AP+English


 * Welcome to AP English, Class of 2017!**


 * Friday, March 31, 2017**

Although I am generally using google classroom rather than my wiki, I have included the syllabus for the next few weeks here as well as the synthesis prompt, which you need to read in preparation for Monday's in-class synthesis essay.


 * Synthesis Essay prompt (for in-class essay on Monday, April 3)**

 Read and take notes on this prompt, which I have attached, over the weekend. Remember to plan your argument and group your sources. You may make notations on these articles, but you may not write your paper until Monday during class. Also, consult the post below where I have listed the deadlines for reading Huck Finn and the major deadlines of the critical paper. Your next reading assignment is not due until Tuesday, but I would not recommend waiting to read chapters 21-27 until Monday night.

Have nice weekend.



Add class comment…


 * Syllabus**

 Huck Finn Reading Syllabus: Here are the due dates for reading, in-class writing, and the critical paper process in the next few weeks:

Thursday, March 30 -- In-class essay (argument) Friday, March 31 -- Huck Finn (chapters 16-20) Monday, April 3 -- In-class essay (synthesis) Tuesday, April 4 -- Huck Finn (chapters 21-27) Wednesday, April 5 -- Huck Finn (chapters 28-32) Thursday, April 6 -- Huck Finn (chapters 33-37) Friday, April 7 -- Huck Finn (chapters 38-43 (the end!) Tuesday, April 11-- Thesis statement, first preliminary outline, research plan due Tuesday, April 18 -- Revised thesis statement, second preliminary outline, Working bibliography page due Friday, April 21 - First three paragraphs of the critical paper due Friday, April 28 - Final copy of the critical paper due

Add class comment…


 * Friday, March 17, 2017**

For Monday, read Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" in your 50 Essays //book// (pp. 408-416). Come to class ready to discuss! Here is a revised syllabus for //The Scarlet Letter.// These dates are the days on which the reading and assignments are DUE:
 * Friday, March 3, 2017**

Monday, March 6 -- chapters 9-12 (pp. 139-188); introduce vocabulary unit 8 Tuesday, March 7 -- chapters 13-15 (pp. 189-217) Wednesday, March 8 - chapters 16-18 (pp. 219-246); go over vocabulary answers Thursday, March 9 - chapters 19-20 (pp. 247-270) Friday, March 10 - chapters 21-22 (pp. 271-295); vocabulary quiz unit 8 Monday, March 11 -- chapters 23-24 (pp. 297-316) The End! Begin brainstorming for your essay

Add class comment…
 * Friday, Feb. 24, 2017**

**The Scarlet Letter syllabus:** The following are the dates on which this chapters are DUE:

Monday, 2/27 -- chapters 1-4 (pp. 55-89) Tuesday, 2/28 -- in-class argument Wednesday, 3/1 - chapters 5-8 (pp. 91-138) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Thursday, 3/2 - chapters 9-10 (pp. 139-164) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Friday, 3/3 - chapters 11-12 (pp. 165-188); vocab exercises unit 8 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Monday, 3/6 -- chapters 13-16 (pp. 189-226) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Tuesday, 3/7 - chapters 17-18 (pp. 227-246) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Wedneday, 3/8 -- chapters 19-20 (pp. 247-270) <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Thursday, 3/9 - chapters 21-22 (pp. 271-295); vocabulary quiz unit 8 <span style="background-color: #ffffff; color: rgba(0,0,0,0.870588); font-family: Roboto,Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;">Friday, 3/10 - chapters 23-24 (pp. 297-316)


 * Friday, Feb. 10, 2017**

Please make sure that you read "The Custom House," the introductory essay before //The Scarlet Letter// beginning with the second paragraph on page 38, "But the object that most drew my attention . . ." Read the rest of this essay, which ends on page 54.

I am still wrestling with how to best structure your reading assignments since I must factor in a visit by a guest speaker at the end of the month. For now, just read "The Custom House." We will most likely wait a week to begin reading the actual text of //The Scarlet Letter//. If you want to work ahead, start the vocabulary exercises for unit 8.


 * Friday, January 27, 2017**

Here is a copy of the education synthesis prompt. Remember that your goal is to defend, refute, or qualify his claim. When qualifying, remember to think about "Yes . . . but" and "No . . . but" reasoning. There are many ways to go with this prompt. Decide what points you want to make, and lead with YOUR ideas. Support them with the secondary sources covered in this unit.


 * Friday, January 13, 2017**

Here is a copy of your second marking period creative assignment. **The rough draft of a poetry or prose piece is due on Tuesday, Jan. 17,** when we will do the following:

1. Record comments for your "Shooting an Elephant" rhetorical analysis essays. 2. Take a quiz and discuss "I Just Wanna Be Average." 3. Begin peer editing your creative symbolism pieces.

We we continue peer editing on Wednesday, Jan. 18, if there is not enough time on Tuesday to get good feedback. You will write your rhetorical analysis midterm essay on either Thursday or Friday.

Here is the assignment sheet and some models:


 * Poetry Models:**










 * Prose Models:**





Here is a copy of some tips for writing rhetorical analysis prompts. Please just write the first three paragraphs of your response to "America Needs Its Nerds."




 * Monday, January 9, 2016**

Here is the copy of an excerpt from //Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother//. Enjoy!


 * Thursday, January 5, 2017**

Here is a copy of David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day." Read it and enjoy! We will contrast Emerson's and Sedaris' perceptions of good teaching after your vocabulary quiz. As you read Sedaris' piece, think about what makes this piece so humorous.


 * Monday, January 2, 2017**

Happy New Year and welcome back! Your goal tonight is to introduce your theme and/or select a quotation that relates to this theme. Then each one of you should create a slide on your google slide show. Be ready to present tomorrow. I will give you a few minutes to organize your presentation, but you need to create the slide tonight The assignment sheet is posted below.




 * NOTE: For those of you who have been asked to present a character, you only need to present YOUR character. Do NOT worry about an introduction and conclusion for your presentation. We will handle these observations during class discussion.**


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind Characterization group, part I**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1joLb-HPx_b-y9cbIgA1HyYS-N6By9MMSvahFvoMgFbw/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind Characterization group, part II**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1joLb-HPx_b-y9cbIgA1HyYS-N6By9MMSvahFvoMgFbw/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind - Individual v. Society**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1L9SOgykLRCbLjkZmV5PT7FTq-r2Zgu-kBtLDHH_A5fU/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind -- Role of religion v. science**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1-U2mCJky58Q4OOM2XCNUmiY25SksEX0_wy36vtSXUII/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind -- Role of change/tradition**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/13sPzqAIG0zcghrImw30CakUbalQOPpXip0tpXsLL8bY/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind - Appearance v. reality**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1vc5VoHk5R0HV5wLT4uTdGWNTA9QeOvNkAsWidEi2C_Q/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 1 -- Inherit the Wind -- allusions to science**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/18A28abwM7nAwrF8DVu9a4NPN61E7E_841pIPuUpdG5I/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 - Inherit the Wind characterization, part I**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1b5oqzk2dW06sNiBOL0pfz3GJqAuTdt0_jlQM74nxH-A/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 -- Inherit the Wind characterization, part II**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1ovbQvHzUfJGbDSVP-cNr22eqmpOlipGp4rPnus-EDjI/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 -- Inherit the Wind -- Individual v. society**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1wDhQTmpjBXurSvvRX_JskKrIot5CP18MlcoBhgeCeq8/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 - Inherit the Wind - religion v. science**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SDY5E0VnSCsSjF3ZdmHZkWfGsxCuZYlhCNNFVmutTzo/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 -- Inherit the Wind -- change/tradition**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1qo9f_jtAZkRDh2R4JoDjpAhoyHKb2SrmX7kp70T4sP0/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 3 - Inherit the Wind - appearance v. reality**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1jQxSdXXigkGptZ9eVa-RsktJNMNatJKelR0DRypDZ1E/edit?usp=sharing


 * Wednesday, Dec. 14, 2016**

Here is a copy of the close reading/literary analysis assignment on //Pride and Prejudice// that is due on Monday.
 * Monday, Dec. 12, 2016**

Here is a schedule for the assignments and deadlines for this week The dates are when assignments are DUE:

Monday, 12/12 -- last installment of //Pride and Prejudice// Tuesday, 12/13 -- No homework due Wednesday, 12/14 -- Read "The Story of an Hour" (p. 783-785, literature book); "Once More to the Lake" (pp 458-464, //50 Essays//) Thursday, 12/15 -- "The Life You Save May Be Your Own" (pp. 528-538, literature book); vocabulary exercises, unit 5 -- due Friday, 12/16 -- vocabulary quiz unit #5 Monday, 12/19-- //Pride and Prejudice// literary analysis due

Please remember to resume your reading of //Pride and Prejudice// tonight. I'm eager to begin discussing the novel again. Also, please use the link below to vote for North Penn's Chamber singers. It's important that everyone votes as often as possible. Good luck to Chambers! I've also posted a link so that you can hear the song they entered in competition. It's beautiful!
 * Tuesday, Dec. 6, 2016**

Go to the link below.


 * TO VOTE:**

http://www.morefmphilly.com/vip_contest/101-more-fm-christmas-choir-tuesday-december-6th/?surveydata=eyJjb250ZXN0X2lkIjoiMzgwNTkiLCJzdWJzY3JpYmVyX2lkIjoiIiwiY29udGVzdF90eXBlIjoic29uZ19zdXJ2ZXlfMiJ9&surveyPage=true&tmpChk=1

Hello students. I really enjoyed your discussion about the role of beauty in society today, and I hope you benefited from hearing ideas for supporting arguments from your peers.. I re-read the directions for the contest, which state that the prompt should not be distributed until it is time to write. Therefore, I will NOT be posting the article or the prompt this weekend. I would recommend looking at the structure of the assignment that I gave you Thursday night since it mirrors the basic structure of any solid argument, which should include
 * Friday, Dec. 2, 2016**
 * NOTE: Please bring your //50 Essays// book to class on Monday!!! I want to record your book numbers as you write.**

1. An **introduction** that clearly **defines the issue/topic** and **presents a position** on it. 2. **Strong supporting examples** that give your argument breadth and depth. Remember that your goal should be to relate these examples to your thesis and then reason through HOW and WHY these examples illustrate your greater point. Your analysis should include strong, **detailed cause-effect reasoning with CONCRETE examples.** As we discussed today, do not just refer to "people"; describe a particular person and,if possible, situation/event. Remember that for this mode of writing **your audience knows nothing**. Explain yourself thoroughly. Also, as is true of any argument, **try to present the counterargument and refute it.** You might want to consult the argument terms I gave you when we were discussing //Outliers//. They include some argument strategies that you might want to consider using. 3. **A conclusion that** **briefly re-states your thesis** but does NOT re-hash every point you made. While your conclusion should not introduce a completely new topic, it should include new information -- i.e. deeper ideas about this issue, such as how your ideas could best be implemented. **Think of your conclusion as examining the overall EFFECT or IMPACT of your thesis.** In many arguments, the conclusion presents a type of **solution.**


 * One other tip:** As is true of the Sontag essay/prompt, the article provided should serve as a "springboard." While you may refer to points it raises in your answer, this essay should present YOUR position on the greater issue. The purpose of this prompt is for YOU to develop a position on a broad issue-- not merely for you to react to a single article.

Also, remember that while it is advisable to use multiple examples, it is always better to develop one or two examples well than to skim the surface of four or five supporting examples.

Please consult the links below. One is a tip sheet that is very similar to the advice explained above. The other is an essay written several years ago by a student who placed third in the state. While some of her transitions could be more smooth, she did an excellent job of supporting her position. Note how the level of diction and syntax contributes to a generally complex style.


 * ONE MORE TIP:Titles are important!** Ideally, your opening information should lay the groundwork for your argument (i.e. It provides the **context** of your argument), your conclusion should re-visit this information and extend it, and your **TITLE** should capture the **theme** of your essay. **Remember that TITLES are important!**






 * Thursday, Dec. 1, 2016**

Here is the assignment sheet for the essay "A Womans' Beauty: Put-Down or Power Source?" found on pages 386-389 of your //Fifty Essays// book. After reading the essay, please print out this assignment sheet and bring it to class, completed, tomorrow. Remember that you are NOT required to write the entire essay. (If you want to practice, I won't stop you, but I am not collecting essays.) In addition to listing strategies of argument, I want you to write a thesis, generate supporting examples, provide a brief explanation of HOW each example supports your thesis, and present a possible solution. The goal of this assignment is to help you work through the process of crafting a strong argument. Have fun! I'm really looking forward to your discussion tomorrow.




 * Monday, Nov. 28, 2016**

Here is a reading syllabus for //Pride and Prejudice// this week. The following dates are the dates that the reading is DUE:

Mon., Nov. 28 -- Volume 1 Tues., Nov. 29 -- Vol. 2, chapters 1-6 (pp. 131-163) Wed., Nov. 30 -- Vol. 2, chapters VII- XII (pp. 164-197) Thurs., Dec. 1 -- Vol. 2, chapters XIII -XIX (pp. 198-232) Fri. Dec. 2 -- reading a model argument Mon., Dec. 5 -- reading Penn State article/beginning in-class argument essay Tues., Dec. 6 -- finishing in-class essay Wed., Dec. 7 -- //Pride and Prejudic//e, Vol. 3, chapters 1-IV (pp. 235-267) Thurs., Dec. 8 -- Vol. 3, chapters V-VIII (pp. 268-297) Fri., Dec. 9 -- Vol. 3, chapters XIX- XI (pp.298-319) Mon., Dec. 12 -- Finish the novel (Vol. 3, chapters XII - XIX, pp. 320-367)

Hello AP scholars. I hope you enjoy reading //The Great Gatsby// over the weekend. Here are the assignment sheet and models for the memoir creative assignment. The character models I am posting are creative nonfiction, but you may certainly write a brief (no more than five pages) short story if you would like. Most of you will write two-four pages. The other models describe place. Please read them and come to class on Monday with any questions.
 * Friday, Oct. 28, 2016**




 * Character memoir models**




 * Memoirs emphasizing place**








 * Friday, Oct. 21, 2****016**

I hope you have a restful weekend. As you know, "Ralph Waldo Emerson" comes to speak to us on Monday during either 6th or 8th period. In preparation for what i hope is a stimulating and interesting experience, I want you to first read three things:

1. The information posted about the transcendental movement. (I know that you may have learned about it last year in history, but the review won't hurt you.)

2. The background information on Emerson. (We'll talk more about him during class and during the presentation.)

3. The information in your textbook about Emerson and the material included from his famous essay "Self-Reliance" -- pp. 363-368 in your literature book. Mr. Refior, the speaker, will be delivering parts of this essay before the discussion segment. Please try to relate this philosophy to your life as you read and come to class -- and A33 -- ready to discuss!


 * Monday, Oct. 17, 2016**
 * Dear grammar gods and goddesses, **

Some of you have asked if I would post additional information and exercises in preparation for your grammar test on Friday. I am posting a practice test and answer sheet, as well as the answers to any part of the summer grammar package that we did not cover in class. Although all of this information is review, you can and should study for this test. It is challenging because it is authentic: you have to edit and revise sentences that contain errors and justify your decisions by writing the rules -- but only for commas.

I also want to remind you that if you do not earn 80 percent on the first test, you must see me for help and take additional assessments until you do achieve 80 percent mastery BUT your 100-point grade will be an average of the two scores SO it is really in your best interest to do as well as possible the first time around. The key to being successful is to read the sentences carefully. Rushing through this assessment never pays off.

Please don't hesitate to see me if you need extra help.


 * Answers to the punctuation review exercises in the summer reading package:**






 * Additional review sheet:**




 * Answers to the review sheet:**



If you REALLY want to challenge yourself, you can practice with these sentences, which include dashes (which will not be included on your test) and absolutes (another construction that will not be on your test).


 * Monday, Oct. 10, 2016**

Here is a document that lists and explains comma rule with examples. Consult this if you have questions about where or why to use a comma.


 * Monday, Sept. 19, 2016**


 * Friday, Sept. 30, 2016**

I hope you enjoy reading //Of Mice and Men// this weekend. You do NOT have to write out these answers, but please consider these discussion questions and perhaps use post its or jot down a few notes so that you come prepared to discuss on Tuesday. Enjoy this book. It's simple, but very profound. Hello AP Students,


 * BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ACCESSED THIS SITE USING CHROME. USING INTERNET EXPLORER COULD LEAD TO A NUMBER OF GLICHES WHEN YOU TRY TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT. IF YOU ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER, CLOSE OUT AND OPEN THIS SITE AGAIN USING FIREFOX.**

In your "dream teams," you will be sharing with the class your group's analysis of a quotation from //Babbitt// that comments on the novel's satire of advertising strategies used in the 1920s, relationships between men and women in this era, and the role of religion in Babbitt's world. In your group, each of you should share the quotations you have chosen and then decide, as a group, on a quotation from the text for each of these three themes. Place your quotation in the slide that corresponds to your group's number. (I am aware that with seven quotations chosen for a single topic, one or two groups may choose the same quotation. I am not concerned about this overlap.) Decide on Lewis' purpose in writing these satirical descriptions (of advertising, male-female relationships, and religion), and design a slide for each that visually reinforces that purpose. (You may add graphic elements.) Be prepared to explain why you chose this quotation and what it suggests about George Babbitt's world. Use the link below to access the appropriate google slide show for your period and topic. You will not need a password if you access the slide show through this link.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OEo4OSqYKcOm1AsyF5tOJXnIs-0oGt6xAo5PM22iDN8/edit#slide=id.g1721135c3a_0_15
 * Period 1**
 * Slide show for satire of religion**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1SuJWOtvI3kOrtvNif60jl8VRsV6DLtrFPCjEGkZ3FTY/edit#slide=id.g17210af51b_0_25
 * Slide show for satire of advertising**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1j5OjC_5inPX_zATYQDTTfdXbhd9W9vOC15nCinAWQ8E/edit#slide=id.g17212c2bbc_0_20
 * Slide show for satire of male-female relationships**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Y7U6qgxgmXl1T594Kpw6QKknnTKNGSRYSx4hKT6HZI0/edit#slide=id.g17212c08d7_0_20
 * Period 3**
 * Slide show for satire of religion**


 * Slide show for satire of advertising**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Q69sTy0DYnyK-i87glVGeQYfbQ0h7dPgxoCJ8WKH4EA/edit#slide=id.g1720e116c4_0_20


 * Slide show for satire of male-female relationships**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1fjZGwC0zd_WnzK6QxR2KJlAR61lykb01wIqI6YMc3aA/edit#slide=id.g17211c9ac4_0_20

1. Submit both your **summer** **argument essay** and your **nonfiction reaction paragraph** to turnitin.com. I have created a folder for each. Here are the passwords you will need:

__**For turnitin.com**__
 * PERIOD 1**
 * Class ID: 13453853**
 * Password: writing**


 * PERIOD 3**
 * For turnitin.com**
 * Class ID: 13453914**
 * Password: writing**

If you need directions for how to access turnitin.com, see the document below:



2. Please join my **google classroom**. Please follow these directions: <span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS',sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt;"> **PERIOD 1**
 * 1) Go to classroom.google.com.
 * 2) Sign up as a STUDENT (use your NORTH PENN Google account)
 * 3) NP account: loginname@stu.npenn.org
 * 4) If you have never used this account, your password is np"your id number".
 * 5) If you forget your password go to the IMC and get your password reset.
 * 6) Click “Join Class” (look in the top right corner)
 * 7) Enter the class code for your section. Remember that this code IS case sensitive.
 * Class Code: bq1s3wt**


 * PERIOD 3**
 * Class Code: 0k0rmsw**

I hope you do not encounter any difficulties. Let me know if you do.

