Eng101 is a reading and writing course, but the tasks you will perform in this course, from observation to discussion, argumentation to analysis, will serve you well throughout your college career. You’ll hone your skills in thinking, reading and writing, produce a body of written work of your own, and share your ideas and words with an audience of readers. My goal is for you to better understand and work through the process of writing;  explore different types and styles of reading and writing; and begin to see how all this is connected to your life… how reading and writing extends beyond the classroom.

Texts:
Identity Matters, Lillian Bridwell-Bowles (Library Reserve Room)
The Craft of Revision, Donald M. Murray
Oral History, Lee Smith
Holt Handbook

Requirements:
Reader-response journal
Essays (20+ pages of revised writing)
In-class writing exercises and group activities
Conferences
Writing portfolio (to be turned in twice)
Final project and presentation
Attendance (see next page)

Journal: This is a loose-leaf notebook for assigned writings. Entries are to be written in a “double entry” style, which I’ll explain. Most of the time I’ll assign topics. You should write about 3 pages per week in your journal. Keep each journal entry—don’t discard it once I’ve collected and read it! Since all of your writing is a potential piece for your portfolio, please keep any and all writing you do for this class.

Drafts of essays and in-class exercises: A draft is a piece of writing in progress. You will write, rewrite and revise your essays en-route to producing a final draft. Therefore, keep all earlier versions and revisions of each assignment; they may be requested for use in class discussion, conferencing, or for your portfolio.

Group Activities: Group work is integral to the 101 classroom. You will share writings, from the idea stage to final draft, and work through the revision process together in groups. Respect, honesty and commitment (ie. participation) make for success here.

Conferences (3): After three points in the semester, you will meet with me individually and informally to discuss your work in the class. This is a time for you to reflect on your progress, set goals, discuss challenges, and both give and receive feedback on your work. You will be asked to prepare for each conference—more on that later.

Portfolio: At mid-term and the end of the semester, you will submit a writing portfolio for formal evaluation. You will not receive individual grades on any of the writing you do until these checkpoints. Your portfolio will include examples of work you have done for 101, including informal writings, essays (in several drafts), and excerpts from your journal. The mid-term portfolio will include about 8-10 pages of polished writing; the final portfolio will have 20-25 pages of polished writing.

Final Project and Presentation: In short, this is a fieldworking project with an ethnographic theme. You will investigate a subculture in detail, writing about it and finally reporting on it to the class.

Policies:
This class is built around working together, discussion and workshopping, in-class activities… being consistent, both in terms of completing assignments and attending class, is crucial. Attendance also assumes participation. Eating, sleeping, or reading other materials during class is not acceptable. Neither is thoughtless behavior (to the instructor or your classmates), arriving late, plagiarizing, or turning in work after the deadline.

Your grade will be seriously compromised if you choose not to attend classes or conferences. If you miss more than two classes I will alert you as to your options for dropping the course. Please talk to me beforehand if you must miss a class or turn in work late.

Grading:
Grades will not be given for individual assignments. Instead I will give you a tentative grade at midterm for all the work you’ve completed so far. This should give you a sense of how you are doing and how you might want to focus your energies during the second half of the term. I will evaluate all your work and share my insights with you; I will comment and provide extensive feedback on your writings. During conference meetings, you’ll have an opportunity to evaluate your own progress in the course. Of course, you may talk with me at any time about your work in the class—don’t feel like you have to wait until a scheduled conference. Your final grade will be based on your meeting all the course requirements, your participation in class, and your portfolio of polished writing.

The Writing Center:
This free resource is open to all university students. At the Center, you may make an appointment or just drop in to have a one-on-one conference with a writing consultant. They can assist you with any stage of the writing process, from getting started and brainstorming possible topics to revising a final paper. The informal, friendly style of the Center may surprise you—please take advantage of this unique resource. It’s located in 101 McIver and is open M-Th 9-8 and F 9-3.

SYLLABUS

Week One: Getting to Know You
1/11  Class set-up and expectations
Group Activity: artifact exchange
 Small Groups: reading and writing as experience
  Read “The Poisoned Fish”

1/13  Small Groups: Getting past the Engfish—What is good writing
 In-class writing: Cisnero’s “The House on Mango Street”
 Handout: Journal Keeping
  J1: I, Reader and Writer
Reader: Intro p.1-11, Allen p.481

Week Two: Who Are We? Names and Identity
1/18  No Class: MLK Day
 Read Kingston’s “No Name Woman” (in Fieldworking p.219)
 (mark 5 passages of powerful description or gripping images)
J2: Describe your gift from fate

1/20 Discussion: Cisneros, Allen, Kingston essays
Small Groups: Share J2; discuss what makes good description
Activity: Writing descriptively
  J3: Observe an object and introduce it to your reader
Read Oral History excerpt (think about person you always looked up to, thought perfect; bring name to class)

