Stanley Switalski’s E6 Journal

2/1/08
Course Description: ELA Regents preparation Winter/Spring 2008
American Literature Survey Themes : “The Spirit of Freedom” , ”Protest Literature”
“The American Dream.”
Write a research paper using MLA style format.
Need to create a Blog page to post assignments.
Daily work will be posted on website.

Tentative Reading
• Wilson, August Fences
• Hansberry, Lorraine A Raisin in the sun

Grading:
20% Participation
20% Projects
30% Tests
30% Papers

2/4/08
Focus Question: How prepared are you for college?
Not to be arrogant, but I feel as though I am somewhat prepared for college. I
have a list of 10 colleges that I would like to attend. As for what I am doing
currently, I feel as though my grades will be plenty in order for me to place in a good
college. On top of my grades, I am taking a Princeton Review SAT class so I can be
sure that my SAT scores are good enough to land me in a phenomenal college. Now
as for attending college, I can balance a large workload without going insane, which
is extremely vital as well.

2/5/08
Aim: How can we integrate technology in this English course?

DN: Write a paragraph on how you think technology should be integrated in an

English class. What things would you like to do using technology?
Technology in an English classroom is a perfect example of our society moving
towards the future. Although many may agree on this statement, many disagree
on how technology should be integrated. I feel as though the perfect technology
to be used in an English class is a projector and a cart of laptops for the students.
With the projector, the teacher is able to display their lesson plan to the entire
class and the students can follow along as the teacher goes through her lesson. As
for specific activities, I feel as though our class can utilize the World Wide Web to
enrich ourselves. Through the Internet we have access to the latest news, copies
of literature and information that could only enrich our education. On top of that,
the teacher can utilize on-line activities that could make a lesson more interesting
or explain a topic better without having to worry about students having access to
the Internet or a computer in general.

2/7/08
Aim: What is a slave narrative?
 Do Now: Explain in one paragraph what have you’ve been taught about slavery in
social studies. How can slave narratives be a form of protest literature?
I have been taught a lot about slavery so far. It was a terrible, corrupted
system where we (Americans) would invade towns in Africa, steal their people and
bring them back to America. Although a free trip to a new land might sound great,
this is far from the truth. The, at this points, slaves were packed into ships where they
had to bear with terrible living conditions. After a month at sea, they would arrive in
America and immediately auctioned off. The reason the slaves could be auctioned
was because they were viewed as property. Once the (plantation) master had received
his slave(s), he/she had forced them to work long hours and abused them most of the
day. After the long work day had ended, the slaves would often retire to their
“shacks” and be fed little or no food. From this point, the cycle would repeat.
Fortunately for the woman, if the master had liked the slave, he would ask the slave to
be a maid in the house.
Slave narratives are a perfect form of protest literature. They show the true
feelings that some slaves had to undergo and show the true torture the slaves had to
endure. The narratives could show real hopes and dreams of real slaves. These hopes
and dreams are the source of protest.

Slave narrative is an autobiographical text about one’s experience in slavery.

2/8/08
Aim: Students will gain insight into the horrifying conditions facing slaves
throughout the ordeal.

Do Now:
2/11/08
Aim: How can we use a Graphic Organizer to better identify and compare Equiano’s
similarities and differences to Harper’s and Whitfield’s poems?
Do Now: Compare One of the poems to Equiano’s narrative.
When I was reading “Bury me in a Free Land,” I felt as though that poem
completed the excerpt.
In Equiano’s narrative, we are exposed to all the terrible acts and conditions that
slaves had to experience. However, the excerpt ended at the point where slaves
are sold. “Bury me in a Free Land” shows what happens to slaves once they are
put to work.

