Reading & Writing Workshop IV Graduation Project Ms. Rehm 2013-2014

Objective – Students will demonstrate proficiency in fiction and non-fiction literature by completeing an individual project focusing on the areas of theme and theme development, characterization and character development, author’s purpose, grade- level appropriate vocabulary, and summarization.

Fiction and Non-Fiction Literature Project Assignment –  Students will complete, with minimum 70% accuracy, weekly practice exercises pertaining to literary devices to be analyzed and defended during final project presentations.

 Students will create, using materials from at least 2 novels on the same topic, a presentation (demonstrating proficiency of literary devices as related to their novels) for their class and teacher, using PowerPoint, Prezi, Music, Dance or other method of their choice (pre-approved by teacher).

 Topics for novels that can be chosen

o Sports Love

o Family Race

o Ambition / Goals Environment

o Violence Education

o History Rags to Riches

o Other Pre Approved by Teacher

Specific Requirements -

 Choose a Topic  Locate a Fiction AND a Non-Fiction novel pertaining to the same topic  Decide on Major and Minor Themes that both have in common o Analyze theme development through both novels – using evidence from texts to support your statements  Develop a thorough character anaylsis throughout each novel, comparing and contrasting  Explore the author’s purpose with regard to text structure, plot events and setting  Make inferences and conclusions based on the author’s beliefs – using evidence from texts to support your statements  Accurately use grade appropriate vocabulary

Note: several graphic organizers will be available to students to organize thoughts and presentations, as needed, throughout this process

Assessment –

Students will be evaluated two ways for Literature Proficiency  First for the accuracy in theme development, author’s purpose, inferences made, text use to support statements, use of grade appropriate vocabulary (see attached rubric)  Second on their presentation itself using the same rubric as for their Senior Project Presentation (same rubric will be used)

Students must receive a 70% or higher on these evaluations in order to successfully complete course requirements. Objective – Students will demonstrate proficiency in English Composition by completing TWO (2) formal essays / writing assignments 1 in order to Inform, and 1 in order to Persuade.

Informative Essay –  Students will choose a topic from the list  Students will brainstorm ideas based on their topic  Students will complete research in class and on their own  Students will complete an outline graphic organizer for this essay  Students will write an INFORMATIVE essay based on a chosen topic o Essay will be at least 8 paragraphs in length o Essay will include 1 graph, chart, illustration directly relating to the topic o Essay will include internal citations (same as Senior Project requirements) o Essay will include a Works Cited page o Essay will be graded by your Workshop teacher using the Senior Project Research Paper Rubric

Persuasive Essay –  Students will choose an argument from the list  Students will brainstorm ideas based on their argument for BOTH sides  Students will complete research in class and on their own for BOTH sides of their argument  Students will complete an outline graphic organizer for this essay  Students will write a PERSUASIVE essay based on an argument of their choice o Essay will be at least 5 paragraphs in length o Essay will present both sides of the chosen argument o Essay will include internal citations (same as Senior Project requirements) o Essay will include a Works Cited Page o Essay will be graded by your Workshop teacher using the Senior Project Research Paper Rubric Timeline of Project Deadlines

Choose Topic for Literature Project September 25, 2013.

Choose Topics for Writing Projects September 27, 2013. This will be done in Workshop classes.

Informative Essay Due – October 25, 2013 Outline Due - October 11, 2013 Rough Draft for feedback by- October 18, 2013

Persuasive Essay Due - November 27, 2013 Outline Due – November 15, 2013 Rough Draft for feedback by - November 22, 2013

Presentation of Fiction and Non-Fiction Proficiency Exact Dates will be chosen December 3, 2013 Presentations will begin January 6, 2014

My Exact Presentation Date Is ______

Weekly Topic Assignment Timeline

9/9/13 – Theme 9/16/13 – Tone 9/23/13 - Summarization 9/30/13 - Paraphrasing 10/7/13 - Mood 10/14/13 – Vocabulary Usage 10/21/13 – Author’s Purpose 10/28/13 – Characterization and Character Development 11/4/13 – Text Structure 11/11/13 – Locating and Using Supporting Text Evidence 11/18/13 – Locating and Using additional mediums 11/25/13 - 12/3/13 – Author’s Choice 12/9/13 – Making Inferences 12/16/13 Students must receive a 70& or higher on each of the weekly assignments, Essays, and Final Presentation in order to qualify for the opportunity to choose an elective at the semester break. Informative Essay Topics

