Friday, September 27, 2013

How is it possible for Advanced Placement students to turn-in homework assignments without the "proper" headings for a designated assignment? All I have been receiving is a written response without the "title/heading" of the assignment! If this happens again, your paper will be returned with a "reduction" in grade. Include the title and author of the essay/article that has been assigned-along with your first and last name, your class Band, and the date of the assignment.

Thursday, September 26, 2013


Homework: Due Monday, 30 September!
You must bring your Language and Composition textbook home for this assignment. Leave your textbook at home until directed to bring it to class.

Read Terrors Purse Strings  by Dana Thomas (109-111). You must click on the title of this essay to download and print. read "carefully" the directions provided in the "ACTIVITY" box on page 109. You must turn in your "annotated" copy (no highlighting) and your written response to what you were directed to do as indicated in the directions.

Grammar as Rhetoric and Style:
"Appositives"  (pages 269-276)
Complete Exercises #1 (272) and  #3 (274)-Skip a "space/line" after each response/sentence. (Do NOT upload assignment to turnitin.com.)

HOMEWORK DUE: Tuesday, 1 October
Read So-o-o-o-o-o Sorry: The Art of the Apology and write a reaction/reflection to Hebble's essay. (Any "revelations" that perhaps, you had not previously thought about...you may want to consider how she addresses you the "reader" and your subsequent responses-where in the essay did you pause to "reflect" and/or "reconsider" saying the word "Sorry". Do not ask me about the length of this response...OR say, "I am sorry Mr. Diedrich I do not have the assignment to turn-in". No need to upload to turnitin! https://s3.amazonaws.com/engrade-myfiles/4076737320983489/Soo_Sorry.doc (Just in case you experience difficulty opening the above link-title of essay.)


Tuesday, September 24, 2013

Schedule for Week of 23 September

Just a reminder: SAT Vocabulary List 2 Quiz (7 words from this list and 3 words from List 1)

Bring your textbook on Thursday, 26 September! Failure to do so will result in a "0" for being unprepared for class.

Monday, 23 September: A/B/C Bands- Timed Write-Question 2-Rhetorical Analysis

Tuesday, 24 September: Introduction to "Argument" Question 3 on the AP Examination

Wednesday, 25 September: G Band: Argument continued

Thursday, 26 September: SAT Vocabulary Quiz-List 2 (Six minutes maximum) Chapter 3 textbook activities and subsequent homework assignments ("Yes, more than one...!")  Due Date: TBA

Friday, 27 September: A and B Bands-Introduction to the "Apology" Unit/Project

Monday, September 23, 2013


Dear Parents and Students: I am troubled about the number of students who have NOW approached me regarding their failure to turn-in the Summer Reading Project in its entirety. Amazingly, some did NOT turn-in any "component" of the Project and are NOW desiring to do so. Needless to say, I will NOT accept any "component" of the Project-we are now entering our third week of school-excuses for not completing the Project should have been discussed with me on Day 1 of class. Please check your child's grades on "Jupiter"- our school's on-line grade reporting program. (A Password may be obtained from the school's Parent Coordinator.)

Sunday, September 22, 2013

Please Note: The weighted percentages indicated on "Jupiter" for each of the "components" for your Summer Reading Assignment will be "re-adjusted" early next week. Naturally, the numerical grade will remain the same-only its "weight" will change.
SAT Vocabulary Quiz Retake Policy: If you do "poorly" on any quiz or simply would like to re-take it for a higher grade, you may do so for only THREE occasions during the course of a semester! This must be done prior to your next scheduled quiz-which happens to fall on Wednesdays-for example-List 1 must be -retaken by Thursday, 26 September-not during the following week. Furthermore, if you are absent on any quiz day, you must see me immediately upon your return (even if your Band does not meet on that day) to make arrangements to take your quiz. Dear Parents: Students had since Day 1 of class to prepare for the List 1 vocabulary quiz so there is not any excuse for the low grade your child may have received.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Summer Reading Assignments: A Concern

