Thursday, October 30, 2008

Gettysburg Address Essay

Hello 3rd Block!

I hope you are having a good class without me today!

After you finish your test, I want you to start working on your Gettysburg Address essays. Today you should figure out what you are going to write about. Your essay will have 2 main ideas:
#1: What message did the Gettysburg Address communicate to our war-torn nation in 1863?
#2: How are the ideals articulated in the speech still relevant for our country today?

***Your purpose for writing is to answer these two questions.***

In order to answer question #1 - you will need to analyze the speech itself. Mrs. Shiflet has a copy of the speech for you. As you read the speech and re-read the speech - write down your ideas. What was President Lincoln trying to tell his audience? (What was HIS purpose for writing? What did he tell his audience?) Was he trying to convey a message of hope? Was he trying to gain support for the war by inspiring patriotism? Was he trying to console people who had lost loved ones? Once you have decided what message he was trying to communicate - back up your opinion with specific details from the speech itself. You must convince the reader with specific evidence from the speech which supports your opinion.

In order to answer question #2 - you will need to think about what life is like in our country today. Make sure you understand what the words "ideals" and "relevant" mean. Look them up in a dictionary if you are unsure. The next step is to write down your ideas. Is there an event or political issue happening in our country today which people could relate President Lincoln's message to? The obvious answer would be the ongoing wars: A) The war on terror B) The war in Afghanistan C) The war in Iraq.

Remember - a good essay will not only inform and educate, but the writer will try to convince the reader that his or her opinion is valid.

Your essay should contain an introduction of the topic, body paragraphs which answer the 2 questions with specific thoughts and examples, and a conclusion which restates the topic and summarizes what the essay said.

DO NOT WRITE IN 1ST PERSON. You should NOT use the words "I" or "YOU". Do not use contractions.

Organize your thoughts before writing the essay. Compose an outline.

BEFORE WRITING - look up the word "bibliography". You are required to submit a bibliography. If you use another writer's thoughts or words - you must give that writer credit to avoid plagiarism. You must keep track of your sources. This is VERY IMPORTANT.

We will work in the Computer Lab again on Monday. Have a rough draft ready by MONDAY. Yes, that means you have homework for the weekend!!!!

Sunday, October 19, 2008

The Underground Railroad

Computer Lab Activity for Thursday 10/23/08 3rd Block ONLY

Research the Underground Railroad using the Internet links I have posted on EdLine. You may fully explore those sites - but please limit your surfing to authorized sites only.

Prepare a blog report about the Underground Railroad summarizing what you have learned from your surfing. This should be a minimum of 2 well developed paragraphs.

Now the FUN part...Pretend you are an abolitionist and must plan the escape route of a group of runaway slaves. Plan an escape route through your county! Where will the slaves enter the county? Where will the slaves exit the county? What "stations" (safe houses) have you prepared? You may use the first names of your classmates (not last names) as station masters as you plan the escape route. Always have a back up plan!!! What if something goes wrong?

Read some of your classmates Blogs and comment on a few.

Do you need a map? Look online - but please do not refer to your county by name for security purposes!

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Modern Day Heroes

Blog Assignment for Tuesday, October 14th

Are there any heroes left in the world? Who is your personal hero? Who has inspired you by their words or their accomplishments or by the influence they have in your life? Please choose a hero or heroine and describe why this person is a hero in your opinion.

Please remember to use the Spell Check tool to edit your work and write in complete sentences using the Kansas Writing Strategy.

What are the Qualities of a Hero?

Blog Assignment for Tuesday, October 14th

Decide what qualities one must possess to be a hero. Choose a hero or heroine of the American Revolution from western Virginia which we read about in Chapter 7. What qualities did this person possess? What did this person do or how did he or she behave which entitles them to be labeled as a hero?

Please remember to use the Spell Check tool to edit your work before publishing.

Monday, October 6, 2008

Helpful Hints for MzMac's Bloggers

Hi Bloggers!

Did you know you can spell check your Blogs before posting them to the Internet? The tool bar has an icon for spell check - just like the one you can use when creating a WORD document in Microsoft. Please use this handy tool for editing before you publish!

Friday, October 3, 2008

The Proclamation of 1763

When the French and Indian War ended, the British settlers eagerly awaited the opportunity to again claim land in the Ohio River Valley. But King George III of Great Britain had a different idea. He angered the settlers by imposing the Proclamation of 1763, which forbade settlement west of the Allegheny Mountains. The proclamation also ordered all the people who had already settled in the west to return east immediately. The king feared an Indian uprising if settlers were allowed into the west; he believed he was acting in the best interests of the colonists by forbidding them to settle there.

The colonists, however, viewed the proclamation differently. Having fought to protect the frontier for seven years during the French and Indian War, they thought they now deserved a reward of land in the west. They resented the king's attempts to restrict their movement across the mountains.

ASSIGNMENT: Post a letter on your Blog to King George III. Pretend you are a veteran of the war who does not agree with the Proclamation of 1763. Tell King George III how you feel and why you believe you should be allowed to keep your land. Title your Blog: Proclamation of 1763. Be creative but appropriate. Utilize your Kansas Writing skills and PROOFREAD before POSTING! Have Fun!