Thursday, December 26, 2013
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Over Winter Break...
For many, the best thing you can do for your writing over Break will be to read. Read something delicious and absorbing -- something that sustains you as a reader. Choose it and read it! For some of you it might be three or four books. For others, one or two. For still others, extensive reading in magazines. But Read!
The second-best thing, for those who don't already have one, would be to buy an AP practice manual and begin using it.
Last but not least: run your two poems!
Best wishes for a good break,
Mr. Bratnober
The second-best thing, for those who don't already have one, would be to buy an AP practice manual and begin using it.
Last but not least: run your two poems!
Best wishes for a good break,
Mr. Bratnober
Friday, December 13, 2013
For Monday, Dec. 16 - ~ birthday of Beethoven (& the great Noel Coward)
We'll lead off with magic. You can hold me to this. It's on the Class Blog - a promise of record; an international IOU on the Internet.
Please don't wait until Monday night to review the twenty-one (21) vocabulary words!
Please don't wait until Monday night to review the twenty-one (21) vocabulary words!
We will score today’s essay, so please show up INFORMED FOR SCORING because you have already read (1) the AP scoring guidelines for 2006 (FRQ #3), (2) the three student essays on public expression of opinions, and (3) the AP Scoring Commentary on the three student essays.
Please bring both your two poems for Poetry Out Loud. We’ll rehearse.
Also, we’ll rehearse our AP English Holiday Choir Repertoire for Dec. 19 & 20.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Thursday and Friday, Dec. 12 and 13, 2013
Thursday: At home, please continue in Ch. 3 of LOC, reading pp. 115-125. In class, we'll read and comment on 3 past student AP Argument essays.
Friday: Write I-CE #1.
Next Tuesday: See the twenty-one (21) new vocabulary words -- you'll find them in the RH column of this blog. -->
Friday: Write I-CE #1.
Next Tuesday: See the twenty-one (21) new vocabulary words -- you'll find them in the RH column of this blog. -->
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
On Wednesday, December 11, 2013
PLEASE BRING BOTH YOUR POEMS, PRINTED OUT, READY TO GO. We'll work in small groups -- low-stress rehearsal, annotation, and discussion of what makes a reading effective.
Monday, December 9, 2013
Tuesday, QUIZ on the new, revised CHAPTER 3 of LOC (ClassJump)
See Monday's entry on this blog. All is revealed. (Note that LOC pp. 81-115 = .PDF pp. 1-18.)
There is a lot of material. It's relatively easy, but there's a reason why this has been up for several days.
The quiz will be Open-Notes; however, "Open-Notes" does not mean "open Xerox copy of the chapter."
There is a lot of material. It's relatively easy, but there's a reason why this has been up for several days.
The quiz will be Open-Notes; however, "Open-Notes" does not mean "open Xerox copy of the chapter."
Saturday, December 7, 2013
For Monday's class, on Dec. 9, 2013
Read and take notes on the new, revised Chapter 3, on the Argumentative Essay. Tuesday's Quiz will focus on the first eighteen pages -- pp. 1-18 of the .PDF // pp. 81-115 of the chapter. It is only available to you on ClassJump. But before you go there, here's the first page of Chapter 3 (scrunched pretty badly in the .PDF):
"ANALYZING ARGUMENTS
"From Reading to Writing
"Have you ever changed your mind about something? What caused you to re-examine a belief or an idea? Most likely, you read or heard someone else's perspective that challenged you to think about an issue in a different way. It might have been a clear, thoughtful presentation of information, a personal story that tugged at your conscience, a startling statistic, or even a bit of humor or satire that presented a familiar issue in a new and enlightening way. It's less likely that you were bullied into reconsidering your opinion by a loud voice that belittled your ideas. By carefully and respectfully reading the viewpoints of others and considering a range of ideas on an issue, we develop a clearer understanding of our own beliefs -- a necessary foundation to writing effective arguments. In this chapter, we're going to analyze elements of argument as a means of critical thinking and an essential step toward crafting your own argumentative essays.
"What is Argument?
"Although we have been discussing argument in previous chapters, the focus has been primarily on rhetorical appeals and style. We'll continue examining those elements, but here we take a closer look at an argument's claim, evidence, and organization.
"Let's start with some definitions. What is argument? Is it a conflict? A contest between opposing forces to prove the other side wrong? A battle with words? Or is it rather, a process of reasoned inquiry and rational discourse seeking common ground? If it is the latter, then we engage in argument whenever we explore ideas rationally and think clearly about the world. Yet these days argument is often no more than raised voices interrupting one another, exaggerated assertions without adequate support, and scanty evidence from sources that lack credibility. We might call this "crazed rhetoric," as political commentator Tom Toles does in the following cartoon." ~ from The Language of Composition, p. 81, by Renee Shea, et al (2012 ed.).
