Pre-AP English II Agenda 8/26 • Intro to class – Purpose and AP Website • Turn in summer reading project. If you do not have it, turn in a sheet of paper with a heading explaining why you do not have it. If your project is late, you must complete it by 9/12. Late projects without an acceptable rationale will have a maximum grade of 70% Acceptable rationales must be verified by a parent. • Four corners icebreaker • Homework: Review parts of speech and be ready for a quiz 9/2. • https://www.englishclub.com/grammar/parts-of-spe ech_1.htm
Transcript
Pre-AP English II Agenda 8/26
• Intro to class – Purpose and AP Website• Turn in summer reading project. If you do not have it, turn
in a sheet of paper with a heading explaining why you do not have it. If your project is late, you must complete it by 9/12. Late projects without an acceptable rationale will have a maximum grade of 70% Acceptable rationales must be verified by a parent.
• Four corners icebreaker• Homework: Review parts of speech and be ready for a
This class is designed to prepare students for upper level AP classes, and eventually, the AP exam. These courses simulate college-level English classes, and demand more effort, attention, motivation, and skill. AP students also have an opportunity to receive actual college credit based on their performance on the AP exam. Developing self-discipline in the area of time management is a goal of all Pre-AP/AP classes, as students are often assigned readings or multiple long-term projects that require careful planning and organization.
• Literary Analysis: We do not simply “read” literature in an AP class, we critically analyze it in great depth and detail. Therefore, one cannot rely on Cliff’s notes or class discussions for understanding. At times, students could be studying one book or play in class and a different work outside of class. Students are encouraged, but not required, to purchase their own copies of books, so that they may annotate as they read, and begin to build their own personal collection of influential literature. Writing: Writing is an integral part of every Pre-AP/AP class. Students will be required to write papers of varying lengths throughout the year, including in-class, timed essays as well as more formal essays. Other details about English II Pre-AP will be discussed in class throughout the year.
• Parts-of-speech quiz warm-up. • Summer replacement assignment due 9/12Do the rhetorical analysis required on “On Being a
Cripple.” See my website for the essay and assignment. Students who did the original assignment will get extra credit.
• Close reading: “I Have a Dream”• Excerpt from The Narrative of the Life of
Frederick Douglass
Warm-Up/Parts of Speech Quiz
• Copy the following sentences, then label the parts of speech.
1. After Kasey Catanzaro reached the finals of American Ninja Warrior by performing speedily and with grace and strength, everyone believed that a woman would eventually win.
2. “Wow, I never knew you could bravely fight off so many mutant raccoons using only your English textbook,” Michael exclaimed.
Pre-AP English II Agenda 9/41. Goals: Improve vocabulary and close reading skills.2. Warm-up: Take an index card from the table by the door, and write
your name on the unlined side. Give the card to a partner. Ask your partner what one dream they have for their life is. Write the answer on the lined side. Do this for both partners.
3. Introduce SAT vocabulary warm-ups: Define the following words, write a synonym for them, use them in a sentence and create a symbol that will remind you of them.
• Brandish• Callow4. Rhetorical devices in “I Have a Dream”5. Close reading of “Pie”
Pre-AP English II Agenda 9/8
1. Goals: Improve vocabulary, learn close reading and literary thesis and support strategies.
2. Warm-up: Define the following words; write a synonym for them; use them in a sentence, and create a symbol that will remind you of them. Chagrin, Depreciate
3. Close reading of “Pie”4. Writing thesis and literary paragraph
English II Agenda 9/10-9/11
1. Goals: Improve vocabulary, learn close reading and analysis strategies. Practice RACE
2. Warm-up: Define the following words; write a synonym for them; use them in a sentence, and create a symbol that will remind you of them. Emancipate, Epitome
3. Read and annotate “Learning to Read and Write” by Frederick Douglass.
4. Questions5. Short answer: How did learning to read affect Frederick
Douglass’ reaction to slavery? RACE.
Sample RACE Question: Why did Douglass’ mistress change her treatment of him?
• RA Douglass’ mistress became more harsh in her treatment of him as she was exposed to the dehumanizing effects of slavery.
• C At first
English II Agenda 9/12• Goals: Close reading for rhetorical techniques, thesis statements and
compare/contrast structure• Warm-up: Define the following words; write a synonym for them; use
them in a sentence, and create a symbol that will remind you of them. Diatribe, fallacious
• Journal: If you had no access to formal education, what kind of education would you create for yourself? What would you choose to learn and how would you acquire knowledge?
• Malcolm X background and clip• Read “Learning to Read” Note examples of rhetorical techniques and
argumentative appeals (ethos, pathos, logos).• RACECE Question: Discuss the similarities and/or differences between the
rhetorical techniques that Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X used to describe their oppressors.
