Bert McCoy's
"MyTeaching Resources"
English 9-12
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    • Bert McCoy Meditation Quotes >
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      • Present moment quotes
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    • Top 10 Rules for Success >
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      • Who Moved My Cheese/ #2
      • Who Moved My Cheese/ #3
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      • The Four Agreements:
      • The Four Agreements
      • John Wooden's, "Pyramid of Success"
  • Teaching Stories
    • Teaching Stories/ Quotes >
      • Spiritual Paths
    • Mooji Stories
    • "The Emperor's Three Questions" by Leo Tolstoy
    • Avadhuta Gita >
      • Avadhuta Gita
    • Teaching Stories
    • Mullah Nasruddin Stories
    • The Bhagavad Gita vs "To be or not to be." >
      • The Bhagavad-Gita
    • Vedanta Teachings >
      • Advaita / Nonduality Quotes
      • Advaita
    • The Emerald Tablets/Alchemist
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  • Cool Quotes
    • Rumi Quotes >
      • Non-Dual Quotes
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    • Inspirational Quotations 1
    • Inspirational Quotations 2
    • Cool QUOTES!
    • Motivational Quotes
    • Wisdom
  • Film Studies 2019-2020
    • Film Study Syllabus >
      • Film Study Terms
      • Film Vocabulary 2
    • Parasite Film
    • Arrival Film
    • Film Posters >
      • Denis Villeneuve
    • Film Studies Films >
      • Movies for Film Class
    • Film History/The Lumiere Brothers and more...
    • Film Making Quotes >
      • Lucy Film
      • First Films of Great Directors >
        • Editing (Cuts)
        • Federico Fellini
        • Jean-Luc Godard
        • Screenplay Theme
      • Hollywood Casting and Film
      • Sam Mendes 1917 Film
      • Rotten Tomatoes Best films
      • Screenwriting Sample Scrips
    • Movie Etiquette >
      • Character Types
      • Turner Classic Movies
      • Free Movies
      • Pulp Fiction Film
    • Film Agenda 2019-2020 >
      • Permission Letter
      • Filmmaking and Advice
      • Breaking Into Hollywood
      • Film Schools
      • Filmsite
    • Film Quotes >
      • The 100 greatest movie quotes of all time
    • Cinematography >
      • Film Shots
      • Camera Shots
    • Famous Film Directors >
      • Directors Favorite Films
      • John Ford
      • Jean-Luc Godard >
        • Breathless >
          • Breathless
      • François Truffaut
      • Female Film Directors
      • Akira Kurosawae
      • Andrei Tarkovsky
      • David Fincher
      • Christopher Nolan
      • Fassbinder Films
      • Coen Brothers
      • Martin Scorsese
      • Steven Speilberg
      • Quentin Tarantino
      • Directors/Producers
      • Andrei Tarkovsky
      • Stanly Kubrick >
        • Stanley Kubrick
      • The Wachowskis
    • The Seven Stages of Film Production
    • Austin Film Festival
    • Sundance Film Winners >
      • Sundance Film Festival
    • Inside The Actor's Studio
    • Television Studies
    • Screenwriting Tips
    • Narrative Design and Terms >
      • Film Study Narrative Design
      • The Hero's Journey >
        • What is an Archetype?
        • Hero's Journey
        • The Hero's Journey #1
        • Hero's Journey #2
        • Hero's Journey #3
      • Mise En Scene >
        • Mise En Scene
      • Peaky Blinders
      • Peaceful Warrior
      • Peaceful Warrior Quotes
      • Peaceful Warrior Script
      • Peaceful Warrior
      • Groundhog Day >
        • Time Loop Films
        • If today was your last day?