2/12/08
Aim: How can we compare protest literature?
What specific images, lines or scene from each work makes these two works anti-
war?
In “Dulce et Decorum Est”, line 27 is the most supportive of the statement
that it is an anti-war work. “The old lie : [translated] Sweet and fitting is it to die for
your native land.” Another piece of evidence is the imagery presented in lines 16-22.
It shows how vicious and inhuman war truly is.
In “Ambush,” from the scenes depicted, we can clearly tell that this piece of
work is anti-war. I mean could you imagine telling your daughter that you killed a
man? Can you imagine killing a man automatically? This is what happens after
soldiers come back from war and obviously this is not a positive aspect of war.

2/15/08
Aim: What is rhetoric and how important is it in protest?
Do Now: Select one of the literary works discussed and analyzed in class and give
reasons why this work can be considered the best work that represents protest
literature.
I feel as though “Dulce et Decorum” is the best work that can represent protest
literature. The first reason I find this to be true is the effective imagery that
Wilfred Owen had used. It is extremely graphic and causes us to see how terrible
war is. For example, “If you could hear, at every jolt, the blood come gargling
from the froth-corrupted lungs” makes me shiver at the thought of war and,
furthermore, wants me to be against war. I find the imagery used in this poem is
more effective than that used in “Ambush.” The second reason I feel as though
“Dulce et Decorum” is more effective is due to the last line. It states “The old
Lie; Dulce et Decorum est Pro patria mori.” This is a strict anti-war statement
and this is why I feel “Dulce et Decorum” is the best work that represents anti-
war literature.

2/25/08
Aim: We will investigate and research the Chicano/Hispanic/Latino etc. culture and
literature in search of protest and revolution.
Do Now: What do you know, or have notices, or heard to be stereotypes of
Chicano/Hispanic/Latino culture?
Another stereotype is that they will have a large family.
-They eat lots of Rice and Beans
-Always call each other “ese”
-Most of them play soccer
 -Large Families
-Very Loud
-They are short
-20 people in a car
-Most of them are drug dealers
-They use the word “mira”
-High teenage pregnancy

2/27/08
Aim: Students will analyze and understand the complexity of Puerto Rican identity
through protest poetry.
Do Now: Do you consider yourself as having a mixture of roots? Why or why not?
I do consider myself as having a mixture of roots. It is mainly due to my father’s
side of the family. Although my mother is Irish and has been exposed to
American culture for all her life, my father was born in Venezuela and has
experienced many cultures. Although my father was born in Venezuela, he is of
polish decent. So everyday I my life I get to experience two different cultures.
He has influenced my roots ever since I was born and therefore I feel I have a
mixture of roots.

What geographical regions can be identified in this poem?

The Americas (New York, The Bronx, Manhattan, California), the Caribbean
(Puerto Rico), Europe, and Africa.
Describe the message within the following verses:
“History made me” and “I was born at the crossroads.”
“History made me” means that their culture and their traditions were specifically
built up over time through history. Each chronological era had a major impact on
their culture and, because of that, they are unique
“I was born at the crossroads” means that she is a mix of many different cultures.
As a crossroad connects two or more roads, there are two or more cultures that
compose her race. In other words, she is the meeting place of all the crossroads in
her family.
Define Caribeña and Taíno.
Caribeña – A person whose heritage lies in the Caribbean.
Taíno – A person whose heritage lies with pre-Columbian natives.
How would you characterize the speaker’s racial and ethnic background?
I would say she is a Latina. Although there is some European culture mixed in, I
feel as though her racial and ethnic background mostly lies in Latin America.

2/28/08
Aim: Students will synthesize information used from Morales’ “Ending Poem,” to
create their own poem or autobiographical sketch.
Students will identify literary elements in the poem “Ending Poem.”
Students will make connections to the text.
Students will research the term legal alien
Do Now: Can you recall a time when you were prejudged? Give details in your
journal.
I felt as though I was prejudged on many occasions in my freshmen year. First
off, I was a transfer student and did not know anyone. Therefore, in many of my
classes, I would be quiet and just go through the class. After others started to hear
 about the test scores I received, I knew that they prejudged me. Many of my
current friends had thought that I was an uptight, snobby smart kid who had no
life. In fact, I am the complete opposite and I took offense to that. Furthermore I
believe strongly in the saying, “You cannot judge a book by its cover.”
Critical Thinking
How do you think the poet feels about being bilingual and bicultural?
Although she may not like being bilingual and bicultural, due to the
discrimination that she receives, she enjoys being bilingual and bicultural and ignores
the discrimination. As she states in line 16, being able to switch from a Mexican
identity to an American identity is “a handy token.” At the same time, however, she
masks the discomfort.

Think about: how she is viewed by Anglos and Mexicans. Her description of herself
in lines 16-22.
It is quite ironic how she is viewed by Anglos and Mexicans. Because she
stays primarily in the states, when she returns to Mexico they view her as an
American. However, while in the states, she is viewed by the Anglos as Mexican.
Furthermore, she has no real place for both groups rejects her as one of them.

How do you interpret the title “Legal Alien?”

I feel as though she is stating that, although she is legally stationed in the
United States, she feels alienated in the United States. To go even further, because
she has stayed in the United States for so long, she also feels alienated whenever she
returns to Mexico.

What purpose does the hyphen serve in this poem?

I feel as though that the hyphen separates more than it conjoins. I grab this
concept due to the fact that she does not feel welcome in either the United States or
Mexico. She is uncomfortable in both countries and would prefer to be separated
from both than be labeled as one.

2/29/08
Aim: Students will research the term legal alien.
Cooperative Learning
Legal Alien: In US law, an alien is a person who is not a citizen of the United
States. However, a Legal Alien is a person who is legally permitted
to remain in a county, which is foreign to him or her.
Which Latin American groups of people have the highest migration rate to the
United States?
As of May 2006, 22% of illegal immigrants coming to the United States
were Latin American.
Country Number (as of 2004 in the Top 10)
Mexico 8,544,600
Cuba 1,011,200
Dominican Republic 791,600
El Salvador 899,000

Region Number (as of 2003)

Central America 12,346
Caribbean 3,373
South America 2,121
What are the pros and cons of illegal immigrants in a country?

Pros
Fills in low wage jobs helping the
economy
Better lifestyle for those who enter
illegally
Illegal immigrants pay sales and
real estate taxes
Rent property in depressed areas
where renters are usually hard to
come by
Contribute to mortgage loan profits
and open bank accounts
Many purchase auto insurance
Farmers can plant and harvest for
less money
Cons
Use other peoples social security
numbers to work illegally
Working illegally is against the law
Burden on tax based resources
Risk death in the desert when
traveling to reach the border
Those who successfully make it
across inspire others to do the same
Monopolization of the Spanish
language in various segments of
society
Fake document mills

Source: http://searchwarp.com/swa61485.htm

3-4-08
Aim:
Do Now: What kind of revolution would you like to fight for and why? Explain.
There is one revolution that I would be passionate enough to fight for and that
is the P2P revolution. Currently the government, RIAA, MPAA and software
organizations are trying to create laws that limit the P2P programs and protocols.
They take down sites and destroy. I believe that we are supposed to share
information, whether it be word of mouth or sharing music. Do we not share
information when we go to school? Why should it be any different over the internet?

According to the speaker, what struggle have his fathers won and what struggle have
they lost?
“Joaquin’s” fathers have lost the economic battle (they are not recognized in the
society and are poor due to that fact) but have won the struggle of cultural survival
(they still hold on to their culture and their beliefs).
What does the speaker wish for his children?
The speaker wants their sons to embrace their native culture and to know that it was
no easy battle to establish themselves in society. In Alex’s words, “He wants them to
finish the fight.”

3/5/08
Aim:
What kind of revolution do you think the speaker is calling for? Explain.
I think the speaker is calling for a socio-economic revolution. The first reason
I say this is because of what the speaker says in lines 28-29, “The part of blood that is
mine has labored endlessly five-hundred years under the heel of lustful Europeans.”
Just from the connotation, we can tell that the speaker is extremely upset with this
 fact and wants a change. The second reason I say this is because of the fifth stanza.
The speaker states that, due to the speaker’s economic situation, the speaker had to
“endure rugged mountains and survive the toils and slavery of the fields.”
The speaker is also calling for a cultural revolution.
As for the social aspect, the speaker does not feel his race is equally and
righteously represented in society. One reason I say this is do to the last lines in the
fifth stanza. The speaker shows examples of social inequality and, from the
connotation, we can tell the speaker is passionate to create change.

Analyze the poem as an effort to persuade. Who do you believe is the intended
audience, and what do you think the poet wants the audience to do, think, and feel?
I believe the poem is directed towards the followers of the race (“my sons”).
The speaker wants his children to embrace the native culture and not to “be absorbed
“ by the “grasp of American social neurosis.”
The speaker mainly wants the audience to relate to his situation. The speaker
wants the audience to feel the pain that he and his ancestors felt.

Epic Characteristics Evidence from Poem

Hero with high ideals It is Joaquin for sure. He hates the fact
that his fathers have lost the economic
battle and envisions other Hispanics
uniting for socio-economic change.
Courageous deeds Enduring all the inequality and injustice.
Fighting for equality.

Large-scale setting Modern Society, Fertile farmland, barren

plains, mountain villages, some smeared
cities, America, Europeans and Latin
America.
Universal ideas Inequality, economic injustice, high
culture values, one whole group (unite)
and one common heritage.

3/6/08 and 3/7/08

Aim:
Do Now: What is an oral tradition in your family or amongst your friends?
What is a myth? Do you know of any? What is a Folklore? Can you recall a
Folklore?
What is creation mythology?
Both my family and friends do not have an oral tradition. The closest that I
can come to a (somewhat) oral tradition is my friend’s “danger call.” Currently there
is a mosque five houses away from mine, and during the summer we would hang out
in front. However, sometimes an elder would come down the block and my friends
knew that if the elder saw them then they would be dragged into the mosque. In order
to prevent this, if anyone saw an elder, they were required to sound a birdcall. This
tradition was carried into any danger situation.
A myth by definition is, “A traditional story, especially one concerning the early
history of a people or explaining some natural or social phenomenon, and typically
involving supernatural beings or events.” In my own words, it is a statement solely
based on superstition or an unknown event. An example would be a myth on how the
earth was formed. “A creation myth explains how the universe, earth and life began.”
A folklore by definition is “A story or legend forming part of an oral tradition.”
Unfortunately I cannot recall a folklore for it has been so long.
Annotation-
Characters: Gods who lived like people (like Iroquois) in the “Sky-World”
A man who had a pregnant wife. The birds, who saved the
women, the Sea Turtle, the daughter, a mysterious man and her twins.
Setting: Sky-world “in the beginning”. It later continues to ocean world and then
Earth.
Exposition: The pregnant wife had fallen through the “sky-world” floor and was
rescued by the birds and sea-turtle. Here she had asked the ocean dwellers to give
her some soil so that she could plant the roots stuck between her fingers. As she
walked circles around the soil, like the sun currently revolves around the earth,
the soil began to grow.
Rising Action: The ocean dwellers got her the soil, from which the pregnant
mother made earth and gave birth to a daughter. With the assistance of a man, the
daughter had given birth to twins. One twin killed the mother by trying to be born
in the direction of the light (left side twin) and the other wanted to be born
naturally (right side twin).
Climax: The right sided twin represented the “straight mind” and always did
good while the left sided twin represented the “crooked mind” and always
contended with his brother. Whenever the right side twin made an animal out of
clay, the left side twin always made another animal that would destroy the right
sided animals.
Resolution: From this point, the two started to fight till the point where the right
sided twin won and cast this brother to the another part of the world, thus creating
night and day. After the grandmother had found out that the right side twin had
killed the left side twin, she was angry at the right side twin. Out of anger, the
right side twin killed the grandmother as well and threw her into the sea, creating
the moon which looked over the left side twin.

Adam and Eve connection: The devil had tempted Eve into taking an apple from
the “Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.” Although she didn’t give in at first,
much like the husband, Eve had given in and was banished from the garden.

Cain and Able connection: In the “story,” Cain had slaughtered his brother Abel
for the exact same reason that the Right side twin killed the Left side twin. The
higher “authority” appreciated the one and the other could not stand that.

How does the folklore attempt to explain Creation? Why?

“The World on the Turtle’s Back” tried to explain the creation of Earth by
telling a story about a woman who fell to the ocean and grew Earth via the roots on
her hands she collected when falling from the “sky-world.” The main reason the
Native Americans tried to explain creation is because they were curious. They had no
idea how they got on “Earth” or how it formed. However, they still wanted and
answer and this folktale was their answer.
How does it parallel to Christian-Biblical Creation? Explain similarities and
differences using a Venn Diagram.
3/10/08
Aim: Students will transfer their understanding of the Oral Tradition to explain their
Native American Folktale. Students will identify parallels between their folktales.
Do Now:
Compare your folktale to the documentary we saw last week on Native Americans:
How is your folktale representative of Native Americans?
Many Native American tribes held high the value of the buffalo. They hunted
the buffalo for food and used the remaining body parts for many things such as
leather and water pouches. However, they did not know how the buffalos came into
being. So they had created this story about a mighty Coyote who released all the
buffalo on Earth.
Does it represent a specific Native American tribe?
No it does not, mainly because the buffalo were priceless to all the Native
Americans.
What is mythological about your folktale?
The first part is that this man, coyote, could transform into different animals.
The second part would be that this “powerful being” corralled all the buffalo. My
question is how he could possibly corral the hundreds of buffalo.
What literary terms did you identify in your folktale?
It is third person objective and takes place in the mountains of San Juan.
3/11/08

The Bloody Knife How the Buffalo were Released on Earth

There was a conflict

between two villages.
The warriors were not able to There was a conflict between
retrieve the knife. a powerful being named Humpback
One person came and the people.
Out victorious. Thanks to Coyote, the people were able
The knife and to retrieve the buffalo.
Buffalo in the
beginning were out
of reach.
The characters in
both stories tried
many times to
achieve their goal.

“The cries of
A powerful a killdeer “Coyote ran
being named will frighten nipping.”
Humpback. the buffalo.”
“This is a “The dogs
very good eyes until it
bird!” gave three
“Started to rapid barks.”
run away “Barking as
crying.” loud as he
could.”
3/11/08
Do Now: How can you connect man and nature from your researched folklores?
There is obviously a close connection between man and nature in Native American
Cultures. One connection is that animals are viewed as spirits and another connection
is that the Native Americans depend on the land to survive. So in my folktale, they
were deprived of nature’s bountiful Buffalo and they wanted to retrieve them for they
could not survive without them.
Imperialism: A policy of extending a country’s power and influence through
diplomacy or military force.
One form of imperialism was where Spain came to the Incan land in 1532 and tried to
control their people.
Another form of imperialism is the trail of tears.
Another form of imperialism is when the Aztecs controlled most of South America.

From Cheyenne Revenge

Characters: Tall Bear: Leader of the young men.
Lone Wolf: Tall Bear’s Nephew. Both were Cheyenne warriors.
Soldier with a Tattoo: A Blue coat who hated Native Americans.
Silas Soule: Had saved Lone Wolf’s life from the soldier w/ a tattoo.
Conflict: Man vs. Man (Cheyenne vs. American Soldiers)
Setting: The village of Chief Black Kettle, located on Sand Creek in Colorado
Territory.
Point of View: Third Person Omniscient
Historical References: All the unfair battles that the American soldiers started against
the Native Americans.
In the village of Chief Black Kettle, American soldiers had invaded and relentlessly
killed every man, woman and child. Fortunately Tall Bear and Lone Wolf were away
on a Buffalo hunt. Although they were hoping that the buzzards were flying for
separate reasons, they came back to the village to see their family and the rest of the
Cheyenne Native Americans murdered and mutilated. Although at this point Lone
Wolf desperately wanted to attack, Tall Bear had held him back saying to save his
anger later. He knew that it would be a loss if they were to fight with every single
soldier. In order to have a successful battle, they would need to strike a small,
singled-out pack. This time came at night when a group of soldiers were savaging
whatever they could find among the dead bodies. It was after Tall Bear saw his wife
and two children lay dying that he “sung his war song” and the two attacked.

