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ENG 101: English Composition 1 Charter Oak Required Course
Course Description: This writing course emphasizes the relationship between reading and writing. From readings, writings, and discussions, the student will discover that writing is a process of inventing, planning, drafting, reading critically, revising, editing, and proofreading. When writing essays using such patterns of development as narration, description, compare/ contrast, cause/effect, and argumentation/persuasion, the student will also see the importance of considering purpose, audience, tone, point-‐of-‐view, organization, and development.
Student Learning Outcomes: 1. Develop fluency in writing clear and unified college level essays using such methods of
development as narration, comparison-‐contrast, cause-‐effect, and argumentation-‐persuasion.
2. Acquire skill in reading a variety of student and professional essays and applying that skill toward making intelligent decisions for your own writing.
3. Apply basic revising and editing skills.
Course Activities and Grading:
Assignments Weight Essays 60% Discussions 30% Total 100%
Required Textbooks: • Nadell and Langan. The Longman Writer (Full Edition). 9th ed. Pearson Publishing,
2015. ISBN-‐13: 9780321914132
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Table of Contents
Week at a Glance Week 1 ………………………………………….................. p. 3 Week 2 ………………………………………………………….. p. 4 Week 3 ………………………………………………………….. p. 5 Week 4 ………………………………………………………….. p. 6 Week 5 ………………………………………………………….. p. 7 Week 6 ………………………………………………………….. p. 8 Week 7 ………………………………………………………….. p. 9 Week 8 ………………………………………………………….. p. 10
Supplements Week 1
Chapter Summaries/Lecture Materials ………….. p. 11 Web Field Trip ……………………………………………….. p. 12 Discussion Board Excerpts ……………………………… p. 12 Week 2 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials …………….. p. 13 Web Field Trip ……………………………………………….. p. 13 Discussion Board Excerpts ……………………………... p. 14 Narrative Essay Topics ……………………………………. p. 14 Prewriting Checklist ……………………………………….. p. 15 Week 3 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials …………….. p. 16 Revision Checklist ………………………………………….. p. 17 Week 4 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials …………….. p. 18 Discussion Board Excerpts ……………………………… p. 19 Week 5 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials …………….. p. 20 Discussion Board Excerpts ……………………………… p. 21 Comparison Contrast Essay Topics …………………. p. 21 Revision Checklist ………………………………………….. p. 22 Week 6 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials …………….. p. 23 Week 7 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials ……………… p. 24 Web Field Trip ……………………………………………….. p. 25 Discussion Board Excerpts ……………………………… p. 26 Argumentation Essay Topics ………………………….. p. 26 Revision Checklist ………………………………………….. p. 27 Revising Sentences ………………………………………… p. 28 Revising Words ……………………………………………… p. 28 Week 8 Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials ……………. p. 29 Discussion Board Excerpts …………………………….. p. 29 Manuscript Format Checklist ………………………… p. 30
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Week One: Student Introductions, Writer’s Autobiography and Elements of Style Reading Assignment 1. Review Course Policies 2. Announcements 3. Ch. 1: “Becoming a Critical Reader” 4. Ch. 2: “Getting Started Through Prewriting” 5. Lecture Materials 6. Web Field Trip
Writing Assignment 1. Work Ahead: Rough Draft of Narrative Essay. Read Ch. 11, and choose a topic for your Narrative Essay. Choose just 1 topic from: p. 173 # 1 or p. 174 # 2, or p. 177 # 1 (bottom) or #2 (bottom). A requirement for this paper is to use dialogue and sensory description. Rough draft due Week 3. Final draft due Week 4.
Discussion Board
1. 1. Student Introductions: Introduce yourself to the class and get to know one another 2. Writer’s Autobiography (9 Questions)
1. 1. What kinds of experiences with writing in general have you had as a student in high school or before now in college? Consider what subjects you wrote about, types of writing you did, audience and purposes for writing, approaches and assignments you liked and disliked, how you felt about it all.
2. 2. What kinds of things do you now write or have you liked to write outside of school?
3. 3. How do you get ideas or inspiration for writing? How do you get started?
4. 4. What conditions (time, place, etc.) for writing seem to be best for you?
5. 5. How much do you revise as you write? After a first draft?
6. 6. Do you need deadlines for inspiration? 7. 7. What do you think makes writing good? What
does one need to become a good, successful writer? Can everyone be a good writer?
8. 8. Who are your favorite writers? What do you like about their writing?
9. 9. What are strengths and weaknesses in your writing?
1. 3. p. 31, Chapter 2: P. 31: # 3 -‐-‐ Choose only 1 of the topics (a&b, b&c, or a&c).
1. 4. Elements of Style: After reviewing Elements of Style and having reflected on your personal writing style, please respond to the following question: How can the information provided in Elements of Style help you become a better writer? Please be specific in your reply.
Deadlines: • All assignments and discussion board posts are due by Sunday at 11:59pm. HOWEVER! Please
pay attention to the COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS. Each professor is different, and may assign different due dates!
Tips and Reminders: • Discussion Board posts must be a minimum of 150 words in length. • Responses to classmates’ posts must be a minimum of 100 words in length. • Respond to at least two classmates’ posts in each thread! • When you post your answers on the Discussion Board, pay attention to the instructor’s
comments to other students – don’t make the same mistakes; follow her line of thinking. Make substantive comments on your peers’ work and respond to instructor comments as well.
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Week Two: Responding to Reading in Narration and Critiquing Partner’s Draft Reading Assignment 1. Announcements 2. Ch. 11: “Narration” 3. Audre Lorde, “The Fourth of July,” p. 170 4. Web Field Trip
Writing Assignment 1. Rough Draft of Narrative Essay: DUE This week you will send the rough draft of your narrative essay to me via our course site and to your peer partner via his or her email address. The choice of topics is as follows (all listed under the heading "Writing Assignments Using Narration as a Pattern of Development"). Choose just 1 topic from: p. 173 # 1 or p. 174 # 2, or p. 177 # 1 (bottom) or #2 (bottom). A requirement for this paper is to use dialogue and sensory description. Remember to follow the proper format for submitting your paper: * Double spaced * 3-‐4 pages * 12 point font * Format for name, etc.
Discussion Board 1. Lorde’s essay: Answers to the following questions in Lorde's essay: P. 172 #1 ("Close Reading"), p. 172 #1 ("Craft") 2. Peer review: Comments on partner's draft: After reading your peer partner's draft, use the peer review checklist for revision on p. 162-‐3 as a guide when critiquing it. You will post your comments on the Discussion Board. Give clear and substantial comments to assist the writer in his or her revision.
Tips and Reminders: • Check Course Announcements for due dates and times! • Review “Strategies for Using Narration” on pp. 163-‐168. • Use “Narration: A Prewriting Checklist” before submitting your essay (p. 163).
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Week Three: Responding to Readings in Comparison-‐Contract Reading Assignment 1. Announcements 2. Ch. 3: “Identifying a Thesis” 3. Ch. 4: “Supporting the Thesis with Evidence”
Writing Assignment 1. Final Draft of Narrative Essay DUE. You need to decide on a plan to revise your essay (add or delete information, use more description, reorganize ideas, etc.) Keep in mind that all of your peer partners' suggestions do not have to be followed. You are the writer of your paper and must decide which suggestions should be incorporated and which do not need to be.
Discussion Board 1. Paragraph Revisions: Once you have decided on a revision plan, choose one paragraph from your draft and revise it. Decide why you are making these changes. Post the original paragraph and the revised one on the Discussion Board, citing reasons for the changes made.
Tips and Reminders: • Remember to check COURSE ANNOUNCEMENTS for due dates! • Try to post several times throughout the week. Don’t wait until Sunday to post everything! • Use “Narration: A Revision/Peer Checklist” on p. 169 to help revise your draft.
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Week Four: Research Writing Reading Assignment 1. Announcements 2. Ch. 15: “Comparison-‐Contrast” 3. Patricia Cohen, “Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?,” p. 303 4. Eric Weiner, “Euromail and Amerimail,” p. 299
Writing Assignment 1. Work Ahead: Rough Draft of Comparison-‐Contrast Essay. The choice of topics is as follows (all are listed under the heading "Writing Assignments Using Comparison-‐Contrast as a Pattern of Development"). Choose just one topic: P. 302 # 2 (middle) or p. 306 #1 or 2. Remember to follow the proper format for submitting your paper: * Double spaced * 3-‐4 pages * 12 point font * Format for name, etc. Rough draft due Week 5. Final draft due Week 6.
Discussion Board
1. 1. Questions in Weiner's essay: P. 300 #1 and p. 302 #4.
2. 2. Questions in Cohen's essay: P. 305 #1 and p. 306 #1 (top -‐-‐ "Craft")
Tips and Reminders: • Try to post several times throughout the week. Don’t wait until Sunday to post everything!
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Week Five: Comparison-‐Contrast Revising and Critiquing Partner’s Draft Reading Assignment 1. Announcements 2. Ch. 5: “Organizing the Evidence” 3. Ch. 6: “Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft,” up to page 64
Writing Assignment 1. Rough Draft of Comparison-‐Contrast Essay DUE. The choice of topics is as follows (all are listed under the heading "Writing Assignments Using Comparison-‐Contrast as a Pattern of Development"). Choose just one topic: P. 302 # 2 (middle) or p. 306 #1 or 2. Remember to follow the proper format for submitting your paper: * Double spaced * 3-‐4 pages * 12 point font * Format for name, etc. Final draft due Week 6.
Discussion Board
1. 1. P. 297 #5 (Follow the directions, but do not revise the sentences.) 2. Peer Critique: After reading your peer partner's draft, use the peer review checklist for revision on pp. 289-‐90 as a guide when critiquing it. Give clear and substantial comments to assist the writer in his or her revision.
Tips and Reminders: • Check Course Announcements for due dates and times! • Use the Revision/Peer Review Checklist on p. 289-‐290 to help you with the Peer Critique.
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Week Six: Essay and Paragraph Revision Reading Assignment 1. Announcements 2. Ch. 6: “Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft, p. 65-‐end 3. Ch. 7: “Revising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development”
Writing Assignment 1. Final Draft of Comparison-‐Contrast Essay DUE. You need to decide on a plan to revise your essay (add or delete information, reorganize ideas, etc.) Keep in mind that all of your peer partner's suggestions do not have to be followed. You are the writer of your paper and must decide which suggestions should be incorporated and which do not need to be. 2. Work ahead: Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay. The choice of topics is as follows (Topics are listed under the heading "Writing Assignments Using Argumentation-‐Persuasion as a Pattern of Development"). Choose just 1 topic: p. 423 #1 or 2. Remember to follow proper format for submitting your paper:
• Double spaced • 4-‐5 pages • 12 point font • Format for name, etc.
