Wednesday, May 30, second posting, 7:30 pm

Hello again,

I just received an email from Kayla asking about sources in regards to research for out of class essay 1. Great question. My answer is: any sources that are reliable. This includes books, articles and websites on the Internet, etc.

You may certainly use Wikipedia as a starting point. I know many professors forbid students to even consult Wikipedia. I find that it can offer basic information and more importantly, give the researcher ideas and suggestions for further research locations. In other words, you can certainly consult this site, but you cannot use it as a primary source in the paper. It should not appear on your Works Cited page.
(If the information is on Wikipedia, chances are it is ALSO available elsewhere.)

As far as NUMBER of sources required, use common sense. Utilize as many sources as you find necessary to retrieve the information you need.

Wednesday, May 30th, 5:15 pm

Hello,


A few things...


1. blogger.com has changed their format, so I am working on how install the follower's link.


2. We obviously did not have time for my lecture/discussion on how to critically read an essay. Hopefully, we will fit that in tomorrow, Thursday.


3. Here are the three readings for Packet 2, due to be read by next Tuesday (see course outline).


***"How the Drug War Hurts Everybody" 
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/12/how_the_drug_war_hurts_everyone/


***"Tackling America's Drug Addiction"
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127937271
(this is actually an audio--a 4 minute and 50 second interview that was recorded on National Public Radio in June of 2010.)

***"Confessions of a Mom (and a Former Teen Pothead)"
http://www.npr.org/blogs/tellmemore/2010/10/19/130677774/confessions-from-a-mom-and-former-teen-pot-head


4. Here is a copy of Out of Class Essay #1 Assignment, assigned and discussed in class today.

English 20, Section 1

Summer, 2012

Catherine Fraga, Instructor

Out of Class Essay Assignment #1—200 points possible—VOICES AGAINST CONFORMITY

• Assigned: Wednesday, May 30

• Rough Draft Due (OPTIONAL), typed & double spaced, no later    than Tuesday, June 5

• Final Draft Due:  Thursday, June 7, typed & double spaced

***Note that you have eight (8) days to research and write this essay.

Let’s take a closer look at the issue of conformity/non-conformity.

The most interesting, focused and articulate essays I receive from students are ones where students select their own specific topic and are genuinely intrigued by the topic.

For this essay, you will research and write about one person who is/was considered a non-conformist in his/her field of interest. Consider the possibility that the person deemed a non-conformist may not, in your opinion, actually BE a non-conformist. So your essay could support or disprove the label given by the majority of society.

This topic allows for a wealth of flexibility and choice.

Your focus will be on a person working in an area (and time period in history) that you are most interested in: photography; art; literature; politics; film; computers; music; fashion; science; mathematics; education; or ???

To get a better idea of some possibilities, and for purpose of illustration, let’s look at some examples of topics within in the time period of the 1950s in America.

Premise: Many in the 1950s worked diligently for the comfort and conformity displayed on such TV shows as “Father Knows Best” and “Leave it to Beaver.” But regardless of the affluence of the new American middle class, there was still poverty, racism and alienation in America rarely depicted on TV.

Dozens of people rejected societal norms through their artwork, creativity and lifestyle. They used words, art, film and music to rebel against the cookie-cutter mentality of the established power structure and mass-marketed culture.

Many writers during this time period (referred to as the Beat Generation) adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these writers included Jack Kerouac, Allen Ginsberg, Diane Di Prima, Sloan Wilson, J.D. Salinger, William Burroughs, and others)

Likewise, many artists during this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these artists included Willem De Kooning, Hans Hoffman, Mark Rothko, Jackson Pollock, Clement Greenberg, and others)

Also, according to an Internet article on Conformity in U.S. History: “While the 1950s silver screen lit up mostly with the typical Hollywood fare of Westerns and romances, a handful of films shocked audiences by uncovering the dark side of America’s youth.”

Many filmmakers of this time period adamantly refused to submit to the conformity of the 1950s. (these films include The Wild One; Blackboard Jungle; Rebel without a Cause, etc)

No matter what non conformist you select to research, your essay must contain the following:

·      your working definition of a non-conformist (in order to frame and set up your argument)

·      a brief history of the country’s mood during this time period;

·      background and details about the non-conformist you will focus on, in particular, those that help support your premise;

·      how his/her work challenged the status quo;

·      the impact of his/her work on others in the same field and on society;

·      and the repercussions and influence felt today or what you predict WILL be the repercussions in the future.

