Questions for the Danger of a Single Story

1. What kind of stories did Adichie write as a child?
2. Who’s story does Adichie not hear during her childhood?
3. What does Adichie mean by “patronizing pity”?
4. Why does Adichie’s roommate think of Africa as a country?
5. Define “fleecing the health care system”?
6. Explain her historical allusions.
7. Why does Adichie say that a stereotype is incomplete?
8. What is the single story of Colombia? Are there other single stories in your life?

Bonus Content of the Week: The Snapchat Sonnet

This brilliant take on social media was written by one of your classmates. Can you write a social media sonnet?

It all ended. As soon as it started.

With a simple hello and a silly

Face. I would smile involuntarily

Since my feelings will be disregarded

Anyways. Together we’ll create ten

Million memories which will vanish in

A matter of seconds. Our bond begins

To fade in a deleted oblivion.

I thought that as a friend I truly knew

You. But now apparently the only

Fire between us is our streak. Don’t try to

Say otherwise, I know we’re both lonely.

Why should I allow this insidious

Conspiracy to destroy our friendship?

For Next Class

Continue to read and annotate The Awakening with annotations. Keep in mind: you should be finished with the novel by next Monday.

The Awakening Presentation

Your group will present on its findings in regards to Chopin´s attitudes about your topic.

This summative assignment will be due in class, Monday October 3rd. 



Here´s the rubric. 

Bonus Content of the Week: The Facebook Sonnet

See our Bonus content HERE.

Women in the Loony Bin?

I'd like you to read this very brief article about women and insane asylums in the 19th century. When finished, I'd like you to write a short blog entry making connections between this article and The Awakening. Be sure to cite text. Do so by next class. In addition meet your reading goal for next class.

Life Skills Rubric

For those unable to find the Life Skills Rubric, please check here.

For Friday

For Friday write a blog entry in which you:

- apply the theory of sphere to the novel

OR

- continue with your research group´s theme

Be sure to include visual vocabulary as well.

Long Weekend = Long Reading

Set a reading goal for this long weekend. We'll be working on your research topic presentations Friday, so the more text you have covered - the better. Still, keep the goal reasonable.If you are not in class, be sure to contact a classmate in your group to find out the reading that they decided on.

For Next Class

Set a reading goal with your group. Meet that goal by next class. Be sure to take notes.

Life Skills Sonnet

Your "Like Skills Sonnet" will be due next Wednesday, 21st.

In it you must:

- use the form of octave and sestet (and thus have fourteen lines)
- refer to the Life Skills rubric
- assess yourself in the form of verse

Wedding Bells?

In class, please read this article "51% of Women Now Living Without Spouses" in preparation for a discussion.

Poetry Reading

Read Louise Gluck's "The Wild Iris" in preparation for a fishbowl discussion (formative) on Wednesday.

Change in Hamlet Date

Unfortunately Hamlet is sold out on Sunday, so we´ll have to plan to go Sept 17, at 11am in Cine Colombia on Avenida Chile (inside the Gran Ahorrar mall).

This Weekend's Reading

Over this weekend read Chapter 9-13. While reading take careful notes in regards to your research topic and any vocabulary you find. 

The Awakening Continues

This week I'd like you to read chapters 4-8 and write a new blog entry for Thursday.

Hamlet Trip

HAMLET TRIP SUNDAY 

 Tickets cost 17.000 for preferential student admission and 22.000 for preferential adult seats.  If you would like to join the English department, we plan to purchase preferential seating to attend the September 18th performance (11am-2:30pm) at the Avenida Chile movie theater.

BRING IN YOUR MONEY NO LATER THAN THIS THURSDAY. 

What is a reading blog?

Reading to Blog

What's more important the book or our interpretations of the book? Can there be a book without there being interpretation? We'll be able to answer some of those questions after we've recorded our relationships with the books we read.

In order to preserve paper, as well as to promote our communication with the academic world outside of CNG, we'll be keeping blogs about the books we read.

You will write your own blogs, and respond to your blogs as prescribed by your weekly homework blog entry. You should not approach each blog the same way. With variety comes varied thought; therefore, I hope you focus on different topics and take different approaches in each entry.

Imagine you have been assigned "The Three Little Pigs" for homework. To write a reading blog based on this reading here are some possibilities:

-Respond to the text personally: 

I never had my house blown down by a wolf, but I have felt loss. For example, I once abandoned my favorite apartment. I left most of my furniture there, some clothes, even a television!

-Connect text to another book, a film, work of art, a comic or any other creation: 

The Three Little Pigs reminds me of The Matrix. When the Wolf "huffed and puffed and blew his house down" he acted just as Morpheus did for Reeve's character. Suddenly, Reeves was without the security he once felt.

-Ask questions to later answer:

What might the grandmother represent? Why would the Wolf want to blow down the houses? How might I write a better ending? I would then maybe answer these questions in later blogs. 

-Visual Vocabulary 

Select the words you think it was important to define in the text. Match a picture to it on your blog post. 

-Hyperlink 

You might want to use the 21^st century's answer to footnotes when you're talking about something that is not common knowledge. We'll do a demo of how to insert a hyperlink in class.

You may use any combination of these, or you can write your own type of entries. Let your reading guide your entries. We'll take a look at them next week in class and in conferences.

Take a look at this example from a student a few years ago. Here's a more satirical style and here's another more effusive style. 

Here you can find the rubric I'll be using to assess your blogs.

Reading Homework

Read the first three chapters of The Awakening and write your first reading blog.