Rough Draft due Week 7. Final Draft due Week 8.
Discussion Board 1. Paragraph Revision: Once you have decided on a revision plan, choose one paragraph from your draft and revise it. Decide why you are making these changes. Post the original paragraph and the revised one on the Discussion Board, citing reasons for the changes made.
Tips and Reminders: • Check Course Announcements for due dates and times! • Use the “Comparison-‐Contrast: A Revision/Peer Review Checklist to help you revise your essay. • YOU WILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK DUE IN WEEK 7. PLEASE WORK AHEAD SO YOU ARE NOT
OVERWHELMED NEXT WEEK.
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Week Seven: Responding to Reading in Argumentation-‐Persuasion and Critiquing Partner’s Draft Reading Assignment 1. Announcements
1. 2. Ch. 18: “Argumentation-‐Persuasion"
2. 3. 3. Chapter 8: "Revising
Sentences and Words" 4. 5. 4. Chapter 20: "Writing
the Research Essay" (pp. 481-‐497)
o o 5. Mary Sherry, "In Praise
of the "F" Word," p. 421
6. Web Field Trip
Writing Assignment 1. Rough Draft of Argumentative Essay DUE. The choice of topics is as follows (Topics are listed under the heading "Writing Assignments Using Argumentation-‐Persuasion as a Pattern of Development"). Choose just 1 topic: p. 423 #1 or 2. Remember to follow proper format for submitting your paper:
• Double spaced • 4-‐5 pages • 12 point font • Format for name, etc.
Final draft due Week 8.
Discussion Board 1. Peer Critique: After reading your peer partner's draft, use the peer review checklist for revision on pp. 400-‐1 as a guide to critique your partner's draft. You will post your comments on the Discussion Board. Give clear and substantial comments to assist the writer in his or her revision.
2. Sherry’s Essay: Answers to the following question in Sherry's essay: p. 422 #1 and p. 423 # 1 middle ("Craft").
Tips and Reminders: • Check Course Announcements for due dates and times. • YOU WILL NEED TO INTERVIEW PEOPLE OR HAVE A GROUP DISCUSSION IN ORDER TO WRITE
YOUR ESSAY. • Please be alert to the checklists on p. 102 and p. 111. • Use the “Argumentation-‐Persuasion: A Revision/Peer Review Checklist” to critique your peer’s
essay.
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Week Eight: Essay and Paragraph Revision Reading Assignment 1. Announcements
1. 2. Chapter 9: "Editing and Proofreading"
Writing Assignment
• 1. Final Draft of your Argumentative Essay DUE. You must decide on a plan to revise your essay (add or delete information, reorganize ideas, etc.) Use the checklist on pp. 400-‐1 as a guide. Keep in mind that all of your partner's suggestions do not have to be followed. You are the writer of your paper and must decide which suggestions should be incorporated and which do not need to be.
• 2. Course Evaluation
Discussion Board
1. 1. p. 415 #9. For this exercise, do not revise the paragraph. Just answer the questions.
2. 3. 2. Paragraph Revision: Once you have
decided on a revision plan, choose one paragraph from your draft and revise it. Decide why you are making these changes. Post the original paragraph and the revised one on the Discussion Board, citing reasons for the changes made.
Tips and Reminders: • See the checklist on p. 118 for proper manuscript format
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Week One Chapter Summaries/Lecture Materials The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 1: “Becoming a Critical Reader” Your own writing style will improve as you become a better reader. You will be able to draw on many of the ideas in the readings in our book and utilize the techniques of professional writers to express such ideas. To get the most out of any reading selection you should:
1. Get an overview of the selection 2. Deepen your sense of the selection 3. Evaluate the selection
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 2: "Getting Started through Prewriting" When you read a piece of writing, you only see the finished version. But there are many strategies involved even before you start the first draft of a paper and these strategies continue to the finished product. Prewriting refers to these strategies that you can use to generate ideas before starting the first draft. They are similar to the warm-‐ups that you do before you jog or before you start playing a piece of music. It loosens up a writer. And remember that no one is going to read your prewriting except you! Strategies for prewriting include:
1. journal writing 2. brainstorming 3. freewriting 4. mapping 5. outlining
Prewriting also involves determining your purpose, audience, tone, point of view, and discovering your essay's limited subject.
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Week One Web Field Trip Students will need to go on this “Web Field Trip” to post their answers to the fourth discussion board question. Elements of Style by William Strunk, Jr. Go to bartleby.com to take a look at this standard text. It is an excellent resource for any writer and includes the main requirements of plain English style, principles of essay writing that are most often not followed, and rules of usage. Go to Strunk's Elements of Style on the bottom right. Then go to Section III: "Elementary Principles of Composition." Included here is information on omitting unnecessary words, using topic sentences, and implementing the active voice.
Week One Discussion Board Excerpts
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 2: "Getting Started through Prewriting" P. 31 2. Assume you’re writing essays on two of the topics below. For each one explain how you
might adapt your purpose, tone, and point of view to the audiences indicated in parentheses. (You may find it helpful to work with others on this activity.)
a. Overcoming shyness (ten-‐year-‐olds; teachers of ten-‐year-‐olds; young singles living
in large apartment buildings) b. Telephone solicitations (people training for a job in this field; homeowners; readers
of a humorous magazine) c. Smoking (people who have quit; smokers; elementary school children)
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Week Two Chapter Summaries/Lecture Material The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Chapter 11: "Narration" Our first pattern of development that we will be reading and writing about is narration -‐-‐ telling a story or several related stories. You will also discover strategies for using narration in an essay and you will become familiar with specific revision strategies for this type of writing. Please keep in mind these helpful suggestions when using narration as a pattern of development: 1. Identify the point of the narrative conflict. 2. Develop only those details that advance the narrative point. 3. Organize the narrative sequence (flashback and flashforward are options) 4. Make the narrative easy to follow. 5. Make the narrative vigorous and immediate (using vivid sensory
description and dialogue). 6. Keep your point of view and verb tense consistent.
