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ALL ASSIGNED IN-CLASS FREEWRITING NOT COMPLETED DURING CLASS WILL BE COMPLETED AT HOME 

Course Description: Goals, Expectations, and Procedures

Textual Power: Reading, Writing and Research as Critical Literacy

Ice-Breaker--Name Train

Small Group Analysis of the Lux Soap Ad. Reports from Small Groups.

Five-minute in-class writing: analysis of Lux Soap ad

Assignment: Read Xerox essay on cultural signs; Choose a specific ad that you think appeals to some very real, though hidden, assumptions, anxieties, prejudices, fears, desires (etc., etc.) of contemporary culture. Write a 1 page typed analysis of the ad you have chosen. Describe any significant features of the ad and explain how these features "seduce" or attract consumers in our culture by appealing to some of their desires, fears, values, prejudices or fantasies. Xerox the ad and include along with your analysis. Label Log #1. Everyone will be required to present an analysis in class discussion.

1/14

Discussion Circle: Sharing of Ad Analyses

Reading Cultural Signs: Cultural Images, Icons, Artifacts, Events, Practices and Their Signification. Discussion of handout on cultural signs.

Dialogical Reading Logs: Purpose, MLA Citation Form, Analysis of Thesis and Supporting Ideas, Personal Reaction/Response to Ideas

Assignment: Read Ventura, "Report from El Dorado" and Guterson, "Enclosed, Encyclopedic, Endured . . ." in Writing Lives. Prepare Log #2: two typed discussion questions for each reading.

1/19

Log Swap

Discussion of Texts.

Reading Popular Media "Against the Grain": "Our Barbies, Ourselves" In-Class Reading and Discussion

Assignment: Read Solomon, "Masters of Desire," and Charles, "Always Real . . ." in Writing Lives. Prepare Log #3: two typed discussion questions for each reading.

Bring Hacker, A Writer's Reference to next class

1/21

Log Swap

Discussion of Text and Logs

Preparing a Working Bibliography.

Assignment: For ten minutes, make a list of all the possible topics for Research Project #1 you think might interest you. Look back at your list and choose 3 of those possible topics that seem most interesting to you. For each of those possible topics, write for about ten minutes. Consider why each interests you, what you know about it, and what you want to research about it. Label that Guided Freewrite #1. Bring to Library Tour

Assignment: Begin preparing your working bibliography. Due 2/9

Viewing: "Still Killing Us Softly"

Discussion of Video

Writing an Analytic Essay: Basic Features, Suggested Strategies

Small Group Discussion of Possible Subjects for Essay #1

Assignment: Read Katz, "Rock, Rap, and Movies Bring You the News" and Rapping, "Daytime Inquiries" in Writing Lives. Prepare Log #4: two typed discussion questions for each reading.

Log Swap. Discussion of Text and Logs

Discussion of Invention and Possible Subjects

Using Research: Why? How? Where to Find It? Primary Subject, Collateral Areas, Library Research, Field Research, Textual Sources, Interview Sources, Variety of Sources, Variety of Bibliographic Tools.

Assignment: Read Zinn, "Move Over, Boomers" and Adatto, "The Incredible Shrinking Sound Bite" in Writing Lives. Prepare Log #5: two typed discussion questions for each reading.

Discussion of Text and Log

GUIDED FREEWRITE #2 (IN-CLASS AND COMPLETED OUTSIDE CLASS): Subject, Purpose, Audience, and "Slant" for Essay #1.

SUBJECT: What specific cultural image, icon, artifact, event or practice) will you focus on? Is it a narrow enough subject? Can you narrow it to make it more specific? Why do you care about this subject or why are you interested in it? What personal experience or knowledge do you have of it? Is it a narrow enough subject? Can you be specific and detailed in your descriptions and use of evidence? How will you gather enough specific evidence of your subject?

PURPOSE: Your purpose in this piece is to analyze the cultural significance of your chosen cultural image, icon, artifact, event or practice. In other words, you will analyze what you think your subject reveals about our culture or a segment of it. What does it reveal about the values, fantasies, desires, power relations, etc. of our culture? You will need to use lots of specific evidence to demonstrate what you think your subject reveals about what is going on in our culture. In addition to analyzing the cultural significance of your subject your purpose is to persuade your reader that your analysis is correct. Other than that dual purpose, do you see any other interrelated purpose(s) you might want to pursue? (Entertain, move to action, persuade or convince, argue a position, reflect upon personal experience, a combination of some of these)?

AUDIENCE: Who is your audience? What might their biases be? How might you address their biases or prejudices about your subject? Do you think they will have any negative ideas or false ideas about your subject that you will have to dispel or inform? How can you address this particular audience most effectively? How familiar are they with your subject, and how much will you need to explain it to them?

SLANT: What kind of "slant" or perspective might you take on your subject? Are you going to be critical of it? Supportive of it? How does your subject reveal something about our culture and our own values? At this point, do you have a sense of your main idea or thesis idea? If not write for a few minutes about where your thinking is headed.

