THURSDAY: Research deadlines have shifted

Research check points

5 complete notecards made by each one of you:  due Monday.

Your thesis and outline are due on a shared doc by next Thursday.

Tips for writing a strong thesis http://goo.gl/eCbNk9

Template for sharing your thesis/outline: http://goo.gl/Qy3DtH

Rhetorical Analysis Feedback goes here.

ANALYZE from beginning to end--your understanding of the effect of organization is fundamental and can be a really helpful way to organize your writing, and will ensure that you are thorough in your analysis. 

Remember beginnning with the THEY SAY I SAY is a very popular strategy in argument---don't confuse the two.

"He uses syntax and diction to achieve his purpose/message"--STATE IT EXPLICITLY/PRECISELY!!!!!!

2007 RA sample papers: http://goo.gl/T3TLsP

Tuesday: A Debrief

Class Agenda

1. Vocabulary Test on Lesson 13

2. What were the most difficult counterarguments you had to address yesterday?

                    Why the word matters: http://goo.gl/rCyQ0P

                        Franz Kafka has part of the rebuttal: http://goo.gl/x4L3yf

3. RESEARCH PAPER:  Checking in.  Are you ready to form a thesis?  What categories do you see emerging?  Where do you need to do more research?

Tomorrow, you should be ready to submit your first draft of your thesis, with a rough outline, highlighting the main sections of your paper and who will be responsible for what.

Monday: Socratic Seminar Groups on Huck Finn

Learning Target:  to use a civilized and academic discussion to gain insight on a text/controversial issue.

1. Submit this form in the first 5 minutes: http://goo.gl/v5tDB7

2. Get into groups based on your numbers.

3. You have 20 minutes to share your thoughts on this topic.  Please use your notes and the materials and the novel to present your point of view to your group members.  Give everyone equal time, but be sure to keep the conversation dynamic and focused.  (Once you start a lively discussion, you shouldn't need to worry about time, but try to bring any members into the discussion that don't seem to be talking.)

4. (10-15 minutes) Then, staying where you are, fill out this form individually: http://goo.gl/bJcuOv  Make sure you MAKE A COPY and PUT IT IN YOUR ENGLISH FOLDER--as long as the folder is shared with me!  (otherwise, you will need to share it with me directly.)

5. (last 10 minutes) Share strong persuasive arguments from today's class.

Thursday & Friday: Synthesis and Multiple Choice

Synthesis:  Advertising (15 min)

AP feedback on this question: http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap07_eng_lang_q_a.pdf

My feedback en masse:

• Qualify, don't equivocate!  Your point of view needs insight and most of all, conviction!  Be brave and take a stand.
• Don't take absolute positions--concede thoughtfully.
• Don't let the sources take over--use them and connect them to your prior knowledge so you are in a kind of conversation with them.  Be an "agent of your own mind and world views."
• Watch your use of transitions, so that you logically move from counterargument to rebuttal, concession to rebuttal, etc.
• Synthesize!  Pull the sources together that belong together--you don't have to isolate one source per paragraph.  Embed that information into your own argument/sentences.
• Don't be afraid to question a source for credibility and logic!

Here is the link to the sample set of papers: http://goo.gl/gVPcLs

Here is the link to the Odell chart I would like you to use for the Twain Socratic Seminar on Monday: http://goo.gl/QpUuFf  The top claim should be your POV with the most compelling evidence in support of it and the bottom is the opposition with the most compelling and also potentially flawed evidence.

After reviewing your synthesis essay and the samples, make a copy of this google doc and reflect: http://goo.gl/rktUkU 

We will use the remaining time to practice multiple choice. 

Making Notecards for your Cause and Effect essay

Tuesday and Wednesday will be devoted to your research project.  When you log on at the start of class, you should have three tabs open on your computer:

1. The http://www.vhslibrary.com/ site----go to the Napa County Library site and click on databases. (Infotrac Newstand and Opposing Viewpoints)

2. Noodletools.com---log on  (have you entered your Research question yet on your dashboard?)

3. Your email so you can access the sources you send to yourself.


KEEP IN MIND, you cannot conduct a search on these databases the way you search on google!  Remember to use AND/OR/NOT like the librarian showed us and then narrow your search, using the column on the left hand side.

