Thursday, January 31, 2019
Cold Day Addendum
AP Langers, due to the cold days and Friday's schedule that moves our next classes to Monday, you have an extension on The Modest Proposal MC questions: these will now be due by the end of the school day on Monday. However, if want to share those with me sooner rather than later, feel free to do so. Hope you are keeping warm out there!
Tuesday, January 29, 2019
Test Making
After playing the part of a test taker, you are now moving into the enviable (?) role of test maker, which benefits your future MC results. All the classes are in similar spots currently, which means the focus is on wrapping up satire, writing MC questions, reviewing tone/vocab, and moving into exemplification.
For the MC assignment on "A Modest Proposal," which is due by the end of the school day on Friday:
1. Create 10 MC questions with answers A-E.
2. Make a variety of questions in style (factual, technical, analytical, inferential), references to the text (paragraph, paragraphs, whole text), and difficulty (easy, mid, difficult). Be inspired by the templates in MC packet and by your previous MC passages.
3. Write on a Google Doc and share with me by the assigned date.
4. Indicate correct answers - you are the test maker!
*Remember that your MC questions will be compiled into a test for another hour. Hence, you want to challenge your peers with these questions! I also posted the link to "A Modest Proposal" on a previous blog and the paragraph numbers match our textbook :)
For the MC assignment on "A Modest Proposal," which is due by the end of the school day on Friday:
1. Create 10 MC questions with answers A-E.
2. Make a variety of questions in style (factual, technical, analytical, inferential), references to the text (paragraph, paragraphs, whole text), and difficulty (easy, mid, difficult). Be inspired by the templates in MC packet and by your previous MC passages.
3. Write on a Google Doc and share with me by the assigned date.
4. Indicate correct answers - you are the test maker!
*Remember that your MC questions will be compiled into a test for another hour. Hence, you want to challenge your peers with these questions! I also posted the link to "A Modest Proposal" on a previous blog and the paragraph numbers match our textbook :)
Monday, January 28, 2019
Satire
In all hours, we followed a similar plan - even if we ended in different spots:
1. Vocab Experts for Unit 17
2. Tone Words Round 2 - paragraphs (3), speed learning (1,3), circle review (1,3,5)
3. Swift's "A Modest Proposal," the most famous of satires. While we are in the middle of the satire in all hours (fifth hour only two paragraphs away from the finale), you are welcome to read ahead for discussion next class. Here is the link to a version that has the same paragraph numbers as our in-class text: https://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html. Remember, satire is all about fun - you should be embracing the hyperbole and ridiculousness to help make the real purpose that much more evident and meaningful.
1. Vocab Experts for Unit 17
2. Tone Words Round 2 - paragraphs (3), speed learning (1,3), circle review (1,3,5)
3. Swift's "A Modest Proposal," the most famous of satires. While we are in the middle of the satire in all hours (fifth hour only two paragraphs away from the finale), you are welcome to read ahead for discussion next class. Here is the link to a version that has the same paragraph numbers as our in-class text: https://andromeda.rutgers.edu/~jlynch/Texts/modest.html. Remember, satire is all about fun - you should be embracing the hyperbole and ridiculousness to help make the real purpose that much more evident and meaningful.
Friday, January 25, 2019
Tone Round 2
A quick preamble - we have been working on a hodgepodge of items for the first three weeks of the semester - vocab, allusions, tone words, modes of discourse, and MC. All of this is building to official, timed MC passages and argumentative prompts. Barring an emergency, make sure to be in class to be a part of this process (it all adds up to improving your MC and prompt scores) and that you are completing all of the assignments. We have had mostly participation grades thus far as we are attaining more ethos on the aforementioned AP Lang topics (yep, you know that will be changing in the very near future when we score MC and start writing full prompts); hence, the majority of you should have high grades thus far. As with every class, each day is part of the learning process to better attain the skills you will need for the future. If you choose not to partake in all of these opportunities, you may not have the experience that you would like to have.
1: We began our next unit of vocab today with our experts and then moved onto round 2 of our tone paragraphs with your selected topic of zoos. Alas, many of you picked quite derogatory tones towards the zoo, but at least you adopted the assigned attitude. Absentees have the following tones for these paragraphs: Aiden - nihilistic; Rylee - eulogize; Ethan - audacious; Izzy - macabre; Mike T. - obsequious. Do remember that each round of 14 tone words is to help you with MC passages, identifying tone shifts in passages, and aiding your own diction when you write.
