The Final Week

There is NO CLASS on Monday, December 15. There is also no assignment for the final class on Wednesday, December 17. We will have a brief wrap-up of the course, and I will return your final papers to you. See you then.

No assignment for Monday, 12/8

There is no assignment for Monday (although please remember that your final papers are due on Wednesday, 12/10). We'll be watching a film in class. It's about a mermaid. It has singing, a talking crab, and a whole lot of subtext.

Assignment for Wednesday, December 3

Please note that there is NO CLASS on either Wednesday, November 26, or Monday, December 1. So the next time we will meet is WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 3. For that Wednesday, please read "Frederick and Imagination," by Susanna Schmidt, available here. (It would be a good bet to expect a response assignment based on this reading in class.) I will also return your drafts with comments on that date. Until then, enjoy your holiday break.

Assignment for Monday, 11/24

Remember that your first draft for essay #3 is due on Monday, November 24. You should attach the thesis and outline that we discussed in conference.

Writing Conference #3 - Schedule

Please remember that there is NO CLASS on Monday, November 17. Instead, we will have 10-minute writing conferences for our third essay on Wednesday, November 19. The conference schedule is as follows:

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Room: NGT 456

• 2:00pm: Maharajh
• 2:10pm: Ruzzier-Gaul
• 2:20pm: Beauchamp
• 2:30pm: Ponomarenko
• 2:40pm: Keitt
• 3:00pm: Loizzo
• 3:10pm: Flora
• 3:30pm: Fountain

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19
Room: MAN 610

• 4:00pm: O'Neal
• 4:10pm: Evers
• 4:20pm: Borshch
• 4:30pm: Avellino
• 4:50pm: Thibodeau
• 5:00pm: Smith
• 5:10pm: Swaebe

Remember to bring your thesis statement and a rough outline of your essay. See you Wednesday.

No Assignment for Wednesday, 11/12

There is no assignment for Wednesday; we'll continue to talk about race, as well as look at some online sources of interesting children's tales.

I'll have the sign-up sheet for our third (and final) writing conferences available on Wednesday as well.

Assignment for Monday, 11/10

Read "The Picaninny Caricature," an online article from the Jim Crow Museum of Racist Memorabilia, available here. We will discuss on Monday (and we could possibly have a response exercise based on it - hint, hint).

Essay Assignment #3

Essay Assignment #3
Argumentative Essay

Assignment: Using the texts we have read (or watched) this semester, answer the following question:

Does politics belong in children’s literature?

Your essay should be 5-7 pages, double-spaced, and typed with 1” margins. You should use appropriate citation formatting from the texts.

Objectives: The goal of this essay is to help you develop your own thesis-driven argument about the course content. Rather than responding to one or more specific readings, you are expected to respond to a specific question and to use a variety of course material to support your answer. Over the course of the semester, you have begun to be qualified enough to take your own position on relevant questions, and to support your position with the ideas and opinions of others as accessed through class readings.

I suggest that you follow these steps in completing the assignment:

1. After reading the assigned question, begin by jotting down your initial reactions to it. Based on your own understanding of the course topic, how would you answer this question? It is highly recommended that you begin rather informally, jotting down as many ideas as you can with regard to the assigned question. Do not concern yourself at this early stage with constructing a focused and coherent answer.
2. As you begin to respond to the assigned question, you may also begin to take note of which specific class readings seem most relevant to this question. In thinking about the assigned question, which readings come to mind? Can other class readings be connected to this question, even if it may not be their central focus?
3. In reviewing your initial responses to the assigned question, look for common threads that can serve as a starting point for formulating a thesis. Your ultimate goal is to articulate your answer to the assigned question in a clear sentence that can serve as the thesis statement for your paper.
4. With a preliminary thesis statement in hand, begin to identify which class readings will be most helpful for supporting this statement. Begin to look at each reading in more detail to determine exactly what parts of the reading are most relevant to your thesis. Make note of specific sections that can be incorporated into your paper as evidence.
5. Prepare a tentative outline that lists the points and corresponding textual evidence you plan to use to support your thesis.
6. Once you have an outline, you are ready to start writing your first draft.

