La+Misma+Luna

**Essay** //Having watched// La misma luna //please respond in English to one of the following prompts. Note that while each prompt is different, the essays will be graded on the same scale.// Imagine that you are Rosario, Carlitos’ mother. A year has passed since the events of the film. Write a letter to your friend //Doña Carmen// who is still in Mexico. Tell her about what is going on in your life right now. The movie was very open-ended. What has happened with the main characters in the film? What happened to Enrique after the police arrested him? What became of Rosario’s boyfriend Paco? How is Carlitos adjusting to life in the USA? Is he doing well at school? Will they become citizens? Be creative. Maybe, like real life, not everything turned out happy. Write at least one and a half pages.
 * //Prompt 1 (For the more literary and creative among you…)://**

The issue of illegal immigration is a hotly debated topic here in the USA. The film portrays illegal immigrants very sympathetically, but many people feel that illegal immigration is a bad thing for the USA. What do you think? How should illegal immigration be dealt with? Is it a good thing or a bad thing? In a page and a half, write a letter to President Obama detailing how you think illegal immigration should be handled. Include at least two quotations from viable sources that support your reasoning. (Example: If you’re against illegal immigration, you might quote a source that lists how much free medical care is given to illegal immigrants in US hospitals per year.) Here are some sources to help: [] (Democrats’ position) [] (Republicans’ position) [] (Cost of Illegal Immigration per State) [] (Article states illegal immigration has benefits)
 * //Prompt 2 (For the more politically inclined among you…)://**

The whole movie is based off the fact that Rosario left Mexico so that she could support her son by working in the USA. However, a lot of stuff happened before she left. Imagine that you are a director making a prequel for //La misma luna//, and you want to tell the backstory of Rosario and Carlitos. Write a 2-3 page screenplay for a scene between Óscar, the father of Carlitos, and his mother Rosario. NOTE: Look up what a screenplay looks and reads like on Google. A 2-3 page screenplay is not the same as a 2-3 page research paper. //Don’t be scared off by the length.//
 * //Prompt 3 (For those who want to make or be in the movies…)://**

As we saw in the video, the journey that illegals make to get into the USA is not a safe one. In fact, “jumping the border” is extremely dangerous and possibly deadly. After doing some research (the citations of which you will need to include at the end of your paper), write a one and a half page descriptive essay that talks about what someone has to do to enter the USA as an illegal. Imagine that a person living in Mexico City is trying to get to San Diego to take a job that a relative is offering him. Describe his journey. Here are some resources: [] (Wiki article) [] (News article) [] (Article about young people)
 * //Prompt 4 (For those among you who want to deal with the facts…)://**

Perhaps none of the above options interested you. That’s fine, but you’ll need to come up with another idea and pitch it to Profe. The length of the assignment will need equal or greater than what I’ve already outlined in the other four prompts and engage some issue that was present in the film. I’m very open to new ideas, but you’ll have to make a good argument for yours!
 * //Prompt 5 (For those of you who like to think outside the box…)://**

1. Student has written the required amount of material for his prompt. (5 pts)
 * //RUBRIC//**

2. Student has written a grammatically correct and easy to understand essay. (10 pts)

3. Student has written a creative and thoughtful essay that demonstrates critical thinking about the film and the issues that the film discusses as stipulated in the prompt. (15 pts)

Grade: 30 pts total