INSTRUCTIONS FOR EXTRA CREDIT

Extra credit assignments are only to be completed when specifically assigned by Mr. Ellis. In some cases you will be allowed to choose which extra credit assignment you want to do and in other cases you will be given a specific assignment from the list below. 

Extra credit assignments are graded on a scale of 1-10. At the end of the semester the student’s extra credit grades will be averaged to determine the number of extra credit points to be added to the student’s class average. When an extra credit assignment is given, Mr. Ellis will provide the due date along with instructions for submitting the assignment.

Here is the list of extra credit assignments. You can view the instructions for a particular assignment by clicking on it. 

1.  Poetry in Music

2.  The Lifeboat Problem

3.  Famous Fictional Characters

4.  Basics of American Government

5.  Sentence Correction #1

6.  Sentence Correction #2

7.  Sentence Correction #3

8.  Sentence Correction #4

9.  Famous Movie Lines

10. People Who Changed America

11. The Power of One

12. Know Your Presidents

13. Movies and the Power of Words

14. Short Story #1 – “The Black Cat” (Edgar Allan Poe)

15. Short Story #2 – “The Lottery” (Shirley Jackson)

16. Short Story #3 – “To Serve Man” (Damon Knight)

17. Short Story #4 – “The Gift of the Magi” (O Henry)

18. Short Story #5 – “The Necklace” (Guy de Maupassant)

19. Short Story #6 – “The Lady or the Tiger” (Frank Stockton)

20. The story behind the picture

21. What kind of technology is this?

POETRY & MUSIC

This assignment is based on our class discussion about the relationship between poetry and music.

Please do the following: 

1. Select a song that you especially like or that has some special meaning to you.

2. Write down the words to the song you have selected, along with the name of the person who wrote it and the name of the person or group that recorded it.

3. Write a paragraph explaining why you have chosen this song.

This assignment is due on the date given by Mr. Ellis

You are the first officer on a cruise ship in the middle of the Aegean Sea on its way to the Greek Island of Mykonos. The night before you are to arrive there, a malfunction in the main engine causes an explosion that rips a hole in the side of the ship and causes it to sink.

You now find yourself in a lifeboat designed to hold 10 people, except that in the rush to get off the ship 13 people (including you) were put into this lifeboat. To make things worse, a storm has developed and the waves are getting higher and higher. It is obvious to you that no one in the lifeboat will survive unless 3 people volunteer to take their chances in the water. You asked if anyone would be willing, but no one stepped forward. It now falls to you to decide which 3 people should be thrown out of the boat so that the others can survive.

Your assignment is to (1) decide which 3 people should be forced into the water and (2) justify why you chose each one. Since you, as first officer, are in command of the lifeboat, you cannot be one of the ones to be thrown off. Listed below are the names of the people in the lifeboat and a description of each one so that you can make your decision.

Lola – a 22 year old singer on her way to perform at one of the night clubs on Mykonos. She was fired from her last job because she drinks too much. 

Maria – a 45 year old nurse and single mother with 2 children. She suffers from depression and has tried to commit suicide twice. 

Billy – a 16 year old who is on probation for shoplifting. His parents took him on the cruise to help him get straightened out. For some reason they were put into a different lifeboat.

Dr. Storch – a 55 year old physician who recently retired. His family was killed in a car accident which he survived, but he lost a leg and now must wear a prosthetic leg.

Sheena – a 30 year old fitness instructor who is HIV positive and in the middle of a divorce.

Mickey – a 40 year old dock worker who spends most of his time unemployed. He blames everyone else for his problems and is not pleasant to be around.

Shane – a 39 year old genius with degrees in cellular biology and chemistry. He believes he is close to finding a cure for cancer and is on his way to Mykonos to test his theory on patients in a private clinic there.

Tom – a 60 year old Marine veteran who served multiple tours overseas and was also chosen for several covert missions that are still top secret. 

