Work for the Week of October 28th - Seniors

Monday October 28th

Minutes: Othilla

Reading HW: Read up to page 33 The Handmaid's Tale

HW: What is different about this world?  What is the society that Atwood has created?

Tuesday October 29th

Minutes: Sean

Reading HW: Read to page 66.
HW: Define freedom in the United States.  Define freedom in Gilead.  What is the difference between freedom to and freedom from?

Wednesday October 30th

Minutes: Gurleen

Reading HW: Women's Wednesday!  Hooray!
HW: Select an article of interest and provide a one page reflection about the significance of your article and its connection to our class.

Thursday October 31st

Minutes: 

Reading HW: Read to page 106.
HW:

Friday November 1st

Minutes: Michael

Reading HW: Sexual Danger packet
HW: I'd like you to reflect upon one particular moment/idea in this packet that strikes you the most.  What emotions are you feeling?  Why does this particular idea stand out to you?  Explore.

Monday November 4th

Minutes: 

Reading HW: Read to page 140.
HW: N/A

Work for the Week of October 28th - Juniors

Monday October 28th
Minutes: Ray, Pierre

Reading HW: "Running" by Gil Scot Heron and the correlating song.
HW: Compare the lyrics of this song to our class discussion about forgetting memories.  What is the inherent value of "running" away from our memories?  I expect six sentences.  I will check this on Monday.

Tuesday October 29th
Minutes: Cheuk, Clement
Reading HW: http://www.radiolab.org/story/91570-eternal-sunshine-of-the-spotless-rat/

HW: Reaction to this RadioLab piece.  Please explain the content of the podcast and your reaction to such technology.

Wednesday October 30th

Minutes: Betty, Karandeep

Thursday October 31st

Minutes: Isabella, Jarek

Reading HW: Huck - Read to pg. 37

HW: 

Friday November 1st

Minutes: Dmitriy, Erik

Reading HW: Huck - Read to pg. 67

HW: 

Monday November 4th
Minutes: Nathaniel, N/A
Reading HW: Huck pg. 90
HW: 

Work for the Week of October 28th - Freshmen

Monday October 28th

Minutes: Larissa, Hannah

Reading HW: "Best Qualities" "Magpies"

HW: What lesson can we learn from the birth of the magpies?  I'd like you to take a situation in your life that makes you sad and try to see how you can overcome this sadness by looking at the "brighter side" of life.  

Tuesday October 29th

Minutes: Kasey, Felix
Reading HW: "Waiting Between the Trees" "Double Face"

HW: Which animal represents your birth year?  What similarities/differences do you share with your year animal?  Are you a "ghost" of your animal as Ying-ying feels she is?

Wednesday October 30th

Minutes: Jessica, Pazit

Reading HW: "Two Tickets"

HW: I want you to imagine or remember an experience where you visit your family's home country before coming to the United States (whatever generation that may be).  Where would you go?  What would you see?  How could you better understand your identity through such a trip.  Please write a full page.  Interview a family member to aid in your research.

Thursday October 31st

Minutes: Jannat, Karen C.

Reading HW: N/A

HW: N/A

Friday November 1st

Minutes: Rysa, Nick

Reading HW: Go to the Online Writing Lab at Purdue University and look up the rules for your particular punctuation mark.  

HW: Please PRINT, HIGHLIGHT, AND TAKE MARGINAL NOTES – these will be checked and will be used later on.

Monday November 4th

Minutes: Bayle

Reading HW: 

HW: Begin writing assignment.

E.C. - Freshmen - Amy Chua and Parenting

As a  class we discussed Amy Chua's controversial article "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior".  We noted how Chua's parenting style emphasized a particular kind of success.  I'd like you in the extra credit to comment on Chua's perception of success and if happiness has any role in this definition.  Be sure to quote Chua when necessary.  I would like you to also dig deply through the article's comment section for any particularly insightful/ridiculous ideas.

This should then lead you to consider, if someday you are a parent, how do you intend to raise a child?  What do you want for your child?  I think it behooves us to ask our parents these very questions as they surely had considered such questions in their lifetimes.  Interview a parent and ask how to raise a child.  How can a parent ensure that the child comes out the way that s/he wants?  Were your grandparents successful in raising your parents?  Let's see what you can find and how your research influences your future child.

E.C. Juniors - Do Schools Stifle Curiousity?

Please watch the following TED talk by Sir Ken Robinson entitled "Do Schools Kill Creativity?"  Here is a transcript for the speech.

