English 102-09: Expository Writing
Writing Family History
Dr. Susanne George Bloomfield
Spring 2004
COMPOSITION 102: CLASS
SYLLABUS
TUESDAY 1/13
Discussion:
Class Requirements and Expectations; Inductive and Deductive Writing Processes; Subjects and Resources for your Family History; View Previous Student Projects.
THURSDAY 1/15
Assignment
due:
Consider possible subjects for your Family History. Check on their availability and willingness to be a part of your project. Choose one. Write a one-page abstract about your subject, how and when you will be interviewing him/her, and why you chose this person.(*3)
Discussion:
Handout:
"Gathering the Fragments: Using Personal Sources."
Workshop:
Form groups with similar subject areas and/or time periods. Get acquainted, discuss family history subjects, and work on interview questions. Look through previous students’ family histories.
TUESDAY 1/20
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss "Giving Others Their Story: Doing a Life Story Interview" (On Reserve at the Library). Compile a list of 10 questions for your interview. (*3)
Discussion:
Handout: "Interviewing Suggestion." Focus/Dominant Impression/Theme of Family Histories.
Workshop:
Compare and share interview questions,
ideas. Read examples of previous student Family Histories
THURSDAY 1/22
Assignment due:
Read about using summaries, paraphrases, and quotations in Writing the Research Paper (pp. 104-122).
Write a short 250-word response discussing your familiarity with writing about literature. (*3)
Discussion:
Backgrounds on Responses
to
TUESDAY 1/27
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss Riding the
White Horse Home (pp. i-18). Write a short (250 word), typed response to
the reading, using at least one quote from the text and employing the
"Sandwich Technique." Punctuate the quote and page numbers correctly.(*3)
Discussion:
Response to
THURSDAY 1/29
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss Riding the White Horse Home (pp. 19-72). Write a short (250 word), typed response to the reading, using at least one quote from the text and employing the "Sandwich Technique." Punctuate the quote and page numbers correctly.(*3)
Discussion:
Importance of myths,
models, and family rituals.
TUESDAY 2/3
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss Riding the White Horse Home (pp. 73-129). Write a short (250 word), typed response to the reading, using at least one quote from the text and employing the "Sandwich Technique." Punctuate the quote and page numbers correctly.(*3)
Discussion:
Initiation theme; Learning experiences.
THURSDAY 2/5
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss Riding the
White Horse Home (pp. 130-176). Write a short (250 word), typed response to
the reading, using at least one quote from the text and employing the "
Discussion:
Importance of stories and storytelling; incorporating outside scholarly research in literary criticism and historical, psychological and cultural backgrounds.
TUESDAY 2/10
Assignment
due:
Read and be ready to discuss Riding
the White Horse Home (pp. 177-221). Write a short (250 word), typed
response to the reading, using at least one quote from the text and employing
the "
Discussion:
Analysis of book arrangement. Deductive approach to writing.
Workshop:
Examples of student papers. Brainstorm for thesis and paper ideas.
THURSDAY 2/12
Assignment
due:
Read “The Library” and “Using the Computer in Your
Research” in Writing the Research Paper (pp. 23-34, 57-71).
Discussion:
Meet for Library Orientation for Research Backgrounds for Researched Reading Response paper and for Family History project.
TUESDAY 2/17
Assignment due:
Conduct
preliminary research for the topic for your Researched Reading Response paper. Read
and be ready to discuss “Doing the Research” in Writing the Research Paper
(pp. 75-96).
Discussion: Incorporating primary and secondary sources into your personal analysis.
Workshop:
Examples
of student papers.
THURSDAY 2/19
Assignment due:
Read and be ready to discuss “Basic Information” and “The Thesis” Writing the Research Paper (pp. 3-5, 37-44). Preliminary thesis sentence and 2-4 main points due.(*2)
Discussion: Elements of a good thesis sentence; parallel points
Workshop:
Revising and polishing thesis and
points.
TUESDAY 2/24
Assignment Due: FIRST ROUGH DRAFT due of paper.(*3)
Session A:
Read and be ready to discuss “Writing with Unity, Coherence, and Emphasis” in Writing the Research Paper (pp. 122).
Workshop:
Peer analysis and mini-conferences.
THURSDAY 2/26
Assignment
Due: SECOND ROUGH DRAFT due
OF FULL PAPER. (*4)
Session
A:
MLA in-text citations and Works Cited List. Consult Writing the Research Paper to apply correct format for paper layout (pp. 279-290) and in-text citations and the Works Cited list (pp. 159-165, 195-238).
