Class #20

We do some writing about questions of rhetorical effectiveness, using an array of texts, to have some work in your journals for me assess.

If you're not in class, I'll post the links here, but it's too late for you to get these in to your journal.

First of all, see this photo.

Then read this editorial.

Then look at this page.

Finally, read this essay.

Homework:

Bring a writing tool and some paper for the final exam on Thursday.

Class #19

Turn in your last essay, the MLA style Informative Essay.

I return your Summary/Response about an Image essays.

We look at the history of our language, so that you can do a final journal assignment using the OED. Here is the site.

In-Class bluebook Essay.

Homework:

1. Find a word that has an interesting origin or history or source. Use the OED as a resource, and write a paragraph in your journal describing what you have learned about this word.

2. Two vocabulary words.

3. Have your journal ready to hand in on Tuesday.

Class #18

Class is cancelled because of snow.

We will do without the comments on your second draft; the Final Version of the Informative Essay
(MLA style) is still due Thursday.

See you then.

Homework:

1. Finish your Informative/MLA style Essay; bring all drafts and two comment sheets to class Thursday.

2. Bring a bluebook for the In-Class Essay (45 min. timed during class).

3. Two words.

Class #17

We look at your In-Class essay practice essays.

Then we look at the scoring grid and score some old essays.

Peer review for the first draft of the Informative Essay, and workshop time for MLA questions/problems.

On Tuesday bring your bluebook for the In-Class Essay.

Homework:

1. Create Draft #2 of the Informative Essay. Figure out your Works Cited page in case you need questions answered on Tuesday.

2. Bring a bluebook on Tuesday. It's the day of the In-Class Essay, worth 5% of your grade.

3. Two vocabulary words.

Class #16

Turn in your Summary/Response #2 on an Image.

Further MLA citation practice. See this resource for help if you don't like Everyday Writer.

Practice for the In-class Essay.

Homework:

1. Create the first draft of your MLA style Informative Essay. You must have a draft of the Works Cited page in order to get credit for the draft.

2. Two words.

Class #15

You get your Sum/Response essays back.

MLA citation practice -- in text and on the Works Cited page.

Researching the modern way: databases at the computer lab.

Peer review of your second draft of Summary/Response #2.


Homework:

1. Complete the final version of your Summary/Response #2 on an image. Edit carefully and make sure that your introduction includes a statement of YOUR thesis about the work. Be sure that I will be able to look at your image when I grade your paper.

2. Read in Reid pages 328-336, "The Hollywood Indian." This has lots of correct MLA citation. It is more complicated than your Investigative essay needs to be, but it gives you a clear idea of how to use outside sources in your work.

3. Decide on your topic and spend time looking for your three required sources. On Tuesday be prepared to list these sources in your journal.

4. Two words for your journal.

Class #14

We go over grammar.

We discuss plagiarism. See here.

Groups look at "My Friend Michelle."

Peer review for Summary/Response #2.

I collect journals for the second journal check.

Homework:

1. Read pages 280-281 in Reid.

2. Check pages 262-263 for revision ideas.

3. Create Draft #2 of your Summary/Response #2 of an Image.

4. On a sheet of paper that you can add to your journal, answer Question #1 page 294 in Reid (with or without the internet). For the last paper you must choose a topic about which you already know, and then find out more. The paper must include an mix of personal anecdote and information.

5. Finish the grammar handout.

6. Two vocabulary words.

Class #13

You turn in your final version of the Summary/Response #1.

How DO you write a good ending/conclusion?

Grammar editing practice.

We discuss writing techniques for the Summary/Response #2 of an image.

You write a practice Five Paragraph Essay using an old prompt (in your journal).

I will collect your journals for the second journal check on Thursday.

Homework:

1. Read in Reid pages 280-281 and 338-340. We are going on to the NEXT paper in these readings.

2. In your journal take one full page of notes describing the image you have chosen for your paper.

3. Create Draft #1 of your Summary/Response to an Image and bring it to class.

4. In your journal make a note of either a song or story or poem or whatever that you like that has an effective ending. Feel free to post them in the comments section of this blog (use Anonymous but include your name in the post).

4. Two vocabulary words

Class #12

We go over grammar exercises.

Then we discuss Summary/Response #2 on an Image. See these examples of possible topics:

The Fall of Icarus

"Amerika"

The Haka

Peer Review of Draft #2 of Summary/Response #1

Homework:

1. Create the final version of your Summary/Response paper. Be sure to edit carefully and have a clear introduction and conclusion. Make sure that you have an appropriate title that is NOT the same as the article you are writing about.

