Week 3 Syllabus, 1/18/16

WHERE DOES INSPIRATION should be both a record of a writer's come from? How do writers get their ideas? We ended the week by reading an essay on Iraq's last dictator, Sadaam Hussein in "Tales of a Tyrant." We are increasingly turning our lens outward, away from self and towards the world around us. Where do these writers get their ideas? How do they know what's worth writing about?

Monday

• No class on account of the Dr. King, Jr. seminar day. As the day progresses, you can keep notes and thoughts in your writer's journals. There will be some great opportunities to add to your journal!
• HW:  Because we didn't have all the essays, and because we didn't start the workshop, you should finish reading "Tales of a Tyrant." We will have an in-class writing assignment on the essay on Wednesday. 

Tuesday

• Starting class with a journal based upon footage of the late 1970s footage of Maxwell Street in Chicago. From there, we will begin revising your sentence diagrams. I have sent out a pdf scan of their drafts turned in last week. You can use these to revise your diagrams. 
• HW: Revisions to the diagrams are due Friday. We will grade them then (and if and when we receive a response from the guru of sentence-diagramming, Dr. Eugene Moutoux himself).

Wednesday

• In class writing assignment on "Tales of the Tyrant." For the second half of class, we will begin our workshop on the verb essays. 
• HW: Read through the journal entries. Remember that you should comment only on the major issue with the essay. What is the most important revision? Do NOT fill up the page with editorial marks. You are providing editorial advice for revision, not editing the essay. 

Thursday

•  Continuing with the verb workshop.
• HW: Finish reading the verb essays, honing in on ONE issue for each essay that the writer should consider for major revision. 

Friday

• Grading the sentence revisions, continuing with the next diagram lesson. 
• HW: You will have another essay to read, similar to last week's tyrant essay. 

Semester Two! Weeks 1 & 2.

A WRITER'S JOURNAL should be both a record of a writer's experiences and a source book. We started last week with journal writing three of the five days, and also completed some brainstorming of the verb essay as one of the outside-of-class journals. We read and mock-workshopped two verb essays, models of what former SWS students' work. We read a circa 1990 interview of Clarence Page, published in Studs Terkel's Race. We ended the week completing the cumulative sentence exercises at the end of chapter seven of BGS. The sentence diagramming exercise for this week was the first sentence from chapter ten, Why Homer Matters.

Monday

• Collecting the sentence diagrams. We will scan these and compare the diagrams, and you'll have the opportunity to revise your diagram. Reading "The Coming of John" from W.B. Du Bois's The Souls of Black Folk, an essay selected by a former student in SWS.
• HW:  Continue drafting the verb essay.

Tuesday

• Starting class with a journal. Discussion of yesterday's reading. Looking at the essay through the writer's lens. Time permitting, we spend a few minutes drafting your verb essay. 
• HW: Continue drafting your verb essay.

Wednesday

• Re-capping the discussion from yesterday's class. Journal entry on photo. We will spend the second half of class writing your verb essay.
• HW: Have a working rough draft of your verb essay in class tomorrow. 

Thursday

•  Small group workshops of rough drafts. Whatever drafts you have completed, you should bring at least four hard copies for feedback circles.
• HW: Drop off copies of your essays at my desk no later than noon tomorrow. I will have hard copies made for the entire class at the start on Friday.

Friday

• Because we were missing essays, we did not start workshop. Rather, we began reading, "Tales of the Tyrant," up through the middle of page 280. If you missed class, you should do that. 
• HW: Since we do not have essays to read, finish reading the essay, "Tales of the Tyrant."

The Final

Your portfolio should be turned in by 10:00 AM on Monday into the box labeled "Easton" in the 3rd floor vestibule in Stairwell Q. Here's a link to the assignment.

Week 7 Syllabus, 11/30/15

LAST WEEK YOU SETTLED ON AN INDEPENDANT MEMOR to read. You should begin that reading, planning on reading it by December 16. Besides finishing the independent memoir project, you will also be writing a first draft of your memoir essay. And we will begin workshop on those this coming Wednesday. 

