Assignment for Wednesday, December 17

Read and annotate ch. 3 of Sandel's What Money Can't Buy. We will discuss it for at least the first half of class. Print out two copies of your exploratory essay. You will peer edit it in the second half of class.

Assignment for Monday, December 15

Have at least three pages of your exploratory essay written, and email them to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com. Bring a digital copy or laptop to work on it in class. Also, bring What Money Can't Buy. We will continue the discussion about economic thinking, and see how it should or shouldn't apply to everyday decisions.

Assignment for Thursday, December 11

Write one page of the exploratory essay. The handout describing it is posted to the right. Email it to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com, and bring a digital copy to work on in class. Also, bring What Money Can't Buy.

Assignment for Friday, December 5

Prepare for your poetry recitation on Tuesday, December 9. Also, read and annotate chapter 1 on Sandel's What Money Can't Buy.

Click here for the transcripts of all the interviews in the Park Avenue documentary we viewed in class.

Assignment for Wednesday, December 3

Continue to prepare your poem for the recitation on Tuesday, December 9. Read and annotate the introduction to Michael Sandel's What Money Can't Buy.

Assignment for Monday, Nov. 24

Before class email to me (mrmontasmph@gmail.com) your essay on Much Ado about Nothing. (Topics are posted to the right.)

Bring a printed copy of your Poetry Out Loud poem. We will work on it in class. The date of your recitation is Tuesday, Dec. 9.

Lastly, bring your copy of Michael Sandel's What Money Can't Buy. We will begin discussing it in class.

Assignment for Tuesday, Nov. 18

Finish reading Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. You will have a writing exercise in class (four-to-five short answer questions) about the play. You will not be able to use your book.

Also, continue looking at poems for the Poetry Out Loud recitation. Some of you will be happy to know that Philip Larkin's "The Mower" is eligible for the competition. You can find it here.

Assignment for Friday, Nov. 14

Finish reading Act 4 of Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. Also, look at the essay topics about Much Ado about Nothing that are posted to the right. This essay is due on Monday, November 24. Email it to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com.

Assignment for Wednesday, Nov. 12

Finish reading Act 3 of Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. You do not have a writing assignment.

Assignment for Wednesday, November 5

Finish reading Act 2 of Much Ado about Nothing (pp. 23-39). You do not have a writing assignment.

Assignment for Monday, November 3

Read and annotate to the end of Act 1 (p. 17) in Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. Email (mrmontasmph@gmail.com) your answers to two of the following questions before class on Monday. (If you have misplaced your copy of the book, here is a reliable online edition of the play, but the line numbers do not match those below.)

1. When his brother is present, Don John masks his ill will. However, Shakespeare often gives his villains opportunities to confess their secret thoughts to the audience. Write a monologue for Don John (at least eight lines) that he might speak at the end of Act 1, scene 3, after Borachio and Conrad have left. Write it in the same prose style that Don John uses earlier in the scene.

2. In Act 1, we see Benedick the returning soldier, carefree and unconcerned with love. But is he? Write two entries from Benedick's diary: one written that evening, and one written after an earlier meeting with Beatrice before he went away to war. What does he really think of Beatrice? What are his thoughts after their latest "skirmish of wit" in Act 1, scene 1, lines 94-119?

3. This play has many powerful men: two princes (Don Pedro and Don John), a count (Claudio), a signor (Benedick), and a governor (Leonato). How do Beatrice and Hero cope with being around such potentially intimidating men? Why would Beatrice and Hero be so close when they have such different, even contrasting, personalities?

The preceding questions were adapted from the second edition of The Cambridge School Shakespeare edition of Much Ado about Nothing (2005).

Assignments for Friday, Oct. 24, and Tuesday, Oct. 28

By the end of Friday's class, email to me at least five entries for your annotated bibliography (mrmontasmph@gmail.com). During class, you may work on your annotated bibliography or, if you have a Nov. 1 application deadline, you may work on your college essay. 

By the end of Tuesday's class, email to me at least 8 entries for your annotated bibliography. You will work on it in class, but you'll want to have as much done as possible so I can tell you how to improve it during class.  

