Last Day before FINAL

Today we will share examples of irony and use them to come up with a good answer to the question: What is the value of irony in argument?

Then, students will write their own multiple choice question for the final exam, using AP question stems, keeping in mind the different kinds of distractors that usually appear on the AP test.

REMINDER:  the final exam will consist of 1) vocabulary test on lessons 1-7  2) multiple choice questions on "A Modest Proposal" and 3) an argument essay on a sample AP prompt.

A classic example of SATIRE: "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift

Monday we will read Jonathan Swift's classic essay in class.  As you read, your task is to keep track of examples of Swift's effective use of irony in his essay.

In partners, answer the Questions on pages 709-710:  "Questions on Meaning" and "Questions on Writing Strategy" and "Questions on Language."

On Tuesday, you will analyze your examples of irony.  For each example:

1. Decide whether the irony depends on UNDERSTATING (the presentation of something as being smaller, worse, or less important than it actually is.), OVERSTATING (hyperbole, exaggeration), or saying the opposite of what is meant.
2. How do they improve on literal statements?
3. Ultimately, what is the value of irony in argument?

A contemporary imitation of Swift's essay by Stephen Colbert: A Modest Porpoisal

Muley Graves & his philosophy: Chapter 6

"What I mean, if a fella's got somepin to eat an' another fella's hungry--why the first fella ain't got no choice [but to share]." (6)

What do these words indicate about the philosophy or values of Muley Graves?


What about this one?

"Cause what'd they take when they tractored the folks off the lan'?  What'd they get so their 'margin a profit' was safe?  They got Pa dyin' on the groun', and Joe yellin' his first breath, an' me jerkin' like a billy goat under a bush at night.  What'd they get?  God knows the lan' ain't no good. Nobody been able to make a crop for years.  But thems son-a-bitches at their desks, they jus' chopped folks in two for their margin a profit.  They jus' cut 'em in two.  Place where folks live is them folks.  They ain't whole, out lonely on the road in a piled up car.  They ain't alive no more.  Them sons-a-bitches killed 'em."

What about Tom Joad?

"You're talkin' sense...Ever' word you say is sense.  But, Jesus, I hate to get pushed around!  I lots rather take a sock at Willy." 

"No, I jus' tended to my own affairs...If you done somepin you was ashamed of, you might think about that.  But, hell, if I seen Herb Turnbull comin' for me with a knife right now, I'd squash him down with a shovel again."

Or Casey?

"Don't do it...It won't do no good.  Jus' a waste.  We got to get thinkin' about doin' stuff that means somepin."

"...maybe there's a place for a preacher.  Maybe I can preach again.  Folks out lonely on the road, folks with no lan', no home to go to.  They got to have some kind of home.  Maybe...."

Introduction to Satire: for Friday after vocabulary test

We will use this video titled "Teenage Affluenza" as our introduction to SATIRE: 

What fault in society is this video attempting to correct?

How does the use of satire enhance the message?

The following definition is from the website: http://web.cn.edu/kwheeler/lit_terms_S.html

SATIRE: An attack on or criticism of any stupidity or vice in the form of scathing humor, or a critique of what the author sees as dangerous religious, political, moral, or social standards. Satire became an especially popular technique used during the Enlightenment, in which it was believed that an artist could correct folly by using art as a mirror to reflect society. When people viewed the satire and saw their faults magnified in a distorted reflection, they could see how ridiculous their behavior was and then correct that tendency in themselves. The tradition of satire continues today. Popular cartoons such as The Simpsons and televised comedies like The Daily Show make use of it in modern media. Conventionally, formal satire involves a direct, first-person-address, either to the audience or to a listener mentioned within the work. An example of formal satire is Alexander Pope's Moral Essays. Indirect satire conventionally employs the form of a fictional narrative--such as Byron's Don Juan or Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Ridicule, irony, exaggeration, and similar tools are almost always used in satire. Horatian satire tends to focus lightly on laughter and ridicule, but it maintains a playful tone. Generally, the tone is sympathetic and good humored, somewhat tolerant of imperfection and folly even while expressing amusement at it. The name comes from the Roman poet Horace (65 BCE-8 CE), who preferred to ridicule human folly in general rather than condemn specific persons. In contrast, Juvenalian satire also uses withering invective, insults, and a slashing attack. The name comes from the Roman poet Juvenal (60-140 CE), who frequently employed the device, but the label is applied to British writers such as Swift and Pope as well. Compare with medieval estates satire and spoof.

Grapes of Wrath: reading assignment for the break

Read chapters 8-15 of The Grapes of Wrath over the three week break.

Take notes on the links between chapters and any themes you notice (post-its are good for this one.), as well as references to animals/human/machines.

You have key questions for each chapter in your take-home packets....use them to do a quick write after you have read each chapter.

Possible themes:

business
ownership
I to We
dehumanization
family
injustice
hunger

there's more....if you see a different pattern, note it!

Chapter 3: The Turtle Crosses the Road

In class today we read Chapter 3 of The Grapes of Wrath, looking at the turtle as a symbol for the Joad's journey in the story.

See reading schedule below.

Thursday Models

Scoring Guide and student sample papers

The Learning Target today:  For you to get a strong sense of what an excellent argument looks like and what weaknesses make up a lower half paper.