Your job is to assess Robinson's argument.  You have spent a massive portion of your life in school and so you are perfectly capable of weighing in on Robinson's ideas using your own experience as evidence.  How does Robinson establish his point?  Have you ever attend a class that stifled your sense of creativity?  How do academic institution teach young people to become servile, complacent automatons?  Or is your experience different?  When have you been encouraged to express your creative, individualistic side?  Do you feel as if you are free to explore your interests?

Let's not only analyze Robinson's ideas, but each others.  Read your fellow commenters' words and chime in.  Add a link to a releveant article and we'll respond.  Get started!

Work for the Week of October 21st - Seniors

Monday October 21st

Minutes: N/A

Reading HW: Ch. 15-17

HW: Paper due.

Tuesday October 22nd

Minutes: Asma

Reading HW: Finish the Bell Jar

HW: What is the symbol of the bell jar?  Does Joan exist?  What future do you foresee for Esther as the novel ends?

Wednesday October 23rd

Minutes: Gurleen

Reading HW: Find an article of interest.

HW: Women's Wednesday!  Select an article and provide a short analysis of its contents.  Why does this article stand out to you?  What are the implications of this piece?  Why is it important for our class to address this issue?

Thursday October 24th

Minutes: Chris

Reading HW: Watch part one of Anita Sarkeeshian's Tropes Vs. Women in video games.

HW: How do these tropes influence our perception of female gender roles?  Do you play video games? What is the experience of being a female gamer like?  Why are the dynamics between male and female gamers so pronounced in the virtual world?

Friday October 25th

Minutes: Ida

Reading HW: "The Yellow Wallpaper" by Charlotte Perkins Gilman

HW: What parallels can you establish between "The Yellow Wallpaper" and "The Bell Jar"?  How is illness depicted in both pieces?  Why is Esther successful where the narrator of "The Yellow Wallpaper" is not?

Monday October 28th

Minutes: Othilla

Reading HW: Read up to page 33 The Handmaid's Tale

HW: What is different about this world?  What is the society that Atwood has created?

Work for the Week of October 21st - Freshmen

Monday October 21st

Minutes: Jason., Momo

Reading HW: Voice in the Wall, Half and Half

HW:  Perfect paragraph draft due.

Tuesday October 22nd

Minutes: Ming, Karen J       

Reading HW: Read "Why Chinese Mothers Are Superior" by Amy Chua, comment section,

HW: Is Amy Chua making a strong argument in her piece?  What are her goals as a parent?  Do you believe her children are happy?  How does Chua's parenting style compare to your parents?
 Final PP draft due today.

Wednesday October 23rd

Minutes: Claudia, Karen Y

Reading HW: "Two Kinds" and "Rice Husband" 

HW: N/A

Thursday October 24th

Minutes: Warren

Reading HW: "Four Directions" "Without Wood" 

HW: Both of these stories reveal several examples of paranoia.  I'd like you to find four examples of paranoia, jotting down each textual example and the corresponding page number.

Friday October 25th

Minutes: Kenneth

HW Postponed for Monday

Monday October 28th

Minutes: Larissa

Reading HW: "Best Qualities" "Magpies"

HW: What lesson can we learn from the birth of the magpies?  I'd like you to take a situation in your life that makes you sad and try to see how you can overcome this sadness by looking at the "brighter side" of life.  

Work for the Week of October 21st -Juniors

Link to "A" rumination papers.

Monday October 21st

Minutes: Alex O., Andrew G.

Reading HW: Ch. 7 + 8

HW: Why does Vonnegut wait so long to write about the firebombing of Dresden?  How is the aftermath of the fire bombing depicted?  Why does Vonnegut portray the soldiers as a sort of barbershop quartet?

Tuesday October 22nd

Minutes: Samiha, Joyce

Reading HW: Ch. 9, 10 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: Paper due.

-Let us suppose that this is not a story about time travel.  How could you explain the "time travel" and the extraordinary events that Billy Pilgrim experiences in a rational manner?  How is Pilgrim a kind of proxy for Vonnegut?  How is this war novel just as real as O'Brien's work?

Wednesday October 23rd

Minutes: Austin, Jiaqi

Reading HW: Kurt Vonnegut's Harrison Bergeron and MLK's "I Have a Dream Speech"

HW: How could Vonnegut's 2081 be inspired by MLK's speech?  What is the intended absurdity of Vonnegut's work?  What message is Vonnegut perhaps attempting to depict?

