PIG/ECO- Research Paper & Eng- read In the Heart of the Sea (ITHOTS) and prepare for your presentation

PIG/ECO- check the right side of the blog for due dates and handouts for the research paper.

Reaction to Gangs of New York & Edited Speeches was due the Friday before vacation!!!

Plunkitt often says that he "sees his opportunites and takes 'em."  Choose two characters from the movie who acted on this advice.  Explain the opportunity, how they acted on it and whether you agree or disagree with their decision. 

Suggested Characters:  Amsterdam Vallon, Jenny Everdeen, The butcher (Bill Cutting), Boss Tweed, Monk (the elected sheriff), Johnny...and there are many more. 

We worked on improving vocabulary usage and sentence combining for variety and fluency.  Click HERE for the handout. 
Also print a new copy of your edited speech for Ms. Dimambro for Friday!!!- Know your grammar.

Week of 12/12 PIG/ECO- Sin taxes, Plunkitt Test

Monday:  Read chapter 21 "Concerning Excise"
We will be discussing Sin taxes like taxing sugary Soda...EAT an APPLE instead!!  click HERE for the reading.

Click HERE for all additional notes on taxes and political parties
Wednesday:  Test on Plunkitt.  Click HERE for the test questions.

RETURN YOUR PLUNKITT BOOK ON THURSDAY - TEST DAY

If you do not have your book you will lose 10 POINTS on your test!!

If you have not presented on Plunkitt you will do so on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday ...review your presentations to a be a good public speaker!!!

Week of 12/12-English

From Monday-Wednesday this week, you will be delivering your speeches you composed.  All speeches are due on Monday, typed, double-spaced. You will be graded on both the content of your written speech and your delivery.

From Thursday-Friday, you will view Gangs of New York. 

PIG/ECO week of 12/5- taxes, wealth redistribution or class warfare?

Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday:  We will be discussing taxes and how to reduce the national deficit.  We are using the packet that discusses differences between the Tea Party and the Progressives.  This packet also discusses the Buffet rule and taxes. 

For Thursday:  Read chapter 5 in Plunkitt "NY is pie for the hayseeds" and the "Mapping NY" group will present

For Friday: Read chapter 7 "On the Shame of the cities"

More to posted soon...

Week of 12/5- English

On Monday, December 5th, we will finish delivering impromptu speeches; we will also discuss the requirements for your upcoming final for Plunkitt- writing and delivering your own speech.  Click HERE for the speech requirements handout.

On Tuesday, December 6th, we will dedicate our class time to preparing for the My Stuff Bags fundraiser- we will meet in committees to create and hang flyers, compose announcements, create Freshman Seminar presentation and afterschool pick up schedules, etc.

On Wedensday and Thursday, December 7th and 8th, we will be in the computer lab working on your speeches; presentations will begin on Monday, December 12th.

On Friday, December 9th, we will focus again on My Stuff Bags, specifically the foster children we will be assisting.

Week of 11/28 English

On Monday and Tuesday we will discuss the allusion Plunkitt makes to Julius Caesar in his speech "Ingratitude in Politics."

For homework on Tuesday night, complete the following assignment:
  
Read "The Successful Politician Does Not Drink" on page 77, and answer the following questions.
1) What is Plunkitt's argument in this speech?
2) What persuasive appeal does he primarily use (pathos, logos, or ethos)? Explain.
3) Identify and explain how Plunkitt utilizes two different rhetorical strategies to solidify his argument/ purpose.

This will be collected and graded tomorrow!

On Wednesday through Friday, we will review and practice the elements of effective public speaking.

Week of Nov 28th- Civil Service, Tammany, reform movements

PIG/ECo- We will start Plunkitt presentations this week - below is the tentative schedule for presentations and due dates for readings from the book.   Be ready to present and make sure you read- there will be reading quizes!!! make sure your presentation is shared and you know what you want to say without looking at the smart board.

Monday- Presenters: Tammany Hall and "Building New York"- No reading due

Tuesday- No presentations but Chapter 3 in Plunkitt is due "The curse of Civil Service Reform."  In addition if you have given me the letter to your senator concerning congressional insider trading it is due today.

Wednesday- Presenters:   Journalism, African-Americans/Seneca Village, Fashion, NY as a living city, Chapter 4 "Reformers only Mornin' Glories"

Week of Thanksgiving- Rhetorical analysis, insider trading, Plunkitt

English- We have been rhetorically analyzing select speeches from Plunkitt of Tammany Hall.  To date, we have read "Dangers of the Dress Suit in Politics" and "Ingratitude in Politics."
Click HERE for the rhetorical analysis worksheet for the "Dangers of the Dress Suit in Politics."
Click HERE for the rhetorical analysis worksheet for "Ingratitude in Politics."

