WRITER’S CRAMP

Weakness Leaving The Mind (by way of the hand)

WorldLitComp Diagnostic EssayTwenty Point Major Grade; due end of class TODAY (Friday, January 11)

Standards Addressed ELACC10W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas ELACC10W4: Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate to task, purpose, and audience ELACC10W5: Develop and strengthen writing by planning, revising, editing, rewriting ELACC10W8: Quote from authoritative print sources, following standard format ELACC10W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis ELACC10W10: Write routinely over extended and shorter time frames ELACC10L4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence ELACC10L1: Demonstrate standard English grammar and usage in writing. ELACC10L2: Use standard English capitalization, punctuation, spelling in writing.

Today you will write a short essay. This will help you to help you learn Standard Academic English and basic rhetorical strategy, as well as what I am looking for in student writing; and it will help me to find your strengths and needs. For this assignment you are to do the following:

Read Russell Brand’s essay on the death of Amy Winehouse, and think about something he makes you think about.

Write a short essay (aim for 300 words) making a point about something, quoting twice from Brand’s essay to help make the point. The essay must:

o Aim for 300 good words – NO CREDIT if under 200, limited credit under 300. Don’t skimp or gripe; git ‘er doooone.

o Be written in Standard Academic English. Review rules.

o Quote twice from Brand’s essay. Your syllabus gives guidance on how to format, integrate and cite quoted material; look at this, but for now, just do your best. What really matters is THAT you quote, and HOW you use the quoted matter. Choose passages that make a point you want to make, and do your best to format and integrate passages as the sample essay does.

o Conform to the usual conventions of written English. You’ll lose one point per major error. Just do your best; you will revise next week anyway.

You can write about a topic Brand addresses – music, addiction, fame, talent – or you can write about something else – NASCAR, gigging frogs, Honey Boo Boo, the quadratic formula. Your topic and what you say about it matters – I want you to write the truth you as you believe it – but your job is just to make a point about something, and to write as well as you can.

Bottom line: THINK a bit, then WRITE the best 300-plus word essay you can at a sitting. Do your best, but don’t freak out about it. You will revise the essay next week.

I will use the rubric on the back of this page to evaluate your essay.

WorldLitComp Diagnostic Essay Evaluation RubricStandard or Componentscore

NO EVIDENCEEssay Fails Rewrite Required

NOT YET MET20-60% credit Rewrite Urged

BARELY MET70-76% credit Rewrite Suggested

STANDARD MET77-84%% creditRewrite Welcomed

CRUSHED IT!92 – 100+% credit You may gloat!

Content: Evidence and Ideas

____/40 pt

0 - 200 wds; too short for evaluation

Mostly summary or story; not an essay

Makes no attempt to quote for support

200-250 words: still too short

Too much summary Does not attempt

to make a point Errors of fact/logic

in details, examples or other discussion

Details, examples, or quotations are irrelevant to thesis

250-300 words; could go farther

Essay’s point is already obvious; no argument

Needs more details, examples

Details, examples not specific

Quotations’ relevance not explained

300+ words Essay proposes

general argument Details, examples

somewhat specific Details, examples,

sufficient Quotations’

relevance somewhat explained

300+ words Essay proposes

specific argument Details, examples

numerous and specific

Details,examples, quotes clearly support thesis

Cogency: quality of argument

____/30 pts

Not divided properly into paragraphs, or all a single paragraph

No introduction

Introduction has no thesis

No attempt at philosophical argument

No examples from history, lit, etc.

No personal reflection

No attempt at counterargument

No conclusion

Introduction has vague thesis

Philosophical argument attempted

Personal reflection vague

Counterargument raised but not answered

Conclusion has no “call to action”

Thesis not in focus for much of essay

Introduction has clear thesis

Philosophical argument focused

Personal reflection specific

Counterargument raised and answered

Conclusion has “call to action”

Thesis in focus for most of essay

Introduction has specific thesis

Philosophical argument rich

Personal reflection evocative

Counterargument raised and crushed

Conclusion nails why thesis matters, has strong “call to action”

Thesis in focus entire essay

Quotations

/10 pts

Lacks one or morerequired quotations

2 errors exists: - format - integration

1 error exists:- format - integration

Perfect (+5 pts)

Language

____/20 pts

Inappropriate lang 5+ nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard

Often confusing 4 nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard

A little confusing 2-3 nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard

Clear language 1 nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard

Memorable, original “voice”

Mastery of Standard Academic. English

Raw Essay Grade

_____CAP _____PA _____SP _____PUN

_____FR _____SV _____WW 1 pts/error penalty: -

_____RO _____TP _____TS 5 pt. bonus if none: +

Comments: Essay Grade ______________

Philo sophical

Sopho more

Russell Brand, “For Amy.” http://www.russellbrand.tv/2011/07/for-amy/ July 24th, 2011

When you love someone who suffers from the disease of addiction, you await the phone call. There will be a phone call. The sincere hope is that the call will be from the addict themselves, telling you they’ve had enough, that they’re ready to stop, ready to try something new. Of course, though, you fear the other call, the sad nocturnal chime from a friend or relative telling you it’s too late, she’s gone.

Frustratingly, it’s not a call you can ever make. It must be received. It is impossible to intervene.

I’ve known Amy Winehouse for years. When I first met her around Camden she was just some twit in a pink satin jacket shuffling round bars with mutual friends, most of whom were in cool Indie bands or peripheral Camden figures Withnailing their way through life on impotent charisma. Carl Barrat told me that “Winehouse” (which I usually called her and got a kick out of because it’s kind of funny to call a girl by her surname) was a jazz singer, which struck me as a bizarrely anomalous in that crowd. To me with my limited musical knowledge this information placed Amy beyond an invisible boundary of relevance; “Jazz singer? She must be some kind of eccentric,” I thought. I chatted to her anyway, though; she was after all a girl, and she was sweet and peculiar but most of all vulnerable.

I was myself at that time barely out of rehab and was thirstily seeking less complicated women so I barely reflected on the now glaringly obvious fact that Winehouse and I shared an affliction, the disease of addiction. All addicts, regardless of

the substance or their social status, share a consistent and obvious symptom; they’re not quite present when you talk to them. They communicate to you through a barely discernible but un-ignorable veil. Whether a homeless smack head troubling you for 50p for a cup of tea or a coked-up, pinstriped exec foaming off about his “speedboat,” there is a toxic aura that prevents connection. They have about them the air of elsewhere, that they’re looking through you to somewhere else they’d rather be. And of course they are. The priority of any addict is to anaesthetise the pain of living to ease the passage of the day with some purchased relief.

