Contrasting Views - Due 1/21

For this blog you will be reading two essays or articles about your topic and evaluating the author's ideas.  Both of the articles/essays should be from reliable sources and should be long enough to fully develop an idea.

This blog post will need to be 300-400 words. Be sure to cite your two articles within the text as well as in a Works Cited section at the bottom of your blog (include the URL in your citation).  You will need to turn in annotated copies of both articles.

Ideas for this blog include:

• research one conflict related to your topic and choose a pro and a con article (http://www.procon.org is a resource)
• choose one recent article and another from a few years ago and compare how the two authors discuss the issue as it relates to their time/place
• compare how two authors from different countries/cultures discuss an issue
• compare how a liberal and a conservative publication cover an event

In the introduction paragraph include a thesis statement that clearly states your evaluation of the essays/articles.  Depending on your issue and the articles selected, this can include an evaluation of which author did a better job discussing the topic, a reflection on how cultures differ on your issue or an analysis of how two different political publications cover an issue.

Background Blog Due 1/14

The purpose of your blog is to inform each other. This is important: your audience is the other students in class. You need to carefully select information and present it in interesting ways that will help other students understand and make decisions about their world-- don't waste their time! Also, the information on this blog can be used for your research report, so be sure to take the time to really research and learn about your issue because it will save you time when you are writing the report.

So, what should you write in your first blog? An introduction! Not about you, but about your topic-- tell us: the background information you know about this topic, the current state of affairs for your topic and any future projections about your topic.

Your thesis question should include the BIG question you hope to explore and maybe answer during your research this semester. Remember that a BIG question does not have an easy yes or no or factual answer. A BIG questions makes you think and really have to dig in to figure it out.

The blog should be 300-500 words in length and include at least two reputable sources that are cited both within your blog and also in a Works Cited section at the bottom of your blog. It should also contain at least one graphic.

Introduction Blog Due 1/7

Welcome to the 2017 English IV Blog!  Please confirm that you found this page by listing your topic and big idea question in the comments section.  Also, please post the URL to your blog so that it will be easy for other students to find you.

Once you complete the comments, please press "follow" which will link our blogs so that we can find each other.

Once you've completed this start looking for a book that is related to your topic.  Your last blog will be about a book you read that is related to your topic.  If you choose not to read a book, then identify one academic article, documentary or essay to use as background information for your topic.