English 401: 28
First-Year Writing
Spring 2014
Instructor Molly Hall
Time: Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 12:10-1:00
Room: Hamilton Smith 19
Office: Hamilton Smith 301
Email: mvk26@wildcats.unh.edu
Office Hours: Monday 1:30-3:30,
and by appointment.
URL: blackboard.unh.edu
Phone: 2-1313 (if dialed on campus)
862-1313 (off campus)
Course Description
The ability to articulate ideas, communicate thoughts, and share concerns is vital to
participation in communal, academic, and civic discussions. Whenever a person
engages in such discussions, he or she must possess those literacy skills (the skills to
read, write, and think critically) that enable him or her to share observations and ideas,
voice questions and concerns, and articulate positions and arguments. In English 401
this semester, you will practice your literacy skills so that you, too, are able to
communicate your ideas to an audience.
You already, of course, possess those literacy skills that enable you to enter into
conversations. Every day you communicate your ideas to various audiences: you are
always speaking, listening, reading, and writing to friends, family, community
members, classmates, teachers, and work colleagues. Thus, the idea behind this course
is not something new. What this course will give you, though, is the opportunity to
build on those literacy skills that you already have so that you might improve your
ability to communicate your ideas and concerns in a variety of settings and situations.
The course will be divided into three units, each of which will involve the writing of a
different kind of major essay. For each essay, the approach, style, structure, and content
will be determined by your audience and purpose. To strengthen your persuasive skills,
you will be required to do online and library research for your second essay.
Frequent short papers in response to assigned readings will help you prepare for each
major essay, as will the multiple drafts of each paper you will write. Workshops and
instructor conferences will give you many opportunities to closely analyze your own
writing and thus learn ways to enhance it.
You will notice as you read through the three major assignments as well as the
readings for this course that it is designed to teach composition and analysis skills
through an extended engagement with environmental themes. Not every section of
First Year Writing is designed this way, in fact you would find that every FYW course
offered this spring is structured differently. The reason for my choice of an ecological
focus is threefold. First, I believe that a composition course structured around one
unifying but broadly defined theme allows you to focus more on the writing and
analysis itself. Second, writing itself turns out to be a very ecological process, an idea
which we will discuss more later, and so, if we must have a central theme on our
readings and discussions, this seems the most logical. And, lastly, we live in a world
and a time in which environmental literacy is more important than ever before because
of the many environmental issues we face as a society.
Sustainability studies have permeated every discipline in most universities
across the country, and so, too, does it have a role to play in our composition classroom.
That being said, I will be making every effort to include a variety of sources in order to
represent the many differing positions on human relations to the environment. Feel free
to suggest sources to me if you feel a position is underrepresented. And, lastly, know
that at no time will you be obligated to change or adopt a specific opinion about
environmental or sustainability issues. Nor will you be required to draw specific
conclusions or defend a position that you are uncomfortable with or disagree with in
your own writing. Your writing is your own, no one but you can decide how you
should interpret information, or analyze a text, I only ask that you perform
interpretations and analysis, as well as other forms of reflective writing. I do not ask
that you come to any specific conclusion.
Course Objectives
By the end of this course, you should be able to:








Read various genres and identify the topic, thesis, and argument;
Analyze and understand the rhetorical situation, including the purpose, writer
positioning, audience, and genre;
Utilize various forms of note taking;
Develop texts that use grammatical, stylistic, and genre conventions that are
appropriate for college-level writing, as well as paraphrase, summarize, and
quote effectively and selectively using APA or MLA format for both in-text and
bibliographic citations;
Draft and revise for structure as well as surface level issues and revise, edit, and
proofread your own texts for maximum effectiveness;
Find academic sources in the library catalog, in databases, utilize the physical
stacks at the library for research, and request items via Inter Library Loan;
Generate a specific research question and well defined research terms and create
a working and revised thesis and use it to structure a well-organized written
argument;
Synthesize sources with your own ideas and with each other;


Articulate the role of language in constructing and maintaining cultural
constructs and societal values;
Discuss with others, connecting and building on other’s comments and giving
constructive criticism and positive feedback.
Required Texts
The following books are required and will be available at Durham Book Exchange (36
Main St.; 868-1297) and the UNH Bookstore (MUB; 862-2140).
Ballenger, Bruce. Selected Readings from The Curious Researcher and The Curious Writer.
Pearson, 2013. Print.
Walker, Melissa. Reading the Environment. New York: Norton, 1994. Print.
University of New Hampshire Composition Program. Transitions. Boston: Bedford/St.
Martin’s, 2013. Print.
A Writing Notebook.
Course Requirements
You will be expected to:
1.
2.
3.
4.
attend all class meetings and conferences (see attendance policy, below);
arrive in class on time and well prepared;
thoroughly read and reread all assigned texts;
provide evidence of that close reading in reading responses and on classroom
quizzes*;
5. participate actively and constructively in class discussions;
6. participate in in-class writing exercises;
7. participate in draft workshops and group work (a draft for workshop must be a
complete draft: it has a beginning, middle, and end and is ready to share);
8. compose and submit out-of-class exercises and reading responses;
9. conduct various types of research in the library and on the Web;
10. draft and revise three essays of various lengths and purposes;
11. submit all work on time (on the hour/day it is due; see Late Policy).
Individual Conferences/Office Hours
We will meet in my office for conferences to discuss your writing on a regular basis, but
you may stop by my office during open office hours as well. During our regular visits
(three to five meetings), I will meet with you individually or in small groups. These
scheduled meetings are mandatory. If you cannot attend a scheduled meeting, please
email me at least two hours before our planned time. If you miss a meeting without
emailing first, I will count it as one of your three class absences.
Assignments
Your major assignments for the course are as follows, all assignments are submitted
electronically:

Ecological Rhetoric Analysis Essay (20%), in which you’ll closely examine one author’s
position in a debate, evaluating the way the author uses rhetoric to persuade their
target. Your objective is to analyze how the author’s use of specific language and
rhetorical techniques changes the way the audience is asked to view the
environment, without revealing your own opinion on the debate. To fully
understand how rhetoric shifts our way of viewing the environment, you will need
to utilize and incorporate one to two additional sources on the same debate.

