Jane's AP Lang Blog

  Prompt Response:  One thing I did when on my argumentative essay was create a claim that earned the claim point and my evidence was relevant. One thing I need to improve on is my evidence. This is because some of my evidence was general or hypothetical. Something I am going to do better on the next time I write an argumentative essay is make sure my evidence is specific and makes sense. I am also going to make sure my evidence is more from my personal experiences. Summary: Today in class we reviewed the feedback on our essays and then started a poetry project. Reflection: I am enjoying writing my own poem in class for this project. However, it feels a bit difficult to make it long enough but I'm almost there.

  Prompt Response:  One conversation I had that changed me was one I had with my grandmother. I used to read a lot in middle school but now I just do not as much. When we talked, she told me that I should always being reading a book and she really stressed the importance of reading. She recommended a few books for me and I've read two of the three she has recommended. Also, since that conversation, I've started reading more and have always had a book to read. Summary: Today in class we did a worksheet for the poem we did yesterday. Reflection: When doing the assignment in class today, it was interesting to see how being a poet is like being an acrobat. It was also interesting to have to figure how various parts of being an acrobat were metaphors for being a poet.

  Prompt Response:  One time I had to write a poem in seventh grade for an assignment our teacher had given us. For our assignment we had to write a sonnet. In weeks prior we had learned how to write sonnets as a class but now it was time to test our knowledge. I took time writing this sonnet because it not only had to be meaningful, but it also had to rhyme. By the time I finished it I was proud of my work. I think the sonnet I wrote was about fall. Summary: Today in class we annotated a poem. Reflection: It was cool to learn how being a poet is similar to being an acrobat. I was also interesting watching the video of the guy walking across a tightrope over the grand canyon because it kind of put things into perspective, such as how dangerous it can be being an acrobat, and also a poet in a sense.

  Prompt Response:  I liked learning about clustering because I learned how to generate ideas by breaking the prompt down into various groups. This allowed me to think deeper and explore how to write, and what to write, when faced with a prompt. It was also really helpful to visually map out the prompt and ideas that fit in with it that I could possibly write about in my paragraphs. I think I would use this method when writing an essay for AP Lang. I overall found it very helpful and would use it when practicing writing essays as well. Summary: Today in class we learned how to brainstorm using the cluster method. Reflection: Even though I was not present for part of the class, the bit that I learned about this strategy was helpful. It was helpful to learn how to create different sections for the paragraphs and then come up with about three topics that could be discussed in that paragraph.

  Prompt Response:  The easiest part of the essay was writing the thesis. Writing the thesis was easy because it is a straightforward sentence of your perspective on a certain issue. However, there were a few things that were challenging. The most challenging thing for me was trying to write strong commentary. This was difficult because I sometimes found it hard to not repeat what I had already stated in my paragraphs. Summary: Today is class we wrote an argumentative essay. Reflection: It was challenging because I was very tired. I almost finished but I didn't complete my last sentence in one of my paragraphs.

  Prompt Response:  One time I felt that I truly belonged was at a family reunion. All of my cousins, aunts, and uncles from my dad's side were at this reunion. I felt like I belonged because all of my extended family is pretty close and they are all so kind and considerate. One of my cousins is also my age and we're best friends so being with her also helps create that sense of belonging. Overall being with my extended family and having fun with them is a time where I always feel I belong because they make sure that nobody feels left out or loved less than anyone else. Summary: Today in class we did an assignment on CommonLit. Reflection: The CommonLit assignment was about the connection between cell phones and sense of belonging. This assignment was helpful because we had to identify how the author used research to prove and support their print of view.

  Prompt Response:  One vocabulary work that I think would be most useful in my future is the word pellucid. The word pellucid means that something is easy to understand, or clear. One situation where I would use the word pellucid realistically is at school. If I did not understand something being taught in class, or I was confused on a certain subject, I could explain that to my teacher by using the word pellucid. I would describe to my teacher that the instructions or material we were learning was not pellucid. Summary: Today in class we did some exercises for the lesson three vocabulary. Reflection: I enjoy the vocabulary exercises because it helps me learn how to use new words I've never heard of before. Additionally, the way in which we practice learning the vocabulary help me remember most of them without trying too hard.

  Prompt Response:  I now understand that commentary is not just explaining the evidence. The commentary is explaining why the evidence is relevant to the claim. If you do not include why the evidence is relevant to your claim, there is no point in including it. This three step method has been helping improve the way I write my commentary and I feel more confident in doing so. It's been really helpful to have three clear steps that tell you exactly what to do when writing commentary and how to do it. Summary: Today in class we practiced writing commentary four times. Reflection: This assignment really helped me understand how to correctly write commentary for an argumentative essay. I think that my commentary writing is improving and these exercises were also helpful because they allowed me to practice what I had been learning.  

  Prompt Response:  Two important things that I took away was how to really write commentary for an argumentative essay and how important including it in your AP Lang Argumentative Essay is. Originally I didn't understand how to really write commentary very well. This lesson was helpful because it taught me how to. It broke down all the things I needed to do in order to receive full points on the rubric. It also taught me how to correctly and effectively write commentary. Summary: Today in class we used the rubric to grade real examples of AP Lang Argumentative essays. Reflection: I found today's lesson very helpful and it was probably one of the most helpful lessons I've had. I now feel that when I have to write commentary for a piece of evidence in an essay I will be able to effectively do so.

