Reminders for Final

FINAL EXAM:
Tue, 12/15, 11AM

FINALS WEEK OFFICE HOURS:
WED, 12/9--> 9-12 and 1-2
FRI, 12/11--> 9-10

WHAT TO BRING TO THE FINAL:
pen, blank paper (no blue books), texts (see list below)

GENERAL TOPICS TO PREPARE FOR:
1) Present an analysis of a sample comic. Base your analysis on at least two different authors we've read and discuss the use of specific techniques and strategies (be accurate!). Go beyond the obvious and explain how comics are able to achieve certain things in this example that other forms might not be capable of.
2) Referring to specific techniques and strategies in the text, argue that Ware's work is more than "just a comic" and that it is indeed a real piece of literature. Really, this question is asking you to make a case for the value of comics and graphic novels as literature--especially after you've spent the entire semester exploring comics--but you're using this specific text to illustrate your points. Go beyond the obvious--don't just say that JC discusses "serious themes."

Note: Your actual final exam question will not be exactly the same as what you see above. Also, I might just offer one question for you to write on.

READINGS:
Understanding Comics, Berger article, Stephens article, Corn article, Allison, "Superheroes [and Antiheroes]" article, Boorstin article

PAPER #4--> Don't forget to drop these off at the mailroom by closing time on Thursday AND submit a copy to turnitin.com

MIDTERMS-->If you still haven't submitted your midterm to turnitin.com, do it now so that I can grade it.

RETURNING GRADED WORK:
Whatever essays are not returned to you at the final will be ready for you to pick up spring semester. If you need a graded essay sooner, just make arrangements with me via e-mail.

CLASS PICTURE:
Didn't a few of you want to take a class picture? If everyone shows up 5 minutes early on Tuesday, we'll have time to take a quick pic.

Last 3 Presentation Papers

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Nereida_Camacho.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Tina_Nguyen.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Patrick_Lister.doc

Don't forget to bring your Paper #4 working thesis and 1 page of work on Thursday. (The page of work can be a detailed outline, a list of sources that you've taken notes on, a body paragraph or two, etc.)

In case you're checking...

...no blog response this weekend. (But do expect a quiz at our next class meeting.)

Have a happy Thanksgiving!

More presentation papers:
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Corrina_Lau.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Brittany_Jaber.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Sam_Schickling.doc

Presentation Papers, Part I

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Adam_Chester.dco.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Sami_Chandler.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Nathaniel_Cowan.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Justin_Nguyen.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Joy_Paddock.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Alex_Sotirhos.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Jacob_Baskin.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Jordan_Orozco.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Katie_Bakunas.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Kunal_Gupta.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Howard_Packer.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Zainab_Mithani.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Esther_Amaya.doc
http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper_5_Samantha_Sanares.doc

Post #14: Responses to Third Day

Tonight's blog response is the same as the last two--write a specific response to at least one of today's presentations.

I was really impressed by your feedback in the last blog response--you provided constructive feedback, you referred your classmates to further topics for research, you offered great counterarguments,....

Keep up the good work! And don't forget your potluck item if you're bringing one on Tuesday.

Post #13: Response to Second Day

For your new blog response, write a response to one of the presentations you heard in class today. You're doing the same thing as your last blog response: You can pose one or more follow-up questions, offer potential counterarguments , make connections to other things you've seen or read, or pose further lines of inquiry for any of these projects.

Please write at least one well-developed paragraph. Also, check out the responses that your peers wrote for the last blog response. Some of the points raised were quite insightful and thought-provoking.

Due: Before our next class meeting

p.s. Potluck next Tuesday--what do you want to bring? Write the item you're bringing at the bottom of your blog response. (note: you are not required to bring something, but it'll be fun if you do)

Post #12: Responses to First Day of Presentations

For your new blog response, write a response to one of the presentations you heard in class today. You can pose one or more follow-up questions (especially because we were too rushed to allow you all to voice your questions today), offer potential counterarguments (like Esther's follow-up question today), make connections to other things you've seen or read, or pose further lines of inquiry for any of these projects.

