Sunday, December 2, 2012--1 pm

Greetings...

Reminder: Monday's test is open book--so remember to bring your textbook.

Wednesday is the last day of the class for this semester. There is no final in this class.

On Wednesday, please bring to class EVERYTHING I have graded this semester.
Please select TWO assignments to include in your portfolio to represent your best work this semester.

Also, if you have not already, please purchase a soft cover 3-hole binder for your portfolio as well as a package of page indexes.

Saturday, November 25, 2012--6 pm

Hello,

Just a reminder...due on Monday is the following:

1. revision of the compare/contrast essay (please attach to this the previous version with my comments)

2. the take home exam (below)--written in a blue or green book

*************************

English 10—Fall 2012—C. Fraga

In class writing #3

TAKE HOME—due on Monday, November 26^th

DIRECTIONS:

Instead of writing these responses IN CLASS, please spend no longer than one hour answering these questions out of class. The hour DOES NOT INCLUDE the time you will spend thinking about and planning your answers.

Please respond to these three short answer questions in a blue or green book.

Please do not write in pencil; instead, use a pen.

**********************************************************************

“Where are you Going, Where are you From?”

(a short story by Joyce Carol Oates)

Smooth Talk

(a film based on the short story, “Where are you Going, where are you From?”)

1.     Considering JUST the story, and NOT the film version, do you feel that the story presents a realistic look at the life of many fifteen-year-old girls? Why or why not? (you may want to consider such things as Connie’s relationship with her mother; her relationship with her older sister, June; her desire to be noticed and attractive by boys; her behavior at home vs. her behavior with her friends, etc.)

2.     Considering both your reading of the story and your viewing of the film, is your impression about Connie different or the same?

In other words, in the story, what is your impression of and/or response to Connie? (was she a sympathetic character? did she seem realistic and genuine? etc.)

And compared to the version of Connie played by Laura Dern in the film, was your impression of and/or response to Connie different or the same than the one you experienced in the book? Why or why not? Explain.

3.     Fill in the blanks to this introductory sentence and then support your opinion. (for this question, you are ONLY referring to the short story and NOT the film)

The short story, “Where are you Going, Where are you From?” is less about ___________________________________and more about _____________________________.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012--5 pm

Greetings,

A slight adjustment to the syllabus.
I am going to give you next Wednesday, the 21st, off from class.
(Happy Thanksgiving).
Because of that, we will be watching the film scheduled for next week, tomorrow.
The in class writing on the film will be on Monday, the 19th.

ALSO!
Be sure to have read the readings assigned on your syllabus before you arrive in class tomorrow.

See you then!

Wednesday, Nov. 7th--5:20 pm

Hello,
below you will find two items:
1. the sample c/c essay that I distributed and discussed in class on Monday of this week
2. a written version of the assignment due next week, on Wednesday.

Oh! and enjoy the Monday holiday. Take a moment during Monday to silently thank all the men and women who serve our country presently as well as all of those who have served in the past, many who have died in our country's defense.

SAMPLE COMPARE CONTRAST ESSAY WRITTEN IN THE BLOCK FORMAT
(of course, on the handout, each paragraph is on a separate sheet of paper. Remember that when you work on your essay, you can certainly have all the paragraphs organized one after the other. But when you are ready to edit and revise, place each paragraph on a separate sheet of paper.)

During my senior year of high school, I was bombarded with well meaning people who constantly supplied me with information about what to expect once I began college. High school counselors warned me about staying focused during my first semester and waiting to join campus organizations until at least my second semester. My parents reminded me that eating in the dorm’s cafeteria and not spending money at campus eateries would help me budget my monthly spending allowance. Even my older sister, who has only one more year of college to complete, informed me that if I did not learn how to use the library’s online databases, no one else would provide the instruction. However, it was not until I actually began my freshman year at the university that I discovered significant differences between high school classes and college level classes. High school classes and college classes share very few similarities.

            In the majority of high schools across America, classes are designed to meet five days a week. This often leaves little to no time to actually digest the material before the class meets the next day. Regardless, high school teachers assign daily homework that usually must be completed by the next class session, which means the next day! This would not be a huge inconvenience if every other class did not also meet every day of the week. It is not unusual for high school students, then, to have four or five hours of homework per night.  I have heard from other friends who attended other high schools that sometimes instructors are flexible and will actually adjust their test dates to accommodate students who might have several tests on one day. This accommodation is always welcomed! 

