Fairy Tale Journal

Fairy Tale Journals

1.              Each journal entry should be about 200-250 words in length.

2.              Write a fairy tale based off of another fairy tale.

3.              Blog posts are worth 10 points each.

4.              Artwork that represents/interprets each story assigned. (Not all stories will have to have an artistic interpretation.

5.              The cover to your journal should be decorated. The first page of your journal should contain your name and a table of contents.

6.              Research summaries of assigned articles/websites etc.

7.              Homework assignments, both graded and ungraded should be included.

8.              Comparison/contrast paper on Little Red Riding Hood-due 9/29

Characterization is the hallmark of good fiction.  There are eight basic ways in which characters are revealed to readers:

•    through their names

•    their physical appearances

•    their personal histories

•    the things they say

•    the things others say about them

•    the ways they act in response to specific situations

•    the ways they act habitually

and their thoughts

Some ideas about how to write your own fairy tale:

Change the main character

Have the story take place somewhere else

Have the story take place in another time

Tell the story form a different character’s point of view

Make the problem of the story different

Change an important item in the story

You can even change the end of the story. Maybe they don’t live happily every after-- after all!

Some ideas for your comparison/contrast paper on Little Red Riding Hood

1.Purpose and Supporting Details: The paper compares and contrasts items clearly. The paper points to specific examples to illustrate the comparison. The paper includes only the information relevant to the comparison.

2. Organization and Structure: The paper breaks the information into whole-to-whole, similarities-to-differences, or point-by-point structure. It follows a consistent order when discussing the comparison.

3. Transitions: The paper moves smoothly from one idea to the next. The paper uses comparison and contrast transition words to show relationships between ideas. The paper uses a variety of sentence structures and transitions.

4. Conclusion: States a thoughtful or logical conclusion based on similarities and differences.

Gretel in Darkness

BY LOUISE GLÜCK

This is the world we wanted.

All who would have seen us dead

are dead. I hear the witch’s cry

break in the moonlight through a sheet

of sugar: God rewards.

Her tongue shrivels into gas. . . .

             Now, far from women’s arms

and memory of women, in our father’s hut

we sleep, are never hungry.

Why do I not forget?

My father bars the door, bars harm

from this house, and it is years.

No one remembers. Even you, my brother,

summer afternoons you look at me as though

you meant to leave,

as though it never happened.

But I killed for you. I see armed firs,

the spires of that gleaming kiln—

Nights I turn to you to hold me

but you are not there.

Am I alone? Spies

hiss in the stillness, Hansel,

we are there still and it is real, real,

that black forest and the fire in earnest.

Paper for When Living was a Labor Camp

Poetry Explications: When Living Was a Labor Camp

A poetry explication is a relatively short analysis which describes the possible meanings and relationships of the words, images, and other small units that make up a poem. Writing an explication is an effective way for a reader to connect a poem's plot and conflicts with its structural features. This handout reviews some of the important techniques of approaching and writing a poetry explication, and includes parts of two sample explications.

Preparing to Write the Explication

1. READ the poem silently, then read it aloud (if not in a testing situation). Repeat as necessary.
2. Consider the poem as a dramatic situation in which a speaker addresses an audience or another character. In this way, begin your analysis by identifying and describing the speaking voice or voices, the conflicts or ideas, and the language used in the poem.

The Large Issues

Determine the basic design of the poem by considering the who, what, when, where, and why of the dramatic situation.

·         What is being dramatized? What conflicts or themes does the poem present, address, or question?

·         Who is the speaker? Define and describe the speaker and his/her voice. What does the speaker say? Who is the audience? Are other characters involved?

·         What happens in the poem? Consider the plot or basic design of the action. How are the dramatized conflicts or themes introduced, sustained, resolved, etc.?

·         When does the action occur? What is the date and/or time of day?

·         Where is the speaker? Describe the physical location of the dramatic moment.

·         Why does the speaker feel compelled to speak at this moment? What is his/her motivation?

The Details

To analyze the design of the poem, we must focus on the poems' parts, namely how the poem dramatizes conflicts or ideas in language. By concentrating on the parts, we develop our understanding of the poem's structure, and we gather support and evidence for our interpretations.