Assignment for Monday, Oct. 20

Read one of the three articles on Shakespeare's language that are linked below, then read the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and one of the two sonnets that are also linked. In class, we will discuss the sonnets in light of the information presented in the article, and we will begin Shakespeare's Much Ado about Nothing. Lastly, we will go over the expectations for the annotated bibliography.

Article 1: Read this if Shakespeare is difficult for you.
Article 2: Read this if you're okay with reading Shakespeare, but you don't consider it a strong suit.
Article 3: Read this if you've done pretty well with reading Shakespeare in previous classes. Don't worry about remembering the names of rhetorical devices; focus on what their descriptions and the examples.

Romeo and Juliet, Act 2, scene 2, ll. 1-49
Sonnet 116
Sonnet 138

Prompts for the In-Class Essay on Thursday, Oct. 16

Here are the prompts you developed in class for Thursday's essay on Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls. I will select two of them, and you will write about one of them. This means you should prepare two of the prompts to cover your bases. 

Don't overlook the notes you took about how to write an in-class essay. I will let you use those notes (and your book), but those notes should guide your preparation for the essay. When you come into class, you should have a preliminary thesis, key supporting points, and relevant evidence for two of the prompts. The prompts will be worded a little differently, but their essence will be the same. 

1. Compare societies and conditions that lead people to act on their consciences. Refer to at least two. 

2. What defines a person's moral tipping point?  At what point would someone say, "We have to change what we're doing"? How far could someone go? (Refer to at least two of the people discussed in the book.)

3. When is it okay for your conscience to override the law? (Just to clarify, your response to this prompt needs to address the tension between following your conscience and following orders.) This prompt will probably ask you to discuss the significance of the term "beautiful souls" and allow you to discuss the character you most relate to. The emphasis, however, is on the first part, your conscience and the law. You'll have to refer to at least two of the people discussed in the book. 

Assignments for Tuesday, Oct. 14, and Thursday, Oct. 16

Tuesday, Oct. 14: Read and annotate up to p. 174 in Press's Beautiful Souls. In class, we will first discuss the reading, then you will read the Epilogue, and we'll conclude by developing questions for Thursday's in-class essay. 

Thursday, Oct. 16: You will write an in-class essay on Beautiful Souls. Prepare two of the three potential topics we agreed on in class. (You will write one essay, and you can use your book.) 

Assignment for Tuesday, October 7

In Press's Beautiful Souls, read and annotate pp. 47-84 (chapter 2, "Defying the Group"). Write a well-developed paragraph that explains how the challenges faced by this chapter's main character differ from those faced by Paul Gruninger.

For those who are interested, here is an interview with Christopher Browning, author of Ordinary Men.

Model Student Research Papers

Linked below are some model research papers by high school and college students. Not all of them are as long as yours will be, nor do they all touch on the range of topics that you are writing about. Most of these emerged from pure research interests and do not have a project component, as most of yours do. Nevertheless, it will be helpful to look at these papers as the outcomes of the same kinds of research processes you are engaged in.

Effects of Food Deprivation on Concentration and Perseverance (APA; 12 pages)
The Origins of 20th Century Islamic Fundamentalism (Chicago; 30 pages)
Toward a Recovery of Nineteenth Century Farming Handbooks (MLA; 11 pages)
Adaptive Manipulation of Offspring Sex Ratio as a Means of Ameliorating Sexual Conflict in Drosophila Melanogaster (APA; 28 pages)
Developmental Psychology Paper (APA; 19 pages)
Lollard Bible Translation (Chicago; 17 pages)
Promoting Renewable Energy Generation in the United States (23 pages)
Music Education: Its Importance and Place in Today's Education System (APA; 24 pages)
Governance, Club Structure, and Spending Power in the German Bundesliga (Chicago; 24 pages)

For those of you who are going to El Salvador, you might also be interested in the work of these students. You won't be able to see all of these papers, but some are available, and you can see the titles and abstracts.

For more student research papers, visit these sites at Yale, University of Puget Sound, University of Michigan, Virginia Commonwealth University, Columbia (science or sustainable development), The Concord Review, W. W. Norton (publisher), and The Council on Undergraduate Research.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 29 and Friday, Oct, 3

Finish the Research Prospectus (which is posted to the right), and email it to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me.

