Week 5 Syllabus: February

SCHOLARS WILL CONTINUE REVISING THEIR FIRSTDRAFT/ ESSAY on Achebe’s novel Things Fall Apart. Besides reading first drafts aloud in class on Monday, we will begin reading a chapter from Graff and Birkenstein’s guide, They Say/I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. We will read the chapter on writing literary analysis, and review some of their rhetorical templates on how to add your view of another scholar’s analysis of TFA. Having observed for a week, Ms. Devdariani will formally introduce herself and begin working on Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet this week. Scholars will read and annotate a handout on the play’s background, and begin planning a group presentation on that material.

MONDAY, February 3rd

• Returning grades on last third of TFA/annotations.

• Scholars will read their essays aloud to their peers in small groups.

• We will also, briefly, review the importance of editing on paper.

• Small group reading of “‘On Closer Examination’: Entering Conversations about Literature” by Gerald Graff and Cathy Birkenstein, 3rd edition. e novel.

• HW: Read the following handout of Shakespeare’s R&J by class on Wedensday.

WEDNESDAY, February 5

• Providing Ms. D with feedback on your learning styles/about you.

• Reviewing categories presented in the Shakespeare reading.

• Watching (and taking notes on) Lehrman’s 1997 version of Romeo + Juliet.

• Update on Graff/Birkenstein handout.

• HW: Revise your first draft of the TFA essay, making changes based on your small group reading.

THURSDAY, February 6

• Continuing the film, Romeo + Juliet.

• While watching, keep notes on the catagories presented in the reading.

• HW: Add approximately 1/2 page on analysis to yoru TFA paper, adding YOUR view of Nnoromele’s/Achebe’s view of the novel. Use the templates presented in “They Say/I Say” to add your analysis.

Week 3 Syllabus: January 20

RESEARCH REQUIRES THAT YOU READ AND WRITE about what others have written. It’s the MOST important step, and the one students ignore the most. Don’t you just want to just find your sources, read them, and write your paper? Of course you do. Everyone wants that. But that’s not how research works. First, you need to read a lot, discovering what others have said about the topic. Then, you write about the ideas THESE researches have. From there, you can begin to write about what YOU think, both about the topic AND what others have written. The “review of literature” step, wherein you read what others have written BEFORE writing what you think is a mistake many scholars make.

TUESDAY, January 21

• Finishing our reading of Things Fall Apart.

• Lecture on Chat GBT. Can it help us find answers? Can it help us find sources?

• In small groups, reading our second text, this one recommended by Chat GBT: “4, Cultural Harmony 1: Igboland—the World of Man and the World of Sprits.” In your groups, keep notes on what we learn about the Igbo world view during the late 19th century..

• HW: I will collect

Don’t forget, you will need this next week: ROMEO+JULIET-FOLGER LIBRARY ED.,UPDATED Author: SHAKESPEARE ISBN: 9781451621709. It’s $10 at the NT bookstore.

THURSDAY, January 23

• We will start in small groups, sharing out results from last night’s reading.

• Examining the next article, “6: Cultural Harmony III: Traditional Igbo Religion and Material Customs.”

• As with the prior chapter, keep notes on what we learn about the Igbo world view (Okonkwo’s world).

• Turning to a third reading, this one NOT recommended by Chat GBT, Nnoromele’s “The Plight of a Hero in Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.”

• HW: Finish reading the Nnoromele’s article. In class next week we will look at it more closely.

Week 2 Syllabus: January 13

This is the next book you will need for class, starting in two weeks: ROMEO+JULIET-FOLGER LIBRARY ED.,UPDATED Author: SHAKESPEARE ISBN: 9781451621709. It’s $10 at the NT bookstore.

OKONKWO IS A MAN OUT OF TIME, A MAN sworn to uphold the ideals, religion and culture of Umofia at a time when the Ibo people were confronted with white, European colonists bent on staking their human, material and cultural capital. Okonkwo chooses his own fate, when his family, people, culture and country has no choice but to either adapt or perish in the face of British colonialism. Is his choice the brave one? The right one? What does Achebe say about Okonkwo’s life, via the novel?

MONDAY, January 13

• Review of English course choices for sophomore year (most will sign up for English 2, at the 3 level), including electives in publications/tv & radio)

• Reading chapter 21 together.

• Small group analysis of novel, Igbo and European religion comparisons.

• HW: Read chapter 22, and when doing so, add notes to the comparison t-chart.

WEDNESDAY, January 14

• Reading selections from a journal article by Diana Akers Rhodes, “Culture in Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart.”

