Syllabus

4:00-4:15– Introduction Activity (Name Game); write out expectations of course, teacher, self (on colored index cards that instructor keeps and re-addresses the day of Final Exam); collect everyone’s e-mail addresses and phone numbers 4:15-5:00– “Terms Competition” Pre-Assessment 5:00-5:30 – “UNBC Thesis Statements” HW: “Thesis Statement Worksheet”
 * EAST HARTFORD ADULT EDUCATION **  ** The Right Write Syllabus ** *    ** Fall 2011 **
 * // Day 1 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Explanation and modeling of a journal entry on Sri Chinmoy’s poem stanza: “Perfect teaching / is nothing other than / sharing with others / the knowledge / that we claim as our own.” Journal entries must fill the page 4:15-5:00 – “Thesis Statement Activity” (group work) 5:00-5:30 – “Sentences Pre-test” HW: Review “Independent Reading Assignment;” read “Writers in Process” (//The Essay Connection// pp 1-12); “Choosing a Book for Extensive Reading” (//Advanced Reading Power//, pp4-11)
 * // Day 2 //**

4:00-4:15– J: Describe how you read: for example, do you highlight? Do you underline terms that you do not know? Do you read to get it over with or do you read for understanding? 4:15-5:05– Read “What is Critical Reading?” for discussion; “Independent Reading Assignment” 5:00-5:30– “Types of Sentences” and in-class practice HW: Choose independent reading and be prepared to present book to classmates (author, book name, summary, and why you chose this book); “Identifying Sentence Types”
 * // Day 3 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Grouping and presentation of individual independent reading books 4:15-5:00 – “CWC Topic Sentence/Paragraph,” “The Topic Sentence;” “How to Write a Topic Sentences” 5:00-5:30 – Review of Pre-test HW: Read and complete “3-Topic Sentence or Thesis Statement;” “10 Dimensions: Entering the Story World”
 * // Day 4 //**

4:00-4:15– J: Compare or contrast your attitude towards school and education back when you dropped out of high school to your attitude towards it today as you are about to graduate from the Adult Education program 4:15-5:00 – Read Anne Lamott’s “Shitty First Drafts” (//Bird by Bird//, pp 21-27) D.M. Cunningham’s //The First Draft// 5:00-5:30 – “Comp/Cont Essay;” model comparing/contrasting with “The Myth of the Latin Woman” excerpt by Judith Ortiz Cofer and “Legal Alien” by Pat Mora HW: Divide class in two groups and have each group read either Sandra Cisnero’s //My Name// or Maya Angelou’s //My Name is Margaret//; complete one half of the Venn Diagram (who is the person involved, what is the issue he/she is addressing, where does this excerpt/poem take place, when do they take place)
 * // Day 5 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: “Learning Styles Quiz” 4:15-5:00 – “Developing Ideas” and “Narrowing Your Topic” (//Writing Power// pp 75-88) 5:00-5:30 – Each group will get together to compare Venn Diagrams then write a summary on the article they read; those who did not complete the Venn Diagram must do so on their own HW: Each group will read the opposite of last class’ meeting (Sandra Cisnero’s //My Name// or Maya Angelou’s //My Name is Margaret//) and complete a “Comparison and Contrast” Venn Diagram for both short stories using prior questions and finding similar comparisons; “10 Dimensions: Showing Interest in the Story World”
 * // Day 6 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Compare/Contrast the educational choices you have made to that of your parents 4:15-5:00 – “Pointers for Comparison and Contrast” (//Short Takes// pp 176-178); “Playing House” (pp182-184), jigsaw questions #2 and 3 (pp 184-185) 5:00-5:30 – (Part A) use Cisneros & Angelou Venn Diagram to decide on which point to compare and which point to contrast (Part B); write a thesis statement based on Part B HW: Finish writing thesis statement
 * // Day 7 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: If you have children, compare/contrast your life before and after you had them; if you do not have children compare/contrast what your life would be like in comparison to how it is 4:15-5:00 – “Complete Subject & Predicate” (two worksheets) and “Complete Subjects and Predicates” 5:00-5:30 – Compare thesis statements and choose best one; read either Judith Ortiz Cofer’s //Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale// or David Matthew’s //Pick One// HW: “Test-Taking Skills Assessment” and “Test-Taking Tips;” “Subject and Predicates Pre-Test;” “10 Dimensions: Characters”
 * // Day 8 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: 4:15-5:00 – Read either Cofer’s //Don’t Call Me a Hot Tamale// or Matthew’s //Pick One// 5:00-5:30 – Midterm Exam Review (thesis statement, topic sentence, identifying types of sentences, simple subjects and predicates, complete subjects and predicates) HW: “Subjects and Predicates Study Guide;” complete a “Comparison and Contrast” Venn diagram for both short stories using prior questions and finding similar comparisons
 * // Day 9 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Express whether you feel this course has met your expectations so far and honestly determine how you studied for the midterm and how much time you set aside to study in the past week (based on “Test-Taking Skills Assessment”) 4:15-4:30 – Midterm Exam Review (thesis statement, topic sentence, identifying types of sentences, simple subjects and predicates, complete subjects and predicates, comparison/contrast essay) 4:30-5:30 – Midterm Exam HW: (Part A) use Cisneros & Angelou Venn Diagram to decide on which point to compare and which point to contrast (Part B); write a thesis statement based on Part B
 * // Day 10 //**

