2020-2021 students, welcome to AP English Language and Composition!

In case you've stumbled your way onto this class website, welcome! We'll be using Google Classroom this year for your convenience as all of your classes begin online in the fall. Google Classroom codes will be provided on Monday evening in an e-mail and posted for each class on Aeries, after most of the scheduling adjustments are complete. That will be the "home base" for the class, rather than this delightful website.

G'day!

 Since you're here, I may as well introduce myself and the class. I'm Ms. Mogilefsky (also known as Ms. M). I'm excited to work with you this year as we prepare as a team for the AP Language and Composition exam and explore a variety of well-known books, short stories, nonfiction articles and essays that are an important part of the conversation about the nature of American life, past and present. I know junior year can be stressful: SATs, ACTs, extracurriculars, and of course the AP exam on Wednesday, May 12, 2021. The Covid-19 situation also calls for us to be flexible in the face of uncertainty. We'll take on the challenges one step at a time, and all of the activities we'll work on will help you succeed. I've given it quite a bit of thought, and I know we'll make this year fun and productive. I'm excited to get to know you! Now...back to my home office...

Congratulations, AP!

The AP exam scores are available at the College Board website. You really performed well, especially considering you had to adapt to massive changes for this exam, and in your entire life.

I know scores are important, and they were outstanding this year, but beyond this one score I truly appreciate the level of engagement and the high quality discussions, debates, and all of the written work you completed last term. As always, e-mail me with any questions or concerns.

Hope you're enjoying summer! Connect with me on Goodreads, if you're so inclined.

All the best,
Ms. M.

FINALS WEEK: June 8 and 9

Thank you
It was truly an honor and a privilege to facilitate such an exceptional and interesting group of students this year. In the "before times" I often joked about "the four-hour version of the class" and my (ambitious? quixotic? bloated?) lesson plans are a reflection of how much I enjoyed your reading and writing, and especially your discussions. Even though the quarantine limited class time and personal interaction at the end, I am grateful for the valuable discussions and debates we were able to engage in before mid-March.

I've learned so much during our time this year and I hope you find that your reading, writing, speaking, and listening skills are better than they were a year ago. As you move forward into senior year and beyond, my advice -- for what it's worth -- is to continue to be fully engaged, keep up with current events, read while SOAPSing, participate in civic life, and travel and have as many adventures and experiences as you can. Also, visit me next year or drop me a line and keep me posted about what's going on in your life.

Here's what this entry will cover: 1. the agenda and final assignment info, 2. summer reading, and 3. a message from the College and Career Center.

TUESDAY: Last class session, live on Zoom. Go through the final checklist for college essay drafts: push for details, remove cliches, fix any diction/syntax issues. Introduce free choice summer reading, college and career center updates. Time for me to say "thank you" to all the students, and congratulate you on a wild, but wonderful year!

Due: by noon on Tuesday, June 9: full rough draft, in the ballpark of the required word count (within 200-250 words) to Turnitin.com.

SUMMER READING
 Click here for the summer reading information; this year, it's free choice*!

*There's always a catch, isn't there? There are guidelines: 150 pages, at grade level, dialectical journal.


FROM THE COLLEGE AND CAREER CENTER
There are a few links of exceptional importance before we break for summer... the first is the YouTube Junior JumpStart presentations that the counselors put together to provide detailed guidance and a timeline of what the junior class could be/should be thinking about and working on this summer to prepare for the likelihood of college applications in the fall: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URlkSPcKUU8

Class of 2021 Counseling Presentation, Spring 2020 - YouTube Palos Verdes High School, Palos Verdes Estates, California. www.youtube.com

Besides the video presentation, there is the second link to the corresponding powerpoint that follows the video, but has exceptionally good hyperlinks to additional information and resources: https://4.files.edl.io/a76c/05/28/20/164024-f7d4959c-f5c0-407b-86c4-888d182d259b.pdf

I've also included a link to another opportunity for our students/parents to sit in on and participate in panel discussions next week with colleges ranging from West Point, to the Culinary Institute of America! Topics iclude: Engineering Your College Essay: A STEM Perspective on College Essays / Admission to The U.S. Military Academy at West Point 

https://www.marist.edu/hrcc

Hudson River College Cruise - Marist College Marist College is a highly selective comprehensive liberal arts institution noted for its leadership in the use of technology in and out of the classroom. www.marist.edu

Considering the fact that we will not have "business as usual" college visits next year, together with the fact that the vast majority of colleges have gone test optional, there's just a lot of pro-active and individual research our juniors have to begin doing... there's also a lot they need to know about how to approach their applications in the fall.