Ecology in the Disciplines Researched Essay (20%), in which you’ll inquire into a specific
research question concerning how your chosen discipline engages with and relates
to the environment. Then, you will write to persuade your audience that your view
on this question is informed and supported. In developing this paper, you’ll need to
research the topic thoroughly, using a number of sources. On the basis of these
sources, you can develop your own position on the topic, as well as an
understanding of the other positions. In writing the paper, your task will be to
present your own position as strongly as you can while also addressing, and trying
to refute, conflicting arguments. Using ethical, logical, and/or emotional appeals,
you will try to convince your audience to share your position. Your goal will be to
get your audience either to adopt your view or, at the very least, to treat your view
with greater understanding and respect. You will also complete an Annotated
Bibliography and Class Presentation during this unit totaling an additional 15% of
your grade—see below).

Personal Reflection on Place Essay (20%), in which you’ll reflect on how a particular
place--- urban, rural, suburban, “natural,” or built—has influenced your
development as a reader/writer/scholar/person, your understanding of your
community and your place in it, or your views/attitude toward others or the world
around you. Your task is to write an essay about your connection to this place, the
effect it has had on you and you on it, and to reflect more broadly within it on the
role on place in general in our culture though the sharing of your own experiences
with place.
The other components that will compose your final grade are as follows:

Homework and Quizzes (15%), including responses to and summaries of the
readings, drafts of each final essay, and writing and research exercises to help you
improve your skills.

Class Presentation (5%), during unit two, five minutes presenting your research thus
far on your researched/persuasive essay.

Annotated bibliography (10%), consisting of summaries and evaluations of sources
for your researched/persuasive essay.

Participation (10%).
Class Policies
Grading Breakdown. The homework will be graded as follows, all homework is
submitted electronically:
5
All components are addressed and assignment is thoughtful, with evidence of
your having done the reading when required (=90-100 points).
3-4 Some elements are missing or problematic. Assignment is mainly on target (=7089 points).
1-2 Major parts are missing/the assignment is insufficient but worth some credit
(=50-69 points).
You will receive a letter grade (along with my written feedback) for each of the major
assignments. The grade for each essay will be assigned as follows:

A = Excellent. Your essay has a clear purpose and is well organized; it is original
and focused, with fully developed ideas and/or very effective use of research. The
paper demonstrates your full understanding of the assignment prompt and meets or
exceeds all requirements. The style is effective. The strengths of the paper outweigh
any weaknesses.

B = Very Good. Your essay has a relatively clear purpose and is organized logically.
It is somewhat original and relatively focused. Your ideas are developed for the
most part, and/or your use of research is effective. The paper demonstrates your
understanding of the assignment prompt and meets or exceeds all requirements.
The style is effective for the most part. The strengths of the paper outweigh the
weaknesses.

C = Average. Your essay has a discernable purpose, and its organization generally
makes sense. The style is somewhat effective. While the paper is not as original or
focused as it could be, it demonstrates your understanding of several of the key
points of the assignment and meets most, if not all, of the essay requirements.

D = Marginal. A clear purpose may be present in your paper, but the writing is not
well organized, original, or focused. The style of the paper is ineffective. The essay
demonstrates an understanding of only some of the key points of the assignment
and meets very few of the requirements. Overall, the essay’s weaknesses exceed its
strengths.

