WRIT 101Fall 2009

Profile: Writing up Someone’s Story about Writing

“There is no better way of dramatizing the impact of a problem, the importance of a question, or the significance of an idea than showing how it presents itself in the life of one person” (CW).

To write a profile, you will turn your attention to interviewing a classmate about his or her writing story. Your aim is to ground an abstract concern or question (generally framed as “what’s your writing story?”) in the experiences of a representative person. Genre Issues

Organize “around ways your profile seems representative or typical of the larger group to which your subject belongs”

Include anecdotes to help reveal the profile’s purpose Use selective quotations to give voice to your interviewee Write 1000 - 1200 words

Guides to Invention Engage in the Generating Ideas invention prompts in the text See interview questions and suggestions on the NCoW site:

http://comppile.org/NCoW/ and browse submissions to NCoW View “I Hate Writing” on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=NvIYAcUGJDU

EvaluationYou will receive comments rather than a grade on the drafting and final draft.

I will collect and look over your drafting materials to see if you complete all aspects of the assignment and understand and practice assigned writing process activities. Please select one invention artifact, your homework on judging what you have, and one drafting artifact. Staple all of this together in chronological order with the final-for-now version on top.

I will read your final draft to determine your success:

Focusing on a purpose Selecting and using evidence (paraphrasing and quoting) from your interviews Selecting and using evidence gathered through other forms of research as necessary

(observation, library or internet research) Engaging the genre of the profile for a peer and NCoW-interested audience Practicing conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling as appropriate to the writing

situation Practicing conventions for documenting source use (including interviews) within the

text and in a works cited page

Schedule for Unit 1 MWF: Profile

W 9/9

Discuss participation & Ballenger’s method of inquiry

View “Who is a Writer? What Writers Tell Us” http://comppile.org/NCoW/Take notesIW #4: pick two of the interview questions asked in the video to write about in 1 ½ - 2 pages.

F 9/11

Introduce profile (see 133-137)Work on invention and getting a partnerUse 52-56 EW

Read and take notes on: http:www.bk.psu.edu/Academics/Degrees/26432.htmClick volume 5; scroll down to read “Past Experiences and Future Attitudes in Literacy” by Erica JacksonRead “Conducting the Interview” 160-162 CW

M 9/14

Discuss readingInterview session #1

Develop additional interview questions (see YouTube)Use 4 ways of inquiry (exploring p. 71, explaining, 73, evaluating 74, and reflecting 75) to analyze your current interview material

W 9/16

Interview session #2Do check in writing

Rd. Judging what you have 156-159Write up your current judgment about your material: What’s promising? What isn’t? Is there something we can learn about writing? What have you learned about yourself as a writer from interviewing someone else?

F 9/18

Work with judgments & discuss/analyze profiles in CW to model workshop

Write sketch (do additional interviews as necessary); bring copies for group

M 9/21

Workshop I: sketchDiscuss revision possibilities

Revise sketch into complete draft. Read 165-170 for help.

W 9/23

Workshop II: draftEditing mini-lesson

Conduct final revisions: do editing and proofreading

F9/25

Profile due: turn in final copy plus required artifactsIntroduce personal academic essay

TBA with research unit

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Unit 1 Profile: T/Th ScheduleTh 9/10

Discuss participation & practice Ballenger’s 4 ways of inquiryIntroduce profile and partners

View “Who is a Writer? What Writers Tell Us” http://comppile.org/NCoW/Take notesIW #4: pick two of the interview questions asked in the video to write about in 1 ½ - 2 pages.Rd 133-137 CW

T 9/15 Work on invention using 52-56 EWDiscuss “Conducting the Interview” 160-162 CWBegin to prepare for first interview

Read and take notes on: http:www.bk.psu.edu/Academics/Degrees/26432.htmClick volume 5; scroll down to read “Past Experiences and Future Attitudes in Literacy” by Erica Jackson

Th 9/17

Discuss readingInterview session #1

Conduct interview session #2Rd. Judging what you have 156-159Write up your current judgment about your material: What’s promising? What isn’t? Is there something we can learn about writing? What have you learned about yourself as a writer from interviewing someone else?

T 9/22 Work with judgments & discuss/analyze profiles in CW to model workshopUse 4 ways of inquiry (exploring p. 71, explaining, 73, evaluating 74, and reflecting 75) to analyze your current interview material

Write sketch (refer to Features of the Form, 135-137 & 164-5 CW)

Th 9/24

Workshop sketchDiscuss moving from sketch to draft: organizing and quoting

Compose complete profile (see 165, 167-8 CW) – be sure to proofread and edit, too.

