Assignment for Tuesday, Dec. 20

Finish the exploratory essay; it is due in class on Tuesday.

Assignment for Wednesday, Dec. 14

Read Chapter 2 of Matt Taibbi's Griftopia (pp. 35-77),

If you missed class, we introduced the exploratory essay for the research paper, which is due Tuesday, Dec. 20. A description of the assignment is posted to the right; see me for the related handouts that were distributed in class.

Also, in class we began viewing the documentary The Flaw, which covers the 2008 financial crisis.

Assignment for Thursday, Dec. 8

Read Ch. 1 of Matt Taibbi's Griftopia. Pay attention to the big picture; don't get lost in the details. Also, pay attention to Taibbi's writing style. Some readers believe Taibbi is biased; while reading, think about whether he is biased about or has a perspective on the financial crisis.

Assignment for Friday, December 2

Finish revising the research prospectus. It is due in class. Then, finish reading Matt Yglesias explanation of income inequality. Lastly, read this excerpt from Felix Martin's 2013 book, Money: The Unauthorized Biography.

Reading for Class

http://www.vox.com/cards/income-inequality/what-is-income-inequality

Assignment for Tuesday, Nov. 17

Complete the writing piece that responds to Between the World and Me. As we discussed in class, be sure to include a sentence that imitates a sentence written by Coates. Set that sentence in bold or underline it, and include a footnote with the original sentence. Be sure to include the page number of the original sentence.

Assignment for Tuesday, Nov. 15

Write as much as you need to to complete your writing piece on Between the World and Me. The final version is due on Thursday, Nov. 17. Also, develop a tentative version of your research question for the research prospectus. The research prospectus will be due on Wednesday, Nov. 30.

Assignment for Thursday, Nov. 10

Write one more page of your writing piece that responds to or is inspired by Between the World and Me. Given the work that you did in class, you should come to class with about three written pages.

Assignment for Tuesday, Nov. 8

Come to class with one and a half pages written for your writing pieces that responds to or is inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me. These pages should be printed. Also, read something interesting or informative about the election, and bring it to class. You can print it out, photocopy it, or have it available to you on a digital device (including your phone). Lastly, be sure to bring Approaching Great Ideas (the white book that we started the year with) to class.

Assignment for Friday, Nov. 4

Decide on your topic for a writing piece in response to or inspired by Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me. The writing piece itself will be due on Tuesday, Nov. 15. (If you'll be away at the MUN conference, it will due on Thursday, Nov. 17.) Below are the kernels of ideas suggested by both AP Lang classes:

A "letter" to a younger generation
A "letter" to the "older" generation
A "letter" to Coates in reaction to the book
A personal essay (possibly about the motif of physical vulnerabiliy or the illusion of race)
Is Between the World and Me pessimistic or realistic in its outlook?
Coates vis à vis Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
Subjugation
About Coates having a process, but no answer, e.g., the open-ended struggle
Research on contemporary segregation
Coates in relation to his literary predecessors
Between the World and Me in relation to Coates's other writings
The illusion/social construct of race
The influence of black opinion makers on perceptions of race
How Coates's views influenced his parenting styles
The effectiveness of Coates's writing strategies
 Rhetorical analysis of a passage

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 31

Complete the annotated bibliography. Make sure it has a proper heading (name, class, assignment, date turned in), and be consistent in formatting the citation of sources.

Assignment for Thursday, Oct. 27

For Thursday, read two op-ed pieces from The New York Times. First, read this piece about Georgetown University's involvement in the American slave trade. Then, read this piece by a woman whose family was enslaved by Georgetown.

If you have time and interest, you could also watch this video from The New Yorker magazine (it's about 12 minutes long) about a Louisiana museum that tries tell the story of slavery, and read this essay from The New York Times Magazine titled "The Condition of Black Life Is One of Mourning."

Assignment for Tuesday, Oct. 25

Finish reading Between the World and Me (pp.108-152). If you get through it quickly (say, forty-five minutes or so), also work on the annotated bibliography at home.

Here is the question you'll write about in class. Feel free to respond to it at home, but you will have time to write it in class. If you do this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it: 

In several respects, Between the World and Me charts Coates individual development in relation to the ways race works in the United States. How does Coates's perspective change over the course of the book? What remains the same? What does he most want his son (or the reader) to take away from his reflections on race? (Keep in mind, given the length of the response and the time limits imposed on it, you should only devote a few sentences--including quotes--to each question.)