Rhetorical Techniques and Persuasive Appeals to Analyze
• Ethos – or the ethical appeal, means to convince an audience of the author’s credibility or character.
• Pathos or the emotional appeal, means to persuade an audience by appealing to their emotions.
• Logos or the appeal to logic, means to convince an audience by use of logic or reason.
• RACECE Question: Discuss the similarities and/or differences between the rhetorical techniques that Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X used to describe their oppressors.
Analytical paragraph/OER• Thesis• For example, “ “• Commentary (explain WHAT is happening in the story at this time)• Connection: (explain HOW this example shows the concept in your thesis)• Another example “ “• Commentary (explain WHAT is happening in the story at this time)• Connection (explain HOW this example shows the concept in your thesis)• Conclusion (a big picture observation about the story and the concept)•
*Integrate your quotes. YOU MUST INTRODUCE A QUOTE. • CM: “Here,...”• CN: “Therefore” “This shows” “As such,” “Consequently,” •
**For use on EOC Short Answer Response (OER) and as your body paragraphs in formal essays
Pre-AP English II Agenda 9/16
• Warm-up: Define the following words; write a synonym for them; use them in a sentence, and create a symbol that will remind you of them. Garrulous, Gratuitious. Quiz next time
• Intro to Of Mice and Men. Buy if at all possible.• Intro characterization charts: Keep for: Lenny,
George, Slim, Curly, and Curly’s wife. Due 9/26• Dust Bowl documentary/library if necessary• For next time: Read Chapter’s 1 & 2 (through page
37), begin filling out character charts
Pre-AP English II 9/18
• Warm-up: Vocabulary Quiz. You do not need your journal.
• Class discussion about Chapters 1 & 2• Literary analysis and theme• Homework: Read Chapter 3 – Through page
65 and do character chart• Quiz over Chapters 1 – 3 next class
Pre-AP English II 9/26
• Book Talk• Homework: Test
English II Pre-AP Agenda 9/22
• Objectives: Improve vocabulary; analyze theme, character and point-of-view
• Warm-up: Define the following words; write a synonym for them; use them in a sentence, and create a symbol that will remind you of them: Harbinger, one that pioneers or initiates a major change; one that foreshadows what is to come; Idiosyncrasy
• OMM Quiz over Chapters 1-3• Chapters 2 & 3 discussion• Point of View Revision• Homework: Read Chapter 4 (pp 66 – 83)
Pre-AP English II 9/26
Goals: Analyze character, literary techniques, theme and point of view.
1. Vocabulary Warm-Up: I’m giving you the definitions; please use the words in a sentence and create symbol for them.
Immutable (adj): undeniable, indisputableIncandescent (adj): radiant, luminous2. Discuss themes3. Character monologues4. Homework: Finish literary techniques chart, bring character
chart5. Next time: Book talk for a test grade
Monologue Activity
• Get in groups of five.• Assign each member of the group one of the five
characters about whom you’ve written journals: Lenny, George, Slim, Curly, and Curly’s wife
• Write the end of the novel in first person from the POV of that character. Try to create an accurate voice for your character.
• Read your writing out loud to the other members of your group. What character traits do you see emerging? What themes come out in the writing? How does looking at the book from a different POV shed light on the events?
Pre-AP English II Agenda 9/30
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:– Jovial (adj.) cheerful, joyful, happy– Endemic (adj.) widespread, occurring frequently, indigenous
• Make name plate and take out character journal and literary techniques chart
• Book Talk about Of Mice and Men• Grading standards for book talk– 1 contribution w/support = 50%– 2 contributions with support = 70%– 3 contributions with support = 100%
Words 10/3
• Malevolent: malicious, wicked, evil• Obliterate: to destroy, to eradicate
Pre-AP English II 10/6
• Goal: Learn to integrate quotes and create topic sentences to write effective body paragraphs
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:– Obsolete (adj.)useless, old-fashioned– Persevere (v) to carry on, to persist without giving upVocab Test Next Time– Quotes and Transitions– OMM Character Paragraph– Peer Edit– Revision
Topic for Literary Essay
• Choose a character from the text.• Designate 1-2 ways the author reveals that
character (what he/she says, what others say or think, internal thoughts, speech, appearance and actions).
• Find 2 quotes in which the author does this.
Writing a Literary Thesis
Let’s create a thesis statement. Just plug in your meaning and your technique(s): (here are 3 different versions)
•In Of Mice and Men, the author uses ______ and _______ to reveal __________.
•In ____________ by ____________, the author seeks to _______________ by/through _________________.
•In _____________, John Steinbeck examines ___________ through his use of __________ and __________.
