Assignment for Wednesday, Dec. 13, and Thursday, Dec. 14

Write at least one page for the exploratory essay. Share it with me as a Google doc (mrmontasmph@gmail.com) by the start of class.

Assignments for Wednesday, Dec. 6, Thursday, Dec. 7, and Friday, Dec. 8

For Wednesday, continue working on the research prospectus. Strive to have at least half of it written. You might find it helpful to look for additional sources to help you think about your topic. Your question might still be changing and developing as you write the prospectus, which is fine. I advise that you keep track of the ways your question is changing; don't delete your old research questions.

For Thursday and Friday, write a complete draft of the research prospectus. Don't neglect the bibliography. 

Assignments for Monday, Dec. 4, Tuesday, Dec. 5, and Wednesday, Dec. 6

For Monday (Day 2), write a tentative research question and (based on the handout given in class) identify the kind of question you're asking. In addition, try to write a paragraph for your research prospectus. If you missed class on Wednesday or Thursday (or if you misplaced it), click here for the handout on developing a research question. You do not need to share this assignment with me yet, but be sure to have it available in class. You will spend most of class working on the research prospectus and pursuing additional sources.

Lastly, I know we haven't gotten back to it, but please continue bringing The Woman Warrior to class. I hope to talk about it this class (up to p. 160), so if you're still behind, try to catch up.

For Tuesday (Day 3) and Wednesday (Day 4), continue working on the research prospectus. Strive to have at least half of it written. You might find it helpful to look for additional sources to help you think about your topic. Your question might still be changing and developing as you write the prospectus, which is fine. I advise that you keep track of the ways your question is changing; don't delete your old research questions.

Assignments for Thursday, Nov. 30, Friday, Dec. 1, and Monday, Dec. 4

For Thursday, the annotated bibliography is due by the start of class. Share it with me as a Google doc via mrmontasmph@gmail.com. Also, bring The Woman Warrior with you to class.

For Friday and Monday, write a tentative research question and (based on the handout given in class) identify the kind of question you're asking. In addition, try to write a paragraph for your research prospectus. If you missed class on Wednesday or Thursday (or if you misplaced it), click here for the handout on developing a research question. You do not need to share this assignment with me yet, but be sure to have it available in class. You will spend most of class working on the research prospectus and pursuing additional sources.

Lastly, I know we haven't gotten back to it, but please continue bringing The Woman Warrior to class. I hope to talk about it this class (up to p. 160), so if you're still behind, try to catch up.

Assignments for Wednesday, Nov. 29, and Thursday, Nov. 30

The annotated bibliography is due by the start of class. Share it with me as a Google doc via mrmontasmph@gmail.com. Also, bring The Woman Warrior with you to class.

Assignments for Monday, Nov. 13, Tuesday, Nov. 14, and Wednesday, Nov. 15

For Monday (Day 4), Complete the narrative essay you began in class on Tuesday and Wednesday. The class that meets on Thursday will have time during class to revise the essay and put the finishing touches on it.

For Tuesday (Day 5) and Wednesday (Day 6), Check your email or Google doc for comments on your narrative essay, and resolve those comments and make any further revisions by the start of class. Also, read to p. 160 in The Woman Warrior. 

Assignment for Thursday, Nov. 9, and Monday, Nov. 13

Complete the narrative essay you began in class on Tuesday and Wednesday. The class that meets on Thursday will have time during class to revise the essay and put the finishing touches on it.

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 1, to Tuesday, Nov. 7

For Wednesday and Thursday, read pp. 57-87 in The Woman Warrior.

For Friday and Monday, read. pp. 87-109 in The Woman Warrior. 

For Tuesday and Wednesday, no assignment. (End of quarter reprieve.)

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 30, and Tuesday, Oct. 31

In Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior, read pp. 19-53. Keep in mind the tension in her writing between memory and imagination. Pay attention to how each of them influences the way she tells her story. Also, bring They Say / I Say to class.

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 23, and Tuesday, Oct. 24

Email the essay on Hillbilly Elegy to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com before the start of class. Share it with me as a Google doc, and give me editing privileges.

Assignment for Tuesday, Oct. 17, to Friday, Oct. 20

For Tuesday (Day 5): Look over the prompts for the Hillbilly Elegy writing piece; they are posted to the right. Try to decide on one of them. You do not have to write one page before class; instead, you will have all of class to work on the paper. I won't be in class; Mrs. Hadlick will be your teacher. (I will be in school in the morning.) You do not need to email it to me, but be sure to bring it with you to class so I can read it and go over it with you. Don't print it out; just have a digital copy.

