Group Book Talks groups and themes

Group 1--Kayla, Shelly, Catherine, Eddie, and Alyssa H.--Single Parenting
Group 2--Melissa, Chelsea, Kristina, Amye, and Ross--Sibling Issues
Group 3--Alyssa C., Brianna, Zanaida, Megan, and Sonia--Fear
Group 4--Courtney, Nikki, Shelbe, Nikia, and Estephanie--Extended Families
Group 5--Amariah, Isabella, William, Todd, Alison--Same Sex Relationships

Group Book Talks

Group Book Talks

ENGL/EDUC323

Each group of 5 students is required to choose a theme or central idea that appears in children’s books, collect a minimum of 5 examples of these children’s books, and prepare a short talk to introduce the texts to the class. These book talks will assist you in becoming familiar with the texts and themes that you choose, as well as the variety of texts that your classmates choose. Each group will be asked to provide a handout describing the theme and detailing the texts for his/her classmates. The group book talk is worth 15% of the final grade for the course, and all group members will receive the same grade.

What to include in your presentation and handout:

1.      Please include a detailed description of the theme and texts. Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the texts that you have chosen. A detailed description will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain an understanding of the texts without reading them. Your job is to introduce the texts in a complete way so that it is possible for others to decide when, where, and how these texts might be appropriate.

2.      Please explain why you chose this theme and these texts. What was your rationale? For whom are these texts appropriate? Please consider age, ability, and any other factors you find important. Why is it appropriate for this group children?

3.      Please include some ideas of how you might use these texts with children. How do you envision these texts being used with students, your children, your nieces and nephews, or any other children you interact with? Provide at least 3 specific ideas for what is possible with these texts.

4.      Please consider some obstacles to using this text. What are the potential issues that may arise from using these texts? Predict parents’ responses. Predict students’ responses.

5.      Anything else you think is important for us to know and understand about these texts and its use with children.

Book talks will be about 15 minutes each with an additional few minutes for questions and brief discussion about your texts. When you have decided on a theme or central idea, please email me (sagriss@ewu.edu) with your selection. This way we can avoid overlap. One of the goals of this assignment is to increase your potential library of texts, so it is important that we each choose something different. I will OK themes based on the order in which I receive emails. If you choose a theme that another group has already chosen, I will ask you to choose something different.

Group Book Talk

Evaluation Rubric

____ / 10 Detailed outline of theme and texts

____ / 10 Rationale for choosing the theme or central idea

____ / 10 Ideas for how to use these texts with children

____ / 10 Obstacles

____ / 5 Handout

____ / 5 Presentation

Current Event Research Groups and Issues

*Shelbe Ward and Kayla Bickel--Russia's invasion of Crimea
Nikia Frohlich and Amariah Gibbs--Border between North and South Korea
Catherine Kelly and Kristina Lattin--Cuban borders
*Chelsea Griffin and Nikki Ignaco--Border between Syria and Turkey
*Brianna Hiebert and Sonia Mededovic--China's maritime dispute
William Dowling and Ross McRorie--Cliven Bundy
*Todd Harr and Eddie Edwards--Sudan and South Sudan
Courtney Faddis, Isabella Inman, and Alyssa Cheeseman--Egypt and Israel
*Amye Ellsworth and Shelly Green--Thailand and Cambodia
Megan Filer and Alyssa Harris--Serbia and Croatia
*Melissa Caputo and Estepanie Penaloza--China and India Border
Zanaida Munguia and Alison Sims--Kosovo independence

Learning Letter/Plan of Action Assignment

ENGL/EDUC 323  Spring 2014                                          Dr. Sean Agriss

Learning Letter/Plan of Action Assignment                                                          

Each student is required to complete a course reflection in the form of a final blog posting. This final blog posting should fulfill four major requirements:

      1)      reflect on the work you’ve completed in the course (projects, blogs, etc…);

      2)      reflect on the ideas and issues we’ve explored in readings and discussions;

      3)      reflect on how you think your participation in this course has influenced your thinking about yourself as a citizen of the world;

4)      include a “Plan of Action”—the “Plan of Action” is your opportunity to say what you will do next to build on the learning you have done in this course.  You may choose something small or something monumental, but you must choose something to do next.

This final blog posting is worth 10% of the final grade for the course.

