ENGLISH 1A: COMPOSITION AND READING 1
SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS Fall 2008
Amy Hundley

Number and Date Assigned	Title of Selection
1.) 8/19/08	Short Story by Joyce Carol Oates (To Be Announced)
2.) 8/21/08	"I'm a Mad Dog Biting Myself for Sympathy" by Louise Erdrich (TSR pgs. 148-154)
3.) 8/26/08	“A & P” by John Updike (TSR pgs. 450-457)
4.) 8/28/08	“Everyday Use” by Alice Walker (TSR pgs. 460-468)
5.) 9/9/08	The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal Part I pgs. 1-43
6.) 9/11/08	The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal Part II pgs. 43-98
7.) 9/16/08	"What You Pawn I Will Redeem" by Sherman Alexie (TSR pgs. 8-28)
8.) 9/18/08	“Cathedral” by Raymond Carver (TSR pgs. 84-98)
9.) 9/25/08	"Tooth and Claw" by T.C. Boyle (TSR pgs. 61-83)
10.) 9/30/08	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Parts I-II A Woman on the Street and The Desert (pgs. 3-50)
11.) 10/2/08	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Part II The Desert (pgs. 51-125)
12.) 10/7/08	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Part III Welch (pgs. 129-179)
13.) 10/9/08	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Part III Welch (pgs. 180-241)
14.) 10/14/08	The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls Parts IV-V New York City and Thanksgiving (pgs. 245-288)
10/21/08 JOURNAL CHECK #1—JOURNALS COLLECTED FOR GRADING (140 PTS. POSSIBLE) Return to top
15.) 10/21/08	“The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman (TSR pgs. 172-189) AND "Why I Wrote The Yellow Wallpaper" (1913) http://www.library.csi.cuny.edu/dept/history/lavender/whyyw.html
16.) 10/23/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part I: Banana Boat Chpts. 1-6 (pgs. 3-56) AND http://www.destination360.com/central-america/honduras/mosquito-coast.php
17.) 10/28/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part I: Banana Boat Chpts. 7-9 (pgs.57-98)
18.) 10/30/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part II: The Icehouse at Jeronimo Chpts. 10-15 (pgs.101-193)
19.) 11/6/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part II: The Icehouse at Jeronimo Chpts. 16-20 (pgs.194-253)
20.) 11/11/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part III: Brewer’s Lagoon Chpts. 21-22 (pgs. 257-275)
21.) 11/13/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part III: Brewer’s Lagoon Chpts. 23-25 (pgs.276-315)
22.) 11/18/08	The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux Part IV: Up the Patuca Chpts. 26-30 (pgs.319-370) and Part V: The Mosquito Coast Chpt. 31 (pgs. 373-375)
23.) 11/25/08	"A Good Man is Hard to Find" by Flannery O'Connor (TSR pgs. 373-388)
24.) 12/2/08	"The Jilting of Granny Weatherall" by Katherine Anne Porter (TSR pgs. 418-427)
12/4/08 JOURNAL CHECK #2—JOURNALS COLLECTED FOR GRADING (100 PTS.) Return to top

Reading Response Journal Questions and Guidelines:

A reading response journal is an informal piece of writing in which you explore your own experiences, ideas,
and feelings related to and stimulated by the selection you have read. They will be used as the basis for class discussions,
tests, and essays. Journal entries will be date-stamped, collected periodically, and graded for being complete, on time, and showing
evidence of your engagement with the selection. There are no “wrong” entries, merely incomplete, late, and/or off-topic ones.
Spelling, grammar, etc. will not be graded.

Although it is important to keep track of what events took place, what ideas were discussed, and what characters were mentioned in the
reading selection, your reading journals should not just summarize the information or sound like you are answering a series of questions.
The purpose of a reading journal is to enter into a conversation with the text, the author, and yourself. Comment on what puzzles you, what attracts
you about the reading, and indicate reasons for your response.

Reading journal entries must be HANDWRITTEN and completed in a LARGE BLUE BOOK (available at the MC bookstore). You can
and should use both sides of the paper. You should fill at least one page (one side) each time. There is no need to rewrite the questions;
nevertheless, make sure your responses are complete enough to incorporate the ideas effectively. It is more effective to produce a response that
resembles a long paragraph rather than a numbered list of answers to questions; you do not need to answer all of these questions or in this particular
order, although they do encourage a broad range of methods for responding to a selection. When a question asks “Why?” be sure to have a
“because” in your response.

Reading Response Journals are a consistent way for you to reach the overall expected student outcome for this course
of learning to write clear and logical prose and to read college-level texts closely and effectively.

