Unit 1:

Portrait of a Word

Class 1 8/28:

Class introductions, reading of and discussion about class syllabus and course schedule, discussion about the class and expectations, and discussion about literacy, and transfer.

HW: Please go to, signup for, and explore our class’ Openlab site.  Please read Mike Bunn “How to Read Like a Writer” and “Online Discussions: Tips for Students”

Class 2 8/30:

Discussion about outlining, brainstorming, and drafting. Discussion about Portrait of a Word assignment. Discussion about peer workshops. Review of “How to Read Like a Writer” and “Online Discussions: Tips for Students.”

HW:  Please read Hanif Willis Abdurraqib “Zayn Malik and the Songs that Bring us to Prayer”.

Class 3 9/6: Review and blog workshop “Zayn Malik and the Songs that Bring us to Prayer”  and discussion about peer review, revision, editing, and proofreading. Blog Here.

HW: Please post to Openlab your Portrait of a Word outlines on or by class Sept 11th. Please read Junot Diaz “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” Outline Blog Post Here

Class 4  9/11: Conferences and peer workshops for Portrait of a Word outlines. Discussion about code switching. Discussion about  “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao” Discussion about reflective writing assignments.

HW: Please submit the first draft of your Portrait of a Word assignments by Sept 13th to Blackboard.

Class 5 9/13: Conferences for Portrait of a Word first drafts.

HW: Please read Anne Lamott “Shitty First Drafts”

Class 6  9/18: Discussion about and blog workshop  “Shitty First Drafts”Blog Here.

HW: Submit the final draft of the Portrait of a Word and Part One  Reflection by Sept 20th  to Blackboard.

Unit 2:

Discourse Communities

Class 7  9/20:

Discussion about discourse community and genre. Discussion and group work about Reddit.

HW: Please read for Erik Borg, “Discourse Community” and Patricia Bizzell “What Is a Discourse Community?”

Class 8  9/27:

Discussion about and blog workshop  “Discourse Communities” and “What Is a Discourse Community?”Blog Here.

HW: Please read Kerry Dirk, “Navigating Genres” and please watch the video “Understanding Genre Awareness”

Class 9  10/2: 

Portrait of a Word conferences.

Class 10  10/4:

Discussion about “Navigating Genres”. Discussion about Discourse Communities assignment. Discussion about critical analysis. Discussion about analysis and synthesis.

HW: Outline your Discourse Communities assignment and submit to Openlab by Oct 10th Outline Blog Post Here

Class 11  10/10: (This is a Tuesday)

Workshops for Discourse Communities assignment outline. In-class conferences for Discourse Communities assignment.

Class 12  10/11:

Discussion about primary and secondary sources. Discussion about research citation formats. Discussion about research planning. Discussion about proposals and annotated bibliographies.

HW: Read John Mundy and Glyn White Chapter 10 “Comedy, Race, and Ethnicity” from “Laughing Matters”.

Class 13  10/16:

Library research session. Students will find one source that ties into their Discourse Communities assignment.

HW:  Please find at least one piece you will use for your Discourse Communities assignment and write an analysis for it and how you will use it in your piece in 1 page and post it to OpenLab by Oct 18th. Blog Here.

Class 14  10/18:  Discussion about and blog workshop  “Racism without Hatred? Racist Humor and the Myth of Color-blindness” and “Humor, Race, and Rhetoric- a Liberating Sabotage of the Past’s Hold on the Present”. In addition, review of  “Cancellation Might Feel Good, But It’s Not Activism”

HW: Write the first draft of your Discourse Communities assignment and submit it by Oct 25th to Blackboard. In addition, read  Suzanne Moore “Cancellation Might Feel Good, But It’s Not Activism”

Class 15  10/23:

Discussion about pathos, logos, and ethos and their relation to audience and discourse communities.  Review of Ghost Kitchen content and how they relate to discourse communities, pathos, logos, and ethos.

Class 16  10/25:

Conferences for Discourse Communities assignment first draft.

HW: Please read Raul Perez “Racism without Hatred? Racist Humor and the Myth of Color-blindness” and Timmerman, Gussman, and King “Humor, Race, and Rhetoric- a Liberating Sabotage of the Past’s Hold on the Present”.

HW: Please submit the final version of Discourse Communities assignment and Part Two reflection by Oct 30th to Blackboard.

Class 17 10/30 :

Conferences about Midterm grades.

HW: Blog post proposal and annotated bibliography using “Racism without Hatred? Racist Humor and the Myth of Color-blindness” and “Humor, Race, and Rhetoric- a Liberating Sabotage of the Past’s Hold on the Present” on Openlab. Blog Here.

Class 18  11/1: 

Discussion about New Genre/New Audience assignment. Peer review of proposals and annotated bibliographies. Discussion about use of texts and argumentation

Class 19  11/6:

Conferences for Discourse Communities assignment.

HW: Decide on an audience and genre for the New Genre/New Audience papers for discussion by next class. Bring in brainstormed ideas for your New Genre/New Audience papers to next class.

Class 20  11/8: New Genre/Audience review.

HW: Write a proposal for your New Genre/New Audience and submit to OpenLab by Nov 13th. Blog Here.

Unit 3:

New Genre/New Audience 

Class 21  11/13:

Review of New Genre/New Audience proposals 

HW: Post outlines for your New Genre/New Audience

papers by Nov 15th to Openlab.Outline Blog Post Here

Class 22  11/15:

Review of New Genre/New Audience paper outlines.

HW: Please write an annotated bibliography about one piece of research you find for your New Genre/New Audience assignment by Nov 20th  to Openlab. Blog Here.

Class 23  11/20:

In-class work for the New Genre/New Audience.

Class 24  11/27: Peer workshops for New Genre/New Audience 

proposal and annotated bibliographies.

Class 25 11/29:

HW: Complete the final draft of New Genre/New Audience 

and submit it by Dec 4th to Blackboard.

Class 26  12/4:

Hand in New Genre/New Audience final draft with Unit 3 Reflection

Class 27 12/6:

Discussion about Portfolio and Final Reflection

Class 28  12/11:

Review of Portfolio and Final Reflection

Class 29  12/13:

Portfolio with final draft of New Genre/New Audience 

paper due.

Class 30  12/18:

Grading Day