REQUIREMENTSFor this “big paper,” you need to…

• compose around 2000 words
• include at least five sources cited/synthesized
• include at least one personal anecdote
• include a primary source
• demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical modes (narration, description, definition, etc.)
• demonstrate your understanding of rhetorical terms and devices (logos, ethos, pathos as well as devices such as anaphora, hypophora, etc.)
• organize ideas in a meaningful and deliberate way (sections are arranged in a way that builds/expands the argument)
• use interesting diction and thoughtful sentence structures
• present in a visually appealing “magazine” version
• include a separate works cited page
• showcase your voice

TIMELINE: Though we will have substantial time in class to work on this essay, you’ll need to spend some significant time at home working as well. Plan accordingly. My suggestion is to force yourself to write at least 1-2 pages of new material each night over the next week.



STEP 1: Getting organized

Gather all your materials:

• Anything in your notebook
• Anthology
• Any blog posts about topic
• Examples of synthesis essays read in class (“Why are All the Cartoon Mothers Dead?” “The End of White America,” “Stupid Games,” “Is Google Making Us Stupid,” “The Case Against High School Sports,” “Getting In,” “The Upside of Being an Introvert,” as well as others this year from the textbook, such as ” “Best in Class,” “High School Confidential,” etc.)
• They Say, I Say packet (given in class)
• Create your own synthesis question (like the AP essay). Include a brief intro and a question. 



For example: 
Introduction--Many of the most popular and successful animated movies of recent years feature characters who are missing a mother figure. Instead, many films feature a loving and supporting father figure who, in addition to the role of father, is also a buddy, a mentor, and even a "mother" to his children. 
Question: Using the following sources, develop a position on the importance of this trend and evaluate the possible reasons and effects of this story choice.

Now put anything you’ve written related to your topic into one place / document in Google Drive or your new OneDrive.com. 



STEP 2: Down Draft

One way to get started writing something as daunting as this essay is to write in pieces. So instead, take one point at a time. This is a time to just get things down (hence, the idea of the “down draft,” a concept I first learned about from teacher Kelly Gallagher). You can go back later to organize and revise.

1. Create a Synthesis Question for your topic
2. “Graff-like” template that includes the question, the answer based on a source, and a personal reflection/commentary. See below.
3. When you are done, assess what you’ve written or thought about regarding your topic.
4. Brainstorm questions/ideas about where you can go from here based on what you’ve already written.
5. Repeat as needed.

Create a Synthesis QuestionFirst, to help you focus, compose a synthesis prompt for your essay. Imagine your anthology transformed into a synthesis prompt on the AP exam. Write the introductory material and the question that you would find on the first page.

Write a “graff-like” templateNext, find a source in your anthology to answer that question.  Write 1 (longer) or 2 (shorter) paragraph(s).  Use a “Graff-like” template here, if that helps. Consult your summary analyses from your anthology.

The following is a sample “big paper” Mrs. Ebarvia wrote a few years ago with herAP Lang students. In it, she questioned whether or not having more choices makes us happier. Her position is that more choices can be worse for us. Below is an excerpt from what she wrote:

But does more choice—and the freedom to make so many choices—really make us happier? In “The Tyranny of Choice,” psychologist and Swarthmore professor Barry Schwartz argues that there exists an inverse relationship between the number of choices a person has when making a decision and his/her level of satisfaction with the final outcome of his decision. In other words, the more choices you have, the less likely you are to be happy with your choice. More specifically, in his research, Schwartz found that people could be classified into two different “decision-making” types: maximizers and satisficers. Maximizers, according to Schwartz, are individuals who tend to invest more time to product comparison and research before making a final decision. Maximizers “exert enormous effort reading labels, checking out consumer magazines, and trying new products.” On the other hand, when satisficers “find an item that meets their standards, they stop looking.” The result? Schwartz found that

the greatest maximizers are the least happy with the fruits of their labors. When they compare themselves with others, they get little pleasure in finding out that they did better and substantial dissatisfaction from finding out they did worse. They are more prone to experiencing regret after a purchase, and if their acquisition disapoints them, their sense of well-being takes longer to recover. They also tend to brood or ruminate more than satisficers

Rather than feel like their hard work pays off, maximizers continuously second-guess their efforts and furthermore, “[D]ecision-making becomes increasingly daunting as the number of choices rises,” and consequently, “more choice is not always better than less.” When maximizers are given more choices, they see not only increased risk in making the wrong choice, but see the choices they didn’t make as lost opportunities. This “opportunity cost” leads to overall dissatisfaction and regret; indeed, Schwartz argues that “[t]he consequences of unlimited choice may go beyond mild disappointment, to suffering” and even suggests that maximizers are more prone to depression. Schwartz believes we need to reconsider the value we place on unlimited choice and its effect on our overall levels of happiness.

