Introduction to Course, OpenLab, & Fiction

Blog/Due

• Register for OpenLab account, join our course site, and familiarize yourself with its content and navigation (look at OpenLab Help to get started blogging)
• Review Syllabus & Blogging Guidelines

Elements of Fiction; Close Reading

Writing Workshop: active reading (annotation, asking questions, making notes, defining vocabulary, identifying claims/evidence)

*Th 8/31: Last Day to drop without the grade of WD.

*F 9/1: Withdrawal Drop Period Begins; A grade of WD is assigned to students who officially drop a class

• The Elements of Fiction
• “The Story of an Hour” (Kate Chopin): printed copy handed out in in class on Tu 8/29
• “For Better Social Skills, Scientists Recommend a Little Checkhov” (Pam Belluck): printed copy handed out in in class on Tu 8/29

*bring these texts to class, having read them (multiple times!) and annotated them

Blog/Due

• Introductions post (by W 8/30)

• “Introduction to Short Fiction”
• “The Elements of Fiction”
• “Girl” (Jamaica Kincaid)
• “Puertoricanness” (Aurora Levins Morales)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #1: Girl (OR) Puertoricanness

• “Girl” (continued)
• “Puertoricanness” (continued)

Blog/Due

Writing Workshop: blogging & paragraph structure and development (topic sentences, transitions, claims, incorporating evidence & quotes)

• “The Yellow Wallpaper” (Charlotte Perkins Gilman)

Blog/Due

• “Reading Response #2: The Yellow Wallpaper (due M 9/11)

*Th 9/14: Last day to drop a course without the grade of W; Withdrawal Drop period ends

*F 9/15: Course Withdrawal period begins; A grade of W is assigned to students who officially drop a course

*Su 9/19: Brooklyn Book Festival (Optional Extra Credit!)

• “The Yellow Wallpaper” (continued)
  

Blog/Due

• read through “Yellow Wallpaper” posts and find one you like, choose in an excerpt, bring it in along with a rationale for why you chose it

*CUNY Thursday

• “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (Ursula K. Le Guin)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #1: Favorite Excerpts from Student Blog Posts on “The Yellow Wallpaper” (by F 9/15)
• Reading Response #3: The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas (due M 9/18)
• Optional Extra Credit Opportunity #1: Brooklyn Book Festival (Su 9/17) + response blog (due Tu 9/19)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #2: Favorite Excerpts from Student Blog Posts on “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (by F 9/22)

*Framework for Analyzing Utopian/Dystopian/Science Fiction Text (handed out in class on Tu 9/26)

• “The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (continued)
• ““There Will Come Soft Rains” (Ray Bradbury)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #4: There Will Come Soft Rains (due M 9/25)

• “There Will Come Soft Rains” (continued)
• “There will Come Soft Rains” (Sara Teasdale), poem
• “There will Come Rains” (Budet Laskovyj Dozhd)

Blog/Due

• “There Will Come Soft Rains” (continued)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #3: People’s Choice Posts for “There Will Come Soft Rains” (due Su 10/1)

• Station Eleven, Part 1 (The Theater)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #5: Station Eleven, Part 1 (due W 10/4)

• Station Eleven, Part 2 (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) & Part 3 (I Prefer You with a Crown)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #6: Station Eleven, Parts 2-3 (due M 10/9)
• Class Discussion #4: People’s Choice Posts for Station Eleven, Part 1 (due Su 10/8)

• Station Eleven, Part 2 (A Midsummer Night’s Dream) & Part 3 (I Prefer You with a Crown), continued

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #5: People’s Choice Posts for Station Eleven, Parts 2-3 (due W 10/11): EXTENDED to F 10/13
  

• Station Eleven, Part 4 (The Starship), Part 5 (Toronto),  & Part 6 (The Airplanes)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #7: Station Eleven, Parts 4-6  (due M 10/16)

*F 10/20: National Day of Writing

• Station Eleven, Part 4 (The Starship), Part 5 (Toronto),  & Part 6 (The Airplanes), continued