...to continue, jump from here to p. 82 and finish the article on ClassJump. As you'll see, it's now the first Download article - top of the list.
"ANALYZING ARGUMENTS
"From Reading to Writing
"Have you ever changed your mind about something? What caused you to re-examine a belief or an idea? Most likely, you read or heard someone else's perspective that challenged you to think about an issue in a different way. It might have been a clear, thoughtful presentation of information, a personal story that tugged at your conscience, a startling statistic, or even a bit of humor or satire that presented a familiar issue in a new and enlightening way. It's less likely that you were bullied into reconsidering your opinion by a loud voice that belittled your ideas. By carefully and respectfully reading the viewpoints of others and considering a range of ideas on an issue, we develop a clearer understanding of our own beliefs -- a necessary foundation to writing effective arguments. In this chapter, we're going to analyze elements of argument as a means of critical thinking and an essential step toward crafting your own argumentative essays.
"What is Argument?
"Although we have been discussing argument in previous chapters, the focus has been primarily on rhetorical appeals and style. We'll continue examining those elements, but here we take a closer look at an argument's claim, evidence, and organization.
"Let's start with some definitions. What is argument? Is it a conflict? A contest between opposing forces to prove the other side wrong? A battle with words? Or is it rather, a process of reasoned inquiry and rational discourse seeking common ground? If it is the latter, then we engage in argument whenever we explore ideas rationally and think clearly about the world. Yet these days argument is often no more than raised voices interrupting one another, exaggerated assertions without adequate support, and scanty evidence from sources that lack credibility. We might call this "crazed rhetoric," as political commentator Tom Toles does in the following cartoon." ~ from The Language of Composition, p. 81, by Renee Shea, et al (2012 ed.).
...to continue, jump from here to p. 82 and finish the article on ClassJump. As you'll see, it's now the first Download article - top of the list.
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Week of December 3-4-5-6 and Week of December 9-10-11-12-13
Monday, Dec. 2 -- No School for Students.
The following link takes you to the AP English Multiple-Choice Practice Exam you took on Wednesday, November 27. The correct answers appear on p. 29 of the .PDF file. There were two 49s and one 50 last week. Any score in the 40s is extremely promising, pointing towards a 5 (if your essays are rock-solid); a score in the mid-30s or above points to a score of 4 (again, if your essays are rock-solid). Wednesday's AP English Multiple-Choice Practice Exam. We will continue to take these -- or anyway, segments of them. But to guarantee raising your multiple-choice score, please do what past WHS "5" Students have done: buy a published practice booklet and work with it on your own. For many students, success on this AP exam requires outside rehearsal, in advance!
Tuesday, Dec. 3 -- new sections / new Tri / new seats
Bring your two Poetry Out Loud selections to class: printed text, title, and poet.
The low-down skivvy: choose one shorter poem (25 lines or less) and one longer poem (26 lines or more). Either one of these two poems -- the shorter or the longer -- must have a pre-1900 publication date. (And yes, they can both be pre-1900 if you prefer.) ALL selections need to come from the Poetry Out Loud anthology online. When you visit the site, you'll see that the online tools support the requirements -- see "Find Poems" under the Poems and Performance menu. (And yes, there is also a printed anthology -- I have copies in Rm. 201; and yes, they've scratched several titles from the '12-'13 online anthology. Check 'more information here' if you want to see the list of deleted, and thus ineligible, poems.) Memorize your shorter poem by January 3, 2014.
Please brush up on The Great Gatsby, Chapters 7-8-9. If you haven't already read these chapters, now would be the time. In case you left your copy at school: The Great Gatsby online.
Film adaptation will be the topic of our preview Argument Essay -- a trial run // not-for-points // kick the tires. So you would do well to think about, among other things, what Baz Luhrmann & Co. did with The Great Gatsby. We'll see more of the film(s) on Tuesday.
[Portfolios and Writing Grades, back to you this Thursday, Dec. 5.] POL SELECTIONS: 12/6.
P.M. Begin reading the new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). OPEN-NOTES QUIZ: TUES., Dec. 10
Wednesday, Dec. 4
A trial run for the In-Class Argument essay. You know the drill: dark ink, lined paper, forty-five minutes. Although this essay will not "count" in the same sense that future ones will, you can still refer to it in your Winter Letter of Self-Evaluation (Feb./Mar. 2014), so you'd be smart to take a good whack at today's prompt. (N.B., Other AP English juniors will read & "rough-score" your essay, so these will be written anonymously -- Student I.D. numbers only.)
