Writing on a Wall by >sunshine<

Before class on Tuesday, students will…

  • Choose the genre you will use for Unit 3 and find a mentor text (a sample of what you want to use as a model for your own project) for the genre you will work in. Read, annotate and bring it to class.
  • Note several traits (at least six) that seem specific to this genre and list them. Here are some examples of what you might look for:
    • Are the paragraphs long or short? How long is the overall piece?
    • Is imagery used?
    • From what point of view is the piece written? 
    • Is there dialogue or is just one person talking? 
    • What is the tone and purpose? 
    • How is it organized?
    • Where is your genre found? What kind of place/publication?
    • Consider who created the piece (a scholar? a reporter? a creative writer? a child? etc.)
    • Quote one sentence from your sample that you think is effective, and explain why you chose it.
  • Create a post titled Full Name, U3 Genre and save it under the category U3 Work. In the post, share your notes about what you’ve found in your mentor text. Be sure to post this by class time on Tuesday, since we’ll be discussing it!
    • This is a low-stakes writing assignment (worth 30% of your overall grade)!

During class, we will…

Write/Discuss:

  • Pretend you are a professor teaching a class how to write in your genre. Create a single lecture slide listing AND defining the traits/features of your genre.
  • Then in small groups, take turns taking on the following roles:
    • Professor: Teach the basic features of your genre using your slide.
    • Student: Ask questions. (What is unclear? What is missing? Are there any basic features that should be added or deleted?) 
  • When you finish presenting/discussing, write out a paragraph describing and defining the traits/features of your genre (this can become a paragraph in your Unit 3 Reflection paper).

Homework:

  • Take the paragraph you wrote after presenting/discussing (see assignment above) and post it under the title Full Name, U3 Genre Lesson and save it under the category U3 Work by class time on Tuesday.
    • This is one of those low-stakes writing assignments (worth 30% of your overall grade)!
  • Begin creating your U3 project over the holiday weekend. This project requires some maturity as a student on your part. Why? Because each student’s project is different, the time required for Parts I and II will vary. You’ll need to schedule in the time needed. Also, the temptation to put off this assignment until right before the first draft due date will be strong–do not give in to this temptation!
  • However, I will give you two new due dates to keep y’all motivated and on track:
    • Plan on sharing your progress on Part I on Tuesday, 11/28 and Part II on Thursday, 11/30.
      • What do I mean by “progress”? Being ready to show or discuss in detail what you’re working on for Part I on Tuesday and having a few paragraphs to show for Part II on Thursday.

No class on Thursday, 11/23! Happy Thanksgiving!

During class on Tuesday, we will…

  • Break into small groups and share our U3 Part I progress (this means you will bring your project–Twitter/X thread, op-ed piece, PSA, open letter, etc.–and talk about what you’ve accomplished and what you have yet to complete). Your peers will do an informal review of the project by asking the following questions:
    • Does this include information from the research done for your reflective annotated bibliography?
    • How does this give appropriate credit in order to avoid plagiarism?
      • For example, if you are showing statistics about gun violence on a PSA, have the source title listed beneath the graph or quote.
  • When your group is finished, you will spend the remainder of class time working on your individual projects. Please bring your laptop or tablet in order to use this time profitably.
  • I will be calling on students to my desk to discuss their projects. Be sure to have any questions or concerns ready!

Homework:

  • Continue working on Part I of U3.
  • Begin working on Part II (if you haven’t already). Be sure to have a part of your reflection ready to share with your peers on Thursday!
    • Remember, this reflection needs to contain the following items:
      • it clearly and convincingly explains why the genre you plan to compose in makes sense for the audience you have chosen to address.
      • it clearly lists and explains the traits that are unique to the genre.
      • it is around 600 words.

During class on Thursday, we will…

  • Share our Part II of U3 with a small group. (Be sure to have either a hard copy or a digital copy ready to email to your group.)
  • You’ll be reading and commenting on the following questions:
    • Is it clear what genre the student is using?
    • What are the constraints of the genre?
    • Who is the student’s audience?
    • Does the student explain why they chose this genre for their audience?
  • When your group is finished, you will spend the remainder of class time working on your individual projects. Please bring your laptop or tablet in order to use this time profitably.
  • I will be calling on students to my desk to discuss their reflections. Be sure to have any questions or concerns ready!

Homework:

  • Continue working on Parts I and II. Our peer review session is on Tuesday, December 5, and the final draft is due Thursday, December 7.
    • Both parts must be uploaded to this website. If your project size is over 10MB, talk to me about alternative ways of submitting before Thursday.
  • I will not grant extensions to anyone who doesn’t have a documented excuse! (A doctor’s note, for example.) Turn in what you have!