ENGLISH 4-Mr. Wiley Assignments

Your Listicle should be polished and free of grammar/mechanics issues. It should be about a page of writing (with visuals probably two pages).

1. SELECT YOUR TOPIC – It should be related to your TED TALK.  You could even use your speech content for the listicle.

2. TITLE YOUR LISTICLE – The number of sub headers required should be part of the title.  Ex. Seven Reasons How Disney Failed the Star Wars Franchise, Ten Reasons to Go Vegan Today

3. DEVELOP YOUR SUB HEADERS – These short, catchy sub headers often begin with the same work, rhyme, or contain the same number of words.  Ex. – Bring a Friend, Bring Fun Tunes.  You need AT LEAST FIVE SUB HEADERS.

4. TEXT – Following each sub header, write several sentences that support the sub header.

5. ADD IMAGES, GIFS, GRAPHS, VIDEOS

6. Edit for grammar and mechanics issues.

Submit your visual aid for your TED TALK here.

Type your 750+ word Draft and submit it here! 

DUE WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8

Submit both your:
How-To Speech visual aids for your topic (either a Google Slideshow or a Google document with a typed up, clear plan for your visual aids). (15 pts)
The handout "quizzes" you'll use to test your audience after you've taught them. (15 pts)
How your audience score impacts your quiz grade! (1/4 your speech grade!)
YOU MUST HAVE NOTECARDS (10 pts) THAT YOU TURN IN AFTER YOUR SPEECH TOO!

Toasting to your partner, your outline will:

Introduce yourself and your partner
The reason you're toasting to them today
An amusing anecdote or piece of trivia about your partner
2+ great qualities about your partner
A concluding statement that ends with a soda drink with your audience.
Your speech should be between 1 - 2 minutes.

Carefully Read the Article.  In a Google Document, answer the following questions.  Then turn in your completed questions here.  DUE TODAY.

1. What is Ethos?   How can you use ethos in public speaking to be a more effective speaker?

2. What is Pathos?  How can you use pathos in public speaking to be a more effective speaker?

3. What is Logos?  How can you use logos in public speaking to be a more effective speaker?

4. What do you think is the most important pillar of these three for public speaking?  Why?

Create a detailed outline for your essay.  Follow this format: 

Compare/Contrast Themes of Texts

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Secret Window

Introduction Paragraph
   Hook
   Background Information - introduce the text and film
   Clear and strong thesis statement

[Thesis starter: Jekyll and Hyde and Secret Window both explore – insert themes here + briefly explain the significance of each theme…

Body Paragraph 1 - Theme #1
Discuss your chosen theme #1
Provide evidence for this theme from the film
Provide evidence for this theme from the book
Show how this theme emerges in both, and why it is relevant

Body Paragraph 2 - Theme #2
Discuss your chosen theme #1
Provide evidence for this theme from the film
Provide evidence for this theme from the book
Show how this theme emerges in both, and why it is relevant

Paragraph 3 - Compare/Contrast/
   Discuss the similarities and differences between the treatment of your chosen theme in the book and the film
   Provide evidence, be clear
Discuss the implications of the differences and similarities of the theme    

Conclusion
   Summarize your thesis and your arguments
   Summarize your arguments    
Insert some insight, perhaps about culture or the story’s influence or the impact of your chosen theme

Write a full paragraph response on the Google CR Question.

Possible Response Questions:
• What do you think about the possibility of scientists one day being able to clone human beings? Is it ethical? What are the dangers? Are there advantages? Explain.
• What is not said in this article? What is left out? Discuss.
• Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.

If you had to choose (and, yes, you do have to choose for this essay), what, in your opinion, is MOST responsible for the way a person is?  Is it their nature (genetics) or how they were nurtured (their environment and experiences)?  Why?  

The plagiarism check mechanism is on.  All responses must be typed in 12 point, Times New Roman font.  Each essay must have an introduction (hook, explain the point of your essay, thesis statement), a body (examples and explanations for your argument), and a conclusion (summarize and talk about significance of this essay to the real world).  So, to receive full credit, you must write at least three paragraphs.
  
