The winning scores were: G Group: 15.5; followed by C Group: 13; with E and F Group tying with 1 point each.
Homework for Tuesday, April 30. Complete The Happiness Project. You will start your essay in class.
Winners are to think up a significant prize for the class. Someone mentioned extra credit (smile). What about pizza for our movie day?
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Recap and Update on Final Assignments
Today in class we reviewed the exercises from Hacker, chapter: Argumentation. We then divided the class into 8 groups: A-G and competed for the highest score in Exercise 6A Identifying Fallacies (137). We stopped on number 7 with group G. We will continue Thursday, April 25.
The second part of the class will be dedicated to THP. The essay assignment for THP will be Writing Assignment 9 (116-119); Writing Assignment 10 in 6th Ed. (124-128). I want students to practice using appositives in this essay, which will be a conversation with Gretchen Rubin and an analysis of her definition of happiness, juxtaposed with the writer's definition of the same. I also want the writer to critique the strategy Rubin employs and discuss a few of her assumptions, hidden or otherwise.
You will complete Step 1 and Step 2 (117;126). If you like you can write two short discourses, in the form of two letters. One will be the writer to Rubin giving his or her own definition of happiness, the second will be Rubin's response with her definition of happiness. In both cases one has to assume Rubin's perspective.
We will look at this assignment Tuesday, April 30. Spontaneous drafts will be due on May 2. Bring in several copies (5) to share in a writing workshop setting.
The final draft will be due Tuesday, May 7 by 12 midnight. Do your best writing. There will be no revisions of this essay. We will watch the film The Central Park 5 in class that morning. The final two essays will take their topics from this story.
Read a review of the film before we watch it to familiarize yourself with the story. Here is a link to the http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/centralparkfive/ It just aired on Channel 9 last week.
Final two essays: Toulmin and Aristotelian. We will start both these essays in class. If you'd like to see the outlines for these two essays, search the blog. I have handouts I will give students next week for those who'd like them early. May 5 for everyone else (smile). We will start with Aristotelian (May 9); Toulmin (May 14).
For the final students will develop a poster outlining THP. On May 16 we will talk about the final portfolio, what to include.
Finals
Our final exam is Thursday, May 23, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. I will let you know where we will meet. I am thinking about the F-Bldg.
Students will need to prepare an abstract as takeaways. This is THP poster essay presentation. For students who already have their book, please feel free to write an argument using themes from your book to argue your point on happiness. You have three argument forms to chose from: Rogerian, Toulmin and Aristotelian. This is an extra credit assignment.
With the essay, include the IPS and outline for the argument.
Portfolios due by Friday, May 24, 12 noon via email: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
I will host portfolio assembly workshops the week of finals Tuesday, May 21 9-12; 1-3 in A-205. All are welcome.
The second part of the class will be dedicated to THP. The essay assignment for THP will be Writing Assignment 9 (116-119); Writing Assignment 10 in 6th Ed. (124-128). I want students to practice using appositives in this essay, which will be a conversation with Gretchen Rubin and an analysis of her definition of happiness, juxtaposed with the writer's definition of the same. I also want the writer to critique the strategy Rubin employs and discuss a few of her assumptions, hidden or otherwise.
You will complete Step 1 and Step 2 (117;126). If you like you can write two short discourses, in the form of two letters. One will be the writer to Rubin giving his or her own definition of happiness, the second will be Rubin's response with her definition of happiness. In both cases one has to assume Rubin's perspective.
We will look at this assignment Tuesday, April 30. Spontaneous drafts will be due on May 2. Bring in several copies (5) to share in a writing workshop setting.
The final draft will be due Tuesday, May 7 by 12 midnight. Do your best writing. There will be no revisions of this essay. We will watch the film The Central Park 5 in class that morning. The final two essays will take their topics from this story.
Read a review of the film before we watch it to familiarize yourself with the story. Here is a link to the http://www.pbs.org/kenburns/centralparkfive/ It just aired on Channel 9 last week.
