Notice: There is a 100 point cap on extra credit each marking period.
Extra Credit: General Information
The purpose of extra credit is to provide opportunities to use technology
and to think about language and literature in ways we may not have had time
to do so in class. It is also a way to use class time constructively if you
have finished your work and have free time. It is not meant to replace
doing your homework or being prepared for class.
Extra credit is calculated as a grade out of 0 points in the quizzes
category. Points entered into this grade will increase the total points
earned in the quiz category for the nine weeks without increasing the points
possible (the numerator increases while the denominator stays the same, thus
bringing up your average). It is essentially the same as going back and
adding points to old quiz grades but is less work for me. The points in
this grade will be a running tally of all of your extra credit for the
nineweeks; I encourage you to keep track and make sure I have not missed
any.
Dictionary.com word of the day. Be the first person in your class to
use the word of the day correctly in a sentence for 1 extra credit point.
Pronunciation counts!
Trivia Question The first person to answer this question correctly
will earn 20 points on a quiz grade. Question: About whom was
the poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson speaking when he wrote, "'Tis better to have
loved and lost than never to have loved at all"? Submit the answer via
email or in writing in your class tray.
Vocabulary Sentence Write ONE grammatically correct sentence using
at least half of this week's vocabulary words in a way that demonstrates
each word's meaning and/or uses each word correctly. Worth 5 points on
a quiz grade. A sentence that does not demonstrate each word's meaning, but
simply lists them, will not receive credit. Remember, grammar and meaning
count!
Sample Sentence: The reactionary political pundit, known for her zealous
mien, fabricated accomplishments to hide her qualms about the stamina
required to overcome impediments, but she proved herself not mediocre in the
least when she turned the harsh wind of criticism into an opportune zephyr.
Buy your own copy of the book As we read books in class, you will
receive 25 extra credit points on a quiz for bringing in your own copy of
the book.
On Deck: Night by Elie Wiesel
The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder
http://www.amazon.com/Night-Oprahs-Book-Club-Wiesel/dp/0374500010/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240596995&sr=8-1
http://www.amazon.com/Bridge-San-Luis-Rey-Novel/dp/0060580615/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1240597042&sr=1-1
Published Grammatical Errors Worth five points on a quiz grade. Find
a news article or book with an error in it. The material must have been
published by a major news company or in a real book (your teacher's website
does not qualify). :)
Examples:
http://www.cnn.com/2005/WORLD/africa/10/24/nigeria.plane/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/11/04/inmate.escapes/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/12/27/ep.cure.child/index.html
http://www.cnn.com/2004/LAW/02/17/bishops.trial.ap/index.html
New Vocabulary Keep your own journal of new vocabulary that you
encounter anywhere . . . television, reading, the internet, a conversation
you had. Write down the word that you encountered, then define it. You
will receive one half point for each word (Note: this is a
change).
See my example below. (Note: students sometimes share assignments. Extra
credit vocabulary is not an assignment to "share" with a friend. It
is also not something to simply copy from a list of words. The point is
that you are learning new words and incorporating them into your
vocabulary!)
http://teacherweb.com/VA/HermitageHighSchool/Lindbloom/htmlpage15.stm