sloanspace

Your task for homework on 9/28 was to find the greatness in the classics books we’re reading. At a bare minimum here’s what you should have done:
• Refer back to the course description about homework requirements
• And to the “do’s and don’ts of academic writing” (e.g. use paragraphs).
• Proofread (at least run a spell check)

Some of you did outstanding work on this assignment. Here’s what made some responses excellent:
• Explicitly addressed the assignment prompt (in this case, what makes the book a classic?)
• Went beyond an easy and obvious connection
• Made insightful connections to your experience, reading, and/or observation
• Went beyond summary
• Provided specific detail
• Backed up a claim with evidence and examples
• Discussed literary terms specifically, precisely (the 14 questions about style would be a good place to start)
• Backed up claims with evidence.
• Explanation of quote shed light on an important idea, character or theme in the book.
• An awareness of historical/biographical context.
• Struggled with difficult text, and was perceptive.
• No fluff

For homework Tuesday, October 10:

• Make the classics relevant. Find a significant quote from the beginning, middle, and end of the book. Make the classic relevant to today by citing evidence from your own experience, observation, and/or reading (approximately 300 words). An example would be Mary Pipher’s Reviving Ophelia. In the book the author uses Shakespeare’s Hamlet as a way to talk about a current issue with teenage girls. That’s how the author is making the classic relevant to us today.
• Write 200-300 words about biographical/historical info. This is important information about the author’s life and times that shed light on the book.
• Find an online essay that someone wrote about the book. Write a 3-5 sentence critique of that online essay. Print the essay and bring it to class with you October 10.

For homework, Monday, October 16
Bring in information about a writing contest for high school students, even if you yourself might not interested in entering that contest. Write deadlines on class calendar. Information about the contest is due October 16. Don’t bring in information about the same contest as your friends; find your own information.  Look in your favorite magazines, go online, check the counseling office, ask your teachers.