NPR series: "Becoming American"

NPR (National Public Radio) has a series this week on becoming American. This week they interviewed authors Junot Diaz, Jumpha Lahiri and Joseph O'Neill. For this assignment, go to the interviews on NPR, listen and/or read the transcripts of one writer (to hear a writer other than O'Neill click on their name in the article) in order to answer the following questions. Your answer should be in a paragraph form addressing all of the answers in your paragraph.

1. Why did he/she get into books? What was her/his motivation?
2. What two sides does she/he find in American culture?
3. What internal conflict does she/he face as a writer, as an immigrant? How does she/he resolve that?
4. Compare his/her story to Alexie and Malcolm X.
5. Compare her/his story to your own.

Extra Credit up to 40 points; due 12/03/08

Extra Extra Credit: Listen to one author read from their current book. Title you blog: "Reactions to {insert writer's name}readings." Write about the impressions the reading left upon you as well as the experience of listening to a writer read his/her book online. 10 points; due 12/03/08

Period 3: What book are you? Extra Credit

If you lived in the world of Fahrenheit 451 and left society to become a book person, what book would you become and why?

Post your answer in complete paragraph from. Be sure to use correct grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization. Have a friend proofread your work before posting.

Due: 10/31/08 10 points extra credit

Persuasion: Shaping the Next Four Years of America

Background:
Over the next few months, and particularly this week and next week, we have the privilege of being witnesses to a key historical presidential election. The high stakes of this election and the buzz created by the first woman to run for President and the first African American Presidential candidate has created an environment where speakers are inspired to use the power of language to inspire citizens to act for change.

Assignment:
Go to YouTube or any search engine and look for speeches from the 2008 DNC (Democratic National Convention) and/or RNC (Republican National Convention). You can read speeches for the Democrats or the Republicans.

Choose one to three speeches to analyze.

1. SOAPSTONES the speech (see notebook assignment if you forget what each letter stands for). Be sure to give examples from the speech as evidence for your conclusion.
2. What rhetorical devices does the speaker use (repetition, metaphors, analogies, diction, etc.)? Give examples.
   
3. Evaluate the delivery of the speech (may include elements such as tone, volume, pacing, etc).
   
4. How does the speaker include the three appeals (pathos, ethos, and logos)? Are they balanced or is one used more than another?
   
5. Do you think the speech is effective? Explain why or why not.
   

Each analysis of a speech is worth up to 15 points. Post each in a blog entry with the title of the blog: "Persuasion: Speaker's Name and Date of Speech." Be sure to answer each question above in a separate paragraph (or use numbers or bullet points).

Due: 10/28/08