Class 2/26

If you were in class today, bring your copy of Brave New World as you will have a bit of time to read tomorrow, 2/26.  If you were absent today, you will be making up the rhetorical analysis prompt we completed in class today.

Seemed like a good idea

It is almost 7:30 pm and I have not had five minutes to re-think our deadlines.  So, I am not going to try to make it up as I go. I need to go feed my family.   We will bubble more tomorrow and probably the next day.  So, I do not foresee any more lab time this week. But I will show you a couple models of essays that do the kind of thing we are trying to accomplish and I will stick to the Poisonwood Bible Passage deal.  The longer I sit in front of this screen, the more reasonable it seems to me to expect that you bring three drafts to class next Tuesday.  That day you will get feedback from your peers and then a final draft will be due Friday.  We will still be checking out Brave New World as scheduled. And the deadline for the Monster project sources remains firm.  I hope this is helpful.  Let me know if you have any questions.  Do you see how writing is?  It helps you think.  You don't have to have it all thought out when you sit down to begin writing.  If you just type, the ideas take shape...almost as if by magic.
Mrs. McAllister

The week: 2/10/14

On Monday and Tuesday, you will be working in the computer lab composing your exploration of your chosen concept in Kingsolver's Poisonwood Bible.  I will be available to work through any problems you may experience as you gather your thoughts into a coherent, cohesive essay that illustrates your mastery of language.  Plan to bring three printed drafts that are pretty close to your version of perfection to class on Wednesday to share with your peers. Plan for technical difficulties at home.  If you cannot print at home, for whatever reason, plan to visit the media center before school or -if you have AP Lang later in the day-at lunch.  Anyone who needs a pass to the media center for lunch or for a "free hour" can see me for one.  We do not have the time to allow for printing during class on Wednesday, so pretend this is a document you have been asked to present to your company's Board of Directors at your future job and be prepared. 

The final draft is due Thursday as we have no school on Friday.  On Thursday, I will be handing out the final set of multiple choice questions for the Poisonwood Bible.  These will cover three passages.  Here's the bit which will most interest you:  you will be allowed to drop (from all of the Poisonwood Bible passages) your three lowest grades.  The new set will be due on Monday at the beginning of the hour. We will correct them in class and then you can decide which grades you'd like to drop.

Next week, we will start reading Brave New World by Aldous Huxley which is a satire, a cautionary tale that was written in the 1930's, but can I tell you? The man had spooky powers of foresight.  It is about oppression through distraction.  Following that we will be writing our own satires.

The "Monster Project" is looming out there, isn't it?  Everything we have read this semester has been an exploration of the various lenses through which authors choose to view monsters of all kinds.  Hopefully, you've been doing a lot of reading about your topic.  Because we have lost 7 hours to Mother Nature, I am re-structuring this assignment somewhat.  If you'd like to work ahead a bit, you could collect eight texts (articles, essays, etc.) that cover your topic. 

You are going to have to narrow your focus when you complete the actual writing and so it may be useful to start thinking along those lines.  For example, we looked at the "Space Exploration" sample of the synthesis question for the AP Exam.  Space Exploration is a huge topic, so the folks at the College Board asked  students to "develop a position about what issues should be considered most important in making decisions about space exploration."  Another year, they asked students to "take a position on the effects of advertising." Likewise, if I were to focus on School Violence as my monster, I might narrow it considering the following question, "What is the best prevention against School Violence?"  Notice that I've focused my question on the solution aspect so that instead of wallowing in the problem, which is obvious and not a point of argument, I can focus my research on something positive and crawl out of the darkness that has surrounded us all year :)  I think we need this, especially in February and March.  I challenge you to do the same.  And then I would find a collection of texts that explore that topic.  And so should you.  You will ultimately include one graphic that you create. but you should also include a text that is some kind of chart or graph and requires the interpretation of data.  These should be texts that help you explore a variety of angles about your topic.  You are, in case you haven't figured it out yet, creating a synthesis prompt using as your model those created by the College Board. 

For those of you that cannot live without and function best when given a due date, let's call it March 3. So, by March 3, you should have eight texts which include your chart or graph or some other data piece.

This is probably enough for now.
You can respond with any questions or comments and I'll be happy to help.

