Important Dates

Revisions are due (via Blackboard) by 11:59 p.m. on Friday, May 19th

Essay 3 (letter + research) is due (via Blackboard) by class time on Tuesday, May 23rd

Final Exam will be in-class on Tuesday, May 23rd. Bring the annotated passage and a dictionary (non-electronic) with you for the exam at 11:30. Don’t be late!!

If you would like my comments on your revision or Essay 3, send me an email to let me know. Otherwise, I will just post your score on Blackboard.

Here are posters for some literature courses being offered in Fall 2017. I encourage you to register for my course English 2180: Studies in Identity and Orientation (Intro to Gender & Sexuality through Literature). Let me know if you have any questions! 🙂

For Thursday, 5/18:

Bring your prewriting packet with the following items clearly labeled and stapled in order:

  1. Observation notes
  2. Choosing a video
  3. Video description
  4. Sanjay & Craig paragraph
  5. 4 messages
  6. Thesis + Objections
  7. Metacognitive essay
  8. Counterargument + advice to the artist
  9. Annotated bibliography draft

For Tuesday, 5/16:

  • Find TWO articles or books (minimum) from the City Tech Library or Library Database that have to do with the subject of your letter (imagine the artist asked for some materials to read to learn more about the racial dynamics you discuss). Read them and bring them to class with you.

For Thursday, 5/11:

  • Start looking for TWO articles or books (minimum) from the City Tech Library or Library Database that have to do with the subject of your letter (imagine the artist asked for some materials to read to learn more about the racial dynamics you discuss).

On Tuesday, 5/9 we will be taking a practice final exam.

  • Print, read, annotate, and bring the sample final exam passage to class (posted HERE).

 

For Thursday, 5/4:

  • Keep watching your video and taking notes!
  • Refine the message you have chosen to focus on and write it out as a clear, arguable statement about the implicit racial message in the video

 

Go to the Literary Arts Festival tonight! Voorhees Theater, 5:30 p.m. It is fun and there is free food!!

For Tuesday, 5/2:

  • Read, “Sanjay and Craig: Nickelodeon’s Hilarious New Mixed-Race Heroes” p. 554
  • Watch your chosen video several times. Bring in detailed observation notes about the video using the two column format.

 

 

For Thursday, 4/27:

  • Read “In Living Color: Race and American Culture” p. 538
  • Choose a video and email the link to me at lwestengard@citytech.cuny.edu

 

  • Essay 2 final draft is due before class time on Tuesday, April 25th via Blackboard. Do not forget to submit it!!
  • Spring Break is April 10-18!! We will not meet again until Tuesday, April 25th.

 Have a great Spring Break!!

 

Midsemester Grades are posted on Blackboard! Check there to see your status in the class, and let me know if you have any questions.

P=Passing work

BL=Borderline

U=Unsatisfactory

SA=Stopped Attending

Essay 2 final draft is due before class time on Tuesday, April 25th via Blackboard. Do not forget to submit it!!

For Thursday, 4/6:

  • Bring two copies of your complete rough draft (including Works Cited page). On one copy, highlight or underline the following in different colors:
    • Thesis
    • Topic Sentences
    • Analysis of details from the toys/toy sections in your body paragraphs
    • The introduction of each of your sources
  • Bring your prewriting packet  to class. Include the following items clearly labeled and stapled in order. NOTE: If your items are not labeled or if they are not in order, you will not get credit for them. Unfastened packets will automatically lose 5 points. The packet should be ready to submit when you walk into class on Thursday. Email me in advance if you have questions.
    • Favorite Toy Freewriting
    • Observation Notes
    • Completed Sentence “The toy store I observed teaches _______ that _______ is attractive by _______.”
    • Thesis Worksheet
    • Burdens of Proof + Evidence
    • Outline
    • Research Arguments/Article Citation

 

 

For Tuesday, 4/4:

For Thursday, 3/30:

  • Revise/polish your thesis statement and bring it to class on Thursday

Thanks for a great class today!

For Tuesday, 3/28:

 

For Thursday, 3/23:

  • Read “Gender Role Behaviors and Attitudes” p. 504
  • List all of the characteristics that Devor mentions as “masculine” and “feminine”

We will have our observer on Thursday! 🙂

 

For Tuesday, 3/21:

  • Read “Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ Backlash,” p. 194

Also, remember how I told you we would have an observer on Tuesday? Well, my observation has been rescheduled for Thursday instead. You can be awesome all week, right? Yes you can!!  🙂

I’ll be resending your essays in a format where the comments show up. Be sure to open the files on a computer, not a phone. Email me if you don’t receive the essay or if you can’t see my comments.

Have a good weekend!

Hi everyone! The college will be closed on Tuesday, 3/14 because of the blizzard.

I have commented on your essays and emailed them back to you using the email address associated with your Blackboard account. Please check your email,  open the document, and read all of the comments carefully. If you have questions about your grade, first consult the grading guidelines (Grading Guidelines Eng 1101) and then if you still have questions come speak with me during office hours.

