The Glass Castle

Today's planned in-class analysis was moved to Tuesday.

Today in class we discussed the strategy of distinctio. Used carefully, distinctio can be quite effective. Since words can be rather ambiguous at times, distinctio allows the author to clarify their point. This clarification can be the difference between a point being understood and a point being taken to mean something entirely different.

1. Distinctio is usually used with a linking phrase like “which is to say” or “by which I mean,” but it can also be used by putting a definition in parenthesis immediately after the term you’re defining.
2. Words that indicate how “good” something is, how “likely” something is to happen, or how “difficult” something is. Many words that often need clarification because of their abstract interpretations.
3. Distinctio should only be used when it’s needed to maintain the integrity of a sentence…if an essay is rife with distinctio it will be ineffective.
4.Distinctio can also be used to add humor to a speech or essay.

We began reading and discussing Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle

As you read, take annotations on the following:
1. The differences between the way Rex and Rose Mary (the author’s parents) view the world and the way the author views the world, based on the rhetoric she uses to convey the differences between these viewpoints.
2. The contrast in the way the author views her life as she grows older
3. The reversal of roles in the parent/child relationship
4. Appeals to pathos, ethos, and logos
5. The symbolism of events, places, people and things. Specifically, how do the parents and children in the memoir view these events, places, people and things differently?


We discussed the purpose of the Dylan Thomas quote at the beginning of the memoir and how it provides insight into Walls' overall purpose. Remember how often I've mentioned that an author does not include a quote just for kicks--there's always a reason.

We discussed the surprising juxtapostion between mother and daughter in the first few pages. Some of the topics we discussed: How does this set up some of the themes for the entire memoir? How does Walls' attempt to demonstrate that she is a reliable memoirist? What suprises you about Rose Mary's homelessness?

The following questions (through p. 25) are due tomorrow:
1. What purpose do you think the quote from the Dylan Thomas poem at the beginning of the memoir serves?
2. What is the purpose of Part I: A Woman on the Street? What do the various anecdotes in this introduction establish?
3. Compare and contrast Jeannette’s home with her parents and her “home” at the hospital, citing rhetorical strategies the author uses to show this view.
4. What similarities did you notice about the way Jeannette viewed her father and the way Zippy viewed her father?
5. List three examples from the book that note an underlying darkness about the author’s upbringing.
6. What is the symbolism of the Glass Castle?
7. Identify and analyze the effect of an appeal to ethos, an appeal to pathos, and an appeal to logos.

Procatalepsis, Hypophora and Sallie Tisdale analysis

Today in class we analyzed and discussed the purposes and differences of procatalepsis and hypophora.

In class, we read and analyzed Sallie Tisdale's "We Do Abortions Here: A Nurses' Story."
1. TAP the essay.
2. Answer question # 3.
3. Using evidence from the text, list an appeal to ethos, pathos and logos.
Choose a side on the abortion issue and create three hypophoras for your point of view.
4. Now, write three procatalepsis for the other side.
Use information from Tisdale’s essay to create your hypophora and procatalepsis.

Analyzing Lars Eighner's "On Dumpster Diving"

In class:

We discussed the rhetorical strategy of anaphora. Do not confuse anaphora with repetition. While anaphora does contain repeated phrases, those phrases must build to a climax.

Read and analyze Lars Eighner's "On Dumpster Diving" (p. 22).
1. TAP the essay.
2. List an example of a specific appeal Eighner makes to ethos, pathos and logos in his essay. For each appeal, cite the example and explain the connection.
3. Eighner has a decidedly educated style of writing. What is the effect of his diction and syntax on the audience in terms of the subject he is discussing?
4. In paragraph eight, Eighner presents three principles one must follow to eat safely from a Dumpster; in paragraphs 59-60 he explains how to go through a Dumpster; and throughout the essay he includes many cautions and warning. Clearly, he does not expect his audience to take up Dumpster diving. What, then, is his purpose in including such detailed explanations?
5. This essay contains three one-sentence paragraphs. Why does Eighner isolate these sentences? How would their effect be different if they were combined with their adjacent paragraphs.
6. Eighner’s essay includes a number of lists that catalog items he came across (paragraph 5, paragraph 50). What is the purpose of these extensive lists?
7. Eighner concludes his essay with the line “I feel sorry for them.” Identify and analyze THREE rhetorical strategies Eighner uses to illustrate this point of view.

Remember, you have a Friday reading too!

