Sophomores - Work for the Week of January 29

*Note - we won't have minutes until Monday February 4th

Tuesday January 29th
Reading HW: N/A
HW: N/A

Wednesday January 30th
Reading HW: Please read the syllabus found here
HW: Post on the blog by presenting your name, your period, and what are you are reading (this is not limited to books but all forms of readable media).  You must also create a name placard for class.

Thursday January 31st
Reading HW: "Action Must Be Taken" by Heinrich Boll
HW: How would you characterize the protagonist of this story?  Can you relate to the protagonist in any way?  What is the significance of the phrase "Action must be taken"?

Friday February 1st
Reading HW: "The Bound Man" by Ilse Aichinger
HW: Are the bound man's ropes as handicap or a strength?  Please explain why.  What changes in the bound man's life when his ropes come off?  What are some ways in which we are bound in our lives? What would our lives be like if our bounds came off?

Monday February 4th
Minutes: Yusuf, Daniel W.Daniel Z.
Reading HW: Part I of Franz Kafka's The Metamorphosis
HW: How does Gregor Samsa react to his strange transformation?  Please compare the beginning of this story to the beginning of Aichinger's "The Bound Man".  What is Gregor's job?  Why does he work this particular job?

Freshmen - Work for the Week January 29th

*Note - we won't have minutes until Monday February 4th

Tuesday January 29th
Reading HW: N/A
HW: Hand in your final draft of the "Armchair Psychologist" assignment.

Wednesday January 30th
Reading HW: N/A
HW: Find a "beautiful sentence" from a book, poem, article, song, or any other source.  Write this sentence down and explain why you find this particular sentence to be beautiful.

Thursday January 31st
Reading HW: "First Party at Ken Kesey's with Hell's Angels" by Allen Ginsberg
HW: What about this poem draws us in?  What about this poem makes us feel like we are at this party?

Friday February 1st
Reading HW: "My Papa's Waltz" by Theodore Roethke 
HW: Please find four examples of imagery in this poem.  What is the tone of this poem?  Please explain how you arrive at your conclusion.

Monday February 4th
Minutes: Talia, Mo
Reading HW: "The Fish" by Elizabeth Bishop, The Echoing Green by William Blake
HW: How does each poet portray the idea of becoming older?  What are the similarities/differences presented in these two works?

Welcome New Students!

Hello and welcome to Identity in European Literature.

This blog will be a central hub for our studies.  I will be posting homework assignments, extra credit discussions, minutes listings, and other pertinent information on a weekly basis.  Please utilize this resource; it will be difficult to succeed in my class without doing so.

For homework tonight, Tuesday, January 29th, 2013, I would like you to access and read the course syllabus.  The syllabus can be accessed here, via dropbox.  If you have any questions, please let me know in class on Wednesday.  Additionally please create a name placard to help your fellow students (as well as me) learn your name as quickly as possible.

Finally, I'm going to ask you to post to this page.  Please write your name (or any nickname you would like to be addressed as), which period class we have together, and what you're reading.  Please note, I am not necessarily asking what book you are reading.  Instead, I am asking what you read, be it manga, web comics, Reddit, or any other media.

I look forward to working with you this semester.

Work for the Week of Jan. 14th - Sophomores

Monday January 14th
Minutes:
HW: Rewrite due -periods 5,8
Reading HW:

Tuesday January 15th

Minutes:
HW: Considering your research, do you agree with the particular beliefs of this philosopher? Why or why not? Please write up your response for class. Please write no less than six sentences.  
Rewrite due - Period 9
Reading HW: Please research some facts about a particular philosopher from the "Age of Reason" or the "Enlightenment"

Wednesday January 16th

Minutes:
HW: Considering your research, do you agree with the particular beliefs of this philosopher? Why or why not? Please write up your response for class. Please write no less than six sentences.
Reading HW: Please research some facts about a particular "modern" philosopher.

Thursday January 17th

Minutes:
HW: What is existentialism? What are some misconceptions about existentialism? What is an ubermensch? Can you give an example? Please write no less than six sentences.
Reading HW: Please research existentialism.

Friday January 18th 

Minutes:
HW: Please write a self-assessment of your performance in my class. What were your strengths? What were your weaknesses? If you could take my class again, what would you do differently? How do you see yourself performing in the future as an English student? Please write no less than eight sentences.
Reading HW: N/A

Work for the Week of January 14th - Freshmen

Monday January 14th
Minutes: Rui, Daisy
HW: We will be acting out the fishing scene in class. Begin to contemplate what this scene may look like. Determine what scenes you feel might be best acted out.
Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE- 218 BLACK 258

Tuesday January 15th

Minutes:

HW: We will be acting out the fishing scene in class.

Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE- 242 BLACK 282

Wednesday January 16th

Minutes:

HW: Is this a happy ending?  Compare this ending to the ending of 1984.  What similarities can you find?  What is Ken Kesey attempting to tell us about American society?  What predictions do you have for Chief's character.  Please write no less than eight sentences.

Reading HW: Finish the book.

Thursday January 17th

Minutes:

HW: 1st draft is due.  Please bring in your draft.

Reading HW: Please read this exemplary paper written by a student last year.  Use this paper as a model for your own.  Pay special attention to the citations and format of the paper.

Friday January 18th - Library Day!

Minutes:

HW:

Reading HW: Please read this exemplary paper written by a student last year.  Use this paper as a model for your own.  Pay special attention to the citations and format of the paper.  And read this one too!  If the doc doesn't show up, just download it (top right corner).  Please pay special attention to the works cited and internal citations!

