Tuesday, May 5

Week 7: Enjoying our Speeches

Monday 5/4: May the Fourth be with you as you finish your speech. :)

Tuesday 5/5: Turn in your speeches here by midnight. (I will start uploading them Wednesday morning. You may have a bit of extra time if you need it.
   *Don't forget to use the correct YouTube settings so that I can post your video to the blog. 

Wednesday 5/6: See you in class @9 am. Here is the link and the entry code (888 718 148) if you have any issues. We will discuss your speeches and our last class assignment.

Thursday 5/7: Please watch and leave meaningful commentary on several classmates' speeches. You may access them and leave comments on our old blog at www.lovepowerandasoudnmind.blogspot.com
*Meaningful commentary should be kind, keeping in mind the work your friend has put into the speech. Ask good questions, relate, and point out the good. Rude or off-task commentary will reduce your own grade. Keep your class humans!

Friday: Continue to comment on classmates' speeches. (Aim for at least six quality (3+sentences) comments for a full 20 point assignment grade.)
Stay tuned for the schedule of our last week. It is a bit different. 

Week 6: Writing a This I Believe Speech

Monday 4/27: Inspiring Speech Assignment (forum) is due at midnight.

Tuesday 4/28: Begin the process of writing your own This I Believe speech with this step-by-step document, where you will find activities to help you brainstorm topics, as well as assignment requirements, helpful tips and the rubric. 
  
Disclaimer: My video is too long... and this is my first iMovie in about ten years. I know you will do MUCH better!

Wednesday4/29: Live teaching @9 am. Here is the link and the entry code (888 718 148) if you have any issues. We will discuss things from the packet linked on Tuesday above. 

Thursday 4/30: Continue using the tools in the packet to write your own This I Believe speech.

Friday 5/1: Continue using the tools in the packet to write your own This I Believe speech.

All speeches are due as Youtube links by Tuesday, May 5 (midnight).  
Just in case you get way ahead, here is the forum where you can turn the link in

Tuesday, April 21

Week 5: Intro to This I Believe

MONDAY 4/20


TUESDAY 4/21:
  • Turn your Rhetorical Analysis Essay to turnitin.com by midnight. 
  • After you turn in your essay, watch this old video from the fifties. This is the guy who began the This I Believe tradition all the way back in the fifties. Prepare for the discussion tomorrow with the questions below. 

    • What can you gather about the definition of a This I Believe speech? 
    • Why do you think this tradition become so popular in post war America? 
    • How do you think something like this could be of assistance to our current situation? 


WEDNESDAY 4/22
  • Live teaching @ 9 am ~ Topic: What is a This I Believe speech and how do I begin to write one? Follow along on this doc about our unit.


THURSDAY 4/23


FRIDAY 4/24
  • Office hours 3:30-4 pm. 

          Directions: 
    • Here is a link to several featured essays (listen to two or three until you find one that is inspiring to you.)
    • Then use this assignment link to write a brief review. In your review paragraph.
    • Include the name of the speech you selected.
    • Include a one-sentence synopsis of the purpose of the writer.  
    • Then give your recommendation based on the tone and rhetorical style of the speaker. (aka, what made this speech inspiring beyond the message of the writer. What was it about the WAY it was communicated, Use your understanding about good rhetorical writing from our last unit.) Don't forget to discuss the tone...was it preachy or more curious? How did it sit with you?

Monday, April 13

Week 4: MLK & Rhetoric (March 14-21)

MONDAY 3/13: Last day of break; enjoy!

TUESDAY 3/14


WEDNESDAY 3/15

  • Meet me on zoom at 9 am (all classes!) We will discuss the rhetorical devices and appeals in the MLK Dream speech. We will also discuss your last analysis essay due Tuesday, April 21. 
  • Begin next assignment if you have time. 


FRIDAY 3/17

  • Finish the "Mountaintop" assignment and use the link below to post in the "Mountaintop" forum by Friday, midnight. 
  • See office hours on Moodle; I'll be in zoom tonight to help if you have any questions. 

MONDAY 3/20

  • Work on your last essay. (Details will be linked on moodle soon.)

TUESDAY 3/21

  • Turn your Rhetorical Analysis Essay to turnitin.com by midnight. 

Tuesday, March 31

Week 3: April 1-3

One last assignment before Spring Break!
Persuasion Application Product 
  • Goal: Write a persuasive text.
  • Role: You are a human who wants your way!
  • Audience: Whoever you are trying to convince. State this person in the first line or two of your text.
  • SituationChoose a situation from this list, or create your own (must be appropriate :).
  • Product: This text could be in paragraph form or more creatively formatted, such as a dialogue, letter or script. Your text should employ all three methods of persuasion (ethos, logos, pathos) and include at least three rhetorical devices.
  • Standard: Your product will be graded (50 summative points) based on correct use of all elements. Please label each use in parenthesis or with subscript notes. Due to turnitinin.com by Sunday (April 5) at midnight (But for heaven's sakes you have three days by Friday. Make way for the weekend if you can. Save yourself by killing the procrastination!). See example here.

