English 319: Writing Anthology/Forum: Preliminary Thesis

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Preliminary Thesis

Here goes...

Rabbit's intense internal desire for self-contentment pitted against society's dogmatic views of what is morally right creates a conflict in which the harder he is restrained, the harder he fights back; this ultimately leads to the devastation of his own life as well as the lives of those around him.

Feedback would be appreciated. Thanks...

2 comments:

Roxanne said...: 1. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?

yes, "his desire for self-commitment," could be argued

2. Is my thesis statement specific enough?

specifically, what type of devastation?

3. Does my thesis pass the “so what?” test?

how does it relate to the theme/message of the book? Why is his devastation important?

4. Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?

How, yes...why?; March 13, 2008 at 12:43 PM
Alex Huang said...: 1. Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?

Yeah, pretty solid.

2. Is my thesis statement specific enough?

Uh-huh. Could be a tad more specific.

3. Does my thesis pass the “so what?” test?

How does any of this relate/serve an importance to the book.

4. Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test?

How = pass. Why = not pass...at all. Kinda like the so what part.; March 16, 2008 at 7:46 PM

Memorial Day Weekend Reminders

As you complete your blog posting, remember that you should respond to (at least) one thread, but I also encourage you to use this to continue the discussion of the chapters: pose questions, share ideas, connect to the text! Please post as a comment.

For Tuesday, remember that your shareable draft can be one of three options:

1. What you carry
2. "A story that starts with, "This is a story I've never told..." OR "This is a true story" (based on "On Rainy River" and "How to Tell a True War Story" -- making a 'real' story that perhaps isn't factual)
3. A definition paper

For Wednesday: Part 3 due. Highlight favorite/important lines, but you only need ONE note card. Make it count. *Keep thinking about your "found poem."

EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITY: Watch "The Wonder Years" episode again. Analyze the 'rhetoric' of the show (paying special attention to parallels, juxtaposition, and honor) and make specific connections to The Things They Carried. Up to 30 extra points. Due Thursday. Link to youtube below.

Enjoy your long weekend!

Life After the AP Test

For each part of The Things They Carried, bring three note cards (quotes/analysis) and keep a journal, adding 3 questions for each section

5/16: Intro Things They Carried
5/19: Ch 1 due with three note cards, each with a quote on front and rhetorical analysis on back AND 3 questions about the war or story (separate sheet)
5/20: Rest of Part 1 (ch 2,3,4) and three more note cards
5/21: Discussion Day
5/22: Part 2 due
5/23: Gallery Walk and Chalk Talk
5/26: NO SCHOOL
5/27: Shareable Draft
5/28: Part 3
5/29: Guest Speaker?
5/30: Part 4 due (three note cards)
6/2: Found Poem due
6/3: "The Wonder Years" reflection of writing/advice for next year's survival

Second Semester Schedule

WARNING: SCHEDULE IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE
1/23: "Totally, Like, Whatever," Reflection on first semester,
1/24: Reflection Due and rereading of "Women are Never FrontRunners" quiz/discussion
1/25: Background Notes for realism and Huck Finn
1/28: scheduling with your counselors
1/29: ch 1-4 due
1/30: Born to Trouble (blog posting due by 6:30 am, Thurs.)
1/31: ch 5-10 due
2/1: SNOW DAY -ch 11-14 due
2/4: change: quiz/ discuss 5-14 Solomon criticism due
2/5: change: discuss solomon scene, allegory and parable
2/6: Snow Day #2! blog post due
2/7: 15-20 due
2/8: change: prompt 20-24 due
2/11: change: 25-30 due, QUIZ
2/12: talk 21-31
2/13: 31-end of book --discuss end of book
2/14: "Born to Trouble" "A Hard Book to Take" pre-reading for criticism due
2/15: Practice ACT test (no class)
2/18: No school
2/19: No school
2/20: HF Shareable Draft Due AND criticism, " A Hard Book to Take" with graphic organizer ** AP Meeting throughout day
2/21: AP prompt due Overview of Research Process/Writers Week, sharing OUR writers
2/22- 2/29: WRITERS WEEK (Tuesday, no WW; meet in our class) (Your vote determines the following week's due dates.)
3/3: Reading notes due "Popular mechanics"
3/4: crit due "Popular mechanics"
3/5: WW shareable draft/notes/blog postings due. shareable draft edit
3/6: intro to media center
3/7: intro to media center
3/10: media center, intro preliminary thesis (1 bib card)
3/11: classroom (district writing assessment)
3/12: media center (5 bib cards due) intro abstract
3/13: media center intro note cards preliminary thesis emailed to me
3/14: media center -- work time contest items due