Prof. Westengard

For Tuesday, 3/14:

  • Do your field research and bring your notes to class. Visit a toy store, toy section of a store, or a website that sells toys specifically. Take detailed observation notes using the two-column format we discussed in class (fold a paper in half and write your observations on one side and your responses on the other side). Your notes should fill at least one full page!
  • Read “Selling to Children: The Marketing of Cool” p. 218

 

 

Submit your writing or graphic text to the Literary Arts Festival Writing Competition TODAY! The deadline for submissions is March 7th. Check here for details: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/literaryartsfestival/submission-guidelines/

For Thursday, 3/9:

  • We will meet at the entrance to the library on the 4th floor of the Atrium Building instead of our classroom. From there a librarian will take us inside, so don’t be late!
  • Start thinking about which toy store/toy section/toy website you will observe for your essay. Your two-column observation notes (with observations on one side and responses on the other side) will be due in class on Tuesday, 3/14.

 

Essay 1 is due on Friday, 3/3 by 11:59 p.m. (Via Blackboard).

For class on Tuesday, read Signs of Life p. 491-499

Complete and post “The Hard Sell” by Tuesday (3/7) at 11:30 a.m. Check here for the story we read in class and the assignment details. To post your creation, you should:

  • Make sure you are logged in to OpenLab and have joined our course on the “Course Profile” page
  • Then click on the + at the top center of the page
  • Include a title
  • Write or copy/paste your creation into the text box OR paste a link to your creation in the text box OR if you want to include an image or file, use the “add media” button
  • Categorize your post by checking off “The Hard Sell” on the right side of the page.
  • Then click “publish.”

Please stop by the Literature Roundtable to hear the author Sarah Schulman speak about the book we read from! It is in the Atrium Amphitheater (ground floor) at 2:30 on Tuesday, March 7th.

 

Consider submitting your writing or graphic text to the Literary Arts Festival Writing Competition! The deadline for submissions is March 7th. Check here for details: https://openlab.citytech.cuny.edu/literaryartsfestival/submission-guidelines/

If you are interested in joining the Student PRIDE Club (a lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender+ safe haven that unites the campus community through education and awareness) please visit their table at the Club Involvement Fair on Thursday, February 23rd from 12:45-2:15 on the Atrium Ground level. If you can’t make it to the fair, I am the faculty advisor for the club so just email me (lwestengard@citytech.cuny.edu) and I’ll give you the contact information to sign up via email. Feel free to ask me if you have any questions!

Essay 1 is due on Friday, 3/3 by 11:59 p.m. (Via Blackboard). I’ll show you how to submit during our next class.

For Thursday, 3/2:

Bring your first prewriting packet  to class. Include the following items clearly labeled and stapled in order. (NOTE: If your items are not labeled or if they are not in order, you will not get credit for them. Unfastened packets will automatically lose 5 points.)

  1.  Choosing an Ad (in class)
  2.  Ad Analysis (in class)
  3.  Implicit/Explicit Freewriting (homework)
  4.  Thesis (homework)
  5.  Reasons (in class)
  6.  Ad Description (homework)
  7.  Highlighted draft

 

For Tuesday, 2/28:

Bring two typed copies of your complete draft (including works cited page). On one copy, highlight the following items in different colors:

  • Thesis statement
  • Topic sentences
  • Analysis of specific signs from the ad
  • Quote or paraphrase from Signs of Life

 

 

 

For Thursday, 2/23:

Write out a paragraph that describes your chosen advertisement. Use vivid description so that your reader can picture the ad without having to actually see it.

  • Use the 5 sense (sight, touch, taste, smell, hearing)
  • Similes and metaphors

 

For Tuesday, 2/21:

  • Read “What We Are to Advertisers,” p. 177
  • Freewrite for 5 minutes on the explicit and implicit messages of the ad you will be writing about for Essay 1
  • Draft a thesis statement that clearly states the implicit message(s) in the ad (before doing this, I recommend reviewing the essay prompt)

For Thursday, 2/16:

  • Read “Men’s Men and Women’s Women,” p. 182
  • Choose the ad you want to write about for Essay 1 and bring it to class with you

 

Hi everyone! The college will be closed on Thursday, 2/9 because of the snow storm. Stay home and stay warm, if you can. I’ll see you on Tuesday.

For Tuesday, 2/14:

  • Read “The Science of Shopping,” p. 93
  • Read the introduction to Chapter 1, p. 71-79

Feel free to read and comment on your classmates’ blog posts!!

For Tuesday, 2/7:

  • Read “Writing about Popular Culture,” p. 21-40 in Signs of Life (posted under “Course Materials“)
  • Complete Blog 1 by following the directions here.

Email me if you have any questions and have a great weekend!

Prof. Westengard

 

It was great to meet you all today!

For Thursday, 2/2:

  • Set up your OpenLab account and join the class
  • Order/buy/download your textbook
  • Read the introduction to Signs of Life, p. 1-20 (posted under “Course Materials“)

Thanks to Shevonne for sharing this inspirational quote to get the semester started!