Cindy – a 70 year old retired college professor with 4 adult children and 15 grandchildren. She has been a smoker all her life, and is waiting for results of tests to determine if she has lung cancer.

Barry – a 28 year old professional football player who was dropped by his last team due to anger management issues. He thinks the world owes him a living and that he is better than everyone else.

Xavier – a 25 year old just elected mayor of the city he lives in. He has lots of plans to make the city better and hopes to someday become Governor of his state or possibly a Senator.

Fred – a 40 year old husband and father of 4 who is an expert in boating and navigation. He is going to Mykonos because he has abandoned his wife and children and does not intend to ever see them again.

So…………who stays in the lifeboat and who gets thrown into the water?

Each of the following sentences, or group of sentences, needs to be corrected. To complete this assignment you must make the necessary correction(s), either by re-writing the sentence or correcting the part of the sentence that contains the error.

1. I bought a great new coat for cold winter days. Tuesday was colder than the weatherman said it would be, and I hadn’t worn my coat. It was so cold I thought I’d die of cold!

2. Peter was at Debbie’s house. He heard a strange sound. He went into the living room. He was surprised to hear the parrot calling “out.” Peter let the bird out. The parrot’s name is Loud Mouth.

3. I needed a new jacket. Red is my favorite color. I bought a new jacket. It’s red. I like it.

4. In ballet school, Lauren and Betsy learn ballet technique, all about stage makeup, and how to choreograph dances.

5. I stayed up late studying for the math quiz, talking on the phone, and I had to pack for our trip.

6. Half the kids ordered hamburgers, half ordered chicken, and a few ordered tacos.

7. Today I need to work on my term paper, visit my grandmother, and cleaning up my room would earn me some points with Mom.

8. I’m dead tired, flat broke, and I’m having a bad hair day to boot.

Each of the following sentences needs to be corrected. To complete this assignment you must make the necessary correction(s), either by re-writing the sentence or correcting the part of the sentence that contains the error.

1. Susan remembered to bring Mary’s jacket to school but forgot her gloves.

2. They don’t allow kids to throw jello at each other in the cafeteria.

3. I gave Todd a new bike and a video game; it made him happy.

4. Hello. You want to speak to Marianne? This is her.

5. We had a great time at Myrtle Beach; they have so much to do there.

6. The teacher told we kids to be quiet.

7. We’re going out to dinner alone-just Erica and me.

8. It was him who ate all the nachos.

9. Mom gave both of us, Elizabeth and I, money for the movie.

10. Yuriko is a friend of Miranda’s and me.

Each of the following sentences needs to be corrected. To complete this assignment you must make the necessary correction(s), either by re-writing the sentence or correcting the part of the sentence that contains the error.

1. The family live on Elm Street.

2. The orchestra tunes its instruments.

3. My pair of scissors are lost.

4. Eight pounds of grapes are a lot of grapes.

5. One of the twins are absent today.

6. The company Video Games Galore are holding their annual picnic on Thursday.

7. Do either of the Joneses live here?

8. Macaroni and cheese are Emily’s favorite do-it-yourself dinner.

9. The only problem we 500 campers have are the hundreds of wasps swarming around our ten campsites.

10. Standing there looking happy was Gail and Susie.

11. Only one out of four kids in American eat a healthy diet.

12. I can’t find my catcher’s glove; I hope either David or the Joneses has it.

Each of the following sentences needs to be corrected. To complete this assignment you must make the necessary correction(s), either by re-writing the sentence or correcting the part of the sentence that contains the error.

