TODAY IN CLASS
Presentations: Chapter4-5
TOMORROW
Some wrap-up thoughts on 4-5; reading time.
FOR MONDAY
You must be finished with 6-7 for Monday's presentations.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
TODAY IN CLASS
Reading time. Chapters 4 and 5 must be completed by Thursday; more if you want to stay ahead and avoid some pile-up chapters next week.
TOMORROW IN CLASS
About 15 minutes from me . . . then reading time. IF you are already caught up, I'll allow other work tomorrow. But Song of Solomon comes first.
Thursday groups will be excused again.
Reading time. Chapters 4 and 5 must be completed by Thursday; more if you want to stay ahead and avoid some pile-up chapters next week.
TOMORROW IN CLASS
About 15 minutes from me . . . then reading time. IF you are already caught up, I'll allow other work tomorrow. But Song of Solomon comes first.
Thursday groups will be excused again.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Week-End Post
FRIDAY IN CLASS
The first presentation--for Chapter 2. If you missed it, you should get information from anyone in your group who was present. We are always assuming that successive groups know exactly what has gone before.
FOR MONDAY
Everyone needs to have read through Chapter 3; it is NOT the responsibility of the presenters to provide a detailed plot summary. Moreover, you cannot make contributions if you haven't read. I've decided that Monday's response task will be the same as Friday's, because right now I'm more interested in encouraging the class to participate and offer insights/questions of your own than I am in asking for "evaluation" of the presenters.
Presenters--I trust you know who you are!
The first presentation--for Chapter 2. If you missed it, you should get information from anyone in your group who was present. We are always assuming that successive groups know exactly what has gone before.
FOR MONDAY
Everyone needs to have read through Chapter 3; it is NOT the responsibility of the presenters to provide a detailed plot summary. Moreover, you cannot make contributions if you haven't read. I've decided that Monday's response task will be the same as Friday's, because right now I'm more interested in encouraging the class to participate and offer insights/questions of your own than I am in asking for "evaluation" of the presenters.
Presenters--I trust you know who you are!
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
Mock Crash on Thursday
Dress accordingly--you'll be outside for awhile. Historically this event goes on regardless of weather conditions.
IN CLASS TODAY
Reading time for most; work time elsewhere for Ch. 2 presenters. Annotations collected from 1st and 6th; forgot to pick up from 3rd--have yours with you tomorrow!
FOR TOMORROW
Ch. 3 presenters should be sure to read Chapter 3 tonight to have tomorrow as a work day.
Everyone else--be sure to consult and follow the reading schedule on the May 10 blog. "Ahead" is better than "barely" for several reasons.
IN CLASS TODAY
Reading time for most; work time elsewhere for Ch. 2 presenters. Annotations collected from 1st and 6th; forgot to pick up from 3rd--have yours with you tomorrow!
FOR TOMORROW
Ch. 3 presenters should be sure to read Chapter 3 tonight to have tomorrow as a work day.
Everyone else--be sure to consult and follow the reading schedule on the May 10 blog. "Ahead" is better than "barely" for several reasons.
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
HAVE BOOKS AND CH. 1 ANNOTATIONS IN CLASS ON WEDNESDAY!
TODAY IN CLASS
Groups presenting either Friday (Ch. 2) or Monday (Ch. 3): You need to read Chapter 2 as homework tonight--carefully (maybe twice, in the case of the Ch. 2 folks). Chapter 2 people: you'll be sent elsewhere to work together both Wednesday and Thursday. Ch. 3 people, you aren't excused during Wednesday's class (I suspect at least some of you will be still reading Chapter 3, but you WILL be excused on Thursday. (Of course you must come to class first!)
For everyone else: both Wednesday and Thursday will be in-class reading days, so you can suit yourself as to whether or not you have "homework" tonight.
To everyone else: Mostly, there will be just one out-of-class day for each group, but on some days I'll allow some "talking time" for everyone in class. Everyone is expected to be caught up in their reading to the point of whatever presentations are being given. You are NOT supposed to be hearing the chapter for the first time as people present. And you need to be ahead of the schedule as needed in order to prepare your presentations and take advantage of any time excused from class.
