Draft #1 Observation/Description Due

Today you practice more analytical thinking.

#1  Read and React:  use ! and ?

#2  Analyze:  Are the details clear?  Do I understand and "see" the scene?

#3  Evaluate:  What works well?  What could be improved?

AND do this in a supportive fashion. I'm awarding you points on the quality of your input.

 Then you will fill out the blue "Writer's Sheet" (handout).  I'll pass around 2 "Reader's Sheets" that will be filled out about your draft.  When we're done, all these sheets will go home with you, and you will revise your draft into Draft #2.

Homework:

1.  Make changes/additions to your draft.  Draft #2 typed is due Tuesday. How will you save it? On Tuesday Draft 2 must be accessible electronically in the computer lab. BACK UP A FLASH DRIVE!

2.  Read Pages 82-84 in The Bedford Guide, Michael Coil's essay "Communications." In your daybook, write the answers to Questions #1, #3, #4 and #5 on page 84.

3. TWFTD:  "rough" in the OED --see yesterday's post for instructions.  The link to the OED is on the left.

Why Is English So Hard To Spell?

All classes meet in room 210. Hand in your short essay and daybook if you have not done so already.

Consider the words knight, night, through, though, bough, cough, rough, come, give, gone.

Take a short pretest about the history of English.  Look at this chart.

What does England look like in the year 0?  -ish? Well, this is already 2,000 years old.

Think Roman Empire.
Old English spoken for us.

Anglo-Saxon art

Anglo-Saxons vs. Vikings  which leads us to the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle.

After Norman castles we come to Middle English. Okay, times change.

Fold your handout and put it in your daybook.

Here are some related links of interest on this topic:

The History of English in 10 Minutes Video

An animation of one of Chaucer's Tales

National Geographic on the buried Vikings



Homework:

1.  Friday the first draft of your observation paper is due.  It can be either hand-written or typed and PRINTED OUT BEFORE CLASS.  See the blue assignment sheet for length suggestions.

2. Tomorrow (Thursday) there will be SOME time to work on your draft, but there will be some other work as well.

3. TWFTD:  punk.  What can you find for the origin of the word?

Audience Awareness Short Essay

Editing Practice:

The dog chewed 1. ____ tail.  (it's or its)

I  2. ________ the car too quickly.  (passed or past)

I wanted 3. _____ write but I forgot.  (to or too)

Look at the back of the prompt handout.  (Noon class write sentences.)

Using the prompt in yesterday's post,  type up your essay today.

Type this essay using the MLA format (yellow handout), including double-spaced lines and correct font size and style. Remove extra space between paragraphs. If it is two pages long, that's fine. There is no length requirement other than 5 paragraphs. Examples are key!


Print and hand in by the beginning of class tomorrow.

Homework:

1. Be observing and taking notes for your observation paper.

2. TWFTD: disconcerting

Writing a Short Essay

What are you observing? Tell me in the daybook.

Editing practice: The kids were 1.________ to go. (already or all ready)

A large 2._________ of students ate a large 3._________ of food.  (amount or number)

If you put your 4.___________  hat on 5. ___________, you are a boring dresser. (everyday or every day)

Look at Section 23 in the Everyday Writer. Look up every day and everyday and write a sentence using each of them . Do the same with amount and number and all ready and already.

We look at the short (five paragraph) essay as a way to analyze/synthesize/evaluate information. See yellow handout.



Now for a prompt (green handout):

You have just finished writing directions and analyzing them for their effectiveness. A key to good directions is writing with the audience’s skills and needs in mind.

“Audience Awareness” refers to a writer’s awareness or understanding of the audience s/he is trying to reach in a piece of writing.

Think about the importance of audience awareness and look over the quotes and writing you have put in your daybook since the first day of class.  Review your “thinkwrites” as well as homework you did.

Prompt: Write a short essay (5+ paragraphs) that explores the importance of analyzing/considering the audience for any written task. Use specific examples to support your points. Any kind (genre) of writing can be used as an example to support your point: texting, email, job tickets, forums, ads, books, etc.

You should state your point in a thesis; your 5 paragraphs should include an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

Your purpose in this essay is to present your view of the role of audience awareness in effective writing, using interesting and relevant examples.

 If you need help with a thesis statement,  look at Everyday Writer pages 58-59.
Homework:

1. Fill at least one page in your daybook brainstorming about the prompt. You may write out an entire essay if you wish. In class tomorrow you will type and print your essay to hand in. If you need more time you may hand it in Wednesday.

2.  Daybooks due tomorrow

3. TWFTD:  fanatic