Deadlines: Like previous assignments, I will ask you to draft a one-sentence thesis statement. However, I also want you to construct a reasonable well-defined outline as well. The thesis-and-outline will be due IN CONFERENCE with me on Wednesday, November 19. (A sign-up sheet for conference times will be available in class a week ahead of time.) We will meet one-on-one for a 15-minute conference concerning your thesis, evidence, and supporting arguments as described in the outline. As before, if you absolutely cannot make the scheduled meeting times, contact me to arrange an alternative meeting time.

Your first draft of the essay is due in class on Monday, November 24. Again, if you cannot make it to class, you need to make alternate arrangements with me. You MUST attach the thesis-and-outline statement page we discussed in conference. I will provide comments on the drafts and return to you the following Monday (12/1).

Your final draft is due on Wednesday, December 10, at the beginning of class. You should attach your first draft AND your thesis-and-outline, because I will want to track how the essay has been revised.

Just to be clear, these again are the deadlines:

Wednesday, November 19
Thesis and Outline Due IN CONFERENCE

Monday, November 24
First Draft Due
(w/ thesis/outline attached)

Wednesday, December 10
Final Draft Due
(w/ 1st draft & thesis/outline attached)

Grading: Grading will be based on the criteria provided in your syllabus. However, FIVE additional considerations will also be factored into your grade:

• If you do not meet with me in conference to discuss your thesis and outline, I may deduct up to a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you do not submit your first draft in class on Monday, November 24, I may deduct up to a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you hand in your final draft late, without a valid and documented excuse, I may deduct up to a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you do not attach your thesis/outline to the first draft, or the first draft to the final draft, I will deduct a third of a letter grade from your grade for the assignment for each offense.
• In general, you should revise extensively between the first draft and final draft. A lack of revision will be reflected negatively in the final grade.

Assignment for Wednesday, 11/5

For Wednesday, you should finish reading Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix; we'll wrap up our look at the book. (Also, don't forget to vote on Tuesday!)

Assignment for Monday, 11/3

Please note that there is no class on Wednesday, 10/29 (Advisement Day). There is no class assignment for next Monday, but remember that the final draft of your second essay assignment is due. See you then.

Writing Conference #2 - Schedule

We do NOT have class next week; instead, you are each meeting one-on-one with me for a 15-minute writing conference. The schedule is posted below in case you are unsure about when and where to meet me. Please do NOT be late for your conference, and make sure you bring TWO copies of your essay.

Monday, October 20 - NGT 456

• 12:00pm: Vergara
• 12:15pm: Ponamarenko
• 12:45pm: Maharajh
• 1:00pm: Avellino
• 1:15pm: Ruzzier-Gaul
• 1:45pm: Thibodeau
• 2:00pm: Swaebe
• 2:30pm: Keitt
• 2:45pm: Loizzo

Monday, October 20 - MAN 610

• 4pm: Evers
• 4:15pm: O'Neal
• 4:30pm: Fountain
• 4:45pm: Flora
• 5:00pm: Smith
• 5:15pm: Beauchamp

Assignment for Wednesday, 10/15

Please note that there is NO CLASS ON MONDAY, 10/13, due to the holiday.

For next Wednesday, continue reading in HPOP up to and including Chapter 27. Also, please remember that your THESIS STATEMENT for Essay Assignment #2 is also due on Wednesday.

Essay Assigment #2

Comparative Analysis Essay

Assignment: Download, and read, the following two articles:

• Michael Bronski, “There’s Something About Harry” (available here)
• Christine Schoefer, “Harry Potter’s Girl Trouble” (available here)

After reading the articles, write a short essay that offers a comparative analysis of the two texts. Your essay should be 4-5 pages, double-spaced, and typed with 1” margins. You should use appropriate citations from the texts (we will discuss citation formats in class).

