1. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT overview
Broken April
Pedro Paramo
Snow Country

2. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT 4 Stages
STAGE 1: Interactive Oral STAGE 2: Reflective Statement STAGE 3: Supervised Writing STAGE 4: Production of Essay

3. STAGE 1: INTERACTIVE ORALS
The discussions should address the following cultural and contextual considerations.
In what ways do time and place matter to this work?
What was easy to understand and what was difficult in relation to social and cultural context and issues?
What connections did you find between issues in the work and your own culture(s) and experience?
What aspects of technique are interesting in the work?

4. INTERACTIVE ORALS: What do we need to know about the topic to help us better discuss the construction of the book?
Examples:
Newspaper headlines
Small groups – you lead
Presentation
Lead large groups
Stations
Assign readings
Maps / visuals
Role-playing
Evaluation
Engaging
Informative
Interactive
Personal connection
Clear / organized

5. STAGE 2: REFLECTIVE STATEMENT
The reflective statement must be based on the following question.
How was your understanding of cultural and contextual considerations of the work developed through the interactive oral?
Typed, words
awarded a mark out of 3 using assessment criterion A (A: 3 + B—D: 22 = 25)
RS for the work used in essay is sent along with essay

6. STAGE 3: SUPERVISED WRITING
In-class writing in response to teacher-created prompts
May use book (w/annotations) but no notes or past assignments
Must choose 1 prompt & write on 1 of the 3 texts
Will use SWs as brainstorming for essay topics
Will need to be able to show some connection between SW & final essay

7. STAGE 4: ESSAY 1200 – 1500 words Written on ONE of the three texts
Student develops topic from one of the SW
Literary analysis
Should go beyond class discussion
Should keep essay assignment in mind at all times!!!!!!

8. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: 4 STAGES
STAGE 1: Interactive Oral
must participate in leading IO for 1 text
STAGE 2: Reflective Statement
Must write RS after each IO (total of 3 RSs)
STAGE 3: Supervised Writing
Must complete SW after each text (total of 3 SWs)
STAGE 4: Production of Essay
Will write on 1 of the 3 texts

9. Broken April
Ismail Kadare, Albania, 1978:
IO TOPICS
A seemingly archaic yet modern tale of a blood feud that controls a young man’s life. The story is clear and chronological but jumps between three primary points of view.
Author Info
Blood Code / Kanun
Tirana vs. Mountain Region (geographical & cultural differences)
Albanian history and politics (published date vs. setting of the story)
Albanian culture (family; religion; gender roles; etc.)

10. Pedro Paramo
Juan Rulfo, Mexico, 1955
IO TOPICS
A very surreal story of a young man’s attempt to find his father in an eerie Mexican town. The story is told through multiple voices and switches between the past and present. Rulfo was a pioneer of magical realism and inspired many Latin American writers.
Author info
Magical Realism
Gender roles
Marriage / love / sex
Social conventions
Mexican Revolution
Class differences (peasants, landowners, workers, etc.)

11. Snow Country
Yasunari Kawabata, Japan, 1956
IO TOPICS
The story of a city man’s affair with a country geisha in a mountain spa community. The novel is sparsely written but largely chronological and told through the male protagonist’s limited point of view.
Author background
Geisha – spa vs. city
Dress / clothing
Mountain region / resorts
Role of women / men
Ballet; haiku; arts/culture
Marriage / love / sex
Class differences
Japanese etiquette (social & conversational) / social interaction