Your essay will be both informative and analytical: your thesis will “prove” the person’s influence, or not, on people’s lives, then and now.

Things to Consider:

This is NOT an essay in which you write an in depth analysis of the literature, film, music, fashion, etc. of the time period you are focused on. To do that, you would need to carefully read, view, or listen to the work or material at great length.

Instead, you are conducting research to discover the mood of the country and the status quo during a particular time period——why and how a person’s work was considered non conformist—and how their work influenced those living then…and now.

Your thesis might read something like this:

Although 1950s America appeared to be almost unrealistically content, many visual artists at this time, particularly Jackson Pollack, successfully combated the blissful charade by using innovative methods and themes in his work.

A BRIEF LIST OF TOPIC SUGGESTIONS:

Mahatma Ghandi                                    George Carlin

Martin Luther King, Jr.                        John Cassavetes

Eminem                                                Yves St. Laurent

Georgia O’Keefe                                    Abby Hoffman

Galileo Galilei                                    John Lennon

Emma Goldman                                    David Mamet

Janis Joplin                                                Jim Morrison

Johnny Cash                                                Ralph Nader

Steve Jobs                                                Joan of Arc

Nelson Mandela                                    Che Guevara

Karl Marx                                                Bill Gates

Dr. Jack Kevorkian                                    James  Dean

Quentin Crisp                                    Henry David Thoreau

Ayn Rand                                                Elvis Presley

Carl Jung                                               

Carl Sagan

Alexandr Solzhenitsyn

Tuesday, May 29th, second posting for today

Hello,

Below you will find a few things:

1. An  updated, corrected copy of the Grade Worksheet you received today. I apologize for the points error. I was adjusting the worksheet from spring semester to summer, and I made an error in addition. Feel free to print out this revised, corrected copy.

Name:______________________________Summer 2012, Prof. Fraga

POINTS EARNED Your English 20 Grade Worksheet--------1650 points possible

OUT OF CLASS ESSAYS—600 pts.

Essay 1 (200 points)_____     Essay 2 (200 points)_____Essay 3(200 points)

IN-CLASS ESSAYS—400 pts.

In class essay 1 (200 points)_____

In class essay 2 (200 points)_____

IN-CLASS WRITING RESPONSES—200 pts.

WR 1 (50 points)_____

WR 2 (50 points)_____

WR 3 (50 points)_____

WR 4 (50 points)_____

IN-CLASS GROUP WORK (200 pts.)

Each session is worth 50 pts.

Group Work 1 _____     Group Work 2  _____     Group Work 3  _____  Group Work 4 _____

QUIZZES (these five quizzes may not always be “announced” and they cannot be made up. (250 pts. total) Each quiz is worth 50 points. Please record each quiz and your score below.

Quiz 1_____  Quiz 2_____  Quiz 3_____  Quiz 4_____  Quiz 5_____

How to assess your grade earned: Divide the points you earn by 1650 to find the percentage.

Then see chart below.

100-95=A                                                            Example:  1005pts. earned=60.9%=C-

94-90=A-                                                            Example:  1230 pts. earned=74.5=C+

89-85=B+                                                            Example:  1336 pts. earned=80.9%=B

84-80=B                                                                       

79-75=B-

74-70=C+

69-65=C

64-60=C-

59=D

58 and below=F

2. Packet 1 information, again, along with the web address for each:

***"Sweet Land of...conformity?" by Claude Fischer (Boston Globe)
http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/ideas/articles/2010/06/06/sweet_land_of_conformity/

***A.J. Jacobs' "Year of Living Biblically" (TED Talks)
http://www.ted.com/talks/a_j_jacobs_year_of_living_biblically.html

3. Follow-up on today's discussion/assignment of the Viewer's Journal.

WHILE YOU ARE WATCHING BREAKING BAD, ESPECIALLY AFTER YOU HAVE DECIDED WHICH CHARACTER YOU WILL FOLLOW MORE CLOSELY PERHAPS THAN ANY OTHER, I SUGGEST YOU THINK ABOUT OR RECORD THE FOLLOWING OBSERVATIONS:

• What does this character do (and not do) and why?
• What do others think about your character? And how do you know?
• What motivates your character to do what he/she does?
• What influences this character to do what he/she does?
• What was your first impression of this character and does it change as you view new episodes? Why or why not? In which ways?
• What are this character’s goals, dreams, desires, needs? How do you know?
• Do you like this character? Why or why not?
• Is this character a believable one, a genuine one? Why or why not?