Objectives: The goal of this essay is to help you make the transition from a critical response of one text (the first essay assignment) to a comparative analysis of two different texts. Once again, you will need to offer a thesis statement and supporting textual evidence, and you will need to employ critical reading skills (to provide a close and detailed reading of the texts) and critical thinking skills (to formulate a response to the texts). For this assignment, however, you will not only analyze each text individually, but in relation to each other.

I suggest that you follow these steps in completing the assignment:

• Review the first text (or your notes on it) to understand its central argument and the points it uses to support its thesis.
• Review the second text (or your notes on it) to understand its central argument and the points it uses to support its thesis.
• Once you have a clear understanding of each text, move towards a comparison of the readings. What common ideas/topics do they address? What similarities or differences are there in their approach to these common ideas/topics? Where are their major points of agreement? Where are their major points of difference? Write down preliminary answers to these questions.
• Move from these general questions towards one statement that summarizes how these separate readings relate to each other. This statement (your preliminary thesis) will provide the foundation upon which your discussion will be built.
• Once you’ve identified a preliminary thesis statement, prepare a tentative outline that organizes each of the points you will use to support your thesis according to one of the structural models discussed above. This outline should identify what textual evidence you plan to use in support of your ideas. There are generally two recommended ways to organize comparison essays:

1. Identify the specific points that will support your thesis and discuss the relevant section of each reading that pertains to this supporting point. Thus a full discussion of supporting point number one would include a detailed analysis of each reading as it relates to this point. This would be followed by a full discussion of supporting point number two, number three, etc. In this model, each reading is discussed at multiple points throughout the paper.

2. Each reading is discussed separately and fully as it relates to the topic. This format can be problematic in that it limits the amount of direct interaction between the separate readings. Students need to be careful to employ a comparative approach even as they discuss each essay separately.

• Once you have an outline, you are ready to start writing your first draft. Write the draft based on the outline, but do NOT feel that you have to slavishly follow it. If, while writing the essay, you discover alternative points or different ways of structuring your argument, modify the outline to match.

Deadlines: I will ask you to first draft a one-sentence thesis statement. This statement should clearly identify the texts you will use for the paper, and how you are going to compare the two. TWO COPIES of this statement are due in class on Wednesday, October 15. (I will collect one and you will use the other for feedback.) If, due to an emergency, you cannot come to class on Wednesday, make arrangements with me to deliver the thesis by Wednesday morning through alternative means. We will give each other feedback on our thesis statements in class, and I may return additional feedback at your writing conference.

Your first draft of the essay will be due IN CONFERENCE with me on either Monday, October 20 or Wednesday, October 22. (A sign-up sheet for conference times will be available in class the previous Wednesday.) We will meet one-on-one for a 15-minute conference concerning the draft. You should bring TWO COPIES of the draft paper (you will read one copy while I read the other). Again, you can decide which of the two days you will meet with me, but be aware of the trade-offs involved.

Your final draft is due on Monday, November 3, at the beginning of class. You should attach the copy of your first draft with my comments and notations from the writing conference.
Just to be clear, these again are the deadlines:

Wednesday, October 15
One-Sentence Thesis Due (2 copies)

Monday/Wednesday, October 20-22
First Draft Due (2 copies)

Monday, November 3
Final Draft Due (w/ 1st draft attached)

Grading: Grading will be based on the criteria provided in your syllabus. However, FIVE additional considerations will also be factored into your grade:

• If you do not bring two copies of the thesis statement to class on October 15, I may deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you do not meet with me in conference to discuss your first draft, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you hand in your essay late, without a valid and documented excuse, I may deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you do not attach your thesis statement and first draft to the final draft, I may deduct a third of a letter grade from your grade for the assignment for each offense.
• In general, you should revise extensively between the first draft and final draft. A lack of revision will be reflected negatively in the final grade.
  

