Writing 3 Syllabus

Week	Step	Discussion Topic	Worksheet Assignments	Writing Assignments	Grammar Topic & Assignments
Week 1 8/27	1.	Understanding the thesis-driven paper	r Narrowing Your Topic (p. 3) r Surveying Your Topic (p. 4)	r Narrow your topic ideas to 2 options with 4 leading questions for each.	Week 1: The Sentence & Parts of Speech r Worksheet 1.9
	2.	Identify possible subjects
	3.	Read general sources
	4.	Narrow the subject
	5.	Select your topic
	6.	Form leading research questions
Week 2 9/3	7.	Formulate working thesis	r CL:  Evaluating Your Own Topic (p. 5)	r Interest Paper	Types of Sentences r Week 2 Worksheet
	8.	Make research plan
	9.	Write proposal
	10.	Brainstorm/Cluster/Free-write
Week 3 9/10	11.	Find sources (print & electronic)	r Practice Creating Bibliography Cards (p. 6 – 8)	r Research Proposal	Phrases, part 1 r Prepositional Phrase Worksheet r Gerund Worksheet r Infinitive Worksheet r Participial Worksheet
	12.	Evaluate sources
	13.	Prepare working bibliography
Week 4 9/17	14.	Research & take notes	r Evaluating Sources (p. 12) r Evaluating Online Sources (p. 13) r Practice Creating Note Cards (p. 15)	r Initial list of sources r General subtopics	Phrases, part, 2 r Appositive Worksheet
	15.	Paraphrase, summarize, quote sources
	16.	Organize information
	17.	Make a running/ informal outline
Week 5 9/24	18.	Develop detailed outline	r CL:  Evaluating Your Own Note Cards (p. 16) r Writing Your Own Thesis Statement (p. 21)	r Informal outline	Clauses, part 1 r Clauses Worksheet
	19.	Write first draft #1
Week 6 10/1	20.	Prepare works cited in MLA style	r Evaluating a Sample Outline (p. 17) r Evaluating Sample Thesis Statements (p. 19) r Evaluating Sample Introductions (p. 24)	r Detailed outline	Clauses, part 2 r Clauses Worksheet
	21.	First draft of presentation plan
Week 7 10/8	22.	Peer edit	r Practice Creating Works Cited Entries (p. 30)	r Rough Draft #1	Coordination &Subordination r Online Worksheet
Week 8 10/22	23.	Revise rough draft #1	r Evaluating Your Draft (p. 27 – 28) r CL:  Evaluating Your Documentation (p. 31)	r Works Cited draft #1 r Peer Edit	Parallel Structure r Parallel Structure Worksheet
Week 9 10/29	24.	Finalize presentation plans		r Initial Presentation plan	Agreement:  Subject/Verb r Subject Verb Agreement Worksheet
	25.	Prepare visuals for presentation
	26.	Rough Draft #2
Week 10 11/5	27.	Finalize works cited page	r CL:  Evaluating Your Revision (p. 35)	r Rough Draft #2 r Final presentation plan;	Agreement:  Pronoun/Antecedent r Pronouns & Antecedents Worksheet
Week 11 11/12	28.	Proofread		r Works cited draft #2 r Rough Draft #3 (opt)	Punctuation r Punctuation Worksheets
Week 12 11/19		Proofread			Capitalization r Capitalization Worksheets
Week 13, 14, 15 12/3, 12/10, 12/17	29.	Presentation		r Presentations r Final Draft
	30.	Final Draft

* Most of the worksheets are from the Glencoe/McGraw Hill book, Research Paper and Report Writing Grades 9 – 12 (http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/workbooks/language_arts/rprw/912rprw.pdf).  These will be designated by the page number on the worksheet.

Classroom Policies

Classroom Conduct

·         As we explore the various aspects of writing, we’ll engage in whole-class and small group discussions.  Be polite and respectful of each other’s time and comments.

