You
are the editor or your own anthology of short works or literature.
You will search widely for your selections, while keeping
a journal of your process. You must read widely--searching
through the library, through bookstores, through contemporary
magazines--in order to find works that you want to include
in your anthology.
CHOOSING
YOUR PIECES:
You
should judge the selections you make by the criteria of
literary merit. These pieces should have long-lasting value,
speak of the human condition, raise questions about who
we are as a species, invite reflection, and help you discover
something new about yourself. Chose what speaks to you of
deep and important issues, what makes you feel and experience,
what feeds your mind and soul!
This
assignment challenges you to stretch your mind, explore
unknown worlds, and become involved in your own education.
Good luck and have fun! As you read, hunting for works to
include in your personal mini-anthology, you will come across
stories and poems that bore you. DON'T READ THESE!
PUT THEM DOWN! Instead, read something you can't
put down. The selections you choose must be taken from the
below requirements and categories:
REQUIREMENTS, RULES, AND
CATEGORIES:
RULE ONE: You must choose THREE regions
of the world from the following for your literature selections.
RULE TWO: You must choose ONE of the regions
of the three above and use it for your art and food sections.
RULE THREE: EACH literature section must
have 50% of the writers be living and 50%
must be women writers.
REGIONS:
AFRICA: 4 poems,
2 works of short fiction, 1 fable, 1 non-fiction
ASIA: 4 poems, 3 works of short fiction, 1 non-fiction
CENTRAL AND SOUTH AMERICA: 5 poems, 2 works of short fiction,
1 work of non-fiction
EASTERN EUROPE: 4 poems, 2 works of short fiction, 1 work
of the genre of your choice, 1 work of non-fiction
SOUTH PACIFIC, AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND: 4 poems, 2 works
of short fiction, 1 work non-fiction, 1 of your choice
MIDDLE EAST: 4 poems, 2 works of short fiction, 2 works
of non-fiction
FINE
ARTS ANALYSIS PROCESS:
You
will use the same process of analysis for each of the Fine
Arts/Geography Sections. Again, keep a record of your progress.
Raise questions about "What does it mean to be human?"
How do these selections and foods contribute to the humanity
of this culture? How does the art and food reflect the culture?
Reflect in your work and be sure to make use of your pre-assignments
of art and geography.
You
will need to have FIVE (5) selections:
2 FLAT PIECES (water color, oils, tempere, photography,
mosiac, etc):
One ancient/old (pre-1500s) and one modern (post-1500s). There
must be a 500 year span between these two pieces of art. 2 SCULPTURE or 3-D PIECES: (sculpture, architecture,
carvings, masks, but NO fabrics, foods, toys, or jewelry)
One ancient/old (pre-1500s) and one modern (post-1500s). There
must be a 500 year span between these two pieces of art.
1 FOLK ART (fabrics, foods, toys, jewelry)
Can be from any period, ancient to modern. One of these 5 pieces must have a known artist.
SOCIAL
SCIENCE ANALYSIS PROCESS:
THEME:
How geography influences the history, culture, historical
movement of people, foods, art, literature, etc. in your focus
region of the world. This section will illustrate how the
"environment and society" aspect of geography (remember
the six essential elements?) by exploring the relationship
between humans and the environment in which they live. You
will explore how the environment of your focus region has
shaped the development of the people in that region and how
the people in the region have afected the environemnt.
ANALYSIS:
Your analysis will include how climate, locations, landforms
and other geographic elements all work together to affect
the human aspect of the region and vice versa. For example,
how do these factors affect the types of food that are eaten?
How might population density affect diet? how has geography
played a role in the development of the region historically
and culturally? Are there any celebrations linked to geogrpahy?
Are there religious ties to the environment? How is the art
and literature of the region a reflection of the geography
of the region or, by extension, the history of the region?
As
an editor it is your job to introduce the works you have selected
for each section of your book. This writing is to be an analytical
essay which ties together at least seventy-five percent of
your chosen works for each section. Therefore it is necesary
to decide what you want to prove about the selected works
in your essay. Since you are the editor you must decide what
which works you will discuss and which you will focus on.
If you analyze what the writer is trying to tell readers in
the "bigger picture" then you will be analyzing
properly. Avoid plot summary except as necessary to set up
your analysis.