Kingsolver Concepts

Concepts from Poisonwood Bible

• Discrimination
• Identity
• Morality
• Supremecy
• Isolation
• Tolerance
• Skepticism
• Leadership
• Ethnicity
• Africa
• Controversy
• Friendship
• Turmoil
• Learning
• Equality
• Honesty
• Compensation
• Ecology
• Penance
• Desperation
• Revolution
• Adaptation
• Pride
• Prejudice
• Independence
• Determination
• Survival
• Fate
• Tragedy
• Poison
• Righteousness
• Worship
• Obediance
• Grief
• Loyalty
• Death
• Youth
• Trust
• Injustice
• Violence
• Dominancedevotion
• Idoltry
• Obsession
• Resentment
• Ethnocentricity
• Race
• Literacy
• Polygamy
• Sacrifice
• Defiance
• Culture
• Struggle
• Rebellion
• Genocide
• Perspective
• Disease
• Perspicacity
• Indivualism
• Government
• Selfishness
• Forgiveness
• Betrayal
• Immorality
• Greed
• Silence
• Regret
• Humility
• Kindness
• Conquest
• Materialism
• Aternalism
• Altruism
• Time
• Egress
• Life
• Poverty
• Shame
• Emotions
• Stubborness
• Doubt
• Growth
• Opression
• Misinterpretation
• Values
• Personality
• Karma
• Ingorance
• Adventure
• Social Heirarchy
• Abuse
• Imperialism
• Kinship
• Respect
• Family
• Reflection
• Rejection
• Control
• Ubuntu
• Barriers
• Normality
• Perserverence
• Community
• Sexism
• Selflessness
• Transformation
• Development
• Judgement
• Redemption
• Capatalism
• Will
• Conformity
• Fear
• Bildungoroman
• Love
• Freedom
• Decisions
• Morality
• Loss
• Assimilation
• Belonging
• Discovery
• Deception
• Acceptance
• Supression
• Difference
• Justice
• Danger
• Perception
• Dependency
• Communication
• Truth
• Hardship
• Stereotypes
• War
• Sisterhood
• Reality
• Coping
• Democracy
• Politics
• Consequences
• Diversity
• Faith
• Cause and Effect
• Resiliance
• Relationships
• Religion
• Spirituality
• False Hopes
• Hunger
• Hope
• Changes
• Obstacles
• Language
• Tyranny
• Responsibility
• Innocence
• Maturity
• Belief
• Integrity
• Hate
• Patronization
• Power
• Luxurious
• Courage
• Thrist
• Strength
• Denial
• Upredictibility
• Choice
• Mysoginism
• Community
• Separation
• Narcissism
• Adversity
• Home
• Charity
• Familiarity
• Holier than thou
• Contempt
• Dreams
• Reluctance
• Humanity
• Monsters
• Westernization
• Passion
• Price
• Compassion
• Virtue
• Guilt
• Ego
• Rebirth
• Value of life

Kingsolver thinking.

Please find below the statements that students composed in class.  These statements reflect the arguments that students believed Kingsolver was making in her novel.  Each is the beginning of the exploration of a concept.  Many of them would need to be re-structured, but they are a great source to jump start your thinking.  If I had to write this essay, I would choose my favorite and complete a free write about it, not editing or censoring, and I would see where it takes me.  Writing is a re-cursive process.  You set something down and then you go back over it, re-working, re-writing, re-thinking until it becomes a coherent, cohesive whole.

Here are your ideas:

Courage is not facing challenges, but rather admitting mistakes and moving past them.

Events in one’s life can influence one’s will to do something one would not otherwise do.

Language can be used to convey certain implications where other forms of communication may fail.

When facing obstacles in life, one must accept failure in order to overcome these obstacles.

Different opinions on imperialism are formed  based on how much information is given and the imperialistic pursuit of power leads to the destruction of cultures.

It takes time to accept hardships and deal with them.

One is always faced with a long troubled conquest to better the mind, body and spirit.

In life, you must not only accept yourself, but also others around you and how they live.

Although westernization is viewed as good by the general public , in reality it can do more harm than good.

Adaptation is necessary if you plan to succeed in life.