Monday

• Reading "Scars" by David Owen, a memoir about injury. Looking at structure and implicit/explicit theme. 
• HW: Writing your first memoir. First drafts are due on Wednesday, when we will do some small group peer-editing. I will collect and distribute them on Thursday. You should also be reading your memoir. 

Tuesday

• We will start by discussing what Owen does in "Scars," and then will read another short memoir sample prior to our memoir workshop. 
• HW: Revising your memoir; reading your independent memoir. Bring a hard copy to class for some peer-review circles.

Wednesday

• Working in small groups of three to read aloud and provide some insight into your memoirs. Have at least 4 hard copies (one for you, three additional ones for student readers).
• HW: Final first draft due tomorrow at the start of class. I will scan these at the start of class. SINGLE SIDED. NO STAPLES.

Thursday

• Workshop on the memoir assignment. For this round, we will NOT have writers read their essays aloud. So come to class with notes ready to go! I am expecting that we will go through approx. six-eight essays per day. 
• HW: Reading your independent memoir. Read the next eight essays, preparing feedback.

Friday

• We will postpone sentence diagramming until after we've finished this first round of workshops.
• HW: Read the next eight essays, preparing feedback. 

Review of Phrases

Here's an excellent review of the different type of grammatical phrases available to you, as we delve deeper into Landon's work on cumulative sentence patters, both coordinate and subordinate. 

Week 4 Syllabus, 11/9/15

THE MEMOIR PROJECT INCLUDES You reading a memoir of your choosing independently, annotating for stylistic trends (reading like a writer); completing a flyer (pre-reading) that includes: title & author, image of cover, publication information, stylistic biography, and a published review of the book; submitting a selection from your text (at least 15 pages long) that works as a Short-Takes-esque reading) for our class reader; designing and leading a group discussion on that same reading. Choices are to be made by this Friday.  

Monday

• Journal #6: A recent legend. Discussing both "Night of Oranges" and "I Was a Member of the Kung-Fu Crew." Why are both these essays memoirs? After discussion, turning briefly to the memoir list you've been building. How do narrow that list?
• HW: Read chapter six in Building Great Sentences.

Tuesday

• Discussing coordinate, subordinate, and mixed cumulative patterns in sentences. The last 10 minutes in class, I will review the google sheet that you should post your top 10 memoir choices to.
• HW: Post your top ten selections. For the top three, complete the short description of the content, and well as a brief description of style. 

Wednesday

• Today we are returning to both the food and the place essays. In class, you will revise both to include at least two examples of cumulative syntax. We will share these with the small groups, reading the new versions against the old. 
• HW: Read, "Have Fun" and complete the OTIS questions, due tomorrow. 

Thursday

• We will discuss "Have Fun" and then read, "Stop Ordering Me Around."
• HW: Complete the OTIS questions for tomorrow ('Stop...")

Friday

• Sentence diagramming Friday! We will also return to the Standard Deviants, and review the difference between clauses and phrases (participal, gerund, infinitive, prepositions)
• HW: Once your memoir has been approved, you need to purchase it. Have the book by Monday.

Week 3 Syllabus, 11/2/15

WE'RE WORK-SHOPPING FOOD THIS WEEK. You will be leading the discussion after your reading, as I will be taking a less active role in leading. As the writer, you can call on individuals whose opinions you value, on writers whose expertise you appreciate. You also need to make use of your question(s) at the end. Finally, two weeks from now we will have an in-school field trip, the Literary Festival on Friday, Nov. 13. 

Monday

• Finishing the workshop. Overview of the week's work. 
• HW: Finish reading chapter five in Building Great Sentences. If you haven't finsihed the Dilello story, do that as well. 

Tuesday

• Starting by reviewing your options for Lit Fest. Discussing Landon's cumulative syntax (adding information, setting a direction, shift through levels of specificity, and adding texture). We will then turn to the Dilello story. 
• HW: Revising your food essay. 

