September 27, 2012

Tonight we will discussing and wrapping up our work over Major Essay #1.  We'll discuss a few of the common issues from the draft.  We'll also have some time for peer review, so students will need to bring in a copy of the essay.  From there we'll move on to a discussion of the three expository essays assigned for tonight.  We'll also discuss the unique direction we'll take with our next minor essays for the expository unit.  We'll wrap up the class by analyzing our first expository essay assignment, Minor Essay 2a, and looking ahead to our readings for next week.

Objectives

• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay
• Identify and analyze how authors manipulate structure to achieve their purpose

Activities

• Check on the progress of the Major Essay #1 rough draft 
• Notes and points from the rough drafts
• Major Essay #1 peer review
• Discuss Akst, Didion, and Trillin
• Assign and discuss Minor Essay #2a, due next week
• Assign and discuss the readings for next week

Homework

• Final draft (printed copy) of Major Essay #1 due next week
• Minor Essay #2a (written or typed) due next week
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Cunningham, 347- 354
• Gladwell, 411 -421
• Schlosser, 558 - 568
• Be prepared to identify:
• Text structure
• The author's topic and development of ideas
• How the writer incorporates his/her voice into the essay
• The writer's ethos

September 20, 2012

At the beginning of the semester, I noted that the lowest essay grade of the course is typically the first essay of the Expository Unit.  The reason for this is that students tend to feel that they cannot use their voice in an expository essay.  With our first readings in this unit, hopefully students will see that this is not the case.  Our goals for tonight include discussing our progress on Major Essay #1, taking notes and discussing types of expository essays, and applying our discussion to an analysis of the assigned readings.

Objectives

• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay
• Identify and analyze how authors manipulate structure to achieve their purpose

Activities

• Pass back and discuss the results of Minor Essay #1
• Check on the progress of the Major Essay #1 rough draft
• In-class notes over Expository Structures
• Define ethos and apply it to the writer's point of view
• Discuss King, Berube, and Chabon
• Assign and discuss the readings for next week

Homework

• Bring in a printed draft of Major Essay #1 to the Sept 27 class
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Akst, 293 - 304
• Didion, 366 - 370
• Trillin, 581 - 583
• In each essay, be prepared to identify and analyze:
1. Which expository structure is used?
2. How does the writer incorporate his/her voice?
3. What is the writer's ethos?

September 13, 2012

Tonight we have three tasks ahead of us: we'll be wrapping up our work over the Minor Essay, starting our work over our first Major Essay, and looking ahead to our first readings for our Expository Unit.  The Major Essay, another personal narrative, is important because our most effective expository points and persuasive arguments are those in which we present a story audiences can relate or connect to, which we will later call pathos.  Having the ability to use a brief narrative in expository and persuasive writing effectively  is one of the most valuable skills a college writer can have.

Objectives

• Review the four elements of The Writer's Presence
• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay
• Identify and analyze how authors manipulate structure to achieve their purpose

Activities

• Review the four elements of The Writer's Presence
• Turn in a final draft of Minor Essay #1
• Discuss and analyze Orwell, Mayblum, and our choice narrative
• Turn in Part 2 of the Presence Inventory
• Assign and discuss Major Essay #1
• Assign and discuss the readings for next week

Homework

• Bring in a printed draft of Major Essay #1 to the Sept 20 class
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Berube, 318 - 321
• King, 451 - 457
• Chabon, 343 - 346

September 6, 2012

September already...  This week we'll move continue the revision process for Minor Essay #1 while also moving into the second part of our Narrative Essay Unit.  While last week's essays focused on literacy and education, the focus for this week is more about the structure of a good story.  Each writer has a distinct point of view and means of telling his/her story.  We may also begin to notice that the narratives we're reading are personal stories with a point.  Each story supports a theme or main idea.  As we revise Minor Essay #1, we will also want to begin considering what personal story with a point waits to be told inside of us.

Objectives

• Review the four elements of The Writer's Presence
• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay
• Analyze and evaluate our writing through peer review
• Identify and analyze how authors manipulate structure to achieve their purpose

Activities

• Review the four elements of The Writer's Presence
• Discuss Minor Essay #1
• Analyze and evaluate our progress on Minor Essay #1
• Discuss and analyze Cofer, Hughes, and Wiesel

Homework

• Check your e-mail for your ME1, to be commented upon and reviewed by Monday
• Revise ME1
• Printed final draft of ME1 due in class Thursday, Sept 13
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Orwell 180 - 186
• Mayblum 164 - 169
• An essay of your choice and complete the Presence Inventory for it