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Unit Project ENG

6937
Group: Yemilen Bravo, Jaimie Eubanks, David Frisch, Oscar Gonzalez

CONTENTS
ENC 1101 Syllabus ........................................................................................................................... 3
Rhetorical Analysis Essay Assignment Sheet .................................................................................. 7
Rhetorical Analysis Rubric ............................................................................................................... 9
Unit Plan ........................................................................................................................................ 10
Daily Lesson Plans ......................................................................................................................... 16

ENC 1101 SYLLABUS


Florida International University, Fall 2015
ENC1101: Writing and Rhetoric I
Section _________
Meeting Days: MWF 10:00-10:50AM
Location: GC275B
Instructors: David Frisch; Jaimie Eubanks; Yemilen Bravo; Oscar Gonzalez
Email: allprofs@fiu.edu
Office Location and Phone: TBA
Office Hours: Mon and Wed 11-1PM and 4-5PM; Friday 8-AM, or by appointment
Welcome to ENC1101!
This class is designed to provide you with the skills necessary to succeed as a college student, as
well as prepare you for a lifetime of using writing and rhetoric to your advantage. Rhetoric is
how you persuade your employer to give you a raise; how you convince your friends to go to one
restaurant over another; how you dress to make a statement; how you use a joke to lighten the
mood; how you communicate anything. Rhetoric is the art of communication.
In this class we will focus on a wide variety of writing strategies and rhetorical concepts that will
make the writing process more manageable for you. Since writing and rhetoric deal with
communication, you will be expected to speak and share ideas in this class, as well as collaborate
in group work, give presentations, read and respond to student writing, and reflect on your own
work. Everything you do in this class will be to cultivate your skills as a writer and rhetorician.
Blackboard
This course will use Blackboard as a means of posting the syllabus, assignments, unit plans, and
a variety of resources. As well, Blackboard will be the primary method of communication
between the instructor and students. Using Blackboard requires basic computer skills; if you
have any doubts or issues, please speak to me.
Course Goals
By the end of ENC 1101, students will
Respond in writing to various rhetorical purposes and address the needs of various
audiences;
Develop their ideas through a recursive process of writing, revision, and editing;
Display appropriate format, structure and stylistic choices to meet audience needs and to
satisfy their rhetorical purpose;
Develop an effective thesis and support it with reasons and evidence;
Interact with complex texts, explore alternative perspectives, and articulate and support
their own perspective in response;
Incorporate sourced materials into their own work through effective use of quotation,
summary, paraphrase and citation using MLA or other appropriate style manual;
Exhibit appropriate syntax, punctuation, and spelling;
Develop a rhetorical vocabulary for understanding and talking about writing.

Required Materials (Available at the FIU Bookstore)


Texts:
Lunsford, Andrea. The Everyday Writer with Exercises. Customized for FIU. 5th Edition.
Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2013.
Ramage, John, John Bean and June Johnson. The Allyn and Bacon Guide to Writing.
Customized for FIU. 5th Edition. New York: Pearson, 2013.
Other Materials:
A notebook to use for note taking and in class writing. Either a spiral notebook or a
composition book works best.
A folder or binder to keep printed materials and handouts.
Your desire to learn!
You are expected to bring all required materials to class every day. I frequently make use of both
textbooks in class, so make sure you have them. As well, you will be expected to do a lot of
writing in this class, so make sure you bring pencils or pens, either is fine.
I will be providing additional materials on our Blackboard site. I will let you know ahead of time
when I will be posting these. For students that do not have an internet connection, or home
computer, FIU has multiple computer labs for your convenience, so there is no excuse.
Attendance and Participation
Since this is an active learning environment in which you will be expected to write daily and
participate in group work and discussions, it is imperative that you attend every class. Excessive
absences WILL affect your grade. This is not the kind of class that someone can fill you in.
Because of this, MORE THAN 5 ABSENCES ARE GROUNDS FOR FAILURE. Students
who have entered class late will be considered tardy. Three tardies will be the equivalent of one
absence.
Participation is key. The amount of engagement in class can mean the difference between a C
and B or a B and an A. This includes group work, in-class writing, peer reviews, instructor
conferences, as well as speaking in class; so Ill be able to see if you are participating, even if
you are the quiet type. It goes without saying that participating means not being distracted. Being
disruptive, texting and using technology for reasons other than class work will result in
deductions on your a participation grade.
Grading
To pass the course you must earn a grade of C or higher. Your grade will be determined as
follows:
Participation, in-class writing assignments, and
20%
homework
Literacy Narrative
25%
Rhetorical Analysis
25%
Analysing and Synthesizing Ideas
30%
Essay Requirements
Besides in-class writing assignments, you are required to submit three major essays, each of
which will go through a four stage process: prewriting, first draft, second draft, and final draft.
All essays must adhere to proper MLA formatting as noted in the Everyday Writer (Title, page
numbers, Times New Roman 12 point font, double spaced, etc). All drafts must be submitted

