The Samurai: Extra Credit in History

To earn extra credit in history complete this assignment.

Before watching the video from the History Channel set up a piece of paper for Cornell notes.

Set off the bottom third of your paper for the summary.  Divide the top section into two parts: one on the right for bullet point notes and one on the left for questions about the video.

Take 14 notes on the video.  These should be bullet point notes.  Write your notes in the right hand column.  You may take notes on anything in the video that interests you.

Ask at least three questions about the samurai in the left hand column.  These should be complete sentences.

For the bottom third of your paper write a summary of your notes.  Combine more than one note into single sentences.  Your summary should be seven sentences long.  You  may use the back if you need to.

Here is the video.

This assignment is due on Friday, Feb. 28 and is counted as extra credit in  history.

Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta go to China(?)

Create a small (8 1/2 by 11)  travel poster encouraging people to visit Quanzhou (Zayton), China in the 14th century.

Use your packet on Marco Polo and Ibn Battuta for information.  You may also use other sources like your China folder, the textbooks, the internet.

Use portrait orientation for your poster.

Include in your small poster these items:

• A large title/slogan that encourages people to visit Quanzhou.
• A bullet point list of things to do/see in Quanzhou.
• A positive quote about Quanzhou from Marco Polo and one from Ibn Battuta. Use your packet for this.
• A small map showing the location of Quanzhou.
• A illustration of some kind.  Make sure it show 14th century images, not modern ones. 

You make your poster using any materials or techniques you like.  We will work on this project in class Thursday and Monday.  

Five Chinese Paintings

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Book Tower Project for Reading Races

Book Tower Project for Reading Races

These towers will be started in class.

Be sure to use time wisely. Anything you don’t complete must be completed at home.

Cards live in your Ziplock bag until the project is complete.

You may select any book you have read for Reading Races. Your choice must be signed off on your reading race list for the spring semester.

Begin by writing your name and the title of your book on the read line of each card.

 Card One:Setting. On the lined side of your card, label Setting and write a multi-sentence description of the setting, including time (past, present or future) and place. If there are multiple main settings, explain this. If the setting helps create a conflict in the story, explain this (example: if the character goes on a journey through dangerous mountains, the setting is helping create conflict).

 On the unlined side, draw a depiction of an important part of the setting.

 Card Two: Protagonist/ Main Character. On the lined side of the card, label Protagonist and explain who the protagonist or main character is. Include:

•  A multi-sentence explanation of important aspects of the character 
•  Three specific character trait adjectives (use page 2 of your English journal for ideas.)

 If there is more than one main character, explain this and write about both.

 On the unlined side of the card, draw a picture for the main character. You can be creative about how you will portray them, including using cut paper/ paint/ other artistic techniques.

 Card Three: Conflicts. On the lined side of the card label Conflicts and explain one of the major conflicts in the book.

 On the unlined side write what type of conflict the main conflict is: person v person; person v self; person v society or person v nature.

Card Four: Motif On the lined side of the card, choose one motif used in the book. Explain what it is and why it is important.

 On the unlined side, draw a picture that illustrates the motif you chose.

 Card Five: Hero’s Journey On the lined side of the card, choose one element of the Hero’s Journey you have found in your novel. Examples include:

•  Mentor 
•  Test 
•  Talisman 
•  Reward 
•  Abyss
• Shadow

 Label which element you have chosen. Explain how that element of the Hero’s Journey works in your book..

 On the unlined side, draw a picture that illustrates the element you chose.

 Card six: Plot.   On the lined side of the card, label Plot, and summarize the plot of the entire story in multiple sentences. Do not use the back of the book. It must be in your own words. 50 words or less.

 On the unlined side, write the title and author or the book neatly and decoratively and write your own name at the bottom of the card.

    Assemble your tower as instructed, and turn in!

 Due date: Tuesday, Feb. 11.

Chinese Discoveries and Inventions

To prepare your mini-scroll about China's inventions and discoveries complete these steps.

• Select the top four inventions and discoveries based on how much they continue to influence our lives today.
• Create a scroll about them using the paper strip you were given in class.
• Include 
• a title "page" at the start of your scroll.  Put your name on this section.  Both should be in English and in Chinese characters
• a section (page) for each discovery/invention you selected with 
• the name of the discovery/invention
• the Chinese characters for it
• a picture of it
• a four to six sentence paragraph about it that
• explains  it
• describes which it is still important

You project will be graded on:

• Completeness
• Visual appeal
• Historical accuracy

This project is due on Wednesday, January 29, 2020.

This is a 60% project.

Here is a sample:

Witness in a Box: Make your own Cornell box

Here are some examples of Joseph Cornell and Betye Saar's work.  You can use these as models or inspirations for your own Witness in a Box project.

"Parrot for Juan Gris" by Joseph Cornell

"Cassiopeia 1" by Joseph Cornell

"We Was Mostly About Survival" by Betye Saar

"The Liberation of Aunt Jemima" by Betye Saar

Rules for your Witness in a Box project.

