Preparing for Your Mock Interview

During your next mentor meeting, on Tuesday 6/03, you will be participating in a Mock Interview with our mentor volunteers. In other words, you will simulating an actual job interview. The goal is to get you prepared for the real thing. Here's what you can expect:
1) You will be interviewed by a panel of 2 -3 mentors which will NOT include your own mentor.
2) They will ask you questions similar to what you would expect to be asked on a real job interview. The questions will be based on the Sample Interview Questions you worked on with your mentor at the last meeting.
3) The panel of mentors will evaluate you based on how you perform during the interview. Your grade in advisory will be partly based on this evaluation.

Here's what you need to do in order to have a successful interview:
1) Dress appropriately as if you were going to a real interview.
2) Practice your handshake and making positive eye contact. Your handshake should be firm, but not overpowering.
2) Come prepared to the interview with a copy of your resume.
3)Practice what you will say and know how you will answer each sample interview questions.

Visit the links below for help in preparing for your interview:
How to Ace a Job Interview (Video)
How to Dress for a Job Interview (Video)
How to Answer 10 Tough Interview Questions 
5 Questions You Should Never Ask in a Job Interview 
Seven Seconds to Make a First Impression
Get that Job! (Virtual Interactive Game)

Bless Me, Ultima

We've embarked on a new unit in which we are reading the novel Bless Me, Ultima by Rudolfo Anaya. While reading, we have been discussing elements of writing such as characterization, symbolism and figurative language. Below are links to the class notes, a reader's guide for the novel and the Dialectical Journal Assignment.

Characterization
Symbolism
Figurative Language
Reader's Guide
Dialectical Journals

Make-Up / Extra Credit Assignment

The following assignment is intended to serve as a make-up/extra credit opportunity for people who would like to improve their grade. It is NOT REQUIRED, but I strongly suggest that, if you are missing an assignment, you do it.  It is due on FRIDAY (11/1) by the end of the period. 

Directions:
1) Read: Los Angeles schools' plan for non-English speakers: Segregation or solution?

2) Summarize: Write a summary of the article in which you do the following:

• Describe the issue/debate - What are people arguing about?
• Discuss BOTH SIDES of the debate - What does each side say? What is the main claim made by each side?

3) Evaluate: Write another paragraph where you express your opinion on the debate and evaluate the arguments of each side. 

• Which side do you believe has a stronger argument? 
• What evidence do they cite that is particularly persuasive/convincing? 
• Which side do you agree with? Why? EXPLAIN. 

Last Minute Tips

Explaining Your Evidence - It's not enough to just list evidence - facts, statistics, examples - you MUST also EXPLAIN why this evidence is important. What does it prove? (Hopefully, your claim!) Make sure you are making that connection for your reader. Tell your reader how the evidence proves your claim.

Tips for Creating a Works Cited Page
1) You MUST have a Works Cited page or you will loose A LOT of points;
2) Your Works Cited Page must be on a separate page;
3) Your Works Cited Page must be alphabetized using the author's last name;
4) Remember the "Hanging Indent" - each line after the first line of the citation is indented.
5) If you are still confused, watch the video again, MLA Works Cited VIDEO, and/or visit the Purdue OWL for more information. When you are done, your Works Cited page should look like this:

Peer Editing

If you think you are finished with your essay, please print out a copy. Next, find a partner and exchange papers. Pick up a Peer Editing Guide from Ms. D. Complete the Peer Editing Guide for your partner's essay. Once you are done, give the guide back to your partner. Turn the peer editing guide in for 10 points of extra credit on your essay.

How to Do an MLA Works Cited Page

Introduction

Is writing a Works Cited Page (also called a bibliography) confusing to you? Well, you are not alone! Watch this practical and helpful video to get over your fear of the Works Cited Page and learn some helpful hints for doing one correctly. You will watch the video and answer the corresponding questions.

Video

The MLA Works Cited Page (11:41)

Critical Thinking Questions

1. How are sources ordered on a works cited page?
   
2. What is a "hanging indent?" Describe the helpful tip given in this presentation for doing your hanging indent in MS Word.
   
3. What info do you need to include in a citation for a simple website?
   
4. What website is suggested at the end of this video as a helpful, reliable guide to use for MLA? (I recommend that you visit this helpful site after completing this assignment!)

Final Steps...  
Continue working on your essay or your Works Cited Page. I have decided to extend the due date for this essay until the end of class on Wednesday, 10/30.  Next week, in addition to working on your essay, we will engage in some peer editing and I may offer an opportunity for extra credit to those who are finished early.

Only three days left...

Hey Guys,
As you can see, I am out today. Mr. Luttbeg has been kind enough to cover this class for me, so please be on your BEST behavior. As of today, you have three days left of in-class work time to complete this assignment. It is due on Monday, no excuses. Please utilize the resources I have provided to you, the sample essays and the sentence frames, to improve your own essay. The most important thing is to make sure you have a clear, strong claim. You MUST take a clear position/side on your issue. Second most important is to make sure that your claim is supported with evidence. I'm sure Mr. Luttbeg will be happy to help you with your writing.

See you tomorrow,
Ms. Davenport

Keep Writing...

Today, you will continue to work on your persuasive essay, which is due one week from today (NEXT Monday, 10/28). I will NOT accept late work. The essay will be due at the beginning of the period.

