Tuesday

Today we take a quiz on Malcolm X and discuss the ending of the book.  

Then we will talk about an synthesis that will be due next Monday. 

Question: How should we think about race and racism in America?  Is there a solution?

Using The Autobiography of Malcolm X, and a least three other sources - MLK's "Letter from Birmingham Jail"; James Baldwin's "Notes of a Native Son"; Zora Neale Hurston's "How it Feels to be Colored Me"; Jamaica Kincaid's "Upon Seeing English for the First Time"; W.E.B Dubois' "Of Our Spiritual Striving"; and/or Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman"  

 PROJECT OVERVIEW

1)   Student will read “Resources for Writing” (Thematic Unit – Survival) in their Riverside Reader pages 493 – 563.

The purpose of this aspect of the assignment is to further their understanding of seven different rhetorical modes of development and to show them a model for the writing project that they will be doing.  Reading the selections, which are all on the same topic, the Internet, but which utilize the various “modes of development”.

2)   Read two additional essays of their choice of each mode and write a précis (posted on their blog) for each.  These readings should come from The Riverside Reader.  While students are doing this aspect of the project the class will be studying and working with various modes in class.

3)   Write six papers on the same topic, each in a different mode. 

Each paper should clearly demonstrate the distinct characteristics of the mode.  Before writing the student should review the different chapters for tips on purpose, audience, strategies, and in some cases, potential pitfalls.  Especially important will be the “Points to Remember” charts handed out during the writing.

Students will choose a topic that is well known and interesting to them and broad enough that they can readily adapt it to six different treatments:  1) narration, 2) analysis, 3) compare and contrast, 4) classification, 5) definition, 6) cause and effect and 7) persuasion

Topics that have be suggested include: shopping, a favorite sport, school, friends, teenagers, grades, parents, teacher, TV, movies, reading, dating, music, holidays, fashion, presidential elections, politics, religion, vegetarianism, health, food or cooking, nature, etc.

Each paper should be approximately 500-750 words, labeled with the mode of development, double-spaced, typed, have a creative title, and a word count at the end.

Total project should be approximately 3500-5000 words.

Each paper will be workshopped in a group setting and discussed 1-1 with teacher.

PROJECT will be due at SPRING BREAK.  

Other Due dates: Thematic Unit read ("Survival") by 1/22.  Test on 1/23.

Narration Essay (draft) due 1/29

Process Analysis (draft) due 2/5

Compare and Contrast (draft) due 2/12

Division and Classification (draft) due 2/19

Definition (draft) due 2/26

Cause and Effect due 3/5

Persuasion (draft) due 3/12

FINAL drafts (all revisions done) due 3/21