STEPHANIE FITCH
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English 4 Class

Final Essay: Common Mistakes to Check!

5/16/2017

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Final Essay Intro Paragraph Help

5/14/2017

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For this intro paragraph you do not need to worry about introducing all of your texts - you're using too many sources, it'll make your paragraph too long! Instead, introduce the main concept, intersectionality, and wait to introduce each source/novel when you actually bring up that source.

Intro Paragraph Example using Thesis Example #3:

Racism and sexism are two types of prejudice that have been brought to light as issues in America. Both of these prejudices are deeply seeded in American history, and steps are being made every day to fight against both racism and sexism. However, at times these battles have been criticized for excluding specific groups by lumping people from each group all together as one type of person.  This is where the concept of intersectionality comes in.  Intersectionality addresses the fact that people belong to various identity groups at the same time; for instance, race AND gender. In fights against racism, the struggles between men and women of color are going to have different issues.  In fights against sexism, feminist groups are sometimes criticized for not addressing the issues that women of color specifically have to overcome. Grouping white women with women of color does not address the nuanced issues that intersection of identities suffer through. Although conversations have started around various types of prejudice, the concept of intersectionality also needs to be brought up because issues between race and gender are different, and worse, than the issues of discrimination against a race or gender individually.

Intro Paragraph Example using Thesis Example #4:

The legal system was originally designed to support and defend the US Constitution, which states that “all men are created equal.”  Unfortunately, the outcome has been a little different.  Despite the constitution stating “all men,” those with different racial background, genders, or religious beliefs have been discriminated in a variety of ways.  Discrimination can happen on a personal level, in education, in the workplace, or through the legal system.  Most of the time when these prejudices are discussed, they are only discussed one at a time: racism or sexism or Islamophobia.  However, each individual cannot just be put into one box of race or gender or religion.  The biggest issue in regards to prejudice in America is how the intersectionality of these social identities  is ignored. These issues are predominantly seen through the legal system, where wrongful arrests and shootings target minorities.  However, depending on the various minority groups a person belongs to, they will experience different types of prejudice and may even have a higher chance of being discriminated against by America’s legal system.


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Final Essay MLA Works Cited Page Help

5/14/2017

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Basic Style for Citations of Electronic Sources (Including Online Databases)
Here are some common features you should try and find before citing electronic sources in MLA style. Not every Web page will provide all of the following information. However, collect as much of the following information as possible both for your citations and for your research notes:
  • Author and/or editor names (if available)
  • Article name in quotation marks.
  • Title of the website, project, or book in italics.
  • Any version numbers available, including editions (ed.), revisions, posting dates, volumes (vol.), or issue numbers (no.).
  • Publisher information, including the publisher name and publishing date.
  • Take note of any page numbers (p. or pp.) or paragraph numbers (par. or pars.).
  • URL (without the https://)  DOI or permalink.
  • Date you accessed the material (Date Accessed).
  • Remember to cite containers after your regular citation. Examples of containers are collections of short stories or poems, a television series, or even a website. A container is anything that is a part of a larger body of works.

Use the following format:
Author. Title. Title of container (self contained if book), Other contributors (translators or
editors), Version (edition), Number (vol. and/or no.), Publisher, Publication Date, Location (pages, paragraphs and/or URL, DOI or permalink). 2
nd container’s title, Other contributors, Version, Number, Publisher, Publication date, Location, Date of Access (if applicable).



An Article in an Online Scholarly Journal
For all online scholarly journals, provide the author(s) name(s), the name of the article in quotation marks, the title of the publication in italics, all volume and issue numbers, and the year of publication. Include a URL, DOI, or permalink to help readers locate the source.

Article in an Online-only Scholarly Journal
MLA requires a page range for articles that appear in Scholarly Journals. If the journal you are citing appears exclusively in an online format (i.e. there is no corresponding print publication) that does not make use of page numbers, indicate the URL or other location information.

Dolby, Nadine. “Research in Youth Culture and Policy: Current Conditions and Future
Directions.” Social Work and Society: The International Online-Only Journal, vol. 6, no. 2, 2008, www.socwork.net/sws/article/view/60/362. Accessed 20 May 2009.

A YouTube Video
Video and audio sources need to be documented using the same basic guidelines for citing print sources in MLA style. Include as much descriptive information as necessary to help readers understand the type and nature of the source you are citing. If the author’s name is the same as the uploader, only cite the author once. If the author is different from the uploaded, cite the author’s name before the title.


