Engl. 101: Syllabus

101 Description |101 Requirements

¨      All portfolio writing activities not completed during class will be completed at home

¨      Bring St. Martin’s Guide to Writing text to every class

8/22

Icebreakers

Portfolio #1

Assignment: Read the course description, requirements, and syllabus distributed in class today.  Prepare Portfolio #2 (letter to me).  In your letter please include any questions you have about the course description and requirements.  

8/24     Course Assumptions, Objectives, and Procedures

 Discovery and Invention: Mapping Strategies--Listing, Clustering

Portfolio #3: Mapping strategies for possible essay

Assignments for next class:  Read SGW, 25-37, and complete Portfolio #4:  one-page  (minimum) hand-written response for each essay (minimum of two pages total).   Write responses to some of the following questions: What did you find effective or powerful about the piece? Point to specific places. What aspects of the piece did you find ineffective for you as a reader? Indicate specific passages.  What do you think worked particularly effectively for you as a reader? Point to specific passages.  For Dillard’s essay, read “Commentary” on pages 31-32.  Do you agree with the author’s assessment that Dillard organized her essay into a well-told story?  Why?  Offer specific evidence from Dillard’s essay to back up your agreement or disagreement.  For Woolf’s essay, read “Commentary” on pages  36-37.  Do you agree with the author’s assessment of Woolf’s use of narrative cueing? Why or why not?  Offer specific evidence from Woolf’s essay to back up your opinion.

8/25  Last Day to Drop/Add

 8/29    The Personal Reflection Essay: Remembering Events

Small Group Discussion of Assigned Essays

Portfolio #5: Write a brief narration about an event in your life to share with other students. Ten minutes

The Basic Features of the Personal Reflection Essay on an Event

Assignments for next class: 1)  Read SGW, 38-49, and complete Portfolio #6:  one-page  (minimum) hand-written response for each essay (minimum of two pages total).  Consider how well each one fulfills the basic features of a personal reflection essay on an event.  Review pages 47-49 for the basic features of an essay on remembered events. In addition, write responses to some of the following questions: What did you find effective or powerful about the piece? Point to specific places. What aspects of the piece did you find ineffective for you as a reader? Indicate specific passages.  For Bragg’s essay, re-read pages 41-42.   Do you agree with the author about Bragg’s success in conveying the autobiographical significance of the event?  Why or why not?  Paraphrase what you think is the autobiographical significance of Bragg’s essay.  Do the same for Brandt’s essay.    

2)  Prepare Portfolio #7: Addressing different audiences

 8/31    Small-Group Discussion of Assigned Essays

Discovery and Invention: Free-writing and Looping

Audience and Purpose

Portfolio #8: Freewrites and loops

Assignment: Complete invention for Essay #1 by writing responses to the invention prompts in SGW, 51-56; Review SGW, 47-49 on audience, purpose and the basic features of a personal reflection essay remembering events.  You should have about 10 handwritten pages of invention writing. 

 9/5      Invention for Essay #1 Due

Writing Group: Discussion of invention for your piece

"Showing Rather Than Telling" in Writing

 Portfolio #9: Creating Description

Portfolio #10: Creating Dialogue

Moving from Invention to a Draft: Defining your Purpose and Audience; Setting Goals (57-59)

Assignment: Read SGW, 57-59, and complete Portfolio #11: write responses to prompts on pages 57-59.  You should have about 5 handwritten pages, which will help you clarify your goals and writing strategies.  Once you complete this invention writing, begin the first draft of Essay #1.         

9/7       Workshop: Responding Constructively to Writing in Peer Groups (Critical Reading Guide, 59-61)

Writing Group:  Discussion of Portfolio #11.  Nail down your audience, purpose, thesis and tone for this essay.

 Revising a Draft Using Feedback from Writing Group (61-64)

Assignment: Complete first draft of Essay #1.  You must have a full draft (3-5 typed, double-spaced pages). Type according to format in SGW, 727-733.

 9/12    First Draft of Essay #1 Due. Bring typed, double-spaced draft and three Xerox copies

Writing Group: Peer responses to drafts

Assignment: Using the constructive responses your group has give you, prepare a substantive revision of the first draft. You should make significant revisions, not merely corrections of errors.  Re-read the guide to revision on pages 62-64 and examine your draft in view of the questions and suggestions the text offers; then revise your draft. 

