First Research Papers

English 2 topics will center around The American Dream or Poverty in the United States.
English 4 topics will stem from 30 for 30: Hillsborough
A more in-depth outline and packet can be found in your google classroom or in my actual classroom.

You have two options for the type of paper you write:

• Argument/Counterargument
• Explain or define the topic; go from general to specific
• Thesis Statement: one to two sentences that answer the following questions
• How is the topic relevant? Why does it matter?
• What do you have to say about it? What type of support do you have?
• Why are you writing the paper? Who is it for? (Avoid the obvious, "for class" or "my teacher" and try to figure out who your target audience is.)
• Your body will include a look at the major arguments for and against your topic, focusing on the side you think is "right".
• Conclusion
• So what? Now what? 
• Why does it matter? What does it change?
• Final Thought
• Problem/Solution
• Explain or define the problem; go from general to specific
• Thesis Statement: one to two sentences that answer the following questions
• How is the topic relevant? Why does it matter?
• What do you have to say about it? What type of support do you have?
• Why are you writing the paper? Who is it for? (Avoid the obvious, "for class" or "my teacher" and try to figure out who your target audience is.)
• Your body will include an analysis of possible solutions before focusing on the best solution.
• Conclusion: Explain the best solution and support it.
• So what? Now what? 
• Why does it matter? What does it change?
• Final Thought

English 2: Common Core Essay (& Vocabulary)

In-class essay tied to Task 2 or Task 3 in the Common Core booklet

For February 16 Quiz:

• Allusion: a historical or cultural reference to something outside the piece of literature (figurative language/literary device)
• Analogy: a comparison of two things (figurative language/literary device)
• Archetypes: (in Jungian psychology) a collectively inherited unconscious idea, pattern of thought, image, etc., universally present in individual psyches.
• Anti-hero: Never overcomes inner demons and is, instead, destroyed by them; can be an outlaw or villain to society, but is sympathetic to the audience; cynical or wounded (type of archetype)
• Breath: the center of being alive; its rhythm indicates mood
• Cannon of Literature: a list of works, compiled by experts that represent an author, time period, or society
• Characterization: creating and establishing specific individuals (characters) in a story, poem, or film (literary device)
• Comedy: meant to amuse; all problems work out perfectly in the end
• Connotation: secondary or associated meanings for a word (connected to denotation)

English 4: Common Core Essay (& Vocabulary List)

In-class essay tied to Task 2 or Task 3 in the Common Core booklet

• Family: people who generally grow up in the same household and support each other emotionally, mentally, spiritually, and (sometimes) financially.
• Feckless: having no sense of responsibility; indifferent; lazy
• Fiasco: a complete and ignominious failure
• Finagle: to trick, swindle, or cheat (a person out of)
• Fluid Intelligence: the ability to see connections or relationships despite a lack of training 
• Gauche: lacking social grace, sensitivity, acuteness; awkward; crud; tactless
• Gregarious: fond of the company of others; sociable
• Gription: when grip gives traction
• Halcyon: calm; peaceful; tranquil

Work Samples

This week and next week English 2 and English 4 are working on Performance Task/Work Sample Essays. This work is in-class only.

English 4 & WW: Short Research Project

• Jan. 5–Generated topics based on documentaries for English 4/on books for WW 
• Class discussion
• Graphic Organizer
• Jan. 6–Developed multiple research questions based on topics; determined how much information is easily accessible 
• Partnered Graphic Organizers
• Jan. 7–Used oslis.org to find three articles on the topic, then print them or email them to yourself.
• Use the powersearch to find articles; they should be no less than 600 words (copy the citation onto a word document)
• The shorter the article, the less information provided
• The less information, the less interesting the paper is
• The less interesting the paper, the lower the grade
• Jan. 8/9–Read articles and took notes
• What specific information answers the research question?
• Does the article change your understanding of the topic? How?
• What does other side have to say? Who said it? Why is it wrong?
• Connections–
• How does manipulation of information affect what you know about the topic?
• Was it difficult to find information for/against your topic? Why?
• Was their obvious bias to much of the information? How?
• Jan. 12–Write argument/counterargument outline
• See handout
• Jan. 13/14–Type up first draft of paper with bibliography
• Jan. 15–Edit and revise draft
• Does the introduction draw the reader in? Does it provide a solid claim/thesis?
• Check spelling and word usage (the first thing on spellcheck is often the wrong word)
• Do the sentences make sense when read aloud?
• Does the flow of information (movement from one idea to the next) make sense?
• Are the pieces of support explained?
• Are the pieces of support properly attributed to their sources?
• Is there a bibliography? Does it follow MLA formatting?
• Jan. 16–Type up revisions and turn paper in 