1. A particular period of architecture 2. Advances in Education 3. All about a favorite radio show 4. Al about your favorite vacation spot (or where you would like to visit) 5. America’s fastest growing cities 6. Ballroom Dancing 7. Basic economic principles 8. Best travel destinations 9. Branches of the military 10. Breeds of dogs 11. Causes and effects of air pollution 12. Causes and effects of water pollution 13. Causes and harmful effects of deforestation 14. Causes of Cancer 15. Causes of Diabetes 16. Causes of Global Warming 17. Censorship in history 18. Cheapest vacation spots 19. Chinese food 20. Civil War generals 21. Competitive horseback riding 22. Computer viruses 23. Crazy laws 24. Cruise vacations 25. Cults 26. Deep sea fish(ing) 27. Crazy laws 28. Democracy: the best form of government 29. Description of life in another country 30. Different types of cancers 31. Disneyland 32. Disney World 33. Dog Shows 34. Dream interpretation 35. Drinking problems 36. Drug problems 37. Dyslexia 38. Effects of environmental degradation 39. Effects of global warming 40. Electric cars 41. Evolution of the English language 42. Evolution of video games 43. Evolution of voting laws 44. Exotic pets 45. Famous advertising campaigns 46. Famous diplomats 47. Famous documents 48. Famous speeches 49. Foreign TV shows 50. Former child stars 51. Fringe known political parties 52. Fundamental rights of an individual 53. Historical events that occurred on your birthday 54. History of a favorite product brand 55. History of tattooing 56. Holiday destinations in France 57. ID theft 58. Impact of media on society 59. Impact of social media on society 60. Impact of social media on relationships 61. Importance of a balanced diet for good health 62. Importance of personal hygiene 63. Importance of recycling on waste materials 64. Interesting cultures 65. Internet dating 66. Key phrases in a foreign language 67. Lesser known presidents 68. Life in the future 69. Local folklore 70. Measures to keep surroundings clean 71. National parks 72. Native American tribes and customs 73. Natural disasters 74. Near death experiences 75. Nursing homes 76. Origins of superstitions 77. Picking a name for your child 78. Places to visit in India 79. Polygamy 80. Professional baseball stadiums 81. Psychological profiling 82. Racial profiling 83. Racism 84. Raising pet snakes 85. Real life vampires 86. Roadside attractions 87. Sales tactics 88. Saving money on your income taxes 89. Schools of painting 90. Serial killers 91. Seven wonders of the world 92. Social evils in underdeveloped countries 93. Spies 94. Sports card collecting 95. Tarot 96. The biography of your favorite actor / actress / comedian 97. The FBI 98. The history of comic books 99. The history of the Bible 100. History of your hometown 101. History of your school district 102. Latest discoveries in astronomy 103. The Miss America Pageant 104. The newspaper business 105. The three branches of US Government 106. Things to take along while traveling 107. Treatment for different types of cancers 108. Trends in the stock market 109. Types of cheese 110. Types of poetry 111. Types of tropical fish 112. US territories 113. UFO’s 114. Voodoo 115. Ways of preventing air pollution 116. Ways of preventing water pollution 117. Why is education essential for children 118. Witchcraft 119. Working in the fast food industry 120. World War II heroes 121. Young Billionaires 122. The Titanic 123. Law Enforcement 124. Cupcakes 125. Racial profiling in law enforcement 126. Changes in video production 127. History of video recording 128. Student Learning Styles 129. History of the iPhone 130. Blogs 131. History of Hip-Hop Music

