For Friday, October 24

Coach Hess says the cross country team must leave by 1:00 p.m. on Friday.  Get with you team to make arrangements for final preparation.

If you need a place to meet or need help over the weekend or on Monday, here are a few ideas:

• meet during your off period Monday in my classroom.
• make arrangements to meet at my place on Sunday afternoon/evening.  Make it a pizza party.

Let me know how I can help you prepare.

For Wednesday, October 22

Trial Preparation.

Side Note:  Consider staying for additional trial preparation on Friday, October 24.  This is a scheduled half day; however, I cannot move your trial dates (Oct. 28 and 30), so you may want to take advantage of this opportunity.  You judge whether your team is prepared for trial or not.  We will have a scheduled (party/off) class period after our trial comes to completion.

Take your preparation seriously.  Seek out the evidence that will most help your team.  Make sure your evidence is fail proof.  Help your attorney develope questions that will most effectively guide your testimony.

Your trial grade will count twice in the major category.  This is a big deal; we spend a lot of time with this "challenge" because of the important skills developed in the process.

What are we graded on?

Airtight Evidence-Do I know and understand my character?  Is my evidence appropriate, concrete, and relevant?  How well do I think on my feet during cross examination?  In other words, I know who I am and what I intend to prove.

For Monday, October 20

Prepare the outline for a 500 word essay in which you clearly argue your case in the trial brought by the prosecution:

Because of its racially descriminatory nature, Mark Twain's novel The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn should not be required reading in public American high schools.

Your argument should be written from your unique perspective as counsel or witness.  Your introduction should clearly point out your stake in the argument (what makes you a credible witness in the trial-ethos).  Your thesis should be clearly interpretive-argues for one side or the other based on ___________________.  Your body paragraphs should use examples and explanations as with every other well-argued essay.

Attorneys:  Your essay will use the thesis statement as written above.  (should or should not).  Then, you will create an essay where you disclose your witnesses and briefly summarize their view/evidence.  In other words, what do you want them to prove with their evidence.  You might talk with your co-counsel to divide your list of witnesses.

1. You will bring in your outline on Monday.  
2. I will set the time at 40 minutes.  
3. You will write your essay.  
4. You will turn in both your outline and your essay.  
5. The two documents will equal one major grade.

The remainder of next week's class time will be spent in trial preparation.  I will expect you to use your times wisely.  I appreciate the enthusiasm I saw today.

Trial Dates:  October 28 and 30 from 12:45-1:45

Happy Trial Preparation!

For Thursday, October 16

Finish reading Huckleberry Finn.

We will have a short quiz at the beginning of class on Thursday.
We will have some discussion time.
The remainder of the day will be spent with your trial team: selecting witnesses, assigning parts, and preparing for a future essay~Twain's appropriateness for study in high school/Is Huckleberry Finn a racist novel?

We will NOT have a timed writing on Thursday.

Happy Reading!

For Tuesday, October 14

Complete your rhetorical analysis of "I Rise to Protest."

We will have class at Pizza Shack on Tuesday where we will finish the novel and begin trial preparations.

For Friday, October 10

Norman Rockwell's Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn

Read Huckleberry Finn through Chapter 36.

For Wednesday, October 8

One and the Same by Melinda Prudhomme

Read Huckleberry Finn through Chapter 31.

If I discussed your rough draft with you today, continue working on your rhetorical analysis.  It's best to get started, so you remember what we talked about.

The final draft of the "I rise to protest" rhetorical analysis is due BOP Tuesday, October 14.