Agenda, January 31

• Due Thursday: Process Analysis Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Now: Develop one of your D&C brainstorms into an outline. Write a multi-paragraph introduction. For each body paragraph, write a topic sentence followed by two bullet-pointed supporting details. Instead of a conclusion, write your purpose / So what? statement. You need more than three body paragraphs. Typed, of course.
• Due Wednesday: Look up the key vocab on your MC section.
• Due Friday: Develop one of your C&C brainstorms into an outline. Instead of an introduction, write a one-sentence claim or your "So What?" For each body paragraph, write a topic sentence followed by two bullet-pointed supporting details. Write a full conclusion. You need more than three body paragraphs. Typed, of course.
• Due Friday: Vocab Tree
• Due Tuesday: Synthesis revisions. Highlight changes on your new draft. Clip new draft on top of old.

Agenda:

1. C & C practice
2. Let's Play House!

Agenda, January 30

• Due Now: Compare and Contrast Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Tomorrow: Develop one of your D&C brainstorms into an outline. Write a multi-paragraph introduction. For each body paragraph, write a topic sentence followed by two bullet-pointed supporting details. Instead of a conclusion, write your purpose / So what? statement. You need more than three body paragraphs. Typed, of course.
• Due Wednesday: Look up the key vocab on your MC section.
• Due Friday: Vocab Tree

Agenda:

1. Persona and Satire
2. How to C & C
3. C & C practice
4. Let's Play House!

Vocab Tree

When the Going Gets Tough

Words to Describe a Struggle

Due Friday, February 3

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. You only need to post a sentence for one of the ten following words. Please type your work.

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 (torpor is a noun; what is the adjective form?)

Agenda, January 27

• Due Monday: Compare and Contrast Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Tuesday: Develop one of your D&C brainstorms into an outline. Write a multi-paragraph introduction. For each body paragraph, write a topic sentence followed by two bullet-pointed supporting details. Instead of a conclusion, write your purpose / So what? statement. You need more than three body paragraphs.
• Due Now: Vocab Too 

Agenda:

1. Multi-paragraph intros
2. Ding & Cing
3. Persona and Satire
4. Pick an essay  

Agenda, January 26

• Due Monday: Compare and Contrast Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Tuesday: Develop one of your D&C brainstorms into an outline. Write a multi-paragraph introduction. For each body paragraph, write a topic sentence followed by two bullet-pointed supporting details. Instead of a conclusion, write your purpose / So what? statement. You need more than three body paragraphs.
• Due Tomorrow: Vocab Too 

Agenda:

1. Two-nouncements
2. Ding & Cing
3. "Always, Always, Always": What about the commas?
4. "Always, Always, Always": What about the teacher?
5. Two fun new rhetorical strategies
6. "Always, Always, Always": What's the purpose?  

Agenda, January 25

• Due Now: Division and Classification Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Now: Look up key vocab words in the practice section. Pay particular attention to words in the questions and the distractors.
• Due Friday: Vocab Too 

Agenda:

1. MC Groups
2. Ding & Cing
3. "Always, Always, Always" 

Agenda, January 24

• Due Now: Division and Classification Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Wednesday: Look up key vocab words in the practice section. Pay particular attention to words in the questions and the distractors.
• Due Friday: Vocab Too 

Agenda:

1. Wrapping up humble commas
2. How to D&C
3. Ding & Cing
4. "Always, Always, Always" 

Agenda, January 23

• Due Now: "In Praise of the Humble Comma," by Pico Iyer. Click here for the Bibliographical info.
• Due Tomorrow: Division and Classification Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.
• Due Wednesday?: Look up key vocab words in the practice section. Pay particular attention to words in the questions and the distractors.
• Due Friday: Vocab Too 

Agenda:

1. MC Practice section
2. Praising humble commas

Vocab Too

You’re so Vain:

Words to Describe a Know-it-all

Due Friday, January 27

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. Beware of circular definitions.

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.

Bonus challenge: Write all your sentences about a really bad teacher.