Writing the Explication

The explication should follow the same format as the preparation: begin with the large issues and basic design of the poem and work through each line to the more specific details and patterns.

The First Paragraph

The first paragraph should present the large issues; it should inform the reader which conflicts are dramatized and should describe the dramatic situation of the speaker. The explication does not require a formal introductory paragraph; the writer should simply start explicating immediately. According to UNC 's Professor William Harmon, the foolproof way to begin any explication is with the following sentence: "This poem dramatizes the conflict between …" Such a beginning ensures that you will introduce the major conflict or theme in the poem and organize your explication accordingly.

An undergraduate recently began an explication of Wordsworth's "Composed upon Westminster Bridge" in the following way:

This poem dramatizes the conflict between appearance and reality, particularly as this conflict relates to what the speaker seems to say and what he really says. From Westminster Bridge, the speaker looks at London at sunrise, and he explains that all people should be struck by such a beautiful scene. The speaker notes that the city is silent, and he points to several specific objects, naming them only in general terms: "Ships, towers, domes, theatres, and temples" (6). After describing the "glittering" aspect of these objects, he asserts that these city places are just as beautiful in the morning as country places like "valley, rock, or hill" (8,10). Finally, after describing his deep feeling of calmness, the speaker notes how the "houses seem asleep" and that "all that mighty heart is lying still" (13, 14). In this way, the speaker seems to say simply that London looks beautiful in the morning.

The Conclusion??

The explication has no formal concluding paragraph; do not simply restate the main points of the introduction! The end of the explication should focus on sound effects or visual patterns as the final element of asserting an explanation. Or, as does the undergraduate here, the writer may choose simply to stop writing when he or she reaches the end of the poem:

The poem ends with a vague statement: "And all that mighty heart is lying still!" In this line, the city's heart could be dead, or it could be simply deceiving the one observing the scene. In this way, the poet reinforces the conflict between the appearance of the city in the morning and what such a scene and his words actually reveal.

Tips to keep in mind

1.      Refer to the speaking voice in the poem as "the speaker" or "the poet." For example, do not write, "In this poem, Wordsworth says that London is beautiful in the morning." However, you can write, "In this poem, Wordsworth presents a speaker who…" We cannot absolutely identify Wordsworth with the speaker of the poem, so it is more accurate to talk about "the speaker" or "the poet" in an explication.

2.      Use the present tense when writing the explication. The poem, as a work of literature, continues to exist!

3.      To avoid unnecessary uses of the verb 'to be' in your compositions, the following list suggests some verbs you can use when writing the explication:

dramatizes presents illustrates characterizes underlines

asserts posits enacts connects portrays

contrasts juxtaposes suggests implies shows

addresses emphasizes stresses accentuates enables

Poetic Terminology

Poetry Terminology


1. Poetry is written in verse.
a. Verse is writing that has rhythm or a regular beat (like music).
b. Poems are divided into groups of lines called stanzas. Stanzas are often separated by spaces within the poem.

2. Poetry often has rhyme.
a. Rhyme is the repetition of like-sounding words at the ends of lines. Poetry, however, does not have to rhyme.

3. Poetry is concerned with sound as well as sense.
a. Poetry is meant to be read or sung aloud; therefore, the way it is written is almost as important as what it is about. In addition to rhythm and rhyme, certain devices are used to help create effective sound in poetry.

Sound Devices:

a) Alliteration: the repetition of starting sounds in words (usually consonants)

i. Eg: “The slither of stones, the lone second of silence”

b) Onomatopoeia: the use of words that sound like what they mean.

i. Eg: whisper, buzz, belch, screech, creak

c) Repetition: the repeating of a word, line or verse throughout a poem.


4. Poetry appeals to the senses through imagery.
a. Imagery is the creation of mental pictures for the reader or listener. Effective imagery appeals to all the senses, not just sight.
i. Eg: The chirp of a cricket lulled me to sleep.
The dew on the grass soaked through my shoes.

