The Marvels of Engineering in American Literature

Business, Engineering, Technology Research English III McLeod 2010 (For the document below in WORD, CLICK HERE)

This research unit is designed to allow you to explore your interests in engineering and business and technology. You may choose to explore any of these areas with characters from the American Literature you've read about this year in class. For example, if you want to take George from Steinbeck's Of Mice and Men to your automotive garage with you, you may research aspects of that work environment.

1. If you could choose 5 characters from literature we've read to spend time with, which 5 characters would you choose? You can "live" in the story with them; you can travel somewhere with them (together or separately); you can take them to YOUR home/work/or place you do your hobbies. You don't necessarily have to LIKE them, but you should want to understand them better….be curious about them…find them interesting.

Try to choose them from at least 3 or 4 different stories/novels because you'll end up with 5 different sources for your research information. A "source" is a place you will get your information: story, novel, magazine article, internet article. If you only use 3 or 4 stories, you'll need to bring in magazine or internet sources to complete your total of 5 sources. If you choose characters from 5 different stories, you will have all of your sources taken care of.

*list the 5 characters you'd like to get to know, personally and the stories/novels they come from.
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
*for each character, give some brief reasons for WHY you would choose to spend time with them. What makes them interesting to you…where would you like to go with them…and what types of problems would you anticipate from being around them (think of their personalities and the conflicts they've been involved with to answer this)

I. Character #1=______________

A. Why choose h/her?

B. What will you do together/where will you go?

C. What problems might arise with them along?

II. Character #2=___________________
A. Why choose h/her?

B. What will you do together/where will you go?

C. What problems might arise with them along?

III. Character #3=____________________
A. Why choose h/her?

B. What will you do together/where will you go?

C. What problems might arise with them along?

IV. Character #4=______________________
A. Why choose h/her?

B. What will you do together/where will you go?

C. What problems might arise with them along?

V. Character #5=______________________
A. Why choose h/her?

B. What will you do together/where will you go?

C. What problems might arise with them along?

Example:

I. Character #1= Cinderella from the fairy tale
A. I choose Cinderella because I am fascinated that she put up with the mis treatment from her step mother and step sisters for so long, and she allowed them to almost cost her a life of true love.
B. What will I do/where will I go?

1. I would either go back in time to be in the story with her, and I would want to be hired on to work with her at the house, so I could encourage her to stand up for herself and maybe find a way to avoid going back home after the ball. I would let the Prince know where she was, as he was looking for the owner of the lost slipper.

2. or, I would bring her to into 2010 and help her get into college, so she could have her own career in something she was interested in doing…probably teaching or the medical field….or party planning?
C. One problem would be getting along with her step mother and step sisters and convincing them to hire me. Based on their personalities, I would have a hard time taking orders from them, too.

The American Literary Classics