English 2: A Separate Peace 5-7 Disc Notes

Write a 2-sentence summary for each chapter (might want to keep a bulleted synopsis for quizzes)

• Chapter 5
• How are Gene and Finny shadows? 
• How/Why does Gene transform?
• The conversation between Gene and Finny in Boston—why do both boys ignore “the confession”?
• Chapter 6
• How is Devon different when Gene returns? 
• Brinker Hadley versus Leper—are they shadows of each other or of Gene?
• The Rivers
• The Naguamsett: salty and gross—life, truth, reality
• The Devon: crisp and clean—friendship, summer, fun, renewal
• Quackenbush versus Gene: The battle of the try-hards
• The Phone Call/The Empty Side of the Room
• Chapter 7
• Gene’s friendship
• Finny tells Gene they are best friends in chapter 3
• Brinker clearly wants Gene’s friendship from chapter 6 on
• What does this tell us about Gene that the story itself doesn’t? 
• Gene’s Guilt versus Gene’s Actions
• Gene and Leper develop a friendliness
• How has Gene changed? 
• Why has Gene changed? 
• Is it positive or negative?

English 4: Documentary Citations

"Amanda Palmer: The Art of Asking." YouTube. TED, 1 Mar. 2013. Web. 18 Dec. 2014. 

"Neil Gaiman - Commencement Speech at the University of the Arts 2012." YouTube. Peter Shev, 23 May 2012. Web. 19 Dec. 2014. 

Poster Girl. Dir. Sara Nesson. Perf. Robynn Murray. Virgil Films and Entertainment, 2010. AmazonPrime. 

Stories We Tell. Dir. Sarah Polley. Lionsgate, 2013. AmazonPrime. 

2057. Prod. Uwe Kersken. Perf. Michio Kaku. Gruppe 5 Filmprduktion, 2007. DVD.

English 2: A Separate Peace 1-4 Disc Notes

Write a 2-sentence summary for each chapter (might want to keep a bulleted synopsis for quizzes)

• Chapter 1
• “The more things remain the same, the more they change after all. Nothing endures, not a tree, not life, not even a death by violence” (pg. 14).
• Reliable narrator versus unreliable narrator (connect to Holden Caulfield)
• WWII: war bonds, war gardens, ration cards, "the duration"
• Gene and Finny's friendship
• Chapter 2
• The Shame Spiral
• Summer Term versus The Rest of the Year
• Finny expects to be liked, wants to be liked, and tries to be liked–how is this the opposite of Gene?
• Conformity (Gene) versus Non-conformity (Finny?/Leper?)
• Chapter 3
• Gene keeps jumping–why?
• The Blame Game and the Shame Spiral
• Finny's Commandments: Don't lie about your height, pray just in case, everyone wins at sports–what kind of a person is Finny? 
• Blitzball as a metaphor for high school
• The Lepellier Refusal
• The Swimming Record
• "And there were few relationships at Devon not based on rivalry" (pg. 45).
• Best Friends Confession–what makes two people friends? best friends?
• Chapter 4
• Who is Lazarus? What could this be foreshadowing?
• Study Buddies–what do their motives show about the boys and their relationship?
• "It was the first test I ever flunked" (pg. 50).
• "I believed him. The joking manner was a screen; I believed him" (pg. 52).
• "It wasn't my neck, but my understanding which was menaced...I was not of the same quality as he" (pg. 59)
• How is Gene not thinking straight on the way to the tree? How does this affect what happens next?
• Does Gene really want to hurt Finny? Re-read pg. 24.

