May 31 - the end of school!

I can't believe I'm typing up the last few agendas for the class this year.  It was truly and honor and a privilege to facilitate such an exceptional and interesting group of students.  I often joked about "the four-hour version of the class" and my (optimistic?  quixotic? bloated?) lesson plans are a reflection of how much I enjoyed reading, writing, and being involved in discussions with you. 

Okay, on with the agenda:

TUESDAY, MAY 31: Journal warm-up.  Read sample college essays that have worked and discuss each sample.  Go through Common App and UC prompts and match them with your completed brainstorm sheet.  Which questions allow you to present anecdotes that are highly personal and reflect your best attributes?  More brainstorming/narrowing down.  Last half of class: type up very rough draft in the computer lab.

For this assignment, the minimum requirement is one of the following:

1.  One of the Common App prompts (650 words max.)
2.  Two of the four required UC prompts (350 words max. for each)
3. A community college, art school, or vocational tech school prompt (please include the link and prompt at the top of your essay).

Due: Completed brainstorming sheet from last week.  Think about which prompt(s) you may want to answer before class.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

Homework: Complete a very rough draft of your essay for the Common App or 2 short answers from the UC prompts.  Don't worry about word count at this point.  Make sure you can access your drafts electronically so you can work on them in class on Thursday/Friday.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

THURSDAY, JUNE 2: Journal warm-up.  Read more sample essays and discuss.  Go through the final checklist for drafts: push for details, remove cliches, fix any diction/syntax issues.  Work time on laptops.

Due: Full rough draft typed out and accessible online (Googledocs, latest version in e-mail, etc.)

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

Journals will also be collected at the end of class.

Homework: Polish up your draft with the Final Checklist and make sure it is within the word count parameters.  Have others read it, set it aside, them come back and read and revise it again.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

MONDAY, JUNE 6: (shorter class) Volunteers will share their essays and the class will give helpful feedback.   Debate and discuss the college application process, reading several short opinions on the topic.  More work time on laptops for drafts.

Due: Be able to access your essay drafts electronically, and have them nearly completed.

Homework:  Be prepared to upload your final draft of the last assignment by Wednesday, June 8 at 12:00.  You will have at least one full hour of work time in class with laptops.

Be sure to turn in any missing/late work by June 3rd and bring textbooks back to the classroom or directly to the library. 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 8:  Short, anonymous class evaluation so I can keep what you liked and also improve the section next time.  Discuss summer plans and share leads/ideas and contact information, if desired.  Work time on laptops and direct, one-on-one feedback for final drafts during the class period.

Your final version is due to Turnitin.com on Wednesday, June 8 at 12:00 p.m.

Please note, due to how far along we are in the semester and the fact that this is your final for the class, NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Thanks for understanding.

May 23-27

Welcome!  This is an extremely short week for our class (see below).

TUESDAY: CAASPP testing, final day.

UPDATE!!! THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  College essay brainstorming exercise: speed-dating style interviews in class to fill out questionnaire.  Choosing a topic: things to consider.

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish the brainstorming questionnaire you began in class.

Read the UC prompts and the Common Application prompts.  Begin to narrow down your topic for the college essay/narrative we'll write next week. 

Bring any English textbooks to the classroom or back to the library asap!

Have a wonderful three-day Memorial Day weekend!

May 16 - 20

This week, CAASPP testing will take place in English class.  Please follow the link for additional information:

http://pvhigh.com/california-assessment-of-student-performance-and-progress-caaspp/

MONDAY: CAASPP testing.

WEDNESDAY: (no late start) CAASPP testing.

FRIDAY: CAASPP testing.

May 9-13 Exam Week!

As you are all aware, Wednesday, May 11 is the AP English Language and Composition exam date.  Our class has written 10 challenging essays (take home and in-class) and completed a term paper so far this year.  I truly believe that the class is more than ready to tackle the exam this Wednesday morning. 

Here's what we have for the week:

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Review homework.  Calibrate argument essay from practice exam, peer grading.  Last portion of class: AP exam review baseball. 

Due: Read Scoring Guidelines (rubric) and College Board samples of the Monument prompt and finish self-scoring.  Bring your Monuments prompt to class with you on Tuesday with a score.

Complete one multiple choice passage and its questions.

Generate an outline and some examples for this argument prompt (ownership).

Read the rhetorical analysis prompt and SOAPS it.  Pick 1-2 words that describe its tone, and come up with 2-3 rhetorical devices you could write about. 

Homework: Review your notes, the AP exam essay tips on this website, and most importantly, get a good night's sleep.

WEDNESDAY: Join your classmates at 7:00 a.m. in Room 509 for coffee, snacks and a little camaraderie before the exam.  I promise to limit the number of times I draw the linear AGREE/DISAGREE graph and nag you about outlining.  We will walk over to the AP exam area at 7:25ish and be there on time.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up.  Discuss/reflect on the exam and the year so far.  Last 30 minutes of class will be spent listening to the performance lesson for CAASP beginning next Monday. 

Due: n/a

Homework: n/a.  I'd suggest making sure you have a journal entry for each of the days you were in class and we weren't having a current events quiz.  I'll collect the journals the week after CAASP.

May 2-6

Take a deep breath...a lot of you are really feeling the pressure and intensity of junior year AP exam season.  I can't speak for all of your classes, but most of you are well equipped for the AP English Language & Composition exam.

Many of you will be out on Monday for other AP exams, so we'll cover the full practice exam we took on Wednesday and Friday.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up.  View previous multiple choice passage by William Faulkner and answer the questions together as a class.  Current event - view videos, read and analyze article by a Maryland lawmaker arguing for legal injection site to combat heroin overdose deaths in the Northeast.  Discuss pros and cons of this idea, class vote. If time, vocab story round activity in groups.

Due: Learnerator:  Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self Reliance
Section 1: Rhetoric
Section 2: Author's Meaning and Purpose

Homework:  n/a - too many people out today. 

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up.  Go over Flamingo rhetorical analysis essay in detail, viewing College Board samples and anonymous excerpts from previous classes as well.  Go over the multiple choice from the homework and on the practice exam.

Due: Multiple choice - 1 passage, read and answer questions.

Homework: Read government/green living synthesis prompt and draft an outline about how you would respond.


FRIDAY:  Journal warm-up.  Vocab quiz (last weekly quiz of the year!) Go over synthesis homework in groups, then share responses with the whole class. Begin self-scoring Monuments prompt.

Due: Read government/green living synthesis prompt and draft an outline about how you would respond.

Homework: Read Scoring Guidelines (rubric) and College Board samples of the Monument prompt and finish self-scoring.  Bring your Monuments prompt to class with you on Tuesday with a score.

Complete one multiple choice passage and its questions.

Generate an outline and some examples for this argument prompt (ownership).

Read the rhetorical analysis prompt and SOAPS it.  Pick 1-2 words that describe its tone, and come up with 2-3 rhetorical devices you could write about.