Anaya´s English Blog

Prompt Response:  After reviewing the argumentative essay, I did well in giving evidence to back up my claims. I used personal experience to support my claim. One thing I could work on is the sophistication point. I gave a counterargument statement, but I did not go much further with that. I think diving deeper into the counterargument can help me get that point.  Summary: Today in class, we wrote a poem and made a visual graphic to go with it.  Reflection:  This is important so we can write good poetry.   

Prompt Response:  A conversation that changed me was learning that people die. My parents sat me down at a young age and talked to me about their will and what would happen if they died. I would have to live with my aunt, who is across the world. Now that my brothers are 21, they would become my legal guardians. At the time, it really scared me and made me realize that people can die.  Summary: Today in class, we answered questions that analyzed the deeper meaning of the poem by  Lawrence Ferlinghetti. Reflection:  This is important because being able to understand poems is essential and helpful for the AP exam. 

Prompt Response:  A time I wrote a poem was in eighth grade, and it was about a hardship we endured. I wrote about when I tore a ligament in my hand in sixth grade. The writing process was difficult, but it came out easy in the end. I was very proud of the finished product because I spent a long time on it. I did multiple drafts till it was perfect.  Summary: Today in class, we analyzed a poem. Reflection:  This is important if we want to become poets.

Prompt Response:  Clustering helped me generate ideas and examples for the job prompt by keeping it in front of me with subtopics. The most useful part of clustering is being able to easily write your body paragraph due to the information already being written. I would most definitely use this strategy for the AP exam essays because it is a good way to write down ideas so when you start your paragraphs, you have all the information to  finish.  Summary: Today in class, we went over the brainstorming process of an argumentative essay.  Reflection:  This is important so we can write a strong essay for the AP exam.

Prompt Response:  While writing the essay, coming up with my evidence for the claims was easier for me. I think I did well with the supporting evidence but less so with the commentary. What was most challenging was getting substantial commentary for my evidence. What I would do differently is plan better before starting and write down, in quick bullet points, what I would type.  Summary: Yesterday in class, I did a full AP Language argumentative essay.  Reflection:  This is important so we can do it well on the actual exam. 

Prompt Response:  A time I felt like I truly belonged was when I was hanging out with my best friend. I have been friends with Farrah since second grade, and we became even closer during Covid-19. We share all the same interests and love doing things together. When I am around her, I can be my true self.  Nothing is embarrassing around her because we act the same.  What created this sense of belonging was the safe space she provoided in her presence. Summary: Today in class, we did a common lit on an article by Tracy Brower. It explained how a sense of belonging is important for one's self-esteem and mental health.  Reflection:  Understanding where your sense of belonging is is important because it can improve your mental health and make you happier overall. 

Prompt Response:  The vocabulary word that I think will be most useful in the future is archaic. Archaic means no longer current or old-fashioned. This is important to know because as we get older, things we currently love and use will become outdated. You could use this word when referring to clothing or old electronics that are not used or worn anymore.  Summary: Today in class, we went over 15 new vocabulary words. Reflection:  This is important so we know the words for the AP exam.  a

Prompt Response:  One thing about commentary that I did not fully understand is how it connects to the claim. Commentary answers the "how" and "why," and not the "what." Now I understand that it is very important and necessary to back up the claim. I will apply it to my next AP Lang essay by properly supporting the claim to make it a good paragraph with  excellent evidence.  Summary: Today in class, we wrote two to three sentences on how evidence is important to the claim and how it helps. Reflection:  This is important so we can write good paragraphs for the AP exam.

Prompt Response:   After reviewing and scoring other AP Language argument essays, my two takeaways were to focus on the body paragraphs and the sophistication point. I can apply these by strengthening my evidence and commentary and improving  my writing skills overall.  I learned that getting the thesis point is fairly easy as long as you make the claim very clear.  In the essays we read, most students got the thesis point and lost points in the body paragraph for lack of evidence.  Summary: Today in class, we went over different AP exam arguments from 2019. Reflection:  This is important so we can get a baseline for what a good essay is and what is not.