Certain figures of speech are used in creating these mental pictures.
a) Metaphor: a comparison in which one thing is said to be something else.
a. Eg: The woman was a tower of strength.
An eagle is the wind.

b) Simile: a comparison using “like” or “as”
a. Eg: She was a busy as a bee.
My love is like a red, red rose.

c) Personification: giving a non-human thing human qualities.
a. Eg: The clouds strolled across the sky.
The sun smiled gently on my shoulders.

d) Symbolism: the use of something concrete to represent something abstract.
a. Eg: the dove = peace or freedom
a rose = love or beauty
a candle = life or welcoming

5. Poetry is writing from the heart to the heart.

The appeal in poetry is often to the reader’s emotions. In poetry, generally the subject is something about which the poet has very strong feelings. The purpose of the poem is to get those feelings across to the reader in a meaningful, effective way.

Because of this emotional appeal, poetry is often used to examine important global, social and personal issues.

6. Poetry is subjective.

Each person tends to react to poetry in a different manner because of the emphasis on feelings. What one person gets out of a poem may be very different than another person’s interpretation. There are, however, generally accepted themes or meanings for most poems.

7. There are many types of poetry.

Lyric: a short poem expressing the poet’s feelings about his or her subject.
- it presents a single, unified impression.

Narrative: a poem which tells a story

Epic: a long narrative poem written in a dignified style (too long to be read all at once)
- usually tells the story of a real or mythical hero

Ballad: a shorter narrative poem meant to be sung

Free Verse: poetry without regular rhythm or line length and usually without rhyme

Haiku: a three line poem consisting of seventeen syllables
- presents a single “snapshot” image, usually of nature

For each poem you study, you should be able to give a summary of its content, explain its theme (author’s message), describe the tone (feeling created by poem), point out specific figures of speech and tell whether it is narrative, descriptive or expository.

Narrative: tells a story

Descriptive: describes something

Expository: explains something

Additional Poetic Terms
Alliteration: repetition of the same sound beginning several words in sequence.
*Let us go forth to lead the land we love. J. F. Kennedy, Inaugural
Anaphora: the repetition of a word or phrase at the beginning of successive phrases, clauses or lines.
Antithesis: opposition, or contrast of ideas or words in a balanced or parallel construction.
Apostrophe: a sudden turn from the general audience to address a specific group or person or personified abstraction absent or present.
*For Brutus, as you know, was Caesar's angel.
Judge, O you gods, how dearly Caesar loved him. Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
Archaism: use of an older or obsolete form.
*Pipit sate upright in her chair
Some distance from where I was sitting; T. S. Eliot, "A Cooking Egg"
Assonance: repetition of the same sound in words close to each other.
*Thy kingdom come, thy will be done.
Cacophony: harsh joining of sounds.
*We want no parlay with you and your grisly gang who work your wicked will. W. Churchill
Euphemism: substitution of an agreeable or at least non-offensive expression for one whose plainer meaning might be harsh or unpleasant.
Hyperbole: exaggeration for emphasis or for rhetorical effect.
Irony: expression of something which is contrary to the intended meaning; the words say one thing but mean another.
Metaphor: implied comparison achieved through a figurative use of words; the word is used not in its literal sense, but in one analogous to it.
Metonymy: substitution of one word for another which it suggests.
*He is a man of the cloth.
*The pen is mightier than the sword.
*By the sweat of thy brow thou shalt eat thy bread.
Onomatopoeia: use of words to imitate natural sounds; accommodation of sound to sense.
Oxymoron: apparent paradox achieved by the juxtaposition of words which seem to contradict one another.
*I must be cruel only to be kind. Shakespeare, Hamlet
Paradox: an assertion seemingly opposed to common sense, but that may yet have some truth in it.
*What a pity that youth must be wasted on the young. George Bernard Shaw
Personification: attribution of personality to an impersonal thing.
*England expects every man to do his duty. Lord Nelson
Simile: an explicit comparison between two things using 'like' or 'as'.
Syntax: The way in which words and clauses are ordered and connected so as to form sentences; or the set of grammatical rules governing such word order.
Symbol:[S]omething that is itself and also stands for something else. . . . In a literary sense, a symbol combines a literal and sensuous quality with an abstract or suggestive aspect
Motif: A recurrent image, word, phrase, represented object or action that tends to unify the literary work or that may be elaborated into a more general theme. Also, a situation, incident, idea, image, or character type that is found in many different literary works, folktales, or myths.
Denotation: The basic dictionary meaning of a word, as opposed to its connotative meaning.
Connotation: The emotional implications and associations that words may carry, as distinguished from their denotative meanings
Allusion: An indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic work, the nature and relevance of which is not explained by the writer but relies on the reader’s familiarity with what is thus mentioned. The technique of allusion is an economical means of calling upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share
Allegory: A story or visual image with a second distinct meaning partially hidden behind its literal or visible meaning. In written narrative, allegory involves a continuous parallel between two (or more) levels of meaning in a story, so that its persons and events correspond to their equivalents in a system of ideas or a chain of events external to the tale.

