Senior Graduation Speeches

The two most important things for you to consider as you compose your graduation speech are the purpose of the speech and the audience. Ask yourself why you are standing in front of the illustrious guests sitting before you. Is it to entertain them (no), is it to edify them (no), is it to reveal how Mirman has prepared you to meet the challenges that lie ahead (yes)?

Organization
Speeches are generally organized around a specific theme. Many of the themes listed below are based on the same idea but offer a slightly different angle. Consider the following:

the future/dreams/new beginnings/choices/goals
maturing/change/life lessons/passages/challenges
success/values/education/friendship

You may want to develop your speech around a unifying element (such as a symbol, song, quotation, work of art or literature, metaphor, admirable figure, a personal passion, hobby or interest). Such an element provides a strong focus and makes the speech stand out.

The Beginning of the Speech
You do not have to, but many people start their speech by thanking the audience: Dr. and Mrs. Mirman, the board, the administration and faculty, family and friends, classmates.

Begin with a strong opening. If you are using a unifying element, an anecdote, a quote, an analogy, a song lyric, etc., should be employed in your intro. In any event, make sure your theme is clear and present.

The Middle of the Speech
This is the bulk of your speech.  Keep it engaging.  It may be serious and amusing, poignant and entertaining, all at the same time.  The most important thing is for you to keep your audience interested and your focus clear. If you have a unifying element, make certain that you stick to it in the body.

The following topics are frequently cited:

• Lower School and Upper School trips and assemblies
• Science Fair
• Field Day
• Senior Service
• Thursday breakfasts; Senior lunches
• Third and Fourth Year plays
• Specific course work, units studied or learning moments

The End of the Speech
Alert the audience that you are drawing to a close.  Try to conclude with an impact—you want your speech to be remembered. Consider using the same quote, lyric, or deeply moving thought from the introduction to remind the audience of your theme. You might also want to re-address those assembled, as you did in your introduction.

Requirements

• Absolutely no more than 1 1/4 pages, double spaced (this comes out to two minutes)
• No inside jokes (remember, most of the audience won’t understand what you think is so funny)
• No individual teacher thank you’s

Element Poster

Poster Specs: 12x18 in (300 dpi); Portrait Orientation

Poster Rubric:

• Use of Class Time
• Graphics - Clarity
• Graphics - Relevance
• Required Elements
• Knowledge Gained
• Content Accuracy

Effective Advertisements:

• Simplicity is the key 
• After deciding what you want on the poster, make full use of space, and not crowd letters 
• Keep this message big enough so that people can see it easily from a few meters away
• Be as concise as possible 
• Use only the information necessary to convey your message 
• Don't forget to include the name of your element and/or logo in a visible place.
• The well-known saying "A picture is worth a thousand words" is most appropriate in creating fabulous poster design
• Images must be bold, clear and easy to understand
• Dare to use colors! Use of colors should be done with taste
• Strong contrast in colors' hue and value is essential for creating a good poster design
• Contrasting colors is best when viewing posters from far distances

Instructions:

• Make a draft version of your poster (Proof-read it carefully!) (DUE MAY 4)
• Get someone to double, or triple-check and proof-read it
• Make a final version (DUE MAY 6)

Term Paper

TERM PAPER FORMAT

(For students in 4th Year Science classes) 

INTRODUCTION

The preparation of a research paper -- be it for a class term paper, a professional journal article, a technical report at a job, or a graduate thesis -- may generally be divided into five tasks:

1. Identifying the problem or question to be dealt with; 
2. Collecting data (measured observations and/or bibliographic references) about the problem or question; 
3. Analyzing the data, either by statistical examination of the observations, or by reading, thinking about and organizing the literature; 
4. Describing in an organized and clearly understandable fashion what you did and what you found out; 
5. Putting the results of the research into the required finished format. 

Often the constraints of the format are rather rigid, requiring a great deal of attention to detail. The plus side of this is that you know exactly what is expected; there is little room for subjective evaluation, and you either get it right or you get it wrong.

