Research assignment

    Pre-Reading Research and Discussion for Motorcycle Ride on the Sea of Tranquility

Soon you will begin reading Motorcycle Ride on the Sea Tranquility. Much of the story takes place in 1969, so in preparation for you reading, you will be placed in groups and asked to do a bit of research on one of five topics connected with the 1960s and early 1970s. You are to make notes from the information you find on your topic; then, as a group, you need to develop a ten-minute presentation. Each person in the group will join a new group and present the information your group compiled. The presentations will be given in the English 098R. The following are the five topics:

The Vietnam War (a brief history of the United States involvement in the                                                          war, the draft, protest movements, media coverage)

The Women’s Movement (Betty Friedan, NOW)

Post-Traumatic Stress Syndrome (causes, symptoms, effects-particularly of returning veterans)

Hippie Movement (counter-culture, music, Woodstock, draft and war protests)

The Race to the Moon (landing a man on the moon on July 20, 1969