Hello students,
 * Sunday, Sept. 4, 2016**

I hope you are enjoying this beautiful weekend. I am posting the assignment sheet for the billboard project below in case you need to access it. Please be creative and remember your goal: to persuade someone to read your book. You'll be sharing your project in small groups on Tuesday. Here is a summary of your homework this weekend:

1. Complete your billboard project. 2. Read the chapter on logical fallacies and relate these concepts to real-life examples -- perhaps even Gladwell. 3. Be prepared to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of //Outliers//. 4. The vocabulary exercises for unit 1 will be due on WEDNESDAY.
 * Tuesday, May 31, 2016**

NOTE: Please bring your yellow literature book and //Fifty Essays// to class tomorrow. If you forget, I can certainly collect them later, and if you are taking the final and want to keep them, that's okay too. Otherwise, tomorrow would be a good day to check them off as you are taking the vocabulary final.

Please make sure that you study for your vocabulary final. This test directly reflects how much you prepared for it. To help you, here are two documents: one is a list of definitions (and the page on which you can find the word in your book); the other is a slide show of all of the words and their definitions. It might be helpful to give someone else access to this list so that that person can quiz you.


 * Friday, May 27, 2016**

Happy Memorial Day weekend! Here is a reading schedule for next week. These are the days on which the reading is DUE. You should read through the chapters listed. Also note the last two deadlines of the year: the vocabulary final and the final creative project. Remember that this project can be a letter written by a character in any work of literature we read this year OR a work of art that is inspired by anything we read this year. You may have noticed that the artwork around the room makes more sense as the year unfolds. If you choose to write a letter, please assume the voice of the character you choose. Either way, please be creative and enjoy yourself. It's always fun to share these projects -- written and artistic -- at the end of the year.


 * Tuesday, May 31 --** chapters 17-21 (Please catch up with last week's reading over the weekend. I know that it was impossible to do so before)
 * Wednesday, June 1 --** vocabulary final
 * Thursday, June 2 --** chapters 22-23
 * Friday, June 3 --** chapters 24-25; creative project due
 * Wednesday, June 8 --** Finish //Catch-22//. Collect the novels.

I am asking you to finish the novel by Wednesday, June 8. I will collect it then.

I really hope you enjoy it. At the end of this novel, you will have a much deeper appreciation for what Heller has accomplished.


 * Friday, May 20, 2016**

Hello students,

I hope you enjoy the nice weather (on Friday) and have a restful weekend. I also hope you enjoy //Catch-22//. I'm anxious to hear how you feel about it on Monday. Here is the syllabus for the next week, including //Catch-22// reading assignments and vocab assessments. These are the dates on which reading is DUE, and you are responsible for reading through the chapters listed.


 * Monday, May 23 -**chapters 1-6
 * Tuesday, May 24** -- chapters 7-8; vocabulary exercises unit 13
 * Wednesday, May 25** -- chapters 9-11; vocabulary exercises unit 14
 * Thursday, May 26** -- chapters 12-14; vocabulary exercises unit 15
 * Friday, May 27 --** chapters 15-16; vocabulary quiz units 13-15 (30 pts.)


 * Week of May 31-June 6 --** // Catch 22 // chapters 17-33; vocabulary final (100 pts.) on Wed., June 1


 * Tuesday, May 10, 2016 -- AP Eve**

Dear students,

Please know that each one of you is ready for this test. Just relax and do what you know how to do. Keep your focus during the multiple choice section, but don't rush. Be sure to pack a snack for the break.

Please read over the documents below tonight. Otherwise, get a good night's sleep and have a good breakfast. I'll be thinking of you all morning tomorrow.
















 * Friday, April 22, 2016**

PLEASE do not miss the end of this novel! It truly is masterful. I especially enjoy the chapter entitled "Symphony." Make sure that you consult the notes posted below -- especially period 5. These notes explain the three prophesies made by Fedallah to Ahab. Their connection to //Macbeth// will be more apparent when we read the play.

Also, if you are not confident in any one of the three essay modes, please consider staying after school at least once in the next week and a half to look at your writing and plan strategies of attack. After today, you will have no homework until after your exam. We will start your second practice test next week.

Enjoy your weekend!


 * Thursday, April 21, 2016**

Again, please consider coming after school on Monday for help with your essays. The students who came today left feeling much more confident about rhetorical analysis prompts.

Here are the notes for tonight's reading. Look for all of the symbols/signs of what is to come. Loomings!!!


 * Wednesday, April 20, 2016**

As I wrote on the board, I would like to hold an extra AP session after school tomorrow for anyone who would like more practice with rhetorical analysis and/or argument prompts. if you earned a 3 or a 4 on the practice test but would like to improve your score, please come to A8 tomorrow after 8th period. I would like to sit with you and look at previous prompts so that you can see what areas could be improved. Then I can give you another prompt for practice. I will mark it up (but not give you a grade) so that you have this feedback before taking the practice test next week.

Here are the notes for chapters 108-113, which are due tomorrow.


 * Tuesday, April 19, 2016**

Dear students,

I know that the reading load for //Moby Dick// has been heavy. To allow more time for you to interact with the text, I am revising the reading schedule and moving the in-class essay to next week. See the syllabus below:

Wed, April 20 -- chapters 96-100; presentation on chapters 83; 87; 91-94 Thursday, April 21 -- chapters 108-113 Friday, April 22 -- chapters 116-119; 123-126 Monday, April 25 -- Finish the novel (127-end)

We will begin taking practice test #2 next week.


 * Monday, April 18, 2016**

Hello students. Please enjoy the weather and consider reading //Moby Dick// outside. This section has some descriptions that I think all of you will enjoy. The questions posted below extend through chapters 100, but you only have to read chapters 84, 87, and 91-94 tonight. I look forward to discussing these with you tomorrow.


 * Friday, April 15, 2016**

Please consider the following questions as you are reading. Be prepared to respond to or discuss any of them in class.
 * Thursday, April 14, 2016**

First, be aware that you must pre-register for your AP exams next week. (You will fill in demographic information so that you will not have to take time to complete these items on the day of the test.) Report to A-33 for about 20 minutes during your lunch period on Mon., 4/18, Tues., 4/19, or Friday, 4/22.

Please consult the document __below the syllabus__ for background information about chapters 26-30. The document immediately below gives background information about chapters 31-41, Please note that **you are not required to read all of these chapters**, which is why I have provided brief summaries of those you are not required to read. A separate file lists questions about chapters 36-37.





Also, here is a syllabus for the remainder of //Moby Dick.// These are the dates on which these chapters are DUE:

Mon., 4/18 -- chapters 42 (180-189); 47-48 (206-219); 53 (230-234); 72-78 (309-334) Tues., 4/19 -- chapters 84 (355-357) 87 (367-378); 91-94 (389-405) Wed., 4/20 -- in-class essay Thurs., 4/21 -- chapters 96-100 (407-427); 108-113 (452-471) Fri., 4/22 -- chapters 116-119 (476-488); 123-126 (491-504) Mon., 4/25 -- chapters 127 - end (505-552)

Here are questions and notes for chapters 13-24. You only have to read through chapter **24** tonight, even though the notes extend further.
 * Wednesday, April 13, 2016**




 * Monday, April 11, 2016**

Here is a syllabus for //Moby Dick// assignments. The chapters are listed on the days that they are **due**:

Monday, April 11 -- chapters 1-12 (pp. 1-55) Tuesday, April 12 -- Go over multiple choice questions ; return rhetorical analysis essays Wednesday, April 13 -- chapters 13-19 (pp. 55-91) Thursday, April 14 - chapters 20-24 (91-107); return synthesis essays Friday, April 15 -- chapters 26-30 (108-122); 36-37 (153-161); 41(171-180)


 * FOR CLASS ON THURSDAY, APRIL 7**

//Moby Dick// and //Huck Finn// are the two titles bandied about when scholars attempt to identify "the great American novel." You've read Melville before (Think "Bartleby") and you know that he was fascinated with metaphysics. This novel is his //tour de force//. He says at the end of chapter 24 ("The Advocate") that "A while-ship was my Yale and my Harvard." Forced to quite school to support his family, Melville was a self-educated genius, a metaphysical philosopher quite frustrated with a public that longed for South Sea adventure stories rather than philosophy. Note that he dedicated this novel to his good friend and literary soul mate, Nathaniel Hawthorne. While the public largely rejected //Moby Dick//, he felt that Hawthorne was one of the few men of letters who could understand and appreciate his work.

Please read the attachment below before and while you are reading the text. I have shamelessly cut and pasted Biblical passages so that you can understand at least some of Melville's Biblical allusions. Remember that he is a writer, not a theologian. He intends to make his audience question its role in the universe and particularly in relation to God, but his goal is to raise these questions, rather than to provide concrete answers.

If you answer the questions in this document as you are reading, you will be prepared for any assessment and discussion on Monday. Note that Hawthorne's tone is often wry -- not thigh-slappingly funny -- but often humorous in a droll way.

I think that you will find this novel easier to read than you are expecting. You've read a number of 19th century texts already, so now you're ready for this one. Please note that I recommend that you consult powermobydick.com if you are having trouble with the Biblical or nautical allusions. Many students find it extremely helpful. Otherwise, settle in with the paperback. One word of caution: I would not recommend reading this book late at night when you are tired. To appreciate Melville, you have to think about his philosophical intent, and that takes mental energy. Read it sitting up, and don't try to read for more than about 45 minutes at a time. If you take these tips, I think you will appreciate this text more fully. Enjoy!



I have two more items to post for you. The file below gives explicit instructions about how to organize your critical paper materials. I will be discussing the critical paper and fielding any questions you have after you finish the second part of the multiple choice exam. (This section is shorter than the first).
 * Thursday, March 31, 2016**



I am also posting a critical paper editing checklist. I would like you to get at least one other person, and ideally two, to read your paper and scrutinize it for these pitfalls. You will include this paper in your folder when you submit your final copy and all preliminary materials.



Also, I know that you have a great deal to do right now, but I am posting the Ben Detwiler writing contest information for your future reference.



Hello students. To prepare for your rhetorical analysis essay tomorrow, I suggest that you read the Pink Flamingo prompt (posted below in case you lost it) and mark it up. Then read the student samples I have posted and assign a number, 1-9, that you would give each of these essays. Then read the AP readers' comments about each of these essays. I think that you will gain confidence in your own writing as a result of this process.
 * Wednesday, March 30, 2016**


 * Critical Paper Information**

Here is the bibliographical information for the two sources I provided:



Here is some additional information about citations




 * Wednesday, March 23, 2016**

I hope you are enjoying your vacation so far. I am posting the grading sheet that I will use to grade your critical papers so that you know exactly what my expectations are as you are writing.





Also, here is a syllabus so that you know what we are doing until the last day of the marking period. If you are absent, you need to make sure that you make up each part of the practice test that will count as 10 percent of your third marking period grade.


 * Tuesday, March 29 -- Rough drafts checked;** Argument papers returned; rhetorical analysis overview
 * Wed., March 30** -- Part I, Multiple choice
 * Thursday, March 31** -- rhetorical analysis prompt
 * Friday, April 1 --** Part II -- Multiple Choice
 * Monday. April 4 --** Final copy of the critical paper and all preliminary materials due; reading of synthesis prompt
 * Tuesday, April 5 -**Writing of synthesis essay
 * Monday, March 21, 2016**

I hope your research is going well. As I told you last week, I am only requiring that **three** of your **five** secondary sources be included in your second preliminary outline. The final paper, however, must have citations from five different secondary sources in addition to the text. Here is a copy of the original sheet describing the assignment and listing the deadlines. Below is also a Sign off sheet, which should be submitted to me on Tuesday, March 21. Below that is an excellent critical article for which I will give you bibliographical information. It is entitled "A Hard Book to Take," and it includes excellent commentary for nearly any topic.






 * Frid****ay, March 19, 2016**

Reminder: Your revised outline (with page numbers and at least three secondary sources), your revised thesis, and a working bibliography (with your copy of the text and at least three secondary sources) is due on Monday. Here is a copy of the partial outline I showed you on Friday. Please remember that, unlike your initial outline, this outline should be parallel within each section. If you are unsure of this issue, you can ask me about any problems on Monday and submit your outline by the end of the period.




 * Friday, Feb. 26, 2016**

Hello students. I sincerely hope you enjoy reading //Huck Finn//. Comprehending the dialect can be challenging, but it's not unlike Shakespeare: once you learn to translate key words, it gets much easier to understand. The key is to **//listen//** tp what you read.'

Here is the reading syllabus for this novel. These are the dates on which the reading is DUE. You should COMPLETE each chapter mentioned on the day it is due.

Monday, Feb. 29 -- chapters 1-10 Tues, March 1-- argument practice, discussion Wed., 3/2 -- chapters 11-15 Thursday, 3/3 -- satire piece due; in-class argument essay Friday, 3/4 -- chapters 16-20 Monday, 3/7 - chapters 21-27 Wednesday, 3/9 -- chapters 28-35 Friday, 3/11 -- chapters 36-43

Tues, March 15 - first thesis; first preliminary outline Monday, March 21-- revised thesis; second preliminary outline Wednesday, March 30 -- rough draft due Monday, April 4 -- Final copy and all preliminary materials due
 * Tentative Critical Paper Deadlines:**


 * Wednesday, Feb. 24, 2016**

Your next writing assignment is to write a creative satire piece in which you mock an issue of your choice. The subject is completely up to you as long as you are mocking an issue, rather than a person -- unless that person happens to be a prominent public figure, in which case you have addressed an issue since that person is of public interest. Please consult the assignment sheet posted below, as well as these models. Please take note of the wide range in subject, style, and tone taken by these student writers.





Good news! I do NOT have jury duty! Please finish your vocabulary exercises for unit 9. "Joyas Valedoras" and "No Man Is an Island" will be due later on this week. See you tomorrow.
 * Monday, Feb. 22, 2016**


 * Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016**

Here are some pictures of Concord, Massachusetts, home to Hawthorne, Emerson, and Thoreau, among other literati.

Hello students. I hope you enjoyed the lecture. The good news is that you do not have any homework due Monday. I would recommend working ahead in vocabulary (unit 8). You will dnitely have a quiz next week. I'm also attaching the essay assignment for //The Scarlet Letter//, which will not be due before Monday, Feb. 8.
 * Friday, January 29, 2016**



Here is a TENTATIVE syllabus for next week:

Monday, Feb. 1 -- (period 5 -- Discuss //The Scarlet Letter// essay assignment . Return education synthesis essays; begin going over the midterm multiple choice passages Tuesday, Feb. 2 -- Continue going over the multiple choice passages. Introduce the vocabulary words (unit 8) Wednesday, Feb. 3 -- Go over vocabulary answers. Read Puritan literature selections. (Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards) -- in the yellow literature book. Complete this worksheet. Thursday, Feb. 4 - Finish discussing Puritan literature, Emerson's "Self-Reliance." (yellow literature book) Friday, Feb. 5 -- Vocabulary quiz, unit 8. Thoreau's "Where I Lived and What I Lived For" (in //50 Essays//) Monday, Feb. 8 -- //The Scarlet Letter essay// due


 * Monday, January 25, 2016 (9:50 a.m.)**

Hello students. I hope you're enjoying your day off. I promised you an update in the event of a changed schedule and here it is:


 * DUE DATES this week:**

Tuesday, Jan. 26//---//creative piece due; //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 17-20 (Read these chapters and consult the discussion questions posted below.) Again, I strongly suggest that you share your creative pieces with others (a family member, friend) to see if your metaphorical intent is clear. Wednesday, Jan. 27 -- chapters 21-24 (the end of //The Scarlet Letter//). We will finish discussing the novel in class, and I will also return the in-class rhetorical analysis essays you wrote just before the December break in preparation for your next-class essay. Thursday, Jan. 28 -- in-class rhetorical analysis essay Friday, Jan. 29 -- guest speaker period 5

The only real change is the timing of the in-class essay. As before, we will finish the novel on Wednesday. Feel free to read ahead while you have the time.

Also, I will post a folder on turnitin for the creative pieces. I hope you're enjoying writing these. I have been reading your education synthesis essays all weekend, and they are generally quite good. I'm looking forward to seeing how you think creatively too.

I expect to see you tomorrow!


 * January 22, 2016**

As I post this information, I'm assuming that we will be in school on Monday. As per the syllabus printed below, you are to read chapters 17-20 this weekend. I do NOT want you to write out any of these answers, but I will be offering you two bonus opportunities on Monday, one rhetorical and the other analytical. Think about these issues as you are reading to prepare for both assessment and discussion.

Also, ask someone else to read your poem or prose piece to make sure that you provide enough concrete detail for your symbol/metaphor to be accessible to the reader. The key to strong creative writing is to include enough concrete detail so that your reader can infer your deeper intent. I really hope you enjoy this creative assignment. As with most creative writing, the challenge is often coming up with the idea. Good luck!


 * January 20, 2016**

Please read chapters 12-14 of //The Scarlet Letter// as stated in the syllabus. You will have NO additional written work to complete tonight. I will give you a very brief quiz in class tomorrow.
 * January 15, 2016**

I hope that you enjoy your three-day weekend. Consult the schedule below to keep up with your reading.

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: You need to register for the AP using the google form posted on the printed announcements. I feel strongly that each one of you should register to take the test. The purpose of this course is to prepare you to take this test, and by May, you will be ready. I'm posting the form below. If it does not work from this site, check the district announcements and access it from there.

[|AP Registration Link] <span style="color: #002060; font-family: 'Calibri','sans-serif'; font-size: 16px;">. I am also posting the symbolism piece assignment sheet and a number of student models. Remember that your goal is to write a layered piece, poetry or prose, that has both explicit and implicit meaning. The deadline for this assignment is Monday, Jan. 25, but I wanted you to have the weekend to think about it.

ONE OTHER NOTE: Three people in period 8 have not yet submitted //Pride and Prejudice// to turnitin.com. If you do not submit before this folder (the third one!) closes, I will begin deducting points from your grade. PLEASE get that done!






 * January 12, 2016**

I am posting a revised education synthesis tip sheet below. Most of what is included has already been discussed in class, but I wanted to put all of these points in writing so that you could consult them as you write. **Also, I do want you to know that you can use personal information to supplement your required secondary sources**. This information essentially supports the support already offered by your sources. You do not have to weave personal examples into each body paragraph, but if you have an especially good example to illustrate your point, feel free to use it.

As I say at the bottom of this sheet, the most challenging aspect of this assignment is planning. Once you have organized your thoughts and know what you want to emphasize, this essay should not be too difficult to write. Remember that I use education as the basis for your first argument essay since you are all experts on this topic and should have strong philosophical opinions about it. Enjoy!
 * January 4, 2016**

I know that some of you were absent before the break and did not find out about exactly what was due this week, and some of you will also be absent this week for the convention, so I am posting a schedule for the next week and a half. The dates that are listed are the days on which assignments are DUE.

