Shaking things up
AP Language.
Tue, Sep 22nd, 2015 at 8:24 pm
Themes: Argument
Today we began moving away from the “read, annotate, write over a long piece” pattern we’ve held for the past few weeks by looking at an example essay from a past AP exam. I hope a new pattern prevents the burn out that has found its way into previous readings. Let me know what you think of the new plans:
- We will collectively choose a new topic to investigate. ((We can split if there is an even division of choice, but groups <10 in the past have succumbed to groupthink.)) More on this below.
- We will continue to sprinkle the example analyses throughout our weeks. This will provide quick practice, allow me to provide feedback in a timely manner, and will offer an opportunity to discuss good writing practice with examples.
- In the past we have had a [genuinely] great time with vocabulary, but I have not offered the choice because we have been otherwise occupied. Here is an example vocab test. They do not contribute to your grade because learning new words is its own reward. ((Yes, that is true of everything we do, but until your universities will accept a letter of recommendation from me in lieu of a letter grade, we are stuck.))
Here are some previous topics we’ve investigated. Those bringing articles to class tomorrow may do well to choose according to their interest, as it may spark our decision.
- The necessity of schooling (What should grades look like? What should the goals be? What could we do to meet these goals in a different way? The Homework Myth)
- A well-lived life (What is happiness? How can one find comfort? When is discomfort helpful? )
- Food (Why is every choice an ethical one? [Is it?] What responsibility do consumers have in choosing? In what circumstances is killing for food inhumane? Eating Animals ((That year Jonathan Safran Foer actually gave a talk at the school. We can always invite those relevant to our topic!)) )
- Video games and art (What is art? The Picture of Dorian Gray, earlier Grand Theft Childhood)
- Are we post-postmodern? (The answer now is yes. We read White Noise, which blew some minds.)
- Other books include The Pirate’s Dilemma, The Starfish and the Spider, The Scarlet Letter ((Not my idea; they suggested it. It was amazing.)), Never Let Me Go.
- Movies include The Island (because branding and general awfulness), An Inconvenient Truth (because I was a young teacher), Maxed Out (which you should all watch)
We’ll choose a topic, learn all we can about it, have conversations about the arguments and data we find (credible? reasonable? just wrong?) and generally be better people for knowing about things. Good times.
