Thursday, August 1, 2013

Daily Course Schedule (MWF)

Week 1:
Monday, August 19: Go over syllabus. Introductions. Work in class on your first assignment: a formal, professional-sounding email to a professor, voicing a grievance or concern. We’ll also watch part of an Alan Watts lecture, adapted by the South Park folks (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ERbvKrH-GC4).

Wednesday, August 21: Opening activities as a refresher on thesis statements, topic sentences, and organization, as well as logic and how to avoid argumentative fallacies. On your own, read chapters 1 and 2 from The Wadsworth Guide to Research.

Friday, August 23: Finish refresher activities, if necessary. First journal assignment (two full pages double spaced) due!! Reminder: you can either print off your journals and bring them with you or email them to me before you get to class. Here’s your first journal assignment. Take a look at the myths surrounding the research process in Chapter Two of The Wadsworth Guide to Research, then think about your own writing process. Is it traditional (aka linear) or more flexible, even a bit chaotic? Think of a major paper assignment that you’ve had before, preferably an assignment that you thought was difficult. Describe the process you used and how effective it was. You can also use their journal to highlight any other strengths or weaknesses you’ve noticed in your writing. Note: for those of you who usually don’t benefit from traditional paper outlines, take a look at the sample circle outlines on pg. 11. These can be very useful for organizing your thoughts if you’re trying to tackle a lot in a single paper (especially for our later, potentially more difficult assignments).  In class, we'll discuss our first major assignment: a Researched Narrative.


Week 2:
Monday, August 26: In-class activities based on NPR’s “This I Believe.”  In-class work on Journal #2, a two page “This I Believe” essay of your own (which can serve as a rough draft of your Researched Narrative, if you like). I encourage you to start this journal early, if you like; unlike other journals, though, we’ll work on this one during class (so you can ask me questions) and the journal will be due by the end of the hour. Note: over the weekend, I encourage you to draft your interview questions and if at all possible, conduct the actual interview as well. Note: interviews are examples of Primary Sources. For more info on that, including how to incorporate and format info gleaned from interviews, look at Chapter 5 in The Wadsworth Guide, especially pgs. 97-99.
Wednesday, August 28: In class work on "This I Believe"/Journal #2 and/or Researched Narratives.

Friday, August 30: In-class work on Researched Narratives. I will go around the class and check what you have so far. Note: as a general rule, students who ask me for feedback (a sort of in-class conference) get a much higher grade on their papers!


Week 3:
Monday, September 2: Labor Day.  No class!

Wednesday, September 4: Peer reviews for Researched Narratives; make sure you bring a solid draft to class (shoot for about 4 pages).

Friday, September 6: Final drafts of Researched Narratives due in class, either printed or sent over email (in doc or docx format). We will discuss the next major assignment: a Researched Analysis Paper, i.e. a close analysis of the rhetoric in a commercial, music video, documentary, or printed ad of your choice, backed up by research. Watch sample videos in class. Over the weekend, I strongly encourage everyone to read Chapters 4 and 8 from The Wadsworth Guide. These will help you with research and also help you to avoid accidental plagiarism (which can still result in a failing grade).


Week 4:         
Monday, September 9: Start watching In the Footsteps of Marco Polo in class. [http://www.wliw.org/marcopolo]

Wednesday, September 11: Continue watching In the Footsteps of Marco Polo in class.  

Friday, September 13: Finish the documentary in class. Discuss.


Week 5:
Monday, September 16:  Journal #3 (two pages) due in class. For this journal, as a warm-up exercise for the Researched Analysis paper, I basically want you to critically analyze the documentary.  In other words, what's the filmmakers' argument and how is that argument conveyed?  What problem in American culture are they trying to correct? I also want you to find and tie in at least one outside source, including a Work Cited page (MLA format). Sample analysis of the video, A Vision of StudentsToday.  In class, we'll start working on Journal #4.

Wednesday, September 18: Continue working on Journal #4 in class (at least 1 full page). For this one, I want you to find a video and do the following: 1) identify the message of the video, 2) explain how you know, i.e. what visuals, lyrics, or sounds give you that impression, and 3) identify who you think the audience of the video is. This journal should be at least one full page, preferably two; you can expand on this and turn it into your Researched Analysis, if you like. This journal is due by the end of the hour. Note: this journal also needs a Work Cited for the video you’re analyzing!