T 9/29 Profile due Introduce personal academic essay

TBA with Personal Academic Essay

WRIT 101Fall 2009

Composing a Personal Academic Essay

traditional academic essay – personal academic essay – personal essay

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This research assignment focuses on what Candace Spigelman refers to as a personal academic essay.

GenreSpigelman rejects an either/or privileging of personal versus academic writing in favor of a “blended approach” that puts the personal in dialogue with the academic to create what she calls “personal academic argument” (14). Personal academic argument depends heavily on the strategic use of personal experience – that is, use of the personal as evidence. Spigelman argues that judicious use of the personal in academic writing brings together narrative and positivist epistemologies to create “an alternative orientation and a more complicated description of the world” that manifests as “surplus” (93). “Surplus” is a point in a text where the uses of personal experience and traditional argument strategies combine to create “a new kind of understanding that belongs to neither narrative thinking nor analytic thinking alone” (95). In other words, you’ll be asked to inquire into an issue from a point of engagement – of interest to the writer and of value to readers.

TopicThe collective subject matter you will study is sustainability. Your assignment is to explore this vast topic through a few class readings that offer overviews of some issues. From there, you’ll develop a research question to explore through further research with the aim of articulating an informed argument of your own on some “angle” of this expansive issue to an appropriate audience.

Diamond, Jared. “Prologue: A Tale of Two Farms.” Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Penguin, 2005.

Kates, Robert W., Thomas Parris, and Anthony A. Leiserowitz. “What is Sustainable Development? Goals, Indicators, Values, and Practice.” Environment 47:3 (April 2005): 9-21.

Hawkin, Paul. Blessed Unrest: How the Largest Social Movement in History is Restoring Grace, Justice, and Beauty to the World. New York: Penguin, 2008.

Guides to Invention Engage in the Generating Ideas invention prompts in Ballenger Review “Preparing for a Research Project” (149 EW) Explore definitions of key terms that arise in readings Begin to learn to use the library and its many electronic databases and print

resources and be attentive to your research log (aka journal) Listen to Paul Hawkin talk at a bioneers conference:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N1fiubmOqH4 Your final draft should be 2,000 – 3,000 words

EvaluationYou will receive comments rather than a grade on the drafting and final draft. Please select one example of your invention work related to researching and one piece of drafting to hand in with your paper. You will also need to turn in copies of all the

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research that you cite in the paper (beyond the class articles) and your research log. This will help me help you with your research process and use of source material.

I will read your final draft to determine your success:

Answering (even tentatively) your research question related to our common topic of sustainability

Selecting and using sources appropriately Engaging the genre, which includes

Strategically using personal experience as evidence, Incorporating strategies of traditional argumentation, particularly the search for

and use of relevant data, Achieving “surplus”

Demonstrating an understanding of the research process Practicing conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling as appropriate to the writing

situation Practicing conventions for documenting source use within the text and in a works

cited page

Unit 2 Personal, Academic Essay: MWF ScheduleF 9/25 Profile due

Introduce Personal Academic Essay

Rd. Diamond, Kates, Hawkin. IW #5 write discussion sheet for each article: summarize the primary argument, write list of key words, key quotations, and a few questions for discussion for each article

M 9/28 Analyze readings using 12a EW (p. 114)Discuss Features of the Form

Rd. p. 429-433 CWRevisit readings IW #6: explain what you understand to be the definition and key topics/questions in sustainability (refer to CW 72-3) & reflect on your experience with this texts (refer to CW 74-5)

W 9/30 Meeting in SLC, LibraryPractice key word building & searching Introduce research log

Rd. p. 440 “Reading Academic Research Essays” Conduct research, take

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notes, write research log about at least 4 hours of research

F 10/2 Hanging out with your Research Workshop #1 (bring all research sources to class)Research log due

Write about your research findings using Ballenger’s 4 ways: exploring, explaining, reflecting, evaluating and judge what you haveRd. “Judging what you have” p. 455-457

M 10/5 Hanging out with your research Workshop #2Developing a thesis and support

Rd. Writing the sketch p. 459, Write a project narrative. Include a summary of each source you’re using and how you expect it works in relationship to your thesis.

