Second Nine Weeks Project Hall of Fame

Please click the links below to see the 10 student papers that best demonstrated the knowledge and skills required by this project. 

Antoinette Smith
Charmara Smith
Devonta Brown
Jocelyn Collins
Tylicia Hawkins
Joshua M. Jones
Andrea Morillon
Angel Reyes
LaDarrius Streeter
Thomas Williams

Second Nine Weeks Project Submissions

Turn in your project by posting it to the internet (click "Share" then "Get Link"), copying the internet link, pasting the link in a comment below, clicking submit, and then answering the anti-spam question.

Make sure to include your name, block, and the subject of your project in your comment.

Example:

Randall Hall

A1
George Washington Carver

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1lf15K9GutvuDCcQLiRKbeD10mvYb_RCJc5P8aKqaS0w/edit?usp=sharing

Second Nine Weeks Project Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.2: Determine two or more central ideas of a text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to provide a complex analysis; provide an objective summary of the text.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.11-12.7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas, concepts, and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A: Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B: Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience's knowledge of the topic.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.C: Use appropriate and varied transitions and syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.D: Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary, and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.E: Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
• CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.F: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for writing types are defined in standards 1-3 above.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience. (Editing for conventions should demonstrate command of Language standards 1-3 up to and including grades 11-12 here.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.7: Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 11-12 topics, texts, and issues, building on others' ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.5: Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.SL.11-12.6: Adapt speech to a variety of contexts and tasks, demonstrating a command of formal English when indicated or appropriate.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.1: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.2: Demonstrate command of the conventions of standard English capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.3: Apply knowledge of language to understand how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend more fully when reading or listening.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.L.11-12.6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words and phrases, sufficient for reading, writing, speaking, and listening at the college and career readiness level; demonstrate independence in gathering vocabulary knowledge when considering a word or phrase important to comprehension or expression.

Second Nine Weeks Project Model

Click here to see Mr. Hall’s model project, which you can use for inspiration or instruction in your own project.

Second Nine Weeks Project Rubric

Click here to see the rubric I will use when grading your essays. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the rubric prior to submitting your essay.

Second Nine Weeks Project Directions

OVERVIEW: The Unit Theme during the Second Nine Weeks is Systems and Relationships. We have been discussing the “American Dream” and texts that relate to it, including “The Great Gatsby.” We have also been learning about how to read and write informational texts that display formal style, contain telling graphics, appeal to their audience, follow standard conventions, and explain ideas to readers in an efficient and effective way. Now it is time for you to demonstrate your understanding of the concepts we have covered during the Second Nine Weeks PBL Project.

For this project, you will write an informational text/presentation about the individual you believe best exemplifies the classic “American Dream,” which is that anyone can succeed in America no matter what they look like or where they were born so long as they work hard. You can write about anyone you want (from your favorite athlete or celebrity to a family relative or even yourself), so long as you get my approval first. Your paper will be written in Google Slides in a template I will provide to you. You will write in formal style, add relevant images/graphics, follow standard English grammar and MLA conventions (including a Works Cited page), and inform your reader about your subject in a clear and concise manner.

SCHEDULE: During the week of November 2-6, we will be in the classroom studying the project concept, directions, rubric, and model. You will also select your subject and complete a graphic organizer for your project. During the weeks of November 9-13 and 16-20, we will be in Lab 310 researching, writing, and editing the projects. If you finish the project early, you will serve as a peer editor for your classmates.

STEP-BY-STEP: Please review the information below in detail as it sets forth everything I expect you to accomplish between now and Thanksgiving break:

STEP 1: Choose Your Subject (And If You Need Inspiration/Ideas, Click Here)

STEP 2: Complete the Project Graphic Organizer in Class

STEP 3: Once in the Lab, Sign-In (or Sign-Up) on Google

STEP 4: Open the Project Template

STEP 5: Click "File" then "Make a Copy". Once the copy opens, close the original (YOU SHOULD NEVER EDIT ANYTHING IN THE ORIGINAL) and change the name on your copy (“Last Name, First Name (Block)”)!

STEP 6: Complete Your Project (and DO NOT CHANGE ANY OF THE FORMATTING!)

STEP 7: Edit Your Project & Works Cited Page (Must Have At Least 3 Citations)

STEP 8: If You Finish Early, Help a Peer with Their Project for Extra Credit

STEP 9: Submit Your Project as a Comment to “Project Submissions”

ASSESSMENT: Your work during the week of November 2-6 will be graded under PBL Check 3, and your performance in the labs from November 9-20 will be graded under PBL Check 4, PBL: Anchor Activity, and PBL: Participation. This project will therefore account for approximately 30% of your Second Nine Weeks grade.

RESOURCES: Below are links to the Google and MLA resources that we reviewed in class. These resources will help you with the project if you need direction. Also, remember to review the rubric and model if you have any questions about my expectations.

