Winter Break Global/English Assignment

Winter Holiday Break Assignment
Global History/English
Karvunis, Konarski and Shalev

Due date: Monday January 4th

Objectives: to understand how the industrial revolution transformed lives
to understand the differences between rural/pastoral and urban settings
to show understanding of sonnet structures
to use figurative language and literary devices to compose a sonnet

Step One: You must visit two places over the holiday. You must visit a rural/pastoral setting (Prospect Park, Central Park, The Cloisters..etc..) and a heavily populated urban setting (42nd Street, Times Square, Union Square). You will comment on how you feel in each setting. It is best to do this travel in one day.

Step Two: You must write three letters (like Walton to his sister). The topics of the letters should be:
a. observations and sensations of the rural/pastoral setting
b. observations and sensations of the urban setting
c. observations and sensations of the transition time (on the subway or bus) from the urban/rural setting to the rural/urban setting (How and when do your feelings get stronger or fade away? Did you become distracted?)

Each letter should be full of imagery, evoking the senses, regarding the setting. You are trying to capture how each place feels. Use first person to write the letters.

Step Three: Write an original poem using either the Shakespearean or Patriarchan structure. You must:
· write about the concept of transformation regarding industrialization
o change
o positive or negative
o rural to urban
· use imagery (metaphors, similes, personification, detailed descriptions)
· use allusions from your Global notes, DBQs and/or other historic text
· use allusions from English (Frankenstein, Poe, Wordsworth and/or Galileo)
· proper structure, rhyme scheme and meter (iambic pentameter)

Step Four: In two detailed and explanatory paragraphs, you must:
· explain your process when writing, observing and identifying concepts for the poem and letters
· explain the interpretation of your poem

Steps one, two and four are counted as homework. Step Three is an assessment grade.
Extra Credit: Illustrate and/or use symbolism or foreshadow.


If you travel with someone else, please try to spend quiet and solitary time capturing the essence of each place. In other words, NO TALKING, TEXTING, IMing…


The rubric was distributed in class.