Blog Requirements

Weekly Blog Posts

Each week you will write two blog posts. Both of them are due by Sunday at 11:59 P.M. Each one is worth 10 points and must be at least 200 words in length. Please remember that this is an AP English class and the language used in the posts must reflect that. Do not use dead words. Each week the topics will be posted in the class news section, but below you will find the two most common blog topics.

  1. Read a newspaper or news magazine article. In the blog post, give the title, author, location where article was found, summarize the article, and then discuss why this article is important.
    • The Los Angeles Times, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Huffington Post, BBC, CNN, Time, and Newsweek are the only sources that are allowed to be used for this assignment.
  2. Pick a piece of literature from the reading this week and discuss the SOAPST aspects. Then discuss how the SOAPST affects the piece of literature and in essence adds to it. Give examples to support your discussion.

Writing a Comment

  • Each week you are required to comment on at least two student's original form posts. There will be five that you can select from each week as part of the random drawing.
  • Comments are due by 11:59 PM on Wednesday night of each week.
  • The response must be at least 50 words in length and offer something new to the post. Saying "I liked your post" will not get you any points. If you do like the post then be specific about why you like it or agree with them. It is okay to disagree or point out incorrect information, but you must do so politely. Remember to support your opinion.
  • Each comment is worth 5 points, for a total of 10 points.

Blog Rubric

The blog is graded on a ten point scale. Each of the following areas are worth two points. Two points is for excellent work. One point is for work that is satisfactory and zero points is for unsatisfactory.

  • Courtesy: Complete and Follows Protocol
    • Does your post meet the minimum length requirements?
    • Are your post and responses submitted on or before the due date?
  • Communication: Develops Meaning
    • Have you given coherent explanations, and examples to develop your ideas?
    • Are your ideas clear, concise, and easy to understand?
    • Is your writing free of empty claims and inaccurate information?
  • Focus: Appropriate and Focused
    • Have you stayed on topic and developed a clear, limited or focused statement or inquiry?
    • Does your post or response share textual, researched, or experienced connections to topics that extend class concepts insightfully?
  • Scholarship: Evident Textual Support, Experience, and/or Research
    • Have you referred to specific episodes, characters, or quoted lines from sources?
    • Have you clearly delineated your experience?
    • Have you found and linked to a webs source or other blog post?
  • Thinking: Depth of Insight and Inquiry
    • Have you shown upper level thinking (analysis, synthesis, evaluation, creativity) and illustrated a thoughtful approach to the ideas of your post?
    • Are your ideas insightful, perhaps from an unusual perspective, or at least from your unique view?
    • Do you make interesting connections and encourage further inquiry?
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