Seniors
Today we watched Ted Vennichio's interesting talk arguing that baseball is a problematic metaphor for sex. As an alternative, he presents pizza! Tomorrow, you will have a an open-note quiz on the reading about sexuality and TED Talk. From the reading, make sure to have a definition of sexuality, two of your rights and two significant points from the section about communication. From the TED Talk, be sure to be ready to compare how the baseball and pizza metaphor compare in terms of triggering sexual activity, during sexual activity, and the outcome of sexual activity.

You can find links to both here:
TED TALK
https://www.ted.com/talks/al_vernacchio_sex_needs_a_new_metaphor_here_s_one?language=en

HANDOUT: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1FlApAW3pNAo0sxxNnGhy6PRJ1axPMC265EZEUpDPSn8/edit?usp=sharing

Remember that you can add questions to this form at any point during our unit: http://goo.gl/forms/ec8CP2KFgAflSAZp1


AP Language 

Tomorrow, we will discover how to ace #26 on the Regents exam. Prepare tonight by completing the following: 

1. Read Passage I and Passage II from the Regents packet I distributed in class today and complete the following steps:

-Underline the parts of each passage where the topic (private journeys) is most visible.

-Compare the quotes you underlined: What do they have in common? What idea about private journeys do they both express?

-Write a topic sentence only: In both Passage I and Passage II, the authors suggest...(this larger idea about private journeys) 

2. Complete the literature review sheet for The Great Gatsby. If you get stuck, consult Sparknotes or another study guide. 

Weekend Homework

Complete your exhibitions!

AP Language
You can have until Wednesday to complete the literature review sheet I distributed today in class.

Homework

Seniors -
No homework

-AP Language-
 Today after class Emma came up to me and said, "Don't you think Ahmed's interpretation is more about the way we view sexuality than the novel itself?" I have to say that I do agree. We are very quick to label people according to who they may or may not be attracted to.interpretation. As a case in point, read one contemporary interpretation: Nick Carraway is gay and in love with Gatsby. Then, read Cliffsnotes critical essay on Social Stratification: Social Stratification. How do these essays help you understand the various ways you can approach a work of literature as a critic and thinker? After you read each essay, note: what are the most significant points of the essay? What did it help you understand that you didn't see before?

Homework, Wednesday, May 25

-Seniors - 

Last night to work on exhibitions before prom!


- AP Language - Please note that you need to READ AND PREPARE FOR DISCUSSION 

1. Read ch. 8-9 of The Great Gatsby tonight. You will have a quiz on ch. 7-9 that will serve as your entrance ticket for discussion tomorrow. Please note that some of your exit tickets today demonstrated misunderstandings of the novel or evidence that you have not been keeping up with your reading. Tonight is your night to catch up.

2. Next,  prepare for tomorrow's discussion by completing the steps below:

             1.) Make sure you are clear about the events of the novel, especially in ch. 7-9. If you cannot specifically discuss how the novel ends for each character, you need to reread.
             2.) Once you complete the novel, develop 2-3 interpretations, theories, or questions about the novel to bring to discussion tomorrow.
             3.)  Find passages to support your interpretation or root your question in the text. On your quiz, you will need to provide the evidence you are prepared to offer in discussion.

*TIP! If you are having trouble developing an idea, you may use the questions below as a guide.

Privilege and Paradox in Portrayals of the American Dream

Texts: The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

         Drown by Junot Diaz

• According to F. Scott Fitzgerald and Junot Diaz, which factors determine an individual’s privilege within American society?
• According to Junot Diaz and/or F. Scott Fitzgerald, how do the motifs of fantasy and reality play into our notions of the American Dream?
• How do characters’ privileges influence their behavior and relationships?  

• How do authors use characterization, setting, and symbolism to criticize, celebrate, and comment on society and/or human nature?

Key Terms

Social Mobility

Privilege

Self-made man

Paradox

Personification

Animate and Inanimate
Characterization/STEAL and its functions

Setting and its functions

Homework, Tuesday, May 24

Seniors -
Work on your exhibitions.

AP Language

Complete ch. 7 of The Great Gatsby on your own. Then, respond to the following prompt:
Write a paragraph on how one literary element or technique contributes to the tension and conflict in ch. 7. You may consider imagery, setting, characterization, dialogue etc. Use the cheat sheet of literary elements that you defined last week. Students who post their paragraphs on the class blog by 9:00 will receive extra credit.

