Wednesday, November 7, 2007

Fathers in Random Family

Read the following article:

http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/children/20060707/2/1901


The book, Random Family, primarily focuses upon the issues facing the mothers and women. What contributions, if any, do you see from the men/fathers in the lives of the women and children? Why do you think the men/fathers behave the way they do? Do you see a change possible at any point in the book?

To answer the question, focus on one or more of the specific males in the book. Use both the book and the article to respond to this question. This is a short essay that will be completed during the class.

Monday, November 5, 2007

Reading Program Instructions

If you would like to practice your reading comprehension, go to this website:

http://www.wisesoftonline.com/readingonline/


To log in, follow these steps:
School Code: Hudson

User Id: Your first name

Password: Your last name

Once you are logged in, click on Reading Comprehension and begin the pretest. It will be easy. Just keep going until you start to get them wrong, and then you will be placed at your level.

Group #6 - FL

Thursday, November 1, 2007

Group #5 Posting - FL

Group 5 Posting - GA

Andrea and Rosa said...
Andrea and Rosa said...by Andrea and RosaThis is a summary of chapers 29-36;The chapter opens up with CoCo and Frankie. CoCo do not like the way Frankie is treating the girls. One morning CoCo woke to Frankie snapping scissors in Naurica's face, the argued and CoCo told Frankie he would never treat his own childre that way. Then right before Christmas Frankie got arreste, it was for a murder warrant, someone must have used his name. But his fingerprints cleared him and he came home. After that CoCo considered moving back to the city, she felt more safe there, but Cesar told her she should not because the kids deserve better. Meanwhile Cesar wrote Jessica expressing his concern about his children especially Mercedes, he was afraid he will lose her, like she is slipping away from him. Even though Cesar expressed his unhappiness about certain things like the upbringing, he do not tell Jessica of his drug use.But Jessica did tell Cesar of her lesbian relationship. Jessica is also going to sue The Department of Corrections saying that the should have kept her from getting pregnant while in their care.Back in Troy life was falling apart for CoCo the girls were missing alot of school and as a result she received a visit from a social worker from the the Child Protective Services. Right after that CoCo's welfare case was closed because she missed her recertification date. CoCo and Mercedes was always argueing they could not seem to get along CoCo wanted to keep going to the Bronx and Mercedes did not. One time while in the Bronx CoCo saw Wishman, he gave her some money for Pearal.Foxy believed Wishman only wanted to sleep with CoCo, and she was right. One day Wishman and CoCo went to the hotel and slept together. After that when she tried to get in touch with Wishman she could'nt. By the end od the summer CoCo received a letter from welfare saying she had to go to school or get a job, she decided to go back to school to get her GED. It was a happy moment.

Back at the prison Jessica met a woman named Nilda the became lovers, and Nilda convinced Jessica to reapply for the DAP program, to shorten her stay because her children needed her home. Jessica spoke to her children over the phone and kept in touch with Cesar, she even sent him money.CoCo moved into a new place near the girls school. The place of course was close to drug transacts also. Immediately CoCo apartments filled up with unwanted guests, because CoCo could'nt tell anyone no. That lead to more arguement between CoCo and Mercedes. Soon after the Head Start expelled Pearal saying she was to sick for them to handle. That jeopardized Pearal's SSI and the teachers and doctor had to write a note for CoCo explaining the situation. Pearal needed an operation to correct her reflux, Frankie nursed her back to health. while CoCo attended school.

In the midst of evertying CoCo was upset because she heard rumors about how good Giselle was doing, and that she was becoming closer to Cesar's family. All of the rumors were not true. Giselle was visiting Cesar regularly and he asked her to make arrangements to bring the girls the next time she came. She agreed.Everything was fine, the the night before the girls were to meet Giselle, she called CoCo to tell her that Cesar had been stabbed. Cesar had to get thirty-two stitches across his back. Soon after he got shipped to Southpoint. Lourdes and the girls went to go see Jessica, she told them if she continued to do good in the DAP program she will be home by Christmas.CoCo was having a hard time dealing with school the children and Frankie. One morning she went back to check on Frankie and caught him bagging up crack. She dropped out of school after that she did'nt want to leave him home alone. They got into a big arguement after that and she threw him out. To help make ends meat she started baby sitting. CoCo aprtment needed fumigating but the landlord ignored CoCo, as a result the girls got head lice and got sent home from school. Milagros told CoCo to call the Department of Health, but a housing inspector came our instead and condemned the place. CoCo was homeless a second time within one year.

