The Newman School
Boston, MA
Expository Writing-- briggs@newmanboston.org
Mr. Riggs Fall 2011
Course Description
This course asks you to 1) practice the process of writing essays and 2) collaborate with your classmates to combine your writings in a cohesive manner in the form of a newsletter to be published. The important word in that last sentence is "you." English teachers can't tell you exactly how to compose or how to interpret what you read. What a teacher and a course in writing can offer is the opportunity for you to figure out what it means to write well, to become more reflective about your writing process, to consider new strategies of inventing ideas and revising your texts and, most generally, to appreciate what it means to have control over the written language. It is my hope that through this heightened control, you may also discover a better sense of yourself.
Objectives
1) To review the processes of inventing, drafting, and revising original essays
2) To experiment with several forms of collaborative writing and page layout
3) To develop skills in interpreting texts in the Humanities
4) To learn how to give other writers' feedback on their essays
5) To contribute to the student newspaper
Course Requirements and Required Materials:
A Composition Notebook—to be used for journal writing
A three ring binder for loose leaf paper, notes, and handouts.
Maintain portfolio – consists of drafts of all writing assignments – hard and soft copies
Computer access, Newman student email account and USB drive(s).
Ample supply of writing utensils. Asking to borrow from other students or me will get you a hairy eyeball. Be prepared and participate.
Readings:
We will read excerpts from three main essays (handouts) in the order listed and write essays about the topics discussed in order to find out our own thoughts about life and perception:
1. Paulo Freire, "The Banking Concept of Education,"
2. Walker Percy, "The Loss of the Creature,"
3. John Berger, “Ways of Seeing,”
In one way or another, these essays all focus on the act of seeing and valuing the world around us. Freire, a teacher of Brazilian peasants, discusses the ways teachers often fail by seeing students as blank slates and the ways students fail by seeing teachers as unquestionable authorities. Percy's essay deals with tourists and their ways of not seeing the reality of the landscapes, buildings, and other objects in front of them. John Berger analyzes the ways museums and art critics prevent the average person from really seeing an artist's work. Like Percy, Berger challenges us to circumvent the apparatus of authority blocking our view. Like Freire, he links these authorities with institutions.
Grades
Autobiography: 10% one grade
Paper 1 (on Freire): 10%
Paper 2 (on Percy): 10%
Paper 3 (on Berger): 10%
Journal: 15%
Participation: 10%
Outlines/ Drafts: 15%
Exams/ Final Portfolio: 20%
Final Portfolio (Type V) will consist of your Autobiography, Papers 1-3 plus some writing to be determined by individual conference.
Papers
You are allowed to rewrite as many times as you like for a better grade. Papers that are late will receive a ZERO. You should aim for approximately 3-5 pages, double-spaced, in a font like this one (Times New Roman). You should take care to provide page numbers for your quotations. I will give you more information on the format and style of these papers when it gets closer to the due dates. Papers may be read aloud in class on the due dates.
Journal
It is a myth to assume that writers just crank out good writing without first having to convince themselves that they actually have a good sentence, paragraph, or interpretation to work with. Such convincing takes time. Therefore, each time we meet I will ask you to bring a small bit of writing--sometimes just a sentence other times sections for your upcoming papers--that we can workshop in class. These assignments will be based on the readings and will be given out in the previous day's class. I will check at the beginning of the next class to see if you have done the work and then give you credit for that assignment. If you have not had time to do this homework, please come to class anyway. Though I will not allow make-ups for these assignments, you do have some leeway, as explained below. The journal grade is quantitative, meaning you get credit simply for trying.
1. If you miss 0--2 homework assignments, you will get an "A" for your journal.
2. If you miss 3 homework assignments, you will get a "B" for your journal.
Note: to get credit, you must present the work yourself in class. I will not accept your homework outside of class or via another person.
Course Policies and Expectations:
Active and constructive participation in class discussions and while writing in class.
Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and are grounds for a ZERO on the given assignment. Refer to your school handbook for specific guidelines.
Students will enter the room quietly, take out their journal, have homework ready to be checked off and begin working on the Daily Warm up on the board for the first 5-10 minutes of class.
No gum, food, or beverages in classroom.