Blog Post Assignment 7

1.First, post your discussion questions onto your blog; title your post Blog Post Assignment 7 (Due by Wednesday, November 16, 2016). 10 Points

2.Next, go to your assigned classmates’ blog. Choose ONE of their discussion questions and reply to that question (Due by Friday, November 18, 2016). 45 Points

3. Finally, you will reply to each comment made by your classmates (Due by Sunday, November 20, 2016). 45 Points

All of your replies and answers must be thoughtful and thorough!

Students, click here to view the list of assigned classmates: Blog Post 7 Instructions

Over the break, read pages 100 – 115 from The Sorrow of War; be prepared to discuss those pages when your return from Thanksgiving Break! Have a great Thanksgiving!

Vietnam Presentations

Students did an amazing job on their Vietnam Culture presentations!

Blog Post Assignment 6: Multiculturalism

This week we have started the unit on Multiculturalism. Students will read selections from China, Brazil, India, and the novel The Sorrow of War by the Vietnamese author Boa Ninh.

Students, for Blog Post Assignment 6 you will answer the discussion questions about the parent and child relationship in Chinese culture. You will find the discussion questions in the “Two Kinds” by Amy Tan packet. Your blog post is due Monday, October 17, 2016.

Oral Commentary

Students did an amazing job with their oral commentaries on Wild! All students did an excellent job in critically analyzing the text, engaging in effective classroom discussions, and presenting a thorough commentary.

Blog Post Assignment 5

For Blog Post Assignment 5, read Chapters 9 and 10 from Wild; choose two quotations and explain those quotations in your post. Use the quotation sheet to help you analyze the quotations.

Blog Post Assignment 4: Quotations Assignment

Students, click on this link for the homework assignment:Wild Quotations Assignment.

You will read Chapter 8, you will select one quotation from chapter 8, you will select 2 questions from the assignment sheet, and you will answer those two questions related to your selected quote. You will post your assignment on your blog; it is due at the beginning of class on Monday, September 12, 2016.

Wild Reading Schedule

Students, here is a copy of the reading schedule for Wild: Wild Reading Schedule

Remember to keep up with your reading so that you will not fall behind. Most importantly, you should annotate, jot down questions, and analyze as you read.

Blog Post Assignment 3: PCT Communicator

For blog post assignment 3, select and read an article from PCT Communicator magazine found on PCTA.Org. You will write an objective summary, list three interesting things that you learned from reading the article, state two facts from the article, and create one question that you have.

You will present your findings to the class in a short oral presentation; afterwards, you will post your findings on your blog. In addition, post a link to the article that you read. Your blog post is date by
September 7, 2016.

Blog Post Assignment 2

Now that you have had an opportunity to read and edit your classmates’ writing and read and edit your own writing, write about the areas of writing that you think you need to improve on. Discuss in details the areas that you are struggling with in your writing. Come up with an action plan to improve in those areas. Finally, discuss at least one strength that you have in your writing. Your post should be at least one paragraph and should include your plan of action to improve; in addition, comment on your assigned classmate’s post.

Your post is due by Sunday, August 21, 2016; your comment on your classmate's post is due by Monday, August 22, 2016.

Welcome Class 2016 - 2017!

Welcome to Mr. Rease’s AP Language and Composition Classroom Blog!

Students, you have received the first blog assignment. Your first blog post is an introduction. In other words, tell the readers who you are, what you like to do, and your expectations for this school year. Students, make sure you adhere to all of the rules that we discussed in class about posting a blog post. In addition, students you will comment on the posts of your assigned classmates. You will have until Monday, August 15, 2016 to post the introduction and post your comments to the introduction post of your assigned classmate.

Click on to this link to find your assigned classmate: Comments for Classmates List.

In addition, if you have not done so, follow this blog by clicking the “Join this Site” link on the right hand corner of this page. You will need to review this blog daily. I hope you are as excited as I am about our classroom blog! I look forward to reading your posts!

End of Course Review

Congratulations! You have finished the course! For blog post assignment #9, write a course review. Consider these questions: What did you like more about the course? What did you learn? What did you like least about the course? How well were you prepared for the AP Exam? If you could take the course again, would you? Why or why not?

Your AP scores will be posted in July; enjoy your summer break!!

Blog Post Assignment 8: ACT Reflection

In two paragraphs, write a reflection on taking the ACT.

Consider these questions:

• Which section did you struggle with the most?
• How well did B.C. Rain prepare you for the test?
• How was the testing environment?
• What do you think you scored?
• How well did you do with time?
• How well did you prepare yourself?

Research Project: AP Language and Composition Students Only

Students, here are important dates to remember and handouts to review:

April 8, 2016: Your annotated bibliography must be submitted in person, emailed (englishrease@gmail.com), or placed in your Google Drive.
April 9, 2016: You must email your thesis statement no later than the end of the day for approval.
April 25, 2016: Your final research paper is due.

Do NOT forget to set up online access for your MLA Handbook at mlahandbook.org. The website includes full text of the print volume, several research project narratives, sample papers, and additional resources. Your activation code is on the inside back cover of your book. Do not share your activation code; you can only use the code once!