Wednesday's homework: Pre-writing for a practice AP argument question

Tonight I would like you to practice approaching a sample argument question from the 2013 AP exam (free response questions), in preparation for the in class argument question on Friday. [ In the linked file, it is the last essay question.]

Try to answer the following questions in note format, taking no more than 10 minutes (remember 40 minutes is the suggested amount of time to write this essay.).

1. HIGHLIGHT or UNDERLINE key words in the prompt.
2. PARAPHRASE the prompt.  What is the question/issue (in your own words)?
3. What is your stance or POINT OF VIEW?  (Agree/disagree/qualify)
4. What are your REASONS?
5. What SPECIFIC EVIDENCE will you use?
6. What COUNTERARGUMENTS will you address with CONCESSIONS and REFUTATIONS?

Tomorrow we will look at sample essays from this prompt, so you can see the score range and calibrate yourselves. Just to clarify: You do not need to write the entire essay, just the pre-writing.

Tuesday night's homework: "Are You Now or Were You Ever?"

Tonight, please read the Article from The Guardian in which Arthur Miller explains the impetus for writing The Crucible. 

Tomorrow I will ask you to connect your new understanding with a political cartoon from the era.

Monday's class

Today, class will start with 20 minutes of Vocabulary notes on Lesson 7 (our last one before the semester ends!).

Then, I will collect your Appreciation Scales and students will take a short quiz on the play.

For homework, prepare for our next Socratic Seminar-The Crucible.  For full credit on this assignment, everyone will need to participate at least two times, during their circle talk.

Toulmin model

Try to fill in a Toulmin model for the "I SAY" at the end of the debate:

Because __(evidence)______, therefore _______________(claim)_______________, 

since______________________(assumption --with backing & qualifier if necessary)________,

 unless ____________(reservation).

How it looks:

Because of evidence (from a study, etc) that grades add stress to the learning experience, therefore grades should be abolished, since stress inhibits learning.

Because you bought me a diamond, therefore I know that you love me, since love requires material proof.

Because they make us more understanding of the foibles and frailities of man, everyone should read novels, since most of us are unaware of our fallibility. 

Now, on the bottom of the Conversational Roundtable, try to compose your argument using this frame:

Because_____________________________, therefore____________________, since________________________,  unless ________________________________.

Pre-reading Discussion for the Crucible (Thursday's class)

Today we checked out The Crucible and then did an prereading activity where we discussed the best course of action in a difficult scenario.

I also briefly explained the political context for Miller's writing of the play, but this video link seems to be an excellent introduction to the play.

I shared the homework for the break (see my post below).  Happy Reading!

The last few minutes were spent introducing the Toulmin Model of Argumentation.  This will help you analyze arguments and build your own.  We will practice using it when we return from break!

Induction vs Deduction: Follow Up

Tuesday and Wednesday we spent trying to understand and recognize how induction and deduction work together in an argument.  We saw how it worked in "The Declaration of Independence" by Thomas Jefferson and "The Declaration of Sentiments" by Elizabeth Cady Stanton.

Here is a link to a website that offers you some more explanation of the two and how they work in rhetoric: Induction and Deduction.

In the end, what I would like to you remember about these two forms of reasoning:

 Being aware of HOW a writer builds an argument using reasoning is one powerful tool you now have to analyze another's rhetoric (the "THEY SAY") and determine its strength or effectiveness.  And ultimately, they are essential strategies that I hope to see you utilize in your own writing (the "I SAY").  



Also, keep in mind the three ways to respond to what "They Say":

1. Disagree with Reasons
2. Agree, but with a Difference
3. Agree and Disagree simultaneously (concede and refute)

Here is a link to the sentence frames from Professor Graff's book They Say I Say: Responding to THEY SAY(page one) and Responding to THEY SAY (page two)

HOMEWORK OVER BREAK

Over break, read The Crucible by Arthur Miller and take note of two things:

1. Admiration Scale  It is EXTREMELY important that you do this AS you read.  It will be really difficult to do this after you are done with the book.

2.  Record any fallacies you see in the reasoning of the characters in the play.

Link to this week's debate topic and readings

NY Times Room for Debate: chivalry

Remember to fill out your roundtable with a summary of the argument AND a key detail/quotation.

Room for Debate: Vote on our next debate!

Check out these topics for debate from the NY TIMES:  http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/topics/culture

Then take the poll to see which one you think we could use to foster a thought-provoking discussion in class on Friday!

Graff template for "Too Much Pressure" and Weekend homework

Here is LINK to the template that you should fill out in class Thursday.  I will be at Napa High in the morning, but I hope you will still make good use of time and finish this.

In addition, I would like you to READ the essay "Destroyed" by Peter F. Martin by MONDAY. HERE is a link to a photocopy of the essay out of the Bedford Reader.

Your homework for Monday is to fill out the Argument Analysis Handout for that essay.  I do not have a shared copy of that available yet.  I will give it to you in class FRIDAY.

Also, make sure you get the words for Lesson 6 Vocabulary, if are absent Thursday.  I have also added the link to the quizlet cards on my quizlet page on the blog.