Please include the following information in the top left hand corner of the blank space at the top of each page.

Today’s Date: _________________________________ Journal # _________
Title of Selection: ______________________________Pages ________
Author: __________________________________________

1.) AUTHOR/BACKGROUND: What are some interesting details provided in your text about this author?
What sort of person do you imagine the author to be? When was the piece written? How does the historical context/time
period contribute to your understanding of this selection?

2.) FIRST REACTION: What is your first reaction or response to the reading? Describe or explain it.

3.) PERCEPTIONS/DETAILS: What do you see happening in the reading? Briefly retell the main events and points. What is the significance of the title?

4.) AUTHOR’S PURPOSE: Is the author trying to make a point, to produce a reaction, to entertain? All three? How do you know that?

5.) FOCUS: Upon what in the text do you focus most intently as you read—what word, phrase, image, idea or technique? What direct quote
(with page number) most defines the “essence” of this selection for you? Why?

6.) CONFLICTS: What is the nature of the conflict(s) and what is its (their) resolution? Is the conflict is unresolved, why has the author
purposefully left it so? Is the outcome believable? Is it justified by what precedes it?

7.) RESPONSE: How do you respond to the reading—emotionally or intellectually? Do you feel involved with the reading, or distant from it?
Why do you like, dislike, or have mixed feelings about the work?

8.) DIFFICULTIES: What is there in the reading that you have the most trouble understanding? To what extent do these problem areas
hinder your overall response?

9.) STRUCTURE: What does the author accomplish in his first and last paragraphs? Do they unify the work? Do they emphasize an idea?
Why does the work begin at this point and end at that point?

10.) EVALUATION: Do you think this is a good piece of writing? Why or why not? How does this selection compare/contrast with other
selections you have read? Is the work typical or unusual in terms of what I have read? Why?

Reading Response Journal Grading Rubric (10 pts. possible per entry)

(9-10)	Commands Attention	The work stands out as exceptional.
(7-8)	Clearly Competent	It fulfills all of the requirements of the assignment.
(5-6)	Satisfactory, Even Marginally So	It fulfills most of the requirements of the assignment.
(3-4)	Unsatisfactory	It barely meets the requirements of the assignment.
(0-2)	Serious Weaknesses	It fails to meet the requirements of the assignment (not on time, not long enough, off-topic, etc.).

Reading Response Questions adapted from:

Mc Keague, Pat. Step by Step: Writing About Literature ,7th ed., Iowa: Kendall Hunt,

2002.

Probst, Robert, Response and Analysis, Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann, 1987.

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Sample Student Journal Response

Today’s Date: XXXXXX Journal # XXXXXX
Title of Selection: "The Use of Force" Pages: (Internet Printout)
Author: William Carlos Williams

The short story "The Use of Force" by William Carlos Williams really brought
back some childhood memories of dreading going to the doctor. I was surprised that this was a work of fiction since I noticed in the author biography that Williams was a pediatrician in addition to being an author. Even without reading the publication date, I figured this story was written and set in a time period over fifty years ago since doctors don't make house calls anymore and diptheria is something most children never have due to vaccinations. This story was pretty straightforward ,but could have been made clearer by the use of quotation marks. I wonder why the author chose not to use them; I think that is becoming a more common style, but I still find it confusing that he deliberately left them out of the dialogue in the story. The plot was believable because I think a pediatrician
would fight with parents about a child's treatment. For example, when I was a child, I had a tick get inside my body. I was a very strong eight-year-old
and the doctor needed to give me a shot to dig the tick out. I would not let
him or anyone else hold me down long enough to give the shot. I ended up with sore arms and a bloody nose, but, ultimately, no tick. I think the author was trying to make an ethical point that sometimes actions need to be taken even if they seem cruel at the time. This story was short and did not have much in the way of character development or background; it begins and ends rather abruptly. The one area I found a bit disturbing was the doctor's focus on the girl's physical beauty.The doctor made the right decision in using force; the parents should have sought medical help before their daughter's condition had progressed this far. I do think this
is a good piece of writing in that it accomplishes a great deal in a short space, but I wouldn't say I enjoyed reading it.

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Essay Guidelines:

Throughout the semester, you will write four formal out-of-class essays (750-1,750 words or 3-7 pages minimum)
that require MLA citation and documentation, use of the writing process (prewriting/planning, drafting, and conferencing/revision), and
various rhetorical modes such as:

 Analysis/Response
 Argumentation
 Cause and Effect

Ideally, your reading response journals will serve as the starting point for developing your ideas.