Before you read the following essays in our text, do the Pre-‐Reading Journal Entry that is listed before each reading. You do not need to post these journal entries on the Discussion Board; they are for your use only.
Please read the following essay in our text: "The Fourth of July" by Audre Lorde, p. 177.
Week Two Web Field Trip : Grammar Slammer Visit Grammar Slammer at http://www.englishplus.com/grammar/. Here you will find some useful information on grammar and style that you may want to refer to during the course of the semester. Visit the University of Victoria's Writer's Guide website at http://web.uvic.ca/wguide/Pages/StartHere.html. Go to "Essays." Next go to "Writing your Essay: Getting Started." Then review each of the topics under that heading. This section concerns methods of narrowing your topic and creating a workable thesis.
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Week Two Discussion Board Excerpts The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 11: "Narration" p. 172, Questions for Close Reading
1. What is the selection’s thesis (or narrative point)? Locate the sentence(s) in which Lorde states her main idea. If she doesn’t state the thesis explicitly, express it in your own words.
p. 172, Questions about the Writer’s Craft
1. The pattern. What techniques does Lorde use to help readers follow the unfolding of the story as it occurs in both time and space?
Week Two Narrative Essay Topics
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 11: "Narration" p. 173
1. Lorde recounts an incident during which she was treated unfairly. Write a narrative about a time when either you were treated unjustly or you treated someone else in an unfair manner. Like Lorde, use vivid details to make the incident come alive and to convey how it affected you. Essays including George Orwell’s “Shooting an Elephant” (page 174), Brent Staples’s “Black Men and Public Space” (page 348), and Roberto Rodriguez’s “The Border on Our Backs” (page 445) will prompt some ideas worth exploring.
2. Write a narrative about an experience that dramatically changed your view of the world. The experience might have been jarring and painful, or it may have been positive and uplifting. In either case, recount the incident with compelling narrative details. To illustrate the shift in your perspective, begin with a brief statement of the way you viewed the world before the experience. The following essays provide insight into the way a single experience can alter one’s understanding of the world: Maya Angelou’s “Sister Flowers” (page 132), and David Helvarg’s “The Storm This Time” (page 138).
p. 177
1. Orwell recounts a time he acted under great pressure. Write a narrative about an action you once took simply because you felt pressured. Like Orwell, use vivid details to bring the incident to life and to convey its effect on your. Reading Kay S. Hymowitz’s “Tweens: Ten Going on Seventeen” (page 203) will help you see the sometimes disastrous consequences of the pressure to conform.
2. Write a narrative essay about an experience that gave you, like Orwell, a deeper insight into your own nature. Your essay may be serious or light in tone. Consider first reading Joan Murray’s “Someone’s Mother” (page 181) an essay showing how the author’s response to a challenge revealed much about herself.
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Week Two Prewriting The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 11: "Narration" Narration: A Prewriting Checklist Select Your Narrative Event(s) ☐ What event evokes strong emotion in you and is likely to have a powerful effect on
your readers? ☐ Does a scrapbook souvenir, snapshot, old letter, or prized object (an athletic trophy,
a political button) point to an event worth writing about? ☐ Will you focus on a personal experience, an incident in someone else’s life, or a
public event? ☐ Can you recount your story effectively, given the length of a typical college essay? If
not, will relating one key incident from the fuller, more complete event enable you to convey the point and feeling of the entire experience?
☐ If you write about an event in someone else’s life, will you have time to interview the person?
Focus on the Conflict in the Event ☐ What is the source of tension in the event: one person’s internal dilemma, a conflict
between characters, or a struggle between a character and a social institution or natural phenomenon?
☐ Will the conflict create enough tension to “hook” readers and keep them interested? ☐ What point does the conflict and its resolution convey to readers? ☐ What tone is appropriate for recounting the conflict? Use Prewriting to Generate Specifics About the Conflict ☐ Would the questioning technique, brainstorming, freewriting, mapping, or
interviewing help you generate details about the conflict?
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Week Three Chapter Summaries /Lecture Material The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 3: “Identifying a Thesis”
The thesis is the central point of your essay around which all the other material revolves. It is your position on the topic and establishes a tone and point of view. This chapter concerns finding a thesis, writing an effective thesis, and placing the thesis effectively in the essay.
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 4: “Supporting the Thesis with Evidence”
After you have chosen a thesis, you need to support your ideas with evidence. This can be in the form of reasons, facts, details, statistics, personal observation or experience, anecdotes, expert opinions, or quotations. You need to make sure that the evidence is relevant and unified, specific, dramatic, adequate, and representative. If you include outside sources in your essay, this evidence needs to be documented properly.