David Sedaris' "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (pp. 340-345 in //50 Essays//) Ralph Waldo Emerson's "On Education" (handout) Read Emily Dickinson's "Tell All the Truth but tell it Slant" in class. (period 5)
 * Monday, Jan. 4 --** Discussion of Plato/formative assessment in class; (vocabulary and //Malcolm X// for period 5)
 * Tuesday, Jan. 5 --** Mike Rose's "I Just Wanna Be Average" (pp. 316-329 in //50 Essays//)
 * Wednesday, Jan. 6 --** vocabulary exercises for unit 7, the brief essay "The Thin Envelope Crisis," and "Why I Wrote the Crucible" are due. Finish the discussion of Emerson's "On Education." Read Billy Collins' poem "The History Teacher."
 * Thursday, Jan. 7 --** Discuss the synthesis essay assignment. Act I of //The Crucible// is due.
 * Friday, Jan. 8 --** Vocabulary quiz #7. Finish discussing Act I. Watch film clip in class.
 * Monday, Jan. 11 --** Acts 2 and 3 of //The// Crucible are due. Watch film clips.
 * Tuesday, Jan. 12 --** Act 4 of //The Crucible// is due. Watch film clips. Introduce //The Scarlet Letter//.
 * Wednesday, Jan 13 --** Collect synthesis essays. Finish discussing/viewing clips of //The Crucible// HOMEWORK: To read "The Custom House" -- pp. 34-54
 * Thursday, Jan. 14 -- "** The Custom House." Close read chapter 1 of //The Scarlet Letter//
 * Friday, Jan. 15 --** //The Scarlet Lette//r -- chapters 2-4 (pp. 57-89); introduce symbolism assignment
 * Tuesday, Jan. 19 -** // The Scarlet Letter // -- chapters 5-8 (pp.91-138)
 * Wednesday, Jan. 20** -- //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 9-11 (pp. 139-173)
 * Thursday, Jan. 21 -** //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 12-14 (pp. 175-208)
 * Friday, Jan. 22** -- //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 15-16 (pp. 209-226); in-class multiple choice assessment
 * Monday, Jan. 25** -- //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 17-20 (pp. 227--270); symbolism assignment due
 * Tuesday, Jan. 26 --** //The Scarlet Letter// - chapters 21-22 (pp. 271-295) Questions will be due at the beginning of class; in-class essay
 * Wednesday, Jan. 27** -- //The Scarlet Letter// -- chapters 23-24 (pp. 207-316) Discuss chapters 21-24
 * Thursday, Jan. 28** -- Discuss essay, lecture
 * Friday, Jan. 29 -- Guest lecture period 5.**


 * December 27, 2015**

Hello students. I hope you are enjoying your break and are getting lots of rest. Several of you have asked to see the synthesis essay assignment so that you can work ahead, so I am posting it below. We will be wrapping up this unit in the first week of January, so we have not yet discussed a few of these selections. However, you can start thinking about and planning for this essay by considering how you will react to this paradoxical quotation. Remember when writing argument to consider the "Yes . . . but" or "No . . . but" paradigm.




 * December 8, 2015**

To facilitate our discussion of //Inherit the Wind//, I would like each group to decide upon and explicate **two** quotations from the text on Wed., Dec. 9. Tonight, then, based upon the theme/literary area you were assigned in class, you should choose which two quotations which you feel are seminal to the text. At the beginning of class on Wednesday, you, as a group, will share the quotations you've chosen and will then decide, as a group, which two quotations your group will explicate for the class. Here are the links below:

__**Period 5 Slide Shows**__
 * Characterization Slide Show (Groups 1, 2, and 3, period 5)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/106w7Au8h-X4DgLlxFSmDD6hw-5HOWQsKgd8YHfWCJeA/edit?usp=sharing


 * Individual vs. society slide show (Group 4, period 5)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1oYlj_oqnqNqcKZes74XSibIYakV2yGXzlsN9PXJ-ywI/edit?usp=sharing


 * Role of religion vs. science (Group 5, period 5)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1AbYeQPE7Vq9uscSJ_kPaJFJsf1M2BGEHmc4Iq5YQayE/edit?usp=sharing
 * Role of change vs. tradition (Group 6, period 5)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1nkTxELCsHsb6_QBk4SI7pZXW82KGWAmvs11TK_F6lOI/edit?usp=sharing


 * Appearance vs. reality (Group 7, period 5)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1Q7N3GaBM5La9vsd4DamqsPZbu7d3Bb9RVVsXtDAYYRA/edit?usp=sharing


 * PERIOD 8 SLIDE SHOWS**
 * Characterization (Groups 1, 2, and 3, period 8)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1XEczyxVglgNDPItmDSr0ZE9Rc4ke1nL7aHNyu70g-cQ/edit?usp=sharing
 * Individual vs. society (Group 4, period 8)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1KK1Jp1fqeKlRRND6h3xsTW1JR_LkeupLyWbK0Pae-LY/edit?usp=sharing
 * Role of religion vs. science (Group 5, period 8)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1pLTzi8qLV9qBOnQpzQ8ISFLRRY3JfXpKiQS4M1qGA5E/edit?usp=sharing
 * Role of change/tradition (Group 6, period 8)**

https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/presentation/d/1ON1bmlCBgZX9IFpCdKTpSSLq3yluLJ9JAh1gVhz-6Bg/edit?usp=sharing

Here is a model essay written by Priya Kikani, a former student who placed third in Penn State's impromptu writing contest:
 * December 7, 2015**




 * Thursday, Dec. 3, 2015**

Here are a few reminders: 1. Study for vocab unit 5. Make sure that you review units 3 and 4 as well. 2. Read "Lecture Me. Really" and analyze HOW she makes her argument. Consider the strategies she uses. We're going to really dissect this essay to prepare you for writing your own arguments.



3. I will pass out //Inherit the Wind// tomorrow. It will be due on Tuesday. 4. Catch up on your rest. I know that you need it.


 * Monday, Nov. 30, 2015**

Dear students,

I was away for much of the break. Here is a copy of the essay assignment:


 * Friday, Nov. 6, 2015**

I hope you enjoy reading //Pride and Prejudice.// Here is a syllabus for the next two and a half weeks. These are the dates on which the reading is DUE:


 * Monday, Nov. 9 --** chapters 1-9 (pp. 4-45); introduce vocabulary words for unit 4
 * Tuesday, Nov. 10** -- chapters 10-15 (pp. 46-73); share observations about Orwell description
 * Wednesday, Nov. 11** -- in-class essay; go over vocabulary answers for unit 4
 * Thursday, Nov. 12 -** chapters 16-19 (pp. 74-107)
 * Friday, Nov. 13** -- vocabulary quiz unit 4; chapters 20-23 (pp. 108-128)
 * Monday, Nov. 16** -- chapters 24-31 (pp. 131-172)
 * Tuesday, Nov. 17** -- chapters 32-36 (pp. 173-203)
 * Wednesday, Nov. 18** -- chapters 37 - 42 (pp. 204-232)
 * Thursday, Nov. 19** -- chapters 43 - 46 (pp. 235 - 267)
 * Friday, Nov. 20** -- chapters 47 - 50 (pp. 268-297)
 * Monday, Nov. 23** -- chapters 51-56 (pp. 298-339)
 * Tuesday, Nov. 24** -- chapters 57-61 (340-367) THE END!


 * Friday, Oct. 30, 2015**

I hope you all have a wonderful, restful weekend. Please make sure that you read "The Story of an Hour" -- pp. 783-785 in your literature book. I'm also posting the creative epiphany piece assignment sheet and models below. It will be worth 40 points. The most challenging aspect of this assignment is deciding upon the epiphany itself. Once you have your idea, this piece should be fun to write. Remember that you may write fiction OR creative non-fiction. Either way, your goal is to use creative strategies in which you SHOW, rather than tell, how your character is feeling. Include strong concrete details so that your reader can draw inferences. I've included a third model that you did not read in class because it's longer than the rest. Please read it now. It's beautifully written and much more serious in tone than the nonfiction model you read in class. Whether your piece is humorous, sad, or another emotion altogether, your goal is to make your reader experience the scene you are describing by writing in your own voice. We will peer edit these pieces on Wednesday, Nov. 4. when you return to school.



Just a reminder about tonight's homework: Read "How It Feels to Be Colored Me" by Zora Neale Hurston on pages 950-954 in your yellow literature book. Also read "Portrait of an Ideal World," a brief essay by H.L. Mencken which I passed out today. Enjoy!
 * Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2015**


 * Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015**


 * Dear grammar gods and goddesses,**

Some of you have asked if I would post additional information and exercises tonight in preparation for your grammar test on Thursday. I am attaching a list of comma rules for those of you who want an overview, as well as a practice test and answer sheet. After tomorrow's class, I will post the answers to any part of the summer grammar package that we do not cover in class. Although all of this information is review, you can and should study for this test. It is challenging because it is authentic: you have to edit and revise sentences that contain errors and justify your decisions by writing the rules -- but only for commas.

I also want to remind you that if you do not earn 80 percent on the first test, you must see me for help and take additional assessments until you do achieve 80 percent mastery BUT your 100-point grade will be an average of the two scores SO it is really in your best interest to do as well as possible the first time around. The key to being successful is to read the sentences carefully. Rushing through this assessment never pays off.

Please don't hesitate to see me if you need extra help.


 * Comma rule package**




 * Answers to the punctuation review exercises in the summer reading package:**






 * Additional review sheet:**



If you REALLY want to challenge yourself, you can practice with these sentences, which include dashes (which will not be included on your test) and absolutes (another construction that will not be on your test).
 * Answers to the review sheet:**


 * Friday, Oct. 2, 2015**

Hello AP scholars. I have posted an assignment sheet with a bit more description that I would advise you to check before writing your paragraph this weekend. Also, know that you do NOT need to document any quotations you pull from the text. When writing rhetorical analysis with the text right in front of you, you do NOT have to use parenthetical documentation. Please remember to submit your writing to turnitin.com

Good luck!


 * Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015**

Here are the questions for the rest of Frederick Douglass's //Slave Narrative//. Chapters 7-9 are due on Thursday, 10/1, and you should finish by Friday, 10/2. I've attached the questions for the rest of this work below. Remember that //A Raisin in the Sun// rewrites are due on **Wednesday, Sept. 30, and should be submitted to turnitin.com.** I have created a folder for this assignment.




 * For homework due Tuesday, Sept. 29, 2015**

Here is a copy of the questions that are due for Frederick Douglass's //Slave Narrative.// You should have also received a hard copy of this assignment in class.


 * For class on Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015**


 * BEFORE YOU GO ANY FURTHER, MAKE SURE THAT YOU HAVE ACCESSED THIS SITE USING MOZILLA FIREFOX. USING INTERNET EXPLORER COULD LEAD TO A NUMBER OF GLICHES WHEN YOU TRY TO COMPLETE THIS ASSIGNMENT. IF YOU ARE USING INTERNET EXPLORER, CLOSE OUT AND OPEN THIS SITE AGAIN USING FIREFOX.**

In your "dream teams," you will be sharing with the class your group's analysis of a quotation from //Babbitt// that comments on the novel's satire of advertising strategies used in the 1920s, relationships between men and women in this era, and the role of religion in Babbitt's world. In your group, each of you should share the quotations you have chosen and then decide, as a group, on a quotation from the text for each of these three themes. Place your quotation in the slide that corresponds to your group's number. (I am aware that with seven quotations chosen for a single topic, one or two groups may choose the same quotation. I am not concerned about this overlap.) Decide on Lewis' purpose in writing these satirical descriptions (of advertising, male-female relationships, and religion), and design a slide for each that visually reinforces that purpose. (You may add graphic elements.) Be prepared to explain why you chose this quotation and what it suggests about George Babbitt's world. Use the link below to access the appropriate google slide show for your period and topic. You will not need a password if you access the slide show through this link.

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1BRPfIb1Qws6PEJtKbEW0tBWdH3YQWltaJTyvh4060Lw/edit?usp=sharing
 * Period 5 Links**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1--_NT_XqokzGr7IUHFmNq7D9xCfBurARV_FB3ZRTFuk/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1NFCWD_oq8RZEKTiB4bKRm77tp3wYUbqcI3hdF1FxJsM/edit?usp=sharing


 * Period 8 LInks**

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1r7gx4uRgFPYyMEPqYlJmFGgR6E4VbgzVWfqtJC16BeM/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1VVbrciiSBGND0IbkbhqsjdWgLThewyqm_Pz5JKKgooI/edit?usp=sharing

https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1zSKpOcz_1KsrbztaIl0kXzDyore-K4SgRyMBWuJ16Fs/edit?usp=sharing


 * Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2015**

For those of you who are rewriting your analysis of a character's epiphany in //A Raisin in the Sun// (**due Wed., Sept. 30)**, here is a list of sentence stems that will ensure embedding. The goal is to subordinate the textual reference so that the focus of the sentence is on your analysis of HOW and WHY the character has this insight and how this insight affects other characters. Of course you can also drop other pieces of the text directly into your analysis. Over time, this process will become second nature, but for now, if you see a subject-verb description of what happens in the story, you are probably summarizing the plot. Here are some sentence stems that you can you use to embed the textual reference:


 * Participial Phrase**
 * Explaining** to Lindner that he "comes[s] from people who had a lot of //pride,//" Walter . ..


 * Adverb Clause**
 * When** Walter explains to Lindner that he "come[s] from people who had a lot of //pride//," Walter . ..


 * Gerund Phrase**
 * Explaining** to Lindner that he "come[s] from people who had a lot of //pride"// marks the beginning of Walter's visible transformation from . ..


 * Prepositional Phrase**
 * By** explaining to Lindner that he "come[s] from people who had a lot of //pride,"// Walter is able to . ..


 * Possessive**
 * Walter's** pronouncement that he "come[s] from people who had a lot of //pride"// marks a shift in the way he communicates with Lindner.


 * Thursday evening - Sept. 17**

I just created a folder for your epiphany essay. You can submit it now.


 * Thursday, Sept. 17, 2015**

Hello again, hard-working students. Your first essay assigned during the school year(an analysis of a character's epiphany in //A Raisin in the Sun// is due tomorrow. Please make sure that you submit to turnitin.com tonight and STAPLE THE PRINTED COPY OF YOUR RECEIPT to your essay tomorrow. Here is some information that you need:


 * Period 5--**
 * CLASS ID -- 10733243**
 * Password: writing**


 * Period 8**
 * CLASS ID -- 10733257**
 * Password: writing**

I've attached a "How to submit" document below. Feel free to use it if you no not remember how to use turnitin.com.



Hello AP scholars! In addition to studying for your vocabulary quiz tomorrow, there are two other tasks I would like you to complete. First, open the file below and consider why de Crevecoeur chose to use this extended metaphor to advance his argument. Also, take note of the archaic uses of the word //want//. Then, complete the Venn diagram and contrast the nature of the American dream in the colonial with what it is like today. Note which elements still exist in the center of the diagram. You may print this one or draw your own Venn diagram. Either way, bring your response to class tomorrow.
 * Thursday, Sept. 10, 2015**






 * Monday, May 18, 2015**

Here is the end-of-the-year syllabus with all reading assignments, tests, quizzes, etc. The reading assignments for //Catch-22// are lengthy, but I hope you enjoy them!


 * Tuesday, May 12, 2015 -- AP Eve**

Hello again, beloved students. I hope you are feeling confident in your abilities. You have worked very hard all year, and this is your chance to demonstrate how well you can think and write. Please consult the review materials below. Also, I would urge you to keep your multiple choice answers covered. You do not want to be associated with cheating in any way.

One other tip for the reading period before you start writing your essays. Besides reading and planning for the synthesis essay, I would also advise writing a brief outline for the argument essay. By the time you actually write it, you could be a bit tired, but if you have already written your outline of evidence, all you have to do is write -- not think. (Of course you still have to think some, but it would be really helpful if you didn't have to generate completely new ideas after two hours of testing.) I always found that when faced with multiple essays, the best strategy was to do as much of the thinking as possible in the beginning before I got too tired.

I typed the notes that were on the board today and have attached them below. I'm sure that much of this information can also be found in the review materials below.



Above all, get a good night's sleep and have a good breakfast. I'll be thinking of you!

Mrs. Kratz


 * Wednesday, May 5, 2015**

Here are some documents to consult before taking the AP Language and Composition test. I will post some other review activities in the next few days.


















 * Friday, April 24, 201**

For your final reading, please print out and answer the questions below. (I will not collect them, as I did on Friday, but I strongly suggest that you think about these points as you are reading.) Several of you commented that your comprehension improved when you stopped to consider these issues. You will have a quiz on Monday, worth 20 points, and it will be derived from these questions, so you will be rewarded for your efforts.

Enjoy the ending of this odyssey. It is masterful!




 * Thursday, April 23, 2015**

Please print out and answer the questions for chapters 108-113. You will submit the answers to the questions for these chapters (the first page of the file posted below) tomorrow **at the beginning of class**. Please also read chapters 116-119. The posted handout also asks questions about these chapters, but you do NOT have to submit your answers to them tomorrow. However, there will be bonus opportunities for this material (116-119), so be sure that you think about these issues.




 * Tuesday, April 21, 2015**

Please make sure that you consult the following attachment as you read since you do not have to read all of the chapters listed on the syllabus in their entirety. Also, you SHOULD read chapter 91 and you may SKIP chapter 95. Here is the revised reading assignment due on Thursday:

Again, be sure to consult the questions as you read since you do not have to read each of these chapters in their entirety. Thinking about these issues will prepare you for any questions I may ask you on Thursday.
 * chapters 87; 91-94; 96-100**


 * Thursday, April 16, 2015**

Please continue to consult these notes as you read. Your answers will not be collected, but thinking about these issues as you read will help you to grasp the greater thematic implications.



Please continue to consult the wiki for notes on //Moby DIck//. For now, these questions will not be collected, but they will help you to know what to look for and think about as you are reading. The Biblical background is especially helpful in understanding the allusions that are so essential to understanding this text. I strongly suggest taking notes on chapters 22-24; 26-30 and printing out these notes for class.
 * Tuesday, April 14, 2015**




 * Thursday, April 9, 2015**

Hello again, students. I hope you're feeling relieved. Take a break from English homework tonight. It's deserved. Just be sure to bring your vocabulary books to class tomorrow so that you can work on your exercises. You will also be getting your //Moby Dick// books, so you should also start your weekend reading in class.

I thought it would be helpful for you to see the syllabus for the month of April so that you can plan for these assignments. When reading //Moby Dick//, I suggest that you do two things:

1. Consult the wiki for notes that will help you to understand the layers of the text, especially the Biblical allusions. 2. Consult the online version of the text (www.powermobydick.com) for an online version of the text that has excellent notes to help you with the archaic references and nautical language.

I don't mind if you **supplement** your reading with additional sources that will not be mentioned, but do NOT rely upon them. I can't think of a better way to prepare for the AP exam than to read and digest this book. It truly is brilliant -- and even funny at times.

Here is the syllabus for the month of April:

Monday, April 13 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 1012 (55 pages) Tuesday, April 14 -- vocabulary quiz #10; //Moby Dick// chapters 13-16 (23 pages) Wednesday, April 15 -- in-class essay Thursday, April 16 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 17-19; 22-24; 26-30 (37 pages) Friday, April 17 -- Early Dismissal (no English class, so sad) Monday, April 20 -- //Moby DIck// chapters 36-37; 41-42; 47-48; 53 (42 pages) Tuesday, April 21 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 72-78; 84 (26 pages) Wednesday, April 22 -- In-class essay Thursday, April 23 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 87; 91-94; 96-100 (43 pages) Friday, April 24 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 108-113; 116-119 (31 pages) Monday, April 27 -- //Moby Dick// chapters 123-135 (the end) + Epilogue (61 pages) Tuesday, April 28 -- Review multiple choice from practice exam #1 Wednesday, April 29 -- Early dismissal (No class, again, so sad) Thursday, April 30 -- Multiple Choice Part I Friday, May 1 -- Practice test essay #1

Here are the notes to accompany chapters 1-12. Enjoy!




 * Wednesday, April 8, 2015 -- "Critical Paper Eve"**

Hello students. I'm sure that you're quite busy putting the final touches on your papers. Here are some tips that I hope will be helpful to you:

1. Make sure that your topic sentences and clinchers keep your focus on **Twain's purpose**. You do not have to use his name each time, but think about WHY, for example, Twain mocks the characters of Miss Watson and even the Widow, and, in your clincher, the EFFECT of this satire. What social commentary is he making about the self-righteous and well-intentioned? This focus should mirror the broader statements made in your thesis. As you move from paragraph to paragraph within a section (i.e. Huck's moral evolution), you may simply comment on how Huck is changing, but those changes do stand in contrast to the attitudes of polite society in his day, and this is the kind of commentary you will include in your clinchers.

Remember that you are analyzing whether this novel speaks to a modern audience. Analyzing Twain's purpose and its effectiveness is the core of your argument. Because it is an argument, rather than a traditional paper of literary analysis, you can and should reference Twain directly.

2. Make sure that your final outline mirrors the structure of your final copy. Try to make it as parallel as possible within a section, and be sure to **double space** and **indent** **five spaces** for each subheading (unlike this model). I am unable to type this model with the proper spacing. Sorry.

