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Literacy Narrative Unit Plan - Instructor Copy
Florida International University
ENC 1101: Writing and Rhetoric
Note to Instructor: Student Copy of Unit Plan includes all of the information below that is not highlighted.
Goals:
By the end of the Literacy Narrative unit, you will:
●
Produce a final written project that indicates a clear rhetorical purpose and that is appropriate
for a diverse audience of peers
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Use conventions of open-form prose
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Illustrate engagement with issues of language, literacy, rhetoric, or cultures
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Demonstrate knowledge of persuasive appeals and rhetorical concepts learned in the
introductory unit
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Use specific language (descriptive, figurative, with attention paid to word choice)
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Produce a final draft that shows evidence of a thoughtful writing process, including invention,
revision, and proof-reading
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Use syntax, punctuation, and spelling effectively in service of rhetorical purpose
Week 1: Introduction
Week 2: Audience
Week 3: Style
Week 4: Execution
Please Note:
● “EW” = Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s.
4th edition, 2009. Customized for Florida International University.
● “A&B” = Ramage, John, John Bean and June Johnson. The Allyn & Bacon
Guide to Writing. New York: Pearson, 2010. Customized for Florida International
University. Fourth Edition.
Daily Class Plans for Literacy Narrative, Unit 1
Week I, Day I
Monday, January 9th
Class Goals:
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Introduce Each Other
Convey Course Expectations
Form Unit Groups
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Class Plan:
(15 min): Roll/Names & Intro/Syllabus-Course Policies
Class Activity -- syllabus scavenger hunt
(5 min): Unit Outcomes Discussion
(10 min): Moodle Introduction
(10 min): Form groups of four
Class Activity -- Have the students write down three questions they will use to interview their
classmates.
1) What is your major?
2) What is your writing process or how do you normally write your papers?
3) What classes are you taking this semester?
(5 min): Each group-write down (on one piece of paper) the first & last names of individuals in each group
and turn in one paper with four names to the instructor. Instructor should post Unit Groups in Moodle.
(5 min): Tell students there will be quizzes throughout the semester to hold them accountable for reading.
● Give students their first homework assignment
● Read A&B Chapter 3 pgs 51-67, be ready to use rhetorical terminology
Week I, Day II
Wednesday, January 11th
Class Goals:
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Grasp rhetorical terminology
Expose students to structures (open form) used in literacy narrative
Introduce free-writing to begin developing literacy narrative ideas
Homework Due:
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Come to class having read A&B Chapter 3 and be familiar with rhetorical terminology
Class Plan:
(5 min): In-class Quiz-serves as attendance (establish importance of reading & in class participation)
(15 min): Discuss Logos, Ethos, and Pathos. Have the students come up with examples of how to use
each appeal in their own writing.
(5 min): Discuss Open/Closed form from reading assignment
(5 min): Discuss reading as a writer vs reader
(10 min): Hand out “The Naturalization” (Trevino Lit. Narrative example) and read the first few
paragraphs and discuss the way Trevino opens the narrative.
(5 min): In-class writing--Have the students free write about a time when reading, writing, or language
impacted them. Point out that it doesn’t have to be a life-changing event, just something they remember
having an effect on their personal experience with reading, writing, or language.
(5 min): Explain homework: read articles for next week. Have the students keep in mind their own
experiences while reading.
● Read “The Naturalization,” Trevino--paper copies/posted in Moodle (Please bring to next class)
● Alexie from A&B pg 135-137
● Read A&B Chapter 6
● Post responses to In-class writing activity in Moodle
Week I, Day III
Friday, January 13th
Class Goals:
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Understand the structures used in literacy narrative
Understand what literacy narrative means
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Be prepared to compose an exploratory draft
Homework Due:
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Come to class having read A&B chapter 6 & Trevino’s “The Naturalization”
Response to In-class writing from Day 2 should be posted in Moodle before class starts
Class Plan:
(5 min): In-class Quiz-on reading (Serves as attendance. Pop quizzes should increase in difficulty to
reinforce the importance of reading the material presented for homework.)
(15 min): Class discussion--define Literacy, define Narrative, define Autobiographical.
