Reading Homework Update (Week 4 - 5)

Hi all,

I think it's just too much to have you read two articles on weeknights, so I'm altering your homework a bit. (Make these changes on your syllabus.)

On Weds. (1/24), select ONE of the readings--either "Everyday Use" (about mother and daughters) OR "The Chrystanthemums" (about a husband and wife)--to read and respond to, not both.

On Mon. (1/29), remove "A Rose for Emily" from the list, as I don't have an online version of the article. If you'd like to read "Letter to My Mother" (also not available online), please let me know before Monday (1/29), and I will bring a copy of it to you in class. For Monday, I'll have you select ONE article to read, though I may assign a second article from that list for Tuesday (1/30) p.m. I'll let you know in class.

Also, it was pointed out to me that, on the syllabus, some of the readings do not have the vocabulary assignment listed. It is my intent that you complete a vocab. assignment for each article we read for Essay #2, so please plan to do the vocab. assign. every night. I'll be checking for them all in your "Assignment Notebook."

Just a reminder: the readings we are doing are all articles about "relationships," and you will be choosing one or more of them to use for your Essay #2. Your essay #2, which I'll introduce Thursday (1/25) or Monday (1/29), will be a "response" essay. I would like you to connect yourself to one of the stories in some way. (If you just can't find a personal connection, you may compare and contrast characters or relationships in two stories, but I think it's easier to write about your personal experience.)

Vocabulary Assignments

For the next several readings, I am going to ask you to do some writing (summary and/or response) as well as vocabulary work. The vocabulary assignment will be the same each time:

1. Select 2 - 3 words you are unfamiliar with. (Avoid proper nouns and uncommonly used words, or it will be difficult to complete the rest of the assignment.)
2. Look up the definitions to each word and write them down (in your own words, if possible) as well as any synonyms listed (words with similar meanings).
3. Write a sentence for each word in which you use the vocabulary word in a meaningful way.
4. Re-write one of sentences from the story, replacing the selected vocabulary word with a synonym.

Your vocabulary assignments will be placed in the "Reading Journal" section of your notebook each week.

Grammar Groups (and Thursday's Grammar Assign.)

The grammar groups are as follows:

Fragments (Tues., 1/23): Ch. 20
Erica
Elizabeth Morales
Trina

Run-ons/Comma Splices (Thurs., 1/25): Ch. 20
Felisha
Elizabeth Marquez
Fernando

Verb Agreement/Consistency (Tues., 1/30): Chs. 25 - 26
Josie
Crystal
Mayra

Commas (Tues., 2/6): Ch. 33
Rigo
Olivia
Graciana

Modifiers (Tues., 2/13): Ch. 29 - 30
Melissa Guizar
Angelica
Aleida

Pronouns (Thurs., 2/15): Ch. 28
Tami
Carly

Parallel Structure (Weds., 2/21): Ch. 21
Ruby
Chris

We'll work with our grammar groups next week to develop our lessons and handouts.

Grammar homework for the three-day weekend: Read Ch. 17 and do practices 2, 4, and 7.

***DON'T FORGET TO BRING FOUR COPIES OF YOUR ESSAY #1 (TYPED!) FOR PEER REVIEW ON TUESDAY, JAN. 16!

Grammar Update

Hi all,
We are a little behind where I planned to be in grammar at this point, which is fine. We'll get caught up. However, I need to adjust your homework from The Writer's World: Editing Handbook.

Tonight (1/9/07), I asked you to complete the following exercises: practice 2, 3, 5, & 6. You are welcome to do these in your actual textbook; however, on occasion (and I will announce this in advance), I will ask you to do the exercises on a separate piece of paper to turn in as part of your Assignment Journal (due on Thursdays).

Tomorrow (1/10/07), we are going to work on simple sentences (Ch. 16) FIRST! And we should finish that chapter tomorrow. On the syllabus, I had us scheduled to start compound sentences (Ch. 17) tomorrow (Weds.), but we'll have to postpone that until Thurday, which means we will do complex sentences (Ch. 18) and sentence variety (Ch. 19) both next week.

Therefore, IGNORE the chapter readings out of WW listed on the syllabus for this week and the beginning of next week, and instead follow the grammar assignments I give you in class. We should be back on track--and you can go back to the syllabus's readings for The Writer's World: Editing Handbook (WW)--by the end of week #3.

The other assignments listed on the syllabus should be followed unless otherwise directed.

A Writer's Self Assessment

So here you are in a college writing class, and you may not know what to expect. Perhaps you’re an adult returning to school after many years, and you haven’t done much of any writing since high school. Or you might have a first language other than English, so writing in English is a real struggle for you. Or maybe you just weren’t the best student in high school, you didn’t really apply yourself or try very hard, and so you find yourself entering college nervous about writing.

Some of you have had very bad experiences with writing and with writing classes in the past. Your papers have been marked up time and again by English teachers who would write end comments you really didn’t understand and give you bad grades for almost everything you did.

Maybe you’ve had some good experiences—written some successful papers, some decent poetry, a good love letter or two, gotten some good grades or received praise for your efforts. Whatever your feelings as you being this writing class, I’d like you to begin the quarter by exploring your experiences as a writer . . . [Explore the following] . . .

Everything you’ve done or had done to you that has helped form your writing or your view of yourself as a writer.
What has helped?
What has hurt?
Where do you think you stand now, as you being this writing class?

Use listing, freewriting, and/or mapping to generate ideas for each of the four items above. These ideas will later be used to help you develop your "Introduction Essay" for your final portfolio.