This write-up describes the rules of the research paper format for this course. A number of the "rules" are really warnings of common errors that students make in preparing papers; a careful reading of these instructions will hopefully keep you from making the same errors. Failure to follow one or more of the instructions in this description will result in a substantial lowering of your grade on the paper.

ORGANIZATION

The text of the paper may be organized / structured in a variety of ways. However, the critical organizational elements are that: (a) there be an organization, and (b) the organization is apparent to the reader. In most cases, the easiest and clearest way to insure structure is to divide the paper into sections, each having a descriptive title. In general, a paper may be grouped into four main sections, as described in the following paragraphs. More sections are possible, depending on the paper length and topic. In each case a figure is presented for how much space each section should take; note that these are just rough estimates and not firm space rules -- adjust them as necessary.

First, the topic should be introduced within the context of some larger problem. For instance, the question of the possible exploration for oil in the Artic National Wildlife Refuge might be prefaced with a brief discussion of the worldwide demand for petroleum products and the U.S. need to be less dependent on outside sources of petroleum. This should take about one-fifth or less of the paper text, though not normally less than about one paragraph. (1.5 or Double Spaced - 1 1/2 pages)

Second, the specific topic of the paper needs to be identified and described. Here you need to define exactly what it is that you will be discussing in the paper. For example, if you are writing about oil exploration in Alaska, what aspect are you going to deal with? Are you concerned with the environmental implications, or the possible effects on the Alaskan economy, or with the details of the actual process of how exploration is undertaken? This should take at least a paragraph and maybe as much as a couple pages, depending on the length of the paper. Normally it will be no more than about one-fifth of the total paper text.

Third, the main body of the paper needs to be presented. This section should be carefully organized in a logical fashion, generally paying attention to the following:

• Select and deal with only 2-4 major points; don’t attempt to cover too much. 
• Avoid simply listing points; instead you should develop and discuss each point at some depth. 
• Organize the points so that the reader knows where you are and where you are going at all times; do not jump around in a disjointed manner. 
• Present just the facts and support them with references to data, either in the form of collected measurements or citations to literature. 
• Do not interject personal comments or conclusions at this point; this is appropriately done in the conclusion / comments section.

The intent of this section is to present the material you have gleaned from your reading and research into the topic. This will commonly take about two-fifths to three-fifths of the text length, depending on the nature of the paper.

Fourth, you need to summarize and/or comment on the points of the paper. Briefly draw together the ideas in the previous section and include any personal observations and comments. Come to some kind of conclusion to indicate that you have thought about the material. Students often do not appreciate the importance of this section and tend to just hurriedly dash something off. Remember, this is where you get to connect together everything else you have written and to make clear any insights that you have gained from the research. This section therefore needs to be clearly written and to say something of relevance. This may take from about one-fifth to two-fifths of the paper.

Each of the main parts of the paper should have a section heading, such as Introduction, Early History, The Current State of Research, Conclusion, etc. Note, for example, the section headings used in this handout and how they serve both to organize the information and to alert the reader about changes in subject matter. When listing a number of points or major ideas, set them apart with bullets, numbers, etc.

WRITING STYLE 
The paper title should be relatively brief, precise and descriptive of what the paper is about. Remember, the title is the first thing that the reader encounters when picking up your paper and it will impact both the first impression of the paper (“This sounds like an interesting paper,”) and the final impression (“Wow, this paper does just what the title said it would do.”) The paper should be written in a professional manner. Clarity, logical organization, and conciseness are of primary importance. Assume that what you are writing will be read by another student who knows nothing about the topic, and include enough detail so that they will understand but not so much that they would be overwhelmed. Avoid the use of either slang or an excessive amount of jargon. Attempt to identify and properly employ only the commonly used professional terms relevant to a subject. If you use a specialized term or one that is likely to be unfamiliar to another student, be sure to explain it. Specialized terms are frequently shorthand for complex ideas, so be sure that the idea is clear or the term will be meaningless and/or confusing. Your goal is to communicate effectively, not to impress your reader with esoteric terminology, and the judicious use of terms can be very effective in helping to communicating ideas.