Week Three: Myths and Stereotypes
1/25 Journals collected (1-3)
Writing Workshop: A Model
Small Groups: Describe that “perfect” person via OH reading
In-class writing: Response to OH reading
J4: Flesh out freewrite

1/27 Conferences: No Class Held

Week Four: Fact vs. “Perspective”
2/1 In-class writing: A myth that others have about me
Introduction to Revision
Read Murray Ch.1
J5: Write on own family’s bizarre or forgotten member
Choose which piece to rework, bring 3 copies to next class

2/3 Workshop: Sharing ideas, possible revision strategies for Paper 1
  J6: In-class connections; comments on workshop
Revise your essay

Week Five: Post-First-Draft: Rethinking, Rewriting, Revising
2/8 Touch Base: How is revision process coming along?
 Discussion of Murray Ch. 1 & 2
  J7: Running away or escaping
  Finish revising essay
  Read O’Brien p. 544

2/10 Paper 1 due
 Discussion: O’Brien’s essay
 Critical Reading activity
  J8: Was O’Brien a patriot, coward, both, neither?
  Read OH intro and Granny Younger section

Week Six: Moving Between Cultures
2/15 Journals Due (4-8)
In-class reading: McBride p.257
Pre-writing activity: Family Stories
In-class writing: Your family: one story or event that is told and retold
Finish reading OH Part I
  Expand family story freewrite into an essay

2/17 Small Groups: History vs. Myth/OH Discussion
 Discussion of Murray Ch. 3 & 4
  Read OH Part II
  J9: related to OH
  Revise your family story piece, make 4 copies

Week Seven: Mythifying the Past
2/22 Workshop Essays
  Read OH Part III
  J10: related to OH
  Revise after workshop; Prepare for conferences

2/24 No Class: Conferences
 Prep: revise and bring in typed family story essay
  Bring list of which pieces you plan to include in portfolio and why
  Keep reading OH
  J11: related to OH

SPRING BREAK

Week Eight: Your Mid-Term Portfolio: A dry run
3/8 Morphing the journal—Scrapbook assignments
Portfolio Prep: Bring in 2 revised pieces for paper exchange
(need 1 typed copy of each essay)
Read OH Part IV
  J12: related to OH

3/10 Journals Due (J9-12)
Murray Ch. 5 & 6
Wrap-up Oral History

Week Nine: Endings/Beginnings
3/15 Mid-Term Portfolios Due
 Class Trip to Weatherspoon
  Scrapbook 1 on trip

3/17 Murray Ch. 7 & 8
Ethnography: Begin where you are
 You as researcher
 Choosing a site and subculture (need to decide on one by next class meeting)
  Read student ethnographies (Reserve Rm: Fieldworking and Write Angles)

Week Ten: Beginning our Investigation
3/22 Scrapbook piece 1 due
Discussion: Student ethnographies you read
 Small Groups: share your subculture, why you chose it, your expectations
 Do ethnography exercise 1

3/24 Catch-Up Day

Week Eleven: Delving into a Subculture
3/29 Scrapbook piece 2 due
 Ethnography Exercise 1 due
 Small Groups: Brainstorm potential artifacts, their value to your research
 Class Discussion: How to “milk” the artifact
Do ethnography artifact, ex. 2

3/31 Artifact description due
Share artifacts in class (bring them)
 Discussion: Interviewing techniques and questions
  Work on ethnography interview, ex. 3

Week Twelve: Getting an Insider’s Perspective
4/5 Scrapbook 3 due
 Reading and Discussion: from Fieldworking
  Organize ethnography interview, ex. 3

4/7 Ethnography interview due
 Workshop one scrapbook for final portfolio (bring 3 copies to class)
  Write ethnography site/rituals description (ex. 4)

Week Thirteen: Putting the Pieces Together
4/12 Scrapbook 4 due
 Site/rituals due (ex. 4)
 Organizing: How to gather and structure ethnography materials
  Write rough draft of ethnography final paper (8+ pages)

4/14 Workshop ONE section of ethnography paper (bring 3 copies to class)

Week Fourteen: One-on-One Time
4/19 & 4/21 No Class: Conferences on ethnography paper (bring all notes and pieces)
  Work on revising pieces for portfolio

Week Fifteen: Sharing Ethnographies
4/26 & 4/28 Presentations

Week Sixteen:
5/3 Portfolios Due

Addendum
Please note: Since attendance and late work is a problem, I’m spelling out the policy which now goes into effect. I will not accept any work that is turned in after class time on the day it is due. If you miss class, you should still arrange to have your work in my Eng. Dept. mailbox (133 McIver) by 2 pm of that day, at which time I will check the box on my way to class. (Obviously, I’m doing this so you won’t skip class to complete work.) If work is not turned in on time, it’s counted as not done. If you have an emergency, please email me or call the Eng. Dept. (334-5311) who will put a note in my box. I will only accept late work under special circumstances, ie. at my discretion.

PS: More than two absences will still compromise your final grade, unless you’ve seen me with a really good reason and I’ve excused them.