User Agreement

Using a weblog for our classwork will require some parameters for your safety and the quality of everyone's work. First, you should recognize that your work, as well as mine will be published for the entire on-line world to see. This will ultimately make us all responsible for better and more original output than ever before. By visiting other students' weblogs, you will be able to view all their work, and it will also make it easy for me to see who is not making an effort to submit work that is original.

Once you create your own weblog for this class, I will add it to the class blog roll so everyone's work can be accessed from this page. I encourage you to look at your peers' work for ideas or inspiration, but what you submit must be your own. Language Arts lends itself well to this format since you will be asked to respond to the literature and history we study with your own ideas and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers in a Language Arts class, so looking at other students' ideas can help you. It can also create problems if you choose to be lazy.

I will leave comments about your work. These comments will usually instruct you on how you can improve your work. Please make sure you check your comments and your e-mail regularly, and make sure you are finished with one assignment before moving to the next.

Since this weblog will be part of your education at Classic City High School, any activity on your weblog should be considered school activity, even if it is done outside of school. You should feel free to create posts that are not school related, but you should also be sure to refrain from anything that could be considered inappropriate. This includes, but is not limited to: references to alcohol or drugs, violence, or gang activity, foul language, nudity, threats, etc.

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as your own. This can be done in many ways: copying work from Wikipedia, classmates, Sparknotes, etc. If you plagiarize your work, you will receive a zero -- no questions asked.


THE USER AGREEMENT:

1. I agree to submit original work to my weblog. I realize I will have the opportunity to view my peers' work, and I will use this opportunity constructively. I understand that if I choose to plagiarize, I will receive a zero for the work in question with no option to redo the assignment in question.

2. I agree to keep my weblog appropriate for Classic City High School. I understand that if innapropriate material were to appear on my weblog, be it from myself or an outside comment, I will be asked to remove it. Failure to do so will result in my weblog being removed from the class roll. I also understand that refereneces to illegal or dangerous activities will be reported since it is the legal responsibility of my teacher.

Classroom Procedures and Expectations
Dana Siegmund
Classic City High School

NovaNet:
You are required to score at least an 80% on all post-tests.You should take notes on all your lessons to use when you take the post-test. Pasting screen shots onto Powerpoint is not taking notes.
I will check your notebook four times during the semester, and these grades will be factored into your total NovaNet score.I will not override prescriptions after your pretest, unless it is a special circumstance.If you score lower than a 70 on a post-test, I will reassign prescriptions

Leaving the Classroom:
Please let me know you need to leave before doing so.Once you leave, take care of your business and come right back. Do not disturb other classes.If you plan to purchase anything from Jittery Joe’s, you will need the pass.If your trip is not absolutely necessary, please do not be surprised if I say “no”.If you are gone for 15 minutes of any class period, I will mark you absent.

Administrative Absences:
If you did not come to school to work, I will mark you absent and ask you to leave.You shouldn’t take this personally.
There is a waiting list full of people waiting to be a student at Classic City High School PLC, and if you are not making the best use of your spot, it will soon be someone else’s.

Great Headphone Issue:
Some people work well with headphones and others do not.  If you choose to use headphones, you should have your own.  I have a couple sets that are reserved for projects that require them.  Students using headphones need to use them responsibly.  If your headphone use is disrupting yours or other students' work (completely at my discretion), your privileges will be suspended (see Internet Use as well).


Internet Use
The Internet is an extremely useful educational tool, but it can also be misused.  If your Internet use becomes detrimental to your progress (including music), your Internet privileges will be blocked.  Students who attempt to circumnavigate this decision will receive an administrative absence. Food:Food is great. Pick up your trash.

Mobile Phones:
I will follow the mobile phone policy explained in the Classic City High School Handbook.The Classroom:Please leave it in the condition you found it.Push in your chairs.Put books away.Pick up after yourself. 


To agree, post a comment to this message like this:
I agree to Mr. Siegmund's Weblog User Agreement as well as his Classroom Procedures and Expectations.
I will not add your weblog to the class roll until I receive a comment from you like the example above.

Unit Two -- Journal Accounts and Historical Narratives

Opening:
Please review the Georgia Performance Standards, Essential Questions, and Key Terms listed below.
ELAALRL1.2.c The student analyzes, evaluates, and applies knowledge of the ways authors use language, style, syntax, and rhetorical strategies for specific purposes in nonfiction works.