Claim statements and a "They Say I Say" thesis

Today we reviewed the editorial "Felons and the Right to Vote" and discussed the claims of fact, value and policy at play in that piece.  Where it gets complicated is where they overlap or work together in the same claim.

Then, I introduced the importance of composing thesis statements that include a counterargument.

Consider this example from The Language of Composition:

Although the Harry Potter series may have some literary merit, its popularity has less to do with storytelling than with merchandising (96).

As the text tells us, "doing so may make an argument seem both stronger and more reasonable. It may also create a seamless transition to a more thorough concession and refutation of the counterargument later in the argument" (96).

We practiced creating these kind of thesis statements with sample claims, as well.

We closed class by reading an essay in the Bedford Reader titled "Too Much Pressure." We will fill in the Graff template that I gave you to accompany this essay tomorrow.

Friday's First Four Square!

Today, both periods impressed me with excellent debating skills.  You presented valid claims, supported them (for the most part) with SPECIFIC facts taken directly from your research this week, and you listened to the other side and responded effectively, attempting to refute the other's side's reasoning.

Next Friday we will debate the answer to the question "Should advertising in schools be allowed?"
The Blast should be present in your studysync account starting today if you want to get started.  Remember, you can "blast away" anytime!

Tuesday I will check your annotations on the editorial "Felons and the Right to Vote."  Look for claims of fact, value, and policy.

In addition to advertising in schools, we will be examining closely arguments about steriods in sports, as well as academic pressure in school.

Have a good weekend!

Civil Arguments and Their Claims

The following political cartoon can be found at the beginning of the chapter on Analyzing Arguments from The Language of Composition:

"Toles argues that the country is in danger of being devoured by 'crazed rhetoric'."

This political cartoon helps demonstrate the danger of engaging in arguments that divide and alienate instead of enlighten or accomodate.

1. We discussed the article by Amy Domini at the front of your new photo-copied packet, looking specifically at where she might have given way to accusation or blame or dismissal.

2. We discussed the first building block of a solid argument: A claim.

              We studied page 2 of your packets and completed the activity together, being sure that we                knew the difference between a claim statement and a topic statement.

               There are three types of claims: claims of fact, claims of value, and claims of policy

Students were assigned the rest of the packet as reading for the weekend.  Notes should be taken on the New York Times Editorial "Felons and the Right to Vote," following the directions given at the beginning of the piece (page 92).  Bring your annotations to class TUESDAY.

Tomorrow is our first 4 square debate.  Be sure to bring your Conversational Roundtable to class to use.

Political Cartoons

Cartoon Analysis LINK

Above I have linked a version of the worksheet that students worked on in class today.  IF YOU WERE ABSENT, use the three levels of questioning to help you analyze a political cartoon of your choice.  (You are welcome to look at the page to the right with political cartoons--I think there might be only two there right now though.)

I also introduced the Study Sync assignment.  Please send me a gmail or an edmodo message if you cannot log on tonight; I can access your account and send you your password or username if you are having trouble.  Remember to take notes on the Conversational Roundtable handout from today.

Argument for the week: Hello Study Sync!

Your homework for the next few nights is to study a topic from multiple perspectives in order to be prepared to argue one particular viewpoint.

To see the question, you will need to be able to log in to Study Sync.  Do that here: Study Sync log in
Your username is NVUSD + 6 digit student ID and password is your "locker" number.  See me if you need those.

When you log on, click on the button that says "BLASTS" on the banner at the top of the page.
It should say that you have one assigned blast to work on.  The blast I have assigned you for the week is a "Listen Edition" blast, which means that you need to be able to listen to the NPR story linked on that page.  Also, scroll down and you will see the links for your research.  Click on each one and take notes on the Conversational Roundtable Handout that I will give you in class.  Be sure to clearly mark the sources in each square.

If you would like to participate in the "blast," you may do so at anytime, provided that you are prepared to contribute in a meaningful and serious way.  (the blast is only 140 characters, so the challenge is to condense your most salient points in that small space--it is really an exercise in being concise!)

On Friday, we will try to do our first "FOUR SQUARE" debate.  I expect you to come to class ready to argue any point of view, for I may assign you a stance to take, for the sake of a good argument.

Analyzing Visual Arguments

This video gives a good tutorial on all the elements that need to be considered when creating a rhetorically effective visual argument.

By the end of this unit on argument, my goals are to have you be able to

A)IDENTIFY fallacies correctly,
B) ANALYZE a visual and written argument and respond to it by applying it to an argument of your own, and
C) CREATE a visual and/or written argument that holds up and is designed to convince or even persuade.

Today in class we will begin by doing an SAT warm up and then discussing the Commercial Digs you conducted over the weekend and your analysis work from Friday.

Thursday and Friday's class

After correcting the Fallacy quiz from yesterday (in 6th we will take it and correct it in one period), we reviewed Persuasive Techniques in Advertising today and watched the videos posted on my blog yesterday.

Tomorrow, you will be Analyzing Ads in your Socratic groups, filling out the chart I just linked for you in this sentence.


For the weekend, I would like you to conduct a Commercial Dig.  (I think this will work if you watch a show on your computer too.  Usually there are commercials periodically spaced or even just at the beginning?)