WR 121 Research Proposal Notes

You must have a conversation with me explaining how your topic of choice connects to either The Scarlet Letter or The Awakening. This leaves a huge pool of topics to pull from, like the following examples:

• Should we still be protesting for equal treatment based on skin color/gender/sexual orientation?
• What should modern education look like?
• How much control should the government have over the individual?
• How should people with mental illness be treated? What options for care should be available to them?
• What makes someone a good parent?
• How should current research on brain development affect parenting/education?
• How should local forests be managed? Who should make the decisions about public spaces?
• What duty does society have to the working poor?

The first step in the research paper is developing a question, writing a proposal, and writing an introductory/thesis paragraph.

Proposal Format

• Topic (Research Question):
• Thesis Statement:
• Reasoning in Support of Argument:
• #1
• #2
• #3
• #4
• #5
• Counterarguments:
• Counterargument #1:
• Refute:
• Counterargument #2:
• Refute:
• Counterargument #3:
• Refute
• Source Material:
1. Article title, author, publish date:
2. Article title, author, publish date:
3. Article title, author, publish date:
• Thesis Paragraph/Introduction:

H4/WR121: Le Morte d'Arthur

Discussion Questions for tomorrow

• In what ways does Malory showcase the corruption of the wealthy? How does this connect with modern entertainment?
• Why does modern entertainment seem to be pulled between the "reality of human weakness" and the "fantasy of the hero who overcomes obvious monsters"?
• What direction should movies/book/tv shows go? Fantasy? Reality? Action? Why? What should they reveal about our society/our hopes/our fears?

Essay Topics (must also connect to a piece of literature written or produced in the last 500 years)

• "Seed the wind and reap the whirlwind" is an ancient proverb—how does Arthur's story illustrate this message?
• "May you get your heart's desire" is an ancient curse—how do Arthur, Lancelot, Guinivere, Morgan, and/or Mordred illustrate this message?
• Who did Malory see as monsters? How is that shown in his version of King Arthur's Legend?

Workshop: Guided Research Paper

“Speech on the Vietnam War” by MLK (pg. 151)

• Provide a summary (what was the speech about? what was the speech’s message?
• Provide a synopsis (a list of key points and their major support)
• Why did MLK feel the need to give this speech? Support and explain.
• What are his biggest concerns and worries? Support and explain.
• Does it make more sense to use evidence (ethos) and logic (logos) or an emotional appeal (pathos) to get listeners/readers to support your side? Explain.

Various clips on protests—write a summary (what was the clip about? what was its message?) for each clip

• The Daily Show: Race/Off
• What is the obvious bias? Support and explain.
• What is the hidden bias? Support and explain.
• Last Week With John Oliver
• What is the obvious bias? Support and explain.
• What is the hidden bias? Support and explain.
• CNN: Mo Ivory
• What is the obvious bias? Support and explain.
• What is the hidden bias? Support and explain.
• Watch Now: America After Ferguson
• What is the obvious bias? Support and explain.
• What is the hidden bias? Support and explain.

First Outline:

1. Define Protest
• When and why is it necessary?
• focus on Ferguson (or another current protest site)--why are these protests happening? Are people being manipulated? Are we ever going to get the whole story?
2. Facts of Ferguson (or other protest)
• What event triggered the protest?
• What information is available, but not widely known?
3. Bias in Reporting
• Comedy
• Debate
• Satire
• Town Hall
4. Results: Ferguson (or other protest)
• What really gets accomplished?
• What's still going on?
• Why do protests lose their news coverage?
5. Conclusion
• So what?
• Now what?

