4th Qtr Exam

It's your last one!  And you don't have to study for it!  Happy holiday weekend. =)

Your last quarter exam has two parts:

Part I--AP passages and multiple choice questions
This is a chance to demonstrate your critical reading skills in the moment.  It's not critically reading something you get to spend lots of time on or have discussion opportunities to learn from.  It's just straight-up critical reading skills.  Do you understand the purpose, audience, structure, tone, rhetorical devices and appeals of what you read?  Can you dig into the details of a text and answer rhetorical questions about a short passage?

Part II--Long answer question about Beloved
This is the other side of critical reading.  First of all, Beloved is a long text, a full-length novel, rather than a short text.  Second, you DO get more depth in your understanding if you not only critically read it yourself, but you also have time to study and discuss that text.  So this section asks you to write about your understanding of the last major text of the year.

Beloved Lit Circles

Split into groups of 4 (or 5 when necessary for class numbers).  

Your Journal:

1. All group members will pay attention to symbols in the novel and make note of ideas regarding their significance.
2. Each group member will be in charge of tracking ONE motif in their journal.

Motifs:  

• Repressing the Past & Rememory
• Dehumanization/Slavery vs. Freedom
• Love/Family/Motherhood
• Use of Magical Realism
• Community vs. Alienation (only for groups of 5)

What You Should Note:

• When you notice the motif or symbol--page number
• How the author seems to be using that motif or symbol
• What point does the author seem to be making at that point?

As a Group:

1. Determine your reading schedule.  You have designated reading days and discussion days in class, but you can decide how you will “chunk” the novel for those discussion days.  
2. Determine who will track each of the motifs.  Everyone is responsible for reading the whole book; you’re just focusing on your own motif rather than all of them.
3. You should have a page in your journal for each of the motifs (even those you are not tracking).  This will give you a place to jot down your own thoughts on those subjects as you read and make note of your group discussions.

Discussion Items as a Large Group:

• Each member will share out what is going on with the motifs--open up discussion to see what other members think or have noticed.  Also discuss the ways some of these motifs overlap.
• Symbols and their Significance
• Significance of the 3-Part Structure
• Significance of the Title
• Your ultimate goal is two-fold:  What is the theme of the novel?  How does Morrison’s writing help her achieve that argument?  You won’t know the answers to these questions until the end, but your discussion while you’re still reading should be leading toward answers to these questions.

Dates:

April 4 Hand out books; assign groups

April 7 Reading day

April 8 or 10 Group discussion day (odd periods on 8th, even periods on 10th)

April 11 Reading day

April 15 Group discussion day

April 17 Reading day

April 18 Book completed.  Group discussion

April 21 Quarter Exam. Journals due beginning of class

Portfolio and Rhetorical Analysis

Portfolio Details

Second Semester

Your portfolio will include at least 3 additional final drafts (including your researched persuasion argument and rhetorical analysis essay) to show evidence of your continued use of first semester skills and new learning of the following criteria:

• Successful understanding and use of claims, reasons, and qualifiers
• Various modes to include research, persuasion, cause/effect, and rhetorical analysis
• Use of evidence to convince, including well-used and documented secondary AND primary research
• Effective and correct use of a visual in a written argument
• Variety of purpose and audience throughout the year
• Correct MLA works cited page—at 100%
• Multiple drafts with revision based on feedback
• Stylistic maturity
• Growth as a writer over the course of the year
• Growth as a reader over the course of the year

To receive an A, you must also show evidence of your own helpful feedback as a peer responder and publish one piece of writing for the appropriate audience.

So here are some more details to help you achieve that:

1. Your research paper likely covers many of these.  If your "final draft" didn't successfully achieve all of these research components (i.e. perfect works cited page), revise it so it does.  There are comments on your final draft in Turnitin that tell you where you have problems.  Revise it and include a better copy of it in your final portfolio.
2. Your rhetorical analysis will also help meet several of the criteria above.  For instance, comparing it with your Nabokov paper from first semester or even your Fast Food paper from first quarter may be a good way to show your growth as a reader (and potentially as a writer).
3. To get credit for publishing a piece, you need to get something you wrote this year to its intended audience.  Your research paper works well for this because you spent a lot of time on it and have a clear audience--and probably an argument you actually want people to hear.  To get credit for it, your teacher needs to "see" your submission.  If you're going to email it to your audience (i.e. Mrs. Stone for The Indian, the Record Herald, a legislator, etc.), just copy your teacher on the email.  If you're going to mail it in paper form, bring it in with an addressed envelope (open, please) and your teacher will even mail it for you.  If there is some other way you need to submit or publish your argument that doesn't fit one of these options, see your teacher for how to do it in a way you can get credit for.
4. You currently have TWO more pieces to write.  The Google Calendar is updated to show what we are doing for the rest of year, including lab days.  There are a few of them BUT you will ALL need to be doing work OUTSIDE of class.  This is a college class and your credit will go on your college transcript FOREVER.  This is not a time to lazy.  You have basically ONE MONTH to complete your portfolio.  Here are your deadlines:

• Start your rhetorical analysis NOW--we're giving you reading/planning days this week so USE them.
• Lab time during class:  All Wednesdays PLUS April 14 and April 28
• Optional draft due April 11 by midnight.  If you want INDIVIDUAL feedback from your teacher, you need to submit a draft to Turnitin on this day.  It can be whatever piece you like and you don't HAVE to turn one in.  We will read and give feedback on anyone's paper that is turned in BY April 12.  NO LATE SUBMISSIONS!
• Silent reading table on April 22--bring a PRINT COPY of both new pieces to class with you.
• Completed portfolio due April 28 by midnight.

Rhetorical Analysis Details

One of your 2nd semester portfolio pieces is a rhetorical analysis of your non-fiction independent reading book.  Hopefully you have completed (or at least made significant progress in) a book that you found a clear argument in.  Your job now is to write an essay in which you achieve TWO objectives.

Objectives:

• Demonstrate effective critical reading skills
• Demonstrate college-ready writing

Grading:

A   Successfully achieves all objectives
A-  Successfully achieves all objectives but some minor errors
B   Successfully achieves one objective but has some major problems with the other
C   Does not achieve the objectives; unsuccessful, unacceptable attempt

So how do you make sure you achieve both of those objectives? 

Evidence of your Critical Reading:
Identify argument, purpose, and audience
Analyze rhetorical devices and major modes used
Analyze appeals
Pinpoint BOTH strengths and weaknesses in the argument
Explain an "educated" conclusion of the argument--your opinion of whether the strengths outweigh the weaknesses or vice versa

Evidence of College-Ready Writing:
Lots of detail and evidence to back up your claims (all of them)
Correct MLA parenthetical citations
Clear organization that is easy to follow
Academic purpose and tone BUT with some appropriate personality, voice, and engaging writing
Clean mechanics

March 26 Journal Prompts

1.  Consider the answer to one (or several) of the following “Why?” questions.  (Or answer a “burning question” of your own.)

• Why do we still hear about Lindsay Lohan?
• Why do girls like to show off their underwear?
• Why do people listen to Dr. Phil?
• Why the interest in vampires and zombies?
• Why is Instagram/SnapChat/Twitter so popular?
• Why can’t we live without our cell phones?
• Why are guys so obsessed with body humor and video games?

2.  Consider what the future holds.  What will the world be like when you are old?  Consider what these various aspects of life might be like:

• Sports
• Pollution
• Food/Clothing
• Military
• Drugs/Medicine
• Housing
• Entertainment
• Technology
• Education
• Government
• Careers/Jobs
• Economy/Money
• Crime
• Hobbies
• Transportation
• Population
• Relationships/Dating
• Religion

Journaling Mar. 12

Do this today or later, but do it.  Choose one of the following journal prompts and write about a page in your journal as a potential starter for your last portfolio piece:

1.  Bucket List
What do you want to do before you kick the bucket?  Make a list--brainstorm all of the things you'd like to do, places you'd like to visit, sights you'd like to see before you die.  Once you have your list, choose one that particularly gets you excited and spend some time writing about why this particular item is meaningful.

2.  How to Survive _______
Consider the survival advice you could give:  how to survive IHS, how to survive football two-a-days, how to survive working at A&W, how to survive a younger brother, etc.  Pick something you could help people survive and spend some time writing out that advice for a particular audience.

Sound and the Fury Resources

Here are the slides I used in class yesterday.  If you missed class, DEFINITELY look these over PLUS get notes from a reliable friend in case there were other things you need to write down.  If you were in class, these are posted here as a helpful resource and reminder.

Link to the Google Doc

3rd Qtr Exam

First, the essay on Thursday:

Reading time on Tuesday--15 minutes to read the prompt and source material and then plan out your essay.  You can highlight evidence you want to use and outline in as much detail as you have time for.

On Thursday you'll write the essay in the period.

How to prepare?  Read your first synthesis essay.  Use the scoring guide to determine how you did on it.  Figure out what you need to do to improve on that score for this essay, both in planning and in writing.


Second, the "traditional test" on Friday:

Short answer and multiple choice questions over what we've studied this quarter--visual arguments (you'll actually analyze one), research and sources in arguments, and critical reading (an AP passage and questions following).

Also, you'll cite two sources in a correctly formatted works cited page.  You'll get to use a packet printed out directly from the Purdue OWL that will have all of the information you need to cite the sources provided.

How to prepare?  Review your notes in your journal regarding sources, visual arguments, and works cited.  Read the chapters (Chapter 15 & 18) from this quarter if you didn't read them originally or didn't take good notes.  Go back and look at your practice works cited from the beginning of the quarter or the works cited page you turned in on your D2 to get an idea of the kinds of mistakes you have made and want to avoid.