BIBLIOGRAPHY 
The length of your bibliography will vary with the topic but it will usually consist of more than a couple references. These may be journal articles, proceedings of professional meetings, portions of books, maps, research reports or Internet sources. Note two things:

• An encyclopedia is not an acceptable reference for a college level term paper. 
• While Internet sources are acceptable and may provide valuable information, if a minimum number of references is specified for a term paper, Internet sources are not counted toward the minimum number. In order to count, sources must be from published, peer reviewed / edited literature; this means books, journal articles and technical reports. 

The bibliography should appear at the end of the paper and should include all materials referenced in the paper. It should be organized in alphabetical order by the author's last name. Normally the bibliography is typed single spaced, with a blank line between each entry. Refer to MLA format for preparing your entries.

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Research Paper Topics 

1. Cryonics – Can Science Cheat Death? 
2. Revolution in Evolution – Evolution vs. Intelligent Design 
3. Genius – Myth and Reality 
4. Ecology/Global Warming – Myth and Reality 
5. Environmental Skeptic (Several Topics) 
6. Science & Society (Several Topics) 
7. Chaos Theory and Complexity 
8. Cloning 
9. Skepticism & Religion 
10. Human Population – Explosion vs. Control 
11. A.I. & Theology of UFOs 
12. Human Development – Nature vs. Nurture 
13. Medieval UFOs – Myth and Reality 
14. Anthropology Wars (Several Topics) 
15. String Theory – Science or Science Fiction 
16. PseudoScience (Several Topics) 
17. Open Choice

Macbeth Project

You are to select one of the following options. For whichever you choose, you are to write either an Elizabethan sonnet or a 14 line (or more) poem entirely in couplets. For each, remember poetic devices such as alliteration, sense imagery, figures of speech, consistent rhythm, elevated language. After your poem has been revised, you will create an illustrative background to accompany it, and you will record it as a podcast.

Elizabethan sonnet format:
14 lines of iambic pentameter
3 quatrains (abab, cdcd, efef) and a couplet (gg)

A. RECIPE. Create a witch’s brew.

1. Explain the purpose for which your brew is to be used. Your purpose must have some connection to a theme or motif of the play (e.g., chicken soup cures a deranged mind).
2. Include ingredients and measurements but don’t get too bizarre (please!)
3. Detailed instructions should be included in a step-by-step format. 

B. ANNIVERSARY CARD. From Lady Macbeth or Lady Macduff to her husband or vice versa.

1. Capture the personalities of the characters involved.
2. Consider the time period and action of the play.

C. LADY MACBETH’S LOST MISSIVE. In Act V, Scene I, Lady Macbeth’s gentlewoman reveals that the queen has been “sleep writing.” Write Lady Macbeth’s never before read letter. 

1. Capture Lady Macbeth’s character and state of mind at this point in the play.
2. What might she be writing? To whom? Why?

D. INVITATION TO A BANQUET. The Macbeths are holding a feast and sending out invitations.

1. Decide on an appropriate occasion.
2. Include the important details: purpose, where, when, entertainment, menu, attire, gifts, invitees, etc.

Photo Thoughts

DIRECTIONS:

1. You are to find and select a photograph dating from the period 1919-1939. It should be an American scene with at least one "recognizable" individual in the frame—as in a person whose face can be clearly seen. Copy & save that photo—you will be printing it. (Save "address" of photo) REQUIRED
2. You are to write an "interior monologue/dialogue in which you imagine what the individual(s) in the photo is(are) thinking/saying at that moment. USE YOUR IMAGINATION and anything you have read to help you create the words of your monologue/dialogue. REQUIRED
3. Can you find a quotation that in some way connects with this image? Find one, copy it, and paste it in with the image and document. Include the source/site from which it is taken. OPTIONAL

DUE: WEDNESDAY 3/24/10

Macbeth Motif Presentation

Motif paper is being changed to a class presentation, to be presented Tuesday and Thursday, March 23 and 25)

Motif presentation requirements:

1. 5 minutes
2. strong opening and closing (i.e., Shakespeare’s purpose)
3. minimum of three quotations from throughout the play (not just one scene)
4. analysis of the quotes
5. relevant connection to other motifs, themes, etc.
6. a creative component (anything that makes the motif come alive)
7. written notes to accompany presentation to be turned in day of presentation

Macbeth Explication

You will be writing an in-depth explication of one of the following passages as an in-class writing assignment. The first thing you must do is consider Shakespeare’s purpose in writing this passage; consider such things as

• what the passage reveals about the speaker, or other characters
• how the passage relates to the play’s mood and/or setting 
• how the speech reflects any of the play’s motifs or themes 
• how the passage relates to the concepts of the Chain of Being and Divine Right 
• how the passage moves the action forward

Once you have decided on the purpose of the passage, you can then ponder how Shakespeare accomplishes it. For this, you want to consider dramatic and poetic devices, such as

• diction (word choice, sense imagery, puns) and syntax (word order)
• dramatic irony, foreshadowing, soliloquy or aside
• setting and pathetic fallacy
• allusion
• metaphors, similes, personification, oxymorons, understatement, hyperbole, paradox

It is imperative that you not just state the use of the suggestions above, but that you frame your essay around your overriding thesis, Shakespeare’s purpose in the passage. In other words, your paper is looking at how the dramatic/poetic devices convey the purpose of the passage.
Your essay must contain quotations from the entire passage, not just one section. Remember to identify the passage at the beginning of your essay; then you can cite merely line numbers.

Passages from which to choose:

• I. iii. 128-143
• I. v. 15-30
• I. v. 38-58
• I. vii. 1-28
• II. i. 34-65
• III. i. 49-73

Due in printed form at the end of class Friday. Period 4: give to Mazelle; Period 6, give to Chris.

Macbeth Motif Paper

You are to write a paper tracing Shakespeare’s use of one motif (a minor recurrent theme or pattern of imagery)) in relation to the play’s characters, themes and structure. Your essay will not be due until after the completion of the play but, as soon as you can, select your motif from those below and inform me. Then you can begin focusing on your motif as we read the play. The essay should follow the basic format (introduction, body, conclusion), and it should be approximately two to three pages. Remember to use proper verse quotation format (see website) and to cite the play as follows: I. iii, 3-5 (not Act 1, Scene 3, lines 3-5).

Motifs

• Feasting/drinking
• Water/cleansing
• Disease/madness
• Salvation/redemption
• Manhood/womanhood
• Dissembling/equivocation
• Animals/beasts
• Fear/bravery
• Clothing
• Taunting
• Young/old
• Innocence/corruption
• Nurturing
• Gold/golden
• Reversal
• Paralysis/Action
• Appearances
• Planting/growth
• Incantations
• Dark/light
• Good/evil
• Blood
• Stars/heavens
• Sleep
• War
• Serpents
• Birds
• Disorder
• Family
• Disloyalty/betrayal
• Temptation
• Kingship
• Fortune
• Murder
• Honor
• Hospitality
• Fire
• Vacillation
• Ambition
• Devils/angels
• Hands/eyes
• Heaven/hell
• Sight/blindness

UPDATE: The Motif Paper has been changed to a Motif Presentation, to be presented on March 23 and 25. 

History Research Project Instructions

PROJECT INSTRUCTIONS: Part One

1. Select your topic—do preliminary checking on topic "viability" & get my approval.
2. Search for sources—begin to compile a research bibliography.
3. Submit your preliminary bibliography & receive feedback.
4. Acquire required print sources. If you have trouble about books, see me.
5. Make a list of questions you want/need answered during your research. These questions will frame your research & guide your note-taking and later final "product creation."
6. BEGIN ACTUAL RESEARCH—if already acquired, do book sources first [time sensitive]—read and take notes by source.
7. As you finish using/checking a source, do the following: 
1. Take down necessary bibliographic information info using MLA style guide format;
2. Write a short entry/description of source's value, its strengths and/or weaknesses—this is for your "annotated bibliography."
8. As you do your research-by-source: 
1. Check off the questions for which you find answers—attach a copy of your checked questions to each source;
2. Seek to confirm all information's accuracy—don't rely on a single source for your answers/facts;
3. Include page numbers for location of specific facts and quotations.
9. After you finish with or cannot work with print sources at that moment, shift over to internet sources, and follow the same note-taking protocols.
10. As your note-taking progresses, be thinking about
1. Creating a thesis regarding your research, and
2. How you want to present your information—what form will your product take..............
11. STAY TUNED FOR MORE TO COME.........DUE DATES ARE FORTHCOMING...................

