Monday, May 5 – AP prep

Tuesday, May 6 – AP prep

Wednesday, May 7 – AP prep

Thursday, May 8– AP prep

Friday, May 9 – In The World is Flat, read Chap. One (3-50) “While I Was Sleeping”

Monday, May 12 – Read pp. 51-77 Flatteners 1 and 2

Tuesday, May 13  - Read pp. 77-126 Flatteners 3 and 4

Wednesday, May 14 – Read pp. 127-166 Flatteners 5-7

Thursday, May 15– Read pp. 167-199 Flatteners 8-10

Friday, May 16— Read pp. 200-232 “The Triple Convergence”

Contemporary History paper

            This paper assignment will be a combination of research, analysis, and opinion.  We are going back to one of the major questions of the course: who gets to write history?

            You are going to choose a topic below and discuss the role the media played in the writing of the history of that particular event.  By "media,"  I mean television, radio (including talk radio), newspapers (both mainstream and tabloid), magazines, the Internet, movies, and plays.  (Of course, not all of these media are applicable in each case.)  By "writing the history of a particular event," I mean both at the time the event was unfolding and also in the years after the event has concluded (some of these events have had more time to play out than others).  For example, has there been a revision in the perception of the event as a result of the media in the time since the event?

            I am NOT looking for an historical recap of what happened, although you will, of course, have to include specifics and details from the event itself.  You are going to focus on the role the media played in the writing of that turn of events.

            What role did the media play in writing the history of one of these events:

Here is also something different about this paper: you may team up with one other person to do the research and writing of the paper. A word of caution: be wary about teaming up with someone who will not carry his or her weight.  If you team up, both people will receive the same grade on the paper.  This paper is due Wednesday, Dec. 12.  The suggested length is 5-8 pages.  Use proper citation and bibliography form.  You should use a collection of reasoned and balanced sources.

World War II contracts

You are going to choose one of the projects on World War II below.  The due date is Friday, Oct. 8.  The project counts the same as a paper.  High standards and quality will be expected, just as they are on papers.  Find time to talk to me about your project before you begin it.  This counts as half of a paper grade (50 pts.).

1. ART ESSAY.  In pen and ink, watercolor, or other medium (specify which), create an art essay of at least 5 drawings depicting something in an area related to World War II.  For example, you might wish to do a series of drawings of planes flown at the time or clothing designs worn by people in the 1940’s or famous people of the era or battle scenes.  No tracing allowed.  Show some originality; don’t pick this one unless you have some artistic talent.

2. PHOTO ESSAY.  This is similar to the art essay, except you will do a series of at least a dozen photos, larger than 3x5.  The photos should be mounted nicely and arranged for display.  Only do this if you have photographic talent.

3. SLIDE SHOW or POWERPOINT.  This is similar to the art essay, except you will do a series of at least 24 slides.  Use appropriate background music for the slide show.  Note: for a Powerpoint, you are to use original photos that you have taken, not photos downloaded from the Net.  Only do this if you have some photographic talent.

4. SONG.  Write an original song that might have been written in the 1940’s about the war (you might want to study some songs popular at the time to get a sense of what songwriters were writing about then).   It could be pro-war, anti-war, anti-Nazi, serious, comic, propaganda, romantic, dramatic.  It needs to be appropriate to the time period in style and content.  Turn in the sheet music and a recorded version (or play it live for us).  The song must have at least several verses. You need some musical skills for this.

5. MOVIE REVIEW.  Watch two movies, at least one of which was produced between 1939 and 1945.  (The other can be about World War II, but made much later.)  Write a review in which you review each movie, discussing the plot, the messages or themes, the styles, the cinematography, the characters, and so forth.  Do the movies seem dated or still fresh (and why)?  Also include in your review a comparison of the two movies.  (You could also do this for plays related to World War II.

6. WEB PAGE.  Develop a Web page devoted to a specific topic related to World War II, such as a particular battle or the role of women in wartime or novels written about the war or military leaders or whatever.  The Web page should be aesthetically appealing, highly informative (including links), and historically accurate.

7. RADIO PLAY.  Radio plays were very popular during this time.  Locate the script of a radio drama (such as a murder mystery or war-time drama) or comedy from this time period and recreate it on audiotape.  Use sound effects and background music, just as they did in the old days.  This one can be done with a group of students.  It should last at least 20 minutes

8. COOKBOOK.  Locate a cookbook that was in print during the war.  Type up a recipe from the cookbook.  Also include a photocopy from the books’ title pages.  Cook one entrée, snack, dessert, or other item as per the original recipe for us to enjoy.

9. POSTERS.  Draw and then color in at least two original war-time posters that reflect the propaganda of the times.  Study some actual war-time posters and then come up with your own ideas.  Each poster must be at least 2’x2’.  You must have some artistic talent to do this.

