Weekly Assignment Schedule

Week One: Sep 20-24

  • Attend all scheduled Class Meetings. (You may have two absences in the quarter before it starts reducing your grade points.) In one class we will visit the DeCillis Viet Nam Conflict Collection on the second floor of the DeHart Library
  • Purchase all four books: KIEU, QUAGMIRE, choice of CATFISH or HEAVEN & EARTH, and The Writing Guide, aka SWENSSON'S ARGUMENTATIVE APOCALYPSE
  • If you'd like, purchase the Extra Credit Book, Dr. Dang Thuy Tram's LAST NIGHT I DREAMED OF PEACE (trans. Andrew Pham) do so. It is a short diary of a Communist doctor killed by Americans.
  • Review all classroom material and assignments in order to familiarize yourself with course requirements. Review the Course Research Page at http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/ewrt2vn.html
  • STUDY four items this week:
  1. Unit 3 "The Body Paragraph" and Unit 10 of the Writing Guide, "Analyzing and Writing about Literature"
  2. Robert Olen Butler's short story "Mr. Green," found originally in the 1993 Pulitzer Prize winning A GOOD SCENT FROM A STRANGE MOUNTAIN, at http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/green.html 
  3. A very powerful piece of short non-fiction about the war, the Prologue to Joe Galloway and Lt. Gen Hal Moore's WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE AND YOUNG. A great students will read this entire book. Do not be constrained by the course minimums or by my low standards. :-)

Week Two: Sep 27-Oct 1

This week you start to use the writing tools, and submit two items.

By Wednesday: Complete the analysis of The Prologue to WE WERE SOLDIERS ONCE AND YOUNG. While this is ungraded, you may rest assured that your classmates and your teacher, will read your analysis. This is an emotional response, a textual response, or a logical response. Is this good writing or is it fantasy? What makes it good or bad? Feel free to respond critically in any fashion that you choose. You may wish to consult the excellent website for context: http://www.lzxray.com/prolog.htm

I strongly suggest that you watch the downloadable video of Mr. Galloway reading "The Prologue" at De Anza College.It can also be watched on the Course research page

THEME 1. By Friday: Complete the "Mr. Green" body paragraph Theme One assignment (50 points). Using the precepts of an argumentative paragraph found in Unit 3 and the terminology of literary criticism found in Unit 10, argue in a well-developed (350 word minimum) body paragraph how Butler develops one theme using only one element of literature. An example would be: "Butler uses the character of the mother to develop the theme of gender roles." Note: I would NOT write about the main character--think small always. And if you choose to write about Plot, I do NOT want to see Plot Summary; you must use the plot terminology: Introduction, Rising Action, Climax, Denouement, and Resolution. See also the web page at: http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/green.html.

Week Three: Oct 4-8

Note: No class on Thursday, 7 Oct

Study the following portions of THE TALE OF KIEU: Preface, The Historical Background by Alexander B. Woodside, the Introduction, and pages 1 - 67.

Note the introduction to the story appears on pp. 1 - 9, and that Kieu's first love, Kim Van Trong, first appears on p. 9. Kieu and Kim's story goes from pp. 9 - 67. Also note that you only have to read in one language, so the assignment is only half as long as it appears. You are, of course, welcome to study the poem in both English and Vietnamese. You are welcome to read ahead; this poem is so exciting that you may not wish to put it down.

Visit the Kieu website, and read the lecture notes that introduce the story. The web address is: http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/kieu.html

This week: We wil discuss the quarter-long Research Paper. Meeting will be at the DeCillis Viet Nam Conflict Collection, second floor, front of the DeHart Library. The specific assignment is in Week 11, below.

Week Four: Oct 11-15

Note: Monday, 11 Oct there will be no class.

Study Unit 4, "The Argumentative Theme" in the Writing Guide. You have a paper due week after next.

In week three you will also be assigned to a five-person study group. Contact each person via telephone and/or email. Using the address-book function in your email software, construct an address for your study group. In week 4 you will study the Thuc Ky Tham portion of KIEU from page 67 - to the first couplet at the top of Page 113. IN and out of class you will consult with the other members of your group about the meaning of this portion of the story. I will send study questions by the Forum, and may require graded group responses. You are encouraged to trade outline or drafts of Theme 1 with other members of your group. A group may actually share an outline -- the Thesis, Topic Sentences, and evidence could be identical but you must keystroke your own paper.

By Thursday , submit a minimum 200 word biography with Works Cited of one of the following characters from:
THE TALE OF KIEU: Kim Trong, Thuy Van, Dam Tien, Scholar Ma, Thuc Ky Tham, Miss Hoan (Mrs Tham), Giac Duyen, or Tu Hai. Your biography must show what the character does throughout the work--yes that will require your reading ahead. What do you know about the character and how do you know it?
(50 points)

Note: By week after next you must have FINISHED reading the shorter college edition of David Halberstam's THE MAKING OF A QUAGMIRE (Bookstore)

Week Five: Oct 18-22

Finish your study of KIEU by studying Part III, Tu Hai and the reunification of Kieu and Kim, pp. 113 - 167. Study Unit 9, "Peer Editing" in the Writing Guide.

Note: Because this is EWRT 2, I assume you know how to do parenthetical notes and Works Cited in accordance with the MLA, Modern Language Association, convention. You should have learned that skill in EWRT 1A and or 1B. Nothwithstanding, you should study Unit 6 "Documentation/ Grammar Guide" in the Writing Guide.