RESEARCH: What collateral areas might you research to create a better informed, more interesting analysis of your subject and the culture it reveals? Where do you think you can find research to help you demonstrate what you see going on in contemporary culture as revealed by your subject? What do you need to find out about the culture? What questions will you need to answer in order to fulfill your purpose of analysis and persuasion? What do you know now about your subject? What questions do you have about your subject, and where might you go to answer them? What other things will you have to learn in order to write an effective analysis of your subject and what it reveals about culture? Whom might you interview about this subject?

Working Bibliography Due: 20 Item (Minimum). BRING ORIGINAL AND ONE XEROX COPY.

Must be typed in proper MLA form. Use Hacker's A Writer's Reference for correct form. Use a range of sources including scholarly ones. Use at least 3 bibliographic tools to find sources (e.g.: McConnell LAN, Infotrak, Internet, RU Electronic Catalog, Virginia Tech Electronic Catalog)

Also Due: A Xerox of 2 of your possible sources for workshop on evaluation of sources and note taking.

Small Group Discussion to Share Sources and "Tricks of the Trade" Learned as You Researched. Small Group

Preparing an Annotated Bibliography: Data Gathering, Summary, Paraphrase, Direct Quotation; Avoiding Unconscious Plagiarism. Two Five-Item Annotated Bibliographies: One Due 2/16 and the other due 2/18

Annotated Bibliography Due: 5 Item, Fully Annotated Sources. These should be 5 valuable sources, ones that you think you can potentially use (not just the first--and only--5 you found). If you already know a source lacks substance or merely repeats information or analysis you already have, don't use it; look for another source. REMEMBER YOU CAN RESEARCH IN COLLATERAL AREAS--AREAS THAT PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR YOUR SPECIFIC SUBJECT.

Quick Review of Features of an Analytic Essay: Student Example

Integrating Research into Your Own Thinking: Creative Synthesizing

GUIDED FREEWRITE #3 (IN-CLASS AND COMPLETED OUTSIDE CLASS): Given what you have found out about your subject for Essay #1, what new ideas, perspectives, contributions, etc., can you add to the discussion? How can you make your piece fresh? Or appropriate to a distinct audience? What specific audience are you addressing this to? What might be their preconceived ideas or prejudices about your subject or your own analysis of it? How will you speak to these preconceived notions? How can you bring yourself into it? Your own experiences? Of the sources you've read, which ones do you think you might be able to work into your analysis by agreeing with, disagreeing with, or developing upon, their ideas; which ones might you use for data or information to enrich your analysis? How can you be sure to make your piece your own, not just a patchwork, crazy quilt of other people's ideas? Can you nail down your thinking to a thesis idea yet? (Try to!)  

Annotated Bibliography Due. 5 Item, Fully Annotated Sources. These should be 5 valuable sources, ones that you think you can potentially use (not just the first--and only--5 you found). If you already know a source lacks substance or merely repeats information or analysis you already have, don't use it; look for another source. REMEMBER YOU CAN RESEARCH IN COLLATERAL AREAS--AREAS THAT PROVIDE CONTEXT FOR YOUR SPECIFIC SUBJECT.

Small Group Discussion of Free-Writes

Documentation of Sources: Quoting, Paraphrasing, Parenthetical References, and Works Cited Page

First Draft of Essay #1 Due. Typed. Proper MLA Form. Must include Works Cited page. Bring 2 Xerox copies and the original.

Writing Group Responses to Drafts. Groups will be required to meet outside of class time to complete reading and assessment of all three group members' drafts if class time is not sufficient.

2/25

Class Rescheduled for Conferences. To have a conference, you must bring a typed revision of your first draft in which you make revisions suggested by your group, a clean Xerox copy, and your responses to the Conference Preparation Sheet questions.

3/2

Class Rescheduled for Conferences

Final Draft of Essay #1 Due. Submit in manila folder with all required materials. See handout.

Viewing of Harlan County, U.S.A.

Assignment for Research Project and Essay #2

Discussion of Book One of The Unquiet Earth

Discussion of Research Project #2: Possibilities, Options, and Strategies.

Choosing a Subject that is Personally Relevant. Avoiding "Canned" Subjects (e.g. abortion, gun control, capital punishment, legalization of marijuana, lowering the drinking age, etc.)

Collateral Areas/Multiple Contexts for your Project

Assignments:

1. If you haven't already done so, make a final selection of a subject for your research project. It must be a subject that touches upon a broader social issue or reality, but one which has personal significance to you, one that you have personal experience of, or one about which you have an intense personal interest. It should be a subject you genuinely care about, one about which you want and need to find out more.

2. Prepare Log #7: two typed discussion questions on Book Two of The Unquiet Earth.

Discussion of Subjects for Projects

Discussion of Book Two of The Unquiet Earth

Assignment:

1. Begin Working Bibliography: 25 Item Working Bibliography. Typed in MLA Format. Due 4/1.

Discussion of Books Three and Four of The Unquiet Earth

Discussion of Working Bibliographies: Collateral Areas/Contexts for your Project

Assignment: Continue Working Bibliography and Begin Annotated Bibliography. 15 Item Annotated Bibliography in MLA Format Due in Two Parts: 7 Items Due 4/8 and 8 Items Due 4/15.

