04/25/2012

Today in class we discussed "In Flanders Fields" by John Macrae.
I handed out a Rondeau assignment for you to write your own memorable poem similar in form to Macrae's; you can pick one up from me tomorrow if you were absent today.

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Johnson

04/23/2012

Today in class:

• We worked on the last day of the District Writing Day: Final Draft Day--but alas, don't worry, you can come in and make it up Tuesday through Thursday of this week after school or make a lunch arrangement with me.
• I also handed out a poem "In Flanders Fields" and assignment with it. You can pick it up from me tomorrow if you were absent.
• Bring your ID this week as we will soon check out To Kill A Mockingbird

See you tomorrow!

Mrs. Johnson

04/19/2012

Today we worked on day two of the state writing assessment. You will have two more days in class on this. If you have been absent or need more time, then you may come in after school up until Thursday of next week to finish it.
You will be given an in-class grade for this, even though it's a state assessment.

Mrs. Johnson

04/18/2012

Please hand in responses to the "Dulce" poem from the Wilfred Owen packet along with the packet tomorrow at the beginning of the English period. We will continue with the writing assessment, thanks.

Mrs. Johnson

04/18/2012

Please turn in Wilfred Owen packets and responses to the questions about the "Dulce" poem (hopefully on a separate sheet of paper) tomorrow at the beginning of English period.
We will begin the second day of the writing assessment.

adios,

Mrs. Johnson

Declaration of Peace Assignment

Many have expressed a need to see this assignment again. I decided to paste the assignment directly into my blog to eliminate confusion and frustration. Have a great rest of your weekend!

Mrs. Johnson

Declaration of Peace

Task one:

·       Choose a topic of hate that you see as prevelant and destructive today.

Assignment:

·       Write at least a one page and no more than two page speech stating your declaration to end that hate (your topic).

Requirements—At least 3 uses of the following rhetorical devices:

·       Logos, Pathos, Ethos, Patriotism, Anecdote, Facts

Review:

Ethos: ethical appeal, means convincing by the character of the author. We tend to believe people whom we respect. One of the central problems of argumentation is to project an impression to the reader that you are someone worth listening to, in other words making yourself as author into an authority on the subject of the paper, as well as someone who is likable and worthy of respect.

Pathos: (Emotional) means persuading by appealing to the reader's emotions. Language choice affects the audience's emotional response, and emotional appeal can effectively be used to enhance an argument.

Patriotism: appeal to one’s loyalty to their country.

Anecdote: A story that has an emotional, intense, suspenseful, comedic, etc. effect on the audience—can be very effective as a HOOK! 

Additional things to consider (notes at this point are optional):

·       Use of poetic devices can be effective: metaphors as in Martin Luther King Jr.’s

Examples:

“rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice” [6]

“sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.” [19]

Repetition works nicely:

Examples:

• “Now is the time…” [paragraph 6]
• “We must…” [paragraph 8]
• “We can never (cannot) be satisfied…” [paragraph 13]

Repeat your theme repeatedly throughout your speech:

• freedom (20 times)
• we (30 times), our (17 times), you (8 times)
• nation (10 times), america (5 times), american (4 times)
• justice (8 times) and injustice (3 times)
• dream (11 times)

Use specific examples to “ground” your arguments:

• Mississippi, New York [paragraph 13]
• Mississippi, Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Louisiana [14]
• Georgia [18]
• Mississippi [19]
• Alabama [22]
• New Hampshire [32], New York [33], Pennsylvania [34], Colorado [35], California [36], Georgia [37], Tennessee [38], Mississippi [39]

Utilize Appropriate Quotations or Allusions whenever possible:

• “Five score years ago…” [paragraph 2] refers to Lincoln’s famous Gettysburg Address speech which began “Four score and seven years ago…” This allusion is particularly poignant given that King was speaking in front of the Lincoln Memorial.
• “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” [and the rest of paragraph 4] is a reference to the United States Declaration of Independence.
• Numerous Biblical allusions provide the moral basis for King’s arguments:
• “It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of their captivity.” [paragraph 2] alludes to Psalms 30:5 “For his anger is but for a moment; his favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may linger for the night, but joy comes with the morning.”
• “Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred.” [paragraph 8] evokes Jeremiah 2:13 “for my people have committed two evils: they have forsaken me, the fountain of living water, and dug out cisterns for themselves, cracked cisterns that can hold no water.”

For help, go online and listen (or read) to speeches:

·     Martin Luther King. Jr

·     Gahndi

·     JFK

·     Winston Churchill

·     Lou Gehrig, “Farewell to Baseball Address”

·     Alexander the Great

·     Socrates

·     Theodore Roosevelt

·     Franklin Delano Roosevelt

04/10/2012

• Great Expectations Essay Test due Friday: Essay Test Prompts
• Peace Declaration Written Speech due Monday: we will go over the specific components of this tomorrow: Peace Declaration

See you tomorrow!

04/02/2012

Motif Assessment Due Friday
Take Home Great Expectations Final Exam essay coming up!
Bring Lit Books tomorrow!

Mrs. J