Final two essays: Toulmin and Aristotelian. We will start both these essays in class. If you'd like to see the outlines for these two essays, search the blog. I have handouts I will give students next week for those who'd like them early. May 5 for everyone else (smile). We will start with Aristotelian (May 9); Toulmin (May 14).
For the final students will develop a poster outlining THP. On May 16 we will talk about the final portfolio, what to include.
Finals
Our final exam is Thursday, May 23, 10 a.m.-12 p.m. I will let you know where we will meet. I am thinking about the F-Bldg.
Students will need to prepare an abstract as takeaways. This is THP poster essay presentation. For students who already have their book, please feel free to write an argument using themes from your book to argue your point on happiness. You have three argument forms to chose from: Rogerian, Toulmin and Aristotelian. This is an extra credit assignment.
With the essay, include the IPS and outline for the argument.
Portfolios due by Friday, May 24, 12 noon via email: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
I will host portfolio assembly workshops the week of finals Tuesday, May 21 9-12; 1-3 in A-205. All are welcome.
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Today in class we reviewed logical fallacies. The texts used were Hacker and WLTC. Students received a worksheet from an earlier edition of Hacker (6) with 15 arguments to analyze. Homework is to complete the sheet and read the chapter Analyzing Arguments. Next week, we will continue in WLTC chapter 6.
If students have not skimmed this chapter, do so, stopping where there are questions to read more in depth. We also completed exercises 7B in chapter 7 (WLTC).
The freewrite was a continuation of THP Package, Topic 2. Students developed personal commandments. Keep for your Writing Portfolio on the book. You can email me if you want to share.
Keep reading Rubin. We'll finish the book next week.
This weekend for those who have some free time is Earth Day Weekend. Earth Day is Saturday, April 20, 2013. There are parades and community clean-up activities. Judy Juanita, a professor at Laney, just completed a book, her first novel and is reading from it at Books Inc., in Alameda on Friday evening.
For those who like dance, CubaCaribe continues in its second week with a famous company from Cuba. Visit: http://cubacaribe.org/festival9/
If students have not skimmed this chapter, do so, stopping where there are questions to read more in depth. We also completed exercises 7B in chapter 7 (WLTC).
The freewrite was a continuation of THP Package, Topic 2. Students developed personal commandments. Keep for your Writing Portfolio on the book. You can email me if you want to share.
Keep reading Rubin. We'll finish the book next week.
This weekend for those who have some free time is Earth Day Weekend. Earth Day is Saturday, April 20, 2013. There are parades and community clean-up activities. Judy Juanita, a professor at Laney, just completed a book, her first novel and is reading from it at Books Inc., in Alameda on Friday evening.
For those who like dance, CubaCaribe continues in its second week with a famous company from Cuba. Visit: http://cubacaribe.org/festival9/
| WEEKEND TWO: One night only! Special Event and Show | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| April 19. Yerba Buena Center for the Arts 701 Mission Street & 3rd Street, San Francisco, CA | |||||||||
| |||||||||
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Freewrite
Using "Mechanics' Logic" talk about Rubin's Happiness Project. What is her motorcycle? How does she apply the scientific method? What hypotheses does she set up and test, refine and test again?
What does she do when her hypotheses give unexpected results? What about when her tests fail? Does she give up on the repair project?
Pirsig essay unabridged: http://fp.arizona.edu/kkh/nats101gc/Pirsig.essay.pdf
I was speeding and instead of talking about fallacies (Chapter 6) we segued into a discussion about deductive and inductive reasoning. For homework, read chapters 6-7 (skimming is fine).
Forecast
We will complete Exercise 7B in class. Other exercises we will complete on Thursday are:
7B Distinguishing Inductive from Deductive Reasoning. We will come back to this chapter after we complete Chapter 6 (fallacies).
Homework
Bring Hacker to class for Thursday, along with THP. Your freewrite will come from Rubin's book THP. We will spend most of the class looking at fallacious arguments pp. 122-149. We will complete Writing Assignment 11 in coming weeks (143-146).
