Websites for Death Penalty Debate Research

http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/teacher/c/resources.htm

http://deathpenalty.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=002000

http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/death-penalty-related-web-sites

Web Search Quiz for "Into the Abyss"

Either by printing out this blog post or responding on a sheet of looseleaf, answer the questions below. Your answers should be turned in at the beginning of class tomorrow for a quiz grade.

The following websites should provide you with the information requested below:

Interactive U.S. Map:

http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/student/index.html

State by State Summaries:

http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/student/c/states/stats/contents.htm

State by State Comparison:

http://deathpenaltycurriculum.org/teacher/c/states/compare/bystate.htm

Lists of People Executed in Georgia and Texas:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_people_executed_in_Georgia_(U.S._state)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lists_of_people_executed_in_Texas

---------------------------

Use the websites provided above to compare the following data for the states of Georgia (where we live, obviously) and Texas (where the film takes place):

1. When was the death penalty reinstated?
2. How many people are on death row?
3. How many men are on death row?
4. How many women are on death row?
5. How many executions have occurred in the state during the past ten years?
6. What is the total number of executions that have occurred in the state since the death penalty was reinstated?
7. What is the racial breakdown for those currently on the state's death row?
8. What is the racial breakdown for those who have been executed?
9. What is/are the state's method(s) of execution?
10. Does the state have the sentencing option of "life without parole"? What does this mean?
11. What is the population of the state?
12. What was the state's murder rate?
13. Has the state exonerated any individuals from death row? How many?

Homework for Wednesday, 11/14/12

Tonight read Nicholas Carr's "Is Google Making Us Stupid?" (pg. 633) in The Writer's Presence. You can read it online here.

For tomorrow, be prepared to identify the argumentative infrastructure of the essay and how the argument works (successfully or unsuccessfully).  

Pay attention to: thesis statement, evidential support,  transitions, and conclusion.

Ketcham, "Monopoly Is Theft"

Please read the essay here. Then write a thoughtful response of 200-250 words considering the following questions:

In what kinds of ways are games very serious?

Is Monopoly truly a "bad model" of capitalism? It what way is the game a fair c
ritique of capitalism? 

Why isn't this "secret" history well known?

TED Video for Schwartz: "The Paradox of Choice"

Barry Schwartz: "The Paradox of Choice"

Q2P1 Editing

Until I can find out more about submitting and editing your papers through turnitin.com, use this site to review and edit your paper:

paperrater.com

This site is great because it helps you avoid plagiarism, check spelling and grammar, and even gives suggestions for vocabulary and word choice.

After using Paper Rater, then submit your paper through Turn It In.

Jonathan Safran Foer, "Let Them Eat Dog"

Comparing Foer's essay "Let Them Eat Dog" with Swift's "A Modest Proposal,"discuss your reactions while you read in light of what you believe Foer's and Swift's purpose was in writing their essays. To do this successfully, you need to state what you think is the purpose of each essay (we've discussed Swift's purpose in class already). How well does each author's approach support (or not support) the argument he is advocating?

Your response should be 200-250 words and should use significant details from each essay to further your argument.

Resources for Argumentative Essay

Further explanation of an argumentative essay

How to choose your topic

How to structure your essay

Michael Chabon, "Faking It"

For homework tonight, read Michael Chabon's essay, "Faking It" (343-346 in The Writer's Presence). Then answer the following prompt:

How does Chabon challenge the American notion of masculinity? (To start with, think about what it means to be "masculine" in America.) How does this essay work as a parody (an imitative work created to mock or comment on a particular subject by means of humorous exaggeration)? Provide examples to support your opinion and claims. 

Study Guide for Great Gatsby Test (Friday!)

Short Answer – Be able to answer the following questions in short, complete sentences: 

Why does Tom hit Myrtle in New York City?

Where is Gatsby’s mansion located?

Where does Gatsby’s reunion with Daisy take place?

What is Jordan Baker’s occupation?

What is Nick’s home state?

Why did Gatsby drop out of college?

Where is the Valley of the Ashes?

Who is Tom’s extramarital lover?

How are Daisy and Nick related?

At the end of the novel, who does Daisy chooses to be with?

