Beginning Expository Composition: What and why and how do we use description?

 Welcome to Week 4. The focus for this week and next is an exploration of descriptive writing. We will discuss description and what it helps us do. We will compare passages written on the same topic, and will read several essays in our Patterns For College Reading Text that are descriptive. We will read texts paying careful attention to their use of sensory description using writing strategies of adjectives, adverbs and adverbial phrases; figurative language, to enhance description. We will write about an object two ways: subjectively and objectively.  We will also engage in a variety of writing exercises to fine tune our use of description to see how it adds vigor, specificity, clarity and concern to writing. We will produce two longer pieces of descriptive writing as well as engage in several activities to make dull, boring language more descriptive as we gain more appreciation of the genre. 

What is Description and Why Should Writers Use It? Period 4

Period 5 link: What is description? Why/How Do Writers Use it? 

Period 6 link: What is Description? Why/How do writers use it? 

Article of the Week: Student Choice periods 5 and 6 Expos Comp

Since I began teaching the course, the scope of expository texts has exploded.  Truly, there is expository writing on almost any topic, subject, hobby, interest and disposition. That is why I seem so tentative so far--there is so much good writing to explore and share! As stated in our Academic Procedures, each week  you will find YOUR OWN individual Expository Text of the Week. You may choose from Magazine Articles and Op-Eds or Commentaries;  Podcasts or Editorials, or an occasional movie/film (provided that you viewed it recently). To help guide you, here are some resources, likes and places you might want to check out as you begin your journey. 

18 New York Times Articles to Read Before Eighteen 
Radio Rookies: Youth Radio from New York
Latino USA: Radio Journal of News and Culture from A Latino Perspective
Very Smart Brothas
The Huffington Post: communities Black Voices; Queer Voices; Women's Voices; Latino Voices
The Root: Black News, Culture, Opinion

50 Best Podcasts for High School Students

550 Prompts to Inspire Personal and Narrative Writing 

NPR Podcast Listing

I enjoy and love listening to podcasts and encourage you to explore podcasts and argumentative writing for your first Independent Reading SOAPS Analysis due Tuesday night at 10pm.  You may choose to read or listen to the same podcast at times. 

Exit Slip for All Classes

Please complete the Exit Slip Today! Link is here to go to the google form: https://forms.gle/RkNShRSzEw5mCA3b6

Gearing Up For Expository Independent Reading

As you know, a hallmark of the Expository Reading and Writing Course is INDEPENDENT Reading.  With Independent reading, you will self select a text that is in some ways expository. It can be pure exposition: Writing to inform; it can be narrative: autobiography or biography; or book length argument/mixed method.  To help you decide which book you would like to check out from the public or King Drew library, or obtain through Amazon or Target or Walmart, start to browse the following curated lists to see which if any books catch your eye.  Then complete the Google Form for accountability. 

75 Non Fictions Titles to Read over the Summer 

https://explorethearchive.com/nonfiction-books-for-teens

https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=28-ya-nonfiction-titles-young-adult-teen-summer-reading-2021

H/Expository Composition periods 4,5,6

Welcome to Week 3! This week will will continue to build community by Getting to Know You Socially and Academically! We will engage in a getting to know each other exercise; getting to know more about this blog; sharing our Non-Print SOAPS Analysis; getting to know and understanding Expository Composition and social issues we care about. We will read our first Class Article of the Week; Practice Rules and Procedures/Academic Routines  including Journal Writing; SOAPS Analysis and Summary Writing. 

Period 6: A Social Issue I Care About Padlet Link: https://padlet.com/lguy2/wutrpslvajwoyqlw

SOAPS Stone Handout (Forced copy) Link here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1GDZUyikgQU9CATl2CFII7RLXCEjNo9OR/copy

Dear Students 2021-2022

 Here we go!!! Click this link to be taken to the letter: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1VfzpHbxUBtBQQztg-_N07CMNBl00oMTN12wV_OFZSak/edit?usp=sharing

Senior Writing Check In Prompts (periods 4,5 and 6) Expository/H Expository Composition

Select one of the following prompts and hand-write a response to discuss and submit tomorrow during the beginning of your class: 

When have you re-invented yourself and how is COVID-19 causing you to do so?

What is the biggest or most meaningful lesson that COVID-19 has taught or revealed to you? How will you “do life” differently as a result?

What 2-3 ineffective habits do you have? Have you ever Tried to Change Them? How might you go about it this time and obtain success?

What Are You Grateful for? Write a list of ten SPECIFIC and complete things you are grateful for. Then choose one or two to elaborate on in two or three paragraphs.

How has technology and virtual learning changed your expectations of learning? Write about a positive experience or negative experience you had with distance learning and why you think it was this way.