On every essay, be sure to:
have your own original title
mention the title and author of the story in your introduction (short selection titles use quote marks and longer selection titles are underlined)
state and support a thesis.
type your paper using proper MLA format as detailed on syllabus and in English Simplified text.
correctly use in-text citation and include a Works Cited page

Required Prewriting/Planning Steps

Using the topics and models for each essay, fill out the essay diagram boxes located in the course packet.
There is no “magic number” of paragraphs, so you may not use all of the boxes, or you may need to add more.
Feel free to adapt the diagram as needed.

Using Quotations for Support / Works Cited Information

ü When choosing quotes to support your ideas, be sure to look for material that you can expand upon, delve into, explore and explain. The quotes are there
to support your ideas, not to substitute for your ideas or to take up space.

ü When you are quoting from only one primary source and you have identified it and the author in the introduction to your essay,
it is acceptable to include just a page number or line number in the parentheses.

ü After the selected quotation is presented you should analyze and explore it thoroughly in order to show how and why it proves the topic sentence.
Don’t just paraphrase it.

üThe quotation cannot stand alone; rather, it gives you an opportunity to use your own ideas by commenting on the meaning.

ü When you bring in quotes from the text make sure that you incorporate them with your own ideas.

ü Don’t “strand” the quotes by themselves. Be sure to connect them.

Example from “The Use of Force” by William Carlos Williams:

The doctor is angry at the little girl who refuses to cooperate. “I could have torn the child apart in my fury and enjoyed it.
It was a pleasure to attack her” (Williams 906).

ü Example: The doctor is angry at the little girl who refuses to cooperate and he demonstrates this by thinking: “I could have torn the child apart
in my fury and enjoyed it. It was a pleasure to attack her (Williams 906).

Notice that the transition phrase and colon link the writer’s ideas with the text quote.

For commentaries or critical essays, be sure to establish the author’s name and background/credibility as well as the title of the essay:

ü According to Terence Prittie, a noted British journalist and author, in his Symposium commentary in The Sunflower,
“A persecuted Jew could only forgive wrongs done to him personally; he could not possibly forgive genocide” (234).

ü In his critical essay entitled “Frankenstein and the Tradition of Realism”, George Levine states that “Frankenstein ignores
his creation and, in effect, destroys his family as a consequence” (212).

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Mini-Research Projects and Guidelines:

Instead of one traditional and lengthy research paper, you will complete three shorter (3-4 pages, 1,000-1,250 words) mini-research
projects that cover the following Expected Student Outcomes (ESOs) from the Merced College Eng. 1A Course Outline as listed on your syllabus:

• Specific areas of study in composition include:
E. Apply research skills by way of recognizing the different levels, types, and formats of information including, but not limited to, primary
versus secondary and popular versus scholarly
• Specific areas of study in reading include:
B. Study historical and theoretical backgrounds of published material

You will be able to access the necessary material via the Merced College Portal and the Merced College Library Databases. You will
use only the sources listed below, in addition to the primary texts for the course.

Each source must be printed out (you may “cut and paste” into Microsoft Word to save paper) and annotated (go beyond underlining and highlighting).
Your annotations should demonstrate the following:

You will be able to access the necessary material via the Merced College Portal and the Merced College Library Databases. You will use
only the sources listed below, in addition to the primary texts for the course.

Each source must be printed out (you may “cut and paste” into Microsoft Word to save paper) and annotated (go beyond underlining and highlighting).
Your annotations should demonstrate the following:

What was happening in your mind as you read this source?
What did you do that helped you to understand the reading?
What words/concepts did you have to look up/define?
What questions or problems do you still have with this piece?
What connections can you make between sources and between the source and the primary text?

Then, using those sources, complete the mini-research project as instructed below.

Each number below will become one section of your mini-research project. These sections will be combined as one document, but will remain numbered.

1.) In your own words, write a summary of EACH SOURCE (minimum two or three paragraphs or about 250 words PER SOURCE).
The number of summaries varies depending on the Mini-Research Project.

2.) How do these sources as a whole contribute to a better understanding of the primary text? What did you learn from this mini-research
project that you would not know by reading the primary text by itself? Choose at least two of the sources for this question. Your answer should
be at least one paragraph per source you discuss here (minimum 500 words total).

3.) What are at least two direct quotes that you feel are the most important from any of your sources, including the primary text itself? Why?
You should have one paragraph per quote. Be sure to use correct MLA in-text citation (minimum 100-250 words).

