APELC Class Notes
Objective: APELCers investigated word meaning.
First and third period juniors and seniors, you worked over the Gregory text, “Pinning Down Semantics”, on your own for the first half of the hour, then we discussed your recent free-response arguments in which you defended or challenged Thomas Szasz and his ideas of definition and struggle. We’ll dig into the Gregory text more next class and we’ll attack Ralph Waldo Emerson’s “Self-reliance”. As to the latter, until we meet again, please consider and be prepared to discuss the following (referring to article on semantics we just read): What are the referent for the words “good” and “bad”? What are the referents for the words “identity” and “definition”?
Also, as we enter a new round of writing/revision conferences, please remember that when we confer, you must have:
- Your essay highlighted (even you’re unsure of some of your highlights),
- Your own timed-writing prompt (annotated) and rubric,
- Your own copy of “How to Prepare for a Revision Conference” and answers to the questions in 4 or 5 in the form of notes and ideas.
If you do not have these, we will not confer and you will lose your slot and opportunity to revise your essay. Further, do not be late to your conference; be early, or the next student will move into your slot. I mentioned being at least one appointment early, but maybe arriving two appointments early might not be a bad idea.