Contemporary Literature

1. Contemporary Literature Week 13 November 12-16, 2012

2. Monday, November 12, 2012 Due Today: Walk-IN: Open up to The World According to Garp section of your notebook and title it The World According to GarpFilm Study. Learning Objective: • Students will compare and contrast a film adaptation to the original source text and analyze how successful in remaining true to the overall purpose, context of the novel, the situation in which they can work within (film), and the affect it has on the audience. Agenda: • The World According to GarpFilm Study Homework: Read and prepare for Book Club # 5 on Tuesday (Page 277)

3. The World According To GarpFilm Study • Movie Viewing Note Sheet. On a piece of paper, make a list of “Narrative Elements” • Plot, character, setting, conflict, theme • Create a chart with the following categories. • Narrative elements / Similar / Different / Affect on purpose, context, situation, and audience. • List narrative elements down left hand column of chart: • While Viewing: • We want you to recognize changes and then think critically about whether or not the change matters: Does the difference change the story in a way that makes the story fundamentally different from the book? Is it still the same story, or is it a different story? • Whole class discussion: • Students volunteer changes they noticed, the class discusses possible effects of these changes (see 3rd bullet above) • Try and tie together the “flying” theme based on student contributions.

4. Due Today: Book Club #5 Creative Job Tuesday, November 13, 2012 Walk-IN: Sit with your book club group and take out your book, book club jobs, and a new sheet of paper. Learning Objective: • Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the individual preparation as well as the collaborative efforts of each participant. • Students will assume responsibilities for effective dialogues by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; listening to a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarifying, verifying, or challenging ideas and conclusions; and promoting divergent and creative viewpoints. • You will increase enjoyment and understanding of a novel by discussion questions, passages, characters, vocabulary, artistic interpretations, and areas of synthesis. Agenda: • Book Club # 5 Homework: Read and prepare for Book Cub # 6 (Page 335)

5. Book Club before discussion Set up header: Book Club #5 Name: Novel: Date: Collage of Jobs: Pages Read: Summary Paragraph • Write a summary paragraph about what happened in your book so far. Include information about the setting, characters, conflict, and any other important ideas or events. When finished, discuss your summaries with your group.

6. Book Club Discussion • Even though you have creative freedom with how you prepare, you must complete each job AT LEAST ONCE DURING THIS BOOK CLUB. • Even though you do not have to take discussion notes the entire time, YOU MUST TAKE NOTES ON EACH JOB AT LEAST ONCE.

7. Book Club After discussion • Reflection Paragraph: Choose one of the following objectives and explain in a paragraph how you and your group met the objective. • Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the individual preparation as well as the collaborative efforts of each participant. • Students will assume responsibilities for effective dialogues by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; listening to a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarifying, verifying, or challenging ideas and conclusions; and promoting divergent and creative viewpoints. • You will increase enjoyment and understanding of a novel by discussion questions, passages, characters, vocabulary, artistic interpretations, and areas of synthesis.

8. The World According to GarpReflection Questions • How is language a powerful tool for understanding and expression? • How does a text affect my perspectives? How do my perspectives influence my understanding of a text? • What was the author trying to make us feel, see, and believe? • Why consider the viewpoints in a text? How does reading help me understand others’ experiences? • Why and how does reading change my thinking? • Why do readers make sense of texts in different ways? • How do authors create the aesthetics of a literary work? How does the aesthetics of a literary work affect the meaning of the text? • How does constructing a generalization affect my thinking? What and why do I need to generalize in order to draw a sound conclusion? • How do the generalizations and conclusions that I form and draw from various literary works stretch, compress, and focus my perspective?

