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.