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Welcome Students and Parents of WGHS!!!


05.18.2020

All:

Here is the 2019 ELA 9 Poetry Journal!

-Mr. Durfee


4/28/2020

Poet preference form.

-Mr. Durfee


3.30.2020

Hi ELA 9, 

I look forward to seeing more gratitude letters to those serving others in this national health emergency. Thanks to those of you who sent pictures of your letters so far. For those who were unclear, here is how you address an envelope.

Talk soon!

-Mr. Durfee



3.19.2020

Hey all,

Let's chat! I am inviting you to a video meeting. With a webcam, on a laptop or mobile, we should be able to connect and catch up. You may need to download a program called Zoom to join. Here are some details:

Topic: ELA Meet-Up!
Time: Mar 20, 2020 03:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join the Meeting!

Meeting ID: 483 491 8282
Password: 613728

Talk soon!

-Mr. Durfee


03.12.2020

Opinion Essay Writers:

Here is a great video to help you think about how to write an opinion essay. Watch it once, then maybe watch it again before reviewing the additional expectations of your assignment for the contest

-Mr. Durfee

2.14.2020
Debate prep day!

Watch a debate or two from this site

Enjoy!

-Mr. Durfee



2.13.2020
ELA 9:

Follow this link to provide some feedback to the editorial staff of The Seneca Times.

Thanks!

tcd


1.15.2020

ELA 9 Debate Researchers:

Consider the following sites for fact checking the information you encounter while researching your information:

AllSides. While not a fact-checking site, AllSides curates stories from right, center and left-leaning media so that readers can easily compare how bias influences reporting on each topic. 

Fact Check. This nonpartisan, nonprofit project of the Annenberg Public Policy Center of the University of Pennsylvania monitors the factual accuracy of what is said by U.S. political players, including politicians, TV ads, debates, interviews and news releases.

Media Matters. This nonprofit and self-described liberal-leaning research center monitors and corrects conservative misinformation in the media.

NewsBusters. A project of the conservative Media Research Center, NewsBusters is focused on “documenting, exposing and neutralizing liberal media bias.”

Open Secrets. This nonpartisan, independent and nonprofit website run by the Center for Responsive Politics tracks how much and where candidates get their money.

Politifact. This Pulitzer Prize winning website rates the accuracy of claims by elected officials. Run by editors and reporters from the independent newspaper Tampa Bay Times, Politicfact features the Truth-O-Meter that rates statements as “True,” “Mostly True,” “Half True,” “False,” and “Pants on Fire.”

ProPublica. This independent, nonprofit newsroom has won several Pulitzer Prizes, including the 2016 Prize for Explanatory Reporting. ProPublica produces investigative journalism in the public interest.

Snopes. This independent, nonpartisan website run by professional researcher and writer David Mikkelson researches urban legends and other rumors. It is often the first to set the facts straight on wild fake news claims.

The Sunlight Foundation. This nonpartisan, nonprofit organization uses public policy data-based journalism to make politics more transparent and accountable.

Washington Post Fact Checker. Although the Washington Post has a left-center bias, its checks are excellent and sourced. The bias shows up because they fact check conservative claims more than liberal ones.

Enjoy!

-Mr. Durfee


12.11.19
Student Council Survey!

Honest answers only, please. 

-Mr. Durfee

12.03.19
Podcast survey! Thanks. 

-Mr. Durfee

11.18.19

ELA 9:

Visit the Mind Over Media gallery for examples of contemporary propaganda we can discuss in class. Be sure to use our class handout to make things more clear. 

Talk soon!

-Mr. Durfee


11.13.19
ELA 9:

MINDSET SURVEY! What say you? Answer honestly. 

-Mr. Durfee

10.31.19
ELA 9:

BOO!

After spending a few minutes to read and discuss the paper, please complete this survey to help inform the publication of The Seneca Times.

Thanks!

-Mr. Durfee

10.23.18
ELA 9

Use the school library databases to research for your porject.

Uswername: WGHS
Password: look

I look forward to seeing your media kits!

-Mr. Durfee

10.11.2018

HALLOWEEN SURVEY!

Thank you,
Mr. Durfee


09.27.19
ELA 9:

Make your choices for The Big Read here.

-Mr. Durfee

05.15.19
3rd Grade Authors:

Use this link to add the finishing touches to our book!