The Analytical Paragraph• Thesis (Topic Sentence)• For example, “ “• Commentary (explain WHAT is happening in the story at this time)• Connection: (explain HOW this example shows the concept in your thesis)• Another example “ “• Commentary (explain WHAT is happening in the story at this time)• Connection (explain HOW this example shows the concept in your thesis)• Conclusion (a big picture observation about the story and the concept)•
*Use Quote Introduction worksheet to integrate your quotes. YOU MUST INTRODUCE A QUOTE. • CM: “Here,...”• CN: “Therefore” “This shows” “As such,” “Consequently,” •
**For use on EOC Short Answer Response (OER) and as your body paragraphs in formal essays• Have me check you topic sentence before you move on.• Write your paragraph.• Trade with a peer and edit• Revise
Peer Edit
• Check your partner’s quotes:1. Do they support the thesis/topic sentence?
Explain why or why not.
2. Are they properly integrated. Explain why or why not.
3. Does your partner explain how they support his or her thesis? Why or why not.
Pre-AP English II Agenda 10/10/14
• Goals: Develop vocabulary, learn about the structure of tragedies and the Oedipus myth
1. Vocabulary quiz – no warm-up2. Tragedy and Oedipus notes3. Make your own tragedy
Pre-AP English Agenda 10/16
• Goals: Analyze the elements of drama, write effective OER paragraphs
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Finite (adj): limited, not permanent• Magnanimous (adj): generous, good hearted,
forgiving• 1. Read Antigone prologue, parados and
Scene I.• 2. Review RACE• 3. Antigone questions
RACE
• Restate key words from the question• Answer the question• Cite a quote from the text• Explain how your quote supports your answer
• Be sure to follow your quote integration guidelines to smoothly incorporate your quote.
OER Example• The author of “Is Criticism a Four Letter Word” feels that criticism is
okay as long as it is presented in a respectful and constructive manner. When feelings, personal opinions and insults become involved, the “criticism” turns into more of a personal attack. The author would prefer that criticism be presented in a “review” like way rather than a critique. If facts are presented, it makes the situation less personal. For example, in paragraph 19, the author gives an example of a mother reviewing her child’s bedroom. In the following paragraph, the author writes, “Notice that in this scenario, the parent is supporting her opinion with concrete evidence. The criticism feels less, well, critical because it makes sense, and that is what a good piece of criticism ought to do.” The author believes that criticism should be more factual than personal.
Pre-AP English Agenda 10/20
• Understand the elements of drama and how drama can be used to create social change.
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Parsimonious (adj): thrifty, frugal, economical• Exult (v): To celebrate, to rejoice, to gloat
• “Can Theater Change Anything?” Ted talk• Scene 2 Antigone and questions
Pre-AP English Agenda 10/22• Understand the elements of drama and how drama can be used to create social
change.
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Affiliate (v): to partner with, to associate with• Truculent (adj): aggressive, confrontational• Scene III “Antigone”• Colorado protest video• TED Talk “How Outdoor Theater Ignites Social Change”• How could you adapt Antigone so it would be useful as a comment on this issue?
What scene would you use? How would you stage it to draw attention and make your point? How would people be dressed? Would you use puppets, acrobats, clowns, movie screens, something else? How would you relate Antigone to the subject of the protest? What costumes and music might you use?
Pre-AP English II Agenda 10/24• Understand the elements of drama and how drama can be used to create
social change.
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Duplicity (n) deception, contradiction, dishonesty• Chivalrous (adj): brave, respectful, courteous, noble• Scene IV “Antigone”• Ted Talk: “What is Theater Capable Of?”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M6VFfGvAVZI
• Reperformance with STOP pp 660 - 669• Assessment criteria – everyone has to either be an actor, make an alternative
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Dearth (n)scarcity, shortage, deficiency• Exuberant(adj): enthusiastic, cheerful, excited• Projects: Due date change: 11/11• Assign scenes• Define roles, make a schedule• By the end of class: choose social issue and define
group roles• Picture day 9:45
Pre-AP English II Agenda 11/3
• Warm up: Vocabulary Review • Exam Review Sheet• Project Rubric• Work on Projects• All Work Returned 11/5 Antigone Exam, Vocabulary Quiz (these will be the
last grades on this 6 weeks)11/7 Work on Projects, Short Answer Review11/11 Antigone Projects Due/Presented in Class
Pre-AP English II Agenda 11/5
• Warm-Up: Vocabulary Quiz• Antigone Test• Read “The Morals of the Prince”
Pre-AP English II Agenda
• Warm-up: Antigone and The Prince crossover question. Get a The Prince excerpt from the folder by the door if you don’t already have one.
• Time to work on Antigone projects.
• For next time I will check scripts and paragraphs (items 2 & 3) for Antigone projects.
Would Machiavelli and Creon agree on the qualities that make a good ruler?
