From "Tell It Slant: Writing and Shaping Creative Nonfiction":
"Sometimes when you're in a writing class or studying writing intensively, it's easy to lose, temporary, the passion for what brought you to writing in the first place. It's easy to feel as if you've taken all the magic out of it, and you sit at your desk, bored and resistant, unable to find a single thing worth writing about...it's easy to feel as if you've used up all your material, plumbed your memories, reflecting on everything there is to reflect about..."
You've learned a lot about writing (hopefully) this semester and have been doing a lot of reading and writing...
"You've perhaps learned new ways to approach your own memories, your research interests, and your ideas. Now, with all that knowledge settling inside your head, [I] want to tell you one last thing.
Forget it.
Don't forget it forever. But just forget it for now. Take a moment to be in a quiet space where you do your best work..."
Clear your head and try the following prompt:
"What are your 'last words?' What would you want to write if you knew that your time was up? What would you notice in the world around you? What's important for us to hear?"
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Citing your sources-from the OWL at Purdue
from http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/02/:
Basic In-Text Citation Rules
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.
General Guidelines
•The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
•Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.
In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.
In-text Citations for Print Sources with Known Author
For Print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3). Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry in the Works Cited:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966. Print.
In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire websites) and provide a page number.
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has “more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . . ” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title of the article appears in the parenthetical citation which corresponds to the full name of the article which appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:
“The Impact of Global Warming in North America.” GLOBAL WARMING: Early Signs. 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2009.
We'll learn how to make a Works Cited page in a bit, but right now it's important to know that parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.
Author-Page Citation for Classic and Literary Works with Multiple Editions
Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto. In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:
Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class struggles (79; ch. 1).
Citing Authors with Same Last Names
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
Citing a Work by Multiple Authors
For a source with three or fewer authors, list the authors' last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:
Smith, Yang, and Moore argue that tougher gun control is not needed in the United States (76).
The authors state "Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights" (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).
For a source with more than three authors, use the work's bibliographic information as a guide for your citation. Provide the first author's last name followed by et al. or list all the last names.
Jones et al. counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Or
Legal experts counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (Jones et al. 4).
Or
Jones, Driscoll, Ackerson, and Bell counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others.
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children ("Too Soon" 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year ("Hand-Eye Development" 17).
Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, you would format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, followed, when appropriate, by page numbers:
Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be "too easy" (Elkins, "Visual Studies" 63).
Citing Multivolume Works
If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)
. . . as Quintilian wrote in Institutio Oratoria (1: 14-17).
Citing the Bible
In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter and verse. For example:
Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).
If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation.
Citing Indirect Sources
Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited in another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as "social service centers, and they don't do that well" (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.
Citing Non-Print or Sources from the Internet
With more and more scholarly work being posted on the Internet, you may have to cite research you have completed in virtual environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's Evaluating Sources of Information resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source in your Works Cited.
Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers, but often, these sorts of entries do not require any sort of parenthetical citation at all. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:
•Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
•You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
•Unless you must list the website name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.
Miscellaneous Non-Print Sources
Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo stars Herzog's long-time film partner, Klaus Kinski. During the shooting of Fitzcarraldo, Herzog and Kinski were often at odds, but their explosive relationship fostered a memorable and influential film.
During the presentation, Jane Yates stated that invention and pre-writing are areas of rhetoric that need more attention.
In the two examples above “Herzog” from the first entry and “Yates” from the second lead the reader to the first item each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:
Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo. Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982. Film.
Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Print.
Electronic Sources
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia, “Herzog: a Life”).
The Purdue OWL is accessed by millions of users every year. Its “MLA Formatting and Style Guide” is one of the most popular resources (Stolley et al.).
In the first example, the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below). In the second example, “Stolley et al.” in the parenthetical citation gives the reader an author name followed by the abbreviation “et al.,” meaning, “and others,” for the article “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:
Garcia, Elizabeth. "Herzog: a Life." Online Film Critics Corner. The Film School of New Hampshire, 2 May 2002. Web. 8 Jan. 2009.
Stolley, Karl. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at Purdue. 10 May 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab. 12 May 2006 .
Multiple Citations
To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:
. . . as has been discussed elsewhere (Burke 3; Dewey 21).
When a Citation Is Not Needed
Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations or common knowledge. Remember, this is a rhetorical choice, based on audience. If you're writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, they'll have different expectations of what constitutes common knowledge.
Basic In-Text Citation Rules
In MLA style, referring to the works of others in your text is done by using what is known as parenthetical citation. This method involves placing relevant source information in parentheses after a quote or a paraphrase.
General Guidelines
•The source information required in a parenthetical citation depends (1.) upon the source medium (e.g. Print, Web, DVD) and (2.) upon the source’s entry on the Works Cited (bibliography) page.
•Any source information that you provide in-text must correspond to the source information on the Works Cited page. More specifically, whatever signal word or phrase you provide to your readers in the text, must be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of the corresponding entry in the Works Cited List.
In-Text Citations: Author-Page Style
MLA format follows the author-page method of in-text citation. This means that the author's last name and the page number(s) from which the quotation or paraphrase is taken must appear in the text, and a complete reference should appear on your Works Cited page. The author's name may appear either in the sentence itself or in parentheses following the quotation or paraphrase, but the page number(s) should always appear in the parentheses, not in the text of your sentence. For example:
Wordsworth stated that Romantic poetry was marked by a "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (263).
Romantic poetry is characterized by the "spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings" (Wordsworth 263).
Wordsworth extensively explored the role of emotion in the creative process (263).
Both citations in the examples above, (263) and (Wordsworth 263), tell readers that the information in the sentence can be located on page 263 of a work by an author named Wordsworth. If readers want more information about this source, they can turn to the Works Cited page, where, under the name of Wordsworth, they would find the following information:
Wordsworth, William. Lyrical Ballads. London: Oxford U.P., 1967. Print.
In-text Citations for Print Sources with Known Author
For Print sources like books, magazines, scholarly journal articles, and newspapers, provide a signal word or phrase (usually the author’s last name) and a page number. If you provide the signal word/phrase in the sentence, you do not need to include it in the parenthetical citation.
Human beings have been described by Kenneth Burke as "symbol-using animals" (3). Human beings have been described as "symbol-using animals" (Burke 3).
These examples must correspond to an entry that begins with Burke, which will be the first thing that appears on the left-hand margin of an entry in the Works Cited:
Burke, Kenneth. Language as Symbolic Action: Essays on Life, Literature, and Method. Berkeley: U of California P, 1966. Print.
In-text Citations for Print Sources with No Known Author
When a source has no known author, use a shortened title of the work instead of an author name. Place the title in quotation marks if it's a short work (e.g. articles) or italicize it if it's a longer work (e.g. plays, books, television shows, entire websites) and provide a page number.
We see so many global warming hotspots in North America likely because this region has “more readily accessible climatic data and more comprehensive programs to monitor and study environmental change . . . ” (“Impact of Global Warming” 6).
In this example, since the reader does not know the author of the article, an abbreviated title of the article appears in the parenthetical citation which corresponds to the full name of the article which appears first at the left-hand margin of its respective entry in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes the title in quotation marks as the signal phrase in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader directly to the source on the Works Cited page. The Works Cited entry appears as follows:
“The Impact of Global Warming in North America.” GLOBAL WARMING: Early Signs. 1999. Web. 23 Mar. 2009.
We'll learn how to make a Works Cited page in a bit, but right now it's important to know that parenthetical citations and Works Cited pages allow readers to know which sources you consulted in writing your essay, so that they can either verify your interpretation of the sources or use them in their own scholarly work.
Author-Page Citation for Classic and Literary Works with Multiple Editions
Page numbers are always required, but additional citation information can help literary scholars, who may have a different edition of a classic work like Marx and Engels's The Communist Manifesto. In such cases, give the page number of your edition (making sure the edition is listed in your Works Cited page, of course) followed by a semicolon, and then the appropriate abbreviations for volume (vol.), book (bk.), part (pt.), chapter (ch.), section (sec.), or paragraph (par.). For example:
Marx and Engels described human history as marked by class struggles (79; ch. 1).
Citing Authors with Same Last Names
Sometimes more information is necessary to identify the source from which a quotation is taken. For instance, if two or more authors have the same last name, provide both authors' first initials (or even the authors' full name if different authors share initials) in your citation. For example:
Although some medical ethicists claim that cloning will lead to designer children (R. Miller 12), others note that the advantages for medical research outweigh this consideration (A. Miller 46).
Citing a Work by Multiple Authors
For a source with three or fewer authors, list the authors' last names in the text or in the parenthetical citation:
Smith, Yang, and Moore argue that tougher gun control is not needed in the United States (76).
The authors state "Tighter gun control in the United States erodes Second Amendment rights" (Smith, Yang, and Moore 76).
For a source with more than three authors, use the work's bibliographic information as a guide for your citation. Provide the first author's last name followed by et al. or list all the last names.
Jones et al. counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Or
Legal experts counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (Jones et al. 4).