What are the gaps in your outline? What information do you need?

OSLIS.org and other research; keep track of your sources and keep a running lists. Tie your notes to your sources.

Citations:

• Beers, G. Kylene, Martha Clare. Hougen, Carol Jago, William L. McBride, Erik Palmer, and Lydia Stack. "Speech on the Vietnam War 1976." Collections. Orlando, FL: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015. N. pag. Print.
• "CNN Mo Ivory on the Militarization of Police in Ferguson MO 8/14/14." YouTube. Mo Ivory, 14 Aug. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.
• "The Daily Show - Race/Off." YouTube. Comedy Central, 28 Aug. 2014. Web. 08 Oct. 2014.
• "Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Ferguson, MO and Police Militarization (HBO)." YouTube. Last Week Tonight, 17 Aug. 2014. Web. 9 Oct. 2014.
• Martin Luther King, "Why I Am Opposed to the War in Vietnam" YouTube. Non-Corporate, 11 Jan. 2007. Web. 6 Oct. 2014.
• "Watch Now: America After Ferguson | Full Episode | PBS Video." PBS Video. PBS, 25 Sept. 2014. Web. 13 Oct. 2014.

WR121: In Class Essay Prompts ATPH

Please remember, the essay must be written in class. If I don't see you write it, I can't be absolutely sure it's your work. These prompts stem from past AP tests. Please make sure to connect both prompts to All The Pretty Horses.

Option 1: “You can leave home all you want, but home will hover leave you.” [Sonsyrea Tate] Sonsrea Tate’s statement suggests that “home” may be conceived of as a dwelling, a place, or a state of mind. It may have positive or negative associations, but in either case, it may have a considerable influence on an individual. Choose a novel or play (preferably All The Pretty Horses) in which a central character leaves home yet finds that home remains significant. Write a well-developed essay in which you analyze the importance of “home” to this character and the reasons for its continuing influence. Explain how the character’s idea of home illuminates the larger meaning of the work.

Option 2: Works of the literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and, even, family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may betray their own values. How do those characters and situations show the importance of loyalty and being true to oneself? Select a novel or play (preferably All The Pretty Horses) that includes such acts of betrayal. Then, in a well-written essay, analyze the nature of betrayal and show how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.

E2: Rough Draft Revision Questions (CitR)

1. Read a partner's introduction: 
• What will the paper be about? 
• Do you want to read more about that topic? Why? Why not? 
• Is it at least five sentences long? 
• Does it make sense? 
• Give your partner one way to improve it after answering all the questions.
2. Read a partner's body paragraphs: 
• Does each paragraph have a topic? 
• Does each topic have an example from the book or from the Core? 
• Is each example's importance explained? Do the explanations make sense? 
• Is it at least five sentences long? 
• Does the last sentence wrap it up and prepare the reader for the next paragraph/idea? 
• Give your partner one way to improve each body paragraph after answering all the questions. 
3. Read a partner's introduction and conclusion only: 
• What should be in the body based on those two paragraphs? 
• Do the two paragraphs go together? Why or why not? 
• Does the introduction seem like a beginning? How? 
• Does the conclusion seem like an ending? How? 
• Identify and underline the thesis/claim in each paragraph—are they the same? They shouldn't be. 
• Give your partner one way to improve the introduction and conclusion after answering all the questions

E2: Catcher in the Rye Outlines & Word Vomit

1. Claim (use one of mine or make your own): this goes at the end of the introduction
2. Three examples from the book with explanations and connections
3. Two core (consensual reality) examples with explanations and connection

Thursday and Friday you will turn your notes in a five-paragraph essay. Remember the class discussion regarding claims, and q&d outlines. At the end of the period Friday, print out whatever you have done (12-pt. font, double-spaced, name) and turn it in.

