We began this past week with a spoken word performance by Lemon Anderson that was very moving. It was a good way to start of a Monday morning and begin to think about literature. After that, we looked at the timed essays we had written the week before. After looking at a near perfect essay and figuring out what is expected, I am looking forward to trying again. That being said, I don’t think that I did too badly on my first attempt. I was able to formulate a clear thesis and defend it, but my ideas were not very strong or thought out. Next time I will need to remember to quote the poem more and plan out what I am going to write before I begin writing. The majority of the rest of the week was devoted to working on our Comparative Essays. We were given a good amount of time in class to get them done. I think that my group did a great job working. On some days, not all of the us were in class, but we each took charge of a paragraph and worked on it at home to get it done. Then, in class we were able to edit our essay and make sure our paper flowed and our ideas were coherent. I liked the peer editing that we did because it gave me a new perspective on the essay. All in all, the week felt laid back, but in reality it was very productive.
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This week in AP Literature, we began reading The Eagle by Lord Tennyson. At first glance, I thought that the poem seemed very straightforward. With only two sentences, I didn’t realize how much hidden meaning that it could hold. After we used the TPCASTT system to deconstruct the poem even more, I began to find more ways to interpret the it. I liked how we worked with our table groups to create interesting conversation about the topic. Then, each group went up to the board and wrote down their thoughts. I enjoyed this aspect of the lesson as well because it forced me to have an open mind and appreciate how other people interpreted the poem and look at things from their literary point of view.
We also began our comparative essays this week. Sela, Isra, and I all read The Fall and The Reluctant Fundamentalist over the summer, so it is our job to connect the two books to each other as well as to How to Read Literature Like a Professor. I really enjoyed The Fall and The Reluctant Fundamentalist, so I like that we get to go back and reflect upon them. After being in AP Lit for two weeks now, the thing that I like the most is that I am forced to think critically about what I am reading and writing. Instead of reading something for its literal meaning, I am learning to dig deeper and uncover the author’s hidden meaning which makes literature more enjoyable and much more valuable. The first day of AP Lit began with a field trip outside to talk about memories we didn’t want to forget. After that, we went back inside and shared one of our memories with the class. I really enjoyed this activity because it got everyone to actively participate in class and it was interesting to hear the stories the others chose to share. Over the course of the next few days we began working on our AP Lit weebly sites on the classroom chromebooks. This is another aspect of the class that I enjoy. Not having to go to the computer lab every time we need to have access to a computer is both efficient and very helpful. I like having most of the class resources accessible online so that I can work easily on my work both at home and at school. Mr. Schoenborn went over the syllabus in class as well. He pointed out that you have the ability to redo any assignment as many times as you want until you are happy with the grade that your receive. This is very different than any previous class I have had, but I am happy to have the option to fix my mistakes and I like how hard work is rewarded. It gives me the opportunity to focus on learning instead of getting a good grade. One thing that I am a little apprehensive about is the SSR requirements for each marking period. While I am excited to read interesting books and analyze them in a scholarly way, I am not the fastest reader in the world and I am a little worried about reading my SSR book as well as the required reading I have for my other classes. To better prepare myself for this class, I found a website to give me some tips to succeed in AP Literature. All in all, I like how the class is structured and I am excited for the upcoming year. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/3/32/Rye_catcher.jpg
Catcher in the Rye was the SSR book I chose for the first marking period. The Ultimate List of AP Literature Tips |
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