10. DISPLAY.  Develop a standing display related to either the Holocaust or the dropping of the atomic bomb or another topic related to the war.  Include visual materials (such as photos or artwork), resources (such as listings of worthy books and Web sites), and historical materials to convey the horror associated with either event

11. YOUR CHOICE.  If you have an idea for a different project, talk to me.

New Deal Paper

Suggested length: 4-5 pages

Due date: Thursday, Sept. 29

            Our first paper was both analytical and persuasive, based on the summer reading.  Another type of paper you need to be familiar with is the research-based paper.  You are going to do a research paper with a few twists.

            I would like you to investigate one agency or organization or piece of legislation associated with FDR’s New Deal.  But I don’t want this to be simply research; that might be too boring. I want you to examine some of the following questions regarding that agency or organization (and other questions that might occur to you):

q       How effective was this agency or legislation?  Was it more noteworthy for its successes or failures?  Were its successes more in substance or in style and public relations? Does it leave any legacy? Are there equivalent agencies or legislation today?  How meaningful do you see this agency? What is legacy of this agency in the Toledo area or other parts of Ohio?

But please, do NOT run through these questions and write a sentence or two for each one.  Too formulaic. 

            What I’d rather not see is this: the first 2/3 of the paper is your research, and the final third is a commentary on the effectiveness, etc., of the agency.  Instead, try to weave your personal commentary and analysis throughout the paper.  Is that tougher?  Yes, but much more interesting to read.  Feel free to use the “I” pronoun as you evaluate the program.

            You need to have at least five sources cited in your paper: at least two on-line sources (Web sites), at least one magazine or newspaper article (either in print or through an online database, such as INFOhio), and at least two book or print sources (only one of which can be a reference source, such as an encyclopedia).  You MUST use proper endnote and bibliography form; use Write for College for this purpose (use MLA endnote form in that book).  I will make deductions for improper form.

Possible agencies to choose from:  Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), Federal Emergency Relief Administration (FERA), Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Public Works Administration (PWA), Civil Works Administration (CWA), Works Progress Administration (WPA), Agricultural Adjustment Act (AAA), Home Owner’s Refinancing Act (HOLC), National Industrial Recovery Act (NIRA), Glass-Steagall Banking Reform Act (FDIC), National Housing Act (FHA), Authorization for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Wagner Act (NLRB – National Labor Relations Board), Social Security Act, Soil Conservation Act, Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA), National Recovery Administration (NRA), National Youth Administration (NYA), Federal Theater Project (part of the WPA), Federal Writers’ Project (part of the WPA), Rural Electrification Administration (REA).  No more

Summer reading paper 2007

            Write a well-reasoned paper on the following topic. Use textual examples for support.  Suggested length is 4-5 pages, double-spaced, 1” margins, 12 pt. font.  Due date is Thursday, Aug. 30.

            Eric Schlosser and John Steinbeck take two different approaches to evoking and understanding a time and critical situation in America.  For one thing, Schlosser takes a journalistic approach to his topic (although it’s not pure journalism, is it?), while Steinbeck’s book is a book of fiction set in a specific time period in American history.  Yet they both deal to some degree with an underclass of American citizens, and they both represent a form of historical writing.

            Consider the techniques Steinbeck and Schlosser use to write history.  What can a journalistic book of non-fiction do that fiction cannot?  What can fiction do that a journalistic book of non-fiction cannot?  Why would each be an effective choice in each case (since the two topics are very different)?  What is the author trying to do in each case?   Think about the specific techniques the writer uses to make points (use examples to support your points).  Offer your own analysis of each technique.  Include a thesis statement early in your paper (often found at the end of the opening paragraph). Are there other works of either fiction or non-fiction that are comparable?

            So select one of the books and treat it as a historical work.  Using the questions above (and others that come to your mind) as a springboard, analyze that book as a historical work, in terms of content, purpose, and style (technique).

            In terms of citations, all you need to use are endnotes (not superscripted footnotes and not notes at the bottom of the page). Normally endnotes appear at the end of the sentence with the author’s name and the page number and no comma between them: (Steinbeck 261)   Since you are only using the Steinbeck and Schlosser books, you do not need to include the author’s name for this paper, just the page number.  In addition, do not let quotations stand on their own; quotations need a lead-in:

WRONG        “McDonald’s has roughly a thousand restaurants in Canada” (77).

CORRECT      Schlosser writes, “McDonald’s has roughly a thousand restaurants in Canada” (77).

CORRECT   Schlosser added this comment: “McDonald’s has roughly a thousand

 restaurants in Canada” (77).

            Quotations without a lead-in are marked NIQ (No Isolated Quotes) by me.  If the cited passage is longer than a few sentences, you should single-space the quoted material, indent it, and omit the double quotes around it.   We use MLA endnote and bibliography form.