Updates

We have one week left before the break so before you leave here are some items that need to be completed:

1.  Those of you who still have not shown me your community service proof need to show me this week.  If not it is going in as a zero.
2.  Reading Plus sessions -- If you are up to date then you can relax over the break, but if you are behind you can complete make-up sessions over the two week break.  When we return from the break if you didn't take advantage over the break that is your loss.
3.  Holiday Song Projects will be one of the last major grades for this nine weeks so make sure you complete it.

Holiday Song Project

With the holiday break right around the corner here is a chance to boost your grade:

1. You will select a holiday song. You can work by yourself or with a group of no more than three(3) people.
2. You will present the following information on a Powerpoint--
A. The history of the song (make sure to include who wrote it, when it was first recorded, who first sang it, how many times it has been remade)
B. What is the meaning of the song? Find the deeper meaning not just the literal meaning.
3. Your Powerpoint must include the lyrics of the song and include images associated with the song.

Remember to have fun, but do a good job!

It is due December 18th (Periods 1,3,5) and December 19th (Periods 2,4,6)
Worth 10 points x 2

Quote Assignment 4

"The tongue like a sharp knife, kills without drawing blood."  ~Buddha

Explain the quote using a scenario and then explain the meaning in your own words.

Due Thursday, December 12 (Periods 1,3,5) and Friday, December 13 (Periods 2,4,6)
Must be TYPED

Sir Francis Bacon Essay Assignment

This week we read together and analyzed the essay "Of Studies" by Sir Francis Bacon.  Bacon wrote several essays that touch upon different aspects of life.  Each of you received an essay that you are working on either by yourself or with a partner regarding life.

When you present your essays you will be responsible for the following parts:
1. A Summary / Break down of the major points of your essay -- You will be sharing these points with the class like I did when we read the essay together.

2.  Visual -- Either using Powerpoint or a poster you will include the title of your essay with images related to your topic.  (If you draw something than you can focus on one main idea of your essay.  If you are printing out your images or cutting them out from other sources you need 3-5 images.  You can have more than 5 as well.)

3.  I will be asking you at the end of your presentation what is the best advice you ever received from someone or learned from somewhere.  Be prepared to answer this question.  If you want to include your answer with your summary you can so you have it ready to go.

Periods 1,3 will be presenting on Tuesday, December 10th
Periods 2,6 will be presenting on Wednesday, December 11th

Worth 10 points x 2

School Survey

If you have not completed the school survey that appears on your student portal (yellow bar), please do so as soon as possible.  The school needs at least 2,000 students to complete it and only 600 have completed it.
I will try to send students to complete it in Ms. Morales room tomorrow, but if you can get it done ahead of time that would be wonderful.

Thank you for your help and your feedback regarding HGHS.

Quote Assignment #3

"There comes a time when you have to stop crossing oceans for people who wouldn't jump a puddle for you."

Explain the quote using a scenario and then explain the meaning in your own words.

Due Thursday, December 5th (Periods 2,4,6) and December 6th (Periods 1,3,5)

Thanksgiving Break

Dear students:
I want you to enjoy the Thanksgiving break with your friends and family.  Therefore, there is no Reading Plus due this week.  I also am not collecting SAT/ACT Questions this week.

When we come back next week it is back to business, however.
December 3rd -- Progress Reports come out (Those of you with D's or F's I will speak to individually.)
I should also have PERT scores back next week to share with those of you who took the tests.
I will be individually sitting down with those of you who turned in your compare/contrast essays to review it with you and give you feedback on your writing.  This will take about a week to complete everyone.

While I am reviewing essays you will be working on a partner activity reading Francis Bacon essays and completing an assignment with your assigned essay.

