Things Fall Apart - Day 1

We'll start our look at Things Fall Apart with a discussion of proverbs, using this list:

• Proverbs

Then, after a look at the calendar, we'll start by reading the first two chapters.

• Things Fall Apart unit calendar

The Gods Must Be Crazy

To introduce the next unit, I showed the first section of The Gods Must Be Crazy in class today. We discussed life for the Kalahari bushmen, how they are different from "civilized man," and what happens when a Coke bottle appears in their lives. If you want to re-watch that section of the film, or check out the rest of the movie, here is a link to it:

• The Gods Must Be Crazy

Please don't forget to bring a copy of our next novel, Things Fall Apart, to class tomorrow!

Paradise Now - Discussion and Assignment

Last Thursday you finished watching Paradise Now. Over the weekend you responded to some questions about it in your journal - hopefully these pushed you toward figuring out what type of essay / project you will do to complete this unit.

Remember, your 4 choices (you will do each one once) for this semester are:

• Single-Text Analytic Essay
• Personal / Hybrid Essay
• Intertextual Essay
• Creative Project

The unit includes the film, the Ari Shavit article, the TED talk from Zak Ebrahim, our guest speakers, and the Google Slide presentation we made at the start.

• First period slide show
• Second period slide show

We will have two days at the start of next week (Monday and Tuesday) to work in class. Your assignment is due Wednesday,  Nov. 30th.

You will need a copy of our next book, Things Fall Apart, in class on Thursday.

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving break!

Paradise Now - Weekend Journal Response

Over the weekend, please respond to these questions in your notebook. I will not be collecting these, but you will be using them as the jumping-off point of your essay about the film (and this unit).

• What effect is achieved by showing silent close ups of each important character at the end of Paradise Now, finishing with an extreme close up of Said’s eyes? How did it make you feel?
• What do you think Hany Abu-Assad, the film’s director, wants us to take away from the film? Explain this in detail, referring to specific moments / images from the film.
• By the time the film reaches its end, Abu-Assad has given us three characters—Said, Khaled, and Suha—in great detail. Which ONE of these characters do you find yourself most drawn to, intrigued by or wondering about? Which of these three characters do you find yourself thinking most about? Explain, focusing on not only a few specific moments in the film, but also a few thoughts or experiences of your own to further elaborate.
• Identify a few ways Paradise Now is in dialogue with Antigone and/or Hamlet. What concerns and questions does Abu-Assad seem interested in that Sophocles and Shakespeare were also exploring in, respectively, Antigone and Hamlet? Explain, referring to specifics in both the film and the two plays.

If you are interested, here are some resources:

• Script of the film (not beautifully formatted, but complete)
• Press Kit, including interviews

Paradise Now

Happy Monday!
Today in class you wrote a short rhetorical analysis of either Ari Shavit's introduction to his book, or Zak Ibrahim's TED talk.

For the rest of the week, we will be in E114 watching Paradise Now.  If you 'd like to have a preview of the film, here is a link to a review of it:

• Paradise Now review

The day after election day - and moving ahead

Here is a link to the transcript of Trump's speech from last night.

Here is a link to a video I had planned to show today, and we will watch during the second half of class.

Here is a link to a transcript of the video.

On Monday you will write, by hand, a brief rhetorical analysis essay. The purpose of this essay is to argue for a specific interpretation of either Ari Shavit’s Introduction to his My Promised Land or Zak Ebrahim’s TED Talk: “I am the Son of a Terrorist: Here’s How I Chose Peace,” through analyzing the writer’s/speakers rhetoric.

In preparing for this essay, carefully consider the rhetorical devices that most contribute to the message or ideas explored within the piece. 

Come in with 5 different devices (italicized on document) prepared, per piece.

Rhetoric - guest speakers and Ari Shavit

Yesterday we heard two guest speakers from the Parents Circle - Family Forum. We'll start the day by sharing thoughts about their presentation.

Next, I'll introduce rhetorical analysis - a way of looking at language that should be pretty familiar.

After that, we'll turn our attention to the Ari Shavit article you read over the weekend.

Words and Images collage - 1st period
Words and Images collage - 2nd period

Introduction to rhetorical analysis

Ari Shavit - introduction to My Promised Land

Background information about Israeli / Palestinian conflict

Here is a link to a document with background information on the conflict from both perspectives.

Here is a link to the different rhetorical devices we will use in our discussion, and in this unit.

Guest speakers

This morning we heard from two fathers, one Israeli and the other Palestinian, who shared their stories of loss and hope. Both of them lost daughters to the conflict, and both of them turned their energies toward reconciliation and understanding.  We'll talk about the presentation tomorrow, but if you want more information please check here:

• Parents Circle - Family Forum

Words

Google Slides - Words

• 1st period
• 2nd period

I'll assign you a number. Go to that slide - there is a word on it. Spend the next ten minutes collecting images that somehow illustrate your word - whatever you want to use will be fine. Design the slide however you want (please do not change the settings for the whole slide show) by do be sure to include the word.

After we made the slideshow, I asked you to identify one slide that affirms your prior thinking about that term, and one slide that challenges or complicates your understanding of it. Describe what it is about these images that made you put it in one of those categories - do this in your notebook.

For homework, please read this article - it is by Ari Shavit, an Israeli author and politician. It is the introduction to his recent book, My Promised Land. Just read the article and be prepared to talk about it / work with it on Monday. Feel free to print it out, but realize there are blank pages in there.

• Introduction to My Promised Land

Hamlet work days - revised due date

For the past two days we've had work time in class - hopefully you are feeling like your paper / project is in a good place.

I just sent an email updated the due date - papers are now due on Friday instead of Thursday, in honor of the Cubs playing in game 7 of the World Series tonight.

*If you are doing a creative project, the project part of it is still due tomorrow, since that is the time set aside to share them in class. The written part of the creative project is due Friday.