Unit 2 Agenda: Public Space

WRT 105: Unit 2 Assignment                       What is Public Space For?

 WEEK ONE:  – Selecting appropriate public spaces and their plausible representations

Fri.  10/9 Introduction to Unit 2: Analysis.  What is Public Space For? What is Analysis?

Unpack Sibley’s essay. Discuss Meltzer’s notion of analysis. Describe the photograph of the “The Beach Beneath the Street” using “focus and notice” and “method”. Do a “quick and   dirty research” about the artist and the context of the art.

Homework:     Review WA pgs 5-14 Intro and pgs 53-67 Five Analytical Moves. Be prepared to use one of these methods of analysis on images provided to you in class; Use the “moves” to analyze the data we have generated in class based on the photograph of the “The Beach Beneath the Street”. How does Sibley’s notion of public space impact your understanding of the photo? Bring in your observation and analysis for class discussion.

 Tue 10/13        “How to use the sources or shared reading for our analysis? Read an excerpt from Lucy Lippard’s “Marking the Spot” in CE and find a specific quotation to have a conversation with- dialogic journal; Conversing with a source: review examples ( pgs 270-277 CE)

Homework:     1.Read pgs. 26-32 “the Method” & pgs 269- 280 “using sources analytically”

2.Write 300 words putting Lippard into conversation with Glenn Ligon, and, as you do this, return to the tensions that surround uses of (or appropriations of) public space
3) Find pictures of at least 3 sites (as we defined in class) in NYC or surrounding communities. Please bring them with you to the class. You may start looking for photos of such contested public space by reflecting inwardly on a specific public space where you feel excluded, watched, not welcome or fit-in. But your search should not be limited to personal experiences only.

 Wed. 10/14       Writing about Reading & Images – collecting data for analysis; Become conversant instead of reading for gist  (pg 107 WA); Pointing page 109 WA; Uncovering assumptions page 114 WA; Reforming Binaries page 115 WA; We will practice the skills by using the contested space pictures in small groups and class; Together we’ll watch and analyze a video clip from TED by James H Kunstler on Public Space.

Homework:     1)Continue the writing in which you put Lippard into conversation with Glenn Ligon but this time imagine specifically what each author would say about a specific public space we have discussed in class. 2)Read Passage-based focused free writing (BPFF) page 109 WA

3) Read “the problems of critique” pages 116-120 WA . Analyze a challenging paragraph from any of the shared reading and apply it as a lens to exam a specific public space ( you can one of the photographs you brought to the class the day before).

 Thur. 10/15      We’ll examine the Problems of Critique. We’ll review a)Guideline for writing about reading page 129 b)Study  a sample analysis page 120 WA, apply Mitchell’s or Lippard’s claims to your “The Beach Beneath the Street” observations.

Small group presentations on Lippard and Middleman/Ligon (groups should be prepared to share one ‘conversation’ btwn Lippard and Middleman and Ligon—a moment when they seem to speak with or against each other

Homework:     Revisit the essays by Don Mitchell’s and David Sibley’s and do the following in your writing-

• Use paraphrase to restate two authors’ claims; Locate the dominant binaries in a specific paragraph(s) and articulate what is at stake here; Once you’ve done these tasks, take one of the theories and use it as a lens to examine a contested public space as shown in one of the photographs you have found or taken.

 Fri. 10/16         We will apply the tools we have learned so far from WA to analyzing your images; Share and discuss in small groups your findings and analysis. In small groups, complete the Public Space Analysis Heuristic ‘Noticings and Making Connections” .

 HOMEWORK:

• • Do some quick and dirty research on the sites you’ve chosen from your neighborhood (if you are ready to choose one for the focus of the paper, go ahead and focus on just one).
  • Answer the questions given on the quick and dirty worksheet and be prepared to talk about your site with the class.
  • From CE read Don Mitchell’s “The End of Public Space?” (please note, this can be a difficult piece to work through) and create 3- 5 entries of dialogic journals.
  • Read also pp127-131 in WA (“10 on 1” and “Pan, Track, and Zoom”).

