Pan African Studies 350

Pan African Studies 350

Advanced Writing

College of Social and Behavioral Sciences

California State University, Northridge

Spring Semester 2009

Ticket #11487 Instructor: Johnie H. Scott, M.A., M.F.A.

Units: 3 Associate Professor of Pan African Studies

MWF, 11:00am-11:50am PAS Writing Program Director

Sierra Hall 287 Santa Susanna Bldg., Room 210

Email Office Hours: MW, 1:00pm-2:30pm or

Webpage By Appointment

Telephone: 818-677-2289

Course Description:

Prerequisite – completion of the lower-division writing requirement. Advanced course emphasizing alternative strategies in expository writing skills development. Focuses on such purposeful forms of discourse as reports, the research paper, critiques, the essay examination, and selected forms of correspondence. Cursory review of grammar, mechanics and syntax is offered as needed. More intensive review of such basics is available on an individualized basis in the Writing Center. Course, though equivalent to, is not a substitute for ENGL 305 or BUS 305.

Required Textbooks:

Course Objectives:

The PAS 350 Advanced Writing student meets ten (10) primary objectives in taking this course. Those objectives are:

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

ü The course will expand and enhance, 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 word and 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.

Student Learning Outcomes for PAS 350:

The PAS 350 Advanced Writing student will realize 18 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, position, problem-solution, argumentative 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 (.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 use a style sheet consistently, such as MLA or APA style sheets;

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.

Student Information Competence (IC) Outcomes for PAS 350:

The PAS 350 Advanced Writing student may expect to experience four specific outcomes as a direct result of meeting the stated objectives for this course. Those outcomes include the following:

ü The ability to effectively use library and online resources individually and in concert with others;

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

ü The ability to integrate one’s own ideas with those of others, using appropriate documentation with the varied formats of information technology; and finally,

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

How Met (Assessment):

Pre-Semester, Midterm and Common Timed Essay Examinations;
Objective Quizzes, Midterm Objective Examination and Exit Essay Examination on grammar and mechanics of writing;
Formal Homework Assignments submitted via electronic mail (i.e., Information Technology);
Advanced Writing Group Presentations using Power Point to discuss Grammar and Mechanics of Writing (e.g., The Structure of Sentences) , formats for documenting research (e.g., Modern Language Assn.) with these Group Presentations providing another method for assessing information technology skills;
Four expository papers involving various modes of written communication including personal narrative, evaluative, position and problem-solution essays;
The Write Time Discussion Forums afford for students to become orientated to the WebCT and HyperNews at same time they are learning additional Information Technology skills through an ongoing learning process.

Course Requirements:

Essay Examinations: One of the objectives in this course is for the student to achieve a mastery of the timed essay examination. To this end, there are four (4) timed essay examinations in this course. Those examinations are all taken by the student using a large (i.e., 8 ½”x11”) Blue Book. Each examination is timed at 60 minutes, i.e., the same amount of time as the Upper Division Writing Proficiency Examination (UDWPE) required of every CSUN student prior to actual graduation. The essay examinations in this class include the Pre-Semester, Midterm, 12-Week and Common Essay. The Pre-Semester Examination does not count towards the final course grade. The remaining three essay exams, on the other hand, are averaged together and count as one of the primary grade factors for the class. These essay examinations are scored using the same rubric as the UDWPE. It is expected that each student will show improvement in matriculating through the course, as each essay examination is progressively more challenging in demands on writing skills. The Pre-Semester and Common Essay serve as one of the assessments for this course.

Objective Examinations: Students in this class are assessed in regards to the skills taught and/or reviewed in regards to college study skills, grammar and mechanics, and the various writing conventions. The assessments of those skills taught in the class take the form of an Objective Quiz, a two-part Midterm Objective Examination and an Exit Examination. These objective examinations are averaged together in forming the second of the primary grading factors in the class.

Critical Comprehension Homework Assignments: There are formal homework assignments in this class which are based upon improving and increasing the student’s critical thinking and reading comprehension skills. These assignments are all to be submitted using email and are averaged together in constituting the third primary grading factor for the course. It is to be noted the homework assignments are all due as noted by the course instructor, and that no “late” homework assignments will be accepted for grading. Accordingly, an assignment due at 10:00am and not submitted for grading until 11:00am, i.e., one hour later, will be judged as “failing” in that the student failed to meet the submission deadline. It is to be understood that developing a work ethic in which students successfully meet deadlines is part of the assignment, and the course itself.

