English II Assignments
Monday, May 5 – Tomorrow is an in-class writing day for paper #5
Tuesday, May 6 – Work on portfolios
Wednesday, May 7 – One page: what does Act IV so far reveal about the relationship between comedy and tragedy?
Thursday, May 8– Act IV quiz tomorrow
Friday, May 9 – Portfolios due May 15
Monday, May 12 – Act V quiz tomorrow
Tuesday, May 13 - Portfolio due Thursday
Wednesday, May 14 – Portfolio due tomorrow
Thursday, May 15– Do grammar worksheets
Friday, May 16— Test Monday on Pronoun usage, who and whom, agreement, and comparison of modifiers
The Kitchen God's Wife research paper
The first paper of the second semester will be a research paper, although we will begin working on it this semester. We will be doing all the research for this paper over the next few weeks. The actual first draft is due on Tuesday, Feb. 5. We will have some research deadlines over the next few weeks, and you will be grade on those deadlines (those grades will apply to the first semester). The goal here is to help you along with the process of writing a research paper so that you actually understand what you are doing.
The ultimate length of the first draft should be 5-6 pages (not including the bibliography). The first thing we need to do is have you pick a topic for this paper. Possible topics all relate to the background on the novel The Kitchen God's Wife. By tomorrow, you must pick one of the topics below as your focus of research (a number next to a topic means more than one person can choose that topic):
| Relations between Japan and China during WW II (2) |
| The controversy (then and now) over the "Rape on Nanking" episode |
| Relations between Japan and China in the 50 years leading up to WW II (2) |
| Relations between Japan and China in the 60 years since WW II (2) |
| Relations between the U.S. and China in the 60 years since WW II |
| Chinese family relations and roles in the 20th century |
| The Communist Party in 20th century China |
| The "Cultural Revolution" in China |
| The role of Mao Zedong in 20th century China |
| The shift from communism to capitalism in China (economic reforms) |
| Relations between Taiwan and China |
If you wish to do a different topic, you need to get my permission. One place to look for a quick glance at topics is the Wikipedia outline of Chinese history --stayed focused on the 20th century: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Timeline_of_Chinese_history. So pick a topic by tomorrow.
The next step is to begin the research according to the process I've set up here. The goal of this paper is to familiarize you with a reliable research process as you write a strong paper. Each deadline will be graded.
DEADLINE 1 - Monday, Jan. 7
DEADLINE 2 - Friday, Jan. 11
DEADLINE 3 - Thursday, Jan. 17
DEADLINE - Tuesday, Feb. 5
Portfolio work #2 – On the Beach Due Monday, March 3
It’s the end of the world. No, you just have another portfolio entry. Okay, it’s a little bit of both. You find yourself in a dire situation, similar to the characters in On the Beach: because of nuclear war (this time in the Southern Hemisphere), radiation is making its way toward you here in your hometown in the United States. As a result, you believe the inevitable will happen to you in a matter of a month or two. You decide to create a time capsule for posterity. You’re not sure if anyone will ever see it, but you feel the need to pass on something about the world in 2008 and something about your own life. In other words, you want to convey (to those who might survive or whoever) a sense of what it was to be human and a sense of what it was to be you, a particular human.
For our purposes, you won’t create the actual time capsule, but you will create the document that would be enclosed with the time capsule. So let’s pretend you have a metal box, 3’ x 3’ x 3’. Reflect on the characters in the novel for inspiration. Select two objects to put in the box that reflect what it meant to be human in 2008. For each object, offer an interesting, detailed, and lively justification or explanation or discussion of why you included those objects in the time capsule. Then select two objects that reflect what it meant to be you in 2008. Again, for each object, offer an interesting, detailed, and lively justification or explanation or discussion of why you included those objects in the time capsule.
Criteria for grading
What sorts of things will I consider as I grade this?
· Do you seem to get into the spirit of this project? Do you seem to be approaching this with the finality that the characters in the novel would? Do you create a mood to your piece that seems appropriate?
· Is your selection of objects interesting or different or creative? Do they create a “Wow, that’s neat!” sense in the reader? Or do they seem sort of banal or pedestrian or lacking in imagination?
· In talking about the objects that reflect what it means to be human, do you offer interesting and valid justifications for the inclusion of each object? Do you provide sufficient details and explanations? Do you show a sense of the larger picture of humanity? What message are you trying to convey with your selection of objects? Is this message worth conveying? Are your discussions themselves lively?
· In talking about the objects that reflect what it means to be you, do you provide insights into your own character, through both the selection of objects and your discussion of them? How would someone begin to understand you, your hopes and dreams, and your uniqueness? (One way to begin to think about this is to think about what a particular character in the book might put in such a time capsule. Of course, it becomes tougher when you start talking about yourself, rather than about another person.)
So, the pressure’s on. It’s the end of the world. And this is your last chance to let posterity know who humans in 2008 are and who you are. Enjoy yourself.
