May 29-June 2

Welcome!  This week we'll turn in journals and kick off the final assignment, the college essay.  Here's the agenda for the short week:

MONDAY: HOLIDAY - Memorial Day, no school.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Interactive brainstorming activity, to be completed "speed-dating style."  Turn in lists.  (Pick up yearbooks.)

Due: On a separate piece of paper, please make a list of colleges you might apply to this summer or fall. Go to their websites (or our College and Career Center) and find out what kinds of essay prompts they require, making notes of them on your list. I will provide the latest UC and Common App prompts in class on Friday, but if there is a unique prompt for one of your school choices, please bring that to class.

NOTE: If you aren't planning on going to a university, please see me about an alternate assignment.  If you have a different writing requirement (for example letters asking for a recommendation to apply to a military academy), please let me know and that can be substituted in for the college essay assignment. Otherwise, you'll work on a two-page research paper on a job title of your choice, with details provided next class.  If this is the case, please have a job title chosen for Friday.

Homework: Fill out the rest of the Brainstorming Activity Sheet and bring it with you on Friday.  Make sure your journal is ready to turn in.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up.  Go over UC and Common Application prompts. Read a sample essay that has been successful in the past and note its subtext.  Match an idea from your brainstorming sheet to a prompt, keeping in mind which traits you'd like to emphasize and anything in the rest of the application you may want to explain.  Begin matching a good story/event from your life to a prompt.  Create a new document, choose a prompt, and begin writing out some details that could be worked into a a unique essay that demonstrates something positive about you.  Come to class on Monday prepared to work those details typed into the document into a rough draft.

Due:  Journals in the classroom bin at the end of the period.  Brainstorming sheets completed.

Homework: Begin matching a good story/event from your life to a prompt.  Create a new document, choose a prompt, and begin writing out some details that could be worked into a a unique essay that demonstrates something positive about you.  Come to class on Monday prepared to work those details typed into the document into a rough draft.

May 22-26

We're truly in the home stretch now!  The class will complete and upload the Independent Reading Essay, and the Raisin in the Sun assignment this week.  After that, there is a final journal check and a good draft of the college essay (or alternate assignment).  Here's what's in store for the week:

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Peer review of Independent Reading rough drafts - 3 rounds. A Raisin in the Sun discussion.  Introduce A Raisin in the Sun group assignment.  Decide and submit group roles for Raisin assignment by the end of the class period. 

Due: 1. Finish reading A Raisin in the Sun - know what happens with all of the characters at the end of the play!  Click on the pdf link from the right hand sidebar of this website.
2. Please bring a paper copy of your full rough draft of the Independent Reading Essay for today.

Homework:
1. Work on Independent Reading Essay - final draft due to Turnitin.com by Wednesday, May 24, 11:00 p.m.
2. Work on the Raisin group assignment - materials due on Friday, May 26.  Be ready to share what you have with the class in an informal presentation with your group. 


WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Current event video and articles. Time to meet with Raisin groups in class (assignment and informal presentations due on Friday).

Due: Independent Reading Essay - final draft due to Turnitin.com by Wednesday, May 24, 11:00 p.m.

Homework: Work on the Raisin group assignment - materials due on Friday, May 26.  Be ready to share what you have with the class in an informal presentation with your group. 


FRIDAY (minimum day): Journal warm-up. Raisin group presentations.

Due:  Raisin group assignment - materials due in class today.  Be ready to share what you have with the class in an informal presentation with your group.

Homework: On a separate piece of paper, please make a list of colleges you might apply to this summer or fall. Go to their websites (or our College and Career Center) and find out what kinds of essay prompts they require, making notes of them on your list. I will provide the latest UC and Common App prompts in class next week, but if there is a unique prompt for one of your school choices, please bring that to class next Wednesday.

NOTE: If you aren't planning on going to a university, please see me about an alternate assignment.  If you have a different writing requirement (for example letters asking for a recommendation to apply to a military academy), please let me know and that can be substituted in for the college essay assignment. Otherwise, you'll work on a two-page research paper on a job title of your choice, with details provided next week.

Have a marvelous Memorial Day! 

May 15-19

Hello!  It's CAASP week, so our class will effectively have one meeting (half of you on Tuesday and the other half on Thursday).  Please click here for the CAASP schedule and parent letter.  Please come to class first, then you'll head to the MPR.

TUESDAY/THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Go over a few model sustainable food essays, discuss rough drafts. Read A Raisin in the Sun, Act II, Scene III, and begin Act III (the final scene).

Due: Read A Raisin in the Sun, up through the end of Act II, Scene II.

Homework: Finish reading A Raisin in the Sun.

Please bring a paper copy of your full rough draft of the Independent Reading Essay to our next class on Monday, May 22.

May 8-12

Here's the agenda for the week:

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss independent reading essay, check in, begin outlining.  Intro to A Raisin in the Sun and begin reading the play in class.

Due:  Find an additional source created by an American that fits with your independent reading category and post to the discussion board by Sunday night, May 7 at 11:00 p.m. to Turnitin.com. (See category suggestions, or talk to me or e-mail me.) I would also recommend reading the prompts before choosing an additional source.

Homework: Please write up a detailed outline for the independent reading essay assignment.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Check in with independent reading essay: view outlines.  Continue reading and acting out A Raisin in the Sun.

Due: Please write up a detailed outline for the independent reading essay assignment. 

Homework:  Continue with the Independent Reading outline, making it more detailed and focused, and bring it on Friday. Study for last vocab, grammar, and reading quiz (!)

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz.  Continue reading  A Raisin in the Sun in class. 

Due: outline for Independent Reading Essay.

Homework: Read A Raisin in the Sun through Act II, Scene II.

Begin typing full rough draft of the Independent Reading Essay for Thursday.

May 1-5

It's the last full month of school!  This week, we'll finish the sustainable foods synthesis essay and practice rhetorical analysis.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Rachel Carson rhetorical analysis prompt - review, analyze as a class, read actual responses (this is similar to the style on the SAT). Work time on laptops to revise and edit sustainable foods synthesis essay with checklist, individual help.

Due: n/a

Homework: Revise rough draft of sustainable foods essay and submit final draft to Turnitin.com by Thursday night, May 4 at 11:00 p.m.  Using the Overview of Synthesis-Style Essays Sheet as a checklist, compare your essay to the steps and suggestions on the sheet. 

Finish any outstanding independent reading for next week.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz covering vocab words, grammar and reading. Environmentally-themed SAT practice.  Discuss the Independent Reading Final Synthesis Essay and original, third source.  Last work time on laptops, individual help. 

Due: n/a

Homework: Revise rough draft of sustainable foods essay and submit final draft to Turnitin.com by Thursday night, May 4 at 11:00 p.m.  Using the Overview of Synthesis-Style Essays Sheet as a checklist, compare your essay to the steps and suggestions on the sheet. 

Find an additional source created by an American that fits with your independent reading category and post to the discussion board by Sunday night, May 7 at 11:00 p.m. to Turnitin.com. (See category suggestions or talk to me or em.) I would also recommend reading the prompts before choosing an additional source.