Blogging Update

Use the links on the left for reminders about blogging expectations and to access the discussion itself. We agreed today to read through Ch. 6 in Watchmen and post by 11.59p on Monday, Feb. 23rd, under a pseudonym (made up name of your choice). Note, however, that the discussion works best if you don't all wait for the last minute to write!

Cal made the astute observation that page numbers are tricky as each volume of the comic is paginated separately, so it would be best to cite chapters and page numbers when quoting. Please be sure to review the assessment criteria and other recommendations before you begin.

Enjoy the book and have a great vacation!

Class Calendar: February 23rd to March 3rd

Note: It is always the case that calendars may be subject to change, but I should warn you that it's especially the case the week following a vacation, as I do my best to plan ahead and predict the future.

Monday, February 23rd (F)
• Due: Honors students have the first Watchmen post due at 11.59p. Have a great break!
• Class: Introduction to The Martian Chronicles; imagining first encounters.

Tuesday, February 24th (S)
• Due: Start reading The Martian Chronicles. Bring Watchmen to class.
• Class: Discussion of Watchmen; tying up loose ends.

Wednesday, February 25th (U)
• Due: Read The Martian Chronicles through “The Third Expedition” (p. 48), taking notes on study questions as you go.
• Class: Discussion of the first three expeditions, led by partners.

Thursday, February 26th (M)
• Due: Keep reading!
• Class: Introduction to honors teaching assignment. Writing workshop: revising for conciseness.

Friday, February 27th (T)
• Due: Read The Martian Chronicles through “Interim” (p. 88), taking notes on questions.
• Class: Discussion of the reading.

Monday, March 2nd (W)
• Class does not meet.

Tuesday, March 3rd (H)
• Due: Honors students have the second Watchmen post due before class.
• Class: Comparing styles: Wells and Bradbury.

Note: We’ll be reading The Martian Chronicles through “The Martian” (p. 131) for Wednesday, and finishing the book for Friday.

The Martian Chronicles: Links

This page has a sample of the audio book of The Martian Chronicles, read by the author.

Meanwhile, the official Ray Bradbury site has clips of a fairly recent video interview with the man himself. Enjoy!

War of the Worlds: Radio Scare

Note: Scroll down for the list of paper topics. Feel free to branch out from these, too.

Lots of cool resources on the 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds are available online! The following may be of interest:

• You can listen to the full radio show on the Mercury Theater website.
• Read a complete transcript of the broadcast.
• See more press coverage and articles gathered by Jeff Miller.
• Check out what Space.com has to say about the whole thing: why we fear the aliens, and whether we'd be vulnerable to such a hoax today.

Enjoy the goodies!

The War of the Worlds: Paper Topics

Thanks to everyone for your contributions to the list of potential paper topics today! I’ve compiled the list for your writing pleasure, roughly grouped by theme:

• Explore the role of insanity in The War of the Worlds (WOTW).
• What is the role of foreshadowing in the novel?
• Explore the analogy between Martians and their treatment of humans and the way humans treat others (the dodo, Native Americans, Tasmanians, etc).
• What view of humanity does Wells suggest in WOTW? Include the loss of humanity we see when the ships are done.
• What social commentary does Wells offer in WOTW? (You might also consider whether these critiques are still valid today.)
• Explore Wells’s view of one of the following social structures: religion, military, class structures, etc.
• Write a character sketch of the narrator.
• Compare the narrator to his brother. What does the juxtaposition of these two characters lend to the novel?
• Is the narrator a dynamic or static character? Explain and consider the effects of this decision on the novel.
• Is WOTW a love story? Alternative: What is the function of the narrator’s relationship with his wife in the novel?

You covered much of the same group as last term’s groups. There was only one really juicy option that our brainstorming didn’t really touch on that could interest you:

• How does H.G. Wells create a sense of realism? What parts of the story contribute to the verisimilitude?

Have a great weekend and I look forward to working on these with you next week!

Class Calendar: February 2nd to February 23rd

Monday, February 2nd (T)
• Due: Keep reading in The War of the Worlds.
• Class: Wrap up and share drawings; debating the appeal of apocalypse; discuss options for literature circles over vacation.

Tuesday, February 3rd (W)
• Class does not meet.

Wednesday, February 4th (H)
• Due: Read Ch. 13-17 in The War of the Worlds, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of the reading; film clips (1953).

Thursday, February 5th (F)
• Due: Keep reading in The War of the Worlds.
• Class: The Mercury Theater radio scare: Why did it happen? Could it happen again?

Friday, February 6th (S)
• Due: Finish reading The War of the Worlds, taking notes on study questions.
• Class: Discussion of the reading; developing paper topics.

Monday, February 9th (U)
• Due: Work on literary analysis paper.
• Class: Compare and contrast text and film clips (2005).

Tuesday, February 10th (M)
• Due: In preparation for our writing workshop, bring and email me the following: an outline of your paper and at least the first two paragraphs written with the thesis in bold. Be sure to use direct textual support (quotations) from the novel. My email address is skitsis@arlington.k12.ma.us.
• Class: Writing workshop: focus on thesis statements and integrating quotations.

Wednesday, February 11th (T)
• Due: Full draft of your paper in hard copy when you arrive.
• Class: Writing workshop: focus on thesis statements and integrating quotations.

Thursday, February 12th (W)
• Class does not meet.

Friday, February 13th (H)
• Due: Literary analysis paper on The War of the Worlds.
• Class: Science fiction and satire: “When Aliens Attack.”

Monday, February 23rd (F)
• Due: Enjoy the vacation! Students taking the course at the honors level should complete their first literature circle blog post by midnight tonight (if not over break).
• Class: We’ll be starting a new unit on The Martian Chronicles this week!