English 9A Close Reading Assignment # 2: Due Monday May 3
English 9A
Jane Belton
Close Reading Assignment # 2: Journey from the Land of No
Perform a close reading of ONE of the passages below from pp. 150-169 of the memoir. Answer the following questions in your close reading: Why is the passage significant in the context of what we have read of the memoir so far? What does it reveal about Roya and/or the specific moment in time in Iran?
Please begin your close reading with a clear topic statement that answers the question above and states your main point. Then, to support your theory, comment on and interpret significant language, imagery, metaphors, and symbolism in the passage. You need not comment on every line of the passage, but should focus on the most significant phrases and moments. You must weave short quotes from the passage into your paragraph as evidence to support your claims and provide sufficient, detailed analysis of each piece of evidence you use. You must include correct parenthetical citation after every quote you use. You may also want to make connections or comparisons to other specific moments in the memoir we have read so far. However, your analysis must be grounded in and focused on the provided passage and its context. Note: This is a formal piece of analytical writing. Do not use “I” or “me”.
Length: (1 ½ – 2 full pages, typed, double spaced)
Due Date: Monday May 3
* * *
Passage 1 (page 165)
I speak of the apocalypse of your hair. Yes, hhhair. Such a simple word. So seemingly dead and blameless. But, my dear girls, blameless it is not. It is constantly scheming to reveal itself, peeking out of the scarf, even from under the veil. It peeks not to reveal itself to me or you, or your peers in the room, but to a man. You heard me right. Your long, beautiful hair is the very snake that deceived Eve, who then deceived Adam. That vile reptile never stopped. Hundreds of years later, it still deceives. One glance at your hair, even at a strand of your hair, is enough to turn any man into an irredeemable wanton, into a unicorn beast, with a unique intention, each of his heinous tissues in unanimity, its projectile moving in a unified direction: that of sin (165).
Passage 2 (pages 168-169)
Like the nation, we threw our fists into the air and chanted. Frenzy had overtaken us. But so had an order that ruled our throng in unison. We marched from the yard into the corridor, now vibrating only to our echoes. We stormed every classroom, inscribed our slogans on the blackboard, looted what we could, and gathered ammunition—balls, brooms, markers, game rackets, and trash pails. We left no room before smashing the chalkboard eraser against the door, and thus we hoped to erase the memory of an intruder. A milky mist filled the air and showered our faces, and we, delirious girl ghosts, shone in its light….Never had the sound of shattering glass mended so many broken spirits. Never had mayhem brought more peace. All our lives we had been taught the virtues of behaving, and now we were discovering the importance of misbehaving (168-169).
English 9B Close Reading Assignment # 2: Due Monday May 3
English 9B
Jane Belton
Close Reading Assignment # 2: Journey from the Land of No
Perform a close reading of ONE of the passages below from pp. 129-150 of the memoir. Answer the following questions in your close reading: Why is the passage significant in the context of what we have read of the memoir so far? What does it reveal about Roya and/or the specific moment in time in Iran?
Please begin your close reading with a clear topic statement that answers the questions above and states your main point. Then, to support your theory, comment on and interpret significant language, imagery, metaphors, and symbolism in the passage. You need not comment on every line of the passage, but should focus on the most significant phrases and moments. You must weave short quotes from the passage into your paragraph as evidence to support your claims and provide sufficient, detailed analysis of each piece of evidence you use. You must also include correct parenthetical citation after every quote you use. You may also want to make connections or comparisons to other specific moments in the memoir we have read so far. However, your analysis must be grounded in and focused on the provided passage and its context. Note: This is a formal piece of analytical writing. Do not use “I” or “me”.
Length: (1 ½ – 2 full pages, typed, double spaced)
Due Date: Monday May 3
* * *
Passage 1 (page 139)
I wrote fast and gripped the pen hard, so hard that the left side of my middle finger paled and began to buzz…The bitter allure of the words was intoxicating. It had a hint of the allure of the revolution. Its immensity had a force I had never felt within. Nothing chaotic or desperate. Uproarious, but rhythmic, too. Even songlike. A song not unlike the hymns I had heard in the synagogue, yet more moving, for I alone was its singer. To sing it, I needed no permission, no one’s seal of cleanliness. At last, a place where I was welcome! There on the rooftop, pen in hand, I led my own chorus of words, with a melody of my own making (139).
