March 6 - 10

This week, we'll practice reading and interpreting legal documents and language, as well as getting familiar with landmark Supreme Court cases that affect many areas of American life (and make great evidence/examples for essays). 

Students will work in groups, but still have their own individual writing assignments.  (Please see the Supreme Court Project document for details.) 

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Overview of Supreme Court Project.  Divide into groups, choose cases.  Work with your group on laptops to research and discuss your case, and your individual written assignment in class. 

Due: read through Supreme Court case summary page.

Homework: Finish typing up  your individual portion of the written Supreme Court case project. Bring a hard copy of the final draft, either neatly written or typed, to class on Thursday.

 

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Supreme Court Case group presentations.  Turn in hard copy of individual written Supreme Court assignment.  Take notes on other presentations.  Take open-note quiz about the cases afterwards.  Receive a copy of Vocabulary List #17 for next week's quiz.

Due: Hard copy (paper copy) of the final draft of the Supreme Court Project, either neatly written or typed, to class on Friday.

Homework: Study vocab #17 for next week's quiz.

February 27 - March 3

Welcome!  Hopefully registration for senior year went smoothly last week.  I'm looking forward to a lively week of debate (and an essay) and the end of the gender unit.

MONDAY: Check in at the classroom for attendance, and to turn in the Gender Debate Prep Worksheet and journals.  Find out where to go for presentation and individual registration for senior year at PVHS.

Due: Gender Debate Prep Worksheet

Completed journals for a journal check.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Draw cards to find out which side you'll be with.  Structured gender debate: should women be required to sign up for Selective Service (the draft) the same way that men do at age eighteen?

Due: n/a

Homework: Think about the debate and discussion, and prepare to write about it on Thursday.  How did you do?  What were the best examples and evidence supporting each side? Did you hear any logical fallacies during the debate? Do you personally agree, disagree, or agree/disagree with qualifications?

FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Go through steps in an argument essay.  Write in-class argument essay using the same prompt.

Due: n/a

Homework: Read over the Supreme Court Case Summaries sheet before Tuesday, March 7. Enjoy a little break!

February 20-24

Welcome back!  I hope everyone enjoyed the three-day weekend.  Here's what's on the agenda for this week:

MONDAY: HOLIDAY!  No school.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Short reading quiz.  Discuss National Geographic transgender article.  Research basics - scholarly sources.  On laptops, find and utilize databases and scholarly articles on the PVHS library website and on PVLD.  Both of these locations provide valuable, credible sources for papers while you're at high school, and you'll definitely be using databases for papers at the university level and beyond. Begin looking for articles for Gender Debate coming up next week.

Due: Read the following articles articles and instead of paper questions, be ready for a short quiz on them:

1. How Science is Helping Us Understand Gender 

2. Glossary of terms

Homework:  Begin working on the Gender Debate Prep worksheet.  This will be due on Monday, February 27.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Check in regarding Gender Debate Prep worksheet progress, research articles on laptops for 30 minutes.  Gender related current event: gender pay gap.  Discussion about the gender pay gap issue, complex variables involved, and the possible reasons for it. View informational article.  Read blog entry from a young professional about what she wishes she'd known about negotiating her salary (beneficial for everyone in class, not just the women).  Speaking and listening: Small group activity - improve the blogger's suggestions for phrases that could be used during a conversation with a potential employer that are respectful and effective in negotiations of salary, terms, etc. when accepting a position. Whole class discussion. 

Extension:  Click here for a challenging and informative video from the Stanford Business School about negotiation.  I learn something new every time I watch the lecture.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish the Gender Debate Prep Worksheet and have it ready for Monday, February 27.  We will debate on Wednesday, March 1.

Have your journal ready for collection for Monday, February 27.  

February 13-17

Welcome!  I am so sorry I was out last Friday.  I completely lost my voice and had a horrible head cold.  I am much better and excited to be back.  Here's what's on the agenda:

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Journal warm-up.  Enjoy e.e. cumming's "somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond" poem in honor of Valentine's Day.  Discuss "Just Walk on By".  Read and discuss "I Want a Wife": what is the author's purpose?  How does she build her argument? Discussion questions about your own future, division of household duties, hours you envision that you'll be working in your 20s, 30s.