On Monday we will be analyzing POLITICAL CARTOONS, so if you want to bring one that you have found yourself, please feel free.

Vocabulary Lesson 5 will finally be introduced tomorrow.  See my quizlet page for links to words online.

Persuasion and Fallacies in Advertising

Persuasive Techniques in Advertising

Below are a few videos that I hope we will be able to watch in class that demonstrate a few of the fallacies we have discussed in class on Wednesday.  

Your homework for FRIDAY is to find a print ad, a television commerical, or an internet-based ad to bring to class to share with your group and analyze together. 

This link can help you find suitable examples of internet advertisements: Web Resources

Here is an example of something you could post on edmodo for us to examine on Friday/Monday.

What appeals or fallacies can you spot in this advertisment for perfume? (In other words, what works...what doesn't?)

Monday: Intro to Argument

We started class by discussing the argument in this political cartoon, one of the types of visual texts we will be analyzing during this unit.

Then, we read the short introduction to Argument from Everything's an Argument and took notes on the graphic organizer I attached on Friday's post.

On the back side, I showed students a different definition of argument that refers to academic writing and draws a clear distinction between argument vs. persuasion.  Students took notes onto the four square. Here is the handout we took notes from:

Tonight the homework is to reflect on what you learned from reading the chapter and the difference between argument (which applied to the EA chapter is really the argument to convince) and persuasion.

Tomorrow---fallacies!

Weekend post: a Critique of The SAT persuasive essay

Listen to this: drawbacks of SAT essay on NPR

Monday and Tuesday: Heads up!

For Monday's class.  We are reading a chapter from Everything's an Argument.  
Graphic Organizer for Argument Intro

On Tuesday, we will be studying FALLACIES

Purdue Owl: Logical Fallacies
After we read about them, I would like you and your partner to take these Fallacy Quizzes.

Coordination and Subordination

Thursday and Friday are devoted to learning more about how to use coordination and subordination as a strategy for writing more effectively. Friday we will read from The Language of Composition, from which these notes are taken.

1. COORDINATION:

      Markers: involves coordinating conjunctions (fanboys), or semicolons.
   
     Functions:        

• increases coherence between ideas--by combining two short sentences into one
• adds to fluency of prose
• can emphasis two things equally
• to show the relationship between two ideas (cause and effect/ contrast)
• a semicolon is used to signal that two ideas are closely related (balance or alternation, general to specific) watch out for comma splices!  ( The semicolon as fulcrum)
• starting a sentence with a FANBOYS can work as long as you have good reason for it!  For transition or emphasis

POLYSYNDETON: the deliberate use of a series of conjunctions, usually for emphasis or increased pacing. 

ASYNDETON: the deliberate omission of conjunctions, usually for separating ideas more distinctly and giving them greater emphasis.

2. SUBORDINATION: the use of a subordinating conjunction (see below) to make the meaning of one clause dependent on another clause.

Functions:

•         for logic and clarity

They can indicate relationships (contrast or concession---although, even though, though, while, whereas/cause and effect or reason---because, since, so that/condition---if,once, unless/ time---when, whenever, after, before, as, once, since, while)

• to blend short sentences into graceful, longer sentences
• you can choose which one will be subordinate, but keep in mind that the independent clause usually carries the most force.

PUNCTUATION RULES:  You need to put a comma at the end of an opening subordinate clause, but not necessarily if the clause is at the end of the sentence (remember RESTRICTIVE and NONRESTRICTIVE clauses).

Partner work goals for today:

Coordination:  Excercises 1 and 2

Subordination: Exercises 1 and 2

Tuesday's Class: A "Museum Walk"

Today we reviewed for the Final Assessment on The Scarlet Letter tomorrow by gathering in groups to explore different theme statements about the novel. Here are a few of them:

The central theme of The Scarlet Letter is

1. The orthodox Puritan view that sin is permanently damaging and its inevitable destructiveness is inescapable.

2. the concept of the Fortunate Fall, which acknowledges the reality of sin but considers it the source of wisdom and spiritual enlightenment.

3. the Romantic idea that society is guilty; that Hester and Dimmesdale did not sin but responded to a natural urge and society has sinned against nature in persecuting them.

4. that the sin of adultery is unimportant; what is really important is the sin of concealment, the sign that the lovers have not been true to who they are.  Theirs is a sin of the soul, a failure of self-trust. This approach would, like the Romantic interpretation, reject the social mores of the Puritan world and accept natural passion, but would still see the lovers as sinful.

5. the pyschological interpretation that sin is of no significance in itself; what is more important is the effects of sin on the human pysche; sin is only a reality in terms of what the character thinks is sinful and there is no absolute moral law but only the morality of individual responses to particular circumstances.

6. the feminist view that the evil is the product of a patriarachal church and social system in which women are victimized by their economic dependence and subservient roles.  Hester is a strong character whose individuality develops through her sexual  independence, but she is defeated by a patriarchal system because she submits to Dimmesdale's commitment to the laws of patriarchy....Hester remains bound to Dimmesdale's world because of her love for him, but she recognizes the injustice of the female's role in it.

7. that isolation causes each character to change or become an exaggerated version of himself or herself.

8.  that intolerance and lack of forgiveness create more problems than they intend to solve.

