AGENDA 3/3

Brief presentation from Gina Garcia of Sustainable Works Santa Monica, introducing this year's poster contest and an overview of water conservation

Work to complete local issues brainstorming sheet: add to back of paper, "Local Experts," "Questions," and "Possible Solution Ideas"

HW: Finish posts on The Pact discussion boards. Six posts due before 11:59pm on Thursday (two for each topic; all posts must have a direct quotation cited in parentheses with pg. #).

AGENDA 2/25

Guest Speakers: Andrew Basmajian and Joel Cesare, from Office of Sustainability and the Environment.
Andrew Basmajian's powerpoint
The "Doritos" video Mr. Basmajian alluded to in his talk and a piece from Bloomberg Business noting PepsiCo's response, along with a piece from The Union of Concerned Scientists acknowledging PepsiCo's response
Pust's Notes from today's guest speakers

HW: Register for the AP English Language and Composition exam: DEADLINE IS FRIDAY!!!
2015 AP Exam Registration flyer
Quick link to Vikings Web Store to purchase exams via credit card (note that a $7 processing fee applies)

 Please submit your response to the local issues project proposal survey before class on Friday

AGENDA 2/23

Period 3 ONLY: Guest Speaker, Superintendent Sandy Lyon
Pust's Notes from guest speaker, Superintendent Sandy Lyon
If you were absent from Period 3, please print my notes and annotate them with your questions, comments, and responses, then complete the two reflection stems:

1) Today, I learned...
2) Now, I'm wondering...

Worth thinking about: Based on Sandy Lyon's talk, which of our reformers would she most likely side with? Which ideas from our education unit texts would she most disagree with?

Periods 4 & 5:
Introduce foldables for education unit texts (you can use these, or another note-taking system, to track your annotations from The Pact and our other short essays within this education unit

Check out computers and introduce the Turnitin.com discussion board activity:
1) Between now and 3/5, make two posts to each of the three topics
2) ALL of your posts must be written in standard academic English and contain at least one direct quotation from the relevant chapters of The Pact.
3) Some of your posts may introduce new topics, but some should be replies to other student comments. Do not make all six of your comments opening new topics.

Discussion posts are due before 3/5. Make sure your comments and questions are thoughtful and that each contains a relevant quotation, introduced smoothly, to advance or support your ideas.

Note: We'll be selecting topics for our local issues research papers on Friday. Be thinking about potential topics and group members, if desired, for your research papers.

HW: Continue independent reading & annotating of The Pact if needed. Begin posting on Turnitin.com discussion board. Read notes from Sandy Lyon's guest speaker talk if you're interested in researching school issues.

AGENDA 2/20

Guest speaker -- SMMUSD Board Member Ralph Mechur
Pust's Notes from the presentation

If you were absent, please print out these notes, annotate them with your questions, reactions, and comments, then complete the two reflection statements at the bottom:
1) Today, I learned that...
2) Now, I'm wondering...

Something to consider: How did Mr. Mechur's presentation connect to what we've been studying? What reformers have we read that Mr. Mechur might agree with? Which positions/arguments might he take issue with?

HW: Finish reading The Pact, remembering to annotate as you read (insights, comments, questions, connections, funneling, etc.). Annotations will be checked on Tuesday. Please complete book checks today at lunch or after school.

AGENDA 2/19

Synthesis Writing Workshop - return EdTech synthesis essays
Reading Quiz over chapter 10 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass and chapters 12, 13, 14, and 15 of The Pact

HW: Read chapter 16, "Sam on Perseverance," and chapter 17 of The Pact. Continue to annotate as you read--annotations will be checked next Tuesday.

AGENDA 2/18

Guest speaker -- Aimee Wyatt, Community Relations Officer, Big Blue Bus
Pust's notes from the presentations
Link to seat redesign: today and tomorrow are the last chance to check out the prototypes at Santa Monica & 22nd stop!
If you were absent, please print out these notes, annotate them with your questions, reactions, and comments, then complete the two reflection statements at the bottom:
1) Today, I learned that...
2) Now, I'm wondering...

Tomorrow, we'll turn back the synthesis essays and have a brief synthesis workshop to help you improve, and we'll take a reading quiz

Please register for your AP exams as soon as possible! February 27 marks the end of regular registration and exams then carry a $10 penalty!

If you have not turned in the three practice synthesis paragraphs, please do so before the end of the week:
1) Postman/Robinson
2) Mann/Botstein
3) Pact Ch. 11/Gates

Please remember to register for AP exams!

2015 AP Exam Registration flyer

Quick link to Vikings Web Store to purchase exams via credit card (note that a $7 processing fee applies)

HW: Read/annotate Chapter 10 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and chapters 12, 13, 14, 15 of The Pact in preparation for a brief reading quiz tomorrow.

AGENDA 2/17

Seminar over McGraw-Hill Reader texts:
Susan Jacoby's essay, “When Bright Girls Decide that Math is a Waste of Time,” pages 140-143; Benjamin Barber's essay, "America Skips School," pages 153-162; and William J. Bennett's essay, “What Really Ails America,” pages 443-446, all in The McGraw-Hill Reader.

Reminder: Register for AP Exam and complete your book checks by lunchtime on Thursday for inclusion in this grading period!

HW: Read/annotate Chapter 10 of Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, and chapters 12, 13, 14, 15 of The Pact in preparation for a brief reading quiz on Thursday.