Three Helpful Links

The CCC Library Research Page

"Testing, the Chinese Way"

Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) Works Cited Format Page

Agenda, October 29

Due Now: Optional Education Revision
Due Monday: Grapes of Wrath, Chapters 1-5
Monday's Quiz: While I was reading, I noticed ...
Due Tuesday: Synthesis Essay

Syn-ful Questions
Bibliography / Works Cited Practice
"Is College Necessary?"

Agenda, October 28

Due Friday: Education Revision
Due Monday: Wrath, Chapters 1-5
Due Tuesday: Synthesis Essay

Tomorrow we will work on Bibliography / Works Cited pages

1. Check out Grapes of Wrath
   
2. Parallel Parking
3. "Is College Necessary" debate

Agenda, October 27

Due Now: Parallelism Handout
Due Thursday: "Is College Necessary?" debate essays
Due Friday: Optional Education Revision
Due Monday: Grapes of Wrath, Chapters 1-5 (we'll pick up our copies on Thursday)
Due Tuesday, 11/2: Synthesis Essay - DO NOT Procrastinate

Grades have been updated.

1. Synthesis Symptoms
2. Parallel Parking
3. Another shot at Rodriguez's rhetoric

Agenda, October 26

Due Now: Practice Synthesis paragraph
Due Wednesday: Parallelism Handout
Due Wednesday: "Is College Necessary?" debate essays
Due Friday: Optional Education Revision
Due Monday: Grapes of Wrath, Chapters 1-5 (we'll pick up our copies on Thursday)
Due Tuesday, 11/2: Synthesis Essay - DO NOT Procrastinate

1. Comma Splice Set-up Surgery
2. Yeah, but ...
3. Finish "Fair" Discussion
4. "Fair" Rhetorical Analysis

Agenda, October 25

Due Now: "None of This is Fair"
Due Now: Optional "How it Feels" Revision
Due Tuesday: Practice Synthesis paragraph
Due Wednesday: Parallelism Handout
Due Wednesday: "Is College Necessary?" debate essays

1. The easiest two-question quiz in AP Lang history (he said hopefully).
   
2. The annual six-week pep talk: learning vs. grades; the "discussion discussion"
3. The Synthesis Paragraph
4. An unfair discussion

The Synthesis Paragraph Model

AKA "TSQASQAC"

Topic Sentence: The topic sentence should state your opinion. The synthesis paragraph supports your opinion with evidence from multiple sources.

Set-up: You need to set up your quotation. The set-up has a number of purposes. Some set-up sentences establish your source. Where did you find the information? What makes this author qualified to support your opinion. Sometimes the source material itself is sufficient to establish your author's qualification. For example, if your article comes from the Journal of American Medicine, your author is by definition credible. If your article if from High Times, on the other hand, it might be more difficult (but not impossible) to establish your source as reliable. Appositives can be very helpful when you are establishing sources. Once you have established your source as reliable, you don't need to do it again. Your set-up also needs to provide a little bit of context. What was your author writing about in the essay when your quotation appears?

Quotation: Never use a quotation as a complete sentence. At the very least, begin like this: [Author] writes, " ..." (Author Pg). The "Author's Name" in the parenthetical citation should be the first word that appears on the Works Cited page. You don't need the abbreviation "Pg" in your citation. You don't need to invent a page number for websites that don't have page numbers.

Analysis: First, decode any figurative language that appears in your quotation. Then, explain how the quotation supports your topic sentence. You don't need to label your quotation as a quotation.

Repeat the S-Q-A steps. At some point during the first Analysis or the second Set-up you will need to transition from your first quotation to your second. Transitions of addition, emphasis, or contrast will all work here (a quick google search will provide you with endless lists of transitions).

Closing: This sentence wraps up your paragraph and transitions the reader into your next paragraph.

For your convenience ...

I have created this post as a "research clearinghouse." If you have a link you think your classmates might find useful or if you have a question you need answered, post it in a comment here (I've disabled comment moderation for this post, so your comments will post instantly - I hope).

I hope your research is going well. Check back on Sunday for a model of the synthesis paragraph.

Let's get synthesized!

Education Synthesis Essay

Due Friday, October 29

Considering several of the pieces we have read in this unit – as well as your personal reading, observation, and research – identify two serious problems in the American education system. At least one of your problems should be related to issues of justice (“fairness” or “equity” might be more productive search terms). Your paper should explain why these problems are such an important issue and you should propose a solution (or solutions) to each problem.

Typed. Double Spaced. Twelve point. No blank lines between paragraphs, except to indicate a major shift in tone or setting. Three – five pages. Don’t forget a title.