Remember that Community Service hours are due by December 20th and I need to see your proof of your hours by 12/20!
*You can bring in pop tabs for the Ronald McDonald House -- for every 50 tabs you earn 1 hour of community service
**A Toy Drive will begin next week and for every new, unwrapped toy you bring in you will earn 1 hour of community service

Sonnets of Thanks

With Thanksgiving approaching, I thought it would be interesting to have you write your own sonnets using the theme of thanks to guide your writing.  I know many people think that sonnets are just based on love, but that is not necessarily the case.

We will be reviewing the two basic types of sonnet forms in the textbook (pg 303) and then using one of these forms you will create your own sonnet.

Sonnets will be due TYPED on Monday, November 25 (Periods 2,4,6) and November 26 (Periods 1,3,5)

Compare/Contrast Essay Rubric

Here is the breakdown of how I will grade you on your essay:

Rough Draft -- The students rough draft demonstrates they have developed their thoughts thoroughly by making changes, corrections, etc. before continuing to their final draft.

Peer Edit -- The student exchanged their essay with a classmate and the student answered the questions based on their rough draft.

Final Draft -- The student takes their rough draft and peer edit suggestions in order to type their final draft.  The final draft has few or no mispelled words, grammar errors, or typos.  The student addresses all of the areas from the peer edit questions.  The student demonstrates a clear progression of ideas that are logically organized to completely compare/contrast their topic.  The final draft is typed, double-spaced, and printed at home.

Everything is due by Thursday, November 21 (Periods 2,4,6) and Friday, November 22 (Periods 1,3,5)!

Quote Assignment 2

“Discipline is the bridge between goals and accomplishment.”  ~Jim Rohn

Assignment:

Write a scenario where this quote would apply.  Explain through the scenario what this quote means.

Due next class TYPED -- November 20 (Periods 1,3,5) and November 21 (Periods 2,4,6)

Peer Edit Questions for Compare/Contrast Essay

1.Do they use an attention grabber?  What is it?

2.Does the essay have a clear thesis (main idea sentence in the introduction paragraph)?  What is it?

3.What two things are being compared?

4.What areas are being compared?

5.Do they have at least 3 quotes to support their ideas?

6.Are transitional words used to identify points of comparison and contrast?  What are they?

7.Does the conclusion paragraph connect to their introduction paragraph?  How?

8.Could the writer add or take anything out of their essay?  Explain.

Quote Assignment

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s what you do with what happens to you.”

Aldous Huxley

Assignment:

Write a scenario where this quote would apply.  Explain through the scenario what this quote means.

Due next class typed -- November 14 (Periods 1,3,5 and November 15 (Periods 2,4,6)

No more excuses

To all my students (Periods 1-6):

We have started the second nine weeks and the excuses stop here.
From now on, if you do not complete an assignment on time and were not excused absent your grade is going in as a 0.
As far as Reading Plus is concerned, if you do not complete your Reading Plus for the week you will only have the following week to make it up.  No Reading Plus make-ups will be allowed at the end of the nine weeks.
I need to prepare you for the real world and by giving you second, third and sometimes even fourth chances I am hurting you, not helping you.

Potential Fieldtrip Opportunity

I have been tentatively approved to take 80 of my students on a fieldtrip to see the play Antony and Cleopatra on January 28th, 2014.
However, the only way this is going to be possible is if I can get 5 chaperones.  They can not be teachers from our school, security guards or secretaries.  That means I need parents or family members that are at least 21 years old and have a volunteer number.
If you have a parent or family member that can volunteer to help us out that day please let me know as soon as possible.
They need to make sure they have a volunteer number which they can sign-up through the dadeschools website at http://community.dadeschools.net/!svp/school-vol.asp

I need to know before we go on the holiday break in December if I have enough volunteers.

Compare/Contrast Assignment

Comparing and contrasting is a skill that everyone should know how to do because you will be comparing and contrasting things all your life.  With this in mind I want you to compare and contrast songs that have the same title, but are different.  For example, they are sung by different artists and therefore have different styles or lyrics.

