English 1121: Spring 2022 – Weekly Guide

This weekly guide (or overview of the class) provides a list of each class meeting, what we will cover and discuss or do in class, your homework assignments and your major projects and their due dates. 

It is VERY IMPORTANT TO NOTE that this weekly guide might change! Any changes made will be announced on OpenLab. It is your responsibility to keep up with all announced changes. What that means is, do not look ahead and do all the assignments this weekend! Wait until they are due! However, it also means that there ARE DUE DATES and reasons for these due dates. The work is cumulative. Each assignment has a purpose and much of the work is very connected. If you miss one assignment, you will not be able to actively participate in class and you will have trouble completing the next assignment. Thus, make sure not to fall behind. Speak to me if you are worried about keeping up. 

Most importantly, though! This is supposed to be an interesting, fun and academically rigorous experience. I want it to challenge you, make you think, make you learn and make you into stronger and more effective writers! 

Major Projects and Assignments

We have 3 Units this semester! In each of these units, you will complete one major writing project that will build toward your final portfolio. In Unit 1, we will be thinking about how the words we choose matter. You are going to choose a word or a phrase that is unique to your community that the people outside of your community should know about and explain why. In Unit 2, you will begin a research and inquiry process exploring an issue related to a community that you are a member of or have a deep knowledge of that will span Units 2 and 3. In Unit 2, you will analyze and evaluate your sources and you will then write an article using the 3 sources. In Unit 3, you will create a project in a new genre using your research. At the end of the semester, you will create a portfolio using the texts you created during the semester. 

Unit 1: Portrait of a Word

What is a word or phrase unique to your community that people outside the community should know about? Why? In this unit we will look closely at words or phrases that are unique to different communities and discuss why the word matters to the communities. 

*Project 1: Portrait of a Word

You will write a 1000 word “portrait of a word” essay.

Unit  2: Finding Your Beat: Writing a Feature Article

You will begin a research and inquiry process that will span Units 2 and 3. 

*Project 2: Finding Your Beat: Writing a Feature Article

You will research an issue of great interest to you! You will find “your beat!” You will prepare a short oral presentation on your research, analyze and evaluate your 4 sources and then write a feature article on the topic of your choosing that is between 1400-1600 words.

Unit 3: New Audience, New Genre!

In Unit 3, you will repurpose the research you compiled in Unit 2 and repackage your research in a new genre  for a new audience! 

*Project 3: New Audience, New Genre!

Using your research from Unit 2, you will create a genre piece using your research that you feel best reaches your intended audience. You will also write an accompanying artist’s statement. Together, the two pieces will be at least 1,500 words.

Final Portfolio

For your final portfolio you will compile a revised and edited version of all of your projects and your Units 1 and 2 Reflections. You will also write a  final reflection that looks back on your writing experience over the course. 

PROJECT DUE DATES

PROJECT 1: Portrait of a Word

  • Project 1 DRAFT Due MARCH 6th 
  • Project 1 FINAL Due MARCH 13th
  • Unit 1 Reflection Due MARCH 13th

PROJECT 2: Feature Article

  • Oral presentation Due 
  • Rhetorical Analysis and Evaluation Worksheet Due 
  • Project 2 DRAFT Due APRIL 24th
  • Project 2 FINAL Due May 1st
  • Unit 2 Reflection Due May 1st

PROJECT 3: New Audience, New Genre

  • Project 3 Proposal 
  • Project 3 DRAFT Due MAY 10th
  • Project 3 FINAL Due MAY 15th

FINAL PORTFOLIO

  • Final Portfolio (with Final Reflection) DUE May 22nd

INTRODUCTION 

INTRO, Day 1: Wed. Jan 25th

In Class

  • Visit and Join Class Website
  • Practice Using the Class Website
  • Review the Course Syllabus
  • Review the Course Weekly Assignments and Projects
  • PowerPoint

Homework

  • WRITE: an introductory post on OpenLab. Introductory writing assignment. Choose 1 (or 2) of the following prompts to write a response to! Write at least 150-200 words! 
    • What are your favorite hobbies, activities or things to do? Why? How often do you do them?
    • Describe a book or a person or a movie or a game that has had a profound influence in your life. Why? Explain! 
    • What’s a current issue in the news/on social media that you have strong opinions about?
    • Describe a goal you have for your future—what is your plan to achieve it?
    • Describe a life event from which you learned a lesson that changed you forever
    • What are you hoping to achieve as a result of taking this writing class?