Due: Before our next class meeting

For 11.5

Please spend extra time revising and extending your drafts. The minimum is 5 pages (including counterarguments!) for Thursday. Since the final draft is due next Tuesday, the more you bring in on Thursday, the better.

If you have any questions, just e-mail me before Thursday's class.

Extra Credit Reminder

Don't forget that your extended (4-page) drafts are due at our next class (Tue).

For those of you who would like extra credit, I will give 5 points to the first three people who e-mail me their 4-page drafts--but you must e-mail me before noon on Monday!

Have a good weekend!

Class Schedule

Dear Class,
I'm back! We will be having class as usual tomorrow. Be prepared with your 2-page typed drafts. Some of you have been asking what should be in those drafts. I think you should focus on having an effective thesis statement and at least one well-developed body section. At this point, I would NOT worry about fancy introductions or including every piece of information you've found.

Since we didn't have class yesterday, I'll explain changes to our calendar tomorrow.

p.s. Thanks again for the comments. I'm feeling much better, but I will keep my distance in case I'm still germy. :)

Class Cancelled TUE, 10.27

Dear Class,
I'm still sick so class is canceled tomorrow. We'll go over your two-page drafts on Thursday instead. Please check back here in a day or two for further announcements from me.
Take care & stay healthy!

Announcements & Search Tips

Homework:
Don't forget! Your 2-page TYPED rough drafts are due on Tuesday, 10/27.

Extra Credit e-mailed Drafts:
As I mentioned in class, I'll give 5 points extra credit to the FIRST THREE people who e-mail me their rough drafts. We'll be looking at excerpts from these in class on Tuesday. You do not have to e-mail me if you're aren't trying to get the extra credit.

Search Tips:
1) When you go to google.com, click on the little "Advanced Search" link to the right of the search bar. Towards the bottom of the page, there's an option to Search Within a Site or Domain. You can try typing in .edu to narrow your search to just school institution websites.
2) Try Google Scholar. It narrows your search down to scholarly articles, suggests relevant articles, and more! Try it out: http://scholar.google.com/
3) Here's the link to the article about how that student posted the fake quote about a composer on Wikipedia and then a bunch of journalists actually used that fake quote in their articles about the composer. Quick and fun read--and one more reminder of why we use Wikipedia to find general information but not as a reliable source in our papers. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30699302/wid/11915829?GT1=40006
4) Remember to try chatting with a librarian if you get stuck! Go to http://library.fullcoll.edu/ and start typing in the box if it says "fclibrarian is online."
5) If you find something online that's available through a database that FC doesn't have but that CSFU *does* have, you can follow these instructions when you go to the CSUF campus library:
The library is open to the public and anyone can come in and use Project Muse while in the library. You will want to get a guest log-on. Do this on the 1st floor of the the North Library Building at the Information Learning Commons support desk. This password will be good in the library until we close that night. Then you can use any computer in the library to access Project Muse.

10.15 Announcements

1) On Tuesday, do not go to our regular classroom--go to Room 827 of the library (2nd floor, by the presidential doll collection).

2) Bring your Works Cited list on Tuesday. I'll check these in while the librarian goes over databases and other research strategies. She'll also give you time to research. If you have any specific questions about finding sources, bring your questions.

For your reference: sample research paper

http://www.dianahacker.com/pdfs/hacker-Daly-MLA.pdf

Tips on Research Strategies...

Here are some notes from today's class:

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Research_Strategies.doc

Research Project: Announcements & Notes

Here are the notes from today's class. Please read through them.

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/ResearchProcessandCreatingResearchQuestions.doc

As noted on the calendar, we'll be working with our research questions during our next class meeting. So, come to class prepared on Tuesday with 2-3 potential research questions (again, review the notes I posted for ideas and guidelines). If you've already chosen 1 question to research, even better. Since your research proposals are due next Thursday, start skimming through sources now.