P.M. Continue reading new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). OPEN-NOTES QUIZ: TUES., Dec. 10. POL SELECTIONS: 12/6.
Thursday, Dec. 5
Introduce the Argument Essay, with help from Northwestern University Prof. David Zarefesky. Reminder about LOC, new Chapter 3 ("Argument"), for Dec. 9-10. (It's on ClassJump.) Introduce the AP // College Board standards for scoring the Argument Essay.
Poetry Out Loud: a brief introduction to poetry declamation.
PORTFOLIOS BACK TO YOU: grades, scores, comments, and congratulations.
P.M. Continue to study the new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). Also, for Friday, please read an Argument Prompt (TBA), along with two past essays in response to this prompt: a 6 & an 8 (TBA). GRADED DEADLINE FOR POL SELECTIONS: FRIDAY, 12/6.
Friday, Dec. 6
Your Poetry Out Loud selections are due today; no further delays!
Further discussion of AP argument and the AP // College Board scoring standards.
Score Tuesday's Argument essays on film adaptation. In groups of three, 4th Period students will score 5th Period essays, and 5th Period students will score 4th Period essays. Scored essays back on Monday.
WEEKEND: Please finish reading and annotating the new, revised LOC Chapter 3. We'll talk through this chapter on Monday -- including hints, study guide, et al. -- and take an Open-Notes Quiz on Tuesday.
Monday, Dec. 9
Study hints, guidelines, discussion, Q & A, and Study Groups on the new, revised LOC Chapter 3. Laptops and/or iPads will be welcome this day. I will try to reserve 16 COW laptops for people who don't bring their own computers. Tuesday's quiz will focus on pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file (pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself).
P.M. Study for Tuesday's quiz: pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file -- pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Open-Notes Quiz on Argumentative Writing focusing on pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file -- pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself... in the new, revised Chapter 3 of LOC (ClassJump).
P.M. Homework amnesty, but practice saying your poems aloud, and be sure to bring both poems to Wednesday's class.
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Briefly discuss the results of the Open-Notes quiz.
LAUNCH Sentence-Combining Workshop: Modeling sentences after professional writers' sentences.
Remaining time: POETRY REHEARSAL.
P.M. Read three short argument essays (TBA). (One professionally edited essay; two student AP essays.) We will write the first I-CE Argument essay in class this Friday, Dec. 12.
Thursday, Dec. 12
Discussion process for the three essays: Scores, characteristics, spots of brilliance, areas that need work.
P.M. Review your notes on Chapter 3. Think about the framework -- the spine -- of a fine persuasive argument. Read at least two or three more exemplary student essays in response to past prompts on AP Central. (Argument prompts, and the corresponding student essays, have always fallen under Free-Response Question #3 since the 2005 AP English exam.)
Friday, Dec. 13 -- Aieee!
In-Class Argument Essay #1. Lined paper; dark ink; 40+ minutes. Good luck!
Weekend: Read the AP scoring guidelines, the three (or more) student essays, and the AP Scoring Commentary for Friday's prompt. We will score your Friday essays this Monday. Also, please run your poems at least three times each -- out loud, with another sentient creature nearby (i.e., at least a parakeet, a turtle, a Miniature Schnauzer... possibly a human being...). Please be sure to bring your poems on Monday.
Monday, Dec. 16 -- Beethoven's Birthday, and the great Noel Coward's birthday.
So, we will score and sing -- score AP essays and sing tributes to these two musical greats. Also, caroling rehearsal for our Super-Lunch appearances this Thursday and Friday.
Sentence-Combining Workshop: Part II.
P.M. STUDY FOR TUESDAY'S VOCABULARY QUIZ #5.
The following link takes you to the AP English Multiple-Choice Practice Exam you took on Wednesday, November 27. The correct answers appear on p. 29 of the .PDF file. There were two 49s and one 50 last week. Any score in the 40s is extremely promising, pointing towards a 5 (if your essays are rock-solid); a score in the mid-30s or above points to a score of 4 (again, if your essays are rock-solid). Wednesday's AP English Multiple-Choice Practice Exam. We will continue to take these -- or anyway, segments of them. But to guarantee raising your multiple-choice score, please do what past WHS "5" Students have done: buy a published practice booklet and work with it on your own. For many students, success on this AP exam requires outside rehearsal, in advance!
Tuesday, Dec. 3 -- new sections / new Tri / new seats
Bring your two Poetry Out Loud selections to class: printed text, title, and poet.
