Literary Analysis and "Only Partly Here"

The more articulate you are, the more specific you can be about what you are trying to communicate.  Lucius Sheppard, in "Only Partly Here," uses sophisticated language to examine the complex nature of the relationships between the characters. 

Author Lucius Sheppard evokes the state of mind of the inhabitants of New York in the time directly after 9/11 with a simile.  He illustrates the frantic, purposeless and futile nature of their efforts by comparing them to drugged and over-stimulated rats in a maze.  He is able to bring that time to life for the reader because of his versatility with the language.

Which words that we use can we add to our word wall and vocabulary lists?  Pick 10 words you are not familiar with and look up the definitions.  You will be responsible for knowing these words as the cycle continues. 

As the story progresses we begin to see the nature of the relationships between the three recovery workers: Bobby, Mazurek and Pineo, and we also see the complexities of the interaction between Alicia and Bobby. 

What is happening between Alicia and Bobby?  As the story continues to unfold, examine the changing nature of their interaction.  How do they start out?  How does that change, and what happens in the end to change it even further?

Finally, what is the nature of this story, and what is its message?  A full understanding can only come from a full examination of the text.  We are reading together, but as you learn to study you must get to the point where you can go back and re-read parts of the text that you need to understand more fully. 

Learning to study a text in a deep and meaningful way is a critical skill for college.  In order to really function on the college level, you need to 1) Learn how to understand the text, and that means find the meanings of words you don't know and then understand the words in the context of the story, 2) Be able to uncover the personalities and motivations of the characters, based on the way they're described and the nature of their dialogue, 3) Examine the progression of the action in the story and note developments that occur, 4) Interpret the meaning, moral or message that the story conveys. 

When Reading, How Do You Figure Out Words You Don't Know?

How do we figure out words we don't know?  Here are some suggestions from the class:

1.Write it down and look up the definition

2.Context Clues:

3.Look at the sentences before and after it to see what the word might mean.

4.Look for footnotes

5.Use your knowledge of other languages (esp Latin languages)

6.Look for prefixes that you already know (un, and others)

7.Look for suffixes (ending of words) (like –ology, and others)

Theme and Symbolism in "Only Partly Here"

Essential Question: How do we analyze and interpret characters in story?

We read the beginning of "Only Partly Here" by Lucius Sheppard.  We identified certain repeating themes.  We noticed that certain items were blue.  The shoe Bobby finds is blue, the "silhouette of the dancing lady" is in blue neon, and the bar is called "The Blue Lady."  Our characters are at Ground Zero sifting through the rubble of 9/11.  They are recovery workers.

What can we tell about the personalities of the main characters of Bobby, Mazurek, and Pineo?  What is the lady at the end of the bar like?  Describe the characteristics of each character in this graphic organizer.  Cite specific examples from the text using page and paragraph number.

Assignment: Interpreting Fiction and Finding Metaphors

Pick your own fairy tale or another story that you like.  It must be a story that conveys an important message about life.  Complete the graphic organizer for the story.  That means you must include
a) A synopsis of the story, written in YOUR OWN WORDS (Plagiarism is not allowed -- and I do check!)
b) A list of at least five symbols (metaphors) in the story, and what they represent
c) A detailed description of the meaning, message and moral of the story.

Symbolism and Metaphor in Story

Choose a story.  It can be a fairy tale or another simple story with a message.  Write a synopsis of the story.  The story must have symbolic elements.  You must have a list of at least five things in the story that have a metaphoric meaning.  Make that list.  Then write a down the message or moral of the story.  Be prepared to share it with the class.

Interpreting Story - Looking for Symbols

We looked at the fairytale of The Three Little Pigs.  Then the class broke into groups and wrote a synopsis of the story, made a list of the symbols and their meaning, and described the overall message or moral of the story.  The story can be found here.  Class members in attendance completed the handout.  If you were not in class you need to make sure you do this in order to get credit. 

Assignment: Initial Writing Assessment: "The Road Not Taken" by Robert Frost

What is Robert Frost's metaphor for life?  Download this handout.  Look at the picture.  What is this "story" about, and what is Robert Frost trying to communicate about life?

Write an essay of at least a page and a half responding to Robert Frost’s poem, “The Road Not Taken.”  Be sure to look at the footnotes on the page if you do not know what some of the words mean. 