The Write Time Discussion Forums: Located within WebCT, the Write Time Discussion Forums provide students with opportunity to develop and enhance information competence skills by using the very latest in distance learning technology. The Write Time Discussion Forums find students engaged as learning communities with the course instructor, employing critical thinking skills with discourses about specific subjects that demand development of argumentative writing skills in Forums built around central issues and concerns in the African American community and, by extension, the world community. Students have 3-4 weeks on the average in which to respond to a writing prompt posted by the instructor as well as the responses made to that same prompt by any two of their classmates for a total of three (3) postings per Write Time Forum. Each of these Forums is valued at up to 4.0 possible points, i.e., with up to two points for the writing prompt itself and one point each for responding to the two classmates. The four (4) Write Time Discussion Forums are then averaged together in comprising the four primary grade factors for the Student Portfolio. Postings made outside the stated deadlines will not be counted for grade points as, again, an emphasis on meeting deadlines under girds the course methodology;

Noted philanthropist and comic Bill Cosby shocked the nation with “Pound cake”

Speech given on 50^th anniversary of Supreme Court’s Brown v. Board of Education decision

Outlawing school segregation. Speech serves as centerpiece for Write Time discussion forums

Advanced Writing Group Presentations: Each student participates in two (2) AW Group Presentations. The presentations consist of 5-6 class members working jointly together on an assigned topic which is presented to the class using Power Point and complete with a formal handout for each student in the class. The presentations are drawn from the Elements of Argument course textbook in focusing on grammatical and mechanical conventions as well as in regards to protocols for preparing and documenting the research paper. The individual grade is based upon the student’s preparation and presentation as well as the group’s overall effectiveness. These presentations are averaged together in forming the fifth primary grade factor.

Writing Topics: Students in this class will write and submit a total of four formal essays within the modes of discourse – the personal narrative, evaluative, problem-solution and the argument. Papers are developed according to the recursive writing process of prewriting, rough draft, editing and revision, then final draft with peer critiques and one-on-one conferencing as needed. The papers are written in standard manuscript format, typewritten, double-spaced with cover pages. The papers constitute the sixth factor in grading for the class;

The Capstone Paper: The assigned book for this course is author Ishmael Beah’s a long way hone” Memoirs of a Boy Soldier. The Advanced Writing student prepares a critical analysis of this collection of essays as the capstone paper. The paper is to be no less than 2,500 typewritten, double-spaced words (i.e., ten pages). It must have no less than fifteen formal citations including four (4) drawn from no less than three (3) outside references such as published book reviews that are, preferably, peer-reviewed. The Capstone paper must have a “Works Cited” section. Citations and “Works Cited” are to be 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!

“A Long Way Gone is a wrenching, beautiful, and mesmerizing tale. Ishmael Beah’s (shown above) amazing saga provides a haunting lesson about how gentle folks can be capable of great brutalities as well as goodness and courage. It will leave you breathless.” – Walter Isaacson, author of Einstein: His Life and Universe.

Grading Policy:

Grades in this class are administered on a “Plus-Minus” basis. The final course grade in based on the average of the primary grade factors listed under “Course Requirements” combined with any bonus points earned by the student. Grades are based on the following valuations, as is the final grade that a student receives for work completed in the course. The Bonus points include the utilization of the Writing Specialists in either the Pan African Studies Writing Center or the University Learning Resource Center and those other areas as described herein. The system is based upon that of Grading Policy as stated in the 2006-2008 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog of California State University Northridge (34) with slight modifications as shown below:

“A+” = 4.3;

“A” = 3.71 - 4.0;

“A-“= 3.5-3.7;

“B+” = 3.3 – 3.49;

“B” = 3.0 – 3.29;

“B-“= 2.7- 2.99;

“C+” = 2.3- 2.69;

“C” = 2.0- 2.29;

“C-“= 1.7- 1.99;

“D+” = 1.3- 1.69;

“D” = 1.0- 1.29;

“D-“= 0.7- 0.99; and

“Fail” = 0.00 – 0.69.

While a student cannot receive a final course grade of “A+” at this time, that grade can be applied to individual assignments (e.g., a writing assignment, a group presentation, a posting in The Write Time, etcetera) presented by the student during the semester in this class. The course final grade represents the cumulative grade point average achieved by the student for the seven primary grade factors described under the “Course Requirements.” To wit, Essay Examinations, Objective Examinations, Advanced Writer’s Group Presentations, Write Time Discussion Forums, Homework Assignments, Writing Assignments (i.e., Papers), and the Capstone Paper.

