HOMEWORK

Homework gives us something to talk about.  
It does not have to always be something that the teacher has to mark.  Think about something - to TALK about.  Research topics that interest YOU.  A great resource is Debatepedia - Try it out! 

Why Homework?
The Common Core Standards 
By the end of the year, you will be able to read and comprehend informational texts, including history/social studies, science, and technical texts, at the high end of the grade 11 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

How will this benefit me?  
Potentially, IF you do your homework, you are FLIPPING your current remedial status to "college and career ready" and will NOT take anymore remedial courses next year, in postsecondary education or in a training program.

How will I demonstrate readiness?
  1. Ask and answer questions.
  2. Explain how the main idea and key details support the main idea. 
  3. Describe the relationship between a series of events, ideas/concepts, or steps. 
  4. Efficiently use text features and search tools (e.g., key words to locate information relevant to a given topic).
  5. Distinguish your own point of view from that of the author of a text.
  6. Use information gained from illustrations (e.g., maps, photographs) and the words in a text to demonstrate understanding of the text (e.g., where, when, why, and how key events occur).
  7. Describe the logical connection between particular sentences and paragraphs in a text (e.g., comparison, cause/effect, first/second/third in a sequence).
  8. Compare and contrast the most important points and key details presented in two texts on the same topic.

Activity: 

1. Watch, Research & Read about popular debates and
     current news events (See bottom of this page for resources).  
2. Analyze text related to topics covered in class using an
     efficient and effective active reading strategy.
     (Read Guide to Reading Primary Sources for clarification.)
3. Present your completed analysis (secondary source) in one
     of two ways... Email OR hand delivery                                                                               
REMINDER 
Do your due diligence! - I will do my homework, please do yours by voluntarily researching topics covered in class and being prepared to share and do the class activities.  

WORD OF WARNING 
No gobbledygook!  (bunk, gibberish, hooey, rigmarole, rubbish, nonsense... Get the picture?  


WHAT DO I WANT? - Well - written , well researched reports that clearly and concisely demonstrate your understanding of the topic and distinguishes your point of view from that of the authors.  Think of homework as your "warm - up" (where you stretch and expand your brain) before the practice session and the big game - in class.  The class is the "court" and you will either be on the floor or on the bench.  Where do you want to be? I hope you said "On the floor!" because you may not always be one of the starting players, but if you are always on the bench, and you never do your warm - ups, chances are, you wouldn't make the cut to graduate on-time.  

How to deliver your work



  1. Save & send your work as a PDF document.
  2. Attach your analysis sheet, text and related video clips to your Email. 
    3.
  3. Type your identifying information in the "Subject Line" as follows                          Example:  Marcoccio_Leslie_Period 1     
Warning - I will NOT open unidentifiable Emails.  If I don't  see your name in the subject line, your work will be treated as spam.  (And we all know where that goes.)

1.  PRINT your name legibly in blue/black ink.                                                 2.  Include your last name, first name, period and date on EACH page
     (front and back).                                                                                          3. Optional - Use a clearly labled reusable envelope or folder (with 
     clasps, not rings or pockets) to secure your work and keep track of it.                             

Resources:
Top 10 Online Newspapers
  1. USA Today (Arlington, Va.) 2,528,4372.
  2. Wall Street Journal (New York, N.Y.) 2,058,3423.
  3. Times (New York, N.Y.) 1,683,8554.
  4. Times (Los Angeles) 1,231,3185.
  5. Post (Washington, DC) 960,6846.  
  6. Tribune (Chicago) 957,2127.
  7. Daily News (New York, N.Y.) 795,1538.
  8. Inquirer (Philadelphia) 705,9659.
  9. Post/Rocky Mountain News (Denver) 704,80610.
  10. Chronicle (Houston) 692,557      
Top 10 Cable News Programs, (by total viewers)
Check each site for transcripts/blogs to their audio and video reports.
1.  The O'Reilly Factor: 3,438,000 total viewers
2. Hannity: 2,579,000 total viewers
3. Glenn Beck: 2,271,000 total viewers
4. Special Report with Bret Baier: 2,092,000 total viewers
5. On the Record with Greta Van Susteren: 1,977,000 total viewers
6. The FOX Report with Shepard Smith: 1,927,000 total viewers
7. The O'Reilly Factor (repeat): 1,457,000 total viewers
8. America's Newsroom: 1,445,000 total viewers
9. Your World with Neil Cavuto: 1,428,000 total viewers
10. Countdown with Keith Olbermann: 1,327,000 total viewers 

 Entertainment News & Videos
  1. Billboard
  2. Eonline
  3. Entertainment Weekly
  4. Rolling Stone
  5. Variety
Ethnic- American & World News 
Ranked according to ancestry/ethnicity in Broward, Florida
  1. West Indies  Caribbean Newspapers    Jamaican Observer
  2. Italian  L'Italo Americano Weekly
  3. German  German World Magazine
  4. Dominican and other Hispanic  Latin American News Dispatch 
  5. Irish  The Irish Echo (Oldest Irish American paper in North America)
  6. English - See "Top 10 Online News Papers" and "Other American English"
  7. Polish  Polish News  Polish American Journal
  8. Puerto Rican (Caribbean/West Indies)  Latin American News Dispatch
  9. Cuban (Caribbean/West Indies)  Latin American News Dispatch
  10. Russian   Russian News - New York Times
Other American English
  1. The Wall Street Journal 
  2. Black America Web
  3. Latin American News Dispatch (Many regions)
  4. Lee Bailey's Electronic Urban Report (eurweb)
Newspapers & other Readables by Grade Level 

Color Key:  Above Grade Level     At Grade Level     Below Grade Level 
  1. The Times India - 15th - grade level (Possibly the most difficult newspaper to read in the world)
  2. Washington Post - 14th grade level
  3. Associated Press - 13th grade level 
  4. New York Times -  12th grade level  (Some scored 11th)
  5. Los Angeles Times - 12 - 14th grade level
  6. Boston Globe - 12th grade level
  7. National Enquirer - 12th grade level
  8. Newsweek - 11th grade level 
  9. Wall Street Journal - 11th grade level
  10. USA Today - 10th grade level (dropped from 12th to 10th in recent years)                                                                                                                  
  • The Watchmen (the famous comic book) - 7th grade        
  • The Hunger Games - 5.3                                                              
FYI - A minimum of 20 homework assignments will be given. Homework may include, but is not limited to, assigned readings, selected internet activities, watching videos and movies or playing online games. 

 Failure to do homework will negatively affect your grade in class and limit your background knowledge on topics discussed in class.  Doing your homework helps you participate fully in class discussions and raises your grades.


 REMEMBER We are college - bound.  Not because we say so, because we worked hard to get their.  
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