Once you've decided on a particular research question, check the comments here to make sure nobody's already chosen that same question. Then post it here so that there won't be too much overlap between your projects.

I will discuss the midterm on Tuesday. For this weekend, just work on coming up with research questions and reading up on them to find out what's already being said about those topics.

Announcements

For your homework for Thursday, just read the "Hollywood Eye" article. No blog response this time. However, do be prepared for a reading quiz at our next class; the quiz will cover the Reading Lolita and Persepolis excerpts, as well as the "Hollywood Eye" article.

Post #11 & Announcements

Dear Class,
For your new blog post, read through the Reading Lolita and Persepolis excerpts. Both works address the changes that were brought about in Iran by the Islamic Revolution. What specific strategies do the works use to explore their themes?

Also, I will be distributing your article for 10/8 in class on Tuesday. There will be some changes to the calendar, so stay tuned!

In-Class Essay Tips & Reminders

Here are some preliminary guidelines regarding the in-class essay. I'll update this when I think of more:

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Paper2Guidelines.doc

By the way, does anyone want to post a working thesis here for us to discuss? It'll help everyone as you all think through your ideas. Plus, if I read it before Thursday, I'll give you feedback.

Post #10: JC Finale

For your homework, finish reading Jimmy Corrigan. Then go to the following link and read the Chris Ware interview:

http://www.pbs.org/pov/tintinandi/sfartists_ware.php

Once you've finished reading those two items, go back to Post #9 and read what your peers wrote about themes. Choose one theme that someone raised. Based on what you see in the book as a whole, what do you think Chris Ware was trying to say about that particular theme? Provide 1-2 specific examples from the book to support your response. (Examples can be analysis of how certain strategies are used, specific elements of the plot, etc.)

Reminder: Don't worry about the Lolita and Persepolis excerpts until next week.

Post #9: Themes and Strategies

For your new blog response, answer the following questions:

What are some themes that you think Chris Ware is trying to explore in Jimmy Corrigan? What are some specific strategies that he uses to explore these ideas? (You can refer to specific techniques that McCloud discusses...or not.)

Reminder:
We will not be discussing the Reading Lolita or Persepolis excerpts until next Tuesday. For this Thursday, you are only responsible for reading Section 3 of JC (pp. 201-304) and this blog response.

notes from today's class

1. does the war relate to any of the characters (p. 102)?
2. why were they showing slides of the Chicago fire? (p. 138)?
3. p. 166 Great grandfather talking about skeleton—significance?
4. p. 148 How did james William hurt himself?
5. p. 152 Why did author include segment of girl saying she’s not a girl?
6. p. 154 are those fireflies??
7. why did James Reed think he would get beaten?
8. connection between wasp and grandmother’s death?
9. ambivalence regarding going home early.


· What do you think of the father’s character? Why does he get back in touch with Jimmy now?
· Why does the author jump around so much in time?
· Do you see any parallels between the generations of Corrigan men?

Recurring motifs and themes to look out for:
· Male/female relationships
· (car) accidents
· Peaches
· Superman
· Faces (what is shown and what isn’t)
· Technology
· Setting (macro and micro—time, city, specific space in which action of panel takes place)
· Unconventional techniques the author uses
· Shifting point of view (and author intrusions)
· Birds
· Anything that’s repeated

Post #8: Antiheroes and JC

Dear Class,

In case you didn't jot it down, section 2 of Jimmy Corrigan is pp. 101-200.  For your new blog response, read section 2 and read the article I distributed in class.  Then respond to the following questions:

1) Do you find superheroes or antiheroes more appealing?  Why?

2) What have your reactions to Jimmy Corrigan's character been so far?

Due: before our next class meeting, as usual

Have a good weekend!

Post #7

I know everyone's got a lot of work to finish up before Thursday, so for your new blog response, just answer the following question:
How are you doing?

Announcements & Reminders:
1) Although I'm not having you blog on your reading this time, do finish reading pp. 1-100 of Jimmy Corrigan and be prepared for a quiz on that section.
2) Don't forget to submit your final draft of Paper #1 to turnitin.com before our next class.

