Note: This approach is kind of in-between the old Allyn and Bacon (strong resp, syn, res
argument) and a full portfolio (like 2010 is now) approach. In this approach students do four of
the writing projects found at the end of the aim chapters and then revise two of them for a
midterm portfolio. From there they choose one of these to revise for their Revision Project (I
think I’m stealing this last idea from one of you but can’t remember who it was).
You will note that the schedule is very specific about which exercises and essays to use—much
different than option 1. Of course many changes could be made with both exercises and essays
and still retain the spirit of the curriculum. The keys are the big assignments listed below which
allow students some freedom to evaluate and choose to revise certain pieces of writing.
Grades
Overall Participation Assignments: 20%
 Choose a Question (CAQ): choose one of the questions listed before the essay we are reading and type a response.
 Mark-ups (MUP): Do a rhetorical mark-up similar to the examples at the beginning of each Aim chapter (see 5659) on the assigned essay.
 Write Now (explanation in the textbook)
 Working Together (explanation in book)
 Drafts
Writing Projects (4 total) and peer reviews 20%
Midterm Portfolio 25%
Revision Project 25%
Rhetorical Presentation 10%
100% total (traditional grading scale: 100-94 A, 93-90 A-, 89-87 B+, 86-84 B, 83-80 B-, 79-77 C+, etc.
DAILY SCHEDULE
As we read and write try to remember the two main purposes in everything you do:
#1. To learn HOW people write effectively without much regard for WHAT they are writing for
#2. To find some knotty questions which you can pursue in your own writing (I recognize that #2 seems to
contradict #1)
**Bring three copies of all written work due for peer review**
Date
Readings due and in-class activities
Finding issues and building a rhetorical vocab
Due
Week 1: 8/20

1.
Read chapter 7: Reflecting 52-60 & Skim “How to write a
reflection” 90-107
“Let It Snow” by David Sedaris,74-76 (Essay)
In-class:
 Exploring Voice: Listen to David Sedaris (see www.NPR.org)
 Lecture: Tim O’Brien’s notion of Story vs. Happening Truth and
his short story “How to tell a true war story” (I’m trying to
explore the ethics/necessity of changing some details of a
personal story)
Week 2: 8/2529

1.
2.


Continue Chapter 7
“Just Another Soldier” by Jason Christopher Hartley, 77-80
“Why I Hunt: A Predator’s Meditation” by Rick Bass, 81-84
(Essay)
Read chapter 1: The Writer as Explore and 2: The Writer as
Guide
Research a specific (potential) reflection genre, “This I believe:”
CAQ
Write Now: Explore
Memories pp. 92-93--bring 3
copies
MUP
CAQ
Write Now: Discovering
History p. 5--bring 3 copies


http://www.thisibelieve.org/ &
http://www.slcc.edu/cwc/publications.asp#TIB
Read chapter 3: Planning a Journey
Read chapter 23: Thinking Visually


Read chapter 4: Returning and Revising
Read chapter 24: Creating Visuals
Week 3: Labor
Day 9/2-9/5
Write Now: Identifying visual
and verbal concepts p. 661—
bring 3 copies
Full Draft Due for peer
review: Reflecting Writing
Project: Choose one of the
writing projects from ch 7
(106-7) or the “This I believe”
Write Now: Write a helpful
response p. 33—bring three
copies
Working Together:
Communicate w/ images and
graphics p. 667—
Research and bring examples
to class
Week 4: 9/8-912

Read Chapter 9 Informing (166-176); Skim “How to write to
inform” (204-231) plus read:
1.
“Writing: A Ticket to Work . . . Or a Ticket Out” by the
National Commission on Writing” (Executive Summary) 194196
CAQ


Read chapter 29: Writing Effective Paragraphs
Use chapter 4 in guiding revisions
Bring in three copies of both a
paragraph which seems to
work well and one you are
struggling with (should be
from your Reflective or
Informative piece)
Aims and Genre Case Studies
Week 5: 9/159/19

2.
3.
Continue Chapter 9
“Building a Shelter” by Hugh McManners (Instructions) 196199 OR “View Lava Safely” (Informational Website) 200-203
“Hacker” by Ellen McGirt (Profile)
http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/115/open_featureshacker-dropout-ceo.html
CAQ
For #3 MUP (print and bring
to class)
In-class: Pass around other examples of informative writing: e.g.
“Message in a Bottle” by Charles Fishman, Photographs by Nigel Cox
(see at http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/117/features-message-ina-bottle.html Note that the online article doesn’t have all the visuals and
design elements—I have a hard copy of this article)

