Thursday, March 28, 2019

Today you will write the second body paragraph, the counterargument paragraph, and the conclusion paragraph of your Zheng He argument essay on the DBQ. Check yesterday's (below) blog for sentence starters for the counterargument, turnback, and strong statement (in the conclusion). Check the wall for the order of sentences in each paragraph.

Wednesday, March 27, 2019
Today you will read chapter 15 of The Samurai's Tale entitled "The Thief" on page 102.  You will answer the comprehension questions in complete sentences.

Chapter 15 “The Thief”

1. What does Wada Kansuke tell Harutomo to do if he finds anyone selling rice?  
2. Why, does Wada Kansuke explain, such a grave punishment is necessary?
3. “In a few days the moon would be full: majestically it hung like a paper lantern in the

sky.” What figurative language is this an example of?

4. Who is the rice thief? What are his two punishments?
5. Does Kansuke agree or disagree with the thief’s punishment?  What reason does he give?
6. Do you agree or disagree with the thief’s punishment?  Why or why not?

During fifth period, you will highlight the different parts of an argument essay. Go to Google Classroom for the assignment:

Argument Essay Example

Directions: Read this argument essay that was written by a student. Highlight the following parts:

▪ Hook ▪ Thesis Statement/Claim ▪Baby Thesis ▪Forecast  ▪Piece of Evidence

▪ Bridge ▪ Counterargument ▪ Turn-Back
Let's focus on how you make the counterargument:

Introduce the Opposing Argument

The writer summarizes the opposition's viewpoint openly and honestly.  Ignoring the opposition is futile in that the audience is aware of the opposing arguments and will doubt the credibility of a presentation that chooses to ignore the opposition rather than deal with it.

Ways writers can begin:
But _______ is not completely inaccurate.
Some historians claim. . .
It is often argued that...
It is true that...
Opposing views claim... 

And the turnback:

Counter the Argument

Introduce the turnback of the concession argument. The writer refutes the opposition's claims showing they are incorrect or inconsequential--not a real problem.

Ways writers can begin:
Nevertheless,
However,
On the other hand,
But...

And a strong statement:
Last sentence of the Conclusion

The conclusion is the last paragraph of the essay.  The final sentence of the conclusion is a strong statement. The writer ends the essay with a strong statement to show the reader the obvious interpretation of the facts .

Ways writers can begin:
It is obvious that. . .
There can be no doubt that. . .
The evidence is undeniable and . . .

Tuesday, March 26, 2019

I am out this afternoon. I expect a good report from the guest teacher.

During fourth period, you will read the Medieval to Early Modern Times book and answer questions in complete sentences.

Read chapter 8, section 3, pages 212--217

Section 3 “Growth of a Military Society”  p. 212-217

1. In two sentences, describe what life was like in Japan in the late 1100s,

outside of Heian.

2. What was the relationship between the samurai and the daimyo?
3. How did the shogun rise in power in Japan?  List three events.
4. Why do you think the first shogun wanted to keep the emperor as a figurehead?
5. What equipment did samurai have to protect themselves?
6. Why did samurai write poetry? Arrange flowers?
7. How did samurai show discipline?  Loyalty? Honor?
8. How did the kamikaze (divine wind) help Japan in 1274? In 1281?
9. Name two reasons nobles came to resent the shogun after the war with the Mongols.
10. How did the daimyo help weaken the shoguns?
11. How was Oda Nobunaga able to defeat his opponents?
12. What two things did Tokugawa Ieyasu allow that made Japan less isolated?
13. Name two things the shoguns feared as a result in the contact with the rest of the world.
14. What are two reasons the samurai period extended into the 1800s?

During fifth period, Mrs. Waistell will do a lesson on

writing.

Monday, March 25, 2019
During fourth period, we will read chapter 14 "Master of Rice" (link) on page 94 and answer the comprehension questions.
1)Who does Lord Akiyama assign Harutomo to be an aide to?
2) Why does Yoshitoki suggest Lord Akiyama’s won’t allow Harutomo to fight?
3) What does the foot soldier try to bribe Harutomo for?
4) Yoshitoki says, “In all great victories some soldiers of the victorious army are also slain.
. .The corpses on the battlefield do not all belong to one side. . .I rather think they belong
instead to the defeated” (100-101).  What does he mean?
Today you will write the first body paragraph for the argument essay of the DBQ "Should we celebrate the voyages of Zheng He?" The formula is :

Baby thesis, evidence, bridge, evidence, bridge, transition to next paragraph.
If you are using evidence from a chart, map or diagram, your evidence will be shown:
The map/chart/diagram in Document A/B/C/D shows _________________. 
Otherwise, you will use a quotation from the Document:
Document E states, "_________________."