Following her evauation CoCo reapplied for Section 8 and applied for Public Housing also. She was staying between Hector and Iris, but feeling welcome no where. Coco found a job slicing meat, then found her another place to live of course it was in an unsafe neighborhood, but CoCo just wanted a roof over their heads. She moved Frankie back in and as before Mercedes and Frankie were argueing. CoCo would agree with Mercedes one minute and tell her to stay in a child's place the next. No wonder why Mercedes was frustrated and confused.. Jessica was released from jail right before Christmas. She had to report to a halfway house first. On Christmas day the had a big celebration at Lourdes's house everyone came even Jessica's grandma from Florida. Milagros brought the girls and the had a great time. Elaine found Jessica a job at the place where she works and she is staying with her until she can find her own place. Jessica is back to her old ways and is dating a guy name George. Can you believe that? CoCo quit her job because of the irregular hours. Hector found her a job at the hospital, but she had to quit that because Pearal was missing her doctor's appointments. The chapter ends with the school wanting Mercedes to see a therpist because of ther behavior. Mercedes did not want to talk to the therpist because she would be betraying her mom and putting her sisters in jeopardy. She knows by telling the therpist the truth, welfare would take the benefits and housing would disqualify CoCo if they found out that Frankie lived there. And she also wondered what about if the found out about the drugs Frankie hid from CoCo in the house? That is an awful lot for an eight year old to bear. And oh yeah!!! CoCo is pregnant again. What does the next chapters bring for the characters in Random Family? Read on and see.

It seems as though the chacters in Random Family are always struggling with something in the lives. So for me the chapters theme is Life Struggles.CoCo is struggling to keep her sanity between the children driving her crazy and Frankie with his friends and drug dealing. And she is also strugglingg to keep a roof over their heads and food in the house.Mercedes is struggling wiht not having her father around and struggling in an unstable household with her mom not paying her any attention. She is also fighting with Frankie all the time. She is also struggling in school with ther peers, school work and her teachers.Lourdes is truggling just to be a normal mom to her children, and she in on medication now for her depression.

Cesar is struggling to keep a relationship with Mercedes, he is scared he will lose her. And trying to keep his sanity in jail because he is worried about his family.Jessica is always struggling with life because all she cares about are men. But she is also worried about she and Serena's relationship because Serena is so close to Elaine.For all the struggles that the characters go through in the book, you would think that they would make better choices in their lives, maybe they will let's read on and see.

Thursday, October 25, 2007

Additional Information for the curious

If you are interested in some images that give you a view into the world of Random Family, visit this website:

http://www.brendakenneally.com/

This is the photographer that went with LeBlanc when she visited the Bronx, although these pictures are not of our characters. The series, "Money Power Respect" show the what a fast paced life of drugs and sex can lead to. If you have headphones, you can listen to the people narrate their life through pictures. The pictures are sometimes graphic.

In-Class Response - Oct. 25

Given the experience that Mercedes and Nikki have at the summer camp, what insight can you make about opportunities or new possibilities that come into their lives? Consider both their experience at the camp and what happens after Coco brings them home.

Post a comment here on the website. Be sure to include your name.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

Pictures and Articles Related to Random Family

This first article speaks about the author, LeBlanc, as she visits a detention center and discusses the book. The article is on page 20. There are also pictures of Cesar and Jessica's kids on page 21.

http://www.fortunesociety.org/pdf_news/03_spring_hepc.pdf

This next article is an excerpt that was published in a magazine in 2003, before the book was published. The names of the characters have been changed in the article, but you should be able to identify who they are. Tony is Cesar, Lolli is Coco, and Nina is Mercedes. There are a few pictures of Cesar, Coco and Mercedes here as well. I suspect that the woman with Coco and Cesar, the woman kneeling, is Jessica. There is also a picture of Giselle and her daughter.

http://www.wehaitians.com/prison%20is%20a%20member%20of%20their%20family.html

After you have looked over the articles and pictures, post a comment letting me know what you think about seeing the characters and reading about Adrian Nicole LeBlanc.

Group Posting #4 - FL

Group Posting #4 - GA

Thursday, October 18, 2007

In-Class Response - FL - 10/18

Please write a short essay response to the following question. You must use quotations or paraphrasing to support your response.

For the teenage girls in Random Family, what are the attractions of being a mother? What sort of power and influence -- real or imagined -- is associated with the role?


Use specific examples and references to at least one of the women in Random Family to examine and explore the above questions. Be sure that you elaborate enough to make clear your ideas.

In-Class Response - GA - 10/18

Please write a short essay response to the following question. You must use quotations or paraphrasing (the author's idea but written in your own words) to support your response.


On page 94, the author says, “Being stuck in the courtroom was not so dissimilar to the insularity of a block in the ghetto; other people’s humiliation became a source of entertainment, and the seriousness of what was at stake got lost in the heightened significance of petty things.”

Using an issue that confronts the characters, give an example of what LeBlanc might be talking about in the above quotation. Be sure that you elaborate enough to make clear how your example supports the quotation.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

Thursday, October 11, 2007

Essay Assignment on Random Family

As we have discussed in class, the people in Random Family -- Jessica and Boy George, Lourdes and Foxy -- may remind you of people you know. What you are responding to in these individuals is not necessarily their circumstances, but the innate humanity of who they are. Basically, in the funny moments, bad choices, silly mistakes, and major disappointments the characters like Jessica and Coco experience, we see ourselves because we have done the same thing – only in our own particular way, with our own particular results.

