D. Brosius’ Virtual Classroom

Hope you are enjoying your summer!

APer’s many of you have emailed me to boast of your fabulous scores. WOW!!! AWESOME!!! UNBELIEVABLE!!! I am so proud of you. For those of you I haven’t heard from…come on let me know how you did!!!!

Future APer’s I have heard from a few of you regarding the need for clarification on the summer assignment. Continue to work hard and email if you get stuck. Use the sources provided in the sidebar to guide your understanding.

I am thoroughly enjoying the many emails regarding your summer adventures. Continue sharing your summer reading recommendations. Though I have not been home too much, between traveling all over chasing the hottest places in the US to watch softball, and attending an AP “camp” for teachers, I have had the opportunity to read some good literature. In fact I have been going through a list of suggestions made by several of you. I appreciate the heads up on some very good literature. So far I have enjoyed The Memory Keepers Daughter, Notes From the Underground, and The Tortilla Curtain. Between books I have read short stories, from my favorite anthologies. I recommend two of the most recent short stories I have read, Tobias Wolff’s “Hunters in the Snow” and Tim O’Brien’s “The Things They Carried”.

What have you read thus far??

I am very proud of all the graduating seniors. You played school to the end. I am also proud of my juniors, wow! What a year. You worked hard, pursuing excellence until the end. And of course, my sophomores; you kept it “real” to the end, worked hard and played hard. To all of you my hope is that you focus your energies on being a positive and productive person. Read good literature, listen to good music, spend quality time with your family and friends. Respect yourself, others, and your environment. Most of all Be safe, and Be nice to people. Have a wonderful summer… Seniors best of luck to you in your future ventures. Juniors you’re the “big dogs” next year, do great things this summer to pack your college resume. Sophomores get to work on your summer read, pace yourself, and represent.

Continue to use the blog letting all know of your great adventures, reading recommendations, and just good stuff you are involved in. Check in every once and a while I’ll update when great things happen.

To the new AP Language and Composition class, the summer read assignment can be accessed through the link on the sidebar, under AP course curriculum, titled “summer read 08”. I encourage you to start early and pace yourself. Make sure your work reflects excellence.

Our final week together…Share your final thoughts!

Seniors- Take the opportunity to send parting words to the underclassman.. Advice, cautions, encouragements… Leave your final thoughts feeling and reactions to leaving high school. Your words will be your way of leaving your mark on the minds of those that look up to you.

Juniors- Take a moment and reflect on this school year…leave those thoughts here. Got any final words for next years Language Comp APers; they will be checking the blog all summer for words of wisdom. Go to your course page “Profound Words of Wisdom by the brilliant minds of AP Lang 08′ ” and leave a comment for the future APers.

Sophomores- Of course I want you to leave your final thoughts, feelings, and reactions ,to the school year here. I am also adding a page for your reaction to The Grapes of Wrath conclusion. Check out the course page “Reaction to GoW” What did you think? Send in a comment on that page and keep the conversation rolling.

Seniors you are at the end of your high school journey. There is a huge world out there in desperate need of people that believe in a peaceful society that is based on equality and mutual respect.  Be positive, Be passionate and Be heard.

Juniors prepare to fill the big shoes the Seniors are leaving behind..

Sophomores you have seven days left and you will officially be an upperclassman.  Get ready to represent.

14 more days!! Keep working hard and finish strong!!

Seniors- Make sure you are working hard to complete the Kate Chopin webquest. We will turn it in along with the lit analysis of “Story of an Hour” on Monday. Check your grades and make sure your grades reflect your work turn in.

Juniors- Continue to work on your college research assignment and stay caught up on you reading assignment. Great Gatsby quiz #2 Friday!!