• While reading, scholars will keep notes on Rhodes’s argument about religion within the novel.

  HW: Read chapter 23 of TFA for class on Thursday. You will want to add notes to the religion t-chart for tomorrow’s class.

Wonderful presentation of kola nut ceremony (modern). Watch this before class on Thursday.

THURSDAY, January 16

• We will start in small groups, sharing out additional religion notes on religion presented in TFA.

• HW: Finishing the novel for class on Tuesday. Remember, no school on Monday!

Semester 2, Week 1 Syllabus: January 6

WE WILL WRAP UP OUR READING OF THINGS Fall Apart in the first few weeks of quarter three, and then turn our attention to Shakespeare’s tragedy, Romeo & Juliet. First period will have a student teacher for part of this unit, Ms. Devdariani, who is finishing her masters degree at Phoenix University this Spring. (Sorry third period—you get boring, old Mr. Easton the entire quarter). I will be supervising her lessons, instruction, grading, etc. Fourth quarter we will begin a unit of study on mythology, reading the ancient Greek epic poem, Homer’s Odyssey. We are reading the Emily Wilson translation of that text.

MONDAY, January 6

• Distributing final grades, and re-reading your paragraph on the short story, “The Lottery.”

• HW: Listen to the audio for Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.”

TUESDAY, January 7

• Re-re-reading the story, searching for interpretaive moments that reveal theme.

• Great books discussion, adding the roles of discussion leader, text leader, question leader.

• Watching the Encyclopedia Britannica interpretation of the story.

  HW: Returning to TFA in class on Thursday.

THURSDAY, January 9

• Reading chapter 18 together. Annotate for how Achebe portrays the Christian missionaries and the changing perception that Okonkwo has of his son, Nwoye.

• First period will be in-class during 1A, but then heading down to DANCE DAY (in Cornog Auditorium) during 1B.

• 3AB will be watching DANCE DAY during both A and B.

• HW: Read chapters 19 and 20 in TFA.

Audio for Shirley Jackson's "The Lottery".

Here's the link to the short story's audio. Please listen to this for homework tonight (Monday, Jan 6).

We will discuss the story in class, tomorrow.

Here’s a link to the 1969 Encyclopedia Brittanica dramatization of the story.

Final for English, 3 level (Easton)

Our final is Wednesday, December 18 at 10 am.

1st period should report to room B-311 (with Easton). 3th period will be in B-313 (with Ortman).

Week 7 Syllabus: December 9

OKONKWO IS EXILED FOR THE ACCIDENTAL killing of a boy during Ezeudu’s funeral, his only option being to flee his village with his family, leaving all he had built up behind. How will Okonkwo respond to this tragedy which is so obviously beyond his control? In part two, we will see the arrival of European, Christian evangelists looking to convert the people of Umofia to Christianity. As you would predict, their arrival will not sit well with Okonkwo. And as we already know, English colonial rule will conquer the Yoruba speaking area and establish a colonial governor. Keep notes on how “things fall apart,” paying attention to the themes of power and individual responsibility (to one’s family, religion, rule of law, place of origin).

MONDAY, December 9

• Today we’re looking into Achebe’s life and writing. We will start with a newspaper article, an obituary from 2013. Then we will watch an interview with Bill Moyers, keeping notes to answer the question, “What does Achebe hope that his reader gets from his novel(s)?”

• Moving into chapter 12 and 13, ending part one.

• Achebe ends part one with chapters that describe pivotal moments for Umofian society: the court system and justice, a wedding, a religious rite, and a funeral. Why do you suppose that Achebe includes these topics in the chapters prior to Okonkwo’s accident and expulsion from Ibo society?

• We will read chapters 12 together.

• HW: If you want to replace the “Chelkash” annotation grade, and submit your annotations to Binti to replace it, you should turn that in on Wednesday.

• Read chapter 13 and 14 for class on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, December 11

• I will review my annotations on chapters 13 and 14. Note, without irony, that Uchendu’s advice to Okonkwo about “[his] mother [being] there to protect you” is exactly what Ekwefi was doing, when following Ezinma and Chielo to the sacred Oracle of the Hills. That’s something that Okonkwo can’t reconcile, the earth goddess as ruler in life.

• Reading chapter 15 in class together.

  HW: Read chapter 16 and 17 for class tomorrow (p. 143-153, only 10 pages!)

THURSDAY, December 12

• Today, we will write a practice paragraph for the final, about Okonkwo. We are told he is born for greatness…does he achieve it? At this point in the novel, what do you think?