Or
Jones, Driscoll, Ackerson, and Bell counter Smith, Yang, and Moore's argument by noting that the current spike in gun violence in America compels law makers to adjust gun laws (4).
Citing Multiple Works by the Same Author
If you cite more than one work by a particular author, include a shortened title for the particular work from which you are quoting to distinguish it from the others.
Lightenor has argued that computers are not useful tools for small children ("Too Soon" 38), though he has acknowledged elsewhere that early exposure to computer games does lead to better small motor skill development in a child's second and third year ("Hand-Eye Development" 17).
Additionally, if the author's name is not mentioned in the sentence, you would format your citation with the author's name followed by a comma, followed by a shortened title of the work, followed, when appropriate, by page numbers:
Visual studies, because it is such a new discipline, may be "too easy" (Elkins, "Visual Studies" 63).
Citing Multivolume Works
If you cite from different volumes of a multivolume work, always include the volume number followed by a colon. Put a space after the colon, then provide the page number(s). (If you only cite from one volume, provide only the page number in parentheses.)
. . . as Quintilian wrote in Institutio Oratoria (1: 14-17).
Citing the Bible
In your first parenthetical citation, you want to make clear which Bible you're using (and underline or italicize the title), as each version varies in its translation, followed by book (do not italicize or underline), chapter and verse. For example:
Ezekiel saw "what seemed to be four living creatures," each with faces of a man, a lion, an ox, and an eagle (New Jerusalem Bible, Ezek. 1.5-10).
If future references employ the same edition of the Bible you’re using, list only the book, chapter, and verse in the parenthetical citation.
Citing Indirect Sources
Sometimes you may have to use an indirect source. An indirect source is a source cited in another source. For such indirect quotations, use "qtd. in" to indicate the source you actually consulted. For example:
Ravitch argues that high schools are pressured to act as "social service centers, and they don't do that well" (qtd. in Weisman 259).
Note that, in most cases, a responsible researcher will attempt to find the original source, rather than citing an indirect source.
Citing Non-Print or Sources from the Internet
With more and more scholarly work being posted on the Internet, you may have to cite research you have completed in virtual environments. While many sources on the Internet should not be used for scholarly work (reference the OWL's Evaluating Sources of Information resource), some Web sources are perfectly acceptable for research. When creating in-text citations for electronic, film, or Internet sources, remember that your citation must reference the source in your Works Cited.
Sometimes writers are confused with how to craft parenthetical citations for electronic sources because of the absence of page numbers, but often, these sorts of entries do not require any sort of parenthetical citation at all. For electronic and Internet sources, follow the following guidelines:
•Include in the text the first item that appears in the Work Cited entry that corresponds to the citation (e.g. author name, article name, website name, film name).
•You do not need to give paragraph numbers or page numbers based on your Web browser’s print preview function.
•Unless you must list the website name in the signal phrase in order to get the reader to the appropriate entry, do not include URLs in-text. Only provide partial URLs such as when the name of the site includes, for example, a domain name, like CNN.com or Forbes.com as opposed to writing out http://www.cnn.com or http://www.forbes.com.
Miscellaneous Non-Print Sources
Werner Herzog's Fitzcarraldo stars Herzog's long-time film partner, Klaus Kinski. During the shooting of Fitzcarraldo, Herzog and Kinski were often at odds, but their explosive relationship fostered a memorable and influential film.
During the presentation, Jane Yates stated that invention and pre-writing are areas of rhetoric that need more attention.
In the two examples above “Herzog” from the first entry and “Yates” from the second lead the reader to the first item each citation’s respective entry on the Works Cited page:
Herzog, Werner, dir. Fitzcarraldo. Perf. Klaus Kinski. Filmverlag der Autoren, 1982. Film.
Yates, Jane. "Invention in Rhetoric and Composition." Gaps Addressed: Future Work in Rhetoric and Composition, CCCC, Palmer House Hilton, 2002. Print.
Electronic Sources
One online film critic stated that Fitzcarraldo is "...a beautiful and terrifying critique of obsession and colonialism" (Garcia, “Herzog: a Life”).
The Purdue OWL is accessed by millions of users every year. Its “MLA Formatting and Style Guide” is one of the most popular resources (Stolley et al.).
In the first example, the writer has chosen not to include the author name in-text; however, two entries from the same author appear in the Works Cited. Thus, the writer includes both the author’s last name and the article title in the parenthetical citation in order to lead the reader to the appropriate entry on the Works Cited page (see below). In the second example, “Stolley et al.” in the parenthetical citation gives the reader an author name followed by the abbreviation “et al.,” meaning, “and others,” for the article “MLA Formatting and Style Guide.” Both corresponding Works Cited entries are as follows:
Garcia, Elizabeth. "Herzog: a Life." Online Film Critics Corner. The Film School of New Hampshire, 2 May 2002. Web. 8 Jan. 2009.
Stolley, Karl. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at Purdue. 10 May 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab. 12 May 2006 .
Multiple Citations
To cite multiple sources in the same parenthetical reference, separate the citations by a semi-colon:
. . . as has been discussed elsewhere (Burke 3; Dewey 21).
When a Citation Is Not Needed
Common sense and ethics should determine your need for documenting sources. You do not need to give sources for familiar proverbs, well-known quotations or common knowledge. Remember, this is a rhetorical choice, based on audience. If you're writing for an expert audience of a scholarly journal, for example, they'll have different expectations of what constitutes common knowledge.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
11/12
Earth Days Documentary:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/earthdays/player/
How does this video clip relate to our class? To your projects? What connections do you see with your readings so far?
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/films/earthdays/player/
How does this video clip relate to our class? To your projects? What connections do you see with your readings so far?
Tuesday, November 9, 2010
Journals due Thursday
Your journal should include:
-From Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau, pp. 9-25 (Journal)
-“Speech at Grand Canyon, Arizona, May 6, 1903,” by Teddy Roosevelt (Elizabeth Melander)
“Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks,” by Edward Abbey, p. 413
-from Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, p. 366
from Having Faith, by Sandra Steingraber, p. 929 (Journal on one)
-“Smokey the Bear Sutra,” by Gary Snyder, p. 473 (Journal)
-“Fecundity,” by Annie Dillard, p. 531
from A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, pp. 265-281
(Journal)
-From Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau, pp. 9-25 (Journal)
-“Speech at Grand Canyon, Arizona, May 6, 1903,” by Teddy Roosevelt (Elizabeth Melander)
“Polemic: Industrial Tourism and the National Parks,” by Edward Abbey, p. 413
-from Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, p. 366
from Having Faith, by Sandra Steingraber, p. 929 (Journal on one)
-“Smokey the Bear Sutra,” by Gary Snyder, p. 473 (Journal)
-“Fecundity,” by Annie Dillard, p. 531
from A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, pp. 265-281
(Journal)
Final Chapbook/Zine
Final Portfolio
Due: the day of the final
For reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapbook
Due: the day of the final
A portfolio is your chance to look back on your writing from the semester and reflect upon it. Our class portfolio will be in the form of a chapbook or zine.
Chapbook/Zine:
Your chapbook/zine will be a collection of your favorite short journal/blog entries, and a short reflection. Please feel free to get creative with the presentation of your work.
- 3 "Reading Like a Writer" entries
- 3 photosa
- Imitation poem/essay (for either Blood Dazzler or your rhetorical analysis)
- 3 in class writings
For reference:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zine
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapbook
11/09/10
-Guest speaker
-Leopold/Dillard
-Introduce Portfolio Assignment (if there's time)
http://production.americanearth.loa.n4m.net/aldo-leopold/
"Ecology was the great emergent science of the 20th century, and its central insight was that everything is connected. Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) is often described as the father of environmental ethics, and his “land ethic” is a landmark in American philosophical thought. But the idea that “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community” is as much a pragmatic insight as an ethical one, and it grew from a lifetime out in the natural world. After a rural midwestern childhood he went to Yale’s Forestry School and then entered the infant U.S. Forest Service, both institutions under the sway of Gifford Pinchot’s forthright utilitarianism. Much of his early career was spent in the desert Southwest, and it was there that he began to develop the principles that made him the founder of wildlife management in the United States. His 1933 textbook Game Management is still in print—and so, of course, is his classic account, in “Thinking Like a Mountain,” of the day he changed his mind about killing wolves, the key Damascus Road story of American environmental conversion. In 1924, he helped to preserve the Gila Wilderness, part of New Mexico’s Gila National Forest; in 1935 he joined Bob Marshall, Benton MacKaye, and others in founding The Wilderness Society.
He was moving beyond Pinchot—or perhaps synthesizing the warring impulses of Pinchot and his old adversary John Muir—when he decided that effective conservation required truly wild lands as a baseline. But his vision went well beyond wilderness. In many ways his “land ethic” offered an early attempt to ground environmentalism in every action and decision. It was his words in A Sand County Almanac (1949) that would provide his greatest legacy: the explicit recognition that the human community needed to extend its boundaries to include “soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.” He died fighting a brush fire near his Sand County shack"-American Earth course website
In groups: Pull out
-a favorite quote
-a question
-and a connection to your Casey Land Project
from one of the texts.
