May 3, 2018: Today we looked at how to develop our introductions as well as conclusions. Please see the presentation to review the lesson’s main points. We also reviewed the final paper requirements.
In preparation for next class: Complete at least one body paragraph for your paper. Be sure to follow the argumentative paragraph structure. Review the sources available on Canvas to choose one as the evidence in your paragraph.
The rough draft is due next Thursday (10 May 2018). I would like for you to submit a complete draft; however, you do not need to include your annotated bibliography in your rough draft if you don’t have it finished by then. The annotated bibliography is definitely due with the final draft, though.
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April 24, 2018: Today we developed thesis statements for our final paper.
In preparation for next class: Make sure to finish and submit the “Introduction to the Gender Rhetoric Unit: Analyzing the Myth of Gender in America” questions. Also, I’ve started a Gender Rhetoric Thesis Statement Discussion for our thesis statements on Canvas. However, if you still need help developing your thesis statement, I recommend following the steps of the thesis statement again, which you can do on our Canvas Content Page “Thesis Statement Development Presentation“; the presentation is designed to reteach what we learned today.
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April 19, 2018: Today we continued developing our summary of McCall’s essay “Men: We Just Don’t Get It“; we then looked at what the requirements of an annotated bibliography are for this class. We ended class by looking at the Gender Unit Writing Project Prompt Discussion to clarify what the expectations for your response, support, and position are.
In preparation for next class: Make sure you have your specific topic in mind for your gender rhetoric paper. This topic is pretty much what you’ve proposed in the Gender Unit Writing Project Prompt Discussion.
I’ve posted three model student drafts of the gender rhetoric paper from last semester. I’m awaiting another student’s draft; when the student sends it my way, I will share that draft as well. The drafts which are available to you now do not use a source to which to respond; instead, they use a more general condition affecting their lives or cultures. The other paper, which I am still awaiting, does use a source as the basis of her argument. You are not required to use a primary source to which to respond; I suggested it as a argumentative strategy because it makes it somewhat easier.
Be sure to complete the “Introduction to the Gender Rhetoric Unit: Analyzing the Myth of Gender in America” questions.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
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April 17, 2018: Today we discussed Nathan McCall’s essay “Men: We Just Don’t Get It“; we then did a text structuring activity in which we structured McCall’s essay, dividing it into sections and identifying what each section does and what it says.
In preparation for next class: Each group was assigned one or two sections to summarize. Preferably, your summary of your section will be one sentence long. Develop your sentence independently and then compare your individual sentences with your group members’ sentences when you see them on Thursday. You’ll then have a chance to determine the sentence you’d like to use as your sentence for your section of the essay.
Also, be sure to complete the Gender Unit Writing Project Prompt Discussion on Canvas. The purpose of this discussion activity is to encourage you to develop your position and focus for your gender rhetoric research paper.
Also, be sure to start reviewing the sources on the Gender Rhetoric Paper Sources content page on Canvas. Your argument must incorporate these sources, so be sure to find a position and argument these sources will help support and substantiate.
Finally, get a jump start on the “Introduction to the Gender Rhetoric Unit: Analyzing the Myth of Gender in America” questions.
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March 29, 2018: Today we did a peer review of our contemporary proposal rough drafts.
In preparation for next class: Continue to revise your contemporary proposal; I should have them all read and commented on by Sunday or Tuesday of next week. Please check the conference schedule for the wee after spring break. If you have not signed-up for conferences, pick a time from the remaining slots and let me know your choice. Additionally, YOU are responsible to lead your conference with me; that is, you need to come prepared with questions and thoughts, so we can discuss YOUR concerns and questions based on my comments or your ideas.
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March 27, 2018: Today we worked on our fallacies extra credit project.
In preparation for next class: Finish your contemporary proposal rough draft; bring a hardcopy to class for peer-review. Also, finish your extra credit fallacies group project for “A Modest Proposal.”
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March 22, 2018 (UPDATE): Courtesy of our very own Nick Chavez, here’s a satirical condemnation of the death penalty’s use of lethal injection by the ever-satirical The Onion.
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March 20, 2018: Today we had our library orientation day. It’s going to be a challenge to find just the right source, but, remember, for an assignment like this you can use sources that may seem disconnected to your topic, for which you develop a disparate and fallacious connection.
Never hesitate to reach out to me for help!