W 10/7 Workshop project narrativesWorkshop source use using chapter samples

Rd 463CW Continue research as neededWrite 1 pg on your stake in the assignment

F 10/9 Workshop on genre Prepare for conferencesBring 3 typed pages of research paper to conference & 3 questions for assistance

M 10/12 Pair conferences Write complete draftW 10/14 Pair conferences Write complete draft F 10/16 Draft workshop #1 Revise essayM 10/19 Draft workshop #2 Complete essayW 10/21 Personal Academic Essay

due; intro op-edTBA

Unit 2 Personal Academic Essay T/TH Schedule T 9/29 Profile due

Introduce personal academic essayRd. Diamond, Kates, HawkinIW #5: write a discussion sheet for each article: summary of the article, list of key words, key quotations, and questions for discussion

Th 10/1 Analyze readings using 12a EW (114)Introduce research log.

IW #6: explain what you understand to be the definition

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and key topics/questions in sustainability (CW 72-3) and reflect on your experience with the texts (CW 74-5 for reference)

T 10/6 Meet in SLC LibraryPractice key word searchConduct research & log

Write about your research findings using Ballenger’s 4 ways: exploring, explaining, reflecting, evaluating and judge what you haveRd. Judging what you have (455-457)

Th 10/8 Pair conferences (on hanging out with your research and developing your thesis)

Rd. Writing the sketch (459), Write a project narrative. Include a summary of each source you’re using and how you expect it to work in relationship to your thesis

T 10/13 Workshop project narrativesDiscuss genre

Rd 463 CWWrite 3 pages of your research paper

Th 10/15 Workshop: focus on source use and genre Write complete essayT 10/20 Draft workshop Revise, edit, proofreadTh 10/22 Personal academic essay due

Introduce op-edTBA

ENEX 101Fall 2009

Op-ed: Putting in Your Oar about Restoration

Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late and when you arrive, others have long preceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, too heated for them to pause and tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of them got there, so no one present is qualified to retrace for you all the steps that had gone on before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the argument; then you put in your oar. Someone answers; you answer him; another comes to your defense, another aligns himself against you, to either the embarrassment or gratification of your opponent, depending on the quality of your ally’s assistance. However, the discussion is interminable. The hour grows late, you must depart. And you do depart, with the discussion still vigorously in progress. ~ Kenneth Burke

The metaphor of entering a conversation at a party is a useful one for thinking about argumentation. To engage academic conversations, or even a conversation at a party, you

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need to (1) see what conversations are going on and find one that interests you, (2) listen to what’s being said in the conversation, (3) and join the conversation by responding to someone, building off what someone has said, or asking a new question. In other words, to enter an academic conversation, you need to research the history of a question or issue that interests you, do further research and thinking to determine what your contribution to that issue or question will be, and write up your contribution to the conversation.

Your argument assignment will focus on entering a conversation that crosses both academic and civic contexts through the genre of the op-ed. The op-ed is an argument located in the context of a local newspaper or magazine (electronic or print) whose subject is an issue of civic concern. Your aim is to compose an argument that contributes to yours and readers’ understanding about environmental restoration. It might be that you want to weigh in on the wolf hunts in MT, or return of grizzlies to the Bitterroot Valley, the asbestos contamination in Libby, or the removal of the Milltown dam.

To write your op-ed piece, you’ll use primary and secondary forms of evidence. In addition to drawing on prior research, writing from observation and experience, and possibly conducting an interview, you also need to do some more formal library and Internet research to help you determine what you want to contribute to this conversation. To help you enter into this conversation, you’ll begin with some restoration related readings:

Carvill, Sarah. From Golden Gate to Grant Creek. “On this Piece of Ground: Landowner Perceptions of Restoration in the Deer Lodge Valley.” M.S. Thesis, May 2009.

Jordan, William R. “Weeding Key Biscayne.” The Sunflower Forest: Ecological Restoration and the New Communion with Nature. Berkeley: U of California P, 2003.

Pritchard, James. “Epilogue to Preserving Yellowstone’s Natural Condition: Science and the Perception of Nature.” Ecological Restoration 21.4 (December 2003): 254-7. Genre Issues

Focus explicitly on an arguable question related to restoration (your tentative answer is your major claim)

Make clear premises and claims in support of your major claim Use appropriate, researched evidence to support your claims Write in the op-ed genre Your final draft should be 700 – 1000 words

Guides to Invention Engage in the Generating Ideas invention prompts in CW Use Critical Thinking and Argument (103-146 EW) as a resource Explore definitions of key terms: argument, claim, ethos, logos, pathos Read op-eds in your local papers and online publications to help you learn about

the genre and consider what argument you want to make

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See websites for local restoration projects: http://www.clarkfork.org/, the UM Natural Areas Integrated Plant Management Program http://www.umt.edu/sentinel/default.htm

Revisit readings related to your personal academic argument for further resources

EvaluationYou will receive comments rather than a grade on the drafting and final draft.