4/25: The Great Gatsby, ch 1-2
4/28: The Great Gatsby, ch 3-4 *quiz?!
4/29: The Great Gatsby, ch 5-6
4/30: The Great Gatsby, ch 7
5/1: The Great Gatsby, ch 8-9
5/2: The Great Gatsby, Lively Discussion
5/5: Research Paper, Second Draft due to Ms. Marsh, by 730am. In-class, AP Prep
5/6: AP Prep with Mrs. Ross
5/7: computer lab
5/8: computer lab
5/9: Practice AP Prompt
5/12: RESEARCH PAPER DUE - title contest
5/13: letter about research process due final ap prep
5/14: AP TEST IN AM Hemingway, "A Clean, Well-Lighted Place" HW: Read "A Soldier's Home"
5/15: Hemingway: post on blog this evening
5/16: Intro The Things They Carried
5/19: Part I, The Things They Carried Due
5/21: Part II, The Things They Carried Due

Research Paper (Tentative) Due Dates

Mon, March 10: Pass-into-class, bib card
Wed, March 12: 5 bib cards
Thurs, March 13: Preliminary thesis (email to me)
Fri, March 14: Not research-based, but your quarter contest submission is due. Info for Harper Contest is above.
Mon, March 17: Abstract
Wed, March 19: 10 note cards from 5 sources
--use spring break to research, research, research--
Tues, April1st: thesis with history
Friday, April 4th: 75 note cards
Thurs/Fri/Mon, April 9-14: outlines

**This is all you need for now. I'll go over this in class, too.

Things you should know...

10/4: Discussion of Thoreau articles, start "Civil Disobedience"
10/9: "Civil Disobedience" and "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" due
10/10: Shareable Draft due
10/11: Finish discussing two pieces. POST ON BLOG.
10/12: Emerson Due
10/15: Emerson Quiz
10/16: Eulogoy Due. Take Walden tour, discuss Emerson
10/17: Post due before 7am. Intro Into the Wild
10/22: Into the Wild reading due
10/23: Chapter 8 in Patterns -- exemplification -- due
10/24: Staples Rhetorical Analysis Due
10/25: Reread YGB and Crucible Papers -- apply exemplification skills and change passive --> active
10/26: Discuss passive/active voice, Exemplification twiz, discuss Staples piece.
10/29: Patterns Process Chapter Due and "Dumpster Diving"
10/30: Patterns: "How to survive a Bad Date," "My First Conk" and handout: "How to avoid participation..." and
10/31 Happy Halloween! Advice to Youth - discuss satire
11/1: *post to blog due today! in-class rhetorical analysis
11/2: Satirical Process piece due
11/4, am: (yes, Sunday): email to me (Mrs. Gerber) including reflections on your 'writing self,' specific goals for your writing (and reading) this quarter, and what you need from me. Multi-paragraphs, please.
11/6: 1st half of Death of a Salesman
11/7: Finished Satire Process piece, discuss Miller's writing
11/8: End of DOAS
11/9: Revised Rhetorical Analysis and potential thesis, assign criticism, look at example literary analysis pieces
11/12:Cause/Effect Chp in Patterns Discuss Criticism and work on Literary Analysis
11/13: In-class, organizing DOAS as cause and effect
11/14: Analytical Shareable Draft
11/15: Cause and Effect Readings from Patterns: "Why Boys Don't Play with Dolls
11/16: Blues Show
11/19: Cause and Effect Shareable Drafts
11/20: Compare/Contrast Chapter in Patterns and Tannen articles Continue discussion of "why boys don't play with dolls"
11/21: "Dearly Disconnected" in Patterns: Finish "why boys don't play with dolls," Discuss Tannen.
11/26: A River Runs Through it due. Dissect Barbie poem
11/27: , in-class, finish tannen/barbie? discuss A River Runs Through it.
11/28: Discuss A River...
11/29: Gender roles: Shareable Draft
11/30: Extended Metaphor post to blog due by 6:45 am Discuss A River Post questions for peer-edit on blog
12/2:Post peer-edit on blog
12/3: Discuss A River oPost how you would REvision by 12am
12/4: Writers Workshop: bring writing file
12/5: ReVIsion due. Reread "Dearly Disconnected" (It's been awhile) Discuss Dearly Disconnected
12/6: Classification and Division- chp + reading --in class AP Prompt
12/7: Rhetorical Analysis Due, My Dog Ate my Disk...
12/10: The Ways we Lie due...
12/11: Readings due
12/12: Shareable Draft: Compare/Contrast OR classification/division
12/13: Start to go over AP prompt
12/14: Readings and Definition Chapter due: Being Poor and Horizontal Slice of Poverty. Finish discussing AP prompt, analyzing own and going over The Ways we Lie quiz.
12/17: Discuss Being Poor and Horizontal Slice of Poverty
12/18: Definition Shareable Draft
12/19: argument chapter due -- finish Being Poor chat and preview literary research book
12/20: 15 haikus due haiku tournament
1/7/08: welcome back to school! survey of literary research paper book, advertisement rhetorical anlaysis --1 page-- due. Bring ad with you. *be sure you review argument chp. first--
1/8: in-class, rhetorical carousel and discussion of deductive and inductive argument with partners
1/9: Argument readings due: ad, pg 582 and The Declaration of Independence, pg 584... quiz? (turn in fixed up ad analysis)1/10: NY Times articles and Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions (p. 590) 1-2 page comparision/analysis of Seneca Falls with Dec. of Independence or with NY times article
1/11: Contest submission due! Online form due by Saturday morning. AP Prompt
1/14: REvision due with developed PAPA cover sheet AND actively read AP prompt examples -- with grades for each one. Go over AP Prompt (if nec) and review for final (grammar and AP prompts in groups?)
1/15: Share REvisions, practice AP tests?
1/18: 8th hour, OUR FINAL.
---

