Wednesday, August 28, 2019
Look at All Those Strategies!
4: After copying down our latest vocabulary words from Unit 12, we reassembled into groups for peer and instructor feedback regarding your "Story of an Hour" paragraphs. Then, we returned back to The Outliers, your writing prompt text, and the beginning of our tips and highlights regarding rhetorical analysis. Going through the saga of the Rosetans, we picked up on a plethora of strategies - sometimes even combined together! With a mix of "big ticket" strategies that would incline the grader to give you a higher base value and "safe" strategies to guarantee success, we noted how to start with your strongest strategy, the one with most evidence, the one that you are brimming with an abundance of analysis, the one that looks fairly fancy, you are starting off impressing your reader and managing to incorporate its significance no matter if you run out of time or not. We are only partially through that power point, so hope you are ready to write down all those tips and start applying those ideas and suggestions to your writing.
Tuesday, August 27, 2019
A Little Bit of This and That
I don't have a clever title to this blog today since we had a little tangent from our rhetorical strategies with our discussion of college credit and AP exam options.
All hours completed the vocab quiz for unit 11, which means that if you were not here, you have 48 hours to either take the quiz or schedule a make-up time.
And, as I mentioned in seventh hour, learning the strategies and their definitions are necessary for you to have more confidence in close reading and analysis. If you don't know the big ticket terms - study them! The more familiarity with these strategies, the easier it will be to spot them in the text.
1: With limited time, you peer reviewed your "Story" strategy paragraphs and (for almost all of you) received tips for the next time around.
3: We began "The Story of an Hour," looking at the development of pathos and tone shifts and a few other strategies as well. We will resume the text on Thursday. For those of you feeling frisky, you may want to start formulating a purpose for this passage. Remember, the purpose is not about a summation of Mrs. Mallard's experiences but why Chopin is writing this story.
4: We shared our purpose statements from "Story of an Hour," which were fairly similar with specific verbs and full thoughts regarding gender roles, oppression, societal treatment, and other like phrasing. For homework, you have selected 1 strategy from the text and will write your analytical paragraph for next class.
7: Moving right along, we looked at the writing prompt and the Outliers passage from last week, guaranteeing that you have a plethora of strategies - big ticket ones and safe ones - to choose from. We will continue with tips on Thursday.
All hours completed the vocab quiz for unit 11, which means that if you were not here, you have 48 hours to either take the quiz or schedule a make-up time.
And, as I mentioned in seventh hour, learning the strategies and their definitions are necessary for you to have more confidence in close reading and analysis. If you don't know the big ticket terms - study them! The more familiarity with these strategies, the easier it will be to spot them in the text.
1: With limited time, you peer reviewed your "Story" strategy paragraphs and (for almost all of you) received tips for the next time around.
3: We began "The Story of an Hour," looking at the development of pathos and tone shifts and a few other strategies as well. We will resume the text on Thursday. For those of you feeling frisky, you may want to start formulating a purpose for this passage. Remember, the purpose is not about a summation of Mrs. Mallard's experiences but why Chopin is writing this story.
4: We shared our purpose statements from "Story of an Hour," which were fairly similar with specific verbs and full thoughts regarding gender roles, oppression, societal treatment, and other like phrasing. For homework, you have selected 1 strategy from the text and will write your analytical paragraph for next class.
7: Moving right along, we looked at the writing prompt and the Outliers passage from last week, guaranteeing that you have a plethora of strategies - big ticket ones and safe ones - to choose from. We will continue with tips on Thursday.
Monday, August 26, 2019
All in an Hour - Give or Take
All classes reviewed vocabulary today, which means the vocab quiz is tomorrow! This will a short and sweet quiz - matching and defining, nothing more, since we have only 15 words in this round. Fun fact - vocabulary does not go away! Your are retaining these words and their meanings for the rest of the year and, in theory, your lives.
And if any of you are in need of our second reading, you are in luck: The Story of an Hour.
1: We completed our reading of "Story of an Hour," and what a grand participatory environment that this story fostered! Rhetorical analysis is all the what you notice (patterns, comparisons, shifts, and more specific strategies) and why the author would include that strategy in the text. Hence, starting with our pathos-fueled sentiments at the beginning, you were noting how the lachrymose Mrs. Mallard shed her feathers (sorry, it had to happen) into a joyous (monstrous, of course) personage with lots of exclamation points! After you assembled in a group, you determined the purpose and what strategies your group would like to analyze from the passage. Then, each of you have a strategy to write a paragraph. If absent, select a strategy and write an analytical paragraph.
3: After feedback on "Theme" and its third strategy, we recapped rhetorical analysis with a bare bones approach of the main strategies, non-lame purposes, and rhetorical triangle. Tomorrow we will start our next text!
