Weekly Agenda: December 12-15

Tuesday, December 13
Vocabulary returned
First draft of Definition Essay DUE
Peer Review Day
(Teacher Conferencing optional)
HW: Complete final draft; review for vocabulary quiz

Thursday, December 15
Definition Essay DUE
Vocabulary quiz
Introduction to Exemplification Essays
- What is exemplification?
- How and why does a writer use exemplification?
- Read Ch. 8 pp. 199-201; 209-212
- Read and discuss Ackerman’s “The Vagaries of Taste” (handout)
HW: Read Intro to Exemplification (handout) pp.209-218
Writing: You will be assigned a sense other than taste. The argument is:
“More than any other, the sense of ____________ is essential to the human experience. Then, generate numerous examples to support this thesis (whether drawn from personal experience, anecdotal evidence, or research). Examples should persuade, but can also clarify, explain, add interest, or entertain. Bring this list with you for an in-class assignment next time.


Have a safe and relaxing Winter Break!

Weekly Agenda: December 5-9

Monday, December 5
• In-class Writing: Like Daum, select an abstract quality (an emotion, phenomenon,
etc.) and define it. Begin with a formal definition, but then develop your own definition with examples or anecdotes that help define that term. If you want, you can establish multiple categories or “types” of this term and provide a series of examples for each category. Remember, the point is to take this abstract and make it concrete. Be prepared to share with the class.
• Trade and critique in-class writing
• Small groups: Share out and discuss potential ideas for the definition essay.
- pros/cons
- potential and interest
- personal expertise or need for research
HW: None

Wednesday, December 7
New vocabulary
Finalize topic selection for major essay
Outlining, researching and writing time
HW: Complete vocabulary

Friday, December 9
Vocabulary Due
Outline check-in/ teacher conferencing
Definition Essay research and writing time
HW: Complete first draft for peer workshop on Tuesday

November 28 - December 1

Monday, November 28
Discuss “How Can We Understand Their Hatred?” (handout)
- WIC Questions #1-3
Read and discuss “The Wife-Beater” (pp.528-530)
- answer C#1-5, P&A #2, S&S #2
- Socratic circle discussion: Language, Violence, and Causal Relationships
HW: Read “Fame-iness” (pp. 532-534)
Respond to questions: C # 4&7; P&A #2; S&S #3-4

Wednesday, November 30
Introduce Formal Essay #3 Assignment: Definition Essay
Read “Black and Latino” (pp. 537-539). Answer the following questions: C# 1-3; P&A #1-3; S&S #4&5
In-class Timed Writing: Like Daum, select an abstract quality (an emotion, phenomenon, etc.) and define it. Begin with a formal definition, but then develop your own definition with examples or anecdotes that help define that term. If you want, you can establish multiple categories or “types” of this term and provide a series of examples for each category. Remember, the point is to take this abstract and make it concrete. Be prepared to share with the class.
HW: Generate a list of terms, objects, ideas, etc. that you would be interested in defining in a full-length definition essay. Circle your 3 favorite ideas, and be prepared to discuss them in small groups.

Weekly Agenda: November 21-23

Tuesday, November 22
Return in-class writing and provide feedback → turn in to basket
Read and discuss “Caring for Your Introvert” (handout)
- answer ARC Q#1-3
- fishbowl discussion (3 groups, 3 series of topics for definition – denotative and connotative)
HW:
Read “How Can We Understand Their Hatred?” (handout)
- answer WIC Questions #1-3
Begin considering topics for your definition essay

Happy Thanksgiving!