After you’ve finished summarizing your source and explaining the way it answers the question you initially posed, you should now add your own commentary on the source’s claims.  What does this mean?  It means explaining the extent to which the source is right/wrong or true/false based on your own experiences, observations, and readings.  Do you agree or disagree with the source? Why? What personal experiences have you had that confirm or refute the source’s claims? Here’s an example I wrote (continued from above):

As I considered Schwartz’s argument, I found myself identifying with the maximizers he described. I, too, tend to invest a substantial amount of time researching certain purchases. For example, when it was time to purchase a car seat for my first child, I not only reviewed official guides like the reputable Consumer Reports and surveyed all my friends who already had children, but I also read all the customer reviews on Amazon.com, BabiesRUs.com, and BuyBuyBaby.com. I started getting overwhelmed by reviews from users like “Concerned Father” who informed me that while the Britax Marathon car seat “shoulder straps are thick and wide” so they don’t tangle easily, the “side lock down mechanism is tightened more by the thickness of the belt [and] can pop open without much pressure” (No idea what that meant, but it didn’t sound good). Or from user “Justbooking,” who informed me that “the Roundabout is a better car seat for boys than the Marathon” (at the time, I didn’t know the sex of the baby, so this review had me panicked about gender-specific criteria, as if the “harnesses,” “tethers,” and “Latch-systems” of car seats weren’t enough to confuse me). On the other hand, user “M. Bostic” (finally, a real name!) claimed that the Britax Marathon was “a life-saver” and “it is quite expensive, but well worth it!”

In the end, we did purchase the Britax Marathon after all. Having spent all that time researching and agonizing about my purchase, according to Schwartz, I should be less satisfied with my decision, perhaps even regretful. Yet, contrary to Schwartz’s findings, my car seat purchase is one that I feel fairly satisfied with. I feel no regret in making this purchase, even though the Marathon is one of the more expensive car seats on the market. If anything, the research I did only made me feel more confident with my decision. Despite some negative reviews, overall, the car seat consistently had the highest reviews. In fact, there really wasn’t a close second as far as a choice was concerned. The Britax Marathon was the clear winner. The research said so, and my experience with the car seat has only confirmed it.

So is Schwartz wrong? Shouldn’t all the choices available to me have been a source of confusion and regret?

Here’s the catch, though. In this case, there really wasn’t a “choice.” Because there was a general consensus about the quality of the product, the choice was easy. A no brainer. And because I’ve been pleased with the car seat’s performance, I’ve had no reason to be regretful.

Well, what if I was disappointed with the car seat’s performance? Or what if the reviews and researchers weren’t in such broad agreeement? As the maximizer Schwartz described, I would most certainly experience buyer’s remorse, and the process of choosing a car seat would have been marked by anxiety, confusion, and self-doubt.

In fact, the more I think about Schwartz’s central argument, the more I agree with him. Again, there really wasn’t a “choice” when it came to the car seat situation. But in cases where choice is abundant and a “clear winner” is not-so-clear, I am often dissatisfied with the results.

When I go into a restaurant with many menu items that appeal to me, I have a difficult time choosing. Oftentimes, the moment I place my order, I have to fight the urge to tell the waiter I’ve changed my mind. If my meal isn’t satisfying—or even if it is—I’ll wonder if the other entree would have been better. (If someone at dinner orders the entree I wanted-but-didn’t-order, I may feel even more unhappy—I should’ve ordered that instead, I think to myself.) Although some may argue that having many entree choices offers customers an opportunity to “try something new,” I’d be interested to see how many people actually choose to do so.