Scoring:
___ / 15 Intro, body, and conclusion (content)
___ / 15 Intro, body, and conclusion (completion – at least 5 sentences per paragraph)
___ / 5 Essay makes a clear and specific claim (thesis)
___ / 10 Body has examples to support this specific claim
___ / 5 Conventions (grammar, spelling, mechanics)
                                  ___ / 50 Total

The Burden of the Mask
In the article, Romano reflects on Jekyll’s claim that "man is not truly one, but truly two." He argues that modern social media has resurrected this Victorian struggle, forcing us to split ourselves into a "curated" public version and a "repressed" private version.

Task: Write a FULL PARAGRAPH RESPONSE (6-8 sentences without grammar and mechanics issues) arguing whether this "duality" is an unavoidable part of being human or a product of a judgmental society. In your response, address the following:

Does the "mask" we wear (either in Victorian London or on Instagram) protect us, or does it eventually create a "Mr. Hyde" by suppressing our true impulses?

If society were 100% accepting, would Jekyll’s duality cease to exist, or is there always a part of the human psyche that must remain hidden?

After completing your peer review and revising your essay... submit your final essay here!

Turn in your Film Review COMPLETE draft here.

A google doc with the following:
Your Works Cited page for your Film Review essay with sources in 8th ed. MLA Format.

Your Task:
Your task is to think of an idea, plan or project you think should be accomplished. Then, write a proposal
for the appropriate audience.
You can imagine a future self or fictional company that is up to the task of completing the
proposed goal. 

Requirements:
• Identify the problem and offer a specific, clear solution. The problem can be specific to your
school or community, can be related to a certain business or type of business, or can be national
or world-level (or most any other option.)
• Explain how the solution will fully address the problem and explain, factually, why your
proposed idea is the best choice
• Include research on the topic, problem and/ or solution, such as statistics, similar problems or
solutions, history, or other details.
o Include your reliable and academically appropriate sources in a Works Cited at the end
of the proposal
• Include information on pricing and/ or timing of your project (You may use past projects as a
guideline or estimate). Must either reasonable pricing or timing information.
• Use headings to divide and label your sections.
• Use clear, concise, objective language with few or no errors


The attached file has resources about a proposal, an example of a proposal, the assignment in more detail, and a rubric.

Possible Response Questions
• What are your thoughts about escaping the dopamine crash loop? Explain.
• Did something in the article surprise you? Discuss.
• Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
• Discuss a “move” made by the writer in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.

Choose one option.  Write a 200-400 word response.  Use examples/evidence to support your analysis.

5 pts - organization, thesis
5 pts - evidence/examples in analysis
5 pts - completion, grammar, mechanics

Prompt 1: Daydreams and Real Life
Both the story and the movie show Walter Mitty escaping into daydreams.
Explain how each version shows the purpose of Walter’s daydreams.
Do they help him, hurt him, or do something different in each version? Use examples from both.

Prompt 2: Who Is the “Real” Walter Mitty?
Walter imagines himself as someone braver and more exciting than he feels in real life.
Compare how the story and the movie show Walter trying to figure out who he really is.
Does each version show him changing, or staying the same? What message does each one send?

Prompt 3: Ordinary vs. Extraordinary
The original story shows Walter as an ordinary man; the movie shows him doing big, adventurous things.
Discuss what each version says about what makes a life “extraordinary.”
Where does each version suggest meaning comes from imagination, action, relationships, or something else?

Prompt 4: What Each Version Is Really About
The story uses a lot of humor and exaggeration to make a point about everyday life, while the movie focuses more on personal growth. Explain the main idea or theme you think each version is trying to teach.
Then compare how the story’s message is different from the movie’s.

Write a 200+ word thematic analysis of either "A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings" or "Cup of Tea."
In your analysis, name a specific theme that you believe the author is communicating in the short story. Provide evidence from the text that supports your chosen theme.  Explain in your own words how you know this is a theme in the story.

Make sure your response is clear and understandable.  Pay attention to spelling, grammar, and mechanics.

Answer the following questions using complete sentences and citing evidence from the text:

1. How does Márquez use magical realism to blur the line between the ordinary and the extraordinary in “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”?

2. What is the effect of presenting the miraculous (the angel) in such a mundane, realistic setting?

3. Choose one interpretation of the old man (e.g., angel, symbol of faith, test of humanity, or social outcast) and use textual evidence to support your claim.

4. How does Márquez’s description of the townspeople’s reactions reveal their values and priorities? Support your analysis with evidence.

