Crash Sample Essay, First Draft (Unedited)
So far, I have been pleased with the level of creativity and writing response to the essay topic: Racism and Bigotry as seen through the characters in the film: Crash. I am pleased that students watched the film, read reviews and other discussion about the film, watched interviews with actors and identified characters by name (and actors) in the essay. This shows a high level of competence and scholarship!

In my English 1A class last night, I had students both print copies of their essays and e-mail me a copy. I wanted to share an essay with you that worked structurally and also stylistically for those students who are still unclear about the assignment or how well you did. Models are often helpful. This is a first draft, so it's not perfect.I did tweak the thesis.

I graded the essays right away and each student has the opportunity to revise it for next week in this class. The essay I showed you has a "C-", because of the surface and grammatical errors. It could easily get a "B" once revised.

Thanks for sending me the "Love" essays. I'd like to do another anthology on these essays too, as well as a final compilation on the social entrepreneurs.

Please feel free to comment on the assignment and/or the essay.


John Doe
Eng 1A Midterm
Wed., March 15, 5-9 pm
Professor Wanda Sabir
Character: "Anthony"; actor: Chris 'Ludacris' Bridges

Film: “Crash” The Lion Gates’ Film

Untitled Essay

Two Police detectives, a Persian store owner, a Mexican locksmith, a Television director and his wife, two black car jackers, and two white cops. They all live in Los Angeles, and during the next 36 hours, “moving at the speed of life, they are bound to collide with each other. The Lion Gate Films’ “Crash” takes a provocative, unflinching look at the complexities of racial tolerance in contemporary American” (www.crashfilm.com). We find that race is an indicator of privilege or power in the film, yet people avoid to acting like racists, at least in public.

Anthony, a black car jacker, a memorable character in “Crash”, who claim that certain stereotype prejudiced blacks. First, blacks are high criminal rate, thus all blacks are dangerous and threaten. Second, blacks are always define in the low income level, thus they can’t get attention or service they deserved to receive. In “Crash”, Anthony play a significant role to argue that black people are stereotyped and treated unfairly in the area of class and race, crime and punishment.

How black people are treated unfairly? A memorable quote from “Crash” said Anthony, “That woman poured cup after cup to every white person around us. Did she even ask you if you wanted any? That waitress sized us up in two seconds. We are black and black people don’t tip”. As Anthony cannot receive service as the white people do, Anthony claim that he was treated unfairly because of black people don’t tip or black people are poor.

In contrast, Anthony also has taken advantage of the stereotype. As a car jacker, he didn’t feel guilty even when he knocked down an old man. Anthony has no moral idea as he think that he was treated unfairly. Anthony also feels very proud that he doesn’t jacked black people. Because of the stereotype of black people are always criminal, Anthony feel that he has no guilty to be a criminal.

An event that changes Anthony’s life is when he jacked the television director-Cameron’s car. Anthony did not jacked Cameron’s car because he does not jack black people but Cameron told him, “You embarrass me. You embarrass yourself”. After that, Anthony started to think about his life. Anthony began to face problems and not to use stereotype as excuses to be a criminal. At the last scene of the film, Anthony set several illegal immigrants free because he doesn’t want them being slave.

In “Crash”, multi –ethnic cast of characters’ struggle to overcome their weakness as Anthony does. In the gray between black and white, victim and aggressor, there are no easy answers. Just like Anthony, he may or may not be punish for his crime and he may or may not be success for his quitting of crime. Life is full of risk and probability, we are only human and we cannot figure out the answer over a hundred years. To conclude, stereotype of race can give disadvantages but stereotype of race can be an indicator of privilege or power.

Strong Women: Mamie Till Mobley
Essay due 3/10: Using Emmett Till's mother, Mamie Till Mobley as an example, discuss the qualities of a strong woman. The essay should be 250-500 words min. Visit http://www.emmetttillstory.com/ and also pbs.org. Stanley Nelson also directed a film on Emmett Till.

English 201: Read the essay on Erica Abrams in CoM. Her mother Elaine Brown thinks she did a horrible job as a parent. Do you think she's too hard on herself? (You don't have to write a summary. I just want you to have a context to talk about Mrs. Till-Mobley.)

Extra Credit: Watch the six-part series on the white family who is camouflaged as black and the black family who is camouflaged as white. The show starts tonight, March 8, 10 p.m. on FX. You can make weekly entries or you can watch the entire series then analyze what issues came up for the participants around race, class and power, and how this is uniquely American.

Watch the film Crash this weekend. Everyone will be assigned their character to analyze in an essay. The question is: How is race an indicator of privilege or power? What does your character change to make him or herself more powerful? Does it work?

What role does your character carry in the story? What is his or her argument?

All Classes: Please email me a copy of your Love Essay. I want to put them in a book. I need them no later than Friday, March 17. Please send to wanda_sabir@yahoo.com

Out and about: Breaking Rank: Women of Color Soldiers Speak Out! The program is tonight, March 8, 6:30-9 p.m. at the First Unitarian Church, 685 14th Street, Oakland. For information visit www.coloredgirls.org or call(510)444-2700.

