Not going to discuss BBF until Friday; read chptr 9 for Friday.
Focus on Project Today...
Tomorrow: In library for research tomorrow
By Thursday you should have rough drafts of the prompt, sources, and source write-ups printed for a visual check by me.
Today: Examining more prompts...and rubrics...the rubrics you will make, and the rubric I will use to evaluate your projects...let's start there...turn to the back of your packet
AP Language and Comp Essay Questions
Source A Write-Up
Matthew Crawford’s “The
Case for Working With Your Hands” best supports the “con” argument that college
might not be worth the cost. While Crawford does not directly address the cost
of college nor overtly oppose college or the white collar professions that
typically follow, he eloquently reminds the reader that hands-on careers should
not automatically be seen as less worthy or desirable. Furthermore, his
articulate and well-reasoned argument establishes credibility with New York
Times readers (and AP test takers), the vast majority of whom do have college
degrees (or soon will). In short, he
reminds people that a “pure information economy” – the one which favors the
college educated – has not come to pass, as “now as ever, somebody has to
actually do things: fix our cars, unclog our toilets, build our houses.” And,
of course, many of these trades do not necessarily require a four-year college
degree; they do, however, require skill.
This leads to his next point: working with your hands should not feel
like a last resort. He exposes the often
condescending attitude towards manual labor: “When we praise people who do work
that is straightforwardly useful, the praise often betrays an assumption that
they had no other options.” This is part of his overall strategy to get us to
question our underlying assumptions and attitudes towards manual labor/arts; if
we view these as lesser options in terms of their effect on our intellectual
reputation, our ego will drive us towards college as the only respectable
option for a smart person. If we begin to question these assumptions, we might
begin to rationally assess whether college – especially with astronomical
tuitions – is always the best choice, even for smart students who have a track
record of academic success. Finally, this article makes an economic argument
for working with your hands; many of those jobs can’t be outsourced, so they
provide a stability which some information-based jobs can’t provide. Quoting
Princeton professor Alan Binder, he reminds us that “’You can’t hammer a nail
over the Internet,’” and then Crawford adds “Nor can the Indians fix your car.
Because they are in India.” In summary, this source will help the high school
reader question whether college is worth it; “If the goal is to earn a living,
then, maybe it isn’t really true that 18-year olds need to be imparted with a
sense of panic about getting into college.”
Grading: 100 points Student
Names: _________________________________
AP Synthesis Project Rubric:
A (8-9) The
prompt is mature, meaningful, and well-written, providing a compelling and
debatable American issue. The prompt is supported by a balanced (pro, con,
neutral) mix of polished, very well-chosen/written, and properly cited (MLA)
source documents. Conventions and formatting of the entire packet is
all-but-perfect and it is combined into one Word document. The rubric is
tailored to the prompt, well-worded and free of errors. The sources chosen are
balanced and each one helps to deepen and further the exploration of the
subject; each source adds new and meaningful information to the argument. The main points, strengths and pro/con
position of each sources is explained by thoughtful, thorough, fair, and
well-written write-ups appended to the end of the assignment. The entire
package is essentially ready for printing and use as an AP exam quality
prompt.
B (6-7) Though
perhaps not quite as mature, meaningful, and/or well-written as the best
prompts and sources, the document provides a legitimate and debatable American
issue. The prompt is supported by a balanced (pro-con) mix of fairly
well-chosen/well-written sources, though they might not be as apt in selection
or well-written as those found in the best document packets. The source documents
are properly cited (MLA). Conventions and formatting is all-but-perfect, and
the packet is combined into one Word document. The rubric is tailored to the
prompt, fairly well-worded and free of errors. Each source helps deepen or
expand the exploration of the subject with information that is different from
that found in the other sources, though perhaps not as meaningfully or uniquely
as the strongest mix of sources. Though they do not necessarily reveal the
quality of analysis or polished writing found in the best write-ups, these
write-up are good, reasonable, and balanced and they clearly convey why the
source falls into the category it fits into. While not yet an AP quality
prompt, with some improvements to question, content and formatting, it could be.
C (5) They demonstrate an attempt to create a AP exam
style synthesis prompt and packet, but it may have a vague or less compelling
prompt and/or have mediocre or unbalanced source content. Source choices on the
pro and con sides are often redundant, doing little to deepen or expand the
exploration of the topic. Source write-ups are adequate but the explanations
are not especially precise, insightful, well-written. Alternatively, they may
be relatively strong in terms of prompt and source content but are poorly
formatted, contain typos, or have other distracting errors. The rubric is
generic (not tailored specifically to that prompt) or in some other way is
adequate at best.
D (3-4) They are deficient in prompt, source content,
formatting, rubric or source write-ups.
F (1-2) They
are realllllyyyy deficicient!
3/14
Research
Day
Prd 7 - NC East
Prd 8 – laptop computers in Rm 120
Research your topic with a goal of having 1st
draft of the following materials completed by Thursday: the prompt page,
source pages, source write-ups, and scoring rubric
Make sure you finish reading chapters 7-8
|
3/15
Discuss BBF chapters 7-8
Read chapter 9 for Friday
|
3/16
Late
Start Day
Research Day
(Prds 7-8 in Lib B)
|
3/17
Research
Day
Prds 7-8 in Lib E
Due today (visual check) 1st draft of chosen and excerpted sources, bibliographic
entries for sources, source write-ups, and rubrics
BBF chapter 9 due for tomorrow
|
3/18
QUARTER
3 END
Research
Day
Prd 7-8 in Lib B
|
3/28
In-class reading: Read BBF Chapters 10-12 for Friday
Discussion time with Partner: And review with one
another where you are at with your synthesis project.
|
3/29
Research
Day
Prd
7&8 Lib E
Print materials and review your partner’s materials
and vice versa. Do they need editing? Better sources? Better write-ups?
Better prompt? Do all of the pieces work together – are you on the same page?
|
3/30
Research
Day
Prd
7-8 in DC
Complete and print your nearly final draft for
tomorrow’s peer review
|
3/31
Nearly
Final Draft Due
In classroom
Peer Reviews
Reminder that BBF chapters 10-12 should be read and
annotated by tomorrow.
|
4/1
Final Synthesis Projects Due as Word Document
(turntin.com) and Hard Copy
Library
Room E
Print and hand in hardcopy and
submit digital copy to turnitin.com
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