Please write in essay form.  Use the questions to help you with your writing, but do not re-write the questions.  Answer in one long essay.

Framing questions for your writing:

1. What is this poem about? 

2. What is the message it is trying to convey about choices in life? 

3. Which “road” have you chosen/travelled so far in your life?   “The road less taken,” or the road more commonly taken?  Explain why you picked that road, and what your life has been like because of that choice.

4.  Extra credit: Why is the poem called “The Road NOT Taken”?  Isn’t the poem about the road he DID take?  Why does he choose to call the poem “The Road Not Taken”?

 

What Makes Literature Good?

We had a discussion about what qualities make rap songs great.  The class came up with this list.  In order to have a great rap song, it needs to include the following elements:

Great delivery

They keep it interesting

Contains strong metaphors

You have to be able to relate to it

Humor

Strong Vocabulary

Personality

Tells a good story

Tells a message

Conveys a moral

Be true to yourself

Welcome to College Writing for Cycle 1, Fall 2011

Course Description:  

The purpose of this class is to prepare students for entry-level college work, with a focus on writing and research skills.  In the beginning of the course, students will expand their base-knowledge of words and their etymological roots, and begin to develop college-level vocabulary and comprehension through reading fiction. As students write, the class will focus on literary analysis, identification and correction of grammatical errors and editing skills, as well as proper utilization of grammar, punctuation and spelling. For the final part of the course, students will establish and utilize research methodology, critically analyzing and evaluating research sources, while developing note-taking and study skills. The course will conclude with an in-depth research project, culminating in the writing and editing of an entry-level college research paper, with MLA-style citations.

Requirements: 

Students must complete all required essays in order to receive credit. You must complete all in-class work in the classroom.  Students are also required to engage in class discussions, respond to in-class questions, and conduct themselves in a respectful and studious manner as you focus on the educational tasks and goals.

All essays and other coursework designated as in-class work must be completed in the classroom, unless otherwise negotiated with the teacher.  Essays and research papers cannot be done at home.  Students presenting completed essays not written in class will not receive credit.  

Completion of Paper - Due Dates

Your paper should have been turned in by Friday, June 10th.  If you were a late admit, you may finish your paper on the last two days of class.

As I have said numerous times before, I will not accept papers the majority of which were not done in class.  Students cannot expect to pass this class if they have not written the majority of their paper in class during class time.  I must have seen the paper in progress throughout the cycle.

I MUST HAVE SEEN AT LEAST TWO AND A HALF PAGES BY FRIDAY, JUNE 10th in order for you to be allowed to work on it over the weekend.  You may work to complete the paper in class on Monday, June 13th and Tuesday, June 14th, if you have given me sufficient work by Friday, June 10th. 

Students may be eligible for credit recovery depending on Cycle 6 class participation, and sufficient ongoing meetings with me regarding your work on this paper.

Where You Should be By Today, June 7th, 2011

You should have at least three pages completed of your paper.  Without having a majority of your paper completed, you will not be able to finish it in a timely fashion, meeting the criteria of the assignment.  See me if there are extenuating circumstances, and you need some extra help.  The paper is due by week's end, and corrections will be finalized next week. 

If I do not see the paper in progress, and/or if you have not written the bulk of the paper in class, you will not pass this class.  I will not accept a paper the majority of which has not been written in my class and with my supervision.  Also, in order to get credit you must have ALL the articles you are citing in your paper printed out and in your folder. 

Thank you for the hard work you are doing to complete this assignment.

Where You Should be By Today, May 31st, 2011

By now, you should have completed the following, as we proceed with our research paper:

1) You must have your introductory paragraph.  The main part of your introduction must be your Thesis Statement.  In order to do this, you must have turned your Research Question into a Thesis Statement.  This Thesis Statement is based on the research that you have conducted and the articles you have read, and must answer your research question.

2) You should already have written three to five paragraphs giving examples from your research articles that support your thesis statement.  [NOTE: All together, by Friday, you will need to have four to five points from each of your three articles in your paper]. 

3) You must correctly cite all sources, based on my handout (also available as a post on this blog).

NOTE: Your first draft is due Friday of this week.  I DO NOT expect you to have completed the "works cited"/bibliography this week.  We will work on that next week.

