On Monday, December 14, about a third of all classes were absent because they were participating in the rehearsal for "Grantasia." Class was a work day, as groups worked on developing their "Araby" essay.

On Wednesday, December 16, groups should be able to write and edit this essay and be ready to submit the final draft during class on Friday, December 18.

Reminder: The "Omelas"/"Lottery" creative writing piece is due on Friday, December 18

Thursday, December 10, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Get instructions  and due dates for taking notes on Novel #2
2. Small groups share homework on "Araby"
3. Whole class discussion of "Araby"
4. Small groups discuss, formulate, plan, and outline group essay on "Araby"

UPCOMING DUE DATES:

Friday, December 18: Alternate ending/extension of "The Lottery" or "Omelas" See post on December 4 ("creative writing assignment for Lottery and Omelas")for link to assignment.

Friday, December 18: Group Essay on "Araby" due

Tuesday, January 5: Dialogue Journal for Novel #2

Thursday, January 7: Outline for essay on Novel #2

Monday, January 11: First draft essay on Novel #2

Friday, January 15: Final Draft essay on Novel #2

Tuesday, December 8:
Today's Agenda:

1. Write in response to questions about Novel #2. Use this paper.
2. Listen to "Araby" as you read along.

Homework due Thursday, December 10: Re-read "Araby" and take notes and answer the questions that are listed on the first page of this handout

Friday, December 4, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Finish discussion of "The Lottery"
2. Read interpretation of "The Lottery"
3. Watch film version of "The Lottery"
4. Watch film version of interpretation of "The Lottery"
5. Get creative writing assignment for "The Lottery" and "Omelas"

REMINDER: finish your 1st reading of Novel #2 for Tuesday, December 8 and BRING YOUR BOOK TO CLASS

DUE Friday, December 18: Creative writing assignment (see the link above)

Wednesday, December 2, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Finish scoring Timed-Writes (1st period read article about The Matrix and Philosophy while 6 students took the MyStudentPath survey)
2. Small groups share and discuss the homework questions for "The Lottery"
3. Whole class discussion of "The Lottery."
4. Hand in your homework.

REMINDER: finish your 1st reading of Novel #2 by Tuesday, Dec. 8

Monday, November 30, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Continue Timed-Write scoring activity
2. Finish "The Matrix"
3. Discuss how Plato's Allegory is employed in "The Matrix"

Homework for Wednesday: Read "The Lottery"and respond to the questions at the end of it.

Finish the 1st reading of novel #2 by Tuesday, December 8

Friday, November 20, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Share "Omelas" essay in small groups
2. Volunteers read their essays to the class
3. Discuss the title of "Omelas"
4. Get trained on how to score Timed Write on Gary Soto

NOTE: you should have the first reading of novel #2 complete by Tuesday Dec. 8

Wednesday, November 18, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Small groups share and discuss the homework (see previous post)
2. Whole class discussion of "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"

Homework for Friday Nov. 20: Complete Part 2 of the "Omelas" homework (see previous post)

Also: start reading Novel #2!

Monday, November 16 Agenda:

1. Proofread and correct your final essay 
2. Hand in your first and final drafts of your essay
3. Get homework assignment: Read "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas" and complete Part 1 of this assignment
4. Take AP Timed Write (Gary Soto)

Homework due Wednesday, Nov. 18: Read "The Ones Who Walk Away From Omelas"  and complete Part 1 of the assignment

Thursday, November 12, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Take Green Sheet #1 test
2. Review MLA formatting and other revision issues for the final draft of your essay on Novel #1
3. Get Malcolm X, Plato, Douglass essay back and discuss and read a sample essay

DUE MONDAY, NOV. 16: Final draft of essay on Novel #1 (also bring your dialogue journals and first (edited) draft)

Monday, November 9, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Review MLA formatting
2. Peer edit first draft of essay on Novel 1 (and get essay stamped)
3. Get Self-Edit sheet for revision of your essay
4. Continue reviewing Green Sheet terms

NOTE: the Green Sheet test is on Thursday, November 12

The revised and polished final draft of your essay is due on Monday, November 16

Thursday, November 4, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Show me your outline and get it stamped
2. Review Green Sheet #1 terms

Note: the test on these terms is next Thursday, November 12. I suggest making flashcards to help you study.