Must use: 

• a box provided by the teacher.
• images and shapes
• something that hangs or moves
• creativity

May not use:

• words.
• images of the person.
• photographs of the actual event.

May use any material in the classroom or at home.

This is a 60% project.*  Be creative. Take your time. Make your product look good.

*Final grade will include an artist statement, your written summary and a presentation to the class

Witness in a Box - A Research Project for Brown Girl Dreaming

Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson. 

How is where we come from important to who we are?

Much of Brown Girl Dreaming deals with the theme of how where we come from affects who we become.  This includes time as well as place.  The time period a child was born into, what was going on in history during your early life, affects the adult she grows up to become.

For this project you will research a person or event from the time period covered in Brown Girl Dreaming, the Civil Rights Era in American history.  You will then create a "Cornell Box" that illustrates your research as a visual metaphor.  You will also write up a 250 word account of your research.  Both your research and your Cornell Box will be presented to the class as a speech. 

You must select a topic/person from the list below.  As part of your research, you will use the audio/visual link attached to your topic, photographs of the event/person you can find online and one article that you locate on your own.

Here are the people/events you can choose from.  Be sure to let the teacher know what your selection is.  No more than two people may do the same topic.

1. Dorothy Mulkey (Fair housing advocate)
2. Shirley Chishom (First woman to run for president)
3. Ruby Bridges
4. The 16th Street Bombing
5. The Children's Crusade
6. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech.
7. Mississippi Burning
8. The Loving Decision (Mixed Race Marriage)
9. Greensboro Lunch Counter
10. Freedom Riders
11. James Brown's concert the day after M.L. King was killed
12. Muhammad Ali's decision to refuse the draft
13. Black Like Me
14. Petula Clark/Harry Belafonte (television controversy)
15. Dance Theatre of Harlem
16. Roots 
17. John F. Kennedy
18. Malcolm X 
19. Rosa Parks
20. United States Colored Troops 54th Regiment
21. Lena Horn
22. Black Panthers
23. James Baldwin (Author, Civil Rights Activist)

Each person is linked to an audio/visual program about them.  You are required to use this program as part of your research.  Listen to it once, then listen again while taking notes about it. 

Find a second article about that person or event and a few photographs to help you understand the importance of your selection.  You may print out a few photographs (1 to 3) to use as part of your Cornell Box.  However, you may not use a picture of the actual person or event.  Your Cornell Box must be a metaphor, not an exact representation.

You will use your research to create a box about your selection in class.

Middle Schools in China

The pictures below show scenes from middle schools in present day China.  Observe each picture and answer the questions that follow.  Some pictures do not have questions, just text to read.  Write your answers in complete sentences on binder paper.  Each student must write their own answers.  You may work with the people sitting near you.

1. These are three different schools in China. As you can see, they are very different from each other. Which one looks most like the school you attend?

2. This is a student arriving at school. Classes at this school meet from Monday through Friday. What are the students wearing? What are they using to bring their books and papers to school? How are these students different from students in your school?

 3.  This is a list posted outside of a middle school with the names of students who have performed well academically. Is there a similar system to honor certain students at the school you attend?

4. Students are allowed 10 minutes between classes. These breaks are often noisy and halls are often crowded with students. How does this compare with your school?

5.  Every Monday, schools have a "flag raising ceremony" during which the whole school participates in a morning assembly.  Here, a group of students marches and raises the flag of the People's Republic of China.  Is there anything similar to this ceremony in your school?

6.  Every morning at around 10 a.m., all students gather to do their morning exercises.  Exercises consist of stretching and some calisthenics. Students line up in rows and three or four students lead the whole school in this morning ritual. What do you think of this activity?  Is there anything similar to this in your school?



7.  In many Chinese schools, students are responsible for keeping the school clean. The badge on this student's arm indicates that she is on cleaning duty. Who cleans your school?  What do you think about the idea of having students in charge of cleaning?

8.  Students also engage in "eye exercises." Students rub specific parts of their face around their eyes and also their necks.  These exercises are designed to protect the eyes and are based on the practice of acupressure.  Acupressure is a Chinese medical technique in which specific points in the body are pushed or pressed to help relieve pain or treat illnesses.  How do you think American students would react if their teachers asked them to do this?

9.  Like many places in the world, this Chinese school is concerned with technology and wants students to have access to computers. Students in this middle school can take computer classes and have access to the Internet.  There is a huge "digital divide" in China with many schools not having computers.  How does this compare with your school?

10.  Occasionally, students host a talent show or student assembly. Many students choose to sing, like this student. Some of the songs are in Chinese, but some students choose to sing in English.  Are there any events like this in your school?

Martin Luther King of the Metaphor

This project is due on Thursday, January 9.  This project is for English classes only.

Students are to take one of the metaphors in Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech and turn it into a visual metaphor.  We began this assignment in class today.

Artwork should follow these rules:

1. cover the entire paper with other paper.
2. use the "I Have a Dream" speech page.
3. include the metaphor in writing.

Here are two samples from other classes.

Here is the video of the speech we watched in class today, just in case you'd like to watch it again.