How to Create an MLA Citation for Your Paper

1) When you cite your source within the text of the paper, make sure you include the author, title of the article and the publication.  When you site the same source again, only use the author's last name.

Example:
In her New York Times article, “Harsh Lights on Two Men, But Glare Falls on Women,” Kate Zernike explains how women are often targeted by the media when they are involved with high-profile men. “…[T]here is less hesitation to try to reveal every detail of the lives of the women involved, as if those details could somehow explain the headlines about the powerful figures.” Zernike also explains that these women do not seek the spotlight.

[Note: If there's no author, cite the name of the agency or organization that produced the article.  If the agency or organization is an acronym (initials, like "FBI," or "CDC,") you must state the full name of the agency or organization in the first citation, and then follow it with the acronym.]

Example: The Center for Disease Control (CDC), in a paper entitled, "How to Combat Diabetes," describes three ways to deal with the potentially life-threatening disease.  The CDC also explains ways to prevent diabetes from developing.

At the end of your paper, you will cite the full information about the article in your Works Cited list, It will be a sixth piece of paper, and will be on a separate and final sheet.

2) For your Works Cited list at the end of your paper, here are some examples of correct citations in MLA format:

If it is from a government source and there is no author:
"Basic Information about HIV and AIDS | Topics | CDC HIV/AIDS." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Web. 18 May 2011. 19 May 2011 < http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/topics/basic/index.htm >

If it is from an online newspaper:
Zernike, Kate. "Harsh Light on Two Men, but Glare Falls on Women." New York Times. 18 May 2011. Web. 19 May 2011.
< http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/19/us/19schwarzenegger.html?hp >

How to Cite Your Sources:

You must have the following, following the exact format indicated below. That means when there’s a period, you must have a period. When something is italicized, you must have it in italics. Please follow the format exactly.

Type of Information How It’s Done:
1.  Author of article:
LastName, Firstname.
2.  Title of the article: 
“Title.”
3.  Who published it: 
Name of Publication.
4.  Type of publication: 
Web.
5.  Date when it was published:
Day Month Year.
6.  Date when you accessed it:
Day Month Year.
7.  Exact, full web address:
< http://exactwebaddress >.

Organizing Your Paper

Now it's time to organize your thoughts in planning your paper.

1) You need to outline at least five points from each article you've chosen. That means you need to find the main idea and supporting evidence for the important points of each article that you will be using.

2) You need to develop the structure of your paper. The paper will, of course, need to have a beginning, middle and end. We commonly refer to these as the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion. Your paper will be five double-spaced pages, in Times New Roman or Arial, with no bigger than a v12 point font. Likewise, don't begin your paper a third of a way down the page. The paper starts at the top of the page. You will have a title page for the title. The paper will include in addition, a bibliography or "works cited" list at the end. You will learn how to cite works in the bibliography AND within the paper using the MLA format. This is a format that most colleges and universities want students to use, as they begin writing their college-level papers.

3) You need to change your research question into a thesis statement. See the form here and on the side under handouts to make a record of that change. Your thesis statement will form the basis for your essay, and will be the key sentence in your introduction.

Outline Organizer for your Research Paper

Here is the link to your Outline Organizer.

Each of you should have three, vetted, reputable articles with Cornell Notes sheets attached.

The next step is to take each one of your three articles and outline the main points and supportive evidence in each one.

For each article there should be at least five main points and supportive evidence.

Completing Your Work for This Cycle

In order to get credit in this class you must have the following in your folder:

3 vetted, reputable articles

3 Cornell Notes sheets, completely filled out, including:
- no less than 5 points for each article
- thoughts, interpretations or questions for each point (written opposite each point)
- a summary of your understanding of the article
- an explanation of how the article relates to your topic

The completed final, which will be given Thursday and Friday in class.

Taking Notes for Each Article You Use in Your Research

You must take notes for each article you use. Our "default" for note-taking is the Cornell Notes template. However, you may use another graphic organizer or note-taking format, as long as you include the following:

1.Your name, the class period and the date
2. The article properly “vetted.” It is from a reputable source.
3. The main points of article are listed.
4. Article points are matched with your own questions, thoughts or reactions.
5. There is a summary or overview of the point of meaning of the article.
6. There is some “higher order thinking,” analysis or discussion of the significance or meaning of the article as it relates to your Research Question.

