Pan African Studies 155

Pan African Studies 155

Freshman Composition

Pan African Studies Department

California State University, Northridge

Spring 2009

 

Spring of 2009 has earned its own place in history with the election of Barack Hussein Obama as the 44th President of the United States of America. In so doing, Obama became the first nonwhite to be elected to the most powerful office in the world. Even more significant for African Americans, he is the first person of African descent. His Inauguration on January 20th, 2009 takes place on the same day that California State University, Northridge starts classes and just one day following the birthday of the late Civil Rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. shown in the background. The historicity of this event has been woven throughout the curriculum for this PAS 155 Freshman Composition course.

 

Ticket No. 12020                                                                                                                  Johnie H. Scott, M.A., M.F.A

3 Units                                                                                                                                  Associate Professor

MWF, 10:00am-10:50am                                                                                                     Santa Susanna Bldg., Room 210

General Education, Section A                                                                                                Office Hrs: MW, 1:00pm-2:30pm

Sierra Hall Room 284                                                                                                                            or Friday by Appt.

Email                                                                                                                                    818-677-2289

Webpage: “Safe Haven”

 

Course Description:

 

PAS 155 Freshman Writing is a course designed to meet the needs of entering freshmen scoring 151 and above on the English Placement Test (EPT) or who have received CR in the Developmental Reading and Writing Skills courses. This is a media-intensive, interactive environment where each student will be expected to be registered with CSUN’s Office of Online Instruction for WebCT access, have an email account as well possess a direct, ongoing access to a PC in order to satisfy demands of this class. The PAS 155 Effective Writing/Freshman Composition course is equivalent to Asian American Studies 155, Chicano/a Studies 155 and English 155. Available for General Education, Basic Subjects credit

 

Textbooks:

 

Required:

 

1)      Brown, Claude, Manchild in the Promised Land, A Touchstone Book published by Simon and Schuster, New York, NY, © 1965 by Claude Brown;

2)      Gibaldi, Joseph, The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers/6th Edition, Modern Language Association of America, New York, NY, © 1995; and

3)      Nadell, Judith, John Langan and Eliza A. Comodromos, The Longman Reader/Brief Edition/Eight Edition, Pearson Longman Publishers, New York, NY, © 2008.

 

Strongly Recommended:

 

4)      Obama, Barack H., The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream, Vintage Press, New York, NY, © July 15, 2008.

 

Course SLOs:

ü      The course will increase the student’s ability to analyze and comprehend college-level texts;

ü      The course will develop, through culturally diverse readings, the awareness of rhetorical strategies as well as the abuses and uses of language;

ü      The course will increase the critical reasoning skills as they reflect the interdependence of critical thinking and written discourse;

ü      The course will build confidence, reduce writing anxiety, and strengthen personal voice;

ü      The course will reinforce the theory and practice of writing as a recursive process;

ü      The course will help students understand the many contexts for writing, including timed writing, and develop appropriate strategies for the writer’s multiple purposes and audiences;

ü      The course will develop fluency and style by encouraging sentence variety, increasing vocabulary, and using Edited American English;

ü      The course will increase proficiency in research techniques required by various University disciplines and familiarizes students with appropriate style sheets;

ü      The course will definitely facilitate the use of basic computer applications – word processing, email, and Internet access – and other technological media including HyperNews and PowerPoint; and

ü      The course will promote writing as a means of participation in democracy and as a tool for social change.

Course Outcomes:

As determined by the Task Force on University Writing at California State University, Northridge, the student may expect to realize 21 outcomes as a direct result of meeting the stated objectives for this course. Those outcomes include the following:

 

ü      A developed facility at examining explicit relationships that exist between general concepts and specific details;

ü      An enhanced understanding of the relationships among sentence structures, word choice, and meaning;

ü      The ability to read critically about ideas and issues, including multicultural perspectives; analyze and synthesize information; draw inferences from data; draw conclusions from arguments; and distinguish fact from fiction;

ü      The ability to analyze message, audience, language choice, tone, purpose, and author’s ethos in selections from a text;

ü      The ability to comprehend and critically assess writings that reflect multicultural images and perspectives;

ü      The ability to recognize logical fallacies, biased language, idioms, slang, jargon, and tone;

ü      The ability to develop ideas with logical support, including the use of informed opinion, facts, and their interpretations;

ü      The ability to write critically about ideas, including multicultural perspectives; analyze and synthesize information; draw inferences from data; draw conclusions from arguments; and distinguish facts from opinion;

