Assignment Schedule

ALP Assignment Schedule Fall 2016*

*Assignment schedule is subject to change and adjustments throughout the semester

 WEEK ONE 9/7
Introductions; Syllabus review

 WEEK TWO 9/12 & 9/14
Diagnostic writing sample; Writing as a process and a skill; 

Journals and Annotation  

 WEEK THREE 9/19 & 9/21

In-class Activities: Summary and Analysis 

 WEEK FOUR 9/26 & 9/28

Monday: Read Chapter 12 (“I Take Your Point”: Entering Class Discussions)

Chapter 1 (“They Say”: Starting with What Others Are Saying)

NICHOLAS CARR, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” [p. 313]

In-class Activities: Discussion

“Using Framing in a Discussion” from Additional Activities

Exercise 1 from Chapter 1 [p. 28]

Wednesday: Read Chapter 14 (“What’s Motivating This Writer?”: Reading for the

Conversation)

Chapter 2 (“Her Point Is”: The Art of Summarizing)

Write: Write a summary of Carr's essay

In-class Activities: Thesis Statements 

Exercises 1 from Chapter 2 [p. 40]
Write: Write a response/analysis to Carr’s essay
Due Wednesday Oct 5

 WEEK FIVE

Monday, October 3: 
Read Chapter 4 (“Yes / No / Okay, But”: Three Ways to Respond)

RADLEY BALKO, “What You Eat Is Your Business” [p. 466]

DAVID H. FREEDMAN, “How Junk Food Can End Obesity” [p. 506]

Wednesday, Oct 5:
Write: Write a summary of and response/analysis to Balko’s essay
Due Monday Oct 10

In-class Activities

“A Local Issues Argument” and “An Argument Circle” from Additional

Activities

 WEEK SIX
Monday, Oct 10

Read Chapter 3 (“As He Himself Puts It”: The Art of Quoting)

MICHAEL POLLAN, “Escape from the Western Diet” [p. 420]

MARY MAXFIELD, “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” [p.

442]

Wednesday, Oct 12

In-class Activities: Writers workshop

Exercises 1 and 2 from Chapter 3 [p. 50]

WEEK SEVEN Monday, October 17

Read Chapter 5 (“And Yet”: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say)

SHERYL SANDBERG, “Lean In: What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?” [p.

642]

BELL HOOKS, “Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In” [p. 659]

Wednesday, October 19
BELL HOOKS, “Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In” [p. 659

In-class Activities

Exercises 1 and 2 from Chapter 5 [p. 75] PLEASE TYPE FOR SUBMISSION

“Evaluating Use of the First Person” and “Recasting Point of View” 

WEEK EIGHT
Monday, October 24
Write: Assignment 1 due

Read Chapter 6 (“Skeptics May Object”: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text)

ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” [p. 676]

Wednesday, October 26

Review of Ch 5 & 6

WEEK NINE

Monday, Oct 31

RICHARD DORMENT, “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All” [p. 697]

In-class Activities

Exercise 2 in Chapter 6 [p. 91] PLEASE TYPE FOR SUBMISSION

“Playing the Role of the Naysayer” and “That’s Just Wrong”

Wednesday. Nov 2
Analysis paper workshop

WEEK TEN  
Monday, Nov 7
Read Chapter 7 (“So What? Who Cares?”: Saying Why It Matters)

CHARLES MURRAY, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” [p. 234]

Wednesday, Nov 9
Class cancelled

WEEK TEN
Monday, Nov 14

In-class Activities

Wednesday, Nov 16

SANFORD J. UNGAR, “The New Liberal Arts” [p. 226]
Prepare for quiz on the reading

 WEEK ELEVEN
Monday, Nov 21
Read Chapter 8 (“As a Result”: Connecting the Parts)

PAUL KRUGMAN, “Confronting Inequality” [p. 561
BRANDON KING, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold?” [p. 610]

Wednesday 
No class- Thanksgiving break

WEEK TWELVE
Monday, Nov 28

Submit essay any outstanding redrafts of previous essays

LIZ ADDISON, “Two Years Are Better than Four” [p. 255]

MICHELLE OBAMA, “Bowie State University Commencement Speech” [p. 285]

Read Chapter 9 (“Ain’t So / Is Not”: Academic Writing Doesn’t Always Mean

Setting Aside Your Own Voice)

Nov 30

Read Chapter 10 (“But Don’t Get Me Wrong”: The Art of Metacommentary)

Chapter 13 (“IMHO”: Is Digital Communication Good or Bad—or Both?)

GERALD GRAFF, “Hidden Intellectualism” [p. 264] 122

WEEK THIRTEEN
Monday, Dec  5
Write: Assignment 2 due

Read Chapter 15 (“Analyze This”: Writing in the Social Sciences)
"Titles Workshop" 
Discussion of Gladwell's Small Change: Why The Revolution Will Not Be Tweeted

Wednesday, Dec 7

• IN-CLASS WRITING ASSESSMENT (FINAL EXAM)
• JOURNALS DUE

WEEK FOURTEEN
Monday, Dec 12
OPTIONAL EXTRA CREDIT WRITING ASSIGNMENT (IN CLASS)

Wednesday, December 14
Portfolio Submissions due- deliver them to my office in the English department office (3rd fl)

ASSIGNMENTS

The assignments build on each other: the first asks students to summarize and respond to a single essay, while the second asks them to summarize two related essays and then enter the conversation found in the two essays. The third assignment, a bridge to the longer, self-initiated final project, asks students to describe a larger conversation (i.e., involving more than two viewpoints) in either their field or their community (or perhaps in response to more than two essays in the book). The final assignment, a culminating piece, uses their own research to support an argument related to the conversation they

describe in the third assignment.

Assignment 1: Summarizing, Quoting, Responding (3 pages)

Choose one of the essays that we’ve read and discussed as a class (listed below), and

write an extended summary of the essay (“they say”) as well as your response to the

arguments made (“I say”). You can use additional essays as support for your own

ideas, but you should construct your own argument in response to one particular

author. If you use quotes, make sure you “sandwich” them, as described in Chapter 3

NICHOLAS CARR, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” [p. 313]

DAVID ZINCZENKO, “Don’t Blame the Eater” [p. 462]

RADLEY BALKO, “What You Eat Is Your Business” [p. 466]

DAVID H. FREEDMAN, “How Junk Food Can End Obesity” [p. 506]

MICHAEL POLLAN, “Escape from the Western Diet” [p. 420]

MARY MAXFIELD, “Food as Thought: Resisting the Moralization of Eating” [p. 442]

Assignment 2: Entering a Conversation (5-7 pages)

Choose one of the sets of essays listed below*. Summarize both of the arguments (“they

say”), explain how the authors agree and disagree, and craft your own response to the

issues the two essays raise (“I say”). Make sure you include a naysayer to show possible

objections to your argument, and address the “so what?” factor: why does this issue

matter?

SHERYL SANDBERG, “Lean In: What Would You Do If You Weren’t Afraid?” [p. 642]

BELL HOOKS, “Dig Deep: Beyond Lean In” [p. 659]

ANNE-MARIE SLAUGHTER, “Why Women Still Can’t Have It All” [p. 676]

RICHARD DORMENT, “Why Men Still Can’t Have It All” [p. 697]

CHARLES MURRAY, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” [p. 234]

SANFORD J. UNGAR, “The New Liberal Arts” [p. 226]

PAUL KRUGMAN, “Confronting Inequality” [p. 561]

BRANDON KING, “The American Dream: Dead, Alive, or on Hold” [p. 610]

LIZ ADDISON, “Two Years Are Better than Four” [p. 255]

MICHELLE OBAMA, “Bowie State University Commencement Speech” [p. 285]
GERALD GRAFF, “Hidden Intellectualism” [p. 264] 122

*If you would like to select a text not included in the list, you may, but please discuss it with me first.