On Friday, March 10, 8:30-2:30 you can attend the "Sustainable Peralta Initiative" Conference at Laney College. If you go and write about it, you can have an excused absence. I will be showing the Oprah show where she hosted the Crash cast. We will have our midterm on Wednesday-Thursday, March 15-16. Students can bring in outlines, a thesis sentence, notes, and any other support materials such as film reviews, analysis or articles you'd like to cite.

Laney is also hosting a series of events for Women's Herstory Month. The Vagina Monologues are being performed Thursday-Friday, March 9-10. Visit http://laney.peralta.edu/womenherstoriesmonth

Homework for March 6, English 201
Read WWT pp. 97-98, 99-108. Bring in any questions you might have from the previous chapter "Description," or this one "Examples."

In CoM you should have read the Ralph David Abernathy III essay, pp. 49-57. Does he remind you a little of MLK III? Read Michael Julian Bond for Wednesday, pp. 58-67.

Write summaries for both.

Assignments for Classes: February 27-March 3
Midterms: March 13-17 Out topic will be "racism", the topic taken from the film "Crash." Each student will be given a character to analyze explain how certain views prejudiced strangers, polarized families, and even ended up causing others to take lives or loose their own.

In your essay you will look at the power of suggestion, and how without proof certain people are stereotyped and treated unfairly, even taken advantage of.

First give a brief synopsis of the film and where your character enters the story. State the stereotype at work; name the person with the power in the situation: age, occupation, race, and class, native vs. immigrant. All these are factors which shift the power dynamic.

First hand experience with bigotry and racism can add breath and depth to the analysis, but don't worry if a few of the subtleties at work in the scenario pass by without a ripple. You can't miss them all.

There are many themes traversing each other in the film: drug addiction, sibling rivalry, class and race, conflict resolution, crime and punishment, the medical system, ageism, immigration.

English 1A
Ready for Revolution Essays
As you read Kwame Ture?s monumental treatise on his life as a child of the Civil Rights Movement, Black Power Movement and Pan African Movement, note questions that come up for you about his social and political development and how this is reinforced by our protagonist?s home, academic and civic involvement.

At times Ture just seems to be in the right place at the right time. How else could he have been able to have so many important philosophically shaking experiences? It?s uncanny! Note any questions which arise as you journey through these important epochs in American history in his shoes.

Kwame Ture?s slogan ?Ready for Revolution,? remained primary in his life until the end. Why is this so? How did he define revolution, and by extension a revolutionary?

How did Ture?s life and many of those people he admired, exemplify leadership qualities he eventually took on himself? Note those persons who directly impacted Ture?s leadership development.

What is Ture?s impact on the world now that he is physically no longer here?

Now that you know his story, where has his life touched yours in ways you were not aware of prior to now?

In your analysis of the man, what are some of his strengths and what are some of his weaknesses: 1. As an adolescent then young man in college 2. As a leader in the states
3. As an internationalist 4. As he is about to die?

In retrospect, are leaders born or made? Did the man from Trinidad have a choice in the matter or were his steps predestined?

Your formal queries are due: March 25, April 20, May 4 (Wednesday English 1A class: 3/22; 4/19; 5/3.)

Each paper should be minimally 4-5 pages. Your evidence is taken from the book, and perhaps one other outside source such as a magazine or news story. You will present these papers. Use the questions and Lit. Circle discussions to help you shape your inquiry.

I?d like to see the three questions your like your essays to explore next Thursday, March 9 (Wednesday, March 15). This is just a work in progress.

Each week we will continue discussions of issues raised in the book.

Social Entrepreneur Research Essay: Week 6 (3/1-2)
Your research project will entail finding a social entrepreneur who Ash been active in his or her community for at least 20 years and Ash documented resources you can draw from: books, articles, films.

The paper will be about 7-10 pages (English 1A), 4-5 for English 201. This does not include the bibliography or the works cited page. Students will make a five-minute presentation of this paper on the last day of class Wednesday, May 25 or Thursday, May 26. (We can talk about this.) The paper will be due about 2-3 weeks prior to the presentation. If two students want to collaborate on the presentation, I don?t mind.

Visit PBS.org ?The New Heroes,? to read about social entrepreneurs. Too often people feel helpless or hopeless when faced with social problems. There is a lot you can do as an individual as soon as you realize the answer lies within you.

Essay plan is due: March 7/8 or 9 (see Hacker 370-386)
Bibliography is due: March 30 or 31 (see Hacker 387-395)
Outline is due April 19 or 20, 21 (Hacker 395-413)

Essay due ? first draft April 26, 27 or 28 with a completed works cited page (Hacker 413-423?)

Final draft due May 3, 4 or 5 with all previous drafts and comments

Dreams and Inward Journeys:
We will read essays from the various chapters noting how audience affects genre choices, purpose and topic often defining style or rhetorical strategy employed. These are exercises for students to sharpen their writing tools. Students are also encouraged to mimic or imitate these styles in their own responses. I will try not to overload students with too much reading and writing. Yet you should keep in mind my premise which is: writing is a process one masters through writing, critique and reflection on that writing.