3-14-08
Do Now: click on the following links to learn about the meaning of the terms:
Manifest Destiny: The belief in the 1800’s that God gave America the right to expand
westward.
Cultural Imperialism: “the practice of promoting, distinguishing, separating, or
artificially injecting the culture or language of one nation into another.”1
Genocide: “the deliberate and systematic destruction of an ethnic, racial, religious or
national group.”2
Comprehension check questions: Trafzar’s “Cheyenne’s Revenge”
Can we foreshadow what will happen from the title of this excerpt?
1
Wikipedia on Cultural Imperialism
2
Wikipedia on Genocide
 I foreshadow that there was an act of injustice committed and a person,
“Cheyenne” is going to get revenge.
Who are the protagonists? Tall bear and Lone Wolf.
Who are the antagonist? The bluecoats (soldiers).
What is the setting [time and place]? The village of Chief Black Kettle, located on
Sand Creek in Colorado Territory during the autumn. It was written in 1864.
What is the central conflict? The bluecoats had killed an entire tribe for no reason.
Now two remaining members were planning a revenge.
Select One character and characterize. Lone Wolf was a brave soldier, going into a
fight without any fear of dying just because he wanted to defend his culture and
avenge his family.
What is the point of view? Third Person.
Any symbolism? The American Flag could represent Manifest Destiny, Cultural
Imperialism and Genocide.

Critical thinking Questions:

How are Manifest Destiny, Cultural Imperialism, and Genocide evident in this
excerpt?
In order to achieve Manifest Destiny, the current residents of the west would
have to be moved. Those residents included the Cheyenne tribe, and unfortunately,
instead of being moved the soldiers killed them all. Due to this massive killing of
Native Americans, and their culture as well, the Americans were subconsciously
achieving Cultural Imperialism and were committing Genocide.
How does the defeat of Lone Wolf and Tall Bear accurately characterize the Native
American condition?
In “Cheyenne’s Revenge,” of the many Native Americans, only two remained
to fight against a bluecoat Calvary of about 20 men. If you were to scale this up to
the point where the bluecoats represented to the United States, you could easily see
the situation that the Native Americans were faced with. They were literary being
pushed to the point of non-existence.
What does Lone Wolf’s vision quest reveal about the spiritual and natural beliefs of
Native Americans as illustrated the folktales you’ve read?
Lone Wolf’s vision accurately describes the Native American culture. Though
his vision, we get a concept of how spiritual they were. Because they treasured this
spirituality and natural belief so much, they started to use these as techniques in their
folktales.
What does Silas Soule represent? Is his characterization real or embellished? Author’s
responsibility.
I believe that Silas Soule represents the one good soul in the entire bluecoat
Army. The reason I say this is that he had rescued Lone Wolf from certain death.
The reason I do not believe that Silas Soule was embellished is due to the fact that
there was always a character throughout the story who did not approve of the acts that
the other bluecoats committed. Although this character was not identified, we can
only assume that it was Silas Soule.
How can this story be an example as both an allusion and historical analogy? Think
about the documentary that we saw. Trail of Tears, Wounded Knee etc…
This story can be an allusion due to the fact that there were many unrighteous
battles just like this that took place during Manifest Destiny. Any one of those battles
can directly relate to “Cheyenne’s Revenge.” However, this story can be a historical
analogy mainly because it represents what would occur if a Calvary of bluecoats met
an Native American tribe. “Cheyenne’s Revenge” demonstrates many ways the
Native Americans were abused; however there might not be an example in History
where all of this abuse takes place in the same exact order.