“8 Hot Dog Gadgets put to the Test.” YouTube, uploaded by Crazy Russian Hacker, 6 June 2016, www.youtube.com/watch?v=WBlpjSEtELs.
McGonigal, Jane. “Gaming and Productivity.” YouTube, uploaded by Big Think, 3 July 2012, www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkdzy9bWW3E.

Speeches, Lectures, or Other Oral Presentations (including Conference Presentations)
Provide the speaker’s name. Then, give the title of the speech (if any) in quotation marks. Follow with the title of the particular conference or meeting and then the name of the organization. Name the venue and its city (if the name of the city is not listed in the venue’s name). Use the descriptor that appropriately expresses the type of presentation (e.g., Address, Lecture, Reading, Keynote Speech, Guest Lecture, Conference Presentation).

Stein, Bob. “Reading and Writing in the Digital Era.” Discovering Digital Dimensions, Computers and Writing Conference, 23 May 2003, Union Club Hotel, West Lafayette, IN. Keynote Address.

Films or Movies
List films by their title. Include the name of the director, the film studio or distributor, and the release year. If relevant, list performer names after the director's name.

The Usual Suspects. Directed by Bryan Singer, performances by Kevin Spacey, Gabriel Byrne, Chazz Palminteri, Stephen Baldwin, and Benecio del Toro, Polygram, 1995.
To emphasize specific performers or directors, begin the citation with the name of the desired performer or director, followed by the appropriate title for that person.

Lucas, George, director. Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope. Twentieth Century Fox, 1977.

Netflix, Hulu, Google Play
Generally, when citing a specific episode, follow the format below.

“94 Meetings.” Parks and Recreation, season 2, episode 21, NBC, 29 Apr. 2010. Netflix, www.netflix.com/watch/70152031?trackId=200256157&tctx=0%2C20%2C0974d361-27cd-44de-9c2a-2d9d868b9f64-12120962.

An Entire TV Series
When citing the entire series of a TV show, use the following format.

​Daniels, Greg and Michael Schur, creators. Parks and Recreation
. Deedle-Dee Productions 
and Universal Media Studios, 2015.



All else fails, see: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ which is where I got all this information.

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Final Essay: Thesis Help

5/9/2017

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Thesis statement must have an arguable opinion based on evidence, which is expected to be expanded on and explained in depth throughout the essay.

Example 1: Prejudice happens in America.
  • Not a good thesis. It’s just a statement of facts.

​E​xample 2
: Prejudice and intersectionality are caused by race, gender, 
 and religion.
  • Just a statement, also using the term “intersectionality” incorrectly, or rather, the phrase “caused by” is the wrong way of phrasing it. Intersectionality is the idea that we are a combination of different types of social identities, and the collision of those identities have different effects

​Example 3: Although conversations have started around various types of prejudice, the concept of intersectionality also needs to be brought up because issues between race and gender are different, and worse, than the issues of discrimination against a race or gender individually.
  • Much better. Uses the ideas of intersectionality correctly. Poses an opinion on the intersection between race and gender being more important than either prejudice alone.
  • This essay might compare and contrast Kathy from Zeitoun to Janie from Their Eyes Were Watching God to look at a comparison of different races within a gender.
  • To do this, this essay might compare and contrast how those two women are treated in their personal relationships/marriages. Then this essay might use Janie and the narrator from Invisible Man to examine different genders within a race. To do this, this essay might look at how being a woman of a certain race has stereotypes and expectations of weakness, but being a man of a minority race is seen as a threat.
  • This essay will mostly use lit crits as an outside source, but can also use research and articles on gender and race, as well as the TED talk on intersectionality that gives an example using gender and race.

