WRITING BOOT CAMP - FALL 2011 SCHEDULE

If you are struggling to maintain a "C" in English 1101, this could be very helpful. Consider taking advantage of this opportunity to improve your writing, even if you don't need to pass the COMPASS)

Writing Boot Camp - Fall 2011 Schedule:
All sessions (except Nov. 9) are held Wednesdays, 2 p.m., in H/SS 210

Oct. 12:  Choosing the Right Workout: Planning Your Essay

Oct. 19:  Building up Your Frame: Creating Strong Thesis Statements and Topic

Oct. 26:  That First Taste of Workout Success:  Introductory Paragraphs

Nov. 2:  No More Flab!: Bulking Up Your body Paragraphs

Nov. 9:  Be a WINNER (on the COMPASS) with an introduction to CBSi*  Session held in ARC LAB 2.

Nov. 16:  Don't Just Walk Away; Finish That Workout!:  Writing Thoughtful Concluding Paragraphs

Class - Tuesday - October 11, 2011

Final Drafts of the Comparison/Contrast Essay are due at the end of class today.  No,  you may NOT email them.  These are to be written IN CLASS.

Comparison/Contrast Essay Assignment

In-class assignment:

Choose one of the topics below for your comparison/contrast essay. Compose and print two copies of your introductory paragraph. Be sure to provide:

·        adequate background, if necessary for the reader/audience to understand the topic

·        clear basis of comparison between the topics

·        specific points of contrast that distinguish the two

Remember that the organization of your entire paper is dependent upon this introductory paragraph and the thesis statement. Take one copy of your paragraph with you; work on the rough draft of your C/C essay over the weekend; come to class ready to write your final draft on Tuesday.

Hand-in to me one copy of your paragraph.  I will make comments and return it to you at the beginning of class Tuesday; you will be able to incorporate any changes/corrections into your final draft on Tuesday.

If you missed class on Thursday, October 06, 2011, you will be on your own on Tuesday.

Choose ONE of the topics below for your Comparison/Contrast Essay:

Dressing up for Halloween and Prom Night

Two fast-food restaurants

Two professional athletes in the same sport (or two teams)

Two versions of the same movie

Star Wars and Westerns

Writing essays and going to the dentist

Going to a movie and watching a movie at home

A book and a movie                                                         

College & High School-- Points of Comparison – also  of Contrast

Teachers

Homework                        

Curriculum

Extra-curricular

Subject to Subject comparison/contrast –C/C

High School                                                         College

Teachers-------------------------------------- Teachers

Homework----------------------------------  Homework

Curriculum---------------------------------  Curriculum

Extra-curricular---------------------------  Extra-curricular

POINT BY POINT COMPARISON:

Teachers --- High School;  in college

Homework --- High School; in college

Curriculum --- h.s.; college

Extra-curricular – h.s.; college

 NOTES ON THESIS FOR C/C:

Introductory Paragraph –

Importance of Education—provides basis for one’s entire life; in America we most often find the basis of education provided by high school and college.  Both institutions provide students with 1) instruction via teachers or professors, either in class or online; both require 2)assignments completed outside of class; both high school and college give students an 3)opportunity to not only study the curriculum, but also to participate in extra-curricular activities.  –ALL I’M DOING IS STATING THE POINTS OF COMPARISON/CONTRAST THAT WILL BE DISCUSSED IN THE BODY OF THE PAPER – THIS PROVIDES THE OUTLINE AND ORGANIZATION FOR THE ENTIRE PAPER.

Body Paragraphs follow the organization established in the thesis or introduction

1)      Instruction in today’s schools is provided by faculty both in and out of class. In h.s., most classes are conducted with a teacher who has lesson plans and a who has a degree in education.  College professors, on the other hand, usually do not have a degree in education, but in the subject they teach, and do not consider lesson plans or different learning styles of students

HOMEWORK & Remarks on the first essay:

HOMEWORK:  The following sentences, taken from student papers contain the most frequent errors in essays. Identify the error in each sentence below; then rewrite the sentences and email me your corrections.

1. Everything I did from sleeping to flat ironing my hair my ear hurted any little tap gets the piercing swollen and bleeding.

2.  Watching the little kids play hide and seek and sometimes getting in trouble because they were tearing up the house.

3.  As a student in high school, I did not do what was expected of me, I never really read anything and much less did homework.

4.  As the days went by with me reminding myself that I was in love, with either a test or post on face book about the times we shared.

5.  I would soon learn that old habits die hard; it is never good to do the wrong thing.

6.  Raced down the stairs grabbed my nametag and car keys flew out my drive way hoping to make it past every red-light without being stopped.

