Guideline for Reading Responses
Description:
3 reading responses are assigned. The due dates are February 15th, March 29th, and April 19th. You may submit these assignments in any order.
One response should analyze a young adult novel, of any length (and literary quality). Analyze the book much like we do in class.
One response should analyze a teen film, either a film aimed at a teen audience or one that just represents teens. If you are especially stuck I have a library of films in my office which you can borrow.
One response should analyze something other than a novel or film. This can include poetry, short stories, photography, music, comic books, graphic novels, websites, blogs, videogames, fashion, technology, a television episode, etc. I mention a television episode because I know many people may feel stuck and I want to leave that as an option. But I really want to encourage you to seek out something different, something unusual.
Please pay careful attention to what this assignment is asking for in the requirements below, and check out the sample responses from semesters past.
Requirements:
1. 3-4 page minimum,
typed, double spaced, stapled, 1 inch margins, no titles necessary. I would encourage you to feel free to write
more – short papers with choppy sentences, quick paragraphs, and undeveloped
ideas will naturally get much lower grades.
Each response should be at least
onto the third page or it will fail.
2. The text you analyze MUST be something outside of our assigned readings. You cannot write on a text we are discussing in class, but you may discuss something mentioned in class. If it is an outside text we go over together for some reason, and you’d like to use it for a response, strive to say much more than the things we went over in class.
3. Demonstrate strong, quality writing.
That means your responses will be proofread, that you will have met all of the
expectations, and that they are especially thoughtful. It should be
obvious that you have taken your time to write something substantial. I am looking for all of the qualities of
strong writing: interesting ideas, compelling evidence, good organization. You don’t have to take a month to write it,
but I am not looking for something you throw together at the last minute.
4. I DON’T WANT:
As you know, those simply aren’t the kinds of approaches we are taking in this class. Avoid phrases like, "This book teaches a valuable lesson about . . ." or "It is important for teens to learn . . .” or “This book is good because it teaches . . . .” We will discuss the idea that books don’t necessarily have to teach lessons, so you shouldn’t state it as though it is obviously true in your responses.
5. Apply concepts. Make sure at some point in your responses
you use some term or concept that we have discussed in class. Use the term by name and always give a sense
of what the term means to you, in your own words.
6. Avoid generalizations, avoid the teen
mystique. We’ll try to challenge
these generalizations throughout the semester.
Avoid talking about teens as though they are all the same, about what
they will like, what they won’t like, what it is important for them to know,
etc. Be careful how you phrase your
ideas.
7. Support your ideas. You can include opinions, but remember what
the responses are about – to demonstrate that you understand a term we have
been talking about. If you make
judgments about a book, always support your ideas with things we have been
talking about. Some of the best papers
really explore ideas by talking about what you are thinking (that is a great
thing to do) but aren’t merely reactions.
For instance, a good response might say, “This movie does seem very
progressive when you look at it, and that has really changed my opinion about
teen movies.” That is a great thing to
write, it shows you are thinking about the idea, and your ideas are
changing. On the other hand, saying,
“This movie is good because it is so funny” is more of an opinion, doesn’t
really show you exploring an idea.
8. Use quotations and examples,
lots of them. Whenever you say something
about a text, make it a point to refer to an example. For films, take notes of dialogue for
transcription in the response.
Include page numbers with every quotation (if it is a book,
count if you have to) or be clear about examples if it isn’t a book. For these responses, I am not as concerned
with works cited pages. Make sure that
if you quote something, however, it is in quotation marks and include some
citation (I prefer MLA style). Otherwise, taking others ideas as your own is
plagiarism, and with any sign of plagiaridm .
9. Please include
your name and our section number, so
I can keep things straight.
10. I would like you
to be sure to pledge these
responses.
General
Suggestions:
It is difficult to talk about exactly what makes an A paper, because an intelligent, surprising, well-argued, insightful paper can look a million different ways. There is no single set of things I can tell you to do exactly, or a few things to change, and even if I had an exact set of things I was looking for, that still doesn't mean it is always easy to write a paper like that. Essentially what I am looking for is a compact, intelligent, surprising, well-argued, insightful paper - a paper that not only shows that you have been thinking about the ideas, but that you are really trying to learn and grow.
