Dear New APELC Student,
You have ahead of you probably one of the most difficult classes you have ever taken. While this may sound a little terrifying, don't be discouraged. Even if AP English seems to be hard towards the beginning, it gets easier as time goes by, and it's always a fun, interesting course.
You will probably get your summer essay back soon, and the grade you receive might be a little bit alarming compared to grades you received on essays in ninth and tenth grade. However, remember that the essay you wrote was a new type of analysis with a new grading system, so it's no wonder that you're not used to it. And, of course, that essay is just one grade in the first marking period, and you have plenty of time to improve. People often say that it's impossible to get an A in APELC, but this isn't true. It is true, though, that it's very difficult to get an A in the first marking period – only seven people did this year – but as the year went on, those numbers kept going up, and it's completely possible to get an A for the year even if you don't for the first quarter.
Throughout the year, you'll learn how to write analysis, argument, and synthesis essays. You'll use sources ranging from essays by famous philosophers like Thomas Hobbes to the Progressive advertisement in last month's TIME magazine. It may seem surprising, but you can actually write essays over 430 words long about the packaging of a bottle of fruit juice (trust me, I did just that for one of my TOW posts). One of the best things about AP English is that it exposes you to an amazingly wide variety of sources and truly opens your eyes to how much thought goes into a document, whether it's a movie poster or an essay by Henry David Thoreau.
Looking back on the year, I'm actually amazed that we managed to learn as much as we did in such a short amount of time. Not only did we learn how to write the various aforementioned essays, but also we learned extensively about grammar and vocabulary. While the class may seem daunting at times, it's definitely worth it.
I'll leave you with some parting tips:
1. Take your TOWs seriously. These are your best chances to improve your writing, and if you truly make sure you write the best TOW you can every week, you will notice your essays getting stronger and more effective.
2. Don't be afraid to ask for help! If you're stuck getting the same score on your essays for a long period of time (this happened to me during the winter), try going to Mr. Yost and/or Ms. Pronko. They can help go through your previous essays to see what you should change, add to, take away, etc. Their opinions are always helpful because, after all, they are the ones grading you!
3. Make the most out of it. Sometimes it's best to think of APELC as less a class and more an opportunity. If you read, write, and present everything simply with the goal of being successful on the exam, you'll miss out on one of the best parts of AP English – experiencing all kinds of writing. Of course, don't forget that the exam is coming (Mr. Yost's 5.08.15 poster will certainly remind you, regardless), but just don't forget to approach everything with an open mind.
Good luck! :)
Sincerely,
Annie Graves
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Tuesday, June 3, 2014
TOW #29: Music Saves Lives
The main message of The Lady in Number 6 is that music has restorative and even life-saving powers. In the documentary, playing piano was able to keep Alice Sommer happy and alive during the Holocaust. Today, many musicians attest to others' or their own music being something that kept them alive through personal torment such as depression or disastrous events in their lives. Even just listening to music can be calming and can allow highly stressed people (like high schoolers) to de-stress, which leads to a better, happier life. Therefore, music can definitely be a life-saving medicine.
Musicians often cite playing music as something that has saved their life. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who has struggled with his bipolar disorder his entire life, attempted suicide in February 2005. He wrote a song ("7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)") about the suicide as a way of coping, and being able to express himself and his feelings through music was extremely helpful in his recovery. In this case, music quite literally saved Wentz's life by helping him through recovery and helping him deal with his depression and bipolar disorder.
On a less extreme level, music also has the ability to relieve stress. For Wissahickon's own Andrew Ge, playing cello at his Philadelphia Youth Orchestra concerts is a "positive experience" and can often be very calming. Additionally, even simply listening to music can decrease stress. In fact, as I work to finish this TOW before it's due, I am listening to music ("Skulls" by Bastille, on repeat) as a way to calm my nerves and make sure I don't produce sloppy, rushed work. Too much stress is unhealthy (both physically and mentally), so by listening to or playing music, people can have healthier and happier lives.
