Introductory Things...

Today we began the day with a short reading self-evaluation. Then, after an introductory circle about our names, we read Adler's "How to Mark a Book" (in second period anyway). More on that tomorrow.

Monday & Tuesday: Welcome Back!

We spent these first two days examining a painting by William Blake and taking care of some introductory odds and ends.

For tomorrow:

By Friday: Read the full syllabus online, then locate, print and sign the AP Honor Statement.
By 9/7: Return Back-to-School Forms

Summer HW Part 3, Etc.

The discussion forum looks great and I am enjoying your thoughts on How to Read Literature Like a Professor. As you know, your posts to the discussion forum are due today; however, feel free to continue posting (or even post late). Everything I get in the next week will count (just less if you haven't been posting). Some reminders:

• Start your own thread or reply to someone. The goal is conversation.
• Be real. Make connections between the book and what you read, watch, play, etc.
• Keep it short and simple. The occasional long post is fine, but long posts often inhibit conversation (TL;DR). One idea=one post. Think Twitter rather than Facebook.
• Take 5 minutes and read the guidelines and rubric. Seriously.

The third and final piece of the summer assignment is posted at Google Classroom (due 8/26). It asks you to read and write about three short storties—Katherine Mansfield's "The Garden Party" (from HTRLLP) and two of the other short stories I have posted. Click on the assignment at Classroom and type your response in the Google doc it gives you.

I will be using Remind.com this year. You will get an email with details, but some of you will already be familiar with it (Muldoon and Lovfald use it, I think).

Enjoy your last few weeks of summer (and remind your friends to check their school email). Don't hesitate to contact me with questions.

See you all soon!

Foster & the Discussion Board

As we near the first due date for the summer homework (not counting the email in June), I wanted to touch base about a couple of things.

Foster & the Discussion Board:

• You should be well into Foster's book by now (there is a PDF here). I hope you are finding it interesting.
• As I mentioned previously, don't expect to get all the allusions to other books. The examples are just to help you get his point.
• Actually read it. Pretending to read it (or anything we study this year) is a useless exercise. It's like pretending to do push-ups: it won't make you stronger.
• Twenty-one of you have successfully logged in to Google Classroom. All of you should have an invitation in your email. The summer assignment is posted there in full.
• Discussion board posting has begun (posts are due 8/12 and 8/19); the more you engage, the better. I read the new posts every day; you should too.
• Read the discussion board guidelines posted at Classroom before you start posting. 
• You may post a new thread or comment on an existing thread.
• Good posts do not have to be long posts. Long posts, like long-winded people, actually tend to inhibit conversation.
• It is a good idea to connect Foster's book to books, movies, video games, etc. where you notice his ideas in action.
• How you craft your comments matters. Take care with your language, even if you are posting with your thumbs.

Don't hesitate to email or text with questions or concerns.

AP Lit 2016/17: Touching Base

I hope you are all enjoying your summer. I won't interrupt for too long, but I did want to touch base briefly about a couple of things:

The AP Literature Google Classroom and Group are up and running. You should have received notifications/invites in your school email. Have a look around when you have a moment.

The Summer Homework is posted at Google Classroom. The first part, "Making Contact," should already be done (if it's not, do it now). The second part, posting to the forums, requires Google Groups.  Once done, you can check off both of these assignments at Classroom if you want.

I know it is early in the summer and most of you probably have not actually started How to Read Literature Like a Professor (here's a PDF copy), but when you do:

• Don't expect to get all the references to other books and stories. The examples are just to help you get his point.
• Read carefully and with tools (e.g. a pen, highlighter, sticky notes, or their digital equivalents). Dialogue with the text—highlight AND comment on interesting or troubling passages, mark sections to discuss online or in class later, etc.
• Actually read it. Pretending to read it (or anything we study this year) is a useless exercise. It's like pretending to do push-ups: it won't make you stronger.

Don't hesitate to email or text if you have any questions. I look forward to your thoughts on How to Read Literature Like a Professor.

The Summer Assignment

An email update will be coming soon with information about Google Classroom and our Google Group. For now, here's a link to the summer assignment handout in case you have misplaced your copy.

The Music Video Project Begins (Officially)

Today students (those who didn't take the day off anyway) had the entire period to begin planning and working on their final projects in earnest. We wrapped up the period with an exit ticket about the current state of the project.
Presentations begin 6/13.

A bit of pre-college advice:

The Visual Essay

After wrapping up our literature circles yesterday, groups spent the day creating test-driving my visual essay idea. The results were excellent! Details are at Google Classroom.

Book Talks

Today we started with the warm-up below, and then students did book talks, sharing their books with others in the class.

So Many Things...

Today, we did a bit of poetry MC practice on Barbara Crooker's "Patty's Charcoal Drive-in," shared our final Poetry Month poems, had a poetry presentation on "Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night," wrapped up our discussion of Invisible Man, had the Invisible Man timed essay, and introduced the final book project (handouts and calendar are at Google Classroom).

Burdens of the Past

Today, our schedule changed yet again. As of now, "Rave" and "When I Think About Myself" by Maya Angelou will go tomorrow. "Do Not Go Gentle" by Dylan Thomas will go Thursday.

We spent today's period talking about the question below.

Friday

Friday we started with some essay practice, had a poem presentation and had some group discussion time on Invisible Man.

Monday's Poem: "Rave" by Yusef Komunyakaa

Poem in Your Pocket Day

Today we did a bit of prose MC practice and then shared a whole bunch of pocket poems! Our poetry presentation was cancelled due to an unfortunate cooking accident and will be rescheduled for next week sometime. We wrapped up the day with some IM thoughts (finally!).

Tomorrow's Poem: "If I Could Tell You" by WH Auden

Poetry & a Lockdown...

We began the day with some essay practice (a practice prose passage), had another poetry presentation, and then, finally got to talk about Invisible Man. Oh, wait, no we didn't. There was a lockdown instead. Invisible Man tomorrow. Maybe.

Tomorrow is Poem in Your Pocket Day!

Tomorrow's poem is: [What horror to awake at night] by Lorine Niedecker.

Poems and an Altered Schedule

Today, after a bit of prose MC practice, we had two poetry presentations which took the whole period. This is one of the reasons why I have altered the schedule posted at Google Classroom.

Tomorrow's poem (just one) is "Hunger for Something" by Chase Twichell.

Welcome Back

We got the final weeks of the year off to a good start with a few poems and a quick IM quiz.

Tomorrow's Presentation Poems (Don't forget  to do the homework!)
"A Poem on the Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy" by Nikki Giovanni

"After Building the Lego Star Wars Ultimate Death Star" by Sherman Alexie

How many planets do you want to destroy? 

Don’t worry, Daddy, this is just a big toy, 

And there is nothing more fun than making noise.

 My sons, when I was a boy, I threw dirt clods 

And snow grenades stuffed with hidden rocks, and fought 

Enemies—other Indian boys—who thought, 

Like me, that joyful war turned us into gods.

IM and Presentation Order

Today we spent most of the day discussing Invisible Man, but also drew the order for poetry presentations which begin Monday after break. The first two poems are "Albatross" by Kate Bass and "Love Song" by Dorothy Parker. Don't forget to do the poetry HW (below).

Practice & Presentations

After a bit more poetry practice, students had some time to work on their presentations.

MC Practice and Work Time

After a bit more MC practice, groups worked on their presentations. Presentations begin the Monday we get back, so CRAs, group MC questions, presentation slides, and presentation notes were the focus.

MC Practice and Work Time

After a bit of multiple choice practice, students spent the day working on their poetry projects.