English 114: Introduction to Composition
Fall 2011 ● K. Ness ● Tentative Schedule
The following is a tentative schedule of readings, writings, course activities, and due
dates. They are subject to change at the discretion of the instructor or unforeseen changes
in collective writing weather. Regular attendance is the best way to stay “in the loop.” If
you miss class, do not call or e-mail me to catch you up — please contact one of your
peers. All bulleted entries marked “READ” or “DUE” should be completed BEFORE
you come to class on the day they are listed. Please bring relevant handouts to class
everyday.
Week One
Monday, October 17
● READ: NOTHING! IT’S THE FIRST DAY!
In-Class: Introductions, discuss class, syllabus, materials, etc.
Wednesday, October 19
● READ: CHAPTER 17 (CAUSE & EFFECT) IN REAL WRITING WITH READINGS
● COMPLETE: ALL PRACTICE EXERCISES & CHAPTER REVIEW (WE WILL READ
AND DISCUSS PAGES 248-251 IN CLASS)
In-Class: Discuss Cause & Effect as a rhetorical mode; go over homework exercises
Friday, October 21
● READ/BRING: “THE TEACHER WHO CHANGED MY LIFE” AND “SOME LESSONS
FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINE” (POSTED ON WEBSITE)
● JOURNAL RESPONSE: WRITE A SHORT PARAGRAPH RESPONSE FOR EACH OF THE
TWO ASSIGNED ESSAYS (YOU WILL WRITE A TOTAL OF 2 PARAGRAPHS; THEY
SHOULD BE TYPED):
- FOR “THE TEACHER WHO CHANGED MY LIFE”, CHOOSE ONE OF THE
FOLLOWING TOPICS: 1) DISCUSS GAGE’S PURPOSE IN WRITING THE ESSAY;
2) EXPLAIN WHY GAGE FINDS MISS HURD SUCH AN INSPIRATIONAL TEACHER; OR
3) CHOOSE A TOPIC OF YOUR OWN RELATED TO THE READING.
- FOR “SOME LESSONS FROM THE ASSEMBLY LINE”, CHOOSE ONE OF THE
FOLLOWING TOPICS: 1) DISCUSS BRAAKSMA’S PURPOSE IN WRITING THE ESSAY;
2) EXPLAIN WHAT TYPE(S) OF EDUCATION BRAAKSMA VALUES AND WHY; OR
3) CHOOSE A TOPIC OF YOUR OWN RELATED TO THE READING.
In-Class: Discuss two C/E essays; continue discussing C/E analysis.
Week Two
Monday, October 24
● READ/BRING: “WHY WE CRAVE HORROR MOVIES” (POSTED ON WEBSITE). BE
PREPARED TO TAKE A QUIZ ON THIS READING.
● BRING/DUE: ROUGH DRAFT OF CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY. PLEASE BRING IN 3TYPED COPIES OF YOUR CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY FOR PEER REVIEW WORKSHOP.
In-Class: Reading quiz; Discuss Stephen King essay; peer review workshop.
Wednesday, October 26
● READ/BRING: EXEMPLIFICATION MATERIAL (POSTED ON WEBSITE)
● BRING/DUE: FINAL DRAFT OF CAUSE/EFFECT ESSAY (BRING PEER REVIEWED
DRAFTS, PEER REVIEW WORKSHEETS, AND THE FINAL DRAFT WITH YOU TO CLASS)
In-Class: Self-evaluation; begin discussing Exemplification; discuss charting
Friday, October 28
● READ/BRING: BRENT STAPLES’S “JUST WALK ON BY” (POSTED ON WEBSITE)
● COMPLETE: CHART THIS ENTIRE ESSAY.
In-Class: Quiz on “Just Walk on By” essay; discuss essay;
incorporation of outside sources.
