Practice?

Want to practice Multiple Choice? Try here. 

Revise Here

Revise here. 

Contest Time

For those that received editor´s picks and were elected as number one articles, I recommend that you send to Teen Ink´s print magazine contests. These are more competitive but I think we stand a good chance at winning. Here are the nonfiction guidelines.

Over B-b-b-b-break

After setting a reasonable reading goal with your reading partner, complete the reading for class on our first day back. We´ll be having a large group discussion about questions presented therein. Be sure to keep actively reading using highlighting (if you own the book) or post-its. 

Good News!

Yes, really, some good news. Ivy League isn´t that hard after all, or that´s what this NYT article says.

Oh, So Clever

Read Chapters 20-23 of Thank You For Arguing in preparation for our discussion with the author. As usual focus on key terms and new vocabulary. Try coming up with examples from pop culture that you like.

Look out! Fallacies!

Read Chapters 14 and 15 of Thank You for Arguing. Note all of the fallacies. Choose one commercial. Embed it in your blog and then in a paragraph below identify the fallacies.

Hhhahahahahahahahahha!

For this weekend read Chapters 9 and 10. They relate to humor as a form of rhetoric. So I'm not laughing at you in this title, as it may otherwise appear. Make sure to come up with examples of each term given. Include pictures.

Logic, Old Chap

Identify the reasoning: is deductive or inductive logic at work?

Cover Letter?

For future reference here´s the cover letter template I´ve discussed in class. You want to use this to send to publications.

For Next Writers Workshop

Your final drafts of the opinion article are due Thursday 20th or Friday 21st. You must have them either digitally or printed out, in addition to be ready to demonstrate your cover letter. You should send them next week. We´ll be conferencing together about these the following week.

We need to come up with a rubric. Here´s my start.

A Week for Wonders

For Wednesday or Thursday bring in your most recent draft of your opinion article. Keep in mind audience and decorum. We'll create a rubric and have time for revision. 

For Friday or Monday read and blog about chapters 12 and 13. Come up with your own examples of deductive and inductive logic, in addition to commonplaces.

Finally, we´ll be having a reading quiz similar to the one we had in the past. You might want to review some of the terms we´ve learned this week. 

Guest Speaker

On Wednesday, November 5th November 12th at 2:15 a guest writer Deborah Schoeberlin David, from the Huffington Post. Come prepared to get tips on how to write, focus on tone and register. This will help you for our next summative assignment. I guarantee it. 

Writers Workshop Reminder

Don´t forget to bring your completed first draft of your opinion article to class.

Op-ed Article by Angelique Kidjo

Read this op-ed article by Malian singer Angelique Kidjo.

A. The tone of this article might be described as "concerned".

concerned

kənˈsəːnd/

adjective

1. worried, troubled, or anxious.

Identify three word choices that reveal her tone. Discuss their connotations.

B. Can you think of other places today that have been dehumanized because of fear?

Audience for Your Op-ed Piece

Not sure of where to send your op-ed? Take a look at these journals and their opinion pieces. Is yours targeting a similar audience? Would they be interested in your topic based on the other things that they've published?

Explore the following links. Take a look at a few of their op-eds they've published. For each link comment in your notebook whether or not this is fitting for your topic.

CNG's HS publication?

US publications?

US publications for teens?

English publication in Colombia?

For Next Week

Read chapters 1-5 of Thank You For Arguing. Chapters 1-3 are review; we've read them in class already.

For chapters 4-5, focus specifically on vocabulary. Identify your own examples of the terms and words that seem important to you. You might want to include video clips and photos. Don't forget that blogs are multi-media.

Long Break = Long Reading Assigment

Kidding! I'm kidding, sort of. It's not that long.

I'd like you to read fifty pages of your memoir. Many of you are near finishing. This will be our last blog about this book, so be sure to reflect on the book as a whole. Instead of what you thought of it, concentrate more on what was the purpose of the book. Why was it written? Was it effective?