Initial Research Steps

In your folder, you should have:
1) Your completed and signed "Research Paper Proposal Worksheet." You cannot proceed with your research unless and until this worksheet has been signed by me.

2) Your Key Word Brainstorm and URL sheet. This sheet provides a record of the key word searches you have tried, and the websites you have found. Please only write down the URLs of web sites that you have figured out are good. You check their veracity by going to "About Us" or "Contact Us." You must see if the authors have the credentials to have expertise in that subject.

4) You must have copies of the articles that you have selected.

5) You must have a Cornell notes sheet for each of the articles, and you must take notes on that sheet for each article. Your notes are your evidence that you have read and understood what you are reading. If you are continuing your research at home, you may print out a Cornell Notes template here.

"Holiday Homework": You may continue your research, providing a Cornell notes sheet for each article, translating the meaning of the article into your own words. You may also complete this Cornell notes sheet along with this article.

Refining and Deciding on Your Research Question

Is it researchable?

Is it factual?

Is it narrowed down enough?

Is it specific enough (time, place, specific aspect of the topic)?

Is it an opened-ended question (NOT a "yes - no" question)?

Is it worded as a question?

Do you already know where you might be able to get some research (NOT a search engine, actual agencies, organizations or institutions)?

Is it something in which you are interested?

Research Paper Proposal

1. Check my notes on your BRAINSTORM paper. Make sure that your BRAINSTORM has at least five to ten questions that you want to find out about your topic.

2. Use your BRAINSTORM to help you fill out the Research Paper Proposal Worksheet. This is the next step in the process of preparing for your research paper.

3. Q: "What if my Research Question is not designed to solve a problem or provide an explanation for a problem?
Q: What if it is not researchable?
A: If either of these things are the case, your Research Question cannot be used, and it will not be accepted as something you can research. Please re-think your topic, do another BRAINSTORM, and fill out a new sheet.

4. I am here to help. Ask me in class, read my written responses to your work, and come at lunch for extra help, if you need it!

List of Research Topics - from Classmembers

Here are the topics that we generated in class yesterday. In their brainstorms, many people came up with excellent questions. Now we have to narrow down our questions so that we can actually begin our research.

Topics from Pds 5 and 7

Research Topics from Periods 5 and 7 – April 7, 2011
Teen Pregnancy
Abortion
Drop Out Rate
Graduation Rates
Immigration
Drunk driving
Obama
Drug abuse
Alcohol
Drug trafficking
HIV/AIDS
Protective sex
Domestic violence – male to female (boyfriends to girlfriends).
Child abuse
Euthenasia
Albinoism
Celebrity drug problems
Theft
Sex trafficking
Pimps and hustlers in the 70’s
Crime rate between the cities in the Southern states
Addiction to alcohol
Addiction to drugs
Domestic violence
Child abuse
Foster care
Sweatshops
Food addiction
Fashion addiction
Racism
Teen pregnancy
Abortion
High school dropouts
Graduation rates between private and public and charter schools

Chosing Your Research Topic

Deciding on your Research Paper Topic:

Your research paper is going to make up a substantial part of your work for this cycle in this class. A research topic has to be a question that you want to answer. It has to be a problem or situation that research will help you understand. Your research may indicate solutions to that problem, and based on your research, you may suggest solutions.

First of all, you need to decide on a topic. Then develop a Research Question, and then begin to find sources for your research.

In order to decide on a topic, consider the following:

Good topics are:

Interesting
Manageable
Available
Worthwhile
Original

Poor topics are:
Too broad
Too narrow
too technical
Too trivial
Too subjective

Here is an example of a research topic: Teen Pregnancy

Here is an example of good and bad research questions about Teen Pregnancy:
Unsuitable: Why are kids having so many babies? (too broad, too subjective)
Unsuitable: What are the statistics on Teen Pregnancy for 1984 (too broad AND too narrow)
Suitable (Good) Topic: What factors are contributing to teen pregnancy rates in the United States during this decade?