F = Failure. Your essay contains many errors. It is difficult to read and vague. Your
essay lacks a purpose and does not meet the paper requirements.
Late Policy. Your homework assignments will not be accepted late. Students who miss
class due to illness must still submit homework on time. You will receive one free
homework pass over the course of the semester to either replace your worst score or
make up for an assignment you missed. Since computer breakdowns and printer issues
are not sufficient excuses for lateness, you would be wise to save your pass in case of
problems instead of skipping an assignment. For information on the computer labs on
this campus, check out the following site: http://clusters.unh.edu/.
Late essays and the final version of the annotated bibliography will normally be docked
one letter grade per day unless you get my approval for an extension before the due
date.
Remember that passing the course requires timely completion of all of the assignments,
long and short, in-class and out-of-class.
Final Course Grade. Your final grade will be adjusted for your attendance and
participation (see policies below). If you have any questions about a grade, please see
me in office hours, and I will be happy to discuss your grade with you.
Attendance Policy. All sections of English 401 follow the same attendance policy. Each
student is allowed to miss up to three meetings (classes or conferences) for whatever
reason: no distinction will be made between excused or unexcused absences. Don’t
waste these three absences; save them for times you really need them. Each additional
absence beyond the three deductibles will lower your final grade by one grade (For
example, if you earned a B but missed four classes, you’d get a B-; if you missed five
classes, you’d get a C+). Missing a scheduled conference or more than 50% of a class
meeting also counts as an absence. Exceptions to this policy will not be made unless
extenuating circumstances can be documented.
It is your responsibility to get the assignments, class notes, and course changes from a
classmate if you do miss a class. It is also your responsibility to keep track of and
complete the missing work. In-class work cannot be made up. If you miss class on the
day a written assignment is due, make arrangements to send it along with a classmate.
It is my responsibility to inform you if and when I will be late or unable to attend a
class. In normal circumstances, I will inform you in advance by e-mail and/or on
Blackboard. If I haven’t notified you in advance and I am not in class, please send
someone to check with the English Office in Hamilton Smith 113. I may have left a lastminute message there.
If you think a winter storm might have caused a delay or cancellation, you can check
the UNH website or the storm information line: 603-862-0000. To receive UNH alerts to
your email and/or cell phone, go to https://alert.unh.edu/index.php?CCheck=1. In the
event that class is cancelled, you are expected to complete all readings and assignments for the
following meeting unless you receive notification from me stating otherwise.
Participation. You will be asked to make formal and informal presentations of your
work (individually and as a member of a group) in class. Although these assignments
will not be given a letter grade, they will count as evidence of your active participation
in the course.
In addition, this course requires a number of drafts for each essay; thoughtful and
thorough commentary on your peers’ work is expected of you, just as it is expected of
them.
Whereas in high school you may have found yourself sitting silently in a class, in this
course thoughtful participation in discussions is a vital part of your work. In fact, the
value of class meetings will largely be determined by the conversation you and your
classmates create each day. Your participation in this dialogue is expected and will be
considered when I assign your final grade.
Cell Phones. Cell phones should be silenced or off during class and should be out of
hand and sight.
Academic Honesty Policy. In order to make the most out of this course, you are
expected to present your own original work. Any attempt at plagiarism or
misrepresentation will result in a failing grade for the project and, in some cases, for the
entire course. The University of New Hampshire Student Rights, Rules and Responsibility
defines misrepresentation and plagiarism as follows:
Plagiarism. The unattributed use of the ideas, evidence, or words of another
person, or the conveying of the false impression that the arguments and writing
in a paper are the student's own. Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to the
following:
1. the acquisition by purchase or otherwise of a part or the whole of a piece of
work which is represented as the student's own;
2. the representation of the ideas, data, or writing of another person as the
student's own work, even though some wording, methods of citation, or
arrangement of evidence, ideas, or arguments have been altered;
3. concealment of the true sources of information, ideas, or argument in any piece
of work. (09.3)
Misrepresentation. Submitting work originally submitted for one course to satisfy
the requirements of another course, without prior consent of the current
instructor (it is assumed that the current instructor expects the work to be
original). (09.4)
To avoid plagiarism, be sure to acknowledge the source, using the conventions of an
appropriate academic documentation style (such as MLA and APA) as specified by
your instructor. For more information about plagiarism and how to avoid it, see
Practical Argument and Transitions. Please note that we will be using MLA style for
this course.
Confidentiality. In a personal essay (your last major assignment for the course) my
responses and your classmates’ will cover your writing, not your life, and I ask all
students to respect the confidentiality of these pieces. However, if you mention subjects
in your writing that may be harmful to yourself or another person or you mention
crimes conducted by yourself or others on this campus, your revelations may have to be
reported to university authorities. Please consider carefully what you feel comfortable
sharing.
Services
Robert J. Connors Writing Center. The Writing Center is an invaluable resource for all
kinds of writers at UNH. The Writing Center is not only for those who feel they “need
help” with their writing. Although you will definitely “get help” at the Writing Center,
you should see it as a place to share ideas, work through concepts, and fine-tune your
writing. The center also now helps with oral presentations. Please visit the Writing
Center by appointment or by dropping in (www.unh.edu/writing; 862-3272; located on
the 3rd or ground floor of the Dimond Library to the right of the reference desk in the
back). In addition, the Online Writing Lab (OWL), an extension of the Connors Writing
Center, allows students to work with one of our consultants over the Internet at
http://owl.unh.edu.
Disability Services for Students. If you are a student with a documented disability
who will require accommodations in this course, please register with Disability Services
for Students for assistance in developing a plan to address your academic needs. I will
be unable to make any accommodations without a letter from Disability Services (201
Smith Hall; 2-2607).
Additional Services. Center for Academic Resources (201 Smith Hall; 2-3698). IT
Service Desk (2-4242). IT Support Center (Dimond Library, Level 3). Sexual Harassment
and Rape Prevention Program (SHARPP) (24-hour Crisis Line: 603-862-SAFE).
Counseling Center (862-2090; Smith Hall, 3rd Floor, 3 Garrison Ave). Military &
Veterans Services (862-0355; Stoke Hall; unh.veterans@unh.edu).
CLASS SCHEDULE AND ASSIGNMENTS FOR UNIT ONE
Important Dates:
DATES
Mon., Jan. 20th
Mon., Mar. 10th through
Fri. Mar. 14th
EVENT
SCHEDULE CHANGES
Martin
No Class Monday.
Luther King,
Jr. Day
Spring Break No Class Monday, Wednesday, or Friday.
January 22st, 1st day of this class; May 5th last day of this class.
All assignments on the schedule are due by the START of class ON the day listed unless
otherwise indicated.
DATE
Week
1
W 1-22
TOPICS
UNDER
DISCUSSION
Introduction to
First Year
Writing
READING
DUE
WRITING
DUE
Lesson Plan
Get your books
as soon as
possible!
In class
only.
Information index cards, ICW on
place that’s meaningful to you and
why, go over syllabus,
Ecocomposition and writing as
ecology handout (with matching
PP, and use board for their
suggestions). Hand out
Glendenning, Hand out Cronon.
F 1-24
Week
2
M 1-27
Introduction to
Environmental
Rhetoric
Analysis and
the Rhetorical
Situation
Reading
Critically
Analyzing for
Credibility
Ecology and
the Rhetorical
Situation
CR, “Note
taking
strategies” pp.
103- 112.
AR #1.
Glendenning’s
“Technology,
Trauma, and the
Wild,”
Handout.
William
Cronon’s
“Album:
Symbolic
Nature” (pp.
219-229) from
Uncommon
Ground:
Rethinking the
Human Place in
Nature, Handout
(this is all visual
images).
Tim O’Brien’s
RR #1.
“On the Rainy
River” from
The Things They
Carried,
Handout.
Grammar mini-lesson: activepassive activity, Ice breaker,
reading critically discussion,
rhetoric and audience: logos,
pathos, ethos, rhetorical situation,
