Writing for a Liberal Education

Syllabus Fall 2006

Dr. Barbara J. Bass

 

 

 

Ÿ      For Writing HW 2 through 5 listed below, you may substitute a quick-write topic of your choice.

Ÿ      AuthorÕs Chair:  Share your work with the class and get feedback.  Everyone must sign up for one session.  Sign up sheet is listed on Learnonline.

Ÿ      Bring your books, writing paper, and pen or pencil to class with you every day

 

 

Mon     Aug     28           Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; What is Creative Nonfiction? Read pp. 4-7 in True Stories (TS). True/False exercise.

                                             Writing HW #1: On a separate sheet of paper, create a True/False list of your own.  Do not indicate on your list which items are true and which are false. All Writing HW is due the next class period unless otherwise noted.

                                             Reading/Journal HW #1:  Begin reading When I was Puerto Rican: Prologue: How to Eat a Guava, Jibara, and Fighting Naked, pp. 2-33. Use Post-Its as you read for every reading assignment. Choose one post-it and expand on it in your journal.  All Reading HW is due for the next class period.

 

Wed              30             Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; True/False Exercise in class; Discussion of WIWPR, p. 2-33 – Post-It prompt.

                                             Writing HW/Piece #1:  Write a 2-3 page piece about one of the true items on your True/False list.  Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no.  Due Wed. Sept. 6

Reading/Journal HW #2:  WIWPR, Someone is Coming to Take Your Lap, pp. 37-60. Generate list of writing possibilities suggested by the stories in WIWPR:  for example, writing about home, about the arrival of a baby brother or sister, about family arguments.  What other topics that Santiago writes about resonate with you?

 

Mon       Sep      4            No Class: Labor Day

                                             HW: Learnonline Assignment: Go to the following website and follow the directions for creating an account for Learnonline: www.towson.edu/learnonline.  You have to go through Microsoft Explorer and use all lowercase letters when you create an account.  After you create an account, you must then register for this section of English 102.  Once you are registered, go to the Discussion board feature and respond to the following thread.  If you canÕt find the Discussion Board, you have not registered.  Go back and register for this section of ENGL 102:

q       What are your writing strengths?

q       What are your frustrations when you write?

q       What strategies do you use to help you overcome your frustrations?  

q       Read your classmatesÕ entries and respond to at least two of them on the Discussion Board.  This assignment is due by Weds, September 13.

 

Wed               6             Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; True/False Piece (#1) due: In-class peer response on Dr. BassÕs piece.  Discussion of WIWPR writing prompts; creating a Time Line. 

                                            Reading/Journal HW #3:  Start your own Time-Line, AND read in WIWPR, The American Invasion of Macun and Why Women Remain Jamona, pp. 61-104.  Take notes on Post-its as you read.

 

Go to Learnonline to sign up for in-class peer-response.  When it is your turn, be sure to bring with you to class one copy of your essay for each person in class.

 

Mon               11         Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Discussion of WIWPR– post-it prompt. Time-Line Cups exercise.

                                             Writing HW/Graded Piece: Go to File Exchange on Learnonline.  Find a copy of Dr. BassÕs ŅCupsÓ piece.  Do a Praise-Question-Polish.  See instructions for getting into File Exchange below.  Due Weds, Sept. 13.

Reading/Journal HW #4: (1) WIWPR, Mami Gets a Job and El Mangle, pp. 105-151 and (2) TS, pp. 17-21. Take notes on Post-Its as you read. Choose one Post-It and expand upon it.

To access File Exchange, log on to Learnonline and follow these steps:

1.      Click on Communications.

2.      Click on Group Pages.

3.      Click on Group in which your name appears.

4.      Click on File Exchange.

5.      Click on Dr. BassÕs piece. 

6.      Write your PQP and email it to the group, using the email feature in File Exchange.  Be sure that I receive a copy of your PQP.

 

Wed               13         Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; PQP on Dr. BassÕs Cups piece due today.  Discussion of WIWPR.

In-class Peer-Response for _______________.

                                             Reading/Journal HW #5: WIWPR, Letters from New York and Casi Senorita, pp.155-185.  Take notes on Post-its as you read. Expand upon one of your Post-It notes.

 

Mon               18            Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Writing Piece #2 due today. Discussion of WIWPR

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

Reading/Journal HW #6: (1) WIWPR, Dreams of a Better Life and Angels on the Ceiling, pp. 189-240. Take notes on Post-Its as you read and (2) True Stories (TS), pp. 22-33.  Write down at least 10 of what you think are the most helpful ideas for you from this section of TS and why you chose them. 

Writing HW/Piece #2:  Choose one of the prompts listed in TS on pp. 26-33 and write a 2-3 page piece based on one of those prompts OR choose one of your ŅcupsÓ and write 2-3 pages about it.  Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no. Due Monday, Sept. 25.

 

Wed               20         Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Discussion of WIWPR post-it prompt; Discussion of 10 helpful ideas from TS. 

