Friday, May 19, 2017

Q4 Reflection: Due Thursday, 5/25

Answer the following questions in your Reflections Google Doc.

  1. What strategies for growth did you apply for writing the essay? How effective were they?

  1. What previous areas of growth do you now consider areas of strength?

  1. What have you learned about yourself as a learner in Q4?

  1. What two observations would you like to be reminded of at the beginning of next year?

  1. How effectively did you meet your commitments for engagement in Q4?

Complete the following sentence: "Based on these observations, I assign myself a ___/50 for engagement in Q4."

It's So Excessive

Rewrite your original Paw Print passage so that each sentence is overrun with excessive modifiers. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how this change affects the style of the passage and the meanings that it conveys to its readers. How is it different from the original passage? How does it change the author's voice? How does it change the ideas she is conveying?

As always, this analytical paragraph should observe the same conventions and structures of the analytical paragraphs in your modified essays, including a topic sentence, direct textual evidence, contestable claims, and explanations linking evidence to ideas.

Thursday, May 18, 2017

It's So Passive

Rewrite your original Paw Print passage so that it is entirely in the passive voice. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how this change affects the style of the passage and the meanings that it conveys to its readers. How is it different from the original passage? How does it change the author's voice? How does it change the ideas she is conveying?

As always, this analytical paragraph should observe the same conventions and structures of the analytical paragraphs in your modified essays, including a topic sentence, direct textual evidence, contestable claims, and explanations linking evidence to ideas.

Wednesday, May 17, 2017

It's So Abstract

Rewrite your original Paw Print passage so that all of the nouns are abstract nouns. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how this change affects the style of the passage and the meanings that it conveys to its readers. How is it different from the original passage? How does it change the author's voice? How does it change the ideas she is conveying?

As always, this analytical paragraph should observe the same conventions and structures of the analytical paragraphs in your modified essays, including a topic sentence, direct textual evidence, contestable claims, and explanations linking evidence to ideas.

Sunday, May 14, 2017

It's So Simple

Select a 3-4 sentence passage from the most recent edition of the Paw Print. Rewrite the passage so that each sentence is a simple sentence. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how this change affects the style of the passage and the meanings that it conveys to its readers. How is it different from the original passage? How does it change the author's voice? How does it change the ideas she is conveying?

This analytical paragraph should observe the same conventions and structures of the analytical paragraphs in your modified essays, including a topic sentence, direct textual evidence, contestable claims, and explanations linking evidence to ideas.

Friday, March 24, 2017

Wednesday, March 15, 2017

Creating Character in Othello

Write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how Shakespeare uses figurative language to establish the character of one of two minor characters: Brabantio or the Duke. Practice organizing your paragraph around the five features of analytical paragraphs that we discussed in class: a topic sentence, quote contextualization, direct quotation, ideas/claims, and an explanation that links the ideas to the specific details of the text.

Friday, March 3, 2017

Visual Reflections

What surprised you as you worked to translate the vision of your graphic novel onto paper? What challenged you? If you had an opportunity to revise, what would you change?

Reflect on the above questions and then spend 30 minutes writing a one or two paragraphs that represent what you learn. Practice structuring your paragraph around the features of analysis that you demonstrated in your VoiceThread analysis (point to specific details, offer ideas not observations, provide an explanation that links your ideas to your details).


Monday, February 6, 2017

Transitioning Persepolis

As we deepen our look into the conventions of graphic novels (panels, gutters, voice overs, symbols, etc.), we have identified juxtaposition as an especially effective technique. For this blog post, identify the panel transition/transitions between two or more panels in our most recent readings in Persepolis. Then, write an analytical paragraph in which you explore how these transitions work to explore or support a theme in the graphic novel. Keep in mind our discussion of the difference between a theme and topic.

As always, be sure that you support your ideas with evidence from the text. Also be sure to be as specific as possible in your evidence, explanations, diction, and syntax.