Closing Week 19

AP Research

Great work today everyone! I hope that you enjoyed the TEDTalk on data visualization. As I was saying in class, I think that it's important to think about our data and what we're trying to show through the data before we get too far into our investigation. This will allow us to plan as we go and have procedures in place for what we have ahead of us.

Today we created some skeleton slides for our POD based on what we've seen in the rubric as requirements. Next week we'll be presenting and pitching a bit to finish out this unit. I look forward to seeing what you'll come up with, as always. Remember that we'll meet for class on Friday. Wednesday will be available for you to work.

Ending the Week - Thursday the 28th

AP Language

Today was our final day for researching and the building of outlines in class. The recording posted on Google Classroom goes over the template documents for the outline and sourcepack assignment as well as the requirements of the rubric for the outline. I hope you find it helpful. I'm available on Monday during Office Hours to review or conference before you submit your outlines.

We will start reading very soon, likely next week. If you need to secure a copy of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison, let me know via email. If you've not started reading, it's recommended you do so that you can begin to get ahead.

Enjoy the weekend! I'm looking forward to reading and discussing texts with you all again.

English 10

Today was a really exciting day, and I hope that you were able to use this time as a chance to explore and travel to various museums around the world. Remember that our goal is to find a museum which appeals to us first, then we'll find a piece in that museum which really draws our attention and makes us want to dig deeper. This can really be any item in the museum - based on what it is will direct the work that we will do in the rest of the unit. 

One of the main skills we'll be working with through this unit is developing our use of specific examples in our writing. Today we did a mini-lesson on citations to guide our work and practice moving forward. The recording is posted for you to access as you need it.

By the end of this week you should have submitted two tasks - the Semester 1 Reflection and the Perfect Paragraph - Museum Choice. Keep using our class time to produce and focus on your tasks. If you need additional time this weekend to finish anything, take it and submit your work before due dates on Monday.

Beginning All Over Again - Quarter 3

AP Language

Today was our day for registration meetings with counselors. While that was going on, we had an asynchronous day focused on reflecting on our research so far and building toward our outlines. Remember that the final day for researching and finding sources will be on Thursday. Outlines will be due quickly after that - on Monday, February 1. I'll be reviewing requirements and reminders for the outline next class. Use the rubric and the reflection document to help you construct your assignment.

You can return copies of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to school at any time. We'll begin our unit on Invisible Man very soon, so I'll be able to issue novels one last time. If you need a copy of the novel, please email me, and I'll reserve one for you.

English 10

Today in class we were able to meet and have a productive day. Before we launch into our new unit on museums, art, and research, we paused to look back at where we've come from in our work so far. I hope that seeing the SOL Rubric I use for your assignments helps you to understand your score and where it comes from. We'll keep focused on writing and developing as writers as we keep moving through the second half of the year. I hope that today's reflection time helped you to set some goals for yourself.

From there, we previewed and discussed museums a bit and began thinking about the type of museums we're interested in. Keep in mind that the goal of this assignment is to find a museum and piece of art which interests us for our research. The world is nothing but possibility as there are so many options for you around the world to investigate. I'm really looking forward to the work ahead - it's not a real field trip, but it's the best we can do for now.

That's A Wrap - Semester 1 / Quarter 2

That will do it everyone. Thank you as always for your effort and attention today as we worked to complete major tasks. Keep in mind that I'll be finalizing grades and scores on Monday. Please reach out via email, or visit during Office Hours on Monday, if there's anything that I can do to assist you.

Be sure to double check that all assignments are submitted on Google Classroom for my review. 

Finishing Up Week 18

English 10

Today was our day to finish the quarter with our second SOL essay. Remember that we'll continue to practice and write these types of essays as we keep going through the year. You won't actually take this exam until next year at the end of English 11. I'll be scoring your essays on Monday and uploading your final grades for the quarter. Be sure that any missing assignments are turned in by then as well. 

Next week we'll be starting a new unit to develop our researching and presenting skills. It'll also involve a bit of a virtual field trip, so stay tuned for that. As always, let me know what I can do to be of assistance!

AP Language

Today's class was a bit of a mixed bag: we reviewed options for class registration which will occur on Tuesday for you all, we took some independent time to work with sources and research, and then finished with a small group activity to get feedback on our questions and positions as they stand.

Remember that today is the final class of the grading period and that all of your grades are posted. Any final changes or updates will be posted before the end of tomorrow. If you think that I've missed something, please reach out and let me know ASAP so that I can check and correct as needed.

I've posted our course registration review in preparation for Tuesday's meeting with counselors. Remember that your outline will soon be due as well as your synthesis pack, more on this next week.

The End of Quarter Two/Semester One

We've made it to the close of the quarter and semester. It's been a challenge, and if you're like me, it continues to be a challenge based on the day. As we move to the end of the quarter, please let me know what I can do to support you.

English 10

Next class will be the final class of the quarter, and we'll take that time to complete our in-class SOL essays. The prompt and planning packet is posted for you in Google Classroom. I also updated this with two links for possible evidence. This type of prompt is difficult to think of evidence - it's a bit more abstract. I highly recommend trying to use personal examples but also something from a celebrity or psychology to help you.

