Tuesday Nov. 17th  and Wed Nov. 18th 2015

Tues:

Revise Synthesis Essay. Turn in tomorrow with first draft.



Wed:

Quick Write in Journal: The Cruel Tutelage of Pai Mai

Tuesday, Nov. 10th

Home work due Friday Nov 13th
Read next excerpt from hand out (AP Lang practice exam) and answer multiple  choice questions 15-30.  Do not give yourself more than 20 minutes.

Also write a three (yes three) paragraph essay which integrates a variety of sources ( see link below) into a coherent, well-written essay. Refer to the sources to support your position; avoid mere paraphrase or summary. Your argument should be central; the sources should support this argument.

If you need until Tuesday to complete this short essay you may have the extra time.


http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/repository/ap05_englang_synthesi_46827.pdf

Sunday Oct. 18, 2015

Good Afternoon Ladies,

I hope you are all having a wonderful weekend.
I apologize that I forgot to post your homework on Friday so here it is:

Read Beowulf up to line 260 and be prepared to answer the following question:

Though originally a poem with pagan influences, Beowulf was finally written down by a Christian Monk. What specific lines (numbers please) within the text reflect a Christian Point of view?

Also Bring a copy of Heaney's translation of Beowulf  (devices are fine),  your AP workbook and your journal to class ALL week; points will be deducted if you do not have them present.

See you Tuesday

AP LANG FREE RESPONSE

(Don’t be fooled by the word “Free”-answer the prompt)

Homework: Due Tuesday, Oct 13.

Type a three paragraph essay that answers/ responds to one of the following prompts:

(Suggested time—40 minutes. This question counts for one-third of the total essay section score on the AP Lang test.)

1 1. The first Buy Nothing Day—a day on which people are urged to purchase no goods—was organized in Canada in 1992 as a way to increase awareness of excessive consumerism. A Buy Nothing Day has been held yearly since then in many nations. An online article, “Buy Nothing Day: 2006 Press Release,” urged worldwide acceptance of taking a “24-hour consumer detox as part of the 14th annual Buy Nothing Day” in order to “expose the environmental and ethical consequences of over consumption” (“Buy Nothing Day,” courtesy Adbusters, www.adbusters.org).

     Consider the implications of a day on which no goods are purchased. Then write an essay in which you develop a position on the establishment of an annual Buy Nothing Day. Support your argument

      with appropriate evidence.

2.  In his 2004 book, Status Anxiety, Alain de Botton argues that the chief aim of humorists   is not merely to entertain but “to convey with impunity messages that might be dangerous or impossible to state directly.” Because society allows humorists to say things that other people cannot or will not say, de Botton sees humorists as serving a vital function in society.

Think about the implications of de Botton’s view of the role of humorists (cartoonists,      stand-up comics, satirical writers, hosts of television programs, etc.). Then write an essay that defends, challenges, or qualifies de Botton’s claim about the vital role of  humorists. Use specific, appropriate evidence to develop your position.

ALSO,

Bring a copy of Beowulf.

ALSO, 

Remember that Wed. Oct 14 is PSAT day. No classes. 

ALSO,

Have a good weekend!

Sat, Sept 26th

Good Evening,

After looking over the Logical Fallacy list this afternoon, I realize the list is a bit extensive to memorize by Tuesday. In addition, I discovered the AP Lang test does not require you know all of the term. Please focus on the following terms for your test. I apologize for any confusion.

Begging The Question
Non Sequitur Arguments
Post Hoc
Faulty Analogies
Hasty Generalizations
Red Herrings
Ignoring the Question
Opposing the Straw Man
Ad Hominem

Sept 25, 2015

Argumentative Fallacies

Arguments can be bad for one of several reasons: They can  fail when the conclusion does not properly follow from the premises.

Baptists are often politically conservative. (premise)

Republicans are often politically conservative. (premise)

Therefore Baptists are often Republicans. (conclusion)

This sort of argument can be extremely seductive, but logically it does not work. Consider another argument that has exactly the same form:

John Elway is a great quarterback. (premise)

Michael Vick is a great quarterback. (premise)

Therefore, Michael Vick is really John Elway. (conclusion)

Both arguments are invalid, for even if their premises are true, their conclusions can still be false. Many logical fallacies are of just this sort: They offer reasons that fail to support their conclusions.

Finally, some arguments are bad,  not because they make false claims or because they commit some logical error, but rather because they are booby traps for unsuspecting readers.

Dr. Roy Spencer, who is a prominent climate scientist at the University of Alabama at Huntsville and winner of NASA’s Medal for Exceptional Scientific Achievement, doesn’t think that humans are causing global warming (premise). So humans are probably not causing global warming (conclusion).

Formally speaking, there is nothing fallacious about this argument. It appeals to authority, but Dr. Spencer is fairly clearly an appropriate authority on the matter of global warming. So as far as it goes, this is a good argument. The problem, however is that the argument leaves out an important bit of information, namely that the overwhelming consensus in the scientific community is that global warming is being caused by humans. But by suppressing important evidence, the argument is potentially a booby-trap for unwary readers. 


In preparation for your Fallacy Test on Tuesday watch the following clips. Although the speaker is a fast talker, I think the explanations of the fallacies will be helpful.

Five Fallacies | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8qb-h0sXkH4

Even More Fallacies! | Idea Channel | PBS Digital Studios
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ybOvddwpJAg

PS: If a fallacious term is described on the Youtube video and NOT listed on the hand-out, don't worry about it, :)

Hang in there,
Mrs. Cales

Sept 18th, 2015

Please type your answers to the following questions and bring to class on Tuesday, 22.

Prologue 
1, What does Oedipus want to know from the Elder?
2. According to the priest, what is happening throughout Thebes?
3. What does the priest want Oedipus to do?
4. According to Creon, what is the problem in finding witnesses or getting to the root of the problem? 5. What is Oedipus' attitude about "breaking this plague"?

 Ode of Entry 
1. According to the Chorus, what are conditions in the city?
2. For what do they pray?

First Episode 
1. What is ironic about Oedipus' claim that he is "stranger to the story"?
2. What penalties does Oedipus decree on the guilty party?
3. What is ironic about Oedipus' statement "his marriage bed my bed of seed"?
4. According to the chorus, what divine being knows the truth about who the killer is?
5. How does Oedipus treat Tiresias at first?
6. What accusation does Oedipus hurl at Tiresias?
7. Explain Tiresias statement: "These very gibes you mouth at me will soon be hurled by every mouth at you."
8. What seems to emerge as one of Oedipus' character flaws?

Second Choral Ode 
1. How does the Chorus feel about the possibility of Oedipus' guilt?

Second Episode 
1. How does Creon react to the accused charges against him?
2. How does Oedipus link Creon and Tiresias to the crime? Why?
3. How does Jocasta soothe both men’s anger?