Keep reading Rubin up to September. We will complete the book over the weekend. I noticed some students are really into the Happiness Group Starter Kits. That's excellent! Other students do not want to share their resolutions or personal commandments. That's okay. The conversation can circulate around THP and Rubin's Resolutions, Commandments and Splendid Truths.
I gave students Literature Circle guidelines for their discussions, just in case folks had trouble talking about the book.
The final three essays will look at Happiness as a topic and use three argument forms to discuss the topic. We will most likely start these papers in class. I am still figuring out the logistics on this presently. Thanks for your patience.
What does she do when her hypotheses give unexpected results? What about when her tests fail? Does she give up on the repair project?
Pirsig essay unabridged: http://fp.arizona.edu/kkh/nats101gc/Pirsig.essay.pdf
I was speeding and instead of talking about fallacies (Chapter 6) we segued into a discussion about deductive and inductive reasoning. For homework, read chapters 6-7 (skimming is fine).
Forecast
We will complete Exercise 7B in class. Other exercises we will complete on Thursday are:
7B Distinguishing Inductive from Deductive Reasoning. We will come back to this chapter after we complete Chapter 6 (fallacies).
Homework
Bring Hacker to class for Thursday, along with THP. Your freewrite will come from Rubin's book THP. We will spend most of the class looking at fallacious arguments pp. 122-149. We will complete Writing Assignment 11 in coming weeks (143-146).
Keep reading Rubin up to September. We will complete the book over the weekend. I noticed some students are really into the Happiness Group Starter Kits. That's excellent! Other students do not want to share their resolutions or personal commandments. That's okay. The conversation can circulate around THP and Rubin's Resolutions, Commandments and Splendid Truths.
I gave students Literature Circle guidelines for their discussions, just in case folks had trouble talking about the book.
The final three essays will look at Happiness as a topic and use three argument forms to discuss the topic. We will most likely start these papers in class. I am still figuring out the logistics on this presently. Thanks for your patience.
Thursday, April 11, 2013
Class Assignments
Today's class went quickly. One minute we are talking about appositives, the next, we shift to write our definition of "happiness," share with a classmate, then shift to talking about Gretchen Rubin's THP venture and time is up.
Many students had not read the book yet, so catch up. Next meeting we have finished January - June. The following week, we are finished with the book and completing, Writing Assignment 9 (116-117). This will be a short essay (250 words). The topic is of course, "happiness" per Rubin.
Fallacies
Next week we will look at Fallacies or flawed thinking, both material and formal fallacies (Tuesday-Thursday, April 16 and 18). Material fallacies have to do with the evidence (inductive), formal fallacies have to do with the way the argument is written or one of its elements (deductive: major premise, minor premise, conclusion).
See Hacker (102-110). Students can also look at 84-101. We will review the exercises on page 110. I have more exercises which seem to be missing from this edition.
Student Presentation
Each student group will make a class presentation on an agreed on fallacy. Students are encouraged to be creative. You can write a skit, make a comic book, a movie, give us an activity, use a slide presentation. The presentations should be no longer than 5-7 minutes.
We will have the performances the week of April 22.
Week of April 22-26, we will also look at another argumentative form: Aristotelian (handout) We will write an argument using this form this week. The topic for the last three arguments is Happiness.
Week May 6-9
The final essay discussed will be Toulmin (handout). The topic --happiness takes its theme from the book you are reading. After we finish Rubin, students need to find a book they would like to read for this final essay.
Final class meetings: May 13-16
Finals week: May 20-24, 2013
Student portfolios due. Poster presentations.
Many students had not read the book yet, so catch up. Next meeting we have finished January - June. The following week, we are finished with the book and completing, Writing Assignment 9 (116-117). This will be a short essay (250 words). The topic is of course, "happiness" per Rubin.
Fallacies
Next week we will look at Fallacies or flawed thinking, both material and formal fallacies (Tuesday-Thursday, April 16 and 18). Material fallacies have to do with the evidence (inductive), formal fallacies have to do with the way the argument is written or one of its elements (deductive: major premise, minor premise, conclusion).