Which brings me to the last link which is to info/registration for a Common App Crash Course that the CCC will offer on June 16th.  It's a 4hr intensive on June 16th that I would have loved to have done differently, but under the circumstances I believe it will provide some much needed direction, insight and information.  This is the first time the CCC will ask for a donation because of impending budget restraints, but it is a donation and all juniors are welcome.  For juniors, whether at PV or a different high school, please just send  an email to me at lewisja@pvpusd.net with an email address so I can send the Zoom link:

https://pvboosterclub.com/product/class-of-2021-common-app-crash-course/

June 1 - 5

With all of the civil unrest in the country right now, I assuage my own grief and anger by thinking about my experiences with you in the classroom. You are the future, and you give me hope that we'll heal and become stronger and more just than we have in the past.   

The last full week of school

This week, we'll begin typing rough drafts of the college essay. We'll be reading successful samples, all different kinds, for inspiration.

Remember, Wednesday, June 3 is the last day to turn in late work for partial credit.

 
MONDAY: Online, Zoom class. How to avoid writing the same college essay that everyone else writes: be specific, add imagery and details. Read actual college essay samples and critique them together as a class. On a volunteer basis, discuss any specific challenges matching essay topics to prompts, or about prompt selection.

Due: Go through the admissions pages of the colleges and universities where you plan to apply, and see which essay prompts they require. Bearing in mind the strategies we discussed in class, choose the prompt(s) you'll write for the final assignment for English class, and begin the process of matching your stories with a specific prompt (or two, if you choose the UC prompts). 

Homework: Do a free write where you completely answer a prompt and just get all of your thoughts down. Don't pay attention to word count, pacing, order, making sense, or any other restrictions, just let it flow. You are writing the crappy version, including any associations and tangents that come to mind in answering the prompt. Once it's all out on paper, we'll work on editing it during the next couple of classes. (If you prefer, you are piling up all of the clay onto the worktable; we will sculpt it into something polished, unique, and interesting once it's all there.)

WEDNESDAY: Offline, work independently. Make sure you have an extremely rough "outpouring" of all of your ideas about how a personal story of yours matches one (or, for the UC prompts, two) of the prompts for next class. DO NOT CENSOR OR JUDGE YOURSELF at this point.

Read this really long, but very important and interesting article. There is some adult language included, but the perspective and message are thought-provoking and worth a read about how we make choices about career paths and life decisions.

Due: n/a

Homework: (same as Monday)

FRIDAY: Discuss the article, discuss the very rough draft you have. Look at editing reference sheets. Go over the two most important issues in working with the very rough draft: pacing and specific details/imagery. Make sure the draft is about YOU, not someone else. Go over more sample essays as a class and evaluate them.

Due: Do a free write where you completely answer a prompt and just get all of your thoughts down. Don't pay attention to word count or any other restrictions, just let it flow. We will work on editing during the next couple of classes.

Read this really long, but very important and interesting article. There is some adult language included, but the perspective and message are thought-provoking and worth a read about how we make choices about career paths and life decisions.

Homework: Go through your draft again with the editing sheet. Graph out the pacing, and replace generalities with specific, vivid details on the page. It's coming along nicely, now! Have this still-very-rough draft ready for the last class on Tuesday of next week, June 9 for our last class session together.

May 25 - 29

On Tuesday, we're beginning the last unit of the year: the college essay. The final assignment (which is the Final with a capital "F") is a good draft of the college essay. If you already have a draft going, consider using the time to write other prompts and get a jump on the summer/fall semester of senior year. If you don't need a college essay, I have an alternate, short paper you can write about a job title of your choice: the official and unofficial requirements, salary and benefits, and trends in the industry.

NOTE: Last day to turn in make-up work for partial credit: Wednesday, June 3!

TUESDAY: Online, live Zoom class (see sidebar for class times and codes). Pull up a copy of the Brainstorming Sheet. Answer questions in small groups, typing in your own responses, in different arrangements. 

Due: n/a

Homework: Finish typing the answers in your Brainstorming Sheet. Don't censor yourself of try to write what you think a college would want to hear, just let it flow.

THURSDAY: Online, live Zoom class (see sidebar for class times and codes). Go over UC prompts, Common Application prompts, Coalition prompts, and the alternate assignment. Discuss strategies for selecting prompts, the subtext of your personal stories. Think about your answers on the Brainstorming Sheet and how they might match up with your own unique strengths and personality, as well as any "holes" in your overall application. Read and evaluate the first real college essay sample as a class, and discuss why it was successful. 
 
Due: Finish typing the answers in your Brainstorming Sheet. Don't censor yourself of try to write what you think a college would want to hear, just let it flow.

Homework: Go through the admissions pages of the colleges and universities where you plan to apply, and see which essay prompts they require. Bearing in mind the strategies we discussed in class, choose the prompt(s) you'll write for the final assignment for English class, and begin the process of matching your stories with a specific prompt (or two, if you choose the UC prompts).  