4: After recapping rhetorical analysis, we had a strong break down of "Story of an Hour" and its plethora of strategies (yes, you can get that much from one sentence, as evidenced by our analysis of the opening paragraph). With such a strong, participation-fueled class, your homework should be a great way to recap our reading: determine the purpose of the Chopin text.
7: Going into our "Story of an Hour" paragraphs, you worked with your previous partner for feedback and then received some notes from me too. Then, in preparation for your prompt returns, we are going over The Outliers, rhetorical analysis tips, and everything you will be working on the rest of the semester with your writing.
And if any of you are in need of our second reading, you are in luck: The Story of an Hour.
1: We completed our reading of "Story of an Hour," and what a grand participatory environment that this story fostered! Rhetorical analysis is all the what you notice (patterns, comparisons, shifts, and more specific strategies) and why the author would include that strategy in the text. Hence, starting with our pathos-fueled sentiments at the beginning, you were noting how the lachrymose Mrs. Mallard shed her feathers (sorry, it had to happen) into a joyous (monstrous, of course) personage with lots of exclamation points! After you assembled in a group, you determined the purpose and what strategies your group would like to analyze from the passage. Then, each of you have a strategy to write a paragraph. If absent, select a strategy and write an analytical paragraph.
3: After feedback on "Theme" and its third strategy, we recapped rhetorical analysis with a bare bones approach of the main strategies, non-lame purposes, and rhetorical triangle. Tomorrow we will start our next text!
4: After recapping rhetorical analysis, we had a strong break down of "Story of an Hour" and its plethora of strategies (yes, you can get that much from one sentence, as evidenced by our analysis of the opening paragraph). With such a strong, participation-fueled class, your homework should be a great way to recap our reading: determine the purpose of the Chopin text.
7: Going into our "Story of an Hour" paragraphs, you worked with your previous partner for feedback and then received some notes from me too. Then, in preparation for your prompt returns, we are going over The Outliers, rhetorical analysis tips, and everything you will be working on the rest of the semester with your writing.
Friday, August 23, 2019
Either the Theme Continues or The Story Continues
In all classes, we have completed our vocab experts for Unit 11, which means the review will be next time and the quiz will be the next next time.
1: You received feedback on your individual strategy paragraph for "Theme," which most likely highlighted strengthening verb choices, incorporating evidence smoothly and from various parts of the passage, and keeping the specific audience in mind. Afterwards, we did a brief review of what rhetorical analysis is in short terms: the what (strategies) and the why (purpose) of a text. What is the "what" is hiding, i.e. you can't find those upper-level, big-kid strategies? You always have diction, syntax, tone, logos, ethos, and pathos hiding somewhere. And what about purpose? Don't be "lame" (as quoted from BC in 7th hour) with "to inform" or "to entertain" or "to persuade." Vary it up with a specific verb: "to expose," "to illuminate," to "anything not lame." In addition, make sure to finish your purpose statement. What would be exposed? What would be illuminated? You don't want to hide the exact purpose from the reader. We'll be working with another passage on Monday.
3: You completed your partner paragraph and received feedback on strategy #2 to give you an idea of what you will have for next class: an individual paragraph on strategy #3 from "Theme."
4: Feedback hour! We spent in feedback meetings to help you with your future rhetorical analyses - namely, setting up your topic sentence with the strategy, specific purpose, and a strong, active verb to impress your reader, embedding evidence efficiently to further your points, including a specific audience if given, and trying to identify and explain how a strategy adapts throughout the passage. We will talk more about strategies and purpose next week and for many weeks to come!
7: In theory at high noon, we will complete our reading of "A Story of an Hour," break into groups to identify purposes and rhetorical strategies, and individually write a paragraph on one of the rhetorical strategies.
1: You received feedback on your individual strategy paragraph for "Theme," which most likely highlighted strengthening verb choices, incorporating evidence smoothly and from various parts of the passage, and keeping the specific audience in mind. Afterwards, we did a brief review of what rhetorical analysis is in short terms: the what (strategies) and the why (purpose) of a text. What is the "what" is hiding, i.e. you can't find those upper-level, big-kid strategies? You always have diction, syntax, tone, logos, ethos, and pathos hiding somewhere. And what about purpose? Don't be "lame" (as quoted from BC in 7th hour) with "to inform" or "to entertain" or "to persuade." Vary it up with a specific verb: "to expose," "to illuminate," to "anything not lame." In addition, make sure to finish your purpose statement. What would be exposed? What would be illuminated? You don't want to hide the exact purpose from the reader. We'll be working with another passage on Monday.
3: You completed your partner paragraph and received feedback on strategy #2 to give you an idea of what you will have for next class: an individual paragraph on strategy #3 from "Theme."
