January 27 - 31

We're starting out second semester with the Argument Unit and The Great Gatsby - two of my favorite topics. We brainstormed examples and evidence for a sample argument prompt, and will soon be writing in this new essay style (next week).

From what I can tell in class, many of you are reading the Gatsby chapters as they are assigned, which is great. I cannot stress how important it is to set aside the time to do the reading. The College Board's guidelines ask that students in an AP class spend an average of eight hours on that class per week, including time spent in and out of the classroom. The AP Lang exam in May, less than four months from now, is truly a reading test above all else, even for the essay portion. In addition to the upcoming exam, there are many reasons why doing the assigned reading is important: you are reading and evaluating a famous and frequently-referenced book and forming an opinion for yourself, not just reciting what Sparknotes has told you to think about the book. You're also gaining vocabulary and sentence structure information as you read. If all of that is not enough, reading will be tested on the quizzes, and I have read Sparknotes as well as seen all of the Gatsby movies. Please give yourself the time to relax and read.   

One other beginning-of-the-semester refresher: I will absolutely accept assignments by e-mail if you have an unforeseen problem with a printer. In this case, I need to receive the e-mail before the assignment is due in class. If you know you don't have a printer, then please neatly handwrite the assignment and have it ready when it's collected in class.

TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Argument practice with samples and a prompt. Gatsby party description compare and contrast activity. Reading from Gatsby.
 
Due: Read the rest of Chapter 2 and 3 of Gatsby before class. Know all of the details before we meet as a class.

Albert i.o. practice - Assignment #3, "The Slum Crisis."

Homework:  Please read Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby for Thursday. Have an opinion about the controversial Meyer Wolfshiem character. Was Fitzgerald's portrayal of this character a commentary about how difficult it was for a Jewish person to be fully accepted into the upper echelon, or was he himself reflecting the anti-Semitic attitudes of the time?

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up. Quiz covering AP vocabulary sheet, grammar, and Gatsby reading. Read a new argument prompt and, individually in class, write a thesis and brainstorm evidence and examples on the prompt. Fallacies in argument: learn 2 more. Begin reading and acting out Chapter 5 of Gatsby.

Due: Read Chapter 4 of The Great Gatsby.  Be ready to share your opinion about the Meyer Wolfshiem character.

Homework: Study the current events e-mails for next week, Sunday through Wednesday, for the quiz next Friday.

Finish reading Chapter 5 and 6 of The Great Gatsby.

Finish the AP Character Nomination Form for Gatsby and have it ready at the beginning of next class.

Spring Semester!

Welcome to Second Semester! I'm excited to delve further into the Argument Unit with you, and to begin reading The Great Gatsby.

There is no quiz this week. Next week, we'll begin with a vocabulary/grammar/reading quiz on Thursday, January 30.

MONDAY: NO SCHOOL - Martin Luther King, Jr. holiday.

WEDNESDAY: Journal warm-up. Argument notes: evidence and examples. Introduction to The Great Gatsby. Pick up Gatsby after warm-up and begin reading.

Due: Assignment #2 in Albert i.o. One short set provides practice with writing/editing questions, and the other reading comprehension. You'll see both types on the AP Lang exam in May.

Homework: Please finish reading Gatsby, Chapter 1, and the AP Gatsby Song Assignment.

FRIDAY: Collect Gatsby song assignment. Receive vocabulary sheet for the quiz next week. Beginning of period - IAB practice in Computer Lab. Sample argument prompt practice. Review Chapter 1 and begin reading Chapter 2 of Gatsby.

Due: Please finish reading Gatsby, Chapter 1, and the Gatsby Song Assignment.

Homework: Read the rest of Chapter 2 and 3 of Gatsby.

Albert i.o. practice - Assignment #3, The Slum Crisis

January 13 - 17 Finals Week

It's finals week! As I mentioned in class, I consider the Rhetorical Historical paper to be the true final for the semester, but we will have a multiple choice test this week, worth approximately 5% of the grade.

If you turned in late work, please be patient. Although it's just for partial credit, I tend to receive quite a bit of grading from all of my classes around the final due date. Late work will generally be in the Gradebook before your final, in the order received.

MONDAY: Journal warm-up. Go over JFK speech from the Rhetorical Analysis Packet. Behind the scenes of "I have a dream." Watch and analyze Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream" speech.

Due: Read through the inaugural speech by President John F. Kennedy on pages 40-41 of the Rhetorical Analysis Packet, annotating for rhetorical devices/appeals. Then, read page 42. Please bring the annotated pages on Monday, January 13.

Homework: Study the Study Guide.


TUESDAY: Zero period final, all-class review day. Journal warm-up. Baseball-style review session.

Due: n/a

Homework: Study the Study Guide. 


THURSDAY: Fourth period final at 8:00 a.m.

FRIDAY: Fifth period final at 8:00 a.m.

Due: n/a

Homework: Assignment #2 in Albert i.o. One short set provides practice with writing/editing questions, and the other reading comprehension. You'll see both types on the AP Lang exam in May. 

Enjoy the three-day MLK holiday!
I look forward to second semester with you.

Happy New Year! January 6 - 10

Welcome back and happy new year!


I hope everyone had a fun and relaxing Winter Break. I spent time in Los Angeles and read The Righteous Mind, Why Good People are Divided about by Politics and Religion, short stories from the David Foster Wallace Reader, and just started the novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. I watched Star Wars, Marriage Story, The Morning Show, and Parasite. I also read some very interesting Rhetorical Historical research papers from Turnitin.com.  :-)

Please note that there are no more weekly quizzes until next semester. Also, the last day to turn in make-up work for partial credit is Friday, January 10 at 11:59 p.m. PST. To be fair to all students, I can't make any exceptions to that cut-off time, and I need time to grade everything and post it to Aeries. 


TUESDAY: Journal warm-up. Overall feedback for the Rhetorical Historical Research Paper. Study Guides/final. Intro to argument unit. Notes: Defend/Challenge/Qualify positions for argument. Read and analyze short arguments about a current event and simulate the California State Senate as you debate and discuss, then vote as a class. 

Due: N/A

Homework: Write a short (one-page or less) review of a book, movie, TV show, or video game you read/watched/played over break and whether or not you recommend it. Be sure to write why you would recommend or not recommend your selection. Please bring this to class on Thursday.

THURSDAY: Journal warm-up. CAASPP practice on Chromebooks. Notes: arguable claims and types of claims. Evaluate your own reviews. Learn 3 more fallacies, group exercise with fallacies.

Due: Write a short (one-page or less) review of a book, movie, TV show, or video game you read/watched/played over break and whether or not you recommend it. Be sure to write why you would recommend or not recommend your selection.

Homework: Read through the inaugural speech by President John F. Kennedy on pages 40-41 of the Rhetorical Analysis Packet, annotating for rhetorical devices/appeals. Then, read page 42. Please bring the annotated pages on Monday, January 13.