Tuesday, December 10th--7:20 pm

Greetings,

I want to give all of you some alternatives to checking your grade sheet against the grade sheet I have kept for you during the semester.

If you can drop by my office tomorrow at any of the times below, INSTEAD of coming to class, that would be fine!

10:00-10:50 am

12:00 - 1:25 pm

My office is Calaveras 149

ALSO,
the dept. mail room is located in Calaveras 105. This is just in case you plan on submitting a revision. Refer to the previous blog about how to submit a revision.

Sunday, December 8th--7:45 pm

Greetings,

I am just finishing up the scoring of your out of class essay #3.
I must say, SO many of these essays have had me cheering all weekend.
The depth of analysis work and the very articulate and sophisticated writing from many of these essays is truly remarkable.

I will be returning these essays in class tomorrow.

Wednesday will be our last class session of the semester. On this last day, you will be comparing the scores on your grade sheet to the scores  I have recorded on the grade sheet I kept for you. I have over 150 students and it is possible that I have made an error on the grade sheet. So.....
on Wednesday, please bring the following to class:
1. Your grade sheet, filled out
2. All graded work I have returned to you

ALSO....
about revisions...

1. If you have revised out of class essay 1 or 2, and wish to do an additional  revision of that same essay, that revision is due no later than Friday, December 20th. It must be submitted to my English department mail box in Calaveras 105 AND you must email me when you have placed it there. I will then let you  know that I have picked it up.

2. If you have NOT yet revised either out of class essay 1 or 2, and you wish to revise out of class essay 3, it is due no later than Friday, December 20th. t must be submitted to my English department mail box in Calaveras 105, AND you must email me when you have placed it there. I will then let you  know that I have picked it up.

REMINDER--please follow the guidelines for submitting a revision that can be found on the syllabus. (This includes highlighting the changes on the newest revised copy.

Wednesday, November 27th, 2013--10 am

Greetings,

Here is the assignment for Packet 8. It was originally assigned for Monday this week, but obviously we did not meet. It is due to be read/viewed by Monday, December 2nd.

Packet #8 Assignment (one article and one video):

http://www.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/04/19/human-trafficking-mixing-up-views-on-immigration-to-the-united-states/

http://www.ted.com/talks/sunitha_krishnan_tedindia.html

ALSO,
please enjoy a wonderful Thanksgiving and be safe.

AND...
IF YOU SUBMITTED A ROUGH DRAFT FOR ESSAY 3 VIA EMAIL, I AM STILL WORKING ON THEM! YOU WILL RECEIVE IT BACK SOMETIME TODAY. :)

Sunday evening, November 24th, 2013--7 pm

Greetings,

I will post again tomorrow, but I wanted to remind you of something to keep in mind as you are working on out of class essay #3.

Remember, as much as possible and logical, you want to write in present tense.

For example:

When Walt takes the talking pillow, he states that for once he wants to be in control of his life.

REMINDER--
We are not meeting for class this week at all.

Monday, November 18, 2013--9 pm

Hello,

a few things:

1. A re-cap of the immigration assignment due on Wednesday
--must be typed
--no name or section number anywhere on assignment
--title the assignment: Musings on Immigration
--brainstorm and record what comes to your mind when you think of the word "immigration"
--there is no length or format requirements
--this counts for 25 of the 50 points for Group Ex. 4
--there will be a sign-up sheet on the front table on Wednesday. Please be sure you sign that sheet when you hand the assignment in.

2. Wednesday will also be our last In Class Writing Response for the semester.

3. Reminder: optional rough drafts for out of class essay 2 are due no later than midnight on Monday, November 25th. You may, of course, submit it earlier if you wish. Please email it to me as a Word document.

4. About the sample student writing that we read and discussed in class today. Please do not worry if there was a quote or support that appeared in one of the samples that you had planned to utilize in YOUR essay #3. Go ahead and use it! No worries.

5. Over the years, I have attempted to hold class on both the Monday and Wednesday of Thanksgiving week. In the beginning I was quite successful in at least holding class, with most students attending, on Monday. However, attendance gradually lessened. Consequently, there will be no class sessions held next week AT ALL. Both Monday and Wednesday classes are cancelled. I realize that all professors do not share my opinion, so I know you may have to attend OTHER classes on those days.

Sunday, November 17th--SECOND POSTING OF THE WEEKEND--7:40 pm

Hello,

I have decided that I will make copies of all the other handouts we will discuss tomorrow in class.
Just be sure to print out the one essay from Saturday's posting.

Also, reminder...
If you are planning to revise out of class essay #2, the first revision is due this Wednesday, November 20th.