Diedrich has been sitting in Room 404 drinking his coffee and listening to music while "grading"
your annotated texts and dialectical journals. Needless to say, he had the urge to "vent" and hence feels that he must take a "short" break from this task to share with you and your parents his disappointment regarding the quality of "work" submitted! Amazingly, too few students referred to the resources provided on the summer reading handout that certainly would have improved the grade they receive. He is no longer writing the question, "Did you refer to Adlers' How to Mark a Book? on the grade recording sheet you submitted. (A classic-just ask around.) Furthermore, you were given resources for completing the dialectical journals-with specific links-such as "AP Terms to Know" and others that apparently were not read or perhaps, simply disregarded. What concerns Diedrich most-although he has too many concerns to cite in this blog post-is that too many students turned in a text without any annotations-highlighting and/or notations in the margins [or just the "bare" minimum]-in several cases-the text could be returned to the bookstore and returned to the shelf! Since he has now "vented" and feels relieved to some degree, Diedrich is ending this post so he can walk across the hallway to Room 403 for another cup of coffee (his second if you are curious) and then return to the "task" of "grading" your summer reading assignments. (Please do not send Diedrich any emails about this situation-he may or may not address your "concerns" about the assignment you submitted on Monday, 16 September.) Note: POV

Friday, September 13, 2013

Please Note: I will not distribute a "handout" for this power-point/video. We will examine it "briefly" in class prior to our continued analysis of syntax.
 

Schedule for Week of 16 September:
I would like to thank everyone for making our first-week together an enjoyable and meaningful learning experience

B-Band Students: Please return the lunch forms on Monday, 16 September.

Your first vocabulary quiz (List 1) will be on Thursday, 19 September. (List 1 can be found in folder distributed on Day 1 of class and a link can also be found below.)

Bring your textbook to class on Thursday, 19 September. NO EXCUSES!

Monday, 16 September (A, B, & G Bands): We will engage in "Syntax" analysis. No textbook required today.

Tuesday, 17 September (ALL Bands): Lesson from above continued. We will also examine how Eisenhower uses Pathos in a speech (see pages 17-18). I will supply a copy of this speech. Bring a highlighter to class. Homework due Thursday: See pages 25-27-specific prompt for If the Japanese Can't Build a Safe Reactor, Who Can? "Hints" located at the end of the essay. No need to upload-just turn in a "hard-copy"

Wednesday, 18 September (G Band): Syntax Analysis with a focus on "Sentence Patterns"

Thursday, 19 September (ALL Bands): a "textbook" activity AFTER your List 1 Vocabulary Quiz.

Friday, 20 September (A and B Bands): See lesson above (G Band on Wednesday).

Prepare for your first TIMED WRITE (Monday, 23 September) by reviewing your resources and the sample student essays provided by the College Board for Question 2: Rhetorical Analysis.
The AP English Language and Composition Exam
Review previous examinations-(Question 1-Question 2-Question 3) and Read the student responses as well as the score the student received from the AP Reader. Do you agree OR disagree with the score of a specific essay? Analyze the rubrics before you decide.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

The Language of Composition book companion site
URGENT! B BAND STUDENTS MUST RETURN THEIR LUNCH APPLICATIONS BY FRIDAY, 13 SEPTEMBER!

"Yes, I know what you are thinking? But I only received them on Thursday, and I was "misinformed" about the deadline for return."

The "incentive" offered still exists.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

ATTENTION! ATTENTION! ATTENTION!
 G-BAND-G-BAND-G-BAND
(Epizeuis)
If the student who borrowed the textbook for use on Wednesday, 11 September-does not return the text to me in 404 by 0800 hours on Thursday, 12 September-G-Band-the entire class will be required to bring the textbook to class on Monday, 16 September for a Book Inventory Check-this will continue on each and every day of the week until the book is returned!