Friday, September 20: In-class work on Researched Analysis Papers.


Week 6:
Monday, September 23: In-class work on Researched Analysis Papers. Optional Peer Review. Sign up for conferences.

Wednesday, September 25: In-class work on Researched Analysis Papers. Optional Peer Review. Sign up for conferences.

Friday, September 27: Conferences.


Week 7:
Monday, September 30: Conferences.

Wednesday, October 2: Conferences.

Friday, October 4: Researched Analysis Papers due in class! Discuss next assignment: a “Researched Argument” paper. Discuss some potential paper topics. Time permitting, work on a famous quote activity. On your own, read over Chapter 9 from The Wadsworth Guide (pgs. 171-190), which gives a lot of useful info on the difference between reporting and arguing. You might also want to review Chapter 4 again, as well as the sample Researched Argument paper on pgs. 228-243.


Week 8:
Monday, October 7: Journal #5 (a two-page response to Kurt Vonnegut's Blood of Dresden) due in class. In class, time permitting, we’ll watch a short documentary on Disney and Haiti and discuss business ethics and consumerism. On your own, read the Howard Zinn excerpt and prepare a two page journal response.  Depending on how caught up we are, we might also start a brief unit on satire. I'll tell you in advance if you need to be prepared to discuss the excerpt from “A Modest Proposal.”

Wednesday, October 9:  Journal #6 (over either the Howard Zinn or the Alan Watts readings) due! Prep work for our next documentary, Fog of War.

Friday, October 11: 


Week 9:
Monday, October 14:In class, we'll start watching Fog of War.

Wednesday, October 16: Continue watching Fog of War.

Friday, October 18:   Finish watching Fog of War

Week 10:
Monday, October 21: Fall Break.  No class!

Wednesday, October 23: Journal #7 (a two-page response to "Fog of War," identifying what you agree or disagree with, critiquing the research and strategies used, and/or tying in any related personal experiences) due in class. We'll discuss the film in class.  Also, we'll put it to a class vote to see which will be our next and final documentary (Jesus Camp, Carbon Nation, No End in Sight, or Sicko).  

Friday, October 25: In-class famous quote/research activity.


Week 11:
Monday, October 28: Start watching final documentary. 

Wednesday, October 30: 

Friday, November 1: Finish watching final documentary.  On your own, work on Journal #8, a two page response to the documentary. 




Week 12:
Monday, November 4: Journal #8 (over final documentary) due in class.  Incorporate at least two quotes from the film. Time permitting, I'll give you some in-class time to start working on Journal #9, a two page research proposal (look at the samples on pgs. 53-59 in your textbook). 

Wednesday, November 6:  I'll give you some more in-class work time but Journal #9 (the research proposal) is due by the end of class! If you've already completed the Research Proposal, I STRONGLY encourage you to start on Journal #10. Journal #10 is a 2 page, single-spaced annotated bibliography listing at least 6 sources that you plan to use for your paper. There’s a sample annotated bibliography on pg. 160 in your textbook. 


Friday, November 8: In-class work.  Journal #10, the annotated bibliography (your final journal) is due by midnight!  If you have already finished Journal #10, I strongly suggest you start working on the actual Researched Argument papers. 

Week 13:
Monday, November 11: Conferences.

Wednesday, November 13: Conferences.

Friday, November 15: Conferences.


Week 14:
Monday, November 18: Researched Argument papers due in class. I’ll provide some in-class time to do work on your Group Presentations, aka your fourth major project. Even though they’re not until later, you’ll want to set up interviews, which may take a few days. For a refresher on how to use interviews and surveys (both are forms of Primary Sources) in your project, take a look at Chapter 5 in The Wadsworth Guide, especially pgs. 97-103.

Wednesday, November 20: In-class work.

Friday, November 22: In-class work.


Week 15:
Monday, November 25: In-class work.  If you haven't contacted your Primary Source yet, you should definitely do that today!

Wednesday, November 27:   Thanksgiving Break.  No class!

Friday, November 29: Thanksgiving Break.  No class!


Week 16:
Monday, December 2: In-class work.

Wednesday, December 4: I'd like to conduct in-class conferences over Group Presentations so have a PowerPoint ready!

Friday, December 6: Early Presentations.


Week 17:
Monday, December 9: Last day of university classes.  Early Presentations. 

Your Final Exam will be on Friday, Dec. 13, at NOON.

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