Assignments for Wednesday, Dec. 13, and Thursday, Dec. 14

Write at least one page for the exploratory essay. Share it with me as a Google doc (mrmontasmph@gmail.com) by the start of class.

Assignments for Wednesday, Dec. 6, Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8

For Wednesday, complete a rough draft of the research prospectus. You might find it helpful to look for additional sources to help you think about your topic. Your question might still be changing and developing as you write the prospectus, which is fine. I advise that you keep track of the ways your question is changing; don't delete your old research questions.

For Thursday and Friday, further develop the bibliography that must be included with the research prospectus, and list at least ten sources in this bibliography. You may include sources from the annotated bibliography, but do not include the annotations. Make sure that the sources are cited in the same formatting style.

Assignments for Monday, Dec. 4, Tuesday, Dec. 5, and Wednesday, Dec. 6

For Monday (Day 2), write a tentative research question and (based on the handout given in class) identify the kind of question you're asking. In addition, write a paragraph for your research prospectus. If you missed class on Wednesday or Thursday (or if you misplaced it), click here for the handout on developing a research question. You do not need to share this assignment with me yet; but be sure to have it available in class. You will spend most of class working on the research prospectus and pursuing additional sources.

For Tuesday (Day 3) and Wednesday (Day 4), complete a rough draft of the research prospectus. You might find it helpful to look for additional sources to help you think about your topic. Your question might still be changing and developing as you write the prospectus, which is fine. I advise that you keep track of the ways your question is changing; don't delete your old research questions.

Assignments for Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1, and Monday, Dec. 4

For Thursday, the annotated bibliography is due by the start of class. Share it with me as a Google doc via mrmontasmph@gmail.com.

For Friday and Monday, write a tentative research question and (based on the handout given in class) identify the kind of question you're asking. In addition, write a paragraph for your research prospectus. If you missed class on Wednesday or Thursday (or if you misplaced it), click here for the handout on developing a research question. You do not need to share this assignment with me yet; but be sure to have it available in class. You will spend most of class working on the research prospectus and pursuing additional sources.

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 29, and Thursday, Nov. 30

The annotated bibliography is due by the start of class. Share it with me as a Google doc via mrmontasmph@gmail.com.

Assignment for Monday, Nov. 13, and Tuesday, Nov. 14

This weekend, check your email or Google doc for comments on your Man on Wire argumentative essay. Resolve those comments and make any necessary revisions by the start of your class.

Also, in Approaching Great Ideas, read Jean-Jacques Rousseau, "On Slavery and the Social Pact" (pp. 136-143).

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 8, and Thursday, Nov. 9

Complete the argumentative essay on Man on Wire. Share it as a Google doc with me to mrmontasmph@gmail.com before the start of class.

No homework for Monday, Nov. 6, and Tuesday, Nov. 7

It's the end of quarter, so enjoy the weekend. In class on Monday and Tuesday, you will have time in class to work on the argumentative essay about Man on Wire (it is posted to the right). It will be due Wednesday (Day 2) and Thursday (Day 3), shared as a Google doc to mrmontasmph@gmail.com by the start of class. Don't work on it this weekend; you'll have plenty of time in class to work on it.

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 1, and Thursday, Nov. 2

Apologies for the late posting of this assignment; read what you can of the two articles below. I will give you some time in class to read them, but not all of class. You will probably be fine if you read the first one, and then use class time to read the second. You may have a quiz on these readings (multiple-choice, true-false, and short answer).

Proof That Life Is Getting Better for Humanity, in 5 Charts
Is the World Really Better Than Ever?

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 30, and Tuesday, Oct. 31

Complete the SOAPSTone handout for Man on Wire. (If you misplaced yours or you missed class, it is posted to the right.) Then, on the reverse side of the handout, make connections between these broad categories and your specific observations of the documentary. In particular, answer the following question: Why tell this story of Philippe Petit's adventure at "the top of the world"? (As we discussed in class, whenever you're writing about rhetoric, be mindful of the unstated, implied question—What I'm really asking is, Why tell this story in this way? That latter, "in this way" part of the question is how you'll incorporate the observations you recorded on the note-taking sheet.)

I'd prefer that you hand write your response on the back of the sheet given out in class, but you may type your answer if you prefer. If you do type it, do not write more than two pages.

Assignment for Wednesday, Oct. 25, and Thursday, Oct. 26

From the articles linked below, read one of the first two pieces (the second is shorter; the first is more interesting), and read the last piece.