• Restate key words• Answer for both selections in one sentence• Cite a quote from the first selection• Explain how that quote proves your answer• Cite a quote from the second selection• Explain how that quote proves your answer
and tie your ideas together to give a sense of completion
• Don’t forget to use your quote blending skills!
English II Pre-AP Agenda 11/11• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and
create symbols that represent them:• Multifarious (adj): diverse, varied, many-sided• Ambivalent (adj): indecisive, unsure, having mixed feelings
• Antigone project check: I will check that your group has a script and paragraphs 1-7
• Reading and short answer benchmark• Be sure to write your name, my name and the class period on your
short answer forms – you will rip these out and turn them in seperately.• Write your name on your tests.• If you finish the reading and short answer section, I will give you
revising and editing.
English II Pre-AP 11/13
• No Warm-up• Antigone project check: I will check that your
group has a script and paragraphs 1-7• Complete CBA’s• 11/17– Work day for Antigone Projects, critical
reading test review• 11/19 Antigone performances• 11/21 – Critical reading test
Pre-AP English II Agenda 11/17
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
is on Friday 11/21.• Review/Return Short Answers• Work on Antigone projects: All projects due in
class on 11/19
Pre-AP English II Agenda 11/19
• Antigone Projects!• Rate your team membersEach team will turn in the following in this order:1. Your essay2. Your script3. Your paragraphs that explain your staging and any associated
sketches4. Your promptbook (unless detailed stage directions are
indicated in your script)5. Team member ratings• Performances! I’m so excited to see these!
Pre-AP English II Agenda 11/21
No warm-upUnit Test: Please write the short answer on a
separate sheet of paper. Make a 10 line box, and make sure your answer stays within the box. The short answer is worth 20% of the test grade. You will need a textbook for the short answer.
When you are finished, you may read or do work for another class. Please keep the room quiet until everyone is done.
Pre-AP English II Agenda 12/2
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
Belligerent (adj): loud-mouthed, argumentativeImplement (v): to use, to put into practice, to applyCheck in about completing exam: Aaron, Camryn, Jair,
Matthew• Rhetoric Power Point• Argument Analysis I• Homework: Find an editorial of your choice in a newspaper
and write an argument analysis using the argument deconstruction questions.
Schedule
• 12/2 Rhetoric and argument analysis• 12/4 Fallacies and scoring arguments• 12/8 Argument structure, outlining, essay
assigned• 12/10 In class argumentative essay, take home
self-analysis • 12/12 Final prep
Pre-AP Agenda 12/4
• SAT Vocabulary Warm-Up: Use the following words in a sentence and create symbols that represent them:
• Warm-up: Sentence structure• Edit SAT essays• Turn in SAT essays• Final review – you may bring and use on the
final.
Sentence Structure• Compound: In Their Eyes Were Watching God, Zora Neale Hurston uses
Logan Killicks to explore the implications of slavery; he is a representation of the protected, respectable life that was never available to Nanny.
• Complex: Since Zora Neal Hurston uses Janie’s hair to symbolize her womanhood, freedom and sexuality, the staid citizens of Eatonville are scandalized when the 40-year-old Janie returns from her adventure with Tea Cake “’wid her hair swinging down her back lak some young gal’” (2).
• Compound/Complex: Because Hurston believed in the power of voice to communicate culture, she used dialect to explore the importance of storytelling in the creation of meaning, but she used more formal English to create the persona of an educated and intellectual author/narrator.
• Fragment (Dependent word): Because Janie believed that she would only be fulfilled if she found a lover who recreated her girlhood dream of fertile, blooming sexuality as embodied by the pear tree.
Sentence StructureClause: A group of words that contains a subject and a verb.
An independent clause expresses a complete thought and can stand alone as a sentence.
She is an inventor.
A dependent/subordinate clause does not express a complete thought and
cannot stand alone as a sentence.
Because she is an inventor. A sentence’s structure is determined by the number and kind of clauses it
contains. There are 4 types:
Essay Turn-In
• Final draft on top - mark it “final”• First draft – mark “first”• Editing sheet and outline• Rubric if you have it
Study Period and Final Exam
• Cookies• Class vote on whether to start final early• Final• Check for missing work
Pre-AP Agenda 1/6• Welcome back!• Where did you spend your break?• Overview of the six-weeks• Goals: Learn about synthesis, analysis, argumentation, annotation, vocabulary
and grammar.– AP Style Synthesis Essays
• One researched, one timed in class• Topics and sign up – Everyone must sign up for 2 topics today. One should be for an essay
involving research and one for a topic written entirely in class. You may not change the decision you make today, so choose wisely! Write your name and 1 or 2 next to it on the sheets on the front table.