The low-down skivvy: choose one shorter poem (25 lines or less) and one longer poem (26 lines or more). Either one of these two poems -- the shorter or the longer -- must have a pre-1900 publication date. (And yes, they can both be pre-1900 if you prefer.) ALL selections need to come from the Poetry Out Loud anthology online. When you visit the site, you'll see that the online tools support the requirements -- see "Find Poems" under the Poems and Performance menu. (And yes, there is also a printed anthology -- I have copies in Rm. 201; and yes, they've scratched several titles from the '12-'13 online anthology. Check 'more information here' if you want to see the list of deleted, and thus ineligible, poems.) Memorize your shorter poem by January 3, 2014.
Please brush up on The Great Gatsby, Chapters 7-8-9. If you haven't already read these chapters, now would be the time. In case you left your copy at school: The Great Gatsby online.
Film adaptation will be the topic of our preview Argument Essay -- a trial run // not-for-points // kick the tires. So you would do well to think about, among other things, what Baz Luhrmann & Co. did with The Great Gatsby. We'll see more of the film(s) on Tuesday.
[Portfolios and Writing Grades, back to you this Thursday, Dec. 5.] POL SELECTIONS: 12/6.
P.M. Begin reading the new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). OPEN-NOTES QUIZ: TUES., Dec. 10
Wednesday, Dec. 4
A trial run for the In-Class Argument essay. You know the drill: dark ink, lined paper, forty-five minutes. Although this essay will not "count" in the same sense that future ones will, you can still refer to it in your Winter Letter of Self-Evaluation (Feb./Mar. 2014), so you'd be smart to take a good whack at today's prompt. (N.B., Other AP English juniors will read & "rough-score" your essay, so these will be written anonymously -- Student I.D. numbers only.)
P.M. Continue reading new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). OPEN-NOTES QUIZ: TUES., Dec. 10. POL SELECTIONS: 12/6.
Thursday, Dec. 5
Introduce the Argument Essay, with help from Northwestern University Prof. David Zarefesky. Reminder about LOC, new Chapter 3 ("Argument"), for Dec. 9-10. (It's on ClassJump.) Introduce the AP // College Board standards for scoring the Argument Essay.
Poetry Out Loud: a brief introduction to poetry declamation.
PORTFOLIOS BACK TO YOU: grades, scores, comments, and congratulations.
P.M. Continue to study the new, revised LOC Ch. 3 (ClassJump). Also, for Friday, please read an Argument Prompt (TBA), along with two past essays in response to this prompt: a 6 & an 8 (TBA). GRADED DEADLINE FOR POL SELECTIONS: FRIDAY, 12/6.
Friday, Dec. 6
Your Poetry Out Loud selections are due today; no further delays!
Further discussion of AP argument and the AP // College Board scoring standards.
Score Tuesday's Argument essays on film adaptation. In groups of three, 4th Period students will score 5th Period essays, and 5th Period students will score 4th Period essays. Scored essays back on Monday.
WEEKEND: Please finish reading and annotating the new, revised LOC Chapter 3. We'll talk through this chapter on Monday -- including hints, study guide, et al. -- and take an Open-Notes Quiz on Tuesday.
Monday, Dec. 9
Study hints, guidelines, discussion, Q & A, and Study Groups on the new, revised LOC Chapter 3. Laptops and/or iPads will be welcome this day. I will try to reserve 16 COW laptops for people who don't bring their own computers. Tuesday's quiz will focus on pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file (pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself).
P.M. Study for Tuesday's quiz: pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file -- pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself.
Tuesday, Dec. 10
Open-Notes Quiz on Argumentative Writing focusing on pp. 1-18 of the .PDF file -- pp. 81-115 of the Chapter itself... in the new, revised Chapter 3 of LOC (ClassJump).
P.M. Homework amnesty, but practice saying your poems aloud, and be sure to bring both poems to Wednesday's class.
Wednesday, Dec. 11
Briefly discuss the results of the Open-Notes quiz.
LAUNCH Sentence-Combining Workshop: Modeling sentences after professional writers' sentences.
Remaining time: POETRY REHEARSAL.
P.M. Read three short argument essays (TBA). (One professionally edited essay; two student AP essays.) We will write the first I-CE Argument essay in class this Friday, Dec. 12.
Thursday, Dec. 12
Discussion process for the three essays: Scores, characteristics, spots of brilliance, areas that need work.
P.M. Review your notes on Chapter 3. Think about the framework -- the spine -- of a fine persuasive argument. Read at least two or three more exemplary student essays in response to past prompts on AP Central. (Argument prompts, and the corresponding student essays, have always fallen under Free-Response Question #3 since the 2005 AP English exam.)
Friday, Dec. 13 -- Aieee!
In-Class Argument Essay #1. Lined paper; dark ink; 40+ minutes. Good luck!
