Category: English

 

After reading “The Undercover Parent” ( ) (Chapter 1 – From Critical Thinking to Argument) complete the following:

1. Write your own brief letter to the editor indicating your reasons for supporting or rejecting Croben’s argument.
2. In the subject line of your post, indicate your position – Pro Spyware or Con Spyware.
3. Respond to a classmate who does not agree with your position. Explain why you disagree and offer a different point of view.

In order to earn the full points  for this assignment, you must:

• Directly and completely answer the question.
• Clearly and accurately explain your answer based on factual information.
• Include examples, quotes and/or paraphrases in your answer.
• Compose a unified paragraph using effective sentence structure, word choice, and grammatical correctness.
• Respond to another student’s post explaining the reason for your agreement or disagreement. 

What’s Happening in Jitterbug Perfume?

1. There are four main subplots/character groups in this novel. List two or three main characters in each group. (4 groups x 2-3 characters each.)

2. Explain what is happening in Seattle, in about 4 sentences.

3. Explain what Alobar and Kudra are trying to achieve and list their tools and techniques to try to reach this goal. Write your answer in about 4 sentences. 

4. What do you think the overall message or theme is of Jitterbug Perfume is? What message or moral does Tom Robbins want us to remember after reading this book. 

5. In about 300 words, argue how Jitterbug Perfume is or is not “postmodern”. Use specific references to Klages’ article on postmodernism and examples from the novel (with page numbers) to defend your answer. Treat this like a mini-essay, with a thesis, support from the novel, and support from the secondary source (Klages’ article). Cite your sources in MLA format.

**Write your answer in 3-5 sentences, including direct evidence, quotations, and page references in MLA format. **

Please number each answer as well. 

Watch the following video on Netflix:  Fyre – The Greatest Party That Never Happened

There were many risks associated with development of this event.  Identify at least one major risk.  Explain if the risk was properly or improperly assessed.  How was the risk managed?  If you were part of the event management team, how would you have managed the risk?  

There were many missteps during the planning phase of the event.  Identify two major flaws in planning that should have triggered the event management team to make adjustments or cancel the event.  How did the team in place handle the major planning flaws?  How would you handle the same or similar scenario as a member of the event team?

Directions:  Copy/Paste these Questions into a Word document (or simply create a document without the questions) in which you write a full paragraph in response to each of these critical thinking questions.  Hint: the more you engage and write, the better.  Avoid brevity. We are practicing critical thinking and writing skills here.

1. In Before the Flood, we saw countless ways that our consumption is ruining the environment. What outcomes were most shocking to you? What solutions provided you with the most optimism for the future?

2. Every November, we have a chance to elect representatives with our best interests in mind, whether that is locally or in Washington, D.C. If you were elected to office, what actions would you take to ensure a sustainable future for future generations?

3. During the most recent Presidential election, we voted not only for a new leader of the so-called Free World, but an individual who theoretically has the power to set us on a new course. How is President Trump doing in this regard? Do some research if necessary.

4. The debate about climate change has been labeled as a misinformation campaign. What arguments have you heard on either side of the debate that have been most impactful in creating your views? Have any of these ideas been changed because of this film?

5. Are you optimistic or pessimistic about the future of our planet? Why?

6. The film is filled with powerful imagery, eye-popping statistics, and a myriad of ideas of how to live a greener lifestyle. What was most powerful and inspiring to you? What will you tell your peers about this film?

7. What socio-political issues or scientific facts do you want to learn more about with regard to the climate crisis humanity is facing?

Week 3 Memo Reflection

Each week you will be asked to write a memo reflecting your learning.  Please note that you must read the directions for each week because the focus may vary. In order to pass it must include the following:

 Memo format.

 Clear, focused writing with minimal errors.

 A minimum of two paragraphs.

 A demonstration of reflection and critical thinking.

W3 TOPIC: Reflect on the language used in your professional field.  What jargon is used by your field?  What are the standards channels of communication for your field?  Also, what was the most important thing you learned this week about communication in your field?

 Your final discussion post will be a reflection. Which natural disaster/hazard have you found to be the most interesting and why? What are some major issues concerning natural hazards/disasters for the future? What can we do to protect ourselves against the wrath of nature? How important are natural hazards/disasters regarding the future of our species? You do not have to answer all of these questions and you can also touch on other aspects of natural hazards/disasters. Make sure you include material from the class in your response. In essence…why do we study natural disasters and does it really matter? Why or why not? Your post must be at least 350 words 

Unlike most animated films that have been cartoons for children and families, Grave of Fireflies touched on more serious themes and had moments that moved some audience members to tears. Identify and give examples of the representations in the film that you consider this anime is different from cartoon.