        • Discussion Questions Film Studies
        • Character Counts Film Studies
      • The Legend of Bagger Vance/The Gita >
        • Production Notes Legend of Bagger Vance
      • Meet Joe Black >
        • Death Takes A Holiday 1934
      • Alfred Hitchcock >
        • Alfred Hitchcock
        • Alfred Hitchcock Presnts
        • Dial M for Murder
        • Psycho >
          • Psycho 1960
          • Ed Gain Psycho
        • The Birds
        • Rear Window 1954 >
          • Disturbia
        • Vertigo >
          • Vertigo 1958
        • Rope
        • To Catch a Thief
        • Notorious 1946
        • Strangers on a Train 1951
        • North by Northwest 1959
        • To Catch a Thief/ Hitchcock
        • The 39 Steps 1935
        • The Lady Vanishes 1938
      • Marathon Man
      • Poltergeist >
        • Poltergeist
      • Jaws >
        • Jaws
      • 2001: A Space Odyssey >
        • Stanley Kubric
      • 100-Foot Journey >
        • French Laundry Restaurant
        • The Hundred Foot Journey
        • 100 Foot Journey
      • Ratatouille Quotes
      • Close Encounters of the Third Kind
      • Documentary >
        • Basquiat
        • filmumentaries
        • 200 Free Documentaries
      • 42 The Jackie Robinson Story
      • It's A Wonderful Life >
        • it's a Wonderful Life
        • It's a Wonderful Life #2
        • It's A Wonderful Life Screenplay PDF
      • I Am Legend
      • The Matrix >
        • The Matrix Reloaded
        • The Matrix The Animatrix
      • Inception
      • Avatar
      • War of the Worlds >
        • H.G. Wells
        • War of The Worlds Vocabulary
        • War of the Worlds 2
      • Forever Strong Rugby >
        • Forever Strong
        • History of Rugby
      • Hoosiers >
        • Hoosiers
      • Goal The Dream Begins
      • Aliens and Cowboys >
        • The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly
      • Film Noir >
        • 12 Angry Men 1957
        • Casablanca >
          • Casablanca
          • Casablanca Review
        • Film Noir >
          • Film Noir Titles
        • Strangers on a Train/ Hitchcock >
          • Strangers on a Train/ Hitchcock
        • The Maltese Falcon
      • Charlie Chaplin >
        • Charlie Chaplin
        • New Page
      • JFK Assassination 1 >
        • Robert Yeoman
        • JFK/Oliver Stone
        • JFK Assassination 2
        • Robert Richardson and JfK
      • Miracle >
        • Flow
      • Patch Adams >
        • Patch Adams 2
      • Gattaca >
        • Eugenics
        • Gattaca
        • Gattaca filming Locations
      • Point Break
      • The Dark Knight >
        • Batman 1
        • Batman 2
      • Inception
      • Finding Forrester
      • The Ring
      • Blade Runner 2049 >
        • Blade Runner
      • Rocky >
        • Top 25 Cult Films:
        • Screenwriting software
      • Films To Consider: >
        • Breathless, by Jean-Luc Godard (1960)
        • Interstellar
        • What Dreams May Come
        • Powder
        • Forrest Gump
        • Mr. Holland's Opus >
          • Vimeo Short Films
          • Sketchbooks for Class
        • The Shining
        • Breakfast at Tiffiffany's
        • Indiana Jones
        • Rain Man
        • French Kiss
        • Silence of the Lambs
        • The Hunger Games/Quotes >
          • Suzanne Collins
          • The Hunger Games
          • The Hunger Games
          • The Hunger Games Seneca
          • The Hunger Games/ Questions
          • Catching Fire
          • The Hunger Games
          • The Hunger Games/ Chapters
          • The Hunger Games/ Characters, Facts, Themes,
        • The Last Samurai
        • In the Mood for Love
        • Seabiscuit
        • Malcolm X
        • 3 Days of the Condor 1975
        • Das Boot
        • Crimson Tide
        • U-571
        • The Hunt For Red October
        • Mr. & Mrs. Smith
        • Promised Land
        • Wonder Woman 2017
        • Planet of the Apes Films
        • The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
        • A Fist Full of Dollars
        • The Conformist >
          • The Conformist
        • Peter Sellers
        • Gladiator
        • The Last Emperor 1987/ Bertolucci
        • Phenomenon 1996
        • Back to the Future
        • The Butler
        • Contagion 2011
        • Speed Racer
        • The Rainmaker
        • Remember the Titans
        • In the Mood for Love
        • 1984 George Orwell
        • Lord of the Rings Films
      • Citizen Kane >
        • Citizen Kane #2
      • The Perks of Being a Wallflower
      • They're Here!
      • The Wild Wild West! >
        • John Wayne / True Grit
        • Clint Eastwood/ High Plains Drifter
      • The Pride of the Yankees 1943
    • German Expressionism in Film >
      • Fritz Lang
      • Dadaist Films
    • Film as Social and Cultural History
    • Filmmaker IQ
    • National Archive Films
    • Atlas Shrugged /Ayn Rand
    • 2016-17 Film Play List
    • Scary Movies >
      • Horror
      • Flowers in the Attic/ Parental Responsibilities
      • Ghost of the Lagoon by Armstrong Sperry
      • Frankenstein 1910 Silent Movie
      • Free Movies
      • My Favorite Directors...Best Directors >
        • My Favorite Actors
    • Dreamworks
    • How to find the theme (s)
    • Man vs Nature Films
    • Film Studies
    • Film Set Lingo
    • Film Studies Lectures
    • Sound Design
    • Film Sound
    • Film Editing
    • Film Lighting Terms and Techniques >
      • Film Lighting
    • Acting Techniques
    • James Bond
    • Film Studies/ Film as Literature (FAL) >
      • filmsite.org
      • Classics Movies #1 >
        • Classic Movies #2
      • Buster Keaton
      • Buster keaton vs Charlie Chaplin
      • Sidney Portier Movies
    • Film Techniques and Terminology
    • Zorba the Greek
    • The Hollywood Reporter
    • Education Movies
    • WAR!