Due: Read "There is No Unmarked Woman" and answer the questions.

Homework: Please read "American Girl.  How do you grow up healthy in an era of body shaming and anonymous bullying on social media? You fight back." from National Geographic Magazine.  Be ready to discuss.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz. Ideal man/woman activity.  Video "Killing Me Softly" and "spiderweb" style discussion.  View current event articles about new weight/BMI minimums in place for fashion models in France and new Barbie dolls with different body types. 

Due: Please read "American Girl.  How do you grow up healthy in an era of body shaming and anonymous bullying on social media? You fight back." from National Geographic Magazine.  Be ready to discuss.

Homework:  Read the following articles articles and be ready for a short quiz on them for Tuesday, February 21:  

1. How Science is Helping Us Understand Gender 

2. Glossary of terms

Enjoy the three-day Presidents' Day holiday weekend!

February 6-10

Hello!  Here's what's on the agenda this week:

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Check in and review Huckleberry Finn so far.  Read Chapter 31 aloud in class.  Read and act out summaries.  Read Chapter the Last.  Discussion about Huckleberry Finn's ending. 

Due: Read Huck Finn 27-29

Homework: Please read "Why Johnny Won't Read" and write your original answers and ideas to the questions at the end of the article.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss "Why Johnny Won't Read".  Read Paul Theroux's "Being a Man" as a class and analyze his evidence, examples, and tone.  In groups, make lists either supporting or refuting his thesis.  Present evidence and examples to the class. 

Due: Please read "Why Johnny Won't Read" and write your original answers and ideas to the questions at the end of the article.

Homework: Please read "Putting Down the Gun"and complete the questions at the end.

FRIDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz.  Talk about "Putting Down the Gun".  Read "Just Walk on By" and discuss how the author reveals details about himself and his experiences.  Is this still relevant today?

Due: Please read "Putting Down the Gun"and complete the questions at the end.

Homework: Read "There is No Unmarked Woman" and answer the questions with your own original ideas.

January 30 - February 3

Welcome!  I hope everyone had a good three-day weekend. There certainly is a lot going on these days. 

This week, we will be working on Huckleberry Finn and also looking at The Declaration of Independence as an argument.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  The Declaration of Independence as an argument. Review Huckleberry Finn reading and Huck Finn For and Against assignment.  If time, vocab story rounds.

Due: Please read Chapters 21-23 (page 152 of the library version).  You're about to learn more about the scam artistry of the Duke and the Dauphin - be ready to discuss what Twain is saying about American society/culture and whether or not his satire is relevant today. 

 Read through both articles in the Huckleberry Finn for and Against Assignment.

Homework: Read chapters 24-26 (p.158-180) for Thursday.  The reading will be on the quiz on Thursday with the vocabulary and grammar.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Quiz.  Go over Huckleberry Finn reading, read aloud in class.  Read essay "Words that Work" and discuss with real-world examples in groups. 

Due: Read chapters 24-26 (p.158-180) for Thursday.  The reading will be on the quiz on Thursday with the vocabulary and grammar.

Homework:  Read Chapters 27-29 of Huckleberry Finn for Monday.

Second Semester is here! January 23-27

Welcome to second semester already!

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Overview of second semester.  Suggest TheWeek.com for current event e-mail of the day.  Pass back final, go over it.  Outline exercise.  Review Huckleberry Finn and read Chapter 19 in class.  Huckleberry Finn group exercise. 

Due: n/a

Homework:  Read Huckleberry Finn through Chapter 20 (page 136 of the library version).


THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Huckleberry Finn for and Against assignment. Notes: satire, read example, view examples.

Due: Read Huckleberry Finn through Chapter 20 (page 136 of the library version).

Homework: Please read Chapters 21-23 (page 152 of the library version).  You're about to learn more about the scam artistry of the Duke and the Dauphin - be ready to discuss what Twain is saying about American society/culture and whether or not his satire is relevant today. 

If necessary, finish Huckleberry Finn for and Against Assignment.