Writing Assignment: The Monkey King
TOPIC:
Your writing assignment gives you the opportunity to research, read about, and write about the Monkey King, a key figure in the graphic novel we are reading, American Born Chinese by Gene Yang.
Please write one to two detailed, focused paragraphs about the Monkey King. Ideas should be solid, well organized, and supported with evidence. Sentences should flow, and word choices should be powerful. Voice should be engaging and interesting. Do your best to avoid grammar and mechanics errors. Paragraphs should have clear topic sentences that draw your readers into your writing and strong clincher statements that pull your paragraph together, encapsulate your ideas, and leave your readers with something to think about.
Because I am asking you to discover and explore this topic for yourself, I am not giving you many details to work with. Please begin your research by looking up American Born Chinese and the Monkey King, and then work from there. My website is a good place to start! For this assignment, you may do all of your research on the Internet, although if you find a book or article, you are of course welcome to use it. In the future, we will expand our research techniques beyond the Internet.
In your one to two paragraphs, please address the following questions:
· Where does the story of the Monkey King come from?
· What is the Monkey King’s story?
· Who are the other characters in the Monkey King’s story?
· What are some current retellings of the Monkey King’s story-- meaning, where can you find the Monkey King’s story now?
· In your opinion, what do you think is important about the Monkey King? What do you think are the important messages or symbols in the story?
SOURCES:
Please use at least TWO sources in your paragraphs. When you use information from a source as evidence in your paragraphs, please cite it, meaning explain where you are taking the information from. Please be sure to explain who the author is and what the source is. For more information on citing sources, please see my website and the “Evidence” handout given to you in class.
You may not quote Wikipedia. While you may take a look at Wikipedia, you cannot depend on it as a source. Instead, look up the References and External Links used by the Wikipedia author. (See my website for a video that explains exactly why you can’t use Wikipedia!)
For links to helpful websites and sources, check out my American Born Chinese webpage and my Writing webpage at: http://middle.usm.k12.wi.us/faculty/barth/ABC.html
http://middle.usm.k12.wi.us/faculty/barth/Writing.html
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Please add a Works Cited page to the end of your essay, using MLA style. For more information about the Works Cited page, please see my website’s Writing page.
PRESENTATION:
Your work should be typed, double-spaced, and in Times New Roman 12-point font. All pages, including the Works Cited page, should be numbered in the top, right corner. Please staple your work.