Welcome to the last week of February (already). This week, after turning in your advertising synthesis essay, we'll enjoy one final week reading Their Eyes Were Watching God and our gender unit before moving on to a short unit with a "science and the environment" theme.
NOTE: Friday is the last day to sign up for the AP exam for regular price!!
MONDAY: Debate the following assertion: Women should not have to register for Selective Service ("the draft") within 30 days of turning 18, just men. Draw cards to divide class into teams (defend or challenge). Teams will plan, then present opening arguments. Receive vocabulary sheet for the week. DUE: Debate prep worksheet, 3 pieces of evidence on a T-chart, 3 pieces of "hard" evidence, printed out. HW: Consider rebuttal for tomorrow's class.
TUESDAY: Rebuttal from each team, then open "popcorn" debate. HW: Read through chapter 16 of Their Eyes Were Watching God and be ready to discuss on Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY: Their Eyes discussion, reading. HW: Read chapter 17 of Their Eyes Were Watching God for Friday.
THURSDAY: Multiple choice AP practice - 30 minutes (half of an exam). Worksheet analyzing results. HW: Read chapter 17 of Their Eyes for Friday, finish multiple choice worksheet for Friday.
FRIDAY: Vocabulary quiz. Go over multiple choice results, turn in worksheets. Discuss chapter 17 of Their Eyes Were Watching God. Periodic sentences. HW: Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God, (chapters 18-20) for Monday. Know basic information about the Keystone Pipeline bill that Congress passed and President Obama vetoed this week; next week we will be reading and writing about it.
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Sunday, February 15, 2015
February 17-20
Welcome! I hope everyone enjoyed (or is enjoying) President's Day. This week, we'll spend the majority of the time working through the synthesis process as we complete the take-home advertising prompt by Friday evening. We'll be finishing Their Eyes Were Watching God and debating early next week.
TUESDAY: Pass back last argument in-class essay and go over results, rubric. Pass back "baseline" in-class synthesis essay and the rubric, and look at a score "9" from the college board. Overview of rubric for take-home synthesis advertising essay that you started on last week. Check-in with Their Eyes Were Watching God. HW: Complete a draft of the synthesis essay for Thursday. If it's in electronic form, make sure you can access it from the internet (on Thursday we'll be using the laptops in class to work on them).
WEDNESDAY: Brief overview with synthesis tips/checklist. Discuss advertising synthesis essay prompt and possible positions, including how advertising helps the economy and introduces the public to new products. Watch "Killing Me Softly" video about the negative effects of the images of women in advertising. HW: Complete a draft of the synthesis essay for Thursday. If it's in electronic form, make sure you can access it from the internet (on Thursday we'll be using the laptops in class to work on them).
THURSDAY: Whiparound: thesis statements. Each student will read their thesis statement from their draft out loud. Receive sheet "Verbs in AP English, Academic Discource" to use in revisions of your essay. Work time on laptops for draft revisions. HW: Polish draft of synthesis advertising essay for Friday's due date on Turnitin.com. Study for current events quiz, covering the "10 Things You Need to Know Today" from Tuesday through Thursday of this week.
FRIDAY: Current events quiz from TheWeek.com covering Tuesday-Thursday. Read articles about gender-related current event and discuss/debate. HW: Read Chapters 17-19 of Their Eyes Were Watching God and finish "Debate Preparation" sheet for Monday. Upload synthesis advertising essay by 11:59 p.m. on Turnitin.com.
Sunday, February 8, 2015
February 9-13
There were so many wonderful Their Eyes Were Watching God projects turned in last week, including a little forest of trees with quotes on them and delicious Southern snacks. This week, our last week before the three-day weekend, we will continue our focus on the synthesis essay, the last of the three styles you'll write during the AP exam in May. We'll write our first synthesis style essay in class on Tuesday, and it will be scored by other AP teachers on Thursday.
MONDAY: Share your thesis and body paragraphs in small groups in the class from the synthesis prompt you worked on over the weekend: is college worth the cost? Read samples and put them in order of their score. DUE: Synthesis assignment #3: rough draft of thesis, 3 pieces of evidence from sources and 1 body paragraph in response to the 2014 AP Exam question: is college worth it? HW: Look over synthesis notes and samples in your materials to prep for in-class essay. Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 10-12 for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Synthesis in-class essay. HW: Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 10-12 for Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY: Check in with Their Eyes Were Watching God, "Create a Character" assignment introduced/work time. DUE: Their Eyes 10-12. HW: Read "Their Eyes" chapter 13 for Friday, work on Create a Character for Friday.