Here is a website that gives examples of songs with the same titles, but are by different artists:
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20110630105002AAyE5H0

I want you to select two songs with the same title and then compare/contrast the two songs.

1. Using a Venn Diagram show the similarities and differences between the songs.
2. In a paragraph explain which song you like better and why.  (Try to focus on the style and lyrics of the song.)

This assignment is due November 5 (Even periods) and November 6th (Odd periods).

Worth 10 points

FYI

PERT Test dates--
Those of you in my College Prep class will be taking the test on November 25-27.

Community Service Opportunity:
If you bring in pop tabs (for example aluminum tabs from soda cans) you can earn community service hours.  For every 50 tabs you will earn 1 hour of community service.
Remember you need 10 for graduation.

Upcoming writing contests:

Due December 1st is the Florida Poetry Association content.  You can write a poem on any topic and it needs to be 32 lines long.

The Scholastic Writing Awards:  http://www.artandwriting.org/affiliate/FL002W due by December 16th.

ACT Tips for Saturday

For those of you taking the ACT this Saturday, here are some last minute tips and reminders:

*Remember to bring your admission ticket and a picture ID (i.e. driver's license, school ID, passport)
*Remember that the ACT does not deduct points for getting an answer wrong so make sure to answer all the questions.
Do not leave anything blank!
*Remember to look for errors in punctuation in the grammar section such as commas, semicolons, colons and dashes.
*Remember in the reading section to find your answer in the passage -- Prove it phrase.
*You can bring a jacket and snacks.

Good luck!

End of the Nine Weeks Updates

Dear students,

I find it amazing how many students wake up and become concerned with their grades at the end of the nine weeks when you should be on top of your grades the whole nine weeks.  Many of you have come by to see me and have emailed me asking why you received an "F" for the Courtly Love Assignment or for Reading Plus -- I did it on purpose so that you can see the impact those zeros would have on your overall grade.

Obviously I will change those grades once the assignments have been turned in or you complete the Reading Plus sessions.

Remember the last grade I am putting in for this nine weeks is the Reading Plus for this week, which needs to be completed by Sunday, October 20th.

If you have any make-up work to bring in you must do so by Monday, October 21st!

*Thursday, October 24th is the End of the nine weeks
**Friday, October 25th is Teacher Work Day (No school)

Courtly Love Assignment

During the time of King Arthur and his knights the lords and ladies of the time followed rules of courtly love.  In class you picked a number, which corresponds to one of the rules of courtly love.

Your assignment is as follows:
1. Write down your rule and explain it in your own words.
2. Give a modern day example using your rule.  In other words, give me a scenario or anecdote using your rule.
3. In your opinion, is your rule true?  Explain in at least a paragraph whether your rule applies in today's world.

*Make sure you are doing the correct number.  For example, if you picked number 1 in class you have to do the assignment using rule number 1.  If you do another number you will not get credit.

Assignment is due October 17 (Periods 2,4,6) and 
October 18 (Periods 1,3,5)