Analyzing Scott Russell Sanders' "Under the Influence"

In class:
Traded practice multiple choice questions and provided justified answers, including the rationale for elimintating choices.

In conjunction with our new book next week, we read Scott Russell Sanders' "Under the Influence" on page 140 of the Norton Reader.

Homework:
TAP Sanders' essay.
Answer questions #1, #2 on page 150.
Identify and analyze THREE allusions that help Sanders convey his purpose to the audience.

Essays, Zippy and Multiple Choice questions

Today's in class essay was an analysis of Mubarak Dahir's NPR commentary. Essays will be returned to you next Monday, January 31st (barring serious injury or death of your teacher).

Grades will be based on:
1. How well you interpreted the purpose of the essay. This is where you should not let the title fool you--the purpose was not to explain the difficulties of being the only Muslim in a classroom led by a Christian teacher. The author used the anecdotal evidene to convey his real purpose--the importance of separation of church and state.

In class:
Broke into groups of two and created eight AP style multiple choice questions, complete with answers (on a separate page). These questions can focus on rhetoric, purpose and motifs from Zippy.

Critical Reading and the AP exam

Today in class we began practicing for the mulitiple choice portion of the AP Language exam. As stated in class, the best way to arrive at the correct answer is to always eliminate the wrong answers first. Since the College Board is no longer penalizing students for incorrect answers, it is to your absolute advantage to take an educated guess on EVERY question.

On Monday, you will take an in-class essay. It will NOT be over Zippy. Instead, you will read a short passage and write a response based on the prompt provided. You will have 40 minutes total to read and write.

Remember your Zippy reading ("ESP" through "Reading List") and rhetorical analysis is due Monday as well.

After the essay Monday, you will break into pairs and create your own AP Language MC style questions over the rhetoric found in Zippy. More details will be provided in class Monday.

We will begin Jeannette Walls' The Glass Castle Monday, January 31. You MUST have the book by that date.

Enjoy the weekend...next week is the first five day week this semsester. Can you believe it took us until the fourth week of school to get here? I don't know about all of you, but I'm over the snow/ice days and ready for things to warm up!

Langston Hughes and Haven Kimmel: Parallels Between Authors

Today in class we participated in a mini Socratic seminar. We began our disucssing by reading and analying Langston Hughes' heartbreaking narrative, "Saved." I say "heartbreaking" because Hughes' despair at the end of the essay could have been so easily avoided if the adults in his life and spoken to him like the child that he was. "Saved" is a wonderful companion piece to Kimmel's "Slumber Party" essay because both authors show their respective audiences the power of adult influence. Continue to pay careful attention to the way Kimmel develops her religious motif in the memoir.

Some of the major questions concerning the religios motif in Zippy that we discussed in the seminar were:
1. Is Zippy really an atheist? Cite evidence supporting or refuting your assesment.
2. Kimmel begins her "Slumber Party" essay with a paradoxical quote from Einstein. How does this quote lend iteself to the various paradoxes within the essay itself?
3. Is Zippy's father a negative or a positive influence on her religious beliefs?

Homework:
Friday reading due tomorrow.
In Zippy, read "ESP" through "Reading List" for Monday. Your chapter rhetorical strategy analysis is due Monday as well.

Improving Quickwrites

Today in class we discussed our darling Zippy, the strategy of antithesis and strategies for improving quickwrites.

Remember, antithesis is very common in political rhetoric, but just as effective in other works. When you incorporate antithesis into your own writing, be careful not to overuse the strategy. Like any rhetorical device, antithesis will lose its impact if you don't use it correctly.

Please do not despair if your first Zippy quickwrite did not go like you planned. Many of you are not used to the analytical style of writing, so it will take more than one or two tries to get it right. In the meantime, review the suggestions from previous blog posts and class notes. Pay close attention to the notations I make on your assignments--they are there to help you know what you did well and what you can improve upon. A basis of this class is to help you learn to develop this style...and I am always here to help! The examples from class today are helpful because you can review the success some of your peers have had.

In class today: Read and analyze Sonia Shah's "Tight Jeans and Chana Chorris" from the Norton Reader. (p. 304). TAP the essay and answer questions 1 -3.

Homework: Read and analyze "Diner" and "Slumber Party." Be prepared for another Zippy quickwrite tomorrow! You DO get to use your books on the quickwrite, so don't forget to bring Zippy.

Welcome Back!

