ENG 1121

Please upload your draft of your final essay here.

Once you upload your essay, I will provide comments. You will then complete edits by Tuesday, May 25 .

Please email me concerning any questions you may have: mnoonan@citytech.cuny.edu

I am teaching the following summer course:

ENG2002-OL60 Introduction to Drama (Theater)  Asynchronous  May 28-July1

IMPORTANT CUNY VACCINATION INFORMATION

NO CLASS NEXT WEEK (READING DAY)

ACADEMIC CALENDAR

Please contact me with any questions or to set up a zoom meeting at mnoonan@citytech.cuny.edu

Check your grades on CHECK YOUR GRADE link (on the right)

Some Good News

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For this week finish Unit #2.

Here’s a link to the assignment directions:   (UNIT 2) 

Upload this assignment to  GOOGLEDRIVE

Once Unit#2 is finished, begin Unit#3

Here is a link to the assignment directions: Unit#3

Upload this assignment here

Here is a sample essay.

A draft of Unit#3 is due Tues., May 18

 

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Overview of how to write an annotation of each article:

Find 2-3 articles on your research topic  [use NYTimes, Google Scholar, or library databases (Academic Premier Search, Lexis/Nexis, Opposing Viewpoints)].  For each article:

• Provide a bibliographic entry (author, title, source, date)
• Provide a  short summary of article
• Provide a reflection on the source, including your opinion on the content and why you chose to include it. Consider the  author’s use of evidence.  Consider the genre of the piece (is it an article, website, video).  Who is the intended audience?  What is the purpose of the piece?  Does the piece appear in a credible source (magazine, newspaper, website)?
• Pull out 2-3 key quotes that are representative of the content

This will be the middle part of your Reflective Annotated Bibliography, or RAB, which will also include an introduction to your topic and a conclusion (about what your learned from your sources).

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For anyone who couldn’t make or stay for the whole Literary Arts Festival, here is a recording of it. The first part consists of stellar student readings and the second half is the amazing Staceyann Chin performing her brilliant material.  Lots of food for thought as you work on your final writing project.  

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At this time, you should be following articles in the New York Times so that you can find a topic on a current issue you are passionate about.  I’ll also ask you to find articles on the library data bases (Academic Search Premier, Nexus-Uni, Opposing View Points).

To get a free app for the New York Times, follow this link:  New York Times account

Here’s an interesting article on the topic of gun control that recently appeared in the New York Times: OpEd . It’s the type of article you will want to find on your topic — once you’ve chosen it.

Here’s an interesting article on Press Freedom in Hong Kong.

Here’s a link to your next assignment: (UNIT 2) 

Please also revise your Unit One essays, at which point I’ll post your grade.

TOPICS  LIST (by next Tues. 4/19 post your topic — and begin finding articles).

1. Vaccine Hesitancy 
2. New State Laws to Prevent Voting (especially in Georgia and other Republican states)
3. Police Brutality 
4. What Kinds of Opportunities Did the Pandemic Open Up (in jobs, education, life goals)
5. NYC Mayoral Race 2021 (Andrew Yang, Eric Adams)
6. Controlling the Pandemic (problems in Europe, Bangledesh, Brazil, Michigan)
7. Businesses in Trouble after the Pandemic (Travel and Restaurants)
8. Violence in America
9. Mental Issues (due to the Pandemic)
10. Marijuana Legalization
11. Freedom of Speech Crackdowns (Facebook, North Korea, Myanmar, Hong Kong )
12.  On-line Education
13. Immigrant Issues on the Border
14. Loan Forgiveness
15. Free Community College (Professor Jill Biden, our First lady, continues to teach!)
16. MAKE CUNY FREE?? –  Professor Jill Biden (
17. #Metoo  –  Women’s Issue Soccer (NCAA, Basketball)
18. Amazon  — Monopoly Concerns —  Union Fights — Neighborhoods
19. Minimum $7.50 an hour — National Wage
20. National Maternity Leave
21. Gentrification (Massive Amazon Warehouses in Red Hook Brooklyn for example)
22. Climate Issues –  Windmills Offshore,  Electric Cars (Examine President Biden’s Plan)

 

I encourage you to read one of Chin’s poems (which you could also discuss in your post — or use as an article for Unit 2).