Assignment for Wednesday, 10/8

For Wednesday, continue reading in HPOP up through chapter 22. We will discuss on Wednesday.

No Assignment for Monday, 10/6

There is no assignment for next Monday. Enjoy your weekend!

Assignment for Wednesday, 10/1

There is no additional assignment for Wednesday, beyond the fact that the final draft of Paper Assignment #1 is due. Don't forget to attach the first draft with my comments.

Assignment for Monday, 10/29

For NEXT Monday (after the writing conferences), please continue on in HPOP, reading chapters 12-16.

Writing Conference #1 - Schedule

We do NOT have class next week; instead, you are each meeting one-on-one with me for a 15-minute writing conference. The schedule is posted below in case you are unsure about when and where to meet me. Please do NOT be late for your conference, and make sure you bring TWO copies of your essay.

Monday, September 22 - NGT 456

• 2:15pm:Ruzzier-Gaul
• 2:30pm: Ponomarenko
• 3:30pm: Smith

Monday, September 22 - MAN 610

• 4pm: O'Neal
• 4:15pm: Borshch
• 4:30pm: Avellino

Wednesday, September 24 - NGT 456

• 2pm: Maharajh
• 2:15pm: Swaebe
• 2:30pm: Vergara
• 2:45pm: Loizzo
• 5:15(ish): Beauchamp

Wednesday, September 24 - MAN 610

• 4pm: Thibodeau
• 4:15pm: Evers
• 4:30pm: Fountain
• 4:45pm: Keitt
• 5:00pm: Flora

Assignment for Wednesday, 9/17

There is no assignment for Wednesday; we'll continue talking about writing. (You are welcome to continue to read HPOP, however; we'll discuss chapters 12-16 after the break for conferences.)

Essay Assignment #1

Essay Assignment #1

Critical Response Essay

Assignment: Download, and read, “What’s Wrong with Cinderella?” by Peggy Orenstein. The article is available from the New York Times Magazine online here. After reading the article, write a short essay that offers a critical response to Orenstein’s argument. You need to first IDENTIFY her argument (you need to be able to summarize it clearly), and then EVALUATE this argument. Is the author’s thesis persuasive or not? Is her reasoning flawed? Does she need additional evidence?

Your essay should be 3-4 pages, double-spaced, and typed with 1” margins. There is no need to include citations because, in this case, I know exactly what source you are using. However, if you quote from the article, please format the quotation properly.

Objectives: The goal of this essay is to help you make the transition from summarizing a text to offering a critical response, complete with thesis statement and supporting textual evidence. You will need to employ critical reading skills (to provide a close and detailed reading of the text) and critical thinking skills (to formulate a response to the reading). These critical reading and thinking skills provide the foundation for critical writing.

I suggest that you follow these steps in completing the assignment:

1. Read the whole work, noting key ideas and concepts (either annotating the text itself or keeping your own notes).
2. Determine the essay’s thesis and the main points that the author uses to support this thesis. Write a preliminary summary of each of these main points.
3. Formulate a (tentative) opinion about the essay with regards to the author’s success or failure in supporting the thesis. NOTE: This is different from agreeing or disagreeing with the author's thesis. Form an opinion regarding how effectively the author argues his/her point, whether you agree with it or not.
4. Move from a general reaction to the essay towards a more focused statement about it. In other words, edit the thoughts you formulated about the essay into one statement (your preliminary thesis statement).
5. Once you’ve identified a preliminary thesis statement, prepare a tentative outline that organizes each of the points you will use to support your thesis. This outline should identify what textual evidence you plan to use to support your ideas.
6. Once you have an outline, you are ready to start writing your first draft. Write the draft based on the outline, but do NOT feel that you have to slavishly follow it. If, while writing the essay, you discover alternative points or different ways of structuring your argument, modify the outline to match.