I will collect and look over your drafting materials to see if you complete all aspects of the assignment and understand and practice assigned writing process activities. Please select one piece of invention work and one piece of drafting to turn in along with copies of all the research that you cite in the paper (beyond the class articles).

I will read your final draft to determine your success:

Focusing on a purpose Doing primary and secondary research to develop your argument and evidence Selecting and using evidence appropriately for your audience and purpose Demonstrating an understanding of argument and appeals Engaging the genre of the op-ed Practicing conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling as appropriate to the writing

situation Practicing conventions for documenting source use within the text and in a works

cited page

Unit 3 MWF ScheduleW10/21

Research paper dueIntroduce op-ed

Rd: JordanIW #7 How does Jordan define ecological restoration? How can you explain the values of restoration to the rest of the class?

F10/23 Discuss textsDiscuss Motives for Writing an Argument (CW) and analyzing and constructing arguments (sections 12, 13 EW)

Rd. Carvill & PritchardIW #8 Analyzing arguments: What is Carvill’s argument? How does she extend the discussion of ecological restoration begun in class? What is Pritchard’s argument? How does his discussion

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of the management of Yellowstone add to the conversation about restoration?

M 10/26

Practice invention (bring copies of all 3 articles)Discuss rhetorical appeals via Carvill’s essay using EW & CW

Write: a list of your major claim, minor claimsRd. Judging what you have (291-295)

W10/28

Workshop listsWork on Judging what you have

Write sketch: focus on having an arguable major claim, some minor claims, and evidence to support those claims

F 10/30 Workshop 1: sketchDiscuss warrants & logical fallacies (figure 8.7 301-02, 307-308 CW)

Rd 303-308 CW (skip Workshopping the Draft)Revise sketch into a draft

M11/2 Workshop 2: draft Revise, edit, and proofread

W 11/4 Op-ed due Begin personal essay

TBA

Insert T/Th schedule

Th 10/22 Research paper dueIntroduce op-ed using Jordan essay

Rd Carvill & PritchardIW #7: Analyzing arguments: What is Carvill’s argument? How does she extend the discussion of ecological restoration begun in class? What is Prichard’s argument? How does his discussion of the management of Yellowstone add to the conversation about restoration?

T 10/27 Discuss textsDiscuss Motives for Writing an Argument (CW) and analyzing and constructing arguments (sections 12, 13 EW) Begin invention

Continue inventionRd: JordanIW #8 How does Jordan’s article contribute to your emerging understanding of ecological restoration. How in your own words can you explain the values of restoration to the rest of the class?

Th 10/29 Workshop invention Discuss rhetorical appeals via Jordan’s essay using CW and EWWrite lists of major claim, minor claims. Practice judging what you have (291-295 CW)

Write sketch: focus on having an arguable major claim, some minor claims, and evidence to support those claims

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T 11/3 Workshop 1: sketchDiscuss warrants and logical fallacies (figure 8.7 301-02, 307-308 CW)

Rd 303-308 CWRevise sketch into draft

Th 11/5 Workshop 2: draftFocus on paragraph development

Revise, edit, proofread

T 11/10 Op-ed dueBegin personal essay

TBA

WRIT 101Fall 2009

Personal Essay: Where I Live, and What I Live For

“Somewhere in the swirl of life, each of us ponders three essential questions: ‘Who am I?’ ‘Where am I?’ and ‘What am I supposed to do?’ We often consider the first question in isolation, as if it were the true key to our existence – as if the matter of who we are could be resolved independently of the two remaining questions. But all three of these questions must be answered in [concert], as together they articulate the totality of the human condition…. Questions of our existence and action are separable neither from each other nor from place – but it is place that we have most often ignored.” (Thayer 1)

“A bioregion is literally and etymologically a ‘life-place’ – a unique region definable by natural (rather than political) boundaries with a geographic, climatic, hydrological, and ecological character capable of supporting unique human and nonhuman living communities. Bioregions can variously be defined by the geography of watersheds, similar plant and animal ecosystems, and related, identifiable landforms (e.g., particular mountain ranges, prairies, or coastal zones) and by the unique human cultures that grow from natural limits and potentials of the region.” (Thayer 3)

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As college students many of you are making Missoula your home here (perhaps temporarily), and this final personal essay challenges you to consider how where you live now shapes who you are and how you try to live. Your purpose here is to compose a bioregional personal essay to communicate some point about your life-place to readers, your peers who are also making their homes here.