I. Social commentary A. Of religion 1. Contrast between Miss Watson and the widow 2. Hypocrisy of the Shepherdsons and Grangerfords B. Of Race 1. Use of the word "nigger" 2. Society's attitudes a. Pap's rant b. Aunt Sally's reaction to the riverboat accident c. Cox - reaction

While your **personal** **outline** should include page numbers and possibly quotations, your **final outline** should simply be a brief overview of the evidence in your argument. Keep your entries parallel within a section. In other words, A and B should be parallel to each other within Roman numeral I, and 1 and 2 should be parallel to each other within capital letter A, but there is no need for every single capital letter or number to be parallel to every other capital letter and number in the paper. If this issue is a source of stress, you can revise and print out your outline (but NOT your entire paper!) in class tomorrow.

3. I have created the folder for **turnitin.** Be sure to submit your paper to turnitin before submitting your hard copy to me tomorrow.

4. Make sure that you consult the files I posted on April 2 for both bibliographical information and tips on how to organize your paper. Be sure to include all of the materials -- both preliminary and final -- that are delineated on this sheet and organize them in the folder as directed.

5. Above all, proofread your paper so that it is one of which you are really proud.

YOURS TRULY,

MRS. KRATZ


 * Thursday, April 2, 2015**

Hello students. I hope you are enjoying your break. Here are a few documents to consult as you are writing your critical papers. Good luck!


 * Information about the paper**










 * Bibliographical information -- MLA format for specific information**




 * Bibliographical information for articles provided in class**








 * Another article for consideration:**


 * Thursday, March 12, 2015**


 * //Huck Finn///Critical Paper Syllabus**


 * NOTE:** **These are the dates on which assignments are DUE:**


 * Tues., March 17** -- chapters 18-24 (Barnes and Noble -- pp. 97-149; yellow book - pp. 104-162)
 * Wed. March 18 -**- chapters 25-28 (Barnes and Noble -- pp. 149-177; yellow book - pp. 162-195)
 * Thurs., March 19** -- in-class essay; satire piece due
 * Fri., March 20** -- chapters 29-33 (Barnes and Noble -- pp. 178-210; yellow book- pp. 195-231)
 * Mon., March 23**-- Finish the novel -- chapters 34-43 (Barnes and Noble - pp. 178-264; yellow book - pages 231-293)
 * Wed, March 25** -- Preliminary thesis statement, first preliminary outline, proposal for description of research methods
 * Monday, March 30** -- Revised thesis statement, second preliminary outline, Works Cited page (five sources secondary sources plus the text)
 * Wed., April 8 --** rough draft due for peer editing
 * Thurs., April 9 --** Final copy of critical paper and all preliminary materials due


 * Wednesday, March 11, 2015**

As you know, the field trip to the Newseum has been re-scheduled for Monday, March 16. You **must** get your forms in to me by Friday!

Posted below is the satire assignment sheet -- with focus correction areas. Please include these on your final draft. I've also provided several examples, each very different in tone and purpose. The key to this assignment is finding a topic that you truly want to vent about. Writing satirically is then great fun. However, do not attack any individual who is not a public figure. The purpose of satire is to ridicule for the greater social good -- not simply to be mean.

Enjoy the samples!










 * Wednesday, March 4, 2015**


 * UPDATE:** The field trip to the Newseum in Washington, D.C. has been postponed. We will update you as soon as we have settled on a new date.


 * Friday, Jan. 23, 2015**

As we discussed today in class, you should focus on a symbol or metaphor which you can develop into a poem or a brief prose piece. I've attached the assignment sheet, as well as models written by former students who won the AAUW creative writing contest, as well as the work of current students who were winners last year. Please read these models and then consider what idea you would like to illuminate. Because I want to spend the entire period analyzing //The Scarlet Letter// on Monday, your rough draft will not be due until Tuesday. However, I strongly advise you to write it this weekend -- or at least get a good start on it.

I've also written a reading schedule for //The Scarlet Letter// so that you can plan ahead. I am concerned that some of you are not reading carefully. Please make sure that you are prepared for Monday's class. I would suggest revisiting chapters 5-6 and reading chapters 7-8 carefully.












 * //The Scarlet Letter// Reading Schedule**
 * NOTE: These are the days on which reading is DUE:**

Monday, Jan. 26 -- Chapters 7-8 Tuesday., Jan. 27 -- Chapters 9-10; rough draft of creative symbolism piece due for peer editing Wednesday, Jan. 28 -- Chapters 11-12; final copy of creative symbolism piece due Thursday, Jan. 29 -- Chapters 13-15 Friday, Jan. 30 - chapters 16-18 Monday, Feb. 2 -- 19-21 Tues., Feb. 3 -- 22-24 (end of the novel) Wed., Feb. 4 - vocab exercises unit 8; assign essay (Sigh!) Thursday, Feb. 5- vocab quiz unit 8; begin unit on Transcendentalism


 * Thursday, Dec. 18, 2014**

Here are copies of the two articles I asked you to read (plus "I Just Wanna Be Average" found in //50 Essays).// Please come to class prepared to discuss these issues.




 * Monday, Nov. 17, 2014 -- REVISED READING SCHEDULE**

Given that many of you are having trouble adjusting to Austen's language and the context of this novel, I am going to stretch out your reading assignments. This means that we won't finish until after Thanksgiving break; however, I would rather you all read the novel than simply read about it. Since I am lightening the reading assignments, I am also going to add a vocabulary quiz on unit 6 on Monday, Nov. 24 ("B Day"). Therefore, tonight's reading is to revisit Volume One. If you already read it thoroughly, review what you've already read. If you did not finish it, please do so now. I will be quizzing you tomorrow on Volume One only, and I will be collecting the journal entries for the Code of Conduct and Language Analysis for Volume One ONLY.


 * Tuesday, 11/18 --** Review Volume One. Submit journal entries for both the Code of Conduct and Language Analysis Vol. One only!
 * Wednesday, 11/19 --** Volume 2 -- chapters I - VI (pp. 131-163) ((chapters 24 - 29)
 * Thursday, 11/20 --** Volume 2, chapters VII - XII (pp. 164-197) (chapters 30 - 35)
 * Friday, 11/21 --** Volume 2, chapters XIII - XIX (pp. 198-232) (chapters 36-42) ; vocabulary exercises due for unit 6
 * Monday, 11/24** -- Volume 3, chapters I-II (pp. 235-254) (chapters 43-44); vocabulary quiz, unit 6
 * Tuesday, 11/25 --** Volume 3, chapters III - V I (pp. 255-284) (chapters 45 - 48)
 * Wednesday, 11/26 --** Volume 3, chapters VII-X (pp. 285-311) (chapters 49-52)
 * Monday, Dec. 1 -** Volume 3, chapters XI - XIX (pp. 312 - 367) (53-61); read excerpt from Mary Wollenstonecraft's "Vindication of the Rights of Women"


 * Tuesday, November 11, 2014**

Many of you have asked about the reading assignments for //Pride and Prejudice,// so I am posting them below. Please be sure to bring your book to class every day so that you can read in any spare time that remains. The reading assignments on the weekends are longer than those assigned during the week. This weekend's assignment is particularly long, but I will be giving you some time to read in class on both Thursday and Friday. Also, I would like you to complete the dialectical journal for Volume One, which I have posted below. Doing so will help to keep you focused on the code of conduct that was so important in Austen's day. I will not check this journal until Monday.



__**Reading Syllabus**__ __NOTE:__ These are the days on which reading is **__due__.**


 * Thursday, 11/13 --** Volume 1, chapters 1-8 (pp. 5-45)
 * Friday, 11/14 --** No reading due. Rhetorical analysis of epiphany paragraph in "Shooting an Elephant" is due. Vocab quiz unit 5
 * Monday, 11/17 --** All of volume one (pp. 41-128)
 * Tuesday, 11/18 -** Volume 2, chapters I - VI (pp. 131-163)
 * Wednesday, 11/19 --**Volume 2, chapters VII-II (pp. 164-197)
 * Thursday, 11/20** -- Volume 2, chapters XIII - XIX (pp. 198-232)
 * Friday, 11/21** -- Volume 3, chapters I - IV (pp. 235-267)
 * Monday, 11/24** -- Volume 3, chapters V - XI (pp. 268-319)
 * Tuesday, 11/25--** Volume 3, chapters XII -XVI (pp. 320 - 351)
 * Wednesday, 11/26 --** Finish Volume 3, XVII - XVIII (pp 352-367)


 * Monday, November 3, 2014**

Hello AP students. I hope you had a wonderful weekend and have been enjoying //Of Mice and Men//. Here is a copy of the creative writing assignment, as well as two models, one of place and the other of character. I would prefer that you write creative nonfiction, but I won't stop you from writing fiction. Either way, the key is to "show," not "tell." In other words, YOU provide the strong concrete details and let your reader draw the inferences.

I'm going to give you the option of focusing or character OR place. Just be sure that you set a **clear purpose** before you start. If you choose to focus on an important person in your life, do NOT write a five-paragraph essay of his or her most important qualities. Write a **narrative** in which you focus on a single event or series of events and **SHOW** how this person has impacted your life. As you do that, you will need to describe setting so that your story is grounded.

Likewise, if you describe a special place in your life, you will need to create strong **images** for your reader, but you are likely to also describe events that occurred there. Remember your goal is to describe, subtly, **HOW** this place has affected the person you are today.

The assignment sheets and two models, one focusing on "place" and the other on "character" are attached below. Please bring a rough draft for peer editing by Thursday, Nov. 6. The final copy is due Friday, Nov. 7.






 * October 30, 2014**

Hello grammar scholars. Please study tonight by reviewing your rules and the language of grammar. Here is a final review sheet that is similar in format to tomorrow's test. I have also posted the answers to these exercises. Just remember these points:

1. You only have to write abbreviated comma rules for commas. Just be sure that your abbreviations are clear -- i.e. Do NOT say, "PP." That could mean prepositional phrase OR participial phrase. 2. Do NOT dodge rules. The only changes in wording that you should make are to correct faulty parallelism, subject-verb agreement and pronoun usage. Do NOT rewrite the sentence for any other reason. Even if you write a grammatically correct sentence but avoid the concept I am trying to assess, I will have to mark it wrong. 3. Make sure that your marks are clear. For example, do NOT place the apostrophe above the //s.// Place it **before** or **after** the //s.// You have to take a stand.

Good luck! Just be very careful and think about //why// you are doing everything. When in doubt, leave it out! You must have a reason for every mark you do or don't place.




 * October 29, 3014**

Here is a copy of the answers to the second set of review exercises in the summer grammar package. Please check your answers and finish the worksheet I gave you in class today. I have posted a copy of the worksheet I gave out in class today for anyone who was absent., and I have also posted the answers so that you can check them right away. I will answer any questions you have about these questions tomorrow, but we will not go over each answer in class.






 * October 28, 2014**

Here is another copy of the grammar exercises from the summer. Please re-do the last two review exercises and then compare your answers to the answers you got over the summer. We will go over these exercises tomorrow, and I will give you additional exercises for homework tomorrow night.

Here are the discussion questions for chapter 5-9 of //Frederick Douglass's Slave Narrative//. Again, these are issues to reflect upon; you do not have to write out your answers.
 * October 23, 2014**


 * October 10, 2014**

I know that some of you read //Gatsby// more carefully than others. Please make sure that you do not miss this masterpiece and get caught up over the weekend. To write meaningful literary analysis, you need to know how all of the pieces of the novel fit together. We'll talk about your essay next week. It will definitely be worth more than 50 points and functions as your overarching assessment of this novel.

In addition, please read "The Short, Happy LIfe of Francis Macomber" by Tuesday. We will discuss Hemingway's persona and critical interpretations of his work more thoroughly next week, but for now, I want you to react merely to the text of this story without any additional influence. The ending of this story is fascinating and hotly debated in literary circles. After you've read it, consider two possible interpretations of what happens at the end and search for evidence of each explanation.

After you've done that, then read the critical article attached below. While I find the parallels between //Gatsby// and Macomber fascinating, this writer's interpretation of the ending is just one point of view. Consider the other possible interpretations.

I'm looking forward to a lively discussion about the layers of meaning in the ending of //Gatsby// on Tuesday, followed by a rousing debate about the Hemingway story. (Note the effusiveness of my tone.) Fitzgerald and Hemingway each made an indelible mark upon 20th century literature. Enjoy!




 * October 3, 2014**

Read chapters 4 and 5 of //Gatsby// and consider these issues as you read:




 * October 1, 2014**

Please read through chapter 3 in //Gatsby// tonight and consider these points as you read.


 * September 26, 2014**

Dear students,

As you review the text of //A Raisin in the Sun// and prepare to rewrite your summer essay, please consult these documents for general writing tips/editing symbols ("Kratz's Caveats") and structural tips for this particular essay. I will be available after school both Monday and Tuesday for those of you who need help with embedding. I would strongly advise that many of you stay for help after you have begun to revise the American dream paragraph so that you can be sure that you are writing an argument (not plot summary!) and that your embedding is solid. Please work hard on this revision. The work you put into your writing now will pay off for the rest of the year.

Amen.






 * Sept. 23, 2014**

Consider the following discussion. Be prepared to answer them thoughtfully with specific textual references. Your responses will be assessed.

1. Identify/explain the "dream" of each of the major characters: Mama, Walter Lee, Ruth, and Beneatha. Identify a key quote for each.

2. Compare/Contrast the dreams and frustrations of the three generations of the Younger family:


 * Big Walter/Walter Lee
 * Mama/Beneatha
 * Walter Lee/Travis

3. Analyze the significance of Beneatha's hair.

4. Consider the impact of the minor characters. Analyze each of the following:


 * Mrs. Johnson
 * George Murchison
 * Asagai
 * Mr. Lindner

5. Each of the main characters has one or more moments of great insight. Identify/analyze the significance of these moments for. ..

Ruth Walter Lee Mama


 * Sept. 18, 2014**

I understand that some of you are having trouble submitting to turnitin.com. If you have not submitted the paragraph you wrote over the summer, don't worry about it. Just submit your revised paragraph in the folder titled "Babbitt rewrite." I just created a folder for each class. I would also like you to print out a receipt, which reprints the first 100 words.

Here is the identifying information you need:


 * Period 4 -- Class ID - 8649607; password -- writing**
 * Period 6 -- Class ID - 8649616; password - writing**

Below is a copy of the instructions for how to sign in:


 * Sept. 17, 2014**

Here is a list of embedding stems using Babbitt evidence. Review to make sure that you are not summarizing the plot.




 * September 11, 2014**

Remember that tonight your goal is to compile a **brief** presentation in which your group will accomplish three goals:
 * to explain how your assigned theme is treated in the novel (in general)
 * to analyze how a specific quotation speaks to this greater theme
 * to analyze how a visual work of the period (perhaps an ad or a cartoon) also embodies this theme

Here are your groups in case you forget your comrades' names:




 * September 10, 2014**

Here is a copy of the //Babbitt// satire assignment. Find one strong quote for each theme so that you and the other members of your group (to be announced tomorrow) can plan your presentation for Friday. These presentations should be **brief** (three slides), but relate a quotation from the text and an advertisement from the 1920s to the greater themes in the novel. Directions for gathering quotations and then organizing your presentation are posted below.




 * September 2, 2014**

I hope that you enjoyed all three of your summer reads. We'll be working with all three -- plus new readings -- in the next few weeks. Your first assignment is a creative one in which you will consider both visual and verbal rhetoric as you design a poster that persuades other North Penn students to read the book that you chose to read for pleasure. Please consult the link below for details.



Also, review Malcolm Gladwell's //Outliers// and be prepared to do the following tomorrow:

1. Submit an index card on which you have written the following:

A. An argument/position of Gladwell with which you agree B. An argument/position of Gladwell which you would challenge in whole or in part

2. Read Gladwell's article on sports in terms of the nature/nurture debate. Consider how his positions in this article are similar to or different than those in //Outliers//.








 * Welcome to AP English!**


 * September 3, 2013**

Hello Class of 2015! I hope you had an excellent summer and found your summer work challenging, but manageable. Your first assignment is a creative one in which you will consider both visual and verbal rhetoric as you design a poster that persuades other North Penn students to read a book that you chose to read for pleasure. Please consult the link below for details. Also, review Malcolm Gladwell's //Outliers// and be prepared to do the following tomorrow:

1. Take a brief plot-level quiz. (You will take a more challenging quiz on Friday.) 2. Submit an index card on which you have written the following:

1. An argument/position of Gladwell with which you agree. 2. An argument/position of Gladwell with which you disagree.

These cards will be collected as you enter the room.

Please consult the assignments described above this line.


 * Monday, Sept. 9, 2013**

1. Read Jean de Crevocoeur's "What is an American?" on pages 289-291 of your yellow literature book. Consider the qualities of the 18th century American dream and the American dream today. Print out this Venn diagram and write his version in the left-hand circle, your version in the right-hand circle, and those qualities of the American dream that have survived from the 18th century to the present in the center of the circle.



2. Read this article by Malcolm Gladwell that was printed in this week's //New Yorker//. Compare/contrast the issues he raises here with the positions he took in //Outliers.// Be prepared to revisit the nature/nurture debate.




 * Thursday, Sept. 19, 2013**

If you are having trouble submitting to turnitin.com, confirm your class ID/password here:

Period 2 -- Class ID -- 6986969 Password -- writing

Period 6 Class ID -- 6987115 Password -- writing

I hope this info helps. See you tomorrow.


 * Friday, Sept. 20, 2013**

Attached below is a chapter of Ernest Hemingway's memoir //A Moveable Feast,// in which he describes the escapades of his coterie of expatriates living in Paris in the 1920s. This list includes such notables as F Scott Fitzgerald, Ford Madox Ford, James Joyce, Gertrude Stein, and Ezra Pound. Note how Hemingway perceived Scott and Zelda, the golden couple of their age.



Also, read chapters 1 and 2 of //The Great Gatsby// carefully. Consider how Fitzgerald uses both literary and rhetorical strategies to create his elegiac tribute to the American dream. As you're reading, look for allusions to the American dream, as well as for examples of the motifs of time and corruption.


 * Friday, Sept. 27, 2013**

Hello my scholars. Attached below is a recent //Time// magazine article that analyzes the demographics of undergraduate college acceptance. It certainly speaks to what some would consider the tarnishing of the American dream. Please come into the room discussing its assertions on Monday.

Also, besides re-reading Gatsby through chapter 7, you should research and begin writing your next assignment, an extended exploration of the motif of time in //The Great Gatsby.// Your thesis should comment on what the novel suggests about how time impacted both Gatsby's dream of attaining his golden girl and the traditional American dream. Because this paper has an array of examples for each theme, your thesis should NOT list your major examples. Simply write a position statement that comments on what the novel says about how time has affected both of these "dreams." Since your paper has two major areas of development -- Gatsby's dream and the American dream -- it will reference both of these. It is not necessary to list each supporting example.

I would suggest scouring the text for references to time, particularly with regard to Gatsby. These may be symbols, such as the clock, passages from dialogue, or details that relate to time or perhaps include the word. Consider the thematic importance of each. Then look for the more subtle references to the American dream. (The green light, for example, has layered meaning with implications beyond being the object of Gatsby's attention on Daisy's dock.) Each of these references will most likely comprise its own paragraph.

You need to decide how to best organize this information. Consider these guidelines as you plan.


 * Introduction:** Your **introduction** should set up the issue of time in relation to Gatsby and the American dream, providing background on both the novel and this historical ideal. Conclude this paragraph with your thesis.


 * Body paragraphs:** One obvious method is to organize the textual evidence into two categories: evidence that relates to Gatsby's dream of Daisy and textual evidence that is more layered and connotes additional meaning relative to the American dream. Each major reference will comprise a paragraph and should include multiple pieces of textual evidence and analysis of each. You will have as many body paragraphs as you deem necessary.