• We will also get into round-robin groups and share some of your marginal notes in TFA.

• I will also collect TFA to grade the annotations, up to and including chapter 17.

• HW: Our final is Wednesday, Dec. 18 at 10 am. 1st period will meet in room B-311 with me. 3rd periods will meet in room xB-313 with Mr. Ortman.

Achebe Interview with Bill Moyers

We will watch and keep notes on this interview during class on Monday, 12/9/24.

Week 6 Syllabus: December 2

OKONKWO IS CONSUMED BY MASCULINITY AND PROVING himself as strong. He is not necessarily a bad man because he doesn’t understand the important role women play in Umofia, or that he’s impatient with cultural activities or stories he deems “unmanly” or feminine. But it is a short-coming in his character. The mythic stories that Nwoye’s mother tells him have cultural importance beyond what Okonkwo understands. That Nwoye prefers these tales over Okonkwo’s violent, bloody tales of conquest and war does not make him less of a person in Umofia, but Okonkwo does think less of him as a son. Thus, Okonkwo’s preference for Ikemefuna, his “adopted” son, and his daughter Ezinma by his second wife, Ekwefi, who seemingly acts more masculine that Nwoye.

MONDAY, December 2

• Today we’re looking into the society in which Okonkwo lives, the seven villages of Umofia, and the culture of the Ibo people.

• Short lecture on the similarities between American Thanksgiving and the Ibo Festival of the Yam.

• In small groups, starting with a brief return to academia, working on crossword puzzles for 5 minutes.

• Completing a new google sheet, this one analyzing chapter five for quotes revealing the nature of Ibo society (and starting to think about the role of women in Umofia.

• HW: If I didn’t collect your crossword, finish it and turn it in on Wednesday. Read chapter six for homework.

WEDNESDAY, December 4

• I will review my annotations on chapters five and six, pointing out Okonkwo’s fascination with masculinity and his short temper, especially in context of his daughter Ezinma, whom seems to be his favorite, despite being born female.

• Notice, Cielo, as the Priestess of Agbala, also favors Ezinma. Some clear foreshadowing, here.

• We will watch the contest for leadership in Marvel’s imaginary Wakanda, portrayed in Black Panther. Note the similarities with the wrestling contest in chapter six.

• We will begin reading and annotating chapter seven.

  HW: Read chapter seven tonight for homework.

THURSDAY, December 5

• Reading chapters eight, nine and ten in class today, and annotating with the thematic questions in mind.

• HW: Read chapters 11 and 12 for class on Monday.

2 Videos about the Ancient Greek Oracle of Delphi

The image above is linked to the Britannica web site.

Nigeria: Journey of an African Colony

Click on the image above to access the film clip from the documentary.

This documentary provides an interesting counterpoint to our textbook’s view of the western imperialism that dominated Africa in the 19th century, and the ensuing independence movement in the later 20th century. Remember, Things Fall Apart is published in 1959.

Week 5 Syllabus: November 18

UNOKA DIES A POOR MAN, YET HE IS CULTURED nonetheless. He is a drunkard, yet he also is talented, and his musical abilities are appreciated in his village. Unoka is likewise lazy, but he knows how to greet his guest, offering him kola nut and welcoming him into his home. In contrast, Okonkwo has great physical prowess, but words fail him when he becomes angry. He is respected as a leader, yet he struggles to show affection to his children. It seems nobody is perfect according to Achebe…but because these men are flawed, does it follow that they are failures? Achebe notes in The Novelist as Teacher “that [Africa’s] past—with all its imperfections—was not one long night of savagery from which first Europeans acting on God’s behalf delivered them (Achebe 45). Where is there good in Unoka? And in Okonkwo?

MONDAY, November 18

• Starting with review of the posted quotes and observations about Okonkwo.

• In small groups, discussing the trends you see in Okonkwo. What conclusions do you draw about him? Then, discussing Umofia, and how their societal values are similar to and different from Okonkwo’s.

• Watching part two of the Netflix documentary on the foundation of the Crown Colony of Nigeria.

• HW: Read chapters 3 and 4 for class on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, November 20

• Period 1 will review the documentary with the new, improved note sheet/questions.

• Period 3 will read two selections from an AP history textbook about the colonialism in Africa, and the European partition of the African continent.

• HW: Reading chapters three and four for class tomorrow.

THURSDAY, November 21

• Reading an article on the Festival of the Yam.