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

Just to be clear, for the final assignment, students will upload one of the following to Turnitin.com before noon on Tuesday, June 9, the last class of the year:

1. A good draft (unique details, close to word count restrictions, proofread) responding to one Common Application prompt. 
2. Good drafted (unique details, close to word count restrictions, proofread) responses to two of the four required UC prompts.

3. A good draft (unique details, close to word count restrictions, proofread) responding to one Coalition prompt

4. A good draft (unique details, close to word count restrictions, proofread) responding to a specific prompt not listed above for a university, art school, or vocational tech school. Please include the prompt and a URL at the top of the submission. 

5. One polished, well written job title research paper.

 

You did it!

Congratulations, AP Lang! 
I've heard from a few of you already, and I'm looking forward to seeing you tomorrow for the "debrief." 

I had to include this....I was working, but did get distracted and checked Twitter a "few" times.

May 18 - 22

It's finally here! The AP exam is this Wednesday. I think the classes are in pretty good shape, and it'll be great to have an opportunity to show off your skills. The College Board readers understand it's a best first draft -- they are asked to reward writers for what they do well, keep that in mind.

Note: due to reported issues last week with some of the submissions, the College Board released the following update on Sunday, May 17. This is great news for us:

	Beginning Monday, May 18, and continuing through the makeup window, there will be a backup email submission process for browser-based exams.
•	This option will only be available for students who were not able to submit in the standard process—and they must then email their responses immediately following their exam.
•	These students will see instructions about how to email their response on the page that says, "We Did Not Receive Your Response." The email address that appears on this page will be unique to each student.
•	Any student testing between May 18–22 who can't successfully upload their response through the exam platform or send it to us by email, will need to request a makeup exam.

PRINTING THE PROMPT:  

Here are some suggestions I found from hearing from teacher contacts whose students took the AP Lit exam last week:

 

Student 1: I pressed file and then print on my laptop

Student 2: I went to the “share” option on the top right of safari, then the print option.

Student 3: I wasn't sure how I was supposed to go about printing, so I quickly just copy and pasted the text into a word doc and printed it out.

Student 4: Ctrl +P, but it cut off a few lines

• • My Lit/Gov students - ctrl-P (or go to the three dots in Chrome and choose Print). Hide the timer first so it won’t cut off the bottom.

From what I gather, a person can print directly from their browser when they access the exam. I'd suggest some trial printing directly from your default browser to see what the process is, and make sure it's smooth. I might even create a post-it about the process and stick it on the computer itself. 

Here's the agenda for the week: 

TUESDAY: Live on Zoom: in groups, come up with dos and don'ts for the exam. Check to make sure you received and/or can access your ticket to the exam. Go over last-minute information and any questions. (See the bottom of this entry for additional AP info.)

WEDNESDAY: The day of the AP exam. Log in at 10:30 a.m. to take the exam. Take the submission time seriously and begin the submission immediately after the 45 minutes.

THURSDAY: Live on Zoom: debrief after the exam, celebrate.

Have a marvelous Memorial Day weekend!
We will begin the college essay (or short research paper) after the three-day holiday. 

Additional info for the AP exam: 

1. If you are most comfortable typing in a Google Doc, you will want to 
choose the paste option for submitting. Some districts which have issued
devices block downloads/conversions of Google Docs for attachment purposes.

2. You have a limited time to enter your info at the beginning before the exam 
question appears. Have handy your 8-character AP ID and email address which
you use for MyAP.

3. If you choose copy/paste, some of the formatting does not seem to transfer
such as indentations for new paragraphs. Instead, double space to show paragraph
breaks. Once you paste into the provided text box, you can't edit your response and 
have to click on "clear field," revise on your original, and re-paste.

4. You can't have any browser add-ins like Grammarly on the browser you use to
access the exam, but you CAN have Grammarly in a different company's browser
and copy/paste your text back and forth. Be sure to budget time for going back and
forth before the five-minute submission time.

5. If you choose the photo upload or attachment upload, prepare your paper/doc
before exam day. For photos, you should write your AP ID, initials, and page numbers
at the top of at least 5 pages of paper (I'm encouraging my students to write in black ink).
For attachments, set up a header with your AP ID and initials on a doc and then save the
doc so that it's ready to go! 
 ***************************************************************************

If you're nervous about the exam, read the following quote from Theodore Roosevelt:

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.”

May 11 - 15

Welcome to the first week of AP testing! Our AP Lang exam is next week, and we'll continue to gear up for it this week and early next. I won't be assigning much in the way of additional work outside of the time that's set aside for this class due to all of the testing.

Also, just a reminder, the last day to turn in late work for partial credit this semester is Wednesday, June 3. 

