WHAT: LITERACY NARRATIVE
WHEN:
- ROUGH DRAFT: due WEDNESDAY, SEPT. 27 @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
- FINAL DRAFT: due MONDAY, OCT. 2 @ @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
WHERE: 1) WORDPRESS, 2) EMAIL, 3) IN CLASS
HOW:
- 600-800 words/2-3 pages [max 1000 words]
- 11 or 12 sized font (Times New Roman or Cambria)
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- MLA format (see Purdue OWL site section on MLA-link in syllabus)
WHY?
A literacy narrative is more than just a story about your writing experience; it defines who you are as a writer. Some of you may not consider yourselves writers, but whether it’s your passion or not it’s an activity you all have undertaken and will still be challenged to do so in your future. This assignment is an opportunity for you to step back and evaluate yourself as a writer, and perhaps use that understanding to grow and improve.
The sample literacy narratives we read in Ch. 10 of The Norton Field Guide explore various themes–Vallowe considers her purpose and identity; Agosín explores her emotional attachment to language and home; Nichols tackles issues of insecurity and the school system. We all have different histories and values that affect our perspectives on writing and ourselves as writers. Maybe you don’t consider yourself a writer–but why? What is a writer? Someone who loves writing? Someone who is good at it? Someone who gets paid to do it (or teach it)?
In your 2-3 page (600-800 word) literacy narrative, you will utilize descriptive and sensory language to place the reader (me and your classmates) into your narrative. Note: Describing visuals is the easiest; think of hearing, tasting, smelling, and feeling as well. You may use dialogue as relevant (for examples on how to structure dialogue, look at Reichl and Danticat; for explanations of how to do it, look at pg. 408-409 of The Norton Field Guide). You should take advantage of spellcheck and grammar checks on your writing platform to correct errors.
Your rough draft (due Wednesday, Sept. 27, @ 8 am) doesn’t need to be perfect. This is your opportunity to get your words out there and to receive feedback on your work (using the questions on p. 91-92).
Your final draft (due Monday, Oct. 2, @ 8 am) should be a polished and thoughtful work, taking into account feedback given by me and your classmate.
Good luck! (And don’t stress.)
Questions to ask yourself before submitting your Literacy Narrative:
- Do the title and first few sentences make readers want to read on? If not, how else might you begin?
- Is the sequence of events in the narrative clear? Does it flow, and are there effective transitions? Does the narrative get side-tracked at any point?
- Is anything confusing?
- Is there enough detail, and is it interesting? Will readers be able to imagine the setting? Can they picture the characters and sense what they’re like? Would it help to add some dialogue so that readers can “hear” them?
- Have you made the narrative meaningful enough for readers so that they wonder and care about what will happen?
- Do you narrate any actions clearly? Vividly? Does the action keep readers engaged?
- Is the significance of the narrative clear?
- Is the ending satisfying? What are readers left thinking?
Adapted from p. 91-92 of The Norton Field Guide to Writing.
WHAT: Reflection on…your Literacy Narrative
WHEN: MONDAY, OCT. 2
WHERE: *you will write this during classtime and submit with your final draft*
HOW:
- 250-350 words/
- Handwritten (neatly)
WHY?
In every major essay assignment in this course you will be asked to reflect on your own work and the experience of writing it. While there is no need to formally quote anything here, you ought to maintain a thoughtful and analytical tone towards the topic and demonstrate an ability to explain your process.
Questions you may consider might be (adapted from p. 93 of The Norton Field Guide):
- How well do you think you told the story?
- What did you do especially well?
- What could still be improved?
- How did you go about coming up with ideas and generating text?
- How did you go about drafting your narrative?
- How did others’ responses influence your writing?
- What would you do differently next time?
Be honest. Be specific. Be yourself here.
*For later essays the reflection will be typed and submitted with the final draft, but this time we will take time to practice reflection together. By December, you should have typed up this reflection and posted to WordPress to be included in your Digital Portfolio.*
WHAT: EXPLORATORY ESSAY
WHEN:
- ROUGH DRAFT: due WEDNESDAY, OCT. 25 @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
- FINAL DRAFT: due MONDAY, OCT. 30 @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
WHERE: 1) WORDPRESS, 2) EMAIL, 3) IN CLASS
HOW:
- 800-1000 words/3-4 pages [max 1100 words]
- 11 or 12 sized font (Times New Roman or Cambria)
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- MLA format (see Purdue OWL site section on MLA-link in syllabus)
WHY?
