week 10

Welcome to class. As you know, the final exam, a 350-500 word essay of three-five paragraphs in length, is scheduled for this week. Any students who miss class this week must make certain to come next week to make up the essay exam, or contact me to discuss some other accommodation. Next week also offers all who take the exam today a chance to retake it, if necessary.

I'm confident all of you can pass this exam. If you have been applying yourself throughout the quarter, you have done by now at least half a dozen formal assignments, and numerous practice and free-write exercises. We have practiced the form of the paragraph and multi-paragraph essay each week, along with basic sentence structures–the simple, compound, complex, and compound-complex sentence types. We have reviewed the use of standard punctuation and grammar. We have modeled the primary modes of presenting information and organizing a paragraph or an essay–description, narration, illustration, and definition. We have discussed and practiced the necessity of having a thesis idea–the point that unifies and gives direction to the essay, the one central thing you want your essay to express. And we have practiced building paragraphs organized around a single clear topic idea, each paragraph serving, if part of a larger essay, to advance the thesis idea in one or another supporting way.

We can spend a little time on review, and in preparing a checklist for the editing process to follow as you review your final draft. Thus will you have time to compose and a format to edit for the major errors that occur in grammar and punctuation.

The essay topics will be given in handout before the exam begins.

Note: Use of the Internet is not allowed during the exam.

See you in class, then.

week 9

Good Morning, all you beautiful people.  Hope you had a restful, productive, fun, energizing holiday weekend.  This is the last class before the final, and the last week to write and submit work.  Remember too that one of the essay grades will be dropped, the lowest grade, so if you are missing one assignment, it won't hurt your class grade.  If you are behind, now is the time to get busy.  Below is a discussion of the next assignment and its description.  

A Film Review requires the reviewer put across a clear sense of the story being told or dramatized.  The reviewer summarizes the themes and the action that drives the story forward, and the conflict at the heart of the plot events; the characters whose circumstances and actions we follow throughout;  the setting elements generally and as highlighted by specific scenes; and the play of ideas the film puts in motion.  A review is unified by the reviewer's opinion of the film's merit, including high notes and low notes, the best and the worst, the strengths and the weaknesses.  The introductory paragraph introduces the film by title and director, and year of release.  

For example:  Adventureland (2009), written and directed by Greg Mottola, is a lyrical, funny, romantic comedy set among a group of eighteen to twentyish suburban kids who work the summer at a down-scale local amusement park and make the best of the opportunity it allows them for love and adventure. 

The names of important characters should be introduced, and, if desired, the name of the particular actor playing the role.  A brief summary of the characters and situations involved is appropriate.  In a short essay, your focus may be limited to one or two characters, with mere mention of others.  This rule applies to documentary films, too.  The thesis or central idea of the review/essay should be hinted at if not stated outright in the opening lines.  The body paragraphs should illustrate by means of description  key scenes or events, and the ideas and emotions the film encourages one to take from these scenes and events.

The conclusion should underscore the reviewer's central idea in a fresh way.  Often this emphasis is created by focusing on the climax and conclusion of the film; however, you may focus on a particular or key image of character, setting, or action to make your thesis clear and convincing. Say you find a film beautiful and romantic in its depiction of the saving nature of love; your conclusion would provide reference to some aspect of the film's actions, characters, or images overall, to convey the impression you felt most strongly.

Essay #8:  Write 350-500 words describing one or more scenes or highlights of the film you watch today, the documentary Fat, Sick, & Nearly Dead (2010), directed by and starring Joe Cross.   Include the title of the film in italic letters, the director and release date, and a summary of the plot and one of the central themes of the film.  The scenes or clips you choose to describe should illustrate some point you wish to make about the film story, a character within, the nature of the conflict and its dramatic or comedic force,   representation of setting or place and/or the filmmaker’s central idea and its development and support (documentary films are a bit like essays in seeking to advance a central point or argument).

Week 8

                                                       

        The groves were God's first temples.  ~William Cullen Bryant, "A Forest Hymn"

Good afternoon.  I hope that you are all well today, feeling good  . . . about life and, oh, I dunno, your place in the world.  Today we will share  the "What I Believe" pieces you have written.  We're sure to get some interesting stories and ideas, I think, from these.

Monday class, I want to remind you all that next week's class will not meet because of the Labor Day holiday.   I have a few options for what will be our last assignment before the final week ten, from which you will choose one.

     The first involves exploring the meaning of a word that has some significance in your life, in your behavior and in your thoughts and, perhaps, spiritual practice.  I use the phrase spiritual practice in no particular religious sense but loosely to refer to the many ways we attempt to bring ourselves in to harmony with the world, the people we share our lives with, and, perhaps most importantly, with our own self.  The essay involves defining the word you have chosen in an extended fashion.  That is, you might employ a simple dictionary definition of the word's most common meaning in use, or the secondary or tertiary meaning, as listed in a dictionary entry.  The development of the essay will proceed with narration and description of the meaning the word has in your life, story and description to illustrate the meaning it has in the context of your life experience.  The following is a list of abstract words (i.e. they cannot be physically seen or touched as say an apple or a diamond or a tree can) that you might choose from:  

Attention

Beauty

Compassion

Devotion

Faith

Grace

Justice

Peace

Reverance

Silence

Wonder

With abstract words or concepts, one must bring them to life by means of the concrete, the tangible, the three-dimensional world we live in.  Our notions of beauty, for example, derive from the visible, the audible, the tactile–the world of the senses–even as we also comprehend abstract notions such as truth and peace as being, in a real sense, manifestations of beauty.  So the assignment requires you to define a word as you have come to understand its meaning.  I want you also to use one quotation, either as an epigraph (appearing just below the title of the essay) or somewhere in the text of the essay.  A simple google search of the word plus  key word "quotations" should provide you an array of choices.