Try again keeping these blogs informal, as that is the preferred diction for blogs in general.

Syllogism Exercises

You can find the syllogism exercises here.

AP Lang Reading Guide

Not sure what to read next? Which of the reading guide criteria have you already met?

Take a look.

Throughout the course of the year, you’ll have plenty of time to read about things you are interested in. However, part of reading is learning to appreciate things you aren't familiar with, but should be. If a book is good enough it can introduce us to a whole new way of looking at things. Also, there are topics and approaches that occur often on the exam. They appear because people in universities in the United States think they are important.

So, you must at some point this year read a book that fits one of the following categories.

Pre-20th Century Text:

Food-related reading/Nutrition/Animal Rights:

African-American Interests/Rights:

Women’s Point of View:

Latin America:

In addition you should at some point read one of each of these genres on your own. These can overlap with topics. In other words, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass would qualify as both memoir and as work relating to African-American rights.

Biography:

Memoir:

Hard Science/Math Book:

Full-length Work of Journalism:

In May you are to have completed one of each category.

Guest Speaker

On Wednesday, November 5th November 12th at 2:15 a guest writer Deborah Schoeberlin David, from the Huffington Post. Come prepared to get tips on how to write, focus on tone and register. This will help you for our next summative assignment. I guarantee it.

Reviewing Citation

This video by Ms. Amy Norman I found very helpful. If you want some pointers while blogging, try some of these techniques.

Semi-colon v Colon Exercises

Try these exercises on your own.

Time for Some Feedback...For Me

At this point in the year, you all have a pretty good idea of the class. I'd love some feedback in order to make the rest of the year even better. Please take some time to click on this link and complete the survey. 

Make sure you're logged into your account to respond. It doesn't however record your name, or at least I can't see who gives the feedback.

How to Use a Semi-Colon

Semi-colons are meant to use sparingly. If, on a very special occasion, you want to use one, refer to this video. 

Reading Independently

Respond to your partners reading blogs on their blog by Writers Workshop.

For Friday or Monday, write another reading blog in response to 30-35 pages of your memoir.

Life Skills Video

As we step into the perilous although exciting world of rhetoric, I'd like you to create a video blog entry in which you assess your life skills using this rubric - created by the high school. Do so by Monday or Tuesday. We´ll be watching and analyzing these together.

 

Machiavelli: devious advocate of "seeming"

Here´s an example from last year. 

Blog Models?

Looking for some inspiration try this blog entry. I'd only say that you might want to cite some text and do some visual vocabulary.

This Week's Reading

For our next class read 30-35 pages of your memoir and write one blog entry. Try really making this blog entry informal. Make it sound as authentic as possible.

An Exemplary Literacy Narrative From Class

Check out this, as of now, anonymous literacy narrative from our class. 

Register Explanation

Here you can find a modified version of an explanation of register from UNC.

Register Exercise Here

See the exercises here. 

Last Week Before Break

Complete one blog entry for next class. The entry should deal with the 25-30 pages of text. While writing consider your other reading partner as your audience. Think about how this might affect your word choice.

Over the break, read approximately fifty pages of your independent book (roughly an hour of reading). Be prepared to discuss the first 125 pages of your independent reading upon return; we'll have an in-class timed writing. This will be much like the Half a Life exam.

Submitting Your Literacy Narratives

If you'd like, submit your stories to the HS's literary journal. Email your stories to Ms. Pettyway at alpettway@cng.edu

Reading Weekly

Read the first fifty pages of your memoirs by Friday or next Monday. In a blog entry, discuss what interests you or does not interest you about the book. If possible try guessing what might be the dominant tone of your memoir.

Here are some additional titles available for purchase only:

Here is our reading guide.

Literacy Narrative Rubric

In class, let's work on this literacy narrative rubric. What have we learned about writing in the past few weeks? What have our workshops been aiming towards?

Pathos, Logos, Ethos

You can review today´s lesson here. 

