102 Theatre Paper

Literary Terms

Writing Assignment for Drama

Using the glossary of literary terms, choose five that you think are appropriate and apply them to the play.

Approach:

1) read through the terms at the link posted at the blog

2) write a paragraph about each, discussing how the term applied to what you saw in the play

3) Go back over your paragraphs and find a way to organize them into a discussion of the play. Add an intro and conclusion.

Paper should be two pages and do internal citations and a Works Cited.

1402 Tuesday Thursday Topic Selection Page

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pg51JTtDy1kkShwQ5d0smTw

I will be updating as the topics come in so check the topics lists before you send me your email.

Added at 7:50 p.m.

New Google spreadsheet page for persuasive topics. Notify me of your topic and I will put it on the page.

http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=pg51JTtDy1kn0jnHzquPvJQ

Here are the new topics I talked about in class today. On these topics, there will be a printed copy of the research to get you started. If you want one of these topics, let me know before Thursday so I can bring the photocopies ot class for you.

• Make your own household cleaning products to avoid toxic elements in grocery store cleaning aids.
• Should people buy organic food because it has more nutrients?
• Should packaging practices be changed to save energy?
  
• Should cotton be discarded in favor of hemp? (for clothing)
• Should coffee trading practices be changed?
• People should buy seafood only from Marine Stewardship Council certified retailers.

No 1402 Class Today

No 1402 at all--I had hoped to make it at 2 but I'm still too sick.

101, 102, & 1402 Monday Classes

While on my trip, I've become quite sick with some type of respiratory flu. Maybe it's just a bad cold/sore throat. Whatever--for sure I will not be in class on Monday a.m. The 8, 9, and 10 a.m. classes are cancelled.

I am going to try to make 1402 but we will probably only meet half the class. At the moment, I am thinking a start time of around 2 or 2:15.

I will e-mail students upon my arrival in NJ Sunday evening, but I wanted to let as many people know in advance as possible. If you see this and can pass along the news to your colleagues, please do so.

1402 Persuasive Topics

Persuasive Topics List

Same list but with leads.

In addition, here is another topic:


Should parents/schools devise a means to make sure children spend more time outdoors?

http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/10/22/4739/

101 Blog Topics

I'll be adding more topics to this, so check back.

Topic 1
Who is the protagonist in “Stranger Than Fiction?”

These terms and links will help you answer.

From Wikipedia:
A protagonist is a term used to refer to a figure or figures in literature whose intentions are the primary focus of a story. Classically protagonists are derived from good will, however, this does not always have to be true. Protagonists cannot exist in a story without opposition from a figure or figures called antagonist(s).

Topic 2:

Who is the antagonist in “Stranger Than Fiction?”

These terms and links will help you answer.
From Wikipedia:
The main character is often faced with a "foil", a character known as the antagonist who most often represents obstacles that the protagonist must overcome. As with protagonists, there may be more than one antagonist in a story. (Note that the term antagonist in this context is much more recent than the term protagonist, and rests on the same misconception as the use of protagonist to mean proponent. See below.)Sometimes, a work will initially highlight a particular character, as though they were the protagonist, and then unexpectedly dispose of that character as a dramatic device. Such a character is called a false protagonist.

101 Argument and Persuasion Essay Documents

While you will be provided a hard copy in class, I am posting the links to documents here.

Assignment Sheet for Argument and Persuasion Essay

Sources Worksheet (due Oct. 31)

Persuasive Topics List

Same list but with leads.

1402: China research groups

Here's an article link to a topic on which many students are working:

http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/health/612152,CST-NWS-CHINA20.article#

Trader Joe's says it will eliminate products from China.

FYI only. Use if it's appropriate.

101 Reaction Paper

Here are the questions from my lecture notes:

Prewriting for Your Reaction Paper

The following statements could be used in a reaction/response paper. From the list below, complete as many statements as possible about the film you saw.

My Reaction to What I Just Saw Is That ...

I think that

I see that

I feel that

It seems that

In my opinion,

Because

A good quote is

In addition,

For example,

Moreover,

However,

Consequently,

Finally,

In conclusion,

What you've done in completing these statements is written a very rough reaction/response paper. Now it needs to be organized. Move ahead to the assignment sheet.

Note to 101 students: the library session for next Friday is canceled. You will have this time to work on sources for your argumentation paper.

