Homework Due December 8th

I appears I did not publish the Homework due for last Tuesday - the Narrative/Descriptive Essay - sorry. But please do get it in by Thursday 12/8.

Also due on Thursday is a thorough reading of the Maya Angelou's piece "Champion of the World" - I intend to give you an essay question on the piece on Thursday.

If you have revisions for any of the work you have done, please get it in soon. We're almost there.

11/29 Homework - Due 12/1

Read the essay "Spare Change" (148-150) and if you were not in class also read "Call Me Crazy, but I have to be Myself" on page 153-154.

There will be a quiz on the "elements" in the essay: Narrative elements - story line, characters, use of dialogue, and also on Descriptive elements in the piece - sensory detail and how it's used.

We will get you started on Thursday writing your own Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective essay, so come with an idea in mind that you can explore with a classmate as to the detail you will include.

11/17 Homework Due Tuesday 11/22

Write a DESCRIPTIVE Essay that involves some Reflection on your part. The sensory detail you go into should have meaning that you spend time articulating. You can describe any scene, event, or activity that is full of sensory detail. Make sure it all serves your Thesis (your purpose, your idea). The paper should be in the usual 12 font,double-spaced format and should be about 2 pages in length. It also needs to be turned in to TURNITIN.

Also study the list of tricky words we went over. If you need more information about these words than you wrote out or than I made clear in class, you can check out the text (pgs 607 to 621).

Homework for 11/15

Everyone needs to revise the Compare & Contrast Essay due today and make improvements based on the peer review done today in class. When you turn the paper in on Thursday, please turn in the original version, the peer review sheet and the revised essay.


Also keep that list of tricky word choices that I handed out. We are not finished going over it and there will be several quizzes on these words.

Homework Due November 15 (Tuesday)

Writing Assignment #5 - Compare and Contrast Essay:

Write an essay comparing and contrasting one of the following topics:
• The difference between believing and knowing

• The difference between the patriotism of liberals and conservatives.

• Two musicians/groups of musicians

• Two places you've lived where things are very different

• Two politicians

• Two career paths you may be drawn to

• Two ways of handling disagreements between people

Explore one of these topics and discuss (compare and contrast) how you view them. You should not need to do any research on these topics. I want you to write from your experience or your own thought process. You may check dictionaries and you don’t need to cite them. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.

Homework for 11/3 - Due 11/10

1. Read about Compare and Contrast Essays on pages 181-182 and then read “The Likeness Across the Atlantic” (192-197), noting how it is structured as a Compare and Contrast Essay.

2. Work on revising the Argumentative Essay and any other paper you’ve done. If you have other past papers you would like to revise, you may do them too. The Research Revision must be in by November 15th.

NO CLASS (Tues. Nov. 8) – ELECTION DAY

Homework Due Thursday

There is nothing specifically due for Thursday. You should work on revising your Argumentative Research Papers and also any other papers you may improve by revising.

BRING TEXTBOOKS TO CLASS THURSDAY.

Homework Due on 10/27

Argumentative/Persuasive Essay With Research: Select some idea or issue you feel passionately about and about which you think you could suggest some rational solution or approach that you would like to persuade us to buy into. Make sure you are able to articulate opposing ideas that others might challenge you with. Do some research to find authorities your audience will find convincing to support your arguments (4 or 5), and present their research or ideas in your paper. Be sure to follow MLA guidelines in the following details:
• The formatting of your paper overall
• In-text citing of any sources you use
• The formatting of your Works Cited page

Your Argumentative Research Paper must be 4 to 6 pages in length including the Works Cited page. You should observe the usual requirements relating to font size (12) and spacing (double-spaced).

Homework for 10/18 - Due 10/20

You have a choice again for Writing Assignment #4.:

You may do an essay that follows the Cause and Effect approach:
Cause and Effect Essay:
Select a topic that means something to you that would explain WHY something is what it is - what caused it to be. If you can't think of something you are personally into, here are a few suggestions you might think about:

• The effects of peer pressure in our lives
• The effects of technological change over the last twenty years
• The effects of participation in athletic activities or competitions has had on your character
• How the "war on terror" has impacted our lives

Make sure you develop a personal insight that will form the basis of your thesis, and organize a discussion of the cause and effect relationship you want to highlight. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.

