Accumulating to the Test

After a quarter of prepping for writing and MC, AP Langers are now in the realm of real tests, real prompts, and real skills at the highest level. Today, you turned in your C/D philosophical prompt (with its prewriting), an argumentative exercise accumulating all the parts of argument, exemplification, and vocabulary, or what we have spent many weeks in practice.

In addition today, we had a class tone quiz over all of the tone words from this quarter. If you were absent, you will need to schedule a make-up time a.s.a.p. While our tone work had elements of fun (those quirky paragraphs), the result was having a stronger diction to describe tone and the ability to understand all the options on MC tone questions.

And speaking of MC, you received your MC test back, and we spent quality time analyzing some of the passages and answers for a better round next time. After correcting your mistakes, make sure to bring back your MC test tomorrow so that we may finish the analysis.

And one more item of note, you have the rangefinders for the C/D philosophical prompt. Score those for tomorrow, and we will have a discussion regarding AP-level exemplification. I have a feeling some of you may have done a better job with argument than those in that packet.

Next week, we will be working on a lot of writing and work to do - a synthesis diagnostic so that you have a preview of the style, the rangefinders for a sample, and tips prior to fourth quarter, another argument with exemplification, and the District post-test MC 2 passages. Yes, very busy are we, so make sure you are in class unless of an emergency. Time is very precious, and I would think you want all of the work complete before spring break.

Choices, Choices, Choices

Today's class allowed for our first full MC exam - 5 passages full of various readings, modes of discourse, inferences, tones, context, and even footnotes to round out the questions. The plan is to review the exam during Thursday's class, so if you were absent today, then you have 2 options: you can attempt to make it up during a study hall (if applicable) or after school tomorrow or you will take it during class time on Thursday.

After the exam, we spent quality time looking at the AP exam in full, how its scored (calculations!), and why you after all of the prompts, tone work, writing samples, MC passages, and related AP Lang work have the opportunity to score well on the exam. With 2 months (and a couple weeks) to go, you have plenty of opportunities to review and practice all of the skills (or learn them for the first time if that is the case). As you  may have ascertained, I prefer to give you every possible chance at practice and assessment so that your May test will be a familiar day of school for you.

P.S. Don't forget about your philosophical argumentative prompt that is due by 2:40 p.m. on Thursday. All details are on a previous blog in case you forgot the rules and regulations. With your prewriting box prompt in hand, you should be able to compose this essay with greater confidence. Do your best and don't forget to be honest with the timing!

What You've Been Waiting For

After the past 7 weeks of allusions, tone work, close reading passages, argumentation features, and exemplification through multiple subjects, it's time to put all of that together into essay writing! Today's class was dedicated to setting up an abstract noun or, what I like to call it, a "philosophical" argumentation. To put everything into place, you filled out a box prompt, i.e. all the components of an argument, to set up your essay work. With this pre-writing in your folder, your job is to now complete a take-home prompt, which is due by Thursday at 2:40 p.m. You are on the honor system with this prompt: it is to be handwritten, timed in a 40-50 minute session, you may use your box prompt (however, if you want to change anything on the box prompt, you  must do so prior to timing yourself with the essay), you are allowed to use a dictionary, but you may not use a thesaurus, a friend, or searches while you are in the timing portion. Do remember that this is a timed prompt, so you may have to sacrifice your counterclaim example for the greater good - the rebuttal with a strong ending example. As with any take-home prompt, if you are absent all day, you will take a lovely picture of your prompt and send it to me. If absent, you can wait until tomorrow for the prompt and box prompt for this essay. Or, you can check your e-mail (later today) for the main part of the prompt and the box prompt so that you can start the process.

Updated Fifth Hour Tone Words

The following includes all of our tone words thus far: 

• ·         Abstract
• ·         Apathetic
• ·         Archaic
• ·         Callous
• ·         Caustic
• ·         Churlish
• ·         Clichéd
• ·         Clichéd
• ·         Clinical
• ·         Clinical
• ·         Concrete
• ·         Dejected
• ·         Dejected
• ·         Demoralized
• ·         Demoralized
• ·         Diffident
• ·         Disdainful
• ·         Earnest
• ·         Earnest
• ·         Effusive
• ·         Elegiac
• ·         Empathetic
• ·         Enervating
• ·         Enervating
• ·         Erudite
• ·         Fatuous
• ·         Flippant
• ·         Forthright
• ·         Gothic
• ·         Gothic
• ·         Incensed
• ·         Insolent
• ·         Irreverent
• ·         Jingoistic
• ·         Kowtowing
• ·         Kowtowing
• ·         Laissez-faire
• ·         Laudatory
• ·         Laudatory
• ·         Malicious
• ·         Nihilistic
• ·         Omnipotent
• ·         Partisan
• ·         Patronizing
• ·         Pedantic
• ·         Pompous
• ·         Provocative
• ·         Resigned
• ·         Reticent
• ·         Reticent
• ·         Reverent
• ·         Sardonic
• ·         Scathing
• ·         Sentimental
• ·         Simple
• ·         Supercilious
• ·         Trite
• ·         Trite
• ·         Unctuous
• ·         Urbane
• ·         Urbane
• ·         Vituperative
• ·         Vituperative
• ·         Volatile
• ·         Whimsical
• ·         Wistful

