English III - Alpha Omega Academy

1. Make a list of notable American books, stories, and/or poetry. If possible, choosematerial that you have actually read.Behind each book, story, or poem, write the type of literature and the author’s name. Dosome research to find out the background of this author, if he/she is considered anacclaimed author, or other pertinent information. Share some of the information youdiscovered, along with the sources you used.For this project you will need to have 5 to 10 books or poems with authors, information, andsources recorded. Each entry should have at least 2 pieces of information from 2 differentsources. A sample entry follows.“Dreams,” poem by Langston HughesHis writing was considered very influential in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s.from POETS.orgHughes was the first African American author able to make a living by writing. fromhttp://www.csustan.edu/english/reuben/pal/chap9/hughes.htmlMany of his contemporaries did not like the way he portrayed black life: they said it wastoo unattractive. from poetryfoundation.orgNotice that the websites used are reputable, reliable sources. Wikipedia was not used, eventhough that was the first result when searching for information about Langston Hughes.2. After you have done this for a few authors, select one to write your essay about. Then,write a paragraph telling which author you have chosen to write about and why. Yourparagraph must have at least 5 sentences, and could explore the availability of resources,your interest in the author, and his renown, among other topics. An example follows.I have chosen to write about Langston Hughes. “Dreams” is one of my favorite poemsbecause of its deep meaning but simple style. I also was able to discover many sources ofinformation while looking into researching Hughes. It is really interesting to me thatmany of his contemporaries were unimpressed with his work or questioned theappropriateness of writing about the black experience with honesty. It will be interestingto find out more about their perspective, as well as his view of the criticism. I am alsolooking forward to getting to know more of his work.Part Two: ThesisComplete part one before starting part two.Now is the time to really get into doing your research for this assignment. You will need to knowa good deal about your author before you formulate a comprehensive thesis statement.10