.In addition, the cumulative grade point average earned in this course shall also reflect any earned “Bonus” points by the student to include exceptional in-class performance, outstanding attendance, extra-credit assignments and special projects. Those “Special Projects” include, but are not limited to, the student memorizing and then reciting in class any one of the following poems (with bonus points indicated in parenthesis following the particular work mentioned): Maya Angelou, “And Still I Rise (1.25 points) (1.0 points); Nikki Giovanni, “Ego Tripping” (1.25 points); Langston Hughes, “The Negro Mother” (2.0 points) and Margaret Walker, “For My People” (2.0 points). To qualify for bonus points where one of the aforementioned poems is concerned, the student must contact the course instructor at least two class meetings prior in requesting opportunity to present the poem which must be fully memorized as no credit will be given for partial recitations.

Acclaimed poet and educator Margaret Walker (July 7, 1915 – November 30, 1998)

Lastly, the course policy with regards to the grade of “Incomplete” is that stated in the CSUN Catalogue with special emphasis that, “An incomplete shall not be assigned when a student would be required to attend a major portion of the class when it is next offered. “In this instance, the incomplete grade shall not be offered to any student whose semester performance has been at “C-“ or lower or who has failed to complete “a substantial portion of the class requirement.”

In short, the grade of “Incomplete” shall only be given to the student whose cumulative grade point average in the class is 2.3 or higher and is able to provide a verifiable reason for missing one (1) important element in the class; e.g., the Term Paper, the Exit Essay Examination, the Common Essay Examination due to unforeseen circumstance and cannot make said grade factor up within the actual semester. The grade of “Incomplete” will not, under any circumstances, be awarded to a student doing below average work in the class or who stops attending class with no verifiable, acceptable cause. The “Incomplete” Grading Policy in this instance is the same as that stated in the 2006-2008 Undergraduate/Graduate Catalog of California State University Northridge (34)

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).

Classroom Protocols:

All students are to read “What A Professor Expects from Students: Survival Motions for Successfully Getting Through College.”

Course Schedule

“You were never expected to aspire to excellence. Instead, you

were to make peace with being mediocre.”

-- James Baldwin, from “My Dungeon Shook”

James Baldwin

Week One (January 19^th-January 25^th, 2009) The Journey Begins

Wednesday, January 21^st, 2009 Lecture: Orientation to Course Requirements

PAS 350 Checking-In Assignment (Students to email instructor

with “PAS 350 Checking In” to verify email address)

Friday, January 23^rd, 2009 PAS 350 Checking-In Due (To be completed by or before 10:00am via email)

Lecture/Presentation: Orientation: Faculty Policy on Academic Dishonesty

Reading: Chapter 1, A Long Way Gone.

Note: Monday, July 19^th, Campus Closed due to National Holiday – Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. No Classes Scheduled or held.

Tuesday, January 20^th, is date set for the Inauguration of Barack Hussein Obama as 44^th President of the United States.

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

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

Write Time #1: “On the Inaugural Speech of Barack Obama”

(Opens as of 4:00pm with students having through 4:00pm, Monday,

February 2^nd, in which to post response to original writing prompt)

HW#1: “Making Choices: The 9-Step Time Management Program” (Key Concepts and

Discussion Questions)

Reading: Chapter 1, “Understanding Argument,” pgs. 3-13 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, January 28^th, 2009 HW#1 Due (Via email using Microsoft Word as of 10:00am)

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

Reading: Chapter 1, “Understanding Argument,” pgs. 13-21 from Elements of Argument.

Friday, January 30^th, 2009 Pre-Semester Diagnostic Testing: Usage (Scan-Tron 882)

HW#2: “The 13 Keys to Successful Listening and Note-Taking” (Key Concepts &

Discussion Questions)

Reading: Chapter 1, “Understanding Argument,” pgs. 21-29 from Elements of Argument;

Chapters 2-3 from A Long Way Gone.

Week Three (February 2^nd – February 8^th, 2009) Reading and Listening Critically

Monday, February 2^nd, 2009 HW#2 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 10:00am)

Lecture/Presentation: “The 9-Step Time Management Plan”

Reading: Chapter 2, “Reading and Listening Critically,” pgs. 31- 41 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, February 4^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: “Listening and Note-Taking Skills”

Write Time #1 (Student have until 4:00pm, Wednesday, February 18^th, in which to read and

post responses to the postings made by any two classmates on the original

writing prompt)

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

Reading: Chapter 2, “Reading and Listening Critically,” pgs. 41-59 from Elements of Argument.