Seniors, Lesson Two

Seniors 

Read last night's post for information about Carrie papers.

Homework: Work on your exhibitions. Aim to finish them before prom.

AP Language: nice work to those of you who completed the blog post last night. For those of you who did not complete it, do so tonight for up to 90%. Make sure to develop a new idea rather than recycling something you already discussed or wrote about in class. Tomorrow we will have a dramatic reading of ch. 7. We will need at least 6 people to read. 

Intro: In chapter 6, Nick chronicles the reality of Gatsby's upbringing. Then, he describes another party at Gatsby's in which he has a dramatically different kind of experience than he does in chapter 3. Some say that this chapter of the novel represents the disillusionment of Nick and to the certain extent, the reader.

Task: This weekend, read the chapter and then write a blog post by 11:00 pm on Sunday responding to one of the questions below. Use evidence from any part of the book so far to support your thinking, but make sure that your responses reflects an understanding of the events of the novel through chapter 6.

•  In class this week, many of you discussed the contrast between Tom and Gatsby as representations of different levels of privilege. This weekend, choose two other characters to compare. How does their privilege affect their behavior and what does a comparison between the two reveal about the larger themes of the novel? Some suggestions: Daisy/Myrtle, Jordan/Daisy, Daisy/Tom, Daisy/Gatsby, Daisy/Nick, Wolfsheim/Wilson etc. 

• Many critics focus on The Great Gatsby as a social critique, but it can also be read as a celebration of beauty and art. How does Fitzgerald celebrate certain aspects of existence throughout the novel? Where, if anywhere, are their glimmers of optimism or joy and what do these parts of the novel suggest about human nature and society? 
• 
  
• Your choice 

Tip! Keep PEEPS in mind as a way to develop the significance of your ideas. 

Seniors 

Congrats to all of you who submitted your last English paper in high school today!

If you did not come to class with a hard copy today, your paper grade is currently a zero. Each school day late will result in 10% off of your final score. As soon as you turn in the paper, I will remove the zero from the gradebook. Your paper counts as submitted when you turn in a printed copy of your paper to Scott or me. Please note that there is a printer in the conference room that you can use until 8:50 am. 

To clarify: If you came to class with a hard copy of your paper, your paper counts as submitted. Anything else means that it was not officially submitted. 

AP Language

Intro: In chapter 6, Nick chronicles the reality of Gatsby's upbringing. Then, he describes another party at Gatsby's in which he has a dramatically different kind of experience than he does in chapter 3. Some say that this chapter of the novel represents the disillusionment of Nick and to the certain extent, the reader.

Task: This weekend, read the chapter and then write a blog post by 11:00 pm on Sunday responding to one of the questions below. Use evidence from any part of the book so far to support your thinking, but make sure that your responses reflects an understanding of the events of the novel through chapter 6.

•  In class this week, many of you discussed the contrast between Tom and Gatsby as representations of different levels of privilege. This weekend, choose two other characters to compare. How does their privilege affect their behavior and what does a comparison between the two reveal about the larger themes of the novel? Some suggestions: Daisy/Myrtle, Jordan/Daisy, Daisy/Tom, Daisy/Gatsby, Daisy/Nick, Wolfsheim/Wilson etc. 

• Many critics focus on The Great Gatsby as a social critique, but it can also be read as a celebration of beauty and art. How does Fitzgerald celebrate certain aspects of existence throughout the novel? Where, if anywhere, are their glimmers of optimism or joy and what do these parts of the novel suggest about human nature and society? 
• 
  
• Your choice 

Tip! Keep PEEPS in mind as a way to develop the significance of your ideas. 

Homework, Thursday, May 19

PAPERS DUE TOMORROW! PAPERS DUE TOMORROW! Use resources below.
TIP! Make sure to use ADDITIONAL resources from the close reading and analytical writing tab of this blog as needed.

Please bring a printed copy into class, formatted as follows (complete paper assignment is in the first link):

• 12 point font, Times New Roman
• Double Spaced
• Name and date in left hand top corner 
• Title 

Paper Assignment 

Rubric

Lesson on Introductions

Analytical Paragraphs

Checklist 

AP Language -

Daisy and Gatsby are reunited in chapter 5. Read the chapter carefully with a pencil in hand. Consider: how does Fitzgerald made the feelings of the characters clear in this pivotal chapter?
Note: dialogue, actions, song lyrics etc.