I would expect this paper to fall in the three to four-page range. At the AP level, you need to plan and organize your own argument without a clear-cut formula to follow. Just be sure, however, that you retain your **focus** on what the novel suggests about how time (especially the relationship between the past and the present) affects Jay Gatsby and, by extension, America.

Remember to EMBED your textual evidence so that your style of more sophisticated.

Good luck and feel free to email me with questions. I will check my email on Sunday.

Mrs. Kratz


 * Monday, Sept. 30, 2013**

I hope you're working on this assignment. Feel free to email me questions tonight.


 * Friday, Oct. 4, 2013**

I hope you are enjoying //Of Mice and Men// and are polishing your essays. Here are some discussion questions that I"d like you to reflect upon before you come to class on Monday. You do not have to write down your answers but feel free to mark pages to which you'd like to refer with post its. Please just think about these topics so that we can have a good discussion. This is a very simple, yet very powerful, tale.

Also, please submit your essay on the time motif in //Gatsby// to turnitin.com.

Please email me if you have any questions. I will catch up with previous email later tonight and check it throughout the weekend. -- Mrs. Kratz


 * Wed., Oct. 8, 2013**

I recently learned of a writing contest in which I would urge you to participate. It is a statewide contest offered to juniors in Pennsylvania public schools. The awards are substantive -- up to $3,000 for first place -- and I don't know how many students actually participate. Unfortunately, the deadline for submission to Mrs. McKee, who is coordinating the submission, is Tuesday, Oct. 15. On a positive note, you don't have any writing assignments due now, and you do have the weekend -- and Monday -- to work on it. I am attaching the contest's parameters below (i.e. topic, length, expectations). We will discuss it in greater depth in class.




 * Monday, October 14, 2013**

I hope you had a nice weekend. Here are some points to consider while reading Frederick Douglass's //Slave Narrative.// You do not have to answer in complete sentences, but you should reflect on these issues since they will be the focus of potential quiz questions.



Also, I'm posting the Sanders essay I mentioned in class. Again, it does not reflect the format of the essay prompt for the contest since it contains no additional research, but it does show you different ways to think about a concept such as "home, " just as the essay prompt asks you to consider concepts such as "liberty" and "country."



Please read chapters VII - the first half of X (pages 51-83 - half the page) by Thursday's class and be prepared to answer any of these questions. Since you have just one day to complete this assignment, you will finish reading this text over the weekend.
 * Tuesday, October 15, 2013**




 * Thursday, October 17, 2013 (Grammar Eve)**

Hello grammar gods and goddesses. Please take time to study tonight. Review phrases and clauses using your grammar handbook if necessary. Treat the practice exercises as a test, and take your time so that you practice answering carefully. I have posted the answers to the review exercises you completed over the summer, as well as answers to an additional practice sheet you should complete tonight.


 * Summer reading answers:**




 * Additional practice exercises:**





Finish reading Frederick Douglass's//Slave Narrative//. These questions address pages 83-121. You will not have to turn in your responses on Monday, but I would suggest reviewing your notes from the three sections of this memoir before class on Monday. You will have a quiz on the entire memoir then.
 * Saturday, Oct. 19, 2013**




 * Friday, Oct. 25, 2013**

Your argument essay, which takes a stand on the relationship between writing and thinking, is due on Wed., Oct. 30. It should be **2-3 pages long and is worth 50 points.** Posted below are a list of general writing tips, the assignment sheet, and a tip sheet for writing arguments (complete with a model yes . . . but OR no . . .but chart). Lastly, I've posted the talk you listened to in class about the position that texting is an emerging language.

Remember that your homework for Monday is to read "Once More to the Lake," page 444 in your //50 Essays// book. This is a famous descriptive essay by E.B. White that is an epiphany piece. Focus on his careful use of language, and come to class ready to discuss what you feel his epiphany was. It should be an interesting discussion.

I hope you enjoy writing this argument essay. When organizing, think about the different aspects/examples of writing and thinking, and evaluate the merits/effects of each. Again, you may do additional research, but remember that YOUR position should dominate. This is NOT an informational essay. It's an argument piece.







[]


 * Monday, Oct. 28, 2013**

Your homework tonight is to read Edgar Allan Poe's "The Fall of the House of Usher," which is found on pages 474-494 of your literature book. Southpark got it right: Poe is the original American "Goth." The genre of Gothic literature is characterized by grotesque characters, bizarre situations, and violent events. It originated in Europe (19th century romantic movement) and was popular on both sides of the Atlantic. In the 19th century Nathaniel Hawthorne popularized the Gothic, and in the 20th century, writers such as William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor adapted this form and applied it to the decaying South in what is now known as southern Gothic literature. We will be reading a Flannery O'Connor story later this week.

Please consult the notesheet as you are reading. It will not be collected, but you should consider the issues it raises. This story warrants a VERY close reading. Poe includes some of his finest Gothic description in this piece and some profound psychological insights. As is always true with Poe, weigh the narrator's words very carefully. He is one of the first writers to advance the concept of the unreliable narrator.


 * More tips on writing your argument essay:**

Based on some of the questions I've been asked, I want to clarify the focus of this assignment. You can either **defend** the position that writing and thinking have a completely circular relationship, as Orwell suggested, OR you can completely **refute** the position that writing and thinking are interrelated OR you can write a **qualified** agreement or disagreement in which you posit that while in certain situations. . . is true, otherwise it. . . is not. Just remember that y**our position** should drive your essay. Use Orwell, McWhortle, and any other source to either support your argument or to raise a counterargument that you will then refute. Do NOT feel the need to raise the counterargument for every supporting detail you add. Consider the major arguments your opposition will raise and address them where appropriate. Remember that there are different kinds of writing AND thinking. Some of these possible scenarios can be used to extend and support your original position.

I hope this information helps. Those of you who need to work on grammar need to do so before the end of the marking period, which is Nov. 8. If you don't, you will receive an "incomplete" as your grade. Two people re-tested today, and both are done!


 * Friday, Nov. 1, 2013**

I hope you have a restful weekend AND take the time to complete these assignments. **PERIOD 2, I have changed the assignment slightly.** Here are the deadlines for the entire novel. I would also like you to complete the dialectical journal for volume one. Doing so will help to keep you focused on the code of conduct that was so important in Austen's day.

Wed., Nov. 6 -- Read ALL of Volume I, //Pride and Prejudice// Thurs., Nov 7 -- Rough draft of epiphany piece due (Do NOT wait until Wed. night to write this!) Fri., Nov. 8 -- Final copy of epiphany piece due and Volume Two, chapters I - IX Mon., Nov. 11- //Pride and Prejudice,// chapters X - XIX (end of Volume Two) Tues., Nov. 12 -- vocabulary exercises for unit 5 due Wed., Nov. 13 -- //Pride and Prejudice//, Vol. Three, chapters I - VI Thurs., Nov. 14 - //Pride and Prejudice,// Volume Three, chapters VII - X Fri., Nov. 15 -vocabulary quiz unit 5; //Pride and Prejudice,// Volume Three, chapters XI - XIII Mon, Nov. 18 -- Finish //Pride and Prejudice// (Volume Three, chapters XIV - end)

Here is the epiphany piece assignment sheet and several models. I hope you have fun writing this one.






 * Thursday, Nov. 14, 2013**

Here is the tone word list for those of you who need it.




 * Monday, Nov. 18, 2013**

Mary Wollenstonecraft is the first British feminist, and her ideas greatly influenced Jane Austen. Ironically, she has some rather unflattering notions about women but explains their societal origins. Please consult the following link and read the first 10 paragraphs of Chapter VIII. (The paragraphs are numbered to the right). Then print out and answer the questions (The same document is posted in two different formats). I will count these quesitons in lieu of a quiz. []
 * CHAP. VIII. || Morality undermined by sexual notions of the importance of a good reputation -- from ||

Print the following questions and, after reading the text carefully, write your answers on this sheet.


 * [|Details]
 * [[file:jkenglish/Vindication of the Rights of Women close reading questions (not quiz).doc|Download]]
 * 20 KB


 * November 19, 2013**


 * Dear students (especially second period!),**

Please bring your //50 Essays// texts with you tomorrow. I would suggest reading "Shooting an Elephant" tonight (p.272 in the //50 Essays// book). It is a classic narrative essay that is very well-written. You will be quizzed on the beginning of the text, which you can read in class, but you might feel more comfortable assessing the beginning of this essay if you've read the whole thing.


 * November 21, 2013**

Tomorrow you will write your first in-class essay on paragraph #7 of Orwell's classic narrative essay "Shooting an Elephant." Attached below are the assignment sheet for and hard copy of this passage. You should print this page, mark it up, and plan for your essay tomorrow BUT you may not bring a rough draft with you to class. You will get 30 minutes to write.






 * November 22, 2013**

I want to post information about a few of the issues that have surfaced in my conferences with students who have been working on your next comp:


 * As with any work of literature, consider the context in which the work of literature was written. For instance, //The Great Gatsby// is very much a reflection of the roaring twenties. Likewise, //Pride and Prejudice// was written in the Age of Reason, a time in which reason, logic, order, and balance were valued over emotion and personal freedom. Austen is by no means a rebel. She never advocates overthrowing the social order, but she does make a strong case for the importance of personal character in establishing a "meritocracy" of sorts.

Some other points to consider:
 * Not all of your body paragraphs will be equal in length. Use all of the available textual evidence in your analysis, but do not assume that there will be equal amounts for each stage of your argument.
 * Remember that each character -- Darcy early on and Elizabeth much later -- comments on the concept of pride. Consider how the character considers pride philosophically, as well as personally.-- but not necessarily in every body paragraph. While each character's personal perception of pride evolves, a character's philosophical perception of pride may or may not change over the course of the novel.
 * Because the novel, while written from third person point of view, nevertheless focuses on Elizabeth, her epiphany will unfold chronologically in the text. Darcy's will not. You should organize your evidence for Darcy as it would have happened over the course of his experience -- not based on where it appears in the text.

Remember that this is a characterization essay. Your goal is to trace the evolution of your chosen character's perceptions and connect these to Austen's greater themes. Make sure that each idea connects smoothly to the one before it. Embed your quotations seamlessly and push your analysis to the thematic level.

Lastly, edit ruthlessly for mechanical errors. I will grade more stringently than I have in the past for usage and mechanics. The epiphany pieces contained many more grammatical errors than they should have.

Remember that this is a paper of literary analysis, so your tone should be formal, but not stilted. As you become more comfortable with this style of writing, you will develop your voice, even in an analytical paper such as this one.

As always, spend time searching for textual evidence. Support everything you assert. This argument will only be a strong as the evidence you find.

Good luck. Only two days next week!


 * Monday, Nov 25, 2013**

I'm sorry that I was out today, but I wanted to let you know that we will be having our tea party tomorrow. Feel free to dress up if you'd like. I'm going to bring tea, lemonade, and some sweets. If you would like to bring any additional food, that would be great. I will return the epiphany pieces and then we can talk about "Separating" (I'm looking forward to that discussion. I have a John Updike story to share.), as well as the poetry you read in class today. Actually, //Our Town// (Well done cast and crew!) fits into the Irony and Epiphany unit beautifully, and the //Spoon River// Anthology//,// from which "Lucinda Matlock" is taken, precedes //Our Town// by 20 years and is very similar in intent.

I will also pass out the //Inherit the Wind// books tomorrow. Your homework over break is to read this play. Check the wiki for supplementary reading materials.This play is very accessible -- funny and a bit corny at points -- and it's still performed quite frequently. I saw it performed a number of years ago in City Hall in Philadelphia.The characters parallel historical figures ( *William Jennings Bryan, Clarence Darrow, John T. Scopes, and H.L. Mencken -- Remember his suggestion that we all be "comfortably stewed"?), and the action of the play is centered on the famous "Scopes Monkey Trial" of 1925, when a science teacher, John T. Scopes, purposely violated a Tennessee state law that forbid the teaching of evolution in a high school classroom. The play is historical fiction but captures the spirit of this watershed moment in history. You will definitely study this trial in social studies this year. The themes of this play set the stage nicely for the education unit, which we'll be starting after break. We will spend one day -- two at most -- discussing this work before moving on to a number of nonfiction pieces that focus on different aspects of education, another topic on which you are the experts. If you are going to be absent tomorrow and did not get a book today, please ask someone else whom you will see over break to bring a copy home for you.

See you for tea tomorrow!

Here are the attachments for //Inherit the Wind.// Consult the thematic analysis sheet before - or after -- you've read the play. I would like each of you to write down (and cite the page number of) **two** quotes per theme. For the first area, characterizaton, please select the quotation that you feel best captures the essence of each character. (In this area, you will have **six quotations**.) The second article differentiates between the historical trial and the fictional one.








 * Monday, Dec. 2, 2013**

Read the following two attachments. The first is a news story about a central Pennsylvania trail very similar in spirit to the Scopes Monkey Trial. The other is the theatre review of the 2007 reprisal of this play in Broadway.


 * Tuesday, Dec, 3, 2013**

Here is a copy of the reading questions for Emerson's "On Education." As I said in class, I will not be collecting these, but I would encourage you to answer these as you review your reading so that you know that you have comprehended this philosophical text.




 * Thursday, Dec. 12, 2013**

In addition to reading "Me Talk Pretty One Day" (p. 340 in //50 Essays//), you should also read "The Thin Envelope Crisis," posted below. I'm going to post "Is Algebra Necessary?" but you do NOT have to read it tonight. Let's save that discussion for next week when we have more time. For tomorrow's discussion, I want you to think about these educational issues:


 * academic tracking ("I Just Wanna Be Average")
 * college acceptance policies ("The Thin Envelope Crisis" -- I have no doubt that you'll have a few opinions on this subject!)
 * cruel teachers ("Me Talk Pretty One Day") AND what makes this piece so funny!

ENJOY!



NOTE: The first paragraph of this essay is repeated. Sorry.


 * January 2, 2014**

Please read the assignment sheet below to help you as you consider the greater thematic significance of your assigned motif. By identifying specific textual references, you and your group will be generating a visual depiction of how this motif ebbs and flows in intensity throughout the play.




 * Sunday, January 5, 2014**

For those of you researching the motif of "seasons" in //The Crucible//, please also consider other "seasonal" references, such as the rising and setting of the sun and the use of light and dark imagery, in your examination of how these references to changing elements of nature support Miller's thematic intent.

NOTE: I will be asking all of you to submit your findings to me tomorrow before working as teams to create a product that visually depicts the modulation of your assigned motif.


 * Tuesday, Jan. 7, 2014**

Here is a copy of the passage from Anchee Min's //Red Azalea//. Please read it by **Friday**. We will assess/discuss it after the vocabulary quiz. Please note that it ends on page 152. The page that ends with the comment about the snake is NOT the last page.




 * Friday, Jan. 10, 2014**

For Monday, read this released passage and answer the multiple choice questions that follow. Please print this out and bring it to class on Monday. Time yourself. Generally speaking, you should allow about a minute per question, so it should not take you more than 15 minutes to read the passage and answer these questions. This passage might take a little less than 15 minutes.





Also posted below is the symbolism assignment sheet and models of both poetry and prose winners. We will talk more about this assignment next week. We will have a peer editing session on Wednesday, and I would love to collect them from you on Thursday, but you may have until Tuesday, Jan. 21, if you need more time. I have decided against pushing ahead with vocabulary next week. Between finishing //The Crucible//, reading several other shorter passages, and evaluating this creative assignment, we have plenty to accomplish without vocabulary. I would like you to read this models to get an idea of how you might approach this assignment, and we will critique these samples on Tuesday.








 * Monday, January 20, 2014**

Hello students.

The weather saga goes on. Period 6, your symbolism piece is not due until Wednesday so that you can peer edit tomorrow. If anyone from period 2 would like an extra day, you may have it, but I would love to collect as many as possible as soon as possible so that I can get started. Also, I will be quizzing you tomorrow on the Custom House, and we will be close reading chapter 1. I will be quizzing chapters 2-4 on Wednesday. If you've already read the first four chapters, you will not have any additional reading for Wednesday. I hope to see you tomorrow!

Mrs. Kratz


 * Wednesday, January 22, 2014**

Hello AP scholars. I hope you are enjoying your day off. I did watch //Easy A// last night, and obviously we will NOT be watching that one in class. It did have some good moments, though. I am assuming that the entire marking period schedule will move back a day, making your AP assessments on Monday and Tuesday. Inclement weather notwithstanding, here is a syllabus for //The Scarlet Letter// and other assignments until the end of the marking period:

These are dates on which reading assignments for //The Scarlet Letter// are DUE:

Thurs., Jan. 23 -- chapters 2-4; record comments/analyze model of rhetorical analysis essay Fri., Jan. 24 -- chapters 5-6; go over AP practice passage Mon., Jan. 27 -- overview of AP reading passage assessment; commentary on released rhetorical analysis passage; multiple choice assessment Tues., Jan. 28 -- in-class essay Wed., Jan. 29 --introduce vocabulary, unit 8; //Scarlet Letter// -- quiz/discussion of chapters 5-8 Thurs., Jan. 30 -- Go over vocab exercises; chapters 9-10 Fri., Jan. 31 -- vocab quiz unit 8; chapters 11-12 Mon., Feb. 3 -- chapters 13-16 Tues., Feb. 4 -- chapters 17-20 Wed., Feb 5 -- chapters 21-14

All of these assessments, as well as your most recent creative writing assignment, will be second marking period grades. The essay on the //Scarlet Letter// will be on the third marking period. I hope this information helps you in your planning. See you tomorrow!


 * Friday, Jan. 24, 2014**

Please consult the above //revised// reading schedule for //The Scarlet Letter.// Given how much time we spent going over multiple choice answers today, I thought it would be wise to focus solely on AP review/assessments on Monday and Tuesday and then resume //The Scarlet Letter// on Wednesday. Therefore, no additional reading is due until Wednesday, and that amount has been reduced so that our discussion can mirror the reading assigned. I am assuming that these changes will not upset you.

Posted below are the released multiple choice passage, which you should work through this weekend, and the accompanying answers. I'll field any questions for any you answers you do not understand on Monday before you take the multiple choice assessment.



For those of you who were not in class on Friday, here is a copy of the rhetorical analysis passage by Lord Chesterfield. Mark it up and plan how you would write this essay.


 * Friday, Jan. 31, 2014**

I hope you have a wonderful weekend. As you work on revising your creative pieces for the AAUW contest, I want to encourage you to consider entering both poetry and prose. In the past there have been many more poetry than prose submissions, so if you're already entering a poem, look back to your epiphany piece -- or other creative writing you've done beyond an assignment for class this year -- and consider entering a prose piece as well. Have a great weekend, and enjoy //The Scarlet Letter//. It really is a good tale. Honest.


 * Tuesday, Feb. 4, 2014**

We certainly are in a state of flux these days. We'll just have to live by the cliche and take it one day at a time. I know that some of you are concerned about the AAUW deadline. I have extended it until Friday, Feb. 7, for all English teachers. Please make sure that you bring a clean copy of your poem and/or prose piece to your next class. It should be typed with a title but no heading. You should not give any identifying information -- no name, no teacher name, no school name. These entries are truly judged anonymously. I will give you a cover sheet to fill out in class.

For now, here is //The Scarlet Letter// reading schedule for the next day we have class:

period 2 -- Make sure that you have read through chapter 16

period 6 -- Make sure that you have read through chapter 18.

Depending on future bell schedules, period 2 may have to read 17-20 in a single night.

It would probably be wise for all of you to read ahead while you have the time but review the reading assigned on a daily basis.

I hope to see you soon. Make sure that you have your AAUW entries ready!


 * Thursday, Feb. 7, 2014**

Hello period 2!!! I haven't seen you in some time. For all of my students, please read through chapter 20 of //The Scarlet Letter// by tomorrow. Since we will be having a double period, we can make good headway in getting caught up on discussion. Also, bring your AAUW submissions to class tomorrow. You should omit the heading and submit a clean, typed copy with a title. Please understand that this creative writing contest is for ANY poetry or prose entry -- not merely the one(s) I've assigned. You are each allowed to submit one poem and one prose entry, so if you are submitting a poem you wrote for the symbolism assignment, you can also submit your epiphany piece as a prose entry. I would encourage all of you to submit entries in both modes. I have copies of the cover sheets you will need to fill in. You will complete them in class tomorrow.

