Rackafratz 1
J. K. Rackafratz
Dr. Taylor
American Literature
26 August 2013
Breaking Up, Breaking Out
High school graduation is rarely a problem until it happens.1 American
Graffiti (1973), directed by George Lucas, 2 takes place during a summer night . . .
------------We will be looking at these issues in your draft:

Strong thesis (opinion, third person, general statement, noun subject)

Contractions edited out

Vague “you” edited out

Floating “this” edited out

No Excuses List (on bright purple paper)—watch out for these grammar/punctuation issues, especially for
incompletes and run-ons (9I and 9R)

Length: 2-4 pages, max.

MLA Style: heading, header, creative title, double spacing, 12 point, Times or Times New Roman, etc. (See
the example format above.)

Works Cited if need be.
Creative Title
Introduction:
Hook (See the example above.)
A summary of American Graffiti, crafted so that it leads into the story you will tell about yourself.
Transition + Thesis
Body:
Transition + The central personal narrative, i.e., your revised and expanded journal entry. This narrative must have a
beginning, middle, and end.
Conclusion:

Re-state your thesis in different words.

Write at least three sentences.

Make reference to American Graffiti AND make reference to some specific aspect of your opening summary
(to bring your paper full circle). One way to tighten the link between intro and conclusion is to repeat a
memorable word from the introduction. Another way to tighten the link is to rephrase and repeat an idea
from the introduction.

Exit by making a connection to the larger world, to the realm of American film, to the realm of American
literature, or to 2013, etc.

You might consider closing with a quote from the film to tie your paper together. This quote must be
incorporated in such a way that it can make sense and stand alone to end your essay. (For this option, you
will need a citation and a Works Cited page.)

Alternatively, especially if your conclusion talks about American literature, you might want to quote a
relevant passage from one of the authors listed on the course overview. (For this option, you will need a
citation and a Works Cited page.)
1
2
The opening sentence is an attention-grabbing hook, a bit of a paradox.
Include the name of the film, the date, and the director early in your introduction. Also be sure to include
the setting: time and place. (American Graffiti takes place in 1962 in Modesto, California.)
Rackafratz 2
Goals for Early American Literature Unit 2013:
 Know the values of Puritan culture. (notes)
 Know the contributions of Puritan culture to modern American (US) culture.
(notes)
 Know the context of the Salem, MA, witch trials of 1692. (notes)
 Know the vocabulary from the History Channel video on the Salem Witch Trials.
(handout + review sheet)
 Know the context of the writing of The Crucible, 1953: Red scare, Joseph
McCarthy, HUAC, US Senate Committee on Internal Security, Hollywood
Blacklist. Remember that Arthur Miller, himself, was blacklisted. (notes)
 Know the characters from the Crucible: their names, relationships to one another,
thematic importance, etc. See character list on page 137.
 Know how The Crucible uses figurative language, irony, symbol, etc.
(worksheets)
 Know the speakers and the characters they address: selected passages.
(worksheets)
 Know the themes and motifs of the play. (notes)
 Know the vocabulary from the American Pastiche assignment sheet. (handout)
 Know the topics, metaphors, etc. of the Anne Bradstreet poems we have read.
(handout)
 Know the vocabulary from “Young Goodman Brown” (see the handout + review
sheet) and “Taibele and Her Demon” (see your notes + review sheet)
August 26, 2013
Monday: Due: Drafts of American Graffiti essay
In class: Worksheet on MLA style. Students edit Graffiti essays for MLA style
Sign up for Graffiti conferences; conferences will begin on Tuesday.
Introduce Crucible/Early American Literature Unit—background vocabulary for History
Channel Video: In Search of the Salem Witch Trials.
Homework: 1) Worksheet on editing out the vague “you” (Remember: your Graffiti
summary is in 3rd person; your personal narrative is in 1st person; the conclusion is in 3rd
person. BUT the vague pronoun “you” is 2nd person; unless you are quoting dialogue in
your essay, the pronoun “you” should not appear.) 2) Get ready for picture day, which is
Tuesday, August 27, 2013.
Tuesday:
Due: Worksheet on the vague “you.” Review Graffiti essays for the floating “this” and
the vague “you.”
In class:
Finish signing up for conferences on Graffiti essays
Assign homework on editing contractions out of formal essays
Picture day.
Homework: Worksheet on editing out contractions
Rackafratz 3
Wednesday: Wednesday After-school English Study Hall
Due: Worksheet on editing out contractions
March on Washington: 50th Anniversary!!!—Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream
Speech”
In class: Peer review of Graffiti essays.
Homework: Map work on 13 colonies
Thursday: Parents Open House, 7:00 p.m.
Due: map work
Begin video In Search of the Salem Witch Trials. Students will need to take notes in their
spiral notebooks. Do YOU have a one-subject spiral notebook for English? If not, please
get one asap.
Get homework sheets in class.
Homework: Review of vocabulary for History Channel video: In Search of the Salem
Witch Trials
Friday:
Finish video: In Search of the Salem Witch Trials
Homework: Review of concepts In Search of the Salem Witch Trials + research into the
Red Scare, etc.
September 2-6, 2013
Monday: Labor Day, no school!!!
Tuesday:
Due: Homework-- Review of In Search of the Salem Witch Trials + research into the Red
Scare, etc.
In class: “I am not a Witch,” Christina McDonnell, candidate for the U.S. Senate, 2010.
Why is the idea of witches still relevant in the US in 2013? How is the issue of ancient
witches and modern “witches” relevant to the propaganda technique “either/or”?
In class: Begin reading The Crucible.
Homework: Initial reading assignment in The Crucible.
Wednesday: Wednesday After-school English Study Hall
Thursday: TBA
Homework: Revise your Graffiti essay. Staple your conference draft to the back.
Friday: Due: Graffiti revisions.
Important dates:
September 4-6—Rosh Hashanah begins Wednesday evening and ends Friday evening—
Happy New Year!
September 11—Late-start Day
September 14—Yom Kippur
Rackafratz 4