Students used handouts to find key quotations from the novel to support their assigned statement. (2nd period).  They wrote them on butcher paper and posted them on the wall.
Students in 6th period will extend their examination of that theme by a) finding more quotations/symbols/irony that support the theme and b) adding illustrations of symbols or key scenes to the theme statements.

In the final review of the theme statement presentations, I would like students to do a "museum walk" around the class, adding a) questions and commentary  b) a star next to presentations they think are persuasive and c) a star in a circle for the one they would write about if they could.

Monday's class

Today, we finished the Socratic Seminar discussion and students reflected in writing (on the bottom of the handout) about class on Friday.  Then everyone turned in the chart.

We then met in partners to fill out "Comparing Two or More Texts," using chapter 2 and The New York Times column by Frank Bruni.  We shared out in a full class discussion at the end of class.

I have moved the final assessment to Wednesday, since tomorrow is a short day.  I am attaching a link to a great site with practice tests for the Scarlet Letter.  I hope you find it helpful. Tomorrow we will spend some time reviewing themes, symbols and plot in a friendly competition.


Scarlet Letter study help

One last thing....we have just discovered that three of us have signed up to teach the same book (The Grapes of Wrath) at the same time. Argh!!!!  If there at at least 33 of you who are willing to purchase this book, we would like to know ASAP.(see the poll on the top right of this blog)  We are hoping to start it next week.

Weekend homework: Text to Text Analysis

Key Question: To what extent is there still a sexual double standard, and how does that double standard play out in contemporary culture?


Comparing Two or More Texts

Double Entry journal


Reread Chapter 2, focusing specifically on the first few pages, to where Hester exits the prison.

Then, read the following excerpt from a New York Times editorial and fill out the double-entry chart.  On MONDAY we will work in partners to fill out the Comparing Two or More Texts handout.

Op-Ed: Sex and the Single Murderess
From The New York Times, May 5, 2013, by Frank Bruni

Earl Wilson/The New York TimesFrank Bruni

“Sex game gone wrong,” “sex game gone awry,” “sex-mad flatmate,” “sex-crazed killer.”

That’s from just the first three minutes of the ABC News special on Amanda Knox last week, a veritable drumbeat of sexual shaming that leaves no doubt about what elevated a college student accused of murder into an object of international fascination, titillation and scorn.

It wasn’t the crime itself. It was the supposed conspiracy of her libido, cast as proof that she was out of control, up to no good, lost, wicked, dangerous. A girl this intent on randy fun was a girl who couldn’t be trusted and got what was coming to her, even if it was prison and even if there was plenty of reason — as the eventual reversal of her initial conviction made clear — to believe that she might not belong there.

… Men get passes, women get reputations, and real, lasting humiliation travels only one way. The size and scope of that mortification, despite many decades of happy talk about dawning gender equality, are suggested by recent news stories of one teenage girl in California and another in Nova Scotia who hanged themselves after tales or cellphone pictures of their sexual violation circulated among peers. It’s impossible not to wonder if shame drove them to suicide, and it’s impossible not to ask what sort of world allows the victims of such assaults to feel more irredeemably branded — more eternally damned — than their accused assailants by all appearances do.

I’ll tell you what sort: a world in which there’s a cornucopia of synonyms for whore and slut and no comparably pejorative vocabulary for promiscuous or sexually rapacious men.

… When we chart and lament the persistence of sexism in society, we look to the United States Congress, where women are still woefully underrepresented. We look to corporate boardrooms, where the glass ceiling hasn’t really shattered. But we needn’t look any further than how perversely censorious of women’s sex lives we remain, and how short the path from siren to slut and from angel to she-devil can be.

Thursday's class

Today we started with a few practice SAT writing questions: SAT online practice test: Improving Sentences

Then, students pulled out one important piece of dialogue from the last 4 chapters to use to "quiz" the other side of the classroom.  It went up on the ladybug, and I gave points to the left/right side if they could identify the speaker, context, and significance of the quotation.

Tomorrow is our 3rd Socratic Seminar of the year.  If you were absent, you need to print and fill out column 1 and column 2 of the form in our shared folder.  The link to it is here: Socratic Form for Friday

Final Assessment on SL is on Tuesday.

Tuesday's class

I was at the District Office yesterday (Tuesday).  The plan was for students to take notes on vocabulary Lesson 4 from the Power Plus book.  Flashcards are also posted for you (see Pages).

The last 30 minutes, students were asked to write a paragraph about Chapter 20, using the following prompt:

The title of this chapter is "The Minister in a Maze."  Use specific details from the text that illustrate the "maze" Dimmesdale finds himself in walking back to town.  Why is he so lost? 

One paragraph of at least 10-12 sentences.

THIS PARAGRAPH WAS DUE AT THE END OF THE PERIOD.  If you did not do that, be sure to have it the minute class starts Thursday.  

Read chapters 21-24 for Thursday.  Highlight or write down key quotations as you read that you will use in a quiz for the class.  :)

Monday's class

Today we started with a quotation from chapters 16-19 as a reading quiz.

Then I assigned partners to work on one question from the close reading questions for 16-19.