    • Braveheart
    • Glory Road
    • Historical and Period Drama Movies
    • Marlon Brando/On The Water-front
    • Mutiny on the Bounty
    • Stages and Archetypes of the Hero's Journey
    • October Sky
    • Spy Movies
    • Stephen Fry
    • Paper Towns
    • From Weak to Strong Movies
    • The Secret Life of Bees
    • Environmental Movies
    • Sports Movies >
      • A River That Runs Through It >
        • Fly Fishing Quotes
      • Money Ball >
        • Money Ball #2
      • Dogville
      • Goal / History of soccer >
        • Goal (page two)
      • Teamwork Movies
      • www.ronaldothefilm.com
      • We Are Marshall
      • Pele
      • Chariots of Fire
      • Remember the Titans
    • Lance Armstrong Doping
    • FAL/ ?
    • Madame Bovary
  • English 9 Curriculum Map 2018-19
    • Siddhartha >
      • Siddhartha Vocabulary Words
    • English 9 Unit 1 >
      • Video Games >
        • Video Gaming
        • Video Games #2
        • Game Programmer
        • Video Game Jobs
        • Video Games/Presi/Slideshare
      • Video Games
      • Story Telling /Moth
      • 10 Rules/Carmichael
    • The Cast of Amontillado
    • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian >
      • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian Vocabulary Words
    • Direct and Indirect Characterization
    • Overly Sarcastic Productions The Classics
    • English 9 Unit 2 >
      • Food >
        • BBC Fast Food Baby
        • BBC The Truth About Food
        • BBC Beef Burgers
        • GMOs
        • Food
        • Food
        • Food
      • Richard Wright/Blackboy >
        • Black Boy by Richard Wright
      • The Age of the Essay Paul Graham
    • English 9 Unit 3 >
      • Siddhartha >
        • Siddhartha
        • The Odyssey Vocabulary Words >
          • The Odyssey Movie
          • Create a Myth Assignment
          • Odyssey Timelines/ AWESOME!
          • Odyssey Audio
          • The Odyssey/60 Second Recap
          • Freewill vs Determinism quotes
          • Freewill vs Determinism
          • Greek Gods
          • Greek Vases
          • Ancient Greeks
          • Greek Gods
          • The Greeks/Gods
          • Greek Gods/Godesses
          • Greek Gods and their Characteristics
          • Greek Gods/Videos
          • Odyssey
          • The Odyssey and the Hero's Journey
          • The Odyssey Presentations
      • Greek and Roman >
        • Untitled
        • What is theater?
        • Ancient Rome
        • The Gladiator Graveyard
        • Spartacus Behing the Myth
        • Helen of Troy
        • Worst Jobs Roman/Anglo-Saxon
        • Ancient Greek/Roman Music
        • Ancient Greek Homes
        • Rome/History/BBC >
          • Marcus Aurelius
          • The Stoics
          • Metal Detecting Roman/Greek
        • Oedipus The King >
          • Oedipus the King/Prezi
        • Homer, The Iliad
        • The Norse Gods
    • English 9 Unit 4 >
      • Graffiti >
        • Bansky
        • Bansky Art Sold fo
        • Street Art
        • The Top Street and Graffiti Artists to Watch in 2015
        • Graffiti Analysis
        • Anamorphic Graffiti Illusions by Odeith – Fubiz
    • Romeo and Juliet
    • English 9 Unit 5/ Poetry >
      • Various Poets
    • English 9 Other >
      • English 9 Essay
  • English 12 2017-18
    • Restorative Justice >
      • Juvenile Justice Essay Resources
      • Adam Foss
      • Racial Profiling >
        • Racial Poetry
        • Racial Profiling
      • Racism
      • Bullying #1
      • Race/Racism/Bullying
      • Jim Crow Museum
      • What Would You Do?
      • Bullying
      • Bullying
    • Eng 12/ Life after high school >
      • Personal Statement
      • Vision Board Assignment >
        • Vision Board Project
      • UC Writing Prompts/Journals
      • Hidden Intellectualism by Gerald Graff
      • Job Applications/Business Letter
      • Interview Questions and Answers >
        • Interview Q & A
        • Interview Q & A
      • Job Seeking/Resume/Q and A
      • FAFSA
      • Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse
    • Unit 2 Week (3-5) "College Application Essay" >
      • Commencement Speeches #1
      • Commencement Speeches #2
      • Great Speeches
    • Zoot Suit >
      • Zoot Suit 2
    • 1984 Language, Gendetr, and Culture in George Orwell's 1984 >
      • 1984 Key facts, characters, themes, motifs, and symbolism
    • Brave New World 2016 >
      • Brave New World 2017 1
      • Gender, Language, and Identity
      • Brave New World Character Name meanings
      • BNW Vocabulary
      • BNW Chomsky
      • Brave New World Vocabulary Words
      • Brave New World 2016 2
      • The Perennial Philosophy/Huxly
      • Mystic Quotes
      • Papaji Advaita Vedanta
      • Nissargadatta
      • Vedanta Advaita Quotes
      • Kristnamurti Quotes
      • Sola BNW
      • Iron Maiden/ BNW
    • Into The Wild 2016-17
    • Into the Wild/ 11/15 >
      • Into the Wild/ Characters >
        • Into The Wild/Characters >
          • Into the Wild/Themes, Characters
      • Into the Wild/ Vocab
      • Into the Wild/ Quotes
      • into The Wild/ Chapter Reviews
      • Into The Wild/ Symbolism
      • Into To Wild/ Themes
      • Into The Wild/ Glossary
      • Into the Wild/ Quiz 1
      • Into the Wild/Jon Krakauer >
        • Is Ignorance Bliss?
