AP Language Parent/Student Day

On Friday, March 4, the AP Language classes will be having the annual parent/student day, on which students are encouraged to invite their parents and other family members to a typical class discussion day. We will be reading and discussing “My Satirical Self” by Wyatt Mason, which will be posted on the class web site at http://classroom.quixoticpedagogue.org. Students have also been provided a hard copy of the piece. Please consider taking the time to read and coming for the discussion. It should be an entertaining and informative hour—and there won’t be a quiz.

The article we will be discussing is My Satirical Self, by Wyatt Mason.

The class schedule is listed here.

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Sample Essays for This I Believe

NPR has a large collection of “This I Believe” essays available on their web site, but these are a few especially interesting one:

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Test Questions for Grapes of Wrath

The following questions could very well appear on a test about The Grapes of Wrath:

 

  1. Ultimately, what, according to Steinbeck, is the nature of sin? Consider the point of view articulated by characters in the novel and Steinbeck’s narrative voice in the intermediary chapters.
  2. One critic argued that The Grapes of Wrath was “more effective as a stimulus to sorrowful memory than as a call to action.” Is this a fair criticism of the novel?
  3. Discuss the end of the novel. Does it fit with the rest of the book? Is it believable for Rose of Sharon to assume the role of a transcendent giver of life and for Tom to become the fulfillment of Casey’s promise?
  4. Critics have argued that The Grapes of Wrath is a collective novel, in the sense that it derives more of its impact from its critique of society as a whole than from its portrayal of individual characters. Do the Joads matter more as symbols than as characters?
  5. How does Steinbeck assert the importance of rage in the novel? How does the motif of anger transform over the course of the story?
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Sample Topic Sentences and Thesis Statements

Topic Sentences

·         Sanders says that our present greatly reflects our past.

·         People are never satisfied with what they have and end up giving up what they already have in sacrifice for something different.

·         Sanders argues that a nation created from immigrants cannot adapt to new lifestyles, but instead force the land to adapt to their own culture.

·         Sanders suggests (paragraph 1) that people move because they continue to search for a perfect land.

·         Sanders further develops his argument (paragraph 3) against migration by suggesting it harms the physical and cultural environment of a region.

·         Later Scott Russell explains that Americans believe migration will better their lives and will provide a better future.

·         Sanders uses clever and deceptive word choice, as well as repetition and parallelism to effectively develop his ideas.

·         Sanders argues that Americans follow attractive fantasies rather than reality because they’re taught throughout their lives that staying still is the worst possible livelihood; a standstill is what makes them deathly afraid.

·         Sanders examine an essay written by British-Indian author and essayist Salman Rushdie, in his examination he points out just how absurd the idea of positive migration really is.

 

Thesis Statements

·         Sanders dismembers Rushdie’s credibility by removing his American readers’ support and criticizing his claims with evidence from literal and historical events.

·         Although America has been an innovative and progressive country, as Sanders explains, migrants’ ongoing search for a better way of life has caused them, throughout history, to settle in new places after abandoning their homelands, destroying cultures and environments of societies which they invade while losing traditions of their own.

·         Sanders challenges America’s migrant culture and argues that the ugly cycle can be reversed.

·         Although Rushdie makes a convincing argument, Sanders’ article disputes his theory and challenges America’s unappreciative use of land.

·         Throughout his rebuttal, Sanders uses multiple strategies to discredit Rushdie, his argument, and the idea that movement is inherently good.

·         Sanders uses precise diction and fear appeals to criticize America’s continuing tradition of unnecessary movement, arguing that it is responsible for damage to the environment and ourselves.

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Chair Vote

 Once our chair appears, please make sure to vote for it here.

Vote early and vote often.

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