Writers Workshop Reminder

Don't forget to revise your literacy narratives to include appositive phrases. You should have them either written out, printed out, or on a computer or iPad. Phones aren't an effective device for revision.

Free At Last

Finish Douglass' memoir by Friday or next Monday. In your entry discuss why Douglass ends his memoir where he does. Remember his life continued and as we learned in the PBS documentary, there were many interesting developments. So why end his memoir there?

Quizzical!

We´ll have our first in class quiz. It´ll be a reading passage and ten questions. It will be a passage from Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglass. It is a comprehension exam in general and from an actual AP Exam.

This will be in class next Friday the 19th or next Monday the 22nd, depending on when we meet. It will only be twenty minutes long.

Douglass' Struggle

As you read further into Douglass' journey, be sure to note Douglass' description of himself. According to Douglass, who is Douglass? This may seem trite, but is important for us in issues of rhetoric. This blog needs to be completed by Friday or Monday. Feel free to comment informally on one another's blogs as well.

Writers Workshop on Dialogue

You can find tips for writing dialogue here. We´ll be using this in class.

For next Writers Workshop bring in your completed literacy narrative drafts. This means completing what we began in class. You may also decide to scrap what you started. That´s part of a typical revision process.

Douglass' Purpose

For class on Friday or next Monday complete one reading blog. You might want to begin looking at purpose. Think about why certain details were included. What do they show?

Writers Workshop: Embedding Quotations

Revisions

Revise your first blog entry, incorporating what we learned in Writers Workshop this week about embedded quotations. Have those revisions ready for our next class (be it Friday or next Monday).

Douglass

For Wednesday, complete one reading blog in response to Fredrick Douglass´s memoir.

What Is a Reading Blog?

Reading to Blog

What's more important the book or our interpretations of the book? Can there be a book without there being interpretation? We'll be able to answer some of those questions after we've recorded our relationships with the books we read.

In order to preserve paper, as well as to promote our communication with the academic world outside of CNG, we'll be keeping blogs about the books we read.

You will write your own blogs, and respond to your blogs as prescribed by your weekly homework blog entry. You should not approach each blog the same way. With variety comes varied thought; therefore, I hope you focus on different topics and take different approaches in each entry.

Imagine you have been assigned "The Three Little Pigs" for homework. To write a reading blog based on this reading here are some possibilities:

-Respond to the text personally: 

I never had my house blown down by a wolf, but I have felt loss. For example, I once abandoned my favorite apartment. I left most of my furniture there, some clothes, even a television!

-Connect text to another book, a film, work of art, a comic or any other creation: 

The Three Little Pigs reminds me of The Matrix. When the Wolf "huffed and puffed and blew his house down" he acted just as Morpheus did for Reeve's character. Suddenly, Reeves was without the security he once felt.

-Ask questions to later answer:

What might the grandmother represent? Why would the Wolf want to blow down the houses? How might I write a better ending? I would then maybe answer these questions in later blogs. 

-Visual Vocabulary 

Select the words you think it was important to define in the text. Match a picture to it on your blog post. 

-Hyperlink 

You might want to use the 21^st century's answer to footnotes when you're talking about something that is not common knowledge. We'll do a demo of how to insert a hyperlink in class.

You may use any combination of these, or you can write your own type of entries. Let your reading guide your entries. We'll take a look at them next week in class and in conferences.

Take a look at this example from a student last year.

Also, when we have assigned reading - whether in literary circles or class reading - you will read between 25-30 pages. You can decide where your reading begins or ends. 

Summer Reading Assessment

In preparation for our summer reading exam Thursday or Friday please annotate your summer reading novels. Be ready to cite from the text as it is open book. This also means you should bring in Half a Life by Darin Strauss. 

Questions for in-class discussion about Half a Life

See them here.

Create Your Reading Blog

1. Watch this video:

2. Go to www.blogger.com.

3. Follow the steps for create a blog. You'll want to use your CNG gmail account for this.

4. Use CCOA to come up with a title.

5. When finished you must comment on this blog post (and this blog post only). This will provide me with a link with which to enter your blog.