Updated Third Hour Tone Words

Here are all of the tone words thus far:

• ·         Ambivalent
• ·         Ambivalent
• ·         Archaic
• ·         Bantering
• ·         Bellicose
• ·         Callous
• ·         Candid
• ·         Candid
• ·         Cautionary
• ·         Choleric
• ·         Clichéd
• ·         Colloquial
• ·         Contemptuous
• ·         Diffident
• ·         Disdainful
• ·         Effusive
• ·         Elegiac
• ·         Erudite
• ·         Eulogize
• ·         Fatuous
• ·         Hubristic
• ·         Idyllic
• ·         Impartial
• ·         Impartial
• ·         Incensed
• ·         Incredulous
• ·         Informal
• ·         Insolent
• ·         Jovial
• ·         Jovial
• ·         Lugubrious
• ·         Macabre
• ·         Nostalgic
• ·         Partisan
• ·         Poignant
• ·         Polemical
• ·         Pompous
• ·         Pretentious
• ·         Reticent
• ·         Reverent
• ·         Ribald
• ·         Scathing
• ·         Seductive
• ·         Sentimental
• ·         Supercilious
• ·         Vehement
• ·         Vituperative
• ·         Volatile

Updated First Hour Tone Words

Here are all the updated tone words:

• ·         Abstract
• ·         Aloof
• ·         Apprehensive
• ·         Audacious
• ·         Audacious
• ·         Bellicose
• ·         Biting
• ·         Caustic
• ·         Cynical
• ·         Derisive
• ·         Didactic
• ·         Empathetic
• ·         Eulogize
• ·         Facetious
• ·         Formal
• ·         Forthright
• ·         Hubristic
• ·         Idyllic
• ·         Irreverent
• ·         Jejune
• ·         Jejune
• ·         Jingoistic
• ·         Jovial
• ·         Macabre
• ·         Malicious
• ·         Malicious
• ·         Nihilistic
• ·         Nostalgic
• ·         Obsequious
• ·         Patronizing
• ·         Pedantic
• ·         Polemical
• ·         Pretentious
• ·         Quizzical
• ·         Ribald
• ·         Sardonic
• ·         Scathing
• ·         Trite
• ·         Unctuous
• ·         Vehement
• ·         Whimsical
• ·         Whimsical

The Exemplification of Identity & Jingoism

In all classes today, we continued forward with our exemplification work - brainstorming multiple examples for an abstract noun, selecting the top 4 examples that exhibit variable subjects and, hopefully, maturity (remember the suggestion of Caleb Fick = look into the history of Pol Pot so Hitler can be left in the past where he belongs). After those 4, it is all about the range - what would be best for the hook (something that does not need as much explanation), what would be the next 2 to further the exemplification, and what would be the best finale for the rebuttal. With all of these practices, I suppose that means we will have have an exemplifying argument in the very near future. However, before we get there, we have a little group exemplification work. In groups, you brainstormed, selected, and ranged examples for "identity" or "jingoism." Each person in the group has an example to write a body paragraph on for tomorrow's class, which means you have that starting subclaim (topic sentence), specific example, and warrant (concluding sentence).

If you happened to be absent from class, you should select either "identity" or "jingoism" for your abstract noun, brainstorm a list of examples, and then choose the best one to compose a body paragraph. If you don't have this completed for class, you will not have the opportunity for peer review, which I think many of you would like to have for validation or answering any questions or queries.

While third hour finished with the exemplification, first and fifth hour completed their third MC practice from the packet. Make sure to time yourself and take the MC if you were not here today - these practices are very important because we have a full test next week and its best to figure out your strengths and weaknesses now.

And remember while I'm not in class tomorrow, that you have the Proxy Penguin, the Gianini Giraffe, the Omniscient Owl, and the Zenith Zebra to guide you in the right direction and support your writing and MC work. The plan is for you to be with your abstract noun team (absent people will have their own teams) for peer review and sharing of strongest paragraphs and then have time for another MC practice. Next week will be moving into essay work (come on - we haven't had a full essay yet this quarter - you know we will be quite busy the last 2 weeks) and continuing with MC practices and tests.