Andreas Capellanus’s Rules for Love

1. Marriage is no real excuse for not loving.

2. He who is not jealous cannot love.

3. No one can be bound by a double love.

4. It is well known that love is always increasing or decreasing.

5. That which a lover takes against the will of his beloved has no relish.

6. Boys do not love until they arrive at the age of maturity.

7. When one lover dies, a widowhood of two years is required of the survivor.

8. No one should be deprived of love without the very best of reasons.

9. No one can love unless he is impelled by the persuasion of love.

10. Love is always a stranger in the home of avarice.

11. It is not proper to love any woman whom one should be ashamed to seek to marry.

12. A true lover does not desire to embrace in love anyone except his beloved.

13. When made public, love rarely endures.

14. The easy attainment of love makes it of little value; difficulty of attainment makes it prized.

15. Every lover regularly turns pale in the presence of his beloved.

16. When a lover suddenly catches sight of his beloved, his heart palpitates.

17. A new love puts to flight an old one.

18. Good character alone makes any man worthy of love.

19. If love diminishes, it quickly fails and rarely revives.

20. A man in love is always apprehensive.

21. Real jealousy always increases the feeling of love.

22. Jealousy, and therefore love, are increased when one suspects his beloved.

23. He whom the thought of love vexes, eats and sleeps very little.

24. Every act of a lover ends with the thought of his beloved.

25. A true lover considers nothing good except what he thinks will please his beloved.

26. Love can deny nothing to love.

27. A lover can never have enough of the solaces of his beloved.

28. A slight presumption causes a lover to suspect his beloved.

29. A man who is vexed by too much passion usually does not love.

30. A true lover is constantly and without permission possessed by the thought of his beloved.

Update

This Friday, October 11th on PBS @ 9:00pm they will be showing the movie Richard V based on the Shakespeare play of the same name.

If you watch it, summarize it and give a critique of the movie (i.e. how was the acting, the costumes, the directing, etc.) I will award you extra credit points for this nine weeks.  The assignment must be typed.
Due on Monday, October 14th!

Reminders

School pictures (for IDs) is this Thursday, October 10th and Friday, October 11th.

Period 2 -- Please remember to bring in your money for United Way!

All Periods:
Nine week project walls must be completed by Friday, October 18th.  You will pick as a class your topic and everyone must contribute to the wall.  I will issue each period a wall.  Your grade will be based off of how good the wall is as a whole, not just your part.  The better your periods wall the better your grade.

*Deadline to sign-up for SAT and ACT for the December tests is November 8th!  Remember that if you are applying to college most schools do not accept scores after December.

Please register at www.getschooled.com for the attendance challenge.  Our school is competing with other schools around the country.  Let's show them what the Gladiators are all about!

SAT tips for this Saturday

To all my students taking the SAT this Saturday:

First of all I want to wish you all luck, but I also want you all to know that you should be confident.  We have been practicing for the past three weeks and you should feel comfortable with the structure of the test and the types of questions (at least the verbal section).

Here are some final reminders--
1. Remember your admission ticket with a picture ID (license, passport, school ID)!  You will not be allowed in without both of these items.
2. You can bring a jacket and snacks.  The room may get cold and if you get hungry you can have a snack in between sections or during the break.
3.  Remember you loose 1/4 point for getting questions wrong so don't just guess at random.
4.  Remember for the essay to answer the question and use strong support and details.  You do not have to write five paragraphs and you can use personal examples.

Chivalry Assignment

The code that guided knightly behavior was called chivalry or the chivalric code.

The Knight's Code of Chivalry was a moral system that stated all knights should protect others who can not protect themselves. It also included such values as: strength, discipline, loyalty, generosity and faith.

Part 1:
In your own words, answer the question: What is chivalry? or Do you think chivalry is dead?
Be honest with yourself and give some personal examples to back up your answer.

Part 2:
Interview five people by asking them the same question: What is chivalry?  or Do you think chivalry is dead? You have to ask at least one family member, one teacher/coach/administrator, and three people of your choice. Make sure to include their name, age and who they are.  Please write down their answer exactly as they tell you (whether they are right or wrong).

Due Tuesday, October 1 (Periods 2,4,6) and Wednesday, October 2 (Periods 1,3,5)

Week of September 16 - 20th Events

1.  So this week many of you took the placement test for Reading Plus and if not will be doing it on your at home.  Remember that starting September 23rd I will start counting your two sessions per week for a grade.  Your sessions need to be completed by each Sunday in order to count for the week.

2.  Many of you have also started showing me your proof of registering for the SAT/ACT exams (admission ticket) in order to get extra credit points for my class.  Friday, September 20th was the deadline for the Oct. 5th SAT and Friday, September 27th is the deadline for the Oct. ACT.