For example, according to their website, the Cheesecake Factory boasts a menu that “features more than 200 menu selections made fresh from scratch each day.” I have eaten several times at the Cheesecake Factory. Their menu is extensive and choices are limitless. Yet whenever I dine there, I almost always order the same thing—either the Thai Lettuce Wraps or the Shrimp and Bacon Club sandwich. I order these two dishes not because I even enjoy them that much, but because I enjoy them enough and I’d rather not take the risk in being disappointed with choosing something new. It’s a coping mechanism, I suppose, that I’ve come up with to manage all the choices available to me.

It’s not about being happy with my choice; it’s about not being unhappy.

As you can see in my example above, the first thing she did was explain how she identified with one of Schwartz’s claims (that she, too, is a “maximizer”).  She gave an example using her car seat buying experience.  However, her example actually disproved or refuted the source’s claims.  She then gave another example, however, that supported the claims.  You may find, like she did, that there are parts of a source that you agree with and other parts that you do not agree with.  And that is okay.  That’s what we call qualifying.



STEP 3: Up Draft

Now it’s time to build “up” your essay.

Evaluate what you have written so far. Try putting things in some sort of tentative order. Then use one or more of the following strategies to continue your writing/thinking. (Note: the points below are not meant to be chronological “steps” to follow, but a list of suggestions. Each person’s process is different; use what works for you.)

• Review the sample synthesis essays as we read them in class.  What made these essays work? How do professional writers introduce their essays? How do they integrate expert opinions? What types of evidence do the writers use and why? How are these arguments arranged? In short, What device, ideas, details, structure, etc. do the writers use that I could also use in my paper?

• Review the synthesis question you composed and outline your answer (as you would during an actual exam situation).  Then use your outline to begin drafting your essay.

• Brainstorm questions related your topic.  Then choose the most important questions related to your overall argument and use the sources to answer those.  You can even use those questions as a way to organize your essay (hypophora, anyone?).

• Write like a Reader: put yourself in the reader’s shoes.  Every few paragraphs or so (after you’ve finished what feels like a “section” in your essay), ask yourself what questions you think the reader might have at that particular point in your essay.  For example, after describing a problem (e.g., how valedictorian policies are controversial), the reader might need some historical information to establish how the problem came to be (e.g., how the valedictorian practice first started and its original rationale).  Effective writers anticipate the questions or concerns potential readers may have an address those questions or concerns in a logical manner.

• Ask yourself: what’s missing? This goes along with the previous point. What other information, as of this essay, do you think you’d need?

• Tell stories. Narrative is the most compelling of rhetorical modes. When we hear a story or the writer shares his or her personal observations, we as readers are more compelled to listen. In fact, one your requirements is to include a personal anecdote. Perhaps you can use a story as part of your intro or in response to one of your sources. Don’t be afraid to allow your essay to have a clear narrative voice.

• Determine which sources you’ll use.  And more importantly, how and why.  Ask yourself, what does this source claim?  To what extent do I agree or disagree with its claims? What personal experiences, observations, or other readings (i.e. other sources) confirm or refute this claim and how.  Make your thinking crystal clear to the reader.

• Pull quotable excerpts from your sources.  When I used to write essays for class (in high school and college), I would often pull all my excerpts/quotes first.  You can copy/paste/retype these directly from your anthology.  Then use any one or each one as a “jumping off” point.  Analyze the excerpt: how does it fit into your larger argument?

• Use your voice. Be funny, sarcastic, satirical, dramatic, humble, etc.

• Evaluate your logos/logic.  What facts, statistics, or studies could you include that would help to bolster one or more of your points in your argument?  Where in your essay would be the best place to introduce this type of evidence?

• Be interesting.  To make your essay interesting to others, first ask yourself what it is about your topic that most interests you.  Share something—an unexpected or surprising fact, story, idea—that relates to your topic.  How does that relate to the rest of your topic?

• Use a meaningful organization.  It may be helpful for you to think about how you’ll organize your thoughts.  Will a classical arrangement work best—a Rogerian one, or some hybrid of the two?  Speaking of organization, consider organizing your essay into formal sections, with section titles, to make it easier for your reader to follow your ideas.

• Use a variety of rhetorical modes and other types of information.  Here’s a partial list: narration, cause-effect, process analysis, expository, description, classification-division, definition, personal experience, anecdotal observations, current events, historical events, expert opinions, refutation/concession, etc.

• Get feedback. Don’t be afraid to share what you’ve written so far, especially if you’re stuck and need some direction. See what others think.