Music's amazing life-improving or even life-saving powers are found in many situations, from helping famous musicians cope with mental disorders to calming down an AP English student as she writes her penultimate Text of the Week, and everything in between. As Alice Sommer said in The Lady in Number 6, music can be "the only thing which helps [people] to have hope ... a sort of religion, actually. Music is God." Music is extremely powerful and important to many people, and its abilities to help and even save lives should never be underestimated.
Musicians often cite playing music as something that has saved their life. Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, who has struggled with his bipolar disorder his entire life, attempted suicide in February 2005. He wrote a song ("7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)") about the suicide as a way of coping, and being able to express himself and his feelings through music was extremely helpful in his recovery. In this case, music quite literally saved Wentz's life by helping him through recovery and helping him deal with his depression and bipolar disorder.
On a less extreme level, music also has the ability to relieve stress. For Wissahickon's own Andrew Ge, playing cello at his Philadelphia Youth Orchestra concerts is a "positive experience" and can often be very calming. Additionally, even simply listening to music can decrease stress. In fact, as I work to finish this TOW before it's due, I am listening to music ("Skulls" by Bastille, on repeat) as a way to calm my nerves and make sure I don't produce sloppy, rushed work. Too much stress is unhealthy (both physically and mentally), so by listening to or playing music, people can have healthier and happier lives.
Music's amazing life-improving or even life-saving powers are found in many situations, from helping famous musicians cope with mental disorders to calming down an AP English student as she writes her penultimate Text of the Week, and everything in between. As Alice Sommer said in The Lady in Number 6, music can be "the only thing which helps [people] to have hope ... a sort of religion, actually. Music is God." Music is extremely powerful and important to many people, and its abilities to help and even save lives should never be underestimated.
Music Saved My Life:
Even while she was in a concentration camp, Alice Sommer was able to remain happy by playing her piano.
Tuesday, May 27, 2014
TOW #28: Documentary Rhetorical Analysis
"Everything is good and bad. I look at the good side," says Alice Sommer in The Lady in Number 6: Music Saved My Life. This 2013 documentary captures the life of Sommer, then a 109-year-old Holocaust survivor whose life was continually saved by music. Set in an interview format, the documentary begins with Sommer describing her life leading up to the Holocaust. She began playing the piano from a young age, and her family was close friends with musicians like Mahler and Kafka. These childhood experiences allowed her love of music to grow, and Sommer became a concert pianist as an adult. However, in 1943, Sommer and her son were sent to Theresienstadt, a concentration camp for Jewish celebrities and musicians that was used for Nazi propaganda. There, she remained happy by playing in concerts and spreading her love of music, and in 1945, Theresienstadt was liberated by the Soviets, and Sommer moved to Israel to be with her family. In 1986, she moved to London where she played the piano for hours each day, bringing joy to herself and all those around her, until she passed away on February 23, 2014, at 110.
The purpose of The Lady in Number 6 was to tell the story of Alice Sommer and, through her, to demonstrate the amazing power of music. To achieve this, the documentary juxtaposed the horrors of the Holocaust with Sommer's stories of the restorative power of music and presented everything in Sommer's own extremely positive and optimistic tone.
As Sommer's story progresses, she begins to describe how during the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, her concert grand piano was confiscated by the Nazis, and she was forbidden to perform – to do what she loved. This crushing announcement is then directly juxtaposed with Sommer's story about the situation. She says that she managed to hide a piccolo piano from the Nazis, and would play it in her spare time. However, this brought joy to not only Sommer and her son, but also to Mr. Herman, a Nazi who lived in her building. Through this juxtaposition, the audience is able to understand the power of music – for Sommer, playing the piano was able to keep her happy even when her husband was deported and the source of her livelihood was taken away, and this power of music stretched even to someone who was supposed to hate her.