It was great seeing you all again after the ten day weekend. Thankfully, because of all the work you diligently completed over the snow break, we are on track and do not have to worry about doubling up on assignments just to catch up.

Today in class we:
1. Discussed Zippy at length. I appreciated all of your contributions and personal insights into the author's use of rhetoric, character development, purpose, etc.
2. Reviewed strategies for identifying and analyzing rhetoric.
3. Homework: Read and analyze "Location."

Don't forget..."summer" reading Tuesday!

I'm sure you wouldn't dream of forgetting, but we will finally have our first in-class essay Tuesday! Scroll through previous posts for some hints about the specificty of the topic. I really can't wait to see all of you!

Pinnacle (You know you love it!)

I updated Pinnacle for everyone...whoo-hoo a whole three grades! Don't forget to email me your quickwrites by noon today; I'll grade them this afternoon and post grades by tomorrow morning.

Some of you may have noticed that you are no longer listed on the AP Language roster. This is because the class was over capacity and eliminations are based on prerequisites for the course.

The prerequisite for Honors and AP courses at Wheeler are:
1. An 85 or higher to remain in the Honors course This is where there can be confusion; because AP is considered a higher level course, if you earn below a 92 in an H class, but earned at least an 85, you technically do not have the prerequisite to take AP.
2. A 92 or higher to "move up" in a course In other words, if you earned a 92 or higher in Honors British Literature, you fulfill the prerequisite to "move up" to an AP course. Caveat: If you took on-level 10th Lit and earned a 92 or higher, this qualifies you to move to Honors American Literature, but not AP Language.

A handful of the class met the "92 or higher" requirement, so those students have a secured position. From there, students were selected based on how high of a grade they had in Honors British Literature.

If you still want to take AP Language and you are no longer on the roster, you and your parents need to fill out a waiver form and turn it into the guidance office. Please do not take the waiver personally. Unfortunately, scheduling is a numbers game, and the fairest and easiest way to balance class sizes is it use the prerequisite system. It doesn't mean I don't like you or that I think you can't do the work. You can access the waiver form on the Wheeler website.

If you would like to discuss your status personally, please send me an email and I will help you in any way I can.

More on Our Girl Zippy

Thursday Assignment:
I. For Zippy, read the following and analyze two rhetorical strategies per chapter:
1. Blood of the Lamb
2. Unexpected Injuries
3. The Kindness of Strangers
II. Take annotations!
III. Friday reading!

Some notes about the theme of religion:

We didn't get to discuss this in class today, so I hope some of these examples will help guide you for when we reunite. Kimmel does a fantastic job of explaining her confusion about her religious beliefs in "Blood of the Lamb." Do you think Zippy's father is a positive or negative influence on her religious beliefs? He doesn't hide the fact that he hates church, but he doesn't support Zippy when she agrees with him.

p. 53: "I not only had to spend countless hours of my life worshipping a God I didn't believe in, I could even complain about it, whereas Dad just sat down in his chair and called it like he saw it."

p. 53 - 55: The anecdote about Kimmel's tricks ("I Can't Find My Other Shoe" and "I've Lost My Little Pink New Testament") to avoid church and her father's assertion that she still go.

p. 55: "When I think of getting up for church, it is always winter, but when I think of the actual walk...it is always a perfect summer day that will wither in my absence." Think about the contrast here between the symbolism of the seasons.

p. 60: The entire page provides an insight into the way Zippy views religion. What seem to be her chief complaints at this point? Is this a natural child reaction?

I love the way Kimmel uses diction and syntax to capture her childlike point of view. Consider these examples from "Unexpected Injuries":

p. 63: "...off we'd go, driving less than an hour to the campground, with me flying around in the back like a little wayward piece of popcorn."

p. 63: Kimmel's description of Petey immediately resonates with the audience--this is an evil child (she even acknowledges that the visual of Petey is a cliché). My favorite line in this paragraph is the one about Petey's bicycle being made of the Devil's own parts.

Other things to notice about this chapter:

1. Zippy's anecdote about the frogs (p. 62) offers a brief comment on her religious views.
2. Zippy's father, Bob, once again takes justice into his own hands when it comes to his daughter's pets.
3. Zippy's father's reaction to the Scroggs men killing the rabbits while Zippy watched. (How was this different than when Zippy watched Minnie kill her chickens?)

In "The Kindness of Strangers," what does Zippy learn about her father? How does this essay serve as a nice companion for "Favors For Friends," the essay that follows?