3: We completed our last MC practice in a timed scenario, moved into our new vocab unit, and then determined our second tone paragraph topic: Kermit the Frog. Unfortunately, a great deal of tone words this week are quite harsh to poor Kermie! For homework, you have the tone paragraph to write. Absentees have the following tones: Kayla - vituperative; Tanner - poignant.
5: As did third hour, we completed our last MC practice in a timed scenario - this one with footnotes to mix up the question types. Unlike third hour, we then moved on to sharing our tone paragraphs from the previous day, including the volatile, the pompous, and the incensed. To end the class, we had speed learning with this round of tone words.
1: We began our next unit of vocab today with our experts and then moved onto round 2 of our tone paragraphs with your selected topic of zoos. Alas, many of you picked quite derogatory tones towards the zoo, but at least you adopted the assigned attitude. Absentees have the following tones for these paragraphs: Aiden - nihilistic; Rylee - eulogize; Ethan - audacious; Izzy - macabre; Mike T. - obsequious. Do remember that each round of 14 tone words is to help you with MC passages, identifying tone shifts in passages, and aiding your own diction when you write.
3: We completed our last MC practice in a timed scenario, moved into our new vocab unit, and then determined our second tone paragraph topic: Kermit the Frog. Unfortunately, a great deal of tone words this week are quite harsh to poor Kermie! For homework, you have the tone paragraph to write. Absentees have the following tones: Kayla - vituperative; Tanner - poignant.
5: As did third hour, we completed our last MC practice in a timed scenario - this one with footnotes to mix up the question types. Unlike third hour, we then moved on to sharing our tone paragraphs from the previous day, including the volatile, the pompous, and the incensed. To end the class, we had speed learning with this round of tone words.
Thursday, January 24, 2019
Dates Part II
1: We started with a timed MC passage to get you in the mood for official MC passages starting next week. As noted in class, you want to be confident and attack the passages and the attached questions. After analyzing the questions (which actually had a nice pattern to them), you copied down the latest unit of vocab for experts, which will start tomorrow. To end the class, we selected our next tone paragraph topic: zoos. I can't wait to see what tone words you will draw on Friday.
3: We completed our bad date process analyses, and your hour did not disappoint in your acting abilities. We currently have a tie for worst bad date, so we will have to determine that tomorrow before starting up vocab, working with MC, and returning to tone for the second round of paragraphs.
5: Another entertaining day of bad dates, and your class voted for Daniel and his wig as worst best date. Who knew he would return for an appearance in another skit? After we finished the entertainment for the hour, we moved onto copying the next unit of vocab for experts tomorrow, and we began the process for our second round of tone paragraphs. This week's topic is dreams, and you composed a paragraph with your random tone word. Anna M., your tone for this assignment is insolent. Vocab, tone, MC, maybe satire - lots to do tomorrow!
3: We completed our bad date process analyses, and your hour did not disappoint in your acting abilities. We currently have a tie for worst bad date, so we will have to determine that tomorrow before starting up vocab, working with MC, and returning to tone for the second round of paragraphs.
5: Another entertaining day of bad dates, and your class voted for Daniel and his wig as worst best date. Who knew he would return for an appearance in another skit? After we finished the entertainment for the hour, we moved onto copying the next unit of vocab for experts tomorrow, and we began the process for our second round of tone paragraphs. This week's topic is dreams, and you composed a paragraph with your random tone word. Anna M., your tone for this assignment is insolent. Vocab, tone, MC, maybe satire - lots to do tomorrow!
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Our Dates
1: We spent the hour prepping and performing our bad dates directional process analysis, and our class picked Simon (and his goldfish "troops") as the worst bad date of them all! Congratulations (?), Simon, for showing up what not to do on a date! Tomorrow will be a lot of items on the docket: MC, vocab, tone work, and the move into another mode of discourse, satire.
3: We copied down unit 17 vocab to keep us busy during guidance meetings. Upon everyone's return, we looked at an informational process analysis sample and then set up tomorrow's directional process analysis: the 20 step how to be a bad date directions and performance. You will have prep time tomorrow and then move into performances. If absent, you will most likely become part of an existing group, so you should write down several examples of bad dating to help your group out tomorrow.
