Blog 10 (April 11-15):

Background:

It has been said that education is an indivisible part of the prosperity of the nation. In theory, the more educated and cultured people there are in the country, the more flourishing and thrifty the country is.

 

Assignment: 

Defend, challenge, or qualify the aforementioned statement using ample evidence from your reading, society, general observation, or personal experience in about 3-4 paragraphs. Remember the guidelines for quality writing that we have previous discussed.

  

Links:

• Citation Assistance  

Optional, extra credit assignment: 

Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 

Friday, April 15th at midnight

*HINT HINT! I will be doing a blog check very soon... *

Blog 9 (April 4-8): Web Quest

Background:

You are the Media Specialist for our high school that now needs to replace its collection of aging dictionaries. You know print dictionaries are very expensive, and you have decided to look at an online dictionary as a cheaper alternative. You are not sure, however, that an online dictionary is as good as a print one. When you mentioned this concern to one of your library helpers, the student asked, "Dictionary, schmictionary! What difference does it make?" It's a good question. You have decided to do some research and then present a recommendation to the principal.

Assignment: 

A) Look up the following three words listed in each of the four online dictionaries. Use this chart to compare and contrast the features of each dictionary (use the chart solely for compare/contrast purposes only. You will be posting a memo on the blog; ignore the directives for a poster). This will work best if you look up one word in all four dictionaries first, then go to the next word. Post a summary of your results on the blog.

caravan holocaust panic

Dictionary Links:

• Merriam-Webster
• Dictionary.com 
• Ask Oxford 
• One Look 

B) Now that you have decided which online dictionary you like best, you are ready to write your memo. Use this website to see the correct Memo Format. Adapt as necessary for your blog post.  

Optional, extra credit assignment: 

Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 

Friday, April 8th at midnight

Thanks to Fayette County Schools for this blog topic.

Blog 8 (March 14-18): Controversy

Background:

This week's blog is another previously released AP prompt - this one from the 2000s. Consider the fact that contemporary life is marked by all types of controversy. Choose a controversial local, national, or global issue with which you are familiar. There are numerous; don't limit yourself.

Assignment: 

Using appropriate evidence and MLA citations, write a 3-5 paragraph mini-essay that carefully considers the opposing positions on this controversy and proposes a solution or compromise.

Links:

• Citation Assistance
• You may also consider perusing the LA Times or other such resources for ideas and/or resources. 

Optional, extra credit assignment: 

Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 

Friday, March 18th at midnight

Note: 

No blogs will be posted over Spring Break.  :-)  The next blog will be for the week of April 4th-8th.

Blog 7 (March 7-11): Satire

Background:

• Satire: A literary mode based on criticism of people and society through ridicule. The satirist aims to reduce the practices attacked by laughing scornfully at them--and being witty enough to allow the reader to laugh, also.  Ridicule, irony, exaggeration, and several other techniques are almost always present. The satirist may insert serious statements of value or desired behavior, but most often he relies on an implicit moral code, understood by his audience... The satirist's goal is to point out the hypocrisy of his target in the hope that either the target or the audience will return to a real following of the code. Thus, satire is inescapably moral even when no explicit values are promoted in the work, for the satirist works within the framework of a widely spread value system. Many of the techniques of satire are devices of comparison, to show the similarity or contrast between two things.                           
• Source

• Satire: An attack on or criticism of any stupidity or vice in the form of scathing humor, or a critique of what the author sees as dangerous religious, political, moral, or social standards. Satire became an especially popular technique used during the Enlightenment, in which it was believed that an artist could correct folly by using art as a mirror to reflect society. When people viewed the satire and saw their faults magnified in a distorted reflection, they could see how ridiculous their behavior was and then correct that tendency in themselves. The tradition of satire continues today. Popular cartoons such as The Simpsons and televised comedies like The Daily Show make use of it in modern media. Conventionally, formal satire involves a direct, first-person-address, either to the audience or to a listener mentioned within the work. An example of formal satire is Alexander Pope's Moral Essays. Indirect satire conventionally employs the form of a fictional narrative--such as Byron's Don Juan or Swift's Gulliver's Travels. Ridicule, irony, exaggeration, and similar tools are almost always used in satire. Horatian satire tends to focus lightly on laughter and ridicule, but it maintains a playful tone. Generally, the tone is sympathetic and good humored, somewhat tolerant of imperfection and folly even while expressing amusement at it. The name comes from the Roman poet Horace (65 BCE-8 CE), who preferred to ridicule human folly in general rather than condemn specific persons. In contrast, Juvenalian satire also uses withering invective, insults, and a slashing attack. The name comes from the Roman poet Juvenal (60-140 CE), who frequently employed the device, but the label is applied to British writers such as Swift and Pope as well.  
• Source

Assignment: 

Now that you've read the satire of others, it is time to create a satire of your own.  Before you begin, consider the following characteristics of satire:

1. The subject should be serious. It should deal with something you consider to have a fault in society: school, community, politics, social problems, etc. You might consider a cause you feel strongly about or peruse newspapers or magazines for something timely.