I love the way Kimmel describes Andy Hicks (p. 84): "There are people in this world so perfect that the fact of them feels like a personal gift, and Andy was one of those people." Did you pick up the juxtaposition between her view of Petey Scroggs and her view of Andy Hicks? We also gain some insight into the way Zippy's dad "gets" his daughter (p. 89) "I knew Dad would never mention Jiggers again, no her life or her death or her grave."


Friday Assignment:

I. For Zippy, read the following and analyze two rhetorical strategies per chapter:
1. Favors for Friends
2. Haunted Houses
3. Professionals
4. Chance
5. A Short List of Things My Father Lost Gambling/Won Gambling (You DO NOT need to analyze rhetorical strategies for these...just read).
6. The World of Ideas
II. Take annotations!
NOTE: "Haunted Houses" is a loooooong chapter, I know, but the theme of life and death (and religion) was obvious. What did you all think of Zippy's dad letting her watch the dogs and cats pulled out of Edythe's house? Why do you think Kimmel dedicated such a lengthy amount of essay space to Edythe? What do you think of the exchange between Zippy and her dad on p. 104-105 concerning Christianity?
III. Read Barbara Taylor Aldrich's "Why I Live in a Small Town." Aldrich describes different sort of small town life than Capote's portrayal of small town Holcolmb and Haven Kimmel's description of small town Moreland, Indiana, there are similarities between the citizens and the culture of these places. Think about that as you read.

Questions for the Aldrich essay:
1. TAP. Include two examples of evidence from the essay to support each part of TAP.
2. Aldrich arranges her essay into several sections. What is the purpose of this arrangement and how to these sections connect with one another?
3. Aldrich wrote this essay in 1933. Cite three words or phrases from the essay that hint at this era. For each word or phrase, explain its meaning in Aldrich’s time and contrast its meaning today.
4. Contrast Aldrich's ideas about small town life with city life.

Ice, Ice, Baby...

By now, I've reached almost all of you and told you about the assignments. Please read this blog thoroughly to make sure you're on track for whenever we see each other again. I'm not sure when that will be exactly. The roads are extremely scary and icy (I just arrived home from the airport and while the interstates are clear, the local roads are a mess. I'd like to say they're a "hot mess," but the irony there is too easy, so I'm leaving well enough alone).

However, I couldn't resist the cliche title of today's blog post because it ties in with today's rhetorical strategy focus: allusion. As stated in the handout, many many allusions are Biblical in nature; probably because the Bible was one of the first printed texts that widespread groups of people had access to. As a result, all literature that followed alludes heavily to the Bible (and Shakespeare for that matter!) An easy example of allusion in Zippy comes from the chapter "Daniel," when Kimmel mentions her brother's name would "see him through his time with the lions..." This is an allusion to the story of Daniel in the Lion's Den. As I've said before, when we discuss Biblical works in class, we will be doing so from a literary standpoint.

As you know from my phone calls last night (funny: your parents seemed thrilled, most of you--eh, not so much!) you know you need to read through "There She Is". Remember, you can't use the same rhetorical strategy more than once per assignment. I'm breaking down the chapters into their assignments below. (NOTE...there will be another blog post coming shortly for Thursday, Friday and the weekend...just in case!)

Monday Assignments:
I. For Zippy, read the following and analyze two rhetorical strategies per chapter:
1. Prologue
2. Baby Book
3. Hair
4. The Lion
II. Take annotations!

Tuesday Assignments:
I. For Zippy, read the following and analyze two rhetorical strategies per chapter:
1. Qualities of Light, or Disasters Involving Animals
2. Julie Hit Me Three Times
II. Take annotations!

Today in class we would have discussed what characterizes Kimmel's style of writing. Something you probably all noticed was how easily the author conveys a childlike tone through use of observation, detail, anecdotes and diction. Did you happen to notice hyperbole in every other sentence? (wink, wink) Personally, I love Kimmel's use of imagery. ("Kai turned out to be the color of coins falling from a winter sky," p. 19 is certainly more compelling than "Kai was gray.")

Additionally, I'd like you to pay close attention to the relationship Kimmel portrays with her father and mother. It's pretty obvious which parent she favors over the other. Her father seems to be indulgent and free spirited while her mother seems to be the enforcer of rules. What child wouldn't favor the parent that gained her admission into the mafia and wreaked havoc on the dogs who would dare to eat her beloved Speckles?