From time to time I’d bump into Amy; she had good banter, so we could chat a bit and have a laugh. She was “a character,” but that world was riddled with half cut, doped-up “characters”; I was one of them. Even in early recovery I was kept afloat only by clinging to the bodies of strangers, so Winehouse, but for her gentle quirks, didn’t especially register.

Then she became massively famous and I was pleased to see her acknowledged but mostly baffled because I’d not experienced her work, and this not being the 1950’s I wondered how a “jazz singer” had achieved such cultural prominence. I wasn’t curious enough to do anything so extreme as listen to her music or go to one of her gigs; I was becoming famous myself at the time, and that was an all-consuming experience. It was only by chance that I attended a Paul Weller gig at the Roundhouse that I ever saw her live.

I arrived late, and as I made my way to the audience through the plastic smiles and plastic cups I heard the rolling, wondrous resonance of a female vocal. Entering the space I saw Amy on stage with Weller and his band; and then the awe, the awe that envelops when witnessing a genius. From her oddly dainty presence that voice, a voice that seemed not to come from her but from somewhere beyond even Billie and Ella, from the font of all greatness. A voice that was filled with such power and pain that it was at once entirely human yet laced with the divine. My ears, my mouth, my heart and mind all instantly opened. Winehouse. Winehouse? Winehouse! That twerp, all eyeliner and lager dithering up Chalk Farm Road under a back-combed barnet, the lips that I’d only seen clenching a fishwife fag and dribbling curses now a portal for this holy sound. So now I knew. She wasn’t just some hapless wannabe, yet another boozed-up nit who was never gonna make it, nor was she even a ten-a-penny-chanteuse enjoying her fifteen minutes. She was a freaking genius.

Shallow fool that I am, I now regarded her in a different light, the light that blazed down from Heaven when she sang. That lit her up now, and a new phase in our friendship began. She came on a few of my TV and radio shows. I still saw her about, but now attended to her with a little more interest. Publicly though, Amy increasingly became defined by her addiction. Our media is more interested in tragedy than talent, so the ink began to defect from praising her gift to chronicling her downfall. The destructive personal relationships, the blood soaked ballet slippers, the aborted shows, that YouTube madness with the baby mice. In the public perception this ephemeral tittle-tattle replaced her timeless talent. This and her manner in our occasional meetings brought home to me the severity of her condition. Addiction is a serious disease; it will end with jail, mental institutions or death. I was 27 years old when through the friendship and help of Chip Somers of the treatment centre Focus12 I found recovery. Through Focus I was introduced to support fellowships for alcoholics and drug addicts, which are very easy to find and open to anybody with a desire to stop drinking and without which I would not be alive.

Now Amy Winehouse is dead, like many others whose unnecessary deaths have been retrospectively romanticized, at 27 years old. Whether this tragedy was preventable or not is now irrelevant. It is not preventable today. We have lost a beautiful and talented woman to this disease. Not all addicts have Amy’s incredible talent, or Kurt’s or Jimi’s or Janis’s. Some people just get the affliction. All we can do is adapt the way we view this condition, not as a crime or a romantic affectation but as a disease that will kill. We need to review the way society treats addicts, not as criminals but as sick people in need of care. We need to look at the way our government funds rehabilitation. It is cheaper to rehabilitate an addict than to send them to prison, so criminalization doesn’t even make economic sense. Not all of us know someone with the incredible talent that Amy had, but we all know drunks and junkies and they all need help and the help is out there. All they have to do is pick up the phone and make the call. Or not. Either way, there will be a phone call.

WRITER’S CRAMP

Weakness Leaving The Body

Spiritus MundiWorld Literature and Composition, Spring 2013

Skip Saunders

Email: lsaunders@floydboe.netWebpage: http://floydmodelhigh.sharpschool.net/directory/english/mr__saunders/

2. Course Description and Assessments3. Types of Assessments, Late and Missing Work, Contact Info4. Classroom Expectations and Behavior

5-6. CCGPS Standards for Literature and Composition 7. Setting Up Your Notebooks 8. Reading Journals 9. Writing For This Course: Typical Assignments

10. The Georgia High School Writing Test Essay (GHSWT) 11. Organizing the GHSWT Essay 12. A Sample GHSWT Essay Evaluation Rubric 13-16. Brainstorming, Crushing, Structuring, Proofing the GHSWT

17-18. MLA Rules for Quotation 19. Avoiding Plagiarism 20. Standard Academic English 21. Major Convention Errors: Symbols and Explanations 22. WorldLitComp Units, Spring 2013

Course DescriptionWorld Literature and Composition will train you in reading, writing and speaking – and through these, in thinking. Every day our brains should hurt a little from the workout!

Reading will push you to ponder the most basic human questions, and will develop thinking and language skills that will serve you well in college, work and life.

Writing will allow you to develop and express your thinking, and to learn the research

techniques and basic prose competence expected in the academic and business worlds.

Speaking to the class, in discussions and oral presentations, lets you practice presenting ideas with the clarity and confidence which professors, bosses and spouses will expect.

Assessments600 points: Major Grades

o 250 points: Essays require original thinking and academic language focused on issues raised in our class reading and discussion. Essays submitted on time may be revised. There are several kinds:

10 points: Diagnostic Essay, written in class the first week.

240 points: Four Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) Practice Essays, worth 60 points each. GHSWT Practice Essays count more than any other assessment besides the Final Exam – which itself contains a GHSWT Practice Essay. This matters most.

o 120 points: Three Unit Tests, worth 40 points each. These assess understanding of and engagement with each unit’s literary study. Tests feature short answer, passage analysis, and short essays, but NEVER multiple choice.

o 60 points: Four Unit Notebooks, worth 15 points each. Keep everything neatly in a binder! I will provide a rubric for each.

o 100 points: Four Unit Reading Journals, worth 25 points each. Directions are found in Syllabus. I will provide a rubric for each Unit.

o 70 points: Projects and Presentations, in which individuals or groups produce writing and art according to some model, then present results orally to the class.

250 points: Daily Grades

o Freewrites are short essays graded for thinking. We’ll do these most class days.

o Lecture CLOZEs follow lectures, obviously, and usually are “open note” affairs.

o Worksheets and Reading Guides will allow us to be sure you’re “getting” whatever we are reading or discussing at a particular point.

150 points: Final Examination . This is basically a big chunk of writing about the year’s work.