Passage 2 (pages 146-147)
On February 14, two days after the victory of the revolution, began the romance that lasted a year. Nineteen seventy-nine was a year of love, though not the kind of love I had ever known; not the love between a man and a woman, a sister and a brother, a child and a parent; not love of art, work, or religion. It was the mother of all loves, so vast, so deep, that in it every other love could grow. Victory had been announced on television by a young anchor…Then his face, beaming a grin, faded into black. An image appeared: a cherry orchard full of pink blossoms. Accompanying the various shots of the trees were the notes of the single greatest hit song of that year…[whose] lyrics remained on all our lips for months to come: “The air is fresh/The flowers are budding out of the soil/The returning doves are singing/Blood is boiling in the stem of every reed/The blessed spring is sashaying toward us…” (146-147).
English 9A Syllabus April 28 – May 12
English 9A
Jane Belton
Syllabus April 28 – May 12 2010
Wednesday 4/28
In Class: RWR presentations/projects due.
Homework: Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 114-129 (to break in the page). Then select one passage from this reading in particular that interests you most. Then go back and annotate it carefully, marking key language, imagery, themes, and connections to other moments in the text. Fill out definitions, parts of speech, & context for vocabulary words 31-35.
Thursday 4/29
In Class: Discussion of Journey from the Land of No (Bibi/Z, narrative structure, Roya’s personal and political realizations, cleanliness)
Homework: Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 129-150 (to break in the page); Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocabulary words 36-40. Begin selecting your next RWR book.
Friday 4/30
In Class: Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp 129-150.
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 150-169. 2) Complete Close Reading Assignment # 2 (see handout for passages and instructions) 3) Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocab words 41-45. 4) Select and begin reading your next book (Book # 5) for the RWR project.
Monday 5/3
In Class: Close Reading due. Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp. 150-169
Homework: 1) Select RWR Book choice # 5, due Wednesday. 2) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No, pp. 170-195. 3) Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocabulary words 46-50.
Tuesday 5/4 – No Class
Wednesday 5/5
In Class: RWR Book Choice 5 due. Discuss Journey from the Land of No, pp. 170-195.
Homework: Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No, pp. 196-214. Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocab words 51-60.
Thursday 5/6
In Class: Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp. 196-214.
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 215-234. 2) Complete Reflection # 11: Imagine you have discovered some of the pages that Roya wrote in her notebook, which her father eventually destroys. Recreate two of those pages from her notebook, from Roya’s voice/perspective, in which she explores themes and subjects of the memoir (perhaps relating to gender, political or family upheaval, personal or political epiphanies, censorship, Khomeini vs. the Shah, etc). You can include poetry as well as prose, if you like. Remember, these pages might have been considered “dangerous” if found. You can also create Roya’s drawings/doodles to go along with this text, if you like (think about Albert’s political cartoons in doing this!). There must be at least 1 ½ pages of written text, however. 3) Read RWR book # 5
Friday 5/7 – Arts Fest, No Classes
Monday 5/10
In Class: Finish discussion of the book; share “pages from Roya’s notebook” (Reflection 11).
Homework: Read RWR book # 5.
Tuesday 5/11 – No Class
Wednesday 5/12
In Class: Discuss final project; read “Two Countries” by Jose Marti
Homework: 1) Review “Two Countries”. Then write your own poem following the same format as Marti reflecting on the “two countries” you might inhabit on a mental, emotional, and/or physical level. The “two countries” you live in might not necessarily be two actual countries, but instead metaphorical (e.g., school and home, gender and race/ethnicity, scholar and athlete, artist and student, etc.). 2) Read RWR book #5. 3) Review for vocabulary quiz # 2 on Wednesday 5/19.
English 9B Syllabus April 27-May 12
English 9B
Jane Belton
Syllabus April 28 – May 12 2010
*UPDATED*
Tuesday 4/27
In Class: RWR presentations/projects due.
Homework: Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 114-129 (to break in the page). Then select one passage from this reading in particular that interests you most. Then go back and annotate the passage carefully, marking key language, imagery, themes, and connections to other moments in the text. Fill out definitions, parts of speech, & context for vocabulary words 31-35.
