Today we started our essays with topics taken from Dreams from My Father, by Barack Obama. They are due Monday, April 6. Post your early drafts here.
posted by Professor Wanda's Posse at 8:08 AM
Thursday, April 02, 2009
About Me
- Name: Professor Wanda's Posse
- Location: College of Alameda, Alameda, CA, United States
I have a Master's Degree from the University of San Francisco in Writing, and an undergraduate degree from Holy Names College in Humanistic Studies. I write a weekly column for a local newspaper, San Francisco Bay View. I also have an Internet Radio Show: Wanda's Picks http://wwww.blogtalkradio.com/wandas-picks
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11 Comments:
Ms Sabir Pls let me turn my paper in on Wed or thurs of next week
Thanks -chris
Mesha Shavers
Professor Sabir
English 1A
2 April, 2009
Outline:
Question:
Race is an obvious theme in a book where the protagonist is the child of an Kenyan and a white american; however, Obama says of himself that he is not the typical "tragic Mulatto." What does he mean by this and does the fact that he is a man raised in a family where white-skin is an unspoken given for most of his life, reason for this fact?
Jennifer Gonzales
Professor Wanda Sabir
English 1A
6 April 2009
Question: Many state that Dreams From My Father is a classic coming of age story with a twist. Perhaps the twist is the interracial component, the international flavor of Obama’s childhood, or the fact that except for the absentee father, his life was one of relative ease comparatively. Definitely, he wasn’t a descendent of Booker T. Washington (I jest). Talk about the author’s journey, his questions about identity and his quest for his dad so that he could find his place in the world.
X (Title)
INTRO: No one would have thought that a politician could write such a beautiful and personal memoir. Barack Obama wrote “Dreams from My Father” long before realizing any political ambitions. This is the search to find his father, whom Obama created distant images of from stories he had been told. Living as a mixed race, with his mother white and father African, has questioned his place in the world because it made it hard for him to relate himself to the next black or white man. Although he was raised by his white mother and grandparents, Obama educated himself on the fact that he was bi-racial, but not underprivileged. Wanting to believe that blacks and whites can get along, he searches for truth hidden far across a world he does not quite understand. THESIS(?): His search for the missing pieces in his identity puzzle slowly makes him realize that he is just like everyone else despite the his mixed race, only with a better view of what he can do to help others gain self perception in themselves.
MAIN POINT (2nd ¶): Growing up with mother, grandparents, living in Indonesia to going to school in Hawaii, LA and NY. What he has learned from the people in this stage of life and how it added to the puzzle of his identity. (Topic sentence) (Evidence and page numbers)
MAIN POINT (3rd ¶): His affiliation with Chicago’s organizations. People he has met and their impact on his view of himself and about others. (Topic sentence) (Evidence and page numbers)
MAIN POINT (4th ¶): His journey to Kenya. Family/relatives he met and what he has learned from them about his father. (Topic sentence) (Evidence and page numbers)
CONCLUSION:
Rebecca Evans eng 1a 9-10
I chose question eight and plan to discuss nature versus nurture, i will post my complete outline after the essay due date.
Family is a value shared in Dreams. One could say that Dreams is a journey where Obama clarifies what or who his family is. There is of course the family he is given, his biological parents; however, his extended or blended family has perhaps as much to do with the man he becomes as does his genes.
I will not be posting a draft prior to due date. I do not want someone using my words and copying my train of thought. I’m surprised that you would not consider this plagiarism Prof. Sabir.
Nely Ruiz
On another note I RECEIVED A RESPONSE FROM THE WHITE HOUSE ON OUR E MAIL TO THE PRESIDENT DURING HIS FIRST 100 DAYS.
NELY RUIZ
Andre Stephens
English 1A – 9:00 – 9:50
My paper will focus on question 5.
5. Talk about his work as a community social worker on Chicago's South Side. What does he learn or come to realize about his role in the African-American community?
I agree with Nely I am not postingbecause I do not want someone to take my ideas!!
Jose vasquez
Hong Tang
English 1A 9-10am
My question is
8. Family is a value shared in Dreams. One could say that Dreams is a journey where Obama clarifies what or who his family is. There is of course the family he is given, his biological parents; however, his extended or blended family has perhaps as much to do with the man he becomes as does his genes.
If you post your draft here, I would notice if someone borrowed another student's work and claimed it as their own. I would just note the date.
There will always be some overlap when students choose the same topic to write about, but the greatest complement is imitation. Writers learn from models.
In this assignment and in others like this, we model best practices re: essay writing for our peers, planning, outlines, developing thesis sentences, so someone with the same question in mind can read another writer(s) take on the topic and be inspired.
I had a student call me this weekend with writer's block. Today in class one of her peers chose the same question she did. Reading his paper helped her with hers.
We don't own anything, not even what we consider our thoughts. It's all the same story.
rebecca evans eng1a 9-10
Grabber-
-biological
-extended
-whole
-nurture versus nature, adoption
Thesis: Throughout “Dreams from my Father” Barack Obama highlights his experience with family, both biological and extended. He inspects the meaning behind family it and in turn creates the man he is today based on his familial influences.
Topic 1- biological
Topic: Obama integrates his influence of family to create himself.
-values inherited mother: hard work, honesty, fairness, straight talk, ind. Judgment, masters degree 75
Father: give and give, big heart, short temper, education, thought he was more, 63 “father suffered” ch 11, 220 227-18
Black Grandfather-hard worker, women serve, not traditional-white man clothes and work, saw power in white
Gramps: 13,14
Obama: big heart, not a follower
Conc- Obama biologically inherited values and opinions that would later be tested as he became his individual self.
Topic 2: Exteneded family proved to be a prominaent force of self for Obama.
-ch 4 ray and frank- black family blacks segregated, play by white man’s rules 85
Frank- bar 97,108
Regina- not about race 109
-altgeld
-ch 12 sadie evans
-lolo look out for #1 35,39,40
Conc- Obama witnesses family as a larger aspect, he integrates himself into the communial family as well as the larger black community.
Topic 3
Topic-Obama ends “Dreams from my father” with a meaningful trip to Kenya where he begins to piece together bits and pieces of his family and him to weave a larger whole.
-ch 16 love circles
-327 “what is family”
329- come together
Father- 336
Culture 396
Grandfather 405, 407, 411(protect)
Kenya- 329 family responsibilities
Auma not culture- 330
Government takeover- 352-3
Beautiful land
Learned poor 380
Culture 396
“not big” 426
“my inheritance” 427
“he will create” “invent confusion” 428
Topic 4- The ultimate quest is the determination between nature and nurture in which Obama stiffens through.
Inform from article
Con- wrap up
Con topic- Obama reaches a conclusion that family is his largest circle of love
-bio
-extended
Con- wrap up
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