THURSDAY: (Mogilefsky out for AP teacher meeting/scoring of synthesis essay. Other AP teachers will be scoring your essays.) Creative vocabulary assignment - individual. Share vocabulary assignment and turn it in. HW: Read articles for take-home synthesis essay about advertising, due next Friday, Feb 20th on turnitin.com.
FRIDAY: Vocabulary quiz. Discuss advertising articles for your next synthesis essay (take-home). View satirical piece about "native" advertising. DUE: Create a character assignment. HW: Begin take-home synthesis essay, due next Friday to turnitin.com: on Tuesday, have the articles read and annotated, prepare an outline, and begin drafting the essay. Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 14-16.
Have a fabulous three-day weekend!
MONDAY: Share your thesis and body paragraphs in small groups in the class from the synthesis prompt you worked on over the weekend: is college worth the cost? Read samples and put them in order of their score. DUE: Synthesis assignment #3: rough draft of thesis, 3 pieces of evidence from sources and 1 body paragraph in response to the 2014 AP Exam question: is college worth it? HW: Look over synthesis notes and samples in your materials to prep for in-class essay. Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 10-12 for Wednesday.
TUESDAY: Synthesis in-class essay. HW: Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 10-12 for Wednesday.
WEDNESDAY: Check in with Their Eyes Were Watching God, "Create a Character" assignment introduced/work time. DUE: Their Eyes 10-12. HW: Read "Their Eyes" chapter 13 for Friday, work on Create a Character for Friday.
THURSDAY: (Mogilefsky out for AP teacher meeting/scoring of synthesis essay. Other AP teachers will be scoring your essays.) Creative vocabulary assignment - individual. Share vocabulary assignment and turn it in. HW: Read articles for take-home synthesis essay about advertising, due next Friday, Feb 20th on turnitin.com.
FRIDAY: Vocabulary quiz. Discuss advertising articles for your next synthesis essay (take-home). View satirical piece about "native" advertising. DUE: Create a character assignment. HW: Begin take-home synthesis essay, due next Friday to turnitin.com: on Tuesday, have the articles read and annotated, prepare an outline, and begin drafting the essay. Read Their Eyes Were Watching God, chapters 14-16.
Have a fabulous three-day weekend!
Sunday, February 1, 2015
February 2-6
Welcome! I've graded and posted comments for the Disagreement/Dissent take-home argument essay on Turnitin.com. Most of the essays were pretty good, and provided specific examples and appropriate and relevant evidence. Areas that were a little problematic were taking a clear stand (especially for qualified arguments) and conclusions. We'll take a quick look at the conclusion section of the Argument Prompt FLT worksheet before Monday's in-class essay.
MONDAY: In-class argument essay. HW: Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God project for Tuesday (5th) and Wednesday (6th).
TUESDAY(5th period) / WEDNESDAY (6th): Go over results from Disagreement/Dissent essay, enjoy Their Eyes cooking projects, announce whole-class essay contest winner. Look at Paine prompt. Read synthesis materials for Thursday. Read Their Eyes chapters 10-12 for Friday.
THURSDAY: Introduction to the synthesis essay. View overview and go through an example. This is the last type of essay we need to master for the AP exam, and we will practice a full length in-class essay this Tuesday. HW: Read and annotate articles with SOAPS, list 3 pieces of evidence and choose thesis from list on packet. Study for current events quiz.
FRIDAY: Current events quiz. Citations for synthesis. Read source that goes with "Is college worth the cost?" prompt and discuss. HW: Finish reading and annotating sources, draft a thesis statement, pick out three pieces of evidence and write out one body paragraph for Monday.
MONDAY: In-class argument essay. HW: Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God project for Tuesday (5th) and Wednesday (6th).
TUESDAY(5th period) / WEDNESDAY (6th): Go over results from Disagreement/Dissent essay, enjoy Their Eyes cooking projects, announce whole-class essay contest winner. Look at Paine prompt. Read synthesis materials for Thursday. Read Their Eyes chapters 10-12 for Friday.
THURSDAY: Introduction to the synthesis essay. View overview and go through an example. This is the last type of essay we need to master for the AP exam, and we will practice a full length in-class essay this Tuesday. HW: Read and annotate articles with SOAPS, list 3 pieces of evidence and choose thesis from list on packet. Study for current events quiz.
