NOTE: As time allows, we will be viewing other films, in addition the one under Assignment 2, about Native Americans and the peoples of New Spain and New France in American culture. Use pages in your notebook to take notes on these. Get notes on them from someone else if you are not in class!
Assignment 1
1. What is an origin story? What purpose do origin stories serve to the cultures from which they come?
2. What can studying the Native American and the European American origin stories illuminate for us?
3. After completing the readings listed above, do the following exercise on the Cultural Values of Native and European Americans.
Directions: Read each of the statements below, keeping in mind the creation stories you have read and other information you have been given regarding Native Americans and European colonists. Write E beside each of those values associated more with European Americans and N beside each of those values associated more with Native Americans. Note after each statement specific references to the readings that support your choice.
_____There exists a spirit of cooperation between humans and nature.
_____There exists a hierarchy of God over man and man over woman.
_____Woman is part of man.
_____Man is master over woman.
_____Humans have a kinship with animals and nature in general.
_____Women's roles and functions are as important as those of men.
_____Man owns nature.
_____Humans should dominate the world.
_____Man must obey God or be punished.
_____Man was created separately from nature.
_____Man's existence is dependent upon working with other animals.
_____Man must work constantly to obey God's commands.
_____Knowledge may be evil or have a corrupting influence.
Assignment 2
http://www.learner.org/amerpass/unit02/index.html and click in the VoD icon towards the bottom of the page.
1. What are modern writers challenging in their works dealing with Southwestern Border?
2. What is Aztlan?
3. What does Mestizo mean?
4. What did del Castillo write about?
5. Who was Doña Marina?
6. Who was Cabeza de Vaca and what was unique about his situation and why can he be termed a "cultural Mestizo" and "the first Chicano"?
7. What did de Vaca criticize about European Christians?
8. What are "border ballads"?
9. How did women's roles in Chicano culture evolve?
10. How did the image of Doña Marina in change in Chicano literature?
Assignment 3
Sor Juana Inés de la Cruz
Read the Introduction and "In Reply to the Gentleman from Peru…, " pp. 80-86, Heath Anthology
Note "court" on p. 81 means the group of people surrounding royalty, not a court of law.
1. Why did Sor Juana Inés enter religious life?
2. What happened to women who stepped outside their "spheres" in New Spain?
How did de la Cruz respond to this?
Why can the position and treatment of women be seen as resulting from European influence, rather than that of indigenous cultures? (Think back to the creation stories.)
3. What did de la Cruz come to blame herself for towards the end of her life? Why do you think she might have felt this way?
4. To whom is her poem in the textbook addressed? What did this person apparently send her and tell her?
5. What does her tone seem to be as she addresses Navarette? Is she being serious or sarcastic, do you think? Explain.
6. What are de la Cruz's thoughts on Navarette's advice that she would be better off being a man?
What does she say about herself as a woman?
7. In lines 117-128, what does de la Cruz say about people who excel at what they do?
What, then, is she saying by implication about Navarette?
Do you think she is right, in general (not just about Navarette)?
8. What conclusion does the poet come to in the last two lines of the poem?
How can we see this statement lived out in history?
Assignment 4
Read pp. 86-99 in The Heath Anthology on the Pueblo Revolt.
Write a paragraph or so comparing and contrasting de Otermín's account with the Hopi account of the revolt.
Assignment 5
Read pp. 100-101, the intro. to "New France"; the bio. of Champlain on pp. 100-101; the selection from The Voyages of Samuel de Champlain, 1604-1618 [An Encounter with the Iroquois] on pp. 102-105;the intro. to "The Jesuit Relations" on pp. 107-108; and the selections from The Relation of 1647, by father Jerome Lalemant on pp. 109-116.
1. What did historian Francis Parkman say about the relationships between the French and the Indians?
2. The textbook editor who wrote the introduction to New France says Parkman "romanticizes" French treatment of Native Americans? What is meant by "romanticize"?
After reading the rest of the assignment, do you agree with the editor's assessment of Parkman's depiction of Native American- French relations? Why or why not?
3. Why did the French come to North America?
4. Why did they not treat the indigenous peoples in the same ways the Spanish, for example, did?
5. Why were the French Jesuits in some sense more successful in their religious mission than were the Spanish? (pp. 101 and 108)
6. What was the relationship of the Huron Nation to the Five Nations of the Iroquois?
What role did Champlain play in this relationship?
7. What evidence of ethnocentrism do you see in Champlain's descriptions on pp. 103-105?
8. What happened by the 1650s to the Huron-Iroquois-French relationship?
9. After reading the narrative regarding Father Jogues, list/describe at least three points which stood out to you in the story.
Assignment 6
Choose one: Paper A, Paper B, Paper C, OR Paper D.
Follow the directions given for the content of the paper you choose. Your paper should be 400-500 words long, NOT including any quotations you use, and be 3-4 paragraphs. The RUBRIC used to grade this assignment is on the page following. USE IT as a guide while writing your paper!
Paper A:
In your first paragraph, give a summary of what you have learned about the beginnings of New France from the readings in the text. You do not need to cite these sources parenthetically or in your Works Cited page, but do make specific references to the textbook readings.
Next, research the history of the French in Canada. Make sure you write down all the information regarding sources that you actually use in your paper (title, author, publication information, location, etc.). In your second paragraph, describe the most important events in this history, and document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end).
Finally, research the experiences of French-Canadian Americans (immigrants/migrants from Quebec) in the 19th and 20th centuries. Detail their experiences in the third and fourth paragraphs of your paper. Again, document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end).
Paper B:
In your first paragraph, give a summary of what you have learned about the beginnings of New Spain from the assigned readings and film. You do not need to cite these sources parenthetically or in your Works Cited page, but do make specific references to the textbook readings and film sources.
Next, research the history of the border between Mexico and the United States, paying particular attention to the Mexican War of the late 1840s. Make sure you write down all the information regarding sources that you actually use in your paper (title, author, publication information, location, etc.). In your second paragraph, describe this history, and document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end).
Finally, research the experiences of Mexican Americans (immigrants/migrants from Mexico) in the 19th and 20th centuries (from 1848 to present). Make sure you write down all the information regarding sources that you actually use in your paper (title, author, publication information, location, etc.). In the third and fourth paragraphs of your paper, explore the basic facts regarding the experiences of these two groups here in the US, and document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end). The only sources you do not have to document parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page are the films we saw in class, if you use those.
Paper C:
Research what has been happening in the United States concerning the issues of public schools, "evolution," "Darwinism," "creationism," and "intelligent design." Use news and opinion sources from 1925-the present. Make sure you write down all the information regarding sources that you actually use in your paper (title, author, publication information, location, etc.). In your first 1-2 paragraphs, describe some of the events, as well as what people on both sides of the debate are saying (briefly). Document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end).
In the next 1-2 paragraphs, relate the above issue to the content and themes we covered in the section of this unit where we studied different creation stories. Consider such sub-topics as which creation stories, if any, should be taught; in what subject area(s); what is the value in having knowledge of these stories, etc. You do not need to cite creation stories we read as a class or on handouts&emdash;just name them as necessary, since I provided them for you.
Paper D:
Research current issues in Native American life and culture, especially concerning tribal identity and recognition as defined by the US government, the use of traditional religious sites, and socio-economic conditions. Make sure you write down all the information regarding sources that you actually use in your paper (title, author, publication information, location, etc.). In the first 1-2 paragraphs of your paper, describe the basic facts regarding these issues, and document your sources (parenthetically in the paper and in the Works Cited page at the end).
In the next 1-2 paragraphs, relate the above issue to the content and themes we covered in the section of this unit. Try to show how the seeds of today's issues were sown hundreds of years ago. You do not need to cite the films we viewed as a class&emdash;just name them, since I provided them for you. Use references to specific authors and passages in the textbook or on handouts, but, again, you do not need citations for this. You need citations only in the first part of the paper for news sources.
5¬ Relationships between historical and modern points, between facts and arguments, and between issues and the content and themes of the literature in the unit are always made very clear
¬ Writer's purpose in choosing various examples from today's world and from the past and/or literature is always clear
¬ All sub-topics assigned for the chosen paper are covered thoroughly but succinctly¬ Writer consistently uses the required paragraphing format as described in the Assignment
¬ Paragraphs have effective topic and concluding sentences that add to the reader's understanding¬ Tone is lively and natural, not wordy or stilted
¬ Words are always specific and accurate, with well-chosen nouns and verbs
¬ There are no errors in agreement (noun/ pronoun, subject/verb, etc.) ¬ Sentence construction produces natural flow and rhythm.
¬ There are no construction errors such as run-ons or fragments¬ Grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization are correct and contribute to clarity and style
¬ All sources are documented where required
¬ Citations are done in correct MLA format
3¬ Relationships between historical and modern points, between facts and arguments, and between issues and the content and themes of the literature in the unit are sometimes made clear
¬ Writer's purpose in choosing various examples from today's world and from the past and/or literature is sometimes apparent
¬ Most sub-topics assigned for the chosen paper are covered¬ Writer generally uses the required paragraphing format as described in the Assignment
¬ Paragraphs often have clear topic and/or concluding sentences ¬ Tone is appropriate for purpose and audience
¬ There are a few errors in usage, but they do not impede meaning
¬ There are some errors in agreement (noun/ pronoun, subject/verb, etc.) ¬ Sentences are constructed correctly for the most part, though there may be a few places where punctuation could be improved¬ Grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization mistakes are infrequent and do not impede meaning
¬ MLA-style citations are present but there are some errors and/or omissions
1¬ Relationship between historical and modern points, between facts and arguments, and between issues and the content and themes of the literature in the unit are often unclear
¬ Writer's purpose in choosing various examples from today's world and from the past and/or literature is rarely apparent
¬ Several sub-topics assigned for the chosen paper are not covered¬ Writer fails to adhere to the required paragraphing format as described in the Assignment
¬ Paragraphs often lack topic and/or concluding sentences¬ Tone is wordy and stilted
¬ Many usage errors detract from meaning
¬ Errors in agreement are often present¬ Sentences are choppy and repetitive
¬ There are several run-ons and/or fragments¬ Grammar, spelling, punctuation and capitalization mistakes distract the reader or impede meaning
¬ Citations are missing; sources are not documented as required