Here are some additional sentence frames that can be used in writing your essay. Pay particular attention to those frames used to introduce and cite evidence.
Sentence Frames A
Sentence Frames B

In addition, your essay MUST be typed using standard MLA formatting (although you can use 1.5 spacing if you want). Click HERE for more on MLA formatting guidelines. In general, the first page of your paper should look something like this:


It is important to note that you only have four days left to work in class on this assignment.  Tuesday we will be meeting with our mentors all period. In addition, you MUST turn in a Works Cited page along with your essay. I will be posting some information about creating a Works Cited page later in the week.

**This assignment will be worth 100 points and 

will be a MAJOR factor in your next progress report grade**

Outlining Your Essay

It is always best to have directions or a map before you start out on a long journey. To that end, before anyone actually starts writing their paper, please outline your essay on the handout provided to you. Then, once your outline is done - show it to me before you begin writing.

Also, before you start any actual writing, please take a look at the essay samples below. At the end of each essay sample is a paragraph of teacher commentary. These are actual student essays that I have received in the past. In the commentary section, I tell you what grade I would have given the paper and why. Hopefully, this will give you a better idea of what I am looking for in your essays.

SAMPLE A
SAMPLE B
SAMPLE C
SAMPLE D 

Information Gathering II

Assignment: 
Use Search Engine Math to conduct a web search for articles related to your essay topic/issue. You can use this article as one the sources for your essay. Write down the following information, so that you can find the article again and properly cite it later:
1) Title of Article
2) Author
3) Date it was written
4) Website address or source 

Keep reading and gathering information for your essay. If you are ready to begin writing, see Ms. D for an outline. 

If you were ABSENT yesterday, read the post from yesterday (below) and complete that assignment today in class.  

Tips & Tricks For Doing Internet Research

Doing a simple Google search on the Internet is sure easy, but is not the most effective, or academic, method for research. You will learn how to properly research on the Internet and discover tricks to make your searching faster, more efficient, and more productive. You will visit two webpages below and answer the corresponding questions.

Instructions (READ THIS!!!)
Read the information provided on the links below. Then, answer the four Critical Thinking questions on a separate sheet of paper. Turn your paper into Ms. D when you are done.  Once you have finished this assignment you may continue gathering information for your persuasive essay. At this point, you may also conduct independent research on your topic/issue.

Links

• How to Properly Search the Internet
• Search Engine Math

Critical Thinking Questions

1. What is the difference between hard and soft research?
   
2. What is the Invisible Web?
   
3. What should you be suspicious of when validating websites?
   
4. List three or more useful commands/shortcuts you can use in a search engine to do more productive searches.
   

Information Gathering

Once you decide on a topic and issue, you will enter the information gathering phase of this assignment. You task now is to read the article related to you topic/issue, take notes on important evidence mentioned in the article and evaluate the information/arguments presented so that you can form your own opinion. Try to approach this phase with an open mind - consider both sides of the debate - then, as you read and evaluate the evidence presented in each article, you can properly base your opinion on which side has the stronger argument.

If you HAVE NOT completed this FORM - please do this FIRST before moving on.

Remember: You need to have at least four sources for your "Works Cited" page. In addition, one of your sources MUST be an article arguing for the opposing view.

Writing a Persuasive Essay

Now that we have spent several weeks studying argument and persuasion, for our next project you will be writing a persuasive essay discussing your point of view on an issue related to the Constitutional rights of high school students. You will need to choose an issue, formulate a claim, support your claim with evidence, address an opposing view and provide a counterargument.

Your first step is to select a topic to write about. Below are a collection of articles and editorials concerning several topics related to the Constitutional rights of high school students. Skim and scan through the articles that relate to the topic(s) that are the most interesting to you. You will be using the information from these articles to define your issue, formulate a claim and support it with evidence. In certain instances, you may want to conduct additional research.

General/Background Info
5 Supreme Court Cases Every Teen Should Know

Juveniles and the Criminal Justice System
Frontline: Juvenile Justice 
Trying Youths as Adults Hurts Families and Tax Payers, But Not Crime
Should Juvenile Criminals Be Sentenced Like Adults?
Opinion: Kids Should Never Be Tried as Adults
Adult Punishments Should be an Option
"Adult Crime, Adult Time" pg. 218, Contemporary Voices Text Book

Students and Free Speech at School  
Student Speech Rights - This article is mainly about free speech for students on college campuses, but you can ask yourself whether these arguments should also apply to high school students or not.
 Frequently Asked Questions About Student Free Speech
"Boobie Bracelets" - A New Symbol of Student Free Speech
Breast Reduction: The "I Heart Boobies" Case Could Decide the Fate of Student Free Speech
Student Speech: No
Bong Hits 4 Jesus Case Limits Students Rights
Bong Hits 4 Jesus Ruling Raises Questions About Students' Free Speech Rights

 Students, Free Speech and the Internet
Technology & the Law
For Students, a Right to Be Mean Online?
Suit Blends Internet, Free Speech, School
Supreme Court to Consider Educators' Response to Cyber-Bullying
**NEW - Should Bullies be Treated as Criminals?
**NEW - Bullied to death in American Schools

Once you know what topic you want to write about, you need to focus on a specific issue within that topic. Your issue should be phrased in the form of a question. The answer to that question will be your claim.
Ex. Topic: Punishments for Criminal Offenders
       Issue: Should shame be used as a way to punish criminals?
       Claim: Shame is a cheap, effective and humane punishment for non-violent criminal offenders.

After you have selected your topic and developed your issue, please complete the following FORM

Argument & Persuasion

If you were enrolled in this class late, or absent or otherwise missed this important information, please look at the material below:

The Art of Persuasion
Other Rhetorical Devices
Making an Argument
Opposing View and Counterarguments

You are responsible for knowing this information and will find it helpful in writing your persuasive essay (see above).