Throughout the documentary, Sommer remains positive, no matter what she is discussing. When describing her time in Theresienstadt, Sommer says that she managed to laugh even while she was there because it kept her and those around her happy. Later in life, when her son died at 64 (he didn't wake up from anesthesia), Sommer recounts the experience in a positive light, saying that dying the way he did (peacefully and without pain) is the best way to go. Sommer's continuously positive perception of events in her life gives the documentary a positive and optimistic tone, which truly convinces watchers of the strength of music.
The purpose of The Lady in Number 6 was to tell the story of Alice Sommer and, through her, to demonstrate the amazing power of music. To achieve this, the documentary juxtaposed the horrors of the Holocaust with Sommer's stories of the restorative power of music and presented everything in Sommer's own extremely positive and optimistic tone.
As Sommer's story progresses, she begins to describe how during the German invasion of Czechoslovakia, her concert grand piano was confiscated by the Nazis, and she was forbidden to perform – to do what she loved. This crushing announcement is then directly juxtaposed with Sommer's story about the situation. She says that she managed to hide a piccolo piano from the Nazis, and would play it in her spare time. However, this brought joy to not only Sommer and her son, but also to Mr. Herman, a Nazi who lived in her building. Through this juxtaposition, the audience is able to understand the power of music – for Sommer, playing the piano was able to keep her happy even when her husband was deported and the source of her livelihood was taken away, and this power of music stretched even to someone who was supposed to hate her.
Throughout the documentary, Sommer remains positive, no matter what she is discussing. When describing her time in Theresienstadt, Sommer says that she managed to laugh even while she was there because it kept her and those around her happy. Later in life, when her son died at 64 (he didn't wake up from anesthesia), Sommer recounts the experience in a positive light, saying that dying the way he did (peacefully and without pain) is the best way to go. Sommer's continuously positive perception of events in her life gives the documentary a positive and optimistic tone, which truly convinces watchers of the strength of music.
She Never Stopped Playing:
Pictured here at 109, Sommer never stopped playing the piano and doing what she loved. Because of this, she was a constant inspiration to her friends, family, and neighbors.
Tuesday, May 20, 2014
TOW #27: TOW Reflection
1. What progression or change do you notice in your TOWs?
My earlier TOWs often contain too much summary of the text (or too-lengthy quotes) and less analysis than needed. However, as time goes on, the summary decreases and the analysis of rhetorical devices increases. The ties back to the thesis in particular get stronger in my later TOWs.
2. What do you think you mastered?
I think I mastered connecting my rhetorical devices to each other and to my thesis. In September, my TOWs often contained body paragraphs that connected back to the thesis, but rarely (if ever) drew connections between those body paragraphs and the rhetorical devices identified within them. However, in my March TOWs, there are clear connections between the various rhetorical devices, and the transitions are clear and effective.
3. What could you still strive to improve?
Recently, I've been working with my TOWs to try to make the introduction and SOAPS part more interesting. I've been trying to incorporate that information in a less formulaic way, but I still think this could be improved.
4. How did you or did you not benefit from these assignments given their overall purpose?
I think I definitely did benefit from writing TOWs. When reading through past assignments, I can see a distinct change in my ability to analyze and especially to connect back to my thesis. I believe that weekly TOWs provided the repetition and practice needed to reinforce and improve upon these skills, and I think, overall, my analysis essays were better because of these TOWs.
My earlier TOWs often contain too much summary of the text (or too-lengthy quotes) and less analysis than needed. However, as time goes on, the summary decreases and the analysis of rhetorical devices increases. The ties back to the thesis in particular get stronger in my later TOWs.
2. What do you think you mastered?
I think I mastered connecting my rhetorical devices to each other and to my thesis. In September, my TOWs often contained body paragraphs that connected back to the thesis, but rarely (if ever) drew connections between those body paragraphs and the rhetorical devices identified within them. However, in my March TOWs, there are clear connections between the various rhetorical devices, and the transitions are clear and effective.
3. What could you still strive to improve?
Recently, I've been working with my TOWs to try to make the introduction and SOAPS part more interesting. I've been trying to incorporate that information in a less formulaic way, but I still think this could be improved.