This comparison and contrast essay will have you select one of the characters in Random Family and compare and contrast your own experiences to their experiences. You should select the character that most reminds you of yourself, in whatever way she/he does. It doesn’t mean that you are exactly like that character; it means that something about, say Miranda, reminds you of yourself.

Once you have selected a character, you will highlight the points that make you similar and dissimilar. To do this, you may start by looking at actions and choices the character has made and actions and choices you have made. Or you may look at behaviors that the character has that are like/unlike behaviors you have. You may also talk about the dissimilarities between you and the character. For example, you may talk about how Miranda chose to break up with Boy George, while you would not have done so.

The key to this being a successful essay is to be reflective about who you are and who the people in the book are. None of the characters are just stupid or silly or promiscuous. Look for their underlying motivations, and look for your underlying motivations. That’s the place where you will see the similarities most clearly.

The essay is due on Oct. 18, 2007. The rough draft is due on Oct. 16.
Refer to the textbook chapter on Comparison and Contrast for how to organize your essay.

Monday, October 8, 2007

Tuesday, October 2, 2007

Poverty's Children: Growing Up in the South Bronx

You are going to respond to the following article and relate it to the book, Random Family. Click on the link here to read the article: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1295/is_n10_v59/ai_17598379/print

You should take notes and/or print the article to use for reference.

Choose one of these two topics to write about:

What similarities do you see between the children in this article and the characters/children in Random Family? Be specific and refer to both the article and the book to support your ideas. Use page numbers when referring to the book.

or

What is a theme that you see present in the article and in the book Random Family? Be specific and refer to both the article and the book to support your ideas. Use page numbers when referring to the book.

Your response will be in the short essay format and should include a brief introduction, your point/thesis, support to explain/clarify your point, and a conclusion.

You will hand in your response today or Tuesday. The response should be typed and 1 – 2 pages in length.

Group Project Posting - #1 - FL

Wednesday, September 26, 2007

Introducing...Random Family

During this segment of the course, students will post and discuss passages from Random Family: Love, Drugs, Trouble and Coming of Age in the Bronx on a Blog (this site) devoted to their Basic English III (Eng/Rdg 073) course.

The reading passages from Random Family will be assigned to groups of 3-4 students. Students will summarize the selection, identify the primary theme in the selection, analyze two pivotal scenes from that selection, and discuss why those scenes are relevant to the primary themes of the text. The group assignment will be posted online before the class, and will be used to prepare students for an assignment created by the instructor.

The instructor derived assignment will have the entire class respond to an article Prof. Sweet will post on this blog. This response will require the students to relate the sociological issue discussed in the given article to the book. Additionally, the students may be asked to post feedback to the student group who presented during that week.

To become better acquainted with the issues, themes and setting of the book, please visit this site and read the article:
http://www.gothamgazette.com/article/demographics/20030415/5/348

Also view this website:
http://www.deamuseum.org/museum_idarc2.html


Here is a link to a clip from YouTube featuring breakdancers, one of whom (Puma) is a character in the book. The group in the blue is from the Bronx, where Jessica lives. This gives a view of the culture of the time.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NpdLz0WFbQM

Here are two more links to videos from a group called Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam. This gives you a visual of the fashion and music of the time. Lisa Lisa's first single was released in 1984 around the time that the book starts. Lisa Lisa looks like you might imagine Jessica: Puerto Rican, young, and pretty.

"I Wonder If I Take You Home"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T_WZP0LzC4Q

Can You Feel the Beat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-F5lQNrxg7c


Each student should mark in their notebooks the web address for our class blog as you will return to it each week:

http://sweetrandom.blogspot.com/


For next Thursday, October 4, begin to read Random Family up to page 59. Group 1 will be presenting on this day.

Group Assignment Instructions

Each group will post and discuss an assigned selection from Random Family on a Blog devoted to the course.

Each group must complete the following four (4) elements:

  1. Summarize the selection;
  2. Analyze two pivotal scenes from the assigned selection and discuss why they are relevant to primary theme(s);
  3. Identify the primary theme of the selection.
  4. A designated person from the group will post the three elements online before the class in which it will be discussed.

Additional points for all students to know:

  • As an option, the instructor may request that peers respond with comments online to the student group’s posting.
  • The instructor will review and assess the group’s posting and respond to group members in writing.
  • The instructor will post an article which may be related to the theme identified by the group.
  • The entire class, including the group who posted, will write a short essay in response to the article and discuss its relevance to Random Family. Students may begin the essay during the computer lab, and complete the assignment at home.
  • The instructor will give a written evaluation of the essay to each student.