See Hacker (102-110). Students can also look at 84-101. We will review the exercises on page 110. I have more exercises which seem to be missing from this edition.
Student Presentation
Each student group will make a class presentation on an agreed on fallacy. Students are encouraged to be creative. You can write a skit, make a comic book, a movie, give us an activity, use a slide presentation. The presentations should be no longer than 5-7 minutes.
We will have the performances the week of April 22.
Week of April 22-26, we will also look at another argumentative form: Aristotelian (handout) We will write an argument using this form this week. The topic for the last three arguments is Happiness.
Week May 6-9
The final essay discussed will be Toulmin (handout). The topic --happiness takes its theme from the book you are reading. After we finish Rubin, students need to find a book they would like to read for this final essay.
Final class meetings: May 13-16
Finals week: May 20-24, 2013
Student portfolios due. Poster presentations.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Essay Portfolio
For the expanded Rogerian essay students are turning in tomorrow, here is the order:
1. Final Essay with works cited and if appropriate, bibliography Each essay students write has minimally 3 sources. You do not have to cite them all.
2. Outline See http://sabirscoaenglish5.blogspot.com/2012/03/rogerian-model-flowchart.html
3. Initial Planning Sheet (IPS)
4. Peer Review Narrative or Commentary (April 9, 2013).
5. Student writer response to peer narrative. Respond with revision goals. See Hacker (45).
6. Essay peer reviewed.
7. Shorter 3-paragraph essay submitted earlier. If graded, submit the graded draft. If not graded, see me. I should have read them all by now.
8. Cyber-Assignments connected to Wise book.
9. Any freewrites connected thematically to Wise.
Techy Details:
1. This portfolio is a single Word Doc. When sending, attach and paste it into the email: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
2. Identify the assignment in the Subject Line of the Email. Copy yourself.
1. Final Essay with works cited and if appropriate, bibliography Each essay students write has minimally 3 sources. You do not have to cite them all.
2. Outline See http://sabirscoaenglish5.blogspot.com/2012/03/rogerian-model-flowchart.html
3. Initial Planning Sheet (IPS)
4. Peer Review Narrative or Commentary (April 9, 2013).
5. Student writer response to peer narrative. Respond with revision goals. See Hacker (45).
6. Essay peer reviewed.
7. Shorter 3-paragraph essay submitted earlier. If graded, submit the graded draft. If not graded, see me. I should have read them all by now.
8. Cyber-Assignments connected to Wise book.
9. Any freewrites connected thematically to Wise.
Techy Details:
1. This portfolio is a single Word Doc. When sending, attach and paste it into the email: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
2. Identify the assignment in the Subject Line of the Email. Copy yourself.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
The Happiness Project
1. WLTC exercises 5C (108), 5D (110), 5E (112)
2. The Happiness Project (the book)
3. Peer Review -- In a short narrative:
A. Identify the argument.
B. Put in Standard Form.
C. Locate evidence and evaluate its effectiveness; give suggestions if needed with page numbers from Wise or topics to consider.
D. What works well in the essay and why-- no more than 2 sentences.
E. Grade.
F. Sign and return.
4. Homework-- Exercise 5F (115). Bring to class.
5. Homework: Read xvii-89 in THP. Annotate the arguments (A); definitions (D); and evidence (E).
2. The Happiness Project (the book)
3. Peer Review -- In a short narrative:
A. Identify the argument.
B. Put in Standard Form.
C. Locate evidence and evaluate its effectiveness; give suggestions if needed with page numbers from Wise or topics to consider.
D. What works well in the essay and why-- no more than 2 sentences.
E. Grade.
F. Sign and return.
4. Homework-- Exercise 5F (115). Bring to class.
5. Homework: Read xvii-89 in THP. Annotate the arguments (A); definitions (D); and evidence (E).
Thursday, April 4, 2013
Cyber-Assignment
1. Today for our freewrite, we are looking at King's notion of the Beloved Community. What is his argument? When one thinks of being congruent or how one's philosophy jives with one's practice, how does King hold up? Look http://www.thekingcenter.org/king-philosophy
2. James Baldwin and Tim Wise also adhere to the philosophy of the Beloved Community. How so? In a creative freewrite have the men discuss this (smile).