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 Reading HW/Journal HW #7: (1) WIWPR, You DonÕt Want to Know, A Shot at It, and Epilogue: One of These Days, pp. 241-270 AND read (2) Shitty First Drafts (Reading Packet).  Write a reaction to Anne LamottÕs Shitty First Drafts.

 

Mon                25          Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; TS prompt or Cups piece (#2) due.  Final discussion of WIWPR; Discussion of Shitty First Drafts (RP.)             

Reading/Journal HW #8: TS, pp. 38-40.  Which of these suggested topics looks like a good topic for a writing piece for you?  Try one.

In-class Peer-Response for _______________.

 

Wed                27          Quick-Write from Autobiography Box

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 

Mon       Oct        2           No Class: Yom Kippur

 

Esmeralda Santiago will be visiting our campus on Wednesday, October 4.  There are two opportunities to see her: an afternoon question and answer period and an evening lecture.  You must attend one of these scheduled events.

 

Wed                4             Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; TS, pp. 38-40. 

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

                                             Writing HW/Piece #3: Choose one of the topics from one of our morning quick-writes and write a 2-3 page piece on that topic. Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no.  Due on Monday, October 9.

                                             Reading/Journal HW #9: TS, pp. 41-54.  Note the most useful information that you read about on these pages and explain why.

 

Mon                 9           Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Discussion of TS, pp. 41-54. Piece on Quick-writes (#3) due; Developing the senses.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

                                             Reading/Journal HW #10: TS, pp. 184-209, How to Revise, A ReviserÕs Check List, Editing, Radical Surgery, Fine-Tuning. Try applying one or more of these strategies to one of your own pieces.  Bring to class the original piece and the changes you have made based upon what you have learned in these chapters.

 

 

Wed               11     Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Discussion of revision and TS chapters on revision (p. 65, 184-209). 

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.  

 

Revision #1: So far you have written 4 short pieces.  For HW, read over those pieces and choose the one you like best and revise it.  Put it on File Exchange.  Instructions are below.  Meet in Computer Lab on Monday.  Your piece should already be on File Exchange when we enter the lab on Monday.  You must arrive on time in order to participate in the class work in the lab.

                                             Instructions for File Exchange:  Save your piece as a Rich Text File on Microsoft Word.  Your file should be named this way:  Last name_First name_ title of piece (You fill in the blanks with your personal information, for example: Bass_Barbara_Cups: My Father).  Download the file with your own piece on it into File Exchange before you get to class.  For extra insurance, email yourself a copy of your piece.

 

Mon                     16       Meet in Computer Lab: PQP on your partnerÕs revision.

                                   Graded Piece #2: Open your partnerÕs revision and do a   PQP on it.  Your response is due by the end of class today.

                                             Revision #1:  Revise your own piece once again, based on your partnerÕs PQP.  Due on Mon, 10/23. Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no.  

Wed               18            Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; PQP on one of Dr. BassÕs pieces: in class. 

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

                                             Reading/Journal HW #11: TS, When to Show and When to Tell, pp. 85-86.  Read through your previous pieces and make some changes based on what youÕve read in this chapter.   Write about the changes youÕve made.

 

Mon               23           Revision #1 due; In-class: Remembering Firsts.

Writing HW/Piece #4: Write a 2-3 page piece about one of your Ņfirsts.Ó  Due on Mon, Oct. 30. Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no.  Due Monday, October 30.

Reading/Journal HW #12: TS, pp. 74 – 86.  Choose one of the Ņtry thisÓ exercises in this section and write about it.

 

Wed               25      Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; TS Lesson

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 

Mon                30          Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; ŅFirstsÓ piece due (#4); TS Lesson

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 

Wed    Nov       1            Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; PQP on one of Dr. BassÕs essays: in-class.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 

Mon                 6       Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; TS Lesson

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

Writing HW/Piece #5: Choose one of the prompts you have developed from TS and write a 2-3 page piece using that prompt. Put a question at the end about your writing that cannot be answered yes or no.  Due Weds., November 8.

 

Wed               8        Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Writing Piece #6 due.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

 

   Writing HW/Graded Piece #3:  Look at the 6 pieces you have worked on so far this semester.  Choose another one to revise (not the same one you worked on last time.)  Put your piece on File Exchange.  Email yourself a copy.  Be sure it is on File Exchange before you get to class on Monday.

 

Mon               13           Computer Lab: Share your revision with your assigned partner.  PQP your partnerÕs essay.  Email your PQP to your group.  Be sure to email it to me as well.  Due at the end of class.

                                             Writing HW/Revision #2: Revise your essay based upon your partnerÕs PQP.  Due Monday, November 20.

 

Wed               15         No Class: National Writing Project Annual Meeting

 

Mon               20           Quick-Write from Autobiography Box; Revision #2 due; Putting it together:  Working on the beginning, middle and end of writing about your life.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

In-class Peer-Response for _______________.

 

Wed                     22          No Class: Thanksgiving Holiday

 

Mon              27             Tying up loose ends.

In-class Peer-response for ___________________.

In-class Peer-Response for ___________________.

 

Wed                     29          Computer Lab

 

Mon       Dec         4          Computer Lab

 

Wed                       6         Computer Lab: Last Day of Class