WHEN YOU HAVE FOUND A SOURCE:

1. email it to yourself and your partners
2. make a CITATION (that's the bibliography button on noodle tools)
3. make a NOTECARD (or two or three, depending on your source) linked to that citation
4. HIT "SAVE" when you have finished the notecard!

By Monday, I would like to see that each of you ( INDIVIDUALLY at this point) have collected at least 5 notecards in your noodle tools account.  Don't worry too much yet about a specific category of research, just find out as much as you can about your topic---next week you can meet and discuss what you have learned with your group and then splinter off more specifically.

Synthesis prompt for Huck Finn: PREP FOR NEXT MONDAY the 28th!!!

Here is the prompt for the Socratic Seminar a week from today on Huckleberry Finn: http://goo.gl/WA46zq

This week:  after you have finished reading the novel, read the prompt and the attached articles carefully (you might want to print it out for easy annotation--let me know if you will need a copy).

On Monday, we will expect you to come to class with

a. a position on the topic, written out ahead of time
b. arguments/evidence from the strongest sources, clearly cited so you can reference them easily in discussion
c. arguments from sources that you plan to QUESTION or REFUTE during the discussion

We will talk more about this on Thursday or Friday, depending on the test schedule day I see you.

Monday's class: a brief return to Rhetorical Analysis

Rhetorical Analysis

Today I will pass back your Great Gatsby essays and you will have time to review my feedback and ask me questions about it.

Next, we will practice reading a RA prompt from 1996, Lady Montagu's letter to her daughter, a notoriously difficult prompt.

The main point here is that "the magic" needs to happen early on in that 40 minutes that you have to write this essay.  You need to be able to use your critical reading skills to clearly understand the writer's position and purpose and 2-3 devices used most effectively to accomplish that purpose.  If you misread or miss something vital at this point, it will be very difficult to do well on this task.

ANNOTATIONS are ESSENTIAL.  Read with your pen/pencil in hand and mark critically!

TODAY you have ten minutes to:

Read the introduction to the letter.  What information does it give us about the speaker and occasion/exigence that might be important?

In one sentence, try to rewrite the writer's position in your own words at the bottom of the page and make a list of 3 devices you marked in the piece that you might use to talk about this passage.

Thursday: Quick Vocabulary and Topic Selection

Lesson 13 word quizlet cards are listed below in yesterday's blog.

Topic Selection
 

Today I would like you to browse through the following publications to look for interesting stories that might help you think about a cause/effect relationship:

nytimes.com

theweek.com

Wall Street Journal

washingtonpost.com

sfgate.com

San Jose Mercury

Please sign up in the link posted below as well by the end of the day today.

Thursday: Using Infotrac and Noodle tools

Research Project:  Day Two with the Librarian

Today students browsed through Infotrac Newsstand, another database like Opposing Viewpoints in the Napa County Library database site.  Remember you will need to use or create an ecard on that site in order to access these ESSENTIAL databases!  

Important tip:  When you search a database, you must use AND  /OR/ NOT (unlike in google) to help narrow your search.  Also, use the column on the left in Infotrac to help narrow your search down to a manageable number.  

Students emailed an article from Infotrac to themselves and then used that to create a notecard on noodletools.  They began by first creating a citation on the BIBLIOGRAPHY page.  THEN they created a notecard LINKED to that citation.  

I also activated the sign up sheet below at the end of each period, so students could sign up for a topic and present a draft of their focusing question.  

NEXT DEADLINE:  Monday April 28th, I must see evidence of notecards on noodletools.  I'd say a good number would be at least 5-10 a person! 

Huck Finn update

Also, Monday, April 28th we will be having our Socratic "Synthesis" discussion on Huck Finn.  I will give you the synthesis prompt on Wednesday of next week so you can prepare adequately, as well as finish the book!  