 WEEK TWO:  Selecting appropriate public spaces-how to analyze: a lot of class practice

Mon. 10/19      Using “Pan, Track and Zoom-10 on 1” concepts from page 213 WA to talk about finding a focus for our topic.

Watch a video clip from http://www.contestedstreets.org/          and complete the “Applying Analytical Strategies to Images” heuristics in small groups; we’ll spend some time unpacking Mitchell. We’ll share our quick and dirty research and use “Focus & Notice, Ranking and Method” from WA to talk about finding a focus for our topic.

In class today you’ll decide on the site you want to keep as your focus for the analysis essay.

Homework:      You’ll use suggested resources to help you expand your thinking about public space before you focus on a specific site.  After reviewing the articles, respond to the question:  How do Immigration, Gentrification, Work, and Conflict are contested in Public Space in New York?  Collect evidence.
Tue. 10/20       Pushing Observations to Conclusions: asking “So What?”

We’ll practice how to use “Description as a form of Analysis page 56 WA

Read and annotate an excerpt from Nedra Reynolds’ “Maps of the Everyday…” in CE

Review “Asking ‘so what?” in WA pp 34-35 and apply to our observation and analysis

Workshop in small groups to push your observations to “so what?” about your site.

Homework:     1. Read “Five Analytical Moves” pages 53-64 WA. Use Moves 2, 3 & 4 to continue working on the 300-word description of your site of public place. 2. Continue reading Mitchell’s article and start reading Nedra Reynold’s  “ Maps of Everyday:..”  in CE and find references from the article to depict, illustrate,  ask questions, contradict your view not just provide answers. Keep a dialogic journal to respond to your reading.

Wed.  10/21      Revisiting the critical thinking questions on the Unit Two Assignment sheet

Now that you’ve chosen your site—and we know how important description (observation) is to analysis—write a rich 300 word description based on your observation notes.

You will also need to contextualize the site, based on any information you have gathered through quick and dirty research or interviews—this might include the history behind the site, any changes to the site, how it is situated in relation to the campus or the community, etc.
Homework:       1)Use the critical thinking prompts on the unit 2 assignment sheet to challenge your final decision of a specific public site.2)Contextualize the description of your site.

Thur. 10/22     We’ll use the “10 on 1” method to close read Sibley’s article. If our discussion point is “public space exposes the conflictual nature of social relations”, let’s then find 10 different ways Sibley expounds his view in the essay.
Homework:       Practice 10 on 1 with Mitchell and Martone and Lippard. Bring this exercise to the class for group discussion.

Fri 10/23          Making Details Speak (page 170-171 WA: A Brief Example page 171)

Collecting and making meaning out of data: we will share our site descriptions and apply Reynolds to our site data; We will brainstorm interview questions and interview subjects. We’ll start asking “so what?” of our observations as a way to compose a claim.

Homework      Complete the “noticings and making connections” heuristics.; Conduct an interview.

 WEEK THREE:

Mon. 10/26      Computer Cluster Day-Mini-lesson on key word searches and library databases (research tip sheet and research heuristic). We’ll work hard to have you leave class today with a potential source; We’ll use “Introduction to Library Databases” as our guideline for research; In small groups, we’ll complete the Public Space Research Heuristic.

HOMEWORK:

• • Complete the heuristic of Distinguishing Scholarly and Non-Scholarly Sources
  • Search for a relevant scholarly source and a relevant non scholarly source in the library databases.
  • Start composing your 500-word essay proposal .

Tue 10/27

Objectives: Students will work on establishing synthesis (connections) between shared readings and their own individual inquiries about a contested public space.

Aim: How to establish synthesis (connections) between shared readings and your own individual inquiries about a contested public space?