I've been grading up a storm (BAD pun!), but I am looking forward to seeing you, and period 2, I will return your most recent rhetorical analysis pieces tomorrow.


 * Friday, Feb. 8, 2014**

Your homework this weekend is to finish the novel BUT I'm only going to quiz through chapter 20 on Monday. I will quiz chapters 21-24 on Tuesday. I'm suggesting that you finish this weekend so that you can begin brainstorming for our essay; as long as you finish by Tuesday, you will be on track. I've also posted the two choices so that you can think about these options as you are reading and begin to plan your essay. I've decided to extend your //Scarlet Letter// essay deadline until Tuesday, Feb. 17 (That gives you a three-day weekend to finish) BUT I will also be giving you an in-class essay next week. Consider these topics as you are reading:






 * NOTE:** PLEASE do not panic because your course recommendation card does not list my recommendation for AP next year. The English department was told that we would be making our recommendations on the blue card in class. I will be taking time to do that next week, most likely on Wednesday while you're writing an in-class essay.


 * Here is another writing contest possibility if you're interested:**

This is a link to an editorial contest sponsored by the //NY Times.// I thought you'd like to know.

[]

Have a great weekend!

Mrs. Kratz


 * Monday, Feb. 17, 2014**

For those of you who have not yet registered for the AP English Language test online, here is the link. If you have any other questions or concerns, please check with Mr. Broxterman in E112.

@https://docs.google.com/a/npenn.org/forms/d/1LFSNOyc1M10pgxf3tes-L3SFVoA_eDFiTrp7y3WqWHo/viewform


 * More information:**

The //Troubadour//, North Penn's literary magazine, is looking for entries. Please read the description below and enter any pieces which you feel meet their parameters.

Troubadour, the school’s literary magazine, is now accepting work from students of all grades and levels. Please remind your English and Creative Writing classes that Troubadour offers and excellent opportunity for them to publish their work and earn their peers admiration. This year’s theme is **Other Worlds.** Please encourage students to think creatively about this title. It may apply to gothic/supernatural works or merely things outside of their ordinary experience, such as a trip abroad or a fantastic day dream. Troubadour accepts fiction and non-fiction works of all styles (free verse, prose, sonnets, short stories, etc…) in addition to student-created art work. Written pieces under 500 words have the best chance of publication, but longer works will be accepted if space permits. Both written and visual work should be school appropriate and avoid excessive graphic or vulgar language. Works should be submitted to oreilldm@npenn.org by **Friday, March 21st** in either a **Microsoft Word document or as a tiff image.** Please remind them to **include their name in the email and to put TROUBADOUR in the subject line.** If students do not have the resources to photograph their art work they can bring their piece to K30/24 or K43 before or after school and it will be photographed for them.


 * Friday, March 7, 2014 **

As you know, your homework tonight is to read the first 10 chapters of //Huck Finn//. My greatest advice to you is to //listen// to the text and think about Twain's satirical intent. As I've said before, no one is immune to Twain's playful -- and sometimes quite serious -- derision. Here is a tentative syllabus for the novel. Once we've finished, we will begin the critical paper process. The critical paper will be due on Thursday, April 17. I'll give you a detailed syllabus with deadlines after we finish reading //Huck Finn//. I hope you enjoy //Huck Finn,// laugh out loud, and mark up your text as you read. Don't hesitate to use post its if you do not have your own book.

__**Dates on which reading is due:**__

Monday, 3/10 -- chapters 1-10 Wednesday., 3/12 -- chapters 11-15 Friday, 3/14 -- chapters 15-20 Monday, 3/17 -- 21-29 Wednesday, 3/19 - chapters 30-33 Thursday, 3/20 -- chapters 34-38 Friday, 3/12 -- chapters 39-43


 * Wednesday, March 12, 2014**

As promised, I've posted the assignment sheet and a variety of sample satire pieces below. In the next few days, I may post a few more. Please note how different they are from each other in tone and spirit. The key is to find a topic which you would enjoy criticizing and then have fun with it. Some of these satire pieces are Swiftian in their bitterness; others are far lighter in tone about far less weighty topics. Enjoy!




 * Monday, March 17, 2014**

Here is a list of synthesis essay tips that should help you to avoid some common pitfalls:



Please check the background information about Sandra Cisneros and her breakthrough novella, //The House on Mango Street// before you read. It should help you look for thematic threads. Enjoy!
 * Friday, March 21, 2014**




 * Thursday, March 27, 2014**

Here are a few articles that I suggest you check out. I also strongly encourage you to search through Bloom's literary criticism data base. On Monday we will go to the IMC to find some good print sources. I really want you to find the best possible secondary source information, particularly when it comes to raising and refuting counterarguments. As is always true with research, you must at least scan many more articles than you will ever use.

Chadwick-Joshua, Jocelyn. "Whah Is de Glory?: The (Un)Reconstructed South." //The Jim Dilemma: Reading Race in Huckleberry Finn//. Jackson, Miss.: University Press of Mississippi, 1998. 115-135. Rpt. in //Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism//. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 161. Detroit: Gale, 2005. //Literature Resource Center//. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Lester, Julius. "Morality and //Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//." //Satire or Evasion?: Black Perspectives on Huckleberry Finn//. Ed. James S. Leonard, Thomas A. Tenney, and Thadious M. Davis. Durham, N.C.: Duke University Press, 1992. 199-207. Rpt. in //Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism//. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 161. Detroit: Gale, 2005. //Literature Resource Center//. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.

Smiley, Jane. "Say It Ain't So, Huck: Second Thoughts on Mark Twain's 'Masterpiece'." //Harper's// 292.1748 (Jan. 1996): 61-67. Rpt. in //Twentieth-Century Literary Criticism//. Ed. Thomas J. Schoenberg and Lawrence J. Trudeau. Vol. 161. Detroit: Gale, 2005. //Literature Resource Center//. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.


 * NOTE: Make sure that you check out Jane Smiley's article. It caused quite a brouhaha in literary circles.**


 * Wednesday, April 2, 2014**

Please keep working on your secondary source research. If you have any questions in the next four days, feel free to email me. I will be checking my email at least once a day.

Here is some bibliographical information for the articles I have provided to you. If using an article from the Coursepack (you can see based on how they are formatted that several articles are from the same source), simply substitute the correct author's name and title before the rest of the bibliographical information. I've also posted tips on citing within your paper when you get to that point. The end of this document posts citations for the other articles I've provided -- i.e. "Going with the Flow," "A Sound Heart and a Deformed Conscience," and articles found in both editions of the text.








 * Wed., April 16 -- Critical Paper Eve!**

I hope you have written the vast majority of your paper and have left yourself time for editing. Entries for the two articles, "Whitewashing" and "The Meanings of a Word," are posted below. I have posted this assignment to turnitin.com, and I will check my email throughout the evening if you have any questions.



After you submit your critical paper and take a much-needed rest from writing and editing, it will be "high time" to leave the frontier and "get to the sea as soon as [we can]" (Melville 1). I won't lie and tell you that //Moby DIck// is not challenging, but I think you really deserve to know what all the literary buzz is about. Which is "the great American novel"? //Huck Finn? Moby Dick?// You decide. Neither is by any means without flaw, but both tap into what makes us human, which is ultimately why we read -- and of course discuss -- literature.

As you read, I will be posting notes for you to consult. I hope that these will help to sharpen your focus and give you things to consider and connect to as you read. Of course, I will also share pictures of our family trip to New Bedford (setting of the beginning of the novel) and Lenox, Mass., Melville's home. To start, open this introductory explanation of just what this "whale of a novel" is all about, and please consult my notes for chapters 1-10. Below is the reading schedule/syllabus for //Moby Dick//, leading up to the AP test on Friday, May 9. These dates represent when reading is DUE:

Mon., 4/21 -- chapters 1-10 Tues., 4/22 -- Field Trip! Wed., 4/23 -- chapters 11-16; return multiple choice Thurs., 4/24 -- chapters 17-19; 22-23; 24; 26-27; more work with multiple choice Fri., 4/25 -- questions due for 28-30; 36-37 at the beginning of class; in-class essay

Mon., 4/28 -- chapters 41-42; 47-48; 53; 72-78; questions due at the beginning of class Tues, 4/29 -- in-class essay Wed., 4/30 -- chapters 84; 87; 92-100; questions due at the beginning of class Thursday, 5/1 -- chapters 108-113; 116-119; questions due at the beginning of class Friday, 5/2 -- in-class essay

Monday, 5/5 -- Finish the novel-- chapters 123-135 ; epilogue; questions due at the beginning of class








 * Thursday, April 24, 2014**


 * Read the notes below as you are reading the chapter. Then answer the questions included in the next document. These questions are due tomorrow at the beginning of class.**




 * Friday, April 25, 2014**

Read these chapters in //Moby Dick// over the weekend, and consider these questions as you read. I can see that many of you are reading Sparknotes and/or Schmoop. I don't mind your reading these sources as long as you also read the text. I would suggest reading these summaries BEFORE reading the text, but be sure to read carefully. Sometimes their interpretations are not completely accurate.

I will collect these questions at the beginning of class. Be sure to answer thoughtfully, using textual evidence.


 * Due Monday, April 28**


 * Monday, April 28 -- READING SCHEDULE UPDATE**

Hello beleaguered students. After taking into consideration both the need to prepare/review for the AP Language exam, as well as the timing of your forthcoming AP tests, I have decided upon this revised schedule for the reading of //Moby Dick//. I will post the questions for these assignments later on tonight:. Since, with the exception of the last assignment, you will be graded based on work completed in advance, you can work ahead without fearing that you will forget details for a reading quiz. Since you do have 30 pages to read in a single night for the last assignment, you will not have to complete any questions for this section. The natural divisions of the text have played a major role in my decision-making.

I think this revised schedule should definitely lighten your workload but enable us to finish the novel in a reasonable amount of time. This syllabus will be final.

THESE ARE THE DATES WHEN THESE ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE and their APPROXIMATE length:


 * Due Friday, May 2 -- chapters 84; 87; 91-94 (30 pages) -- with questions**
 * Due Tuesday, May 6 -- chapters 95-100; 108-113 ( 42 pages) -- with questions**
 * Due Tuesday, May 13 -- chapters 114-125 (29 pages) -- with questions**
 * Due Thursday, May 15 -- chapters 126-132 (21 pages) -- with questions**
 * Due Friday, May 16 -- chapters 133-epilogue (30 pages) -- NO QUESTIONS**


 * Due Friday, May 2, 2014**




 * Due Tuesday, May 6**






 * Sunday, May 4, 2014**


 * It's almost show time, and you're ready. You've been practicing all year. Take a look at these review materials--from tip sheets to verb and tone word lists to literary terms/rhetorical devices. The more comfortable you are with the "language of language," the better, but remember that what matters most is your ability to analyze how/why the writer made his/her choices.**


















 * Thursday, May 8, 2014 -- AP EVE!!!**

Hello AP scholars! Please know that you have been practicing for this test every day this year, and you are ready. The most important thing you can do for yourself tonight is get a good night's sleep. Please make sure that you eat a good breakfast in the morning, and I **do** think it is a good idea to bring a snack for the break between the multiple choice and free response sections -- a snack you will, of course, eat in the hallway - NOT on the new carpet!

Over the course of the year, I have tried to expose you to the close reading skills you need to be successful on the multiple choice sections. Trust your instincts -- i.e. your first guess. Just make sure to read questions with EXCEPT very carefully and then find the answer that does NOT work.

A few reminders for **rhetorical analysis**:

Look at the type of question and be sure to focus on exactly what it asks for -- i.e. the writer's attitude, how a profession/place is characterized, the strategies of the speaker's argument. Always consider the FORM of the prompt and the impact AUDIENCE has on determining purpose. This passage could be a letter, a speech, an essay, a satirical piece, a paired passage. You've seen them all. Just be sure to link the writer's strategies to his/her overall purpose. Use the language of language where you can, and be sure to not just say WHAT the device/strategy is but WHY the writer uses it.


 * Argument**

As I've said many times before, it is CRITICAL that you take a clear stand. Yes your argument can and should be qualified, but don't try to argue both sides of this issue. (Remember "yes . . . but" and "no . . . but. ) Show why the opposition is wrong. Brainstorm your examples first and jot down HOW/WHY each supports your argument. There are essentially three types of argument questions:

1. a brief passage introducing a philosophical issue -- i.e. certainty v. doubt, unspoken codes of belonging, the relationship between wealth and justice 2. a brief passage introducing a more contemporary issue with philosophical implications -- i.e. the ethics of corporate sponsorship in schools or the value of public opinion in the media 3.a longer passage which requires YOU to identify the issue and then respond to it. Just make sure that you focus on the issue itself and then respond as you would to any other argument prompt. Do NOT rhetorically analyze the passage. Also, MAKE SURE THAT YOU CLEARLY DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE WRITER'S POSITION AND YOUR OWN. You can agree/disagree, but make sure that the reader knows where the original writer's position leaves off and yours begins. 4. As always, support EVERYTHING you assert and reason through your arguments to analyze their EFFECT.


 * Synthesis**

Take the time to wrap your mind around these documents during the reading period. Organize them into groups and interpret their information. Make sure that you **__take a__** __**clear position and that you cite ALL sources**.__ If you can use a source to raise and refute the counterargument, go for it. Your structure for this essay is generally rather traditional.

I would advise looking over the previous attachments of rhetorical terms/devices as well as those for tone words and verbs. Posted below is a practice test and in a separate file, the answers. If you're feeling good about your multiple choice performance, let it alone. If you'd like more practice, here it is.





In short, do tomorrow what you've been doing all year. You have the power of the "universal squeeze" -- and a year of very hard work -- behind you.

Mrs. Kratz


 * Monday, May 12, 2014**

Here are the questions for **chapters 114-125.** I will collect these at the beginning of class tomorrow.




 * Wednesday, May 14, 2014**

Here are the questions for **chapters 126-132.** The first page is background information that does not have to be printed. The questions which you should answer are on the second page.




 * Tuesday, May 20, 2014**

Here is a syllabus for //Catch-22,// vocabulary, //Macbeth//, and the last creative assignment:

THESE ARE THE DAYS ON WHICH ASSIGNMENTS ARE DUE AND THEIR APPROXIMATE LENGTHS:

Monday, May 19 -- //Catch - 22//, chapters 1-7 (61 pages) Tuesday, May 20 -- //Catch-22,// chapters 8-9 (36 pages) Wednesday, May 21 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 10-13 (35 pages) Thursday, May 22 -- vocab quiz unit 12, //Catch-22//, chapters 14-16 (24 pages) Friday, May 23 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 17-19 (32 pages)

Tuesday, May 27 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 20-23 (52 pages) Wednesday, May 28 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 24-25 (35 pages): //Macbeth// kick off Thursday, May 29 -- vocab quiz unit 13; //Macbeth// Friday, May 30 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 26-28 (31 pages); //Macbeth//

Monday, June 2 -- //Catch-22,// chapters 29-33 (42 pages); //Macbeth// Tuesday, June 3 -- C//atch-22//, chapters 34-36 (29 pages) ; //Macbeth// Wednesday, June 4 -- vocab quiz unit 14; //Catch-22//, chapters 37-39 (29 pages) Thursday, June 5 -- //Catch-22//, chapters 40-43 (30 pages); vocab review Friday, June 6 -- vocabulary final

(There will most likely be //Macbeth// reading over the weekend.)

Monday, June 9 -- final creative project due; //Macbeth// Tuesday, June 10 -- //Macbeth// Wednesday, June 11 -- //Macbeth//


 * Monday, June 2, 2014**

Here is the list of vocabulary words for Level G. I am unable to access my email, so I will have to post page 1 tomorrow since I need to use my email to revise this list. I will add that page tomorrow. Your vocab final is on Friday and will be worth 100 points in the fourth marking period. It is objective: sentence completions (with a word bank) and multiple choice.
 * Vocabulary**


 * Final creative assignment**

Start thinking about the character whose voice you would like to assume in a letter to a prospective student. Try to ape the style, thoughts, and voice of this character as you let a future student know what he or she should expect in AP English next year.


 * OR** You can submit an artistic interpretation in which you creatively address an element of a work of literature we read this year.


 * Vocabulary review list:**












 * Thursday, June 12, 2014**


 * NOTE: Because I need to calculate individual grades, I have entered //Moby Dick// scores and creative assignment scores for selected students. If you have an X by your name, I have not yet entered your score and will do so in the next day or two. Entering an //X// holds the spot. If you did not submit this assignment, your score will convert from an //X// to a 0 once I have entered scores for the entire class. I have checked the hard copies of all of** **the //Moby Dick// assessments to confirm their accuracy.**

__PLEASE CONSULT ASSIGNMENTS POSTED ABOVE THIS LINE__

Read the following assignment for //Babbit//, which asks you to identify and analyze examples of satire. Bring this sheet (and ideally a novel full of post its) to class. (Bring novel to class on Monday. Satire sheet is due on Tuesday.) You may use ellipses (. . .) to abbreviate the length of quotations (which MUST be documented), but you should write out your analysis on this sheet of paper.
 * 9/7/12--**




 * Tuesday, June 10, 2014**

For those of you who will be taking the final exam, here is a review sheet that lists the major works and concepts. You should report to my room (A8) by 7:30 Friday morning. The test will begin promptly at 7:40. You will most likely need the entire time to compete it.


 * 9/11/12**

Review the following assignment for //Babbit.// Come to class tomorrow with your roles assigned and your quotation and ad chosen. One member should bring a flashdrive so that you can compile a 3-5 slide powerpoint. You should definitely include the quote itself as a slide. You may include notes on its meaning, but you should not deliver your analysis verbatim. The purpose of this assignment is for your to teach this theme using textual and visual support.




 * Period 5 teams**




 * Period 8 teams**




 * Friday, Sept. 14, 2012**

Good luck with your first rhetorical analysis assignment. Read the directions posted below, and be sure to submit it to turnitin.com




 * Monday, Oct. 1 -- Embedding Review**

Please consult these sentence stems for embedding reviews.




 * Friday, Oct. 12 -- American Dream article**

Please read the following article carefully, considering both its content and style. Print it out and bring it with you to class on Monday. Also read page 292 in your literature book (//Poor Richard's Almanac)// and mark up the passage characterizing Mr. Gore in Frederick Douglass's //Slave Narrative.// Be sure to consider WHY each device is used and HOW this rhetorical strategy contributes to the speaker's overall purpose.


 * Friday, Oct. 19, 2012**

Read John Steinbeck's novella //Of Mice and Men// by Monday. (Remember that Steinbeck is to the 1930s what Fitzgerald is to the 1920s. As you're reading, consult the following questions. Print out your responses and bring this sheet to class on Monday.




 * Tuesday, Oct. 23 -- Memoir Assignment**

Please consult the assignment sheet, as well as the student models, to get ideas for a creative nonfiction piece that focuses on a character or a place.


 * Thursday, Oct. 25 -- More Memoir Models!!!**








 * Friday,** **Oct. 26, 2012**

Here are the promised practice sentences, followed by a PDF file with the answers. Take your time completing these 20 sentences and try to be as accurate as possible. (Remember that this is a two-page document.) Then check your work and come to class on Monday with questions.






 * Thursday, Nov. 1, 2012**

Welcome back! Here are the answers to the grammar review sentences in the summer package, as well as the //Pride and Prejudice// dialectical journals. Remember that Volume One is due on Wed., Nov. 7. Be sure to look at BOTH PAGES of the //Pride and Prejudice// document. You should look for examples of both the social code AND artful use of language (i.e understatement, wit, irony)






 * Monday, Nov. 19, 2012**

Please consult the document below when writing your rhetorical analysis of "Once More to the Lake." Remember to write ONE cohesive paragraph that focuses on the speaker's __purpose (WHY -- i.e. his epiphany)__ and __strategies (HOW)__ for writing these two paragraphs.