An exploratory essay is a piece where you can explore and dig into a topic of your choice. It should be an exercise in minimal research and the practice of organizing and presenting facts clearly and succinctly. In this course, we are looking at information as it is presented and shared through memory and narrative, and now through facts and opinion. As we discussed, the difference between facts and opinions is not that one is true and the other false. The difference is that one is based on evidence and the other is based on personal perspective—a difference between validity, not value.
Think of the controversial articles we read and which we compared/contrasted, noting main ideas and arguments. Think also of the Kelly reading, where she described the history of the Galactica in Mexico. Consider what worked and what didn’t in Chapter 12 of our Norton reader. Facts can be presented in ways that are interesting and thoughtful, and original, as it is up to you to choose which facts to present to your reader. On that note, consider your reader. How much do you expect that audience to know about your topic?
In your 3-4 page (800-1000 word) exploratory essay, you will use 2-3 sources to provide factual evidence for your study. The topic can be your choice and should be something you are passionate about as your next essay will build on this research. Some possible topics to consider:
- Freedom of speech
- College requirements
- Cultural/social expectations
- Media coverage of tragedy
Personal experience may be used to support or add flavor to the report if it is relevant, and it would ideally be near the end. This is not where you come up with your own claim and argument; this is where you demonstrate an understanding of the arguments and ideas out there. Organize your facts and teach your reader something about the information you have accumulated.
You should take advantage of spellcheck and grammar checks on your writing platform to correct errors.
Your rough draft (due Wednesday, Oct. 25, @ 8 am) doesn’t need to be perfect. This is your opportunity to get your words out there and to receive feedback on your work (using the questions on p. 153-154).
Your final draft (due Monday, Oct. 30, @ 8 am) should be a polished and thoughtful work, taking into account feedback given by me and your classmate.
Good luck! (And don’t stress.)
Questions to ask yourself before submitting:
- Do the title and opening sentences get readers’ interest? If not, how might they do so?
- What information does this text provide, and for what purpose?
- Does the introduction explain why this information is being presented? Does it place the topic in a larger context?
- Are all key terms defined that need to be?
- Does the organization help make sense of the information? Does the text include description, comparison, or any other writing strategies? Does the topic or rhetorical situation call for any particular strategies that should be added?
- If the essay cites any sources, are they quoted, paraphrased, or summarized effectively (and with appropriate documentation)? Is information from sources introduced with signal phrases (p. 487-490)?
- Does the essay end in a satisfying way? What are readers left thinking?
Adapted from p. 153-154 of The Norton Field Guide to Writing.
WHAT: Reflection on…your Exploratory Essay
WHEN: MONDAY OCT. 30 @ 8 am in class, to accompany your final draft of the Exploratory Essay.
WHERE: 1) WORDPRESS, 2) EMAIL, 3) IN CLASS [with final draft]
HOW:
- 250-350 words/ 1 page
- 11 or 12 sized font (Times New Roman or Cambria)
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- MLA format (see Purdue OWL site section on MLA-link in syllabus)
WHY?
In every major essay assignment in this course you will be asked to reflect on your own work and the experience of writing it. While there is no need to formally quote anything here, you ought to maintain a thoughtful and analytical tone towards the topic and demonstrate an ability to explain your process.
Questions you may consider might be (adapted from p. 154-155 of The Norton Field Guide):
- How well did you convey the information? Is it complete enough for your audience’s needs?
- What strategies did you rely on, and how did they help you achieve your purpose?
- How well did you organize the report?
- How did you go about researching the information for this piece?
- How did you go about drafting this piece?
- How did others’ responses influence your writing?
- What did you do especially well?
- What could still be improved?
- What would you do differently next time?
Be honest. Be specific. Be yourself here.