Week Three
Monday, October 31
● READ/BRING: JOAN DIDION’S “MARRYING ABSURD”
(POSTED ON WEBSITE)
● COMPLETE: WRITE 1-PAGE (TYPED) RESPONSE TO THIS
PROMPT: "LIKE DIDION, DESCRIBE A RELIGIOUS, SOCIAL, ACADEMIC, OR
COMMUNITY RITUAL OR CEREMONY THAT YOU KNOW WELL. AS YOU WRITE,
PRETEND YOU ARE PRODUCING A MULTISENSORY DOCUMENTARY BY DESCRIBING
WHAT YOU HAVE HEARD, SEEN, FELT, TASTED, AND SMELLED. IN OTHER WORDS, BE
AS OBJECTIVE AS POSSIBLE; DO NOT INCLUDE PERSONAL RESPONSES TO WHAT YOU
HAVE EXPERIENCED."
In-Class: Discuss essay; continue talking about using source material; discuss and share
homework
Wednesday, November 2
● READ/BRING: “STAR-SPANGLED STUPIDITY” BY DICK TERESI (POSTED ON
WEBSITE)
● JOURNAL RESPONSE: WRITE A ONE-PARAGRAPH RESPONSE TO THESE QUESTIONS:
ACCORDING TO TERESI, WHAT PROBLEMS HAS INCREASED PATRIOTISM CAUSED FOR
THOSE, LIKE HIM, WHO LOVE THE FLAG? WHAT IS THE “STRANGE KIND OF ABUSE”
THE FLAG HAS BEEN SUBJECT TO (1)?
In-Class: Discuss essay; continue discussing incorporation of source material.
Friday, November 4
● BRING: ROUGH DRAFT OF EXEMPLIFICATION ESSAY. PLEASE BRING IN 3TYPED COPIES FOR PEER REVIEW WORKSHOP.
In-Class: Continue discussing essay assignment and prompt; peer review workshop.
Week Four
Monday, November 7
● READ/BRING: TAKING TIMED ESSAYS (POSTED ON WEBSITE)
● JOURNAL RESPONSE: WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS READING THAT WILL HELP
YOU WHEN TAKING ESSAY EXAMS?
● BRING/DUE: FINAL DRAFT OF EXEMPLIFICATION ESSAY (BRING PEER
REVIEWED DRAFTS, PEER REVIEW WORKSHEETS, AND THE FINAL DRAFT WITH
YOU TO CLASS)
In-Class: Discussed timed-writing strategies; introduce essay 3 topic; establish
communities.
Wednesday, November 9
● BRING: 3 DIFFERENT POTENTIAL TOPICS FOR ESSAY 3; BRING AT LEAST ONE
ARTICLE FROM SIRS RESEARCHER ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE TOPIC (1).
In-Class: Discuss possible topics for Essay 3; community meetings to discuss and pick
topic.
Friday, November 11 – No School! Happy Veteran’s Day!
Week Five
Monday, November 14
● FIND/READ/BRING: TWO DIFFERENT ARTICLES ON THE TOPIC YOUR
COMMUNITY CHOSE TO WRITE ABOUT FOR ESSAY 3.
● COMPLETE: WRITE A SUMMARY FOR EACH ARTICLE YOU FIND ON YOUR TOPIC
(SEE SUMMARY INSTRUCTIONS, LINKS POSTED ON WEBSITE)
In-Class: Community meetings to discuss articles and topics; begin formulating essay
prompts; “air essays” as a class.
Wednesday, November 16
● FIND/READ/BRING: TWO MORE ARTICLES ON THE TOPIC YOUR COMMUNITY
CHOSE TO WRITE ABOUT FOR ESSAY 3. (THESE CAN BE ARTICLES THAT FELLOW
COMMUNITY MEMBERS BROUGHT TO YOUR ATTENTION, BUT YOU NEED YOUR OWN
COPIES)
● COMPLETE: WRITE A SUMMARY FOR EACH ARTICLE.