9. Due Today: Essay Note Sheets and Thesis Wed/Thurs November 14-15, 2012 Walk-IN: Please take out your Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Note Sheets and your working Thesis (hypothesis). Learning Objective: • Students will understand the outline for the body paragraphs and the purpose behind the ideas and organization of the body paragraphs of the critical lens synthesis essay. • Students will understand the outline for the introduction and conclusion and the purpose behind the ideas and organization of the opening and closing of critical lens synthesis essay. Agenda: • Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Body Paragraphs • Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Introduction/Conclusions • Synthesis Essay Work Time • The World According to GarpReading/Prep Time • Silent Reading Expectations • Book Club Preparation Homework: Read and prepare for Book Club # 6 (Page 335)

10. Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Assignment Overview: Over the course of this semester, we have explored both fiction and non-fiction texts to build critical lenses about three issues in contemporary American society: family, violence, and love. Now it is time for you to look at the semester through a critical lens, and synthesize ideas and examples from multiple sources we’ve looked at this semester to express and support an Emerging Message about an issue. Incorporate as many sources as possible to address ONE of the contemporary issues in our society in a multi-paragraph synthesis essay. Synthesize evidence from the following sources: Book Club novel Class texts (articles, essays, short stories, movie clips, The World According to Garp) Independent research Scientific information Critical essays about your book club book or Garp Non-fiction articles and essays about your issue Sources from other classes (i.e. Psychology, Sociology, etc.) Sources from your own life (i.e. movies, books, people you know, your own life experiences, etc.)

11. Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Assignment Critical Lenses (possible questions to consider): Family: What is the purpose of family? What makes a family functional? What makes a family dysfunctional? What can make a family stronger? What can break a family apart? What problems do modern families face and how might they overcome them? Violence: Why do people resort to violence? What is the relationship between emotional violence and physical violence? What are the underlying reasons why people resort to violence? What are the short term and long term effects of emotional and/or physical violence on both the victim and the perpetrator? How does society view or react to violence and how does this influence the violence? Love: What is the difference between love and lust? What is the relationship between love and lust? What does each require of the individuals? What does each provide for the individuals? Mastery Develop and support an Emerging Message that synthesizes two, or even all three of our critical lenses.

12. Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Model Plan • Essay Planning: • General Topic: Family • Text 1: • 1. Title: “Where are You Going, Where have You Been?” Author: Joyce Carol Oates • 2. Genre: Fiction/Short Story • 3. Summary of the text: Connie is a fifteen year old girl who lives with her mother, father, and sister. Connie and her mother do not get along very well because Connie feels her mother is constantly picking on her. Connie’s father does not pay attention to the family. In fact both parents really don’t. They never ask her what she did last night or what she is planning on doing. Connie finds comfort with her friends and the pop-culture image. One Sunday when she does not go to a BBQ with the family Connie is approached by a man named Arnold Friend who pretends to be her age, and dresses like all of the “cool and popular” boys that Connie admires. Arnold friend knows that Connie is vulnerable by herself and he threatens, and eventually, convinces Connie to go with him and sacrifice her life. • 4. Quotes or paraphrases from the text that relates to your topic with page #: “Connie’s mother kept picking at her until Connie wished her mother was dead and she herself was dead and it was all over” (Oates). • 5. Explanation/Inference about what message the evidence has about your topic: Connie feels left out, ignored, and under attack from her mother, so she detaches herself from her family to the point where she wishes she or her mother no longer existed. Because she does not feel comfort at home, Connie searches for comfort from the outside world. • 6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 with at least two additional quotes from the source. • 7. Explanation of the societal ideas/values/reasons/motives that are represented in the text about your topic. It appears that Joyce sees the conventional family as successful only if they value the home and relationships that they share. When they do not, in a world that is saturated with pop-culture ideals, the members will begin to question their worth, their roles, and may seek comfort outside of the family instead of within. • 8. Overall Message: When a family is focused on their own selfish feelings, instead of the emotional well being of each other, it will cause the family to be vulnerable to the outside world.

