English classes are interesting.  We teachers often push aside works of nonfiction in favor of fiction’s many incarnations while asking you to produce short works of nonfiction in response (think essay, book report, research paper…).  Think about it: if all that you consume is fiction, what do you predict your writing will look like?  Exactly.

Please to not misinterpret me: Fiction is vitally important to our understanding of the world.  (Remember our discussions on the magnifying glass, the different lenses, and the fact that most communication is metaphorical.)  That said, my goal with this section is to remove the pressure of fictional analysis while focusing on three vital skills: communication, collaboration, and connection.  You will communicate your ideas and knowledge; collaborate with your peers; and make connections between what you know, what others know, your books, and the outside world.

Here’s how we’ll do it:

Each of you has chosen a work of nonfiction from this list (if you don’t have your copy yet, email me now.  I’ll buy it for you and meet you at Starbucks if I have to.):

• The Wisdom of Crowds by James Surowiecki
• Everything Bad is Good for You by Steven Johnson
• The Starfish and the Spider by Ori Brafman
• The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
• Reviving Ophelia by Mary Pipher

These books cover a wide range of topics (group intelligence over singular genius, the impact of complex pop culture, the resilience of non-hierarchical organizations, how ideas/products become popular, and the impact of relationships and the media on young women), but they all share one thing on common: how we are impacted by the world/people around us.

Each day you may be asked to teach the class about what you’ve read so far.  Others who are reading the same work may add to your lecture if they want to.  This will be uncomfortable for you at first, but remember, we all want to learn about each of the books, but can’t read them all.  Use your reading journal or notes to help you keep track of your thoughts if you’d like.

If you are not teaching your book, take notes in your journal.  Write down any lightbulb connections you make between the book and yours, any questions you have, or anything you might want to study further.  This will allow you to make sure you understand what is being presented and solidify the connections you make between your book and others’.

After a book has been taught, I will ask the other readers of the book about their thoughts on it so far, and any connections they’ve come across.  Before the break, I asked each of you to bring one connection between your book and the outside world to class on Monday.  If you’ve found one, keep looking!  We can never make too many connections, and I’ll be asking for them often.

We will then open the floor to those who have not read the book but have questions or connections to contribute to the class’s understanding.

This is not a series of presentations.  This is not a book report.  I will not ask you to stand in front of the class.  This is a discussion amongst peers about how parts of the world works.  The steps above will only be in place for the first few days.  After that, we should be in the habit of explaining what we’ve read, sharing ideas and connections, and building on one another’s ideas.  The length of this assignment is dependent upon how deep we want to delve into the topics.  We begin work on the final project on day one, so please come prepared.  What form the final project takes is dependent upon where our discussions take us.

Grades.  Because I have to.  Best advice: have fun, talk to others about what they’re reading, share what you know, make connections beyond the classroom.

If you’re keeping track, here’s the breakdown:

• Teaching your book (once per week): 30pts
• Sharing connection (outside source; twice per week): 10pts
• Journal (I’ll glance once per week or so): 20pts
• Weekly participation (discussing, asking questions, answering questions, helping others understand) 30 pts

A list of resources to get you started:

• TED.com  Most of the videos are around half an hour.  Watch what you’re interested in, not what you think will directly connect with your topic.  You might be surprised when a connection pops up later.
• PopTech.org  Similar to TED.com, with themed conferences and more articles.
• Hulu.com  Don’t get stuck watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer.  Check out the "Documentary and Biography" section under the "Channels" button for some interesting movies.
• This American Life Best. Radio program. Evar.
• Did I miss something??  Post your connection sources below.

Check out the Conservative/Liberals Post for readable instructions.

Please bring a clean, final copy of your argumentative article to class tomorrow.

Here’s a link to my blog post on the video we watched today.  In it, you’ll find a link to the morality scale site (oops, there’s another one), as well as a link to TED.com (dang).

Here’s the stereotype/bias test that MB brought up in class the other day (and posted a comment on earlier.

Lastly, here is what we didn’t cover in class today:

Some of you have already written an argument for our weekly analyses.  This time, instead of responding an argument that has already been published, you will be creating your own.  By my count, each of you has analyzed and discussed at least 18 articles; now it’s time to get your own voice to paper! 

1.   Use the general topic of your books as a starting point (and source, if appropriate; this is where the journal comes in handy) for your outline
2.   Discuss the issue with your friends or parents
3.   Address any counter-arguments
4.   Revise your outline
5.   Flesh out the outline in the form of an article 

As always, there is no length requirement for this assignment; write as much as is necessary to fully argue your point.  You will be turning in your outline along with the finished article.  We’ll briefly discuss this in class tomorrow, and devote Friday to brainstorming ideas and discovering sources.

Challenge

The above is the complete assignment.  However, if you are feeling comfortable with creating a written argument and would like an alternative challenge (for no additional points; this is simply a greater test of your skills), follow the directions above to step 4, then continue below.

1.   With your outline in mind, consider the most efficient means of communicating your argument to your intended audience (see below for possible ideas)
2.   Revise your outline, eliminate unnecessary content with the aim of presenting the most important information in the least amount of space
3.   Come up with a strong hook (a brief, cogent slogan; an appropriate image; a solid pitch)
4.   Follow your hook with enough information to get your audience to do something (find more information, donate time, etc.)

• A written argument is often the most effective means of changing a person’s opinion, but what if you are spreading awareness amongst a small audience?
• Visuals (posters, stickers, advertisements) are often an excellent way to raise awareness of an issue without requiring extended attention from an audience
• Cinema (short advertisements, viral video), while a form of visual media, requires more attention, but can deliver more information

We have not spent much time on visual arguments yet, so you will need to do some research (look around the internets, check out advertisements and public service announcements, come see me) to get a feel of the rhetoric of visual persuasion before you begin.  Please see me if you would like to attempt this assignment; in addition to your visual, you will be required to turn in your outline and an analysis of your work.

Remember, Google is your friend.  Or is it?

On video games:

Violence, Social behavior, Intelligence (and here, here…)

On teenagers:

Excerpt from Nancy Redd’s book, Pregnancy, Identity, Body Image, Media Impact, Horror Movies (that last one is strange…)

Gladwell:

On Stereotyping, Excellent review

Minimum Wage:

All the resources you’ll need

LA Creole:

History, Language (take it slow with this one, but worth the read)

Marijuana, etc.:

Activism, Google results for news

Continue reading over the sources for your support, refute, or qualify essay [click to download] this weekend.  We will work on your thesis statements on Monday, your support on Wednesday, and write the final drafts on Friday.  Normal article analyses will be due Tuesday and Thursday.  (Holy organization, Batman! A week planned in advance!)  Have a great weekend, enjoy the extra hour.

Edit: Great ironic inevitability!  Of course, as one of you so gently informed me, you do not have school on Friday.  So, the essay will be due at the end of class on Thursday, and the rest of the schedule stays the same.  [sigh.]

Edit 2: Here is the url for the essay download site: http://www.mediafire.com/?uz1ilncmiii.  Six of you have downloaded it so far, so it must be working at some point in the process.  Keep me updated if you are still having trouble.  There will be no article analyses tomorrow because the gods of organization have conspired against my best laid plans.  Work on your essays, come to class tomorrow with a thesis statement and some support.  [If you email a copy of your thesis to me before tomorrow I’ll smile warmly upon you.]