English 11: Vocab Quiz (Feb. 24)

Remember the Academic Honesty policy and its repercussions.

Vocab Quiz #5

Composition II Vocab Quiz #5 (Feb 24)

Remember the Academic Honesty policy and its repercussions.

Vocab Quiz #5

Online Thesis Builders

Building a strong, well-developed thesis is one of the most difficult aspects of writing a solid, supportive essay. Without this sentence or two, your paper has little direction, and your argument gets lost in seemingly unguided rambling. The use of an online thesis builder can help to at least get a start on an effective thesis, though you may have to work with it to make it your own. After some practice in writing these statements, students usually have no problem stating what it is they are trying to prove, and the whole process becomes that much easier.

Click here for an effective online thesis builder.

English I: Romeo and Juliet Blog

The students from Ms. Shaw's English I class will be blogging from the perspective of chosen Romeo and Juliet characters, as well as doing some compare and contrast with the times of the setting and today's world, some analysis of major scenes and how those ideas could be conveyed today, and some application of the tragic love story into today's world of pop culture.

Join the students from English I on their journey by visiting Romeo and Juliet 21st Century Blog.

English 10 Experiments with Storybird

Students in English II developed short stories complete with illustrations based only upon the title of "A Day in the Life." Students were walked through the process of how to build their own Storybird, were shown a couple examples, and were given the task of creating a short story of at least fifteen pages. Below are some examples.

Amber Z.'s "A Day in the Life"
A Day in the Life on Storybird

Robby O.'s "Just a Day in the Life: Solutions
Just a Day in the Life: Solutions on Storybird

Karter M.'s "A Day in the Life"
•A Day in the Life• on Storybird

Hunter S.'s "A Day in the Life"
A Day in The Life on Storybird

Tyler F.'s "A Day in the Life"
A Day In The Life on Storybird

Jenna J.'s "A Day in the Life"
A Day in the Life on Storybird

Visual Analysis Writing Prompt: Composition II

Please think about the message in the following political cartoon. After considering the point the cartoonist is trying to make, apply what you know about the Occupy Wall Street Movement and our own financial discussion. Write an informed free-write on financial constraints felt by Americans today.

Bell-Ringer: Another Life Poetry

As a bell-ringer, students wrote poems based on the following prompt from The Daily Spark: Poetry.

Another Life

Write a poem from the point of view of a homeless person or a billionaire. Remember to be responsible and respectful. 

FIFTEEN LINES MINIMUM!

Add your poem as a comment.

When you are finished, you can read your peers' poems quietly.

COMPOSITION II Vocab. Quiz (Feb. 10)

Remember the Academic Honesty Policy and the repercussions for breaking it. Good Luck!

Click HERE for the quiz.

English III: Vocab Quiz #3 (Feb 10)

Remember the Academic Honesty Policy and the repercussions for cheating. Good Luck!

Click HERE for the quiz!

Multi-Genre Research Project

Universal themes in literature help us make sense of ourselves and the world around us.

After reading and discussing F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, students in English II used the following question to guide their research for a multi-genre research project as a culminating project for the novel study.


How does a specific aspect presented in The Great Gatsby have relevance in today’s culture, political scene, society, etc?

Multi-genre projects put a new spin on the traditional research paper. Students were given some free reign in regards to topic choice and were able to use creativity and higher-order thinking skills in choosing the different genres for the presentations.

Themes chosen for the multi-genre research projects included:
The Development of Fashion and the Impact of "The Roaring 20's" 
The Great Depression of Yesterday vs. The Great Recession of Today
Organized Crime and Its Impact on Today's Politics and Culture
Rural Lifestyles vs. Urban Lifestyles
The American Dream: Then and Now
Is The American Dream Still Attainable?
Human Attraction: The Science Behind Our Feelings
Prohibition and Bootlegging of the 1920's and the Modern Day Drug War

Access Codes for The LiveBinders presentations are: 12345

English 11: Vocab Quiz #2 (Feb 3)

Click here to access the vocabulary quiz for the week of February 3. Remember you are on the honor system for the quiz. You should not access any resources on the web or use the dictionary widget on your laptop. Failure to comply with the honor code will result in a report of breaking the Academic Honesty policy and will bring dire consequences such as a ZERO on the quiz, a failing grade for the period, or expulsion, dependent upon frequency. Please be aware that you will be monitored. Good luck!

COMPOSITION II Vocab. Quiz (Feb. 3)

Click here to access the vocabulary quiz for the week of February 3. Remember you are on the honor system for the quiz. You should not access any resources on the web or use the dictionary widget on your laptop. Failure to comply with the honor code will result in a report of breaking the Academic Honesty policy and will bring dire consequences such as a ZERO on the quiz, a failing grade for the period, or expulsion, dependent upon frequency. Please be aware that you will be monitored. Good luck!

ESL Help Site

Some ESL Practice can be found here.