English 50 Ms. Lynde

Breaking the Ice and Networking Please fill out the index card that has been provided to you. On this card list the following items: Your name. If the name you’d like to be called is different from that on the roster, please write your preferred name. Major . Note that you can list undecided if you haven’t decided yet. Three interesting things about you. These can be anything at all. Everyone has something interesting about them. Just don’t share anything that you aren’t comfortable sharing. The last English class you’ve taken. This could have been last semester or last year or years ago. What you’d like to get out of this class.

Breaking the Ice and Networking Form a group of 3-4 people. Try to work with people you’ve never met before. In the group, pick a partner and interview each other. Figure out what the other person is like. Use the index cards as a starting point. Once everyone in each group has had a chance to interview their partner, the individuals in each group will introduce the person they’ve interviewed to the class. Start with the information on the card.

Breaking the Ice and Networking This is a great way of breaking the ice with your classmates and getting you comfortable with the people you’ll be working with in this class this semester. It also is rather useful to form a network of other students you know from class so that you can form a study group or get other kinds of help.

Breaking the Ice and Networking What I wrote on my card: Name: Tamara Lynde (AKA Ms. Lynde) Major: English Three interesting things: 1. I’m originally from a little 800 person town in Iowa. 2. Although I teach in Porterville, I live in Bakersfield. 3. I love the color purple. Last English Class: 19th Century American Literature What I’d like to learn: How to help you become better writers and critical readers.

The Syllabus After we go over the syllabus, read it over carefully. Ask any questions that you might have.

The Syllabus Syllabus Quiz: Answer the following questions about the syllabus, referring to the document as necessary. How can a student get in touch with the instructor? What is the attendance policy? What books and materials are required for this class? What is the late work policy? How can a student tell when an assignment is due? What is the first assignment, and when is it due? Are there any holidays when there is no school?

Active Learning One of the things that helps the most in school, particularly in college, is active learning, that is, learning in which the student takes an active rather than a passive role in the class. Read through the active learning handout. What are some of the behaviors of an active learner in college? Are some that are obvious that you already knew? Are there any that you didn’t know before today?

The Contract To ensure that students understand and agree to play by the rules of the course, students are given a contract to sign. Please read the contract carefully. Sign it and return it by the second class meeting. The contract will be kept on file by the instructor. If you want a copy of your signed contract, please ask.

Course Theme This semester, our course will be themed around the concept of avoiding dystopia. To understand what this means, let’s first define the term: According to Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary, a dystopia is “an imaginary place where people lead dehumanized and often fearful lives.” By definition then, a dystopia is a fictional place which is essentially the opposite of what people think would be an ideal society. Although this term describes something fictional, the intention of a dystopic story is usually to warn people about a possible negative future society and to try and prevent it from coming to be in the real world. Our course will be looking at various arguments and proposals that would prevent our society from going down such a path.

Critical Reading in the Writing Classroom Although this is primarily a writing class, students will be studying critical reading skills. Why might a writing class require instruction in reading skills? Reading and writing are companion activities. We largely write to be read. Statistically, better writers are usually better readers. Reading usually helps writing by providing information about a writing topic. Writing doesn’t occur in isolation. Reading is often a must for students who write.

Critical Reading Critical Reading is a form of active, engaged reading in which the reader “digs deep” into a text to determine what the author is saying, how he or she is saying it, what the implications are of what the author is saying, and what the worth is of the ideas the author is presenting. Learning to become a critical reader takes practice, but it is a skill that opens many doors for the student.

Levels of Reading In order to read critically, readers must read at a variety of different levels. There are three levels at which a critical reader must read: Literal: At this level, the reader is interested in understanding the basic meaning of the text. Readers at this level make sure they understand all of the vocabulary the author uses and understand what the main and supporting points of the text are. Interpretive: At this level, the reader is interested in the unstated implications in the reading or things the author hints at but doesn’t explicitly say. Inference is a skill used at this level of reading. Evaluative: At this level, the reader is making a judgment of the quality and worth of the text and its ideas. At this level, the reader is forming an informed opinion as to how good a job the writer has done with the text.

Practice Read the article “American Dystopia More Reality than Fiction.” Try to read at each level. Literal: Determine the main point and supporting points of this article Interpretive: Are there any unstated implications in the article? Evaluative: How well-written is the article? Why do you think that? Also consider whether the article is persuasive or informational. This may help you distinguish the main point. Form a group of 3-4 people. Discuss your answers with your group. Have your group share its ideas with the class.