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Week Three Revision The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 11: "Narration" Narration: A Revision/Peer Review Checklist Revise Overall Meaning ☐ What is the essay’s main point? Is it stated explicitly or is it implied? Could the
point be conveyed more clearly? How? ☐ What is the narrative’s conflict? Is it stated explicitly or is it implied? Could the
conflict be made more dramatic? How? ☐ From which point of view is the narrative told? Is it the most effective point of view
for this essay? Why or why not? Revise Paragraph Development ☐ Which paragraphs (or passages) fail to advance the action, reveal character, or
contribute to the story’s mood? Should these actions be condensed or eliminated? ☐ Where should the narrative pace be slowed down or quickened? ☐ Where is it difficult to follow the chronology of events? Should the order of
paragraphs be changed? How? Where would additional time signals help? ☐ How could flashback or flashforward paragraphs be used to highlight key events? ☐ What can be done to make the essay’s opening paragraph more compelling? Would
dramatic dialog or mood-‐setting description help? ☐ What could be done to make the essay’s closing paragraph more effective? Should
the essay end earlier? Should it close by echoing an idea or image from the opening? Revise Sentences and Words ☐ Where is the sentence structure monotonous? Where would combining sentences,
mixing sentence type, and alternating sentence length help? ☐ Where could dialog replace commentary to convey character and propel the story
forward? ☐ Which sentences and words are inconsistent with the essay’s tone? ☐ Which sentences would benefit from sensory details that heighten the narrative
mood? ☐ Where do vigorous verbs convey action? Where could active verbs replace passive
ones? Where could dull to be verbs be converted to more dynamic forms? ☐ Where are there inappropriate shifts in point of view or verb tense?
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Week Four Chapter Summaries/Lecture Materials
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 15: "Comparison-‐Contrast" The next pattern of essay development that we will be reading and writing about is comparison-‐contrast which involves finding similarities and differences. We will discuss strategies for using this method of development in an essay, and you will become familiar with specific revision strategies for this type of writing. When writing a comparison-‐contrast essay, the following suggestions will be helpful to you: • Be sure that your subjects are somewhat alike. • Stay focused on your purpose. • Formulate a strong thesis. • Select the points to be discussed. • Organize the points to be discussed, using either the one-‐side-‐at-‐a-‐time method or
the point-‐by-‐point method. • Supply the reader with clear transitions.
Before you read the following essays in our text, do the Pre-‐Reading Journal Entry that is listed before each reading. You do not need to post these journal entries on the Discussion Board; they are for your use only.
Please read the following essays in our text: • "Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?" by Patricia Cohen, p. 303. • "Euromail and Amerimail" by Eric Weiner, p. 299.
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Week Four Discussion Board Excerpts The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 15: "Comparison-‐Contrast"
“Euromail and Amerimail,” Eric Weiner, p. 300
1. What is the selection’s thesis? Locate the sentence(s) in which Weiner states his main idea. If he doesn’t state his thesis explicitly, express it in your own words.
“Euromail and Amerimail, Eric Weiner, p. 302
3. What type of conclusion does Weiner use? What is his concluding point? Were you surprised by this conclusion? Why or why not?
“Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?” Patricia Cohen, p. 305
1. What is the selection’s thesis? Locate the sentence(s) in which Cohen states her main idea. If she doesn’t state the thesis explicitly, express it in your own words.
“Reality TV: Surprising Throwback to the Past?” Patricia Cohen, p. 305
1. The Pattern. Which comparison-‐contrast method of organization (point-‐by-‐point or one-‐side-‐at-‐a-‐time) does Cohen use to develop her essay? Why might she have chosen this pattern?
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Week Five Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 5: "Organizing the Evidence" Once you have some evidence to back up your thesis, you are now ready to organize it by the following methods: * Using the patterns of development (narration, description, comparison-‐contrast, etc.) * Selecting an organizational approach (chronological, spatial, emphatic, simple to complex) * Preparing an outline Please make sure that you are clear on proper outline format. For this, read carefully pp. 51-‐4 (top).
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 6: "Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft"
Read Chapter 6, up to the middle of p. 64. After prewriting, deciding on a thesis, and developing and organizing the evidence, you are now ready to write the first draft -‐-‐ a rough, tentative version of your essay. At this stage, you need to be alert to moving from your outline to rough draft as well as being alert to the suggested sequence for writing your rough draft which includes the following: writing the supporting paragraphs (each with a topic sentence); writing the other paragraphs in the essay; and writing the introduction and conclusion. The topic sentence states the paragraph's main point and serves as a type of mini thesis for the paragraph. All of your paragraphs should be unified, coherent, and specific. Don't forget to use signal devices (transitions, repeated words, etc.) to help you achieve coherence.
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Week Five Discussion Board Excerpts
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 15: "Comparison-‐Contrast" Revising Activities, p. 314
5. Of the statements that follow, which would not make effective thesis statements for comparison-‐contrast essays? Identify the problem(s) in the faulty statements and revise them accordingly.
Week Five Comparison-‐Contrast Essay Topics The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 15: "Comparison-‐Contrast" p. 302
1. The etiquette of e-‐mail correspondence certainly is not the only way in which Americans differ from Europeans. Consider some additional ways that Americans as a whole differ from another specific nationality or ethnic group, European or otherwise. Write an essay in which you contrast the way Americans and the other group approach at least three cultural practices. You might look at attitudes toward gender roles, child-‐rearing, personal fitness, treatment of the ill or the elderly, leisure to work ratios, the environment and so on. Before you begin to write, consider what sort of tone might best suit your essay. You might adopt a straightforward tone (like Weiner’s), or you might find a humorous approach better suits your material. For other essays that discuss cultural differences, read Alex Wright’s “Friending, Ancient or Otherwise” and Ann Hulbert’s “Beyond the Pleasure Principle.”
p. 306
1. Cohen draws a surprisingly apt comparison between today’s reality dating shows and classic novels of the 1800s and early 1900s. Think of another area, device, or activity in modern life that you think compares to one from a previous time. Write an essay in which you compare the two things you’ve selected, presenting two or three ways in which they are similar. Along the way, you should acknowledge obvious differences as a way of accounting for a skeptical audience.