Rules for Writers Recommended Weeks 1-4 (All Classes)
The Writing Process
Document Design

RFW: Weeks 2-6
The Basics
Grammar

RFW: Weeks 4-6
Argument
Research guide
Clarity

RFW: Weeks 2-17
Punctuation
Mechanics

(Your essays will determine what you need to work on first and for how long. Again, keep an error log, get a tutor and use the Writing Center (LRC- room 235) for all outside essays and revisions M-Th the WC is open until 6:45 p.m.)

Note: This syllabus is subject to change ? WS.

English 201 Children of the Movement Essays
We just finished "Causalities of War," a section of CoM which framed the Civil Rights Movement as a war and its victims the innocent children growing up with men who were psychologically scarred.

This week students were asked to address the following questions in a three-paragraph essay:

What is a casualty of war and how were CoM caught in the crossfire? Given an opportunity, would you make the sacrifices these children and their families made? In the end, do you think the individual sacrifice was worth what was gained nationally and internationally?

Writing with a Thesis
Homework due Friday, March 3: Respond to one of the Description Themes in WWT in a minimum 2 page typed essay (pp. 68-69).

"Love" Assignment due 2/15 or 2/16
English Assignment for Week of February 13-17
"Love"

"Sanskrit has ninety-six words for love; ancient Persian has eighty; Greek three; and English simply one." -probably from Robert Johnson.

This sounds cool, but it is not really true. In English we have many words for kinds of love: lust, desire, affection, adore, longing, family, respect, admiration. We will say, "I adore him," or "I am hot for her," or "I totally respect you," or "I am fond of you," or "You are like family to me."

Yeow! No wonder we are confused about love. Think about all the kinds of love you have known.

This quote is all over the web, and I haven't sourced it yet.

It's not quite true, though.


From Swamp Donkey, a blog: All you need is love?
Friday October 07th 2005, 11:18 pm
Filed under: thoughtful inklings, Philosophy


The writing assignment is to research the term “love”. Look at the three types of love: agape, eros and philia. Which do you think is the most valuable? Do you think love is the most effective weapon against hate?

Is there a role for romantic love in the world, or is this a western concept which is highly overrated? Are greeting card businesses and the candy stores a means to exploit the insecurities of the public?

Am I being too cynical?

What’s wrong with flowers and candy on Valentine’s Day? What would the world be like without Cupid, Hallmark, KKSF, candlelight and special delivery?

After reading about the different expressions of love, and the three linguistic interpretations of the word “love,” choose one aspect of the word to support or deny its virtues. Remember, after you determine your angle on the topic, complete the essay planning sheet, and perhaps develop an outline (Hacker, Ch. 1).

Be certain to use a variety of support for your claim or thesis: examples, analogies, definitions, expert opinion, statistics, anecdotes, etc. Be prepared to present your argument to class on Wednesday, Feb. 15/Thursday, Feb. 16.

Week of February 6-February 10
Greetings Students:

I hope the month is going well for you. I'm
not seeing many of you at my office hours on Wednesdays, 3-5, L-236, or on Fridays, L-236, 2-4.
Remember I do have a floating hour; if you need to meet with me on another day, we can arrange it.

I will be out this Friday, so call (510) 748-2131 or e-mail me if you have any questions. Don't forget to leave a phone number.

Blessings,

WS

PS Don't forget to set your dial for all the great PBS (Channel 9) programming. Also there's some great theatre at: Berkeley Rep: Nine Parts of Desire (about women in Iraq), Walkin' Talkin' Bill Hawkins at the Marsh-Gaia Center, Berkeley (about a man who never knew his dad, a famous DJ in Cleveland), Gem of the Ocean at ACT (first chronologically in August Wilson's 10-play series on Black American history). Visit www.sfbayview.com "Wanda's Picks" for all the news.

Week of January 30-February 4
Assignments: Tuesday, January 31, watch President Bush's State of the Union Address. Below I have copied a preview piece about what he might cover in his address.

In a narrative essay response: analyze the speech. Consider: What is his thesis? What are Bush's key points? What evidence supports these claims? Are you convinced? Why or why not?

Media savvy student take into consideration the president's's motives: Is his aim altruistic or selfish? What are his motives, what does he have to gain or lose from each issue he proposes?

All level classes respond in 250-500 words. The essay is due for 201 students on Wednesday. For English 1A students at the next class meeting.

If you have immediate comments, please post them here for peer response.

WS

Greetings and welcome to the site!
Topic: CoA Spring '06
This blog is an opportunity for Sabir's English classes this semester to develop a cyber-writing community. Please feel free to ask questions about assignments and make comment regarding posts by others.

Indicate which class you are in, so appropriate students can respond, e.g., English 1A or English 201.

Keep your comments professional and courteous and strictly business.

Happy Writing,

WS