USING A MULTI-GENRE approach to writing literature takes some extra work. So this week we will build upon the our readings of a Native American novel (Erdrich's The Round House) and Native American short-story (Alexie's "Indian Education") by looking at some non-fiction, a painting, poetry, film, and a documentary.

Monday

In class essay on the summer reading. This will not be a graded essay in the typical fashion; rather, it is a writing sample to help establish a baseline for your writing performance.
HW: No homework tonight.

Tuesday

Introduction to annotation technique, writing as a form of thinking. For every assignment, I want you to mark/write a) vocabulary and significant word choices, b) questions you have (whatever they may be), and c) author's intent/argument (why it was written). For this we will use the first chapter of Zinn's A People's History of the United States, a copy of which is located here.
HW: Finish reading this chapter for class on Wednesday. Remember to annotate, as I will collect and grade these.

Wednesday

Discuss the Zinn reading. We will then shift to painting, looking at John Gast's American Progress (1872). I will lecture and we will practice studying visual media, and like our fiction and non-fiction, think about visual language, our questions, and artist's intent.
HW: Write one paragraph explaining what the painting is about. Use indirect citation as evidence. (1/2-1 page in length, typed). Due Thursday.

Thursday

Today we will continue with visual media, specifically looking at scenes from John Ford's iconic film, The Searchers. What argument does the cinematographer make? What does the screenplay writer(s) argue? What does the director's, actors' and actresses' choices argue?
HW: Watch the rest of the film by class on Monday.

Friday

Today we will start (but will not finish) a documentary on the history of Native Americans in the film industry, titled Reel Injun.
HW: As mentioned in yesterday's homework, finish watching and taking argumentative notes on The Searchers.