The Gettysburg Address Essay

Hello 3rd Block Bloggers!

Its almost over...heave a sigh of relief. The final draft of your Gettysburg Address essay is due on Monday, December 1, 2008 - the first day of school after Thanksgiving break.

I've had a few complaints about the assignment. That's good! My students are exercising their 1st amendment rights and expressing their opinions. I'm so proud of you! Remember..."popular sovereignty!"

In order to respond to your complaints - I posted a written response to the written complaint of a student on this Blog. I invite you to check it out. Kudos to the brave student who posted the complaint "For the World to See." Yes, I know who you are - and I am so glad you felt comfortable enough to express your opinion! 5 extra credit points to you on your essay grade! Good Job!

Need some help with your bibliography? Check out this link:
http://www.fcps.edu/KeyMS/library/bibliography.html

You guys need to check out your contest application papers...fill those out, create a title page and a bibliography to submit with the essay. You have the papers...read them...follow the directions...I should not have to teach this to you.

I have also been researching what we teachers call "CSO's" Content Standard Objectives for Reading/Language Arts. It appears that my 8th grade angels have been writing since the 2nd grade and should have been learning how to organize an essay since the 6th grade. Hmmmmm....practice makes perfect and I wonder why so many of you seemed a little clueless as how to organize your essay. I think you need more practice!!!

I love to write...and believe that it is a very important skill for my students to learn and practice. Why? My grandfather was a writer - and during World War II he was the managing editor for a magazine called Popular Mechanics. How did he get to be the managing editor for a national magazine? A poor, very poor farm boy from rural Illinois? He was a good writer! That magazine is still being published today - maybe you have heard of it? Well anyway, during World War II it was the most popular magazine for the soldiers - so the government gave my grandfather a "deferment" - which meant he did not have to become a solder and fight in the war because his writing was so important to the soldiers who were fighting. Just think...if my grandpa had gone to war and been killed...I would not be writing this to you - because I would never have been born. Wow! Do you still wonder why I think writing is so important?