These include: “Crossfire,” “Tsunami Rising,” “In Those Years,” “Raise the Roof,” and “Passing,” and watch her performances as well.

 

1. Register for Literary Arts Festival (Tues. April 13, 5-6:30 pm) LAF is seeking to profile City Tech Student lives: Submit photographs before pandemic/after pandemic/at work/at home to: CityTechLAF@citytech.cuny.edu
2. Read op-ed written by legendary Congressman and Civil Rights Activist John Lewis, right before his death — which he knew was coming.

“Together, You Can Redeem the Soul of Our Nation”

3. Watch this amazing commencement address Lewis gave at CCNY in 2019:

 CCNY 2019 Commencement Speech

4. Read the linked article on Huge Ma, developer of Turbo Vax. Ma created his site to help all Americans find vaccination appointments but shut it down for two days to protest incidents of anti-Asian prejudice (related to the mistaken belief that — fake news really — that China purposely created the virus — a lie perpetuated by former President Donald Trump).

5. Get New York Times App (free for City Tech Students):  New York Times account

Over the break, follow articles in the NYTimes and find a topic you are passionate about. Look up articles on the library data bases. We’ll continue with this assignment (UNIT 2) upon our return on Tues. April 6th

***Important Site for finding available Covid Vaccine appointments in NYC.****

If you haven’t yet done so, subscribe to The New York Times (create a free Academic Pass account with your City Tech email)

Literary Arts Festival Information

Check out the great poster (click on image below). 

Your first formal assignment (due Tues, March 23) is HERE.

Here is a Revision Checklist:

Rough Draft Checklist

I. Writing, like building, is a process.

No matter what we are writing (a job cover letter? An essay? A podcast? An editorial? A presentation for class?), there are 3 useful steps:

1. Pre-writing (brainstorming, sketching structure, outlining)
2. Writing
3. Proofreading (checking clarity of ideas, organization, development, grammar, formatting)

Blank Literacy-Narrative-Outline Form for You

II. Essay Structure

Introduction

• Begins with a HOOK (to grab reader’s attention)
  • Possible hooks: brief anecdote (personal story or current events story), quote from relevant source (source citation info needed), ample detail about setting of story to come (set the scene for your reader)
• After hook, transition to introducing topic and providing background info to orient your reader, lay groundwork for discussion to follow
• Can end with thesis statement or main point of essay (if writing persuasive essay; sometimes narrative essays end with a thesis, too)
• No set length; typical minimum 4-5 sentences

Body Paragraphs

• Conventional academic essays have 3 or more paragraphs but there is a whole world beyond this; do not feel constrained
• Paragraph chronology (sequence) should help you progress through your ideas
• Paragraphs= minimum 4-5 sentences
• Content Breakdown
  • Topic sentence: first sentence of paragraph that indicates your main idea and provides an overview
  • Supporting sentences: develop and explain your idea; supporting details elaborate on what you mean and include examples and evidence in form of personal story, sometimes connections to outside material (texts, TV, film, current events/ newspaper articles, statistics, etc)
  • Wrap-up/ concluding sentence: draws conclusions from info just presented, supports thesis

Conclusion

• Reflects back on subject matter and wraps up ideas of essay
• Potential implications of your work
• No set length; can be shorter than intro and BPs (3 or more sent)

III. Incorporating Quotes Into Your Essay: 

.  Bread: Set up and introduce quote. Include the author, text title (capitalized), and publication year.  Summarize the text fully (this will take several sentences!)

Example: In “Maybe I Could Save Myself by Writing” (2017), Jose Olivarez writes about the challenge of navigating different aspects of his identity in school settings. (continued in other summary sentences) ●

  2. Veggies/ meat/ tofu: The quote itself, with a page citation if possible (if no page, cite

  paragraph #), or line number citation if a poem

Ex: Olivarez writes, “I’m telling you this because I wrote a book of poems with one foot in the past, one hand in the present, and a nose on the future” (45).

