Assignments

(yilin-0213.blogspot.com)

Homework assignments will be posted here. Make sure you complete all parts before coming to class.

Assignment 1:
Your first homework assignment is to write a brief autobiography about yourself. Tell me where you were born, how many siblings you have, what you like to do in your free time, etc. Use my brief autobiography as an example (which you can find here). It does not need to be in depth or lengthy, just enough to introduce yourself to me and your classmates. Feel free to add a picture to accompany your autobiography. You must post your autobiography to the About Me page by Friday at 6pm. All late submissions will receive a 0. The assignment will primarily be graded based on participation, but incorrect grammar or inappropriate content will result in deductions. Please do not change your classmates' posts, follow the rules of our Wiki, and add your posts after the most recent post.

Assignment 2:
We will be thinking and talking about code-switching over the next several days in class. Code-switching is the idea that we use different codes or dialects when talking to different people. We will talk more about what code-switching is in class, but to get started on this topic we will have a discussion. Please answer the following questions in two paragraphs or less on the discussion board by Wednesday at 8pm. Do you use a dialect or slang when talking with your friends or at home? Do you talk differently to your teachers, coaches, bosses, parents? Why do you do use different language around different types of people? Is knowing this distinction important in being able to communicate effectively?

Assignment 3:
This week we will be thinking about idioms used in the English Language. Idioms are expressions that we do not use literally, but use to express something else entirely. Print off the following worksheet and complete it for class on Monday. We will go over what each idiom means and where each phrase comes from. Completing this worksheet will help you familiarize yourself with what idioms are and identify which ones you know or don't know. This assignment will help us further our study of the history of the English language and continue to think about how the language has evolved and how it continues to evolve.

Assignment 4:
For this assignment you will need to listen to the podcast below. We will be starting Nathaniel Hawthorne's //The Scarlet Letter// next week in class and you will use the following activity as a pre-reading activity. Listen to the podcast and complete the worksheet accompanying it. media type="file" key="scarlet letter podcast.mp3" width="240" height="20" You can find a study guide for //The Scarlet Letter// on Glencoe at []. This website has biographical information about Nathaniel Hawthorne as well as historical information about the Puritans in America in the early 17th century. I also used [] for additional information about Nathaniel Hawthorne. You can look at these on your own to learn more about Nathaniel Hawthorne and //The Scarlet Letter//. You can also find the PASS standards that we will be addressing at [|this website].

Assignment 5
For this assignment we will be familiarizing ourselves with Salem, Massachusetts, the setting of //The Scarlet Letter.// Though this assignment requires you to research present-day Boston when the book is set in 19th century Salem, the purpose is to learn about New England life and culture. You might even discover that some aspects of life in Salem have not changed since the time period the book was written in. For this assignment, look at the map below to get an idea of where Salem is in relation to the state and all of New England. Then use the features in Google Maps to look at pictures, historical information, restaurants, and things to do. Come to class with at least three things you learned about Salem and three things you would do if you went to Salem. media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=salem,+massachusetts&aq=&sll=42.358431,-71.059773&sspn=0.436357,1.347198&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Salem,+Essex,+Massachusetts&z=12&ll=42.51954,-70.896716&output=embed" width="425" height="350"

Assignment 6:
Please print off this packet before spring break. During spring break, I would like you to complete this packet about your vacation. Whether you're going somewhere exciting or staying at home, you can still work on your writing skills while telling me about what you did.