History World War 1 Topics

WWI: Broad topics to focus on:

1. a. What were the long term/underlying causes of WWI?
   b. What were the short term/more immediate causes of WWI?
2. What was the course of the war on land—especially in Western Europe?—What defined the war? How did that shape the conduct of the conflict?
3. What brought America into the war?—both larger motives and more immediate events?
4. What were the outcomes/results and consequences of the Great War?

Focus on causation first!!!!!!

Use your books, the internet sites I showed you, others that you find—Example: search under "long term causes WWI"......................

Definition Essay

Define a word in one paragraph or more, but no more than one page, double spaced.

Requirements:

1. Include an actual definition, but do not copy one from a dictionary.
2. Provide at least one synonym or comparable word(s).
3. Provide examples of your word.
4. Provide at least one antonym or examples of what your word is not.
5. Provide necessary explanatory details.
6. Consider providing a brief anecdote.
7. Begin with an engaging opening and end with a strong concluding sentence.
8. Vary sentence lengths (dramatically short, medium, complex).

(Note: I must approve the word.)

Sometimes a simple definition of an idea or a word is not sufficient to explain that word’s meaning or to engage the reader. At those times, a paragraph, or more, may be necessary. Here are a few sample definition paragraphs.

1. Horse sense is a judgment which reflects sound thinking. It is not a blind jump into a decision which may lead to ruin. Horse sense is not a hasty conclusion which prompts action, causing deep regret later. In other words, horse sense is common sense. Anyone possessing this common sense would know better than to wear bathing trunks outdoors in December. He certainly would regret this action while recuperating from pneumonia. A sensible casting machine operator will turn off his machine before he attempts to retrieve a die which has fallen into the mechanism. A thoughtful homeowener carries liability insurance to avoid being sued by someone injured on his property. These people all use horse sense or common sense in making important decisions almost everyday of their lives. We see then that horse sense or common sense often requires sound thinking.
2. A desk is a piece of furniture at which a person reads, writes or does other work; in other words, it is a miniature work environment. It customarily features legs, drawers and a top upon which one places books, writing utensils and other work-related materials. Students do their homework and study at student desks while office people perform their daily tasks at work desks. While students commonly lie on their beds when they are doing schoolwork, beds are most certainly not classified as desks. One reason is that when people are working at their desks, they sit on chairs that fit into an opening below the desktop. Desks often house private information, such as financial statements, or they may be the location for personal touches such as photos and paperweights. Frequently made of wood, desks are also produced from metal or even plastic. If used properly, a desk is an unbeatable work and study tool.
3. The key point about a demonstration is that it must be seen. If a person demonstrates privately in his own home, this is not technically a demonstration but merely “acting silly” or “behaving like an ass.” A fine example of a demonstration was the Boston Tea Party, where outraged Americans disguised as Indians dumped British tea into the harbor. Later, Indians disguised as outraged Americans dumped actual British into the harbor. Following that, the British disguised as tea dumped each other into the harbor. Finally German mercenaries clad only in costumes from The Trojan Women leapt into the harbor for no apparent reason. (Woody Allen)
4. Yes!