WHAT: RESEARCHED CRITICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY
WHEN:
- ROUGH DRAFT: due WEDNESDAY, NOV. 29 @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
- FINAL DRAFT: due MONDAY, DEC. 4 @ 8:00 am (post on WordPress, email to me, and bring a physical copy in to class)
WHERE: 1) WORDPRESS, 2) EMAIL, 3) IN CLASS
HOW:
- 900-1400 words/4-5 pages [max 1500 words]
- 11 or 12 sized font (Times New Roman or Cambria)
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- MLA format (see Purdue OWL site section on MLA-link in syllabus)
WHY?
A researched critical analysis essay is you entering into the conversation of an issue, and demonstrating you know what has been discussed previously and have your own input to offer. In your exploratory essay previous you researched and synthesized information that interested you. Here you will take that information further, by delving into more sources and taking a stance based on that evidence and (if relevant) your personal experience with the subject.
We discussed censorship and how what information we reveal or don’t reveal impacts the message that gets across. Keep that in mind here—be bold in your claims and support yourself with evidence. Show awareness of counter-arguments, and be fair in how you cover them. Simply dismissing them will not help strengthen your point, but may instead weaken it. Review again Chapter 8 of the Kelly reading—even if you disagree with her claims, she presents the facts and a breadth of knowledge that is compelling.
In your 4-5 page (900-1400 word) researched critical analysis essay, you will use 5 sources to provide factual evidence for your study. The topic will be building on or be an offshoot of your exploratory essay topic. The structure can vary, but it should re-introduce the original information, while analyzing and dissecting that along with new information to support or interact with your claim. That claim will be first expressed in your proposal assignment open WordPress from Nov. 8, but will be clearly stated in your thesis statement here and will be restated at your conclusion.
You should take advantage of spellcheck and grammar checks on your writing platform to correct errors.
Your rough draft (due Wednesday, Nov. 29, @ 8 am) doesn’t need to be perfect. This is your opportunity to get your words out there and to receive feedback on your work (using the questions below).
Your final draft (due Monday, Dec. 4, @ 8 am) should be a polished and thoughtful work, taking into account feedback given by me and your classmate.
Good luck! (And don’t stress.)
Questions to ask yourself before submitting:
- Do the title and opening sentences get readers’ interest? If not, how might they do so?
- Does the introduction explain why this information is being presented? Does it place the topic in a larger context?
- Have you defined terms to avoid misunderstandings?
- Is the thesis clear and appropriately qualified?
- Is there enough evidence to support your reasoning? Will readers accept the evidence as valid and sufficient?
- Have you considered potential objections or other positions? Are there any others that should be addressed?
- Have you cited enough sources and are these sources credible?
- Are source materials documented carefully and completely, with in-text citations and a works cited section? Have MLA formatting rules been followed?
- Does the organization help make sense of the information? Does the text include description, comparison, or any other writing strategies? Does the topic or rhetorical situation call for any particular strategies that should be added?
- Does the essay end in a satisfying way? What are readers left thinking?
Adapted from p. 153-154 and p. 181 of The Norton Field Guide to Writing.
WHAT: Reflection on…your Researched Critical Analysis Essay
WHEN: MONDAY DEC. 4 @ 8 am in class, to accompany your final draft of the Exploratory Essay.
WHERE: 1) WORDPRESS, 2) EMAIL, 3) IN CLASS [with final draft]
HOW:
- 250-350 words/ 1 page
- 11 or 12 sized font (Times New Roman or Cambria)
- Double-spaced
- 1-inch margins
- MLA format (see Purdue OWL site section on MLA-link in syllabus)
WHY?
In every major essay assignment in this course you will be asked to reflect on your own work and the experience of writing it. While there is no need to formally quote anything here, you ought to maintain a thoughtful and analytical tone towards the topic and demonstrate an ability to explain your process.
Questions you may consider might be (adapted from p. 154-155 and p. 182 of The Norton Field Guide):
- How well did you convey the information? Is it complete enough for your audience’s needs?
- What strategies did you rely on, and how they help you achieve your purpose?
- How did you go about researching your topic?
- How did you go about drafting this piece?
- How did others’ responses influence your writing?
- What did you do well in this piece?
- What could still be improved?
- What have you learned about your writing ability from writing this piece? What do you need to work on in the future?
Be honest. Be specific. Be yourself here.
