Link to the article that will be part of the written final for AP Govt

George Will article from the Post-Bulletin. This article has so much good content from our study this semester it is too good to pass up. You can read it prior to class but you will also get a hard copy during the final to work from.

Mr. Thompson

Body paragraphs

just noticing this while reading your other stuff, so here's a reminder.

BODY PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE:
1. Topic sentence - what will you be asserting/proving/showing in this paragraph?
2. Examples to support your point.
3. Connecting - how do the examples you provided prove your topic sentence?
4. Further. Now that you've proven your topic sentence, how does that fit into your larger thesis? Where does that lead you next (this is also a transition).

If still stuck, here's a reminder of the 12 sentence paragraph, although I prefer what I outlined above.

Ed Paper links

Here are some of the foundational readings. . .

Emerson, "Education" self-directed learning.
Prose, "I Know Why the Caged Bird Cannot Read" horrid literary choices in schools.
Alexie, "Superman and Me" one Native American embraces reading, writing, due to immediate family, although peer culture was antagonistic.
NEA "Reading at Risk" the US reads less as we age
Talbot, "Best in Class" Valedictorian discussion
Collins, "The History Teacher" you read this last year, it's on page 143. Teaching shielding students from the hurts of history.
Broder, "A Model for High Schools" education is possible with the right system for those most likely to be written off.
Norris, "US Students Fare Badly in International Survey. . ." title says it all.
Goodman, "Proposal to Abolish Grading" argues against the necessity of grades
Poe, "Sonnet to Science" Apostrophe bemoaning science removing the poet's imagination
Chesterton, "The Song of Education" mother must abandon child to work and be "free"
Hughes, "Theme for English B" identity in education, particularly between a Black student and white instructor.

We also used many images as discussion points (Athens, Rockwell, cartoon about kid with hinged head and info being dumped in. . .). Feel free to include or expand on visual art for entering the discussion.


Ideally you will find a way to engage a couple of these texts and incorporate at least a reference into your discussion.

Here are some examples of how this might work, although these are so general it may not be beneficial:

Nutrition and education: self-determined approach of Emerson can NOT apply in modern world to food choices; we can no longer eat what we want, but what we SHOULD.

Daily schedules, which is most effective: Broder, Emerson.

International competition/comparison: Norris, Prose.

Give it a shot, contact me as a blog comment if you would like some specific ideas.

For what it's worth, here's the power point discussing the assignment.

Education Paper

Education article about education policy. Use it if you can.

DT