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
.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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
- 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.