Character Analysis – Be able to give a detailed analysis of the following characters: 

Nick

Gatsby

Daisy

Tom 

Jordan

Be able to answer the following essay questions: 

Discuss Gatsby’s character as Nick perceives him throughout the novel. What makes Gatsby “great”?

What is Nick like as a narrator? Is he a reliable storyteller, or does his version of events seem suspect? How do his qualities as a character affect his narration?

What are some of The Great Gatsby’s most important symbols? What does the novel have to say about the role of symbols in life?

How does the geography of the novel dictate its themes and characters? What role does setting play in The Great Gatsby?

Be able to identify the speaker and situational significance of the following quotes:

“‘He’s a bootlegger….One time he killed a man who found out that he was nephew to Von Hindenburg and second cousin to the devil.’”

“Whenever you feel like criticizing anyone, just remember that all the people in this world haven’t had the advantages that you’ve had.” 

"I hope she'll be a fool -- that's the best thing a girl can be in this world."

"He thinks she goes to see her sister in New York. He's so dumb he doesn't even know she's alive."

"Angry, and half in love with her, and tremendously sorry, I turned away."

"Her voice is full of money."

“They were careless people [. . . ] they smashed up things and creatures and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness [. . .] and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

"'They're a rotten crowd,' I shouted across the lawn. 'You're worth the whole damn bunch put together.'"

"'You always look so cool,' she repeated. She had told him she loved him, and Tom Buchanan saw."

"Can't repeat the past? Why of course you can!"

------------

Here's a great site that has questions for each chapter:
http://www.teachervision.fen.com/literature/resource/2924.html

And here's a site that talks about the chronology of events in the novel:
http://www.skyminds.net/american-literature/the-ordering-of-events-in-the-great-gatsby/

Color Symbolism in The Great Gatsby

For your assignment on color symbolism in The Great Gatsby, here are some incredibly helpful links (hint hint):

The Great Gatsby Index (look up color name for references and page numbers)

Comments on Color Symbolism in GG

Commentary on Use of Color in GG (no page numbers)

Essay About The Complex Range of Color Symbolism in GG

Expository Writing Hints

Here are a few sites that have great information to help you get started thinking about your expository essay. Remember, rough draft is due Wednesday!

Information About Expository Writing (From Stanford)

Different Types of Expository Writing (With Graphs)

Purdue Writing Lab's Tips on Expository Essays

10 Ways to Develop Expository Writing Skills (New York Times)

Summative Test Details

Summative Test: Thursday, September 20th

Format:

1. Literary Terms: Define in a complete sentence

2. Significant Details: Use specific details from essays/Gatsby to identify significance in complete sentences

3. Short Answer: Answer plot questions regarding essays and Gatsby

Topics:

1. Literary Terms:

1. plot
2. setting
3. speaker/narrator
4. audience
5. characterization: direct & indirect
6. flat character
7. round character
8. personification
9. point-of-view
10. motif
11. symbol
12. irony: verbal, situational, dramatic
13.  theme
14. mood
15. diction
16. tone
17. conflict
18. epiphany
19. foreshadowing
20. imagery
21. paradox

2. Essays (from The Writers Presence):

1. Cofer, “Silent Dancing” (68)
2. Carver, “My Father’s Life” (60)
3. Tan, “Mother Tongue” (232)
4. Sedaris, “Me Talk Pretty One Day” (212)
5. Staples, “Just Walk On By” (217)
6. Kothari, “If You Are What You Eat...” (132)
7. Mengestu, “Home At Last” (170)

3. The Great Gatsby (Ch. 1-6)

Link for Kothari Essay

Read Geeta Kothari's "If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?" here:
http://winzeler.weebly.com/uploads/8/5/4/4/8544379/if_you_are_what_you_eat.pdf


(Still searching the web for a link to the Mengestu essay...)

Assignment for Kothari & Mengestu Essays

Both Geeta Kothari's essay "If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?" and Dinaw Mengestu's "Home At Last" use explanations and anecdotes concerning food to explore how what we eat can establish and shape cultural identity. 

In a response of 150-200 words, compare how food is used by these authors to examine the predicament of feeling stuck between two cultures. Use specific examples from each essay to explain how what we eat is connected to the external and internal struggle for acceptance.

