29 February - Happy Leap Year Day!

AP Language and Composition

Solid day today in AP Language as we investigated allusions in Chapters 11 and 12. Allusions are so important in a text because they are a chance for an author to add deep meaning and connections in their texts. Also, in a complex text like Invisible Man allusions can provide a lot of clarity. Identifying and explaining the purpose of allusions can be a great route to solid analysis on the AP Examination. Today we explored allusions to The Bible, Greek Mythology, and music. These allusions helped us to understand the end of this transition moment in the text and where TIM is in his journey to understand and create his identity.

At the end of class, we looked at two final articles. These articles could be helpful for a lot of you in your research work. Add them to your research write-up. Remember that you should be working on this project daily as it is a big project with lots of pieces. For the weekend, focus on reading Invisible Man and preparing to do another writing task. Some of you have already revised, and that's great, we're going to have another chance to demonstrate our skills soon! Be ready!

27 February - Kicking off Research Projects

AP Language

Wonderful day today opening up our research work and topic development. Mrs. Friedman came down from the library to tell us about our database tools, key word searches, and Boolean terms. We got into coding language and defining ideas and remembering that research questions are usually always in flux. Use your research write-up document to start to collect and analyze your sources. Remember that as you find key sources, you should process them with an Annotated Bibliography entry. As you write these entries, you are displaying your reading comprehension, interpretation, and application. Remember this as you write.

Next class we'll be looking at Invisible Man - Chapters 11 and 12. This is a confusing section with the hospital, the machine, and the idea of a new identity for TIM. Consider how there are some key symbols and cycles at play in this moment. Use your motif tracker to help you understand. 

23 February - Chapter 10 and Explosions!

AP Language and Composition

Such a fun Friday today in AP Language as we got to do some arts and crafts to display our understanding of key passages in Invisible Man. I loved the way that you were all engaged today in the ideas and uncovering the arguments in the text. Keep in mind that this is a fulcrum chapter - it divides the novel in two and serves to really pull together ideas well. Be sure that you're seeing connections and pulling ideas together as we keep going forward. Take some time to use our key passages and your understandings so far to complete your motif tracker for the book - remember that this is a tool to aid your comprehension and your interpretation, not an assignment, but still a great resource. Next week on Thursday, we'll be diving in to Chapter 11 and 12. It's a short bit and provides a bit of a strange look at TIM in the hospital. Read with your symbolism glasses on, it's a wild ride.

The most important thing to complete right now is your research question and argument (at this point). If you don't know your side right now, write two potential arguments. Part of doing the research process is figuring out where you stand. No matter your topic or position, you need a starting point from which to move forward. Lock in, complete the checkpoint, and get ready to move forward. Remember that you have the document AND the discussion board as part of the revision step, there's also the first document on research questions if you need that too.

I'm loving how busy I am at Lion Time with all of you. Remember that you can rewrite this essay or write a new one; if you're satisfied, then in the words of Romeo from Romeo and Juliet, "Be satisfied." As always, keep reading, thinking, writing, communicating, and collaborating. I'm headed to North Carolina this weekend to see some friends and celebrate some good things. I'll look forward to seeing you Tuesday for a research focused day!

21 February - Oratory and Argument

AP Language and Composition

A rollercoaster day in AP Language, but I think we ended on a high and came to some good understandings about finishing out the year. Remember, you need to put in the real work. No more coasting, no more cruise control, it's time to move with purpose and intention. So, let's make that happen. Take the slides, feedback, and thinking to begin to revise your essays from our practice. Don't delete anything. I have some sample papers and other tools that are helpful - let's keep working together to revise and change scores to get to a 1/4/0. The goal is for you to figure out a method to devise an argument so that you can always employ that tool.

We started the day with reading skills and dug into reasoning and organization as well as rhetorical situation. I hope you all saw our connection to the AP Examination and some of the key questions and skills we're asked to demonstrate in our work. Take some time to read Chapter 10 for Friday's class. It's a strange chapter with a lot of symbolism, but I have faith in you. Pay attention to white paint, power, vision, and the connections to the American government. Use the video on Chapter 10 to get a handle on what's happening.

16 February - Three Day Weekend Ahead

AP Language 

Solid work today in AP Language as we worked through Chapter 8 and 9 to look at New York, its impact on TIM, and his job interview with Mr. Emerson in Chapter 9. I was glad to see the way that you're understanding some of the key cycles in this text, the lack of change in TIM, and the way in which key ideas resurface in order to create meaning. Continue to pay attention to the way that TIM interacts with people and what he understands or fails to understand from these interactions.

Next class we'll be doing some feedback on our most recent writing assignments. You'll have the chance to revise these if you'd like - so let's meet together to do that if you'd like to. We'll also look at the two speeches I gave you today in class - read and annotate those this weekend to prepare for next class. We'll be getting into Chapter 10 later next week. Now is a good time to get ahead in reading for Invisible Man since we have some large chunks coming up. Remember to revise and resubmit your research questions as soon as you can!

