1. What you should be able to do upon successful completion of ENGL 101: Understand a writer’s thesis. Assess the validity of a writer’s central claims. Understand both the argument and the way it is constructed/presented. Recognize rhetorical and stylistic strategies used in an argument. Actively, critically, and analytically read nonfiction. Know how to annotate texts, write marginalia, and take notes on what you read. Identify potentially useful quotations in a given passage. Accurately summarize a paragraph taken from a reasonably sophisticated nonfiction essay. Know how to ask questions about nonfiction texts to generate discussion.

2. What you should be able to do upon successful completion of ENGL 101: Understand a writer’s thesis. Assess the validity of a writer’s central claims. Understand both the argument and the way it is constructed/presented. Recognize rhetorical and stylistic strategies used in an argument. Actively, critically, and analytically read nonfiction. Know how to annotate texts, write marginalia, and take notes on what you read. Identify potentially useful quotations in a given passage. Accurately summarize a paragraph taken from a reasonably sophisticated nonfiction essay. Know how to ask questions about nonfiction texts to generate discussion.

3. Write sentences that are clear and correct to the degree acceptable for college freshmen. Proofread and revise your work effectively. Select and develop an appropriate topic in response to an assignment. Formulate a specific argument in response to what you have read. Avoid generalities and sweeping conclusions when making an argument. Write an appropriate thesis statement. Plan and draft a well-organized paper in support of your argument. Use a variety of invention techniques to generate material to use in a paper. Gain an understanding of different rhetorical modes and patterns of development. Write in clear, grammatical sentences and paragraphs that logically fit together. Develop paragraphs using examples or quotations taken from readings. Create signal phrases for quotes.

4. Write sentences that are clear and correct to the degree acceptable for college freshmen. Proofread and revise your work effectively. Select and develop an appropriate topic in response to an assignment. Formulate a specific argument in response to what you have read. Avoid generalities and sweeping conclusions when making an argument. Write an appropriate thesis statement. Plan and draft a well-organized paper in support of your argument. Use a variety of invention techniques to generate material to use in a paper. Gain an understanding of different rhetorical modes and patterns of development. Write in clear, grammatical sentences and paragraphs that logically fit together. Develop paragraphs using examples or quotations taken from readings. Create signal phrases for quotes.

5. Write a unified paragraph and a unified essay. Use a variety of strategies for developing paragraphs. Write a coherent paragraph and a coherent essay. Sustain an argument throughout a 750-word essay. Revise a draft to add, delete, or clarify ideas as needed. Edit a draft to add precision to the diction and to correct any errors. Use appropriate strategies (e.g., transition words, repetition of key words) to create coherence. Use appropriate formatting. Use language that is appropriate (i.e., neither pretentious nor pedestrian) to the assignment. Use strategies (e.g.. repetition, parallel structure, subordination) to add clarity and precision. Avoid errors in spelling and construction (e.g., misplaced modifiers, faulty parallelism).

6. Write a unified paragraph and a unified essay. Use a variety of strategies for developing paragraphs. Write a coherent paragraph and a coherent essay. Sustain an argument throughout a 750-word essay. Revise a draft to add, delete, or clarify ideas as needed. Edit a draft to add precision to the diction and to correct any errors. Use appropriate strategies (e.g., transition words, repetition of key words) to create coherence. Use appropriate formatting. Use language that is appropriate (i.e., neither pretentious nor pedestrian) to the assignment. Use strategies (e.g.. repetition, parallel structure, subordination) to add clarity and precision. Avoid errors in spelling and construction (e.g., misplaced modifiers, faulty parallelism).

7. Plan and draft a well-organized paper in support of your argument. Write a coherent paragraph and a coherent essay. Write in clear, grammatical sentences and paragraphs that logically fit together. Use appropriate formatting. Proofread and revise your work effectively.

8. Plan and draft a well-organized paper in support of your argument. Hook Thesis (for whole paper) Transition line, word, or phrase Topic sentence (for paragraph) Evidence to support topic sentence Explanation of HOW evidence supports topic sentence Summary or concluding observation Clear indication that paper is finished

9. Plan and draft a well-organized paper in support of your argument. Organized by looking at each available option: Introduction & thesis Ideal criteria (describe/define) Option 1 & discussion Option 2 & discussion … Option n & discussion Conclusion: review strengths and weaknesses of various options, then choose “best” option available Organized by looking at each important criterion: Introduction & thesis Ideal criteria (describe/define) Criterion 1 & degree to which each option meets it Criterion 2 & degree to which each option meets it … Criterion n & degree to which each option meets it Conclusion: review importance of each criterion, then choose “best” option available

10. Write a coherent paragraph and a coherent essay Topic Sentence – A claim (by you) that requires support Explanation or illustration – Might define a key term, give an example to illustrate the claim or illustrate a definition, or maybe set the claim in contrast with some competing claim Evidence – Fact, statistic, comparison, quote, or other information to support your claim (Note: Use your sources here.) Connection – Explanation of how the evidence supports the claim Repeat with additional evidence

11. Write in clear, grammatical sentences and paragraphs that logically fit together. Every sentence has a subject and a verb. Subjects and verbs agree (plural w/plural, singular w/singular). Pronouns have clear antecedents. Modifiers – words or phrases – clearly modify specific words. Every phrase or clause serves a purpose in the sentence, and that purpose is clear to an average reader. Every sentence in the paragraph relates to the topic sentence. Transitions words/phrases show connections between ideas – from sentence to sentence or from paragraph to paragraph. Every paragraph in the paper relates to the thesis.

12. Use appropriate formatting. Running header (Top right, “above the line,” last name & page number) Header (Top left, but “below the line” and on first page only: student name, professor name, class, due date) Title (Key phrase, centered, no other formatting) Spacing (Double space everything; no extra spaces) Font (12-point Times New Roman) Margins (one-inch top, bottom, and side margins) Paragraphs (Indent each one; no extra spaces between paragraphs) In-text citations (Author’s name somewhere in the sentence; page number) Works Cited (“Works Cited” at top; hanging indents; MLA citations)

13. Proofread and revise your work effectively.

14. Final Reminder about Sources This is a “scholarly” paper, so you should use “scholarly” sources – generally, that means peer-reviewed sources in scholarly journals. From the assignment page: Not all sources are of equal value. Blogs and web pages, for example, generally carry less weight in an academic paper that scholarly articles or books. Part of your grade will be based on the quality of the sources you find, as well as on the way you use them. “Four sources” is the minimum requirement. “Works Cited” means works that you specifically mentioned by name. List only those works that you quoted, summarized, or paraphrased AND mentioned – using the author’s last name (of the first few words of the title, if there’s no author) – in the body of the paper.

15. Schedule Nov 13 – Settle on a topic if you haven’t already done so. Nov 15 – Turn in Works Cited page, in MLA format, for up to 20 points. Weekend – Churn out a complete draft so you can enjoy your turkey. Nov 20 – Enjoy being home; let the paper “simmer” in your brain. Nov 22 – Eat turkey (or Turducken, if you can); enjoy the day. Weekend – Begin revising the draft. Nov 27 – Bring a complete draft to class (for a participation point). Nov 29 – Paper 5 due via email; we’ll work on a practice final in class. Weekend – Chill; your paper has been turned in. Dec 4 – Take practice final exam in class. Dec 6 – Take real final exam and be finished with ENGL 101.