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Poetry and English 1B 2011 Syllabus

Ms. Maria Garcia Teutsch-Poetry Syllabus

English 22

Office Hours:  Tu/Th 12:30-1:30 and by appointment

Email: mteutsch@hartnell.edu

Office Phone: 755-6943

Office: C318

1/25-1/27 Course Introduction

2/1 Questionnaire/Story/Oral Presentations.

2/3 NO CLASS MEETING

2/8-2/10 Ping-Pong/In The Palm of Your Hand TBA, Magazine publication. One paragraph to one page response for each. Poetic Terminology sheets passed out.

2/15-2/17 Ping-Pong/In The Palm of Your Hand/ Magazine publication TBA, One paragraph to one page response for each. Magazine publication. Bring in a love poem or anti-love poem to share with the class.

2/22-2/24 Ping-Pong/In The Palm of Your Hand TBA Magazine publication. One paragraph to one page response for each.

3/1-3/3 In The Palm of Your Hand/ California Poems TBA, Magazine publication. One paragraph to one page response for each. Poetic Terminology Due.

Mandatory attendance at Poetry Reading/open mic To Be Announced

3/8-3/10 Ping-Pong/In The Palm of Your Hand/California Poems Poems and page numbers TBA, One paragraph to one page response for each. Poetry Workshops

3/15-3/17 In The Palm of Your Hand/California Poems  Poems and page numbers TBA, One paragraph to one page response for each. Poetry Workshops

3/22-3/24 In The Palm of Your Hand/California Poems Poems and page numbers TBA, One paragraph to one page response for each. Poetry Workshops

3/24  Journals Due

3/29-3/31 California Poems-Responses for assigned poems in journal.

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH!!!!!!!!!

4/5-4/7 Poetry Workshops Responses for assigned poems in journal

4/12-4/14 Poetry Workshops, Responses for assigned poems in journal

4/26-4/28 Poetry Workshops, Responses for assigned poems in journal.

5/3-5/5  Recitation/Individual Poet presentation begin.

5/10-5/13 Begin Poet/Poem Presentations

5/17- Poetry Reading/Bake Sale

5/24-5/26 Poet/Poem Presentations

ALL OTHER ASSIGNMENTS TO BE ANNOUNCED

General Policies:

Students are expected to attend class.  More than three unexcused absences will result in a drop of one letter grade as factored in with your class participation.  Perfect attendance is encouraged.  Only medical or family emergencies qualify as excused.  Not, I’m really busy,” or, “I need to study for my physics exam.”  We are all busy here, this is not an excuse, it is a state of being.  Seven unexcused absences will result in your being dropped from this class.  Cell Phones are to be turned off when entering the classroom. 

No Sexist, Racist, or Homophobic language is allowed.  This kind of hate speech makes students feel unsafe.  We want an environment of intellectual exchange, not one of uninformed ignorance.

Due dates for assignments are subject to the instructor’s discretion.  Assignments turned in after the due date will not be accepted unless prior arrangements have been made with instructor. 

Required Texts: 

California Poem, Eleni Sikelianos

Ping-Pong, Ed. Maria Garcia Teutsch

In the Palm of Your Hand, Steve Kowitz

Grading Policy:

95-100 A* 91-94 A-* 85-90 B* 81-84 B-* 75-80 C* 71-74 C-* 65-70 D* 61-64 D-

Journals  40%*  Poetry Explication: 20%, Poet/Poem Research Paper/Presentation 20% Class Participation/Class Poetry Reading 10%, You must attend 2 poetry readings this semester and respond to them, 10%

Poetic Terminology

 

1) aesthetics: "Philosophical investigation into the nature of beauty and the perception of beauty, especially in the arts; the theory of art or artistic taste." (CB)