○ Hand out Literacy Narrative assignment sheet (also available on Moodle)
Class Activity: Assignment sheet scavenger hunt
(20 min): Discuss A&B Chapter 6. Cover the following terms and have the students work in groups using
the Alexie & Trevino texts to point out examples of:
● Tension
● Literary Elements
○ Plot
○ Character
○ Setting
○ Theme
(10 min): Discuss homework due Monday-Topic Invention Homework considering rhetorical situation
(A&B 121-122) Students should complete the section “For Writing & Discussion: Discovering
Experiences with Literacy” pg. 122 and post their response in Moodle before class begins on
Monday.
Read: A&B Chapter 1 and be ready to discuss the next class, revisit A&B Chapter 3
__________________________________________________________________________
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Week II, Day I
Monday, January 16th
Class Goals:
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Understand Angle of Vision
Utilize their Angle of Vision to express the Purpose, Audience, and Genre
Introduce the Literacy Narrative Exploratory Draft
Homework Due:
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●
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Guide to Writing Chapter 1 and Chapter 3
Literacy Narrative Exploratory Draft Instructions
Bring Topic Invention Results (Either Electronic or Hard Copy)
Bring Literacy Narrative Exploratory Draft Instruction
Class Plan:
(5 Minutes): Topic Invention Recap
● Take roll.
Go over Topic invention, get an idea of how the life of these students has been affected by the issue
of Literacy
● Call on a few students to explain how the process is going for them
● The Issue of Literacy is their Subject Matter!
○ Make sure that the class is focusing on the Literacy as the core
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concept of the assignment
(15 Mins): Angle of Vision- the way the author chooses to present the narrative
● Topic Invention + Angle of Vision = Literacy Narrative
● Factors of Angle of Vision
● Angle of Vision as a Lens
● The Party: Grandmother vs. Best Friend
Instructor Notes:
Now that the Class has completed the Topic Invention assignment, it is time to start making the literacy
narrative their own.
●Raw Materials (Topic Invention)
●Raw Materials+Angle of Vision= beginning stages of the Narrative
●Factors of Angle of Vision
●Details-Either selected or omitted
●Word Connotation- positive, negative, or mixed
●Sentence structure and Organization- Emphasize or Demphasize a
Point
●Tone and Style
This is the Lens the author uses
●The audience will see the narrative in a particular way based on the
angle of vision
●The Lens will show what the author views as the important and
substantial parts of the narrative
●If its not important or appropriate to the story, don’t spend four
paragraphs describing it.
The Party: Grandmother vs. Best Friend
●Image of the storyteller (party animal vs. soda sipper)
●Details Included (Who would you tell that the party was so crazy that
the police were called, maybe tell Grandma you called the police)
●Emphasis of the Party (Every Detail or a Vanilla description of fun that
was had)
●Language (Who would you use slang with?)
●Just Like Describing the Party, the way you describe your Literacy
experience will depend on who the audience is.
○Your FIU Community of Students is most appropriate for the
Open Form. This is who you are writing to!
○Keep Your Angle of Vision in your Mind throughout the writing
process, this will help your essay stay focused.
(15 Minutes): Purpose, Audience, Genre
● Building off the Angle of Vision
● Purpose: What am I trying to Accomplish in the this paper? What do I want my readers to know,
believe, or do?
● Audience: Who are you Addressing in this Literacy Narrative
● Genre: What kind of document am I writing? What are its requirements for structure, style, and
document design?
● Building off the Angle of Vision
Instructor Notes:
Tangible ways to put this into practice.
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Purpose: What am I trying to Accomplish in the this paper? What do I want
my readers to know, believe, or do?
Rhetorical Aim: Express, Explore, Inform, Analyze, Synthesize, Persuade,
and to Reflect
●Which of these will be effective in the Literacy Narrative?
Motivating Occasion or Factors
●Internal versus External
●Internal: Enlighten your audience to how Literacy made a profound
impact on your life.
●External: The due date and Assignment parameters have to be met.
●The Delicate Balance between the Two of these.
Audience:
What are my readers’ values and assumptions?
●Back to the Idea of Grandmother vs. Best Friend
●Different Audience members from different groups will have different
expectations.