Letting go on the past and forgiving yourself are necessary steps to reaching inner peace.T

The actions of those hungry for power and authority affect everyone, especially the most innocent.

From tragedy comes an opportunity for rebirth.

Cultural understanding leads to social integrity.

You must find your own identity, not letting others define you first.

It is necessary in life to take a step back and change your perspective in order to understand a situation in its entirety.

Religion, for some can provide self-identification and give life meaning, but for others it can create self-righteousness and can hinder your perspective on the world.

Commitment can cause people to lose sight of what is truly important.

The perception of your own culture can be altered by new experiences and individuals

The ability to consider the needs of others over one’s own is what creates a successful community.

Identity is altered by new surroundings.

Life is unpredictable and one must be able to adapt and overcome these situations

Life is truly nothing without controversy.

Misinterpretation is easy to find but hard to solve.

Through adversity, growth changes not only your physical appearance but also soul and mind

Forgiveness is the key to moving on.

Everything comes at a Price

Everyone sacrifices something but it is what you choose to sacrifice that defines you

Social and cultural barriers can be brought tumbling down through shared adversity and survival

Death is unexpected

Resistance comes from fear of the unknown

With the loss of basic necessities everyone is in jeopardy

The key to survival is in your own hands

Cure of obsession; get another one.

Although strong, the natural bonds of kinship can be severed by selfishness and abandonment

Ignorance is bliss

Narcissism intoxicates the senses

Having a positive attitude is the best way to go through life

The less control you have, the more fear you have

Different opinions on imperialism are forms based on how much information is given, and the imperialistic pursuit of power leads to the destruction of cultures.

Some people are sweet, while others can be poison.

One must endure hardships to discover ones true identity.

Relationships are changed and challenged by circumstance

Respect should be shown to all cultures and ways of life

Redemption of the past can consume the future

Resistance can be helpful or harmful depending on the situation

Perseverance in easy times is easy, but resilience in hard times shows character.

Egoism blinds the mind from reality.

Hardship, it will either bring people closer, or it’ll tear them apart.

Family; it’ll make or break you.

Power; use it, don’t abuse it.

Don’t let others’ dreams get in the way of your own.

Being in isolation results in self-reevaluation.

Resentment over a loss can sometimes be worse than the loss itself.

The thrill of discovery is often worth great sacrifice.

Ignorance and self-righteousness are a deadly combination.

A family must be strong internally to overcome obstacles.

The path to freedom is never an easy one.

No matter how tough times get, you can always hope.

Without trust relationships easily crumble.

Egoism blinds the mind from reality.

Passion is a necessity to having a meaningful life.

Tolerance is vital to human coexistence.

Consider your actions carefully so you are not haunted by regret

Morality can change based on one’s experiences

Adjusting ones attitude accordingly is essential to adaptation

Trials and tribulations lead to self-reflection and discovery

Pride in conjunction with ignorance can lead to one’s downfall

Greed through desperation can be deceiving.

Humility is key to gaining respect

One can never rid themselves of family

Pride is deadly

Stereotypes and misunderstanding are repercussions of ethnocentricity.

Oppression leads to resentment

Ego can cloud your judgment

Righteousness is found not earned

Separation from the world you know can lead to a better understanding of the world of others

Facing turmoil will crush the spirit of some, while bringing out the strength of others

Death and destruction are necessary for the cycles of life to continue.

Ignorance of others creates barriers between people in the community

Obsession can define you or consume you

Disease of the mind can destroy as easily as disease of the body.

The most insurmountable adversity brings out the innermost self.

Sometimes the actions of the present are really a reflection of the past.

The greatest tool for understanding is humility.

Obsession can define you or consume you.

Oppression unleashes the will to fight back.

Pride gives birth to prejudice.

As a way of gaining control, religion can be warped into a weapon that it’s not meant to be.

Morality is sacrificed in the desire to bring change.

Dealing with hardships brings about maturity over time.
In life, it's survival of the fittest.
Acts of desperation can reveal one's true character.
Independence can simple be a cruel illusion.
Family has the power to either strengthen or destroy us.
There is both physical and spiritual genocide.
It is in the future that one feels humility for past actions.
Stubbornness is a synonym for ignorance.