2nd semester preview, quarter 3
1. Huck Finn
2. Popular Mechanics and literary criticism
3. Resesarch Paper

And in the middle of it all? WRITERS WEEK!

Long Weekend Assignment

Hi, folks --

Hope the practice ACT went well, and you're enjoying your long weekend. Here are the homework reminders for your weekend.

1. Actively read the James Cox criticism, annotating the margins and filling in the graphic organizer. For reminders about types of criticism, you'll find a link under 'helpful websites' that highlights five main kinds of critical literary approaches.

2. Create a shareable draft inspired by Huck Finn. For this, you can choose any approach you deem fitting and suitable: draft a new satire, re-write a section from a new perspective, add an ending, compare/contrast two characters, construct song lyrics for a particular theme or chapter, create your own literary criticism of the text, take a formalist approach and analyze a scene, etc. Don’t feel limited by my list. Write however you are so moved. Just make sure you fill out a PAPA sheet to go with it. (These can be found on my website, or you can just type up your own.)

http://www.fhs.d211.org/departments/english/sgerber/personal_webpage/index1.htm

3. If you are so moved, check out the Writers Week page and see who will be joining us next week. I’ll give you an official ‘pre-search’ assignment on Thursday, but I know you’re already anxious to learn more, so go ahead!

http://www.fhs.d211.org/departments/english/sgerber/writersweek/index.htm

Snow Day Instructions

Hi, folks --

Sorry for the delayed posting... I was on the train when I got the call, so I had to commute back home. (Oy.)

Anyway, mazel tov! We have a snow day! Two of you already got busy posting responses, but let me review the expectations for everyone else.

1. Post a solid response to the criticism. A good response will discuss how the criticism connects to your own findings and assertions. A good response will also refer to specific (cited) proof in both the criticism and the primary source and will RESPOND to other postings. Remember, if someone else said something similar, you must note how your read is similar/different. This is a 25-pointer, quiz-like-points, essentially. Please do this by 9pm. (The sooner the better.)

2. After you've posted, read chapters 15-20, paying attention to Huck's heart vs. his social conscience, satire, Jim and Huck's relationship, and Jim and Huck's growth/changes. Also note the SHIFT that occurs in the tone of the book. Where/how do you see this change? We'll discuss this -- and more -- in class tomorrow.

3. Go outside and play. Sleep. READ A BOOK. Two books?! Enjoy!

I'll see you tomorrow. Feel free to email me with any questions.

English 319: Writing Anthology/Forum

Wednesday, March 12, 2008

Preliminary Thesis

2 comments:

Memorial Day Weekend Reminders

For TTTC, I find I learn best when we...

The Things They Carried

Life After the AP Test

Second Semester Schedule

Important Sites

Citation Information

Needed Length of Paper

Which location will be more helpful for Monday, 3/17?

Have you read the Research Paper Instructions?

Harper Writing Contest

Research Paper (Tentative) Due Dates

Helpful websites

Contest Websites

Things you should know...

Labels

Long Weekend Assignment

Snow Day Instructions

What due dates do you prefer for your post-Writers Week assignments?

SNOW DAY!

What skill would you like to practice/learn in our next writers' workshop?

Which of the steps have you attempted from "How to Avoid Class Participation" ?

Could you venture into the wild?

You can sit down and chat with either Emerson or Thoreau. Who do you choose?

Would you live in a transcendental world?

Hawthorne leaves the ending of "Young Goodman Brown" purposefully ambiguous. Do you believe that this experience was a dream or reality?

Some of the books we may be reading this year...

Who is your favorite Crucible character?

Blog Archive