Howard & Sam, I'm not sure if you were already planning on doing this, but do plan to spend some time having the class identify specific strategies and techniques (like the ones McCloud discusses) in section 1 of JC.

Post #6: MHH

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. This is going to be one of those times when you'll *definitely* want to make notes in your text as you read. Mark up any places that jump out at you, associations you're making, and questions you may have. At the same time, don't worry too much about figuring out the poem. Just read through it, mark it up, and do take a look at the pictures--consider what the pictures add to what Blake is saying. Then, for your blog response, answer the following question:

What do you think is the main point of this poem??

Due: before our next class (please try to post before Tuesday morning)

Additional Reminders:
--Don't forget to bring an extended (at least two full, typed pages) draft of Paper #1 to class on Tuesday. Getting feedback on workshop days does count as part of your final paper grade.
--Bring MMH and Jimmy Corrigan to class on Tuesday! :)

Group Project Topics

Dear Class,

Go ahead and post your group project topic here once your group has decided what they want to do. If other groups have already posted their topics, make sure that yours does not overlap.

Don't forget that you need to post your topic at least one week before your presentation date.

Have a good long weekend!

Post #5: Corn, Allison, the end of UC

For your new blog response, write one paragraph per reading (Wanda Corn's "Ways of Seeing," Dorothy Allison's "This is Our World," and Ch. 7-9 of UC). In each paragraph, you will state the one idea that you found most interesting from that reading and pose one question about the reading for the class to consider.

Reminders:
--No class on Tue, 9/8. Have a good long weekend!
--I'm not sure how often I'll be able to check my e-mail while I'm out of town, but if you need to reach me with any questions (especially the two pairs who are facilitating next Thursday), do e-mail or call me and I'll be sure to check by Tuesday evening at the latest.

Notes from today's class

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/Notesforweek3thursday.doc

Post #4: Ch. 6 & Stephens Article

For your new blog response:

1) Put your working thesis for Paper #1 here (don't forget to also bring a hard copy to class on Thursday).
2) What is one idea that you found important/interesting from Ch. 6 of UC? [1 paragraph]
3) What are 2-3 responses that you have to the Stephens article? You can agree/disagree with various points (but do provide examples to support your opinion), point out passages that you found unclear, ask questions that you thought of, etc. [1 paragraph]
4) Tell of a time when a visual image communicated more effectively with you than words did. [1 paragraph]

Writing Center Workshop List

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/WCWorkshopsFall2009.doc

Extra Credit List

http://www.sartuno.com/classdocs/ExtraCreditforEnglish100Honors.doc

Note to Week 3 Facilitation Pairs

Sam & Suyi, Adam & Nathaniel:
Here are some guidelines for facilitating class discussion

• Work should be evenly balanced between the two of you.
• You can glean potential discussion questions from our blog (this won't apply to Sam and Suyi).
• Your goal is to ensure that the class understands the most important concepts from your reading section. Ask questions, pose ideas, provide examples to illustrate difficult concepts, etc. Be thorough--don't skip over any major ideas from your reading. Don't be afraid to disagree with classmates if you feel that they are misunderstanding the text; you can politely offer your own interpretation.
• Keep the discussion going: be prepared to ask follow-up questions in response to things your classmates say. You can gauge when it is time to move on to the next topic.
• Be prepared to offer your own responses to any questions that you may ask. However, your goal is to facilitate discussion, not do all the talking. Only jump in with your own thoughts if you feel it will be helpful to the class.
• Prepare a handout of the key ideas/questions that you would like to cover. Please make 23 copies (1 for each student in the class). It would be an excellent idea to run this by me first, so I can give you feedback.
• You will have about 30-40 minutes to facilitate. Do your best to include everyone. If a few people are doing all the talking, you are absolutely welcome to call on other students. As long as you are polite & keeping everyone on topic, it is up to you how you would like to guide the discussion.
• Having visuals to point to is always helpful (especially since our theme is graphic narrative), but it is not required.