ü      The ability to write both independently and in collaboration with others;

ü      The ability to assess and address appropriately the character and needs of an explicit audience;

ü      A facility in using different genres in writing (e.g., autobiography, editorials, and case studies) for different academic disciplines or discourse communities;

ü      The ability to apply the concepts of subordination/coordination; abstract/concrete words; general/specific examples; and cohesion;

ü      Development of vocabulary appropriate to the subject and/or topic;

ü      The ability to effectively use the syntactic and mechanical conventions of Edited American English (e.g., grammar, usage, mechanics, and diction);

ü      The ability to integrate one’s own ideas with those of others, using appropriate documentation;

ü      The ability to effectively use library and online resources;

ü      The ability to use a style sheet consistently, such as MLA or APA style sheets;

ü      Knowledge and mastery of basic word processing, email, HyperNews, PowerPoint and the Internet;

ü      The ability to use computer technology in the writing process, including research and documentation;

ü      An awareness and appreciation of diverse cultures and contexts of human experience;

ü      The ability to show ways that writing can contribute to society and be an instrument for change; and

ü      Lastly, the student will be able to demonstrate the ability to write for possible publication.

Course Requirements:

There are seven (7) primary grade requirements for this course, each directly linked to the objectives and outcomes established by the Task Force on University Writing stated for 155-level Freshman Composition courses. Each requirement serves as one of the primary grade factors that are averaged together in reaching the cumulative grade point average for the student. In the Pan African Studies Writing Program, th3se seven “basic” grade requirements comprise the Student Portfolio. They are as follows:

Ø      Timed Essay Examinations: There will be three (3) timed essay examinations given in this course – a Pre-Semester, Midterm, and Departmental Common Essay. The student is to acquire three large Blue Books (i.e., 8 ½”x11”) in order to take these examinations. The Midterm and Departmental Common Essay are averaged together as one component of the final course grade average. No student shall receive a grade of “C” or higher in this course who misses and fails to makeup the Midterm Essay, the Departmental Common Essay, or both (No exceptions!);

Ø      Objective Examinations: There will be three (3) course-based examinations given in this class including an Objective Quiz,  the Midterm Objective Examination and the Exit Essay Examination. The Midterm is a comprehensive examination focusing on the material covered in the class from lectures to homework to group presentations, readings, and other subject matter as designated by the course instructor. The Exit Essay Examination is a timed essay of 50 minutes requiring a large Blue Book (i.e., 8 ½”x11”). The three examinations form the second primary factor in grade averaging for the course;

Ø      Formal Homework: There are specific homework assignments for this class, all of which must be submitted to the instructor at the date and time indicated either in the course syllabus or from the instructor. Unless otherwise indicated, all homework for this class is to be submitted via email to the course instructor. Late homework will not be accepted for grading unless the student has a verifiable, acceptable excuse (i.e., “My computer broke down” or “My dog ate my paper” are not acceptable!). To qualify for an honor grade in this class of “B” or higher, the student must achieve a grade average of at least 2.3 on the homework – No exceptions! The homework constitutes the third grade factor for the class;

Ø      Write Time Discussion Forums: The class has Internet Discussion Forums using WebCT4 in which students participate in a dialogue – WRITE TIME – wherein they made a series of at least three (3) postings per discussion topic. There are a total of four (4) WRITE TIME forums for the semester. The first posting is the student’s response to a question developed and directed by the course instructor to the entire class. The remaining two postings are done by the student indirect response to the comments made by two (2) classmates on the same Discussion Forum Prompt. Students must make the three postings in order to qualify for the maximum points, with each WRITE TIME Forum valued on the 4.0 grade scale and then, finally, averaged together at the end of the term. These WRITE TIME Discussion Forums shall be open for a stated period of 3-4 weeks during which time the student makes his/her posting. No postings shall count towards the student grade that are made after the WRITE TIME Forum has been closed (i.e., whether it is 30 minutes afterwards or one week later, in either instance the student shall have failed to post during the appropriate time period.). WRITE TIME constitutes the fourth basic course requirement;

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The history-making quest of Barack Obama for the U.S. Presidency affords an opportunity for students in this class to discuss issues of race, politics, and race relations in the context of mastering Information Age media along with interpersonal communication.

