And the winner is . . .

February 24, 2013

What could be happier than winning an Academy Award? Winning two Academy Awards!
But seriously folks...

MONDAY FEBRUARY 25
Peek at the week-check out the blog
Trope and Scheme a day
Working on the synthesis prompts-in groups, and one on one time

TUESDAY FEBRUARY 26
Trope and Scheme a day
Library time-in your groups,working on polishing and perfecting the synthesis prompt

WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 27
Trope and Scheme a day
Computer lab-synthesis prompt finishing details. Work on citations, format, editing for wordiness, and checking spelling,punctuation, etc.

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 28
Trope a Day
We will watch the first half of The Happy Movie (Yes, that is the real name.) This is a fantastic resource for your synthesis essay prompts. There is familiar information that you will recognize from class readings and discussions, all wrapped up in a tidy visual package. You will want to discuss and take notes.


FRIDAY FEBRUARY 29
Trope a Day
We will finish the last half of The Happy Movie.  Take notes and discuss.
Checkeroo synthesis prompts.
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DON'T FORGET THIS IS THE ABSOLUTE LAST DAY FOR YOU TO GET ME YOUR HAPPY  SONGS. You can send them to my email with an attachment, bring in a disc,or flash drive, or put $1.00 in the can and write your name, period, and song title and artist on the can.

Monday, February 18, 2013

Lucky You!
After attempting to grade your last prompt essay, and finding so many of them not quite finished, we have decided to give you a bit more time on Tuesday to finish working on them. Here is a great opportunity for you to improve what you have written, and complete the essay with style (get it?).

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

Review the blog--what's going on for the week.
Grading system.
Note:  Cell phone policy revisited!
You will get your essays back, and you will have 15 minutes to complete or improve your essay. I will be timing this so get going!
Assess your own writing with AP scoring guide, and guided questions.
HOMEWORK: Read and annotate NY Times essay "The Spoils of Happiness."
BE READY to discuss questions: yours, the author's, mine,  and whoever else's.
HOMEWORK IS NOT OPTIONAL.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 20

Show me the homework! Show me that you annotated and I'll give you credit. No homework, no credit---no excuses (tough love, baby!)
Shared inquiry. Discuss the essay "The Spoils of Happiness" in groups, as you begin designing an approach to build a synthesis essay prompt.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 21

You will get your prompt essay (#7) back.
Start building a synthesis prompt from your shared inquiry and analysis of "The Spoils of Happiness."That's right! YOU get to build and design your own synthesis prompt.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 22

Library time.
Research for your synthesis prompt, including sources and citations (yes, citations.)
ALL HAPPY SONGS DUE TO ME TODAY!

For the intro paragraph due Thursday, February 14: Consider this a rhetorical analysis prompt.

 In a well written introductory paragraph(which will lead to a well written essay) explain Kazantzakis' "theory" of what happiness is, and how he uses rhetorical strategy to express this idea.

"This place does something to people. All of the women are always busy and perfect and smiling, and all of the men are always happy." 

From the The Stepford Wives book by Ira Levin, Screenplay by Paul Rudnick.

February 10, 2013

In the future everyone will be happy. In the future the happy shall inherit the earth.

Sound ominous or perhaps interesting to you? After reading Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi's essay "The Future of Happiness," you may have even more questions about happiness.

*Please notice that I am changing some dates for assignments. 

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Deconstructing "The Future of Happiness"

Finding meaning and main ideas in the essay.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 12, 2013

Further deconstruction of "The Future of Happiness"

And then putting it all together.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13, 2013

Wordiness Exercise #3-edited paragraph DUE.

Hand back and Review of  Prompt #6 (John Barry-The Great Influenza)

THURSDAY FEBRUARY 14, 2013

Intro paragraph for "A Definition of Happiness" by Nikos Kazantzakis is DUE.

Sentence frame work to complete the essay.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 2013

PROMPT DAY! OH YEAH!

Don't forget to get to class early and or on time so you can do some free-writing to ease your prompt anxiety! It really helps if you give it a chance!

        The Happy Song is due next FRIDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2013-I just don't have time this week to get to it- so you have another week!

 portrait of a Calabrian woman

February 7, 2013

As the sun sets on another happy day in Bend, Oregon, let us reflect on the days events...
Tomorrow is Friday and it is AP prompt time. Remember to try and get to class on time so we can experiment with some journal writing before the prompt. When you get to class (on time) take out your notebook, or a piece of paper for journal writing and one for the prompt. I want to make sure that you have the full 40 minutes for the prompt. Remember to bring your SOAPS 1/2 sheet.

Friday 2/8/2013

•Pictures/images that make you feel happy are due. Make sure you write your name on them.
•Intro paragraph for rhetorical analysis of "A Definition of Happiness" by Nikos Kazantzakis is due

Monday 2/11/2013

•Wordiness essay edited down as much as possible is due.

Friday 2/15/2013

•One song that makes you feel happy sent to my email or Google docs is due.

POSTING BY MRS. MENSING

Monday, February 3, 2013

 Forget Your Troubles Come On Get Happy!

Welcome to the new semester! Pat yourselves on the back, take a deep breath and get ready to move into a new theme. You explored the world of FOOD from farm to fridge. Now we are going to delve into HAPPINESS. What does it mean to be happy? Are you happy? How do we get happy? So, put on your best smile, and get ready to think, eat, sleep, and breath HAPPY! 

MONDAY 2/4

•Introduction to me PowerPoint by Mrs. Mensing

•Seating chart changes

•Discuss food papers-ways to improve

•Discuss overarching questions in small groups

HOMEWORK:

1)PLEASE READ NY TIMES ARTICLE "THERE'S MORE TO LIFE THAN BEING HAPPY." POSTED ON THE BLOG UNDER READINGS FOR CLASS.

Come prepared to discuss and write on Tuesday2/5

2) PLEASE BRING A PICTURE, DRAWING, IMAGE OF

SOMETHING THAT MAKES YOU HAPPY FOR OUR BULLETIN BOARD

TUESDAY 2/5

•Discuss NY Times article

•Begin essay

WEDNESDAY 2/6

•Finish essay

•TED Talk Dan Gilbert "Are We Happy"

THURSDAY 2/7

•Read and Discuss excerpt from Nikos Kazantzakis memoir

•Dissect meaning together(SOAPS)

•Discuss tone and style

•Write your own "happy essay"

FRIDAY 2/8

PROMPT DAY!

HOMEWORK:

READ "THE FUTURE OF HAPPINESS" BY MIHALY CSIKSZENTMIHALYI OVER THE WEEKEND

BE PREPARED TO DISCUSS AND WRITE ON MONDAY