Choose ONE of the following options and write 500 words.

Please use the vocabulary and

literary devices you have learned in your English classes and what we have learned in class.
1. PERSUASIE PAPER
!he novel relates various incidents of pre"udice and assu#ptions #ade about people
without #erit. $or e%a#ple &ulio's father on page () reacts strongly to the *nowledge
that Ro#iette is blac*. !hin* about why do you thin* he reacts as he does+ ,hat is
your response to his reaction+ Also- &ulio encounters gang #e#bers who threaten
hi# si#ply because he is .ispanic /pages 011023. !hey call hi# derogatory ter#s
that upset hi#- and he wal*s away 4uestioning how he is seen by others in this new
place. ,hat is your response in this situation+ 5id &ulio handle the situation
appropriately+ ,hat advice would you give &ulio+
6. PERSUASIE PAPER
78eah- so what9s your point+7 7.e9s .ispanic.7 7So+7 7And I9# :lac*.7 7So+7 7;either one of
us noticed.7 7<ood- that9s the way the world ought to be.7 5estiny had her own sense of
world order.
,rite a persuasive paper that argues the following point. 7Racial or ethnic barriers should
#a*e no di=erence when it co#es to ro#antic relationships.7 >R 7Racial or ethnic barriers
should be seriously considered when it co#es to ro#antic relationships.7 8ou #ay agree
or disagree with the state#ent- but you #ay only argue one side of the issue.
2. C>?PARIS>; PAPER
7She9s a "ewel in a pile of roc*s. She9s li*e chocolate ca*e for dinner11and I love
chocolate@7
7?y goodness. She9s got you tal*ing poetry@7
7>h yes- ?a#a. !he shape of her Angers- the curve of her bac*- the tilt of her head11
all #a*e #e diBBy. I even li*e the sound of her voice11a little low and full of secrets. If
she could put that voice of hers in a bottle and sell it- she9d be rich@7
,rite a paper that uses unusual co#parisons to #a*e your point. :y using
co#parisons- the things you describe should be clearly e%plained to your reader.
0. 5ESCRIP!IE PAPER
7She struggled- searching for air- for land- for so#ething to hold onto. :ut there was
only the water- pulling her into its depths. She couldn9t breathe. She couldn9t swi#.
She couldn9t even screa#. !he water Alled her- seared her thoughts- and she drifted
slowly into unconsciousness. !he Are cooled- the terror ebbed- and the dar* shadow
of death e#braced her.7
,rite a descriptive paper- based on &ulio's Arst day of school- that uses sensory
i#agery. Use vivid verbs and powerful ad"ectives and adverbs as you write. Use as
#any of the senses as you can. /sight- sound- s#ell- touch- taste3
C. ;ARRA!IE PAPER
7I *now. 5estiny- did you ever catch the $antastic $ive+7
7>nce I got close. I wished on 1D11- then I caught 6D66. At 2D22- I was in the
bathroo#- but I re#e#bered "ust in ti#e and caught it and wished before it clic*ed
over to 2D20. !hen I "ust sat by the cloc* until 0D00. I *new I had it. I wished the sa#e
wish every ti#e.7
,rite a narrative paper that tal*s about what you would wish for if you caught the
7$antastic $ive7 or what #ight happen if an i#aginary character was able to do so.
(. EEP>SI!>R8 PAPER
7I9# terriAed of water. I too* swi##ing when I was little li*e everyone else- but I
never learned. !hat9s not e%actly true. I learned how to swi#- I "ust never got the
nerve to let go. I *now how to do rhyth#ic breathing- proper ar# stro*es. the Futter
*ic*11all of that- but I "ust can9t get away fro# the side of the pool. ,hen I9# in the
#iddle with nothing to hold onto- I panic. !here9s "ust nothing solid11nothing to grasp.
!he water slips through #y hands and I Founder- then I start to sin*- then I screa#-
then- of course- I get e#barrassed. So I go to the pool- but I stay on the side- or
splash with the little *ids in the shallow end so their parents can go swi# in the deep
water. Even wal*ing by the deep end #a*es #e feel ill.7
,rite an e%pository /e%planatory3 paper on learning to swi# or the fear of drowning.
G. C.ARAC!ER SHE!C.
,rite a character s*etch of :en11what #ade hi# uni4ue11his personality- his char#-
his love of life. Use speciAcs fro# the boo* to illustrate your points.
Do your best work.
Written Assignment Checklist
CII words
5ouble Spaced
Cover page
o !itle of your written assign#ent /be creative@3
o ?y na#e /?rs.PassaAu#e3
o 8our na#e /I can't help you if you don't *now how to spell that right3
o !he due date /$riday- ?arch 6J
th
6I123
o Course Code /E;<2C13
Staple this sheet as the last page of your assign#ent
Activities and Research
1. 8ou are a reporter at one of the following scenes. ,rite the story for your
newspaper.
o !he search for Ro#iette and &ulio
o !he trial of the 5evildogs and ?ala*a
o !he school board #eeting as they discuss gangs in the school
6. Investigate teen Internet sites. ,hat are the advantages- disadvantages- and
dangers+
2. Investigate current proble#s with gangs in high schools. ,hat can be done
about the#+ .ow can young people be discouraged fro# "oining a gang+
0. Investigate peer pressure. .ow can teenagers e=ectively cope with peer
pressure+
C. ,rite a letter to one of the characters in the boo* e%plaining your feelings
about the events in the story. ,hat advice would you give 5estiny- or :en- or
&ulio9s parents+ ,hat would you say to Ro#iette+
(. In diary for#- write the life of :en >lsen for several #onths. Include details
about how he views life.
G. Police oKcers play an i#portant role in the lives of the students in this boo*11
so#e positively- and others negatively. 5iscuss the role of a police#an in the
lives of teenagers. Consider a career as a police oKcer. $ind out how #uch
college education is needed- how #any years of study it ta*es- and what is
re4uired to have that occupation.
). Investigate the "ob of newspaper reporters and the roles they play in the
co##unity. Investigate all the possible occupations associated with creating
a television news show11producing- directing- writing- #anaging- etc.
Chapters and !
Please provide a narrative e%plaining the slang and abbreviations that
students use while chatting on the Internet or in writing notes to their friends.
E%plain why you thin* it is i#portant to be able to switch between Standard
English and the dialect /speech3 we use with our closest friends.
,rite two co#plete paragraphs. Again- please #a*e sure you proof read your
wor* several ti#es after you are done 1 #a*e corrections as needed.