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Instructor’s Resource Manual
For
The Longman Reader
Twelfth Edition
Judith Nadell
John Langan
Deborah Coxwell-Teague, Florida State University
Prepared by
Deborah Coxwell-Teague, Florida State University
For
The Longman Reader
Twelfth Edition
Judith Nadell
John Langan
Deborah Coxwell-Teague, Florida State University
Prepared by
Deborah Coxwell-Teague, Florida State University
iii
CONTENTS
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH THE LONGMAN READER vii
At the Start of the Course vii
Assigning the First Two Chapters in the Book viii
Ways to Use the Book ix
Creating a Process-Oriented Class Environment ix
Some Cautions About Group Work x
Responding to Student Writing xi
Using Portfolios to Evaluate Student Writing xi
SUGGESTED SYLLABI xiii
Syllabus #1: Essay-by-Essay Evaluation and Five Essays xiv
Syllabus #2: Portfolio Evaluation, Three Essays, and an End-of-the-Term
Radical Revision Project xxiii
1 BECOMING A CRITICAL READER AND THINKER 1
Learning Objectives 1
CONTENTS
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH THE LONGMAN READER vii
At the Start of the Course vii
Assigning the First Two Chapters in the Book viii
Ways to Use the Book ix
Creating a Process-Oriented Class Environment ix
Some Cautions About Group Work x
Responding to Student Writing xi
Using Portfolios to Evaluate Student Writing xi
SUGGESTED SYLLABI xiii
Syllabus #1: Essay-by-Essay Evaluation and Five Essays xiv
Syllabus #2: Portfolio Evaluation, Three Essays, and an End-of-the-Term
Radical Revision Project xxiii
1 BECOMING A CRITICAL READER AND THINKER 1
Learning Objectives 1
iii
CONTENTS
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH THE LONGMAN READER vii
At the Start of the Course vii
Assigning the First Two Chapters in the Book viii
Ways to Use the Book ix
Creating a Process-Oriented Class Environment ix
Some Cautions About Group Work x
Responding to Student Writing xi
Using Portfolios to Evaluate Student Writing xi
SUGGESTED SYLLABI xiii
Syllabus #1: Essay-by-Essay Evaluation and Five Essays xiv
Syllabus #2: Portfolio Evaluation, Three Essays, and an End-of-the-Term
Radical Revision Project xxiii
1 BECOMING A CRITICAL READER AND THINKER 1
Learning Objectives 1
CONTENTS
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH THE LONGMAN READER vii
At the Start of the Course vii
Assigning the First Two Chapters in the Book viii
Ways to Use the Book ix
Creating a Process-Oriented Class Environment ix
Some Cautions About Group Work x
Responding to Student Writing xi
Using Portfolios to Evaluate Student Writing xi
SUGGESTED SYLLABI xiii
Syllabus #1: Essay-by-Essay Evaluation and Five Essays xiv
Syllabus #2: Portfolio Evaluation, Three Essays, and an End-of-the-Term
Radical Revision Project xxiii
1 BECOMING A CRITICAL READER AND THINKER 1
Learning Objectives 1
iv
Opening Comments 13
Answers for Prewriting Activities 13
Answers for Revising Activities 14
Audre Lorde, The Fourth of July 15
Lynda Barry, The Sanctuary of School 17
Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez, César Chávez Changed My Life 18
David Bardeen, Lives; Not Close Enough for Comfort 19
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother 20
5 ILLUSTRATION 22
Learning Objectives 22
Opening Comments 22
Answers for Prewriting Activities 22
Answers for Revising Activities 23
Kay S. Hymowitz, Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen 23
Casey Cavanaugh, Why We Still Need Feminism
Opening Comments 13
Answers for Prewriting Activities 13
Answers for Revising Activities 14
Audre Lorde, The Fourth of July 15
Lynda Barry, The Sanctuary of School 17
Daniel “Nane” Alejandrez, César Chávez Changed My Life 18
David Bardeen, Lives; Not Close Enough for Comfort 19
Dorothea Lange, Migrant Mother 20
5 ILLUSTRATION 22
Learning Objectives 22
Opening Comments 22
Answers for Prewriting Activities 22
Answers for Revising Activities 23
Kay S. Hymowitz, Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen 23
Casey Cavanaugh, Why We Still Need Feminism
v
Answers for Prewriting Activities 46
Answers for Revising Activities 47
Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization 47
Pico Iyer, Chapels: On the Rewards of Being Quiet 50
Stefany Anne Golberg, You Can Take It with You 50
Savita Iyer, The Pros and Cons of Going Vegan 51
Fatima Alissa, Before and After the Syrian Civil War 52
9 CAUSE-EFFECT 54
Learning Objectives 54
Opening Comments 54
Answers for Prewriting Activities 54
Answers for Revising Activities 55
Jane S. Shaw, Nature in the Suburbs 56
Leila Ahmed, Reinventing the Veil
Answers for Prewriting Activities 46
Answers for Revising Activities 47
Jeffrey N. Wasserstrom, A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization 47
Pico Iyer, Chapels: On the Rewards of Being Quiet 50
Stefany Anne Golberg, You Can Take It with You 50
Savita Iyer, The Pros and Cons of Going Vegan 51
Fatima Alissa, Before and After the Syrian Civil War 52
9 CAUSE-EFFECT 54
Learning Objectives 54
Opening Comments 54
Answers for Prewriting Activities 54
Answers for Revising Activities 55
Jane S. Shaw, Nature in the Suburbs 56
Leila Ahmed, Reinventing the Veil
vi
P AIRED R EADINGS : GENDER IN THE C LASSROOM
Gerry Garibaldi, How the Schools Shortchange Boys 77
Michael Kimmel, A War Against Boys? 78
P AIRED R EADINGS : S ELLING HUMAN ORGANS
Alexander T. Tabarrok, A Moral Solution to the Organ Shortage 79