to Blackboard and the final draft must be submitted to


Turnitin. http://turnitin.com/en_us/training/student-training
You will also be required to bring in a hard copy of your second draft to class for peer review.
Prewriting, first and second drafts will be part of your participation grade; the final draft will
count towards your essay grade as note in the grade breakdown above. YOU MUST SUBMIT
ALL THREE ESSAYS TO PASS THE COURSE.
Late Policy
Tardiness will not be tolerated, and will be tracked alongside attendance. Tardiness will cause a
deduction from your participation grade. Additionally, graded in-class assignments are
administered at the beginning of class throughout the semester. Failure to complete these
assignments due to tardiness will result in a lower homework grade for the semester.
Revisions
You will have the opportunity to revise the first two essays for a better grade. However, if you
submitted an essay late, the deduction for tardiness will also be applied.
PLAGIARISM
Please review FIUs plagiarism policies at:
https://ugrad.fiu.edu/academic_misconduct/Pages/Home.aspx
You are responsible for this information. If you plagiarize (represent anothers work, ideas,
expressions, or materials as your own) in this class, there will be serious penalties that may
include a failing grade on the essay, a failing grade for the class, or even expulsion from the
University. For a complete definition of plagiarism please see the
following: http://education.fiu.edu/plagiarism/Definition.htm
Title V Emphasis in the Course
FIU recently received funding to strengthen the university's capacity to improve the academic
success of students whose first language is not English, and this class has been designated as a
pilot site for this work. In general, this course is just like any other ENC1101, with some added
emphasis on multicultural contexts, audiences, and the choices we make as we write and read in
college.
You may be asked to respond to this emphasis in occasional anonymous surveys that you will
complete throughout in the course. You will receive credit for these surveys as homework by
giving your instructor a "survey completed code" to verify your participation.
We believe that these changes will help you to think more broadly about the languages and
cultures in the South Florida Community. They will also bring an international flavor to much
of what we do in the course and will support the campus global initiative. Other FIU units
involved in the Title V project are: The Math Department, Center for Academic Success, Center
for Excellence in Writing, Academic Advising, Center for Advancement of Teaching.
Additional Resources and Links
Your writing community (Peers)
Purdue Owl: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/
The Guide to Writing and Grammar: http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/

FIUs Center for Excellence in Writing: http://writingcenter.fiu.edu

If you are curious about your standing in this class, please speak with me. Addressing your questions and
concerns is part of my job. In the unlikely event that we can't resolve an issue, you can contact Kimberly
Harrison, director of writing programs, or Mike Creeden, associate director.

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS ESSAY ASSIGNMENT SHEET


Deadlines: [insert hypothetical date]
Length: 1500 words
Purpose
The purpose of this assignment is to practice reading critically, and communicating your analysis
of an articles effectiveness. By reading both with and against the grain, you will be able to
develop an argument (thesis) about the effectiveness of rhetorical strategies used by the author.
Does the authors use of rhetorical appeals succeed in persuading the reader? It may, or it may
not.
Assignment
Write an essay analyzing the rhetorical effectiveness or ineffectiveness of one of the following
articles:

The Perfect Essay byJohn Kaag


Shitty First Drafts an excerpt from Ann Lamotts Bird by Bird
Learning to Read by Malcolm X
The Consequences ofthe Criminal Justice Pipeline on Black and Latino Masculinity by
Victor Rios
Should Writers Use They Own English by Vershawn Ashanti Young
What Should Colleges Teach by Stanley Fish

This essay should be written using the closed-form, thesis-based style we have been studying this
semester. Your analysis should address the authors rhetorical context (purpose, audience, and
message) and which rhetorical strategies the author uses to persuade the reader. Keep in mind,
the purpose of your essay is not to agree or disagree with the articles topic. Rather, your
purpose is to analyze how the author has written the article, and how effective the author was in
employing the rhetorical strategies weve discussed in class.
Audience
Your audience for this essay is your ENC 1101 classmates and me, your ENC 1101 instructor.
Keep in mind that your classmates may have selected a different article than you, and thus will
not have as clear memory of the article as you. In fact, assume that kid who sits in the back
hasnt done his homework, and include a 150-200 word summary of the article.
Grading Criteria
For more details on the grading criteria, please review the rubric.
Does the essay remain focused on its purpose of rhetorical analysis?
Does the writer demonstrate a clear understanding of his or her audience?
Does the essay include a compelling title and introduction that hooks the reader?
Does the conclusion of the essay clearly summarize the essays central argument?
Does the thesis address how the analyzed article works rhetorically?
Does the analysis demonstrate the authors command of rhetorical concepts? The analysis
must address use of rhetorical appeals and other rhetorical strategies in the article.

