Agenda, January 29

Due Now: "How to Restore the American Dream," by Fareed Zakaria, in Language. Bib it.      
Due Monday: Optional Revision of Education Essay. Highlight the changes, etc.      
Due Monday: Vocab Fore!

Due Monday: Process Analysis Packet. Take two different kinds of notes. Add the three essays to your Bibliography, but NOT the chapter introduction. The essays are from the collection Short Takes: Model Essays for Composition.You can find the necessary information on the Bibliography Notes page.     

1. SAT QOD
2. Argument o' the Week
3. Restoring The Dominant Rhetorical Strategies

Agenda, January 28

Due Now: "Serving in Florida," by Barbara Ehrenreich, in The Language of Composition. To the Bibliography it goes.     
Due Now: "The Gospel of Wealth," by Andrew Carnegie    
Due Wednesday: "How to Restore the American Dream," by Fareed Zakaria, in Language. Bib it.    
Due Monday, 2/2: Optional Revision of Education Essay.     
Due Monday, 2/2: Vocab Fore!     

1. SAT QOD
2. Serving Purposes and Rhetorical Devices
3. Restoring The Dominant Rhetorical Strategies

Agenda, January 27

Due Now: "Serving in Florida," by Barbara Ehrenreich, in The Language of Composition. To the Bibliography it goes.   
Due Now: "The Gospel of Wealth," by Andrew Carnegie  
Due Wednesday: "How to Restore the American Dream," by Fareed Zakaria, in Language. Bib it.  
Due Monday, 2/2: Optional Revision of Education Essay.   
Due Monday, 2/2: Vocab Fore!     

1. SAT QOD
2. Multiple Choice Answers
3. "The Gospel ..." as quickly as we can
4. Open "Serve"
5. The Dominant Rhetorical Strategies

Vocab Fore!

Due February 2

 

Provide the definition of the following words. Include the dictionary definition and a translation of the dictionary definition into your own words. Write an original sentence for each. Post one sentence as a comment. You only need to post one sentence the week, not one for each list.

When the Going Gets Tough

Words to Describe a Struggle

1. convoluted
2. cryptic
3. futile
4. impede
5. obscure
6. quandary

I’m a Loser, Baby

Words to Describe the Lazy

1. indolent
2. insipid
3. listless
4. torpor

Agenda, January 26

Due Now: "Serving in Florida," by Barbara Ehrenreich, in The Language of Composition. To the Bibliography it goes.  
Due Now: Vocab Tree 
Due Now: "The Gospel of Wealth," by Andrew Carnegie
Due Wednesday: "How to Restore the American Dream," by Fareed Zakaria, in Language. Bib it.
Due Monday, 2/2: Optional Revision of Education Essay. 
Due Monday, 2/2: Vocab Fore!     

1. I'm under 600 words; why do I still need to cut?
2. I've cut ALL the unimportant words; how do I cut?
3. SAT QOD
4. Multiple Choice Practice
5. Vocab Questions?
6. "The Gospel ..." as quickly as we can
7. Your serve

We regret to inform you ...

... there will be no Argument o' the Week on Thursday. There just isn't enough time in the agenda. Never fear: we'll get there. We just won't get there on Thursday.

Vocab Tree

You’re so Vain:

Words to Describe a Know-it-all

Due January 26

Provide the definition for each of the following words that you don’t know. Even if you think you are familiar with the word, you should check its definition to confirm your understanding. For words you need to define, include the dictionary definition and a translation of the dictionary definition into your own words.

Write an original sentence for each word in the list, whether you need to define it or not. Post one sentence as a comment. Please type your work.

1. condescending
2. contemptuous
3. despotic
4. dictatorial
5. disdain
6. haughty
7. imperious
8. patronizing

Agenda, January 20

Due Tuesday: Vocab 2   
Due Tuesday: "In the Strawberry Fields," by Eric Schlosser, in The Language of Composition. Bib it. 
Due Monday: "Serving in Florida," by Barbara Ehrenreich, in The Language of Composition. To the Bibliography it goes.
Due Monday: Vocab Tree     

1. Brianna's Question Still Exists, and it makes me awfully sad
2. SAT QOD
3. Mr. Kline's (Not so) Sinister Plans
4. Vocab Sentences: Right or Wrong?
5. "Strawberry Fields": Opening Thoughts
6. Sentences with a partner

Agenda, January 16

Due Thursday: "The Roots of Honor" in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.         
Due Tuesday: Vocab 2   
Due Tuesday: "In the Strawberry Fields," by Eric Schlosser, in The Language of Composition. Bib it.    

1. Brianna's Question Still Exists
2. SAT QOD
3. Argument o' the Week
4. Nine questions about Ruskin

Agenda, January 15

Due Thursday: "The Roots of Honor" in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.       
Due Tuesday: Vocab 2 
Due Tuesday: "In the Strawberry Fields," by Eric Schlosser, in The Language of Composition. Bib it.    

1. Brianna's Question Still Exists
2. SAT QOD
3. Ruskin's Sentences
4. Three things about Ruskin
5. Nine questions about Ruskin

Agenda, January 14

Due Now: "A Modest Proposal," by Jonathan Swift, in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.     
Due Thursday: "The Roots of Honor" in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.     
Due Tuesday, January 20: Vocab 2     

1. Brianna's Question Exists
2. SAT QOD
3. Swift's Sentences
4. Ethos, Pathos, Logos
5. If it's not about eating babies, what is it about?

You might find this funny ...

After you watch this video, you might want to ask yourself the following questions:

1. Is this an argument, a news source, or simple entertainment
2. Is this a college level resource?
3. How can you use this video to help you find more sophisticated, less biased sources?
4. What are the "Yeah, but ..." statements this video glosses over or ignores? How can you research those "Yeah, but ..." statements?

