This document outlines the in-class and homework activities and assignments for a 4-week course. Each week covers a different essay assignment: Week 1 focuses on an argumentative essay, Week 2 on a narrative essay, Week 3 on a concept essay, and Week 4 on a problem-solution essay. For each week, the document lists the in-class activities such as lectures, discussions, and writing exercises. It also provides the related homework assignments such as required readings, response posts, and draft submissions. The homework is designed to reinforce and extend the in-class lessons. Students are expected to write multiple drafts of each essay and receive peer feedback to improve their work prior to final submission.

1. Week
In-­‐Class
Activities
Homework
Week
1
1/09
Class Work Homework
Essay #1
The Argument
Class
1
Introduction
Brainstorming Activity
Introduce essay #1
Outlining
Thesis
Topic Sentences
Counterargument
BUY: The Hunger Games (HG)
The Saint Martin's Guide to Writing (SMG).
Make: Your Word Press Website username
Post #1 Outline with thesis
Bring: A hard copy of your outline; pen; Bluebook;
Be prepared to take in-class essay test #1 during class
3.
Class
2
Online
Video: Run-on Sentences
Video: Sentence Types
Lecture: Four Sentence Types
Review: In Class essay structure
Read: HG through chapter 2.
Post #2: Four sentences—Two of each of the four types
you practiced in the slide presentation. Make sure they
are relevant to your essay so you can include
sentences similar to them in your in-class writing.
Week
2
1/16
Class
3
Review for essay #1
In-Class Essay #1
• Read: SMG 16-38
o You can find this chapter on the website:
“Primary Texts” and “Remembering and Event”
• Post #3:
o Answer the questions in the “Analyzing Writing
Strategies” section after the Dillard essay on pages 25-26
o Answer the questions in the “Analyzing Writing
Strategies” section after the Wolff essay on page 31-32
o Answer the questions in the “Analyzing Writing
Strategies” section after the Bragg essay on page 36-37.
• Bring: SMG
Essay #2
The Narrative
Class
4
Online
Video: Academic Honesty
Reading: Basic Features (40-41)
Lecture: Formatting dialogue
Writing: Practicing dialogue
Read: HG through chapter 7. As you read, note a
passage that reminds you of a personal experience.
Post #4: The dialogues from the in-class writing
Bring: HG and SMG
Week
3
1/23
Class
5
Teams 1
Discussion: Readings 16-38
Discussion: The Hunger Games: Stories
Presentation: Essay #2
In-Class Writing: page 46 SMG
1. Beginning with a quotation/transitioning
to your remembered event.
2. Vivid presentation of a place: Using
sensory details: 643-648
• Read: HG through chapter 9.
• Post #5: finish and post your in-class writing
• 1. Beginning with a quotation/transitioning to your
remembered event.
2. Vivid presentation of a place: Using sensory
details: 643-648

2. Class
6
Online
Video: How to Write Dialogue
Review: Essay #2 Assignment
Review
1. Beginning with a quotation/transitioning
to your remembered event.
2. Vivid presentation of a place: Using
sensory details: 643-648
New Writing: page 46 SMG
3. Describing a person central to your event.
4. Writing Dialogue.
5. Framing: beginnings and endings
Read: HG through chapter 12.
SMG p 37 “Commentary: Autobiographical
Significance,” and 625-633.
Post #6:
3. Describe a person central to your event. Include a
physical description and gestures or behaviors.
4. Writing Dialogue.
5. Framing: beginnings and endings
Bring: HG and SMG; draft of your writing
Week
4
1/30
Class
7
The Hunger Games: Themes and Concepts
Discussion:
• A Well-Told Story
• Sentence length.
• Constructing an action sequence
• Reflecting on the Event's Significance
In-Class Writing
Focus on the climax of your event.
Recalling Remembered Feelings and
Thoughts
Exploring Your Present Perspective
Formulating a Tentative Thesis
Statement
• Read: HG through chapter 12. SMG p 37
“Commentary: Autobiographical Significance,” and
625-633.
• Post #7: Post your draft: Long quote; transition;
thesis; intro to event, description of place(s),
description of people, a dialogue or two, the climax
(with short and long sentences working to achieve
your goal), and a paragraph that speaks to the
significance or your event (use the list of answers to
the questions on slide #13 and #14); end with
framing plan.
• Bring: HG and SMG; A copy of post #7 (electronic
ok)
Class
8
Online
Video: Sentence Fragments
Video: Citations
Video: Works Cited Page, Formatting
Presentation: Essay #2 Review
Discussion: Bragg: “Analyzing Writing
Strategies” #1 p 36: Comparing
In-Class Writing:
• Similes and Metaphors
• Time Transitions and Verb Tenses
• Integrating quotations MLA style
• MLA Format
• Preparing the complete draft: SMG 52-53
MLA formatting
Read: HG through chapter 15
Post #8:
1. Your revised introduction with your properly
integrated quotation and transition to your thesis.
2. Five similes or metaphors appropriate to your essay.
3. An example or two of how you used time transitions
in your essay.
4. An example of one quotation with an appropriate
signal phrase.
Write: Complete Draft of Essay #2
Endeavor to format it MLA style
Make a works cited page for your essay.
Bring: Two clean, complete copies of your draft; SMG
Week
5
2/6
Class
9
You should have two clean, complete
copies of your draft
Writing Workshop: 20 participation points.
Revision Strategies: Wordiness
MLA formatting
Kaizena submission and Questions
Read: SMG 134-148 Writing a Concept Essay
Write: Using the comments you received from your
readers, revise and edit Essay #2.
Post #9: Post two versions of a section of your essay
that demonstrate your revision and editing strategies.
Submit Essay #2:due date to be announced
Your paper must be in MLA format.

