Your final exam will be, for the most part, a test on the Eastern lit unit we just completed. It will also include a cumulative time line and a review of major worldview terms.
TIMELINE: From Adam to Superman.
WORLDVIEW TERMS: *polytheism, *pantheism, *monotheism, *atheism, animism, agnosticism (*and be able to apply these terms to cultures we've studied this year)
EASTERN LIT SCOPE & TERMS:
Hinduism -- caste, dharma, karma, reincarnation, Brahma, Krishna, Pandava brothers, Arjuna, Mahabarata - Indian epic (Gita - holiest part)
Taoism -- the tao (the way), yin/yang, balance, pu, Tao te Ching, Lao Tzu (and Winnie the Pooh!)
Buddhism -- Zen, haiku, Noh drama, Atsumori, samurai, suffering (four noble truths), Tibetan singing bowl (the void), reincarnation, karma
The test will be on the lower and middle levels of Bloom -- I will not have time to grade essay responses on the upper level. You can count on our traditional time line format, fill-in-the-blank term ID's, possibly a worldview matching exercise, and some middle level questions that ask you to apply religious and literary analysis to your knowledge of the literature selections.
Wednesday, June 03, 2009
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Final Book Club Questions!
1) Purpose, genre and audience of the book -- did it satisfy?
2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms
3) What cultural details about a non-Western society were portrayed in the book? Please identify the culture geographically and chronologically.
4) What religious point of view was portrayed in the book? Cite some religious details to back up your ID. Use terms such as pantheism, Hinduism, Zen, etc. Please be accurate and true to the author's intentions.
5) If the main character in the book were a Biblican Christian, what might have happened differently, if anything? How would you minister to this person as a Christian missionary? What BIblical message do the characters in the book most need to hear? Please be thoughtful and specific - don't just say "Jesus."
6) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.
2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms
3) What cultural details about a non-Western society were portrayed in the book? Please identify the culture geographically and chronologically.
4) What religious point of view was portrayed in the book? Cite some religious details to back up your ID. Use terms such as pantheism, Hinduism, Zen, etc. Please be accurate and true to the author's intentions.
5) If the main character in the book were a Biblican Christian, what might have happened differently, if anything? How would you minister to this person as a Christian missionary? What BIblical message do the characters in the book most need to hear? Please be thoughtful and specific - don't just say "Jesus."
6) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.
Eastern Lit Assignments
1) Everyone owes me a blog on Hinduism and/or Taoism, due last week! However, I have not graded them yet, so there is some grace time... reflections on the Mahabarata and/or the Tao te Ching or The Tao of Pooh.2) Haiku contest with free laptop prize!! Check out Scholastic. Also, thanks for your most interesting and lovely original haiku. Hope you enjoyed your Pocky prizes!
3) Your "Letter to the East" will be done in class on Friday. It will be addressed to any Eastern lit character (a Pandava brother, the Taoist master (female), Atsumori or the priest Kumagai. The first part will acknowledge similarities between your beliefs and the second point will explain a crucial difference while presenting the gospel.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Kirk's Guide for Electronic Research
Googling: Limit yourself to about 15 minutes of unsuccessful Googling before giving up the hunt. Try the library or a database, or consider altering your topic/thesis. The Internet simply doesn't have everything.
Scholarly sites: Your research source must be academically up to par, reliable, and reputable. Often, this will mean an "edu" suffix in the web address. Find the author, poster, sponsor, or publisher. Go to the home page. Minimize the http. Look for universities, scholarly institutes, PhD's, etc. In film, look for film institutes or critics who discuss the literary value of films.
Commercial sites: These are not scholarly. They are for making money. They generally represent the consensus of opinion on a topic and offer nothing new or special. Some teachers will bar these sites from serious research assignments: Sparknotes, enotes, Bookrags, etc. Beware of sites with a lot of ads or with information for purchase -- this excludes subscriptions to scholarly journals of course.
Unreliable sites: blogs, forums, consumer reviews, anything written by Joe Public, or Wikipedia - which is just a public domain encyclopedia.
Databases: Go through your school or library. Nearly everything you find there will be of acceptable quality.
Documentation: Don't forget the web address and date of access. Some sites, including databases, will provide doc form for you. Use an MLA guide.
