Friday, September 30, 2011

Sample Outlines

Sample outline using five paragraph style. Probably best to split the DB and Kat. into different paragraphs (so something like 8 paragraphs?)
Rabbits in Flint Michigan. Not for the squeamish, but another example of cruelity in hard times.

Day 10

Fall 11 English 101 Day 10


1. Bonus Points?

2. No class Monday.

3. Read the remaining chapters listed in your schedule for Tuesday.

4. Meet in lab on Tuesday. If you have a good start on the rough draft we can talk about the essay during class.

5. Rough Draft Due Thursday.

6. Thesis statement due Wednesday.

7. Evacuation/Exodus in the chapters 16, 17 and 18?

8. Restoration in chapters 17 and 18?

9. Intro and Conclusions.

10. So far, we’ve done:

a. some pre-writing, (discussion, research, reading, listing)

b. We’ve talked about working thesis statements.

c. We’ve discussed outlines and intros and conclusions.

d. Now it’s time to work on rough drafts.

e. Next week, Thursday and Friday, we’ll work on revision.

f. Final drafts/presentation due on Monday October 10th.

Thursday, September 29, 2011

Drought Monitor

Here's the official US Drought Monitor site with scary maps.

Here's another article with pictures and a theory on global warming having an impact.

Day 9

Fall 11 English 101 Day 9



Quiz WHT Sections 1 and 2

Slides on Outline WHT Essay

(Whole to Whole or Point to Point?)

Here’s my pitch for Katrina (as opposed to the other choices, except maybe Chinese dust storms). How my son was working on his numbers yesterday.


Reading schedule: 17-18 tonight, 21, 23 Friday night. Chapter 25 Saturday. Epilogue Sunday.

No class on Monday.
Meet in lab on Tuesday to work on Rough Draft.
Not sure about class on Wednesday.
Rough Draft Due THURSDAY. Final still due Monday.


Time for looking at the links.

Links, lots and lots of links

Links for Katrina, Climate Change, China, Credit Crisis.
Enough to write a paper about each topic.


Climate Change and Dust Bowls, from TODAY'S PAPER

Complete coverage at NYTimes of Credit Crisis

A One Year Anniversary Report on the Bank Crisis from NYTimes

ABC News: Dust Bowl and Katrina


Teaching Tolerance Lesson Plan


NPR Katrina and Dust Bowl

NPR WHT and Dust Bowl

NYTimes on comparing the exodus

New Dust Bowl in AZ? Washington Post, also

New Dust Bowl in South Dakota? Big Time Drought.

From GW Bush's Katrina Speech:


In the life of this nation, we have often been reminded that nature is an awesome force and that all life is fragile. We're the heirs of men and women who lived through those first terrible winters at Jamestown and Plymouth, who rebuilt Chicago after a great fire and San Francisco after a great earthquake, who reclaimed the prairie from the dust bowl of the 1930's. Every time, the people of this land have come back from fire, flood and storm to build anew, and to build better than what we had before. Americans have never left our destiny to the whims of nature and we will not start now.


Pine Beetle & Grasshopper plague

Amazon.com search inside feature

Katrina on Wikipedia

Dust Bowl on Wikipedia

Don't use Wikipedia for academic research?

Whole entry here.

Cashmere bubble bursts

Is this good for the air?

Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Day 8

Fall 2011 English 101 Day 8


Quiz Thursday over sections 1 and 2 (Promise and Betrayal)

Bonus Points?

Information Literacy Workshops


Reading Schedule Change—Tonight, Read chapter 16—Black Sunday

Consider essay options: Katrina (warnings, evacuation, recovery, race); Global warming (insects, desertification, current droughts); Banking crisis (boom/bust, frozen credit, no regulation, greed, bubbles); Chinese dust storms (over grazing, over use of land, booming economy, environmental crisis).

By Friday, you should have some idea of which broad topic you will cover.