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Types of AssessmentsGHSWT Practice Essays are discussed at length later in this syllabus; but you ought to know right now that your Georgia High School Writing Test comes this September, and training to slay that ninety-minute beast is the most important thing we will do in this class.

Tests assess your mastery of a unit’s material. They include short answer, discussion of passages from our reading, and essays – NOT multiple choice. Expect to write for a class period.

Notebooks include all notes, handouts, quizzes and freewrites from a particular unit. Keep everything neatly in a binder. I will provide a rubric listing all materials needed each unit.

Reading Journals ask you to reflect on and respond to a Unit’s reading. Basically, you write intelligently about an assigned number quotations from a Unit’s reading. These may be submitted in the Notebook or as a separate document. Rubrics will be provided each unit.

Daily Work includes notes, worksheets, quizzes and, especially, freewrites. These let you reflect on the day’s lesson, and explore areas for further inquiry (often they lay the ground for upcoming essay assignments). Write as well as you can; I am looking at thinking, not grammar. Freewrites typically run 100 to 200 words, and are due in class. When I return them, you will have received a grade of 2 for full credit or 1 for partial credit. Keep ALL in your notebook.

Projects and Presentations include written, visual and spoken components – sometimes individually, sometimes as part of a group.

The Final Examination is a series of writings on a long semester’s work. Expect to write much.

Late And Missing WorkMaking up missed work is your job, not mine. Be responsible about making arrangements.

If work is missed for an excused absence, please see me the day you return to arrange to make up the work for full credit. Usually you will have a week to get it done.

If work is missed for an unexcused absence, or is simply not turned in, see me about making up the work for partial credit.

Understand that zeroes KILL an average, and that late work is graded LAST – it might be semester’s end before it’s entered, so if you’re late, don’t gripe about it! Also, my school webpage – http://floydmodelhigh.sharpschool.net/directory/english/mr__saunders/ – has all classwork, readings, assignments and rubrics linked, so there are no excuses!

Contact Information, and Getting HelpI am on campus until about 4:00 each day, and am happy to help. Just ask; or, if you need to contact me, email lsaunders@floydboe.net or call Model High School at (706) 236 - 1895.

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Classroom Expectations and Behavior

The First Few Minutes: Enter quietly, and sit where you wish; I will assign seats only if you make it necessary. Chatter amiably and move (relatively) freely. If you need a pen or a sharper pencil, book or binder or paper or worksheets, take care of this quickly and quietly – but be ready to go when I start class. I will take and attendance – silently, once I learn names.

The First Hour: Once I start talking, chatter must cease immediately. Usually we begin with a common task – lecture, discussion, text analysis, student presentations. Raise a hand to speak or ask questions – and please do both, often! – but stay seated, alert and focused, and do not distract others. During this time no leaves are granted; take care of needs beforehand, or wait.

The Final Half Hour: Here we shift to tasks allowing more freedom – writing, group work, and so forth. During this time you may leave class one at the time to attend to legitimate needs. Do not shout the need like a child; walk quietly to the door, take the pass, sign out, go and return. You must stay in this If leaves are lengthy, trivial or distracting, they may be refused later.

Be here . Repeated tardiness earns discipline referrals and penalties.

o COROLLARY – You are not a bookbag or purse. Don’t drop your stuff and leave. You will be marked absent or tardy if not in the classroom personally when bell rings.

Be focused . Pay attention, participate, and keep yourself and others on task.

o COROLLARY – Don’t be distracted, and don’t be a distraction. Particularly during the first hour of class, activity which in any way takes energy or focus away from assigned tasks will not be tolerated. For now, food and drink are not allowed.

o COROLLARY – Don’t advertise stupidity. Passing notes, sleeping (or seeming to), applying makeup, drawing anime puppies – these sorts of acts scream “Imbecile!”

o COROLLARY – You Are Not A Gadget! Our new “BYOT” program encourages use of electronic devices when called for in classroom tasks – but as before, they must never interfere with or distract from class work. When they might, I will ask you to turn them off. Refusal meets with disciplinary action, just as before.

Be prepared . Bring your textbook and handouts, writing instrument and notebook daily. If you lack materials, get what you need from the front table, without making a scene.

o COROLLARY – Sell yourself as a competent person. As Hamlet says to his mother, “Assume a virtue, if you have it not” (I don’t suggest you say this to your mother).

Be nice . Respect each other, me, and our work. Pleasant interaction is expected.

o COROLLARY – NO BULLYING. Ever. It’s not funny just because you think it is.

o COROLLARY – NO WHINING!. No coach, parent, sergeant, professor or boss respects “I don’ wanna!” or “This is hard!” Why expect this to work on me?

These are easy to remember, but if you forget I will warn you in a polite way. If politeness does not work, I will call home. If misbehavior continues, you will be referred to the office.

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CCGPS Standards: Literature and CompositionReading Literary (RL) & Informational (RI)ELACC12RL-RI1: Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what a text says explicitly and implicitly, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

ELACC12RL-RI2: Determine two or more themes or central ideas of text and analyze their development over the course of the text, including how they interact and build on one another to produce a complex account; provide an objective summary of the text.

ELACC12RL3: Analyze the impact of the author’s choices regarding how to develop and relate elements of a story or drama (e.g., setting, sequence, characterization).

ELACC12RI3: Analyze a complex set of ideas or sequence of events and explain how specific individuals, ideas, or events interact and develop over the course of the text.

ELACC12RL4-RI4: Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of specific word choices on meaning and tone, including words with multiple meanings or language that is particularly fresh, engaging, or beautiful. (Include Shakespeare as well as other authors.)

ELACC12RL5: Analyze how an author’s choices concerning how to structure specific parts of a text contribute to its overall structure and meaning as well as its aesthetic impact.

ELACC12RI5: Analyze and evaluate effectiveness of the structure an author uses in exposition or argument, including whether it makes points clear, convincing, and engaging.

ELACC12RL6: Analyze a case in which grasping point of view requires distinguishing what is directly stated in a text from what is really meant.

ELACC12RI6: Determine an author’s point of view or purpose in a text, analyzing how style and content contribute to the power, persuasiveness, or beauty of the text.

ELACC12RL7: Analyze multiple interpretations of a story, drama, or poem, evaluating how each version interprets the source text.

ELACC12RI7: Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in different media or formats as well as in words in order to address a question or solve a problem.

ELACC12RI8: Delineate and evaluate the reasoning in seminal British texts, including the application of constitutional principles and use of legal reasoning.

ELACC12RL-RI9: Analyze works of British literary and historical importance for theme, purpose and rhetoric, including how texts from the same period treat similar themes or topics.

