During the course of the semester, you will have several reflective pieces to write. The emphasis is on the word "reflective"; that is, you have to engage your brain in a thoughtful way (hence: "thought" pieces). The objective of these assignments is threefold. First, it is to propel you to write regularly, and in this case, write about what you are thinking (as opposed to conducting research, then writing). Second, it is to encourage you to think about certain issues and themes from the course beyond the normal class prep time. Finally, it is to see to what degree you're engaging the material ("engage" is a good word here) rather than biding your time in class and getting by.

Remember: you've got to put something more than time into it. Show me you have.

Submit your assignments as email attachments sent to me at jim.butterfield@wmich.edu. I won't accept hard copies. Your papers must be in either Microsoft Word or WordPerfect (the version is immaterial.) Note: Microsoft Works is not acceptible. If your computer does not have either Microsoft Word or Word Perfect, plan a little extra time to either write your paper in a lab or take a USB flash drive with the file on it to the lab and convert it.

Assignment #1: Saturday, September 25

"Boy in the garbage dump" in Guatemala City. Picture taken from here; associated story here.

Life at the Dump. The narration for this week was about making one's livelihood by scavenging in a landfill. Listen to the This American Life program, "Except for the Smell, I Think I Have a Crush on You." [You cannot download the file except for a fee, but you can listen to it online for free]. This story builds on that theme, but the focus is quite different. Listen to the story (about 20 minutes), then write at least one page (but not more than two) recording your impressions. (Note: don't give me a synopsis; give me your impressions. What stands out for you about life at the edge of this Tijuana dump?)

From the web site: "There are squatters who've built entire neighborhoods on top of rotting trash heaps in Mexico. They scavenge in the garbage piles for their living. Author Luis Urrea worked in one of these neighborhoods many years ago. He goes back to visit a friend who still lives there, in a small house with six teenage girls (three daughters, three nieces.)"

Link: http://www.thislife.org/Radio_Episode.aspx?episode=249. Click on "Stream Episode). Then move the counter to 19:40 (minutes:seconds). It's the second act of a three act program. By the way, the photo at the top of this page is from a Tijuana slum.

Write at least one page (and no more than two) summarizing your impressions. Name your file lastname1.doc. IMPORTANT:See general instructions below.

Due: Saturday, September 25 by midnight.

Assignment #2: Saturday, October 2

Educating Girls. In 2005, UNICEF released a report on Children and Education. A central theme of the report was gender disparity in education. For this assignment you will watch several short videos, read a short synopsis of one section of the report, and review a photo essay.

1. Go to the report's main page.
2. Watch the video "The Overview" (it's short).
3. Click on "Gender Parity" (in the left column) and read the synopsis.
4. Watch the videos "Effects of Poverty," "Rural Education" and "Child Labour" (left-hand column).
5. Go back to the main page and review the photo essay.

Write at least one page (and no more than two) summarizing what you've learned about obstacles to and benefits of girls' education. Name your file lastname2.doc. See general instructions below.

Due: Saturday, October 2 by midnight.

Assignment #3: Saturday, October 9

Children, War and Destitution. A couple of years ago, Human Rights Watch staged an exhibition in New York of children's art from Darfur, Sudan. The drawings are posted on the Human Rights Watch website. Read the introduction, review the drawings and listen to the two-minute audio of Dr Anne Sparrow (mp3 format). (You can also listen to an associated NPR story if interested.) Write at least one page (and no more than two) recording your reaction/impressions. What do we learn about the impact of war and violence on children?

Name your file lastname3.doc. See general instructions below.

Due: Saturday, October 9 by midnight.

General instructions for mini-writing assignments: For the mini-writing assignments, your grade will be divided evenly between content and writing. You will be harshly graded for major infractions such as incomplete or run-on sentences, improper subject-verb agreement, and bad syntax. In addition, pay attention to spelling (not just by spellchecking - PROOFREAD!), typos, grammar, and style. And for goodness' sake, NEVER make three mistakes: keep "its" and "it's" straight, don't mix up "their", "they're" and "there", and DO NOT put apostrophes in plurals.

Each paper is to be at least one page and no longer than two. Margins should be uniformally 1" and the font selection should Times New Roman or Calibri 12 point. Text should be double-spaced with no skipped lines between paragraphs. The heading should be simple; follow this model:

Note the simple, single-spaced heading and the absence of a title, course reference, etc.

Submit all assignments as an email attachment to jim.butterfield@wmich.edu. Send yourself a copy as well. Label your first file lastname.1.doc (or docx or wpd, as appropriate for the word processing program you use), the second one "lastname.2.doc", and so on. In other words, my third mini-writing assignment would be labeled butterfield.3.doc". They must be in either Microsoft Word or Word Perfect format (the version is not important). Do not send a Microsoft Works document (if you do, it will be considered as not submitted). Title your document as instructed in each assignment.

Note: I will in all cases send you a confirmation that I have received your paper as soon as I notice it. If you don't receive a confirmation, assume it didn't go through. Given that deadlines are midnight, however, don't wait for an immediate confirmation. Look for it the next morning.

CAUTIONARY NOTES: 1. If you do not follow all instructions, your paper will not be read, and will be considered as not submitted on time. 2. Deadlines are strict. Adhere to them.