Freshmen Extra Credit - The 1960's

Written at the beginning of the decade, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest addressed only a few of the many issues affecting our country during some truly fascinating times.  In order to gain a better perspective of what it meant to live in the 1960's, I'd like for you to do a little bit of research and paraphrase some of your findings while drawing a connection to our book.  I've included a short list of some of the ideas you can discuss, but feel free to think outside the box if you are able to establish a connection with Kesey's text.  Let's attempt to learn more about dissent and counter-culture in 1960's America.

Consider the following topics:

The Underground Press

Opposition to the Vietnam War, the Draft

The Feminine Mystique

The Stonewall Riots

Black Power Momvement

The Civil Rights Act of 1964

The Chicano Movement

The New Left

Students for a Democratic Society

Work for the Week of January 7th - Sophomores

Tuesday January 8th
Minutes: Alex Z.
HW: Begin to work on your rewrite. Focus on vague and colloquial language.
Reading HW: Aristotle Action Philosophers. Be prepared for a quiz.

Wednesday January 9th
Minutes: Sharon Z.
HW: Please write a response that exceeds six sentences. Utilize quotes from the text.
Reading HW: Read the following excerpt from Aristotle's Poetics found here. Read sections I-IV (that includes IV). How does Aristotle value art as a form of imitation? How does imitation function within art?

Thursday January 10th
Minutes: Annique W.
HW: Draft Day! Please bring in your most recent draft of your rewrite. I will be checking for homework.
Reading HW: Read the following papers (this one and this one and now this one!) which earned high marks on this essay. Be prepared to discuss these in class as we try to learn new strategies to improve our own work.

Friday January 11th
Minutes: Allen N.
HW: Draft Day! Please bring in your most recent draft of your rewrite. I will be checking for homework.
Reading HW:

Monday January 14th
Minutes:
HW: Rewrite is due. Unless you're in Period 9.
Reading HW:

Work for the Week of Jan. 7th - Freshmen

Tuesday January 8th
Minutes: Talia, Darwin
HW: Why does Cheswick commit suicide? Please provide a minimum six sentence response. Utilize quotes in your response.
Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE-151 BLACK 175

Wednesday January 9th
Minutes: Alex H., Michael D.
HW: N/A ...Quiz?
Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE-168 BLACK 201

Thursday January 10th
Minutes: David, Ahmet
HW: Begin to prepare for your next major writing assignment.
Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE-190 BLACK 225

Friday January 11th
Minutes: Max, Aritri
HW: Please select a character and attempt to determine his/her disorder for your Armchair Psychologist assignment. This will be checked in class.
Reading HW: Review the text for examples of symptoms for your writing assignment. NO READING FOR TONIGHT. I MADE A MISTAKE ASSIGNING YOU READING IN CLASS. SORRY.

Monday January 14th
Minutes: Rui, Daisy
HW: We will be acting out the fishing scene in class. Begin to contemplate what this scene may look like. Determine what scenes you feel might be best acted out.
Reading HW: Read through pages BLUE- 218 BLACK 258

Work for Tuesday January 8th, 2013

Freshmen
Read Blue (151) Black (175) and explain why Cheswick does what he does.  Explain in six sentences.  To be checked.

Sophomores
Read the following "Action Comics" about Aristotle.  Expect a quiz tomorrow.

Sophomores E.C. - Blaspheme or Philosopher?

I'd like you to conduct research on an individual who was considered to be a musician who was believed to be a "corrupter of youth". I'd like you explore if this individual followed the path of leaving the cave, presenting some new truth or philosophy to the world through his/her art. If you're having trouble thinking of an example, consider names like Elvis, Frank Zappa, Kathleen Hanna, and Jello Biafra. Feel free to use your own examples as well! Conduct a little research, post a song, and join in the conversation.

Sophomores - Work for the Week of January 2nd 2013

Wednesday January 2nd
Minutes: Minutes sign up today for those of us who have missed/forgotten our dates.
Reading HW: N/A
HW: N/A

Thursday January 3rd
Minutes: TBA
Reading HW: Please research a historical example of a "heretic."
HW: Please write up a short bio of this heretic, explain his/her apparent heresy, and the reaction of his/her community to this crime.  Period 8,9 - Research evangelical christianity, Oral Roberts, and televangelism on youtube.

Friday January 4th
Minutes: TBA
Reading HW: Here is a link to the transcript/audio of the episode "Heretics" by "This American Life."  Please quote, at least twice, from the podcast when answering the homework question.
HW: Period 5 - Should Reverend Carlton Peterson be celebrated as a Christian?  Period 8,9 - Please write up a short bio of a famous heretic, explain his/her apparent heresy, and compare this heretic to a prisoner in Plato's cave. 

Monday January 7th
Minutes: TBA
Reading HW: 
HW: 
Papers will be handed back today.  Rewrites will be due on Monday January 14th.

Freshmen - Work for the Week of January 2nd 2013

Wednesday January 2nd
Minutes: 
Reading HW: N/A
HW: N/A

Thursday January 3rd
Minutes: 
Reading HW: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blue - 83, Black 90
HW: Considering our exercise in class today and our reading for tonight, take 10 minutes and sit somewhere in silence.  Your job is to take notes of the sounds around you, discernable or not, simply sit, listen, and notate.  After doing so, compare your experience to Chief's night terrors found (Blue 78-82, Black 85-90).  How can you empathize with Chief after completing this exercise?

Friday January 4th
Minutes: 
Reading HW: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blue - 101 Black - 113
HW: Please provide 5 post-its that display McMurphy's rebellious nature.

Monday January 7th
Minutes: 
Reading HW: One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest Blue - 128 Black - 146
HW: