English 11A Assignment Sheet Name Unit 1: A+ Assignments (10 Pts/lesson) Unit 2: Literature (as assigned by your instructor) Book Review (75 pts) A+ Literature Assignments: Unit 3: Writing House of Seven Gables (110 pts-a+) Red Badge of Courage (120 pts-a+) Current Events (15 pts) Restaurant Review (25 pts) Biography Writing (25 pts) (Watch the video: DLA Writing: Biographical Writing) Autobiographical Poem (25 pts) (Watch the video: The Poetry Lounge) Suggested Percentages: Units: 1. 40% 2. 20% 3. 25% 4. 5% 5. 10% Unit 4: Public Speaking Poetry Reading (25 pts) (You must complete the assignment Autobiographical Poem before doing this assignment.) Unit 5: United Streaming videos and quizzes (10 pts each) http://students.discoveryeducation.com/genericstudentindex.cfm?cdpasscode=t96a9-e666 Great Books: The Grapes of Wrath Great Books: The Red Badge of Courage The Clearvue/eav History of American Literature, 3 rd Ed.: The Birth of a National Literature The Poetry Lounge: Self-Expression Through the Spoken Word NQ _ Discovering Language Arts: Writing: Biographical Writing (segment) *NQ: no quiz for the video.
Plagiarism: What is it? Simply put, plagiarism is stealing written work from another writer. It is not copying or borrowing. It is theft and it could even be considered to be fraud, which is a crime! No matter what your excuse for turning in someone else s work as your own, it is still cheating and very unethical behavior. It can happen at all levels of society and the definition doesn t change whether at the high school level or professional. To prevent turning in a plagiarized paper, a writer must cite the work if there is anything that is not original thought added to the written work. Your teacher will give you guidelines for the proper method(s) of citing your research paper or any other writing assignment you may have to complete. Some examples of plagiarism are: 1) turning in someone else s work as your own 2) copying words or ideas from someone else without giving credit 3) failing to put a quotation in quotation marks 4) giving incorrect information about the source of a quotation 5) changing words by copying the sentence structure of a source without giving credit 6) copying so many words or ideas from a source that it makes up the majority of your work, whether you give credit or not. [http://www.plagiarism.org/learning_center/what_is_plagiarism.html] Don t forget: citing your sources and giving credit for material you want to use makes your written work ethical and trustworthy, and a reflection of who you are as a person. Citing allows you to write papers that other people will want to read and perhaps be encouraged to continue to do further research on their own. Be a leader, not a follower. Write your own thoughts and ideas. If you want to support your ideas with those of others, remember to cite the material properly. It is very easy to cheat and plagiarize. It is, as well, very easy for your teacher to check to see if your paper has been plagiarized. Penalties can be severe, so do it right...it is worth it! 20080701/ cp VPL English 11A
Name English 11A Unit 2: Book Review Assignment 75 Points Introduction Have you grumbled about book reports in the past? This is your chance to complete a book review project as an alternative to a book report. You can show your creativity and talents by completing an original project to summarize your book. Be creative and have fun! Step 1: Choice: Visit with your instructor about a book to read and review for your English class. Your teacher has been provided with a list of books that match the themes of your English class. You may choose from that list or you may choose a book with a different theme but be sure your book choice has been approved by the teacher. The school library or the public library in your community will have other books that revolve around the same themes as your English class. Instructor approval: Step 2: Format: Next, choose the book review presentation you want to use from the following list. You must select a different project than used in English 10B. Your book review project must be presented to your class and/or teacher. If your book project will take special materials to complete, you are responsible for finding those materials. Your book review project must also be approved by your instructor. Follow all requirements carefully! Instructor approval:
