CLASS TEAMS! FIRST COMPETITION!

Ok, here are the teams.......

THE ORANGE IGUANAS
Tyler T
Max
Tamara
Coleigh
Rachel
Lauren
Kirstie
Ben

HARL'S HEROES
Alyssa
Kaity
Sara
Colten
Sarah
Shawn
Ashley
Tyler V.
Wes

HERE'S THE COMPETITION.......

The first team that has 5 separate representatives answer the following questions correctly gets a picture on the blog of their team with the caption ORANGE IGUANA'S RULE! or HARL'S HEROES RULE!

Questions for the IGUANAS:

1. Who is the author of Brave New World? (first and last name)
2. What is the definition of figurative language?
3. Where should the thesis statement go in a timed writing for Mrs. Harl's class?
4. What is the setting (time and place) for 1984?
5. Barbara Kingsolver's educational degrees were in what subjects (hint: it's on the podcast)?



Questions for the HEROES

1. Who is the author of 1984?
2. What is the definition of alliteration?
3. What two pieces of information should the opening sentence of a timed writing for Mrs, Harl's class include?
4. What is the setting for Brave New World (time and place)?
5. What are two of the main symbols used in animal dreams (hint: it's on the podcast)?

**YOUR ANSWER MUST BE CORRECT AND YOU MUST LIST YOUR TEAM NAME OR YOUR ANSWER DOESN'T COUNT!

TIMED WRITING MONDAY

As you prepare for Monday's timed writing, be sure to do the following:

1. Decide on a thesis statement. MAKE SURE ALL THREE POINTS ARE ARGUABLE, NOT FACTUAL. On a scratch piece of paper, WRITE IT OUT.

2. Write down at least 3 specific examples to support each thesis point.

3. Write down one or two significant themes from the novel. (Hint: think about the author's overall message)

4. Connect the examples to the overall theme, showing how your thesis is SIGNIFICANT TO THE NOVEL AS A WHOLE!

5. Give yourself 40 minutes and do a practice timed writing (one that you will bring with you to class). Try not to peek at your notes if possible.

6. Go back to my TEN TIMED WRITING TIPS post from August and review my advice.

7. Edit your draft.

**You should now be prepared for your 50 point timed writing tomorrow.

TIME TO POST!

Every time you see my smiling face with the "Time to Post!" heading, you'll know it's time for another blog post assignment. Your first posting assignment is the following: (due by Monday, Oct 6).

Answer the following questions:

1. How would you improve this blog to make it more useful to you?
2. What elements do you like and why?
3. How could this blog be used to enhance class?
4. In what ways can you contribute to the blog?
5. What could I add or remove to make this blog more useful?

Happy Posting! BONUS POINTS GO TO THE FIRST 3 PEOPLE THAT POST!

GUIDELINES FOR THIS I BELIEVE ESSAYS

BELOW IS A REMINDER ABOUT GUIDELINES FOR YOUR "THIS I BELIEVE" ESSAYS

This I Believe Essay-Writing Instructions

We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is—it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:

TELL A STORY: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

BE BRIEF: Your statement should be between 350 and 500 words. That's about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

NAME YOUR BELIEF: If you can't name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

BE POSITIVE: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don't believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial "we." Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

BE PERSONAL: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

THINKING ABOUT RESEARCH

Over the weekend, be sure to investigate novels for your upcoming research paper.  You should have your novel in class on Tuesday.

Also, go to the "This I Believe" website (you can find it under "Helpful Links" on this blog), listen to an essay, and fill out the worksheet I gave you on Friday.  

FOR TOMORROW, FRIDAY SEPT. 19

1. BRING CAP APPLICATION AND TRANSCRIPT RELEASE
2. STUDY FOR BNW EXAM
3. NAME RESEARCH ESSAY DUE
4. STATEMENT OF BELIEF DUE (ONE SENTENCE)

As for today's discussion......some of you did a very nice job of offering opinions, adding insight, and asking questions. However, it is difficult to have a discussion that really makes us think, when only a third of the group are actively participating. I got the impression that a few of you perhaps hadn't finished the book. This makes it difficult to discuss, of course.