Ø      Collaborative Writer Project (CWP): The student participates in two (2) Collaborative Writer Projects (CWP) for the semester – (1st) the Rules of the Academy Group Presentations and (2nd) Research and Writing Mechanics. The presentations are made using PowerPoint with formal study guides prepared for the class. These CWPs are averaged together in representing the fourth grade factor for the class. No student may expect a grade of “B” or higher who fails to participate in these CWPs which are formal group presentations of 20-25 minutes, with study guides and discussion of assigned topics being made to the class. The Collaborative Writer Projects represent the fifth basic course requirement;

Exposure to multicultural, multiethnic issues and social dynamics such as those raised in the Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Picture Tsotsi (South Africa) go hand-in-hand with the critical reading and thinking skills in the toolbox of successful writers.

Ø      Writing Topics: Students in this class will write and submit a total of four (4) essays within the modes of discourse – the Personal Narrative, Evaluative, Problem-Solution and the Argument. These papers will be written in standard manuscript format, typewritten, double-spaced with cover pages. It is a requirement and expectation that these papers will be rewritten and revised as deemed necessary by the course instructor as part of the recursive process that writing is. The papers constitute the sixth factor in grading for the class;

Ø      Critical Evaluation: The assigned reader for this course is Claude Brown best-selling autobiographical novel Manchild in the Promised Land. Based upon the student’s reading and research of this book and the issues raised therein by its author, this critical analysis is to be written according to standard manuscript format. Synergistically, it will combine the evaluative, analytical and argumentative modes of discourse. As the capstone work for this Freshman Composition class, the paper is to be no less than 2,000 typewritten, double-spaced words (i.e., eight pages) with no less than fifteen (15) formal citations including six (6) drawn from at least three (3) outside, peer-reviewed references. This paper must have a “Works Cited” section done according to Modern Language Association guidelines. Due as noted in the course schedule, no student shall receive a grade of “B” or higher in this class who fails to submit this paper which constitutes the seventh and final primary grading factor for the course – no exceptions!

There are “bonus” considerations. Bonus points are added to the basic grade point average derived from the seven “basic” grade factors and then divided by that same number (i.e., 7) in reaching the “cumulative” grade point average (gpa) for the course. Those “bonus” considerations are as follows:

Nikki Giovanni is among the Black American poets whose work provides opportunities for students in PAS 155 to grow and mature in regards to literary aesthetics.

  • Poetry as the Soul of Black America: “Bonuses” exist for the students who go “above and beyond” the normal expectations and requirements by memorizing and then reciting anyone of the following poems in class. If the student elects to choose this bonus, then that individual must notify the instructor beforehand as to the specific work and date of desired presentation to the class. Note that there can be no “substitution” for any of these poems. Students are limited to doing only one of the following poems with the value of each recitation listed as well: (1) Maya Angelou’s “Phenomenal Woman” (1.25 pts.); (2)  Nikki Giovanni’s “Ego-Tripping” (1.5 pts.);  (3) Langston Hughes “Mother to Son” (1.0 pts.); (4) Rudyard Kipling’s “If” (1.25 pts.); and (5) Margaret Walker’s “For My People” (2.0 pts.)
  • Attendance: With regards to classroom attendance, the student who achieves a record of perfect attendance for the semester (i.e., no absences or tardies) will automatically receive 1.0 “Bonus” points. The student with no absences and no more than two (2) “Tardies” will be awarded .25 bonus points at semester’s end. It is the student’s responsibility to account for any and all absences with verifiable, documented evidence regarding the same;
  • Learning and Writing Centers: Student will earn bonuses ranging from .25-.50 points for utilizing the Pan African Studies Writing Center Tutorial Specialists or the Writing Tutors of the University Learning Resource Center with regards, specifically, to revisions of the Pre-Semester, Midterm and 12-Week Essay Examinations given in class. The same holds true for those formal writing assignments (i.e., the four assigned papers) in the class. To merit these points, the students must bring signature verification of the same from either one of the Centers with revisions due as noted by the course instructor.
  • Freshman Composition Diagnostic Test Results: Every student enrolled in this section undergoes diagnostic skills testing. These diagnostic tests, developed by the College Entrance Examination Board, are administered immediately upon enrollment in the class and during the “Review” Week period at the end of term. Students whose Post-Semester diagnostic test results show an improvement over those at the beginning of the term will receive “Bonus” points ranging from .15-.25 per test, dependent upon level of improvement (i.e., percentage of gain);
  • In-Class Performance: Students can earn bonuses ranging from .25-.50 points for exceptional in-class performance on specific course material (i.e., homework, classroom lectures, group presentations, et al) and “challenges” from the course instructor; and lastly,
  • Each and every student is expected to respect, observe and practice the University Standards for Student Conduct which explicitly states that, “Students are expected to be good citizens and to engage in responsible behaviors that reflect upon their university, to be civil to one another and to others in the campus community, and to contribute positively to student and university life.” Students are especially reminded of the following as it pertains to Unacceptable Student Behaviors subject to disciplinary sanctions under Dishonesty: “Cheating, plagiarism, or other forms of academic dishonesty that are intended to gain unfair academic advantage.” (26) It is the expectation that academic integrity applies to any and all work submitted under a student’s name, e.g., Homework, Writing Assignments, examinations, etcetera.

