Daily Class Journals - 10 Timed Essays

There will be daily journals written in the first 10 minutes of every class. You are required to write for the entire time. On the last day of the week you are to choose one entry that you like the best or that you see the most room for expansion and develop it into a free-written essay. All entries will be graded for completion; the free-written essay will be graded for mastery.

Handwritten work MUST be written with blue or black ink on loose-leaf paper. You may only write on one side of the paper.

Suggestions for Development of AP Essay

Address the prompt thoroughly
Give a brief introduction with thesis idea
Demonstrate knowledge of the text
Show mature expression with vocabulary and structure with college level skill and clarity
Stay on-topic throughout
Demonstrate a sense of movement toward a conclusion (transitions)
Provide a clincher
Use creative thinking

Tips for Timed Writing

1. Read the prompt carefully.
Identify the abstract concept that is the focus of the prompt.
Identify any concrete device(s) the prompt specifies or suggests you use.
2. Read the passage for understanding.
Ask yourself who, what, when, where, why questions if necessary.
Keep the prompt in mid when you read.
3. Reread and mark the passage.
Focus on concrete devices that create the abstract.
Jot notes in the margins as you read. These notes may be all of the prewriting you have time to do.
4. Your thesis should directly reflect the prompt.
Do not be afraid to state the obvious.
Be clear as to the approach that you are taking and the concepts that you intend to prove.
5. Focus on your commentary.
Your insight and understanding of the literature, as well as how you make the connections called for in the prompt are what the grader will look for.
Be sure to organize your ideas logically.
6. Your conclusion must be worth reading.
Do not just repeat with your have already said.
Your conclusion should reflect an understanding of the passage and the question.
Use a thematic statement, but avoid moralizing and absolute words.

Note: When responding to an open-ended prompt, be sure to choose a novel that is of literary merit and that you thoroughly understand. Be sure to address all parts of the prompt and to plan out your response before beginning to writing. Remember that the works offered as suggestions are surely good choices for your response. Also, remember that you should not merely retell the story, but rather explain the relevance to the open-ended prompt.