I’ve also posted a few more contemporary proposal essays from last semester on Canvas; you can find them in the modules for week 8. They may help you as you determine your writing strategies or approaches.
In preparation for next class: WORK ON YOUR CONTEMPORARY PROPOSAL! Also, connect with your group members for the “A Modest Proposal” fallacies extra credit opportunity. It’s a big one!
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March 15, 2018: Today we finished looking at the logical fallacies Prezi. We then discussed the contemporary proposal for a bit. I meant to mention in class Kinji Fukasaku’s Battle Royal, which is like a satirical contemporary proposal on the problem and condition of insolent students in Japan.
In preparation for next class: We are meeting in L-104 on Tuesday; please arrive on time. Please be sure to post your problem and solution on the Canvas discussion and be sure to explain how it is a Juvenalian satire by tomorrow night at 11:59 pm. Also, don’t forget to respond to your peers’ problems and solutions by Sunday night. The handout you received today is meant to help you when and after you’ve found sources, so be sure to read it and become familiar with it. Finally, I will create a group discussion for the extra credit opportunity on “A Modest Proposal” on Canvas, so be sure to visit it and read the instructions. You will be in the same groups as your “F Word” paragraph project.
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March 13, 2018: Today we started looking at logical fallacies, and we created some of our own. We will continue our exploration of fallacies on Thursday.
In preparation for next class: Start to think about a controversial problem you know exists for which you have a satirical solution, one that will help expose and criticize people’s or society’s stupidity or vices, “particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues” (OAD). I’ve created a discussion on Canvas for us to share our contemporary proposal topics and get feedback from each other.
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March 8, 2018: Today we discussed Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” and learned about Juvenalian and Horatian satire.
In preparation for next class: Finish Part 1 of the Dumas analysis questions discussion on Canvas. Finish Part 2 A and post your group’s completed paragraph in Part 2 B. Make sure you follow the directions for each part.
Actively read Swift’s “A Modest Proposal” as well as the “Fallacies of Discourse” in preparation for our class on Tuesday. Revisit the presentation slides we went through today to help you better distinguish between the different forms of satire as well as Swift’s purpose for writing “A Modest Proposal.” Also, actively review the Contemporary Proposal Writing Project Assignment Guidelines and Rubric handout.
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March 6, 2018: Today we discussed Dumas’ “The ‘F Word'” and then tackled some critical reading questions, which we did in groups. Part 1 of the discussion is on Canvas as is Part 2 A, which also includes a Part 2 B. Be sure to follow the directions for each part, so you complete the assignments’ requirements.
In preparation for next class: Work on your group paragraph for Part 2 A and get started on Part 1. Please let me know if you have any questions.
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March 2, 2018 Update: Don’t forget to participate in the discussion I posted on Canvas. Don’t wait until the last day; that defeats the purpose of the discussion.
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February 27 and March 1, 2018: We held conferences this week to review and discuss our “______ Education” writing projects.
In preparation for next class: Please complete you “________ Education” writing project; it is due on Tuesday, 6 March 2018. Additionally, be sure to partake in the graded discussion on Canvas, which is meant to help you as you complete your writing project. Finally, actively read Firoozeh Dumas’ “The ‘F Word'” for our class meeting on Tuesday, 6 March 2018.
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February 22, 2018: Today we were supposed to have a workshop, but that didn’t quite work out as planned. Please be sure to check the class schedule on the syllabus regularly in order to ensure you know what is required. Additionally, please be sure to check this website regularly, as I update it with requirements and assignment reminders.
We did sign up for conferences today, which means I will only see you next week during the time slot for which you signed up. We will meet in our regular classroom, though, so that remains the same as usual. When you receive my feedback on your rough draft, be sure to review my comments carefully. You will need to come prepared to the conference with specific questions. In other words, you will direct the discussion of your conference. I am there to help you, but you need to show me with what you need help.
In preparation for our conferences: Submit your completed rough draft of your “_______ Education” on Canvas by tonight or tomorrow at the latest.
Be sure to read the requirements for the writing project, which are on Canvas. But your rough draft MUST include:
- 3 literary devices; one needs to be juxtaposition; another needs to be connotation; and the third can be either paradox, hyperbole, symbolism, irony, or stereotype. If you can use all seven successfully, I will give you extra credit. Be sure to identify each of your literary devices in your story. You may identify them however you like, just be sure that your identification is clear and easy to understand.
