AP Language Close Reading Papers

Because so many people were out today or will be out this week due to AP testing, I will post any important information about the papers/rewrite process on my blog this week.

First Bit of Important Information:
The first thing you need to know is that being absent from AP Lang. because you are taking another  AP test that day does NOT excuse from the due dates for assignments! If you are unable to hand something in directly on a due date because you aren’t in school, you MUST EMAIL IT TO ME. This includes TOMORROW’S PAPER! (You have an AP test coming up in this class, too, remember!)

Second Bit of Important Information:
Yes, you must turn this paper in to Turnitin.com! You must turn in your first final (due tomorrow) by Tuesday night at 11:59. Also, for this paper, I will want you to turn in your LAST final to Turnitin.com as well. The last day to turn in your rewrites to me is May 22.

Third Bit of Important Information:
I have read over your impromptus and here are my general observations. Please consider these points before you turn in your paper tomorrow:

• Many people are NOT transferring the information we learned before this assignment to their paper. Why on earth would I have had you read those Swift, Twain, and Onion pieces and why would I have had you do a seminar on them if I didn’t expect you to use that practice now? In NOT using this practice, many of you are making this harder than it should be and/or overlooking important aspects of your pieces. For Part A of your thesis, you will likely be using at least some of those humor terms you took notes on. Want to know what to put in Part B and Part C? Take a look at those questions I had you answer about the Huckleberry Finn pieces and the Onion pieces. THOSE are the types of things you would want to prove in Part B or to relate your piece to in Part C! (For example, Part B in this paper is just waiting for you to say something about the Juvenalian or Horatain tone of the satire or, perhaps, something about speaker; Part C is similarly waiting for you to say something about the purpose of the satire in the historical context or given the author’s other works/background! But, alas, not even ONE paper so far has mentioned any of these things!)
• Speaking of theses, remember yours should fit into the MTS formula and, therefore have 3 parts. Remember it has to be contestable, too, meaning that a reasonable person who has also read your piece may have a different opinion. Usually, the contestable part is Part B.
  Since your thesis has three parts, all three must be addressed in your body paragraphs, too! For most people, you will use key words from all three parts in EACH topic sentence–AND make sure you write about all three parts in the body paragraph, too. It is possible that you could include just Part A and Part B in most body paragraphs and then address Part C in your last BODY PARAGRAPH (not just in the conclusion). But, remember that you will need have details to support this last body paragraph, then!
• Speaking of supporting details, remember that having at least TWO in each body paragraph is a bare minimum. That means to earn, like, a C. You need several apt examples in each body paragraph for a higher grade.
• Don’t forget to give adequate context for your piece. You don’t need a whole narration paragraph, but you DO need to provide enough background in your introduction, at least.
• Be sure to look over the grading rubric! If you didn’t get one, here it is: hierarchy rubric 2011. Your goal should be to get through AT LEAST the “Tier One” skills on this first turn in. Here are the places I usually stop and why: any of the format skills because you forgot to follow MLA format or properly cite (if you have more sources than just the article); First Tier #2 because you never looked at the Title Tutorial, First Tier #7 because your thesis doesn’t have the three parts or it isn’t contestable or it imbeds a fallacy (circular argument) or it is way too obvious or you left it IN the MTS formula or something else–you do NOT want me to stop here because it will require some significant rewriting to fix; #11 because you didn’t include key words from all THREE parts of your thesis;#12 and #13 because you forgot simple transitions.
• Some mechanics reminders: punctuate titles properly!  Books and magazine, etc. titles are italicized, but ARTICLE titles (like you have) are in quotation marks. Also in quotation marks are individual words that you are pulling from the article (or from a longer quote) to address specifically (i.e. In the above quote, Twain uses the word “fiddle-faddle” to…)