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Vietnam

Guide to Vietnam & "The Things They Carried" resources for Instructor McKinley's ENG 111 class.
  • URL: https://libguides.cfcc.edu/Vietnam
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    • The Things They Carried

    Selected Non-Fiction Circulating Books

    This list offers a selection of print books available from the CFCC Library with call numbers and a place to enter project notes.

    ENG 111 "The Things They Carried" Assignment

    English 111

    McKinley  

    Unit 3:  The Things They Carried


    Group Project Assignment

    In small groups, you will create a multi-media project focusing on one aspect of the Vietnam War and relating it to Tim O’Brien’s book, The Things They Carried.  Each group will also present their project to the class (15 minutes). Projects will have 3 main components:


    • Research on the area of study, in both written and visual/oral format  

    • Analysis of relevant chapters from the book

    • Multimedia components, such as music, video, images, interviews, etc.


    You will be evaluated on the rigor of the research, the quality of the writing, and the creativity of your presentation overall.  I will provide a rubric with more detailed areas of assessment.  



    Topics for Presentations:    


    1) Political/Historical Context of Vietnam War

    Chapters: Any, but could focus on “The Things They Carried” or “The Rainy River”


    2) The Draft (“Draft Dodgers”, “conscientious objectors”, war protests)

    Chapters:  “On the Rainy River” and others


    3) Popular Culture of the time (music, movies, radio, TV, stars, drug culture)

    Chapters: “Love” (Bonnie & Clyde), “The Ghost Soldiers” and others


    4)  The Other Side (Vietnamese Soldiers, villagers, geography)

    Chapters: “The Man I Killed”, “Church” and others


    5) Medical Issues in Vietnam (medics, hospitals, injuries)

    Chapters: “The Dentist”, “Sweetheart of the Song Tra Bong” and others

     

    6) Women and the Vietnam War (working for Uncle Sam: nurses, secretaries; student protesters)

    Chapters: Any

     

     

     

    7) Post-War (PTSD, life after the war, Veterans issues,connections to current wars)

    Chapters: “Speaking of Courage”, “Notes”, “In the Field”, “Field Trip”

    Getting Started

    1. This video clip from History.com gives a concise overview of the Vietnam War

    2. The two sites below provide comprehensive information on the Vietnam War. Use the section tabs to navigate Battlefield Vietnam or the Google advanced search feature. As well as tabs, History.com has their own search boxes that you can use to help find specific information.

    Battlefield: Vietnam is another excellent website produced by PBS.

     History.Com: The Vietnam War has excellent written text as well as video clips, interviews and photo galleries

    Subjects: English, History