Extra Credit...whaaaa?

He said, he said

Alas, things took a bit longer than I'd hoped in first period this morning, so we did not get to the activities that would have led to your homework. I know you're all sad about that. Given that you likely now have nothing to do this evening, I suggest that you watch/listen to the final presidential election debate tonight at 6:00 PM. Various networks will likely carry it and it will be streamed live on Hulu and YouTube (more options are listed in this article).

If you watch the debate and evaluate the rhetorical techniques of the candidates on your blog, you will earn extra credit. Focus on how effective they were at making their points, not whether you happen to agree with one or the other more or less.

Here's the video we mentioned in first period as an interesting rhetorical move by Obama after the second debate. Echoes of Jeff Foxworthy, don't you think? The punchline comes toward the end of course.

Extra Credit and the AP Exam

Don't forget to see the post below for your actual homework if Mr. Reiser didn't show it to you this morning.

For extra credit, analyze this advertisement and consider why it is effective. When my wife saw this the other night, she totally cracked up and said it was the best commercial she has ever seen. Why? Think about audience, cultural context, and all of the rhetorical strategies you can muster on this one. It is brilliant.



In other news, it's time to decide if you're really taking the AP test and step up to the plate. The test is $86 this year and a deposit of $15 is due to the bookkeeper by March 22. The remainder is due before you take the test May 12th, or you can pay the whole thing now.

I know $86 is a chunk of change, but if you pass and get credit for a class in college it can save you a lot of money. At a community college, it will save you about $115 and at a private school like UPS or PLU it will save you about $4000. Also see the colored flyer on the yellow cabinet in the class for another perspective, keeping in mind of course that it was put out by the College Board and data can be made to say a lot of things -- perhaps we'll analyze that flyer in class sometime. It could prove interesting.

Help with Mr. Giddings' National Boards and a little business

If the blog has helped you in this class or made it easier for you to do your work or helped you learn AP material in any way, could you email me and explain how it has done so?  We can do critiques later if you would like, but for the purposes of my national boards requirements, I need some thoughts on what about the blog has worked well to improve your learning.  Thanks in advance if you are able to do this.

I cannot offer extra credit if you do this as that would violate the ethical standards of national boards. Thanks again for your thoughts.

As far as extra credit goes, though, we are almost out of the Kleenex supplied by last year's students and myself.  We have almost made it out of cold season, but are heading into allergy season for many of us. If you would like to contribute to the class stash of facial tissue to maintain our good hygiene, I will offer extra credit for up to two (2) boxes of tissue.

Party! Whoop! Whoop!

Before we begin, PLEASE read the post directly below.  DO NOT put your paper off.  It's worth a lot.

Okay, now it's party time.  We have completed the AP test and that is no small thing.  Congratuations!

As best I can remember, here is what we put on the board:

• Bagels and cream cheese - Caleb


• Egg Rolls - Maverick


• Pancakes - Hayley O


• Pop - Jordan


• Milk - Janae


• Cheezits - Jeff


• Chips - Spencer


• Doughnuts - Kyle McCrossin

I know I'm forgetting something.  I will bring plates and cups and cutlery.

If you wish to bring a gaming system, come a bit early so we can set it up.  I have a locking cabinet in my room we can store it in during the day if you wish.  If that doesn't pan out, we'll finish the movie.  Read below for an extra credit opportunity!!!!  :)

Next Week:

• We'll pick back up on DGP - the Mark Twain sentence


• We'll pick up vocabulary with vocab 11 (gosh, we dropped a fair bit during the run-up to the AP test!)


• We'll start reading The Great Gatsby (dang, things just keep getting better and better!)


• Extra Credit Opportunity: Someone from the Washington Association of School Curriculum Directors asked our class to participate in making a video podcast that will be shown at their annual conference next fall.  They need 6-7 students who would be willing to respond on camera to the question, "What do you believe makes you successful?"  (I think they mean in school).  If you are interested, I will offer some extra credit. You will need to have your parents sign a permission slip (I have 9 of them).  The first 7 to both ask me for a permission slip and bring it back signed by Tuesday get extra credit.  They will be filming in Mrs. Brown's classroom at 11:00 on Tuesday and filming should be done with everyone by 11:30 or so.  Did I mention you will get extra credit for doing this?

Debate Extra Credit

As promised, I will be offering some extra credit surrounding the presidential debates.

Watch the 3rd presidential debate or read the transcript.  Then, based on the readings from Everything's an Argument, evaluate the type and quality of one specific argument from each candidate.  Also, evaluate each candidate's performance in the debate based on our argument and rhetorical studies up to this point.

Write up your evaluation and post it on the blog by Monday, October 20th.  That seems like a long time, but we'll be reading the Everything's an Argument chapters this week and the debate isn't until Tuesday.  The amount of extra credit will be based on the quality of your work.

Remember to cite any ideas, lines of argument, or collection of evidence that you cull from the media evaluations of the debates.  Use the MLA at OWL and Easybib links to the right in order to format your citations (you all did research note cards last year so this shouldn't be new).

Extra Credit?!

Write up an argument analysis with an eye to establishing its foolproof construction or its downfall.  I will give extra credit for a well-done analysis (whoo hoo!).  If you don't want the extra credit, just watch the video for your own interest in his argument. If you do want to try for extra credit, blog your analysis by the end of the week.

[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/zORv8wwiadQ" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]

This video was made by another amazing University of Puget Sound alumnus.

Don't forget to scroll down for your actual assignment!