My own models


Over the past few years, I've been putting together a collection of essays about music. Two of them are featured on Medium.com--a great online site for publishing work and reaching an audience. They are both personal essays that explore an idea. They have much in common with your synthesis paper assignment and might serve as another model for your own. 

Here's one about the song "Auld Lang Syne" and another about "It's a Small World After All."




Student Samples
Check out these former student samples. In particular, notice how each writer begins the essay, integrates personal experience and expert opinion, organizes each section, and works in visuals as support.

• The Birds, The Bees, and Why We Deserve Better
• Talented Tentacles
• The Checkmate Effect
• Latin: Back From The Dead
• Man's Best Friend: Why The Bond Lasts Forever
• Back To The Past
• Reality TV: America's Guilty Pleasure Revealed
• Adults By Age 10: Kids As The Nation's Newest Consumers

Here are some from Mrs. Ebarvia's former classes:

• Technology: A Disguised Enemy
• Education Reform, Still
• Brainless
• Creativity: A Messy and Worthwhile Process
• A Byte of Art
• A Technological World
• The Secret to Happiness
• Technology in Education: Opportunities and Obstacles
• A Musical Species

Let's do this. 
To recap, remember to review the following items:

• extra MC test w/answers
• learnerator.com
• 3-page overview of essay types
• extra synth prompts
• vocab list of 150 words (especially rhetorical terms)
• textbook chapters (Chp. 1-3)
• my quick links page
• AP central website
• the chart you made of "the stuff you know"

If you picked up the extra MC test packet in class, you can find the answer key here.

Just heard about this great site for AP test prep. Learnerator.com has over 600 multiple choice sample questions on 20 passages for AP Lang. (It also has many other subject tests.) It provides explanations for the correct answers and tells you what percentage of responders chose correctly. 

You can access a lot of it for free, but you may only be able to go through each passage once per computer without the full subscription service. It's worth checking out as you prepare for the test. 

You can go straight to the Lang section here.

Here's a link to 2008's multiple choice test. We will be discussing strategies this week in class. We will split the test up into sections, completing some in class and some for homework. If you're absent one of those days, find out what section to complete. This link also includes the answer key and the essay questions for that year.

Check out this PowerPoint (provided by Mrs. Ebarvia)--it has strategies and recommendations for taking the MC test. 

Check here daily for links and documents to help you prepare for the AP Test. (May 13th!)
First off, check out this handy prep sheet for the 3 essays. It provides reminders, strategies, and do-s and 
don't-s.   

As we practice more in-class, timed essays to prepare for the AP test, read through the tips presented in this document from teacher Edward Wevodau of Colleyville Heritage High School in Texas, 

Next week you’ll spend a class period responding / writing to an AP Lang argument prompt. Below are some sample prompts to give you taste of what tomorrow’s prompt may look like.

TIPS

• The following prompts ask you to respond with a convincing argument. First, determine how you will respond (your thesis – will you defend, challenge, or qualify?).
• Then read the prompt again and determine what “available means” you would use to support your thesis.
• You’ll notice that the prompts that follow correspond loosely with the six essays we’ve recently read. Remember that as your argue, you can use “all available means of persuasion” to respond, including anything you’ve read, in addition to personal experiences and other observations.

ECONOMY

Financial independence is the goal of most people as they enter adulthood. Being certain that there will be enough money for the necessities of life—food and shelter—is the key to this independence. In A Room of One’s Own, Virginia Woolf talks about gaining her financial independence via the death of an aunt, who left her five hundred pounds per year for life. From that point on, Woolf no longer had to think about how she would earn a living and could devote herself freely to writing anything she felt like, regardless of its promise of monetary return. She describes her state of mind in the days prior to receiving word of her legacy as being filled with “the poison of fear and bitterness” in that she was required “always to be doing work that one did not wish to do, and to do it like a slave, flattering and fawning.”

Is it better to have a legacy — a regular income that comes to you without work — or is it better to have to work for a living? Using compelling supporting evidence, defend, challenge, or qualify Woolf’s position that income from a legacy brings not only financial freedom but intellectual freedom as well.

NATURE

In paragraph 19 of the excerpt from Silent Spring (pp. 888–94), Rachel Carson writes, “Along with the possibility of the extinction of mankind by nuclear war, the central problem of our age has therefore become the contamination of man’s total environment with such substances of incredible potential for harm—substances that accumulate in the tissues of plants and animals and even penetrate the germ cells to shatter or alter the very material of heredity upon which the shape of the future depends.” Write an essay in which you defend, challenge, or qualify the validity of that statement.

