Syllabus | Fourth Quarter's Assignments Revised: June 5, 2007
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Week of April 2 to 6 (Beginning of Fourth Quarter)
Tues	No Class: Music Tour to Florida & School Trip to San Jose
Wed	Journal #24 (Spring break insights and/or what I need to accomplish between now and graduation). Begin reading "The Basic, No-Frills essay: How to Get an "A" on an Academic Essay." Quiz Friday. Hmwk: finish reading "The Basic, No-Frills Essay" before class Thurs.
Thurs	Journal #25 (Wisdom vs knowledge: "Never confuse wisdom with knowledge"--Cornel West). Individual preparation and class dicussion of statements about writing organization. Agree/disagree; think of reasons why the statements might be true/false: Organization in writing is a good thing. I can organize an essay any way I like; the organization has little to do with purpose. As long as the right answer is in there somewhere, I should get full credit. Clear communication is the responsibility of the speaker/writer and/or hearer/reader. I don't need a thesis statement because my reader will understand what I'm saying once I start explaining. Some writing tasks require strict formulas to be successful. My literacy skills have little to do with my job prospects. People with good written communication skills have more credibility. The only people who are picky about using good English are English teachers. Hmwk: Summarize (in your own words, in your own handwriting) the characteristics of an "A" essay as described in "The Basic, No-Frills Essay". Due before quiz Friday.
Fri	Due: summary (in your own words, in your own handwriting) of the characteristics of an "A" essay as described in "The Basic, No-Frills essay: How to Get an "A" on an Academic Essay." Quiz: "The Basic, No-Frills essay: How to Get an "A" on an Academic Essay." Discuss writing as a communication agreement between writer and reader.
Week of April 9 to 13
Tues	Journal #26 (Childhood place). Example essay assignment sheet. Sample essay, "A Boy's View of Playland" [pdf file]. Analyze essay based on concepts in "The Basic, No-Frills Essay": Underline and label thesis statement. Circle the signal term (opinion). For each body paragraph, underline and label the topic sentence. Number each supporting idea (1, 2, 3, etc.). Put a wiggly line under transitional devices (words and expressions that help the flow from one throught to the next). On the back, answer these questions: How does this essay illustrate unity? How does this essay illustrate coherence? Look for proofreading/editing errors. Find any? Hmwk: Decide on subject for your example essay before class Wed.
Wed	Due: Essay subject. Discuss thinking/planning stage or writing process. "Playland" sample cluster sheet [pdf file]. "Playland sample sentence outline. Cluster sheet [pdf file]. Work on thinking/planning stage of example essay. Hmwk: Complete cluster sheet and then sentence outline before class on Thurs. Click here for cluster sheet [pdf file].
Thurs	Due: Completed cluster sheet AND sentence outline. (You should be ready to begin drafting.) Check off cluster sheets and sentence outlines. Read aloud Anne Lamott's "The Crummy First Draft" to class. Begin drafting by hand. Hmwk: Continue drafting by hand.
Fri	Work period: continue drafting by hand. No hmwk (if your draft is complete. Otherwise, complete your handwritten draft over the weekend.)
Week of April 16 to 20
Tues	Due: Completed handwritten rough draft. Detailed self evaluation of essay. Due at end of class. Hmwk: word process rough draft, incorporating changes indicated by self evaluation. Print out rough draft to bring to class.
Wed	Due: Word processed rough draft. Peer evaluation of essay. Due at end of class. Discuss revision. Hmwk: Make revisions to rough draft--as indicated by peer evaluation. Print out new version to bring to class.
Thurs	Due: Revised rough draft. Discuss editing and proofreading. "Picky, Picky, Picky" & Real-life Typos. Use your brain; don't depend on your spell checker! Sign up for conferences. Pointers for improving your proofreading: Let some time elapse between writing and proofreading. Plan your writing assignments so that you can have the luxury of not looking at your essay for two to three days before you return to proofread it. Read your essay aloud. Have a pencil in your hand because you'll probably find things you want to correct as you read aloud. Have a friend proofread for you. (You'll need to be the judge of whether there is value in the friend's advice, of course!) Use your spell checker. Notice that this is option #4. Use human brains first! Hmwk: proofread and edit essay and print out POLISHED, SMOOTH draft. Bring this draft to your conference--if you are having a conference. If not, this is your final draft--to be submitted on Wednesday.