See you tomorrow!

Saturday, November 16, 2013--8:30 pm (One of Two Weekend Postings)

Good evening! Below you will find a sample student response for out of class essay #3. Please print out a hard copy and bring to class on Monday. I realize that some of you can access this from an electronic device in class, but this time, please print out a copy. This is the first posting for the weekend. Please check back tomorrow for the second one! :)

The Dichotomous “Cancer Man”

         As soon as the pants “go flying” in the first scene of Breaking Bad, the symbolism begins. Representative of the main character Walt – how he “doesn't wear the pants” and conversely, how “the pants come off,” we are introduced right away to strong themes of dichotomy and transition. Outside of the obviously phenomenal writing and intelligent use of symbolism, the depth and complexity of the characters are also a huge part of what keeps the audience engaged. Walter Sr's character especially, is a perfect example of why people can't get enough; richly developed and contradictory, Walt's multifaceted character cleverly travels between two very dichotomous worlds. In one, he is a seemingly submissive “cancer man” and in another he is a “bad ass” maker of meth.

      When viewers are introduced to Walter Heartwell White Senior for the first time, he plays a mild-mannered chemistry professor who never really stands his ground. Some might even call him a “pussy.” By the time the season ends, however, he has made an “explosive” transition into the drug world and has done some very immoral, very illegal things. To name but a few, he kills Emilio and Crazy Eight; blows up “KEN WINS'” car; makes and sells some of the best crystal meth in all of New Mexico, and destroys Tuco's headquarters. This crazy dichotomy - living as a science professor in one world, only to be blowing something up in the drug world - is also what makes his particular character so enjoyable to watch. Describing himself best when talking passionately about the “study of change,” Walt says, “It is growth, then decay; then transformation.” He really couldn't have said it better.

Walt's start, as the submissive “cancer man” is best seen and understood in the relationship that he has with his wife Skylar. The routine always seems to be him following her lead. On his 50^th

birthday for example, Walt starts his day out by eating her terrible veggie bacon, he is then reprimanded for using the family credit card to buy printer paper, and later on, he reluctantly receives a hand job from her - while she talks casually about Ebay and painting. It's obvious from one scene alone that Skylar “wears the pants” in the relationship. Further supportive of this, is the symbolism used when hanging Walter's pants outside the RV: even when he is thoroughly involved in making meth, he's still “not wearing the pants.”

     The theme of timidness with Walt, while it is probably most evident with Skylar, continues outside of his family life as well. With his job at the car wash for instance, when he takes orders from his boss and is humiliated by snobby students; and also at school, when he says nothing to the boy who drags his chair loudly across the room. Walt even allows Hank to take his beer during his birthday party and allows him also to turn on the interview he was in, on the television. Time and time again, Walt bites his tongue in submission.

     On the flip side, it is obvious in so many scenes that biting his tongue is difficult for him and that he is dying inside (pun intended) to speak up for himself. Ironically, it's only after he falls at work and is officially diagnosed with lung cancer, that we see him transform and essentially “grow some balls.” A scene reflective of this, is Walter quitting his second job at the car wash: shaking with aggression, and knocking product off the wall, he grabs his crotch aggressively and yells, “wipe down this!”

Unfortunately bravado is not equal to (having) street smarts, and while Walt has more gall than he's had before, he is still a “brilliant idiot.” Coercing Jesse into cooking is a perfect example of Walt being brilliant, but stupid  – Walt may know the chemistry inside and out but he is not familiar with the drug scene or what it takes to sell the meth. This is where Walt gets himself into his first bit of trouble; when he jumps in without thinking through the consequences. Blackmailing Jesse, stealing lab equipment or secretly cashing out his savings for a RV could be interpreted as a dying man's desperation. And while that is surely part of the dynamic, another side is simply that Walter is an idiot – regardless of him being brilliant in the world of chemistry, he is (still) an uneducated “white boy” in the world of drugs. Jesse in fact calls Walt out on this/his “straightness,” asking him “why now?” and he simply says “I am awake.” He might be awake to the possible gains of selling meth, but he is not awake to the consequences and is still a brilliant man with a stupid idea. Also along these lines – and another prime example of Walt being a brilliant idiot – is the “ski mask” scene. When Jesse explains to Walt how hard getting psuedo is, Walter simply comes up with a different recipe: this reflects his intelligence. The way he gets his hands on the new ingredients though, reflects his ignorance. Also, what burglars wear knitted ski masks with pom-poms on top?!