-Mr. Durfee

03.06.19
3rd Grade Authors:

Please use the following links to help answer your inquiry questions about exploring space:

Kids InfoBits
Brittanica School

username:      wghs
password:       look

Happy researching!
-Mr. Durfee


11.04.18

Please click here to vote on the student art for the poetry journal for the class of 2022. 
-Mr. Durfee


10.23.2018
CLIMATE CHANGE SURVEY!

Thank you,
Mr. Durfee


04.16.18
Student survey!
Another student survey!
Do both!!!
-Mr. Durfee

04-05-18
Fake News Quiz!

03.29.18
Track and Field: Events Interest Survey!

03.06.18

WGHS STUDENTS: 

ARMING TEACHERS SURVEY

Thank you!
-Mr. Durfee

2.13.18
ELA 9

Medieval Tee Shirts!

-Mr. Durfee

1.31.18
Journalism:

Use this!

tcd

8
JOURNALISM:

Your gifts! Happy reading...

iCarlie Baker!
Amber R Benjamin!
Abby Cong!
Ashlyn!
Robert!
Pesco!

Jared!
Hannah!
Gwenny from the Block!
Jade!
Harmonei!
Robin!

-Mr. Durfee

01.18.18
Editorial link:

01.17.18
Journalism:

Hiya! Here is your midterm assignment:

The Heroes Among Us

A Very Journalism Midterm

Task:
Perseverant. Courageous. Inspirational. These qualities applied to your discussion of heroes yesterday, and they apply to the heroes of journalism you will study for this midterm project. Let's learn about some of the heroes of journalism. Your job is to research and present a famous muckraker + a contemporary investigative reporter to your classmates on midterm day, Thursday Jan. 24. We will party while you present. Each presentation must be 6-8 min.
 
Your presentation must include:
• An answer to the question: Is the Press the Enemy of the American People? Support your answer with evidence from your research.
• An appropriate and appealing title.
• A byline with your name and an appropriate date from the reporter's time period.
• An introduction with a brief explanation of the reporter and their work; what did they expose? What were the results of their effort?
• Relevant and telling samples from their work to share with the class; you must read a sample of the reporter’s work and explain why you chose to share this with us; what journalistic principle does the work display?
• Several images from your investigation with brief captions. This can be a drawing you make, or a copy of a photograph from a book or the Internet (give credit where credit is due). It should depict the reporter's work.
• Any other clever and creative touches that will make your report more realistic.
• An appropriately selected menu item to be purchased or prepared and shared with your classmates during the presentation period. Said menu item must be delicious and make a symbolic connection to the reporter's efforts. For example, fudgy brownies are insufficiently symbolic of efforts to expose profiteering in the oil-mining industry; fudge-filled brownies sprinkled with money-green mint chips are the superior selection.
 
CHOOSE ONE OF EACH FROM THE FOLLOWING TWO LISTS:
 
Historical Muckrakers:
Nellie Bly:
Ray Stannard Baker
Upton Sinclair:
Ida Mae Tarbell:
Lincoln Steffens:
Jacob Riis:
Louis D. Brandeis:
Gustavus Myers:
 
Contemporary Muckrakers:
Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein:
The reporters and editors from the student newspaper, the Booster Redux at Pittsburg High School in southeastern Kansas
Staff of East Bay Times, Oakland, CA
Eric Schlosser:
Seymour Hersh:
C. J. Chivers of The New York Times
New York Daily News and ProPublica
The Guardian US/The Washington Post 2014:
The Spotlight team, The Boston Globe:
Eric Eyre of Charleston Gazette-Mail, Charleston, WV
 
 
Helpful resources:
newseum.org
pulitzer.org
wikipedia.org
epicurious.com
cooks.com
 
 
 

01.03.18
Journalism

Here is a link to use for sharing your sentences about issue 5!

Have fun!
-Mr. Durfee

12.1.17
Academic Dishonesty Survey

WGHS, 
Thank you for your time and attention to our academic dishonesty survey. Please use the link below to complete the survey. As mentioned, the survey is completely anonymous. We will only collect your responses, no other identifying information.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY SURVEY

Thank you!

-Mr. Durfee


10.16.17
ELA 9 Honors:

Vocab Review Game Creation Directions

Access the following two documents from the student shared drive or my website:
 
1) Game Creation Template
2) Vocab Test 1 words

Then, use the directions below to create a vocabulary review game for your classmates. Save your completed spreadsheet to the shared drive so that I can post the games ASAP. This week’s vocab homework grade is based on completing these games. Games will be posted Friday 10/20. Games are due Monday 10/23.
 