Gatsby Project

Hey guys,

Don't forget that if you misplace your hard copy of the Gatsby project, you can always find a link to a PDF version in the links to your right (click on the image to enlarge it).

SR

Resources for Great Gatsby BETTER than CliffsNotes!

By the end of this week we'll be two-thirds the way through The Great Gatsby--wooo! But for those of you who like a little help as you're reading along (or majorly need a review), here are a few resources that provide some food for thought (WARNING! Contain some spoilers!):

Reading Chapter 1 Critically:

Discussing Metaphors in Chapter 2:

Newsreel-style Recap of Chapter 3:

Detailed Reenactment of Chapter 4 (if only you'd had this for your quiz last Friday!):

And for those of you who are too lazy to read even SparkNotes, I give you..... SparkNotes on video!

Samples of Great Gatsby Video Projects

Should you select the YouTube video option for your Great Gatsby project, here are some excellent examples of what you have to contend with out there on the interwebs:

1. Daisy's Lullaby
Featuring such smooth lines as “These Eggs are scrambled / You’re full of lies. / Oh, these love triangles / Under T.J.’s eyes.”

2. The Great Gatsby Rap (The Valley Of Ashes)
Nice summary of Gatsby's destructive obsession with Daisy. Favorite line: “How much do I hate being rich? Zero.”  

3. Great Gatsby Rap Video
A great introspective piece on the American Dream: “The prettiest people do the ugliest things.” Indeed!

4. Who Am I? Call Me Jay Gatsby
Definitely the catchiest option I found. Laughed super-hard at them rolling around atop a Ford (And doesn't the guy playing Tom look like Tupac?): “My name is Jay Gatsby, and I’m reppin’ West Egg.” Heck yeah, old sport.

5. Great Gatsby Rap Battle 

Decent modern interpretation of the confrontation between Tom and Gatsby: "I stick to makin' money, you stick to playin' polo." (Ends kind of abruptly, though.)  

6. Hook Me Up With Daisy

And possibly the scariest video tribute I found comes from these guys who, with their bizarre growling, prove that nothing is safe from the pop culture maelstrom that is “Call Me Maybe.”

....Let's hope yours can beat that one, at least. 

MLA Format for Your First Paper

Here's a great site that lays out all the basic guidelines for MLA straightforwardly. It also has an example first page in MLA format, for those of you visually inclined:

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Remember: Instead of an actual title, you should quote the college essay prompt you selected, as seen below (thank you, Carbo!):

Assignment for Sedaris Essay

David Sedaris’s brand of “deadpan” humor doesn’t draw attention to itself, but instead delivers jokes in the same tone as the rest of his essay. The result is that every line in this story, concerning such topics as insecurity and hostility, becomes equally capable of producing a humorous effect. 

After reading “Me Talk Pretty One Day,” in a response of 150-200 words discuss how Sedaris infuses humor into such a serious topic as the difficulty (or even inability) of humans to communicate. Do you feel his humor is successful? Why or why not? Use specific details from the essay to support your opinions and conclusions.

David Sedaris, "Me Talk Pretty One Day"

Here's a link to where you can read David Sedaris' essay "Me Talk Pretty One Day" online, if you still don't have your copy of The Writer's Presence yet:

http://www.macobo.com/essays/epdf/Me%20Talk%20Pretty%20One%20Day%20by%20Sedaris.pdf

Great Gatsby Historical Background Powerpoint

Here's a link to where you can view the Powerpoint from class yesterday:

http://portal.sliderocket.com/CEQIN/great-gatsby-_pdf_

Oh no!

The Great Gatsby movie release date has been pushed back to Summer 2013 :(

Read about it here:

http://community.sparknotes.com/2012/08/07/the-great-gatsby-is-pushed-back-to-2013

College Admission Essay Websites

To help you out with your search for college admission essay topics, I've compiled a few websites of either a) actual colleges that have posted their essay topics for this year, or b) collections of past college essay prompts. You do not have to choose a topic from only these websites; these are just to help you get going and to get you thinking. Feel free, of course, to use one if it interests you.

