SDJA - 10th Grade Humanities - First Semester Final

San Diego Jewish Academy
10th Grade Humanities
First Semester Final

Our humanities icon, "soloman" appears at the top of our assignments. "Soloman" may be seen as a metaphor for humankind with some flourishing, healthy leaves and some decaying, falling leaves.

This semester we have studied traits of effective leadership, Beowulf, Macbeth, the rise of democratic ideas, presidential election candidates and spin, justice, legality, morality, A Lesson Before Dying, 12 Angry Men, A Dry White Season, and Harrison Bergeron, World History excerpts, various articles.

What, in our study of humanities first semester, represents for you the health of humankind and what represents the decayed, diseased limbs to be pruned?

Your task is to fill the twelve leaves surrounding "soloman." Some leaves should be filled with visual images conveying the health of humankind; some should show the disease of humankind. Some leaves should use direct quotations from primary and secondary sources to explain both the health and decay of humankind. Use no less than four leaves to show either disease, health, quote, visual.

Create a synthesis of your findings (the 12 leaves) and show us through prose, poetry, narrative, short story, etc., how you plan on contributing to the health of humankind. Do not simply recount the elements, rather create a thoughtful statement based on what you have learned this semester and how you will actualize that learning into your life &endash; in plain English, how are you going to take the stuff you've learned and make our lives better?

Cite sources and attach a Works Cited page to the back of your final project.

Follow the given format at http://www.writedesignonline.com/assignments/leaderessay.html#cited or http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/education/hcc/library/mlahcc.html .

Follow design expectations located at http://www.writedesignonline.com/human/design.

Rubric for Assessment of First Semester Final
In your "soloman" final exam, you

Points

fill all 12 leaves to specification:

5
(1) used a visual in at least four leaves.

5
(2) used a quote in at least four leaves.

5
(3) used at least four leaves clearly showing health of humankind.

5
(4) used at least four leaves clearly showing the disease of humankind.

10
synthesize your thinking in a closing statement that coherently ties elements together to support your ideas on how you can contribute to the health of humankind.

10
cite quotes and reference each source in an attached Works Cited page accurately using correct and consistent format.

10
conform to design expectations including neat and thoughtful workmanship and choices, word-processing written work as well as accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.

50

Melissa and I would like to
thank znet for
making a commitment to
education and WriteDesign.

Points
	fill all 12 leaves to specification:
5	(1) used a visual in at least four leaves.
5	(2) used a quote in at least four leaves.
5	(3) used at least four leaves clearly showing health of humankind.
5	(4) used at least four leaves clearly showing the disease of humankind.
10	synthesize your thinking in a closing statement that coherently ties elements together to support your ideas on how you can contribute to the health of humankind.
10	cite quotes and reference each source in an attached Works Cited page accurately using correct and consistent format.
10	conform to design expectations including neat and thoughtful workmanship and choices, word-processing written work as well as accurate spelling and correct use of the conventions of punctuation and capitalization.
50