Virginia Postrel, Need Transplant Donors? Pay Them 81
Tami Luhby, Tal Yellin, and Caroline Matthews,
Just How Much Better Off Are College Grads Anyway? 82
12 COMBINING THE PATTERNS 83
Learning Objectives 83
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Remarks to the United Nations:
P AIRED R EADINGS : GENDER IN THE C LASSROOM
Gerry Garibaldi, How the Schools Shortchange Boys 77
Michael Kimmel, A War Against Boys? 78
P AIRED R EADINGS : S ELLING HUMAN ORGANS
Alexander T. Tabarrok, A Moral Solution to the Organ Shortage 79
Virginia Postrel, Need Transplant Donors? Pay Them 81
Tami Luhby, Tal Yellin, and Caroline Matthews,
Just How Much Better Off Are College Grads Anyway? 82
12 COMBINING THE PATTERNS 83
Learning Objectives 83
Hillary Rodham Clinton, Remarks to the United Nations:
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vii
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH
THE LONGMAN READER
Teaching offers many pleasures. Among the foremost, for us, is the chance to get together with colleagues
to trade ideas, air classroom problems, share memorable moments, speculate about why some assignments set
off fireworks and others fizzle—all of this helps us in our day-to-day teaching.
In this Instructor’s Manual, we would like to share with you some thoughts about teaching first-year
composition and about using The Longman Reader. We’ll explain our approach for introducing each pattern of
development and indicate what we emphasize when discussing the professional selections in each section.
We’ll provide suggested answers to the activities that conclude Chapters 1 and 2 and to the prewriting and
revising activities that follow the introductions to the patterns of development. We’ll also offer suggested
answers to the “Questions for Critical Reading” and “Questions About the Writer’s Craft” found after each
professional selection. These responses aren’t meant to be definitive. We intend the responses to represent
our views only. You may not agree with all our interpretations. That’s fine. If nothing else, our answers may
suggest another way of viewing a selection.
AT THE START OF THE COURSE
There's no denying that many students dread first-year composition—a bitter pill to swallow for those of us
who have made the teaching of writing our lives’ work. But it’s important to understand that many students’
past experiences with writing have not been positive. Rather than trying to pretend that all our students are
pleased about being in a composition class, we work to get out in the open any unhappiness they may have
about writing and writing teachers.
Here’s how we go about airing any negative feelings that may exist. On the first day of class, we
acknowledge students’ feelings by saying something like, “I guess some of you wish that you didn’t have to
take this course. In fact, you may feel that the only thing worse would be having to take a course in public
speaking.” Our remark elicits smiles of self-recognition from many students, and the whole class seems to relax
a bit. Then we ask students to talk about why they have such uneasy feelings about taking a writing course.
Many have sad tales to tell about previous writing classes and writing teachers. Here are summaries of some of
the comments we’ve heard over the years:
• In the past, my essays were returned so covered with red ink that I could barely make out my own writing. I
felt discouraged to see how much I had done wrong and angry to see my work covered over with
comments.
• I could never figure out what my teachers wanted. Different teachers seemed to look for different things.
Since there were no clear standards, I’ve never understood the qualities that make up good writing.
• Writing essays always took me too much time and felt like an endless chore. Getting a first draft done was
hard enough, but revising was even worse. And the payoff for writing several drafts didn’t seem worth the
effort.
• I knew in my head what I wanted to say but didn’t know how to get my thoughts down on paper. My ideas
never came out quite right.
• I had writer’s block whenever I sat down to put pen to paper. I stared at the desk, daydreamed, fidgeted,
and had real trouble getting started. Finally, just before an assignment was due, I dashed off something to
hand in, just to get it over with.
As such sentiments are aired, students discover that their experience has not been unique; they learn that
others in class have had similar frustrating experiences. In addition, we tell the class that each semester many of
our students recount comparable sagas of woe. We reassure the class that we understand the obstacles, both
inner and outer, that they have to face when writing. And we tell them that we will work to make the first-year
TEACHING COMPOSITION WITH
THE LONGMAN READER
Teaching offers many pleasures. Among the foremost, for us, is the chance to get together with colleagues
to trade ideas, air classroom problems, share memorable moments, speculate about why some assignments set
off fireworks and others fizzle—all of this helps us in our day-to-day teaching.
In this Instructor’s Manual, we would like to share with you some thoughts about teaching first-year
composition and about using The Longman Reader. We’ll explain our approach for introducing each pattern of
development and indicate what we emphasize when discussing the professional selections in each section.