CC Standards

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.A
Introduce a topic; organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.W.11-12.2.B
Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.

Texts: 

Writing Analytically 6th Edition
Intro to CE
David Sibley’s Geographies of Exclusion
Michael Martone’s ‘Country Roads Lined with Running Fences
Langston Hughes’ “I, Too, Sing America
Interview with Ligon
Joe Harris” Coming to Terms”

Pratt’s Arts of the Contact Zone
The Right to theCity (“The End of Public Space) by Mitchell
Marking the Spot by Lippard
Contested Public Space by Reynolds
Sample Student Analysis Essay

Agenda

Do Now: share in groups of three the completed heuristic sheet on “noticings &making connections”.

Acquisition ( Mini Lesson):

• Use ” Noticing & Focusing” strategy to collect relevant data ( interesting details, repetition, binary, strange detail) and make an analytical move using “The Method”.
• Watch a video clip from http://www.contestedstreets.org/          and complete the “Applying Analytical Strategies to Images” heuristics in small groups; we’ll spend some time unpacking Mitchell. We’ll share our quick and dirty research and use “Focus & Notice, Ranking and Method” from WA to talk about finding a focus for our topic.
• Analyze a sample analysis using the analytical moves: “Specifying an Interpretive Context: A Brief Example” ( page 136-137 W.A.)-the role of context
• Analyze an image from descriptions to analysis: “Making an Interpretation An examples of a New Yorker cover” ( PAGES 142-144 W.A.)

Meaning Making

• Use the heuristic to illustrate the process
• Moving from descriptions to interpretations( refer to page 133 W.A.).
• Using “Pan, Track and Zoom-10 on 1” concepts from page 213 WA to talk about finding a focus for our topic.
• In class today you’ll decide on the site you want to keep as your focus for the analysis essay(You’ll use suggested resources to help you expand your thinking about public space before you focus on a specific site.  After reviewing the articles, respond to the question:  How do Immigration, Gentrification, Work, and Conflict are contested in Public Space in New York?  Collect evidence.)
• Work on your own contested public space by completing the heurstic ( http://litstudies.org/SUPA/AnalysisComposingYourPublicSpaceAnalysis.pdf)

Homework:    Write an essay proposal. Based on the suggestions, revise and continue writing your essay proposal. Bring in the completed proposal for individual conferencing.

 Wed. 10/28      Reading sources for claims. Linking Evidence and Claims ( pages 166-170 WA);Practice making tentative claims about our public sites. We will share our essay proposals in small groups; Peer-edit the proposal.

A. Linking Evidence and Claim

• The function of evidence( 167)
• distinguishing evidence from claims (169)
• Giving evidence a point: making details speak

B. Kinds of Evidence; WHAT Counts?

• More than just facts
• statistical evidence
• experimental evidence
• using authorities as evidence
• anecdotal evidence
• textual evidence

Guidelines for reasoning from evidence to claims

1. Learn to recognize unsubstantiated assertions, rather than treating claims as self-evidence truth. Whenever you make a claim, offer your readers the evidence that led you to it.
2. Make the evidence speak. Explain how it supports the claim; offer your reason for believing that evidence means what you say it does.
3. Use evidence to advance your claim, not just confirm it. EXPLORE HOW THE EVIDENCE DOES NOT FIT THE CLAIM, ans use what you learn to reshape the claim, making it more accurate.
4. Consider what counts as evidence in a given field or context, or as one of the Voices puts it, remember that “evidence itself is dependent upon methodology- that it’s not just a questions of gathering “information”, but also a questions of how it was gathered.
5. Most professors agree that evidence is never completely neutral, simply a matter of ” the facts,” so you need to determine the slant- the principles of selections- that have produced this evidence. And as a corollary, try to gather evidence from more that one side of a topic.

Homework     a. Read and annotate pp 174-189 WA “ How to use Evidence”; b. Continue searching for source if you have not yet found one.; c. Complete 100 wd evaluations/annotations of two sources you have located through research and are considering using. c. Based on the suggestions, revise and continue writing your essay proposal.

