End of Year Survey 2008-2009

1. Complete end of year survey here. Please apend 20 - 30 minutes on this as it will be extremely helpful for next year's class.

2. Send your most recent email address to hughesrory@gmail.com

3. Graduating Seniors: Keep in touch!

AP Project Links

Assignment Sheet

AP Book List

Internet Movie Database

Index of Film Terminology

How to Write About Film

MLA Formatting Help

Sample MLA Heading

AP Review

AP Lit Final Review

MULTIPLE CHOICE

• Count the passages for time management.
• Rank passages from easiest to hardest.
• Do the math.
• Okay to skip a passage if you do really well on the rest.
• POE (Process of Elimination)
• Eliminate easiest questions, then come back to hardest.
• No blind guesses.
• 1/2 bad = all bad.
• Preview questions.
• Read for main idea.
• (Poetry) Read twice before answering qs.
• Don’t worry about deeper meanings the first time through.
• Ignore line breaks—read as if it’s sentences.
• When in doubt, pick answer that agrees with main idea.
• Pick answers that agree with each other.

·       If confused, answers can help you understand.

·       For general qs, look for answer that describes entire passage.

·       Pay close attention to wording of qs

·       Check time at last passage.

·       If 7 min or less, use 7 min passage technique (don’t read passage—go from qs requiring no knowledge to those requiring complete knowledge)

• Read before and after line references
• Don’t worry about scansion (IP)
• On EXCEPT, NOT, and LEAST qs, eliminate negative word and eliminate all answers that fit remaining qs.

 

WRITING

• 40 min per essay
• easiest 1^st, hardest last
• AP – answer the prompt

·       Idea machine—hidden q is first question

• Don’t worry about being wrong; have confidence in your interpretation
• Identify key words in essay prompt
• Do get attention and answer prompt in intro
• Body par: clear topic, provide and explain evidence
• Conclusion:  have one, add something!
• Do not ignore or restate prompt
• Do not have more quotes/plot summary than analysis
• Do not have hurried concl that restates intro
• Shakespeare is recommended
• Do not write about non-fiction

 

TEWWG Non-fiction piece

Read the following article and answer the following questions as a comment. Your answers should be detailed and in complete sentences. You may want www.dictionary.com open as you read.

1. What is Voodoo?
2. What is Smith's thesis?
3. Define syncretization.
4. Why is Voodoo an appropriate religion for Hurston to draw from in Their Eyes?
5. What are the two classes of Voodoo loa and how are they different?
6. How does Hurston present Voodoo as a viable religion?
7. Who is Erzulie Freda and in what ways does Janie resemble her, physically and otherwise?
8. According to Smith, what is the significance of the pear tree?
9. To what Voodoo figure is teacake compared and what is the significance?
10. Why, according to Smith, does Teacake slap Janie?
11. What, according to Metreaux, is the Voodoo concept of God and how/why does it fit with Hurston's message?
12. According to Smith, how has Janie changed upon her return to Eatonville?
13. Paraphrase Janie's lesson about the "importance of self-determination."
14. According to Smith, what is the "alternate path to selfhood" embodied by Janie?

Their Eyes Were Watching God - Socratic Seminar Prep

The Socratic Seminar for Their Eyes has been moved back to tomorrow in order to give you more time to prepare. Today, you will be creating a list of 20 guiding questions for tomorrow's discussion, which feed into one overarching question. You are to post this guide as a comment on the post you are reading now. In order to do that, click on the word "comment" at the bottom of this post.

Coming up with provocative questions is not easy, but it is a lot easier with an overarching question, which should:

1) Address a central theme of the book.
2) Place that theme within the context of the world in general, either now, at the time of the book's publishing, or both.

From there you craft questions (10 of which must refer to specific passages in the book) and "feed" into the larger question. For example:

OVERARCHING QUESTION

What is the message of Their Eyes Were Watching God regarding the role of women and how does Hurston communicate that message?

FOLLOWUP QUESTIONS

1. Consider the scene by the pear tree on p. 10 and 11. What might Janie's experience be symbolizing in terms of the empowerment of women and sexuality.

2....

You may work in pairs.

AP Review

For next week's final, you'll need to master the vocabulary words from the sheet I handed out earlier this week. From that list you will create a set of flashcards at Quizlet. Today, go to Quizlet and:

1. Create an account
2. Create your own set from the list--you'll need to use a print or online dictionary.
3. Play the games and test yourself. You should be at 100% by finals time.

Death of a Salesman Reading Guide

Thoroughly answer ALL of the questions from the reading guide, which you can find here. Thorough means at least one paragraph.  Bring your completed guide to class on 1/5 and be ready for a test.

Metamorphosis Intro

In The Metamorphosis, Franz Kafka introduces the existential character, Gregor Samsa, who turns into a gigantic bug.  Eventually this causes another metamorhophosis to occur to his younger sister Grete.  While Gregor undergoes a physical change, Grete transforms from child to adult.  Gregor and Grete's metamorphoses contribute to Kafka's overall meaning, which is:  in the end everyone is alone and will die that way.