Grading Policies:

Grading in this class is done on the “Plus/Minus” system described in the CSUN Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogue. The final course grade in this class is based on the average of the seven (7) primary grade factors detailed under “Course Requirements” combined with any bonus points earned by the student. Grading shall be as follows:

Students are to make special note that final cumulative grade point averages are not “rounded off.” The final GPA – the mean average of the seven primary grade factors and the earned bonus points – is what the student developed as his/her body of work in the course and is that grade the student will receive. The grade of “Incomplete” will only be awarded to those students with a cumulative gpa of 3.0 or higher who, due to unforeseen and fully verifiable circumstances, are unable to complete one or more of the final course requirements (i.e., the Term Paper and/or Final Course Examination).

In the event there are violations of the Student Conduct Code with regards to Academic Dishonesty, the student(s) shall be liable to any sanctions delineated in Section 41301, Title V, and California Code of Regulations, for which any offending student may be expelled, suspended, or given a less serious disciplinary sanction. "Academic dishonesty is an especially serious offense and diminishes the quality of scholarship and defrauds those who depend upon the integrity of campus programs." ("Academic Dishonesty," CSUN Undergraduate and Graduate Catalogue).

Course Schedule

 

“For where do you run when you are already in the Promised Land?” is the question wailed by Claude Brown in his autobiographical novel Manchild In The Promised Land which, with more than 2 million copies sold, ranks not only as one of the most stirring an profound works in American letters but also one of the all-time best-selling works. Book offers splendid opportunity for reading and research by students with focus on urban American culture.

 

 

Week One (January 19th- January 25th, 2009)   Ground Zero – Now It Begins

 

“I do solemnly swear that I will faithfully execute the office of the president of the United States, and will, to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States”

– taking that oath on Tuesday, January 20th, his hand on Abraham Lincoln’s Bible, Barack Obama becomes America’s 44th president, and the first African American to be sworn in.

 

Wednesday, January 21st, 2009                              What Professors Expect of Students: Of Objectives, Outcomes and Requirements

                                                                              Reading: “Foreword,” Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                             Assignment: To send “PAS 155 Checking In” email to Course Instructor and secure WebCT

                                                                                                Password for Office of Online Instruction.

 

Friday, January 23rd, 2009                                      Orientation: “Student Conduct Code” and Write Time Protocols

                                                                              Reading: Chapters 1-2, Manchild in the Promised Land; Chapter 1, “The Reading Process,”

                                                                                            pgs. 1-5, from The Longman Reader.

 

Note – Monday, January 19th, 2009 is National Holiday – Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Birthday…Campus closed – no classes.

 

Week Two (January 26th- February 1st, 2009) Pre-Semester Testing

 

Monday, January 26th, 2009                              Pre-Semester Essay Exam (Large Blue Book Required)

                                                                         Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 1, ‘Prewrite,” pgs. 12-27 from The Longman Reader.

                                                                         HW#1: “Making Choices: The 9-Step Life Management Program” (Key Concepts and Discussion Questions)

 

Wednesday, January 28th, 2009                       HW#1 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                                        Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 2, ‘Identify the Thesis,” pgs. 27-31 from The

                                                                                      Longman Reader.

                                                                       Write Time #1: “The Task of Writing Mastery,” Opens as of 3:00pm students having

                                                                                                 through 3:00pm, February 4th, to answer the original writing prompt.

 

Friday, January 30th, 2009                             Presentation: Guidelines for Coursework Submissions

                                                                        Pre-Semester Diagnostic Test: Logical Relationships Scan-Tron Form 882 Required)

                                                                     Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 3, Support the Thesis with Evidence,” pgs. 31-39

                                                                                   from The Longman Reader; Chapter 3, Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                     HW#2: “The 13 Steps to Effective Listening and Note-Taking Skills” (Key Concepts and Discussion

                                                                                  Questions)

 

Week Three (February 2nd – February 8th, 2009) Time Management

 

Nefertiti, the Egyptian Queen of the Eighteenth Dynasty, was known for her love of wisdom and learning. PAS 155 students excelling in scholarship and writing have opportunity to earn award named after this great queen based upon their performance in class.