After meeting with a few people after school, I have a few tips for you:

1. Make sure that your first sentence focuses on the purpose of the piece -- i.e. his epiphany 2. Make sure that you analyze how he uses **language** ( i.e. diction, selection of detail, syntax) to convey his feelings. 3. Ask yourself why he describes this storm BEFORE his epiphany. His actual epiphany does not happen until the last paragraph. You might find it helpful to consult the verb list below, If you choose a good, strong verb, the rest of your sentence will generally fall in line.

Homework due on Monday, Nov. 26-- Read the short story "Separating," by John Updike, found on page 1181 of your yellow literature book. Consider how Updike uses the resources of language as you're reading.
 * Tuesday, Nov. 20, 2012**

//Pride and Prejudice// essay -- due Tuesday, Nov. 27

Please consult the assignment sheet for the //Pride and Prejudice// essay if you were not in class to receive the handout. It should be 4-5 pages long and contain multiple quotations/textual references. (Remember that these references do NOT have to be complete sentences. However, any quotation, regardless of length, must be documented.) Also, remember to consider the difference between pride and vanity in your analysis.




 * Thursday, Nov. 29, 2012**

Be sure to think about -- and annotate -- paragraph 7 of Orwell's "Shooting and Elephant." I will give you another copy of this passage tomorrow, but you will not be able to use the notes you take tonight. Here is the prompt:


 * Monday, Dec. 3, 2012**

Open the file below and enjoy. It describes an epiphany that has had a major impact on your life.




 * Friday, Dec. 7, 2012**

I hope you're enjoying //Inherit the Wind.// Here is a copy of the thematic presentation assignment. Think about these themes so that you can identify quotations and be ready to present (one quotation explication per person) on Tuesday.




 * Monday, Dec. 10, 2012**

Please read these two articles. The first is about a recent trial in which similar educational issues were debated. The other is a review of the Broadway revival of //Inherit the Wind.//






 * Friday, Dec. 21, 2012**

Here is the New York Times essay "Is Algebra Necessary?" You'll notice that the first paragraph is repeated. Sorry about that. Please print it out and react to it. You will be writing an in-class essay on Thursday, Jan. 3, in which you will react to this writer's arguments with arguments of your own.

I hope you enjoy //The// //Crucible// and your winter break. Gets lots of sleep!




 * Thurs., Jan 17**

Your homework for the long weekend is to read //The Scarlet Letter// (chapters 9-12) and to work on your rough draft of this symbolism creative piece. We will peer edit these works on Wed., Jan. 23, and your final copy is due on Friday, Jan 25. The **final** deadline for the AAUW creative writing contest is Feb. 12. You may consider entering this piece after you have revised it.

Enjoy these models, both prose and poetry. They were all winners.








 * Wed., Jan 23, 2013**

Here are the discussion questions for chapters 9-12, //The Scarlet Letter//. Be prepared to discuss them at the beginning of class tomorrow.




 * Wed., Jan 30, 2013**

Here is a copy of the synthesis tips I presented in class today. _Also, here are some tips for attacking your rhetorical analysis prompt tomorrow:




 * Friday, Feb. 1, 2013**

Here are the AP multiple choice release passages I told you about. The Faulkner passage is first. Please print this out and bring it to class on Monday. Time yourself. Generally speaking, you should allow about a minute per question, so it should not take you more than 15 minutes to read the passage and answer these questions. This passage might take a little less than 15 minutes.

The second passage is the one period 5 completed the day I was absent. Period 8, you should print it out bring your answers to class. Period 5, try it again. Now that you've had more experience reading the 19th century, you might find that it is easier to read now than it was before. I'd be happy to answer any questions you have about it.

Please put some time into the //Scarlet Letter// essay. This time, I'm going to require that you submit the receipt from turnitin WITH your paper. Then I won't have to spend time tracking down who hasn't yet turned it in, and I can post grades when I return your papers.

Good luck with all of the above! See you Monday.






 * Monday, Feb. 4, 2013**


 * Here are some tips for your //Scarlet Letter// essay:**

1**.** Remember that you must submit your turnitin receipt WITH your paper. I will not accept your paper without it. 2. Remember that your audience HAS read the novel; however, you should include contextual information to refresh the reader's memories about specific scenes and developments. 3. As we discussed in class, you must define what the "office" of the scarlet letter was intended to be in your introduction. 4. This assignment, while an argument, focuses on the various shifts in perspective that Hester experiences with regard to the scarlet letter. Your thesis should reference these shifts in perspective, without listing specific plot-level events, and then tie those changing perspectives to the overall effectiveness of the letter's punishment. 5. Since this essay is an analysis of Hester's **character**, you should think about how character is revealed: by what a character SAYS/THINKS, what a character DOES, and WHAT OTHERS SAY ABOUT HIM/HER. Remember that you are focusing on how the letter affects Hester and the choices she makes, but don't forget to include key descriptions of her **thoughts** and of how Hester's **choices** affect the way she is perceived. 6. Remember that you have to be able to prove EVERYTHING YOU SAY! 7. Choose your quotations carefully. Focus on pivotal scenes, details. For example, it's difficult to write an essay about the impact of the scarlet letter without analyzing how Hester chose to craft it. That action says a great deal about her mindset (as does a closely related action THINK!) 8. After embedding each major quotation, analyze how THOSE EXACT WORDS relate to the greater themes. Do not embed a quote and then analyze, in general, what it means. Why did you choose that quote? Document all quotations accurately! (Hawthorne 100). 9. Remember that your topic sentences, transitional analysis, and clinchers all focus on one aspect of your thesis 10. Include "big picture" analysis in your conclusion. What does Hester's experience say about the fate of an individual who is cast out by society? What does Hester's experience say about the world in which she lived?

Good luck and proofread ruthlessly!


 * Monday, March 11, 2013**

Please print out the assignment sheet and models posted below. Come to class ready to discuss tomorrow.






 * Tuesday, March 12, 2013**

Here are a few more models from last year's students.








 * Thursday, March 15, 2013**


 * Here is the //Huck Finn// reading schedule for the next week and a half:**


 * THESE DATES ARE THE DATES WHEN READING IS DUE**

Thurs., 3/14 -- chapters 1-10 Mon., 3/18 -- chapters 11-20 Wed., 3/19 -- chapters 21-26 Thurs., 3/20 -- chapters 27-29 Mon, 3/25 -- chapters 30-38 Tues., 3/26 -- chapters 39-43


 * Enjoy and think about Twain's satirical intent!**


 * Monday, March 25**

Here is a copy of the critical paper guidelines and deadlines, as well as the beginning of what could be an outline of a potential paper.






 * NOTE:** Many students choose to create two versions of their outline: the version for me (without quotations) and a version for themselves (with page numbers and quotations). I think that having an outline with page numbers and quotations would make writing the paper much easier; however, I do not have to read a full quotation to know how you are thinking. What I want to assess as I read your outlines is how well you support your point. Therefore, do NOT use complete sentences on your outline. Just write a brief summary of your point. (i.e.) To prove that Huck once enjoyed childish pranks, you could list "Sunday school picnic" as your example. I will then know which situation you intend to include. Your paper will obviously blend textual evidence into your analysis of Huck's state of maturity at this point.

I hope this explanation helps. Please spend a great deal of time finding strong textual evidence. This component, more than any other, drives your paper.


 * Thursday, March 28**

I hope you're getting a lot of rest AND spending time researching the text for key passages. Please read this article that was sent to me by Mr. O'Brien, who teaches English at Pennbrook. It's well-written and I believe speaks to what I hope you are gaining from this course.




 * _Thursday, April 4, 2013**

Here is some useful information about how to cite the provided sources on your Works Cited page. The last document also includes tips for documenting within your paper.








 * Monday, April 8, 2013**

Here are the names of a few critical articles in //Literature Resource Center// that I think are particularly noteworthy:

Whah Is de Glory?: The (Un)Reconstructed South. Jocelyn Chadwick (analysis of the satirical intent of the ending)

Morality and //Adventures of Huckleberry Finn//. Julius Lester (a negative African American perspective of the novel) _

Say It Ain't So, Huck: Second Thoughts on Mark Twain's 'Masterpiece'. Jane Smiley. (a take-down of the novel by a Putlizer-prize winning novelist)


 * THursday, April 11, 2013**


 * ATTENTION PERIOD 5:**


 * CHANGE OF PLAN!!! I want to spend class time tomorrow discussing how to structure your critical papers using your outlines. It is critical that you maintain a strong focus throughout this extended paper, and I want to have time to answer all of your questions. Therefore, I am postponing the writing of the synthesis essay until TUESDAY, April 23. The deadline for tomorrow remains. Write the first three paragraphs of your paper -- NOT the entire first section. I will be checking these. The rough draft is due on Monday. The rest of next week should be dedicated to proofreading and revision.**


 * Monday, April 15, 2013**

If any of you do not have a hard copy of the synthesis prompt, here it is. Be sure to think about it tonight and bring a copy to class with you tomorrow. Note that the prompt begins on page 2.




 * Friday, April 19, 2013**

I hope that when you read this message, you have finished your critical paper and believe it to be the best piece of scholarly writing you have ever produced. Now it is "high time" to leave the frontier and "get to the sea as soon as [we can]" (Melville 1). I won't lie and tell you that //Moby DIck// is not challenging, but I think you really deserve to know what all the literary buzz is about. Which is "the great American novel"? //Huck Finn? Moby Dick?// You decide. Neither is by any means without flaw, but both tap into what makes us human, which is ultimately why we read -- and of course discuss -- literature.

As you read, I will be posting notes for you to consult. I hope that these will help to sharpen your focus and give you things to consider and connect to as you read. To start, open this introductory explanation of just what this "whale of a novel" is all about, and please consult my notes for chapters 1-10.

Now I will post the **due dates** of the chapters assigned and notes to read as you read.


 * Monday, April 22, 2013 -- chapters 1-10**




 * READING SCHEDULE:**

Here is a list of the due dates for the novel. Again, please consult my notes and powermobydick.com as you are reading.


 * DUE DATES:**

Monday, April 22 -- chapters 1-10 Tuesday, April 23 -- chapters 11-16 Thursday, April 25 -- chapters 17-19; 22-23; 24; 26-27 Friday, April 26 -- chapters 28-30; 36-37

Monday, April 29 -- chapters 41-42; 47-48; 53; 72-78 Tuesday, April 30 -- chapters 84; 87 Thursday, May 2 -- chapters 92-100 Friday, May 3 -- Chapters 108-113

Monday, May 6 -- chapters 116-119; 123-124; 126; 128; 132-133


 * Notes on chapters 11-16**




 * Tuesday, April 23**

Hello AP scholars. Please know that I am working feverishly on your essays, and period 8, you will see your "Pink Flamingo" rhetorical analysis essays tomorrow. Period 5, I will return yours on Thursday. What I want both of you to do tonight is to write an introductory paragraph, with a STRONG THESIS, for the prompt I'm posting below. Then write an outline (not necessarily in Harvard Outline format) than includes the major points and CONCRETE EXAMPLES you will use to support your thesis in the rest of the paper (that you will not be writing.) Remember to reason through your argument and to **qualify** your position by considering the circumstances under which your position is valid and the circumstances under which it is not (qualification). Thesis statements that include a qualification often look something like this:

While _ may be true, is. . . OR __is true; however, when__ exists, then. ..

The thesis statements in the arguments I've read so far are not as strong as they should be. I'm making a list of "writing issues" for each of you, and I would like to see a number of you after school in the Writing Center to address these issues. Also, I want to hold a multiple choice analysis session on Thursday during 9th period. Please plan to attend if you would like to improve your multiple choice score.

Posted below are tonight's //Moby Dick// notes and the argument prompt.


 * Due on THURSDAY -- //Moby Dick// reading (chapters 17-19, 22-23, 24, 26-27), vocab exercises unit 11. Period 5 should finish the prompt for Thursday's class; period 8 should finish the prompt by tomorrow's class.**




 * Due on Wednesday (for period 8):**


 * Thursday, April 25, 2013**


 * Read //Moby DIck --// pp. 28-30; 36-37**

Please note that as you look at my notes, I have summarized chapters that I do not expect you to read. Please focus on the chapters listed above. I just thought you might like to know what was happening in the chapters you were not assigned. Be ready for a reading quiz tomorrow!


 * Sunday, April 28, 2013**

As we discussed in class on Friday, I am now posting the quiz questions for the weekend's reading, rather than having you answer these questions in class. This at-home reading quiz is worth 25 points. Hopefully by now you have finished the vast majority of this weekend's reading. Now go back and consult the text where necessary, to answer these questions. Some are plot-level questions; others require deeper analysis. As stated on the document, please print out these questions, write your answers below, and bring these two sheets with you to class tomorrow. I am hoping that we'll have a great discussion since you've already be alerted to some of the major points in this section of the novel.




 * Wed., May 1, 2013**

Read chapters 92-100 and answer the questions below. You will learn some fascinating whale trivia.




 * Thursday, May 2, 2013**

Here are the questions for chapters 108-113. He's laying groundless groundwork here (my attempt to sound Melvillean). Don't miss it!__




 * Monday, May 6, 2013**

Read the following chapters and answer these questions. (**NOTE:** There are **two** documents which ask questions and one that provides additional information. Complete the questions on chapters 116, 117, and 119, then read the background information about the final chapters, and finish by answering the questions on the final chapters. I want you to finish the novel tonight and be sure to submit the first set of questions (116, 117, 119) tomorrow.. I will accept the second sheet on Wednesday (chapters 123-end) if you do not have time to finish both sets of questions tonight. The ending of this novel is //masterful// as philosophy, characterization, and action converge. DO NOT MISS IT!!!








 * Wednesday, May 8,2013**


 * ALMOST THERE!** Just two more days. Please consult the review materials below. They include both test-taking tips, a review package, and another multiple choice release passage -- with answers. Please consult all of these materials as well as your writing folder. You have worked extremely hard all year and should be confident. Just be sure to get a good night's sleep and eat a good breakfast. During the test, be sure to focus.






 * Monday, May 13, 2013**

I hope you are enjoying //The Sun Also Rises.// It is certainly the antithesis of Melville. As you're reading, listen for irony and understatement, two trademarks of Hemingway's style. Here is a reading schedule for the next two weeks that includes both reading assignments and vocabulary homework/quizzes. We will finish this novel before Memorial Day weekend.


 * ​The following reading schedule lists the dates that the reading is DUE:**

Monday, 5/13 -- Introduce Hemingway. Begin reading chapter 1. Tuesday, 5/14 -- Chapters 1 - III Wednesday, 5/15 -- No reading due (AP US exam) Thursday, 5/16 -- Friday, 5/17 -- Chapters IV - VII (end of Book I); introduce vocabulary for unit 12 Friday, 5/17 -- Chapters VIII - X ; vocabulary exercises for unit 12 due Monday, 5/20 -- Chapters XI - XIV; vocabulary quiz unit 12 Wednesday, 5/22 -- Chapters XV - XVI; vocabulary exercises unit 13 Thursday, 5/23 -- Chapters XVII - XVIII (end of Book II); vocabulary quiz unit 13 Friday, 5/24 -- Chapter XIX (Book III; end of novel!); Introduce //Catch-22//


 * Wed., June 5, 2013**

Here is a reading schedule for the rest of //Catch-22//. The chapters are DUE on the dates indicated.

Thurs., June 6 -- chapters 27-29 Fri, June 7 -- No reading due. Vocab final given in class. Creative assignments (a letter to a future student in the voice of a character OR an art project) are due-- 25 pts. Mon., June 10 -- 29-36 Tues., June 11-- 37-39 Wed., June 12 -- 40-42

I am also posting a vocabulary list of ALL of the words in the book. It provides a very brief definition of each that may not include all of the definitions of the word. I would suggest adding notes to this list as you study if you choose to use it.




 * Please consult the assignments described above this line!**

Please consult the following and read the first 10 paragraphs (The paragraphs are numbered to the right): []
 * 9/7/11**
 * CHAP. VIII. || Morality undermined by sexual notions of the importance of a good reputation -- from ||

9/8/11 -- Print the following questions and, after reading the text carefully, write your answers on this sheet.




 * 9/14/11**

Print the following rhetorical device/tone questions and choose the best possible answers.. Be sure to look up any words you don't know.



HOMEWORK DUE MONDAY: Write a **one-paragraph typed** essay in response to the following prompt:
 * 9/16/11**

Read the passage in Volume I, Chapter IX, beginning with the line "I did not know before," (bottom of page 42 in the Penguin edition) and ending with "Elizabeth, for the sake of saying something that might turn her mother's thoughts, now asked her if Charlotte Lucas had been at Longbourn since //her// coming away" (bottom of page 43 in the Penguin edition). Focus on Austen's purpose in including this passage. In other words, how does this passage support the greater theme(s) of the novel? Within this passage, how does the writer uses the resources of character development and language to make her point(s)? Consider the nuances of tone and irony in your answer. Look for layers of meaning. Most importantly, focus on analyzing purpose. NO plot summary! __**Point Value --**__ **40**
 * Submit to turnitin.com**
 * Period 5**
 * ID -- 4327155**
 * PASSWORD: writing**
 * Period 8**
 * ID -- 4327211**
 * PASSWORD: writing**
 * 9/28 -- Homework due on 9/30**
 * NOTE:** If you are celebrating a holiday tomorrow, you can review these concepts in class.

Close reading passages to review: 1. Reread pages 12-13 (pages 2 and 3 of chapter 1). Look carefully at the language for any rhetorical strategies used. 2. Reread the dialogue on pages 34-35 (the second and third pages of chapter 4). Analyze how the dialogue relates to theme. 3. Reread the first paragraph of chapter 5. How do Hemingway's stylistic choices reinforce his purpose?

Begin with the line "It's no life being a steer" in the middle of chapter VIII (bottom of page 145) and read until Brett says, "Michael and I understand each other"(p. 148). Consider why Hemingway includes this dialogue. How does it relate to theme ? (i.e. Hemingway's code) Consider how Hemingway's characterization reinforces the code. In other words, analyze how what each significant character says, does, and how other characters respond to him or her reflects Hemingway's code. Include Hemingway's stylistic choices -- i.e diction, tone, syntax -- in your analysis. Be sure to establish your purpose (i.e. the underlying "why" of Hemingway's purpose) in your thesis, and use transitional analysis that focuses on this purpose as you move from point to point. Support everything you assert with textual evidence and embed this evidence into complex sentences that combine text and analysis. (Do NOT mention Jane Austen in this assignment, but you should notice similaritites in how dialogue is used to illustrate the prevailing social code in either milieu.)
 * 10/3 -- Homework**
 * 1. Read the following list of writing tips and complete the four editing sentences at the end of the document. Print out your revised sentences and bring them to class.**
 * 2. Essay due Friday, Oct. 7 (40 pts.)**


 * Friday, Oct. 14, 2011**

Your homework for Monday is to read "The Story of an Hour" and to complete the vocabulary exercises for unit 3. Below I have posted a New Yorker article about changes Steve Jobs made in his business paradigm that led to greater business success. This essay is NOT a creative epiphany piece. It is an argument that does, however, analyze the changes Jobs made in how he did business, and I thought you'd find it interesting.



As part of the unit on irony and epiphany, you will be writing an original epiphany piece. This piece of creative writing may be fiction or creative nonfiction -- meaning you may create character and situation OR you may write in first person and draw on life experiences. Either way, it is critical that you SHOW, not tell. The secret to a strong epiphany piece is to be subtle. The reader needs to infer from the text what the epiphany actually is. The writer should never come out and tell the reader what the character concluded.

The student models below showcase both fictional and non-fictional approaches. First read the assignment sheet; then read the student models. Enjoy! (I will expect you to have read these by Tuesday.)












