Daily Agenda 12/4

Today's Agenda ~

* Meet in computer lab
* Finish soundtrack projects; due at the end of the period
* Announcements: persuasive essays due yesterday; last day to receive credit for any vocabulary; speeches start tomorrow

Daily Agenda 12/3

Today's Agenda ~

* Turn in final copies of persuasive essays, with rough drafts, stapled to final, typed copies
* Meet in computer lab
* Work on soundtrack projects
* Announcements: persuasive essays will be accepted until 12/10; last day vocabulary accepted is Tuesday of this week; soundtrack projects due tomorrow at the end of the period; speeches start Wednesday

Daily Agenda 11/21

Today's Agenda ~

* Act V Quiz -- secondary seating please
* Bonus Quote Quiz
* Announcements: persuasive essays due 11/26; vocab was due Tuesday
* Receive soundtrack project sheet

SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK:

Monday -- persuasive rough drafts due ; peer editing ; start working on short stories
Tuesday -- vocab 29-30 due ; work day for short stories ; conferences on essays
Wednesday -- work day for short stories ; conferences continue ; short stories due at the end of the period
Thursday -- complete the conferences ; Friar Lawrence memo ; watch Reduced Shakespeare Company RJ
Friday -- 1/2 day ; work on soundtracks

Daily Agenda 11/20

Today's Agenda ~

~ Finish reading Act V, scene 3
~ Announcements: last day for mini compare and contrast essays was TODAY ; vocab lessons due today; persuasive essays due Monday when we return (will NOT be accepted late)
~ Watch Act V, scene 3 (old movie)

Daily Agenda 11/19

Today's Agenda ~

* Act IV Quiz (closed book)
* secondary seating please
* Announcements: mini compare & contrast essays accepted until Tues. 11/20; persuasive essays due 11/26 -- WILL NOT be accepted late; Act V quiz Wednesday; bonus quote quiz Wednesday
* Receive Act V notes (discuss scenes 1-2)
* Start reading / discussing scene 3

Daily Agenda 11/14

Today's Agenda ~

* Receive persuasive essay assignment sheet, short story assignment sheet, and sample persuasive essay -- discuss requirements for persuasive essay and due dates
* Announcements: mini compare/contrast was due Tuesday -- please turn in as soon as possible; vocab was also due Tuesday
* Start reading Act 3, scene 5 * read it

Standards met today: 10.3.3, 10.3.4

RJ Persuasive Essay

the overview:
Although Romeo and Juliet took their own lives at the end of the play, the blame for their premature deaths remains unclear. They didn't exactly have the best role models (their parents and friends) or guides (the Nurse, the Friar) along the way. In fact, every character influenced their decision to take their lives -- but the question remains: who is most at fault?

the assignment:
We will think about and respond to this question in the form of a persuasive essay. The paper should be approximately 1000 words in length. Please include your word count at the end of your essay. You should include a title page with this formal essay. The title page should fit the standard requirements: 12-pt, Times New Roman, double-spaced, with the title 1/3 of the way down the page and the MLA heading 2/3 of the way down the page. As always, double-space, whether hand-written or typed. You must, however, type the final copy. The rough copy of this essay is due on Monday, November 26. The final, typed copy is due on Monday, December 3. The presentations will take place from December 5 through December 7.

Use no more than 10 "be" verbs. Never include 1st or 2nd person pronouns in formal writing, unless specifically requested. Eliminate statements such as "I think" or "I believe." Never write "In this paper I will tell you" or "In this paper you will find." Papers with 2nd person pronouns or 1st person pronouns (unless used in a direct quote) will receive an automatic 15-point deduction. As Honors students, you should be beyond this type of vocabulary / word usage. Proofreading is a must. Too many papers in the past contained silly mistakes. In the immortalized words of my graduate professor, Dr. Michael Slavkin, "Always spell check a document -- Stupid is as stupid does and nothing says stupid more than somoeneone thut cant spull wright."

A persuasive essay should have five paragraphs. Start with an introduction, complete with attention getter, background information, and thesis statement. Your thesis should state: the person you blame for the deaths; three reasons why that person is at fault. Start with the strongest reason and work your way toward the weakest reason. I will provide you with a sample essay; however, you may not write about the same person I chose. Read the sample thesis below.

The responsibility of Romeo and Juliet's deaths rests on Friar Lawrence because of his selfishness, his unreliability, and his unlawful behavior.

My paper will follow the order of my thesis. Since I mentioned selfishness first, my first body paragraph must be about what I mean when I say Friar Lawrence is selfish.