We will have a Peer Editing meeting this week to go over your four-part Outline (See Unit 4 -- an outline in this course has four and only four parts to it). Bring your typed outline which responds to the Theme 2 assignment.

THEME 2. Analyze how Nguyen Du uses an element of literature to develop a theme in THE TALE OF KIEU, or if you wish to push yourself to an even higher level, argue whether "The Tale of Kieu is Immoral," a hypothesis advanced by a critically thinking, good student in this course. If you choose this route -- in addition to using some definition of moral/immoral -- use the Toulmin model of first acknowledging the opposition -- see Unit 4.2.3.1 of the Writing Guide. That is to say, in your first body paragraph, you want to assume that the opposite of your position is true. If you believe this work to be immoral, in your first body paragraph you should advance the arguments for the morality of the work.

If you believe it to be a moral work, and that is your thesis, in your first body paragraph you must advance the arguments that would cause one to believe it to be an immoral work. In either case you will need at least two body paragraphs to offset the first negative paragraph or vice versa. (We are obviously talking Comparison/Contrast here--see Unit 4.2.3.2 (subject-by-subject). No matter which approach you choose, think small. If you choose character as the element of literature, recommend you NOT write about the central character of KIEU--that is just too unrestricted. Deal with a minor character--and NOT the character you wrote about last week--or restrict yourself to a very limited, very narrow aspect of Kieu's personality.

In another example, if you wish to write about imagery, limit yourself to a particular type of imagery: nature imagery, imagery of smell, weather imagery, etc. You may also choose to do a close reading of a limited, but significant portion of the text, using quotations and summary to support your assertions. NO PLOT SUMMARY!!!!!! The class has already read the book. Feel free  to ask questions or offer comments, critical or otherwise, about this assignment. Minimum 750 words, with parenthetical notes and Works Cited. In your Works Cited include a statement summarizing with whom you worked and for how long. Below your final copy, paste ONE of the peer edited copies that you received from your group. (In the Works Cited you will tell me who else peer edited in your group).
(100 points)

Email a draft to your group for peer editing. Use all caps to peer edit, and return the paper to the original author with your comments and critique in ALL CAPS. Unit 9 of the Writing Guide contains a sample of what your work should look like.

Week Six: Oct 25-29

Study David Halberstam's THE MAKING OF A QUAGMIRE (TMOQ). You should FINISH reading this by Wednesday of this week. QUAGMIRE, supplemented by other works of your choosing, will assist you in responding to the research paper requirement. Strongly suggest this is a good time to review the Critical Dates of the Viet Nam conflict at: http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/vnhist.html

Theme 2 due on Tuesday.

Week Seven: Nov 1-5

Mid Term on TMOQ this week.

Study Unit 5, "Logic" in the Writing Guide to include links to pages on Induction, Deduction, and Fallacies. This must be read online in order to reach the links which are an essential part of Unit 5. Pay particular attention also to the summary of Huxley's "The Method of Scientific Investigation"; it contains the essence of what I want you to know about Induction and Deduction. Consult any other references that you wish to examine to aid in your study of these three aspects of logic. I suggest using the Google Search engine at www.google.com and put in the words "inductive logic."

Week Eight: Nov 8-12

Note: Friday, 12 Nov is a school holiday for Veteran's Day

Review Martin Luther King's "A Time to Break Silence" found at http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/king.html

LOGIC QUIZ due this week. After studying Unit 5 and the links, write ten questions on logic and ten answers.  The questions may be true-false, multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, or short essay. This assignment may be done in your peer editing group; it will best be accomplished that way. If you choose to do a group submission, list the names of all members of the group who should receive credit and I will assign the same grade to each named member of the group.
(20 points)

We will watch in class a feature film on Viet Nam this week, probably APOCALYPSE NOW or APOCALYPSE NOW REDUX

Week Nine: Nov 15-19

Study your third book this week: Andrew Pham's CATFISH AND MANDALA or Le Ly Hayslip's WHEN HEAVEN & EARTH CHANGED PLACES. (You may do the second book also for extra credit, writing a one paragraph summary followed by a two paragraph (minimum) critical response.

Research Paper meeting on this week at the DeCillis Collection, DeHart Library, 2nd Floor. We will work on topics, Outlines, and rough drafts

Week Ten: Nov 22-26 *** Work on your Research Paper!!!! ***

Note: Thanksgiving Holiday, 25-26 Nov

We will view as a class the unreleased "Reminiscences: the Reunion of the Anderson Platoon" by Pierre Schoendoerffer

We will continue work on the Research Paper

Week Eleven: Nov 29-Dec 3

Research Paper due. Penalty for late papers. (150 points)

Link to research paper details in left navigation menu.

Final exam issued

Week Twelve: Dec 6-10 (Finals Week)

The Final Exam will be issued NLT the Friday before it is due. The Final Exam will be a short essay question, selected from three or more questions. Collaboration encouraged, but must be documented.

Final Exam is 1130AM-1:30PM, Friday 10 Dec.  I will be in classroom during the Final Exam period; you may, however, email your final exam with the text in the body of the email and repeated in an attached Word doc.  No late final exams will be accepted!
(100 points)

******************Winter Quarter starts 3 January 2011*********************

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