Thursday, October 31, 2013

Assignments for Week of Nov. 5 through 8

Tues, Nov. 5          RCG             Read "The Wages of Whiteness," "What is Racial Profiling?"
                                                    and  "Race and the Drug War" in the Race Reader (pages 136-139).
                                                    Answer the following questions:
                                                     1.  Who was the author of Black Reconstruction in America and in
                                                          what year was it originally published?
                                                      2.  What is racial profiling?  Give two examples.
                                                      3.  How has the drug war produced disproportionate outcomes
                                                           across racial groups?
                                                      4.  How have drug convictions created "second class status" for
                                                           millions of U. S. citizens?

                               Literature     Read "Incident," " Yet I Do Marvel," and "From the Dark Tower" by
                                                    Countee Cullen (sent via email) twice.
                                                    Bring in three points and identify three poetic devices (metaphor,
                                                    simile, allusion, personification, hyperbole, alliteration).

Wed., Nov. 6          RCG             Read "Schools and the New Jim Crow: An Interview with Michelle
                                                    Alexander" in the Race Reader (pages 140 - 146).
                                                    Answer these questions:
                                                    1.  How does the percentage of people in prison in the United States
                                                         compare to the percentage in 1970?
                                                    2.  What forms of discrimination are legal once a person is labeled
                                                          a felon?
                                                    3.  What are some of the effects of mass incarceration on African
                                                         American children?
                                                    4.  Describe how Alexanders uses the birdcage metaphor.
                                                    5.  Alexander says that education had been defunded by the
                                                         government. Where does she say that the money has gone
                                                         instead?
                                                    6.  How does Alexander believe young people can contribute to
                                                         solving the problems created by mass incarceration of people of
                                                         color?

Thurs, Nov. 7         Literature     Read "Sweat" by Zora Neale Hurston.
                                                    Bring in three points to discuss in class.
                                                    Be prepared for a 5 question quiz.
                                                    Here is the link to the story.
                                                    http://lists.wsu.edu/pipermail/english/attachments/20130206
                                                    /4fdc96a6/HurstonSweat.pdf

                                Writing        Read "The Poem that Made Sherman Alexie Want to Drop
                                                    Everything and Be a Poet" by Joe Fassler at this link.     
                                                    Answer these questions:
                                                    1.  What poem made Alexie want to become a poet?
                                                    2.  What line of the poem specifically resonated with him?
                                                    3.  What was it that Alexie realized when he read the poem?
                                                    4.  Describe what the line means to Alexie.
                                                    5.  How do you relate what Alexie says in the interview to your
                                                         own writing?
                                                    6.  Is there an author or a piece of writing that has inspired you or
                                                         made you want to write something?  If so, what and why?

Fri, Nov. 9             News Bowl   Watch the news to prepare.      

                               Literature    Watch the movie Charlotte Gray and complete the writing
                                                    assignment in class.
        

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Assignments for Week of October 28 - November 1, 2013

Mon., Oct. 28              RCG                Read "Stereotypes" and "Just Walk on by" in the Race Reader.
                                                             Answer questions at the end of "Just Walk on by."

                                    Literature        Creative project for Secret Life of Bees due.

Tues, Oct. 29               RCG               Film review of "A Day without a Mexican."

                                    Literature        Choose an artist for your Harlem Renaissance Project.

Wed, Oct. 30               RCG               Read "It's a Culture, Not a Costume" in the Race Reader.
                                                             Go to the website listed at the end of the article and answer
                                                             these questions:
                                                              1.  What does STARS stand for?
                                                              2.  What does the organization do?
                                                              3.  How, when and where did the organization begin?
                                                              4.  What kinds of activities have they engaged in in the past?

                                    Literature         Read the 3 Paul Lawrence Dunbar poems and answer the
                                                             questions.  (Sent via email)

Thurs, Oct. 31             RCG               Read "Race Becomes More Central to TV Advertising" in the
                                                           Race Reader.  Be prepared for a quiz and discussion.

Fri, Nov. 1                   RCG               Day of the Dead altars.
                                                              

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Assignments for Week of October 21-25, 2013

Mon., Oct 21              MaGr Class             Writing on higher self involvement.     

                                   Literature                Thesis statement for essay and three points
                                                                   Proposal for creative project.

