Tea Time for Gatsby

In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric when drafting and revising.

Was it a good idea for Nick to host the tea party?

You can answer this question one of two ways:

1. While it appears that Nick should host the tea party, he actually makes a mistake by doing so.
2. While it appears that Nick should not host the tea party, he actually made a good choice by doing so.

You will be using Rubric 3.0 for this one, so be sure to keep it handy while editing.

Arnold Rothstein and the 1920s

From Wikipedia: Arnold Rothstein (January 17, 1882 – November 6, 1928), nicknamed "the Brain", was a Jewish-American racketeer, businessman and gambler who became a kingpin of the Jewish mob in New York. Rothstein was widely reputed to have organized corruption in professional athletics, conspiring in the fixing 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 to Rich Cohen, Rothstein was the person who first realized that Prohibition was 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.

Here is a clip from Boardwalk Empire.

Here is Eight Men Out. Check out minute 27.

Exit Through the Essay

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.

Exit Through the Gift Shop

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.

World's Greatest Dad

This post if for JUNIORS only.

In a thoughtful, thorough, one-page essay, answer the following question. Be sure to use the One Page Essay Rubric when drafting and revising.

Is Dwight an acceptable father figure for Toby?

You can answer this question one of two ways:

1. Even though Dwight does a poor job of being a father figure to Toby, having Dwight as a mentor is still better than nothing.
2. Even though Dwight tries at times, having Dwight as a father figure still does more harm to Toby than good.

To perform well on this essay, you need to do the following:

• Pay at least one visit (maybe two) to the writing lab and meet with one of the writing consultants.
• Pay strict attention to Essay Rubric 2.0 when revising your essay.
• See one of your instructors if you have any questions about your essay or the assignment.

Courageous or Foolish?

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:

1. 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.
2. 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.

Independent Book Report

For your independent book report, complete the following book report.


First, in the upper right hand corner, enter the following information:

1. student name
2. book title (underlined)
3. author
4. total number of pages
5. 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.)

1. Summarize in detail the main events of the book.
2. 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?)
3. Relate a significant incident from the second half of the book that truly interested you or impressed you, and explain why you liked it.
4. 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 the minimum. That is how many words it takes to pass, not necessarily to get an A. You will be graded here for quality as well as quantity. Again, students who do not demonstrate a thorough understanding of the book are subject to a follow up verbal 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.

Sample Book Trailers

Here are some of the sample book trailers Mrs. Shaner shared with us at the start of the unit...



Feathered




 Inexcusable

Real World Problems in Fahrenheit 451

This post is for JUNIORS only.

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.