ILS 121 Checklist
Summer 2009
WEEK ONE
Monday, 22 June (lecture)
⁄ Read and take notes: Shakespeare’s Sonnets 27 and 29
⁄ Read carefully: lecture syllabus
⁄ Prepare questions: about syllabus, about pre-essay, about Shakespeare, or about anything else
⁄ Draft pre-essay (clichés)
⁄ Make flash cards: vocab 1
⁄ Read the plot of Great Expectations on Wikipedia or SparkNotes so that you are familiar with the
outline of the story
⁄ Read the introduction to Great Expectations
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 34, including all the footnotes linked to those pages
⁄ Start a list of characters in Great Expectations, including the page on which they are introduced
⁄ Review and annotate lecture notes, writing a summary of any testable material
Tuesday, 23 June (discussion)
⁄ Critically review and substantively revise pre-essay (Does the essay have a main argument that asks
and then answers a thesis question? Does your argument avoid clichés about clichés? Do you avoid
the kinds of mistakes in your writing that you have made in the past?)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 1
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 65
Wednesday, 24 June (lecture)
⁄ Turn in pre-essay
⁄ Read sonnets 30 and 43
⁄ Prepare questions about: discussion syllabus, sonnet imitation, sonnet recitation, anything else
⁄ Brainstorm thesis for Essay 1 (topic: sonnets)—spend at least 5 minutes brainstorming obvious
main arguments and look for an argument that is more subtle
⁄ Review for quiz: 44 Reminders (focus on Reminders 1-11, working through the examples in The
Basics Book and making flash cards for any of the Reminders you struggle with)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 1
⁄ Prepare questions about: grading, writing assignments, short stories, anything else. (Spend 15
minutes thinking about your strengths and weaknesses as a student. What can you do to shore up
those weaknesses? This is something to ask Mike about, or Larry.)
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 96
⁄ Review lecture notes
Thursday, 25 June (discussion)
⁄ Sign up for sonnet recitation in class
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Read “How to close-read fiction” (19–24)
Read Hemingway’s “A Soldier’s Home” (105-113)
Read Ha Jin’s “The Bridegroom” (207-225)
Read “How to close-read (close-listen to) classical music” (291–308)
Ask your TA any questions you have about the course and what you can do to succeed in it
Outline and draft essay 1, draft 1
Review for quiz: 44 Reminders (Reminders 12-22)
Review for quiz: Vocab 1
Read Great Expectations to p. 127
Friday, 26 June (lecture)
⁄ Review lecture notes
Weekend
⁄ Critically review and substantively revise essay 1, draft 1: Does its title reflect the main claim of
your argument? Does your argument differ from the arguments written by all your peers? Have you
divided your argument into two or three subclaims? Do you rely on carefully-analyzed textual
evidence to support those subclaims?
⁄ Read Balzac (25-38)
⁄ Read Turgenev (39-65)
⁄ Review for quiz: 44 Reminders (Reminders 23–33)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 1
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 158
WEEK TWO
Monday, 29 June (lecture)
⁄ Turn in essay 1, draft 1
⁄ Take quiz: Vocab 1
⁄ Brainstorm topic and main argument for essay 2, draft 1 (short stories)
⁄ Choose sonnet to memorize and recite
⁄ Choose topic for sonnet imitation
⁄ Write flash cards for quiz: Vocab 2
⁄ Review for quiz: 44 Reminders (Reminders 34–44)
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 251
⁄ Review lecture notes
Tuesday, 30 June (SOAR—no class)
⁄ Review for quiz: 44 Reminders (take practice quiz)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 2
⁄ Memorize sonnet: can you recite nearly all of it?
⁄ Draft sonnet imitation (14 lines, exactly 10 syllables per line, rhyming ABAB CDCD EFEF GG)
⁄ Write an outline for essay 2, draft 1: have you broken your main argument into 2 or 3 subclaims?
Is each subclaim anchored on a piece of evidence from the text? Is that piece of evidence
interpreted carefully and with sophistication? Is there a risk that either your argument or your use
of evidence could be considered obvious?
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Read Great Expectations to p. 282
Wednesday, 1 July (lecture)
⁄ Take quiz: 44 Reminders
⁄ Read Perkins Gilman, “The Yellow Wallpaper” (79-95)
⁄ Memorize sonnet: can you recite the entire sonnet twice in a row?
⁄ Review sonnet imitation: does it rhyme exactly ABAB CDCD EFEF GG? Does every line have
exactly ten syllables?
⁄ Meet with Writing Fellows about Essay 1, draft 2 (either today or tomorrow)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 2
⁄ Write: Essay 2, draft 1
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 313
⁄ Review lecture notes
Thursday, 2 July (discussion)
⁄ Read Joyce, “Araby” (97-104)
⁄ Read both Borges stories (115-130)
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 344
⁄ Memorize sonnet: can you recite the entire sonnet smoothly? Can you deliver your recitation
emotionally?
⁄ Review sonnet imitation: when read aloud in an ordinary speaking voice, does every line go softHARD soft-HARD soft-HARD soft-HARD soft-HARD?
