Final Exam Meeting

I Writer's Reflection (20 Minutes)

1. Please discuss how you have revised your paper since our conference meeting. What specific ideas or suggestions for revision were made? What specifically have you rewritten, reordered, etc since our conference meeting?

CONFERNCE TIMES FOR ALL ENG 102 CLASSES

All conferences meet in Ely beside Subway

Fri 5/6
11:00 Sean R, Rebecca J
12:00 Derek G
2:45 Bobby N, Tom D
3:15 Meagan B.

Mon 5/9
10:00 Steve M.
10:30 Jeff D.
11:00 Hannah E.
12:00 Joe A., Jenna P
12:30 Ava, Clark
1:00 MacKenzie, Sylvester
2:45 Jeremy S, Joe R.
3:15 Dan P, Julianne C

Tues 5/10
9:30 Jill F, Brian P
10:00 Cassie F, Joe P
10:30 Emily D, Marissa C
11:00 Colin F, Cody G
11:30 Ashley R, Derek D
12:30 Meagan T, Jen G-S
1:00 James N
2:00 Kevin A
2:30 Thomas O', Julia A
3:00 Cam W, Bryan O'

Wed 5/11
10:00 Andrew M, Josh C
10:30 Bri E, Molly D
11:00 Jake C

Thurs 5/12
3:00 Julie O'

God of Small Things essay assignment

There are two parts to your GOST essay assignment: 1) A literary analysis of GOST (like the paper you did for AHWOSG) and 2) a Documented Argument paper in which you combine your Literary Analysis with the sources your have found about, or related to GOST. The audience for both papers will be the scholarly community engaged in studying GOST and the issues raised within the novel.

1)      Literary Analysis: length 3 full pages. For this paper, you will consider the question below and answer it with a unique, specific, debatable thesis statement, and evidence from the book to support your thesis.

Question: Analyze some specific, precise aspect of Arundhati Roy’s writing style. You might focus on her capitalization of certain phrases, her runningtogether of words, her use of repetition, the non-linear way in which she tells her story, etc). In your analysis, make sure to discuss how Roy’s writing style adds-to, or interacts with major themes from the book, such as the experience of living in post-colonial India, problems of memory, family relationships, etc.

Essentially, you will want to consider how the form of her writing is tied to the content of her book. How does the way Roy writes interact with WHAT she writes about?

*If you would like to write your own essay question, and present it to me, I will consider it.

DUE DATE: TUES 5/3. *Make sure to include a unique title and a works cited page*

2)      Documented Argument: length 6 full pages. For this paper, you will present at least three sources and your own analysis. You will first want to introduce and summarize briefly each of your sources. You will then want to discuss them as if they are a group of people having a CONVERSATION. Your job is to Guide that conversation. Think about what your sources have in common, and how they differ. What are their concerns, and how do these concerns diverge and overlap?

After discussing your sources, you will want to add your own analysis (i.e. your own ideas from your literary analysis paper) into the mix. Given your own writing on the topic of GOST, what are you able to SAY BACK to your sources? What insights have your considered that your sources do not? What can you add to the claims made by the authors of your sources?

DUE DATE: Initial Draft due TUES MAY 10 at CONFERNCES. Revised draft due Exam Period: 9:45 Class Meets Mon May 16 at 8a.m..

                             2:15 Class Meets Thurs May 12 at 12:20pm.     

God of Small Things Reflection Paper prompts

1. Compare and contrast the role of Memory in GOST and AHWOSG.

2. Analyze the tension between past and present, Western and traditional. How are these things in conflict throughout the book. Use specific examples.

3) Examine the role of Performance in GOD OF SMALL THINGS. How does it relate to the novel's concerns with memory, post-colonialism, familial structure/interactions, etc?

4) Examine one or several repeated phrases, such as "Things can change in a day," for their importance throughout the book. Why is Arundhati Roy so persistent in using these repetitions? How do they play into the larger themes of the book?

HW for THURS 2:15 T-TH Class

Read to p. 254

Annotated Bib:
6 annotated sources due, pertaining to 2 conversations, (3 sources each)

Annotate each source by giving a full MLA Works Cited entry, and then writing a paragraph that 1) tells the sources' purpose, 2) briefly summarizes it, and 3, MOST IMPORTANTLY discusses the source in comparison and in contrast to the other soufces you have for that CONVERSATION.

Kathkali Dancers / Possible Literary Analysis Topics

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tl3UKV1z9lM


__________________________________________
Possible Literary Analysis Topics

1) Analyze the role of Small Things for their significance throughout the book.

2) What does THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS suggest about how the human memory works? What is the role of memory in THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS?

3) Examine the role of Performance in GOD OF SMALL THINGS. How does it relate to the novel's concerns with memory, post-colonialism, familial structure/interactions, etc?

4) Examine one or several repeated phrases, such as "Things can change in a day," for their importance throughout the book. Why is Arundhati Roy so persistent in using these repetitions? How do they play into the larger themes of the book?

Annotated Bibliography Assignment

PLEASE SIT WITH YOUR PRESENTATION GROUPS


For your annotated bibliography, I'd like you to identify and trace 2 different "CONVERSATIONS" that you see happening about the book THE GOD OF SMALL THINGS and/or the author Arundhati Roy.

This means you will want to find 4 sources for each "conversation" (or, possibly 3 & 5).

