Sunday, December 28, 2014

GPA Calulator

Our Tech Department doesn't have the Skyward GPA calculator incorporated yet. I know many of you need to see that. I ran across this GPA Calculator on Google Sheets. To use it,
  1. Click the link below. 
  2. Off the File menu, choose "Make a copy..." and it will create a copy you can edit. 
  3. Input your classes and grades.
Voila! Your GPA!

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Young Goodman Brown

Nathaniel Hawthorne
Here is the Young Goodman Brown text in case you misplaced yours. Remember that you will need your questions and your notes for this piece as there will be a test and we're moving toward a literary analysis paper. What is a literary analysis you may ask? Read on for a brief explanation.

Literary analysis differs from the conventional book report in that you assume the reader of your analysis has read the story. Therefore, you should not rely heavily on plot summary but instead on interpretation. You focus on certain elements of the story and how the author uses these elements in the creation of meaning. "Young Goodman Brown" is a particularly appropriate piece to analyze because it is a moral allegory; that is, a story told with two levels of meaning: the literal and the symbolic. The symbolic meaning reflects moral themes. For example, when people look within for depravity, they can learn undesirable things about themselves, lose their faith, and alienate themselves from society. There are other moral themes that you can explore as well depending on your interpretation of the story. Your job is to show how Hawthorne develops the theme by focusing on his use of symbolism as well as his use of imagery in creating the mood that helps convey the theme.

Young Goodman Brown writing assignment
Symbolism: a definition with both common and literary examples
Metaphors: a definition with both common and literary examples
Imagery: a definition with both common and literary examples

MLA Tools

MLA at OWL
Scintillating video on formatting (below)


Saturday, June 7, 2014

Pictures

Is it just me, or does Randi look incredibly creepy in this picture?
For pictures from Friday, click this link. Have a great summer!

Friday, May 30, 2014

Final Study Notes

Topics covered by the exam

Common Poetic Devices
Research Paper Resource Packet (has MLA in it)
Punctuation and Grammar
Gatsby Questions
Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian questions
Poetry Questions (Poems we worked with -- Dickinson, Hughes, Collins, Cullen, McKay)
Poetic Devices

Monday, April 21, 2014

SBAC Survey

Please fill out this survey for Elaine Smith. She and your teachers would greatly appreciate it!

Friday, February 21, 2014

Research Paper Resources

What? You haven't started your research paper yet?
Assignment Sheet
Research Paper Resource Packet
Annotated Bibliography

Plagiarism...bad :(

Here are a couple of resources that will help you understand how to avoid it.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

This I Believe

Your This I Believe essay is due on Tuesday January 21st. You will be reading it aloud in class. Here are the requirements adapted from the This I Believe submission page (I encourage you to submit them to This I Believe if you wish).
Keep the following in mind when you write your essay:
  • Limit your essay to 350-500 words.
  • Describe an event that shaped your beliefs or a person who inspired them.
  • Avoid sermons and editorials—no soapbox declamations, please!
  • Read more of the This I Believe essay-writing tips.
You can peruse multiple examples at http://thisibelieve.org. Often the ones put on the radio are a bit better, but not necessarily so.
Andrea Kang's (Class of 2009) This I Believe essay. The Tacoma News Tribune re-posted it from its original posting so all of the comments are gone, but her essay is here.
You will need TWO copies. One for me and one you read in front of the class.