To prepare for the exam, we will go through a process of thinking and writing. You need to do all the assignments so that you have the work done for each class. However, you may, of course, move ahead in the assignments since you may have time during this review week to do a little extra. By the end of the week, you should have everything prepared in draft form and only need to revise and refine for the day of the exam.
First Assignment: Due Friday, January 7
1) Bring to class all the work you did on these categories for the readings and your life;
2) Review the categories you developed AND the categories your classmates developed (available at Google Docs);
3) Reflect on the categories and select one that you think best represents your sense of the texts.
IN CLASS WORK: brainstorm what we have done to prepare for final; preview writing about texts
Assignment for Tuesday: Thinking about Meaning: "ONLY CONNECT": Write for 40 minutes (typed) on your own life in connection to the category you chose: Answer in writing:
Why have you selected this category?
What is it that appeals to you?
What did you learn from the text about this topic?
Did what you learn surprise you? make you think differently? confirm what you already believed?
How do you connect the texts and your own life?
What have you learned or reconsidered or thought most about in relation to your own life and these texts?
Tuesday, January 11
IN CLASS WORK:
1) review "Only Connect" writing;
2) consider order of presentation of analysis;
3) consider how all texts connect to one another; similarities and differences;
4) begin to consider elements of form
Assignment: Draw conclusion about your category and develop your point. Then begin to organize text into draft with each text analyzed.
Wednesday January 12
LEVEL 7 IN LAB
IN CLASS WORK:
1) Thinking about Form: Elements of Form
Look over all you have written and then think of one word that comes to mind.
Select three "moments" from the texts that you think of when you consider your category: the moment could be a line of text, but it could also be a gesture, a word, a look, a sound, an image from the texts;
Close your eyes and think about the texts you have chosen: imagine all the texts in a spiral going round and round; what image comes to mind?
How can this Word or Image be represented by formal elements?
Remember, the form should not be gratuitous, but should support the meaning. This means, don't shift an element just to do it or for looks alone. Changing elements has to do with meaning.
Consider:
paper: weight, quality, color, texture
font
size
color of text, of paper
design: symbols, background, foreground
layout of text
absence of conventional elements
presence of conventional elements
numbers on pages
order of pages
order of information on pages
formatting
punctuation
Assignment: Think about form and consider formal elements which will support your thinking about the texts; continue to write draft and incorporate formal elements
Thursday, January 13
LEVEL 3 IN LAB
IN CLASS:
1) review of choices on form
2) consider best use of video and audio components;
how do the audio and video components support your analysis?
what would the project be without these components?
Assignment: Complete draft of project with audio and video included
Fifth Assignment: Due Friday, January 14
LEVEL 3 AND LEVEL 7 IN LAB
IN CLASS:
1) group peer review in both sections
2) quick teacher review of drafts