GENDER / STEREOTYPE

In paragraph 6 of her essay “The Myth of the Latin Woman” (pp. 546–51), Judith Ortiz Cofer makes the following statement:

Mixed cultural signals have perpetuated certain stereotypes — for example, that of the Hispanic woman as the “Hot Tamale” or sexual firebrand. It is a one-dimensional view that the media have found easy to promote. In their special vocabulary, advertisers have des- ignated “sizzling” and “smoldering” as the adjectives of choice for describing not only the foods but also the women of Latin America.

Write an argument explaining whether you agree or disagree with this assertion as it applies to the media today. You may work with Cofer’s example of Latin American women, or you may choose another group (e.g., African Americans, older people, people from the Middle East) to consider in terms of stereotypes that the media promotes. Support your opinion with evidence from your experience, observation, or reading.

SPORTS

Yesterday, the medical journal Neurology published a study suggesting that professional football players are four times more likely to die from the Alzheimer’s disease and ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease) than the general population. This is just the most recent addition to a growing body of evidence linking football to neurodegenerative disease. . . .

. . . [I]n local youth football leagues, . . . children as young as eight years old practice up to six hours a week in full pads.

— KENDRA GAGNON, PEDIATRIC PHYSICAL THERAPIST

Football in America is part of the everyday lives of millions of fans; in the NFL alone, football is a $9 billion industry. More and more evidence supports the fact that football simply cannot be made safer with better helmets or different rules. Some have suggested that football be regulated more firmly by government agencies; still others have suggested that we begin the process of dismantling pro football since the game is just too dangerous.

Take a position on football in American family life, and discuss the pros and cons that parents might consider when deciding whether or not to involve their children in the sport. In a fully developed essay, weigh the various sides of the issue and draw conclusions.

CULTURE

Matador.com, a Web site devoted to global travel and culture, recently featured an article on eight inventions that create global culture: shortboards (for surfing), food trucks, music samplers (MPCs), digital cameras, skateboards, DJ mixers, spray paint (for graffiti), and the Internet. David Miller, the writer of the piece, says, “This is how culture mixes. It is driven by the youth.”

Do you agree with Miller’s view? Defend, challenge, or qualify Miller’s statement. You may want to include one or more of the inventions he has cited, or think of some of your own to support your position. Develop your essay fully, paying close attention to supporting your argument in a convincing manner.

POLITICS

In paragraph 7 of “Shooting an Elephant” (pp. 1100–1105), George Orwell observes that “when the white man turns tyrant it is his own freedom that he destroys,” and that “[h]e wears a mask, and his face grows to fit it.” Consider the implications of these statements concerning human nature. Write an essay in which you support, refute, or qualify Orwell’s paradox and metaphor. Refer to your reading, knowledge, or experience to support your argument.

In groups, choose three of the following essays to read. Essays can be found in your textbook.

1. Excerpt from Silent Spring by Rachel Carson (nature, environment)
2. “High School Confidential: Notes on Teen Movies” by David Denby (popular culture)
3. “There is No Unmarked Woman” by Deborah Tannen (gender)
4. Excerpt from Serving Florida by Barbara Ehrenreich (social class, economics)
5. “Offensive Play” by Malcolm Gladwell (sports)
6. “The Empire Fights Back” by Chinua Achebe (politics)

Follow the schedule below.

Day 1        Meet in groups, decide on essays, begin reading essay 1, finish for HW
Day 2       Discuss essay 1 / Complete Graff or SOAPSTone for essay 1
Day 3       Finish discussing essay 1 / Begin reading essay 2, finish for HW
Day 4       Discuss essay 2 / Complete Graff or SOAPSTone for essay 2
Day 5       Finish discussing essay 2 / Begin reading essay 3, finish for HW
Day 6       Discuss essay 3 / Complete Graff or SOAPSTone for essay 3
Day 7       Finish discussing essay 3


IN GROUPS
Discuss the following questions (you may want to take notes so you can use them to type up your individual reflections)

• What is the main purpose of the essay?
• Comment on the essay’s overall arrangement. Describe and then evaluate.
• What points most stood out to you while you were reading? Why?
• Which parts of the essay were most effective? Why?  Consider both content AND form/style.
• What can you take away from this essay re: effective writing?