ELAALRL1.2.a The student analyzes and explains the structures and elements of nonfiction works of American literature such as letters, journals and diaries, speeches, and essays. 

Essential Questions:

1. How does someone's point of view affect how they portray events in a story?
2. What are the advantages of primary sources?  The disadvantages?

Key Terms:

1. Primary Source
2. Objective vs. Subjective
3. Writer's Purpose

On Your Blog:
1. After reading the standards, essential questions, and key terms, write a breif paragraph describing what you feel you will address and learn in this unit.  You may choose to rewrite the standards in your own words, or provide answers to the essential questions.  However you choose to respond, it should be around 3-4 sentences.
Mini-Lesson:

The European explorers who led expeditions to the new world did a very good job of keeping track of their day-to-day activities in their journals.  This was necessary so to keep the kings and queens who hired them informed of their progress and discoveries.

If you were responsible for keeping track of how good a job you were doing (evaluating your work) how honest would you be?  I doubt you would flat out lie, but you would likely do what you could to make your accomplishments look better, right?  The point it that you would be more subjective (biased by feelings and emotion) than objective (completely unbiased and factual).

These explorer journals are great sources, called primary sources because they originate from the event itself rather than someone else who was not there explaining the facts, but they can also be unreliable because it is clear that the explorers tend to embellish and exaggerate.

It only took Pocahontas one look to know this European guy was the sexiest thing she had ever seen, so she takes it upon herself to save him from having his head bashed in.  Yeah, I'm buyin' it.

Work Period:
You will be reading excerpts of journals from two different explorers, Captain John Smith and Christopher Columbus.  As you read, be on the lookout for ways these accounts may suffer from subjectivity, but also for how they are able to give a perspective that only someone who saw these events with his own eyes can deliver.

From "The General Historie of Virginia" -- John Smith
(Get a Copy from Me)

From "Journal of the First Voyage of America" - Columbus

 

On Your Blog:

2. As was discussed earlier, these journals are primary sources that are very valuable in that they provide eyewitness accounts, but they can also be unreliable becuase the writers are a bit biased because they are writing about themselves.  Post some evidence from each of the writings that illustrates valable eyewitness accounts as well as some evidence that shows how subjective the writers can be.

 

Guide:

• From "The General Historie of Virginia"
• One quotation ( a sentence or two from the journal) that you think is valuable to histrory because only someone who was there at the time could decribe the event that way
• One quotation where you feel he is stretching the truth
• From "Journal of the First Voyage to America"
• One quotation that you think is valuable to history because only someone who was there at the time could decribe the event that way
• One quotation where you feel he is stretching the truth

3. Evaluate what you have read.  Do you think the fact that these writings are biased in nature take away from their historical importance, or do you feel that the historical importance outweighs the way they were written?  Exlpain WHY you feel this way.

Closing:

4. Review the Georgia Performance Standards, essential questions, and key terms from the opening.  Once you have done that, spend some time evaluating your work. 

• Does your work address the standards and essential questions? How?  Give examples.
• Can you provide answers to the essential questions as they relate to the texts you read for this unit?

Once you have completed all sections of this unit, evaluate your work once more. When you feel you are done, leave me a comment on this post so I will know to check your work.

Unit Two: The Medieval Period

Opening:
Please review the Georgia Performance Standards, Essential Questions, and Key Terms listed below:

ELABLRL1.1.f: The student traces the development of British fiction through various literary periods (i.e.,Anglo-Saxon, Medieval, Renaissance, Romantic, etc.) 

ELABLRL3.1.b.ii: The student relates a literary work to the characteristics of the literary time period that it represents (the Medieval Period). 

ELABLRL1.1.a: The student locates and analyzes such elements as language and style, character development, point of view, irony, and structures (i.e., chronological, in medias res, flashback, epistolary narrative, frame narrative) in works of British and Commonwealth fiction from different time periods. 

Essential Questions:

1. You always hear people saying, "That's ironic", but what do they mean?
2. How does literature reflect what was really going on in the world?