Graffiti Wall Assignment

English/Education 323/ Spring 2014                                      Dr. Sean Agriss

Graffiti Wall Assignment                                                      

This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade in the course.

The graffiti wall is an opportunity for you to work with another student to visually display important themes and issues from the texts that we look at as a class, from our discussions, and from your own thinking on war and peace.  Your graffiti wall will be displayed so that your colleagues will have a sense of your understandings of the themes and issues and how you’ve chosen to display these interpretations visually.

Requirements:

1) Your graffiti wall may include some or all of the following to represent the themes and issues from the texts that we look at as a class, from our discussions, and from your own thinking on war and peace: collage, drawings, shapes, symbols, colors, words, phrases, quotes, etc. Be creative. Feel free to venture outside of these suggestions.

2) Your graffiti wall should help viewers to understand the topic of war and peace from the texts that we look at as a class, from our discussions, and from your own thinking and how it impacts culture, families, borders, and geography.

3) You will present your graffiti wall to the class through display and narration where you will describe your wall and the choices that you’ve made.

4) Each graffiti wall needs to be accompanied by an “artists’ statement” (1pg minimum). You will write a narrative that explains what is visually represented, why you’ve made the decisions you’ve made, and how these ideas are connected to culture, families, borders, and geography.

Grading criteria:

In evaluating your Graffiti Wall, I will be looking for the following:

Visual Representation:

1) Issues and themes from the texts that we look at as a class, from our discussions, and from your own thinking are clearly identifiable in the visual representation. There is a thorough treatment of these issues as you see them related to culture, families, borders, and geography. (20 possible points)

Artists’ Statement:

1) Your “artists’ statement” should be 1 page minimum and should explain what is visually represented, why you’ve made the decisions you’ve made, and how these ideas are connected to culture, families, borders, and geography. (20 possible points)

2) Clarity and mechanical correctness.  Your narration should be legible and error free. (5 possible points)

Presentation of Graffiti Wall:

1) Each pair of students will have 5 minutes to explain their Graffiti Wall to the class. The presentations should thoroughly explain the details of your Graffiti Wall. (5 possible points)

Current Event Research and Presentation Assignment

Current Event Research and Presentation on the Issue of “Geography/Borders”

ENGL/EDUC 323

This assignment is worth 15% of your final grade in the course.

Students will form groups of two. Each group is required to choose a current global event or issue related to “geography/borders” and to prepare a short talk to introduce this current global event or issue to the class. The issue research and presentations will assist you in becoming familiar with the event or issue that you choose, as well as the variety of issues that your classmates choose. Each group will be asked to provide a detailed outline of the event or issue, in both presentation and handout form, for his/her classmates.

What to include in your presentation and handout:

1.      Please include a detailed outline/summary/specifics of the current event or issue. Who are the parties involved? What is the history of the issue? Take into consideration that your colleagues might not be familiar with the issue that you have chosen. A detailed treatment of the issue will include everything necessary for your classmates to gain a clear understanding of the issue. Your job is to introduce the issue as completely as possible.

2.      Address how this current event issue is of global concern. How has this issue been portrayed in the media? Does it get enough attention? Not enough attention? How do different media outlets present the issue in different ways? Why is this significant?

3.      How do you understand the issue of “geography/borders” in the context of this current event? How is this connected to our other work in this course (readings, discussions, projects, etc…)?

4.      Please include the sources that are essential to understanding this event or issue. This should include sources you used in preparation for your presentation as well as sources for further inquiry.

5.      Anything else you think is important for us to know and understand about this event or issue.

Presentations will be about 15 minutes each with an additional few minutes for questions and brief discussion about your current event issue. When your group has decided on a current event issue, please email me (sagriss@ewu.edu) with your selection. This way we can avoid overlap. One of the goals of this assignment is to increase your knowledge of global issues related to “geography/borders,” so it is important that each group choose something different. I will OK selections based on the order in which I receive emails. If you choose an event or issue that another group has already chosen, I will ask you to choose something different.

Current Event Research and Presentation on the Issue of “Geography/Borders”

Evaluation Rubric

____ / 10 Detailed outline/summary/specifics of the current event issue

 ____ / 10 How this current event issue is of global concern

____ / 10 Understanding of the issue of “geography/borders” in the context of this current event

 ____ / 10 Sources that are essential to understanding this issue

 ____ / 5 Handout

 ____ / 5 Presentation (All group members must contribute in some way to the presentation)