Example: I choose the conversation surrounding the book as a Post-Colonial Novel. I then find 3-4 scholarly sources that address the book in this context. Finally, in my annotations, I write a paragraph that does the following 3 things: 1) identifies the author(s) and her/his purpose(s), 2) summarize the article, and 3) *most importantly* I write about how the article fits in the conversation I have identified, and how it relates to the other articles I am annotating.

DUE DATES: Four annotated sources for Tues. 4/19. Eight annotated sources (for a grade) Thurs 4/21.

Other HW: reading thru p. 225 for Tues, thru p. 253 for Thurs.

9:45 Class
Brian, Molly, and Kim will present on Ch. 8-9 on Tues.
Cassie, Jill, and Derek will present on Ch. 10 - 12 on Tues.

Ashley Josh and Bri will present on Ch. 13 on Thurs.

2:15 Class
Cam W, ch 8-9 Tues
Steve, Meagan Ch. 10 - 12 Tues

Brian, Jenn, Kevin Ch. 13 Thurs

Annotated bibliography Assignment

For your annotated bibliography, you must have 8 annotated scholarly sources.

Here is a guide for how to make an annotated bibliography:

http://www.iupui.edu/~uwc/pdf/Annotated%20Bibliography,%20Preparing%20an.pdf

Of these eight sources, you will likely use 4 of them in your 6-7 page Documented Argument Essay that is due at the end of the semester.

Annotated Bibliography Due Dates:
4 annotated sources due Tues 4/19
Completed 8 Source Annotated Bibliography due Thurs 4/21

Postcolonial Scholars/Books to Look For:

Edward Said Orientalism
Homi K Bhabha The Location of Culture
Bart Moore-Gilbert Postcolonial Theory: Contexts, Practices, Politics
Gayatri Spivak: "Can the Subaltern Speak?" and "Subaltern Studies: Deconstructing Historiography"
Talpade Mohanty: "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses"
Rajeswari Sunder Rajan: Real and Imagined Women: Gender, Culture and Postcolonialism

*MLA INTERNATIONAL BIB: The Title of The God of Small Things: A Subversive Salvo
*The Politics of Genre and the Rhetoric of Radical Cosmopolitanism; or, Who's Afraid of Arundhati Roy? 
*'The Small Voice of History' in Arundhati Roy's The God of Small Things
*East Is East and South Is South: The Cases of Sarojini Naidu and Arundhati Roy
*Without the West: 1990s Southern African and Indian Woman Writers. A Conversation

   
 

Classes to Meet in Library Wed / Thurs

Wed 2:45 class meets in Wilson 101 

Thurs 9:45 class meets in Bates 3

Thurs 2:15 class meets in Bates 4

Presentation Times T/Th 2:15 Class

Tues 4/12  ch. 2-5: Tom, Julia, James

Tues 4/19 ch 6-9:Cam W., Jackie

Tues 4/19 ch 10 -14:Steve, Meagan

Thurs 4/21 ch 15-18:Brian, Jenn, Kevin

Tues 4/26 ch 19-21:Clark, Cameron, Hannah

Presentation Times MWF 2:45 Class

Fri 4/8, ch 1-2: Derek, Bobby, Jenna

Mon 4/11, ch 3-5: Tom, Becca

Fri 4/15, ch 6-9: Jeremy, Joe Ryan

Wed 4/20, ch 10-14: Dan, Sylvester

Fri 4/22, ch 15-18: Sean, MacKenzie, Joe Aleo

Mon 4/25, ch 19-21: Megan, Julianne

Presentation Times 9:45 Class

Tues 4/12, Ch. 2-5: Colin, Joe, Jake

Tues 4/19, ch 6-9: Brian, Molly, Kim

Tues 4/19, ch. 10-14: Cassie, Jill, Derek

Thurs 4/21, ch. 15-18: Ashley, Josh, Bri

Tues 4/26: ch. 19 - 21: Emily, Marissa, Cody

Quotes by Salmun Rushdie and Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"Memory has its own special kind. It selects, eliminates, alters, exaggerates, minimizes, glorifies, and vilifies also; but in the end it creates its own reality, its heterogeneous but usually coherent version of events; and no sane human being ever trusts someone else's version more than his own."
— Salman Rushdie

"Poets and beggars, musicians and prophets, warriors and scoundrels, all creatures of that unbridled reality, we have had to ask but little of imagination, for our crucial problem has been a lack of conventional means to render our lives believable. This, my friends, is the crux of our solitude." Gabriel Garcia Marquez

"And if these difficulties, whose essence we share, hinder us, it is understandable that the rational talents on this side of the world, exalted in the contemplation of their own cultures, should have found themselves without valid means to interpret us. It is only natural that they insist on measuring us with the yardstick that they use for themselves, forgetting that the ravages of life are not the same for all, and that the quest of our own identity is just as arduous and bloody for us as it was for them. The interpretation of our reality through patterns not our own, serves only to make us ever more unknown, ever less free, ever more solitary" Gabriel Garcia Marquez

Key Terms

(from Wikipedia)

Magic realism or magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction ^[1] in which magical elements blend to create a realistic atmosphere that accesses a deeper understanding of reality. The story explains these magical elements as normal occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of thought. It is a literary and visual art genre; creative fields that exhibit less significant signs of magic realism include film and music.

Marxism is an economic and socio-political worldview that contains within it a political ideology for how to change and improve society by implementing socialism. Originally developed in the early to mid 19th century by two German émigrés living in Britain, Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Marxism is based upon a materialist interpretation of history. Taking the idea that social change occurs because of the struggle between different classes within society who are under contradiction one against the other, the Marxist analysis leads to the conclusion that capitalism, the currently dominant form of economic management, leads to the oppression of the proletariat, who not only make up the majority of the world's populace but who also spend their lives working for the benefit of the bourgeoisie, or the wealthy ruling class in society.

