English II Honors - Act III questions

Hey guys!

Hope you enjoyed the activities connected to Act III, Scene I. I am sure that you are very familiar with that scene now through having to approach it as an actor might. 

Here are the questions relating to Act III. Continue answering all questions in complete sentences, and be sure to read other's posts to see the quality of writing that is being produced by your classmates.

These responses will be due on Monday, Oct. 3.

Thanks,

B. Parsons

Scene 1 - 

1. How is fate aligned against Caesar in this scene? How does this reflect what has been said earlier in the play?

2. The famous lines "Et tu, Brute?" have been translated in a number of different ways. Find a translation and discuss the meaning and context behind this famous line.

3. Why did Brutus tell them to dip their swords in Caesar's blood and "wave our red weapons/o'er our heads"?

4. Why does Cassius not want Marc Antony to speak at Caesar's funeral?

Scene 2 - 

1. Summarize Marc Antony's speech at Caesar's funeral.

2. What impact does Marc Antony expect his speech to have? 

3. What role does the will have in changing the Roman crowd's point of view?

Scene 3 - 

1. There is a mixup in identity in Scene 3...describe the mixup and the consequences of the mistaken identity.

2. What are the angry mob planning to do after they deal with Cinna?

Journalism Activity - 1st Amendment

Hi guys!

I had planned to introduce our webquest on the role of the media in what happened during 9/11 today, but it is turning into a much lengthier assignment than I anticipated, and therefore, I need more time to prepare it. Instead, we will be continuing from our discussion of the Journalistic Code of Ethics with an assignment that examines the First Amendment.

First established to protect the rights of the religious groups that moved to America to escape the persecution they were subjected to in Europe, the First Amendment has become a pivotal element in the Constitution for journalists, as it governs and protects the right of free speech.

Please complete the following activities. There is a lot of reading involved - please ensure that you complete the readings and do not simply look to quickly answer each question. You will have the next four class periods to complete the readings, with Friday being the next planning meeting for our next issue. If you get finished with the assignment early, there will be an extension activity on LIBEL and SLANDER that will help you understand the difference between those and the rights protected in the constitution.

Good luck with the assignment!
B. Parsons

Title: The First Amendment - Can I Say That?

Student goals

• Students will introduce themselves to the First Amendment of the Constitution.
• Students will explore how they may exercise their First Amendment Rights in a school setting.

Objectives:

• Define the relationship of the First and 14th Amendment in regards to student rights in their own words.
• Analyze and evaluate their standings as U.S. citizens and scholastic journalists.
• Define prior restraint and prior review.

Activities

Student content below:

The First Amendment:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people to peaceably assemble and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.

It sounds simple and straight forward doesn't it? Let's explore the issue more carefully.

Directions: Visit the following links in the order that they appear on the page. Carefully read through the materials on the site. Open a new Word Document and format as directed in previous classes. Ensure that all questions are answered, and to a suitable length and quality.

The following questions should be answered at the end of the assignment.

1. How as a student journalist am I able to exercise my First Amendment rights?
2. How far do my First Amendment rights go as a student?
3. Are my rights being infringed upon by school rules? State laws? My parents?

Task 1

• Visit the following site and answer the questions provided.
  http://www.ala.org/ala/oif/firstamendment/firstamendment.cfm
  http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/historics/USSC_CR_0319_0624_ZO.html
• Don't get too carried away with this page. Simply read the First Amendment again. Follow any links that you want to, but they are not required. Try not to spend more than 10 minutes here.
• This provides a link to West Virginia Board of Education v Barnette. The court in this case found that it was unconstitutional to mandate students say the pledge of allegiance in schools. How do you feel about that? Should that be unconstitutional? Why? Write your answers in your Word document.
  

Task 2

• Visit the following links that discuss the First Amendment and the First Amendment in our lives. Do the assigned tasks and move to Task 3.
  FindLaw: U.S. Constitution: First Amendment (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment01/)
  
• This link provides a copy of the First Amendment and links to various areas of life that court cases involving it have touched.
• Follow three of the links to see how the court ruled. Be sure that the cases involve adults. Summarize the cases. Do you agree with the decisions? Think about why you agree or disagree. Add the cases that really interest you to your favorites to come back to later. Try not to spend more than 30 minutes here.