OR
Process Analysis Essay:
If you choose this, you can explain to me how your reader might go about doing something you think you know how to teach. Again, if you can think of something on your own, go with it, but if you need some ideas, you can choose from these topics:

How do you think young men and women should choose the career path that is right for them? If you are pretty sure of what you want to do, how have you chosen your path, and what could others learn from what you have done? Or if you are not yet sure, how do you envision yourself making your way along the road to the future?

The paper should be no more than three pages typed.

ALSO - for Thursday, bring your Argumentative Research Paper if you want to work on it in class, ask me any questions, etc.

Homework for 10/13 - Due Tuesday 10/18

1. Read “The End of Race as We Know It” (221-226) and take some notes as to how it is a Process Analysis essay

2. Keep working on research and writing of your Argumentative Research paper.

3. You may revise your Definition or Classification Paper, using your peer review and my review suggestions as a guide. Must be submitted next time. Grades will be averaged.

Homework for 10/11 - Due 10/13

Read “Dutch Discord” (165-169) and take notes as to how it is a Cause and Effect essay.

Work on your Argumentative Research Paper

Homework for 10/6 - Due Tuesday 10/11

Please remember that essays must be turned in to TURNITIN and you must also bring a hard copy of the paper to class. This is especially important for next Tuesday because you will be giving your essay to a classmate to review and I don't want some to be without papers. Thank you.

Writing Assignment #3 - Definition OR Classification Essay Assignment: We have read examples of both a Definition Essay and Classification Essays – the Definition Essay focuses on one term or idea. The Classification Essay breaks a common term or idea into a set of categories and then discusses how the categories differ but fall under the same larger group.

You may choose which one you want to do.
Definition Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that focuses on exploring the REAL MEANING behind a term that is important to you: Truth, Loyalty, Deception, Friendship, Integrity, Modesty, Evil, Patriotism, Heroism, Funny, Sad etc, etc.

Do some real free-writing before you focus and write your essay. These topics are so potentially huge, you need to limit the scope of your discussion, make it specific to your Thesis.

OR

Classification Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that explains how something [some common term, some experience, some concept] can be broken down into different categories, each representing something quite unique. We have read several classification essays that looked at different ways of talking about literature, different types of responses to the dangers of global warming, and different levels of meaning in literary works.

Select some topic that can be broken down into different categories. Make sure you articulate how each category is unique and give examples for each.

PLEASE NOTE THAT YOU ARE EXPECTED TP CONTINUE WORKING ON THE ARGUMENTATIVE RESEARCH TOPIC YOU HAVE CHOSEN. THE ASSIGNMENT FOR THAT IS STATED BELOW:
Writing Assignment #2 - Argumentative/Persuasive Essay With Research: Select some idea or issue you feel passionately about and about which you think you could suggest some rational solution or approach that you would like to persuade us to buy into. Make sure you are able to articulate opposing ideas that others might challenge you with. Do some research to find authorities your audience will find convincing to support your arguments, and present their research or ideas in your paper. Be sure to follow MLA guidelines in the following details:
• The formatting of your paper overall
• In-text citing of any sources you use
• The formatting of your Works Cited page

Your Argumentative Research Paper must be 4 to 6 pages in length including the Works Cited page. You should observe the usual requirements relating to font size and spacing. The following date commitments MUST be adhered to or your grade will suffer.

• Your paper must be completed and turned in to TURNITIN by OCTOBER 27, 2011. Hard copy due the same day in class.