 Thur.10/29 Six strategies for analyzing sources” in Writing Analytically pp 271-278 WA ;Pick two different strategies to analyze the two sources you may use for your essay.

6 Strategies of analyzing sources-

1. Make your source speak
2. Attend carefully to the language of your source by quoting or paraphrasing them
3. Supply ongoing analysis of sources ( don’t wait until the end)
4. Us your sources to ask questions, not just to provide answers
5. Put your source into conversation with one another
6. Find your own role in the conversation( page 278 W.A.) (A. Agreement: apply it in another context to qualify or expand its implications; B. Seek out other perspectives on the source in order to break the spell it has cast on you ( See an example on pages 279-280, W.A.)

Guidelines for Conversing with Sources

1. Avoid the temptation to plug in sources as answers. Aim for a conversation with them. Think of sources as voices inviting you into a community of interpretation, discussion and debate.
2. Quote, paraphrase, or summarize in order to analyze. Explain what you take the source to mean, showing the reasoning that has led to the conclusion you draw from it.
3. Quote sparingly. You are usually better off centering your analysis on a few quotation, analyzing their key terms, and branching out to aspect of your own subject that the quotations illuminate. Remember that not all disciplines allow direct quotation.
4. Don’t underestimation the value of close paraphrasing. You will almost invariably beginning to interpret a source once you start  paraphrasing its key language.
5. Locate and highlight what is at stake in your source. Which of its points does the source find most important? What positions does it want to modify or refute, and why?
6. Look for ways to develop, modify, or apply what a source has said, rather than simply agreeing or disagreeing with it.
7. If you challenge a position found in a source, be sure to represent it fairly. First, give the source some credit by identifying assumptions you share with it.Then isolate the part that you intend to complicate or dispute.
8. Look for sources that address your subject from different perspectives. Avoid relying too heavily on any one source. Aim at the end to synthesize these perspectives: what is the common ground?
9. When your sources disagree, consider playing mediator. Instead of immediately agreeing with one or the other, clarify areas of agreement or disagreement among them.

Homework:    1)Continue reading Six strategies for analyzing sources” in Writing Analytically pp 271-278 WA 2) Continue the analysis of your sources. Bring in the writing for discussion in class. 

Fri. 10/30         We’ll conduct a thesis workshop; Use the new “tool” to continue working on individual thesis ( 228-229, W.A.)

Thesis Workshop

What is a thesis statement? ( hypothesis, controlling idea, primary claim)

• the thesis of an analytical paper is an idea about what some feature or features or your subject means ( or tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion).
• is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
• directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be World War II or Moby Dick or a contested public space ; a thesis must then offer a way to understand the war or the novel or place. A thesis should be an idea in need of an argument( debatable); that is, it should not be a statement of fact or an idea with which most readers would already agree.
• makes a claim that others might dispute.
• is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

In conclusion, an analytical thesis makes a claim about a subject of analysis: a text, an image, a place or an issue, for example. It reveals and explains a relationship, cause, effect or reason that might seem hidden, counterintuitive, or in other ways not-obvious to a casual reader.

How to arrive at a thesis statement?

• A thesis is the result of a lengthy thinking process.
• Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between known facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships.
• Once you have given enough thought about the data ( evidence), you will probably have a “working thesis,” a claim that can be supported by evidence but  may need adjustment along the way.
• Writers use all kinds of techniques to help them ” read” the evidence, clarify relationships among sources and comprehend the broader significance of a topic before they arrive at a thesis statement.

What does the thesis statement of a analytical writing look like? How does it evolve?