Here are general things to keep in mind:
You don't have to have an obvious thesis statement (such as, “I am going to show how this book reinforces the teen mystique”), and you especially don’t have to have a 5-paragraph essay, where you tell me what you are going to tell me, tell me in the three paragraphs, and then summarize what you told me. Start talking about your primary ideas and if you have strong connections then your ideas will make sense to a reader. Try not to take up a completely new idea in each paragraph
If you want to strengthen the paper, concentrate on examples. When I look at the essay I should see several page numbers, quotations, and / or discussions of your examples. Lead into your quotations and examples, and then explain the example or quotation afterwards in the next couple of sentences. Say, "for instance," and "for example" a lot throughout the paper.
As you read through your book, or watch the film, whatever, think to yourself, "Is there an issue or concept that jumps out at me? Things like interpellation, or the teen mystique, or narrative voice? What are some examples of that concept? Is that issue connected with something else we talked about?" Start the essay by just talking about a concept that leaps out at you, like interpellation.
Stop by my office hours with drafts. I am always willing to work through ideas with you.
Also, look for SAMPLE RESPONSES elsewhere on my webpage.
Grading:
Grading is based on the intersection of five criteria – understanding of concept, application through examples, overall sense of course issues, choice of assignment, quality of writing.
A: 1. Excellent understanding of the terms used. It is clear the writer understands what she or he is talking about. In all, it is clear that the writer thought
about the concept until she or he understood it, and then applied it in interesting ways.
2. Paper uses a variety of interesting examples that are clearly explained and clearly support larger points.
3. Response shows that the writer is thinking about issues from the course. Writer makes a series of interesting connections, going beyond things we
have talked about, bringing up new ideas. Occasionally refers to our discussions, or books we have read.
4. Writer chooses to analyze something interesting. Either they chose an interesting topic or looked at a common book in an interesting way. Writer
took the time to come up with an interesting paper.
5. Strong paragraphs. Sentences vary in length and rhythm, and are pleasurable to read. Interpretations are smart, and clearly go beneath the surface.
Overall: An exciting, provocative, insightful analysis that could easily appear as an example on the webpage.
B: 1. Good understanding of the terms used. The writer is still a little unsure about what she or he is talking about, but tries very hard to make sense of it.
2. There are a few examples, but they may not be surprising – just enough to make the point. Typically a new example in each new paragraph, and in
the end just a few examples overall.
3. Paper applies a concept or two in good ways, but not much of a sense of how those ideas overlap with things we have been talking about in class.
The essay does what it should, but doesn’t necessarily push our ideas further in interesting ways.
4. Fair choice for the assignment. A good basic application of a term in relation to a text.
5. The essay is a little too structured, not very fluid, although not as basic as a C essay. Writing could be a little more sophisticated.
Overall: Still it is pretty good,
and evidence that the writer is thinking about ideas, and is learning.
C: 1. Definitions and applications of concepts are basic, or repetitions of what we went over in class. Writer isn’t quite sure of what the term means
exactly, other than what we basically went over in class.
2. There aren’t many examples, only a few and they aren’t described very well or connected to larger points.
3. No clear understanding of the issues we have gone over in class.
4. Writer doesn’t really do anything interesting with the assignment. Does what is required.
5. There are only a few paragraphs, the essay isn’t very long, and the sentences are choppy or repetitious. Grammar or poor word choice interfere with
reading it. Or paper is a 5 paragraph essay, with each new paragraph introducing a brand new idea.
Overall: Paper meets requirements. Doesn’t show understanding of the things we have been talking about. Some element of the paper is poor.
D: 1. A very basic idea of the term.
2. No real examples.
3. Paper makes only a couple of vague points based on unsupported reactions to the book or general assumptions about childhood.
4. Not a very interesting choice for the assignment
5. Papers are quickly or sloppily written, are unclear, and
Overall: A paper you could have written without having ever taken this class.
F: 1. Applies no term from class.
2. Uses no example from text.
3. No understanding of anything we have gone over.
4. Uses assigned text from class. Or there isn’t really any text that is being analyzed.
5. Paper is less than 3 pages. Paper is plagiarized. Paper is written so poorly that it cannot be considered to have met the assignment in any way.
Overall: Fails to meet the assignment.
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Questions to consider:
In what ways does the
text you have chosen reinforce or challenge the Teen Mystique – or our tendency
to view adolescents less as individuals than as potential problems?
If the text seems to
challenge the Teen Mystique, does it nevertheless reinforce those assumptions
in unintentional ways? and vice versa?
What assumptions
about adolescence does the author bring, or the text present without examining?
Assumptions like: irrational,
emotional, going through a phase, in desperate need of help, dangerous,
sexualized, confused, angst-ridden, vulnerable, immoral, directionless,
inconsiderate, helpless, unstable; or resilient, capable, brave, individual,
etc.