sentences for your three body paragraphs.
Keep your examples (reds) for the reds in your body paragraphs and add at least two more per paragraph to flesh out your body paragraphs.
Create your conclusion paragraph

Use your conclusion sentence from your paragraph for your essay concluding paragraph and add at least one sentence to provide closure and give your reader something to think about.

Specific Examples (reds) for the key idea (yellow) My grandfather was brave:

This is not a specific example:
My grandfather always had a lot of courage. He was not afraid to face anything. He was never afraid to do what he had to do.

This is specific:
My grandfather left his comfortable life in England and crossed the Atlantic to seek a better life. Along the way, his ship nearly sank in a terrible storm, but he never considered turning back. When he arrived, he was penniless and unemployed, but he never complained and bravely went out everyday looking for work.


23 October 2009

Hero paragraph

Hero paragraph
HA English 9
OReilly

Write a paragraph about a hero that you know. This can be a family member, celebrity, or political figure. The paragraph must show how this person embodies some of the classic attributes of a hero as discussed in class. Refer to your hero chart if you cannot recall what these qualities are.

Forty five Points: Essay Writing
5_________Yellows: Paragraph must discuss at least three heroic qualities (three key ideas: reasons, details, facts).
5_________Reds: You must give at least two examples for each key idea. Clearly show with vivid, specific examples why this person is a hero to you.
5_________Greens: You must have a topic sentence and a conclusion.
5_________ Use three juicy transitions. No first, second, third, firstly, secondly, finally or lastly—especially lastly.
5_________Proper formatting: proper heading, running header, double space, 12 point font, Times New Roman
5 ______Punctuation and Mechanics: No CFB, CIE, CNE, IS, or CS
5_______Style: 1 PV is OK only if you personally know the hero. Watch out for 2PV, NC, WCL, SW, VPR etc.
5_______ Use at least one conjunctive adverb with a semicolon. Underline it.
5 _______ Colour code your paragraph, circle your transitions, underline your conjunctive adverb semicolon, turn this rubric in with your paragraph.

To get full points on the above rubric, consider the following point allocation:

5     student has mastery of element
4     Student has occasional errors
3     Student seems to understand the concept of this writing element, but fails to apply it about half the time
2     Student’s work shows a little knowledge of this writing element, but she/he seldom applies the concept
1     Student generally does not understand this writing element and does not incorporate it into his writing in any meaningful or consistent way. Element may appear once or twice.
0     This writing element is completely absent   


 

18 October 2009

Renaissance Faire Extra Credit Assign...

Renaissance Faire Extra Credit Assignment
English 9
OReilly

As you frolic through the faire, seek to discern two facts about the Renaissance that you see reflected in some activity, game, or character. Write a tasty paragraph about these two facts about the Renaissance.

__________ Green Topic sentence: Let's make your topic sentence a power compound sentence with either a FANBOY or a conjunctive adverb.
__________Have two yellow key ideas: details or facts that you observed that were related to Renaissance life.
__________ Reds: At least three vivid, descriptive, and specific examples or explanations. Wax luscious and lyrical. Use  simile and metaphor.  Show me what you saw.
__________ Avoid ET, SW, WCL, comma and punctuation errors. Write like a monarch, not a peasant.

People who don't go to the faire--you sad serfs--must research three facts about the Renaissance and write the same paragraph.



07 October 2009

Zeus’s lovers: power point questions

Zeus’s lovers: the source of all things Greek
Power Point Presentation Study Sheet
HA English 9
La Conquistadora OReilly

Name ____________
Date ____________
period____________

As you watch my presentation, try to answer the following:

1)  Zeus became angry at mankind and sent a ______________________ killing everyone but Deucalion and Pyrrha.

2)  When Deucalion threw the bones of mother earth over his back, they were ____________, and from them ____________ grew. From Pyrrha’s grew____________ and from Deucalion’s grew____________.

3) Zeus +Metis =_______________

4) Athena was born from ________________________. This symbolizes Zeus’s innate___________.

5) Zeus + Themis=______________________________________________________

6) Eurynome + Zeus =__________________________


7) The three graces brought ________________________, charm, and grace into the world.

8) Zeus +Memory =_______________


9) The daughters of Zeus that inspired mankind to create ________________________ are the ________________________.

10) Zeus + Leto = _______________ and ________________.


11) The twins, _______________________ and ________________________, children of _______________________  slew the fourteen children of _______________________.


13) Zeus + Semele=___________________________

14) _______________________ was born from Zeus’s leg.


15) Zeus raped his sister and queen of the gods, _________________, by turning into a __________________


16) Zeus rapes _______________ in the form of a cloud.

17) Zeus, in the form of Artemis, + Callisto = The constellation _________________________

17) Semele + Zeus =_______________

18) Zeus, in the form of a ________________ + Leda=_______________, who caused the _______________.

19) Maia + Zeus =_______________

20) Zeus’s chose _______________________to be the mother of the greatest hero ever.

Extra Credit:
Draw a god

 

06 October 2009

Insults, Puns, and Iambic Pentameter Dialogue

Insults and Puns
This will be a punny assignment

In groups of no more than three

• Write a short dialogue and memorize it. (5 points)
• Your dialogue must contain a total of three Shakespearean insults. (5 points)
• Your dialogue must contain a total of three Shakespearean puns. (10 points)
• Each person must have at least two lines written in iambic pentameter (5 points)
• Make an extra copy to turn in with all your names, period numbers, proper formatting, and this rubric. (5 points)
• Every person in your group must wear a costume. A paper hat is not a costume.
• Write in the scansion on your lines written in iambic pentameter. Use the formula below. (5 points)

Wilt THOU be GONE it IS not YET near DAY?
It WAS the NIGHTing GALE and NOT the LARK,
That PIERCED the FEARul HOLlow OF thine EAR

the nice glossary




















































































































The Nice Glossary


NAC/NCR





A set of acronyms defining what works in your writing


Nice Abstract Concept: Creative, a different way of
thinking. You had an idea



NAL



Nice ALliteration: So Sweet the sound of first letters
softly synchopating.



