1. Cover Letter (instructions below)
One or two pages
Single-spaced, with a double spaces between paragraphs
Letter format addressed to (top left hand corner):
Sean Leon
The Beacon School
227 W. 61st Street
New York, NY 10023
Sign the letter!
Three paragraphs in all (with an optional 4th opening paragraph)!
Optional! A brief introductory paragraph that introduces the purpose of the letter and introduces the contents of the portfolio. Get funky creative in introducing the letter. Leave a trace of your personality here.
Which creative piece are you submitting for your PBA? Discuss the creative inspiration behind your creative piece. Take me through that process as well. If you are submitting a group project it is imperative to detail your contributions to the final project.
Discuss the process of writing the essay focusing on what you believe to be the strengths and weaknesses of the essay. Address how those weaknesses could be addressed. Address the following questions about the comparative essay: What do you think you did well on this assignment? What do you think you could have done better with this assignment?
A concluding paragraph (and most important paragraph) that reflects on the year as a whole. You must reflect on yourself as an English student at this point in high school. What do you need to work on in the future? Where do you go from here? How have you developed over the course of this year? I could go on and on; I think you get the idea for this final paragraph. Optionally, you can reflect on your Self at this point in your journey through life. In short this paragraph is about YOU!
http://www.wikihow.com/Sample/Semi-Formal-Letter (One change: place the address above the date)
2. PBA presentations–Expectations for your 15 minute presentation:
The meeting will last for 15-20 minutes. The first 5-8 minutes belong to you. TAKE ME BEHIND THE SCENES OF YOUR ESSAY.
While it is interesting to hear you discuss your thesis and your development of the argument, I am more interested in the thought process behind the essay. So organize your presentation in this fashion:
* Open with your thesis.
* Then, a little flashback. Take us through the thought process that led to that argument. Why those texts? Discuss your frame of reference/grounds for comparison. Why that argument? Why use those texts to illustrate the argument? What were some of the challenges along the way? Etc. All throughout, I expect you to demonstrate great control of the material. (most of the time should be spent here)
As you are articulating the hows and whys of your argument (i.e. why this argument, how you proved your argument), feel free to include any last minute points that you would have included had you more time. While you should prepare your notes/note cards for the meeting, I don’t want you reading to me. The notes/note cards are there to show me that you have prepared for the meeting and they are there as a last resort reminder.
* During the remaining time, I will ask you a series of questions. Questions can be related to: The essay, the creative piece, anything we have read this year… During this time I might:
- Challenge an assertion
- Question your use of evidence
- Ask that you clarify a point
- Ask questions about the development of your thesis
- Present counter arguments
- Ask questions that give you an opportunity to demonstrate greater depth of control