Friday, February 6^th, 2009 HW#3 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 10:00am)

Lecture/Presentation: Pre-Semester Testing Results with Selected Essay Examination Readings

(Return of Pre-Semester Essays to students for revisions to be done in

PAS Writing Center or University Learning Resource Center)

Reading: Chapters 4-5 from A Long Way Gone.

HW#4: Chapter 2, Assignments for Reading and Listening Critically, Question #2, pg. 59 from

Elements of Arguments.

Week Four (February 9^th-February 15^th, 2009) The Principle of Unity in Writing

Monday, February 9^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: “Opening and Closing Essay Gambits”

Wednesday, February 11^th, 2009 HW#4 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 10:00am)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Unity in Paragraphs”

HW#5: The Power Vocabulary

Friday, February 13^th, 2009 HW#5 Due (Via email as Microsoft Word attachment by 10:00am)

Pre-Semester Essay Exam Rewrites Due (At start of class with Blue Book & Writing Specialist

Signature)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Unity in Essays and Other Composition”

Reading: Chapter 3, “Reading Critical Texts Visually,” pgs. 61-73 from Elements of Argument;

Chapters 6-7 from A Long Way Gone.

Week Five (February 16^th – February 22^nd, 2009) The Principle of Coherence in Writing

Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama was the setting for “Bloody Sunday,” one of the many flashpoints of the Civil Rights Movements, where civil rights demonstrators put not only their consciences but physical bodies as well on the line in struggle to crack the racist glass ceiling imposed by Jim Crow.

Monday, February 16^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: The Stage of Writing: Creating by Looping

Reading: Chapter 3, “Reading Critical Texts Visually,” pgs. 73-78 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, February 18^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Coherence; From Key Terms to Transitional Words and

Phrases”

HW#6: The Looping Technique (On assigned topic)

Write Time #1 Closes (As of 4:00pm)

Write Time #2 Opens: “Reflections on the Role of the Civil Rights Movement in the Election of

Barack Hussein Obama as President of the United States” (As of

4:00pm. Students have one full week up until 7:00pm Thursday,

February 26^th, to respond to the original prompt)

Friday, February 20^th, 2009 HW#6 Due (Handwritten using blue or black ink only – due at start of class period)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Principle of Coherence: Synonym Reference”

Lecture/Presentation: “The Stages of Writing: Creating by Cubing”

Reading: Chapter 4, “Writing about Argument,” pgs. 80-90 from Elements of Argument; Chapters

8-9 from A Long Way Gone.

HW#7: The Cubing Technique (Key Concepts with Technique on assigned subject)

Week Six (February 23^rd-March 1^st, 2009) Sentence Clarity & the Narrative Mode

Monday, February 23^rd, 2009 HW#7 Due (Handwritten at start of class, using blue or black ink only)

Lecture/Presentation: “Sentence Clarity” (Power Point)

Reading: Chapter 4, “Writing about Argument,” pgs. 90-101 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, February 25^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: “The Modes of Discourse: Narration”

WA#1: To do Looping Technique on assigned topic and 750-word Personal Narrative Essay

Write Time #2: (As of 7:00pm Thursday, students have through 7:00pm Wednesday, March 18^th, in

which to reply to two classmates’ postings concerning topic.)

Reading: Chapter 4, “Writing about Argument,” pgs. 101-120 from Elements of Argument.

Friday, February 27^th, 2009 Objective Quiz #1 (45 Minutes)

Reading: Chapter10 from A Long Way Gone.

Week Seven (March 2^nd-March 8^th, 2009) Group Presentations

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

Reading: Chapter 5, “Defining Key Terms,” pgs. 122-131 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, March 4^th, 2009 WA#1 Due (At start of class with Creating Techniques attached)

1^st Round of Presentations: Groups 2-3 (Each group with 20-25 minutes)

Reading: Chapter 5, “Defining Key Terms,” pgs. 131-149 from Elements of Argument.

Friday, March 6^th, 2009 1^st Round of Presentations: Group 4 (Each group with 20-25 minutes)

Reading: Chapter 11 from A Long Way Gone.

HW#8: Chapter 5, “Reading and Discussion Questions 1-5,” pgs. 139-140 from Elements of Argument.

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

It took a reflective, genuinely concerned and outspoken Bill Cosby raising questions in his “Pound Cake” speech

given on the 50^th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education to turn the heads of Black Americans

around in taking a good, hard look at the way in which dysfunctionality is fast becoming the norm in

communities from one end of the nation to the other.