NE



Nice Ending: A Resolution, a denouement. I wasn't left
hanging. Or if I was, it worked



NDT



Nice Detail: A  correctly chosen word or phrase can
paint an entire picture.



ND



Nice Dialogue: Dialogue can
capture a situation or an idea. Funny, typical, to the point lines...they
bring writing alive: "Here's looking at yah, kid."



NF



Nice Funny: Thank you. I laughed.



NI



Nice Imagery: The trees, yellow silver in the falling light.
The wind smells of fall and apples. The summer feels like life never ends.
The slanted light of fall reminds us that we all die, but somehow, like
ripened apples, the taste of fall is sweet.



NN



Nice names: Dimsdale is dim. Chillingworth is scary (chilly)
Romeo is romantic. Names mean something



NO



Nice Opening; A good opening says a lot. It's the first
impression. Make it tasty.



NOn



Nice Onemonapeia: Doink, whoosh, ribbit, boing,



NP



Nice Phrasing: You turned a phrase. The words caught in a lovely congruence.



NPT



Nice Plot Turn: This is not boring. The plot is
interesting, and the story is going somewhere. Good pacing.



NPer



Nice Personification: The wind knows you are a good
writer, and the sun loves your writing. The stones sing your songs. The trees
whisper your words.



NV



Nice Voice: Perhaps the most abstract yet powerful element
to effective writing. Your particular style and stamp, your personality, your
very soul's passion coming through in your writing.



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 



 




 




29 September 2009

Queen Mab Poster in groups of 1-3

Queen Mab Poster in groups of 1-3
HA English 9
OReilly
30 participation points 10 essay points

Read I.iv.58-100, Mercutio’s speech describing Queen Mab. Pay particular attention to the language pertaining to Queen Mab and her wagon.

Based on your reading, create or find a rendering of Queen Mab and her wagon. Present your rendering on a large poster. (5 points)

Label at least ten parts of the image with labels such as "Drawn with a team of atomies" (I.iv.63).
Use Shakespeare’s exact language from Romeo and Juliet with the act, scene, and line number as shown in the preceding sentence. (10 points)

Include on your poster a clever title, your names, your roles, and period number. Roles are the following: artist, scribe, analyst, writer (5 points) See the back of this handout for a guide to how to create titles.

Write a paragraph, that describes why Mercutio  gives his Mab speech speech. Why would he say this long, involved, and fanciful diatribe to Romeo? As always, have a clear topic sentence, at least two ideas (yellows), and plenty of examples, explanations, and excerpts (reds) for each key idea. (10 points)

Beautifully assemble the above elements onto a large, gorgeous poster with clear lettering (5 points)

Here is a sample paragraph. Colour code this paragraph. Turn this entire rubric in, taped to the back of your poster (5 Points):

Mercutio’s Mission: Curing Romeo of Romance

    In act one of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet, Mercutio attempts to cheer up the lovesick Romeo by describing Queen Mab, a fairy responsible for bringing dreams to people. Romeo mentions he has a dream, prompting Mercutio to playfully denounce dreams using imagery of different characters dreaming of the objects of their own desires. In other words, dreams foretell nothing: they are merely the products of desires. Mercutio explains "she gallops night by night through lovers’ brains, and then they dream of love"  (I.iv.75-79), but he goes on to say "lawyers will dream of "fee’s" because fees are a lawyer’s desire. Moreover, dreams, claim Mercutio, are more than reflections of desires; they are worthless images, self-indulgent fantasies in the dreamer’s mind. Mercutio bluntly declares that dreams are "the children of an idle brain, begot of nothing but vain fantasy" (I.iv.104-105). Mercutio is hoping to convince Romeo of the irrelevance of Romeo’s dreams of Roseline and true love and thereby cure Romeo of his woes and sorrows.


15 September 2009

MLA Quickie Reference Guide For Quoti...

MLA Quickie Reference Guide For Quoting and Citing Sources

Revised 2009





If you use a piece of information or an idea that came from someone else— from a website, a book, a friend, a family member, an interview—you must name the source of your information. This is known as citing your sources. You must cite your sources in a very certain and specific way. Doing so is known as citing your sources using MLA formatting.



Quoting an author’s exact words in your paper:

Use as few of the author’s most important word and gracefully slip them into your own sentences. This is know as gracefully integrating the author’s words into your own writing:



Edith Hamilton, author of Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, notes that Greek mythology marked the end of the “terrifying irrational” concept of gods, and in fact, the Greeks “transformed a world full of terror into a world full of beauty” (18).

Changing the words in your quotes:

If you have to change any of the words of the quote to maintain logic or to keep the text in the present tense, use brackets [ ] to note the change; do not use parentheses ( ) because they have a different function in sentences:



Siddhartha tells his father that he would “rather die than obey [his] father” (12). (original text is “obey my father”)

Siddhartha “[gives] his clothes to a poor Brahmin on the road” (13). (original text is “Siddhartha gave his clothes…”)

You must cite when you paraphrase

Paraphrasing is summarizing an author’s words in your paper, putting the author’s words into your own words:



Greek mythology was the first mythology to have human-like gods. The Greeks could personally relate to their gods, and their gods were accessible to everyone. Furthermore, the actions and concerns of the gods were often similar to the actions and concerns of the people who worshipped them (Hamilton 16-20).