            Although homework assignments can overlap and cause some stressful moments, it is a relief that most high school instructors do not assign research papers. Of course, students are usually expected to conduct a certain amount of research on the Internet in some of their classes, but rarely are they expected to document it formally with in text citations and a Works Cited page. Obviously, papers that require students to do hours of extra reading in order to write an essay would just add to the long list of daily homework.

            Even though high school instructors rarely require tedious research assignments, they do expect students to pay close attention in class.  Unfortunately, this was a lot more difficult for me to do than one can imagine. It is not that I tend to drift off or even fall sleep, like a few of my friends. The reason it was difficult to stay alert is because teachers often stopped mid-lecture to remind students to stop talking amongst themselves. Students also tried to hide behind the student in front of them as they sent texts on their phone. This sort of rude behavior occurred in nearly every class, which meant that teachers interrupted class constantly to keep students on track. Every time this happened, I found it difficult to stay focused.

            Once I graduated high school and began my college classes, one of the first differences I noticed and embraced happily was I did not have any classes that met every single day of the week. Immediately, I noticed how I was able to manage my study time so much better. I did not feel the stress of having to complete an assignment overnight. In fact, most professors assign long term assignments; often I have over two weeks to complete an assignment. College requires a lot more reading, so long term assignments allow for extra time to read as well.

            Along with long term assignments, college professors expect students to include a lot of research in their essays and reports. And unlike high school assignments, these college essays must follow a very prescribed research documentation format. Professors also expect that students will peruse and utilize several different academic sources and search engines to locate information.

            Even with the almost daunting expectations from college professors regarding research, it is quite refreshing to be able to attend classes where there is no discipline issues. Professors do not need to interrupt their lectures or class discussions to ask students to behave like adults. In fact, there seems to be no tolerance for misbehavior. In my World History class just last week, the professor quietly asked a student to leave the class because, as he stated, “Texting is a priority for you.”  However, this has been an exception; my classes are full of focused and fairly serious students who seem to understand the importance of paying for their seat time.

            As a former high school student, I admit there were advantages. Teachers seemed more willing to understand that I had other classes besides for theirs and sometimes time management was a little challenging. Regardless, when I compare high school classes with college classes, I prefer feeling more in charge of my study time and I actually enjoy being treated as a more responsible student.

********************************

FOR WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14TH

DUE: a revised version of your compare/contrast essay. Please be sure to attach the first rough draft with my comments to the back of the revised version before submitting.

Monday, November 5th, 2012--4 pm

Greetings,

just a brief re-cap of the assignment due Wednesday:

1. brainstorming
2. outline (either in the block or point by point format)
3. 1st rough draft of essay. Each paragraph to be on a separate sheet of paper. Use the my sample distributed in class today as you guide. Remember, you can always put them in that format AFTER you write your draft and before submitting.
4. All of the above, of course, should be typed, double spaced.

See you Wednesday!

Sunday, November 4, 2012--3:30 pm

Hello,

I assume you always come to class with your copy of the syllabus, but just in case you do not, please be sure to have your copy with you in class on Monday.

Thanks!

Friday, November 2, 2012--5:15 pm

Greetings,

below you will find a copy of the handout we discussed in class on Wednesday.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend. See you Monday.

English 10, Fall 2012, C. Fraga

Writing an Essay using Comparison and Contrast

Comparison or Contrast, a method for developing ideas, is the careful look at the similarities and/or differences between people, objects, or ideas, usually in order to make some conclusion or judgment.

In your text, Between Worlds, in Chapter 10: Methods for Developing Essays, the comparison and contrast essay is explained and a sample essay is provided. (pages 407-413).

As practice, you have looked at two essays, “A Good Daughter” and “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination.” You have brainstormed by listing similarities and differences between the two authors, Caroline Hwang and J. K. Rowling. Then you have organized your brainstorming into the two different methods of organization—the block and the point-by-point.

Now you will brainstorm and write a compare/contrast essay on a topic of your choice. You will be submitting all your brainstorming, your planning, rough drafts, and final draft, so please do not discard anything.

Additionally, you will be typing the essay in a way you probably have never done before. You will be writing each paragraph of the essay on a separate sheet of paper. This is so you will focus intently on each paragraph.

Assignment: 

The choice of topic is yours. (On page 413 in your text, there are six suggestions, but you are not required to choose ANY of these.) I want you to select something to compare/contrast that you really want to explore.

