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INTRO TO LIT...
Your FINAL essay (on your choice novel) is due Thursday, May 1. Anything received after May 1 will be LATE!! Remember...
-2-3 pages, double-spaced
-Please TYPE it...if this is a problem, please come talk to me about it in advance
-SPELLING COUNTS
-Make sure you use textual support (quotes from the book, etc.)---if you don't, you WILL LOSE POINTS
SEE BELOW "JOURNAL TOPIC IDEAS" FOR THE QUESTIONS I HAVE GIVEN YOU TO CHOSE FROM....one more thing...I AM HAPPY TO HELP YOU EDIT THESE PAPERS, SO DON'T HESITATE TO ASK ME :)
-Heather
email me or Heather Nicolson at gregg_painter@dpsk12.org
Intro to Lit: Most recent assignment, due Thursday, April 25 at the latest: compare/contrast "Teenage Wasteland" with "Where are You Going, Where Have You Been?"
JOURNAL TOPIC IDEAS...
~ ABC character outline-Write out the entire alphabet, and come up with one word for every letter that describes the main character(s) in your novel, or things about the novel itself. EX) If you were doing "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest", it may look like this: A=asylum, B=Bromden, etc.
~Discuss the main conflict in the novel---what has led up to it, how did it play out, and how was/is it being resolved.
~Discuss why you would or would not want to be friends with the main character in the novel. Explain.
~If you were in one of the character's shoes, how would you handle the situation they were in? Differently? The same?
~Would you recommend this novel? Why or why not?
~Write a journal entry as the main character---like a diary entry from his/her day (based on what you've read).
~Discuss 3 ways you are like the main character, and 3 ways you are different.
~Do you enjoy the author's writing style? How would you describe it?
~If you had to write a new ending to the novel (or to the chapter you most recently finished), how would you rewrite it?
~What would you say is the main theme of this novel, so far? Explain.
...If you need more suggestions, talk to Heather during class!!
INTRO TO LIT Classes...
For your final paper (2-3 pgs., double-spaced...SPELLING COUNTS!!!), you must choose one of the following questions for your paper's topic:
1. Using the "Hero's Journey" as a model, answer the question: Does the main character in your novel follow that journey? You MUST PROVIDE EVIDENCE (quotes, etc.) to argue your opinion.
http://home.rmi.net/~seifert/id22.html (one link to Campbell's Hero Journey)
OR
2. Identify 2-3 major themes in your novel, and how those themes are evident throughout. You MUST PROVIDE EVIDENCE to argue your opinion. (Example: If you say that the two major themes are forgiveness and redemption, you must prove that by using quotes from the novel, examples from the novel, etc.)
If you have any questions, talk to Heather in class.
email me here: gregg_painter@dpsk12.org
APRIL 8 JOURNAL VOCABULARY ASSIGNMENT :
Remember, you need 2 JOURNAL ENTRIES to turn in on April 8. ONE OF THEM needs to be a vocab entry where you choose 2 vocab words you do not know, then do the following IN YOUR JOURNAL...
1. Write the words
2. Define the words
3. Describe something personal the word reminds you of (a way to help you commit it to memory, and make it applicable)
4. A synonym and antonym for each word
5. A small illustration to go along with the word
Intro to Lit. READING SCHEDULE...
REMEMBER: Since you're all reading different books, the reading schedule is not according to page numbers. You have 5 weeks to complete your chosen novel, so take the number of pages in your book, divide that by 5, and you should have an idea of how many pages you should be reading per week. If you know you're a slow reader, plan for extra reading time. You will be keeping a reading journal...THE FOLLOWING DATES (all Tuesday's) ARE THE DATES YOU WILL NEED TO BRING YOUR JOURNALS TO CLASS SO THEY CAN BE GRADED. There need to be 2 JOURNAL ENTRIES per week for full credit, with the exception of April 1 when there need to be 4 JOURNAL ENTRIES (to cover the week of Spring break):
~April 1 (4 journal entries due--this time ONLY)
~April 8
~April 15
~April 22
INTRO TO LIT STUDENTS....DON'T FORGET...you need to select a novel from the list we have given you:
One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey
Life of Pi by Yann Martel
The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
Intro to Lit X Paper: Due in the middle of May: @ 2 typed double-spaced pages. Your choice of topic, although the theme(s) of the book should be in evidence. Also, quote at least one critic or review.
The Course:
http://static.dpsk12.org/gems/dsa/IntroductiontoLiteratureandComposition.doc
The Syllabus
http://static.dpsk12.org/gems/dsa/SyllabusIntroductiontoLiteratureandComposition.doc
________________________________
American Lit:
Reading Schedule: Invisible Man
Prologue-5 4/21-22
6 - 10 4/29-30
11 - 15 5/6-7
16-20 5/15-16
21 - end 5/22-23 Test today.
Assignment for Th/Fr, 4/3-4: Answer these two question about Anne Tyler's story "Average Waves in Unprotected Water." (Copies are available; ask me.)