      Despite Walt's ignorant impulsiveness regarding the drug world or the fire in his belly,  he remains a compassionate man. The very best example of this is when Walt cares for Crazy Eight in the basement.  After a lot of “debate” on what weapon to use, Walt walks down to the basement with a yellow shopping bag. All Domingo needs to do to derail Walt's murderous intentions is ask for water; not only does Walter bring him water, but he brings him 2 gallons of it, a sandwich, a bucket, toilet paper and finally, hand sanitizer – obviously, he is having a difficult time killing him. Truth is, Walt really wants any reason to not kill him. In the next scene they are talking – about family - he takes pity on Crazy Eight and instead of “taking care of business” Walter makes him another sandwich, even taking the time to cut off the crusts. It's almost like it's hard for him not to be compassionate. In the end of it all, when he realizes that Domingo has the plate shard, Walt is so upset that he cries - He wanted so terribly to let him live; Domingo sums it up well when he says to Walt: “this line of work doesn't suit you.”

A similar situation that shows Walt in a compassionate light (yet at the same time dynamic and “bad ass”) is when he blows up Tuco's headquarters. After Walt convinced Jesse to push

meth on Tuco and Jesse ends up in the hospital, Walter is really upset. He feels guilty for pushing Jesse

into the situation, and ends up going to Tuco to get revenge for Jesse's injuries and retrieve his stolen money. The writers are really creative with this scene; Walter starts the episode talking about explosions, “The faster they undergo change, the more violent the explosion.” He then ends the episode having blown up the drug lord's headquarters, with, what he started off talking about – Fulminated mercury - “a little tweak of chemistry.” 

     Speaking of science, let us not forget Walt as a teacher. Always a scientist and professor, it almost seems natural that he take every chance he can to educate others. The bath tub scene is the epitome of Walt as a teacher and scientist as he uses that moment, not to bark, scream, or freak out, but to (albeit condescendingly) “teach” Jesse about acids and plastics: “..I'm sorry. What were you asking me? Oh, yes - that stupid plastic container I asked you to buy – you see, hydrofluoric acid won't eat through plastic. It will, however, dissolve metal, rock, glass, ceramic. So there's that.”

     Humor aside, Walter is, by far the most intriguing and multifaceted character on Breaking Bad. Even when he is a “bad ass” he can turn around and be a family man and when it boils down to it, everything revolves around them. Family is why Walt wants so desperately to make money and also why he takes the risks he does. For him, all things essentially lead back to his family. A good example of how Walt is always thinking about his family is his video to them, in the pilot. The fact that Walt is in the desert, in his underwear, cooking meth to make money for his family, shows right off the bat his love for them. One could even argue that Walt should probably be more interested in the sirens coming his way, or the lethal gas that is probably sneaking out from the RV, but instead he fumbles with the recorder to send his family one last message.

     Further more on the subject of family, is the Walter that protects. When Walt Jr. is teased at the thrift store, Walt is seething and walks off. We suspect that he is literally walking away from everything but then he comes back unexpectedly and ends up kicking the boy to the floor. Skylar and Walt Jr. are 

surprised, because the behavior seems so foreign – but really, it's just one of many faces that make up

 Walt Sr.

     It is hard to argue that Walt is anything less than an amazingly well developed character. One of the most memorable scenes that reflects all the complexity that is Walter and all the underlying symbolism and word-play that is Breaking Bad, is Walter's flashback when he is cleaning up the “bath-tub goo.” In it, we see him discussing with Gretchen all the molecules that constitute life and Walter says, “There's got to be more to a human being, than that.” Then, when they are left with a .111958 remainder Gretchen responds that it can only be the soul... Over and over again, as he sloshes through thick, red, slimy remains his mind goes back to that moment with Gretchen at the chalk board. It's as if he skipped over the part where he worries about getting caught, the hole in the ceiling, or the remnants of Emilio. Instead, he is thinking about science and debating existence. This snippet shows so many things about Walter; how he is intelligent, but naive; contemplative, but mindless: it shows that there is so much more to him.

---

 [

Tuesday, November 12th, 2013--1:45 pm

Greetings,

I hope all of you have been able to enjoy the Monday holiday and perhaps catch up on some much needed sleep....?!?

Since I was ill last Wednesday, I am sure you have already surmised that the quiz on Writing Across the Curriculum that was slated for last Wednesday, will in fact, take place tomorrow, the 13th.

Also, I am combining Packets 6 and 7 and the reading for those will be due next Wednesday, the 20th.