1. Mom bought me five new pair of knee socks in funky colors.

2. I use to go out with Brian, and I think he might of asked me to the dance if he weren’t interested in Katie.

3. Bring everyone of your new video games when you come to my house.

4. Who are you going to the dance with?

5. Set down and rest a few minutes.

6. Marshall is one of my cousins which live in North Carolina.

7. My nose, that has been stuffy all spring, would appreciate a reduction in the pollen in the air.

8. Will your mom let you eat Hershey bars that contain sugar and chocolate?

9. This is a long reign.

10. What did you bring your racket for? It’s snowing.

11. I had this really great idea for our science project that I told the teacher about.

12. Dad, don’t leave yet – wait on me!

13. Do you plan on going water skiing today?

Listed below are 10 of the most famous lines ever used in movies. The assignment is to identify (1) the move the line comes from, (2) the year the move was made, and (3) the character or actor who said the line.

1. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn.

2. I’m gonna make him an offer he can’t refuse.

3. You’re gonna need a bigger boat.

4. I’ll be back.

5. Go ahead, make my day.

6. You know how to whistle, don’t you, Steve? You just put your lips together and blow.

7. I’m as mad as hell, and I’m not going to take this anymore.

8. What we have here is a failure to communicate.

9. You can’t handle the truth.

10. You can’t fight in here. This is the War Room.

Throughout the history of the United States, many people have developed products and started organizations that had the effect of solving problems that were facing our country. Some of these people are well known, and some are not. Below are the names of 5 of these people. Each is responsible for inventing something or starting some kind of social organization that has made a major impact on American life.

For this assignment you are to state what the person is known for, and what the impact of their invention/organization has been.

Henry Ford

Ray Kroc

J Robert Oppenheimer

Candy Lightner

Lois Gibbs

“I’M ONLY ONE PERSON, WHAT CAN I DO?” IS A STATEMENT WE HEAR VERY OFTEN. YET THROUGHOUT HISTORY THERE ARE EXAMPLES OF INDIVIDUALS WHO, THROUGH THEIR OWN ACTIONS AND EFFORTS, HAVE BEEN ABLE TO EFFECT SIGNIFICANT, SOMETIMES WORLD ALTERING, CHANGE.

EACH OF US HAS THIS POWER, IF WE CHOOSE TO USE IT. BELOW IS A LIST OF PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THAT CHOICE, AND IN SO DOING HAVE MADE A LASTING CONTRIBUTION TO THE LIVES OF THE REST OF US.

FOR THIS ASSIGNMENT, IDENTIFY EACH OF THESE PEOPLE DESCRIBING THEIR ACCOMPLISHMENT OR ACHIEVEMENT AND HOW IT CHANGED THE WORLD.

• FRED ROGERS
• MALALA YOUSAFAZI
• OSKAR SCHINDLER
• ROSA PARKS
• MARK ZUCKERBERG
• LECH WALESA
• MARGARET SANGER
• SIR TIM BERNERS-LEE
• HARRIET TUBMAN
• RACHEL CARSON

ONLY 45 MEN IN THE PAST 244 YEARS HAVE HELD THE OFFICE OF PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES. THERE ARE LOTS OF UNUSUAL FACTS ABOUT THESE MEN. HERE ARE 15 QUESTIONS THAT WILL BRING SOME OF THEM TO LIGHT.