For Wednesday (Day 6): Write one page of the Hillbilly Elegy writing piece. Don't print it out; just have a digital copy available for me to read. I will go around the class and review everyone's work.

For Thursday (Day 1) and Friday (Day 2), come to class with two pages written for the Hillbilly Elegy writing piece. Like last class, just bring a digital copy with you so I can go over your work.

Assignment for Thursday, Oct. 12, Friday, Oct. 13, and Monday, Oct. 16

For Thursday (Day 2), read the reviews of and article about Hillbilly Elegy linked below. Be patient with the reviews; they begin by summarizing the book, but ultimately they spend more time analyzing it. Don't hesitate to use the extra time this long weekend to read some of the links within the reviews, too; they address some of the issues we would have addressed if we had looked more closely at race, poverty, and public policy.

The Lives of Poor White People (The New Yorker)
Hillbilly Elitism (Jacobin Magazine)
I Was Born in Appalachia. Hillbilly Elegy Doesn't Speak for Me. (The Washington Post)

For Friday (Day 3) and Monday (Day 4), read the following pieces on Confederate monuments. Keep in mind Vance's position on the qualities he identifies as belonging to hillbilly tradition and culture. Be prepared for a quiz that will have multiple choice, true-or-false, and short-answer questions.

The Stubborn Persistence of Confederate Monuments (The Atlantic)
The Myth of the Kindly General Lee (The Atlantic)
A Myopic View of General Lee (The National Review; this is a response to the prior article on Lee)

Assignment for Tuesday, Oct. 10, Wednesday, Oct. 11, and Thursday, Oct. 12

For Tuesday (Day 6), finish reading Hillbilly Elegy (to p. 257). In class, we will develop essay prompts for Hillbilly Elegy.

For Wednesday (Day 1) and Thursday (Day 2), read the reviews of and article about Hillbilly Elegy linked below. Be patient with the reviews; they begin by summarizing the book, but ultimately they spend more time analyzing it. Don't hesitate to use the extra time this long weekend to read some of the links within the reviews, too; they address some of the issues we would have addressed if we had looked more closely at race, poverty, and public policy.

The Lives of Poor White People (The New Yorker)
Hillbilly Elitism (Jacobin Magazine)
I Was Born in Appalachia. Hillbilly Elegy Doesn't Speak for Me. (The Washington Post)

Assignment for Thursday, Oct. 5, Friday, Oct. 6, and Tuesday, Oct. 10

For Thursday (Day 4), read to p. 222 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Be sure to bring They Say/I Say to class.

For Friday (Day 5) and Tuesday (Day 6), finish reading Hillbilly Elegy (to p. 257). In class, we will develop essay prompts for Hillbilly Elegy.

Assignment for Tuesday, Oct. 3, Wednesday, Oct. 4, and Thursday, Oct. 5

For Tuesday (Day 2),  read to p. 195 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy.

For Wednesday (Day 3) and Thursday (Day 4), read to p. 222 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Be sure to bring They Say/I Say to class.

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 2, and Tuesday, Oct. 3

For Monday and Tuesday, read to p. 195 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy.

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 22, and Monday, Sept. 25

For Friday (Day 1) and Monday (Day 2): Read pp. 119-151 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay attention to any contradictions that appear in Vance's writing, either in his claims and arguments about society, or about the way he remembers his experiences. Keep in mind especially his observations about self-reliance.

Letter Writing

Read two or three of the letters posted below. Some letters show the original document; if it's hard to read, you can scroll down for a typed transcript. Pay attention to standard rhetorical features, especially the influence of audience and purpose on the writer's stylistic choices.

To My Old Master
I Am Very Real
We All Wish for Peace (to Anne Frank)
Apology Letter from Madonna
I Embrace You with All My Heart (Camus)

Video Interviews with Vance

For this week's homework, see the next blog post.

If you missed class Monday or Tuesday, make some time to watch the interviews below. We watched them in class on Monday and Tuesday.

Vance interview with PBS NewsHour (about 8 minutes long)

Vance interview with NBC News (about 13 minutes long)

Assignment for Wednesday, Sep. 20, Friday, Sept. 22, and Monday, Sept. 25

For Wednesday (Day 6): Communicate with someone or some people about your response so far to Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Consider the most appropriate venue, means, and audience for your thoughts about this book. Length won't be a major consideration in my assessment of this piece of writing, but it should reflect that you've given the book, and writing about it, some thought. Email this response to mrmontasmph@gmail.com before the start of class.