     The Big Wheel goes round and round and comes to an abrupt halt, while young children scream in glee. Wandering men on stilts step over people and the smell of cotton candy is in the air. A little girl skips out of the crowd and pounces on her mother.
     “Mommy, Mommy! May I have a quarter so I can go on the elephant ride? Please, please, please! May I? Say yes! Please:” The mother reluctantly consents and the little girl blissfully runs off to join her friends.
     Yes is a word used to express agreement, consent, affirmation or confirmation. It is the opposite of no. This word, yes, is on a thousand lips and spoken by a thousand tongues everyday. Yes can grant happiness and is a reminder of a time of childlike innocence. Yes is also a word to use with caution, for a child can be spoiled and people can be overloaded with hopes and dreams.
     The way yes can be used can imply many more meanings than just a simple consent. It can be thrown out of the mouth as though it is distasteful, or it can be a sign of simple pleasure. Oui and Si are too quick to savor; they are out of the mouth before thought or serious contemplation. Yeah is friendly and warm, but conveys none of the simple elegance of yes.
     “Yes,” the teacher says, “that is correct.” I am smiling but inside I feel like jumping for joy. For weeks I could not master algebraic equations, but, with the help of my teacher, I’ve finally come to understand them. My shining moment comes when I give the right answer in class, and, before, all I could do was humiliate myself. When my teacher states my correctness, I feel the simple joy of yes that no other word can produce.
     Yes can be used a thousand times in one conversation, without anyone ever knowing its significance. Without yes we cannot communicate and convey information. One single word, yes, can mend broken hearts and uplift spirits. The affirmative to so many of my unanswered questions: will I graduate…will I find happiness…Will I get an A on this paper?

Chapter 4: Momentum and Energy - Review Questions

1. Which has greater momentum, a heavy truck at rest or a moving skateboard? Explain. 
2. Why might a drink glass survive a fall onto a carpeted floor but not on a concrete floor? 
3. How can a huge ship have an enormous momentum when it moves relatively slowly? 
4. When can a 1000 kg car and a 2000 kg truck have the same momentum? 
5. What are two ways in which the impulse exerted on something can be increased? 
6. How does impulse differ from force? 
7. For the same force, which cannon imparts the greater speed to a cannonball - a long-barreled cannon or a short-barreled one? Explain. 
8. Does a moving object possess impulse? Does a moving object possess momentum? Explain. 
9. What does it mean to say that a quantity is conserved - for instance, conservation of momentum. 
10. What do we call the quantity force x distance, and what quantity does it change? 
11. How much work is needed to lift an object that weighs 500-N to a height of 2-m? How much work is needed to lift the same object twice as high? 
12. How many watts of power are are expended when a force of 6-N moves a book 2-m in a time interval of 3-s? How much power is needed to doe the same job in 1-s? 
13. Two cars, one twice as heavy as the other, are lifted to the same elevation in a service station. How do their potential energies compare? 
14. How much work is done in lifting a 100-N object a vertical distance of 2-m? How much work is done in pushing the same object up a 4-m long ramp? (The force needed here is only 50-N, which is the reason inclines are used.) What is the difference in the object’s PE in each case? 
15. When a car travels at 50 km/h, it has KE. How much more KE does it have at 100 km/h? 
16. What is the evidence for saying whether or not work is done on an object? 
17. Cite the law of energy conservation. 
18. Can an object possess energy? Can an object possess work? 
19. Can something have energy without having momentum? Explain. Can something have momentum without having energy? Defend your answer. 
20. Consider a pendulum swinging to-and-fro. At what point is the KE of the pendulum bob at a maximum? At what point is the PE at a maximum? When its KE is half its maximum value, how much PE does it have?

Sears Ad

DIRECTIONS: Select one of the two images shown below, and write advertising "copy" for it-
along the lines that Richard Sears would have employed. Name it, price it, describe its
components or ingredients, its uses and / or functions, and its values, qualities, or efficacy. In
addition, you should use different fonts for different parts of your "copy." Take a look at the
example on the extra-credit section. Your final on this ad will be "wrapped around" the
computerized version of your chosen image-which will be found on the/a "group shared" folder

DRAFT DUE: MONDAY 1/11/10

VALUE: 50-100 POINTS

Apologia Pro Vita Sua: A Personal Essay

ap·o·lo·gi·a ( p -l j - , -j ). n. A formal defense or justification.

1. an apology, as in defense or justification of a belief, idea, etc. 
2. Literature. a work written as an explanation or justification of one's motives, .. 