Sample MLA Style Research Paper

Annotated Bibliography Document 1

Annotated Bibliography Document 2

Blog Post Assignment 7: The So-Called American Dream

The term "American Dream" has come to mean both less and more than the sum of its words. For some, the simple pursuit of the Dream has lead to excesses. Others see it as unattainable. For the few who have reached the goal, this shining beacon has meant little but disappointment. For this blog post, answer these questions: What is the American Dream? Why is the concept of the American Dream important? What is your dream? In addition, include a picture in your post. This post is due by Friday, April 8, 2016.

Blog Post Assignment 6

Write about a random act of kindness that you could do to celebrate Good Friday. Here are some things to consider:

• What does kindness means to you?
• How does doing something nice for someone makes you feel?
• You could show kindness to strangers by…
• The niceness things anyone ever did for you was…
• When someone says, “thank you,” you feel…
• If you had a million dollars to help other people, you would

Post a picture to accompany your post.

Jefferson's Life Box

Here are some pictures from the Character Life Box assignment.

Character Life Box

Imagine what Jefferson must be experiencing inside his cell. He is caged like a hog and has little in his possession. Occasionally, he is visited by guards, family, and friends. He knows the date of his death.

Create a life box for Jefferson. A character life box is a grouping of thoughtfully chosen items that would be particularly significant to or representative of a character in a work of literature. Use the following guidelines:

• Choose six items your character might use daily, have as a keepsake, or be represented by in some fashion.

• Find a quotation from the text that would justify each item. The passage can either be spoken by your character or another character in the book. Attach the quotations in some fashion to each item using a tag and string, a staple, or a paperclip.

• Place the items in a container of some sort--- a shoebox, shopping bag, gift box, and decorated in a manner representative of your chose character.

Once all life boxes have been created, you will present your choices and justifications for each to the class on Monday, March 14, 2016.

Have fun!!

Debate

In this unit, the focus is on politics and government. Students conducted their first debate; students were paired into groups and where asked to take a position on a particular issue. For example, in a group of 4, two students would argue position A and two students would argue position B. The format of the debate consisted of the students giving an opening statement, a rebuttal, answer questions from the moderator, and making a closing statement. Each debate lasted between 20 - 30 minutes. Each group did an excellent job debating the issues. Here are the debate groups and issues:

Topic #1: Custody of Children
Position A: Children belong with their mothers, and in the case of divorce, they should live with their mothers (unless there is a history of abuse, neglect, or other such damaging instances). Fathers should pay child support in all cases.

Position B: Fathers should equal access to their children. More fathers should be given full or equal custody. Contributions besides money should be counted as part of child support.

Topic #2: Separation of Church and State
Position A: There should not be a separation between these two.

Position B: There is not one dominant religion in our culture, and allowing religious observations makes others feel uncomfortable or rejected. The government and the church should stat separate.

Topic 3: The Death Penalty
Position A: The death penalty should be kept legal. Those who commit heinous crimes should be punished to the fullest extent of the law.

Position B: The death penalty should be abolished. It is an extreme punishment that is costly to the judicial system and doesn't act as a deterrent to prevent crimes.

Topic 4: Affirmative Action
Position A: Only the most qualified candidate should be hired for a position. Race should not be a factor in hiring practices.

Position B: There should be a set number of jobs available to minorities in employment, education, and other legislation. Minorities are still facing prejudices and affirmative action acts as partial protection.

Blog Post Assignment 5: Letter to the Governor

For this assignment, you will write a letter to the governor requesting a stay of execution for Jefferson. A stay of execution is a court order to temporarily suspend the execution of a court judgment or other court order. In your letter, you will take on the character of a prominent person in the community (priest, teacher, community organizer, etc). Your letter should follow this format: A direct characterization of yourself, how you know Jefferson, and reasons why a stay of execution should be issued.

This assignment is due no later than Monday, March 7, 2016.

Blog Post Assignment 4

Your assignment for this week will be to read your assigned chapters from A Lesson Before Dying. You will post your quotations on your blog, and you will answer at least 2 questions for your selected quotations. Do not forget to respond to your assigned classmates’ blogs!

Creative Writing

In the Honors class, students read the short story “The Rockpile” by James Baldwin. Many students were able to find relevance in the story thus leading to a greater understanding of the theme and central idea. After students analyzed, read, and participated in a class discussion, students were given a creative writing assignment. Students were asked to create a new ending or continue "The Rockpile" from the current ending. Afterwards, students shared their story with the class. For the most part, every student did a really awesome job. The stories were detailed, interesting, and captivating!

Blog Post Assignment 3

One of my greatest passions in life is traveling. My goal is to place my foot on every continent in the world and travel to as many places as possible. We live on such an amazing planet, and I believe that it is important to experience as much of it as possible.