Read chapter 20 tonight.  Tomorrow you will be writing a journal on Chapter 20 and working on your new vocabulary words, possibly even starting the coordination/subordination lesson for The Scarlet Letter.

Please continue sticking to the schedule, although I will not see most of my second period students on Wednesday.  We will try to tackle 21-24 (the ending) on Thursday.

Friday's class: Assessing your paraphrasing

Today we started by taking the Vocabulary Test Lesson 3.

Then, we reviewed the paraphrasing and students gave themselves a score on the assessment based on my marks and our discussion.  Then we did the same with the elaboration side, focusing on this question:

How do the two quotations provide us with support for the idea that Dimmesdale's only hope is in publicly confessing on the scaffold?

We also discussed the possible meanings of "The Scarlet Letter had not done its office." (Chapter 13)

Read chapters 16-19 for Monday.  Questions are in google docs folder but also linked here: Chapters 16-19

Thursday's class: The Scarlet Letter

Today we started class debriefing the assembly today,  then combined two more sentences, using participial phrases.

The bulk of class was used for finishing the Assessment 2 on The Scarlet Letter.  All papers were turned in to me.

The next assigned reading--16-19 is for MONDAY, since we have a vocabulary test tomorrow on Lesson 3.

The last 15 minutes of class were used for Vocabulary Volleyball.  

Class Wednesday: Paraphrasing and Elaborating

Today we will work on paraphrasing key quotations from Part Two of  The Scarlet Letter, (chapters 9-12).

Before we practice doing this with actual quotations from the text, we will need to be sure everyone is clear about what paraphrasing is.  Paraphrasing, Summarizing and Quoting

There are times when it is absolutely essential to quote the text directly because what is being said is "particluarly striking: in its phrasing or word choice (Purdue Owl).  Whether you choose to paraphrase or quote directly, it is important that you begin to DO SOMETHING with the quotations that takes us deeper into the text and/or supports a particularly interpretation about it.  The GUIDING QUESTION you should think of at these times is "SO WHAT?"  Or a sentence frame you may use is "These lines demonstrate....."


If you are absent today, you can find the Assessment for Part Two in your google doc folder.

Tuesday's class

Today we started class with students attempting to imitate 4 professional writers in their use of participial phrases.

Then, we corrected the quiz from yesterday together.  TREND DATA:  There is a key difference between paraphrasing and elaborating on significance.

We had very little time to discuss the reading, but did spend some time studying the very end of chapter 10 and what it is that Chillingworth might have seen on Dimmesdale bare chest...and why does Hawthorne not show it to us?????

Homework is to read chapters 11 and 12 for tomorrow.

Scarlet Letter Reading Schedule

Reading Schedule (note: it may be tweaked due to unanticipated events)

Tues Oct 1    chapters 1 &2
Wed                           3-5
Thurs                        6
Fri                           7 & 8

Mon Oct7               9 & 10              (Assessment on Part One)
Tues                       11 & 12
Wed                           13-15                (Assessment on Part Two)
Thurs                      16-19 for MONDAY

Mon Oct 14               20
Tues                        21 & 22     (Assessment on Part Three)
Wed                         23 & 24      
Thurs                                          (Assessment on Part Four)

FILL OUT THIS FORM: Definition Essay

Please complete this form tonight while you are preparing your draft for tomorrow. Link to FORM for YOUR Definition Essay


Here is the link to the handout for tomorrow's class.  FOR PEER REVIEW.Peer Review

Process Questions and Reminders for the Definition Essay

THE FOLLOWING ARE NOTES FROM THE BEDFORD READER (pages 508-512):

You are not writing a stipulated definition, but an extended definition which is more personal, with an implied bias.   (arguing FOR or AGAINST a particular meaning)

You are "mapmaker charting a territory, taking in some of what lies within the boundaries and ignoring what lies outside."

"[Extended Definition]...is perhaps less a method in itself than the application of a variety of methods to clarify a purpose.   Like DESCRIPTION, extended definition tries to show a reader its subject.  It does so by establishing boundaries, for its writer tries to differentiate a subject from anything that might be confused with it."

Although your thesis may be implied, you might want to make it explicit to "serve your readers.  It is essential that the idea govern."  (THIS MEANS YOU MUST BE CLEAR ON YOUR PURPOSE AND INTENDED MEANING.  YOU ARE IN CONTROL OF ITS EXECUTION.)

"Like any other method of expository writing...definition will only work for the writer who remembers the world of the senses and supports every generalization with concrete evidence."

"Give your reader examples, narrate an illustrative story, bring in specific description---in whatever method you use, keep coming down to earth."

THE PROCESS

 from page 509 of The Bedford Reader, 11^th edition

To discover [the] complexity [of the word you have chosen], you may find it useful to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is this subject unique, or are there others of its kind?  If it resembles others, in what ways?  How is it different?

2. In what different forms does it occur, while keeping its own identity?

3. When and where do we find it?  Under what circumstances and in what situations?

4. What is it at the present moment?

5. What does it do?  What are its functions and activities?

6. How is it put together?  What parts make it up? What holds these parts together?

*Not all these questions will fit….but they should help you add depth to your writing.

Remember these questions are accompanied by examples (using the word "sexism") in the text that you can refer to in class if any cause confusion.  