Wednesday 4/28 – No Class, Friday Schedule
Thursday 4/29
In Class: Discussion of Journey from the Land of No (Bibi/Z, narrative structure, Roya’s personal and political realizations, cleanliness)
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 129-150 (to break in the page). 2) Complete Close Reading Assignment # 2 (see handout for passages and instructions) 3) Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocabulary words 36-40. Begin selecting your next RWR book.
Friday 4/30 – No Class
Monday 5/3
In Class: Close Reading due. Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp 129-150.
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 150-169. 2) Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocab words 41-45. 3) Select and begin reading your next book (Book # 5) for the RWR project.
Tuesday 5/4
In Class: Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp. 150-169
Homework: Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No, pp. 170-195. Fill out definitions, parts of speech and context for vocab words 46-50. Select and begin reading your next book (Book # 5) for the RWR project. Your book choice # 5 will be due Wednesday 5/5 in class.
Wednesday 5/5
In Class: RWR Book Choice 5 due. Discuss Journey from the Land of No, pp. 170-195.
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No, pp. 196-214. 2) Fill out definitions, parts of speech, and context for vocabulary words 51-60.
Thursday 5/6
In Class: Discuss Journey from the Land of No pp. 196-214.
Homework: 1) Read and annotate Journey from the Land of No pp. 215-234 2) Complete Reflection # 11: Imagine you have discovered some of the pages that Roya wrote in her notebook, which her father eventually destroys. Recreate two of those pages from her notebook, from Roya’s voice/perspective, in which she explores themes and subjects of the memoir (perhaps relating to gender, political or family upheaval, personal or political epiphanies, censorship, Khomeini vs. the Shah, etc). You can include poetry as well as prose, if you like. Remember, these pages might have been considered “dangerous” if found. You can also create Roya’s drawings/doodles to go along with this text, if you like (think about Albert’s political cartoons in doing this!). There must be at least 1 ½ pages of written text, however. 3) Read your RWR book # 5.
Friday 5/7 – Arts Fest, No Classes
Monday 5/10 — No Class, Friday Schedule
Tuesday 5/11
In Class: Finish discussion of the book. Share “pages from Roya’s notebook” (Reflection 11).
Homework: Read RWR book # 5.
Wednesday 5/12
In Class: Discuss final project; read “Two Countries” by Jose Marti
Homework: 1) Review “Two Countries”. Then write your own poem following the same format as Marti reflecting on the “two countries” you might inhabit on a mental, emotional, and/or physical level. The “two countries” you live in might not necessarily be two actual countries, but instead metaphorical (e.g., school and home, gender and race/ethnicity, scholar and athlete, artist and student, etc.). 2) Read RWR book # 5. 3) Review for vocabulary quiz # 2 on Wednesday 5/19.
English 9 – RWR Book Jacket Design – Worksheet 2
English 9: RWR: Book Jacket Design and Worksheet 1
Click on the link below to download the handout of the RWR Book Jacket Design project and Worksheet 1 that accompanies the project:
Click on the link below to see Karyn’s blog post on using images that have been “licensed for reuse”
Poetry Syllabus 4/19-5/7
Poetry Writing Workshop
Jane Belton
Syllabus April – May 2010
Monday 4/19
In Class: Finish workshopping. Focused Freewrite # 3 due. Begin discussing “Sestina,” “Nani” and “Sestina for the Q Train”. Discuss the form of the sestina.
Assignment: 1) Complete Exercise 4: Write a sestina based on a specific memory of a place or moment that is significant or meaningful to you. Before you begin writing, spend time selecting and honing the six end words you’ll be using. 2) Bring in a poem to read aloud in the “Poem in Your Pocket” assembly (preferably from your outside poetry book). Practice reading it aloud for assembly tomorrow.
Tuesday 4/20
In Class: Exercise 4 due. Continue discussion of the poems and how the poets use the sestina form: shifts/movement/progression in the poem, creative use of end words, enjambment. Focused revision workshop on sestinas.
Assignment: Work on revising your sestinas, according to the focused revision prompts.
Wednesday 4/21
In Class: View Anis Mojgani’s video and Tim Seibles’ “The Ballad of Sadie LaBabe”; poetry as an experience of sound/music.
