This morning, Keaton and I watched and discussed the TED Talk titled "Looks Aren't Everything--Trust me, I'm a model." We analyzed ethos, pathos, logos, purpose, audience, tone, and visual effects.

During this session, Keaton and I watched and discussed the TED Talk titled "What Makes a Word Real?" After this, I assisted him in narrowing his topic list from four, to three, then to one selection. We constructed a spider diagram on the board, and from this he chose his thesis claims, purpose, audience, tone, and evidence. He will write the 2-3 page definition essay over the weekend and bring two copies for our revising and editing session on Tuesday.

During our morning session, Keaton and I read and discussed the unit on Definition in the Norton Sampler anthology, focusing on humorist Dave Barry's definition essay titled "Guys vs. Men." We analyzed his techniques, purpose, and examples. We also brainstormed possible topics of Keaton's upcoming definition essay.

We began our lesson with a review of Current Events and economics. We used the Economist as our source. Next we continued a close read of the Constitution of the United States. We managed to complete the Constitution. We reviewed the structure of the Federal Government.

We reviewed hypothesis testing and related topics that would most likely be covered on the exam.

May 15, 2015
Friday 120 min
2:00 - 4:00
AP Biology book (eighth edition), chapter 10; Herbarium Lab.
Today we conducted a field lab project. We ventured into the nature reserve and collected different types of leaves. Keaton was shown exotic plants, invasive plants, along with naturally occurring plants. We discussed the natural habitat of south Florida, which is a Pine forest with a palmetto understory. This type of habitat requires occasional fires, and the reserve has not experienced a fire in many years. This situation results in a pine forest with coppice understory, complete with some invasive plants thriving and the decline of others. We witnessed the plant known locally as the ‘love vine’ dominating over an acacia tree, and palmetto plants being strangled out by more bushy plants. We also visited the vegetable garden, and collected sample leave for his herbarium. We collected leaves and brought them to the lab. I showed Keaton how to identify and categorize the samples: Simple vs. Complex, Palmate, Netted and Parallel venation patterns. We used the plant press on his examples. We also pressed some wild flowers for the herbarium.

May 14, 2015
Thursday 90 min
2:45 - 4:15
AP Biology book (eighth edition), chapter 10; photosynthesis. / animal behavior: evolution.
I asked Keaton questions from the AP Biology book (eighth edition), chapter 10; photosynthesis. We discussed process a plant uses to turn sunlight into energy, and the light reactions necessary to convert solar energy to the chemical energy APR and NADPH. I quizzed him on the Calvin cycle and the vocabulary associated with this chapter. Keaton was very sleepy, so we switched to a more interesting subject of animal behavior and evolution. He informed me that he had missed the unit on animal behavior so we started a study project in that area. I described a situation where identifying the connection between a behavior and the required increased reproductive success (RS), is difficult to identify and how combining different types of scientific investigation were necessary. I showed him some video of dolphin behavior and we discussed how they increase RS. We also spent some time designing some lab experiences that are required for this class.

Today, Keaton and I discussed the following readings from our textbook, Everything's an Argument: "Disability and the Media: Prescriptions for Change" (Riley) and "Are We Worried about Storm's Identity--or Our Own?" (WIlliams). Discussion topics: audience, purpose, tone, style, stereotypes in America, current events involving invisible disabilities and Storm (the child being raised without gender awareness).

During our session, Keaton and I read the op-ed article "The Ways We Lie" by Stephanie Ericsson, published in the UTNE Reader. We applied various criticism techniques, focusing on measuring the efficacy of the author as she attempts to meet her purpose for her particular audience. We decided on four purposes, a highly specified audience, and several techniques employed in the rhetorical strategy. Keaton wrote a short timed writing response at the end of our session.

Today, Keaton and I met for the first time. We reviewed the AP Language and Composition syllabus, in order to identify holes in knowledge and experience. Apparently, Keaton has focused on rhetoric and argumentation for the first three quarters, and therefore lacks experience in narrative, comparison and contrast, definition, and a few other modes. We will work on these for the next few weeks.