2. Collect some possible images to write about for the next paper. Bring them to class for input.

3. In your journal, answer #1, #2 and #5 from "Postscript on the Writing Process" on page 204 in Reid.

4. Complete the grammar handout.

5. Two vocabulary words.

Class #11

You get your "Remembering" papers back.

We do some grammar. In your journal do Ex. 36.1 numbers 1-5 , Everyday Writer page 359. Then do the handout about commas in coordination and subordination.

We read a handout about Pat Bourne, and groups do some work on it. This is to illustrate the two kinds of summary that one may be expected to perform.

The Five Paragraph Essay. See the end of Tuesday's post for links.

Peer Review on Draft #1 of your Summary/Response essay.


Homework:

1. Create Draft #2 of your Summary/Response essay. For this draft you should have a clear introduction and a satisfying conclusion.

2. Read in Reid pages 216-222. This is to prepare for the NEXT paper. In your journal, explain what kinds of things you look at when you discuss the composition of an image.

3. Grammar: finish Ex. 36.1 and the handout.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #10

Grammar practice Everyday Writer Sec. 37. Do Ex. 37.1 and 37.2 in your journal.

We look at responding to "Teach Diversity -- with a Smile." (Read the response on page 165 and see how it compares with your own.)

Then we discuss Tannen's article and two responses to it on pages 208-212 in Reid. We look at the answers to questions 2-5 on page 213.

We look at pages 374-381 to help with critical reading of informative writing. See also below the homework the questions from the comment sheets you'll fill out about the first draft next Tuesday.

If there's time, we'll discuss the Five Paragraph Essay. Here's one example , and another.

Homework:
1. Create the first draft of your Summary/Response essay. In order to do this you must read, understand, analyze and decide what you think about your article. Then summarize the main points of the article (describing it so that someone who has never read it would have a clear idea of what it contains and how it is presented) and explain your analysis and opinion of it.

2. Please email me with questions. You must bring a draft that has attempted BOTH summary and response on Thursday to get credit for the first draft.

3. In your journal, finish Ex. 37.1 and 37.2 in The Everyday Writer.

4.Two words.

NOTE: HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE COMMENT SHEET FOR YOUR FIRST DRAFT --

Peer Revision: Summary and Response Draft #1
Name Title of Draft

Read the entire draft. As you reread, answer these questions:

1. Consider the introduction. Does it attract your attention effectively?
Does it explain the writer's thesis? What is the thesis?
Does it cite the text clearly?

2. Consider the summary. Does it give you a clear idea of the main ideas of
the text? Suggestions?

Is it written in clear language that you can follow? Do you have any confusion about sources of information? Suggestions for improvement:

Are there regular author tags (at least every few sentences in the summary) to remind the reader where the ideas are coming from?

Are quotes and paraphrases used clearly and smoothly? Specific problems:

3. Consider the response.

Does this response analyze the effectiveness of the text? Could it do more in this area? How?

Does this response agree/disagree with the text? Is this done effectively?

Does this response interpret or reflect on the text? Does it refer back to the text frequently?

Does the response maintain its focus on the text?

4. Answer the writer's questions in No. 3 in the writer's page:

Class #9

Hand in your Remembering papers.

We discuss writing about readings.

We read "Teach Diversity -- with a Smile" by Barbara Ehrenreich, page 158.

You write about this article.

Grammar exercise.

Homework

1. Use pages 162-164 to help you write a paragraph of response to "Teach Diversity" in your journal.

2. Read in Reid pages 361-367, an essay by Debra Tannen called "How Male and Female Students Use Language Differently."

3. Look at the article choices below for your next writing assignment, the Summary/Response paper. You must choose which article you will write about; if you want me to print out a copy of an online article, you must send me an email before class Thursday with your request. Otherwise, you will need to make your own copy to work with. (Make sure that you print out ALL the pages of the article. There will be a minimum of six pages, usually more.) If you dislike all these choices, you may choose another article from the New Yorker archives, and ask for my approval by email.

4. Finish the grammar assignment.

5. Two vocabulary words.

THE ARTICLE CHOICES:

In Reid, "The Homeless and Their Children" by J. Kozol, pages 304 to 311.

In Reid, "Miss Clairol's Does She or Doesn't She?: How to Market a Dangerous Product" by J. Twitchell, pages 245-250.

Link to "What Helen Keller Saw" by Cynthia Ozick.

Link to "The Naked Face" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Can we read minds?)

Link to "How David Beats Goliath" by Malcolm Gladwell. (How can underdogs win?)

