This is a rough course overview. For an updated schedule of assignments, please follow the weekly agendas posted by the latest on Fridays before the next week.
Week 1: Course Overview & Annotating Texts
Texts:
- Read “How to Read like a Writer” by Mike Bunn.
- Review “RWL” (Reading like a Writer) Power Point by Laura Westengard.
Writing:
- Pick one quote from each of the Douglass and Malcom X readings. Choose something that reminds you of an experience you have had. Your experience does not have to be exactly the same as the author’s… just be sure to pick one reading that you relate to in some way. Mark it in your text.
- Create a “double-entry journal”: in the left hand column, write the quotes. Then in the right hand column, explain why it reminds you of your own learning experience (whether that experience was in an actual school setting or elsewhere). Template here
Week 2: Understanding the term “Education Narrative”
Texts:
- Read “The Memory of My Grandmother” (City Tech student essay) by Anita Jiang. (In class)
- Read “Chapter 7” from the Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass.
- Read “Learning to Read” by Malcolm X.
- Review “Double-Entry Reading Journals” (Butte College).
- Watch “Understanding Genre Awareness.”
Writing:
- Specific instructions will be announced in class and/or our class site.
Week 3: Reading Plato and Working with Writing Strategies
Texts:
Read by Monday, September 11th:
- “Allegory of the Cave” (Book VII) from The Republic, by Plato.
Watch by Wednesday, September 13th:
- Watch “The Cave: An Adaptation of Plato’s Allegory in Clay.”
- Watch “Plato’s Allegory of the Cave” by Alex Gendler.
Writing:
By Monday, September 11th:
- Write a summary of Plato’s text. What’s going on here? Where are we? Who’s there? What do they look like? What’s happening?
- Draw a picture (sketching is fine!) of a moment in the text. Don’t worry if you “can’t draw”– just sketch out what you see in your mind’s eye as you read. If you can, post a picture of your sketch.
- Have you ever had an experience where you felt like you were in a “cave” or where you felt like you emerged from a “cave.” Freewrite about that experience. Include as many specific details as possible (think about your five senses when writing: recall what you saw, but also what you heard, smelled…). Hold on to this freewrite, as you may want to return to these ideas for your first project.
By Wednesday, September 13th:
- Read Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” again. Look for moments where Plato emphasizes physical and concrete details the prisoners experience; for example, pay attention to anything they see, hear, and physically feel (along with what causes it). Find three of these details, and think about what they might symbolize. For each detail, write a few sentences explaining the point/s Plato makes through his imagery. Share each of the three details and your explanations of Plato’s points through the imagery.
- What, from what you’ve seen so far, are the “ingredients” (also known as “conventions”) of the education narrative genre?
- What do you think might be a place to get started with your own education narrative?
- What are your questions or concerns about writing an education narrative of your own?
- If you like, you can also feel free to share an education experience you had and ask for feedback from your colleagues (and me) to see if we think that might be a solid place to begin writing.Review assignment guidelines for “Unit 1: Education Narrative.”
Week 4: Drafting the Unit 1 Assignment
Texts
- Read “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lourde.
- Read “Shitty First Drafts” by Anne Lamott.
- Review “Narrative Basic Features” Power Point by Laura Westengard.
Writing:
- Specific instructions will be announced in class and/or our class site.
Week 5: Drafting (cont’d.) & Peer Review
Texts:
- Review “Citation and Formatting Guide” (City Tech Library).
- Review “MLA Style Introduction” (Purdue OWL).
- Review “Writing Transitions” (Purdue OWL).
- Review “What’s a Paragraph?” by Carrie Hall.
Writing:
- Specific instructions will be announced in class and/or our class site.
Week 6: Ending Unit 1 & Starting Unit 2
Unit 1: Education Narrative due September 27th
Texts
- Read “A Talk to Teachers” by James Baldwin.
- Watch “Writing an Annotated Bibliography” (City Tech Library).
- Review “Annotated Bibliography Breakdown” (Purdue OWL).
- Read the Declaration of Independence.
- Listen to the Declaration of Independence.
- Read The Declaration of Independence Annotated by Randy Barnett.
- Read “38” by Layli Long Soldier.
- Review “Quotation Handout” by Carrie Hall.
Writing:
Week 7: Research & Research Questions
Texts:
- Review the City Tech Library’s Guide to Developing a Research Question.
- Review “What Is Research?” by Carrie Hall.
- Review “Reflective Annotated Bibliography” Power Point by Laura Westengard
Writing:
Week 8: Drafting Annotations
Texts:
None for this week!
Writing:
Week 9: Ending Unit 2 & Starting Unit 3
Unit 2: Reflective Annotated Bibliography due
Texts:
- Read Twitter Thread on Selena Netflix Movie, Maria Elena Garcia.
- Read Twitter Thread on Women and the Pandemic, Katie Porter.
Writing:
Week 10: Considering Different Genres
Texts:
- Read & listen to “Louise Erdrich On Her Personal Connection To Native Peoples’ ‘Fight For Survival’” (NPR interview).
- Read & watch “Native American elder Nathan Phillips, in his own words” (CNN interview clip) by Sara Sidner.
Writing:
Week 11: Drafting Unit 3
Texts:
- Students review their individual mentor texts, which you will choose as part of our Unit 3 preparatory work.
Writing:
Week 12: Drafting Unit 3 (cont’d) & Peer Review
Texts:
None for this week!
Writing:
Week 13: Reflections & Revisions & Portfolios
Unit 3: Writing in a New Genre due
Texts:
None for this week!
Writing:
Week 14: Revisions
Texts:
- Read “The Maker’s Eye: Revising Your Own Manuscripts” by Donald M. Murray
Writing:
Week 15: Conclusion
- Final Reflection and Portfolio due (including revised work)
