The major portion of this course will be devoted to presentation cycles. A cycle is a reading and writing process built on collaboration, presentation, and evaluation. Class periods are designated as "DAY 1" through "DAY 7 " with each of these days devoted to an evolving reading and writing assignment. These assignments are called presentations, and the process of developing a presentation is called a cycle. You will be working throughout the course in a collaborative small group of approximately five students. This group will be devoted to supporting each group member as s/he developes her/his presentation paper through the course of his/her cycle. You will form these primary groups after experimenting with collaborative groupings at the beginning of the semester, and you will stay in them for the entire semester.
You will be defining your own assignment for this paper, which will focus on the reading choice you made at the beginning of the semester. Discuss your choice of literature with your group; create for yourself or pick from your group a fascinating question to inspire you; write a two to four page paper that will be interesting and important to you as you engage in the drafting process built into the cycles. This paper may take the form of a conventional essay (for instance the answer to a standard essay question that you come up with in your group) or it may be an unusual piece of writing, for instance a personal essay, a report in which you assume the persona of a professional or an expert and view the characters in the text from that angle, a paper in which you take the point of view of another character in order to illuminate the text, or whatever else you can think of. Remember also that the class, as the audience for the presentations, will determine the kind of writing you will do. Assume that this audience knows your literature choice very well so that you will NOT have to summarize, though you will have to orient your readers when you cite the text.
Journal Entry Instructions
(500 wd. Minimum on day 1. Build these entries through the cycle and the whole
course.)
1. Record your immediate response to the reading. A through G below are SUGGESTIONS
for writing. Feel free to use them or not.
A. a judgement about how you liked the work of literature, what you felt like
as you read, what the work reminded you of, how the whole text hit you (or failed
to hit you);
B. an exploration of how the text connects with your own life;
C. a confession of your confusion about parts of the text.
D. a recording of your emotions or thoughts while you were reading.
To help do this, look at the following prompts:
A. While I was reading, I was puzzled by ______________.
B. While I was reading, I was surprised by ___________.
C. While I was reading, I wished I knew more about ____.
D. While I was reading, I have conflicting feelings about___.
E. While I was reading, I was reminded of __________________.
F. While I was reading, I was mad, glad, or sad about ______.
G. While I was reading, I was interested in ________________.
2. Look back at your markings in the text and report on them. Quote significant
sections you marked and explain why you marked them. Use MLA documentation for
citing page numbers. Ask me or consult a Handbook if you're not sure about quotation
format.
3. Write three provocative essay questions. These questions must cite the author
and title of the text and provide other relevant background that will help the
reader understand the question.
4. Write about how the literature illuminates a particular theme or image and
write about how any of the elements of fiction listed below work in the literature:
Plot, Style, Character, Setting, Point of View, Tone, Voice, Narrator, Symbol,
Imagery, Theme.
5. Write about how your literature is linked to other texts and ideas. Start
by exploring possible connections among the literature of the cycle and branch
out from there.
6. Write about how outside sources illuminate your piece of literature.
Please stay away from retelling the text. I assume that you've
read and understood it. Go beyond giving me back the text. But do include quotations
to back up your arguments
On DAY 7 of your cycle, you will submit to me a folder including all of the
following:
LABEL EACH ITEM
1. A copy of the first draft that you brought on DAY 2 to talk about and evaluate
in small groups.
2. The peer evaluation forms from DAY 2. BE SURE NAMES ARE ON THEM. These forms
must be stapled to the Day 2 draft of your paper you gave out to your group
members.
3. A copy of the second polished, revised draft that you presented to the whole
class on DAY 3.
4. A completed copy of "Presenter Response to Cycle Activities" including
the critiques of the best and worst evaluators with the list and the average
of all grades students assigned to your DAY 3 presentation draft.
5. ALL of the anonymous peer evaluations of your presentation paper that you
received on Day 5. PLEASE MAKE COMMENTS ON THESE EVALUATIONS. WRITE IN THE MARGINS
OR AT THE END WHAT YOU THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING, HELPFUL, INSIGHTFUL, OR UNHELPFUL.
IF YOU DISAGREE, MAKE YOUR ARGUMENT RIGHT ON THE EVALUATION OF YOUR PAPER. You
need not write at length on all of them, but make some remark on each.
6. A LABELED, DATED copy of the third and final draft of the paper, which I
will grade.
Below is a description of all items your should have in your journal when you
hand it in at the end of the course:
1. All Day 1 journal entries from all cycles (Minimum 500 wds). Please label.
2. All Revisions of Day 1 journal entries. Please label.
3. The completed self-evaluation form entitled "Preparation and Participation
Evaluation Form."
4. A final reflection on the course. Include comments on the following:
What is missing from this journal and why?
Who was helpful and who wasn't? Name names.
What of value happened TO YOU during the course?
What of value did YOU DO during the course?
What was your strongest performance during the course and why?
What frustrations did you face?
What constructive comments do you have to offer me as I revise the course and
this book? Try to avoid complaints about how much work you're required to do.
In my mind a high quality education means a commitment to challenging work.
Remember that the KEY indicators of success in the work force, according to
numerous recent studies of higher education and the American workplace, are
strength in writing, critical thinking, and the ability to work with others.
These are also indicators of your success in this course.
5. A guess at the grade you believe you've earned. Please refer to the grade
calculation description in the syllabus! Please do not write that you attended
all classes and tried hard and therefore deserve a B or above. Grades are not
supposed to reflect personality or endurance , but specific and verifiable performance.
Your fulfilling the base-line requirements is assumed (like coming to class
and participating). So focus on specific things you are proud of and why you
think these performances are HIGH QUALITY. How, exactly, have you earned the
grade you think you deserve. What I would like to hear about is the specific,
demonstrable work that you have done, smart comments you have made, specific
contributions in collaborative groups, etc.