Link to "Hellhole" by Atul Gawande. (Solitary confinement)

Link to "Troublemakers" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Pit bulls and more)

Link to "Crimson Tide" by Atul Gawande. (The science of blushing)

Class #8

I return your journals.

We go over grammar a bit (click on "a bit" for help with combining ideas), and groups work on Exercise 24.2, discuss Alice Walker's piece and share beginnings.

Peer review.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "The Red Chevy" pages 145-148.

2. Create the final version of the Remembering paper. Edit carefully, with special attention to fragments, c.s. and run-ons.

3. In your journal write out a completely different beginning for your Remembering essay. Try to think of a totally new way to begin -- it won't necessarily be better, but it should be different.

4. Make sure that in your journal you list the beginnings you brought to class for today.

5. Two vocabulary words.

Class #7

First off, I talk about memoirs, including fake ones , Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggars. If you want to read that book, try to get the paperback edition because he changed it between editions.

We discuss "Lives on the Boundaries."

Grammar practice: coordination and subordination, again. Everyday Writer Exercise 24.2.

Peer Review of draft #1 of the Remembering Essay.

Beginnings: examples of hooks famous, infamous, good and bad. Here are some by Mitchell Melville , Dickens, and the man himself, Bulwer-Lytten. And then there is Solzhenitsyn.

Homework

1. Read Alice Walker's "Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self" pages 117-124 in Reid.

2. Write Draft #2 of your Remembering Essay. Now is the time to focus in on your dominant idea and make sure that you are having the effect you desire.

3. Bring examples of three different beginnings of books or articles to class. They can be either effective or ineffective hooks, in your estimation. When you have your journal back, you will list what these are in your journal.

4. Two vocabulary words (to add to your journal when you have it back).

Class #6

Final versions of the Observation Paper, with all drafts and comment sheets, were handed in.

We discussed the techniques for writing about memories in Reid.

We looked at an example of this kind of writing, and then groups read and annotated "The Boy's Desire" by R. Rodriguez.

I handed out the assignment sheet for the next paper, and then we discussed Section 24 in the Everyday Writer. Exercises 24.1 was assigned.

Extra practice with subordination and coordination can be found here.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "Lives on the Boundaries" pages 109-116.

2. Fill at least one page of your journal with notes and freewriting, collecting ideas for your Remembering essay.

3. Then create Draft #1 of your Remembering essay to bring to class Tuesday.

4. Journal check Tuesday. Be prepared to turn your journal in to me. PLEASE make sure that your vocabulary words are numbered so I don't have to count them. They are each worth three points (word, context, definition); you should have twelve.

5. Two vocabulary words.

Class # 5

Quiz.

Groups discussed Mowat's observation of wolves.

Everyone did an exercise using Everyday Writer to practice for editing your second draft.

Peer Review of Draft #2.

Homework

1. Edit carefully and create the final version of your observation paper. Remember to bring all drafts and yellow comment sheets to turn in with your final version. The final version must be in MLA format, as seen in the Everyday Writer, typed and double-spaced.

Special warning on editing: fix sentence fragments and run-ons (Sections 34 and 35 in Everyday Writer), watch your verb tenses, check "lie" and "lay," and double check how to punctuate dialogue.

2. In your journal, do #1 and #5 from "Postscript on the Writing Process" on page 89 in Reid (tan box).

3. Read pages 102-108 in Reid.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class # 4

Quiz.

Groups discuss Macke's "Permanent Tracings."

We discuss the writing process (see the inside of the cover of Reid).

I describe the levels of revision: global, structural, and sentence-level. See this for help with basic revision.

Then we do what's called Peer Review, which means everyone traded drafts and filled out comment sheets about the drafts they read.

Please note: the main purpose of this exercise is for the READER to practice reading and analyzing a draft, so s/he can read his/her own draft analytically and make changes accordingly.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "Observing Wolves" by Farley Mowat pages 66-73. In your journal, answer question #1 on page 73.

2. In your journal describe: A) what comments readers had about your draft, and B) what you learned from reading others' drafts.

3. Revise your draft. Consider global and structural issues: is it meeting the assignment with observation and discovery? Is it clearly organized? When those issues are dealt with begin considering sentence-level issues: vivid word choice, consistent verb tense, clear sentences with variety in structure. Also put it in the correct MLA format (see page 466 Everyday Writer). Bring to class a new copy of your essay, which is Draft #2, The Revision. Also bring Draft #1 and its comment sheets.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #3

Quiz.

