Homework Assignments
Week 23
Monday
2/8 Practice delivering your speech. Work on speaking slowly, varying your intonation, and pausing effectively. You should already know your entire speech so that you’re ready for the final practice tomorrow and the final performance on Wednesday.
Tuesday
2/9 Finish practicing your speech. Work on pausing, varying your intonation, eye contact, and gestures. The big day is tomorrow! Remember to wear something nice to school tomorrow.
Wednesday
2/10 No homework!
Thursday
2/11 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due this week by March 11th.
Friday
2/12 Enjoy vacation. Get your IR finished over vacation so you can take a test when you get back to school and avoid the last minute rush before March 11th.
Week 22
Monday
2/1 Practice delivering your speech. Work on speaking slowly, varying your intonation, and pausing effectively. You should know the first half of your speech by tomorrow. Everyone will deliver his speech on Tuesday or Wednesday.
Tuesday
2/2 Continue practicing your speech. Work on pausing, varying your intonation, eye contact, and gestures.
Wednesday
2/3 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due this week by February 5th. Practice your speech
Thursday
2/4 Practice delivering your speech. You need to know the entire speech by next Tuesday, but you can earn extra credit if you know it by this Friday. Be sure to practice in front of an audience (parent, sibling, or a mirror).
Friday
2/5 Start your second book or continue reading in your long IR book: all third quarter book tests are due by March 11th. Practice the delivery of your speech.
Week 21
Monday
1/25 Complete the questions on Frederick Douglass’s “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July.”
Tuesday
1/26 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due by February 5th.
Wednesday
1/27 Practice delivering the hook of your speech. Finish the timed writing: agree/disagree assignment.
Thursday
1/28 Practice delivering the hook of your speech. Be prepared to deliver the first half page in class tomorrow.
Friday
1/29 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due by February 5th. Practice the delivery of your speech. See the schedule on the web page for details about deadlines.
Week 20
Tuesday
1/19 If you have not done so already, finish reading and annotating “What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July?” Thoroughly answer the questions on the link.
Wednesday
1/20 Based on the writing notes, my comments, the grading criteria, and your own ideas, write a final draft of your speech. Remember to be especially organized, to write persuasively, and to use power language. Read your speech aloud as you revise.
Thursday
1/21 Finish revising your speech. Read your speech aloud and listen for errors, for places to add power language, and for unintended repetition, vague verbs, passive voice, etc. Due Friday.
Friday
1/22 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due by February 5th. Finish up the final draft of your speech if necessary.
Week 19
Monday
1/11 Work on the first draft of your speech. Remember to be especially organized, to write persuasively, and to use power language. Start with a hook and link back to it at the end of your speech. Think about the differences between writing a speech and writing an essay.
Tuesday
1/12 Work on the first draft of your speech.
Wednesday
1/13 Finish the first draft of your speech.
Thursday
1/14 Based on peer editing comments, the grading criteria, and your own ideas, write a second draft of your speech. Read through it aloud and make corrections and add power language. Due Thursday.
Friday
1/15 Read in your IR book: the first book tests are due by February 5th. Read to the end of page 11 in “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Complete two thinking maps on the reading: the tree map and one of your choice. Due at 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday.
Week 18
Monday
1/4 Choose a general topic for your speech and find a few good articles on the subject. Print them out and bring them to class tomorrow.
Tuesday
1/5 Read and annotate your articles and find a few more. Bring everything to class tomorrow.
Wednesday
1/6 Find some more articles and read and annotate them. Bring everything to class tomorrow. You should have about 10 articles by now.
Thursday
1/7 Write up your topic and angle. If you have any hook ideas, write them down too.
Friday
1/8 Read in your IR book and work on the first draft of your speech. First drafts will be due on Wednesday.
Due Dates
Speech (first draft): Thursday 1/14
Speech (second draft): Friday 1/15
Speech (final draft): Friday 1/22 (but no later than Monday 1/25)
First paragraph/page memorized: Friday 1/29
First half memorized: Tuesday 2/2
Whole speech memorized: Monday 2/8 (extra credit for 2/5)
School Wide Speeches: Wednesday 2/10
LVHS Speech Contest: Thursday 2/11 (evening)
Independent Reading: Friday 3/11
Speech Topics
“Liberty and Justice for All” -- What does it mean to you?
Can the Best Candidate Win?
Video Games: Harmful or Helpful?
Climate Change: How Will it Change Us?
Bibliography: MLA Works Cited