Key Terms:
1. The Feudal System
2. Irony
3. Frame Narrative

On your Blog:
1. After reviewing the standards, key terms, and essential questions, take a moment to write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) explaining what you think this unit will cover.  You may also choose to provide some answers to the essential questions or rewrite some of the standards in your own words.

Mini-Lesson:
1066 is one of the most important dates in English history. In October of this year, a daylong battle near Hastings, England changed the course of history. William of Normandy, a place in France just across the English Channel, conquered King Harold of England, who was the last remaining of the Anglo-Saxon Kings. William of Normandy would now forever be known as William the Conquerer, which is fortunate since he was previously known by a name that rhymes with Billiam the Wastard. This began what is known as the Norman Conquest, and it would eventually lead to England having a single ruler, and a single language that is closer than the Old English spoken by the Anglo-Saxons to the English we speak today.


England changed drastically under William. For instance, William was able to inventory nearly every piece of property in England. He called this the Doomsday Book, and it allowed a government to tax people according to what they owned for the first time European history. William remained a duke in Normandy, which made for a alliance between England and Normandy (what we call France today). This made England a European power for the first time.

Feudalism is another one of Williams innovations that would shape the future of England. Here is a very good chart that explains the Feudal system. It does well to show what each level gave and received from the others. Feudalism operated from the king all the way down to the serfs, who were peasants who were not permitted to leave the land where they worked. Some of the most familiar figures from the Middle Ages were knights who were loyal protectors of the king.

Knights strictly obeyed a code of conduct called chivalry, which included their oath of loyalty to their overlord, rules of warfare (like never striking an opponant who was unarmed), and the adoration of a particular lady which may not have been their wife. The adoration of the lady was meant as a means of self-imporvement for the knights, and they would spend their idle hours composing poetry and songs of praise. This gave birth to a new form of poetry: the romance. Though women where highly idealized in Medieval culture, they had very few rights.


The most well-known text from the Middle Ages is Geoffrey Chaucer's The Canterbury tales. It is the original story with this format where several people from different backgrounds are forced to share the same area. In this story, the characters are going on a religious pilgrimage, and they have a storytelling contest to pass the time on the journey. The tales are often humorous, and Chaucer uses these tales to poke fun at all levels of society.

You will be reading "The Pardoner's Tale", told by a Pardoner, who is an official of the Church in charge of hearing confessions and absolving sins.  This particular pardoner has a pretty dirty way of going about his business in that he asks people for large sums of money to hear their confessions, and also sells counterfeit religious relics (the bones of saints, pieces of Jesus' cross, etc.).  The story he tells is one that warns of greed -- can you see the irony yet?

Work Period:

Read The Pardoner's Tale, paying special attention to the fact that this is a frame narrative that has a highly ironic ending:

Frame Narrative -- a story told within another story.
Irony -- When the outcome is much different that what was expected.  Many of our jokes are based in irony because we often find it humorous when we see results we did not expect. (Verbal Irony -- Sarcasm, saying the opposite of what you mean; Situational Irony -- when something you would not expect happens, like a fireman's house burning down; Dramatic Irony -- when the audience / readers know things the characters do not)

The Pardoner's Tale

On your Blog:
2. Provide a brief summary of the tale.  Be sure to point out aspects you liked as well as those you found challenging.  This summary should be at least two paragraphs long.

3. Write a paragraph or two in which you analyze the irony in "The Pardoner's Tale".  What makes the story, and especially the ending ironic?  What did you expect when you were reading the tale.  If you had a hard time identifying the irony, you may want to spend some more time with the story (or ask for help).

Closing:
Review the Georgia Performance Standards above.  It may also help to review your interpretation of them you created in the opening.

Review your work, and explain how you have addressed these standards.  If you find that your work does not address these standards, you may need to make improvements.  Have you grasped an understanding of the key vocabulary?  Have you formulated answers to the essential questions.

Please make specific references to your work when answering these closing questions.  For instance, you should tell me exactly where in your posts I would find these things.

Self evaluate your work, and when you feel as though you have completed this work, leave me a comment on this post so I know it is time to view your work.

Unit One: Origin Myths and Oral Tradition

Opening:

Please spend a moment or two reviewing the following Georgia Performance Standards and essential questions.  The unit you are about to begin will be centered around these items:

ELAALRL1.1.e: The student analyzes the influence of mythic, traditional, or classical literature on American literature.

