Creating Infographics

You may want to check this out for creating your presentation slides.
https://piktochart.com

Rough drafts due on Turnitin by 11:30 a.m. today

As I posted on Schoology, you were supposed to have submitted your rough draft of your research paper on Turnitin before you went to sleep last night. Only 28 people from a class of 41 did so. Congratulations to those of you who met your deadline.

The remaining 13 must go to the library and submit their rough draft to Turnitin by 11:30 a.m. in order to pass the class. Late papers will not be accepted. Without a rough draft, final drafts will not be accepted. Failure to turn in a rough draft is condemning yourself to failing the class.

College application essays, note cards, research paper rough draft

I've graded about half of the college application or introduction to work essays and I will have the rest done before grades are turned in on Thursday. If you did not get full credit, you may revise it for a higher grade. There is a revision folder for it in Turnitin.com.

You should have turned in 20 note cards last week and an additional 20 note cards by Thursday of this week. I will accept them on Friday, but those won't be reflected in the midterm grades. See my update on Schoology for more information.

Next week you should begin writing your rough draft. The rough draft is due by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 29 on Turnitin. If you have some sort of computer meltdown at home that weekend, I will accept it by the end of class on Monday, Oct. 30. After that, rough drafts will not be accepted and you will not be allowed to turn in a final draft. If you don't turn in a final draft, you will not be allowed to present in March. You will also most likely fail the fall semester.

Therefore, the rough draft is the most important deadline you need to meet this semester, followed by the final draft on Dec.  4. It will take me two or three weeks to grade your rough drafts. During this time, we will return to the ERWC book and complete the Rhetoric of the Op-Ed Page module.

Senior Project Letter of Intent

It's September. You should have chosen a topic for your Senior Project research paper and have a rough idea of what you will do for a 20-hour project. (This may evolve as you gain more knowledge.)

Your Letter of Intent is due on Turnitin.com by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 8. See the Senior Project Survival Guide (school website, Students, Senior Project) or the box at right or the Pathfinder book in class.

The class code for Turnitin is 1609406. The password (enrollment key) is period3.

Welcome to Senior Year English

Welcome back. I hope everyone had a fabulous and restful summer. We have a busy and exciting year ahead of us. We will be moving through the ERWC curriculum using your Student Reader as well as working on your Senior Project which will culminate in presentations next March.

The syllabus is posted in the box at right. It may change depending on special school schedules for various events.

We will be using Schoology for the most part, so this blog is intended as a backup. You will log on to Schoology using your school mail and 10-digit school identification. Assignments will be posted there.

Please remember: No food or drink in the classroom. You will be coming in here from nutrition, so it is important to finish your food and drink before entering. The school has a rodent problem and I do not want to contribute to it.

BBF Chpt. 3

On March 16, the assignment was to do a quote/response from chapter 3 and to correctly use five of the vocabulary words each  in an original sentence. Several of you have not done this. Please do so ASAP.

The vocabulary words are: jaundice, puniness, sluice, emaciated, blight, lurid, furtively, plague, forebearance, ransacked, discerning, dregs, furtively and autorickshaw.

Vocabulary for Prologue, chapters 1-2

There will be a vocabulary test on Tuesday, March 14. Use the following link to study.https://www.memrise.com/course/1074711/behind-the-beautiful-forevers-part-i-and-2/1/
You will need to sign up to use the site.

Behind the Beautiful Forevers Prologue

Prologue
1. In the prologue, we are introduced to Abdul, who is hiding after being accused of
attempted murder. He is Muslim, a religious minority in the largely Hindu slum of
Annawadi. (Note: A brief history of Hindu-Muslim tension since Indian independence
from Britain will enhance the reading experience.) What are the two reasons Abdul is fearful of his neighbors? Discuss the role religion plays in initiating this conflict.

2. Make a list of the items found in Abdul’s shed. As you read Behind the Beautiful Forevers,
analyze what this trash reveals about how people live in the overcity—a world Abdul
understands only through its throwaways.

3. Abdul’s motto is to “avoid trouble.” Why is this especially important to him? Is this a
reasonable philosophy of life in a place like Annawadi?

Google Workaround

While we wait for Mike to permanently fix the problem, here is a workaround:

http://achieve.lausd.net/Page/11048
Click on Windows Certificates.
Click on Quick Installer..