Saturday, March 21

Week of March 25 - April 1

WEDNESDAY 3/25
  • Activity: Take the non-graded practice quiz (on moodle) called "Ethos, Logos, Pathos - Check Your Understanding." This will give you instant feedback to see if you can sort out which method of persuasion is being most dominantly employed. 
  • Note: We are always preparing for the eventual final at this point, so record any questions you have trouble on since they may come back to you later.

THURSDAY 3/26 
  • New Inquiry Statement: When perspective is shared with purpose and style it becomes an effective tool in gaining both power and privilege.
  • Activity: Watch this little clip from one of my favorite movies, Good Will Hunting, weigh in on the conversation. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIdsjNGCGz4&feature=youtu.be
PS - Pardon the single cuss word. If you haven't watched this movie... you should!
  • Journal 35: Forum Prep for tomorrow:
  • Please do this in your journal and use it to help you in the Forum on Friday.
  1. Is the Inquiry Statement above true? When? How?
  2. Considering what you know about Ethos, Logos, and Pathos, How is it that the underdog wins the argument in the bar scene of Good Will Hunting. 


FRIDAY 3/27
  • Activity: Watch this Robin Williams clip, also from Good Will Hunting. Robin Williams plays a counselor who has been assigned to Matt Damon's character in order to fulfill his parole requirements. This scene comes after Will (Matt Damon) has completely blasted his counselor, Sean Maguire (Robin Williams) and mocked the counseling process. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oRG2jlQWCsY
  • Journal 36: Forum Prep Notes:
  • Please do this in your journal and use it to help you in the Forum.
    1. How does Maguire (Robin Williams) establish his authority by using ethos, logos and pathos? Which argument is most effective? 
    • Moodle Forum: Ethos, Logos, Pathos in Good Will Hunting: Please see the link below this week's post to weigh in on the conversation at least twice with meaningful commentary on the questions from Journals 35-36. Due by Midnight Sunday, March 29 (graded Monday). 

    MONDAY 3/30
    • Click here for the Quizlet of Rhetorical Devices
    • Let's play with the Gettysburg Address by Abe Lincoln. Watch this short video for some quick background information of this speech:
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUcW9ORBFWI
    • Activity: Rhetorical Device Hunt #1 (Click here).  No need to turn this in; just like poetic devices, this knowledge will be used in a rhetorical analysis essay later on.
    • Though this one is not graded, it is your chance to practice these terms which will be used for an assessment at the end of the week..

      TUESDAY 3/31
      • Check your answers to the Gettysburg Address here
      • Let's practice again with this Lou Gehrig speech (click here).
      • Though this one is not graded, it is your chance to practice these terms which will be used for an assessment at the end of the week..
        1. Be prepared to discuss how these devices add to the persuasive value of each speech in our Zoom time tomorrow. 

        WEDNESDAY 4/1
        • Only one more major assignment before spring break!!!
        • Meet me on Zoom for an intro! 
          • Period 1 at 8:30 am 
          • Period 2 at 9:00 am
          • Period 4 at 9:30 am
          • Enter here!

        Tuesday, March 17

        Friday, March 13

        Week of March 16-24

        MONDAY 3/16
        • Essay Practice: Complete the 55-minute writing piece by hand on notebook paper. 
        • Assignment: Submit your thesis to the google form for feedback (10 pts, Due Monday night by midnight). 
        • I will check your thesis and record a grade on Focus by 9 am. If you get complete credit, then you know the thesis is perfect. If not, you know you need to tweak it. You are free to email me for feedback. Just copy the thesis to the body of the email so we can work on it there.


        TUESDAY 3/17
        • Assignment: Examine both essays. Choose the best one. Type and polish it. Submit it to Turnitin.com by Midnight on Tuesday.
        • Journal 31: SAT Essay Process Reflection
          • Check out your last essay, thesis and think about your experience. 
          • What needs do you have after experiencing a first run at the SAT mimicking essay? 
          • What strategies will you apply on the next one? 



        WEDNESDAY 3/18
        • Meet me on Zoom! Let's do different times for each class, but you can jump in on a later time if you miss your class. 30 minutes each to check in. These will be optional, but for now, let's give it a unified shot. See you there!
          • Period 1 at 8:30 am 
          • Period 2 at 9:00 am
          • Period 4 at 9:30 am
          • Enter here!


        THURSDAY 3/19


        • Journal: 32 ~ Intro to Rhetoric with Two Stories: Complete this online activity comparing two different news reports. Then record a strong paragraph in your journal explaining how you see each writer persuading the reader toward a different persuasion. Exactly how is the writer creating a different belief in each selection? 
        • Post in the Moodle Forum by Friday night (I will grade early Sat. morning). 