PIG/ECO
Everyone was assigned a topic in the time of Plunkitt to research and presentations will start after Thanksgiving Break.  Make sure your presentations are shared or emailed to dimambrohahn@gmail.com
Click HERE for the assignment.  

Plunkitt endorses "honest graft" and taking his opportunities when he sees them.  Click HERE for the handout on honest graft and insider trading.
Click HERE for the 60 minutes clip we watched or google "60 minutes insider trading"
Click HERE for the assignment on insider trading- THIS IS DUE THE TUESDAY WE RETURN FROM THANKSGIVING BREAK.

The cost of college

PIG/ECO--For all the documents and the assignment on whether college debt is worth it click HERE.
The Assignment will be due Thursday Nov 17th.

ENGLISH- Steve Jobs' Speech Analysis:
Click HERE for the rhetorical analysis worksheet.
Click HERE for the arguable points worksheet.

Week of Nov 7th- End of the marking quarter!!! Did you complete your make-up work?

All make-up work for both English and PIG/ECO must be made-up by the end of the day this Wednesday (November 9th) !!! 

Make sure you have taken the Hiroshima tests for both Eng and Pig!
you can make-up the last reading quiz on Hiroshima too!
If  you miss an assignment in PIG it must be submitted to Ms. Hahn by Wednesday!!!

We will be discussing our service learning project this week and discussing the cost of a college education by the end of this week or next week.

Week of 10/31

Happy Halloween!

You have an English test today, October 31st!

This week we will be working on our service learning presentations.  Click HERE for the handout. You will have four class periods to complete the assignment, and we will begin presentations on Thursday or Friday, November 3rd or 4th.

If you did not take the English test on Monday, you MUST make it up this week in either extra help or during one of your off periods.

Week of 10/24 English 4

Today, Monday October 24th, we will begin working on the final project for Hiroshima, which requires you and your group members to create a memorial for one of the survivors.  You will be given class time on Tuesday and Wednesday to complete the project. 

On Monday, October 31st, you will have your in-class exam on Hiroshima.  Please click HERE for the test questions.  Be sure to adequately prepare for each of the questions, even though you will only be given four to answer on the day of the exam.  Your copy of Hiroshima is your ticket to the test.  Failure to bring in the novel will result in a point penalty.

Friday, October 28th, is "Be the Change" day at Calhoun.  We will focus on something related to this theme in class.

English 4- Week of 10/17

Tuesday, October 18th- We will  work on supporting or refuting several thesis statements that are specific to Hiroshima. Each group will be responsible for supporting or refuting and then presenting one thesis statement to the class. Please finish Hiroshima by Thursday.

Wednesday, October 19th- The Great Debate- Each group will present their arguments supporting/refuting their thesis statement; a class discussion will ensue after each presentation. 

Thursday, October 20th- We will begin discussing "The Aftermath" in class, focusing specifically on Hersey's use of foreshadowing and Maslow's Hierarchy. 

Friday, October 21st- Troubleshooting Your Writing/Grammar Day

Week of Oct 17 PIG-- Test on Thursday

You will have a test on Thursday on all topics covered thus far in the class.  Prepare your responses to test questions in advance. Click HERE for the test questions.

Monday through Wed we are discussing nuclear energy.  Click HERE for the reading. For the 60 minutes clip google Vive La Nukes.

On Friday you will research a memorial, mostly US memorials but some international ones.  click HERE for the assignment on memorials.

Week of 10/11 PIG *** Due Friday 10/14- read half of chapter 4 - up to page 78- Dr. Fuji @ the end of the page

The "Self-reflection" assignment on the Maslow handout is due Wednesday 10/12.  See last week's post for the assignment.  Please make sure that you include anecdotes (personal experiences) to highlight each level of the hierarchy and the aspects of self-actualization that you have chosen.

Monday - off for Columbus day
Tuesday we finished looking at Japanese culture. Click HERE for the handout.
Wednesday - we discussed if dropping the bomb was the right decision.  The documents used for this discussion will be uploaded shortly.

Thursday and Friday we watched White Light Black Rain, a documentary of the bombings of both Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Friday we will begin to discuss chapter 4.

Week of 10/3 English

This week we will focus on chapter two of Hiroshima.  We will discuss how the mood of ambiguity and trepidation created in the first chapter is heightened in this chapter by discussing the effects the atomic bomb had on the environment and the victims;  we will also discuss how some of the survivors emerged as Good Samaritans during a time of tragedy and how others did not.  Click HERE for the Good Samaritan handout. 

Chapter three of Hiroshima will be due on Tuesday, October 10th.

