Writing 90 Assignment Page
               For the Week of October 3, 2008
You will see this as a lot of work -- and it is!  Other than the journaling assignment, which should be ongoing throughout the week, I am providing a suggested timeline (days and amount of time) you should plan to do the work for each assignment.  If you find yourself spending more time than what I suggest, please let me know.  You may be working too hard :-)  The main thing is: Do not try to do all of this in one sitting, and certainly don't wait until the last minute to do it all!

JOURNALING

  1. Journaling topic/theme to work on this week: "How I Spend My Time" (see general instructions for journaling).  

    As a college student, you may find yourself challenged with time-management skills.  You may feel that you either do not have enough time to get all of your work done or that you have too much free time and are bored a lot of the time.  So, for four days this week, please write in your journal about what you've done that day and how long your various tasks took you.  Please use full sentences (don't just list activities and times), but don't feel like you need to go into detail.  "I went to work from 8 to 5" would be enough, for example, or "From 5-6, I took bus home; then I watched TV for a couple hours. I ate some dinner, and then my friend came over and we played video games till about 11."  You can add any thoughts about what you did; don't feel like you can't write about feelings or thoughts.  Be sure to reflect on how you spent your day ("I feel like I was rushed from one thing to the next, but I really didn't accomplish a single thing!" or "It seems like I have no time to study, but now looking over my day, I can see that I'm wasting a lot of time....").  On the last day of the week that you journal write you conclusions about how you spend your time as a college student and where you might pat yourself on the back or, alternatively, improve.

EXERCISES

Spread the work in this section (Excerises) out over maybe three days, devoting no more than 45 minutes per day on each portion.  Don't save the work for the last day, and don't try to cram things in your head!  I would recommend beginning the Exercises in the beginning of next week.

Plagiarism

  1. We are going to get started now with learning about plagiarism, just one baby step per week.

Grammar

Textbook

Ch. 3 Grammar Review:
  1. READ Ch. 3 (you should have skimmed & scanned this last week) 
  2. DO Exs. 2, 4, 6, and Reviews 1 & 2 
  3. CHECK your answers to Review 1 on the Student Answer Key
  4. TURN IN your answers to Review 2 only.  Due Fri., Oct. 10, beginning of class, in your pocket folder.

Online

  1. Go to http://college.cengage.com/devenglish/brandon/sentences_paragraphs/5e/resources.html
    1. Click on the "Navigate by Chapter" pull-down menu in the upper left.
    2. Select Chapter 3, then "ACE the Test."
    3. Do Quiz 1 (Note: These are called "quizzes," but think of them as online exercises.)
    4. If you get 60 % or less, please go on to Quiz 2 and send the results of that to me, as well.
    5. Quiz 1 (and Quiz 2, if necessary) are due by the end of the day on Wednesday, Oct. 8

Practice Quiz / Mini-Quiz

Starting next week, you need to be prepared for a mini-quiz at the beginning of class covering mostly the grammar portion of the previous week.  The mini-quiz will be exactly like the practice quiz, which will be assigned as homework.  You'll see that the practice quiz includes the answers on the second page.  Based on your trouble spots and what you have learned over the week, you may make a "cheat sheet," which may be one regular piece of paper (front only).  The cheat sheet must be your own work (you can't just photocopy your friend's).  I'll want to take a look at it and approve it before allowing you to use it in class.  Here is the practice quiz for this week.  You do not need to turn this in; it is for your learning purposes only.

READING RESPONSE

Break this into three segments, doing a little each day, beginning this weekend.  This is probably your most time-consuming and important piece of homework for the week, so get started early and leave yourself time to struggle with the work.  I recommend doing No. 1 and maybe No. 2 (below) on, say, Saturday.  Keep in mind what you've learned about highlighting and annotating when you read the "A&P" essay.  Let the reading "sit" in your mind for a couple of hours (maybe do homework for another class or take care of housework) or even a day.  Then do your first draft of the Reading Response. Plan to do your final proofreading and any revising/editing a little closer to the day you turn it in; you are more likely to catch errors if you wait.

Last week you worked on an outline and a summary.  This week, please work on the reaction paragraph.
  1. READ "Women and Witchcraft," by Mary Beth Norton, pp. 12-13 (you actually should already have read this!) and then study the Reaction Response entitled "Sticks and Stones," by student Shanelle Watson.
  2. Now, READ John Updike, "A&P," pp. 319-323.
  3. (WG) WRITE a 150-word (or more) Reading Response, similar to "Sticks and Stones."  You can base your reaction on one or more of the discussion questions on p. 323, but that isn't necessary.  This is your first "WG" assignment.  Be sure to follow the Writing Guidelines.
  4. Also, be prepared to discuss this in class next week!
  5. Due Fri., Oct. 10, at the beginning of class in your pocket folder.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Paragraph Writing: Stage One

I would break this into three parts, too.  First, I would set aside time to read Ch. 14. You could do that toward the beginning of next week. Sometime in the middle of the week, take a little bit of time to choose a topic from the list below.  When you're ready, spend about 15-20 minutes at the most actually doing the prewriting assignment.  You should have this finished by Thursday, so it's all set to go Friday morning!

Prewriting 

  1. READ Ch. 14 (you should have skimmed & scanned this last week)
  2. You are going to do prewriting only (do not actually write an essay for this part of your homework!)
  3. Freewrite OR brainstorm OR use the cluster method to begin fleshing out the content of a paragraph you will be working on over the next several weeks.
  4. You may handwrite or type your prewriting.
  5. Choose from the following topics (don't worry if you like more than one; you will be able to choose from this list again)
    1. A relative has generously left you money in her will. You want to give some of it to charity. Which charity do you choose and why?
    2. You have won a free trip to Hawaii. You may take one person with you. Whom do you choose and why?
    3. The editor of your local newspaper has asked you to write about the best athlete on a team in your school or community. Whom do you choose and why?
    4. A friend from far away is coming to visit you for the first time. What place in particular do you want your friend to see during the visit?
    5. One place stands out in your memory. It may be indoors or outdoors, close to home or far away. Tell about it.
    6. A special machine lets you travel back in time. Describe what you witness firsthand sometime in the past.
    7. Most of us have "heroes," people we greatly admire. Our heroes are usually people who help others. Describe one of your heroes.
    8. Machines and gadgets have made life easier and more fun. Some machines we could not imagine living without. Write about a machine that you cannot live without.
    9. We think of cats, dogs, and goldfish as commonplace pets. There are also other, more unusual pets available. Write about a pet that you think is unusual.
    10. You are moving on to another place or a new experience. How does this move affect you?
    11. Something that you depend on breaks down. It takes a week to get it fixed. What does this do to your life?
    12. A natural disaster has struck your community. What are the results?
    13. You enjoy playing a particular game. Your friend wants to learn how to play it too. Describe how you teach your friend to play the game.
    14. Pretend there is a traditional holiday in three weeks. You want to have a party in your home. How do you organize it?
    15. You plan to surprise your mother by preparing a meal for her on Mother's Day. What do you do?
  6. Remember:  Turn in only the prewriting phase (freewriting, brainstorming, or a cluster diagram).
  7. Due Fri., Oct. 10, at the beginning of class in your pocket folder.

Good Luck, and be sure to write me if you have any questions or need help.
Please stay tuned to your e-mail for chat times!
Works Cited

Babbie, Earl. "How to Avoid Plagiarism." TRD: How to Avoid Plagiarism." 26 Oct 1998. Social Science Research and Instructional Council, Teaching Resources Directory. 3 Oct. 2008 <http://www.csub.edu/ssric-trd/howto/plagiarism.htm>.