This class is an exploration of the transition from childhood to adulthood. What are your individual strengths and challenges? How are you influenced by your family, friends, and various environments? How much do you know about your history and heritage? What are your core beliefs and values, and how do those shape how you deal with challenges? What are your goals for completing high school and the immediate years after high school? To help us on this journey, we’ll read four novels focused on different aspects of "coming of age" and Malcolm Gladwell's "Outliers" about success. Students will be assigned a variety of papers and essays throughout the year to relate course topics and readings to their own experiences. (1 English credit)



Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Session 2: HW #1 WDC Pre-reading Response

Read the handout given in class and then complete the short answer questions provided. Your responses must be 5-8 sentences each. Your responses must be typed, double-spaced and properly formatted. Here is the link to the reading and HW instructions.

Students who do not complete this by Thursday will be given a longer assignment to complete as make-up.

Monday, October 21, 2013

Creative Project for POBAW or AS due Thursday, Oct. 24

Your HW all week is to work on your creative project. Your project is due Thursday, no exceptions or extensions.

Your project must meet the following expectations:
1. Show effort
2. Be interactive
3. Teach your classmates about the book

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

HW #18: Letter to Self (rough draft)

Follow the guidelines on this handout to write a letter to yourself, 1-2 years in the future. Your draft is due Monday, but if you would like to turn it in before the end of this week, that would be great.

We will make edits to the letter and your independent book report next Monday and Tuesday.

Your creative projects based on "Perks of Being a Wallflower" or "All Souls" will be due Thursday. There are no extensions on this project and it is worth 25% of your final grade for the session.

Anyone not current by Thursday of next week, will need to come in on Friday morning to complete work from 9am-12pm.

Thursday, October 10, 2013

HW: #16 IRP week 6 (for POBAW or AS); #17: Complete 5-paragraphs, typed, double-spaced

Come up with your 100 word description for how you will create a project that is interactive, shows effort, and teaches your classmates about the book you read.

For your book report (on the IRP you read) use the guidelines in the "Weekly IRP Questions".  You can use your weekly responses to help you format your book report, but you will need to change the wording so that the whole book report flows together.


Tuesday, October 8, 2013

HW 15: Final Reading Response

You must complete your book (POBAW or AS) and then write a final, one-page (minimum), typed and double-spaced response.  Focus on events in the last section, as well as comment on the overall book.

You will also have your final vocab quiz on Thursday.

Monday, October 7, 2013

HW: Finish POBAW or AS

Complete the class book. You will write your final response for homework on Tuesday. It will be due in class on Thursday.

*We will have our final vocab quiz this Thursday!

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

HW 13: Reading Response 4 for POBAW or AS

Write your one-page minimum, typed, double-spaced response to Part 4 of POBAW or Ch. 7-8 of AS.  Be sure you are continuing to follow the reading response guidelines and making connections between what has happened in earlier sections and what new events are occurring. Pay attention to important themes that continue to come up, as well. Take note of my past corrections to grammar and pay attention to correcting those mistakes.