Effective Writing ¾ Syllabus

Core 110

Section F

Joe Kraus

King’s College

Fall Semester, 2001

Course Schedule:

Aug. 27 (M): Hellos; introduction to class

Homework: Read Syllabus

Write three questions about the syllabus. (Note: these questions should be typed. They can be as silly or trivial as you like, but I want them to reflect that you’ve read the syllabus carefully.)

Aug. 29 (W): Discuss syllabus questions; sign up for draft discussion days; write journal entry #1 in class

Homework: Write diagnostic essay: In 2-3 pp. (typed, double-spaced) describe an experience when you were looking forward to something and wound up disappointed.

Aug. 31 (F): Discuss disappointment sketches; begin discussing writing strategies

Homework: Write journal #2

Sept. 3 (M): Labor Day -- No Class

Homework: Write two paragraphs. (The first paragraph should be a description of your room. The second should describe a light in your room.)

Sept. 5 (W): Continue discussing writing strategies; begin discussing idea of coherent paragraphs

Homework: Write journal #3

Sept. 7 (F): Journal exchange

Homework: Read “Shooting an Elephant” by George Orwell

Sept. 10 (M): Discuss “Shooting an Elephant”; discuss narrative essay assignment

Homework: Read essays by Hardwick, Merchant, Harper, and Ahasic

Write topic idea for narrative essay

Sept. 12 (W): Discuss narrative essay topics and strategies; discuss sample narrative essays from coursepack

Homework: Begin writing narrative draft

Sept. 14 (F): Draft discussion day #1 ¾ we will discuss 2-3 drafts of essays at length

Homework: Finish narrative draft; Bring two or three copies of your essay to class.

Sept. 17 (M): Exchange copies of narrative drafts; sniggerworts and patter-pawing

Homework: Write a response to each of the two drafts you received during class. (I would expect each response to run about 1.5 pages, typed and single-spaced.) Bring two copies of each response.

Sept. 19 (W): Workshop discussion on your responses to essay drafts; write journal #4 in class

Homework: Revise narrative essay to turn in by 9/24

Write journal #5

Sept. 21 (F): Journal exchange

Homework: Read remembering a person essay assignment

Read essays by Arens, Megleo, and Breeden

Sept. 24 (M): Discuss remembering a person essay assignment

Homework: Begin writing remembering a person essay

Sept. 26 (W): Draft discussion day #2 ¾ remembering a person essay

Homework: Finish remembering a person essay draft; bring two or three copies of your draft to class.

Sept. 28 (F): Swap essay drafts; word sketch exercise (in this in-class writing, I will assign each of you another person in the class. Without letting that person see what you are up to, I want you to describe him or her as completely as possible.)

Homework: Write response to each of the essays you have received; arrange to return and discuss your responses with the essays’ authors during the week. (I recommend that you use part of the regular class hour either in our classroom or wherever you are most comfortable.) Be sure to have a copy of the response for each author as well as copies that you can turn in.

Read profile assignment

Read essays by Canabou, Nawosel, Rotramel, Nowak, and Rosenzweig

Write journals #6 & #7

Write list of five potential subjects for your profile

Oct. 1 (M): Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Oct. 3 (W): Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Oct. 5 (F): Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Homework: Re-read your word sketch from 9/28; select the parts of it that you think are most effective (and that do not immediately identify the subject of your sketch), and prepare to read them in class.

Oct. 8 (M): Exchange word sketches; discuss profile assignment topics and strategies; begin discussing evaluative essay assignment

Homework: Write journal #8

Oct. 10 (W): Journal exchange

Homework: Think about what you would write if you had writing homework

Oct. 12 (F): Fall Recess -- No Class

Oct. 15 (M): Watch film, to be determined, in class. (I am open to suggestions for a film, but I do have several possibilities in mind.)

Homework: Schedule and conduct profile observation by Oct. 29. (Start on this immediately; it may be much more difficult than you expect to find a time that will work for you and your subject.)

Oct. 17 (W): Continue watching film

Homework: Write journal #9

Oct. 19 (F): Watch end of film; share reactions

Homework: Write draft of evaluative essay

Oct. 22 (M): In-class writing: write a new evaluative essay

Homework: Using the internet and the library, find at least two published reviews of the movie. (Please try not to read any reviews before this point in the semester. I think you will find your other writing easier if you enter into it with just your own impressions.)

Oct. 24 (W): Discuss evaluative essay drafts and revision strategies

Homework: Begin revising evaluative essay of your choice

Oct. 26 (F): Draft discussion day #3 ¾ Evaluative essay

Homework: Finish evaluative essay revision; bring two or three copies of your essay to class.

Write journal #10

Oct. 29 (M): Swap evaluative essay drafts; journal exchange

Homework: Write response to each of the essays you have received; bring two copies of each response to class.

Oct. 31 (W): Workshop on responses to evaluative essays; discuss status of profile essays

Homework: Begin writing profile draft

Nov. 2 (F): Draft discussion day #4 ¾ profiles

Homework: Finish profile drafts; bring two or three copies of your draft to class.

Nov. 5 (M): Swap profile drafts; begin discussing idea of Rogerian argumentation; describe in-class writing assignment of __________

Homework: Write responses to the essays you have received during class; bring two copies of each response to class.

Nov. 7 (W): Workshop on profile responses; write journal #11 in class

Homework: Read from “The ‘Uncanny’” by Sigmund Freud

Read essay by Anderson

Nov. 9 (F): Discuss the uncanny as Freud defines it and as you have experienced it.

Homework: Begin writing uncanny essay

Nov. 12 (M): Draft discussion day #5 ¾ Uncanny essay

Homework: Write uncanny essay draft; bring two or three copies to class with you.

Nov. 14 (W): Swap essay drafts; journal exchange

Homework: Write responses to the uncanny essay drafts you have received in class. Arrange to return your responses to the authors ¾ and to turn them in to me ¾ some time during the next three classes.

Write journal #12

Nov. 16 (F): Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Nov. 19 (M): Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Nov. 20 (T): Special Tuesday class time; Conferences ¾ No regular class; come only if you have scheduled a meeting

Nov. 22 & 24 (M-F): Thanksgiving Break -- No Class

Homework: Eat wisely; save room for dessert

Glance at essays by Kim, Docken, and Neider

Nov. 26 (M): Continue discussing idea of Rogerian argument; brainstorm topics for in-class Rogerian essay during the rest of the week.

Homework: Write journal #13

Nov. 28 (W): Write Rogerian essay in-class; (Note: if you have a notebook or laptop computer, feel free to bring it with you.)

Homework: Write journal #14

Nov. 30 (F): Finish writing Rogerian essay in-class

Homework: Write journal #15

Dec. 3 (M): Discuss status of narrative, remembering a person, evaluative, profile, and uncanny essays; discuss revision strategies; review final portfolio procedures

Homework: Begin preparing final portfolio

Dec. 5 (W): Workshop in class on revisions

Homework: Continue with final revisions

Dec. 7 (F): Journal exchange

Homework: Prepare final portfolios to turn in during exam week

Dec. 10-14 (M): Final Classes subject to rescheduling