ELACC12RL10: Read and comprehend complex literature independently and proficiently.

Writing (W)

ELACC12W1: Write arguments to support claims in an analysis of substantive topics or texts, using valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient evidence.

ELACC12W2: Write informative/explanatory texts to examine & convey complex ideas, concepts, information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

ELACC12W3: Write narratives to develop real or imagined experiences or events using effective technique, well-chosen details, and well-structured event sequences.

ELACC12W4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.

ELACC12W5: Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.

ELACC12W6: Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared writing products in response to ongoing feedback, including new arguments or information.

ELACC12W7: Conduct research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

ELACC12W8: Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.

ELACC12W9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, research.

ELACC12W10: Write routinely over extended time frames (research, reflection, and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of tasks, purposes, and audiences.

Speaking and Listening (SL)ELACC12SL1: Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners and topics, and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.

ELACC12SL2: Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media in order to make informed decisions and solve problems, evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source and noting any discrepancies among the data.

ELACC12SL3: Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, evidence and rhetoric, assessing stance, premises, links among ideas, word choice, points of emphasis, and tone.

ELACC12SL4: Present information, findings, and supporting evidence, conveying a clear and distinct perspective, such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning, alternative or opposing perspectives are addressed, and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and a range or formal and informal tasks.

ELACC12SL5: Make strategic use of digital media in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.

ELACC12SL6: Adapt speech to various contexts/tasks – formal English when indicated / appropriate.

Language (L)ELACC12L1: Demonstrate standard English grammar and usage in speaking and writing.

ELACC12L2: Use standard English capitalization, punctuation, spelling in writing.

ELACC12L3: Demonstrate understanding of how language functions in different contexts, to make effective choices for meaning or style, and to comprehend when reading or listening.

ELACC12L4: Determine or clarify the meaning of unknown and multiple-meaning words and phrases, choosing flexibly from a range of strategies.

ELACC12L5: Demonstrate understanding of figurative language, word relationships, and nuances.

ELACC12L6: Acquire and use accurately general academic and domain-specific words phrases.

Setting Up Your Notebooks

No activity separates successful students from their hapless counterparts quite as predictably as notetaking. Some people are blessed (or cursed) with memories like camcorders; the rest of us need help. Writing – not just highlighting but physically writing stuff down – cements information into memory, because reading, writing and thinking activate different areas of the brain. When one writes, the brain pays attention to information right away and stores it not only in the neural but in the motor memory; and, of course, one creates a record to viewlater. It is true that one may miss something while writing, but one gets better with practice.

I will check notebooks on each unit’s test day, so be sure this is a notebook you can leave with me; don’t keep Math notes here, for instance. I will look for the following each time:

1. Syllabus (Rule Brittania!) – keep this at the front of your notebook all year long.

2. Literary Unit Notes, including:

a. Cover Sheet for each unit’s literary notes. I really don’t care what this sheet looks like – it can be as pretty or as ugly, as ornate or as spare, as topical or as irrelevant, as your personality dictates. But it must contain the Unit’s title, and must come at the start of that Unit’s section in your notebook.

b. Schedule of the Unit’s Assignments.

c. All Quizzes, Handouts, Lecture Notes, Reading Guides, COMPLETED, in order.

d. Daily Notes you take on discussion or reading.

e. All freewrites, dated and in order.

f. Test Review Sheets.

3. Writing Portfolio. You may keep this in your notebook or in the file cabinet.

a. Convention Error Log – complete the day each graded writing is returned.

b. All Graded Writing Assignments: Assignment Sheet, graded essays with rubrics, revised or corrected essays.

Mostly this is a matter of keeping up with everything we do in class, but sometimes you must write stuff down on your own. You may keep all four Units’ notes in the notebook, or you may put each unit’s notes away in a safe place as we start a new unit. At semester’s end, I will check to see that you have kept all four units, so don’t lose them!

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Reading Journals

Keeping a journal of words and thoughts is something writers and scholars have done forever; it helps to grab information and ideas passing through your ears and eyes, and helps you to file them in your mind. For each Unit this semester, you will submit a Reading Journal consisting of an assigned number of quotations and reflections. Unit Reading Journals are 25 point Major Grades. Your journal will take the form of a double-entry journal:

On the left side or at the top of each entry, quote word for word from the work you are considering, and cite according to MLA Rules. Number each entry.

On the right side or at the bottom of each entry, write a reflection, at least 100 words, on the passage you quoted. Explain what the passage is “about,” why that passage matters, and “reflect” on it – i.e., give an opinion, or explain how it relates to you. This is graded for thinking, not grammar; don’t just fill up 100 words’ worth of space.

# Examples: Quotation/Citation Examples: 100 word reflection

1 She should have died hereafter;There would have been a time for such a word Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow ….

– William Shakespeare, Macbeth V v 20-23

Here Macbeth has just found out that his wife is dead, and he doesn’t seem to care. Basically he is saying that she was going to die anyway, so why should he care? And it also says she should have died later because he doesn’t have time to deal with it right now. This is especially sad since the couple started out so happy, sharing everything, and now Macbeth has no feeling at all. It reminds me of one time when my little brother wanted to play and I was too busy and told him to go away and he asked me why I didn’t love him anymore.. That was a sad day.

2 Of course I cannot break through the wall by battering my head against it if I really have not the strength to knock it down, but I am not going to be reconciled to it simply because it is a stone wall and I have not the strength.

– Fyodor Dostoyevsky, Notes From Underground. New York: Dover

Thrift Editions, 1992, p. 8.

Like Dostoyevsky’s narrator I have a hard time accepting limits. This guy is in prison and will not accept the reasons for it. I have a hard time accepting the reasons for anything that stands between me and what I want, even when I realize that wishes are impossible. I was never quite able to dunk a basketball. I know now that that is unlikely, but I haven’t given up, though realism says I should do so and find a more attainable goal.

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Writing For This Course

Diagnostic Essay: Write 300 words about a given topic in 45 minutes. Discipline – Can you “stick to it” and do the assignment without griping or straying? Self-Reliance – Can you follow directions from syllabus, assignment, rubric? Efficiency – Can you churn out 300 good words in a limited time? Survival skill! Thinking – Can you read and understand a prompt well enough to respond to it? Writing – Can you develop an idea without repeating yourself? Proofing/Editing – Can you limit major errors?