Election Stuff:

This piece was published a few weeks ago, but it's a good explanation of the factors that lead people to vote or stay home.

This article identifies and explains the major revelations in the Clinton campaigns hacked emails.

This article from last Saturday's Boston Globe describes the reaction of Donald Trump's supporters to his claims that the election is rigged.

This article from today's New York Times discusses the implications of Donald Trump's decision to "wait and see" whether he will accept the election's results.

Assignment for Friday, October 21

Read Between the World and Me, pp. 73-108. Pay attention to Coates's understanding of the state's role in making black Americans vulnerable to physical harm and, separately, his understanding of American history.

Here is the question you will write about in class. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer; you will still have time to write it in class. If you write this at home, you shouldn't spend more than twenty minutes working on it:

Consider Coates discussion of the "below" (pp. 104-105), the following passage in particular: "You and I, my son, are that 'below.' That was true in 1776. It is true today. There is no them without you, and without the right to break you they must necessarily fall from the mountain, lose their divinity, and tumble out of the Dream. And they would have to determine how to build their suburbs on something other than human bones, how to angle their jails toward something other than a human stockyard, how to erect a democracy independent of cannibalism" (p. 105). Is Coates right about the "below"? Explain the ways Coates succeeds or fails to persuade the reader with his discussion of this metaphor.

Lastly (and optionally), here are a few readings from The New York Times that are related to the issues raised by Coates's book:

Anti-Semitic Posts Surge on Twitter
"Only White People," Said the Little Girl
An Open Letter to the Woman Who Told My Family to Go Back to China
'Go Back to China': Readers Respond to Racist Insults Shouted at a New York Times Editor

Actually, one more thing: If you are going to watch the debate tonight, you might find these observations about the state of the campaign interesting:

Assignment for Friday, October 21

Read Between the World and Me, pp. 73-108. Pay attention to Coates's understanding of the state's role in making black Americans vulnerable to physical harm and, separately, his understanding of American history.

Here is the question you will write about in class. Feel free to respond to it at home, if you prefer:

Consider Coates discussion of the "below" (pp. 104-105), the following passage in particular: "You and I, my son, are that 'below.' That was true in 1776. It is true today. There is no them without you, and without the right to break you they must necessarily fall from the mountain, lose their divinity, and tumble out of the Dream. And they would have to determine how to build their suburbs on something other than human bones, how to angle their jails toward something other than a human stockyard, how to erect a democracy independent of cannibalism" (p. 105). Is Coates right about the "below"? Explain the ways Coates succeeds or fails to persuade the reader with his discussion of this metaphor.

Lastly (and optionally), here are a few readings from The New York Times that are related to the issues raised by Coates's book:

Anti-Semitic Posts Surge on Twitter
"Only White People," Said the Little Girl
An Open Letter to the Woman Who Told My Family to Go Back to China
'Go Back to China': Readers Respond to Racist Insults Shouted at a New York Times Editor

Assignment for Wednesday, Oct. 19

Read Between the World and Me, pp. 39-71. Pay attention to any motifs that emerge in Coates's writing, and pay attention to how he shifts his attention to another subject in this section of the reading.

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 17

Read Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me, pp. 5-39. While reading, pay attention to his narrative persona and tone. In addition, pay attention to the ways Coates addresses both specific, personal concerns and general, social matters. Relatedly, note the ways Coates moves back and forth between narrative writing and argumentative writing.

Assignment for Thursday, October 13

Complete the writing piece on democracy. Make sure that it is printed and in your hand before class on Thursday. If you would like me to look it over before you turn it in, email it to me by Tuesday afternoon.

Also, I strongly encourage you to watch Sunday night's presidential debate. It goes from 9:00-10:30. This debate has a town hall format, with the candidates taking questions from undecided voters in the audience. (The audience members have been selected by the Gallup Organization, a highly regarded polling firm.) We've never had a presidential campaign like this one, and with the town hall format, there is very little that we can anticipate about this debate.

Assignment for Thursday, October 6

Choose one of the topics posted to the right for a writing exercise about democracy. For Thursday, write one page (print it out) of this writing exercise; you will have time to work on this piece of writing during Thursday's class. The complete and final version of this writing exercise is due Thursday, October 13. Also: Bring Approaching Great Ideas and Word Hero to class on Thursday. 

