Honors 4: 2015 Summer Assignments

• Rationale
• I need to know how you think, collect information, and write. This assignment will give me a feel for all of those things. It will also help me know which areas need to be addressed to help you do the best you can on the Personal Research Project (which can be used in the WR121 portfolio).
• Pre-reading Information
• Fairy Tales: Stories written by the literate for the literate to examine "modern society" and how to best survive in it. Connected to much folklore in that it was meant to help young people navigate a dangerous world. To truly understand these stories, the reader/listener must know the coded language of the stories. 
• Restoration Tales: the dispossessed noble has trials, adventures, and with help gets a better situation
• Rise Tales: the poor rises to greatness through trials, adventures, and rescue/ing
• Actual Fae (Tuatha): beings from a dimension next to ours where time and reality run differently
• The Rule of Threes 
• Three trials, three people, three chances to change 
• Each seemingly needy person or animal has the potential to help later on down the line 
• There are always three obstacles to overcome or three tries at the big obstacle (sometimes both) 
• The Forest 
• Where chaos reigns 
• Where the jaded warrior becomes the green man 
• Where people see the self through the mirror of nature 
• Everyone enters the forest, not everyone exits 
• No one comes out of the forest the same 
• Symbolism 
• The  language of fairy tales is metaphor to lead to misdirection 
• Don’t eat or drink when taken out of the world, it’ll get you stuck where you don’t want to be 
• Old people have power, be nice to them. 
• Poor people might be rich, be nice to them 
• The Metamorphosis (1915)
• Read the book and determine if it fits the definition of a fairy tale using the information above and any information you can gather from other sources (keep those sources close).
• It might be helpful to find out a little about Franz Kafka.
• The Essay
• The Questions: Is The Metamorphosis a fairy tale? OR How does Kafka’s life feed into the characterization and themes in The Metamorphosis?
• The essay must have two quotes (cited) and two paraphrases (cited). It must include direct references to The Metamorphosis and to two articles the student finds to support his or her thesis.
• Minimum of four well-written paragraphs with a bibliography for sources used in the essay.
• The articles and the essay (with a bibliography) must be emailed to mthouvenel@pendletonsd.org by August 20, 2015 (for any student who is registered for Honors 4 before July 1, 2015) or by August 27, 2015 (for any student who is registered for Honors 4 after July 1, 2015).
• Failure to complete the assignment or a failure to turn in original work will result in the student being removed from Honors 4. Please feel free to contact me at the above email address or to check my school blog (phs242.blogspot.com) for information or help.

English 2: Wrap Up

Read articles on the Pistons and write 3-sentence summaries.

Watch Bad Boys documentary, write daily synopsis, write a 3-sentence summary, write an analytical paragraph and turn it all in.

3-sentence summary

• What was it about? (name it)
• What was the message?
• Was the source/information reliable?

Analytical Paragraph

• What was it about? (name it)
• What was the message?
• How do you know? (two examples explained)
• What did you learn?
• Why does it matter?

E2: Last Vocabulary List

Quiz on June 8

• Acumen: keen insight; shrewdness
• Adulting: the ability to take care of business all the time (pay bills, keep up a house, be social, and mostly legal)
• Caustic: capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue; severely critical or sarcastic
• Dilettante: a person who takes up an art, activity, or subject merely for enjoyment; may find a true passion in one of these or in the promotion of others; a dabbler
• F.O.C. (pronounced "folk"): family of choice—people who have a tighter bond than just friendship and support each other emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and (sometimes) financially (for short periods)
• Friends: people who come together for support and mutual mental and emotional (sometimes financial) benefit.
• Friendly: treating other people with courtesy and sincerity without wishing to move into friendship
• Halcyon: calm; peaceful; tranquil
• Jobing: doing the best one can with the good and the bad that life throws down (references the Judeo-Christian story of Job)

E2: The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon

Briefly identify where, what, or who each thing is and explain in a sentence or two.

• The Woods
• Outskirts
• Lost
• The Center of the Woods
• Out or Further In
• The Rule of Threes
• The Quest
• Trial #1
• Trial #2
• Trial #3
• Helper (could cause harm) #1
• Helper (could cause harm) #2
• Helper (could cause harm) #3
• The Otherself
• What is a shadow? Support and explain.
• Who is Trisha’s shadow in the beginning of the story? Support and explain.
• Who is Trisha’s shadow when she is fully lost? Support and explain.
• Who is Trisha’s shadow just before she is rescued? Support and explain.
• The Plot
• Which type of a fairy tale is The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon? Support and explain.
• Restoration Tales: the dispossessed noble has trials, adventures, and with help gets a better situation
• Rise Tales: the poor rises to greatness through trials, adventures, and rescue/ing
• Actual Fae (Tuatha): beings from a dimension next to ours where time and reality run differently

The Essay requires an outline (fill in the blanks)

• Introduction
• 2-sentence summary of the book (don’t forget to name that book/story/article)
• Claim/Thesis (short answer to the question/prompt)––Answer + Basic Reasons
• The Body
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Conclusion
• What did we learn?
• What do we do with that information?
• Final Thought