• Discussion of chapter three’s visit to the oracle, and the brotherhood of Nwoye and Ikemefuna in chapter four.

• Period 1 will work on the two textbook articles that they missed yesterday.

• Vocabulary Friday! We will have our first crossword from the novel, due by the end of period.

• HW: Read chapters 5 and 6 for homework. Pre-read and post-review the annotation guide questions.

Audio for Achebe's Things Fall Apart

Click on the image above to access audio files for the novel.

Week 4 Syllabus: November 11

IN ACHEBE’S NOVEL THINGS FALL APART, Okonkwo is our protagonist and hero who attempts to protect—and fails to save—his society. Unlike Binti, Okonkwo does not leave his home and people. Just the opposite, he attempts to preserve it by destroying the invading, violent and white, British colonists. Like the Meduse, the Ibo people of Okonkwo’s village are defenseless, both in guile and in force. On the back cover of Binti, the publisher notes that “in order to survive the legacy of war not her making, [Binti] will need both the gifts of her people and the wisdom enshrined in the university.” Okonkwo has his people, his culture, and the wisdom of his ancestors. But none of these will be sufficient to stop the invading European powers.

MONDAY, November 11

• Discussion on “Binti.” We will start with the Eden, the mysterious, powerful cube Binti finds in the Himba desert (or does it find her?). We will explore this mysterious object as a way of accessing Okorafor’s novella and story of cultural clash.

• Second part of class, we will discuss the poem quoted in Achebe’s epigraph, “The Second Coming,” by William Butler Yeats, an Irish poet, dramatist and early 20th century revolutionary.

• HW: Period 1 did not discuss the novella, because too many students weren’t prepared for discussion. Finish reading and annotating the novella, “Binti.”

• Spend a half-hour researching and discovering what you can about Yeats’s poem, “The Second Coming.” Use these library database resources to discover what you can.

WEDNESDAY, November 13

Select the image above to access audio to the novel.

• Period 1 will be discussing “Binti.”

• Period 3 will begin reading and annotating Things Fall Apart (TFA).

• We ARE behind on the syllabus, because we spend an extra day getting ready for our Great Books discussion of “Binti.”

• Reading chapter one of TFA together; starting with the pre-and-post reading questions to help with annotation/comprehension checks.

• While reading, similar to how you annotated Binti, look for culture clash within the Ibo people. Why does Okonkwo value? How are his personal views at times in conflict with others’ cultural values? Remember to use these questions at the end of our assigned readings.

• HW: Finish (re)reading chapter one and read chapter two for class on Thursday. We will discuss Okonkwo’s values and the values of the Umofia people on Monday.

Week 3 Syllabus: November 6

WE’RE TRANSITIONING INTO OUR FIRST NOVEL, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. In order to prepare for the novel, we will read a science-fiction novella, “Binti” by Nigerian-American writer Nnedi Okorafor. It’s the bildungsroman (coming-of-age tale) of a young adult of the reclusive Himba people, traveling to university—on another planet! On the way, she must confront and overcome her fear of the majority Khoush people, who rarely interact with the Himba. How will Binti fare on her journey? While traveling, she will encounter the violent and frightening Meduse, a nightmare-like violent race, blood-thirsty and dangerous. How will Binti survive her journey?

WEDNESDAY, November 6

• Crossword on the works of Ursula K. LeGuin. We will do these with partners, due by end of period.

• HW: Make sure you have your copy of Achebe’s Things Fall Apart…we are starting our reading next week!

THURSDAY, November 7

Nnedi Okorafor was born in the United States to two Igbo immigrant parents; she holds a Ph.D. in English and is an associate professor of Creative Writing at University of Buffalo

• Reading day. We will start reading “Binti,” a novella by an Nigerian-American writer. It tells the story of a Himba humanoid who travels to university—on another planet, Oomza. The Himba are reclusive, yet Binti goes forward on her hero journey. While traveling, she must engage the Khoush, the majority of humanoids who inhabit her home-planet and are biased against the Himba people. During her journey, we meet the horrific Meduse, a violent race engaged in war with the Khoush. Will Binti survive her journey?

• While reading, annotate for information about the three core groups: the Himba, the Khoush, and the Meduse. How are they described? How do they act? What do they believe? How do these three groups interact? What argument is Okorafor making about cultural interactions?

• HW: Finish reading and annotating “Binti” for class on Monday.

• Have your copy of Chinua Acebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, ISBN # 978-0385474542. I will introduce it Monday, after our discussion on the novella.

