Welcome to the Honors 11 web page!
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On this page you'll find information about what we do every day in class, including the play-by-play of what happens in each class period, homework assignments, and due dates. Here's what to know:
- Class activities are listed in reverse date order. Scroll down to find the date you seek.
- Access older units and lessons through the lesson archives
- Read "About Mr. Rice" if you want a brief biographical sketch of your instructor
- The English Department shares the same Late Work Policy
CURRENT WORK:
For entertainment:
From Mr. Rice: A Motivational Message at Semester Break
Honors English 11
Final Project – Synthesis Essay and Presentation
In a traditional synthesis essay the student author combines information and ideas from more than one source text with his/her own ideas to create a fresh, original document. Source texts can be linked based on varying characteristics, including topic, theme, style, tone, etc.
Your task for the final project is to synthesize four texts from the course of the year and make a proposal about how those texts have informed or confirmed your own thinking about a particular topic/issue. The topic/issue can be personal in nature (and should be). It will be of benefit to you if you can make links both from text-to-self and text-to-world; this demonstrates your own expanding thinking and frame of reference as a young adult.
- At least one poem of the twenty-five we studied second semester must be chosen
- At least one text from first semester must be chosen
- Your own college application essay is not considered an independent text from the course; however, information from your essay might illuminate how the other four texts informed or confirmed your own views/beliefs about a particular topic/issue
Fair warning: There is no draft-revise-final process on this assignment. Part of the challenge is to assemble data quickly and present it formally within the span of ten days.
Procedures
Days one and two (May 31 and June 1)
1. Setting aside one sheet of blank paper per text, recall all texts studied during the year. If you joined the class second semester, then recall texts you studied first semester in your other class and consider these texts “fair game.”
2. Systematically investigate each text on a basic level: characters and their attributes, major topics, major themes, conflicts, narrative style, author’s tone, etc. Consider creating a matrix on each sheet so observations are organized and easy to find.
Days three and four (June 2-3)
3. After reviewing each text, look at opportunities to build bridges among them. Suggestion: Do not immediately attempt to pick four. Instead, build as many combinations as possible. Some similarities may be found between two or among three texts. You might also find a good link among six texts. Ultimately, recall that you need to link four texts.
4. Decide which links you understand best, and consider that the links you discuss must relate to something you came to understand/believe (the texts informed your thinking) or came to understand/believe more strongly (the texts confirmed your thinking).
5. Narrow your text options down to the final four, and dedicate yourself to a focus. State specifically in four sentences or less how the texts confirmed or informed your thinking. This will help with your thesis development.
Submit your list of selected texts and how they confirmed/informed your thinking to the instructor as you depart the classroom on June 3. This list and statement may be hand-written.
Days five and six (Weekend of June 4-5)
6. Taking each text in turn, spontaneously write in sentence/paragraph form any recollections and thoughts you have about how the text relates to your thinking. This will likely spark ideas for content!
7. The aim now is to recall specific details and scenes from your chosen texts that relate to your thinking. Stick to notes on individual sheets of paper for organizational ease. Dive back to the texts themselves and your notes about them. Even if books are already returned to the library, you can recall many of the important details that will be relevant. Be resourceful: use notes, the Internet, etc. Transfer summaries of key scenes to your note pages.
Days seven to nine (June 6-8) – June 8 is in the computer lab
8. Organize, organize, organize. Compose your introduction and concluding comments.
§ The introduction must state clearly the titles and authors of all four texts to be referenced, and how these texts informed or confirmed your thinking. Be clear about your thinking! No ambiguity here.
§ In the conclusion, do not “re-hash” your main points. Instead, the conclusion must make a statement about how you will carry forward your thinking into the next phase of your life. In other words, propose how the thinking confirmed or informed by the texts shall be relevant to you and your vision of yourself in the world. (You might consider writing the conclusion after all other aspects are finished.)
9. For each text, you must explain how specific elements of the text confirmed or informed your thinking. Therefore, the body of your essay should include plenty of links from text-to-self and text-to-world. This is not only about how you see yourself; it’s about how you see your world and yourself in it.
10. Assemble data into the formal essay
11. Assemble data into a formal Pwrpt presentation
12. Note your presentation day
ESSAY DUE JUNE 9
June 9-10, and 13-16 – Be prepared to present your essay’s major points to the class in a presentation of 4-6 minutes. Presentations are graded as formal in nature.
Student Work Checklists
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Grading: 100 points per aspect (200 total)
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Essay Checklist
__ Intro states texts/authors
__ Intro states my informed/confirmed thinking
__ Body uses specifics from each text
__ Body links texts to self and thinking
__ Body links texts to world and thinking
__ Concl statement poses how to move forward with the content of the texts and my thinking
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Essay (scale: exc, good, fair, poor)
Student chose texts according to directions
Student’s choice of link among texts is strong and clear
Student’s reading of the texts is accurate and insightful (body)
Student sees specifics in texts as relevant to self and world (body)
Student sees texts and own thinking as relevant to themselves and future (concl)
Writing is fresh and original, rather than trite and common
Organization is logical and easy to follow
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Presentation Checklist
__ Clear list of texts/authors
__ Clear statement of my thinking
__ Evidence from each text
__ Text to self and world connections
__ Conclusion statement
__ Slides only contain key ideas – not all text
__ No animation, video, or sound
__ I need few, if any notes
__ I present myself and my ideas formally
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Presentation (scale: exc, good, fair, poor)
Clear statement of texts/authors
Clear statement of student thinking
Evidence from each text is specific, relevant
Connections to self and world are clear
Conclusion is logical, displays honesty
Presentation slides lean and mean, not overloaded and clunky
Delivery is polished, practiced
Delivery is within stated time limits
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