2. One need not look as far back as the classic novels Cohen cites to observe that courtship rituals have changed – even a single generation is enough for such differences to surface. Spend some time interviewing a parent, grandparent, or other member of an older generation. Then write an essay comparing and/or contrasting the dating practices of that generation with those of your own. Either along the way or in your conclusion, offer some analysis of why things have changed so much, and indicate whether you think this change is for the better. Before writing, consider reading Scott Russell Sanders’s “The Men We Carry in Our Minds,” Amy Sutherland’s “What Shamu Taught Me About a Happy Marriage,” and Ann Hulbert’s “Beyond the Pleasure Principle.”
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Week Five Revision The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 15: "Comparison-‐Contrast" Comparison-‐Contrast: A Revision/Peer Review Checklist Revise Overall Meaning and Structure ☐ Are the subjects sufficiently alike for the comparison-‐contrast to be logical and
meaningful? ☐ What purpose does the essay serve – to inform, to evaluate, to persuade readers to
accept a viewpoint, to eliminate misconceptions, or to draw a surprising analogy? ☐ What is the essay’s thesis? How could the thesis be stated more effectively? ☐ Is the overall essay organized primarily by the one-‐side-‐at-‐a-‐time method or by the
point-‐by-‐point method? What is the advantage of that strategy for this essay? ☐ Are the same features discussed for each subject? Are they discussed in the same
order? ☐ Which points of comparison and/or contrast need further development? Which
points should be deleted? Where do significant points seem to be missing? How has the most important similarity or different been emphasized?
Revise Paragraph Development ☐ If the essay uses the one-‐side-‐at-‐a-‐time method, which paragraph marks the switch
from one subject to another? ☐ If the essay uses the point-‐by-‐point method, do paragraphs consistently alternate
between subjects? If this alternation becomes too elaborate or predictable, what could be done to eliminate the problem?
☐ If the essay uses both the one-‐side-‐at-‐a-‐time and the point-‐by-‐point methods, which paragraph marks the switch from one method to another? If the switch is confusing, how could it be made less so?
☐ Where would the signal devices (also, likewise, in contrast) make it easier to see similarities and differences between the subjects being discussed?
Revise Sentences and Words ☐ Where do too many signal devices make sentences awkward and mechanical? ☐ Which sentences and words fail to convey the intended tone?
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Week Six Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 6: "Writing the Paragraphs in the First Draft"
Read Chapter 6, up to the middle of p. 64. After prewriting, deciding on a thesis, and developing and organizing the evidence, you are now ready to write the first draft -‐-‐ a rough, tentative version of your essay. At this stage, you need to be alert to moving from your outline to rough draft as well as being alert to the suggested sequence for writing your rough draft which includes the following: writing the supporting paragraphs (each with a topic sentence); writing the other paragraphs in the essay; and writing the introduction and conclusion. The topic sentence states the paragraph's main point and serves as a type of mini thesis for the paragraph. All of your paragraphs should be unified, coherent, and specific. Don't forget to use signal devices (transitions, repeated words, etc.) to help you achieve coherence.
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 7: "Revising Overall Meaning, Structure, and Paragraph Development" Writing that seems effortlessly clear is the result of hard work, and much of this work takes place during the final stage of the writing process when ideas, paragraphs, sentences, and words are refined and reshaped. Revision means "reseeing" or "seeing again." During this process (which actually occurs throughout the writing process and not just at the end), you will go through your paper looking for every detail, big and small, that needs to be changed. In this chapter you will become familiar with 2 strategies to make your revision easier: strategies for revising overall meaning and structure, and strategies for revising paragraph development. Regarding the latter strategy, be alert to the paragraph's purpose, content, and length.
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Week Seven Chapter Summaries The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 18: "Argumentation-‐Persuasion"
Our last pattern of development that we will be discussing this semester is argumentation-‐persuasion. Argument appears in almost aspects of our personal and professional lives. We are not talking about a quarrel, but about the process of reasoning and advancing proof. To quote Annette Rottenberg in her book, The Structure of Argument, "Argumentation is the art of influencing others, through the medium of reasoned discourse, to believe or act as we wish them to believe or act" (9). As a writer of argument, you should be alert to supporting your points (thesis) with logical reasoning and organization and credible sources so that you can defend your position as a sound argument. You also need to present a counterargument in order to present the other side of the issue for those who may not agree with your stance. Below are some important strategies for using argumentation-‐persuasion in an essay:
• Identify the controversy surrounding the issue and state your position at the beginning of your paper.
• Offer readers strong support for your thesis. • Try to create goodwill. • Organize the supporting evidence. • Acknowledge differing viewpoints. • Refute differing viewpoints. • Use induction or deduction to think logically about your argument. • Establish a strong connection between your evidence and thesis. • Recognize logical fallacies.