In-Class Writing: Guided Freewrite #1. Write out responses to all the following:

SUBJECT/CONTEXTS/RESEARCH: What is your subject? Is this a subject you actually know and care about or one of those "canned" subjects we discusses in class? What is your personal connection to your subject? Why do you care about it? What can you bring to your subject that is original? What is your own personal attitude or bias toward your subject right now before researching? Will that attitude or bias help or hinder you in your research and writing to an audience? What do you already know about your subject? What do you want to find out about your subject? What questions do you think you will have to answer about your subject in order to give your reader a full understanding of it? What kinds of sources might you consult to answer those questions? What collateral areas do you plan on researching in order to provide the richest contexts within which to examine your subject? Whom might you interview to gather expert opinion or first-hand knowledge of your subject? What audio, video or other media resources might you consult? What research tools, indexes, bibliographies, etc. in the library might you consult in order to compile a solid working bibliography? Which specific bibliographies available on McConnell LAN might help you? What kinds of scholarly books on subjects related to your own might you look for in the card catalogue? Label this GUIDED FREEWRITE #1

Required Mini-Conference with Baker, Francisco and Hale during class time to discuss progress on working bibliography and annotated bibliography

Assignment: Complete 25 Item Working Bibliography

Working Bibliography Due. 25 Item. Typed in MLA Format.

Class Meets in McConnell Library. Attendance Required. Meet in Lobby.

Required Mini-Conference with Baker, Hale, or Francisco to discuss progress on project, directions, and problems

Assignment: Work on Annotated Bibliography

Viewing of Romero, Salvador or Matewan

Assignment: Work on Annotated Bibliography

7 Item Annotated Bibliography Due. See Required Format Sheet.

Viewing of Romero,Salvador or Matewan

Discussion of film

Wrap-up discussion of Giardina, Appalachia, Central America, United States Domestic and Foreign Policies

Assignment: Work on Annotated Bibliography

Assignment: Work on Annotated Bibliography

In-Class Guided Freewrite #2: Write out responses to the following questions:

AUDIENCE/PURPOSE/"SLANT" Who is your specific audience? Write a mini-audience analysis of that audience: what kind of people are in it, what might their knowledge of your subject be, what prejudices or assumptions might they have about it, how will you address this particular audience most effectively, what kind of information will they need in order to understand your subject the way you want them to?

PURPOSE: What will your purpose be? In other words, what do you want your piece to do for that audience? (E. G.: inform, persuade, teach them about something, move them to some kind of action, share with them your own or your family's personal experiences and help them understand that fully, change their perspective on something or attitude toward something, entertain them. Your piece may actually pursue several related purposes).

SLANT: What is your own attitude toward your subject? What will your "slant" or perspective on it be? How do you think you can best convey that perspective or slant to your particular audience? See if you can nail down you thesis idea about your subject or the central point your essay will make. What is the fundamental, central message you want to convey about your subject? Try to nail it down in a sentence of two. Keep writing until you get clarity on this question.

USE OF RESEARCH SOURCES: What research can you use in your own piece? What specific articles or interviews do you think you might use and how will you use them? Which authors might you agree or disagree with? Which articles will provide you with basic information, data, and collateral information or background material? What might you use as examples? Which articles might provide you more context within which to look at your issue?

KEEPING THE PIECE YOURS/SPEAKING IN YOUR OWN VOICE: How can you make your piece fresh? Or up-dated for today? How can you bring yourself into it? Your own experiences? How will you make sure that yours will be an original piece? How can you be sure to make your piece is your own, not just a patchwork, crazy-quilt of other people's ideas?

WRITING EFFECTIVELY: How might you open your piece in order to grab your reader's attention? (A story, a vivid example, a startling statistic, an anecdote, some dialogue, etc.) What do you think you will discuss first? What will this lead you to next? How will you organize the rest of your piece? What kind of structure makes most sense to you, given the material you think you need to include? How might you end your piece in order to leave a strong, lasting impression about your subject and you main idea?

Assignment: Complete first draft of essay #2, including works cited page.

First Draft of Essay #2 Due. Typed. Proper MLA Form. Must include Works Cited page. Bring 2 Xerox copies and the original.

Workshop: Peer Response to Drafts

Assignment: Using the feedback you get from your group, write a second draft, which you will bring to conference. See Conference Preparation Sheet for materials required in order to have a conference.

Class Rescheduled for Individual Conferences. To have a conference, you must bring a typed revision of your first draft in which you make revisions suggested by your group, a Xerox copy for me to read, and your responses to the Conference Preparation Sheet questions.

Class Rescheduled for Individual Conferences

Final Draft of Research Essay #2 Due. Submit in manila folder with all required materials. See handout.

Home Page | 102 Description | 102 Requirements| Reader's Log | Research Project #1 | Research Project #2 | Working Bibliography | Annotated Bibliography |