Postcolonial literature (or Post-colonial literature, sometimes called New English literature(s)), is a body of literary writings that reacts to the discourse of colonization. Post-colonial literature often involves writings that deal with issues of de-colonization or the political and cultural independence of people formerly subjugated to colonial rule. It is also a literary critique to texts that carry racist or colonial undertones. Postcolonial literature, finally in its most recent form, also attempts to critique the contemporary postcolonial discourse that has been shaped over recent times. It attempts to re-read this very emergence of postcolonialism and its literary expression itself.

The narrative mode (also known as the mode of narration) is the set of methods the author of a literary, theatrical, cinematic, or musical story uses to convey the plot to the audience. Narration, the process of presenting the narrative, occurs because of the narrative mode. It encompasses several overlapping areas of concern, most importantly narrative point-of-view, which determines through whose perspective the story is viewed; narrative voice, which determines the manner through which the story is communicated to the author to be the same person. However, the narrator may be a fictive person devised by the author as a stand-alone entity, or even a character. The narrator is considered participant if an actual character in the story, and nonparticipant if only an implied character, or a sort of omniscient or semi-omniscient being who does not take part in the story but only relates it to the audience.

Symbolism the practice of representing things by symbols,  or of investing things with a symbolic  meaning or character.

Style the "language choices" a writer makes in writing, includes tone 

Irony:  
1) the use of words to convey a meaning that is the opposite of its literal meaning: the irony of her reply, “How nice!” when I said I had to work all weekend.
2) Dramatic Irony: irony that is inherent in speeches or a situation of a drama and is understood by the audience but not grasped by the characters in the play.
3) Situational Irony: an outcome of events contrary to what was, or might have been, expected.

GOD OF SMALL THINGS SCHEDULE

SCHEDULE:  (Click "Read More" FOR MWF)

Tues 4/5: introduction

Thurs 4/7: ch. 1 p. 3-35, Student Presentations

Tues 4/12: ch. 2,3,4,5 p.35-130, Student Presentations

Thurs 4/14: ch. 6,7,p.130 – 156, Assign Annotated Bibliography

CLASS MEETS IN COMPUTER LAB (BATES 3 / 4)

Tues 4/19: ch. 10,11,12 p. 156 – 225, Student Presentations

Thurs 4/21: ch. 13 p.225 - 253, Student Presentations,

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY DUE

Tues. 4/26: ch. 14, 15, 16, 17, 18 p. 226 - 295, Student Presentations, Assign Literary Analysis and Documented Argument

Thurs 4/28: Finish Book. ch. 19, 20, 21 p. 296 – 321

Tues 5/3: 3 page literary analysis paper due (must use at least one source)

Thurs 5/5: initial draft 6 page documented argument essay due

(must use at least 4 sources)

Tues 5/10: CONFERENCES (Revised Draft Due)

Exam: 9:45 Class meets Mon 5/16 8:00 am

           2:15 Class meets Thurs 5/12 12:20 pm

           

            Final draft due at exam. Students will present papers during this time.

GOD OF SMALL THINGS STUDENT PRESENTATIONS

PRESENTATIONS (these can be done individually, or in groups) (10 % of unit greade)

10 – 15 min. total. (approx 5 minutes each)

*If working individually, then each group member will do the following. If working as a group, then each member may focus on one particular aspect of the presentation.

Each presentation should do the following:

1. identify and address key issues in plot and thematic development, and literary style
2. offer key background information about Arundati Roy, cultural, geographical, political, or historical contexts surrounding the book
3. present, summarize, and share with the class 2-3 excellent scholarly sources related to the book, its themes (such as memory), or related contexts (such as post-colonial India, etc)

Ideally students will work to combine these three criteria into one cohesive presentation.

Students may lecture, use class discussion, and or engage the class in writing activities. You will have access to the computer/internet and projection screen, and chalkboard.

Please consider making a handout for your classmates to summarize important information, and any other props you might like to use: Posters, Youtube, NPR clips, etc.

GOD OF SMALL THINGS UNIT

God of Small Things, Unit 3, Eng. 102, Jack Christian, instructor

INTRODUCTION: In this unit, we will consider both the text of Arundati Roy’s The God of Small Things, and also, the scholarly conversation surrounding that text. Through a variety of reading, writing, and research activities, students will work to articulate their own ideas about God of Small Things, as well as to consider how their own positions figure in the academic conversations surrounding the book.

PROCESS: Students will undertake several smaller-scale assignments, including response papers, annotated bibliographies, short oral presentations, and a 3 page literary analysis that will lead up to a 6-7 page documented argument essay in which they will attempt to identify, address, and critique conversations surrounding the book, as well as to situate their own reading of God of Small Things within those conversations. Within this larger framework, students will work to revise their writing through a formalized drafting process. They will also work collaboratively and individually in research activities.

