English 102:Expository Writing
Spring 2004: Family History
Terry Tempest Williams writes, "We listen to other people's stories and then we write our own." English 102: FAMILY HISTORY will focus on reading and writing the stories that help us understand who we "imagine ourselves to be" (N. Scott Momaday).
The course will require two major writing assignments. One will formally analyze an aspect of Riding the White Horse Home, creative nonfiction by Teresa Jordan. The other will be a life history, broken into a sequence of smaller assignments. Students will interview a person significant in their lives (perhaps a parent, grandparent, or neighbor--someone readily accessible), collecting personal stories, old photographs, letters, journals, and personal memorabilia. In addition to recording these life histories, students will immerse themselves in the geographical, historical, and cultural contexts of that person's life and analyze the effect of that life upon their understanding of themselves and/or the world.
The class will use the workshop approach, with the professor and students collaborating on the finished work, an illustrated "mini-book." Dr. Bloomfield (TH 204) has sample "books" from previous students to examine if a student is interested in what the major project will entail.
Class Requirements and Expectations
Class Requirements and Expectations for Spring 2004.
Class Syllabus.
Daily Reading and Writing Assignments for the Spring 2004 Semester.
Writing Assignment Guidelines.
Requirements and Guidelines for the two major writing assignments.
Writing Family Stories.
Suggestions on how to add plot, character, setting, research, organization, and style to your Family History.
Interviewing Suggestions.
Suggestions on setting up, recording, and conducting Personal Interviews.
The "Dreaded Comma".
Six indispensible comma rules for ALL writers.
"Hit List".
To improve your writing and (and grade) follow these very basic suggestions.
"Sentence Variety".
Some suggestions to add style, variety, and maturity to your sentences.
"Setting Up Quotations".
Some example to help you add variety in setting up quotations, along with the correct punctuation.
UNK Library Periodicals.
List of turn-of-the-century and early twentieth century magazines in UNK Library Stacks.
Sample Notes.
An example of ways to utilize Notes in your Family History.
Indian Hill Farm "Chapter 1: Endings"
Excerpt from a Family History.
Indian Hill Farm "Chapter 2: First Inhabitants"
Excerpt from a Family History.
Family History Links
Click here United States Resources: Nebraska.
Click here for Cyndi's List of Genealogy Sites on the Internet.
Click here for Jack's Web Page for Genealogy Research.
Click here for RootsWeb, the original genealogical Home Page.
Click here for Nebraska GenWeb Project.
Click here for the Timberlake Family History Home Page.
Click here for the Nebraska Humanities Council's links to Humanities Websites on Plains history and culture.
Click here for developing a Family Home Page.
Historical Research Links
Click here for Virtual Nebraska Home Page.
Click here for the State of Nebraska's official Web Page.
Click here for World War II on the Web.
Click here for listing of government documents at UNK library, electronic versions of state publications/links.
Click here for Historical Picture Collection links.
Writing and Editing Links
Click here for Capital Community College's Guide for Writing Research Papers based on MLA Style.
Click here for the U of Wisconson-Madison's WRITER'S HANDBOOK for grammar and editing.
Click here for Internet Public Library.
Return to Dr. Susanne Bloomfield's Home Page
bloomfields@unk.edu
Dr. Susanne K. Bloomfield
Professor of English
204 Thomas Hall
University of Nebraska at Kearney
Kearney, NE 68849-1320
Return to Dr. Susanne Bloomfield's Home Page