DUE MONDAY, Nov. 9: First draft of your essay on Novel #1

Tuesday, November 3, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Free-Write on your novel
2. Get your dialogue journals stamped
3. Discuss/ review/explain essay prompt
4. Review outline assignment. Here are some additional outline templates that might be helpful: Literary Analysis Outline Template; Claim-Evidence-Commentary Model Template
5. Get Author Selection Journals back / discuss
6. Continue Reviewing Green Sheet terms

Homework due Thursday, November 5: Outline for your novel essay

October 29, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Discuss/Review/Explain the dialogue journal for the 2nd reading of novel #1 (see October 20 post for assignment)
2. Create folder and get assignments back (put assignments in folder)
3. Green Sheet #1 (continue copying terms / look at examples)

Homework due Tuesday, November 3: Dialogue Journals for Novel #1

Tuesday, October 27, 2015

Today's Agenda:

1. Using Google Classroom, write an in-class essay on Malcolm X, Frederick Douglass, and Plato. If you were absent, see me to arrange a time for you to make this up.

Reminder: you should be reading your novel a 2nd time and taking notes on it. See previous post for assignment instructions. Your 2nd reading and dialogue journal is due on Tuesday, November 3.

Tuesday, October 20, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Socratic Seminar on Plato, Frederick Douglass, and Malcolm X
2. Finish graphic organizers connecting Plato, Douglass, and Malcolm X
3. Get instructions for re-reading your novel 

On Tuesday, October 27, you will write an in-class essay on Plato, Douglass, and Malcolm X. Bring your copies of the texts and the graphic organizer to class on that day.

REMINDER: bring your Author Project novel to class on Friday, October 16.

Monday, October 12, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Review Lock Down drill protocol
2. Take StudentPath survey (see me for instructions)
3. PSAT information (PSAT is this Wednesday)
4. Groups finish Plato posters
5. Groups present Plato posters

Homework for Friday: Read "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X and mark it up according to these instructions.  ON FRIDAY, BRING YOUR COPIES OF PLATO, DOUGLASS, AND MALCOLM X.

Also, finish reading your novel by Friday.

Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Reminder to read your first novel through by Friday, October 16
2. Small groups: Share and discuss Plato homework and then create a presentation (with a poster) in which you teach the class something about the Allegory of the Cave that is not immediately apparent.

HOMEWORK due Monday, October 12: Read and text-mark Frederick Douglass's "Learning to Read and Write".

Monday, October 5, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Students commit to their author for the Author Project
2. Next step: read the first book on the attached list by Friday, October 16 (see me for details)
3. Pre-Assessment: Literary Elements
4. Begin "Green Sheet #1" (see me)

Homework: For Wednesday, October 7: Read Plato's Allegory of the Cave and respond to the questions on this sheet: Plato's Allegory of the Cave and directions.

Thursday, October 1, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Free-Write: Write about where you are in terms of choosing an author to study this year. Have you decided? Who will it be? If you haven't decided, write about what you need to do to come to a decision.
2. Share free-write with your classmates
3. Discuss as a whole class how to decide (what factors should go into your decision)
4. Hand in your Author Selection Journals
5. Read background on "Bernice Bobs her Hair"
6. Read literary criticism on "Bernice Bobs Her Hair"

Homework for Monday, Oct. 5: get engaged!  (do more reading in order to come to a final decision about who your author will be. You will pronounce your love on Monday.

Tuesday, September 29, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Get background / context on "Flappers" and hair-bobbing in the 1920s (see me)
2. Small groups: discuss and find textual evidence for 5 of the 9 questions on this sheet: "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" Discussion Questions
3. Share out and discuss as a whole class
4. Reminders about the Author Selection Journal entries that are due on Thursday: These should be polished, revised, edited, and well written. Entries with easily correctable errors in spelling, punctuation, sentence structure, and grammar will not earn high scores. In addition to clear, correct writing, the content should be of high quality.

Homework due Thursday, Oct. 1: Author Selection Journal entries (13 total are due)

Friday, September 25, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Get annotation instructions for "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" (due Tuesday, Sept. 29)
2. Small groups discuss "Paul's Case" and collect textual evidence 
3. During group discussion, I checked on the progress of your Author Selection Journal
4. Groups share out / whole class discussion
5. Read literary criticism of "Paul's Case" and discuss

HOMEWORK for Tuesday, September 29: Read and annotate "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" (F. Scott Fitzgerald)

REMINDER: all 13 Author Selection Journals are due on Thursday, October 1.

Wednesday, September 23, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Get instructions for annotating "Paul's Case" (due Friday, September 25)
2. Reconvene small groups and finish discussion of "Bartleby"
3. Groups discuss "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County"

REMINDER: I will be checking on your progress on the Author Selection Journals on Friday. You should have 6-7 entries by Friday, Sept. 25

For Friday, read "Paul's Case" and annotate it (see link above)

Monday, September 21, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Small groups from last class reconvene and finish our small group and whole class discussion of "Young Goodman Brown"
2. Read short interpretation of "YGB" and discuss
3. Small groups discuss and record responses to questions about "Bartleby"

Homework due Wednesday, Sept. 23: Read and annotate "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" (see last post for links.)