5. What does the story suggest about the way humans treat the unknown or the miraculous?

6. How does “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings” explore the theme of faith or skepticism?

7. What might the story be saying about greed, curiosity, or exploitation?

Choose one of the following prompts and write a full paragraph response (at least 7-8 thoughtful sentences)!  Use examples/evidence from BOTH texts in your response!

The Price of Isolation: Both The Bet and The Silence explore characters who willingly isolate themselves for money or pride. What do these stories suggest about what happens to people when they remove themselves from human connection for too long?

What’s Really at Stake? In both stories, the wager starts as a test of will but ends as something else entirely. What does each author seem to argue about what humans truly value: money, pride, reputation, freedom, or something deeper?

Silence and Meaning: How does silence function symbolically in both works? Is silence portrayed as peaceful, destructive, or revealing?

Possible Response Questions
• What are your thoughts about this study? Explain.
• Did something in the article surprise you? Discuss.
• Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
• Discuss a “move” made by the writer in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.

Write a thank you letter for your mock interview.  You can use the attached example to guide your short letter.  Be sure to have a header, a salutation, a short paragraph thanking the person for the time, a short paragraph about what you gained and learned from the mock interview, a short paragraph with a second thank you, and a formal closing.  See attached example for help.

Possible Response Questions 
• What are your thoughts about “cocoa cutting”? Explain.
• Did something in the article surprise you? Discuss.
• Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
• Discuss a “move” made by the writer in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.

Use the attached Outline to create a draft for your Resume.  Make your own copy from the document, and turn it in here when you are finished.   This content should be polished, accurate, and professional.

Possible Response Questions 
How might you regulate your stress? Explain.
Did something in the article surprise you? Discuss.
Pick a word/line/passage from the article and respond to it.
Discuss a “move” made by the writer in this piece that you think is good/interesting. Explain.

Due Wednesday, October 15th at the end of class. 

Be sure to complete a paper checklist and turn it in Wednesday before you turn in your paper here.

The plagiarism check is on.  Remember to only submit your own work!

Response: "My Daughter Smokes" - Alice Walker describes a bad habit that links the generations of her family. Look at your own family. Looking back on your parents or grandparents, and then considering yourself or your own children, what habit (bad or good) can you observe going through more than one generation? Write a 5-8 sentence response in which you trace your own family history in terms of this habit.

Directions: You will be writing a series of responses to personal statement questions (maybe
we'll talk about this). Each response must be 400-600 words. For this assignment, you are choosing ONE prompt to address. Please write these as if they were your final copies that you would be submitting to a college or a job. This means they need to be error proof and you should reread them prior to submitting.  Each response will be valued at 25pts. Below are the prompts:
1. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?

2. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?

3. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?

4. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

For essay #1, choose whichever prompt you like best.

Create a google document and type responses.  Turn these in here.  Today you will be discussing Scott Russel Sanders’ “The Inheritance of Tools.” Please answer each question, and write responses in full paragraphs. See guidelines below questions.

“The Inheritance of Tools”
1. What is the purpose of Sanders’ essay? What does he want to accomplish by writing this piece?
2. Sanders talks about inheriting specific tools, but how else does the idea of inheritance come into play in the essay?
3. How did you find yourself relating to this piece? What items do you have in your family that hold similar value to Sanders’ hammer? Why do they hold this type of value?

Guidelines for Your Reading Responses:
Each response should be at least a 4+ sentence paragraph in length.
You will write in essay form, meaning you will need to use paragraphs, full sentences, and a clear focus and purpose.
You will need to use standard academic English, meaning you should avoid slang and adhere to standard grammar and punctuation conventions.
Your response should bring in quotations or summaries of information from the text(s) in order to help support the points you are making; however, responses must not plagiarize either the readings or other discussions of the readings.
Responses should not simply summarize the reading, nor should it consist of a personal tangent. Instead, plan to respond to the prompt provided with a clear, thorough discussion that shows your understanding of the text(s).