Go over first reading together and
show them how to do an
environmental rhetoric analysis,
Socratic circle activity/class
discussion, essay one assignment,
what does this project teach us that
is transferable beyond 401?, H.O.
O’Brien, go over note taking
strategies.
Sign up for first conference, Critical
reading activity (like with Millar)
get into groups break piece into
sections and teach them back to
each other, Socratic circle
activity/class discussion,
Analyzing sources for Credibility
and Rhetorical Effectiveness,
Connections between Rhetorical
Situation and Ecology, ICW write
for or against an issue of debate in
society today concerning ecology,
H.O. Northern Pass Casebook
W 1-29
Writing a
Rhetorical
Analysis
Crafting a
Thesis
F 1-31
Sentence
Combining
Visual Rhetoric
Week
Fallacies
(including selections from:
www.northernpass.us/index.htm;
http://nonorthernpassnh.blogspot.
com/; http://e360.yale.edu; and
more).
Look Over
Blackboard Writing a Rhetorical analysis, thesis
Northern Pass
Group
writing exercise, GW rhetorical
Casebook.
Intro
analysis of reading from HW, class
posting
discussion of reading (and rhetoric
Read about
(post short and ecology), thesis development
Republican
passage
activity, H.O. Spiegel.
Environmental about
Platform @
yourself in
www.gop.com “Group
/2012Intro”
republicandiscussion
platform_ameri group,
ca/.
under File
Exchange).
Read about
Obama
Administration
’s
Environmental
Platform @
www.whiteho
use.gov/energ
y/ourenvironment.
Spiegel’s
Brainstorm Grammar mini-lesson: sentence
“Disturbance,
Essay
combining activity, Analyzing
Equilibrium,
ideas.
magazine ads in groups.
and
Environmental
Variability,”
Handout.
RE, Annie
AR #2.
Socratic circle activity/class
3
M 2-3
W 2-5
Paper Topics
Summary
versus
Paraphrase
Dillard, “The
Land Where
Rivers Meet” p.
92-3, John
Muir, “The
Birds” p. 45-48.
CR, Appendix
Work on
A, MLA format your essay.
and Citation
Style.
discussion, discuss fallacies, ICW
on possible paper topic.
Jason
Czarnezki’s
“Learning
From the
Climate
Change Crisis,”
from Everyday
Environmentalis
m: Law, Nature,
and Individual
Behavior,
Handout.
Art
Spiegelman’s
“Prisoners of
War” (from
Maus: A
Survivor’s Tale,
I: My Father
Bleeds
History),
Handout.
Work on
your essay.
Mini grammar lesson: revising an
unpunctuated paragraph, class
debate, H.O. Spiegelman
RR #2.
Peer review, Socratic circle
activity/class discussion, Go over
summarizing, paraphrasing,
quoting, and synthesizing sources,
transition activity, ink-shedding
ICW about concerns about your
writing,
outline argument, summary versus
paraphrase, APA /MLA citation,
drafting thesis statements activity,
outline your paper, H.O. Czarnezki.
Citation
Thesis
statements
F 2-7
Outlining
Punctuation
Debate
Week
4
M 2-10
First Draft
Essay 1
Due.
W 2-12
F 2-14
Week
5
M 2-17
TR, Fraatz’s
“Reduce
Foreign Oil
Dependence.”
Purdue OWL
(Website):
“Grammar,”
“Punctuation,”
and
“Mechanics”
sections, link
on BB.
CLASS
Read over
CANCELLED
items from the
FOR
casebook you
CONFERENCS haven’t
Meet me in my incorporated
office with
into your essay
your paper and again.
questions on it.
Peer Revision
RE, Kaufman,
“Confessions of
Summary,
a Developer” p.
Identification,
306-316.
and Evaluation
Go over Transitions reading and
break down their writing, ICW:
what are you struggling with in
your essay, peer review workshop,
mini conferences while they review,
Grammar mini-lesson: rhetorical
punctuation worksheet, Go over
rubric, Go over APA, MLA again.
Work on
your essay.
CONFERENCES
Second
draft of
Essay 1
Due, with
quotes
included
and
citations
(for your
source, the
extra
source, and
any others
you’ve
cited).
Socratic circle activity/class
discussion, peer revision, Go over
three tiers of successful rhetorical
analysis: summary, identify
strategy, evaluate effect of strategy.
AR #3.
W 2-19
Peer Workshop
Language and
Ecology
TR, Fosher’s
“Empty
Entertainment”
Transfer
Beyond 401
F 2-21
Introduction to
Researched
Persuasive
Writing
Essay 1
Due.
Reverse outline your paper, peer
revision workshop, ICW then
discuss: what is the role of language
in producing human attitudes and
behavior towards the environment
in terms of individuals and
institutions?, what did this project
teach us that is transferable beyond
401?
Grammar mini-lesson: revision an
unpunctuated paragraph, Sign up
for group conferences 1 and 2, go
over unit 2 schedule and essay
assignment, How is this project
persuasive?, What does it teach us
that is transferable beyond 401?
Over the course of the semester, you will write and revise three major essays. In
addition to these writing projects, you will also compose Annotated Responses (ARs)
and Reflective Responses (RRs) that will prepare you for these major essays, help you to
reflect on course readings, enable you to focus on particular aspects/styles/techniques
of writing, and give you the opportunity to consider/reconsider the world around you.
RRs and ARs are one-page, single-spaced, typed (in Times or a similar font)
responses to readings and sometimes guiding questions given in class. All RRs and
ARs are to be submitted on Blackboard, and brought to class either digitally or
physically.
Annotated Responses: Using one of the note-taking formats or strategies describes by
Ballenger in CR (103-112), take notes on the reading you had to do for homework. Dry
to use multiple strategies throughout the semester.
Reflective Responses: Free-write for 2-3 minutes in response to the reading just after
you finish it. Then, come up with one question about the reading, one quote from the
reading that interests you, and one comment on the reading (label which is which).
ESSAY ONE ASSIGNMENT: THE ECOLOGICAL RHETORIC ANALYSIS ESSAY
DUE: February 21, 2014.
In this essay you must closely examine one author’s position from the Northern Pass
Casebook in the context of the larger debate over the issue, evaluating the way the
author uses rhetoric to persuade their target. Your objective is to analyze how the
author’s use of specific language and rhetorical techniques changes the way the
audience is asked to view the environment, without revealing your own opinion on the
debate. To fully understand how rhetoric shifts our way of viewing the environment,
you will need to utilize and incorporate one to two additional sources on the same
debate.
Step 1. Choose a piece from the casebook to analyze.
Step 2. Establish the Rhetorical Situation of the piece, take detailed notes on your piece,
its uses of rhetoric, the target audience, etc. Mark key quotes/passages which
illustrate what you see the piece doing.
Step 3. Develop a working thesis answering the question: How does the author use
specific language and rhetorical techniques to persuade the audience to think
and act a certain way towards the environment?
Step 4. Outline your argument.
Step 5. Draft your essay.
Step 6. Revise. Redraft. Revise. Redraft…
Step 7. Put it all together: Your essays should be typed, printed in dark ink, and doublespaced, with one-inch margins. Place your name, the date, and my name in the
upper left-hand hand corner of the first page. Double space, and then center
your title, which should be neither underlined nor quoted. Double space again
and begin typing your essay, numbering the pages.
Submit electronically via Blackboard:
•
•
•
Your final essay, which should be 5-8 pages, containing:
The works cited page with the citation for the source you analyzed in the
essay (on a separate page after the essay’s conclusion, not included in the
page count) and for the other piece/s you used from the
casebook/elsewhere; do not forget to include this works cited page.
The afterthought (one to three paragraphs)— directly after the works
cited—reflecting on the changes you’ve made from draft to draft and
discussing the process of writing your essay (why you made the decisions
you did, which peer advice you followed and did not and why, what
worked and didn’t as you revised, etc.)
In a file folder or binder clip, include the following:
•
Rough drafts and workshop worksheets (by your classmates about your
work).
Unit 2 Schedule:
Date
Week 6
M
2-24
W
2-26
Topics Under
Discussion
What makes a
good Research
topic?
(Questions,
questions,
questions)
Library VisitMeet at our
regular time in
Dimond
Library Room
Reading due
SP, Ehrlich and
Ehrlich’s “Food:
The Ultimate
Resource.”
Writing
due
RR #3.
CR, “The First
Week,” (pp. 1-27).
Check out UNH’s
list of programs if
you need help
deciding which
area to do research
on:
http://www.unh.e
du/unhedutop/aca
demic-deptprograms.
CR, Appendix C,
“Understanding
Research
Assignments,”
(pp. 351-358).
Generate a
list of
questions
that you’d
like to
explore for
Essay #2.
Lesson Plan
Socratic circle activity/class
discussion, Ex 2 CR, p. 9 “Myth of a
Boring Topic,” Give instructions for
library meeting, Show a movie clip
(ecoapocalyptic?) to demonstrate
persuasion.
Library Visit
F
2-28
Research
Questions
Punctuation
Week
Seven
M
3-3
Narrowing the
Subject
Kinds of
Sources
Read about Ecology
in the disciplines @:
www.hbs.edu/envi
ronment/pages/de
fault.aspx and
www.luther.edu/c
omputerscience/news/?stor
y_id=286283.
CR, pp. 20 – 23.
CR, pp. 23 - 27.
Reread CR, pp. 118.
Complete
Ex. 1 (pp. 34, CR).
CR p. 18-20 ex 3, Gallery of Poster
Topics., Grammar mini lesson:
revising unpunctuated paragraph.
Come to
class with
two
possible
research
