8th grade English Name:
Mrs. Barth Section:
Due Date:
Keep Writing Assignments in Writing Section of Binder.
Writing Assignment #1: The Monkey King
TOPIC:
Your first major writing assignment of the year gives you
the opportunity to research, read about, and write about
the Monkey King, a key figure in the graphic novel we are
reading, American Born Chinese by Gene Yang.
Please write one to two detailed, focused paragraphs
about the Monkey King. Ideas should be solid, well organized, and supported
with evidence. Sentences should flow, and word choices should be powerful.
Voice should be engaging and interesting. Do your best to avoid grammar and
mechanics errors. Paragraphs should have clear topic sentences that draw
your readers into your writing and strong clincher statements that pull your
paragraph together, encapsulate your ideas, and leave your readers with
something to think about.
Because I am asking you to discover and explore this topic for yourself, I am
not giving you many details to work with. Please begin your research by
looking up American Born Chinese and the Monkey King, and then work from
there. My website is a good place to start! For this assignment, you may do
all of your research on the Internet, although if you find a book or article,
you are of course welcome to use it. In the future, we will expand our
research techniques beyond the Internet.
In your one to two paragraphs, please address the following questions:
Where does the story of the Monkey King come from?
What is the Monkey King’s story?
Who are the other characters in the Monkey King’s story?
What are some current retellings of the Monkey King’s story--
meaning, where can you find the Monkey King’s story now?
QUESTIONS CONTINUE ON OTHER SIDE!
In your opinion, what do you think is important about the Monkey King?
What do you think are the important messages or symbols in the story?
SOURCES:
Please use at least TWO sources in your paragraphs. When you use
information from a source as evidence in your paragraphs, please cite it,
meaning explain where you are taking the information from. Please be sure
to explain who the author is and what the source is. For more information on
citing sources, please see my website and the “Evidence” handout given to
you in class.
You may not quote Wikipedia. While you may take a look at Wikipedia, you
cannot depend on it as a source. Instead, look up the References and
External Links used by the Wikipedia author. (See my website for a video
that explains exactly why you can’t use Wikipedia!)
For links to helpful websites and sources, check out my American Born
Chinese webpage and my Writing webpage at:
http://middle.usm.k12.wi.us/faculty/barth/ABC.html
http://middle.usm.k12.wi.us/faculty/barth/Writing.html
BIBLIOGRAPHY:
Please add a Works Cited page to the end of your essay, using MLA style.
For more information about the Works Cited page, please see my website’s
Writing page.
PRESENTATION:
Your essay should be formatted in MLA style. For more information, please
see my website’s Writing page. Your work should be typed, double-spaced,
and in Times New Roman 12-point font. All pages, including the Works Cited
page, should be numbered in the top, right corner. Please staple your work.