Weekend: Read the AP scoring guidelines, the three (or more) student essays, and the AP Scoring Commentary for Friday's prompt. We will score your Friday essays this Monday. Also, please run your poems at least three times each -- out loud, with another sentient creature nearby (i.e., at least a parakeet, a turtle, a Miniature Schnauzer... possibly a human being...). Please be sure to bring your poems on Monday.
Monday, Dec. 16 -- Beethoven's Birthday, and the great Noel Coward's birthday.
So, we will score and sing -- score AP essays and sing tributes to these two musical greats. Also, caroling rehearsal for our Super-Lunch appearances this Thursday and Friday.
Sentence-Combining Workshop: Part II.
P.M. STUDY FOR TUESDAY'S VOCABULARY QUIZ #5.
Monday, November 25, 2013
Wednesday's Final Exam
Your completed Portfolio is due this Wednesday at the time of the Final: your letter on top, followed by all the rest of your papers.
Our final will consist of a timed, one-hour AP Multiple-Choice segment from a past exam, to give you the exact sensation of the May exam -- or anyway, the feeling of the Multiple-Choice portion.
The scoring system(?) for the final: Showing up = 83%. 22-28 out of 55 pts. = 85% (B). 26-29 pts. = 88.5% (B+). 30-32 pts. out of 55 = 92% (A-). 35 pts. and up = 96% (A). The exam will "weigh" approximately 30 points, so it could be influential on the In-Class portion of your grades.
Needless to say, the steak/lobster dinner-factor may loom large for some. Scores of 50 or more will trigger the Culinary Bonus. (And yes, there will be vegan/vegetarian alternatives for high-flying scores achieved by non-carnivores.)
The twelve questions in Monday's segment ("I am a woman") are easy to find online. Search via the 2001 released AP English Language and Composition exam. Also easy to find online is Renee Shea's scoring commentary, with the correct answers to all the 2001 questions, plus Dr. Shea's detailed explanations. We didn't finish walking through the twelve items in either class on Monday, and I sincerely apologize. Please check them out -- it could help you on Wednesday.
Our final will consist of a timed, one-hour AP Multiple-Choice segment from a past exam, to give you the exact sensation of the May exam -- or anyway, the feeling of the Multiple-Choice portion.
The scoring system(?) for the final: Showing up = 83%. 22-28 out of 55 pts. = 85% (B). 26-29 pts. = 88.5% (B+). 30-32 pts. out of 55 = 92% (A-). 35 pts. and up = 96% (A). The exam will "weigh" approximately 30 points, so it could be influential on the In-Class portion of your grades.
Needless to say, the steak/lobster dinner-factor may loom large for some. Scores of 50 or more will trigger the Culinary Bonus. (And yes, there will be vegan/vegetarian alternatives for high-flying scores achieved by non-carnivores.)
The twelve questions in Monday's segment ("I am a woman") are easy to find online. Search via the 2001 released AP English Language and Composition exam. Also easy to find online is Renee Shea's scoring commentary, with the correct answers to all the 2001 questions, plus Dr. Shea's detailed explanations. We didn't finish walking through the twelve items in either class on Monday, and I sincerely apologize. Please check them out -- it could help you on Wednesday.
Friday, November 22, 2013
For Monday, Nov. 25
Work on your Letter. Also, please see the grade portal, where I have lately posted your results on the Grand Vocabulary Quiz. Some people bombed! With that in mind, we'll take 20 minutes for an optional re-take this MONDAY, Nov. 25. All the words are on this blog -- see RH column -- and there are helpful definitions & examples on our other blog.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
For Wednesday, Nov. 20
Please save the Prompt page
for Tuesday's essay and bring it back when we score the fourth in-class
essay this Thursday.
Final drafts are due Wednesday in the Multi-Draft Essay. Please clip
all four drafts together, in Latest-to-Earliest sequence (4-3-2-1, with #4 on
top). ** Do you have a bulldog clip? **
We’ll begin to address AP
Multiple-Choice challenges in Wednesday’s class.
Monday, November 18, 2013
ON Tuesday, Nov. 19, the 4th In-Class Essay of Rhetorical Analysis.
To re-check Mr. Bratnober's stream of consciousness as he constructed an opening paragraph for the Orwell essay ("Shooting an Elephant"), see the last General Download document in the AP Lang & Comp documents on Mr. Bratnober's ClassJump page.
Thursday, November 14, 2013
For the Balance of the Trimester...
Friday, Nov. 15
Peer edit the remaining M-DEs. Further discussion of The Great Gatsby, Ch. 6 & 7.
OVER THE WEEKEND:
Make progress on your M-DE and read George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant," which you can find in The Language of Composition (pp. 979-984) or online, for example, at this link. Orwell's essay will form the basis of Monday's demonstration, so please read his pithy narrative in advance.