You should include at least 3 direct quotes from the play in this essay. You will need at least one quote in each of the three body paragraphs which support your claim. Look at the example below.

"God pardon sin! / Wast thou with Rosaline?" (RJ 2.3.44).

As with your autobiographical essay, final copies must be typed. You need to print out two copies of the final paper, stapling the rough draft under the final copies. Plan ahead for printing issues. If you need your paper printed, email it to me or bring it in on a jump drive or floppy disk. Make these arrangements before the due date.

As with all formal writings, include your word count at the end of your essay. To review my requirements for formal writings, visit the link below: http://english9h.blogspot.com/2006/08/format-of-formal-writings.html

the content:
Choose from the following list to determine who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

• Romeo
• Juliet
• Nurse
• Capulet
• Montague
• Mercutio
• Tybalt
• Benvolio
• Romeo & Juliet (both)

the presentation:
Oh, and we will be presenting these to the class. Your presentation should be short, sweet, and to the point. I'm looking for 2-3 minutes, tops -- do not plan on reading your entire essay to us. Summarize the beginning, read a paragraph or two, and summarize the end. This is nothing too formal; however, speeches are a requirement of the Department of Education for the State of Indiana. I'm looking for eye contact, volume, and the ability to summarize your paper adequately and understandably. I would suggest planning ahead of time what you're going to say -- use notecards, if necessary, highlighting the points you want to discuss. Hint: A good speech doesn't explain what you're going to do before you do it; (i.e., "In this speech, I'm going to talk about why I think X is to blame from Romeo and Juliet's deaths...first I'm going to read you a paragraph about...). Time yourself, so you don't stop at thirty seconds or babble on past five. Consider bringing personal artifacts or creating a PowerPoint slide show for enhancement of your presentation. (No posters please.) Please let me know ahead of time if you will need technology equipment for your presentation. Speeches will take place 5-7 December. Sign-up sheets for time slots will be posted 3 December in the morning outside my door: first come, first serve.

extra help:
As always, if you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available before school 7:00-7:30 and after school until 4:30. Ms. Wayne and I also check our email daily and may provide assistance this way as well. We cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help we will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date. We have limited time left in this semester, and I'm sure you all would like to know your grades the day we take our final.

the value:
persuasive rough draft, incl. title page/works cited -- 100 points (not accepted late)
typed persuasive final copy, incl. title page/works cited -- 200 points
persuasive presentation, 2-3 min. in length -- 50 points

work cited:
A work cited page must contain the resources cited in the essay.

Look at the examples below for help. Remember, you must hang indent your entry. Also include the words Work Cited, centered, before the entry. Do not include the label I've included to let you know which copy is which. In the interest of saving paper, you may include your work cited entry at the bottom of your essay, if it fits, rather than placing it on a different page. If you consult additional resources (i.e., the internet), include them in your works cited page.

Prestwick House Paperback: Shakespeare, William. Romeo and Juliet. Clayton, Delaware: Prestwick House, 2005.

English office copy: Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1994.

No Fear Shakespeare: Shakespeare, William. No Fear Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. New York: Spark Notes, 2003.

Simply Shakespeare: Shakespeare, William. Simply Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, 2002.

Cliff's Complete: Shakespeare, William. Cliff's Complete: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. New York: Hungry Minds, 2000.

resources:
http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/persuasive_writing1.htm http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm
http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php
Sample essay: http://www.geocities.com/missyfeller/english9h/persuasive.pdf

Indiana State Academic Standards met by this project: 10.3.3, 10.3.4, 10.3.8, 10.3.9, 10.3.10, 10.3.12, 10.4.1, 10.4.2, 10.4.3, 10.4.13, 10.4.5, 10.4.7, 10.4.8, 10.4.10, 10.4.11, 10.4.12, 10.5.4, 10.6.1, 10.6.2, 10.6.3, 10.6.4, 10.7.2, 10.7.4, 10.7.6, 10.7.18

Standard 5, Writing

Standard 5, Writing: Applications (Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)

At Grade 10, students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition, persuasion, and description in texts (research reports of 1,000 to 1,500 words or more). Students compose business letters. Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience (intended reader) and purpose for writing.

