Practicing Persuasion and Collaboration

Today's Goal: Work with your PSA group to practice selling an idea and working together with a deadline.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Vocab Test
3. Infomercial Activity
4. A bit of writing/discussion
5. Talk about your PSA Proposal (Due Nov. 4)

You don't have homework except to read and discuss the PSA with your group. Get on a group chat, start a group text, email each other, do whatever you need to make sure you are in contact and know how to access each other.

Exploring some PSAs

I am sorry that I cannot be with you today. While I am going you are going to watch some examples of PSAs and advertisements whose goals are to promote something of value to society. This will be your goal with your group.

I expect you to be respectful to each other and to the person who is here today in my place. Make sure you thank them for being there.

The Plan:

1. Read until 10:05am! (Remember that there are people in the room who appreciate that time to settle and read, and you need to be respectful of that.)
2. Open this Google Form. You'll need it for most of the class period. If you're absent, you can still do this at home (and you are expected to).
3. Together, you're all going to watch four videos. After each video, you will have an opportunity to do some writing on the Google Form. You will take that opportunity.
4. Then, AND ONLY THEN, you will pick up your computers and move to a place where you are sitting by or near your PSA group members. Together, you will work your way through the last few questions on the Google Form.
5. Once you finish and submit your Google Form, take the rest of the time to work on your two-chunk paragraph from yesterday, if you need to. I will be looking at those in your English Journal tomorrow night. If you don't, need to work on that, find something else to do, like study for your vocab test tomorrow.

HOMEWORK: 

• You have a vocab root test tomorrow.
• I'll be looking at your two-chunk paragraphs on Antony's speech tomorrow night, so finish that in your English Journal.
• Be prepared for some group work tomorrow.

Two-Chunk Analysis and Group Project Organization

How Brutus is going to feel after Antony's done speaking
and rise up in rage and mutiny.

Today's Goal: Write a formal two-chunk paragraph analysis of Antony's use of rhetorical appeals when speaking at Caesar's funeral.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Chart devices that Antony uses
3. Write a two-chunk paragraph in your English Journal
4. Introduction to PSA Project

Your Two-Chunk Assignment:

Using the following Topic Sentence, write a two-chunk paragraph that discusses Antony's use of rhetorical appeals.

 Thesis:

Antony uses Aristotle's rhetorical appeals to convince the Romans to trust him over Brutus and the conspirators.

Use this thesis to help you make a topic sentence.

Your topic sentence might look like this:

One of the most effective rhetorical appeals that Antony employs is ______(ethos/logos/pathos).

How do I cite Shakespeare’s work?

Antony begins his speech with the words, “Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears; /I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him” (III.ii.82-83).

Homework:

• Read your book
• Make sure you have the contact information of everyone in your PSA Project Group (seriously, this is important).

Antony's Retaliation

Today's Goal: Identify the ways in which Antony responds to Brutus' speech about Caesar's death.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Watch Antony give his speech at Caesar's funeral
3. Read Antony's speech together.

Homework:

• Read your book
• Finish revising your essay and send me an email TODAY if you want me to rescore your essay.
• Vocab Practice Due tomorrow

Justifying your Actions...

Today's Goal: Analyze the ways in which Brutus uses rhetorical strategies to defend his actions toward Caesar.

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Read and annotate Brutus' speech to the Romans after Caesar's death
3. Write! (in your English Journal)

English Journal Questions (There are 4. Take your time on these.):

1. What argument is implied in Brutus' speech? What is Brutus' goal/purpose? 
2. Which appeal (ethos/logos/pathos) does Brutus use most effectively? How? Why?
3. Give an example of a rhetorical device (rhetorical question/ repetition/circumlocution/etc.) that Brutus uses, and explain which rhetorical appeal (ethos/logos/pathos) it supports. How does the device use make that appeal more effective?
4. How does Brutus introduce Antony before he speaks? What is the purpose of stating that Antony has been allowed to speak "by our permission?" (III.ii.64).

HOMEWORK/Important Dates to remember:

• Vocab Root Practice: CLICK HERE for the Vocab Root CHRON Slides
• Finish revising your essay before tomorrow night (Tuesday) at midnight. (Also, if you haven't turned it in on turnitin.com, you should probably do that. There are only a couple of you.)
• Complete the writing from today. You should have had time in class. If you didn't finish, you're still responsible for that.
• Vocab Root Quiz on Friday
• Book Love Book Review due Monday, November 16 on turnitin.com by midnight.