Name English 11A Book Review Project List 1. Create a mini scrapbook of the story that includes at least 12 pages. Each page must include a written caption, as well as an introduction, characters, setting, plot, at least 5 story events, major problem solved, and a closing. Use a variety of recycled materials in constructing the scrapbook such as yarn, buttons, rocks, twigs, leaves, bottle caps, cloth scraps, crayons, paints, markers, wire, etc. Get feedback from at least two other people on how to improve the scrapbook as you construct the pages. Present the scrapbook to your class or teacher. 2. Create a new card game that summarizes the story. Use card stock or other heavy paper to create cards that are similar to playing cards. Cards must include characters, setting, plot, events, problems, problem resolution, and the ending of the story. Include a written set of directions for playing the card game. You can use the computer to create the cards and then cut them out, or, create the cards freehand. Play the game with a classmate or the teacher in order to present the project. 3. Using software, create a graphic presentation that summarizes the details of each character in the story AND how each character changes throughout the story. This book review project requires that you use a book that has not been made into a movie. Get instructor approval of the software that you will be using to create your character transformation project. Be creative and give enough details to thoroughly explain how the character changes. For this project, the book must have at least 5 characters; if not, choose a different project. To present the project, prepare a written script that details the process you went through to create the presentation, and explaining what the graphics intend to portray. Practice your presentation before the final viewing in front of your class or teacher. 4. Create a new book jacket for the book. Review other book jackets to gather ideas. Be creative. The book jacket must include original thoughts and artwork. Basically, you are providing a whole new perspective to future buyers of the book. The book jacket must include a new synopsis for the inside front cover and advertising on the back of the book jacket. The synopsis must be typed without any errors. The book jacket design can be created on the computer or by free hand. Before you reveal the new book jacket to your audience, hand out a blank note card to each member of the audience so that they can give you ideas and suggestions of what they liked and what they didn t like. All critique cards must be turned in to the instructor along with the new book jacket. 5. Create a book talk to present the book to an audience. A book talk includes an introduction with details about the author and publisher, important details about why the book was written, and the reading of at least two passages from the book before the problem resolution of the book. A book talk is intended to hook the audience and convince others to read the book, without giving away the ending or resolution. Prepare a script of what you will say. Practice reading your script and the reading passages from the book in front of a mirror. When you feel you are ready, present your book talk to your instructor or classmates. (Passages read should be at least two minutes in length or longer.) 6. Write your own original book review format here: This list was selected from More Ideas Than You ll Ever Use for Book Reports. http://theliterarylink.com/bookreports.html
Name Step 3: Complete the Book Review Title Page and turn in with your book review project. Book Review Title Page Name of Book & Author (3 pts.) Publisher & Date published (3 pts.) Major themes in the book (ex. Man vs. man; man vs. nature etc.) (3 pts.) What is learned by the main character(s)? How does the main character change? Did the main character overcome a problem? (9 pts) Your favorite quote from the book: (3 pts.) Write one paragraph giving at least 3 reasons for or against recommending the book to someone else.(14 pts.) /35 pts
Book Review Project & Title Page Grading Rubric Name 5=Exceeds Requirements 3 = Meets Requirements 1=Needs Improvement Category 5 3 1 1. Book Review is neatly organized and shows careful planning. 2. Book Review Title Page is complete and turned in with project. 3. Title page gives solid evidence of reading comprehension. 4. Book Review project is creative and attractive. 5. Book Review project gives solid evidence of reading comprehension. 6. Written work within Book Review project is organized effectively with correct grammar and punctuation. 7. Graphics and drawings within Book Review are neat, creative, and precise. 8. Oral presentation was professional, energetic, and effective. Project: 40 pts. Title Page: 35 pts. = 75 pts. Total /75 pts
English 11A Unit 3: Current Events 15 Points Name STEP 1: Select three articles from various sources such as the Internet, magazine, newspaper, radio, or television news programs. A chart, graph or picture should accompany at least one article and one article should include a quotation. Make sure to have an instructor approve all three articles. STEP 2: For each article, type a response to what you have read and include a copy of each article. Use appropriate transitions to connect ideas within and between paragraphs, and vary your sentence structure and length. Keep in mind the following questions when summarizing the article: Article 1: Who was involved? What happened? Where did it take place? When did it happen? Why did it happen? Article 2: Who was involved? What happened? Where did it take place? When did it happen? Why did it happen? Article 3: Who was involved? What happened? Where did it take place?