-Leopold/Dillard
-Introduce Portfolio Assignment (if there's time)
http://production.americanearth.loa.n4m.net/aldo-leopold/
"Ecology was the great emergent science of the 20th century, and its central insight was that everything is connected. Aldo Leopold (1887–1948) is often described as the father of environmental ethics, and his “land ethic” is a landmark in American philosophical thought. But the idea that “a thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community” is as much a pragmatic insight as an ethical one, and it grew from a lifetime out in the natural world. After a rural midwestern childhood he went to Yale’s Forestry School and then entered the infant U.S. Forest Service, both institutions under the sway of Gifford Pinchot’s forthright utilitarianism. Much of his early career was spent in the desert Southwest, and it was there that he began to develop the principles that made him the founder of wildlife management in the United States. His 1933 textbook Game Management is still in print—and so, of course, is his classic account, in “Thinking Like a Mountain,” of the day he changed his mind about killing wolves, the key Damascus Road story of American environmental conversion. In 1924, he helped to preserve the Gila Wilderness, part of New Mexico’s Gila National Forest; in 1935 he joined Bob Marshall, Benton MacKaye, and others in founding The Wilderness Society.
He was moving beyond Pinchot—or perhaps synthesizing the warring impulses of Pinchot and his old adversary John Muir—when he decided that effective conservation required truly wild lands as a baseline. But his vision went well beyond wilderness. In many ways his “land ethic” offered an early attempt to ground environmentalism in every action and decision. It was his words in A Sand County Almanac (1949) that would provide his greatest legacy: the explicit recognition that the human community needed to extend its boundaries to include “soils, waters, plants, and animals, or collectively: the land.” He died fighting a brush fire near his Sand County shack"-American Earth course website
In groups: Pull out
-a favorite quote
-a question
-and a connection to your Casey Land Project
from one of the texts.
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
November 2: Tuesday
Casey Land Group Meetings-in class
November 4: Thursday
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS DUE
____________________________________________
November 9: Tuesday:
Introduce Portfolio Assignment
Guest Speaker-Caseyland
“Fecundity,” by Annie Dillard, p. 531
from A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, pp. 265-281
(Journal)
November 11: Thursday:
Earth Day Video
“Millions Join Earth Day Observances Across the Nation,” by Josephy
Lelyveld p. 484
____________________________________________
November 17: Tuesday
Group Conferences/Group Workday-(In class)
November 19: Thursday
Group Workday, No Class
__________________________________________
November 30: Tuesday
Casey Land Project Presentations
The Song of the White Pelican,” by Jack Turner p. 835
Casey Land Group Meetings-in class
November 4: Thursday
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS DUE
____________________________________________
November 9: Tuesday:
Introduce Portfolio Assignment
Guest Speaker-Caseyland
“Fecundity,” by Annie Dillard, p. 531
from A Sand County Almanac, by Aldo Leopold, pp. 265-281
(Journal)
November 11: Thursday:
Earth Day Video
“Millions Join Earth Day Observances Across the Nation,” by Josephy
Lelyveld p. 484
____________________________________________
November 17: Tuesday
Group Conferences/Group Workday-(In class)
November 19: Thursday
Group Workday, No Class
__________________________________________
November 30: Tuesday
Casey Land Project Presentations
The Song of the White Pelican,” by Jack Turner p. 835
Casey Land Proposal Project
Last fall, a 1946 ISU engineering graduate donated 76 acres to the ISU Creative Writing Department. The land, valued at $201,000, was donated to the university by Everett Casey of Detroit, Michigan. He asked that the land be preserved in its natural state. Casey took a writing class at Iowa State that he credits as being fundamental to what he later did as a Detroit-area attorney and owner of a manufacturing company.
For your next assignment, we’re inviting you to visit the Everett Casey Nature Reserve. You will work in groups to research either the history of the land or the ecology of the land or possible uses for the land. By the end of this unit you will present us with either an analysis of the land or a plan for its use. Your Casey Land “Almanac” will consist of a map that you’ve created, a visual, and either a four page paper or a website. The final week of class we will be presenting these almanac projects in the large lecture classroom.
In order to give you more direction, Steve, Brenna, and I have broken up the assignment into six different focus groups. I provided several questions for each category in order to get you started but do not limit yourself to these prompts.
1-CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)-If we were to set up a CSA on the Casey Land site what steps would we take? What considerations would we have to take into account? How could we fund a CSA project? How could it benefit the creative writing program and the community?
2-Habitat Management-What species do you see on the land and how can we most effectively create a fruitful habitat for those species? Do you notice any invasive plant or animal species? What is the best way to moderate the plant and/or animal life on the property?
3-Prairie Restoration-If we were to restore part of the land to native prairie, what steps would we take? How would we fund the restoration of the prairie? What groups would we contact? What are some of the benefits of a prairie restoration project?
4-History-For this category I want you to examine some of the natural and human history of the land. What has happened on the land so far? Your final project would be a website rather than a proposal paper.
5-Creek Management-What plant or animal species do you see in the creek? How can we provide an effective habitat for them? What impact have humans had on the creek? How can we manage erosion and other effects of having water on the land?
6-Outdoor Classroom-How could the land be used as an outdoor learning space? What aspects of the land would you want to include in some sort of outdoor classroom? How would you go about creating a learning space on the land?
Links of Interest:
http://www.news.iastate.edu/news/2009/sep/MFApreserve
http://www.foundation.iastate.edu/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=8443
http://blogs.universitybusiness.com/2009/10/university-nature-preserves-inspire-students.html
On Saturday:
Meet at transportation hub behind stadium at 10 am. Free parking. You MUST ride with us. Because it is private property, you CANNOT be there without Eng. Dept. faculty.
Feel free to bring food and water, but do not take it out of the parking lot.
You'll be led around according to which topic you choose.
Wear old jeans, shoes, shirts. Stuff you won't mind getting dirty. Come prepared for rain. Check the weather beforehand.
Bring a camera. One person should bring a field guide.
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Conferences in my office, Landscape Architecture 5.
Thursday-21:
10:50-Landwehr
11:00-Hagedorn
11:10-Mass
11:20-Snell
11:30-Truitt
11:40-Branderhorst
11:50-Nelson
12:00-Nguyen
12:10-Mizzi
12:20-Carlson
1:20-Schneider
Tuesday 26-
11:00-Main
11:10-Anderson
11:20-Bullerman
11:30-Smidt
11:40-Lohse
11:50-Bogaard
12:00-Keiran
1:00-Smallwood
1:20-Simonson
Thursday-21:
10:50-Landwehr
11:00-Hagedorn
11:10-Mass
11:20-Snell
11:30-Truitt
11:40-Branderhorst
11:50-Nelson
12:00-Nguyen
12:10-Mizzi
12:20-Carlson
1:20-Schneider
Tuesday 26-
11:00-Main
11:10-Anderson
11:20-Bullerman
11:30-Smidt
11:40-Lohse
11:50-Bogaard
12:00-Keiran
1:00-Smallwood
1:20-Simonson
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
October 12
In class:
Journaling exercise:
What reading have you enjoyed the most? Why?
Rachel Carson:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2714989n
Imagine you are reading this in 1962. John Glenn has recently become the first American to orbit Earth. The U.S is in the middle of the Cuban Missile Crisis. John Paul XXIII has just opened the Second Vatican Council. What about Carson's writing might resonate? How do you imagine Americans responding to her work in the midst of this period of scientific, theological, and political expansion? Pick out a passage that you found significant to the time period and explain why you see it as contextually relevant.
(Discuss in groups, have one person post a response to the blog with everyone's name on it.)
How is Sandra Steingraber similar or different from Carson?
What rhetorical strategies do both woman use to appeal to their audience?
Share Photos.
Bill McKibben
Environmental author Bill McKibben to speak at Iowa State Oct. 14
AMES, Iowa -- Bill McKibben, described as the "world's best green journalist" by Time Magazine, will lecture at Iowa State University as part of the Pesek Colloquium on Sustainable Agriculture. He will speak on "Sustaining Life on a Tough New Planet," which parallels his most recent book, "Eaarth: Making Life on a Tough New Planet." His presentation will be at 8 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 14, in the Memorial Union Great Hall. It is free and open to the public.
The annual Pesek Colloquium presents lectures on sustainable agriculture, and encourages discussion and community response. McKibben also will speak in Iowa City, Oct. 13, and in Des Moines on Oct. 15 at the Iowa Environmental Council's annual conference.
Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben writes about global warming, alternative energy and the risks associated with human genetic engineering. He has written several books, including "Hope, Human and Wild;" "The Comforting Whirlwind: God, Job, and the Scale of Creation;" "Maybe One;" and "Long Distance: A Year of Living Strenuously." His first book, "The End of Nature," published in 1989, is regarded as the first book for a general audience about climate change. It has been printed in more than 20 languages.
