Unjust Laws, Unjust Power

What should we do with unjust laws: obey them, change them, or defy them?

Issue #1: How much surveillance is necessary? How much surveillance is too much?

Sources on issue #1:
"Here's How We Take Back the Internet" a TED Talk with Edward Snowden

"Why Snowden Won’t (and Shouldn’t) Get Clemency" an opinion piece by Fred Kaplan

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Your assignment:

After taking notes on Snowden's talk and Kaplan's opinion piece, respond to the following question in a Google Doc titled "Did Snowden Do the Right Thing?"

Did Edward Snowden do the right thing when he broke the law* and an oath^ to share classified documents about National Security Agency (NSA) surveillance with several news outlets?

Your response should include a clear answer to the question. Then, explain your answer logically. Support your explanation with details from your notes about Snowden's talk and Kaplan's opinion piece. Your respond should be 300+ words in length. 

You'll work on your response in class on Thursday (9/25) and Friday (9/26). If necessary you will finish the response at home.

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* He is accused of stealing government property and violating the 1917 Espionage Act.

^ To work at the NSA he signed an oath stating that he would not disclose classified information. 

Thinking about the school rules

Add a comment below.

1. Write your first name and last initial.

2. Then, write down a school rule that you think is good for the school. (You can type it up word for word or summarize it. Make sure you understand it.)

3. Explain why it is a good rule. In your explanation try to convince me, Mr. Moceri, and your peers that you're right.

4. Then, write down a school rule that you think is not good for the school. (You can type it up word for word or summarize it. Make sure you understand it.)

5. Explain why it's not a good rule. In your explanation try to convince me (remember I'm a teacher), Mr. Moceri, and your peers that you're right.

This is English 10 with Mr. James Cook.

Tomorrow bring in an email address (or two) that a parent or guardian will check.

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Here are the class policies and expectations:

Welcome to English 10 with Mr. James Cook

1. Know the school policies in the Compass.

2. Show respect, take responsibility, try hard, have integrity, be engaged

·   Show respect for yourself, each other, me, other teachers, administrators, staff members, the room (including Chromebooks, desks, floors, walls, etc.), and the equipment (books, etc.)

·   Take responsibility for your own education and behavior.

·   Put forth a good faith effort.

·   Don't copy other people's work. Don't plagiarize. In other words don't cheat. And don't make up fictional excuses. In other words don't lie.

·   I promise to work hard to make sure lessons are purposeful and relevant to your life. If you can read well, write well, and think critically you will have more control over your own life. I can help you with that. I also promise to work hard to make sure we read, write, and think about big questions that human beings have long been concerned with, especially this one: How do people respond to society's pressures? In return I ask that you engage with the work we do in class and the work I ask you to do outside of class.

What other behavior expectations are important to you?
What consequences make sense to you?

3. Stay organized and be prepared.

·          Bring a pen or pencil to class. (Pens and pencils cost $.25 in 2207.)
·          Use a large three-ring binder to keep all photocopied handouts and completed work in chronological order, including graded processed papers, projects, tests, quizzes, and homework. (Keep photocopied handouts for the semester. Keep processed papers and projects for the entire year. Keep graded tests and quizzes for the semester. Keep returned homework assignments for the term.)

·          The binder you bring to class daily must contain a source of paper.

·          You will also be responsible for bringing whatever book we are reading to class each day.

·          Use your Compass to record homework assignments. Homework assignments are written on the right side of the whiteboard at the front of the class.
·         Remembered your assigned Chromebook number.

How are these expectations for staying organized and on top of assignments similar to and different from the expectations in other classes you've had in the past or have this year?
  

4. Know how you will be graded.

30% UNIT-WORK (also called formative assessments)

These assignments, which account for most of the homework and classwork, assess your learning as you practice skills and build knowledge.

·          This category consists of assignments that help you learn and make sure you're learning before a big test or writing assignment, so it includes things like reading check quizzes (Did you read and understand?), vocabulary homework (Are you learning the words?), entry/exit writing (Are you prepared for class? Did you learn what was taught that day), steps in the writing process (pre-writing, drafts, self-assessment, peer-assessment), MCAS practice work, PLATO activities, most open response writing, most graded discussions.

