For Credit in This Class...

You must complete all eight (8) Google assignments correctly (a grade of 7 or higher).  
You must have a grade of at least 5 posted for every blog assignment.
Your combined total grade must be at least 70%.

If all of these conditions are not met you will get a "no grade" and zero (0) credit on your report card.

After today there are 13 school days left in this trimester.  We will have about 6 more assignments.

So far we've had 24 ten-point assignments, the fifty-point Codehs assignment and the fifty-point Fontstruct assignment.  The current point total is 340.  With 6 more ten-point assignments our final point total will be 400.  That means that you will have to have at least 280 points for a C-.

All assignments are on this blog.  Your grades for these assignments are at bbhs.schoolloop.com.  It is your responsibility to finish each assignment.  If you finished an assignment late (after I originally graded that assignment) you might have a zero.  It is your responsibility to let me know that it is done and ready to be graded.

Assignment #26 Critical Film Review

This blog assignment is not to write a summary of the film that  you choose.  This blog assignment is to write about your specific opinions of the film that you choose.

You are the one and only expert of your opinions.  Write about your specific opinions about the specific elements from the film that you choose that stood out to you.  You can write about specific characters, actors, overall character development, dialogue, cinematography, story, plot, etc.

Include a picture relating to the movie you choose (movie poster, etc.) to begin your review.

 This critical review will be written in paragraphs and be at least 200 words.  

When referencing character’s or actor’s names make sure you spell them correctly with capital letters beginning each name.

Paragraph 1

1)  Begin your critical review with a general synopsis of the story (short summary- 2 sentences maximum) followed by one sentence that tells your overall opinion of the film.  Do not include spoilers anywhere in your review. 

Paragraphs 2,3,4

2-4)  Go in to detail about your opinions and the film elements that support your opinions.  Write about each element in its own paragraph. Include examples from the film to support your opinions. For example, if you liked/disliked a character from your film, you could write a paragraph about what you liked/didn't like about that character citing examples from the film. (3 paragraphs minimum).  There are many specific elements that you could focus on in your paragraphs 

Paragraph 5

5)  Conclude your review with a final paragraph summarizing your opinion and giving a final recommendation (thumbs up, thumbs down, 3 out of 4 stars, C+, etc.).  You choose one way to grade the film. 

This outline will give you a 5 paragraph critical review.  You can write more than 5 paragraphs if you so desire.

Assignment #25 Pop (Popular) Culture

This is a blog assignment.  Write about something in today's culture that you are into.  It could be a television show, a movie, a video game, sports team, performing artist, lifestyle (culture), hobby, etc. One of my favorite shows still currently on television is the Walking Dead.

Include at least 3 related pictures
at least 200 words written in paragraphs 
at least 1 link related to your topic.

Assignment #24 Typing

In today's society typing is a very important skill.  Some of you may have had a typing class where you learned the basics.  There are many online sites that provide exercises to improve your typing accuracy and speed.

1.)  Briefly describe (minimum 2 sentences) any classes or exercises you have done to be able to type.

2.)  Go here and do this typing test.  Screen capture (shift/apple/3) the results and post to your blog.

3.)  Then go to a search engine and find a free typing website that you think will help someone improve his/her typing skills.  Explore the site to see what it offers.  Write a short summary of the website (minimum 4 sentences) that includes a link to the website.

Title the blog post "Assignment #24 Typing"

Include at least 2 sentences about your typing education.
Include the JPEG of your results from the typing test.
Include the short summary (at least 4 sentences) of the typing website that you found.
Include a link to that website.

Assignment #23 Typing Tests

Go here and complete some typing tests.

1)  You will take at least one of each of the 5 timed tests (1 min, 2 min ... 5 min).

2)  You will take a screen shot (shift/apple/3) of the best result for each test.

3)  You will post all 5 pictures on your blogger titled, "#23-Typing Test #2."
      You will insert the 5 results pictures in your blog.

4)  This site also has typing games that will increase your typing speed.  Try out the games and type which one is your favorite and why.

My favorite game was Spacebar Invaders.  Everyone try Spacebar Invaders at least once.

Assignment #22 Smoking

Read this article.  Then do the following:

This is a blog assignment.

1.)  List the 10 reasons given in the article for why people start smoking cigarettes.  Number the reasons 1-10.

2.)  Write at least 100 words in a paragraph(s) about your opinion of smoking.  If you are a smoker, include the reason why you started smoking and continue to smoke?

3.)  Include at least 1 picture that is either for or against cigarette smoking that corresponds with your view.