– Continued SAT style essays – 2 in-class essays– Book project: – Continued vocabulary and grammar focus– Homework: Webquest due Monday using
Potential Book Project Books• To Kill a Mockingbird• Things Fall Apart• The Great Gatsby• Huckleberry Finn• The Time Machine and the War of the Worlds (Choose 1)• Jane Eyre • Wuthering Heights• One Flew Over the Cukoo’s Nest• Pride and Prejudice• The Book Thief• Life of Pi• The Secret Life of Bees• Joy Luck Club• Martian Chronicles
Essay Sign-Up Instructions
• One researched, one timed in class• Topics and sign up – Everyone must sign up for
2 topics today. One should be for an essay involving research and one for a topic written entirely in class. You may not change the decision you make today, so choose wisely! Write your name and 1 or 2 next to it on the sheets on the front table.
Question 1: The history of lotteries goes back for centuries. Many believe that lotteries were part of any organized tribal society. We have evidence of lotteries before recorded history in the Far East. The Romans liked to play the lottery. However, lotteries developed a reputation for scandal and fixing and so were abandoned in the middle of the nineteenth century. In the 1960s, many states, feeling the economic crunch of services and unwilling to increase taxes, began to organize state-run lotteries. Today it is the rare state that does not have a lottery.Assignment: Read the following sources (including any introductory information) carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that lotteries are an ethical and effective way to raise state revenues for education.
Question 2: Recent years have seen an increase in the attention paid to standardized test scores in the United States. As a result, schools, school districts, and others have sought methods to improve those scores. While some schools have relied on traditional methods such as additional training for teachers and remediation for struggling students, others, including schools in New York, Ohio, and Texas, have offered financial incentives directly to students for scores.Assignment: Read the following sources, including any introductory information, carefully. Then, write an essay in which you develop a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the idea of using financial incentives to motivate students. Synthesize at least three of the sources for support.
Question 3: In 1949, after World War II and during the time when an "Iron Curtain" separated Spain, Germany, and Russia from the rest of Europe, George Orwell wrote 1984, a novel that suggested that, by the year of the title, the world could fall under the rule of a totalitarian regime that would monitor its citizens' every move, punishing any behavior that it considered offensive. The year 1984 has come and gone, without Orwell's prediction coming true. Or has it? Does our current "surveillance society" threaten civil liberties that mirrors Orwell's fears?Assignment: Read the following sources carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that the recent profusion of surveillance techniques constitutes a threat to civil liberty.
Question 4: The First Amendment in our Bill of Rights protects freedom of speech, one of our most basic constitutional rights. School officials, however, have a responsibility to protect the safety and well-being of the students in their schools. Does this mean that school administrators can control what students do and say when they are out of the school building? If students do or say something that is offensive to the school when they are off school grounds, are they liable for punishment?Assignment: Read the following sources, including any introductory information, carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, take a position that defends, challenges, or qualifies the claim that students should be held accountable by school officials for activities that take place outside of school.
Question 5: Some nations have a defined national school curriculum, while others, such as the United States, do not. As a result, students in high school English classes in the United States can read texts that vary widely from school to school, while students in other countries may all read the same books in high school.Assignment: Read the following sources carefully. Then, write an essay that develops a position on whether or not there should be specific texts that all students of high school English must read.
Question 6: Use of prescription antidepressant medications is on the rise. Many experts question their efficacy; some worry that the risk of side effects, especially a possible increase in suicide rates, outweighs the benefit.Assignment: Read the following sources and any accompanying information carefully. Then, in an essay that synthesizes at least three of the sources for support, examine the controversy surrounding various treatment options for depression, and evaluate what factors need to be considered when treating depression.
Question 7: Information sharing on the Internet has enhanced and increased communication in many areas of contemporary life, from education to business, from politics to entertainment. One result of the Web’s interconnectedness is the accessibility of intellectual property, especially music. The ability to distribute large amounts of material to a large number of people via the Internet has created a host of thorny copyright issues. Writers and critics have approached the issue from a variety of angles -- moral, political, economic, and practical. Considering such factors as the efficient functioning of the free market; the just compensation of artists; and the difference between theft, sharing, and reuse, writers and critics have ended up with different positions on contemporary copyright law. When considering whether to loosen or change copyright laws, what factors would you have to take into account? Assignment: Carefully read the following seven sources, including the introductory information for each source. Then synthesize information from at least three of the sources and incorporate it into a coherent, well-developed essay that evaluates the issues that should be considered before strengthening or loosening copyright regulation pertaining to the Internet.