Does the essay clearly identify the analyzed articles rhetorical context?
Is the analysis supported by considerate examples from the analyzed text? Demonstrate an
understanding of how to use summary, paraphrasing, and quotes effectively.
Does the essay show evidence of revision? (This will be judged by comparing the final
submission to earlier drafts.)
Does the essay demonstrate thorough proofreading and editing strategies? Do paragraphs
flow well and have strong topic sentences? Are all sources cited according to MLA style
including a Works Cited page?

Format
This essay must be 1500 words, double-spaced using a standard 12 point font such as Times
New Roman or Arial. Citations must be made using MLA format, and included both in the body
of the text and on a separate Works Cited page.
Goal
At the end of the unit, students should
Demonstrate familiarity with/understanding of rhetorical concepts including rhetorical
situation, rhetorical purpose/aim, audience, rhetorical appeals, genre, angle of vision;
reading against the grain;
Recognize the rhetorical strategies and stylistic choices made by experienced
communicators;
Read and summarize another writer's argument succinctly;
Articulate a clear perspective on the way the assigned text works rhetorically;
Purposefully incorporate quotations, summary, and paraphrase using attributive tags,
quotation marks, and appropriate citation style;
Employ revision and editing strategies appropriate to the audience and purpose.

RHETORICAL ANALYSIS RUBRIC


Categories

Points

Purpose and Audience Awareness (10 points)


Essay focuses on its purpose: rhetorical analysis
Takes audience into consideration
Genre Conventions and Structure (20 points)
Title is interesting and compelling
Introduction hooks the reader
Conclusion successfully summarizes the main idea
Clarity of Argument (15 points)
Thesis clearly explains how the texts are working
rhetorically
Paragraphs flow well and have strong topic sentences
Rhetorical Concepts and Language (20 points)
Demonstrates familiarity and understanding of rhetorical
concepts
Identifies rhetorical context
Analyzes use of rhetorical appeals and other rhetorical
strategies

Documentation and Summary (15 points)


Cites sources according to MLA style including a Works
Cited page
Effectively includes quotations and paraphrasing when
appropriate
Writing Process (10 points)
Displays evidence of major revisions
Demonstrates thorough proofreading and editing strategies
Style (10 points)
Grammar and spelling are well used
Sentences are varied, fluent, and complex
Meets word count
Total:

Comments

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UNIT PLAN
Week 1 Unit Concepts (Rhetorical context/situation, reading with and against the grain)
M: Introducing the Unit- Difference from Visual and the rhetorical analysis
Goal: Students will be able to identify and discuss the difference between Visual and Rhetorical
Analysis
Goal: Students will understand how rhetorical appeals work in writing.
Activities:
10 Minutes- Introduce Rhetorical Analysis, as a class discuss the major
differences between visual and rhetorical analysis, review pathos, ethos, and
logos.
30 Minutes- Read a paragraph to the class that presents an issue, something
contemporary, maybe Ebola. Have the students respond to that issue using each of
the rhetorical appeals; 5 minute response to pathos, 5 to ethos, 5 to logos. Share
what was written for each response, and why they made the choices that they
made.
10 Minutes- Turn that into a teaching moment, explaining my expectations for
what they should be doing for the essay, going over the assignment sheet.
o Homework: Read pages 87-98, MAKE SURE TO READ THE ESSAY
BY GARY POLLAN. Review concepts 8 and 9 of chapter 3.
W: Define Purpose, Audience, and Genre in Writing, how it relates to Appeals
Goal: Students will be able to identify the rhetorical context of a piece
Goal: Students will be able to discuss the relationship between the rhetorical appeals and the
rhetorical context
Activities:
5 Minutes- Open class, explain what theyll be doing for the day
5 Minutes- In groups of 2, students will identify the purpose, audience, and genre
of Pollans essay.
5 Minutes- Students will share with the class what they found
5 Minutes- Mini-Lecture on how Context and Appeals relate
20 Minutes- Students will take 10 minutes at a time to write two paragraphs.
Based on the information they read in Pollans essay, they will write to persuade
1) The CEO of a major food distributor and 2) Their friend who drives a Hummer
(or large gas guzzling car), why they should Go green and plant their own
garden.
10 Minutes- Students share what they wrote and how until the end of class.
o Homework: Read pages 99-106, and essay 30 Little Turtles (not strong
response). Pick an essay from the essay pool and write a 1 paragraph
summary for that essay. Make sure to use attributive tags and follow
Criteria on page 102. Bring to class.