Tuesday, May 29th, 2012

Greetings...and congratulations! You have found the class blog. Be sure to bookmark this blog on your computer for easy and quick access. When you choose to be a follower on this blog, you should receive automatic updates when I post. However, please be sure to check the blog daily.

Below you will find a copy of the course outline and a copy of the unacceptable errors handout, both which were distributed in class today.

English 20—Composition II

Summer 2012

May 29 – July 5; TWR 10:30-12:50 pm – Calaveras 134

Instructor: Catherine Fraga

Email:  sacto1954@gmail.com

Office hours:  (Calaveras 149) TWR, 9:30 am-10:25 am OR BY APPT.

Course Description (from CSUS Catalog):  Advanced writing that builds upon the critical thinking, reading, and writing processes introduced in ENGL 1A and ENGL 2. Emphasizes rhetorical awareness by exploring reading and writing within diverse academic contexts with a focus on the situational nature of the standards, values, habits, conventions, and products of composition. Students will research and analyze different disciplinary genres, purposes, and audiences with the goals of understanding how to appropriately shape their writing for different readers and demonstrating this understanding through various written products. Note: Writing requirement: a minimum of 5,000 words. Prerequisite: Completion of ENGL 1A and ENGL 2 or equivalent with a C- or better; sophomore standing (must have completed 30 units prior to registration). Units: 3.0.

Required Texts & Materials:

• Two blue (or green) books.
• Lined notebook paper with a clean, straight edge.
• Stapler.
• Reliable access to a computer and a printer. You will need the computer to access readings, access the course blog, English20Summer2012.blogspot.com, and to view the seven episodes of Season I of Breaking Bad. (we will watch episode 1 in class on the first day)

In addition, many of the readings will be items found on the Internet and will need to be printed and brought to class.

• Sacramento State Student Writing Handbook—available free on line at:

http://www.csus.edu/wac/WAC/Students/CSUS_Writing_Handbook.pdf

(Suggestion: you may want to bookmark the two web addresses above on your personal computer for quicker access.)

Recommended Text:

Any writing handbook that, at a minimum, offers information on MLA research documentation.

Newly updated MLA format is available free online at:

http://library.csus.edu/guides/rogenmoserd/general/mla.html

Classroom Policies:

1. Attendance is especially important during this accelerated summer school course, which meets a total of only 18 days.   Classroom discussions prepare students for all writing assignments, and your fellow students and I need your input in order to make this class more complete and enjoyable.   

2.     YOU MUST TYPE AND DOUBLE SPACE ALL OUT OF CLASS WORK

3.     In all fairness to other students, out of class assignments must be handed in on time.  For out of class essays, for every day it is late, there will be 10 points deducted from your earned grade, even on weekends. You may not earn these points back in a revision.  In-Class Writing Responses and quizzes cannot be made up.

4.     You’re responsible for finding out what you missed if you are absent.  I will provide you with a class roster for your convenience.  If you miss class, ALWAYS ASSUME YOU HAVE MISSED SOMETHING IMPORTANT.

5.      My policy on EXTRA CREDIT is…I do not believe in extra credit. In short, “real” life outside the university does not operate on the extra credit option. You earn the grade you receive. It really is a fairness issue.

6.     ABOUT REVISIONS:  you have the option to revise one of your first two out of class essays. If you choose to revise, you must submit the revision with the original within one week of receiving the graded essay back. No exceptions. An essay with unacceptable errors might be an essay you choose to revise. Once you submit your revision, and receive it back with the revised score, you can continue to revise and re-submit as many times as you wish until you earn the grade you desire. ALL REVISIONS MUST BE HIGHLIGTED WHERE YOU HAVE MADE CHANGES AND/OR CORRECTIONS, ADDITIONS, ETC. and THE ORIGINAL GRADED ESSAY MUST BE ATTACHED TO THE REVISION. NO EXCEPTIONS.

7.       Plagiarism:  Students who plagiarize may be expelled from the university. Copying papers off the Internet or using other sources without documenting them are examples of plagiarism. (It is quite easy for instructors to discover whether a student has done this.) Quotes and paraphrases in your essays must be cited. Students who are discovered to have been plagiarizing will be referred to the appropriate University Dean.

A note on classroom etiquette:

If you feel you cannot survive each class session without the use of your cell phone, iPod, iPad or laptop computer, etc., please do not enroll in this class. (Simply, it is the highest degree of rudeness and disrespect.)  If I see you busy texting, etc. I will not hesitate to ask you to leave. (IF THERE IS A COMPELLING REASON THAT YOU MUST KEEP YOUR PHONE ON VIBRATE FOR AN EMERGENCY PHONE CALL THAT MAY OCCUR DURING CLASS HOURS, PLEASE INFORM ME BEFORE CLASS.) Again, we only meet for 18 days. I plan to give you my full attention for the 2 hours and 20 minutes, and I expect the same from all my students.

HOW YOUR GRADE IS EARNED:

See attached grade roster. At no time should you wonder how you are “doing” in the course. The grade worksheet makes it very easy to keep track. Simply record your scores as you receive back your graded work. Do not discard any assignments that are graded and returned to you until the semester is over.

ABOUT THIS COURSE…

I have designed a very different and I hope interesting and provocative set of themes for discussion and critical thinking/writing for the semester. The core of the course from which these themes/ideas will spring is the first season of the television series, Breaking Bad. It recently won the TCA (Television Critics Association) Award for Outstanding Drama on Television. It has also been honored with a few Emmys as well. The series is heading into its fourth season.

You will view the first episode on the first class day  and on your own, you will view the remaining six episodes as well as read a wealth of material connected either directly or indirectly to some of its themes. (if you have a Netflix account, you can view online. It is also on youtube.com.

This series poses so many intriguing questions about conformity, morals, family values/responsibilities, the line between good and evil, the war on drugs, greed, health care and so much more, including a comparison between current television vs. film viewing. In short, we will examine and expand on several issues connected with the overall term of “breaking bad”—straying from the path of morality, of legality, of conformity towards something deemed unacceptable by the majority of society. In fact, the origin of the term is American Southwest, a slang phrase meaning to challenge conventions, to defy authority, to skirt the edges of the law.

Here is an excerpt from a review of the series:

“It’s difficult to fathom a more dangerous and enthralling piece of television than Breaking Bad, the AMC drama that is quietly redefining the creative and content limits of primetime.”

--Ray Richmond, The Hollywood Reporter, March 4, 2009

Class Schedule:

(Please note:  This schedule is subject to change at a moment’s notice.  Please bring this schedule and required readings and appropriate handouts to every class session.)

Each time a reading assignment is given, you are expected to arrive to class having read the assignment.  If it is an assignment from the Internet, please bring a hard copy to class on the day it is assigned to have been read. You may access the reading online during class for reference, but do NOT wait UNTIL class to actually read the assignment.

NOT EVERY ACTIVITY IS LISTED ON THIS CLASS SCHEDULE. It is not unusual to have a quick quiz over reading material. There will be no prior announcement for these quizzes.

Tuesday, May 29

·      Introduction to the Course

·      Course Outline (handout)

·      Unacceptable Errors (handout)

·      View Breaking Bad, Season 1, Episode 1 in class

Wednesday, May 30

·      Discussion: How to Critically Read and Evaluate an Essay (handout provided in class)

·      Read Packet #1

·      In class WR #1

·      Out of class essay #1 assigned

Thursday, May 31

·      Group Work #1

·      View Episode 2 of Breaking Bad (come to class having viewed)

·      Review of Sentence Mechanics

Tuesday, June 5

·      Out of class essay #1 ROUGH DRAFT due today (OPTIONAL)

·      View episode 3 of Breaking Bad (come to class having viewed)

·      Arrive to class having read pages 34-48 in the Handbook.

·      Read Packet #2

·      In class WR #2

Wednesday, June 6

·      View episodes four and five of Season 1, Breaking Bad (come to class having viewed)

·      Read Packet #3

·      Group Work #2

Thursday, June 7

·      Out of Class Essay #1 due today

·      Out of Class Essay #2 assigned today

·      In Class Essay #1 (bring blue or green book to class)

Tuesday, June 12

·      Out of Class Essay #2 ROUGH DRAFT due today (OPTIONAL)

·      In-Class Group Work #2 in class

·      Read pgs. 67-78 in the Handbook and Packet #4.