As a group, complete a Graff template for each article or SOAPSTone analysis (you’ll turn these in at the end).

ON YOUR OWNEach student will submit a typed, 1-page personal response/reflection on each article.  Your response may begin with a quick 1-2 sentence summary of the article (a modified, “livelier” Graff template), followed by your response to and analysis of specific points that the writer makes in the essay.

Your reflections will be due on TBA (my suggestion would be to type up your reflections each night you finish discussing the essay in class).

Over the next month, you’ll research a topic of your choice. This topic may be broad or specific—regardless, you may find it helpful to think of your topic in terms of a central question (or questions) you want to pursue. What are you curious about? What have you noticed about the world around you? What have you always wondered but never had the time or opportunity to pursue?  Well, now is that opportunity.

Eventually, this research will culminate into an essay, and by essay, I mean essay in its original, perhaps truest form

The word essay is about an attempt, a trial, a way to “test the quality of” some idea. With this in mind, an essay is less about proving something to be true, and more about weighing evidence and then exploring the ways in which something may be true. Your essay should be less about choosing a side and more about looking at a question from many sides.

Consider this essay to be the culminating work of your year here in AP Lang. Let’s begin!

Choose a topic
Choose a topic or area of research that will sustain you over the course of the next few months. How to decide?

• Choose something you’re already interested in or passionate about. Writing will allow you to explore that passion with a depth you may have not have had an opportunity to do before.

• Choose something you may know very little about. Perhaps you’ve been wondering about something, but you’ve never had the time or opportunity to pursue that wondering. Now can be that time.

SUBMIT YOUR TOPIC HERE.

Research Anthology

• Compile at least 8 sources on your research topic. At least 4 of your sources must be full-length essays (not blog posts). The remaining sources may be audio or visual (for example, TED talk, podcast episodes, infographic, etc.).  The essays should be attractively printed out in their entirety.  The visuals must be printed so they are clear and complete.

• Select your essays from a variety of respected sources.  If you have questions about the merits of the source, you must bring a copy of the specific piece you would like to include to your teacher for approval.  Make your requests at least two weeks before your deadline.  Editorials and blog posts do not count as full-length essays.  Look for “feature” articles in magazines like Time Magazine or The Atlantic and full-length articles in newspapers (consider the major essays in your textbook as examples). A general rule of thumb is to choose essays that are at least 3-4 “magazine” pages in length.

• Speaking of your textbook… don’t forget your textbook. You are highly encouraged to pull at least one of your sources from it, if applicable.  Oh, and go to the library and browse their magazine selection. You never know what you might find.

Don’t forget to look through your Weekly Annotated Readings folder from earlier this year, too!

And books! Consider using a chapter or excerpt from a book as one of your sources. Books sources, I’ve found, can be the most useful.

Click here for a Pinterest board of ideas for sources (then click on the “Get More out of Google” image later in this post to learn how to make the most of those sources).

Check out this link to help you use Google more effectively,

• Introduction: Introduce each piece of writing with a brief biography of the writer (including the writer’s publishing history and any awards received) and any background for the source (when and where it was originally published as well as any reprints.  For example, “Sister Bernadette’s Barking Dog” was originally published in Harper’s in December, 2004 and reprinted in The Best American Essays 2005, Houghton Mifflin.). This introduction should comprise a brief paragraph.

• Summary: Summarize the source’s major points, quoting the text throughout. In your summary, review the source’s various claims and the evidence used to support them. You do not need to cover all the source’s claims, just the ones that you find most compelling, especially as they relate to your central research question(s) and why this claim/evidence may be important.Note: This is not a rhetorical analysis. You may use a Graff template to help you organize your thoughts or as part of your summary, but it is neither required nor necessarily suggested. This summary should be about 250-300-ish words, perhaps more, depending on the length or complexity of your source.

• Include a table of contents.

• Include a bibliography of all references used (including information used for the biographical material).  Use MLA format.

• Give your anthology a clever title.

• Bind your anthology attractively in this order:
  1. cover page (with title of anthology, your name, teacher’s name, course name, and date)
  2. table of contents
  3. sources (with introductory material at the beginning of each piece and the summary/reflection at the end)
  4. bibliography

Please Note: In lieu of a physical anthology, you may also create an online anthology using a webpage (such as your own WordPress site), or an e-anthology (pdf) on USB drive, CD or DVD.  See me if you have more questions.

