AP Super Saturday Prep Session Reminder!!!

Attention AP (and IB students):

The deadline to sign up for the Super Saturday Prep Session Event on the 16th of November is Halloween.

REPEAT--OCTOBER 31 is the DEADLINE for the AP SATURDAY PREP SIGN-UP

Clickee for the link to the registration.

IB Satirical Comic Book Project 2013

Due November 6, 2013

Now that you've finished reading Candide and are familiar with satire and the techniques used to create it, you now have the chance to be a contemporary satirist, like Voltaire, using humor to criticize human vice and folly in order to effect change. You have an open opportunity to make fun of society in order to change it!

The world is yours to mock!

Any and all of the taboo subjects are available for your mocking. I challenge you to create a Satirical Comic Book that clearly and effectively mocks some aspect of your world.

Your Satirical Comic Book must include clear and properly executed examples of:

• Allusion
• Situational and/or dramatic irony
• Verbal Irony in the form of sarcasm
• Understatement and/or exaggeration (Litotes and/or Hyperbole)
• Pun or oxymoron
• Humorous metaphor or simile
• Parody
• Caricature and/or Burlesque

Remember, the point of satire is to call the readers attention to some problem in order to change it; therefore, it should also do the following:

• It should clearly mock something—society in general, school, government, teachers, parents, etc.
• It should be long enough to effectively mock the thing in question.
• It should use original photos, drawings, or other art to demonstrate creativity and originality.
• It can use a program such as Comic Life, ToonDo, Xtranormal, or any other computer program you like. Or you can do an "old school" comic if you prefer (strip or book).

It must be submitted by November 6, 2013 at 4:30pm CST in one of the following manners:

• A functioning link to the work online via email sent to pmcghee@dallasisd.org (be certain to verify that I have received it by the assigned date and time)
• A thumb-drive/memory stick/DVD/portable data-saving device containing a copy of the project
• A full-color, frame by frame printout of the comic in hard-copy format
• An old-school “funny book"

File Under "Educational"

Take This Lollipop.

This is an exceptionally creepy little game that temporarily uses your Facebook info to create a short video on the dangers of social media. There is a write up about it here, just so you know it's not some kind of scam. It's a couple of years old, but well worth the watching.

It's kind of like "Scared Straight," but for the Internet.

IB: Questions on the Inferno

Three sets of questions to consider for Thursday:

• What is the significance of the three symbolic beasts which Dante encounters before entering hell? What about the mountain which he is unable to climb? How do these symbols relate to the issues of responsibility for Dante's entrance into Hell?
• Why is Dante allowed to enter the Underworld while he is still alive? Why does he suggest that he entered Hell "midway in our life's journey?" What may this imply regarding the character of the journey and its relation to the concepts of the first and second deaths? Are there any other "living" characters in Hell besides Dante? What does this imply regarding Dante's symbolism of Hell and damnation? When does one enter Hell? At what points is it still possible to get out? When does it become impossible to escape?
• What is the symbolic significance of Cocytus, the frozen lake at the bottom of Hell? What about the figure of Satan himself, trapped at the center of the lake? Why is it surprising for the reader to discover that the bottom of Hell is frozen solid? What does the cold symbolize? In what way does the place affect Dante?

You do not need to address each question specifically or individually; rather, use the questions as a general guide for the direction of the essay you plan to write.

IB: Jonathan Edwards

Look this up:

Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God

Jonathan Edwards

Be ready to discuss.

Mini-School Night

Mini-School Night is coming up Monday, September 9th. While I will not have time to go over individual performance (each "class" is only ten minutes long), I would like to meet the folks and introduce the class. Mark your calendars!

2013-2014 Nuts and Bolts

AP Students!!!

There are two AP English Language and Composition teachers: McGhee (room P10) and Kaiser (room P5). Remember, 10 is the new 2, and 5 is the new 139. In other words, McGhee is still in the same place he was (old P2), and Ms. Kaiser is in the same place she originally was (the old P139). Got it? Good.

All of the handouts for AP regardless of with whom you attend class are the same. The syllabus attached here with McGhee's name is the same syllabus as Ms. Kaiser's.

Even their very tutoring hours are the same.

AP and IB Supplies!!!

Each student should have:

·         A large (1 ½ or 2 inch) 3-ring binder for class notes, handouts, etc.

·         Tab separators for sections in the binder

·         3x5 inch note cards (400 will carry you to the end of the year)

·         A box or other containment system for the note cards

·         Three highlighters of different colors

·         Pens (black or blue ink only), pencils, and plenty of loose leaf notebook paper for notes and writing assignments

The following items are optional, but it would be a good idea to have:

·         A good college dictionary

·         A style manual that contains the guidelines for MLA (for example, A Writer’s Reference by Diana Hacker contains formatting and grammar guides for writing academic papers)

·         A pocket calendar or appointment planner