This week

Because of STAR testing this week's schedule is going to be unique.  All 11th graders will be testing today and miss class.  Tomorrow all 9th 10th graders will be testing.  Wednesday and Thursday some students might be testing as well.

It is important that you use class time to finish all of your assignments.  If you have completed everything, then you need to spend time making your font better.

Assignment #21 Creating a Font

There are specific assignments that we have to do for this class (the "boring" ones) that can't be changed.  Other assignments can be more creative/fun, but we are still limited by what we can do by network blocks, etc.  Other things aren't blocked but require the installation of software on each computer, and that takes time and patience. 

Fonts are a part of all of our lives.  Websites, books, magazines, street signs, written DMV driving tests, CAHSEE all use different fonts for displaying words and numbers.  For the next several days you are going to be creating your own font (font examples- Arial, Courier,Times). 

You will be going to this site. 
You will sign up using the email account that you use for this class. 
Use the same password as your email so you won't forget it. 
You will be sent an email with a link to complete your free registration on the site (the email takes a few minutes to arrive in your inbox).

You will then proceed to create your own unique font.

Make every capital letter the same height (at least 10 blocks tall).

Name your font anything (school appropriate) that you want.

This will be a several day process.  I will inform you as to how you will be turning this assignment in.

Be creative and take some time to create each letter.  "Sloppily done, quickly thrown together with little thought" fonts will receive grades closer to zero than 50 or whatever this assignment ends up being worth.

Assignment #20- Free Choice

Write about anything you want (school appropriate).

Must be 200 words written 
in at least 3 paragraphs.
Must include at least 3 pictures.
Must include at least 1 link.

Assignment #19 Being Charitable

This is a blog assignment.

Mark Cuban mega-rich business man and owner of the Dallas Mavericks shows up at Back Bay High School with two million dollars to spend.  He offers you a job.  The pay for this job is one million dollars. The job is to choose a charity that you care about.   Mr. Cuban wants to donate the other one million dollars to that one charity.

Let's be charitable.

Your job is to research different charities to find one that means something to you.  After you find the charity that you want to support, you will write a blog entry that 1) **briefly describes the charity, 2) details (at least 2 paragraphs) why this charity is important to you, 3) includes a link to the charity's website and 4) includes at least 2 pictures related to the charity.

**The link to the charity's website will include all the information about the charity.  This is why you will only briefly describe (a few sentences) the charity in your post.

Monday, May 6th

Walk-around progress reports are on Wednesday.  Your grade is based on the first 18 assignments in this class.

Only a few of you have finished all of the assignments.  You have all class period today to finish any unfinished assignments.

Day 30

Progress reports are next Wednesday.  Your progress report grade is based on the first 18 assignments (a total of 220 points.).

Any incomplete or not done assignments will get a grade of zero.  Your percentage will determine your grade using the standard grading scale.

Assignment #18 Bucket List

A bucket list is a list of things that you want to do/accomplish before you die.  There is a 2007 movie starring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman called The Bucket List about 2 terminally ill men attempting to complete all the items on their bucket lists.

For today's assignment, you are to come up with 5 things that you want to accomplish during your time here on earth.  Do not include things that you have already done.  Graduating college and having children are not on my bucket list, because I have already done those things.  List the things from 1-5 including at least 1 sentence describing why you want to do/accomplish each thing.

If you click on the link above, it will take you to a website dedicated to people and their bucket lists.  Check out that site to help you come up with ideas for your list.

Minimum requirements

this is a blog assignment
numbered list of 5 things/goals/etc. that you haven't done yet.
at least 1 sentence describing why each thing was chosen

1. run a half marathon in under 2 hours-  I will never be an elite level distance runner, but I consider running 13.1 miles in less than 2 hours an accomplishment.

2.  run a marathon in under 4 hours-  I have yet to attempt this goal.  I will hopefully run my first marathon next year.

3.  complete a triathlon-  I know I can swim, bike and run.  The question is "can I find enough time to properly train for a triathlon?".  One day I will.

4.  travel overseas-  I have a passport, but have never used it (except for Mexico).  One day I would like to travel to many countries.

5.  Donate platelets over 200 times-  I used to donate blood, but I was told for my blood type (A+) it was better to donate platelets.  Platelets can be donated every 2 weeks.  The problem for me is that the process takes about 3 hours and with 2 little ones at home I can't get away on the weekends for that amount of time.  Right now, I donate during the summer and vacation times since 2010.

Finish Programming with Karel

Today is another class period to complete any unfinished work specifically "Programming with Karel." If "Programming with Karel" is not done, then that is what you should be working on.

If that is done, then finish any other unfinished work.