Notice that you never write (page 5) or (p.5). Simply write (author’s name 5) or simply (5).



Introducing the source:

The first time you cite a source, make sure you introduce the entire source, the medium as well as the author, as shown below:



In his online article, “The Greek Way,” Charles Atkins asserts that….

The website, Roman Heroes acknowledges…

The article, “Greek and Roman Mythology” in the World Book Encyclopedia mentions.



Properly cite your sources:

The first time a source is cited. introduce the author’s name, the text name or website, and the article name if necessary. After the quotation or paraphrase, place the page number in parenthesis if the quote is from a book or magazine. If it is from a non-paginated website, you need not have any parenthesis after the quote.



According to Ingri A’Aulaire in his text, Book of Greek Myths, for the Greeks, creation begins with love and the need for companionship. After Gaea, the Earth, emerges from the formless darkness, she is “young and lonesome, for nothing lived on her yet.” As if in answer to her yearnings, Uranus, the sky, looms above her, and they are “joined in love” (2). The fruits of that love are the mighty Titans, the first generation of Greek gods.



In a later paragraph, if you use the same source, you need not introduce the book, website, or article, but include the author’s name in parenthesis, if the book or essay has an author. If there is no author, put the first word of the works cited entry in the parenthesis:



…Rhea, who has given birth to Zeus and is tired of her husband’s insatiable appetite for their children, asks her mother, “Mother Earth, to help her save the child from his father” (A’Aulaire 4).



Signal phrases

Students often use the same “signal” phrases and verbs to introduce quotes, such as “Edith Hamilton says…..” or “Edith Hamilton writes….” But you can and should use a wide variety of verbs and phrases:



In the words of Edith Hamilton,…

As Edith Hamilton has noted,…

Edith Hamilton, author of Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes, believes,…



Here are some other signal phrases



acknowledges

adds

admits

agrees

argues

asserts

believes

claims

comments

compares

confirms

contends

denies

describes

disputes

emphasizes

endorses

explains

grants

illustrates

implies

insists

notes

observes

offers

points out

reasons

refutes

rejects

reports

responds

suggests

thinks





Finally, commas and periods go AFTER the page number that is in parentheses. If you think about it, the page number logically goes in the sentence or with the part of the sentence where the quote is, not hanging out in limbo between sentences or with other unrelated parts of the sentence. Since the page citation refers to the quoted text, the page citation goes in the same sentence as the quoted text!



At the end of your paper, you must have a Works Cited and a Bibliography. What is the difference between the two?



1. All literally quoted or paraphrased sources that are used in your essay or research paper are listed on a WORKS CITED list. This list is provided at the end of your paper.



2. All sources that you research but do not literally quote or paraphrase in your essay or research paper are listed on a BIBLIOGRAPHY list. This list is also provided at the end of your paper.



3. The two different lists inform readers exactly how you use or became more knowledgeable from the information that you researched. Therefore, the two lists never reference the same sources.



4. For both the WORKS CITED and the BIBLIOGRAPHY, the following rules apply:



∑ List all sources in alphabetical order

∑ Do not use bullets, numbers, or other formatting; just list in alphabetical order

∑ All lines after the first line of an entry are indented. Use the bottom arrow tab and the shift key in your ruler at the top of the page in Word.

∑ Italicize all titles of movies, books, or plays

∑ Use quote marks for essays, poems, & other minor works

∑ If the two lists can fit on one page, by all means put them on one page.

∑ Everything in your Works Cited and Bibliography is double spaced. There are no extra spaces. Everything including the words Works Cited and Bibliography is in size 12 font, no bold or large font.



A HELPFUL NOTE: Use your computer to make your Works Cited and Bibliography at my favourite Works Cited site:

http://www.calvin.edu/library/knightcite/index.php



Here is a sample of what a WORKS CITED and BIBLIOGRAPHY might look like (Except it should be double spaced):




Works Cited

O,Brother, Where Art Thou? Dirs. Coen, Ethan and Joel Coen. Perf. George Clooney, John Turturro,
Tim Blake Nelson, John Goodman, Holly Hunter, and Chris Thomas King. Touchstone
Pictures, 2000.
Paulsen, Gary. The Island. NH: Dell Publishers, 1988.
“Selected Seventeenth-Century Events.” Romantic Chronology. Ed. Laura Mandell and Alan Liu.
October 2001. University of California, Santa Barbara. 22 November 2003.http://humanties.
ucsb/projects/pack/rom-chrono/chronola.htm.
Small, Jr., Robert C. “The Literary Value of the Young Adult Novel.” Journal of Youth Services in
Libraries, Spring 1992: 227-285.





Bibliography

Delahunty, Andrew, Sheila Dignen, and Penny Stock. The Oxford Dictionary of Allusions. New
York, NY: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Hamilton, Edith. Foreword. Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes. By Hamilton. New
York, NY: Warner Books, 1942.
Romance Languages and Literatures Home Page. 1 Jan 2003. Dept. of Romance Languages and
Literatures, University of Chicago Press. 8 July 2003. http://humanities.uchicago.edu/
romance/.

14 September 2009

teacher essay

HA English 9
OReilly
My Teachers: A First Person Essay

As a class, we have read Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare in which we have seen how Juliet and Romeo both appear to lack adult figures to guide them through their lives. Perhaps due to this lack of wise “teachers,” Romeo and Juliet are doomed to an early death. While teachers do not necessarily have such vital roles in most students’ lives, teachers do provide an essential contribution to the mental, physical, and sometimes emotional and spiritual life of a young, maturing child.  Now you will write your own first person narrative account of the most life-changing teachers in your life. This essay is a portfolio essay fulfilling your first person narrative essay requirement. The portfolio is a graduation requirement.