4.) If you did have to complete more research connected to this primary text, what specific topic, concept, problem, etc. would you want to
research further? In other words, conclude by examining what interested you the most and what you would want to know more about. Your
answer should be at least one paragraph (minimum 100-250 words).

5.) Complete an accurate MLA formatted Works Cited list of sources for this project. You will also include the primary
text as a source.

Points:
For each properly annotated source required for the project:

Project #1—4 sources = up to 10 pts. each for maximum of 40 pts.
Project #2—4 sources = up to 10 pts. each for maximum of 40 pts.
Project #3—3 sources = up to 10 pts. each for maximum of 30 pts.

For each source summary:
Project #1—4 sources = up to 20 pts. each for maximum of 80 pts.
Project #2—4 sources = up to 20 pts. each for maximum of 80 pts.
Project #3—3 sources = up to 20 pts. each for maximum of 60 pts.

For successful completion of Parts 2-4 of the project:
Up to15 pts. for each part or 45 pts. total

For successful completion of Works Cited list, up to 25 pts. total

Total points:

Project #1 maximum of 190 pts.
Project #2 maximum of 190 pts.
Project #3 maximum of 160 pts.

Overall, these projects are a required part of this course and constitute 540 pts. of your total points possible for the semester.

Mini-Research Project #1: The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness by Simon Wiesenthal

þTitle: “About Simon Wiesenthal”
Source: Simon Wiesenthal Center.
URL: <http://www.wiesenthal.com/site/pp.asp?c=fwLYKnN8LzH&b=242614>.

þTitle: “Building Tolerance, Person by Person”
Author: Judith Timson
Source: Maclean's; 6/19/2006, Vol. 119 Issue 25, p38-38, 1p, 1c
ISSN: 2132-3760
Database: EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier

þTitle: “Should a Concentration-Camp Prisoner Forgive His SS Captor?”
Author: Judith Bolton-Fasman
Source: Christian Science Monitor; 6/2/97, Vol. 89 Issue 130, p15, 1c
ISSN: 0882-7729
Database: EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier

þ Title: “Simon Wiesenthal, Nazi-Hunter, Died on September 20^th, aged 96” (Obituary)
Source: Economist; 9/24/2005, Vol. 376 Issue 8445, p102-102, 1p, 1bw
ISSN: 0013-0613
Database: EBSCOhost Academic Search Premier

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Mini-Research Project #2: The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls

þTitle: “Jeannette Walls, author, The Glass Castle, gossip columnist, MSNBC.com” (Interview from May 27, 2005)

Author: Rachel Kramer Bussel
Source: Gothamist
URL:<http://gothamist.com/2005/05/27/jeannette_walls_author_the_glass_castle_gossip_columnist_msnbccom.php>

NOTE: If you have trouble accessing this interview, try going to the interviewer’s website and scroll down to find the above title and date:

(Type this in on Google or other search engine: Rachel Kramer Bussel - Writing - Interviews)
http://www.rachelkramerbussel.com/writing/interviews.php

þTitle: “The Glass Castle: Outrageous Misfortune”
Author: Francine Prose
Source: New York Times
URL: <http://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/13/books/review/013COVERPROSE.html>.

þ Title: “The Myriad, Changing Faces of Poverty”
Source: Fedgazette (Minneapolis, MN)
Author: Ronald A. Wirtz
Publication Date: Nov. 2006
Page Number: n.p.
Database: SIRS Government Reporter
Service: SIRS Knowledge Source <http://www.sirs.com>

þ Title: “A Family History of Alcoholism: Are You at Risk?”
Source: Health and Human Services Department (HHS)
Author: National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
Publication Date: Feb. 2003
Page Number: n.p.
Database: SIRS Government Reporter
Service: SIRS Knowledge Source <http://www.sirs.com>

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Mini-Research Project #3: The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux

þTitle: “An American Crank”
Author: George P. McCartney
Source: National Review; 6/10/1983, Vol. 35 Issue 11, p700-702, 3p
ISSN: 0028-0038
Persistent link to this record: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=6056044&site=ehost-live
Database: EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier

Title: “Technology and the Third World: Paul Theroux's The Mosquito Coast”
Author: John Rothfork
Source: Critique; Summer 1985, Vol. 26 Issue 4, p 217, 11p
ISSN: 0011-1619
Database: EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier

þTitle: “Journey to the End of the Father: Battlefield of Masculinity in The Mosquito Coast”
Author: Hikaru Fujii
Source: Critique; Winter2007, Vol. 48 Issue 2, p168-183, 16p
ISSN: 0011-1619
Persistent link to this record: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=f5h&AN=24660570&site=ehost-live
Database: EBSCOhost MasterFILE Premier

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Works Cited Model for EBSCOhost Library Database:

Kingsolver, Barbara. “Downscale in Topanga Canyon.” Nation Sept. 25 1995: p. 326.

