English III & English IV at IBCS at Olympic

Assignments and Information for Students

*HON ENG III: Rough draft of personal narratives are due Tuesday, 9-6. These should vividly relate a memory that helped shape you into the person you are today. This needn’t be some momentous occasion, the things that shape us can be very small and subtle. Your narrative should be at least a page and a half long, double-spaced. Try to make your transitions from idea to idea (or through time) smooth. Show us what is happening (put us in the moment) rather than telling us (summarizing). Summarizing is necessary when you want to skip over periods of time where nothing really happened, but your readers should get a clear sense of scene and of an instance as it unfolds. Putting the reader in the moment through live action, detailed narration (i.e. as it’s happening) is showing rather than telling. Your conclusion should tie everything up, perhaps by relating the story to who you are right now, or highlighting the significance of that moment (this is, for example, where telling might be appropriate). Next week we will workshop these pieces. We will also start discussing the junior research paper. You should be thinking about what you want your topic to be this weekend. Remember, it must be something you can persuade an audience about. Therefore, Downs Syndrome would be too broad of a topic, but that students with Asperger Syndrome should (or should not) be included in regular classrooms has more of a focus and a position that can be argued and is a better topic for that reason.

*ENG IV and HON ENG IV: Next week you’ll begin your presentations on Beowulf. Remember, you don’t just want to read or even summarize the text. Go deeper, present the ideas in a new and novel way that modern students can relate to. Make the story itself relevant to your peers while staying true to the characters and the plot. What is Beowulf like as a person? Hrothgar? What would they be like if they were alive today? What about Grendel? Who or what is he like? How can we relate the things that we are afraid of today to the monsters they were afraid of in the past? Make Beowulf come alive. Asking “what if” questions might help. What if this story were set in the Bronx? What if this society was matriarchal instead of patriarchal (run by women instead of men)? What if Grendel were to break into our “mead hall” first or third block? How would we react? I look forward to seeing your presentations next week!

*Have parents email me with their contact information, their name, the student’s name, and any information that might prove helpful in teaching their student. The information gathered will be used as your contact information for my class. This email is the first assignment.

*Student information form (due Aug. 26)

*Handbook forms (due ASAP). To access the CMS student handbook online follow this link:

http://www.cms.k12.nc.us/parents/resources/Documents/CODEOFCONDUCT2011ENG.pdf