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F: Summarizing the articles and thinking about a thesis.


*emphasizing that the critique is of the rhetorical situation, not the point the authors making.
Goal: students will have written an effective summary
Goal: students will be able to discuss flaws and successes of an essay
Activities:
5 Minute intro, Housekeeping
10 minutes peer-reviewing the summary they wrote
5 Minutes to read Strong Response to 30 Little Turtles
10 Minutes to discuss what author did right in terms of the rubric.
20 Minutes, Students will be grouped by which essay they picked. They will
identify the Purpose, Audience, and Genre of the piece they are working with, as
well as 3 examples for each ethos, pathos, and logos. In last 5 minutes of class,
students will share what they came up with.
o Homework: Select one essay for rhetorical analysis, write a thesis
statement for Next Monday.

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Week 2 Developing an Argument


M: Class discussion on closed form writing and Thesis Workshop Day
Goal: Develop complex, clear theses
Goal: Articulate what closed form writing is, what its components are, and how those
components work together to support an argument
Homework:
1. Read Allyn and Bacon Pg. 454-463 (Thesis and Topic Sentences)
2. Use the thesis statement developed in class and summarize 4 examples from
the essay youre analyzing that support your thesis. Include relevant quotes
and attributive tags.
W: Structure and Critical Thinking (Believing and Doubting Game)
Goal: Articulate a clear perspective on the way the sample essays work rhetorically
Goal: Form arguments for and against different topics
Homework:
1. Read The Everyday Writer Pg. 73-75 (Planning for a Draft)
2. Using the outline or hierarchical organization formats found in EW homework
pages (whichever works best), form a plan for your draft.
3. Then, use the thesis statement, your plan, and examples from the text to
develop a draft of 500 words.
F: Thesis, Topic Sentences, and their role in clear arguments
Goal: Evaluate own essays and incorporate strategies on structure into their essays
Goal: Articulate how their and peers essays are constructing clear arguments, supported
by topic sentences, and other structural features.
Homework:
1. Read EW, Pg. 78-79
2. Read Allyn and Bacon, Pg. 456-461
3. Continue to add to your rough draft, in advance of conferences. Try to reach
1000 words by Mondays conference.
4. Develop a pre-conference self evaluation (1-2 pages.)
a. What are your drafts strengths? Weaknesses? What do you want help
with? Do you have any specific questions or concerns about your draft or
the writing process?

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Week 3 Revision Strategies


M: Class Canceled-- Conferences
Goal: Students will leave the conference with a refined, arguable thesis statement.
(Ensure thesis & draft address rhetorical critique, and not the articles topic.)
Goal: Student will leave the conference with a strategy for completing their draft.
Homework:
1. Review A & B p. 97-98.
a. Based on the discussion you had in conference, create an unpacking list
by identifying 3-5 areas in your draft where you believe you could
analyze more thoroughly.
W: Meeting the Wordcount- What to do when youre sure youve said it all
Goal: Students will be able to read with/against the grain of their own writing
Goal: Students will be able to unpack critical points in their essay that have not been
fully explained
Homework:
1. Read: Plot Treatment by Anne Lamott.
2. Write a brief reflection discussing how this creative writing revision
strategy might be used to develop a closed-form essay.
3. Continue to add to your rough draft.
F: Revision as Re-Envisioning: In-Class Self-Editing Experiments (adapted from
Lamotts Plot Treatment chapter)
Goal: Students will be able to identify the audience of their essay.
Goal: Reiterate the importance of Global Revision, and the Old/New argument structure
Homework:
1. Use your Unpacking List to help you as you work on your draft.
2. A rough draft of 1500 words is due Monday.

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Week 4: Style, Grammar, & Citation


