ENG 475
Course Outline-Fall 2013
Week One:
Day 1
Ice Breaker Activity
Take SDRT Blue Form A: Pretest
Homework: Read The Power of Positive Thinking (posted on Moodle) Write about a connection
that you made with the text, such as a time that you have used positive thinking.
Hand out and begin discussing the prompt for essay 1 and discussing the students’ history with
literacy, brainstorming and generating ideas to write about.
Week Two:
Day 1
Success Center Orientation
Discuss The Power of Positive Thinking.
Discuss The Reading Environment
Reading Textbooks (Class Paired Activity)
Introduce Reading Strategy: Previewing (Predicting)
Homework: Previewing A Textbook assignment, some literacy narrative for the students to
read
Continue to introduce the idea of literacy narratives, perhaps allowing the students some time
to free-write in class.
Day 2
Introduce Topic, Main Idea, Supporting Details Power Point
Class activity- Topic, Main Idea, Supporting Details
Introduce Reading Strategy: Visualizing
Homework: Identify the Topic, Main Idea (stated), Supporting Details in short passages posted
on Moodle.
Discuss thesis statements, dominant impressions, and other ways to articulate central ideas in a
literacy narrative. Begin discussing outlining and outlining techniques. Look for organization
schema in readings the students have done so far.
Week Three:
Day 1
Discuss Topic, Main Idea (stated), Supporting Details homework assignment
Class Activity-Topic, Main Idea, Supporting Details/longer passages
Introduce Reading Strategy: Questioning
Homework: Identify Topic, Main Idea, Supporting Details in one-page passages posted on
Moodle.
1
Have an outline due in class and conduct an activity that allows students to map out and review
each others’ outlines.
Day 2
Discuss Topic, Main Idea (stated), Supporting details homework assignment
Class Activity-Topic, Main Idea, Supporting Details (implied)
Have the students bring a draft of Essay 1 to class, and conduct a peer-review activity that asks
students to look for a thesis/main idea in each other’s pieces and identify good supporting
details (as well as details that don’t seem to fit). It would probably be helpful to do some
modeling of good peer-reviews at this stage.
Homework: Identify Topic, Main Idea (implied), Supporting Details posted on Moodle.
Week Four:
Day 1
Discuss Topic, Main Idea (implied), Supporting Details
Discuss Author’s Purpose & Tone Power Point
Class Activity-The House; today would be a good day for the final peer-review for Essay 1.
Often, it can be helpful to ask students to identify some of the concerns they have with their own
essay. That way, peer-reviewers can focus on addressing these issues.
Introduce Reading Strategy: Making Connections
Homework: Identify Author’s Purpose & Tone in passages posted on Moodle.
Day 2
Collect Essay 1: Literary Narrative
Discuss homework for Author’s Purpose & Tone
Class activity- Author’s Purpose & Tone—use purpose and tone to introduce Essay 2, a
definition essay
Homework: Homework assignment (Author’s Purpose & Tone); the students should probably
get some examples of definition-style readings to read for homework.
Week Five:
Day 1
Review Author’s Purpose and Tone
Class activity-Review for Test 1
Homework: Prepare for Test 1 (Examples on Moodle); generate some ideas for their definition
essay, perhaps by providing a personal or anecdotal example of a concept or idea they would
be interested in defining.
Day 2
Test 1
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Homework: Review Reading Strategies introduced in Unit 1 (Predicting, Visualizing,
Questioning, Making Connections, Reading Textbooks, Author’s Purpose and Tone). Detailed
information for each strategy posted on Moodle. For each strategy discuss how you can apply
this strategy to your other readings.
Week Six:
Day 1
Return Test 1 and discuss
Discuss Reading Strategies assignment.
Model annotation Breaking Through the Barriers: Restructuring the Classroom.
Add Reacting, Clarification, circling new vocabulary words
Students should come to class with a definite idea of what definition or idea to write about,
outline and essay organization discussed.
Homework: Annotate Read Illiterate America by Jonathon Kozol posted on Moodle
Use Annotation Guideline-1 Moodle to remind you of all necessary components. Students
should work on their outlines.
Day 2
Discuss annotation Illiterate America
Introduce context clues power point/ class activity
Students should bring their outlines and drafting activities and strategies (such as strategies for
introducing and quoting outside material) could be discussed and practiced.
Homework: Review context clue chart; work on draft for Essay 2
2. Complete context clue questions 1-9. Identify the context clue type and your reason for that
choice.
3. Apply context clues for Illiterate America vocabulary.
Week Seven:
Day 1
Discuss Context Clues/class activity
Discuss denotation and connotation of words from Illiterate America.
Introduce Word parts- prefixes, suffixes, root words Powerpoint, continued discussion and
practice of drafting techniques for Essay 2, including connotative and denotative definitions.
Homework: Read and annotate Guns, Lies, Video
1. Homework assignment for Word Parts posted on Moodle.
2. Quizlet to prepare for Word Parts Prefix Quiz
Day 2
Word Parts Prefix Quiz
Introduce Patterns of Organization Power point /Activity
Have the students re-outline the draft they are currently working on, evaluating them for
clarity, utility, etc.
3
Homework: Have a completed draft of Essay 2 ready for next week.
1.Review Patterns of Organization Power point posted on Moodle
2. Read passages posted on Moodle and identify the Pattern of Organization used in each
passage.