INTRO, Day 2: Mon. Jan. 30th

In Class

Homework

  • Read “How to Read Like a Writer” by Mike Bunn. In this article, Bunn says that his students suggest that the advice they would give to future students is that they  “write yourself notes and summaries both during and after reading.” So I’d like you to do that. Please take out a piece of paper and a pen (or pencil) and have it beside you as you read.  Just write down whatever stands out to you from the text– jot down a few key words.  Doodle! Write a summary. Write a question. There are no right or wrong answers here. Then write a response to the questions that follow! 
    • What did you think of the piece? Did you like it? Or not? Why? Explain! (Don’t worry my feelings won’t be hurt! Be honest!)
    • Let’s think about the “context” of this text. What is the author (Mike Bunn’s) purpose in writing this piece? Who is his intended audience?
    • What is the genre of this text? It’s okay if you don’t know! Just give it a shot! (essay, article, poem, etc.)
    • What did you notice about HOW this text was written? Choose one observation!
    • In his article, Mike Bunn writes “You are already an author.” He’s talking to you.  What do you think he means by this? What are some of the things you write already?  (Hint: “Nothing” is not an acceptable answer.) Think of all of the ways you already use words in your everyday life.  That’s authorship! How will that existing expertise help you in your college reading and writing career?
    • Was there anything you noticed in Bunn’s article that you would like to try to do in your own writing? What, in particular? Please be specific!
    • Can you explain what you think the author means when he says, “When you read like a writer, you are trying to figure out how the text you are reading was constructed so that you learn how to ‘build’ one for yourself” (74). Be specific. Share a personal example, if possible.

INTRO, Day 3: Wed. Feb. 1st

In Class

Homework

  • Read “Understanding Discourse Communities” by Dan Melzer. Write a response to the following questions on OpenLab. Make sure to thoughtfully respond to the questions. Do not just write a few words in response, write a meaningful answer that is based in the text. Use evidence and examples from the text to support your thinking. Be prepared to discuss the reading in class. 
    • What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Really! I want to know! Was it hard to understand? Interesting? Boring?
    • According to John Swale (and Dan Melzer) what features do all discourse communities have? (List all 6!)
    • What were the shared goals of Melzer’s guitar jam group? Explain! Provide an example!
    • What is a mechanism for intercommunication? What example does Melzer provide? Explain!
    • How does Melzer explain the idea of discourse communities having genres that further the goals of a discourse community? What genres did Melzer’s guitar jam group use to further their goals?
    • What does it mean for a discourse community to have a specific lexis? What is an example of the specific lexis (language) that Melzer’s guitar jam group used? Explain! Provide an example!
    • How do the beginners and experts in Melzer’s guitar jam group work together? Explain!
    • Can you think of a Discourse Community you might belong to?

UNIT 1 (Portrait of a Word)

Unit 1, Day 1: Mon. Feb. 6th

In Class

Homework

  • Read the first 7 pages of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao  by Junot Diaz Don’t forget to read the footnotes! Answer the following questions on OpenLab! 
    • What did you think of this piece? Be honest! Why? Explain! 
    • What do you find difficult or confusing? Be specific! Point out particular passages that confused you and explain why you were confused.  What do you think the writer may have been trying to do?  Find a particular passage that was difficult and explain specifically where you got caught up and why. I get it. This seems like a really strange thing to do– but there’s a point to it!  The places you have difficulty are where you’re doing your best thinking.  The places you struggle are the places PhD students struggle too.  Difficulties aren’t walls to stop you but obstacles that you can (and will) overcome!
    • How does the author use footnotes? Why do you think he makes this choice?
    • What discourse community does Oscar Wao belong to? What word is important to his DC?  Why does this word matter? What does it teach outsiders about his DC?  

Unit 1, Day 2: Wed. Feb. 8th

In Class

Homework

  • READ and ANNOTATE “HERS” by Perri Klass. In this article, the writer paints a portrait, not of a particular word, but of a whole new language she had to learn in order to fit in with her new profession. While you are reading, ANNOTATE places  in the text that caught your eye, where you wanted to know more, where you were confused or where you related!
  • WRITE: At least 300 words. What community is Klass a part of? What is an example of the whole new language that she had to learn (be specific!). What are some communities that you are a part of? (hint: we’re all a part of multiple communities!) What “languages” have you had to learn to engage with these communities—and how did you learn these languages? Are there particular words or phrases that stick out to you as helping you feel like you were part of the in-crowd? Post on OpenLab.

