AGENDA 4/29

Grammar Practice: Comparison Errors #2
Review first multiple choice passage from full-length test (questions 1-14)
Begin discussing "Learning to Read" by Malcolm X and "Learning to Read and Write" by Frederick Douglass (pages 109-113 in The McGraw-Hill Reader)

HW: Complete two rhetorical terms entries on humor devices using God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as your example source (due Monday). Read "When Bright Girls Decide That Math is a Waste of Time" by Susan Jacoby, pages 140-142 in The McGraw-Hill Reader and "America Skips School" by Benjamin Barber, pages 153-162 in The McGraw-Hill Reader in preparation for Tuesday's seminar.

AGENDA 4/27

Finish seminars on God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and "Where I Lived and What I Lived For"

HW: Complete quickwrite questions on front of packet, then read Frederick Douglass' "Learning to Read and Write" on pages 109-113 of the McGraw-Hill Reader and Malcolm X's "Learning to Read." Be prepared to discuss all of this tomorrow.

AGENDA 4/25

WELCOME BACK!

Reminder: Final AP Practice Test is tomorrow, Tuesday, 4/26 after school in room T208.

Vocabulary warm-up #1 from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater vocabulary list

Read "Where I Lived, and What I Lived For" by Henry David Thoreau in preparation for tomorrow's seminar

HW: Prepare for tomorrow's seminar by selecting quotations, writing questions, or preparing comments from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and from Thoreau's "Where I Lived." Complete two rhetorical terms entries using humor devices and any passages from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater as your examples, due Monday. Bring McGraw-Hill Reader to class on Wednesday.

AGENDA 4/8

Finish introducing vocabulary from God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater
Discuss last-minute tips for synthesis:
TIMING

• Not a fair fight. Don’t forget about rhetorical and argument! Remember that some people squander their time and write synthesis for 60 minutes, composing a 5-page masterpiece. When the proctor says it's been 40 minutes and it's time to move on, move on!
  

AP = Answer the Prompt!

• Remember, it's the stuff in the ASSIGNMENT section of the prompt that you actually have to write about; the "Introduction" is just to get you thinking--it isn't the prompt!
  

CREATE A CONVERSATION

• Include two details from single source throughout paragraph; get sources talking to each other
• ALWAYS link back to specifics from thesis
  

VISUAL SOURCES

• Describe details and discuss implications or meaning: what do we literally SEE on the page? Then, what might it symbolize or represent? How does it inform the argument?
  

“Nowadays” = It's only ONE word. But don't use it. Replace with "in today’s society," or "in contemporary life," to make your writing more formal and sophisticated.

Sample Rhetorical Analysis of The Onion's “Dollar Bill On Floor Sends Wall Street Into Frenzy,” which sadly, I did not fully complete.

HW: Read God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater and be ready to discuss its ideas, argument, themes and use of humor devices. Have a restful, safe, productive, and enjoyable Spring Break!!!

AGENDA 4/7

Continue to introduce new vocabulary
Finish Humor and Satire PowerPoint and Cloze Notes
Read "Dollar Bill On Floor Sends Wall Street Into Frenzy" and discuss
Sample rhetorical analysis essay for "Dollar Bill" article

HW: Continue to practice and prepare for full-length practice tests (spring final exam) on 4/10, 4/20, or 4/26. Continue drafting and revising Gatsby papers, due on 4/8, 4/10, or 4/20. If you want to submit your Gatsby paper after 4/20 you will need to ask for an extension.

AGENDA 3/31

happy birthday to me! ☺
Presentation by College Counselors: Mr. Frank Gatell, Ms. Rosa Mejia, and Ms. Julie Honda
Link to PowerPoint by College Counselors
Additional Notes:
Think about college application process as another class: it has deadlines, testing, essays due, etc. Keep that in mind when scheduling senior classes.
It's a good idea to take SAT and ACT in the spring of junior year
Start thinking about where you'd like to study and what you'd like to study.
Think about potential "safety," "target," and "reach" schools
Target schools - 60/40 (there's a 60% chance you'd get in)

• UCLA received 61,000 applications for freshmen (it only has 8000 spots available)

Consider whether you want semesters or quarters (semesters - 15 week classes, quarters - 10 week classes)

• UC Berkeley and UC Merced are on semesters; rest of UCs are on quarter system
  

Recommend applying to 9-12 schools

• Stanford Early Decision receives 30,000 applications for approximately 1700 spots
• Can only apply early decision to ONE school (it's binding)

THIS SUMMER:

• Visit colleges! Contact Freshmen Admission Office or Campus Tours to set up a tour of the campus and find out about overnight stay programs (often you can stay overnight in a dorm room and really get to see the campus more fully by talking to those who go there!)
• Begin work on your college essays! (Shameless self-promotion: Consider taking the Personal Statement workshop I teach at UCLA: Click here for more information
• Study for the SAT, ACT, or SAT Subject Tests!
  
• Do meaningful internships, community service, camps--anything that will give you something to write about and enjoy!

Q & A:

• How many times to take the SAT or ACT? Three. No more.
• For the subject tests, what do we take? Whatever you are currently preparing for in APs, but make sure you prepare and get materials to know what to expect, because some of them differ (like the SAT Subject Test for English - it corresponds more closely with the AP English Literature course that seniors take. See me for details!)
• How does the application process differ for art programs or music conservatories? There are two application processes in most cases--you'll need to do the regular application plus submit a portfolio, audition, etc. and the deadlines are often BEFORE the regular application deadlines. Each school differs, so talk with your college counselor as soon as possible!
• Can house principals or Ms. Baxter write the letter of recommendation "from a counselor"? Yes! Most private schools that request two letters of recommendation want one from a teacher in a core subject area (English, mathematics, social studies, or science) and will want one from a counselor or principal.
• Can the College Center help with applications for international schools? Yes!

HW: Synthesis TW tomorrow. Study for Tuesday's grammar quiz over pronouns. Extra help for pronoun ambiguity (also called "faulty pronoun reference"). Extra help for pronoun case. Extra help for pronoun-antecedent agreement (this also includes pronoun consistency help). We'll do one more pronoun review on Monday and pick up with our satire/humor unit then. Start bringing Vonnegut books on Monday.

AGENDA 3/28

Review answers from multiple-choice passage 7 and sample AP questions
Watch The Story of Stuff and complete viewing guide
Discuss impact of Leonard's choices in small groups

HW: Complete multiple-choice passages 8 and 9. Allow 20 minutes, then review your answers and look up/learn any unfamiliar words or terms in the passage, questions, or answers. Chart your progress on your purple half sheet. Be prepared to review tomorrow!

ANSWERS:
PRACTICE 8:
1. C
2. D
3. B
4. A
5. C
6. B
7. D
8. D

PRACTICE 9:
1. C
2. A
3. C
4. B
5. B
6. E
7. D