In addition to producing the different writing forms introduced in earlier grades, Grade 10 students use the writing strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing Processes and Features to:

10.5.1
Write biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories that:
• describe a sequence of events and communicate the significance of the events to the audience.
• locate scenes and incidents in specific places.
• describe with specific details the sights, sounds, and smells of a scene and the specific actions, movements, gestures, and feelings of the characters; in the case of short stories or autobiographical narratives, use interior monologue (what the character says silently to self) to show the character’s feelings.
• pace the presentation of actions to accommodate changes in time and mood.
Example: After reading an example of an autobiography, such as Helen Keller’s Story of My Life, use the structure of the autobiography to compose an autobiography of your own.

10.5.2
Write responses to literature that:
• demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the significant ideas of literary works.
• support statements with evidence from the text.
• demonstrate awareness of the author’s style and an appreciation of the effects created.
• identify and assess the impact of ambiguities, nuances, and complexities within the text.
• extend writing by changing mood, plot, characterization, or voice.
Example: After reading a short story, such as “The No-Guitar Blues” by Gary Soto, “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson, or “The Metamorphosis” by Franz Kafka, write responses that address each of the bulleted points.

10.5.3
Write expository compositions, including analytical essays, summaries, descriptive pieces, or literary analyses that:
• gather evidence in support of a thesis (position on the topic), including information on all relevant perspectives.
• communicate information and ideas from primary and secondary sources accurately and coherently.
• make distinctions between the relative value and significance of specific data, facts, and ideas.
• use a variety of reference sources, including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet sources to locate information in support of a topic.
• include visual aids by using technology to organize and record information on charts, maps, and graphs.
• anticipate and address readers’ potential misunderstandings, biases, and expectations.
• use technical terms and notations correctly.
Example: On self-selected appropriate topics, keep an academic log that lists essential student-generated questions on the topic, information in response to each question from a variety of sources including word, pictorial, audio, and Internet resources complete with accurate citations. When each question has been researched, summarize in your own words how you would synthesize the information in order to arrive at an overall thesis on the topic. Write an essay on the thesis.

10.5.4
Write persuasive compositions that:
• organize ideas and appeals in a sustained and effective fashion with the strongest emotional appeal first and the least powerful one last.
• use specific rhetorical (communication) devices to support assertions, such as appealing to logic through reasoning; appealing to emotion or ethical belief; or relating a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy.
• clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.
• address readers’ concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.
Example: Write a letter to a television network to persuade the network to keep a program on the air despite low ratings.

10.5.5
Write business letters that:
• provide clear and purposeful information and address the intended audience appropriately.
• show appropriate use of vocabulary, tone, and style that takes into account the intended audience’s knowledge about and interest in the topic and the nature of the audience’s relationship to the writer.
• emphasize main ideas or images.
• follow a conventional style with page formats, fonts (typeface), and spacing that contribute to the documents’ readability and impact.
Example: Write a letter of support or complaint in response to service that you received at a store or restaurant. Address the letter to the manager, including a clear account of the incident and requesting that he or she take appropriate action in response.

10.5.6
Write technical documents, such as a manual on rules of behavior for conflict resolution, procedures for conducting a meeting, or minutes of a meeting that:
• report information and express ideas logically and correctly.
• offer detailed and accurate specifications.
• include scenarios, definitions, and examples to aid comprehension.
• anticipate readers’ problems, mistakes, and misunderstandings.
Example: Take notes while watching or listening to a physical therapist give instructions on the proper way to lift, carry, or move large objects. Incorporate these notes into a safety manual to be used in the classroom or in a job setting.

10.5.7
Use varied and expanded vocabulary, appropriate for specific forms and topics.
Example: Write a sentence for use in a formal letter of complaint: The thermostat is dangerously defective as it fails to maintain a safe temperature, and I am seeking a replacement or full refund.

10.5.8
Write for different purposes and audiences, adjusting tone, style, and voice as appropriate.

Research Application

10.5.9
Write or deliver a research report that has been developed using a systematic research process (defines the topic, gathers information, determines credibility, reports findings) and that:
• uses information from a variety of sources (books, technology, multimedia), distinguishes between primary and secondary documents, and documents sources independently by using a consistent format for citations.
• synthesizes information gathered from a variety of sources, including technology and one’s own research, and evaluates information for its relevance to the research questions.
• demonstrates that information that has been gathered has been summarized, that the topic has been refined through this process, and that conclusions have been drawn from synthesizing information.
• demonstrates that sources have been evaluated for accuracy, bias, and credibility.
• organizes information by classifying, categorizing, and sequencing, and demonstrates the distinction between one’s own ideas from the ideas of others, and includes a bibliography (Works Cited).
Example: Write a report on the Globe Theatre, gathering information from books, such as Shakespeare’s Theatre by Jacqueline Morley, videos such as “Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre Restored,” and Web sites by using a key word search for “Shakespeare” and “Globe Theatre.” Explain why the theatre was significant in the development of Shakespeare’s works.