For Friday, Oct. 3, read and annotate pp. 3-46 in  Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls (handed out during Wednesday's class). You don't have a writing assignment with this reading, but read it carefully nonetheless.

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 24

Complete the Action Plan you started in class on Monday. (If you weren't in class, the directions are posted to the right.) You should email this to me at mrmontasmph@gmail.com with the subject line "Action Plan," but print out a copy for Mrs. Neuner. (Bring the printed copy to class; I'll give it to Mrs. Neuner.) If you have finished it, you might want to look at the guidelines for the Research Prospectus that is due Monday, Sept. 29. It is also posted to the right.

The Mentor Commitment Letter, which is also due on Wednesday, Sept. 24, is posted to the right, and it is available here.

Assignment for Monday, Sept. 22

Finish writing your senior blurb (or senior reflection). Bring to class or have access to an electronic copy that you can work on (your laptop, a flashdrive, Google Docs, and the like). Also, have your mentor sign the Mentor Commitment Letter. It is due on Wednesday, September 24. Lastly, begin working on the Action Plan for the STP. The directions are posted to the right, and it is also due on Wednesday, September 24.

Assignment for Thursday, Sept. 18

Come to class on Thursday with at least twenty sources available only at Bird Library (http://library.syr.edu). Maintain a list of the sources that you can refer to easily when you arrive at the library. With books, the call number should be sufficient, but make sure you write it accurately. With journal articles, write the title of the article, the publication, and the date of publication. You should have a healthy mix of books and journals (one kind of source shouldn't make up more than two-thirds of your list). Mix in other materials (recordings, original documents, government reports, and so on) as needed. 

Assignment for Tuesday, Sept. 16

Because of the late posting of this assignment (apologies), just do the reading that is not crossed out below. We will look for sources for your paper in class. Notice, too, that the permission form for the library field trip is posted to the right. Please print it out, have a parent sign it, and give it to me by Thursday.

1. Find five more sources from SU's Bird Library for your research paper.
2. Read Ch. XVII of Hobbes's Leviathan (available here--scroll down), and Chs. II, V, and VII of John Locke's Second Treatise on Government (available here, here, and here).

Assignment for Friday, Sept. 12

Read Chs. XIII and XIV of Thomas Hobbes's Leviathan (available here and here). This is a very challenging reading. Don't wait until Thursday night to read it. You will have to write a response to Hobbes in class. Also, bring your Pocket Style Manual and The Craft of Research to class.

Assignment for Wednesday, Sept. 10

Read and annotate pp. 16-27 in The Craft of Research ("Connecting with Your Reader"). Do not stop at the black box on p. 25; continue reading through the next two pages, to p. 27. In class, you will answer the questions on pp. 26-27, but you will find them helpful for thinking about the following writing assignment: In one page or so, describe the ideal reader for your research paper, describe your role as a researcher (based on pp. 18-20), and describe the reader's role in developing your research (based on pp. 20-24). Even if you send the homework as an attachment, please email it to mrmontasmph@gmail.com. Do not send homework to my MPH email address or my other Gmail address. Do not print the homework, either. Email it to mrmontasmph@gmail.com.

Also, look for your Pocket Style Manual. You do not have an additional. The other reading I mentioned on social obligation will be given to you in class on Wednesday, and you'll read it during class.

Assignments for Thursday, Sept. 4, and Monday, Sept. 8

For Thursday, Sept. 4: Part 1 of the Summer Assignment is due.

For Monday, Sept. 8: Read and annotate the handout distributed in class from The Craft of Research. Write at least one well-developed paragraph that describes or explains any concerns you have about conducting research for your senior thesis.Your paragraph may be improved if you reflect on how The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking might help you write the senior thesis. Email this assignment to me as a Word document or share it with me via Google Docs (mrmontasmph@gmail.com).

Summer Assignment

Welcome to The Senior Seminar! I hope your summer is off to a great start. Click here for the summer reading and writing assignment. (It's also posted to the right.) If you have any questions, don't hesitate to get in touch with me via my school email. Have a great summer, and see you in September!

Prompts for Monday's Essay

Here are the prompts you designed for Monday's essay on Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget. I will modify the language, and I will incorporate a reviewer's statement into the prompt. You will see just two of these topics on Monday, so if you only prepare one of them, you are taking a significant risk.