That assignment is below:

PACKETS 6/7 ASSIGNMENT:

1.  http://www.myimmigrationstory.com/WYSO%2090%20SEC.mp3
(under two minute audio)

2. "Illegal Immigrant Deaths Set Record"
http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=130369998&m=130370353
(audio)

3. "Pros and Cons of Illegal Immigration"
http://immigration.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000842

Wednesday, November 6th==6:20 am

I apologize profusely for such a late notice.
Hopefully most of you will read this before heading to class today.
I so rarely become ill, and I really thought I would feel better today.
But I am going to have to cancel classes today.
I do have your in class essays graded and ready to return to you.
I will post later about the schedule for next week.
Monday of course is a holiday so I imagine the quiz that was slated for today will be next Wednesday.
Again, I am so sorry for the last minute announcement.

Thursday, October 31st, 2013--3:30 pm

Happy Halloween!

Below is a copy of a student's rough draft for your reference. Even though it is a rough draft, it is an excellent response to the essay 2 response. You will notice it lacks a conclusion. And the blue notes just reference my notes to the writer; just ignore them.

What’s Eating You?

            According to the National Eating Disorder Association, eating disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. People suffering from these diseases die before the age of twenty-four due to complications including heart attacks and suicide. Eating disorders can be extremely traumatic both physically and emotionally, to both the sufferer and the family. Caring for someone with an eating disorder is often difficult and overwhelming at times. Once someone is diagnosed with an eating disorder, the family must watch their loved one struggle with a major medical and emotional problem that could end in death if not cared for properly. When someone is suffering from an eating disorder, they experience a tremendous amount of pain; however, this disease impacts family members more.

Eating disorders include extreme thoughts and behaviors surrounding food, weight, and body image. The disorders cause extreme emotional and physical stress that can lead to life threatening[CF2]  consequences if not treated. The most common diagnosed eating disorders are anorexia[CF3]  nervosa and bulimia nervosa. Anorexia nervosa is characterized by self-starvation and extreme weight loss. Most people who suffer from anorexia nervosa have an intense and often irrational[CF4]  fear of weight gain (National Eating Disorder Association). People who suffer from anorexia nervosa have psychological complications as well. These complications include anxiety as a child, low self-esteem and body image, severe depression, and an obsession with rules and perfection (Nordqvist). Because anorexia involves self-starvation, the body is denied of essential nutrients it needs to function and begins to slow down its processes in order to preserve energy. This “slow down” process can have serious medical consequences. The heart rate begins to slow down[CF5]  which can result in heart attack or heart failure. A person may also develop severe dehydration which can cause the kidneys to fail. With the combination of medical and psychological[CF6]  complications, about five to twenty percent of people suffering with anorexia will die (Nordqvist). This statistic is higher depending on how long a person is suffering with this illness.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating followed by purging. A person suffering from bulimia often engages in compulsive binges on high-calorie foods and purges after feeling a loss of control (“What is Bulimia Nervosa?”). During an episode of binging, a person may consume up to 3,000 calories. The binge is then followed by feelings of guilt or shame, which lead to compensatory actions such as self-induced vomiting, over-exercising, self-starvation, or abuse of diuretics or laxatives (Nordqvist). Bulimia is particularly dangerous because sufferers do not display the same rapid weight loss as found in anorexia. In fact, someone’s weight may stay the same, making it easier to overlook and possibly misdiagnose (“What is Bulimia Nervosa?”).This disorder can result from many of the same psychological complications as found in people suffering from anorexia nervosa.

For many years, eating disorder diagnoses had two main entries: anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. However, modern research reveals that these two categories of eating disorders fall short. The American Psychiatric Association introduced a new category of eating disorders: EDNOS, eating disorders not otherwise specified (“New Eating Disorders”). EDNOS contains sub-diagnoses for patients that do not meet exact criteria for anorexia or bulimia. This new diagnoses include “orthorexia”, a fixation with healthy or organic eating, “pregorexia”, extreme dieting and exercising while pregnant to avoid the twenty-five to thirty pound weight gain, “binge eating”, compulsive overeating, and “anorexia athletica”, which is an addiction to working out. Eating disorders develop from negative relationships and obsessions with food. These disorders can range from diagnosable illnesses to dangerous fixations.

