Race Unit: Poetry & Crime; Discussion; Master Harold & the Boys: Day 1

By -
Because of our snow day, this lesson will be given on Tuesday, March 6.

Lab: (until 8:00)

Read the handout of poems and the article "The Black Family in the Age of Mass Incarceration." Use your creativity to write a poem or essay draft inspired by one of these poems or what the article sparks during the shortened lab time. Portfolios are due March 28.

Suggestions:
  • Write a poem about a nickname (or racial slur) you or someone you know earned in school. 
  • Write about a time you had to declare your racial heritage.
  • Write about your parents (or a parent/relative, etc.) that had to assimilate or taught you something about your culture.
  • Write about a relative or neighbor that you know in prison.
  • Write a fictional story from the perspective of an inmate in a State or local prison or from a family member or law enforcement officer affected by crime or our prison system. To help you see the following sites:
If you finish early, use your time to write other things (see previous posts for options!), learn about Racial/Ethnic Prejudice (crash course), or read your novel. Test next class!

Classroom: 
We'll continue our discussion of the film Do the Right Thing and read the article on race & crime. For more details on black crime statistics, please look at the statistics above.

After our discussion, we'll begin looking at race around the world. We'll be reading the play Master Harold & the Boys by Athol Fugard. I'll give you more background on this play as we read or next class. The following videos/sites will be helpful in examining and learning about South Africa and Apartheid.
HOMEWORK: Please complete the reading of your chosen novel. There will be a test Thursday on the book (and a discussion with your peers). Apply the sociology and political science articles I gave you (and the article on crime from today and the videos below) to the themes and events in the book you are reading. You may use your notes and book for the test on Thursday, but you will only have 1 period to complete the test. If you are late, you will not have enough time to complete your test (no late tests or extensions will be given). Don't be late. Class starts at 7:30.
So, how do we use what we've learned to help communicate our feelings about race? Can America's race problems be solved? Why or why not?

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

Clash of the Titans (Conclusion); Creation Myths

By -
Clash of the Titans (conclusion) Clash of the Titans   (1981)--produced and designed by  Ray Harryhausen . Directed by  Desmond Davis . Starring:  Laurence Olivier  as Zeus,  Maggie Smith  as Thetis,  Harry Hamlin  as Perseus, and  Burgess Meredith  as Ammon. Clash of the Titans (2010) & Clash of the Titans (2010) Medusa Scene Wrath of the Titans (2012) Percy Jackson: The Lightning Thief (2010) Percy Jackson Sea of Monsters (2013) Percy Jackson Titan's Curse (2017) Use mythic criticism to review (in writing or as a podcast or vlog post)  Clash of the Titans . Take notes during the film to help you prepare your review. Myth Criticism  asks: 1. How does the story resemble other stories in plot, character, setting or use of symbols? 2. Are archetypes presented, such as quests, initiations, scapegoats, descending, or withdrawals and returns? [Use your handout/notes to help!] 3. Does the protagonist undergo any kind of transformation (such as movement from innoc
Read more

Wilderness Tips - Examination & Analysis

By -
Image
Use period one to continue the story draft you started last class. Use your time to develop your ideas, theme, work on plot, character development, setting, and other aspects of your fiction writing. Remember, your story should include the following: Write a draft that includes a flashback . Consider an urban setting, but at some point in your story, move to a more natural setting. The setting should reflect the inner conflicts of your protagonist if possible. Avoid character cliches: surprise your reader (and possibly yourself or even your character) Include a secondary character who should act as a foil to the protagonist. Write in present tense ; (flashbacks can be written in past tense); Use 3rd person POV (limited, omniscient, objective). See the previous post for more details. Period 2: Let's discuss what we've read so far in the collection. Wilderness Tips is   Margaret Atwood’s second volume of short stories ( Bluebeard’s Egg and Other Stories (198
Read more