Persuasive Essay

the overview:
Although Romeo and Juliet took their own lives at the end of the play, the blame for their premature deaths remains unclear. They didn't exactly have the best role models (their parents and friends) or guides (the Nurse, the Friar) along the way. In fact, every character influenced their decision to take their lives -- but the question remains: who is most at fault?

the assignment:
We will think about and respond to this question in the form of a persuasive essay. In the interest of time, we will we will not create an outline or a rough draft, although I will offer to proofread/correct rough copies before the final is due. The paper should be approximately 1000 words in length. Please include your word count at the end of your essay. You should include a title page with this formal essay. Include a MLA heading on the top, left corner of your paper and a title, centered, below the heading. As always, double-space, whether hand-written or typed. This essay is due on Wednesday, December 13.

No more than 1/3 of your sentences should contain "be" verbs. Never include 1st or 2nd person pronouns in formal writing, unless specifically requested. Eliminate statements such as "I think" or "I believe." Never write "In this paper I will tell you" or "In this paper you will find." Papers with 2nd person pronouns or 1st person pronouns (unless used in a direct quote) will receive a 10-point deduction for every instance. As Honors students, you should be beyond this type of vocabulary / word usage.

A persuasive essay should have five paragraphs. Start with an introduction, complete with attention getter, background information, and thesis statement. Your thesis should state: the person you blame for the deaths; three reasons why that person is at fault. Start with the strongest reason and work your way toward the weakest reason. I will provide you with a sample essay; however, you may not write about the same person I chose. Read the sample thesis below.

The responsibility of Romeo and Juliet's deaths rests on Friar Lawrence because of his selfishness, his unreliability, and his unlawful behavior.

My paper will follow the order of my thesis. Since I mentioned selfishness first, my first body paragraph must be about what I mean when I say Friar Lawrence is selfish.

You should include at least 3 direct quotes from the play in this essay. You will need at least one quote in each of the three body paragraphs which support your claim. Look at the example below.

"God pardon sin! / Wast thou with Rosaline?" (RJ 2.3.44).

As with all formal writings, include your word count at the end of your essay. To review my requirements for formal writings, visit the link below: http://english9h.blogspot.com/2006/08/format-of-formal-writings.html

the content:
Choose from the following list to determine who is to blame for Romeo and Juliet's deaths.

1. Romeo
2. Juliet
3. Nurse
4. Capulet
5. Montague
6. Mercutio
7. Tybalt
8. Benvolio
9. Romeo & Juliet (both)

extra help:
As always, if you feel like you need help beyond what is available in the classroom, I will be available before school 7:00-7:30 and after school until 4:30. I also check my email daily and may provide assistance this way as well. I cannot provide assistance if you do not ask; claiming to "not understand" an assignment and not asking for help is inexcusable. If you do not ask for help I will assume you understand the assignment and plan to turn it in, completed, on the due date. Again, this assignment will NOT be accepted late, so plan appropriately. We have limited time left in this semester, and I'm sure you all would like to know your grades the day we take our final.

the value:
persuasive essay, including title page -- 200 points

work cited:
A work cited page must contain the resources cited in the essay. Look at the examples below for help. Remember, you must hang indent your entry. Also include the words Work Cited, centered, before the entry. Do not include the label I've included to let you know which copy is which. In the interest of saving paper, you may include your work cited entry at the bottom of your essay, if it fits, rather than placing it on a different page.

English office copy:
Shakespeare, William. The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet. Austin: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1994.

No Fear Shakespeare:
Shakespeare, William. No Fear Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. New York: Spark Notes, 2003.

Simply Shakespeare:
Shakespeare, William. Simply Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet. Hauppauge: Barron's Educational Series, 2002.