A SIDE NOTE:

If you rate yourself below a 5 in your English Journal, that means you should go back to your English Journal and turn it into a 5. It's not final until it's graded! Know this before the end of the trimester, and use it to your advantage.

Steve Jobs. Michele Obama. Cassius. Brutus.

Today's Goal: Learn how to concisely summarize a text using a rhetorical precis and Steve Job's Commencement Speech "How to Live Before You Die" (2005).

The Plan:

1. Read!
2. Using the text you made a copy of yesterday and put in your drive, compile a rhetorical precis in your English Journal. A powerpoint is below to help you walk through each part of the rhetorical precis.
3. I haven't decided what we're doing after that. We have a couple choices. I'll decide when we get there.

 

Your only homework is to work on your essay revision if you are choosing to do that. Have a wonderful weekend! 

Steve Jobs: How to Live Before You Die

A Word Cloud of Steve Job's Commencement Speech

Today's Goal: A first look at a speech by Steve Jobs, and SOAPSTone with a partner.

The Plan:

1. Read!
   
2. In your English Journal: Using the Word Cloud above, make a prediction about Steve Jobs' speech, and the message he is going to give his audience. Write a few sentences that includes your prediction, and WHY you are making that prediction.
   
3. Watch his speech. You can find it on TED.com if you're absent. CLICK HERE for the Steve Jobs Commencement Speech TEXT. Make a copy for yourself so you can annotate it. I'm not giving you the paper copy of this one.
   
4. Fill out this Google Form with a partner (you only need to submit one between the two of you.)
   
5. Possibly talk about a rhetorical precis.

If you play your cards right, you do not have homework, BUT I have some news about your essays that will involve some work if you choose to take the offer I present to you.

What shall Brutus Do? (and GROW)

Today's Goal: We're going to get in the head of Brutus and the tough decision he feels he has to make. Also, we'll learn some comma rules.

The Plan:

1. Read! Yay!
2. Self-evaluate your English Journal (I'll show you how to do this.)
3. GROW notes. We're restructuring this. Let me know what you think.
4. Read a short soliloquy by Brutus at the beginning of ACT II.
5. Write a little bit (You may not put your chromebook away until I PERSONALLY give you the okay.)

Evaluate your English Journal

Today you're going to evaluate your English Journal. You'll need to open it in one tab and this SCORING GUIDE in another tab.

Copy and paste this into your English Journal at the top. and complete the blanks based on the scoring guide.

I believe I have earned a _________ (enter a number from the scoring guide) on my English Journal because _______________________________(explain why you earned that score based on the scoring guide).

TODAY'S ENGLISH JOURNAL WRITING:

What decision is Brutus going to make about Caesar? Using his soliloquy (II.i.10-35), explain Brutus' reasoning for this decision.

Homework:

• Complete work you haven't completed. Catch yourself up.
• COME TO THE WRITING CENTER AFTER SCHOOL FOR ADDITIONAL SUPPORT OR USE OF THE CHROMEBOOKS. (not required, but highly highly highly encouraged.)

Rhetorical Appeals in Michelle Obama's TED Talk

This is a word cloud of Michelle Obama's speech (that we watched yesterday). The biggest words are the words she says most often. What can you learn from looking at the most commonly used words in a speech?

Today's Goal: Use Michelle Obama's speech to look specifically at rhetorical devices and appeals, and how they work together to help support an argument.

The Plan (probably in this order):

1. Read (as usual!)
2. Return to Michelle Obama's speech to learn more about how she uses rhetorical devices and appeals to support her argument.
3. Some writing
4. A second look at the Act I, Scene ii excerpt from last Friday

WRITING PROMPTS (IN YOUR ENGLISH JOURNAL):

FIRST, write about the Michelle Obama TED Talk Response:

What devices does Mrs. Obama use to express her argument/message that young women are strong, independent, and capable of becoming educated leaders of the world? How do those devices enhance ethos/logos/pathos? (For example, if she uses an anecdote, and that anecdote enhances her ethos, how does that happen? How do you know?)