4: Feedback hour! We spent in feedback meetings to help you with your future rhetorical analyses - namely, setting up your topic sentence with the strategy, specific purpose, and a strong, active verb to impress your reader, embedding evidence efficiently to further your points, including a specific audience if given, and trying to identify and explain how a strategy adapts throughout the passage. We will talk more about strategies and purpose next week and for many weeks to come!
7: In theory at high noon, we will complete our reading of "A Story of an Hour," break into groups to identify purposes and rhetorical strategies, and individually write a paragraph on one of the rhetorical strategies.
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Strategizing
Even though our classes are no longer in the same point of rhetorical analysis study, we are all in the midst of learning vocabulary to help create mature diction in our writing and conversations, rhetorical terms that the author creates in writing, and devising analysis in paragraph form.
As to the paragraphs, we have mentioned in class that a paragraph commences with a topic sentence that clarifies the rhetorical device, the purpose of that device, and the author's name as subject. After all, that's what rhetorical analysis is about - the author! Continuing forward, you are going to set up evidence via commentary and transitional expressions and then explain its usage. Ideally, you have multiple examples of this strategy from across the text, which would show off your knowledge of the passage as a whole and not in quick bites. Additionally, you would have to explain each example of evidence, which means a more developed paragraph. Finally, you have a concluding sentence to tie everything together.
*I would also mention the additional of mature vocabulary and verbs to your writing - especially when you have time to craft a precise composition. We will have some verb work next week after you have your prompts returned; this will give you something to do that is valid and helpful while we have individual paper meetings.
Onto your hour:
1 & 4: We started off with vocab experts, which now stands at 12 words that you can add to your vernacular. Then, we played with our cards, garnering more experience with rhetorical strategies and modes of discourse (seriously, modes of discourse can translate to purpose if you make it into the infinitive verb form). Next up, you signed up for AP Lang's AP classroom - if you haven't due to absence or technological or website difficulty, please do so or ask for the join code a.s.a.p. To end the hour, we had writing time, going back to "Theme for English B," working with a partner to craft rhetorical analysis paragraphs (whether it be hypophora or enumeration or syntactical dashes) as practice or organization, content, and voice. Last but not least, you are to pick a 3rd strategy from "Theme" and compose your own paragraph to see how you do as a solo artist this time around!
3: The same as 1 & 4 to an extent with the vocab, cards, AP classroom, and "Theme for English B." However, due to the fire drill and technological "fun," we made it to the start of partner work for "Theme's" second device. Hence, you will be working with your partner to finish that rhetorical analysis paragraph during tomorrow's class.
7: After vocab experts and extensive rounds of cards, you signed up for AP classroom, received feedback for your third paragraph of "Theme for English B," and discussed the basics of rhetorical analysis to prep for our next passage, "The Story of an Hour." Bring back the passage for tomorrow - we will finish reading and then work with close reading for rhetorical strategies.
As to the paragraphs, we have mentioned in class that a paragraph commences with a topic sentence that clarifies the rhetorical device, the purpose of that device, and the author's name as subject. After all, that's what rhetorical analysis is about - the author! Continuing forward, you are going to set up evidence via commentary and transitional expressions and then explain its usage. Ideally, you have multiple examples of this strategy from across the text, which would show off your knowledge of the passage as a whole and not in quick bites. Additionally, you would have to explain each example of evidence, which means a more developed paragraph. Finally, you have a concluding sentence to tie everything together.
*I would also mention the additional of mature vocabulary and verbs to your writing - especially when you have time to craft a precise composition. We will have some verb work next week after you have your prompts returned; this will give you something to do that is valid and helpful while we have individual paper meetings.
Onto your hour:
1 & 4: We started off with vocab experts, which now stands at 12 words that you can add to your vernacular. Then, we played with our cards, garnering more experience with rhetorical strategies and modes of discourse (seriously, modes of discourse can translate to purpose if you make it into the infinitive verb form). Next up, you signed up for AP Lang's AP classroom - if you haven't due to absence or technological or website difficulty, please do so or ask for the join code a.s.a.p. To end the hour, we had writing time, going back to "Theme for English B," working with a partner to craft rhetorical analysis paragraphs (whether it be hypophora or enumeration or syntactical dashes) as practice or organization, content, and voice. Last but not least, you are to pick a 3rd strategy from "Theme" and compose your own paragraph to see how you do as a solo artist this time around!
3: The same as 1 & 4 to an extent with the vocab, cards, AP classroom, and "Theme for English B." However, due to the fire drill and technological "fun," we made it to the start of partner work for "Theme's" second device. Hence, you will be working with your partner to finish that rhetorical analysis paragraph during tomorrow's class.
7: After vocab experts and extensive rounds of cards, you signed up for AP classroom, received feedback for your third paragraph of "Theme for English B," and discussed the basics of rhetorical analysis to prep for our next passage, "The Story of an Hour." Bring back the passage for tomorrow - we will finish reading and then work with close reading for rhetorical strategies.