Assignment: For Monday 4/26: Revise your sestinas, using the revision workshop/prompts. You will turn in both your first and second drafts of your sestina, as well as your “process/revision work” on Monday 4/26. Read and annotate Gwendolyn Brook’s “we real cool”, Theodore Roethke’s “My Papa’s Waltz”, e.e. cummings’ “in Just-”, and Paul Celan’s “Deathfugue”. Think about how each poet uses rhythm and musicality in their poems.
Thursday 4/22 – No Class
Friday 4/23 – College Trip, No Class
Monday 4/26
In Class: Sestinas (first and revised drafts) due, along with “process/revision work”. Discuss poems: choices in rhythm, sound, line breaks. How musicality and content can work together.
Assignment: Complete Exercise 5: Take a passage of prose that you like (from any source—the encyclopedia, a novel, article, textbook, even your own writing) and alter it through the use of line breaks (ie. turn it into a poem through the use of line breaks). Experiment with where the line breaks occur, and how you might use line breaks and the space of the poem in interesting or thoughtful ways. You must try several versions, saving each version. Then, read your work aloud. How does altering the line breaks change the way you read the piece, the emphasis, moments you’re most pulled into, or even the meaning? Respond to these questions in focused freewrite # 4. Bring in your multiple versions of Exercise 5 and FFW 4 to class on Tuesday.
Tuesday 4/27
In Class: Exercise 5 and focused Freewrite 4 due. Share/talk about experience, how line breaks are used, musicality, sound, form and meaning. Share some versions.
Assignment: Read and annotate “Emperor of Ice-cream,” “The Word Plum”, and “Coal”. Complete Exercise 6: Select three words whose sounds you love. Use any or all of these words in a poem. The subject matter is up to you; the word could be the subject of the poem itself (as in “The Word Plum”) or simply one word found in the poem). For an optional challenge, choose a word that’s a bit more esoteric, ie. not commonly used in every day speech or interactions. You can also feel free to approach this exercise as a “found poem” exercise. In other words, go for a walk and make note of interesting words and phrases you see along your way (on street signs, newspapers, trucks, tee-shirts, store windows, etc.). Incorporate three of those interesting words/phrases into your poem. Bring to class 8 copies of the poem you would like to workshop next. Bring in exercise 6 to turn in to me.
Wednesday 4/28
In Class: Collect/discuss Exercise 6. Workshop Round 2 — Day 1.
Assignment: Continue revising your writing for the portfolio, due Wednesday 5/5. Read the remaining poems to be workshopped for Friday.
Thursday 4/29 – No Class
Friday 4/30
In Class: Discuss checklist for Portfolio I. Workshop Round 2 — Day II.
Assignment: Continue revising your writing for the portfolio, due Wednesday 5/5
Monday 5/3
In Class: Workshop Round 2 – Day III. Begin Focused Freewrite 5: What have you heard during workshops of your peers’ poems that can help you with your own work?
Assignment: Finish focused freewrite 5: What have you heard during workshops of your peers’ poems that can help you with your own work? Continue revising your writing for the portfolio.
Tuesday 5/4
In Class: Work period in class with laptops. Conferencing.
Assignment: Continue revising your writing for Portfolio I. Complete process piece for Portfolio I (see checklist for details). Portfolio I is due at the beginning of class tomorrow, Wednesday 5/5.
Wednesday 5/5
In Class: Portfolio I Due. Discuss the idea of litany poems- we are using the term “litany” to refer to poems that use repetition of a specific line, or form of a line, in a powerful and central way. Read “O Best of All Nights, Return and Return Again” (James Laughlin), “Save Us From” (Roo Borson), “Answers” (Mark Strand), and “Waiting for Icarus” (Muriel Rukeyser). How do these poems use repetition to establish rhythm? What do they do to become more than “just” a list? Is there a progression and if so, what is the nature of that progression?
Assignment: Finish reading assigned poems. Complete Exercise 7: Write a litany poem, using a repetitive phrase or line, perhaps inspired by an image, line, or idea that strikes you most in one of the published poems. Think about how strongly/frequently you want to use the line/refrain (ie. every line, just at the beginning of stanzas, or irregularly (as in “Deathfugue”), etc?
Thursday 5/6 – No Class
Friday 5/7 – No Class