14 February - Happy Valentine's Day!

AP Language and Composition

Today we spent some time with Brent Staples and his article "Just Walk On By: Black Men and the Public Space". I appreciated the connections that you all were making between this text, Ellison, and all the way back to DuBois. I really like the way that Staples acknowledges alternative perspectives, confronts his audience, and crafts a message for them. Consider this as you write your own arguments.

From there, we looked at our Research Questions and refined them through the lens of the problem statement. Remember that you don't need to be looking at a "problem" per se - you could be looking at the problem of not knowing something and its effect on you or society. No matter what, be sure that you are focusing on being specific in your scope and focus. Use today's slides and assignment to refine and then post in the discussion board. Be sure to get and give feedback in the discussion board.

Next class we're headed back to New York and TIM's adventures. We've got more of the city in Chapter 8 and then a few key conversations in Chapter 9. Enjoy your reading! Try to make sense of what you can. Be sure to refer to your motif charts. See you Friday!

12 February - Chapters 5-7: Saying Goodbye to the South

AP Language and Composition

Fantastic day today in AP Language as we leaned into our reading skills and our presentation skills to work through Chapters 5, 6, and 7. In these chapters, we finish up our time in the South and at the College. TIM won't be returning, but the lessons - or lack thereof - will continue to follow him into New York. I really love the fact that so many of us were contributing to our class learning today. Great work with your new approach to Key Passages. Remember to continue to use these tools as you are working through this novel - especially the motif tracker.

Next class we'll be revising research questions and working through Brent Staples's "Just Walk on By: Black Men and the Public Space." It's a short article, so read deeply and carefully. Consider the connection to stereotypes and invisibility. This is a key connection between Ellison and Staples. We'll have our next set of chapters on Friday. Try to get ahead, we have some large chunks coming later. If you haven't submitted your research work, please do so ASAP so that you can fully participate in our lesson on Wednesday.

8 February - Writing Argument Day

AP Language and Composition

We did something brand new today! We did some team work writing to lean into our skill for the quarter, argumentative writing. In this quarter, you'll be presenting argument based research on America, and on the AP Exam, you'll complete two argumentative FRQs. As I love to say, it takes time and constant effort to develop these skills. So we need to start now and be intentional. I hope that you enjoyed the chance to work with new people today in the room. You'll see them again soon.

For next class - Monday - we have Chapters 5-7 of Invisible Man. In this section, TIM says goodbye to the South and heads to New York. As Ella would say, "Drop me off in Harlem." Watch his scene at the chapel in Chapter 5 and try to understand what you can about The Founder. It's important to note the impact the story has on TIM. In Chapter 6 he says goodbye to Dr. Bledsoe; it's an intense scene. In Chapter 7, we have the return of The Vet. Remember my video channel is available as a guide to help with processing chapters.

All the best for the weekend! Enjoy!

6 February - Chapters 3 and 4

AP Language and Composition

Really fantastic work today everyone digging into the key conversations in Chapters 3 and 4. As we worked through today's class we saw the way in which characters function as symbols of key ideas. Remember, characters aren't real. As we watch characters interact in be in conflict, it's important to ask yourself which characters aka ideas win and why that is. Also consider what TIM understands, what he doesn't and why. He's trapped in a cycle, so we need to follow how he's continuing to repeat mistakes and what helps him to break free. Thanks Arianna Grande...

Remember that you may have some small housekeeping to complete. Log in to AP Classroom and check on your Unit 2 Progress Check. Next class we have an argumentative writing assignment, so you'll want the feedback before writing again in the same way. Please email me when complete since I don't get notifications from AP Classroom. You also have the beginning of the research topic to complete - this is a means to revise and refine, so please submit to show me where you are. Remember you're defining America. If you'd like to come to Lion Time or after school to work with me, please do so.

Looking further ahead, we have Chapters 5, 6, and 7 coming up next week. As you read these chapters, you'll be confused by Chapter 5. It's a story within a story, the story of The Founder. Try to understand what you can about him and then understand how this sits in the same cycle as we've seen today - TIM and older men. Chapter 6 is a great look at Bledsoe, and Chapter 7 will take us to New York and the end of Section 1. 

See you Thursday for writing!

2 February - Substitute Day

AP Language

Friday, February 2 is a substitute day. Sorry to be away, but duty calls. I'm off at Herndon High School today doing some project work for the district on assessments. All of your tasks have been posted today as assignments on Schoology. You should be able to finish everything during class.

First, complete your jazz journal discussion board. If you access the slides, you can watch the music video - please use headphones. The lyrics are posted for you in the discussion board as well. Post a takeaway using the guiding questions. Second, finish your study of James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son" using the document posted. If you don't have your paper copy of the article, use the posted PDF on Schoology. Be sure to submit your answers and thoughts to demonstrate your thinking. Lastly, begin your research topic development. Use the guiding questions to refine your idea and topic. We'll continue to develop the research topic as we keep moving through this unit. 

Submit your tasks and I'll be providing feedback as soon as I can. Next class, we'll be looking at Chapters 3 and 4, be read and prepared for class and I'll see you on Tuesday! Please complete the substitute form linked on Schoology at the end of your day.