Bully!Bully!You are stuck with You are stuck with that bonehead for that bonehead for an entire year!!!an entire year!!!

Welcome Class of Welcome Class of 2014 and 2014 and

Congratulations!Congratulations!

After a year with him,After a year with him,you will look like me!you will look like me!

Enough, General!Enough, General!All right, now my All right, now my

colleagues and I will colleagues and I will tell you about your tell you about your

summer work.summer work.

Assignment 1: Assignment 1: research the research the topic Colonel Simoncini

assigns you and then write an 800-1,000

word (3-5 page) paper about it. You must

have a minimum of 3 sources, one of which

must be a book. Simoncini will discuss mechanics issues in a

few moments. The paper is due on

Friday, July 27, 2012.

You will also be You will also be required to make a required to make a poster depicting the poster depicting the key aspects of your key aspects of your topic. I expect that topic. I expect that poster to be totally poster to be totally HOOAH!! In other HOOAH!! In other

words, of high quality. words, of high quality. The poster is due the The poster is due the

first day of school.first day of school.During the year, when we cover During the year, when we cover your topic in class, I expect you your topic in class, I expect you to be able to contribute depth to to be able to contribute depth to the discussion, based on your the discussion, based on your research.research.

Your final Your final assignment is to assignment is to

read the book that read the book that I, Upton Sinclair, I, Upton Sinclair,

wrote: wrote: The JungleThe Jungle. . You must also You must also

prepare a 2-3 page prepare a 2-3 page paper outlining the paper outlining the book and analyzing book and analyzing

3-5 historical 3-5 historical points I made points I made

about immigrants about immigrants and the and the

meatpacking meatpacking industry in the industry in the

book.book.

Do it or Do it or you’ll you’ll

answer to answer to me, see?!?! me, see?!?! And turn it And turn it in on the in on the

first day of first day of school.school.

I, I, ClarencClarenc

e e Darrow, Darrow, was a was a man of man of the law.the law.

And I, Al And I, Al Capone, was Capone, was an outlaw.an outlaw.

To make To make this this

legal, legal, you and you and

your your parent/parent/

guardian guardian must must sign a sign a

contract.contract.

And And gumba, gumba, it must it must be in by be in by 5/21/2015/21/201

22

My e-mail address: My e-mail address: psimoncini@oakdale.k12.ca.us

The Class Website:The Class Website:http://psimonciniohs.net

Ladies and Ladies and Gentlemen, what Gentlemen, what

are your are your questions?questions?

All right, you All right, you boneheads, PAY boneheads, PAY

ATTENTION. ATTENTION. Below is the Below is the

Colonel’s website Colonel’s website URL. Go there this URL. Go there this summer, open up summer, open up this PowerPoint on this PowerPoint on the AP US history the AP US history

page and read page and read through the through the Colonel’s pet Colonel’s pet peeves about peeves about mechanics. mechanics.

Students can be Students can be removed from the removed from the

course for bad course for bad mechanics.mechanics.

http://psimonciniohs.net

Thesis statements should be extensive Thesis statements should be extensive and comprehensive:and comprehensive:• state your case up frontstate your case up front• tell the reader what you are going to tell the reader what you are going to tell him/her in the body of the papertell him/her in the body of the paper

Its vs. it’sIts vs. it’s its=possessive; it’s=“it is” contractionits=possessive; it’s=“it is” contraction

Led = past tense of “to lead”Led = past tense of “to lead”

Use Use active voice active voice NOT NOT passive voice passive voice Passive: “John was given a high grade Passive: “John was given a high grade by Mr. Simoncini.” by Mr. Simoncini.”

Active: “Mr. Simoncini gave John a Active: “Mr. Simoncini gave John a high grade.”high grade.”

Passive: “Iraq was attacked by the U.S.”Passive: “Iraq was attacked by the U.S.”Active: “The U.S. attacked Iraq.”Active: “The U.S. attacked Iraq.”

Always place the actor at the front.Always place the actor at the front.