We’ll provide suggested answers to the activities that conclude Chapters 1 and 2 and to the prewriting and
revising activities that follow the introductions to the patterns of development. We’ll also offer suggested
answers to the “Questions for Critical Reading” and “Questions About the Writer’s Craft” found after each
professional selection. These responses aren’t meant to be definitive. We intend the responses to represent
our views only. You may not agree with all our interpretations. That’s fine. If nothing else, our answers may
suggest another way of viewing a selection.
AT THE START OF THE COURSE
There's no denying that many students dread first-year composition—a bitter pill to swallow for those of us
who have made the teaching of writing our lives’ work. But it’s important to understand that many students’
past experiences with writing have not been positive. Rather than trying to pretend that all our students are
pleased about being in a composition class, we work to get out in the open any unhappiness they may have
about writing and writing teachers.
Here’s how we go about airing any negative feelings that may exist. On the first day of class, we
acknowledge students’ feelings by saying something like, “I guess some of you wish that you didn’t have to
take this course. In fact, you may feel that the only thing worse would be having to take a course in public
speaking.” Our remark elicits smiles of self-recognition from many students, and the whole class seems to relax
a bit. Then we ask students to talk about why they have such uneasy feelings about taking a writing course.
Many have sad tales to tell about previous writing classes and writing teachers. Here are summaries of some of
the comments we’ve heard over the years:
• In the past, my essays were returned so covered with red ink that I could barely make out my own writing. I
felt discouraged to see how much I had done wrong and angry to see my work covered over with
comments.
• I could never figure out what my teachers wanted. Different teachers seemed to look for different things.
Since there were no clear standards, I’ve never understood the qualities that make up good writing.
• Writing essays always took me too much time and felt like an endless chore. Getting a first draft done was
hard enough, but revising was even worse. And the payoff for writing several drafts didn’t seem worth the
effort.
• I knew in my head what I wanted to say but didn’t know how to get my thoughts down on paper. My ideas
never came out quite right.
• I had writer’s block whenever I sat down to put pen to paper. I stared at the desk, daydreamed, fidgeted,
and had real trouble getting started. Finally, just before an assignment was due, I dashed off something to
hand in, just to get it over with.
As such sentiments are aired, students discover that their experience has not been unique; they learn that
others in class have had similar frustrating experiences. In addition, we tell the class that each semester many of
our students recount comparable sagas of woe. We reassure the class that we understand the obstacles, both
inner and outer, that they have to face when writing. And we tell them that we will work to make the first-year
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viii
composition course as positive an experience as possible. But we also say that we’d be dishonest if we told
them that writing is easy. It isn’t. And, unfortunately, we have no magic formula for turning them into A-plus
writers. On the other hand, because we are writers and because we work with writers, we know that composing
processes can be satisfying and rewarding. We tell the class that we hope they’ll come to share our feelings as
the term progresses.
From here, we move to an activity that continues the ice breaking while also familiarizing the class with the
workshop format we use frequently during the semester. Students form groups of two and then four, chatting
with each other for about five minutes each time. To get them moving, we put some questions on the board:
what are their names, where are they from, where are they living while attending college, what other courses
are they taking, what is their intended major, and so on. After a few seconds of nervous silence, the class begins
to buzz with friendly energy.
When ten minutes or so have passed, we stop the activity and explain why we have devoted some precious
class time to socializing. During the semester, we explain, the class will often meet in small groups and
respond to each other’s work, learning a good deal from each other about writing as they do so. So it makes
sense for them to get to know each other a bit right at the outset. We also explain our hope that they will find
sharing their writing as interesting and enjoyable as chatting together.
ASSIGNING THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK
During the first or second class, we emphasize to students that the course should help them become sharper
readers as well as stronger writers. With that in mind, we assign Chapter 1 on “Becoming a Critical Reader and
Thinker” before moving on to work on the writing process. When students come to class having read Chapter 1,
we answer any questions they may have and go over the “Questions for Close Reading” and “Questions
About the Writer’s Craft” that follow the selection from Larry Rosen.
After this discussion of reading, we begin introducing the writing process, explaining how helpful it is for a
writer to break down the task of writing into stages. We’ve found that many students have never viewed writing
as a process, and our explanation of the steps is a great revelation to them. We are careful to emphasize that not
everyone writes the same way; we explain that after trying out our recommendations about each stage of the
process, students will most likely vary the process in ways that works best for them. We then assign the first
part of Chapter 2, “The Writing Process” (up to “Discover Your Essay’s Limited Subject.”) In the next class,
we discuss and practice prewriting. We tell the class that prewriting loosens a writer up. Exploratory and
tentative, prewriting helps reduce the anxiety many people feel when facing the blank page. With prewriting, a
writer doesn’t have to worry, “This better be good.” After all, no one except the writer is going to read the
prewritten material. We work briefly with activities included in the chapter, such as the Prewriting Activity
near the beginning of Chapter 2, but we tell our students that the best way for them to discover what
prewriting is like is for them to try it for themselves. Therefore, we say, “Let’s suppose you had to write
an essay on why students dislike English classes or what teachers could do to make English courses more
interesting.” Then we ask them to select one prewriting technique discussed in the book (questioning the
subject, brainstorming, freewriting, or mapping) to generate the raw material for such an essay. Often we
invite them to compose their prewriting on their laptops if they have one handy, or to compose on paper if they
prefer. We emphasize the point that prewriting is tentative and vastly different from finished work. Instructors
who ask students to keep a journal might instead have them write a first journal entry in class. At the end of the
class, we ask students to save the prewriting just prepared in class for possible use as the basis for an essay later
in the term. And we assign the rest of the chapter and additional chapter activities; we also ask them to begin
keeping a journal.