5: Our guidance meetings took a little longer than we thought, so we made it through 2 of our 7 bad dates process analysis performances. That means we will finish those tomorrow!
3: We copied down unit 17 vocab to keep us busy during guidance meetings. Upon everyone's return, we looked at an informational process analysis sample and then set up tomorrow's directional process analysis: the 20 step how to be a bad date directions and performance. You will have prep time tomorrow and then move into performances. If absent, you will most likely become part of an existing group, so you should write down several examples of bad dating to help your group out tomorrow.
5: Our guidance meetings took a little longer than we thought, so we made it through 2 of our 7 bad dates process analysis performances. That means we will finish those tomorrow!
Tuesday, January 22, 2019
Allusions & Modes of Discourse
1 & 5: After sharing our allusion posters, we looked at the differences in directional (replicate) and informational (not replicate) forms of process analysis, our latest mode of discourse. In both classes, you then divided into groups to begin your creation of a 20 part directional process analysis on how to be a bad date. If absent, you should rough draft your 20 steps as you will either be in a group with other absentees or placed in an already existing group tomorrow.
3: We started off with our descriptive writing, which was full of sensory details (who knew the smells of the hallway would inspire such graphic details, similes, and hyperboles?). Then, we moved into sharing our allusion posters. Tomorrow will bring process analysis - which we previewed by classifying directional and informational forms of process analysis.
3: We started off with our descriptive writing, which was full of sensory details (who knew the smells of the hallway would inspire such graphic details, similes, and hyperboles?). Then, we moved into sharing our allusion posters. Tomorrow will bring process analysis - which we previewed by classifying directional and informational forms of process analysis.
Monday, January 21, 2019
Allusion Posters Phase 2
With 98 students and 571 allusion poster possibilities, the math shows a plethora of allusion posters that were not assigned to AP Lang and AP Lit. As we would like the future allusion wall to be full of all these examples, you have the opportunity to create 1 or 2 additional allusion posters for 15 points each extra credit.
How will this work? Below, you will find the numerical listing of remaining allusion topics (mostly historical). You will e-mail me with a request for one or two allusion posters (please specify if you want to do one or two). You may also send a short list in case your favorite option has already been claimed by another student. If no one has claimed the topic(s), I will e-mail you back with the go-ahead to create this allusion poster (s). The "claiming" of the allusion will be first-come, first-serve. You will then create this extra allusion poster AFTER you have completed your previous assigned allusion posters. Yes, you have to do the assigned ones first. You will then bring in this extra allusion poster(s) with your fourth allusion poster during our last week of show and tell in order to share with the class.
Available extra allusions: 142, 146, 153, 156, 158, 161, 162, 164, 165, 166, 168, 169, 172, 173, 184, 205, 212, 239, 246, 262, 263, 266, 267, 271, 274, 276, 280. 283, 284, 287, 288, 292, 294, 301, 342, 284, 390, 393, 397, 398, 401, 405, 406, 409, 410, 413, 414, 417, 418, 421, 422, 424, 425, 426, 427, 428, 429, 430, 431, 434, 439, 441, 442, 443, 445, 446, 447, 449, 450, 451, 453, 454, 455, 457, 458, 459, 461, 462, 463, 465, 466, 467, 469, 470, 471, 473, 475, 479, 480, 481, 482, 483, 485, 486, 487, 488, 489, 490, 491, 492, 493, 494, 495, 496, 497, 498, 499, 500, 501, 502, 503, 504, 505, 506, 507, 508, 509, 510, 511, 512, 513, 514, 515, 516, 517, 518, 519, 520, 521, 522, 523, 524, 525, 526, 527, 528, 529, 530, 531, 532, 533, 534, 535, 536, 537, 538, 539, 540, 541, 542, 543, 544, 545, 546, 547, 548, 549, 550, 551, 552, 553, 554, 555, 556, 557, 558, 559, 560, 561, 562, 563, 564, 565, 566, 567, 568, 569, 572.
By the way, AP Lit has the same extra credit opportunity, so if you are interested in claiming one of these topics, you may want to do so sooner rather than later :)
Friday, January 18, 2019
Tone Round 1 Complete
In all hours, we had our vocab 16 and tone 1 quiz.
