Monday, February 27, 2012

Bowling, Community, and Source Use

As we're looking at the high level issues of synthesis and examining source use, blog your responses to questions 1-7 on page 68 tonight. They are all questions about how this author uses sources in his argument as well as interpreting the citations themselves.

Friday, February 24, 2012

High School Confidential: The present-tense moment of American life

For Monday, blog the Questions for Discussion #3 on p. 714 and Rhetoric and Style questions 2-7; 9-12 on page 715 that you started/finished in class. If anyone has the time and inclination, watch Election and report back to the class. Is it as good as Denby says it is?

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Grammar Chapter 6

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/semicolon
A number of you expressed interest in when the next set of grammar goodness is due. It is due in two weeks-ish on March 7th.

In parallel with that due date, you'll notice on the calendar that March 7th is also the last day of Career Cruising. According to Mrs. Hockman it will not take the whole three days, so we're safe. They finished part way through day two.

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Prince of a Paper

Lao Tzu eats my dust!
This is a difficult paper and as such, takes time to conceptually wrap your mind around. Some of you are cruising and others are, well, let's just say "not." I don't want to ruin your mid-winter break, but I also don't want to read bad papers, so I have decided to make the following adjustments to our original schedule.

  1. The rough draft check will be on Thursday rather than Wednesday.
  2. The paper will be due on Saturday rather than Friday. 

These changes are also reflected on the Google calendar for your convenience. I hope this shift in timing does not inconvenience anyone. If so, you may of course submit your paper on Friday and frolic all Saturday long whilst texting and tweeting your friends about your joyful, paper-free exploits in order to lift their spirits while they finish up their papers.

Friday, February 10, 2012

In-Class Essay Writing

A majority of both classes agreed that having an enforced, silent, timed-write-like writing day on Monday would be helpful.
So, for Monday:

  1. brainstorm concerning your prompt and paper
  2. organize your thoughts a bit (outline, web, whatever)
If you want the day to really benefit you, come in ready to write. 

We are in the library lab Tuesday and Wednesday. If you have trouble working at school, spread out, bring headphones or blinders, and do your best to make it work.

Have a great weekend!

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Grammar rocks!

Our next grammar section (from chapter 5) is due when we get back from our mid-winter break on February 23rd.

If you want one of those grammar shirts, you can get one here.  WARNING: they are overpriced. Really? $25 for a grey t-shirt?

Thursday, February 2, 2012

Lunch at Jerry's...mmm, mmm good!

It looks all right....
Now that we've read Serving in Florida, let's take a closer look at the text and her techniques.  Looking at the Questions on Rhetoric and Style on page 187, we have already discussed 1-2 and 12. In 4th period we also did 9, but not in 6th. For your blog, do questions 3-7 and 9-11.

Bring your books tomorrow. We're going to stick with this work theme a bit longer.