Sorting through the papers

Just to clarify the huge stack of handouts you should have received.

- Teaching Focus (Single sheet, summary of this unit)
- Exposition (Check your blog post on exposition)
- Persuasion in Commentaries (Thick stack with notes on Logos, Ethos, Pathos on front - please bring to your classes)

(Treat the following as general readings, to help you gain the necessary general knowledge to tackle essay questions on these topics. You will be tasked to gradually write a commentary on one of the topics, so you might want to skim through these first)
- Readings on Streaking
- Readings on Orchard Road facelift
- Readings on Embryonic Stem Cell Research
- Matters of Morality
- Perfect Designer Child

Your first argument (Task)

1. Choose one of the following topics.
a) Students should be allowed to set their own rules
b) School promotes “correctness” over “creativity”
c) Scrap the CCTs

2. Decide whether you agree or disagree with the topic.

3. Create a new post on your blog. Start with your thesis statement (explaining your stand as derived in point 2), then continue with a 70-100 word paragraph arguing for your stand.

In this argument you should try to focus on one of the persuasive appeals. Remember what it was you'd attempted to focus on, but do not state which appeal was used within your blog post (i.e. allow the reader to make a guess on which was used).

I would like you to have done this by the next lesson (this Friday) so that I can give you further instructions on what to do.

Commentaries #2 (Lesson Recap)

In this lesson, you would have been acquainted with the three appeals of argument - Logos, Ethos and Pathos. These are methods by which to appeal to the audience when putting forth your argument. You would have had some practice identifying these appeals from texts and film clips from Thank You for Smoking (2005).

Finally, it was explained how arguments are used in a commentary, and you would have been briefed on how to write an argument.

Did you enjoy Commentaries #2?

Commentaries #1 (Lesson Recap)

I will be posting summaries of each lesson I go through with you. In order to find out what worked for you and what didn't, I expect you to vote in the poll at the end of each recap. You may also comment on the respective recaps (such as this one) to elaborate further.

In this lesson, you would have come to appreciate that different parties have different points of view (POVs) when approaching the same topic. These differing POVs may colour their opinion when reading a commentary piece, and it is likely that the author would have tailored his writing for specific audiences (with respect to their POV).

You would also have been briefly introduced to Paul's Wheel of Analysis. This is a tool that can be used to evaluate a text, such as a commentary. Paul's Wheel will be revisited in the following lessons.

Did you enjoy Commentaries #1?

Subscribing to this Blog Portal

I'm hoping to use this blog as an alternative way for me to communicate with the class, since we'll all be making use of blogs during the commentaries unit anyway. In order for this to be an effective tool, I need all of you to check this blog regularly.

That can be quite annoying if the blog's not all that frequently updated, so here are two easy ways to subscribe to it.

1) Subscribe by email. Simply follow instructions on this link, or use the sign-up form at the top right of this blog, to receive email notifications whenever a new entry is posted here.

2) Subscribe by web feed. Follow this link to access this site's web feed. You may then follow the blog using Google Reader, Bloglines, or whatever feed reader you may be familiar with.

Requirements for your personal EL blog

Hi 3L,

I would like you to set up a personal blog for EL, as previously instructed by Mr Kelvin Yap. Many of you have done so already, I've posted a list of those who have not. However, here are a few requirements I hope you can abide to.

1) You are free to title your blog as desired (within limits), but please add your two-digit register number in brackets at the start. Amos, for example, might want to rename his blog to "(02) Amos Lim English Blog".

2) I'll encourage using the default themes - I won't be grading you for design. I know some of you might prefer using custom themes, but I will require that the theme link to the RSS feed of your blog. If you don't know what that means - well, just stick to one of the default Blogger themes!

3) Enable comments for your blog, and make sure individual posts can be commented on.

4) Your first blog post should be a short entry addressing the question "What is an exposition?" This doesn't need to be too long - perhaps a minimum word requirement of 50 words will suffice? I will probably be asking you to improve on the post later in the unit, though.

That's it at this stage, hope all of you can create a blog and make your first by Term 2 Week 2!

Gearing up for Term 2 - Expository Writing and Beyond!

(This post is a mirror of Mr Kelvin Yap's instructions on asknlearn.)

Dear Sec 3s,

OK, this is the mini-task that you will need to accomplish over the March holidays - it's so mini that you will laugh and cry at the same time - with happiness. :D

Firstly, you will have to go to https://www.blogger.com/start. You will be prompted to create your blog and have to go through certain steps to get started on becoming a blogger. I've managed to create one too, and if I can do it (ahem!), then (almost) anyone can. Double LOL.

Next, create your personal blog account in this format, when asked for the URL of your blog:

2009RI3A01 (for index number 1 of Sec 3A, who is Chang Kai Feng I think, and so on - keep it all in caps)

Your URL will then appear in this format: http://2009RI3A01.blogspot.com/

After this step, when you are ready to blog, your first blog-post will be based on this guiding question: What is an exposition?



OK, piece of cake. When you guys return for Term 2 with your friendly neighbourhood English teachers, we will go into greater detail to explore the rudiments, condiments and excitement of expository writing - and beyond.

Cheers! :)

Mr Kelvin Yap