For Friday (Day 1) and Monday (Day 2): Read pp. 119-151 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay attention to any contradictions that appear in Vance's writing, either in his claims and arguments about society, or about the way he remembers his experiences. Keep in mind especially his observations about self-reliance.

Assignments for Monday, Sept. 18, Tuesday, Sept. 19, and Wednesday, Sept. 20

For Monday (Day 4), read pp. pp. 81-117 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Continue to pay attention to his word choice. While reading, identify a passage that best expresses the most significant development in this reading. Also, continue working on the Action Plan. If you misplaced the handout, it is posted to the right.

For Tuesday (Day 5) and Wednesday (Day 6), communicate with someone or some people about your response so far to Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Consider the most appropriate venue, means, and audience for your thoughts about this book. Length won't be a major consideration in my assessment of this piece of writing, but it should reflect that you've given the book, and writing about it, some thought.

Assignments for Thursday, Sept. 14, Friday Sept. 15, and Monday, Sept. 18

For Thursday, read pp. 39-80 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Again, pay attention to his word choice and, as we discussed in class (from They Say / I Say), consider the conversation he is participating in.

For Friday and Monday, read pp. pp. 81-117 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Continue to pay attention to his word choice. While reading, identify a passage that best expresses the most significant development in this reading. Also, continue working on the Action Plan. If you misplaced the handout, it is posted to the right. 

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept. 12, Wednesday, Sept. 13, and Thursday, Sept. 14

For Tuesday, read pp. 1-37 in J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay particular attention to his word choice, and identify any words that you think stand out because they're very descriptive, make a strong impression, or help communicate a particular idea especially well. In addition, in class, we will read and work on the Preface and Introduction to They Say / I Say.

For Wednesday and Thursday, read pp. 39-80 in Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Again, pay attention to his word choice and, as we discussed in class (from They Say / I Say), consider the conversation he is participating in.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 11, and Tuesday, Sept. 12

Read pp. 1-37 in J. D. Vance's Hillbilly Elegy. Pay particular attention to his word choice, and identify any words that you think stand out because they're very descriptive, make a strong impression, or help communicate a particular idea especially well. In addition, in class, we will read and work on the Preface and Introduction to They Say / I Say.

Charlottesville News Reports for Class

You don't have to read these for homework; you'll read these in class on Thursday and Friday:

The New York Times: "White Nationalists March on the University of Virginia"
The Guardian: "Charlottesville: Far-Right Crowd with Torches Encircles Counter-Protest Group"
BBC: "A Reckoning in Charlottesville"
Fox News: "Charlottesville White Nationalist Rally Blamed for Three Deaths, Dozens of Injuries"
The Washington Post: One Dead as Car Strikes Crowds Amid Protests of White Nationalist Gathering in Charlottesville; Two Police Die in Helicopter Crash"

Welcome! (And Thursday's and Friday's Assignment)

Welcome to The Senior Seminar (formally known as Advanced Language and Composition). I am very excited to help you to discover more about the world and prepare you to  read and write in college.

For Thursday and Friday, watch J. D. Vance's TED talk (watch it here). Come prepared to discuss Vance's argument and his presentation style. Among the questions we'll discuss in class: What is his main point? How does he make it? Is he persuasive? Why or why not?

Assignment for Wednesday, May 3, and Thursday, May 4

Read the following articles on artificial intelligence:

Lev Grossman, "2045: The Year Man Becomes Immortal" (And see this graphic on AI.)
Brian Resnick, "How Artificial Intelligence Learns to Be Racist"

As you read Grossman's article about Ray Kurzweil's view of the Singularity, consider the reasons for Kurzweil's optimism about the future of AI.

As you read Resnick's article, think about whether AI can ever reflect our (that is, humanity's) best selves.

Lastly, consider (for next class) the possibility of human perfectability (that is, the possibility that humans can create or engineer themselves to perfection) in the context of Gattaca and the articles you've read by Ackerman, Kaku, Grossman, and Resnick.

Assignment for Thursday, April 6, and Friday, April 7

Read the handout distributed in class. (If you missed class the articles are here and here.)

Also, continue working on the research paper or presentation, or both. The complete draft of the research paper (including the exploratory essay) is due on Wednesday, April 12, whether or not you have class.

Assignments for Wednesday, March 29, Thursday, March 30, and Friday, March 31

For Wednesday and Thursday, work on the Nineteen Eighty-Four assignment, the STP presentation, or the research paper.

On Friday, turn in the Nineteen Eighty-Four assignment, whether you have class or not.

