Engl. 101: Syllabus

101 Description |101 Requirements|101 Syllabus-1

OCTOBER BREAK: IF YOU PLAN TO WRITE A PROFILE ESSAY ABOUT A SUBJECT THAT YOU CAN RESEARCH WHILE YOU ARE HOME ON BREAK, THEN DO YOUR FIELD OBSERVATIONS OR INTERVIEWS WHILE YOU ARE THERE. SEE YOUR TEXT, 137-139, FOR INSTRUCTION ON HOW TO PREPARE AND CARRY OUT FIELD OBSERVATIONS AND INTERVIEWS. FOR YOUR PROFILE ESSAY, YOU MUST CHOOSE A SUBJECT WHICH WILL ALLOW YOU TO DO AT LEAST ONE INTERVIEW OR FIELD OBSERVATION.

Assignment for Break: Portfolio #20 and #21: #20: a one-page analysis and response to "Soup" and a one-page analysis and response to "Inside the Brain." #21: Clip out a profile from a newspaper, staple it to a sheet of loose-leaf paper, and write a one-page analysis of the profile, explaining why you think it IS a profile, what you think is effective about it, and what you think could be revised to make it more effective AS A PROFILE. Be sure you are assessing its effectiveness AS A PROFILE. Consult your text so you're sure what the features of a profile are.

10/22

Portfolios #20 and 21 Due.

Small Group Work on the Profiles from Newspapers

Discussion of two assigned essays

Invention for Essay #3: Listing, Freewriting, or other invention strategies to choose a subject for a profile, or freewrite on the subject you've already selected (Label Portfolio #22. Begin in class and complete at home). Think of possible subjects about which you consider yourself an "expert," or about which you could write a very interesting informative piece because you are (or can become) well-informed about it and passionately interested in it. Think about your hobbies, your extra-curricular activities both in high school and college, maybe even in grade school; think about the things you most like to do in your leisure time; think about people you have know who are interesting, quirky; think of people you know who have lived through interesting times in history (the immigration influx; the depression; wars; labor or union struggles; the civil rights, women's rights, or gay rights movements, etc.); think of people you know (including yourself) who have interesting, off-beat, demanding, little appreciated, or dangerous jobs; think of places you've been that are interesting, off-beat, memorable, or significant in a town's history or culture (hang-out spots, neighborhood haunts, historical places, etc.) See pages 133-137 in your text for some guidelines about selecting a subject and some useful prompts to help you generate your invention writing.

Assignment: (1) Complete Portfolio #22. Five pages minimum of invention strategies. You should decide upon your subject and then do some freewriting about the subject you've selected. Here are some questions that you should write about once you have selected your topic: Why did you choose it? What do you know about it? Why do you care about it? How do you think you could make others care about it or get interested in it? What information do you think others need about it to understand it in the way that you want them to understand it? How DO you want your readers to understand your subject? Where can you get the kinds of information you need so that you can fully inform your readers about your subject? Whom can you interview? How can you visit your subject and get interviews or field observations? Can you use phone interviews?

(2) Write Portfolio #23: Write two one-page responses on the final two essays in the profile chapter, one on "School Serves no Purpose" and one on "The Last Stop."

10/27

Portfolio #22 and #23 Due

Basic Features of the Profile

Discussion of essays in text; reviewing some examples of student profiles

Invention for Essay #3: Exploring Preconceptions about Subject and Planning the Interview or Field Observation (Portfolio #24, 136-139. Complete at home.) YOU MUST DO SOME KIND OF FIELD OBSERVATION OR INTERVIEW (OR BOTH IF YOU WISH) AND INCORPORATE THIS INTO YOUR PROFILE.

Assignment: (1) Read SGW, 547-550 to learn how to prepare yourself for, and conduct, an interview; (2) Complete Portfolio #25: Plan your interview or field observation and design questions by doing a free-write about what you hope to accomplish and what you plan to observe. If you are doing an interview, write out interview questions and follow-up question.

10/29

Class time Allotted for Field Observation or Interview

Assignment: (1) Complete Portfolio #26: Conduct your interview or field observation and take careful notes (2) Complete Portfolio #27: Freewriting to find an interpretation of your subject (a thesis idea about it, your "slant," that is, the dominant impression and idea you wish to convey about your subject). Respond to the freewrite prompts on pp. 138 of SGW. Write for 30 minutes, following these prompts or else reflecting more freely about what you most want to stress about your subject to your audience. What is the most striking thing about your subject? How do you want your readers to understand it? What would you like them not to think about it? What might they think about it before reading your piece? How might you need to change their perceptions? By the end of this writing, you should determine what your "slant" on your subject will be. This is your thesis idea. Do about 5 pages minimum of writing to try to define your main point.