Wednesday

• In library to locate memoirs. 
• HW: You should continue gathering memoirs that interest you from various places. 

Thursday

• Lecture on the memoir assignment and and looking into reviews of the memoirs that interest you. Journal #4: Based on the reviews you have read so far, which is your favorite and why?
• HW: Read, "A Night of Oranges" in Short Takes, and complete the OTIS questions, due Monday. 

Friday

• Journal #5: Write a follow up letter of explanation to the "sent-to-all" rant you accidentally forwarded to the entire senior class and the faculty. Sentence combining Friday! We will likely discuss the Delillo story and cumulative syntax as well. 
• HW: Read, "I Was a Member of the Kung Fu Crew" and complete the OTIS questions, also due Monday. .

Week 2 Syllabus, 10/26/15

WE'RE WORK-SHOPPING FOOD THIS WEEK. You will be leading the discussion after your reading, as I will be taking a less active role in leading. As the writer, you can call on individuals whose opinions you value, on writers whose expertise you appreciate. You also need to make use of your question(s) at the end. Finally, two weeks from now we will have an in-school field trip, the Literary Festival on Friday, Nov. 13. 

Monday

• Workshop continued. Collecting the revisions completed last week.
• HW: At this point, you should have finished reading all the essays, and you are to be revising your essay. Remember to turn in your everyone's feedback, alphabetized, and checked off. Please bring any missing feedback sheets to my attention. 

Tuesday

• Continuing with workshop. Collecting the revisions completed last week.
• HW: Make a point of stopping into the Ann Briarly Gallery, spending ten minutes in front of a painting, translating the art work into words. Read an annotate the next 6 essays. 

Wednesday

• Workshop continued. Collecting the revisions completed last week.
• HW: Finish reading chapter five of Building Great Sentences, "The Rhythm of Cumulative Syntax."

Thursday

• No class for parent-teacher conferences.
• HW: reading a short story by Don DeLillo, "Midnight in Dostoevsky."

Friday

• Sentence combining Friday!
• HW: TBD.

Quarter 2, Week 1 Syllabus, 10/19/15

WE'RE WORK-SHOPPING FOOD THIS WEEK. You will be leading the discussion after your reading, as I will be taking a less active role in leading. As the writer, you can call on individuals whose opinions you value, on writers whose expertise you appreciate. You also need to make use of your question(s) at the end. Finally, two weeks from now we will have an in-school field trip, the Literary Festival on Friday, Nov. 13. 

Monday

• .Class cancelled due to power outage/fire alarm.I did collect the "Rose Beetle Man" analysis. Students will need to visit the Ann Briarly Gallery and spend 10 minutes writing about one of the art works. You will want to re-tell the story of the artwork, in your own words. 
• HW: Read the first 6-8 essays. In this group we are going in reverse alphabetical order. 

Tuesday

• Today we will start our second workshop. 
• HW: Make a point of stopping into the Ann Briarly Gallery, spending ten minutes in front of a painting, translating the art work into words. Read an annotate the next 6 essays. 

Wednesday

• Workshop continued. 
• HW: Read an annotate the next 6 essays. 

Thursday

• I will be out of class today, and so we will suspend workshop for the day. Instead, you will read aloud a longer, creative non-fiction work by Michael Lewis, "Jonathan Lebed's Extracurricular Activities," annotating for the techniques the author uses to create an implicit and explicit theme. How does he use dialogue? How does he use examples and evidence to support his propositions? How does he build topical familiarity for his audience? How does he build characters, and how do these characters interact? And how does Lewis develop Jonathan's character as the story progresses?
• HW: Finish reading JLEA.

Friday

• More workshop continued. 
• HW: You should finish reading the food essays. Also, I would like to collect a one page paper that addresses Lewis' style. Due Monday. 

Foodscapes by Carl Warner

"Pota-toes" by Carl Warner, a still life. 

