Assignment for Thursday, 12/18 (Day 4)

For Thursday, you should come to class with at least five images that you will use in your essay, and at least one written paragraph.  You may either e-mail the images to yourself (we will have the laptop cart), post them on your blog, or print them out and bring them to class. By Thursday, you should also have your blog set up to start posting your essay as it develops. 

In class, we will split into groups to look at examples of slideshows and see what works and what doesn't work in them.

Slideshow Essay Assignment

The slideshow essay should be well under way. Here are some firmer guidelines for this assignment:

1. Your slideshow essay can address virtually any topic.
   
2. Your slideshow essay must consist of at least ten images and ten accompanying (and substantive) paragraphs that address the topic.
   
3. Your commentary must address more than the images; your commentary must address the subject under consideration. The illustrations only supplement the written commentary. 
   
4. Your accompanying commentary must include outside sources that enlarge your perspective on the images.
   
5. You must set up a blog at blogspot.com or wordpress.com to post your slideshow essay. It's format will look something like this slideshow essay, except yours should alternate between text and image. 
   
6. You may use video in your essay, but it will not count toward your minimum of ten illustrations. 
   

One way to approach choosing a topic for this assignment is to answer this question: What would you write about if you could write about anything? Choose that, and find ten interesting and relevant images to accompany your text.

The essay component of this assignment should draw on outside sources, which must be listed at the end of the essay in MLA format. Your outside sources should not be limited to internet-based sources. The MPH library has a wonderful selection of books, and you should browse its catalog or shelves to find some that are relevant for your essay.

Click here for an example of a slideshow essay without, well, the slideshow. At the copyright holder's request, the images were only allowed for a restricted period of time. Nonetheless, this essay might help you see how the accompanying text functions independently of the images. You can read this without knowing which pictures are supposed to "go with" the writing. 

Click here for an example of the kind of slideshow essay you should not write. While this particular slideshow is valuable in itself (it is essentially a tour of the concentration camp at Auschwitz), it does not feature the kind of writing that I want you to produce for this assignment.  

Your slideshow essay is due on Thursday, January 15 (Day 2). That day, we will begin presenting them in class.  

Assignments for Tuesday, 12/2, and Monday, 12/8

Open the "Baldwin Essay" link to your right and read the directions for that essay. For Tuesday, you must either write two pages of that essay or prepare an outline for it. Click here to see the Rob Frenay essay, "Notes of a Ghetto Superstar," that I read in class. (The link opens a PDF of The Windmill, and his essay begins on p. 17 of The Windmill, p. 19 of the file.)

Essay for Monday, 11/17

In his essay "Shooting an Elephant," George Orwell writes, "As soon as I saw the elephant I knew with perfect certainty that  I ought not to shoot him" (p. 305, par. 6). Think of a time when you felt yourself pressured to do something you "knew with perfect certainty" that you should not do. Write an essay modeled on Orwell's in which your speaker confesses to having "shot an elephant," so to speak. If you faced social pressure to "shoot" your "elephant," than you should describe its effects on your behavior. If the social and political contexts influenced your thoughts and actions, then you should describe them. This paper should be about three pages in length, but feel free to write more than that if you like. 

We will do a gallery critique of this essay, so bring two printed copies of this essay with you to class. Also, bring with you Advanced Composition Skills. 

Election Links

Here are links for the election sites and videos we looked at in class today, and a few we didn't get to:

Video of McCain's concession speech: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/video-john-mccains-concession-speech-993412.html

Text of McCain's concession speech: http://www.johnmccain.com/

Video of McCain's speech at the Al Smith Dinner: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27231593#27231593

Video and Text of Obama's victory speech: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/convention2008/barackobamavictoryspeech.htm

Obama's speech at the Al Smith Dinner: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27231593#27231610

2008 Electoral College results: http://www.cnn.com/ELECTION/2008/results/president/

2008-1992 Voting by County: http://elections.nytimes.com/2008/results/president/map.html (We didn't do this in class, but click the "Voting Shifts" box on the left to see how much these results differ from 2000 and 2004. It's misleading when you click on 1992 and 1996 because the shifts are based on total votes cast, so a greater percentage of people voted for McCain than they did for George Bush in 1992 and Bob Dole in 1996, who lost those elections in years with smaller turnouts. A smaller percentage of people voted for Obama than they did for Bill Clinton in 1992 and 1996 because, like Obama, Clinton won.)

Election Results, 1789-2008: http://uselectionatlas.org/RESULTS/

2008 Voting Returns, Appalachia (an interesting blog post we didn't have time for in class): http://blow.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/06/without-appalachia/

Assignment for Wednesday, 11/12

Write a three-page essay in response to the Focus on Writing prompt on p. 63 of ACS. I recommend that you complete the Focus on Reading (p. 62) before attempting to write the essay. Then, use the synonyms of those words as the basis for your essay. 

Alternative assignment: Write a rhetorical analysis of one of the four speeches listed above. (Warning: the expectations for this assignment are higher than for the other option.)