 

Monday, February 2nd, 2009                                   HW#2 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by:00am)

                                                                                Presentation: The Nefertiti Awards

                                                                               Pre-Semester Diagnostic Test: Usage (Scan-Tron Form 882 Required)

 

Wednesday, February 4th, 2009                              Lecture/Discussion: “The 9-Step LMP”

                                                                               Presentation/Discussion: Pre-Semester Testing Results with Selected Reading of Pre-Term Essay

                                                                                                                     Examinations CWP Assignment #1

                                                                               Return of Pre-Semester Essay Examinations for Revisions (To be done in either PAS Writing

                                                                                                                    Center or University LRC with Writing Specialists)

                                                                              Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 4, Presenting the Evidence,” pgs. 39-46

                                                                                            from The Longman Reader; Chapter 4, Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                              HW#3: “Opening and Closing Essay Gambits” (Key Concepts and Discussion Questions”)

 

Friday, February 6th, 2009                                     HW#3 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                            Lecture/Presentation: “The 3 Stages of Writing: Stage One, The Creating Stage”

                                                                              Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 4, Organize the Evidence,” pgs. 39-46 from The

                                                                                            Longman Reader; Chapters 5-6, Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                              HW#4 – The Looping Technique

–         

 

Week Four (February 9th – February 15th, 2009) The Principle of Unity

 

Monday, February 9th, 2009                                  HW#4 Due (Due at start of class, handwritten using blue or black ink)

                                                                             Lecture/Presentation: “Opening and Closing Strategies for Paragraphs and Essays”

                                                                             Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 5, Write the First Draft,” pgs. 46-53 from The

                                                                                           Longman Reader.

                                                                             HW#5: The Power Words.

 

Wednesday, February 11th, 2009                          HW#5 Due (Via email using Microsoft Word as of 9:00am)

                                                                             Return of Pre-Semester Essay Rewrites with Original Blue Books (At start of class with the

                                                                                                                                          signatures from Writing Center Specialists attached)

                                                                             Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Unity: The Topic Sentence Paragraph”

                                                                             Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Write the Introduction and Conclusion,” pgs. 53-56,

                                                                                           from The Longman Reader.

 

Friday, February 13th, 2009                                  Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Unity: Levels of Development in the Longer Compositions”

                                                                             Reading: Chapter 2, “The Writing Process: Stage 6 –Revise the Essay,” pgs. 56-70 from The

                                                                                           Longman Reader; Chapter 7, Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                             HW#6: The Cubing Technique (Key Concepts to be emailed and actual Technique handwritten using

                                                                                          blue or black ink, both due as of Monday, February 16th with Cubing Technique on Assigned

                                                                                          Topic)

 

Week Five (February 16th – February 22nd, 2009) Principle of Coherence

 

Monday, February 16th, 2009                              HW#6 Due (Key concepts via email using Microsoft Word as of 9:00am with Cubing technique

                                                                                               due at start of class)

                                                                           Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Coherence: From Repetition of Key Terms to Transitions”

 

Wednesday, February 18th, 2009                        Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Coherence: Synonym Reference”

                                                                           Reading: Chapters 8-9 from Manchild in the Promised Land.                                                        

                                                                          Write Time #1 Closes (As of 9:00am)

                                                                          Write Time #2: “The Inauguration of Barack Obama” Opens (As of 4:00pm with students

                                                                                                   having up through 4:00pm, Wednesday, February 25th, in which to respond to the

                                                                                                   original writing prompt)

 

"Praise Song for the Day': President Barack Obama shown greeting supporters during his successful campaign to become country’s 44th Head of State.

 

Friday, February 20th, 2009                                    Lecture/Presentation: “The Revision Process in Writing: Five Revising Strategies to Put in

                                                                                                                 Your Writer’s Toolkit”

                                                                               Reading: Chapter 3, “Description,” pgs. 71-80 from The Longman Reader.

                                                                               HW#7: “Flavio’s Home” by Gordon Parks, pgs. 84-90, Questions for Close Reading/Questions About

                                                                                           the Writer’s Craft, pg. 90, from The LongmanReader.