        • Into the Wild/ Essential questions
        • Into the Wild/20/20 >
          • Into the Wild/Eckhart Tolle
        • Chris McCandless Articles/Outside Magazine
        • Into the Wild/Jon Krakaur
        • Into the Wild/2015/Nomads
        • Into the Wild
        • Into the Wild/The Big Two-hearted River/Nick Adams
        • Into the Wild/Who Am I
        • Into the Wild/Pierre Bezuhov/From War and Peace
        • Into The Wild/Various
        • Into the Wild/2015/Rush
        • Into the Wild/Tolstoy
        • Into the Wild/Springsteen
        • Into the Wild/Jack London
        • Into the Wild/Emerson
        • To Build a Fire/Jack Londen
        • Into the Wild/Louis L' Amour
        • Into the Wild/Thoreau
        • Into the Wild/Boris Pasternak
        • Into the Outdoors
        • Into the Wild/Alaska Denali
        • Into the Wild/Snowboarding
        • Into the Wild/2014/15/Supertramp
        • Into the Wild/Vocabulary
        • Into The Wild/Themes >
          • Into the Wild/Themes
        • Into The Wild/Glossary
        • Into the Wild/ Papaji
        • Into the Wild/Eckhart Tolle
        • Into the Wild
        • Into the Wild (Prezi)
        • Into the Wild/John Muir
        • Into the Wild/Quiz
        • Into the Wild /Movie Questions
        • Into the Wild/ Q&A
        • Into the Wild/ Climbing Videos
        • Into the Wild/Moose
    • Standards
    • English 12 Syllabus
    • English 12 2016-17 >
      • English 12a Final Essay
      • Letter To Myself >
        • Letter to Myself
        • Letter to Myself
    • English 12 Essay 2015
    • History of the English Church >
      • History of English
      • History of English
      • The History of English >
        • BBC Anglo-Saxons >
          • Anglo Saxons >
            • Anglo Saxon Lyre
            • Anglo-Saxon The History of English
            • Worst Jobs in History (Middle Ages)
            • The Worst Jobs in History--The Dark Age - Part 1-6
            • The Worst Jobs In History - 1x03 - Tudor
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Roman & Anglo-Saxon
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Medieval
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Tudor
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Stuart
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Georgian
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Victorian
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Urban
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Royal
            • The Worst Jobs In History-- Industrial
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Maritime
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Rural
            • The Worst Jobs In History--Christmas
            • The Medievil Mind >
              • The Medieval Belief
              • The Medievil Treasures BBC
              • The Medieval Power
              • Age of Conquest
              • The Crusades
              • The Black Plague
              • AEngla Land
              • Treasures of the Anglo-Saxons
              • The Staffordshire Hoard
            • Beowulf >
              • In Search of Beowulf
              • Beowulf PPt Presentations
              • British Literature Learning Videos >
                • Paganism vs Christianity
                • The Germanic Tribes
                • Beowulf & the Anglo-Saxons (1-8)
            • The Canterbury Tales
        • Language
    • English 12 Reading >
      • Epic of Gilgamesh Audio 2000 BC.
