Wed. 5/16 Turn in your last poem response!  turnitin.com the Tue. night.

Read Jane Eyre ch. 28-30/quiz
Discussion leaders be ready

Fri. 5/18 Finish Vocabulary lesson 29/quiz

Persuasive Speeches
 
Start by first selecting your persuasive topic:
● My strong beliefs:  What ideas and issues would I argue for?  What ideas and issues would I argue against?
●  My strong feelings:  What makes me angry?  What are my pet peeves?  What arouses my pity?  What makes me sad?  What do I fear?
●  My social ideals:  What changes would I like to see in society?  What current problems or conditions could improve if we believed that there is a problem, that there are solutions, and that we can be part of those solutions?
●  My personal ideals:  What can make life more meaningful for others and myself?  What activities will expand our horizons?  What improves our health?  What leads to more fulfilling personal relationships?
 
Making Persuasive Claims
 
Selecting your subject is only the first step.  After you know your topic area, ask yourself what claim you want to defend.  A claim is an assertion that is disputable or open to challenge—a conclusion or generalization that some people won’t accept.  We commonly make three types of claims:  fact, value, and policy.
 
Factual Claims
 
You argue what exists or does not exist, what’s led to a current situation, or what will or will not happen.  The following three types of factual claim are common:

1. Debatable points (there is life on other planets/ Lee Harvey Oswald acted alone in killing President Kennedy)
2. Causal relationships (secondhand smoke leads to lung disease/ television violence influences children to commit violent acts)
3. Predictions (this mutual fund will gain value/ Y2K will shut down global economies and cause widespread anarchy—Ha)

 
Value Claims
 
When you judge or evaluate something using terms such as right or wrong (it’s immoral to burn the flag), good or bad (those hamburgers are awful), beautiful or ugly (Thomas Kinkade’s art is wonderful), you’re making a value claim.
 
Policy claims
 
These claims consider whether individuals or groups should act or not, and how they should proceed if they decide to do so.  You’ll commonly hear two major types of policy arguments:

1. Arguments against the status quo (Congress should adopt a flat tax system; you should write your senator and urge a vote on the flat tax.)
2. Arguments supporting the status quo are arguments for the way things are.  (The administration should not raise tuition).

 
Your assignment:  On __5/23___  a speech outline is due which needs to include your specific purpose (to persuade my audience that sleep deprivation has three negative consequences) and a central idea (when sleep is deprived, individuals suffer financially and relationally, and society as a whole suffers.)  I will also need an outline for the introduction, body, and conclusion.  On __5/23, 5/29-5/31______ you will be delivering your speeches for 4-6 minutes each. 
 
You will be graded on the following:
Volume                                              Preparedness           Time               Conclusion
Enthusiasm                                       Content                      Power Point
Posture and Eye Contact                Outline                       Hook

Woodcrest Christian High School
Language Arts Department
Portfolio: Biblical Worldview Essay
Seniors
 
Background:
Everyone has a worldview. Whether or not we realize it, we all have certain presuppositions and biases that affect the way we view life and interact with reality.  A worldview is like a set of lenses that alter our vision; lenses that are formed by our education, our upbringing, the culture we live in, the books we read, the movies we view, the music we listen to, and by the people with whom we surround ourselves.  With the overwhelming amount of factors that influence our lives is it any wonder that some people have never thought about what they believe and why they believe it? In fact, if asked they would find it challenging to provide a reasonable defense of their actions and beliefs to others.  Regardless of how one develops a personal worldview, people do indeed perceive themselves, those around them, and the world through a particular set of beliefs, attitudes, and values.  It is these elements that form and inform worldview and, in turn impact behavior.  Proverbs 23:7 states, “(As a Man) thinketh in his heart, so is he.”  In other words, “the actions and words of a man reveal the true nature of his heart” (CBT). Through your years at WCHS you have been exposed to a great deal of literature.  The development of the themes and creation of the characters within this literature have not necessarily been penned with Biblical Truths in mind.  However, you have been “exposed” to this literature, metaphorically speaking, much like a physicians administers an inoculation in which you have been given small doses of a potentially “dangerous virus” in order to help you identify and withstand the effects of a disease or in this case, erroneous worldview.
 
Task:
Your assignment is to demonstrate your ability to recognize secular worldview and compare it to the scriptural Truths of a Biblical worldview.  You will choose two characters from a novel or play that you have read in one of your English classes over the last four years. One character should share your worldview while the other should demonstrate a worldview with which you disagree.  Compare and contrast these two characters through their ideas, actions, and words to determine the impact of their worldview.  For example; in the play Macbeth by William Shakespeare, the character Lady Macbeth’s actions demonstrate the high value she places on gaining power and control; actions that lead to death, destruction, and regret. While, in comparison, the actions of Hester Prynne in Nathaniel Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter, though flawed, demonstrate her desire to attain redemption in the eyes of the people and in the eyes of God. In a well organized, grammatically error free essay, explain the impact of one’s worldview through the two characters you have chosen. Be sure to consider the consequences of a society when its citizens lose their moral compass. And lastly, address the concept that Biblical Truth is absolute and not relativistic. The format of your essay should be a subject-by-subject compare and contrast essay. Your essay must include a specific thesis statement in the introduction and your main points/concrete detail must be supported by textual evidence.  Don’t forget to cite!
 