After carefully considering your assigned reading in Constructing a Life Philosophy, our studied understanding of the Big 8 Social Identifiers, your reflective reading of Man’s Search for Meaning and The City and the Stars; your reflective viewing of “Gattaca,” spend the next few days writing a literate and detailed apologia pro vita sua. Just as you were directed for the “survival” essay associated with Man’s Search for Meaning, establish the personal significance of your apologia in the first one or two paragraphs, and then build on the themes and ideas you establish in those paragraphs to explicate the motivations and beliefs that provide meaning to your life at this stage in your life. (A review of the table of contents from Constructing a Life Philosophy should help direct your thoughts and detail your essay. Go back over what you wrote or said in some of your other class assignments, too.) As always, I would encourage you to spend time in “hevruta” with one another over just how you might attack this essay.

Just to make sure you are clear, your compositional skills and clarity of thought are critical to your grade.

Pre-write the essay or outline it, with the understanding that you must reproduce it in its final form during our final formal class next Tuesday morning. Though your take-home test may be turned in after Tuesday’s class, this essay must be completed on time and by the end of Tuesday’s class without exception. I look forward to reading your apologiae.

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When I mentioned above that you should “A review of the table of contents from Constructing a Life Philosophy should help direct your thoughts and detail your essay.” Consider that suggestion this way:

• Paragraphs 1 and/or 2 = The importance of developing this explication and explanation of your personal code of living. What are the core values that you believe you live by or strive to live by.
• Central paragraphs of the essay = addressing systematically the core values you have stated in the previous introductory paragraphs in terms of how these core values provide meaning and significance to your experience of living. 

a. Is this sense of meaning related more to some system of philosophical or theological ideals that resonate within you as a result of your reading or thinking in this class? Is this sense of meaning related more to your understanding of where you fit within the systematic development of humanity as science teaches it? Is this sense of meaning more related to a combination of these perspectives.

b. Identify the religious tradition (or lack thereof) that you were raised in and how you have either independently embraced that tradition in part or whole, or how you have moved into a more independent system of beliefs. How?

c. How do you perceive that your core values and the meaning that you have derived from them effect your moral behavior. In fact, what becomes moral behavior, given those core values.

• Project, finally, how you can apply this “apologia pro vita sua” to your interactions with institutions and communities that will be new to you in the coming year, e.g. how might it guide you to choose new friends, new activities, navigate personal and social challenges? How can this strengthen, validate and underscore your individuality?

Good luck!

Mr. West

Science One-Page Analysis #2

Below are some guidelines to consider when writing about your analysis.

Theme - the general idea that you plan to write about. The theme is developed from the packet of articles that have been chosen. Once you highlight the packet, it’s time to narrow the information into a single theme.

In order to narrow your theme from the larger pool of highlighted material, a few questions might help you pick a theme:
Who? Who did something about the subject that made an impact on you? Who else is involved? Who agrees or disagrees with your position?
What? What happened? What has been said on the subject? What new information has come to light? What have you learned about the subject?
When? When did it happen? When was the last debate on the subject? When will the subject have the greatest effect?
Where? Where does the subject affect the most people? Where was it successful? Where was it a failure?
Why? Why did it take place? Why does it matter? Why do people need to be involved?
How? How did it happen? How did it succeed or fail? How can it be repeated?

Once you have narrowed the packet down to your theme, start to form your paragraph around this idea.

Be clear - your reader should have no doubt about where you stand on the issue.
Keep the essay heading toward a definite conclusion.

Include 2 or 3 quotes from the packet of articles - Cite the quote by the author’s last name

Find a recent article in the news to attach to your essay.

Essay can be single-spaced and must fit on one page

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Article Links:

GM, Ford and Chrysler strive to become the lean three: continuous improvement has taken hold in Detroit--and not a moment too soon.
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Goodyear Headlines Fuel Savings with Key Vehicle Fitments.
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Tough sensor makes gas burn better.
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Safe cars versus fuel efficiency? Not so fast.
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Chilly Climate for Oil Refiners
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/24/business/energy-environment/24refining.html?_r=1&emc=eta1