9/14     Second Draft of Essay #1 Due (typed, double-spaced, 3-5 page). Include all invention, first and second drafts, workshop letters, and writing process letter in your manila folder when you submit second draft.  See handout on Format for Submission of Essays for full instructions.

Workshop: Style Workshop; Sentence Level Revision--Chopping out Dead Wood, Hammering Down with the Verb, Building onto the Basic Sentence.  Bring Lanham’s Revising Prose to class.

Portfolio #12: Sentence Revisions

Assignment for next class: Read SGW, 79-92 and prepare Portfolio #13:  one-page (minimum) hand-written response for each essay (minimum of two pages total).   Write responses to some of the following questions: What did you find effective or powerful about the piece? Point to specific places. What aspects of the piece did you find ineffective for you as a reader? Indicate specific passages.  For the Angelou essay, re-read page 84-85.  Do you agree with the author’s assessment that Angelou created of a vivid portrait of her subject?  Explain why and offer specific evidence.  For Haslam’s essay, re-read page 92.  Do you agree with the author’s assessment of Halsam’s writing strategies and the autobiographical significance of his essay? Explain why and offer specific evidence.

9/19     Personal Reflection Essay: Remembering a Person

Discussion of Assigned Essays

Basic Features of Personal Reflection Essay on a Person

Portfolio Writing Activity #14: Invention Writing to Choose Subject:  Listing, Clustering, Freewriting, Looping (Invention, pg. 105-106)

Assignments:  1)  Prepare Portfolio #15:  Finalize your selection of a subject for Essay #2, define the person's significance, define your purpose for your readers, and formulate a thesis idea by writing responses to invention writing in SGW, 107- 110.  Write out responses to all the prompts and questions on these pages.  You should have at least 5 pages.

2)  Read 97-101 and write Portfolio #16: write a one-page response to Grey’s essay, paying particular attention to her use of dialogue and anecdotes.  Do you think her use of dialogue and anecdotes was effective?  Use examples to prove support your opinion.  What is the dominant impression she creates?  What IS the autobiographical significance of her father to her?  Do you think it was effective or ineffective for her to show mixed feelings?  Why?

9/21     Discovery and Invention to Develop and Deepen Your Subject    

Portfolio #17-18:  Guided freewriting to create description of the person (#17), some of the person’s characteristic actions or gestures (#17), list of several incidents or anecdotes involving the person (#18), and narration of at least one of those incidents using dialogue (#18).  See SGW, 107 ("Describing the Person").

Moving from Invention and Discovery to a Draft: Purpose, Audience, Setting Goals (pg. 111-112)

Assignment: Complete First Draft of Essay #2. Must be typed, double-spaced. Type according to format in SGW, 727-733. Please bring 3 Xerox copies for your group.

9/26     First Draft of Essay #2 Due. Three Xerox copies and original.  Writing Groups: Peer Responses to Drafts

Revising a Draft after a Critical Reading: How to Own Your Own Writing while Using Feedback from Readers

Assignment: Complete Second Draft of Essay #2. Typed, 3-5 pages. In manila folder include all invention and discovery writing, first draft, workshop letters, and writing process letter to me. See handout on Format for Submission of Essays for full instructions.

9/28     Second Draft of Essay #2 Due. Keep a Xerox copy if you think you might revise this essay for a grade.

Selection of Essay to be Revised and Submitted for Grade

Workshop: Style Workshop; Sentence Level Revision.  Bring Lanham’s Revising Prose to class. 

Assignment: Prepare typed conference draft of the essay you are working on to revise for a grade. In addition to any suggestions from your group or my comments, give consideration to sentence level revisions in the draft you bring to conference. You must bring to your conference a typed conference draft, one Xerox copy, and your written responses to the questions on the conference preparation sheet. After your conference on the draft, you will prepare a final version of your essay and submit it for a grade. See checklist for submission of final typed version of essay.

10/3     Class rescheduled for conferences

10/5     Class rescheduled for conferences

10/10   Final Typed Version of First Graded Piece Due.  In a manila folder, include all those materials specified on the checklist for submission of final typed version of essay.

Workshop:  Style Workshop.  Bring Lanham’s Revising Prose to class.