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept. 27

Watch the presidential general election debate on Monday night from 9:00-10:30 on C-SPAN, the major broadcast networks (ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC), the major cable news networks (CNN, Fox News, and MSNBC), and other television channels. You can also listen to it on your local NPR station. While watching, use the Debate Scorecard handed out in class and posted to the right to keep a tally of each candidate's progress, and look over the discussion questions on the reverse side of the scorecard. Here's the video we watched in class.

If you missed class, you will not have an in-class essay on Tuesday. Instead, we'll go back to the original plan and write an essay that will be due Thursday, October 6. You will receive the essay topics on Tuesday.

Reminder: The STP Mentor Commitment Letter is due Tuesday, September 27. Also, give the Mentor Guidelines to your mentor. Both documents are posted to the right. Keep in mind, if you don't turn in this letter on time, you will lose five points from your quarter grade.

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 23

Set up your New York Times account through your MPH email address. Go here for further instructions.

Then, read the following articles on the New York Times website in anticipation of Monday night's presidential debate:

What We Are Hearing About Clinton and Trump
Donald Trump Hits Familiar Chords Before First General Election Debate
Hillary Clinton Tells College Students, "I Need You"
Anticipating Debate, Trump Says He Thinks System Rigged
Donald Trump, the Unsinkable Candidate
When a Crackpot Runs for President (by Nicholas Kristof)
15 Questions for Clinton and Trump. You Choose.

In addition, start becoming familiar with the candidates' positions:

Hillary Clinton
Donald Trump

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 21

In Approaching Great Ideas, read Fareed Zakaria, "Illiberal Democracy" (pp. 120-125).

Go over the handout on extemporaneous speeches. In class, we will begin delivering extemporaneous speeches.

Print and complete the AP Lang contract posted to the right if you have not already done so.

Reminder: The STP Mentor Commitment Letter is due Tuesday, September 27. Also, give the Mentor Guidelines to your mentor. Both documents are posted to the right.

A correction: The presidential debate is Monday night at 9:00, not Tuesday night. I had the right date, September 26, but the wrong day. So, plan on setting aside a couple of hours for that on Monday night; you'll have an assignment related to it, and we'll talk about it in class the next day.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 19

In Approaching Great Ideas, read West, “The Deep Democratic Tradition in America” (pp. 111-117), and view one of the following TED talks:

Dan Pink
Susan Cain
Kelly McGonigal
Keith Barry
Dan Gilbert

While watching the TED talk, take notes on what works and doesn't work in the presentation.

Also, print, complete, and return the AP Lang contract that is posted to the right.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 19

In Approaching Great Ideas, read West, “The Deep Democratic Tradition in America” (pp. 111-117), and view one of the following TED talks:

Dan Pink
Susan Cain
Kelly McGonigal
Keith Barry
Dan Gilbert

While watching the TED talk, take notes on what works and doesn't work in the presentation.

Also, print, complete, and return the AP Lang contract that is posted to the right.

Assignment for Thursday, September 15

In Approaching Great Ideas, read the excerpt from Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman, pp. 77-81.

Assignment for Tuesday, September 13

In Approaching Great Ideas (AGI), read James Madison, The Bill of Rights (pp. 65-68) and Marquis de Lafayette, Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen (pp. 71-74). Pay attention to the following while reading each document: What is the document's exigence? Who is its audience? What is its purpose? Which rhetorical appeals help the document achieve its purpose? Respond to these questions in the margins of the reading.

Welcome to AP Lang!

Welcome to AP Lang! I look forward to working with you this year as you learn about the art of rhetoric. For Friday's class, you will need to turn in the Word Hero summer assignment, and you will write an essay about the book you chose to read. Be sure to bring the book with you; you will need to use quotes in the essay.

Assignment for Wednesday, April 13

Finish preparing your presentation. Bring to class both the text and the images you will use in the presentation. The H block class (it met first block on Monday) will practice the presentation in small groups and get feedback on it from peers.The B block class (which met second block on Monday) will not have as much time to practice because there will be two presentations, but everyone should be prepared to practice in pairs.

Click here for the form that will be used to evaluate your presentation. (It is also posted to the right.) Use it and the presentation guidelines (also posted to the right) to prepare your presentation.