Freewrites: 100-200 words on a given topic in a shortish time (10 words/minute). Discipline – Can you “stick to it” and do the assignment without griping or straying? Efficiency – Can you churn out 300 good words in a limited time? Survival skill! Thinking – Can you respond intelligently to a given question? Writing – Can you develop an idea without repeating yourself?

Test Essays: 200-400 words focusing on specific aspects of works read in class Discipline – Can you “stick to it” and do the assignment without griping or straying? Self-Reliance – Can you follow directions from syllabus, assignment, rubric? Efficiency – Can you churn out 200-400 good words in a limited time? Survival skill! Thinking – Can you read and understand a prompt well enough to respond to it? Writing – Can you develop an idea without repeating yourself? Proofing/Editing – Can you limit major errors?

GHSWT Practice Essays: 400-500 words arguing a philosophical point. You have 90 minutes. Discipline – Can you “stick to it” and do the assignment well in a class period? Self-Reliance – Can you follow directions from syllabus, assignment, rubric? Reading – Can you respond intelligently to a given scenario and question? Writing: Focus – Can you develop a thesis and stay focused on proving it? Writing: Philosophical – Can you explore that thesis philosophically? Writing: Organization – Can you develop a series of well-designed paragraphs:

Introduction leading reader to your essay’s thesis; Body Paragraphs developing and proving thesis in a variety of ways; Conclusion reminding reader why thesis matters, and calling for action?

Proofing/Editing – Can you limit major errors?

Most of our energy this term will be spent perfecting the GHSWT Essay. You must do well on one next Fall if you hope to graduate! The other kinds of writing will serve to supplement the practice work we do for the GHSWT.

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The Georgia High School Writing Test Essay (GHSWT)

The Georgia High School Writing Test (GHSWT) is given to every student in the fall of the junior year. You must pass this test to graduate from high school.

You will have ninety minutes to brainstorm, draft, write and edit. You must think and write quickly and well. You must make a good first impression with the appearance and grammar of your essay, then convince the reader with your intelligence and ability as a writer. The GHSWT prompt will ask a particular question. Your job is to convince a reader that your answer to the question is the best available. You should do each of the following steps:

Brainstorm – figure out what you are being asked, who is asking the question, what your answer is, and why; then work out a structure for your essay.

Write a rough draft, aiming for AT LEAST 400 WORDS. You may have to write in a smaller hand than you are used to!

Write the final draft. Remember a busy reader probably will not bother to grade (let alone pass) a too-brief, sloppy-looking, ungrammatical or badly-written essay.

Proofread and edit the final draft. Give it a good look and correct obvious errors.

The GHSWT Essay is graded for four components:

40 points: Ideas. More than anything else, the readers want to see that you can think, and that you can convey your thoughts intelligently. When you can, quote to support.

20 points: Organization. Ideas organized sloppily are not good; one cannot organize ideas unless one has them. A successful GHSWT Essay will have all of these parts:

o Introduction: a solid, focused paragraph introducing your thesis.

o Body: several paragraphs which develop and prove your thesis in several ways:o Philosophical – explain how your thesis is true on its own terms.o Evidence and Examples – show how your thesis is proved by examples

from your reading, history, statistics, whatever.o Personal Reflection – show how your life proves the truth of your thesis.o Appeal to Audience – be sure that your thesis and arguments will convince

a skeptical adult, not just you yourself.o Counterargument – anticipate and answer those who disagree.o Prediction – how will things be better if the reader agrees with your thesis?

o Conclusion: a short paragraph nailing your thesis, showing why it matters, and issuing a “call to action” telling a reader what should happen now.

20 points: Style. Write good prose that is clear and engaging; find your “voice.”

20 points: Conventions. Follow basic grammar rules.

REMEMBER: the essay should be at least 400 words in length – don’t rush! (10)

Organizing the GHSWT EssayYour job in a GHSWT Essay is to answer a philosophical question. To do this, you must look into the question, and into the texts you are asked to analyze, to find a truth that applies to the world. You then convince the reader that your answer to the question is the best available. A successful essay will have all of these components:

Introduction: One good, focused paragraph which leads a reader from the general topic to your particular answer. This paragraph must answer the philosophical question which you are considering in its thesis – the one-sentence statement of your controlling idea.

Body: a series of several paragraphs which develop and prove the controlling idea. Your body needs to develop the idea in several ways:

o Philosophical Discussion: figure out the philosophical issues behind the topic, so that your thesis convinces a broad audience and applies to many circumstances.

The biggest weakness in most student writing is philosophical development. This is where the real thinking and fun happen. Philosophical writing separates merely competent “B-” essays from the memorable, life-changing, “WOW” essays that make professors and GPAs happy. Suggestions for brainstorming philosophically occur later in this syllabus.

o Evidence from the text, as well as from “real life” when applicable. Use several sorts of examples to balance and vary your argument.

o Personal Reflection: show how your own experience relates to your thesis.

o Appeal to Audience – be sure that your thesis and arguments will convince a skeptical adult, not just you yourself.

o Counterargument – anticipate and answer those who disagree.

o Prediction: In persuasive writing as in science, a good thesis should predict future events. Examples: How will things be better if your idea is accepted? How will things be worse if your idea is rejected? Who will be helped or injured?

Conclusion. End your essay with the strongest possible statement of why your thesis matters; propose action to bring your thesis into reality. If your thesis is true, how must the reader now think or act differently?

Along the way, quote to support your argument. Usually you will be required to quote from a particular text – but do not limit yourself to the minimum. Try to quote more than a minimum amount, and when you can, quote serious sources from outside that text also. Be sure to quote smoothly and correctly; see the appropriate handouts for help.

I will grade GHSWT Practice Essays using a rubric like the one on the next page.

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Sample GHSWT Essay Evaluation Rubric

Standard or Componentscore

NO EVIDENCEEssay Fails Rewrite Required

NOT YET MET20-60% credit Rewrite Urged

BARELY MET70-76% credit Rewrite Suggested

STANDARD MET77-84%% creditRewrite Welcomed

CRUSHED IT!92 – 100+% credit You may gloat!

