Due 11/29: 1984 and More

1. 1984–You should complete Part 1 (p. 104) for Tuesday, 11/29. Quiz tomorrow!

2. Class Forum–Post entire Bell Jar essay.

3. Art as Social Commentary–The next two precis are due 12/1. The final creative piece is due 12/12. Keep in mind when choosing sources: Do not choose three sources that communicate the same information. The three sources should work together to provide you with added depth of understanding of your issue. You must include the source article (including highlights/underlines) and you must have a title. Sample title (title should be centered):

Precis: (Title of Article)

Based on your first precis, here are some thoughts:

  • Precis should be SINGLE SPACED.
  • Some of you still get the heading wrong. Now that we are in the second quarter, you are now penalized every time you get it wrong. Pay attention to the little things.
  • You must turn in a hard copy of your source with the precis. I cannot grade it otherwise. Be sure the hard copy is highlighted/underlined. I want to get a sense of your engagement with the original source.
  • Your precis should not be one paragraph. Use paragraphs to organize the source details in your precis.

Due 11/29: 1984 and More

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving! 

1. Art as Social Commentary–The next two precis are due 12/1. The final creative piece is due 12/12. Keep in mind when choosing sources: Do not choose three sources that communicate the same information. The three sources should work together to provide you with added depth of understanding of your issue. You must include the source article (including highlights/underlines) and you must have a title. Sample title (title should be centered):

Precis: (Title of Article)

Based on your first precis, here are some thoughts:

  • Precis should be SINGLE SPACED.
  • Some of you still get the heading wrong. Now that we are in the second quarter, you are now penalized every time you get it wrong. Pay attention to the little things.
  • You must turn in a hard copy of your source with the precis. I cannot grade it otherwise. Be sure the hard copy is highlighted/underlined. I want to get a sense of your engagement with the original source.
  • Your precis should not be one paragraph. Use paragraphs to organize the source details in your precis.

2. 1984–You should complete Part 1 (p. 104) for Tuesday, 11/29.

Due 11/21: 1984 and Much More…

Note: There are many due dates listed below. Review them closely.

1. 1984–(Short reading this weekend so that our discussion can catch up to where we are in the novel.) Read and annotate Chapter 6!

2. Art as Social Commentary–TYPED proposals due! Answer the following questions:

  • What is your chosen issue?
  • Why did you choose that issue?
  • At this point, what is your vision for the visual piece?

Also, you should have at least one (of your three) sources chosen this weekend. Valid sources include newspapers, journals, magazines, etc. The first precis is due 11/22. The next two precis are due 12/1. The final creative piece is due 12/12. Keep in mind when choosing sources: Do not choose three sources that communicate the same information. The three sources should work together to provide you with added depth of understanding of your issue.

3. (Due 11/22) Surprise: Gratitude Letters!!! Yes, in the spirit of being thankful, please write (handwritten preferably) a letter to someone for whom you are grateful. Thank them and let them know why you are thankful. Be heartfelt. Write your name at the bottom of the letter. Ideally, this letter would be to an adult in the building (excluding me). Put the letter in an envelope and write the recipient’s name on the outside of the envelope.

4. Personal Vocab–We start back at 1. By the end of this upcoming week, you should have 5 new words. Again, the primary source for your vocab words should be material read in THIS class.

Due 11/17: 1984

1. 1984–Read and annotate Chapters 4 and 5.
2. Art as Social/Political/Economic/Environmental Commentary Project Announcement

Due date for the proposal is now 11/21—Proposal including subject of project and a rough idea for the creative project.

We will talk more about this tomorrow!

Due 11/15: 1984

1. 1984–Read and annotate Chapter 3.

2. Art as Social/Political/Economic/Environmental Commentary Project

George Orwell uses the novel as a means to communicate his critical view of political and social paradigms of the mid 20th Century. As I am sure you are aware, he felt strongly about his critique of totalitarianism in general and Stalin’s Soviet Union in particular.

Now it is your turn to use art as a form of commentary. However, the medium you’re your message is VISUAL ART.  First things first, choose a subject that you feel strongly about, something in which you can invest your time, thought, emotion, and creative juices. Your only limit here is your imagination! Your art should have consciousness and purpose as you create awareness.  It should be genuine. Ultimately, I expect that you will elevate and catalyze a dialogue relevant to your subject.

After selecting your subject, you must Research! You are expected to research your subject accumulating 3 sources further informing your understanding of the subject.  Understanding that the sources and précis are to work in concert solidifying your knowledge on the subject, thoughtfully choose your sources and choose sources from legitimate web sites (avoid wiki links, joe schmoe’s blog, joe schmoe and his cronie’s website, etc.).   You are then expected to write a precis for each source. Print out and read the precis expectations. You should have the precis printout in your binder as with all printouts. Let me stress, read the precis guidelines very closely. Further, the sources should ultimately help to give form to your creative project.  At the end, you will submit your research with the creative project. As I stressed in class, choose a subject you genuinely care about.

Folks, this is not some casual art assignment that can be done in your journal consisting of a couple of stick figures. If you do this you will receive no credit for the assignment. In grading the visual bit I am expecting to see the product of deep thought (thematic understanding), extraordinary effort, and creative effort.

The following will be considered when assessing these:

  1. Project’s visual impact (The visual should be aesthetically pleasing…more simply, it should look amazing)
  2. The project should be informed by your research. It should reflect knowledge and understanding.
  3. Project is thoughtful (The visual should be so thoughtfully and carefully created so as to carry your commentary/message.)
  4. Project is well-designed/executed
  5. Project reflects exceptional effort.

VERY IMPORTANT: The visual alone should communicate the commentary/message. You should not have to rely on words!

I expect your very best creative work here.  Know your creative strengths and weaknesses. If you are not a “natural” artist, improvise… Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box. No excuses for mediocrity on this assignment. Peace.

Due Dates:

  • 17—Proposal including subject of project and a rough idea for the creative project.
  • 21–Three sources with precis for each source.
  • 5–Final Art as Social Commentary project due!
* All stages of this project will be graded and count toward the project/essay grade. The final project itself will count for 300 total points. Be sure you also read the project description sheet very closely!