Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Weekly Editorial

This week's editorial is slightly different than for other students in the school. A description is below.

Introduction: This time of year is especially difficult for eighth graders because they realize that the majority of their middle school career is over and they are preparing for their new life in high school. Because of this, many eighth grade students do not put forth their best effort and instead miss class work or homework assignments, do not study for tests and quizzes, and even begin acting out in disruptive ways in the hallway and in class.

Your Task: Your job is to brainstorm the reasons why eighth grade students might think the school is over when we have seven weeks left. Also, you will need to think through the consequences of what might happen if a student “checks out” with so much learning left to do in the school year.

The Editorial Format: You will have a choice of how to present your findings. You could:

Write a Letter to Ms. Lane

Write a friendly letter of at least two complete paragraphs explaining why students do not always do their best this late in the school year as well as a description of things that Ms. Lane and the teaching staff could do to motivate students. The friendly letter format must be followed.

Create a Poem

Using Bronx Masquerade for inspiration, create a persuasive poem of at least ten lines to motivate your classmates to do their best in the last seven weeks of the school year. Remember that the goal is to persuade your classmates to do better.

Draw a Political Cartoon

Create a cartoon that could go into the school newsletter that would inform the reader of the problem of students not doing their best in the end of the school year as well motivate students to change their bad habits. Use your humor and creativity!

You will complete the graphic organizer and then create you editorial on your own paper. Both items need to be turned in by Friday, May 7th, at 3PM for full credit.

No comments: