Week at a glance September 2 - 6, 2013

This week our focus will be on revising and editing Minor Essay 1.  A rough draft of the essay is due Wednesday night.  Students will have the opportunity to do peer review and have one-on-one conferences with me later in the week.  Even as we revise and edit the first essay, students will also begin readings and analysis that will help set up their next essay.  Sorry if it's tough, but this is a writing class after all.

• Mon: Labor Day - no school
• Tues: Discussion over the College Application Essay results.  In-class Response 2 due by the end of the hour.  For Wednesday, read Cofer 68-75 and Hughes 118-120.
• Wed: Discuss Cofer and Hughes.  For Thursday, read Wiesel 267-273.  Minor Essay 1 rough draft due by 11:59:59. Bring in a copy of Minor Essay 1 on Thursday and Friday.
• Thurs: Discuss Wiesel.  Begin Cofer, Hughes, and Wiesel structural analysis.  Minor Essay 1 conferences and peer review.
• Fri: Minor Essay 1 conferences and peer review. Cofer, Hughes, and Wiesel structural analysis due by the end of the hour.

Week at a glance August 26-30, 2013

This week we officially begin our readings out of our textbook for our first minor essay of the semester.  Our first minor essay will look at narrative non-fiction on the topic of literacy and education.  Each writer relates his/her own experience and motives for the work, in addition to the multiple layers of presence he/she adds.  The readings for the week will serve as structural models for students to apply to their own writing.

• Mon: Discuss Alexie 27 - 30 and complete the Presence Inventory.  Read Douglass 86 - 91 and Rodriguez 187 - 203 for Tuesday.
• Tues: Discuss Douglass and Rodriguez; complete the Presence Inventory for each writer.  Read Tan 232 - 237 for Wednesday.
• Wed: Discuss Tan and complete the Presence Inventory.  Minor Essay 1 - assignment and discussion.
• Thurs: Meet in Library Lab D to shape and create a rough draft of Minor Essay 1.
• Fri: Meet in Library Lab D to continue shaping and creating a rough draft of Minor Essay 1.

Minor Essay 1 rough draft

electronic copy due by 11:59:59 on Wednesday, Sept 4

Week at a glance August 19 - 23, 2013

WRHS Open House

Wednesday, Aug 21 -- 6:00 - 9:00 pm

After a brief but excellent start last week, this week we'll begin with our first peer review activity as we look at the results of the College Application Essay.  We'll discuss the strategies students used and the challenges they faced, as well as some guidelines for what makes an excellent response.  The College Application Essay is due via e-mail on Tuesday night.  We'll then move into our textbook and analyze how the editors of the textbook define presence within writing.  The editors highlight four specific characteristics, which we will analyze in four exemplary examples.  We'll wrap up the week with a look at how various writers view components of the writing process.  Students will select a quote they find interesting or relate to and create a quickwrite response.

• Mon: College Application Essay - peer review and revision
• Tues: College Application Essay due by 11:59:59 to ritchjoh@usd437.net  The Four Qualities of Presence within an essay -- notes and discussion.  Complete the Presence Inventory.
• Wed: The Four Qualities of Presence - begin reading, annotating, and discussing exemplars.  Finish reading and annotating the remaining pages.
• Thurs: The Four Qualities of Presence - finish exemplar discussion.
• Fri: Quickwrite - read the selection of quotes.  Select one and create a one-page response, due by the end of the hour.  WP reading homework: read Alexie 27 - 30 before coming to class on Monday.

Bring your Writer's Presence textbook to class from now on beginning Monday, Aug 26.

Week at a glance August 12 - 16, 2013

Welcome!

On this site you'll find a breakdown of each week's lesson plans and activities for Comp I.  Assignments and due dates will always be listed in red.  You can access class handouts through the "Course Materials" section located on the top right of this site.  If you have any questions or comments regarding the things you'd like to see on this site, call me at WRHS or e-mail me at ritchjoh@usd437.net

Our required textbook for the class is an anthology called The Writer's Presence.  We also have a recommended text called Rules for Writers.  Though not required, I strongly recommend the book as an excellent writing resource students will use throughout their academic experience and beyond.  Students may pick up their textbooks at the Washburn University bookstore.  I've also hyperlinked the titles.  Click on the title to go to the Amazon page for each book.  It is possible that the book may be available used at a much cheaper price than elsewhere.

This first week is a chance to get to know one another and preview what is ahead.  We'll start the week with introductions and a discussion of the syllabus.  We'll then spend some time doing a pre-test to see what we already know and preview some of the main of the class.  We'll wrap up the first week with a discussion and analysis of College Application essay prompts.

• Mon: teacher work day
• Tues: New student orientation
• Wed: Introductions and course overview. Begin the Comp I Pre-test.  Create a professional e-mail account and e-mail Mr. Ritchie by Friday.
• Thurs: Complete Comp I Pre-test and discuss results.
• Fri: Professional e-mail due by the end of the school day.  Analyze and discuss College Application prompts.

All students should have a copy of The Writer's Presence to bring to class

by Monday, August 26, 2013