Name When did it happen? Why did it happen? STEP 3: For each current event, type a response to what you have read and attach a copy of each article. Keep in mind the following questions when summarizing the article: Is the information in this article reliable? Do the pictures, charts, graphs, or quotations add to the article? Is the information relevant to a wide audience? What is your reaction to the article? Article 1: Source: (Be specific) Article 2: Source: (Be specific) Article 2: Source: (Be specific) Instructor Approval Instructor Approval Instructor Approval Turn in your first draft for your instructor to review. Make corrections as noted and turn in your final copy. Turn in: Final draft, worksheet, and articles (15)
Name Grading Rubric: Current Events Criteria Focus Organization Writing Conventions Word Selection Understanding of Content 1 = Meets Standards Focused on topic. Purposeful and reflects insight. Organization and use of transitional devices meet requirements Minimal errors in sentence structure, sentence structure varied. Good word choices. Few errors in grammar and mechanics. Uses appropriate vocabulary to convey meaning. Paper shows good understanding of content of article. 0 = Needs Revision Unfocused on topic and includes many loosely related ideas. Organization totally disjointed. Numerous errors in sentence structure, unsatisfactory word choice, numerous errors in grammar and mechanics. Score Reflects a poor grasp of the content of the article. Reflects a poor grasp of the content of the article. TOTAL /5 Instructor Comments:
Name English 11A Unit 3: Restaurant Review Persuasive Essay 25 Points Introduction: Do you have a favorite restaurant? Is there a restaurant where you refuse to eat? Is there a new restaurant opening in your local area? Business owners opening a restaurant want those who read restaurant reviews to be persuaded to visit their restaurant. Readers of the review do want the facts but also desire your opinion before taking the time and effort to travel there. Your assignment is to visit a new or existing restaurant and then prepare a persuasive essay to convince readers either to patronize the restaurant or stay away and satisfy their palate elsewhere. [Persons entering this field fall under the category of Business, Marketing, and Management on the Kansas Career Fields and Clusters Model.] Tip: If you are unable to visit the restaurant but have eaten there in the past and the restaurant has a website, go to the restaurant s website for information. If you use web site information, site your references in a Works Cited page, using proper MLA format. Note: Be sure to get your instructor s approval of the restaurant to be reviewed before completing this assignment! Instructor s Approval: STEP 1: Complete the fact and opinion chart provided after your restaurant visit. Add your own categories to the chart as needed. Restaurant Name Date of Review Type of restaurant 10 Pts. 1. Atmosphere/Ambiance Includes the lighting, wall colors, background music, decorations, and style. Consider smoking and nonsmoking issues. Facts Opinions 20080801/cp VPL English 11A
Name 2. Professionalism of staff. Includes the greeting, friendliness of staff. Did staff make you feel comfortable? Facts Opinions 3. Location Easy to find, abundance of parking; handicapped parking. To go parking or drive through available? 4. Menu Specials, appetizers, low-fat choices, vegetarian choices, calorie counts, neatness of menu, easy to understand, prices available. 5. Price Low, medium, and high $ choices. Average entrée price, value. 6. Pace Relaxed, patient, fast, rushed. Reservations required? Wait on a weekend evening to be seated? Payment - Wait time to receive check; tallied correctly. 7. Dress code Posted, followed, enforced. Staff dresses appropriately. 8. The food! Attractively presented, taste, size of portions, special seasonings, originality, freshness, variety. 9. Visual details Sounds, smells, tastes, touch, textures. 10. Would you return? 11. Your own category. 20080801/cp VPL English 11A
Name STEP 2: First Draft Persuasive Essay, 9 paragraphs minimum Now that you have completed your fact/opinion chart you are ready to persuade the readers to attend or avoid the restaurant in your first draft. Consider using common persuasive techniques that persuasive writers often use such as bandwagon appeal which encourages the reader to support your opinion because everyone else is, providing testimonials from famous people that asks the reader to accept a product because it is endorsed by someone famous or respected, or bias, which is the use of emotional words to slant the reader in a certain direction. As you construct your first draft, remember to include an engaging introduction that states your position about the restaurant. The body paragraphs of your paper should include reasons, details, opinions, and facts that support your main argument. The closing should restate your position. Consult a thesaurus for ideas on strong descriptive adjectives, concrete