Cliff's Complete:
Shakespeare, William. Cliff's Complete: Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet. New York: Hungry Minds, 2000.

resources:

http://www.orangeusd.k12.ca.us/yorba/persuasive_writing1.htm

http://www.studygs.net/wrtstr4.htm

http://essayinfo.com/essays/persuasive_essay.php

Sample RJ Persuasive essay

Orange = attention getter (intro) / tie up loose ends (conclusion)
Blue = background information
Red = argument (beginning) of thesis
Teal = first reason / proof for thesis
Green = second reason / proof for thesis
Purple = third reason / proof for thesis
Brown = quotes and citations

Nothing compares to the loss of a child or loved one. Families attempt to cope, sometimes separate, and leave behind a mere shell of what previously existed. However, in some cases, families may unite under the circumstances. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet tells a tragic story of pain, hatred, and death. It began with a grudge, one that the two families could neither understand nor remedy, and this grudge ended only after their two children committed suicide out of love for one another. The children fell in love before knowing each other’s parentage, and thus sought to keep their relationship hidden from their families. In the end, one may suggest no one forced Romeo or Juliet to end their own lives. Romeo made a conscious decision to buy poison, break into Juliet’s tomb, and willingly take his life, just as Juliet readily snatched the dagger from Romeo’s cold body and replied “This is thy sheath; there rust, and let me die” (RJ 5.3.170) ending her own life as well. However, a powerful man of the church clouded the judgment of two highly influential, naïve children and inadvertently led them to their dooms. The responsibility of Romeo and Juliet’s deaths rests on Friar Lawrence because of his selfishness, his unreliability, and his unlawful behaviors.

The audience witnessed Friar Lawrence’s selfish behavior since Act II. When Romeo approached the Friar after his late-night meeting with Juliet, he never suspected Romeo fell in love with an enemy. “God pardon sin!” he says to Romeo when he discovered he never went home the night prior. “Wast thou with Rosaline?” (RJ 2.3.44). Romeo explained his newfound love with Capulet’s daughter and expressed his wish to be married that day. Friar Lawrence responded angrily, claiming Romeo merely liked Juliet because of her looks, not because he truly loved her. Yet later, Friar Lawrence agreed to marry Romeo and Juliet, because he saw a possible ramification of his actions: “To turn your households’ rancor to pure love” (RJ 2.3.92). He refused to offer help when Romeo requested it until he realized what glory he might receive through his efforts to unite the families. However, his future actions proved he never retained this initial desire to end the feuding.

Friar Lawrence remained one of the most unreliable characters in Romeo and Juliet. Romeo questioned the friar’s ability, or lack thereof to provide careful advice toward the young lovers. “Thou canst not speak of that thou dost not feel. / Wert thou as young as I, Juliet thy love, / An hour but married, Tybalt murdered,...Then mightst thou speak, then mightst thou tear thy hair” (RJ 3.3.64-67). Yet Friar Lawrence managed to retain Romeo’s trust and promised that which he could never ensure: “…thou shalt live till we can find a time / to blaze your marriage, reconcile your friends, beg pardon of the Prince, and call thee back, with twenty hundred thousand times more joy / than thou went’st forth in lamentation” (RJ 3.3.150-154). He also made a promise to Juliet he could not keep. “Romeo by my letters [will] know our drift, / and hither shall he come, an’ he and I / will watch thy waking, and that very night / shall Romeo bear thee hence to Mantua” (RJ 4.1.114-117). He promised Juliet he would notify Romeo, and his plan failed horrendously and his initial intent—to unite the families—no longer existed at this point. Friar John later arrived, revealing his failure to deliver the message to Romeo. Friar Lawrence faced an opportunity to apologize and tell the families of his mistakes, but he continued to believe he could make Romeo and Juliet’s doomed relationship work. So, his deceit and dishonesty spread beyond Romeo and Juliet. He arrived at the Capulet residence happy and full-aware of Juliet’s death-like condition after taking the potion. However, he continued his fraud toward the mourning parents and bridegroom. “Come, is the bride ready to go to church?” (RJ 4.5.33). He lectured the Capulets why they should not mourn the loss of their young daughter, and instead, encouraged them to dry their tears and move on. He could not empathize with their loss because he knew Juliet merely took a potion—a potion he provided.

