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!
*********************************************

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

Sunday, September 15th, 2013--8:45 pm

Greetings,

Today I received two student emails asking me about the essay that is due tomorrow.

?????

I would never ask for an essay without first assigning it....:)

Read the syllabus carefully.

It reads: "Assign: Out of Class Essay #1" for tomorrow, Monday, the 16th.
Translated, this means that I will be assigning Out of Class Essay #1 tomorrow.

It is best to read a little ahead in the syllabus and perhaps it will be clearer. If you read ahead, you can see when the optional rough draft is due for out of class essay #1 as well as when the final draft is due.

See you tomorrow

Tuesday, September 10th, 2013--8:30 pm

Greetings,

Below you will find the assignment for Packet #1.

It is comprised of one article and one video to view.

Come prepared on Monday, the 16th, to discuss these two items.
I strongly suggest that you take notes on the video since you will be unable to actually watch the video during class.

PACKET #1:
"Sweet land of...Conformity?"
By Claude Fischer
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/06/sweet_land_of_conformity/

AND....

"A. J. Jacobs' Year of Living Biblically"
http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically.html

Monday, September 9th, 2013--8:30 pm

Hello,

Below you will find a copy of the Unacceptable Errors handout that was distributed and discussed in class today.

REMINDER: Bring your Viewer's Journal to class on Wednesday with your two entries, for episode one and episode 2.

UNACCEPTABLE ERRORS

In English 20, students should already be very proficient in word usage.  We do not have time for grammar lessons.  (I will, however, provide short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.)  The following errors that are commonly made on student papers are considered unacceptable.

For out of class essays, each unacceptable error takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable errors and receive the points back if you choose to revise. In class essays that have unacceptable errors CAN always be corrected to earn back the points lost.

1.  there – place                                                Put it over there.

2.  their – possessive pronoun                        That is their car.

3.  they’re – contraction of they are                        They’re going with us.

4.  your – possessive pronoun                        Your dinner is ready.

5.  you’re – contraction of you are                        You’re not ready.

6.  it’s – contraction of it is                        It’s a sunny day.

7.  its – possessive pronoun                        The dog wagged its tail.

8.  a lot – always two words                        I liked it a lot.

9.  to – a preposition or part of an

      infinitive                                                I like to proofread my essays carefully.

10. too – an intensifier, or also                        That is too much.  I will go too.

11. two – a number                                    Give me two folders.

12. In today’s society            This phrase is grossly overused and very cliché. Instead use “Today” or “In America” or “Now” etc

13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s)            rights are a set of beliefs or values in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.

14. definitely/defiantly            This error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective. Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen towards the professor.

15. On your Works Cited page:            you MUST center and type at the top the heading just as it is here: Works Cited. NOT ALL CAPS, NOT BOLDED, NOT UNDERLINED, NOT MISSPELLED, NOT IN A DIFFERENT SIZED FONT, ETC.

16. woman/women            woman is used when you are referring to ONE female lady.

                                                            women is the plural of woman, meaning MORE THAN ONE lady

                                                            There are many women at the nail salon, but only one woman is shopping at the market next door.

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

An accumulation of the following errors will affect your grade, but not 10 points off for EACH error.  My evaluation of your work depends on how serious the error is, and how often you make it.  Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.

• Misuse of the word “you”.  You must actually mean the reader when you use the word “you”.

• Avoid use of contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t, etc.)

• Agreement of subject and verb.  Both must be either singular or plural.

• Fragmented sentences, comma splices and run-ons.  Be sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.

You will not pass English 20 if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct English.

Thursday, Sept. 5th, 2013--1:00 pm

Hello,

below you will find the following:

1. A summary of the Viewer's Journal that was assigned on Wednesday, along with some helpful advice.

2. The actual assignment for Out of Class Essay 3. This is just to give you a more precise idea of what you will eventually be writing towards the end of the semester. Students in past classes have found it useful to know "ahead of time."
*********************************************

English 20, Fall 2013, C. Fraga

If one is able to write an in depth character analysis, one will be able to write ANY kind of analysis.

