Project description

1. TACOMA-NANTES
LITERARY
CONNECTIONS
Let’s share about lit!
Lily Cui & M.-H. Fasquel.

2. The Tempest project
 Each class (Tacoma 10th graders and
Nelson Mandela 11th graders) will analyze
The Tempest collaboratively and post all
their findings and responses on their blog.
 They will write poetry responses to
characters and discuss their work. They
will share their work on this Google Doc.
 They will do a scene-staging activity and
share it on You Tube and engage with each
other.
 They will write reviews of each other’s
stagings.
 They will make a podcast about The
Tempest and will add the links on this
Padlet. For instance on Podbean.

3. The ARC project
 The Academic Research for College (ARC) is a trimester-long project in which students
research and analyze the life and work of one American author.
 Students begin by exploring a wide range of American authors. They analyze and respond
to twenty poems, short stories, and essays in a grazing journal.
 From this wide range of texts, students choose their Top Five authors and write a “love
letter” to each explaining why they want to study their work. Each student is assigned one
author from their Top Five list. Every student has a different author; they are their
ambassador!
 Students then read at least ten works by their author and write a journal entry on each
text.
 Students write two analytical essays on two texts and one “World of the Author” essay on
the author’s life and influences. Finally, they synthesize these essays into one thesis.
 The project concludes with creative presentations on their authors to the class.

4. The ARC project – Student testimonies
 “The ARC taught me not only to examine literary nuances but also to discover and
establish my literary voice. It really enabled me to focus on an illustrious American author
and to create an overarching connection between a variety of themes in my author’s
works. I often think of Kate Chopin, my author! It’s a very worthwhile project.” – Kiana
Taghavi, Seattle, WA
 “For a developing writer and analytical reader, the process of spending time reading a
single author’s work and forming your own opinions and theses regarding what they’ve
done is very valuable and provides opportunities for learning at each step, allowing you to
gain a better understanding of the author, and develop your abilities. Also, it’s a lot of
work.” – Logan Walker, Seattle, WA
 “Among the foremost skills that ARC taught me is how to compose a 15-page paper with
reasonable ease. I learned methods of gathering information from a broad range of
sources, dividing the essay into manageable pieces, and synthesizing these pieces into an
organized essay. These are critical skills for both university level writing and later career
work. Lastly, I greatly enjoyed delving into my author’s world and making meaningful
connections between the formative aspects of his life and his work.” – Margo Samuelson,
Seattle, WA

5. The ARC project – works
Poetry:
 Emily Dickinson
 Langston Hughes
 Rita Dove
Non-fiction:
 Stranger in the Village by James Baldwin
 Letter from Birmingham Jail by Martin Luther
King
Collection of short stories:
 Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa
Lahiri
 Francis Scott Fitzgerald.

6. The ARC project
 Sharing: Students will study the same works
and exchange ideas about them on the
blog.
 Storytelling: They will compose and present
a detailed synopsis of a text of their
choosing.
 Connecting: They will discuss connections
between these texts and the world we live in
– our communities and countries, and
across the globe. They will connect the
themes of these works with Sustainable
Development Goals if relevant.