Weekly Agenda: November 14-18

Monday, November 14
Personal Narrative FIRST DRAFT DUE
Peer Workshop Day
Optional Teacher Conferencing
HW: Begin revisions on Final Draft; due Friday, 11/18

Wednesday, November 16
Introduction to arguments of definition
- Review definition arguments: What are they? What do they do?
- Read Ch. 4: Definition (Rhetorical Choices: A Reader for Writers) pp.137-146
- U.S. Census 2000 Form (p. 518-519, PFCW)
- Reading Images Questions #1-3
- Discuss
- Read “I Want a Wife” (pp. 520-522)
- Answer post-reading questions: C#1 & 3; P&A #1&2; S&S #3&5
HW: Complete your revised draft. DUE 11/24

Friday, November 18
Personal Narrative essays DUE TODAY
Read “Tortillas” (pp.524-526)
Partner work: C #2; P & A #2 & 4; S&S # 1
In-class Writing: Writing Workshop Prompt #1, p.527
- trade with partner for feedback
- volunteers share
HW: Read “Planning a Definition Essay” (pp. 506-510)

Weekly Agenda: November 7-9

Tuesday, November 8
Discuss “Shooting an Elephant” (pp. 126-132):
- Respond to Q’s: C #1 & 3; P &A # 1 & 3; S & S # 3 & 4
Introduce formal narrative essay assignment
Mini-lesson: Writing Scenes (“Showing vs. Telling”)
Selecting narrative material: sifting through brainstorming to select an idea
HW: Finalize your subject matter and write a rough draft of your personal narrative. Bring in a typed copy for your peer workshop group on Monday, November 14.

Weekly Agenda: October 31- November 4

Monday, October 31
Trade and share graphic narratives (!)
Read and discuss “Finishing School” (pp.107-111)
Group discussion of post-reading questions
- analyze author, purpose, & audience
- universal themes or messages?
HW:
- Read “Sixty-Nine Cents” (pp. 102-105) and
answer C. Q #1&6; P & A Q# 1 & 3; S&S Q# 2
- Complete vocabulary sheet. Due 11/4

Wednesday, November 2
Discuss “Sixty-Nine Cents” and homework responses
- author, purpose, & audience
- universal themes or messages?
- rhetorical elements?
Writing dialogue (purposes and punctuation)
- Read about Roles of Dialogue (handout)
- Punctuation Guidelines & Practice (handout)
- Dialogue Practice: One-sided Conversation Activity (see example – handout)
HW: Read “My Mother Never Worked” (pp. 114-117) and respond to Q’s: C. #3; P & A #1 & 3; S&S #2 & 5

Friday, November 4
Vocabulary DUE
Discuss homework reading and analysis questions
- Evaluate author, context, purpose, audience and theme in “My Mother Never Worked”
Read “38 Who Saw Murder…” (pp. 120-123)
- groups discuss post-reading questions; share out with class
- analyze audience, purpose, and message
HW: Read “Shooting an Elephant” (pp. 126-132) and respond to Q’s: C #1 & 3;
P &A # 1 & 3; S & S # 3 & 4

Weekly Agenda: October 25-28

Tuesday, October 25
Share “I Am From…” poems
- Discuss “The Library Card” (handout); answer A.R.C. #1 & W.I.C #1
- Formal Discussion: “The Library Card” both documents lived experience and offers an opportunity to comment on an issue larger than any one person. What larger commentary or critique do you think Wright is making in this piece, and how does he use his personal experiences to explicitly and/or implicitly make this commentary? Does it work as an argument?
- Brainstorming:
1. List any and all events that come to mind as narrative worthy (i.e. they not only are compelling in themselves, but also provide rich opportunities for making some kind of argument, comment, or observation about larger issues)
2. Circle two events that strike you as most interesting or insightful
3. Using clustering, generate ideas and associations for each idea, taking at least 5 minutes on each
4. Journal: Choose one o your clustered events and write one page outlining a synopsis. Include your thoughts on how this event might serve as a starting place for a commentary, either explicitly or implicitly
HW: NONE!


