Written Work
All assignments to be completed before class starts. Written assignments typed, double-spaced and stapled, 1 " margins all around, left justified--in MLA format for credit IN CLASS only on day due.
- Essay 1
- Essay 2
- 2a. * LATimes Article Research prompt
- *Class generated Lovely Bones Study Questions download Forum/Moodle
- Lovely Bones Word Clouds:
- Tran
- Sedano
- DeLaO
- Quiroz
- Planas
- Becerra
- Egwurube
- Reynosa
- Gomez
- Starkand
- Cornejo
- Estrada
- Chin
- Perez
- Cui
- Essay 3
Final Portfolio due on Wednesday Dec. 8
- For the Portfolio you are required to write a cover letter to the readers describing how your writing has changed this semester. You could describe the process you went through for your out-of-class essays. For instance you might describe which brainstorming techniques you used (clustering, the five w's, freewriting, etc.); tell how you came to settle on the particular subjects; describe how the essays changed as you worked through the different versions; and state how you feel about the final versions. What the readers are looking for is recognition by you that writing evolves, and that it isn't just "born," whole and perfect, in your word processor.
- The cover letter should use the salutation "Dear Reader" and should be written in standard letter format. It should be no longer than a page. Sign the letter with your name.
At the end of the semester, you will put together a PORTFOLIO of your work which will be evaluated by other 097 instructors. Putting the portfolio together will allow you to see how the writing process – inventing, drafting, revising, editing – has been actualized in your own writing. You will see how you have responded to the needs of your audience by producing papers which provide clear introductions and sufficient detail. You will also see how your writing has grown from participating in your small group and the learning community we have created through the sharing of our knowledge and understandings. The cover letter you write for your portfolio will allow you to reflect on your growth over the course of the semester and examine the experiences that contributed to that growth.
Portfolio requirements consist of:
- An in-class essay comparing two short texts (2 - 3 pages). In the essay, students will respond to a common prompt requiring them to compare two texts selected from New Voices each term by the developmental faculty. Students will compare the two authors' purposes, points of view, tone, and use of evidence.
- A reader response to a short text (2-page minimum). In the response, students will practice summarizing, questioning, and analyzing the text, making connections between their background and the text. Students will include a photocopy of the text, with the annotations done in preparation for writing.
- A book analysis (3 pages). In the analysis, students will practice following an element throughout a book and explaining its significance for a reader's understanding of the book. Such elements may include: a repeated image, a developing character, a theme, a cultural attitude, an argument, the writer's persona, a symbol, the meaning of the title, etc. Students will demonstrate the ability to select and incorporate convincing textual evidence appropriately.
- A cover letter describing your writing process. (See above.) Place this in the left-hand pocket of your folder, in front of the in-class essay.
- An extra final copy of one essay for consideration for New Voices, with submission form. Hand this in to me.
- I encourage you to work hard revising your essays, using all that you have learned this semester, since if you don't pass the portfolio you don't pass the class. In addition, at the end of the semester, only if you have satisfactorily completed ALL of the classroom work, will you be allowed to submit a portfolio of your essays to a committee for evaluation. LATE OR INCOMPLETE PORTFOLIOS CANNOT BE ACCEPTED. NO EXCEPTIONS.