ELAALRL1.1.f: The student traces the history of the development of American fiction.

ELAALRL1.3.c: The student traces the historical development of poetic styles and forms in American literature.


Essential Questions:

1. How can we use oral stories from ancient cultures to discover what was important to them?
2. What oral traditions do we use, and what does it reflect about our culture?

Key Terms:

Oral Tradition
Creation Myths

On your blog:

1. After reviewing the standards, key terms, and essential questions, take a moment to write a short paragraph (3-4 sentences) explaining what you think this unit will cover.  You may also choose to provide some answers to the essential questions or rewrite some of the standards in your own words.

Mini-Lesson:

Many people would like to believe North America was an empty place with no people or cultures when the Europeans started arriving in the "New World", but this is not so.  Native Americans were living in very diverse societies and had very developed cultures before the explorers arrived.

When studying the folktales and myths of the Native Americans, it is important to remember that most of these cultures did not have a written language, so every bit of their culture had to be delivered orally.

Oral Tradition: The act of delivering important cultural information (myths, customs, history, etc.) by word of mouth.

One of the most common folktales we see in many cultures is the creation myth.  Creation myths are the type of  tale that explains something that cannot be completely understood.  In this case, they explain how the world was created.  Do we use any creation myths in our culture?  Do we use other myths to explain things that may not be understood (think about Santa Claus, or telling a child where babies come from).

Creation Myth: A folktale that explains how the world was created.  These vary from culture to culture, and can be a good way to understand what they felt was important.

Work Period:

On your blog:

2.Since we are starting at the beginning of American literature, we should start at a time before where we live was called America. Use your favorite search engine to find an example of Native American Literature (a poem, short folktale, or a prayer will work best). Read a few before you choose one. You need to be familiar with the example you choose because you will need to answer some questions about it. Copy and paste the example into your blog post.

3. What do you think of your example? What is it about? Write a 2-3 sentence response to what you chose.

4. Read the following creation myth and then post responses to my questions on your blog.  Your response should be at least one short paragraph.

The Earth on the Turtle's Back

We can use the myths a culture tells to discover what was important to them.  Can you tell what was important to the Onandaga people (the culture who told this story)?  How can you tell?  Paste a line from the story that proves what you say.

5. Choose one myth from this site to read and then respond to my questions on your blog.  Your response should be at least two short paragraphs.

http://www.crystalinks.com/nativeamcreation.html

Briefly summarize the myth you read and identify the culture from which it came (one paragraph).
What was important to the culture who created the tale you chose?  Provide evidence from the story to support what you claim.  Do you see any similarities between the myths you have read in this unit?  Are there any similarities to our culture? (another paragraph)

Closing:
Review the Georgia Performance Standards above.  It may also help to review your interpretation of them you created in the opening.

Review your work, and explain how you have addressed these standards.  If you find that your work does not address these standards, you may need to make improvements.  Have you grasped an understanding of the key vocabulary?  Have you formulated answers to the essential questions.

Please make specific references to your work when answering these closing questions.  For instance, you should tell me exactly where in your posts I would find these things.

Self evaluate your work, and when you feel as though you have completed this work, leave me a comment on this post so I know it is time to view your work.

Unit One: Native Cultures and Colonial Periods

Opening: Discussion of Standards

Before you begin this unit, you should review the Georgia Performance Standards it addresses.  Please take a moment to read the standard below published by the Georgia Department of Education:

ELAALRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.

1. Before you begin this unit, I want you to have a clear understanding of what you should be learning.  Take a moment to post to your blog what you think the standard above addresses, and why you think it is important for you to master.  Show me what you have written before you show me the rest.

Research:

2. Since we are starting at the beginning of American literature, we should start at a time before where we live was called America.  Use your favorite search engine to find an example of Native American Literature (a poem, short folktale, or a prayer will work best).  Read a few before you choose one.  You need to be familiar with the example you choose because you will need to answer some questions about it. Copy and paste the example into your blog post.

3. What do you think of your example?  What is it about?  Write a 2-3 sentence response to what you chose.

Mini-Lesson:

4. Go to my drop box, and click on the Assignments folder.  Watch the video called "Puritans".  You should take some notes of the things that stand out to you -- direct quotes from the sermon will be helpful later. You should also take specific notice of their core beliefs:

Total Depravity - through Adam and Eve's fall, every person is born sinful - concept of Original Sin.