Scholarly sites: Your research source must be academically up to par, reliable, and reputable. Often, this will mean an "edu" suffix in the web address. Find the author, poster, sponsor, or publisher. Go to the home page. Minimize the http. Look for universities, scholarly institutes, PhD's, etc. In film, look for film institutes or critics who discuss the literary value of films.
Commercial sites: These are not scholarly. They are for making money. They generally represent the consensus of opinion on a topic and offer nothing new or special. Some teachers will bar these sites from serious research assignments: Sparknotes, enotes, Bookrags, etc. Beware of sites with a lot of ads or with information for purchase -- this excludes subscriptions to scholarly journals of course.
Unreliable sites: blogs, forums, consumer reviews, anything written by Joe Public, or Wikipedia - which is just a public domain encyclopedia.
Databases: Go through your school or library. Nearly everything you find there will be of acceptable quality.
Documentation: Don't forget the web address and date of access. Some sites, including databases, will provide doc form for you. Use an MLA guide.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Hero Research Paper!! -- Phase One
Topic: Select a hero (protagonist, in a hero cycle) from a story (not real life) who reveals something about humanity, culture, and/or worldview. Also, since this is essentially a literary topic -- we are studying stories -- you can expect to use literary terms in your discussion, for instance theme, symbolism, antagonist, character development, archetype, etc.
Sources: This being a literary topic, your sources will be literary critics. This week, we will learn where critical sources can be found in the SCS library, online, and in electronic databases. We will learn how to select valid sources and eliminate poor sources. You will find at least 2 sources on your selected topic by the end of the week.
Sources: This being a literary topic, your sources will be literary critics. This week, we will learn where critical sources can be found in the SCS library, online, and in electronic databases. We will learn how to select valid sources and eliminate poor sources. You will find at least 2 sources on your selected topic by the end of the week.
Due: Friday 3/27 -- Phase One Thesis Worksheet
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Book Clubs, 3rd Quarter
Your book club should be finishing up its "club choice" reading selection. For your meeting, please discuss the following items:
1) Purpose, genre and audience of the book -- did it satisfy?
2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms
3) What is the time/cultural/religious context of the book? For instance, The Iliad was Greek @ 800 B.C., polytheistic. What clues led you to this analysis?
4) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.
Please pick up book club cover sheets from the "paper table." Due for Book Club Forum in class March 31, the last day of the quarter.
1) Purpose, genre and audience of the book -- did it satisfy?
2) Literary merit... look at your popcorn books if necessary, and discuss at least 6 applicable terms
3) What is the time/cultural/religious context of the book? For instance, The Iliad was Greek @ 800 B.C., polytheistic. What clues led you to this analysis?
4) Did you like the book? Why/why not? Give the book a rating out of 5 stars.
Please pick up book club cover sheets from the "paper table." Due for Book Club Forum in class March 31, the last day of the quarter.
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
Middle Ages Lit Test
Here is what the text will comprise:
1) history context (time line)
2) geography context
3) King Arthur legend
4) Christ figures in lit
5) Koran and Islam
6) 1001 Nights
Test date: Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day
Test will include:
lower level details from history and stories read
middle level lit term application/analysis
higher level questions of worldview significance
1) history context (time line)
2) geography context
3) King Arthur legend
4) Christ figures in lit
5) Koran and Islam
6) 1001 Nights
Test date: Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day
Test will include:
lower level details from history and stories read
middle level lit term application/analysis
higher level questions of worldview significance
Friday, February 27, 2009
Assignment Update: Koran and Essays
Koran: Thank you for your excellent work in reading and thinking about the Koran this week. I hope you have learned some valuable perspectives. Please blog about what you, as a Christian, learned this week. I would especially like to hear if you have picked up on any concrete reasons why you find Christianity to be more reliable or appealing.
Essay: All of you who conferenced with me this past week owe me a final critical essay draft next Thursday, before the long "snow day" weekend. Those of you who will conference next week have until the following Monday, after the long weekend.
Essay: All of you who conferenced with me this past week owe me a final critical essay draft next Thursday, before the long "snow day" weekend. Those of you who will conference next week have until the following Monday, after the long weekend.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