The reality is that it's the sort of book that some of you will read very fast and be hard-pressed not to give away plot-spoilers. And others may work ahead so that you can get the final paper out of the way before the last minute.
Here is the schedule I strongly recommend:
By the end of this week (or at least by the end of the week-end): be finished with Chapter 4
During next week, May 16-20: Read Chapters 5-9
Week of May 23-May 27: Read Chapters 10-15
Given the amount of reading days you will have, this schedule should be relatively easy to follow.
But for those of you who do just what you need to do and and not one moment before, here is the bare-minimum reading schedule:
Chapter 2 finished by this Friday; Chapter 3 by Monday, May 16
Chapters 4 and 5 by Thursday, May 19
Chapter 6 and 7 by Monday, May 23
And now note that there's a not a gap day between 8/9 and 10/11; this means be reading ahead . . .
Chapters 8 and 9 by Thursday, May 26
Chapters 10-11 by Friday, May 27
But the last set of chapters--12 through 15--really needs to be finished by the end of Memorial Day week-end so that you will have a few days to write your SoS/Tess paper.
- Sign-ups for presentations: if you do not yet have a group, you will get one on Wednesday .
- Discussion of major categories, using "data" from Chapter 1. No, it wasn't complete, but you should have gotten the idea of what you need to do.
- Hand-out for the project: read thoroughly before tomorrow so that you will know if you have questions
Groups presenting either Friday (Ch. 2) or Monday (Ch. 3): You need to read Chapter 2 as homework tonight--carefully (maybe twice, in the case of the Ch. 2 folks). Chapter 2 people: you'll be sent elsewhere to work together both Wednesday and Thursday. Ch. 3 people, you aren't excused during Wednesday's class (I suspect at least some of you will be still reading Chapter 3, but you WILL be excused on Thursday. (Of course you must come to class first!)
For everyone else: both Wednesday and Thursday will be in-class reading days, so you can suit yourself as to whether or not you have "homework" tonight.
To everyone else: Mostly, there will be just one out-of-class day for each group, but on some days I'll allow some "talking time" for everyone in class. Everyone is expected to be caught up in their reading to the point of whatever presentations are being given. You are NOT supposed to be hearing the chapter for the first time as people present. And you need to be ahead of the schedule as needed in order to prepare your presentations and take advantage of any time excused from class.
The reality is that it's the sort of book that some of you will read very fast and be hard-pressed not to give away plot-spoilers. And others may work ahead so that you can get the final paper out of the way before the last minute.
Here is the schedule I strongly recommend:
By the end of this week (or at least by the end of the week-end): be finished with Chapter 4
During next week, May 16-20: Read Chapters 5-9
Week of May 23-May 27: Read Chapters 10-15
Given the amount of reading days you will have, this schedule should be relatively easy to follow.
But for those of you who do just what you need to do and and not one moment before, here is the bare-minimum reading schedule:
Chapter 2 finished by this Friday; Chapter 3 by Monday, May 16
Chapters 4 and 5 by Thursday, May 19
Chapter 6 and 7 by Monday, May 23
And now note that there's a not a gap day between 8/9 and 10/11; this means be reading ahead . . .
Chapters 8 and 9 by Thursday, May 26
Chapters 10-11 by Friday, May 27
But the last set of chapters--12 through 15--really needs to be finished by the end of Memorial Day week-end so that you will have a few days to write your SoS/Tess paper.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
GOOD LUCK to all those taking tomorrow's exam!
(And remember, if you are not taking the AP lit test, you need to report to class as usual for a final timed write on poetry.)
I thought about revising the following list to make it straightforward, without the thou's and thy's. Buit I decided to retain the author's original language; consider it last-minute review for 16th and 17th century English! These were written several years ago by Martin Beller, a revered AP teacher who has co-written a book on poetry that I would love to be able to afford to use in our class. Please take these
"10 Commandments" in the spirit in which they were intended, not meant in any way to be sacrilegious. Definitely consider the CONTENT here; you may, for further practice, want to specify the tone and note how it was achieved.