KEY GOALS: 1) locate, identify, synthesize, and participate within scholarly conversation surrounding a literary text 2) articulate insightful literary analysis 3) undertake scholarly research and present research findings both in oral presentation and in writing 4) engage the writing process toward the goal of adding sophistication and clarity (both in terms of writing and thinking)

NOTE: Reading Quizzes will count 10% of the Unit Grade

God of Small Things Study Guide

http://www.wsu.edu/~brians/anglophone/roy.html

Sample Paragraphs

.          In the memoir, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius, by Dave Eggers, there is a distinct way in which Eggers discusses both his mother and father. The reader learns right off the bat that Eggers and his three other siblings have lost both of their parents to different cancers in a span of five months of each other.  From the moment the reader opens this memoir, they get thrown into the family’s lives and watch as they try to cope with their tragedy and attempt to restart their lives. Eggers is constantly reminiscing about the times when both his mother and father were still around. Throughout the memoir it is evident that Egger’s favored his mother over his father.

working on introductions

http://www.unc.edu/depts/wcweb/handouts/introductions.html

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/intros.htm

Composition Strategies

1. Sit in order according to the question # you are answering. When class starts, you will share what question you chose and why with the people sitting next to you.

Wed 3/23: HW for Friday

Meet again in Wilson 101.

1) Bring printed copy of what you typed today.
2) Have Reflection to turn in. This is mandatory if you have not turned one in already this week.

We'll sign up for conferences in class on Friday

For Tues 3/22

1) Reflection Papers
2) practice quotations and analysis
3) Assign AHWOSG essay

NOTE: 9:45 Class meets in Bates 03 Computer Lab on Thursday, 2:15 Class Meets in Bates 04 on Thursday

HW: Finish Book by Tuesday (Class will be canceled for Conferences on Tues. Conferences will take place Mon, Tues, and Wed....Final Draft still due Apr. 07

Reminders: Rewrite of BB essay due Thursday.

For Thursday: Have an outline of the essay you want to write (a beginning outline).

Prompt for reflection paper: 1) Pick another quote from the book (after p. 150) and argue for how it gets to the heart of some omporant aspect of the whole book. Support your idea with other evidence from the book.

2) Create a large-size, colorful mind-map or chart entitled The Many Sides of Dave Eggers, and fill it in with your own ideas, and evidence from the text.

for Wed and Fri

Reflection Prompt: Analyze the passage on p. 269 - 270 in which Eggers discusses his feeling of relating events in his life to movies and sitcoms he's seen before. In what ways do you notice Eggers working to make his life like a movie, and also working against this? What dangers or consequences does he seem to recognize in the idea of making his life similar to other media portrayals?



1. Class meets in Wilson 101 computer lab on Wednesday and Friday this week.

2. Finish AHWOSG for Mon!

3. Rewrite due Friday in class.

Class Monday:

1) Reflection Papers
2) Quote / Analysis practice
3) Assign Unit 2 Essay

Using Quotations

On the other hand, as bad as this may seem, these Iraqi civilians have a more serious situation to be taking care of, survival. "For me, April 9 was a blur of faces distorted with fear, horror, and tears." (Riverbend 29). Citizens have to go through a lot of cruel consequences, although almost all of them are innocent and non-violent.

Clas Wed. 3/9

1) Writing Warm Up
2) AHWOSG and Social Media
3) Quote Practice
4) Discussion Questions
5) Hand Back Papers

Class 3/8 2:15

1. Reactions, questions and Reflection Papers
2. Writing Warm-Up
 3. Making Comparisons Between AHWOSG and Social Media such as Facebook
4. Review of Using Quotations, "The Quote Sandwich"
5. Looking for examples from AHWOSG for later use:
Find and mark examples where Eggers pulls back the curtain as a narrator and explains, questions, or reflects upon what he is doing as a narrator?
6. Time permitting: Consider and discuss new AHWOSG questions

HW:
1) Read to page 165 AHWOSG
2) Look at your own facebook page as if you have never looked at it before, as if you were a stranger to yourself. What choices have you made in how you present yourself? What would a stranger assume about you? What features of yourself have you attempted to highlight? Which ones have you attempted to hide? What would an insider "friend" understand that an outsider friend would not? Write up a page of notes (can be handwritten) and bring to class on Thursday.

Class 3/8: AHWOSG

Warm-ups

Based on this novel, what would Dave Eggers Facebook page look like? Sketch a design of it or write a description.


Write a list of tweets in the voice of Dave Eggers.

Discussion Questions

1. How do you explain Eggers actions and his antics? Find specific passages that give insight into why he does what he does?

2. Is Eggers a sympathetic narrator? Why or why not? When do you have sympathy for him, and when do you not? Be specific in your answer.

3. What factors make AWHOSG a quick read? What keeps you turning the pages?

4.What is Eggers' identity? Do you see him as more or less 1 complex self, or do you see him as a collection of smaller selves that are sometimes working against each other? Explain with evidence from the text.

5. What do you feel are the traditional conventions of the memoir, and how is Eggers working for or against those conventions?

6. What are the ingredients of AHWOSG? What does Eggers combine in this narrative? Does the mindmap below help you conceptualize the question I am asking?

 

HW:
1) Read to page 165 AHWOSG
2) Look at your own facebook page as if you have never looked at it before, as if you were a stranger to yourself. What choices have you made in how you present yourself? What would a stranger assume about you? What features of yourself have you attempted to highlight? Which ones have you attempted to hide? What would an insider "friend" understand that an outsider friend would not? Write up a page of notes (can be handwritten) and bring to class on Thursday.

AHWOSG, Class Friday 3/4

1. General Reactions (using notes from reading)

2.  How do you define "authenticity"? What is the relationship between notions of authenticity and AHWOSG?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Authenticity 

Free-write and discuss

3. Read NY Times Review and write your own beginning review

4. In groups, answer study questions below, and share with class (time permitting)

HW: Reflection Paper due Monday. Use any discussion questions from class (all are posted in various places on this BLOG) as a prompt. make sure to have a thesis, and to include examples from the book. Your reflection paper should make it clear that you are up-to-date on the reading.