1 & 5: After the quiz, we highlighted the sensory imagery in our descriptive paragraphs and went over the answers for MC passage 4. We will continue with modes of discourse and MC next time around.
3: After the quiz, we went over answers for MC passage 4, looked at the needs of descriptive writing through Toomer's "Harvest Song," and you were assigned to write a description of the hallway during passing period - with the challenge of bringing in as many sensory details as possible, creating a mood, and bringing in figurative language to present your description to an audience never in that place or time before.
1 & 5: After the quiz, we highlighted the sensory imagery in our descriptive paragraphs and went over the answers for MC passage 4. We will continue with modes of discourse and MC next time around.
3: After the quiz, we went over answers for MC passage 4, looked at the needs of descriptive writing through Toomer's "Harvest Song," and you were assigned to write a description of the hallway during passing period - with the challenge of bringing in as many sensory details as possible, creating a mood, and bringing in figurative language to present your description to an audience never in that place or time before.
Thursday, January 17, 2019
Still a Little Bit of Everything
Second semester sure has a variety amongst MC, modes of discourse, tone work, allusion posters, and all the other activities leading us back to argumentation. As we had visits from college credit representatives today, we did not finish everything on the docket - but that's what Friday is for! On Friday's schedule is the vocab 16 and first tone quiz, all terms we have been working on for over a week now.
1: After the aforementioned quiz tomorrow, we will share our descriptions of the hallway during passing period and look over MC passage #4, your additional homework for this evening.
3: In addition to the quiz tomorrow, we will look over your answers to MC passage #4, which was to be completed for Friday's class.
5: We briefly looked at Jean Toomer's "Harvest Song" to clarify the facets of descriptive writing: the sensory imagery, the figurative language, and the mood. For homework, you have 2 items to complete: a description of the hallway during passing period with the challenge to include as many senses as possible, utilize figurative language, create a mood, and describe a milieu that your audience has never seen nor taken part in. Next, you have MC passage #4, another opportunity to practice AP Lang-style passages.
1: After the aforementioned quiz tomorrow, we will share our descriptions of the hallway during passing period and look over MC passage #4, your additional homework for this evening.
3: In addition to the quiz tomorrow, we will look over your answers to MC passage #4, which was to be completed for Friday's class.
5: We briefly looked at Jean Toomer's "Harvest Song" to clarify the facets of descriptive writing: the sensory imagery, the figurative language, and the mood. For homework, you have 2 items to complete: a description of the hallway during passing period with the challenge to include as many senses as possible, utilize figurative language, create a mood, and describe a milieu that your audience has never seen nor taken part in. Next, you have MC passage #4, another opportunity to practice AP Lang-style passages.
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
A Little Bit of Everything
As per the usual start to second semester, we are doing many "little things" that add up to helping you with MC, argument, and the AP test in general. In all classes, we continued our review of vocab and tone words for the quiz on Friday. We also reviewed MC passage #2 answers for accuracy. Then, we shared our allusion posters to learn further examples for our writing and comprehension. Last, we looked at our third MC passage.
1: After the MC passage, we read "Harvest Song" by Jean Toomer to identify the descriptive elements, i.e. the sensory details, figurative language, and mood creating the reaper's experience. For homework, you will write a description of the hallway during passing period, making sure to include all your senses and figurative language to describe this familiar place to an audience that has never been a part of the chaos.
3 & 5: You will need to finish the questions for the third MC passage.