3. We also reviewed grammar rules for Verb tense and Subject - Verb agreement.  If you missed any of the notes please refer to this website:   http://www.chompchomp.com/presentations.htm

4.  We have also been using the practice SAT workbook in class and will continue to use the practice workbook for the next two weeks.  Practice is key when it comes to the SAT.

5.  Don't forget to work on your Big Future website project.  Remember you need to have at least 4 colleges that you would plan on applying to this Fall.  The website is https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/
You should click on "Find Colleges" to begin the process.

6. You received progress reports Friday, September 20th so you should see where you stand in my class right now.  If you are not happy with your grade there is time to improve your grade.

Reading Plus

You will have this week to take the placement test in Reading Plus. If you do not have a chance to take it this week in class then you are responsible for doing it at home.

Here are the steps to access Reading Plus:
1. The new website is login.readingplus.com 
2. The site code is hia117 
3. Click on the Search by class link
4. Find Manfra and the period you have me
5. Click on your name
6. Password is your ID #

Starting the week of September 23rd you will be responsible for completing two assignments of each component (IB, RA, SR) for your grade.
All assignments completed by Sunday with 80% comprehension or higher = 5pts
3 out of 6 assignments completed by Sunday with 80% comprehension or higher = 3pts
3 out of 6 assignments completed by Sunday with below 80% = 2pts

Clarifications

Dear students,

I know that there have been many schedule changes this week and I am not sure if they are done yet or not.
As far as I am concerned, we have completed Beowulf in class with the group presentations.
We have also been reviewing Pronoun agreement, which as I mentioned is important for the SAT/ACT tests (grammar sections).

In the coming weeks we will continue to cover important grammar areas that are on the SAT/ACT tests so it is important that you are in class.
I have received practice workbooks from Mr. Ochoa for the SAT and ACT tests.  We will be working with these practice booklets in class in preparation for the October tests.

If you still have not registered for the SAT the deadline is September 20th. 
The deadline for the ACT is September 27.

My Periods 1,2,3, and 6 received the handout for the BigFuture website that you should be using to find four schools that you want to apply to by December.  You will be receiving a grade for this assignment and it will be due the first week of October.  The website address is https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/

*Progress Reports are coming out this coming week as well.  For the most part grades are up to date in the gradebook except of course for the students who have just come into my class.  I will get your grades from your previous teacher and you are responsible for completing my assignments starting September 16th.

September 11th Creative Writing Assignment

Next week is the 12th anniversary of the September 11th attacks and I would like for all of you to reflect on this event.  The expressions "Never Forget" and "Remember" are words that are seen almost everywhere when it comes to this day in American history.  We must learn from history so that the same mistakes and events do not repeat themselves.

With that said, for the purposes of this assignment I would like you to find an image that deals with September 11th or if you are artistic you can draw an image yourself.  Once you have the image I want you to write either a poem or short story from the perspective of that image.
For example:

With this image I would write from the perspective of a firefighter that was there and what they were going through.

Grading Rubric:
*If you write a poem it should be at least 24 lines long.  It does not have to rhyme.

*If you write a short story it should be at least 250 words or more.

*It must be typed, 12 point font, double spaced

Due:
September 11th (Periods 2&6) and September 12th (Periods 1 &3)

Outline Quiz

The Outline Quiz will be Friday, Sept. 6 for my 1st and 3rd periods and on Monday, Sept. 9 for my 2nd and 6th period.

Make sure you have your outline notes with you that you will be allowed to use on the quiz and I will be collecting as well. No excuses for not having your notes.

The book code is: 12th Grade 4696215-50

Caps in the air

I love looking at the ceiling knowing that your graduation day is within your grasp. With that said, I want to remind all of you that there are still many steps to fulfill before you reach that moment.

In class we have discussed what we believe and trust, watched a clip of Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I have a dream speech," read a USA Today article with additional insight about the speech, watched a clip about the "Battle of the Sexes" tennis match and read an article about how the match was rigged.  This was to get our minds thinking about how we should always question where information is coming from and whether it is reliable and valid.