McKibben is a frequent contributor to The New York Times and various magazines, including The Atlantic Monthly, Harper's, Orion Magazine, Mother Jones, The New York Review of Books, Granta, Rolling Stone and Outside. He is a board member and contributor to Grist Magazine. He also is the founder of 350.org, an international climate campaign that has set Oct. 24, 2010, as the International Day of Climate Action.
McKibben has been awarded Guggenheim and Lyndhurst Fellowships, and won the Lannan Prize for nonfiction writing in 2000. He is a scholar in residence at Middlebury College, Vermont.
The Pesek Colloquium began in 2001 and is named for ISU Emeritus Professor of Agronomy John Pesek. This year it also is part of the Live Green Sustainability Series at Iowa State. Other co-sponsors are the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture; Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture; Practical Farmers of Iowa; the colleges of Liberal Arts and Sciences and Agriculture and Life Sciences; the Bioethics Program; Bioeconomy Institute; the departments of Ecology, Evolution and Organismal Biology, Natural Resource Ecology and Management, and Agronomy; and the Committee on Lectures, which is funded by the Government of the Student Body.
Monday, October 11, 2010
Rhetorical Analysis
Assignment 2:
Rhetorical Analysis
While the term "rhetorical analysis" is, at first, rather intimidating for many people, it is easily understood (at least at its most basic) when broken down and defined.
Rhetoric The art of persuasion
Analysis The breaking down of some thing into its parts and interpreting how those parts fit together.
A rhetorical analysis examines how a text works—how its words, its structure, its ideas connect—or don't connect—with a given audience. For this assignment I want you to choose one of the readings you’ve encountered this semester and to break it down to its structural components. Rather than merely summarizing what the author is saying you will be analyzing how the author conveys his or her thesis through specific structural decisions.
Given the nature of this class—I want you to offer you two different approaches display your rhetorical understanding of the pieces you’ve encountered in class.
Option 1: A 3-5 page social/historical rhetorical analysis of a text of your choice
-Choose a reading that you’ve enjoyed in this course
-Examine that reading closely. What is the author’s thesis? How does he or she make his or her argument stylistically? How does the essay’s structure reflect its purpose?
-Research the social/historical/cultural context of the piece—for example you could investigate Thoreau and transcendentalism, John Muir and the development of the National Parks, Teddy Roosevelt and his tour around the Western United States, Alice Walker and the role of African Americans in American environmentalism, Terry Tempest Williams and eco-feminism…the list goes on….
-Use that research to give the essay context. Try to relate use whatever information you find to understand how the author might have been trying to reach a specific audience
-Make your research the basis of your introduction. Shape your essay’s thesis around how the author was able to reach his or her audience stylistically during the time period he or she wrote.
Evaluation Criteria:
-The paper includes both the author’s claim and the writer’s thesis
-The writer shoes an understanding of the historical/cultural context of the piece he or she is analyzing and is able to seamlessly integrate that context into his or her argument
¬-The writer examines at least three of the author’s rhetorical strategies (example: diction, imagery, tone, voice) and relates those strategies to the essay’s context, the author’s claim, and the writer’s thesis
Option 2: An imitation of a text of your choice and a 2 page analysis of your imitation
-Choose a reading that you’ve enjoyed in this course
-Examine that reading closely. What is the author’s thesis? How does he or she make his or her argument stylistically? How does the essay’s structure reflect its purpose?
-Write your own creative piece integrating rhetorical strategies you notice the original author using to convey your own ideas about home, place, or the environment
-Write a short (2 page) paper which includes both your thesis (purpose) and the thesis (purpose) of the original text, analyzing how both you and the original author used the same rhetorical strategies to convey your ideas
Evaluation Criteria:
-The imitation effectively uses at least three rhetorical strategies (example: diction, imagery, tone, voice) of the original text
-The writer examines at least three of the rhetorical strategies present in the original text and relates those strategies to both the original author’s claim and their own claim in their short (2 page) paper which accompanies their imitation
Questions to Consider:
What is the rhetorical situation?
• What occasion gives rise to the need or opportunity for persuasion?
• What is the historical occasion that would give rise to the composition of this text?
Who is the author/speaker?
• How does he or she establish ethos (personal credibility)?
• Does he/she come across as knowledgeable? fair?
What is his/her intention in speaking?
• To attack or defend?
• To exhort or dissuade from certain action?
• To praise or blame?
• To teach, to delight, or to persuade?
Who make up the audience?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What values does the audience hold that the author or speaker appeals to?
• Who have been or might be secondary audiences?
What is the content of the message?
• Can you summarize the main idea?
• What are the principal lines of reasoning or kinds of arguments used?
• How does the author or speaker appeal to reason? to emotion?
What is the form in which it is conveyed?
• What is the structure of the communication; how is it arranged?
• What oral or literary genre is it following?
• What figures of speech (schemes and tropes) are used?
• What kind of style and tone is used and for what purpose?
How do form and content correspond?
• Does the form complement the content?
• What effect could the form have, and does this aid or hinder the author's intention?
Does the message/speech/text succeed in fulfilling the author's or speaker's intentions?
• For whom?
• Does the author/speaker effectively fit his/her message to the circumstances, times, and audience?
• Can you identify the responses of historical or contemporary audiences?
What does the nature of the communication reveal about the culture that produced it?
• What kinds of values or customs would the people have that would produce this?
• How do the allusions, historical references, or kinds of words used place this in a certain time and location?
Rhetorical Analysis
While the term "rhetorical analysis" is, at first, rather intimidating for many people, it is easily understood (at least at its most basic) when broken down and defined.
Rhetoric The art of persuasion
Analysis The breaking down of some thing into its parts and interpreting how those parts fit together.
A rhetorical analysis examines how a text works—how its words, its structure, its ideas connect—or don't connect—with a given audience. For this assignment I want you to choose one of the readings you’ve encountered this semester and to break it down to its structural components. Rather than merely summarizing what the author is saying you will be analyzing how the author conveys his or her thesis through specific structural decisions.
Given the nature of this class—I want you to offer you two different approaches display your rhetorical understanding of the pieces you’ve encountered in class.
Option 1: A 3-5 page social/historical rhetorical analysis of a text of your choice
-Choose a reading that you’ve enjoyed in this course
-Examine that reading closely. What is the author’s thesis? How does he or she make his or her argument stylistically? How does the essay’s structure reflect its purpose?
-Research the social/historical/cultural context of the piece—for example you could investigate Thoreau and transcendentalism, John Muir and the development of the National Parks, Teddy Roosevelt and his tour around the Western United States, Alice Walker and the role of African Americans in American environmentalism, Terry Tempest Williams and eco-feminism…the list goes on….
-Use that research to give the essay context. Try to relate use whatever information you find to understand how the author might have been trying to reach a specific audience
-Make your research the basis of your introduction. Shape your essay’s thesis around how the author was able to reach his or her audience stylistically during the time period he or she wrote.
Evaluation Criteria:
-The paper includes both the author’s claim and the writer’s thesis
-The writer shoes an understanding of the historical/cultural context of the piece he or she is analyzing and is able to seamlessly integrate that context into his or her argument
¬-The writer examines at least three of the author’s rhetorical strategies (example: diction, imagery, tone, voice) and relates those strategies to the essay’s context, the author’s claim, and the writer’s thesis
Option 2: An imitation of a text of your choice and a 2 page analysis of your imitation
-Choose a reading that you’ve enjoyed in this course
-Examine that reading closely. What is the author’s thesis? How does he or she make his or her argument stylistically? How does the essay’s structure reflect its purpose?
-Write your own creative piece integrating rhetorical strategies you notice the original author using to convey your own ideas about home, place, or the environment
-Write a short (2 page) paper which includes both your thesis (purpose) and the thesis (purpose) of the original text, analyzing how both you and the original author used the same rhetorical strategies to convey your ideas
Evaluation Criteria:
-The imitation effectively uses at least three rhetorical strategies (example: diction, imagery, tone, voice) of the original text
-The writer examines at least three of the rhetorical strategies present in the original text and relates those strategies to both the original author’s claim and their own claim in their short (2 page) paper which accompanies their imitation
Questions to Consider:
What is the rhetorical situation?
• What occasion gives rise to the need or opportunity for persuasion?
• What is the historical occasion that would give rise to the composition of this text?
Who is the author/speaker?
• How does he or she establish ethos (personal credibility)?
• Does he/she come across as knowledgeable? fair?
What is his/her intention in speaking?
• To attack or defend?
• To exhort or dissuade from certain action?
• To praise or blame?
• To teach, to delight, or to persuade?
Who make up the audience?
• Who is the intended audience?
• What values does the audience hold that the author or speaker appeals to?
• Who have been or might be secondary audiences?
What is the content of the message?
• Can you summarize the main idea?
• What are the principal lines of reasoning or kinds of arguments used?
• How does the author or speaker appeal to reason? to emotion?
What is the form in which it is conveyed?
• What is the structure of the communication; how is it arranged?
• What oral or literary genre is it following?
• What figures of speech (schemes and tropes) are used?