Homework for 9/27 - Due 10/6

Homework:
1. Read the following essays, taking notes on what they teach you about how to write a "Definition" or "Classification" style essay:

- “Wikipedia and the Meaning of Truth” (239-243)
- “Four Ways to Talk About Literature” (206-207)
- “Four Sides to Every Story” (208-209)
- “The Lion, the Witch and the Metaphor” (210-211)

2. Look with some care through the terms on "Constructing Sentences" on pages 645 through 653 - maybe take a few notes.
- You should be familiar with what these terms mean: subject, predicate, parts of speech (nouns, pronouns, verbs, adjectives, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, and interjections), "compound" (subject or predicate), direct object, indirect object, phrases of different kinds, clauses of different kinds, sentences of different kinds (simple, compound, complex, compound-complex).

3. Work on the Research Paper you have chosen to write about. Some of you still need to figure out exactly what angle you are going to take. AND please read your email. I may send you possible sources, may make suggestions or ask you for information I have not received from you.

Homework for 9/22 - Due 9/27

Turn in a page TYPED with the following:
1. The Topic you intend to do your Argumentative Research Paper on - having cleared it with me. Email me if we haven't talked about it.
2. Your tentative "thesis" - the point of view you intend to argue in the paper
3. A list of 4-5 sources you have found to use including one that argues a point of view COUNTER to yours.
4. A TENTATIVE outline that should follow this general pattern - you can make changes as you do research and think it through:
a. General background (big-picture) on the topic
b. Your thesis (the focused argument you will make on some smaller part of the larger topic)
c. Points you will try to make - paragraph by paragraph
d. Best counter-argument made to your argument and why you find it unconvincing
e. Restatement of your argument and conclusion




PLEASE get these things done because after next class, the research paper will fall into the background a little. There will be other assignments and things to study. You will need to continue to work on this ALONG WITH all this other stuff. The draft of the research paper will be due OCTOBER 27th. You can ask me questions anytime about the work you are doing, about problems you may be having, but the deadline must be kept.

Homework for 9/20

1. Type out an Argumentative Research paper TOPIC you will commit to doing. If you cleared it in class - Joe Lombardi, Amanda, Dana, Michal, Joe Sacchitello, Ramon and Arendt - then just type it out and turn it in. If you DIDN'T clear it, please email me first and let me do a little back and forth so you are clear on what you're doing.
2. Start looking around for some sources. You will need 4 - 5 and one of those MUST be a source that argues AGAINST your point of view.

Thursday we will meet in the Library - the room to the left as you walk in. I think it's 105. There will be a presentation of how to use the data resources of the library for your paper. And you will be able to get started looking for sources if there is time.

Homework for 9/15

• Read “Agroterror” (309) and “Uncle Sam and Aunt Samantha” (312)
• Think about how anything you read could be used by you in your argumentative paper.
• If you haven’t cleared your topic idea with me and the class, this has to be done in Class 7.
• If you want to improve the grade you got on Paper #1, you may revise and resubmit, but this needs to be turned in by Tuesday, Sept. 20.

Homework for 9/13

Homework:
1) Read the following position essays and be prepared to answer some questions in class on them Thursday:
a. “Nuclear Not the Answer” (270-272) and
b. “Fatherless America” (279-283)
2) You might also begin going over what I attempted to present in a very concise form in class (chapter 16 of your text, pgs.249-264. Be aware these pages are a resource for you as you work on your Argumentative Paper.
3) Begin thinking about the topic you will commit to – you must tell me and let us review it a little in class before committing to it. All topics must be decided by 9/22.

Homework for 9/6

1. Settle on a person you intend to write your "People Matter" paper on, and if this is a person you would be able to interview, prepare interview questions and then do the interview, recording the interview or taking notes that you let the person review so that you can be sure you got the answers given. I think a few people said they wanted to write about someone they knew who had died. In that case, you will need to interview someone who knew them. Whoever you interview, focus your questions on the things that make that person admirable to you.
2. If you are interviewing someone, you will also need one other secondary source for the paper. So try to locate a useful source - something about the person or the era the person lived in or some event that the person went through.
3. If you choose someone is is not close to you - someone historical or in the news today, you should have two sources. If you can find an interview or some primary source, fine, but both can be secondary sources.