⁄ Meet with Writing Fellows about Essay 1, draft 2
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 2
⁄ Review critically: Essay 2, draft 1
Friday, 3 July (lecture; in the afternoon, meet Mike in 7134 Helen C. White Hall)
⁄ Turn in sonnet
⁄ Recite sonnet perfectly
⁄ Turn in: Essay 1, draft 2
⁄ Take quiz: Vocab 2
⁄ Review lecture notes
Weekend
⁄ Read carefully: midterm exam essay assignments
⁄ Revise: Essay 2, draft 1
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 375
WEEK THREE
Monday, 6 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 2, draft 1
⁄ Read and take notes: David Foster Wallace (193–206)
⁄ Write: midterm exam essays
⁄ Prepare: questions about midterm exam
⁄ Choose topic and brainstorm argument: Essay 3 (Great Expectations)
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Read Great Expectations to p. 468
Review lecture notes
Tuesday, 7 July (discussion)
⁄ Write: midterm exam essays
⁄ Outline: Essay 3, draft 1
⁄ Read Great Expectations to p. 484
Wednesday, 8 July (lecture)
⁄ Take quiz: Great Expectations
⁄ Review critically: midterm exam essays
⁄ Draft: Essay 3, draft 1
⁄ Meet with Writing Fellows about Essay 2, draft 2 (either today or tomorrow)
⁄ Review lecture notes
Thursday, 9 July (discussion)
⁄ Revise: midterm exam essays
⁄ Critically review: Essay 3, draft 1
⁄ Meet with Writing Fellows about Essay 2, draft 2
⁄ Read: The Comedy of Errors (introduction)
⁄ Pre-read: “How to close-read a play by Shakespeare” (247–51)
Friday, 10 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 2, draft 2
⁄ Turn in: midterm exam essays
⁄ Review lecture notes
Weekend
⁄ Read: “How to close-read a ballet” (279–89)
⁄ Read and take notes: The Comedy of Errors (Acts I, II, and III)
⁄ Revise: Essay 3, draft 1
WEEK FOUR
Monday, 13 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 3, draft 1
⁄ Read and take notes: The Comedy of Errors (Acts IV and V)
⁄ Write out flash cards for quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Choose topic and brainstorm argument: Essay 4 (Swan Lake and The Comedy of Errors)
⁄ Review lecture notes
Tuesday, 14 July (discussion)
⁄ Read: “How to close-read a play by Shakespeare” (247–51)
⁄ Reread and review: The Comedy of Errors
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Write out flash cards for quiz: Vocab 4
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Outline: Essay 4
Wednesday, 15 July (lecture)
⁄ Take Quiz: The Comedy of Errors
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 4
⁄ Draft: Essay 4
⁄ Review lecture notes
Thursday, 16 July (discussion)
⁄ Read: O’Connor (131–50)
⁄ Read: Porter (151–76)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 4
⁄ Meet with Writing Fellows about Essay 3, draft 2
⁄ Review critically: Essay 4
Friday, 17 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 3, draft 2
⁄ Take quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Review lecture notes
Weekend
⁄ Read: Updike (177–92)
⁄ Read: Packer (227–46)
⁄ Review for quiz: Vocab 3
⁄ Revise substantively: Essay 4
WEEK FIVE
Monday, 20 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 4
⁄ Take quiz: Vocab 4
⁄ Read carefully: assignment for Essay 5
⁄ Review lecture notes
Tuesday, 21 July (lecture)
⁄ Brainstorm provisional topic and outline: Essay 5
⁄ Review lecture notes
Wednesday, 22 July (movie)
⁄ Write notes: movie
⁄ Draft: Essay 5
Thursday, 23 July (movie)
⁄ Write notes: movie
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Draft: Essay 5
Friday, 24 July (movie)
⁄ Turn in: footnotes for Douglass
⁄ Write notes: movie
Weekend
⁄ Read: Maupassant (67–78)
⁄ Draft, critically review, and substantively revise: Essay 5
WEEK SIX
Monday, 27 July (lecture)
⁄ Turn in: Essay 5
⁄ Pre-read: “How to close-read nonfiction” (309–18)
⁄ Read and take notes: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
⁄ Review lecture notes for today and for week one
Tuesday, 28 July (discussion)
⁄ Read: “How to close-read a painting” (319–41)
⁄ Read and take notes: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
⁄ Review lecture notes for week two
Wednesday, 29 July (lecture)
⁄ Read and take notes: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
⁄ Review lecture notes for today and week three
Thursday, 30 July (meet at Chazen Art Museum)
⁄ Read: “How to close-read nonfiction” (309–18)
⁄ Review notes: Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass
⁄ Choose artworks and brainstorm argument: final exam essay question
⁄ Review lecture notes for week four
Friday, 31 July (lecture)
⁄ Review lecture notes for today and week five
Weekend
⁄ Outline: final exam essay
⁄ Review lecture notes for week six
WEEK SEVEN
Monday, 3 August (discussion)
⁄ Draft: final exam essay
Tuesday, 4 August (lecture)
⁄ Review lecture notes for today and for all preceding weeks
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Critically review and substantively revise: final exam essay
Wednesday, 5 August
⁄ Turn in: final exam take-home essay question
⁄ Take: final exam
Thursday, 6 August
⁄ Take: final exam
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