Monday, March 9^th, 2009 HW#8 Due (Via email by 10:00am as Microsoft Word attachment)

Midterm Essay Examination (Large Blue Book Required)

Wednesday, March 11^th, 2009 Midterm Objective Exam – Part 1, Terminology (40minutes)

Friday, March 13^th, 2009 Return of WA#1 for Revisions

Midterm Objective Exam – Part 2, Writing Conventions (45 minutes)

Reading: Chapter 6, “Defending Claims,” pgs. 157-167 from Elements of Argument; and Chapters 12-13

from A Long Way Gone.

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

Write Time #3 opens: “Something Had to be Said: Commentary on Bill Cosby’s ‘Pound Cake’

Speech” (As of 4:30pm. Students have up until 4:30pm Friday, March 20^th, in

which to respond to the original Writing Prompt)

Week Nine (March 16^th – March 22^nd, 2009) Reading, Writing and Thinking Critically

Shown here testifying to the United States Senate Subcommittee on Urban Affairs is, second from left, playwright and writer Harry Dolan, Academy Award winner Budd Schulberg (On the Waterfront) and, far right, Emmy Award-winning poet and author Johnie Scott as these three original members of famed Watts Writers Workshop came to Washington D.C. as participants in the 1966 White House Conference “To Fulfill These Rights” called by then-President Lyndon Baines Johnson.

Monday, March 14^th, 2009 Peer Critiques – Midterm Essay Examinations with selected readings (Return of Midterm Essays for

revisions in PAS Writing Center or Learning Resource Center)

Reading: Chapter 6, “Defending Claims,” pgs. 167- 181 from Elements of Argument.

HW#9: “Letter from a Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King, Jr., pgs. 192-206, “Reading and

Discussion Questions 1-6, pg. 206 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, March 18^th, 2009 HW#9 Due (Via email by 10:00am as Microsoft Word attachment)

Midterm Status Reports: Essay and Objective Exams, Group Presentations and Homework Averages.

Lecture/Presentation: “The Key Terms in Argumentation”

Reading: Chapter 7, “Providing Support,” pgs. 211- 220 from Elements of Argument.

Bonus Assignment: To do 750-word Analytical Essay on The Angry Voices of Watts based upon assigned

prompt.

Friday, March 20^th, 2009 WA#1 Revisions Due (At start of class with original draft attached and Writing Specialist’s signature)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Key Terms in Argumentation – Part 2”

Reading: Chapter 7, “Providing Support,” pgs. 220-230 from Elements of Argument; Chapters 14-15 from

A Long Way Gone.

Write Time #3: (As of 4:30pm today, students have through 4:30pm Friday, April 3^rd, in which to reply to

two classmates’ postings concerning topic.)

Week Ten (March 23^rd – 29^th, 2009) Critical Thinking and the Evaluative Process

PAS 350 Advanced Writing students get to look at Black Male-Female Relationships is different light with independent feature film Diary of a Tired Black Man while developing skills with critical thinking and logic necessary for writing effective argumentation.

Monday, March 23^rd, 2009 Midterm Essay Exam Revisions Due (At start of class with original Blue Book and Writing

Specialist’s signature)

Lecture/Presentation: “Organizing the Argumentative Essay” (Power Point)

Screening: Diary of a Tired Black Man (July, 2007)

WA#2: To do Looping and Cubing Techniques on assigned topic for 1,000-word Evaluative Essay

on Diary of a Tired Black Man)

Reading: Chapter 7, “Providing Support,” pgs. 230-236 from Elements of Argument.

Wednesday, March 25^th, 2009 Bonus Assignment – The Angry Voices of Watts – Due (Via email as of 10:00am using Microsoft

Word)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Use of Evidence and Opinion as Support in Writing Argumentation”

2^nd Round of Presentation Assignments: Modern Language Association Guidelines, Group 1:

“Research and Writing;” Group 2: “The Mechanics of Writing,” Group 3: “The Format

of the Research Paper,” and Group 4: “Documentation: Preparing the List of Works

Cited” (Note: Each group to have 45 minutes for presentation)

Friday, March 27^th, 2009 Lecture/Presentation: “Criteria Used in Evaluating Evidence and Opinion in Argumentative Writing”

Week Eleven (March 30^th – April 5^th, 2009) Argumentation and Persuasion

Monday, March 30^th, 2009 WA#2 Due (At start of class with Creating Techniques attached)