FRIDAY: Current events quiz. Citations for synthesis. Read source that goes with "Is college worth the cost?" prompt and discuss. HW: Finish reading and annotating sources, draft a thesis statement, pick out three pieces of evidence and write out one body paragraph for Monday.
Sunday, January 25, 2015
January 26-30
We're already beginning the fourth week of the semester, and we've been working hard to master the components of the argument essay. This week, we'll learn a new set of vocabulary words, work creatively with Their Eyes Were Watching God, and write an in-class argument essay.
MONDAY: Vocabulary activity--write approximately one page about gender expectations using at least five of the fifteen words and be ready to share. Work on Their Eyes project, due February 3. (Note: I'll be out of class at an all-day district meeting, back on Tuesday.) DUE: Their Eyes through Chapter Seven. HW: Finish vocab/gender written page for Tuesday.
TUESDAY: Share gender/vocab written work. Group work for Their Eyes. DUE: vocab/gender page. HW: Read Their Eyes Chapter Eight for Friday. Bring work materials for Their Eyes projects.
WEDNESDAY: Discuss prompt for Thursday's discussion. Work time for Their Eyes projects. HW: Bring 2 examples/evidence for argument prompt for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Argument essay review and discussion - go over examples in class, discuss conclusions and look at samples, notes about induction/deduction. (In class argument essay postponed to Monday.) HW: Study for vocab quiz on Friday, work on Their Eyes projects, due Tuesday for 5th period, Wednesday for 6th period.
FRIDAY: Vocab quiz. Read and evaluate two articles about the CIA torture report that was released last month, one against torture and one from David Brennan defending the CIA and its interrogation practices. Answer the questions at the end of each article, due Monday. We will discuss/debate on Monday. HW: Read Their Eyes Were Watching God through Chapter Nine for Monday. Work on Their Eyes project, due Tuesday, February 3 for 5th period, and Wednesday, February 4th for 6th period. Look over Argument Prompt FLTs to prepare for Monday's in-class essay.
MONDAY: Vocabulary activity--write approximately one page about gender expectations using at least five of the fifteen words and be ready to share. Work on Their Eyes project, due February 3. (Note: I'll be out of class at an all-day district meeting, back on Tuesday.) DUE: Their Eyes through Chapter Seven. HW: Finish vocab/gender written page for Tuesday.
TUESDAY: Share gender/vocab written work. Group work for Their Eyes. DUE: vocab/gender page. HW: Read Their Eyes Chapter Eight for Friday. Bring work materials for Their Eyes projects.
WEDNESDAY: Discuss prompt for Thursday's discussion. Work time for Their Eyes projects. HW: Bring 2 examples/evidence for argument prompt for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Argument essay review and discussion - go over examples in class, discuss conclusions and look at samples, notes about induction/deduction. (In class argument essay postponed to Monday.) HW: Study for vocab quiz on Friday, work on Their Eyes projects, due Tuesday for 5th period, Wednesday for 6th period.
FRIDAY: Vocab quiz. Read and evaluate two articles about the CIA torture report that was released last month, one against torture and one from David Brennan defending the CIA and its interrogation practices. Answer the questions at the end of each article, due Monday. We will discuss/debate on Monday. HW: Read Their Eyes Were Watching God through Chapter Nine for Monday. Work on Their Eyes project, due Tuesday, February 3 for 5th period, and Wednesday, February 4th for 6th period. Look over Argument Prompt FLTs to prepare for Monday's in-class essay.
Monday, January 19, 2015
January 20-23
I hope everyone had a good three-day weekend and Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. Now that you've uploaded your first argument essay, we'll continue honing argument skills with a friendly competition between the 5th and 6th period classes by writing essay responses as a class and asking Mrs. Garcia, our Visiting Professor, to judge them.
Also, please make sure you've signed up for the free subscription to "The 10 Things You Need to Know Today" e-mail from TheWeek.com since you can no longer just go to the site and browse for it due to a format change. Please let me know if this is a problem ahead of time and I'll help with a workaround.