University of Georgia
Georgia Institute of Technology
Georgia College and State University (in Milledgeville)
University of Florida
University of North Carolina
University of Virginia
Common Application (Many schools, such as Emory and Vanderbilt, use the Common Application for admission, usually with a supplement of their own. Find out more at: https://www.commonapp.org/)

Collections of College Essay Topics:
http://hpregional.org/departments/english/mhassenplug/100%20topics.html
http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/wayoflife/11/19/mf.offbeat.college.essays/
http://www.fastweb.com/college-search/articles/72-sample-essay-questions-for-college-apps

Carver, "My Father's Life"

For homework tonight, read Raymond Carver’s essay “My Father’s Life,” which includes the poem “Photograph of My Father in His Twenty Second Year.”  Then answer the following prompt:

What themes does Carver announce in these pieces? How does he expand our understanding of American culture?What parts of each piece of writing (essay and poem) communicate most clearly to you? Just begin with a short quote and then tell how that quote means something to you.

Create about 300 words worth of writing. Your audience is your peer group and the BC community. Pay attention to grammar and spelling, but what’s most important is the quality of your ideas and the sincerity of your response.

This will count as part of your Low Stakes Writing grade, as a pass/fail grade. No late work, no excuses.

Readings This Week

For those of you who don't have your copy of The Writer's Presence yet (which you NEED to have BY FRIDAY), here are links to the readings that we will be discussing in class this week. Each story deals with topics related to family:

Judith Cofer, "Silent Dancing":
http://www2.hawaii.edu/~facoba/readings/cofer.htm

Raymond Carver, "My Father's Life":
http://public.wsu.edu/~hughesc/raymond_carver-fathers_lif.htm

Amy Tan, "Mother Tongue":
http://teachers.sduhsd.k12.ca.us/mcunningham/grapes/mother%20tounge.pdf


Also remember you find yourself a copy of The Great Gatsby ASAP! You'll need to have chapters 1-3 read soon (by next week). Need to have Chapter 1 read BY THIS FRIDAY.

Bad Haircut Test Tomorrow!

Here you can post your notes from today's class for your test over Bad Haircut tomorrow. 

The sections for your test tomorrow will be as follows:

1. Identifying characters using specific details

2. Identifying significant objects using specific details

3. Answering short answer questions about plot points in the novel

4. Responding to a short essay about the following prompt: Using specific examples from Bad Haircut, describe Buddy's interactions with people in the different groups he joins throughout the novel. Is he able to cultivate a sense of belonging in these groups? Why or why not?

First Assignment

Your first assignment for English this year is meant to familiarize you with our blog, and also to allow you to earn an easy 100 quiz grade.

In the links to your right you will find a link to your class syllabus. You may print this out if you would like, or you can always reference it here (and also on your NetCadet account). You and your parents need to read through the syllabus together.

After you have read through the syllabus, print out the Syllabus Sign-off Sheet. You and your parent(s) need to sign it. This sheet is due back to me by Friday in order to get a 100 quiz grade. Don't miss this opportunity to start the year off right!

Feel free to comment here or to email me if you have any questions.

-Ms. R. 

P.S.  Don't forget to get your copy of The Great Gatsby ASAP!

Great Gatsby Movie Preview

Since first semester we'll be reading The Great Gatsby, I thought it fitting to let you know (if you weren't already aware) that there will be a remake of The Great Gatsby coming out this Christmas (that is, if the world doesn't end days before).

This time around it's directed by Baz Luhrmann, famous for Romeo + Juliet (the one with Leo DiCap) and Moulin Rouge ....and Australia, but we won't talk about that :/

The original 1974 version, which is quite good, starred Robert Redford as Gatsby. The upcoming version stars Leonardo DiCaprio (one of Luhrmann's favorite frontmen) as Gatsby, with Tobey Maguire as Nick Carraway and Carey Mulligan as Daisy.

Check out the trailer below, which makes me quite excited about the film! (Aside from the very bizarre choice of Kanye over something more appropriate, since, ya know, the film's about THE JAZZ AGE.) Luhrmann's renown for his over-the-top productions, which should be fitting for the film's cinematographic needs, while Mulligan (beautiful and heartbreaking) and DiCaprio (charismatic but aloof) look like pretty good fits in their respective roles.