Here's what you'd have to do:
1) Look up the statistics.
Q: Where's a good place to look up statistics? Where can we find reliable statistics?
A:

2) Find expert researchers who've written about the causes of teen pregnancy.
Q: How do we know they're experts?
A:

3) Choose articles from good, reliable and reputable sources.
Q: How do we know the sources are reliable and reputable?
A:

4) Find good sources on the internet (or in books, if you can easily get them). Print out the articles that you find. Be sure to have the URL and website name of each article on the printout.
Q: How can you make sure you know where the article came from?
A:

5) Read the articles. Highlight the key points. Take notes (Using Cornell Notes or another graphic organizer) about your thoughts and reactions as you read.
Q: What other ways of taking notes do you know about?
A:

6) Begin the process of writing your paper. This step will be gone into in greater detail as we go along.

In order to think of a topic, you can do a BRAINSTORM.
Choose a topic to think about. Write down the general topic. Then ask yourself as many questions as you can think about, regarding that topic. On a separate piece of lined, notebook paper, write down your proposed topic and 5 to 7 questions about that topic.

General Topic: Tatoos

Questions:

Who gets tattooed? What ages are they?
What cultures besides the US get tattooed?
What do certain tattoos symbolize?
Where did tattooing come from?
What’s the difference between tribal tattoos and modern tattoos from tattoo shops?
How many people get tattoos removed?
Why do people get tattooed?
What are some causes for the current popularity of getting tattooed?

If your research question can be answered in one sentence or from one website, it is not a suitable topic.

If your topic is not specific enough, it is not a suitable topic.

If your topic is just a matter of opinion, it is not a suitable topic. An example might be something like: "Why is Mr. X the best tattoo artist?" Mr. X is only the best artist in your opinion. There is no research you can find to prove that he is the best tattoo artist in the world.

Q: Are any of these research questions researchable?
Q: Which one is researchable, and how can you write it as a good research question?

How Do You Record Information Gathered From Research?

Use the Cornell Notes sheet to record the key points of your article on the Ozone Layer. The three Articles we used are:
1.Ozone Depletion Over Arctic 'Unprecedented' This Winter
By the CNN Wire Staff

2. http://www.oar.noaa.gov/climate/t_ozonelayer.html
Ozone Depletion

3.http://environment.nationalgeographic.com/environment/global-warming/ozone-depletion-overview.html Ozone Depletion - Losing Earth's Protective Layer

In groups of three, determine what information you have in common, and what information is unique to each article. Then record all of your information the group sheet.

Here's some of what students said they learned by doing this kind of an exercise:

If you cite facts, you need to be sure of them. You need to know where exactly in the text your facts come from.

Understand the vocabulary, and look up words you don't know.

Avoid plagiarism. Writing down the words from the article is plagiarism.

It's good to have more than one source for information, because then you'll know more about your topic.

Put the information you learn into your own words.

Why did we do this exercise? Students said:
1) To get more information on the topic by looking at multiple sources
2) To learn how to figure out what's important in the articles
3) To interpret and analyze the information for yourself (come to your own conclusions, based on the facts)

Instructions for Using Three Types of Graphic Organizers to Chart “Dazed and Confused”

Assignment, Due Monday, April 4th:

1.Use the “Cluster/Word Web 2” sheet to put down details about your character. The character’s name goes into the “Topic” box. You must fill at least four boxes with details about the character. For the highest grade, you should fill them all, and please make sure your work is legible.

2, Use the “Time-Order Chart” to talk about the things that happen to the character during the story. The character’s name goes in the “Topic” box. Each event is another thing that happens to the character during the course of the movie. You should be able to find 4 events for your character.

3. Use the “Story Map 2” sheet to describe the things that happen in the entire movie. List the setting, the time period in which the movie takes place, the major characters and the minor characters. You may use the internet to look up the characters in the movie. If you take text off of the internet, I will know it. Don’t do it. Everything must be in your own words.

Graphic Organizers, And What Notes Need to Look Like

Everybody has their own style of note-taking. That is true, but note-taking has to be effective. It was to WORK. The problem with some note-taking is that it is not organized or thorough enough: Notes are minimal, details are absent and the notes are confusing when looked at the next day or the next week. That defeats the purpose of note-taking.

Here are some steps to keep your notes organized:

1) Use a graphic organizer like Cornell Notes, or design your own.
2) Make lists and leave room to fill in blanks
3) Use charts that help you understand things.