 

2) allegory: "A story or visual image with a second distinct meaning partially hidden behind its literal or visible meaning. In written narrative, allegory involves a continuous parallel between two (or more) levels of meaning in a story, so that its persons and events correspond to their equivalents in a system of ideas or a chain of events external to the tale." (CB)

 

3) allusion: "An indirect or passing reference to some event, person, place, or artistic work, the nature and relevance of which is not explained by the writer but relies on the reader’s familiarity with what is thus mentioned. The technique of allusion is an economical means of calling upon the history or the literary tradition that author and reader are assumed to share. . . ." (CB)

 

4) ambiguity: "Openness to different interpretations: or an instance in which some use of language may be understood in diverse ways." Defended by modern literary critics as "a source of poetic richness rather than a fault of imprecision." (CB)

 

5) canon: A body of works considered authentic (as in the body of works actually written by a particular author) or considered by a particular culture or subculture to be central to its cultural identity.

 

6) connotation: "The emotional implications and associations that words may carry, as distinguished from their denotative meanings." (HH)

 

7) convention: "An established practice—whether in technique, style, structure, or subject matter—commonly adopted in literary works by customary and implicit agreement or precedent rather than by natural necessity." (CB)

 

8) denotation: The basic dictionary meaning of a word, as opposed to its connotative meaning.

 

9) diction: Literary word choice.

 

10) didactic: A work "designed to impart information, advice, or some doctrine of morality or philosophy." (CB)

 

11) discourse: "[A]s a free-standing noun (‘discourse as such) the term denotes language in actual use within its social and ideological contexts and in institutionalized representations of the world called discursive practices." (CB) Literary works may contain or make use of any number of discourses. Literary language may itself be considered a kind of discourse.

 

12) figure of speech: "An expression that departs from the accepted literal sense or from the normal order of words, or in which an emphasis is produced by patterns of sound." (CB)

 

13) form: As a critical term, form "can refer to a genre. . ., or to an established pattern of poetic devices. . ., or, more abstractly, to the structure or unifying principle of design in a given work. . . When speaking of a work’s formal properties, critics usually refer to its structural design and patterning, or sometimes to its style and manner in a wider sense as distinct from its content." (CB)

 

14) genre: "The French term for a type, species, or class of composition. A literary genre is a recognizable and established category of written work employing such common conventions as will prevent readers or audiences from mistaking it [with] another kind." (CB) Genre as a term is distinguished from mode in its greater specificity as to form and convention.

 

15) ideology: A comprehensive world view pertaining to formal and informal thought, philosophy, and cultural presuppositions usually understood as associated with specific positions within political, social, and economic hierarchies. Many schools of modern literary criticism contend that the ideological context of both reader and author always affects the meanings assigned to or encoded in the work.

 

16) irony: "A. . . perception of inconsistency, [usually but not always humorous], in which an apparently straightforward statement or event is undermined by its context so as to give it a very different significance. . . [V]erbal irony. . . involves a discrepancy between what is said and what is really meant. . . .[S]tructural irony. . . involves the use of a naive or deluded hero or unreliable narrator whose view of the world differs widely from the true circumstances recognized by the author and readers. . . . [In] dramatic irony. . . the audience knows more about a character's situation than a character does foreseeing an outcome contrary to a character's expectations, and thus ascribing a sharply different sense to the character's own statements". (CB)

 

17) metaphor: A figure of speech "in which one thing, idea, or action is referred to by a word or expression normally denoting another thing, idea, or action, so as to suggest some common quality shared by the two." The term, "metaphor" is often reserved for figures of speech in which the comparison is implicit or phrased as an "imaginary identity," but it has become more common in recent years to refer to all figures of speech that depend upon resemblances as metaphors. You will therefore sometimes hear similes, where the comparison is explicit and no identity is implied, referred to as metaphorical figures. All metaphors, in any case, are based on the implicit formula, phrased as a simile, "X is like Y." The primary literal term of the metaphor is called the "tenor" and the secondary figurative term is the "vehicle." "[I]n the metaphor the road of life, the tenor is "life" and the vehicle is "the road" (CB).