Unconditional Election - God "saves" those he wishes - only a few are selected for salvation.

Limited Atonement - Jesus died for the chosen only, not for everyone. Irresistible Grace - God's grace is freely given, it cannot be earned or denied. Grace is defined as the saving and transfiguring power of God.

Perseverance of the "saints" - those elected by God have full power to interpret the will of God, and to live uprightly. If anyone rejects grace after feeling its power in his life, he will be going against the will of God - something impossible in Puritanism.

For some more real fun, check out some of these Puritan names.

Work Period:

Compare what your just heard to your Native American example.  What are the differences in these two groups of people's cultures that stand out to you.  How do their ideas of God differ?  Do you see ways in which their cultures may clash?  Post your thoughts to your blog.  It should be at least a good paragraph with direct support from your example and the sermon in the video.

When you are through here, continue on to The Rationalists.

Expository Writing Example

When Special Delivery Meant Deliverance for a Fugitive Slave

Analytical Writing Example

Five Ways Facebook Changed Dating (for the Worse)

Individual Novel Project

The first thing you need to do is choose a novel. I would prefer you read something British since Lit 12 is a British Literature class. You can get ideas from lists here, here, and here  here,
It is very important that you make a wise decision since this project will count as two grades and it will take you several weeks. Making a good choice of a novel will make this easier for you. Do not choose a book just because you think it is short; this often makes things more difficult. Do not try to get away without reading the book. This is a novel project -- you need to READ a novel.

Step One: Choose a novel from the list, and then talk to me about your choice before you begin. You may want to have several choices since I won't approve everything.

Step Two: Read the Georgia Performance Standards and write a proposal -- Read the standards I have copied below, and then create a post on your blog titled "Individual Novel Project Proposal".  In this post you should explain to me how you are going to address these standards in your work. It may help to explain the standards in your own words before explaining how your project will address them.

Keep in mind that this can be done many ways.  If you need help understanding the language of the standards, looking at the key words for each can be helpful.  Your proposal should have something in it addressing how you plan to respond to the novel as you read it (this does not mean you will write one long response at the end, and it also does not mean you will be writing a summary).  Shooting for three responses while you read the book is a good idea.  Those who have difficulty remembering what they read may want to do 5-6 shorter responses.  Once you finish your proposal, post it, leave me a comment, and wait for my approval.  Please do not hesitate to ask for help!

The Standards:

1. ELABLRL1 The student demonstrates comprehension by identifying evidence (i.e., examples of diction, imagery, point of view, figurative language, symbolism, plot events, main ideas, and characteristics) in a variety of texts representative of different genres (i.e., poetry, prose [short story, novel, essay, editorial, biography], and drama) and using this evidence as the basis for interpretation.
2. ELABLRL2 The student identifies, analyzes, and applies knowledge of theme in a work of British and/or Commonwealth literature and provides evidence from the work to support understanding.
3. ELABLRL3 The student deepens understanding of literary works by relating them to their contemporary context or historical background, as well as to works from other time periods.
4. ELABLRL4 The student employs a variety of writing genres to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of significant ideas in selected literary works. The student composes essays, narratives, poems, or technical documents.
5. ELABLRL5 The student understands and acquires new vocabulary and uses it correctly in reading and writing.

Step Three: Read your novel. Once again, trying to complete this project without reading your novel is foolish. I expect you to post at least three separate responses to your novel as you read. These responses need to be at least four complete paragraphs.  These responses are an excellent way to address the standards as you read. You should not wait until the end to do this (keep in mind that Blogger puts a date on all your work). You may want to look over your book and plan where you will write your responses before you begin.

Step Four: Once  all the elements from your proposal are complete, post your work on your blog and leave me a comment.  You will have one chance at a revision before your work is final.

Expository Writing Example

What does this SHOW you?

User Agreement

Using a weblog for our classwork will require some parameters for your safety and the quality of everyone's work. First, you should recognize that your work, as well as mine will be published for the entire on-line world to see. This will ultimately make us all responsible for better and more original output than ever before. By visiting other students' weblogs, you will be able to view all their work, and it will also make it easy for me to see who is not making an effort to submit work that is original.

