TOW #30- Letter to New APELC Student

Dear Future APELC Student,

            For those of you who were wondering, much of what you heard about the AP English Language and Composition course is true. It is certainly one of the hardest and most frustrating classes at Wissahickon, but you will never become a better reader and writer if you are not challenged.

            Early in the year, you will turn in your summer essay and likely write your first graded in-class essay, and when you get the grade back, chances are you will not like it. Although, it is important to keep your head up and keep trying to get better the rest of the year. In APELC your writing is graded as if you are a college students, and since you are in just 11^th grade, I doubt anyone will be able to write a perfect college paper. Just make sure that you keep improving on aspects of your writing that are lacking, and put forth full effort on the in-class essays. Most of them are not graded, but they are the best time to practice in preparation for the AP exam. Also, when you peer grade each other’s essays, offer as much advice as possible to the other person, so he or she can get a grasp on what they are doing wrong or not enough of.

            By all means, AP English is a time consuming class, but there is not that much assigned homework each class. Usually once or twice a cycle you are asked to read a passage or essay and to annotate it. I found that really taking the time to read them and comprehend the author’s use of rhetoric is very beneficial to success in AP English. Throughout the year, I picked up on certain techniques authors used in their writing to convey a purpose or make an argument and learned to effectively use them in my own writing.

           

            Best of Luck,

                                    Nate DeGroat

TOW #29 (Documentary analysis)- "Food, Inc."

            The trillion-dollar American food industry has changed in many ways over the past 50 years. The driving force behind much of this change is profit. Everyday, farmers constantly seek newer technology and better farming techniques to increase efficiency and decrease the cost to raise crops, in order to make the greatest profit. This has resulted in large companies taking control of the food industry, largely due to the use of many immoral farming techniques. The documentary Food, Inc., does a great job of analyzing and showing the atrocities of these many immoral actions within the food industry, especially the exploitation of workers. Obviously one of the greatest costs of farming is labor, and to have the lowest labor costs, large food companies often higher immigrant workers and force them into low paying jobs that are very labor intensive and require them to work in poor conditions.

            In my opinion, this claim is certainly valid and has a large impact on our country. In my experiences and reading, I have found the exploitation of immigrant workers is prevalent in America and that the government is doing little to stop it.

            Last summer, I experienced such exploitation of workers first hand. Working for a small landscaping company, which enlists mostly Mexican migrant workers, I found that the low wageworkers were treated as expandable resources or tools rather than human laborers. Once a week, our boss would call a short meeting before heading out to discuss the work schedule for the upcoming week. On multiple occasions, I remember several workers say that they will not be able to work weekends due to family plans or early in the morning. In response to such requests, our boss would appear angry and often threaten them by saying, “You will work when I want you to, or you will be fired and I will find another employee.” So, throughout the summer, I witnessed many workers get let go, and sure enough, the next day there was another Mexican worker in his place. Even on such a small scale, the exploitation of workers within the landscaping companies was a major problem, and could only be worse within the large food industries that require thousands of workers.

            When thinking about my experiences working as a landscaper, I was astonished at how quickly workers could be replaced, often by other migrants. And while reading an article on CNN, I found my answer. In America today, immigration continues to grow, especially from Mexico and Latin America, despite various restrictions placed on it by the government. In addition, the federal government issues thousands more work visas to migrants than they did 10 years ago. Meanwhile, millions of Americans have struggled to find jobs for years and unemployment remains at almost 7% nationally, so where are all these migrants going to work? The answer is in low wage jobs that usually require a lot of labor, more than most Americans are willing to complete. And as a result, companies that hire immigrants are able to set wages low and do little to improve working conditions because workers are easy to replace, and there is always someone looking for a job. Therefore, this horrific cycle of worker abuse and exploitation will likely end due to the influx of immigrants and need for a job.

            As seen in the documentary and in my experiences and reading, the exploitation of workers is a major problem in America. It can be seen in almost every industry today, but is especially prevalent in the growing food industry that is dominated by large companies and corporations.

TOW #28 (Documentary analysis)- "Food, Inc."

            When most Americans go to the grocery store or a restaurant to get food, they likely don’t think about the origins of the product they are about to consume. Most believe that it comes from small, healthy family farms like the ones depicted on food companies’ labels and packaging. Yet, when looking deeper into so-called farms, this is found to be brutally false, and despite what people think, the way we eat has changed more in the past 50 years, than in the previous 10 thousand. In the 2008 documentary, Food, Inc., producer Robert Kenner and health and food experts Eric Schlosser and Michael Pollen explore the American food industry that has turned into nothing but factories and industrial plants. Together, Kenner, Schlosser, and Pollen explore the different aspects of the food industry and the ways they have changed as a result of a growing population, more advanced technology, and a society run by capitalist greed. Within the past 50 years, a small number of large private corporations have essentially taken over the industry and have found ways to produce the largest amount of product, in the shortest amount of time, and at the lowest price. Using assembly lines, almost like that in car manufacturing, companies have been able to take over the industry and drive smaller, family-run farms out of business, or force them to sign contracts that require them to adhere to everything the company says. And despite the growing concerns of these food monopolies, there ability to exert their power upon the government has allowed them to influence the FDA and USDA to meet their needs. Since the producers recognize much of the government is under the influence of such corporate power, Kenner produced Food, Inc. show consumers what is really happening and get them to take direct action.