Content: Evidence and Ideas

____/40 pt

0 - 300 wds; too short for evaluation

Fails to address or attempt parts of assigned question

Mostly summary or story; does not attempt to make a point about the topic

Does not quote for support

301-349words: still too short

Too much summary Essay’s point is already

obvious; no argument Errors of fact/logic Details, examples, or

quotations are irrelevant to thesis

350-399 words; could go farther

Essay proposes general argument

Details, examples too general

Counterarguments not addressed

400+ words Central idea is too general Details, examples somewhat

specific Details, examples,

somewhat support thesis Quotations need

context/relevance explained Counterarguments

underaddressed

400+ words Central idea crystalline Details, examples

crystalline Details,examples, quotes

clearly support thesis Counterarguments nailed

Cogency: quality of argument

____/30 pts

Not divided properly into paragraphs, or is all a single paragraph

Essay lacks 3+: Introduction Thesis Philosophical argument Examples from history, lit,

etc. Personal Reflection Counterargument Prediction Conclusion w/ “call to

action” Focus

Essay lacks 2: Introduction Thesis Philosophical argument Examples from history, lit,

etc. Personal Reflection Counterargument Prediction Conclusion w/ “call to

action” Focus

Essay lacks 1: Introduction Thesis Philosophical argument Examples from history, lit,

etc. Personal Reflection Counterargument Prediction Conclusion w/ “call to

action” Focus

All parts of essay well developed

Quotations

/10 pts

Lacks one or morerequired quotations

3+ errors exist: - format- citation - integration

2 errors exists: - format- citation - integration

1 error exists:- format- citation - integration

Perfect (+5 pts)

Use of Language

____/20 pts

Inappropriate language 5+ nonstandard - 2nd person -slang, nonwords, nonstandard

Often confusing 3-4 nonstandard - 2nd person -slang, nonwords, nonstandard

Sometimes confusing 2 nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard

Clear language 1 nonstandard - second person - slang/nonwords - other nonstandard Needs variety in

words/sentences

Memorable, original prose style (“voice”)

Mastery of Standard Acad. English

Raw Essay Grade _____CAP _____PA _____SP _____PUN _____FR _____SV _____WW 2 pts/error penalty: - _____RO _____TP _____TS 5 pt. bonus if none: +

Comments: Essay Grade ______________

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Brainstorming The GHSWT Essay

Every good essay proposes an answer to a question, and argues that yours is the best answer available. So the first step is to figure out what question the topic is asking.

Sometimes that will seem easy, because the topic is stated as a question, for instance: Which is the best team in college football? You might want to dive right in with praises for your favorite team, but you probably won’t convince anyone unless you first answer a philosophical question: what makes a college football team great? You need a definition that can be widely applicable and widely agreed upon; and your particular answer has to fit that philosophical one.

So don’t dive right in, but back off a little, and look at the question philosophically:

o Particular question: What class should be added to those offered at Model?o Philosophical question: What is the job of a class, and of a school?

o Particular question: Who is your personal hero?o Philosophical question: What makes someone a hero?

o Particular question: Was the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq justified?o Philosophical question: What makes a war justified?

Got the idea? Practice by coming up with a good philosophical question for each of the particular questions listed below. Often, there are several good candidates.

o Particular question: Who is the greatest musician of all time?o Philosophical question:

o Particular question: Should cell phones be allowed in school?o Philosophical question:

o Particular question: Are the salaries of professional athletes too high?o Philosophical question:

o Particular question: Is there too much writing at school?o Philosophical question:

o Particular question: What must the new Model High School contain that we now lack?o Philosophical question:

o Particular question: What movie should we see as a class later this semester?o Philosophical question:

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Crushing the GHSWTBefore you even put pen to paper, answer three questions:

What are they asking you?o Read your prompt carefully. You have to give an

opinion about something; don’t give it until you’re sure what you’re supposed to give it about.

What do you think about it? o Have a definite opinion – yes OR no, this OR that.

Yes, your essay should consider possibilities, but “It depends” invites a weak answer even when it’s true. Make a choice, and stay committed to it.

Why do you think that? o Don’t fall into the “three reasons” trap. Think

about different KINDS of reasons. Discuss the philosophical issues, history, movies, and your personal experience. Make predictions about how

the world could be better if everyone agreed with you, and tell the reader what s/he should do now.

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Structuring the GHSWT First ¶: INTRODUCTION – “What do you think?”

o Start by framing the question: briefly, why is this an important topic in the world today?

o Leads in to your essay’s thesis – your specific, clear, one-sentence answer to the topic question

o So What: briefly tell why your thesis is the best answer, and why that matters.

4-6 ¶s: BODY – “Why do you think that?”o Philosophical: Discuss the background issues. Example:

Topic: What class should your school offer? Philosophical: What is the purpose of a class?

o Evidence and Examples: show that your thesis is proved by examples from reading, history, film, etc.

o Personal Reflection – show how your own life’s experience supports your thesis.

o Appeal to Audience – be sure thesis and arguments will convince a skeptical adult, not just you yourself.

o Prediction – if your thesis is accepted, what good will come?

Final ¶: CONCLUSION – “What happens now?” o tell why thesis matters

o “Call to action”: tell what reader should do now

Wherever you can, use quotations and statistics for support!(15)

Proofing the GHSWT First, look at structure. Be sure that your essay is long enough to be taken seriously (aim for AT LEAST 400 WORDS), and that it is divided into clear paragraphs that accomplish EACH of the following jobs. (Remember that a good paragraph needs at least 3-5 good sentences.)

ONE Paragraph: INTRODUCTION – “What” and “So What”

o What: Show that you understand the question and have an answer to it.

Leads to thesis – specific one-sentence answer to the question.

o So What: tell why this is an important topic or question in the world today.

SEVERAL paragraphs supporting thesis with SEVERAL kinds of argument.

o Philosophical: Show that your thesis is the best conclusion one could reach after considering the philosophical issues involved. For instance: If you’re asked whether we need to spend government money to explore space, ask: What is the purpose of government spending, and does space exploration fit that purpose?

o Evidence: show examples from reading or history that support thesis.

o Personal Reflection: show how your own life’s experience supports your thesis.

o Appeal to Audience: be sure that your thesis and arguments will convince a skeptical adult, not just you yourself.

o Prediction: if your thesis is true, what should happen because of it?

ONE Paragraph: CONCLUSION telling why thesis matters and giving a “call to action” telling a reader what s/he should do now.

Wherever you can, use quotations and statistics for support.

Then, PROOFREAD. The GHSWT is mostly about content and structure, not grammar; but if it’s bad enough, grammar can fail you. Look for the following common problems:

o Make sure your essay is long enough to be taken seriously. Studies have proved that, whatever their content or grammar, short essays score lower than long ones. Aim for AT LEAST 400 WORDS, even if this means you must write small.

o Make sure you have written in paragraphs that are clearly indented. A single long paragraph is not an essay, and will not pass.

o Nonsense. Read each sentence of your essay to make sure it says what you mean.

o Capital Letters are used at the start of sentences, “I,” proper names – nowhere else.

o Nonstandard Language. Avoid slang, “you,” “hisself,” “he don’t,” “ain’t,” etc.

o Fragments and Runons. Use complete sentences.