3. Secondly, you can reflect on King's notion of the Beloved Community in your own chamber as well, similar to philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne. See http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montaigne/
Send me your responses coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
2. James Baldwin and Tim Wise also adhere to the philosophy of the Beloved Community. How so? In a creative freewrite have the men discuss this (smile).
3. Secondly, you can reflect on King's notion of the Beloved Community in your own chamber as well, similar to philosopher and essayist Michel de Montaigne. See http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/montaigne/
Send me your responses coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
Tuesday, April 2, 2013
Rogerian Essay
Our conversation was so good this morning, we barely had time to discuss the essay, Writing Assignment 8 (Chapter 4). Writing Assignment 7 is a great warm-up if you do not know what you want to write about. Students can expand the short in-class essay or choose another topic connected to Wise's Dear White America. If anyone completes Writing Assignment 7, turn it in with Writing Assignment 8. Again, choose the topic from Wise. The essay is due into me by Friday, April 5, 2013.
The essay is to be between 2-3 pages. All the arguments are this length. This does not include the works cited page. Don't forget the Initial Planning Sheet as well.
Bring the essay to class on Thursday to share with a peer.
Use the flow chart as an outline. Review the checklist in advance as well.
We will complete the exercises listed in the earlier post in class, as many as we can I assigned as homework on Thursday in groups.
For reading homework: Review Chapter 5 and bring in Gretchen Rubin.
The essay is to be between 2-3 pages. All the arguments are this length. This does not include the works cited page. Don't forget the Initial Planning Sheet as well.
Bring the essay to class on Thursday to share with a peer.
Use the flow chart as an outline. Review the checklist in advance as well.
We will complete the exercises listed in the earlier post in class, as many as we can I assigned as homework on Thursday in groups.
For reading homework: Review Chapter 5 and bring in Gretchen Rubin.
Something to Think about
This week we continue with the first argument and Wise (smile), as we move forward in WLTC. There will be another pop quiz in the next two weeks as we shift to arguments based on definition as we read The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin.
We will also look at flawed thinking or fallacies (Chapter 6).
Today's Freewrite:
Looking at Chapter 5 in WLTC, reflect on the following concept: How have other's perceptions of you changed how you define yourself? Who controls the definition? Why did you change or did you?
Are definitions static or mutable? How does language confuse what we know is true versus what we believe is true? Are the two knowledge and belief the same if they have similar outcomes?
Think about abstract symbols like race and love and hate and color. How do writers ground abstraction so that the meaning is clear?
Keep for your portfolio or you can email me, if you want to share: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
Read pp. 101-105. Complete the exercise on pp. 105-106.
Note the terms abstraction and evasion. When is abstraction an attempt to evade a truth? (See pp. 106-109). Read pp. 106-108. Complete exercise 5C (108-109).
Homework:
Complete exercises 5D and 5E (pp. 110-113). Bring to class on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Read pp.113-115. We will complete Exercise 5F in class.
We will also look at flawed thinking or fallacies (Chapter 6).
Today's Freewrite:
Looking at Chapter 5 in WLTC, reflect on the following concept: How have other's perceptions of you changed how you define yourself? Who controls the definition? Why did you change or did you?
Are definitions static or mutable? How does language confuse what we know is true versus what we believe is true? Are the two knowledge and belief the same if they have similar outcomes?
Think about abstract symbols like race and love and hate and color. How do writers ground abstraction so that the meaning is clear?
Keep for your portfolio or you can email me, if you want to share: coasabirenglish5@gmail.com
Read pp. 101-105. Complete the exercise on pp. 105-106.
Note the terms abstraction and evasion. When is abstraction an attempt to evade a truth? (See pp. 106-109). Read pp. 106-108. Complete exercise 5C (108-109).
Homework:
Complete exercises 5D and 5E (pp. 110-113). Bring to class on Thursday, April 4, 2013. Read pp.113-115. We will complete Exercise 5F in class.
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