nouns, and action verbs to evoke imagery. Sensory details in your essay will be important so that the readers of the restaurant review can picture the restaurant in their mind, visualize the plate of food, taste the entrée you are describing on their tongue, and agree with your opinion of whether to spend money there! After your first draft is complete, turn it in to your instructor for ideas on strengthening your essay. STEP 3: Now that your instructor has provided some improvement comments, edit your first draft for smooth transitions between sentences and paragraphs. Your sentences should be of different lengths and sentence fragments should be used sparingly. Check your paper for style, accuracy, smoothness, precise words, colorful modifiers, spelling, grammar, and punctuation. Prepare a final copy to turn in to your teacher for grading. 20080801/cp VPL English 11A
Name Grading Rubric Restaurant Review Persuasive Essay 1. Chart contains notes on all categories required. Chart includes detailed facts and opinions. 2. Student created an outline or web to organize their persuasive essay. First draft prepared and turned in to instructor. 5 Exemplary 4 Above Standard 3 Meets Standard 2 Approaches Standard 1 Below Standard Comments Totals: 3. Final Draft turned in with first draft attached. /10 pts. /15 pts. Total Assignment Points /25 pts. Comments: To be turned in: Fact/Opinion Chart 10 pts. First draft with chart attached for instructor review Outline/Web, final draft with first draft attached 15 pts. (Instructor: To evaluate student writing products use the rubrics provided by your state for writing evaluation, or please use the writing rubrics adopted by your district or building. An optional rubric has been included in the teacher resource section.) 20080801/cp VPL English 11A
Name English 11A Unit 3: Autobiographical Poem Music is an important part of our lives. What type of music do you like? Who is your favorite artist? Before a musician can sing, they have to have a song to sing, and someone has to write the words or lyrics to that song. Some musicians write their own songs, but many hire song writers to do it for them. Songs are actually poetry that has been put to music. For this assignment, imagine that you have been hired as a song writer to write a ballad. To personalize the verse it must have something to do with your life. Poems that you write about your own life are called autobiographical poems. [Song writers are part of the category Arts, Communication, and Information on the Kansas Career Fields and Clusters Model.] STEP 1: Watch the video: The Poetry Lounge: Self-Expression Through the Spoken Word and complete the video quiz. STEP 2: Research: As with all jobs, you will need to do some research. In an effort to help you write better poetry, it is beneficial to listen to your favorite musical artist, as songs are actually poetry put to music. Analyze what it is you like about the words used in the song. Artist: Song: _ Make a copy of the words to this song and attach them to this sheet. Answer the following questions about the song you have chosen. 1. Who/what is the song about? 2. Where does the song take place? 3. What is the singer s attitude in the song (upbeat, depressed, etc.)? 4. What feelings do the words project (sadness, happiness)?
5. Describe the mental image you get from this song? Name 6. List the senses (sight, sound, feel, taste, smell) that the song invokes and explain how it is accomplished. 7. What is the climax (peak in the action) in the song? 8. Does the song use metaphors and similes? Give examples and explain how they add to the song. 9. Listen to the rhythm of the poem. Describe the beat. STEP 3: Write a poem. Write an autobiographical poem. It can be your entire life, or just about one experience you have had. Complete the following planning worksheet to assist you. A. Think about your life experiences. List two possible things related to your life that you could write a poem about. 1. 2.
Name B. From the above choices, write a poem title that you feel would fit each one. 1. 2. C. What mood do you want your poem to project? D. List at least 10 words that relate to the subject you have chosen. Then look the words up in a thesaurus and list words with similar meanings. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Word Similar Words E. List the events of your poem in chronological order. Put an * by the climax.
Name F. Now put it all together. Using your new vocabulary words, find a rhyming scheme that works for you. Remember to express emotion and feeling in your poem. Stress the climax. Be passionate about it! Write it from the heart. To be turned in: Worksheet with words to song attached (10 pts) First Draft of Poem with worksheet attached. Final Draft of Poem (15 pts) (Instructor: To evaluate student writing products use the rubrics provided by your state for writing evaluation, or please use the writing rubrics adopted by your district or building. An optional rubric has been included in the teacher resource section.)