Workshop:
Peer analysis and
mini-conferences.
TUESDAY 3/2
Assignment due:
Researched
Discussion:
Overview for Family
History project.
THURSDAY 3/4
Assignment due:
Draft of basic plot (story) of first
narrative due (minimum 500 words).(*3)
Discussion:
Handout: "Deepening the Plot: Character and Setting."
Workshop:
Revision
suggestions for additions or deletions to story line or narrative.
What’s missing, confusing, or boring?
TUESDAY 3/9
Assignment due:
Draft of first narrative with character and
setting added (total minimum 750 words). Include a photograph if possible (*3)
Discussion:
"Broadening the
Perspective: Incorporating and Using Primary and Secondary Research."
Workshop:
Revision
suggestions for Dominant Impression, sensory details, style, and grammar.
THURSDAY 3/11
Assignment due:
Draft of first narrative with research
added (4 pages/minimum 1000 words). Include a photograph or illustration if
possible (*4)
Discussion:
Where to go for further research backgrounds.
Workshop:
Revision
suggestions for research, style, and grammar.
TUESDAY/THURSDAY 3/16 & 3/18
No Class—Spring Recess
TUESDAY 3/23
Assignment due:
Draft of second narrative
(story) due. (minimum 500 words).(*3)
Discussion:
The
Workshop:
Revision suggestions for additions or deletions to story line or narrative. What’s missing, confusing, or boring?
THURSDAY 3/25
Assignment due:
Draft due of second narrative with character and setting added. Include a photograph if possible (minimum 750 words).(*3)
Discussion:
Discuss “Aim for a Readable Style” in Writing the Research Paper (pp. 135-147)
Discuss using photographs and illustrations effectively.
Workshop:
Revision suggestions for Dominant Impression, sensory details, style, and grammar.
TUESDAY 3/30
Assignment due:
Draft of second narrative with research added (4 pages/minimum 1,000 words). Include a photograph or illustrations if possible (*4)
Discussion:
Effective transitions, effective paragraphs.
Workshop:
Revision suggestions for research, style, and content.
THURSDAY 4/1
Assignment due:
Draft of third narrative (story) due (minimum 500 words). (*3)
Discussion:
Sentence fragments and run-on sentences.
Workshop:
Revision suggestions for additions or deletions to story line or narrative. What’s missing, confusing, or boring?
TUESDAY 4/6
Assignment due:
Draft of third narrative with character and setting added (minimum 750 words). Include a photograph if possible.(*3)
Discussion:
Global Revision, active verbs, tense consistency, sentence variety.
Workshop:
Revision suggestions for Dominant Impression, sensory details,
style, and grammar.
THURSDAY 4/8
Assignment
due:
Draft of third narrative with research added (4 pages/minimum 1,000 words). Include a photograph or illustration if possible (*4)
Discussion:
Discuss Introductions and Conclusions in Writing
the Research Paper (pp. 147-152).
Introductions and Conclusions/ Prefaces and Afterwords.
Workshops:
Give suggestions for research. Revise the three narratives for wordiness, active verbs, and style. Highlight or underline all verbs and revise for more active verbs, specific verbs, and verb tense.
TUESDAY 4/13
Assignment
due:
Decide on a theme or dominant impression for your work and write a draft of Introduction of approximately 250-500 words, including a sense of place, time, and personal profile. Draft a Conclusion for your work, again approximately 250-500 words, summarizing the contents and echoing elements of your introduction. Emphasize significance, universal elements or themes, "magnitude." (*4)
Discussion:
Handout: "Creating Order Out of Chaos:
Theme and Structure."
Workshop:
Give suggestions for theme, revising for
thematic unity, and universal significance.
THURSDAY 4/15
Assignment
due:
Complete First Draft of Cultural Biography
due with graphics, Cover, Title Page, Acknowledgements, Table of Contents,
Works Cited, and Notes (if applicable).
(*5)
Workshop:
Polishing your project.
TUESDAY 4/20
*****Individual Conferences (20 minutes each)
THURSDAY 4/22
*****Individual Conferences (20 minutes
each)
TUESDAY 4/27
Troubleshooting Workshops
Completed Family Histories may be turned in
early on this day.
THURSDAY 4/29
Troubleshooting Workshops
Completed Family Histories may be turned in early on this day.
Final:
Two copies of final draft of Family History(*300 points)
due in Dr. Bloomfield's Office (Thomas Hall 204). All drafts must be included.