You should continue to edit and revise your college essays.  It is imperative that you have an adult (me, Ms. Hahn, a guidance counselor, a parent, or another teacher) read your essay. All essay revisions will be due on October 21st.

Week of 10/3 - PIG

Monday through Wednesday:  Discussion of Abraham Maslow's theory of needs & motivation- Click HERE for the handout.  Think about how each character in Hiroshima must struggle with certain needs before they can move on with their lives. 

The "Self-reflection" piece of the handout is due Friday 10/7.  You will have class time to complete it on Wednesday.

Week of 9/26 English

If you did not finish the Japanese-American Internment Camp internet assignment, please click HERE, complete the assignment, and submit it to me ASAP!

If you missed the first reading quiz on chapter one of Hiroshima, you must make up the assignment by Wednesday, September 28th.  Please click HERE for the charactization handout for chapter one.

The first draft of your college essays is due tomorrow, Tuesday September 27th.  Please make sure your essay is typed, double-spaced, and between 250-500 words.  DO NOT PUT YOUR NAME ON YOUR ESSAY!  Instead, create a three or four digit number that will serve as your ID.

Chapter two in Hiroshima will be due on Monday, October 3rd.

Week of Sept. 19-27th: Post 9/11 hysteria vs. WWII hysteria - internment camps, nuclear terrorism, Patriot act, the cost of war

Monday & Tuesday's lesson -Click HERE for the reading on 9/11 Mosque (Muslim community center)
Click HERE to see the 60 minutes clip we watched in class

Wednesday and Thursday's lesson:  For our discussion of the Japanese internment camps click HERE for the video clip and HERE for the reading on the Koramatsu Case

Friday's lesson we assessed if nuclear terrorism was a real threat.  For the handout and opinions on if terrorists can really get their hands on nuclear weapons click HERE.

On Monday and tuesday (Sept. 26th and 27th) we looked at the cost of war on our service men and women.  We discussed 5 articles, including:
Military Suicide rates
Jobless for Vets
Homeless for Vets
Divorce rate for Female soldiers-- this link may not work
PTSD
For each article we identified the problem, the cause, what is being done to fix the problem and what should be done.

On Wednesday (before the Jewish holidays) we shared college essays- kudos to the winners!!!

Hiroshima

Today we began Hiroshima by John Hersy, and we dicussed Hersey's rationale for composing the novel .  Please click HERE for the John Hersey handout.  For homework, please read the first chapter, which will be due on Thursday.  FYI- You have group guidance on Wednesday.

College Essays

We just started the process of drafting your first college essay.  Please click HERE to view the guidelines for composing the essay.  Your first draft will be due on Tuesday, September 27th.  Please make sure your essay is typed.
Please click HERE to access the College Essay Brainstorming Worksheet.

Summer Reading Essay Test Questions

Task:  Write a four to five paragraph essay.  Choose one of the following choices:

1.  Persuasive Essay- Persuade me to either keep or remove your summer reading book from the district’s summer reading list.  Use details about characters, their actions, their relationships and their conflicts to explain why it should or should not be removed from the summer reading list.

2.  Critical Lens Essay- “Literature inspires us to transcend (to rise above or go beyond the limits of) our own experiences.” Using your summer reading book, agree or disagree with the statement.  Be sure to use specific (literary) examples to defend your position.

PIG- Top Secret America Response paper due Friday

Click HERE for the guiding questions and the response paper assignment.  You may work with a partner or a group of 3. 
Please submit this assignment via Googledocs.  Make sure you title your document with all the last names of group members, the period you have English and the title of the assignment "Top secret." 
Click HERE for a link to the video.

For the response please elaborate on your answers by providing details, examples from the movie and well thought out reasons for your opinions. 

Remember if you are absent you are still responsible for all work!!!

English 4

Please bring the completed Interrupted Reading packet with you to class today. 
Your summer reading essay exam will take place in class on Tuesday and Wednesday, September 13-14.  You may bring in your summer reading novel and/or a page of handwritten notes to assist you in composing your essay.

English 4

Get plagiarism policy signed! DUE TOMORROW!
If you haven't already read a summer reading book, READ ONE!  You will have an essay exam next week. 

9/11 memorial assignment- to be completed in class on Thursday!

1st make sure you have saved the blog address to your favorites.

2nd- Examine your assigned gallery by artist Jonathan Hyman and complete your worksheet.  Click HERE to access the exhibition.

3rd- Complete the 9/11 interview for homework- Due tomorrow (Friday).  Interview someone who is over 25!!!  click HERE if you lost the handout or make your own questions. 

Welcome back Seniors 2012

1st Homework assignment!!
Get Parent sheet signed
& become a follower of the blog

and it wouldn't hurt to watch the news and pick up a newspaper.