English 110 as an FYE course: This course has a First-Year Experience component that is
designed to introduce you to UWEC and Eau Claire. We will be attending a number of off and
on-campus events that will heighten awareness of the non-classroom-based educational
opportunities available in the local and university communities. These outings will reinforce
(and cause you to reflect on) the goals of a liberal education.
September 7: Introduction to each other and the class.
Remember to pick up all your books from the on-campus bookstore!
September 12: Discussion of music and poetry
September 14: Music and Poetry (continued).
September 19: Analysis of lyrics, music, and video for Dave Matthews Band’s “Satellite”
September 21: Explode the Moment (Collaborative Writing): Work in class with your partner
and with the mentors on “Explode the Moment.”
September 26: Bring your finished “Explode the Moment” assignment to class and ready to
read/perform it for the class with your partner. Make sure it has a WYAMTL statement (which
tells us what you and your partner learned in relation to our Liberal Education Learning Goals
[listed above]) and a meta-text, both of which (along with the assignment itself) will be read to
the class. Meta-texts: (by Dr. Deanna Turner): A meta-text is an explanation of your intentions in
writing the piece, how far you succeeded in your goals, and specific areas on which you would
like your professor, classmates, and/or workshop partner(s) to comment. This assignment meets
the following LIBERAL EDUCATION LEARNING GOALS: Creative and Critical Thinking:
UW-Eau Claire students will develop and use creative thinking skills in academic and social
contexts. UW-Eau Claire students will develop and use critical thinking skills in academic and
social contexts. And Effective Communication: UW-Eau Claire students will effectively write,
read, speak and listen in academic and social contexts.
September 28: HWA4: Bedford Handbook, 2-41; Reading Critically, Writing Well, 1-22
(Exercises 2 and 3 on pages 16-17 of Reading Critically). We will discuss Noble’s essay as a
class. Today's class activity is supplied by Dr. Deanna Turner: This session will be held by a
round-robin discussion. Sit in a circle, take out a piece of paper, and copy one sentence from the
reading. Then, write a one-line response to it. When you’re done writing raise your hand and
swap with whomever else is done. Do not write your name on any paper, this is meant to be an
anonymous process. You will only know that whoever handed you the paper wrote the last
comment, but you won’t know who wrote the other ones. Each response should be accompanied
by a pertinent quotation from Noble and numbered consecutively starting with 1; once you get
the paper, you can respond to whatever number you want. So, for instance, if you’re “27,” you
can always respond to “1”; you don’t have to respond to “26.” You can also not respond at all
and start a new thought with a new quotation from the text. We will then read our papers aloud
and compare notes in a discussion. Keep whichever sheet you read aloud to the class; you can
quote from it when you write your paper
October 3: Class will be held in the Library in room L1033, the computer lab behind the
reference desk. Jill Markgraf, Professor of Library Science will present to us on how to research
in the library.
October 5: (Curriculum Designed by Professor Emily Krusack): Read The Latehomecomer from
the title-page to page 38. What are all the definitions of “Hmong” she discusses in these opening
pages? What do you think “Hmong” means to her? What does your ethnic and/or cultural
background/place where you were brought up and/or where your family originally comes from
mean to you? Write a poem addressing this question that is inspired by The Latehomecomer and
the poem, below. Read this excellent article (with maps, pictures, and video) from the New York
Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/17/world/asia/17laos.html?ex=1355634000&en=6d9a062ce44
96474&ei=5124&partner=permalink&exprod=permalink
Part One: Laos
Visual Aids:
 visuals of life in jungle power point (in file) Life of hiding in jungle:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=skaSsFmAaXs
(3 min.)

“The Ravens” documentary, available in 5 parts on youtube
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s76hLt3-hHo
 UW-Madison Hmong student video on history of Hmong:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7qE05qpQd0&feature=related
(about 8-9 min)
In-class activity (Identity):
 Read the prelude together as a class. List all of the descriptions of what “Hmong” is and
write them on the board. Notice how they change over the course of the prologue, and
how by the end she has become a representative and teacher of her culture.