Groups discuss the examples of writing genres that everyone brought to class.

We read Samuel Scudder's "Take This Fish and Look At It" on page 60 and discuss the Observation paper assignment, including techniques for doing this kind of writing.

Then groups read Muir's description of the Yosemite Valley on pages 56-57 and annotate it for the techniques for writing about observation (see Reid p. 54-55).

I hand out copies of the assignment sheet for the Observation paper. If you need another copy of it, email me please.

Homework:

1. Read in Reid pages 90-95 for an example of a student essay called "Permanent Tracings" that meets the Observation essay assignment.

2.Then begin observing your chosen subject. Fill at least two pages of your journal with observation notes. These can be very rough, including lists, drawings, quotes, bubble charts or sketches.

3. Write Draft #1 of your observation essay. For help with shaping the paper, look at pages 80-85 in Reid. It may be hand-written, but do skip lines so it's easier to read and make changes on. The goal is to have as many pages as possible, but there is no page requirement at this stage. Revising will be easier if you have too much and are paring it down, rather than struggling to reach the required pages. E-mail questions to me as you have them! kvloden@yahoo.com Bring your first draft to class on Thursday.

4. Two vocabulary words in your journal.

Class #2

We discuss Chapter 1 in Reid, including a quiz. Then we look into Chapter 2, where the word "rhetoric" leads to a digression about ancient Greece. See this and this .

Finally, everyone reads and discusses two essays in Reid: "The Struggle to be an All-American Girl" by Elizabeth Wong and "I'm O.K., but You're Not" by Robert Zoellner.

Homework:

1. Read pages 18-29 in Reid.

2. In your journal, do the Freewrite at the bottom of page 21 and the top of page 22 in Reid.

3.Do #2 page 38 Warming Up Exercises in Reid, finding THREE examples of different genres of writing. Describe and discuss them in your journal, as the assignment explains, but also BRING THEM TO CLASS on Tuesday. Try to find an example of ineffective communication.

4. To prepare for the Observation paper, read in Reid pages 52-55. Think about what you could observe for this assignment and what questions you have about it. Also, READ the "Warming Up: Journal Exercises" on page 58-59. Each of these activities would work well as a basis for the Observation paper assignment. We will discuss the assignment in depth on Tuesday, but if you have an idea for something to observe, you could begin over the weekend by observing and taking notes on what you see.

5. Two vocabulary words in your journal.

Further reading: For a great book about the Spartans, see here. (Available at the Lincoln Public Libraries.) This book has been required reading for US Marines' officer training.

Class #1

In class we cover the class syllabus, I emphasize just how much work this class will be, and everyone is given the address to this blog.

Then we do some writing, and some talking, and discuss the importance of words for writing. Look at this video, and you'll have one idea of the meaning of the word "chutzpah." Plus we discuss possible words to describe what exactly that professor did to the phone.

Homework:

1. Buy your books.

2. Read chapter 1 of Reid. There is a copy of Reid on reserve in the LRC if you can't buy it immediately. You can only use it in the library, and other classes use it also.

3. In your journal, write out responses to #1 and one other of your choice from p. 12 in Reid "Warming Up" exercise. There are 7 total exercises, so you will do only 2.

4. In your journal, write a description, while looking at it, of the same person/thing you wrote about in class. Fill at least one page with writing. This is an exercise in observation. This is NOT what you have to write your first paper about.

5. Put the first 2 vocabulary words into your journal. You will add 2 before each class. They are worth 3 points each. You get one point for the word, one point for the chunk of context where you found the word, and one point for the definition that matches how the word was used in that context.

Example:

chutzpah

Context: It took a lot of chutzpah to spike a student's phone in front of the class. (Mrs. Loden)

Definition: supreme self-confidence; gall.

Class #20

I return your Informative essays.

We look at the history of English.

You show us your word on the OED website.

We discuss effective writing one more time. I collect your journals.

Homework:

1. Bring pencil/pen and paper to class on Thursday for the final.

Class #19

You turn in your last essay, the MLA style Informative Essay.

We do some writing about questions of rhetorical effectiveness, using an array of texts.

If you're not in class, I'll post the links here, but you'll have to email me for the the specific questions that you should answer in your journal. All this will go toward your Third Journal Check points.

First of all, see this photo.

Then read this editorial.

Then look at this page.

Finally, read this essay.

All of the above will go into your journals.

Then we'll prepare for your final homework assignment by looking at this site.