7.  After a long ride on the interstate and going through all the turn pipes we finally arrived to Miami.

8.  I got in through a great deal of trouble, but I also learned several valuable lessons from it.

9.  I woke up feeling somewhat unusual, I did not know what was wrong with me that day.

Punctuation is often thought to be not important, but in reality, punctuation prevents serious misunderstandings. Re-punctuate the following “Dear John” letter to read as a romantic love letter, rather than a “break-up” letter. Include it in the email with the corrected sentences.

Dear John:
I want a man who knows what love is. All about you are generous, kind, thoughtful people, who are not like you. Admit to being useless and inferior. You have ruined me. For other men, I yearn. For you, I have no feelings whatsoever. When we're apart, I can be forever happy. Will you let me be?
Yours,
Jane

Mistakes you should NOT be making:

• A rough draft is NOT the same as a FIRST draft. Rough drafts are to be done outside of class. In college, a first draft is the best essay possible that the student can write, submitted to the instructor or professor.  The student should make certain that he is proud of the work completed so far and is willing to spend time to learn and improve his writing.
• Do NOT use 2^nd person, “you,” “your,” or “yourself.”
• Informal Standard English does NOT include slang
• Capitalize the personal pronoun “I”
• Indent ALL paragraphs
• Make sure left-hand margin is STRAIGHT and that all margins conform to MLA guidelines
• There is no excuse for misuse of homonyms. Use of the wrong word makes the writer appear uneducated.
• Death/deaf are NOT the same thing; neither are whether/rather; composer/composure

Examples:

• I cried to my parents and they gave me the death ear.
• Life is all about choices, rather good or bad, a person has to live with the consequences.
• I continued to maintain my composer in front of the world.
• Know when to begin a new paragraph
• Dialogue can be effective, but only if it is written correctly!
• Prepositions connect a noun to another part of the sentence and are often used to indicate direction; use the correct one

FINALLY:

Revision is NOT the same as editing! Revision involves re-thinking the topic, completely rewriting sentences and paragraphs to create a good composition. Revision involves MORE than simply changing words and adding commas.

For a better explanation see: http://www.clarion.edu/67245.pdf

Oral Presentation Rubric

Essay :	Points Available	Points Achieved & Notes
Purpose and Audience
The purpose of author is explained and focused, appropriate to audience. Audience is identified & its impact on author & essay explained
Identifies Author & Title
Author is identified, his/her motivation for writing identified, relationship between title & essay explained
Main Idea & Content
The broad focus or main idea is identified as the subject of the essay; topic answers the superficial question: what is this essay about? Content goes deeper and expresses the underlying main idea that reveals a truth about life that is presented. This may be explicit or implicit
Vocabulary & Language
Unique words or phrases are identified and defined as they are used in the context of the essay. These may be words the student may already know, but which are still worth time and consideration. Familiar words used in a unique manner may also be identified.
Two Ideas that remain
The two most outstanding ideas that stay with the student, after the essay is read and presented.  These may vary from student to student
Delivery
Delivery of information is organized, logical and practiced. Standard English and an informal tone make it interesting and easy to follow.

Assignment: the essay presentation--DRAFT

Assignment for Essay Presentation (Please note: This assignment is made in advance; you are expected to be in class to cover the essential aspects of the assigned essay AND lead the class in discussion. You WILL receive a zero if you are absent, unless you contact me IN ADVANCE with a valid reason. Keep in mind that lack of planning on YOUR part does not constitute an emergency on MY part.

1. Identify Author & Title  - Who IS the author? What was the motivation for the essay?What relevance is there between the title and the essay?
2. Audience: Who was the initial audience for this essay? From the topic, tone, and word choice used by the author, what can you deduce about his or her audience? For instance, what do you imagine was the educational level of the audience? Why? How might this have affected the author?
3. Purpose- WHY was this essay written? How did that influence the writing? (Example: if the essay is written for a contest or newspaper, the purpose & audience will differ.) 
4. Content - What is the author SAYING? What means is used to develop the essay? Are there illustrations, examples, details? How are they arranged--from least important to most important or vice versa? Do details lead up to a major conclusion or does a broad statement lead into detailed support?
5. Main Idea - An essay is more than a collection of details and examples--they mean nothing if there is no point to the collection.  What's the author's trying to get at? What's the main idea he's trying to support?
6. TWO Points - What  are at least two point you agreed with or liked OR that you disagreed with or disliked--and WHY?  There is NO penalty for disliking a piece of writing or for disagreeing with an author, BUT there IS penalty if you can't explain WHY.
7. Vocabulary - At the very least, reading builds comprehension and vocabulary. What new vocabulary stands out in each essay.  In what sentence does the word appear?