Read chapter 5: Writing in College and chapter 9: Informing
(166-176)
Full Draft Due for peer
review: Informative Writing
Project: Choose one of the
writing projects from ch 9
(230-31)
Write Now: Compare styles
across genres p. 41—bring
three copies
Week 6: 9/229/26

1.
Read Chapter 12: Evaluating (366-376) and
“Learning to Love PowerPoint” by David Byrne (Article) 377-
CAQ
2.
3.
4.
5.
Week 7: 9/2910/1 (Fall Break
10/2-3)
Week 8: 10/610/10

1.
2.
“Gangsta Rap and American Culture” by Michael Eric Dyson
(Essay) 390-397
Skim chapter 10: How to write an Evaluation (402-423)
Read Chapter 14 Arguing for Change (484-495)
“A Trail of DNA and Data” by Paul Saffo (Essay) 496-499
“Breaking the Fire Department’s Language Barrier” by
Monterey County Fire Chiefs Association (Grant Proposal) 507512
Research for Genre Piece and Preliminary Portfolios
 Continue Chapter 14
3. “Mirror, Mirror on the Wall…Are Muscular Men the Best of
All?” by Nancy Clark (Magazine Article) 518-521
 Skim chapter 14: How to Write an Argument for Change (522545)


Week 9: 10/1310/17
379 & the online version:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.09/ppt1.html
“PowerPoint is Evil” by Edward Tufte (Opinion) 380-383
“McNasty: The New ‘Healthy’ Fast Food Items Taste Bad (and
Aren’t So Healthy Either) by Dan Crane (Opinion) 384-389
*Note Slate.com is great source*
Review chapters 15-19: The Writer as Researcher
Read chapter 25: Designing for Print
Midterm Portfolio & Revision
Midterm Portfolio Requirements
 Self-Reflective Cover Letter
 2 revised writing projects

Read chapter 30: Writing effective sentences and chapter 3:
Avoiding errors
MUP
CAQ
MUP
CAQ
MUP
Full Draft Due for peer
review: Evaluative Writing
Project: Choose one of the
writing projects from ch 12
(422-423)
MUP
Full Draft Due for peer
review: Arguing for Change
Writing Project: Choose one
of the writing projects from ch
14 (544-545)
Revise two of your four
Writing Projects
Revise Portfolio pieces for
errors consider ch 30--bring
three copies
Instructor consultations or Small Group Sessions
Week 10:
10/20-10/24
Instructor consultations or Small Group Sessions
10/24 last day
to withdraw
Instructor consultations or Small Group Sessions
Week 11
10/27-10/31
Instructor consultations or Small Group Sessions
10/31 IAS
student
evaluations due

Read chapter 20: MLA in-text citation (607-609 & 624-631) OR
chapter 21: APA in text citation (635-636 & 647-653)
In-text quote (email to
instructor at least 24hrs before
class)
Focused Peer Reviews of Portfolio Pieces
Week 12: 11/311/7
Week 13: 11/1011/14
Week 14: 11/1711/21
Focused Peer Review: Using quotations and in-text citation
 Review chapter 21 OR 22 concerning end of text citation
 Use Internet citation machines which will churn out end of text
citations: like “Son of Citation” at http://citationmachine.net/
and “Noodle” at http://www.noodletools.com/
 Choose one of your writing projects for the Revision Project
Revised Draft: Revise use of
quotations, in-text citation,
and end of text citations in the
writing project chosen for the
revision project based; bring
three copies for peer review
Focused Peer Review: Self-Reflective Cover Letter for Revision Project
 Review handouts on the letter and the one on the annotated
bibliography
Draft: Self-Reflective Cover
Letter for Revision Project;
bring three copies for peer
review
Focused Peer Review: Writing Effective Paragraphs (ch 29)
 Read chapter 29
Revised writing project for
revision project “Checklist”
boxes in ch 29 and p. 701;
bring three copies for peer
review
Focused Peer Review: Writing Effective Sentences (ch 30)
 Read chapter 30
Revised writing project for
revision project “Checklist”
boxes in ch 30 and p. 711;
bring three copies for peer
review
Read chapter 27: Delivering Presentations
Discuss Presentations
Instructor Consultations: Revision Project & Presentations
Draft: brainstorm, outline, or
draft of Rhetorical
Presentation--bring three
copies for peer review
Instructor Consultations: Revision Project & Presentations
Draft of Final Revision
Projects for teacher review
and check off & Peer Review
Final Rhetorical Presentations
Week 15: 11/2411/26
Rhetorical Presentations
Thanksgiving
Week 16: 12/112/4
Rhetorical Presentations
Finish Rhetorical Presentations (if needed); Turn in Final Revision
Project