Fri	Optional essay conference appointments. [Peer evaluation of essay]
Week of April 23 to 27
Tues	No class meeting: Optional essay conference appointments. Hmwk: Make any final changes suggested in conference. Print out final-final draft. Assemble all previous drafts in reverse chronological order. Put into folder to submit at the beginning of class on Wednesday. Late essays will receive late penalty as specified in course syllabus.
Wed	Due: final draft of example essay and all previous drafts and notes (in reverse chronological order). Discuss writing with thesis at end. Examples. Begin "Babette's Feast." Hmwk: Research Isak Dinesen (one page of notes, in your own words, in your own writing--you know the drill). Include complete sources.
Thurs	Share research findings. Continue "Babette's Feast." Hmwk: Finish reading "Babette's Feast" before class on Tuesday.
Fri	Finish reading "Babette's Feast." Before class on Thursday (May 3), complete reading of: "Babette's Feast," Valerie O'Connell "Current Trends: Feast of Grace," Mary Ann Fatula "God Loves a Joke: Babette and Vocation," Pamela Schwandt
Week of April 30 to May 4
Tues	Due: Finish reading "Babette's Feast" before class. Reading quiz. Distribute "Babette's Feast" Study and Discussion Questions. Hmwk: Before class on Thursday, complete reading of three essays listed under Friday (above).
Wed	Begin viewing Babette's Feast movie. Hmwk: Continue reading three essays. Continue preparation of "Babette's Feast" Study and Discussion Questions.
Thurs	Due: Reading of three essays listed under Friday (above). Reading quiz over essays. Hmwk: Continue preparation of "Babette's Feast" Study and Discussion Questions.
Fri	Continue viewing Babette's Feast movie. No hmwk.
Week of May 7 to 11
Tues	Continue viewing Babette's Feast movie. Hmwk: Research the French civil war important to the plot of "Babette's Feast." Try googling historical names, events, and terms mentioned in the story.
Wed	[Midterm Grades Due] Share research on French civil war important to plot of "Babette's Feast." Classroom discussion of "Babette's Feast" Study and Discussion Questions. Hmwk: Continue preparation of "Babette's Feast" Study and Discussion Questions.
Thurs	Review for test on "Babette's Feast." Hmwk: Prepare for test on "Babette's Feast."
Fri	Test: "Babette's Feast" No hmwk.
Week of May 14 to 18
Tues	No Class: Softball Day
Wed	Begin The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Read The Merchant of Venice storyline in Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb. Read about Tales from Shakespeare. Enrichment: "Story Synopsis" from Masterpiece Theatre site.
Thurs	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Read "Shylock and History" from the Masterpiece Theatre website. Read "On Religion" section in "Essay: On Race and Religion" from Masterpiece Theatre site.
Fri	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. No hmwk.
Week of May 21 to 25
Tues	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Hmwk: Complete reading of Read The Merchant of Venice storyline in Tales from Shakespeare by Charles and Mary Lamb "Shylock and History" from the Masterpiece Theatre website "On Religion" section in "Essay: On Race and Religion" from Masterpiece Theatre site
Wed	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Reading quiz. Read "Censorship, Anti-Semitism, and The Merchant of Venice" by Robert J. Wilson. Hmwk: finish any reading assignments not already completed.
Thurs	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Finish viewing movie. No hmwk.
Fri	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Study and Discussion Questions. No hmwk.
Week of May 28 to June 1
Tues	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Essay test options: #1, 2, or 4, Study and Discussion Questions. Intro relationship chart activity to help with characters and storyline. Hmwk: Continue work on Study and Discussion Questions (notes for each item). Begin relationship chart activity.
Wed	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Continue work on Study and Discussion Questions. Continue work on relationship chart activity. Hmwk: Continue work on Study and Discussion Questions (notes for each item). Continue relationship chart activity.
Thurs	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Distribute 3" X 5" cards for essay portion of exam. Discuss non-essay questions on Study and Discussion Questions. Hmwk: Work on essay questions. Continue relationship chart activity, if necessary. "Childhood Place" essay revision due at time of final exam.
Fri	Continue The Merchant of Venice, by Shakespeare. Essay exam prep. Essay test options: #1, 2, or 4. Hmwk: "Childhood Place" essay revision due at time of final exam.
Week of June 4 to 8 (End of Fourth Quarter and Second Semester)
Tues	Review for test on The Merchant of Venice: Characters, storyline, and essay options. Hmwk: Prepare for The Merchant of Venice test. Complete relationship chart activity (to be submitted at time of test). Optional "Childhood Place" essay revision.
Fri	Final Exam: The Merchant of Venice. Due: Relationship chart activity (to be submitted at time of test). Due: Optional "Childhood Place" essay revision.