Cleveland Rocks Research Article (English 11)

The first research project of the year for English 11 students will be promoting a hidden treasure of our closest major city, Cleveland. With all the current negativity surrounding us from the media and athletes, this project is meant to show our teens that Cleveland is a city in which they can be proud to live. The project will allow students to become a journalist and explore various research types including an actual visit to the research topic. They will take pictures of the topic and if possible, attend an event where they can become a primary source. The results will include an article about the topic which will be "published" on their blog spot and a presentation to the class.

Project Details and Checklist
Source Information
Research Aid
Outlines are due Tuesday, 10-26 at the beginning of class!
Peer Editing and Self Editing Checklist for the Rough Draft
Presentation Information
Presentation Rubric

Colonial Literature (English 11)

Our second unit of American Literature looks at the arrival of Pilgrims to North American and the lives of Puritans. We will be reading Arthur Miller's play about the Salem Witch Trials titled The Crucible to finish up this area of study. Focuses of this entire unit will be persuasion, how to build an argument, and how to identity fallacies. For more details on what we will be covering you can view the Goals for the Unit, the September and October Calendars, or any of the files below!

Goals for the Unit
Insight into the Puritan Mindset
Persuasive Rhetoric Chart
"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God" Scene Pictures: Due Monday, 9-20
Persuasive Questions for "Sinners..."
Persuasive Writing Assignment: Due Friday, 9-24
~ Rubric for Essay
~ Rubric for Pamphlet
~ Rubric for Flyer

The Crucible
Character Chart
Character Weaknesses
Small Group Discussion of Themes
Faulty Reasoning Handout
Faulty Reasoning Chart: Due Thursday, 10-7
Act 1 Study Guide
Act 2 Study Guide

The Crucible Socratic Seminar is on Tuesday, October 19th. Be prepared prior to coming to class!
Socratic Seminar Requirements
Practice Example
Link 1: Find more info about Socratic Seminars here. [Do not use the close-ended question format!]
Link 2: Contains some good questions to give you ideas. Your questions should be slightly more specific though!
Link 3: Bloom's Taxonomy provides words to incorporate into your questions which will prompt discussion. [Do not use words from the 'remembering' stage as those will most likely lead to close-ended questions.]

Science Fiction (English 10)

Science Fiction is our first unit of the year and will include exciting short stories, a TV show viewing, a poem, and a novel. For an in-depth look at the unit for English 10, download weekly lesson plans or the August/September 2010 calendar at the upper right side of this webpage.

Intro to Science Fiction
Essential Unit Questions
Journal 1: Time Travel
Rewriting History: Due Tuesday 9-7-10 (hard copy for class, turnitin.com by 11:59pm)
Journal 2: Technology
"There Will Come Soft Rains" Post-reading Questions
Socratic Seminar Instructions
Socratic Seminar Self-Reflection
Rites of Passage: Due Wednesday, 9-22
Eat Knowledge: Due Tuesday, 9-28 (hard copy for class, turnitin.com by 11:59pm)
Literary Terms for "By the Waters of Babylon"

Welcome Back! (All classes)

Welcome to the 2010-2011 school year! I hope each of you have enjoyed a restful summer and are ready for the challenges and excitement of a new school year. Below you will find useful information for both my 10th and 11th grade English classes. Students will be given a hard copy of the Course Expectations on the first day of school but feel free to have a look in advance!

Course Expectations:
Grade 10
Grade 11

Materials:
Each student needs to bring all materials to class beginning Monday, August 30th.
- Binder (1 inch is sufficient)
- Section Dividers (at least 5)
- Folder
- Loose-leaf notebook paper
- Pen or pencil
- Highlighters (at least 2 different colors)
- *Flash drive (*bring only when needed)

Some beginning of the year items:
Self-Profile (All classes)
Literary Elements Chart (English 10)
American Culture Survey (English 11)
American History Puzzle (English 11)
Video Response - Two Paragraphs (English 11)
**Link to the video

Native American Lit (English 11)

Native American Literature is the first unit of the year for American Literature. It will be a short unit but is still important to study as Native Americans played a role in shaping our nation. For a day-by-day breakdown of the unit, refer to the August/September 2010 calendar on the upper right side of this page or check out my weekly lesson plans.

Native American Notes
Chart for "The World On the Turtle's Back"
See / Email Miss Smalley for a copies of "How the World was Made" and "The Great Spirit Names the Animal People"
Questions for "How the World was Made"
Trickster Tales Activity
Create a Creation Myth or Trickster Tale

Summer is a great time to READ!

Thanks for a great year! Now that it is summer, you have tons of time to read for enjoyment! Check out the American Library Association's Young Adult Booklists and Award Winners as well as my reading list on the right hand side of this page (more will be added soon!) for exciting books to enjoy in the summer sun!

Photo from Ricko (flickr)