Required:

· Include at least one sentence that employs parallelism, used to create a specific effect. Underline your parallel structures.

· Support from a minimum of three classroom sources.

· Support from a minimum of one additional source from the Gale database.

· At least two “synthesis” paragraphs.

· Properly formatted Works Cited Page.

Suggested: End with a plan of action for the future. Employ anaphora in your conclusion.

Audience: 1) The editor of a nationally published magazine. 2) The well-educated readers of that magazine. 3) Yourself.

Purpose: 1) To explore contemporary issues of fairness and equity in contemporary education 2) To evaluate the current state of education in America or the world at large. 3) To suggest a plan of action for the future.

How to approach this paper:

· Develop an opinion on this subject.

· Gather evidence (from our texts and from research) to support your opinion. This is an argument; therefore, personal experience is valid evidence and first person is an acceptable POV.

· Create clear, defensible topic sentences.

· Draft paragraphs with two quotations to support your topic sentences.

· Draft paragraphs with an eye towards ethos, pathos, and logos.

· Proofread to ensure your quotations are properly formatted and cited. For this essay, “you will need to include the author’s name in your parenthetical citation” (Kline 1).

· Create your Works Cited page.

Agenda, October 21

Due now: Optional paragraph revision
Due now: Independent research
Due Monday: "None of this is Fair" by Richard Rodriguez (handout)
Due Monday: Optional "How it Feels" Revision

1. Introducing ...
2. Give me two problems
3. Your synthesis assignment
4. Special Guest Instructor: Doug Stull!

Because one post can only fit four cool links ...

Here's Politifact.

Warning: finish your homework first; this website is an incredible time eater. chompchompchomp.

How Many Cool Links Can One Post Handle?

Click here for an editorial about education!

Click here for an amusing video about logical fallacies!

Click here for a radio story about logical fallacies in action!

Click here to read a poem from Eliot Kurfman, one of your classmates!

Apparently, the answer is four.

Agenda, October 20

Due Wednesday: "Me Talk Pretty One Day," by David Sedaris (in 50 Essays)
Due Wednesday: Optional revision of "Education Narrative"

Due Thursday: Independent, college-level research about issues in contemporary education. Think about Justice.

Due Thursday: Optional revision of EITHER "Fill in the Blanks" or TEP

Due Monday, 10/25: Optional revision of "How it Feels"

1. A Strong TEP
2. Topic Sentences Triage
3. "Me Talk Pretty ..." likes and dislikes
4. "Me Talk Pretty ..." whole class

Agenda, October 19

Due Now: TEP Paragraph

Due Now: Bring yer Emerson; make sure you know what problems he identifies

Due Wednesday: "Me Talk Pretty One Day," by David Sedaris (in 50 Essays)
Due Wednesday: Optional revision of "Education Narrative"

Due Thursday: Independent, college-level research about issues in contemporary education. Think about Justice.

Due Monday, 10/25: Optional revision of "How it Feels"

1. Do I ever need to say typed, double spaced?
2. Fill in the Blanks Returns
3. "Average" Discussion
4. Above Average Discussion: Emerson and Rose

Takin' Off the Training Wheels

Here are the directions for a TEP (Technique-Effect-Purpose) Paragraph. You may write about Malcolm X's allusions in "Learning to Read" or any rhetorical strategy you noticed in "'I Just Wanna Be Average.'"

Technique – Effect – Purpose Paragraph

1. In “Title of Essay,” [author] uses [rhetorical strategy] to [achieve his purpose - use this spot to directly state the author's purpose].

2. Establish the context of the first quotation.

3. Quote the text. Never use a quotation as its own sentence. When writing about diction, you might want to quote a “series” of “Words” or “phrases” instead of a complete sentence. Follow the quotation with the author’s name and the page number in parentheses (Kline 22). Artful writers might combine steps two and three in a single sentence.

4. Analyze the quotation. How does this help you prove the author’s technique achieves her purpose? No MORE than two sentences of analysis.

5. Repeat steps two through four with a second example.

6. Close your paragraph.

Agenda, October 18

Hey! I finished my homework early!

Due Now: Fill in the Blanks Paragraph

Due Tuesday: TEP Paragraph
Due Tuesday: Bring yer Emerson; make sure you know what problems he identifies

Due Wednesday: "Me Talk Pretty One Day," by David Sedaris (in 50 Essays)
Due Wednesday: Optional revision of "Education Narrative"

Due Thursday: Independent, college-level research about issues in contemporary education

Due Monday, 10/25: Optional revision of "How it Feels"

1. Five (ok, maybe six) question quiz
2. 10 minutes (I mean it!) on Malcolm X's Allusions
3. "'I Just Wanna Be Average'"

Your comments are welcome ...

