English 101
Dr. Susanne George Bloomfield
ENGLISH
101: Memoir
Assignment
Schedule
Spring
2007
~~~For daily written responses
of 250 words, use Times New Roman 12pt. font.
Each response should be no
longer than one page. Include a word count at the end.
1/9 Discussion: Requirements, Assignments,
Expectations, and Grading; Process/Product;
Inductive/Deductive; Overview of Writing Assignment connections
1/11 Discussion: Essay Writing Overview.
**Assignment
due: Read Purpose &
Audience, Planning, Drafting (pp.10-37) in the Handbook. In approximately 250 words, describe your own
writing experience and explain how much of the reading is new to you.
_______________
1/16 Discussion: Revising Overview, from
Global Revising to Editing.
**Assignment
due: Read Revising (pp.37-62)
of the Handbook. In approximately
250 words, discuss your revising experience.
1/18 Discussion: Content without Wordiness;
Sense of Place and Descriptive Writing
Assignment due: Read Writing Paragraphs (pp. 62-84) in Handbook.
ASSIGNMENT I: Significant
Place Essay (Due 2/6/07)
Write
a 75-1000 word (2-3 pages in Courier New 12 pt. font) Descriptive Essay about what
you consider your “home” or the place that has had the greatest impact on your
life. Describe the place vividly, using specific details. Unify it by giving a
dominant impression of the place (thesis) and a clear indication of its
significance in your life.
(1)
Narrow your focus. Do not try to tell too much; zero in on the
most important details.
(2)
Organize your description spatially or
chronologically (with flashbacks if you’d like).
(3)
Unify your essay through your dominant impression of the place.
Include only details that will lead up to its significance in your life.
(4)
Be selective. Select specific details that will highlight the
dominant impression and significance. Don't include irrelevant facts or
descriptions.
(5) Remember that your family and your classmates
are your audience.
_______________
1/23 Discussion: Setting and Sense of Place
**Assignment due: Read "Walking the
Hogbacks" (pp.1-18) from Riding the White Horse Home. In
approximately 250 words, explain what you think is the thesis or dominant
impression of “Walking the Hogbacks.” Add quotes from the text as support.
1/25 Discussion: Descriptive Essays; Active
and Passive Verbs; Abstract and Concrete Nouns
**Assignment due: Make a list of three places in your
life and the possible significance of each about which you could write an
essay. Explain how you would organize each of them.
Workshop: Group collaboration to brainstorm ideas for the descriptive
essay.
_______________
1/30 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
***Assignment
due: Typed first draft
of Significant Place Essay due
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note
dominant impression, significance, and paragraph development [wordiness vs.
concrete detail] in your peer review.)
2/1 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
****Assignment
due: Typed revised draft
of Significant Place Essay due
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note
coherence, transitions, organization in your peer review.)
_______________
2/6 Final
draft and all rough drafts in folder due of
Discussion: Significant Person and Dominant
Impression; Assignment II Expectations
ASSIGNMENT II: Significant
Person Essay (Due 3/8/07)
Write
a 750-1000 word (3-4 pages in Courier New 12 pt. font )
Profile about a significant person in your life, preferably one with a
connection to your significant place. Make your profile dramatic and vivid,
giving a clear indication of the dominant impression you wish to convey and the
significance this person has played in your life. Remember:
(1)
Narrow your focus. Choose a dominant impression or trait; zero in
on the most important details.
(2) Organize your essay chronologically
or by points
(3)
Unify your essay through your dominant impression and
significance. Include only details that will amplify the main idea you want to
make about your subject.
(4)
Be selective. Select specific details that will highlight the
dominant impression. Don't include irrelevant facts or descriptions.
(5)
Remember that your family and your classmates are your audience.
2/8 **Assignment due: Read "Legends"
(pp. 19-39) and “Mothers” (pp. 41-72) from Riding the White Horse Home
and be ready for class discussion. In approximately 250 words, explain what you
think is the dominant impression or thesis of
_______________
2/13 Assignment
due: Read "Marie" (pp. 131 -156) from Riding the White Horse
Home and be ready for class discussion.
2/15 Assignment due: Read "Death of the Hired Man" (pp. 157-176) from Riding the White Horse Home and be ready for class discussion.
_______________
2/20 Assignment due: Read “Writing My
Grandmother’s Life” (pp. 177-196) from Riding the White Horse Home and
be ready for class discussion.
**Make a list
of three people you might profile for an essay with a tentative dominant
impression for each one.
Workshop: Collaborate in groups on choose a
dominant impression and organize your profile.
2/22 Discussion: Writing Mature Sentences
Assignment
due:
Workshop: Collaborate in groups on writing
100-word sentences
_______________
2/27 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
***Assignment due: Typed first draft of Significant Person
Essay
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note
Dominant Impression, Significance, and Organization)
3/1 Discussion: Writing Correct Sentences
Assignment due: Read Revising Sentence
Fragments and Errors (pp. 227-254) in Handbook.