In the next section of assigned reading, pay attention to the relationship Zippy has with her brother and sister as well as her contradicting views on religion.



Wednesday Assignment:
I. For Zippy, read the following and analyze two rhetorical strategies per chapter:
1. Daniel
2. There She Is
II. Read and answer the following prompt in 250 words or less (the snow day version of a 5 minute write)! You must email me your analysis (saritawheatley@gmail.com)by 12 p.m. Thursday. (That's noon, not midnight!)

In a brief analysis, explain how Kimmel uses rhetoric to show her favoritism between her parents. In your analysis, you should cite specific text that supports your assertion.
III. Take annotations!

Some reminders and tips about analyzing essays in class:

1. Focus on analysis rather than summary.
2. Remember to include the author’s name, the title of the work, and address the TAP in your response. In a quickwrite, try to get all of this in the opening sentence. In essays, make sure they're in the first paragraph.
3. When you identify a rhetorical strategy the author uses, give the example and then explain the effect that strategy has on the audience and how it helps convey the author’s purpose.
4. Strong opening sentences are key!

Ex prompt: Analyze how Kimmel uses the death of her chicken, Speckles, to illustrate her relationship with her family.

Ex opening answer: Haven Kimmel’s portrayal of her family’s reactions to the death of her beloved chicken, Speckles, effectively conveyed how she viewed her family members to the audience. Balancing a lighthearted tone and childlike diction, Kimmel accurately captured the emotions of a devastated six year old in this humorous anecdote from “Qualities of Light, or Disasters Involving Animals,” making it clear to the reader that her father understood "chicken love."

Follow the formulas below to help you develop your style. As you become more comfortable with analysis, you'll be able to move away from the formula.

So, how can you improve your opening sentences?
In ____________________ (title), __________________ (author) effectively/ineffectively uses ________________ (name specific rhetorical strategies) that demonstrate/develop/show/illustrate, etc. to the audience ________________________ (the purpose).

So, how can you improve your analysis of purpose and rhetorical strategies?
______________________ (author) reinforces her ______________________ (purpose or position) with the use of ______________________ (rhetorical strategy). ___________________ (author) writes “QUOTE THE AUTHOR’S WORDS CONTAINING THE IDENTIFIED STRATEGY HERE,” which demonstrates/shows the audience (whatever it shows).

As you progress with your analysis this semester, I would expect that you will develop your own style and will not need to rely on the formula.

Snow Day (x2)

Hello AP Langers!

I'm sure none of you are disappointed to have two snow days off. I hope we're all reunited Wednesday.

In the meantime, this means you had two extra days to prep for the essay, so my expectations are higher than ever. Likewise, don't forget to complete the Zippy work I assigned in the event of a snow day today.

See you soon! (I hope!)

In Cold Blood Socratic Seminar

Wow! I thoroughly enjoyed listening to your Friday reading discussions. Thanks so much for sharing! It tends to take classes a few seminars to start being so open, but this class was eager to share. I loved it!

Some hints about Monday's essay:
If you're checking this blog, I think you deserve a reward! As stated in class, your "summer" (eh, winter break) reading analysis will center on the ways Capote uses rhetoric in In Cold Blood. More specifically, expect your prompt to come from one of the three below:

Prompt #1:
Using evidence from the book to support your point of view, explain how Truman Capote uses rhetoric to create sympathy for Perry and/or Dick.

Prompt #2
Using evidence from the book to support your point of view, analyze the effectiveness of Truman Capote’s writing style in telling the story of the murders (think parallelism, etc.)

Prompt #3
Using evidence from the book to support your point of view, analyze the appropriateness of the title, In Cold Blood.

There will be ONE prompt given in class Monday. If we don't have class Monday due to inclement weather, the essay will be Tuesday.

We discussed one of the best rhetorical strategies in the history of the world, no the universe today: hyperbole.

The assigned work for Zippy today is due Tuesday, regardless of a "snow Monday" or not. You need to read and analyze rhetoric in the first three chapters and be prepared to discuss the motifs of the memoir Tuesday.

As you read, use either post-it notes or the margins and take thorough annotations on the following motifs of the memoir:

1. Reoccurring rhetorical strategies
2. Zippy’s relationship with family and friends
3. Zippy’s views of small town life
4. Zippy’s view of religion

All work should be typed, double-spaced, 10-12 point font.