Sophomores- Check out the side bar for your reading schedule and research schedule. DO not miss due dates!! Friday five more research entries including your claim and the support for and against your argument is due in class. The following link will help you refine your claim/ thesis. http://www.dartmouth.edu/~writing/materials/student/ac_paper/develop.shtml

Seniors- Our next class is Tuesday for one more 118 minute period.  Last week we completed a quick Fitzgerald review by reading one of his short stories and then watching his short story turned movie “Myra Meets His Family”.  A comprehension test, that followed, was a grade booster for most of you, good job.  This week we will continue to focus on relationships and how different authors portray the complexities of love and marriage through their characters.  We will compare the post modern view of women’s roles in marriage to the modern view of women’s roles.  We will view a great depiction of the post modern view of woman by watching Mona Lisa Smile and then review the feminist author Kate Chopin reading several short stories that portray the modernist view of relationships and women’s roles. 

Juniors- You feel that?? That is the huge weight lifted off you!! You see that?? That light is the end of the tunnel!!  It is wonderful to see your faces, without the lines of stress crisscrossed through out.  I am excited for you and very proud of your accomplishments- you have completed AP Language and Composition!!!  And now…we will ease our way out of the school year.  With a little back ground knowledge of F. Scott Fitzgerald you are ready to dive into his class novel Great Gatsby.  Make sure you come to class on your block schedule day, Tuesday and Wednesday having read chapter one of Gatsby.We will discuss the set up of the novel and the reading schedule you will be expected to adhere to.  We will also begin the process of organizing your post secondary research.  The information will prepare you for the grande finale of your high school career- finding the perfect college and preparing for the entrance requirements.  Mon- Wed. is block scheduling Thursday we return to regular periods.

Sophomores-We are still on block scheduling this week, our class will meet Monday and Wednesday. Come prepared with your Grapes of Wrathtext and your I-Search journal we will be working on both assignments during our 118 min. class periods. Check over your reading schedule and your research schedule, make sure you are staying organized and caught up.  The annotated bibliography is due Monday by 11:59 pm turn it in to your turnitin account- no excuses!! Our author study will be completed in class, and you will have time to research your topic and read Grapes.. in class as well.  Remember you are required to have 5 research entries a week and you are on a very stringent reading schedule- time will be permitted in class but you will have to work at home as well.  Stay ORGANIZED!!!

Go, Fight, Win!!  Be positive!! and Represent!! 

Progress reports were handed out 4^th period, I hope your efforts were fairly represented on your final update for this school year. If you are not pleased with your current grade than push harder, there are several assignments, tests and essays left to complete- many points to accumulate. Stay organized, complete all assignments and give 100% for the next 30 days.

Seniors- We took a detour in our study of modern literature and explored a contemporary piece in hopes to show the contrast of style in regard to characterization. Keep in mind Oats’ use of imagery, details, and connotations to develop her characters. As we read the short story by Fitzgerald focus on the devices he utilizes to portray characters. After reading “Myra Meets His Family” you will examine the development of character and compare it with Oats’ strategies used in character development. With less than 30 days left continue to work hard in class and complete all work. Remember: absolutely, positively no late work accepted!

Juniors- I am as anxious as you are to be done with testing. Take a deep breath!! The most important AP test is Wednesday , gear up for it!!!!!! All your hard work is going to pay off. Be positive, review your notes, remind yourself of how brilliant you are, and think positively. Sleep well this weekend, and come prepared on Monday to attack the CST; that test will be an easy warm up to your AP’s; do your best and represent!! The plan for tee shirt distribution is Tuesday at lunch (fingers crossed), cost and pick up will be discussed Monday. As far as our agenda for the week: classes will be very short, 30 minutes, due to CST testing, we will review test strategies and essay question tips. No homework all week, the week will be stress free. You have all the knowledge, skills, and “hot tips” to succeed on your upcoming test … Get excited to show what you know!!!

Sophomores- A week review over CST test strategies should have you very prepared to do well on the Language Arts portion of the CST. Come ready to show what you know on Monday and Tuesday morning. Remember to get a good nights sleep, eat a good breakfast and think positively. The testing block will be quite long so bring something to read (Grapes of Wrath) in the event that you finish with lots of time to spare. With all the due dates of upcoming assignments tucked safely in our mind (and on our blog spot) it is time to plan out your approach to the last big point assignments. Using class time will be critical to staying on top of the assigned work. When you work on one assignment in class that means the other assignment is homework. Each day for the next 20 days you will have homework to do, don’t get behind!! Stay focused, motivated and positive!!!