Adam & Nathaniel,

You two will be presenting on UC, Ch. 6 and an article by Mitchell Stephens. I'll be posting that soon as well.

Good luck and thank you for being the first two pairs to lead discussion! Please e-mail if you have any questions at all.

Announcements & HW

Dear Class,
I'm still running into problems with some of the documents I want to post for you. While I try to figure out a solution, I'm just going to give you a brief rundown of the information you need for this weekend:

Homework to do for Tuesday:
1) Read UC, Ch. 4-5
2) 1 page mini-essay: typed, double-spaced. Choose 4-5 "signs" to analyze. (I'm using the term very loosely; you can choose soup can labels, storefront signs, company logos, signs around campus, etc. Just be sure that all your signs belong in the same category--i.e. don't choose 2 soup labels and 3 signs around campus). Using concepts from Ch. 1-4 of UC and the Berger article, analyze how the signs communicate with the viewer. How do they work? Since this is only a 1-page assignment, you have the option of mentioning all your signs in your Introduction, but only doing a close analysis of one of them in your body section. You do not need a Conclusion. Be sure to print copies of these signs and attach them to your essay when you turn it in.

*That's it for Tuesday. If I work out the electronic document issues, I will post the items for you to download soon, but do not worry about them for now.

Post #3: Berger & UC, Ch. 3

For your new blog post, please write on the following:

1) Define McCloud's concept of "closure" in your own words. Watch a short clip of any film (about 10 minutes). Note any examples of closure you see. Comment on how these instances function in the film. How do they add to the impact of the movie? [1 paragraph]

2) Read the Berger article. Then come up with one question you have in response to the article and one interesting point that it makes. [1 paragraph]

HW John Berger Article

You should see a total of 10 pages:

1) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfNWN0cWo0NHIy&hl=en

2) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfN2Y1Z2c0bmZn&hl=en

3) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfOWQ4OTR6dGQ2&hl=en

4) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMTFjOXBkOGRqYg&hl=en

5) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMjRmZnZkYzhnMg&hl=en

6) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMTNmdm1tbWQ1Zw&hl=en

7) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMTVoYzI2MjhnZA&hl=en

8) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMTc5Z3Bkdm1oYw&hl=en

9) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMTlnc3d0cXBmag&hl=en

10) http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=0Acrf44hLlmFDZGN2Yzl3eDdfMjFjczI2YnJ4OA&hl=en

Note:

After clicking on a link, go to File, go to Page Setup, click on Landscape, and choose regular 8 1/2 X 11 paper. THEN print.

Post #2: UC, Ch. 1-2

After reading chapters 1-2 of Understanding Comics, answer the following questions here on the blog (follow the same instructions as for post #1):

1) What are 2 questions that came up for you while you were reading these chapters? [i.e. anything that was confusing, unclear? other questions that the reading made you think of?]

2) Why does the author spend so much time trying to pinpoint a definition of "comics?" On p. 23, he even approves of the idea that his definition will probably be rejected in the future. Why, then, is it so important for him to nail down a specific definition?

3) For you, what are the top 2 most intriguing ideas that the author raises in these 2 chapters? Spend at least 1 paragraph per idea, explaining why you find them so interesting.

Optional question to think about (and answer if you would like to): What is one thing that you see (in the world around you) that you think you will "see" differently now? Explain.

p.s. Don't forget to see my announcement below! :)

Announcement--No Class 9/8

Dear Class,
You'll be getting a detailed calendar soon, but in the meantime, I just wanted to let you know that we will not be having class on Tuesday, 9/8 (I will be out of town). Enjoy having that day off!

Post #1: Welcome!

Welcome! For your first blog post, answer the following question:
Why are you in an Honors English class?

To post your response, click on "comments" (at the bottom of this post, next to the tiny pencil icon), type your response in the box, choose "Name/URL" (you don't need to enter a URL), type your name, and click "post comment."