M: Peer Review Draft Due: Review MLA format and Wordiness.
Goal: Students will be able to meet MLA standards by properly introducing the sources
using attribution tags and in-text citation.
Goal: Students will be able to identify unnecessary words and phrases to help create a
more effective writing style.
Homework: Read and Revise
1. In the Allyn and Bacon read, Streamline Your Prose and Control
Emphasis with Sentence Structure (p. 70-71). Use what you've learned
from class and your reading to improve the style of your essays.
2. Using a citation generator (Knightcite, Sons of Citation, easybib) create a
Works Cited page. Review the MLA Documentation section of The
Everyday Writer (p.457-511), and check that you are properly citing your
article and that the Works Cited page follows the guidelines in the
Everyday Writer for MLA.
3. Bring laptop, tablet or a printed copy of your draft
W: Grammar mini-workshop:
Goal: Students will be able to identify and revise for word choice.
Goal: Students will be able to identify and revise misplaced modifiers.
Homework: Read and Reflect
1. Read The Everyday Writer (p. 3-11). From the list of The Top Twenty,
choose one error that you feel you need to improve. Write a paragraph
reflecting on why you think you make that error and how you plan to
address it.
2. Review in The Everyday Writer Modifier Placement (p. 380-384).
Continue revising your drafts working on style and grammar based on
what youve learned in class and in your readings.
3. Bring 2 Printed Copies to class for Peer Review
F: Peer Review: editing the final draft.
Goal: After a week of reviewing MLA Style, wordiness, word choice, and misplaced
modifiers, students will be able to recognize trouble spots in each others essays and
revise accordingly.
Homework
1. Revised final draft due next class

Week 5 End of the Unit


M: FINAL DRAFT DUE

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DAILY LESSON PLANS


Week 1 Unit Concepts (Rhetorical context/situation, reading with and against the grain)
M: Introducing the Unit- Difference from Visual and the rhetorical analysis
Goal: Students will be able to identify and discuss the difference between Visual and Rhetorical
Analysis
Goal: Students will understand how rhetorical appeals work in writing.
Activities:
10 Minutes- Introduce Rhetorical Analysis, as a class discuss the major
differences between visual and rhetorical analysis, review pathos, ethos, and
logos.
30 Minutes- Read a paragraph to the class that presents an issue, something
contemporary, maybe Ebola. Have the students respond to that issue using each of
the rhetorical appeals; 5 minute response to pathos, 5 to ethos, 5 to logos. Share
what was written for each response, and why they made the choices that they
made.
10 Minutes- Turn that into a teaching moment, explaining my expectations for
what they should be doing for the essay, going over the assignment sheet.
o Homework: Read pages 87-98, MAKE SURE TO READ THE ESSAY
BY GARY POLLAN. Review concepts 8 and 9 of chapter 3.
W: Define Purpose, Audience, and Genre in Writing, how it relates to Appeals
Goal: Students will be able to identify the rhetorical context of a piece
Goal: Students will be able to discuss the relationship between the rhetorical appeals and the
rhetorical context
Activities:
5 Minutes- Open class, explain what theyll be doing for the day
5 Minutes- In groups of 2, students will identify the purpose, audience, and genre
of Pollans essay.
5 Minutes- Students will share with the class what they found
5 Minutes- Mini-Lecture on how Context and Appeals relate
20 Minutes- Students will take 10 minutes at a time to write two paragraphs.
Based on the information they read in Pollans essay, they will write to persuade
1) The CEO of a major food distributor and 2) Their friend who drives a Hummer
(or large gas guzzling car), why they should Go green and plant their own
garden.
10 Minutes- Students share what they wrote and how until the end of class.
o Homework: Read pages 99-106, and essay 30 Little Turtles (not strong
response). Pick an essay from the essay pool and write a 1 paragraph
summary for that essay. Make sure to use attributive tags and follow
Criteria on page 102. Bring to class.
F: Summarizing the articles and thinking about a thesis.

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*emphasizing that the critique is of the rhetorical situation, not the point the authors making.
Goal: students will have written an effective summary
Goal: students will be able to discuss flaws and successes of an essay
Activities:
5 Minute intro, Housekeeping
10 minutes peer-reviewing the summary they wrote
5 Minutes to read Strong Response to 30 Little Turtles
10 Minutes to discuss what author did right in terms of the rubric.
20 Minutes, Students will be grouped by which essay they picked. They will
identify the Purpose, Audience, and Genre of the piece they are working with, as
well as 3 examples for each ethos, pathos, and logos. In last 5 minutes of class,
students will share what they came up with.
o Homework: Select one essay for rhetorical analysis, write a thesis
statement for Next Monday.

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Week 2 Developing an Argument


