Blog Archives

Graduated..Now What?

11/18/2013

Think: What you plan to do with your life after high school can be a scary thing. Alternatively, anticipating starting a whole new life can be exhilarating.

Instructions: Explain your expectations about your first year out of high school. What will you do differently now that the time is reality? What will you do different from your peers or someone in your family? How will you map out the quality of your life?

Rules:
1-Write three (3) paragraphs.
2-Use literary devices, explicitly. (Ex: See Tools & News)
3-Pay attention to your voice, tone, structure, transitions, characterization, storyline/plot and setting.
4-Write in complete sentences and be descriptive.
5-Use academic language to write grammatically correct.
6-Think about what you are going to write.
7-Use every element of grammar I've taught you this year.
8-Write EPIC Content (Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative).

Deadline-Nov. 22, 2013 11:59 p.m. CST

Research Reflection

11/12/2013

What are your overall thoughts about your research project?

What specifically could you have focused on to have better prepared for this research project?

What could you have done differently?

What could your teacher have done differently?

Instructions: Write the responses to the questions above in multiple paragraph form.

Deadline-Nov. 13, 2013 11:59 p.m. CST

Guns. Controlled?

11/4/2013

A 12-year-old student shot and killed a math teacher and critically wounded two classmates before killing himself in Nevada. In Arizona, a man used his pump-action shotgun on his four next-door neighbors. Another man was arrested in Texas after allegedly killing his mother, aunt and three others on Monday. The next day, a young man allegedly shot his ex-girlfriend and four others in South Carolina. The next weekend, in Texas, my daughter was left for dead after being shot twice with a shotgun in her throat and chest, riddling her 18-year old body with more than 45 buck shots. Almost a week later, a TSA (Transportation Security Administration) officer was shot and killed, while two others were wounded, at the LAX (Los Angeles International) airport. Guns..controlled? Or gun users..out of control?

Gun supporters maintain that people kill, not guns. Opposers feel that gun control laws do not work or should be tougher. Nevertheless, murder and attempted murder continues to be a rising problem, especially in the U.S. Are gun control laws really effective? If so, what can be done then to decrease the rates of murder/attempted murder? If not, what can be done to make gun control effective?

Instructions: Write your thoughts.

Rules:
1-Write three (3) paragraphs.
2-Use literary devices, explicitly. (Ex: See Tools & News)
3-Pay attention to your voice, tone, structure, transitions, characterization, storyline/plot and setting.
4-Write in complete sentences and be descriptive.
5-Use academic language to write grammatically correct.
6-Think about what you are going to write.
7-Use every element of grammar I've taught you this year.
8-Write EPIC Content (Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative).

Deadline-Nov. 8, 2013 11:59 p.m. CST

Mixed Ink

Mixed Ink is our class blog, the window into our souls. It was designed to improve students' writing, critical thinking and communication skills by giving them a platform to provide meaningful content based on their interpretation of what they see.

Although the students receive a grade based on a rubric for completing this assignment, they are not graded on complexity of thought. This is a place where students of all levels can freely, confidently and creatively express themselves and their opinions in a nonjudgmental platform. They are required to respond to and critique each other, but degradation, slander, lewdness, etc., will not be tolerated.

Bridge Builders

All subjects are vital to learning, but English is the bridge of communication. So let's build the arch, one word at a time...

Grading Rubric

Learning Objectives

Communicate effectively
Be aware of current events
Write concisely
Boost critical thinking skills
Be accountable
Follow directions
Have a voice about what goes on in the world around you