Non-Fiction Essay & American Pop Culture

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Please work on your non-fiction essays during the first 1/2 of class this morning. If you have not yet posted to the forum regarding David Sedaris, please complete that as well. Whatever you do not finish today, please complete for next class. You should have a draft of your essay ready for next class.

During the second 1/2 of class, please investigate these crucial key terms. In your notes, please identify and define the following 10 terms:
  • Pop Culture 
  • Counter culture
  • Subculture
  • Trash culture
  • Theory of progressive evolution
  • High culture/low culture 
  • Mass media
  • Folklore
  • Urban legend
  • Fads
After researching and defining these concepts/terms, go on to the following assignment:

Please link to the website: Pop Matters (a popular culture on-line zine). During class: please peruse this site. Choose 3 articles in any of the following categories: television, movies/film, music, gaming, dvds, books, comics, multimedia, events or culture. To turn in for participation credit, please write a short 1-2 paragraph summary of each article. Make sure to include reference to title and author. Be prepared to share at least one of these articles to the whole class on Thursday.

HOMEWORK: Whatever you do not finish, please complete as homework. You should have your 3 articles ready to turn in by Thursday (next class), a first draft of your creative non-fiction essay, and know the terms above in case there is a quiz.

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