• What kind of style and tone is used and for what purpose?
How do form and content correspond?
• Does the form complement the content?
• What effect could the form have, and does this aid or hinder the author's intention?
Does the message/speech/text succeed in fulfilling the author's or speaker's intentions?
• For whom?
• Does the author/speaker effectively fit his/her message to the circumstances, times, and audience?
• Can you identify the responses of historical or contemporary audiences?
What does the nature of the communication reveal about the culture that produced it?
• What kinds of values or customs would the people have that would produce this?
• How do the allusions, historical references, or kinds of words used place this in a certain time and location?
Tentative Schedule
Note: Assigned readings need to be completed to and responded to in your notebook by the day they are listed. Homework assignments are due on the day that they are listed.
October 7: Thursday
-In Class: John Muir video
-From A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, p. 85, and from My First
Summer in the Sierras, p. 98, by John Muir. (Journal on one)
___________________________________
October 12: Tuesday
Photo Projects Due
from Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, p. 366
from Having Faith, by Sandra Steingraber, p. 929 (Journal on one)
October 14: Thursday
“Smokey the Bear Sutra,” by Gary Snyder, p. 473 (Journal)
COLLECT JOURNALS
ATTEND BILL MCKIBBEN SPEECH
________________________________
October 19: Tuesday
NO CLASS
October 21: Thursday
CONFERENCES
In my office LA 5 (Bring your rough draft)
__________________________________
October 26: Tuesday
CONFERENCES
In my office LA 5 (Bring your rough draft)
October 28: Thursday
Rough Draft Rhetorical Analysis DuePeer Review
“Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,”p. 505, and “The
Making of a Marginal Farm,” p. 507, by Wendell Berry
November 2: Tuesday
In Class: Casey Land Group Meetings
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS DUE
(Note: October 29 is the last day to drop the class)
___________________________________
October 7: Thursday
-In Class: John Muir video
-From A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, p. 85, and from My First
Summer in the Sierras, p. 98, by John Muir. (Journal on one)
___________________________________
October 12: Tuesday
Photo Projects Due
from Silent Spring, by Rachel Carson, p. 366
from Having Faith, by Sandra Steingraber, p. 929 (Journal on one)
October 14: Thursday
“Smokey the Bear Sutra,” by Gary Snyder, p. 473 (Journal)
COLLECT JOURNALS
ATTEND BILL MCKIBBEN SPEECH
________________________________
October 19: Tuesday
NO CLASS
October 21: Thursday
CONFERENCES
In my office LA 5 (Bring your rough draft)
__________________________________
October 26: Tuesday
CONFERENCES
In my office LA 5 (Bring your rough draft)
October 28: Thursday
Rough Draft Rhetorical Analysis DuePeer Review
“Manifesto: The Mad Farmer Liberation Front,”p. 505, and “The
Making of a Marginal Farm,” p. 507, by Wendell Berry
November 2: Tuesday
In Class: Casey Land Group Meetings
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS DUE
(Note: October 29 is the last day to drop the class)
___________________________________
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
October 5
"If the national park is, as Lord Bryce suggested, the best idea America has ever had, wilderness preservation is the highest refinement of that idea."-Wallace Stegner
http://espanol.video.yahoo.com/watch/5643464/14801181
http://espanol.video.yahoo.com/watch/5643464/14801181
Image: Teddy Roosevelt and John Muir, two early champions of the parks, in Yosemite, 1903.
Image: In 1892, Buffalo Bill Cody (second from right) and company survey the land at Grand Canyon National Park, 1892
Image: Photographer Ansel Adams at work at Denali National Park.
-Teddy Roosevelt video (from PBS America's Best Idea)
In Groups:
-What devices do you notice Roosevelt or Abbey using? (Pick at least 3 with a partner)
-Take fifteen minutes and try and make your own social or environmental argument using some of Roosevelt/or Abbey's strategies. Post your imitation to the blog using the "comment" function.
Homework: From A Thousand-Mile Walk to the Gulf, p. 85, and from My First
Summer in the Sierras, p. 98, by John Muir. (Journal on one)
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Conferences are next week...
My office is in Landscape Architecture, Room 5
You're welcome (and encouraged!) to use the ISU Writing Center as well...
Writing Center
300 Carver Hall-
http://wmhc.isucomm.iastate.edu/
Fall 2010 Hours (Starting Mon., Aug. 30)
Monday 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Tuesday 9:00 am - 2:30 pm
Wednesday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Thursday 9:00 am - 5:00 pm
Friday 1:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Saturday Closed
Sunday Closed
About the Writing and Media Help Center:
The Iowa State University Writing and Media Help Center provides a comfortable environment wherein ISU scholars from any discipline can collaborate with trained consultants to explore and develop self-awareness and self-sufficiency with written, oral, visual, and electronic communication.
Consultants will help you with any stage of your composing process, from brainstorming and researching to content development and proofreading. We do not proofread or “fix” papers for you, nor do we create or edit media projects for you, but we will help you learn how to proofread and assess the effectiveness your own work, whether it is a website, oral presentation, essay, or lab report.
Consultants in the Writing and Media Help Center work with you according to our core value that composing and critical thinking work together to create a meaningful education. With this value in mind, we collaborate with you to examine how to compose effective documents, and to help you improve your facility with any type of communication.
writectr@iastate.edu
10 Things You Didn't Know About College Grading
10 Things You Didn't Know About College Grading (from US News)
November 04, 2009 04:43 PM ET Lynn F. Jacobs, Jeremy S. Hyman Permanent Link Print
Given how concerned most students are about grades, it's amazing how little they know about how grading is done. Actually, it's not so amazing. Universities go to great lengths to hide—or at least not disclose—facts about grading that anyone who's taught at a university for more than a year knows. Want a peek? Read on.
1. It's 10 minutes—and then on to the next. You might think that your grader will spend half an hour to an hour grading each student's piece of work. Not so. Unfortunately, given that an instructor might have a stack of 30, 40, or even 70 papers or tests to grade, he or she has only about 10 minutes to devote to each piece of graded work. This is why you should make your claims clearly and forcefully, avoid any irrelevant or unnecessary material, and take the trouble to really explain your points.
2. The grading is often outsourced. In large classes at large colleges, the professor giving the lecture is rarely the one who does the grading. Instead, there is usually a cadre of low-paid grad students who do the grading. You might know the grad student as the TA running your discussion section. But your grader might also be an unseen and unnamed person who has been hired only to grade the written work, with no other duties in the course. Some professors actively manage the grad student or grader, going over sample papers and setting a grading scale. But other professors are happy to delegate the whole job to the underling and never set eyes on student work.
3. It's not as subjective as you think. While it's easy to see how grades are assigned on "objective" tests (like multiple-choice or short-answer tests), it's tempting to think that the grading of essays or papers is just a matter of opinion. But if you were to actually read a set of 50 essays on the same topic, you—and anyone who knew the material—could see right away that there is a wide range of levels of quality in the answers. For professors who have been teaching the material, it's extremely easy to distinguish the essays from students who show an excellent understanding of the issue from those who sort of get the point and those who have no idea what they're talking about—and to assign the grades accordingly. Sure, the professor down the hall might see the same set a bit differently, but it's not likely that this other prof is going to find the D essay any more illuminating than the one who gave a D in the first place.
4. A's are often in short supply. At most colleges, despite what you might have heard about grade inflation, professors give about 10 percent to 25 percent A's in introductory classes and perhaps 30 percent to 50 percent in more advanced courses.
5. Grading usually is not a zero-sum game. In classes where the grading is curved, your grade is in fact determined by your position relative to other students in the class. But curves are not used in all that many classes. Most liberal arts students don't see them that often. So relax—the reason you didn't get an A is not because your friend stole the last available A. It's just that the level of your work didn't merit one.
6. First impressions count. Since your grader is working fast and trying to make a quick decision about what grade to give, nailing the main point in the very first paragraph creates a feeling of satisfaction in the grader. This sets the essay on the path to an A. Keeping the grader in suspense about when—and if—you're ever going to answer the question, or, worse, larding your essay with bull, very quickly inclines the grader to a C.
7. Last impressions count. Your conclusion is the last thing your grader reads before slapping the grade on at the bottom, so whatever you do, don't end with excuses or explanations of why you did such a bad job. This only confirms the grader's judgment that the essay wasn't really all that hot. Just summing up what you've said is OK, but a far better idea is to bring out some new point of even deeper significance or draw an unexpected connection—that's ending with a bang. And you'll likely get a bang-up grade.
8. Effort isn't taken into account (usually). In college, you are generally graded on the product you produce, not on how hard you worked to produce it. Students have a lot of trouble grasping this, which is why professors regularly hear complaints from students unhappy about getting a bad grade on something they worked "really hard" on. Professors have no trouble dismissing such complaints, since they're not in the effort-assessment business (and couldn't be, even if they wanted to).
9. There aren't usually do-overs or extra credit. In most courses, the professor has
his or her hands full with the regular work and isn't looking to allow students with bad grades to rewrite their papers for a better grade. They're also not likely to offer the chance to do extra work for extra credit. So try to do it right from the first.