English 2: A Separate Peace Notes

A Separate Peace 

• Archetype: templates for types of characters based on ancient myths, epics, etcetera (developed by Adler and Jung)
• Stereotype: templates for types of characters based on stories, novels, movies, etcetera from the 20th and 21st centuries 
• Trope: an expected plot-line or arc for a “type” of character in 20th and 21st century stories, tv shows, films, games, etcetera
• The hero’s journey: a classic set of steps, people, and trials that ancient heroes hand to master to become heroes (developed by Joseph Campbell)  
• Opening questions & Discussion points
• What is the difference between a friend and a rival? Explain.
• What are common student stereotypes? Explain.
• Why is it dangerous to make assumptions about people? Explain.
• Setting
• Prep Schools/Single-sex Schools
• WWII (1943/1944)
• Main Characters
• Gene: narrator, “try-hard”
• Finny/Phineas: best friend, rival, “jock”
• Leper/Elwin Lepellier: outsider, “nerd”
• Brinker Hadley: wanna-be best friend, “over-achiever”
• Major Themes—
• trust yourself versus trust others (Gene’s struggle)
• fear = anxiety + depression (also, Gene’s struggle)
• coming of age
1. childhood: selfishness and dependency
2. loss of innocence: the discover that everyone is human some people are evil
3. awakening: the realization that choices matter and actions have consequences
4. age of reasons: when a person begins to make decisions based on understanding choices, actions, and consequences
5. independence: when a person is responsible for himself/herself and able to take care of his/her business
6. interdependence (able to be a partner) versus co-dependency (inability to take care of self, thus needs others to do it)
• Motifs (images that keep popping up)—the “unusually hard” marble stairs, the tree
• Redemption Arc—the main character does something “unforgivable” and spends time wallowing in guilt, avoiding people/things that are reminder, then (after a lot of soul-searching and pushing on the part of others) starts to become a better person and learn from his/her mistakes

English 4 & WW: Outline

Argument/Counterargument Outline (Must have at least two strong arguments)

• Topic (Research Question)
• Thesis Statement (Answer)
• Argument #1
• Important piece of information; explain the information; what does the information imply?
• Counterargument–what specific group is against the argument provided by the information above? why? what do they have to say? why are they wrong?
• Argument #2
• Important piece of information; explain the information; what does the information imply?
• Counterargument–what specific group is against the argument provided by the information above? why? what do they have to say? why are they wrong?
• Argument #3
• Important piece of information; explain the information; what does the information imply?
• Counterargument–what specific group is against the argument provided by the information above? why? what do they have to say? why are they wrong?
• Argument #4
• Important piece of information; explain the information; what does the information imply?
• Counterargument–what specific group is against the argument provided by the information above? why? what do they have to say? why are they wrong?
• Source Material (correctly formatted for MLA)
1. Article 1
2. Article 2
3. Book? or Article 3

English 4 & WW: Short Research Project

• Jan. 5–Generated topics based on documentaries for English 4/on books for WW 
• Class discussion
• Graphic Organizer
• Jan. 6–Developed multiple research questions based on topics; determined how much information is easily accessible 
• Partnered Graphic Organizers
• Jan. 7–Used oslis.org to find three articles on the topic, then print them or email them to yourself.
• Use the powersearch to find articles; they should be no less than 600 words (copy the citation onto a word document)
• The shorter the article, the less information provided
• The less information, the less interesting the paper is
• The less interesting the paper, the lower the grade
• Jan. 8/9–Read articles and took notes
• What specific information answers the research question?
• Does the article change your understanding of the topic? How?
• What does other side have to say? Who said it? Why is it wrong?
• Connections–
• How does manipulation of information affect what you know about the topic?
• Was it difficult to find information for/against your topic? Why?
• Was their obvious bias to much of the information? How?
• Jan. 12–Write argument/counterargument outline
• See handout
• Jan. 13/14–Type up first draft of paper with bibliography
• Jan. 15–Edit and revise draft
• Does the introduction draw the reader in? Does it provide a solid claim/thesis?
• Check spelling and word usage (the first thing on spellcheck is often the wrong word)
• Do the sentences make sense when read aloud?
• Does the flow of information (movement from one idea to the next) make sense?
• Are the pieces of support explained?
• Are the pieces of support properly attributed to their sources?
• Is there a bibliography? Does it follow MLA formatting?
• Jan. 16–Type up revisions and turn paper in 

WR121: More notes on the proposals (see earlier post also)

Things to consider while writing the Proposal (and please follow the format from the earlier post):

• Topic = Question
• Thesis = Answer (briefly touch on why)

• Reasoning in support needs to be specific pieces of information that come from your three sources. Need five pieces of support needed.
• The counterarguments need to reference the specific organization that espouses that belief. Need three counterarguments and three reasons why they are wrong.
• The sources need to have academic integrity (from legitimate organizations, peer reviewed, etc)
• The final paragraph is basically the introduction for your paper (it should change over the course of the research)

Things to consider when reading articles and taking notes

1. What specific information answers the research question?
2. Does the article change your understanding of the topic? How?
3. What does other side have to say? Who said it? Why is it wrong?