Week at a glance April 21 - 25, 2014

This week we will focus on revising Essay 4 and discovering research and a topic for Essay 5.

• Mon: No school
• Tues: Revise Essay 4.  Conduct research for Essay 5
• Wed: Essay 5 - Annotated Bibliography #1 due
• Thurs: Revise Essay 4.  Conduct research for Essay 5
• Fri: Essay 5 - Annotated Bibliography #2 due.  Printed final draft of Essay 4 due.

Week at a glance April 14 - 18, 2014

This week we will start the process of converting Essay 4 from MLA-style to APA-style.  Students will have the opportunity to revise their essays on Monday.  Tuesday and Wednesday, we will work with a printed copy to do peer review and make notes on the draft.  We'll wrap up the short week with a preview of Essay 5 and the Semester Portfolio -- the last assignments of the semester.

• Mon: Converting to APA-style.  Go to the library to edit and print a copy of Essay 4
• Tues: Converting to APA-style.  Begin peer review.
• Wed: Finish peer review.
• Thurs: Pass out and discuss Essay 5 and the annotated bibliographies assignment.  Discuss the requirements for the Semester Portfolio.
• Fri: No school - Professional Development Day

Week at a glance April 7 - 11, 2014

This week, we will focus on developing and shaping a rough draft of Essay 4.  I advise students to focus first on developing their ideas, using carefully-selected evidence, and creating thoughtful analysis.  We can work toward slipping into APA format later this week or early next week.

• Mon: Review topics.  Begin shaping and creating the essay.
• Tues: Meet in the library to continue shaping and creating the essay.
• Wed: Meet in the library to continue shaping and creating the essay.  Send Mr. Ritchie an electronic copy of the thesis.
• Thurs: Meet back in the classroom to review theses and outline for the essay.
• Fri: Essay 4 rough draft due by 5:00 to turnitin.com

Week at a glance March 31 - April 4, 2014

This week we will wrap up our readings for Essay 4.  The first reading, by Jonathan Kozol, analyzes the issue of inequality that persists in public schools.  Students are encouraged to relate Kozol's arguments to discussions currently happening in our own Statehouse.  The final reading of the unit is from a professor writing anonymously about teaching freshmen-level Comp classes on a university campus.  Throughout the unit, students have been thinking and rethinking their ideas about the purpose of K-12 education.  As part of our wrap up, we will have a day in the Library to type up our final revision.  We'll end the week with a discussion of our responses and a review of potential Essay 4 topics.

• Mon: Begin reading and discussing Kozol 219 - 236
• Tues: Finish reading and discussing Kozol.  For Wednesday, read Professor X 238-247.
• Wed:  Discuss and analyze Professor X.  Begin final revisions on the K-12 purpose statement.
• Thurs: Meet in the library.  Make final revisions to the K-12 purpose statement and hand in by the end of the hour.
• Fri: Meet in the classroom to discuss opinions on the K-12 purpose statement.  Review topics for Essay 4.

Week at a glance March 24 - 28, 2014

Welcome back from Spring Break.  This week we'll start off with a quick overview of Essay 3 and some general comments about the rough draft.  The final printed draft for Essay 3 will be due by the end of the hour on Friday.  Our readings for this week continue to revolve around the purpose behind compulsory K-12 education.  We'll identify and analyze various points of view: some idealistic and some quite cynical.  As we read and discuss topics, students should also be following and prepared to discuss political developments within our own state regarding school funding.

• Mon: Discuss and review Essay 3.  Discuss and review the assignment for Essay 4.  APA overview.  For Tuesday, read Mann 116-126.
• Tues: Discuss and analyze Mann.  Revise the K-12 purpose statement.
• Wed: Discuss and analyze Groening 147 and 156, and the Visual Portfolio 187-192.  For Thursday, read Malcolm X 210-218.
• Thurs: Discuss and analyze Malcom X.  Revise the K-12 purpose statement.
• Fri: Meet in the library to revise and print off a final copy of Essay 3, due by the end of the hour.

Week at a glance March 10 - 14, 2014

We will start this week with a chance to make revisions before submitting a rough draft for Essay 3.  Our first three days of the week will focus on working with Essay 3 right away through thesis evaluation and peer review.  Toward the end of the week, we will get a quick preview of Unit 4.  This second to the last unit will cover topics on education in the US.  We will also have a quick overview on the third citation style of the semester: APA.  Students will submit rough and final drafts of Essay 4 using APA-style citations.

• Mon: Meet in the Library to submit a rough draft online, due by midnight.  Send Mr. Ritchie a thesis statement for the new essay.  Bring a hard copy to class on Tuesday.
• Tues: Thesis evaluation and peer review.
• Wed: Finish peer review
• Thurs: Unit 4 introduction.  Essay assignment and APA overview.  For Friday, read Mackin (class handout).
• Fri: Discuss Mackin (class handout).  Response due by the end of the hour.

No school next week

Spring Break 

Week at a glance March 4 - 7, 2014

This week we will start off by reviewing potential topics for Essay 3.  With a main idea of family and gender, students should have a wide range of interests and potential ideas to develop.  As always, the main trick will be to keep the topic as specific as possible.  While researching and creating Essay 3, students should also keep in mind the need to revise Essay 2.  Students are welcome to meet with me one-on-one while we are in the library to discuss their essays.  A printed final draft for Essay 2 is due by the end of the hour on Thursday.

• Mon: Meet in the classroom to review and discuss potential essay topics.
• Tues: Meet in the library to revise Essay 2 and create Essay 3.
• Wed: Meet in the library to revise Essay 2 and create Essay 3.
• Thurs:  Essay 2 printed draft due by the end of the hour.  Essay 3 rough draft due to turnitin.com by Monday, 3/10, at midnight.
• Fri: No school - End of the 3rd quarter