Friday, September 30

20 minutes of Writers' Workshop: drafts are due for a grade by Friday midnight.

Groups wrapped up discussions analyzing President Bush's 9/11 speech for tone; discussed with the whole class.

Began discussing Jamaica Kincaid's essay, "The Ugly Tourist" using the SOAPStone organizer to focus our thoughts. (We will wrap up our discussion on Monday.)

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/memoir essay due for a grade from Ms. Bishop.

Thursday, September 29

Homework check (SOAPS note on Bush's 9/11 speech).
20 minutes of Writers' Workshop: drafts are due for a grade by Friday midnight.

Discussed SOAPS observations, and supporting passages from the speech.
Distributed handout on Tone.
Groups began reviewing the 9/11 speech and discussing tone and the passages which establish it.

Assigned homework for Friday: Read and annotate Jamaica Kincaid's essay, "The Ugly Tourist" and complete a SOAPStone organizer on the essay.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/memoir essay due for a grade from Ms. Bishop.

HOMEWORK for FRIDAY, September 30

• Read Jamaica Kincaid's essay "The Ugly Tourist." Annotate for SOAPStone.
• Consider for Discussion and Writing Question 2.
• Complete a SOAPStone organizer for the essay--do be selective: Focus more on interesting/important considerations than on less interesting aspects of the analysis.
• QUESTIONS TO PONDER: Why did Kincaid choose to write this piece in this particular tone?  How does it relate to her purpose in writing it?

Wednesday, September 28

Short class due to Club Day schedule.

Distributed Language of Composition packets and assigned homework for tomorrow.
Reviewed the convention for titles before sharing with me next week:

• Save as Lastname Memoir (or something similar).
• Reminder: Use MLA formatting (double space, your name in the upper right corner of the page, and a plain 12 point font) and post word counts before sharing the completed rough draft with me next Friday.

Continued work on rough drafts, due for a grade by Friday midnight.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/memoir essay due for a grade from Ms. Bishop.

HOMEWORK for Thursday, September 29

• In The Language of Composition packet, read through the activity on pages 6--7.
• Using the SOAPS graphic organizer, analyze George W. Bush's 9/11 speech.
• Read 527--528 in The Bedford Reader, "Focus on Tone."

Tuesday, September 27

Checked in regarding writers' groups.
Discussed the revision and editing guidelines in The Bedford Reader from last night's homework.

Continued work on rough drafts, including revision and editing.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/memoir essay due for a grade from Ms. Bishop.

Monday, September 26

Writers' groups finish sharing and discussing drafts of their reflective essays.
Continue work on rough drafts, beginning revision and editing as students are ready.

HOMEWORK

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 27: Read Chapter 2 of The Bedford Reader (31--47).  
(Understand but don't obsess over methods of development.  Pay close attention to section on revision.)
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/memoir essay due for a grade from Ms. Bishop.

Friday, September 23

Vocabulary quiz.
Introduced new vocabulary words on Quizlet--a double set this time--and took orders for packets to assist in study for those who found it helpful.

Writers' groups began sharing and discussing drafts of their reflective essays.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Word Power 3&4 and Introduction to Rhetoric vocabulary Quiz.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Thursday, September 22

Continued drafting essays.
Students shared their drafts with other members of their writing groups via Google Docs.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Wednesday, September 21

Continued drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Tuesday, September 20

Short class due to early release day schedule + picture day.
This class taught by a sub in Ms. Bishop's absence.
Continued drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Monday, September 19

Groups shared emails for sharing their Google Doc essays with one another by the end of the block on Thursday.
Continued brainstorming and drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Friday, September 16

Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
Continued brainstorming and drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.


FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 30: Rough draft of the Common App/personal memoir essay is due for a grade from Ms. Bishop!

Thursday, September 15

Guidance visit to discuss the college application process, including (for juniors) when to take the PSAT and SAT tests, and (for seniors) an introduction to the Common App and resources and workshops to help with the college application and financial aid application process.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.

Wednesday, September 14

Distributed self-study materials to supplement the Quizlet vocabulary material for Word Power.
Reminder: Bedford Reader quiz this Friday, Word Power 1 and 2 quiz next Friday, September 23.

Explained expectations for Writers' Workshop
Continued brainstorming and drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22: (tentatively) Be ready to share your drafts with the other members of your small writing group via Google Docs!
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.

Tuesday, September 13

Discussed what prompts each sample essay may have been responding to.
Began brainstorming and drafting essays.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.

Monday, September 12

Groups read and annotated three successful student essays, taking notes on what worked especially well.
Considered what prompts each essay may have been responding to.
Read the admissions' office response to each essay.
Began reporting to the class as a whole.

We will begin brainstorming and drafting tomorrow.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.

Friday, September 9

Discussed the Common Application essay questions and length requirements.
Read and annotated the successful student essay, "Growing Strawberries in a Locker."
Discussed its diction, imagery, use of detail and contrast, as well as strategies used to communicate both the student's talent and that he is not self-absorbed or boastful.

Introduced a 1-2-3 formula for drafting a short, anecdotal memoir:

• Begin with a memory: In media res with sensory detail... OR begin with a surprise.
• Flashback for context
• Wrap up with meaning/link to the prompt. (Tie to title or opening?  A twist at the end?)

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23: Word Power vocabulary Quiz.

Thursday, September 8

Introduced Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary on Quizlet, discussed role of Quizlet and vocabulary work in this course.

Discussion of analysis of visual texts for the AP.

Introduced the Rhetorical triangle (Speaker/Audience/Subject) and discussed how it applies to Mairs' essay "On Disability."
Discussion of audience: how our own writing is changed by considerations of audience, how to find out more about the intended audience of a published work.

Introduced the Common Application essay and began considering its audience.

HOMEWORK

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16: Bedford Reader Chapter 1 vocabulary quiz.

Wednesday, September 7

Homework check.

Wrapped up our discussion of the common attributes of the best and the worst AP essays.

Discussed passages and observations from the response journals on Mairs' essay "On Disability."
COLLECTED response journals.

HOMEWORK

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 8: Finish reading Chapter 1 from page 15.

Tuesday, September 6

Small writers' groups completed their discussion and scoring of sample AP essay, then compiled a list of the common attributes of the best essays and the worst essays.
Distributed official scores, began reporting to the class on the groups' work.

Signed out copies of The Bedford Reader and assigned homework for tonight.

HOMEWORK

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7: Read Chapter 1 through page 15 (the end of Mairs' essay).
Using a response-journal format, record two passages from the essay and respond to it.  Focus on language and/or imagery that provokes, surprises, engages, or puzzles you: be specific about the language/imagery and its effects on you as a reader.

Friday, September 2

Assigned small writers' groups.
Distributed sample AP essays; groups met to read them and to discuss and score them, then compile a list of the common attributes of the best essays and the worst essays.

HOMEWORK

All students are STRONGLY urged to bring a 3 ring binder to class daily.

Thursday, September 1

Book groups wrapped up discussions of summer reading books and presented reports to the class.
COLLECTED summer reading journals.
Returned scored essays on the summer reading; discussed the role of AP scoring vs. graded writing in this course.

HOMEWORK

All students are STRONGLY urged to bring a 3 ring binder to class daily.