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!)