Definition essay

Sample Definition Essay Analysis and Reflection

This is for class on Monday.

Link to Responses

Below is a video clip where Meg Ryan gives us a definition of love, using a graphic, grotesque example.

HOMEWORK FOR THE WEEKEND: ERNIE PYLE

Today we looked at various samples of RHETORICAL ANALYSIS, one on a paragraph from The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and another from the opening of In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote

Example of Style Analysis

Below is a passage from The Great Gatsby. The paragraph that follows is a student's example of how to analyze specific diction and syntax to prove a larger idea that is not a part of the plot of the story. This is ultimately what will be expected from students in AP English.
"The lights grow brighter as the earth lurches away from the sun, and now the orchestra is playing yellow cocktail music, and the opera of voices pitches a key higher. Laughter is easier minute by minute, spilled with prodigality, tipped out of a cheerful word. The groups change more swiftly, swell with new arrivals, dissolve and form in the same breath; already there are wanderers, confident girls who weave here and there among the stouter and more stable, become for a sharp, joyous moment the center of a group, and then, excited with triumph, glide on through the sea-change of faces and voices and color under the constantly changing light." (Fitzgerald 40).



    Fitzgerald uses the rhythm of a huge dance, paralleled with an extended metaphor and imagery of the sea to impart feelings of reckless, excited and sickening movement. He sets the scene at the beginning of the paragraph with the phrase "the earth lurches away from the sun," using "lurch" as a verb that describes drunkenness, implying that this entire world is drunk - the party is the center of the world. Additionally, as the "earth lurches away from the sun, the lights in the house "grow brighter," demonstrating the move away from what is natural to what is increasingly artificial. The lack of individual identity is clearly shown through non-descriptive diction that only names people as "groups," "opera of voices," "new arrivals," "girls," and "faces." Coupled with the sea metaphor, this only enhances the superficiality and lack of substance in both the party and the people. The image of a dance is underscored with the early mention of "music," "orchestra," and "opera;" this imagery is then suggested through words like "weave" and "slide." This is complimented by the sentence structure; long, rhythmic sentences parallel the actions of a dance. These two fluid rhythmic sentences are filled with eight dynamic and active verbs mirroring the motions of the sea: "pilled, tipped...well, dissolve, weave, glide." In particular the final sentence is swirling and hypnotic, changing directions in midcourse with the use of a semicolon, much as would a tipsy and elated partygoer. At the same time, however, there is a feeling of excessive sinfulness and lack of substance through the sickening "yellow" and "prodigality" as well as sea-related diction of "tipped-out...sea-change...constantly changing." As a result we are made to recognize not only the attractions of this society, but also its superficiality and decadence.

I don't have the Capote example online, so make sure to get this from me when I see you in class. 

For homework, please read the essay by Ernie Pyle and write a paragraph on his use of detail.  What is the effect of the detail in the piece and how does it achieve his purpose in writing?

Ernie Pyle WWII Normandy essay

The Chase: Analyzing Diction

On Thursday, we read "The Chase" by Annie Dillard in order to observe and analyze a writer's use of diction.  I assigned one paragraph of this essay to each student, and he/she had about 10 minutes to practice analyzing the EFFECT of the diction and how it contributes to the tone and purpose of the essay.

Here is the link: Annie Dillard's "The Chase"

Class notes for Writing Task #1 and Bashing the 5 paragraph essay

Here are the class notes on what students remembered from class discussion on writing from Thursday
(Thank you for writing them down, Jodi!):

1. Content should dictate your form (organization).  Your topic and thesis and supporting claims should determine how you write your piece.

2. Although the 5 paragraph essay is useful for young writers and for on-demand writing, it has its drawbacks:

•         it can limit development and keep your writing superficial. (Think "training wheels"...eventually, once you have outgrown their usefulness, they can hold you back.)
•         paragraphs can become separate islands, when they should "hook" together as you build your argument.
•         Although a closed thesis is useful, an open thesis shows more sophistication and allows you to develop meaning as you write, leading the writer to unexpected insights.

3.  AUDIENCE:  write to a HUMAN audience, using those appeals to logos, ethos and PATHOS.  When you write, try to always write with emotion and human connection (balanced with the logos part).  This can be tricky with formal writing, where the use of 1st person is supposed to somewhat limited.  That being said, stay away from using "YOU" in your writing; remember the 2nd person can alienate your audience.

4. Be creative.  Use your imagination in your revising to craft sentences that will appeal to the reader, using effective and colorful diction, figurative language, and powerful syntax.  This will get easier as we practice this in class.

5. A good thesis always answers the question "How?" or "Why?"  With this particular essay, it is too obvious to state, "Rebecca Skloot uses logos, ethos, and pathos to achieve her purpose."  You MUST (this is the part that requires you to show me YOUR thinking) say something more explicit and specific about HOW she uses those appeals.  See my models.

 Your paragraphs and conclusion should answer the question "so what?"  Go beneath the surface!

6.  The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks is NOT a novel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  (also use italics when you mention the book, no underlining or quotation marks!)

7.  HOOKS:  Use a quotation from another source, or the book itself, but wait until your body paragraphs to start getting into the nitty-gritty of your argument. 