Homework:

1. Collect your last two vocabulary words.

2. Find a word in the Oxford English Dictionary (link to the left) that has an interesting or strange history. Be prepared to show the class the word's history, using the OED's etymology section. It can be one of your vocabulary words, or something different. My example of such a word is "sinister." And then there's "punk."

3. If you wish to earn extra credit (worth 4 possible points), write a five paragraph essay in your journal in answer to this prompt: We all use many different kinds of language – with our friends, our family members, our co-workers, fellow students, and others. Sometimes we intend one meaning, but our language conveys something different. Describe a situation where language played an important role in how a situation developed. Conclude by commenting on how a different word choice might have made a difference in how the situation was resolved.

4. Be sure to bring your journal to class on Tuesday to be turned in.

Class #18

I return your Summary/Response #2 Essays .

We do Peer Reviews for your second drafts of the MLA Informative Essay.

Then you have 45 minutes to write the In-Class Essay in a bluebook.

Homework:

1. In your journal, describe how the In-class Essay went for you. What points did you decide to make?

2. Create the final version of your MLA Informative Essay. Please email any questions you have about MLA details to me. Also, tutors in the writing lab can help you with details. You can also look at the SCC MLA Handbook link to the left. Your Works Cited page should look just like the examples there and in the Everyday Writer.

3. Two vocabulary words.

Class #17

We look at your In-Class essay practice essays. Then we look at the scoring grid and score some old essays.

Peer review for the first draft of the Informative Essay, and workshop time for MLA questions/problems.

On Tuesday bring your bluebook for the In-Class Essay.

Homework:

1. Create Draft #2 of the Informative Essay. Figure out your Works Cited page in case you need questions answered on Tuesday.

2. Bring a bluebook on Tuesday.

3. Two vocabulary words.

Class #16

Turn in your Summary/Response #2 on an Image.

Further MLA citation practice. See this resource for help if you don't like Everyday Writer.

Practice for the In-class Essay.

Homework:

1. Create the first draft of your MLA style Informative Essay. You must have a draft of the Works Cited page in order to get credit for the draft.

2. Two words.

Class #15

Five paragraph essay practice in your journal. Plagiarism reviewed.

MLA citation practice -- in text and on the Works Cited page.

Researching the modern way: databases at the computer lab.

Peer review of your second draft of Summary/Response #2.

I collect journals for the second journal check and give a grammar handout.

Homework:

1. Complete the final version of your Summary/Response #2 on an image. Edit carefully and make sure that your introduction includes a statement of YOUR thesis about the work. Be sure that I will be able to look at your image when I grade your paper.

2. Read in Reid pages 328-336, "The Hollywood Indian." This has lots of correct MLA citation. It is more complicated than your Investigative essay needs to be, but it gives you a clear idea of how to use outside sources in your work.

3. Decide on your topic and spend time looking for your three required sources. On Tuesday be prepared to list these sources in your journal.

4. Do the grammar handout.

5. Two words for your journal (add in later).

Class #14

I return your Summary/Response #1 papers.

We discuss plagiarism. See here.

Groups look at "My Friend Michelle."

Peer review for Summary/Response #2.

Homework:

1. Read pages 280-281 in Reid.

2. Check pages 262-263 for revision ideas.

3. Create Draft #2 of your Summary/Response #2.

4. In your journal do Question #1 page 294 in Reid (with or without the internet). For the last paper you must choose a topic about which you already know, and then find out more.

5. Two vocabulary words.

Extra Post!

A blogger I read posted this wonderful video. Helen Keller speaks!

For a good blog look here.

Class #13

You turn in your final version of the Summary/Response #1.

How DO you write a good ending/conclusion?

Grammar editing practice.

We discuss writing techniques for the Summary/Response #2 of an image.

You write a practice Five Paragraph Essay using an old prompt (in your journal).

I will collect and check journals on Tuesday next week.

Homework:

1. Read in Reid pages 280-281 and 338-340. We are going on to the NEXT paper in these readings.

2. In your journal take one full page of notes describing the image you have chosen for your paper.

3. Create Draft #1 of your Summary/Response to an Image and bring it to class.

4. In your journal make a note of either a song or story or poem or whatever that you like that has an effective ending. Feel free to post them in the comments section of this blog (use Anonymous but include your name in the post).

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #12

We finally look at the Five Paragraph essay. See links in Class #10.

Then we discuss Summary/Response #2 on an Image. See these examples of possible topics:

The Fall of Icarus

"Amerika"

a beer ad

and the Haka from Class #11.

Peer Review of Draft #2 of Summary/Response #1

Homework:

1. Create the final version of your Summary/Response paper. Be sure to edit carefully and have a clear introduction and conclusion. Make sure that you have an appropriate title that is NOT the same as the article you are writing about.

