Interesting reads this week include Scottish separatism, why girls are better students than boys, overpaid CEOs and more.
From the New York Times:
On June 4, 1963, less than a year after the controversial environmental classic “Silent Spring” was published, its author, Rachel Carson, testified before a Senate subcommittee on pesticides. She was 56 and dying of breast cancer. She told almost no one. She’d already survived a radical mastectomy. Her pelvis was so riddled with fractures that it was nearly impossible for her to walk to her seat at the wooden table before the Congressional panel. To hide her baldness, she wore a dark brown wig.
“Every once in a while in the history of mankind, a book has appeared which has substantially altered the course of history,” Senator Ernest Gruening, a Democrat from Alaska, told Carson at the time.
“Silent Spring” was published 50 years ago this month. Though she did not set out to do so, Carson influenced the environmental movement as no one had since the 19th century’s most celebrated hermit, Henry David Thoreau, wrote about Walden Pond. “Silent Spring” presents a view of nature compromised by synthetic pesticides, especially DDT. Once these pesticides entered the biosphere, Carson argued, they not only killed bugs but also made their way up the food chain to threaten bird and fish populations and could eventually sicken children. Much of the data and case studies that Carson drew from weren’t new; the scientific community had known of these findings for some time, but Carson was the first to put them all together for the general public and to draw stark and far-reaching conclusions. In doing so, Carson, the citizen-scientist, spawned a revolution.
Let’s write another essay! This time the topic is about the practice of supporting athletics in American high schools. Make sure to read the entire prompt, including its long supporting quotation, to make sure you address the prompt, and not just the general topic.
Due Date: Sunday, September 21st at 1:00 p.m. via Google Drive.
Suggestions
- One of the great things about the AP persuasive argument is that you can use a wide variety of information and
ideas to construct your argument. The downside is that you can use a wide variety of information and ideas. - Stick with your best academic argument, limiting personal references and examples.
- Have a well-developed thesis that you stick with. Organization is paramount.
- Don’t be afraid to break the five paragraph mold. Use an organic structure that suits your argument, not some antiquated idea of what an essay looks like.
- Limit your use of outside quotations/direct research. Because you won’t be able to use outside sources on the AP exam, it’s important to practice writing without them.
- Definitely try to include at least one naysayer, if not one per body paragraph two and three.
- For this essay, remember some of the specific tips we discussed for the first one: developing a clear, argumentative thesis, weaving in examples rather than overdeveloping one or under-developing others, and engaging the reader with a STAMPY introduction.
It’s time for the first essay for AP Language. The prompt is located here. This will be a multi-draft essay, but if you do not submit the first draft on time you may not revise the assignment.
Make sure that you have a clear argumentative thesis and an interesting introduction, both of which we will discuss in class on Tuesday and Wednesday.
The assignment will be due in class on Friday or online (using Google Docs only) by 1:00 p.m. on Sunday. If you use Google Docs, make sure to share the document with me at dpogreba@gmail.com.
For your summer reading, you’ll want to read at least 5 essays from The New Kings of Non-Fiction and one other full title from this list. By June 17, there will be copies of The New Kings of Non-Fiction to check out at the HHS library.
I’d also really recommend doing some reading from periodicals like The New Yorker, Harper’s, The Atlantic, and the like. One of the ways to be successful in AP Language is to be familiar with the kinds of cultural and political events they cover.
Any questions? Drop me an e-mail.