If you know now, you should be combing through WHT for evidence/quotes and paying attention in class when we mention your topic.

For comparing to today, I'll keep posting links, but research takes time--you should plan on doing some of this over the weekend.

Complete the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from “Betrayal”



What is the big picture of 1935?


What are the big themes?

We’ve seen:

Failure to learn from history

Failure to heed warnings

Environmental devastation brought on by

Overconfidence/Hubris/Hype

Greed

Technology/Machines

Drought

Exodus(ters)

Indifference to the problem by Feds/Rest of us


And on the plus side:

The human spirit

Self reliance

Community building

Connection to the land

Resilience & Persistence

Hopes & Dreams

BLOWUP

The Long Darkness

Find the best, most startling statistic.

Information about the Exodus/Evacuation

Similarities to New Orleans

Ideas of Hugh Bennett



Showdown in Dalhart

Find the best, most startling statistic

Explain the showdown—who is it between?


Reading: Tonight Ch 16

Quiz Thursday over Sections 1 and 2 and chapters 12 and 14.

If you’ve read the book with a pencil/pen you’ll do fine.

Page 168 WHT

Here's another link
and another.



Tuesday, September 27, 2011

The Bridge to Gretna

Bridge to Gretna


Watch CBS News Videos Online

What Caused Katrina

Here's the big write up about it AFTER the storm from New Orleans paper.

Day 7

Fall 2011 English 101 Day 7


Quiz Thursday over sections 1 and 2 (Promise and Betrayal)

Bonus Points?

Information Literacy Workshops


Draft a working thesis

a. Katrina

b. Credit Crisis

c. China/Australia/Texas/Southwest Dust storms and? Global Warming/Climate change

Thesis: Main idea. 1-3 sentences. Arguable. Usually at end of introduction. Narrow and specific. Roadmap? (often three points work well in a 3-6 page essay, but you could slice it lots of ways).

We might change some of these terms. You could substitute/add climate change or race into the conversation about Katrina and WHT, for example.

Let’s try to find evidence of the “massive exodus” in WHT 6-10.

Now, more generally, “Betrayal” Notes in groups of four

Chapters 6, 7

Chapters 7, 8

Chapters 8, 9

Chapters 9, 10

Look for examples of the GOOD:
the Human Spirit
Self reliance

Community building
Connection to the land
Resilience & Persistence (tough, tough mothers)
Hopes & Dreams


Look for examples of the BAD:
Foolishness
Neglect,
Warnings,
Hype,
Overconfidence,
Greed
Racism/prejudice

And the UGLY:
Violence from the people
and
the brutality of Nature


SO:

What is the big picture of 1935? What are the big themes?

We’ve seen:

Failure to learn from history

Failure to heed warnings

Environmental devastation brought on by:

Overconfidence/Hubris/Hype

Greed

Technology/Machines

Exodus(ters)

Indifference to the problem by Feds/Rest of us

And on the plus side:

The human spirit

Self reliance

Community building

Connection to the land

Resilience & Persistence (tough, tough mothers)

Hopes & Dreams


Reading: Tonight Ch 14

Monday, September 26, 2011

Arizona Dust Storms and Climate Change?

This guy says no.
This site says yes.

Chinese Dust Storms and Climate Change?

Here's a link

Australia's Dust Bowls and Global Warming?

NYTimes article here--differing views.

Dust Bowls are Here





Day 6

Fall 2011 English 101 Day 6


Bonus Points?

 
Information Literacy Workshops

 
Names Quiz

The Writing Process

 
a. Planning

 
  • i. Talking and listening
  • ii. Annotating texts
  • iii. Listing
  • iv. Clustering
  • v. Freewriting
  • vi. Asking journalists questions
b. Draft a working thesis (C1-c)

 
c. Sketch a plan (C1-d)

 
d. Draft (C2)

 
e. Revisinig (C3)

 
f. Final Draft

 
g. Publish/Present (C5)


 
2. Draft a working thesis

 
a. Katrina

 
b. Credit Crisis

 
c. China/Australia/Texas/Southwest Dust storms

 
d. Global Warming/Climate change

 
Last Friday we talked about Katrina and thesis statements. (Egan interview handout to 1255 class and review with 1030 class).