We will also be discussing revision strategies for using argumentation-‐persuasion. Before you read the following essays in our text, do the Pre-‐Reading Journal Entry that is listed before each reading. You do not need to post these journal entries on the Discussion Board; they are for your use only. Please read the following essay in our text:
• "In Praise of the "F" Word" by Mary Sherry, p. 421
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The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 8: "Revising Sentences and Words"
Now that you have refined your essay's overall meaning, structure, and paragraph development, you can turn to revising individual sentences and words. Revise sentences by having them consistent with your intendend tone, economical, varied in type and length, and emphatic. Revise words by aiming for the following:
• Words consistent with your intended tone • Appropriate level of diction • Words that neither overstate nor understate • Words with appropriate connotations • Specific rather than general words • Strong verbs • No unnecessary adverbs • Original figures of speech • Nonsexist language
Please be alert to the checklists on p. 102 and p. 111.
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 20: "Writing the Research Essay," pp. 481-‐497 (top) If you use outside sources to support your own ideas, you must acknowledge where they come from to avoid plagiarism. In this course you will not be required to use sources other than the ones in our book, but if you wish to quote, summarize, or paraphrase anything from our text, you must acknowledge your sources by using the proper MLA format for both in-‐text citations and a Works Cited page.
Week Seven Web Field Trip Web Field Trip: Strategies for Revising Visit the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute's Writing Center on Revising Prose at http://www.ccp.rpi.edu/resources/. Click on (at top) Resources for Writers which highlights some common stylistic and grammatical points that are important for any writer when revising. MLA Documentation: For proper MLA documentation format, refer to this online source: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
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Week Seven Discussion Board Excerpts
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 18: "Argumentation-‐Persuasion"
p. 422 1. What is the selection’s thesis? Locate the sentence(s) in which Sherry states her
main idea. If she doesn’t state the thesis explicitly, express it in your own words.
p. 423 1. The pattern. To write an effective argumentation-‐persuasion essay, writers need
to establish their credibility. How does Sherry convince readers that she is qualified to write about her subject? What does this attempt to establish credibility say about Sherry’s perception of her audience’s point of view?
Week Seven Argumentation Essay Topics The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 18: "Argumentation-‐Persuasion"
p. 423 1. Like Sherry, write an essay arguing your position on a controversial school-‐related
issue. Once you select a topic, brainstorm with others to gather insight into varying points of view. When you write, restrict your argument to one level of education, and refute as many opposing arguments as you can. The following essays will help you identify educational issues worth writing about: Kay S. Hymowitz’s “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen,” Clifford Stoll’s “Cyberschool,” Gerry Garibaldi’s “How the Schools Shortchange Boys,” and Michael Kimmel’s “A War Against Boys?”
2. Sherry acknowledges that she used to blame students’ poor academic skills on “drugs, divorce and other impediments.” To what extent should teachers take these and similar “impediments” into account when grading students? Are there certain situations that call for leniency, or should out-‐of-‐school forces affecting students not be considered? To gain perspective on this issue, interview several friends, classmates, and instructors. Then write an essay in which you argue your position. Provide specific examples to support your argument, being sure to acknowledge and – when possible – to refute opposing viewpoints.
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Week Seven Revision The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 18: "Argumentation-‐Persuasion" Argumentation-‐Persuasion: A Revision/Peer Review Checklist Revise Overall Meaning and Structure ☐ What issue is being discussed? What is controversial about it? ☐ What is the essay’s thesis? How does it differ from a generalization or mere statement
of fact? ☐ What is the essay’s purpose – to win readers over to a point of view, to spur readers to
some type of action? ☐ For what audience is the essay written? What strategies are used to make readers
receptive to the essay’s thesis? ☐ What tone does the essays project? Is the tone likely to win readers over? ☐ If the essay’s argument is essentially deductive, is the major premise sufficiently
restricted? What evidence is the premise based on? Are the minor premise and conclusion valid? If not, how could those problems be corrected?
☐ Where is the essay weakened by hasty generalizations, a failure to weigh evidence honestly, or a failure to draw the most valid conclusion?
☐ Where does the essay commit any of the following logical fallacies: Concluding that a cause-‐effect relationship exists simply because one event preceded another? Attacking a person rather than an issue? Drawing a conclusion that isn’t logically related to the evidence? Failing to establish proof for a debatable point? Relying on questionable or vaguely specified authority? Drawing a false analogy? Resorting to either/or thinking? Using a red herring argument?
Revise Paragraph Development ☐ How apparent is the link between the evidence (data) and the thesis (claim)? How
could an explicit warrant clarify the connection? ☐ How would supporting the warrant or qualifying the claim strengthen the argument? ☐ Which paragraphs lack sufficient evidence (facts, examples, statistics, and expert
opinion)? ☐ Which paragraphs lack unity? How could they be made more focused? In which
paragraph(s) does evidence seem bland, overly general, or inaccurate? ☐ Which paragraphs take opposing views into account? Are these views refuted? How?
Which counterarguments are ineffective? ☐ Where do outside sources require documentation? Revise Sentences and Words ☐ What words and phrases help readers distinguish the essay’s arguments from those
advanced by the opposing side? ☐ Which words carry strong emotional overtones? Is this connotative language
excessive? Where does emotional language replace rather than reinforce clear thinking?
☐ Where might dogmatic language (“Anyone can see that…” and “Obviously,…” alienate readers?
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Week Seven Chapter 8 Revision Checklists The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 8: Revising Sentences and Words
Revising Sentences: A Checklist (p. 102) ☐ Which sentences seem inconsistent with the essay’s intended tone? How could the
problem be fixed? ☐ Which sentences could be more economical? Where could unnecessary repetition,
empty phrases, and weak openings be eliminated? Which prepositional phrases could be deleted? Where are there unnecessary who, which, and that clauses?