**NO CLASS FEB 13th**

UNIT 1, Day 3: Wednesday, Feb. 15th

In Class

Homework

  • Project 1: Step 1: Choose and Introduce Your Community
  • Write an introduction to your community. It should be about 250 words. It might be helpful to FOCUS on the SPECIFIC LEXIS (specialized language) and other unique criteria.   

**NO CLASS FEB. 20th***

***UNIT 1, Day 4: **TUESDAY**, Feb. 21st***

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Discuss the Power of Words: Connotations vs. Denotations of Words
  • Begin Project 1: Step 2: Choose a Word or a Phrase and then Show Us the Word in Action using the Project 1: Step 2 Handout

Homework

  • Complete Project 1, Step 2 Handout

**UNIT 1, Day 5: Wed. Feb. 22nd**

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Add concrete, significant details
  • Write the scene
  • Write a description of your word or phrase AND show the word or phrase in action. 

Homework

  • Project 1: Step 2: Write a description of your word or phrase AND show the word or phrase in action. It should be about 750 words in total. Bring into class a print copy. DUE Feb. 27th

UNIT 1, Day 6: Mon. Feb. 27th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Review the elements of an analytical essay
  • Draft essay 

Homework

  • **Project 1 DRAFT DUE Mon. March 6th! Cannot be late if you want me to comment/ review your draft!

UNIT 1, Day 7: Wed. March 1st. 

In Class

Homework

  • Draft Due Mon March 6th

UNIT 1, Day 7: Mon. March 6th

In Class

Homework

  • Project 1 Final Draft Due Mon. March 13th
  • Unit 1 Reflection Due Mon. March 13th

UNIT 2 (Finding Your Beat: Writing a Feature Article)

UNIT 2, Day 1: Wed. March 8th

In Class

Homework

  • Choose a TOPIC for Project 2. Record your topic on OpenLab. Check to see if Prof. C approved the topic! 
  • Use the Project 2: Brainstorming handout to do a free write on your topic. Write a 100-250 word free write on your topic. You do not have to do any research, just write what comes to mind! Here are the two questions you should use to drive your writing: What do you know about the topic? What would you like to learn about the topic?

UNIT 2, Day 2: Mon. March 13th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Finalize Project 2 Topic Choice: “Your Beat”
  • Develop create a KWL chart on our topics
  • Discuss the genre of a feature article

Homework

  • Read “How coronavirus stress may scramble our brains” by Laura Sanders
    • What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Did you find any parts interesting? Did you learn something new?
    • Who do you think is the intended audience of the piece? Who is meant to read this text?
    • What do you think is the purpose of this text? Why do you think the author wrote it?
    • How do you know that this is an example of a feature article? Be specific! 
    • What did you notice about how the author wrote this piece? Maybe the tone (formal, informal, humorous, casual, etc), or the use of ethos (statistics and facts) or the use of pathos (emotion) or the use of logos (logic)?
    • What stands out to you– what do you like/ dislike about this writer’s style?  What are you confused by? What do you want to know more about? Pay special attention to how this author uses research (outside facts, statistics, history, news, interviews) etc in their writing.
    • What did you learn from reading this feature article? How did this author use research? How do they use personal experience? Did the author tell any stories?  

UNIT 2, Day 3: Wed. March 15th

In Class

 

Homework

  • Read “Why I’m Behind the Athletes’ Bill of Rights” by Senator Cory Booker. 
    • What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Did you find any parts interesting? Did you learn something new?
    • Who do you think is the intended audience of the piece? Who is meant to read this text?
    • What do you think is the purpose of this text? Why do you think the author wrote it?
    • How do you know that this is an example of a feature article? Be specific! 
    • What did you notice about how the author wrote this piece? Maybe the tone (formal, informal, humorous, casual, etc), or the use of ethos (statistics and facts) or the use of pathos (emotion) or the use of logos (logic)?
    • What stands out to you– what do you like/ dislike about this writer’s style?  What are you confused by? What do you want to know more about? Pay special attention to how this author uses research (outside facts, statistics, history, news, interviews) etc in their writing.
    • What did you learn from reading this feature article? How did this author use research? How do they use personal experience? Did the author tell any stories?  