Monday, Nov. 18
Assembling an AP essay of rhetorical analysis -- a demonstration based on "Shooting an Elephant."
Tues., Nov. 19
I-CE #4
Wed., Nov. 20
DUE DATE for the Final Draft of your Multi-Draft Essay. Voila!
Thurs., Nov. 21
Score I-CE #4. Assign your letter of self-evaluation.
Fri., Nov. 22
Strategy session for AP Multiple-Choice questions. Sometimes vexing, sometimes obvious, nearly always controversial... the multiple-choice questions do "surrender" to the crushing force of logic, and to students who read clearly, with ample vocabularies. And there is strategy!
Also, Friday will include notes on how to prep. for the Grammar portion of next Wednesday's exam.
[Last but not least, Friday is the final due date for the Optional I-CE #5.]
OVER THE WEEKEND
Compose your letter of self-evaluation. The due date for your full portfolio, topped off by your letter of self-evaluation, is Wednesday, Nov. 27, at our Final Exam.
Monday, Nov. 25
More strength, hope, and experience for the Multiple-Choice questions.
Tues., Nov. 26
Good luck on your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Pd. Finals!
Wed., Nov. 27
Congratulations in advance on handing in your Portfolios today. On top should be your Letter. After that, I-CE 5 (if you wrote one), I-CE 4, then the Multi-Draft Essay (all 4, in 4-3-2-1 order); and finally, I-CEs #3, #2, and #1.
Our final will consist of a one-hour AP Multiple-Choice test followed by a 40-minute grammar review. Both will be multiple-choice exercises.
Peer edit the remaining M-DEs. Further discussion of The Great Gatsby, Ch. 6 & 7.
OVER THE WEEKEND:
Make progress on your M-DE and read George Orwell's essay "Shooting an Elephant," which you can find in The Language of Composition (pp. 979-984) or online, for example, at this link. Orwell's essay will form the basis of Monday's demonstration, so please read his pithy narrative in advance.
Monday, Nov. 18
Assembling an AP essay of rhetorical analysis -- a demonstration based on "Shooting an Elephant."
Tues., Nov. 19
I-CE #4
Wed., Nov. 20
DUE DATE for the Final Draft of your Multi-Draft Essay. Voila!
Thurs., Nov. 21
Score I-CE #4. Assign your letter of self-evaluation.
Fri., Nov. 22
Strategy session for AP Multiple-Choice questions. Sometimes vexing, sometimes obvious, nearly always controversial... the multiple-choice questions do "surrender" to the crushing force of logic, and to students who read clearly, with ample vocabularies. And there is strategy!
Also, Friday will include notes on how to prep. for the Grammar portion of next Wednesday's exam.
[Last but not least, Friday is the final due date for the Optional I-CE #5.]
OVER THE WEEKEND
Compose your letter of self-evaluation. The due date for your full portfolio, topped off by your letter of self-evaluation, is Wednesday, Nov. 27, at our Final Exam.
Monday, Nov. 25
More strength, hope, and experience for the Multiple-Choice questions.
Tues., Nov. 26
Good luck on your 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Pd. Finals!
Wed., Nov. 27
Congratulations in advance on handing in your Portfolios today. On top should be your Letter. After that, I-CE 5 (if you wrote one), I-CE 4, then the Multi-Draft Essay (all 4, in 4-3-2-1 order); and finally, I-CEs #3, #2, and #1.
Our final will consist of a one-hour AP Multiple-Choice test followed by a 40-minute grammar review. Both will be multiple-choice exercises.
Thursday, November 7, 2013
Over the Three-Day Weekend
Please read Chapters 5, 6, and 7 of The Great Gatsby for Monday's class.
We'll peer edit Draft #3 of the Multi-Draft Essays in class this coming Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14 and 15. Most of you should have Draft #2 back from me at this point. I still have 5-6 to return to people by email -- I will try to finish these and get them back to you on Friday, Nov. 9.
We'll peer edit Draft #3 of the Multi-Draft Essays in class this coming Thursday and Friday, Nov. 14 and 15. Most of you should have Draft #2 back from me at this point. I still have 5-6 to return to people by email -- I will try to finish these and get them back to you on Friday, Nov. 9.
Wednesday, November 6, 2013
For Thursday, Nov. 7
Please be fully conversant in Chapters 3 and 4 of The Great Gatsby. We'll Fishbowl in #3 & #4. (You left your copy at school? Here's a link to the full text of the novel.)