TUESDAY: Discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God through chapter two. Introduction to Classical Oration structure for arguments. Read prompt for argument essay we will be writing together this week as a whole class. DUE: read "Their Eyes" through chapter two. HW: Read "Not by Math Alone" piece on handout and identify each part of the five parts of classical oration used. Read Their Eyes through chapter four for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: (UPDATE: Mogilefsky will be in class, the meeting was cancelled.) Brainstorm original evidence/examples for argument prompt, and write a sample introduction, both due at the end of the period. HW: Their Eyes through chapter four for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Discuss Their Eyes reading. Compare introductions to argument prompt, evidence. Class votes on position taken in response/thesis. Write body paragraphs as a class. DUE: Finished reading through chapter four of Their Eyes. HW: Write conclusion to argument essay and bring to class on Friday. Study for current events quiz on Friday that will cover Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's "10 Things You Need to Know" articles.
FRIDAY: Current events quiz. Compare conclusions and integrate best one(s) into whole class essay. Revise/edit whole class essay. DUE: Conclusions. HW: Read Their Eyes through chapter seven and review argument essay tips.
Also, please make sure you've signed up for the free subscription to "The 10 Things You Need to Know Today" e-mail from TheWeek.com since you can no longer just go to the site and browse for it due to a format change. Please let me know if this is a problem ahead of time and I'll help with a workaround.
TUESDAY: Discuss Their Eyes Were Watching God through chapter two. Introduction to Classical Oration structure for arguments. Read prompt for argument essay we will be writing together this week as a whole class. DUE: read "Their Eyes" through chapter two. HW: Read "Not by Math Alone" piece on handout and identify each part of the five parts of classical oration used. Read Their Eyes through chapter four for Thursday.
WEDNESDAY: (UPDATE: Mogilefsky will be in class, the meeting was cancelled.) Brainstorm original evidence/examples for argument prompt, and write a sample introduction, both due at the end of the period. HW: Their Eyes through chapter four for Thursday.
THURSDAY: Discuss Their Eyes reading. Compare introductions to argument prompt, evidence. Class votes on position taken in response/thesis. Write body paragraphs as a class. DUE: Finished reading through chapter four of Their Eyes. HW: Write conclusion to argument essay and bring to class on Friday. Study for current events quiz on Friday that will cover Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday's "10 Things You Need to Know" articles.
FRIDAY: Current events quiz. Compare conclusions and integrate best one(s) into whole class essay. Revise/edit whole class essay. DUE: Conclusions. HW: Read Their Eyes through chapter seven and review argument essay tips.
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Take-home Argument Essay - due 1/19 to Turnitin.com
The following is a take-home argument essay prompt from an actual question presented on an AP exam a few years back. I handed out hard copies in class on Friday in case you have extra time this weekend to begin brainstorming. You will plan and write an original essay response, taking a clear position with at least two pieces of specific evidence in a minimum of four to five well-written paragraphs. You'll upload your final draft to Turnitin.com before January 19, Monday night, at 11:59 p.m.
We will discuss the prompt on Monday and will work on it in class throughout the week. Here it is:
Read the following excerpt from The Decline of Radicalism (1969) by Daniel J. Boorstin and consider the implications of the distinction Boorstin makes between dissent and disagreement. Then, using appropriate evidence, write a carefully reasoned essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify Boorstin’s distinction.
Dissent is the great problem of America today. It overshadows all others. It is
a symptom, an expression, a consequence, and a cause of all others.
I say dissent and not disagreement. And it is the distinction between dissent and
disagreement which I really want to make. Disagreement produces debate but dissent
produces dissension. Dissent (which comes from the Latin, dis and sentire) means
originally to feel apart from others.
People who disagree have an argument, but people who dissent have a quarrel. People may disagree and both may count themselves in the majority. But a person who dissents is by definition in a minority. A liberal society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreement is the life blood of democracy, dissension is its cancer.
We will discuss the prompt on Monday and will work on it in class throughout the week. Here it is:
Read the following excerpt from The Decline of Radicalism (1969) by Daniel J. Boorstin and consider the implications of the distinction Boorstin makes between dissent and disagreement. Then, using appropriate evidence, write a carefully reasoned essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify Boorstin’s distinction.
Dissent is the great problem of America today. It overshadows all others. It is
a symptom, an expression, a consequence, and a cause of all others.
I say dissent and not disagreement. And it is the distinction between dissent and
disagreement which I really want to make. Disagreement produces debate but dissent
produces dissension. Dissent (which comes from the Latin, dis and sentire) means
originally to feel apart from others.
People who disagree have an argument, but people who dissent have a quarrel. People may disagree and both may count themselves in the majority. But a person who dissents is by definition in a minority. A liberal society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreement is the life blood of democracy, dissension is its cancer.
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