Possible Claims:

• Mark David Chapman, the mentally ill man who killed John Lennon in 1980, used The Catcher in the Rye as his excuse. He felt mentally ill, without any anchors, and as though he was just a vessel for his actions instead of a person who made choices.
• Holden Caulfield, The Catcher in the Rye's protagonist, is obviously suffering from some sort of depression after his brother Allie's death; he is also suffering from anxiety at being separated from his older brother, who is off in Hollywood, and his younger sister, who lives in New York City. Many people today can relate to feelings of depression and anxiety, although the treatments and triggers are different.
• People who suffer from depression and anxiety often view the world a little differently. Holden Caulfield, from The Catcher in the Rye, is a good example of how these people perceive the world and people around them—they have a hard time trusting themselves and others. 
• Holden Caulfield was sent off to boarding school after boarding school by his parents, so he could learn the rules of the world. According to The Catcher in the Rye, boarding school rules are: make partnerships, not friends; smarter kids do the work, stronger kids are the muscle; money and family name are more important than actions; find ways to be useful—you are as valuable as what you contribute.

E2: Catcher in the Rye Prewriting

This should help you expand your answers. Remember you need at least three questions with paragraph long answers for tomorrow's class.

E4: Epic Paper

The Big Ideas:

• The Book of Job asks why bad things happen; the story shows us why isn't as important as how we handle bad things when they inevitably happen.
• The Book of Job asks what it means to be good; a good person does the best he can with what he has, helps others, is loyal, and is true to his beliefs.
•  The Illiad shows us that manipulative people win out in the end and good people die along the way through the war for Troy.
• The Odyssey asks us to compare the anti-hero, Odysseus, to the hero, Telemachus. The real comparison for either man should be to Penelope who did more with less as a woman in a fiercely male-dominated world.
• Beowulf looks at what it means to be good in a society that is focused on war rather than religion. It also looks at how a pagan culture assimilates a peace-oriented, monotheistic religion.

Essay Options: Remember, these are meant to be a starting point.

• Analyze one of the main characters in relation to the story and in relation to his or her culture.
• Compare two of the characters from different stories and cultures.
• Look at the bigger questions one of the stories adresses and how it impacts the plot, the characters, and the ending; what does that question imply about the culture the epic comes from?
• Pick your own topic that relates to one of the four stories.

Sample Q&D Outline:

• Claim: Job and Cassandra of Troy both represent how their cutlures viewed faith. The Jews thought it was important to be true to their beliefs, but they didn't always know what that meant; the Greeks weren't usually very devout to their gods which is shown in the way Cassandra is cursed for reminding her "god" of his own rules.
• Brief discussion of Job, it's larger questions, and how Jews practice their faith now.
• Brief discussion of Greek mythology, whether or not faith plays a part in most of their lives, and what Cassandra's curse was really about.
• Examples of how Job and Cassandra were similar—fully explained
• Examples of how Job and Cassandra were different—fully explained

Bibliographic Examples (reverse indent each entry):
The Books of the Bible: New International Version. [Colorado Springs, Colo.] : Biblica, Inc: distributed by Zondervan, 2011. Print.

Butler, Samuel, trans. The Iliad and The Odyssey. e-book. Buki Editions, 2009.

Heaney, Seamus, trans. Beowulf: A New Verse Translation. New York: Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, 2000.

Thouvenel, M. 2014 Frame of Reference. Pendleton High School. February 2014. Lecture Notes.

Thouvenel, M . "E4: Beowulf Notes." English with Thouvenel. 10 Mar. 2014. Web. 11 Mar. 2014. <http://phs242.blogspot.com/2014/03/beowulfnotes.html>.

E4: Elements of Writing (Feb. 2014)

Students were given a choice between reading pre-determined sections of various writing handbooks, six of seventeen articles collected over the last six months from online and offline sources, or a non-fiction book of their choice.

Four times over the three weeks provided for reading, students were asked to turn in paragraphs that answered the following questions:

1. What was the article/section about?
2. What was your reaction to the information?
3. Was it well written? Explain.

At the end of the three weeks, students were asked to write a claim for a five-paragraph essay that would include two citations (based on paraphrases or quotes) and a bibliography that included all their sources. They were provided with a slide-show and notes which reviewed our Fall unit on MLA formatting.

Students then spent five days in the library writing and revising their essay. The essays and two revised drafts were due February 25, 2014 and accepted through February 28, 2014.

The first round of rewrites are due March 7, 2014 and the second round of rewrites are due March 14, 2014.