Class 3/3: AHWOSG

1. your reactions, thoughts, ideas
2. what makes someone likable? what makes a good story? how does this fit with the notion of authenticity?
3. read a review
4. write a review
5. group study questions
6. discuss those questions

HW: see schedule. NOTE: you may use any one of the discussion questions below as a prompt for a reflection paper. In your reflection papers, make sure your have a thesis, and that you include specific details and quotations (with page numbers).

class 3/2: AHWOSG

 1. reconsider personal writing.
 2. the reality tv comparison
3. questions to think-on and discuss

HW: see schedule. Read to p. 45 for Friday. p. 104 for Monday. Reflection due Monday. (You May Develop one of the prompts below into your reflection paper)

Class: 3/1. Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius Intro

Write the story of an important event in your life.

Dave Eggers on Conan

MWF Class 2/25: Peer Editing

1. Announcement Re: Reading and Writing Center
2. Self Reflection: What was the advice you received from the conference, and what revision work have you done so far? What do you still need to do? What questions do you have?
3. Peer Review.
4. Go Over Proper Works Cited page
5. Homework:
*Final draft due Mon 2/28.*
*Bring A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS to class Tues. Read ALL PREFACE MATERIAL

Unit 2 schedule MWF

SCHEDULE

W. 3/2: have read all preface material.

F. 3/4: have read to p.45

M. 3/7: reflection paper due. Have read to p. 104

W. 3/9:

F. 3/11: have read to p. 165

SPRINGBREAK

Unit 2 schedule T/TH

SCHEDULE

Thur, Mar. 03: have read to p. 45 (including all preface material).

Tues, Mar. 08: Reflection Paper due. Have read to p. 104.

Thur, Mar. 10: have read to p. 165

SPRINGBREAK!

introduction: Unit 2: A heartbreaking work of staggering genius

For unit, we will consider Dave Eggers’ critically acclaimed, best-seller A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS (AHWOSG). As we read, and hopefully enjoy, this book, we’ll consider questions such as: What are the boundaries between fiction and nonfiction? How can a writer best represent the “truth”? What are a writer’s limitations in terms of telling-the-truth? How can a writer best represent the “self” or “selves”? And, what is the “self;” how is it constructed? What are Eggers’ strategies for dealing with these things? What are his strategies for making us like him? What does any or all of this have to do with the current popularity of “Reality” Television, and the memoir genre?

Besides reading Eggers’ book, we will do our own personal writing, engage in class discussions, and supplement our ideas about the book by reading interviews with Eggers, book reviews, scholarly work about the book, etc. (Some of this supplementary material is already linked on the class blog)

George Saunders “The Battle For Precision”

The Guardian 3/19/05

When I was a child, I mostly disliked writers and writing. In our English textbook, which had one of those 1970s titles that connoted nothing (Issues and Perspectives, maybe, or Amalgam 109), the sentences were lazy and everyday, emanating from what I have since heard called “consensus reality”.

T/Th 2/24: Peer Editing

1. Announcement Re: Reading and Writing Center
2. Self Reflection: What was the advice you received from the conference, and what revision work have you done so far? What do you still need to do? What questions do you have?
3. Peer Review.
4. Go Over Proper Works Cited page
5. Homework:
*Final draft due Tues 3/1.*
*Bring A HEARTBREAKING WORK OF STAGGERING GENIUS to class Tues. Read ALL PREFACE MATERIAL and to p. 45 for Thurs.

Works Cited Page info

For help formatting individual sources: http://writing.wisc.edu/Handbook/DocMLAWorksCited.html

MWF Class 2:45

1. 5 min. to think and reflect on Unit 1 Assignment
2. Discuss / Answer Questions re: assignment
3. 15 minutes Freewriting toward Unit 1 assignment
4. Review proper use of quotations, time permitting

HW:
First draft due Tues/Wed
Revised draft due Fri 2/25
Final draft due Mon 2/28

Westfield State Reading and Writing Center

When drafting your papers, it might be a good idea to make an appointment (or, drop by) The Reading and Writing Center in Parenzo 218. X5569

You can make an appointment over the phone, or on the internet (click the link below). The center also serves walk-in students.

http://www.wsc.ma.edu/prospective-students/academics/academic-resources/reading-writing-center/

MWF 2:45 Class 2/16/11

1. Thought Questions: What is the role of evil (as you define it) in what Riverbend describes in Baghdad Burning?

2. Sample Reflection Papers

3. Sample Thesis Statements

4. Time permitting: View summaries of research sources

HW: Source summary paragraphs on blog for Friday. Initial draft of unit 1 essay due Tues/Wed next week.