In the next several classes, we finish the discussion of prewriting and work again in class on getting
familiar with the various recursive stages of the writing process. After this, we introduce the patterns of
development as invaluable aids to the writing process, from prompting ideas to organizing them coherently to
easing the flow during the writing of a draft.
composition course as positive an experience as possible. But we also say that we’d be dishonest if we told
them that writing is easy. It isn’t. And, unfortunately, we have no magic formula for turning them into A-plus
writers. On the other hand, because we are writers and because we work with writers, we know that composing
processes can be satisfying and rewarding. We tell the class that we hope they’ll come to share our feelings as
the term progresses.
From here, we move to an activity that continues the ice breaking while also familiarizing the class with the
workshop format we use frequently during the semester. Students form groups of two and then four, chatting
with each other for about five minutes each time. To get them moving, we put some questions on the board:
what are their names, where are they from, where are they living while attending college, what other courses
are they taking, what is their intended major, and so on. After a few seconds of nervous silence, the class begins
to buzz with friendly energy.
When ten minutes or so have passed, we stop the activity and explain why we have devoted some precious
class time to socializing. During the semester, we explain, the class will often meet in small groups and
respond to each other’s work, learning a good deal from each other about writing as they do so. So it makes
sense for them to get to know each other a bit right at the outset. We also explain our hope that they will find
sharing their writing as interesting and enjoyable as chatting together.
ASSIGNING THE FIRST TWO CHAPTERS IN THE BOOK
During the first or second class, we emphasize to students that the course should help them become sharper
readers as well as stronger writers. With that in mind, we assign Chapter 1 on “Becoming a Critical Reader and
Thinker” before moving on to work on the writing process. When students come to class having read Chapter 1,
we answer any questions they may have and go over the “Questions for Close Reading” and “Questions
About the Writer’s Craft” that follow the selection from Larry Rosen.
After this discussion of reading, we begin introducing the writing process, explaining how helpful it is for a
writer to break down the task of writing into stages. We’ve found that many students have never viewed writing
as a process, and our explanation of the steps is a great revelation to them. We are careful to emphasize that not
everyone writes the same way; we explain that after trying out our recommendations about each stage of the
process, students will most likely vary the process in ways that works best for them. We then assign the first
part of Chapter 2, “The Writing Process” (up to “Discover Your Essay’s Limited Subject.”) In the next class,
we discuss and practice prewriting. We tell the class that prewriting loosens a writer up. Exploratory and
tentative, prewriting helps reduce the anxiety many people feel when facing the blank page. With prewriting, a
writer doesn’t have to worry, “This better be good.” After all, no one except the writer is going to read the
prewritten material. We work briefly with activities included in the chapter, such as the Prewriting Activity
near the beginning of Chapter 2, but we tell our students that the best way for them to discover what
prewriting is like is for them to try it for themselves. Therefore, we say, “Let’s suppose you had to write
an essay on why students dislike English classes or what teachers could do to make English courses more
interesting.” Then we ask them to select one prewriting technique discussed in the book (questioning the
subject, brainstorming, freewriting, or mapping) to generate the raw material for such an essay. Often we
invite them to compose their prewriting on their laptops if they have one handy, or to compose on paper if they
prefer. We emphasize the point that prewriting is tentative and vastly different from finished work. Instructors
who ask students to keep a journal might instead have them write a first journal entry in class. At the end of the
class, we ask students to save the prewriting just prepared in class for possible use as the basis for an essay later
in the term. And we assign the rest of the chapter and additional chapter activities; we also ask them to begin
keeping a journal.
In the next several classes, we finish the discussion of prewriting and work again in class on getting
familiar with the various recursive stages of the writing process. After this, we introduce the patterns of
development as invaluable aids to the writing process, from prompting ideas to organizing them coherently to
easing the flow during the writing of a draft.
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ix
Throughout the course, we stress the recursive nature of the writing process and the fact that not everyone
uses the same exact process or the same process for various types of writing assignments. We alternate in-depth
study of the recursive stages of the writing process with work on the patterns of development. And we
frequently have students reach back to material generated in the early prewriting sessions and, after feedback
from other students, use it as the basis for more polished work.
WAYS TO USE THE BOOK
THE LONGMAN READER is arranged according to the following nine patterns of development:
description, narration, illustration, division-classification, process analysis, comparison-contrast, cause-effect,
definition, and argumentation-persuasion. Introductions to the patterns are designed to help students understand
the distinctive features of specific rhetorical strategies. The Development Diagram in each chapter is a visual
reference for how the rhetorical pattern is distinguished at each stage in the writing process. The text is
organized so that the more accessible experiential patterns are presented first, before the more demanding
analytic patterns.
If you adopt a rhetorical approach in the course, you need not feel confined by the order of patterns in the
book; each chapter is self-contained, which makes it possible for you to sequence the modes however you wish.
And, of course, there’s no need to cover all of the readings in a chapter or even all of the rhetorical patterns.