10. There's no real court of appeals. Sure, most colleges have official procedures
for disputing a grade, but grades rarely get changed. It usually happens only if there is some serious procedural irregularity (such as incorrectly adding up the points, failing to read a page of the answer, or not following policies on the syllabus or the college rules). Arguments that almost never work include: My friend wrote the same paper but did better than I; another TA grades easier; and the assignment wasn't fair. If you haven't gotten the grade you wanted, it's best just to suck it up, then ask the professor or TA how you can do better next time.
© Copyright 2009 Professors' Guide LLC. All rights reserved.
November 04, 2009 04:43 PM ET Lynn F. Jacobs, Jeremy S. Hyman Permanent Link Print
Given how concerned most students are about grades, it's amazing how little they know about how grading is done. Actually, it's not so amazing. Universities go to great lengths to hide—or at least not disclose—facts about grading that anyone who's taught at a university for more than a year knows. Want a peek? Read on.
1. It's 10 minutes—and then on to the next. You might think that your grader will spend half an hour to an hour grading each student's piece of work. Not so. Unfortunately, given that an instructor might have a stack of 30, 40, or even 70 papers or tests to grade, he or she has only about 10 minutes to devote to each piece of graded work. This is why you should make your claims clearly and forcefully, avoid any irrelevant or unnecessary material, and take the trouble to really explain your points.
2. The grading is often outsourced. In large classes at large colleges, the professor giving the lecture is rarely the one who does the grading. Instead, there is usually a cadre of low-paid grad students who do the grading. You might know the grad student as the TA running your discussion section. But your grader might also be an unseen and unnamed person who has been hired only to grade the written work, with no other duties in the course. Some professors actively manage the grad student or grader, going over sample papers and setting a grading scale. But other professors are happy to delegate the whole job to the underling and never set eyes on student work.
3. It's not as subjective as you think. While it's easy to see how grades are assigned on "objective" tests (like multiple-choice or short-answer tests), it's tempting to think that the grading of essays or papers is just a matter of opinion. But if you were to actually read a set of 50 essays on the same topic, you—and anyone who knew the material—could see right away that there is a wide range of levels of quality in the answers. For professors who have been teaching the material, it's extremely easy to distinguish the essays from students who show an excellent understanding of the issue from those who sort of get the point and those who have no idea what they're talking about—and to assign the grades accordingly. Sure, the professor down the hall might see the same set a bit differently, but it's not likely that this other prof is going to find the D essay any more illuminating than the one who gave a D in the first place.
4. A's are often in short supply. At most colleges, despite what you might have heard about grade inflation, professors give about 10 percent to 25 percent A's in introductory classes and perhaps 30 percent to 50 percent in more advanced courses.
5. Grading usually is not a zero-sum game. In classes where the grading is curved, your grade is in fact determined by your position relative to other students in the class. But curves are not used in all that many classes. Most liberal arts students don't see them that often. So relax—the reason you didn't get an A is not because your friend stole the last available A. It's just that the level of your work didn't merit one.
6. First impressions count. Since your grader is working fast and trying to make a quick decision about what grade to give, nailing the main point in the very first paragraph creates a feeling of satisfaction in the grader. This sets the essay on the path to an A. Keeping the grader in suspense about when—and if—you're ever going to answer the question, or, worse, larding your essay with bull, very quickly inclines the grader to a C.
7. Last impressions count. Your conclusion is the last thing your grader reads before slapping the grade on at the bottom, so whatever you do, don't end with excuses or explanations of why you did such a bad job. This only confirms the grader's judgment that the essay wasn't really all that hot. Just summing up what you've said is OK, but a far better idea is to bring out some new point of even deeper significance or draw an unexpected connection—that's ending with a bang. And you'll likely get a bang-up grade.
8. Effort isn't taken into account (usually). In college, you are generally graded on the product you produce, not on how hard you worked to produce it. Students have a lot of trouble grasping this, which is why professors regularly hear complaints from students unhappy about getting a bad grade on something they worked "really hard" on. Professors have no trouble dismissing such complaints, since they're not in the effort-assessment business (and couldn't be, even if they wanted to).
9. There aren't usually do-overs or extra credit. In most courses, the professor has
his or her hands full with the regular work and isn't looking to allow students with bad grades to rewrite their papers for a better grade. They're also not likely to offer the chance to do extra work for extra credit. So try to do it right from the first.
10. There's no real court of appeals. Sure, most colleges have official procedures
for disputing a grade, but grades rarely get changed. It usually happens only if there is some serious procedural irregularity (such as incorrectly adding up the points, failing to read a page of the answer, or not following policies on the syllabus or the college rules). Arguments that almost never work include: My friend wrote the same paper but did better than I; another TA grades easier; and the assignment wasn't fair. If you haven't gotten the grade you wanted, it's best just to suck it up, then ask the professor or TA how you can do better next time.
© Copyright 2009 Professors' Guide LLC. All rights reserved.
Peer Response Questions
Peer Response Questions
1. Does the introduction give the scene context? If not, how could it be improved?
2. What does the writer state as the director’s/film’s claim? Does the claim take into account the larger conflicts contained within the film?
3. Write the sentence(s) that you consider the thesis. Is it arguable? Is it specific? Does it forecast the elements of the scene that the writer plans to analyze? How could the thesis be improved?
4. Focus: How well does the writer stay on track? Where does the writer go off-track, or include information that does not move the paper forward?
5. Does the writer give enough concrete details of the scene? Where could the writer be more specific about visual/auditory elements to deepen his/her analysis?
6. Does the writer break down the visual/auditory elements to specifically analyze what purpose they serve? If not how could they improve? What suggestions do you have?
7. Does the writer connect that analysis back to the thesis? (Please circle/highlight/or note all the places where the writer fails to make these connections)
8. Is the paper well-organized? Does each paragraph contain a clear focus and supporting information? Are there forecasting and transitional sentences to help guide the reader?
9. Are there any parts of the essay that are confusing or that need more details/explanation?
10. What did you like about the draft?
11. What are the weaknesses of the draft? How can the writer improve the weak areas?
What your paper should do:
(Note—these are assignment requirements—if you fulfill the basic requirements of the assignment you will receive a “C” on the paper. Should you not fulfill these requirements you will receive a “D” or lower. “A” and “B”-level papers go beyond the basics, approaching the assignment with in-depth thought, careful consideration, and a more sophisticated writing style—however they still need to contain all the assignments “basic” elements.)
Introduction:
-Places the scene in context
-States the director’s claim
-Has a clear, arguable, forecasting thesis
Body Paragraphs:
-organized around a specific scene element or directorial strategy
-includes very specific visual/auditory evidence to the scene
-connects each example back to the strategy/author’s larger thesis
-includes a transition/summary sentence
Conclusion:
-Summarizes the content of the paper
-Resituates the scene within the larger context/director’s intent
(Note: An A or B conclusion does more that this…)
DO NOT: (think C paper or [most likely] below….)
-summarize the film
-include personal reactions to the film
-copy/paste your thesis statement into your conclusion
-use “You” (/second person)
-overuse “to be” verbs (is , was, were, etc)—USE NO MORE THAN 1 PER PARAGRAPH
DO: (think B papers and above, if done well)
-Use size 12 Times New Roman Font, double-spaced
-Include your rough draft and peer response sheet
-Use as much visual/auditory evidence from the film as is appropriate, your detailed description of your scene will serve as the evidence of your paper
-Use strong verbs, descriptive language
-Remember the content of the course while writing your paper, feel free to (i.e. please do) discuss the depiction of environment in the context of what we’ve read or discussed in class (this may be an appropriate thing to include in your conclusion or introduction)
-Discuss the relationship between character and environment
-Treat the American Landscape as a character or major element of the film
Reminders:
Conferences in my office, LA 5 next week!
BRING YOUR DRAFT, your peer feedback, and your questions/ideas
Casey Land field trip-October 9
Final draft of your papers due October 5
1. Does the introduction give the scene context? If not, how could it be improved?
2. What does the writer state as the director’s/film’s claim? Does the claim take into account the larger conflicts contained within the film?
3. Write the sentence(s) that you consider the thesis. Is it arguable? Is it specific? Does it forecast the elements of the scene that the writer plans to analyze? How could the thesis be improved?
4. Focus: How well does the writer stay on track? Where does the writer go off-track, or include information that does not move the paper forward?
5. Does the writer give enough concrete details of the scene? Where could the writer be more specific about visual/auditory elements to deepen his/her analysis?
6. Does the writer break down the visual/auditory elements to specifically analyze what purpose they serve? If not how could they improve? What suggestions do you have?
7. Does the writer connect that analysis back to the thesis? (Please circle/highlight/or note all the places where the writer fails to make these connections)
8. Is the paper well-organized? Does each paragraph contain a clear focus and supporting information? Are there forecasting and transitional sentences to help guide the reader?
