Terrance Thomas: Modified World Literature for 6 Week Class
(Add whatever you have already completed to the bottom of the syllabus)
COMPOSITION WARM UP ASSIGNMENTS
Using the Senses
A.)Go outside and sit somewhere for 15-20 minutes without moving or speaking. Try to notice everything around you and the way you feel. Then go back inside and write down everything you saw, felt, tasted, touched, and smelled. Try to use as much detail as possible.
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WATCH THE VIDEO “ATTITUDE IS ALTITUDE”:
B.)Type A RESPONSE on how the video has impacted your life?
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C.)In America, it is illegal to sell your bodily organs. In some other countries, it is not? Think about this for a few minutes. Do you think Americans should be allowed to sell their body organs? Why or why not?
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NON-FICTION
Current WORLD NEWS
INVESTIGATE THE WEBPAGE:
ASSIGNMENT: You will investigate, read and study 10 online articles from the webpage using the link above. You will provide the following: 1.) What is the title of the article 2.) What is the problem or issue and how does it impact society and the earth 3.) What measures, if any, are being taken to help remedy or end the problem?
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SCIENCE FICTION:
DOWNLOAD AND READ YOUR PDF: The Disintegration Machine by Doyle, Arthur Conan
ASSIGNMENT 1: Describe the conflict in the story. What did the main character want? What did he achieve?
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ASSIGNMENT 2: CREATIVE WRITING: WRITE A SHORT STORY. A new planet with humans has been discovered by NASA. America has chosen you and your best friend to visit the planet and gather information. Write a creative story about what happens during your trip and visit to the new planet as well as your arrival back home. Be very detailed and descriptive but tell a story as if you were telling it to a person that was not with you. (No page requirement)
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Oscar Wilde
READ THE STORY: The Canterville Ghost
ASSIGNMENT
The Garden of Death
CREATE a piece of art that displays your idea of what the Garden of Death is like. Make sure to use the description provided in the book to help guide your artistic endeavor. Take a photo of your artwork and the image below.
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HUMOR AND WIT
In what ways are humor and wit used to defuse the tension and scariness in the story? Describe the major conflict in the story. How does the ghost attempt to be haunting?
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READ the Collection of Fairytales by Oscar Wilde
“A House of Pomegranates” (with your downloads)
ASSIGNMENT
Write your own fairytale. (No page requirement)
ADD YOUR FAIRYTALE HERE
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Australia
TEXT: Australian Dreamtime Stories – Aboriginal -
Be detailed in your responses and give support from the text
1.)What is meant by the “Dreaming” and what impact does this have on their culture/ society? Give details.
2.)Choose 3 of their “beliefs”. What is your impression of each belief? Are they “believable” – explain?
3.)What is the role of “Ancestor Spirits”
4.)What are “Wandjina/Wondjinas”?
5.)BAJAME AND CREATION: Explain the importance of Bajame. According to their literature, how did the world come to be? What is your impression of this Australian Legend?
6.)Read the stories and… a.) What similarities do you see to American stories? b.) Are these stories you’d like to share with children? Why/Why not?
7.)Write your own “Dreaming” story in a form similar to the Australian Aboriginal stories you have read. Your topic is, “How the Ocean came to be…” Make your story believable! (no page requirement)
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Harlem Renaissance,a blossoming (c. 1918–37) of African American culture, particularly in the creative arts, and the most influential movement in African American literary history. Embracing literary, musical, theatrical, and visual arts, participants sought to reconceptualize “the Negro” apart from the white stereotypes that had influenced black peoples’ relationship to their heritage and to each other. They also sought to break free of Victorian moral values and bourgeois shame about aspects of their lives that might, as seen by whites, reinforce racist beliefs. Never dominated by a particular school of thought but rather characterized by intense debate, the movement laid the groundwork for all later African American literature and had an enormous impact on subsequent black literature and consciousness worldwide. While the renaissance was not confined to the Harlem district of New York City, Harlem attracted a remarkable concentration of intellect and talent and served as the symbolic capital of this cultural awakening.
READINGS:
VIDEOS:
ASSIGNMENT: Using the materials provided and additional research respond to…
- What types of adversity did African Americans face in the South in the 1920’s?
- What problems did those who moved to Harlem find at the time?
- What were some of the creative endeavors that came out of Harlem during the time?
- What were some of the difficulties faced in Harlem?
- How does the idea of speaking out and expressing your real feelings relate to the creation of the Harlem Renaissance?
- In light of what you viewed in the video segment, describe ways that freedom of expression can have both positive and negative effects.
- Although the Harlem Renaissance was a time of positive change in many ways, the right to say what you thought was not a right shared by all people at that time. Why might this be so?
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