For rhetorically organized courses, we suggest that you emphasize early in the semester that professional
composers don’t set out to write an essay or design a visual in a particular mode. The patterns emerge as the
composers prewrite and organize their ideas; composers come to see that their points can best be made
through a particular rhetorical strategy or combination of strategies.
It’s helpful, we’ve learned, to assign selections before and after students write an essay. The first essay in
each chapter is accompanied by an Essay Structure Diagram that outlines the reading, focusing on details
specific to the rhetorical pattern. You may choose to assign these essays first. So, for example, if students are
going to write a causal analysis, you might have them read Shaw’s “Nature in the Suburbs.” Then, after
reviewing their drafts and seeing the problems they have had with, let’s say, causal chains, you might
have them examine the way Juan Williams uses cause-effect in “The Ruling That Changed America.”
Some instructors using a rhetorical approach in their courses place a special emphasis on exposition. If
this is your orientation, you might want to begin with the illustration chapter. That section stresses the
importance of establishing a clear thesis and providing solid support for the essay’s central point. Then you
might move to the description and narration chapters; these underscore the importance of, respectively, a
dominant impression and a narrative point, both developed through specific supporting details.
If you prefer to design the course around themes rather than rhetorical patterns, the thematic table of
contents (at the front of the textbook) will help you select essays on timely issues. For such a course, we
recommend that you have students read a number of essays on a given theme. The fact that several essays on
the same theme use different rhetorical strategies helps students see that the patterns are not ends in themselves,
but techniques that writers use to make their points.
CREATING A PROCESS-ORIENTED CLASS ENVIRONMENT
We’ve found that creating a workshop atmosphere in the classroom helps students view writing as a
process. When a new essay is assigned, we try to give students several minutes to start their prewriting in class.
In other classes, time may be set aside for students to rework parts of their early drafts. We may, for instance,
ask them to sharpen their introductions, conclusions, sentence structure, or transitions.
Throughout the course, we stress the recursive nature of the writing process and the fact that not everyone
uses the same exact process or the same process for various types of writing assignments. We alternate in-depth
study of the recursive stages of the writing process with work on the patterns of development. And we
frequently have students reach back to material generated in the early prewriting sessions and, after feedback
from other students, use it as the basis for more polished work.
WAYS TO USE THE BOOK
THE LONGMAN READER is arranged according to the following nine patterns of development:
description, narration, illustration, division-classification, process analysis, comparison-contrast, cause-effect,
definition, and argumentation-persuasion. Introductions to the patterns are designed to help students understand
the distinctive features of specific rhetorical strategies. The Development Diagram in each chapter is a visual
reference for how the rhetorical pattern is distinguished at each stage in the writing process. The text is
organized so that the more accessible experiential patterns are presented first, before the more demanding
analytic patterns.
If you adopt a rhetorical approach in the course, you need not feel confined by the order of patterns in the
book; each chapter is self-contained, which makes it possible for you to sequence the modes however you wish.
And, of course, there’s no need to cover all of the readings in a chapter or even all of the rhetorical patterns.
For rhetorically organized courses, we suggest that you emphasize early in the semester that professional
composers don’t set out to write an essay or design a visual in a particular mode. The patterns emerge as the
composers prewrite and organize their ideas; composers come to see that their points can best be made
through a particular rhetorical strategy or combination of strategies.
It’s helpful, we’ve learned, to assign selections before and after students write an essay. The first essay in
each chapter is accompanied by an Essay Structure Diagram that outlines the reading, focusing on details
specific to the rhetorical pattern. You may choose to assign these essays first. So, for example, if students are
going to write a causal analysis, you might have them read Shaw’s “Nature in the Suburbs.” Then, after
reviewing their drafts and seeing the problems they have had with, let’s say, causal chains, you might
have them examine the way Juan Williams uses cause-effect in “The Ruling That Changed America.”
Some instructors using a rhetorical approach in their courses place a special emphasis on exposition. If
this is your orientation, you might want to begin with the illustration chapter. That section stresses the
importance of establishing a clear thesis and providing solid support for the essay’s central point. Then you
might move to the description and narration chapters; these underscore the importance of, respectively, a
dominant impression and a narrative point, both developed through specific supporting details.
If you prefer to design the course around themes rather than rhetorical patterns, the thematic table of
contents (at the front of the textbook) will help you select essays on timely issues. For such a course, we
recommend that you have students read a number of essays on a given theme. The fact that several essays on
the same theme use different rhetorical strategies helps students see that the patterns are not ends in themselves,
but techniques that writers use to make their points.
CREATING A PROCESS-ORIENTED CLASS ENVIRONMENT
We’ve found that creating a workshop atmosphere in the classroom helps students view writing as a
process. When a new essay is assigned, we try to give students several minutes to start their prewriting in class.
In other classes, time may be set aside for students to rework parts of their early drafts. We may, for instance,
ask them to sharpen their introductions, conclusions, sentence structure, or transitions.
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x
In our experience, it’s been especially productive to use class time for peer review of early drafts. For these
feedback sessions, students may be paired with one other classmate, or they may meet with two or three other
classmates. Feedback from someone other than the course instructor motivates students to put in more time on a
draft. Hearing from other classmates that a point is not clear or that a paragraph is weakly developed
encourages students to see that revision involves more than mechanical tinkering. They start to
understand that revision often requires wholesale rethinking and reworking of parts of the essay. And after a
few peer-review sessions, many students begin to identify for themselves the problem areas in their writing.