A response to LeGuin's "Those Who Walk Away..."

This hyperlink will take you to M.K. Jemisin’s “The Ones Who Stay and Fight,” a response story to LeGuin’s thought experiment.

interested in architecture or building your utopia?

May 18, 2017

62,594 views • May 18, 2017

A renowned urban planner, Danilo Palazzo unpacks the meaning of “Utopia” and its practical implications for cities and architects. Danilo Palazzo, educated as architect and planner, is director of the School of Planning at the University of Cincinnati. Previously he was at the Politecnico di Milano, Italy. He has authored books, books chapters, and papers on ecological planning, urbanism, urban ecological design, sustainable planning, and design processes and pedagogy.

Week 2 Syllabus: October 28

LEGUIN’S STORY POSES SEVERAL QUESTIONS. How can society celebrate joyfully when a citizen suffers so cruelly in their midst? What’s an individual’s responsibility to alleviate suffering that exists in their society? Are those who leave Omelas running away from paradise, or embarking on their own to establish a utopia of their own making? What are the most important elements to a good society? Is suffering a necessary component to human life? We will discuss these and other questions this week, and then write an descriptive paragraph about your personal utopian/dystopian idyll.

MONDAY, October 28

• Great Books discussion on “Those Who Walk Away from Omelas”

• “What is a utopia?” Small group reading/analysis of three stories that we’ve read so far.

• HW: Staple together a) your annotations of the story, b) your classroom discussion of the story, and c) your utopia analysis worksheet. I will collect all three on Wednesday.

WEDNESDAY, October 30

• Utopia Day! We will start with a short lecture on how Rushdie, Forster, Gorky, and LeGuin describe both utopia and dystopia.

• Watching this short BBC video about both utopia and dystopia (see below).

• In the same small groups as Monday, brainstorming ideas for your personal utopia, and discussing the merits and demerits thereof.

• HW: Writing your discussion post in Canvas, wherein you describe your personal utopia.

HALLOWEEN, October 31

This is what the current, paperback edition looks like. But you CAN purchase and use any edition…whatever is cheapest!

• We will have a SPOOKY Halloween day, celebrating some folklore (an ancient, and now modern tale about encountering the devil). We will also read selections from “The Legend of Sleepy Hallow” by Washington Irving.

• We will close by watching the 1949 Disney retelling of the story, narrated by early 20th century crooner, Bing Crosby.

• I WILL collect the Omelas materials today, in one group. That will include: annotations, discussion notes, utopia notes.

• HW: Get your copy of Chinua Acebe’s novel, Things Fall Apart, ISBN # 978-0385474542

Week 1 Syllabus, Quarter 2: October 21

WE SPENT ANOTHER DAY ANNOTATING/WRITING about Gorky’s “Chelkash,” so we will actually start LeGuin’s “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” this week. Quarter grades are due this week, so I will be adding assignments into Canvas and calculating grades. If you have questions about any grade, please come see me and we can talk—my office is C-211 and my non-teaching periods are 2, 4, 5, and 7 (7C I’m in F-lounge hall supervision).

MONDAY, October 21

• Spending the first 10 minutes finishing work on the Chelkash crosswords. The scholar with the most solved clues will set the bar for maximum points, and the curve on this assignment for the course.

• Listening to the 4-page long, philosophical and dense story. annotating for what LeGuin says about the world of Omelas, the society there, and the people of Omelas. How is the celebration on the Green Fields a metaphor for a perfect society? How does our image of that perfection shift with the description of the child in the basement?

• Starting work on the Chelkash crossword.

• HW: Re-read and annotate the short story.

WEDNESDAY, October 23

• Grading day. Reviewing the way grades are weighted by category, and how point values shift in the annotation category to privilege 2nd quarter (later) notes over earlier assignments.

• Reviewing your feedback for the “Machine Stops” writing assignment.

• HW: Revise, print, read aloud, and re-revise your “Machine Stops” response. This will be due in class on tomorrow.

THURSDAY, October 24

• Collecting your revisions via a text-box submission in Canvas.

• Re-reading (close reading) of Omelas and taking notes as a class.

• Watching the first half of the Ursula K. LeGuin documentary in class. Add to your annotations on the short story.

• HW: Finish watching the documentary this weekend. You should re-read, and finish annotating the story, in preparation for class discussion on Monday.

documentary on ursula k. le guin, audio to "Omelas" (Copy)

Click on the author’s image above to access the documentary, “The Worlds of Ursual K. Le Guin”