What do they already know or believe about my Subject?
●Do you need to introduce important background information?
●Think about your fellow FIU students and how much they know about
the Literacy Issue your are presenting.
How much do they care about it?
●Captive Audience?
●Do you need to hook them in?
Genre: What kind of document am I writing? What are its requirements for
structure, style, and document design?
●Page 24 in the A&B lists 46 examples of Genres (can you think of a
few Genre’s)
●These all have their own parameters for how they should be put
together
●In the Instructions for the Literacy Narrative it is made clear that this
is an Open Form Writing Assignment.
○Form of Personal Open Form Writing
○Meaning that it will be much more free flowing than a Scholarly
Essay or a Research Paper
Genre reflects back on Audience as well
●If an audience member is expecting to read a Blog Entry, then don’t
write them a research proposal
●Genre will give the audience clues about what they are reading.
●Also gives clues to the writer about what to include.
(5 Minutes): Introduce the Literacy Narrative Exploratory Draft
Start the Process of Telling the Story
● Free-Write 2.0
● Turnitin.com Trial
Instructor Notes:
●Start the Process of Telling the Story
○Utilizing your Angle of Vision to express the Purpose for a
particular Audience within the Literacy Narrative Genre
●Free-Write 2.0
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○Should be like Throwing the Pottery on the Wheel
○Still need to focusing on Paragraph Format and Sentence
Structure.
●Topic Invention (Raw Materials) +Angle of Vision
●Turnitin.com
○All Major Assignments in this class will be submitted via
turnitin.com (Plagiarism Detector)
○Technical Issues will not be seen as a excuse for late
assignments
○Consider this your Trial Run
(5 Minutes): Introduction of the Writers Memo
● A writers memo will be turned in with your First and Final draft
● Free Write on The topic discussed in this class (Angle of Vision)
● A writers memo will be turned in with your First and Final draft
● This will be turned in at the end of class, will count as your attendance grade for this class period.
● Reminder: Homework - Chapter 19 A&B
Week II, Day II
Wednesday, January 18th
Class Goals:
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Reemphasize Rhetorical Triangle (Emphasis on Pathos)
Scale of Abstraction (Concrete, Revelatory, Memory Soaked)
Banana Ladder
Homework Due:
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Chapter 19 A&B
Class Plan:
(5 Minutes): Audience/Level of Abstraction/Banana Ladder
● Take roll.
● Reviewing the Rhetorical Triangle
● Logos- appeals to Reason and Logic
● Ethos- refers to the credibility of the writer or speaker
● Pathos- appeals to the Audience
○When considering the audience the pathos is what you use to
draw them in.
(25 Minutes): The Scale of Abstraction
● Appeal to Pathos
● Types of words that are Low on the Scale
● Concrete Words
● Revelatory Words
● Memory Soaked Words
Instructor Notes:
In order to effectively appeal to the Pathos, make sure to use words that
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are low on the Scale of Abstraction
●Very Abstract=Clothing, Living Creature
●Very Specific=My FIU Sweatshirt with the Tear in the right Sleeve, My
Guinea Pig Dave that my Girlfriend and I Bought during our Junior
Year in College.
Types of words that are Low on the Scale
Concrete Words
●Example about Kakadu. Slightly concrete versus completely concrete
●Helps bring forth clear images and sensations
Revelatory Words
●Specific details revealing social status, lifestyle, beliefs, and values of
people.
●Example of the Aristocrat and the Pauper
○Types of clothes, posture, facial expressions
●Tom Wolfe: gestures, habits, manners, customs, styles of furniture,
clothing, decoration, styles of Traveling, eating, keeping house, modes
of behaving towards children, servants, superiors, inferiors, peers,
plus the various looks, glances, poses, styles of walking, and other
symbolic details.
Memory Soaked Words
●Words that trigger ideas, emotions, and sensations in readers who
share memories from a particular era.
