"Do I dare disturb the universe? In a minute there is time for decisions and revisions which a minute will reverse...I should have been a pair of ragged claws, scuttling across the floors of silent seas..." - T.S. Eliot
"I could be bounded in a nutshell and count myself king of infinite space..." - Shakespeare
"And by the way, everything in life is writable about if you have the outgoing guts to do it, and the imagination to improvise. The worst enemy to creativity is self-doubt." -Sylvia Plath
NOTES TO SOPHOMORE STUDENTS:
I. LONG-TERM PROJECT: ABSTRACT DEFINITION ESSAY
Students are currently working on the fall expository essay (abstract definition). The final draft + turnitin.com submission are both due on Monday, December 1. MRHS rules regarding long-term assignments apply - no late work is accepted.
NOTE: Students are required to hand in ALL portions of the writing process leading up to the final draft. If ANY portion of the pre-writing process is not handed in, the student will NOT receive a grade for the final draft.
NOTES TO AP 5-6 STUDENTS:I. AP Study Session
I will hold my next AP study session on Tuesday, November 18. Pick from 7:00 -7:30 OR 2:20- 2:50. The prompt can be found by my door in the hallway.
II. Full-Lenth AP Practice Test
I will proctor a full-length practice AP exam on Tuesday, December 2nd from 2:20 to 5:30. 60 seats will be reserved on a first come, first serve basis - students may register (free of charge) on the sign-up sheet in front of my room. The deadline for registration is Monday, December 1.
III. Rewrite Cycles...
The fall semester will operate on cycles of three timed writes/composition assignments at a time. One out of every three writing assignments will be eligible for a rewrite NO SOONER than three weeks after the date of the return and portfolio filing. All rewrites will be graded holistically. Further conferencing is available to discuss specific issues.
Cycle #2 (IN PROGRESS):
a. George Orwell "Death of a Pig" Extended Write
Due Date: Thursday, October 30
Return Date: Tuesday, November 4
Rewrites Accepted: November 24 - November 26
b. James Thurber's "My Life & Hard Times" Syntax + Style Analysis Timed Write
Due Date: Thursday, October 30
Return Date: Friday, November 7
Rewrites Accepted: November 24 - November 26
c. Charles Dickens' "Bleak House" Styntax + Style Analysis Timed Write
Due Date: Tuesday, November 4
Return Date: Monday, November 10
Rewrites Accepted: November 24 - November 26
Cycle #1 (FINISHED):
a. Diction Analysis Timed Write #1 ("The Secret Sharer" by Joseph Conrad)
Due Date: 9/10/08
Return Date: 9/15/08
Rewrites Accepted: 10/6 through 10/10
b. Diction Analysis Timed Write #2 (Momaday/Brown landscapes)
Due Date: 9/16/08
Return Date: 9/24/08
Rewrites Accepted: 10/13 through 10/17
c. Diction Analysis Extended Write (excerpts from "One Writer's Beginnings" or "Fahrenheit 451")
Due Date: 9/16/08
Return Date: 9/29/08
Rewrites Accepted: 10/13 through 10/17
*As always, remember my words of advice for you on the very first day of class:
"Being in AP Language & Composition requires you to be more than the 'soldier student'. Your goal should not be the letter grade you want to achieve, but to refine and sophisticate your critical thinking and analysis skills."