Monday, January 14, 2019
Fifth Hour Tone Words - Restaurant Round
Here are those 22 tone words that fifth hour have been working with for the past week:
- · Archaic
- · Callous
- · Clichéd
- · Clinical
- · Dejected
- · Diffident
- · Empathetic
- · Erudite
- · Gothic
- · Jingoistic
- · Kowtowing
- · Laudatory
- · Malicious
- · Patronizing
- · Provocative
- · Resigned
- · Reticent
- · Reverent
- · Sardonic
- · Sentimental
- · Vituperative
- · Wistful
Third Hour Tone Words - Round Dr. Phil
Here are the tone words of note for our Dr. Phil paragraphs:
- · Ambivalent
- · Candid
- · Cautionary
- · Choleric
- · Elegiac
- · Eulogize
- · Idyllic
- · Impartial
- · Informal
- · Jovial
- · Lugubrious
- · Macabre
- · Nostalgic
- · Seductive
- · Vehement
- · Volatile
First Hour Tone Words - Pineapple Round
First Hour's Tone Words to Know:
- · Abstract
- · Apprehensive
- · Bellicose
- · Caustic
- · Didactic
- · Facetious
- · Irreverent
- · Jejune
- · Polemical
- · Pretentious
- · Quizzical
- · Scathing
- · Trite
- · Whimsical
MC Passage #2
We started off class with vocab and tone words - which will all be part of our upcoming quiz later this week. Then, we continued with our MC work with passage #2. To mix it up and try different methods, we started off with the questions, highlighting key words and phrases to make sure we understood each question and identifying whether we had a factual, technical, analytical, or inferential example. Then, you had close reading time, conversational time, and completion time. We will finish any remaining questions and explanations next time around, which also will feature the first round of allusions, more MC, and some descriptive writing to help your understanding of this mode of discourse.
Friday, January 11, 2019
Tones & Allusions
We have an early release today! Which means we had shorter classes and sixth and seventh hours were sacrificed to the snow gods!
In all of the AP Lang classes, we started off with our vocabulary (we are 12 words in thus far), played a round of speed learning to start memorizing our tone words, and found out about your allusion project, which involves you making 4 poster over 4 weeks that will teach your classmates and all of my classes about Biblical, mythological, literary, pop cultural, and historical references that permeate our readings - and that you can bring into your future argumentative essays!
If you were absent today, you will be assigned your 4 allusions on Monday. Make sure to ask me for your allusions so that you can have your first one done by the assigned due date! I'm looking forward to seeing this year's posters!
In all of the AP Lang classes, we started off with our vocabulary (we are 12 words in thus far), played a round of speed learning to start memorizing our tone words, and found out about your allusion project, which involves you making 4 poster over 4 weeks that will teach your classmates and all of my classes about Biblical, mythological, literary, pop cultural, and historical references that permeate our readings - and that you can bring into your future argumentative essays!
If you were absent today, you will be assigned your 4 allusions on Monday. Make sure to ask me for your allusions so that you can have your first one done by the assigned due date! I'm looking forward to seeing this year's posters!
Thursday, January 10, 2019
Pineapple, Dr. Phil, Restaurants
After our vocab work and our completion of the first multiple choice passage, you had creative writing time to compose a paragraph on a topic with a random tone. First hour, you chose the topic of pineapples, third hour decided on Dr. Phil, and fifth hour selected restaurants (which allowed for you to pick a specific restaurant to help your writing). If absent today, don't feel left out of the fun. You will have the same topic as your assigned hour, and I randomly drew a tone card for you. Remember, this paragraph can be in first or third person, is a creative enterprise and not a rhetorical analysis or argument, and your tone determines how you feel about the topic (even if you don't feel that way).
First hour tones: Rylee = didactic, Owen = whimsical.
Third hour tones: Olivia = jovial; Clayton = impartial.
Fifth hour tones: Blake = kowtowing; Brittany = sardonic.
We will start learning all of the class tone words tomorrow along with finding out about allusion posters and possibly our next MC passage.
First hour tones: Rylee = didactic, Owen = whimsical.
Third hour tones: Olivia = jovial; Clayton = impartial.
Fifth hour tones: Blake = kowtowing; Brittany = sardonic.
We will start learning all of the class tone words tomorrow along with finding out about allusion posters and possibly our next MC passage.
2019
This past/present theme continues on the block day as we finish looking at the final (the toolbox portion, focusing on term definitions, clarifying what happens in each example, and identifying the proper strategy). With the final solidly in the past, we moved into 2019 with our new vocabulary, MC strategies, and our first MC passage - which should seem easier since we spent so much time focused on the close read and understanding its content. For homework, finish the first MC passage questions - we will use this to review process of elimination and close reading for the next class.
Monday, January 7, 2019
2018
All classes today revolved around the transition from the past (2018 rhetorical analysis) to the present (2019 MC, tone, modes of discourse, argumentation, synthesis).