●1960’s versus 2000’s
●Also The Word Apple
○For many of our parents this was the Record Label for James
Taylor and Janis Joplin founded by the Beatles
○For us it refers to Electronics and Steve Jobs
(10 Minutes): The Banana Ladder
● At the bottom of the ladder the audience gets a very vague description
● Life- This is General
● Banana-This is Specific
● The Audience knows exactly what someone is referring to when it gets to the Banana
● Planet Earth Example
● In Class activity.
○ This will count as your attendance for this class period.
○ Turn in a hard copy with all group members names.
Instructor Notes:
●At the bottom of the ladder the audience gets a very vague
description
○As They go up the ladder it gets more and more descriptive
○Life—Being alive, Board Game, The length of a Prison Sentence?
○Nourishment—Nourish the Mind, Nourish the Body, Nourish the
Soul?
○Food—Any of the Seven Food Groups could be referred to here
○Fruit—Apple, Pear, Tomato, Plum?
○Banana-This is Specific
●The Audience knows exactly what someone is referring to at the top
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of the ladder
(10 Minutes): Explain the Luc Sante Assignment
Print out the Article for Friday
We will be discussing Concrete and Figurative Language on Friday
Highlight the Luc Sante Article Showing...
●Example of Concrete Language, that is low on the scale of Abstraction
●Example of Figurative Language
●Words that you don’t know the meaning of
This will be due at the start of class on Friday
Definitions of Concrete and Figurative Language will driven home more
Clearly on Friday
Also Touch on the Exploratory Literacy Narrative being Due
●Ask who has been able to take care of Turnitin.com???
Reminder: Homework:
●Chapter 22 Everyday Writer
●Chapter 4 and 19 Guide to Writing
●Bring 2 Hard Copies of Exploratory Draft
Week II, Day III
Friday, January 20th
Class Goals:
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Turnitin.com Tutorial
Introduce Concrete and Figurative Language
Get Students started on their Writers Memo
Homework Due:
●Chapter 22 Everyday Writer
●Chapter 4 and 19 Guide to Writing
●Bring 2 Hard Copies of Exploratory Draft
Class Plan:
(5 Minutes): Quick Discussion on how the Exploratory Draft writing went
● Take roll.
● Drive home that they need to get a grasp of Turnitin.com, as technical issues will not be an
excuse for late assignments.
(15 Minutes): Concrete and Figurative Language Definitions.
● Concrete vs. General Words
● Figurative Language
Instructor Notes:
Concrete vs. General Language
● General- Gives the overall Picture of the scene
● Concrete- gives the details that will fill in the cracks of the picture
● General-Less General-Specific-More Specific
● Picture Description. Start with a House, then start filling in the
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background of the House(Weather, Grass, Trees, Animals, People,
Color of the House)
● Exercise 22.5 on 236 Everyday Writer. Making sentences more Specific
Figurative Language
● Language that helps paint pictures in the reader’s mind, allowing one
to “see” a point readily and clearly.
● Might Come off as Decorative, however if the writer is writing about a
somewhat Esoteric subject this can be crucial to the understanding.
● Similies- Using Like or As
● Metaphors- Comparing without the Use of Like or As
● Analogies- Comparing something Unfamiliar with something
Commonly Known
● Example: Have Someone in the Class think of a Person, Place, or
Thing. Then make a Similie, Metaphor, and an Analogy with it.
(15 Minutes): Group Activity with These Types of Language
● Break into Groups of Three and have them read over each others Literacy Narratives.
● Students locate one place in the literacy narrative where their classmate utilized
Concrete/Figurative Language effectively and a place where they feel this could help drive home
their point
● This will be turned into the Moodle Forum
Instructor Notes:
●Break into Groups of Three and have them read over each others Literacy Narratives.
●Have the Students locate one place in the literacy narrative where
their classmate utilized Concrete/Figurative Language effectively and a
place where they feel this could help drive home their point. This will
be turned into the Moodle Forum Under Concrete/Figurative.
(10 Minutes): Class Presentation Time
●Have 2-3 Groups read their discussions aloud.
●If no one is Brave Enough then Cold Call a few groups, or just put some of the Moodle Discussions
on the Screen.
(5 Minutes): Free Write for the Writers Memo
●Spend the last 5 Minutes of Class doing a free write on the use of Concrete and Figurative
Language
● This Free Write will be your attendance grade for the class period.