3. Essay #3 The Concept Essay
Class
10
Online
Video: Digital Media
Presentation: Essay #3: The Concept Essay
Discussion: Ngo and Toufexis
In-Class Writing: Considering topics for
your essay from The Hunger Games. Make a
list of four different possibilities. Write
paragraphs for two of them, sketching out
what you already know about the concept.
Use one example for each from HG
Read: HG through chapter 19; SMG 148-163
Post #10 Finish and post your in-class writing: slides 5
and 14
Post #11: Name the two concepts about which you wrote
paragraphs. find a definition for your concept. It can be
from a dictionary or an encyclopedia.
Find a few lines from The Hunger Games that illustrate
each concept. Copy them into your post, and then
explain how the example demonstrates, defines, or
embodies the concept. (Include page numbers)
Bring: Post # 11 and SMG to Class
Week
6
2/13
Class
11
Change teams 2
Presentation:
• Review: Ngo and Toufexis
• Friedman: Anecdotes; Compare and
Contrast
• Holmes: Illustrations and Examples
• Basic Features
• Discussion: Ways to begin
• Writing: Focus your Concept
Read: HG through chapter 22
Post #12: Finish and post your in-class writing:
Tentative Focused concept, limiter, categories, and types.
Find three more examples of your concept in HG.
Endeavor to find examples to represent your
classifications or categories.
Post #13 Choose another concept to compare and
contrast with yours for the purpose of demonstrating
differences.
Class
12
Online
§ Video: Library Resources, part 1
§ Video: Image Attributions
§ Review
§ Essay focus
§ Discussion:
§ The Thesis
§ Writing an Outline
§ Writing Strategies
§ Extended Anecdote
§ Examples
§ Illustrations
Post #14: Make an outline for your concept essay.
§ Include a preliminary idea for what kind of
anecdote you might include in your introduction.
§ Include your thesis
§ Name at least two categories
§ Include at least two or three types you may be able
to discuss under each category
§ Use the format on slide ten if you need
help
Week
7
2/20
Class
13
§ Meet in the Library Lobby
§ Library Orientation 20
participation points
Library Research Task
§ The Works Cited Page
§ Post #15: Library Project for Concept essay
§ Read your research articles
§ Post #16: answer these questions:
1. Which concept will you write about?
2. What is your limiter?
3. What are your categories?
4. Which anecdotes might you use to help explain
the concept to your readers?
5. What other concepts might you compare and
contrast to your concept?
6. Which terms might you need to define?
7. Will pictures and graphs work to enhance your
explanation of your concept? Which?