Beginning stages of disordered eating can often be confused with “normal” adolescence behavior and early symptoms can be overlooked. Often, parents are not able to recognize signs of an eating disorder in their child. This makes the parent feel guilty and partially responsible for the diagnosis. Peggy Claude-Pierre describes, “After the diagnosis, I started reading everything I could about anorexia. I wanted to discover how I had failed my child.” This is a very common response. Many parents take full responsibility for their child’s eating disorder. Marie Caro, the mother of the French model Isabella Caro, committed suicide one year after her daughter lost her battle with anorexia (Burton). The question of blame and where it lies within anorexia and other eating disorders is very complex. Although there is no one cause for eating disorders, much has been written about the roles of family members and parenting as causes of eating disorders (National Eating Disorder Association). This information frequently contributes to the guilt parents feel after discovering their child’s eating disorder. “Everything I read told me that bad parenting, parental pressure, and family stress, among other ‘issues’ were the cause”, Claude-Pierre[CF7]  explains.

Other parents feel an immense amount of shame. Eating disorders can be shameful because a parent may not want to admit that their child has one. “In the four years my daughter was anorexic, I never told a single person. I did not even tell my father. I was ashamed that she had[CF8]  that kind of disease. I was ashamed of myself for feeling ashamed” (Godbey). The feeling of shame is associated with the idea that a parent is the main cause for the eating disorder. When someone develops this kind of life-threatening illness, it is hard for loved ones to come to terms with why it happened. Many parents also feel hopeless in treating a disease when it is hard to find the underlying cause. Judy Avrin explains, “I spent a great time in denial about Melissa’s eating disorder. Her father didn’t understand the diagnosis. We felt hopeless”. Parents are at a constant battle. They are battling for their child’s life, parenting while they combat their own feelings of denial and guilt, and they are battling with the many misconceptions about eating disorders. This becomes increasingly stressful on the parents. Many times parents begin to ignore their own personal life in order to care for a child with an eating disorder. This often affects other relationships that the parent has, including the relationships with their other children.

Caring for a child with an eating disorder causes changes for a family. Often times, the family has to re-organize themselves around the illness. This re-organization has very significant effects on all members of the family, including the siblings. Siblings of a child suffering from anorexia, bulimia, or EDNOS face many difficult challenges while growing up with this unwanted guest in their home. Because the child with an eating disorder needs a great amount of attention, the parents’ find it difficult to divide that attention to the other children. Meal times can[CF9]  be excruciatingly difficult. “My sister decided that she couldn’t eat with me at the table. I was a little overweight and her illness decided that my fat was contagious. My parents had me eat in the living room with Grandma at meal times” (“My Sister and Me: Anorexia Nervosa).  Karin Jasper, Ph.D, has spent a great deal of time studying eating disorders and the effects on the siblings. She explains that naturally siblings feel resentful towards the illness. The stress often drives a wedge between the ill child and the siblings. Karin Jasper says, “One of my patient’s sisters found the illness difficult to deal with. She moved away from home. She never went back to living at home. She said she felt the house would have exploded because she didn’t understand why her sister was being so selfish[CF10] ”.

According to the National Eating Disorder Association, during the treatment period eating disorders can cause a child to react and behave irrationally. The ill child resorts to lying and has extreme mood swings that involve hitting, screaming and biting. The child will lash out at whoever is around due to frustration. These extreme emotions can affect the siblings as well. Addy recalls, “I remember my sisters screaming sessions. She would just scream at dinner time. To[CF11]  be honest, it just made me annoyed and I would normally lose my appetite. I just stopped eating with my family.” Sarah K. Ravin, Ph.D. explains that family meals with an ill child can sometimes become explosive. The ill child may feel overwhelmed with the parents’ attempts to get them to eat. Out of frustration, the child may say or do things that are very harsh to both the parents and anyone in their path, including the siblings. Siblings often say that they dread meals because they know they will either be very tense or explosive. An anonymous blogger recalls, “My sister used to say really mean things to me. I know it wasn’t her, but she would just tell me to fuck off and die. She also threw things at me. All of this would normally happen a few hours before dinner, during dinner, or a few hours after” (“My Sister and Me: Anorexia Nervosa”).

Sarah K. Ravin also explains that children feel like they lose a sense of a social life. Because the parents spend much time planning, preparing, and supervising meals, the siblings feel that they cannot spend time with their parents socially. Parents also spend a great deal of time driving to and from appointments for their ill child. “I remember I had to ask different friends to take me to soccer practice. My parents would also miss games because Liz was having a meltdown the morning of my games”, an anonymous blogger illustrates (“My Sister and Me: Anorexia Nervosa”). Ms. Ravin further explains that siblings may feel a great deal of embarrassment and do not invite their friends over. They also have difficulties deciding if they should even explain their family situation to friends. Brothers and sisters will experience a variety of emotions while their sibling is ill. They can range from worry about their sibling’s health to resentment about the illness. “This can affect how the child copes with their own feelings and emotions. They may not know how or who to talk to. They also have to deal with the stigma of a mental illness at a very young age”, Sarah K Ravin says[CF12] .