Assignment for Friday, 11/7

In ACS, read pp. 59-63. Complete the exercises on pp. 60-61, and be sure to follow the Focus on Reading directions on p. 62. There is no other writing assignment due.

Page numbers for Friday's assignment

There was a typo in the page numbers for tomorrow's reading assignment. You should read pp. 45-51 and 55-57 in Advanced Composition Skills (the orange book).

Assignment for Friday, 10/24, and Tuesday, 10/28

See the AP Lang Assignments to the right for changes to the assignment schedule. You do not have an essay due Friday; instead, you have reading in Advanced Composition Skills (the orange book). That essay has been pushed back to Tuesday, October 28. Also, you will write an in-class response next Thursday, October 30, to a reading in ACS which you will complete before class.

Buckley and Carter readings for Wednesday, 10/22

For Wednesday, read in 50 Essays Buckley, "Why We Don't Complain" and Carter, "The Insufficiency of Honesty." Write a one-page typed response to question 2 following the Buckley essay and question 1 following the Carter essay. (This should be one page in total, not one page per question.) 

Assignment for Monday, 10/20

For Monday, read Martin Luther King, Jr., "Letter from Birmingham Jail," in 50 Essays and, in a one-page typed response, answer questions 1 and 2 following the essay. 

Assignment for Thursday, 10/16

For Thursday, finish reading American Citizenship and write a one page response to it in one of the following rhetorical modes: informative, argumentative, expository, and narrative. 

• Informative: you are writing to inform someone who is unfamiliar with Shklar's book of its major claims and arguments.
  
• Argumentative: you are writing an argument against or in support of Shklar's major arguments.
  
• Expository: you are writing to explain how and why Shklar makes her argument. An expository piece is different than an informative statement in that the former tries to clarify how and why someone would make an argument, whereas an informative argument simply presents the argument.
  
• Narrative: Just as Shklar presents stories to illustrate some of her key points, you can write a narrative that illustrates a broader point that you want to make about Shklar's book. if you recently turned 18, if you just had your first job, if your parents or grandparents were naturalized as citizens, you can tell a story about those experiences in order to make a broader point about American Citizenship. 
  

Next class, we will also discuss the James Baldwin exercises that you were to complete with your partner. 

Assignment for Wednesday, 10/9

Read Shklar, American Citizenship, pp, 1-23. Write a one-page typed response to the following questions: What is politics? How does Shklar reinforce or challenge your understanding of the political?

Vice-Presidential Debate Thursday Night

I forgot to mention in class that you should watch the vice-presidential debate between Gov. Sarah Palin and Sen. Joe Biden. The debate begins at 9:00 tonight and will end around 10:30, but feel free to watch it anytime before class on Monday. (You can view it at your leisure on iTunes, CNN.com, or  youdecide2008.com/video, among other places.) 

Before you watch the debate, I encourage you to read the following essays about Gov. Palin and Sen. Biden.

http://www.csmonitor.com/2008/1001/p09s01-coop.html

http://warner.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/09/25/poor-sarah/?em

http://www.salon.com/mwt/feature/2008/09/30/palin_pity/

I suspect Gov. Palin will do very well tonight. "Doing well" doesn't mean that she will answer every question, or display a grasp of legal and political intricacies. Instead, "doing well" means she will revert to the persona that electrified the nation when she was selected, and then nominated, for the vice presidency. As I said in class, these debates are all about image; the candidates go in with a list of things they want to get across regardless of the questions they are asked, and a specific image they want to project to voters. Gov. Palin is very competitive by nature, having led her high school basketball team to a state championship, entered beauty contests, and hunted for sport and food, and I suspect she will be eager to redeem herself after last week's interview with Katie Couric. She needs to restore voters' (and pundits') confidence in her abilities. It will surprise me if she isn't confident, assertive, blunt, charming, and humorous.  Part of her plan will probably involve goading Sen. Biden into a damaging gaffe, which he commits regularly but has yet to do so on such a large stage.

That said, Gov. Palin's success tonight depends in part on Gwen Ifill's assertiveness as a moderator. (Ifill herself has become part of the debate news as more people are finding out that she is writing a book with Obama's name in the title, which some view as a sign that her neutrality is compromised.) I'm not sure if Ifill will ask follow-up questions to make sure the candidates stay on topic, or if she will simply move from question to question to make sure she covers a wide range of issues. Also, the format seems to suggest it will restrict the candidates from speaking directly to each other. The more specifically Palin is required to speak, the tougher it will be for her to project the sunnily confident aura that she radiated for much of September.  Sen. Biden's challenge is to stick to the issues and his talking points; any hint of aggression or condescension will damage his performance.