Synonym Millionaire:
  Directions:
1.     Open the “Game Creation Template”
2.     Save the game template with your last name in the title (“Durfee’s millionaire game”)
3.     In row 2 of the column labeled “QuestionText” insert a vocab word from your list.
4.     In row 2 of the column labeled “Answer” insert a synonym to your word.
5.     Insert an antonym in the wrong answer cells for columns C, D, and E.
6.     Repeat for rows 3-11.
7.     Save a copy of the spreadsheet to the student shared drive, or email it to me through Toolboxpro.
  
Matching:
Directions:
1.     Open the “Game Creation Template”
2.     Save the game template with your last name in the title (“Durfee’s matching game”)
3.     In row 2 of the column labeled “QuestionText” insert one of the vocabulary words from your list.
4.     In row 2 of the column labeled “Answer” insert a definition or a sentence using the word correctly.
5.     Repeat for rows 3-11.
6.     Alternate between definitions and sentences.
7.     Save a copy of the spreadsheet to the student shared drive, or email it to me through Toolboxpro.
 
 
9.6.17
ELA 9:

The Summer Reading assignment has been posted to the resources link to the left of this page. Summer officially ends Sept. 21, so all assignments are due Sept. 22 for full credit.

-Mr. Durfee

12/07/2016
All WGHS Students:

Hi all, please see the image below to log-on to OneNote from home.



Also, feel free to revisit the resources link on the left in the Humanities 9 folder for instructions.

Good luck!

-Mr. Durfee


09.08.2016

Humanities 9:

To access your ELA 9 notebook use this link.

Log on with your username: FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME@gstboces.org
If asked to log on again at the next screen simply use FIRSTNAME-LASTNAME and then your password (your student ID is the defeault password).

Can't wait to read your letters!

-Mr. Durfee

09.07.16

Welcome Back to School!

Here is a link to the summer reading assignment. Summer ends Sept. 22!

-Mr. Durfee

06.20.16

Incoming Freshman:

Your summer reading assignment has been posted! Check the resources link to the left of this message.

Thanks, have a great summer and see you in September!

-Mr. Durfee

05.19.16
Clean Energy Debaters:

Here is a link to some resources shared with us by the teacher working with our opponents in Addison. She was so nice to share!

-Mr. Durfee
05.18.16
Clean Energy Debaters:

Here is a powerful site I stumbled upon: Climate Debate Daily.

It gives articles from both sides of the global warming debate, which is so closely connected to our topic. Here are a few articles I found that discuss renewable energy and nuclear:

International Investment in Nuclear Continues:
Bolivia and Russia's state-owned atomic energy corporation Rosatom said that they had signed a provisional agreement for the construction of $300 million nuclear complex in the Andean nation... continue »

Belgium's decision to restart two 40-year-old nuclear reactors is putting pressure on northern Europe's political fault lines, with Germany announcing that it would send experts to inspect the plants... continue »

Pres. Obama's Policies Affect Workers in Energy Industry:
Now the President Obama has made good on his promise to bankrupt the U.S. coal industry, he are poised to do likewise to the nation's oil and gas and nuclear power industries... continue »

The only real 'change' that President Obama actually intends to accomplish under his climate change agenda is the destruction of the oil and gas, coal, and nuclear industries... continue »

Other Nations Trying to Implement Renewables:
China has ordered power transmission companies to provide grid connectivity for all renewable power generation sources and end a bottleneck that has left a large amount of clean power idle... continue »

Is Climate Change Narrative merely Propaganda?
Have you ever wondered how media always seem to present similar one-sided stories on climate change, fossil fuels, renewable energy and other environmental issues? ... continue »

What else have you found?

-Mr. Durfee


05.17.16
Clean Energy Debaters:

Here are some resources (mostly supporting the affirmative) for next week's debate:

Resources:

a)      Renewable energy installer based in Ithaca and showing “Catch the Sun” next week - https://taitem.wordpress.com/2016/05/03/catch-the-sun-with-taitem/
b)      “The Siebel Energy Institute is a global consortium for innovative and collaborative energy research.” – including nuclear? - http://www.siebelenergyinstitute.org/
c)       Battery wall from Tesla Motors - https://www.teslamotors.com/powerwall
d)      Student movement for divestment from fossil fuel companies - http://www.studentsdivest.org/
e)      Another Student movement for divestment from fossil fuel companies - htt