After copying down Unit 16 vocab (which starts next class and which you may have noticed had a bit of a theme from the vocab writers), you completed topic cards for our creative tone paragraphs tomorrow. What are tone paragraphs? Wait and see! We will have a whole process to practice our writing and learn all those tone words from that "big kids" handout. Wrapping up the hour, we spent some quality time with the rhetorical analysis prompt from the final - looking at the big 3 items needed to score well (that magic "big ticket" strategy, that attitude, and that audience - all of which were included in the prompt).
For next class, you will need to know your rhetorical strategies and their definitions so that we can interact with the toolbox portion of the final. After the finals and arguments are returned, portfolioed (that's not a verb - oops), and put in 2018, the 2019 world arrives with our vocab experts, multiple choice strategies and passages, tone paragraphs, modes of discourse, and allusions!
After copying down Unit 16 vocab (which starts next class and which you may have noticed had a bit of a theme from the vocab writers), you completed topic cards for our creative tone paragraphs tomorrow. What are tone paragraphs? Wait and see! We will have a whole process to practice our writing and learn all those tone words from that "big kids" handout. Wrapping up the hour, we spent some quality time with the rhetorical analysis prompt from the final - looking at the big 3 items needed to score well (that magic "big ticket" strategy, that attitude, and that audience - all of which were included in the prompt).
For next class, you will need to know your rhetorical strategies and their definitions so that we can interact with the toolbox portion of the final. After the finals and arguments are returned, portfolioed (that's not a verb - oops), and put in 2018, the 2019 world arrives with our vocab experts, multiple choice strategies and passages, tone paragraphs, modes of discourse, and allusions!
Thursday, January 3, 2019
The Prompt & The Toolbox
Overall, we had many A grades on the final, and those earning such marks had a solid grasp on identifying upper-level rhetorical strategies and writing about their purpose for a given prompt, which included many eights and even one nine.
We shall spend our first outing looking over the final, reiterating the rhetorical analysis portion, and then moving into other parts of the exam. With the toolbox portion, many of you did well with identifying strategies and naming them as such. However, there were some of you that struggled with the terms and will probably need further review for ultimate attainment. With the prompt, the results centered around your understanding of the milieu, the indirect means that the author promulgated his thoughts on the subject, and that specific audience that had to be part of your analysis (I have to be vague for a few more days on the exact topic). While there were many who took up the author's text and found the big-ticket item haunting its paragraphs, clarified tone with specific, mature terminology, and mixed and matched strategies to add to your own ethos, there were several who misread the passage and, alas, did not meet the prompt's hints for purpose and clarification. We will go over the prompt in class (as we always do), so that those of you who did a fast close read and missed the main features can have a second look - with the reminder to slow down and understand the passage before diving its into written component.
And lastly regarding this final and rhetorical analysis overall, remember that this is one portion of the AP Lang exam with the other three portions added together for the overall score. If rhetorical analysis is not your passion, you have MC, argument, and synthesis there to balance out this section. (And, sometimes, it takes right up to the test for rhetorical analysis to become your buddy - don't give up! Two years ago, I had a young lady, bright, engaged, full of effort, who struggled with the writing prompts throughout the school year. On her last practice test with me, she scored mostly 8/9 on all of her essays and ended with a 5. Fast-forward to her actual AP Lang exam, and she did the exact same thing!)
Additionally, for some of you, that means constant work and effort on improving your overall writing and comprehension. That means taking every assignment seriously, bringing in maximum effort, and challenging yourself to college-level analysis, writing, and communication. You have so many opportunities in this course to prep you for the exam. If you neglect the work during the course, you won't have the confidence on the actual testing day.
Lastly (I hope I remember to tell all of this to you in person next week, but at least I have it written down), I wrote on the AP Lit blog that "timid" is so 2018. Yes, taking a test, writing a prompt, looking at the thousandth multiple choice can cause stress and cause doubts to arise - but only if you let that inanimate object do that to you. The night before the AP Lit MC final (yes, I take all the MC tests and passages with you - for better or worse), I was a bundle of nerves, doubting if I had the focus to read those passages and score well enough to keep up my AP Lit group's respect. Even driving to school that morning, I was antsy and feeling that I could not do well on this exam. When I sat down to take the MC, which the students had already started since I have to start the timer, I snapped out of my timidity - I reached for my lucky pencil and just went for it, whether I ended up with the best score in the class or the worst one of all. For that hour, it was just me, four passages, and 51 MC questions. And, not to brag, I ended up with the highest score amongst all the AP Lit students. So, a New Year's Resolution for you - attack, attack, attack your work. Just go for it every time. If you have a perfect MC or a 9, use it to build your confidence. If you have a 1, use it as inspiration to do better next time.
