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.

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!

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.

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

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.

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

Another Leon!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0M1IvEuw0w

Last Day

930 Class, Hand back essays and grades.

H/I Cover Letter

H/I Final, Final Draft (1030 class)

Return of Essays, etc

1. First week of Winter Quarter.
   
2. Grades mostly.
   
3. For more feedback from me, bring your essay in and we'll go over it.
   

Grades due Next Friday, posted online under schedule that day

1. My schedule: Winter 102 x3; Spring English 070 x2 and English 101.
   
   
   1. Also, you can ask about anything anytime.
      
   2. You can say hi to me on campus. Say your name and I'll say mine.
      
   3. You can say hi to each other.
      
   4. From my English 102 class: Andy Blevins' story.
      
      
   5. 1. One in there Americans in their mid-twenties attended but did not finish college.
         
         
      2. Only 41 percent of low-income students entering a four year college managed to graduate within five years. (66% of high income did).

1. 75 percent of students enrolling in community colleges said they hoped to transfer to a four year institution. But only 17 percent of those made the switch within five year. The rest were out working or still studying toward the two year degree.
   
   
2. Your story has to be different.

Now we can do this:

For 930 Class Only

For 930 Class only

Your cover letters are due tomorrow.
Your revised final drafts of one of your first two essays aren't due until Monday at 1030 in front of my office. At 1031, I'll move the box into my room and that, as they say, will be that.

If you weren't in class today, I'll explain my reasons for this change again tomorrow.
You are, of course, free to turn in your final revised drafts tomorrow.

In all cases, you must include with the revised draft a copy of the draft with my comments.

Business Letter Format

Here.