November 1, 2012

After two weeks of conferences and tests, we are back to a routine of meeting each Thursday, analyzing the structure of essays, and continuing to shape and develop our college writing skills.  Students should have completed and sent in an electronic copy of Major Essay 2's rough draft.  Those who sent in a copy already have them back.  The final draft of Major Essay 2 is due in class tonight.

We'll then move on from the Expository Unit and into our Persuasive/Research Unit.  We have two goals for this unit: 1. to write effective persuasive essays, and 2. to integrate research into our writing with proper formatting and citations.  We'll start our work toward these two goals by discussing and evaluating what makes an effective thesis.  We'll also have some writing practice over persuasion and integrating a source with Minor Essay 3a, which we'll start in class tonight.

Objectives

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

Activities

• Major Essay 2 due, discuss and hand in
• Discuss Carr and Gatto
• Assign and begin working on Minor Essay 3a 
• Create a thesis for the essay during class
• Notes and discussion over Creating an Effective Thesis
• Evaluate the current thesis for Minor Essay 3a
• Integrating research discussion and practice

Homework

• Minor Essay 3a (written or typed) due next week
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Zinn, 861-868
• Jefferson, 696-699
• Ehrenreich, 650-654

October 11, 2012

Tonight we will be wrapping up our work in our Expository Essay unit and starting in on some notes for the Persuasive Unit.  We have Minor Essay 2b (cause/effect) due.  We'll pass back and discuss the two essays we've done recently.  We'll discuss the problem/solution readings for the week, which will lead us to Minor Essay 2c.  We'll also assign Major Essay 2.  We'll wrap up the night with notes and discussion over Persuasive Basics, which will help give us some general dos and don'ts for persuasive writing.

Objectives

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

Activities

• Minor Essay 2b due, discuss and hand in
• Pass back Minor essay 2a and Major Essay 1
• Discuss Acocella, Bowden, and Nafisi
• Assign and discuss Minor Essay 2c, due next week
• Assign and discuss Major Essay 2, electronic rough draft due by Wednesday, 10/24/12
• Notes and discussion over Persuasive Basics
• Celebrate.  Preview the next two weeks.

Homework

• Minor Essay 2c (written or typed) due next week
• Major Essay 2 electronic rough draft due Wednesday, 10/24/12
• Keep a close eye on the Angel site/e-mail for assigned readings and discussion

October 4, 2012

Tonight we will be continuing our work in our Expository Essay unit.  We have Minor Essay 2a (definition) due.  We'll also do some work toward helping to shape our voice in our writing.  We'll wrap up the night by discussing the readings for the week and then working on Minor Essay 2b.

Objectives

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

Activities

• Major Essay #1 due
• Minor Essay 2a due, discuss and hand in
• Analyze and discuss the four voices of persuasive and expository writing
• Discuss Cunningham, Gladwell, and Schlosser
• Assign and discuss Minor Essay 2b, due next week
• Assign and discuss the readings for next week

Homework

• Minor Essay 2b (written or typed) due next week
• In The Writer's Presence, read:
• Acocella, 283 - 292
• Bowden, 322 - 330
• Nafisi, 511 - 519
• Be prepared to identify:
• Text structure
• The author's thesis and development of ideas
• How the writer incorporates his/her voice into the essay
• The writer's ethos