Why is this called "Composition" and not "Writing"? — due Aug. 25

Why is this class called "Composition" and not "Writing"? 

Click on "__ comments" to submit your reply.

Two Poems—due April 29

1. Connect personally, autobiographically with two poems in the class poetry folder. Include 150+ words for this one.

2. Through reading and writing, what have you learned about yourself this semester? Include 150+ words for this one.

(Include 300+ total words.)

Lens—due April 15

Excluding Hemingway, Doyle, Ellison, and LeGuin, select a short story in our Google folder. Read it, then apply a literary lens with 200+ words.

Differs from Life of Pi—due April 1

Write 100+ words on how the writing style of Beatrice & Virgil differs from Life of Pi.

Similes–due March 25 (new due date)

Rank your four (4) favorite similes from Life of Pi. Type the similes here with their page numbers in parentheses. You decide the quality by which you are ranking them (most visual or most relatable or most thought-provoking, maybe). Then write 100+ words explaining your ranking.

Knowing Pi—due March 4

How is Martel helping you know Pi Patel, a fictional character who is "true" (Tuesday Term: mimesis)? Include a sentence—with its page number—from the novel that applies to this question. Write 200+ words of your own.

Favorite Parts—due Feb 18

Write 200+ words about your favorite—most amusing, enlightening—parts in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Outside of your 200+ words, include at least a couple sentences word-for-word from the novel—along with their page numbers. Rank your favorite parts.

Autobiographical Connections—due Feb 4

Krrw on DeviantArt.Com

How do you personally connect to Golding's story? Perhaps take a theme from the novel to connect with. Include 200+ words.

Michel Foucault & Joseph Campbell—due Jan 22

 

Michel Foucault at nytimes.com

  

Joseph Campbell at brittanica.com

1. Research "Michel Foucault panopticon." Read then write about what you find.

2. Research "Joseph Campbell hero's journey." Read then write about what you find. Apply this theory to The Lion King: How does The Lion King fit Campbell's hero's journey?

You have 15 minutes to do these two tasks, then we will practice forum procedures.

Literary Lenses—due Jan 21

Skip Willman, brilliant literary lenses professor at USD

1. Google "literary theory, literary lenses, literary criticism, critical approaches to literature, literary theory..."

2. Scroll down a bit to find a qualified, unique site.

3. Find a section that compels/interests you. Read it carefully.

4. Summarize and react in writing here, including the URL you enjoyed and understood.

_________________

5. Then, apply literary theory to something else—something you have studied in school. Write about To Kill a Mockingbird, for example.

"My Name" Vignette Narrative Writing—due Nov 20

 

Image from LATimes.com

Using Sandra Cisneros as your model—for length, approach, perspective, literary devices—write about your name.

"My Name" is taken from The House on Mango Street.

6-word Stories—due Tuesday November 17

 

Type your best two 6-word stories here. Try to use imagery, irony, humor, horror.

Also, include your favorite 6-word story (written by someone else, of course) you find online by Googling. Include the author's name if possible.

Final Exam—due December 17

For your corresponding novel number, create a final exam multiple choice (A through E answer options) task/question. Make it challenging. Include the answer low in your comment.

For example, if you have novel number 58, then create a final exam task/question for number 58, which is homonym errors: "The illusion she made in today's conversation was obviously a reference to Life of Pi." ("illusion" should be "allusion")

_____________

Which of the following sentences includes a gerund? 

A) The yelling man was escorted from the fancy theatre during the intermission.

B) Yelping, the dog hid in the corner of the yard. 

C) Singing can be therapeutic, even during the darkest of times.

D) Studying excessively, she proved she was doing her absolute best—at all times, in all ways.

E) Everyone showed their school spirit, writing in the yearbooks. 

(Answer: C)

Argumentation—due December 3

 What is best about arguing? Include 150+ words.

Literary Devices—due November 12

Write 150+ words about literary devices you're utilizing in your narration or scholarship essays. (Don't overdo the formality in the scholarship essays; vocabulary and stylization don't have to take over there.)

Variety—due October 29

 Type 150+ words about your improving use of grammatical classification variety—or your stylized, artistic sentence variety.

Sentence Style—due October 15

Type 150+ new words, mimicking sentence styles from "The Art of Styling Sentences" (click on the bold title for the link) that will contribute to your Causal essay. Write stylized sentences that might actually appear in your essay. Indicate what art/style of sentence you're attempting.

Hmmm—due October 1

 Type something interesting. 150+ words needed.

Classifying—due September 17

 Do humans classify things inherently, automatically? Answer with 150+ words.

Logos, Ethos, Pathos in Essays—due September 3

How will you use logos, ethos, pathos in upcoming essays? How is every essay persuasive? Include 150+ words.

First Thoughts on Letters—due Thu, August 20

Type your first thoughts about our Letters project.

Extra credit—due Monday, April 20

Write about "My Kinsman, Major Molineux" by Nathaniel Hawthorne.

Short Stories Forum (Instead of Flipgrid if not working)—due April 10 at Noon

Type analysis of short stories here. Sorry for the difficulty with Flipgrid.

Martel Zoom—due April 1 by 11:00 p.m.

Write about our Zoom chat with Yann Martel. Extra credit for attending & writing.

Beatrice & Virgil Forum Page 116—due Friday, March 27

Due Friday, March 27, by 12:00 midnight:

• In your 1st comment, you need both:
• 1 observation about Beatrice & Virgil through page 116 
• 1 question about Beatrice & Virgil through page 116
• Show specific knowledge of the book, even mentioning page numbers
• In your 2nd comment, you need both: 
• 1 reaction/response to a classmate in your class period
• 1 reaction/response to a classmate in a different period
• Show specific knowledge of the book, even mentioning page numbers