 

Week Six (February 23rd – March 1st, 2009) Organization in Writing

 

Monday, February 23rd, 2009                                HW#7 Due (Via Email using Microsoft Word as of 9:00am)

                                                                             Lecture/Presentation: “Organization – Part 1” (Power Point)

                                                                             HW#8: “The Storm This Time” by David Helvarg, pgs. 92-97, Questions for Close Reading/Questions

                                                                                         About the Writer’s Craft, pgs. 97-98 from The Longman Reader.

 

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009                          HW#8 Due (Via email using Microsoft Word as of 9:00am)

                                                                             Lecture/Presentation: “Organization – Part 2” (Power Point)

 

Friday, February 27th, 2009                                  Objective Quiz (45 minutes)

                                                                             Reading: Chapter 10, Manchild in the Promised Land.

 

Week Seven (March 2nd – March 8th, 2009)  Group Presentations – Round 1

 

 

Monday, March 2nd, 2009                                   Round 1 of Group Presentations: Group 1 (Each group has 20-25 minutes)

                                                                           HW#9: “Sister Flowers” by Maya Angelou, pgs. 100-104, Questions for Close Reading/Questions About the

                                                                                       Writer’s Craft, pgs. 104-105 from Longman Reader.

 

Wednesday, March 4th, 2009                             HW#9 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                                          Round 1 of Group Presentations: Groups 2-3 (Each group has 20-25 minutes for presentation)

 

Friday, March 6th, 2009                                     Round 1 of Group Presentations: Groups 4-5 (Each group has 20-25 minutes to make presentation)

                                                                          Reading: Chapter 4, “Narration,” pgs. 109-117 from The Longman Reader; Chapter 11 from Manchild in the

                                                                                        Promised Land.

                                                                          HW#10: “Salvation” by Langston Hughes, pgs. 127-129, Questions for Close Reading/Questions About the

                                                                                        Writer’s Craft, pg. 129 from The Longman Reader.

 

Week Eight (March 9th – March 15th, 2009) Midterm Examinations

 

Monday, March 9th, 2009                                 HW#10 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                                        Midterm Essay Examination (Large Blue Book Required)

 

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009                          Lecture/Presentation: “The Modes of Discourse – Description and Narration”

                                                                         WA#1: To do Looping and Cubing on Selected Topics & 750-word Personal Experience Narrative on

                                                                                     Assigned Topic

                                                                         Midterm Objective Examination Review

 

Friday, March 13th, 2009                                  Midterm Objective Examination – Part 1: Terminology (45 minutes)

                                                                        Reading: Chapters 12-13 from Manchild in the Promised Land.

 

Week Nine (March 16th – March 22nd, 2009)  Writing Clarity

 

With Jessie Jackson in background listening intently, Bill Cosby makes “Pound Cake” speech

 

Monday, March 16th, 2009                                          Midterm Objective Examination – Part 2: Conventions (45 minutes)

 

Wednesday, March 18th, 2009                                    WA#1 – Personal Experience Narrative – Due (At start of class with Looping and Cubing Creating

                                                                                                 Techniques Attached)

                                                                                   Lecture/Presentation: "The Evaluative Essay: Critical Considerations iof Format and Style"

                                                                                   Reading: Chapters 14-15 from Manchild in the Promised Land.

                                                                                  Write Time #2 Closes (As of 4:00pm)

                                                                                  Write Time #3 Opens: Reflections on the Import of Bill Cosby’s ‘Pound Cake’ Speech

                                                                                                                        (Opens as of 5:00pm with students having up through 5:00pm Wednesday,

                                                                                                                        March 25th, in which to respond to the original writing prompt itself)

 

Friday, March 20th, 2009                                            Lecture/Presentation: “The Evaluative Essay: Developing the Voice of a Critic –

                                                                                   WA #2: To do Looping and Cubing on Assigned Topic + 1,000 word Critique of the Alvin Ailey American                                                                                                                               Dance Theater (See below)

                                                                                   Round 2 of Group Presentations – MLA Guidelines: Group Assignments (Each group to have 45 minutes in

                                                                                                                                       which to make presentation)

                                                                                   Reading: Chapter 5, “Exemplification,” pgs. 141-149 from The Longman Reader.

Celebrating its 50th Anniversary, the world-famous Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater under direction of Ms. Judith Jamison comes to City of Los Angeles March 18th-22nd as part of national tour and students in this Pan African Studies 155 Freshman Composition course course get to attend the Friday night, March 20th performance at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion with all expenses paid through courtesies of the Discover, Inquire and Grow inLos Angeles (DIGLA) Program in concert with CSUN's Instructionally Related Activities Program. PAS students get to have as their second writing assignment a critical review of the Ailey Dance Theater with possibility of being published. The PAS 155 students will be part of a contingent of some 100 PAS students, faculty and staff attending the sold-out performance and then having the chance to discuss as well as write about this momentous event.