Assignment for Wednesday, March 22, Thursday, March 23, and Friday, March 24

First, if you missed Monday's or Tuesday's class, watch this TEDx talk by Brene Brown. While watching, pay attention to and reflect on the following: 1) her use of humor, especially self-deprecation, 2) the images and the ways they figuratively reinforce her points, 3) the way she brings together personal, argumentative, and analytical writing, 4) her insight (what is it?).

For Wednesday: Read and annotate pp. 269-308 in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Come prepared to work on the research paper.

For Thursday and Friday: Read and annotate Thomas Pynchon's foreword to Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (pp. vii-xxvi). Also, make some progress on either the research paper or the presentation.

Assignment for Friday, March 17 to Wednesday, March 22

For Friday and Monday: In Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, read and annotate pp. 231-269. Come prepared to work on the research paper. You will receive your second draft.

If you missed class on Monday or Tuesday, watch this TEDx talk by Brene Brown. While watching, pay attention to and reflect on the following: 1) her use of humor, especially self-deprecation, 2) the images and the ways they figuratively reinforce her points, 3) the way she brings together personal, argumentative, and analytical writing, 4) her insight (what is it?).

For Tuesday and Wednesday: Read and annotate pp. 269-308 in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Come prepared to work on the research paper.

Assignment for Monday, March 13, and Tuesday, March 14

In Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, read and annotate to pp. 183-230. From pages 188 to 204, the reading can feel slow as it explains many aspects of  Oceania's society. I think it's worthwhile to read it carefully, since this section answers many of your questions about life under the Party. Nevertheless, if you find pages 188 to 204 unbearably slow, you may skim them (notice, I wrote "skim," not "skip") and resume reading carefully at page 204. 

Assignment for Wednesday, March 8, and Thursday, March 9

In Nineteen Eighty-Four, read and annotate to p. 183. (We left off on p. 139.)

Class on Monday, Feb. 27, and Tuesday, Feb. 28

On Monday (Day 2), we viewed parts of the following documentaries to consider features of a totalitarian society:

Ten Days in North Korea (up to 11:43)
The Secret State of North Korea (up to 38:34)

You do not have an assignment for Wednesday; you can continue to read Nineteen Eighty-Four, or you can work on the research paper.

Tuesday's class (Day 3) will not watch these documentaries; instead, you will work on the research paper, so come prepared to do that. You will watch the documentaries on Thursday or next week.

Research Paper Update and School Colors Survey

Since I didn't have a chance to go over your papers with you, I'm moving back the date for turning in the next three-to-four pages. Those will now be due Thursday, March 2 (Day 5), and Friday, March 3 (Day 6).

Also, please go here to complete the survey that Saad and Jeongyoon announced at lunch yesterday for the Pebble about the school's new external colors.

Assignments for Thursday, Feb. 9 to Wednesday, Feb. 15

For Thursday, read and annotate to p. 106 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

For Friday and Monday, continue working on your research paper. There is no additional reading in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

For Tuesday and Wednesday, read and annotate pp. 107-139 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four. You'll have a little more than half of the class period to continue working on the research paper. I would prefer that you turn in the next three-to-four pages on Friday, Feb. 17, especially if you will be out of town over the break. If you don't turn it in on that day, you'll have to turn it in on Monday, Feb. 27 (Day 2) or Tuesday, Feb. 28 (Day 3).

Assignment for Tuesday, Feb. 7, Wed. Feb. 8, and Thursday, Feb. 9

For Tuesday (Day 5), read and annotate to p. 71 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

For Wednesday and Thursday, read and annotate to p. 106 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Assignments for Wednesday, Feb. 1 to Tuesday, Feb. 7

Wednesday (Day 2) and Thursday (Day 3): Read to p. 29 in George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Friday (Day 4): Read to p. 65 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Tuesday (Day 5): Read to p. 71 in Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four.

Assignment for Tuesday, Jan. 17, and Wednesday, Jan. 18

Complete and turn in the essay on Chronicle of a Death Foretold.

In class, we will introduce our next and last book, George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four, by looking at some of Orwell's essays. In addition, you will continue to work on the STP research paper.

Assignment for Wednesday, Jan. 11, Thurs., Jan. 12, and Friday, Jan. 13

Note that the topics for the essay on Chronicle of a Death Foretold are posted to the right. This essay is due Tuesday, Jan. 17 (Day 3), and Wednesday, Jan. 18 (Day 4).

For Wednesday, prepare to work on your STP research paper. You will have most of class to work on it. Bring any materials you need to begin writing the paper.

For Thursday and Friday, write one page for the essay on Chronicle of a Death Foretold. You will have time in class to work on that essay and the STP research paper.