Vocabulary check-in

Vocabulary test on Lesson 13 will be Thurs and Fri of next week, depending on testing schedule and where your period lands.  Here is a link to the flashcards WITH SYNONYMS AND ANTONYMS AND GREEK ROOTS: http://goo.gl/kWsNff

Examining a sample Cause and Effect Research Paper

So cool!  Thank you, AP Test Calculator:  http://appass.com/calculators/englishlanguage/

Today we will read the essay "Urban Neanderthals" from The Compact Reader in order to understand what an academic research paper looks like in MLA format.  A secondary goal is for you to read closely in order to analyze the argument in the essay and how its structure achieves its purpose.

Please look for and annotate the following items in the essay:

1. Highlight the thesis.  Where does it occur in the opening paragraph?  What is the writer doing leading up to this thesis?  Can you tell where the emphasis will be in this paper--on causes or effects?
2. Underline the sources and citations mentioned in the body of the paper.  Look for each one in the Works Cited page to see how they correspond.
3. Outline the essay here.  I just wrote the format in for the first few paragraphs....continue the format as you go.

Monday: A Visit from the Librarian!

Here is a link to some online Research Tips.

Here is a link to databases--USE THESE!

Today you will be creating a noodle tools account at noodletools.com.  The school username and password are on the assignment sheet.  The first time you create an account you will need to use the link on the librarian's page.

HEADS UP:  Your topic and focusing question is due on Thursday. I will open up this sign up for the first 5 minutes of class every day, so those of you who already know your topics can claim them.

2nd period:  TOPIC/QUESTION SIGN UP

6th period: TOPIC/QUESTION SIGN UP

Bedford Reader online!?

Here is a link I found to the entire Bedford Reader!   http://goo.gl/n2tLZU

If you were absent today, try hitting control F to find the essay "Plato o Plomo" and follow the instructions from today's agenda.  The questions are at the end of the essay.

Cause and Effect Research essay prompt

Here is the prompt with all the deadlines posted: http://goo.gl/t1zSJY

Cause and Effect sample essay #2

Learning Target:  to share your analysis with your fellow classmates and deepen your understanding of the rhetorical mode of cause and effect

(15 minutes) Get into your writing group of 3:  open your google doc about "Let Free and Starve" and share your answer to the question you chose yesterday that you have written in your google doc.

Groups members: Listen carefully to your fellow group members.  Record their answers in your chart, based on your discussion.  Your answer may deepen what they said by revising or adding on more commentary.

(15 minutes) Read "Plato o Plomo: Silver or Lead" on page 472.

Fill out another template.  This time chose another category of question to answer. 

(10 minutes) Repeat the above discussion and note-taking strategy.

(15 minutes) Choose the most effective essay and outline it in the second page of the template. 

Debriefing cause and effect

Wednesday's Agenda

(10-15 minutes): Review answers to multiple choice from Monday.

(10 minutes): Post a "nugget" from your reading yesterday.  What should writers in the class keep in mind when they go to write their cause and effect research paper?

2nd period:  http://padlet.com/wall/3ro5ny1zzo
6th period: http://padlet.com/wall/nq6ed1hnoz

(15 minutes): Read "Live Free and Starve" on page 466 of The Bedford Reader or here online copy of essay

(15 minutes): Make a copy of this form and share it with me.

Here is my photo of the questions: Picture of Bedford questions

Then, in groups of three, choose one question from each of the first three categories:  MEANING, WRITING STRATEGY, and LANGUAGE.  Discuss the answers together and then assign each one of you one answer to put in writing. Then record your answers in the google document you have already set up.  Make sure it is shared with me at my gmail account.

Tuesday: Vocabulary and Intro to Cause and Effect writing

Part One:  Take notes on Lesson 12--test is THIS Friday!

Part Two:  Read and take notes on pages 455-463 in The Bedford Reader.  