Think about how food is portrayed in this photographer's interesting landscapes. How does he use visual color and texture to create an emotional, tonal response? Think about the how you create your verbal depictions of food, and what response you elicit from your reader. You can explore his work here:

Week 7 Syllabus, 10/5/15

OUR FIRST WORKSHOP IS FINISHED.  begins this week. A reminder o You'll want to make certain you've a) provided written feedback to each writer in class, and b) you have feedback from everyone. I want to collect that feedback attached to your revised paper. 

Monday

• Continuing our workshop on the place essays. In class journal: describe a favorite food.

• HW: Revising. Please print out and check to ensure that you have received feedback from every person in the workshop. 

Tuesday

• Finishing the last three essays. Now that we are done, we will begin working on the next essay, this one on "your favorite food.'
• HW: Read the first essay in chapter four, "Chocolate Equals Love" by Diane Ackerman.

Wednesday

• Discussing the selection from Housekeeping. Selecting favorite sentences, and discussing Robinson's particular use of word choice, image. We will spend some time, in particular, on her first paragraph, wherein she describes the snow-woman the girls create to supplant their mother-in-absentia.
• HW: Adding to your journal, the description of food. 

Thursday

• Small group discussion of 'Chocolate Equals Love," answering the OTIS question in the margins of your text. 
• HW: Developing more material for your food essay. 

Friday

• Sentence diagramming lesson #5. We will also read chapter four of Building Great Sentences, wherein we will look at tough-guy style, and explore the assertion that "more is more" when it comes to sentence length. 
• HW: No class on Monday due to late start. Remember that your work-shopped revision of the place essay is due (if you haven't turned it in already)!

Week 6 Syllabus, 9/28/15

OUR FIRST WORKSHOP begins this week. A reminder of the ground rules: 1) the writer reads the essay aloud, and then takes notes on comments, staying quiet during the workshop; 2) your comments should be written on a hard copy that is handed to the writer once we finish discussing; 2)  3) only once we're done discussing may the writer ask questions of the group; 4) use the trident of constructive comments: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary? as a litmus test for your comments. 

Monday

• Beginning our workshop on the place essays. We will finish with an in-class journal entry: your choice of topics. 

• HW: Revisit your writer's notebook, re-reading all of your outside-of-class journal entries. Are they all present? Are they fully developed? Are they dated and labeled appropriately? Are you satisfying the minimal requirements, or are you exceeding the described requirements? Check for both completion and depth of development. 

Tuesday

• Yesterday we finished three essays, and today we will continue providing feedback on the place essay. 
• HW: As soon as your essay has been "workshopped," you should revise. I will want to see a final copy on top, a draft showing tracked changes below, and the originals with feedback, in alphabetical order. 

Wednesday

• Yesterday we finished ____ essays, and today we will continue providing feedback on the place essay. 
• HW: Revising your place essay, and arranging/grading your peers' feedback. 

Thursday

• Yesterday we finished _____ essays, and today we will continue providing feedback on the place essay. 
• HW: Revising your place essay, and arranging/grading your peers' feedback. 

Friday

• Sentence diagramming lesson #4. We will also discuss chapter three of Building Great Sentences, discussing Landon's assertion that the sequence of propositions are more important than the active language in the basic clause (subject and predicate). 
• HW: Reading chapter four of of BGS. Revising your place essay, due Monday. 

Week 5 Syllabus, 9/21/15

INDIVIDUAL COLLEGE-ESSAY CONFERENCES are now complete. For purposes of the course, we are done with the college application essay assignment. We won't be spending more class time on them.However, should you want me to take a look at other application essays, feel free to stop in my office, 330. 

Monday

• Last week we focused on descriptive writing as it relates to place. This week, we will focus on persona. Journal entry on your most fascinating acquaintance. Reading "You'll Love the Way We Fly," essay, and then discussing the OTIS questions. 

