1 November - AP Language and AP Research

AP Language

We had a big conversation today in AP Language that we needed to have. Stop waiting to start the class and get going. It's not going to get any better with avoidance. I am here for you, but you have to do. You have to produce and you have to show. If you are planning to reassess your project for Quarter 1, please let me know via email so that I can prepare.

Today's class focused on Carnegie and his ideas about wealth, power, and charity in America of the 1890's. We reviewed concepts like logos, pathos, ethos, the rhetorical triangle, and the argument structure. I liked seeing your conversations and your disagreements about some of the ideas. It's important to make connections back to Fitzgerald as we read outside texts. Consider purpose, commonalities, and contrasts. 

Next class we're looking at Chapters 4 and 5. Focus on conflict and especially time. Read, annotate, and pay attention to the idea of truth and how it comes out in the text. Update your motif tracker and collect your vocabulary. As always, I look forward to seeing your thoughts.

AP Research

AP Research was wrapping up today with first presentations. We'll finish those on Thursday for the six who didn't present. One of the best things about days like today is seeing you all celebrate each other. Focus on getting comfortable at the board, speaking with confidence, and being sure of what you know. All of these practices will help us to do this.

Tonight focus on writing. You have everything that you need to start crafting your introduction and literature review. Use the files posted today as well as your sample papers, Body of Knowledge, and existing work. You have everything you need, you just need to put it together differently.

I look forward to seeing your next steps. Unit 3 starts on Monday the 7th. Check your messages for your recording.

18 and 19 November

AP Language

Great work today y'all as we looked at Andrew Carnegie and his "Gospel of Wealth". I hope that you'll be taking some of these ideas forward from Carnegie and Didion as we begin our work with The Great Gatsby. 

Next class we'll delve into our project on rhetorical analysis. We'll overview the project and then take time to work. You'll not have any work over break - it's against FCPS policy to assign work over breaks. If you have any missing assignments lingering, this weekend provides a perfect opportunity to complete those tasks.

I'll have all of your work scored soon. If there is anything that you would like to resubmit, we can discuss that after Thanksgiving.

English 10

Today was a day for writing! We looked at sentence starters, organization, and structure in order to complete our paragraphs for our soundtrack project. I hope that you find the resource that I gave you in class helpful. One thing that I like to do as I write is to create sentence starters with blanks and then fill in those blanks as I write. Remember that you can always change the templates, but use them to start to help you get comfortable.

The project is due at the end of next class. Next class will also be our catch-up day since we're at the end of the unit. If you have anything missing for this unit I would suggest completing it this weekend so that you can focus on your project in class on our last day before break.

16 and 17 Novemer

AP Language

Today's class was focused on close reading and analysis of Joan Didion's "On Keeping a Notebook" - we focused on the way in which she creates a very unique voice in this text through her use of details, shifts, and interesting flashes of memory. As we did this work, we were analyzing the text to consider her main ideas for us on truth, memory, and accuracy. All of these are significant ideas as we begin with The Great Gatsby. 

For tonight, your assignment is to read and annotate Andrew Carnegie's "Wealth". In this text he reflects on the burden and responsibility of the wealthy toward society. This is a great text before we get into Gatsby since all of those characters are ridiculously wealthy - you may want to consider how they do or do not follow Carnegie's ideas.

Remember that your websites are due by the end of the day on Wednesday. Submit the link so that I can review your work.

English 10

Today was a day for us to really begin in earnest on our final project for this unit - our soundtrack of our characters' lives. By this point you should know which character you're focused on and what the general trajectory of their life is. We watched a video on album cover design and then took those ideas to heart as we began to craft our album covers for our project. Remember that part one and two of this project are very simple. Next class we'll start with part three - our paragraphs.

At the end of our creation time we took time to read and complete tasks. If you are missing vocabulary or your character tracker, I hope that you were able to get that complete during today's reading/working time. Be sure to submit anything that's missing - our unit will be ending next week!