4. How did you or did you not benefit from these assignments given their overall purpose?
I think I definitely did benefit from writing TOWs. When reading through past assignments, I can see a distinct change in my ability to analyze and especially to connect back to my thesis. I believe that weekly TOWs provided the repetition and practice needed to reinforce and improve upon these skills, and I think, overall, my analysis essays were better because of these TOWs.
Sunday, May 4, 2014
TOW #26: Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks (IRB)
In Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks, a physician with a focus in neurology, chronicles the enormous range of ways music reacts with our brains. He writes to an audience of high schoolers or older, and though he does often slip in medical terms that the average teenager won't recognize, they don't detract from a reader's understanding. Through Musicophilia, Sacks hopes to share his interest in the brain and music with the world, and he does so by recounting the stories of his many patients in very personal ways, often including direct quotes from the patients themselves.
Sacks provides detailed profiles of his patients and their disorder or ability in order to truly show his audience the effects of that patient's condition. In the section about musical hallucinations, he writes: "Michael B. has very clear musical hallucinations. [...] Michael first complained of this when he was seven, saying, 'I'm hearing music in my head. ... I have to check the radio to see if it's really on.' [... At times he] seems to be in what his mother calls 'acoustic agony.' He cries, 'Take it out of my head. Take it away!' [...] 'Last evening, Michael was very happy because his internal music stopped for about fifteen seconds. This has never happened before.'" (68-69). Through these stories, Sacks effectively introduces the condition and then goes on to describe its true effects through direct quotes from the patients or people close to them. This gives readers a personal understanding of the disorder, since they hear it directly from the person who is experiencing it. This story in particular gives readers a new perspective on the severity of musical hallucinations in the final quote, when Michael B.'s mother says that "about fifteen seconds" without music was something that had never occurred in Michael's life. Often, Sacks follows up his explanation of the condition and its effects with a section (usually a footnote) on how the patient is doing today. Here, he quotes Michael's mother: "Michael, who is now twelve and in seventh grade, continues to hear nonstop music. He seems to be better able to cope with it [...] He loves to compose his own music, and he has perfect pitch." (69). Through this, Sacks gives readers resolution. Many of the other stories about musical hallucinations end differently (the patients' hallucinations often go away with the help of medicine), and the contrast between the stories piques the audience's interest by exposing them to the diversity of musical disorders.
Through much of Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks provides readers with detailed stories about his patients by spanning their struggles with the disease, the treatments they tried, and how they are doing today. These personal stories and their seamless integration of direct patient quotes are intriguing to the audience, and effectively convey Sacks' interest in the brain and music. Surely, it will even inspire some readers to pursue the topics Sacks covers even further.
Sacks provides detailed profiles of his patients and their disorder or ability in order to truly show his audience the effects of that patient's condition. In the section about musical hallucinations, he writes: "Michael B. has very clear musical hallucinations. [...] Michael first complained of this when he was seven, saying, 'I'm hearing music in my head. ... I have to check the radio to see if it's really on.' [... At times he] seems to be in what his mother calls 'acoustic agony.' He cries, 'Take it out of my head. Take it away!' [...] 'Last evening, Michael was very happy because his internal music stopped for about fifteen seconds. This has never happened before.'" (68-69). Through these stories, Sacks effectively introduces the condition and then goes on to describe its true effects through direct quotes from the patients or people close to them. This gives readers a personal understanding of the disorder, since they hear it directly from the person who is experiencing it. This story in particular gives readers a new perspective on the severity of musical hallucinations in the final quote, when Michael B.'s mother says that "about fifteen seconds" without music was something that had never occurred in Michael's life. Often, Sacks follows up his explanation of the condition and its effects with a section (usually a footnote) on how the patient is doing today. Here, he quotes Michael's mother: "Michael, who is now twelve and in seventh grade, continues to hear nonstop music. He seems to be better able to cope with it [...] He loves to compose his own music, and he has perfect pitch." (69). Through this, Sacks gives readers resolution. Many of the other stories about musical hallucinations end differently (the patients' hallucinations often go away with the help of medicine), and the contrast between the stories piques the audience's interest by exposing them to the diversity of musical disorders.