EXAMPLE: I have decided to compare high school classes with college classes. Here is my sample brainstorming:

HIGH SCHOOL CLASSES                                                            COLLEGE CLASSES

meet 5 days a week                                                                        meet only 2 or 3 times wk.

daily homework                                                                        long term assignments

no research papers                                                                        research papers required

discipline prob. in class                                                            no discipline prob. in class

Consider now what method will be best—the block method or the point-by-point method? At this stage, review your brainstorming list and ask yourself if you have a list that is complete.  Have you left out any point that might need to be considered? Do you have at LEAST three points and do you have enough material to develop both parts of the topic? You do not want the comparison or contrast to end up one-sided with all the content about only one part of the topic.

Make an outline, choosing one of the two formats.

EXAMPLE:

Block Method

1.     Topic 1—High School Classes

A.     meet 5 days a week

B.     daily homework

C.     no research papers

D.    disciplinary problems in class

2.     Topic 2—College Classes

A.     meet only 2 or 3 times a week

B.     long term assignments

C.     research papers required

D.    no discipline problems

Point-by-Point Method

1.     First Point—How often classes meet

A.     Topic 1—high school classes

B.     Topic 2—college classes

2.     Second Point—Homework

A.     Topic 1—high school classes

B.     Topic 2—college classes

3.     Third Point—Research papers

A.     Topic 1—high school classes

B.     Topic 2—college classes

4.     Fourth Point—Discipline

A.     Topic 1—high school classes

B.     Topic 2—college classes

DUE MONDAY, NOV. 5^TH: TYPED AND DOUBLE SPACED: 

1. Your brainstorming

2. An outline for your essay, utilizing the block method or the point by point method.

Thursday, October 25, 2012--3 pm

Hello,
I apologize, again, for having to cancel class yesterday. Your final draft of the One Amazing Thing character paragraph can be handed in on Monday.

Below is the open book quiz that you were to be given yesterday. Please print it out and complete it and bring to class on Monday.

Have a wonderful and safe weekend.

Name_______________________________________________English 10, Section______

GRAMMAR QUIZ #7

I.  Shifts in Verb Tense

Directions: Cross out the one verb in each item that is not the same tense as the others. Then write the correct form of that verb on the line provided.

EXAMPLE:

___________________The mossy green log lay in the shallow water.  When it began to move, I realize that it was an alligator.

1.     _________________Every time my mother feels like snacking, she brushes her teeth and the hunger disappeared.

2.     _________________I came home early because I felt sick; then I discover I was locked out of my house.

3.     _________________The children love going to the school library because they can take out any book they wanted, even if they can’t read it yet.

4.     _________________After the coach yells at him, Gary thought all night about quitting the team, but then he decided to give himself one more chance.

II.  Shifts in Voice

Directions: Circle the letter of the sentence that is written in active voice…A or B.

	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	The dog bit the boy.
B.	The boy was bitten by the dog.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	Janice will present her research at the conference.
B.	Research will be presented by the conference.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	The brakes were slammed on by her as the car sped downhill.
B.	She slammed on the brakes as the car sped downhill
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	On Monday, a secret about Eddie was learned.
B.	We learned a secret about Eddie on Monday.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	Paige was annoyed by Mark’s violent outbursts.
B.	Mark annoyed Paige with his violent outbursts.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	Action on the bill is being considered by the committee.
B.	The committee is considering action on the bill.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	The book is being read by most of the class.
B.	Most of the class is reading the book.
	Which sentence is written in active voice?
A.	The researchers will publish their results in the next issue of the journal.
B.	Results will be published in the next issue of the journal.

III.  Mixed Sentences

Directions:  Rewrite each sentence so that it is a lot clearer and there is no confusion between sentence parts.

1.     The reason he likes geology is because the concepts of time are very broad.

2.     He failed geology for the reason that he did not study very much.

IV.  Getting to Know Your Way Around the Between Worlds text.

1.     Your text is divided into three main parts. What are they?

2.     On what page would you start reading about how to write a paragraph?

3.     On what page would you find out how to draft a thesis statement?

4.     On what page would you begin to read about how to write an in-class essay?

5.     What chapter is devoted to learning how to revise an essay?

6.     What chapter offers information about how to analyze a film?

7.     If you were preparing to write a research paper, what chapter would be helpful?

8.     On what page would you find information about how to use books and periodicals in a research paper?

9.     If your instructor announced a quiz on how to use the semi-colon, where in the textbook would you look?

10. Your text provides detailed information on two different styles of research papers. What are those two styles?

11. If an instructor wrote “ww” above a word in your essay, where would you find out what that symbol means? Secondly, what DOES that symbol mean?