With rhetorical analysis in the backseat (but still in the car for the long trip), we will focus on a hodgepodge of MC, modes of discourse, tone work, vocabulary, and allusions. Ideally, our more creative second semester will allow you to practice your writing skills, improve your comprehension, and add to your already high levels of ethos in a plethora of subjects. Third quarter will offer so many opportunities to attack - so take each one, bring in all the effort you can muster, and prep for that test!
I'm off to bond with Lucy for the last time - hopefully your argument essays will be fascinating!
We shall spend our first outing looking over the final, reiterating the rhetorical analysis portion, and then moving into other parts of the exam. With the toolbox portion, many of you did well with identifying strategies and naming them as such. However, there were some of you that struggled with the terms and will probably need further review for ultimate attainment. With the prompt, the results centered around your understanding of the milieu, the indirect means that the author promulgated his thoughts on the subject, and that specific audience that had to be part of your analysis (I have to be vague for a few more days on the exact topic). While there were many who took up the author's text and found the big-ticket item haunting its paragraphs, clarified tone with specific, mature terminology, and mixed and matched strategies to add to your own ethos, there were several who misread the passage and, alas, did not meet the prompt's hints for purpose and clarification. We will go over the prompt in class (as we always do), so that those of you who did a fast close read and missed the main features can have a second look - with the reminder to slow down and understand the passage before diving its into written component.
And lastly regarding this final and rhetorical analysis overall, remember that this is one portion of the AP Lang exam with the other three portions added together for the overall score. If rhetorical analysis is not your passion, you have MC, argument, and synthesis there to balance out this section. (And, sometimes, it takes right up to the test for rhetorical analysis to become your buddy - don't give up! Two years ago, I had a young lady, bright, engaged, full of effort, who struggled with the writing prompts throughout the school year. On her last practice test with me, she scored mostly 8/9 on all of her essays and ended with a 5. Fast-forward to her actual AP Lang exam, and she did the exact same thing!)
Additionally, for some of you, that means constant work and effort on improving your overall writing and comprehension. That means taking every assignment seriously, bringing in maximum effort, and challenging yourself to college-level analysis, writing, and communication. You have so many opportunities in this course to prep you for the exam. If you neglect the work during the course, you won't have the confidence on the actual testing day.
Lastly (I hope I remember to tell all of this to you in person next week, but at least I have it written down), I wrote on the AP Lit blog that "timid" is so 2018. Yes, taking a test, writing a prompt, looking at the thousandth multiple choice can cause stress and cause doubts to arise - but only if you let that inanimate object do that to you. The night before the AP Lit MC final (yes, I take all the MC tests and passages with you - for better or worse), I was a bundle of nerves, doubting if I had the focus to read those passages and score well enough to keep up my AP Lit group's respect. Even driving to school that morning, I was antsy and feeling that I could not do well on this exam. When I sat down to take the MC, which the students had already started since I have to start the timer, I snapped out of my timidity - I reached for my lucky pencil and just went for it, whether I ended up with the best score in the class or the worst one of all. For that hour, it was just me, four passages, and 51 MC questions. And, not to brag, I ended up with the highest score amongst all the AP Lit students. So, a New Year's Resolution for you - attack, attack, attack your work. Just go for it every time. If you have a perfect MC or a 9, use it to build your confidence. If you have a 1, use it as inspiration to do better next time.
With rhetorical analysis in the backseat (but still in the car for the long trip), we will focus on a hodgepodge of MC, modes of discourse, tone work, vocabulary, and allusions. Ideally, our more creative second semester will allow you to practice your writing skills, improve your comprehension, and add to your already high levels of ethos in a plethora of subjects. Third quarter will offer so many opportunities to attack - so take each one, bring in all the effort you can muster, and prep for that test!
I'm off to bond with Lucy for the last time - hopefully your argument essays will be fascinating!
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