  
Thesis: Main idea. 1-3 sentences. Arguable. Usually at end of introduction. Narrow and specific. Roadmap? (often three points work well in a 3-6 page essay, but you could slice it lots of ways).

 
We might change some of these terms. You could substitute/add climate change or race into the conversation about Katrina and WHT, for example.

  
For the purpose of walking us through the first essay, I’m going to use Katrina as a working thesis. Last week we found good evidence of the “ample warnings”.

  
Let’s try to find evidence of the “massive exodus” in WHT.

 
6, 7, 8, 9, 10

 
Now, more generally, “Betrayal” Notes In groups of four

 
Ch 6-10—Foolishness

 
Warnings,

 
Hype,

 
Overconfidence,

 
Greed

 
Race?

 
Ch 6-10—Characters

 
The human spirit

 
Self reliance

 
Community building

 
Connection to the land

 
Resilience & Persistence (tough, tough mothers)

 
Hopes & Dreams

 

 
What is the big picture of 1935?

 
What are the big themes?

 

 
We’ve seen:

 
Failure to learn from history

 
Failure to heed warnings

 
Environmental devastation brought on by

 
Overconfidence/Hubris/Hype

 
Greed

 
Technology/Machines

 
Exodus(ters)

 
Indifference to the problem by Feds/Rest of us

 

 
And on the plus side:

 
The human spirit

 
Self reliance

 
Community building

 
Connection to the land

 
Resilience & Persistence (tough, tough mothers)

 
Hopes & Dreams

 

 

 
Reading: Tonight Ch 12

 
Quiz Thursday over Sections 1 and 2

Katrina "Ample Warnings"

Wikipedia has you covered.  Go to external links for actual information, but it's here.

Friday, September 23, 2011

Housing Bubble Early Warnings Missed

Credit Crisis explained

See Suitcase Farmers in WHT And The Last of the Great Plowup

Bonus Points

Professors,




I would like to invite you and your students to a special showing of the play THE CRUCIBLE at the Warehouse Theatre Company (Yakima). Wednesday, Oct. 19 at 7:30.Tickets will be $8 (a special discounted price for students this night ONLY). There will also be a special "talk back" session with the plays Director, actors and designers who will be answering any questions anyone might have about the play, the story, the era...etc.



If you or your class are interested please email me back and we can reserve tickets for you!

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Syllabus

Yakima Valley Community College—English Composition 101


Glenn-Anthon 119

Dan Peters, Instructor dpeters@yvcc.edu 574.6800.3194

Office Hours: Fall 2011

Course Description:
In the first of two college-level courses, English 101, students will learn to write clear, unified, coherent, and well-developed essays of increasing complexity. These essays may be about literary and nonliterary texts, or they may rely upon such texts as points of departure for the discussion at hand. Through reading, writing, and discussion, students will learn to critically examine their own assumptions and opinions and to consider the facts and reasoning of others. When documenting sources in their essays, students will use the basic citation methods of the Modern Language Association. Students successfully completing English 101 should be adequately prepared to succeed in the second college-level composition course, English 102.
Prerequisites:

ASSET placement score: 46-54

Students who complete English 75 with a minimum grade of S or ESL 102 with a minimum grade of B+ are also eligible for English 101

Course Outcomes:

Upon completion of the course, the student will be able to:

01 Write clear, unified, and coherent essays that show active engagement with a topic

02 Write essays that show a developed analysis

03 Critically read texts

04 Use and articulate an effective writing process

05 Use MLA conventions accurately when integrating and documenting sources


Course Objectives

01 Generate content from personal experience, readings, class discussion or other appropriate means

02 Write essays with a thesis or central idea and develop a narrative, descriptive, or analytical essay according to organizing principles