 Read Mary Pipher’s poem “I am from,” which opens chapter one in her book The Middle
of Everywhere: Helping Refugees Enter the American Community. Discuss the cultural
references it makes.
I Am From
By Mary Pipher
I am from Avis and Frank, Agnes and Fred, Glessie May and Mark
From the Ozark Mountains and the high plains of eastern Colorado
From mountain snowmelt and southern creeks with water moccasins
I am from oatmeal eaters, gizzard eaters, haggis and raccoon eaters
I am from craziness, darkness, sensuality, and humor.
From intense do-gooders struggling through ranch winters in the 1920s.
I am from “If you can’t say anything nice about someone, don’t say anything,” and “Pretty is as
pretty does” and “Shit-muckelty brown” and “Damn it all to hell”.
I am from no-dancing-or-drinking Methodists, but cards were
okay except on Sunday, and from tent-meeting Holy Rollers,
from farmers, soldiers, bootleggers, and teachers.
I am from Schwinn girl’s bike, 1950 Mercury two-door, and West Side Story
I’m from coyotes, baby field mice, chlorinous swimming pools,
Milky Way and harvest moon over Nebraska cornfields.
I’m from muddy Platte and Republican,
from cottonwood and mulberry, tumbleweed and switchgrass
from Willa Cather, Walt Whitman, and Janis Joplin,
My own sweet dance unfolding against a cast of women in aprons and barefoot men in overalls.
Possible discussion topics
 Yang’s parents’ meeting and the book’s take on love and marriage
 The propaganda videos shown in Laos
 The Vietnamese war
 Crossing the Mekong
October 10: (Curriculum by Professor Emily Krusack): HWA7: The Latehomecomer: 39-114.
Which page numbers contain sections that discuss the power of words, writing, and storytelling?
What are the connections among between these passages? Reread the tiger bride story (p. 72).
Reread the passage in which Yang’s tiger story is included. (Tigers are very common characters
in Hmong stories.) What is she trying to show by including this story? Part of what she is
demonstrating is the art of storytelling, of memorizing and retelling an oral story. She does not
offer the story as a moral tale, but simply for the value of telling it. Also for homework: If you
haven’t yet, print, check out, and/or photocopy all your sources for the Noble paper. Come to
class with a typed works cited list / bibliography (alphabetical list of author, title, publisher, date
of publication, etc.) containing at least three internet sources, three articles, and one book source
for your Noble paper. Use the skills you learned during the lecture to get sources for your paper.
You must show this list to me to receive credit for today’s class. Don’t forget your WYAMTL
for the last class and this HWA.
Section 2: Thailand
In-Class Activity: the role of storytelling: What kinds of stories do we tell children? What values
do these stories teach? Have students draw upon movies and other stories that they know in order
to explore hero and healing myths. List on the board the characteristics of the protagonists in
each myth. These include a sense of justice, selflessness, strength, good looks, humility, ability
to never give up, individual strength, and triumph in the end. Look for counter examples.
WYAMTL: the stories that we tell over and over reflect our values as a society.
October 12: HWA8: The Latehomecomer: 115-151.
Kao Kalia Yang interview in Iowa:
http://iowans.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/latehomecomer/
(about 8-9 min.)
During our break, we will go to Davies to get tickets to Jamie Tworkowski: “Pain, Hope,
Questions, and Community.”
October 17: HWA10: The Latehomecomer: 152-231. Write a paragraph-long interpretation of
your favorite passage.
We’ll walk to Davies to get tickets to the Holland Wind Players.
In-class viewing: This series has the history, culture of Hmong as well as scenes from the Thai
camps and lots on refugee immigration and the situations the Hmong refugees face. They’re
each about 9-10 minutes long. (links and text from Professor Karen Loeb)
Becoming American Part 1 – many scenes from camps and history as well as secret war:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6vmFQL0JodY&feature=related
(9 min.)