Assignment for Monday, April 11

Work on your presentation. It would be great if you could bring to class a version of your presentation. This version should include your main point, your three take-aways, and an attempt at concluding your presentation in an inspiring way. You should also bring to class the images you have selected so you can begin or continue to make sure that they suit the points you  are making.

Assignment for Thursday, April 7

Work on your presentation. Review the guidelines for the presentation that are posted to the right. Go over your paper and think about your project (if you performed community service, worked at an internship, conducted an experiment, or completed a visual or performing arts STP). Make sure that you follow the guidelines as you prepare the presentation. You might find that you'll need to adjust the images you've selected as you clarify your main point, three takeaways, and conclusion.

You will have time during class to work on the presentation, but don't rely just on class time to do so. We still have a few speeches to hear, and we will spend some time reviewing for the AP exam.

Assignment for Tuesday, April 5

If you were absent on Wednesday, March 30, view this TED talk, which we watched during class. Pay attention to the ways the speaker connects with the audience, the strategies she uses to communicate her message, and the ways the images reinforce and enhance her points.

If you have turned in the complete draft of your research paper, you have no homework for Friday, April 1. If you have not turned in the complete draft, you need to turn it in by Friday. For Tuesday, April 5, complete the speech assignment that was handed out in class and is posted to the right. If you can't locate the handout with the rhetorical devices, it is also posted to the right.

Assignment for Thursday, March 24

Read and annotate Chinua Achebe's essay "An Image of Africa: Racism in Conrad's Heart of Darkness" (which is on pp. 336-349 in your volume of Heart of Darkness).

In class, you will give extemporaneous speeches in preparation for your STP presentations.

Assignments for Friday, March 18, and Tuesday, March 22

For Friday: Read and annotate pp. 42-54 (to the end of Part II) in Conrad's Heart of Darkness.

For Tuesday: Read and annotate Part III (pp. 54-77) of Conrad's Heart of Darkness. 

Assignments for Monday, March 14, and Wednesday, March 16

In Conrad's Heart of Darkness, read and annotate to the end of the first paragraph on p. 42. Keep track of the keywords (and their variations) that we have identified: heart, dark, light, civilized, primitive, black, white, native.

In class, you will have time to work on the research paper. The next three-to-four pages are due on Wednesday, March 16. Also, if you need to speak to anyone to make arrangements for your presentation (such as a teacher whose class you'd like to present to), you should do so as soon as possible.

Assignment for Wednesday, March 9

Work on the research paper; try to write an additional page. You will have time to work on it in class, and you will continue to work on avoiding plagiarism and integrating your sources. You do not have to read Heart of Darkness for Wednesday.

The next three-to-four pages of the research paper are due Wednesday, March 16. 

Assignment for Monday, March 7

Read and annotate to the end of Part 1 in Conrad's Heart of Darkness (to p. 31). As you are reading, pay close attention to the keywords we have already identified. Also, I will need to know your plan for the presentation, whether you will do it in class or elsewhere.

In class, we will begin by discussing Heart of Darkness, with particular attention to the rhetoric that is developing with those keywords. In addition, we will do some work (via a website) on avoiding plagiarism in research papers. If there is still time, you will be able to continue working on the research paper.

Just a reminder: The next three-to-four pages of the research paper are due on Wednesday, March 16.

Assignments for Tuesday, March 1, and Thursday, March 3

For Tuesday, read and annotate to p. 14 in Conrad's Heart of Darkness (stop when you get to the paragraph that ends with "hidden out of sight"). While reading, pay attention to each mention of the following words (and variations on them):  heart, dark, civilized, primitive, black, white, and native.

Keep in mind that the first three-to-four pages of the research paper and the outline of the research paper are due on Thursday, March 3.  You will have time to work on them in class on Tuesday, and you will not have to read Heart of Darkness for Thursday.

Assignment for Friday, Feb. 26

Prepare for the in-class essays on Civilization and Its Discontents. You will write an argumentative essay and a rhetorical analysis essay. For the argumentative essay, you should think about your perspective on the potential topics suggested in class today. For the rhetorical analysis essay, look at the passages suggested in class and think about the effects of Freud's rhetorical strategies in those passages and how those rhetorical strategies achieve a particular purpose in those passages. (You do not have to read to the middle of p, 14 in Conrad's Heart of Darkness.) 

Summarizing and Paraphrasing and Homework

Sorry I can't be in class today, but I hope everyone had a restful break (I did) and is refreshed for this long stretch of school we have ahead of us. Summarizing and paraphrasing are two essential skills you will need for writing the research paper. Today, you will practice them with Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. First, some definitions.

