American Literature Colonial Research Mr Thomas Purpose: To examine the history of the United States Colonial Period and connect it to the literature we read in class. Assignment: Below you will find categorized research (complete with links to the sites you are to read). Each section will have different expectations. Individually complete the task for each. Then, as a group project (of two), complete a Powerpoint/Multi-Media Presentation that captures your understanding of the period. Listen: Puritan Rap ( Plymouth Rock ) America is Faith, Family (Clan), and Money. It all starts in the Reformation, which led to the Puritans, which led to the Pilgrims, which led to Plymouth Rock. Listen to this song and, in the box below, write on Tone Word (describing word) that captures the point of this story. Then, below the word, write a 50-word summary of how/why/what the Pilgrims/Reformation contributed to life in early America.
The Colonial Period Click the link above. Then, in your own words, type the elements you find most important about the page: Region Descriptions Immigration Patterns Northern Colonies Southern Colonies Summary Statement (OCI PARAGRAPH):
American Revolution: Reading is not always easy. Sometimes you need to break down a difficult passage into its smaller parts. As you read these next few documents, follow the instructions in the boxes below: Thomas Paine, Speech to the House of the Virginia Commons: Read the speech there are 7 paragraphs. For each paragraph, write a keyword/words in the box to the left. On the right, write a paraphrase for each of the separate paragraphs: Key Words Summary of Paragraphs Paragraph 1 Paragraph 2 Paragraph 3 Paragraph 4 Paragraph 5 Paragraph 6 Paragraph 7 Benjamin Franklin, Response to Thomas Paine (just the letter portion) In the box below, find three warnings Franklin gives Thomas Paine. In the box to the left, put the idea in your own words. In the box to the right, put the exact quotation with the proper citations. Example: But were you to succeed, Franklin asks Paine, do you imagine... Translation Exact Quotation
Written Response (Creative Writing): After reading the two sides, write a They Say/I Say Response. To do so, write a letter to Benjamin Franklin telling him what you think about the debate he s having with Thomas Paine. The letter does not have to be about the Revolutionary War, but some issue that connects their world to yours (war, fighting, peace, patience)... personalize the issue. Where have you encountered something similar? Try and draw the connection between the two voices and your own. It must be written as a letter, and the first line must be I hear what you are saying...
American Mythology: The key to understanding literature is to think in pictures to visualize, to symbolize, and to personalize. In class we have talked about archetypes understood symbols, images, and themes repeated through history. In America, we have created our own archetypes: we ve invented who we are as a people. Below, you will find a few links to some famous American paintings. Look closely at them, and follow the instructions as you try to personalize the material. Washington Crossing the Delaware: Pay attention to all the different layers in the painting: what seems evident in the first viewing will not be so as you look deeper. Then, in the box below, write a response that starts with You expect me to believe this... (100 Words focusing on symbols) Preparing the Flower Beds Look at the imagery of this picture the body language, the facial expressions, the colors of the scenery. Then, in the box below, write as if this were a journal entry about the town you were walking into for the first time. (100 Words focusing on Mood)
Winter Farm Internal dialogue is a conversation within your mind. Look at the imagery of this painting where is it focused, where is the light, what are the colors, what is the landscape? Without much punctuation, write what you see in this painting don t examine the parts, tell the author s story (at least as far as you can figure it out. The American Story: What do these pictures tell you about American Mythology (the stories we tell each other about ourselves)? OCI Paragraph using examples, quotations from readings in this packet, and real- life application. Start with the sentence: This is what it means to be American...