Friday, March 29, 2013

Prompt Analysis

For those of you who were gone or had to leave early, this is the prompt analysis from 6th period (p. 787 #3).  Have a great spring break! 
When we come back,  we will have one month until the AP test.  Time to sprint!

Thursday, March 28, 2013

TV Turnoff Week Poster

Blog the questions for the TV Turnoff Week poster for tomorrow. Then read Is Media Violence Free Speech? on page 783. We will be blogging the questions on page 787 as well. Those aren't due until later, but if you have the time and would like to get it finished, go ahead.

Please bring your books on Friday.

Grammar Extra Credit

Due to the sequester and budget wrangling, the College Board has extended the AP test deposit deadline until April 10, when the legislature has promised they will have the fee reduction funding figured out.

Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Comma Splices

I'm seeing a number of comma splices in the essays I've been grading. It might not hurt to review quickly what they are and how to avoid them. This is a good source: http://grammar.quickanddirtytips.com/comma-splice.aspx

TV-B-Gone!

Tonight blog the questions on page 781 for the interview with Kalle Lasn. Those of you dead set on buying a TV-B-Gone and causing havoc, behave yourselves.

We'll discuss the group work tomorrow and we'll add another source to the mix.

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Grammar EC

These are the remaining grammar sections in the book that would be the most beneficial to you on the AP test (the ones that I think you'd likely need the most practice with). Those grammar sections are the ones in chapters 10 and 12-13. See the table of contents for page numbers. Look them over before the AP test and make sure you get it. I will take those grammar sections for extra credit up until May 10th.

Monday, March 25, 2013

Wait, Now TV is bad for you!


Blog questions 1-6 on page 779 in response to the essay The Argument Against TV.

Also, in keeping with embracing TV the other night while reading the pro-TV essay, tonight try NOT watching TV (Tivo it and watch it tomorrow).

Since the grammar is due tomorrow, this will be due on Wednesday.

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Watching TV Makes Us Smarter? Sign me up!!


Finish reading Watching TV Makes You Smarter on page 766 and do the questions on page 776 (there are 5 of them). In addition to blogging the questions, take a look at the classical model of organization on pages 13-17 of your book. Does Johnson follow that in this essay? If so, explain. If not, describe his structure and explain how he uses it to effectively make his argument.

Maybe watch some TV. After all, the AP test is coming up. ;)

For those of you who will be gone and are taking pictures of the book, snap photos of pages 339-345 so you can do the Grammar as Rhetoric and Style section on parallel structure. That will be due on Tuesday.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Lunch at Jerry's -- I bet they don't serve corned beef and cabbage...

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

If you haven't already, please read "From Serving in Florida" by Barbara Ehrenreich on page 179 in the TLC book. Then blog the questions on rhetoric and style numbers 1-12 on page 187.

If you have questions, we can talk about them on Monday. Bring your books. We'll be introducing Synthesis on Monday and we'll need them for some of that. Also, Tuesday is our first synthesis timed write. It's  practice one and we'll use it to help understand what they are looking for on Wednesday.

Have a great weekend!
Hmmm, Ireland is awfully close to England. Let's go! 

Tuesday, March 12, 2013

The dialectical relationship of the self to society

Based on our discussions of the dialectic to the right, blog your thoughts on this “feedback loop” between the self and society. Use Frontline’s video essay Merchants of Cool as a basis for your arguments. You may wish to consider the following questions in your write-up.

What do you think of the premise put forth by Frontline and by the dialectic model above?
Do you see an authentic way to take control of your relationship between the, or rather your, self and society? This post is due Wednesday.

If you were gone on the music trip or recovering from surgery, you can watch all or part of the video at the PBS website.

Click the skinny image to the left to get updated information on the consolidation of the media.

How do you plan to spend your free time in Paris?

Monday, March 11, 2013

Merchants of Cool


For those of you who were absent today (Monday), you can get the link to the documentary The Merchants of Cool at the PBS website or by Googling "Merchants of Cool". We'll finish and debrief it in class tomorrow.

Remember it came out in 2001 so some of it will be outdated, but the mechanisms behind the trends are still very much in use. We'll talk about the relationship between the individual and society explored in this documentary on Friday.


Ever been to London and Paris?

Tuesday, March 5, 2013

London Calling

Interested in traveling to London, Oxford, Stratford, Bath, and Paris? Let's go! Check out the tour details here: http://www.explorica.com/Giddings-3875.

A tour group and second interest meeting will be held in the Fall. Date and time to be announced.

Informational flyer
Meeting Presentation

Earn college credit on the trip!
College classes are available for 1-5 credits.








I hear London Calling (and Stratford, Oxford, Bath, Stonehenge, and Paris...)

My apologies to The Clash for the above regrettable pun. ;)

High School Confidential

Finish reading the essay High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies that begins on page 709 in the TLC book. Then blog your answers to questions 2-7; 9-12 on page 715 for tomorrow. 
For the curious, we will be watching this essay in action tomorrow and Thursday. We should have some time left to discuss the essay and movie on Thursday, then we'll be in the Library Lab Friday.

Monday, March 4, 2013

Books

Bring your TLC books on Tuesday March 5, 2013, i.e. tomorrow. ;)