● Homework for next time: Complete code-switching log (instructions on Moodle) and bring to
class
○ Assignment for Monday (Note: assign this today so they have time to work on it over the
weekend and to ask questions): Assess the rhetorical situation for your literacy
narrative. Base this on the concepts in A&B ch. 1. Ask yourself: Who is your audience?
What is your communicative purpose in writing the literacy narrative? You will bring a
hard copy to class on Monday.
○ Read Exploding a Moment (handout on Moodle) and print to bring to class
○ Read Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" (A&B Guide, pp. 152-156)
Instructor Note:
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Make it known that the Writers memo will be worth 10% of their Literacy Narrative Grade, and
that they must discuss Concrete/Figurative Language in it.
Over the weekend, assess the exploratory draft.
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Week III, Day I
Monday, January 23rd
Instructor Note: Keep in mind you have assessed the exploratory draft by now, so they should be aware
of this and use your notes on TurnItIn to write their first draft of the literacy narrative.
Class Goals:
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Analyze your personal use of language in different situations
Select moments to serve as examples of a part of your literacy journey
Homework Due:
Complete code-switching log (instructions on Moodle) and bring to class
Read Exploding a Moment (handout on Moodle) and print to bring to class
Read Amy Tan's "Mother Tongue" (A&B Guide, pp. 152-156)
Bring in your hard copy of your analysis of the rhetorical situation for the literacy narrative.\
Class Plan:
(15 minutes) Class discussion of “Mother Tongue”
● Take roll.
● What were Tan’s main points about literacy?
● How might Tan define literacy?
● Pick out examples of when Tan “exploded a moment” (see handouts). Implode them, then
compare with the exploded version.
(5 minutes) Writing Activity (Project the Prompt)
● On your own, pick events from your code-switching log that you could explode in your literacy
narrative.
(25 minutes) Group Activity with Code-Switching logs
● In your groups of 3-4, pick moments for explosion in your code switching logs. Explode them!
(5 minutes) Class discussion
● Wrap up the importance of “exploding a moment”
● Homework for next time: read A&B 563 - 568 (Skills 2 & 3); read A&B 578 - 582 (Skill 5)
● Reminder: Your Exploratory Draft has been reviewed by now! You can start editing it for your
Peer Review on Friday!
Instructor Note: Grade and comment on the analysis of the rhetorical situation for the literacy narrative.
Week III, Day II
Wednesday, January 25th
Class Goals:
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Develop stronger understanding of rhetorical situation (for the Writer’s Memo)
Assess your audience
Learn about your personal strengths and weaknesses
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Homework due:
read A&B 563 - 568 (Skills 2 & 3)
read A&B 578 - 582 (Skill 5)
(5 minutes) Individual Writing
● Take roll.
● Return rhetorical situation analyses with comments
● Students write 1-2 sentences to enhance their description of the rhetorical situation based on
these comments
● Students who did not turn one in can now start it in class.
(15 minutes) Discussion and Lecture
● What is the purpose of the Writer’s Memo?
● How can you assess the rhetorical situation?
● How does it help?
(5 minutes) Revision Lecture
● What’s the difference between revision and editing?
● What’s the difference between local and global revisions?
(5 minutes) Individual Activity
Note: Put the prompt up on the document viewer or project from Moodle.)
● Write a story about dinner last night using memory-soaked words.
(10 minutes) Group Activity part 1
● Form groups of 3-4 students
● Give your paper to a group member and tell them what global revisions they could make as they
would develop this story
(10 minutes) Group Activity part 2
● In your groups of 3-4 students, give your paper to another group member
● Have each member pick out what they view as the memory-soaked words
● Also, pick out places where they think they can add more memory-soaked words
● Remember to bring 2 copies of your literacy narrative and the peer response sheet!
Week III, Day III
Friday, January 27th
Class Goal: Learn to conduct effective peer reviews
Homework (due today):
Print 2 copies of your literacy narrative and bring them to class
Print 2 copies of the peer response sheets and bring them to class
(5 minutes) Individual Writing: (Note: Put the prompt up on the document viewer or project from
Moodle.)