1. FIVE PAIRS OF PRESIDENTS HAVE THE SAME LAST NAME. NAME THEM.

2. FOUR PAIRS OF PRESIDENTS WERE RELATED. WHO ARE THEY?

3. PRESIDENT’S DAY WAS ESTABLISHED TO CELEBRATE THE BIRTHDAYS OF WHICH TWO PRESIDENTS? WHY?

4. WHICH FOUR PRESIDENTS WERE ASSASSINATED?

5. WHICH PRESIDENT ONLY SERVED FOR ONE MONTH?

6. WHAT IS THE MOST COMMON FIRST NAME FOR A PRESIDENT?

7. HOW MANY PRESIDENTS WERE IMPEACHED? WHO WERE THEY?

8. WHICH PRESIDENT WAS NEVER ELECTED?

9. ONE PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED TWICE, BUT HIS TERMS WERE NOT CONSECUTIVE. WHO WAS THIS?

10. WHICH PRESIDENT WAS ELECTED TO 4 TERMS?

11. WHO WAS THE YOUNGEST PRESIDENT?

12. BEFORE ENTERING POLITICS, ALMOST HALF THE PRESIDENTS WORKED IN THE SAME CAREER. WHAT IS IT?

13. FIVE PRESIDENTS WERE ELECTED EVEN THOUGH THEY DIDN’T WIN THE POPULAR VOTE. WHO WERE THEY?

14. WHICH PRESIDENT NAMED THE HOME OF THE PRESIDENT “THE WHITE HOUSE?”

15. HOW MANY PRESIDENTS FIRST SERVED AS VICE-PRESIDENT? WHO WERE THEY?

MOVIES AND THE MAGIC OF WORDS

THE PURPOSE OF THIS ASSIGNMENT IS TO SHOW THE STUDENT HOW WORDS CAN BE USED TO CREATE MOMENTS OF GREAT EMOTION.

WHILE THIS CAN BE DONE WITH BOTH THE WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORD, IT IS MORE OBVIOUS WHEN THE WORDS ARE SPOKEN BECAUSE OF THE ACCOMPANYING BODY LANGUAGE OF THE SPEAKER AND THE REACTION OF OTHERS TO WHAT IS BEING SAID. THERE ARE MANY FILMS THAT ARE FAMOUS FOR THE POWER OF THEIR WORDS. A LIST OF THESE FOLLOWS FOR USE IN THIS ASSIGNMENT.

THERE ARE 3 PARTS TO THIS ASSIGNMENT.

(1) CHOOSE ONE OF THE FILMS FROM THE LIST BELOW.

(2) WATCH THE ENTIRE FILM YOU HAVE CHOSEN. ALL THE FILMS ON THIS LIST ARE AVAILABLE ON EITHER YOU TUBE OR AMAZON.

(3) AFTER WATCHING THE FILM, ANSWER THE FOLLOWING QUESTIONS:

1. What is your overall opinion of the film? Give specific reasons why you liked or disliked it.

2. In your opinion, what scene in the film has the most emotional impact? Does the impact of this scene come from the spoken words or from something else? Be as specific as you can in your answer.

3. Which character in the film do you think is the most important? Give specific reasons for your choice.

4. Have you ever been in a situation where words created a moment of great emotion? Describe the situation and the words that were used.

Here is the list of films to choose from. If you are not familiar with a particular film you can find a plot summary and other information on line.

1. “Dead Poet’s Society”

Stars Robin Williams and Ethan Hawke

2. “12 Angry Men”

(There are 2 versions, 1957 and 1997. The original is better.)

The original stars Lee J Cobb and Henry Fonda

3. “On The Waterfront”

(Winner of 8 Academy Awards)

Stars Marlon Brando, Lee J Cobb, and Eva Marie Saint

4. “Ordinary People”

(Academy Award winner)

Stars Donald Sutherland, Mary Tyler Moore, and Timothy Hutton

5. “To Kill A Mockingbird”

(Winner of 3 Academy Awards)

Stars Gregory Peck

6. “A Raisin In The Sun”

(There are 3 versions, 1961, 1989, and 2008. The first one is the best.)

The original stars Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee, and Louis Gossett Jr

7. “A Few Good Men”

(Rated “R” for strong language)

Stars Tom Cruise, Jack Nicholson, and Demi Moore

8. “Dr. Strangelove, or How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb”

Stars Peter Sellers (in 3 roles) and George C Scott

9. “Inherit The Wind”

(There are 4 versions. The original from 1960 is the best.)

The original stars Spencer Tracy, Frederic March, and Gene Kelly

10. “Thirteen Days”

Stars Kevin Costner and Bruce Greenwood

11. “A Streetcar Named Desire”

(Winner of 4 Academy Awards)

Stars Marlon Brando, Vivien Leigh, Karl Malden, and Kim Hunter

12. “Death Of A Salesman”

(There are 5 versions. The original from 1961 is the best.)

The original stars Frederic March