• The governing idea of most analytical writing is too complex to be asserted as a single sentence claim.
• In analytical writing, the thesis is more likely to become evident in phrases, guided by some kind of opening  claim sufficient to get the paper started. This claim is commonly known as the working thesis ( 229, W.A.).
• Sometimes as much as the 1st third of a paper will explore an idea that the rest of the paper will subsequently replace with a different not necessarily opposing perspectives. There will be a trail or trajectory that lets readers anticipate a shift from one possible way of seeing things to another.
• You should be able to spot tension( pressure of one idea against another possibility) in good thesis statements. ( 230 W.A.)
• Most effective working theses, though they may begin more simply, achieve both grammatical and conceptual complexity as they evolve. Thus, they begin with : although: or incorporate ” however” or  use an ” appears to be about x but is actually about y “kind of formulation.

Weak thesis: Woman in contemporary films are more sensitive than men.

Examples of a strong thesis. Why are these theses stronger than the simple statement above? Examine the complex syntax of each sentence.

• The complications that fuel the plots in today’s romantic comedies arise because women and men express their sensitivity so differently; the resolution, however, rarely requires the men to capitulate.
• A spate of recent films has witnessed the emergence of the new ” womanly” man as hero, and not surprisingly, his tender qualities seems to be the reason he attracts the female love interests.

How to Draft a Thesis Statement?
The thesis makes a claim about your topic or text, lays out key evidence to support this claim, and explains the significance of the claim ( so what)

Claim: WHAT are you saying about the topic?
Evidence: HOW do you know this?
Significance: WHY does this matter?

For example-

• Claim: The play reinforces the idea that individuals are powerless to change their fates
• Evidence: The chorus uses foreshadowing, Romeo and Juliet are characterized as young and naïve, their final deaths are caused by situational irony
• Significance: The course of our lives cannot be changed by hard work or wily, we must accept our destinies.

How to combine the simple sentences into a complex one using complex syntax?

“Through (EVIDENCE), the passage ( place or image) reveals that (CLAIM); thus, the text ( image, place or passage) shows us that (Significance).

Here is an example-

Through the foreshadowing element of the chorus, the characterization of Romeo and Juliet as young and naïve, and the situational irony of the final scene, the play reinforces the idea that individuals are powerless to change their fates. Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet thus serves as a reminder that the course of fate cannot be altered by hard work or personal will; we must accept our fate as is.

Evaluating examples of thesis statements( cited from http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/) –

Suppose you are taking a course on 19th-century America, and the instructor hands out the following essay assignment: Compare and contrast the reasons why the North and South fought the Civil War. You turn on the computer and type out the following:

A. (Example 1) The North and South fought the Civil War for many reasons, some of which were the same and some different.

(Analysis) This weak thesis restates the question without providing any additional information. You will expand on this new information in the body of the essay, but it is important that the reader know where you are heading. A reader of this weak thesis might think, “What reasons? How are they the same? How are they different?” Ask yourself these same questions and begin to compare Northern and Southern attitudes (perhaps you first think, “The South believed slavery was right, and the North thought slavery was wrong”). Now, push your comparison toward an interpretation—why did one side think slavery was right and the other side think it was wrong? You look again at the evidence, and you decide that you are going to argue that the North believed slavery was immoral while the South believed it upheld the Southern way of life. You write:

2. ( Working thesis)  While both sides fought the Civil War over the issue of slavery, the North fought for moral reasons while the South fought to preserve its own institutions.

( Analysis) Now you have a working thesis! Included in this working thesis is a reason for the war and some idea of how the two sides disagreed over this reason. As you write the essay, you will probably begin to characterize these differences more precisely, and your working thesis may start to seem too vague. Maybe you decide that both sides fought for moral reasons, and that they just focused on different moral issues. You end up revising the working thesis into a final thesis that really captures the argument in your paper:

3. ( Final thesis) While both Northerners and Southerners believed they fought against tyranny and oppression, Northerners focused on the oppression of slaves while Southerners defended their own right to self-government.

Compare this to the original weak thesis. This final thesis presents a way of interpreting evidence that illuminates the significance of the question. Keep in mind that this is one of many possible interpretations of the Civil War—it is not the one and only right answer to the question. There isn’t one right answer; there are only strong and weak thesis statements and strong and weak uses of evidence.

B. ( Example 2)  Let’s look at another example. Suppose your literature professor hands out the following assignment in a class on the American novel: Write an analysis of some aspect of Mark Twain’s novel Huckleberry Finn. “This will be easy,” you think. “I loved Huckleberry Finn!” You grab a pad of paper and write:

 1. (weak thesis) Mark Twain’s Huckleberry Finn is a great American novel.

Why is this thesis weak? Think about what the reader would expect from the essay that follows: you will most likely provide a general, appreciative summary of Twain’s novel. The question did not ask you to summarize; it asked you to analyze. Your professor is probably not interested in your opinion of the novel; instead, she wants you to think about why it’s such a great novel—what do Huck’s adventures tell us about life, about America, about coming of age, about race relations, etc.? First, the question asks you to pick an aspect of the novel that you think is important to its structure or meaning—for example, the role of storytelling, the contrasting scenes between the shore and the river, or the relationships between adults and children. Now you write:

2. ( working thesis) In Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain develops a contrast between life on the river and life on the shore.

Here’s a working thesis with potential: you have highlighted an important aspect of the novel for investigation; however, it’s still not clear what your analysis will reveal. Your reader is intrigued, but is still thinking, “So what? What’s the point of this contrast? What does it signify?” Perhaps you are not sure yet, either. That’s fine—begin to work on comparing scenes from the book and see what you discover. Free write, make lists, jot down Huck’s actions and reactions. Eventually you will be able to clarify for yourself, and then for the reader, why this contrast matters. After examining the evidence and considering your own insights, you write:

3. ( final thesis) Through its contrasting river and shore scenes, Twain’s Huckleberry Finn suggests that to find the true expression of American democratic ideals, one must leave “civilized” society and go back to nature.

This final thesis statement presents an interpretation of a literary work based on an analysis of its content. Of course, for the essay itself to be successful, you must now present evidence from the novel that will convince the reader of your interpretation.

Now it’s your turn to try-

Activity 1: What can you learn from a thesis?

Each member reads his/her thesis aloud and the rest of the group answer each question from below about his/her statement. We will not discuss the thesis until everyone has had an opportunity to record his/her thoughts.

• What question is this thesis trying to answer (or prove)?
• What topics do you think this student is going to research?
• Is the thesis statement clear? Is the thesis statement simply observational? Why?
• How could you narrow down or strengthen this thesis statement?

Activity 2: Identify as many traits as you can in each member’s thesis-

1. • Focus on narrow, clearly defined subjects
2. • Use strong, precise verbs
3. • Assert and structure an argument
4. • Provide clear reasons for claims
5. • Are not statements of fact, but debatable claims with potential counter-arguments
6. • Tend to be syntactically complex, or even take two sentences to describe a relationship
7. • Raise and begin to answer a challenging intellectual question

Activity 3: Revise your thesis by asking yourself the following questions-

• Do I answer the question? Re-reading the question prompt after constructing a working thesis can help you fix an argument that misses the focus of the question( see the the analysis assignment description).
• Have I taken a position that others might challenge or oppose?If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it’s possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument.
• Is my thesis statement specific enough? Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like “good” or “successful,” see if you could be more specific: why is something “good”; what specifically makes something “successful”?
• Does my thesis pass the “So what?” test? If a reader’s first response is, “So what?” then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.
• ( after you have finished the the essay) Does my essay support my thesis specifically and without wandering? If your thesis and the body of your essay do not seem to go together, one of them has to change. It’s okay to change your working thesis to reflect things you have figured out in the course of writing your paper. Remember, always reassess and revise your writing as necessary.
• Does my thesis pass the “how and why?” test? If a reader’s first response is “how?” or “why?” your thesis may be too open-ended and lack guidance for the reader. See what you can add to give the reader a better take on your position right from the beginning.

