Calendar for Writing 20 W10

Calendar of assignments for Writing 20 Sections 6 and 7.
Tim Fitzmaurice Winter 2010 2-3:10 & 3:30-4:40 Crown 202
Texts: Ainsworth, Alan, 75 Arguments (2008); Canada, Geoffrey, fist stick knife gun (1995); Albom, Mitch, Tuesdays With Morrie (1997).

Week 1 INTRODUCTION TO THE ACADEMIC ESSAY
1/7 Wed Introduction to the syllabus and to the ELWR requirements.
Assignments: Write a one-page response to handout. Write a one-page profile of another student. Read for discussion the essays in Ainsworth 52-59& 138-141 & 114-117. Assignments: Write a brief note to tell me where the thesis is and whether the essay worked. You will speak about this orally in class.
1/9 Fri Introduction of another student is due. Assignment: Read in Ainsworth, Chapter 2 on Censorship. I will assign specific essays. Write your opinion of censoring violence or obscenity. Extra Credit: See Ainsworth, 353, Bertrand Russell “In Praise of Idleness,” a terrific essay on work. Write a response about it to me on email. (timfitz@ucsc.edu)

Week 2 PURPOSE & THESIS: OPENING THE ESSAY
1/11 Mon Assignments: Write a thesis for essay 1. Write an analysis of a quote you intend to use in your essay.
1/13 Wed Assignment: Write a draft of Essay one. SEE YOUR TUTOR!
1/15 Fri Essay 1 is due. Assignments: Read Ainsworth essays pp. 157, 169, 172; Chapter 9 especially pp. 406, 419, 421, 425, 428. I will assign essays for you to focus on over the next week or two. Our next meeting is next Wednesday. Bring in a two-page response to an essay in this group. What is the author’s purpose? How do they make their point? What is your opinion? You have assignments for MLK Day.

Week 3 DEVELOPING ESSAYS: ESSAY STRUCTURE
1/18 Mon Holiday Assignments: Read on MLK (Ainsworth 279 & 414) Write a 2-page response to these essays or to the Convocation speaker. (After the Convocation of course)
1/20 Wed Assignment:
1/22 Fri. Assignments: Read Essays from Chapter 7 on Marriage and Divorce. I will assign specific essays. Write an approach or a thesis for Essay 2 on Identity and Culture.

Week 4 SUPPORTING ESSAY: ANALYZING & INTERPRETING TEXTS
1/25 Mon Assignments: Refine your thesis and choose quotable supporting material to analyze for Essay 2. Write the quotes (about three) and your analysis in a page or so.
1/27 Wed
1/29 Fri Essay 2 is due. Assignments: Read Geoffrey Canada’s book, fist stick knife gun, Part 1. Write a response to one section. I will assign the section.

Week 5 REVISING: A WRITER’S GRAMMAR & RHETORIC
2/1 Mon Assignments: Read Canada Part 2. Write a response to one section.
2/3 Wed Assignments: Read essays from Ainsworth Chapter 1 and the Introduction.
2/5 Fri Assignments: Read Canada Part 3. Write a thesis for Essay 3. You can begin to write the rough draft.

Week 6 REVISING: SENTENCE STRUCTURE & STYLE
2/8 Mon Assignment: Write a Draft of Essay 3
2/10 Wed We will discuss revision.
2/12 Fri Essay 3 is due. Assignments: Read Mitch Albom’s Tuesdays With Morrie to Page 100 and beyond. Write an example, a personal observation, of good education and bad education. Revise your essays 1 and 2.

Week 7 REVISING: STRUCTURE OF PARAGRAPHS—UNITY & COHERENCE
2/15 Mon Holiday
2/17 Wed We will discuss revision. Assignment: Revise your essays.
2/19 Fri A Revised Essay is due. Assignment: Read the last half of Albom.

Week 8 LOGIC, FACTS, TEXTS, AND EXAMPLES: TYPES OF DEVELOPMENT
2/22 Mon We will discuss revision.
2/24 Wed
2/26 Fri Two Revised Essays are due. Assignment: Write your letter for the ELWR portfolio.

Week 9 IMMEDIATE WRITING
3/1 Mon We will discuss revision and in-class writing.
3/3 Wed In-Class essay for the ELWR. Don’t miss this class!
3/5 Fri All portfolios are due for ELWR. Assignment: Readings from Ainsworth on technology and writing, Chapter 11.

Week 10 WRITING FROM EXPERIENCE
3/8 Mon Assignment: Write your theme and thesis for essay 4.
3/10 Wed Assignment: Write a personal experience to use as an opening for essay 4.
3/12 Fri

Week 11
3/15 Mon Final day of class—No final exam; all revisions & Essay 4 are due.

This calendar is subject to change. But the due dates should be correct. The readings might be adjusted but they are about right. I will ask you to write in class often and the source for those writings will be these essays as well as material I find elsewhere.