Preparing for the First Essay

Welcome!

1.  Turn in your crane, if you have it, plus the thinking skills questions you answered from another.

2.  Attendance!

3.  Journal:  Tell me a story about the time you were most embarrassed.

4.  Notes-- TAP, Writing Process, No way mistakes, 6-traits, Narrative to dos.

TAP:

Topic--  What it's about---  Interesting to others.
Audience-- Who it's for-- It's for a general audience.
Purpose-- Why it's being written.  It could be to entertain, explain, etc.

6-Traits (of grading/writing)

Some educators got together and decided that good writing is made up of these 6 things.  There's no way great writing can be boiled down into a list, but this is a passable way to teach and grade writing, and it's a also a pretty good framework for understanding the beginning.

Voice:                                Personality in your writing.
Ideas and Content:            Important/Interesting topics and support of those topics.
Conventions:                    Grammar
Word Choice:                   Choosing the best word.
Sentence Fluency:           A good mix of short and long sentences.
Organization:                   A good plan for your essay.

Writing Process-  Steps we follow to make a successful paper, in this order:

Invention:      Creating ideas.  We use a journal, tv, radio, friends, etc. ( Ideas and Content)
Organize:       This is planning out our ideas in some type of logical order.  (Organization)
                       Use an outline, word web, or list.
Draft:             This a practice essay.  It's our first try- don't worry about gram errors  (Voice)
Revise:          To re-look.  Look again at sentences, organization, ideas, etc. ( Word choice, Sentence F)
Edit:               Finding and fixing grammatical/syntactical errors. ( Conventions)
Publish:         Publish means perfect.  No editing mistakes. ( We're done!)

No Way Mistakes:

a.  Tense shift.  I love to eat when I was hungry.

b.  PNA-    Someone who is cool has all the tricks; they know how to...

c.  VTA-  I loves to eat.

d.  Comma Splice: (CS) I love to eat, I love to cook.

e.  Run on:  I love to eat I love to cook.

f.  Parallelism:  I love to ride my bike, walk the dog, and watching movies

Narrative To Dos

Do:  Start en media res:  In the middle of the action.
Do:  Tell a story we care about/are interested in.
Do:  Have a beginning, middle, end, and (maybe) a moral.
Do:  Be human.

Don't:  Be egotistic:  we don't care about your 8th grade wrestling championship, you do.
Don't:  Start with all the background.  Start in the middle of the story!
Don't:  Write about your kids.
Don't:  Try to make yourself sound amazing-- Be yourself.

5.  Model--  Sample essay taken through the first part of the process.  Notes on board...

7.  HW-  Read this narrative...   And, This narrative...

8.  HOMEWORK:   Return to class with a typed draft of your own narrative.

9.  Next Class.  Grading using the 6-traits and practice editing...

Thinking Skills and More Thinking Skills....

1.  Please place your two pieces of HW on the front desk.

2.  Attendance.

3.  Journal:  There are different ways to learn.  Identify how you learn best and explain why that works best for you.

4.  Thinking Skills Practice... Origami-

5.  Homework!  Please answer another's questions about "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge."

6.  Homework! Follow the directions here and make your own masterpiece.

Thinking Skills Cont-- Asking the right questions.

0.  Please turn in your homework to the front desk.
 
0.1  Attendance

0.2  Papers returned... Please place these in your portfolios!  Why?

1.  Journal-

Do you have any superstitions/traditions you follow without thinking about them or things you do that you've just always done?  What are they?  Why do you do them?

Ex:  In my family, every Christmas, we open one present on Christmas Eve and the rest, if we have any, on Christmas morning.  I don't remember when we started this tradition, but it must have been sometime when my sister and I were under 10.  Now, that tradition continues in my own family, and my sons look forward to and remember that on that night, we get to open one present.  I guess it is a tradition that I haven't thought about until now.  I suppose my parents started it because we were always shaking the presents and trying to figure out what they were or because...

2.  In Class Reading...

 The Lottery. 

Background about the story here....

Note Ms. Jackson's response to the letter

 

3.  In class work... groups and thinking skill questions about the lottery-  Place in portfolio.

1.  Please identify all the character in the story.

2.  Explain why the boys selected the "smoothest and roundest stones."

3.  Define what Mr. Summers represents or symbolizes, stands for, in the story.

4.  Connect Old Man Warner to someone you know.

5.  Summarize the plot of the story.

6.  What can you infer about our lives from the story?

7.  Clarify how the drawing works.

8.   Identify the theme (the message the author intends) and explain why you think that is the theme.  Please use quotes in your answer.

4. Homework-

Read An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge, and bring 10 thinking skill questions to class for another to answer.

5.  Homework:

Read another classmates editorial and answer their thinking skills questions.  