For those of you who are interested in what various definitions of "good" education, you might enjoy this article from The Atlantic Monthly.

I'd be happy to hear what you think. Leave a comment below.

Fill in the Blanks Assignment - New and Improved!

You may choose any essay we've read.

Hint: Shorter quotations are better than longer ones.

Paragraph 1:

The general argument made by [author’s first and last name] in “Essay Title” is _______________. More specifically, [author’s last name] argues ____________. He/She writes, “__________________” (pg). In this passage, [author’s last name] is suggesting __________________. Later in the essay, [author’s last name ] argues, “______________” (pg), clearly showing ____________________. In conclusion, [author’s] belief is ________________.

Paragraph 2:

In my view, [author’s last name] is wrong / right, because ________________. For example, [evidence from your life, history, pop culture, current events, literature]. This demonstrates ______________. Furthermore, [another piece of evidence], illustrates/illustrating ______________. When / Although [author’s last name] claims ____________________ / might object, I maintain _____________.

Agenda, October 14

Due Now: "'I Just Wanna Be Average'" by Mike Rose
Due Monday: Fill in the Blanks Paragraphs. Typed. Double spaced.
Due Wednesday: Optional Education Narrative Revisions

If we were going to have a quiz on Monday, I'd ask you ...
... What rhetorical devices did you identify / label?
... about a few vocab words.

1. Somebody ask me about punctuation
2. Revision Questions
3. Malcolm X Rhetorical Analysis
4. Malcolm X Allusions

Agenda, October 13

Due Now: "How it Feels" Revisions
Due Thursday: "'I Just Wanna Be Average'"

1. Mr. Kline reads to you
2. Rhetorical Analysis

Agenda, October 12

Due Now: "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X
Due Wednesday: Optional "How it Feels" Revision: highlight all changes, paper clip second draft to first draft
Due Thursday: "'I Just Wanna Be Average'" by Mike Rose, in 50 Essays (warning: adult language)

1. A little grade pep talk (or, why we're bothering to put you through this)
   
2. Show, Don't Tell
   
3. "Learning to Read" Socratic Seminar continued
4. Rhetorical analysis of "Learning to Read"
   

Agenda, October 11

Due Now: "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X
Due Wednesday: Optional "How it Feels" Revision: highlight all changes, paper clip second draft to first draft
Due Thursday: "'I Just Wanna Be Average'" by Mike Rose, in 50 Essays (warning: adult language)

1. Six Question Quiz
2. "Superman and Me" Wrap Up Questions
3. "Learning to Read" Socratic Seminar

Agenda, October 7

For those of you who obsessively check the web ...

Due Yesterday: "Superman and Me," by Sherman Alexie

Due Now: Education Narrative Revision, stapled on top of your peer reviewed draft

Due Monday: "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X, in 50 Essays. Add allusions to your list of things to look up / write down.

Due Wednesday: Optional "How it Feels" Revision

1. Your favorite line
2. "Superman and Me" - whole class
3. Rhetorical analysis in partners

How to Peer Review

Read it once to find the good. Highlight excellent syntax and figurative language.

Read it once to improve the paper. Where are the ideas unclear? Where are the images and diction vague? Where are the transitions rough? Correct conventions as your are able.

Most important: Does this essay tell about the struggle to learn something?

When both partners are done, discuss your notes.

Agenda, October 6

Due Now: "Superman and Me"
Due Now: Education Narrative, 1st draft
Due Tomorrow: Education Narrative, Revised
Due Monday, "Learning to Read," by Malcolm X, in 50 Essays
Due Wednesday, 10/13: "How it Feels" optional revision

1. Peer Review
2. Ridiculous Rhetorical Devices
3. "Superman and Me"

Agenda, October 5

Due Tomorrow: Education Narrative
Due Tomorrow: "Superman and Me," by Sherman Alexie, in 50 Essays
Due Wednesday, 10/13: Optional revision of "How it Feels" Essay

1. Mr. Kline sings your praises (without singing, actually)
2. The return of the essay ...
   
3. Four porpoises
4. The Rhetorical Triangle
5. Pathos or Logos?
6. Short Sentences, if time allows

Agenda, October 4

Due Now: "Learning to Read and Write"
Due Wednesday: Education Narrative
Due Wednesday: "Superman and Me," by Sherman Alexie, in 50 Essays

1. One question quiz
2. Quotation Formatting Review
3. Essay Questions
4. "Learning to Read and Write" open discussion
5. Short Sentences, if time allows

A Fast, Fun Test

This video clip published by the website for The Guardian alludes to 26 movies in 85 seconds. How many do you recognize? Post your answers in the comments below ...

Enjoy!