Today in class: Dracula In-class essay (50-minutes) + Diagnostic European geography

For Wed-B3/Thu-A2
Review Volume One (Chapters 1-19) of Great Expectations. We'll be discussing it and having a brief quiz.

My reading quizzes typically include ten multiple choice questions or fill in the blank short responses + 3 extended response prompts. We'll use these brief quizzes as a springboard for discussion; so, please bring your copy of Great Expectations.

Reminder: You are required to bring your LRJ + your 3-ring binder with you to class heretofore.

After an A2 discussion about allusions and James Joyce and the inscrutability of some novels, I've decided to start a book club to read, study, analyze, interpret, and discuss Finnegan's Wake by James Joyce. I'm putting out a call to anyone and everyone who is open to this literary escapade.

The FW Book Club is open to anyone in the Moeller community -- students, faculty, staff, parents, alumni, et al. We will do this online in order to accommodate anyone and everyone who is interested.

If you are interested, please let me know by September 15! Drop me an email, and I'll let you know how to join up with us.

Not sure if you should be interested or not? Read this article on Finnegan's Wake:

First off...
Please note well that you will have your first unit exam of the year on Friday/Monday. In order to be very clear about the material that will be covered, please download and review carefully my download Victorian Unit Exam Study Sheet.

    Note: Victorian project PowerPoints are available on the Great Expectations page

     DOWNLOAD: Tips on How to Answer Short Essay Questions on Exams (F451)

Extra Credit Books: Please bring both your books to the unit exam. You will be permitted to use those on the extended response part of the exam. If you have your own annotated copies, you also have the opportunity to donate those to the school for 10 XC points per book.

Also, an LRJ reminder: I will be collecting and grading your LRJ's before the exam on Monday. You should have completed all three Great Expectations prompts and all three Dracula prompts by that time. Remember, each entry should be 2-3 pages of single-spaced thoughtful writing. 

In-class assignment
After the Victorian presentations, you will be preparing a study sheet for the unit exam -- you'll need the following two downloads for reference:

    1 -- Introduction to Gothic Literature & Bram Stoker's Dracula
    2 -- Victorian Literature -- An Overview (PDF)

and the following eWorksheet on Victorian literature:

    3 -- eWorksheet on Victorian literature (PDF)

Drop-box when finished.

Extra Credit Assignment
It's simple and it's optional. Download and read the following short story "Self-Made Man" You will complete a non-taxing assignment on this reading during class on Tuesday.

    DOWNLOAD: Self-Made Man (PDF)

I'm making some changes to the end-of-the-year schedule. These changes will soon be reflected on NetMoeller as well:

Monday, May 6th
Brave New World -- Chapters 11-18 quiz
Reviewing multiple choice strategies for AP exam
(If you miss this class, you may make up the quiz during class on Friday.)

Wednesday, May 8
Review for AP exam -- essay strategies
Note: Although I highly recommend that you prepare three data sheets for the exam, I am not going to make this a requirement for you to turn in today as I previously planned.

Friday, May 10
Final LRJ assignments #1-4 are due today.
I am cancelling the Brave New World unit exam. You all have enough AP exams this week and next without having to sit yet another exam.
Today will be the "Movie of the Year" presentation

Tuesday, May 14
For A2 -- This is a scheduled class for A2 in which we will finish the "Movie Presentation of the Year" and work on an optional extra credit assignment. (Details forthcoming.)

For A3 -- this is a scheduled exam date. If you did not take the AP exam, you will be required to turn in to me your take-home exam. If you did take the AP exam, you have the option of submitting the take-home semester exam. it cannot hurt your grade. We will finish the "Movie Presentation of the Year" and work on an optional extra credit assignment.

Thursday, May 16
For A2 -- Most of you, I believe, will have the World History AP exam during this time; so, we will not have anything scheduled during this period. However, if you did not take the AP exam, you will be required to turn in to me your take-home exam. If you did take the AP exam, you have the option of submitting the take-home semester exam. it cannot hurt your grade.  If you are not taking the World History AP, you will have a study hall.

Midsummer Night's Dream is opening at the Cincinnati Shakespeare Company on Friday. This is the first of two extra credit plays for the fourth quarter.

Here's an article about the play that appeared in The Cincinnati Enquirer on the Ides of March:

You have another opportunity to receive extra credit, but first...

Today in class
En route to getting extra credit, you will need to complete a first draft of an opinion article that responds to one of the two prompts below. This draft (a WORD document) will be dropboxxed at the end of class today. This draft is worth 20 points.

Extra credit
In order to receive extra credit, you must revise your article and get it into publishable form to submit to The Crusader. You will receive 10 points extra credit if you submit a revised, polished version by Tuesday (before beginning of class). Opinion articles that are chosen for publication in the Fall issue of The Crusader will receive 50 extra credit points (rather than 10)

Your assignment
Word count: 350-550 words

Prompt: This summer, Moeller High School's technology department installed 40 new survellaince cameras for $42,000 (this is a dummy figure that will need to be changed). This surveillance system replaced an old system whose cameras were no longer functional. The project was motivated in part by a rash af after-school thefts in classrooms and locker rooms last year. Your opinion article should defend or challenge the following claim:

Given the rash of thefts in the school building, Moeller's IT department is justified in spending $42,000 on cameras that will be watching the movements of everyone in the building 24-hours a day.

Some issues to consider: Should Moeller students be watched every moment they're in the building? How else might the camera footage be used? Is this an invasion of privacy? What are possible abuses? How else might this money have been spent?

Note: This is an issue that has come up in schools all across the U.S. You are free to search for any related news stories that might help you back up your opinion piece.

Tips on Writing an Effective Opinion Piece
You are NOT writing a five paragraph essay. Your opinion article can take any form you wish, but the guidelines below provide you with some direction about what makes an effective piece of writing.

I. Introduction
- Gains readers’ attention and interest
- Establishes your qualifications to write about your topic
- Established some common ground with your audience
- Demonstrates that you are fair and even-handed
- States your claim about the prompt

2. Background
-Presents any necessary information, including personal narrative, that’s important to your argument (may also include info from cases at other schools)

3. Lines of Argument
- Presents good reasons, including logical and emotional appeals, in support of your claim

4. Alternative Arguments 
- Examines alternative points of view and/or opposing arguments
- Notes advantages and disadvantages of these views
- Explains why your view is better than others

5. Conclusion
- Summarizes the argument
- Elaborates on the implications of your claim
-Makes clear what you want the audience to think or do
-Reinforces your credibility

Type it up and dropbox your article (with your name and a title on it) by the end of class.

For extra credit: Revise and/or develop it and dropbox the revision by next Tuesday.