● Take roll.
● What concepts from the past few weeks do you need to consider while reviewing your peer’s
literacy narratives?
● Which do you need to consider while revising your own literacy narrative?
(10 minutes) Discussion:
● Review of concepts: logos, ethos, pathos, angle of vision, local and global revisions, theme, title,
banana/scale of abstraction, audience and writing for the rubric.
(15 minutes) Peer Review Workshop:
● In pairs, use the peer response sheet (instructor bring extra) for WP1 to guide you through your
discussion of the first writer’s essay
(15 minutes) Peer Review Workshop:
(5 minutes) Wrap-up:
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●
Depending on how involved the students seem in their peer review workshop, the wrap up should
be a discussion of what they learned from the peer review exercise revolving around audience
● What did your peers help you learn about audience?
Homework for next: Prepare two hard copies for use in-class on Monday.
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Week IV, Day I
Monday, January 30th
Class Goals: the students will develop a basic understanding of the manner in which an
autobiographical essay is written. They will review the following aspects of such a paper: rhetorical
purpose, audience, how to avoid chronological writing, author’s voice, using imagery to describe a scene.
Students will also be introduced to the logic behind the rubric. What is the grader looking for in the
student’s essay?
Homework due to-day: Read The Allyn & Bacon Guide to Writing pages 87-106 (seeing
rhetorically) and 119-124 (description of a literacy narrative) prior to class
Class Plan:
(5 Minutes)
● Take roll
● Pass out conference sign-in sheet
● Explain the sheet’s purpose
(10 Minutes)
● Lecture: What is an autobiographical essay? This will be a review of the homework assignment
followed by a Q&A
(5 Minutes)
● Review rhetorical purpose and introduce the concept of “audience”
● Q&A with students. Have them describe examples of the way in which they employ rhetorical
purpose in their writings
(5 Minutes)
● Describe how to avoid chronological writing (first this happened, then that happened...)
(5 Minutes)
● What is author’s voice? Conduct Q&A
(5 Minutes)
● How to use imagery to describe a scene
● Conduct Q&A have students provide examples of the manner in which they might describe a
scent to their audience
Event
● Display Rubric. This will have been previously posted to Moodle
(15 Minutes)
● Understanding the logic at the root of the rubric
● Go over each section of the rubric
● Q&A: What do the students think each of the requirements within the various categories mean?
● Homework for next time: Bring a hard copy of your literacy narrative.
Outcomes: the students should understand what the grader will be looking for in the final draft of the
literacy narrative.
Week IV, Day II
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Wednesday, February 1st
Class Goals: to point out any strong and weak-points in the initial literacy narrative writings
Homework Due: Bring a hard-copy of your literacy narrative
Activities:
Eight Hours
●
●
Conferences
I will provide the students with a copy of the rubric and ask them to use it to grade their own work
while I look at their paper on Moodle
Outcomes: the students should leave the session with a good idea of what needs to be changed in
their papers in order to satisfy the rubric’s parameters.
Week IV, DAY III
Friday, February 3rd
Class Goals: a review of the sources employed by ENC-1101 students in order to check their work for
common grammatical errors. Also, students will review the use of Moodle and Turnitin.com in their efforts
to check their comments and grades on-line.
Activities:
(2 Minutes)
● Take roll
(13 Minutes)
● Short lecture on grammar
● project slides on grammar derived from the textbooks: The Everyday Writer, pages 283-365; and
Allyn & Bacon’s, Guide to Writing, pages 807-809
● The instructor will place an emphasis on what he/she knows to be common grammatical errors
(15 Minutes)
● Individual activity: using their textbook as a guide the students will correct grammatical errors on
their own papers
(10 Minutes)
● Q&A with class. What were some of the problems that you found? How would you avoid these in
the future?
(10 Minutes)
● Use Moodle to describe to students how to check their grades in Moodle
● Explain how to view grades in Turnitin.com
● Discuss with class. Q&A session
Outcomes: the students should have a better grasp on the editing process. They should also be
familiar with the learning aids meant to assist them in this process.
Reminder: Final Draft Due on Sunday February 5th at Noon via Turnitin.com