Genre Issues “There must be a purpose behind telling the story that speaks in some way to

someone else.” Your experiences and bioregional research serve as evidence Analysis and reflection are critical methods to go beyond simply telling a story A personal essay is not just for the sake of the writer – it’s intended to be a

window on the world for readers Your final draft should be 1,000 words

Guides to Invention Engage in the Generating Ideas invention prompts in the text Write what you know about Missoula as a place Conduct research on Missoula as a bioregion as a class Read: excerpt from Henry David Thoreau’s Walden: “Where I Lived and What I

Lived For” Read: preface and chapter one from Robert L. Thayer’s Life Place: Bioregional

Thought and Practice

EvaluationYou will receive comments rather than a grade on selected drafting artifacts and your final draft.

I will collect and look over your drafting materials to see if you complete all aspects of the assignment and understand and practice assigned writing process activities. Please select one piece of invention work and one piece of drafting to submit with the draft.

I will read your final draft to determine your success:

Focusing on a purpose that engages readers in your study of how where you matters to who you are and what you do

Using personal experience and research on bioregion as evidence Using narration and reflection as methods of development Engaging the genre of the personal essay Demonstrating an understanding of bioregionalism Practicing conventions of grammar, punctuation, spelling as appropriate

Unit 4: MWF Schedule

W 11/4 Op-ed dueIntroduce personal essay

Rd. 91-95 CWRd. Thayer & Thoreau

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IW # 8: What is bioregional thinking? How does/doesn’t Thoreau engage in it? How might you?

F 11/6 Discuss readings Set up research homework

Conduct small group research: Missoula as bioregionWrite individual research log based on group effort

M 11/9 Discuss Missoula as bioregion (bring logs)Practice invention

Continue invention (see 109-114 CW & 52-56 EW)

W 11/11

Invention workshopRevisit Developing Paragraphs (8a-f EW) using models

Write sketch

F 11/13 Workshop sketch Develop sketch into full draft for conference

M11/16 Pair conferences Attend conference prepared

W11/18

Pair conferences Attend conference prepared

F 11/20 Workshop Draft 2 Revise, edit, proofreadM11/23 Personal essay due

Revisit final portfolio guidelinesTBA

Unit 4: T/Th Schedule

T 11/10 Op-ed dueBegin personal essay

Rd. 91-95 CWRd. Thayer & ThoreauIW#8 What is bioregional thinking? How does/doesn’t Thoreau engage in it? How might you?

Th 11/12 Discuss readingsPractice invention (see 109-114 CW & 52-56 EW)Set up research homework

Continue inventionConduct small group research: Missoula as bioregionWrite individual research log based on group effort

T 11/17 Discuss Missoula as bioregion (bring logs)Invention workshopMove towards sketch

Write sketch

Th 11/19 Pair conferences: workshop sketch Revise, edit, proofreadT 11/24 Personal essay due TBA

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Revision and Final Portfolio Preparation MWF Schedule

W11/25-F11/27

Thanksgiving break Review course guidelines & working portfolio, reread goal statement; revisit Portfolio Keep; bring entire working portfolio to class after break & bring EW every day

M11/30 Create revision plansGet back personal essay

Radical revision: personal essay

W12/2 Workshop personal essay Radical revision: weakest major paper

F 12/4 Workshop paper of choiceInvention: introductions

Revisit Reynolds: consider choice and arrangement of entries

M 12/7 Workshop: choices, arrangements Continue revising

W 12/9 Workshop introductions; check in on portfolio questions

Finalize portfolio

F 12/11 Portfolio due12/14-12/18

Receive graded portfolios during exam slot; Attendance required

Revision and Final Portfolio Preparation T/TH Schedule

W11/25-F11/27

Thanksgiving break Review course guidelines & working portfolio, reread goal statement; revisit Portfolio Keeping; bring entire working portfolio to class after break & bring EW every day

T 12/1 Create revision plansGet back personal essay

Radical revision: personal essay & weakest major paper

T 12/3 Workshop 2 papersInvention for introduction

Write introductionRevisit Reynolds: consider choice and arrangement of entriesContinue revision of papers

T 12/8 Workshop: introductions & choices/arrangement

Finalize portfolio

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Th 12/10

Portfolio due

12/14-12/18

Receive graded portfolios during exam slot; Attendance required

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