questions.
Socratic circle activity/class
discussion, Narrowing your subject
(CR 18), write Qs on board and ask
how to narrow, get into groups and
generate strategies for coming up
with search terms, creating a
research plan of action, graphic
organizers activity, H.O. McClure.
Plan of Action
AR #4.
W
3-5
F
3-7
Graphic
Organizers
Developing a
Research
Proposal
McClure’s
“Googlepedia,”
Handout.
Doing Research
and Reading
for Research:
Searches and
Note-taking
techniques
Field-Based
CR, “Living
Sources,” pp. 62-78.
Research
(Interview,
Surveys)
First Draft
“Research
Proposal,”
(use
guidelines
in Ex. 5 on
p. 23-24 in
CR, Chapter
2).
Googlepedia quiz, Socratic circle
activity/class discussion, process of
doing research is cyclical-explain,
research proposals, peer revision
workshop on proposals (see day 12).
Final Drafts How might field based interviews
of Research be useful, grammar mini-lesson:
Proposals
transitions worksheet, H.O. Butler.
are Due.
M-F
3-10
To
3-14
SPRING
BREAK
Week
Eight
M
3-17
W
3-19
NO CLASS
ALL WEEK
SPRING
BREAK
Judith Butler’s
“Subversive
Bodily Acts,” from
Gender Trouble,
Handout.
SP, Ursula K. Le
Guin’s “Woman/
Wilderness.”
GROUP
Work on your
CONFERENCE Research Proposal,
CLASS IS
reread instructions
CANCELLED
to make sure you
are not missing
anything.
Plagiarism
Annotated
Bibliographies
TR, Van der
Heijan’s “The
Hidden Truths of
Bottled Water.”
CR, pp. 79-96.
Student Sample of
Annotated
Bibliography, BB.
Section on
Annotated
Bibliographies at
the Purdue OWL.
See links for
samples, as well.
http://owl.english.
purdue.edu/owl/r
esource/614/01/.
RR # 4(for
either).
SPRING BREAK
Bring your
CONFERENCES
Research
Proposal,
potential
sources, and
questions to
this
meeting.
AR #5.
Socratic seminar/class discussion,
UNH plagiarism policy/scare
stories from news/ intellectual
property law and culture class
discussion, Have them do a written
response to my comments in class
(for essay one handed back), collect,
talk about essay one, common
problems, and your grading
method, go over annotated bib
directions and example.
F
3-21
Punctuation
Summary/
Paraphrasing
Week 9
M
3-24
Presenting
Your Work
Outlining/
Graphic
Organizers
W
3-26
PRESENTATI
ONS
Keep reading your Annotated
Bibliography
sources.
Due.
Read over your
annotated
bibliography and
presentation
instructions.
CR, pp. 151 -162.
CR “Getting to the
Draft,” pp. 121-151.
Free-write
about your
essay for 10
minutes.
Oral
Presentation
and
PowerPoint
Due.
Grammar mini-lesson: revising the
unpunctuated paragraph, Midterm
grades, summarizing exercise,
paraphrasing exercise.
Go over presentation instructions,
demonstrate PowerPoint use, ICW
possible outline for your paper-list or
graphic.
Presentations, take notes, you will
be writing a reflection
Read over your
notes from other
peoples
presentations.
Presentations Grammar mini-lesson: cohesion and
Read over your
notes from other
peoples
presentations.
Finish up
PRESENTATIONS
F
3-28
part two.
Work on
your draft.
Reflection on
Ecology in the
Disciplines
Cohesion and
Coherence
Week 10
M
3-31
Presentations if
needed
Workshop
draft
Reflecting on
Ecology in the
Disciplines
Revision
strategies
CR ,“Revision is
RE-seeing,” pp.
163-172.
GROUP
Read and revise
W
4-2
F
coherence, Presentations, take notes,
you will be writing a reflection,
reflection: what do we make of
ecology in the disciplines? Does it
seem to fit more easily into some
than others? Do some disciplines
seem more sustainability oriented
than others? Is there any discipline
that is outside ecology either in its
effect on it or being affected by it?
Pick one person’s or group of
people’s presentation/topic that was
outside of your area that
interested you, say why.
presentations Presentations, take notes, you will
if needed.
Complete a
4-5 page
draft of
your
researched
essay. Bring
a copy of
your Draft
to class.
Work on
your draft
based on
feedback,
and bring in
next draft
(no double
sided!)
Bring a
be writing a reflection (if needed),
analyze the argument or structure of
the reading from our homework,
Socratic seminar/class discussion.
Do ex 3 CR pp 142-4 “Three ways
in,” Frankenstein draft activity (day
16).
CONFERENCES
4-4
Week 11
M
4-7
W
4-9
F
4-11
CONFERENCE your draft.
#2 Diamond
Library Room:
or my office
CLASS
CANCELLED
Revision
SP, William
Paragraphs
Cronon’s “The
Trouble with
Global to Local Wilderness.”
Revision
Recursive
Revision
Writer’s
Workshop
Punctuation
Thesis Clarity
Week 12
M
4-14
Revising with
Thesis
Citations
Cutting Clutter
Language and
copy of
your draft
to the
conference.
RR #5.
Socratic seminar/class discussion,
Paragraph dissection exersizes (day
17), global to local revision strategies
(WC HO), and revision recursivity.
CR, “Revising for
Language,” pp.
180-193.
Second
Draft of
Essay 2
Due. Bring
in a copy of
your almost
final draft
of your
researched
Essay.
ICW: what are you struggling with
in your essay?, peer review
workshop, meanwhile I hold mini
conferences at my desk, hand back
annotated bibs and explain grading.
TR, Glasberg’s
“Return to Our
Roots.”
Work on
your draft.
Grammar mini-lesson: revising
unpunctuated paragraph, Thesis
activity CR ex 2 p 135 “Sharpening
your point” and revising with your
thesis (workshop?), H.O. Phillips.
Dana Phillips’
“Nature, Culture
and Literature in
America,” from The
Truth of Ecology,
AR #6.
Socratic circle activity/class
discussion of reading, Citations in
groups each with different types of
sources then review together on
board in and out of text activity,
Ecology
Handout.
Transfer
Beyond 401
W
4-16
The Personal
Essay
How the
Personal
Connects to the
Academic
Writing
Reread your essay
using only the
thesis, first/topic
sentences of each
paragraph, and
conclusion.
If anything
seems
unclear or
disconnected
please
revise for
cohesion
and clarity.
cutting clutter activity CR p 188,
ICW then discuss: what is the role of
language in producing human
attitudes and behavior towards the
environment in terms of individuals
and institutions?, What did this
project teach us that is transferable
beyond 401?
What does this project teach us that
is transferable beyond 401?, Sign up
for conference, Go over unit three
schedule and essay three
assignment, Go over instructions for
final submission of essay 2 one last
time.
ESSAY TWO ASSIGNMENT: ECOLOGY IN THE DISIPLINES RESEARCHED
PERSUASIVE ESSAY, DUE: April 18, 2014.
You’ll inquire into a specific research question concerning how your chosen
discipline engages with and relates to the environment. This discipline can be your
major, or, if you have not chosen a major, or simply want to look into different area,
choose a discipline that interests you. Then, you will write to persuade your audience
that your view on this question is informed and supported. You will do research into
the ways in which your chosen discipline affects the environment and in which it is
informed or affected by ecology. You must choose a certain aspect of the interactions
between your discipline and ecology to highlight in your paper, and a specific stance to
persuade your audience of in terms of this information. Will they view it as negative?
Positive? Not so simply negative or positive but more complex? In developing this
paper, you’ll need to research the topic thoroughly, using a number of sources. On the
basis of these sources, you can develop your own position on the topic, as well as an
understanding of the other positions. In writing the paper, your task will be to present
your own position as strongly as you can while also addressing, and trying to refute,
conflicting arguments. Using ethical, logical, and/or emotional appeals, you will try to
convince your audience to share your position. Your goal will be to get your audience
either to adopt your view or, at the very least, to treat your view with greater
understanding and respect. You will also complete an Annotated Bibliography and
Class Presentation during this unit totaling an additional 15% of your grade—see
below).
This assignment is designed to allow you to discover information about a topic
and a researchable question that interests you. Your research question will guide your
inquiry. This essay assignment will bring together many of the writing skills that we
have been working on this semester, such as writing with voice, evaluating others’
argument, evaluating sources, informing our writing with research, developing a clear
thesis, paying attention to audience, and expressing a logical progression of thoughts.
The essay counts for 20% of your final grade, and it should be representative of the
skills you are developing this semester. In addition, the Presentation will count for 5 %
of your grade, and the Annotated Bibliography will count for 10% of your final grade,
and will include summaries and evaluations of sources for your researched essay.
REQUIREMENTS
Paper Format: The essay should be 7-8 pages in length (not including Works Cited
page), double-spaced, with one-inch margins, in font size 12, using Times New Roman.
Use MLA/APA format.
Title: You will need a title for your essay that peaks your reader’s interest and leads
your reader into your topic. A separate title page is not necessary.
Source Requirements: You will need a minimum of five (5) sources. All sources need to
be evaluated for reliability and academic soundness. Of these sources:

Only one source can be from the Internet (meaning, published solely on the Internet.
For example, electronic databases such as EBSCOhost are journals, not Internet
sources.)

One can be field research-based (such as an interview or short survey).

At least two of the sources must be from academic books/journals/academic
databases.

One source must be an academic book from the library catalog (edited collection,
solo authored, or e-book).
Note: If you choose to use more than five sources, you may exceed any of the above
source requirements. For example, if you have seven sources, you might have one fieldresearch based source, two academic books/journals, and four Internet sources.
Citation Requirements: Make sure that all summaries, paraphrases, and quotes drawn
from these sources are integrated into the text of your essay. Use MLA/APA format to
cite all your sources, both in your essay and on the Works Cited page. Do not cite
sources in your Works Cited that were not cited in your essay. I will know.
Note: Not all disciplines use the MLA or APA format of documentation. When you
write a research paper for other classes, be sure to check with your syllabus or your
professor regarding the proper citation format for other papers.
The Writing Center: Those of you who decided to use the writing center will have their
grade bumped up one unit (i.e. from A- to A or from C to C+). The researched essay is a
good opportunity to explore the writing center. You should strive to set up appointment
and meet with a writing consultant from the Connors Writing Center to work on this
research essay. Be aware that the Writing Center often gets very busy this time of the
semester. Do not wait until the last moment to make this appointment.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Step 1: Be Aware of Key Dates in the Timeline for this Unit/Project
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------2/26—Library Visit
3/3—Choose Topic and Research Question
3/7—Research Proposal Due
3/17—Research Conferences #1
3/21—Annotated Bibliography Due
3/26—Oral and PowerPoint Presentations
3/31—First Draft of Research Essay Due
4/4—Research Conferences #2
4/9—Second Draft of Research Essay Due
4/18—Research Essay Due (Final Draft)
STEP 2: RESEARCH PROPOSAL (AND YOUR RESEARCH QUESTION)
The proposal should be 1-2 pages (single-spaced) in length and it should explain why
you are interested in this subject. For information on writing proposals, see CR,
exercise 5 in Chapter 3 to help you write your initial draft.
You may choose any question/angle of inquiry/position you want for your research
paper, but it must relate to ecology and a discipline.
Check out UNH’s list of programs if you need help deciding which area to do research
on: http://www.unh.edu/unhedutop/academic-dept-programs.
Your purpose in your proposal is to persuade me (and other members of the class) that
this is a strong research topic, guided by good, researchable questions. The Proposal
should use subheadings and include the following:








A persuasive discussion of why you’re interested in this research question,
including any personal connections (1 paragraph).
Your possible research questions (3-5, with the key one starred).
Your plan for completing the field-based research component, if you choose
to include it.
A list of key search terms that you’ve already discovered.
A list of 2 possible library databases that will be useful for this project.
Your overall game plan/time line for completing the essay, including how
you will structure your time. (This is for you, as much as for us. As you plan,
take into account given you current schedule and other commitments. Plan
ahead.) USE DATES. Set goals for yourself, that way, it will motivate you,
and you will always know where you are at in terms of where you need to be
for a timely and effective (and low-stress) completion of your project. The
more organized you are the less time you have to spend worrying.
A list of 3-4 possible library-based and/or other academic sources, properly
cited in MLA/APA format.
Your audience, who are you trying to persuade.
Your proposal must be approved by me.
STEP 3: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Your annotated bibliography will help you prepare to write Essay #2. You will research
and write about AT LEAST 5 sources. This will help you to practice summarizing and
evaluating sources, and tying them to your thesis.
WHERE TO LOOK:
To support your research and argument, consider sources and evidence that include the
following:




Statistical sources—not just those directly related to those in your debate, but
those that dovetail with it.
Studies—particularly those from peer-reviewed journals/reliable books.
Quotes from authorities your audience would trust—political (especially if on
their side of the debate), historical, governmental, etc.
Stories/anecdotes from interviews you conduct or from reputable articles, books,
documentaries, radio or television news broadcasts, etc.

Analogies/counter-examples—Consider other controversies that could be
compared to/serve as analogies for yours. If you’re suggesting your audience
change strategies, which group’s approach—whether part of their debate/not—
might you recommend?
QUALITY OF THE SOURCES:
Wikipedia—or any other general encyclopedia—can NOT be considered one of the
sources in your bibliography. You can look at it initially for background. I would see if
any of their citations can help you.
For each source in your annotated bibliography, consider these factors, among others,
to assess its quality, learn to put your sources to the CRAAP test:
• “Currency: The timeliness of the information.”
• “Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.”
• “Authority: The source of the information.”
• “Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the
informational content.”
• “Purpose: The reason the information exists.”
For specific questions to pose of your sources to evaluate each
of these, visit the website for the developers of the CRAAP
test at http://www.csuchico.edu/lins/handouts/evalsites.html (Merriam Library).
Keep in mind that “being in the database” or “in the library” is not enough of a reason
to consider a source credible. Ensure that you are basing your decision to use the source
on more than one standard.
Of the 5 + sources in your annotated bibliography, at least one source must either be
print-based (i.e., a book). (Of course, you will likely have additional or different sources
by the time you finish your papers).
FORMAT OF THE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY:
For a complete list of MLA/APA citations, see CR Appendices. In each annotation you
should:
(1) Cite the text of your choice in perfect MLA/APA format.
(2) Summarize the text.
(3) Evaluate the credibility of the text.
(4) Explain how you will use the source in your paper.
For an example and description of an annotated bibliography, see examples on Purdue
Owl at: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/614/03/
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Step 4: Oral Presentation with PowerPoint
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------You will be doing oral and PowerPoint presentations of your research. This is
essentially you presenting your annotated bibliography. There should be one slide for
each of your 5 sources. The slides and presentation should contain:



Bullet points summarizing the article (and if you want any helpful visuals).
You will then explain in more detail the main points of your source which you have
bulleted on the slide. You can choose to use more than one slide per source.
You will then follow your brief discussion summarizing the article for us with comments
on how this article will/may be helpful to you in answering your research
question/persuading your particular audience.
Presentations should be at least 2-3 minutes but many of you will likely go over. If we run out of
time, we will pick up where we left off next class, and into a third if we have to.
Here is a link to how-to information for PowerPoint if any of you are unfamiliar with the
program: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/powerpoint-help/training-courses-for-powerpoint2013-HA104015465.aspx.
This presentation is worth 5% of your final grade. You will also be required to take notes and
questions on peoples presentations in order to write an informed reflection after all the
presentations have been completed.
STEP 5: HANDING IN THE FINAL RESEARCHED ESSAY (4/18/14).

Your final draft of the Research Essay will be submitted electronically on Blackboard along
with:

A reflective cover letter, reflecting on the path you took to write this essay. In this
reflection, tell me what happened between each draft, points of frustration and how
you moved through them, moments of discovery, and how they affected the essay,
and relevant feedback from your workgroup. I want to hear everything that I can’t
see by looking at the final draft. This letter should be at least three-paragraphs
(single-spaced) in length.
In class, you must also hand in hard copies of the following in a folder:

The paper trail, showing all the relevant steps you took in researching and revising
this essay and all the feedback you received on the way (include important freewrites, writing exercises, research notes, and significant drafts that demonstrate
your research process and writing process).
EVALUATION METHOD
Your essay will be graded on both your final product and your research process, using
the following criteria.
Final Draft Criteria (75% of final grade):

Central Theme and Content: Central theme is well defined and carried out
throughout the essay. Content is clear, focused, and synthesized.

Organization: Organization enhances and showcases the central theme. Ideas are
ordered so that they build upon one another and transitions between sentences and
paragraphs are smooth.

Sense of Audience: Audience is clearly defined (either implicitly or explicitly). An
awareness of audience is carried throughout the essay, as indicated by the defining
of unfamiliar terms, anticipation of the reader’s questions, and sensitivity to all
potential members of the audience.

Stylistic Choices: Specific and accurate words are used to convey intended
meaning. Language is varied and clichés are avoided. A variety of sentences
lengths and constructions are used to add emphasis.

APA or MLA Format: Correct formatting is used throughout the essay, including
the heading, page numbers, in-text citations, and Works Cited page.

Research: Source requirements are met. Sources are reliable and academically
sound. Research is smoothly incorporated into the texts and works to strengthen the
central theme.

Presentation: Essay is professionally presented in terms of relevant title,
grammatically clear sentences, consistent verb tenses and correct punctuation and
spelling.
Process Criteria (25% of Total Grade for Essay 2):

Reflective Cover letter: Letter describes and reflects on what happened between
each draft, points of frustration and how you moved through them and how they
affected the essay, and relevant feedback from your workgroup. Letter
contextualizes pieces included in the paper trail and is at least one full page in
length.

Paper Trail: The paper trail shows all the relevant steps you took in researching and
revising this essay. All the feedback you received during the drafting process is
included. All free-writes, writing exercises, research notes, and significant drafts
that demonstrate either your research or writing process) is included. All pieces are
clearly labeled and organized (Handed in Hard Copy in a Folder in Class).