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #6: People’s Choice Posts for Station Eleven, Parts 4-6 (due W 10/18)
• Optional Extra Credit Opportunity #2: National Day of Writing (blog due Su 10/22)

• Station Eleven, Part 7 (The Terminal), Part 8 (The Prophet), & Part 9 (Station Eleven)

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #8: Station Eleven, Parts 7-9 (due M 10/23)

• Station Eleven, Part 7 (The Terminal), Part 8 (The Prophet), & Part 9 (Station Eleven), continued

Blog/Due

• Each group should post its “virtual presentation” (from in class work, from Tu 10/24) to our Crowdsourcing Claims  Class Discussion (due W 10/25 at 5pm)
• Class Discussion #7: People’s Choice Posts for Station Eleven, Part 7-9 (due W 10/25)
• Check out the #WhyIWrite posts: they are great 🙂
• Read through Essay 1 Assignment (discussed in class on Tu 10/24) & brainstorm topics

In-Class Peer Review & Writing Workshop (Essay #1)

*Tu 10/31: Faculty to inform students of midterm grades

Blog/Due

• Essay #1 Pre-Draft (post to blog before class: categorize as Essay 1, Pre-Draft & bring four printed copies to class). This should include 1) working essay title; 2) thesis paragraph (introduction); 3) two full body paragraphs (complete with topic sentences, textual evidence/citation, analysis); 4) reflection about where you in the process, what you have done, what you still are working on, what you are struggling with, what you think you have done well (etc.).

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts I-II

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #9: The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts I-II (due Th 11/2 by start of class, 2:30pm)

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts III-VIII

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #8: People’s Choice Posts for The Handmaid’s Tale (Parts I-II) (due M 11/6 by 5pm: this is an extension!)
• Reading Response #10: The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts III-VIII (due M 10/6)

*F 11/10: Course Withdrawal period ends; Last day to drop a course with a grade of “W.”

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts III-VIII (continued)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #9: People’s Choice Posts for The Handmaid’s Tale (Parts III-VIII) (due W 11/8)

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts IX-X

 Blog/Due

• Reading Response #11: The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts IX-X (due M 11/13)
• Essay #1 Due
  • Submit to Dropbox (before class begins) + bring printed, stapled copy to class [see Essay 1Assignment & general Assignment Formatting/Guidelines for more details]

*WF period begins; A grade of WF is assigned to students who elect to withdraw from a class

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts IX-X (continued)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #10: People’s Choice Posts for The Handmaid’s Tale (Parts IX-X) (due W 11/15)

Blog/Due

Blog/Due

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts XI-XV & Historical Notes

Blog/Due

• Reading Response #12: The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts XI-XV & Historical Notes (due M 11/27)

• The Handmaid’s Tale, Parts XI-XV & Historical Notes (continued)

Blog/Due

• Class Discussion #11: People’s Choice Posts for The Handmaid’s Tale (Parts XI-XV & Historical Notes) (due W 11/29)

*W 12/6: City Tech Science Fiction Symposium (Extra Credit!)

Blog/Due

• Work on Essay 2

Class Notes: Sharie (2nd time: extra credit!)

*Last day Withdraw with a WF grade

Blog/Due

• Work on Essay 2

• The Handmaid’s Tale (Hulu Series), Episodes 1-2

Blog/Due

• (Optional) Reading Response #13: Hulu version of The Handmaid’s Tale (due M 12/11) [categorize as  “The Handmaid’s Tale,” “Hulu Series, Episodes 1-2″ and “Extra Credit”]
• Optional Extra Credit Opportunity: Attend / blog about W 12/6 City Tech Science Fiction Symposium (due Su 12/10)

*Final Exams

Blog/Due

• Essay 2 Due (F 12/15 by 1pm)

*Final Exams

Blog/Due

• Final Exam: Final Course Reflection (due by start of last class: Tu 12/19 by 2:30pm)