Stories

Stories

Lecture Series Distance Learning English 

Dr. Maryann P. DiEdwardo           Paper 1                      Lecture 1

     PROCEDURE:

     Paper 1 is about tragedy.  In English, we use required reading as background and preparation to write.  Students post paper parts or drafts on connectweb or blackboard for weeks 3 through 7. Professor responds to paper drafts. Professor grades papers on week 8. Students may improve paper grade points until the end of the semester.

WHAT SHOULD STUDENT DO?  Week 3      For this week, we focus on finding a topic.

Examples:

Current Events and Language in the Media

Titanic: a film review

Titanic: Letters and Analysis

Tragedy in Prose

Theme and Events

Review of Three Articles in Our Text on Titanic

Music and Theme of Tragedy

Week 4                    Outline and Thesis

   Outline can be topic or sentence format. EXAMPLE OF TOPIC OUTLINE:

I. Titanic the film

II. Director

III. Actors

IV.           Setting

V.             ANALYSIS

VI.           SCORE

VII.         Conclusion

Sentence Outline Example:

Troy Outline

I.               I.                   Introduction. Thesis Statement: Over the centuries, people’s fascination with Homer’s Troy has spurred them to action, from conquest to poetry, from myth to science.

II.             II.                 A summary of the Iliad. Topic Sentence: At first glance, one may wonder how the story of Troy could have fascinated so many people, but it is easier to see when one has gained a true appreciation of this great literary work.

III.           III.              The fascination with Homer’s Troy. Topic Sentence: The infatuation with Troy has gripped many people, both famous and ordinary, from ancient to modern times.

IV.           IV.              Heinrich Shleimann’s investigations. Topic Sentence: Heinrich Schleimann’s nearly insane obsession with Troy led him to take drastic measures: digging it up.

V.             V.                Later archeological discoveries. Topic Sentence: The archeologists after Schleimann used more organized scientific (and less damaging) methods to preserve and learn more about Troy.

VI.           VI.              Conclusion. Topic Sentence: Troy has managed to survive nearly every ordeal, from earthquakes and fire to Schleimann’s reckless excavations, and still manages to enthrall people today.

Introduction

Troy. Trojan War. These words have tickled the ears and imaginations of many for millennia. People who have never even seen Troy have fallen in love with the ancient city; its captivating nature is so great. This is the city that Homer wrote about in his famous epic, The Iliad. This is the city that so fascinated Heinrich Schliemann, the man who began the first archeological excavations of Troy. This small city, that lies upon the northwest corner of Turkey, has been the inspiration of artists, writers, rulers, military commanders, et cetera. Yet, this city has also caused great controversy. Many have wondered, was there really a Trojan War? And even, before it was proven true, was there really a Troy? Perhaps it is this very controversy that has caused Troy to be so captivating. Those who believe in Troy and the Trojan War cannot only believe passively; they must fight for their love against those who would try to disprove it. They must have a passion for Troy. Over the centuries, people’s fascination with Homer’s Troy has spurred them to action, from conquest to poetry, from myth to science.

     RESEARCH  for Paper 1 will include three sources. A primary source is the actual event such as an exhibit of Titanic artifacts at the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.  A primary event is also a film, song, field trip, or a real account like a letter or an interview.  You may write about your family member or friend who recently experienced Iraq or a war veteran who might be able to recall experiences and relate via interview as primary source to our recent events and our theme of tragedy.

ASSIGNMENT EXAMPLE FOR WEEK 3  If a student wants to write about current events, that student might find an article that presents a new paradigm of thinking on the topic as a primary source.

TOPIC: Current Events: IRAQ WAR

Primary Source: Smith, Paul J. “Transnational Terrorism and the al Qaeda Model: Confronting New Realities.” Parameters. (2002): 13 May 2002 .

1. Week 4 WRITE A THESIS     Next week, we will find a secondary source such as article on the topic theme that will help expand and create a thesis and design our thesis statement. EXAMPLE SECONDARY SOURCE:  “Why do they hate us?" The Christian Science Monitor. 27 Sep. 2001.