Example 4: The biggest issue in regards to prejudice in America is how the intersectionality of social identities, such as race, gender, and religion, is ignored. These issues are predominantly seen through the legal system, where wrongful arrests and shootings target minorities.  However, depending on the variety of minority groups a person belongs to, they will experience different types of prejudice and may even have a higher chance of being discriminated against by America’s legal system.
  • Also better. Poses an opinion on how the intersection of identities leads to more prejudice and a higher chance of problems in the legal system. I know what to expect of this essay.
  • ​This essay will definitely use examples from Zeitoun and Invisible Man and the wrongful arrest and shooting in those novels, and may also use Frederick Douglass's autobiography from English III to give some historical context and background of the roots of racism in American society.
  • This essay has many opportunities to use outside sources regarding recent shootings of minorities in America, as well as information on how the BLM is trying to stop the injustice.
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Vocab Set V Example Sentences

5/4/2017

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  1. glib: (ADJ) His glib remarks after her cat died really hurt Susan’s feelings
  2. disparaging: (ADJ) Joann’s disparaging remarks about Ali’s suit looking cheap made him not even want to go to prom anymore. Especially not with her.
  3. punitive: (ADJ) The university decided to take punitive actions against the athlete who failed a drug test by kicking him off of the team.
  4. ambivalence: (NOUN) Her ambivalence towards marriage made her not really want to marry her girlfriend, even though she loved her and wanted to stay together.
  5. loath: (ADJ) He was loath to loud parties because they gave him headaches.
    1. *loathe is a VERB and used like strongly dislike: I loathe onions on my burger.
  6. hubris: (NOUN) The tragic flaw of many great heroes is their hubris; they think they can do anything better than anyone, which is never true.
  7. rectify: (VERB) To rectify the plumbing issues, they had to call a professional before the basement flooded.
  8. specious: (ADJ) The salesman gave many specious reasons to buy the car, but Diamond already knew it was a lemon.
  9. delineate: (VERB) The parents would clearly delineate the expectations around getting chores done, so the kids would know exactly who was doing what and get it done right.
  10. dissipate: (VERB) My father’s anger about the C- on my calculus test will dissipate after finding out about the A I just earned on my physics test.

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Full vocab list and definitions can be found here.
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Vocab Set IV Example Sentences

5/1/2017

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  1. fatalistic: (ADJ) Many religions are fatalistic, believing that a God or Gods have predetermined what will happen.
  2. calamity: (NOUN) The levees failing was such a calamity that cost many lives and thousands of people their homes.
  3. quintessential: (ADJ) Yolanda was such a quintessential student that teachers were excited to have her in their class and students looked up to her.
  4. surmise: (VERB) Marshawn surmised that something might be wrong when his son didn’t text him right away. But it turns out Alex was just skateboarding home.
  5. frivolity: (NOUN) The frivolity of the going away party let everyone enjoy themselves and forget that Kelvin was going to be away at boot camp for six months.
  6. brazen: (ADJ) Yelling “no!” was a brazen move, but someone had to stand up against the bully.
  7. exacerbate: (VERB) Collin didn’t want to exacerbate the situation around his grounding by telling his mom that he got a D on his math test, so he hid it from her.  (NOUN) The rebuke of her drinking habits didn’t hurt her feelings as much as John thought it would.
  8. subjugation: (NOUN) The American colonies were under the subjugation of the British before the revolution.
  9. retribution: (NOUN) The witness feared retribution, knowing that the criminals believed in “snitches get stitches,” but he felt that reporting the crime was the right thing to do.
  10. rebuke: (VERB) Alexis was rebuked for not coming home before her curfew.

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Full vocab list and definitions can be found here.
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FINAL ESSAY!

4/26/2017

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English IV Final Essay: Prejudice and Intersectionality
 
For your final essay you will be writing a 10-12 page paper on prejudice and intersectionality in American society. You will need to address various components of identity that we have discussed in class such as gender, race, religion, and nationality, but you can bring up other aspects in your own research as well (sexuality, mental/physical ability, social class, etc.)
 
Take a stance on the state of prejudice and intersectionality in American society: What are the problems that arise from prejudice and discrimination? Where in society do we see those issues come up? Are these issues important to address? Are we working towards effectively fixing issues related to prejudice and the intersectionality of identities? And if not, what can we do?
 