THEN, return to the Act 1, Scene ii excerpt from Julius Caesar and reread it.

What new understandings did you gain from reading it again? What devices and appeals did you notice that you had not noticed before? What do you think Brutus is prepared to do for his country and how do you know this?

Homework:

• Vocab Root Practice due tomorrow
• Read your book
• Complete the writing assignment in your English Journal if you did not do it or finish it today in class. (Tomorrow I'm going to ask you to self-grade your English Journal, so be prepared for that.)

Michelle Obama TED Talk

Today's Goal: Use SOAPSTone to analyze Michelle Obama's TED Talk, and identify devices and appeals that support her argument.

The Plan:

1. Watch the TED Talk
2. SOAPSTone
3. Rewatch the TED Talk, paying closer attention (and annotating her text) to the devices and appeals that Mrs. Obama employs to enhance her message.

HOMEWORK:

• Vocab CAD/CID/CAS due Wednesday. CLICK HERE for the Vocab Slides
• You have one more night (tonight) to get your homework from the weekend done. Then, it becomes a zero. (Click here for that form)

Brutus and Cassius

Today's Goal: A first read of the Act One exchange between Brutus and Cassius in order to identify and interpret rhetorical devices, rhetorical appeals, and the purpose of Cassius' speech.



The Plan:
1. Read!
2. Vocab Test (18 minutes)
3. Read the text together (it's on paper). Annotate SO MUCH.
4. Answer a few questions on this Google Form

The amount of homework you get for this weekend depends entirely on how well you are on-task today. Remember this.

CLICK HERE for a list of tone words!!

A couple notes:

• Your books should be the first thing on your desk when you sit down. Don't even open your computer until you have a book out.
• Once you finish a book, start a new one.
• No, I haven't graded your essays yet. You will get an email when I assess it. You will not get a "score" yet because it's not about the score. First, you must focus on your areas of strength and weakness.

HOMEWORK:

1. Turn in your Book Review on Turnitin.com before midnight tonight.
2. Complete this Google Form.

Literary Devices and Such

Julius Caesar

Today's Goal: Begin to connect our understanding of rhetorical appeals to the literary devices we use to make those appeals.

Today's Agenda:

1. Read
2. Turn in your essay on turnitin.com (follow my directions. I need it done very specifically.)
3. Use our notes to begin to practice analysis of rhetorical appeals and devices using Socrative


Your homework includes:

• Studying for your Vocab Root Test tomorrow
• Finishing your Book Review and bring it to me on paper tomorrow. (you need to turn it in on Turnitin.com by midnight tomorrow or you will have a zero for the assignment).

Julius Caesar. The Introduction.

Yesterday we talked about rhetorical appeals.

Today's Goals: 
*get familiar with the plot of Julius Caesar

The Agenda:

1. Watch THIS VIDEO. It's Act 1 of Julius Caesar: The short version.
2. You're going to receive a blank piece of paper. Your directions are below.

On your blank sheet of paper:

1. Artistically represent (draw realistically or in the abstract) what you know about ONE of the following three characters and their personalities:
   Caesar, Brutus OR Cassius
   
2. On the back, write your name and answer two questions:
   **What did you draw and why?
   **What questions/concerns do you have about the play so far OR about the rhetorical devices you learned yesterday?

You may choose to forego the drawing. If you choose not to draw, that just means you'll need to write more extensively about your understanding of the character and play. That's okay, too.

Citations and Caesar

"Wikipedian Protester"

Today's Goal:
Actually fix our Works Cited page like we were supposed to do yesterday. (cross your fingers that our projector works)
Introduce ourselves to the rhetorical appeals

The Agenda:

1. Read
2. Create your Works Cited Page (15 minutes, tops) (you'll need this link to the Superdome article)
3. Cornell Notes on Rhetorical Appeals
4. Pick up Julius Caesar from the library

This image is copyright protected.
The copyright owner reserves all rights.

Tomorrow, you'll be taking the PSAT in the morning. I'll only have you in my class for 30 minutes. We'll be watching a video about Julius Caesar.

HOMEWORK:

YOUR ESSAY IS DUE TOMORROW, WEDNESDAY, AT 4PM.

Your vocab root practice is also due tomorrow.

