Final Project

Throughout the term we have been discussing how American teens have been portrayed in film since the 1950's. Yet what does it mean to be a teen in this day and age? For this final project you will write an essay that discusses both yourself and your generation.

Make sure to discuss at least all of the following in detail:

What do you see as your generation's greatest challenges and WHY? What are it's greatest strengths and WHY?

What are the personal challenges that being a teen in this time brings to your life and WHY? What are the benefits that being a teen in this time brings to your life and WHY?

2-3 pages, minimum

Typed

Double Spaced

one inch margins

standard font (10pt-12pt)

In this case, you may feel free to use personal pronouns in your writing!

In addition to the essay you must create a work of art that symbolizes the challenges/strengths/benefits, etc. This may be a collage, painting, photography, drawing, sculpture, performance of some sort, etc.You must also have an artist's statement written in paragraph form, explaining the subject matter, imagery, and another pertinent information. Also explain what inspired you to create it, and your own opinion/judgment of the particular work.

DUE Thursday, January 27th

40% of your final grade (40 points)

This larger project replaces the 3^rd paper (10%) and adds those points to its total.

Essay: 25 pts

Proper use of spelling, grammar, writing conventions (paragraph structure, etc.): 10 pts

Accurately follows thematic requirements and directions of the assignment: 15 pts

Artist's Statement and Art Work: 15 pts

Follows expectations of assignment: 5 pts

Proper use of spelling, grammar, writing conventions (paragraph structure, etc.): 5 pts

Work of Art demonstrates best effort and quality of work: 5 pts

Freshman Inquiry Syllabus

Freshman Inquiry

Course Syllabus

First Semester 2010/2011

Block B3 12:15- 1:45

This isAn introductory writing high school language arts class required of Freshmen. The focus of the class will be to follow, explain, assess and understand historical and current American Teenage culture. We will mainly use films as the lens through which to study how this demographic is portrayed in our culture. Although ALL levels and abilities are served and many assignments assessments will be modified for ability, IEP status, etc. Class members will be expected to tap into their own life experiences and ideas in order to synthesize and explain (through papers and projects) what they think/see/feel.

Attendance:

You are expected to attend every single class, be on time and be prepared (having done any readings, homework, have the necessary materials). Obviously, “Life Happens” and some of you will end up missing a day or two. If you miss a day, it is up to YOU to talk to your classmates and get notes, assignments, etc.

You are considered to be absent if you are more than Ten (10) minutes late.

Absence issues will be dealt with on a case by case basis and may involve different consequences for different students including but not limited to behavior contracts and being dropped from the class. Either way multiple absences can significantly hurt your grade

Consequences for being Tardy (from 1 sec - 9:59 min late) will be dealt with on a case by case basis.

Five skipped classes and you will be dropped from class with no grade given.

Skipped Class = You leave class for more than five minutes without instructor acknowledgement or permission OR you have been in the school for the previous period and Block A4 but do not attend this class.

GRADING POLICY:

ALL ASSIGNMENTS ARE CONSIDERED DUE AT THE BEGINGING OF CLASS. LATE PAPERS WILL BE ASSESSED A 25% PENALTY (FROM THE ORIGINAL POINT TOTAL) FOR EACH CLASS PERIOD THEY ARE LATE. LATE PROJECTS WILL AUTOMATICALY RESULT IN ZERO CREDIT IF THEY ARE LATE.

Last second excuses such as, “My printer is out of ink” and “ My Computer crashed” are UNACCEPTABLE. Plan ahead. Save your work. Email it to yourself. Print multiple copies.

The grading is based on a point system with a possible 100 points being the maximum. Completion of the course awards .5 Language Arts credit.

Participation 20 points (through out the semester)

Essay 1 10 (pre mid term)

Essay 2 10 (assigned before mid term)

Essay 3 10 (after mid term)

“Emergent” class assignments/homework 20 (through out the semester)

Culminating Project 30 (after midterm)

PARTICIPATION: 20% of your grade

This is a record of your active level of discussion and general participation. However, you DO NOT earn these points merely by showing up and sitting in class.

PAPERS: 30% of your grade (10% each)

Three papers will be assigned. All are required. All papers must be typed, using standard margins and fonts and meet assigned formatting and style guidelines. Students will be able to select from a set of provided essay topics or present their own (based on instructor pre-approval). Always print up two copies: one for me and one for you to have just in case. Always make sure to save a copy of your paper to a disc, back up hard drive or even something like Google Docs. The instructor reserves the right to suggest or REQUIRE A RE-WRITE on any paper. If a re-write is assigned the student and instructor will agree upon a new due date with the same late penalties as before. Suggested or required re-writes will earn new (usually better!) grades if the work improves. Details TBA.

EMERGENT ASSIGNMENTS/HOMEWORK/CLASSWORK: 20% of your grade

There will be assignments relating to class discussions, readings, films, etc. Most of these will be “emergent” and will come directly from discussion and class interest. Each will be due the next time the class meets unless otherwise announced. The final number of these assignments therefore is not known, but all such assignments will count for a total of 25% of your final grade. When classwork is assigned the expectation is that it be completed during class time.

CULMINATING PROJECT: 30% of your grade

One major combination writing and creative project will be assigned. Details TBA.

Breakdown: Note that for this class a passing grade cuts off at 70%.

100 A+

99 - 92 A

91 - 90 A-

89 - 88 B+

87 - 82 B

81 – 80 B-

79 – 78 C+

77 – 72 C

71 – 70 C-

69 – 0 F

Analytical Essay Guidelines

Analysis begins with a whole object, such as a poem, novel, short story or play. The analyst (or you, as the writer of the analytical essay) tries to take things apart to examine the individual pieces that make up the whole. The goal is to examine the literature and speak to your own view in regard to what it is about. Another place of focus for the essay might be your view on what the author was trying to say by writing the piece.

