Utopia Presentations; Synthesis; Logan's Run: Day 1; Manchurian Candidate Preview

By -
Period 1: Please conclude presentations on our Utopias. With time remaining in 1st period, we will discuss the two mandatory assignments for your MP3 portfolio:
  • Critical evaluation essay
    • Write an introduction; lead in to your thesis.
    • Add a few paragraphs summarizing the novel you read. Keep only major or important details about setting, character, plot. Do not evaluate. Avoid bias words.
    • After summary, support your thesis with source #1.
    • [Each source should be summarized briefly--what's the main point? Use textual evidence from book or sources to support your points]
    • Evaluate the source. Explain how and why does it fit into your analysis/thesis?
    • After connecting source #1 with your thesis, move to source #2.
    • Evaluate and explain source #2.
    • After source #2, move to source #3.
    • Evaluate and explain source #3.
    • Continue evaluation and explanation for each source. Try to blend ideas into a whole.
    • You may wish to add a counter-argument into your paper--especially if there is a glaring logic error, situational mistake, or problem a reader might have with your thesis.
    • Evaluate the novel. Use textual evidence. Prove your argument/thesis.
    • Conclude by considering what's at stake for the reader, our culture, the world--what's important to remember when reading this novel? Why should we care? or So what?
  • Draft of a dystopian story
    • Create a protagonist who has just realized his/her Utopia is not all that it is cracked up to be.
    • The protagonist fights against the current status quo.
    • Use mythic archetypes: mentors, challenges, love interests, confidantes, foils, "monsters", antagonists, etc. to illustrate aspects of the dystopia.
    • Challenge your protagonist to make a change.
    • Note: Most dystopian novels tend to end bleakly. The protagonist does not always change society--often society changes him/her to comply.
    • Write a draft.
As we move into media studies, let's discuss our next style of academic paper: The Synthesis.

The synthesis is a written discussion or analysis using more than one source to examine a connection or relationship between sources. Analysis, research papers, argument papers, essay exams, position papers, newspaper/journalism articles, business plans, web or blog writing, legal cases, criminal cases, documentaries, most fiction novels, and memos or letters all are common genres of writing that use the process of synthesis.

To begin our conduct of media studies and to bridge our gap between dystopian fiction examples and media studies, we will screen the MGM science fiction classic Logan's Run (1976), directed by Michael Anderson, and based on the novel of the same name. Logan's Run stars Michael York, Jenny Agutter, Richard Jordan, Roscoe Lee Browne, Farrah Fawcett-Majors, and Peter Ustinov.

As you watch the film, inspire yourself to write a draft of your dystopian future. Look here at these 3 short sources for next class:

Source #1: 3 Problems in America's Youth Culture (blog)
Source #2: Should Older Americans live in Segregated places? (article)
Source #3: Aging Worries Influence Die Young Philosophy (psychology article)

When we return from break, we will screen the 1962 film: The Manchurian Candidate.

Details on The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Director: John Frankenheimer
Produced by George Axelrod & John Frankenheimer
Screenwriter: George Axelrod; based on the novel by Richard Dondon
Cinematography: Lionel Linden
Music: David Amram
Editing: Ferris Webster
Cast:
Major Bennett Marco: Frank Sinatra
Raymond Shaw: Laurence Harvey
Eugenie Rose Chaney: Janet Leigh
Mrs. Eleanor Iselin: Angela Lansbury
Chunjin: Henry Silva
Senator John Iselin: James Gregory
Senator Thomas Jordan: John McGiver
Jocelyn Jordan: Leslie Parrish

Other cast members and details about the film can be found at IMDB.COM.

Could the events in The Manchurian Candidate really happen? Take a look at these sources between today and the end of the week:

HOMEWORK: Please begin writing your critical evaluation essay and/or your dystopian fiction draft. Read the 3 source articles for Logan's Run.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Namesake Analysis/Discussion Chp. 1 & 2; How It Feels To Be Colored Me

By -
Image
Let's go back to examining  The Namesake , Chapter 1 this morning to continue examining the writing style going on here. Take a closer look at these passages: Pg. 3 (1st full paragraph) to 4 (end of 1st full paragraph): How is Ashima's character compared/contrasted with the American women in the hospital? What do you notice about the sentence structure of this paragraph? What does the use of dialogue in this paragraph provide for the reader? What literary devices do you notice? Can you find figurative language/metaphor/alliteration or other elements of imagery? How are the sentences similar to a contraction (the action in the scene)? Pg. 10-12: how is Ashoke's character presented? How does his story parallel or contrast with his wife's? How is Ashoke different from the other American men in the waiting room? What details do we learn about him?  Pg. 13-14: Nickolai Gogol and the short story "The Overcoat" is alluded to here. Just notice it for now. This al...
Read more

How It Feels to Be Colored Me & Writing Prompts

By -
Image
"How it Feels to Be Colored Me" is an essay by  Zora Neale Hurston . Take a moment to read a bit of information about Zora Neale Hurston, then we'll read the essay in class. Look closely at how the article opens (the hook, lead-in, thesis), and how it develops (the body, topic sentences, argument), and notice the sentence structure (length, diction, syntax). After studying some of these elements respond to the article in writing. ESSAY PROMPT: What defines you? What single physical, mental, emotional trait defines you? Why? What is the significance of this trait?  ESSAY PROMPT: Think about your own educational experience. How multicultural has your experience been?  ESSAY PROMPT: Is there value in having a common culture (for example stressing the idea that we are all 'Americans' over fragmenting our culture)? Why or why not? ESSAY PROMPT: Does this idea of multiculturalism need updating? Is this issue still important--and, if so, why? ESSAY, PLAY, or M...
Read more

Mythology Prezi Projects

By -
Myths. Watch the following short videos concerning mythology. W hat makes a hero ? Anti-hero of One's Own A Host of Heroes Due at end of class , please complete your mythology Prezi project.  You should know the major gods/goddesses of your chosen mythological subject. Create a slide or two where you discuss/list who are the major gods/goddesses in your chosen mythology and what they represent You should know the creation myth that goes with that tradition. In a few slides tell the story of that creation myth through videos, pictures, text, etc. [note: most cultural mythology traditions have more than one creation myth. Pick the one you'd like to use.] You should identify key cultural traditions/beliefs that are represented in the myths of this culture: for example: arête (strength) is a common cultural quality examined in many hero myths. Find examples of some others. At least one slide should include the cultural tradition--note that this slide could come before ...
Read more