"Why the Rise of Authoritarianism Is a Global Catastrophe" or
"Decline in Democracy Spreads Across the Globe As Authoritarian Leaders Rise"

"Democracy Can Plant the Seed of Its Own Destruction"

In class, we will finish watching Man on Wire before we discuss the above readings. If you missed the odd day class, watch Man on Wire to about the 1:12:00 (one hour, twelve minutes) mark. If you missed the even day class, watch Man on Wire to about the 51:00 mark.

Assignments for Friday, Oct. 20, Monday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 24

For Friday (Day 2): In Approaching Great Ideas, read (and annotate) Cornel West, "The Deep Democratic Tradition in America" (pp. 111-117) and Fareed Zakaria, "Illiberal Democracy" (pp. 120-125). Again, pay attention to the stylistic elements in these essays. You will not respond to a prompt in class, but we will discuss these essays in comparison to Dahl's writing style and argument. In addition, we will spend a good part of class viewing Man on Wire.

For Monday (Day 3) and Tuesday (Day 4): If you missed class on Thursday or Friday, watch Man on Wire to the 22:00 mark, which is available on Netflix and Hulu. I will not be in class either day due to accreditation meetings. Read the three articles linked below. For the first twenty minutes of class, you will have some questions to respond to in a few sentences. After that, you will finish viewing Man on Wire. While watching Man on Wire, you will need to take notes (on a handout) about rhetorical aspects of the movie.

How Inequality Undermines Democracy
Inequality and the Fracturing of Democracy
Why Income Inequality Doesn't Matter

Assignment for Thursday, Oct. 19, and Friday, Oct. 20

In Approaching Great Ideas, read (and annotate) Cornel West, "The Deep Democratic Tradition in America" (pp. 111-117) and Fareed Zakaria, "Illiberal Democracy" (pp. 120-125). Again, pay attention to the stylistic elements in these essays. You will not respond to a prompt in class, but we will discuss these essays in comparison to Dahl's writing style and argument. In addition, we will spend a good part of class viewing Man on Wire. 

Assignments for Monday, Oct. 16, Tuesday, Oct. 17, and Wednesday, Oct. 18

For Monday (Day 4), In Approaching Great Ideas, read Lafayette's Declaration of the Rights of Man (pp. 71-74) and the excerpt from Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (pp. 77-81). Read closely. I expect that you will annotate the readings. I will see if you don't annotate, and I will know that you haven't read closely. Although these readings are short they, especially the Wollstonecraft, will demand your attention.

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:
Compare and contrast Lafayette's and Wollstonecraft's tones. In developing your response, pay careful attention to identify and explain the words, phrases, and sentences that contribute to their tones. This is a brief response, so you can't give attention to everything. Be sure to focus on those qualities that are especially prominent.

If you missed class on Friday or Monday, click here to view the short documentary we watched. Don't read the accompanying article until after you watch the film.

For Tuesday (Day 5) and Wednesday (Day 6), in Approaching Great Ideas, read Robert Dahl's "Why Democracy?" (pp. 96-108). The reading is dry, so be patient and maintain your attention. In particular, focus on Dahl's writing style, i.e., his diction, imagery, details, language, and syntax. Again, I expect that you will annotate this reading.

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:
Does Dahl's writing style make his argument more or less persuasive? Be sure to identify his argument, and focus on one or two stylistic elements that stand out to you. Of course, quote from the essay to support your points.

Assignment for Friday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 16

In Approaching Great Ideas, read Lafayette's Declaration of the Rights of Man (pp. 71-74) and the excerpt from Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Woman (pp. 77-81). Read closely. I expect that you will annotate the readings. I will see if you don't annotate, and I will know that you haven't read closely. Although these readings are short they, especially the Wollstonecraft, will demand your attention.

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:
Compare and contrast Lafayette's and Wollstonecraft's tones. In developing your response, pay careful attention to identify and explain the words, phrases, and sentences that contribute to their tones. This is a brief response, so you can't give attention to everything. Be sure to focus on those qualities that are especially prominent.

Assignments for Thursday, Oct. 5, Friday, Oct. 6, and Tuesday, Oct. 10

For Thursday (Day 4): Read at least three of the readings below on the issue of Confederate monuments; you must read either the piece from The American Conservative or The National Review. (You may read both of them; note that the National Review piece is a response to the Atlantic essay on Lee.) The first four pieces were written before the march and protests in Charlottesville; the last two were written in response to them.