 

Week Ten (March 23rd – March 29th, 2009)  Modes of Discourse -- Exemplification

 

 

Monday, March 23rd, 2009                                        Midterm Status Report: Essay Exams, Objective Exams, Group Presentations, HW Average and Bonuses

                                                                                 HW#11: “Black Talk and Pop Culture” by Leslie Savan, pgs. 156-162, Questions for Close Reading/

                                                                                               Questions About the Writer’s Craft,” pg. 163 from The Longman Reader.

 

Wednesday, March 25th, 2009                                  HW#11 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                                                 Peer Critiques – Selected WA#1 Personal Experience Narratives

                                                                                 Reading: Chapter 16, Manchild in the Promised Land.

 

Friday, March 27th, 2009                                    WA#2 – The Critical Review of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater – Due (At start of class with                                                                                                                               Looping and Cubing Creating Techniques attached

                                                                             Lecture/Discussion: “Sentence Clarity: The Elimination of Dangling Modifiers and Other Errors that Thwart Effective Discourse”

                                  Reading: Chapter 6, “Division-Classification,” pgs. 180-188, from The Longman                                                                                                                               Reader.                                           

 

 

Week Eleven (March 30th – April 5th, 2009)  Writing for Dramatic Effect: The Function Paragraph

 

Monday, March 30th, 2009                                              Lecture/Discussion: "The Principle of Coherence in Writing"

                                                                                          Reading: Chapter 7, “Process Analysis,” pgs. 218-226 from The Longman Reader.

                                                                                        WA#3:  To do Cubing Technique & 1,000-word Evaluative Essay on Tsotsi (2005) (Note that film is

                                                                                             available for viewing in Oviatt Library Media Center)

                                              

 

 

Tsotsi, the Academy Award-winning Best Foreign Film from South Africa, has Presley Chweneyagae in title role of hardened 19-year-old

living in a shantytown on the outskirts of Johannesburg. South Africa in film that issues a call to conscience for all who have seen it.

In process, Chweneyagae's performance earned him coveted NAACP Image Award for Best Actor.

 

Wednesday, April 1st, 2009                                Lecture/Presentation: "Writing for Dramatic Effect: The Function Paragraph

            

                                                                                        Reading: Chapter 8, Comparison-Contrast,” pgs. 253-261 from The Longman Reader.

 

Friday, April 3rd, 2009                                                         WA#3 Due (At start of class with Cubing Technique attached)

            In-Class Essay Exam (Large Blue Book Required)

                                                                                       Reading: Chapters 17-18 from Manchild in the Promised Land (i.e., complete reading of the book);

                                                                                                     Chapter 9, “Cause-Effect,” pgs. 285-294 from The Longman Reader.

 

Note – Spring Break is April 6th- April 12th, 2009)

 

Week Twelve (April 13th – April 19th, 2009) Argumentation and Persuasion

Gifted poet, Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Alice Walker (The Color Purple) is among those writers studied in this course for their style, elegance and grace in writing.

 

Monday, April 13th, 2009                                         Peer Critiques: Selected In-Class Essay Examinations (Blue Books returned to students for revisions to be

                                                                                                       done in PAS Writing Center or University Learning Resource Center)

                                                                                Return of WA#3 Evaluative Essays (For revisions to be done in PAS Writing Center or

                                                                                                                                     University Learning Resource Center)

                                                                                HW#12: “Beauty: When the Other Dancer Is the Self” by Alice Walker, pgs. 306-312, Questions

                                                                                              for Close Reading/Questions About the Writer’s Craft, pgs. 312-313 from The Longman Reader.

 

Wednesday, April 15th, 2009                                   HW#12 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 9:00am)

                                                                               Special Workshop: “Library Information Sciences and the Annotated Bibliography” (Guest Lecturer,

                                                                                                            Prof. Lynn Lampert, Sr. Research Librarian, Oviatt Library as class meets at

                                                                                                           Oviatt Library)

                                                                               Reading: Chapter 11, “Argumentation-Persuasion,” pgs. 358-381 from The Longman Reader.

                                                                               Assignment: Students to develop Term Paper Working Thesis with two (2) source documents

                                                                              Write Time #3 Closes (As of 5:00pm)

                                                                              Final Write Time #4 Opens: “For Time Capsule To Be Read 100 Years from Today: ‘What It Will Take

                                                                                                    to Build Strong Pan African Studies Programs’” As of 6:00pm with students having until

                                                                                                    April 22nd to answer the original writing prompt)

 

Friday, April 17th, 2009                                          In-Class Essay Exam Revisions Due (With original Blue at start of class)

                                                                              PAS Term Paper Working Theses Due (Via email using Microsoft Word, Thesis Statement with two sources

                                                                                                                                           by 9:00am)                                          

                                                                              Lecture: “The Modes of Discourse: Argumentation and Persuasion”

                                                                              WA#4: To do Looping and Cubing Techniques & 1,000-word Argumentative Essay written according to

                                                                                          MLA specifications with no less than six (6) citations and a Works Cited page with no less than

                                                                                          two sources on Assigned Topic. Papers failing to meet or exceed these requirements will automatically

                                                                                          be judged as “Failing” – no exceptions!

                                                                            Reading: Chapter 12, “Combining the Patterns,” pgs. 428-435 from The Longman Reader.

  

Week Thirteen (April 20th – April 26th, 2009) MLA Guidelines

 

Monday, April 20th, 2009                                   Return of Approved PAS Term Paper Theses   

                                                                          WA#3 Rewrite Due (With original draft attached, at start of class)

                                                                          Round 2 of Presentations: Group 1 –”Using the Library to Find Books On Your Subject,” pgs. 449-456

                                                                                                                  from The Longman Reader, Appendix A (Each group with 45 minutes)

 

Wednesday, April 22nd, 2009                             Round 2 of Presentations: Group 2 – “Using the Internet Research Your Subject,” pgs. 456-462

                                                                                                                  from The Longman Reader, Appendix A (Each group with 45 minutes)

 

Friday, April 24th, 2009                                     Round 2 of Presentations: Group 3 – “Documenting Sources,” pgs. 462-468 from The Longman Reader,

                                                                                                                 Appendix A (Each group with 45 minutes)

 

Week Fourteen (April 27th – May 3rd, 2009) The Capstone Paper

 

Monday, April 27th, 2009                                  WA#4 Due (At start of class with Creating techniques attached)

                                                                          Round 2 of Presentations: Group 4 – “List of Works Cited,” pgs. 469-473 from The Longman Reader,

                                                                                                                  Appendix A (Each group with 45 minutes)

 

Wednesday, April 29th, 2009                             Round 2 of Presentations: Group 5 – “Citing Electronic Sources to Citing Other Nonprint Sources,”

                                                                                                                 pgs. 473-475 from The Longman Reader, Appendix A (Each group with 45 minutes)

 

Friday, May 1st, 2009                                       Lecture/Presentation: “Writing the Term Paper: Format and Guidelines

 

Week Fifteen (May 4th – Mau 10th, 2009)   Post-Semester Assessments

 

Monday, May 4th, 2009                                   PAS Term Paper Working Outline Due (Via email using Microsoft Word as of 9:00am)

                                                                        Departmental Common Essay (Large Blue Book Required)

 

Wednesday, May 6th, 2009                              Post-Semester Diagnostic Tests: Logical Relationships and Usage (Scan-Tron Form 882 Required)

 

Friday, May 8th, 2009                                      Peer Critiques: Selected Writing Assignments

                                                                       Final Opportunity: African American Culture Poems for Bonus

 

Week Sixteen (May 11th – May 17th, 2009)     Finals Week

Claude Brown, shown here, was very much like the thousands of African Americans growing up in nation's inner cities in having to overcome tremendous odds just making it out of the hood to the steps of the university. What makes the late Claude Brown unique, though, is the attitude he carried within that enabled this young man to concentrate on capturing the details, the essence of a life lived on the edge, and to do so in a prose style that has engaged the imaginations of millions. It is that style, that voice, which PAS 155 students commit themselves to develop.

 

See CSUN Spring Calendar for Final Examination Dates and Times

 

Friday, May 15th, 2009                          Manchild in the Promised Land Capstone Papers Due (In PAS Main Office, Santa Susanna Building Room 221, by

                                                                                                                                                        or before 4:30pm – no exceptions!)

Who Would Have Ever Thought It? – America’s Newest “First” Family shown here now opens up horizon of opportunities for those millions who have been historically disadvantaged, marginalized, “Invisible People. It is to this latest, and assuredly most original "First Family" that has established a new paradigm -- one that rejects settling for, or making peace with, beng anything less than excellent.”