Mixing the Modes

“The Ways We Lie”

Evaluate the success of Ericsson’s essay, considering especially how effectively her evidence supports her generalizations.  Are there important categories she overlooks, exceptions she neglects to account for, gaps in definitions or examples?  Offer specific evidence for your own view, whether positive or negative.

“Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs”

Gould proposes several causes and the same effect.  Why do you think considering various possible causes for a particular effect is important in scientific inquiry?  How does the same thing apply in everyday life?  Think of a situation that affects you directly—your breakup with a close friend, a course you are having particular difficulties with, a problem you face at school, something you have recently become interested in (or lost interest in), or the like.  Then, write down all the causes you can think of for this situation. 

“No Name Woman”

Most of us have heard family stories that left lasting impressions—ghost stories like Kingston’s , biographies of ancestors, explanations for traditions, family superstitions,  and so on.   Write about a family story you remember vividly from your childhood.

“Once More to the Lake”

White strongly evokes the lake camp as a place that was important to him as a child.  What place or places were most important to you as a child?  Describe the place now as a teenager.  Your description should draw on your childhood memories, making them as vivid as possible for the reader, but you should also consider how your point of view toward the place differs now.

“The Clan of One-Breasted Women”

Evaluate “The Clan of One-Breasted Women” as an argument, focusing on the author’s use of appeals (rational, emotional, and ethical).  How well do you think she succeeds?

Definint Moments

Whether you are comparing and contrasting Naylor's and Leong's reactions to derogatory labels, considering how language defines us, challenging George Will's assumption in "Equity," defining an addiction, OR determining the effect of euphemisms, post your initial, thoughtful responses for the AP Language Community "sagesblogspots."

Division/Analysis Post

Option #1: “Our Barbies, Ourselves”

·         Consider a cultural artifact that affected you as a child, such as a television show, book, movie, toy, sport, or kind of music (it may have influenced your views of sex roles, but also could have influenced you in other ways—for instance, by contributing to your values, your interests, your ideas about friendship or adult life.)  Analyze your subject, identifying the elements that made it influential.

Option #2: “Girl”

·         Judy Brady, in “I Want a Wife,” and Kincaid both analyze women’s traditional roles, although they have different perspectives on those roles.  How are the roles they describe similar? What do the speakers’ tones convey about their attitudes toward their roles?  Explain how Brady and Kincaid use word choice, sentence structures, repetition, and other elements of tone to clarify their speakers values and feelings.

Description Discussion

For this post, you will have a choice of two different topics of which to respond. 

Option #1:  Many families have unique traditions like Lahiri's family tradition of carrying loads of food back from India.  Think of a tradition that is unique to your family or to another group to belong to--for instance, a holiday celebration, a vacation activity, a way of resolving or avoiding disagreement.  Describe that tradition, focusing on the objects used, the activities involved, and the feelings associated with it.  (This is a chance for the class to get know "who" you are). 

                                                                         OR

Option #2:  First, Do you find the Las Vegas wedding industry and its clients, as described by Didion, to be ridiculous, depressing, amusing, harmless, or something else?  Explain your impression.  Next, Describe another ritual or social custom (for example, a graduation, military induction, presidential inauguration, religious service).  What does the conduct of this custom tell us about our attitudes toward it? 

Narration Discussion

Reminders: As you respond to your class’s post, review the expectations for thoughtful, valuable, and timely communication outlined in the “Discussion Forum Rubric.”  Additionally, even though you are only responsible for responding to your assigned topic, we will use all four posted topics in our class discussion; prepare accordingly.

Angelou’s “Champion of the World” and Tan’s “Fish Cheeks” both tell stories of children who felt like outsiders in predominately white America.  As you respond, first,  compare and contrast the two writers’ perceptions of what sets them apart from the dominant culture.  How does the event each author reports affect the sense of difference?  Next, consider and share:  How can you identify with feeling like an outsider who was not a part of a group or could not participate or offer an opinion that was not a part of the majority—not just about an outsider of the culture of race, but consider our other cultural orientations: the culture of our beliefs (religious, ethical, moral, political, socio-economic, experiential, etc.).