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/learning/tiny-memoir-contest-for-students-write-a-100-word-personal-narrative.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/13/learning/how-to-write-a-100-word-narrative-a-guide-for-our-tiny-memoir-contest.html

Be sure to cite examples from the film (The 13th Warrior) and evidence from the text (Beowulf) to support your answer. I expect a THOROUGH response of a paragraphs for each question. Each response is worth 10 points.  (2 point completed with appropriate length, 2 point clear claim, 2 point evidence, 2 point analysis - LINKS, 2 point grammar and mechanics)

RL.1 - Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

Create a google document for this writing response, and turn it in here when it is complete.  CHOOSE FOUR PROMPTS!  Respond to these FOUR PROMPTS with a THOROUGH response of at least a paragraph (7-8 sentences) for each question.  The plagiarism/AI check is on for this response... please, do your own work for this Checkpoint!
1. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from the film and the text, explain the similarities and differences between the monsters of "The 13th Warrior" and the monsters of Beowulf.  Be sure to explain WHY you think there are these differences.  What is the purpose of these differences in the film? 

2. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from the film and the text, explain at least one similarity and difference between the heroic character of Buliwyf in "The 13th Warrior" and Beowulf in the epic poem.  Be sure to explain WHY you think there are these differences.  What is the purpose of these differences in the film?

3. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from both films and the poem, explain how the role of fate/destiny is portrayed. Is Beowulf/Buliwyf in control of his future, or is he subject to forces beyond himself? What message do you think each version of the story is trying to send about human control and mortality?

4. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from the poem and the two films, examine how leadership is portrayed. How do Beowulf and Buliwyf compare as leaders of men? How does the 2007 Beowulf’s portrayal of kingship differ from that of the epic poem? What does each version suggest about the qualities of a good (or flawed) leader?

5. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from all three texts, discuss how the theme of heroism changes from one version to the next. What values seem most important in the Beowulf poem, and how are those values updated or changed in The 13th Warrior and the 2007 Beowulf film? What does this tell us about how ideas of heroism have evolved over time?

6. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from the 2007 Beowulf film, the 13th Warrior, and the poem, analyze the ending of each story. How does Beowulf’s death and legacy differ in each version, and what do those differences suggest about how the culture or filmmakers wanted the audience to remember him?

7. In a response of a paragraph and using evidence from the poem and The 13th Warrior, analyze how each story represents the idea of “the outsider.” How does Eban's role as an outsider compare with Beowulf’s role as a foreign hero in Denmark? What do these portrayals suggest about cultural identity and belonging?

As you answer the following questions, think about how the movie either supports or twists the Anglo-Saxon culture. 
1. Describe King Hrothgar. Does he fit the expectation of an Anglo-Saxon king? 
2. Describe Grendel…paying particular attention to his size throughout the movie. 
3. Describe the battle with Grendel’s Mother. Does this fit the archetypes of hero and creature of nightmare? 
4. Which religions are present in this movie? How are they portrayed? 
5. When Unferth says “the sins of the father…” he is missing the second half of the quote which is “..shall be visited upon the sons.” How does this quote apply  to the movie? Would it have applied to the Anglo-Saxon culture? 
6. Describe Beowulf throughout the movie. Does he fit the role of archetypal hero? 

Choose a question above & use it for inspiration to write a 400+ word essay regarding a difference(s) between the original tale & the movie. You must use specific examples in your essay cited from each text. Be sure to use MLA format (Times New Roman, 12pt font, double-spaced, MLA header).   Hint: If you start with an MLA Report from Google Documents, this will help you with formatting.


5 points - grammar, mechanics, MLA formatting
5 points - clear argument, organized analysis
5 points - evidence/examples from both text clearly linked to analysis

Greetings, brave scholar. You have witnessed the clash of heroes and monsters. Now it is time for you to forge your own claim. Choose ONE writing response path below and defend it with the strength of your words.

You should have a response of 250-300 words that makes a clear claim and uses at least two pieces of evidence from Beowulf to support your claim.

DUE DURING CLASS on MONDAY, AUG. 25

Path 1: Hero or Glory-Hog?
Is Beowulf driven by true heroism or a thirst for fame? Choose your side and support it with at least two pieces of textual evidence.

Path 2: Monster or Misunderstood?
Is Grendel pure evil, or a lonely outcast who lashes out? Make your claim and prove it with evidence from the text.

Path 3: Pagan vs. Christian Worldviews
In the fight with Grendel, the narrator weaves together both pagan elements (fate, warrior honor, glory in battle) and Christian elements (God’s will, divine protection, Cain’s curse). Which worldview seems more dominant in this section of the poem?  Why? Make a claim about how the text blends or prioritizes these perspectives, and support it with evidence.