Through much of Musicophilia, Oliver Sacks provides readers with detailed stories about his patients by spanning their struggles with the disease, the treatments they tried, and how they are doing today. These personal stories and their seamless integration of direct patient quotes are intriguing to the audience, and effectively convey Sacks' interest in the brain and music. Surely, it will even inspire some readers to pursue the topics Sacks covers even further.
Musical Hallucinations:
For people with musical hallucinations, music constantly runs through their minds, and it is often impossible to turn off.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
TOW #25: "Heartbleed Explanation" by Randall Munroe (Visual Text)
Reading Goal: Find a visual text that's in a different genre from what I've done before.
Writing Goal: Work on conclusion to do less restating and more thought-provoking.
(Source: http://xkcd.com/1354/)
On April 7th, 2014, it became public knowledge that a security bug called "Heartbleed" was loose on the internet, making many people's important passwords at risk to be stolen. At this time, most internet users had heard of it, but many (including me) didn't really understand how it worked. On April 11th, Randall Munroe, the author of the popular webcomic xkcd, released a comic explaining how the bug worked. His audience for his webcomic is mainly avid internet users, often in the range of high schoolers to middle-aged people. This particular comic, however, could be directed to anyone who wished to understand how Heartbleed was stealing their passwords. Through his use of bold text and highlighting, Munroe effectively points out to viewers how Heartbleed works.
In the first panel, Munroe draws the character Meg stating a request to the computer, and by uses bold text, shows that request in the computer's dialog. The reader can also see the other requests to the server in non-bolded text. In the next frame, the response to the request is highlighted, and the computer is shown sending the response. These first two panels establish a system for how Munroe will show the request-and-response pattern, and the bold text and highlighting make what he is trying to show very clear. The next two frames repeat this pattern to teach it to readers. The final two panels, then, point out to readers how Heartbleed works. Munroe uses the bold text to again show the request, but then shows readers through the highlighted text that not only the response part of the bolded request is what is given in response – many of the other, non-bolded requests (for example, "User Karen wants to change account password") are part of the computer's response, too. By using tools like bold and highlighted text, Munroe effectively taught his audience about the request-and-response system used by Heartbleed to find vulnerable information like passwords.
When the Heartbleed bug became common knowledge, popular webcomic artist Randall Munroe was able to use his fame to teach people about how the bug worked in a simple, interesting manner. He used mainly bold and highlighted text to explain to readers the system used by the bug. The only shortcoming in this cartoon, though, is that it does not tell readers what they can do about the bug. It would have interrupted the flow of the cartoon, but a small footnote or something equally unassuming would have been a helpful and important addition.
Wednesday, April 23, 2014
Musicophilia Introduction (IRB)
Musicophilia is written by Oliver Sacks, a physician and the Professor of Clinical Neurology and Psychiatry at Columbia University. Throughout his career, he has written many books on different functions and oddities of the human brain. Musicophilia focuses how the brain interacts with music and addresses specific conditions (both good and bad) relating to music, from absolute pitch to amusia. Many of his chapters draw from stories his patients have experienced, so Musicophilia is sure to have interesting and real stories.
I'm very interested in studying neuroscience throughout college, and music has always been a huge part of my life, so a book that combined the two sounded incredibly interesting to me. Hopefully, Musicophilia will give me a better idea of if I actually want to pursue neuroscience, and, if so, open my eyes to possible specific aspects of neuroscience that I could study in college.
I'm very interested in studying neuroscience throughout college, and music has always been a huge part of my life, so a book that combined the two sounded incredibly interesting to me. Hopefully, Musicophilia will give me a better idea of if I actually want to pursue neuroscience, and, if so, open my eyes to possible specific aspects of neuroscience that I could study in college.
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