The Stubborn Persistence of Confederate Monuments (The Atlantic)
A Monumental History (The American Conservative)
The Myth of the Kindly General Lee (The Atlantic)
A Myopic View of Robert E. Lee (The National Review; this is a response to the prior article on Lee)
Confederate Statues Are the Easy Part (The New York Times)
In Monument Debate, Calls for an Overdue Reckoning on Race and Southern Identity (The New York Times)

Please note that possible topics for the writing piece on Between the World and Me are posted to the right. That assignment is due on Wednesday, Oct. 11 (Day 1) or Thursday, Oct. 12 (Day 2).

For Friday (Day 1): Write at least one page for the Coates writing piece. Do not email it to me; be sure to have access to it during class so I can see it and you can continue working on it. We will begin class with a continuation of the discussion about Confederate monuments.

For Tuesday (Day 2): Write at least two pages for the Coates writing piece. Do not email it to me; be sure to have access to it during class so I can see it and you can continue working on it. Depending on how far we get during Thursday's class, we may or may not continue discussing the issue of Confederate monuments.

Assignment for Tuesday, Oct. 3, Wednesday, Oct. 4, and Thursday, Oct. 5

For Tuesday (Day 2): From the documents listed below, read three of the reviews of Between the World and Me.

"Loaded Dice" (London Review of Books)
"Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me" (New York Times Book Review)
"Ta-Nehisis Coates and a Generation Waking Up" (The New Yorker)
"Letter of Despair" (The Economist)
"Why Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me is Not the Masterpiece We Hoped For (The New York Observer)"
"A Caricature of Black Reality (The American Prospect)"

The following articles are not required, but essential in their own ways.

First, if you're ambitious, you'll want to read this review essay of several memoirs by black writers, including Between the World and Me.

And finally, here's a profile of Coates that gives more information about his background and also explores the book's argument.

For Wednesday (Day 3) and Thursday (Day 4): Read at least three of the readings below on the issue of Confederate monuments; you must read either the piece from The American Conservative or The National Review. (You may read both of them; note that the National Review piece is a response to the Atlantic essay on Lee.) The first four pieces were written before the march and protests in Charlottesville; the last two were written in response to them.

The Stubborn Persistence of Confederate Monuments (The Atlantic)
A Monumental History (The American Conservative)
The Myth of the Kindly General Lee (The Atlantic)
A Myopic View of Robert E. Lee (The National Review; this is a response to the prior article on Lee)
Confederate Statues Are the Easy Part (The New York Times)
In Monument Debate, Calls for an Overdue Reckoning on Race and Southern Identity (The New York Times)

Please note that possible topics for the writing piece on Between the World and Me are posted to the right. That assignment is due on Wednesday, Oct. 11 (Day 1) or Thursday, Oct. 12 (Day 2).

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept.26, Monday, Oct. 2, and Tuesday, Oct. 3

For Tuesday (Day 3): Turn in the STP Action Plan. Email it to mrmontasmph@gmail.com before the start of class. Also, write two prompts for a writing piece about Coates's Between the World and Me. These prompts should fit at least one of the following categories: analytical (wherein you analyze some aspect of Coates's writing style or argument), creative (which involves writing personally or creatively in response to the book; this should be nonfictional, but it does not have to address race—you could, for example, write about another issue that is important to you, but employ some of Coates's writing strategies), or authentic (which means you come up with another way to write about Coates's book that is authentic and genuine for you, especially with regard to your audience and purpose—among many possibilities, a letter could fit this response, but you would still need to specify a topic for the letter, and maybe even an audience). You can expect this piece to be at least three pages long.

While we're in New York City for the senior class trip, the academic calendar continues at MPH, so it will be a Day 1 when we return to school on Monday, October 2.

So, for Monday (Day 1) and Tuesday (Day 2): From the documents listed below, read three of the reviews of Between the World and Me; then read the last text, which is an excerpt from Vivian Gornick's book The Situation and the Story (it's a book about writing memoirs), which will be helpful for understanding some aspects of Coates's writing, and for your own personal writing.