---

Monday, October 28th, 2013--5 pm

Hello,

just a few reminders......

1. If you plan to submit a rough draft of out of class essay #2, be sure to e-mail it to me by midnight tonight.

2. Remember to bring green or blue book to class on Wednesday for in class essay #2.

Friday, October 25th, 2013--7:15 am

Hello, good morning, happy Friday, happy weekend!

PACKET #5 ASSIGNMENT:
"More and more Americans Want Pot Legal"
http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/16/opinion/nathan-comments-on-pot-column


REMINDER:
Bring a blue or green book to class on Wednesday, October 30th, for our 2nd in class essay. It will actually be a "practice" WPJ exam. And yes, if you have already taken the WPJ, you still have to complete this assignment. :)

Sunday, October 20th, 2013--3:15 pm

Greetings,
Below you will find a short handout. Please print it out and bring to class tomorrow, Monday.

English 20-- College Composition II

C. Fraga

How to Critically Read an Essay

Educated adults exist in a delusional state, thinking we can read.

In a most basic sense, we can.

However, odds are, some of us cannot read, at least not as well as we would like.

Too many college students are capable of only some types of reading and that becomes painfully clear when they read a difficult text and must respond critically about it.

Intelligence and a keen memory are excellent traits and most students have learned to read in a certain way that is only useful for extracting information. Thus, students are often fairly well skilled in providing summary.

However, the act of reading to extract information and to read critically are vastly different!

The current educational system in American primary schools (and many colleges) heavily emphasizes the first type of reading and de-emphasizes the latter.

In many ways, THIS MAKES SENSE.

Reading to extract information allows a student to absorb the raw materials of factual information as quickly as possible. It is a type of reading we all must engage in frequently.  However, each type of reading calls for different mental habits. If we do not learn to adjust from one type of reading to another when necessary, we cripple our intellectual abilities to read critically.

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN READING TO EXTRACT INFORMATION AND READING CRITICALLY.

1. They have different goals.  When students read to extract information, usually they seek facts and presume the source is accurate.  No argument is required.  On the other hand, when students read critically, they try to determine the quality of the argument.  The reader must be open-minded and skeptical all at once, constantly adjusting the degree of personal belief in relation to the quality of the essay’s argument.
2. They require different types of discipline.  If students read to learn raw data, the most efficient way to learn is repetition.  If students read critically, the most effective technique may be to break the essay up into logical subdivisions and analyze each section’s argument, to restate the argument in other words, and then to expand upon or question the findings.
3. They require different mental activity.  If a student reads to gain information, a certain degree of absorption, memorization and passivity is necessary. If a student is engaged in reading critically, that student must be active!!! He or she must be prepared to pre-read the essay, then read it closely for content, and re-read it if it isn’t clear how the author is reaching the conclusion in the argument. 
4. They create different results.  Passive reading to absorb information can create a student who (if not precisely well read) has read a great many books. It creates what many call “book-smarts.”  However, critical reading involves original, innovative thinking.
5. They differ in the degree of understanding they require.  Reading for information is more basic, and reading critically is the more advanced of the two because only critical reading equates with full understanding.

ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE WANT IS THE CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF OUR READING SKILLS, SO WE CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH AMIDST THE VARIOUS TYPES OF READING.

FIVE GENERAL STAGES OF READING

1.      Pre-Reading—examining the text and preparing to read it effectively (5 minutes)

2.      Interpretive Reading—understanding what the author argues, what the author concludes, and exactly how he or she reached that conclusion.

3.      Critical Reading—questioning, examining and expanding upon what the author says with your own arguments.  Skeptical reading does not mean doubting everything you read.

4.      Synoptic Reading—putting the author’s argument in a larger context by considering a synopsis of that reading or argument in conjunction with synopses of other readings or arguments.

5.      Post-Reading—ensuring that you won’t forget your new insights.

SECOND POSTING for Tuesday, October 15th, 2013

Packet #4 Assignment (due on Wednesday, October 23)

***"Tackling America's Drug Addiction"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127937271
(this is actually an audio--a 4 minute and 50 second interview that was recorded on National Public Radio in June of 2010.)

***"Confessions of a Mom (and a Former Teen Pothead)"
http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/10/19/130677774/confessions-from-a-mom-and-former-teen-pot-head

***"How the Drug War Hurts Everybody" 
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/12/how_the_drug_war_hurts_everyone/

Tuesday, October 15th--6 pm

Hello,

A reminder,

If you plan to revise out of class essay #1, the first revision is due on Monday, October 21st.