10/11  Mid-Semester Grades

10/12   Mid-Term Writing Assessment (In-class required writing assignment. Attendance required.)

Portfolio Due. You must bring all your portfolio pieces to class (see syllabus for required pieces)

Portfolio #19: Self-Assessment of Portfolio

Assignments:  1) Read SGW, 128-132.  Prepare Portfolio #20:  Write a 1-page (hand written) response for each essay (2 pgs. total). What did you find effective or powerful about the essay? What worked for you as a reader? What didn’t work for you? What makes the essay either an effective or ineffective profile?  Be specific and give examples for your evaluation of each essay.

2) Prepare Portfolio #21:  Browse through some newspapers and magazines to find an article that you think is an effective profile. Write a 1 page analysis of why you think it is an effective profile.

10/17   Informative Essay: The Profile

You must do some kind of field observation or interview (or both if you wish) and incorporate this into your profile.

Small Group Work on the Profiles from Newspapers

Discussion of two assigned essays

Portfolio #22:  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.  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 155-158 in your text for 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?

10/19   Portfolio #22 due.  Attendance is required.

Planning Field Observations and Interviews for your Profile (SGW, 160-161)

Assignments for October Break:  1)  Read SGW, 141-153 and prepare Portfolio #23:  Write a 1-page (hand written) response for each essay (2 pgs. total). What did you find effective or powerful about the essay? What worked for you as a reader? What didn’t work for you? What makes the essay either an effective or ineffective profile?  Be specific and give examples for your evaluation of each essay.

October Break:  Oct. 20-25

Assignment for Break:  Read SGW, pages 160-161.  Prepare Portfolio # 24:  Plan your field observation and interview.  Write interview questions and follow-up questions to use during your field observation.  Devise a schedule for your visit(s). If your subject is located in your hometown, make your field observations, and conduct your interview(s) while you are on break.  (If you conduct your interview, number it Portfolio #25.)

10/26   Portfolio #23 and #24 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.)

Assignment: (1) Read SGW, 547-550 to learn how to prepare yourself for, and conduct, an interview; (2) Complete Portfolio #25:  Consult Portfolio #24 for your interview plan and questions. Revise if need be.   Conduct your field observation and interview, taking careful notes for Portfolio #25.

10/31   Class time Allotted for Field Observation or Interview

Assignment: (1) Complete Portfolio #25: Conduct your interview or field observation and take careful notes (2) Complete Portfolio #26: Freewriting to reflect on the significance of your subject, define your purpose for your readers, and formulate a thesis statement. Write responses to the prompts on pp. 161-162 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, who your specific audience is, and what you would like your piece to do for your specific audience.  Do about 5 pages minimum of writing to try to define your audience, purpose, and thesis.

11/2     Portfolios #25 and 26 Due.

Portfolios #27 and 28:  Creating Description (#27);  Creating Dialogue and/or Narrated Anecdotes (Portfolio #28)

Portfolio #29:  Setting Goals (SGW, 163-165)

Portfolio #30:  Draft of Beginning Paragraph

Portfolio #31:  Draft a Tentative Outline (Read SGW, 165, for some pointers on outlining strategies for profiles.)

Assignment: Complete First Draft of Essay #3

11/7     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. Type according to format in SGW, 727-733.

11/9     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 on Format for Submission of Essays for full instructions.

Argumentative Essay: The Evaluation

 

Portfolio #32:  Listing, free-writing, and other invention strategies to explore possible subject for evaluation essay). Use guides in SGW, 383-385, to help you generate ideas.

 

Assignment: (1) Read SGW, 351-363 and 379-381. (2) Finalize selection of your subject for evaluation; (3) Prepare Portfolio #33:  Write a one-page response for each essay (total of 2 pages minimum). Your purpose should be to assess how effective each one is as an evaluation.  See 379-381 for the features of an evaluation and decide how well each essay meets these criteria.  For Ansen’s essay, re-read pp. 358.  Do you agree or disagree with the author’s analysis of the essay?  Explain why and give evidence to support your claim.  For Etzioni’s essay, re-read pp. 362-363 and decide if you agree with the author’s judgments of the essay.