        FRIDAY 3/20

        Rest or get ahead below. Congratulations! You've survived the first week. I'm proud of you. 



        MONDAY 3/23 
        Journal 33: Ethos, Logos, Pathos Notes

              Watch this video and answer the questions below. 
        1. Define and give two examples for Ethos. 
        2. Define and give two examples for Logos.
        3. Define and give two examples for Pathos. 


        TUESDAY 3/24
        Journal 34: Is a Sophomore a Sophist? 
                     
               Watch this video and record answers to the questions below:
        1. What is Rhetoric? Give a brief description of its origin. 
        2. 6:35 Take more notes on the new information about the three "artistic proofs": Ethos, Logos, and Pathos.
        3. 5:09 Summarize the five cannons of artistic proofs (a name you understand and brief definition will do. No need to use the latin term.)
        4. 8:36 According to Aristotle, what makes a good speech/argument? Why? (What happens if you get off balance?)
        5. 9:00 Which of ethos, logos or pathos is most important? Why?
        6. 11:02 How are intrinsic and extrinsic persuasion different?
        7. Discussion during Office Hours 3/24: Which of Aristotle's three modes of proof do you think is the most important?
        8. Discussion during Office Hours 3/24: How can you increase the likelihood that your audience will perceive you to have a strong ethos? 

        WEDNESDAY 3/25
        • Look for a new blog and Moodle post for the next week's worth of assignments. 
        • Meet me on Zoom! Be ready to discuss J33.
          • Period 1 at 8:30 am 
          • Period 2 at 9:00 am
          • Period 4 at 9:30 am
          • Enter here!

        Thursday, March 12

        Block Day, March 12-13 ~ Class Time Redirected!

        Block Day, March 12-13 ~ Class Time Redirected!

        Our poem is especially relevant at the moment...Let's recite.

        Dearest students,

        This strange and unprecedented situation must be baffling to you. We will definitely take some time to talk this block day, but for now, please know that our school has your absolute best interest in mind and they have thought our plan out as much as humanly possible with our short time frame. Know that our leaders are committed to you as am I. We have a way to meet every week. I want to see your faces and hear your voices. I will miss my usual daily time with you.

        Secondly, this new norm does not mean that we cannot finish this year strong. I have been impressed, entertained, inspired and continually blessed by you this year. Please honor yourselves and ME by finishing off what you are so capable. Do not allow yourselves to loose heart or momentum. No! We will "keep our heads about us" and enact our God-given "love, power and sound minds" in order to bring value to our world and communities. Stewarding our minds is part of that. Every time you settle down into a study mode on this "remote learning" journey, I want you to consider it an act of faith as well as a rebellion against the despair, depression or otherwise aimlessness that a person could be tempted into. We are strong and will not forget who we are and are becoming, even now.

        Lastly, about this sonnet essay business... Let's follow through the process at home. You will have plenty of time to polish this essay later. There really is no reason to worry about the 55-minute limit or the perfection of your writing for that matter. However, you should put yourself on a timer and use the honor code FOR YOURSELF! Don't look it up. Instead, test your own limits. This is the only way to know if you are getting closer to being ready for the SAT. You owe it to yourself to find out where you are in this process. So, give it an honest shot tonight or this weekend. We'll choose the better essay and polish it for grading later next week.

        Here is the Sonnet Analysis Essay Prompt.
        *55-minute rough draft due by midnight Tuesday(March 17). Please insert your thesis into this google form.

        For now, let's go over our tools for the next stretch....
        Tools:
        • Office Hours: I will be available for a weekly face-to-face meeting on Wednesdays from 8:30-10 am. This will be a place where we can discuss the week's events and learning. You can see each other and ask any questions that have come up. 
        • Email: I will be available there and will be checking OFTEN with a guaranteed 24 hour response within normal business hours (not on weekends).
        • The Blog: I'll keep posting notes, links, my explanations and videos here. Everything you need will always be here. 
        • Moodle: I will get in there and use the calendar to make sure I am not booking an assessment over another big one from another teacher. Can you access Moodle? Have you ever taken a Moodle Quiz? 
        • Focus: I will post upcoming due dates. Make sure you check the little notes associated with each assignment for relevant details. 
        • Turnitin.com.... can you still access that account? 
        GUARANTEES:
        • We will be in contact every week.
        • All teachers will be using the Moodle Calendar.
        • I will check my email everyday.
        • We have so many supports (the blog, Moodle, email, Zoom, Marco Polo, group texts, etc...)
        • We will still cover everything you need to get through the tenth grade curriculum so that you can start next year on par.