Please refer to your course outline for guidelines on how to submit a revision.

Monday, October 7th, 2013--7:30 pm

Greetings,

Below you will find:

1. Out of Class Essay Assignment #2, distributed and discussed in class today.
2. Packet #3, due to be read next week.
3. Reminders about In-Class Essay #1 for this Wednesday.

English 20, Fall 2013---C. Fraga

Date assigned: Monday, October 7

Rough draft (optional): due no later than Monday, October 28 (please submit as a Word document via e-mail)

Final draft due: Monday, November 4

Details:

1. MLA format

2. At least 5 outside sources on your Works Cited page. If you utilize personal interviews, at LEAST two of the four sources CANNOT be interviews. The best place to start is the home page of the Sacramento State Library. By this time in your college career, you should be very familiar with the AMAZING databases available to you, just a click away!

3. Please, no Wikipedia or encyclopedias as primary sources

4. No formulaic, 5 paragraph essay

OUT OF CLASS ESSAY ASSIGNMENT #2

Among many things, the series Breaking Bad focuses on the family entity and what happens when something quite extraordinary occurs—how do members of the family cope, adjust, and/or “deal” with the event/situation? (In the case of this series, obviously it is Walter’s cancer that is the ‘event’).

I am not referring to the everyday “bumps in the road” that occur for all families. Instead, I am asking you to consider the family unit when faced with an especially challenging situation. These situations could include but are not limited to:

• death

• birth

• infidelity

• serious injury

• dementia

• serious illness

• divorce

• unemployment

• new employment

• moving to a new home/state/area/country

• the return of a war veteran

• moving BACK home after initially moving OUT

• alcoholism

• drug abuse

Select ONE situation that you are most interested in exploring. You will conduct research (and possibly personal interviews) in order to write an essay that offers the reader a brief background on the topic and makes an assertion about what elements impact a family in the most challenging of ways and supports it logically and interestingly.

Your thesis might read something like this:

When a family member develops dementia, the challenges are often devastating, yet the disease definitely impacts family members more than the dementia patient.

Or…

When a couple divorces, it most certainly impacts the children still living at home; however, it is the older children who have already moved away that are most affected by the split.

**************************************************

PACKET #3 ASSIGNMENT
(both items are TED Talk videos. The second one listed will be the subject for the Writing Response on Wednesday, 10/16. The first one listed will be discussed on Monday, 10/14.)

1. "Abraham Verghese: A Doctor's Touch" --TED TALKS
http://www.ted.com/talks/abraham_verghese_a_doctor_s_touch.htm

2. "The Conscience  of Television:--TED TALKS
http://www.ted.com/talks/lauren_zalaznick.html

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REMINDERS FOR IN-CLASS ESSAY ON WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 9TH

1. Bring a blue or green book to class along with a few pens (no pencils, please). The size of the blue or green book does not matter.

2. The essay is open notes/open Viewer's Journal, etc.

3.  Try to remember to skip every other line. Also, I have no problem with you writing on the backside of the pages.

4.  Please focus your response only on the first five episodes of Season 1.

5. Refer to the series at least once, preferably towards the beginning of your essay. Titles of television programs are typed in italics and underlines when written out.

6.  Be sure to take at least the first 5-10 minutes to plan your essay BEFORE you begin writing.

Friday, October 4th--8:25 pm

Hello,

If I have reviewed your rough draft of out of class essay #1, please attach it to the back of your final draft when you submit it on Monday. Thank you!

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.

Friday, September 27th, 2013--9 pm

Greetings,

Here is the assignment for Packet #2, due to be completed by Wednesday, October 2nd.
Also, be sure you are caught up with Breaking Bad by Monday. See you then!

PACKET #2:

"Why Does Health Care Cost so Much?:

http://www.thedoctorwillseeyounow.com/content/healthcare/art2809.html?getPage=1

(Please note: this article is three pages in length.)

"Why are American Healthcare Costs so High?"
(this is an approximately 8 minute video)
http://www.upworthy.com/his-first-4-sentences-are-interesting-the-5th-blew-my-mind-and-made-me-a-little-sick-2

Tuesday, September 24th--8:20 am, Island Time!

Aloha,

Hope your week is going well.

If you are planning to submit a rough draft of out of class essay #1, I have changed the due date.

Originally it was due tomorrow, Wednesday, by midnight.

However, I am extending the due date to Saturday at noon.

See you Monday!