E2: Childhood's End

• Prologue
• Konrad Schneider (briefly explain his importance)
• Reinhold Hoffmann (briefly explain his importance)
• Why does the prologue end with, “The human race was no longer alone” (Clarke 11)? Support and explain.
• Earth and the Overlords
• Stormgren (briefly explain his importance)
• Pieter Van Ryberg (briefly explain his importance)
• Karellen (briefly explain his importance)
• How does Stormgren know that letting him see Karellen was “proof…of Karallen’s affection for him” (Clarke 64)? Support and explain.
• The Golden Age
• Why spend a whole chapter explaining how awesome the world is? Support and explain.
• Jean Morrel (briefly explain his importance)
• George Greggson (briefly explain his importance)
• Rashaverak (briefly explain his importance)
• What are the aliens waiting for? Support and explain.
• Jan Rodricks (briefly explain his importance)
• Why did the Overlords let Jan go? Support and explain.
• The Last Generation
• Why is it so important to the people of Athens to “save something of humanity’s independence, its artistic transitions” (Clarke 140)? Support and explain.
• Jeffrey Greggson (briefly explain his importance)
• Jennifer Ann Greggson (briefly explain his importance)
• What saved Jeff on the beach? Support and explain.
• Why does Rashaverak tell George as much as he does in their conversation in pages 172-177? Support and explain.
• What do you think of Karellen’s speech and the information he gives in chapter 20? Does this change your understanding of the book? Support and explain.
• What was the message of the book? Analytical paragraph response.

The Essay requires an outline (fill in the blanks)

• Introduction
• 2-sentence summary of the book (don’t forget to name that book/story/article)
• Claim/Thesis (short answer to the question/prompt)––Answer + Basic Reasons
• The Body
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Specific moment or quote from the piece (with line/page number/chapter)
• Why does it matter?
• How does it support your answer?
• Conclusion
• What did we learn?
• What do we do with that information?
• Final Thought

E4 & H4: Wrapping Up

Activism: people taking action to create a specific change in society

• What is a current problem in our world that deserves notice?
• What is the solution to the problem?
• Does it deserve activism? Why? How?
• What is a problem in our nation that deserves notice?
• What is the solution to the problem?
• Does it deserve activism? Why? How?
• What is a problem locally (Oregon/Pendleton/PHS) that deserves notice?
• What is the solution to the problem?
• Does it deserve activism? Why? How?
• What is a problem that currently is getting a lot of media attention that you don’t think deserves it? Fully explain.
• What is a problem that is not getting much media attention? Why does it deserve to be part of the national conversation? Fully explain.

Each set should be answered with a paragraph. We will have a two-day graded class discussion (the answers and the discussion are worth points).

H4: Documentaries

30 for 30: Hillsborough (2013)—In the news on April 15, 1989, one of the lead stories was about a riot in a soccer stadium that killed nearly 100 people; originally, the deaths were blamed on rowdy fans. The truth is a little different. 

• Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––
• What information was omitted from the original coverage that could changed opinions? [Give an example of information omitted from many news sources that could change public opinion. Why do you think this happens?]
• How did media bias affect this tragedy and the public’s perception? How does media bias affect other newsworthy events? Why do you think this happens?
• What programs that touch on current news topics are clearly biased? How do you know? 
• Were these articles biased? How do you know?
• Where do you get your information? Is it from reliable sources? How do you know?
• Pre-watching questions––
• Why did it take 25 years between the events in Hillsborough and a documentary about it? Best guess (amend your answer after the documentary)
• Why do these deaths matter? Explain.
• Post-watching questions––
• Were the deaths in Hillsborough preventable? How?
• Who was ultimately responsible for how wrong things went? Explain.
• What was the purpose of this film? How do you know?
• Should the film maker have used more graphic imagery? Explain.
• Can you think of any other situations where families have had to fight so hard or wait so long for justice/compensation? Explain.
• What impact on sport stadiums and crowd control worldwide are evident based on the events of Hillsborough? Explain.

30 for 30: Hawaiian: The Legend of Eddie Aikau (2013)—follows the life of lifeguard, surfer, and adventurer Eddie Aikua who disappeared at sea in 1978

• Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––
• Why is it important for people who are native to an area to keep their cultural traditions? Support and explain.
• Why was it so important for the Polynesian Voyaging Society to make their trips? To continue on after the first, unsuccessful, voyage? Support and explain.
• Why is it important to try to make a positive difference in your community? How did Eddie Aikau do this? How and why did others do this in his name? Support and explain.


• Pre-watching questions––
• What does it take to be a hero? Explain.
• How do you inspire others? Good or Bad.
• Who inspires you? How?
• Post-watching questions––
• What qualities made others listen to Eddie Aikau?
• Why did people latch on to the tagline "Eddie Would Go"? How does it represent part of Eddie Aikau's legacy?
• What made Eddie Aikau insist on becoming the first North Shore lifeguard? What did it say about him as a person?
• Why did the film maker choose to "re-enact" certain events? What impact did that have on the way you reacted to the film?
• What was the purpose of this film? How do you know?

How to Die In Oregon (2011)—Oregon is currently the only state with a "Death with Dignity" Law. Then Senator Gordon Smith tried to get the law overturned three times (and failed each time)

• Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––
• 
  
• Pre-watching questions––
• Should terminally ill people have the ability to choose to end their lives early? Explain.
• What is the difference between Euthanasia and Death with Dignity? Explain.
• Why won't other states enact this law? Explain. 
• Post-watching questions––
• How has your understanding of terminal illnesses, their management and care, changed after watching How to Die in Oregon?
• How has your understanding of the Death With Dignity law changed after watching How to Die in Oregon?
• What impact did the opening scene have? How did it set the tone for the film? Explain.
• How does Cody Curtis' journey affect the viewers? Why do you think she was the primary subject of the film?
• What elements are similar to the other documentaries?

Other documentaries to follow

Read, answer questions, and discuss the related articles––

Pre-watching questions––

Post-watching questions––