- A FATt sentence thesis statement that reveals the focus and point of your story. Your FATt sentence should be on a separate page.
- An author’s note, the requirements of which are on the syllabus. The author’s note can be on the same page as your FATt thesis sentence. Be sure you respond to each of the bullet points for the author’s note.
Extra credit opportunity: email me at my hotmail email. Put “English 1A Question” in the subject line. In the email, write one thing you like about the class and one thing you think I can do to help you succeed in the class better.
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February 20, 2018: Today we took the Critical Thinking exam. I will aim to have them graded and returned to you by next Tuesday.
In preparation for next class: Finish your first writing project draft. Bring a hard copy to class and submit another copy on Canvas. The rubric on Canvas for this assignment is the rubric I will use to grade your final draft as well, so be sure you meet the expectations on this rubric.
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February 13-15, 2018: We spent this week finishing our Critical Thinking and Rhetoric Prezi and we also did a quick review for the Critical Thinking exam.
In preparation for next class: Study for the Critical Thinking Exam. I’ve set-up a discussion on Canvas to help us as we prepare for the exams. All are welcome to participate; it’s meant to help us learn and improve on critical thinking concepts.
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February 8, 2018: Today we looked at some writing strategies and requirements for you to keep in mind for your first writing project. We then continued our Critical Thinking and Rhetoric Prezi. We will finish it next week. We continued to use Alexie’s “Indian Education” to facilitate discussion and clarify concepts and terms.
In preparation for next class: Please make sure you complete all assignments that are due. This weekend I will grade everything already submitted. Be sure to have ACTIVELY read and reread the Critical Thinking Packet. You should be able to answer all of the questions on the Critical Thinking Exam review handouts, especially the questions for which we reviewed answers in class. Please also review the literary devices. We will go over them quickly on Tuesday, so I need you to be familiar with them. Read their definitions, look them up online, try to complete the literary devices handout in which you create your own, and review again how Alexie uses them in “Indian Education.”
As always, please let me know if you have any questions.
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February 6, 2018: Today we continued our Critical Thinking and Rhetoric Prezi. We will continue with it next class as well. We used Alexie’s “Indian Education” to evaluate the uses of ethos, logos, and pathos. We also looked at examples of ethos, logos, and pathos, we determined which is which and why.
We then learned about our first writing project, which I’ve posted on Canvas. If you missed class, be sure to speak to one of your peers, so they can answer any questions you may have. I also assigned analysis questions for “Indian Education”; their due date is on the class schedule. Finally, I provided everyone with study guides/questions to help you prepare for the critical thinking exam. I’ve posted copies of everything I handed out today in class on Canvas.
Finally, from now on, when submitting assignment on Canvas, please upload a link to a Google doc of your assignment onto the “text entry” option on Canvas; that’s it. This way I can more easily access your Google doc file and make comments on it. Be sure to allow anyone with the link to edit it; or make sure you’ve allowed at least nimakiano@gmail.com to “edit” it.
Also, for those of you whose “Shame” analysis question responses I’ve read and reviewed, you may need some direction in how to see them. You may need to zoom out a bit. But, in any case, click on “submission details” and then from there click on “view feedback” and you should see the comments.
If you cannot see the comments, call Canvas support at 1.800.600.4955 (They are super helpful!!).
But from now on, we will submit using a Google doc link pasted in the text entry box when submitting assignments.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns.
In preparation for next class: By now, you should have actively read both “Indian Education” and the “Critical Thinking Packet”; if not, finish them! Also, if you have not yet submitted your SMM chart/response to Alexie’s literary devices in “Indian Education,” do so ASAP.
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February 1, 2018: Today we started our Critical Thinking and Rhetoric Prezi. We will continue it next week. I suggest you review it on your own as well, so you are more prepared during class. We then looked at some of the literary devices you used in self-created contexts. I am highly impressed!
In preparation for next class: Finish actively reading the “Critical Thinking Packet” and go over the Critical Thinking and Rhetoric Prezi to familiarize yourself with the material even more; also, make sure you complete your actively read copy of “Shame,” if you haven’t done so already. Complete your SMM chart for the literary devices in “Indian Education”; follow the directions in the assignment’s explanation on Canvas; you will submit it online.