1. Analyze the flashback (1031-32) and its aesthetic implications in detail. (How it works in the story, what its purpose is in terms of character, plot, theme, etc.)
2. I think the title and the last line imply two different themes...or two aspects of the same theme. What do you think?
Research Paper Schedule:
Thesis (in class) the week before spring break. Topics have already been selected. Theses should have been written, but they often change. (So do topics.)
1st Draft due: Apr.10/11
2nd Draft due: Apr. 24/25
Final Draft due: May 8/9
Students need to have a conference with the teacher about their first draft. Changes may be suggested. The Final Draft is usually just a polished spell-checked version of the Second Draft.
Two important things to remember. ONE: Notes must be taken and turned in if you want a passing grade.
TWO: the MLA format must be followed. You will not fail due to minor mistakes in punctuation, etc., but you must master the very simple MLA citation method (in-text citation).
(Ordinarily, one would turn in a very simple paper: not title page, fancy folder, etc. Since we are doing these in three drafts, however, all of which I would like to see, and since I NEED to see you notes, it might be a good idea to keep your work in a double-pocket folder or even a manila envelope so you can stay organized and I can see all your work.)
Colleges routinely post the parameters of the assignment on the instructor's website; I am doing something similar here: I am giving you links to sites that explain the MLA format. I will explain it briefly in class, but if you need to know how to cite an interview, an essay within a larger work, or an Internet site, you need to check out these sites.
A brief guide:
http://www.liunet.edu/cwis/cwp/library/workshop/citmla.htm
A detailed overview:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/557/01/
A "citation machine:"
http://citationmachine.net/index.php?reqstyleid=1
(A student suggested easybib.com for this shortcut, but that appears to be a paysite.)
(Also, you got this handout on the thesis statement: http://theliterarylink.com/thesis.html)
The final draft should be approximately five double-spaced pages. No title page. The "works cited" page does not count as a page. You should know the difference between a Works Cited page and a Bibliography. More information was handed out on April 2/3, including a rubric. Insofar as the rubric goes, the criteria are the main points. As far as numerical values go, the first draft is worth 30 pts., the second is worth 30 pts., the final draft is worth 40 pts. Please do not fall too far behind the due dates.
Although the Internet is an invaluable resource, it is not the only place to gather information. I should see non-Net sources as well. When you use the Net, avoid the Google reflex now and then, especially by referencing http://lion.dpsk12.org/ and going to "Online Databases." This taxpayer-supported site has increased its data ten-fold since last year, and you will find college level material with greater ease than you can wading through the morass of Google. Try it.
Wikipedia, by the way, is not an acceptable source to cite for this paper.
Again, take notes, whether with the note card system I am showing you, or using your own system. Printing out a page and highlighting it is NOT the same thing as taking notes. Taking notes requires thinking and putting information into your own words; highlighting requires almost no cognitive resources.
The Course
http://static.dpsk12.org/gems/dsa/AmericanLitcoursedescription.doc
The Syllabus
http://static.dpsk12.org/gems/dsa/SyllabusAmericanLiteratureandComposition.doc
Advanced Placement Lit and Comp:
Read Part One of Song of Solomon by Apr. 22, Part Two by April 31. Seeing as how this is a rather compressed schedule, I may give you two days to read in class. This Friday the 4th is one of them. Bring your books.
Also, check IC, students. Some of you are missing tests and assignments. This should not be happening. It makes instruction difficult when I have to wait for weeks to have everyone finish their work. Makeup work should, as you know, be completed within a week of returning to class.
The Course and the Syllabus
http://static.dpsk12.org/gems/dsa/APLitSyllabus.doc
_______________________________
DSA is naturally a popular place for student teachers, and I
get asked every year if I want one. Every three or four years, when an
outstanding student is looking for a placement, I gladly accept the
chance to work with this person. This year, I am working with Heather
Nicolson, who will eventually be taking over my White Day classes, so
she will be the one with whom you will correspond...still at my email.
I'll let her introduce herself...
Hi, there!
I couldn't be
happier to have the chance to do my student teaching at DSA. I am so
impressed with the students here, and how supportive, kind and engaged
in their education's they are. My background lies primarily in acting,
so the opportunity to be in such a creative environment everyday feels
like winning the lottery.
As the year progresses, and I eventually
become the primary teacher for White Day classes, I look forward to
not only teaching and getting to know your students, but getting to
know you as well. If you have any questions about me or the program
I'm in, please feel free to contact either Mr. Painter, or Assistant
Principal Pete Castillo.
I am humbled by this opportunity to work with and learn from your students, and look forward to a fun and exciting school year!
Heather Nicolson
_______________________________
Like to surf? Here are a few of my favorite sites:
http://www.aldaily.com/
http://www.metafilter.com/
http://web.ncf.ca/ek867/wood_s_lot.html
http://www.sfgate.com/columnists/carroll/
http://www.salon.com/
http://www.kafkadiaries.org/index.php?en
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/
Gregg Painter
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