Monday, May 18, 2009

Final Exam

Graduation is almost here!!!!!!

This is your Final Exam for the year. You are responsible to get it to me by the deadline.


I WILL GLADLY ACCEPT IT EARLIER THAN THE DATE BELOW!
I want to emphasize that I will not accept this after the due date!!!
DUE DATE:

Final Exam Day, Friday, May 29.

ASSIGNMENT:

Write an essay that reflects on your time in high school. You can reflect on the entire high school experience – i.e. grades 9-12 – OR you can reflect solely on your senior year.

Ø The emphasis of this essay should be on synthesis, that is, the pulling together of all of the experiences you had in high school into a single, coherent vision of the person you have become, are in the process of becoming, and eventually hope to become.
Ø As you pull together the various aspects of your experiences and thoughts, reflect a bit on the directions of that future growth—where do you expect this journey to take you and how do you imagine your education will help shape the person you eventually hope to be?
Ø It should document the most important aspects of your education and overall high school experience.
Ø It should help you remember and articulate various facets of your life.
Ø You may go beyond the normal five paragraph length in order to adequately share all of your reflections.

GUIDED QUESTIONS:

Use the following questions as a guide to help you remain focused on the reflection of your high school career. THESE ARE ONLY GUIDES.

1. Examine and discuss how you’ve changed over the past four years in terms of handling situations involving other people, either personally or socially.
2. Examine and discuss the way you’ve changed over the past four years in terms of how you relate to the larger community, looking at the adult role you hope to play in that community.
3. Examine how your values have changed in the past four years, looking at the ways your education has facilitated or prompted that change.
4. Describe your sensibility as a person—what are your feelings about things and what role do those feelings play in your decision-making and thought?

POINTS:

Since this is the final essay of the year, it will be counted as your final test. This essay will be worth a total of 200 points.

40 pts for the focus on your reflection
40 pts for the content of your reflection
40 pts for the organization of your reflection
40 pts for the style of your writing
40 pts for the conventions (grammar/spelling/word choice/etc.)

1.4.11.A Write narrative pieces

1.5.11A Write with a sharp, distinct focus

Monday, May 4, 2009

Deserted Island

DESERTED ISLAND

Each student should complete the following:
DUE DATE: Research: (notes and notebook)
Library Days: 5/5, 5/6, 5/7 --Research is due Friday, 5/8

Paper due Date: Wednesday, 5/27.
Paper:
STYLE: Diary/Journal or Memoirs (as if you were writing your story towards the end of life)


SITUATION: You have been banished by the great and all powerful composition teacher Mrs. Christian. I have grown weary of giving out detentions and you are going to suffer the most severe consequences. To show that I am not totally heartless, you will have the choice of Islands that you may use for your banishment. It is important to keep in mind that this is your permanent home and rescue will NOT happen.

PROCEDURES:
1. The first thing that you must do is research (yes, that’s what I said) the island of your choosing. You will need to focus on a few elements in particular so that they may be added as details within your writing.
a. describe the location of the island as well as the name
b. describe the island itself – climate, landscape, etc
c. describe what kind of food sources are available
• animals (meats)
• fruits
• water
• fish

  • Students will research the area in which they are stranded.

  • Dangers such as poisonous snakes, insects and plants

  • (Also, find flowers that are safe to eat or can be used for seasonings. How do you get salt from salt water?)

  • You will want to research trees/ types of wood for building and burning

  • Plants, animals, climate/ weather, people, foods, customs, seasons, water temps., types of natural disasters...ex. tornadoes, volcanoes --Original settlers --Sea life, nuts, berries (any type of vegetation)

  • All content must be appropriate for school and approved by Mrs. Christian

2. You will NEED to cite your sources: This means that you need a works cited page at the end of your diary/journal or memoir.

3. Since I am a nice teacher, I am tempering your punishment with some kindness. You will be allowed to take a person with you. It may be someone alive, dead, or fictional, (male or female).

There are some rules, however:
a. There will never be children
b. You must explain why you chose this person
c. REMEMBER: you will grow old with this person as the only two on the island.
d. You will have no direct contact with anyone outside of your island: no
airdrops, no visitors.

e. Discuss how you set up your home, daily routines, stories of how you survived on a daily basis.

f. All stories must be authentic to the specified location. What do you do to pass the time or have fun?

4. Your fate on the island may not include anything other than a natural death from old age: no murder, no suicide, no accidental death, no maulings, etc.
5. You and your partner will be packing one suitcase each, but don’t get too excited. There are some rules for this too:
a. You need to consider carefully what you are packing and create a List of those items.
b. You need to explain why you chose those items.

***NO COMMUNICATION DEVICES; ELECTRICAL ITEMS LIKE AN IPOD...ONLY REG. BATTERY LIFE.........AFTER THAT, IT'S DEAD!

6. You must also take FIVE books with you.
a. They must be real books. Authors and titles are a must.
b. A one year’s subscription to a magazine counts as one book.
c. A series of books by one author may be counted as one book.
d. Finally, you must explain why you chose each of these books.

7. The format, as said earlier, must be in the form of a diary/journal or memoirs written toward the end of life. You must include the following:
a. First two weeks
b. The one year mark
c. The five year mark
d. The ten year mark
e. The twenty year mark

f. The fifty year mark

8. Finally, you need to organize your document in a creative way so that it looks like a diary/journal or memoir.

This link will allow you to download some Journaling template pages that can be saved and used for this assignment.

http://www.creatingkeepsakes.com/articles/journaling_downloads


1.4.11.A Write narrative pieces
1.5.11A Write with a sharp, distinct focus







Friday, May 1, 2009

Reflection Journal

Friday, 5/1

Goal: Students will complete a 1 1/2 page handwritten journal.

Students will write a letter to themselves
1. Discuss something that has changed...ex. An outlook or idea from freshman year, a change in future plans, etc
2. Give advice to yourself. Discuss something that you have learned throughout your four years. Underline this advice. Explain this advice
3. List your future goals/ plans.

This journal will be placed in an envelope. You should open it in 5-10 years. It is always interesting to reflect and evaluate your life.