In-Class: Share new essays with community members; Share topic and prompt with other
prompts; discuss how you will support your argument in a timed essay.
Friday, November 18
● RE-READ/BRING: ARTICLES ON YOUR TOPIC.
● PREPARE: FOR ESSAY 3 (IN-CLASS ESSAY EXAM)
In-Class: Discuss time management; review timed-writing strategies. Take Essay 3!
Week Six
Monday, November 21
● READ: DRAFTING/REVISING (POSTED ON THE WEBSITE)
● BRING: ALL ARTICLES/NOTES FOR IN-CLASS ESSAY TOPIC.
In-Class: Return Essay 3 and discuss; discuss revision of Essay 3; discuss how to
revise/rewrite; in-class activity to begin working on Essay 4 (revision of Essay 3)
Wednesday, November 23
● DUE: ROUGH DRAFT OF ESSAY 4. PLEASE BRING IN 3-TYPED COPIES (COMPLETE
AND THOROUGH REVISION OF ESSAY 3) FOR PEER REVIEW WORKSHOP.
In-Class: Discuss revision requirements/expectations; peer review workshop.
Friday, November 25 No School! Happy Thanksgiving!
Week Seven
Monday, November 28
● READ: READ CHAPTER 20 IN REAL WRITING WITH
READINGS.
● COMPLETE: WRITE ONE FULL PARAGRAPH ANSWERING THE FOLLOWING
QUESTIONS: HAVE YOU DONE THIS KIND OF RESEARCH BEFORE? IF SO, WHEN?
WHICH PARTS OF THIS READING WERE REVIEW? WHAT DID YOU LEARN FROM THIS
READING THAT YOU DID NOT KNOW BEFORE?
● BRING/DUE: FINAL DRAFT OF ESSAY 4 (BRING PEER REVIEWED DRAFTS,
PEER REVIEW WORKSHEETS, IN-CLASS VERSION (ESSAY 3) AND THE FINAL DRAFT
WITH YOU TO CLASS)
In-Class: Self-Evaluation; begin discussing Research Unit, Prompt and Rubric. Discuss
Topic Proposal and Summary-Responses. Show example essay.
Wednesday, November 30
● COMPLETE/BRING: USING CQ RESEARCHER, SIRS, OR OPPOSING
VIEWPOINTS, COME UP WITH 10 DIFFERENT TOPICS THAT YOU COULD WRITE AN
ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH PAPER ON. PUT A * BY YOUR FAVORITE THREE TOPICS.
In-Class: Library Orientation; Meet in L244 at noon.
Friday, December 2
● DUE: TOPIC PROPOSAL DUE. SUMMARY RESPONSE #1 DUE (SO, YOU NEED TO
HAVE FOUND YOUR FIRST SOURCE FOR YOUR RESEARCH ESSAY!).
In-Class: Research in computer lab; meet in our classroom first; from 1-3pm we will
be in room 423; discuss how to incorporate material, note taking. Discuss MLA Format,
Works Cited Page, in-text citations.
Week Eight
Monday, December 5
● DUE: SUMMARY RESPONSES #2 & 3 DUE. READ HANDOUT (TBD).
In-Class: Discuss structure of research essay, and example Research Essay; Discuss
questions/problems with research and/or writing essay.
Wednesday, December 7
● DUE: ROUGH DRAFT OF RESEARCH ESSAY. PLEASE BRING 3-TYPED COPIES FOR
OUR PEER REVIEW WORKSHEET.
In-Class: Peer review workshop; discuss final exam.
Friday, December 9
● DUE/BRING: FINAL RESEARCH ESSAY (PLEASE BRING FINAL DRAFT, PEER
REVIEWED ROUGH DRAFTS, PEER REVIEW WORKSHEETS, AND PRINT OUTS OF THE
SOURCES YOU USED)
● PREPARE: FOR FINAL ESSAY EXAM.
In-Class: Self-reflection; turn in Research Essay; take Final Essay Exam