Name English 11A Unit 3: Biographical Writing 25 Points Note: Watch the video: Discovering Language Arts: Writing (Grades 9-12): Biographical Writing segment (49 minutes into the video). 1. Define Biographical Writing: 2. What are the four parts you need to include in biographical writing? 1. 2. 3. 4. You are going to collect information on the life and deeds of someone. You can choose a person who is still living or someone who is dead, someone famous or someone little known. Perhaps you have always wondered about Cesar Chavez or George Patton. Maybe you really admire Colin Powell or Julia Roberts and would like to know more about them. STEP 1: For this assignment, you will insert a picture of your subject, and use and cite at least two sources for your information. Make your subject interesting by including anecdotal stories and quotes. 1. Research your subject and answer the following questions. a. Name of subject: b. Reason you picked this person: c. Date of birth and death if applicable: d. Names of parents and siblings: e. Place of birth: f. Major events in person s life including marriage, children, accomplishments: 20080801/cp VPL English 11 A
Name g. Narrative of person s life: You may choose to only portray the portion of the person s life that is most interesting to your reader: h. Sources: List at least two and attach copies to this sheet. i. Picture (attach to this sheet) STEP 2: First Draft: Get started writing your paper! Take the information you have collected, making sure to include source references, and put it together in an interesting way. For an opening you may find a quote that sums up the person s life or perhaps choose a story to grab your reader s attention. Make sure to include enough details so the reader understands what brought your subject to this place in life and tell us what impact your subject has had on you and society as a whole. Include a bibliography, listing your sources in the MLA format. This draft is to be two pages, double-spaced, and typed in 12-point Times New Roman font. Save your work and run a spell-check and grammar check. Hand in a clean copy to your instructor. STEP 3: Final Draft: Make corrections to your first draft as needed. Turn in the final copy with the first draft attached. To be turned in: Worksheet (10 pts) First Draft with worksheet and bibliography attached Final Draft with first draft attached (15 pts) 20080801/cp VPL English 11 A
English 11A Unit 4: Poetry Reading 25 Points Name Note: Before beginning this assignment, you will complete the assignment Autobiographical Poem. The Autobiographical Poem that you created has meaning to you. For this assignment, you will get the opportunity to read it aloud with feeling, mood, and expressive language. Be sure to explain why you wrote this poem and introduce it by giving the title you chose, your name, and the type of poem you feel it is. This presentation must be 4-6 minutes in length. Poem Title: Your Name: STEP 1: Introduction: Type your introduction here. Give the title of the poem, your name as the author, and a brief description of your poetry. STEP 2: List five of the words in the poem that you will need to emphasize. Explain how you will emphasize each one. For example, if the poem describes a calm day, you would use a soft, airy, calm voice, and if the poem describes a stormy day, you would use a deep, stressed voice. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. STEP 3: Presentation: You will give your presentation to your instructor. But first, you need to practice. One good way to practice is to give your presentation in front of a mirror. This way you can see what you need to improve on. Give your speech to the mirror and complete the attached evaluation form. You may read your poem, but try not to use notes for your introduction and conclusion. List changes you need to make at the bottom of the evaluation sheet. Practice with the changes and, when you feel confident, present to yourself in the mirror again and complete the second column of the evaluation sheet. Did you improve? Is the second time better than the first? When you feel confident, share your presentation with your teacher.
Name Poetry Reading: Grading Rubric Evaluation 1 = Needs Major Work 2 = Average, needs some improvement 3 = Well done First Self Evaluation Second Self Evaluation Final Presentation (Instructor Evaluation) Introduction included title, author, and description. Read the poem with confidence. Maintained good eye contact with audience. Varied tone when reading and read with emotion and feeling. Maintained good posture and avoided distracting body movements. Total Score /15 Complete the following after the first presentation. List the things you need to change: Instructor Comments: To be Turned In: Worksheet (5 pts) Self-evaluation Sheet (5 pts) Final Presentation for Instructor (15 pts)