The main focus for today is completing the Media Review. Use the outline document to put together your four paragraphs. Remember to focus on either the book or the movie. If you're writing on the movie, then be sure to reference your viewing guide for your notes and brainstorming.

Any and all assignments submitted this week will be scored for this quarter. It's our final push to the end, and then we begin next quarter with a bit more of a relaxed pace.

AP Language 

Today was our Bonus Day for researching and working from step one to step two in our research paper process. Our job right now is to use databases and other scholarly search tools to locate sources which will help us to flesh out our topics, build the body of our essay, and support our argument. Keep in mind that as you research, you'll likely find information which causes you to adjust your topics or argument - good! That's the point of research.

As a secondary source, I'd recommend using Google Scholar. It's a bit more open source, so be careful with what you find. When working with scholarly papers, review the abstract to see if the content of the study will be useful for you.

On Thursday/Friday we'll begin in earnest to create our outlines. If you'd like to have some index cards, I'll be going over a model of researching that may be helpful for you.

End of Week 17 - 15 January

AP Research

Good planning ensures less severe emergencies in the future. That is the goal of this most recent assignment. Take a look at your calendar over the next six weeks as well as your research question and proposal. What data do you need in order to do what you said you would? Where does the data exist? How will you get your hands on it? 

Keep in mind that the next several classes will be workshop classes for you to get a lot done during class time. I'll have our meeting available and open, but you may also find it helpful to meet with each other, other great resources in the staff (librarians, administrators, other teachers), or expert advisors. This is also time for you to work with participants, conduct interviews, and send surveys. Set a goal for each day and a plan to accomplish that goal. This will ensure your success.

Your reflection document has been updated and your final assessment task for the quarter has been posted. Now is when the rubber meets the road and the class is all yours.

English Classes (English 10, AP Language)

Remember that the final day of the quarter is Friday, January 22nd. Also remember that we will only have one meeting day next week - Friday - because of the holiday and vacation schedule. Be sure to submit any missing or resubmitted work as soon as possible. See your posts on Google Classroom or reach out with an email if you need help. 

Thursday - January 14

English 10

Today was our working day to finish with the film version of Persepolis as well as our planning for the media review. The due date on the media review has been extended to Monday. Remember that the viewing guide will help you with your evidence if you decide to write your media review on the movie instead of the book, but you can write on either one.

I posted an assignment called Essay 2 Preparation. Our final grade of the quarter and semester will be our Quarter 2 SOL Essay. We'll write that in-class at the end of next week. This planner pack has your prompt, graphic organizers, and review on constructing your essay. This assignment isn't for a grade, but doing it will certainly help your final essay grade.

Be sure to check and make sure that any and all assignments are submitted before the end of the quarter on Friday the 22nd. Use the recording the review the assignments posted.

AP English Language

Today's class was a chance for us to finish our revisions and finalizations of our research question while also moving forward into the outlining of our argument and response. Remember that these databases you have access to are goldmines - they do the citations, provide both primary and non-print sources, and you can save directly to your Google Drive. As you continue to work this weekend and through next week, focus on collecting sources and organizing your ideas to clarify your argument.

Submit your finalized research question and argument by the end of the weekend for my review and scoring. Also, don't forget about the practice on AP Classroom. Next week we'll be highly focused on the development of the outline to move forward into drafting and conferencing.

13 January - Wednesday - Grey Day

English Students - Be sure that you are actively moving through your goals and assignments here at the end of the quarter. 

AP Language - Note that all of your assignments have been assigned/posted. No more grades will be done for the second quarter, but we will open quarter three with several major tasks related to developing research papers. 

English 10 - Be aware that we have two writing assignments in the next few classes. This will provide a fair amount of points and affect standing at the end of the quarter. Be sure that you are working to complete these important tasks in the class time given.

AP Research

We are quickly approaching the time of the year where most of the work is up to you to work through and complete. It's now time to move forward into recruiting and working with participants or just simply finding data for your further analysis in reaching your research goal. Be sure that you have a list of tasks and to do's as well as a calendar to help you move through these next weeks. Also remember that you have a lot of support in this classroom and building for your work. Reach out to resources as you need to so that you are able to problem solve as you keep moving forward.

Use your PREP regularly to document your process, collect your work, and continue to reflect. Remember that you will have a new reflection question posted every Friday on Google Classroom.

Beginning Week 17 - 12 January

AP Language

Today's class was a focus on narrowing our scope and focus for our investigation in order to determine a clear and specific focus. This allows us to create a research question which can be answered and explored thoroughly in the few (5-7) pages that we have for this assignment. Keep in mind that this is a recursive process, meaning it builds on itself, as you keep working with source material, you'll likely keep narrowing and refining your process.

Final research questions are due at the end of the week. Please resubmit on Google Classroom and ensure the whole document is complete including the final two spaces for your revised question and your DADS argument. Don't forget to complete the FRQ practice for Unit 3 on AP Classroom. This is a great chance to test your skills and align yourself to the examination. 