      • Sir Gawain and the Green Knight Late 14th-century
      • The Wife of Bath's Tale 1405-1410 from canterbury Tales
      • The Passionate Shepard
      • Shakespeare 1564-1616 >
        • Shakespeare/ Tudor England
        • Novels/Plays >
          • Hamlet's, "To Be or Not to Be"
          • A Midsummer Night's Dream
          • Macbeth
          • Macbeth
          • Macbeth Act by Act
          • Shakespeare Poems
          • Globe Theater
          • Shakespeare Sonnets
          • Sonnet 1
          • Sonnet 1 Blog:
          • Sonnet 18
          • Sonnet 29
          • Sonnet 29 Blog:
          • Sonnet 75
          • Sonnet 75 Blog
          • Sonnet 130
      • Romeo & Juliet/ Shakespeare 4/15 >
        • Romeo & Juliet/ Shmoop Resources
        • Shakespeare Glossary
        • Shakespeare's Globe
        • Quotes about Shakespeare >
          • Shakespeare Quotes
          • Shakespeare Castles
        • Romeo & Juliet/ Characters
        • Romeo & Juliet/ Themes, Motifs, Symbolism
        • Elizabethan Clothing
        • Royal Shakespeare Company
        • Romeo and Juliet 1
        • Romeo and Juliet 2
        • Romeo and Juliet 3
        • Romeo and Juliet/ 60 Second
    • Six Centuries of Verse: Metaphysical & Devotional Poets >
      • Ben Johnson
      • John Donne
      • Andrew Marvell >
        • Jonathan Swift
        • A Modest Proposal
      • To His Coy Mistress
    • Romanticism 1790-1850 >
      • Romantic Spirit
      • Mysticism
      • William Blake
      • William Wordsworth
      • Samuel Taylor Coleridge
      • John Keats
      • Percy Bysshe Shelley
      • Mary Shelley
      • Lord Byron
      • James Joyce
  • My Favorite People
    • Favorite Artists >
      • Brian Dettmer Book Cutting
      • Bansky
      • Julian Schnabel
      • Phillip Guston
      • David Salle
      • Robert Motherwell
      • Picaso
      • Raushenburg
      • Francisco Clemente
      • Joseph Beuys
      • Cy Twombly
      • Jean Michel Basquiat
      • Keith Haring
      • Kenny Scharf
      • Kaws
      • Sun Xun
      • L' Arte
      • Richard Serra
    • AESOP
    • Adyashanti
    • Maya Angelou
    • Jane Austin
    • James Baldwin
    • Bansky Quotes
    • Coleman Barks
    • Joseph Beuys
    • Harold Bloom >
      • Harol Bloom/ How to read and why
    • Jorge Luis Borges
    • Robert Bly 1 >
      • Robert Bly 2
    • David Bowie
    • Ray Bradberry >
      • There Will Come Soft Rains
      • Usher II
      • The Veldt
      • Marionettes Inc.
      • Fehrenheit 451
      • Fahrenheit 451 Vocabulary
      • Fahrenheit 451 Quotes
    • Russell Brand >
      • Russell Brand
    • David Brooks
    • Barbara Brodsky
    • James Brown
    • Buddha >
      • Buddha
    • Warren Buffet
    • James Cameron
    • Albert Camus
    • Jack Canfield
    • George Carlin
    • Lewis Carrol
    • Caroline Casey
    • Paulo Coelho/Alchemist >
      • The Alchemist by
      • Paulo Coelho
    • John Coltrane >
      • John Coltrane
    • Steven Covey >
      • Steven Covey
      • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People/Steven Covey
    • Charlie Chaplin
    • Noam Chomsky
    • Deepak Chopra >
      • Ask Deepak
      • Deepak Chopra
    • Winston Churchill
    • Mihaly Csikszentmihaly
    • Ram Dass
    • Simone De Beauvoir
    • Anthony De Mello
    • Daniel Dennett
    • Shanti Devi
    • Junot Diaz
    • WALT DISNEY QUOTES
    • Fyodor Dostoyevsky >
      • Fyodor Dostoyevsky/ The Brothers Karamazov
    • Carol Dweck/Mindsets
    • Bob Dylan >
      • Bob Dylan
    • Thomas Edison Quiz
    • Albert Einstein >
      • Albert Einstein
    • T. S. Eliot
    • Ralph Waldo Emerson
    • Jane Eyre
    • Anneliese Marie Frank
    • William Faulkner
    • F Scott Fitsgerald >
      • The Roaring 20's
      • F Scott Fitzgerald 2014-15
      • The Great Gatsby
    • Benjamin Franklin
    • Robert Frost
    • Stephen Fry >
      • Stephen Fry
    • Neil Gaiman
    • Dan Gilbert
    • Malcom Gladwell
    • Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
    • Gurdjieff
    • Steven Hawking /black Holes
    • Hafez/Hafiz #1 >
      • Hafez/Hafiz Poems #2
      • Hafez/Hafiz #3
      • Hafez/Hafiz #4
      • Hafez #5 >
        • Hafiz Poems #7
      • Hafez Poems #6
      • Hafez Poems #8
    • Thich Nhat Hanh
    • Tyrone Hayes
    • Ernest Hemingway
    • Hermann Hesse >
      • Siddhartha Quotes
    • Christopher Hitchens
    • HOU HSIAO-HSIEN
    • Langston Hughes >
      • Langston Hughes/ Poems
      • Langston Hughes
    • Aldous Huxley >
      • Brave New World 4/15 >
        • Secret Societies >
          • The Knights Templar
          • The Freemasons
          • The Rosicrucians
          • The Illuminati
          • The Carbonari
        • BNW/ Chemtrails vs Contrails
        • BNW/ Unit Plan
        • BNW/ 2015
        • BNW/ TED
        • BNW/ William Blake/Doors of Perception
        • BNW/ Details #1
        • BNW/ Details #2
        • BNW/ Soma= DMT?