Poetry Essay Revisions

For today, you are to complete revisions from yesterday and then follow the same steps for your poetry prompt.

Metamorphosis Writing Prompt - Peer Revisions

Your assignment today is to:

1. Type your Metamorphosis essay as a blog post.

2. Read, make extensive comments on, and score yours and 3 of your colleagues' essays using the AP General Rubric and the Writing Commandments.

Here are the groups:

1
Rebecca B.
Brian C.
Jahleia C.
Kelley

2
Jaclyn
Gil
Nicole F.
Jazz

3
Michelle
Nikki
Ranika
Brittaney M

4
Charles
Shantanique
Elle


5
Alexis
Elaine
Alex
Brittany O.

6
Jacqui P.
Biance P.
Charleen S.
James T.

7
Virginia
Brittanie W.
Kristal W.
Lorena W.

The Metamorphosis - Ch 3 questions

1) Post detailed, thoughtful answers to 10 of the following questions to your blog. When completed, print your answers, which will be your ticket for tomorrow's discussion.

1. Why was his family so selfish that they couldn’t help him when he needed them the most?
2. When Gregor was working his parent’s dept off he was thinking about them so why did they exclude him?
3. Do you think that they move the furniture in the room to kill him faster?
4. Does Gregor's family blame him for their present situation?
5. Why does Gregor feel depression at his family's reaction to him?
6. Does Gregor's family feel sadness at his death? Relief?
7. Why does Gregor want to kidnap his sister when he hears her playing the violin?4.Why does Gregor's family stop believing that the bug Gregor is really Gregor?
8. How does Gregor's family get over losing Gregor so quickly?
9. What was the significance of Gregor dying?2. Why did the whole family just get up and leave? Does Gregor's father feel any remorse at all?
10. Why did Grete call Gregor a monster?
11. Why is the family more quiet at meal times?
12. Why does Gregor stop eating?
13. How does this chapter satirize American families today?
14. Why does Grete all of the sudden start playing her violin now?
15. If Gregor is a bug, why do his feelings tend to be more humane than when he was a human?
16. Why does the family abandon Gregor?
17. Why does Gregor still have love and affection for his family even after they start to forget about him?
18. How long has Gregor been in the room before he dies?
19. What is the significance of the violin? Of all the choices of instruments, why does Kafka choose the violin for Grete to play?
20. Why does Grete NOW choose to get a job? Both her parents are getting them so what is the point?
21. Is there significance why the Maid finds Gregor dead and not one of his family members? After Gregor turns into a bug, he mentions that his family sometimes go on walks together.
22. The third paragraph from the end of the chapter says that once the 3 family members left, they all went on a walk together and that they "absolutely needed one". Is there a tie between the first and last thought of the family walking?
23. Why did Kafka make Gregor die?

2) Go to Quizlet and search "AP Poetry Terms." Then take the test until you get 100%. Make sure the test is 56 questions.

The Metamorphosis Reading Guide

Dear AP Student-

Please download and print The Metamorphosis study guide here and complete over Thanksgiving break as you read.

I took another look and you will be completing ALL activities.

Poetry Questions

Choose 10 to answer for each of the poems in the packet and be prepared to discuss Monday. 

Find the questions here.

"Why The Future Doesn't Need Us" By Bill Joy

Read link here: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/8.04/joy.html

What is Joy's thesis? How/can humans avoid becoming obsolete and/or unnecessary? How are institutions contributing to this "inevitability?" How would Huxley respond to Joy's article? What rhetorical strategies does Joy employ in his piece? Do you think Joy is a fear monger? Comment on Joy's use of literary devices. How do they contribute to the message/meaning of the piece as a whole? How does this article connect to BNW?

Welcome to AP English 2008-2009

Task #1:

1.  Create a Google Account.

2.  Comment on this post with your name and three college choices.

Schedule for next two weeks

AP Lit & Comp Students-

You have 6 days in school to accomplish the following:

1. Finish Their Eyes Were Watching God.
   
2. Post an AP Style question appropriate to the book.
   
3. Post an answer the the question.
   
4. Score yourself using the 9-point AP Scale.
   
5. Repeat steps 1-4 for a book of literary merit.  You can find these at apcentral.collegeboard.com or you can email me for approval.

The final will be a mini-version of the actual AP Test.  I'm trying to get you guys in the lab every day so you can do college app stuff if you finish early.

HAPPY 2008

Blog Response #11: 2007 Writing Prompt (Form B)

Survey

Take Ms. P's survey here.

Post responses as comments.

Blog Response #10: "Dead Poets Society"

In lieu of a writing prompt you'll be writing a response to "Dead Poets Society," which is due at 6 pm Sunday.  In the response you are to:

1. Rate the film on a scale of 1 to 10.
2. Justify your rating.
3. Explain its relevance to studying poetry.
   
4. Argue for/against showing this film in future AP classes. 
   

for Monday 11/26

1.  choose a a poem or song.

2.  do a close reading like i did with "sky blue sky."

3.  make 18 copies or email me the text and i'll make copies.

4.  post the lyrics to your blog.