San Francisco Stories - 3rd Period
Crown of Dust Test - 3rd Period
Please find the instructions for this essay on the playlist for this unit - they are the last step.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE ONLY USING THE 3RD PERIOD TOPICS! Here, for your convenience, are both 3rd period topics:
Topic #1
There are some people who believe that the feeling of being “in love” is really something called limerence. Read this article before continuing on with the essay. Make sure you understand the difference, as you will be using it to analyse the relationships in the novel. Your introduction should explain the difference.
Part I - Characters
Are the characters in the following couples in love or in limerence?
Part II - Views of Love
Topic #2
The 1840’s were a time of rapid expansion and growth for California. In the novel, there are many aspects of life as a gold miner that are depicted in (often disgusting) detail. There are many other themes and topics that representative of both the San Francisco Bay Area and the spirit of the 49’ers.
Part I - Depiction in the Novel
What aspects of life as a gold miner are clearly shown in the novel? What things are glorified, and what things are left out? Give specific examples for at least four different groups (the residents of Motherlode, people in positions of authority, the women from back East, and the Chinese immigrants).
What world events of news are talked about in the book? What do each of those events tell you about living in the 1840’s? What do the characters’ reactions tell you about how those events were viewed?
What are the characters concerned about? What do they care about? What are they afraid of?
Part II - Historical and Cultural Significance
For this part, you will need to do research to answer many of the questions.
How accurate is the novel historically? What was it like to be:
Please find the instructions for this essay on the playlist for this unit - they are the last step.
MAKE SURE YOU ARE ONLY USING THE 3RD PERIOD TOPICS! Here, for your convenience, are both 3rd period topics:
Topic #1
There are some people who believe that the feeling of being “in love” is really something called limerence. Read this article before continuing on with the essay. Make sure you understand the difference, as you will be using it to analyse the relationships in the novel. Your introduction should explain the difference.
Part I - Characters
Are the characters in the following couples in love or in limerence?
- Alexandra and Peter
- Alex and David
- Emaline and Jed
- Preacher John and Rose
Part II - Views of Love
- Using those characters as examples, develop what you believe to be the view of love in novel.
- What do the characters say about being in love?
- What actions are similar in several of the pairs?
- How effective is the novel at depicting “real love”?
- How does the attitude towards love in Gold Rush California compare to your own view of love and the view of modern culture?
Topic #2
The 1840’s were a time of rapid expansion and growth for California. In the novel, there are many aspects of life as a gold miner that are depicted in (often disgusting) detail. There are many other themes and topics that representative of both the San Francisco Bay Area and the spirit of the 49’ers.
Part I - Depiction in the Novel
What aspects of life as a gold miner are clearly shown in the novel? What things are glorified, and what things are left out? Give specific examples for at least four different groups (the residents of Motherlode, people in positions of authority, the women from back East, and the Chinese immigrants).
What world events of news are talked about in the book? What do each of those events tell you about living in the 1840’s? What do the characters’ reactions tell you about how those events were viewed?
What are the characters concerned about? What do they care about? What are they afraid of?
Part II - Historical and Cultural Significance
For this part, you will need to do research to answer many of the questions.
How accurate is the novel historically? What was it like to be:
- a gold miner
- a woman in California in the 1840’s,
- a politician or lawyer, or
- a Chinese immigrant?
- Does the book capture that experience?
instructions for monday 4/15:
After the writing warmup, here are the instructions:
Using the form on this page, create a new document called “Chapter 11 COD.” Once you get the document open, you need to write about something from the chapter you were supposed to read over break that you found interesting, confusing, exciting, etc. It needs to be a strong paragraph, and should show that you engaged in the reading assignment. If your answer is similar to someone else’s answer in a way that indicates anything less than total honesty or that you did not read the chapter, then you won’t get credit. And I probably won't give you the chance to make it up either. So don't do it.
However, if you did not read Chapter 11 over spring break, you need to read Chapter 11 of Crown of Dust in class today (or watch the video embedded on this page). Headphones are in the big box in the back of the room (could be in the cubbies or on the computer cart). If for some reason you didn't read any of the chapters from 1-10, do that before I see you again tomorrow (chapter 10 is here, other videos are on the playlist).
For those who have finished the Chapter 11 assignment, I like you best. You can work on their Blank White Page project. Remember, it is due TOMORROW. You can email me with questions ([email protected]), but you should really ask each other first, as many students in class will probably know the answers.
If you happen to be done with chapters 1-11 and your project, then you get the best thing of all: time to work on something else! Keep in mind that we will be continuing the Blank White Page project for the rest of the semester, so if you start putting time in early, it'll be much easier for the rest of the year.
Tomorrow, you will be sharing your Blank White Page project with your classmates. This isn't a formal presentation, but be prepared to share the basic details of your project and what you learned from it. We will also have a visitor coming to watch our class. So come prepared to learn!
Using the form on this page, create a new document called “Chapter 11 COD.” Once you get the document open, you need to write about something from the chapter you were supposed to read over break that you found interesting, confusing, exciting, etc. It needs to be a strong paragraph, and should show that you engaged in the reading assignment. If your answer is similar to someone else’s answer in a way that indicates anything less than total honesty or that you did not read the chapter, then you won’t get credit. And I probably won't give you the chance to make it up either. So don't do it.
However, if you did not read Chapter 11 over spring break, you need to read Chapter 11 of Crown of Dust in class today (or watch the video embedded on this page). Headphones are in the big box in the back of the room (could be in the cubbies or on the computer cart). If for some reason you didn't read any of the chapters from 1-10, do that before I see you again tomorrow (chapter 10 is here, other videos are on the playlist).
For those who have finished the Chapter 11 assignment, I like you best. You can work on their Blank White Page project. Remember, it is due TOMORROW. You can email me with questions ([email protected]), but you should really ask each other first, as many students in class will probably know the answers.
If you happen to be done with chapters 1-11 and your project, then you get the best thing of all: time to work on something else! Keep in mind that we will be continuing the Blank White Page project for the rest of the semester, so if you start putting time in early, it'll be much easier for the rest of the year.
Tomorrow, you will be sharing your Blank White Page project with your classmates. This isn't a formal presentation, but be prepared to share the basic details of your project and what you learned from it. We will also have a visitor coming to watch our class. So come prepared to learn!
This is the MentorMob Playlist for the first unit. It can be accessed by the shortened link bit.ly/tmisfs1 or by clicking through below. It has all the assignments you will need for this course. You can also access them through Google Drive at this link.
Curious about what is due and when? Click here to be taken to the course blog. You can search by the tags on the side of the blog, or by date.
Curious about what is due and when? Click here to be taken to the course blog. You can search by the tags on the side of the blog, or by date.
Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!
Create your own Playlist on MentorMob!
Completing Assignments in This Course
Below is the Google Document creation form for your class. Anytime you have an assignment, fill out the form with the correct Assignment Title and your name/email address. Once you have filled out the form, check your email for a link to the document. It may take a minute or two to show up in your email. Please don't submit the form more than once per assignment.
The name of your first assignment is "Personal Introduction Letter" and is due before class on Thursday, 10 January.
The name of your first assignment is "Personal Introduction Letter" and is due before class on Thursday, 10 January.