Monday: (Class discussion on closed form writing and Thesis Workshop Day)
Goal: Students will be able to develop complex, clear theses
Goal: Students will be able to articulate what closed form writing is, what its components are,
and how those components work together to support an argument
1. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Summarize last week and its importance for this week.
Introduce the days goals.
2. Discussion (10-15 min):
a. Drawing on students previous experience, ask what constitutes a closed form
paper, specifically naming parts and purpose of these parts.
b. Professor writes these on the board as students contribute until all parts have been
named or filled in by the professor.
3. Mini lecture (transition) (5 min.):
a. Professor connects how these parts work together to form a coherent paper, then
focuses on the thesis and how this is an answer to a question.
b. Keeping in mind your weekends homework, who can tell me what components
or characteristics an effective thesis has?
c. Ends with a clear vision of what a thesis is and how it works.
d. Now, individually, come up with a working thesis.
4. Display models on overhead (3 min):
a. Professor displays models of effective theses on the overhead explaining how
each is interesting, specific, and manageable. Models will be color coded to show
how the appeals are being used.
5. Individual Practice (5 min.):
a. Students come up with a working thesis on their own and are asked to highlight
their usage of appeals in the thesis.
b. Professor walks around classroom, addressing questions.
6. Group work (15 min):
a. In groups of 3, students compare theses, answering the following questions:
i. What will the student author be arguing in terms of rhetorical strategies?
(One appeal is working better than the others; two are strong, one isnt;
one is weakest but overall argument succeeds)
ii. How is the student author evaluating the argument?
iii. Is the thesis interesting? Why or why not?
iv. Is the thesis specific? Do you know exactly what will be argued?
7. Wrap up (4-6 min):
a. Review the characteristics of effective theses and why these are important to a
closed form paper.

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b. Connect homework with the days class session and next class session.
o Homework:
a. Read Allyn and Bacon Pg. 454-463 (Thesis and Topic Sentences)
b. Use the thesis statement developed in class and summarize 4 examples
from the essay youre analyzing that support your thesis. Include
relevant quotes and attributive tags.

Wednesday: Structure and Critical Thinking (Believing and Doubting Game)


Goal: Students will be able to articulate a clear perspective on the way the sample essays work
rhetorically
Goal: Students will be able to form arguments for and against different topics (reading against
the grain with rhetorical analyses)
1. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Introduce the days goals. Summarize last class session,
homework, and the connection to the days goals.
2. Model/Mini lecture (5 min):
a. In order to achieve our goal of articulating a clear perspective on how essays are
working rhetorically, today we will look at (a) model student essay(s) that are
color coded by appeal. Using your highlighters, highlight ethos in yellow, pathos
in pink, logos in blue. Then, highlight your own essays use of ethos, logos and
pathos..
b. Introduce (a) model rhetorical essay(s) from previous class on overhead, showing
structural decisions via color coding. Make sure to show at least two differently
structured essays.
3. Individual evaluation (5 min):
a. Students highlight their own papers usage of the appeals and write why they
chose to structure the essay the way they did.
4. Group Work ( min. 7-10):
a. Students compare structures, answering these questions:
i. What works and doesnt work with this structure? Why or why not?
ii. Is there anything the other author is using that I could use? How?
5. Group work - Believing and Doubting (15-20 min):
a. In pairs, students play the believing and doubting game. In a rhetorical analysis
sense, this means students will choose a rhetorical appeal and believe and doubt
that. For example, students can believe and doubt the statement: Kaags use of
pathos is effective because he uses humor in his article (his use of pathos could be
hurt by his use of humor as well.)
i. First, in writing, summarize how one appeal is being used.
ii. Then, pair up with another student and switch papers. Each person
believes and doubts the other persons statement.

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6. Individual reflection ( 6 min.):


a. What did you learn from the believing and doubting activity?
b. How would you be able to incorporate this into your essay as reading with/against
the grain?
c. How does the structure of your essay connect to reading with and against the
grain?
7. Wrap up (2 min):
a. Connect reading with and against the grain to structure.
b. Remind students of homework.
o Homework:
i. Read The Everyday Writer Pg. 73-75 (Planning for a Draft)
ii. Using the outline or hierarchical organization formats found in EW
homework pages (whichever works best), form a plan for your draft.
iii. Then, use the thesis statement, your plan, and examples from the text to
develop a draft of 500 words.

Friday: Thesis, topic sentences, and their role in clear arguments


Goal: Students will be able to evaluate own essays and incorporate strategies on structure into
their essays
Goal: Students will be able to articulate how their and peers essays are constructing clear
arguments, supported by topic sentences, and other structural features.
1. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Introduce the days goals. Summarize last class session,
homework, and the connection to the days goals.
2. Discussion/Models (10-15 min):
i. What are topic sentences important? What do they do?
ii. How do topic sentences connect to the thesis of a paper?
iii. Where should topic sentences be placed? And why?
b. Professor shows topic sentences from several sources, ending with topic sentences
from student papers in closed form writing.
c. Shows the connection between topic sentences and thesis and how they improve
essay flow.
3. Explanation of Peer Review (5 min.):
a. Professor explain peer review and effective feedback. Verbal examples of good vs
bad feedback + powerpoint (so visual/L2 students can follow along more easily.)
b. Explanation of speed dating peer review and how it differs.
c. Emphasis on thesis and topic sentences.
4. Speed dating peer review (20 min):
a. Students get into two rows, like speed dating, and one row moves while the other
remains fixed. This ends when all students have been reviewed or time runs out.