4. Class
14
Online
¡ Video: Internet Credibility
¡ Video: Basic Paper Formatting
¡ Essay Review
¡ Conclusions
¡ Appositives
¡ How and When to cite
¡ Plagiarism
¡ Quoting and Summarizing
¡ Integrating Quotations
¡ Tips for writing your essay
Read: HG through chapter 24
¡ Post #17: Post a list of five appositive phrases
you have included in your essay.
¡ Post #18: Your Conclusion
¡ Bring: Three copies of your complete draft
Week
8
2/27
Class
15
v Writing Workshop: 20 participation
points. If you don't have three complete
copies of your draft, you will be asked to
go get them before you can participate.
Essay #3 Due date to be announced
Write: Revise Essay #3
Read: SMG 326-359: Read all four essays in the chapter.
Patrick O Malley, “More Testing, More Learning”
Karen Kornbluh, “Win-Win Flexibility”
Matthew Miller, “A New Deal for Teachers”
Gian-Claudia Sciara, “Making Communities Safe for
Bicycles”
Post #19: Discuss the basic features as they appear in
each essay. Pick a different feature for each essay
Class
16
Online
§ Video: Advanced Database Search
Problem Solution Essays
- Patrick O Malley, “More Testing,
More Learning”
- Karen Kornbluh, “Win-Win
Flexibility”
§ Introduction to Essay #4
§ Generating a topic for your essay.
Read: Finish The Hunger Games
Post #20: Answer the questions about the Kornbluh
essay: slides 17-21
Finish your Chart
Post #21 Use your Chart to begin to brainstorm ideas for
your essay. Choose the two most interesting problems to
explore further. Write one paragraph explaining each
problem in detail. Write another explaining a tentative
solution for each problem.
Bring: Your chart and paragraphs with you to class.
Week
9
3/06
The Problem Solution Essay
Class
17
• Meet in the Library Lobby
• Library Day: 20 participation points
• Be prepared to do preliminary research
for your problem/ solution essay
Read your research articles
• Post #22: Library Task: A Tentative Works Cited
page for your essay
Bring SMG and a copy of your essay draft.
Class
18
Online
• Video: Dangling Participles
• Video: Parallelism
• Techniques
• Review
• Discussion: Essay #4
• In-Class Writing: Refining your
problem and finding the best solution.
Post #23:
1. A revised and developed description of your
problem: two to four good paragraphs.
2. One or more sentences to serve as your tentative
thesis statement. In most essays proposing solutions
to problems, the thesis statement is a concise
announcement of the solution.
3. A paragraph explaining why your solution would
solve the problem.
4. A paragraph about why your solution is possible.
5. A list of the steps of implementation.

5.
Week
10
3/13
No Formal Meetings this week. Individual
conferences in my office on Tuesday.
• Extended office hours
Class
19
Online
Video: Counterarguments
Review
Describing the problem
The solution: the thesis
Outlining the plan
Planning for objections: the counterargument
Evaluating Alternative Solutions
Research? What more do you need?
Investigate
Interview
Read
• Post #24
• Notes and brainstorming for your
counterargument
• Your consideration of alternative solutions
• Revisit the library webpage to add to your
preliminary research
• Put all of the parts of your essay into the outline you
wrote today. Read your essay aloud to make sure it is
in a logical order. Integrate your research into your
essay. Begin your works cited page.
• Post #25: your draft thus far.
• Bring a copy of post #25
Week
11
3/20
Class
20
Change Teams 3
Review: Essay #4:
Describing the problem
The solution: the thesis
Outlining the plan
Counterargument
Alternative Solutions
New: Introductions
Conclusions
Self-Assessment
Finish the introductions and conclusions we wrote today
in class and add them to your draft. Read your essay
aloud to make sure it is in a logical order. Change the
order of your paragraphs if that makes sense to you.
Post #26: Your revised introduction and conclusion
Class
21
Online
Video: Top Ten Essay “Don’ts”
Sentence Strategies
Self Assessment
Prepare the final draft
Work through the slides to prepare your
essay for the in-class writing workshop. The
essay you bring to class should be ready to
submit for a grade.
MLA Review Included:
Integrating and Citing Sources
Works Cited Page
Check your essay for ambiguity. Add words to clarify
“this” and “that.” Check your sentences for “agents.”
Bring one clean, hard copy to class.
An Electronic Copy will not do for this exercise!
• Your essay should be in MLA format
• It should include a works cited page
Self Assessment Due via Kaizena before Monday,
week 12.
Revisions due via Kaizena Friday at noon, Friday Week
11.
Week
12
3/27
Finals Week
Final:
Class
Tuesday class: Final 7-9 Tuesday morning
Thursday class: Final 7-9 Thursday morning
Self-Assessment due via Kaizena before
class begins
Writing Workshop
Review your essay suggestions.
Revise Essay #4 accordingly
Submit Final Essay
Tuesday Class: Final due noon Wednesday
Thursday Class: Final due noon Friday