Submit your complete anthology on April 7 (see note below).

NOTE: You must submit at least one source for your anthology by Wednesday, March 4, for a grade and to ensure some feedback from your teacher.  Include all required components to your sample as outlined above (introduction, article, then summary, with MLA citation at end).  Then after the sample is assessed and returned, include it—with any needed revisions—with your completed anthology.

The EssayMore details about your essay will follow, but here are the basics: 1800-2500 words, formatted in “magazine” style. Minimum five sources cited, including at least one primary source interview.

The TalkAfter you complete your final essay, you’ll present your work to the class in a brief talk to the class, approximately 7-8 minutes in length. More details to follow.

Browse the archives from This I Believe to get a sense of style, voice, and structure. As you will see, there is great variety in each of these areas. In other words, your own This I Believe essay should give you ample opportunity to develop your own voice and put one of your guiding life philosophies into words. That said, below are the guidelines from the program.

Remember that although the essay is personal in nature, it is also an argument. Your belief is a type of claim, one of fact, value, or policy, depending on what you choose. Once you’ve identified your claim, consider what evidence in the way of anecdote, personal experience, observations, statistics, etc. you could use to support your belief. Give some thought on arrangement as well: classical, Rogerian, or somewhere in between.

Essay Guidelines**copied directly from the This I Believe website

We invite you to contribute to this project by writing and submitting your own statement of personal belief. We understand how challenging this is—it requires such intimacy that no one else can do it for you. To guide you through this process, we offer these suggestions:

Tell a story about you: Be specific. Take your belief out of the ether and ground it in the events of your life. Consider moments when belief was formed or tested or changed. Think of your own experience, work, and family, and tell of the things you know that no one else does. Your story need not be heart-warming or gut-wrenching—it can even be funny—but it should be real. Make sure your story ties to the essence of your daily life philosophy and the shaping of your beliefs.

Be brief: Your statement should be between 500 and 600 words. That’s about three minutes when read aloud at your natural pace.

Name your belief: If you can’t name it in a sentence or two, your essay might not be about belief. Also, rather than writing a list, consider focusing on one core belief, because three minutes is a very short time.

Be positive: Please avoid preaching or editorializing. Tell us what you do believe, not what you don’t believe. Avoid speaking in the editorial “we.” Make your essay about you; speak in the first person.

Be personal: Write in words and phrases that are comfortable for you to speak. We recommend you read your essay aloud to yourself several times, and each time edit it and simplify it until you find the words, tone, and story that truly echo your belief and the way you speak.

For this project, we are also guided by the original This I Believe series and theproducers’ invitation to those who wrote essays in the 1950s. Their advice holds up well and we are abiding by it. Please consider it carefully in writing your piece.

In introducing the original series, host Edward R. Murrow said, “Never has the need for personal philosophies of this kind been so urgent.” We would argue that the need is as great now as it was 50 years ago. We are eager for your contribution.

Now that you’ve finished reading your book, here’s what you need to do:

• Minimum two annotated pages from your text. Photocopy the pages, leaving ample room in the margins for your annotations.

• In a succinct paragraph, identify and describe the author’s primary purpose. After identifying the primary purpose, include any more specific, related points (2-4) the author makes. NOTE: This paragraph should cover the entire text, not any one particular section. For example, the sample below covers the entirety of MLK, Jr.’s essay:

In “Letter from Birmingham Jail,” King’s primary purpose is to argue the necessity of civil disobedience as a means to overcome injustice. In doing so, he directly refutes the Alabama clergymen’s contention that he is an outsider. In fact, King makes the point that there can be no “outsiders” in the United States for “an injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”  Furthermore, King argues that racial segregation in Alabama is as much a religious issue as it is a legal one. (And so on…)

In the final sentence(s) of the paragraph, summarize the types of evidence the author uses to make his/her points.  For example,

King employs biblical allusions, deductive reasoning, contrasting imagery, patriotic appeals, and historical evidence, among other strategies, to advance his argument.

• Analyze 5 passages of significance from the text. Each passage should be anywhere from 1 to 3 or 4 paragraphs, depending on the length of the paragraphs.