Your Book Review is due on Friday.

Final Editing/Revision Day

Today's Goal: Address some formatting concerns for your essay, and learn how to make a Works Cited page (correctly). Use today as your last chance to get work for your essay done in-class.

The Agenda:

1. Read!
2. Talk about the book review you need to write for Friday on your Book Love book.
3. Work together to create your Works Cited page on your essay document. (You'll need this link to the Superdome Article)
4. Continue working on revision and editing for your essay. I guarantee you aren't done.

CLICK HERE for book review requirements.

CLICK HERE for the Vocab Practice Slides.

HOMEWORK:

• Turn in your Lord of the Flies book. Tomorrow we go check out a different book, but you can't have it until Lord of the Flies gets turned in.
• Vocab Practice Due Wednesday in class
• Essay will be locked from editing at 4pm on Wednesday. You will not be able to make changes after that. Your last chance to get help from me before it's due will be in the Writing Center after school on Wednesday. The writing center is in THIS room (2302).
• Friday, 10/16: Book Review due (on paper, typed unless you talk to me about another method before Thursday.)

Peer Editing/Revision!

Today's Goal: Share your writing with at least two other people, with the goal in mind that you will get support from your peers as you begin to make your draft into a fully-formed essay

The Agenda:

1. Read!
2. Share your essay with your partner by using our new "Writing Group Procedures."
3. Use your conversations to begin to make revisions to your document based on suggestions/ideas from your group.
4. Reflect a little bit in your English Journal.

Here is your prompt for your English Journal (We'll do this in the last 5-10 minutes of class). I expect sincere answers:

1. In what ways was your group supportive and helpful to you today? What did you learn from them by sharing your essay?
2. What did you learn by listening to and talking about your group's essays?
2. What aspects (parts) of your essay do you still need to work on this weekend?

HOMEWORK:

Work on your essay. It's due date is Wednesday, October 13.

Lord of the Flies test

Hey everyone, I'm sorry I can't be with you today. Ms. Swanson is here, and you will be amazing and wonderful for her. #makemeproud

Today, a test.

You have the whole period to focus.

You cannot talk to anyone until everyone is done.

When YOU are finished, you may give Ms. Swanson your scantron and test, and get a computer to work on your essay. (but you still can't talk.

ESSAY DRAFT SHOULD BE DONE BEFORE YOU WALK INTO CLASS TOMORROW.

May the force be with you.

Introductions and Conclusions

Today's Goal: After writing and compiling your body paragraphs, begin to formulate your introduction and conclusions.


Agenda:

1. Read!
2. Write!

Okay, seriously, this is what needs to happen today: SO MUCH WRITING. MORE WRITING THAN YOU'VE WRITTEN ALL WEEK.

On Monday I gave you some helpful handouts that you can (and should) use to begin to formulate your essay. Your draft is due on Friday. 

Homework: DON'T FORGET!

• LORD OF THE FLIES TEST TOMORROW (I gave you a study guide. If you were present in class, did your reading, and actively listened and participated, you shouldn't have too much to worry about. Review the things given to you in School Loop.)
• ESSAY DRAFT DUE FRIDAY - meaning you should have all of the parts by the time you come to class.
• I will tell you when the final draft is due on Friday.

Counterclaims and Rebuttals

Today's Goal: Examine possible opposing viewpoints (counterclaims) to your thesis, gather evidence, and express your rebuttal.

Yesterday you began to draft your body paragraphs. We're not quite done with those yet. You now need to begin to organize them into paragraphs, and place them at the top of your document (where your essay goes.

The Plan:

• Read
• Start to organize your paragraphs into essay format on your document
• Discuss writing your counterclaim paragraph
• Continue working on your essay!

This "counterclaim" paragraph should also follow the Two-Chunk method, or something close to it. I think you have enough resources to know and/or figure out how that is formatted now.

COMPONENTS OF THIS PARAGRAPH:

1. Counterclaim:
An opposing viewpoint related to your thesis. If someone disagreed with your point of view, what would they say?

2. Evidence from text that supports the opposing argument:
What evidence would support the opposing viewpoint? What evidence would your "opponent" use to try to tell you you're wrong?

3. Rebuttal: 
In your commentary, explain the argument that the other person might make, and then assert the reasons why you believe that the opposing viewpoint and its evidence are not valid.