• HW: Missed your college essay conference? See me outside of class to make that up. Those who did NOT turn in revised essays should do so tomorrow. Type answers to the OTIS questions for "You'll Love the Way We Fly!"

Tuesday

• Grading the OTIS questions in class (honor system). I will lecture on her organization and stylistic technique. We will then revisit your place essays, checking them for sensory detail. 
• HW: Typed place essay due Thursday. 

Wednesday

• No school for Yom Kippur.
• HW: Have your place essays typed. Single spaced. 12 pt. font. All on ONE SIDE of ONE PAGE. Name in top right hand corner. Give it a title. Please, something more creative than "place essay."

Thursday

• These place essays will be our first workshop. I will collect them, scan them, and distribute them electronically. You need to prepare to download them as a pdf, save your changes, and print them out for your notes indicated. Besides reading place essays, we will look at "Tommy" in Short Takes.
• HW: Read chapter five of SBBD.

Friday

• Sentence diagramming lesson #3. We will also discuss the fifth chapter of Sister Bernadette.
• HW: Reading chapter three of of BGS.

Week 4 Syllabus, 9/14/15

NOW THAT YOU HAVE THE BARE-BONES OF WRITING CONCISELY, style-will eliminating wordiness and structural language, we will delve more deeply into descriptive writing and crafting sentences. Additionally, I will endeavor to meet with everyone this week for a college essay conference either during class or during lunch. 

Monday

• In-class essay on an emotion derived from a specific place. After re-reading the description of how writers create vivid descriptions on pages 21-23, students will write a first draft of a descriptive-place essay in writers' notebooks. While doing so, I will pull students individually into the hall for conferences. 

• HW: Have the OTIS questions for the Bridge complete by Wednesday.

Tuesday

• Developing one aspect of your place description, and expanding that in greater depth. Meanwhile, I will continue the college essay conferences. 
• HW: Finish the OTIS questions for class tomorrow. 

Wednesday

• Collecting "The Bridge" OTIS questions. We will explore the difference between effective and impressive writing from chapter two, "Grammar and Rhetoric" in  Building Great Sentences (BGS), reading aloud and passing around the "Apostrophe Bear." Meanwhile, I will continue to have college essay writing conferences. 
• HW: Double check that your two TBL sentences are posted on our google doc, here. We will use them in class on Thursday. Bring colored pencils. 

Thursday

• Identifying every part of speech in your two TBL sentences, labeling them. For this exercise you will work in pairs. I will continue meeting with students, reviewing college essays. 
• HW: Read chapter four of SBBD.

Friday

• Sentence diagramming lesson #2.
• HW: Have a hard copy of your revised college essay in class on Monday. 

Week 3 Syllabus, 9/8/2015

SENTENCES AND COLLEGE ESSAYS style-will be our focus this week. We have been juggling three books--Short Takes, Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog, and Building Great Sentences. This week we will think a bit more deliberately about these texts, using one per day this week while students write a first draft of the college essay. 

Monday

• No school for Labor Day. 

• HW: Make sure your favorite two sentences from TBL are posted, AND finish the OTIS questions for the essay, "The Summer Wind," in Short Takes. I will collect these, typed, on Wednesday. 

Tuesday

• Journal #8: If you were to be exiled, where would you go? What three things would you bring? Which two things? And if there's no electricity? A closer look at the Short Takes text, how we will use it to read like a writer, and write like a reader. As part of this, we will also read through the introduction. 
• HW: Finish the OTIS questions for class tomorrow. 

Wednesday

•  Journal #9: What ONE word explains who you are? Subsequently, we will read through chapter three of Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog. 
• HW: The first two punctuation videos should already be completed. 

Thursday

• Journal #10: I am ______ . Brainstorm many, as many as you can, and explore these in depth, in whatever order that strikes you. We will explore the three core ideas from chapter one, Building Great Sentences (BGS): propositional content (ideas), paradigmatic axis (word choices), and syntagmatic axis (word order).
• HW: Type your revision to the TBL analysis and post it as a comment to your original comment. 