Prompt Response:  I usually look at the rubric before I start and submit an assignment. You can use a rubric as a roadmap for a test/assignment because it shows exactly what you need to do, and you have plenty of time to learn it before you start. For the AP exam, learning the rubric and the criteria now can help ensure we pass the exam. We can improve our argumentative writing by practicing a lot until we get full points according to the rubric. Summary: Today in class, we reviewed the rubric for the AP exam argumentative paragraph. Reflection:  This is important because it shows us how to structure a strong paragraph for the exam. 

Prompt Response:  Knowing the ins and outs of a rubric on an assignment can benefit you in many ways. It puts you ahead while doing the assignment because you know exactly what you are looking for. When you read a rubric before starting the assignment, you can take things as a checklist of what the rubric says. This can ensure that you understand the full assignment and you get your deserved points. Summary: Absent Reflection:  Absent  

Prompt Response:  Seeing how other people think is really interesting. Reading their prompts and seeing how they answered them was cool, whereas I would have taken a completely different approach. What was truly interesting was seeing their thought process. For the prompts that I agreed with, there were some points that other groups wrote down that I would have never thought of. It really puts into perspective how others think and function.  Summary: Today in class, as a group, we went around the room and read every group's argumentative paragraph.  Reflection:  It is good to read other people's work because it can inspire you, and you can learn from it. 

Prompt Response:  In eighth grade, my friend and I asked for an extension on a homework assignment due to both of us being sick at the same time. She started talking first and was very casual about it. Our teacher gave us the extension, but she seemed very hesitant about allowing us to turn it in later. I know if we asked more respectfully, she would not have hesitated. That stuck with me, and now I always talk to my teachers respectfully and with formal language.  Summary: Today in class, we took notes on formal vs. informal language. We also finished our group paragraphs. Reflection:  Learning formal vs. informal language is important so we can distinguish which ones to use depending on the circumstances.  

Prompt Response:  One suggestion my teammate made to improve our paragraph was to be very specific in our examples. Originally, we were going to be vague on our evidence and just say "a  restaurant." She suggested we be very clear and describe the restaurant and exactly what happened. I think this makes it a better paragraph because it adds more details, and it backs up our claim better.  Summary: Today in class, we reviewed 15 vocabulary words from the book and answered questions based on the new words.  Reflection:  This is important so that when we're taking the AP exam, we are familiar with hard words. 

Prompt Response:  Something I have always been curious about is space. I have always wondered how the universe is infinite but also expanding. I want to know how black holes work and how we know so much about them. I would love to know exactly how many planets are out there and which ones can support the human race. I will never understand how we can see planets that are millions of light-years away and how we can identify them. I am very curious to know if wormholes are real, like in Interstellar.  Summary: Today in class, we went over how to make a good paragraph. We covered how to avoid the use of second person and what can and can't be evidence.  Reflection:  This is important so we can have a good paragraph on the AP exam.

Prompt Response:  After learning about the line of reasoning, the most challenging part of building an argument for me was finding the commentary. Commentary explains  how and why your evidence proves your claim and supports your thesis. This is hard for me because it requires making logical connections and not just saying random facts. This means you have to really understand your claim and reasoning.  Summary: Today in class, we got prompts that were all hot takes and wrote a paragraph on whether we agree or not. Reflection:  This is important so we can write a good paragraph on the AP exam.

Prompt Response:  A fear I have overcome is roller coasters. When I was younger, I was really scared of them, and I would watch my brothers and friends go on them without me. Then, I went to Six Flags with my best friend, and she convinced me to go on a roller coaster. I was extremely scared, but I knew I had to do it. When I finally rode it, I had the time of my life, and now I absolutely love roller coasters. This past summer, we went to Universal Studios together in Orlando and rode every ride there. Summary: Today in class, we went over the structure of an argumentative  paragraph.  Reflection:  This is important so we can write a good paragraph for the AP exam.