HOMEWORK:

• YOU HAVE A LORD OF THE FLIES TEST ON THURSDAY. THE STUDY GUIDE IS ON SCHOOL LOOP ATTACHED TO THE ASSIGNMENT.
• Take everything you've been working on and draft it into the essay portion of the document at the very top. This is where your draft needs to be to get credit. Remember: your draft is to be complete by FRIDAY when you walk in the door.
• Vocab Practice Due Wednesday (tomorrow). Let me know if you have questions about any of the words.
• BOOK LOVE! We're going to talk about your book reviews sometime this week.

Drafting - Body Paragraphs

Last week you wrote a thesis. Many of you have small revisions to make, and I have commented on your document if you are one of those people.

Now we start working on the essay draft. This DOES NOT mean we start with the introduction and write until we get to the end. No! The middle is too important!

Today, you start with the body paragraphs. They will be two-chunk analysis paragraphs. There should be at least TWO of these paragraphs. Both of them should be specifically related to the thesis you wrote. (You know those "two-prongs?" Essentially, each paragraph elaborates on one of those prongs.)

A NOTE ABOUT EVIDENCE: Your quotes, in your essay, should not be longer that 10-15 words. You have to choose carefully.

Our agenda:

1. Read!
2. Revise thesis, if necessary.
3. Begin working on body paragraphs by (STEP 3/4 on your document)
4. Vocab - VERT/VERS (this is homework)

CLICK HERE for the Vocab Slides

I'm giving your some paper today that should go in your English section of your binder, and you'll need to keep it all year (for English 2B). It's has some great information for writing essays, and the English 2 Essay Rubric.


Homework:

• Rough Draft COMPLETED (in the Google Document) by the time you walk in the door on Thursday Oct. 8
• VERT/VERS Practice due Wednesday Oct. 7
• Book Love! You should have plenty of reading time this week. Use that to your advantage. Your book should be done NEXT WEEK!

Forming a Thesis and Connecting your Evidence

Yesterday, you chose a side.

Which side are you on? (Source)

Today, you write a thesis and find evidence that will support that thesis.

Agenda:

1. Read!
2. Vocab Test
3. Discuss the end of the book and do bit of writing in your English Journal.
4. Write your thesis. Gather evidence.

CLICK HERE for the document that has the evidence YOU gathered on Wednesday. 

Here's the thing: this is for gathering ideas and even quotes. Your own writing cannot be plagiarized from this. I know who submitted what. Don't cheat. It's not worth it.

ALSO: Don't blindly assume everything there is correct. Maybe it was cited wrong? Maybe the quote means something different than what the group wrote. Maybe their interpretation is weak. You have to evaluate it.

Copy and paste the link onto your own essay document under "STEP TWO" for ease of access.

For your English Journal:

“The theme is an attempt to trace the defects of society back to the defects of human nature.”--William Golding

What does Golding mean by this statement? How does the ending of the novel support what Golding says about humans?

HOMEWORK:

• Your thesis is due TODAY by 9 pm (on the document). I'm reading and grading them TOMORROW morning.
• You need to begin to gather evidence under "STEP TWO" on your essay document. My suggestion is to have at least 4 or 5 pieces of evidence that you think you could use to support your thesis done by Monday.
• BOOK LOVE! (Read your own book. You don't have Lord of the Flies, which means you have no excuse but to read something of your choosing!)

Essay Prompt Introduction

Today:

1. Book Love!
2. GROW!
3. Introduction to your new essay prompt, and our initial brainstorm (it's in your "Shared with Me" folder in Google Drive. It's called the "Human Nature Essay." DO NOT make a copy!!!!)
4. Reading of Lord of the Flies

CLICK HERE for the Grow Powerpoint (your GROW notes go in your English Journal, with today's date, at the top)

About the Essay: 
Today we go over the essay prompt and begin to brainstorm for our thesis (we'll write the thesis itself tomorrow.) Before you leave today, you should have chosen a side (good or evil), and brainstormed at least two reasons you believe that. This is in the STEP ONE part of the document.

HOMEWORK:

• Finish reading Chapter 12
• Vocab/GROW Quiz tomorrow
• BOOK LOVE (book done by October 12)