T/Th 2:15 Class: Conference Times

Thurs 2/17
12:45 (Ely outside of Subway): Cam W. ________________
2:15 (In class room) Meagan, James, Hannah, Steve
3:00 (My office Parenzo 11) Jen, Kevin, Bryan _____________
4:00 (Ely outside of Subway): Jeff _________________


Fri 2/18
11:00 (Ely outside of Subway) _______________
11:45 (Ely outside of Subway) Cameron D, Jackie
12:30 (Ely outside of Subway) Clark, Ava

Sample Reflection: The Icognito Voice

             In Riverbend’s blog she is setting the scene for her readers. She describes of aspect of her everyday life. She is a young female who is determined to show people the effects of the war in Iraq. Riverbend establishes her character within the blog. Unlike most novels with made up characters, Riverbend is a real person who experience everything that she writes about. Riverbend is not able to reveal her identity because it can place her family and her friend in great danger.  Also with her identity concealed she can be able to express her views about female rights, the government and its political figures without getting prosecuted.

t/Th 2:15 Class -- Tues 2/16

1.Free-Writing: (and sign up for conferences)

Apply this quote from the writer Eckhart Tolle to Baghdad Burning:

War is a mind-set, and all action that comes out of such a mind-set will either strengthen the enemy, the perceived evil, or, if the war is won, will create a new enemy, a new evil equal to and often worse than the one that was defeated. There is a deep interrelatedness between your state of consciousness and external reality. When you are in the grip of a mind-set such as "war," your perceptions become extremely selective as well as distorted. In other words, you will see only what you want to see and then misinterpret it.

ECKHART TOLLE, A New Earth

 

or, this idea (paraphrased from St Thomas Aquinas:

Evil is the product of two contrary goods.

 2. Discuss Reflection Papers, View Sample Reflection Paper

3. Sample Thesis Statements

4. The "Ingredients of the Unit 1: Baghdad Burning essay 

HOMEWORK:

For Thurs/Fri:
1. Complete initial draft due at conference time

 For Thursday 2/24 in class:
1. Have Complete Revised Draft of Essay
2. Turn in two summaries of sources you are using in your paper. The summary must be in your own words, and you must address how you will use the source to support your Thesis Statement

REVISED CALENDAR

Thurs 2/17 and Fri 2/18: Group Conferences
Mon 2/21: President's Day Holiday
Tues 2/22: Monday Schedule
Thurs 2/24: Revised draft and article summaries due (Reflection Paper)
Tues 3/01: Final Version Unit 1 Essay due (Reflection Paper)

* Next we will read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius*

Sample Reflection: Women's Roles NEVER will be the Same

         Riverbend tells about the day when she, her brother E. and her cousin go to Karrada. There they are looking for some items her uncle can use on his trip to Jordan. The problem in Karrada is not that they cannot find anything, but it is that women have to go through a series of steps to actually be able to go out. We also learn about M. who is a family friends friend and about the tragedy her and her mother had to endure.

CONFERENCE TIMES T/Th 9:45 class

The following are what I have written down for conference time for the t/th 9:45 class:

Thurs 2/17:
9:10 (meet in classroom) Josh  _________________
10:00 (meet in classroom) Marissa, Emily, Jill

11:10 (meet in Ely beside Subway) Cassie, Joe, _____________

1:30 (meet in Ely beside Subway) Femary, Jake, ______________


Fri 2/18
11:00 ((meet in Ely beside Subway) Cody, Andrew, ______________
11:45 (meet in Ely beside Subway) Julie, Molly, __________________
12:30 (meet in Ely beside Subway) Ashley, _________________

3:40 (meet in Ely beside Subway) Derek, _________________

Sample Thesis Statements for Baghdad Burning

After reading Baghdad Burning, Americans will realize all the misconceptions we have of the Iraqi citizens, and look beyond believing the narrow minded CNN reports as well as Fox news.

American troops in Iraq are anything besides perfect, and have made plenty of stupid mistakes throughout the war which has resulted in the death of many innocent Iraqi lives.

Class Tues 2/15 9:45

1. Thesis Statements Revisited -- picture / writing activity & apply to Baghdad Burning
2. Conference Sign-Ups
3. Discuss Reflection Papers
4. The "Ingredients" of the Unit 1 Essay

HOMEWORK:

For Thurs/Fri:
1. Complete initial draft due at conference time

 For Thursday 2/22 in class:
1. Have Complete Revised Draft of Essay
2. Turn in two summaries of sources you are using in your paper. The summary must be in your own words, and you must address how you will use the source to support your Thesis Statement

REVISED CALENDAR

Thurs 2/17 and Fri 2/18: Group Conferences
Mon 2/21: President's Day Holiday
Tues 2/22: Monday Schedule
Thurs 2/24: Revised draft and article summaries due (Reflection Paper)
Tues 2/28: Final Version Unit 1 Essay due (Reflection Paper)

* Next we will read A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius*

MWF Class Feb. 14

CLASS MEETS IN WILSON 101 COMPUTER LAB TODAY

1. Continue Individual research (15 minutes)

2. In groups: discuss your findings, and send me a list of your Best sources: aprox 4-5 scholarly, 2-3 public.
(in your list: cite sources in MLA format, and write a 2-3 sentence description of the source, including how it could be useful) (15 minutes)

3. Time permitting: Discuss / Share reflection papers.


HOMEWORK:

For Wednesday:
Pick 1 source found by you or your group and read it. Take lots of notes, and write a 2 paragraph response to it in which you explain how you might use it for your Baghdad Burning essay. Post this to your blog.

For Friday:
Do the same for a second source.

Revised Unit 1 Schedule MWF

Mon 2/14: Meet in Wilson 101 Computer Lab to continue research
Wed 2/16: Regular class, preparing for Unit 1 essay, wrapping up BB
Fri.   2/18: regular class

Mon. 2/21: President's Day Holiday
Tues. 2/22: Monday schedule, in-class writing, small group conferences (initial draft due at conference)
Wed. 2/23: in-class writing, small group conferences (initial draft due at conference)
Fri.    2/25: Revised draft due, Peer-editing

Mon. 2/28: Final draft due

Writing Questions 2/10/11

1. Consider Riverbend as a character. How would you describe her voice? Her personality? What motivates her actions? etc. What evidence can you find to suport your ideas?