MONDAY: OPTIONAL Zoom session, in-class essay for those that aren't in AP exams and want the practice and feedback. This will not affect your grade negatively in any way if you don't log in today, and if you don't write it. Log in at the regular times, and I'll share a rhetorical analysis prompt and time you for 45 minutes. For those that do log in, I'll grade it and give you feedback.

Due: n/a

Homework: n/a

WEDNESDAY: Offline, work independently. Please watch the College Board AP video "Identifying and Analyzing Relationships Between Elements in a Text." This video covers repetition, parallelism, and other syntactical features in texts and is an excellent review.

FRIDAY: Login at the regular Zoom time for a live class. We will walk through a rhetorical analysis prompt as a whole class, reviewing all of the steps. Look at an optional reference sheet you may want to use that's been on the class website.

Please click here and scroll to page 47 to find the rhetorical analysis prompt: a letter to Napoleon by Elizabeth Barrett Browning.

Due: n/a

Homework: n/a

Announcement: Monday's AP "in-class essay" will be optional

After looking over the AP schedule again, and receiving several emails from students who will be testing that day and several others next week, I've decided to make Monday's Zoom AP essay optional. I will still hold it for those who have the time and desire to write another one for practice, but it will not affect your grade if you don't log in on Monday. 

I'll post the regular weekly agenda on Sunday as usual, but thought I'd announce this early in addition to changing the "Homework" for the Thursday, May 7 agenda.

AP Exam Demo Link - Click & Try It Out!

Test out your at-home setup with the College Board's AP Exam Demo by clicking here.

Please take a couple minutes to go through this step now and ensure your system setup is going to work with this year's online exam process.

May 4 - 8

It's May, an exciting month! Hopefully, some of the shelter-in-place conditions will lift safely in the coming weeks. It's also the last full month of school. Last but not least, you'll finally have the opportunity to write the AP Lang exam.

I have been lenient with due dates this far, but in order to prevent an unmanageable amount of work coming in at the end of the semester, please upload any late work by Sunday, May 10 if you're behind at all. I will take late points after that. Don't wait until the last minute! It'll be much harder to catch up. Please note that the final due date for all work (except for the writing assignment for the final, after the AP exam) is Wednesday night, June 3 at 11:59 p.m. PST. To be fair to all students, and to allow myself enough time for grading, I can't accept any regular work later than that. 

This week, we'll get more practice with rhetorical analysis prompts and work on ensuring that the technical aspects of the exam process are running smoothly for you. 

TUESDAY: AP updates: double check that everyone received the College Board e-mail from May 4 and can login to their College Board accounts. Discuss AP simulation link. SOAPS and analyze the Queen Elizabeth prompt together.

Due: Please read and annotate Queen Elizabeth's address to Great Britain on April 5, 2020  For next class, find three important rhetorical strategies and complete a quick SOAPS from this selection and have them ready for discussion. (You don't need to write the essay.)

Please double check your College Board account, so you're ready for the May 4 test e-mail:

1. Sign into your College Board account.Make sure the login is current, the password is working, etc.
2. Click “Update Account Information” or click their name in the top right hand corner and select “View/Edit My Profile”
3. Next to “Contact Information,” click “Edit” or click “manage your email communication preferences” at the bottom.
4. If it's not already selected, click to check the box next to “Yes, please send me updates and information about College Board and College Board deadlines, dates, and related programs and services.” Click “Submit changes.” Sign out and then back in and check account information to make sure the change has been saved.
5. Be on the lookout for a test e-mail you'll receive on May 4 from the College Board. 

Homework:  Read the actual College Board essay samples of the Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis prompt and score them with the updated rubric. Be ready to share your scoring and a rationale for the score on Thursday.

Please read the Performance Q & A for Question 1, which is overall comments about how the students in 2002 performed when they wrote the Abraham Lincoln question for the AP exam.

THURSDAY: Notes: pros and cons of each type of genre, for example: letters, books, speeches, etc. and some of the vocabulary/terminology that go with the different genre types. Post the scoring for the three College Board samples. View your own score and comments in both sections on Turnitin.com (in the essay text and in the Comment sidebar). Discuss overall results from Essay #2: Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. Read and analyze the prompt in detail with the rubric.

Due: Read the actual College Board essay samples of the Abraham Lincoln Second Inaugural Address Rhetorical Analysis prompt and score them with the updated rubric. Be ready to answer with a score and a rationale for the score on Thursday.

Please read the Performance Q & A for Question 1, which is overall comments about how the students in 2002 performed when they wrote this question for the AP exam.

Homework: IF you want the OPTIONAL practice, prepare for another "in-class essay" on Monday, May 11. It will not affect your grade at all if you don't login to Monday's Zoom in-class essay.

You will type the words "AP ID#" and your initials at the top of the electronic document or handwritten papers -- you can do this ahead of time before Monday's class. (You won't have an actual AP ID #, but I'd like you to put those items at the top of the papers anyway to get into the habit.)

