Here is an overview of what we covered in class. Remember, our goal is to include - in our sentences - all of the pertinent information of our source. This could mean several bits of info, depending on our source:
publication title (such as The Chicago Tribune, CNN.com, To Kill a Mockingbird, etc.)
article/short piece title ("Why Joking Matters," "World Cup of Fraud," "Life Is Fine")
author/song writer character/person being quoted (if needed)
context of who this person is (Are you quoting the author? A 17th century British poet? A French biologist? Who?)
condensed and integrated quotation
Here's an example of what we're talking about. First e have a small bit of an online article, and then we have the fully integrated citation/quotation. (It's color coded with the list from above.)
In an article entitled "How Anti-Virals Exploit The One Weakness That Every Single Virus Has," published on the science blogIO9.com, author Esther Inglis-Arkell explains how, for "the people who make anti-virals," a "newly discovered protein could allow them to take control of viruses like puppeteers."
In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric version 5.0 when drafting and revising.
Does Beatty have a point?
You must answer this question thusly:
While Beatty is correct when he claims __________, he is incorrect when he claims __________.
The two blanks should be SUMMARIES of Beatty's points. In the essay itself, however, they need to be DIRECT QUOTATIONS, properly cited and integrated.
Remember, you will be using Rubric 5.0 for this essay, so be sure to keep it handy while editing. You will be given a copy of rubric 5.0, and there will be one available in your Googledrive.
Here are my notes for the essay. Let me know if you have any questions.
District 9 tackles a variety of real world problems: South Africa's apartheid, South Africa's racist attitudes towards Nigerians, people's willingness to buy into media smear campaigns, immigration issues, the abuse of authority by police, the utilization of concentration camps, and more.
The film, however, is basically broken into three acts with each act focusing on one basic problem:
The first third of the film deals with MNU's treatment of the aliens and the way they plan to force them into a concentration camp. In other words, the first third of the film explores how horribly governments and corporations can treat groups of minorities.
The second third of the film deals with MNU's inhuman treatment of Wikus and how horribly governments and corporations can treat individual members of society.
The final third of the film deals with how people have a natural instinct for self preservation which often leads to selfish and callous behavior towards others.
Your task is to accomplish the following objectives:
Select one of the three acts about which you would like to write.
View the clip below that illustrates the act's central real world problem.
Write a thoughtful, thorough, grammatically correct paragraph in which you thoroughly explain how the clip illustrates just how the problem exists in the film.
Write a second paragraph in which you thoroughly explain how this real world problem exists in either (1) the real world, (2) A Long Way Gone, or (3) another film or book or your choice.
If you have any questions, please ask an instructor. As always, use the following list to edit your work:
third person
present tense
no contractions
correct grammar/punctuation
correct spelling
correct capitalization
book titles italicized
a creative, original title for your essay
Act I: The treatment of the aliens by MNU
(The treatment of minority groups by governments and corporations)
Act II: The treatment of Wikus by MNU
(The treatment of individuals by a government or corporation)
Act III: Wikus is ruled by his fear of MNU and his prejudice of the aliens (Individuals are ruled by instinctive fears and prejudices)
Two more points of interest:
Be sure to bring your Fahrenheit 451 novels the day after break.
If you enjoyed District 9, you might also enjoy Monsters.
First, watch the following video in which the greatness of Gatsby is discussed. Re-watch it, in fact. Two or three times, even.
Then, on to the essay! In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric version 4.0 when drafting and revising.
Is Gatsby great?
You can answer this question one of two ways:
While to some readers Gatsby appears to be great, he actually is not.
While some readers question Gatsby's supposed greatness, Gatsby actually deserves that label.
Remember, you will be using Rubric 4.0 for this one, so be sure to keep it handy while editing.
Hint: Your first task? Define for yourself what "great" means, and what makes someone a "great" person.
From Wikipedia: Arnold Rothstein(January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928),nicknamed "the Brain", was aJewish-Americanracketeer,businessmanandgamblerwho
became a kingpinof
theJewish mobinNew York. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption
inprofessional athletics,
conspiring in thefixing of the 1919 World Series.
According to crime writer Leo Katcher,
Rothstein "transformed organized crime from a thuggish activity by hoodlums into a big business, run like a corporation, with himself at the top."According toRich Cohen, Rothstein was the person who first realized thatProhibitionwas a business opportunity, a means to
enormous wealth, who "understood the truths of early century capitalism
(giving people what they want) and came to dominate them.”His notoriety inspired several
fictional characters based on his life, portrayed in contemporary and later
short stories, novels, musicals and films.