2. Evaluate Riverbend's credibility as a writer / reporter. How does she establish this credibility? Do you think she's conscious of trying / needing to make herself credible. Find evidence from the book to support your ideas.

3. How would you describe Riverbend's goals as a writer? Offer evidence to support.

Research Assignment:
1) find 4-5 scholarly sources, 2-3 public sources based on your subtopic
2) as a group, discuss your sources and decide on 4-5 total scholarly sources, and 2-3 public sources. Send me an emial with the source citation info, and a sentence or two description of each. MAKE SURE TO TELL WHAT SUBTOPIC IT BELONGS UNDER

Email: jchristian@wsc.ma.edu  (or, you can write the info as a comment on this blog)

HW:
Reflection Paper based on today's writing questions due Tues
Finish Book for Tues
Initial draft of Unit 1 Essay due Thurs / Fri at CONFERENCE (we'll be signing up before the end of the period)

MWF (2/9/11) 2:45 Class

CLASS MEETS IN THE LIBRARY TODAY, WED

CLASS MEETS IN BATES 4 COMPUTER LAB (in the basement) ON FRI

HW:
Finish Baghdad Burning for Monday
Reflection Paper Due Monday (if you choose)

Sample Reflection Paper (2/9/11)

Reflection Paper 2

                In my reading of Baghdad Burning: Girl Blog from Iraq I’ve noticed how the occupation has affected Riverbend and her family. Through the progression of the occupation you see how it affects her family and their thoughts, feelings and the way they interact with each other.

Class 2/8 (Tues) 2:15

CLASS MEETS IN ELY LIBRARY TODAY, SECOND FLOOR CLASSROOM

Also, CLASS MEET IN BATES 4 COMPUTER LAB THURSDAY

Research Assignment:

You will be divided into groups of 3-4 based on your research topics.

As a group, you will need to locate at least 4 good scholarly sources (meaning sources you evaluate and find relevant and helpful), and at least 4 non-scholarly sources that speak directly to your research topic (these can be newspapers, magazines, websites, etc)

We'll continue this research in the computer lab Thursday.

On Tuesday of next week (2/15) you and your group will give a short (5-10 min) presentation in which you introduce and summarize the sources you have found.

HOMEWORK:

for thurs: keep researching
for tues: finish Baghdad Burning, prepare group presentation, reflection paper due

Class Tues 2/8 9:45

CLASS MEETS IN ELY LIBRARY TODAY, SECOND FLOOR CLASSROOM

Also, CLASS MEET IN BATES 3 COMPUTER LAB THURSDAY

Research Assignment:

In the library, I will divide you into groups of 3-4 based on your research topics.

As a group, you will need to locate at least 4 good scholarly sources (meaning sources you evaluate and find relevant and helpful), and at least 4 non-scholarly sources that speak directly to your research topic (these can be newspapers, magazines, websites, etc)

We'll continue this research in the computer lab Thursday.

On Tuesday of next week (2/15) you and your group will give a short (5-10 min) presentation in which you introduce and summarize the sources you have found.

HOMEWORK:

for thurs: keep researching
for tues: finish Baghdad Burning, prepare group presentation, reflection paper due

Class Monday 2/7 (2:45 - 3:35)

1) Continue work on Thesis Statement
2) Time permitting: students present research

HW:
1) CLASS MEETS IN ELY LIBRARY ON WED
2) CLASS MEETS IN BATES 4 COMPUTER LAB ON FRI
3) For Wed, come to library knowing what theme you want to focus on in BB (and, therefore, what direction to take your research)
4) For Monday, finish BB.
5) Reflection Papers due Monday

Fri 2:45 Class

1. Considering Thesis Statements / Considering Reflection Papers
2. Students Present Informal Research Findings

HW:

1. Read to p. 220 in Baghdad Burning
2. Reflection Paper due Monday (if you choose to write one this week)
3. On blog, post three excellent potential thesis statements for Unit 1 Assignment
4. Class to Meet in Ely Library on Wednesday
5. Class to Meet in Bates Basement Computer Lab Friday

Thurs 2:15 Class

I. The Reflection Paper 

1. What it is / what it isn't

2. Considering Thesis Statements (brainstorm, practice, discuss, more practice)

3. Time permitting: brief review of using quotations

4. Ultimate synthesis of learning! (i.e. more practice writing)

 

II. Unit 1 essay on Baghdad Burning

(note: think of the Unit 1 Essay as a longer version of the Reflection Paper, with the additional use of outside sources)  

 

HW: 

1. READ TO P. 220 of BB

2. Reflection Paper

3. Know what larger theme you want to address in BB and in your research, i.e. "Women's changing roles in Iraq"

Thurs 9:45 class

 1. in-class writing (answer questions)
2. Discuss
 3. Go over sample reflection paper and discuss reflection papers
4. assign Unit 1 Essay

Questions:
1. Consider "Why I blog."  What did you find interesting about the article? What questions do you have about it?
2. How does "Why I blog" inform your reading of Baghdad Burning?
3. What questions do you have about BB?
4. Brainstorm terms, people, ideas that you would be interested to find out more about in BB.

Reflection Papers = Literary Analysis

The over-riding goal of literary analysis (i.e. your Reflection Papers) is to demonstrate some new understanding of the text that is unique, specific, and debatable.