Revision Process: Significant changes are made between drafts which can include
significant shifts of focus, perspective, target audience, or structure. Feedback is
considered when making revision choices.
Unit 3 Schedule:
Date
F 4-18
Topics Under
Discussion
Reading due
Writing due
Narrative versus
Reflection
Review
Researched
Essay
Assignment
sheet to be sure
that you have
completed all
requirements
for the essay.
RESEARCHED
ESSAY DUE.
Writing About
Place
Be sure to
complete all the
requirements,
including your
paper trail, the
cover letter, the
Works Cited
page, and the
“Where to Go
From Here”
reflection.
Lesson Plan
Grammar mini-lesson: revising
unpunctuated paragraphs,
Identify sensory details as I
read aloud, how much of each
(sight, sound etc.), ICW on a
place that is important to you,
how has it affected you, and
you it, class discuss: how do
your relationships to place
differ from or relate to the
author’s in the reading from
last night?, talk about different
places: urban, suburban, rural,
wild, built, “natural” etc, H.O.
Morrison, H.O. Wheeler and
Rule.
Week
13
M 4-21
Showing versus
Telling
Sensory Details
Selection (pp.
101-124) from
Toni Morrison’s
Beloved,
Handout.
RR #6
Sign up for conferences, go
over show don’t tell, ICW:
tell/narrate a place, list
sensory details you could
incorporate, H.O. Goldberg
Packet.
Wheeler and
Rule’s “Show
Don’t Tell,”
Handout.
W 4-23
Peer Review
Reflection in
Scene
F 4-25
CLASS
CANCELLED
FOR
CONFERENCES
Week
14
M 4-28
Language and
Place
Nancy
Goldberg’s
“Power of
Detail” (47-49),
“Be Specific”
(77-78), and
“Don’t Tell But
Show” (75-76),
Handout.
TR, Harmon’s
“Perennials.”
Work on essay.
Keith H. Basso’s
“The Trail of
Wisdom” (pp.
111-120) From
Wisdom Sits in
Places: Landscape
and Language
Among the
Western Apache
People.
Peer review: where is there
reflection within scenes?
Where could there be? What is
the author trying to express?
Tell the author, then discuss
your comments further, Hand
out Basso.
First Draft of
Essay 3 Due,
BRING A HARD
COPY TO YOUR
CONFERENCE.
RR #7.
CONFERENCES
Hand back research papers,
Discuss place: what is it? what
does it mean? How are we
effected by and do we effect it?
How can language both make
a place come alive and seem
valuable, but also seem dead
and worthless, ICW: write
about a place you dislike and
why, Discuss different
language used for each, effect
W 4-30
F 5-2
Week
15
M 5-5
Developing Your SP, Abbey’s
Theme
“The First
Morning.”
Pacing,
Description,
Reflection, and
Dialogue
EVALUTION
SP, Langston
FORMS
Hughes’ “The
Negro Speaks of
Describing with
Rivers.”
Nouns and
Verbs
Peer Review
Writer’s
Workshop
Transfer Beyond
401
Language and
Ecology
Work on your
drafts.
Second Draft of
Essay 3, Bring in a
paper copy for
class.
Goldberg’s
RR #8.
“Syntax” (6771), “The
Work on your
Actions of a
drafts.
Sentence” (9597), and
“Rereading and
Rewriting” (172175), Handout.
Student Survey
TR, Wojtonik’s
“I Blink.”
on audience perception of
place described?
Dialogue activity, body
language activity, Playing
with time activity, discuss
saturated words (love,
friendship, sunny).
Grammar mini-lesson: get rid
of adjectives and adverbs use
only nouns and verbs to show,
ICW: what are you struggling
with?, peer review, miniconferences at my desk.
What did we learn in this class
that we can transfer beyond
401?, Essay 3 rubric, titles
discussion, ICW then discuss:
what is the role of language in
producing human attitudes
and behavior towards the
environment in terms of
individuals and institutions?,
Survey for effectiveness of
course and suggestions--anonymous.
*FINAL DRAFT OF ESSAY 3 IS DUE MONDAY MAY 12 on Blackboard*
ESSAY THREE ASSIGNMENT: PERSONAL REFLECTION ON PLACE ESSAY,
DUE: May 12, 2014.
You’ll reflect on how a particular place--- urban, rural, suburban, “natural,” or built—
has influenced your development as a reader/writer/scholar/person, your
understanding of your community and your place in it, or your views/attitude toward
others or the world around you. Your task is to write an essay about your connection to
this place, the effect it has had on you and you on it, and to reflect more broadly within
it on the role on place in general in our culture though the sharing of your own
experiences with place.
While your essay will contain narrative elements, it doesn’t need to be in chronological
order. In your essay, you’ll want to clarify to your audience why this place is significant
to you. Describing it is not enough. Readers will want to know how this place affected
you and you it, and why it is important to you. The earlier in your life your connection
to this place was forged, the more perspective and clarity you will have in writing
reflectively and descriptively about it and your connection to it.
Keep in mind that you may not discover the significance of your connection to this
place until you begin to write, so don’t just choose places associate with traumatic or
exciting events in your life, although you can if you chose. Often the best essays are
about seemingly inconsequential things that had meaning for the writer. Remember too
that what you initially think was significant about your connection to the place may not
be what you find ultimately important. Let writing and revision help you parse out the
meaning of this place for you. Don’t forget that a significant place for you could offer
multiple stories—and for the purposes of this essay, you only want to tell one of them.
For this essay, you will write for an audience of peers sympathetic to but not
knowledgeable about your experience. You’ll want to employ the narrative devices that
make a story engaging, ensuring that you make this essay interesting to more than just
those who know you. Determine the structure most effective for telling your story,
provide effective details, explain concepts/moments that might be foreign to your
audience, develop your scenes, and, most of all, clarify why this place was significant to
you personally, or your understanding of the world around you. Your style for this
essay will be less formal than for your other two essays; you can use humor if
appropriate for the subject matter and audience.
Format:
You will submit your final draft of this essay electronically, including:
1. Typed, printed in dark ink, and double spaced, with one-inch margins, 5-6 pages.
Place your name, the date, and my name in the upper left-hand hand corner of the first
page. Double space, and then center your title, which should be neither underlined nor
quoted. Double space again and begin typing your essay, numbering all the pages.
2. The afterthought (one to three paragraphs)—on a separate page or a few spaces after
the end of the essay—reflecting on the changes you’ve made from draft to draft and
discussing the process of writing your essay (why you made the decisions you did,
which peer advice you followed and did not and why, what worked and didn’t as you
revised, etc.)
3. Files of previous Rough drafts.
4. Scanned in copies of Workshop worksheets (by your classmates about your work).