11/3

Portfolios #24, 25, 26, and 27 Due. Bring Text to Class.

Creating Description, Dialogue, Anecdotes (Portfolio #28 and #29)

Considering Beginning Strategies (Portfolio #30 and #31)

Assignment: Complete First Draft of Essay #3

11/5

First Draft of Essay #3 Due. Typed 3-5 pages. Bring one Xerox for each group member.

Writing Group: Peer Responses to Drafts

Assignment: Complete Second Draft of Essay #3. Typed. Follow typing format on page 621 of your text.

11/10

Typed Second Draft of Essay #3 Due. Submit in a manila folder along with all invention, first draft, writing group letters, and letter to me about your process (see handout).

Argumentative Essay: The Evaluation

Invention Workshop: Listing, Free-writing, and other invention strategies to explore possible subject for evaluation essay (Portfolio #32). Use guides in SGW, 317-318, to help you generate ideas.

Assignment: (1) Read SGW, 290-308 and 315-316. (2) Finalize selection of your subject for evaluation; (3) Portfolio #33: Prepare two one-page responses, one for "Black Eye" and one for "Working at McDonald's"

11/12

Portfolio #33 Due

Basic Features of the Evaluation

Discussion of Readings

Invention Workshop: Portfolio #34: Freewriting to Explore Subject and Consider your Judgment (SGW, 318-319)

Portfolio #35: Analyze Audience (SGW, 319))

Assignment: Prepare a one-page response log on "Talking Trash " (Portfolio #36)

11/17

Portfolio #36 Due

Discussion of Readings

Workshop: Establishing Your Standards for Judgment (Your Criteria)

Portfolio #37: Developing an argumentative strategy. Finalize your judgment about your subject. Create chart to line-up reasons to back up your judgment and specific evidence to support each reason (See SGW, 321-322)

Portfolio #38: Freewrite to explain why each reason is appropriate for evaluating your subject.

Assignment: Complete First Draft of Essay #4. Typed 3-5 pages. Be sure to bring one Xerox copy for each group member.

11/19

First Draft of Essay #4 Due

Writing Group: Peer Responses to Drafts

Assignment: Complete Typed Second Draft.

11/24

Typed Second Draft of Essay #4 Due (If you plan to revise this essay after conference and submit for a grade, please write that on the outside of your manila folder.) In your manila folder, include all invention, first draft, writing group letters, and letter to me concerning your writing process on this essay (see hand-out)

Workshop: Sentence level revision and sentence combining exercises (Portfolio #39).

Selection of Essay for Final Revision and Submission for Grade

Assignment: Type up a conference draft of the essay you wish to revise and submit for a grade.

To receive a conference, you must bring the typed draft of the essay you plan to submit for grade, a Xerox copy for me to read, and written responses to the self-assessment sheet.

12/1 Class rescheduled for individual conferences

12/3 Final Revision of Essay to be Graded Due

Assignment for Essay #5: You may choose from a couple of options. 1) Choose one of your earlier drafts that you think has potential for development and completely re-envision it in a new piece. 2) Choose one of the four types of essays we wrote this semester and produce another piece of writing of that type focusing on a different specific subject. 3) Write an essay in which you look at each of your four earlier pieces in order to analyze and reflect upon your development as a writer and thinker this semester. (In this essay, you may also consider the short reflections you wrote about the essays we read.) 4. Write a 3-5-page essay about your experience as a first semester freshman.

Workshop: Invention Strategies for Essay #5. Discussion with your writing groups about possible options. Mini-conferences with me about your plans for the essay.

Assignment: Complete first draft of essay #5. Typed, 3-5 pages. Be sure to bring one Xerox copy for each member of your writing group.

12/8

First Draft of Essay #5 Due.

Writing Group: Peer Responses to Drafts

12/10

Final typed up version of Essay #5 Due. In your manila folder, include all invention, first draft, writing group letters, and letter to me concerning your writing process on this essay (see hand-out)

Portfolio #41: Self-Assessment of Portfolio (You must complete this to receive a grade for your portfolio). Portfolio #41 will be written during the final exam time.

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