·         We only meet once a week and need to make the most of our time.  Come to class prepared and with the appropriate materials (books, notebook, pens, etc.).  Avoid unrelated and unnecessary conversations and activities that will distract us from learning.  Turn off ALL electronic devices.  (They may be confiscated until the end of the CHAT school day.)

Communication

·         Weekly updates that include the material covered and upcoming assignments will be sent to the e-mail addresses that parents submitted when registering for the class.  I will also collect e-mail addresses from students.  I prefer to communicate via e-mail, but can be reached on my cell phone if the concern is urgent.  (507/581-0270)

·         I’m using two more on-line resources in addition to the e-mails: a blog and a document storage site, Dropbox.  Here’s how they will work:

–  Writing 3 – www.chatwriting3.blogspot.com.  The blog entries will contain the same information from the e-mail updates.  I’m hoping these entries will serve as a consolidation and reference for our weekly lessons for the semester.  Hopefully we can avoid forgotten assignments or missing e-mails.

–  Dropbox – www.dropbox.com.  Most of the handouts will be available on the Dropbox website.  Parents and students will receive an e-mail and be invited to view the “Writing 3” folder.  These documents can be downloaded and printed from home computers.

–  Engrade – www.engrade.com. This is an online grade book on which I will enter the grades and scores for completed assignments.  Parents and students can log in to check progress.  Note:  Scores may not be immediately added to the website; feel free to contact me for any questions.

–  Note:  I prefer to receive assignments as attachments to e-mails.

Grading

·         This class is concerned with both the process of writing a research paper and the resulting final product.  The assignments are incremental steps of the process and should be handed in on-time.  These assignments can be handed in at class time (Thursday afternoon) or by midnight on the following Sunday and not be considered late.  Late assignments will not only receive a reduced score, but could hinder the student’s progress.

·         We will do some in-class grammar and vocabulary work and some outside homework will be given.

·         Accumulating points is the NOT an important aspect of this class.  My goal is that students grow as learners and writers; this is not always reflected in classroom points.  However, points are a helpful indicator of diligence, improvement, and, to some extent, quality.

·         Points will be given for the following activities:

– Participation – 5 pt. /day.  This includes good attitudes, helpful comments in the discussions, respect of others, Quick Writes, an College Essays.

– Assigned steps of the process – 5 to 10 pt., depending on the assignment with a reduction in points for late work.

– Final paper & presentation – 200 points divided into the following categories:  Format, Mechanics, Organization, Content, Thesis/Position, and Presentation.

– The students have been given a Rubric (scoring guide) for the research paper.

·         The students have packets of weekly handouts explaining the various steps in writing a research paper.  Occasionally they will need to do more reading in their handbooks or online.

·         Writing a research paper is an involved process to which each student will respond according to his/her personality and learning style.  I’m aware that analytical thinkers will love the step by step process and global thinkers will find it more challenging.  An important goal of this class is that students would become more aware of themselves as learners, researchers and writers.  This self-awareness will help them immensely in further areas of study.

Welcome to Writing 3

Welcome to Writing 3!

Registrations are coming in, and Kim Nelson has sent out updated class rosters to the tutors.  I'm excited to see this class fill up with familiar and new faces. 

No book purchases are required for this class.  I have writing handbooks/manuals for the students to use for the semester that will help them with the format for their papers.  Your supply fee for the class is to cover the multitude of handouts that I have for them that will guide them through the writing process.

The only items your student needs to bring to class, along with some paper and a pen/pencil, is a notebook or folder to keep track of assignments, handouts, worksheets, and class notes.  Shortly, you will receive an invitation to join the Dropbox folder with all of the study guides, handouts, worksheets, etc.  

I also use Engrade, an online gradebook, for keeping track of assignments and grades.  You will be getting a link to that account also.  If your student already has an account with Engrade with another teacher, let me know the account number, and I can add my class to that existing account.

Please let me know that you received this e-mail; you can simply hit "reply" and "send."  Also, if your student has a separate e-mail that he/she would like me to use, please send that to me.

Looking forward to the Fall classes!

Tammy Prichard