Thursday, June 30, 2011

Restrepo

What it looks like on the ground in Afghanistan:



Same valley here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bDYjNao0YTw&NR=1

Afghanistan Background

Wiki page.

Cost of War in Budget

Wall Street Journal calls it a $4 trillion hole.

Ex Kabul Banker arrested. (27 minutes ago).

Some current news on Afghanistan

The President's Speech and a positive reaction from a conservative blogger.

A much longer reaction from the New Yorker magazine--maybe a more liberal view?

Kabul Hotel Attack video (just happened).

From Al Jazeera English network coverage of the attack.

Finally, diplomacy in place of guns?

The Kite Runner Help

Study help--and a temptation--here. (Spark Notes)

Wikipedia page here.

Cliff Notes here.

Amazon page--with "Look Inside" feature and helpful reviews here.

Movie trailer here (the movie is not considered to be very good, but the clips might help you get a sense of the setting and characters).

8-13 study guide due Thursday

Here it is.

Day 8

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 8
  1. TKR quiz 5-7.
  2. Homework: TKR chapters 8-13 with study guide-due next thursday.  This is not something to put off.  Here’s a real challenge/temptation along your summer quarter hero’s journey.
  3. Homework part two: Four copies of rough draft of Smoke Signals Essay, due Wednesday.  20 points, grade on completion, not quality.  3 pages plus= 20 points.
  4. Powerpoint on Smoke Signals Organization.
  5. Time to write.
  6. Bonus point opportunity:  750 words= +5 pts.
  7. Also, hand in what you get done today if you’d like comments on it.
    1. I won’t have time to comment on the rough drafts, but will meet with your to discuss if you make the time to come in Wednesday or Thursday after class.

Outline Powerpoint

Smoke Signals Outline ideas

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Due Thursday July 7th

Chapters 8-9

1. How does Hassan act in the weeks following the kite fighting tournament?
2. Describe Amir's relationship with his father after winning the tournament.
3. What did Amir say as he lay awake in the room of sleeping relatives in Jalalabad?
4. How does Hassan try to rekindle his relationship with Amir?
5. Amir and his father are enjoying their new relationship until Amir asks him a question
that angers him. What is this question?
6. What occurs between Amir and Hassan at the top of the hill in the cemetery?
7. Describe Amir's birthday party.
8. Why does Amir get so angry when his father refers to Assef as Assef jan?
9. What gift does Assef give Amir for his birthday?
10. What story does Rahim tell Amir on his birthday?
11. What do Hassan and Ali give Amir for his birthday?
12. What does Amir do to get Ali and Hassan in trouble?
13. How does Amir's father react when Ali quits?

Chapters 10-11

1. What is Karim's job?
2. To what country do Amir and his father first seek for safety from Afghanistan?
3. What country has a presence in Afghanistan as Amir and his father leave?
4. At the first checkpoint Amir's father stands up and confronts the Russian soldiers,
putting himself in danger. Why?
5. Where do Amir and his father wait with the others trying to leave Afghanistan as new
truck parts are ordered?
6. Amir listens to his father speak with Kamal's father. What does he say happened to
Kamal?
7. How do Amir and his father travel on the second leg of their trip to safety?
8. When Amir's father tries to use a check to purchase food, he is shocked that he is asked for
ID. He can't believe the lack of trust in America. Instead of a credit card, what method
did they use in Afghanistan?
9. How does Amir's father react when he is given food stamps?
10. What does Amir do that prompts his father to tell him he is proud of his son?
11. Why does Amir's father buy an old Volkswagon bus?
12. What does Amir have a hard time forgetting about after leaving the flea market?
14 Copyright 2008 Teacher's Pet Publications, Inc.

Chapters 12-13

1. What harm can come from Amir talking to Soraya without the formal permission and
supervision from her father?
2. What does Soraya's mother think of Amir's talking to her daughter without permission?
3. What does Soraya want to do with her life?
4. Compare and contrast how Amir and Soraya treated their illiterate servants when they
were young.
5. What does General Taheri catch Amir giving to Soraya?
6. What does Amir find out about Baba's health?
7. What one last request does Amir have for his father after he is released from the
hosptial?
8. What does Soraya confess to Amir?
9. Who does Amir wish was present at his wedding? Who does he wonder about at his
wedding?
10. What does Soraya do while Amir is at work when they are first married?
11. What is Soraya's mother not allowed to ever do in public by orders of her husband?
12. What great accomplishment happens in regards to Amir's career?
13. What do Amir and Soraya try desperately to do, but are unsuccessful?