2. You need to use one or more rhetorical devices to prove your point(s), such as: verbal irony, hyberbole, juxtaposition, metaphor - the choice is yours. 

3. Remember: a rhetorical device such as hyperbole allows your reader to see through your serious tone. This is vital. Otherwise, he or she will not be able to distinguish that your piece is satire. Your diction choices are also important in revealing satire. Choose words that have connotations that will help you achieve your purpose. 

4. Your tone will be logical and objective, although you may use your verbal irony as sarcasm. Like Swift ("A Modest Proposal") and Twain ("Advice for Youth"), you will be writing in the voice of one who holds the opposite opinion of the one you actually do. Many students have a difficult time being "mean" in writing satire. You are not being mean for the sake of hurting another. As long as that remains the case, you're fine. Keep in mind that the goal of any satirist is to point out wrongs with the intention of righting them by using humor as a weapon. 

5. There is no minimum or maximum length for this assignment. The requirement is the one that allows you to achieve your purpose.

  

Links:

• Citation Assistance  

Optional, extra credit assignment: 

Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 

Friday, March 11th at midnight

Blog 6 (February 28-March 4): Wooden-headedness!

Background:
This is from an actual 1990s AP English Language persuasive prompt. Read the background information carefully, the prompt, and the accompanying resources, as necessary.

In The March of Folly, historian Barbara Tuchman writes: Wooden-headedness, the source of self-deception, is a factor that plays a remarkably large role in government. It consists of assessing a situation in terms of preconceived fixed notions while ignoring or rejecting any contrary signs. It is acting according to wish while not allowing oneself to be deflected by the facts. Some people would claim that what Tuchman calls wooden-headedness plays a remarkably large role in all organizations and, indeed, in all human affairs.

Assignment:
Write a carefully reasoned persuasive essay (3-5 paragraphs for this blog) that defends, challenges, or qualifies (remember what I say about qualifying...) this idea about the prevalence of wooden-headedness in human actions and decisions. Use evidence from your reading and/or observation to develop your position. Unless using a single personal example, your blog should be in 3rd person point-of-view.
 
Links:

• Citation Assistance  
• AP: General Persuasive Essay Assistance  

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 
Friday, March 4th at midnight

Blog 5 (February 21-25): Segregation

Background:
An essential skill in education, especially in the study of English, is to be able to interpret and view events from different historical perspectives, constantly assessing and formulating opinions as you learn. This week's topic: segregation. For thousands of years, people were separated by race in a divisive battle of moral, social, and political wills. In the famous precedent-setting court case, Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), it was ruled that separate but equal facilities are okay. But were they ever really equal? And was it ever really okay to separate people in the first place?

In Brown v. Board of Education (1954) the ruling in Plessy was overturned. "Separate but equal" was deemed no longer constitutionally adequate. Although it was slow to actually be put into practice, the legal precedent changed the United States forever.

Assignment:
1. Read the article "Pennsylvania school experiments with 'segregation'" (link below).
2. In 3-4 paragraphs, answer the following questions as carefully and thoughtfully as possible. Include at least two in-text citations from the news article. Please write in 3rd person point of view.
        a) What are some of the effects, beneficial or detrimental, of segregation on American society?
        b) How does McCaskey East High School's recent "experiment" toe the line between right and wrong? Given the potential "success", should this kind of segregation permissible?
        c) How could racism or discrimination shape a person's self-perception? What, if anything, can be done to alleviate racism/discrimination in the United States?

Links:

• "Pennsylvania school experiments with 'segregation''' 
• Citation Assistance  

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 

Due date: 
Friday, February 25th at midnight

Blog 4 (February 14-18): A Token of My Affection

Background:

It could be argued that the current news media places too much emphasis on the negative aspects in society and not enough on all of the good. Counter-argument? Drama sells.