A summary is a text that has significantly reduced in length another text, using your own words while preserving its essential content and meaning. You use a summary when you need to convey the content and meaning of a text to an audience that isn't familiar with it.  A paraphrase is a text that you have rewritten in languate appropriate for an audience that might not understand the discourse of the original text because of its jargon or technicalities. It is usually, but not always, slightly shorter than the orignal text. Typically, you paraphrase a passage or sentence that is difficult for your itnended audience to understand.

When you summarize or paraphrase, you must cite the original source, including any page numbers. If you don't, then you will have plagiarized the original text.

So, here's what you're doing today: First, summarize a chapter of Civilization and Its Discontents. Be sure to identify the chapter you are summarizing. Second, paraphrase a passage from Civilization and Its Discontents. Be sure to indicate the page number(s) of the passage you are paraphrasing. Email these to me (fmontas@mph.net) or write them by hand and leave them with the coverage teacher.

When you finish these, if you have time, prepare two potential essay topics for the essays on Civilization and Its Discontents. You will write the essays in class on Friday.

You homework for Wednesday is to write one paragraph (any paragraph) of your research paper and begin reading Heart of Darkness. (Read the first four pages or so. Stop when you get to "He paused.") In Wednesday's class, we will talk about the research paper, prepare for Friday's essays, and introduce Heart of Darkness.

Assignment over the Break

You don't really have one, but if you're looking for something to do, keep in mind that on Wednesday, February 24, you will write the argumentative and rhetorical analysis essays in response to Civilization and Its Discontents. Also, on Monday, February 29, the first two-to-three pages of the research paper will be due.

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 11

Read chs. 6 and 7 in Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. In the blue edition, this reading goes from pp. 75-96; in the black and white edition, it goes from pp. 103-129.

Also, click here to see some FAQ's about Steven Pinker's book The Better Angels of Our Nature, with answers by Pinker. He covers a wide range of topics and answers them in some detail.

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb.9

In Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents, read chs. 4 and 5. In the blue edition, this reading goes from pp. 53-74; in the black and white edition, it goes from pp. 77-101. You will have an in-class writing exercise with this reading (you'll have to write a well-developed paragraph), but you will be able to use your book.

Assignment for Friday, Feb. 5

In Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents, read ch. 3. In the blue edition, this reading goes from pp. 37-53; in the black and white book, it goes from pp. 57-75.

Assignment for Wednesday, Feb. 3

Read Ch. 2 of Civilization and Its Discontents. In the blue edition, this reading goes from pp. 22-36; in the black and white edition, from pp. 39-56. Also, in class you will have to write about the following prompt: What is the relationship between Chapter 1 and Chapter 2? How does Chapter 1 set up Chapter 2? How does Chapter 2 build on Chapter 1?

Assignment for Monday, Feb. 1

In Civilization and Its Discontents, read and annotate pp. 10-21 in the blue edition or pp. 23-37 in the black and white edition. Come to class with at least two written questions about the reading.

For Wednesday, Jan. 27

Since you had homework over the weekend, but it was the end of the semester, you do not have an assignment due on Wednesday. During Wednesday's class, we will introduce Freud's Civilization and Its Discontents. If there is anything of interest that you have come across recently, you may share it with the class on Wednesday.

Assignment for Monday, Jan. 25

Prepare for the synthesis essay on Press's Beautiful Souls, Poitras's Citizenfour, and Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. Refresh your memory about the figures discussed in Beautiful Souls, and go over the material (posted below on Dec. 11) about Edward Snowden and Citizenfour. Also, read the sample synthesis prompt and essays distributed in class. Be sure to read the scoring commentary to take special note of the highest scoring essay and avoid the weaknesses of the lower scoring essays.

Assignments for Tuesday, Jan. 19, and Thursday, Jan. 21

For Tuesday, finish reading and annotating Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (to p. 308). You may read the Appendix on the principles of newspeak, but it is not required. In class, we will discuss the end of the novel, and look at two previously adminstered AP synthesis essays.

On Thursday, you will write a synthesis essay about Beautiful Souls, CitizenFour, and Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Here are the links to the videos on North Korea that we viewed in class:
North Korea - A Day in the Life
10 Days in North Korea

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 12

Read and annotate to p. 204 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.