Tuesday, November 5, 2013
For Wednesday, Nov. 6
Come to class fully prepared to discuss Chapters 2 & 3 of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925). As you read Ch. 3, think about the contrasts Fitzgerald draws -- the antitheses -- between the little house party in Chapter 2, and the elaborate bash on Gatsby's lawn in Chapter 3, part of a summer-long series of music- and booze-injected festivities. (Fitzgerald's original title for The Great Gatsby was Trimalchio's Feast.)
Friday, November 1, 2013
For Monday, Nov. 4
Read Chapter 1 of The Great Gatsby, by F. Scott Fitzgerald (1925). It's fine to read ahead. Some people may not be able to stop, and that's fine. (But if you do press ahead, please withhold spoilers!)
In Fitzgerald we meet an author who cultivates the power of suggestion. Fitzgerald doesn't simply state facts; he also relies on persistent suggestions and impressions... even apparitions.
It's clear that he hopes certain developments will 'pop' in our imaginations, and that it's better -- when realizations and discoveries pop -- than it would be if he merely narrated every fact or event. As you'll see, there are expectations that readers figure things out for ourselves.
So please read with an eye and an ear for elements that somehow transcend what lies on the surface.
In Fitzgerald we meet an author who cultivates the power of suggestion. Fitzgerald doesn't simply state facts; he also relies on persistent suggestions and impressions... even apparitions.
It's clear that he hopes certain developments will 'pop' in our imaginations, and that it's better -- when realizations and discoveries pop -- than it would be if he merely narrated every fact or event. As you'll see, there are expectations that readers figure things out for ourselves.
So please read with an eye and an ear for elements that somehow transcend what lies on the surface.
Tuesday, October 29, 2013
Submittal options for DRAFT #2 of the M-DE.
1. Submit your paper at class-time on Wed.;
or 2., by email attachment Wed. night;
or 3., by 8:35 a.m. on Thursday, before
1st Pd.
Please continue to bring your paper to class, whether you are handing it in or not.
Don't forget about Friday's vocabulary quiz: 40 words.
Monday, October 28, 2013
Cumulative Syntax in Essays and Stories We've Read in this Fall
"For more than twenty years I've had to live with it, feeling the shame, trying to push it away..." ~ Tim O'Brien, from "On the Rainy River."
"...and the trick was to maneuver the gun with your whole body, not lifting with the arms, just letting the rubber cord do the work for you." ~ Tim O'Brien, from "On the Rainy River."
"The songs, books, poems, and films that arouse us in war are awkward and embarrassing when the conflict ends, useful only to summon up the nostalgia of war's comradeship." ~ Chris Hedges, in "From The Destruction of Culture."
"And Tito's state pioneered the replacement of history with myth, forcing schoolchildren to memorize mythical stories about Tito's life and aphorisms." ~ Chris Hedges, in "From The Destruction of Culture."
[I've highlighted the instances of cumulative syntax in italics. ~ PB]
"...and the trick was to maneuver the gun with your whole body, not lifting with the arms, just letting the rubber cord do the work for you." ~ Tim O'Brien, from "On the Rainy River."
"The songs, books, poems, and films that arouse us in war are awkward and embarrassing when the conflict ends, useful only to summon up the nostalgia of war's comradeship." ~ Chris Hedges, in "From The Destruction of Culture."
"And Tito's state pioneered the replacement of history with myth, forcing schoolchildren to memorize mythical stories about Tito's life and aphorisms." ~ Chris Hedges, in "From The Destruction of Culture."
[I've highlighted the instances of cumulative syntax in italics. ~ PB]
Friday, October 25, 2013
For Monday, Oct. 28
Make Progress on Your Paper.
Also, please remember that we'll have a Grand Vocabulary Quiz this Friday, Nov. 1.
All 40+ Words from the first four Vocabulary lists will be fair game. Therefore, please review our four lists in the right-hand column of this blog -- going back to Sept. 6 and 18.
And... PLEASE KEEP WRITING. Your second draft should show significant improvement over your first. Please check my comments on the two 2013 drafts now on ClassJump as well as the three sample essays from 2012.
Also, please remember that we'll have a Grand Vocabulary Quiz this Friday, Nov. 1.
All 40+ Words from the first four Vocabulary lists will be fair game. Therefore, please review our four lists in the right-hand column of this blog -- going back to Sept. 6 and 18.
And... PLEASE KEEP WRITING. Your second draft should show significant improvement over your first. Please check my comments on the two 2013 drafts now on ClassJump as well as the three sample essays from 2012.
Thursday, October 24, 2013
For Friday, Oct. 25
Please look at the fresh batch of vocabulary words -- the words for next week, but also the 30+ words we've looked at in the past few weeks. Our quiz next Friday will involve all 40+ words.