102: Look! An "Apology" Cento

I was reading the NY Times editorials and I see that someone has composed an apology made up of other apologies. Each number is a link to the actual apology and who made it:

October 14, 2007

Op-Ed Contributor

Regrets Only

By HENRY ALFORD

I WANT to make it clear that everything you've heard and read is true.(1) I can also no longer deny to myself that there are issues I obviously need to examine within my own soul, and I've asked for help.(2) So if you're so thin-skinned that you took offense to a slip of the tongue that I had, then I offer my apology. I am, am sorry that you were offended.(3)

We admit that several members of our organization allowed an internal power struggle to cloud good judgment.(4) We should have done better.(5) I sincerely apologize and hope people realize that conversations can be easily manipulated in print.(6) And I don't care that he's black or green or purple or whatever.(7)

More at their site.

102 Outline Requirements

Regarding your research paper, use the research that you have gathered to date and write the following:

Topic

General purpose

Specific purpose (what you want your readers to walk away with after they've read your paper)

Tentative thesis statement

and

Three main points (this is the main points that the body of your research paper will discuss).

1402 Outline Guide

On the handout, it says to model your outline on pages 309-12.. A better model is the one on page 239. Just label topic, general purpose, specific purpose, thesis statement, and main points.

101 Works Cited Training Session in Library

On Friday, October 26, we will meet in the library for software training on Noodletools. This software will help you do in-text citations and Works Cited for your argument and persuasion paper, an important paper that is worth 15% of your grade. While the above link allows you access to certain free parts of the Noodletools, our library is a subscriber and this allows you to use a more extensive version of the software.

Go directly to the library. Your instructor will be Susan Bissett and the room is L-105.

You will be given assignment sheet soon. In the meantime, you might be thinking about a topic on which you would like. Any topic related to abortion or religion is out, however.

Please put this on your calendars now.

101 Blog Topic for Tuesday

This is from the reading in Glenn, page 357:

Think of the last time you used comparison and contrast to make a choice--maybe about which movie to see, which person to go out with, or which shirt to buy. In a single paragraph, write about your decision. What was the basis for comparison? What were the points of comparison or contrast? What was your final decision?

102 Vote for Best Haiku

Vote for only one and it can't be your own.

101 Blog Topic for Monday

Observing contrast:

If you are involved in a math or science course of any type, solve a problem given to you by your instructor. You can also select a problem that's in your math text. This could be current or something offered in the past. As you work on the problem, take note of how your mind works to solve the problem.

Now reflect on a composition effort you've made in this class. Go back over a paper you've written or a blog entry. See if you can observe a difference in how you thought about the intellectual process involved in writing vs. that of solving a mathematical problem.

Find one or two differences and contrast them. How are they different?

Note to students not in a math course:

Here is a problem for you to solve:

A census taker goes to a house for some information. The lady says she has 3 kids, and the product of their ages is 36. The sum of their ages is equal to the address next door. He goes
and comes back for more information and she says the oldest one is asleep upstairs. What are their ages?

Note to everyone: you might take note of the similarities, too, just in case the same question is asked tomorrow about similaries.

101: Jersey Blogs Link

Did you know that the Star-Ledger maintains a list of Jersey blogs? There are all kinds of topics covered there, from some nut who pines about all the things she'd like to buy at some store that has Anthropology (Anthropologie?) in the name to someone who made up a picture page on how to make tomato sauce. Lots of sports blogs, too, but plenty on other topics.

101 Thursday/Friday Post Topics

The Ways We Lie, p. 319:

Without looking back at the essay, list as many of Ericsson's ways of lying as you can remember. Which one "stung" you? Why?

Friday:

Why does Ericsson believe that lies are necessary? Which kinds of lies do you believe are so?

101 Blog Topics

Tuesday is an open topic day. Write about any issue of concern to you.

Wednesday: make a generalization and back it up with a specific example, meaning a story that you know about from personal experience.

Thursday and Friday topics (soon to be posted) will be on the essay about ways we lie.

Attn: 1402 TTh

I'm feeling up to going to class, however, I cannot talk because I'm losing my voice. We will, therefore, watch a very interesting film today. I was planning to show it later in the class but I'll move it up to today because of my voice condition.

The name of the film is "Toxic Sludge is Good for You." It is an important film to see in developing your critical thinking skills and in alerting to you about phony news stories and sources.

I will be returning some "I Am" papers today.

Attn: 1402 TThu

Please check your email and/or this blog before going to class tomorrow. I am not feeling well. I was exposed to the flu last week. I will post back before 11 a.m. about whether I will be in class tomorrow. Chances are I will be there but I just wanted to give you a heads up.

101: Consistency with Person Worksheet and Blog Topic

Some people didn't get one. Download.

Today's blog topic is on the Stepp reading, p. 310. Are there male equivalents to the alpha girls? Beta girls? Gamma girls? What might they be--and what might their qualities be? (Choose one of the three, alpha, beta or gamma.)