        • BNW/ Futuristic Movie Trailers
        • BNW/ Dystopia vs Utopia
        • BNW vs 1984
        • BNW/ Orwell vs Huxley
        • BNW/ Noam Chomsky
        • BNW/ Huxley Complete Works
        • BNW/ Vedanta and Huxley
        • BNW/ Advaita Vedanta
        • BNW/ Bohemian Grove
        • BNW/ Corporate Deceit
        • BNW/ Shakespeare and Religion by Huxley
        • BNW/ Geo-Engineering
        • BNW/ About Aldous Huxley
        • BNW/ Doors
        • BNW/ Conspiracy?
        • BNW/1984 Synthetic Telepathy
        • BNW/ May 13th
        • BNW/ Transhumanism
        • BNW/ What is DMT? Soma?
        • BNW/ Psychological Warfare
        • BNW/ NWO
      • Brave New World 2014 >
        • Brave New World 2014 >
          • Brave New World #5 2014
          • Oligarcy
          • Transhumanism
          • Agenda 21
          • Inequality For All
          • Inequality For All
          • Brainwash Update
          • Globalization
        • Brave New World Quotes
        • Brave New World >
          • Brave New World #2
          • Brave New World #3
          • Brave New World #4
          • enotes/Brave New World
          • Brave New World Vocabulary Words
          • Aldous Huxley
          • Bio-Engineering
          • CHEM-TRAILS
          • Genetic Engineering
          • Aldous Huxley
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The following is from The Writing Center at UNC-Chapel Hill
Understanding Assignments

What this handout is about
The first step in any successful college writing venture is reading the assignment. While this sounds like a simple task, it can be a tough one. This handout will help you unravel your assignment and begin to craft an effective response. Much of the following advice will involve translating typical assignment terms and practices into meaningful clues to the type of writing your instructor expects. See our short video for more tips.
Basic beginnings.
Regardless of the assignment, department, or instructor, adopting these two habits will serve you well:
  1. Read the assignment carefully as soon as you receive it. Do not put this task off—reading the assignment at the beginning will save you time, stress, and problems later. An assignment can look pretty straightforward at first, particularly if the instructor has provided lots of information. That does not mean it will not take time and effort to complete; you may even have to learn a new skill to complete the assignment.
  2. Ask the instructor about anything you do not understand. Do not hesitate to approach your instructor. Instructors would prefer to set you straight before you hand the paper in. That’s also when you will find their feedback most useful.
Assignment formats
Many assignments follow a basic format. Assignments often begin with an overview of the topic, include a central verb or verbs that describe the task, and offer some additional suggestions, questions, or prompts to get you started.
An Overview of Some Kind. The instructor might set the stage with some general discussion of the subject of the assignment, introduce the topic, or remind you of something pertinent that you have discussed in class. For example:
  • “Throughout history, gerbils have played a key role in politics,” or “In the last few weeks of class, we have focused on the evening wear of the housefly …”
The Task of the Assignment. Pay attention; this part tells you what to do when you write the paper. Look for the key verb or verbs in the sentence. Words like analyze, summarize, or compare direct you to think about your topic in a certain way. Also pay attention to words such as how, what, when, where, and why; these words specify tasks. (See the section in this handout titled “Key Terms” for more information.)
  • “Analyze the effect that gerbils had on the Russian Revolution,” or “Suggest an interpretation of housefly undergarments that differs from Darwin’s.”
Additional Material to Think about.
Here you will find some questions to use as springboards as you begin to think about the topic. Instructors usually include these questions as suggestions rather than requirements. Do not feel compelled to answer every question unless the instructor asks you to do so. Pay attention to the order of the questions. Sometimes they suggest the thinking process your instructor imagines you will need to follow to begin thinking about the topic.
  • “You may wish to consider the differing views held by Communist gerbils vs. Monarchist gerbils,” or “Can there be such a thing as ‘the housefly garment industry’ or is it just a home-based craft?”
Style Tips.
These are the instructor’s comments about writing expectations:
  • “Be concise,” “Write effectively,” or “Argue furiously.”
Technical Details.
These instructions usually indicate format rules or guidelines.
  • “Your paper must be typed in Palatino font on gray paper and must not exceed 600 pages. It is due on the anniversary of Mao Tse-tung’s death.”
The assignment’s parts may not appear in exactly this order, and each part may be very long or really short. Nonetheless, being aware of this standard pattern can help you understand what your instructor wants you to do.
Interpreting the assignment.
Ask yourself a few basic questions as you read and jot down the answers on the assignment sheet:
  • Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?
  • Who is your audience?
  • What kind of evidence do you need to support your ideas?
  • What kind of writing style is acceptable?
  • What are the absolute rules of the paper?
Try to look at the question from the point of view of the instructor. Recognize that your instructor has a reason for giving you this assignment and for giving it to you at a particular point in the semester. In every assignment, the instructor has a challenge for you. This challenge could be anything from demonstrating an ability to think clearly to demonstrating an ability to use the library. See the assignment not as a vague suggestion of what to do but as an opportunity to show that you can handle the course material as directed. Paper assignments give you more than a topic to discuss—they ask you to do something with the topic. Keep reminding yourself of that. Be careful to avoid the other extreme as well: do not read more into the assignment than what is there.
