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.