GUIDE The Anthropocene Reviewed One Pager

AP English Language and Composition

Ms. Bowe Ullman, Ms. Dellamano, Ms. O’Donnell, Dr. Whitcomb

In the “Post-Postscript” of the paperback edition of The Anthropocene Reviewed, John Green writes, “Usually, when I finish a book, it feels very over to me, because once a book is published, it’s no longer really mine. It belongs to the people who will read it, the people who will comingle their own experiences and emotions with the text…. The art and its viewer or reader make meaning together in a collaboration that transcends time and space. My feeling has always been that I make the words, and then leave them to become whatever kind of meaning a reader can find” (276). This assignment is your opportunity to find meaning in one of John Green’s review essays through a one-pager.

A one-pager is an analytical, creative, and written response to a text that completely fills one side of a piece of paper. Treat this one-pager as a visual representation of your favorite review and your response to it. Which review would you give 5 stars, and why? (Essentially, you get to review the review.)

Required Details

Fill the entire page with color and text. There shouldn’t be any blank, white space.
(a white background against text is okay.)
Clearly label each element of your one-pager.
Include the title of the book, the title of the review, the author, and the number of stars you give the review. You should try to incorporate this element as creatively as possible.
A quote that encapsulates what you loved about the review, and a brief explanation why.
An image or illustration. You do not have to be a 5-star illustrator to create a 5-star image. You may collage, draw, paint – whatever works to represent your idea with clarity and intentionality.
Choose three more responses from the following columns: two from the first column, and one from the second.

Column 1

Column 2

- Why you picked this review:
- Was it the tone? The humor? The thing that was reviewed? The way in which Green wrote the review? Please be specific. Use a couple of examples from the text. They can be references or quotes.
- Something totally “random” you learned that you’d now like to learn more about.
- A reflection (at least 5 sentences): What did the review make you wonder about? What kind of connections did you make to your own life? How did the review make you think about something specific in your own life?
- A tweet-length message (280 characters) to John Green. What would you say to him??
- Based on the review, would you describe Green’s outlook on humanity as optimistic or pessimistic? Why? Use 1-2 examples from your review to support your point.

- 1-3 questions you are left with: what would you want to ask the author if you could?
- Someone you would send the review to and why.
- A new word or phrase you learned.
- An author who was quoted, what the quote said, and why it appealed to you.

This is a formative assignment. You can see some sample one-pagers here and here. Use the rubric below as a reference to understand how your work will be assessed.

Rubric

(based in part on the rubric for The New York Times One-Pager Contest)

	2	1	0.5
Critical Thinking	- Responses show the student's thinking about the topic and the text by thoughtfully and thoroughly addressing all of the required response elements. - Taken together, the responses offer a clear, rich, and interesting look at how the student engaged with the text.	- Responses show the student's thinking about the topic and the text by addressing the response elements. - Responses may be vague or lack depth; could be more specific or detailed. - May be missing some required response elements.	- The responses do not offer a clear understanding of how the student engaged with the text. - May be excessively brief or vague. - May be missing multiple required response elements.
Text References	- Includes 3+ specific quotations/text references. - All text references are properly cited, with correct page numbers from the text. - All text references are integrated skillfully into the student’s own work.	- Includes at least 2 specific quotations/text references. - All text references include page citations. - Integration has been attempted; may be smooth in some places and clumsy in others.	- ≤1 specific quotation/text reference, OR - Text references are vague/do not include page citations, OR - Text references have not been integrated.
Design	- Thoughtful use of visual elements like color, line, symbols, illustrations, and graphics to help guide the viewer through the student's thinking and make the ideas and their relationships clear. - Legible and neat. - Visually striking.	- Appropriate use of visual elements like color, line, symbols, illustrations, and graphics. - Visual elements may be lost in or overwhelmed by the text. - May not fill the entire page. - May appear a little messy or “rough around the edges.” - May be missing some required design elements (labels, title, author name, etc.).	- Minimal use of visual elements. - Visual elements may be unconnected to / inappropriate for the topic. - Very messy and/or illegible. - Missing multiple required design elements (labels, title, author name, etc.).

In John Green's book "The Anthropocene Reviewed," the review of Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest serves as a compelling lens through which to examine the complexities of human nature, ambition, and the societal constructs that shape our desires. Green writes, "We are creatures of appetite and ego, and we are desperate to matter, and so we make contests out of consumption." This line struck me profoundly, as it encapsulates the essence of what it means to be human in a world where recognition often comes from the most unexpected avenues.

Green's review isn't just about a hot dog eating contest; it's a microcosm of the human condition. He delves into the psychology behind why we, as a species, are so enamored with competitions that seem trivial or even grotesque. The contest, in this case, serves as a metaphor for the larger societal constructs that shape our ambitions and desires. We live in a world that often measures worth by the number of likes on social media, the amount of money in one's bank account, or even the number of hot dogs one can consume in a given time. These metrics, while seemingly inconsequential, reveal a deeper yearning for validation and a place in history, however fleeting that may be.

Green also touches on the duality of human nature, stating, "We are at once the most sublime and the most ridiculous animals, capable of writing symphonies and eating sixty-two hot dogs in ten minutes." This duality is what makes us fascinating but also deeply flawed. We have the capacity for great achievements, like landing on the moon or curing diseases, yet we also engage in activities that are detrimental to our well-being or seem utterly pointless. This paradox is what makes us human, and Green's review made me ponder this complexity in a new light.

Moreover, the review made me introspect on my own ambitions. What lengths would I go to for recognition or to "matter," as Green puts it? It's a sobering thought that challenges me to consider the ethical and personal boundaries of my own aspirations. Would I, given the chance, participate in a contest that might bring me fame but could also be seen as a symbol of excess and disregard for consequences? Green concludes his review by saying, "I don't know if our ridiculousness makes us sublime or our sublimity makes us ridiculous, but I do know that any account of our species that doesn't include both can't be true." This line resonated with me, as it encapsulates the enigma that is human nature.

In sum, John Green's review of Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest is a thought-provoking exploration into the intricacies of human desire, competition, and the duality that defines us. It made me question the societal norms that shape my own ambitions and gave me a newfound appreciation for the complexities that make us uniquely human.