Block Day 1/ 30 ~ What traits make a good college essay?

First, please go to Focus and view the "Personal Statement Overview & Rubric."
(This is the way I will grade your college essay, also called a personal statement.)

*You will need to begin writing your essay this weekend. It is due in 1 week (Thursday 2/6).

Continue Discussing Example Essays
        Strengths/Weaknesses?

        Analysis Questions:

       1. What is the main issue that is discussed in the essay? 

       2. What strengths does the author show about him/herself?

       3. What is the most powerful and/or memorable element of the essay?

       4. Dialog or sensory imagery?

        5. What is the controlling impression? (lesson or truth)

          Now, rate this essay on a scale from 1-5, five being the strongest.

Tuesday & Wednesday 1/28-29 ~ Have you practiced reading your essay?

Individual Work:

• Practice Reading your essay out loud.
• Prepare a Keynote presentation to present your answers to the 5 questions from Monday's blog.

Group Work

• Read essays out loud and help each other with pronunciation.
• Discuss with partners the strengths and weaknesses of the essays. What would make a college choose this applicant over another?

Presentations

• Each student will read the essay and present his/her answers to the 5 questions.
• Listening students will highlight for emotional or sensory imagery as they listen.
• Class will discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each essay.

This is our last chance to see example essays before writing our own!
Which is your favorite?
Do any of these give you ideas for your own essay? 

Monday 1/27 ~ Essay Analysis

Essay Analysis (50 points-Yikes!)
Each person will be assigned one essay. Today you will have time to prepare a presentation based on your assigned essay. Your grade will be based on...

• As you read the essay out loud, what percentage of the words are audible and correctly pronounced? (25 points)
• How thorough are the answers you present to the following four questions? (25 points)

Analysis Questions:

1. What is the main issue that is discussed in the essay? 

2. What strengths does the author show about him/herself? (qualities, values, etc…)

3. What is the most powerful and/or memorable element of the essay?

4. What dialog or sensory imagery can you point out in the text? How is it useful in making the text more interesting to read?

5. What is the controlling impression?(What lesson or ideas about the author are understood by the end of the essay?)

Now, rate this essay on a scale from 1-5, five being the strongest.



 HW: Finish preparing your presentation for class on Tuesday. Practice reading your essay out loud for a friend or two.

Block Day 1/23 ~ Speaking Activity & Essay Analysis

 Speaking Activity
1. Video record yourself speaking about any topic of your choice for 3 minutes. 
2. Firing Line! - Practice speaking about that topic with people in class. 
      *3 minutes
      *2 minutes
      *1 minute
3. Now record yourself again, but this time only for 1 minute. 
4. Watch both recordings and make notes about the changes you see. Did you become more clear? More fluent?
5. Write a one paragraph reflection about how your fluency changed between the two recordings. Did you pronounce words better? Did you speak faster or more efficiently? How did you improve?
 6. Send Mrs. West an email with your name as the subject.

• Paste the reflection in the body of the email
• attach both recordings to the email.

 HW: Get the email in!

Wednesday 1/22 ~ Finish Connotation/Denotation

Journal: Write a short reflection about the quote below. What risks do you plan to take to make your life turn out more exciting than the average Volvo owner?

If you watched a movie about a guy who wanted a Volvo and worked for years to get it, you wouldn't cry at the end when he drove off the lot, testing the windshield wipers. You wouldn't tell your friends you saw a beautiful movie or go home and put a record on to think about the story you'd seen. The truth is, you wouldn't remember that movie a week later, except you'd feel robbed and want your money back. Nobody  cries at the end of a movie about a guy who wants a Volvo.

But we spend years actually living those stories, and expect our lives to feel meaningful. The truth is, if what we choose to do with our lives won't make a story meaningful, it won't make a life meaningful either.  
                                                                        ~Donald Miller in A Million Miles in a Thousand Years

                

Upload your journal to focus.


Classwork/HW: Finish Denotation/Connotation Worksheet from yesterday.

Tuesday 1/21 ~ What is the difference between Connotation and Denotation?

Warm-up: Grade Dangling Modifiers from last time (30 points credit)

Please click on the link in Focus to complete the exercise on Connotation & Denotation.

HW: Complete the worksheet.

Thursday 1/16 ~ How do I avoid using a Dangling Modifier?

1. Readings & Analysis

2. Grammar: Dangling Modifiers
      >Click here to view an excellent lesson.
      >Complete the exercises on the webpage above.

Wednesday 1/15 ~ Nonfiction Analysis

Reading Day!

Using the handout from class, choose four more short pieces. For each piece, list the following on a piece of notebook paper (to be turned in by the end of class).

For each piece, answer the following questions:

1. Which number is this piece?
2. What sensory images are present?
3. Is dialogue present? What does it show the reader?
4. Where does the author first hint at the significance of the experience?
5. What is the controlling impression (What is the author showing you about him/herself)?
6. What is the most powerful or memorable part of this piece?

Each person must turn in his/her own paper.

Tuesday 1/4 ~ More on Controlling Impression

1. Get Credit! Did you do the questions for Diary 17?

2. Discuss Diary 17
     *What is the controlling impression about the writer's personality? Values?
     *How does the writer "show" the reader her experience (rather than just telling about it)?

3. Read short pieces from The Sun magazine. ~ Although these works are not college essays, they are about identity, which is central to creating a good college essay.
  
   Take a picture of the handout and use it in Notability to highlight key elements.

• *highlight: dialogue, internal dialogue, sensory details, and anything that “paints the picture.” (yellow)
• *Where does she first hint at the importance of her experiences? (green)
• *What is her main controlling impression left with the reader? (Write as a note below next to the same number as the piece)

Monday 1/13 ~ Controlling Impression and Diary 17

First, get credit. Did you complete your first round of writing for the College App. Prompts?

To open the discussion, what does it mean to be impressed? or to impress someone or something?

Concept: Controlling Impression

• We are experts at reading life's impression on one's face. 
• What emotions do you see below?

 
 

Today we look at more examples of Creative Non-Fiction.

• An impression can be defined as a strong effect produced on the mind. 
•  When you're impressed, your mind is influenced, possibly by someone else's perspective.

In text, a controlling impression is the author's clear and distinctive perspective on a topic. That perspective is not just told with words and explanations; it is shown through the tone, word choice, descriptive details and even sentence structure. Just like the wrinkles on our faces give away our emotions before we ever say a word. 

• If you want to find the controlling impression, ask yourself a couple of questions: "What does the author think or feel about the topic? What do I know is true about the writer after reading this piece?"
  

Today, look at Diary 17. It is not a college essay, but it follows all of the same goals. It shows one individual's perspective by reflecting on a specific experience and explaining what meaning the writer has drawn in her own life. The piece portrays the writer as a unique individual with a specific wisdom to offer. 

In small groups, read Diary 17. Take a picture of the worksheet and do it in notability together. Talk with each other to answer each question. Use this time to discuss your own opinions about HOW the writer expressed her experience. What parts of the writing made it more engaging to read? 

Credit will be taken before class is over. Finish the worksheet!  

Today we begin looking at the College Essay.

First, click here to view some ideas to explain what this essay is really about.

Now view the FIVE Common App. prompts.

1. Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.
2. Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons did you learn?
3. Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you make the same decision again?
4. Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience there, and why is it meaningful to you?
5. Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family. 

What are college admissions really looking to know about you?
Which prompt pulls the best stories from your life? 

HW: Write 1/2-1 page on one of these prompts.