You’ll find that many students squirm at the thought of reacting to their classmates’ work. So it’s not
surprising that they tend to respond to each other’s essays with either indiscriminate praise or unhelpful
neutrality. To guide students, we prepare a brief checklist of points to consider when responding to each other’s
work. (You might, for example, adapt one of the checklists from the textbook, for example one from a pattern
chapter that would fit a particular assignment.) With such a checklist in front of them, students are able to focus
their impressions and provide constructive feedback.
There are a number of ways to set up these peer-review sessions. Here are a few
possibilities:
• After pairing students or placing them in small groups, have each essay read aloud by someone other than
the author. Students tell us that hearing another person read what they’ve written is invaluable. Awkward
or unclear passages in an essay become more obvious when someone who has never before seen the essay
reads it aloud.
• Place students in small groups and ask them to circulate their papers so that everyone has a chance to read
all the essays. Then have each group select one especially effective essay to read aloud to the rest of the
class. Everyone discusses each essay’s strengths and what might be done to sharpen the sections that miss
the mark.
As you can no doubt tell, we believe that group work is an important part of what goes on in a composition
classroom. Since it gives students the chance to see how others approach the same assignment, they come to
appreciate the personal dimension of writing and develop an awareness of rhetorical options. The group
process also broadens the audience for whom the students are writing and multiplies the feedback students get
for their work, letting them see that their instructor is just one among many readers. Group activities thus help
students gain a clearer sense of purpose and audience. Finally, we have found that peer review encourages
students to be more active in the classroom. When students assume some of the tasks traditionally associated
with the instructor, the whole class becomes more animated and students learn more than they would otherwise.
SOME CAUTIONS ABOUT GROUP WORK
If you are new to group work, you may have the uneasy feeling that the group process can deteriorate into
enjoyable but unproductive chat sessions. That can happen if the instructor does not guide the process carefully.
Here are several suggestions to steer you clear of some traps that can ensnare group activities.
• First, we recommend you give very clear instructions about how students are to proceed. Providing a
checklist, for example, directs students to specific issues you want them to address.
• Second, we believe in establishing a clear time schedule for each group activity. We might say, “Take
12-15 minutes to read to yourself the essay written by the person on your left” or “Now that all the
essays in your group have been read, you should vote to determine which is the strongest composition.
Then take five minutes to identify one section of the essay that needs additional attention.”
• Third, although we try to be as inconspicuous as possible during group work, we let students know that
we are available for help when needed. Sometimes we circulate among the groups, listening to
comments and asking a question or two. Other times we stay at the desk and encourage students to
consult with us when they think our reaction would be helpful.
In our experience, it’s been especially productive to use class time for peer review of early drafts. For these
feedback sessions, students may be paired with one other classmate, or they may meet with two or three other
classmates. Feedback from someone other than the course instructor motivates students to put in more time on a
draft. Hearing from other classmates that a point is not clear or that a paragraph is weakly developed
encourages students to see that revision involves more than mechanical tinkering. They start to
understand that revision often requires wholesale rethinking and reworking of parts of the essay. And after a
few peer-review sessions, many students begin to identify for themselves the problem areas in their writing.
You’ll find that many students squirm at the thought of reacting to their classmates’ work. So it’s not
surprising that they tend to respond to each other’s essays with either indiscriminate praise or unhelpful
neutrality. To guide students, we prepare a brief checklist of points to consider when responding to each other’s
work. (You might, for example, adapt one of the checklists from the textbook, for example one from a pattern
chapter that would fit a particular assignment.) With such a checklist in front of them, students are able to focus
their impressions and provide constructive feedback.
There are a number of ways to set up these peer-review sessions. Here are a few
possibilities:
• After pairing students or placing them in small groups, have each essay read aloud by someone other than
the author. Students tell us that hearing another person read what they’ve written is invaluable. Awkward
or unclear passages in an essay become more obvious when someone who has never before seen the essay
reads it aloud.
• Place students in small groups and ask them to circulate their papers so that everyone has a chance to read
all the essays. Then have each group select one especially effective essay to read aloud to the rest of the
class. Everyone discusses each essay’s strengths and what might be done to sharpen the sections that miss
the mark.
As you can no doubt tell, we believe that group work is an important part of what goes on in a composition
classroom. Since it gives students the chance to see how others approach the same assignment, they come to
appreciate the personal dimension of writing and develop an awareness of rhetorical options. The group
process also broadens the audience for whom the students are writing and multiplies the feedback students get
for their work, letting them see that their instructor is just one among many readers. Group activities thus help
students gain a clearer sense of purpose and audience. Finally, we have found that peer review encourages
students to be more active in the classroom. When students assume some of the tasks traditionally associated
with the instructor, the whole class becomes more animated and students learn more than they would otherwise.
SOME CAUTIONS ABOUT GROUP WORK
If you are new to group work, you may have the uneasy feeling that the group process can deteriorate into
enjoyable but unproductive chat sessions. That can happen if the instructor does not guide the process carefully.
Here are several suggestions to steer you clear of some traps that can ensnare group activities.