The following assignment is due the day after reading that chapter. You will select TWO rhetorical strategies per chapter, including the chapters read and discussed in class. So, if we read two chapters in class and you read two for homework, you would turn in eight rhetorical strategies.
For each chapter, note rhetorical strategies Kimmel uses to develop her theme/purpose.

For each strategy include the following:
a. The name and definition of the strategy.
b. The example of the strategy from the book, include the page number.
c. A sentence or two evaluating the effectiveness of the strategy.

Example:
a. IMAGERY: Use of language to convey sensory experience, most often through the creation of pictorial images through figurative language.
b. page 24 -25. “I have never in my life seen kinder or more sparkly eyes than hers, and every time she gave me the silencing look I realized how much she knew that I would never know. The arc of that piglet through the air into the dog pen contained more comedy than I will ever see again in my life, but my heart still ached.”

c. Kimmel’s use of diction in this paragraph: “sparkly,” “silencing,” and “the arc of the piglet” are effective in that the reader is able to identify the emotion Zippy felt when the pig died. Specifically, the use of “silencing look” to describe Julie’s reaction lets the reader know that, in Julie’s opinion, there was no choice but to feed the piglet to the dogs and that Zippy should have no averse opinion in the matter.

Please note: You may only use a specific rhetorical strategy ONCE per homework assignment (not ONCE per chapter).

Varying Meanings of "Home"

Great class discussion today!
If you missed class, we discussed the following topics and ideas raised by the stories:

“Coming Home Again”
1. What is the effect of the first sentence?
2. page 1, paragraph 2: “The world of our house.” What is the significance of this use of diction?
3. Why is food such an important association? Look at the imagery here. Why the focus on food?
4. Why title this story Coming Home AGAIN? What is the significance of “again”?
5. page 5, paragraph 4: “immaterial.” Why might the mother feel immaterial? How does Chang-Rae Lee feel about her now vs. childhood?
6. “Often enough, my mother was the object of my derision.” How did he feel in relation to his mother?

“On Going Home”
1. What is the difference between the author’s own home and her home growing up?
2. Why does Didion feel guilty about her daughter’s sense of “home”? How was it different from her childhood.
3. How does Didion refer to her family members? She doesn’t name them, she simply calls them husband, brother, mother, aunt, baby. What is the significance of this?

Perceptions of Home:
1. How is your home life different from the home life of your parents? Your grandparents? What mitigating factor represents the biggest difference between your grandparent’s generation and your generation?
2. What does she mean by “classic betrayal” in reference to marriage?

Religion and Family:
How important is religion in the family setting?

Homework:
Complete your first Friday reading. If you have questions, remember to email me at saritawheatley@gmail.com if it is after 4 p.m.
Bring your copy of Capote's In Cold Blood. We will discuss the various ways Capote elicts sympathy for the murderers as well as the ways he crafts the text to achieve his purpose.

In a Family Way

Many of our readings this semester will focus on how our family and background shape how we think, how we view the world, and how we develop. Specifically, you will be asked to focus on how the parental role

Today's assignment:
Read Chang Rae Lee's "Coming Home Again" and Joan Didion's "On Going Home" in the Norton Reader, p. 1 - 11.

“Coming Home Again”
1. TAP the essay, citing specific evidence (specific diction or a sentence) that supports your assertion.
2. p. 9, q. 1, 2 (discuss three flashbacks, not all of them), 3 and 4.

“On Going Home”
1.TAP
2. p. 11, q. 1, 2

Tomorrow, we will discuss the essays as well as review the Pitts analysis you turned in today.

Second Semester AP Language and Composition...and so it begins!

Hello wonderful AP Langers!
I am thrilled to have you in class this semester. I love reading and writing, and I love that my job as a teacher allows me to share this with you. This is my last semester at Wheeler High School and I'm determined to make it the best semester yet. I'm so excited about the opportunity to get to know you.

Here's are some links to the documents handed out the first day of school:
1. AP Language and Composition Syllabus Spring 2011.
2. What is sure to become your most used piece of material in this course: Ms. Wheatley's Handy Guide to Rhetorical Strategies.
Tone and Diction.
Read and analyze Leonard Pitts, Jr.'s "A Twisted Joke on a Teen Girl." You need to identify the tone, audience and purpose (and give supporting citations) as well as analyze how effective the piece was in conveying the purpose.

Remember to purchase the books for the course as soon as possible so you can save money and be prepared.
We'll start "A Girl Named Zippy" next week. There are enough classroom copies, so you don't need to purchase this book.