For Blog Post Assignment 3, write about a place that you would like to visit. Explain why you would like to visit that place, when you hope to visit that place, and upload a picture of that place. I have numerous travel plans for the next 2 two years (China, NYC, Europe, Chicago, and Brazil again), but my ultimate destination will be a trip to Africa. I plan to make that trip happen within in the next 5 years. This assignment is due on Thursday, February 18, 2016. You must comment on your assigned classmate's blog by Sunday, February 21, 2016.

A Lesson Before Dying Chapters 3 - 4

Students, here is a copy of the homework questions for Chapters 3 - 4 for A Lesson Before Dying. In addition, I have included a copy of the quotation assignment; you must do this assignment for each chapter.


Chapters 3 - 4 Discussion Questions

Quotation Assignment

Mardi Gras Break

Students, I hope you are having a great Mardi Gras vacation! Do not forget to bring A Lesson Before Dying and your MLA Handbook on Monday. I am now back in the United States after spending a week in Brazil. I had an awesome time, and here are some pictures. I am looking forward to seeing all of you on Monday morning. Enjoy the remainder of your vacation!

Synthesis Essay (AP Students ONLY)

Students, this is a reminder that your synthesis essay in due in your Google Drive folder by 11:59 p.m. on Sunday, February 7, 2016. I extended the due date by a day. You must adhere to the due date; do NOT procrastinate!

Your essay must be in MLA format, typed, double spaced, 12 Point Times New Roman Font, no contractions, no 1st person, and no second person.

If you misplaced your handout, click on the link for a copy of the synthesis essay handout: The Synthesis Essay Step by Step Guide

Do your best!

Mock Election

In preparation for the next unit which focuses on politics and government, I gave students a brief lecture on the election process. I was not surprised that many students were not very knowledgeable concerning the subject. We talked about the importance of understanding how the process works and the importance of voting. Although none of my students will be able to vote in this election, they will be able to vote in the 2018 Senate elections and the 2020 presidential election. Now is the time to get students thinking about voting; most importantly, it is essential that they understand the current political climate.

When I was in high school, I could not wait until I was 18-years-old so that I could vote. The 2000 presidential election, Bush vs. Gore, was my first presidential election; it was one of the most contested election in US history. The election was held on November 7, 2000, but the actual winner was not declared until December 12, 2000 after the US Supreme Court stopped a recount in Florida. As a result, George W. Bush was declared the winner. In this case, every vote mattered! Bush won the election by a narrow margin.

After the brief lecture, I conducted a mock election. Here are the results of that mock election: Hillary Clinton came in 1st place, Ben Carson 2nd place, and Donald Trump 3rd place. Students, comment on this post telling who you voted for and why you chose that candidate.

Your Temporary Escape (Blog Post Assignment 2)

A temporary escape from reality is revealed in “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” by Robert Frost. My temporary escape from reality is when I go hiking into the mountains; it is where I can be free.

Answer these questions: Why do you think that people at times need to find this type of temporary escape? What and where is YOUR temporary escape. Answer the questions in a well written paragraph. In addition, include a picture in your post. Your post is due no later than February 2, 2016. In addition, you must comment on your assigned classmate's post no later than February 5, 2016.

The Social Concept of Gender

Here is an interesting clip that the class watched about the social concept of gender roles. The interview with these children demonstrate how society influences our understandings and perception of differences between masculinity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a “man”) and femininity (what society deems appropriate behavior for a "woman").

Unit 1: Gender Roles and Gender Identity in Society

This week marked the end of Unit One which focused on gender/social roles and gender identity. The purpose of this unit was for students to cognize the complexity of gender roles and gender identity in society. Students read and analyzed Wild by the self-proclaimed feminist author Cherly Strayed. In addition, students read “The Ugly Truth About Beauty” by Dave Barry, “Why I Want a Wife” by Judy Brady, “How it Feels to be Colored Me” by Zora Neale Hurston, and “Becoming Member of Society: Learning the Social Meaning of Gender.” Upon the completion of the unit, students were required to write an essay synthesizing a variety of sources to answer the prompt: What does it mean to be a man, or masculine? What does it mean to be a woman, or feminine?

For the most part, the class enjoyed this unit. The subject matter required students to critically think about the topics and engage in intense class discussions. Most importantly, this unit challenged the students’ beliefs on gender roles and gender identity.

Click on the links below to view and read the documents.

"Why I Want A Wife"

"The Ugly Truth About Beauty"

"How It Feels to be Colored Me"

"Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meaning of Gender"

Welcome Classes Spring 2016

Welcome to Mr. Rease’s AP Language and Composition and Honors English Classroom Blog!

Students, you have received the first blog assignment. Your first blog post is an introduction. In other words, tell the readers who you are, what you like to do, which course you are taking, and your expectations from taking that course. Students, make sure you adhere to all of the rules that we discussed in class about posting a blog post. In addition, students you will comment on the posts of your assigned classmates. You will have until Friday, January 29, 2016 to post your comments to the introduction post of your assigned classmates.

In addition, if you have not done so, follow this blog by clicking the “Join this Site” link on the right hand corner of this page. You will need to review this blog daily. I hope you are as excited as I am about our classroom blog! I look forward to reading your posts!