4:00-4:25 – J: Read excerpt from “Freewriting: A Means of Teaching  Critical Thinking to College Freshmen,” then have students freewrite 4:25-4:50 – “What Makes a Sentence,” “Sentence Fragments” 4:50-5:00 – BREAK 5:00-5:30 – Write a topic sentence for an introductory paragraph based on thesis statement (one-on-one instructor assistance); then write the introductory paragraph HW: “Sentence Fragments Worksheet;” finish writing introductory paragraph of Compare/Contrast essay
 * // Day 11 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Instructor will present five Emotion Images and you need to associate an emotion (fear, happy, sad, excited, etc.) to the picture and freewrite about it 4:15-5:00 – “Run-On Sentences Chapter” (exercises for homework) 5:00-5:30 – Pair Peer Review of introductory paragraph HW: Continue Compare/Contrast essay and write first draft (at least three more paragraphs); “Run-On Sentences Chapter” Exercises 1-7
 * // Day 12 //**

4:00-4:15– J: Choose one of the //Where I’m From// poems and choose your favorite line, then write about why that particular line stood out for you. 4:15-5:00 – “Run-on Sentence Practice” and “Avoiding Run-On Sentences” 5:00-5:30 – COMPUTER: Type first draft essay to be handed in at end of class or e-mailed by Thursday HW: “Fragment & Run-On Practice”
 * // Day 13 //**

4:00-4:15– J: Brainstorm a list of the following: items found around the house (like a soccer cleat at the corner of your closet that you no longer wear but can’t bear to throw out, or a hand brush on the bathroom sink that you don’t like anyone to use but everyone uses), items found outside/yard (like the BMX you bought two summers ago that you no longer use but cherish the memories, or a rose garden that you planted with your grandmother), items from your neighborhood (like a park where you take your kids, or a local pizzeria where you hang out with friends) 4:15-5:00 – Punctuation: Comma “Using the Comma” and “Comma Competition” 5:00-5:30 – Return and review of first draft (instructor one-on-one while others work on “Comma Worksheet” homework assignment) HW: Revise to write second draft of Compare/Contrast essay; complete “Comma Worksheet;” and “10 Dimensions: Seeing the Story World”
 * // Day 14 //**

4:00-4:30 – J: Brainstorm a list of the following: names of family/friends that left an impact on you (like my Tia Milagros who was also my very strict pastor, or Tio Tula who made me shower in cold water for two days thinking he had no hot water then told me on the last day of my visit that it was just a joke and turned the hot water on for my last shower), saying (like “If I told you once…”, “Don’t make me go back there and…”), foods you grew up with (like mangu, or black bean soup, or grits) **feel free to use your home language for some of these 4:30-5:00 – Punctuation: Quotation Marks “Using Quotation Marks,” “QM-WS-1” (page 1 only) and “QM-WS-2” 5:00-5:30 – Writing the Book Review (//Writer’s Inc.// 398-400, 405-407) HW: Finish worksheets; write a two-paragraph book review based on the information from //Writer’s Inc.//
 * // Day 15 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Using the lists that you created in your journal, write your own //Where I’m From// poem 4:15-5:00 – “Writing a Book Review” and “Book Review Rubric” 5:00-5:30– Return and review of second draft (instructor one-on-one while others work on “Commas and Quotation Marks Review”) HW: Complete “Commas and Quotation Marks Review” and final draft Compare/Contrast essay; **bring your independent book to class next week**
 * // Day 16 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Write a brief review of the independent book you are reading and a reason why you would recommend or not recommend the book to others (even if you have not finished it yet) 4:15-5:00 – Review “Punctuation Review” 5:00-5:30 – “Book Review Prewriting” HW: “Ten Dimensions of Reader Response: Connecting Literature to Life”
 * // Day 17 //**

4:00-4:15– J: Describe the plot and setting of your independent reading. 4:15-5:00– “Plot and Setting” PDF 5:00-5:30– Teen and New York Times Book Reviews comparison HW: Write a short review on a movie you have recently watched (no need to follow the “Book Review Rubric” since this is more like a brief freewrite on a movie than a book)
 * // Day 18 //**

4:00-4:30 – J: Emily Dickinson Writing Prompt 4:30-5:00 – COMPUTER: Book Review 5:00-5:30 – “Terms Competition” Post-Assessment HW: Complete “Ten Dimensions of Reader Response: Considering Significance” and study for final exam
 * // Day 19 //**

4:00-4:15 – J: Write a reflection on the entire course, collection of HW assignments, re-address expectations, and completion of Spring 2011 Evaluation 4:15-4:30 – Final Exam Review 4:40-5:30 – Final Exam
 * // Day 20 //**

* This syllabus is tentative and subject to change.