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Alexie on Colbert

The Colbert ReportMon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c
Sherman Alexie
www.colbertnation.com
Colbert Report Full Episodes2010 ElectionMarch to Keep Fear Alive

Day 6

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 6
1.     Hand in Real Writing Chapter 21 work.
2.     Hand back names and study guide
3.     Quiz over chapters 5-7 Thursday.
4.     By the end of the day:
a.       Chapter Test: The Basic Sentence. (10 points)
b.      Review Smoke Signals to threshold.
c.       View Smoke Signals to abyss?
d.      Continue work on study guide and transformation chart.

5.      Homework: Real Writing Chapter 22, 325-338; Do Practice 1, 2, 4, 5, 6 and chapter review. (10 points due tomorrow).

6.      Review Smoke Signals to threshold.
a.       Try for a paragraph on Victor before the journey.
                                                               i.      Topic sentence.
                                                             ii.      Support.
                                                           iii.      Support.
                                                           iv.      Support.
                                                             v.      Concluding sentence.

7.      View Smoke Signals and continue work on study guide and chart—to abyss?

Monday, June 27, 2011

Day 5

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 5
1.     Hand in Study Guide.
2.     Quiz over chapters 5-7 Thursday.
3.     By the end of the day:
a.       Names Quiz.
b.      Syllabus.
c.       First half of Smoke Signals.
4.      Homework: Real Writing Chapter 21, 311-320; Do Practice 1, 2, 3, 4 and chapter review. (10 points due tomorrow).

5.      Names quiz.

6.      Syllabus

7.      Smoke Signals with Study Guide and Character Transformation Chart.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Tahoma Kora

Here's a journey a friend is making this summer.

Day 4

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 4
1.     By the end of the day:

a.       The Hero’s Journey, detailed notes.
b.      Gawain the Green Knight’s Journey.
c.       Finding, Narrowing and Exploring Your Topic
d.      First Essay Assignment.
e.       Third Essay Assignment.
f.        Practice exploring your topic

2.     Study Guide for Chapters 1-4 of TKR. (try to have second chapter read tonight)  DUE MONDAY.
 3.     Names Quiz MONDAY
4.      Hero’s Journey Notes.
5.      Gawain the Green Knight—story and “Understanding” worksheet.


6.      Hero’s Journey Notes.
7.      Try it with a movie you’ve seen. (not Star Wars or Lion King).
8.      Gawain the Green Knight—story and “Understanding” worksheet.
9.      Break
  1. Essay 1 Assignment
  2. Essay 3 Assignment and Finding and Narrowing Your Topic
  3. The writing process.
    1. Generate Ideas
    2. Plan
    3. Draft
    4. Revise
    5. Edit/Proofread
    6. Final Draft
    7. Present/Publish
Personal Experience
    1. Rites of passage? When did you know you were an adult? (or not a child…)
    2. Road trips.
    3. Vacations.
    4. Moves.
    5. Hikes.
    6. Camps.
    7. How did you arrive in Yakima?
    8. Illness/injury.
    9. Accidents.
    10. Addiction.
    11. Depression/psychological.
    12. Divorce/relationship.
    13. Friendships.
    14. Moments of sudden growth
Observation (Second hand experiences)
    1. How did your family arrive in Yakima?
    2. Grandparents/parents/siblings/relatives/friends.
    3. Where have you been a mentor/helper to another’s journey?
Imagination
    1. Invent your own hero.
    2. Use a character from SS or TKR:  Follow Arnold’s journey.  What happens to Suzy?  How about Rahim? or Farid?

Animated Gawain

Gawain and the Green Knight

TKR 1-4 Study Guide

STUDY GUIDE QUESTIONS The Kite Runner

Assignment 1

Chapters 1-4

1. What does Amir say happened to him at the age of twelve?

2. Compare and contrast the type of homes Amir and Hassan live in.

3. Who is Rahim Khan?

4. What happened to Amir's mother?

5. What happened to Hassan's mother?

6. Describe Ali.

7. What is physically odd about Hassan?

8. What did Amir's father build during Amir's early childhood?

9. Amir's father says there is only one sin in the world. What is it?

10. What favorite pastime does Amir have that his father just can't stand?

11. How did Amir's family come to know Ali?

12. What prompts Amir to write his first story?

Smoke Signals Study Guide

Smoke Signals Study Guide Name:

1. The first time we see Arnold Joseph, he says he's magic. What kind of magic is he talking about?

2. Why does Arlene Joseph make Victor promise he'll come back?

3. What are Victor's 3 conditions for accepting Thomas's money for the trip?

4. Thomas tells a story about Arnold Joseph as a way of payment to Velma and Lucy. What does the story tell us about Arnold?

5. Victor tells Thomas, Just remember…You can't trust anybody. Why does he say this?

6. Thomas tells Victor a story about a dream that told him to go to Spokane Falls. He says he was waiting for a vision. What was that vision and what does it tell us about Arnold Joseph?