Question 8: Write an argumentative essay taking a stand in response to one of the following questions:According to the article by Kevin Sullivan, Prime Minister Tony Blair called veils “a mark of separation.” Write an essay explaining why you agree or disagree that Muslim women who wear the veil are deliberately trying to separate themselves from the majority community.What is the real issue in this controversy? Is the concern that the children at the Headfield Church of England Junior School receive a quality education? Or are there other factors that have caused Azmi’s suspension to become international news? Write an essay discussing what you believe are the real issues beyond the headlines.
Pre-AP English II Agenda
• Vocabulary Warm-Up: Copy the words and definitions and write a sentence using each word.
• Clemency (n): mercy, forgiveness, leniency• Laud (v) to praise, to commend, to extol• Who/Whom
1. Copy the definitions for the following vocabulary words and use the words in a sentence:
Obfuscate (v) : to deceive, conceal, complicateAltruistic (adj): generous, humane2. Go over penny essay homework3. In-class SAT style essay: 15 minutes to plan,
25 minutes to write
Debrief
1. What part of planning was most useful?2. What was least useful?3. Did you run out of time? Would you have
used your planning time differently?4. Did you finish your essay?5. Would you structure your writing time the
same way? If not, what would you change? 6. What did you learn from the process?
Pre-AP English II 1/16/15
Get a computer and boot up1. Copy the definitions for the following vocabulary words
and use the words in a sentence: Placate (v): to pacify, to satisfy, to soothDeride (v): to ridicule, to mock, to criticize2. Passive Voicehttp://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleACTIVE-PASS.htm
3. Go over penny essay homework4. Analyze synthesis essay sources
Synthesis Essay Resource Notes Study the resources that were provided to you for your essay prompt. For each resource,
answer the following questions:
1. What type of resource is this? (a newspaper article, a website, etc.)2. When was this source written? Would you consider it out of date?3. Who wrote this source? Can you be confident in this information? Why or why not?
Does it seem objective and fair, or do you detect opinion, emotion, or bias?4. What is the most important and relevant information in this source? What conclusions
can you draw and what can you learn?5. Does this resource seem to support your position or challenge it?if this source supports your position, what specifically can you use in your own essay? 6. Out of all the resources, how many seem to support the position you are taking?
Which ones challenge your position? Are there some that seem neutral or that you cannot determine how to use?
Pre-AP Eng II Agenda 1/21/15Get a computer and boot up1. Copy the definitions for the following vocabulary words and use the words
in a sentence: Precocious (adj): gifted, clever beyond yearsAntithesis (n): contrast, a direct opposite2. Passive Voicehttp://www.towson.edu/ows/moduleACTIVE-PASS.htm3. Find, print and evaluate 2 independent sources to support your argument.
Good sources: newspapers, news magazine and reputable news programs, academic databases
http://zapatopi.net/afdb/For next class: Passive Voice Quiz, Vocab Quiz
• Warm-Up: Planning Discussion• Synthesis Essay Peer Edit• Synthesis Essay Revision• Synthesis Essay Due Next Class
To Turn In Next Time – Due at Beginning of Class
• Synthesis Essay Final Draft• Synthesis Essay 1st Draft• Synthesis Essay Peer Edit (About your paper, but
with name of peer editor)• Persuasive Essay Outline• Annotated Packet• Annotated Choice ArticlesTest Grade for Essay, Daily Grade for Preliminary
Work
Pre-AP English II Agenda 2/22
1. Assemble and proofread synthesis essays2. Book Interviews3. Share book choices4. The Time Machine – 1895, The War of the
Worlds – 18975. Things Fall Apart – 19586. To Kill a Mockingbird - 1960
Pre-AP English III
• Warm-up: College for free• SAT Essay• Pronoun reference
SAT Essay Topics• I suspect that like many people who watch their diet, exercise
regularly, and check the weather report before leaving the house, I am a little too concerned with controlling what can't be fully controlled. I know I am doing the sensible thing. But I sometimes think that the more reckless among us may have something to teach the rest of us about freedom. Perhaps there is something good about taking chances against our better judgments.
• ~ Adapted from: Melvin Konner• Is it sometimes better to take risks than to follow a more reasonable
course of action? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
SAT Essay Topics• Prompt:• If we are afraid to reveal our lack of knowledge we will not be able
to learn. In order to make progress we must admit where we are now. Such an admission of ignorance is not easy. As Thoreau says, “How can we remember our ignorance which our growth requires, when we are using our knowledge all the time?”
• Assignment:• Does the present system of education encourage us to admit our
lack of knowledge, or is there too much pressure to demonstrate the acquisition of knowledge? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.
Pre-AP English II Agenda
• SSR• Timed synthesis essay
• Please note, I will not be here Friday; consequently all work is due Thursday by 5 pm. I will be here until 5 every day this week.
Notes about SAT Essays• Pick a reasonable position. It doesn’t demonstrate critical
thinking skills to say it is always or never a good idea to take risks.
