AP Exam Sign-up - Information Only

The English Language and Composition AP exam begins on Wednesday, May 11 at 8:00 a.m.  Please plan to be at school early; we'll have a gathering in the classroom at 7:00 a.m. with coffee and snacks and walk over to the testing area at 7:30 a.m.

Click here for the AP exam schedule
  

The 2016 PVHS AP Test fee is $100 per test

• Students will be able to register for AP exams online from March 7 – March 19, 2016.
• Late Fee of $50.00 will apply to students who register between March 13- March 19, 2016.
• Students will register for exams online through Total Registration.net. The actual site for PVHS will be emailed to parents and students and made available on pvhigh.com on March 7th. 

As soon as the registration link is available on March 7, I'll post it on this site. 

February 29-March 4

We're heading into March!  This month we'll complete our Supreme Court unit and pick up Gatsby, at the same time completing another in-class argument essay and move into our final essay type: synthesis.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Whole class practice outline for argument essay. Work time to meet with groups re: Supreme Court Project.  At 1:55 p.m. students will go to Junior Conferences at the counseling office to sign up for their senior year schedules.

Due: draft of Supreme Court one-page research write-up.

Homework: Final draft of one-page Supreme Court write-up.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Brief, five-minute presentations by groups about their Supreme Court case, immediately followed by open note quiz.  (This is in place of the regular vocabulary quiz this week.)

Due:  Final draft of one-page Supreme Court write-up.

Homework for Tuesday, March 8:  Learnerator for the following sections:
Section One: Rhetoric: Of Studies by Francis Bacon, 1-10
Section One: Rhetoric: Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, 1-10


FRIDAY: Full multiple choice exam practice - students will take a multiple choice exam in one timed hour and then assess their performance in small groups.  Work on Evidence/Example Worksheet in small groups.  Receive vocab list for next week. 

Due: n/a

Homework for Tuesday, March 8:

Add to the Evidence/Example Worksheet and bring to class on Tuesday.

Going through your notes from this unit, create a one-page "cheatsheet" about how to tackle an AP argument prompt. We will write an argument essay on Tuesday.

Learnerator for the following sections:
Section One: Rhetoric: Of Studies by Francis Bacon, 1-10
Section One: Rhetoric: Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau, 1-10

Get ready to sign up for the AP exam beginning March 6.

February 22-26

We will end our Gender Unit with a debate on Tuesday about whether or not women should be required to sign up for the draft.  Students will draw cards to see which side they'll be debating, then we'll vote and note how we could use the evidence and examples provided in an essay.

TUESDAY:  Journal warm-up/debate prep check-in.  Dr. Park will give a brief presentation about CAASPP. Draw cards, move into two opposing sides of the room.  Opening arguments, rebuttals, open popcorn-style debate.  Reflect on debate and begin homework (on the back of the Debate Prep Worksheet).

Due:  Debate Prep Worksheet - front side, T-chart and 2 annotated sources.
 
Homework:  4 Questions on the back side of the Debate Prep Worksheet. 


Study for Current Events Quiz covering e-mails from TheWeek.com from Sunday, February 21 through Wednesday, February 24, (see side bar under "Class Handouts" on Wednesday morning for a Word document containing copies of these e-mails).

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Current Events Quiz.  View outlines from Debate Prep Worksheet - how you would answer an essay prompt based on the debate prompt?  Begin Supreme Court Cases Project in class: groups of 4 will each research one aspect of a significant case, bringing in a one-page write-up for next Monday, presenting on Wednesday of next week.  There will be an open-note quiz on the presented cases in lieu of a vocab quiz.  (These well-known Supreme Court cases make great examples/evidence for argument and synthesis essays.)

Due: 4 Questions on the back side of the Debate Prep Worksheet


Homework:  Complete your portion of Supreme Court Case write-up/research, (approximately one page), and have an opinion about the case.

February 15 - 19

Welcome to the final full week of our gender unit.  Next week, we'll end the unit with a formal debate and continue on to the AP argument "claim of policy" essay prompt type.


WEDNESDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Share improved Score 5 essays - Paine.  Discuss Virginia Woolf's "Professions for Women" and turn in questions.  Read "I Want a Wife" essay in class.  Perform rhetorical analysis.  Is this dated or not? What will you expect of your spouse or partner? Yourself? Read Elizabeth Cady Stanton's "The Declaration of Sentiments."

Due: Read Virginia Woolfe's "Professions for Women" and answer the questions at the end.