We have also started working on the introduction to the Anglo-Saxon Period.  We will be starting to read Beowulf in the coming days and it is important to understand the time period in which it was written.

I also hope to get most of you registered for the SAT/ACT tests.  This is just one of the important steps to take if you are planning on applying to college/universities.

Many of you submitted your first essay to me and I will be grading them in the coming days.  If you did not submit one you have earned your first 0 in my class and that is not a good way to start the year.
Let's stay focused on the goal of graduation and make sure you complete all assignments.

Enjoy Monday, September 2nd off for Labor Day and don't forget Thursday, September 5th is a Teacher Work Day.

Open House is September 10th at 7:00pm.

Essay Assignment

Write an essay of 250 – 500 words on one of the options listed below:

1.Evaluate a significant experience, achievement, risk you have taken, or ethical dilemma you have faced and its impact on you.
2.Discuss some issue of personal, local, national, or international concern and its importance to you.
3. Indicate a person who has had a significant influence on you and describe that influence.
4. Describe a character in fiction, a historical figure, or a creative work (as in art, music, science, etc.) that has had an influence on you and explain that influence.
5. A range of academic interests, personal perspectives, and life experiences adds much to the educational mix. Given your personal background, describe an experience that illustrates what you would bring to the diversity in a college community or an encounter that demonstrated the importance of diversity to you.

You must turn in a rough and final draft on August 27 (periods 1,3,5) and August 28 (periods 2,4,6)

Requirements: *Rough draft should show editing. *Final draft must be typed, 12 point font, double spaced *Include word count under your heading (name, date, period in the right hand corner)

Welcome class of 2014!

Welcome to English IV!
You either have me for regular, College Prep or Honors (honestly to me there is not much of a difference between any of these labels).
I will be teaching you all the same benchmarks with the goal of preparing you to graduate and move onto the next stage in your life, whether that is college or the working world.
We will start off right away getting ready to take the SAT or ACT tests as well as researching potential colleges and/or universities that you would be interested in applying to. 
Deadlines are fast approaching and it is extremely important to meet those deadlines.  Otherwise you may miss out on getting into the college of your choice or scholarship money.
I look forward to having a productive and memorable year with all of you.

Dear Seniors

Monday, May 6 is Open Mic Day for Periods 1,3,5
Tuesday, May 7 is Open Mic Day for Periods 2,4,6

Each period is responsible for putting on their own show.  Each student has to participate in the show in some way. 
*Those of you who created flyers and posters are responsible for hanging up your posters in the auditorium before the show and make sure that the poster is related to the event.
*Those of you helping with seating/crowd control and backstage need to behave appropriately and be present at all times.  You also have to be dressed in proper attire.
*Those of you reading poems or performing an act need to be dressed appropriately, be on time and ready to go.  You can read your poem off of your phone (make sure you can read it) or you can read it off the paper.

Anyone that does not perform or is not involved will receive an automatic 0 and there is no make-up available.

If you can not perform with your period for some reason you must let me know ahead of time and tell me which period you can come and perform.

If you do not understand these simple instructions you deserve a 0.

PERT Practice Course

Here are the steps to complete in order to get into the online course and complete a mandatory session per week:

1. Go to Pearsonmylab.com
2. Click on Register -- Student (located on the right hand side)
3. Course ID # mdc04579
4. Create an account or if you already created an account sign-in
5. Click on the "free trial for 17 days" link at the bottom of the page located above the green bar
6. Enter the Course (it should be the blue link at the top on the left-hand side)
7. I want you to focus on practicing the Writing portion (this focuses on grammar)
You can practice the Reading and Math sections of the PERT as well.
8. When you complete the session make sure to either take a picture of it with your phone for proof or send me a screen shot via email.

This practice is very important that you complete on a weekly basis for a grade.

