The Scarlet Letter Reading Sched. 05.04-08

AP Language

May 3rd, 2009

Themes: , ,

We did it! Well, almost. We finished our discussion of "Another View of Hester" on Thursday, but did not get to "Hester and the Physician." In light of this, here is the reading schedule for this week:

Monday—Discussion of "Hester and the Physician," "Hester and Pearl," and "A Forest Walk." Pass out "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas"

Tuesday—Discussion of "The Pastor and His Parishioner" and "A Flood of Sunshine"

Wednesday—Discussion of "The Child at the Brookside" and "The Minister in a Maze"

Thursday—Discussion of "The New England Holiday" and "The Procession"

Friday—Discussion of "The Revelation of the Scarlet Letter" and "Conclusion"

So, did I forget anything? Ahh yes. The paper. I promised to include Shirley Jackson’s "The Lottery," so we will be discussing this in relation to The Scarlet Letter as we wrap up on Friday. Most of you have already read it, but it would be worth going over again sometime this week. (It’s in the back of your book.) I will also pass out "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas" by Ursula K. LeGuin.

Over the weekend you will write a synthesis essay. Utilizing themes from the three stories, you will write an essay in which you develop a position on the actions of the individuals in these small towns.

Some questions/statements to get you thinking:

This will be the framework of our discussions as we finish the novel.

Logs vs Legos

AP Language

February 16th, 2009

Themes: , , ,

(credit to LD for the title)

We’re gathering resources for our next synthesis question:

Read the following sources carefully.  Then write an essay in which you develop a position on whether Lincoln Logs or Legos better promote creativity in children.  Synthesize at least three of the sources for support.

Post your info on Lincoln Logs or Legos below.  Remember, this is not an assignment for credit, but simply a chance for us to create our own question.

Still Sick…

AP Language

October 22nd, 2008

Themes:

I’m wasting away here, guys.

Your assignment today was to begin annotating Martin Luther King’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail."  This is a near-perfect example of a solid argument, one that carefully balances the rhetorical triangle while employing a myriad of rhetorical figures. You’ve gotta love that.

Your job for tonight is to annotate passages you find interesting (see your handout "AP Review Through Vocabulary" for why this is important, as well as how to do it), and mark the appeals to emotion, to logic, and from Dr. King’s character.  (Highlighters work well for this.)

We will discuss our reactions in class tomorrow.

Maxed Out Drafts

AP Language

October 13th, 2008

Themes: , , , ,

I’m just beginning to look over your drafts now, so I will post any advice later as another post, but I thought I would get this up now.

Here are our notes from the board today, which are essentially a review of the devices.  Focus on your papers; comment if you have any questions.image image Oh!  Here is the official website, which features the trailer and such.  (Note the awards listed; what do they do for the argument?  Anything?  Keep authority in mind.)

Maxed Out Notes

AP Language

October 10th, 2008

Themes: , , ,

We will be writing drafts of our analysis of Maxed Out this weekend.  You should write it as you would an article analysis, with a summation of the argument in the first paragraph, an analysis of the argument (not the topic) in the body paragraphs, and a concluding statement of the movie’s persuasiveness.  This assignment is worth 80 points (think a month’s worth of article analyses), so spend some time on it.  Here are our notes from the board:

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While we didn’t get as far as I would have liked, this (coupled with your notes) should give you a good starting point.  Think of the above as an annotation of the movie; you won’t necessarily structure your analysis this way, but it is a good summation of the movie’s structure and the argued impact of many negative influences.

As always, if you have any questions please post a comment for the good of all or send me an email:image