Capitalization Exercises

1. I read To Kill A Mockingbird when I was in High School. 
2. We went to Maui for vacation last year.
3. I don’t drink Coke, but I’d love a Diet Soda.
4. I hear you’re learning to speak french. I would love to go to France.
5. Jamie and Jonathon went to their high school dance together last May.
6. My Father-in-Law took me to a Chicago Cubs game; He doesn’t know I’m a White Sox fan.
7. Jessica’s dad, Dr. Johnson, wants her to be a Doctor as well.
8. Jeremy went to Alexander community college for two years. 
9. My sister’s new boyfriend is italian. 
10. We traveled South on vacation because my dad wanted to study Civil War history.

Welcome to the Unending Conversation

"Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, a discussion too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so that no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense; another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending upon the quality of your ally's assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress." Kenneth Burke

School Supplies

Above is a political cartoon - and as such, should not to be taken literally. These are the kinds of texts you'll find on the test.

Now, seriously you all need:

- 1 gluestick
- multi-colored post-its 
- preferibly some kind of electronic word processor for Writers Workshop.

Your first homework assignment will be to bring all of these to our next class, in addition to our summer reading.

Mario Balotelli Profile

Read this profile for the Read Now.

A. Is this narration or exposition? Cite two sentences that exemplify this.
B. Define "diaspora". How is Balotelli an example of this?
C. If this is a profile article, how would you describe a profile article? How is this different from an op-ed or informative article?
D. In the last paragraph of the article how does the author use the "penalty kick"? What literary/rhetorical device is this?
E. According to the author, how is Balotelli a representation of Europe's future?

Rubric for Final Assessment

Here's the rubric for our final assessment to be presented during our exam block. Regardless of whether you'll write an op-ed or a profile or a Galeano-style crónica, your project should be between 1,000 and 1,500 words.

Watching Activity

While watching "Two Escobars" in class, identify and analyze any three shots. In a brief paragraph for each one, discuss the use of visual rhetoric in order to achieve their purpose. (You might want to use a rhetorical triangle.) When we're done we'll discuss whether or not we agree with the Zimbalist's purpose.

Read Now Ronaldo

Please read this article about Ronaldo from last week's times. When finished, answer the following questions.

A.  Where is Ronaldo from? Describe his origin according to the author.
B.  Explain the inclusion of the award from the Scandanavian branch of Manchester United fans. What does this exemplify?
C. Define "brash". How was it used in this article?
D. Why is it ironic that Ronaldo did not want to leave?
E. What is his article about? What's its purporse?
F. Would you come back if you found success outside of Colombia? Why? Why not?
G. Comment on the article on the NYT website.

The Last Reading Blogs!

Comeplete a blog entry after every class we have this week. That means you should be reading 20-25 pages of your book and writing about it. Be sure to include visual vocabulary.

Today I'd like you to read this article in the NYT and respon in a brief blog. Be sure to include visual vocabulary.

When finished you can read this article about the relation between Champions League and the World Cup.

No Final

After talking with everyone and figuring out the schedule, I´ve decided that there will be no class final. Our only final will have been the AP exam. In this case we will still have one last activity together: a satirical graduation speech.

Pretend you are delivering a speech at graduation. You are a graduate asked to address everyone in honor of the occasion. The speech should be 6-8 minutes long.

Each speech will be specifically graded on its inclusion of all characteristics of satire (hyperbole, irony, absurdity and a target - probably graduation speeches). In addition you might include banter, wit, facetiousness and urbane humor.

Please pick up a graduation speech packet available in my classroom with examples. We'll be studying Andy Sandberg's, Will Ferrell's, Ellen Degenares's and Amy Poehler's. All of these can be found easily online as well, should you want to watch them instead of reading them (or doing both). These should be posted by May 21st. 

Responding to Rodó

As a citizen of the Americans, respond to Jose Enrique Rodó´s Ariel in a video blog. Cite any words you don´t understand or aren´t sure of, then do the research to discuss them and their role in the text. Be sure to talk about The Tempest as an ALLEGORY.