Zheng He’s Voyages

Reasons to celebrate	Documents that support this
huge fleet	Documents B and C
sailed before Columbus	Document B
cleaned up Indian Ocean	Document E
showed China's greatness traveled more than 100,000 miles	Document D Document A
Reasons not to celebrate	Documents that support this
didn't discover anything, sailed established trade routes	Document A
no historical legacy	Document B
he spent more than he received	Document D
trusted fortune tellers murderer extorted tributes from lesser countries used number of soldiers to possibly intimidate	Document C Document E Document E Document C

Friday, March 22, 2019
At your table groups, you will analyze all of the documents of the DBQ "Should we celebrate the voyages of Zheng He" and list the reasons to celebrate and reasons not to celebrate:

Zheng He’s Voyages

Reasons to celebrate	Documents that support this
huge fleet	Documents B and C
sailed before Columbus	Document B
cleaned up Indian Ocean	Document E
showed China's greatness traveled more than 100,000 miles	Document D Document A
Reasons not to celebrate	Documents that support this
didn't discover anything, sailed established trade routes	Document A
no historical legacy	Document B
he spent more than he received	Document D
trusted fortune tellers murderer extorted tributes from lesser countries used number of soldiers to possibly intimidate	Document C Document E Document E Document C

Then you will find evidence in those documents that supports the reasons.
Next, you will write the introductory paragraph for your argumentative essay on the DBQ "Should the voyages of Zheng He be celebrated?" Go to Google Classroom for the worksheet.  

Thursday, March 21, 2019

alliteration	1	2	the use of several words together that begin with the same sound or letter in order to make a special effect, especially in poetry
assonance	1	2	similarity in the vowel sounds of words that are close together in a poem, for example between ‘born’ and ‘warm’
cliché	2	3	an idea or phrase that has been used so much that it is not effective or does not have any meaning any longer
hyperbole	1	3	a way of describing something by saying it is much bigger, smaller, worse etc than it actually is
metaphor	2	3	a way of describing something by referring to it as something different and suggesting that it has similar qualities to that thing
personification	2	3	the personification of something
simile	2	3	an expression that describes something by comparing it with something else, using the words ‘as’ or ‘like’, for example ‘as white as snow’

Fourth Quarter Points (from 3/18/19--6/5/19)

(due June 5, 2019)

Points earned in Reading Counts	Grade
27-30	A
24-26	B
21-23	C
18-20	D
17 or fewer	F

During fourth period, we will read chapter 13 "Rumors of War" of The Samurai's Tale (page 90, link) and answer the comprehension questions:

Terms to know:

Zazen (noun) Zen meditation, usually performed in the lotus position

Chapter 13 “Rumors of War”

1. 
   

1. What does "a loose tongue can outrun a horse" mean?
2. Who is one of Lord Akiyama’s greatest enemies?  What is he like?
3. What did the Ikko sect of monks do to Lord Oda after the temple of Heyeizan was destroyed?
4. What are the only two sects Kenmotsu would allow if he were Shogun?
5. What does Yoshitoki believe about the different sects?
6. If you were Shogun, would you rule like Kenmotsu or Yoshitoki? Explain.
7. How old is Taro (Harutomo)?

Wednesday, March 20, 2019
First, we will talk about what happened in chapter 11 of The Samurai's Tale.  Then we will read chapter 12 "A Name! A Name!" on page 84 (link) and answer the comprehension questions:

Chapter 12 “A Name! A Name!”

1. Why does Taro feel jealous when Yoshitoki leaves with Lord Akiyama?
2. What new name does Lord Akiyama give Taro? What is the significance of his first name?
3.  What is the significance of his last name?
4. What else does Lord Akiyama give Taro, in addition to his new name?

Today we will look at the charts and excerpts in Documents D and E and answer the questions in the DBQ "Should we celebrate the voyages of Zheng He?"
The voyages of Zheng He should be celebrated because ___________.
The voyages of Zheng He should not be celebrated because ___________.
Document E:
barbarians (noun)--someone from a different tribe or land, who people believe to be wild and not civilized

Tuesday, March 19, 2019
At table groups, you will read chapter 11 "In the House of the Ghost" on page 77 (link) and answer the comprehension questions:

Chapter 11 “In the House of a Ghost”

1. Why do you think the old man refuses to foretell Yoshitoki’s future?
2. What three things does the old man foretell about Taro’s future?
3. When Yoshitoki and Taro return to the mountain pass, what do they find?
4. What do you think this means?

Today we will look at the charts in Documents C and D and answer the questions in the DBQ "Should we celebrate the voyages of Zheng He?"
The voyages of Zheng He should be celebrated because ___________.
The voyages of Zheng He should not be celebrated because ___________.

Argument Essay Terminology

Term	Definition
argument	Making a claim and supporting it using logic.
persuasion	Making a claim and supporting it using feelings and emotions.
claim	The position that you are trying to get your readers to accept (thesis)
evidence	Facts that support your claim.
bridge/ warrant	Statement that explains how the evidence supports and connects to the claim.
counterargument	Challenging the argument by addressing the position of someone who may not agree with the argument.
turn-back/ refutation	Demonstrating why the counter- argument is wrong.
audience	Who will be affected by the topic? Who will read the essay?