Task 3

• Visit the following links that discuss the First Amendment and the First Amendment in our lives. Do the assigned tasks and move to Task 4.
  FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: U.S. Const... (http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/constitution/amendment01/06.html)
• This link provides information specific to freedom of speech and the press starting with Madison's views on the importance of freedom of the press. Think about why Madison must have felt this freedom must be protected. Do you agree with him?

Task 4

• Visit the following links that discuss the First Amendment and the First Amendment in our lives. Do the assigned tasks and move to Task 3.
  FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: U.S. Const... (http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/constitution/amendment01/08.html)
• This link provides information on the differences between freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Which requires a higher standard for truth?

Task 5

• Visit the following links that discuss the First Amendment and the First Amendment in our lives. Do the assigned tasks and move to the Task 6.
  FindLaw Constitutional Law Center: U.S. Constitution (http://supreme.lp.findlaw.com/constitution/amendment01/09.html)
• This link provides discussion over the concept of "prior restraint." Define "prior restraint".
• Look for additional information on the differences between "prior restraint" and "prior review." Now write your definitions of both terms.
  

Task 6

• Read through the 14th Amendment provided below. Then do the assignment at the bottom of the page. The following text is the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution. It is important because most First Amendment cases involving education only come before the Supreme Court if they are found applicable under the 14th Amendment. Usually such cases fall under the Equal Protection Clause or Due Process Clause in Section 1. Read through the amendment. If you need further clarification follow the links provided.
• 14th Amendment - Rights Guaranteed Privileges and Immunities of Citizenship, Due Process and Equal Protection Amendment Text
  • Section 1. All persons born or naturalized in the United States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.
  • Section 2. Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed. But when the right to vote at any election for the choice of electors for President and Vice President of the United States, Representatives in Congress, the Executive and Judicial officers of a State, or the members of the Legislature thereof, is denied to any of the male inhabitants of such State, being twenty-one years of age, and citizens of the United States, or in any way abridged, except for participation in rebellion, or other crime, the basis of representation therein shall be reduced in the proportion which the number of such male citizens shall bear to the whole number of male citizens twenty-one years of age in such State.
  • Section 3. No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress, or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
  • Section 4. The validity of the public debt of the United States, authorized by law, including debts incurred for payment of pensions and bounties for services in suppressing insurrection or rebellion, shall not be questioned. But neither the United States nor any State shall assume or pay any debt or obligation incurred in aid of insurrection or rebellion against the United States, or any claim for the loss or emancipation of any slave; but all such debts, obligations and claims shall be held illegal and void.
  • Section 5. The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article.
    
• These two sites may help you understand the 14th Amendment more clearly. Visit them if you are having trouble understanding what you have read.
  FindLaw: U.S. Constitution: 14th Amendment (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment14/)
  Equal Protection Clause (http://caselaw.lp.findlaw.com/data/constitution/amendment14/18.html#1)

What role does the 14th Amendment have in the application of the First Amendment? How does this relate to Journalism? Write a summary, then discuss a scenario that you have researched where the 14th Amendment related directly to a Journalistic issue.

Assignment: It's time to respond. Class will complete questions that apply. Answer them honestly. Complete your answers this week - they will be reviewed two weeks from today. Be ready to share them in class.

English II Honors - Act II questions

Hey guys!

Your responses to the Act I questions were excellent! I am proud that you thoughtfully considered each one of the questions and put time and effort into your responses. I know that your Act II questions will be even better than your last responses, so I am very pleased at the way that we are traveling.

PLEASE ENSURE THAT ALL RESPONSES ARE IN COMPLETE SENTENCES.

Keep it up!

Parsons

Scene 1 - 

1. What does Brutus' soliloquy show us about his motives for killing Caesar?

2. Does this change the way you view Brutus? Describe him and discuss your views on his motives for killing Caesar. Is he justified?

