Freshman English First Semester Final Exam Review Guide

Your semester final makes up 10% of your overall grade, the other 90% coming evenly from the first and second quarters. Your final will consist of three parts: A comprehensive review of the vocabulary chapters 1-7, a comprehensive objective exam of the material we have studied this year in class, and an essay exam.

The vocab exam will consist of 100 questions and be worth a total of 25 points. Simply go over the words we have studied in chapters 1-7.

The objective exam will be a 45 question exam worth 45 points. You should use your notes as well as They Say I Say and Models for Writers to prepare for this exam. Topics covered include, but are not limited to, the following: the various rhetorical devices we have studied this year, the lead and conclusion techniques we have covered, the seven step essay process we have engaged in, the reading comprehension strategies we have practiced, and the techniques for citing sources we have covered - both in-text and blocked citations. As I said earlier, every answer on the final exam is in your notes.

Finally, you will write an essay in class worth 100 points. You will be assigned a mode (e.g. definition, narrative, cause and effect, etc.) at random, but you must come up with the topic. You must also bring in three pieces of research about your topic written down on paper with your source cited, and integrate at least one piece of information using either an in-text or blocked citation into your essay. For example, say you choose the topic of "Dogs". You will need to find three pieces of information about dogs and bring that information written down to the final (you will hand it in - it is worth 30 points, and must fit on a single sheet of paper). You will then be assigned a mode to write in, which will shape your essay. If you're assigned a narrative essay, you might tell the story of a famous dog, or of a dog you owned. If you're assigned a cause and effect essay, you might explain the positive effects dog ownership has on people. Or if you were assigned a definition essay, you might write about how it is difficult to define what a "good dog" is because that terms means so many different things to so many different people. This is one example, and I suggest you put together contingency plans for each possible genre of essay you might be assigned.

So, to sum up: Your final is 10% of your semester grade. The vocab exam is worth 25 points, the objective exam is worth 45 points, the essay is worth 100 points, and the research you do for the essay and hand in is worth 30 points, for 200 total.

The day we return from break, we will take some time in small groups to review for the final, so be prepared for that as well. Let me know if you have questions.

Tuesday, December 12 and Wednesday, December 13

Freshmen: Today we began an in-class essay that is due at the end of the period on Thursday. It is a cause and effect essay that answers the prompt, "If you could do one thing to change America for the better, what would it be?" In your essay you need to have a clear thesis (what it is you would change), use cause and effect well (i.e. show how your change would improve America), and use one of the lead and conclusion techniques we have studied this year. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes each night this week and have your Grandparent Project finished for Friday.

CNF: Today we began the film Murder on a Sunday Morning and will discuss it in the context of Chapter 4 from Freakonomics and the Gladwell piece on Broken Windows Theory on Friday.

Basketball: Check out is today at 2:00 with our game at Riverview Junior High at 4:00. There is no return bus.

Monday, December 12

Freshmen: Today we began a study of cause and effect. Your homework is to read for 20 minutes tonight and Tuesday.

CNF: Today we concluded reading about the effects of abortion and broken windows theory on crime. You made two wise decisions I think:
1. Anyone who is not done with the reading will finish it as homework, on their own, before Friday, so that we can view our second to last documentary.
2. You will all read Chapters 5 and 6 of Freakonomics over the Christmas break so that we can view our final documentary, rather than devote time in class to reading after the break.

Basketball: We have study hall at 3:15; pregame at 4:30; game at 5:30.

Thursday, December 8

Freshmen: Today we began a definition essay where you define who you are. We will finish it in class after the vocab exam tomorrow. Read for 20 minutes tonight.

CNF: Today we began reading both Chapter 4 of Freakonomics and sections from Gladwell's book The Tipping Point to settle the question of why crime fell in the mid-1990s.

Basketball: Optional study hall is at 3:15; be back here at 4:30 for pregame. We play East at 5:30.

Honors Blog Prompt #6

Thank you for the terrific seminar today. I had a lot of fun and learned a lot. Please post a response to this prompt by 8 AM Monday, 12/12. Read what others have to say and respond to their thoughts. Please write at least a paragraph, and if possible, cite from the text.

Prompt: How would the story Lord of the Flies be different if, instead of a plane full of boys crashing on an island, it was a plane full of girls?

Tuesday, December 6 and Wednesday, December 7

Freshmen: Today we focused on the rhetorical device of definition. We will begin writing a "Who Am I?" essay in class on Thursday, in which you will define who you are. Read for 20 minutes each night this week, and remember we have vocab due on Friday. Due next week is the Grandparent Project. Honors students, remember we have a seminar tomorrow morning. Bring Lord of the Flies, and Speak, if you have it.

CNF: We finished up our viewing of Hoop Dreams and our discussion of the concept of "winning the tournament." Don't worry - you won.

Basketball: We are at Sunnyside until 5:30.

Friday, December 2

Freshmen: Today we looked at a couple of examples of compare and contrast essays. Keep the samples we have seen this week in mind as you write your essay that is due on Monday. Remember to put the lead, conclusion, and organizational techniques you are using in your header. And don't forget a cool title. Also remember to read for 20 minutes.

Compelling Non-Fiction: We are just about finished with Hoop Dreams.

Basketball: We are at Sunnyside until 5:30 today; Saturday 8-11 at Judge.

Thursday, December 1

Freshmen: Today we looked at another example of a good compare and contrast essay. Yours is due Monday - be sure to include your lead and conclusion technique in your header, as well as whether or not your are using the point-by-point or subject-by-subject organizational pattern. Read for 20 minutes each night this week.

CNF: We continued with Hoop Dreams.

Basketball: We're supposed to meet at my room at 4; we play Highland here at 5:30.