Be sure to avoid plagiarism at all costs!  Remember, if you are unsure, cite!   As always, put forth your best effort and remember…
 
                “Colossians 3:22-25 Servants, do what you're told by your earthly masters. And don't just do the minimum that will get you by. Do your best. Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you'll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you're serving is Christ. The sullen servant who does shoddy work will be held responsible.”
 
 
Works to choose from:
 
A Christmas Carol
The Merchant of Venice
Hamlet
The Hobbit
Mythology
Diary of Anne Frank
The Odyssey
The Silver Chair
Voyage of the Dawn Treader
The Call of the Wild
Anthem
To Kill a Mockingbird
Animal Farm
Romeo & Juliet
Great Expectations
The Hiding Place
The Chosen
Lord of the Flies
A Separate Peace
Once and Future King
All Quiet on the Western Front
Julius Caesar
Huckleberry Finn
The Scarlet Letter
The Great Gatsby
The Awakening
Fahrenheit 451
A Farewell to Arms
Life of Frederick Douglas
My Antonia
The Mayor of Casterbridge
Rosencrantz & Guildenstern are Dead
Frankenstein
1984
 Jane Eyre
Othello
Twelfth Night
Metamorphosis
Heart of Darkness
Doctor Faustus
Pygmalion
 
Due Dates:
Rough Draft with Works Cited due—5/17/12
Final Draft with Works Cited due—5/24/12
**turnitin.com the night before
 

Tue 5/8 Vocabulary Test on lessons 25-27

Thur. 5/10 AP Literature Test!  Study your note cards! Be there @ 7:30 A.M. in room 143

Fri. 5/11 Finish lesson 28/quiz

Tue. 5/1 Read Jane Eyre ch. 17-20--Discussion leaders be ready

Fri. 5/4 Finish vocabulary lesson 27/quiz

Fri. 4/27 Finish vocabulary lesson 26/quiz

Discussion Leaders
 
Each student will be asked to lead a discussion on the previous nights reading in Jane Eyre.  Discussion leaders will come to class and expect to lead a group through the previous nights reading for about 10-15 minutes.  This should be seen as a chance to discuss some great ideas as well as to encourage one another and have some ownership in the class. 
Each student will lead once.  The leader will, ahead of time, formulate questions (typed-to be turned in that day) to ask the group and lead the discussion on the assigned day.  The leader should also make sure everyone contributes and feels secure in sharing ideas.  I will participate as well. 
Evaluation
                At the end of the discussion, the other participants will rate the leader’s effectiveness on the following:  Was the discussion focused?  Was it interesting?  Did it bring out important parts of the story?  That is, did it help increase my understanding of the work?  Also, did the leader try to get everyone involved?
The students will give the following scores to the leader:

6.      Outstanding

5. Above Average

4. Average

Students should also give brief written comments which include one specific, positive thing (required) about the discussion and possibly one area to grow on (optional).
 
                These scores will be collected by the leader.  The leader will have a week from the date of their discussion to submit a summary of about ½ to 1 page long typed, along with the collected scores.  This will result in the final grade as leader along with the previously submitted typed questions that were asked. 
**Worth 20 points in the writing category**
Schedule:
4/24: Chapters 9-12                                                            5/4:  Chapters 21-24
4/27:  Chapters 13-16                                                        5/14: Chapters 25-27
5/1:  Chapters 17-20                                                           5/17:  Chapters 28-30

**2nd Period

 4/24: Madie, Parker, Dean, Jill, & Marly
4/27:  Christian, Edwin, Aimee, Andrea, & Danny
5/1:  Sarah S, Brendyn, Kim, Sarah L., & Mickey
5/4:  Michalie, Chris, Lauren S., Paige, & Levi
5/14:  Mauna, Michelle, Zack, Kayla, & Lauren W.
5/17: Amber

**6th Period

4/24:  Josiah, Bethany, & Timothy
4/27:  Franke, Marandah, & Laura Lynn
5/1:  Lisa, Justin, & Megan
5/4:  Courtney, Monica, & Janay
5/14:  Brooke, Garrett, & Andrew
5/17:  Kayci & Zac

Fri. 4/20 Read Jane Eyre ch. 1-8/quiz

Thur. 4/12--Note Cards 101-150 are due

Fri. 4/13--Finish part III of Heart of Darkness & be ready for a test

Mon. 4/16--Bring Jane Eyre with you to class

Tue 4/17 Vocabulary Test on lessons 22-24

Mon. 4/9--Finish Part II of Heart of Darkness