Deadlines: Your first draft of the essay will be due IN CONFERENCE with me on either Monday, September 22 or Wednesday, September 24. (A sign-up sheet for conference times will be available in class a week ahead of time.) We will meet one-on-one for a 15-minute conference concerning the draft. You should bring TWO COPIES of the draft paper (you will read one copy while I read the other).

Based on availability, you can decide which of the two days you will meet with me, but be aware of the trade-offs involved. For example, meeting Wednesday gives you more time to complete your first draft, but leaves you with less time for revision. If you absolutely cannot make the scheduled meeting times, contact me to arrange an alternative meeting time.

Your final draft is due on Wednesday, October 1, at the beginning of class. You should attach your first draft, because I will want to see how much you have revised the essay since your draft. You should attach the copy of your first draft with my comments and notations from the writing conference.

Just to be clear, these again are the deadlines:

• Monday/Wednesday, September 22-24
  First Draft Due (2 copies)
  
• Wednesday, October 1
  Final Draft Due (w/ 1st draft attached)

Grading: Grading will be based on the criteria provided in your syllabus. However, four additional considerations will also be factored into your grade:

• If you do not meet with me in conference to discuss your first draft, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you hand in your essay late, without a valid and documented excuse, I will deduct a full letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• If you do not attach your first draft to the final draft, I will deduct a third of a letter grade from your grade for the assignment.
• In general, you should revise extensively between the first draft and final draft. A lack of revision will be reflected negatively in the final grade.

Assignment for Monday, 9/15

For next week, continue reading in HPOP, chapters 7 through 11. We'll discuss in class on Monday.

Assignment for Wednesday, 9/10

For Wednesday, be sure to read chapters 1-6 in Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We'll discuss in class on Wednesday.

Assignment for Wednesday, 9/10

There is no assignment for Monday (besides getting familiar with this website). For Wednesday, please read chapters 1-6 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. We'll discuss in class.

Grading Criteria

Grading criteria for written assignments are as follows:

A: This essay expresses complex, independent thought with grace, clarity and force. Its purpose is clear from the start: it contains a thesis that is imaginatively, logically, and precisely developed. Not only is the paper organized, the organization does not seem mechanical or imposed. Any source material included is balanced and smoothly integrated into the essay. Each topical paragraph has a controlling idea, solid detail, and smooth transitions. The sentences are varied in length and structure. The writer chooses concrete, specific words and uses them correctly, employing diction that is distinctive and mature, with effective metaphors and analogies for clarity and emphasis. The essay contains no colloquialisms, clichés, or trite expressions. It is virtually free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

B: This essay contains a clear thesis statement supported with good examples. The writer controls the essay’s development by arranging the examples supporting the thesis in an orderly and logical fashion. The essay is well-organized, but transitions are sometimes strained. Any source material included is smoothly integrated, and some independent conclusions are drawn. Each topical paragraph has a controlling idea and good supporting detail. The sentences are usually varied. The word choice is generally correct. The writer often goes beyond the automatic word choice to find one more precise and effective. The paper is generally correct mechanically, though there are some problems with complex grammar and punctuation traps.

C: This essay contains a recognizable thesis and adequate development. Though the paper has some interesting parts, the interest is not uniformly maintained and the purpose is not always clear. There are very few errors in sentence structure, but the sentences are not varied. The word choice is generally correct, but the range of words is limited, and in some cases the wording is abstract and imprecise. Source material included is relevant but not carefully integrated. This essay also has errors in syntax, spelling and punctuation. More importantly, it lacks an original, significant purpose or point of view.

