Introductions

As we start essay writing, the introduction becomes the most important component: here you hook the audience, set forth your voice and diction, and provide that all-encompassing thesis statement. For you family essay, you are constructing the ideal introduction, one that could be about brownies, photographs, or even Wonder Woman. Whenever you are writing, you want to strive for the best presentation with clean mechanics. Hence, tomorrow when you come to class, we have a few items on the docket.

1. A vocab quiz on Unit 2. Congratulations to Rowan for his new title of Vocab Champion.
2. Nouns and rules regarding capitalization.
3. Descriptive writing featuring more body paragraphs to exhibit strong, memorable imagery and conclusions that do not rely on regurgitation to end an essay. The result is time to work on your body and concluding paragraphs during class time. We will also review MLA format, and you will have an official due date on the first essay assessment.

Family Matters

For the first step of your descriptive writing assessment, you are to choose 3 relatives and write a descriptive paragraph for each one. While this sounds simple, your writing must introduce the audience (your professor and your classmates) to people that we have never seen, heard, or experienced. Therefore, as mentioned in our evaluation meetings today, concentrate on imagery. Sight imagery is important in writing, but you should also consider the sounds, the smells, and the feelings that each person brings when he or she enters a room. You should also consider the balance of subjective and objective details. Neglecting half of these details may create a lop-sided perspective. My lasting advice is to not count lines or sentences on the paper. Instead, concentrate on the descriptive details that will reflect your relatives and create a memorable impression.

With 4 new vocab words today added to the word bank today, Rowan repeats as last person standing. Will he be the new vocab champion, will our reigning champ Colton repeat, or will someone new sneak in and win? That rhetorical question should serve as a reminder to review your vocabulary! See you on Friday - I look forward to "meeting" your family.

Choices, Choices, Choices

Tuesday acted as a transition day for Adv. Comp. as we are prepping for grammar boot camp, working on the optional extra credit assignment, and readying for our next descriptive writing.

First, there is the decision of which dual credit program best fits your needs. Option 1 is MOBap's Excel Program. You can find more information here: https://www.mobap.edu/admissions/admissions-dual-enrollment-programs/excel/ . Option 2 is UMSL's ACP, which you can visit here: http://www.umsl.edu/continuinged/acp/ . Option 3 is SLU's 1818 Program here: http://www.slu.edu/1818-advanced-college-credit-program . Remember, the magic deadline is September 4 to Ms. McGill in the guidance office!

Vocab Experts of the Day included new words: sophistry, metamorphosis, interlocutor, nonchalant. Congratulations to Rowan for winning last person standing during our review today!

Wednesday will be full of content with vocab experts, grammar boot camp preparations, and descriptive writing. Don't forget that your one chance at extra credit for this class is due tomorrow -- via hard copy. 

The Descriptive Qualities

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Our descriptive unit covers four elements of writing: imagery, mood, subjective and objective details, and purpose. Thus far, the painting Miranda gave us the chance to describe a character and the setting that creates a mood. A trip to the library and its subsequent writing allowed us to understand how sight and sound can be augmented by other senses (not taste, of course). Tonight, the challenge of separating subjective and objective details will help you balance personal description and factual presentation.