AP / Honors - The Next Empire?

Read the article entitled The Next Empire? by Howard W. French.  You are required to present, in pairs, the article to the rest of the class on Thursday, 10/7 and Friday, 10/8.  We will discuss this article inside and outside of class to address how it applies to both the texts we are reading.  I have listed 10 questions of mine below, but I want you to take your own direction with this article.  What connections do you find?  What strikes your interest?  However, I do think these questions will help us better understand the piece of journalism.

Questions to answer in short responses.  Due Monday 10/4 and Tuesday 10/5.

1.  Do you believe China is replacing England and America in Africa?  Why?  Why not?
2.  Does Africa need China or does China need Africa?  Or both?
3.  What problems have arisen as a result of China's investment in Africa?
4.  Which issue in particular seems to evoke the strongest emotions in Africa?
5.  Detail Dambisa Moyo's views on Africa.
6.  Summarize Martin Davies's views on Africa.
7.  How does the train symbolize the history of foreign investment in China?
8.  What does Jamie Monson have to say in regard to the importance of the railroad in Africa?
9.  How does the market in Kapiri symbolize contemporary Africa?
10.  The ubiquitous question posed at the end of the article is as follows: "How does their continent [Africa] overcome a pattern of extractive foreign engagement - beginning with its first contact with Europe, when gold or slaves were acquired in exchange for cloth and trinkets - that is still discernible today?"  So what do you think?  Does Africa have the chance to "overcome" this pattern?  Or is it doomed to exploitation, be it financial, religious, or political?

Things Fall Apart Assignment 1

Apply the 5 Questions to the first two chapters of the novel (1-15).  Your responses must be specific and use details from the text as support.  Please limit yourself  to 3 sentences per response.

1.  Who?  Okonkwo / Unoka / Nwoye / Ikefuma / Ekwefi

2.  What?  What are the key events?  What themes do you see emerging?

3.  When?  When does the novel take place?  How do we know the time period?  Use specific evidence.

4.  Where?  Where does the novel take place?  How do we know this?  Give specific locales in the text.

5.  Why?  Why are these events occurring?  What is driving the action of the text?

Due Friday, 10/1 by Midnight.

Heart of Darkness Assignment 1 - Honors / AP

Read to the point when Marlow reaches the continent of Africa.

Answer the following questions in short-response format.  You must incorporate quotes into your responses.

1.  Identify the "frame story."
2.  Identify the two narrators.
3.  Identify how the theme of Darkness is being portrayed.
4.  Identify the thread of "Colonial Irony" in respect to Africa and England.  How does "darkness" and "light" play into this irony?
5.  Why is the setting so crucial to the understanding of the novel as a whole?  Where is the "story" being told?  Where is the "story" taking place?

Due Friday, 10/1 by Midnight

Vocabulary 5 Gap Fill

Write 10 Gap-fills with the words from Vocabulary 5.  Example: Mr. Phillips tried to _________________ his students by not giving them a quiz.  DO NOT PUT THE ANSWER IN THE BLANK.  The students will do so on the day the assignment is due.  The answer for the example above is "appease."  Remember to guide the reader towards the answer you want them to give.  Therefore, make sure the sentence gives clues as to what you are looking for.

Due Wednesday, September 29th for A Block

        Thursday, September 30th for B Block

Vocabulary 5 Quiz

Vocabulary 5 Quiz will be on Friday, October 1st for A Block.  Monday, October 4th for B Block.

Vocabulary 1 Quiz

There will be a quiz over Vocabulary 1 on September 9th and 10th.  You must know the definition, be able to make examples of the terms on your own, and be able to identify them in an excerpt.

Flash Fiction Assignment

Please find a selection of Flash Fiction that interests you.  Then write a 1 page response on how 3 of the literary devices off your list helped create this story.  In other words, how did the author's selection of these devices form the story?  Also, was the implementation of these devices successful?  Did they work?  Make sure to attach the short story to your writing.  Due Thursday, September 1st for A Block and Monday, September 6th for B Block.