Today we will look at different types of note-taking strategies, and apply them to the notes you have on your character. Use a graphic organizer or demonstrate on paper a systematic approach to note-taking. You should be able to use your notes to write an essay or paper. The notes have to "work."

Here are some organizers that could work with Dazed and Confused:
Clusterweb Graphic Organizer
Sequence of Events Graphic Organizer
Five W's Graphic Organizer
Story Map Graphic Organizer
Time Order Chart
Venn Diagram

For more graphic organizers, go to "Education Place," a web site created by publishers Houghton Mifflin.

"Dazed and Confused" Character Analysis

Today's Question: How do you observe and draw conclusions about a character?

1) Pick up your own folder from the bin and check it for notes and comments.

2) Get character names (link available on previous post).

3) Take notes during the conclusion of the film, as needed.

At the conclusion of the film, write for ten minutes about the personal journey the person has taken throughout the film. How did they start off, and what have they learned? what is the journey of this particular character? What happens to them during the course of the film?

To complete this writing assignment, you should have:
1) The name of the character
2) A physical description of the character
3) A psychological description of the character: what is his or her personality?
4) A description of the action and development of the character throughout the film.

Character Profiles

Here are some basic profiles of the characters in "Dazed and Confused." Character Profiles. Once you pick your MAIN character, describe in detail this person's personality, describe their looks, and describe what happens to them in the story.

"Dazed and Confused" and Historical Research

We're looking at the movie "Dazed and Confused" to find historical accuracy. The director and actors in this movie had to know what the 70's was really like in order to make it authentic.

Monday's In-Class Assignment:
As you watch the movie, write down at least ten things you see that are different than they are today. Describe each thing. How is it different?

Tuesday:
Pick a specific character. Observe that character as you continue to watch the film. What can you say about that character?
How do they look?
How are they dressed?
What is their personality?

We will watch the movie. Write notes as you watch. Then you will have five minutes to describe them in detail on paper.

Then: pair up with someone else who has picked that character. Share your write-ups. Combine the best of both. Then we will share out.

Careers that Need Historical Research

What Aspects of Life Have Changed, Historically?
Assignment: Watching the movie, identify 10 things that have changed, and describe what they were like back then.

different immigrant groups
transportation
technology (no cell phones)
other kinds of cars
different kinds of busses
tokens for trains (copper/bronze discs)
fashion: 70’s afros, very colorful clothing,
music: jazz, blues, punk, country, pop, record players,
(walk mans, 8-tracks, boom boxes, juke boxes)
dance: electric slide, break dancing,
different laws
food changed
food prices changed

Historical Research Can be Used By…

Taxi drivers - to understand when someone uses an old name of a street or place
Tour guides - to talk about what happened in a particular neighborhood or place
Archeologists - to understand remains
Government officials – to understand political history
Writers - to be historically accurate in their stories
Journalists – accurate information
News reporters – historical context of current events
Social studies teachers - to know what happened in history so that they can explain it to students
Doctors – to know previous cures, treatments, and patient histories
Scientists - to know how experiments have gone in the past
Politicians – to be informed, to be accurate
Entrepreneurs – to learn from other entrepreneurs’ mistakes
Fashion – to be inspired by past trends
Lawyers – to know different cases in the past
Actors – when they have to act out scenes from the past, to know what it was like then and act accordingly
Directors – to be historically accurate, so their movies are believable

Steps to Making Your Essay The Best It Can Be

The class came up with the following steps to help improve essays:

Plan your information before you write it.
Make sure your introduction has enough information.
Make a valid conclusion.
Don’t be repetitive.
People have different styles.
Finish the assignment.
Re-read.
Proof-read.
If you make a mistake in your essay, you should not make the paper look messy.
Watch out for run-on sentences.
Write longer paragraphs.
Put in more details.
Use a lot of examples from the story (or text).
Have at least one other person look at your paper before you turn it in.
You write your essay and you think it’s good, but when you see the rubric, you see what the real criteria (qualifications) are for a good paper.
Make sure your conclusion is wrapped up tightly.
Keep your essay well organized.
Watch your penmanship.
Be understandable.
Be clear.
Be specific.
Make sure your sentences make sense.
Check for spelling.