"Loaded Dice" (London Review of Books)
"Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me" (New York Times Book Review)
"Ta-Nehisis Coates and a Generation Waking Up" (The New Yorker)
"Letter of Despair" (The Economist)
"Why Ta-Nehisi Coates's Between the World and Me is Not the Masterpiece We Hoped For (The New York Observer)"
"A Caricature of Black Reality (The American Prospect)"

The following articles are not required, but essential in their own ways.

First, if you're ambitious, you'll want to read this review essay of several memoirs by black writers, including Between the World and Me.

And finally, here's a profile of Coates that gives more information about his background and also explores the book's argument.

Assignments for Wednesday, Sept. 20, Friday, Sept. 21, and Monday, Sept. 25

For Wednesday (Day 6): 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 action plan 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 (or "racecraft") 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.)

For Friday (Day 1) and Monday (Day 2), read the essays by W. E. B. Du Bois and James Baldwin posted below. As you read them, consider how their ideas and rhetorical strategies might have influenced Coates's writing of Between the World and Me.

Du Bois, "Of Our Spiritual Strivings" (1903)

Baldwin, "Letter to My Nephew" (1962; sometimes published as "My Dungeon Shook")

Letter Writing

Read two or three of the letters posted below. Some letters show the original document; if it's hard to read, you can scroll down for a typed transcript. Pay attention to standard rhetorical features, especially the influence of audience and purpose on the writer's stylistic choices.

To My Old Master
I Am Very Real
We All Wish for Peace (to Anne Frank)
Apology Letter from Madonna
I Embrace You with All My Heart (Camus)

Assignments for Monday, Sept. 18, Tuesday, Sept. 19, and Wednesday, Sept. 20

For Monday (Day 4): 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.

For Tuesday (Day 5) and Wednesday (Day 6): 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 action plan 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 (or "racecraft") 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.)

Assignments for Thursday, Sept. 14, Friday, Sept. 15, and Monday, Sept. 18

For Thursday: 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.

For Friday and Monday: 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.

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 13, and Thursday, Sept. 14

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.

In-Class Readings on Charlottesville

You don't have to read these for homework; you'll read these in class on Monday and Tuesday.

First, read one of the following articles:
The New York Times: "White Nationalists March on the University of Virginia"
The Guardian: "Charlottesville: Far-Right Crowd with Torches Encircles Counter-Protest Group"

Then, read one (or two, if there's time) of these articles:
BBC: "A Reckoning in Charlottesville"
Fox News: "Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally Blamed for Three Deaths, Dozens of Injuries"
The Washington Post: One Dead as Car Strikes Crowds Amid Protests of White Nationalist Gathering in Charlottesville; Two Police Die in Helicopter Crash"

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12

For Monday and Tuesday, read the poem "Between the World and Me" (handed out in class, but also available here), and then read pp. 3-39 in Ta-Nehisi Coates's book Between the World and Me. Pay particular attention to Coates's word choice and identify any words that you think are especially helpful in advancing his point. In class, you will respond to this reading in writing at the start of class. (It won't be graded; you'll write it in your notebook.)

Welcome! (And Thursday's and Friday's Assignment)

Welcome to a new school year, and welcome to AP Lang! I'm very excited to guide you through the nuances of studying and practicing rhetoric.

For Thursday and Friday, as we discussed in class, prepare for the in-class essay, which will be handwritten in blue or black ink, on the book you chose to read this summer.

Assignment for Wednesday, April 26

In Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls, read and annotate Chapter 2 (pp. 47-84). 

Assignment for Friday, April 7

In Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls, read and annotate pp. 11-28. 

Continue working on the research paper or presentation, or both. The complete draft of the research paper, including the exploratory essay, is due Wednesday, April 12 (whether or not you have class that day). 

Assignment for Wednesday, April 5

Read the prologue in Beautiful Souls (pp. 3-10). Continue working on the research paper or presentation, or both. In class, you will have a practice multiple-choice test for the AP exam, which will take one hour.

Assignment for Thursday, March 30, and Friday, March 31

For Thursday, continue working on your Virginia Woolf assignment, the STP presentation, or the research paper.

On Friday, turn in your Virginia Woolf assignment. We don't have class this day, so you'll need to bring it to me.

Assignment for Tuesday, March 28

Decide which of the options you will complete for the assignment on Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. (Click here for the assignment or see the pull-out tab to the right.) 

Research paper update: The complete draft will not be due before Friday, April 7. We'll check in next week to see where you are and how you're doing. 

Assignment for Wednesday, March 22

Make some progress on either the research paper or presentation, or both. No stress.