• First, we recommend you give very clear instructions about how students are to proceed. Providing a
checklist, for example, directs students to specific issues you want them to address.
• Second, we believe in establishing a clear time schedule for each group activity. We might say, “Take
12-15 minutes to read to yourself the essay written by the person on your left” or “Now that all the
essays in your group have been read, you should vote to determine which is the strongest composition.
Then take five minutes to identify one section of the essay that needs additional attention.”
• Third, although we try to be as inconspicuous as possible during group work, we let students know that
we are available for help when needed. Sometimes we circulate among the groups, listening to
comments and asking a question or two. Other times we stay at the desk and encourage students to
consult with us when they think our reaction would be helpful.
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RESPONDING TO STUDENT WRITING
Beyond the informal in-class consultations just described, we also meet during the course with each student
for at least two one-on-one conferences of about 15 minutes each. Individual conferences take a significant
amount of time and energy on the instructor's part, so if possible, cancel class for several days while you meet
individually with students.
Depending on our purpose, student needs, class size, and availability of time, a number of things
may occur during the individual conferences. Most often, we review a second draft of an essay and point out
areas we think are strong, along with areas that need further revision. This approach encourages students to
interact with us more freely since their attention isn’t riveted to the comments and/or a grade already recorded
on the paper.
We've found that students are more likely to grow as writers when given the opportunity to revise their
writing after receiving feedback from both peers and their teacher. If you choose to do essay-by-essay (rather
than portfolio) grading, you might assign second drafts to which you've responded an "as-is" grade. After
seeing your comments and the "as-is" grade you've assigned the draft, students would have the option of
revising the essay for the possibility of a higher grade. That way, students who wish to work more on their
writing would have the opportunity, and those who are satisfied with the grade they've received would not be
required to revise. To help control your workload, you might give students who wish to revise a deadline by
which they must resubmit their essay--perhaps two weeks from the day you returned to them the second draft.
This would eliminate the possibility of students submitting to you several revised essays late in the term.
In our oral and written comments to our students’ writing, we make a point of letting them know what
we think they’ve done well in their essays, and we limit discussion of problems to the most critical points. Like
everyone else, students are apt to overlook what they’ve done well and latch onto things that haven’t been so
successful. If every error a student makes is singled out for criticism, the student—again, like everyone else—
often feels overwhelmed and defeated. So unless a student is obviously lackadaisical and would profit from
some hard-hitting teacherly rebukes, we try to make our comments as positive and encouraging as possible.
And rather than filling the essay with reworked versions of, let’s say, specific sentences and paragraphs, we
make liberal use of such remarks as these: “Read these last three sentences aloud. How could you streamline
these sentences?” or “I believe this paragraph contradicts what you say at the beginning of the preceding
paragraph? Am I correct, or am I missing something?”
USING PORTFOLIOS TO EVALUATE STUDENT WRITING
You may wish to have your students present a portfolio of their work for grading at the conclusion of the
course, instead of giving grades for each composition in succession. Using such a portfolio system alters
somewhat the way you respond to student’s second drafts as they are submitted, because you assign no grades
to them. The written and oral feedback on a paper is geared solely to making the essay a more effective piece of
communication rather than to justifying a particular low or high grade. This forces all concerned—instructors
and students—to stay focused on how to improve writing rather than on what might pull a paper down or what
score a composition should receive. If students balk at “floating free” of grades for the whole course, you might
let them know, in general terms, the grade you'd assign if you had to give the draft a grade. For example, you
might let a student know that, as is, her essay is in the C to C+ range, or that a very good draft is in the B+ to A-
range. Many teachers tend to shoot a little on the low side with these grade estimates, making sure the student
understands the need for further revision.
You should indicate clearly at the start of the course that students must complete each assigned draft as
well journal entries and so forth that you assign but that the writing component of their final grade will be based
upon a portfolio of polished work. Many of us ask students to include in their portfolios drafts of each of the
essays they wrote for the course, while others ask students to choose only three of the four or four of the five
RESPONDING TO STUDENT WRITING
Beyond the informal in-class consultations just described, we also meet during the course with each student
for at least two one-on-one conferences of about 15 minutes each. Individual conferences take a significant
amount of time and energy on the instructor's part, so if possible, cancel class for several days while you meet
individually with students.
Depending on our purpose, student needs, class size, and availability of time, a number of things
may occur during the individual conferences. Most often, we review a second draft of an essay and point out
areas we think are strong, along with areas that need further revision. This approach encourages students to
interact with us more freely since their attention isn’t riveted to the comments and/or a grade already recorded
on the paper.
We've found that students are more likely to grow as writers when given the opportunity to revise their
writing after receiving feedback from both peers and their teacher. If you choose to do essay-by-essay (rather
than portfolio) grading, you might assign second drafts to which you've responded an "as-is" grade. After
seeing your comments and the "as-is" grade you've assigned the draft, students would have the option of
revising the essay for the possibility of a higher grade. That way, students who wish to work more on their
writing would have the opportunity, and those who are satisfied with the grade they've received would not be
required to revise. To help control your workload, you might give students who wish to revise a deadline by
which they must resubmit their essay--perhaps two weeks from the day you returned to them the second draft.
This would eliminate the possibility of students submitting to you several revised essays late in the term.