Friar Lawrence’s unlawful behavior included marrying Romeo and Juliet, knowledge of botanical potions, and fleeing the scene of a crime. Even as a man of the church, and confidentiality remaining of utmost importance to his Congregationalists, the secrets he sought to keep involved mere children. He warned Romeo before the wedding “love moderately: long love doth so” (RJ 2.6.14), perhaps realizing the negative consequences of the union. Even as he agreed to marry in order to unite the families, he never encouraged Romeo or Juliet to reveal the marriage to their parents. He performed the ceremony in his cell—a closed area, without witnesses, and without parental consent – all laws in effect during the setting of the play. Also, ironically, he introduced his knowledge of plants and their powers in a rambling speech concerning the damage they might do when placed in the wrong hands: “Virtue itself turns vice, being misapplied” (RJ 2.3.21). He never heeded his own warning. When Juliet approached him after Romeo’s banishment, she realized he must hold the key to this predicament which he enabled. Capulet decided to allow Paris to marry Juliet, and instead of encouraging Juliet to confess her current marriage to Romeo, Friar Lawrence devised a plan of further deceit toward the two families. Juliet’s threat of suicide caused the Friar to think this plan not outrageous or too much a risk for Juliet. It involved a powerful potion allowing its partaker to slip into a deathlike state for forty-two hours. He encouraged further lies by telling Juliet to return home to her parents: “Go home, be merry, give consent / to marry Paris” (RJ 4.1.89). Later, the apothecary revealed the punishment of death for any man with such “mortal drugs” (RJ 5.1.66). Why does the Friar, a man of the church, know of such recipes for poison enabling a death-like state? Yet his knowledge of poisons and lies toward the Montagues and Capulets cannot match his last, selfish, unlawful deed. After he arrived at the Capulet tomb, he found both Paris and Romeo dead and Juliet starting to wake. Bad news never settles well with anyone just after awakening. However, he quickly confessed the results of his plan gone awry. “A greater power than we can contradict / hath thwarted our intents. Come, come away. / Thy husband in thy bosom there lies dead; / and Paris too. Come, I’ll dispose of thee / among a sisterhood of holy nuns. / Stay not to question, for the watch is coming. / Come go, good Juliet, I dare no longer stay” (RJ 5.3.153-159). Juliet, or any reasonable human, would stay to question the death of a spouse – especially an unexpected death. Friar Lawrence fled the scene, and only returned later because a watchman apprehended him. His reactions (trembling, sighing, weeping) showed he regretted his actions, although this regret could not change Romeo’s death and Juliet’s approaching death.

Although many characters made rash or poor decisions throughout the play, one character stands out as a major influence on the two youths. Friar Lawrence’s actions illustrate his selfish, deceitful behavior not only toward Romeo and Juliet, but toward their parents and the city of Verona as well. Despite his confession in Act 5, scene 3, he still remained unable to change the very real deaths of Romeo and Juliet. Friar Lawrence met his very selfish goal of uniting the families in his behalf, even though it cost the lives of their young, innocent children.

1283 words

Standard 5: Writing: Applications

(Different Types of Writing and Their Characteristics)

At Grade 9, students combine the rhetorical strategies of narration, exposition,
persuasion, and description in texts (research reports of 1,000 to 1,500 words
or more). Students begin to write documents related to career development.
Student writing demonstrates a command of Standard English and the research,
organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Standard 4 — Writing
Processes and Features. Writing demonstrates an awareness of the audience
(intended reader) and purpose for writing.

9.5.1 Biographical or autobiographical narratives or short stories

9.5.2 Responses to literature

9.5.3 Expository compositions, including analytical essays

9.5.4 Persuasive compositions

9.5.5 Documents related to career development

9.5.6 Technical documents

9.5.7 Use varied and expanded vocabulary, appropriate for specific forms and topics.
Example: Write a formal and persuasive speech using words that will convince an audience to accept your point of view.

9.5.8 Write for different purposes and audiences, adjusting tone, style, and voice as appropriate.

9.5.9 Research report

Persuasive arguments

According to the Indiana Department of Education's Academic Standards for English 9

9.7.18 Deliver persuasive arguments (including evaluation and analysis of problems and solutions and causes and effects) that:

• structure ideas and arguments in a coherent, logical fashion from the hypothesis to a reasonable conclusion, based on evidence.
• contain speech devices that support assertions (such as by appeal to logic through reasoning; by appeal to emotion or ethical belief; or by use of personal anecdote, case study, or analogy).
• clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.
• anticipate and address the listener’s concerns and counter-arguments.

Persuasive compositions

According to the Indiana Department of Education's Academic Standards for English 9,

9.5.4 Write persuasive compositions that:

• organize ideas and appeals in a sustained and effective fashion with the strongest emotional appeal first and the least powerful one last.
• use specific rhetorical (communication) devices to support assertions, such as appealing to logic through reasoning; appealing to emotion or ethical belief; or relating a personal anecdote, case study, or analogy.
• clarify and defend positions with precise and relevant evidence, including facts, expert opinions, quotations, expressions of commonly accepted beliefs, and logical reasoning.
• address readers’ concerns, counterclaims, biases, and expectations.

Example:

Write a letter to the principal or the president of the school board to persuade that person to support your views on some educational policy that has been adopted by the local school district, such as a dress code policy, a change to or from block scheduling, or a decision about grade requirements to participate in extracurricular activities.