Friday, December 2, 2016

ways to win

Did you recognize the essay prompt?  Here it is again:

Describe Baca's attitude toward life, learning, and prison.  Use your analysis of diction and detail to support your points.

I ripped off the idea from question 2 in the 1981 AP exam (so I guess here I was partying like it was 1981, but whatever-- you can see it top/center here).

As we discussed, this is a formative assessment, and my intention is to help you learn, so if you didn't feel like you crushed it in class, you have options.  Here are a few:

  • take another crack at the essay with more time and thought, and post it on your blog;
  • memorize and recite a stanza (or the whole poem, if you're rad like that) and post the video on your blog;
  • create a photo essay, animation, or some other kind of multimedia wonderfulness about the poem and post that on your blog;
  • research Jimmy Santiago Baca, fall in love with a different poem he wrote, and post that with your commentary on your blog;
  • compare Baca's poetry with someone else's poetry, or a different sort of writing altogether, and post that on your blog;
  • research strategies for answering questions like this on the AP exam and post that on your blog;
  • come up with an idea I didn't mention here and post that on your blog;
  • create intellectual value and establish yourself by [?] -- and post that on your blog.
Whatever you do, don't forget to post it on your blog. :)

7 comments:

  1. Low-key going to try to do all of these...

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  2. Challenge accepted, Dr. Preston ;)

    Is rad your new favorite word? You seem to use it quite a bit, I've noticed...

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    Replies
    1. Rad.

      Someone I love uses this word a lot and it reminds me of a time when I was younger, the world was simpler, and everything was more exciting. So I'm bringing it back.

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