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MLA Rules For Quotation

FIRST AND FOREMOST, AVOID PLAGIARISM!! Plagiarism is any use of someone else’s words or ideas without attribution. It’s easy to avoid; just put quotation marks around words you get from a source, then cite the source. Even if you paraphrase information in your own words, you still must cite source; failure to do so is worse than simply copying. Plagiarism earns any assignment a zero. There is no “accidental” plagiarism; if you are unsure, see me.

Quoting is the best way to establish credibility in a piece of writing, proving to a reader that you know your material and are in full control of it. There are some differences in how one treats prose, poetry, drama and sacred texts when quoting, but all four always involve these steps:

1. Formatting – visually setting off the words you’re quoting. Use “quotation marks” for short passages (1- 3 lines on your page); indent passages longer than that.

2. Citing – showing the reader the source of the quotation, in parenthesis just after the quote and, if necessary, in a Works Cited section at the end of your essay.

3. Integrating – merging the quoted passages with your own writing, so that the essay is smooth and controlled rather than clumsy, awkward, artificial.

Quoting Prose (books, essays, articles, etc)

Format short quotations using “quotation marks”; long quotes (3+ lines) are indented. Cite author in text, page number in parentheses after quotation. No author? Cite title. Integrate your quotation smoothly into your own prose.

Integrating means that you NEVER quote chunks of undigested material, like this:

Robert Frost is popular. "He has been recognized with so many awards, sold so many books, and given so many speeches, that he must be called extremely popular" (Avery 23).

Instead, quote only the words you really need, and integrate the quotation into your own prose:

According to Frederick Avery, Robert Frost has won “so many awards, sold so many books, and given so many speeches, that he must be called extremely popular" (23).

If you quote more than three typed lines, indent the quotation ten spaces from the left, like this:

Measuring Frost’s influence exactly is difficult because, as Frederick Avery has written,

Frost is widely read in his native land than any other poet in any other country. He has been recognized with so many awards, sold so many volumes, and given so many speeches, that he must be called extremely popular. Furthermore, his impact is seen not only among writers but in popular films and even greeting cards (23).

No quotation marks are used with indented quotations. Integration and citation are still required.

(17)Quoting Verse (poetry, songs, etc)

Format short quotations using “quotation marks,” placing a slash between lines. Long quotations (3+ lines) are indented; keep lines exactly as they appear on page. Cite author in text, line number in parentheses after quotation. Integrate your quotation smoothly into your own prose.

The biggest difference in quoting verse involves the use of the verse line. Lines must appear in your quotation as they do in the poem or song itself, and the line numbers must be cited (NOT page numbers). Show the separation of lines with a slash (/) in short quotations; indent quotations longer than three lines, and make the lines look just as they do in the poem itself. And just as you did with prose quotes, integrate the quotations smoothly into your own writing.

The roads in Frost's poem are identical; they "equally lay/In paths no step had trodden black" (11-12). But the narrator says that he will pretend the roads were different:

I shall be telling this with a sigh Somewhere ages and ages hence: Two roads diverged in a wood, and I— I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference. (16-20)

Quoting Plays (especially Shakespeare)

Format short and long quotations according to Prose or Verse rules listed above. Shakespeare often uses both Prose and Verse in his plays.

Cite author in text, Act/Scene/line number (III, ii, 34) in parentheses after quotation. Integrate your quotation smoothly into your own prose.

Quoting Sacred Texts (Bible, Qu’ran, etc)

Sacred books’ titles are capitalized, but NOT underlined/italicized. I don’t know why.

Format short and long quotations according to Prose or Verse rules listed above. Sacred books often use both Prose and Verse forms.

Cite book, chapter and verse (Matthew 6: 1-6) for Bible; see me for others. Be sure to indicate which translation you are using – KJV, RSV, NISV for Bible, name for others.

Integrate your quotation smoothly into your own prose.

Quoting From The Internet

Cite internet address (URL) of webpage from which you got the quotation. Follow all other rules as above.

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Avoiding PlagiarismIn his excellent and rascally book William Shakespeare (Oxford: Basil Blackwell Ltd., 1986), literary critic Terry Eagleton wrote the following sentence, found on page 8:

The Macbeths are torn apart in the contradiction between body and language, between the frozen bonds of traditional allegiance and the unassuageable dynamic of desire.

An essay on Macbeth could benefit greatly from this insight, but problems arise when a writer fails properly to quote, cite and integrate borrowed material. The worst situation, plagiarism, occurs when a writer uses borrowed material in a way that hides the true author. Here are some ways a student using the Eagleton source material might commit plagiarism:

Macbeth is a tragic play because the Macbeths are torn apart in the contradiction between body and language, between the frozen bonds of traditional allegiance and the unassuageable dynamic of desire.

This is flagrant plagiarism. The student simply copied Eagleton's sentence onto the end of his own. The essay receives a zero; the student must rewrite the essay to earn any credit.

It seems clear that Macbeth is a tragic play because the Macbeths are torn apart in the contradiction between body and language, between the frozen bonds of traditional allegiance and the unassuageable dynamic of desire (Eagleton, p. 8).

This, too, is plagiarism. The student has cited Eagleton – good – but has copied Eagleton's wording without using quotation marks – bad.

Macbeth is tragic because Macbeth and his wife their bodies and their words seem to contradict each other, and by the fact that they want what they cannot legally have.

This, too, is plagiarism. The student has used his own words – and that’s good – but he still must cite Eagleton, since the idea was Eagleton’s.

Macbeth is a tragic play. "The Macbeths are torn apart in the contradiction between body and language, between the frozen bonds of traditional allegiance and the unassuageable dynamic of desire" (Eagleton, p. 8). This shows that the play is tragic.

This is not plagiarism, but the essay loses points because although the student has attributed both words and ideas, he has not integrated the passage into his own text. The student has not shown that he has any idea of what Eagleton is writing about.

It seems clear that Macbeth is a tragic play because Macbeth and his wife are separated by the fact that their life is a "contradiction between body and language," and by the fact that they want what they cannot legally have (Eagleton, p. 8).

Hooray! This student has properly quoted, integrated and cited Eagleton. An "A" awaits!

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Standard Academic English

Standard Academic English does not allow first or second person, abbreviations, contractions, slang, goofy fonts, emoticons – in short, anything beyond grammar or rhetoric which has the effect of diminishing the seriousness of your essay. Violations will appear as “NS” (short for “NonStandard”) on your corrected essay. There are excellent rhetorical reasons for some prohibitions, but some exist simply to give academic writing its distinctive air.

