"the last spin" news article - June 12th

You are reporters for a national teen magazine. Your editor has asked you to find out why a teenager called Danny committed suicide. Your mission is to cover the story from one of four angles.

Reporter 1:
Check for background information on teen gangs: Write a profile of Danny based on your findings.
Reporter 2:
Check the schools for information on how they deal with teen gangs: Write a plan on how to deal with the issue at school.
Reporter 3:
Speak to Danny's parents: Write an interview with his parents based on your findings on parental involvement or lack of it.
Reporter 4:
Speak to his girlfriend: Write the interview. Could she have prevented Danny from belonging to the gang?


here is a link to the short story "the last spin"

extra credit

here is the link to the short story "The Killers" by Ernest Hemingway

Read the short story and then fill out the literature circle handouts using the story

the killers

handouts -
discussion director
literature luminary
vocabulary enricher

Thursday May 29th: Powerpoint Facebook

As a way to practice making Powerpoint Presentations, you will now use PowerPoint to make a facebook presentation of yourself using the techniques I showed you in my Facebook PowerPoint. THINK MYSPACE!

In your facebook you must have pages that include:

• A quick profile of yourself (For Example: name, age, place of birth, hometown, favorite quote, interesting facts about yourself, etc.)
• Information about your education

Also, you should include pages dedicated to describing at least FOUR of the following.

• some of your interests/hobbies
• your musical tastes
• your favorite tv show(s)
• your favorite movie (s)
• your favorite book (s)
• your personal heroes
• your plans for the summer
  
• places you have traveled or would like to travel
  

**include pictures if available

Pointers:

• vixy.net allows you to convert youtube videos
• you can drag pictures from websites into your PowerPoint
• Experiment with custom animations for different effects.
• Use the insert tab to include music or videos.
  
  GRADING: include all necessary information; Creativity
  
  ANY OFF TASK BEHAVIOR AND YOU WILL YOU RECEIVE AN IMMEDIATE ZERO!
  
  
  

May 6th, 2008: "The Green Mile" Writing Assignment

Now that you have finished watching the film "the Green Mile," type up your reaction to the film. 

Print this out in a word document and turn it in! DO NOT put it on your blog!

In order to receive full credit, your reaction should include answers to the following questions. 

1. What did you think of the film overall? 

2. Describe your favorite/least favorite scene from the film

3. Who were your favorite/least favorite characters in the film and why? (Ex. John, Percy, Crazy Bill). 

4. What were  some of this character's traits? (Example: brave, stupid, intelligent, etc.)

5. Discuss what you think John was.  An angel? A superhero? Something else? 

5. John voluntarily lets them execute him instead of having them help him escape. Talk about why you think John did not want to go on living. 

6. Did you agree with the ending of the film or would you have made it different somehow? 

7. Any other aspect of the film you might want to discuss. 

When you have submitted this assignment you may have free time on your computer. Any other websites that are open before submitting this assignment and you will receive a zero for the day and be kicked off your computer. 

REMEMBER TO PRINT THIS ASSIGNMENT OUT! DO NOT POST IT TO YOUR BLOG!

ALSO REMEMBER YOU MUST SUBMIT 4 COMMMENTARY PARAGRAPHS FOR THE FILM!

The Green Mile Writing Assignment

Wednseday, April 30th: Email to Tookie's Legacy Staff

Class, I am having you do one final assignment for the Tookie Williams unit

Today you will be writing an email to Tookie's Legacy Staff.

***Follow these directions to receive full credit***

A. Open up a word document.

B. In about 100-150 words, write an email to Tookie's Legacy staff discussing what you learned about in the unit we finished right before Spring Break.

This email should include:

• An introduction: "Dear Tookie's Legacy Staff..."
• 2 to 3 things you learned about Tookie Williams and his anti-gang activism
• (For example: his idea of Self-Hate)
• What you thought about the selections from his books
• Life in Prison" and "Blue Rage, Black Redemption"
  
• What you thought about the film "Redemption" and its portrayal of Tookie's life
  
• Any suggestions you might have on gang prevention
  
• Brainstorm 2 to 3 questions of your own to ask Tookie's Legacy staff
• For example "What is being done to continue Tookie's anti-gang activism after his death?"
  

C. Copy and paste this into an email and send it to Tookie_legacy@tookie.com as well as to chris.lowe83@gmail.com when you are done. ***you will need your own email address to send this email***

D. After I have received and approved your email, you may have free time on your computer.

***Any disruptive behavior or visiting other websites before you have completed the assignment will earn you a grade of ZERO and you will be kicked off your computer***

TOOKIE'S APOLOGY BLOG ASSIGNMENT

Class, here is your assignment for Thursday, April 10th

FOLLOW THE DIRECTIONS!!!

1. Go to http://www.tookie.com/ (click the link)

2. On the LEFT SIDE of the page click on the link to “The Apology”

3. Read Tookie’s “Apology”

4. On your INDIVIDUAL BLOG, write a response (11 sentences minimum) to this question:

“Was Tookie truly sorry for his crimes and was he redeemed? How does he show in his apology that he was sorry?”

Discuss the following using examples (quotes) from the text:

- What Tookie specifically apologizes for.

- What he never imagined would happen.

- What Tookie means by no longer being “dyseducated.”

- How Tookie plans to fight back against the Gang violence he helped create and what his goal is.

****Continue to work on your movie review for COLORSy****

****YOU HAVE A OPEN NOTES/PACKET QUIZ MONDAY IN CLASS! PRINT OUT THE NOTES FROM THE CLASS WEBSITE IF YOU NEED THEM!****