2. Collect some possible images to write about for the next paper. Bring them to class for input.

3. In your journal, answer #1, #2 and #5 from "Postscript on the Writing Process" on page 204 in Reid.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #11

We do some grammar.

We read a handout about Pat Bourne, and groups do some work on it. This is to illustrate the two kinds of summary that one may be expected to perform.

The Five Paragraph Essay. See the end of Tuesday's post for links.

Peer Review on Draft #1 of your Summary/Response essay.

Once again, if there is time, we'll do a rhetorical analysis of this.

Homework:

1. Create Draft #2 of your Summary/Response essay. For this draft you should have a clear introduction and a satisfying conclusion.

2. Read in Reid pages 216-222. This is to prepare for the NEXT paper.

3. In your journal be sure that your error lists are complete for both the Remembering and the Observation papers. On your list you should have labeled what errors the numbers from the "Top Twenty" list refer to. Did you have fewer errors in the second paper? Remember, for this next paper comma splices, run-ons and fragments will cost you two points each.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #10

You get your Remembering papers back.

We go over the grammar handout. More grammar?

We look at responding to "Teach Diversity -- with a Smile."

Then we discuss Tannen's article and two responses to it on pages 208-212 in Reid.

HEY, 7:30 CLASS, I FORGOT TO SHOW YOU THESE PAGES. THEY ARE HELPFUL:We look at pages 374-381 to help with critical reading of informative writing.

If there's time, we'll discuss the Five Paragraph Essay. Here's one example , and another. (Didn't happen in either class.)

Homework:

1. Create the first draft of your Summary/Response essay. In order to do this you must read, understand, analyze and decide what you think about your article. Then summarize the main points of the article (describing it so that someone who has never read it would have a clear idea of what it contains and how it is presented) and explain your analysis and opinion of it.

2. Please email me with questions. You must bring a draft that has attempted BOTH summary and response on Thursday to get credit for the first draft.

3. Two words.

NOTE: HERE IS THE TEXT OF THE COMMENT SHEET FOR YOUR FIRST DRAFT --

Peer Revision: Summary and Response Draft #1

Name Title of Draft

Read the entire draft. As you reread, answer these questions:

1. Consider the introduction. Does it attract your attention effectively?

Does it explain the writer's thesis? What is the thesis?

Does it cite the text clearly?

2. Consider the summary. Does it give you a clear idea of the main ideas of

the text? Suggestions?

Is it written in clear language that you can follow? Do you have any confusion about sources of information? Suggestions for improvement:

Are there regular author tags (at least every few sentences in the summary) to remind the reader where the ideas are coming from?

Are quotes and paraphrases used clearly and smoothly? Specific problems:

3. Consider the response.

Does this response analyze the effectiveness of the text?
Could it do more in this area? How?

Does this response agree/disagree with the text? Is this done effectively?

Does this response interpret or reflect on the text? Does it refer back to the text frequently? Does the response maintain its focus on the text?

4. Answer the writer's questions in No. 3 in the writer's page:

And here is a sample introduction to a summary/response of a Malcolm Gladwell article that is not on your list:

You’re sitting at the beach and a 250 pound bully walks up to you and kicks sand in your face. You are the underdog. What do you do now? What are the odds that you can win in such a situation? According to Malcolm Gladwell’s article “How David Beats Goliath,” underdogs generally win 30% of the time. But if they don’t play by the bully’s rules, they can win 60% of the time. Gladwell provides interesting examples of both recent and historical conflicts where the winner was clearly expected to lose by any reasonable assessment; however, in each case, in spite of the appearance of long odds, the “ninety-pound weakling” pulled it off.

Class #9

Hand in your Remembering papers.

We discuss writing about readings.

We read "Teach Diversity -- with a Smile" by Barbara Ehrenreich, page 158.

You write about this article.

Grammar exercise.

Homework

1. Use pages 162-164 to help you write a paragraph of response to "Teach Diversity" in your journal.

2. Read in Reid pages 361-367, an essay by Debra Tannen called "How Male and Female Students Use Language Differently."

3. Look at the article choices below for your next writing assignment, the Summary/Response paper. You must choose which article you will write about; if you want me to print out a copy of an online article, you must send me an email before class Tuesday with you request. Otherwise, you will need to make the copy to work with. Read your article over the weekend and be prepared to discuss it with others.

