Cogito ergo sum

What is your destiny?  For hundreds of years, people believed that their lives were guided by external forces they could not control--usually a diety or some greater purpose or plan.  With the discovery of DNA and the mapping of the human genome, the force of destiny has become, for many, a kind coding we are born with.  But with each new discovery and answer to the mysteries of life, new questions arise:  How much control do we have over our own lives?  What good does knowing do?  Can destiny be subverted?  Is there a limit to our knowledge?  Should there be? However you look at it, this is an exciting time to be alive.  Now, let's read!

MONDAY, 3/4
Intricacy
• sharing
• feedback
Radiolab:  (So-called) Life
• response: Sense of Life/playing with life
Read DNA as Destiny for TUESDAY, 3/5

TUESDAY, 3/5
DNA as Destiny
• response
• shared inquiry
Read The Selfish Gene for THURSDAY, 3/7

WEDNESDAY, 3/6
ASHG Essay
• outline DUE
• writing workshop

THURSDAY, 3/7
The Selfish Gene
• response
• discussion:  argument/rhetoric

FRIDAY, 3/8
AP Prompt #8

MONDAY MATTERS!

Although your Xtreme mentors--McKuka--will NOT be with you on Monday, February 25, you will be expected to continue your research with scholarly seriousness. We know how sad you'll be that we're not there. Do your best to survive without us. By the end of the day, the following is DUE on NOODLETOOLS, shared to the McKuka dropbox:

1. Research question
2. Thesis statement
3. Note card:  identify the specific evidence you will use to support your thesis, the sciencey stuff.

Example:  I will use the study of the effect of smoking on the epigenome and examine its heritable influence.

We will see you on TUESDAY, back in your respective Lang and Bio classes.  Be sure you have read The Future of Happiness for Lang on Tuesday.  Come with it printed out and marked up.

Origins

Now that we know how communicative our cells are, we can begin to see how it all connects, where it all began, what it means to us.  In AP Bio, we'll be starting to explore the mystery of DNA, getting ready to kill in the ASHG DNA Essay Contest!!  In AP Lang, we'll focus on the main reading--Life from Scum--to consider the sociological, environmental, philosophical, and all kind of other icals as the growing body of scientific knowledge relates to us.  Stay tuned.

MONDAY, 2/11
Ask Me About Cell Communication!
• recordings
• evaluation

TUESDAY, 2/12
Life from Scum
• reading check
• analysis:  argument -> support

WEDNESDAY, 2/13
Life from Scum
• shared inquiry: ideas

THURSDAY, 2/14
AP Prompt #7

FRIDAY, 2/15
Intricacy Essays
• sharing
• celebrating
Read The Future of Happiness for TUESDAY

Two cells walk into a bar . . .

Cell communication.  Not your iphone, but the conversations going on inside of you.  Can you hear them?  Can you understand?  This week's focus will be on the most basic of all life forms--the cell.  We will work toward achieving a level of cell literacy through a variety of readings, viewings, and exercises in class and out.  By the end of the week, you should be able to listen in and understand the chatter going on inside you--the conversation of life.

MONDAY, 2/4

Cell Communication

• Cell signaling reading

• Getting the gist: outline

• Cell signaling literacy: paraphrase

Read Life from Scum for Friday

TUESDAY, 2/5

Cell Communication

• GPCR reading

• Coming to terms:  in-text defining

• GPCR literacy:  summarize

WEDNESDAY, 2/6

Grammar!

• antecedents/pronouns

• getting rid of “it”

THURSDAY, 2/7

AP Prompt #6

FRIDAY, 2/8

Life from Scum

• essential questions

• analysis/discussion

It's a Wrap

Heya!  Welcome to Week the Last of the first semester of your AP English Language Experience.  Except for next week's final--the official CIM writing test--this week marks the end of the first half, and just getting this far is cause for celebration and congratulations.  Please be aware that Friday, January 25, is THE LAST DAY to turn in any work--missing stuff, redone essays, etc.  For this abbreviated week, we'll have some readings and talkings and exercises and another AP Prompt.  Wheeee!

MONDAY, 1/21
MLK! Hooooray!

TUESDAY, 1/22
Joyas Voladoras
• read
• oral analysis

WEDNESDAY, 1/23
Cut to the Chase
• Eliminating wordiness
• Sentence combining

THURSDAY, 1/24
AP Prompt #4

FRIDAY, 1/25
Warnings from a Flabby Mouse
• making the argument: appeals/stylistic choices
• larger implications
INTRICACY essay DUE

Pay Attention!

So many things pull at our attention--desires and duties, responsibilities and possibilities, causes and crises call on us, sometimes simultaneously, making it hard to focus on anything.  Yet to truly appreciate and understand something, we have to be able to turn off the noise, to look closely, listen carefully, and ponder deeply.  This week we'll pay attention to our attention.  We'll notice the connections between things, the inner workings and outer manifestations of the world around us, in biology through a microscope; in English through words.

MONDAY, 11/14
The Bird and the Machine
• reading check
• focused discussion:  form and function
• brief rhetorical analysis
Read Intricacy for TUESDAY

TUESDAY, 11/15
Intricacy
• questions
• discussion: details
• writing:  Big Idea, Small Focus--the Intricacy Essay

WEDNESDAY, 11/16
TED:  Beautiful Nano Details
• viewing
• observation

THURSDAY, 11/17
AP Prompt #5:  Analysis

FRIDAY, 11/18
Hills Like White Elephants
• reading
• analysis

So, this is the new year

And I don't feel any different.  Except maybe a little guilty (obviously a good way to begin) for not reading all your research essays over the break.  I blame the figgy pudding.  Anywho, they will be done by the end of the week, so you'll have time to revise, if you choose, before the semester ends.  Yes, we're almost halfway through the year, and closer than that to the AP tests in May.  So, we'll be starting this week with lots of focused attention to the nuts and bolts of reading and writing skills that will lead to success on the test and, more importantly, in LIFE.  Resolution:  Pay attention.

MONDAY, 1/7
The Method of Scientific Investigation
• vocabulary focus
• identifying tone, purpose, intent
• finish reading for TUESDAY
• bring SA, January 2013, to class rest of week

TUESDAY, 1/8
The Method of Scientific Investigation
• response
• discussion
• listen to Radiolab, Choice (Season 5, Episode 1), for FRIDAY

WEDNESDAY, 1/9
Logic-Tight Compartments
• read
• apply Huxley to Schermer: How we use/abuse logic

THURSDAY, 1/10
AP Prompt #4: Synthesis

FRIDAY, 1/11
Choice
• using logic/emotion/reasoning
• taking a stand
• read The Bird and the Machine for MONDAY