Homework:     Read and annotate “Recognizing and Fixing Weak Thesis Statements” pp 225-259. Complete your essay proposal and bring it to the class for a one-one-one conference.

 WEEK FOUR:

Mon. 11/2        We’ll have a rhetorical sourcing workshop. We’ll work with strategies for using sources and unpacking quotes; in small groups, complete the heuristic, “Rhetorical Sourcing Workshop” We will share our evaluations of sources; Students will position and interpret a quote from their own source; and describe the connections between the source and your thinking about public space.

In small groups, discuss each strategy and present to the class.

6 Strategies of analyzing sources-( 271-280 W.A.)

1. Make your source speak
2. Attend carefully to the language of your source by quoting or paraphrasing them
3. Supply ongoing analysis of sources ( don’t wait until the end)
4. Us your sources to ask questions, not just to provide answers
5. Put your source into conversation with one another
6. Find your own role in the conversation( page 278 W.A.) (A. Agreement: apply it in another context to qualify or expand its implications; B. Seek out other perspectives on the source in order to break the spell it has cast on you ( See an example on pages 279-280, W.A.)

Homework:     Read and annotate “Revising Weak Thesis Statement” pp 261-264 in WA.; Generate a tentative evolving thesis for your own essay and write 250 words toward your essay making some kind of connections between your ideas about your topic and a source (or sources) you have located. I’ll be looking for evidence that you have put your source(s) to work.; Read Malcome Gladwell’s article ” Small Changes”. Identify the thesis of the essay and its trajectory of evolution.

 Wed. 11/4        Work in small groups discussing the Guidelines Finding and Developing a Thesis. Unpack how thesis evolves in Malcome Gladwell’s article ” Small Changes”.

Homework:     Continue reading Geraldine Pratt’s “Abandoned Women and Spaces of the   Exception” and mapping points of evidence to show how Pratt develops her thesis in the essay?

Thur. 11/5        “Evolving Thesis” workshop and discussion. We will continue examining Pratt’s essay.

Practice composing a thesis that has the potential to evolve on an essay topic. You may develop several theses.

Resources:

1. https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1wtWiRL954_bOaC_gtvUh5rMyf0c&ll=42.99119761505978%2C-76.34695539999996&z=11
2. https://mrfrizze.expressions.syr.edu/2017/09/19/project-1-borderlands/
3. https://cvmontan.expressions.syr.edu/2016/11/02/5-steps-in-attending-a-farmers-markets-an-outsiders-guide/
4. https://awhundle.expressions.syr.edu/

HOMEWORK:     Annotate the Unit 2 evaluation criteria, read and bring this to class with you. Also critique the sample student essay “Form Public to Private Property” and bring it to class. Read Geraldine Pratt’s “Abandoned Women and Spaces of the Exception” pages 409-426 in Critical Encounter with Texts.

 Fri. 11/6     We’ll work on making claims using the source work you’ve found and your primary research (observations, interviews), establishing relationships between claims and thesis. We’ll return to our “unpacking” quotes conversation. We will continue working on generating a strong thesis ( pages 228-234 in  W.A.)

Homework:     1)Use the diagram of “Making a Thesis Evolve”  on page 233 in W.A. to help you revise the thesis. Remember a strong thesis evolves when it confronts and assimilates evidence; it also may expand or restrict the original claim. Bring in the revised thesis to class for discussion.

2)Read “Coming to Terms” by Joseph Harris ( pages 169-184 in E.C.)

 Mon.11/9         We’ll discuss how to integrate Quotations into your paper (pages 307-309 in W.A.), review “Establishing critical relationships with sources” by taking a look at the following passages from David Sibley’s Geographies of Exclusion and analyze what sorts of relationships he is establishing with his sources: (Heuristic); Write one page in which you rhetorically introduce and interpret a source specific to your analysis of your site, and evolve your new thinking form your thesis.