Your essay will have a minimum of five paragraphs discussing teachers you have had. Your opening paragraph will provide a brief introduction and a thesis statement. Your thesis (green) will provide a strong but general statement about your three teachers. You will have a plan (green) in which you briefly outline the three qualities of your teacher that you will discuss in your body paragraphs. Your three body paragraphs will each describe three distinct points about your teachers, and your closing will restate your key points and leave the reader with a sense of closure or with an insight to ponder.

GREENS: Types of thesis statements and plans:
A power statement:
° I am happy to say that I had three unique teachers each of whom has changed the course of my life forever by teaching me self-control, self- confidence, and patience.
° My teachers have taught me three important precepts that will forever influence how I think and feel. My third grade teacher, my Spanish teacher, and my minister have all changed my life forever.
A FAN BOYS thesis statement
° Some people say that dedicated, creative, and rigorous teachers are few, but I have been lucky enough to experience three rigourous and inspiring teachers who have changed my life. I learned artistry and self-control from Ms. Umbrage, Mr. Snape, and Ms. McGonaggle.
° Many people have been lucky enough to have had inspiring teachers in school, but my most influential teachers have been members of my own family: my mother, my uncle, and my sister.
° I have had wise and caring teachers in my life, so I have learned self-control, self- confidence, and patience.
The Three Body Paragraphs:
You will have at least one paragraph devoted to each teacher. Do not forget, each paragraph must relate back to and support your thesis. YELLOWS: Furthermore, each body paragraph must have a topic sentence that makes a unique point about each teacher. It is not enough to say, “The second great teacher I had was Mr. Moomoo.” Rather, say something akin to “Mr. Moomoo taught me to stop whining and get to work.”

REDS CREATIVITY ALERT!!!! Essays can be creative!!!! Newsflash!!! The creativity is in your reds. When you describe your teacher and your experiences with your teacher. Go back to being with that teacher in your mind. Replay the scene. How did you feel? What went through your mind? How did you change? Describe, show DON”T TELL, use visual imagery. Take me into the scenes with your teacher that SHOW me why this teacher changed your life.

The Closing Paragraph:
The closing paragraph briefly restates the thesis and the key ideas and leaves the reader with a sense of closure and, perhaps, some insight.


Caveats:
Sometimes teachers are not necessarily positive or loving influences. Since it is possible to learn difficult, but crucial, life lessons from negative experiences and people, these kinds of “anti-teachers” may be discussed in your essay.

Inanimate phenomena can teach and inform. In the past students have discussed how nature, the ocean, certain books, Buddhism, or Christianity have been their teachers.







Turn this rubric in with your paper for three (3) points
How to get an A on your 45-point paper:

5 points -_______ format: correct typed heading, font size and type, margins, your last name and page number typed on the right hand corner of every page.
10 points_______ Opening paragraph has a brief opening (blue) and a clear thesis statement, including a plan, (green) introducing the three teachers or three concepts taught by your teachers.
15 points _______ Body paragraphs each have a topic sentence (yellows) stating a distinct and unique attribute of your teacher and/or what he taught you. Each paragraph has plenty of evidence, examples, and/or explanations (reds) proving your topic sentences. Your reds SHOW. They don’t TELL.
5 points _______The closing restates thesis and topics and leaves the reader with closure. Do not introduce a new thought in your closing; instead, deepen or expand on previously mentioned ideas to leave the reader thinking.
5 points _______Common mechanical errors will lose you one point a piece up to five points. You will lose one point for every CFB, CIE, VPR, Avoid SW and LWC, such as: “He was a great teacher who taught me many things.”  1PV is OK in a first person narrative such as this assignment, but avoid 2PV like the plague.


11 September 2009

Tasty Teacher paragraph

Tasty Teacher paragraph
HA English 9
OReilly
 

_____You will write a tasty paragraph about teachers you have had.

_____You must have a topic sentence that introduces your teachers and a conclusion that restates your topic in a different way, leaving the reader with something to think about. Your topic sentence is a power statement, a conditional hypothesis, or a compound sentence

_____You must have at least three yellows (RDFs) with at least one red (Es) for every yellow.

_____Your reds must be specific. Do not use superlative words (SWs) or generic phrasings (WCLs) to describe your teacher.
_____ Avoid commas errors, such as CFB, CS, RO.



04 September 2009

sonnet rubric

Sonnet
HA English 9
OReilly

Name_________________ date________________ period____________



Write a sonnet. It must have:

_________ The proper rhyme scheme
_________ Iambic pentameter
_________ Three quatrains
_________A couplet
_________ Be properly typed and formatted
_________ Make sense
_________ Amuse me (extra credit)

01 September 2009

Romeo and Juliet Reading Questions

Romeo and Juliet Reading Questions

2007-2208

La Conquistadora OReilly

HA Intensive English 9



Act 1—The Prologue



1. Act 1 begins with a __________________ in the form of a _________________.

2. What is a sonnet? (See Glossary of Literary Terms on page 1216)











3. What do we learn from the prologue? Name five facts











Act 1.i

1. With which two characters does the play begin. What are their names and who are they?





2. Sampson and Gregory make many puns which connect love and sex with_________________ and ____________________.





3. The scene begins with humour, but it rapidly becomes violent when _____________ and ________________ from the house of ______________ enter the scene. . How does that violence juxtaposed with humour connects with the themes already established in the prologue and in Sampson’s and Gregory’s jesting?







