Education

Today we had an awesome seminar on education. What is the purpose of education? What is school? Does school provide an education? What is a teacher? What do teachers add to the educational process? Add your thoughts & responses....

Senior English

What do you believe is the most important thing a student needs to learn before leaving the FREE public education system? What do you feel your peers still have yet to grasp that they so desperately need to be successful in the real world? what would you have liked to learn more about from adults adn teachers, but never given the chance?

What is Love...

...baby, don't hurt me...seriously, what IS love? Who is capable of love? When are we capable of love? Should eighteen year olds marry?

For those Twerds out there who have read the Twilight series: Bella and Edward? An eighteen year old making an ETERNAL commitment to an eighty-four year old vampire? Many parents appreciate the book series because it promotes abstinence until marriage--as teen readers, did you perceive that message? Are there more controversial issues the series provokes? Is it yet another dangerous lie for teenage girls to consume, another myth perpetuating unrealistic and unattainable romantic possibilities?

You Knew It Was Coming

We watched a film--you thought we were just goofing off, but here it is. You knew it was coming. The writing assignment. In a response of at least ONE page, address what life issues and conflicts the film portrayed. What message does the film communicate? Is that message effective?

This assignment will be due Monday in class. You can post brief comments on the blog, but please write your extended response for yourself and bring to class so we can seminar.

Deep Impact

The film is not simply a disaster flick of epic proportions; it is significant inquiry into the question "What makes us human?"

Discuss your thoughts and reactions to the film. Criticism welcomed!

Language in Our Ever-Evolving World

Think of all the new language generated thanks to the booming digital age. Just a few years ago the words "blog", "blogging", and "blogger" would have been meaningless letters. Why that word? Where did it come from? How did it come to mean personally-published internet journal?

What other new words have been coined and added to our daily lexicon? Where did they come from? Use your best guess or do some research!

Let's make our own new words as well!

HOMEWORK: Read Climate change articles in textbook, pages 862-887; take brief notes for use on Wednesday's quiz

Wall E

Reactions? Comments? Concerns? Responses?

Sustainability

What is it? For those of you who attended the field trip, explain your experience for your classmates. What did you learn?

EXTRA CREDIT: Create a photo essay from your experience at ASU. Just like an actual essay, be sure your photo essay has an intro, body, and conclusion. You can include a few key words, quotes, or info in order to clarify your message.

Pen Pals

Check this out--I've added a new blog to our blog list. It's Mr. Russoniello's third grade class--your pen pals! We're going to attempt some cross-grade level interaction and technology. We've posted a topic on his blog--and you ALL get to respond to it.

Audience is everything--your responses will be read by third graders and their PARENTS. Your responses need to reflect that audience. Unfortunately even the most clever innuendo, no matter how brilliant or classy, will not be appropriate.

This is is your chance to really mentor and model your incredible English composition skills for an audience that will be influenced by what you write. For this reason, use spell check, capitals, punctuation--all that fancy stuff. My blog window has spell check available--the comment window does not. Please COPY and PASTE your responses from Word into the comment box so you can ensure the quality of your writing. It also never hurts to reread and revise on your own (like what you're doing with your Supersize Me essays). Also be sure to indicate To: and From: within comment

BTW--Revised drafts of rhetorical analysis, 2-3 pages, typed, double-space, MLA format due on Moday, March 2. Extra Credit field trip to Global Water facility on Wednesday, March 4 at 3:00 pm--transportation on your own

Supersize Me Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetoric: the art of effective communication (writing and speaking)

Analysis:
1. the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements (opposed to synthesis ).
2. this process as a method of studying the nature of something or of determining its essential features and their relations: the grammatical analysis of a sentence.
3. a presentation, usually in writing, of the results of this process: The paper published an analysis of the political situation. [Thank YOU www.dictionary.com!]

Assignment: Is Morgan Spurlock's argument convincing? Analyze and discuss how Spurlock uses rhetorical elements to make (or break) his point.

Remember: rhetorical elements (i.e. speaker, message, audience, appeals, etc.)

Super Size Me

Morgan Spurlock goes on a 30-day planned fast food binge--why? What is the purpose of his "experiment"? What do you believe is the message or thesis of his argument? What are the holes in his argument?

John Banzhaf--the attorney who sued the tobacco companies--discusses the advertising methods of tobacco companies targetting children through candy cigarettes. Banzhaf states that McDonalds does the same thing through happy meals, clowns, cartoons, happy meals, toys, and playgrounds. Assess this charge. What shold be done about it?

Consumerism and a Fast Food Nation

Today more than ever we consume more than we produce. If Annie Leonard's statistics are correct, 99% of what we purchase is in the trash six months later. Is this the natural evolution of humanity and production? Or has this system been manufactured, marketed, and sold to us along with cheap electronics and fast food?