English 1101 syllabus, Saturday, fall 2005, Harrison

 

This syllabus is subject to change.  If you want to know your assignments, you should come to class every day.  Because this class meets once a week, missing one Saturday is equal to missing an entire week of a regular class.  Because this class meets once a week, you must be prepared to work in class, preparing drafts on the computer.  You will not be idle in this class.  If you are not writing or working on a proofreading exercise, you will be reading an assignment.  Because some of you will work faster than others, you must be prepared to be productive at all times.  This class offers you a unique opportunity to have your instructor with you during more steps in the writing process.  However, this class offers challenges as well.  First of all, you must be prepared to attend class every Saturday but one until the end of the semester.  You must arrive for class every session ready to work.  You must plan ahead and be prepared.  Because it will be difficult for some of you to see me during weekly office hours, I will stay after class to help you when you need or want help.  You may also contact me by phone (229-391-4962) or e-mail, wharrison@abac.edu.

 

August 27: Course policies and assignment sheet.  Prepare rough draft of Where I Stand and read in peer review groups.  Prepare revised, second draft and read in peer review groups.  Receive handouts on Essay notes, Sample Basic Essay, and Out-of-Class Essay #1.  Discuss sensory details and their role in a descriptive essay.  Homework:  Prepare revised, third draft of Where I Stand.   Read the essays and all the introductory material that follows the essays on pages 93 and 446.  Proofreading exercises on redundant, wordy and pompous writing.  Library Assignment due on September 17.  Read pages 5-24 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of essays on pages 93 and 446:

 

  1. Why do you think these authors wrote these essays?
  2. What are some places in these essays where the authors use sensory details?

 

September 3:  All drafts of Where I Stand are due.  Discuss essays on pages 93 and 446. Pre-write for and prepare first typed draft of essay #1.  Peer review of first typed draft.    Homework:  Prepare revised, second draft of essay #2.  Read selections that begin on pages 49 and 281. Proofreading exercises Call a Fool a Fool, Burger Queen, and Boring From Within. Handout:  Revision Checklist/Descriptive Paper (You don’t have to write anything this handout; we’ll use it in the peer review session during the next class.  You should consider the  points noted on the checklist in regards to your own paper because these points are important to writing a good paper.)  Read pages 25-51 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 49 and 281:

 

  1. Mortality is a theme in both of these selections.  What does each author have to say about mortality?
  2. Note the use of sensory details in each of these selections.

 

September 10:   Peer review of second draft; prepare revised, third draft of essay #2 to turn in.  Discuss essays on pages 49 and 281. Handout:  Final Draft Checklist.   Homework:  Read essays on pages 249 and 597.  Proofreading exercise:  Joe Dimaggio 1 and 2.  Read pages 52-82 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 249 and 597:

 

  1. Both of these are narrative essays because they use the story or narrative of a particular experience to make a point.  What point do you think each author makes in his essay?
  2. The tone of these two essays is quite different.  (Tone is the feeling an author creates in his reader).  What is the tone in each essay and what in the essay contributes to this tone? 

 

September 17: Library Assignment due.   In-class writing. Discuss essays on pages 249 and 597.  Handouts:  Mrs. Harrison’s Proofreading Marks, Assignment sheet for Out-of-Class Essay #2  Proofreading Exercises: Wolf 1 and 2.  Homework:  Read essays on pages 73 and 198.  Read pages 83-102 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 73 and 198:

 

  1. Both these essays deal with clashes between classes or races.  What does each author have to say about this issue?
  2. Both these essays have to do with identity.  What does each author have to say about this issue?

 

September 24:  Write a one-minute paper on identity in the essays read for homework.  Share these essays in groups.  Discuss essays on pages 73 and 198.  Pre-write and write first draft of out-of-class essay #2.   Prepare revised second draft in class.  Handout: Revision Checklist/Narrative.  Proofreeading exercise:  A Civic Duty to Annoy.  Homework:  Read essays on pages 79 and 192.  Read pages 103-129 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 79 and 192:

 

  1. Both of these selections contain mothers.  Describe the mothers in these two essays.
  2. One element that makes both these selections interesting is the use of irony.  There are many definitions of irony but one that will work here is to say that a situation is ironic when what happens in a narrative is not what one would expect to happen.  Think about how this definition of irony applies to the actions of the narrators in these two selections. 

 

October 1:  Discuss essays on pages 79 and 192.  Peer review of second draft of out-of-class essay #2.  Prepare third typed draft of essay #2 and turn in all drafts.  Handout:  Out-of-Class Essay #3.  In-class proofreading practice at one of the following websites:

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/

http://chompchomp2.com/

http://www.uvsc.edu.owl.writing.htm.

I’ll give you directions in class how to proceed through the sites.  You should note what sections you complete so that the next time we do this, you won’t end up doing  sections again.

 

Homework: Read selections on pages 86 and 112.  Read pages 130-151 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 86 and 112:

 

  1. Describe the narrators of these two selections.
  2. What points are the authors making in these selections?

 

October 8:  In-class writing. Discuss essays on pages 86 and 112.  Proofreading exercise: The Chase.  Handout:  Revision Checklist/Persuasive. In-class proofreading practice at one of the above websites. Homework.  Read essays that begin on pages 146 and 274.  Read pages 152-190 in The Awakening.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 146 and 274:

 

  1. Both these narrators describe a moment that for them was life-changing.  What was this moment and how did it change these narrators?
  2. The essay by Alice Walker describes several different scenes and times.  How does she tie all these disparate moments and places together?   

 

October 15:  Fall break.  NO CLASS.

 

October 23: .  Discuss essays on pages 146 and 274. Pre-writing and first draft for out-of-class essay #3.  Peer review of out-of-class essay #3.  Handout:  Dwellings.   Homework:  Prepare typed second draft of out-of-class essay #3 for peer review in class on October 30.  Read essays that begin on pages 810 and 525.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of essays on pages 810 and 525.

 

  1. These essays could be classified as persuasive.  Of what are the authors trying to persuade their readers?
  2. Do you agree with these authors?  Why or why not?

 

October 29:  Write a response to “Hate Radio” (I’ll give you a sheet with the questions you need to answer).  Discuss essays on pages 810 and 525.  Peer review of second draft of out-of-class essay #3.  Prepare third revised draft and turn-in all drafts.  Handouts:  Out-of-class Essay #4 – first typed draft due November 1, Documenting Sources, and Jonathon Swift handout. Read essays on p. 493 and 776.   

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 493 and 776.

 

  1. Do you agree with Pollitt’s thesis?
  2. See handout on Swift.

 

November 5:  In-class writing.  Discuss essays on pages 493 and 776.  Proofreading exercise Flavio’s Home.  Peer review of first typed draft of out-of-class essay #4, second draft due in class November 13.  Handout:  Revision Checklist/Documented an Portfolio handout. Homework:  read selections on pages 837 and 878 and prepare second draft of essay.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of selections on pages 737 and 878.

 

  1. These selections are fiction.  In the Carver story, what is happening between these three people?  Why do we not know the characters’ names?
  2. What does Tan mean by the title “Two Kinds”?

 

November 12:   Discuss selections on pages 737 and 878.  Peer review of out-of-class essay #4.  Final draft of essay due on November 20.  Read story on page 854 and O’Connor’s comments that follow the story.

 

Questions to consider for discussion of O’Connor story?

 

  1. Why might this be called a “Christian” story?
  2. Why does O’Connor select the title “A Good Man is Hard to Find”?

 

November 19:  Final draft of out-of-class essay #4 due.  Discuss O’Connor story.  Discuss final exam..

 

December 4:  Final exam.