Thinking Skills Definitions

Thinking Skills

Analyze:               To determine the nature and parts…

Compare:            To point out similarities

Contrast:              To point out differences

Connect:              To place in relationship to something else

Clarify:                 To make clear

Distinguish:         To determine the differences between two things.

Elaborate:            To provide greater detail and length.

Explain:               To make understandable

Evaluate:              To determine the worth.

Infer:                    To determine based on evidence

Identify:               To name

Define:                 To determine the essential qualities of something.

Predict:                To point out a future occurrence.

Interpret:             To tell in other words

Summarize:         To tell a short version

Synthesize:           To combine into something new.

Thinking Skills Interviews and Presentations.

0.  Please turn in your library tutorial at the front desk.

1.   Journal--

When you're about to present in front of others, do you get nervous?   Why?  Why not?  How can you handle this fear (should you have it) by using thinking skills or meta-cognition?

2.  Groups--

Five minutes to meet and then...

3.  Presentations

4.  Homework

Find an Editorial and write 5 thinking skill questions about the Editorial you've found.  Here's a good place to start searching.   Please bring the editorial and the questions to class for another to read and answer.

Thinking Skills

1.  Attendance!

0. Please turn in your homework assignment to the front desk.

1.  Journal:

Have you ever thought something, believed something to be absolutely true, and then discovered you were wrong?  What happened?  How did you figure out you were wrong?  What lesson did you learn from this experience?

2.  Thinking Skills quiz... 

3.  Thinking Skills Vocabulary terms...  NOTES.

4.  Thinking skill interviews, partners, presentations due for next class.

5.  Homework... Follow this link and complete the "Improving Information Literacy Skills" tutorial provided by our excellent library.  Please print out your final score and bring it to class.

Syllabus

Instructor:         Eric Berge

E-MAIL:              eric.berge@phoenixcollege.edu

Office Hours:     Monday and Wednesday:  3:30-5:00/Tuesday and Thursday: 2:00-3:30/B-149

Course:	Eng 101			Semester:	Spring ‘13
Number:	36918			Time:	4:00-5:15
Day(s):	Tues/Thurs			Location:	B-123

Text Book:

No textbook is required; however, students may want to purchase College Writer 4^th Edition by Vandermey as a resource.

Attendance Policy:

Class attendance is expected in accordance with the current college catalog. Excessive

unexcused absences may result in withdrawal from the course or a lower grade.

.

** It will be solely at the discretion of the instructor if the student will be withdrawn from the class based

on the circumstances surrounding the absences. **

Note

In the event of an instructor absence, the class will meet virtually and complete assignments provided on the class blog.  Please check your e-mail and our class blog prior to each class period to ensure you are prepared for class.

Paper Format Guidelines:

• Final drafts should be typed or computer printed
• Final drafts must be double-spaced with one-inch margins.
• Use a 12-point font.  Times Roman.
• Place your name, section number, genre, and date at the top of the first page—no cover sheet is necessary.

Grading: 

Grades are based on a portfolio system.  At the end of the course, students will meet with the instructor to review the assigned essays and the final project in portfolio form.  The portfolio consists of work you complete in and out of class, including drafts, essays, journals, notes, and other marginalia.  When you meet with the instructor, the instructor will review your portfolio and assign a grade based on the portfolio rubric. 

Each essay and the final project are worth 20 points.  The total possible points in class are 100. 

So, if students receive 90-100 points, they earn an A.

If students receive 80-89 points, they earn a B.

If students receive 70-79 points, they earn a C.

If students receive 60-69 points, they earn a D.

If students receive less than 60 points, they earn an F.

Objectives/ Course Description: 

Emphasis on rhetoric and composition with a focus on expository writing and understanding writing as a process. Establishing effective college-level writing strategies through four or more writing projects comprising at least 3,000 words in total.

Course Competencies:

1.       Analyze specific rhetorical contexts, including circumstance, purpose, topic, audience, and writer, as well as the writing's ethical, political, and cultural implications. (I, III)

2.      Organize writing to support a central idea through unity, coherence, and logical development appropriate to a specific writing context. (II, IV)

3.      Use appropriate conventions in writing, including consistent voice, tone, diction, grammar, and mechanics. (I, IV)

4.      Summarize, paraphrase and quote from sources to maintain academic integrity and to develop and support one's own ideas. (III, IV)

5.      Use feedback obtained from peer review, instructor comments and/or other resources to revise writing. (II)

6.      Assess one's own writing strengths and identify strategies for improvement through instructor conference, portfolio review, written evaluation, and/or other methods. (II, III)

7.      Generate, format, and edit writing using appropriate technologies. (II, IV)

Course Work: 

Course work consists of keeping a writing journal, completing class exercises, taking tests, group oral presentations, computer work, and writing and revising papers.  Certain requirements may vary from the syllabus to meet the needs of the group.  