Observing character and determining/analyzing why someone acts, thinks, speaks, reacts, feels, and responds the way one does is both intriguing and also the most challenging of tasks.

Viewer Journal Assignment

For your Out of Class Essay #3, you will be writing a very in-depth analysis of ONE of the characters from Breaking Bad, Season 1.

(This is NOT the official assignment for the essay. You will receive that on the day indicated on the syllabus.)

However, when you do eventually submit Out of Class Essay #3 you will ALSO be submitting a Viewer’s Journal as well. If you do not submit the Journal, 20 points will be deducted from your score on the essay. If this ends up to be the one essay you choose to revise, you cannot earn back the 20 points.

What is a Viewer’s Journal?

Simply, as you watch each episode of Season 1, you will jot down notes. There are no specific guidelines for WHAT you will write.

Record what you believe is significant or may end up being significant. Some of your entries might read a lot like recaps of the episode. That is fine.

As you view each episode, begin to think about what character you would like to write about for essay 3. More than one character may intrigue you, so you may be jotting down observations and details about more than one character.

This journal is strictly for YOU and for your use and reference when planning and preparing to write essay 3. I will not be reading through them. There is no requirement for length or content. These notes can be typed or handwritten or be barely readable. Obviously, though, they should be at least readable to YOU. J

When you submit essay 3, you will attach these journal entries to the back of the essay.

It must be clear to me that you have SEVEN distinct entries, one for each episode. Each entry must be titled by the name of the episode.

Example:

Episode 2: “Cat’s in the Bag”

As you view each episode, and observe the main characters, here are some questions to guide your note taking.

• What does this character do (and not do) and why?

• What do others think about your character? And how do you know?

• What motivates your character to do what he/she does?

• What influences this character to do what he/she does?

• What was your first impression of this character and does it change as you view new episodes? Why or why not? In which ways?

• What are this character’s goals, dreams, desires, needs? How do you know?

• Do you like this character? Why or why not?

• Is this character a believable one, a genuine one? Why or why not?

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

English 20, Fall 2013, Instructor: C. Fraga

Out of Class Essay Assignment #3 (200 points

Requirements:

• MLA format

• If you utilize any outside sources (not required) you must follow MLA format for in- text citations, Works Cited page, etc.

At the very least, you must have a Works Cited page that lists Season 1 of Breaking Bad.

• Attach your Viewer’s Journal (all 7 entries) to back of essay when submitting.

Before we began viewing the first season of Breaking Bad, I assigned a Viewer’s Journal. You were to record your observations and any other notes you wished in order to eventually select a character to focus on more carefully than others. However, as we have discussed, your first few journal entries, or perhaps more than a few, might just be summary plots and notes regarding several different characters.

This Viewer’s Journal will now be a valuable source as you write your last out of class essay for this course.

Assignment:

Write an in-depth character analysis of one of the characters in the first season of Breaking Bad.

Your essay must include the following:

• Assertion(s) about your character

• Evidence from the episodes that support your assertions (how did you come to the conclusion(s) you did regarding this character?)

Your supportive evidence might include but is not limited to:

• what others observe/say (or don’t observe/say) about the character—either directly or in private

• the actions of the character in particular situations

• the reactions/responses of the character in particular situations

• what drives this character

• what terrifies this character

• what pleases this character

• what does this character long for

• what does this character need

Your thesis must be assertive…it is YOUR opinion as a viewer of these episodes.

·      Whether or not you LIKE or DISLIKE this character is not an issue in this essay.

·      Whether you LIKE or DISLIKE the series is also not an issue in this essay.

Proving to the reader that this character has the attributes (good, bad, layered, shallow) that you assert he or she has is your goal.

Keep in mind that your reading audience HAS viewed each of the seven episodes so avoid writing extensive summaries of each episode.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Once Walter learns of his terminal cancer and begins cooking meth, he appears very unstable and irresponsible; however, his behavior truly represents a very determined, loving, highly intelligent and moral father and husband.

or…

Marie is a very insecure and lonely woman who is unhappy and uncomfortable living in the shadows of her power-driven DEA husband and her happily married and very bright sister, Skylar.