1. How does technology affect what it means to be human?
2. Are technological advancements worth the constraints they put on us?
3. What are the mindsets that foster or undermine a humanistic approach to technological interaction?

Vacation Reading

Over the vacation, finish reading and annotating Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget. You do not have a writing assignment with this reading. On Tuesday, April 29, the first class after the vacation, we will develop essay topics for this book.

Assgnment for Thursday, April 17

Read and annotate to p. 147 in Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget. Also, write at least one typed page defining or explaining the ideal relationship between people and digital technology. Be sure to take Lanier's arguments into consideration as you develop your position. 

Assignment for Tuesday, April 15

Read and annotate up to p. 137 of Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget. You do not have a writing assignment.

Assignment for Thursday, April 3

Read and annotate to p. 44 in Jaron Lanier's You Are Not a Gadget. Pay particular attention to how he tries to persuade the reader of his point of view. 

Assignments for Monday, March 24, and Wednesday, March 26

For Monday, finish reading and annotating Press's Beautiful Souls (ch. 4 and the epilogue). There is no writing assignment.

On Wednesday, you will write an in-class essay on Beautiful Souls.

Assignment for Wednesday, March 19

In Press's Beautiful Souls, read and annotate Chapter 3, "The Rules of Conscience," pp. 85-129.  You have no writing assignment.

For Monday, March 17

Read and annotate chapter 2 of Eyal Press's Beautiful Souls. Write one or two well-developed paragraphs in response to each of the following question: Press writes,  "[W]hat ultimately determines moral conduct are not character traits, personal beliefs, or political attitudes but situational factors ... 'Studies designed to test whether people behave differently in ways that might reflect their having different character traits have failed to find relevant differences,' the philosopher Gilbert Harman has argued. 'It may even be the case that there is no such thing as character.'" (29) Do you agree with this position? What do you think determined moral conduct?

Essay for Tuesday, March 11

Here are your topics for the Beloved essay; it should be three pages in length and it is due in class on Tuesday, March 11. 

In Toni Morrison's Beloved, how does the memory of slavery affect the characters's perception of the present? Select three of the following characters to develop your analysis: Sethe, Beloved, Paul D, Stamp Paid.

How does selfishness shape the the memories of the characters in Toni Morrison's Beloved and Akira Kurosawa's Rashomon? 

If you need to review scenes from Rashomon, you can find a fully translated copy of the movie here:  http://youtu.be/38WdmtBOo34

For Friday, Feb 28

Read and annotate to p. 195 in Morrison's Beloved, and write one page comparing how memory works in the novel and how it works in Kurosawa's Rashomon. Since the novel and the film have a lot to say about memory, your response will be more successful if you focus on particular moments from each text. 

For Friday, February 7, and Tuesday, February 11

We will discuss the Eula Biss essay and introduce Toni Morrison's Beloved. You have no new work for tomorrow since we didn't have a chance to introduce Morrison's novel.

For Tuesday, read pp. 3-33 in Beloved. As we discussed in class, write a one-page commentary about the reading.

Assignment for Wednesday, February 5

Read and annotate Eula Biss's "No Man's Land" (handout). Write at least one page (preferably typed) that explains, first, the different meanings of "no man's land" in the essay and, second, the contributions of those different meanings to Biss's argument.

Assignment for Monday, February 3

Read and annotate Shelby Steele, "I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent?" and write at least one page (preferably typed) in response to the following prompt: Steele writes, "I think the racial struggle in America has always been primarily a struggle for innocence" (p. 47). First, what does Steele mean by innocence? Second, using your understanding of American history and society, is Steele right?

Assignment for Thursday, January 30

Read and annotate John Hope Franklin, "The Great Confrontation" (available on JSTOR if you missed class). Write two paragraphs in response to this reading: the first paragraph should summarize the reading; the second should critically respond to its main points. (Note that "critical" does not have to be "negative.")

Upcoming readings: Monday, February 3: Shelby Steele, "I'm Black, You're White, Who's Innocent?" (handout); Wednesday, February 5: Eula Biss, "No Man's Land" (handout, from Notes from No Man's Land); Friday, February 7: Toni Morrison, Beloved, pp. 3-23. Homework writing assignments are forthcoming.