Assignment for Wednesday Jan. 31, Thursday, Feb. 1, and Friday, Feb. 2

For Wednesday, have four-to-five pages of your research writing ready for me to grade.

For Thursday and Friday, prepare two topics for a possible essay on "Story of Your Life" and Arrival. In addition, look at the rubric linked below, and try to add brief descriptions for the various expectations. For example, what would make someone's use of evidence receive a superlative, competent, adequate, or poor ranking?

Extemporaneous Speech Rubric

Tuesday and Wednesday in Class Readings

Read this interview with the screenwriter of Arrival, and then read two of the following three pieces on Arrival and "Story of Your Life." Compare the authors' observations on the two texts, and note the differences and similarities in their writing styles.

The Arrival of Ted Chiang (1843 Magazine)
What We've Got Here (Los Angeles Review of Books)
When They Came from Another World (New York Review of Books)

Assignments for Friday, Jan. 26, to Wednesday, Jan. 31

For Friday (Day 6) and Monday (Day 1), complete one additional page of your research writing. By this class, you should be up to four pages of research writing. If you're having trouble getting there, you need to communicate with me to explain your challenges. We will continue watching Arrival.

For Tuesday and Wednesday, four-to-five pages of research writing are due. This writing will be graded, so revise and edit your writing accordingly. You must include citations for your sources, but you do not need to include a complete bibliography.

Assignments for Tuesday, Jan. 23, Wednesday, Jan. 24, and Thursday, Jan. 25

For Tuesday (Day 3), have two pages (or the equivalent) written for the STP research writing. Be prepared to share it with me via Google Classroom. (We will begin the transition to Google Classroom during class.)

For Wednesday (Day 4) and Thursday (Day 5), write one additional page of your STP research writing.

Assignment for Thursday, Jan. 18, Friday, Jan. 19, Monday, Jan. 22, and Tuesday, Jan. 23

Thursday (Day 6): Finish "Story of Your Life" (to p. 145). You will also have a short in-class writing assignment on Chiang's stories, and then we'll begin watching Arrival.

For Friday (Day 1): Read this short article about how Ted Chiang's "Story of Your Life" became the movie Arrival. Then read this longer New Yorker profile of Ted Chiang, "Ted Chiang's Soulful Science Fiction." Also, read the guides to research writing posted to the right that are appropriate to your kind of research writing. We will begin the research writing during Friday's class.

For Monday (Day 2) and Tuesday (Day 3), have two pages (or the equivalent) written for the STP research writing. Be prepared to share it with me via Google Classroom. (We will begin the transition to Google Classroom during class.)

Assignments for Friday, Jan. 12 to Thursday, Jan. 18

For Friday, Jan. 12 (Day 3): In Ted Chiang's collection Stories of Your Life and Others, read pp. 91-113 of "Story of Your Life." This is the story that the film Arrival was based on. If you've seen Arrival, the story is very different in its structure.

For Tuesday, Jan. 16 (Day 4): In Ted Chiang's collection Stories of Your Life and Others, read pp. 91-121 (to the bottom of the page) of "Story of Your Life." This is the story that the film Arrival was based on. If you've seen Arrival, the story is very different in its structure.

For Wednesday (Day 5) and Thursday (Day 6): Finish "Story of Your Life" (to p. 145). You will also have a short in-class writing assignment on Chiang's stories, and then we'll begin watching Arrival.