·          Unit-Work will be graded using the following system:

·         The work is considered advanced (10 out of 10, A-range, check-plus, 4 on the open response rubric) if the work is complete and shows exceptionally thorough and thoughtful understanding of concepts and mastery of skills;

·         the work is considered proficient or adequate(9 or 8 out of 10, B-range, check, 3 on the open response rubric) if the work is complete and meets expectations by showing understanding of concepts and mastery of skills; 

·         the work needs improvement (7 out of 10, C/D-range, check minus, 2 on the open response rubric) if the work is nearly complete and/or shows partial understanding of concepts/skills;

·         the work triggers a warning (6 or less out of 10, F, check minus minus, 1 on the open response rubric) if the work is incomplete and/or shows little to no understanding of concepts/skills.

Does this grading policy seem fair so far? How is it similar to or different from the way other teachers grade homework and classwork?

70% END-OF-UNIT ASSESSMENT GRADES (Summative Assessments)

These assignments assess your skills and knowledge at the end of a unit.

·          Grades on unit tests, unit projects, independent reading evaluations, student conduct and habits evaluations, and multi-draft writing assignments will be worth two hundred points.

·          Grades on vocabulary quizzes, single-draft  essays, PLATO assessments, some graded discussions, etc. will be worth one hundred points.

·          These assignments will be graded using rubrics that students will become familiar with throughout the year.

           
Why do you think formative assessments that help you practice skills and build knowledge are worth less than summative assessments that evaluate the skills and knowledge you end up with? What do you think about the policy?

Why do you think student conduct and habits count as a full test grade each term?
 
5. Know the policy for late work

Unit Work (especially homework)

·         Unless you are informed otherwise, homework that is completed late but before the end of the unit will be accepted but for reduced credit. (The grade will be reduced from advanced to proficient, proficient to needs improvement, or needs improvement to warning.)

·         Unless you are informed otherwise, homework that is completed after the end of the unit will not be accepted.

 

End-of-Unit Work (especially papers and projects)

·          If you are between one and five school days late with an end-of-unit assessment your grade on that paper or project will be reduced by ten points.

·          If you are more than five school days late with an end-of-unit assessment you may receive a passing grade (65) on that paper or project if you discuss the lateness with me , you turn the assignment in a week or more before the end of the term, and the work meets requirements.

·          Not doing an end-of-unit assessment is not an option.

Considering that end-of-unit assessments are 70% of your grade and considering that there aren't many end-of-unit assessments each term, why did I write "not doing an end-of-unit assessment is not an option"?

6. Know the policy for retaking quizzes and tests, and for rewriting papers
·          Unless you are informed otherwise, students may make arrangements to retake a quiz or test during the five school days following the original quiz or test. Retake quizzes and tests cover the same information as the original quizzes and tests but are not identical to them.

·          In some cases students may also rewrite papers. If you would like to rewrite a paper ask  me.
·          Unless you are informed otherwise, the new grades will replace the old grades if the new grade is higher

What does this policy encourage?

7. Know what will happen if you're late or skipping.

·          If you are late to class (meaning you arrive at your desk after the bell and after I have begun the day's lesson) you may be asked to stay after school.

·          If you are late by more than seven minutes you will be marked absent from class. This is school policy as set forth in the student handbook.

·          If you are discovered to have skipped class a zero will be added to your unit-work grade. (This consequence is in addition to the consequences outlined in the student handbook.)

8. Absences and make-up work

·          Work missed due to absences is your responsibility. The absence policy for GHS is outlined in the student handbook.

·          On the day you return to class, you will be expected to take tests, quizzes, participate, and turn in any assignments that are due on the day of return or had been due during your absence, so long as the due date was announced or posted before your absence.

Note:  These policies are subject to change.  All changes will be announced in class.  Students will cross out the changed language and write in the new.

Do policies 7 and 8 seem reasonable? What sorts of behaviors do they encourage?
 
9. Class Blogs & Emails

·          The class blog can be found at http://jcookenglish10.blogspot.com.

·          Send email to jcook@gloucester.k12.ma.us and share documents with jcook@gloucesterschools.com

Write this information in your Compass.

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