7. Why does Arnold Joseph go?

8. Why doesn't he explain this to Victor?

9. Arlene Joseph says Arnold is magic, too. What does she mean by this?

10. According to Victor, what does it mean to be a "real Indian"?

11. What does Thomas's monologue about traveling have to do with the lesson Victor needs to learn?

12. What is the significance of Victor's refusal to take his father's ashes from Susy when they arrive.

13. Thomas says Arlene was magic, too. What biblical story is adapted by Thomas to demonstrate her magic? What kind of magic does Arlene have?

14. Why did Susy Song come to Arizona? (in screen play)

15. Why did Arnold come to Arizona?

16. What's the most evil thing Arnold Joseph ever done?

17. What does Arnold's basketball story tell us about him?

18. Susy says Arnold was a magician. What does she mean?

19. What attracted Susy to Arnold?

20. What secrets does Susy keep?

21. Why does Victor cut his hair?

22. What are the two kinds of people in the world, according to Susy Song? (in screen play)

23. What evidence do we see of Victor's transformation after the photo is found? (in screen play)

24. What evidence do we see that he has not completed his transformation?

25. Who's fault is the accident?

26. During his race for help, Victor has a vision. Describe that vision:

27. What were the "two wrecks last night"?

28. What was Thomas right about?

29. What is his mother's reaction?

30. Is the ceremony at the river like a salmon or like cleaning out the attic?

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Day 3

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 3
1.      By the end of the day:
a.       Names and Faces
b.      Finding, Narrowing and Exploring Your Topic
c.       First Essay Assignment (and second, sort of)
d.      The Hero’s Journey, detailed notes.
e.       Gawain the Green Knight’s Journey
2.      Chapter Three Review questions and notes.
3.      Review from yesterday:
                                                              i.      Read Actively
                                                            ii.      What is the author’s main point?
                                                          iii.      How does he or she support that point?
                                                          iv.      Read Critically
4.      Finding, Narrowing and Exploring Your Topic
a.       Questions for a good topic.
                                                              i.      Does it interest me?
                                                            ii.      Do I know something about it?
                                                          iii.      Can I get involved with some part of it?
                                                          iv.      Is the topic specific enough?
1.      Practice 1:  My topic:___________
b.      Practice narrowing a topic
                                                              i.      Divide in categories
                                                            ii.      examples from your life
                                                          iii.      current events
1.      Practice 2:  My narrowed topic:________________
c.       Practice exploring your topic
                                                              i.      Freewriting
                                                            ii.      Listing
                                                          iii.      Discussing
                                                          iv.      Clustering
                                                            v.      Internet
                                                          vi.      Journal
5.      Break
6.      Hero’s Journey Notes.
7.      Gawain the Green Knight—story and “Understanding” worksheet.
8.      Study Guide for Chapters 1-4 of TKR. (try to have first chapter read tonight)

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Day 2

English 75 Summer 2010 Day 2
Hand in homework on Rites of Passage.  Be sure your name is on it.
1.      By the end of the day:
a.       Reading Basics
b.      The Hero’s Journey
2.     Review of Yesterday: RitualsReal Writing: Reading Basics
  • Any regular activity done in a set pattern can be ritualistic
     
  • Rituals and ritualizing tell us how to relate to and give meaning to experience.
     
  • We all ritualize, though we may not recognize it.
     
  • Many rituals aid or guide life's transitions.
     
  • The Rite of Passage is an essential step for growth for individuals and communities.
     
  • The Rite of Passage has three stages: Separation, Initiation and Return.
     

a.       Chapter 2: Reading Basics (22-28)
                                                              i.      Read Actively
                                                            ii.      What is the author’s main point?
1.       Practice 1
                                                          iii.      How does he or she support that point?
1.       Practice 2
                                                          iv.      Read Actively Practice 3
                                                            v.      Read Critically
1.       Practice 5
3.   Overview of the class.
  1. What makes a hero? (in packet)
  2. Hero's Journey Overview
  3. Hero's Journey, step by step.
4.      Homework: Chapter 3: Writing Basics (35-47)
a.       Read Understanding Audience and Purpose
                                                              i.      Practice 1
b.      Read Understand paragraph and essay form
c.       Read Understand the writing process
d.      Read Understand Grading Criteria
e.       Read Paragraph 1, 2 and 3 Analyzing the Paragraph
                                                              i.      Practice 6
f.        Chapter Review
5.      Buy: Real Writing, The Kite Runner and Smoke Signals.
6.      Read HJ Packet “The Heroic Journey” 49-52
7.      Begin reading The Kite Runner for Monday—I’ll hand out study guide for the first 34 pages tomorrow that will be due Monday.