Lecture/Presentation: “The Appeals to Needs and Values”

Wednesday, April 1^st, 2009 Bonus Assignment – The Angry Voices of Watts – Due (At start of class)

Peer Critiques – Readings of Selected Evaluative Essays (Return of WA#2 for revisions to be done at

PAS Writing Center or University Learning Resource Center)

Screening: When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts (2005)

Friday, April 3^rd, 2009 In-Class Essay Examination (Large Blue Book Required)

WA#3: To do Looping and Cubing on When the Levees Broke & 1,500-word Argumentative Essay on

Topic based upon Hurricane Katrina and FEMA Foul-up in aftermath

Reading: “Developing the Thesis Statement” from the Harvard University Writing Center; and Chapters

16-18 from A Long Way Gone.

Note: Spring Break is April 6^th – 12^th, 2009. Campus is closed. No classes scheduled.

Week Twelve (April 13^th – April 19^th, 2009) Writing the Annotated Bibliography

Iconoclastic Miles Davis, shown here, was referred to by many as the “Picasso of Jazz.”

Monday, April 13^th, 2009 Lecture/Discussion: “Directive Verbs Used in Essay Examinations”

Peer Critiques: Selected In-Class Essay Examinations

Final Write Time #4 Opens: “My Two Cents’ Worth: The Role to Be Played by Students in Building

a Strong Black Studies Movement” (As of 4:00pm. Students have

through 4:00pm, Wednesday, April 22^nd, in which to respond to the

original writing prompt))

Wednesday, April 15^th, 2009

Lecture/Presentation: “Writing the Annotated Bibliography: Guidelines and Protocols”

Write Time #3 Closes (As of 4:30pm)

WA#4: Annotated Bibliography Groups: (a) Zora Neale Hurston, (b) Melvin B. Tolson, (c) Miles Davis,

and (d) Adam Clayton Powell, Jr.

WA#5: The Annotated Bibliography with each group being responsible for 9-12 annotations (i.e., three

annotations by each student in the group) on assigned personality along with 500-word

biographical statement and Works Cited with no less than three sources (Note: Wikipedia

is never an acceptable source – no exceptions for this and any other writing assignment! Using

Wikipedia in any paper will result in automatic “Fail” grade.)

Friday, April 17^th, 2009 WA#4 Due (At start of class with Creating Techniques attached)

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

Lynn Lampert, Sr. Research Librarian, Oviatt Library with class session taking place

at the Oviatt Library in Room TBA)

Reading: Chapters 19-20 from A Long Way Gone.

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

Charismatic Harlemite Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. was a major force in Congress for many years.

Monday, April 20^th, 2009 Lecture/Discussion: “Considerations: Developing the Thesis Statement for Capstone Papers and Other

Major Writing Tasks”

Wednesday, April 22^nd, 2009 WA#4 Due (At start of class)

Return of WA#3 for Rewrites and Revisions (To be done at the PAS Writing Center and/or the

University Learning Resource Center under Writing Specialist)

2^nd Round of Presentations: Group 1 (Note: Each group has 45 minutes)

Reading: Chapter 21 and Epilogue from A Long Way Gone.

Write Time #4: (As of 4:30pm today, students have through 4:30pm Friday, May 8^th, in which to reply to

two classmates’ postings concerning topic.)

Friday, April 24^th, 2009 2^nd Round of Presentations: Group 2 (Note: Each group has 45 minutes)

Week Fourteen (April 27^th – May 3^rd, 2009) Writing the Capstone Paper

Monday, April 27^th, 2009 2^nd Round of Presentations: Group 3 (Note: Each group has 45 minutes)

Wednesday, April 29^th, 2009 2^nd Round of Presentations: Group 4 (Note: Each group has 45 minutes)

Friday, May 1^st, 2009 WA #3 Revision Due (At start of class with original draft attached)

Lecture/Presentation: “Considerations in Writing the Capstone Paper: A Deconstructive Approach”

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

Monday, May 4^th, 2009 Departmental Common Essay (Large Blue Book Required)

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

Friday, May 8^th, 2009 Library Assignment: Capstone Paper Research: Source References

Final Write Time #4 Closes (As of 4:30pm)

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

Students to check the University Calendar for Date and time of all Final Examinations

The Capstone Paper is Due on Thursday, May 14^th (Via email as a Microsoft Word Attachment as of 4:30pm – Missing the deadline will be equivalent to “failing” to submit the document) – no exceptions!)

African American family taking Sunday stroll.