Our final large project for the year is definitely a big one.  We'll use a little bit of everything we've learned this year and throw it all together to see what you can do.  You'll have a chance to be very creative, to work on something that really matters to you, and to direct yourself as opposed to just trying to please your teacher.  Read on for the details.

Objective
Independently use the research process and the writing process to create a website designed to persuade your audience.

Expectations

1. Independently research your chosen topic, gathering, selecting, and sorting information.
   
2. Write the equivalent of at least a five paragraph essay.  (Intro, three topics, conclusion)
   
3. Use persuasive techniques such as SCOPE and logical arguments.
4. Fully revise and edit your work using all the skills we've learned this year (sentence openers, transitions, who/which clauses, thesis statement, etc.)
   
5. Design and build an appropriate and professional website to present your information.
   
6. Independently manage your time and project to meet deadlines.

Possible Topics We Discussed in Class

Just a reminder that book critiques are due tomorrow.

Goal
Your outline should keep you organized, help you remember what to say, and help you speak naturally because you can't just read your whole speech.

Rules
1.  Outline in keyword outline format
2.  Don't write a "1" without a "2".
3.  Don't give away the ending.
4.  Include a “paragraph” from a meaningful part
5.  Keep your audience in mind

Format
I.    Introduction
    1. Title, author
    2.  293 pages
    3.  Published, Harper-Collins 1987

II.  Setting
    1.  Chicago, small house
    2.  before war

III. Characters
    1.  Protagonist – Billy Walker
          a.  grows brave, cave
          b.  .....

Here is what to do with your book critique before you turn it in.  Remember, final drafts are due no later than this Friday.  Don't wait until Thursday night to do all this!!

1. Code one of each type of sentence opener.
   
2. Highlight Yellow all SUBJECT sentence openers.
   
3. Highlight Orange all OTHER sentence openers.
   

1.  Print a clean, revised copy.
2.  Staple your Mid-Revision Helper to it.
3.  In the left column, mark one of each type of sentence opener.
4.  Underline two who/which clauses.
5.  Write number of words in the top right corner.
6.  Turn it in to "L A"
7.  "Share" your Google doc with Mr. S

Some of you have expressed interest in getting your hands on the mid-revision tracker for your essay early.  If you're interested, you can download it below.  If not, you'll get it in class on Monday.

Carter is pretty good at writing interesting topic sentences and conclusion sentences that do what they are supposed to do without sounding like he's just following the rules we've introduced in class.

If you're interested in taking your topic sentences and conclusion sentences to the next level, this slide show Carter created might be a good place to start.  I've also included the complete text of his essay so you can see how he used topic and conclusion sentences in context.

Nathan Hale: Patriot Spy

By: Carter Schmidt


     Many brave men helped make our country the way it is now. Nathan Hale, who was a spy for the Patriots, knew full well that if he was caught he would be executed for espionage, but it never stopped him. When Nathan Hale was born he never thought that he would be a hero to our country. His background doesn’t indicate why he would go on such a fatal mission.When he offered to be a spy it was obvious he wanted to serve our country. He made it behind British lines, only to be hung for his crime of spying, but he had a great effect on many people!
     Nathan Hale was born in Coventry, Connecticut, 1755. When Nathan was only 13 he and his brother left home to attend Yale University. He loved learning new things and excelled in school. At 18 he graduated and became a teacher. He taught in New London and was a good teacher. Considering that he was alive and young when the king started taxing, he was alive when the patriots started rebelling. Nathan stopped teaching to join the militia, he was soon promoted to an officer, then later a commander. He was in charge of a militia unit in the Siege of Boston. Although he was in the militia, he never actually participated in combat. Later, when George Washington requested a spy to discover what was happening behind enemy lines, Nathan Hale was the only volunteer, and because of that, he was selected to be a spy. Nathan wanted to serve his country but hadn’t actually fought for it, so he reasoned this was a good chance to serve as a patriot.
     Nathan Hale was going behind enemy lines. He was disguised as a Dutch schoolmaster and hoped that the British would not discover his identity. Nathan managed to cross onto British lines and get into their military camps. Spying was a huge risk because spying was a crime of unquestionable death, and he was not ignorant of the fact. When he learned a new thing he put notes written in Latin, in his shoes! His mission was to find out the British offensive military and to find a way to counter it. Nathan managed to get the information the patriot army required. On his way back to Patriot ground he was caught by the British. Some say Nathan Hale’s Cousin, Samuel Hale, told the British of his identity because Samuel was still loyal to the King. Others say that the British found out about him on their own, but either way he still was caught. He was taken captive September 21, 1776.
     Nathan was taken and locked in a green house before execution the next morning. He asked for a bible, but this was refused to him, later, he asked for writing utensils and that was given to him. Nathan wrote two letters the night before his execution, one to his mom and one to his brother. Both letters were destroyed by the Provost-Marshal. His reasoning for this action was that he didn’t want the Patriots to know that the man about to be hanged for espionage, would die without fear to serve his country.It might give the Patriots strength to continue fighting. The British thought his reasoning was valid. The next morning, September 22, 1776 he was hanged on an apple tree in Rutger’s Orchard. Surprisingly, Nathan Hale’s last words, which impacted many militia to continue fighting, were, “I only regret that I have but one life to give for my country.” After his death he wasn’t forgotten, a while later a postage stamp had his face printed on it, after that statues of Nathan Hale started to be made. He wasn’t forgotten.
     Nathan Hale was a hero to our country even though he lasted less than two weeks in service. We remember him for his courage, he started as a teacher but then became a spy, going behind British territory, knowing full well that he could be killed doing so. In 1776, his courage in the face of death helped others to find their courage, and fight for the country in which we now live. Going on such a fatal mission, he was and is an inspiration to people; now statues and pictures of him can be found around the USA. Nathan Hale tried to serve our country in whatever way best, and that is what he did. 

Spelling - we took test 17 Wednesday.  Be ready for that when you return.  We will take test 19 next week.
Vocab - We took a quiz today.  Be ready for it when you return.
Reading - Read ch. 22 this weekend
L  A- Today we learned how to write a conclusion paragraph.  See the below video for instruction.  By Monday, students should have drafted all the paragraphs of their essay.  History - We are working in groups to make cause and effect flow charts that cover then entire war.  Students who miss this should be okay as this is extra enrichment.  They just need to make sure they know the basic order of causes and effects in the American Revolution.