 

 

11/14   Portfolios #32 and 33 Due

 

Basic Features of the Evaluation

 

Counterarguments:  Anticipating Objections to your Judgment and Answering Them

 

Discussion of Readings

 

Invention Workshop: Portfolio #34: Freewriting to explore your subject, plan your research, and consider your judgment (SGW, 384-385).   Think carefully about the prompts in the text, and freewrite full responses.

 

Portfolio #35: Analyze Audience (SGW, 385)

 

Assignment: (1) Prepare Portfolio # 36:  Read SGW, 364-376 and write a one-page evaluation of the essay that you think is the better one.  Base your judgment on specific criteria for judging an evaluative essay, and use specific evidence to support your judgment.

2)  Prepare Portfolio #37:  Look through some magazines and newspapers to find an evaluation on a subject that interests you.  Once you have found an article that you think is a good evaluation, Xerox it and then write a one-page response in which you state the judgment the evaluation makes of its subject, the reasons it gives for that judgment, and the specific evidence it points to in order to prove that its judgment is based on facts about the subject. If you're interested in music, try reading Rolling Stone.  If you're interested in fashion, try Vogue or Gentleman's Quarterly for reviews on a designer's latest line of clothing. Almost any major Sunday newspaper will have movie, book, restaurant and theatre reviews in the "entertainment" or "arts" or "book review" sections.  Look in Sunday's Washington Post, which should have several reviews of various types; it also has a book review section.  Sunday's Roanoke Times should also have some reviews of books, films, and music.  Magazines like Auto Mechanics will have evaluations of cars.  Sports Illustrated will have evaluations of teams, players and coaches.  The New Yorker frequently has film and theatre reviews, as well as reviews of other cultural performances.  The library has plenty of popular magazines available in the lobby.  You could browse through them until you find a review that seems interesting to you.  If you get stuck, ask a reference librarian to help you. 

 


11/16   Portfolios #36 and 37 Due

 

Discussion of Reading

 

Small Group Discussion of Evaluations Found in Popular Media

 

Workshop: Collaborative Activity to Practice Evaluating a Subject (Be sure to include counterarguments; anticipate any objections to your judgment).   

 

 


11/21   Portfolio #38: Developing an Argumentative Strategy:  Reasons, Support, Comparisons, Counterarguments or Objections.  Write full and thoughtful responses to prompts in SGW, 386-387.  Reconsider your earlier freewriting in portfolio #34.  Do you still agree with your initial judgment, or have you changed your opinion? 

 

Portfolio #39: Defining Your Purpose for Your Readers (SGW, 387)

 

 Portfolio #40: Formulating a Tentative Thesis Statement (SGW, 388)

 

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

 

 


11/28   First Draft of Essay #4 Due

 

Writing Group: Peer Responses to Drafts

 

Assignment: Complete Typed Second Draft.

 

 


11/30   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 or comments from writing center tutor, and letter to me concerning your writing process on this essay (see hand-out)

 

Workshop: Style Workshop.  Bring Lanham’s Revising Prose to class. 

 

Portfolio#41: Sentence Level Revision and Sentence-Combining Exercises.

 

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.  If you choose to revise Essay #4, then make at least sentence level revisions and grammatical corrections based on the work we did today.  If you revise Essay #3, then make all the revisions I suggested to you in my letter about your draft of that piece.  To receive a conference, you must bring the typed draft of the essay you plan to submit for grade including all revisions I've already suggested (essay #3) or sentence level revisions (essay #4), a Xerox copy for me to read, and written responses to the self-assessment sheet.  (See handout)

 

 


12/5   Class Rescheduled for Individual Conferences

 


12/7     Final typed up version of Graded Essay #2 Due. In your manila folder, include all invention, first and second drafts, writing group letters, letter from me about the first draft or notes you took during our conference, and letter to me concerning your writing process on this essay (see hand-out).

 


FINAL EXAM: Bring to the final exam Portfolios #20-41 as well as all additional invention writing for essays #3 and #4 and first and second drafts of essays #3 and #4. Gather the portfolio pieces together and put them in a manila folder in numerical order. Clearly label invention and first and second drafts of essays #3 & 4 and include them in the back of your portfolio. You must bring all these pieces to the final exam. 

 

Be sure to consult the final exam schedule for correct time.

 

Portfolio #42: Self-Assessment of Portfolio (You must complete this to receive a grade for your portfolio). Portfolio #42 will be written during the final exam time.

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