Rewrite the score 5 essay from the argument essay prompt and be ready to share.

Homework: Learnerator: Under the 2nd section, "Author's Meaning and Purpose," please complete "Elements of Argument," and under the 3rd section, "Main Idea," please complete "Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth.

Study for Vocab quiz on Friday.

Please bring the Huckleberry Finn textbook to class by Friday. 


FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Vocab quiz. Discussion about the gender pay gap and possible reasons for it, view statistics.  Read blog entry from a young professional about what she wishes she'd known about negotiating her salary (beneficial for everyone in class, not just the girls).  Speaking and listening: small group activity - improve the blogger's suggestions for phrases that could be used during a conversation with a potential employer that are respectful and helpful in negotiations of salary, terms, etc. when accepting a position. Whole class discussion.  Straw man fallacy - last one added to list.

Extension: If you have time, click here for a challenging and informative video from the Stanford Business School about negotiation.  I learn something new every time I watch the lecture.


Due:  Learnerator: Under the 2nd section, "Author's Meaning and Purpose," please complete "Elements of Argument," and under the 3rd section, "Main Idea," please complete "Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth.

Homework:  Complete the "Debate Prep Worksheet" and bring it to class next week.  We will debate whether or not women should be required to sign up for the draft like men do at age 18. 

February 8-12

Welcome to another short week.  This week we'll continue our gender unit, going through the rest of the "man" articles and then looking at essays and a video about women.  We've only just begun the gender unit and it's been a real pleasure to hear students' opinions and the discussion around the first activity and essay.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Receive the argument essay back, graded.  Review prompt and samples.  Discuss the "man packet" articles.  Evidence/example groups. 

Due: Articles in "Man Packet" read and questions answered (see last week's entry and/or Class Handout section on sidebar).

Learnerator "Ain't I a Woman" by Sojourner Truth questions 1-10 in the Rhetoric section (first section).

Homework: Read "There is No Unmarked Woman" by Deborah Tannen and answer the questions. 

Study for current events quiz covering e-mails from TheWeek.com from Sunday, February 7 - Wednesday, February 10.

THURSDAY: Current events quiz.  Receive vocab list for next week.  Finish evidence/example group presentations.  Intro: beauty ideals.  Video "Killing Me Softly," view current event articles about new weight/BMI minimums in place for fashion models in France and new Barbie dolls with different body types.  Think/Pair/Share discussion.

Due: Read "There is no Unmarked Woman" by Deborah Tannen.

Homework: Read Virginia Woolfe's "Professions for Women" and answer the questions at the end.

Rewrite the score 5 essay from the argument essay prompt and be ready to share.

FRIDAY: No school - it's the beginning of a long, four-day Presidents' Weekend.  Enjoy!

February 1-5

Here we are, about to finish Huckleberry Finn and writing our first in-class argument essay.  We have just over three months until the AP exam and the class is in really good shape.  Soon, we'll be tackling the easier types of AP argument prompts (claims of policy rather than value) and enjoying many discussions and debates in class.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Huck Finn discussion and summary, read the last chapter in class.  Read two opposing viewpoints about the age that minors should/could be tried as adults, four corner debate.

Due: 
Huck Finn Chapters 24-31, page 159-219.

Homework:
Go through argument notes.  On February 3, (Wednesday), we will write our first in-class argument essay.

Read two opposing articles about including Huckleberry Finn in school curriculum and answer the questions for Wednesday.

Bring Huckleberry Finn book by the end of the week to turn in.
 

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss Huck Finn articles briefly.  Argument essay review - how to approach a prompt.  In-class argument essay - 50 minutes.

Due: Answers to Huck Finn For and Against Assignment.

Homework:  Study for quiz, bring Huckleberry Finn book to class (unless you're going for the extra credit).


FRIDAY: Vocabulary/grammar/Huckleberry Finn quiz.  Intro: brief, two-week unit about gender.  Read  "Being a Man" essay by Paul Theroux and discuss. In small groups, take a position about whether you agree or disagree with Theroux's viewpoint and brainstorm evidence and examples to support your case. Whole class discussion.

Due: Huckleberry Finn book turned in. 

Homework: Read assigned articles in the "man packet" including  "Why Johnny Won't Read," "Just Walk on By," and "Putting Down the Gun." Finish the questions after each article.

Learnerator:
"Ain't I A Woman" by Sojourner Truth - first section "Rhetoric," questions 1-10