Master FILE Premier. EBSCOhost. Merced Coll. Lib. 20 Jan. 2006 <http:www.epnet.com>.

Works Cited Model for SIRS Library Database:

Ross-Flanigan, Nancy. “Weighing Obesity’s Origins.” NCRR Reporter. Nov.-Dec. 1996:

4-7. SIRS Researcher. SIRS Knowledge Source. Merced Coll. Lib. 5 Feb. 2001 <http://www.sirs.com>.

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Grading Rubrics:

Rubrics are tools for grading and evaluation. Your performance on written assignments will be
the primary source of your semester grade. In general, your essays will be graded for focus,
organization, development, grammar and mechanics, meeting minimum length requirements, and your
overall ability to engage the assigned readings in a manner appropriate to transfer-level college work.
I will use these rubrics as my tools for making a more objective assessment on your writing. They can be
useful for you as a self-evaluation checklist or for peer review.

Sample Rubric for Essays

Expected Student Outcomes	Meets/Exceeds Outcome	Approaches Outcome	Fails Outcome	Comments
Organize essay into appropriate form and structure Include an effective introduction, body, and conclusion, employ the required rhetorical mode, exhibit careful attention to correct MLA style essay format, direct quotes in MLA in-text citation format, and Works Cited page, avoid plagiarism, paper is full in length.
Prepare strong paragraphs Compose unified and cohesive essay where each body paragraph develops new detail/event while supporting thesis with clear, consistent, relevant, and sufficient information and evidence from text.
Construct effective language and style Reveal voice, tone, and technique through specific word choice and detail, utilize effective sentence structure and variety, avoid slang and clichés.
Compose sound, reasonable claims and premises Write a thesis that contains a subject and controlling idea ideally expressed in one sentence embodying and demonstrating an understanding of the purpose of the assignment, locate thesis in a clear, logical, and effective section in the introduction portion of essay, thesis relates to required rhetorical mode.
Employ careful revision practices Show few or no errors in punctuation, grammar, and usage, errors do not detract from overall content, readability, and effectiveness of essay, revision is revealed through use of the writing process with multiple drafts that demonstrate adding, deleting, changing, and rearranging of ideas and details, demonstrates error revision from English Simplified text.

                                                        Each outcome on the rubric is worth up to 15 pts. of the 75 possible for your revised draft.
Revised Draft = 75 pts.                                                                      Meets/Exceeds Outcome = 13-15 pts.
Rough Draft/ Draft Conference = 15 pts.                                            Approaches Outcome = 10-12 pts.
Prewriting/Planning = 10 pts.                                                              Fails Outcome = 9-0 pts.

Total= 100 pts.

Sample Rubric for Mini-Research

Expected Student Outcomes	Meets/Exceeds Outcome	Approaches Outcome	Fails Outcome	Comments
Organize mini-research project into appropriate form and structure Answer questions carefully and correctly, exhibit careful attention to correct MLA style essay format, direct quotes, as needed, in MLA in-text citation format, and Works Cited page, avoid plagiarism, paper is full in length.
Identify and evaluate main ideas and supporting ideas Annotate mini-research articles; follow guidelines for summary writing on Mini-Research Projects handout.
Construct effective language and style Reveal voice, tone, and technique through specific word choice and detail, utilize effective sentence structure and variety, avoid slang and clichés.
Apply research skills by way of recognizing the different levels, types, and formats of information.
Study historical and theoretical backgrounds of published material.
Formulate critical evaluation Identify how the sources contribute to a better understanding of the primary text, examine what you learned from the mini-research project that you would not know by reading the primary text by itself.
Employ careful revision practices Show few or no errors in punctuation, grammar, and usage, errors do not detract from overall content, readability, and effectiveness of mini-research project.

Points:

                        For each properly annotated source required for the project, 4 sources, up to 10 pts. each for maximum of 40 pts.
                        For each source summary required for the project, 4 sources, up to 20 pts. each for maximum of 80 pts.
                        For successful completion of Parts 2-4 of the project, up to 15 pts. for each part or 45 pts. total
                        For successful completion of Works Cited List, up to 25 pts. total

TOTAL POINTS FOR PROJECT #1 = /190 PTS.

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Literary Terms:
Below is a list of important literary terms we will define, discuss, and apply to our discussions this semester.