 * October 20, 2011**


 * Please read the following essay from the New Yorker on the Occupy Wall Street movement.**










 * October 26, 2011**

Please read the essay posted above from the New Yorker on the Occupy Wall Street movement. Then read a counterargument by conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer. Print out each one and mark them up for nuances in tone and diction. Stylistically, what strategies were effective? ineffective? Be prepared to answer questions and discuss.

Then read the article printed in the Philadelphia Inquirer about Edgar Allan Poe.








 * Monday, October 31, 2011**


 * Read the assignment posted below for your rhetorical analysis of a key passage in Orwell's "Shooting an Elephant."**


 * Monday, Nov. 7 -- Study questions for Of Mice and Men**


 * Answer these questions and be prepared to respond to them in a quiz on Wed.**




 * 11/11/11-- HOW COOL! (I hope you made your wish at 11:11 p.m.)**


 * Here is Malcolm Gladwell's analysis of Steve Jobs' genius. Enjoy!**


 * 11/14/11-- One more try! Page two should be here now. Sorry! It's very important to Gladwell's argument.**








 * 11/16/11-- Grammar and Punctuation Review**


 * Here are some exercises that should help you study tonight. First, I've posted the answers to the last two exercises that were part of summer reading. Then I've posted ad additional review sheet -- and the answers. You should definitely study for this test and practice being careful. Good luck!**












 * Monday, Nov. 21, 2011**


 * Read the brief essay by Adam Gopnik about the symbolic import of the Thanksgiving turkey.**






 * Tuesday, Nov. 22, 2011**

Read the following two excerpts about the Scopes trial for historical perspective.




 * Tuesday, Nov. 29, 2011**


 * Read the following articles:**








 * Friday, Jan. 6, 2012**


 * NOTE: You will have NO additional Scarlet Letter reading due on Wed., 1/11. You should review (I suggest re-reading) chapters 2-6 and be prepared for a quiz that will include quote explications of key passages on these chapters only. Your creative symbolism piece (poetry or prose) is due on Friday, Jan. 13. I strongly advise writing it over the weekend since you will have a steady volume of reading homework both Wednesday and Thursday nights.**


 * In addition to the symbolism assignment models posted below, check out these columns and an interview with Michael Smerconish. It should give you a feel for how he stands politically. Enjoy the convention and learn everything you can about contemporary issues!**







Consult the models below as you prepare to write your creative piece. I hope you have fun with this one!














 * Friday, Jan. 20, 2012**

A few updates:

//* The Scarlet Letter// essay is due on FRIDAY, JAN. 27. That way if anyone has any questions or concerns, you can see me after school either Wednesday or Thursday. This weekend you should be scouring the novel for textual evidence. The only way to write a strong literary argument is to find strong textual evidence. Your choice of quotations speaks volumes about your thought processes. I suggest placing post its throughout the text and then choosing the best evidence after you have reviewed the entire novel.

Please take the time to find the evidence you need to support your argument. Remember that if you qualify, you can consider the ways in which the letter did -- and did not-- "perform its office." Consider the major stages of Hester's development and the relationship between the intent of the letter and its effect on her at each stage. To analyze this issue thoroughly and effectively will take some time -- both in the gathering of evidence and the analyzing of its import.


 * As for the practice test, all of the reading and thinking about language that we have been doing throughout the year should prepare you for this assessment. It is timed, so take a deep breath and remain focused.


 * In the argument prompt on Tuesday, make sure that you introduce the issue, define/explain it, and write a clear thesis reacting to it in your introduction. Your body paragraphs should introduce each major prong of your argument and contain SPECIFIC SUPPORT! The best examples are from history, current events, and even literature, but depending on the topic, your life experience may provide strong concrete support as well. **Every idea you pose should be supported.** You do need to write a conclusion, however brief. Restate your thesis and consider the EFFECT of this issue. Show your reader that you have considered the broader implications of this topic.

As always, think about your topic first, jot down notes for your body paragraphs, and then write your arm off. It's wise to jot down your thoughts and especially a brief description of the examples you intend to use BEFORE you start writing so that if you panic at the end, you can look at your notes and not have to think.


 * The substitute should give you a rhetorical analysis release passage Tuesday night. Mark it up (I will check it!) and be ready to discuss your thinking on Wednesday.

See you then. ' Mrs. Kratz


 * Wed., Jan. 25**


 * Here is a copy of the tips for writing rhetorical analysis.**




 * Fri., Jan 27**


 * Here is a copy of some tips for writing the synthesis essay. Pay special attention to my comments about including enough __context__** so that your quotation makes sense.




 * Monday, Feb. 6 -- New Yorker article about transcendentalists**


 * Calling all musicians!** Take a look at what one composer did in a musical thematic analysis of the transcendentalists. Idea compliments of Priya Kikani! The first file is an abstract. The other files are listed by page number.










 * Tuesday, Feb. 7, 2012**


 * Here is the article [[file:political attack ads article page 2 2-12.pdf]]"Grand Allusion" which I told you about in class. Sorry that the quality is a bit fuzzy.**



Here are some tips for writing an argument essay.
 * Thursday, Feb. 9, 2012**


 * Wed., Feb 15, 2012**
 * Here is the article about political attack ads. It contains some interesting examples from recent history.**










 * TIps for writing a synthesis essay (based on your first practice test results)"**

Read the satire assignment sheet and the student models below. Note that the subject and **tone** of these pieces vary widely. Come ready to discuss your favorites and **why.**
 * Monday, Feb. 27**












 * Monday, March 19, 2012**




 * Here is a sample critical paper outline.**




 * Friday, March 23, 2012**


 * Here is a copy of the article on the MIssissippi River that may be helpful to some of you, as well as the bibliographical information for every article I provided EXCEPT the article posted below. For that one, please just list the author's name and the title. I'll get the rest of the information to you next week. Have a great weekend!**














 * Friday, March 30, 2012**

Good luck this weekend! Here is a one-page model that gives a nice snapshot of how to use textual and critical sources effectively while maintaining focus on the thesis.




 * Monday, April 2, 2012**

Here is some bibliographical information that should be of use to you when writing citations as well as your Works Cited page.




 * Wed., April 4, 2012**

Hopefully by the time you read this post, you will have turned in your critical paper and are feeling good! Please remember to read the first 51 pages of __Moby Dick__ (chapters 1-10) by Tuesday. Also, if you are going on the field trip, Mrs. McKee has asked that you join the edmoto group so that she can relay information to you. Here is the information you need. The 0 is a zero. You will need to download a free app.


 * Edmodo.com**


 * 0f315a**
 * AP English**

Have a GREAT break, and enjoy __Moby Dick.__ You may just catch yourself smiling.

Here are the "Kratznotes" -- as promised-- for chapters 1-10.
 * Tuesday, April 10**


 * Read chapters 11-16 (pp. 51-78) by Thursday. Here are additional notes:**


 * Here are notes for chapters 17-19; 22-23; 24; 26-27**




 * Notes for chapters 28-30; 32; 36-37; 41-42; 47-48 (plus summaries)**

Here are the questions for these chapters: 108-113; 166-117; 119. Print out these two pages and submit your answers tomorrow.
 * New Bedford pictures -- Kratzes**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Seamen's_Bethel.JPG|Seamen's_Bethel.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Tablet.JPG|Tablet.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/tablet_2.JPG|tablet_2.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Pulpit.JPG|Pulpit.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/melville's_pew.JPG|melville's_pew.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/melville_plaque.JPG|melville_plaque.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/mariners'_Home.JPG|mariners'_Home.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Mr._Kratz_in_front_of_whaling_museum.JPG|Mr._Kratz_in_front_of_whaling_museum.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/painting_of_whaling_ship.JPG|painting_of_whaling_ship.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Lagoda_Model.JPG|Lagoda_Model.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Lagoda_Model_2.JPG|Lagoda_Model_2.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/lagoda_Model_3.JPG|lagoda_Model_3.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Mr._Kratz_in_the_forecastle.JPG|Mr._Kratz_in_the_forecastle.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Whale_Boat.JPG|Whale_Boat.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/ships_with_whale_boats.JPG|ships_with_whale_boats.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Captain's_Jacket.JPG|Captain's_Jacket.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Whale_Skeleton.JPG|Whale_Skeleton.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/whale_head.JPG|whale_head.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Scrimshaw.JPG|Scrimshaw.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/scrimshaw_2.JPG|scrimshaw_2.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/man_to_man.JPG|man_to_man.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Frederick_Douglass.JPG|Frederick_Douglass.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Mrs._Kratz_with_Frederick_Douglass.JPG|Mrs._Kratz_with_Frederick_Douglass.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/new_bedford_harbor.JPG|new_bedford_harbor.JPG]]**
 * [[file:jkenglish/Mrs._Kratz_-_New_Bedford_Harbor.JPG|Mrs._Kratz_-_New_Bedford_Harbor.JPG]]**
 * April 17, 2012**
 * Homework Questions for 93, 96, 99, 100**
 * Wed., April 18, 2012**



Here are the questions for the final chapters: 123-124; 126;128;132- end. I hope you enjoy the finish. It's masterful!
 * Sun., April 22, 2012**




 * Notes for discussion!**


 * Monday, April 23, 2012-- Homework due on Monday, April 30**


 * Here are your assignments. Those that are posted here are not contained within your literature book.**

1. Melville's letter to Hawthorne



2. Walt Whitman's "O Captain, My Captain!"

//3. from// "Song of Myself" -- pp. 400-403 (literature book) 4. Blaise Pascal's "Man and the Universe"

5. Emily Dickinson's poems - "Success is counted sweetest" (p 753) and "Much Madness is divinest Sense" (p. 754) 6. Adam Gopnik's article "The Information" -- (I will give you a hard copy.)


 * Monday, April 30**


 * Here is a list of common homonym errors from your critical papers, as well as explanations for three of the more common pairs of errors.**





Print out the following exercises and bring your completed copy to class tomorrow.

__Directions:__ The following sentences contain errors in the placement of commas, colons, semicolons, dashes, apostrophes, quotation marks, capitalization, underlining, question marks, and exclamation points. Add or remove these marks as needed, and also correct any errors in pronoun use, agreement, usage, and parallel structure.




 * Tuesday, May 1**


 * Print out the next four pages and complete the exercises using past, present, and future perfect tense.**




 * Thursday, May 3**

Read chapters 1-3 of //The Great Gatsby// by tomorrow. For each chapter, make up a question of literary analysis and a question of rhetorical analysis. Consider (but do not feel confined to) the following topics:

Nick's narrative distance the significance of place (East/West) character analysis (Daisy, Tom, Jordan Baker, Myrtle Wilson) the dynamics between Daisy and Tom first reference to Gatsby color imagery role of light lyricism use of sensory detail use of metaphor symbolism theme tone signficance of place -- Valley of Ashes (great opportunity for language analysis here!) symbolism color imagery vision motif literary allusion irony appearance v. reality second reference to Gatsby role of lies tone use of passive voice use of ellipses sexual innuendo theme of corruption use of concrete detail polysyndeton color imagery -- white, yellow, gray symbolic names (two) symbolism of library appearance v. reality ironic tone affectation physical description of Gatsby in relation to theme paradox "Old Sport" driving motif humorous tone lying motif
 * Chapter 1**
 * Chapter 2**
 * Chapter 3**


 * Friday, May 11, 2012**

ALMOST SHOWTIME!!!!

Please consult these review materials before class on Monday. Begin by completing the Queen Elizabeth release passage. I will post answers Monday night.
















 * Monday, May 14, 2012**


 * ALMOST THERE!!!** Please do the following:

1. Review the parameters for time in the file below. 2. Check the answer keys for the passage on Queen Elizabeth as well as the practice test. 3. Read both the "Pink Flamingo" rhetorical analysis and the "Dissent/Disagreement" argument prompts. Tomorrow we will discuss the purpose/tone of both the pink flamingo prompt and the Yardbird passage on the practice test. They have more in common than ornithology.












 * Tuesday, May 15 --" AP Language Eve**"

Hello all. You have worked very hard this year, and you are more ready than you realize. Please humor me and read the file below with a few more tips. Then check out the anchor essays that have been released by College Board for the Pink Flamingo rhetorical analysis prompt and the dissent/disagreement argument prompt. The passages are posted above if you want to check them out. I think you will feel pretty good about yourselves after you read the anchor papers and see how they are scored. Please do the very best you can tomorrow, and remember that there is NO PENALTY FOR GUESSING. This parameter is different than the SAT's. GOOD LUCK! I will be as anxious as you tomorrow morning.






















 * Friday, May 18. 2012**

Here is the reading schedule for __Catch 22.__ I suggest that you try to read ahead over the weekends. Enjoy! It's great fun.



Just a few reminders:
 * Friday, May 26, 2012**

For those of you required to -- or choosing to -- write the //Gatsby// quote explication assignment, I'm posting it here. It is due on Wed., May 30. I have a faculty meeting on Tuesday, but I can work with anyone who would like help after the meeting is over. I've posted the assignment sheet below:



Also, your last writing assignment of the year (Amen! -- shades of Twain) is to write a one-page (NO MORE!) letter to a future student in the voice of any character (or writer) we have read this year. It is due on Monday, June 4, and is worth 30 pts. BUT if you turn it in by Friday, June 1, I will award you three bonus points. That would give me the weekend to start grading.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend! If you are reading outside, wear sunscreen!


 * Monday, June 4, 2012**


 * Please start studying your vocab tonight! I hope this list helps.** Also, start thinking about video vignettes.





Dear students, As I sit at my computer on the eve of the last day of the school year, I must again tell you how truly grateful I am for having had the experience of teaching you. Nothing is more gratifying than to have students enter the room talking about their reading, and you did that on a daily basis. To be able to say, "What did you think?" and have you respond so thoughtfully -- and intelligently -- is the best reason I can think of for being an English teacher. Grading your papers at all hours of the day (and night) is definitely NOT the best reason for being an English teacher, but at some level, you know that I enjoy listening and talking to you in print. I have gotten to know each of you as a writer, and in many cases I can recognize you by your distinctive voice.
 * Wed., June 13**

Like you, I am looking forward to reading for pleasure this summer. Priya spearheaded (note the wordless image of an Amazon warrior that springs to mind) the organization of //Mirrors and Windows// and has already created a Googledocs link so that we can share reactions to our respective summer readings. I will confess that my earliest forays will be rather lowbrow -- i.e. the //Hunger Games// series (so that I know what my daughter and her friends are talking about) -- but after that, I'm looking forward to reading some of the books that sit on a bookshelf beside my bed: Abraham Verghese's //Cutting for Stone//, Louise Erdrich's //Love Medicine//, Elizabeth Strout's //Olive Kitteridge,// more of Salman Rushdie's essays in the anthology //Step Across This LIn//e//,// MAYBE Rushdie's //Midnight's Children//, and a nonfictional analysis of Winston Churchill's life entitled //Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill.// If I could meet any writer, it would be Twain; if I could meet any historical personage, it would be Winston Churchill. Both were great writers and viciously sardonic. I like that.

I hope you do have a wonderful and relaxing summer. You've certainly earned it. If you would like me to write you a college recommendation letter, please send me a resume as soon as possible. This year I really do want to at least get started on these essays over the summer. You're going to find that applying to colleges is something like a part-time job, -- for both of us.

Again, I thank you more than words can say for //Mirrors and Windows//. Enjoy!

[]



Please consult the documents posted above this line. Documents below this line were posted in previous years.


 * Grammar Links:**

Click the file links below to access the answers to the grammar review sheet.

Click the file links below to see sample essays which focus on either character or place. Please read the prompt below so that you can plan your in-class reaction essay.
 * Memoir Models:**
 * Prose Reaction Prompt:**


 * HEAR YE! HEAR YE!**


 * The field trip to see "Waiting for Superman" is on for Thursday, Dec. 16, at the Ritz at the Bourse in Philadelphia.**


 * Here are some models to look at for the symbolism assignment.**


 * Scarlet Letter argument prompt**

I hope you are finding strong textual evidence this weekend. You will be required to create an outline by Tuesday which will note key points and textual examples. Here is a copy of the assignment sheet. Hester really is a great character, and if you put the time into this assignment, I know that you can do a great job of analyzing the effectiveness of her punishment. Your __Scarlet Letter__ essay will not be due until **Friday.** That way, if you want help, you can still see me after school on Thursday. I hope you take advantage of the extra time you have today so that by tomorrow night, you only have to do some fine tuning and editing. Here's the lesson plan for the rest of the week:
 * 2/2/2011**
 * Snow Day Update:**

HOMEWORK: Finish your __Scarlet Letter__ essay. Read a released rhetorical analysis prompt (Do NOT write about it. Just read it, mark it up, and think about how you would organize your response if this had been your prompt.)
 * Thursday, 2/3 --** Analysis of character, symbol, and motif in terms of theme (important thinking for your introduction and conclusion!). Discussion of Puritan literature (Anne Bradstreet and Jonathan Edwards)
 * Friday, 2/4 --** Argument prompt. On Monday your in-class prompt will be rhetorical analysis,

Read the following prompt (I've already given you a hard copy, but I've posted
 * Preparing for rhetorical analysis**

it again just in case.) Mark it up and think about what you would say if you had been given this prompt.



Then read the student response I've posted here. Note that the student writer changed the order of her paragraphs. Just follow her directions as an AP reader would. She makes her changes clear, and I made additional comments so that you could follow the order she intended. Critique this essay. What does it do well? What could it do better? Remember that this response was written under time restraints and is not expected to be perfect.





After you've thought about this student model, open up the next file, in which I critique this response and offer tips for approaching rhetorical analysis which is social commentary. "The Company Man" is an example of this type of prompt.



2/15 -- New Yorker article by Adam Gopnik "The Information: HOw the Internet gets inside us"









On Monday we will continue to dissect "Letter from Birmingham Jail." In addition to being prepared for presentations, please read the following:
 * Friday, March 4 -- Weekend homework**

1. An essay entitled "Just Walk On By: Black Men and Public Space" -- page 362 in __Fifty Essays.__ think you'll find this one interesting and definitely relevant to our discussion of both the role of the individual -- and the role of race -- in society today. Consider audience in your analysis of this piece.

2. The __Philadelphia Inquirer__ article "High court says funeral protests are protected speech." Focus on the Court's rationale for its decision.






 * Monday, March 7 -- articles on Charlie Sheen, technology, and the perception of youth**


 * Thursday, March 24 -- satire creative writing assignment and models**
 * NOTE: Remember that satire uses hyperbole, as well as outrageous suggestions and situations, to make a serious point.**

NOTE: To access the Literature Resource Center from home, do the following: 1. Go to npenn.org (North Penn's website). Choose the high school and library. 2. Username: lans23427 3. Password: nphsimc 4. Click on databases and then the Literature Resource Center. 5. Do an advanced search for literary criticism of Huck Finn. A list of 84 critical articles (5 pages) should appear. 6. Browse through all of the selections. Check the list of recommended articles below.
 * Tuesday, April 5 -- Research tips for the Literature Resource Center**




 * Monday, April 11 -- Information for Works Cited entries**
 * Wednesday, April 20 -- AP Language Review Information**


 * Monday, May 8**

<span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 36666px; width: 1px;">Remember that you are analyzing whether this novel speaks to a modern audience. Analyzing Twain's purpose and its effectiveness is the core of your argument. Because it is an argument, rather than a traditional paper of literary analysis, you can and should reference Twain <span style="display: block; height: 1px; left: -40px; overflow: hidden; position: absolute; top: 36666px; width: 1px;">
 * Tuesday, May 10 -- Almost showtime!**
 * Read over the following strategies/devices to refresh your memory. Also review the tone words, tip sheets, and verb list. Most importantly, get a good night's sleep, have a good breakfast, and wear a watch.**
 * REMEMBER TO PROOFREAD FOR MISSING WORDS OR LETTERS!!! MAKE SURE THAT WHAT YOU WROTE DOWN IS EXACTLY WHAT YOU INTENDED. YOU ARE READY TO GO!!!**