 

18) metonymy: "A figure of speech that replaces the name of one thing with the name of something else closely associated with it" (CB). The figure is based upon logical connections other than resemblance. For example, you might use "sail" to refer to "ship," as in "I saw a sail on the horizon. This metonymy replaces the name of the whole thing with the name of one of its constituent parts. This kind of metonymy is called synecdoche. Also very common is replacing the name of a thing with itslocation, e.g. replacing "President" with "White House," or replacing "Congress" with "Capitol Hill."

 

19) mimesis: "The Greek word for imitation. . . . A literary work that is understood to be reproducing an external reality or any aspect of it is described as mimetic." (CB)

 

20) mode: "An unspecific critical term usually identifying a broad but identifiable literary method, mood, or manner that is not tied exclusively to a particular form or genre. [Some] examples are the satiric mode, the ironic, the comic, the pastoral, and the didactic." (CB)

 

21) motif: A recurrent image, word, phrase, represented object or action that tends to unify the literary work or that may be elaborated into a more general theme. Also, a situation, incident, idea, image, or character type that is found in many different literary works, folktales, or myths. (CB& HH, adapted)

 

22) novel: Usually an extended realistic fictional prose narrative most often describing "a recognizable secular social world often in a skeptical and prosaic manner. . . ." (CB)

 

23) paradox: "A statement or expression so surprisingly self-contradictory as to provoke us into seeking another sense or context in which it would be true. . ."Paradoxical language is valued in literature as expressing "a mode of understanding [that] . . . challenges our habits of thought." (CB)

 

24) point of view: "The position or vantage point from which the events of a story seem to be observed and presented to us." (CB)

 

25) prose: "In its broadest sense the term is applied to all forms of written or spoken expression not having a regular rhythmic pattern." (HH) "[A]lthough it will have some form of rhythm and some devices of repetition and balance, these are not governed by a regularly sustained formal arrangement, the significant unit being the sentence rather than the line." (CB)

 

26) sign: "A basic element of communication, either linguistic. . . . or non-linguistic . . . .; or anything that can be construed as having a meaning. . . . [E]very sign has two inseparable aspects, the signifier, which is the materially perceptible component such as a sound or written mark, and the signified, which is the conceptual meaning." (CB) The "signified" is the abstract and conceptual content of the sign and can be carried from context to context (e.g., the idea of "chair"). "Referent" is the term used to describe the specific object to which a sign refers in a given context (e.g. "the chair in my office").

 

27) subjectivity: "The quality originating and existing in the mind of a perceiving subject and not necessarily corresponding to any object outside that mind." (HH) In literary critical usage, texts which explore the nature of such a perceiving subject are said to be interested in subjectivity.

 

28) symbol: ". . . .[S]omething that is itself and also stands for something else. . . . In a literary sense, a symbol combines a literal and sensuous quality with an abstract or suggestive aspect." (HH)

 

29) syntax: "The way in which words and clauses are ordered and connected so as to form sentences; or the set of grammatical rules governing such word order." (CB)

 

30) theme: "A salient abstract idea that emerges from a literary work’s treatment of its subject-matter; or a topic occurring in a number of literary works." (CB)

 

31) topos (plural, topoi): A term for a type of convention specific to a given genre. Derived from the Greek term for "place," the term usually refers to a convention, motif, trope, or figure of speech that regularly appears at a particular point in the formal structure of works in a given genre, the absence or unconventional treatment or placement of which will always have profound significance for an interpretation of the work. For example, an epic without an invocation.

 

32) trope: A term often used to denote figures of speech in which words are used in a sense different from their literal meaning. Distinguished from figures of speech based upon word order or sound pattern.

Syllabus for ENG 1B

Instructor: Ms. Maria Garcia Teutsch

Office: C318

Office Hours: T/Th 8:30-9:30 and Wednesday 9-11 Online and by appt.

Email Address: mteutsch@hartnell.edu

Course Description

Focus is on academic writing forms, especially critical analysis of literature through a variety of modes such as comparison and contrast, classification, and causal analysis.

Course Introduction

This course aims to assist you in acquiring the tools you need to communicate effectively not only in your academic classes but also at your workplace and throughout your lives.

Students will analyze short stories, poetry, and non-fiction.

Literary analysis requires MLA style documentation. Students learn how to sharpen their research and documentation skills.