- Seniors -

- Seniors -

PAPERS DUE ON FRIDAY! PAPERS DUE ON FRIDAY! Use resources below.
TIP! Make sure to use ADDITIONAL resources from the close reading and analytical writing tab of this blog as needed.
Paper Assignment 

Rubric

Lesson on Introductions

Analytical Paragraphs

Checklist 

AP Language 

Tonight, read ch. 4 tonight. We will have a graded discussion tomorrow with a quickie quiz on tonight's reading serving as your entrance ticket for discussion:
Some questions that came from you to keep in mind for discussion tomorrow: 
-What constitutes privilege?
-How is power and enacted and negotiated in the novel?
-How does Fitzgerald convey Nick's relationships with the other characters in the novel?
-What is the function of the setting descriptions in the novel?
-Why are the characters unhappy?

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1INZgPkdjJSrfO07SoSDPOwU6Nrv6SAl8Qm9sL71oPnY/edit?usp=sharing

Homework, Tuesday May 17

- Seniors -

At this point in the writing process, it's important to work consistently towards your deadline. Tonight, complete the homework assignment you gave yourself at the end of class today.

Bring in a list of texts or topics you could use in the connections section of your paper. Then, research two of the possible connections online, collecting evidence that enriches, contrasts, or provides meaningful context for your claim and topic.

TIP! Make sure to use ADDITIONAL resources from the close reading and analytical writing tab of this blog as needed.
Paper Assignment 

Rubric

Lesson on Introductions

Analytical Paragraphs

Checklist 

AP Language 

Tonight, read ch. 3, continuing with the line of inquiry below or referring to the EQ's

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1INZgPkdjJSrfO07SoSDPOwU6Nrv6SAl8Qm9sL71oPnY/edit?usp=sharing

Tomorrow, you will have a quiz at the beginning of class in which you will have to identify which character is being described/speaking and the context of a line from the chapter. It will not be tricky, but illustrative of a key moment in the novel thus far. If you read carefully, you will do well. 

Homework, Monday, May 16

- Seniors -
At this point in the writing process, it's important to work consistently towards your deadline. Tonight, revise a body paragraph or draft a new one using the paragraph resources that Scott provided on Friday.

Next, brainstorm a list of texts or topics you could use in the connections section of your paper. Then, research two of the possible connections online, collecting evidence that enriches, contrasts, or provides meaningful context for your claim and topic.

Here are the some resources to use as your writing. Make sure to use ADDITIONAL resources from the close reading and analytical writing tab of this blog as needed.
Rubric
Lesson on Introductions
Analytical Paragraphs
Checklist

AP Language 

Tonight, read ch. 2 of The Great Gatsby, considering how the characters:

1.) Appeal to pathos - do they elicit your sympathy? Your antipathy? Your disgust?
2.) Consider: How does their level of wealth influence your impression of them?
3.) What do you find most interesting in this chapter? Choose a line to recite when we start class tomorrow.
*Please be sure to have your novel in class tomorrow and everyday that we are reading and discussing it:)

Lesson on Introductions

Weekend Homework

- Seniors - 
Based on the work you have done so far on your paper, set a goal for what you can achieve in 45 minutes and meet it. 

AP Language 
Read the following essay in the Lives column in the New York Times http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/14/magazine/14lives-t.html

What values does this essay celebrate?  
Are they distinctly American values? 
How are they related to the American dream?

Homework, Thursday, May 12

Seniors -
Detailed outline due tomorrow, 15 % of Carrie paper grade
Make sure to include:
-Elements of introduction (definitions, connections etc)
-Clear and concise claim
-Arguments that include key terms and transitional phrases/words
-Connections Resources for Carrie Paper, Classwork

Once you start drafting...
Analysis Progression - Student Work
Paper Assignment
(Note that you should be using other resources besides these as needed)


AP Language

Annotate ch. 1 of The Great Gatsby and answer the following questions. Use evidence to support your answers:

1.) How does Fitzgerald use contrasts and contradictions to characterize Nick Carraway in the first chapter of the GG?
2.) What themes of motifs does this chapter introduce? You may need to look up the word motif if you do not know what it means.
3.) Based on your reading of chapter one, what function does Nick Carraway serve? (Use notes from class today)

Homework, Wednesday, May 11

Seniors -
12A and B
Complete your outlines. Be sure to have them in class tomorrow.

12CD -
Edit your outline using a constellation of key terms to cohere the sections of your paper.
Bring your outline to class tomorrow.