For Friday, September 25: Read and annotate "Paul's Case" by Willa Cather (in Great American Short Stories)

REMINDER: I will be checking on your progress on the Author Selection Journal on Friday, September 25. You should have (and bring to class) at least half of the journal entries completed (6-7 entries)

Thursday, September 17, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Free-Write: what do you think "Young Goodman Brown" is about? What is the message?
2. Share free-write with a neighbor
3. Get instructions for annotating "Bartleby" (due Monday, Sept. 21)
4. Get copy of "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and the annotation instructions for this story (due Wednesday, Sept. 23)
5. Small groups respond to discussion questions on "Young Goodman Brown"
6. Listen to and read lyrics for "Sympathy for the Devil" by the Rolling Stones and draw connections between this song and "YGB"

HOMEWORK: due Monday, 9/21: Read "Bartleby" and annotate it

                          due Wednesday, 9/23: read "The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County" and annotate it.

                          due Friday, 9/25: Read "Paul's Case" and annotate it

                          due Tuesday, 9/29: Read "Bernice Bobs Her Hair" and annotate it

Tuesday, September 15, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Small Groups reconvene and finish up the SOAPS activity on "Those Irritating Verbs-as-Nouns." 
2. Pair-share the homework (assignments on pages 26 and 28 of The Language of Composition.)
3. Review concepts from chapter one (ethos, pathos, logos, and the rhetorical triangle)
4. Hand in homework
5. Short story / Author project assigned. Individually read the assignment sheet and then turn and talk to your classmate about what the assignment asks for. Debrief and clarify as a class.
6. Begin reading "Young Goodman Brown"

Homework due Thursday, Sept. 17: read and text-mark "Young Goodman Brown" (see the assignment above) and write a journal entry on this story.

Friday, Sept. 11, 2015
Today's agenda:

1. Phase 2 of the Author Project is handed out and discussed/clarified.  This is the list of authors and novels to choose from. You need to buy the book Great American Short Stories for $5 in the student store by Tuesday, Sept. 15
2. Read "Those Irritating Verbs-as-Nouns" and take notes/mark the essay for SOAPS elements
3. Small groups complete the SOAPS chart together / share with class

Homework for Tuesday, Sept. 15: Read pages 12-34 in The Language of Composition and complete assignments on pages 26 and 28.


On Wednesday, September 9, we shared out information on authors in the "Speed-Dating" activity.

Friday, Sept. 4, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Free-Write: Reflect on how school is going so far
2. Share out one thing from free-write
3. Small groups: share homework and choose 1-2 people to share their cartoon assignment with the class
4. Representatives share their cartoon assignments on the overhead with class / discuss
5. Review these concepts from the homework: Rhetoric, Rhetorical Triangle, Ethos/Pathos/Logos, and discuss these concepts in relation to the Laptop article from earlier in the week.

Reminder: Author project ("speed-dating") research is due on Wednesday, Sept. 9. Make sure to bring your research notes to class!

Wednesday, Sept.2, 2015
Today's Agenda:

1. Free-Write on Laptops article (see previous post for this assignment)
2. Share out Free-Write
3. Get textbooks
4. Directions for assignment out of the textbook The Language of Composition.  Read pages 1-12 in The Language of Composition and complete the assignments on pages 9 and 12. Make sure to bring to class a copy of your political cartoon for the assignment on page 12.
5. Small groups share the homework on the Laptops article and choose one person from each group to read their response to question #5 to the whole class

DUE FRIDAY, SEPT 4: Read pages 1-12 in The Language of Composition and complete the assignments on pages 9 and 12.

Welcome to the 2014-2015 AP ENGLISH Blog.  This is where you can find out about homework , due dates, assignments, and other information for AP class.

Monday, August 31 Agenda:

1. Hand in Letter of Introduction and signed Work Expectations 
2. Get photo I.D.s
3. Junior Thesis "Speed-Dating" assignment handed out and explained.
4. In-class activity: Rhetorical Analysis of "Why I Just Told My Students to Put their Laptops Away" (to be finished at home and brought to class on Wednesday, Sept. 2

DUE Monday August 31: Letter of Introduction and signed Work Expectations

DUE Wednesday, September 2: Rhetorical Analysis of "Why I Just Told My Students to Put their Laptops Away"
Due Wednesday, September 2:  Summer Reading Letter

DUE  WEDNESDAY SEPT. 9: Thesis Author Selection Phase I (Speed-Dating)