12. Where can you find a list of the most common prepositions in the English language?

13. On what pages would you find an essay written by Roger Ebert? Secondly, what is the topic of his essay?

Wednesday, October 24th--6:30 pm

I am so sorry, but I am going to have to cancel class today.
I am hoping most of you will see this message before class this afternoon.
(I awoke with a very bad migraine.)

Later today I will post the quiz for today with instructions. It will be due on Monday.

Again, I apologize for any inconvenience.

2nd posting for October 22nd, Monday

http://registertovote.org/index.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=CPC&utm_term=how%2Bto%2Bregister%2Bonline%2Bto%2Bvote&utm_content=Register&utm_campaign=California%2B-%2BIP

Hello again,
Above is the link that takes you to the voter registration website. In case you have not registered to vote yet, you have until 11:59 pm today, Monday, to do so online. :)

Monday, October 22, 2012--5 pm

Greetings,

Just a reminder from today's class:
Your final revised draft of the One Amazing Thing paragraph is due on Wednesday.  Please attach the rough draft with my comments to the back of the final draft. Thanks!

Also, be sure to bring your text to class.
See you then!

Sunday, October 21st, 2012--2 pm

Hello,

Hope you are enjoying your weekend. As I promised, below is a revised syllabus for the rest of the semester. Please note the changes carefully.

And a reminder--it is a good idea to bring your Between Worlds text to class every day. 

It is not necessary to bring your One Amazing Thing novel any more to class.

Also, here is the information about author Chitra Divakaruni's visit to our campus this Thursday. There are two opportunities to attend a short talk by Ms. Divakaruni. I really  hope all of you can attend one of the events.

"Where the Wild Stories Are"
Reading and Campus Lecture, followed by Book Signing

Provost Charles Gossett will welcome author Chitra Divakaruni, who will read from One Amazing Thing and speak about storytelling. Divakaruni will describe how she developed the ideas for her stories, especially how she came to the idea for One Amazing Thing while evacuating from a hurricane threat. Her talk will explore the idea that each of us has an amazing story in our lives and how to look for their value and importance.

This midday event is free and open to all members of the Sacramento State campus and to members of the community. Books are available for purchase in advance through the Hornet Bookstore for at a 20% discount.
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Time: 1pm to 2pm, followed by a book signing
Location: University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free and open to the campus and public

 

"The Stories that Save Us"
An Evening with the Author: Chitra Divakaruni

Author Chitra Divakaruni will share the genesis for One Amazing Thing. She will touch upon how in volunteering with Hurricane Katrina refugees that she learned the healing power of storytelling. Divakaruni will be introduced by Associate Dean of Undergraduate Studies Sheree Meyer, the Founder of the One Book Program.

This evening event is free and open to all members of the Sacramento community. There will be a sign language interpreter for the event. Books are available for purchase in advance through the Hornet Bookstore for at a 20% discount.
Date: Thursday, October 25, 2012
Time: 7 pm to 8pm, followed by a book signing
Location: University Union Ballroom
Cost: Free and open to the public
Parking: Free parking from 6pm to midnight in Parking Structure III, 6th floor only

++++++++++++++++++++++

Week Nine:  (Oct. 22-26)

Read “Johnny Depp: A Pirate’s Life” pgs. 36-42 & “The Fringe Benefits of Failure, and the Importance of Imagination” pgs. 154-160 (Mon)

Grammar Quiz #7—(Chapter 14: Shifts AND Mixed Sentences) (Wed.)

Week Ten: (Oct. 29-Nov. 2)

Read “Who’s Cheap?” pgs. 45-47 (Mon.)

Grammar Quiz #8—(Chapter 14: Pronoun Reference Agreement AND Faulty Verb Choice) (Wed.)

Week Eleven:  (Nov. 5-9)

Read “Watching my Back” pgs. 57-59

Grammar Quiz #9—(Chapter 14: Misplaced & Dangling Modifiers)

Week Twelve:  (Nov. 12-16)

MONDAY, NOVEMBER 12^TH—VETERAN’S DAY HOLIDAY—NO CLASSES

Read “When a Woman says No” pgs. 67-69 & “Where are you Going, Where have you Been?” pgs. 70-84 (Wed.)

Week Thirteen:  (Nov. 19-23)

View film and 3^rd in-class writing (Mon. and Wed.)

THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 22 & 23—

THANKSGIVING HOLIDAY—NO CLASSES

Week Fourteen (Nov. 26-30)

Critical Thinking Exercise (Mon.)

Grammar Quiz #10—(Chapter 14: Faulty Parallelism) (Wed.)

Week Fifteen (Dec. 3-7) LAST WEEK OF CLASSES

Semester Review of all 10 Grammar Quizzes (Mon.)

Looking Back, Looking Forward Discussion (Wed.)

Week Sixteen (Dec. 10--14) FINALS WEEK

THERE IS NO FINAL EXAM SCHEDULED FOR THIS CLASS.

Monday, October 25th, 2012--10 pm

Hello,

Reminders from class today:

1. Bring a blue or green book to class on Wednesday for the in class essay #2. The essay will be based on the essay, "The Color of Love" on page 15 in your textbook. It will be an open book/open notes writing assignment. Please come prepared to write by reading the essay at LEAST twice and noting any interesting details and moments in the essay. Pay particular attention to the grandmother. What is your impression of her? What kind of woman is she? Why does she do and say the things she does?

2. Your rough draft of the character paragraph based on One Amazing Thing is due on Wednesday, typed, doubled spaced, and set up in MLA format as we have discussed in class.

Sunday, October 14th, 2012--7 pm

Hello,

Just a reminder,
please continue to bring your novel, One Amazing Thing, to class until we complete the writing of the character paragraph.

Of course, you will also be bringing your other text as well since there are readings due for tomorrow as well.

See you then!

Friday, October 12th, 2012--8 pm

Greetings...

A few things....

Continue to read and follow the syllabus.
(Two essays are listed to read for Monday's class.)

Also, the essay on I assigned about writing about YOUR one amazing thing is due on Monday: typed, double spaced and in MLA format, as we discussed in class this week.

REMINDER...
Your second in-class writing (2 of 3) will be on Wednesday. That means, remember to bring a blue or green book to class that day.

Have a great weekend and be safe.
See you Monday.

Monday evening, October 8th, 2012--7:15 pm

Greetings,

A few reminders for this Wednesday's class:

1. Please remember to bring One Amazing Thing to class, as well as your other text, Between Worlds.

2. There will be a quiz on Subject/Verb Agreement.

Also,

here is a writing assignment that is due in one week, Monday, October 15th.

Please type and double space this assignment.

I expect that this writing response will be at least one page, although I am interested in quality and specifics, and NOT interested in reading "fluff."

For this assignment, I want you to imagine that you are one of the nine people trapped after the earthquake, just as the characters were in One Amazing Thing.

What is YOUR story? What one amazing thing would you share?

This writing response may be something very private and personal, so I want to assure you that I will NOT be sharing your response with ANYONE.

I want you to begin setting up your writing responses in MLA format. I will discuss this with you on Wednesday.

Sunday, October 7th, 2012--11:00 am

Hello,

Just a reminder...

If you have not already done so...
You need to have completed the reading of the novel, One Amazing Thing, by tomorrow's class.

Also, be sure to bring the novel to class with you.
(along with the completed take home quiz from last Wednesday)

I hope you are enjoying your weekend. See you tomorrow. :)

Wednesday, October 3, 2012--4:30 pm

Hello,

I am attaching the assignment due on Monday, in case you misplace the one that I distributed in class today.

Reminder, you do not HAVE to type the response to the prompt for "A Cabdriver's Daughter," but you certainly can if you wish.

Name______________________________________________English 10, Section______________

Grammar Quiz #4 – Pronoun Case AND

Writing Response to “A Cabdriver’s Daughter”

PRONOUN CASE  (circle the correct word)

It’s up to (we, us) geologists to warn the people of impending volcanic activity.

The principal made Jayden and (I, me) repair the damage to the auditorium wall.

If it were up to  Sue and (I, me) , the room would have been painted yellow.

The family’s running out of money, but that is a secret between his

mother and (him, he).

I don’t want anyone working but (she, her) working on the project.

*********************************************************************************

“The Cabdriver’s Daughter” by Waheeda Samady

On a separate sheet of paper, please write a response to this question. You may use any notes you took while reading the essay as well as any ideas from our class discussion. When you are finished, please staple your response to the back of this paper and submit.

Prompt: 

It is clear to readers that the relationship between the author, Waheeda Samady, and her father, is a close one; in fact, her family appears to be very close and they enjoy a good relationship with each other.