FORMAT:
Your
essay will follow the form of a five-paragraph essay. This
does NOT mean that you will have only five paragraphs. Pay
attention in class when we go over the terms of this sheet.
The more effort you expend in the exercise relating to the
poster the mosre you will understand the function of each
of the required paragraphs.
INTRODUCTORY
PARAGRAPH:
The
introductory paragraph introduces your main idea. This informs
the reader of the ideas, concepts, points and style that your
essay will discuss. The first sentence of this paragraph will
be your topic sentence. This should be the
broadest statement of what this essay will be about.
The next one or two sentences should narrow the topic or give
a specific direction as to what the essay will unearth. The
penultimate sentence will be your thesis
sentence. This is the original thought or
hypothesis that your essay will prove. Finally you
will write a transition sentence to the first
body paragraph.
BODY
PARAGRAPHS:
Your
body paragraphs comprise the bulk of your paper. You will
start each body paragraph with a topic sentence.
You will then write a sentence to initiate yoru discussion
of a selection. If your selection is a poem discuss the poem's
meaning holistically prior to quoting and analyzing the lines
as follows. Stories may need a paragraph prior to direct quotation
in order to set up the plot and overall meaning of the tale.
CITATIONS
WITHIN YOUR BODY PARAGRAPHS:
After
you have set up the discussion of the selection you are ready
to prove your points with direct quotations (concrete
details) from the selection. These sentences will
show how this selection helps prove your thesis. This is accomplished
by using your concrete details. This term
means the examples you take from your poems and stories which
you quote and cite using MLA style (www.citationmachine.com).
After you cite an example it is of utmost importance that
you explain (analyze) how this example relates to
your theme and helps prove your thesis. The sentences
you wrote of your analysis (explanation) are known as commentary.
The concrete details should be cited in the following manner:
if you are summarizing and writing the example in your own
words you write as you normally would, but then you make a
parenthetical citation at the end of your example. This means
that you open parentheses, write the author of your selection's
last name and page number in the anthology from which you
found it, then close the parentheses. If you are quoting
text which takes up less than four lines of your essay, then
write it directly into your text and cite as above. However,
if your quote is four or more lines then you must "set
off" the quote by doubling yor indent and making that
the left margin for the "set off" quote. You must
single space all set off quotes. Cite this after your last
line as above.
COMMENTARY
ON QUOTES:
The commentary you write after a quote is
the most important part of these essays. Commentary
IS your analysis and must include ALL of the following:
1.) The literal meaning of the quoted lines.
2.) How the quoted lines are representative of the selections
overall meaning; or how and why you cited it in relation to
the entire work.
3.) What the author's messages are about the "bigger
picture."
4.) How this quote relates to your theme/thesis.
5.) How this work relates to your theme/thesis.
After you have given enough examples to explain
how the selection relates to your theme or helps prove your
thesis you write a transition sentence to
the next body paragraph.
CONCLUDING
PARAGRAPH:
After
you have analyzed the required number of works you will write
a transition sentence leading to your concluding paragraph.
Obviously a concluding paragraph finishes your essay.
It does this by restating your now proved thesis in powerful
non-ambivalent terms. This paragraph will still have
a topic sentence which will state in the broadest terms how
these selections have all related to your theme and proven
your thesis. Then you narrow the scope, while always returning
to your now proven thesis with sentences that make clear just
how powerfully your thesis has been proven. Finally you will
write a sentence that concludes this paragraph and states
one last time what it is you have proven.
HELPFUL
TIPS ON WRITING YOUR INTRODUCTION:
1.) Revise, Revise,
Revise!
2.) Seek assistance: let MANY others read your writing and
give you feedback, even if you discard the advice, it shouldn't
be bad to hear it.
3.) Revise, Revise, Revise!
4.) Seek MY assistance!
5.) Trust your own insights. You're all bright enough to analyze
selections, now YOU need to believe that.
6.) When frustrated be sure to READ OTHER ANTHOLOGIES
AND TALK TO PAST HUMANITIES STUDENTS. READING PAST ANTHOLOGIES
IS THE SINGLE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I CAN GIVE YOU. READ READ
READ!
Remember,
I'm here to help, not only to assign humongous projects and
intimidate you!
The more fun you have with this assignment, the better it
will go for you, so HAVE FUN!