This week, let's focus on the good in the world, in life - in your life. Again, I'm a bit of a sentimentalist. Hallmark may have my number, but I like the idea of a day devoted to celebrating relationships of all kinds.

Assignment:

1. Read and re-read "Valentine" by Carol Ann Duffy (poem below). Consider our many discussions on relationships and especially, symbols. 

2. Examine any and all poetic devices, focusing on how such devices contribute to the meaning, the effect, or both, of a poem. (What is important is not that you can identify the names of all poetic devices so much as that you can explain how the devices enhance meaning and effect.) Especially note anything that is repeated, either individual words or complete phrases. Anything said more than once may be crucial to interpretation. Write a minimum of one paragraph on this topic.

3. In identifying theme, recognize the human experience, motivation, or condition suggested by the poem. Use this theme chart to generate your theme statement. (Complete each step - they're short!)

PLOT: Write a summary of the "plot" or events of a poem written in a short paragraph form. SUBJECT: Discuss the subjects of the poem. These may just be listed as words or phrases. THEME: After combining subjects where appropriate, write one to two complete sentences identifying what idea the poet or speaker (narrator) is conveying.

4. Finally... be creative! In approximately one paragraph, write about one or more symbols of affection that you (personally) have given, received, or hold to be true in your life.

Quotes to consider: 

"The fact is that people are good. Give people affection and security, and they will give affection and be secure in their feelings and their behavior." - Abraham Maslow  (Remember "Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs"?)

"Do not give in too much to feelings. A overly sensitive heart is an unhappy possession on this shaky earth." - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 


Due date: 
Friday, February 18th at midnight

“Valentine”

Carol Ann Duffy

Not a red rose or a satin heart.

I give you an onion.
It is a moon wrapped in brown paper.
It promises light
like the careful undressing of love.

Here.
It will blind you with tears
like a lover.
It will make your reflection
a wobbling photo of grief.

I am trying to be truthful.

Not a cute card or a kissogram.

I give you an onion.
Its fierce kiss will stay on your lips,
possessive and faithful
as we are,
for as long as we are.

Take it.
Its platinum loops shrink to a wedding-ring,
if you like.

Lethal.
Its scent will cling to your fingers,
cling to your knife.

Blog 3 (February 7-11): "What's love got to do with it?"

Background:
In the spirit of Valentine's Day, I'd like you to read a short story by Aimee Bender. The question of commercialism vs. the celebration of love on this holiday is one that could be debated for ages. However, that being put aside, this week's topic asks you to focus on a significantly different kind of relationship and societal message.

Assignment:
1. Carefully read "The Rememberer" by Aimee Bender (link below). Keep an open mind. This story is not meant to confuse you, but instead, to draw your attention to the strength and depth needed in a relationship, among other things. You may also use the blog as a forum for asking your peers questions about their understanding of the story.

2. Your final for-a-grade comment will be done in stages. Keep in mind that I'm not looking for a perfect analysis, but instead, a thoughtful one.

• Choose what you consider to be the most important word in the story. Give your rationale for the choice: why would it be the most important?

• Return to the work and select the most important passage. Reduce the passage to a three or four word phrase that captures the entire story. Compare your phrase with the work's title to see if the two call up the same meaning. Reflect on the selected passage in terms of each of the following:  
• most important words
• connection with total meaning
• links with other passages
• feeling, mood, tone 
• Write what you consider the most important aspect of the story. Select, distill, and justify your choice.

• Finally, write a brief analysis (not simply just a summary) of Bender's story which includes significant details. Be sure to include the title of the story, the author's name, and the theme. Write in third person point of view. Use at least two in-text citations from the story and/or the definition of the genre within your blog comment. Use proper MLA format (see this website for help: Citation Assistance). It's okay to feel a little unsure of yourself. It's not okay to skip the assignment altogether.
• This may be a particularly long blog comment. If you keep getting blocked from posting or your post doesn't show after you've clicked, be prepared to split your comment into two posts. Consider writing your comment first on Word (or something similar), and then copying and pasting onto sayitwithmeaning, just to be on the safe side. Contact me directly for help, should you run into any problems.

Links to visit: 

• Short story: "The Rememberer" 
• Magical realism definition

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 


Due date: 
Friday, February 11th at midnight
(Yes, even though it's a holiday.)

Blog 2 (January 31-February 4): There are at least two sides...