  Prompt Response:  When completing an assignment I will sometimes use the rubric if it is provided and other times not. When teachers continuously post assignments with vague instructions and no real rubric, it can be easy to forget to check for one, and even if they do post one, actually use it. However, the times that I do use the rubric have been very helpful. After revieing the AP Lang argument essay rubric in class, it has helped me better understand the importance of using a rubric. I wasn't really sure about what the essay entailed but now I know exactly what I need to do. Summary: Today in class we finished going over the AP Lang Argumentative Essay Rubric and then we started working on answering a prompt. Reflection: Finishing the AP Lang Argumentative Essay Rubric was very helpful because we went in depth and I now understand everything I have to do in order to get all six points. It was also fun to the later discuss in class the things that people thought were...

  Prompt Response:  Knowing the ins and outs of a rubric is super helpful because it turns the assignment from a guessing game, into more of a checklist. Completing assignments without rubrics can be confusing and frustrating. When you know all the exact requirements for completing work, you can get it done more efficiently. It also help reduce the amount of time spent and sometimes even wasted on completing assignments. Having a rubric for the AP Lang Argument Essay clarified the instructions, and I now feel more confident in writing any sort of argumentative essay because of what we went over in class. Summary: Today in class we reviewed the papers written by our peers who reviewed our paragraphs and then started discussing the beginning aspects of the AP Lang Argument Essay rubric. Reflection: Going over the rubirc for the AP Lang Argument Essay was very helpful in understanding what I am to complete when I do this task. It is also helpful in knowing how to write other...

  Prompt Response:  Today it was interesting to see how people write. When I was reading the different paragraphs, I noticed that the people in my class have some similar and some different characteristics for writing. Some people were more vague and didn't go into very much detail; while others writing was very clear. In some of the paragraphs I read, it was so easy to identify the evidence and you could tell the writing was well thought out. Overall, reading my classmates writing showed me how different and unique every persons mind and way of thinking and writing is. Summary: Today in class we reviewed our classmates paragraphs. Reflection: It was helpful to review other students writing because it helped me see what I could have done better in my own paragraph. It really felt like a learning experience to me and helped me better understand what to write in paragraphs and how to write them.

  Prompt Response:  One important thing Nayla kept suggesting and reminding us to do was really explain why our evidence is relevant. She noticed that we would sometimes just give reasons so support our claim and the not explain them thoroughly. This was really helpful because it was easy to get distracted just looking for evidence to use. Her reminders also helped all of us start remembering to do this better to the point where she didn't need to remind us anymore. Overall, her constant reminders helped us remember and reinforce the idea that having evidence means nothing and is pointless if you can't and don't explain it. Summary: In class today we did some vocabulary exercises. Reflection: When we were writing down definitions, there were some that I already knew but a lot that I was unfamiliar with. Once we started practicing trying to find where certain words go in a sentence, it helped improve my memory of what words meant what and how to use them properly.

Prompt Response: Something I am curious about is sea horses. Why are they called sea horses? Where do they live? I've never seen one in real life before and think it would be super cool to. I also don't know how big or small they are. They just kind of fascinated me and now I think I am going to do some research on them. Summary: Today in class we learned how to, and then revised our group paragraphs. Reflection: Something interesting I learned was how to properly use other words for "you". I also learned that when one can't find a replacement for the word "you" , they can just say "one" instead.

  Prompt Response:  The most challenging part of building an argument for me is the commentary. The commentary is the hardest part for me because you have to explain your evidence and not just restate it. Doing this can be hard because sometimes it is difficult to elaborate and explain your evidence without sounding repetitive. It can also be hard to find the right words to link a piece of evidence back to the claim. Also, without strong commentary, the reader might miss the connection between the claim and the evidence and that could cause the argument to fall apart.  Summary: Absent Reflection: Absent

  Prompt Response:  One fear I have overcome was my fear of "jumpy dogs". When I was younger, dogs that would jump up onto you would terrify me. Obviously for a little kid it was scary when a dog their size jumped up and put its paws on their shoulders. However, even if the dog was smaller than me and could only jump to my knees, it still made me nervous. I can't remember when I got over this fear but it was probably around 2018 when I started pet sitting and all my friends and neighbors had dogs. Now whenever a dog jumps up on me I think it's cute and it doesn't scare me at all. Summary: Absent Reflection: Absent

  Prompt Response:  One phrase I have been using a lot lately is the phrase, "Set a reminder to...". I have been using this phrase so much because whether I'm in a class or at home, I'll always be remembering things that I have to accomplish. So, when this happens, I hold down the power button on my phone to activate Siri, and I say "Set a reminder to.." and then whatever I need to remind myself to do. Over the summer I had been doing this but now that school is in session I've been using it a lot more to remind myself about homework assignments, and really just anything school related that I need to get done. Overall I use this phrase quite a bit, even more when I'm in a rush, but when I'm not, I'll just set the reminder on my phone manually. Summary: Absent Reflection: Absent

  Prompt Response:  One thing that has been going well for me is taking notes. While this has been going well, one thing that hasn't gone so well is sometimes knowing what to say in class. A lot of the times I have an answer and am ready but sometimes it can be difficult just because it kind of early in the morning. I am going to improve on answering more questions moving forward. I am going to do this by collaborating with the people around me when I don't quite understand something. Summary: Absent Reflection: Absent