If you have time, please watch the AP Lang videos produced by the College Board, beginning with 4/8 when the topics shift to rhetorical analysis.  (Pro tip: watch them on 1.5 or 2x speed if that works for you.)

College Board Updates re: the May 20 AP Exam

We'll go over this information in class. In the meantime, here are some steps to take right now:

1. Sign into your College Board account.Make sure the login is current, the password is working, etc.
2. Click “Update Account Information” or click their name in the top right hand corner and select “View/Edit My Profile”
3. Next to “Contact Information,” click “Edit” or click “manage your email communication preferences” at the bottom.
4. If it's not already selected, click to check the box next to “Yes, please send me updates and information about College Board and College Board deadlines, dates, and related programs and services.” Click “Submit changes.” Sign out and then back in and check account information to make sure the change has been saved.
5. Be on the lookout for a test e-mail you'll receive on May 4 from the College Board. 

Here are some details the College Board provided to teachers on their webinar this afternoon:

• Students must use Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Microsoft Edge to open the test. You CANNOT use Internet Explorer. Make sure this is not your default browser, and that the other browsers are updated with the latest version.
• If you have the Grammarly plug in, you must remove it before the test because the interface will not allow the test to open.
• An exam demo will be available on May 4th for students to practice submitting responses, but the demo will not be subject specific. We will be testing it out then.
• Students have an exam day checklist and documents that they need, with specifics for each subject(see link to resources below).
• The exam ticket will be emailed to you 2 days before the test.
• There is one timer for the test.  It will turn to red at 5 minutes to notify students that you need to submit before it expires.
• Students will receive an email on May 4th with the demo information.  If students receive this e-mail, they will receive the test link.  

Here are some new resources available from the College Board:  

See the new 2020 AP Testing Guide here. We will walk through this before the exam.

Here is the 2020 Exam Day Checklist from the College Board. I'm writing up one that includes some additional tips.

The College Board has also put together the "2020 Explainer Videos" that provide more information about online AP exams this year. 

Second "in-class" Essay Prompt

Please click here and go to question 1: President Abraham Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address. 

Take as much time as you need to write it, but please mark **** asterisks where you were when 45 minutes were up. Please upload to Turnitin.com, or if you're handwriting, please take a picture and e-mail it to mogilefskya@pvpusd.net.

Now...head on into that bank. You can do this!

April 27 - May 1

Despite the copious comments on the first "in-class" rhetorical analysis essay a couple weeks ago, the overall quality of the essays for both classes was very high. I'm excited to march into our second practice round together on Monday! Rhetorical analysis is a very specific style of writing, and once a person becomes familiar with the criteria on the rubric, it becomes much easier each time. Also, this is the only "deliverable" due this week.

Here's the agenda: 

MONDAY: Log in to Zoom for the next "in-class" rhetorical analysis essay. I'd like to offer the same no-pressure setup: you will decide after reviewing the rubric score and grade whether or not it goes into Aeries. For this second essay, I'll also offer the opportunity to rewrite it if you receive less than a 95. For rewrites, scores will be averaged.

Due:
1. Have the reference documents and a piece of scratch paper out, and be in a quiet space if possible for Monday's class.

2. Carson essay mini-makeover: rewrite your weakest paragraph from the Carson essay, and post both versions (original paragraph + revised version) to Turnitin.com under the assignments tab. If you don't have many revisions to do, please choose a paragraph from Sample H of the essays we looked at in class on Thursday by clicking here.

WEDNESDAY: Offline, work independently. 1. Please watch the video about beauty standards in advertisements called "Killing Us Softly 4" *(see warning below) and be ready to discuss the central argument, the sub-claims, effectiveness, and your own opinions on the live Zoom class at the end of the week. Please complete the first 3 comma exercises on the Owl Purdue website, at this link. Please jot down your answers on a piece of scratch paper and check them against the answers. We'll do a little practice in a mini-lesson next week as well.

*Killing Us Softly 4  IMPORTANT NOTE: the video contains graphic images that are not intended for anyone under age 14. Please view and listen at a time when young children are not present. If there are objections to the material, please e-mail me for an alternate assignment.  (The images of advertisements in the video, however, are easily accessible on billboards, in magazines, and definitely online.)

FRIDAY: Log in to the live Zoom class. (see the sidebar for times and login details). Discuss the central argument and sub-claims contained in "Killing Us Softly 4".  Breakout activity about beauty standards and your personal habits, impressions, and expectations. Short presentation about media literacy when it comes to questioning the pictures and images regularly viewed in our culture. Updates from College Board AP teachers' call this week.

Due: Watch "Killing Us Softly 4" and complete the first 3 comma exercises on the Owl Purdue website, at this link.