Background:
In 1973, the landmark Supreme Court case, Roe v. Wade, changed the medical field in the United States forever (visit: Roe v. Wade - Facts or Roe v. Wade - A More Personal Account for more information). This decision legalized abortions for reasons other than medical necessity, rape, and incest.

Controversy has been surrounding this topic since its inception. One area not often explored is that of male rights. Putting aside personal moral and ethical beliefs on the original issue, the idea that a fetus was created by two entities and therefore, both could potentially have a say in the outcome, is an intriguing idea. But, the fetus will reside in the female for approximately nine months. How does that impact the paternal rights?

Assignment:
Abortion is currently legal in the United States. Therefore, in situations that do not involve rape, should both men and women need to agree on the outcome of the pregnancy (ie: an abortion)? In three to four well-developed paragraphs, defend or challenge this question (as always, avoid waffling). Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations. Use at least two in-text citations from any of the five links within this blog. Use proper MLA format (see this website for help: Citation Assistance).

Links to visit: 
Opinion Piece: A Father's Role
Ethics and the Role of Fathers
A Legal and Anecdotal Look into the Male Role

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (at least one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 


Due date: 
Friday, February 4th at midnight

Blog 1 (January 24-28): Censorship

Not only did we discuss this topic in class last week, but it frequently appears on the SAT and AP exams.

Background:
On the surface, censorship seems objectionable because it limits our freedom. But all societies may need to suppress or restrict information that is "offensive" or potentially harmful. People depend on the establishment of some limits, claiming that this is some way of making distinctions between what is right and what is wrong. The argument exists that censorship could actually be beneficial to a society because it helps to establish ideals of what is proper in such areas as art, music, and literature.

Assignment:
Should society limit people's exposure to some kinds of information or forms of expression? In three to four well-developed paragraphs, develop your point of view on this issue (avoid waffling). Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading, studies, experience, or observations.

Optional, extra credit assignment: 
Engage in a meaningful conversation (one paragraph or more) with at least one of your classmates. 


Due date: 
Friday, January 28th at midnight

Holiday Hope

Your comment: 

• Read the background and transcript of the following exchange between Virginia O'Hanlon and Francis P. Church: Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus 
• Analyze the rhetorical strategies that Church uses to uniquely reassure Virginia.
• Write an original, creative response of your own back to Virginia. I don't care so much what you say, but how you say it. If you were given Church's monumental task, how would you approach it? You can be funny, serious, lighthearted, etc. Choose the tone and examples that you think are most appropriate. 
• DUE: Monday, December 6th at midnight

Comments to your classmates':  

• Choose two of your classmates' letters. Take on the persona of "Virginia", her father, or another questioning child. What questions has your classmate cleared up? What questions are still lingering?
• DUE: Friday, December 10th at midnight

Corporate Sponsorship

• Read the following (slightly modified, but actual AP) prompt. Post your comment in response by TUESDAY, November 30th at midnight.

For years corporations have sponsored high school sports. Their ads are found on the outfield fence at baseball parks or on the walls of the gymnasium, the football stadium, or even the locker room. Corporate logos are even found on players’ uniforms. But some schools have moved beyond corporate sponsorship of sports to allowing “corporate partners” to place their names and ads on all kinds of school facilities—libraries, music rooms, cafeterias. Some schools accept money to require students to watch Channel One, a news program that includes advertising. And schools often negotiate exclusive contracts with soft drink or clothing companies. Some people argue that corporate partnerships are a necessity for cash-strapped schools. Others argue that schools should provide an environment free from ads and corporate influence. Using appropriate evidence, write a short response in which you evaluate the pros and cons of corporate sponsorship for schools and indicate why you find one position more persuasive than the other.

• Respond to two of your classmates' comments, one in which you agree with and one in which you disagree with by FRIDAY, December 3rd at midnight. Be sure to also provide appropriate rationale for your responses.