4. Finish the punctuation handout.

5. Two vocabulary words.

THE ARTICLE CHOICES:

In Reid, "The Homeless and Their Children" by J. Kozol, pages 304 to 311.

In Reid, "Miss Clairol's Does She or Doesn't She?: How to Market a Dangerous Product" by J. Twitchell, pages 245-250.

Link to "What Helen Keller Saw" by Cynthia Ozick.

Link to "Most Likely to Succeed" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Hiring teachers)

Link to "The Bell Curve" by Atul Gawande. (Medical care and quality)

Link to "Home and Away" by Peter Hessler. (About Yao Ming)

Link to "Hellhole" by Atul Gawande. (Solitary confinement)

Link to "Troublemakers" by Malcolm Gladwell. (Pit bulls and more)

Class # 8

Have you noticed I can't decide what tense to use for my blogs?

So, I return your journals and papers. You must use the Everyday Writer "Top Twenty" (laminated handout or Section 1) to figure out your editing problems; then make a list in your journal with a count of each error.

We go over grammar handouts.

Groups discuss Alice Walker's piece, share beginnings and compare Ex. 24.2.

Peer review.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "The Red Chevy" pages 145-148.

2. Create the final version of the Remembering paper.
Edit carefully, with special attention to fragments, c.s. and run-ons.

3. In your journal write out a completely different beginning for your Remembering essay. Try to think of
a totally new way to begin.

4. Make sure that in your journal you finish the work from class: listing the editing error count from the Observation paper and listing the beginnings you brought to class.

5. Two vocabulary words.

Class #7

First off, I talked about Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard and A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by David Eggars. If you want to read that book, try to get the paperback edition because he changed it between editions.

We discuss "Lives on the Boundaries."

Grammar practice: coordination and subordination, again.

Peer Review of draft #1 of the Remembering Essay.

Beginnings: examples of hooks famous, infamous, good and bad. Here are some by Mitchell Melville , Dickens, and the man himself, Bulwer-Lytten. And then there is Solzhenitsyn.

Homework

1. Read Alice Walker's "Beauty: When the Other Dancer is the Self" pages 117-124 in Reid.

2. Write Draft #2 of your Remembering Essay. Now is the time to focus in on your dominant idea and make sure that you are having the effect you desire.

3. Bring examples of three different beginnings of books or articles to class. They can be either effective or ineffective hooks, in your estimation. When you have your journal back, you will list what these are in your journal.

4. Complete the punctuation handout.

5. Two vocabulary words (to add to your journal when you have it back).

Class #6

Final versions of the Observation Paper, with all drafts and comment sheets, were handed in.

We discussed the techniques for writing about memories in Reid.

We looked at an example of this kind of writing, and then groups read and annotated "The Boy's Desire" by R. Rodriguez.

I handed out the assignment sheet for the next paper, and then we discussed Section 24 in the Everyday Writer. Exercises 24.1 was assigned.

Extra practice with subordination and coordination can be found here.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "Lives on the Boundaries" pages 109-116.

2. Fill at least one page of your journal with notes and freewriting, collecting ideas for your Remembering essay.

3. Then create Draft #1 of your Remembering essay to bring to class Thursday.

4. Journal check Thursday. Be prepared to turn your journal in to me. PLEASE make sure that your vocabulary words are numbered so I don't have to count them. They are each worth three points (word, context, definition).

5. Two vocabulary words.

Class #5

Quiz.

Groups discussed Mowat's observation of wolves.

Everyone did an exercise using Everyday Writer to practice for editing your second draft.

Peer Review of Draft #2.

Homework

1. Edit carefully and create the final version of your observation paper. Remember to bring all drafts and yellow comment sheets to turn in with your final version. The final version must be in MLA format, as seen in the Everyday Writer, typed and double-spaced. Special warning on editing: fix sentence fragments and run-ons (Sections 34 and 35 in Everyday Writer), watch your verb tenses, check "lie" and "lay," and double check how to punctuate dialogue.

2. In your journal, do #1 and #5 from "Postscript on the Writing Process" on page 89 in Reid (yellow box).

3. Read pages 102-108 in Reid.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #4

Quiz.

Groups discussed Macke's "Permanent Tracings."

We discussed the writing process (see the inside of the cover of Reid).

I described the levels of revision: global, structural, and sentence-level. See this for help with basic revision.

Then we did what's called Peer Review, which means everyone traded drafts and filled out comment sheets about the drafts they read. Please note: the main purpose of this exercise is for the READER to practice reading and analyzing a draft, so s/he can read his/her own draft analytically and make changes accordingly.