4. Why might Shakespeare have depicted these humble characters engaged in a fight on behalf of their noble masters?





5. What is a foil? (See Glossary of Literary Terms on page 1216)





6. Benvolio’s foil is __________________.

7. Benvolio’s name means_____________________.

8. What do we learn about Capulet’s personality in this first scene of the play?





9. What do we learn about Capulet’s relationship with his wife?











10. After the fray Lady ___________ talks to _______________ about ____________________.

11. We learn that Romeo only comes out at __________________.

12. Benvolio, while questioning Romeo expresses an oxymoronic view of love. What is an oxymoron? (See Glossary of Literary Terms on page 1216





13. Write down Benvolio’s or Romeo’s line that depicts love as oxymoronic.







14. What do we learn about Romeo’s personality in his first scene with Benvolio?





15. Why are the opening lines of 1.ii ironic?





16.  In Paris’s discussion with Capulet regarding Paris's marriage to Juliet, Capulet changes his mind, how so?

What does that tell us about Capulet?



17. How does Capulet know that marrying young mars young girls?



18. How does Romeo find out about Capulet’s party, and what does that tell us about Capulet’s judgment?





19. Describe the personality of the nurse? Who would be her foil in this first scene?





20. What does Romeo feel as he enters the Capulet’s party and how does this contribute to a theme in the play?



21. What poetic form does Romeo and Juliet’s first conversation take? Why?





22. Immediately after meeting, Romeo and Juliet learn that their families are enemies. How does this reinforce a theme in the play?





























Act 11



1. Act 2 begins with another prologue sonnet. Write down three traits of a sonnet.





2.What does this line mean? "But passion lends them power. Time means, to meet/Temp’ring extremities with extreme sweet.





3.  Mercutio teases Romeo by discussing Rosalind’s quivering thighs. What other character in the play resembles Mercutio in terms of salacious, sexual diction and outlook? Name the character and name an example of his/her bawdy language.









4. What is a soliloquy?





5. In Romeo’s soliloquy, Romeo describes Juliet as like the sun. How does this fit with other images and themes in the play?





6. When Romeo says that Juliet, like the sun, will "kill the envious moon," how does this symbolize Romeo’s changing state of mind?







7. In Juliet’s soliloquy, she ponders the meaning of a name. Write down the famous line where she does so.





8. What do we learn about the power and meaning of words and names in her soliloquy at the beginning of Act 2?

9.



10. When Juliet discovers Romeo has overheard her soliloquy confessing her love and desire for Romeo, she is afraid that he will think she is….





11. Answer all three of the following: Who interrupts Romeo and Juliet as they proclaim their love for each other on the balcony? When has this happened before? Why might Shakespeare be repeatedly having this type of interruption occur?











12. In the friar’s soliloquy at the beginning of 111.iii, what does he say about plants and people and how does what he says fit with themes in the play?









13. What does this line mean and who said it: "Women may fall when there’s no strength in men."  How is this view different from conventional wisdom?









14. When the friar says: "Wisely and slow. They stumble that run fast," How does this echo other references to time in the play?





15. Why does the friar agree to help Romeo? Why, in your opinion, does the nurse agree to help Juliet?











16. In 11.iv, we see a different side to Romeo as he puns with Mercutio. What is this side to him that we see? Why is Romeo so changed?





17.  Write down the literary allusion in Juliet’s soliloquy at the beginning of 11.v. Why is it there? What does it emphasize?







18.  Why do you think the Nurse delays in giving Juliet the news from Romeo?







19. In 11.vi, write down the Friar’s lines that emphasize the danger of moving quickly in love. These lines are examples of _________________.







20.  Describe how Juliet’s description of her love for Romeo reveals greater depth of character than Romeo’s diction.































Act III



1. Why are Mercutio’s descriptions of Benvolio ironic?





2. What is the play on words that Mercutio makes with the word "consort"?





4. _________________ wishes to withdraw from the public haunt of men, but __________________ will not budge.



5. Act III is the climax of the play. What is a climax? (See Glossary page 1216).



6. Romeo and Juliet’s chances for happiness rapidly decrease and the mood changes in the play after _______________________ is killed by _______________________.



7. Who says a "plague o’ both your houses" ( I.1, 114), and what does that line mean?











8. Act III.ii begins with a kind of speech known as a ___________________.













9, Define soliloquy (see Glossary page 1216).





10. Write down 10 examples of Juliet using images of darkness or night in her opening speech in Act III.ii.









11. Which character in the play has always been associated with night?



12. Define literary allusion (see Glossary page 1216).





13. What is the literary allusion in Juliet’s soliloquy? What does the allusion emphasize?







14. When Juliet finds out about Tybalt’s murder by Romeo, she expresses her feelings with what kind of literary device? Name the device, write down an example, and briefly state how the device expresses her feelings.







15.  By the end of the play what three actions has Juliet decided to take, and what does her change of heart tell you about her character?





16. Contrast Romeo’s behaviour in III.iii with Juliet’s in the preceding scene.





17. What is the friar’s advice to Romeo?







18. What, in brief is the friar’s plan?







19. What do the opening lines of III.iv tell you about Capulet’s character?







20. Define dramatic irony (see Glossary page 1216).





21. How is III.iv an ironic scene?



22. In the opening of III.v in what kind of language do Romeo and Juliet speak? What does their language tell you about their relationship?.



23. Who interrupts Romeo and Juliet’s love scene?



24. "More light and light—more dark and dark our woes." What does this mean and how does this language reinforce themes in the play?



25. What do Lady Capulet and Lord Capulet demand of Juliet after her love scene with Romeo?



25. Why might Shakespeare have placed the love scene and the violent parent/child conflict next to each other?



26. What is Juliet’s attitude toward the nurse and the end of III and what does her attitude symbolize?



















Act IV



1. What does Juliet mean when she says her face is not her own?



2. Juliet says that if the Friar can not help her solve her problem, she will ________________________.





3. Briefly, outline the Friar’s plan for Juliet.





4. At the beginning of IV.ii, Capulet is cheerful and preparing for the wedding. Juliet arrives and acts obedient and willing to marry Paris. What kind of irony is this and why?





