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.