Earth Day Assignment

In honor of Earth Day, which is April 22nd this year, I would like you to share with me why the Earth is important to you.
You can write your response in an essay format (at least 1 page, typed), a poem (at least 12 lines, typed), or a picture with a caption (picture needs to show you doing something Earth Day related like planting trees or recycling, etc.)

This assignment is due on April 24 and 25th.  No late assignments will be accepted.

Open Mic Day

Okay everyone, here is the situation:

Open Mic Day has been postponed to May 6 (Periods 1,3,5) and May 7 (Periods 2,4,6)!
That means we have two weeks to prepare and make the event even better.
Get those poems ready, practice your talents and let's make this years Open Mic Day a memorable one.

*Remember, this is a major grade so participation is mandatory.

Dade County Youth Fair Creative Writing Winners

I would like to congratulate the following students for receiving recognition at the Youth Fair for their creative writing entries:

Second Place Winners:
Nathalie Arencibia -- 2nd place for Poetry
Michelle Chow -- 2nd place for Poetry
Giannixa Galvez -- 2nd place for Poetry
Miraidys Hidalgo -- 2nd place for Poetry
Christopher Marroquin -- 2nd place for Poetry
John Morales -- 2nd place for Poetry
Laura Saavedra -- 2nd place for Poetry
Josue Sanchez -- 2nd place fore Poetry

Third Place Winners:
Samantha Collazo -- 3rd place for Poetry
Marilia Garrido -- 3rd place for Poetry
Aylin Hernandez -- 3rd place for Poetry
Gerardo Lopez -- 3rd place for Nonfiction essay
Jasmin Ochoa -- 3rd place for Poetry
Kimberly Orozco -- 3rd place for Poetry
Yesenia Rodriguez -- 3rd place for Poetry

I am proud of my students for representing Hialeah Gardens High School and demonstrating that we have talented writers.

Happiness Article Assignment

Using the articles on the following website -- http://www.newser.com/tag/22471/1/happiness.html

1. Write a summary of your article

2.  Explain whether you agree or disagree with the topic

3.  Present to class on Friday, April 5 (Periods 2,4,6) and Monday, April 8 (Periods 1,3,5)

Articles begin with #1 Crack a Smile:  It's International Happiness Day

Third Nine Weeks Extra Credit

So with three weeks left in the third nine weeks here are your options for extra credit:

1.  Level up on Reading Plus.  Many of you are close.

2.  Show me a letter that you have been accepted to a college or university.

3.  Bring in canned food for a Feed the Hungry drive from Monday, March 4th - 15th.

Each extra credit is worth 5 points.

Advice Presentations

As I mentioned at the beginning of the nine weeks, you will be giving advice to the underclassmen about a topic of your choice.  The topic should be related to high school such as how to make it to graduation or preparing for your future in college or SAT/ACT prep, etc. 

The first step is letting me know who you will be working with or if you will be working by yourself.  There is a limit of two people.
The next step is telling me the name of the teacher's class that you will be presenting to.  Make sure that you get approval from that teacher beforehand.
Then you need to figure out a topic that you will be presenting and getting my approval of it.

Requirements for the presentation:
1. It should be on a Powerpoint.  That will make the overall presentation easier because you will give the teacher your USB drive and they can put your presentation on the board for the whole class to see.
2.  It needs to be 5-10 minutes long.
3. Make sure that your presentation is informative while also being interesting.  You want to make sure the class you are presenting to is engaged in your presentation (not falling asleep).

I will provide you with a rubric to give to the teacher so that they can provide me with feedback on your presentation.
You will have from March 4 - 15 to present.

This will be the last major grade for the nine weeks so make it count!

Hamlet Critique

With this assignment you are going to have the choice between giving your opinions about the play we saw on Tuesday or the movie I showed you in class.

Your critique must be typed, double spaced, minimum one page.