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b. Students do the following:


i. Underline/highlight your partners thesis.
ii. Underline/highlight topic sentences and place an X next to a paragraph if
you cant find one.
iii. Answer the following questions:
1. Are the topic sentences at or near the beginning of each paragraph?
2. Do the topic sentences forecast what the paragraph is about?
3. Do the topic sentences link to the thesis statement?
4. Does the overall argument stay on target; does it analyze
rhetorically instead of analyzing ideas?
5. Individual Reflection (5 min.):
a. What did I learn from this activity?
b. How can I use what I learned to revise my draft?
6. Wrap up (2-3 min):
a. Importance of topic sentences and connection to thesis. Reminder of homework
and conferences.
o Homework:
1. Read EW, Pg. 78-79
2. Read Allyn and Bacon, Pg. 456-461
3. Continue to add to your rough draft, in advance of conferences.
Try to reach 1000 words by Mondays conference.
4. Develop a pre-conference self evaluation (1-2 pages.)
a. What are your drafts strengths? Weaknesses? What do you
want help with? Do you have any specific questions or
concerns about your draft or the writing process?

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Week 3 Meeting the Word Count- What to do when youre sure youve said it all
Wednesday
Goal: Students will be able to read with/against the grain of their own writing
Goal: Students will be able to unpack critical points in their essay that have not been fully
explained
1. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Review the homework that was due today, and open the floor
for any questions. Introduce the days goals.
2. Journal (3-5 min.)- Look at the Unpacking List you created. How do you plan to
expand your analysis? Whats the difference between identifying something and
analyzing something? Do you have any strategies for making the leap from identifying to
analyzing? Are there key points in your paper where you think youre doing a good job
analyzing?
3. Discuss in groups (5-10 min.)- Compare the strategies from your unpacking list to the
strategies your peers came up with. What do your strategies have in common? What ideas
do your peers have that could help you with your draft?
4. Class Discussion (15-20 min.)a. Why does the word count matter? What does it indicate?
b. How can we avoid re-stating or being redundant? (The answer Im looking for:
analysis.)
c. What is analysis? How can we make sure were analyzing and not just identifying
examples to support our thesis? (Goal: Get students to identify that explaining
how an example supports the thesis is the key to good analysis.)
d. How can you make sure that the analysis you have in your head is coming across
clearly on the page? (Possible Answers: Highlighting How It Works passages,
reading aloud, peer review, etc.)
5. Individual Drafting Time (10 min.)- Take one item from your Unpacking List and
expand your analysis using some of the strategies weve discussed in class.
a. Have you clearly connected this supporting point to your thesis statement?
b. Do you have a quality example (or examples) to support this key point?
c. Have you explained how your example connects to this supporting point? How it
connects to your thesis?
6. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Review upcoming homework, and open the floor to questions.
o Homework:
a. Read: Plot Treatment by Anne Lamott.
b. Write a brief reflection discussing how this creative writing
revision strategy might be used to develop a closed-form essay.
c. Continue to add to your rough draft.

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Friday Revision as Re-Envisioning: In-Class Self-Editing Experiments (adapted from


Lamotts Plot Treatment chapter)
Goal: Students will be able to identify the audience of their essay.
Goal: Reiterate the importance of Global Revision, and the Old/New argument structure
1. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Review the homework that was due today, and open the floor
for any questions. Introduce the days goals.
2. Class Discussion (5-10 min.): Review what makes an essay well organized. (Looking for:
a clear connection to the thesis in all supporting paragraphs, Old/New argument
structure.)
a. When youre organizing where do you start?
i. Have you ever tried to re-organize an essay once youve completed a
draft? Did you find it helpful or unhelpful? Why?
How can the Plot Treatment exercise that Anne Lamott used on her novel
be applied to the essays we have been writing in class?
3. Partnered Plot Treatment Exercise
a. (5 min./partner) Begin by retelling your draft to your partner from memory. What
you forget to mention is as important is what you remember to mention. Be as
detailed as possible. If you remember certain words or phrases, say them
specifically. Describe any specific quote youre using to support your thesis-- do
you paraphrase these or quote? Why did you make that choice?
b. As an essay is being described to you, create a rough outline of the essay based on
what youve been told. It doesnt need to be neat-- just the bare bones of the essay
as youve understood it.
c. When you and your partner have both retold your essays, return the rough outline
to the author. Authors-- dont look at the outlines yet!
d. (5 min.) On your own, create an outline of your own essay. This is still from
memory. The goal here is to identify the most memorable aspects of your essay.
e. (5 min.) Now that youve got 2 outlines from memory, look at the partner your
partner created for you and compare. What is the same in these outlines? Whats
different?
4. Independent Work (10 min.) Take these two outlines and compare them to your draft.
Are the outlines created from your telling of the essay similar in to the essay that you
wrote?
a. Circle any parts of your essay that you did not mention to your partner, or that did
not get placed into the outlines. Consider whether this was left out because the
information was unimportant, or if the information is important but is not
emphasized enough in your current draft.
b. Is the essay organized the way you told it? If not, which organization makes the
most sense?
c. Are there any parts of your retelling that left your partner confused? Look at those
portions of your draft, and consider whether youve presented the information

