English IV

Learning Goal:

I can reflect back on my life and effectively express myself through writing.

Estimated Time for The Week: 120 minutes

Learn & Practice: You can continue this week’s assignments on your digital document from Week 1 - you do NOT need to start a new document

1. Begin creating part two of your Senior Reflections Project here.
2. Create a digital document that you will title Senior Reflections. This assignment is a tradition at three all schools for years and is meant to act as a final reflective moment before seniors move into the next phase of their life. Some seniors choose to add pictures and make this into a scrapbook. Reflections projects have appeared at seniors’ graduation, weddings, and even baby showers. Most importantly, this is meant to be a keepsake and something seniors will look back at with their children one day.
   • A digital document could be a Google doc, Google Slides, or Google Notebook.
   • Each chapter will go on a new page and this will be one continuous document
   • Font and style is up to you
   • Make sure you proofread

Learning Goal:

I can answer, What will I do with the time I have?

Estimated Time for The Week: 90 minutes

Learn & Practice:

1. Reflect: Choose a quote below that connects with you and think over what it means and applies to you personally.
   • “Experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want.”
   • “Brick walls are there for a reason: they’re not there to keep you out; they’re there to show you how important the dream is.”
   • “Decide if you are a Tigger and not an Eeyore.”
   • “Complaining and whining never solved anything.”
2. Read part 1, chapters 1-3 here. Focus on the summaries for chapters 1 - 3 only. (20 minutes)
   • This introduces Randy Pausch and explains his situation.
3. Watch this video. (11 minutes)
4. Write down three points that spoke to you and why?
5. Reflect and Connect the ideas that Randy Pausch expressed in his speech to the prompt for your final letter. This letter will go in your Senior Reflections project.
   • Final Letter for your Senior Reflection Project – This is the last page of your project.

In this letter:

• Include your thoughts as you worked on this project
• Cover how the end of your senior year is affected by COVID-19
• How do you feel about finishing high school
• What I have learned during this process.
• Include the points that spoke to you from ‘The Last Lecture’ video and how you want to live your life in the future.
• Add this letter to your senior reflections project or this letter can stand on its own. If you decide the second option, share this with your English teacher.

Learning Goal:

I can answer the question, Who has helped make my high school experience a memorable and enjoyable time?

Estimated Time for The Week: 60 minutes total

Learn & Practice:

1. Reflect - Think about the current teachers and staff at your high school who have helped you or made your life better by his/her actions. It could have been a teacher that always made you excited to come to class or gave you a safe space to share ideas, thoughts and personal memories. Or, maybe a secretary, media specialist, lunch personnel, counselor or administrator helped you through a rough patch when you needed them.
2. Write down the three peoples’ names on a sheet of paper and list qualities or events that you remember that helped you when you needed it. Try to remember SPECIFIC events that this person aided you in.
3. Reflect - think about the feelings that these events invoked in you and write them down on the list that you have already created.
4. Create - using the letter skills from Week 5, write a letter to each of the people that you have included on your list. Use the format below:
   • Dear Name,
   • Use multiple paragraphs to include the information you wish to share with them to tell them how they helped you during your high school career.
   • Sincerely,
   • Your Name
5. Share this with your English teacher and it will be given to the appropriate staff member or e-mail it to the staff member directly.