Tentative Schedule of Activities and Assignments

Aug. 30: Introduction; the writing process; editing for run-ons and fragments.

Assignment: read pp. 1-11 and 60-72; write a rough draft of a narrative based on suggestions on p. 72 or one of your own ideas; read “The Perfect Picture”  (434) and answer questions 1 and 2.

Sep. 6: Narration; peer edit of rough draft of narrative; freewriting exercise; editing for subject-verb agreement and apostrophes.

Assignment: write final draft of the narrative; read pp. 195-217; write a unified paragraph based on the exercise on p. 201.  

Sep. 13: Writing effective paragraphs.

Assignment: read pp.74-87; write rough draft of one of the suggested description choices on pp. 85-86 or a description of your own choice; read “In the Jungle” (448) and answer questions 1, 4, 8.

Sep. 20: Description; peer edit of rough draft of description; editing for agreement problems.

Assignment: write final draft of description essay; read pp. 88-99; write rough draft of a process analysis; read “The Knife” (470) and answer questions 1, 3, 7.

Sep. 27: Process analysis; peer edit; the essay as art form; editing for comma problems.

Assignment: write final draft of process; read pp. 100-108; write rough draft of an illustration; read “Binge Drinking, A Campus Killer” (474) and answer questions  2, 4.

Oct. 4; Illustration; peer edit; editing for faulty pronoun reference and semicolons.

Assignment; write final draft of illustration; read pp. 111-119; write rough draft of classification; read “The Men We Carry in Our Minds” (491) and answer questions 3 and 5.  

Oct. 11: Classification; peer edit; editing for unnecessary shifts.

Assignment: write final draft of classification; read pp. 120-131; write rough draft of comparison essay; read “Grant and Lee: A Study in Contrasts” (504) and answer questions 1 and 3.  

Oct. 18: Comparison; peer edit; editing for case problems and for quotation marks usage.

Assignment: write final draft of comparison essay. Read pp. 132-145; write rough draft of cause and effect essay; read “Why Marriages Fail” (533) and answer questions 1 and 3.

Oct. 25: Cause and effect; peer edit; editing for inconsistency in time use and in the use of numbers.

Assignment: write final draft of cause and effect essay; read pp.146-159; write rough draft of a definition essay; read “The Sweet Smell of Success Isn’t All That Sweet” (540) and answer questions 1 and 3.  

Nov. 1: Definition; peer edit; editing for misuse of adjective and adverbs.

Assignment: write final draft of definition; read pp. 160- 186; write rough draft of argument; read “Sexual Harassment is a Serious Problem at Universities” (566) and “Sexual Harassment is Overestimated” (571) and consider question 7 on p. 570.  

Nov. 8: Argument; peer edit; research basics.

Assignment: read pp. 315-345; choose topic, begin writing of research paper.  

Nov. 15: Research strategies

Assignment: read pp. 345-375; write rough draft of research paper

Nov. 29: Research strategies; peer edit of research papers.

Assignment: final draft of research paper  

Dec. 6: Final in-class essay