Thursday, October 27
Introduction to OPTIC strategy to analyze visual texts
Read and discuss, “The Socks” (PFCW p.95)
Read and discuss “The Harvey Pekar Story” (handout)
- how are these brief illustrated pieces being used to comment on the
individual? On broader social or humanistic issues? And how do they do that?
Brainstorm: Select a brief moment, vignette, or observation to tell via illustration
Begin working on your own brief graphic narrative
HW: Complete your short graphic narrative for Mon., 11/1 (be prepared to share!)

Weekly Agenda: October 17-20

Monday, October 17
Rhetorical Analysis First Drafts DUE
Peer Workshop Day
In-class revision and optional teacher conferencing time
HW: Complete final draft; DUE Wednesday, 10/19

Wednesday, October 19
Rhetorical Analysis Final Draft DUE
Read intro to narration (Rhetorical Choices Ch. 2 handout)
Teacher reads aloud “The Chase” (RC pp. 28-31). Discuss possible purpose, themes, and importance
Narrative Warm-Ups:
- Brainstorming and clustering practice
- Generate a list of personal experiences, memories, observations, etc. that present rich possibilities to write
a narrative essay about
- Write “I Am…” Poem
HW: Read “The Library Card” (handout); answer A.R.C. #1 & W.I.C #1

Weekly Agenda: October 4-7

Wednesday, October 5
In-class rhetorical analysis practice (30 minutes): Analyze your partner’s op-ed piece AND his/her rhetorical analysis of it?
- What did he/she do well?
- What aspects of the article’s argument or approach did he/she miss?
- Return the annotated article and analysis, and a 2-3 paragraph critique, on Wednesday. Consider the questions on EAA p.105
Discuss “The Ways We Lie” (PFCW, pp.485-492) and post-reading questions
- Audience?
- Context?
- Types of Appeals?
HW: - Complete op-ed rhetorical analysis evaluation (if necessary);
- Read “On the Internet, There’s No Place to Hide” (pp. 495-498) and answer questions Comp #1 & 5; P & A # 1 & 3; S&S # 4 & 5

Friday, October 7
Discuss “On the Internet, There’s No Place to Hide” (pp. 495-498):
- Post-reading questions
- author & ethos?
- audience & pathos?
- argument & logos?
- effectiveness?
Major Essay #1 Assigned: The Rhetorical Analysis Essay
Select an essay (Step 1), review key questions to ask of the essay (Step 2), conduct a preliminary analysis (Step 3), and begin writing your proposal (DUE Tuesday 10/11). Be sure your proposal addresses all the points listed on the assignment sheet for Step 4.
HW: Complete the rhetorical analysis essay proposal

Weekly Agenda: September 26-29

Tuesday, September 27
Vocabulary returned
Debrief rhetorical appeal and stasis theory activities from last week
Example analysis: EAA Ch. 5 handout, pp.123-128
Partner Work: Analyze an op-ed together (choose from the group’s collection)
Independent Work: Analyze a remaining op-ed independently – then trade with partner for the weekend
HW: Complete independent rhetorical analysis; review for vocabulary quiz

Thursday, September 29
Vocabulary Quiz
In-class rhetorical analysis practice (30 minutes): Analyze your partner’s op-ed piece AND his/her rhetorical analysis of it?
- What did he/she do well?
- What aspects of the article’s argument or approach did he/she miss?
- Return the annotated article and analysis, and a 2-3 paragraph critique, on Wednesday. Consider the questions on EAA p.105
Read “The Ways We Lie” (PFCW, pp. 485-492).
- Partner Work: Answer Comp. #3&4, Purp. and Aud. #2; and Style & Structure #1
- argument – agree or disagree?
- audience & context?
- types of appeals?
HW: Complete op-ed rhetorical analysis evaluation; Read “On the Internet, There’s No Place to Hide” (pp. 495-498) and answer questions Comp #1 & 5; P & A # 1 & 3; S&S # 4 & 5

Weekly Agenda: September 19-23

Monday, September 19
New Vocabulary assignment
Lecture: Stasis Questions
-generate our own examples of each
Stasis Questions in Action:
- Global warming debate (EAA pp.29-32)
- Rembar case
- student examples
- An essay: “What’s in a Name” (Patterns for College Writing, pp.5-7)
HW: Read EAA handout pp. 32-42 (Audience & Appeals) – take notes; Complete vocabulary.