3. Why does Brutus not want to take an oath with the other conspirators?

4. How does Portia react to Brutus' strange behavior at the end of the scene?

Scene 2 -

1. How does the weather reflect what is going on in the play?

2. Why does Caesar continue to go out despite his wife's dream?

3. Why is Brutus sad during his aside towards the end of the scene?

Scene 3 -

1. How does Artemidorius' letter represent both foreshadowing by the author and the role fate is playing in the work?

Scene 4 - 

1. Write a paragraph summarizing Portia's actions in Scene 4.

English II Honors - Act I questions

Honors II

Sorry I could not be in class today, but I have been called to work on some things for the English Department. Please complete the instructions on the board, then answer the following questions.

Thanks,

Mr. Parsons

Scene 1 -

1. Why are Flavius and Marullus so upset that the citizens of Rome are celebrating Caesar's return?

2. What is a pun? Find two examples of puns in Scene 1.

Scene 2 -

1. What event that occurs in Scene 2 could be interpreted as foreshadowing?

2. Why is Cassius being so overly complimentary towards Brutus?

3. Why does Caesar want Antonius to touch his wife during the race?

Scene 3 -

1. What does Casca say about Cassius' interpretation of the weather as being a sign calling for Caesar's overthrow?

2. What kind of a man is Cassius? Write two paragraphs based on his behavior so far.

Journalism Blog Response 9/8

Hey guys!

Well, we put our second issue to bed, and I am pleased to say that I consider it to be far superior to our first. The depth of the writing certainly picked up a notch, and we continue to improve on writing against a deadline.

I would like to thank each of you for the contribution that you make to the newspaper staff. Pretty soon, if not already, people will start recognizing your contribution to the school and will thank you for your efforts. Until then, let it suffice that I KNOW the good work that you are doing and I appreciate it.

For your blog response today, I would like you to find a local or state news story (within a five county area) from one of today's newspapers that you are interested in and write a 150 word response on it. You will most likely be access these articles by searching for a particular paper (i.e. Ashland Daily Independent, Portsmouth Daily Times, Lexington Herald, Cincinnati Enquirer, etc.) and roaming through their stories. YOU MAY NOT CHOOSE SPORTS STORIES - ONLY HARD NEWS STORIES WILL BE ACCEPTED. DO NOT CHOOSE AN EDITORIAL OR A FEATURE, EITHER. You may choose to journal on the content of the piece or the stylistic content of the piece, as long as you provide a little information on both. I would also like you to include the URL so that I can look at the article while I am assessing your posts.

Posts are to be a minimum of 150 words.

We are working on the radio show this week - more things to look forward to. 

Brenton Parsons

Journalism Teacher

English II - Personal Narrative Reflection

Hey Guys! 

Monday is the due date for the final draft of your personal narratives, and it has been a long and difficult road. The skills that we have learned on the way - using a planner to plot the organization of our work, incorporating reflection into our personal writing, using descriptiveness to accentuate the feelings and emotions in our work, etc. - will be useful in other writing tasks, too.

Now that you are almost finished, I would like you to reflect on the writing process that you went through. Discuss the hardships you faced, the challenges that you overcame, and the enjoyable parts of the process. Are you happy with the final piece? Did it help you grow in any way, either as a writer or as a human being? How? What could you have improved if you had it to do over again? Did you feel prepared for this activity? Did you have enough time?

This post must be a minimum of 150 words. If your login is not your name, be sure to type your name at the top of your post so I can easily identify that the post is yours. Remember, these posts have a point value, so it is important to make a good effort on these.

Journalism Students ONLY

Hi Guys!

Sorry I couldn't be at school today, but that doesn't mean that we won't be working. We put our first paper to bed on Friday, and I am very proud of the job that you guys did. Hopefully, even though I am extraordinarily pleased with how the first issue went, it will only get better from here. 

We had a few technical hitches with the website - they were attacked with an SQL virus on Friday, so all of our stories went into cyberspace and died. Fortunately, I came in on Sunday and fixed the problem, even though there are a few things left to fix (sorry Adria and Melissa).

I would like you to create a login for blogger.com and respond to the following post:

What did you think about getting our first newspaper out? What did you contribute? What could be improved? Do you have any additional story ideas you are interested in?

Respond to the post with a response of no less than 150 words.

**Please note: When creating your blogger account, it doesn't matter what you name your blog website (although keep it clean). Also, your username should be first/last name (i.e. BlakeRoberts).