If you missed class, watch this TEDx talk by Brene Brown. While watching, pay attention to and reflect on the following: 1) her use of humor, especially self-deprecation, 2) the images and the ways they figuratively reinforce her points, 3) the way she brings together personal, argumentative, and analytical writing, 4) her insight (what is it?).

Assignment for Monday, March 20

Write an additional page of your research paper. Bring A Room of One's Own to class. The guidelines for the presentation and its evaluation form are posted to the right. Hover your mouse over the black bar to the right, and click on the three lines that emerge. You should then see the description of the tab. Click on it, and the relevant links will appear.

Assignment for Tuesday, March 14

Your assignment for Tuesday has two parts, which are detailed below. Also, come to class ready to continue working on the research paper.

Part 1: Select a passage at least ten lines in length (but not more than twenty) from chapter 5 or 6 of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own that stands out to you for its style (the way it is written) or substance (the point Woolf is making). Write a rhetorical analysis of that passage that explains why it stands out to you. This analysis should be six-to-eight sentences long.

Part 2: Then, just as Woolf chose her topic of women and fiction because she thought it was a poorly understood topic, consider an issue regarding any aspect of communication (social media, mass media, literature, social analysis, journalism, and so on) that is of interest to you. Write something about that aspect of communication in a way that imitates Woolf's style and structure in the passage you wrote about in Part 1, and it should be about as long that passage.

Assignment for Thursday, March 9

Read and annotate chapters 5 and 6 in Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own (pp. 79-114).

Research Paper Update and School Colors Survey

Since I didn't have a chance to go over your papers with you, I'm moving back the date for turning in the next three-to-four pages. Those will now be due Thursday, March 2 (Day 5), and Friday, March 3 (Day 6).

Also, please go here to complete the survey that Saad and Jeongyoon announced at lunch yesterday for the Pebble about the school's new external colors.

Assignment for Thursday, Feb. 16

Continue working on the research paper. The next three-to-four pages are due on Friday, Feb. 17, or Monday, Feb,. 27. You will have all of Thursday's class to work on the paper.

We will resume reading Woolf's A Room of One's Own after the break, but feel free to continue reading it over the break.

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 14

Read and annotate chapter 4 in Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. You'll have a little more than half of the class period to continue working on the research paper. I would prefer that you turn in the next three-to-four pages on Friday, Feb. 17, especially if you will be out of town over the break. If you don't turn it in on that day, you'll have to turn it in on Monday, Feb. 27.

Also, remember to touch base with Mrs. Chhablani about your presentation by Friday, Feb. 17.

Assignment for Wednesday, Feb. 8

Read and annotate ch. 3 of Woolf's A Room of One's Own.

Come prepared to continue working on the research paper. The next 3-4 pages are due by Friday, Feb. 17, or Monday, Feb. 27.

Assignments for Wednesday, Feb. 1, and Friday, Feb. 3

For Wednesday, finish chapter 1 of Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. (We left off at the top of p. 13).

For Friday, read all of chapter 2 of Woolf's A Room of One's Own.

Assignment for Thursday, Jan. 26

In Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own, read to the top of p. 13. (Stop when you finish the sentence "Was that what women hummed at luncheon parties before the war?") While reading, anticipate counterarguments to the points Woolf develops.

Assignment for Wednesday, Jan. 18, and Friday, Jan. 20

For Wednesday: On a 1 -9 scale, score the AP synthesis essays distributed in class. Be sure to read the prompt, sources, and scoring guidelines carefully before you begin scoring the three essays at the back of the handout. During Wednesday's class, we will discuss the synthesis essays that you scored, discuss the Griftopia essay that you will write, and then work on the STP research paper.

On Friday, you will write a synthesis essay on Matt Taibbi's Griftopia. You'll have a total of fifty-five minutes to read the sources and write the essay. You should not take more than fifteen minutes to read the sources, which will leave you with forty minutes to write the essay. (On the AP exam, you will have two hours to write three essays, which leaves an average of forty minutes to write each essay.) During Friday's class, you will write the Griftopia essay, and then we will introduce our next book.

Assignment for Wednesday, Jan. 11

In Griftopia, read the Epilogue (pp. 241-250), "Looting Main Street" (pp. 265-276), and "Invasion of the Home Snatchers" (pp. 277-296; you can skim this chapter).

Come to class prepared to work on your STP research paper. Bring any materials you need to begin writing the research paper.