Wednesday, September 21
LATE START
Vocabulary Due
Discuss homework reading
- Audience
- Context
- Types of Appeals
o Ethos strategies
o Pathos strategies
o Logos strategies
Read “A Dog Ate My Disk…” (PFCW, pp. 471-474). Discuss:
- Audience, Context & Appeals
HW: Read “College Pressures” (PFCW, pp.462-468)
- Complete Comp.. Q’s 2,3 & 4; Purpose & Audience questions #1,2&4

Friday, September 23
Vocabulary returned
Discuss “College Pressures”; responses due
Read “The Ways We Lie” (PFCW, pp. 485-492).
- Partner Work: Answer Comp. #3&4, Purp. and Aud. #2; and Style & Structure #1
- argument – agree or disagree?
- audience & context
- types of appeals
- essay structure (classification)
HW: Review for vocabulary quiz
Read EAA Ch. 5 Handout, pp.103-120
Bring in 3 op-eds/editorials for 9/27

Welcome!

Welcome to all of my AP English Language and Composition students! I am incredibly excited about this class, and honored to teach it. I am also looking forward to getting to know each of you. It is hard to summarize all the things we will be tackling this year, so let me just say that you can expect to push your boundaries as a writer, reader, thinker, and citizen. We will be reading mostly nonfiction, but also some fiction and poetry. We will also be viewing and discussing political cartoons, fine art, photography -- art and expression, in other words, with messages to extract and analyze.

Oh, and you'll write. A lot. So I sure hope you like writing.

I also hope that as the year progresses, this blog will become a place where you (and your parents, too, for that matter) can:
• keep up with assignment deadlines, unit overviews, vocabulary lists, and daily assignments
• read or view supplementary texts or images
• post comments, opinions, and questions
• link to additional resources, such as online writing handbooks, national newspapers, research databases, and more
• get in touch with me
• make your own suggestions for additional links
• share ideas with one another

As you may have noticed, comments to this page will be moderated (by me) to keep things (reasonably) friendly and civilized, but unless you say something that is highly insensitive or inexcusably offensive, you can feel pretty confident that your comments will be posted. I will not edit comments that have been approved; whatever is posted can and very well may be read by everyone with access to this blog (which, really, is literally everyone with internet access).

That said, please take a moment to comment to this post by briefly summarizing what you hope to get out of this class (personally, academically, technically, intellectually, etc.). Thanks, and I look forward to hearing your thoughts!

Weekly Agenda: 9/9-9/16

Friday, September 9

Welcome and introductions
Course Overview
Review syllabus and class expectations
Class “tour”
Student survey
HW: Read assigned NYT article; be prepared to discuss it on Tuesday

Tuesday, September 13
Assigned seating
Discuss NYT article
• What is the argument (for the writer and for Mr. Rembar?)
• Evidence/reasons/rationale?
• Do you agree or disagree? Why?
Group activity: Analysis of political cartoons: What statement is it making?
HW: Read Everything's An Argument, pp. 3-20 (Purposes & Occasions for Argument) -- Take notes on key points

Thursday, September 15
New Vocabulary
Discuss homework reading
Introduction to types of arguments
• Arguments of Fact (Did something happen?)
• Arguments of Definition (What is the nature of the thing?)
• Arguments of Evaluation (What is the quality of the thing?)
• Proposal Arguments (What actions should be taken?)
Read/discuss EEA pp. 29-32 (stasis questions and the global warming debate)
Categorize yesterday's political cartoons by argument type (partner work)
HW: Read Everything's An Argument, pp. 20-29 (Kinds of Argument) -- take notes on key points