        Tuesday, March 10

        Wednesday, March 11 ~ Sonnet Presentations

        Stanzas 1-3 "If" Quiz on block (Here is the poem).
        West classes, your "If" Stanzas 1-3 quiz will be on Tuesday, March 17. 

        Take the first five minutes to polish your presentation and delegate talking portions to each partner.

        Sonnet Presentations
        Be sure to...

        • Read the poem to us.
        • Give us your basic interpretation of what the poem is about.
        • Explain how the structure works to convey that theme.
        • Explain how the devices contribute to that theme (at least 5). 

        Tuesday, March 10 ~ Sonnet Group Practice

        Stanzas 1-3 "If" Quiz on block (Here is the poem).

        Journal 30: Sonnet Presentations Due Tomorrow!
        Work with your group to analyze your assigned sonnet. Tomorrow, be ready to screen cast an annotated sonnet in which you point out its features and the evidence on which you base your interpretation of its meaning.

        Make sure you cover...
        1) Italian or British?
        2) What poetic devices or features are actively contributing to the meaning of this sonnet? how? (Explain at least five.)
        3) Where is the turn and how does the rhyme scheme organization contribute to the meaning?


        Group 1

        Remember

        BY CHRISTINA ROSSETTI
        Remember me when I am gone away,
                 Gone far away into the silent land;
                 When you can no more hold me by the hand,
        Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.
        Remember me when no more day by day
                 You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
                 Only remember me; you understand
        It will be late to counsel then or pray.
        Yet if you should forget me for a while
                 And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
                 For if the darkness and corruption leave
                 A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,
        Better by far you should forget and smile
                 Than that you should remember and be sad.

        Group 2

        Music Box

        BY JORGE LUIS BORGES
        TRANSLATED FROM THE SPANISH BY TONY BARNSTONE
        Music of Japan. Parsimoniously
        from the water clock the drops unfold
        in lazy honey or ethereal gold
        that over time reiterates a weave
        eternal, fragile, enigmatic, bright.
        I fear that every one will be the last.
        They are a yesterday come from the past.
        But from what shrine, from what mountain’s slight
        garden, what vigils by an unknown sea,
        and from what modest melancholy, from
        what lost and rediscovered afternoon
        do they arrive at their far future: me?
        Who knows? No matter. When I hear it play
        I am. I want to be. I bleed away.

        Group 3

        Never Again Would Birds' Song be the Same

        BY ROBERT FROST
        He would declare and could himself believe
        That the birds there in all the garden round
        From having heard the day long voice of Eve
        Had added to their own an oversound,
        Her tone of meaning but without the words.
        Admittedly an eloquence so soft
        Could only have had an influence on birds
        When call or laughter carried it aloft.
        Be that as may be, she was in their song.
        Moreover her voice upon their voices crossed
        Had now persisted in the woods so long
        That probably it never would be lost.
        Never again would birds' song be the same.
        And to do that to birds was why she came.

        Group 4

        Sonnet 130: My Mistress' Eyes are Nothing Like the Sun

        BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
        My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun;
        Coral is far more red than her lips' red;
        If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun;
        If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head.
        I have seen roses damasked, red and white,
        But no such roses see I in her cheeks;
        And in some perfumes is there more delight
        Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks.
        I love to hear her speak, yet well I know
        That music hath a far more pleasing sound;
        I grant I never saw a goddess go;
        My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground.
           And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare
           As any she belied with false compare.

        Group 5 

        To the Poet Before Battle

        BY IVOR GURNEY
        Now, youth, the hour of thy dread passion comes;
        Thy lovely things must all be laid away;
        And thou, as others, must face the riven day
        Unstirred by rattle of the rolling drums,
        Or bugles' strident cry. When mere noise numbs
        The sense of being, the sick soul doth sway,
        Remember thy great craft's honour, that they may say
        Nothing in shame of poets. Then the crumbs
        Of praise the little versemen joyed to take
        Shall be forgotten; then they must know we are,
        For all our skill in words, equal in might
        And strong of mettle as those we honoured; make
        The name of poet terrible in just war,
        And like a crown of honour upon the fight.

        Group 6

        Sonnet Sickness
        BY MR. RENO (Our beloved English teacher from years past)

        When I consider sonnets I turn green.
        I gag. I heave. Dry heaves, they will not stop
        Until I write a quatrain...wait! I mean
        An octave! (What I've written is mere slop.)
        I cannot do this... meter? When will't end?!!!
        As soon as the meter's dial'd I kill the rhyme.
        This casualty results when I don't tend  
        All sheep at once. I'm running out of time...
        Shakespeare'ean hydra! Come at me full force!
        My loins I'll gird and stand my ground a man
        Who will not shirk from war, nor from the course
        will I depart. (my mind has hatched a plan!)
        Submission to this yoke (the sonnet's weight)
        Now means I've earned the right to graduate.