            Using relevant statistics, relatable anecdotes, and exposing images, Food, Inc. exposes the actions that take place within the American food industry, and private corporations inhumane and unhealthy treatment of animals, poor handling of consumer health, exploitation of workers and smaller businesses, and the destruction of the environment.

            Throughout the documentary, Kenner backs up nearly every point he makes with relevant statistics. It would be easy for him to tell a story about the food industry, but it would be difficult to get American consumers to buy into it without facts to back it up, and Kenner effectively uses statistics to do just that. The statistics used are not only inarguable, but help connect viewers to the situation. As I said before, American consumers do not think before they buy food at the supermarket, but if they were to watch this documentary prior to shopping, they almost certainly would. The reason that almost all foods are available year round and are exponentially bigger than they were 50 years ago is because of genetic modification. Kenner states that between 60-70% of foods sold in American stores are genetically modified in some way. This means that potentially harmful chemicals are going into a majority of the foods we eat.

            Additionally, Kenner is able to expose the food industry and influence the audience with the use of relatable anecdotes. When discussing the potential negative health affects the modern food industry can create among consumers, Kenner interviews a woman who began an advocate for change after her son died from E. coli. Her son had contracted E. coli from a hamburger that should have been recalled immediately, but was delayed for some time due to the inefficiencies of the FDA and USDA. Ultimately, this had a large impact on viewers, especially those who are responsible for feeding and protecting their children. With over 73,000 annual cases of E. coli in the US, it is obvious that change needs to take place within the food industry and the government, and now consumers are more likely to take action since it can affect them personally.

            Even with the multitude of statistics and anecdotes, Food, Inc. would not have been such a successful documentary if it Kenner was not able to get photo and video evidence of the atrocities made by corporations upon animals and workers. Throughout the documentary, Kenner displays images of the dirty, cramped conditions animals are forced to live in, along with several acts of abuse upon animals that were filmed with hidden cameras. In addition to the poor conditions of the animals, the documentary displays the conditions minimum wage workers are forced to work in inside the “food factories.” To a typical viewer who is used to seeing pictures of beautiful, small family farms, the images and video are horrific. Once seeing them, it hard to resist supporting Kenner’s stance on the problems America faces in the food industry.

TOW #27- TOW Reflection

       Throughout this school year, my writing and ability to analyze a text and then argue the purpose has progressed tremendously. As I read through my old TOWs (#'s 3, 13, 23), I realized specific improvements in several aspects of my writing. With regards to the introduction, I feel that I have progressed because I now have the ability to effectively hook a reader into my essay and get them to listen to what I have to say. In TOWs 3 and 13, my introduction consisted of a short summarization of the text, which is useful, but also very boring to the reader. In contrast, by the end of the year when I wrote TOW 23, I began with an interesting hook that was both relevant to the text, but also connected to the reader and grabbed their attention. Another aspect of my writing is the analysis of author's purpose and their use of rhetorical devices to achieve it. After going back to read TOW 3, my analysis was sort of confusing and did not effectively achieve the purpose that the author argued in their essay. Then, after reading my recent TOWs, I realized that my analysis was inadequate because I simply chose devices that stood out to me first, rather than thoroughly analyzing the text and choosing ones that have the greatest impact on the argument. As of right now, I certainly have not mastered this ability, but I am far better at it than I was prior to our Analysis unit.
      Up to this point in APELC, I feel that I have mastered forming thesis statements and topic sentences. In my writing, I can now effectively write an effective and clear thesis that provides a strong argument. In addition, my topic sentences almost always provide a solid transition between points and effectively relate my evidence back to the overall argument and thesis.
      Obviously I am not a perfect writer, as there are multiple aspects that a must improve on. To strive to improve on these aspects I will continue to practice my writing and analysis over the summer by doing informal versions of a TOW. Whenever I come across an interesting article or visual, I will analyze the devices used by the author and maybe write a few sentences about them.
       Given the purpose of the TOWs, I feel that I benefited greatly as I was able to practice my writing and also broaden my horizons in terms of the texts I read, in preparation for the AP exam. Although, I probably could have gotten even more out of them if I took it a little more serious and didn't do it last minute. Perhaps, if more TOWs were graded as assessments, I would have spent more time practicing and becoming a better writer.

TOW #26 (visual text)- We Can Do It!

Reading/writing goals- Choose a piece of propaganda that attempts to persuade viewer's opinions. Write using mature prose, develop thorough analysis that connects back to the purpose of the image and my thesis.