You might choose a concrete word, rather than an abstract.  Again, you have the dictionary to supply an essential definition but you provide description of appearance, constituent parts, function, historical and cultural and personal significance.  What is a tree?  Clearly, it is a living organism, with certain characteristic features (depending on species), an ecological role to play, an historical and cultural role in the life of humankind, and so on.  Trees are also symbols of strength and shelter and wonder and beauty and mystery.  We've all admired trees, played among them, climbed them, photographed them, too, perhaps.  What is it about trees that makes us love them so?

The second option is to write a film review.  Writing a film review or commentary requires you to introduce the film by title (in italic letters), release date, and director.  The subject of the film or story line must be summarized briefly and your thesis, too, should appear early on or up front in the introductory paragraph. The thesis is your considered opinion, an idea that unifies the whole essay. The body paragraph(s) serve to provide the evidence and examples needed to support the thesis. The conclusion puts the finishing touch on the essay, and reminds readers of the significance of your subject and your claims.

I have two film options:                                                                                                                                                    

Grizzly Man (2005), directed by Werner Herzog, is about a man named Timothy Treadwell, the “kind warrior,” who lived and died in defense, he believed, of his ideals. He strove to protect and to know familiarly the grizzly bears living in Katmai National Park, Alaska. He spent 12 summers there, living among the bears, photographing them, loving them in his way. He drew admirers and critics. For filmmaker Herzog, he appears a symbol of humanity’s conflicting feelings about nature and civilization.

Toy Story (1995), directed by John Lasseter, is an animated feature, a homecoming tale involving two lost dolls (which I have not yet seen, but look forward to watching).

So, for Essay 7: Describe Tim Treadwell­­­--his appearance, personality, aims, desires, and work. Tell what makes him remarkable, bringing him to life in the way the film does, whether as idealistic, brave, kind, funny, strange, angry, tormented, paranoid, scary, wise or unwise. Pick a few moments from the film to illustrate the man’s character in a balanced way, including if you like some of the opinions of those who appear in the film. Title the essay. Compose 350 words at a minimum.

Or, describe some of the highlights of Toy Story, and thus show what makes it a fun or satisfying film.

The third option is to write about your academic or career goals:  In an essay of 350-500 words, with introduction, body of 1-2 paragraphs, and conclusion, describe the skills that you are practicing in your studies at AiFl.  Identify for readers what the associated field requires of its professionals in skills and aptitudes, and the particular challenges and rewards you see now in your coursework and personal projects or work. Describe the peculiar fit you find working in the field for which you are training, and opportunities for growth short and long term.   

 

Week 7

What each must seek in his life never was on land or sea. It is something out of his own unique potentiality for experience, something that never has been and never could have been experienced by anyone else. –Joseph Campbell
 

Good day to you all. I hope you had a nice weekend. Today I will pass back the many essays I collected last week (many very good ones).  We will review handouts, some grammar and punctuation practice.  Yeah!  Then we will have time to look at the "hypotheticals" you were assigned last week (#5).  I would like also to collect the essay topics you were asked last week to think about, for use perhaps on the final exam, scheduled week 10.

Essay #6:  In 350-500 words address address an idea that you hold as an article of faith or philosophical belief, using narrative or descriptive examples to support and flesh out the basis of that belief.  I have several examples to give you from a book collection called This I Believe II:  The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.  Other examples may be found at thisibelieve.org.  You may summarize and quote from any one of these as a lead-in to your piece, or structure the piece as a response to any of the examples, though it is not a required element of the essay.  The topic you address will reflect your particular experience and corresponding beliefs or concerns–whether of religion, money, competition, struggle, survival, relationships, love, death, sickness, health, meaning itself, the nature of existence, the human condition, the fate of life on this planet, etcetera.

Week 6

Everything speaks. –James Joyce Good day to you all. I hope you had a nice weekend.       Today we will review the summary piece assigned last week, particularly your use of quotations.  We will also look at the essays you developed to show particular causes and/or effects, or alternatively, the process means by which a thing occurs or is  done.      We will focus as well on verb tense use, in ways I hope will make the proper tense  choice, simple past or present perfect, for example, clearer, including use of the  subjunctive and conditional verb tenses.       So today we can take some time to consolidate some of the skills and  principles of composition introduced thus far. Here's to a good day! Essay 5:  In 350-500 words you are to explore a hypothetical scenario, that is, one that  never actually existed, in terms of its effects on your past, present, and future.  This essay will require you reference both the past, present, and future tense.   In doing so, you will necessarily use the subjunctive mood and conditional (modal) tense forms.   Imagine that you had been born under or into circumstances other than those you were born into; for example, a different place and/or historical era, a different family, a different body (or species),  and so on.  Describe what your childhood was actually like, and what it might have been like (under  the changed circumstances); what your present life might be like (as opposed to what is actually  happening);and what you imagine happening in your future, actually or hypothetically. Title the essay.  Proofread it to make sure you have a clear central idea and adequate support.  Edit your sentences for clarity of expression and grammatical correctness.      You might start in this way:  Had I been born an only child, instead of being born the fifth child  of six, I might have got more attention than I did.  I might have been spoiled!  My parents, particularly my mother, had little time and attention to spare, afterall . . . Review the class handout and verb tense sequencing here: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/601/1/ and here:  http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/539/07/