Thursday October 24th

Minutes: Meril

Friday October 25th

Minutes: Edward, Hyunwoo
Reading HW: "Running" by Gil Scot Heron and the correlating song.
HW: Compare the lyrics of this song to our class discussion about forgetting memories.  What is the inherent value of "running" away from our memories?  I expect six sentences.  I will check this on Monday.

Monday October 28th

Minutes: Ray, Pierre

Work for the Week of October 15th - Juniors

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Karen H., Mcvvina L.

Reading HW: Ch. 5 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: How and why does Vonnegut choose to insert himself into Billy Pilgrim's story?  How is Vonnegut's storytelling similar/different to Tim O'Brien's?

Wednesday October 16th

Minutes: Tommy C., William T.

Reading HW: N/A

HW: Please bring in a draft of your paper.  Email me a draft as well so that I can see your progress.  You will lose credit if you do not email me a draft by midnight October 15th.

Thursday October 17th

Minutes: Victor M., David L.

Reading HW: Ch. 6 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: How does Billy describe Dresden before its bombing?  Please find a description of Hiroshima/Nagasaki before their bombings.  What did these cities look like?

Friday October 18th

Minutes: Jason L., Kim C. 

Reading HW: N/A
HW: Draft for revision.

Work for the Week of October 15th - Freshmen

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Daniel A + Maddie (scheduling problem), can't read the handwriting. 

Reading HW: “Scar”, “Red Candle”, “Moon Lady”

HW: N/A

Wednesday October 16th

Minutes: Charles, Andy

Reading HW: N/A

HW: Begin second perfect paragraph assignment.

Thursday October 17th

Minutes: Lucy, Sam

Reading HW: “Rules of the Game”

HW: I'd like you to compare the relationship you have with your parents to the relationship Waverly has with her mother.  What similarities and differences do you note?  Please write a minimum of six sentences.

Friday October 18th

Minutes: Claire, Cassandra

Reading HW: Workshop Day!
HW: Draft for revision.  Two perfect paragraphs due Monday October 21st.

Work for the Week of October 15th - Seniors

Monday October 14th

COLUMBUS DAY!

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Colin

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 11-12

HW: Begin trope assignment.

Wednesday October 16th

Minutes: Shareear

Reading HW: Draft Day! (Women's Wednesday is postponed to next Wednesday).

HW: Bring in a draft of your new assignment.

Thursday October 17th

Minutes: Aaron K.

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 13-14

HW: Just as Esther has a mantra, I'd like you to adopt Esther's mantra.  I'd like you to set a timer and repeat the words "I am" to yourself for five straight minutes.  Write about the experience.

Friday October 18th

Minutes: Kaitlyn Z.

Reading HW: Draft Day!

HW: Bring in a final draft of your assignment.

Monday October 21st

Minutes: Kathryn

Reading HW: The Bell Jar 15-16

HW: Paper due today.

Freshmen - E.C. - The "Modern" Prometheus

What a shock it would be for Mary Shelley to witness her creation, Frankenstein's creature, and all of its adaptations throughout the years!  Considering just how many times Shelley's story has been remade and retold, it is no wonder that our eloquent, benevolent creature has evolved into some hulking, drooling, fire-fearing mouth breather with bolts in his neck!

For this assignment, I'd like you to research an example of the Frankenstein story in popular context that betrays Shelley's text to some degree.  Be sure to explain the artifact and its characteristics while also revealing how this piece deviates from Shelley's original 1818 text.

Do not copy and paste.  Explain ideas in your own words or you will not receive credit.  Happy hunting!

Seniors - Work for the Week of October 7th

Monday October 7th

Minutes: Bianca

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 7

HW: How is Esther's life like a "fig tree"?  I'd like you to think of you own life like a fig tree.  Explain six different potential "branches" of your fig tree that reflect the hopes and desires of you, your friends, your family, and your culture, and your country.

Tuesday October 8th

Minutes: Jesse

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 8

HW: Analyze Esther's perception of suicide as she skis down the mountain.
Personal essay rewrites due today.  

Wednesday October 9th

Minutes: Agnes

Reading HW: Women's Wednesday!  Every Wednesday we will take a break from our text to discuss modern women's issues.  Look for current events that discuss women's issues and bring in an article to class.  Here are some wonderful resources to explore:
-Speaking of Women's Rights
-Huffpo Women
-Feministing
-Geek Feminism
-Bitch Magazine
HW: Write a page long reflection piece explaining why you selected your piece and its importance to our class.