13. Critical Lens Thesis • Looking back at your plan, it is now time to create a working thesis for your essay. Topic: ________ Text 1: ________ Message: ___________ Text 2: ________ Message: ___________ Text 3: ________ Message: ___________ Text 4: ________ Message: ___________ Text 5: ________ Message: ___________ Text 6: ________ Message: ___________ Add your messages together to create a cohesive message about your topic that can apply to humans or society in general. Look for a relationship to structure your thesis: Cause and Effect, Problem and Solution, etc This relationship will help you go back and decide what texts your are going to organize together in your body paragraphs. Thesis: _______________________________________________________________

14. Critical Lens Thesis • Looking back at your plan, it is now time to create a working thesis for your essay. Topic: Violence Text 1: ViolenceMessage: Shame and lack of self respect are pre-existing emotions that cause people to resort to violence Text 2: “Emotional Violence” Message: emotional violence is the refusal to listen to or acknowledge feelings or disrespect Text 3: “Bullet in the Brain” Message: Lack of self respect causes people to resort to emotional violence which leads to physical violence Text 4: “A Good Man is Hard to Find” Message: Disrespect or abandonment from family causes a person to lose self respect Text 5: The World According to GarpMessage: Resort to physical violence to regain or assert power Text 6: ________ Message: ___________ Causes: Abandonment, shame, humiliation, plus emotional violence Effects: Desire to regain or assert power through physical violence Contemporary Values, trends: More emotional violence? Lack of respect? Thesis: In our contemporary society where a lack of respect for the well-being of others has become a common occurrence, people are becoming victims of emotional violence; this leaves them feeling alone, humiliated, ashamed, and with an overall lack of self-respect; unfortunately these emotions are precursors for physical violence, because people will resort to physical violence to regain respect, power, and control.

15. Sample Theses from last year • Family: • Although contemporary American beliefs may dictate that a family is comprised of a strict structure or dogma, family in its essence is not perfect; a family exists because they share a common purpose instead of a common structure. • Although there are many factors that threaten to break a family apart in our contemporary society, ultimately the main or primary reason a family breaks apart is unrealistic expectations, selfishness, and a lack of a common purpose. • Many people today in our contemporary society believe that families have become less successful because the family dynamic have changed, which is somewhat true; however the family dynamics have changed because the family has lost a common purpose.

16. Sample Theses from last year • Violence: • Extreme and unnecessary acts of violence have become more prominent in our contemporary society, because of the lack of respect people have for each others and themselves; when these conditions exist physical violence will increase. However, if this trend continues then violent acts will continue to increase because emotional violence and physical violence are a never-ending cycle. • In our contemporary society where a lack of respect for the well-being of others has become a common occurrence, people are becoming victims of emotional violence; this leaves them feeling alone, humiliated, ashamed, and with an overall lack of self-respect; unfortunately these emotions are precursors for physical violence, because people will resort to physical violence to regain respect, power, and control.

17. Sample Theses from last year • Love/Lust: • Although there are many reasons for failed relationships, the primary reason is a lack of balance between love and lust, and a lack of understanding the differences between these two emotions; therefore in order to create a relationship conducive to success, it is imperative for couples to determine and understand the necessary balance that is unique to each relationship. • In our contemporary society today, failed marriages are producing models for future generations, creating an imbalance between love and lust by valuing one’s own personal gratification over self-sacrifice and the gratification of others; until people become more patient and focus more on the love for one another and the sacrifices that they must make, families will continue to struggle.