Giving Thanks

• Notes: I am very impressed with those of you who posted on last week's blog ("Song Birds"). As a whole, the comments were creative, on topic, and appropriate for a rhetorical analysis. Keep working on the "so what?" piece. Once you have identified the rhetorical devices, always bear in mind, what is the point? What is the effect? How does it contribute to the work as a whole? These skills will be particularly useful for your final. *hint, hint* ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
• Your comment: During this week physically away from school, take some to reflect on your life. As we discussed with creating loving, prosperous relationships (The Crucible, Act II), each individual's life maintains a balance of good and bad. Your perpetual task is to keep the positive experiences outweighing that of the negative. In this reflective spirit, I'd like you to think optimistically.
•   Describe ten things in life in which you are grateful; explain why. Be creative. If you are blessed with family and/or friends who support you, then obviously you are grateful for them. Don't take up one of the spots on this list with something you should be saying to these people everyday. 
• My example: I make my own family/friends do this activity with me each year. One year, when it was my turn to say what I was thankful for, I said, "Two-ply toilet paper." Of course, everyone laughed, which was my intention. However, I was also serious. I went on to explain my rationale: the importance of our modern sewage system, running water, and comfortable toilet paper - not tree bark or even our own hands, as it has been throughout history.

Deadline: TUESDAY, November 23rd at midnight                     
        --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Commenting on others': Focus your comments on two classmates' comments that particularly strike a chord with you for some reason: is it emotionally appealing? is it creative? is it funny? is it well-written? is it riddled with grammatical errors? is it boring? does it effectively or ineffectively address the prompt? Give each of your peers feedback on how well he or she addressed the topic, as well as why you chose to comment on their particular comment. Be honest - this is for your grade and theirs.

Deadline: FRIDAY, November 26th at midnight


*Reminder: There will be a new blog posted, as always, on Thursday evening (November 25th).

Song Birds

• Your comment:

Review the lyrics to the following songs. Decide on ONE song to focus your analysis. In approximately three well-organized paragraphs, analyze the rhetorical strategies that the artist(s) uses to convey his or her attitude toward his or her subject. Avoid merely summarizing the song lyrics; analyze the rhetorical strategies that are used to convey some sort of argument. You can think of this in two parts: 1. What is the intended effect? 2. To illustrate the artist's attitude (or tone) toward his or her subject? 

Reminders:  

• You need a thesis statement to guide your analysis (refer to your handouts). This should probably include the identified strategies. 
• Cite the title of the song and artist within the first few sentences of your analysis. 
• Incorporating direct lines (citations) from the song boosts your credibility. 
• Feel free to look up accompanying videos and/or the songs being played for further assistance.

a)  "Replay" - Iyaz
b) "Wake Up" - Coheed and Cambria
c) "The Back of Your Hand" - Dwight Yoakam 
d) "Ballad of the Green Beret" - Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler and Robin Moore
e) "Last Kiss" - Pearl Jam 
f) "Mama" - Boyz II Men 
g) "Say it Ain't So" - Weezer
h) "Heartless" - Kanye West 


Deadline: Monday, November 15th at midnight

                     --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

• Commenting on others': 

 Focus your two comments on two classmates who did not analyze the same songs as you did. How effective was each analysis? Give each of your peers feedback on how well he or she addressed the prompt. Be honest - this is for your grade and theirs.

Deadline: Friday, November 19th at midnight

Child on Trial

1. Read the following article: Child Sued for Negligence


2. In your comment, complete each of the following steps. Label each step:
       Note: Address either step a1) OR a2).
      Step a1) In a one to two paragraph thoughtful analysis, explain the basic facts of the situation and the potential outcomes that may result. This step should be in third person POV and identify different elements of logos, ethos, and pathos.  

     Step a2) Create a chronological cause and effect chart of all of the different actions completed as described in the article. Conclude with an overall "so what?" statement at the conclusion of your chart.
        *Everyone: 
      Step b) Assume the persona of one of the following personalities: the 4 year old girl, Juliet Breitman; her mother, Dana Breitman; the elderly woman, Claire Menagh; the judge, Justice Wooten; or Juliet's lawyer, James P. Tyrie. Write a creative and informative 500 word journal entry (mostly like in first person POV) describing the bicycing accident as it happened from his or her perspective. You may also choose to write about the pending trial from one of the character's POV. Please use your imagination, but base your journal entry on actual facts from this article.
       Word of caution: You may want to do this in a Word Document or Google Docs first and save it. This may end up being too long for a single comment; therefore, you might need to post one or more comments.
           *Deadline: Monday, November 8th at midnight  


3. Respond to at least two of your classmates' comments by completing the following steps:
      Step a) Comment one person who did the same step as you and another who chose the opposite. Find one thing that this person did really well and another that could be improved upon - be specific.

      Step b) For those same people, constructively give three pieces of feedback on their journal entry. At least one pieces must be kudos.

      Step c) End your comment with a question about this blog and/or their work on this blog for the writer to consider. 

            *Deadline: Friday, November 12th at midnight