The McCain-Palin ticket trails Obama-Biden in the polls by anywhere from 3 to 9 points. Whenever they have trailed by this much in the past, McCain-Palin has tried a dramatic "game changer" (it's the political cliché of the moment) and attacked its opponent. (For its part, Obama-Biden "goes negative"--i.e., attacks--both when it is in the lead and when it is behind.) His first game changer, selecting Gov. Palin as his running mate, was a fantastic success. His second game changer, declaring he would suspend campaign operations until Congress had a plan to address the nation's economic crisis, yielded mixed results, and it did not improve his standing in the polls. I wouldn't be surprised if Gov. Palin attempted a game changer tonight, either by directly challenging the legitimacy of Gwen Ifill as a moderator, or by casting bait to Sen. Biden to throw him off an even keel. 

Pay attention to those rhetorical fallacies!

Assignment for Thursday

For Thursday, follow the Assignment Schedule:  Read ACS, pp. 24-28.  Write one page in response to the Focus on Writing prompt on p. 26 or p. 28. Read Thomas Jefferson, “The Declaration of Independence,” and Elizabeth Cady Stanton, “Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions,” in 50 Essays. In class, read and view John F. Kennedy’s Inaugural Address (handout and video).  We will reschedule reading James Baldwin, "Notes of a Native Son." Also, the essay that was due Monday is due Thursday, without exception, for those who chose not to turn it in on the original due date. 

Revised Assignment for Monday, 9/29

For class on Monday, read Advanced Composition Skills (the orange book), pp. 10-12, and write an essay in response to the Focus on Writing on p. 12. This essay should be approximately three pages in length. 

Also, look over the handout on rhetorical fallacies distributed on Thursday; you should look at those that have a dot next to them, especially the ad hominem argument, the argument from authority, the appeal to ignorance, the hasty generalization, the false dichotomy, scare tactics, the faulty analogy, and the straw man argument. (Keep in mind that the handout's definition of "straw man" is inadequate; consider this one from fallacyfiles.org:  "Imagine a fight in which one of the combatants sets up a man of straw, attacks it, then proclaims victory. All the while, the real opponent stands by untouched....[In a straw man argument] the arguer is attempting to refute his opponent's position, and in the context required to do so, but instead attacks a position--the 'straw man'--not held by his opponent.")

If it is not cancelled, watch the presidential debate on Friday at 9:00. Bonus points will be given to those who identify rhetorical fallacies during the debate. 

Revised assignment for Friday 9/19

For this Friday, do not complete the assignment in Advanced Composition Skills. Instead, read Lars Eighner's "On Dumpster Diving" (in 50 Essays) very carefully and write a one-page typed response to the fourth discussion question at the end of the essay.  

Welcome!

Welcome to AP Lang! I hope you are having a great summer. Since you are reading this blog, you have received my e-mail about the summer reading. Throughout the year, this blog will be a source for previews, assignments, updates, and clarifications related to the course. You should use it in conjunction with the web site for the class (hosted on the MPH server), where you will find handouts and other materials that cannot be hosted on this blog. I am in the process of updating the web site for the new school year. 

AP Lang is designed to teach you the tricks of the trade of effective communication, or rhetoric, with an emphasis on nonfiction writing. The course builds on your ability to analyze effective writing, and it gives you opportunities to practice the strategies of great writers. Also, the course develops students into concerned citizens by covering issues that are of public interest. Most of these issues are serious, but there's plenty of room in AP Lang for a good laugh, too. 

As the e-mail reminded you, the summer reading for AP Lang consists of three parts. First, all seniors have been assigned Toni Morrison's novel Sula. Second, you must read the seven essays listed below and three of your choosing from Lee Gutkind's The Best Creative Nonfiction. Third, you must read Malcolm Gladwell's influential best seller, The Tipping Point.  The assignments for the Sula and The Best Creative Nonfiction are due on Wednesday, September 10, or Thursday, September 11, whichever day you have class. The assignment for The Tipping Point will be completed in class during the second week of school. Now here's what you need to do with these readings:

Sula. Rhetors (people who use rhetoric) appeal to their readers or listeners in three ways: logically, emotionally, and ethically. As you read this novel, pay attention to how Toni Morrison appeals to readers’ reason (or logic), their emotions, and their sense of personal ethics. Identify one example of each kind of appeal in Sula, and explain in three paragraphs (one per appeal) the effect of the appeals.  

The Best Creative Nonfiction. From this book, read these seven essays: “Badlands,” “’Mbriago,” “Chores,” “Full Gospel,” “The Truth about Cops and Dogs,” “The Woot Files,” and “My Mother's Touch.” You must also read three essays of your choice. As I mentioned in the e-mail, you should pay attention to “the situation” and “the story” in these essays. Then you must write one of the following two essays (two pages in length). Option 1:  Write an essay that analyzes how the situation and the story work in one of the essays from The Best Creative Nonfiction. Option 2:  Write an essay that, in its style and content, could be considered for inclusion in The Best Creative Nonfiction.

The Tipping Point. During the second week of class, you will write an in-class AP-style essay on The Tipping Point. See the College Board’s description of the course (the link is to the right) and the sample free-response questions posted on its site for examples of what to expect from this essay. We will discuss the nature of this essay prior to your writing it. 

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to reach me by e-mail (fmontas@mph.net). I look forward to seeing you in September!