Becoming American Part 2—continues above
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWjIbgJ-8jg&feature=related
(9 min)
Becoming American Part 3 continues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcl68eYfr54&feature=related
Becoming American Part 4 continues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl_LkKdnJjk&feature=related
Becoming American Part 5 continues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PtnplFuDjxk&feature=related
Becoming American Part 6 continues
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFvt3QaLajQ&feature=related
October 19: Meet in class. For second half of class we will walk to Schofield Auditorium to
catch Jamie Tworkowski’s talk. HWA11: A three-page (minimum) typed draft of your Noble
paper is due today. Bring two copies to class. You and your partner will workshop each other’s
drafts.
October 24: HWA12: The Latehomecomer: 232-277. Write a paragraph on your favorite
passage and be sure to bring your paragraph to class. Meet in class to discus the reading. We
will go as a group to see the Holland Wind Players in Gantner Hall. Write a
NOBLE PAPER IS DUE. Today the final four-page (minimum) paper on Noble is due.
October 26: Discussion of newspaper articles/10-page papers, and brainstorming topics.
Discussion of how to refine a thesis statement. Meet in the classroom, but we will eventually
walk over to the library to start researching the newspaper article/10-page paper. We will meet
in grammar groups to brainstorm topics.
October 31: We will MEET in THE FOYER (MAIN ROOM) of the HAAS FINE ARTS
BUILDING. We will write autobiographical reflections based on the artwork. After some time
for writing, we’ll listen to what you’ve written, by going around the building and hearing from
each one of you. Try to utilize some of the techniques you learned from Kao Kalia Yang by
imagining the work of art as an illustration in your memoir. Which piece in the fine arts building
calls to mind a memory and why? Place your free-writing assignment from the gallery in your
folder. We will emphasize the importance of creativity, imagination, and association in writing,
and the interpretation as well as appreciation of art and images, and public speaking skills.
November 2: Reading Critically, Writing Well, 23-34. Audre Lorde We will discuss the story in
groups and as a class.
November 7: Guided research in the library. Works cited lists for your newspaper articles are
due. Email one copy to me and place another in your folder. These should contain 3 internet
sources, 3 journal or newspaper articles, and 3 books. If you are unsure about how to create an
MLA-style works cited list, check Bedford: 592-610.
November 9: HWA15B: Handout, 431-4 (write brief answers (at least a sentence per question)
to all four of the “Suggestions for Discussion” on page 434). Li-Young Lee.
November 14: Discussion of Competency Examination.
November 16: Continuation of The Matrix.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLES ARE DUE TODAY.
November 21: Competency Examination. Write an in-class essay on the portrayal of race,
gender, and idealism in The Matrix. You will need a well-defined framework for discussing
race, gender, and idealism—a thesis statement that utilizes a discussion of these three issues to
prove its point.
November 28: Pace’s grammar review.
November 30: Group One: Bedford, Glossary of usage: 841-857.
Group Two: Bedford, Grammar Basics: 791-840 (pages you must read & take notes on).
HWA17: Read and outline/take notes on the Glossary of usage: 841-857 and Grammar Basics:
791-840. HWA18: Complete these excercises: 794 (page number), 1 (the number of the exercise
question on page 794 that you must complete.); 797, 2; 800, 3; 804, 4; 813, 5; 818, 1; 819, 2;
825, 3; 831, 3; 835, 4 & 5.
December 5: Group Three: Bedford, The Comma, 372-398. Exercises (HWA19): 375, 1; 378,
2; 382, 3; 391, 4; 398, 5.
Group Four: Bedford, semicolon and colon: 398-407. HWA20: Write an outline of the rules
contained on these pages.
December 7: Discussion of The Matrix
December 12:
Group Five: Punctuation: 408-432
HWA21: Read 408-32 and write an outline of the rules contained on these pages.
Group Six: Bedford, Mechanics, 434-466.
HWA22: Exercises: 437, 1-2; 440, 3-4; 445, 5; 460, 4-5; 466, 1-5.
December 14:Grammar Test. You can bring your book and your notes.
Pace’s test review: Grammar review and questions before the GRAMMAR TEST.
December 19: 7:00-8:50pm:
Hand in your final ten-page papers and folders. All extra credit assignments should be placed in
the front of the folder. Paper should have an annotated works cited list included. Include a
meta-text for your paper and folder.