Workshop: Exchange rough drafts and edit
sentence errors.
_______________
3/6 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing.
****Assignment due: Typed revised draft of Significant Person Essay
Section
A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note mature and correct sentences)
3/8 Final
draft and all rough drafts in folder due of Significant Person Essay (60
points)
Discussion: Initiation and Rites of Passage;
Discussion of Assignment III Expectations.
ASSIGNMENT III:
Significant Event (Due 4/10/07)
Write
a 1,000-1,250 word (4-5 pages in Courier New 12 pt. font )
narrative essay about a Significant Event that was a Rite of Passage in your
life, preferably one that has a connection to your significant place and person.
Tell your story dramatically and vividly, giving a clear indication of its
significance in your life. Experiment with dialogue if you wish. Remember:
(1)
Narrow your focus. Do not try to tell too much; zero in on the
most important scene or scenes.
(2)
Organize your narrative chronologically or with flashbacks.
(3)
Unify your essay through your transformational experience.
Include only details that will lead up to the new knowledge about yourself, someone else, or the world.
(4)
Be selective. Select specific details that will highlight the
significance of the experience. Don't include irrelevant facts or descriptions.
(5)
Remember that your classmates are your audience.
_______
3/13 No Class: Spring Break
3/15 No
Class: Spring Break
_______________
3/20 Discussion: Read "How Coyote Sent
the White Girl Home" (pp. 73-88) and be ready to discuss it in class.
3/22 Discussion: Read “Newtime”
(89-112) and be ready to discuss it in class.
_______________
3/27 Assignment due: Read “Bones” (113-129)
and “My Life as a Bride” (pp.197-207) and be ready to discuss them in class.
3/29 Assignment due: Commas, semi-colons, and
apostrophes in Handbook pp. 265-285.
**Make
a list of three transformational events in your life and what you learned from
them, preferably connected to your significant person and significant place. Workshop: Collaborate in groups on choosing
your Significant Event.
_______________
4/3 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
***Assignment due: Typed first draft of Significant Event
Essay
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note
Significance, Details, and Organization)
4/5 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
****Assignment
due: Typed revised draft
of Literary Analysis
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note
Correct Use of Quotations)
_______________
4/10 Final
draft and all rough drafts in folder due of Significant Event Essay (75 points)
Discussion: Assignment IV Expectations; Inductive
organization; Addition and Subtraction.
Workshop: Peer and Individual conferencing of
memoir possibilities.
ASSIGNMENT IV:
Putting It All Together: “A Memoir” (Due 5/1/07)
Take
all 3 of your previous essays (
(1)
Unify your essay by choosing which of your three essays should be
the main focus of your Memoir. Was it the Place, the Person, or the Event which
holds the most significance? A strong Beginning and Ending will help tie your
memoir together.
(2) Be
selective. You will not necessarily use all of each of your three essays in
the Memoir. You won’t be able to cut, and paste, and be done with it.
(3)
Add additional background information, description, narrative,
and illustrations, when necessary, to balance your memoir. Use appropriate
reference sources, avoiding irrelevant facts or research. Keep your “voice” and
“tone” consistent.
(4)
Organize your memoir organically. Using transitions for coherence
will be of primary importance.
(5)
Format your memoir according to MLA guidelines, including a Cover
and a Works Cited. Notes may be used at your discretion.
(5)
Remember that your family and your classmates are your audience.
4/12 Discussion: Adding Research and
Illustrations to your Significant Place/Person and/or Event essays
Assignment due: Doing Library Research
(pp. 355-395) in Handbook.
Workshop: Collaborate in groups on research
possibilities
_______________
4/17 Meet in Library for research. Sign in at 2nd
floor table
4/19 Workshop: Peer and Individual
Conferencing
***Assignment
due: Typed first draft
of Memoir
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note unity and coherence)
____________
4/24 Discussion: Read MLA Formatting Works
Cited and Manuscript in Handbook (pp. 396-444) and Using Quotation Marks
(pp. 288-295).
**Assignment due: Works Cited list. Use MLA Documentation
in Handbook to format your Works Cited.
Workshop: Edit Works Cited and optional Notes;
Troubleshooting
4/26 Workshop:
Peer and Individual Conferencing
****Assignment due: Typed revised draft of Memoir
Section A: 12:15-1:00 Section B: 1:00-1:45
(Note everything!)
Finals
Week:
Tuesday 5/1/07
Final Paper of Persuasive Research Essay
(100 points)
with
all rough drafts in folder due
between
1:00 and 1:30
in Dr. Bloomfield’s office
TMH 109D