• Be specific in your thesis. Make sure if you are qualifying your position that you include the qualification in your thesis. “It can be a good idea to take a risks after analyzing whether the potential gain is so great that it outweighs the chance of negative consequences.”
• Don’t shift to second person. “Hey you!”• Be as specific as possible in your examples – avoid
hypotheticals. “My sister cheated on her chemistry test after spending three nights studying and still not grasping the material,” is much better than “many students feel that they have to cheat to succeed.”
Grading Scale for SAT Essays
• 6 = 100• 5 = 90• 4 = 80• 3 = 70• 2 = 60• 1 = 50
Pre-AP Eng II Agenda 2/19
• SSR• Tense Shifts• STAAR Essay Scoring
Pre-AP English II Agenda 2/23
• SSR• STAAR Essay Scoring: Score essays and give
two reasons for each score.• “I Am Offering This Poem” page 534• Annotation – What should we notice?• RACE short answer
Exit Ticket
• Short Answer
• What is the author’s message in “I Am Offering This Poem?”
• RACE
English II Pre-AP Agenda 2/27
• SSR• Novel Project Assignment• Annotations• “Hills Like White Elephants”
English II Pre-AP
• SSR• War discussion• Picasso’s Guernica and George M. Cohan’s
“Over There.”• “Old Man at the Bridge”
English II Pre-AP 3/5/15
• SSR• Discuss mock STAAR• Mock STAAR essays and scoring• Data sheets• Fix-a-2• Revise STAAR essays• Conferences
Good STAAR Essay Structure1st Paragraph: • Hook such as an observation or general statement about the topic. • Thesis2nd and 3rd Paragraph• Topic sentence that gives ONE example from your life, a book, history,
science or a movie.• At least 3-4 supporting details.• At least one commentary/analysis statement that explains how your
example supports your topic sentence and thesis4th Paragraph• Paraphrase of your thesis• Implications of your thesis/and or a call to action or powerful closing
thought.
Some Hints• You are limited by space, not time. Be sure to brainstorm and outline. Come up with
multiple examples and choose the ones that you can talk about in the greatest detail.• Write a detailed outline.• DON’T USE the QUOTE! Think your own thoughts.• Be specific – give more details for each example. Don’t list examples. Only use
examples you know a lot about.• Be sure that each paragraph has a topic sentence and multiple (at least 3-4) details
that support it. Put these in your outline!• Make sure you explain how your examples support your topic sentence and thesis.• Only use a question as a hook if it is interesting and you have a specific, meaningful
answer for it. For this type of essay only, a general observation about the topic can be a good first sentence.
• Edit to avoid vague language. Don’t say: “Have you ever thought about why people learn things?” or “Many people find that knowledge is very useful in their lives.”
Pre-AP English II Agenda 3/11
• SSR• Outline a 4• Fix a 2• Conferences
• For next class: turn in revision of Mock STAAR Essay with Reverse Outline
Agenda 3/13/15
• Mini-lesson: Creating focused body paragraphs.
• Stations:– Hook – Thesis– Body Paragraphs– Counterargument/Rebuttal– Conclusion
Station Instructions
• Read the handouts at the stations – many have examples
• Complete as much as you can in the time period – there will not be extra time
• Check thesis statements with me• You may work with the other people at your table to
answer questions, but you must fill out your own answers.
• Take papers with you – you will staple them together and hand them in at the end of class
• Question: Does following rules lead to success?• Thesis: Sometimes blindly following rules can keep
people from achieving their goals.• Topic Sentence (historical example): Martin Luther King
would not have achieved such great changes in civil rights laws without participating in civil disobedience
• CD• CD• CD• CM
• Question: Does following rules lead to success?• Thesis: Sometimes blindly following rules can
keep people from achieving their goals.• TS: Personal example - • CD• CD• CD• CM
• Question: Does following rules lead to success?• Thesis: Sometimes blindly following rules can
keep people from achieving their goals.• TS: Example from a book or movie:• CD• CD• CD• CM
Short Answers: Single Selection
• To get at “2:” RACE• Restate and answer: Restate key words from the
question and answer the question in a way that shows a thorough understanding of the text.
• Cite: Choose the very best quote to support your answer. Look carefully for the quote that provides the most effective support – the link between the idea and the evidence must be strong.
• Explain: Explain why the quote proves your answer. Do not echo the words you used in your answer or in the quote – paraphrase.
Score Point 2 Single Selection- Sufficient Response to the Question
Sufficient responses indicate a satisfactory reading performance. These responses have the following characteristics:
• The idea is reasonable and goes beyond a literal reading of the text. It is explained specifically enough to show that the student can make appropriate connections across the text and draw valid conclusions.
• The text evidence used to support the idea is accurate and relevant.
• The idea and text evidence used to support it are clearly linked.