Homework:       Complete the “rhetorical sourcing” writing; Continue reading “Coming to Terms” and apply the reading to your writing.

WEEK FIVE: 

 Tue.11/10        I’ll introduce the unit 2 evaluation criteria and we will read the sample student essay through the lens of the criteria. Small group conferences on Thurs/Fri/Mon

Review “Establishing critical relationships with sources” by taking a look at the following passages from David Sibley’s Geographies of Exclusion and analyze what sorts of relationships he is establishing with his sources

Discuss how theses evolve by looking Gladwell’s “Small Changes”

Homework: Revise your thesis statement; Create a rubric using the evaluation criteria.

Thur. 11/12      We’ll form small groups to share our sourcing page, and work on strengthening our thesis statements. I’ll also assign the “composing” heuristic which you will complete for homework. We’ll also assign and schedule groups for conferences this week

Homework:    Complete the “composing” Heuristic. ( section 13 in the Binder)

 Fri.11/13          More work with thesis statements; We’ll discuss paragraph organization and transition. Pp. 327 in W.A; We’ll use “composing” Heuristic for conferencing.

Homework:     Continue using the references of ‘Recognizing and Fixing Weak Thesis Statements” on pages 255-260 in W.A; Draft at least four pages toward your essay. You are responsible for printing and reading the draft of each of your group members.

 M 11/16           We’ll do Peer Review of the draft using unit 2 evaluation criteria. We’ll use “composing” Heuristic for conferencing

Homework:       On Tuesday, bring all drafts and all responses for workshop (hard copies of everything please, peer drafts and responses).

Tue 11/17         We’ll use all drafts and all responses for workshop (hard copies of everything please, peer drafts and responses). I’ll check for these responses and we’ll hold small group workshops to discuss the drafts. I’ll prepare comments for your work as well.

Homework:     Taking into account of the feedback from your peers and in your conference, write a 4-5 page draft of your essay.

WEEK SIX:                

Wed. 11/18       In class workshop, we’ll reexamine how to build paper using “10 on 1” method to help you develop your thesis; We will talk through the responses of your peers; We’ll continue to use “rhetorical sourcing” to complicate our thesis development.

HOMEWORK: Continue working on your essay.

Thur 11/19       The rhetoric of the sentence (pp 391-404 in W.A.); We’ll continue having individual conferencing.

Homework:     Continue working on the analysis essay with an emphasis on sentence levels.

 F 11/20            Introduction: what does an introduction do? ( pp. 350-361 in W.A.); We’ll continue having individual conferencing.

Homework      Continue working on the analysis essay with an emphasis on an effective into.

 Mon 11/23                   Conclusion : the final “So What?” ( pp 361-364 in W.A.)

Homework:   Continue working on the analysis essay with an emphasis on an effective conclusion.

 Tue 11/24        Discuss “Citing Sources” ( page 299-300 in W.A.); We’ll talk about MLA style & documentation on page 306 W.A.

Style and Diction workshop: we’ll experiment with concrete and abstract diction.( page 380 -381 in W.A.); We’ll then practice with this on a paragraph from your own paper.

We’ll also help each other with choices about ‘person”, word choice and cohesion.

Homework:       Complete the analysis essay with works cited sheet attached. Bring a hard copy to the class on  Tuesday for peer review.

 Week Seven: Draft; Peer review; Revise

Wed. 11/25       Peer review of the full essay using “essay evaluation criteria”. Each student will need to review at least two of his/her group members’ essays. Provide concrete and constructive feedback. Use Unit 2 essay reflection prompt.to start composing your reflection.

Homework:       Use your peer review feedback to continue revising your essay.Use “Revising for Style” pp. 375-381 & “Revising for Correctness” pp. 417-441 in W.A. as reference. Final draft of the analysis is due on Monday 11/30 together with the unit 2 reflection.