Begin to find your sources and collect your findings. We'll spend next class working with source material and beginning the building of our outlines/sourcepacks.

English 10

Today was our kickoff to our final three classes of the quarter and semester. Today we took a brief grammar quiz before moving on to view the film and consider our task ahead as media critics. By the end of today, make sure that you submit your viewing guide with your notes from your viewing. Remember that you only need to watch about thirty minutes to complete the viewing guide.

Next class we'll focus on writing our media critiques before we prepare for our SOL essays. The SOL essay will happen on the last day of the quarter and be our final score for the quarter. We'll look at the prompt and prepare on Thursday so that you're ready to write.

At this time, it's important that you submit any and all missing assignments. If you have a few, focus on those that are worth the most points to have the best outcome for your investment. Let me know what I can do to help you.

End of the Week - 8 January

What a week, right? I'm glad that we've made it to the end, and that we've had a successful week of writing, reading, and thinking. Remember that the quarter will be ending soon - there are just a handful of assignments left for us to complete this quarter, so it's a good time to check in on anything missing. Be sure to submit work on Google Classroom - I'll be updating scores and sending progress reports on Monday.

AP Research

Over the weekend be sure to complete your IRB revision and resubmit your documents on Google Classroom. We'll review your work and give any last bits of feedback on Wednesday when we meet as a whole team again. Additionally, I would use time to begin reaching out to potential advisors. Like I said in class, "You never know until you try," so you may want to reach out to some of those professors and researchers. Even if they can't help, they may be able to direct you to someone who can.

We're about to get going into our work to collect and analyze our data - this is when the rubber really meets the road - I'm excited to see what you find! Remember to continue working in your PREP to reflect and document your process.

7 January 2021 - Blue Day

AP Language

Today we kicked off our unit on research writing and synthesizing sources into an argument. Remember that through this unit we'll be solidifying our argumentative writing skills in preparation for the rest of our lives, as well as the AP Examination in May. 

Take this weekend to work to develop your topics. Turn in your question planner on Monday, but know that it will be revised and resubmitted after our review and workshop next week. Then you'll move on to marrying your topics in a brief ceremony to close out the week next week. Remember that through this unit it's important that you finish your work on time in order to meet your deadlines and go through the process. Use our class and out-of-class time wisely.

If you're reading ahead in Invisible Man, be sure to check out the video for "Prologue". I'll be posting more videos next week for Chapters 1 and 2.

English 10

Today in class we finished our reading of Persepolis with an overall review activity focused on topics, evidence, and themes. I love what you all came up with and showed your critical and creative thinking with our Jamboard. It's important to see the way that topics work together in order to create themes in a text. This is a great skill to continue developing, especially for the reading SOL.

From there we went on to reading and discussing the final chapter before moving on to the movie. For the final writing assignment for this unit you'll be able to write a review of the book OR the movie - whichever you prefer more. The instructions and guidance for the assignment are posted. We'll take time next week to write and finish up the film. Keep in mind that next week we'll have two assessments, the review and our second SOL essay. It'll be the end of the unit, so be aware of missing and final assignments coming up.

6 January - Grey Day

Announcements and reminders for English classes are the same as posted below.

AP Research

Today was all about getting organized, checking in, and making sure that we are ready to move forward. Like I said today with the writing and revising guides, today is a good time for us to make sure that we're ready to go forward by ensuring all of our preliminary work is gathered and organized. Be sure to keep working with your PREP as we move forward so that everything you've done and need is readily accessible.

Homework includes finishing Expert Advisor research to prepare for our brief presentations on Friday. Additionally, finish any and all revisions in advance of the IRB's next meeting. There will be a place for you to submit your revised proposal and tools on Friday.

Welcome Back - 2021 - Kicking off!

AP Language

Today was our classroom catch-up day for 2020. Remember that you can resubmit assignments (such as the Huck Finn test, your rhetorical analysis essays, or other already submitted work) or you can submit missing assignments for credit. This is also a good day for you to email me for ruble cash-in to raise scores. Remember that the quarter will end soon!

The next unit will focus on research writing to prepare for the AP Examination and question one. Your first task is to develop your research topic and question. Next class, we'll work to complete this first step - the assignment and materials are posted for you to begin now if you would like.

Following this writing unit, we'll have our reading of Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison. This is a challenging novel, but it's a good one worthy of your efforts! To help you navigate this wonderful novel, I'll be making videos. The video for the Prologue is here to help!

English 10

Notes and takeaways from today's class are posted for you to access. After our review of grammar (especially on apostrophes and commas) we took time to read "The Veil", discuss dynamic and static characters, and understand the way that parallelism works in a text.

From there, we took a writing break to work with our Perfect Paragraph Organizer. Remember that you should always use this structure when writing a response to a question like this. If you have trouble with short answer questions, this may be a great help for you.

Remember to take time for the viewing of the film. We'll have time on Thursday for this after we finish the book. Keep in mind that your final assignment is a review of the book or the movie, whichever you liked better.