Homework:  Please read and annotate Queen Elizabeth's address to Great Britain on April 5, 2020  For next class, find three important rhetorical strategies and complete a quick SOAPS from this selection and have them ready for discussion. (You don't need to write the essay.)

Please double check your College Board account, so you're ready for the May 4 test e-mail:

1. Sign into your College Board account.Make sure the login is current, the password is working, etc.
2. Click “Update Account Information” or click their name in the top right hand corner and select “View/Edit My Profile”
3. Next to “Contact Information,” click “Edit” or click “manage your email communication preferences” at the bottom.
4. If it's not already selected, click to check the box next to “Yes, please send me updates and information about College Board and College Board deadlines, dates, and related programs and services.” Click “Submit changes.” Sign out and then back in and check account information to make sure the change has been saved.
5. Be on the lookout for a test e-mail you'll receive on May 4 from the College Board. 

April 20 - 24

Welcome! I've enjoyed grading the Carson rhetorical analysis essays so far, and I'm about halfway through with both classes' work. I'm scoring them with the most recent AP rubric, and providing quite a few comments and feedback for each one, since it's your first rhetorical analysis essay in awhile. As you'll see below, I plan to have the comments and scores up in Turnitin.com by Thursday's class. We'll gear up for another go at the rhetorical analysis essay on Monday, April 27.

As you're waiting on feedback for the essays, we will return to the Gender Unit. This Tuesday is an online debate, and then in the middle of next week, after Monday's essay, we'll watch a video argument about beauty standards in advertisements, followed by a discussion.


TUESDAY: Log in at your designated time, (see the sidebar for times and login details). Verbal, live journal question, followed by structured debate about whether or not women should be required to register for the draft they way that men currently do at age 18. Be prepared to argue both sides of the debate! At the end of class: 1. vote for which side argued more effectively with examples and evidence that were varied and of high quality, 2. vote for your actual opinion about the matter. 

Due: Please complete the AP Gender Debate Prep Work sheet and upload to Turnitin.com before class.

Homework: Think about the arguments you heard today. Which were the most persuasive? What rhetorical strategies did the speakers employ during the debate? Be ready to discuss on Thursday.

Make sure you've checked the e-mail account associated with your College Board login. Go to the College Board website and login and make sure your password is working and you've checked all messages and mail.

Read the "Embedding Quotes - The Quote Sandwich" document  here (also under "Other Essay-Writing Reference Materials" on the right-hand sidebar). Compare the suggestions in this document to the Carson essay you wrote. Could your own quotations in the essay be improved?

THURSDAY: Log in at your designated time, (see the sidebar for times and login details)."Pass back" rhetorical analysis essays in Turnitin.com and go over results. Read through Carson prompt, go through steps. Talk about suggestions to improve reference materials. Read actual class sample paragraphs and discuss. 

Due: Think about the arguments you heard today. Which were the most persuasive? What rhetorical strategies did the speakers employ during the debate? Be ready to discuss on Thursday.

Make sure you've checked the e-mail account associated with your College Board login. Go to the College Board website and login and make sure your password is working and you've checked all messages and mail.

Read the "Embedding Quotes - The Quote Sandwich" document  here (also under "Other Essay-Writing Reference Materials" on the right-hand sidebar). Compare the suggestions in this document to the Carson essay you wrote. Could your own quotations in the essay be improved?


"Homework:"  Log in and view the score (rubric score and score on a scale of 1-100 for grading, as well as all of the comments, for the Carson essay). If you'd like to read the sample essays we covered on Thursday, please click here.

a. Carson essay mini-makeover: rewrite your weakest paragraph from the Carson essay, and post both versions (original paragraph + revised version) to Turnitin.com under the assignments tab. If you don't have many revisions to do, please choose a paragraph from Sample H of the essays we looked at in class on Thursday by clicking here.

b.  If I don't hear from you, I'll assume you want the score in the Gradebook. Let me know if you DON'T want the score in the Gradebook. (If you're not happy with your score, you also have the option of rewriting, and I'll average the points.)

c. Have the reference documents, a piece of scratch paper out and be in a quiet space if possible for Monday's class.  We'll write another "in-class" RA essay on Monday.

College and Career Center Update - OODLES of virtual events!

See below for an update on opportunities you do not want to miss from our College and Career Center:

Historically Black Colleges & Universities Virtual College Fair Saturday, April 18, 9:30 am – 1pm

Featuring 16 different HBCU schools from 9:30am-1pm CDT. Many HBCUs have a practice of offering on the spot admissions and sometimes even on the spot scholarships for seniors when these fairs are held in the fall! https://www.eventbrite.com/e/virtual-hbcu-college-tour-tickets-102529446334

Strive Virtual College Exploration Week - Monday, April 20 - Thursday, April 23, 2020

• 300+ colleges from 44 states and 10 countries
• 96 sessions over 4 days
• Day and evening options
• Panel presentations on a range of topics for juniors and underclassmen
• Free and open to students nationwide
  

Registration for students and parents is now live: www.strivescan.com/virtual  

The Strive Virtual College Exploration Week provides a robust and diverse schedule of events, with 300+ colleges from around the country. Colleges from our region and nationally will be sharing their expertise and knowledge, and we encourage you to use this platform to embark on your college exploration!