03 Use evidence to support assertions

04 Paraphrase, summarize, and quote accurately

05 Anticipate and respond to the needs of a reading audience

06 Practice MLA documentation conventions

07 Improve writing through revising, editing, and proofreading drafts

08 Respond to peer's writing and consider feedback from readers

09 Reflect on one's own writing process, strengths and weaknesses, and progress

10 Practice critical reading strategies


Abilities:

Students will have the opportunity to practice the following Abilities as they meet course objectives:

Analytical Reasoning (AR) and Communication (C).

Required Texts/Materials

• A Writer’s Reference, Hacker 7e, recommended

• The Grapes of Wrath, Steinbeck

• The Worst Hard Time, Egan

• Three Ring Binder

• Spiral bound notebook

• A good college-level dictionary

Suggested: highlighter pens, mini-stapler, blue & black ink pens, thumb drive

Labs and Internet:
We will meet Thursdays in the lab. Room number C216.

There is also a blog associated with this class: www.yvccenglish101.blogspot.com

This site is unofficial and updated when I can get to it. I’ll try to post lesson plans, useful links and reading schedules, but you should not rely on this site for anything beyond supplementing your classroom experience. That being said, it will be a big part of this quarter in particular.
Required Work

• Three complete assignment sequences. Sequences will center on three related topics—

Essay 1: Why Talk About the Dust Bowl Now?

Essay 2: A Creative Response/or alternative essay

Essay 2: Why Talk About the Dust Bowl Here?


• These sequences will include various prewriting activities, a rough draft and a second draft of all three essays.

• Reading and commenting on students' papers. Your comments on papers should help others to revise and improve their work.

• Readings as assigned.

• Participation in class discussions and activities.

• Preparation for class activities.

• Quizzes on readings

• A final revised essay for an improved score


Attendance Policy

If you miss 5 classes for any reason, you will lose one letter grade.

If you miss 10 classes you will lose two letter grades

If you miss 12 classes, you will be withdrawn from the course.

Coming 10 minutes late is absent. Leaving 10 minutes early is absent.


Please, come on time. Turn off the electronics. Lean in.


Requirements for essays and homework


All essays and homework are due on the date assigned.

Late work will not be accepted. Don’t push me on this. It works for everybody. You will be given opportunities to make up these lost points through bonus point activities.

1. Essays are required to be between 3 complete pages and 5 pages long, double-spaced, in a normal sized (12 point) font or type comparable to Times New Roman. Essays not meeting the minimum length requirement, whether through failure to complete 3 pages, use of a larger than normal font, or crayon pictures of a house or a kitty, or large margins, will have a reduced grade. Failing to complete page 3 by a line or two won't affect your grade, but stopping your essay on the middle of page 3 certainly will. Works Cited pages, graphics, charts, etc. do not count toward the minimum page requirement.

2. All essays must be typed or printed on a computer printer.

3. Essays must be typed in MLA format: with your name and page number in the top right-hand corner. Double-spaced. Correct heading

4. Keep a HARD COPY of your essay, so that you will have a back-up in case of loss, fire, flood, locust, jelly donuts, terrorists, disk crash, etc. Anyone working on computer should have a back-up copy of his/her essay on disk.

5. Plagiarized work will be scored as a 0 and will not be eligible for revision/rescoring.

Grades

Your grade will be broken into two parts:

1) The first will be for all the work you do prior to a second draft.

a. This work will account for 30% of your final grade.

b. These assignments will either be assigned a point value (ex: 7/10) or be graded on a +, \, - basis.


2) The second part of your grade is your second drafts.

a. This work will account for the 70% of your final grade.

b. These are essays that I will read, give comments on and score from 0-100.

c. See attached rubric for guidance on the scoring.