THESIS EXAMPLE: The events that took place on September 11, 2001 were related to the ideas of a song by The Black Eyed Peas, because the main reason for the United States being the target of this tragedy was because people from another part of the world hate us.

Week 5

1. DRAFTING and REQUESTING RESPONSE FROM PROFESSOR VIA EMAIL

We focus on literary terms:

THE WRITING PROCESS

DIDLS

Diction

Imagery

Details

Language

Syntax

One strategy is to pick one to three terms for your three developmental paragraphs. Another strategy is to use your song to write the paper.

2.    INTRODUCTION: Bring the reader into the subject and offer a reason to read your paper.

3. THESIS: Add thesis as last sentence of the introduction.  The song, “Where is the Love” by the Black Eyed Peas uses language about having hate for people in other parts of the world (“Where is the Love.” CD. Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records, 2003). When there is hate for people in other parts of the world, the world is full of prejudice and racism. Without even knowing how many lives would be affected, a group of men from the Middle East attacked several different locations in the United States. They were men who were taught, as they were growing up, that the United States government was something that should not be appreciated. The events that took place on September 11, 2001 were related to the ideas of this song because the main reason for the United States being the target of this tragedy was because people from another part of the world hate us.
   
   For week 5 draft, you can begin to write the paragraphs and use information from subscription database articles.
4. DEVELOPMENTAL PARAGRAPHS: A part of the lyrics that says “overseas ya we tryin’ to stop terrorism but we still got terrorists here livin’ in the U.S.A” shows how the United States helps several underdeveloped countries each year and worries only a small amount about the safety of the people here in our homeland (“Where is the Love.” CD. Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records, 2003). We see what goes on in other parts of the world, but we assume that since our country is so privileged, we would not have people that would think of doing such terrible things.
   
   Week 6 Draft
5. The song is about not having enough love in the world. If we had more love for people in the world, there wouldn’t have been an incident like 9/11. If there were not people on the other side of the world that were taught to dislike Americans, then we would have better relationships with people from other countries. A person from overseas said it best, many Muslims and Arabs do not hate Americans because of the freedoms they have, but they do have “a mood of resentment toward Americans…” which “was bound to breed hostility, and even hatred” (“Why do they hate us?" The Christian Science Monitor. 27 Sep. 2001). Discrimination is a growing epidemic and for some reason it seems terribly difficult to control its growth. Adults raise their children to share the same beliefs that they were taught by their parents. The song says how discrimination leads to hate and hate leads to problems. Osama bin Laden who is said to be responsible for the September 11th attacks has hatred for Americans because of our government. His organization, al Qaeda, dislikes Americans from events that happened many years ago such as US “operations in the 1990-91 Gulf War…” and the “Operation Restore Hope in Somalia” (Smith, Paul J. “Transnational Terrorism and the al Qaeda Model: Confronting New Realities.” Parameters. (2002): 13 May 2002 ). When a person is discriminatory, he may assume things about another person that are not true. This could have been the case with 9/11. It may have been possible that the members of the attacking group assumed negative things about the United States and its citizens. The lyrics “it just ain't the same, old ways have changed, new days are strange” say that the world isn’t the way it used to be (“Where is the Love.” CD. Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records, 2003). People have actually gone to the extreme of killing strangers just because of racism.
   
   If instead of assuming bad things about people we do not know, we assumed good things, there would be a dramatic drop in the amount of racism in the world. If there weren’t so many racists there would be more peace with less terrorism. The song says that people are “not respectin’ each other, deny thy brother, a war is goin on but the reason's under cover” and if there was more respect from person to person, everything would be more peaceful and there would be less war in the world (“Where is the Love.” CD. Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records, 2003).
   
   Works Cited
   Smith, Paul J. “Transnational Terrorism and the al Qaeda Model: Confronting New Realities.” Parameters. (2002): 13 May 2002 .
   
   “Where is the Love.” CD. Black Eyed Peas. A&M Records, 2003
   
   “Why do they hate us?" The Christian Science Monitor. 27 Sep. 2001.

Week 7 Paper is due.