Rothstein failed to pay a large debt
resulting from a fixed poker game and was murdered in 1928.
In
the novel The Great Gatsby, Meyer Wolfsheim is a Jewish friend
and mentor of Gatsby's, described as a gambler who fixed the World Series.
Wolfsheim appears only twice in the novel and is a clear allusion to Arnold
Rothstein.
In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Use one of the two thesis statements in a single-sentence paragraph. Craft two body paragraphs that support that thesis sentence. Use your rubric throughout the revision process, and pay special attention to your use of quotations: condensing, integrating, and citing. Ask your instructors if you have any questions.
Throughout Exit Through the Giftshop, Thierry attempts to reinvent himself as an artist: Mr. Brainwash. The degree to which he is successful is debatable, but he certainly does try. Is Thierry deserving of viewers' respect or criticism?
Answer the question with one of the following two thesis statements:
Although some viewers might think that Thierry is deserving of respect and admiration for his efforts, he is actually deserving of viewers' criticism.
Although some viewers might think that Thierry is deserving of criticism for his foolishness and questionable ethics, he is actually deserving of viewers' respect.
If you miss a day of class, you can catch up with the film embedded several times below. Keep in mind, that if you have not handed in a permission slip, you will have an alternative project.
In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Use one of the two thesis statements in a single-sentence paragraph. Craft two body paragraphs that support that thesis sentence. Ask your instructors if you have any questions. The essay is due in TWO CLASS days in your shared GoogleDrive folder.
At the start of This Boy's Life, Toby and his mother are fleeing from a bad relationship and traveling west to get rich on uranium. Is their quest an act of courage, or is it a foolish gesture destined for failure?
Answer the question with one of the following two thesis statements:
Even though Toby and his mother appear to be courageous by heading west in an attempt to start over, their journey is actually a foolish gesture destined for failure.
Even though Toby and his mother appear to be foolish by heading west in an attempt to start over, their journey is actually an act of courage.
For your independent book report, complete the following book report. First, in the upper right hand corner, enter the following information:
student name
book title (underlined)
author
total number of pages
the pages numbers that the book report will be covering (Please note: If you have not finished your novel, indicate the number of pages you have read that you will be covering. Keep in mind that if your book report is vague or incomplete, you may be given a verbal quiz. If you do not perform well on the quiz, your book report grade will reflect this. In other words, your grade will be better off if you are honest about not finishing the entire book.)
Here's an example of the header: John Perkins Carter Beats the Devil Glen David Gold 339 total pages pages 1-172 Second, answer the following four questions in four thoughtful, thorough paragraphs. Each paragraph should be a minimum of 200 words. Use at least three cited quotations throughout the report. (Introductions and conclusions are not necessary. The report should take the form of a four paragraph essay.)
Summarize in detail the main events of the book.
Describe how each of the major characters changes/grows throughout the course of the book. For each, explain whether or not they achieved their goal. (Is each character satisfied at the end with regards to what motivated him or her?)
Relate a significant incident from the second half of the book that truly interested you or impressed you, and explain why you liked it.
Evaluate the book, indicating in specific terms what you liked and/or disliked about it. Do not use words like “good” or “bad” – which are vague and useless. Give concrete reasons for your evaluation.
Note: Your job here is simple: Prove that you have read half the book and reflected on it. Remember that 200 words per paragraph is theminimum. That is how many words it takes to pass, not necessarily to get an A. You will be graded here forquality as well asquantity. Again, students who do not demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book are subject to a follow upverbal quiz. The results of this quiz will be reflected in the book report grade.
If you have any questions, please ask your instructor.
This book report is due Tuesday, May 27.
In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, respond to the following prompt. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric when drafting and revising. Also refer to the Road to Formal Essay Revision handout. Both are available in your Googledrive. You should also refer to your Problems in Science Fiction handout. The essay is due on Tuesday, 5/13/14.
Title your Googledoc "451 Problems."
The societal problems Montag faces in Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 exist not only in the novel, but in the modern world as well.
Your task in the first body paragraph is to identify one problem from the "Problems in Science Fiction" handout and present two different examples in which it manifests itself in the novel. This paragraph must include two correctly incorporated and cited quotations -- one for each example.
In the second body paragraph you must supply two examples from the real world -- other literature, pop culture, history, current events, etc.
Each body paragraph must have a topic sentence that clearly expresses what will be proven in the paragraph.
For inspiration, refer to the Googledoc that collects our notes from our previous work on this issue.
