Grammar Packet Due next week

Just a reminder that the 3rd and final grammar packet is due on Monday or Tuesday of next week depending on what day you have thesis.

Peer Review for College application essay #3 is on Monday, 1/7 or Tuesday, 1/8

Final drafts will be due on Wednesday, 1/9 or Thursday, 1/10

Potential Thesis topics

CLICK HERE for a list of potential thesis topics

Come up with a topic of your own and get it approved.

Schedule for the remainder of the term

Jr. Thesis Syllabus Term 2

October 29/30                   Syllabus, Mini- Lesson punctuation,        

                                                Conventions Assignment #1 – Commas

October 31/Nov 1            College Application Examples

                                                Thesis Topics

                                                Start Essay #1

November 5/6                  College Application Analysis

                                               

November 7/8                  College Application Analysis

Nov `12/13                          TOPIC CHOSEN FOR THESIS PAPER

                                                Mini-Lesson

                                                Workshop

Nov 14/15                           CONVENTIONS #1 – COMMAS DUE

                                                Mini-lesson

                                                Workshop

Nov 26/27                           Essay #1 Peer Review Workshop

Nov 28/29                           ESSAY #1 due

Dec 3/4                                 Mini-lesson

                                                Workshop

Dec 5/6                                 Conventions #2  due– Student Choice

Mini-Lesson

                                                Workshop

Dec 10/11                            Essay #2 Peer Review

Dec 12/13                            Essay #2 due

Dec 17/18                            Mini-lesson

                                                Workshop

Dec 19/20                            CONVENTIONS #3 due – Student Choice

                                                Mini-lesson

                                                Workshop

Jan 3                                      Mini-Lesson

                                                Workshop

Jan 7/8                                  Essay #3 Peer Review Workshop

                                               

Jan 9/10                               Essay #3 due

Jan 11                                    End of term

At Home Recording Instructions

Instructions to record at home:

Download the free programs:

 http://audacity.sourceforge.net/ and http://www.nch.com.au/switch/index.html

Open the audacity icon and record speech by pressing the circle button not the arrow.

You can save, listen to or record again as many times as you would like.

When you have a recording you like, choose “export”, and export as WAV file

Open(Browse for) Switch File Converter icon (and open) from start menu or desktop icon.

At the bottom of the Switch window Choose to save your audio file (format) in mp3 format

Save to Music folder

Open Windows Media Player at the top right hand corner select the “Burn” tab

Select VOD speech from music library in WMP and drag into the right column. Select “Burn”

(Pull up saved VOD speech, insert a blank disk and choose the BURN option)

Test your CD on a regular CD player.

Schedule of Deadlines

Here are the deadlines for your VOD paper for the remainder of the term:

Mon/Wed class
10/1 - Workshop and Drafting Day
10/3 - Workshop and Drafting Day

10/8 - Body Paragraphs Due
10/10 - Peer Review Workshop - EVERY STUDENT NEEDS TO BRING 3 COPIES OF THEIR PAPER TO CLASS.  YOU MAY NOT PRINT THEM AT SCHOOL

10/19 - Revise, edit and record

10/22 - Revise, edit and record
10/24 - FINAL Copy of speech due.  Your speech needs to be burned to a CD.  You must also turn in the entry form filled out.
** This is also the last day of the term for this class.  Since this is your primary project for this term, it will account for the majority of your grade.

Tues/Thurs Class

10/2 - Workshop and Drafting Day
10/4 - Workshop and Drafting Day

10/9 - Body Paragraphs and Conclusion Due -  Peer Review Workshop - EVERY STUDENT NEEDS TO BRING 3 COPIES OF THEIR PAPER TO CLASS.  YOU MAY NOT PRINT THEM AT SCHOOL

10/16 - Revise, edit and record
10/18 - Revise, edit and record

10/21 - Revise, edit and record
10/23 - FINAL Copy of speech due.  Your speech needs to be burned to a CD.  You must also turn in the entry form filled out.
** This is also the last day of the term for this class.  Since this is your primary project for this term, it will account for the majority of your grade.

Avoiding wordiness

One of the biggest challenges students have in regards to their writing is the economy of words.  Cutting out the extra words or "bloatiness" from writing is the key excellent speeches.

Work to cut out the extra words from your writing.

CLICK HERE for the exercises we went over in class.

More video clips/Openers due

Just a reminder that your Power Openers are due on Wednesday and Thursday of this week.

President Bensen on the Constitution

Here is the video clip we watched in class:

Power Opener/Attention Getter

Your power openers/attention getter/introductions will be due next on Wednesday for Thesis 11.2 (Monday/Wednesday) and on Thursday for Thesis 11.1 (Tuesday/Thursday).

Elements of winning speeches we discussed in class:

Tells a story
Research
Pacing - short sentences, mixed with longer ones
Relates to audiences
Can use general religious references
Call to action
Understands audience/judges
Stories do not have to be true but must be plausible and believable

VOD examples

Remember:  Tell a story only you can tell and do it in your own voice.


Here is the link for the 2011-12 national winner print copy:

http://www.vfw.org/uploadedFiles/VFW.org/News_and_Events/2012%20VOD%20Winning%20Speech.pdf

Video of the winning speech 2011-2012

Here is a link for the audio of all the 2011-12 state winners.

http://heroes.vfw.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8007

Video of winning speech 2010-11

Video of winning speech 2009-2010

Students and Parents Comment Here

Welcome all.  Please leave a brief comment below.  Take a minute to explore this blog.

Assessment Answers

Today we went over the answers from the grammar assessments we took in class last week.  It was pretty clear students need extra editing and punctuation practice.  We will be doing that on a weekly basis.

Come prepared to work on your Voice of Democracy projects starting the next class.

Fun Fun Fun

Today we took an grammar assessment test to see what grammar skills may need to be refreshed.  We will grade these in class next time.

Remember to be thinking about the topic you want to write about for your thesis.  You will need to have those chosen in the next few weeks.

I think we should do this every day!  What do you think?

CLICK HERE for a copy of the assessment

Voice of Democracy, Thesis paper

Students make sure to turn in your disclosure documents by Friday for full points.

The first writing project we will work on is a speech competition sponsored by the Veterans of Foreign Wars called The Voice of Democracy.

CLICK HERE for a copy of the contest rules.  We will be working on this in class and as homework.  The best advice I have for scholars is to tell a story only you can tell and do it in your own voice.

We will also be picking topics for the large end of the year thesis in the next few weeks.  Be thinking about what you want to spend 100 hours researching this year.

Welcome!

Words can change the world.  Don't believe me?  Study the impact of the Communist Manifesto, Uncle Tom's Cabin or even The Book of Mormon. In this class we will refine the writer's craft and understand what it means to write in a transformational way both for ourselves and our audience.  As we create and become more confident with words, the imprint we leave on the world is magnified regardless of the topic.

CLICK HERE for the disclosure document for this course.

I invite you to be the change you wish to see in the world.