Friday

• Sentence diagramming lesson #1: subject and predicate. 
• HW: Have a hard copy of your chosen college essay in class on Monday. 

Share!

When you find something interesting about sentence diagramming, a web site, a text, or an application, please share a brief description of the find as well as a link to it in the comment section.

For example, I've found an interesting web site, created and maintained by Eugene R. Moutoux entitled, "500 Sentence Diagrams: English Grammar and Usage." He has several texts for sale, including those on Latin and German.

The Way Things Were

You can review the work of Mr. Reed and Prof. Kellogg via Google-books here.

The College (Application) Essay

So here’s some information. It is very straightforward, but remember that it’s worded for all students of various abilities. Thus the simplicity. Some links to other materials:

Some questions that other students from the Class of 2015 ran into. 

A fairly good sample essay from NPR, written by a high school senior who struggled with dyslexia.

On bland essays…

On oversharing…

Week 2 Syllabus, 8/31/15

DESIGN AN ELECTRONIC style-book of the advice from your draft of the TBL favorite passage analysis. If you add something to it every other week--say, from your writer's notebook--you will have an outstanding resource for down the road. Last week I provided feedback on all those drafts.  You also added four in-class journals, and we began reading Sister Bernadette's Barking Dog. 

Monday

• Journal #6: WAATW: ...you were obsessed. Use lots of sensory detail to ground the story. Overview of materials related to the college essay.

• HW: You should find your two favorite sentences from TBL. The first should be on image (a sentence that paints a particularly vivid, impactful experience). The second should be on thematic content (is on a one of Wolff's themes or life-lessons, a touch-stone in the memoir). Post those here.  Also, please double check your appointment for the college essay conference. Don't forget! I will be expecting you, and you will receive a grade for participating in this activity. Finally, please read both the "Preface" and the "Freeze Frame" section in Short Takes 10th ed. for class on Thursday, pages xvi-14.

Tuesday

• Bring to class both SBBD and Building Great Sentences. As we discuss both these books, you should annotate with your TBL sentences in mind. Use them as examples to practice the principles set within these two texts. Discussing chapters 1-2 of SBBD, and we'll read the intro and chapter one of BGS.
• HW: Revise your favorite passage analysis with all the feedback from my lectures on style in mind. You need to begin by copying and pasting the text into word and running a word count. Your revision should be at least one-half in length (reduce your word count by 50%). Should be posted as a comment to your original post by class tomorrow. You should also post ONE college application essay question to the "Your Question" blog as a comment. 

Wednesday

•  Journal #7: Explain your most recent epiphany.  We will discuss the revision of your TBL analysis, and will also look at your selected favorite sentences. We will begin discussing the posted college essay questions. 
• HW: Read chapter three from SBBD for class tomorrow. You should also watch the first "punctuation untamed" video in the READ>English>Easton>video folder. You will need to use the WebDAV Nav program on your ipad to do so. See the STILT seminars/guides for help as needed.

Thursday

• Journal #8: What one word embodies who you are? Brainstorm many, choose one and explain. First short takes day. Introduction to the text, and we will begin our first assignment after reading pages 15-22, "The Summer Wind."
• HW: Watch the second "punctuation untamed" video. 

Friday

• Small group discussion of the Organization and Ideas, Technique and Style questions (for mnemonic purposes, we will call these OTIS questions). 
• HW: Type your answers to the "Summer Wind" OTIS questions, due Monday. 

Your Question

Kindly post (as a comment) a question that you either have or will answer as part of the college application process. Remember to ______ out any reference to the college or university in question, including location specifics. What I want to see is the question. PLEASE INCLUDE ANY LANGUAGE THAT PRECEDES OR FOLLOWS THE ACTUAL QUESTION. Frequently, that language provides insight into an approach to the question. We will review these, in class, on Tuesday.

p.s.: If you sign into your google account, Squarespace will use your public name/avatar in the posting.