• Hook- interesting or emotional comment used to catch reader’s attention
• General Comments- interesting background information (define key terms)
• Thesis Statement- specific topic of the essay/explains ideas of the body paragraphs

Conclusion-  The reader should see the importance of your essay, and finish thinking about what you have said.

• Ideas of thesis statement- use different words than those in the introduction
• Comments- may include a summary of the main ideas, an evaluation of other ideas, and/or the writer’s opinion
• Final statement- a final thought that ties up the topic

Remember: this only works on Firefox or Internet Explorer.

Using the Rich Text Editor, you can highlight a word and make it bold or italics with these buttons:

You can also make a word into a linked word (or remove a link if you made a mistake) using these buttons:

When you are creating a link, always make sure to have the new link open in a new window, like this:

Don’t forget to copy and paste the entire URL of the link into the “link URL” box above

If you want to add pictures from a website, use this button:

Make sure you include the entire URL of the picture (remember, you want to see the picture alone on the page, like this — use Google Images and go to “see full size image” — when you make your link)

You might want to check the “Alignment” tab to decide if you want your picture on the left, right or in the center.

Don’t forget to cite the source (URL) of your picture underneath the picture in your post. Without proper citation, this is plagiarism.

If you have a picture already saved on your computer, you can use the “Upload” tool (this also works in Safari):

Click on the browse button to find the file on your computer:

Click the upload button to upload your image to the server:

Then the “Browse” toolbar will pop up with your pictures:

Then, click on the picture you want to upload, and you will see this:

Make sure it says: “Using Original” (If it says “Using Thumbnail,” click once on the word “Thumbnail” and it will switch to “Original.” Then click, “Send to Editor”

If you do all of these things, you will have a truly beautiful post!

Good Luck!

THE POST INCLUDES

• The same title as the homework or classwork assignment on this site
• A link back to the homework or classwork assignment on this site
• A link to the article that the student is discussing
• The questions (copied and pasted) from the homework or classwork assignment on this site

IN THE CONTENT OF THE POST, THE STUDENT
• Follows the instructions from the homework or classwork assignment on this site
• Clearly explains what he or she is writing about
• Uses paragraph spacing, titles, and headings to organize the post
• Uses proper conventions (grammar & spelling – use spell check)
• Uses thorough examples
• Uses many details

Keep these tips in mind when you are writing your own posts!

You will be graded using the rubric below:

Excellent (5 points)

• It is clearly evident that the student read and understood the news article.
• All responses demonstrate a deep understanding of the content.
• All questions are answered thoroughly.
• All information is accurate.

Good (3-4 points)

• It is evident that the student read and understood the news article.
• All responses demonstrate an understanding of the content.
• Most questions are answered thoroughly
• Most information is accurate.

Needs Improvement (0-2 points)

• It is not evident that the student read and understood the news article.
• All responses demonstrate a simplistic understanding of the content.
• Few questions are answered thoroughly.
• There are problems with accuracy of information.

1. Students using blogs are expected to act safely by keeping personal information out of their posts. You agree to not post or give out your family name, password, user name, email address, home address, school name, city, country or other information that could help someone locate or contact you in person. You may share your interests, ideas and preferences.

2. Students using blogs agree to not share their user name or password with anyone besides their teachers and parents. You agree to never log in as another student.

3. Students using blogs are expected to treat blogspaces as classroom spaces. Speech that is inappropriate for class is not appropriate for your blog. While we encourage you to engage in debate and conversation with other bloggers, we also expect that you will conduct yourself in a manner reflective of a representative of this school.

4. Student blogs are to be a forum for student expression. However, they are first and foremost a tool for learning, and as such will sometimes be constrained by the various requirements and rules of classroom teachers. Students are welcome to post on any school-appropriate subject.

5. Students blogs are to be a vehicle for sharing student writing with real audiences. Most visitors to your blog who leave comments will leave respectful, helpful messages. If you receive a comment that makes you feel uncomfortable or is not respectful, tell your teacher right away. Do not respond to the comment.

6. Students using blogs take good care of the computers by not downloading or installing any software without permission, and not clicking on ads or competitions.

7. Students who do not abide by these terms and conditions may lose their opportunity to take part in this project.

Citation: BBC News Round. 20 August 2006. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/newsid_5260000/newsid_5268200/5268230.stm (23 August 2006).

Link: Israeli Lebanon Raid Worries UN

Picture:

Picture Source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/media/images/41992000/jpg/_41992948_israel203_bodyap.jpgMap:

Picture Source: http://www.fpif.org/briefs/maps/map_is_leb_syr.jpg1. What is the issue?

The ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon was broken on 19 August 2006 because the Israeli military conducted a raid on the southern part of Lebanon where most Hezbollah members live. The Head of the United Nations, Kofi Annan, is very concerned about the violence.
2. Who is involved?

The United Nations, Kofi Annan, Israel, Lebanon, Hezbollah

3. Who is affected and how?

• The United Nations: Resolution 1701 by the United Nations was the ceasefire agreement.
• Isreal: Scared of Hezbollah getting weapons, so they attacked, which breaks the ceasefire.
• Lebanon: People in Lebanon are in danger from the raid.
• Hezbollah: Continues to fight with Israel and tries to get more weapons, which breaks the ceasefire.

4. What would you do if you were directly involved?

We know that the United Nations tried to create peace between these two countries with Resolution 1701. We also know this did not work. So, we would bring all of the parties involved together again to amend and improve upon the current resolution. We would review the failed resolution and determine what went wrong. We would also ask each group to tell all of us what their ideal solution would be. We would work together to come up with a solution that involves everyone’s needs. The goal of the amended resolution would be to address as many concerns as we can.

Criteria for an Acceptable Article
Acceptable articles should….
• last at least 10 years in the history books
• make world news
• affect the whole world
• reflect human innovation
• change lots of lives
• groundbreaking scientific discovery
• affect the environment on a large scale
• change living environment for a large portion of the world

Criteria for an Unacceptable Article
Unacceptable articles…
• won’t make world news
• will not last 10 years in the history books
• affect a very small group of people or one person
• can be celebrity news
• interest only a small group of people
• can be human interest stories
• can be silly news
• can be entertainment news

Good Luck!

Definition of Current Events
• the cultural, political, and social events of importance and interest at the present time
• present-time news events concerning important people, places, things, and ideas

Definition of Political Events
Events related to politics (government, war, economy)

Examples of Political Events:
• Lebanon bombings
• US dollar currency drop
• Hurricane Katrina
• 9/11
• Presidential elections
• New laws or policies

Definition of Cultural Events:
Events related to culture (religion, art, human accomplishments, language, beliefs, education)

Examples of Cultural Events:
• Tsunami
• Hydrogen cars
• Bird flu
• Scientific discovery
• Historic discovery
• Museum exhibits

Definition of Social Events:
Events related to people; usually parties, activities or gossip

Examples of Social Events:
• Parties
• Moving homes
• New people arriving
• Gossip
• Celebrity gossip/news
• World Cup
• Marriage
• Airplane crashes