Critique should include the following:
1. Clearly identify whether you are critiquing the play or the movie.
2. Be specific about what parts you like and what parts you didn't like.
3. Finish with a final concluding thought about whether you liked it overall or not.

Due on February 21st (Periods 1,3,5) or February 22nd (Periods 2,4,6)
You can turn it in early as well.
Worth 10 points.

You have the option to submit your paper to www.turnitin.com before you submit it to me.  This website will review your essay and give you feedback on it.
Create an account (click on link in top right corner)
Class ID 6143977
Password HGHS2013

** No School Monday, 2/18
** You will have a test on Hamlet this coming week so make sure you know the characters and the major events of the play.
** Progress reports come out next week.

Field trip to see Hamlet live

If you are planning on attending the field trip to see Hamlet on Tuesday, February 12th I need your permission forms by Wednesday, 2/6!

As far as what the dress code will be, it will be the standard uniform, unless you would like to make a special shirt in class using a quote from the play.  If you are interested in making your own shirt please let me know ahead of time and you must show me the shirt ahead of time.  If you would like to make your shirt in class you can bring in your own supplies and do that as well before next Tuesday.

As far as lunch is concerned for that day, unless I can talk with the bus drivers to let us pick McDonald's or something like that where we can all get off and grab something quick, you will need to bring your own lunch or if you have free or reduced lunch please let me know so I can alert the cafeteria to have a bag lunch made for you.

Looking forward to having a great experience!

Hamlet Help

Monday and Tuesday there is a quiz on the notes and what we have read so far (Act I).

Here is a link that might help you understand Act I if you were confused or didn't really pay attention to what we read in class. ;)

http://nfs.sparknotes.com/hamlet/

Don't forget to also complete two Reading Plus sessions by Sunday and complete your Gladiator Words of the Day from 1/28 - 1/31!!

Please refer to the following for the notes: 
http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CD0QFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.vusd.k12.ca.us%2Fhs%2Fvhs%2FjGrainger%2FDocuments%2FHamletpp.ppt&ei=ssoKUeF8jKLxBOb1gZgJ&usg=AFQjCNFHa6i0ehXYEz4auaE8nIK4WRkE_A&bvm=bv.41642243,d.eWU

Sir Francis Bacon Assignment

You will get an essay to read with either a partner or on your own.

Part 1: Answer the question – What is the best advice you have either received or given? Please explain your answer using specific details.

Part 2: Summarize the main points of your essay.

Part 3: Select a quote from your essay that you feel makes a good point or teaches a lesson/advice. Create a small poster using that quote and images associated with your essay.

Part 4: Present your essay to the class and hang up small poster.

Presentations will be due January 24 (Periods 1,3,5) and January 25 (Periods 2,4,6)
It is the first major grade for the third nine weeks!

End of the Second Nine Weeks

The second nine weeks is coming to an end!!
The last grades are the SAT/ACT questions for the week of January 7th, two Reading Plus Sessions by 1/13/2013, and the Gladiator words of the day from the week of January 7th.

You also received a classwork grade for completing the Chevy Teacher of the Year nomination form or submitting to the Youth Fair Creative Writing contest.

I am closing the gradebook on Tuesday once I put in the words of the day so whatever grade you have by Tuesday is the grade you have for this nine weeks.

** Remember there is no midterm so the grading scale is as follows:
4 point scale
Annual Courses – multiply by 2.5
A = 4 points    x2.5=10       
B = 3 points    x2.5=7.5
C = 2 points    x2.5=5
D = 1 point     x2.5=2.5
F = 0 points

This next week I will be issuing an assignment using essays by Sir Francis Bacon where you will select a piece of advice or lesson that you learn from the piece.

Important dates:
January 17th -- Early Release
January 18th -- Teacher work day (No school)
January 21st -- Martin Luther King day (No school)
February 1st -- Teacher work day (No school)

Heads up for the third nine weeks -- we will be reading Hamlet by Shakespeare!