OFFICE VISITS

Choose a time below to come to my office. If none of these times work for you EMAIL me. Please be sure and check the other comments left by classmates. You cannot claim a time someone else already claimed. Remember we have NO class on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY: April 8
12:00
12:30
1:00
1:30
2:00
2:30
3:00
3:30
4:00
4:30

THURSDAY: April 9
3:00
3:30
4:00
4:30
5:00
5:15

MONDAY: April 13
9:00
9:30
10:00
10:30
11:00
11:30
12:00
12:30
1:00
1:30
2:00

Sometimes Questions are More Important than Answers" - Nancy Willard

On your blog list 20 questions about your small group topic that you have. These must be different questions than the questions your group devised on Wednesday.

After listing your questions visit 3 other blogs (these do not have to be members of your group) and leave a comment with 3 additional questions to those the blog author already asked.

Media Influence and Power

For Monday be sure you have read:

RA: pg. 334 and RA 417

Both of these are essays addressing the power and influence of the media. In a general post respond to the ideas presented in these essays and share your thoughts about media influence.

Money & Success and Individual Opportunity

For this week, read page 294 in ReReading America, "Serving in Florida" by Barbra Ehrenreich

Consider one, some or all of the following in shaping your blog post on this reading:

• The introduction to this reading states, "If you are considering dropping out of college and settling into a comfy minimum-wage job (or two) please read this excerpt first..." Why is this recommended reading to someone who might be in this position? How does this reading make you feel as a college student?


• Respond to question 7 on page 333 in RA


• Consider and Respond to the questions on p.306

Taking a Breath

In the spirit of our "Breather Assignment," take a look at the following:

"Money" RA p. 330
and "From Seven Floors Up" RA p.332

These selections are examples of artwork (poetry) that have come directly out of social and economic circumstance, and seek to, in some way, shed light on that human experience.

Think about these poems, reference them as you post answering the following questions:

How do politics impact art?
Consider your own magazine topic, can you think of artistic products connected to it?

Does Rhetoric Define Who We Are?

For Wednesday this week be sure you have done the following:

Read "I just Wanna be Average" and written a post on it - just write out any thoughts you have.

Post comments on two blogs you have not commented on before.

Chosen the text you will be examining for your Rhetorical Analysis.

Considering Rhetoric

As we make our way into the next unit of the semester we move from reading essays concerned with home and family to essays concerned with education in the United States. We also move into a closer examination of the rhetoric used in different discourse communities and will consider rhetorical strategies and choices in our own writing.

To that end, please read Michael Moore's "Idiot Nation" from Rereading America for Wednesday. This essay tends to net strong reactions from students, so come fired up and ready to discuss what is happening in this text next period.

You should also collect some of your thoughts in a post due by midnight.

For this week and this reading go ahead and post a general response to the text - write and respond however you want...just be sure and consider your own rhetoric.

**When commenting on each others' blogs this week comment on 2 blogs you have NOT previously commented on.

The Discourse Communities of Society

Read: "From Changing American Families" on page 61. This can be a challenging essay - it is not exactly a page-turner. I recommend reading it with a bowl of M&M's in the middle of the afternoon, so you are sure to be awake and attentive. That being said, it is important to notice Aulette's command of research in this selection. More particularly, her analysis of that research should be noted and studied. In a post respond to Aulette's treatment of the "Moynihan Report" and Question #4 posed at the end of this reading.

Remember you also have a grammar post due by midnight tonight. And you must make 2 comments on other's posts this week. Try to comment on a blog that you have not commented on yet. You MUST leave your group-mates comments on their political cartoons.

For Monday - bring 3 copies of your Political Cartoon Analysis Rough Draft to class.

Reading

Please read "An Indian Story" in ReReading America. You do not have to make a post on this essay, unless you want to. However, you should all be eager to prove to me that you did read this per our discussion on it in class.

The American Dream & The 1950's

By Monday please read:

"Looking for Work": By Gary Soto, p. 26
and
"What We Really Miss About the 1950's": By Stephanie Coontz, p. 31

These are two distinctly different pieces addressing the ideas of home and family. As you read think critically about these texts and what the authors are saying. Be sure you examine what is happening on all three levels of critical thinking: literal, analytical and interpretive/rhetorical. You need to create a post addressing these readings, and I am most interested in your analytical and interpretive/rhetorical thoughts. Consider the following in your response:

Each essay is written in different writing styles, there are things to learn from each. Using your analytical skills choose one or two elements to focus on from each essay (ie: Soto's use of pop culture references, Coontz's use of research) explain how these elements do or do not contribute to effective writing.

On the interpretive/rhetorical level of critical thinking, what do you think these authors are driving at? Given the nature of our text, do these pieces challenge or critique some cultural beliefs about American families?

What do you find the most interesting about each of these pieces.

**Remember to read and respond to your classmates' posts!

Welcome to the Blogging World: Your First Post Prompt

Blogging, Facebook and Myspace all offer an interesting look into the written-technological wave sweeping our society. Because our 2010 class is focused on examining social issues, we will examine this epidemic by participating in it ourselves. Your first task in this class is to create a blog using Google's blogging service Blogger. You must leave me a comment on this Post so that I may link back to your blog.

You should make your first post after reading the introduction to our textbook, Rereading America. Your post should consider the following questions: What does it mean to you to be an American Citizen? How might this text challenge or complicate your opinions?

After creating your own post, refer back to the comments on this blog and look at your other classmate's blogs. You must read and respond to two posts.