Feedback (Feedback)

For our next class, listen to my audio feedback. Write or record a brief response in which you discuss or explain some of the points I make in my commentary.

Date for Our Peformances

After the poll, and given some other exams that week, we've decided to perform your scenes from  The Tempest on Thursday May 15th and Friday, May 16th. This will take place in class.

For Friday or Monday

Read Gabriel García Márquez´s Nobel acceptance speech. In preparation for our timed writing next week (Question 2), analyze his speech rhetorically. Do not simply note pathos and ethos, etc. but spend more time on devices he uses, diction he employs and the audience he is addressing. Draw a rhetorical triangle as well. You can also use your study guide.

So we'll have our last multiple choice exam on Monday.

Then on Wednesday April 30th, we'll have our last timed writing exercise. It will be the rhetorical analysis.

These will both be summative.

For Wednesday

Write a blog entry in response to an excerpt of this article about The Tempest. In your response discuss the role you believe Colombia might play in this writer's theory.

I should warn you this is difficult; however, it is representative of the kinds of text you'll find confronting you May 9th. 

For our papers, in Turnitin.com you must join my class.

Here is the number 7922862

And the p-word is Rhetoric.

How to Write Your References?

For our paper due Friday, here are some tips on creating your page of references.

Caliban in Latin American History

In class I mentioned a few anecdotal examples of The Tempest in Latin America. There are for sure many more, but I wanted to share the links with you for consideration.

For Writer's Workshop

Have your sources available for our Writers Workshop this week.

Rubric for Final Draft

Here's our working rubric so far. Please contribute.

Feedback Time

When you get the chance please complete this survey.

Counterargument

Here´s a brief guide to counterargument from Harvard.

Next week´s final draft should include one counterargument.

Samples For Help

Your classmates were very kind and have agreed that I share their papers and names. Remember this is what a 4 looks like. Here are three samples.

You must complete your 4-5 page paper for our next Writers Workshop. Have it in class either digitally or printed. Phones don't count. 

Momentous Points

In prepartion for your own performances of scenes from The Tempest by William Shakespeare, you might consider checking out this Russian production of the same play here in Bogotá. Send me a picture of you, your ticket, inside the theater and recieve momentous points.

Synthesis Essay Review for Those That Have Taken AP US History

Here's an article you might find useful for our exams next week. It's for teachers - but I'm sure you can translate it to your position as a student.

For Next Writers Workshop

Bring in your first draft of your paper -  3 pages minimum. This does not have to be printed, but if not needs to be on an iPad or laptop.

Writers Workshop Exercises

Try these exercises.

For Next Writers Workshop

Bring in the sources you are considering for our paper. 

...

...Another great article from Slate. This one is again about language but about the ellipsis...Read it, write about it and comment about someone else's blog from your section.

In addition, bring in your three paper topics about language for Writers Workshop.

Finally Friday we will have another multiple choice test with around 50 multiple choice questions. 

Tweeting for Old People

Write a blog response to this article. Be sure to hyperlink the title of the article in your blog.

English teachers wrong? Imnpossible!

"Here’s a chilling thought: What if our English teachers were wrong? Maybe not about everything, but about a few memorable lessons. " 

I found an interesting (and relevant) debate over at the New York Times about grammar rules.  Read both sides of the argument and in one blog entry choose a side. You should also define important terms (i.e, descriptivist, and prescriptivist). It might be a good idea to look at what rhetorical modes they're manipulating.

Revisions Due

Please don´t forget to turn in your revisions with transitional phrases and new ways of ending your essay. Leave them in the inbox by Friday.

Writers Workshop Exercises

Let's try some review. Try these exercises on dangling or misplaced modifiers.

Comics!

You have tonight and tomorrow night to get working on those comics.

I'll lock the rubric after Writers Workshop on Wednesday.

Contribute to Our Rubric Here

Click here.

