Thursday, February 7

Identify an author’s approach and organization pattern.

I can read from a variety of historical periods and disciplines.

Read for 50 minutes.  

INDY DAY ONE:  Summarize your reading so far.  In addition, write four questions that you have about the book so far.

Tuesday, February 12

Analyze the rhetorical effectiveness of the focus, argument, structure and style of a text.

Identify an author’s approach and organization pattern.

Recognize compare/contrast, cause/effect, problem/solution, fact/opinion, and theory/evidence.

I can read from a variety of historical periods and disciplines.

Go to page 9 of the packet: 2010 AP English Language and Composition Free-Response Questions.

In 40 minutes, write an essay that analyzes how Benjamin Banneker uses rhetorical strategies to argue against slavery.

Read your independent book for the rest of the hour.

Thursday, February 14

Identify an author’s approach and organization pattern.

I can read from a variety of historical periods and disciplines.

Identify strengths, weaknesses and analyze growth over time in your own writing.

Compose in a wide range of genres that serve a variety of purposes and that use a variety of organizational patterns.

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

Time to read your independent non-fiction book.

Review Vocabulary Answers 

Catch up on Journals #1, #2, and JOURNAL #3:  
In at least three separate paragraphs please reflect upon the following:
  • What did you learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your rhetorical analysis essay from your experience?
  • What qualities did you notice in other essays?
  • Identify three areas for improvement on your next rhetorical analysis.

Walden Essays . . . by Monday

Tomorrow, you will be doing an in-class synthesis essay.

Monday, February 18

Judge the effectiveness of the focus, argument, structure and style of a text.

Identify strengths, weaknesses and analyze growth over time in your own writing.

Compose in a wide range of genres that serve a variety of purposes and that use a variety of organizational patterns.

Review words from Vocabulary Unit #10

Grade Vocabulary Unit #9 Quizzes

Walden Essays Returned

Good job on all of the following areas:
  1. MLA format
  2. body paragraph structure
  3. seamless set ups w/ context for quoted passages
  4. citing chapter titles 
  5. in-text documentation
  6. conclusion paragraphs
  7. solid thesis statements

Things to work on:
  1. Hyphens join two words; dashes separate.
  2. Citing titles
  3. Colons and question marks with quotation marks
  4. Colons ~ Use these after a complete sentence to introduce a list or a quoted passage.
  5. Content:  Everyone should have prefaced his or her argument with the basic "necessaries of life" still apply to us now as much as ever:  food and water, clothes, shelter, and heat.
  6. Flow throughout an entire essay with better transitions between paragraphs
  7. ALL books are not novels!  Walden is a collection of autobiographical essays.
  8. Everybody, everyone, someone, somebody, anybody, anyone, no one, and nobody are all singular, so if you say, "Everyone has his or her favorite quotations," then the verb and the pronoun must be singular.
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Tuesday, February 26

Eats, Shoots & Leaves Introduction

Wednesday & Thursday, February 26-27

In-class Final Exam:  Write a 1,000 to 1,200-word illustrative essay that shows through specific examples what you have learned and what skills you have developed and refined so far this academic year in AP Language and Composition.  Due Thursday at the end of the hour.

Friday, March 1

Independent Reading #2 ~ Book Review
  1. Introduce your topic in 50 to 100 words;
  2. Summarize your entire book in 150 to 200 words;
  3. Discuss the key ideas and the theme in 100 to 150 words;
  4. Describe any notable stylistic and organizational features in 100 words;
  5. Offer your own personal response to your book in 150 to 200 words.

Friday, February 8

Identify an author’s approach and organization pattern.

I can read from a variety of historical periods and disciplines.

Read for 50 minutes.  

INDY DAY TWO:  In 100 words, summarize today’s reading so far.   Then, make three predictions about what might happen or what topics or opinions will be discussed in this book.  How are you liking this book so far?

Monday, February 11

Vocabulary ~ Unit #9
  • 2 Sets due on Thursday
  • Quiz on Friday

Journals ~ Set #2 due tomorrow

Book Talk #1:  Find a partner and discuss your book
  • Summary so far
  • Opinion so far
  • 3 Questions and Answers . . . 

Let's discuss due dates . . . Books need to be finished by the end of next week.

Tomorrow ~ Timed Rhetorical Analysis

Wednesday, February 13

Please follow these instructions today to offer and receive feedback on your rhetorical analysis essays from yesterday:
  1. Click here to see the rubric for Question 2;
  2. Review and discuss the rubric, the three student samples, and the scoring commentary;
  3. Using the nine-point rubric, students evaluate each essay until two different scores are either the same or within one point;
  4. All scores will be entered on the Google Doc by Mr. Shaw;
  5. JOURNAL #3:  In at least three separate paragraphs please reflect upon the following:
  • What did you learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your rhetorical analysis essay from your experience?
  • What qualities did you notice in other essays?
  • Identify three areas for improvement on your next rhetorical analysis.

Evaluation of the AP-Writing Unit based upon a one-on-one meeting addressing the following factors:
  1. To what extent have you participated positively in all activities?  Keep copies of all writing assignments.
  2. To what extent can you demonstrate improvement?
  3. To what extent can you identify areas of strength and other areas to improve upon in your writing?
  4. Can you identify specific strategies for all three of the different essay types?
  5. In the area of writing, to what extent are you prepared for the exam?

Friday, February 15

Use textual features to make supported inferences and draw conclusions.

Identify, explain, and support with specific examples from text.

Take 15 Minutes to read and take notes on the 2010 AP Language and Composition Question 1 (Synthesis Question)

Write your synthesis essay in 40 minutes . . . Do not use your name; write your secret number on there.

Vocabulary Quiz #9

Tuesday, February 19

Identify an author’s approach and organization pattern.

I can read from a variety of historical periods and disciplines.

Please follow these instructions today to offer and receive feedback on your rhetorical analysis essays from yesterday:
  1. Click here to see the rubric for Question 1;
  2. Review and discuss the rubric, the three student samples, and the scoring commentary;
  3. Using the nine-point rubric, students evaluate each essay until two different scores are either the same or within one point;
  4. All scores will be entered on the Google Doc by Mr. Shaw;

Wednesday and Thursday,  February 20-21

Judge the effectiveness of the focus, argument, structure and style of a text.

Identify strengths, weaknesses and analyze growth over time in your own writing.

Compose in a wide range of genres that serve a variety of purposes and that use a variety of organizational patterns.

In 40 minutes, answer Question 3 of the 2010 AP Exam.

Read independently

Review Vocabulary Answers

Please follow these instructions today to offer and receive feedback on your rhetorical analysis essays from yesterday:
  1. Click here to see the rubric for Question 3;
  2. Review and discuss the rubric, the three student samples, and the scoring commentary;
  3. Using the nine-point rubric, students evaluate each essay until two different scores are either the same or within one point;
  4. All scores will be entered on the Google Doc by Mr. Shaw.

Friday and Monday, February 22 and February 25

  1. Vocabulary Quiz
  2. Read Independently
  3. Plan for Final Exams, etc . . .
  4. JOURNAL #4:  In at least three separate paragraphs please reflect upon the following:
  • What did you learn about the strengths and weaknesses of your synthesis and/or FRQ essay from your experience?
  • What qualities did you notice in other essays?
  • Identify three areas for improvement on your next synthesis essay.