School Google Accounts

In case you don't know how to access this.  (Juniors, you'll be using this a lot next year.)

1. If you've never changed your school password, you need to do this.  Once you're logged on, hit CTRL + ALT + Delete and choose the change password option.
2. Once your password is changed, open up your internet browser and go to gapps.indianola.k12.ia.us
3. Your username and password will be the same as your school account.  You can also get to this account from drive.google.com BUT you will have to enter your whole email address to get in:  lastname6-digitstudentID@indianola.k12.ia.us
4. Once there, you can use the mail, drive, and other google applications.  If we have shared the Food, Inc presentation with you, it will be in your drive under the Shared with me category.

AP Test-Takers!

Come see your teacher.  We have results for you from your practice exam and will talk through that info with you if you come see us.  It can be during class--just grab us as we come by your group work time.  Or stop by during your open or before or after school.

Food, Inc Presentation

We presented Food, Inc. in class on Thursday/Friday while the music students were gone.  I'm including the slides here in this blog post BUT if you were absent, we will share the google presentation with your school google account.  That way you can see the notes that go with the slides (which is the real analysis part).  This should give you a good idea of the depth we are looking for and how you might address the aspects of analysis the presentation requires.

Doc Film Project

Here is a link to the Google Doc for everything we went over in class, the permission slip, the notes pages, and discussion questions.  You may access it for review of info OR if you lose any of the handouts you received in class.

Publishing to Peers

A number of you have arguments you'd like to publish to your peers.  The Indian does not have room in the senior edition for any other articles so you have two possibilities:

1. Send it to Ms. Stone specifically requesting that it be used in the freshmen survival edition of the Indian next year (if appropriate).

2. Make sure your piece is on Google, publish it to the web--to anyone who has the link, and then post a link to Twitter INCLUDING @IHSaplang so Ms. Darrah and Ms. Grissom can see it and give you credit.

Portfolio Logistics

Once your pieces are completed, edited and polished, and totally ready to be turned in:

1. Create a new document called 2nd Semester Portfolio or something like it.
2. Begin the document with a list of all of the pieces you have written for AP Lang.  For each, list title, description of the argument, audience, purpose, and a quick description of how well you think you did on it.  You DO NOT need to include the full documents--the list will show us the variety of writing you've accomplished.
3. Copy and paste all of your NEW pieces into the file.
4. You MUST have your final draft of your research persuasion argument.
5. You MUST have your rhetorical analysis of your nonfiction independent reading book.
6. You MUST have at least one NEW argument you wrote this quarter.
7. You MUST include one piece from earlier in the year that demonstrates your growth as a writer. Choose something from the very beginning that shows where you started as a writer in this class. Your Fast Food Nation paper or first draft of your definition argument might be ideal choices for this requirement.  Make sure you choose something that IS NOT as good as what you're turning in now as your final drafts.  The point is to show that you HAVE improved!
8. To show your revisions based on feedback:  pick one piece that has undergone multiple drafts with significant change.  Put those drafts (properly labeled and in order) in your portfolio document to show the change.  You might also consider a screenshot of feedback that prompted those changes, though this part is not required.  If you don't know how to take a screenshot on your particular type of computer, google it.  It is different depending on what type of system you're using (Mac, Vista, Windows XP).
9. You do not have to put anything in your portfolio to show the helpful feedback you provided your peers.  Your teacher will assess that based on your completion and appropriate participation in the peer reviews this semester.
10. Once everything is in your portfolio document, add page numbers to the document.
11. Save.
12. Upload to Turnitin

Porfolio Polishing

AP Lang

Proofreading & Polishing Checklist

Before you submit your final portfolio, you MUST edit and polish your pieces!!! The feedback you've received from your peers and teacher has been on content only, but the final draft is the time to be sure your mechanics, presentation, and details are clean and correct.  Below are some last revision considerations and a polishing checklist.  Begin at the top, go through EACH step with EACH piece of writing.  Doing so carefully and thoroughly should ensure a reasonably clean final draft.

Add:

1.    Opening sentences that grab your reader’s attention—not in cheesy English 9 ways, but in authentic, thought-provoking ways that get them reading your argument

2.   Sensory detail that creates pathos, ethos, and logos.  Make your readers care about your argument with emotion, trust you because you’ve done your homework and include pertinent details, and understand your logic with solid facts, reasoning, and explanation.

Subtract (Only your rhetorical analysis can be more than 750 words):

1.    The junk—In each sentence experiment with pulling out words you don’t need.  Start with words like “which” and “that” and “started to . . .”  Make your writing FAR more concise than you though you could.

2.   Repetition—read each sentence one at a time out loud.  Get rid of words, phrases, ideas.

3.    Combine and condense sentences so you say the same thing in fewer words and space.  See how tight you can make your argument. 

Substitute and Rearrange:

1.    Use the Find feature.  Find “you”—Do you mean “I”

2.   Find “I” – Do you need third person or impersonal text?

3.   Word choice—Don’t substitute simply using the thesaurus.  Rewrite sentences.  Replace unspecific, or overused words with precise fresh language—but don’t use words you don’t really know or that will sound awkward given your tone and style.