Thursday October 10th

Minutes: Janet L.

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 9 - 10

HW: Why does Esther proudly wear blood on her face?  What female tropes does Plath introduce in this chapter?  Please research 3 other stereotypical female tropes.

Friday October 11th

Minutes: Li Yi

Reading HW: The Bell Jar Ch. 11 - 12

HW:   What does Esther mean when she describes her future as a "series of bright, white boxes" (128)?

Monday October 14th

COLUMBUS DAY!

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Colin

Reading HW: N/A

HW: Begin trope assignment.

Juniors - Work for the Week of October 7th

Monday October 7th

Minutes: Nathaniel B., Eric C.

Reading HW: Ch. 1 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: Why is the alternate title of this book The Children's Crusade?

Tuesday October 8th

Minutes: Ricky H., Sisi Z., 

Reading HW: Ch. 2 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: Please create a timeline for the events of Billy's life presented in this chapter.

Wednesday October 9th

Minutes: Jacky Y., N/A

Reading HW: Ch. 3 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: Does Billy have free will?  Do you?  Please explain your reasoning for both answers.  Use the text as evidence.

Thursday October 10th

Minutes: Albert Y., N/A

Reading HW: Ch. 4 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: Why does Billy find it beautiful to watch time backwards?  Please select a terrible event in history and recount it backwards.  What is the effect of seeing this event in such a light?

Friday October 11th

Minutes: Mushfiq, Jiaqi S.

Reading HW:

HW: Begin your writing assignment found here.

Monday October 14th

COLUMBUS DAY

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Karen H., Mcvvina L.

Reading HW: Ch. 5 Slaughterhouse Five

HW: How and why does Vonnegut choose to insert himself into Billy Pilgrim's story?  How is Vonnegut's storytelling similar/different to Tim O'Brien's?

Freshmen - Work for the Week of October 7th

Monday October 7th

Minutes: Jannat, Andrew

Reading HW: Finish book.  Bring in to return.

HW: Considering our early discussions, is Frankenstein an example of "good" literature?  Why or why not?

PLEASE WATCH THIS.  IT IS AMAZINGLY RIDICULOUS.

Tuesday October 8th

Minutes: Daniel S., Eileen L.

Reading HW: Please watch a 1910 interpretation of Frankenstein.  

HW: What obvious differences exist between our reading of Shelley's text and this particular film?

Wednesday October 9th

Minutes: Alex C., Jessy H.

Period 1:
Reading HW: Please watch a 1910 interpretation of Frankenstein.  

HW: What obvious differences exist between our reading of Shelley's text and this particular film?

Period 4: N/A


Thursday October 10th

Minutes: Ming Y., Matthew Z. 

Reading HW: Read "Name and Identity"

HW: What argument in this piece strikes you the most?  How does the argument connect Shelley's Frankenstein with Brooks' Young Frankenstein

Friday October 11th

Minutes: Tommy Z., Arnab D.

Reading HW: "The Joy Luck Club" (the short story, not the entire book)

HW: 

Monday October 14th
COLUMBUS DAY - NO SCHOOL

Tuesday October 15th

Minutes: Daniel A.

Reading HW: 

HW: 

E.C. Freshmen - Inheritance

To continue our debate from today, listen to one of the listed section from our Radiolab episode, "Inheritance."  

Do you find yourself believing more in nature or nurture?  How can we support each claim?  More importantly, how does this debate fit into Mary Shelley's Frankenstein?  Are our characters creatures of their genes or their environments?  Be sure to respond to the podcast but also respond to each other.  Feel free to contributed additional resources (links please) to continue our debate!

E.C. Seniors - Why Are There Still So Few Women In Science?

Please read the following NYTimes article.  Yes, it's long (stop whining) but I believe that it reopens a pertinent question, revealing a rather unsurprising trend in academia; women scientists are not only scarcer than their male counterparts, but are also paid significantly less and subjected to harsher criticism.

Is this trend present in our school?  I'm curious to see the male and female perspective of Stuyvesant students, students who exist in a math and science school.  Is Stuyvesant a proponent of change in the face of this trend or is Stuyvesant continuing the perception that science is a subject for men?

While we may be tempted to use actual names (students and teachers), please refrain.  Let's have a strong, pointed, but respectable discussion.  Don't just engage the article, engage each other.  Feel free to include links to other related topics.