So what do you think? Are we in store for an extravagant yet elegant production? Or is it just an overblown frat party, 20s style (like, with nicer suits and haircuts)?

What do you think about the casting? Who would you have chosen instead?

My picks would have been Ryan Gosling for Gatsby (he's got that enigmatic draw to him, and Leo seems a little old for the part, if you ask me), and Joseph Gordon-Levitt for Nick Carraway (just because I love him in everything). Not sure about who I'd pick for Daisy. Carey Mulligan seems like a sure-shot, though.

Here's to hoping Baz doesn't let us down (since we'll all be experts on the novel by the time the movie comes out!).

-Ms. R

Reccomendations

If you enjoyed your summer reading, Bad Haircut (or Catcher in the Rye from last year), here are a few more coming-of-age teenage-male novels I highly recommend:

Old School, by Tobias Wolff


The protagonist of Tobias Wolff’s shrewdly—and at times devastatingly—observed first novel is a boy at an elite prep school in 1960. He is an outsider who has learned to mimic the negligent manner of his more privileged classmates. Like many of them, he wants more than anything on earth to become a writer. But to do that he must first learn to tell the truth about himself. (From Amazon.com)

The Dangerous Lives of Altar Boys, by Chris Fuhrman


Set in Savannah, Georgia, in the early 1970s, this is a novel of the anarchic joy of youth and encounters with the concerns of early adulthood. Francis Doyle, Tim Sullivan, and their three closest friends are altar boys at Blessed Heart Catholic Church and eighth-grade classmates at the parish school. They are also inveterate pranksters, artistic, and unimpressed by adult authority. When Sodom vs. Gomorrah '74, their collaborative comic book depicting Blessed Heart's nuns and priests gleefully breaking the seventh commandment, falls into the hands of the principal, the boys, certain that their parents will be informed, conspire to create an audacious diversion. Woven into the details of the boys' preparations for the stunt are touching, hilarious renderings of the school day routine and the initiatory rites of male adolescence, from the first serious kiss to the first serious hangover. (From Amazon.com)

 Everything Happens Today, by Jesse Browner

Jesse Browner's dazzling new novel records a single day in the life of Wes, a seventeen-year-old who attends Manhattan's elite Dalton School and lives in Greenwich Village in a dilapidated town house with his terminally ill mother, distant father and beloved younger sister. In the course of one day everything will happen to Wes: he will lose his virginity to the wrong girl and break his own heart, try to meet a Monday morning deadline for a paper on War and Peace, and prepare an elaborate supper he hopes will reunite his family. Wes struggles through the day deep in thoughts of sex, love, Beatles lyrics, friendship, God and French cuisine-a typical teenager with an atypical mind, a memorable young man who comes to the poignant understanding of how fragile but attainable personal happiness can be. (From Amazon.com)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

standing on the fringes of life . . .offers a unique perspective. but there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor.
since its publication, stephen chbosky’s haunting debut novel has received critical acclaim, provoked discussion and debate, grown into a cult phenomenon with over a million copies in print, and inspired a major motion picture.
the perks of being a wallflower is a story about what it’s like to travel that strange course through the uncharted territory of high school. the world of first dates, family dramas, and new friends. of sex, drugs, and the rocky horror picture show.
of those wild and poignant roller-coaster days known as growing up. (From Amazon.com)


-Ms. R.

Welcome

This blog is designed for Ms. Roberts’s Senior Composition classes at Benedictine Military School. Here you will find regular information, assignments, and homework prompts related to our classwork. Additionally, to the side you will see some links and other resources you might find useful.

It is also important to note that all work you complete on this blog must adhere to Benedictine’s acceptable use policy for computer use, found in your Student Handbook.

BLOG RULES:

1. Post using your real name (or a recognizable version).
2. Shoot for a professional tone, including editing your writing for grammar/spelling as best you can.
3. Typically aim for 300-500 words per post. However, if you're feeling particularly verbose, you can go up to about 4000. 
4. Keep your posts relevant; try not to go off-topic.
5. Absolutely no insults, foul language, or hate speech of any kind will be tolerated. Normal discipline measures apply.

-Ms. R.