Tuesday, August 20, 2019
The First Prompt!
Woohoo! It's the rhetorical analysis diagnostic prompt day!
So, why exactly am I so happy about having 111 prompts to evaluate over the next week or so? Could it be that we will have a starting point for all of you in class? Could it be that I will have ethos on your writing style, organization, rhetorical analysis background, and time management skills - all areas that can we focus on, have a purpose to center the world of AP Lang for the 2019-20 season? Could it be that I haven't evaluated a prompt since early May and feel lost without having a pile of essays on my dining room table? Through that anaphoric hypophora (yep, you can combine rhetorical strategies in analysis too), it is evident that there are multiple reasons why a diagnostic prompt is important to the state of our class.
And while some of you are in dread of a timed writing, you will have an ample amount of practice with prompts that by the end of the year you will walk in with a readiness to at least "get it over with." Prompt writing has its own toolbox of strategies - it takes practice and a dash of legerdemain to find your best work.
Since all of you are knew to my AP English classroom, I will be evaluating each essay, which means that you will receive an evaluation sheet with all of my notes - good, bad, and ugly - a measure of all the incidentals you will need for a writing prompt. We will then have one-on-one meetings for the essay to discuss any questions that you have. (There is also a lengthy presentation on all the tips for prompts too.) This first essays takes a while to evaluate since the feedback will cover, well, everything. So, please don't ask when the essays will be back. One hundred and eleven evaluations take time. Plus, I don't have Cora trained to evaluated them with me.
Thanks for being a part of AP Lang! It's a challenge, but you will end up with the skills of a collegiate writer and prepped for your AP exam!
So, why exactly am I so happy about having 111 prompts to evaluate over the next week or so? Could it be that we will have a starting point for all of you in class? Could it be that I will have ethos on your writing style, organization, rhetorical analysis background, and time management skills - all areas that can we focus on, have a purpose to center the world of AP Lang for the 2019-20 season? Could it be that I haven't evaluated a prompt since early May and feel lost without having a pile of essays on my dining room table? Through that anaphoric hypophora (yep, you can combine rhetorical strategies in analysis too), it is evident that there are multiple reasons why a diagnostic prompt is important to the state of our class.
And while some of you are in dread of a timed writing, you will have an ample amount of practice with prompts that by the end of the year you will walk in with a readiness to at least "get it over with." Prompt writing has its own toolbox of strategies - it takes practice and a dash of legerdemain to find your best work.
Since all of you are knew to my AP English classroom, I will be evaluating each essay, which means that you will receive an evaluation sheet with all of my notes - good, bad, and ugly - a measure of all the incidentals you will need for a writing prompt. We will then have one-on-one meetings for the essay to discuss any questions that you have. (There is also a lengthy presentation on all the tips for prompts too.) This first essays takes a while to evaluate since the feedback will cover, well, everything. So, please don't ask when the essays will be back. One hundred and eleven evaluations take time. Plus, I don't have Cora trained to evaluated them with me.
Thanks for being a part of AP Lang! It's a challenge, but you will end up with the skills of a collegiate writer and prepped for your AP exam!
Monday, August 19, 2019
Analysis of the Rhetorical Kind
Whether you are a novice or an expert with rhetorical analysis, we started off our review of the components of this form of analytical prowess. The big take-aways from our verbal argument examples and our "Theme for English B" commencement would be purpose first (to+a verb + idea - look, delineate can be a part of the show), finding strategies that are connected to this purpose (easy= repetition, medium = motif, difficult = juxtaposition), and considering the placement of the strategy in the grand scheme of the text.
As evident in fourth hour, at the dawn of rhetorical analysis, you may not remember the exact term for the strategy. Hence, the first step is noting what is happening in the text (he asks questions and then answers them, he lists, he brings in short sentences) and then finding the term that covers the example (hypophora, enumeration, telegraphic). From there, you have the opportunity to analyze the strategy - why the author uses it and how it connects back to the purpose.
We have been dipping our toes into rhetorical analysis since tomorrow is your diagnostic prompt day. Have your close reading available, notebook paper, and pen/pencil; the prompt will be here waiting for you at the bell.
Oh, bring back "Theme" for the block day - we have a couple more strategies left to go!
As evident in fourth hour, at the dawn of rhetorical analysis, you may not remember the exact term for the strategy. Hence, the first step is noting what is happening in the text (he asks questions and then answers them, he lists, he brings in short sentences) and then finding the term that covers the example (hypophora, enumeration, telegraphic). From there, you have the opportunity to analyze the strategy - why the author uses it and how it connects back to the purpose.
We have been dipping our toes into rhetorical analysis since tomorrow is your diagnostic prompt day. Have your close reading available, notebook paper, and pen/pencil; the prompt will be here waiting for you at the bell.
Oh, bring back "Theme" for the block day - we have a couple more strategies left to go!
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