Google Slides Help

MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA In-Text Citations

MLA Works Cited Page – Basic Format

MLA Works Cited Page – Electronic Sources

MLA Sample Paper

MLA Sample Works Cited Page

First Nine Weeks Project Hall of Fame

Please click this link to see the 10 student papers that best demonstrated the knowledge and skills required by this project. 

Congratulations to the following students who made "Mr. Hall's Hall of Fame" by writing these outstanding narrative texts:

Tristan Pruitt
Andrea Morillon
Joshua M. Jones
Aaron Bosley
Tre'Von Chatman
Angel Reyes
Trentin Williams
Sabre Baskin
Cala Hilary
Miasija Joiner

First Nine Weeks Project Submissions

Turn in your project by copying it, pasting it in the comment below, and then clicking submit.

Make sure to include your name, block, and the date in your comment.

If you do not feel comfortable sharing your narrative with the class due to its personal content, please instead submit it via email to rhall@bhm.k12.al.us.

First Nine Weeks Project Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.3: Analyze the impact of the author's choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., where a story is set, how the action is ordered, how the characters are introduced and developed).

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in the text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.5: Analyze how an author's choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text (e.g., the choice of where to begin or end a story, the choice to provide a comedic or tragic resolution) contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.A: Engage and orient the reader by setting out a problem, situation, or observation and its significance, establishing one or multiple point(s) of view, and introducing a narrator and/or characters; create a smooth progression of experiences or events.

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.B: Use narrative techniques, such as dialogue, pacing, description, reflection, and multiple plot lines, to develop experiences, events, and/or characters.

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.C: Use a variety of techniques to sequence events so that they build on one another to create a coherent whole and build toward a particular tone and outcome (e.g., a sense of mystery, suspense, growth, or resolution).

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.D: Use precise words and phrases, telling details, and sensory language to convey a vivid picture of the experiences, events, setting, and/or characters.

·         CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.3.E: Provide a conclusion that follows from and reflects on what is experienced, observed, or resolved over the course of the narrative.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

First Nine Weeks Project Model

Click here for model responses to each of the five Common Application prompts. Please use these models for instruction and inspiration for your own essays.

First Nine Weeks Project Rubric

Click here to see the rubric I will use when grading your essays. Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns about the rubric prior to submitting your essay.

First Nine Weeks Project Directions

For this project, you will write a narrative essay that you can submit as your personal essay when you are applying to colleges next year.

We will go over the project standards, rubric, and model in class, but they are also all available on this site for your perusal so you can understand every aspect of why and how we are doing this project and what is expected of you.

We will plan and outline our essays in class the week of September 14-18. We will decide on our essay topics and discuss how to develop them in the essay. We will outline the essay to make sure it meets the criteria set forth in the rubric. It is imperative that you use this time wisely.

We will write our essays in the computer lab the week of September 21-25 and September 28. We will proofread and revise our essays so they are perfectly polished. It is very important that you use your time wisely so you will have time to edit your essay based on peer/teacher feedback.

Here are a few more requirements.

Your narrative essay must be TRUE. You must write about a real experience.

Your narrative essay should be written in first person point of view.

You should seriously consider writing a narrative essay that follows the structure we studied in class: Exposition --> Rising Action --> Climax --> Falling Action --> Resolution

Your narrative essay should use sensory words so the reader can "see" your story.

Your narrative essay cannot be more than 650 words.

You must respond to one of the following essay prompts from the 2015-2016 Common Application:

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. The lessons we take from failure can be fundamental to later success. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
4. Describe a problem you’ve solved or a problem you’d like to solve. It can be an intellectual challenge, a research query, an ethical dilemma-anything that is of personal importance, no matter the scale. Explain its significance to you and what steps you took or could be taken to identify a solution.
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

If you are having trouble generating ideas for your narrative essay, or if you want to read outstanding essays that have been written by others, please click this link to the materials we read and discussed in class.

All papers must be printed out and turned in to me by September 25th (A Day)/September 28th (B Day). Papers should be in Times New Roman 12 font, single-spaced, and with paragraph indents. You should put your name and your block in the header and the class name (Hall ELA 11) and your submission date in the footer.

Papers must also be submitted as comments to the Project Submission post at the top of this blog so we will have a saved electronic copy of your essay when it comes time for you to apply to college next year. Make sure to put your name at the bottom of your comment.

Your final grade on your paper will show up as "PBL Anchor Activity" in your Chalkable grades section. However, your participation during the project as well as your topic ideas, outlines, and other tasks related to the project will also be graded during "PBL Portfolio Checks" and for your overall "PBL Participation" grade.

Late papers will lose 10 points per day. If you do not submit a paper, you will fail the assignment.

If you have any questions or concerns, you should contact me directly.