The syllabus is tentative. Topics, assignments, and due dates are subject to change. For the writing assignments, I provide some topic choices for you to select. Don't hesitate to ask questions; I'm only an e-mail away: mteutsch@hartnell.edu.  

Course Goals/Objectives

Upon successful completion of this course, you will have

Increased your awareness of literature and literary analysis. Developed and organized sentences into clear paragraphs and essays. Approached reading and writing both analytically and critically. Learned about MLA and the research and documentation process.  Learned exactly what plagiarism is. Improved your overall written communication skills.

Student Learning Outcomes
1. Apply literary terms and interpretive techniques to read, discuss, and write competent academic prose about literature.
2. Critique and evaluate the formal elements of poetry, fiction, and drama.
3. Produce an analytical research project on a literary work using MLA format that demonstrates understanding of acknowledged methods of critical thinking and writing.

Required texts

Love in Infant Monkeys, Lydia Millet

The California Poem, Eleni Sikelianos

Ruined, Lynn Nottage

Ping-Pong Magazine, ED. Maria Garcia Teutsch

Keep a good dictionary nearby (or use some of the online dictionaries) to check your spelling and the meanings of words. Ideally, your dictionary should be no more than five years old. (Although I personally prefer the American Heritage Dictionary, I also use Webster's.)

Keep in mind that spell checkers cannot detect errors in words like “you're” versus “your.” The computer finds these words spelled correctly but cannot know that you've confused them. You yourself must scout out those errors when you proofread your paper. Moreover, don't completely rely on the grammar checker in your word processing software program. For complicated reasons related to the nature of language and technology, sometimes its suggestions are incorrect.

Due Dates for Assignments 

1/25-1/27 Course Introduction, Questionnaires, Story Sharing

2/1 Read The California Poem --TBA

Reading must be concluded by this date, and for all future assignments by the date indicated next to each reading. One page typed response to story due.

2/3 NO CLASS MEETING

2/8-2/10 The California Poem —TBA. One page typed response due.

2/15-2/17 The California Poem —TBA. One page typed response due.

2/22-2/24 The California Poem —TBA.

3/1-3/3 The California Poem —TBA. One page typed response.

3/8 Journals due.  Read Aloud.

3/10 PAPER #1 DUE/ Group Presentation Handouts

3/15-3/17 GROUP PRESENTATIONS on Ping-Pong

3/22-3/24 GROUP PRESENTATIONS

3/29 Essay Exam

3/31 Begin Love in Infant Monkeys, one page typed response due.

           

4/5-4/7 Love in Infant Monkeys one page typed response due.

4/12-4/14 Love in Infant Monkeys Paper due.

4/26 Ruined, begin drama unit.

General Policies:

Students are expected to attend class.  This is an interactive learning environment and your attendance is important to me and to your classmates.  More than three unexcused absences will result in a drop of 10-20% of your letter grade as factored into your class participation.  Perfect attendance is encouraged. FIVE unexcused absences will result in your being dropped from this class (state law).  Cell phones are to be turned off when entering the classroom.  Late papers will NOT BE ACCEPTED unless cleared by instructor: That means that if you are absent on the day the assignment is due, you must make arrangements to get your paper to me or it will not be accepted. If you do not turn in all of the assigned papers, you will most assuredly not receive the grade you want since each paper is worth 10-20% of your grade. Homework assignments will not be accepted if turned in late.  No homophobic, racist or sexist remarks will be tolerated in this classroom.             

Grading Policy

95-100 A        67-70 D+

91-94 A-        63-66  D            The California Poem Paper 20%

87-90 B+        61-62 D-           Group Presentations/Exam 20%

81-84 B-                                   Love in Infant Monkeys Paper 20%

83-86 B                                    Ruined Essay/Presentation 20%

77-80 C+                                  Blog/Homework 20%

73-76 C                                                                        

70-72 C-                                                                        

All essays and responses must demonstrate mastery of MLA documentation style.

Group Presentation Questions from Fire and Ink

Student generated questions for group presentations. Please answer all questions and turn them in on the day each group presents. All questions come from the stories, essays and poems in Fire and Ink,  ED. Frances Payne Adler et al.