This/that/these/those This/that/these/those DO NOT use the above terms as DO NOT use the above terms as stand alone nouns.stand alone nouns.““This was due to a conflict in This was due to a conflict in Eastern Asia.”Eastern Asia.”

Use the above words as adjectives.Use the above words as adjectives.““This situation evolved as a result of This situation evolved as a result of a conflict in Eastern Asia.”a conflict in Eastern Asia.”

This/that/these/those This/that/these/those

““This” and “these” imply things This” and “these” imply things close by in terms of time or close by in terms of time or distance. Therefore those terms distance. Therefore those terms should not be used when referring should not be used when referring to the past or to things in the to the past or to things in the distance.distance.

““That” and “those” imply things That” and “those” imply things far away in terms of time or far away in terms of time or distance.distance.

Avoid paragraphs that are too long. Avoid paragraphs that are too long.

When referring to people in a When referring to people in a formal formal history paperhistory paper, you should refer to , you should refer to them by their them by their family namefamily name. You may . You may also use a title also use a title (President Lincoln);(President Lincoln); but avoid simply referring to a person but avoid simply referring to a person by only their given by only their given (or first)(or first) name. name. One exception may be when you are One exception may be when you are discussing two people with the same discussing two people with the same last name; but try to find work arounds last name; but try to find work arounds in those cases.in those cases.

The first time that you discuss a person The first time that you discuss a person in a paper, you should include the in a paper, you should include the full name and title full name and title (Lieutenant Colonel(Lieutenant Colonel Peter Simoncini).Peter Simoncini). After you After you have introduced the individual, you have introduced the individual, you may refer to him/her by simply their may refer to him/her by simply their last namelast name in the remainder of the in the remainder of the paper.paper.

““The game wasThe game was close, which close, which made it made it exciting.”exciting.”

45=forty45=forty--five; 63=sixtyfive; 63=sixty--threethree

Except for “its,” possessives require Except for “its,” possessives require apostrophes apostrophes (the dog’s bone)(the dog’s bone)

Place punctuation INSIDE close quotesPlace punctuation INSIDE close quotes (Bob said, “That was a fun time.”)(Bob said, “That was a fun time.”)

In the body of the paper, document In the body of the paper, document EVERYTHING that you have obtained EVERYTHING that you have obtained from an outside source EVEN IF YOU from an outside source EVEN IF YOU DO NOT QUOTE IT. Use DO NOT QUOTE IT. Use parenthetical parenthetical citations.citations.

When you use an acronym, except for When you use an acronym, except for those that are VERY common those that are VERY common (USA),(USA), you should you should write it out firstwrite it out first, then show , then show the acronym parenthetically. the acronym parenthetically. Subsequently, you may use simply the Subsequently, you may use simply the acronym. acronym. [Oakdale High School (OHS)][Oakdale High School (OHS)]

General McAuliffe responded to the General McAuliffe responded to the German surrender ultimatum simply German surrender ultimatum simply by saying, “Nuts!” by saying, “Nuts!” (Keegan 245).(Keegan 245). What is remarkable about this What is remarkable about this courageous remark is the fact that courageous remark is the fact that McAuliffe did not know, at that time, McAuliffe did not know, at that time, that General George S. Patton’s Third that General George S. Patton’s Third Army Army was racingwas racing to his rescue to his rescue (D’Este(D’Este643.)643.)

Note: passive voice in this case is Note: passive voice in this case is allowable because McAuliffe is the actor.allowable because McAuliffe is the actor.

Avoid superlatives—all, everyone, etc.—Avoid superlatives—all, everyone, etc.—if you use a superlative be certain that if you use a superlative be certain that it is true: i.e. “all men are created equal.”it is true: i.e. “all men are created equal.”

I shall post this slide I shall post this slide show as well as show as well as

other hints on my other hints on my website before the website before the end of the school end of the school year. HOOAH!!!year. HOOAH!!!

Go forth and write Go forth and write awesome papers awesome papers