☐ Where should sentence type be more varied? Where would subordination clarify the connections among ideas? Where would simpler sentences make the writing less inflated and easier to understand?
☐ Where does sentence length become monotonous and predictable? Which short sentences should be connected to enhance flow and convey a more leisurely pace? Which long sentences would be more effective if broken into crisp, short ones?
☐ Where would a different sentence pattern add variety? Better highlight key sentence elements? Seem more natural?
☐ Which sentences could be more emphatic? Which strategy would be most effective – expressing the main point at the beginning or end, using parallelism, or rewriting the sentence as a fragment, question, or inverted-‐word-‐order statement?
Revising Words: A Checklist (p. 111) ☐ Which words seem inconsistent with the essay’s tone? What words would be more
appropriate? ☐ Which words seem vague and overly general? Where would more specific and
concrete words add vitality and clarify meaning? ☐ Where is language overly formal? Which words are unnecessarily long or
specialized? Where is language too informal? Where do unintended shifts in diction level create a jarring effect?
☐ Which words overstate? Which words understate? What alternatives would be less misleading?
☐ Which words carry connotations unsuited to the essay’s purpose and tone? What synonyms would be more appropriate?
☐ Where could weak verbs be replaced by vigorous ones? Which to be and linking verb forms should be replaced by active ones? Where could a noun-‐verb combination be replaced by a strong verb?
☐ Which adverbs, especially intensifiers (very) and qualifiers (quite), could be eliminated?
☐ Where would original similes, metaphors, and personifications add power? Which figures of speech are hackneyed, illogical, or mixed? How could these problems be fixed?
☐ Where does sexist language appear? What terms could be used instead? How could sexist pronouns be eliminated?
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Week Eight Chapter Summary/Lecture Materials The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 9: "Editing and Proofreading" The last stages of the writing process are editing and proofreading which involve checking for grammar, spelling, and typos. See the checklist on p. 118 for proper manuscript format.
Week Eight Discussion Board Excerpts
The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 9: "Editing and Proofreading” p. 415 (For the discussion board, do NOT revise the paragraph. Answer the questions.)
9. Following is the introduction from the first draft of an essay advocating the elimination of mandatory dress codes in public schools. Revise the paragraph, being sure to consider these questions: How effectively does the writer deal with the opposing viewpoint? Does the paragraph encourage those who might disagree with the writer to read on? Why or why not? Do you see any logical fallacies in the writer’s thinking? Where? Does the writer introduce anything that veers away from the point being discussed? Where? Before revising, you may find it helpful to do some brainstorming – individually or in a group – to find ways to strengthen the paragraph.
After reworking the paragraph, take a few minutes to consider how the rest of the essay might unfold. What persuasive strategies could be used? How could Rogerian argument win over readers? What points could be made? What action could be urged in the effort to build a convincing argument? In three nearby towns recently, high school administrators joined
forces to take an outrageously strong stand against students’
constitutional rights. Acting like Fascists, they issued an edict in
the form of a preposterous dress code that prohibits students from
wearing expensive jewelry, name-brand jeans, leather jackets – anything
that the administrators, in their supposed wisdom, consider
ostentatious. Perhaps the next thing they’ll want to do is forbid
students to play hip hop music at school dances. What prompted the
administrators’ dictatorial prohibition against certain kinds of
clothing? Somehow or other, they got it into their heads that having
no restrictions on the way students dress creates an unhealthy
environment, where students vie with each other for the flashiest
attire. Students and parents alike should protest this and any other
dress code. If such dress codes go into effect, we might as well throw
out the Constitution.
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Week Eight Manuscript Format The Longman Writer Nadell, Langan, Comodromos Ch. 9: "Editing and Proofreading" Appropriate Manuscript Format: A Checklist ☐ Use standard-‐sized (8.5 x 11 inches), white printer paper. ☐ Use a standard font, such as Times Roman or Courier, 12-‐point font. ☐ Use only black ink for text. Print illustrations in color. ☐ Leave one-‐inch margins at the top, bottom, left, and right. ☐ Double-‐space all text, including extracts, notes, bibliographies, and Works Cited and
Reference lists. ☐ Use the computers page-‐numbering feature to add a header, one-‐half inch from the
top of the sheet. ☐ If you include a title page, place the title about one-‐third of the way down the page.
Enter the title, and double-‐space between the lines of the title and your name. Give the course and section, instructor’s name, and date on separate lines, double-‐spaced and centered.
☐ If you don’t include a title page, use a standard heading, as specified by your instructor, at the top of the first page.
☐ Center the title of your paper one double-‐space below the heading. Capitalize only the first letter of all main words. Don’t use all caps, underlining, quotation marks, or bold type. Double-‐space a title having more than one line.
☐ Double-‐space between the title and the first paragraph of your essay. ☐ Indent the first line of each paragraph one-‐half inch, the default setting for most
word-‐processing software. ☐ Place any illustrations as close as possible to their mention in the text. Position a
caption below the illustration. ☐ Print on only one side of each sheet of paper. ☐ Paper-‐clip or staple the pages, placing the outline wherever your instructor
requests. ☐ Don’t use a report cover unless your instructor requests one. ☐ If you are sending the essay by email, follow your instructor’s directions for naming
the file. ☐ Keep a backup copy of the essay on a disc or external hard drive.