Group #1

Poem question

Pg.81 The lesson

1. Why did the kids feel weird when they walked into the toy store?

2. What did the speaker mean by saying that “ain’t nobody gonna beat me at nothing”?

3. Why was the boat so amazing to the kids?

Pg.100 Daddy Blues

1. What can be said about the relationship?

2. What does language do within the poem?

3. How does repetition work in this poem?

Pg.102 Standing In The Elevator

1. How did it feel to be stuck in the elevator while the building was being burn?

2. After the cleaning guy opening the elevator how relief did the guys in the elevator feel?

3. When the guy at a stoplight asks you if he could clean the windshield for a dollar would you have let him clean the windshield?

Pg. 125 White Skin Privilege

1. If people of white skin think of themselves so highly, why don’t they want to distinguish themselves as different races like African-Americans?

2. What are the privileges of the white people?

3. Why are people not being judge as individuals instead of being judge because of their ethnicity or race?

Group 2

The Circuit pg.73

1. What might be the causes of Francisco's lack of speaking English?

2. Why do you think  Francisco and Roberto hide in the vineyards when they see the bus passing by?

3. How would you explain the importance of family in Francisco's family based on their economic status?

Cannery Town in August pg.184

1. Would you assume that these women are given unfair/extreme hours of work?

2. The speaker quotes "I hear/ the night bird rave about work/or lunch..."(184), what do you think the speaker is really referring to?

3. Do you think that type of working environment eventually gave the workers health issues? (I.e. Lung problems, cancer)

From now let is shift... The path of conocimiento... Inner work, public acts pg.198

1. What is the coatlicue state and how does it cope to one's inner feelings dealing with the negative channel as well as the optimistic space?

2. How does one deal with personal concerns while also being confronted by larger public issues in the arena?

3. What is meant by shifting and in regards to shifting, where are they trying to engage in the future?

Cotton Rows

1. What is the theme of the poem?

2. What does the cotton blanket potrays in the poem?

3. What is the significance of belonging to a community?

Group 3

Ping-Pong Poem

1.     “Avatar’s Pandora: A Modern Day Battle in the Congo” by Kambali Musauuli

2.     “At This Hour” by Sarah Gardner

Questions

1.     “Persimmons” by Li-Young Lee

a.    Is it more important to learn the meaning of a word or to pronounce it?

b.    Can one learn the new language of the land without losing their mother tongue?

c.     Within the U.S school system, how important is it for a student to hold onto their mother tongue?

2.     “The Transformation of Silence into Language and Action” by Audre Lorde

a.    Why is language violating when it comes to situations that conduct fear we are vulnerable to?

b.    What are some reasons that the truth can’t be written or expressed into language?

c.     Within type of people that are the most dependable when it comes to breaking silence that was an incident in the past and why?

3.     “Coming into Language” by Jimmy Santiago Baca

a.    Why are people afraid to speak out?

b.    Can language and education give us freedom?

c.     Does writing bring peace?

d.    Is receiving an education worth it?

4.     “Peace Grove” by Ray Gonzalez

a.    What does the Peace Grove symbolize and how did it contribute to the making the borders of Mexico?

b.    Racial discrimination has been around since the U.S has been discovered; Do you think borders are an excuse to not only keep illegal aliens from crossing it, but to punish them severely without being prosecuted?

c.     How is one live their life on the borders of between safe and unsafe land when there are constant illegal immigrants and border patrols lurking in every corner without being harassed or accused?

Group 4

Revolution Pg. 346

1.     How does love symbolize a revolution?

2.     Is love capable of stopping war?

3.     Do you consider love to be freedom?

Thank You Ma’am Pg. 333

1.     What are affect and consequences of poverty?

2.     Does the size of Mrs. Jones represent or symbolize something in the story?

3.     Do errors in life create wisdom and compassion?

Call me by my true name Pg.337

1.     Do you think there is a way around a life scarring event other than death?

2.     What does it mean when the narrator talks about not being awake?

3.     Does silence and nonparticipation create ignorance?

The American Invasion of Macun Pg.325

1.      Are the poor and minority population treated differently in society?

2.     What lack of respect of culture is imposed on others by the privilege?

3.     What gives a nation the power to invade a smaller nation and take away their natural resources, heritage and culture?

Ping Pong  Shepherd  Cynthia Cruz Pg.18