This only works for while you are on the computer. The next time you sign on, you may have to do it again.

Senior Project Deadlines

15-20 hour project log: Feb. 16, 10:30 a.m. (beginning of class)
Visual product (slides or Prezi) Feb. 23, 11:30 a.m. (end of class)

See previous entries for project ideas.
See files in the Senior Project folder in the box at right for guidelines on the presentation.

More Project Opportunities

Here are some ideas from Mayor Garcetti's Office: Get Involved

If those don't work for you, go to DoSomething.org. The link is on the right.

Senior Project Update

As we wrap up the two-minute keyword speeches, we will begin working on your slides for your March 2 presentation and begin rehearsing for your seven-to-10-minute presentation. Each student will have a seven-minute practice during the month of February.

Your physical project hours(15 minimum, 20 for an A) are due Feb. 16.  The project must reflect a dedication to the cause and a learning stretch, a greater depth of knowledge and learning. It must have a logical and relevant link to the senior project topic, and it must have a real-world application. You can print a copy of the project log and the product rubric from the box at right.

Now would be an excellent time to meet with your mentor, either as a cohort or on your own. Be sure to make an appointment with them. 

Final Exam

Your final exam is to prepare an electronic portfolio and share it with me on Google Drive. The portfolio should contain the following:

• letter of intent
• college application essay
• research paper final draft
• reflection

The first three items are in Turnitin. You can download them and upload them to your folder if you don't have a copy elsewhere. 

Your reflection should be in paragraph form and should address the following (these are suggestions, feel free to add your own):

What assignment are you most proud of this semester and why?
Which assignment would you most like to do over and why?
What have you learned about yourself as a writer?
What areas do you need to improve on next semester?

20 Hour Physical Project

Please use this form so I can keep track of your physical projects. https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeKUgALeQRwfWOqYYTMPbl8EBUjEW-rKzOdq57jMV_F95bE2A/viewform
The task analysis from the Pathfinder will be returned to you. I will use this as a quick reference as to who is doing what.

Your hours will be due Feb. 16. You can download the project log and the rubric from the box at right in the Senior Project folder.

20 Local Organizations That Need Your Help Through a Trump Presidency | L.A. Weekly

Here are some ideas for the project phase that may apply to some of your topics. Take a look.

20 Local Organizations That Need Your Help Through a Trump Presidency | L.A. Weekly

Interview an Expert

Interviewing someone who has knowledge and expertise in your Senior Project topic is a great way to not only gather information for your research paper but to make a contact who might help you in the project phase. It is enjoyable to talk to someone who is interested in your subject and most people are happy to talk about what they do for a living.

The information you gain from this person is often more valuable than the material taken from written sources. Take full advantage of your time with this expert by properly preparing ahead of time. Use effective interviewing skills, and immediately afterwards carefully review your notes.*

Thanksgiving week would be a great time to complete the interview, either in person or over the phone. Most people have Thursday and maybe Friday off, but they will be at work Monday through Wednesday.
*(Ms. Abad)

Oh, for the Joy of a Tickled Rat - The New York Times

Read the story, watch the video and post a comment.

Oh, for the Joy of a Tickled Rat - The New York Times

No Red Ink Exercises

Some people failed to do the In-Text Citation exercises on No Red Ink.com and some people failed to finish it. If you want to make it up the class codes is v4ew4hw9.

Rough Draft of Research Paper

The rough draft of your research paper is due on Turnitin by the end of the school day on Monday, Nov. 7. We are booked for the library on that day, so anyone who had trouble uploading it to Turnitin over the weekend can do so in the library. This is a failsafe. In reality, it should have been done over the weekend. Do not plan on writing your paper in the library on Monday. It should already be written and you are just looking it over to make sure everything is correct before uploading it to Turnitin.

Your paper should be eight to 10 pages typed, double-spaced, with one inch margins, 12 pt. type, Times, Times New Roman, or Courier font. The Works Cited page counts as a page. For sample papers, see the HHS Style Guide in the box at right or pgs. 346-352 in the Writers Choice book.

For citing sources, see pages 334-338.

Research Paper Outline

Your outline is due by the end of class on Friday if it is hand written (use a pen please) and by 11:59 p.m. Sunday if it is uploaded to Turnitin. See the handout I gave you in class or pgs. 326-327 in the Writer's Choice book.