18. Critical Lens Synthesis Outline • Thesis(this will go in your introduction): • In our contemporary society today, failed marriages are producing models for future generations, creating an imbalance between love and lust by valuing one’s own personal gratification over self-sacrifice and the gratification of others; in order to create successful families people must become more patient, accept each other’s flaws, and focus more on the love for one another and the sacrifices that they must make. • Body Paragraph 1 • Main Idea that addresses one part of the thesis: Currently, failed marriages in our society are creating an imbalance between love and lust by focusing more on selfish desires, rather than the gratification of others. • Evidence Source 1: • Analysis • Evidence Source 2: • Analysis • Mastery Evidence Source 3: • Analysis • Synthesis

19. Critical Lens Synthesis Outline • Thesis(This will go in your introduction): • In our contemporary society today, failed marriages are producing models for future generations, creating an imbalance between love and lust by valuing one’s own personal gratification over self-sacrifice and the gratification of others; in order to create successful families people must become more patient, accept each other’s flaws, and focus more on the love for one another and the sacrifices that they must make. • Body Paragraph 2 • Main Idea that addresses one part of the thesis: In order for families to be success today, each member must be patient with each other, and their perceived flaws by focusing more on long term success rather than immediate gratification. • Evidence Source 1: • Analysis • Evidence Source 2: • Analysis • Mastery Evidence Source 3: • Analysis • Synthesis

20. Critical Lens Synthesis Outline • Thesis (This will go in your introduction): • Body Paragraph 3 • Main Idea that addresses one part of the thesis: • Evidence Source 1: • Analysis • Evidence Source 2: • Analysis • Mastery Evidence Source 3: • Analysis • Synthesis

21. Critical Lens Synthesis Outline • Thesis (This will go in your introduction): • Mastery Body Paragraph 4 • Main Idea that addresses one part of the thesis: • Evidence Source 1: • Analysis • Evidence Source 2: • Analysis • Mastery Evidence Source 3: • Analysis • Synthesis

22. Critical Lens Synthesis Body Paragraph • What is the purpose of a main idea sentence? 1. Address a specific part of the thesis 2. Identify texts used to support the main idea • What does the writer need to do for the audience before presenting evidence? 1. Introduce the title of the text and briefly summarize the text to provide context for the evidence so the reader can understand the example • What purpose do the examples serve? What types of examples can you use? What do you need to do before the quote? What punctuation needs to come after each example? 1. The examples show the main idea of the paragraph 2. The examples set up an order for logical thinking 3. You need a lead in for the quote: Flanagan writes, or Connie says, 4. You can quote a passage from the text or paraphrase/summarize (in detail) an example from the text 5.You always need put parenthetical citation after each quote (Last Name pg#) or (Title pg#)

23. Critical Lens Synthesis Body Paragraph • What purpose does the analysis serve? How long should it be? 1. The analysis explains how the example proves the main idea/part of your thesis. You don’t need to say this shows, because that should be implied by the example. The analysis should be at least twice as long as the example. • What steps do you need to repeat before getting to the synthesis of ideas? 1. You need to provide background for the next example, provide another example, and then analyze that example. • What is the purpose of synthesizing? How do you synthesize the examples together? • 1. When using multiple sources to support your message you need to explain how they all tie together. • 2. The synthesis should be multiple sentences. It should refer to specific aspects of your evidence and your analysis. • 3. It should connect and analyze your evidence together to reiterate and come back to your overall message or main idea of the body paragraph. • This can also serve as a concluding sentence if it comes back generally to your message.

24. Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Introduction • What do you need to do to start your essay? Why and how do writers do this? What are two ways? 1. Introduce main topic in an interesting way that grab’s the reader’s attention with a hook. 2. Uses a quote that introduces importance 3. Provides own level 3 statement of importance or statement of interest • What is the next step of the introduction? What information do the readers need? 1. Define your topic or introduce your topic. Place your topic in a time period. Anticipate any questions the reader might have. 2. Ask yourself or somebody else: Is the topic clear? Why is it important? What background information do the readers need? Do any terms need to be defined? • What is the next step of the introduction? What other information do your reader’s need? 1. Introduce your source texts: title and author: genre (fiction: novels, short stories, poetry/ non-fiction: articles, essays, websites): and an overall summary of content in the texts. • What is the final step of your introduction? What purpose does it serve? 1. Thesis statement 2. It sets up an organization for your body paragraphs and asserts a claim about your topic (cause and effect, or problem and solution)