Agenda, January 13

Due Now: "On Dumpster Diving," by Lars Eighner, in The Language of Composition. Do I need to say add it to your Bibliography?       
Due Now: "A Modest Proposal," by Jonathan Swift, in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.   
Due Thursday: "The Roots of Honor" in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.   
Due Tuesday, January 20: Vocab 2     

1. Isabel's Question Exists
2. SAT QOD
3. The hardest questions
4. The answers
5. What do you have to say about "Dumpster Diving"?
6. Swiftly urgent questions

Agenda, January 12

Due Now: "On Dumpster Diving," by Lars Eighner, in The Language of Composition. Do I need to say add it to your Bibliography?      
Due Now: Three quotes from The Grapes of Wrath. Click here to see the details for this assignment.   
Due Now: Vocab 1   
Due Tomorrow: "A Modest Proposal," by Jonathan Swift, in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography. 
Due Thursday: "The Roots of Honor" in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography. 
Due Tuesday, January 20: Vocab 2     

1. SAT QOD
2. I wonder if you saw this coming ...
3. Vocab Chat
4. Let's Dive into those Dumpsters

Vocab To Deux

I’ll Be the Judge of That:

Words about Evidence, Proof, and Judgment

Due Tuesday, January 20

Provide the definition for each of the following words that you don’t know. Even if you think you are familiar with the word, you should check its definition to confirm your understanding. For words you need to define, include the dictionary definition and a translation of the dictionary definition into your own words.

Write an original sentence for each word in the list, whether you need to define it or not. Post one sentence as a comment. Please type your work.

 

1. biased

2. exculpate

3. impartial
4. incontrovertible
5. integrity
6. objectivity
7. subjectivity
8. penitent
9. plausible
10. substantiated
11. vindicated

This might be useful in a month or so ...

Here is an interesting discussion about the relationship between immigration and jobs.

Agenda, January 8

Due Now: Excerpt from "The Communist Manifesto." It's from 100 Great Essays. Add it to your Bibliography.     
Due Now: Revision of Peace and Education Essay, cut down to 600 words or less. Include your word count under the date on the first page. Staple new copy on top of old. No highlighting necessary.      
Due Tomorrow: "On Dumpster Diving," by Lars Eighner, in The Language of Composition. Do I need to say add it to your Bibliography?    
Due Monday: Three quotes from The Grapes of Wrath. Click here to see the details for this assignment. 
Due Monday: Vocab 1 
Due Tuesday: "A Modest Proposal," by Jonathan Swift, in The Language of Composition. Add it to your Bibliography.    

1. SAT QOD
2. "The Manifesto," sentence by sentence
3. What Marx got right
4. What Marx got wrong
5. What we still don't understand

Two Useful Links

This one is about blending quotations into your own writing. I can't promise you'll find it thrilling, but if you're not confident about this skill, the video is very informative.

This one is a more detailed presentation about passive voice. I think it's really interesting because it's designed for lawyers, not students in an English class. It's a nice reminder that, if you don't master these skills now, you'll just need to master them later.

Agenda, January 7

Due Now: Excerpt from "The Communist Manifesto." It's from 100 Great Essays. Add it to your Bibliography.   
Due Thursday: Revision of Peace and Education Essay, cut down to 600 words or less. Include your word count under the date on the first page. Staple new copy on top of old. No highlighting necessary.    
Due Friday: "On Dumpster Diving," by Lars Eighner, in The Language of Composition. Do I need to say add it to your Bibliography?  
Due Monday: Three quotes from The Grapes of Wrath. Click here to see the details for this assignment.   
Due Monday: Vocab 1 

1. Multiple Choice Answers
2. How to Fix Passive Voice
3. "The Manifesto," sentence by sentence

Vocab 1

Due Monday, January 12

You Talkin’ to Me?

Words About Language and Argument

Provide the definition for each of the following words that you don’t know. Even if you think you are familiar with the word, you should check its definition to confirm your understanding. For words you need to define, include the dictionary definition and a translation of the dictionary definition into your own words.

Write an original sentence for each word in the list, whether you need to define it or not. Post one of your sentences as a comment in this blog post. It's best to post a sentence you're not certain is correct. Be sure to include your name. Please type your work.

Please be careful about plagiarism. For example, it took me less than a minute to google "use clarity in a sentence." I found the sentence "The clarity of the recording is simply marvelous, yet there is enough ambient warmth to reflect the humanity of Williams ' music." Changing that sentence to "The clarity of the song is simply fantastic" does not constitute writing an original sentence. Remember that the purpose of this assignment is to help you use the words properly. 

 

1.  clarity

2.  cogent

3.  coherent

4.  cohesive

5.  didactic

6.  discourse

7.  eloquence

8.  emphasize

9.  fluid

10.  implication

11.  lucid

12.  rhetoric

Agenda, January 6

Due Now: Excerpt from "The Communist Manifesto." It's from 100 Great Essays. Add it to your Bibliography.  
Due Now: Education and Peace Essay. MLA format. 700-800 word limit. Include your word count in the header on your first page. Your teacher is not your audience.
Do Tonight: Continue work on your multiple choice section. Look up words. Refine your answers (but don't change them).
Due Thursday: Revision of Peace and Education Essay, cut down to 600 words or less. Include your word count under the date on the first page. Staple new copy on top of old. No highlighting necessary.  
Due Friday: "On Dumpster Diving," by Lars Eighner, in The Language of Composition. Do I need to say add it to your Bibliography?
Due Monday: Three quotes from The Grapes of Wrath. Click here to see the details for this assignment. 
Due Monday: Vocab 1 

1. I bet you didn't see this coming ...
2. The Festival of Filing
3.  "The Manifesto," a sentence at a time.