Final Exam Reviews

The On-Level exam covers:

• Vocab from the semester; we've narrowed it down - see the link: Link to On-Level Vocab Review and dictionaries are not allowed on this part of the exam.
• Cumulative reading skills. MC only; no SARs. I'm almost done with the review for this section. Dictionaries/thesaurus allowed.
• 1 persuasive essay. Dictionaries/thesaurus/notes allowed.

The K/H exam covers:

• All vocab from the semester, units 13-24. No review, really. Study it all. Dictionaries not allowed on this part. All vocab notes and links to all the Quizlets are posted in the Vocabulary Notes section (to the right).
• Cumulative reading skills. MC only; no SARs. Dictionaries/thesaurus allowed.
• 1 persuasive essay. Dictionaries/thesaurus/notes allowed.

On-Level: "The Pedestrian" Assignment - due tomorrow

Please finish this in order to be prepared for tomorrow's quiz (AS) grade:

Objective: Review for the final exam by creating an object* that demonstrates your mastery of class objectives.

Process: Read “The Pedestrian” and develop an object (such as a manila folder, a foldable, a box, etc) with the following items on it:

·         Draw an image or scene from the story. Include a symbol in this drawing.

·         Pieces of the text:

o   10 pieces of imagery relating to death

o   5 pieces of imagery relating to insects or animals

o   10 pieces of imagery relating to the light or darkness motif

o   10 pieces of diction that relate to the setting

o   10 sensory details – label what sense (sight, smell, touch, etc)

o   5 pieces of figurative language

·         Theme

o   List 10 thematic subjects (single words)

o   1 theme statement

K/H: Project FAQ

Can we use personal pronouns in our presentations?
Yes. Given that I'm asking for a personal recommendation about this piece, the words "I" and "you" are appropriate. Remember, though, that those words are not appropriate in thematic statements.

What kind of technology can I use? How is technology being graded?
Let me be clear: I'm only grading the English content of your presentation. The technology is there to support what you are saying and act as an assistant to you. Use whatever technology you prefer. Prezi, PowerPoint and other slide-based options are fine. If you'd like to do something more elaborate, please feel welcome to do so. Do whatever it is you feel like you need to do in order to make your project as clear as possible. I challenge you to maybe step outside your comfort zone and try something new - have you tried emaze or PowToon? Pretty cool. One thing: Please do not use any technology that reads your content for you in a silly voice. It's hard to hear. Remember that your technology is an assistant to you.

What do I need to turn in?
Before class: Turn in the final version of your outline to TurnItIn.com before class on Monday. Font Times New Roman, size 12.
During class: Bring a printed copy for me - this is essential so I can take notes and use it to follow your presentation. Also, be prepared to turn in our peer editing activities from this week, as well as previous drafts of your outline, if you have them.

Work hard, but don't worry too much about your presentation skills. This isn't a speech class; I am not expecting perfection in that regard. I'm only grading your English skills.

Here is the rubric for how the project will be graded: Project Presentation Rubric

ACA: F451 Major Grade tomorrow

Our last major grade is tomorrow. Please review theme and F451 to prepare for it. You may use all of your notes and the book in order to get the best grade possible! How sad, our last big major grade.

Here's a video to review theme in literature. 

K/H: Mrs. Wise's Project

Here's my presentation. Click the link, then click the orange triangle in the bottom left corner and wait. You'll see it go through all the slides.

On a more personal note, Emaze was hard to use, and anyone in 7th period can tell you that Emaze had huge technical fails while I was trying to present. I give myself bonus points for trying something new (... and failing at it...), and YES I did practice presenting on my computer... it was frustrating.

See you tomorrow - enjoy!

Yay - I'm done!

ACA: On-Level Quiz Tomorrow

Our last vocabulary quiz of the year is tomorrow! How exciting. :)

Click here for all the vocabulary warm-ups.

If you need the notes or Quizlet link, click on the "Vocabulary Notes" link on the right side of the page.

K/H: Outline Fixes

This is what we talked about today:

1. Transform thematic subjects into theme statements which reflect the complexity of the piece. Stay away from obvious statements ("Hard work can lead to a great outcome.") and clichés ("Things aren't what they seem.")

Fix it: Go back and review the characters and situations that gave you the idea in the first place. Reread a few things. Look at my "How to Write a Thematic Statement Notes" a few times. Consider communicating some of the complexity in your piece by adding a dependent clause. Google a list of subordinating conjunctions (colloquially called "AWUBIS" words) and see if any of those words help you put your thoughts into words. Writing great thematic statements is hard, guys. It takes a lot of time and revision. Over the next day or so, I'll be fixing my outline (Mrs. Wise's Project) so that my thematic subjects are turned into theme statements. 

2. Consider your religious connections.

Think about it: This is a persuasive presentation. You're trying to convince me. If you don't know much about the religious allusions in your texts, then you may want to excise those from your outline. You are, of course, allowed to do research if you'd like to pursue these religion-based connections. 

3. Add commentary to everything.

Fix it: Add commentary to every connection you've made. Every. Single. One. What does it mean? Why is it important? Does it reveal something about a character, a conflict, or a detail about the context or setting? Hint: If there's no meat on the bone, throw it out. We'll talk tomorrow (Wednesday) about narrowing down the scope of your presentation. 

4. Make it persuasive.

Fix it: Consider the rhetorical triangle you drew today in class. 

• Logos is logic, reasons, evidence, quotes, commentary, all that good literary analysis you're writing. Considering the academic context and tone of your presentation, it is appropriate that logos is the primary means through which you attempt to persuade. Don't forget about ethos and pathos, though. 
• Pathos is an appeal based on an expected emotional response from the audience. I am your primary audience. You know me. What kinds of things does Mrs. Wise care about? Mexican food and nerd culture, of course. But more importantly, you know that I am interested in all aspects of the teacher-student paradigm, as well as issues related to education (in all aspects of your life, not just school) and character development. 
• Ethos is a little more difficult to pinpoint. Ethos is the credibility of the speaker. It is based on an assumed shared set of values between the speaker in the audience; developing a feeling that you're on the same side because you have the same goals, the same values. What can you do to enhance your credibility?