- AP Language -
Congratulations on completing your first AP exam!
Please bring a copy of The Great Gatsby to school tomorrow. See you then.

Weekend Homework, May 6

-Seniors -
Complete your self-assigned homework for the weekend. For most of you, this means you have a completed claim or an outline of your Carrie paper.

ANNOUNCEMENT! If anyone has a laptop with the movie Carrie available on it, please email me if you could bring it in on Monday to show the class. I am having technical difficulties with my laptop and we cannot screen it from a school computer. Email me ASAP if you can help us out: jcandlin@sof.edu.


AP Language

1.) Attend the Saturday Session at The Museum School. In order to receive credit, you must sign in when you arrive. It is not enough to have the materials. The program that organizes the day will email me a list of students. Please also say hello to Marjorie and feel free to ask her any questions during lunch. She also offered to look over your writing with you if you want to bring something in to discuss with her.

Sign up: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/apex-student-study-session-5-manhattan-english-language-tickets-24400247798

2.) ANNOUNCEMENT

You will need to be at school at 7:30 on Wednesday for the AP exam which starts promptly at 8:00am. Students who are late will not be allowed to take the exam. The College Board is very strict about the policy, so plan ahead to get a good night's sleep and wake up early on the day of the test. We will have bagels, juice, and coffee for you at 7:30. You will have the afternoon off.

3.) Please buy or borrow a copy of The Great Gatsby by Thursday, May 12. Please get this edition if possible: http://www.amazon.com/Great-Gatsby-F-Scott-Fitzgerald/dp/0743273567/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1462564071&sr=8-2&keywords=The+Great+Gatsby

Homework, Thursday, May 5

Seniors 
Go over your notes from today and come up with a claim that answers the following question:

How does Stephen King challenge social norms in the horror novel, Carrie?

AP Language 
Complete your self assignment focused on the skill you need to work on most in preparation for the exam next Wednesday. Bring an artifact to demonstrate 45 minutes worth of work. 

I made a model of an evidence brainstorm for argument writing. Consider making one for yourself before the test: Click Here

Homework, Wednesday

Seniors 

Homework: Finish the novel - how does the violence (or lack thereof) work thematically? In other words, why does Margaret die the way she does? Why do Chris and Billy die the way they do? Why doesn’t Sue die and what happens to her instead?

AP Language 
1. Do your homework in your Kaplan book, at least 45 minutes. You should focus on the skill/task you need most: rhetorical analysis, synthesis essay, argument or multiple choice. Bring your Kaplan book to class tomorrow. 

2. A reminder that Saturday's session is REQUIRED: https://apex-sss5-manhattan-english.eventbrite.com

Homework, Tuesday, May 3

Seniors - Read to p. 262 of Carrie. Be prepared for quiz tomorrow.

AP Language -

Read ch. 3 and 4 of your Kaplan book, "Key Terminology" and "Reading for Understanding." Use information from those chapters to add to your cheat sheet on rhetorical analysis that you made before break. We will discuss the passages I distributed in class tomorrow. Please bring your Kaplan book to school tomorrow.

If you haven't done so, sign up for Saturday's review session: https://apex-sss5-manhattan-english.eventbrite.com

Seniors 
Read to p. 238 of Carrie. Here are the guiding questions: Click Here. If you did your reading, they should be easy to answer. If they are difficult to answer, go back and do some rereading. Quiz tomorrow!

AP Language

Set the timer for 25 minutes (you already did fifteen minutes of planning if you were in class today) and write this essay: 

Read the following excerpt from The Decline of Radicalism (1969) by Daniel J. Boorstin and consider the implications of the distinction Boorstin makes between dissent and disagreement. The, using appropriate evidence, write a carefully reasoned essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify Boorstin’s distinction.

Dissent is the great problem of American today. It overshadows all others. It is a symptom, an expression, a consequence, and a cause of all others. I say dissent and not disagreement. And it is the distinction between dissent and disagreement which I really want to make. Disagreement produces debate but dissent produces dissension. Dissent (which comes from the Latin, dis and sentire) means originally to feel apart from others.People who disagree have an argument, but people who dissent have a quarrel. People my disagree and both may count themselves in the majority. But a person who dissents is by definition in a minority. A liberal society thrives on disagreement but is killed by dissension. Disagreement is the life blood of democracy, dissension is its cancer.

You will be graded on completion, a clear thesis, reasons that draw on PEEPS and clear and connected evidence. Marjorie's handout and sample outlines for other prompts: Click Here