February 1

1 and 2: Finished allusion posters for the third round. The last round is two days away...hopefully. Added four more words to our vernacular. Commenced a group argument in which you composed a claim, evidence examples, and warrants. Remember, you should be utilizing specific examples from various subject to balance out your arguments. If you limit yourself to abstract ideas, you will not convey the argument to your audience. We will finish the discussion portion tomorrow and then finalize counterclaim and rebuttal portions.

4: Finished CDQ partner practice. I know I complimented you during class, but your hour has shown such strength with utilizing various subjects for your evidence. To round out the hour, we finished this unit's vocabulary words. Tomorrow is a timed writing prompt. Let February -- a.k.a. writing month -- begin!

7: I always write this during sixth hour and hope I do not have to revise this later. Here is the projected agenda: 1. Finish the group argument discussion, counterclaim, and rebuttal. 2. Yep, we didn't make it to anything else.

Bonus Content:
Other than all the prompts and essays on the docket for February and March (my lovely AP Land plan has 9 for you do before we start full tests and reviewing styles), you will soon have your second tone/allusion quiz and full timed multiple choice test.

The Last Class of January

In a few hours, we discussed the "Z" virus that some see as a burgeoning pandemic. Here is an article with some information if you would like to one day use it for an argument: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/zika-virus-update-31-people-us-infected-houston/story?id=36597002

I have decided to use a dash of asyndeton today in our recaps.

1: MC packet explanations, vocab and tone experts, almost finished allusion posters.
2: MC packet explanations, vocab and tone experts, allusion posters, deadline 9 p.m. tonight for vision paragraphs.
4: Partner argument counterclaim & rebuttal, vocab and tone experts, CDQ introduction with partner work.
7: Finished allusion posters, vocab and tone experts, group argument.

Bonus Content:
Scholar Quiz will be having an open house on February 16 for those unable to attend Friday practices and would like to check out the team. We will have snacks, trivia, and buzzers. Scholar Quiz is MSHSAA organization (I like to call us a "splub") and official competitors receive a letter. We are looking for full time teammates and also practice partners at our Friday practices, Thursday trivia lunches in the library conference room, and random acts of trivia that are announced on our twitter page @FznQuiz. Scholar Quiz assists in AP classes such as AP World, AP US History, AP Stats, AP Calc, AP Lang, AP Lit, AP Chem, AP Physics. We have had 50 people involved with Scholar Quiz practices and trivia lunches thus far this year. We look forward to seeing you there.

January 27/28

1: If you like variety, you certainly enjoyed class today: exemplification group work (final paragraph deadline is Thursday at 9 p.m.), vocab experts, tone paragraph 2 to the topic of North West, tone word speed learning, and grading the multiple choice packet. For Friday's class, make sure you have the explanation for your assigned MC number, you allusion poster ready to go, and your tone words studied. Argument will take center stage now -- hint -- your vision work is already one.

7: After vocab experts, we played with tone words via paragraphs on dinosaurs, speed learning, and circle review. Those words will return on Friday and in future classes -- in addition to the previous tone words. To complete our class time, we graded the multiple choice packets, and you explained the correct answers. We almost made it through the third round of allusion posters. For the four remaining, make sure to bring it back on Friday for sharing. Don't forget that your vision paragraph deadline is Thursday at 2:25 a.m. That gives you an additional 12 hours to complete.

2: Read first hour's agenda - with the exception that your topic was winter and your final paragraph deadline is Friday at 9 p.m.

4: After vocab experts, we played with a new set of tone words and constructed paragraphs on our topic of the day: cannibalism. Once allusion posters were shared, we returned to argumentation via partnerships on a variety of topics. We will work on the second half of those arguments tomorrow.

January 26

First & Second Hours: We finished allusion poster 2, which is appropriate since tomorrow starts the cycle for allusion poster 3. Then, you finally completed the vocabulary quiz for unit 16. During our next class, we will start unit 17. Last, we began the group exemplification project. At this point, you have shared a document for your work and are to create a brainstorm of examples indicating vision. If you were absent, you job is to add to the list. Vocabulary quizzes must be made up by Friday.

Fourth Hour: After 10 minutes to confer with your group regarding the group exemplification project, you have until 11 p.m. tonight to finalize your individual paragraphs. Next, we started vocab 17 experts. For the remainder of the hour, we graded your MC packets and analyzed the answers. See you tomorrow for vocab, tone, allusions, and argument.