(USE your OWN words, no citation)

 

Vocabulary for Unit 4

These are the vocabulary words for this unit.  Remember to incorporate them into your Discussion Board in this unit.

Inconsequential      Superficial         Tenuous      Trivial

Compelling             Obstinate         Tenacity       Consensus

Derived                   Acquired

 

 

For this Writer’s Notebook, you should watch the video “In Reverse” and respond to the following prompt with a minimum of 300 words:

What effect do the creators of this video wish to have on the viewer? In other words, what is the video’s purpose?   Who do you think is the intended audience? Why?  How do the creators of this video use the elements of visual rhetoric discussed in this unit to convey their message? You may also consider how elements not discussed in this unit, such as sound or special effects, engage and persuade the viewer. 

Note:  This video contains imagery that some viewers may find unsettling.

(direct link to the video:  https://vimeo.com/106588553)

 

For this discussion board, first choose an image from the “images” folder to respond to.  In your discussion board post, begin by describing the image you have chosen and explaining your initial reactions to the image.  From there, provide your reader with an analysis of the image, using terms introduced earlier in this unit: composition, context, content, framing, lighting, angle, intertextuality, focus,  etc.  Be sure to begin your response by identifying which image you have chosen.

Complete this discussion board with one initial response of at least 300 words and two replies of at least 100 words each.

As always,  be sure to use two vocabulary words from the unit.

 

Attached Files:

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For this Writer’s Notebook, you should construct an outline for your next assignment by following these instructions:

Take a moment to look ahead to your next assignment.  You are asked to write an extended visual analysis.  Take a little while to browse the images in the Gordon Parks Foundation Archive (link below) and choose one that will be the subject of your essay. After youve chosen an image, take some time to brainstorm and generate ideas about your topic. You may choose any of the invention strategies discussed in Unit 1 and the strategies discussed in the visual rhetoric lessons in this unit.

Once you have generated some ideas, begin thinking about ways to tie them together.  Try devising a thesis statement that makes a claim about the image you have chosen.  Next, think about how to organize your ideas into a coherent essay.  Use the outline template provided here to help guide you in constructing an outline for your essay.

When you are finished, you should have a working thesis statement and a detailed outline for your major essay.

  

 

Please use this discussion board for the peer review of the visual analysis essay. 

Questions for Peer Review

1. Read your peers essay from beginning to end just to let its ideas wash over you.  What are your initial thoughts? Did your peer satisfy the requirements of assignment?  Please explain in detail.

2. Review the essays title as well as its introduction and conclusion.  Think about the relationships among these three components. Do they match or do they disagree? Make note of strengths or weaknesses in these crucial areas.  Please explain in detail.

3. Like other essays, a visual analysis essay should have a thesis.  Find the essays thesis.  Is it clear? Does it make some claim or statement about the image? Paraphrase (put in your own words) the thesis of the essay to check your understanding. Review the assignment guidelines to ensure that your peers thesis is on target. Make note of strengths or weaknesses in this area. Please explain in detail.

4. Evaluate the quality of the visual analysis.  Does the writer use some of the vocabulary introduced in Unit 3?  Focus, Color, Framing, Context, etc.  

5. Focus on the individual paragraphs of the essay.  Does each paragraph have a topic sentence that previews the ideas of the paragraph? Observe the essays development of paragraphs.  Does each paragraph have a single main idea that relates to the thesis?  Are there any paragraphs that seem disconnected or out of place?

6. Consider the essays use of the English language.  Are sentence structures, grammar, spelling, punctuation and mechanics employed effectively, or do errors distract the reader from understanding and enjoying the writers analysis? Make note of strengths and weaknesses in this area.  Please explain in detail.

Remember: When in doubt about how to do the peer review, be honest, helpful, and constructive. Saying Great job! Dont change a word! never helped anyone to be a better writer.

 The topic of the speech is : 

Hard Work: This could commemorate the value of hard work or examples of it.

The outline for the speech is uploaded in a word document. 

follow the outline. 

 Censorship in film has played an important role in commercial movie making. Do you think the film you watched for this weeks first discussion question would have been allowed to release with the same exact content under the Hays Code? Why or why not? Be explicit and support your claim with verbiage from the Hays Code itself.