Also, I'll collect Exercises 1 and 2 from LOC this Friday. If you haven't done these yet, tonight is it.
Also, I'll collect Exercises 1 and 2 from LOC this Friday. If you haven't done these yet, tonight is it.
Tuesday, October 22, 2013
Homework for Wednesday, Oct. 23
Part I: To score I-CE #3 -- the Nerds & Geeks essay -- please review the AP Scoring Guidelines, the three
student papers on AP Central (2008 - FRQ #2), and the scoring commentary on the three essays. See also, the WHS
8-essay on Nerds & Geeks from 2012 (on ClassJump, among the General
Downloads).
Part II: Study pp. 999-1004 in LOC. Write out your responses to Exercises 1 and 2 and bring these to Wednesday's class.
Part II: Study pp. 999-1004 in LOC. Write out your responses to Exercises 1 and 2 and bring these to Wednesday's class.
Wednesday, October 16, 2013
MEA and Monday & Tuesday, Oct. 21 and 22.
I strongly suggest that you use part of the MEA break to work on your multi-draft essay of rhetorical analysis.
** AT 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, there are now three examples -- typed, multi-draft rhetorical analysis papers -- from 2012. ** (To view these, go to ClassJump for our course and scroll all the way down to 'General Downloads'.) It's fine if yours is shorter or longer than these when you hand it in this Tuesday -- the examples are simply meant to give you a general idea.
Your goal? To choose two representative passages and write a coherent, thoughtful and revealing rhetorical analysis of each passage.
It's what we've been doing all along! The only significant difference is that now you have more time -- time to write in relative seclusion, with no ticking timer-clock.
If you have questions after reading the instructions on ClassJump, please feel free to contact me via email.
Monday, October 21.
Please come to class fully up to speed in "On the Rainy River," by Tim O'Brien (LOC, pp. 961-973).
We will also score and review the Leonid Fridman I-CE essays (on Nerds & Geeks).
Tuesday, October 22.
First Drafts of the Multi-Draft Essay are due. Please carefully consult the instructions on ClassJump.
** AT 2:40 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 20, there are now three examples -- typed, multi-draft rhetorical analysis papers -- from 2012. ** (To view these, go to ClassJump for our course and scroll all the way down to 'General Downloads'.) It's fine if yours is shorter or longer than these when you hand it in this Tuesday -- the examples are simply meant to give you a general idea.
Your goal? To choose two representative passages and write a coherent, thoughtful and revealing rhetorical analysis of each passage.
It's what we've been doing all along! The only significant difference is that now you have more time -- time to write in relative seclusion, with no ticking timer-clock.
If you have questions after reading the instructions on ClassJump, please feel free to contact me via email.
Monday, October 21.
Please come to class fully up to speed in "On the Rainy River," by Tim O'Brien (LOC, pp. 961-973).
We will also score and review the Leonid Fridman I-CE essays (on Nerds & Geeks).
Tuesday, October 22.
First Drafts of the Multi-Draft Essay are due. Please carefully consult the instructions on ClassJump.
Friday, October 11, 2013
Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday - Oct. 14-15-16
For Monday’s class, bring copies of the two contrasting
passages you intend to write about for the Multi-Draft Essay. Ideally, you’ll type them up and bring them to class in printed form. Be sure your name is at the top -- I'll ask
the Substitute to collect them as part of Monday’s class.
Also on Monday, I’ll ask the Sub to give you an AP
Multiple-Choice reader’s quiz. This will
serve as rehearsal for the AP exam, so I’ll count it as a Participation credit,
not as a “Right-or-Wrong” score – i.e., please relax and investigate the experience! Take it with an open mind, and solve the
intellectual puzzles as best you can.
We’ll talk about the results on Wednesday, Oct. 16.
On Tuesday, Oct. 15, it’s the next I-CE (#3). Therefore, please get a good night’s sleep in
advance! Review rhetorical analysis tips in Ch. 1 and 2 of The Language of Composition, including those most fundamental of Fundamentals, the Modes of Discourse -- Process Analysis, Compare and Contrast, and all the others. Many of you would also do well to review the elements of a classical argument or essay -- introduction, examples, counterargument, call-to-action. Also, it's always wise to review rhetorical analysis prompts and student
responses on A.P. Central.
For Wednesday’s class, Oct. 16, please read Tim O’Brien’s
short story “On the Rainy River,” an excerpt from The Things They Carried (1990).
It’s a longer story, so you might do well to begin your reading over the
weekend. (LOC, pp. 961-973.) Tim O'Brien hails from Worthington, Minnesota. He was the class valedictorian at Macalester College, in St. Paul, in 1968. "On the Rainy River" is set in northern Minnesota.
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