Use of the second person (“you” in all forms) is like an uninvited hug; it turns the reader off. “The Hunger Games makes you think, so go see it” can repulse a reader who does not wish to be commanded by a mere student; that reader is now doubly ready, even eager, to wreck your case. A case which cannot be made without using “you” is a weak case, so again, stick to logic and evidence. In the example above, change “you” to “the viewer” or “we,” and drop the command. Slang works only if the reader both understands and likes it, so once more one risks losing a reader. “Hamlet is a bad play” can mean “Hamlet is a great play” among friends, but not in an academic paper. Some familiar slang – mom, dad, kid, guy, stuff, a lot or alot, sucks and so on – usually does not confuse, but does blunt the seriousness of an essay. If there is any doubt about whether a word or phrase is slang, find another word or phrase.

For the same reasons avoid chatty language (“Well, Hamlet is a great play”), emoticons (), visual emphasis (boldface, italics, underlining, CAPS, exclamation points!), or goofy fonts.

Inappropriate language or content – profanity or “near profanity,” extolling the virtues of weed – kills your credibility immediately, and can result in disciplinary action. Don’t go there.

The use of first person is not forbidden, but it is discouraged, because it makes your legitimacy as a person part of the argument. This can be useful if personality needs to be part of the argument – if, for instance, one is a teenager refuting stereotypes about teenagers – but usually it just makes it easy for a reader to wreck an argument. “In my opinion, schools should not have

sports teams” is easily refuted: “Well, in my opinion, they should.” Never make personhood the issue; instead, argue on logic and evidence: “Sports teams should not be sponsored because they distract from a school’s purpose.” EXCEPTION: plural first person (our, we, us) is permitted when used to refer to all of humanity: “We are creatures of both brawn and brain.”

Similarly, the use of contractions and abbreviations rarely injures clarity – everyone knows what “don’t eat 20 hot dogs” means – but it simply is not formal, so is discouraged. Before using an abbreviation, use the full form of the word or phrase; “United States” first, then USA. Numerals which can be written in a single word should be; write “twenty” instead of “20.”

Remember that your content, not your attitude, should set your essay apart.

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Major Convention ErrorsSome errors are relatively minor, but these confuse or distract readers; committing them costs you.

1. CAP = Capitalization Errors. Again, by now you should know this stuff – proofread.

2. FR = Fragments are pseudo-“sentences” which cannot stand alone; they lack a subject or verb, or are subordinate clauses. Fix by adding words, or combining with other sentences.

WRONG: Aaron despises Belinda. Because she bench presses more than he does. RIGHT: Aaron despises Belinda because she is bench presses more than he does.

3. RO = Runons are sentences inadequately separated or joined; they must be separated or joined properly. Insert a period or semicolon, or reword to fix the problem.

WRONG: Jamaal beat the computer at chess the computer won at tennis. (Runon) WRONG: Jamaal beat the computer at chess, the computer won at tennis. (Comma Splice) RIGHT: Jamaal beat the computer at chess, but the computer won at tennis. (conjunction) Jamaal beat the computer at chess; the computer won at tennis. (semicolon) Jamaal beat the computer at chess. The computer won at tennis. (separation)

4. PA = Pronoun-Antecedent Disagreement. Singular nouns need singular pronouns; plurals need plurals. Problems arise when singular pronouns which “feel” plural – terms like “a person” or “each student,” and variations on “one” and “body” (anyone/anybody, everyone/everybody, no one/nobody, someone/somebody) – tempt one to use a plural pronoun like “they,” “their,” or “them.” Resist the temptation; be consistent!

WRONG: Everyone is entitled to their own opinion on how they should live. RIGHT: Everyone is entitled to his/her own opinion on how s/he should live. OR: People are entitled to their own opinions on how to live.

5. SV = Subject-Verb Disagreement. Again, singular nouns need singular verbs; plurals need plurals. Problems arise with inverted or interrupted constructions like the following:

WRONG: There is many reasons people fail. Beowulf, like other folks, fail sometimes. RIGHT: There are many reasons people fail. Beowulf, like other folks, fails sometimes.

6. TP = Title Punctuation. Underline or italicize titles of standalone works like books, magazines, movies, albums, webpages, television series. Titles of shorter works like songs, poems, essays, stories, articles go “in quotation marks.” Exceptions: Sacred works (Bible, Koran)

7. SP = Spelling Error, especially names of books, characters, places. LOOK IT UP IF UNSURE!

8. WW = Wrong Word. You’ve used “their” for “there,” or “too” for “to,” or just blown it utterly.

9. TS = Tense Shifts that make a reader dizzy. Use past tense for history, present tense for art. WRONG: Beowulf was composed 1400 years ago. The hero kills monsters and saved his people. RIGHT: Beowulf was composed 1400 years ago. The hero kills monsters and saves his people.

10. PUN = Punctuation. Especially watch apostrophe rules: contractions and possessives use apostrophes; plurals do not. EXCEPTION: “It’s smart to give a car its tuneup.”

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WorldLitComp Assignments, Spring 2012

Overview Of The Rest Of The Year (subject to change)

Unit One: The Beginnings of “Literature” (January)

Includes selections from The Epic of Gilgamesh, Book of the Dead, other early works

Assessments: Diagnostic Essay, GHSWT Practice Essay, Group Project, Notebook, Reading Journal, Test

Martin Luther King, Jr. Holiday: January 21

Unit Two: Literatures of The Orient (February)

Includes selections from Ramayana, Bhagavad-Gita, Jataka, Analects of Confucious, haiku, The 1001 Arabian Nights, and other Arabic, Indian, Chinese and Japanese literatures

Assessments: GHSWT Practice Essay, Group Project, Notebook, Reading Journal, Test

Early Release Days: February 14-15

Unit Three: The Literature of Ancient Greece (March)

Includes selections from The Iliad, The Peloponnesian Wars, The Apology of Socrates, Oedipus The King

Assessments: GHSWT Practice Essay, Group Project, Notebook, Reading Journal, Test

Spring Intersession: March 8-15

Unit Four: The Abrahamic Legacy (April– May)

Includes The Bible, The Koran, Dante’s Inferno, Don Quixote, Night

Assessments: GHSWT Practice Essay, Group Project, Notebook, Reading Journal

Spring Break: April 29 –May 3

Final Examinations: May 20 - 25

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