Once you create your own weblog for this class, I will add it to the class blog roll so everyone's work can be accessed from this page. I encourage you to look at your peers' work for ideas or inspiration, but what you submit must be your own. Language Arts lends itself well to this format since you will be asked to respond to the literature and history we study with your own ideas and opinions. There are no right or wrong answers in a Language Arts class, so looking at other students' ideas can help you. It can also create problems if you choose to be lazy.

I will leave comments about your work. These comments will usually instruct you on how you can improve your work. Please make sure you check your comments and your e-mail regularly, and make sure you are finished with one assignment before moving to the next.

Since this weblog will be part of your education at Classic City High School, any activity on your weblog should be considered school activity, even if it is done outside of school. You should feel free to create posts that are not school related, but you should also be sure to refrain from anything that could be considered inappropriate. This includes, but is not limited to: references to alcohol or drugs, violence, or gang activity, foul language, nudity, threats, etc.

Plagiarism is submitting someone else's work as your own. This can be done in many ways: copying work from Wikipedia, classmates, Sparknotes, etc. If you plagiarize your work, you will receive a zero -- no questions asked.


THE USER AGREEMENT:

1. I agree to submit original work to my weblog. I realize I will have the opportunity to view my peers' work, and I will use this opportunity constructively. I understand that if I choose to plagiarize, I will receive a zero for the work in question with no option to redo the assignment in question.

2. I agree to keep my weblog appropriate for Classic City High School. I understand that if innapropriate material were to appear on my weblog, be it from myself or an outside comment, I will be asked to remove it. Failure to do so will result in my weblog being removed from the class roll. I also understand that refereneces to illegal or dangerous activities will be reported since it is the legal responsibility of my teacher.

Classroom Procedures and Expectations
Dana Siegmund
Classic City High School

NovaNet:
You are required to score at least an 80% on all post-tests.
You should take notes on all your lessons to use when you take the post-test. Pasting screen shots onto Powerpoint is not taking notes.
I will check your notebook four times during the semester, and these grades will be factored into your total NovaNet score.
I will not override prescriptions after your pretest, unless it is a special circumstance.
If you score lower than a 70 on a post-test, I will reassign prescriptions

Leaving the Classroom:
Please let me know you need to leave before doing so.
Once you leave, take care of your business and come right back. Do not disturb other classes.
If you plan to purchase anything from Jittery Joe’s, you will need the pass.
If your trip is not absolutely necessary, please do not be surprised if I say “no”.
If you are gone for 15 minutes of any class period, I will mark you absent.

Administrative Absences:
If you did not come to school to work, I will mark you absent and ask you to leave.
You shouldn’t take this personally.
There is a waiting list full of people waiting to be a student at Classic City High School PLC, and if you are not making the best use of your spot, it will soon be someone else’s.

Great Headphone Issue:
Some people work well with headphones and others do not.  If you choose to use headphones, you should have your own.  I have a couple sets that are reserved for projects that require them.  Students using headphones need to use them responsibly.  If your headphone use is disrupting yours or other students' work (completely at my discretion), your privileges will be suspended (see Internet Use as well).


Internet Use
The Internet is an extremely useful educational tool, but it can also be misused.  If your Internet use becomes detrimental to your progress (including music), your Internet privileges will be blocked.  Students who attempt to circumnavigate this decision will receive an administrative absence.
Food:Food is great. Pick up your trash.

Mobile Phones:
I will follow the mobile phone policy explained in the Classic City High School Handbook.
The Classroom:Please leave it in the condition you found it.
Push in your chairs.
Put books away.
Pick up after yourself. 


To agree, post a comment to this message like this:
I agree to Mr. Siegmund's Weblog User Agreement as well as his Classroom Procedures and Expectations.
I will not add your weblog to the class roll until I receive a comment from you like the example above.

Analytical Writing

Wayne's new world: A track-by-track breakdown of Lil Wayne's 'Rebirth'

Exemplary Work

Please take a moment to review some of the excellent work your classmates have been submitting this term.  Play special attention to how well each of these examples address the Georgia Performance Standards.

Jasmine Sigman -- Dark Romanticism and Realism

Shuntavia Smith -- Native American and Colonial Periods

Laura Benevides -- Romanticism and Transcendentalism