Chair as art at City Tech (photo by Professor Penner)

Before class on Monday, students will…

  • Complete Part 2 of your worksheet from Monday’s class. Bring it to the following session to get credit!
    • This is one of those low-stakes writing assignments (worth 30% of your overall grade).
  • Start thinking about the genre you’d like to use to share your information from U2. Have at least one. If you’re waffling between two, that’s fine. Either way, think and be ready to share. We’ll be chatting about it on Monday!

During class, we will…

Discuss

  • Now that we’ve discussed several different genres and you’ve written a bit about your audience for your project, in which genres are you considering repurposing your U2 research?
  • I told you last class to decide on one (or two) genres.
  • Remember your target audience, not just what you’re interested in doing: age, education, primary residence, etc.
    • For example, a children’s book will obviously reach kids (and their parents/grandparents), but if your intended audience is college-age folks, it won’t really speak to them, unless they’re babysitting their siblings or cousins!
  • If you’re unsure, that’s okay! Bring this up with your partner and ask for advice.

Write

  • 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. 
  • It doesn’t have to be about your U2 content.
  • Once you’ve found a mentor text, come up and show it to me.
  • Read and complete the worksheet I will provide. Be sure to show it to me before you leave class!
    • This is a low-stakes writing assignment (worth 30% of your overall grade)!

Write some more…

  • Remember, in addition to creating an original project (using U2 research), you need to write a reflection/analysis of this work.
  • In your reflection make sure to do the following:
    • State the genre you chose and explain why this is your choice. In other words, does your choice relate to this audience’s interest, age, or a community they are part of, etc.?
    • Discuss the specific audience with whom you will share your research. Briefly describe who they are, why you chose them, and how this research relates to them. What do you think your audience knows about the subject? And what might their concerns or assumptions be about this topic?
    • List and explain at least four traits that are unique to the genre you have chosen. (Refer to the worksheet you just completed.)

Before class on Wednesday, students will…

  • Continue to work on U3. This means you should finish the first draft of the reflection/analysis and start creating/writing the genre part of the project.
  • Please remember, YOU are going to CREATE an original project. You can’t take the work of the author of your mentor text or any other text.
  • Bring the worksheet you completed today as well as what you’ve written for the reflection/analysis to class on Wednesday!

During class, we will…

Write

  • Pretend you are a professor teaching a class how to write in your genre.
  • Create lecture slides listing AND defining the traits/features of your genre.

Discuss

  • In pairs, take turns taking on the following roles:

Professor: Teach the basic features of your genre using your slide(s).

Student: Ask questions.

  • I’ll ask for volunteers to present their lessons to the class!

Work

  • Spend the remainder of class working on your U3 project.
  • This means you should be writing and creating during this time, NOT sleeping or chatting/texting with friends.
  • If you have questions or concerns, talk to me about them!

Looking to the future…

  • Spring break! No classes scheduled between Monday, 4/22 to Tuesday, 4/30 – but don’t forget about U3!
  • Create your U3 project over spring break. This project requires some maturity as a student on your part. Why? Because each student’s project is different, the time required for Parts 1 (the creation) and 2 (the reflection/analysis) 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!
  • By Wednesday, May 1, have both Parts 1 & 2 ready for peer review. Have a hard copy or a digital copy on hand!
  • Please remember, YOU are going to CREATE an original project. You can’t take the work of the author of your mentor text or any other text.