Category:

To Be Or Not To Be...

8/24/2017

Instructions: Since different cultures have different moral codes, there is no objective "truth" in morality. Right and wrong are only matters of opinion and opinions vary from culture to culture. To that end, defend or challenge whether the confederate statues should be removed.
INCLUDE: First initial AND last name AND class period.

Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five. You must also reply to a classmate's post. You cannot post identical comments on different classmates' posts. Posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will not earn you a passing grade. Make sure your posts address the reply that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

CAUTION!! Do NOT embarrass me, yourself, your class, the English department, the school or your parents with tasteless, meaningless comments. This is for a grade.

Due: Fri., Aug. 25, 2017 11:59 p.m. CST

Let the Rain Come Down!

10/6/2015

Good writing is supposed to evoke sensation in the reader - not the fact that it is raining, but the feeling of being rained upon. ~E.L. Doctorow

Instructions: Write a piece that takes place in the rain, with the rain being the central focus.

Before you respond, make sure you include your first AND last name AND class period.

Respond in no more than 10 sentences and no less than five. You must also reply to a classmate's post. You cannot post identical comments on different classmates' posts. Posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will not earn you a passing grade. Make sure your posts address the reply that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Not As It Seems

9/3/2015

Writing 7-word stories are fun, brain-squeezing writing exercises. But not only that, they are a profound, creative way to think. They are a challenging strategy for self-expression and a brilliant way to write your story, process your emotions and think about your life.

Instructions: Analyze the image above, then write a 7-word story about what you see, infer and/or think about why the door is so much smaller than the chair, or why the chair seems so much larger than the room or what's behind that door. You CANNOT go beyond the 7 words. Your story will not be graded.

Before you respond, make sure you include your first AND last name AND class period.

You must also reply to a classmate's post IN 7 WORDS OR LESS. You cannot post identical comments on different classmates' posts. Posting shallow comments such as "I agree" or "I disagree" will not earn you a passing grade. Make sure your posts address the reply that you are responding to.

Be sure to--

Be clear about your position
Provide specific support for your argument
Use rhetorical devices and other grammar elements
Write EPIC Content-Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative

Digital Citizenship

5/21/2015

127 Comments

"It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think about that, you'll do things differently." ~Warren Buffet

You've come to the end of the road. It's been a long 12 years, however the journey is just beginning. Hopefully, you have left an everlasting impression that will give a glimpse of who you are and who you intend to become. It is imperative for the 21st century that you make yourself marketable in the competitive workforce that you are about to face.

Instructions: Prove that you are worthy of the career, college, university, social organization, Greek organization, loan, proposal or raise that you wish to become a part of or deserve to obtain by posting your digital resume that tells the world who you are!

Only post the link in the comments section. No words. No explanation. Just the link. (Of course be sure to include your name and class period in the space provided for that.)

127 Comments

You Quit?!

12/16/2013

Consider: "You are not finished when you lose. You are finished when you quit."

Instructions: Choose one time when you quit something and regretted it later. Write about it and make the truth sound like reading a story.

Rules:
1-Write three (3) paragraphs.
2-Write in complete sentences and be explicitly descriptive.
3-Use literary devices, explicitly. (Ex: See Tools & News)
4-Pay attention to your voice, tone, structure, transitions, characterization, storyline/plot and setting.
5-NO ONE-LINERS!!
6-Use academic language to write grammatically correct.
7-Think about what you are going to write.
8-Use every element of grammar I've taught you this year.
9-Write EPIC Content (Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative).

Deadline-Dec. 20, 2013 11:59 p.m. CST

Caption Essay: What's In a Picture?

9/28/2013

Consider This: Many scholars and activists argue that an awareness of the multiple layers of our own identities can help us respond more realistically, more objectively, and more compassionately to global issues, whether through activism, through our careers or through how we live our daily lives.

Challenge: Find an old photograph. It can be of you, your parents, your siblings, your grandparents, first dog, favorite aunt, your old house or neighborhood...any photograph that you are fond of or that evokes nostalgia. Then, write a caption essay that captures the essence of your photo.

Your caption essay should include who, what, when, where, why and who. Your stories should open a window into the past. Be reflective. Take readers on a journey of discovery. See amended rules below.

Caution: Do not write a summary or description of who or what's in the picture. We're studying creative nonfiction—write a TRUE story based on the image. Make sure your story has a beginning, middle and end. DO NOT rush.

Rules:
1-Write 200-250 words.
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-Write EPIC Content (Engaging, Powerful, Informative, Creative).

Deadline-Oct. 4, 2013 11:59 p.m. CST

Me, To the Rescue!

5/23/2013

Prompt: In class, we wrote a half-page about our rescue efforts after the recent tornado in Moore, Oklahoma. Now, you will give more detail, expanding on what you have already written, and turning it into a real story of search and rescue.

You wake up in Moore, Oklahoma, after the recent tornado, to help with the rescue efforts. Describe what kind of emotions you are feeling. What does the place look like? How are you dressed? How is everyone else dressed? What will you eat? How will you help? What will you take with you to help victims? Once you rescue someone, what will you do for them? Where will you take them? Consider all these questions as you write your story.

Last, tell me the real-life effort you made to contribute in some way.

Tip: Make sure your story has a beginning, middle and end. DO NOT rush this story. Write believable characters, storyline and setting.

Rules:
1-Write THREE (3) correctly formatted paragraphs.
2-Write in complete sentences.
3-Use literary devices, explicitly. (Ex: See Tools & News)
4-Use academic language to write grammatically correct.
5-Think about what you are going to write.
6-Write EPIContent (engaging, powerful, informative, creative).
7-Remember CPOP and everything else I've taught you!

Deadline: May 24, 2013, 11:59 p.m. CST

Dear Mr. President

1/23/2013

Directions: Write a letter to President Obama explaining to him what you want to see from his second term in office. Pick one policy you feel strongly about and persuade the president to write your policy into federal law.

Your header:

(Name)
(Grade)
Lancaster High School
200 E. Wintergreen Road
Lancaster, TX 75134

Dear President Obama,

Deadline: January 25, 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