Seventh Hour: I have a feeling we will take the vocab quiz and continue with our group exemplification project by selecting relevant examples (one per person in the group), determining the range, and assigning each person a specific example to construct a paragraph. The group document will hold all of these paragraphs -- in order of the range -- and must be completed by Thursday morning at 2:25 a.m. (That's 36 hours from the end of today's class.) Absent parties are expected to work on their assigned example to meet this deadline.

*******First, second, and seventh hours received the multiple choice packet to complete for next class. If you were absent, you will be completing this packet in the hallway during class -- if you do not pick it up prior to class. ********

Bonus Content:
In case any of you are interested in buzzers, tone words, and allusions, there will be a review and competition Thursday morning. Arrive between 6:50-7:00, grab your tally sheet from the wall, and begin playing. Door closes at 7!

And, after our next mini-argument unit, you will have a full, timed MC test. Make sure you continue reviewing your strategies, tone words, and close reading.

It's Monday

I don't have a punny or cute subject line for today -- all the classes had remarkable different experiences due to guidance office visits. Here is a recap, though, for AP Lang today:

1: All guidance meetings -- we will have allusion posters, vocab quiz 16, and group exemplification project tomorrow. With the loss of a day, we will be expediting a great deal this week, so be ready to write again! P.S. Over the 50 minutes, you did write down the vocabulary for Unit 17. We will start this on Wednesday.

2: Almost all guidance meetings - we did write down Vocab Unit 17 (to begin on the block day) and began sharing allusion poster #2. We will finish allusion posters, have a vocab quiz over unit 16, and start the exemplification project.

4: After guidance meetings, we copied down Unit 17 vocab with the intention of starting vocab experts on Tuesday. Meanwhile in AP Lang Land, we continued work on your group exemplification project. Your individual paragraph is due by 11 p.m. on Tuesday. If you were absent, you will need to check the group document to see which paragraph you are to write. Remember, you will have 10 minutes tomorrow to confer about this writing. For additional homework, you are to complete the 3 passage multiple choice packet. This one counts -- so make sure you put your full attention into the process.

7: Guidance meetings filled the majority of the hour, so we had to put off Vocab Quiz 16 again. Meanwhile, we started the process for your exemplification project -- in which you will be brainstorming examples this evening for homework. Remember, you want examples to come from multiple subjects -- literature, history, current events, science, math, mythology, Biblical, fine arts, and so on.

All at Different Steps

As with first semester, each hour is finding its own way through the daily agenda. Hence, we will start dividing by hour to clarify.

1: We discussed class options for next year, returned and recorded the Lucy argument, introduced exemplification (key steps are brainstorming, thesis creating, relevant example selecting, range determining, and specifying). Starting up next week will be the allusion posters, a vocab quiz, and a group exemplification project.

2: Check out first hour, ignoring the first item on the agenda as we discussed class options on Thursday.

4: For once, your class is ahead of all the others -- please no more drills! First up, we shared allusion posters with the group. Note for myself, buy more magnets a.s.a.p.  Second, we completed the vocabulary quiz. Third, we commenced the exemplification group project in which you created a group document and worked on the first two steps. I highly recommend you add to your brainstorming list over the weekend -- you will need a plethora of examples from multiple subjects. 

7: I am writing this sixth hour and hoping my psychic abilities are spot on here. After learning about the components of exemplification (brainstorming, thesis creating, relevant example selecting, range determining, and specifying), we shared allusion posters and completed the vocabulary quiz. 

10...9...8...

The subject line results from the creative introduction from Team Camille today in second hour!

All classes are at different point again, so this will be an overview of the agenda.

1. We shared cause and effect pseudo-essays and voted on the best work. In classes thus far, the winning essays featured creative, engaging introductions full of imagery or mature diction, specific logos regarding the past, present, and probable future of the Rams, and created transitions from each paragraph. Absent people will still need to turn in their paragraph for credit.

2. Vocab Review or Vocab Experts for the last 3 words -- depending on your hour.

3. Surprise tone & allusion quiz -- words relating to your specific hour's experiences. Absent people will need to have this made up by Tuesday.

Additional items for fourth hour (maybe seventh):
4. Pass back Lucy arguments and start a new form for argumentation.
5. Learn about exemplification and its key steps - brainstorming, thesis/theme, relevancy, range, and specificity
6. Read "The History Teacher" by Billy Collins and identify the thesis, examples, and range.

Lots of items left on the docket...
Allusion posters
Vocab Quiz
Group exemplification