An analytical essay (often referred to as a five-paragraph essay though there's nothing special about the number five, and in fact, applies to longer papers in the 3 to 6 page range) will attempt to explain the significance of a portion of a literary work, BY PROVING SOME SORT OF POINT. The point you are trying to make may have to do with characterization, plot, theme, motifs, metaphor and imagery, style, comparison or other literary concerns.

Before writing your analytical essay, you must focus in on what you wish to convey to the reader about the literary work. Once you have a focus, you must attempt to make some kind of point about the literary work in your essay. The point you are trying to make is often the answer to a question (or prompt) which a teacher has given you or that you have determined that your paper is about.

The answer to your prompt, or the point you are trying to make, should be the main idea of your essay. This is called a THESIS STATEMENT. Your thesis statement is your opinion; remember, it is not a fact. The thesis is what you will spend the rest of your essay trying to prove. Your job as the writer of an analytical essay is to convince the reader that your opinion is correct; you must prove that your thesis statement is true based on evidence from the text or with your well-crafted argument.

YOUR THESIS STATEMENT (main idea, focus, opinion) MUST BE CLEARLY STATED IN YOUR INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH. The thesis should be fairly broad. Stay away from narrow statements of facts that can be easily proven or disproven. Give yourself a challenge--and the reader will be engaged. Usually (but not always), the thesis statement is the sentence that ends your introduction.

In the paragraphs that follow the introduction, called the body of the paper, you must provide evidence (examples) to prove your point. You must be very specific about how the evidence you are offering supports your opinion. You cannot prove your thesis (which is an opinion) by offering other opinions. You must draw your evidence from the text. You should quote passages from the text to prove your point; just remember that you must explain their significance, explain how they relate to your thesis. When you incorporate evidence into your essay, you must be sure to explain it adequately. You must always bring it back to your thesis statement. You must continually explain HOW and WHY it means what you say it means.

Everything in the MAIN BODY of the essay (generally, but not limited to, three paragraphs) must relate to the main point you are trying to make--YOUR THESIS. If you write something that has little to do with your thesis, you have two options: expand and modify your thesis to accommodate that information, or do not include it and find other evidence that does support your thesis.

Finally, you must write a CONCLUSION (a final paragraph or page), which ties everything together. The conclusion is essentially a mirror of your introduction. Just as your introduction lead the reader in to the thesis, the conclusion leads out from it. Often, the arguments presented in the body are summarized and the thesis is restated as proved. Somehow you should make your paper sound complete. It is a lot like the closing statement lawyers make at the end of a trial--a summary of all the evidence presented and a restatement that all the evidence points to the logical conclusion that what they said at the beginning (their thesis that the defendant was either guilty or innocent) is true. Try leaving the reader with something additional to think about (but still something that is related to thesis of the paper). Let the conclusion inspire new questions and possibilities as well which are built on your point of view.

INTRODUCTION (1 paragraph OR page if complex): Tell the reader what your paper is about NOT necessarily in this order. You need to include the following:

• a way to draw the reader in

• the author

• title (underlined or italicized)

• general statement about the literary work (sometimes)

• necessary background information about the story (very little)

• thesis statement (your opinion, main idea or focus) - this may be controversial - should be fairly broad - has a point to prove

MAIN BODY (approx. three paragraphs or pages): these paragraphs should answer the question, "why?" Not necessarily in this order, you need to include the following:

• specific examples to prove your point

• quotations - passages - descriptions - comparisons

• explanation of the significance of your examples in terms of your thesis statement ( in other words, analyze your examples. How do they fit in with your main point?)

• explanation of how your analysis relates to your thesis statement.

CONCLUSION (1 paragraph or page): Tell the reader what you told him/her and leave him/her with something to think about. Not necessarily in this order, you need to include the following:

• your thesis, restated to emphasize that you have proven your point

• a summary of your main points

• a way to leave the reader thinking about the marvelous ideas in your essay.

FINALLY: For the sake of this assignment in advising, your paper should be from 2-4 typed pages, 12-point font, Times New Roman, with a title and your name, making sure you spell the name of the book and the author correctly, and all of the above elements.

Essay #2

2-3 pages. Typed. Double Spaced. One inch margins. 12 point Times or Times New Roman font.

MAKE SURE TO HAVE A FRIEND, PARENT, ETC. EDIT THE PAPER WITH YOU BEFORE TURNING IT IN!

Due: Thurs, Dec 9th

1. Compare and contrast the characters of Jim Stark and Harold Chasen.

Consider the following: How are they and their lives the same? Different? What sort of things do they both want/need/seek from their lives? Are they each an accurate portyal of a teenager?

2. Compare and contrast the films The Matrix and Rebel Without a Cause. Make sure to discuss, plot, themes, symbolism and characters.

3. An essay of your own choice involving at least two of the three films (The Matrix, Rebel Without a Cause and Harold and Maude). You must present a WRITTEN thesis statement to me for advance approval.

Essay #1

Typed, Double Spaced, one inch margins, standard font (10-12)

This needs to be in the Five Paragraph essay format, although you are free to write more than five paragraphs if you need.

1. Topic of your choice regarding the Trillium Constitution. Present a written thesis statement to me for approval.

2. Some people feel that professional athletes and entertainers make too much money. Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not? Write a persuasive essay to convince others to feel the same way you do about it.

3. Common fads or trends in music, clothing and recreation come and go. Choose one fad or trend that is popular now and explain why it is popular and if you think its popularity will last.