Persuasive Argument Essay Topics

1. Dieting makes people fat 2. Romantic love is a poor basis for marriage 3. The war on terror has contributed ot the growing abuse of human rights. 4. High school graduates should take a year off before entering college 5. All citizens should be require by law to vote 6. All forms of government welfare should be abolished 7. All people receiving public assistance should be drug tested 8. Both parents should assume equal responsibility in raising a child 9. Americans should have more holidays and longer vacations 10. Participating in team sports helps to develop goo character 11. The production and sale of cigarettes should be made illegal 12. People have become overly dependent on technology 13. Censorship is sometimes justified 14. Privacy is not the most important right 15. Drunk drivers should be imprisoned on the first offense 16. The lost art of letter-writing deserves to be revived 17. Government and military personnel should have the right to strike 18. Most study-abroad programs should be renamed “party-abroad” ; they are a waste of time and money 19. The continuing decline of CD sales along with the rapid growth of music downloads, signals a new era of innovation in popular music 20. College students should have complete freedom to choose their own courses 21. The solution to the impeding crisis in Social Security in the immediate elimination of this anachronistic government program 22. The primary mission of colleges and universities should be preparing students for the workforce 23. Financial incentives should be offered to high school students who perform well on standardized tests 24. All students in high school and college should be required to take at least two years of a foreign language 25. College students in the US should be offered financial incentives to graduate in three years rather than four. 26. College athletes should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies 27. To encourage healthy eating, higher taxes should be imposed on soft drinks and junk food. 28. Students should not be required to take physical education courses 29. Ton conserve fuel and save lives, the 55 miles-per-hour national speed limit should be restored. 30. All citizens under 21 should be required to pass a driving education course before receiving a license to drive. 31. Any student caught cheating on an exam or plagiarizing should be automatically dismissed from college 32. Freshman should not be required to purchase a meal plan from the college 33. Zoos are internment camps for animals and should be shut down 34. University students should not be penalized for illegally downloading music, movies, or other protected content 35. Government financial aid for students should be based solely on merit 36. Nontraditional student should be exempted from regular class-attendance policies. (adult learners) 37. At the end of each term, student evaluations of the faculty should be posted online 38. A student organization should be formed to rescue and care for the feral cats on campus. 39. People who contribute to Social Security should have the right to choose how their money is invested 40. Professional athletes convicted of using performance enhancing drugs should not be considered for induction into their Hall of Fame 41. Should student be allowed to have and use cell phones in elementary and high school? 42. Should students have to wear uniforms? 43. The elderly receive free bus rides? 44. Should all American citizens have to complete a year of community service? 45. Should students be required to take Spanish class? 46. Should the voting age be lowered to thirteen? 47. Should the driving age be raised to Twenty-one? 48. Should students be paid for having good grades? 49. Should illegal immigrants be allowed to get drivers licenses? 50. Should not wearing a seatbelt be illegal? 51. Should students’ textbooks be replaced by a tablet or notebook computer? 52. Should students have to pass a basic skills test to graduate high school? 53. Should schools raise money by selling candy and sugary soft drinks to students? 54. Should polygamy be illegal. 55. Should schools serve French-fries and fried potato products to students at lunch? 56. Should students grades in gym affect their grade point average? 57. Should girls be allowed to play on boys sports teams? 58. Should boys and girls be in separate classes? 59. Should teenage girls be allowed to get birth control without the permission of their parents? 60. Should our country have a universal health care program? 61. Should immigration laws be reformed? 62. Should the federal government recognize civil unions? 63. Should people who download music and movies illegally be punished? 64. Should school athletes have to be on the honor roll to play in games? 65. Should music with cuss words be allowed at school dances? 66. Should students be able to listen to mp3 players on headphones during class or independent work time? 67. Should schools offer fast food options like McDonalds or Taco Bell? 68. Should smoking be allowed at parks and other outdoor public venues? 69. Should cities offer free public WiFi? 70. Should the 2nd Amendment give citizens the right to own assault weaponry? 71. Should people traveling in airplane have to undergo intensive security screenings? 72. Should restaurants be allowed to sell genetically modified chickens under the name “chicken” 73. Should teachers have to pass a basic skills text every ten years to renew their certifications? 74. Should people be allowed to keep exotic animals like chimpanzees or tigers? 75. Should people be allowed to keep pit-bull dogs? 76. Should the city offer a bike sharing program? 77. Should prostitution be legalized and regulated by the government? 78. Should celebrities who break the law face stricter penalties? 79. Should the government increase spending on the space program? 80. Should larger passengers have to pay for two plane or movie theater tickets? 81. Should children have to use booster seats in cars? 82. Should people have to get a license to become parents? 83. Should there be tougher federal restrictions for content on the internet? 84. Should people be allowed to cuss on daytime television/ 85. Should owners be legally accountable to clearing snow from sidewalks on their property? 86. Should sexual education be taught in public schools? 87. Should students who commit cyber-bullying be suspended from school? 88. Should corporations be allowed to advertise in schools? 89. Should students be allowed to eat during class time? 90. Should more be done to protect and preserve endangered animals? 91. Is it appropriate for students ad teacher to be friends on Facebook or IG? 92. Should students have open campus lunch periods? 93. Should abortions be legal in cases of rape and incest? 94. Should the death penalty be used to punish violent criminals? 95. Should students learn about world religions in public schools? 96. Should high schools start later in the morning? 97. Should Puerto Rico become a state? 98. Should stem cell researchers be able to use the stem cells from ALL babies to cure diseases? 99. Should high school athletes have to take drug tests? 100. Should high school students have to complete community service hours to graduate? 101. Should teens over 13 be allowed into R rated movies? 102. Should scientists be allowed to test products intended for human use on animals? 103. Should unhealthy fast food products be sold with a warning label? 104. Should students or teachers receive money for scoring well on standardized tests? 105. Should everyone under the age of 17 have a 9:00 PM curfew? 106. Should schools with low scores on standardized tests be closed? 107. Should minors be allowed to drink alcoholic beverages in their homes with their parents? 108. Should alcohol manufacturers be allowed to advertise on television? 109. Should students as young as 14 be allowed to hold jobs? 110. Should American families have a two child max rule to limit population growth. 111. Should children younger than 13 be allowed to watch music videos? 112. Should people who are caught driving drunk lose their licenses for a year? 113. Should students who fail their classes be retained and have to repeat the entire grade? 114. Should female construction workers earn the same wages as males? 115. Should children in temporary living situations with a 3.0 GPA earn free college tuition? 116. Should gambling and sports betting be illegal or should the government regulate it? 117. Should teachers have to wear uniforms or have a strict dress code? 118. Should teachers be allowed to have cell phones in the classroom? 119. Should the state execute dogs that have bitten someone? 120. Should talking on a cell phone without a hands-free device while driving be illegal? 121. Should Catholic priests be allowed to marry? 122.