1. English 101: Comp & Lit 1Week 1: January 20, 2010 Wednesday, 8:00-10:55 AM Professor Melinda Roberts
2. Today’sAgenda Review Syllabus Purchase Textbook Literature: Personal Response and Critical Thinking Preparing a First Response Paper Using the Class Blog / Website Homework Assignment 8:00 AM: Class Begins 9:30-9:45 AM: Break 10:55 AM: Class Ends
3. Why Literature and Composition Together? Reading, and writing about reading, connects us at a deeper level of understanding of our own experiences “Students learn that the process of crafting a persuasive argument about a work of literature requires close reading and reflection, and that the quality of their writing will be measured by the strength of the evidence they bring to support it.” (Exploring Literature author, Dr. Frank Madden)
4. The Reader as Participant The exploration of literature begins with YOU Your engagement with the literature creates the literary experience A piece of literature is only words on a page until YOU read the words, bring them to life, and give them meaning YOU give meaning to the literature background (national origin, race, creed, gender, etc.) personality prior experiences with literature knowledge of the world
5. The Reader as Participant Literature demands our attention, our reflection, our examination Literature requires an investment of emotion and the connection of knowledge and experience When we learn to appreciate the naunces of literature, we develop the ability to think and to write critically about it
6. Personal Response and Critical Thinking To think critically about literature, we build on our personal responses – record our responses review our responses discuss our responses with peers support our responses with valid evidence Critical thinking does not mean searching for one right answer. There may be as many answers as there are readers. Your best answers are those that analyze and articulate your response in light of supporting evidence.
7. Personal Response and Critical Thinking: Written Response A written response IS NOT: a summary of a particular literary work that you’ve read A written response IS: a short essay that expresses your personal reaction to a particular literary work a short essay that conveys your thoughts and feelings about an aspect of a particular literary work a short essay that discusses how a particular literary work affectedyou as you read it
8. Personal Response and Critical Thinking: Written Response A written response DOES NOT: require you to do outside research A written response DOES require a careful reading of the literature, clear thinking about what the author has written, and honest writing in response to the what you’ve thought, felt, questioned, disagreed with, agreed with, were touched by – i.e., how you were affected by / how you connected to the particular piece of literature present your point of view in a clear and organized manner
12. What words or phrases are unknown to you? How can you find our their meaning?
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14. Do any of the events remind you of ones in your own life? If so, how does this association help or interfere with your response to the literature?
15. Is there anything you particularly like about the work? If so, what is it and why do you like it?
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17. Do any of the characters especially appeal to you or bother you? Explain.
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19. Responding to Literature From the surface level to the core “Surface” Level Evaluation / Response “Meat” Level Evaluation / Response “Core” Level Evaluation / Response
20. Responding to Literature “Surface” Level Title (consider its import) Narrator (point of view) First person (“I”) Third person (“he,” “she”, “they”) Character Who is the protagonist? Who is the antagonist? Who are the minor characters?
21. Responding to Literature Comments at the Surface Level From the title, I thought the story was about . . . When I first met _____, I thought he/she/it was . . . __________ (someone or something) reminded me . . . I don’t understand . . . I want to learn more about . . .
22. Responding to Literature “Meat” Level Character Goals Motives Behavior Dialogue Inner thoughts Who says what to whom? Who says what about whom? Flashback(s) Have there been any?
23. Responding to Literature “Meat” Level Mood What is the psychological “feeling” of the literature? Does the setting contribute to the “feeling” of the literature? Irony Have there been any surprises? Outcomes that were the opposite of what you expected? Symbols What has more than one meaning?
24. Responding to Literature Comments at the Meat Level I liked / I didn’t like . . . because . . . I understood / didn’t understand why . . . because . . . I felt ___ when ___ said, “. . .,” because . . . I was surprised . . . I thought ____ should / should not have . . . The story made me feel . . . I liked / didn’t like when the author used _____ to symbolize . . . because . . .
25. Responding to Literature “Core” Level: Has the author “met” you with his/her writing? Have you had a change of attitude? Has the writing challenged your beliefs? Has the writing reinforced your beliefs? Has the writing affected you in any other way?
26. Responding to Literature Comments at the Core Level The story made me feel . . . I don’t understand why . . . I could relate to . . . I could not relate to . . . __________ reminds me of . . . This story compares with . . . I felt _____ when . . .
27. Personal Response and Critical Thinking A response paper IS NOT: a summary of a particular literary work that you’ve read A response paper IS: a short essay that expresses your personal reaction to a particular literary work a short essay that conveys your thoughts and feelings about an aspect of a particular literary work a short essay that discusses how a particular literary work affectedyou as you read it
28. Personal Response and Critical Thinking A response paper DOES NOT: require you to do outside research A response paper DOES require a careful reading of the literature, clear thinking about what the author has written, and honest writing in response to the what you’ve thought, felt, questioned, disagreed with, agreed with, were touched by – i.e., how you were affected by / how you connected to the particular piece of literature present your point of view in a clear and organized manner
35. First Response Paper:Guidelines Upper left-hand corner of the paper, single-spaced: FIRST AND LAST NAME January 8, 2010 Professor Melinda Roberts English 101 (Wednesdays): Spring 2010 Centered Title (all caps and bolded): RESPONSE PAPER: ”BIRMINGHAM BOMB KILLS 4 NEGRO GIRLS” IMPORTANT NOTE: Papers that do not meet these guidelines will not be accepted. See your syllabus for further specific details.
36. First Response Paper:Guidelines First Response is not a summary – do not summarize what you have read First Response is a minimum of one (1) page and a maximum of two (2) pages. If the First Response is two pages, it must be stapled together. First Response should have a minimum of three (3) and a maximum of five (5) direct quotes from the literature. IMPORTANT NOTE: Papers that do not meet these guidelines will not be accepted. See your syllabus for further specific details.