In your opinion, what makes a good family? Support your opinion with details from the essay. In other words, why specifically is Waheeda’s family a good one?

Monday, October 1, 2012--9 pm

Greetings!

A reminder: please re-read "A Cabdriver's Daughter" and either highlight/underline and make notes or ask questions in the margins as we discussed today in class. Or if you do not wish to write directly in the book, please take notes, etc. on a separate sheet of paper. You will not be handing these notes in to me, but you WILL be using them for an in class writing response.

Also, be sure to read ahead in the syllabus and stay current.

See you Wednesday.

Friday, September 21st, 4:30 pm

Hello, Greetings, and Aloha!

I have arrived back to the mainland "safe and sound." :)

Remember to come prepared on Monday with a blue or green book; either of the two sizes available are  acceptable.

We will spend the first 25 minutes discussing the film, Daughter from Danang, and then you will write an in class essay response. You will have your choice of three prompts and you will only write on ONE.

Review my blog posting about the film and the study questions.

Have a safe and wonderful weekend.

See you Monday.

Wednesday, September 12th, 2012--5 pm

Hello,

Just a few reminders...and a few of them are second or third reminders...:)

1.  I realize that many of you, if not all of you, are still "adjusting" to college life and the expectations from your professors.

However, it is crucial that you take responsibility for planning and staying current with all your classes.
In this class especially, you do not want to be dropped because you are behind in your assignments. You must remain in "good standing" throughout this semester in order to earn a "CR" (CREDIT) and continue on to English 1A with me in the spring.

"Good standing" translates to attending class, participating in class discussions and exercises, and completing reading and writing assignments on time.

2.  If you need a bit of guidance in time management skills, I would be very happy to talk with you about strategies for success.

3.  Read ahead in our course outline and always arrive to class prepared. Also, come to class having read any new updates on the blog.

4. We meet only TWICE A WEEK for an hour and 15 minutes! Even though you have other classes besides for mine, you need to manage your time. If you are already behind in the reading of ONE AMAZING THING, that is NOT a good "sign." :) You have had plenty of time outside of class.

5.  If there ARE personal issues or outside activities and responsibilities that are keeping you from being focused and successful, please talk to me!

Monday, September 10th, 5 pm

Hello,

Lots of information to give to you:

A. As discussed in class today, there will be NO CLASS next week:  Monday Sept. 17th and Wednesday, Sept. 19th. While I am gone, I expect you to view the documentary film, Daughter from Danang, on line. You can locate the film by accessing the link below:

http://www.youtube.com/movie?v=2ueTwnMb8dI&feature=mv_sr

When you open the link, there is a short synopsis of the film that you should read before viewing.

B. While you are viewing the film, you will want to consider the following questions:

STUDY QUESTIONS---THINGS TO THINK ABOUT

1. One reviewer describes the film as a “gut-wrenching examination of the way cultural differences and emotional expectations collide.” Would you agree this is an accurate description? Why or why not? Explain specifically.

2. Were there parts of the film that made you feel uncomfortable? If so, what were those parts and can you articulate why they made you feel uncomfortable?

3. Heidi acutely feels that she has been rejected by two mothers: her birth mother who gave her up and her Tennessee mother, whose cold, untouching demeanor drove a wedge between them. How does this fact impact Heidi and what she ultimately experiences when she returns to Vietnam?

4. The film is considered a very powerful one by many other small filmmakers as well as many reviewers. In your opinion, what makes this an effective or ineffective film?

5. What preconceived ideas about home are proven inaccurate after viewing the film?

6. In an interview with the filmmakers, they admit that when they decided to film Heidi’s return to Vietnam, they assumed that the reunion would be a healing story, a kind of full circle coming home. The war in Vietnam was long over and they felt they could create a film that would ease the collective pain that is still connected to the war. Instead, what they did discover?

7. Some viewers have condemned Heidi for representing an aspect of American culture that they believe is selfish and individualized. What do you think and feel about Heidi’s reaction for the family’s request for money?

C.  I highly recommend that you view the documentary a few times.

D. On Monday, Sept. 24th, please bring a blue or green book to class. This is for your first of three in class responses for this semester. If you have specific and well supported responses for the study questions, you will do well on the essay. (As I mentioned in class, the study questions are simply to help you focus on various elements in the film. You are not required to answer them and submit the answers to me.) On the day of the in class writing, you will have a choice of writing topics. You will choose one only out of four prompts.