Final Paper Guidelines

One last time--the paper should be handed in the following way:
1. Sent to me through Google Docs or emailed as an attachment (pref. Docs)
**If you want a copy back, print out a hard copy also**
2. NO rough copies are needed
3. SPELL/GRAMMAR check--by WORD and by eye--proofread!
4. Correct heading, double-spaced, 12-pt font, min 3. typed pages (typed only)

Google Docs Help

To Double-space: To change the spacing of a particular document, go to the 'Edit' menu and click on 'Document styles'. From there, you can select the desired spacing.

Margins-You can only set margins (and paper size) for printing in the Print settings (File menu) - and then only for text docs. You can only see them in Print Preview.

(From Google Docs Help)
***In Google Docs you can click on the Help option and search for answers to your questions about using Google Docs)

Grading Rubric for Final Paper--100 pts. Total

Your final paper will be based on the following components (remember this is supposed to be the best paper you have written all year--the culmination of your work in the 11th grade--I do want to be "wowed" so I will be grading in that manner):
*Spelling/Grammar (10)-
*Organization (10)-
*Final Copy Quality/technical set-up (10)-
*Voice (10)-
*Clarity of Thesis (10)-
*Language Use (10)-
*Examples(10)-
*Have you answered the question: What is the American Dream/Is it available to all/to whom and to what degree, etc.-(20)
*Your final thoughts/Analysis-(10)

Video possibilities

public service announcement-- is a non-commercial advertisement broadcast on radio or television, for the public interest. PSAs are intended to modify public attitudes by raising awareness about specific issues. The most common topics of PSAs are health and safety. A typical PSA is part of a public awareness campaign to inform or educate the public about an issue.

un-commercial--Commercials bombard us every day. In fact, before you got to this blog page you may have seen many pop-up ads already. Convince you to buy or "buy-into" what ever the seller wants you to consume, by convincing you it is a must in your life. Un-commercials usually parody a well-known existing commercial--remember: one of the main components of the ad is that it is simple and memorable--usually some kind of "catchy" music.

documentary-- a broad category of visual expression that is based on the attempt, in one fashion or another, to "document" reality. the "original" actor and "original" scene are better guides than their fiction counterparts to interpreting the modern world; and that materials "thus taken from the raw" can be more real than the acted article.Can include: "actual" footage, interview,still photos.

(moc)movie-trailer-- I think we all have seen enough of these to know what they are. They give the audience enough of the movie to make them want to see it. The video and music should express the tone/theme of the film--don't mislead the audience. It should contain examples of the main scenes (some with high action) WITHOUT giving away the whole movie; give them an idea about the plot--not the resolution.

blog page-- should be an informational and interactive resource.

America in Pictures

Final Project--What is the American Dream and is it still attainable in 2009?

Most of the works we have read this year have had something to do with the American Dream and the struggles of those trying to attain. Also, it has involved those searching for a concrete definition of it or being conflicted as to whether or not it exists at all. So your final project will consist of two pieces:
1. A Final Essay min. of 3 typed d-s pages(think: the best one you have written all year)-What is the American Dream-and is it still attainable (for all?) in 2009?
2. A Video Project 1-2 minutes in length of your choice that will display the conclusions that your group has come to (this can be a: commercial, public service announcement, moc-movie trailer, or documentary-style, etc.)It is up to you to decide.
Option 2: Rather than a video, develop a blog page on this topic. You can: post a small video you make, create links to articles, poems and stories, post pictures, post messages for others to comment on (this is research).
Essay Ideas
*What have you witnessed in your time in this country so far that has led you to this conclusion? This can be from your own personal life, your immediate world, or the world abroad. Can include a section of memoir like the author.
*How has the availability of the AD changed over the years, or what it is in general?
*Think about today's immigrants, the poor, different racial groups/genders/sexual orientations, etc....is it available to all these groups to the same degree?
*Is the AD really attainable with drive, and hard work? Can you give examples of individuals who have proved or disproved this theory. Is it Utopia?
*Your final thoughts, analysis, advice to others, hopes for the future of America and the possibility of your dreams in it

Quiz SOAPSTone Analysis

"Mother to Son" by Langston Hughes