• The combination of the idea and the text evidence demonstrates a good understanding of the text.
Question: In “Is Criticism a Four-Letter Word,” how does the author feel about criticism?
• What are the key words to restate? How would you start your answer?
A Strong 2
• The author feels that people are using criticism the wrong way. People should use it constructively and responsibly. “Why write criticism? Because if you write your opinions – and support them with good logical thinking – you’ll be something that I wish I’d been as a teen.” “Criticism isn’t just an attack; it’s a defense.” These quotes state that if you’re going to criticize, do it the right way.
Why is this a 2? Why isn’t it a 3 or a 1?
Answers: With your partner, find the best text evidence to support the following answers. Look for the very best possible evidence in the entire selection and explain why you chose it.
• The author of “Is Criticism a Four-Letter Word,” feels that when someone is criticizing a piece of literature or a movie, they should honestly review it.
• The author believes criticism can be quite harsh and everyone believes it is bad. But the author states that criticism is kind of the same as a review, and lots of people don’t know that.
With your partner, write an explanation that demonstrates how the quote proves the answer.
• In “Is Criticism a Four Letter Word?” the author believes that criticism does not always need to be hurtful, it can also be helpful. The author says “The best critics don’t just spew their opinions, they help you form and deepen yours.”
• In “Is Criticism a Four Letter Word?” the author believes that criticism does not always need to be hurtful, it can also be helpful. The author says “The best critics don’t just spew their opinions, they help you form and deepen yours.” Criticism is often solely used to belittle someone, when it would be better used in helping someone.
Pre-AP English II Agenda 3/26
• Get a book and sit at one of the four numbered tables. • Objectives: Practice stragies • Mini lesson – Poetry TPCastt “To an Aged Bear” (491)• Stations: (You will have about 15 minutes at each
station.1. Poetry TPCast “Woman with Kite (505) Use your
TPCast handout at this station2. Restate and Answer: “The Meadow Mouse” (521)3. Best evidence “Woman with Kite” (505)4. Full answer: “The Meadow Mouse” (521)
Pre-AP English II Agenda
• Objective: Crossover Short Answers and Poetry
• Review TPCASTT• Read “Daybreak in Alabama” and do TPCASTT
and read from “Red Velvet Dress”• Crossover Short Answers• Check Short Answers with Me
Short Answer Connecting Selection
• Restate key words from the question and answer for both texts. Find a connection between the texts.
• Cite the quote from the first text that best proves your answer.
• Explain how that quote proves your answer.• Cite the quote from the second text that best proves
your answer.• Explain how that quote proves your answer and
cement the connection between texts.
Short Answers
1. What is one characteristic shared by the speaker of “Daybreak in Alabama” and Lena’s father in “Red Velvet Dress?”
2. How are the themes of the poem and the excerpt similar or dissimilar?
Pre-AP Agenda 4/6/15
• Independent novel projects: • Let me know what you are doing and who you are
doing it with:• Diary Entries• Story by Pictures• Epic Poem• Dramatization• SoundtrackDue Friday 4/10
Pre-AP English II• SSR• Myth of Sisyphus• Stranger Scenarios• Dialectic journal assignment for The Stranger• Discussion leader role – I will assign each person a chapter. For that
chapter, you will create three open ended questions that have to do with character, theme, mood, tone, plot development, philosophical ideas, connections to other texts or world events. Each person will lead the discussion on his or her questions.
• For next class: Read Chapters 1 & 2 of The Stranger and do the dialectic journal. Be prepared for a quiz or reading check each class.
• Remember, a dialectic journal expects you to respond to an excerpt or passage through analysis and personal reflection.
• You must find and analyze 2 examples per chapter:• #1: Characterization: (review your notes on characterization and character
motivation) What this reveals . . . This is an insightful clue to his character because . . .
• #2: Your choice: Anything else you find interesting or important or memorable or revealing or even confusing (patterns of imagery, symbolism, concepts, author’s style, a line that seems meaningful, or elements that reflect an existential philosophy)
• Briefly explain and analyze all chosen passages. (about a paragraph)• Be prepared to share and discuss your dialectics with me and with the class.
I may collect these for a grade at any time. You may also have a test • Please do these on your own paper.
“The Myth of Sisyphus” Questions
1. Has there ever been a time in your life when you felt that like Sisyphus your life consisted of interminable and meaningless tasks? How did you respond?
2. What brings Sisyphus happiness? What does Camus mean when he says “Happiness and the absurd are two sons of the same Earth?” Do you agree with him?
3. Why does Camus refer to Oedipus in the essay? Do you see any similarities between Sisyphus and other characters from Antigone? What are they? What can you infer is a large concern for the ancient Greeks? Should this quality be a concern for us?