8. Remember the FUNNEL for your opening paragraph.  This is where you draw on what you came up with for SOAPS...Start with the subject, the occasion and context, along with speaker intro and audience.  This should all lead to the statement of purpose.

9. On google docs, please try to use your real name so I can easily identify you.  If you can't change your screen name, then be sure to include your name at the front of the title of your piece.  (maybe my dropbox will help with this for final drafts?)

10. 10,000 hours!  Becoming a good writer will require a lot from you, but most of all TIME.  http://rapgenius.com/Macklemore-and-ryan-lewis-ten-thousand-hours-lyrics#note-1122617

Intro Paragraph Models for Skloot Analysis

Tonight I would like you to write an opening to your essay to bring to class tomorrow. I will not be grading it tomorrow, but I will want to take a quick look at your opening sentence and your hook. Try to use the professional example as a model, as I did for a hypothetical essay about the Ayn Rand commentary. (If you want to see the whole essay by Demby---which is NOT a five paragraph essay, by the way, it is in the Introduction to Rhetoric chapter we read last week.)

INTRO PARAGRAPHS-ETHOS, PATHOS, and LOGOS

Alarmist or Alarming Rhetoric?

by Tamar Demby

In an age when threats to life as we know it seem to grow too enormous to face, it becomes tempting to regard any danger as an apocalypse waiting to happen.  But however huge and urgent an incident appears, it is important to look at the big picture and calmly analyze the true risks of all responses.  Within the context of Japan’s struggle to avert a nuclear meltdown in Fukushima Prefecture, Anne Applebaum, writing for the Washington Post, argues against any further expansion of nuclear power.  However, she undermines her own purpose by basing her argument on unsupported claims, relying on highly emotional language, and failing to establish her ethos as a credible authority on the issue.

A Proud Moment

by Jennifer LaMonte

Today it is easy to take space travel for granted.  It has been almost 44 years since Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong first touched down on the moon’s powdery surface while the world watched, spellbound by wonder, fear, and awe.  The novelist Ayn Rand, writing for her publication the Objectivist, argues that the 1969 launch was a triumphant symbol of all that we hold dear: individualism, freedom, and reason.  She achieves this purpose by basing her argument on concrete sensory details gathered from the launch site, utilizing grand and elevated imagery, and establishing her ethos with her eyewitness perspective.

REMEMBER that you are all operating under the assumption that Skoot's book is an effective piece of rhetoric. Later on, I will give you that task, but for the purposes of this, our first practice at RHETORICAL ANALYSIS, I am narrowing the guidelines a bit.

Analyzing Visual Text for Argument and Ethos/Pathos/Logos

Here is a defense (that uses LOGOS) of the Boston Bomber Rolling stone cover (which we discussed as an example of PATHOS today in 6th period.) http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/explaining-the-rolling-stone-cover-by-a-boston-native-20130719


Chris Ware is a graphic novelist who often does covers for the New Yorker Magazine.  Examine this cover http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2012/09/cover-story-chris-wares-building-stories.html#slide_ss_0=1  and then his "sequel" a few months later, after the Newtown, Connecticut tragedy.  http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/culture/2013/01/chris-wares-newtown-inspired-cover-for-the-new-yorker.html

Examine the covers for the details that contribute to his purpose.  See if you can find ethos, logos or pathos in his presentation.

FOR CLASS DISCUSSION ON FRIDAY.

Ashton Kutcher's acceptance speech-Teen Choice Awards

Today we watched this speech in order to practice using SOAPS and the rhetorical triangle in order to analyze a text.  Then we read a letter from Albert Einstein to a sixth grade girl, and George Bush's speech on 9/11 in order to practice analysis.

Tonight your homework is to read an autobiographical piece by Sherman Alexie and complete the SOAPS handout I gave you in class today.  This is due tomorrow.

First Week: Reflection

This week we learned the basic structure and purpose of the Socratic Seminar.  I really enjoyed hearing students share their reading experiences from this summer, but learned a lot about the process along with you.  I was very impressed with the civility of the discussion and the energy that many of you have for speaking, as well as the curiosity you expressed for learning more about current events.  What a great beginning!

Homework Reminder:  Read pages 1-4 in "An Introduction to Rhetoric"  and complete the ACTIVITY on the bottom of page 4, top of page 5.

Also, consider getting a head start on the online assignment posted below, the video excerpt of the David Foster Wallace commencement speech.

In order to get to know you better and be able to meet your individual needs, please take this OPENING SURVEY  Please submit before Friday.

Homework Assignment: Second Week David Foster Wallace

Welcome to AP Language! To start us off, I would like you to watch the video recreation of the writer David Foster Wallace's 2005 Kenyon College commencement speech "This Is Water." This is only an excerpt---there are complete versions on youtube and a transcript of the speech is printed in our class copy of the Bedford Reader, if you need it. You may need to watch it more than once to understand his purpose and message. After you are done watching this video, I would like you to write a response on a google doc that reveals your thoughts about his answer to one of his central questions: What does it mean to be educated? Quoting specifics will help make your discussion more concrete and insightful. Please submit it using the dropbox on this blog BY FRIDAY, August 23rd. 

dfw commencement speech