Grades:

A  Excellent

N Audit

B  Above Average

P Pass

C  Average

Z No Credit

D  Passing

I Incomplete

F Failure

W Withdrawn/Passing

Y Withdrawn/Failing

Accommodations for Diagnosed Learning Needs:

Students with special, diagnosed learning needs should meet with me as soon as possible to

arrange for reasonable accommodations.  For more information, please call the DSS office at (602) 285-7486 or (602) 285-7477 V/TDD.

ACADEMIC INTEGRITY AND CLASSROOM COURTESY:

In addition to academic performance, students are expected to demonstrate honesty and integrity. All submissions by a student are expected to be the original work of the submitting student. Materials that in any way violate this requirement, or otherwise constitute any form of dishonesty, cheating, fabrication, the facilitation of academic dishonesty, and/or plagiarism may result in the student receiving a failing grade in the course with appropriate disciplinary action. All students are expected to act professionally at all times.

SYLLABUS STATEMENT OF CIVILITY: PROMOTING A POSITVE LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

To establish a positive learning environment for this class:

As an instructor, I am expected to be professional, courteous, respectful, and empathetic to students and to:

Begin and end class on time

Be prepared for each class session

Provide academic feedback and grade assignments in timely manner

Be available for individual consultation

Clarify assignments and inform students of any adjustments to the class schedule

As a student, you are expected to be reflective, courteous, respectful, and empathetic to

classmates, the instructor, and other college staff assisting you in your learning and to:

Be in class and be on time

Be prepared for class sessions

Participate in class activities

Follow instructions and complete assignments

Keep up with and turn in assignments by the due dates

Put forth your best effort

Ask questions when you don’t understand

Maintain Knowledge of your grade status

Contact your instructor right away about concerns or situations that interfere with your success

in class

Comply with policies found in College catalog and student handbook

SEXUAL HARASSMENT POLICY

Everyone in this class, including the instructor, must adhere to PC policies:

“…provide an educational, employment, and business environment free of unwelcome sexual advances,

requests for sexual favors, and other verbal and/or physical conduct or communications

constituting sexual harassment as defined and otherwise prohibited by state and federal law.”

For additional information, please check P.C.’s General Catalog & Student Handbook.

Technology rEQUIREMENTS

For this course, you will need a working email address and access to the Internet.  Internet access can be from school, home, or work.  ·         If you do not have an email account, you can get one for free at www.yahoo.com or http://www.msn.com/ (under Hotmail) or a number of other sources. The IT Help Desk can also provide support and assistance with your technology needs and questions.   For 24/7 help with Blackboard, call the help desk.

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English 101/Tentative Schedule

(Subject to change due to the needs of the class.)

Week 1

                        Diagnostic

                        Good Writing (Politics and the Eng Lang…)

                        Homework:  Prelim Research Topic Due

Week 2     

                        Contrast of Sources report assigned

                        Good writing continued.

Week 3

                        Contrast of Sources Work Cited due

                           Contrast of Sources draft due

Week 4

                        Research Intro…

                        Contrast of Sources Final Draft

Week 5

                        Topic Op Ed Assigned

                        Draft of Op Ed for Review                

Week 6

                        Research Topic Conferences

                        Research Topic Conferences

Week 7         Op Ed Due

                       Research Cont… Sources List….

Week 8

                        Literary Analysis….Intro

                          S. Story one and questions

                        Research Cont.  Deep Outline

Week 9

                        S. Story and questions…

                        Reader response… Theme

                        Research obstacles…. Planning the paper.

                        Research Abstract

Week 10

                        S. Story cont.

                        Literary Essay Assigned…

                       

                       

Week 11

                        Lit Essay Draft Due

                        Final Draft Due… Poetry Intro

                        Research Draft Due

Week 12

                        Poetry Analysis

                        Poems cont….

                        Edit Research Papers      

Week 13

                        Poetry Recitation… Close reading

Week 14

                        Poetry Analysis Assigned

                        Research Draft Due

Week 15

                        Poetry Analysis Draft Due

                       

Week 16

                        Presentations

                        Conferences

Final Exams  Conferences. 

 ___________________________________________________________

Syllabus Statement of Understanding:

I, ____________________understand and agree to abide by all the terms in the syllabus.

DATE:_________________

I 

Welcome To Class!

Welcome to Class!

1.  Class procedures...  Attendance


2.  Journal: 

When you're taking a new class, it's a good idea to think about what you want out of that class.  What do you want out of this one?

3.  Syllabus and books...  (legal stuff)


4.  Diagnostic Essay... "The Art of Authorship" by  Mark Twain   HOMEWORK!


      Please read the following essay and respond to the questions (a and b) at the bottom.  Please be sure to write an essay in response that offers your potential read a beginning, middle and end.


5.  Please return to class with your typed essay in MLA format.

6.  Exeunt.