Day 15: One Shot up to 95

Writing:
David and Goliath. What do you know? What do you think of? Modern day examples? Value of this allusion?

Discussion

• Review of major characters --> Where do we find conflict?
• Self v self (psychological)
• Self v other (interpersonal)
• Self v society
• p.68-72: What literary techniques does Ballard use create suspense? Look at language and style.
• How does Ballard engender sympathy in the reader? (use text as evidence)
• How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?
• How would you describe Ballard's language and style?

**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections.

Weekly Post #6: Baseball in Africa (due Feb 29)

A good read from last spring. Keeping up with the international baseball trend. This is a piece about the power of baseball in other countries. Specifically, this looks at the coach and he reminded me a bit of Lynn Sweet. Read, comment, reflect. What are your thoughts on George and his baseball project?

Day 14: One Shot At Forever (up to 64)

Pre-number --> For this book, your essay will be of your own design. You will craft a question and answer it in an essay of no more than five pages.

1. America in late 60s and early 70s
2. How is nonfiction storytelling similar and/or different fiction? (focus on basic elements of a story: character, setting, conflict plot, theme AND exposition, rising action, climax, falling action, resolution)

Write: Chris Ballard said, "This book isn't really about baseball; it's about the memory of an event and how those memories changed lives." Think about memories, about major events in your life. How do memories turn into myths?

Characterization (in groups w/text evidence)
1. The town
2. Lynn Sweet
3. Britton
4. Steve Shartzer
5. Bill McClard

Style
1. How would you describe Ballard's style?
2. What techniques does Ballard use to characterize people and places?
3. How does Ballard set up the conflict early on in the book? Is it effective?
4. How does Ballard use stereotype to his advantage? break from it?

Discussion
1. Looking at Ballard's early characterization of the team, what conflicts does this set up? What surprises? (p.35-41)
2. How does Ballard weave together evidence of promise and failure and what is the effect of those pieces of description?
3. Ballard includes a number of side stories about Sweet. Look at one of them and discuss the added value of the details and story.
4. How does Ballard contrast Shartzer and Sweet? Be specific. Use the text.
5. p. 52: Heneberry characterization

**What themes are present in the book so far?
**What has Ballard set-up for the second half of the book?
**Passages that standout?
**Am Dream connections?

Weekly Post #5: The Lure of Baseball in the DR (due Feb 15)

Keeping our reading to the Caribbean, here's a complementary piece about baseball in the Dominican Republic. While I wanted to save this for later in the semester, I think it works well as a contrast to last week's reading. How is baseball and the dream of MLB alive and well in the DR?  What about the exploitation that's only briefly mentioned? Maybe we shouldn't be surprised as that's been a component of baseball for a long, long time. What are you thoughts?

Day 11: Peer revision in groups

Group work (see handout)

1. Jonathan, Brodie, Kraz
2. Lacy, Kiki, Jack
3. Tabby, Gabe, Elizabeth
4. Evan, Sofia, Seiichiro
5. Ian, Andres, Connor M
6. Will, Connor S, Sammy

Solo work/Check-ins with Mary
Please use the remainder of class to work, check-in with me, work with a peer, and otherwise make progress on your essay.

Day 10: Review and write

It's writing time!!!

1. Thesis Checklist (Complete the worksheet and then rewrite thesis one more time)
2. Working in groups ... review topic sentences and evidence.

• Are the topic sentences arguable? Do they move beyond the obvious?
• How do the pieces of evidence SHOW the topic sentences?

3. As time permits, work toward rough draft (due Friday)

Groups
1. Sophia, Brody, Connor S
2. Tabby, Andres, Seich
3. Jack, Evan, Jonathan
4. Kiki, Sammy, Will
5. Elizabeth, Kraz, Ian
6. Lacy, Gabe, Connor M

Weekly Post #4: Baseball in Cuba (due Feb 7)

An interesting read on Baseball in Cuba. Is this the way things are headed here in the US? How might this impact a game that is drawing more and more players from Spanish speaking countries? Could this cause a shift in the ethnic/racial make-up of MLB? Or am I making a mountain out of a mole hill, and MLB will just find and cultivate talent elsewhere? What are your thoughts?