Homework

1. Read in Reid "Observing Wolves" by Farley Mowat pages 66-73. In your journal, answer question #1 on page 73.

2. In your journal describe: A) what comments readers had about your draft, and B) what you learned from reading others' drafts.

3. Revise your draft. Consider global and structural issues: is it meeting the assignment with observation and discovery? Is it clearly organized? When those issues are dealt with begin considering sentence-level issues: vivid word choice, consistent verb tense, clear sentences with variety in structure. Also try to put it in the correct format (see page 466 Everyday Writer). Bring to class a new copy of your essay, which is Draft #2, The Revision. Also bring Draft #1 and its comment sheets.

4. Two vocabulary words.

Class #3

Quiz.

Groups discussed the examples of writing genres that everyone brought to class.

We read Samuel Scudder's "Take This Fish and Look At It" on page 60 and discussed the Observation paper assignment, including techniques for doing this kind of writing.

Then groups read Muir's description of the Yosemite Valley on pages 56-57 and annotated it for the techniques for writing about observation (see Reid p. 54-55).

I handed out copies of the assignment sheet for the Observation paper. If you need another copy of it, email me please.

Homework:

1. Read in Reid pages 90-95 for an example of a student essay called "Permanent Tracings" that meets the Observation essay assignment.

2.Then begin observing your chosen subject. Fill at least two pages of your journal with observation notes. These can be very rough, including lists, drawings, quotes, bubble charts or sketches.

3. Write Draft #1 of your observation essay. For help with shaping the paper, look at pages 80-85 in Reid. It may be hand-written, but do skip lines so it's easier to read and make changes on. The goal is to have as many pages as possible, but there is no page requirement at this stage. Revising will be easier if you have too much and are paring it down, rather than struggling to reach the required pages. E-mail questions to me as you have them! kvloden@yahoo.com Bring your first draft to class on Tuesday.

4. Two vocabulary words in your journal.

Class #2

We discussed Chapter 1 in Reid, including a quiz. Then we looked into Chapter 2, where the word "rhetoric" lead to a digression about ancient Greece. See this and this .

Finally, everyone read and discussed two essays in Reid: "The Struggle to be an All-American Girl" by Elizabeth Wong and "I'm O.K., but You're Not" by Robert Zoellner.

Homework:

1. Read pages 18-29 in Reid.

2. In your journal, do the Freewrite at the bottom of page 21 and the top of page 22 in Reid.

3.Do #2 page 38 Warming Up Exercises in Reid, finding THREE examples of different genres of writing. Describe and discuss them in your journal, as the assignment explains, but also BRING THEM TO CLASS on Thursday. Try to find an example of ineffective communication.

4. To prepare for the Observation paper, read in Reid pages 52-55. Think about what you could observe for this assignment and what questions you have about it. Also, READ the "Warming Up: Journal Exercises" on page 58-59. Each of these activities would work well as a basis for the Observation paper assignment. We will discuss the assignment in depth on Thursday.

5. Two vocabulary words in your journal.

Further reading: For a great book about the Spartans, see here. (Available at the Lincoln Public Libraries.) This book has been required reading for US Marines' officer training.

First Day of Class

In class we covered the class syllabus, I emphasized just how much work this class will be, and everyone was given the address to this blog.

Then we did some writing, and some talking, and discussed the importance of words for writing. Look at this video, and you'll have one idea of the meaning of the word "chutzpah." Plus we discussed possible words to describe what exactly that professor did to the phone.

Homework:

1. Buy your books.

2. Read chapter 1 of Reid. There is a copy of Reid on reserve in the LRC if you can't buy it immediately. You can only use it in the library, and other classes use it also.

3. In your journal, write out responses to #1 and one other of your choice from p. 12 in Reid "Warming Up" exercise. There are 7 total exercises, so you will do only 2.

4. In your journal, write a description, while looking at it, of the same person/thing you wrote about in class. Fill at least one page with writing. This is an exercise in observation. This is NOT what you have to write your first paper about.

5. Put the first 2 vocabulary words into your journal. You will add 2 before each class. They are worth 3 points each. You get one point for the word, one point for the chunk of context where you found the word, and one point for the definition that matches how the word was used in that context.

Example:

chutzpah

Context: It took a lot of chutzpah to spike a student's phone in front of the class. (Mrs. Loden)

Definition: supreme self-confidence; gall.


Blog comment option: Do you have a favorite Youtube video that could illustrate the meaning of a word? Add it to this blog in the comments section. Explain what word you have in mind and post a link. No anonymous posts -- just my two classes will be looking at it.