UNIT 2, Day 4: Mon. March 20th

In Class

Homework

  • Find 2 additional sources for your project. 
  • Complete the Project 2: Step 2 Handout. Focus on: 
    • The title and author of your source
    • The genre of your sources (be VERY specific) 
    • The proper MLA citation of your source
    • The reason you think this source might be helpful. 

UNIT 2, Day 5: Wed. March 22nd

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Discuss how to analyze and evaluate your 3 sources and practice with model text
  • Discuss how to prepare brief oral/ written Presentation of your research for Monday

Homework

  • Prepare a short oral presentation on one of the sources you found and share it with the class. The focus should be on the Rhetorical Situation (audience, purpose), how the author presents the information, and a brief summary of the piece. Explain why you chose the piece and what the information teaches you about your topic.

UNIT 2, Day 6: Mon. March 27

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Share / Present Research with the class 
  • Annotate sources looking for key information

Homework

  • Read “Using Sources Ethically” by Marcia Muth and write a response to the questions below: 
    • Choose one to two pieces of information that you found interesting or learned from reading this piece? Why was it interesting? Explain!
    • How can you use what you learned to help as you begin to write your articles?

UNIT 2, Day 7: Wed. March 29th

In Class

Homework

UNIT 2, Day 8: Mon. April 3rd. 

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Discuss elements of a “Nut Graf” paragraph 
  • Discuss elements of Intro paragraph
  • Begin to draft feature article 

Homework

  • Using your mentor article as a guide, begin to draft your article. Make sure you have a Nut Graf paragraph and an Intro paragraph.
  • Using your mentor article as a guide, continue to draft your article. 

**SPRING BREAK**

UNIT 2: Day 9: Mon. April 17th

In Class

Homework

  • Draft Due April 24th || Final Due May 1st 

UNIT 2, Day 10: Wed. April 19th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Citing Sources
  • Add the fieldwork and the body paragraphs to the drafts of your feature articles. 
  • Make sure that your feature articles have the genre elements of a feature article

Homework

  • Using your mentor article as a guide, complete your draft of your feature article. Due Monday, April 24th 

UNIT 2, Day 11: Mon. April 24th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Revising with a focus on organization (headings, subheadings, titles) and editing for grammar and conventions using the Proj 2 checklist 
  • Adding a Cover Page
  • KWL Peer Review
  • Writing Your Unit 2 Reflection! 

Homework

  • Final Project 2 Due, Monday, May 1st
  • Final Unit 1 Reflection due Monday, May 1st

UNIT 3: New Audience- New Genre

UNIT 3, Day 1: Wed. April 26th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Introduction to Unit 3
  • Introduction to Project 3
  • Define and discuss and explore different Multimodal Texts

Homework

  • Final Project 2 Due, Monday, May 1st
  • Final Unit 1 Reflection due Monday, May 1st

UNIT 3, Day 2: Mon. May 1st

In Class

Homework

UNIT 3, Day 3: Wed. May 3rd

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Share Project Proposals!
  • Explore and analyze additional Multimodal Texts! 
  • Talk about the ELEMENTS to include in a multimodal text. 
  • Begin STEP 3 of Project 3: Drafting!!
  • Project 3 DRAFT due WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th!! FINAL Project Due MONDAY, May 15th

Homework

  • Begin to draft your multimodal texts 

UNIT 3, Day 4: Mon. May 8th

In Class

Homework

  • Project 3 DRAFT due WEDNESDAY, MAY 10th!! FINAL Project Due MONDAY, May 15th

UNIT 3, Day 5: Wed. May 10th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • Time for questions / individual check – ins
  • Revise / Edit Multimodal Texts using checklist

Homework

  • Final Project 3 – (Multimodal and Artist’s Statement Due May 15th. Here is the folder to submit. 

FINAL PORTFOLIO

FINAL PORTFOLIO: Mon. May 15th

In Class

  • PowerPoint
  • What is a portfolio?
  • What do I include in my portfolio? 
  • How do I submit my portfolio?
  • Final Reflection – Overview
  • If you want to use a Final Portfolio Template, you may use this!

Homework

  • Final Portfolio Due May 22nd 

FINAL PORTFOLIO: Wed. May 17th

In Class

  • Time for questions / Individual check- ins
  • Portfolio revisions and edits
  • Crafting a final reflection

Homework

  • Final Portfolio Due May 22nd 

FINAL PORTFOLIO: Mon. May 22rd

In Class

  • Sharing and celebrating!