The "People Matter" paper is due on Tuesday, September 13th and it must be a) submitted to Turnitin, so we can see if there are any problems anyone has; and b) submitted to me (hard copy) in class. We will likely read some and talk about them a bit.Requirements for the paper in terms of pages, fonts, etc can be found in the Archived English 101/Lape Writing Assignments Document.

4. Continued going over chapters 27 through 29, taking some notes and concentrating on those things you may not have learned before. We will go over these chapters, but we'll do it pretty quickly, so you should spend some personal time trying to go over them.

8/30 Homework

1. Check to see that you can get online access to the course as listed on Turnitin. Go to the following site to create a student account and login:https://turnitin.com/login_page.asp - let me know if you have trouble with it.
2. Check to see that you can access my blog: http://composition-lape.blogspot.com/ - there you will find the Class Description (in Archives) you signed today. Please note that I amended it a little by adding the little mini-research paper that I will tell you about next time. Or you can read about it and the other papers that you will be submitting to the Turnitin site throughout the term. They are also described and archived at the blog.
3. I will email you all either individually or through the Farmingdale Oasis site where you are all listed as my class. Please respond to the email just so I know you can get emails and so I know you were able to access Turnitin and the LapeComposition Blog.
4. Then - with the new textbook that you picked up (also Homework) - go to pages 30-34 and get ready for the writing you will do on Thursday. Please be ON TIME. The title of the essay will be “The Essence of Me.” This essay will not be graded; it is what we call a “diagnostic” essay that I will read to get to know you a little, and not only about who you are as a person but how you write.

Think about what the “rhetorical situation” is in my asking you to write about yourself and do some free-thinking and scribbling about those aspects of you – your look, your personality, your life experience, background, strengths, weaknesses, interests, etc. that would be necessary to get across who you really are to someone who has never known you – me.

English 101/Lape
Writing Assignments

Writing Assignment #1: People Matter. Select a person who “matters” for you. The person can be someone in your family, someone else you know or know of who is not in your family, someone in the news, someone in history – someone you want to write about and try to get across to me why I should admire as you do. Who is this person, and what is his/her significance either to you personally or to our society today? You need only one secondary source to back up what you say in this paper. I just want to see you use a source and cite it: if the person is someone you know and you create a primary source by interviewing the person, then you would have two sources. If you intend to interview someone, read page 448 in your text and start preparing the interview questions.

We haven’t gone over any of the “rhetorical modes” that most of the semester’s writing will involve but we’ve mentioned them briefly. You may use any of the modes in this paper: describing the person physically, or some place associated with the person; you may define terms you find necessary in discussing him/her; you may tell a brief story that exemplifies the importance you associate with the person. Most importantly, you must have at lest one secondary source.

Your paper should be no more than three pages [12 font, double spaced and standard margins] – not counting the Works Cited page.


Writing Assignment #2 - Argumentative/Persuasive Essay With Research: Select some idea or issue you feel passionately about and about which you think you could suggest some rational solution or approach that you would like to persuade us to buy into. Make sure you are able to articulate opposing ideas that others might challenge you with. Do some research to find authorities your audience will find convincing to support your arguments, and present their research or ideas in your paper. Be sure to follow MLA guidelines in the following details:
· The formatting of your paper overall
· In-text citing of any sources you use
· The formatting of your Works Cited page

Your Argumentative Research Paper must be 4 to 6 pages in length including the Works Cited page. You should observe the usual requirements relating to font size and spacing. The following date commitments MUST be adhered to or your grade will suffer.
· You will need to commit to a topic by Sept. 22
· Your thesis statement, outline and list of four sources must be turned in on Sept. 27, and periodic checks will be made on your note-keeping.
· Your paper must be completed and turned in on Oct. 27 - to Turnitin AND a hard copy.