The 96 panel presentations include topics ranging from:

• Finding college fit
• Essay writing
• Visits (on-campus and virtual)
• In-state options vs. Going out of state

Every panel includes the perspectives from at least three different institutions and all presentations are 45 minutes in length. Student Registration: Students should register for each panel that they want to attend. Once they register, they’ll receive a confirmation email with their unique link to join the Zoom webinar. (Students will also receive a barcode, but the barcode is not necessary for this virtual event.)

Coalition for College Virtual College Fair - Thursday, April 23rd, 4 – 6 pm or 6:30 – 8:30 pm (EST)

Hear from admissions officers regarding these topics and more: “Tips on Creating Your College List”

Behind the Scenes: How Admissions Decisions Are Made.” Then visit virtual “rooms” where reps from more than 40 colleges will share an overview of their schools and answer your questions, live. Colleges like Harvey Mudd & Harvard, Tufts & University of Tampa, Cornell & Columbia will be participating! http://coalitionforcollegeaccess.org/april-2020-virtual-fair.html

College Block Party Tuesday & Wednesday, April 28th & 29th, 6 – 9 p.m (EST)

This is a FREE, two-day, after-school online event for high-school students from all grade levels, parents, and counselors. Drop-in, whenever you can, to get your questions answered. Participating Colleges Include: Colgate University, University of California Berkeley, Emory University, Washington University in St. Louis, and Tufts University!  Click Here to Download Schedule & Topics

Rhetorical Analysis Essay Prompt - April 13 - For Periods 4 and 5

Please click here if you'd like to download the prompt or display it on your device.

Go to Question 1: an excerpt from Rachel Carson's Silent Spring book. 

April 13 - 17

Welcome, AP! It's now mid-April, and hopefully most of you are more comfortable and used to online school. It's not the same, but I've enjoyed your insightful, high-level, and interesting discussions. As always, shoot me an e-mail if you have any questions, comments, or concerns. 

This week, we'll complete the first "in-class" rhetorical analysis essay since the middle of fall semester. Remember! You will receive feedback and a score. YOU will decide whether or not it is included in the Gradebook.


MONDAY: Students will log in to Zoom at the designated time, receive the prompt, and write an "in-class" simulated AP-style rhetorical analysis essay. I will post the prompt on the screen, and you'll have the entire period to finish, and extra time if you need. Please have notes printed out if possible, especially the reference sheets from the "HOT" list on the right-hand sidebar of this website. Type or handwrite the essay the way that you intend to complete the actual AP exam.

Due: Have a blank piece of paper, a few pencils or pens, the "Hot" reference sheets printed out, and a quiet space ready for Monday's class.

Homework: If typed, please upload the "in-class" essay to Turnitin.com immediately upon completion. If handwritten, take a picture of the essay pages and e-mail them to mogilefskya@pvpusd.net immediately upon completion.

If you take longer than the class period (45 minutes), draw a line or type a few asterisks where you were when the time was up, then continue writing.

WEDNESDAY: No online class today, please work independently. Please post answers to the questions in the Discussion Tab in Turnitin.com titled "April 15 - Rhetorical Analysis "In Class" Essay Writing Reflection."

Please read "There is no Unmarked Woman" (page 18) and "The Quiet Destruction of the American Teenager" (page 23) from the Gender Unit reading packet (pdf linked under "Class Handouts" on the right-hand sidebar of this website). Note the types of evidence and examples each speaker provides to support their arguments. If you prefer, feel free to listen as you read, or just listen by clicking the links below:

"There is No Unmarked Woman"
"The Quiet Destruction of the American Teenager"

FRIDAY: Log in to Zoom class. Online, verbal journal warm-up in breakout groups. Discuss the readings. Popcorn read "I Want a Wife" and analyze the rhetorical strategies as Judy Brady asserts her views about a woman's role in a typical household.  Introduce the prep for Tuesday's lesson, an online debate about whether or not women should be required to register for the draft the way that men currently do at age 18.

Due: Post answers to the questions in the Discussion Tab in Turnitin.com called "April 15 - Rhetorical Analysis "In Class" Essay Writing Reflection." Please read or listen to There is No Unmarked Woman" (page 18) and "The Quiet Destruction of the American Teenager"  (page 23) from the Gender Unit: Reading Packet.