Remember, it is EVERYONE'S responsibility to add to our discussion. If we're not actively discussing, then I'm just standing in the front of the room telling everyone what to think and what they should know. Hmmm... that sounds a lot like the societies in 1984 and Brave New World!!

See you tomorrow. Think about what you believe.

BRAVE NEW WORLD EXAM

Can you answer the following exam questions?

1. 70% of female embryos are treated to become freemartins, ensuring that they are ____________________.

2. The Director states that the secret of happiness and virtue is........

3. Sleep teaching is NOT used for ____________________ education but for _____________________ education.

4. Who taught John to read?

5. The controller tells John that the chief reason Shakespeare is prohibited is because.......

Who is the speaker for the following quotes?

1. "Well, the next day there was a search. But we couldn't find her. She must have fallen into a gully somewhere; or been eaten by a mountain lion. Ford knows. Anyhow, it was horrible. It upset me very much at the time. More than it ought to have done."

2. "Oh my dear, my dear. If you knew how glad--after all these years! A civilized face. Yes and civilized clothes. Because I thought I should never see a piece of real acetate silk again."

3. "Most of our girls are freemartins, of course, I'm a freemartin myself. But we have about eight hundred unsterilized ones who need constant drilling."

4. "Well, I'd rather be unhappy than have the sort of false, lying happiness you were having here."

5. "Happiness has got to be paid for. You're paying for it, Mr. Watson--paying because you happen to be too much interested in beauty. I was too much interested in truth; I paid too."


It's a 50 question test. You've now seen 20% of it here. Also, our discussion Thursday will be worth 20 points (almost half your test grade), so come prepared to ask questions, state opinions, discuss themes, and most importantly make each other think!

CAP APPLICATIONS DUE THURSDAY

Please bring your CAP applications to class on Thursday, Sept 18!

BRAVE NEW WORLD

Remember that we will discuss the novel on Thursday of this week with the exam on Friday. As you read, make a list of similarities and differences between Huxley's novel and 1984. This will be one of the items for discussion on Thursday. While there are several obvious thematic similarities, the authors use very different details and plot devices to present their messages.

Here are some terms from the novel you should be familiar with. Can you explain their meanings within the context of the novel?

1. Bokanovsky group
2. Decanting room
3. Ford (what's the significance?)
4. Hypnopaedia
5. Malthusian belt
6. Nine Years' War
7. Podsnap's technique
8. Savage Reservation
9. Solidarity service
10. Pneumatic

Also, see "helpful links" below for some websites that might help your navigation of this novel.

SEE POST ABOUT SENIOR PROJECTS BELOW!!!

I have purposely not posted anything new because I want you all to review the previous post regarding proposals. Please follow the directions below for submitting proposals.

If you were asked to make changes during your proposal session, be sure to submit those by Monday morning AT THE LATEST. Remember, you need to use the format provided on the Senior Project Web Page.

Email with any questions.

Good luck!

THINGS TO DO

Remember that your dossier is due this Friday. Also remember that you must include a picture of yourself somewhere on the page.

Senior Project proposals are next week, so be sure to go to the Senior Project website. You can access it from my teacher webpage under "Links" OR more simply click on the Senior Project link under "helpful links" on this blog.

Once on the Senior Project site, click "Portfolio." There you will find the proposal template upon which you can type.

Be sure to complete ALL sections of the proposal, including the section that requires mentor and parent signatures.

Another imporant aspect of the proposal is the research section. You need to take a position on an issue that a reasonable person could argue. For example "Smoking is bad for your health" is not a position that invites a reasonable alternative argument.

Bring me your drafts on Friday (or even Monday) if you want some help. Don't forget to bring THREE COPIES on proposal day.

Good luck! Let me know if you need some help or feedback.