The first half of the 20^th century was a very tough time for a vast majority of Americans, especially for the middle and lower classes. Between WWI, the Great Depression, and WWII, millions of Americans struggled to get by, or even survive, if they were sent to fight in Europe or the Pacific. During the Great Depression, unemployment reached as high as 25% and could have grown even larger if it weren’t for WWII. At the beginning of the war, a large portion of working class men were drafted into the army, and those who weren’t, worked in factories where the demand for labor was huge. In order to feed the US Army and its allies, US industries were forced to produce trillions of dollars in equipment and goods, with a limited work force. This meant workers were asked to work long hours completing physically demanding tasks, usually for minimal wages, leading to great unrest among working class Americans. In response to workers’ anger and unrest, the US War Production Coordinating Committee released this poster as an inspirational message aimed to boost factory workers’ morale.

            As one of the most famous pieces of propaganda in American history, this poster had a large positive impact on US industries, leading to a successful Allies defeat of the Axis Powers. In addition to the effectiveness of the motivational message at the stop saying, “We can do it,” this poster achieves its purpose of boosting morale primarily because of the image of the strong women. WWII was one of the first periods in American history where women were commonly found working in large industries, breaking the typical gender roles for females as they were often viewed as weaker than men. Although, with such a large number of men going to war, it was necessary for women to fill their positions in factories. By portraying a woman in this poster, the War Production Committee effectively appeals to women, convincing them that they have the might to perform such jobs historically held by men. Also, it was empowering for men because it created a sense of competition. Men, believing that they were stronger and more apt for labor than women, saw that a larger number of women were joining the work force and felt it necessary to continue to exert their dominance. This led men to work harder and longer, proving their capabilities and leading to the success of US industries and the army in their war effort.

            Ultimately, the “We Can Do It!” poster is perhaps the most recognized piece of propaganda of the 20^th century for good reason. With its effective message and image, the War Production Committee successful achieved its purpose of boosting workers morale and creating a large work force to complete the work necessary to support the war. Believe it or not, the poster was so effective, it became the center of the feminist movement of the 1980’s, when the woman became known as “Rosie the Riveter.”

TOW #24 (written text)- "The Age of Mechanical Reproduction"

Reading/writing goals- Choose a difficult text about a topic I am not very familiar with. Make good transition and topic sentences, and connect each point back to the purpose.

       Millions of young families in America share similar goals and routines they wish to attain: get married, have children, and raise a family. For many people, child birth is easy and often unwanted. But other families, who struggle to reproduce, recognize that childbirth is not necessary given to all and struggle to fit the cultural norms of American society. Infertility is a growing problem for families in America due to both genetic and environmental factors. To make up for this, scientists and health officials have spent millions of dollars developing medical technology to allow infertile adults to have children. In the article, "The Age of Mechanical Reproduction," Paul Ford discusses the topic of infertility, which plagues many families, and offers up a solution to the problem, in-vitro fertilization (IVF). Using personal anecdotes and appropriate humor, Ford effectively analyzes the struggle young couples go through to give birth to their own child.

     As an introduction to the article, Paul Ford effectively grabs the readers attention with an anecdote of his own struggle with infertility. Leading up to his description of in-vitro fertilization, Ford describes the process he and his wife went through to achieve successful reproduction. Although, the process he described was clearly long, slow, and painful both emotionally and physically. Adding to the despair, their friends would tell them stories of celebrations and parties for their child's Christening, first birthday, etc. Ultimately, the personal anecdotes are the sole reason Ford is able to achieve his purpose, as it creates a deep connection between him and the audience. Because of the emotion he expresses in his writing and stories surrounding him and his wife's struggle, readers feel sympathy and are more likely to agree with the text that follows.

      Despite being such a difficult topic for Ford to discuss, as he personally suffers from infertility, he does not come across the reader as depressed and saddened by their situation. Intertwined within the anecdotes and discussion of "mechanical reproduction," Ford uses humor to lighten the mood of his article. Why would someone even think about reading the article, let along agree with what is said, if it is just sad and depressing? The positive aspects of his life that are highlighting through humor tell the audience that processes like in-vitro fertilization, though painfully long and sometimes unsuccessful, can in fact allow couples to reproduce and have a child of their own.

     Though it may not be "natural," fertilization can hypothetically be possible for all people. Through processes such as in-vitro fertilization, families have finally attained lifelong goals and wishes to have a child and can now fit in with societal norms in America. Though discussing a topic that is depressing for many, Ford effectively analyzes the struggle of infertility with his use of gripping anecdotes and appropriate humor.

IRB Post #4- "Black Hawk Down"

This marking period, I will read Black Hawk Down by Mark Bowden. The book, which is a war story of when 100 American soldiers were killed in Somalia when their helicopter was shot down, is a topic that interests me and a genre that I have not read in the past. Also, I thought it would be a good opportunity to do a little "cross-course" learning and read something that relates to APELC and APUSH. The reason I chose this book is because I have watched the movie and liked it very much, so I look forward to seeing how the book differs from the movie.