D: Meets only the minimum requirements of college writing. The writer approaches the topic in a conventional and predictable manner. The essay lacks imagination and insight. Though it may contain a thesis, it is poorly or mechanically developed. It also lacks adequate support of generalizations. Source materials are cited improperly, are not directly relevant, and/or overwhelm the essay. Some principle of organization is apparent but it is not successful followed. The diction is often imprecise and monotonous. The writer uses vague, ordinary words and relies on clichés and jargon. The essay contains sentence fragments, run-on sentences, and numerous basic errors in syntax, agreement, reference, spelling, and punctuation.

Syllabus

Course Description

The goal of this course is to introduce you to the MMC academic community while you practice college-level reading, writing and critical thinking skills necessary for both your scholarly and professional lives. You will explore a topic from several perspectives, acquire a basic understanding of several academic disciplines, and learn to appreciate the advantages of interdisciplinary study. Through a series of written assignments, you will become comfortable with the recursive process of professional-level composition, including invention, drafting, revision, peer feedback, and editing.

This particular writing seminar is taught by a political scientist, and so focuses on a specific political question: how political themes are represented in literature. But in this class we will be interested in a particular kind of literature: children’s literature. I use the term “children” here broadly, to indicate anything from picture books to young adult fiction. “Literature” should also be understood to include narratives presented as part of different kinds of texts, including films, cartoons, and even songs.

The bulk of the course will be spent looking at one particular piece of children’s literature (at least the book is targeted towards kids, although many adults have read it): Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. This is the fifth volume of the popular seven-book series, and so those of you who haven’t read the earlier books may need to play catch-up. Still, it is the book in the series that, I think, presents the best opportunity to discuss political themes. Our examination of these themes in HPOP will be supplemented by additional picture books, short films, and other primary sources, as well as some academic and journalistic writing about how the political world is presented to children.

Outcomes/Objectives

At the end of this course, you will be able to:

1. Participate more fully in the rigors of collegiate academics.
2. Appreciate the value of in-depth exploration from several disciplinary perspectives.
3. Read college-level texts with confidence.
4. Engage in intensive critical thinking and writing.
5. Understand and apply the recursive composition process.
6. Compose effective academic essays.

Required Texts

Students are encouraged to purchase the following book:

Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
J.K. Rowling

I did not ask for the book to be specially ordered at the bookstore because it is quite literally available everywhere. Feel free to purchase a used copy online or from local bookstores.

Additional readings will be assigned throughout the semester through the use of handouts, library access, and online links at the course website. Readings will be assigned at the end of each class, and also will be posted on the class website.

Course Requirements

• Come to class prepared. Complete all required readings beforehand, and bring these readings to class when feasible.
• Participate. Attend class regularly and on time—you cannot participate if you are not present—and join your colleagues in critical analysis of the assigned readings. In order to encourage participation, you will be asked to complete the following assignment:
• In-Class Responses. At the beginning of some classes where a reading is assigned, you will be asked to write a short summary/response to the readings. I will collect these after they are written. In each, you not only will need to demonstrate that you’ve read the assigned reading, but that you are able to use the reading to generate original thought (these will be the basis for class discussion).
  
  I will mark the responses as either credit or no-credit. Doing the reading does not guarantee that you will receive credit for your response, but it makes getting credit exceedingly likely. Response papers cannot be made up; if you miss a class (or even the beginning of class) during which a response was assigned, you miss the opportunity to submit that response.
• Complete all other written assignments:
• Critical Response Essay (3-4 pages). In this paper, you will go beyond mere summarization and offer a critical response to one of the course readings.
• Comparative Analysis Essay (4-5 pages). You will be asked to provide a comparative analysis of two of the texts we will examine in this course. (Please note that “text” here should be interpreted broadly to include films.)
• Argumentative Essay (5-7 pages). In this paper, you will develop a thesis-driven argument that answers a specific question about the course material.
  