Please let me know if you have ANY questions or concerns! I’m here, and I’m happy to help.
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January 31, 2018 Update: I just wanted to share with you a passage from James Baldwin’s “Down at the Cross: A Letter from a Region in My Mind” from his book The Fire Next Time, first published in 1962. I find this passage very relatable and, in fact, complementary and elucidating, when compared with Gregory’s “Shame.” Think about the meaning of Gregory’s “shame” compare with the condition of the black person in Baldwin’s “Down at the Cross.” Those of you familiar with Ta-Nehisi Coates’ Between the World and Me will recognize part of Coates’ inspiration in this passage from The Fire Next Time.
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January 30, 2018: Today we reviewed the analysis paragraph questions for “Shame” by practicing writing them in groups. The couple we viewed as a class were exceptional (I use “were” because they were exceptional when we looked at them as a class; I don’t know if they are still exceptional now, especially if they have changed). Continue to develop your argumentative paragraph writing skills; they will be your main driving force when you tackle the final paper for the class.
Note about the analytical/argumentative paragraphs: These practices are here as guides only; please do not feel restrained by them. However, keep in mind, the guidelines do establish certain ground rules, or basics. In other words, a topic sentence should introduce the topic or focus of the paragraph it introduces. A great topic sentence establishes the rhetorical/argumentative/evaluative focus of the paragraph it introduces. Evidence, whether a quote, a summary, or a paraphrasing of some evidence ought to have a place in your paragraph, because whatever it is you are doing/writing, you are responding to something; that response stems from some kind of source or evidence you introduce from which to build your point. You may decide to include more than one piece of evidence; you may decide to include a direct quote and then also include summary of a another part of the text as an additional piece of evidence, which is fine–as long as you don’t just use evidence for the sake of evidence. You MUST explain and evaluate the evidence you introduce in order to support and establish your point for the paragraph (or essay) you are writing.
We also explored the rhetorical devices of tone, mood, speaker, purpose, and audience by looking at a short speech/statement/announcement made by Trump. The purpose of this rhetorical activity is for you to recognize how tone and mood depend on speaker, purpose, and audience. Also, when we recognize the speaker and identify their purpose, we can gauge the identity of their audience as well as analyze the significance of their tone (and the mood their tone generates in us, whether or not we are their intended audience).
Finally, we looked at the literary devices used in Alexie’s “Indian Education”; we will return to these on Thursday briefly and then again next week.
In preparation for next class: Finish the analysis questions for “Shame”; make sure to follow MLA format! They are due on Canvas by Thursday night (if possible, submit as a google doc on Canvas). Also, bring your actively read copy of “Shame” to class, as you will submit it for a grade. Use your assigned literary device in a scenario of your own making. Be sure to perform the device; that is, show; don’t tell. Also, actively read “How to Process a Nonfiction Text” and begin actively reading the “Critical Thinking Packet.” We will work with these during the next few classes.
Note: The SMM chart for the six literary devices that Alexie uses will be due next week, not on Thursday.
Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns. I mean it, my time is yours; don’t hesitate to call me, text me, or email me. I wish for all of you to develop as great writers and critical thinkers!
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January 25, 2018: Today we looked at active reading strategies and requirements, focusing on Gregory’s “Shame.” We then tackled a Say-Mean-Matter chart and began to analyze “Shame” for meaning and significance. We will continue with this during our next class.
In preparation for next class: Please actively read Sherman Alexie’s “Indian Education” as well as the literary devices handout. Do not complete the activities for the literary devices; we will do those in class. However, familiarize yourself with the literary devices he uses and try to evaluate why he uses them (think Say-Mean-Matter). Also, please do your best to complete the analysis questions for Gregory’s “Shame”; we will look at them more on Tuesday, but it will help if you have some or all of them completed (to the best of your ability). Make sure you follow MLA format!
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January 23, 2018: It was great getting to know everyone (just a little bit) today! I look forward to the semester. Today, we also introduced the syllabus, looked at the active reading requirements and rubric, the reader response rubric, the MLA format guidelines, as well as general class policies. We also got our first reading assignment: Dick Gregory’s “Shame”
As always, please be sure to reach out to me should you have any questions or concerns.
In preparation for next class: Actively read “Shame”; you need not answer the questions on the last page; we’ll talk about those during our next class.
