10 Honors Enrichment Credit

We believe the work done in an English classroom is applicable in many ways outside of school. Why not take a passion for literature or your ability to analyze out into the world? The following are suggestions as to how you might go out and learn more about whats around you and, in so doing, learn more about whats inside of you. These are suggestions. The rest is up to you. The following activities and projects involve reviews of various cultural experiences that your community provides. Your review of the experience should be two typed pages written in standard essay format. The first part should describe the setting, atmosphere, and location of the experience, involving factual information about the experience (objective criticism). The second part should evaluate the experience, involving your personal opinions supported with details from the experience (subjective criticism). Students are required to complete one 10HEC project per quarter. Students must choose a different number for each quarter. Students wanting additional credit may complete a maximum of two projects per quarter. For the extra credit projects, students may repeat an option. For example, if a student attends the schools fall musical as his/her quarter two project, he/she could attend the spring musical as his/her 10HEC extra credit for that quarter. FULL CREDIT (up to 50/50 points) = one project with classroom presentation of page 2 EXTRA CREDIT (roughly 1% of qtr. grade) = two projects with presentations for each To receive credit, students must complete their paper within one week of their 10HEC experience. Students are required to present a brief overview of the experience in front of the class. They will show their peers proof of their experience (copy of ticket stub, program, pictures, etc.) and turn in a hard copy of their paper at the end of the presentation. 10HEC Deadlines Quarter 1: Monday, October 8 Quarter 3: Friday, March 8 Possible Enrichment Projects Haake/ Stewart Special Events Throughout the year, your teachers may plan special events that will be open to all English 10 Honors students. Well tell you where and when, but transportation and other logistics, as in all of these activities, would be up to you. 1. Visit a museum. Write a review about the museum, highlighting specific aspects that you enjoyed. Be sure to describe and analyze at least one specific piece and its impact on your experience. 2. Attend a movie at a local art house theater. This does not include any show that is also a main attraction at a megaplex. Write a review about the movie that you saw as well as the theater in which you watched the show. Can you relate any themes of the picture to something you have read in English class? Parent/teacher approval is required for all films. 3. Attend a play or musical at a local theater in the area . Write a review that summarizes the play and highlights particular performances, costumes, direction, set design, writing or lighting. The Quarter 2: Friday, December 7 Quarter 4: Friday, May 10

essay for this project should include new insights and connections between the written and performed word. 4. Altruism and You: Whether through a Northwest club or an organization that youre a part of outside of school, you can submit an analysis of your experience helping others. This cannot involve simply attending a meeting. This must be an event associated with an organization. In other words, this does not include going to an Amnesty International meeting, but it can involve going to an Amnesty International event. Your volunteer experience must be outside the school. For example, volunteering at Shawnee Gardens with Interact ClubYES. Volunteering to run concessions for Interact Club---NO. 5. Have a faith experience. For insight into other cultural systems and beliefs, visit a place of worship other than your own place of worship. How does this compare to your own belief system? How does this affect your understanding of your community? See the Faith section of the Sunday edition of The Kansas City Star for ideas. 6. Get published. Find new ways of exposing your writing to a wider audience. This does not include just posting to a blog. We want to see your work published in a literary magazine, newsletter or essay contest (White Rose or PTSA), or performed in front of a live audience. This could include being selected by Penpoint or competing in the SMNW Poetry SLAM. 7. Attend a poetry reading or author presentation. Perhaps youre aware of a poetry reading at a local coffee shop. Maybe youre proactive enough to contact local libraries, local college-level English departments, the Writers Place (http://www.writersplace.org/), or even attend Rainy Day Books author presentation at Unity Temple. 8. Go on a job shadow experience. To reinforce your commitment to your future, you can schedule an out-of-school shadowing experience in your desired profession. You need to shadow on your own time and provide proper documentation of your visit. 9. Attend a musical performance. This could include attending a live performance in any musical genre. If the genre involves words, there must be serious analysis of these lyrics in your two-page essay and their representation via the performance. If this involves classical music, for instance, you still must analyze the impact of the music on the audience. 10. Commune with nature. Going camping? Going to spend at least one night outside (in an area other than your backyard)? Heres a chance for you to reflect on your personal experience and how it is affected not only by the landscape around you, but also by the lack of cars, TV, or any other item found only in civilization. 11. Festivals and Fairs . Once per year , you can receive credit for an experience at things like the Renaissance Festival, Greek Festival, the Plaza Art Fair, the Westport Art Fair, etc. Keep in mind that you still need a two page, intelligent reflection about the experience. 12. Take a walking tour. There are many cultural and historical references throughout the Kansas City area. This may be a statue, a plaque remembering an important person or event, or any other piece of public art (not in a museum). Depending on which unit were in, seek out three pieces of public art relevant to that units theme. 13. Northwest Theater Performance. Support our schools thespians by attending a musical or play performance. 14. Northwest Music Performance. Support your fellow musicians and singers by attending a school choir, orchestra, or band performance. 15. Other ideas? See your teacher for approval.