9. Are there any parts of the essay that are confusing or that need more details/explanation?
10. What did you like about the draft?
11. What are the weaknesses of the draft? How can the writer improve the weak areas?
What your paper should do:
(Note—these are assignment requirements—if you fulfill the basic requirements of the assignment you will receive a “C” on the paper. Should you not fulfill these requirements you will receive a “D” or lower. “A” and “B”-level papers go beyond the basics, approaching the assignment with in-depth thought, careful consideration, and a more sophisticated writing style—however they still need to contain all the assignments “basic” elements.)
Introduction:
-Places the scene in context
-States the director’s claim
-Has a clear, arguable, forecasting thesis
Body Paragraphs:
-organized around a specific scene element or directorial strategy
-includes very specific visual/auditory evidence to the scene
-connects each example back to the strategy/author’s larger thesis
-includes a transition/summary sentence
Conclusion:
-Summarizes the content of the paper
-Resituates the scene within the larger context/director’s intent
(Note: An A or B conclusion does more that this…)
DO NOT: (think C paper or [most likely] below….)
-summarize the film
-include personal reactions to the film
-copy/paste your thesis statement into your conclusion
-use “You” (/second person)
-overuse “to be” verbs (is , was, were, etc)—USE NO MORE THAN 1 PER PARAGRAPH
DO: (think B papers and above, if done well)
-Use size 12 Times New Roman Font, double-spaced
-Include your rough draft and peer response sheet
-Use as much visual/auditory evidence from the film as is appropriate, your detailed description of your scene will serve as the evidence of your paper
-Use strong verbs, descriptive language
-Remember the content of the course while writing your paper, feel free to (i.e. please do) discuss the depiction of environment in the context of what we’ve read or discussed in class (this may be an appropriate thing to include in your conclusion or introduction)
-Discuss the relationship between character and environment
-Treat the American Landscape as a character or major element of the film
Reminders:
Conferences in my office, LA 5 next week!
BRING YOUR DRAFT, your peer feedback, and your questions/ideas
Casey Land field trip-October 9
Final draft of your papers due October 5
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Tuesday September 21
http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2007/09/14/segments/85349
What does Sean Penn suggest his intent might be?
Do you agree?
What visual themes did you notice throughout the movie? What might they suggest?
How would you finish the sentence: "Into the Wild" is a film about____________?
Thoreau:
What similarities do you see between Thoreau and Chris McCandless?
Homework:
-Rough Draft Visual Analysis Due next class period
-“A First American Views His Land,” by N. Scott Momaday, p. 570
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Scene Groups
Please Sign Up for one using the "comment" function:
Scene Groups:
Emory University
Begins with graduation. Ends
with sister catching cap.
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
On the Road
Begins with McCandless clipping
ID. Ends with car flood.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Beach
Begins with "I'm afraid of water."
Ends with beginning of campfire scene.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
South Dakota
Begins with "I just figured
he'd be with gypsies."
Ends with the fade out.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
City/Shelter Scene
Begins with jumping off train.
Ends at Chapter 5: Manhood.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Magic Bus: Week 7
Begins with title "Magic Bus: Week 7"/McCandless carrying game.
End with Holy Moses, WA sign.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Mountains
Begins with standing on mountain.
Ends with "It's OK to Waste Fries" sign.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
Magic Bus: Week 9
Begins with title "Magic Bus: Week 9"/Eagle soaring.
Ends with McCandless arriving at river.
____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
_____________________
September 9
Go over "Into the Wild" Assignment.
Watch "When the Levy's Broke."
In groups: Chose a scene and discuss how that scene contributes to Spike Lee's thesis.
Consider the following:
• use of visuals (people, places, objects, etc.)
• use of audio (narration, quotes, music, etc.)
• pace and tone
• types of emotional appeals meant to persuade the viewer
• the way the character interacts with his environment
Discuss/Share Poems
Homework:
-From Walden; or, Life in the Woods, by Henry David Thoreau, pp. 9-25 (Journal)
What a College Level Essay Should Do
What a College Level Essay Should Do:
From The University of Purdue OWL website:
First Paragraph/Introduction:
The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions:
1. What is this?
2. Why am I reading it?
3. What do you want me to do?
You should answer these questions by doing the following:
1. Set the context – provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support
(The context for an ad analysis paper might include details like
-the source of the advertisement [ie the magazine where you found it]
-the magazine’s target audience,
-Background on the product/company
-A basic visual description of the ad)
2. State why the main idea is important – tell the reader why s/he should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read and act upon
3. State your thesis/claim – compose a sentence or two stating the position you will support
If your paper is long, you may want to forecast how you will support your thesis by outlining the structure of your paper, the sources you will consider, and the opposition to your position. Your forecast could read something like this:
First, I will define key terms for my argument, and then I will provide some background of the situation. Next I will outline the important positions of the argument and explain why I support one of these positions. Lastly, I will consider opposing positions and discuss why these positions are outdated. I will conclude with some ideas for taking action and possible directions for future research.
This is a very general example, but by adding some details on your specific topic, this forecast will effectively outline the structure of your paper so your readers can more easily follow your ideas.
Body Paragraphs
Body Paragraphs: Moving from General to Specific Information
Your paper should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific information. Every time you begin a new subject, think of an inverted pyramid - the broadest range of information sits at the top, and as the paragraph or paper progresses, the author becomes more and more focused on the argument ending with specific, detailed evidence supporting a claim. Lastly, the author explains how and why the information she has just provided connects to and supports her thesis (a brief wrap up or warrant).
The four elements of a good paragraph (TTEB)
A good paragraph should contain at least the following four elements: Transition, Topic sentence, specific Evidence and analysis, and a Brief wrap-up sentence (also known as a warrant) – TTEB!
1. A Transition sentence leading in from a previous paragraph to assure smooth reading. This acts as a hand off from one idea to the next.
2. A Topic sentence that tells the reader what you will be discussing in the paragraph.
3. Specific Evidence and analysis that supports one of your claims and that provides a deeper level of detail than your topic sentence.
4. A Brief wrap-up sentence that tells the reader how and why this information supports the paper’s thesis. The brief wrap-up is also known as the warrant. The warrant is important to your argument because it connects your reasoning and support to your thesis, and it shows that the information in the paragraph is related to your thesis and helps defend it.
Conclusions
Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research. The following outline may help you conclude your paper:
In a general way,
• restate your topic and why it is important,
• restate your thesis/claim,
• address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position,
• call for action or overview future research possibilities.
Remember that once you accomplish these tasks, unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you are finished. Done. Complete. Don't try to bring in new points or end with a whiz bang(!) conclusion or try to solve world hunger in the final sentence of your conclusion. Simplicity is best for a clear, convincing message.
The preacher's maxim is one of the most effective formulas to follow for argument papers:
1. Tell what you're going to tell them (introduction).
2. Tell them (body).
3. Tell them what you told them (conclusion).
From The University of Purdue OWL website:
First Paragraph/Introduction:
The introduction is the broad beginning of the paper that answers three important questions:
1. What is this?
2. Why am I reading it?
3. What do you want me to do?
You should answer these questions by doing the following:
1. Set the context – provide general information about the main idea, explaining the situation so the reader can make sense of the topic and the claims you make and support
(The context for an ad analysis paper might include details like
-the source of the advertisement [ie the magazine where you found it]
-the magazine’s target audience,
-Background on the product/company
-A basic visual description of the ad)
2. State why the main idea is important – tell the reader why s/he should care and keep reading. Your goal is to create a compelling, clear, and convincing essay people will want to read and act upon
3. State your thesis/claim – compose a sentence or two stating the position you will support
If your paper is long, you may want to forecast how you will support your thesis by outlining the structure of your paper, the sources you will consider, and the opposition to your position. Your forecast could read something like this:
First, I will define key terms for my argument, and then I will provide some background of the situation. Next I will outline the important positions of the argument and explain why I support one of these positions. Lastly, I will consider opposing positions and discuss why these positions are outdated. I will conclude with some ideas for taking action and possible directions for future research.
This is a very general example, but by adding some details on your specific topic, this forecast will effectively outline the structure of your paper so your readers can more easily follow your ideas.
Body Paragraphs
Body Paragraphs: Moving from General to Specific Information
Your paper should be organized in a manner that moves from general to specific information. Every time you begin a new subject, think of an inverted pyramid - the broadest range of information sits at the top, and as the paragraph or paper progresses, the author becomes more and more focused on the argument ending with specific, detailed evidence supporting a claim. Lastly, the author explains how and why the information she has just provided connects to and supports her thesis (a brief wrap up or warrant).
The four elements of a good paragraph (TTEB)
A good paragraph should contain at least the following four elements: Transition, Topic sentence, specific Evidence and analysis, and a Brief wrap-up sentence (also known as a warrant) – TTEB!
1. A Transition sentence leading in from a previous paragraph to assure smooth reading. This acts as a hand off from one idea to the next.
2. A Topic sentence that tells the reader what you will be discussing in the paragraph.
3. Specific Evidence and analysis that supports one of your claims and that provides a deeper level of detail than your topic sentence.