Writing Assignment #3 - Definition OR Classification Essay Assignment: We have read examples of both a Definition Essay and a Classification Essay – the Definition Essay focuses on one term or idea. The Classification Essay breaks a common term or idea into a set of categories and then discusses how the categories differ. You may choose which one you want to do.
Definition Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that focuses on exploring the REAL MEANING behind a term that is important to you: Truth, Loyalty, Deception, Friendship, Integrity, Modesty, Evil, Patriotism, Heroism, Funny, Sad etc, etc.

Do some real free-writing before you focus and write your essay. These topics are so potentially huge, you need to limit the scope of your discussion, make it specific to your Thesis.
OR
Classification Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that explains how something [some common term, some experience, some concept] can be broken down into different categories, each representing something quite unique. We have read several classification essays that looked at different ways of talking about literature, different types of responses to the dangers of global warming, and different levels of meaning in literary works.

Select some topic that can be broken down into different categories. Make sure you articulate how each category is unique and give examples for each.

Writing Assignment #4 - Cause and Effect OR Process Analysis Essay:
You have a choice again for Writing Assignment #4. You may do an essay that follows the Cause and Effect approach or the Process Analysis approach:
Cause and Effect Essay:
Select a topic that means something to you that would explain WHY something is what it is - what caused it to be. If you can't think of something you are personally into, here are a few suggestions you might think about:
• The effects of peer pressure in our lives
• The effects of technological change over the last twenty years
• The effects of participation in athletic activities or competitions has had on your character
• How the "war on terror" has impacted our lives

Make sure you develop a personal insight that will form the basis of your thesis, and organize a discussion of the cause and effect relationship you want to highlight. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.

OR
Process Analysis Essay:
If you choose this, you can explain to me how your reader might go about doing something you think you know how to teach. Again, if you can think of something on your own, go with it, but if you need some ideas, you can choose from these topics:
• How do you think young men and women should choose the career path that is right for them? What is the process they should follow? If you are pretty sure of what you want to do, how have you chosen your path, and what could others learn from what you have done? Or if you are not yet sure, how do you envision yourself making your way along the road to the future?

The paper should be no more than three pages typed.


Writing Assignment #5 - Compare and Contrast Essay:
Write an essay comparing and contrasting one of the following topics:
• Believing and knowing
• Living in the US compared to living in some other country you know well and can compare from your experience.
• Two career paths you may be drawn to compared
• Liberal and Conservative
Explore one of these topics and discuss (compare and contrast) how you view them. You should not need to doo any research on these topics. I want you to write from your experience or your own thought process. You may check dictionaries and you don’t need to cite them. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.


Writing Assignment #6 - Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective Essay:
Select a topic category from the following list and write an essay no longer than four pages that tells the story of -
· A time when you felt secure, hopeful, distraught, appreciated, confident, frightened, exploited, or misunderstood
· A time when you made a decision about lifestyle, career path, education or religion
· An event that tested your will, patience, self-concept or goals
· An event that changed or confirmed your assessment of a person, group or institution
AND don’t forget, your narrative essay must have a Thesis – a message or insight that the event taught you.

Your paper should be no more than four pages [12 font, double spaced and standard margins

Course Description You Signed in Class

FARMINGDALE STATE UNIVERSITY
ENGLISH 101: COMPOSITION AND RHETORIC
SECTION 90515 (IRENE LAPE-INSTRUCTOR)
Phone: 631-420-2050 (English Dept)
Email:lapei@farmingdale.edu, rene.lape@gmail.com

CLASS MEETINGS: 8:00-9:15 Tuesdays and Thursdays (August 30 to December 15)

REQUIRED TEXTS AND OTHER RESOURCES:
· The College Writer: A Guide to Thinking, Writing and Researching. 4th Edition by Randall VanderMey, et al (2012).
· Access to a dictionary – online is fine.

ALL TEXTBOOKS AND MATERIALS MUST BE IN YOUR HANDS BY THE SECOND CLASS.