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using the old/new argument structure. If you havent, your audience may have a
difficult time understanding those passages.
5. Class Discussion (Time Permitting)
a. What did you learn about your essay by completing this exercise?
6. Housekeeping (2-3 min.): Review upcoming homework, and open the floor to
questions.
Homework:
3. Use your Unpacking List to help you as you work on your draft.
4. A rough draft of 1500 words is due Monday.

25

Week 4 Style, Grammar, and Citation


M: Review MLA format and Wordiness.
Goal: Students will be able to meet MLA standards by properly introducing the sources using
attribution tags and in-text citation.
Goal: Students will be able to identify unnecessary words and phrases to help create a more
effective writing style.
1. Unit Overview (10 min.): Introduce the days goals. Project a sample essay and quickly
overview the must haves (Global Concerns) of a Rhetorical Analysis.
2. MLA in-text citation (10 min.): Emphasize plagiarism and the need to give credit to the
authors ideas even when paraphrasing.
a. Project a student summary and discuss ways to introduce an author and his work.
b. Discuss the importance of maintaining neutrality by omitting personal opinion
and using attribution tags, quotes, and parentheticals.
3. Wordiness (10 min.): Using the same summary projected, discuss the importance of clear
and concise prose.
a. Selecting one sentence, model how to make it more concise by omitting
unnecessary words and phrases.
b. Give students time to review the summary and check for unneeded words.
c. Ask students to share their findings and revise the projected summary as they
share.
4. Group Work (15 min.): Place students into small groups to work on revising a sample
student summary for MLA and wordiness (Handout).
5. **Note: Handout should include a sample summary and five questions to consider when
revising.
6. Wrap up lesson and remind students of homework
Homework: Read and Revise
1. In the Allyn and Bacon read, Streamline Your Prose and Control Emphasis
with Sentence Structure (p. 70-71). Use what you've learned from class and your
reading to improve the style of your essays.
2. Using a citation generator (Knightcite, Sons of Citation, easybib) create a Works
Cited page. Review the MLA Documentation section of The Everyday Writer
(p.457-511), and check that you are properly citing your article and that the
Works Cited page follows the guidelines in the Everyday Writer for MLA.
3. Bring laptop, tablet or a printed copy of your draft
W: Peer Review Draft Due: Grammar mini-workshop
Goal: Students will be able to identify and revise for word choice.
Goal: Students will be able to identify and revise misplaced modifiers.
1. Word Choice (15 min.): Show video, The Impotence of Proofreading:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-c03YCBo3z8
a. Discuss strategies to catch typos and the importance of word choice on tone and
meaning.

26

b. Project commonly misspelled and misused words for discussion.


c. Project student paper and revise a section for word choice with class.
2. Misplaced Modifiers (20 min.): mini lecture on misplaced modifiers
a. Project sample sentences and revise with class
b. Group Work: Place students into groups to work on exercises in The Everyday
Writer (p. 381 Exercise 36.1)
3. Self-editing and wrap-up (15 min.): Have students proofread their essays individually
Homework: Read and Reflect
1. Read The Everyday Writer (p. 3-11). From the list of The Top Twenty, choose
one error that you feel you need to improve. Write a paragraph reflecting on why
you think you make that error and how you plan to address it.
2. Review in The Everyday Writer Modifier Placement (p. 380-384). Continue
revising your drafts working on style and grammar based on what youve learned
in class and in your readings.
3. Bring TWO Printed Copies to class for Peer Review
F: Peer Review: editing the final draft.
Goal: After a week of reviewing MLA Style, wordiness, word choice, and misplaced modifiers,
students will be able to recognize trouble spots in each others essays and revise accordingly.
1. Place students in small groups
2. Project and review Peer Review Questionnaire and Rubric
a. Check on student progress
b. Have students switch papers (the goal is have each student get feedback from at
least two readers)
Homework:
1. Revised final draft due next class

Week 5 Final Week


M: Final Draft Due

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