Spring Break Reminder

World Literature

March 21st, 2010

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Your outlines for the first three sections will be due Monday. Be sure to print it out before class, as we’ll be discussing them. If you’d like, email a copy to me and we can help you on the board.

Final Essay Schedule

British Literature

February 10th, 2010

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Just a reminder based on what we discussed in class today:

You have until tomorrow to get in those long-overdue assignments and such.

Bring this On this day So we can do this
Rough draft, annotated bib Friday 12th Peer review of grammar, evidence, and cogency
Revised draft, annotated bib Tuesday 16th Peer review of organization, citations
Final draft, annotated bib Wednesday 17th Discuss theses

Enter Lord of the Flies

British Literature

October 13th, 2009

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We will begin discussing Lord of the Flies by Wm. Golding when we return from Fall Break. You may pick up a copy at Gardener’s on the cheap (though they may not have many copies in stock) or at any other fine bookseller in the area.

We will be journaling as we go, so start as soon as you open the book. We’ll be focusing on themes of power and democracy, as well as social interaction. Keep in mind our discussion of money in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead:

PLAYER: Everything has to be taken on trust; truth is only that which is taken to be true. It’s the currency of living. There may be nothing behind it, but it doesn’t make any difference so long as it is honored. One acts on assumptions (51-52).

Here’s our schedule for the remainder of the semester. Of course, this is subject to change with advance warning:

Date Discussion (Chapters) Due
Mon. (19) Character names, setting, historical background (1-2) Journal over R&G and beginning of Lord
Tues. (20) Symbolism (3-4)  
Wed. (21) Diction, imagery (5-6)  
Thurs. (22) Allegory and microcosm (7-8)  
Fri. (23) Primitivism, Hobbes, the social contract Journals over 1-8
Mon. (26) Simon, Bacchae, (9-10)  
Tues. (27) Simon, con’t (11-12) Journals over novel
Wed. (28) Reflection on themes, brainstorming  
Thurs. (29) Thesis writing, begin outline from journals  
Fri. (30) Peer review of outlines, group discussion Outlines
Mon. (02) Peer review of rough drafts Rough drafts
Tues. (03) One-on-one discussion of rough drafts, begin writing final  
Wed. (04) Presentations of final drafts Final drafts
Thurs. (05) Con’t presentations, discussion of plan for next semester  

 

All missing or reworked assignments must be turned in by Monday, the 26th of this month—there will be no exceptions.

Love in the Time of Cholera Overview

World Literature

October 10th, 2009

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Update: I’ve received a few questions about our plans after my absence. We’ll continue the schedule as laid out, but I’ll be looking over your journals on Monday the 19th. Thanks, JS

Love in the Time of Cholera is not for the faint-of-heart, as I’m sure you’re all aware by now. I’ve posted a reading schedule below. It would be wise to read ahead (and journal all the way) over the weekends and breaks if you’re afraid of falling behind. (For those who find themselves lost in discussions of passages they’ve read beyond, the reading journal is a good way to refresh your memory.)

Journaling is vital to the creation of a solid paper towards the end of this novel. If you scroll to the end of the schedule, you’ll notice that we end the novel on a Wednesday (the 28th) and turn in a final draft of your term paper the next week (the 3rd). By journaling as you go, you are keeping track of patterns that emerge (see “Some things,” below). When you formulate your thesis, you are explaining what these patterns say about the work as a whole. From there, creating an outline is a matter of going through your journal and grouping quotations and insights that support your thesis, then putting them in a logical order. Writing a rough draft should be mostly copying your comments and their accompanying quotations from your journal.

It is not a simple process, but most of the insight work should be done while you’re reading and during our discussions. The writing process is communication work: organizing, working on flow, reinforcing your points.

I’ll work with each of you as we go, but I can’t read/journal for you; I can merely guide you in the right direction.

Possible essay topics:

These are only ideas; let me know if you come up with another one.

Some things to be journaling:

We will have a brief quiz on Monday. If you are having difficulties keeping up with the reading, see me and we’ll work it out.

To check your understanding, check out this site, which has a list of basic questions about each section. This isn’t an assignment, though it would be beneficial to read over them after you finish a section.

Reading/writing schedule:

Date Discussion Due
Thurs. (08) 3-25 (Ferm. has put on a loose…)
Fri. (09) 25-51 (Ch. 2) Journal
Mon. (12) 51-74 (Flor’s life has changed…)
Tues. (13) 74-103 (Ch. 3)
Wed. (14) 103-124 (the 3rd letter in Oct…) Journal
Fall Break
Mon. (19) 124-150 (that night she stopped…) Journal
Tues. (20) 150-163 (Ch. 4)
Wed. (21) 164-191 (sooner had the convers…) Journal
Thurs. (22) 191-224 (Ch. 5)
Fri. (23) 224-278 (Ch. 6) Journal
Mon. (26) 278-301 (Death’s passage…)
Tues. (27) 301-323 (She insisted with so much…)
Wed. (28) 323-end; overview; discussion of thesis statements; prewriting in class Journal
Thurs. (29) outline writing; thesis revision Thesis statements due
Fri. (30) Peer review of outlines Outlines due
Mon. (02) Peer revision Rough drafts due
Tues. (03) Peer review; begin final drafts Second drafts due
Wed. (04) Final drafts due

Final Drafts and Syllogisms

AP Language

October 10th, 2009

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Gotta love Bones. In this scene, we get a great example of deductive reasoning followed by faulty induction:

We took an extra day to go over the outlines, so our new schedule looks like this:

Monday (10/14): Introduction to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Project C

We will begin an in-depth study of this turning point in our nation’s history by discussing what we know about the protests in Birmingham during 1962. I’ll review best annotation practices, then give you a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”—one of the greatest rhetorical works ever written. You should read and annotate it over the break.

Tuesday (10/13): Presentation of final drafts and discussion

We will have a short dance party in honor of our success, and bask in the glory of a job well done. We’ll discuss the issue, content in the understanding that we can all have a thoughtful conversation about this issue.

Bring your final draft stapled with the outline and rough draft.

Wednesday (10/14): PSAT!

I’ll be so lonely…