                                   RCG                        Write-up for Family History Projects

Tues., Oct 22             Literature                 Revised thesis statement and points

                                   RCG                        Read "Should America Maintain/Increase the Level of
                                                                   Immigration?" and "Arguments Opposing  Immigration"
                                                                   in the Race Reader.  Briefly summarize the articles for and
                                                                   against immigration.

Wed., Oct. 23             RCG                        Read "Georgia Gives Police Added Power to Seek Out
                                                                   Illegal Immigrants" and "The Law of Unintended
                                                                   Consequences: Georgia's Immigration Law Backfires" in
                                                                   the Race Reader.  Answer these questions:

                                                        1. Why is Georgia’s immigration law controversial?
                                                                                           2.  On what basis has it been challenged legally?
                                                                                           3.  How has the law affected immigration?
                                                                                           4. How has the law affected immigrants?
                                                                                           5. What are some of the unintended consequences?

Thurs., Oct. 24           RCG                        Watch the slide show at the bottom of the page at
                                                                    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/10/13/the-daily-
                                                                    show-aasif-mandvi_n_4094427.html about state
                                                                     immigration laws.

                                                                     Review the chart "U.S. Immigration by Region and
                                                                     Decade" at http://www.jaha.org/edu/discovery_center
                                                                     /push-pull/chart_w_events.htmlBe prepared to discuss
                                                                     how you think oppression may have affected your
                                                                     family's arrival in the U.S.?

Fri., Oct. 25                Literature                Essay due.

Friday, October 11, 2013

Assignments for Week of October 14 - 16

Mon, Oct 14          Literature          Read chapter 13 of The Secret Life of Bees twice.
                                                        Bring in three points for discussion.
                                                        Be prepared to take a quiz.

                              RCG                 Family history projects due.
 
                                                        Questions on The Visitor due.
                                                   
                                              Read the New York Times review of The Visitor and answer the  
                                                   following questions.  The questions are not in the review, but you
                                                 can use the review to answer them.  You can also read other reviews of the movie.


                                                     1.  How does Walter’s character represent whiteness?

                                                                 2.     According to the New York Times article, the title (The
                                                                       Visitor) refers as much to Walter as it does to Tarek. 
                                                                       Describe how the title could relate to each of the men’s 
                                                                       characters?

                                                                 3.     How does Walter’s relationship with Tarek and Zainab
                                                                       transform him?

                                                                 4.      Who is your favorite character in the movie and why?

                                                                  5.     What message do you think this film conveys about the 
                                                                         issues the United States currently faces concerning 
                                                                         immigration? 

                                                                  6.     What is your opinion?  How should the nation respond to 
                                                                         this issue?


Tues, Oct. 15           RCG                 Read "Latino in America" in the Race Reader.
                                                         Complete the exercise on page 122.

Wed. Oct. 16           Literature          Read chapter 14 of The Secret Life of Bees twice.
                                                         Bring in three points for discussion.
                                                         Be prepared to take a quiz.

                                RCG                 Response to Family History Projects

Thursday, October 3, 2013

Assignments for Week of October 7 - 11

Mon, Oct 7          Literature          Read chapter 10 of The Secret Life of Bees twice.
                                                      Bring in three points for discussion.
                                                      Be prepared to take a quiz.

                            RCG                 Discuss "See Baby Discriminate" and parent interviews.

Tues, Oct 8          Iowas Tests      Second and Third Periods

                             MaGr Class      Speeches (continued)

                             RCG                 Read "The Cost of Racism to White People."
                                                      Complete "The Checklist." (Copy sent via email.)
                                                      Be prepared to take a quiz on the article.

Wed, Oct. 9          Iowa Tests        Fourth and Fifth Periods

                             Literature          Read chapter 11 of The Secret Life of Bees twice.
                                                       Bring in three points for discussion.
                                                       Be prepared to take a quiz.

Thurs, Oct. 10      Iowa Tests         Fifth and Sixth Periods

                              MaGr Class      Speeches (continued)

                             RCG                  Family Interview Presentations

Fri, Oct. 11           Literature          Read chapter 12 of The Secret Life of Bees twice.
                                                       Bring in three points for discussion.
                                                       Be prepared to take a quiz.

                              MaGr Class      Speeches (continued)

                              RCG                  Family Interview Presentations (continued)