So you don't have all of the sources for this one, but I think you can get the idea. When they first unveiled the synthesis essay on the AP exam, I assigned this and wrote along with the students. Write your responses as comments to this message. Based on the list of traits th a successful essay would have that we came up with in class, is it a successful essay? Original thought? Supported by evidence? Personal voice? Organized based on content rather organizing the content around a formula? Don't say it's wonderful because your teacher wrote it, either. Explain what you really think.
An excerpt from a blog post by Hendrik Hertzberg of The New Yorker: "Thanks to the ability of the internet/cable newschat nexus to turn the entire planet into a nasty, petty, bloody-minded small town with extremely loose gun-control laws, authority figures from the President and the Secretary of Defense all the way on down to comparatively “respectable” evangelical demagogues like Franklin Graham have felt obliged to practically beg the Rev. Sam (whose “real” name I prefer not to use) to cease and desist." Read more here. I don't think this video is directly on point for the discussion we had today or that I'm asking you to think about for Monday, but it does point out some of the benefits of new media. And I like it. So I'm posting it. So there. We talked a bit about the theater of politics today; check out this recent New Yorker article about how things are going in the Senate. Also, George Orwell discusses a lot of these issues in his famous essay "Politics and the English Language." We're going to read it as a class soon, but if you're interested here's a link now. Thanks for the start of an interesting discussion today, and have fun with the synthesis essay readings. (And say thank you for inadvertently letting you go 10 minutes early today; I'll figure out the schedule soon). I'm notified whenever anyone posts here, so if you have a question you can post it as a comment here or just email me at brian_baron@newton.k12.ma.us. |
