You are graduating in a few weeks. Here is your opportunity to talk to your class about your thoughts on the past, present and future. Construct a speech to present to our last English 12 class. If you’re not sure where to begin, the links below provide both examples and tips on how to write a graduation speech. These may be some of the last words you share with me and your classmates, and it is always important to be memorable, so keep that in mind as you write.

You will be graded according to 5 focuses on a 20 point scale (20=perfect, 15=mostly accurate, 10=somewhat inaccurate, 5=inaccurate/inappropriate).

1. Length (300 or more words)

2. Meaning (fits the intention of a graduation speech)

3. Organization (uses paragraphs effectively to create a unified, logical speech)

4. Grammar/Spelling (does not contain errors)

5. Language Usage (effectively uses words to achieve desired effect)

Examples of speeches:

http://whatkidscando.org/archives/intheirownwords/Gradspeeches03.html (many samples to choose from)

http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_write_a_graduation_speech (tips on how to write a speech)

http://www.dominik.net/thoughts/valedictorian-speech.php3 (another sample)

Read about the numerous drowning deaths reported among college students over the past few years (including local student). Based on the information provided by the links, decide whether you support the investigators’ claims concerning homicide, or some other law enforcement officers claims that these are merely coincidental accidents. Use the information gathered from your readings to write a 250+ word blog on the topic. Feel free to research other articles/reports on the subject if you’d like.

Links:

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4738621&page=1

http://www.vanceholmes.com/court/trial_missing.html

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ny_crime/2008/04/29/2008-04-29_exnypd_cops_say_smiley_face_is_link_in_4.html

http://catskillcommentator.com/2008/04/26/investigators-close-in-on-smiley-face-murders/

http://news10now.com/content/top_stories/115025/adam-falcon-s-death-reinvestigated/Default.aspx

http://www.wwnytv.net/index.php/2008/04/28/retired-detectives-suspect-slu-students-drowning-death-was-no-accident/

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24366804/

For each day we spend in the library working on research, you are responsible for creating a blog (50-75 words) analyzing how your topic is progressing based on that particular day. Each blog must be done during the last 10 minutes of class.
Here are the dates:

2/11/08
2/13/08
2/15/08
2/26/08

You are graduation in a few weeks.  Here is your opportunity to talk to your class about your thoughts on the past, present and future.  Construct a speech to present to our last English 12 Class on Wednesday.  If you’re not sure where to begin, the links below provide both examples and tips on how to write a graduation speech.

You will be graded according to 5 focuses on a 20 point scale (20=perfect, 15=mostly accurate, 10=somewhat inaccurate, 5=inaccurate/inappropriate).

1. Length (300 or more words)

2. Meaning (fits the intention of a graduation speech)

3. Organization (uses paragraphs effectively to create a unified, logical speech)

4. Grammar/Spelling (does not contain errors)

5. Language Usage (effectively uses words to achieve desired effect)

Examples of speeches:

http://www.heraldnet.com/grads/03/ (many samples to choose from)

http://collegeuniversity.suite101.com/article.cfm/how_to_write_a_graduation_speech

(tips on how to write a speech)

http://www.dominik.net/thoughts/valedictorian-speech.php3 (another sample)

Look at the following articles on hazing and formulate your position on hazing in a 300+ word blog.  Think about some of these questions as you write:

What is the difference between hazing and having fun with friends?

Why does hazing ever even occur?

Have you ever been a victim of hazing (don’t use names)?  How did you feel about it?

Is there such a thing as positive hazing?  Examples?

Hazing at RIT: http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070510/NEWS01/705100361/1002/RSS01

Hazing at Chico State: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5012154

Girls haze too:  http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/nation/wire/sns-ap-sorority-hazing,0,5475737.story

Hazing in sports:  http://espn.go.com/otl/hazing/list.html

Florida Marlins rookie hazing: http://www.anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=19217

What is Hazing?: http://chronicle.com/news/article/1510/what-is-hazing-mcgill-u-counts-the-ways

Read the articles (links below) available on the incident at Virginia Tech.  Discuss the reasons this tragedy occurred, and whether it could have been prevented.  What does this show us about school violence, and violence in America, in general?  Come up with some possible ways to prevent something like this from happening in the future.

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070417/ap_on_re_us/virginia_tech_shooting

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=68282

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/16/AR2007041600533.html?hpid=topnews

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18134671/

Read the 3 articles provided about the recent Imus firing.  How do you feel about the situation?  What does this say about race in America?  Please be candid and honest. Statements which are deemed to be offensive or inflammatory will not be posted, so be tactful.  Your post should be 250 words or more, in paragraph form, and checked for grammatical errors prior to submission.