Divide your document into two columns. Label the first column “What it Says.” In the first column, retype the passage and include the MLA page citation.

Label the second column “What it’s Doing and Why it’s Important.” In the second column, describe the purpose and effectiveness of the passage: what is the purpose of the passage, how does it relate to the overall purpose of the text, what strategies is the author using in this passage and why, etc. Be specific in your analysis. One or so well-developed paragraphs should suffice.

Click here to download a template for the double-entry journal:

Double Entry Journal Template: Current Word (Apple Pages users can use this version)

Double Entry Journal Template 97-2003 Version

To begin our argument unit we will read a selection of commencement speeches. You will select two to read on your own, using this website collection. After you finish reading, fill out this Google form for each speech.

Due Wednesday 12/17: a brief rhetorical analysis on a passage from The Things They Carried. Use my sample as your model. You do not need an introduction or conclusion. Please include an MLA header and make sure to indicate what pages your passage is on. 

Include a photocopy of the passage with your annotations. 

I hear from a lot of students that they don't get to read for pleasure anymore, that the only titles they read during the year are the ones assigned to them by their teachers. Let's fix that. This marking period, I'd like you to select a non-fiction book to read on your own. We will make time for you to read in class. We'll ask you to talk about your book. We might ask you to write a little something. You say, "Yeah, but you're still assigning us a book." No. You're selecting a book that you want to read and I'm giving the time and opportunity to read it--and I guess the excuse, for those that are looking for one. 

The only stipulation is that it has to be a non-fiction book. Fortunately, there are so many great non-fiction titles--on every topic imaginable. Check out our suggested reading list below. Ask your friends and parents for recommendations. Find something you want to read. And read. 

To appreciate great personal writing, we will read a collection of essays from many great writers. These "On Essays" focus on a single aspect, issue, or activity of the writer's life and experiences. Writing in a variety of modes, they succeed because they explore complex topics in a very relatable way. They explain, define, and describe; they use anecdotes and allusions. They feature both insight and curiosity. They zoom in and zoom out. 

Clicking here will take you to a folder of "On essays," most of which we will read in class. They will act as out mentor texts. Read them carefully, reflect on our conversations, and revisit your annotations. You will write at least 2 of these essays in the first semester. 

Start thinking of possible topics for your own essay. Use your notebook. Do lots of pre-writing before you jump in. What do you need to explain to your reader? What descriptions would be interesting and valuable? What ideas or terms need definition? What comparisons or references could you make to connect with your reader? Where could you slow time? Where should you speed it up?

Yes, it's a lot to think about--which is why we will do at least 2 drafts for each essay. You will have the opportunity to meet in small reading groups that will act as a writers' workshop. Keep this in mind when you compose your essay. You will be reading them to a group of 2-3 students for immediate feedback. 

The requirements:

• 750-1200 words
• A narrow focus indicated by your title ("On...)
• Evidence of different modes of writing
• Clear organization
• Sentence variety
• Strong diction (verbs especially)
• Awareness of audience

I will use a modified 9-point AP rubric, available here. They will be worth 50 points. 
Questions or concerns, come talk to me. 

An Essay of Introduction
Welcome, AP Lang’ers! The success of our year together will depend partly on how well we get to know each other. So for your first assignment, you’ll write a brief essay that introduces yourself to me and to your classmates, which you will read aloud during class.

Some guidelines:

• Make it memorable: include a detail, a story, an experience, etc. that SHOWS who you are. With that said, what your essay should not do is read like a list or resume.

• Write small. What does this mean? Don’t try to tell us your entire life story. Instead, focus on a specific part of your life—one that is meaningful and telling—and explore just that. After we hear your essay, we should get a sense of what’s important to you.

• Let your personality shine. Write in a voice that sounds like you. This is an informal, personal essay. Use humor or sarcasm if that’s who you are. Don’t be afraid to be creative! Last year, I had a student who even played the ukele and sang a song for us. :)

And the specifics:

• Your essay should be approximately 400-500 words.
• Bring two copies to class: one to read, and one for me.
• Double (or 1.5) spaced, MLA heading, double-sided preferred.
• DUE MONDAY, 9/8.

Be sure to practice reading your essay aloud several times before class. Doing this will also help you in the revision process as you “hear” what you’re saying and how you sound.

I’m looking forward to getting to know you and hearing your essays!