5. IV.iii begins with a _______________________. In it, Juliet has a premonition when she says goodbye to the nurse. What is it?





6. What are Juliet’s fears about the friar that she expresses in her soliloquy?







7. Why does Juliet fear she may go mad when she awakens?





8. In IV.iv, we learn that Capulet was a playboy in his youth. What is the Shakespearean term for a playboy?





9. Why is this entire scene ironic? What kind of irony is present in this scene?





10. When Capulet discovers that is daughter is dead, he cries that she has ________________ Death. How does this reflect themes in the play?







11. After everyone laments Juliet’s death, the friar chides the family. Why?









12. Capulet decides that they will take all the party food and decorations and use them for a ________________.









Act V

1. V.i begins with a ___________________ by Romeo. In it, he recounts that he dreams that he has ___________________ and Juliet ___________________ him, bringing him back to ___________________.





27. Balthasar’s news to Romeo is True? Or False?



28. Have we seen other examples of messages going awry in this play? When?





29. After Balthasar leaves, Romeo speaks another soliloquy. What does he mean by" mischief thou art swift/To enter into men’s thoughts"? And where have we seen references to time before in the play?







30. What is the "mischief" that Romeo is considering?







31. The friar exclaims "Unhappy fortune!" when he finds that Romeo has missed the message that Juliet is alive. Where have we seen references to unlucky fortune before in the play?







32. Both ___________________ and ___________________ arrive at Juliet’s tomb. This is another example of  ill ___________________.

33. After Paris’s death, Romeo states in a soliloquy that Paris and he are alike because both their names are written in "sour ___________________  ___________________." This is another reference to the ill ___________________ in the book.





34. Later in the same soliloquy, Romeo attempts to undo the ill fortune in his life by ___________________ and shaking off the "yoke of inauspicious stars."





10. The friar enters the tomb to be with ___________________ as she awakens. What does he do when he fears the watch is coming? ______________________________________How does he propose that Juliet solve her current problem?







35. How does the Prince establish how Romeo, Juliet, and Paris die?





12. At the end of the play, how many people have died? Who are they?




19 August 2009

HA9 English SAT word Vocabulary

SAT Vocabulary
HA English 9
OReilly


1. Abet
2. Abortive
3. Abscond
4. Abstemious
5. Acme
6. avuncular
7. bilious
8. blasphemous
9. bucolic
10. caustic

1. circuitous
2. coquette
3. ersatz
4. feckless
5. histrionics
6. imperious
7. impudent
8. incredulous
9. jettison
10.lecherous


1. lexicon
2. libertine
3. licentious
4. nihilism
5. paragon
6. pathogenic
7.pique
8. potentate
9. presage
10.prodigal

1. pseudonym
2.recidivism
3.reprehensible
4. simian
5. sinecure
6. strident
7. titular
8. toady
9. vernacular
10. visceral




1. zephyr
2. wax
3. vituperate
4. verbose
5. turgid
6. truculent
7. temporal
8. tantamount
9. surmount
10. stringent

1. seminal
2. sequester
3. squalid
4. stasis
5. remission
6. raze
7. reactionary
8. preternatural
9. progenitor
10. pugilism

1. rankle
2. pellucid
3. plaintive
4. precipitous
5. portentous
6. paean
7. pariah
8. morose
9. opine
10. lithe

1. mellifluous
2. masochist
3. internecine
4. lampoon
5. incandescent
6. indomitable
7. illusory
8. furtive
9. doctrinaire
10. effluvia

1. confluence
2. contiguous
3. deride
4. coagulate
5. certitude
6. cache
7. bovine
8. braggart
9. becalm
10. apostate

1. arcane
2. atavistic
3. apprise
4. arrears
5. antiquated
6. alimentary
7. acumen
8. compliant
9. cloying
10. circumvent

14 August 2009

Opening Activities: SAT Vocabulary, Class Description, Limerick Assignment

SAT Vocabulary
HA English 9
OReilly


1. Abet
2. Abortive
3. Abscond
4. Abstemious
5. Acme
6. avuncular
7. bilious
8. blasphemous
9. bucolic
10. caustic

1. circuitous
2. coquette
3. ersatz
4. feckless
5. histrionics
6. imperious
7. impudent
8. incredulous
9. jettison
10.lecherous


1. lexicon
2. libertine
3. licentious
4. nihilism
5. paragon
6. pathogenic
7.pique
8. potentate
9. presage
10.prodigal

1. pseudonym
2.recidivism
3.reprehensible
4. simian
5. sinecure
6. strident
7. titular
8. toady
9. vernacular
10. visceral




1. zephyr
2. wax
3. vituperate
4. verbose
5. turgid
6. truculent
7. temporal
8. tantamount
9. surmount
10. stringent

1. seminal
2. sequester
3. squalid
4. stasis
5. remission
6. raze
7. reactionary
8. preternatural
9. progenitor
10. pugilism

1. rankle
2. pellucid
3. plaintive
4. precipitous
5. portentous
6. paean
7. pariah
8. morose
9. opine
10. lithe

1. mellifluous
2. masochist
3. internecine
4. lampoon
5. incandescent
6. indomitable
7. illusory
8. furtive
9. doctrinaire
10. effluvia

1. confluence
2. contiguous
3. deride
4. coagulate
5. certitude
6. cache
7. bovine
8. braggart
9. becalm
10. apostate

1. arcane
2. atavistic
3. apprise
4. arrears
5. antiquated
6. alimentary
7. acumen
8. compliant
9. cloying
10. circumventHA English 9
OReilly
Writing A Limerick

Make a poster of your limerick (approximately 18" x 24"). The limerick is about you, with the first line stating your name or your origin. One half of the poster has your limerick in large letters. The other half is a self-portrait done in any medium including collage or photography. Please make the self-portrait large—about the size of a face. Your name and period number should be on the front. This is due next class session.

