Ms. Neville's Class Resources

Haha. Brilliant timing! Seniors, read this article that just popped up on CNN.com! Be sure to look at the photos, too.

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Here are the links you will need to complete the WebQuest assigned in class. Be sure to follow the directions on your handout! If you need a copy of the handout, you can download one here:  A Long Way Gone WebQuest

READ:

http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5475.htm

http://www.sierra-leone.org/

http://www.childsoldiersglobalreport.org/content/sierra-leone

http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/people/features/childrensrights/childrenofconflict/soldier.shtml

http://www.accessmylibrary.com/article-1G1-164221050/rehabilitation-revenge-prosecuting-child.html

http://www.unwire.org/unwire/20010102/12341_story.asp

LISTEN:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1417144

http://hbpub.vo.llnwd.net/o16/video/olmk/alongwaygonewebclip.mp3

WATCH:

Ishmael Beah speaks to a crowd at IUPUI on March 12, 2009: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuYi0apoIJA

Go to http://www.alongwaygone.com/media.html and scroll down for several clips of a long interview with Ishmael Beah. (This is what we watched in class on Thursday, 9/24.)

CBS Interview with Ishmael Beah: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ozsOLdgp_y0

Ishmael discusses the issue of child soldiers: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-9Tku-Aztiw

UNICEF on children of conflict: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F1Qse0ofA_I

The following several links will treat you to the music Ishmael listened to on dubbed cassette tapes (before rap became what it is today):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diiL9bqvalo&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Alw95s04obo

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Regardless of anyone’s personal opinions of President Obama’s policies, the author of this article makes a very valid, quite centering point.

Students: Whether you watch the speech, read the prepared text, or choose to do neither, please be aware today of the importance your personal responsibility and genuine ambition play in your education.

Parents: Whether you encouraged your child to watch the speech or discouraged them from it, please realize what a valuable opportunity for discussion this controversy is. Take the opportunity to have a family conversation about the state of education, and of our nation in general.

As always, I remain neutral on all political policy matters when discussions arise in my classroom.

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As promised, here are some photos I took in Thailand. 

Snacks in a Thai grocery store... I always visit grocery stores while in foreign countries. They are great places to learn language (you know what you expect to read on a bottle of juice or tube of toothpaste, so you can make educated guesses as to the meaning of the foreign-language words on them) and you see the sorts of things everyday people keep in their homes.

Motorbike taxis -- if I ever live in Thailand, I want to master the ladylike art of riding to work sidesaddle on the back of a motorbike that zips and zigzags through traffic, coming within centimeters of cars, busses, and ONCOMING traffic. And yes, as you see in this photo, it's perfectly legal in Thailand to ride a motorbike on the sidewalk.

These are handmade flower offerings for sale across the streets from the Hindu temple. Yes, those are lotus flowers in the right rear corner.

The famous reclining Buddha at Wat Pho.

To demonstrate the enormity of the reclining Buddha statue, here I am admiring his size-of-my-head toes.

One more for today; I will post more later though…

A rather mysterious statue.

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Ok devoted library patrons, it’s time to put your persuasive writing and speaking skills to work. 

In a few days, state legislators will be voting on a proposed budget cut that would slash funding to libraries by an egregious 50 %. Libraries are already extremely strapped for cash and many rely almost completely on public funding — so if this cut passes it would almost surely mean that many libraries will close and those left will have to dramatically trim the services they offer. 

You can imagine what detriment this would bring to communities across Ohio. Please, PLEASE contact your legislators to let them know how you feel about this! Even if you aren’t old enough to vote, you will be in a few short years… and future votes are more valuable to those hoping for reelection than past votes. 

What you can do:

1.) Write, call, or email the following people (this is contact information for Independence residents — if you live elsewhere, check here). Identify yourself as a constituent and clearly, maturely state your concerns about the proposed budget cuts. Explain how the library system is important to you as the future of Ohio! 

Senator Thomas F. Patton                             

Senate Building
Room #140, First Floor
Columbus, Ohio 43215
Telephone: 614/466-8056
Email: SD24@senate.state.oh.us

Click here for Gov. Strickland’s contact information.

Representative Josh Mandel

77 S. High St
10th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Phone: (614) 644-6041
Email: district17@ohr.state.oh.us

2.) Attend a rally tomorrow (June 24th) at 10:30 AM at Cleveland Public Library. It’s located downtown at East 6th Street and Superior Avenue — be sure you know where you’re going, and understand that you may need to pay to park and/or park far away because it is a workday and you’ll be downtown. It’s best to go with a group of people and designate one as the navigator. 

3.) PASS ON THIS INFORMATION!

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     I’m glad I got to meet most of you during the last week or two of school, and look forward to working with you next year. I noticed a spike in site hits over the last few days, so I’m happily surmising that you’ve read through your instruction packet for your summer reading. Thumbs up. Staying on top of things is ALWAYS a good idea. 

     Speaking of your summer reading, there is apparently one item missing from some/most people’s envelopes — the writing prompts for you to choose from. Two people came to see me on Friday and asked for them; in case more people are having the same problem I will post the prompts here on Monday when I am in my classroom again. 

     Enjoy your time off, and don’t forget to check back frequently! If you already use Twitter, feel free to follow me @Ms_Neville .

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Please download a copy of your last honors assignment:  author-study.  I know most of you will be in Florida with the band all of next week, but you do need to get started on the brainstorming stage of this assignment so you don’t get behind.

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I have an idea!

However, I need to find out how realistic of an idea it is before I officially launch it. I would like to use Twitter to comunicate assignment information to my classes next year, but would like to have a test run first to see how well it works.

I have set up a Twitter account under the username “Ms_Neville”. If any of you already use Twitter or would like to join, please sign up to follow me. I will send out daily tweets with homework/test/quiz reminders, interesting quotes, writing tips and ideas, etc. Parents are also welcome to follow if you’d like to keep up on what we’re doing in class.

I look forward to as many people as possible getting involved with this — I think it can be a fabulous tool for English class if we harness it.

See you at www.twitter.com!

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Click here for the links you need to complete your Frankenstein paper research.

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Would you like to put Frankenstein on your iPod to listen as you read? Is it easier for you to read on a computer screen than from a book? If so, please click here for the downloadable audio and full text of the novel. There is also an MP3 version of  the text at http://librivox.org. At either site, you can listen on your computer or MP3 player.

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