Dangling Modifiers

Please watch this video.

We´ll discuss it.

Then complete these exercises.  Don´t worry, it´s easy!

For Friday or Monday

Listen to Act 2 and Act 4 of This American Life episode about superheroes. Write a blog entry in which you discuss the juxtaposition of these two stories. Think about tone, in addition to diction and syntax.

Write Now

Here it is.

What Everyone Has Been Waiting For

New, imrpoved tone word sheet. I´ll print these and give them to you in March, but in the mean time use this link.

Olympic Reading

Read this article about the Winter Olympics and write a response on your blog.

For Writers Workshop

We have a little more than week to complete our comic projects. The concept is simple: create a comic with a very clear purpose. It might be didactic. It might be critical. It might be self-reflective. It should have a specific audience. Whether you are an artist or a writer, bring in at least one page of material to work with. We'll use these to plan during our next class.

Also, bring in your completed revisions of the timed writing exercise.

Conclusion Writing Source

You can find the source here.

Writers Workshop Exercises

See them here.

For Monday

Be sure to continue your reading of your graphic novels. Given that the content is often easier with the pictures, I'd like you to read 50-60 pages of your graphic novel. This may mean you have either finished or will finish; as such, pick out a new work of graphic non-fiction to read.

In addition, try incorporating some of the bigger questions about perception, icons, etc. that McCloud plants. 

For Wednesday

Be sure to bring in your revisions of the Question 2 response from our final exam. Remember use a transitional phrase between each paragraph.

OPTIC search

Here are the photos you should analyze using OPTIC.

Transitional Phrases

Here are some transitional phrases for you.

Weekend Reading

For Monday read another 50-60 pages of your graphic novel. Include visual vocabulary. Also take pictures of panels that you analyze. Place these pictures in your blog. Be sure to mention the effects of juxtaposition.

Comical

This week have one reading blog complete for 50-60 pages of your graphic novel. Be sure to include visual vocabulary and photos of panels you find interesting. Try to apply key terms from class in your entries.

Late or Never

I didn't have a change to post more multiple choice practice as you had asked for. Preparing the finals took longer than I expected.

If you're interested in practicing you can google multiple choice and AP English Language and Composition or click on this link.

If you're interested in a review book - some of you have purchased this already - try 5 Steps to a 5.

Homework

There is no homework this week due to finals, etc. When we return we may have to put these books on the side and do some group reading for three weeks, while we learn about comics. We´ll be reading Understanding Comics (if you want to get a head start).

To Sleep To Dream

This weekend you do not have to blog about your reading, but only read. How will I know? You will use post-its and stop and jots (a minimum of three).

As for blogging I'd like a written response to this article in the NYT about sleep. Be sure to include a hyperlink. I know many of you are sleep deprived so I thought it'd be relevant.

Trip?

As I've mentioned in class, the film 12 Years a Slave - now winner of Best Drama by the Golden Globes - is based on a slave narrative, like the Douglass' that we read.

Should we wait and see if it comes to theaters or should we watch this in the theater in school one day (a viewing, if you will)?

Vlogging

Yes, the day has come. This week instead of writing a reading blog, you may write a reading vlog - that is a video in which you react to the text. In essence, this is entirely the same exercise. If you're reading the same book as someone else you may do this in pairs.

Here's an example from a different class:

This week's Writers Workshop will focus on citing text. Bring in your last timed writing to have a look at how we're citing text.

On Friday we will have a practice quiz. I call it practice because it will not be graded. This is to prepare us for the extended multiple choice questions section on next week's final.

Review Sheet for Mid-Term

Here you can find a review sheet that covers many of the terms that may appear on our mid-term exam January 22nd. Some of this doesn't apply to our class, but I prefer taking it from another source as all classes tend to have their own individual focus, not necesarrily reflected in the exam itself.

Outside Reading

Continue to read outside of class. If you need or would like a new book for this new year you are welcome to read one. You may consider reading a biography. They tend to be long, but easy and engaging.