25. Critical Lens Synthesis Essay Conclusion • What do you need to do to show the reader you are ready to conclude your essay? Why and how do writers do this? What are two ways? 1. Connect back to the introduction. 2. Provide a quote that builds off of your quote to start your essay—maybe one that shows a cause and effect relationship 3. Provide a concluding statement of importance that sums up your overall thinking. This may be similar to your thesis. • What is the next step of the conclusion? What do you need to do to make sure you leave your readers fully understanding your topic, essay, claim? 1. Review your main ideas from your body paragraphs. 2. Refer to the text examples you used for each main point. Do not list all of them in one sentence. 3. Connect these back to your thesis. • What is the final step of your conclusion? What purpose does it serve? How might you do this? 1. Leave the reader with a closing message. 2. To get the reader to think critically about your topic, connect the topic to their own life (implied—do not say you), to cause the reader to want to act a certain way, or change their mind. 3. End with a general statement placing it in a time period about life that serves the above purpose, or ends with a quote that addresses our contemporary society that serves the general purpose, or connect it to other issues of importance for contemporary society, or provide a possible solution.

26. The World According To Garp: Reading and Preparation Day • While reading be conscious or aware of the strategies you use to improve your stamina and engagement while reading (these are most likely similar to strategies you use to stay involved in the moment in anything new you are learning). • Be aware of the things that distract you. • Keep in mind the creative ways in which you may want to represent you learning, analysis, and reaction to the novel for your Book Club Preparation. • Begin creating your preparation:

27. The World According to GarpBook Club • Book Club Job Expectations • Creative Freedom for Jobs: collage approach to Book Club Jobs. • Students will need to collage or piece together 4 aspects of the previous six jobs. This may include one passage, a smaller detailed drawing, two level 3 questions, 3 vocabulary words, a character chart on one person, or a smaller synthesis chart. Your choice, just chose 4 of the above and have fun and be creative.

28. Due Today: Book Club #6 Creative Job Friday, November 16, 2012 Walk-IN: Sit with your book club group and take out your book, book club jobs, and a new sheet of paper. Learning Objective: • Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the individual preparation as well as the collaborative efforts of each participant. • Students will assume responsibilities for effective dialogues by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; listening to a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarifying, verifying, or challenging ideas and conclusions; and promoting divergent and creative viewpoints. • You will increase enjoyment and understanding of a novel by discussion questions, passages, characters, vocabulary, artistic interpretations, and areas of synthesis. Agenda: • Book Club # 6 Homework: Read and prepare for Book Club # 7 (Page 400) Rough Draft of Critical Lens Synthesis Essay

29. Book Club before discussion Set up header: Book Club #6 Name: Novel: Date: Collage of Jobs: Pages Read: Summary Paragraph • Write a summary paragraph about what happened in your book so far. Include information about the setting, characters, conflict, and any other important ideas or events. When finished, discuss your summaries with your group.

30. Book Club Discussion • Even though you have creative freedom with how you prepare, you must complete each job AT LEAST ONCE DURING THIS BOOK CLUB. • Even though you do not have to take discussion notes the entire time, YOU MUST TAKE NOTES ON EACH JOB AT LEAST ONCE.

31. Book Club After discussion • Reflection Paragraph: Choose one of the following objectives and explain in a paragraph how you and your group met the objective. • Students will understand that the quality of group discussions is proportional to the individual preparation as well as the collaborative efforts of each participant. • Students will assume responsibilities for effective dialogues by posing and responding to questions that probe reasoning and evidence; listening to a full range of positions on a topic or issue; clarifying, verifying, or challenging ideas and conclusions; and promoting divergent and creative viewpoints. • You will increase enjoyment and understanding of a novel by discussion questions, passages, characters, vocabulary, artistic interpretations, and areas of synthesis.