1. Welcome to Honors 9
Ms. Bryant

2. What motivates us to engage in conflict
What motivates us to engage in conflict? How do those conflicts influence what we believe?
Search for the origins of conflicts
Read like a detective
Short stories
Poetry
Connect literature to the real world

3. What happens when our personal beliefs conflict with social values?
Explore science fiction’s purpose and place in literature
Examine how culture and history impact a narrative and impact you
Write like an investigative reporter

4. Expect to… Think critically and creatively Participate as an academic
Use academic vocabulary
Make connections
Say more about less
Respectfully disagree
Focus on learning every day
Join in:
Drama Activities
Independent Reading
Socratic Seminars
Write! Write! Write!

5. Grading Breakdown Assessments: 30% Classwork: 20% Projects: 30%
Performance Task Assessments
Essays
Socratic Seminars
Classwork: 20%
Daily activities
Short-term assignments
Projects: 30%
Research Projects
Presentations & Speeches
Visual Projects
Quizzes: 20%
Reading Quizzes
Vocabulary Quizzes

6. Let’s slow down
Grades aren’t the end of the world, and they’re not the end of this presentation
(Sweet metaphor, right?)

7. This is my nephew, Asa
He’s adorable, so a lot of people pay attention to him.
A day in the life of Asa Joe:
Sleep 18 of 24 hours per day
Eat every two hours
Squirm like a grub
Create horrifying mess in diaper
Make someone else clean it up
Why does he not do more?

8. Asa the Inquirer Flash forward 15 months—a day in the life of Asa Joe:
Eat five or six times a day, and mostly with your hands
Play! With toys, with the dog, with parents—you name it!
More food, more play, and finally fall asleep.
He interacts with EVERYTHING (dog’s tail, bubbles, leaves, bugs…) and wants to know what everything is.
He wants to know how everything works
He walks as fast as he can, as much as he can, until he’s exhausted.
When was the last time you wondered?

9. What does this cute baby have to do with English class?
Be present
Education is an experience; experience educates
Be curious
Wonder, inquire, examine
Interact with your world
Read closely
Listen attentively
Contribute insightfully

10. A Friendly Letter
Begin with “Dear Ms. Bryant,” and write to the following prompts using paragraph structure:
Who are you? (Where were you born and raised? Have you lived in other places? Do you have any siblings? How would you describe yourself?)
What do you like to do in your free time?
Tell me about one interesting thing you did this summer. Detail is great!
Identify one or more goals you would like to achieve this school year at Renaissance and why they are important to you. How do you plan to achieve your goal(s)?
End with “Sincerely” and sign your name (legibly, please).

11. Assessment for Friendly Letter
I will assess three components of your letter:
Is the letter written in friendly letter format, and does it use proper paragraph structure as you shift topics?
Have you answered all four components thoroughly and insightfully?
Is the letter written in standard English (no slang, no abbreviations), and is it appropriate for the given audience (your English teacher)?
*Reminder: Turn in your highest quality work—if your letter is illegible, it will not be graded.