Homework: AP Gender Debate Prep Worksheet. Please complete this assignment before next Tuesday to prepare for the debate: should women be required to register for the draft at age 18 the way that men do currently? When finished, please upload to Turnitin.com under the Assignment tab for your class.

April 6 - April 10

Welcome back! (Scroll past my note to get directly to the agenda.)

I was grateful for the timing of Spring Break. It allowed me to rest, plan and process the fact that I will have to give up some of the interactive class lessons and activities I was so looking forward to this year! I thought quite a bit about what is most important for your growth and your future, and how to deliver that to you in a way that is a good use of your time, as well as manageable.

Here's the agenda for the week:

TUESDAY: Live, Zoom meeting (see sidebar for times and login information). Go over updates from the College Board regarding the AP exam, as well as the game plan for this class. Discuss Paine argument prompts and options for rewrites. Read and discuss the 2019 rhetorical analysis free response question (a passage from Gandhi). Show where to find the latest version of the College Board's Rhetorical Analysis Rubric. 

Due: n/a

Homework: Using the newer, 2019 rubric that has a scale of 1-6, please score the sample Gandhi essays marked PP, J, and LL on the discussion board post in Turnitin.com marked "Gandhi Scoring," with a one sentence rationale for each. (If you want to score the other five essays, feel free, but we'll only cover these three in detail in class.)

THURSDAY: Live, online Zoom meeting. Discuss scoring and College Board commentary for each sample essay for the prompt we read on Tuesday. Discuss strategies for writing the rhetorical analysis essay on the AP exam, including which notes to have on hand (printed out if possible). Receive and walk through Graphic Organizer, Rhetorical Strategies What + How document, and Reference Sheet for Write it Out stage/Tone Words.

Homework: Read through the rest of the Gandhi student sample essays and College Board scoring and commentary.

Print all “Hot” reference docs out (if possible) sometime between Thursday evening and Monday’s class on April 13 and review them.  We'll simulate an online rhetorical analysis essay writing and submission on Monday. (Don't worry, you'll have extra time if you need it, and you will decide whether or not it goes into the Gradebook after you receive it back! )

Note: please send me an e-mail asap at mogilefskya@pvpusd.net if you don't have access to a reliable printer, and/or if you don't have access to a reliable chromebook/laptop/device for typing or sending the AP exam. I will confidentially get it worked out.

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This is the general game plan:

Monday/Tuesday and Thursday/Friday - live classes with ample use of the breakout rooms for small group discussion and connection. (Please see the sidebar for the schedule, which will follow the PVHS online schedule, plus login information.)

On the week that your class also meets on Wednesday, we'll be offline, watching the College Board AP videos that have been specifically designed to prep for the AP exam.

Note: I understand that student situations are quite varied; some students are bored and asking for more class work and practice, and others are suddenly in charge of child care for siblings, household work, and jobs outside of the home. Almost everyone is feeling stressed with the continuous and widespread uncertainty and the adjustment to having life change so much.  I will record the live sessions and post online for those that cannot be present for classes. Please reach out to me via e-mail at mogilefskya@pvpusd.net with any concerns or questions.

The focus for the last 10 weeks of school will be: 

1. Making sure you're confident and well-prepared for the significantly-revised AP exam on May 20. This involves writing practice with detailed feedback and writer's workshops, as well as reading a variety of passages.

2. Creating a good working draft of the college essay after the AP exam, so you'll be a little bit ahead going into the summer. (An alternative assignment is a three-page research paper on a job title of your choice.)

AP Updates: Rhetorical Analysis Essay, May 20, 11:00 a.m.

The College Board will post this tomorrow on its website, but there will be one rhetorical analysis passage on our AP exam this year. The date for the AP Language and Composition exam is Wednesday, May 20 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time.

• Students will have a choice of handwrite the essay/upload from a phone or type on a desktop/laptop and submit.
  
• Students will be able to use notes, but not each other. They said they are going to share some of their strategies to catch cheating students (or students planning to cheat), but not all of them. (Please do not go onto Reddit and post on message boards about AP exams, or any online forum!)
• Those with accommodations (IEPs) will have time automatically built into the delivery of their exams.
• Teachers will receive copies of their students' exams by May 26.
• The College Board will provide the ability to test the delivery system in a simulation beforehand, and will provide an AP Testing Guide at the end of April that will cover technical questions in greater depth.

I found this out less than an hour ago. I read an announcement that many colleges are offering credit for AP scores, and the UCs will give credit for a 3, 4, or 5 score. I know that for many students it's more important than ever to obtain college credits, and I'm strategizing over the rest of the break how to best prepare each of you. I hate surprises and I cannot tell you how excited I am to finally know the question type!

Please enjoy the rest of break, and take care of yourselves and your families! I'll post the week's schedule by Sunday night, and I look forward to seeing you Tuesday morning.