  For each assignment, you will be required to submit at least one draft and, in some cases, other preliminary materials before the final draft is due. Guidelines for each assignment will be distributed in class at appropriate times (see “Course Schedule” below).
• Participate in individual conferences when required (sometimes outside regularly scheduled class times, though not on different days). Sign-up sheets will be posted about a week beforehand.
• When directed by the Instructor, participate in Writing Labs and/or individual tutoring sessions at the Center for Academic Advancement (CAA). The Writing Labs target all areas of writing instruction, and require a series of five one-hour meetings with a CAA tutor on five consecutive weeks. At the end of the lab, the tutor will provide a written assessment of the student’s progress. A student who has been referred to the CAA, and who does not complete the required lab component or tutoring sessions, will not receive a passing grade for the course.

Grading

Your grade will be based on your written work and your class participation. Course requirements will be weighted as follows when calculating your grade:

• Participation: 25%. Participation grades are based in part on in-class responses. While the exact number of required responses will depend on circumstances (our syllabus has a certain amount of flexibility built into it), submission of all required responses (with the exception of ONE) establishes a base participation grade of B. Failure to submit a response will lower this grade by one-third of a letter grade. Excessive lateness or absences also will lead to grade reductions, while frequent and thoughtful contributions to class discussion will have the opposite effect.
• Critical Response Paper: 20%.
• Compare/Contrast Paper: 25%.
• Critical Analysis Paper: 30%.
• (Total for all Papers: 75%)

A one letter grade penalty will be imposed upon late papers without valid documentation (e.g., medical emergency). A similar penalty will be imposed on submitted work that is missing required components (e.g., an outline or a draft).

Grading criteria for written assignments are available here.

Incomplete grades will be assigned only for a valid and documented cause, for a length of time specified by the instructor when the documentation is accepted.

Academic Integrity

Students should be aware of the college’s policies regarding cheating, plagiarism and any other kind of academic misconduct as outlined in the MMC Academic Honesty Policy. These policies will be discussed briefly during the first class, and are available here. Students who have questions or concerns about their written work should discuss these with the instructor before submitting any assignments.

Special Needs

Any student who is learning disabled, whose primary language is other than English, or who has other special needs and may thus require special accommodations should notify me immediately.

Course Schedule (subject to change)

Below is a rough outline of the semester schedule, including the scheduled due dates for writing assignments. Specific reading assignments will be announced in class and posted on the course website.

Wednesday, September 3
Course Overview
Freewriting

Monday, September 8
Responses

Wednesday, September 10
Introduction to Harry’s World

Monday, September 15
Paper Assignment #1 distributed

Wednesday, September 17
Thesis Statements

Monday, September 22
Wednesday, September 24
NO CLASS: STUDENTS MUST ATTEND WRITING CONFERENCE
Paper #1 First Draft Due

Monday, September29
T.B.D.

Wednesday, October 1
Paper #1 Final Draft Due

Monday, October 6
Paper Assignment #2 distributed

Wednesday, October 8
Citing Sources

Monday, October 13
NO CLASS – COLUMBUS DAY

Wednesday, October 15
T.B.D.

Monday, October 20
Wednesday, October 22
NO CLASS: STUDENTS MUST ATTEND WRITING CONFERENCE
Paper #2 First Draft Due

Monday, October 27
Halloween

Wednesday, October 29
NO CLASS – ADVISEMENT DAY

Monday, November 3
Paper #2 Final Draft Due

Wednesday, November 5
Paper Assignment #3 distributed

Monday, November 10
T.B.D.

Wednesday, November 12
T.B.D.

Monday, November 17
Wednesday, November 19
NO CLASS: STUDENTS MUST ATTEND WRITING CONFERENCE
Paper #3 Thesis/Outline Due

Monday, November 24
Paper #3 First Draft Due

Wednesday, November 26
NO CLASS - THANKSGIVING

Monday, December 1
Paper #3 First Draft returned to students

Wednesday, December 3
T.B.D.

Monday, December 8
T.B.D.

Wednesday, December 10
Paper #3 Final Draft Due

Monday, December 15
T.B.D.

Wednesday, December 17
Course Wrap-Up