How is American Culture Different? / Getting to Know the AP Exam

We've finished up the first week.  Most of the time so far has been spent getting to know what the course is all about and who all of us are.  Probably one of the best parts of teaching five classes each day is that even when I am giving the same lesson for the third or fourth time, it all changes because of the diverse groups of students in the room.  Today, English 11 focused on how American culture is different and AP Composition got to better understand the test they would be taking in May.

English 11 - At the start of class, each student wrote for twenty minutes about how American culture was different from other cultures.  After they finished writing, they shared with groups and then the whole class.  The activity helped me get a better sense of who each student was as a writer and how they approached writing.  We also got to see that American culture is vast and that there are many different ways to view being American.  We discussed how superheroes were a distinctly American fascination.  In particular, we talked about how Superman tells the story of an immigrant trying to fit in and become American by taking on the alter-ego Clark Kent.  We also talked about American obesity and our fascination with fast food and instant gratification.  Students brought up that rock music is American, and as I pointed out rock comes from blues and jazz music which are also American.  We also talked about how the tremendously successful women's Olympics team was partially a result of America's focus on equal rights and Title IX.

AP Composition - The students all took the multiple choice portion of the AP Composition exam.  I wanted them all to get a good idea of what the test was asking of them and the types of language they would have to be comfortable using.  We discussed what some of the students thought of the exam and on Monday they will get to see how they would stack up against other students taking the exam that year.

On a side note, it looks like the seniors at OAHS got to my car.  Juniors, what are you doing?  You are supposed to be protecting me.