What is a limerick?
A limerick is a short form of poetry known for its humor.

This sample limerick demonstrates the syllabic pattern.
There was a large lady from Perth
Who wanted to travel the earth
But her wish was in vain
For the door of the plane
Was not wide enough for her girth.

Syllable and Beat Scheme: Note that the first, second and fifth lines each have eight syllables, and rhyme with each other, while the middle lines have only six syllables and a separate rhyme. Not all limericks have that exact syllabic form, but the first, second, and fifth line have more syllables than the middle two. There is a certain beat:
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, bah
bah, duppity, duppity, bah

The following example shows the rhyme scheme:

A Clumsy Young Fellow Named Tim

1. There once was a fellow named Tim (A)
2. whose dad never taught him to swim. (A)
3. He fell off a dock (B)
4. and sunk like a rock. (B)
5. And that was the end of him (A)

One way to write a limerick:
Now, to write your own limerick, begin by choosing a character and/or a place name. (Note here that if your place name is longer than one syllable you may expand your lines to nine instead of eight syllables.)
Think of some words that rhyme with your place name. Because the limerick is meant to be humorous, your rhymes may be silly - for example:
Sydney; kidney; didn' he.
Use two of these words to end the first two lines of your limerick, which introduce your character.
There was a young man from Sydney
Who only would eat steak and kidney.
Next, think of a problem for your character, and present it in your two short lines:
When the kidney ran out,
Though he started to shout,
Finally, finish with a resolution (ending) to your limerick, which should make your reader laugh.
He had to go hungry, didn' he?
Try this process to write limericks of your own. You will also find there are other ways of beginning your limerick:

A man with a very large nose . . .

While traveling one day in Peru . . .

I was startled one day by a hen . . .

Despite these differences, the basic limerick pattern remains the same.

Another Example
There once was a young girl named Jill.
Who was scared by the sight of a drill.
She brushed every day
So her dentist would say,
"Your teeth are so perfect; no bill."





Grading rubric:

30 participation points

5 points: The poem exactly fits criterion
4 points: The poems fits almost all the criterion
3 points: Some elements of the criterion are missing
2 points: Most elements of the criterion are missing
1 points: No elements of the criterion are present
Student Score Teacher Score
The syllable and beat scheme fit the traditional limerick form ________ ________
as shown

The rhyme scheme fits the traditional limerick form as shown ________ ________

The limerick is about you. Your name and period number appear
on the front of your poster. ________ ________

The self-portrait is about the size of a face and succeeds in ________ ________
illustrating your unique appearance and/or style.


The limerick is humorously and uniquely expressive of your ________ ________
personality, attributes, talents, eccentricities, defects
or other facts such as where you live or
what you like and/or dislike

The entire poster is large, gorgeous and aesthetically pleasing. The ________ ________
lettering is large, legible, and lovely.
Total ________ ________

La Conquistadora OReilly
Soquel High School
HA English 1
2009-2010
dianoreilly@sccs.santacruz.k12.ca.us


Welcome to Soquel High and the Humanities Academy. In this class, you will be challenged to read a variety of texts, short stories, plays, and poetry. As you read these pieces, you will be asked to explore themes. What are themes? Themes are eternal insights on life—the truths of human existence that are witnessed through first hand experience or through art. In literature, as opposed to popular fiction, the astute reader senses and realizes these eternal truths, and that is why literature is both more meaningful and more complex than the average bestseller. You will learn to discern these themes in the texts as well as the manner in which authors employ literary devices and motifs to develop themes. And we will regularly write analytical essays exploring these same themes, motifs, and literary devices. Beyond discerning theme in literary texts, the primary focus and your primary task in HA English 10 is to create clear structure and employ proper mechanics in your writing. In addition, you will produce a variety of creative and fanciful pieces, a research paper, and group projects. Prepare to work hard, explore your limits, and have fun.

Success in The Academy is determined more by hard work and diligence than by intelligence. This is a program for academically motivated students, not necessarily for geniuses. Being a genius helps, a lot, but correctly completing and turning in work is of primary importance to one's success in this program.

Primary Literature Texts:
To Kill a Mockingbird, Harper Lee
Romeo and Juliet, William Shakespeare
Excerpts from The Odyssey, Homer
The Power of One, Chinua Achebe
The Sound of Waves, Yukio Mishima
Ramayana, Valmiki
The Kite Runner, Khaled Hosseini
Selected poems of Rumi
Selected Latin American short stories and poetry from Glencoe Anthology of World Literature, McGraw Hill

Grading:
Students must maintain a C semester grade in both English and World Geography and Culture to remain in the Academy. Please be aware that semester grades are cumulative. Your six-week grade simply represents your semester grade at that point in the school year. In other words, in early October, and every six weeks, you will receive a report card in the mail with a progress report. The grade does not appear on any official transcript, nor does that grade affect your status in the Academy. The grade is significant only in that it reflects your progress at that point in time. The semester grade is sent out twice a year—in January and June. The semester grade appears on your permanent high school transcript, and it is the grade that determines student status in the Academy.

It is the student’s responsibility to track his or her own progress on Infinite Campus, the school Internet system, located on the Soquel high School website, that posts grades and absences. To login to Infinite Campus use your student ID as your user ID and your six digit birth date as your password.