COURSE GOALS:
1. The major goal of this course is to help you improve your ability to express yourself – your ideas, experiences, your expertise and analysis of course materials – in writing.
2. The way we’ll do this is to acquaint you with the various “rhetorical or expository methods” (ways of getting ideas across) that writers use in their “art”.
3. We will also look at some of the writing-skill details such as grammar, diction and different organizational approaches that will help you improve your writing skills.
4. Another goal is to help you perfect your researching skills and use of researched material in your writing.

COURSE REQUIRMENTS:
1. You will be asked to write an Expository Essay that will not be graded but that I will use as a diagnostic tool to see what your strengths and weaknesses are as a writer. I will keep this.
2. You must learn to format any research that you do in a particular style. This style will be different in different subject areas. You must simply learn that college course you take will require you to format research papers and you must learn to adhere closely to the format required.
3. You will be asked to write essays that adhere to specific “rhetorical modes or patterns.” You may revise any or all of these essays to improve your grade, but if a revision is not done, the grade will remain. The following essays will constitute 75% of your grade.
a. Mini-Research - "People Matter"
b. Argumentative/Persuasive Essay
c. Definition or Classification Essay (you choose)
d. Cause and Effect OR Process Analysis Essay (you choose)
e. Compare and Contrast Essay
f. Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective Essay
4. These essays must be submitted through the Turnitin program that FSC participates in. The program reviews each paper and can find if any part of your writing was taken from an online site or another paper submitted to the system. Turnitin will not accept papers more than a week late. Also you must turn in a hard copy of your paper to me as well. Please do not get into the habit of submitting papers late or forgetting to give me a hard copy. WRITE DOWN THE FOLLOWING YOU WILL NEED
· You need to log in using Course ID – 4216266
· The password is Comp2011
5. Grammar or Diction Issues that emerge in your writing will be dealt with and there will be in-class quizzes on what we go over and these quizzes will be graded.
6. From time to time, you will be asked to collaborate with other students – reviewing and editing their work, talking through approaches they might take to a topic.
7. And you will also be asked to present the essential arguments of your argumentative research paper orally to the class.
8. Your participation will also receive a grade – attendance, timeliness, participation in class discussions, responsiveness to questions asked of you – all of this will also be graded.
9. Grades will be based on the following formula:
· Essays Written (75%)
o Unless otherwise specified drafts and revised versions will be averaged for the grade.
· Compliance with submission deadlines and with research and formatting guidelines will constitute (5%). While you have one essay – the argumentative essay – that requires use and citation of sources, ANY TIME you use an outside source, you must cite and format. Your ability to recognize and adhere to intellectual integrity standards is important.
· In-Class Quizzes on reading or on grammar topics (10%)
o If you miss a quiz or in-class writing assignment, you will be offered a make up quiz (probably not the same exact one) but it must be done the next class you attend.
· Class Participation (10%)
o On-time attendance will constitute a major part of this grade

COURSE RULES:
· Your nightly assignments and all the Essay Assignments will be accessible to you on my blog: http://composition-lape.blogspot.com/
· A copy of this Course Description is also available to you in the blog archive.
· No assignment may be omitted.
· Late work will be graded down and will not be acceptable more than one week late.
· Plagiarized work will receive a failing grade. A second occurrence will be reported to the Dean and may result in expulsion from the school.
· All graded essays may be revised unless otherwise noted.
· The following dates must be adhered to in doing the Argumentative Research Paper:
o Commitment to and submission of the topic (September 22)
o Submission of four research sources, your “thesis statement” and a tentative outline is due September 27.
o Submission of the draft complete with all cites and properly formatted on October 27.
o Submission of any revised version of the paper by November 15.

I, ___________________________________, have read and understood the Course Requirements for this English 101 Class.

Student _______________________________________ Date __________________

STUDENT SUPPORT RESOURCES:
· Writing Center – 2nd Floor, Knapp Hall
· The Office of Support Services for Students with Disabilities (OSSSD)
Farmingdale State College
Laffin Hall, Room 202 (Tel. 631-420-2296)