Wednesday, June 13

·      View episode six of Breaking Bad, Season 1 (come to class having viewed)

·      Group Work #3

·      Read Packet #5

Thursday, June 14

·      View episode seven (final episode) of Breaking Bad, Season 1

·      Out of Class Essay #2 due today

Tuesday, June 19

·      Read Packet #6

·      In class WR #3

Wednesday, June 20

·      Out of Class Essay #3 assigned today

Thursday, June 21

·      In-class Group #4

Tuesday, June 26

·      Out of class essay #3 ROUGH DRAFT due today (OPTIONAL)

·      Reading Packet #7

·      Arrive in class having read one of the four sections in Part III of the Handbook: Writing Across the Curriculum at Sacramento State. Select the section that “fits” your major field of study. If you have not yet declared a major, select the one that BEST fits what you THINK your major will be. (Your choices are: Natural Sciences and Math; Social Sciences; Arts and Humanities; or Business and Professional Communications.)

Wednesday, June 27

·      Reading Packet #8

·      WR #4 in class

Thursday, June 28

·      Out of Class Essay #3 due today

·      Discussion of WPJ—How to prepare & what to expect

·      Reading Packet #9

Tuesday, July 3

·      In class essay #2 (WPJ Practice)

Wednesday, July 4

·      No class, 4^th of July holiday

Thursday, July 5

·      Last day of class; grade roster check

************************************************************************

UNACCEPTABLE ERRORS

In English 20, students should already be very proficient in word usage.  We do not have time for grammar lessons.  (I will, however, provide short ‘mini’ lessons when I feel they are warranted.)  The following errors that are commonly made on student papers are considered unacceptable.

For out of class essays, each unacceptable error takes ten points off your final earned grade. You may correct unacceptable errors and receive the points back if you choose to revise. In class essays that have unacceptable errors CAN always be corrected to earn back the points lost.

1.  there – place                                                Put it over there.

2.  their – possessive pronoun                        That is their car.

3.  they’re – contraction of they are                        They’re going with us.

4.  your – possessive pronoun                        Your dinner is ready.

5.  you’re – contraction of you are                        You’re not ready.

6.  it’s – contraction of it is                        It’s a sunny day.

7.  its – possessive pronoun                        The dog wagged its tail.

8.  a lot – always two words                        I liked it a lot.

9.  to – a preposition or part of an

      infinitive                                                I like to proofread my essays carefully.

10. too – an intensifier, or also                        That is too much.  I will go too.

11. two – a number                                    Give me two folders.

12. In today’s society                                    Instead use “Today” or “In America” or “Now” etc

13. right(s)/write(s)/rite(s)            rights are a set of beliefs or values in which a person feels entitled: His rights were read to him before he was arrested for stalking Dave Matthews. Writes is a verb indicating action taken with a pen, pencil or computers to convey a message: Michelle writes love letters to Dave Matthews in her sleep. Rites are a series of steps or events which lead an individual from one phase in life to the next, or a series of traditions that should be followed: The initiate began his rite of passage ceremony at the age of thirteen.

14. definitely/defiantly            This error USUALLY occurs when a writer relies solely on spell-check. You really must learn to become the final editor of your work. Definitely is an adverb and it means without a doubt. Mary will definitely miss the Dave Matthews Band concert. Defiantly means to show defiance. She was in a defiant mood. It is an adjective. Or it could be used as an adverb. She was defiantly rude and sullen towards the professor.

15. On your Works Cited page:            you MUST center and type at the top the heading just as it is here: Works Cited. NOT ALL CAPS, NOT BOLDED, NOT UNDERLINED, NOT MISSPELLED, NOT IN A DIFFERENT SIZED FONT, ETC.

***********************************************************************

An accumulation of the following errors can affect your grade, but not one error, ten points down.  The number depends on how serious the error is, and how often you make it.  Some do not slow up the reader as much as others.

• Misuse of the word “you”.  You must actually mean the reader when you use the word “you”.

• Avoid use of contractions in formal expository writing. (can’t, shouldn’t, didn’t, etc.)

• Agreement of subject and verb.  Both must be either singular or plural.

• Fragmented sentences, comma splices and run-ons.  Be sure to proofread your papers carefully before turning them in.

You will not pass English 20 if you cannot write an intelligent sentence in correct English.