Skype class - comparison of descriptive texts from memoir and literary fiction

18 Março 2020, 16:00 • Cecília Maria Beecher Martins

We used the same literary close reading techniques to examine excerpts that students had selected from their set reading: the memoir Born a Crime  and the historical novel Not the Same Sky. We noted that while the descriptive passages from the historical novel had many layers of meaning and were carefully crafted to prepare readers for the subsequent narrative movement, which could include changes in the orientation of the novel, in the memoir while the descriptions were carefully constructed, they simply "drew the picture" of the events being described. Because of the changes in the class structure we also discussed alterations to the schedule and the structure of the abstracts for the oral presentations that students must submit earlier. This information has been sent to the class email, but I am also adding it below. 

New Class and Oral Presentation Schedule               English C1.2 TP10 2019/2020

Because of the changing circumstances our written test which had been scheduled for 6^th April will have to be postponed. It will now occur at feasible a time. If we return to in-house classes in April, we can think about scheduling the test for the last week of class; if not we will do this test at a time the FLUL schedule allows.

This means that we will need to reschedule the other assignments to avoid having all the evaluations at the end of the semester. Therefore:

1) The abstracts for the oral presentations must be presented on or before March 25^th to permit time for discussion of the theme. The abstract (approx. 250 words) must indicate the orientation of the work and the theoretical framework. You may refer to the other texts in the manual freely. You can follow the model I sent to the class email that we talked about in the last Skype class

While we will maintain the themes for the oral presentations, because you are all working individually you just need to concentrate on your own book and produce an individual abstract and presentation.

I had initially thought of asking you to record your presentations, but I have since reconsidered. I would like you to make your presentation via Skype. I will ask you to make a Powerpoint presentation that you send to the group email by 15^th April with the “reply all” option so that everyone has access to this. You will make your actual presentation (15 minutes long) on either 20^th or 22^nd or April. Students presenting the same theme will present on the same day – but you do not need to work together. You will present one after the other.

 

2) I also am bringing the classes on summary writing as well as the deadline for the submission of your second written evaluation (either a narrative text or an academic summary of the essay “Representations of the Self and the Other in Eighteenth Century Travel Writing”) forward to 6^th April. These exercises follow the indications in your manual, and we will continue to work with them on our Skype classes.

 

Date	Ses	Topics	Student Activity
23-03	14	Principles of summary writing – short story “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”
25-03	15	Discuss Brigit Flohr’s essay “Representations of the Self and the Other in Eighteenth Century Travel Writing”	Students submit abstracts for oral presentations
30-03	16	Continued discussion of Brigit Flohr’s essay and discussion of students’ abstracts
01-04	17	Answer questions on summaries or oral presentation
06-04	18	Discussion of themes in novel	Students submit narrative text or summary
8-14-04		Easter
15-04	19	Discussion of powerpoints and presentations	Students submit powerpoint presentations
20-04	20	Oral presentation on Skype
22-04	21	Oral presentation on Skype

 

Student Presentations

 

Theme	Novel & theme	Date for presentation
The factors that can lead to migration	Not the Same Sky Vasco Neves
The emotion consequences of displacement	Not the Same Sky Catarina Serras  Exit West André Janeiro
The role of education and financial independence on empowerment	Not the Same Sky Bruna Purificação Born a Crime André Pintor
The Presence and Absence of Ambiguous Consent in Relationships	Exit West Sara Barateiro Marques Born a Crime William Greer
The effects of generational poverty and oppression on a people	Born a Crime Daniel de Sousa Born a Crime Joana Madeira Joana and Daniel one look at generational poverty, the other at generational oppression Not the Same Sky Manuel Borges
Race, gender and identity	Not the Same Sky Cláudia Riscado Born a Crime Patrícia Carmo Exit West Maria Carolina Moreira