Friday

Today, we are going to review - Narration, spend some time Poetry Out Loud, and finally work, for most of the class on your Malcolm X essays (these need to be 2-3 pages).

Note, Due MONDAY - Malcolm X essays and a memorization quiz on Poetry Out Loud.

Wednesday

Today, I'm going to give you 15-20 minutes to work on Poetry Out Loud memorization.  Note, on Friday you will have a memorization quiz on them.

Then we will look at "Narration" for the Modes project and read at least one essay in The Riverside Reader.  Final, I'll give some time to begin your Malcolm X essay.

First, let's look at a video - from the news - that relates "Racism in America" as inherent in the system.

Go here

Tuesday

Today we take a quiz on Malcolm X and discuss the ending of the book.  

Then we will talk about an synthesis that will be due next Monday. 

Question: How should we think about race and racism in America?  Is there a solution?

Using The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and a least three other sources - MLK's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son"; Zora Neale Hurston's "How it Feels to be Colored Me"; Jamaica Kincaid's "Upon Seeing English for the First Time"; W.E.B Dubois' "Of Our Spiritual Striving"; and/or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman"  

 PROJECT OVERVIEW

1)   Student will read “Resources for Writing” (Thematic Unit – Survival) in their Riverside Reader pages 493 – 563.

The purpose of this aspect of the assignment is to further their understanding of seven different rhetorical modes of development and to show them a model for the writing project that they will be doing.  Reading the selections, which are all on the same topic, the Internet, but which utilize the various “modes of development”.

2)   Read two additional essays of their choice of each mode and write a précis (posted on their blog) for each.  These readings should come from The Riverside Reader.  While students are doing this aspect of the project the class will be studying and working with various modes in class.

3)   Write six papers on the same topic, each in a different mode. 

Each paper should clearly demonstrate the distinct characteristics of the mode.  Before writing the student should review the different chapters for tips on purpose, audience, strategies, and in some cases, potential pitfalls.  Especially important will be the “Points to Remember” charts handed out during the writing.

Students will choose a topic that is well known and interesting to them and broad enough that they can readily adapt it to six different treatments:  1) narration, 2) analysis, 3) compare and contrast, 4) classification, 5) definition, 6) cause and effect and 7) persuasion

Topics that have be suggested include: shopping, a favorite sport, school, friends, teenagers, grades, parents, teacher, TV, movies, reading, dating, music, holidays, fashion, presidential elections, politics, religion, vegetarianism, health, food or cooking, nature, etc.

Each paper should be approximately 500-750 words, labeled with the mode of development, double-spaced, typed, have a creative title, and a word count at the end.

Total project should be approximately 3500-5000 words.

Each paper will be workshopped in a group setting and discussed 1-1 with teacher.

PROJECT will be due at SPRING BREAK.  

Other Due dates: Thematic Unit read ("Survival") by 1/22.  Test on 1/23.

Narration Essay (draft) due 1/29

Process Analysis (draft) due 2/5

Compare and Contrast (draft) due 2/12

Division and Classification (draft) due 2/19

Definition (draft) due 2/26

Cause and Effect due 3/5

Persuasion (draft) due 3/12

FINAL drafts (all revisions done) due 3/21

Monday 1/8

You need to finish (if you haven't - and some of you left your books in the classroom so I'm fairly sure you haven't) "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and then write a paragraph comparing/contrasting it with The Autobiography of Malcolm X (thematically). 

When you are finished with this you need to work on picking out a poem for Poetry Out Loud and begin to memorize it.

You can find your poems - here

Wednesday

Today, I need to give you 10 - 15 minutes to write a paragraph comparing "Notes of A Native Son" (James Baldwin) with Malcolm X.  Then we need to discuss the last few chapters of Malcolm X and finally we need to read "Letter from Birmingham Jail" (MLK) on page 329.

Monday

Today we need to take a quiz over "SATAN", discuss Malcolm X, finish James Baldwin's "Notes of A Native Son" and work with appositives.

You'll need to do Exercise 2 questions 1-5 on page 171.  When we are done with James Baldwin you will also need to write a paragraph comparing/contrasting "Notes of A Native Son" with Malcolm X.

Remember tomorrow - SYNTHESIS ESSAY - look over your handouts from Friday.  Remember you can use the outline/graphic organizer that I gave you.

Friday

Note, today we are going to go over some steps for the Synthesis Essay, and finish reading James Baldwin. 

NOTE - your final (which will really be more like a "Practice" AP response questions) will be on a Synthesis Essay.  You should have picked up that one thing were are doing with Malcolm X is reading materials that could be used with it in a type of Synthesis Essay (note - January, hint hint).

SYNTHESIS
Paragraph 1
1) Hook (something that is engaging both also relates to your topic and ideally you can return to at the end of the essay).
2) Identify, clarify, explain the issue.
3) Clear, direct thesis statement.  This is a position for or against (usually) the prompt.  You can also have an order of development if you need it.  Just remember that sometimes these appear really mechanical, and if you present one you need to follow it in the order that you give.

Body Paragraphs
You can have as many body paragraphs as possible.  This is not a 5-part essay.  Actually it will look better if you don't write a 5-part essay.

In your body paragraphs you need a topic sentence.
Explanation of topic sentence (generalizations).  An transition or introduction to your specific evidence.  Source citation.  And you'll need to explain the significance of the supporting evidence.

NOTE - you need to analysis the evidence not just present it or summarize it.  What does the evidence me and how does the evidence back up your position. 

Technically, you should annotate the sources as you read them and write a short main idea of each.

Concluding Paragraph
Return to your thesis statement (reword it), return to your hook, perhaps significance from the reasons and evidence presented, and bring the paper to a thoughtful ending.