Tuesday, September 17th, 2013--4:30 pm

Greetings,

Below you will find a copy of Out of Class Essay Assignment #1 which was distributed and explained in class yesterday.

ALSO,
just a reminder....

there will be NO CLASS held next week, Week 4. As I explained, I will be out of town during that week.
Please follow the syllabus as you would anyway--

I will post the readings for Packet #2 this week so you will have sufficient time to complete by Week 5.

See you tomorrow!
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English 20, Sections 14 and 15

Fall, 2013

Catherine Fraga, Instructor

Out of Class Essay Assignment #1—200 points possible

VOICES AGAINST CONFORMITY

• Assigned: Monday, September 16

• Rough Draft Due (OPTIONAL), typed & double spaced, no later than Wednesday, September 25 via e-mail, by midnight

• Final Draft Due:  Monday, October 7, typed & double spaced

The most interesting, focused and articulate essays I receive from students are ones where students select their own specific topic and are genuinely intrigued by the topic.

Let’s take a closer look at the issue of conformity/non-conformity.

For this essay, you will research and write about one person who is/was considered a non-conformist in his/her field of interest. Consider the possibility that the person deemed a non-conformist may not, in your opinion, actually BE a non-conformist. So your essay could support or disprove the label given by the majority of society.

This topic allows for a wealth of flexibility and choice.

Your focus ideally will be on a person working in an area (and perhaps a time period in history) that you are most interested in: photography; art; literature; politics; film; computers; music; fashion; science; mathematics; education; or ???

To get a better idea of some possibilities, and for purpose of illustration, let’s look at some examples of topics within in the time period of the 1950s in America.

Premise: Many in the 1950s worked diligently for the comfort and conformity displayed on such TV shows as “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver.” But regardless of the affluence of the new American middle class, there was still poverty, racism and alienation in America rarely depicted on TV.

Dozens of people rejected societal norms through their artwork, creativity and lifestyle. They used words, art, film and music to rebel against the cookie-cutter mentality of the established power structure and mass-marketed culture.

Many writers during this time period (referred to as the Beat Generation) adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these writers included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Diane Di Prima, Sloan Wilson, J.D. Salinger, William Burroughs, and others)

Likewise, many artists during this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these artists included Willem De Kooning, Hans Hoffman, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Clement Greenberg, and others)

Also, according to an Internet article on Conformity in U.S. History: “While the 1950s silver screen lit up mostly with the typical Hollywood fare of Westerns and romances, a handful of films shocked audiences by uncovering the dark side of America’s youth.”

Many filmmakers of this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these films include The Wild One; Blackboard Jungle; Rebel without a Cause, etc)

No matter what non conformist you select to research, your essay must contain the following:

·      your working definition of a non-conformist (in order to frame and set up your argument)

·      a brief history of the country’s mood during this time period;

·      background and details about the non-conformist you will focus on, in particular, those that help support your premise;

·      how his/her work challenged the status quo;

·      the impact of his/her work on others in the same field and on society;

·      and the repercussions and influence felt today or what you predict WILL be the repercussions in the future.

Your essay will be both informative and analytical: your thesis will “prove” the person’s influence, or not, on people’s lives, then and now.

Things to Consider:

This is NOT an essay in which you write an in depth analysis of the literature, film, music, fashion, etc. of the time period you are focused on. To do that, you would need to carefully read, view, or listen to the work or material at great length.

Instead, you are conducting research to discover the mood of the country and the status quo during a particular time period——why and how a person’s work was considered non conformist—and how their work influenced those living then…and now. Of course, do not feel as if you must select a person NOT living now in the 21^st century. That certainly is an option.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Although 1950s America appeared to be almost unrealistically content, many visual artists at this time, particularly Jackson Pollack, successfully combated the blissful charade by using innovative methods and themes in his work.

A BRIEF LIST OF TOPIC SUGGESTIONS:

Mahatma Ghandi                                    George Carlin

Martin Luther King, Jr.                        John Cassavetes

Eminem                                                Yves St. Laurent

Georgia O’Keefe                                    Abby Hoffman

Galileo Galilei                                    John Lennon

Emma Goldman                                    David Mamet

Janis Joplin                                                Jim Morrison

Johnny Cash                                                Ralph Nader

Steve Jobs                                                Joan of Arc

Nelson Mandela                                    Che Guevara

Karl Marx                                                Bill Gates

Dr. Jack Kevorkian                                    James  Dean

Quentin Crisp                                    Henry David Thoreau

Ayn Rand                                                Elvis Presley

Carl Jung                                               

Carl Sagan

Alexandr Solzhenitsyn