Final Exam Review

Click on the following link, and continue playing the game until you can beat my time! (To do this, you will have to get under two minutes.)

FINAL EXAM STUDY GAME

Journal Three for The Alchemist

Journal #3

Santiago: “I’m like everyone else – I see the world in terms of what I would like to see happen, not what actually does.” p. 40

Santiago’s biases towards the Moroccan bar owner (Arabic speaking) and young Muslim (Spanish speaking) ends up having an unfortunate impact on his journey.  Write about a time that your personal biases led you to misjudge someone.  How/Why did this happen.  What did you learn from this event?

Mapping Santiago's Journey

This is our culminating project for the unit, and it will be a very detailed piece. It is due by May 16 at the latest. The necessary components are as follows:

Santiago's journey will be traced on a map - All places in bold must be labeled
The map will begin in southern Spain in an area Santiago refers to as Andalusia. The first location is the church. From there, Santiago will travel to Tarifa, Spain. Then he will cross the Strait of Gibraltar into the next city of Tangier (in Africa). After a year there, he will head out into the desert, and his next stop will be the Oasis of Al-Fayoum. After spending some time there, he and the alchemist will proceed into the desert where he is captured and held in a military camp. After his escape, he stops at a monastery before heading on to the pyramids (and then back to Andalusia).

You will need note cards to annotate the events that take place in each location. You should have 15-20 note cards in all. Some places will require more notes than others. [see below]

The church - one note card
Tarifa - two note cards
Tangier - at least three note cards
The Oasis of Al-Fayoum - at least four note cards
The Military Camp - two note cards
The Monastery - one note card
The Pyramids - one to two note cards
Andalusia - one to two note cards (to sum up the ending)

The Alchemist Friday Mini

If you missed today's Friday Mini, HERE is a copy. For this essay, you should have read The Alchemist at least through page 35.

Journal Two for The Alchemist

Journal #2 

Recall a difficult decision that you have had to make in your life.  What was involved in the decision?  What were the circumstances leading up to (and following) the choice you had to make.  Who else did this decision affect?  In what ways were you and others affected?  If you faced this decision again today, how would you respond?  Why?

Journal One for The Alchemist

Journal #1 

In The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo, the author discusses the concept of an individual’s Personal Legend.

Personal Legend: “It’s what you have always wanted to accomplish. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is. At that point in their lives, everything is clear and everything is possible. They are not afraid to dream, and to yearn for everything they would like to see happen to them in their lives. But, as time passes, a mysterious force begins to convince them that it will be impossible for them to realize their Personal Legend.” (Coehlo 21)

Some Questions to Address in Your Response (You don’t have to address each one)

• What is/was your Personal Legend? Consider future goals and aspirations. Give this some thought. It might not come to you right away. What did you always want to accomplish or do when you were young?
• Has your Personal Legend changed since you were younger? If so, why?
• What are you doing now to ensure your Personal Legend becomes a reality? (In other words, what steps are you taking towards your life goals?)
• Why do you think people stray from their Personal Legends?

The Alchemist

After spring break, we will begin our study of The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. It is a relatively short novel; however, we will only have a class set worth of copies.

If you are concerned that you will not have enough time to read in class, feel free to get a jump start online. Just follow THIS LINK.

Happy Spring Break!!!

For those of you feeling super industrious, spring break will be a great time to make up missing work. I will be handing out missing work packets today. :)

Julius Caesar DBQ (Document Based Question)

Using two of the documents provided in class, evaluate whether Brutus's decision to kill Caesar shows the bravery of a tragic hero or the ambition of a powerful man. Be sure to include the following:

• Do the ends justify the means? Was Brutus's assassination of Caesar necessary for the good of the people of Rome?
• Was Brutus a tragic hero or villain?

GATEWAY TESTING NEXT MONDAY AND WEDNESDAY!

Be sure you (or your students) are well rested and on time! =)

Digital Comic Book Makers

This week we will be bringing Act III, Scene 2 of Caesar modern using a graphic novel or comic book layout.

The following links are options for digital layouts. (You will have to register to save or print your work.)

For a cartoon look, try ToonDoo or StripGenerator
Disney Marvel with superhero characters
Disney Manga with regular characters
Make Beliefs Comics if you want a "hand-drawn" look
Use Bitstrips if you want to design your own character
Pixton (warning: more advanced...plus, makes you register before you can create anything)

Rhetoric Mini Essay

How do politicians use rhetoric to sway public opinion? Discuss the leaders in Caesar’s time and the leaders present day.

Be sure to discuss use of ethos (moral appeal) and pathos (emotional appeal).

Northern Star Mini Essay

Caesar:

I am Constant as the Northern Star

I could be well moved, if I were as you;

If I could pray to move, prayers would move me;I am constant as the northern star,

Of whose true-fix'd and resting quality

There is no fellow in the firmament.

The skies are painted with unnumber'd sparks;

They are all fire and every one doth shine;

But there's but one in all doth hold his place.

So in the world, 'tis furnish'd well with men,

And men are flesh and blood, and apprehensive;

Yet in the number I do know but one

That unassailable holds on his rank,

Unshaked of motion; and that I am he,

Let me a little show it, even in this;

That I was constant Cimber should be banish'd,

And constant do remain to keep him so. (3.1.7)

Prompt: Intransigence is the refusal to compromise or give up any ground an on issue. Caesar prides himself in having this quality, claiming that he is an unmovable object, that he will never change his mind about a decision he has made.  Do you consider this inability to compromise to be a strength or a weakness? Explain how this trait would be beneficial or harmful during your interactions with others (co-workers, classmates, teachers/administrators, etc)?

Vocabulary Quiz Thursday!

Be sure to review the vocabulary that we pulled from the article on Caesar's "Life Work." You can also practice online using the review game on my site or follow the link directly HERE.

Leadership Mini Essay

What do you look for in a leader? Are there specific skills, traits or experiences that are necessary to lead others? Do all leaders have these? Can a good leader be a bad person? How or why?

Use examples from this week's reading, your prior knowledge and examples from the world.

Dante's Inferno DBQ

To wrap up Dante's Inferno, we spent the week in class working on a document based question. Students received points for their work in class, their prewrite organizer and the paper they wrote in class on Friday.

To view a rubric on how the project was graded, click HERE.

Betrayal vs. Loyalty Essay

This is due Monday! If you have lost your copy, please download THIS ONE.

Vocabulary Quiz

The vocabulary quiz was actually yesterday, but students were given the opportunity to revise today. They were also allowed to study immediately before the quiz and given class time the day before the quiz. (Make ups are available during guided study.)

Students who studied using the online vocab game did very well! =)

Loyalty Mini

In preparation for the betrayal essay, students brainstormed what it means to be loyal. They responded to the following:

How important is loyalty to you? To your family?
How do you show your loyalty to others?
What happens if someone betrays your trust? Why? Explain...

Canto XXXIV Illustration and Short Answer

Last canto of Dante's Inferno! After reading the canto, students drew their depictions of Lucifer on THIS organizer. (The short answer questions are only available in hard copy form, so if this page is lost, a replacement will need to be picked up in class.)