1.     condescending

2.     contemptuous

3.     despotic

4.     dictatorial

5.     disdain

6.     haughty

7.     imperious

8.     patronizing

Agenda, January 20

• Due Now: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Monday: "In Praise of the Humble Comma," by Pico Iyer. Click here for the Bibliographical info.
• Due Now: Vocab Won
• Due Tuesday: Division and Classification Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.

Agenda:

1. Write Your Own Quiz
2. Words, words, words

Agenda, January 19

• Due Now: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Do Now: Look up key words in the MC passage: words in the question stems, the distractors, and key words from the passage.
• Due Monday: "In Praise of the Humble Comma," by Pico Iyer. Click here for the Bibliographical info.
• Due Friday: Vocab Won
• Due Tuesday: Division and Classification Packet. Add the essays to your Bibliography. They are from the Short Takes anthology.

Agenda:

1. MC Discussion
2. "The Female Body" Whole Class
3. Write Your Own Quiz

Bibliographical Info for "In Praise of the Humble Comma"

Author.
Title of source.
Title of container,	In Short: A Collection of Brief Creative Nonfiction
Other contributors,	edited by Judith Kitchen and Mary Paumier Jones
Version,
Number,
Publisher,	W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Publication date,	1996
Location.

Agenda, January 18

• Due Now: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Now: Somebody Synthesis
• Do tonight: Look up key words in the MC passage: words in the question stems, the distractors, and key words from the passage.
• Due Friday: "In Praise of the Humble Comma," by Pico Iyer. Bib info coming soon.
• Due Friday: Vocab Won

Agenda:

1. A Ceremony of Synthesis
2. Wrapping Up "The Age of the Essay": The three questions I'm always seeking ...
3. MC Practice
4. "The Female Body" 

Agenda, January 17

• Due Now: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Now: Somebody Synthesis
• Do tonight: Look up key words in the MC passage: words in the question stems, the distractors, and key words from the passage.
• Due Thursday: "I Want a Wife," by Judy Brady
• Due Friday: Vocab Won

Agenda:

1. A Ceremony of Synthesis
2. Wrapping Up "The Age of the Essay": The three questions I'm always seeking ...
3. MC Practice
4. "The Female Body" 

Vocab Won

I’ll Be the Judge of That:

Words about Evidence, Proof, and Judgment

Due Friday, 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 (I’d recommend posting a sentence with the word you understand the least). If you attempt to post three times without success, e-mail your sentence to me.

Please type your work.

Bonus challenge: Use all your sentences to tell the story of an imaginary trial.

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

Agenda, January 10

• Due Now: "The Age of the Essay," by Paul Graham. The Bibliographical info is on the essay.
• Due Tomorrow: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Thursday, January 12: Somebody Synthesis.  

Agenda:

1. Synthesis Questions
2. Happiness is ...
3. The Age of a Whole Class Discussion
4. The Age of Rhetorical Analysis

Agenda, January 9

• Due Now: Look up the words you need to look up on the practice section.
• Due Now: "The Age of the Essay," by Paul Graham. The Bibliographical info is on the essay.
• Due Wednesday: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Thursday, January 12: Somebody Synthesis.  

Agenda:

1. Synthesis Paragraph Strengths and Weaknesses 
2. Vocab Review
3. MC Practice Section Review
4. The Age of a Whole Class Discussion

Agenda, January 6

• Due Now: Using two of the essays we've read this term, write a synthesis paragraph that answers the question "How do people overcome obstacles?" Typed. MLA.
• Due Monday: Look up the words you need to look up on the practice section.
• Due Monday: "The Age of the Essay," by Paul Graham. The Bibliographical info is on the essay.
• Due Wednesday: "The Female Body," by Margaret Atwood, from The Prentice Hall Reader.
• Due Wednesday, January 11: Somebody Synthesis.   

Agenda:

1. What's a synthesis paragraph again?
2. One sentence answer: What does it mean to be somebody in America?
3. Another sentence: How do you become somebody in America?
4. MC Practice Section
5. Let's play with diction!