3. Go to Instruction packet p. 26 (McDonald’s vocabulary). For each vocabulary word, use
context clues or word parts to determine its definition. If you use context clues, identify which
of the 4 types helped you to define the words and explain your thought process.
4. Prepare for Word Parts Root/Suffix Quiz
Week Eight:
Day 1
Word Parts Root/Suffix Quiz
Discuss Patterns of Organization passages
McDonald’s vocabulary homework
Class activity-Context clues/Word parts and Patterns of Organization
Peer-Review 1
Homework: Complete Patterns of Organization passages
Annotation-2 for Test 2
Read and annotate Facing Up to the Ultimate Taboo: Failure.
Day 2
Collect Facing Up to the Ultimate Taboo: Failure annotation.
Discuss Patterns of Organization homework
Class activity-Context clues, Word Parts Patterns of Organization
Peer-Review 2
Homework: Prepare for Test 2-practice exercises posted on Moodle
Week Nine:
Day 1
Test 2
Homework: Review Reading Strategies introduced in Unit 2 Context Clues, Word Parts, Patterns
of Organization. For each strategy discuss how you can apply the strategy to your other
readings.
Day 2
Essay 2 due
Discuss Reading Strategies
Introduce Inference Power point /Activity
Introduce Essay 3, the argument essay, and discuss what makes a productive argument
Homework: Review Inference Power Point posted on Moodle
4
Read and annotate Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat. Make
inferences posted on Moodle. Assign some examples of argument readings.
Week Ten:
Tuesday – 10/15/13
Return Test 2
Discuss Window cleaning chemical injected into fast food hamburger meat.
Class activity-inferences/ drawing conclusions
Continue to introduce Argument—maybe introduce the different kinds of claims, or talk about
deduction and induction and the ways they might use these claims/techniques in their essays
Homework: Read Argument materials posted on Moodle. Complete practice exercises: What is
the author’s argument? Type of claim
Day 2
Discuss Argument materials
Class activity- Argument/ bias; have the class work on constructing a preliminary outline of their
arguments
Discuss types of support the author presents
Homework: Read and annotate two opposing editorials: Should it be illegal to talk on your
phone while driving? Identify the type of claim, support (type) for his position.
Week Eleven:
Day 1
Discuss Argument editorials.
Class activity-Argument, have the class bring an initial rough draft to class and conduct peerreviews.
Homework: Read and annotate Education Can Help People Out of Poverty. Identify argument,
type of claim, support
Day 2
Discuss Education Can Help People Out of Poverty
Discuss bias; conduct a second peer-review, evaluating how well the author is able to avoid
biases
Homework: Read and annotate Is Education the Cure for Poverty? Identify argument, type of
claim, support. Compare/contrast two education articles.
Week Twelve:
Day 1
Essay 3 due
Discuss Is Education the Cure for Poverty? Identify argument, type of claim, support.
Compare/contrast two education articles.
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Class activity-Inferences/drawing conclusions, introduced Essay 4, the research essay.
Homework: annotation-3 component/text posted on Moodle
Day 2
Collect test 3 annotation
Review inferences, drawing conclusions, bias, argument, argument types, support; more indepth instruction of incorporating outside material: summarizing, paraphrasing and quoting
Homework:
Review exercises for Test 3 are posted on Moodle
Week Thirteen:
Day 1
Test 3
Research proposal (identifying a research question and basic methodology) due.
Homework: Review Reading Strategies introduced in Unit 3: Inferences, Drawing Conclusions,
bias, argument, argument types, support for argument. For each strategy discuss how you can
apply the strategy to your other readings.
Day 2
Discuss Reading Strategies
Introduce Evaluating resources/ class activity
Discussion of annotated bibliographies—which can help researchers and colleagues evaluate
sources
Homework: Evaluating resources activity; continued work on the annotated bibliography
Read and annotate The Gingham Dress
Week Fourteen:
Day 1
Return Test 3 /discuss
Annotated bibliography due
Discuss The Gingham Dress in terms of evaluating resources
Begin discussion of outlining a research essay, have students work on outlining their research
papers
Homework: Evaluating resources posted on Moodle
Day 2
SDRT Posttest
Introduce Propaganda
Compare and contrast propaganda with research
Homework: Read history of Propaganda posted on Moodle
Make a chart of the 6 propaganda types from information posted n Moodle
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Week Fifteen:
Day 1
Discuss Propaganda history/ class activity identifying propaganda types
Bring an outline of the research paper to class and be prepared to do some drafting of the
research paper, with a focus on individual supporting paragraphs
Homework: Read the passages and identify the propaganda types posted on Moodle
Day 2
Discuss homework examples for propaganda types
Class activity- Propaganda
Bring a revise outline or a partial draft to class and set some class time aside for students to do
some directed writing
Homework: Read and annotate Do you eat McDonald’s hamburgers? Posted on Moodle
Evaluate resource
Week Sixteen:
Tuesday -11/26/13
Discuss Do you eat McDonald’s hamburgers? Evaluate resource
Peer-Review 1 for the research essay
Homework: Annotation-4 text posted on Moodle
Thursday-11/28/13 THANKSGIVING DAY
No CLASS
Week Seventeen:
Day 1
Collect annotation for Test 4
Class activity-Review for test 4
Peer-Review 2 for the research essay.
Homework: Review for Test 4 –Practice activities posted on Moodle
Day 2
Essay 4
Discuss Post SDRT scores
Review Test 4 practice exercises
Homework: Prepare for Test 4-practice examples posted on Moodle
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