Requirements:
  • Typed, MLA format
  • 10 – 12 full pages (not including works cited)
  • At least 3 novels referenced – including Zeitoun, which is required
  • At least 7 other outside sources – from class (many can be found on my website msfitch.com) and outside research you complete on your own
  • Turned in to turnitin.com by midnight on Friday, May 19th
 
Getting Started:
Since we are thinking about intersectionality, you will want to bring up more than one component of identity. Circle two (or more) identities to discuss in your essay:
 
Gender              Race              Religion           Nationality                 Other:__________________
 
 
Outlining: (What your essay will need to accomplish)
  • Define prejudice
  • Examples of prejudice in literature – use at least two texts
  • Examples of prejudice outside of literature – use at least two examples
  • The effects of prejudice on people
  • Define intersectionality and explain how it affects prejudices
  • Examples of intersectionality in literature – use at least two texts
  • Examples of intersectionality outside of literature – use at least two examples
  • The effects of intersectionality
  • What to do about prejudice and intersectionality
    • Examples of what characters/people have done
    • Whether or not those ideas/actions worked
    • What we can do moving forward
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Psychological Experiments on Human Behavior

4/26/2017

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For information on the Milgram Obedience Experiment, the video we watched in class on that can be found here.

For information on the Stanford Prison Experiment, the video we watched in class on that can be found here.

If these studies interested you, I definitely recommend doing your own research to learn more about them, as well as other studies. These psychological studies can definitely be used as sources in your final essay.

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Zeitoun Ch V Discussion Questions

4/25/2017

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Chapter V
  1. How has Hurricane Katrina traumatized Kathy? Zeitoun? Compare and contrast the different types of trauma they have and how they deal with their trauma.
  2. What is shame and why do people feel it?
  3. Why do people feel shame for actions other people have committed (to them)?
    1. Clarification: Zeitoun didn’t commit the atrocities that he went through - other people did that to him. So why should he be the one feeling shame?
  4. Where and how do animals come up throughout the book? How are they treated? In what ways have animals been symbols?
  5. What do the government responses to the hurricane victims tell you about our society?
    1. Can this ever change? How or why not?
    2. Compare/contrast ideologies from communism/socialism or capitalism if you can.
  6. At what point should one take responsibility for regrettable or misinformed actions?
    1. At what point should one refuse orders to harm someone, even if it will harm you (or harm your family in that you will lose your job)?
    2. Where is the line between doing your job and humanity?
  7. Why weren’t procedures followed properly? What was the result of procedures not being followed?
    1. Connect this to what happened in the Stanford Prison Experiment.
  8. Do laws change in a state of emergency? Should they? Why and how so? Or why not?
  9. How does hypocrisy come up in the police’s actions during the hurricane as law enforcers but also residents?
  10. Respond to the quote on page 307: “But knowing Zeitoun’s ordeal was caused instead by systemic ignorance and malfunction -- and perhaps long-festering paranoia on the part of the National Guard and whatever other agencies were involved -- was unsettling. It was said, quite clearly, that this wasn’t a case of a bad apple or two in the barrel. The barrel itself was rotten.”
    1. What does this quote mean?
    2. What can we do about it?
    3. How does it connect to Milgram or the Stanford Prison Experiments?
  11. In what ways is fear powerful? In what ways is it harmful?
  12. Which was more important: imprisoning looters or helping the helpless?
    1. What is more important: safety or resources?
    2. What do the answers to those questions say about a society?
  13. What does a prison system say about the priorities and values of a society?
  14. What is more powerful: silence or screams?
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Vocab Set III Example Sentences

4/24/2017

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  1. finite (ADJ): The teacher had a finite amount of patience and the rowdy seventh graders were pushing that limit.
  2. avail (used as a NOUN with a negative): Her efforts to train the puppy were to no avail; he still peed on the carpet everyday.
  3. impede (VERB): The man’s ability to walk was impeded by his shoelaces. He tripped on them and fell.
  4. lament (NOUN): You could hear the widow’s laments from down the street.
  5. (VERB): Pierre lamented over his cat’s death. He cried for days after Garfield was hit by that car.
  6. semblance (NOUN): Even though she was going crazy from stress, she carried a semblance of being very organized.
  7. idyllic (ADJ): The painting of the river portrayed an idyllic afternoon, with colorful flowers and the sun shining.
  8. despondent (ADJ): After losing his son, the man was so despondent he couldn’t get out of bed to go to work.
  9. wary (ADJ): She was wary of every sound in her house that night after watching the news about multiple burglaries in her area.
  10. awed (ADJ): He was in awe of the olympic swimmer. They gazed in awed silence at the meteor shower.
  11. crux (NOUN): At the crux of the traffic jam was a terrible accident.  Once the scientists understand the crux of the mutation, they can find the cure for the disease.

Full vocab list and definitions can be found here.
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