Homework for the Weekend - B Day Students - 15 December 2017

English IV

Your homework for the weekend is the same as your counterparts from 2A. Make sure you're studying your notes on Act II, and are prepared to answer short and long questions about irony and other details from the play. We also began watching She's The Man, a modern adaptation of Twelfth Night. Next class, we will complete the film and the viewing guide, which will take us into Act III of the play before winter break. Have a good weekend, and see you on Tuesday!

AP English III

Today, we had a good class with a timed writing to kick everything off. Mr. Bernhard will be working on grading and giving feedback to those as soon as he can; he's aiming to have them returned to you on Thursday of next week. The second half of class today functioned as a quick review session before the test on Tuesday. We did careful analysis of each of the five major characters from The Great Gatsby: Nick, Gatsby, Tom, Daisy and Jordan.

In both classes, we didn't get through all of the supplemental essays, so make sure you are revisiting your notes and annotations on those pieces before Tuesday. These essays, in case you don't remember, are Thomas Jefferson's "Declaration of Independence," Langston Hughes's "The Negro Artist and the Racial Mountain," Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth," Virginia Woolf's "The Death of the Moth," and Audre Lorde's "Poetry is Not a Luxury."

For each of these essays, think about the author's central argument/thesis, as well as possible connections between the pieces and the themes of the American Dream and the overall takeaways from Gatsby. Have a great weekend, and see you soon!

Homework for B Day - 11 December 2017

English IV

Today, we learned the terms "projection" and "elocution" as they relate to performance and acting in Shakespeare's plays. We also did some vocabulary practice before moving into group work and a class presentation of Twelfth Night, Act II Scene IV. In this scene, we saw a whole bunch of irony as Viola and Duke Orsino talk about love with each other. For next class, make sure you are prepared to finish up Act II and move onto the rest of the play. For most of today's lesson, we were on-task and focused; thank you. For some of it, however, we need to do a better job putting forth effort to stay engaged and productive. See you all soon!

AP English III

Today, we had a couple of very productive lessons related to Audre Lorde's "Poetry is Not a Luxury." We discussed the ideas of Black feminism and intersectionality, and applied our understandings of rhetorical strategies and devices to Lorde's work. We also laid out the next few weeks. There is a timed writing this Friday, and you will have a test on The Great Gatsby next Tuesday.

For next class, make sure the back covers of your copies of The Great Gatsby are entirely complete; you need to have at least three major themes/motifs identified. For each of these themes, come prepared with a few passages from the novel that support these themes. For example, if one of your themes is disillusionment, you should find passages that express a certain kind of disillusionment. Each of these passages should be longer than a sentence, but less than a page.

In addition, revisit the other readings we have completed this unit: Carnegie, Woolf, Lorde, Hughes, the Declaration of Independence. Check those readings for other passages that may relate to the same theme you are exploring from Gatsby. These will eventually pay off when you complete a lengthy writing/planning assignment to conclude the unit.

Have a wonderful couple of days, and see you soon!

Homework for B Day Students - 17 November 2017

English IV

Today, you all did a great job working through the first two scenes of Twelfth Night, even with the fire alarm interruption! After working through these and talking about jokes that can go too far, we spent the last part of class in the library working through college applications on CFNC. Tomorrow is the last day to apply to North Carolina colleges for free, so make sure you are thinking about getting applications submitted. Mr. Kelly in the library is a great resource for all of you, as are me and Mr. Miller for things like college essays. Remember, college can be an option for all of you, so make sure to do your due diligence to prepare. Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!

AP English III

Today, we began class by completing the JHS student climate survey. If you missed today, you can complete the survey here. After that, we discussed Andrew Carnegie's "The Gospel of Wealth," connecting it to Gatsby and the American Dream. For next class, please read and annotate Chapter 4 of Gatsby, paying close attention to imagery and descriptions of color. Also prepare to submit a set of three vocabulary cards and get ready for an AP Timed Writing (rhetorical analysis prompt). Have a great weekend, see you on Monday!