Why did your instructor ask you to do this particular task?Of course, your instructor has given you an assignment so that he or she will be able to assess your understanding of the course material and give you an appropriate grade. But there is more to it than that. Your instructor has tried to design a learning experience of some kind. Your instructor wants you to think about something in a particular way for a particular reason. If you read the course description at the beginning of your syllabus, review the assigned readings, and consider the assignment itself, you may begin to see the plan, purpose, or approach to the subject matter that your instructor has created for you. If you still aren’t sure of the assignment’s goals, try asking the instructor. For help with this, see our handout on getting feedback.
Given your instructor’s efforts, it helps to answer the question: What is my purpose in completing this assignment? Is it to gather research from a variety of outside sources and present a coherent picture? Is it to take material I have been learning in class and apply it to a new situation? Is it to prove a point one way or another? Key words from the assignment can help you figure this out. Look for key terms in the form of active verbs that tell you what to do.
Key Terms: Finding Those Active Verbs
Here are some common key words and definitions to help you think about assignment terms:
  • Information words ask you to demonstrate what you know about the subject, such as who, what, when, where, how, and why.
  • define—give the subject’s meaning (according to someone or something). Sometimes you have to give more than one view on the subject’s meaning
  • explain—give reasons why or examples of how something happened
  • illustrate—give descriptive examples of the subject and show how each is connected with the subject
  • summarize—briefly list the important ideas you learned about the subject
  • trace—outline how something has changed or developed from an earlier time to its current form
  • research—gather material from outside sources about the subject, often with the implication or requirement that you will analyze what you have found
  • Relation words ask you to demonstrate how things are connected.

  • compare—show how two or more things are similar (and, sometimes, different)
  • contrast—show how two or more things are dissimilar
  • apply—use details that you’ve been given to demonstrate how an idea, theory, or concept works in a particular situation
  • cause—show how one event or series of events made something else happen
  • relate—show or describe the connections between things
  • Interpretation words ask you to defend ideas of your own about the subject. Do not see these words as requesting opinion alone (unless the assignment specifically says so), but as requiring opinion that is supported by concrete evidence. Remember examples, principles, definitions, or concepts from class or research and use them in your interpretation.

  • assess—summarize your opinion of the subject and measure it against something
  • prove, justify—give reasons or examples to demonstrate how or why something is the truth
  • evaluate, respond—state your opinion of the subject as good, bad, or some combination of the two, with examples and reasons
  • support—give reasons or evidence for something you believe (be sure to state clearly what it is that you believe)
  • synthesize —put two or more things together that have not been put together in class or in your readings before; do not just summarize one and then the other and say that they are similar or different—you must provide a reason for putting them together that runs all the way through the paper
  • analyze--determine how individual parts create or relate to the whole, figure out how something works, what it might mean, or why it is important
  • argue--take a side and defend it with evidence against the other side
More Clues to Your Purpose
As you read the assignment, think about what the teacher does in class.
  • What kinds of textbooks or coursepack did your instructor choose for the course—ones that provide background information, explain theories or perspectives, or argue a point of view?
  • In lecture, does your instructor ask your opinion, try to prove her point of view, or use keywords that show up again in the assignment?
  • What kinds of assignments are typical in this discipline? Social science classes often expect more research. Humanities classes thrive on interpretation and analysis.
  • How do the assignments, readings, and lectures work together in the course? Instructors spend time designing courses, sometimes even arguing with their peers about the most effective course materials. Figuring out the overall design to the course will help you understand what each assignment is meant to achieve.
Who is your audience?Now, what about your reader? Most undergraduates think of their audience as the instructor. True, your instructor is a good person to keep in mind as you write. But for the purposes of a good paper, think of your audience as someone like your roommate: smart enough to understand a clear, logical argument, but not someone who already knows exactly what is going on in your particular paper. Remember, even if the instructor knows everything there is to know about your paper topic, he or she still has to read your paper and assess your understanding. In other words, teach the material to your reader.
Aiming a paper at your audience happens in two ways: you make decisions about the tone and the level of information you want to convey.
  • Tone means the “voice” of your paper. Should you be chatty, formal, or objective? Usually you will find some happy medium—you do not want to alienate your reader by sounding condescending or superior, but you do not want to, um, like, totally wig on the man, you know? Eschew ostentatious erudition: some students think the way to sound academic is to use big words. Be careful—you can sound ridiculous, especially if you use the wrong big words.
  • The level of information you use depends on who you think your audience is. If you imagine your audience as your instructor and she already knows everything you have to say, you may find yourself leaving out key information that can cause your argument to be unconvincing and illogical. But you do not have to explain every single word or issue. If you are telling your roommate what happened on your favorite science fiction TV show last night, you do not say, “First a dark-haired white man of average height, wearing a suit and carrying a flashlight, walked into the room. Then a purple alien with fifteen arms and at least three eyes turned around. Then the man smiled slightly. In the background, you could hear a clock ticking. The room was fairly dark and had at least two windows that I saw.” You also do not say, “This guy found some aliens. The end.” Find some balance of useful details that support your main point.