3. Bread: Analyze quote. Avoid repeating the quote or merely paraphrasing. Instead, say what the quote means, and then explain how it relates to your own writing.

Ex: Here Olivarez emphasizes the importance of his family history in his writing, as well as who he is as an individual. His point relates to…

For additional tips see: The Quote Sandwich

Last week’s assignment: Complete the following three prompts. Then upload the file onto our Google Docs Drive.

1. Choose an activity on which to focus. Think about something you are really good at and how you developed your talent.  As an alternate topic, you could focus on your educational development and the challenges and successes you’ve had over time. In my essay, I will explore/examine …
2. Jot down supporting examples/anecdotes and organize these ideas into an outline (bullet points are fine)
3. Identify the essay(s) (and quotes) you will refer to in YOUR essay.

Read: José Olivarez, “Maybe I Could Save Myself by Writing” and “Mexican American Disambiguation” (2018)

Annotate: Think about Olivarez’s texts. What are some interesting CHOICES he makes in his writing? Who do you think he is writing FOR (who is his intended audience)?

Watch (In-Class): 2019 LAF student video on Olivarez. Share any response you have to the student comments. Can you relate to something a fellow City Tech student articulated?

Here is Olivarez reading his poem “Mexican American Disambiguation”

Post: Choose a favorite line or section from Olivarez’ poem or essay. Explain what you found interesting about this section or quote. Try not to repeat what a student before you has commented on.

TOPICS: WHY I WRITE, INFLUENCE, GENRE, USE OF QUOTES

READ (and take notes):

1. George Orwell “Why I Write”

Also in WHY WE WRITE PDF (20-37)

2. “Why I Write” by Aaron Barlow in WHY WE WRITE PDF (70-76)

POST:

In 1-2 paragraphs, describe an important moment in time when a teacher, mentor, or family member taught you an invaluable skill or life lesson. Carefully describe both the person and the lesson with close details.

William Blake: “The Tyger”

Link to Coleridge Poem: “Rime of the Ancient Mariner”

1. Re-Read: Barack Obama’s excerpt: A Promised Land

HERE IS A LONGER VERSION PromisedLand

2. Read (and take notes): George Orwell “Why I Write”

Why I Write

Also in WHY WE WRITE PDF (20-37)

3. Post: In 1-2 paragraphs, discuss an incident in your life in which you surprised someone (or just yourself) by accomplishing something quite unexpected.

FOR THE FOLLOWING WEEK:

READ (and take notes):

“WhY i Write” by Aaron Barlow in WHY WE WRITE PDF (70-76)

POST:

In 1-2 paragraphs, describe an important moment in time when a teacher, mentor, or family member taught you an invaluable skill or life lesson. Carefully describe both the person and the lesson with close details.

1. Read (and take notes!): Vanity Fair Interview on Barak Obama’s new memoir

2. Read: Obama’s excerpt,  PromisedLand 

Here is a published shorter version: A Promised (if you’re short on time).

3. Post a response to issues raised in Caroline Hellman’s “In Defense of the

Classroom” . In a paragraph or two, discuss your experiences taking on-line

classes last semester. To post, click on “comments” above, write your post in

the text box, and post. Post due by Monday, 2/8.

Image and Article: The West Colonnade in the White House

STUDENT WORKSHEET IN GOOGLE DROPBOX

Welcome to City Tech and English 1121.

Our class meets Tuesdays on Zoom from 6:00-8:30.

We begin on Tuesday, 2/2. Here is the zoom link: Zoom

This is an advanced course in communication skills, including the expository essay and the research essay. This course further develops students’ reading and writing skills through literary and expository readings.

We are continuing to live through a very difficult time in our city, country, and world, and trying to adapt. In our class, we will prioritize intellectual nourishment, community, and humanity. If you have any concerns about the course or college, or if there is any situation preventing you from participating, please do not hesitate to reach out to me.

I can be reached at: mnoonan@citytech.cuny.edu

Professor Mark Noonan

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