Expectations for the Group Presentations Are As Follows

Expectations for the Group Presentations Are As Follows

Group Presentations

Expectations for the group presentations are as follows:

  • Each member is to contribute in some way. This means that when the group plans to meet, you must be an active participant within the group.
  • Divide the work evenly—do not allow one person to do all or nothing in the group. If I receive word that a group member is not pulling his/her weight, he/she will receive a 0% for this grade. In order to maintain accuracy and consistency, you will keep an individual work log and each group member is to sign it for one another, verifying group work from every group member.
  • For your presentation, you and your group are responsible to “teach” that section to the class—you are the experts on those particular chapters from the book. Since this book is written in a “short story” type of format, you and your group can read your sections first so that you can begin preparing your presentation…which is to include:
  • A summary of the chapters you are responsible for
  • How this is connected to the book as a whole (up to this point)
  • Major symbols/motifs/themes present in your section
  • At least 3 discussion topics that are reflective of the book and our modern world (make connections)

**Note: for groups with 4 people, each person is responsible to present ONE of the above requirements (everyone must speak during the presentation)

: for groups with 3 people, you will decide which of the above is the most challenging one for your group and split that one—both in work and during the presentation.

: for pairs, you will each choose one to do independently and then evenly split the work for the other two.

Reader Response Criteria

You will only have two reader responses for this novel, which means there will be a greater requirement for them, which are as follows:

Select one of the chapters you read up to that point and reflect on it in terms of…

  • Characters (who did you relate to and who did you not relate to and why?)
  • Symbols (list and define at least one major symbol within that chapter)
  • Theme (what was the major theme of that chapter and how do you know that?)
  • Quotes (a. list at least 3 quotes that illustrate your theme

b. list one quote or section that YOU connected with and explain why)

Use the template on my website

Writing Assignments

These may be hand-written or typed, whichever is easier for you, but they MUST be with you at the start of class on their respective due dates (see page one of this packet for due dates).

#1: write one paragraph (7-10 sentences) that describes something you carry with you now or something you carried with you as a child. This has to be a physical thing. Discuss what makes this thing meaningful to you.

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#2: Imagine you are going off to war and you can only take three personal items with you. What three things do you take and why? (this response should be a paragraph).

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#3: Write a short essay (2-3 paragraphs) that talks about the differences between a memoir and fiction. You might want to explore the following questions: Is it acceptable to invent scenes or dialogue when writing a memoir? Why or why not? Is it right to add elements of real-life events in fictional writing? If so, must the author let the reader know what is factual and what is not?

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#4: Now that you have read “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong,” write a short essay (2-3 paragraphs) on Mary Anne’s transformation from an innocent high school girl into a predatory killer. How does her gender change the reader’s expectations about her reactions to the war? How does she defy those expectations? What does the story tell us about the nature of the Vietnam War?

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#5: After reading “Field Trip,” choose one of the soldiers in the field the night Kiowa dies and write a condolence letter from that character to Kiowa’s family. Be prepared to discuss what information you choose to include and what you choose to exclude.

Final Assignment

Type a 1 ½-2 page essay on your reaction to this book. You need to go beyond expressing a simple like or dislike. Define and discuss the emotions you felt while reading this book and examine why you felt the ways in which you did. Which characters and scenes did you relate to most and which remained strange and/or difficult to comprehend? Did you find the resolution of the book satisfying? Comforting? Disturbing? Why?

FINAL ASSESSMENT IS DUE WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18. MUST BE TYPED AND PRINTED BEFORE YOU ARRIVE TO CLASS

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