Test-prep Monday

First:  an important message from the college board about your scores: AP scores

MULTIPLE CHOICE PRACTICE-30 minutes/2 passages

Today I would like you to try to use the following strategies (if you haven't tried them already):

Try this: Read the questions first and put brackets and numbers around the text corresponding to each question. 

1. Annotate the passage by underlining strong opinions and circling/labeling key words and rhetorical strategies that stand out.

2. When you read the questions, cover the answers and read only the question stems.  Can you anticipate what the right answer should be?  

3. Read the answers and judge each one as a true/false statement.

4. Answer the "easy" ones first and then go back to the harder ones in the set.
5. For the tough ones:

• Go back and reread the focused part of the text and eliminate the obviously wrong answers. 
•  Do any of the other questions in the set give you clues to the right answer?  Use them. 
•  Watch out for distractors that are only PARTIALLY correct.  
• Then, consider carefully the phrasing of the answer. Look carefully for qualifying or clarifying terms; those are clues that this is probably the right answer (if you have to make an educated guess). 
• Look for two statements that balance (or contrast) each other.  One of them is probably the right answer.

Here is a document I found helpful in preparing this list for you: http://goo.gl/L2cAXv Thank you Mr. Gunnar!

Friday: "We had the sky up there"

Today we will be discussing chapters 12-22 of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

Here is the link to the handout for today if you are absent.

Agenda
1. quiz: plot points (10 minutes)
2. handout: practice close reading and thematic application (10-15 minutes)
3. Socratic Discussion on theme (3o minutes)

Finish the book for class on Friday, April 25th

Here is a link to an excellent documentary on the Huck Finn controversy in recent history: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySw-lVKgHQw  There are six parts.  I am not sure if there will be time to view this in class, but I would like you to try to watch as much of it as you can before the 25th.  I think you will find it compelling.

Lesson 12 vocabulary cards for test next Friday

Here is the link for the Lesson 12 vocabulary flashcards.  Start studying them now.  I am trying to figure out when to give you time to look at the book in class.  Right now I am booked through Monday--ugh.  It seems you can do these on your own though. :)

Thursday: Paragraph practice!

Jessamyn West High School Writing Contest

Participants may enter one story, five poems, and one essay. All entries must be in MLA format.  No name on the manuscript itself.  

Applications are due April 14 to me!  

You will win free entry to all public events, including craft lectures and readings, at the 2014 Napa Valley Writers' Conference (July 27-August 1).

Writing today....

Start with a well-articulated thesis that expresses your point of view on the locovore subject.

Then, choose one issue and develop your support for that thesis using direct quotations and paraphrases from the sources in the synthesis packet.  For this practice, you do not need to cram 3 sources in your paragraph, just show me how you would incorporate at least one source.  Keep in mind that some sources do "talk" to each other and it might serve your purpose well to "synthesize" and pull them together in the conversation.

Please share your google doc with me if you choose to use a computer today: jenlamonte@gmail.com.

Here is a link to the student sample essays from 2011.

Wednesday: Getting ready to write

Synthesis #2: Today's topic for the synthesis assignment is LOCOVORISM

OUR TARGET: The skill I want us to hit hard this time is USING pieces of text from the synthesis assignment within your argument to further your point of view. Check out this link: http://www.massasoit.mass.edu/academic_resource_center/wwlcenter/pdf/IntegratingQuotes.pdf

Round one: As you read, remember to annotate, highlighting compelling evidence that you might utilize tomorrow in your argument. Today we will build a chart that arranges the sources on the "pro" or "con" side of the argument.  Which ones align?  Which ones contradict?  Where do you see the most compelling evidence/arguments?  What are the issues that each source addresses?

Round two:  Now you need to spend 5 minutes making a rough 3 point outline of your argument.  What is your point of view on the issue of locovorism?  What issues should be considered most important, and which ones are less vital... even deserving of dismissal?  In what paragraphs will you mention your sources to support your point of view?  You will want to stay grounded in the sources provided, but any prior knowledge will certainly help you frame those facts and flesh out their meaning.