Essays/written work: 40%
Homework/reading activities: 20%
Participation/preparedness: 15%
Tests and Quizzes: 25%


Be prepared to work when you enter class:
Look at the daily agenda, gather materials, write down assigned homework, and/or turn-in homework as necessary. Think of clever and amusing contributions to class discussions. Before leaving, straighten your desk and clean up any materials you may have dropped. Wait at your desk to be dismissed. Of late, I have been considering the value of classroom participation. Usually a few students do the majority of speaking and sharing in any given class. But when I reflect on my college and work career, I realize that being a part of the conversation has benefited me in many ways. Try to participate at least once everyday in class. If everyone can't participate, I will have to resort on calling on people or initiating a verbal participation grade. Speaking is part of Language Arts. Please blab, but do raise your hand first.

Your journals:
Your journals are notebooks or a separate section in your binder in which you keep your notes in an organized fashion with a table of contents and numbered pages so you can quickly find your topics. You must always bring your journal to class. Although you will never turn it in, you will be randomly tested on the material therein. Be sure to bring your journal to the next class session.

Tests and Quizzes:
You will always be prepared for your tests by way of pretests and plenty of drill. In addition, you will have plenty of time to study for your tests. They will often be vocabulary, grammar, or mechanics drill. Quizzes will be at random times with no warning; however, you will be allowed to use your texts or your journal. Some of your tests will be in-class essays or paragraphs that will count under the essay category of your grade.

Late Work:
Late work due to excused absences may be turned-in within the same number of days as the length of the absence. Late work for any other reason may be turned in one day late for a fifty percent penalty. Although I am always willing to hear creative reasons why late work should be accepted, it is extremely doubtful that I will hear a convincing one. You are responsible for finding out what work you have missed and turning it in. To find missed assignments 1) check the agenda journal, a black notebook on the whiteboard eraser bar under the daily agenda 2) find missing assignments in the bin provided on the back table 3) get any journal notes you missed from another student. You should not have to ask me what you have missed.

Portfolios:
Santa Cruz City Schools has a portfolio graduation requirement. In your freshman year, you will be expected to write a narrative or research paper, reading response, and an example of mastery of writing conventions. To that end, you must keep all your essays, including all drafts, archived in the classroom in the hanging files provided for you. From this archive, you will choose three samples to fulfill the portfolio graduation requirement.

Turning in assignments
One of the major differences between this class and your middle school experience is that there are very strict guidelines for every assignment. If you follow the guidelines, you will receive a high grade for your effort. You simply must follow the proscribed guidelines, which I will provide in the form of a check-off list or rubric. You must turn this rubric in with every assignment. You cannot receive a grade without the rubric. Work turned in without a rubric will be re-turned and will be considered late if re-submitted. Don’t lose your rubric. For posters and art projects, rubrics must be lightly taped to the project. Papers must be submitted in the following manner: the rubric must be on top, and then the final draft, preliminary drafts and editing rubrics must be stapled underneath the final draft. Usually a copy of the rubric can be found on my blog at http://ha9english2009.blogspot.com/. This class description can be found at my blog under the label "Class Description."

Classroom supplies:
Required supplies include: a dedicated section in your binder for handouts, a journal as described above, highlighters in pink, green, yellow, and blue, and small post-its to bookmark as you read.

Bathroom and Water Breaks:
One student at a time may leave the class to use the bathroom or get a drink. Discretely signal to me that you are leaving, bring me your planner to sign, and return promptly. If this privilege is abused, I will fall back on a less permissive policy

CD players, Ipods, MP3 players, and cell phones are strictly prohibited.
I never want to see any personal electronic equipment in my class. All such equipment will be confiscated and held in the administrative office as per school rules. No exceptions except the following: If a piece of electronic equipment is confiscated on a Friday, school rules require that the equipment be held over the weekend. In my extreme benevolence, if the parent contacts me by phone or email and requests that the equipment be returned to the student, I will allow the equipment to be picked up at the end of the day on Friday.

Food, drink, garbage:
Eating of healthy food is allowed in class, unless eating interferes with learning in any way, including noisy, rustling chip bags, or whispered requests for just one bite, etc. If I ever have to clean up anyone’s mess even once in any class, all food will be banned. Needless to say, it is in your own best interest to notice and inform your classmates of their messy manners before I see the result.

Do I really need to mention being polite and socially acceptable?
Rude behavior, name calling, obscene language, politically incorrect slurs, and put-downs are subject to disciplinary action.

Themes and Topics:
In high school, and especially in the Humanities Academy, profound, human themes are discussed and studied. For instance, in Romeo and Juliet, we discuss arranged marriages and teenage love; in The Odyssey, we consider Odysseus’s infidelity to his wife. Students are expected to approach these themes with maturity, dignity, and developing insight. Occasionally, classes may watch an R-rated movie if it is appropriate to the literature being studied. Students are expected to watch such movies with the proper attitude of academic interest.

Class responsibilities and Duties:
Running a class requires some logistical and routine responsibilities. Since we are all participating in the experience of learning and growing as an academic community, students are expected to take a role in the day to day running of the classroom. To that end, each six weeks, some students will be assigned a job in the classroom. These jobs include the following: being the agenda monitor, role taking, turning in and passing back papers, stamping homework. Taking such roles and effectively performing them earns the student 10 participation points per semester.

Other Ways of Earning Extra Credit:
Extra credit can be earned by finding vocabulary words in non-assigned reading, seeing certain plays and movies, and writing responses as assigned.

I understand the expectations and responsibilities in Humanities Academy 9 English:

Sign:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
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Print:
___________________________________________ __________________________________________
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