You’ll find a much more detailed discussion of these concepts in our handout on audience.
The Grim Truth
With a few exceptions (including some lab and ethnography reports), you are probably being asked to make an argument. You must convince your audience. It is easy to forget this aim when you are researching and writing; as you become involved in your subject matter, you may become enmeshed in the details and focus on learning or simply telling the information you have found. You need to do more than just repeat what you have read. Your writing should have a point, and you should be able to say it in a sentence. Sometimes instructors call this sentence a “thesis” or a “claim.”
So, if your instructor tells you to write about some aspect of oral hygiene, you do not want to just list: “First, you brush your teeth with a soft brush and some peanut butter. Then, you floss with unwaxed, bologna-flavored string. Finally, gargle with bourbon.” Instead, you could say, “Of all the oral cleaning methods, sandblasting removes the most plaque. Therefore it should be recommended by the American Dental Association.” Or, “From an aesthetic perspective, moldy teeth can be quite charming. However, their joys are short-lived.”
Convincing the reader of your argument is the goal of academic writing. It doesn’t have to say “argument” anywhere in the assignment for you to need one. Look at the assignment and think about what kind of argument you could make about it instead of just seeing it as a checklist of information you have to present. For help with understanding the role of argument in academic writing, see our handout on argument.
What kind of evidence do you need? There are many kinds of evidence, and what type of evidence will work for your assignment can depend on several factors–the discipline, the parameters of the assignment, and your instructor’s preference. Should you use statistics? Historical examples? Do you need to conduct your own experiment? Can you rely on personal experience? See our handout on evidence for suggestions on how to use evidence appropriately.
Make sure you are clear about this part of the assignment, because your use of evidence will be crucial in writing a successful paper. You are not just learning how to argue; you are learning how to argue with specific types of materials and ideas. Ask your instructor what counts as acceptable evidence. You can also ask a reference librarian for help. No matter what kind of evidence you use, be sure to cite it correctly–see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial.
What kind of writing style is acceptable?You cannot always tell from the assignment just what sort of writing style your instructor expects. The instructor may be really laid back in class but still expect you to sound formal in writing. Or the instructor may be fairly formal in class and ask you to write a reflection paper where you need to use “I” and speak from your own experience.
Try to avoid false associations of a particular field with a style (“art historians like wacky creativity,” or “political scientists are boring and just give facts”) and look instead to the types of readings you have been given in class. No one expects you to write like Plato—just use the readings as a guide for what is standard or preferable to your instructor. When in doubt, ask your instructor about the level of formality she or he expects.
No matter what field you are writing for or what facts you are including, if you do not write so that your reader can understand your main idea, you have wasted your time. So make clarity your main goal. For specific help with style, see our handout on style.
Technical details about the assignment
The technical information you are given in an assignment always seems like the easy part. This section can actually give you lots of little hints about approaching the task. Find out if elements such as page length and citation format (see the UNC Libraries citation tutorial) are negotiable. Some professors do not have strong preferences as long as you are consistent and fully answer the assignment. Some professors are very specific and will deduct big points for deviations.
Usually, the page length tells you something important: The instructor thinks the size of the paper is appropriate to the assignment’s parameters. In plain English, your instructor is telling you how many pages it should take for you to answer the question as fully as you are expected to. So if an assignment is two pages long, you cannot pad your paper with examples or reword your main idea several times. Hit your one point early, defend it with the clearest example, and finish quickly. If an assignment is ten pages long, you can be more complex in your main points and examples—and if you can only produce five pages for that assignment, you need to see someone for help—as soon as possible.
Tricks that don’t work
Your instructors are not fooled when you:
  • spend more time on the cover page than the essay—graphics, cool binders, and cute titles are no replacement for a well-written paper.
  • use huge fonts, wide margins, or extra spacing to pad the page length—these tricks are immediately obvious to the eye. Most instructors use the same word processor you do. They know what’s possible. Such tactics are especially damning when the instructor has a stack of 60 papers to grade and yours is the only one that low-flying airplane pilots could read.
  • use a paper from another class that covered “sort of similar” material. Again, the instructor has a particular task for you to fulfill in the assignment that usually relates to course material and lectures. Your other paper may not cover this material, and turning in the same paper for more than once course may constitute an Honor Code violation. Ask the instructor—it can’t hurt.
  • get all wacky and “creative” before you answer the question. Showing that you are able to think beyond the boundaries of a simple assignment can be good, but you must do what the assignment calls for first. Again, check with your instructor. A humorous tone can be refreshing for someone grading a stack of papers, but it will not get you a good grade if you have not fulfilled the task.
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