Analysis

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

For other uses, see Analysis (disambiguation).

Look up Analysis or analysis in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.

Analysis is the process of breaking a complex topic or substance into smaller parts to gain a better understanding of it. The technique has been applied in the study of mathematics and logic since before Aristotle (384–322 B.C.), though analysis as a formal concept is a relatively recent development.^[1]
The word is a transcription of the ancient Greek ἀνάλυσις (analusis, "a breaking up", from ana- "up, throughout" and lysis "a loosening").^[2]

Analysis as an independent subject was created in the 17th century during the European scientific revolution.^[3] As a formal concept, the method has variously been ascribed to Alhazen,^[4] René Descartes (Discourse on the Method) and Galileo Galilei. It has also been ascribed to Isaac Newton, in the form of a practical method of physical discovery (which he did not name or formally describe).

In analyzing literature, the over-riding goal of analysis writing is to demonstrate some new understanding of the text.

Click HERE for a link concerning thesis statements 

Ex. Riverbend blames those who are in power for the situation in Iraq.

vs.

Through a variety of subtle strategies, Riverbend systematically leads her readers to agree with her that the true blame for the situation in Iraq rests on the shoulders of American leaders, and the Iraqi "puppets" they have brought to power.

Sample Reflection Paper

Reflection Paper # 1

Theme: Americans view upon Iraqis

            While reading the first forty-eight pages of Baghdad Burning, the reader is presented with several interesting and intriguing themes.  One of the major themes that caught my eye is Americans perception of the people in Iraq.  Riverbend expresses her feelings about the assumptions and judgments that American people make on her fellow neighbors.  Not only does Riverbend talk about Americans point of view on Iraqis, she also replies back in a very sarcastic manner that sets Americans perception of Iraqis straight.

HW Due Mon / Tues

1. Have read to at least p. 120 in Baghdad Burning
2. Reflection Paper due (this is mandatory if you have not turned one in already)
3. Make a post on your own blog in which you name a theme in Riverbend's writing, and trace it through your reading so far. Offer 7-10 quotations and page numbers as examples.

Example Reflection Paper: Baghdad Burning

Reflection Paper I

            Every night I fall asleep worrying about classes, softball, and what television shows that I might miss. Due to the fact that I live in the United States, I do not have to fear terrorist attacks or home raids on a regular basis; however, for Riverbend, the anonymous author of “Baghdad Burning,” is constantly anticipating a bombing, shooting, or a terrifying and deadly home invasion.

Blogging Assignment

on Wednesday / Thursday complete the following:

1) Create a blogger account at blogger.com and choose a theme for your blog.
2) Create a Welcome POST
3) Import a "Links" sidebar and link to Riverbend's Blog
4) Import a "Blogroll" sidebar, name it Student Blogs, then link to the class blog and each other's
5) For Homework: Write a blog post that tracks a particular theme of Riverbend's blog through what you have read so far

Baghdad Burning assignment

Baghdad Burning essay assignment

English 102, Jack Christian

INTRODUCTION: For this essay, you will track a theme that you identify in Baghdad Burning and trace its development through Riverbend’s blog posts. In doing so, you will want to use specific quotations and examples to show how Riverbend handles this theme over the course of the book, and, potentially, how the theme you discuss takes on more complexity, nuance, or sophistication as the blog-posts progress.

In analyzing and arguing for this theme, you will be required to use at least 3 outside sources, which may be comprised of international and national news publications, and scholarly work. You must make ample use of at least 1 scholarly essay.

When using news publications, please view them critically. A good strategy might be to compare and contrast, for example, how a New York Times article addresses a topic relevant to your discussion of Riverbend: i.e. use the news sources alongside your reading of Riverbend.

GENRE: This essay is a Documented Argument. It will be your job to present a unique reading/analysis of Riverbend’s blog that is supplemented by research.

LENGTH: 5 pages double-spaced.

AUDIENCE: Your audience is the scholarly community interested in furthering knowledge and understanding of the War in Iraq, Iraqi Writing, and Iraqi People.

KEY GOALS: 1) Present a thoughtful, detailed, and sustained analysis of Baghdad Burning. 2) Locate relevant news and scholarly articles and 3) Incorporate that information into your own writing (essentially: to integrate your own ideas with those of others). 3) Complete the writing and revising process, and incorporate peer and instructor feedback. 4) Practice correct use of MLA Format.

Week 2         M      01/24         Reflection Paper Due

                      W      01/26         Meet in Computer Lab

                       F       01/28         Discuss Themes of BB

                                                  HW: read to page 120 of Baghdad Burning by Monday

Week 3         M      01/31         Reflection Paper Due  / Discuss Themes / Identify research topics

                      W      02/02         Meet in Library?

                      F        02/04         Research Presentations

                                                  HW: Read to p. 220 BB by Monday

Week 4         M      02/07         Reflection Paper due / Research Presentations

                                                  HW: 1) Read “Writing a Literary Research Paper” p. 110 – 142 in Writing about Literature for Wed. 2) Finish BB by conference time

                      W      02/09        

                      F        02/11         CONFERENCES

Week 5         M      02/14         CONFERENCES

                      W      02/16         Reflection Paper Due, Revised Draft Due

                                                  Peer-Review, Copyediting workshop

                      F        02/18         Copyedited Final version due

                                                  Introduction to Essay II

                                                  Begin God of Small Things (GOST)

Click here for T/TH calendar

Welcome Class

This is our class blog where we will share links with each other.