Items not covered by Mr. Beller's list: sharpened pencils with good erasers; AT LEAST two black or dark blue pens; a watch if you wish to keep track of time more easily no matter where you are seated.
Martin Beller's 10 Commandments for AP Literature Test-Takers
1. I am the Prompt, thy Prompt; thou shalt have no other Prompt before me. Thou shalt read the Prompt with rapt attention; the Prompt is thy friend. Thou shalt address the Prompt. Thou shalt not just get the general idea of the Prompt, nor shalt thou fight the Prompt or substitute thine own ideas for the Prompt.
2. Thou shalt not postpone, omit or bury thy Thesis Statement.
3. Thou shalt not commit plot-summary, nor shalt thou cohabit with Reading Comprehension, for it is an abomination in my sight.
4. Thou shalt not commit free-floating generalization, but shall support and develop thy every assertion.
5. Thou shalt not confuse complexity with confusion, or subtlety with
indecisiveness; thou shalt not attribute thine own insensitivity or ignorance to authorial ineptitude. The fact that thou gettest not the point doesn't mean that the passage hath no point: thou hast missed the point. Deal with it.
6. Thou shalt read every Multiple Choice question with the same exquisite care that thou devotest to the essay Prompt: thou shalt not 'get the drift.' By the same token, thou shalt strive to read what the writer actually wrote, not what thou expectest him or her to have written.
7. Thou shalt not finish early. Thou shalt spend plenty of thy time planning thine essay responses and reading them over.
8. Thou shalt guess when thou knowest not the answers.
9. Thou shalt not merely identify literary, rhetorical and stylistic devices, but shall show how they function.
10. Thou shalt never permit thyself to become discouraged: I am the prompt, thy Prompt. Thou shalt maintain thy focus, attention and confidence. Yea, though thou hast totally screwed up thy last essay, this next essay maketh a fresh start.
I thought about revising the following list to make it straightforward, without the thou's and thy's. Buit I decided to retain the author's original language; consider it last-minute review for 16th and 17th century English! These were written several years ago by Martin Beller, a revered AP teacher who has co-written a book on poetry that I would love to be able to afford to use in our class. Please take these
"10 Commandments" in the spirit in which they were intended, not meant in any way to be sacrilegious. Definitely consider the CONTENT here; you may, for further practice, want to specify the tone and note how it was achieved.
Items not covered by Mr. Beller's list: sharpened pencils with good erasers; AT LEAST two black or dark blue pens; a watch if you wish to keep track of time more easily no matter where you are seated.
Martin Beller's 10 Commandments for AP Literature Test-Takers
1. I am the Prompt, thy Prompt; thou shalt have no other Prompt before me. Thou shalt read the Prompt with rapt attention; the Prompt is thy friend. Thou shalt address the Prompt. Thou shalt not just get the general idea of the Prompt, nor shalt thou fight the Prompt or substitute thine own ideas for the Prompt.
2. Thou shalt not postpone, omit or bury thy Thesis Statement.
3. Thou shalt not commit plot-summary, nor shalt thou cohabit with Reading Comprehension, for it is an abomination in my sight.
4. Thou shalt not commit free-floating generalization, but shall support and develop thy every assertion.
5. Thou shalt not confuse complexity with confusion, or subtlety with
indecisiveness; thou shalt not attribute thine own insensitivity or ignorance to authorial ineptitude. The fact that thou gettest not the point doesn't mean that the passage hath no point: thou hast missed the point. Deal with it.
6. Thou shalt read every Multiple Choice question with the same exquisite care that thou devotest to the essay Prompt: thou shalt not 'get the drift.' By the same token, thou shalt strive to read what the writer actually wrote, not what thou expectest him or her to have written.
7. Thou shalt not finish early. Thou shalt spend plenty of thy time planning thine essay responses and reading them over.
8. Thou shalt guess when thou knowest not the answers.
9. Thou shalt not merely identify literary, rhetorical and stylistic devices, but shall show how they function.
10. Thou shalt never permit thyself to become discouraged: I am the prompt, thy Prompt. Thou shalt maintain thy focus, attention and confidence. Yea, though thou hast totally screwed up thy last essay, this next essay maketh a fresh start.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)