4. A Brief wrap-up sentence that tells the reader how and why this information supports the paper’s thesis. The brief wrap-up is also known as the warrant. The warrant is important to your argument because it connects your reasoning and support to your thesis, and it shows that the information in the paragraph is related to your thesis and helps defend it.
Conclusions
Conclusions wrap up what you have been discussing in your paper. After moving from general to specific information in the introduction and body paragraphs, your conclusion should begin pulling back into more general information that restates the main points of your argument. Conclusions may also call for action or overview future possible research. The following outline may help you conclude your paper:
In a general way,
• restate your topic and why it is important,
• restate your thesis/claim,
• address opposing viewpoints and explain why readers should align with your position,
• call for action or overview future research possibilities.
Remember that once you accomplish these tasks, unless otherwise directed by your instructor, you are finished. Done. Complete. Don't try to bring in new points or end with a whiz bang(!) conclusion or try to solve world hunger in the final sentence of your conclusion. Simplicity is best for a clear, convincing message.
The preacher's maxim is one of the most effective formulas to follow for argument papers:
1. Tell what you're going to tell them (introduction).
2. Tell them (body).
3. Tell them what you told them (conclusion).
Into the Wild Visual Analysis Assingment
Assignment 1:
Visual Analysis: Into the Wild
DUE TUESDAY OCTOBER 5
“[Chris McCanless] discovered what Muir and Thoreau already knew: An extended stay in the wilderness inevitably directs one’s attention outward as much as inward, and it is impossible to live off the land without discovering both a subtle understanding of, and a strong emotional bond with, the land and all it holds.”-Author John Krakauer
“I ended up reading [Into the Wild] cover to cover twice in a row..then got up the next day and began pursuing the rights to [direct the movie]…I felt like I’d stumbled upon a story that had everything that I was looking for, everything I thought was worth telling, not the least of which was the American landscape…and a person using it to find their own authenticity.”
-director Sean Penn
Both author John Krakauer and filmmaker Sean Penn see the American wilderness as being a major character, if not the major character in Chris McCandless’s story. Taking into account the different ways we’ve seen the American landscape portrayed in readings and visuals—I want you to examine the director decisions made in the film Into the Wild in terms of their portrayal of “place.” You will be assigned a scene in the film to analyze and expected to pay close attention to how places is depicted in your scene and what that depiction suggests about the filmmaker’s intent. You final analysis should be approximately three to five pages. It should include both what you see as the director’s “claim,” and your own thesis about how the director conveys his message. You will use evidence from your scene to support your thesis.
Planning/Prewriting
Once you’ve been assigned your scene in the film, pay close attention to the details of that scene and the way the landscape has been depicted in the scene. How does the director portray place? How does this representation contribute to the film’s overall thesis?
Jot down notes while we watch the film.
Consider the following:
• use of visuals (people, places, objects, etc.)
• use of audio (narration, quotes, music, etc.)
• pace and tone
• types of emotional appeals meant to persuade the viewer
• the way the character interacts with his environment
• where your scene falls in the film and how the setting contributes to the film’s overall narrative
Overarching questions to keep in mind: What is being framed? What is the director choosing to show? What is the director choosing not to show?
Evaluation Criteria for the Essay
The visual analysis should
• orient the reader by identifying the scene’s place in the movie, the director’s “claim,” and your thesis in the introduction
• refer to very specific visual and audio details as evidence
• organize each paragraphs around strategies used by the director to portray “place” in your scene
• avoid errors that distract the reader's attention
• address the ethical dimensions of the film’s depiction of place and its impact on the movie’s plot
• be specific, analytical, and comply with the standards of “what a college level analytical essay should do”
THIS IS NOT A PLOT SUMMARY OF THE FILM.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
September 7
Image from Spike Lee's Katrina documentary "When the Levees Broke"
In class: Opening Journal: What aspects of Patricia Smith's writing resonated with your own experiences of the environment and of place? Smith's writing is loaded with sensory details that fleshes out New Orleans as a place--making the disaster that occurred there all the more tragic. Think about key experiences you've had of tragedy and environment. Write a snapshot of that experience.
Alternative: Write a snapshot of an environmental experiences, using the level of sensory detail Smith employs as a model.
________________________________________________
Blood Dazzler Discussion:
(Cayla Bullerman, Samuel Carlson)
Thinking about visual rhetoric: What are the implications of how we represent a place?
-Detroit--"Ruin Porn"
Look at the images from Time Magazine--http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,1882089_1850980,00.html
-With a partner: Chose one image--what is being framed? What is the photographer's thesis?
“Telling Their Stories: The Lingering Legacy of the Hurricane Katrina Photographs” is the title of a new exhibit at the Ogden Museum in New Orleans. The exhibit is an emotional and moving retrospective of the powerful images made in the aftermath of Katrina.
Do you see the Hurricane Katrina photographs as similar to the Time Magazine Detroit photos? Different? Would it make a difference that the photographers come from New Orleans? What does that mean for Patricia Smith as an outsider? What gives someone license to write or photograph a place?
-In a group of two: Pick one image from one of the galleries (Time or the New Orleans exhibit) and analyze the visual rhetoric of it? What is the photographer's thesis? How is he/she framing it? (Comment on blog)
_______________________________________________
Blood Dazzler Discussion:
-Break into small groups, pick and discuss a favorite poem from the readings so far to share with the class.
-Discuss: What is a poem? What can a poem do? What formal qualities define a poem? How would you replicate what Smith does.
-Discuss: What is a poem? What can a poem do? What formal qualities define a poem? How would you replicate what Smith does.
_______________________________________________
Homework:
-Imitate one of Patricia Smith's poems integrating your own experience of place, disaster, home, or loss
-Blood Dazzler, by Patricia Smith, second half. (Journal)-JOURNALS COLLECTED
Thursday, September 2, 2010
September 3
Opening class journal: How did reading "The Clan of the One Breasted Woman" change your perspective on Terry Tempest Williams? How did you notice the tone of the piece changing to fit the content? What effect did this have on you as a reader?
OR
What was your reaction to Eula Biss? How did you feel about her representation of the floods/Iowa? Was she fair? If you are from Iowa, how would you have represented the same event/environment?
Into the Wild: Trailer:
Homework: Blood Dazzler, by Patricia Smith, first half (Kayla Hagen, Katie Hiatt)
Prosody Patricia Smith:
(Listen to podcast via laptop)
Film activity:
Consider the following---
What is being framed? What is the director choosing to show?
•Use of visuals (people, places, objects, etc.)
•Use of audio (narration, quotes, music, etc.)
•Pace and tone
•Types of emotional appeals meant to persuade the viewer
•Use of visuals (people, places, objects, etc.)
•Use of audio (narration, quotes, music, etc.)
•Pace and tone
•Types of emotional appeals meant to persuade the viewer
•The way the character interacts with his/[her] environment
Into the Wild: Trailer:
Into the Wild - Official Trailer from Anne Luchtenveld on Vimeo.
Homework: Blood Dazzler, by Patricia Smith, first half (Kayla Hagen, Katie Hiatt)
“Place,” by WS Merwin, p. 716, “The Summer Day,” by Mary Oliver, p. 737
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
August 31
-Blog for 10 minutes about Terry Tempest Williams--respond to one of the following questions:
1-On page 746, Terry Tempest Williams describes her family's relationship to the land--how would you describe the role of geography in your family? What role does the place(s) you're from play in your family's history?
2-On page 747, Terry Tempest Williams details the ritual of bird watching with her grandmother and how it shaped her understanding of the land. What rituals shape your experience of "place"? Hiking? Camping? Fishing? Gardening? Hunting? Farming? Describe those experiences in as much detail as possible and reflect on how they've changed your perception of environment.
3-Describe an experience of environmental loss.
Land/Art Earthart Activity:
Robert Smithson: "Spiral Jetty"
-Photograph: Robert Smithson's landart/Earthart sculpture Spiral Jetty--which extends 1,500 feet into the Great Salt Lake.
Questions to ponder: How does Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" invite viewers to interact with it? How does it reflect both the environment of the Great Salt Lake and environmental damage to the Great Salt Lake?
http://www.smarthistory.org/earth-artsmithsons-spiral-jetty.html
Patrick Dougherty: "Restless by Nature"
Questions to ponder: How does Dougherty's process reflect his intent? What does the impermanence of his materials mean to his art? What does his art say about environment and community?
Tyree Guyton: "The Heidleberg project"
Photographs:
Artist Tyree Guyton represented and revitalized his Detroit neighborhood through his work at the Heidelberg Project.
Questions to ponder: What's hopeful about his artwork? What's painful about it? How does it represent his perception of place?
http://www.studio360.org/episodes/2008/01/11/segments/91625
In Groups: Chose one of the artworks we talked about in class. Discuss: What do you think the artists intent was? How would you support your conclusions in a visual analysis paper?
Homework: From Refuge, “Epilogue,” pp. 732-759, (Matthew Boggard), Eula Biss essay (will be handed out in class)(Jordan Bose)(Journal on one)
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