ACTIVITIES #1-2 MUST BE COMPLETED
BY SEP. 11 MIDNIGHT (for Tuesday-Thursday group)
or 18 SEPT. MIDNIGHT (for Monday-Thursday group).
ACTIVITIES #3-4 ARE DUE
TUESDAY SEPT 16 BEFORE CLASS (for Tuesday-Thursday group)
1) 1st READING: READ THE SHORT STORY "THE PAPER MENAGERIE" BY KEN LIU (pp. 46-57 in the course pack).
Find multiple specific indirect details illustrating different aspects of his three psychological states (initial, intermediate, and final), and find the revelations that cause the two transformations.
INITIAL psychological state >> exposition (before the trigger of the conflict)
INTERMEDIATE state >> fake resolution (temporary, wrong solution)
FINAL state >> final resolution (long-term, good solution in the very last paragraph)
TIPS: Among many other things, you may focus on the contrast between the paper tiger and Obi-Wan. You can also focus on language (speaking English, Chinese and remaining silent) and the significance of believing in magic. Regarding the 1st transformation towards the intermediate state, what events reveal new pieces of information to the protagonist and transform the way he sees himself, his mother, his Chinese heritage and the other American kids at school? Regarding the letter at the end, you need to focus on very specific/short passages that reveal new crucial pieces of information about the mother (what pieces?), transforming her son towards his final state. The last few paragraphs contain excellent indirect details to analyze this final state.
2) 2nd & 3rd READINGS: YOUR SECOND READING WILL TAKE PLACE ONLINE AS YOU WILL ADD COMMENTS TO AN ONLINE COPY OF THE STORY WITH ONE OR TWO OTHER STUDENTS.
You will find the link to your online copy of the story in the chat room of Teams (Office 365). Click on this arrow to know how to access this chat:
CLICK HERE to know how to access this chat.
1. Go to Office 365: https://portal.office.com
2. Sign in with your Champlain student credentials (available on your schedule).
3. Click on the 9 dots in the upper-left corner to access the various Office 365 apps. Select Teams.
4. Click on "Chat" in the left menu of Teams.
5. You should see a chat conversation I created with you and two other students. In the conversation, you will find a link to an online Word document. Click on this link.
BY DUE DATE, EACH STUDENT NEEDS TO HAVE INSERTED AT LEAST 12 INDIVIDUAL THOUGHTFUL COMMENTS OR REPLIES.
EACH POST MUST DEVELOP OVER AT LEAST TWO THOUGHTFUL SENTENCES. Do not simply identify details; you must analyze them as you examine, for instance, their possible significance, what each detail reveals about the main character, and how each detail connects to other details in the story.
YOU CAN COMMENT ON A NEW DETAIL OR REPLY TO A COMMENT FROM A PEER IF YOU HAVE SOME NEW ANALYTICAL POINT TO MAKE. Simply agreeing or disagreeing does not count as a thoughtful reply.
Here is how you can insert a comment on an online Word document (click on the image):
BRING A PRINTED COPY OF YOUR PRELIMINARY PLAN TO OUR NEXT CLASS.
4) SLEEPWALK / MOODLE FORUM: ADD ONE POST AND REPLY TO TWO PEERS.
IN YOUR MAIN POST, INCLUDE TWO ELEMENTS: (1) YOUR VERSION OF THE THEMATIC MESSAGE OF THE SHORT STORY "SLEEPWALK" AND (2) YOUR ANALYSIS OF ONE DETAIL USING THE 3-PART SANDWICH STRUCTURE DISCUSSED IN CLASS.
Type your thematic statement/message; make sure it corresponds to these five characteristics of a good thematic statement.
Skip a few lines.
Type your sandwich as one single paragraph.
Put the middle layer (where you describe the detail) in bold by clicking on 'Advanced' settings in the bottom-right corner of your post.
OFFER DETAILED FEEDBACK -- IN AT LEAST FOUR THOUGHTFUL SENTENCES -- TO TWO OF YOUR PEERS.
Simply saying that you "like" it or that it is "good" is obviously not acceptable. Be specific and identify clearly what was well done and/or what is missing.
For instance... does the thematic statement include the 5 characteristics of a good thematic statement?Or... Is the sandwich structure complete? Is the detail (first) introduced without being fully revealed? Is the detail description (2nd part) specific and clear? Is the page number provided at the end of the detail description? Is the analysis (3rd part) long enough? Does the analysis develop over multiple sentences? Is the analysis clearly and constantly focused on the one detail being analyzed? Does the analysis relate to the main idea/message in the thematic statement?
