1. Invisible Man Discussion Prep

2. Good morning! Today we will be going over your discussion prep, handing back your Penny Synthesis essay, and reading the sources for a new Synthesis prompt. Please take out:  Your discussion prep  Two highlighters  Your green sheet of AP essay scores

3. Discussion prep: Highlight your theme statements. Ask yourself:  Are they interesting? Do they avoid the obvious? Are you excited to talk about them?  Are they complex enough?  Are they balanced between universal and specific? (remember this slide?) To get more specific, ask yourself: Who? What? When?remember this slide If you answered “no” to any of these questions, write yourself a note on your paper about how to revise.

4. Discussion prep: Highlight your evidence in a new color. Ask yourself:  Do I have 3-4 really solid pieces of evidence for EACH theme statement?  Did I mark down the page number of the evidence, and write down the beginning of the quote I wanted to use?  Did I avoid copying down the WHOLE passage?  Do I have these pieces of evidence flagged in my book? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, write yourself a note on your paper about how to revise.

5. Discussion prep: Now, after each piece of evidence you listed, write the word “so…” or “therefore…” This will help remind you to explain your evidence. During the discussion, you should NEVER stop talking after a piece of evidence. You should always say “so” or “therefore” and explain how that piece of evidence proves that your theme is valid.

6. Discussion prep: How that piece of evidence proves that your theme is valid. This is what the rest of the writing on your page of notes should be about. How will you explain your evidence? If it helps:  Imagine that you told me your theme, and quoted your evidence. Imagine that I said: “I don’t get it. I don’t see how you got that theme out of those quotes.”  What would you say back to convince me? THAT is what should go in your notes. Convince us your theme is valid. Convince us that these quotes support your theme.

7. Discussion prep: Now, look at your page of notes overall. Ask yourself:  Does the highlighted stuff take up LESS space than the rest of it?  Am I sure I will have many really interesting things to talk about in the discussion?  Am I excited to share what I discovered? Do I think some of my insights are really cool? If you answered “no” to any of these questions, write yourself a note on your paper about how to revise.

8. Discuss your ideas with your desk partner. Your goal: help each other deepen and expand thesis statements and explanations. Finally, at the top of your paper, complete the following sentence: Over the weekend, here’s what I will do to revise my discussion notes:

9. Discussion prep: On Monday, your ticket into the discussion:  Highlighted draft of notes  Final draft of notes  IM book If you don’t have these 3 things, you don’t get to participate in the discussion and you get a zero.

10. Penny Synthesis Overall pretty good. General things: If issues with thesis, use formula: Side you are taking + 3 reasons why. Must have a TS, must be an arg, not ev. Explain your evidence more! 1-2 sent of expl. for each piece of ev. Make sure your side is clear. Try a counter, but still make sure your side is clear. 3 sources!!! Use more transitions: however, so, therefore, also, in addition, similarly, because, for example.

11. At least half of the paragraph should be your own words, ideas, explanations. Do not begin a paragraph with info from a source Write your best arguments first. Do not necessarily write a separate paragraph for counterargument. Don’t use the same info from a source twice.

12. Don’t forget to correctly cite from the source. (Durning 532). (Source A). According to Alan Durning in his essay Asking How Much Is Enough, In Source A Alan Durning writes, Use quotation marks if you take direct words from a source (Safire article)

13. Hassle Don’t begin a sentence with But, And, So, Such, Which, Like Is the fact that (wrong) The fact of the matter is (wrong) Due to the fact that (wrong) Because (right) Weather/whether

14. Balance between universal and specific: Too universal Too specific Ignorance is bliss Gatsby is happier before he realizes the truth about Daisy You want your theme statements to be right here, in the middle. Specific enough to apply clearly to the book, but not so specific that they ONLY apply to the book and are not universal. Back to the slide