Scale:

A= 93%

A-= 90

B+= 87

B= 83

C+= 77

C= 73

C-= 70

D= 60

Course Adaptation: If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, if you have emergency medical information to share, or if you need special arrangements in case the building must be evacuated, please talk with me as soon as possible.


Take everyday actions to stay healthy.

o Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it. Sneeze into elbows, not hands.

o Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.

o Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.

o Stay home if you get sick. CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.

Extended interview with Egan

http://blogs.smithsonianmag.com/wellread/2006/09/11/meet-the-author-timothy-egan/

Katrina, Tsunami, Africa and Dust Bowl


Katrina, the Tsunami, the Dust Bowl and how they relate from Chronicle Project on Vimeo.

Links for outside research

Texas today.

Lessons for Katrina survivors

Economic crisis and dust bowl

Ogallala Aquifer

NOAA on today v. 30's

Science on now and past dust bowls

SW could be next?

A Debate about global warming and Australia's dust bowl

Egan on Why Now

Here's the link:
http://www.houghtonmifflinbooks.com/readers_guides/egan_worst.shtml

Day 4




1. Names—Quiz Monday
2. Log on to computers. Be patient.

3. Online Bonus Points
  • google account required
  • One comment=2+ on topic, thoughtful sentences
  • One comment= 1 point per thread
  • Comments collected at the end of each month.
  • You copy, paste and number them for me.
  • For all bonus points—no more than 100% of the 30% grade.

5. Getting started on "Why Now?" question.

1. Try a google search.
Try a bing search?

2. How about just using our minds?

3. Chapter 1 in—two or three interesting things for us to look at.

4. As a class

5. My Notes.

Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Day 3

Fall 2011 English 101 Day 3


1. Names--Quiz Monday.

2. Book Preview

3. The Writing Process (Hacker C1-b Checklist)

1. Planning

  • Talking and listening
  • Annotating texts
  • Listing
  • Clustering
  • Freewriting
  • Asking journalists questions
2. Form tentative thesis (C1-c)

3. Sketch a plan (C1-d)

4. Draft (C2)

5. Revisinig (C3)

6. Final Draft

7. Publish/Present (C5)

Hand out assignment.
Answer questions on Checklist (page 6 in Hacker).
Let’s try one now

Freewrite:

Why talk about the Dust Bowl Now?

(How about in 2005-6?)

List:

As a class, what is happening today that’s like 30’s?

Quiz: Intro

HW: Read WHT: Chapter 1

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

How to Read in College

Here's a few tips.
http://yvccenglish102.blogspot.com/2011/01/how-to-read-in-college.html

Day 2

Fall 2011 English 101 Day 2


1. Dust Bowl Video, Complete syllabus reading (1030 clas only)

2. Bonus point opportunities

1. Library Workshops

3. Names--Quiz Monday.

4. Questions about me.

5. Questions about the class.


6. Read actively (A1)

1. Lean in—make assumptions and ask questions

2. Highlighters not good here, but ok other places

3. Not in bed

4. Establish a routine


7. The Writing Process (this may have to wait for tomorrow)

1. Hacker C1-b Checklist

2. Planning (prepared summary at tables)

1. Talking and listening

2. Annotating texts

3. Listing

4. Clustering

5. Freewriting

6. Asking journalists questions

3. Form tentative thesis (C1-c)

4. Sketch a plan (C1-d)

5. Draft (C2)

6. Revisinig (C3)

7. Final Draft

8. Publish/Present (C5)

HW: Read WHT: Introduction and Book Preview Hand out if we don't get it done in class.

Monday, September 19, 2011

Day 1

English 101 Day 1


1. Learning begins with questions. –Aristotle

2. What is your dream for after college?

a. What dream have you given up on?

3. What is your goal this quarter?

4. What do you have to get done this week?

5. Group the tables


6. The Dust Bowl


7. Assumptions

a. Right

b. Class

c. Teacher

8. Questions

a. Front

b. Class

c. Teacher
9. Syllabus

10. Rewrite questions about the class