In our oral and written comments to our students’ writing, we make a point of letting them know what
we think they’ve done well in their essays, and we limit discussion of problems to the most critical points. Like
everyone else, students are apt to overlook what they’ve done well and latch onto things that haven’t been so
successful. If every error a student makes is singled out for criticism, the student—again, like everyone else—
often feels overwhelmed and defeated. So unless a student is obviously lackadaisical and would profit from
some hard-hitting teacherly rebukes, we try to make our comments as positive and encouraging as possible.
And rather than filling the essay with reworked versions of, let’s say, specific sentences and paragraphs, we
make liberal use of such remarks as these: “Read these last three sentences aloud. How could you streamline
these sentences?” or “I believe this paragraph contradicts what you say at the beginning of the preceding
paragraph? Am I correct, or am I missing something?”
USING PORTFOLIOS TO EVALUATE STUDENT WRITING
You may wish to have your students present a portfolio of their work for grading at the conclusion of the
course, instead of giving grades for each composition in succession. Using such a portfolio system alters
somewhat the way you respond to student’s second drafts as they are submitted, because you assign no grades
to them. The written and oral feedback on a paper is geared solely to making the essay a more effective piece of
communication rather than to justifying a particular low or high grade. This forces all concerned—instructors
and students—to stay focused on how to improve writing rather than on what might pull a paper down or what
score a composition should receive. If students balk at “floating free” of grades for the whole course, you might
let them know, in general terms, the grade you'd assign if you had to give the draft a grade. For example, you
might let a student know that, as is, her essay is in the C to C+ range, or that a very good draft is in the B+ to A-
range. Many teachers tend to shoot a little on the low side with these grade estimates, making sure the student
understands the need for further revision.
You should indicate clearly at the start of the course that students must complete each assigned draft as
well journal entries and so forth that you assign but that the writing component of their final grade will be based
upon a portfolio of polished work. Many of us ask students to include in their portfolios drafts of each of the
essays they wrote for the course, while others ask students to choose only three of the four or four of the five
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essays they completed. If you allow students to leave one of their essays out of the portfolio, you might want to
wait until late in the semester to share this information with them--after they have completed all of the essays
for the course. If students know one of their essays does not have to be included, they may tend to work less on
that essay than they would otherwise.
Such a portfolio system has several advantages. It stresses to students that writing well is an ongoing
process and encourages them to make subsequent revisions of their essays as they acquire new insights into
writing. It forces them to take responsibility for their progress beyond the achievement they reach in the first
submitted version of an essay. It instills the notion of a writing community, for once they have gotten beyond
the initial series of structured feedback sessions that you have built into the course, students must
initiate feedback from their peers and from the instructor on any revisions they do. Finally, such a system
dramatizes the reality that writers write for other people and that reaching the audience, not jumping hurdles to
get a grade, is the goal of writing.
Many students embrace the opportunity to create electronic portfolios using platforms such as wix.com or
weebly.com. As the instructor, don’t worry too much about your level of expertise with these platforms. You’ll
likely be amazed at all that your students will be able to teach you and each other. You and your students can
work together to decide what the portfolios should include. Many of us decide to include an “About Me”
section (with the option of including photos, links to videos, etc.), a section for each of the essays included in
the portfolio (possibly including various drafts of each essay), a section in which students include several of
their journal entries they are most proud of, and a section in which students reflect on the writing they've done
over the course of the term and how they have developed as composers and critical thinkers as a result of the
work they have done.
essays they completed. If you allow students to leave one of their essays out of the portfolio, you might want to
wait until late in the semester to share this information with them--after they have completed all of the essays
for the course. If students know one of their essays does not have to be included, they may tend to work less on
that essay than they would otherwise.
Such a portfolio system has several advantages. It stresses to students that writing well is an ongoing
process and encourages them to make subsequent revisions of their essays as they acquire new insights into
writing. It forces them to take responsibility for their progress beyond the achievement they reach in the first
submitted version of an essay. It instills the notion of a writing community, for once they have gotten beyond
the initial series of structured feedback sessions that you have built into the course, students must
initiate feedback from their peers and from the instructor on any revisions they do. Finally, such a system
dramatizes the reality that writers write for other people and that reaching the audience, not jumping hurdles to
get a grade, is the goal of writing.
Many students embrace the opportunity to create electronic portfolios using platforms such as wix.com or
weebly.com. As the instructor, don’t worry too much about your level of expertise with these platforms. You’ll
likely be amazed at all that your students will be able to teach you and each other. You and your students can
work together to decide what the portfolios should include. Many of us decide to include an “About Me”
section (with the option of including photos, links to videos, etc.), a section for each of the essays included in
the portfolio (possibly including various drafts of each essay), a section in which students include several of
their journal entries they are most proud of, and a section in which students reflect on the writing they've done
over the course of the term and how they have developed as composers and critical thinkers as a result of the
work they have done.
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SUGGESTED SYLLABI
On the following pages we present two syllabi that will give you some further ideas on how to use The
Longman Reader. Note that the syllabi assume the course meets twice a week for an hour and a half per
session over the course of fifteen weeks. The syllabi can, of course, be adjusted to fit a variety of course
formats.
The first syllabus would likely work best in a classroom in which the teacher uses essay-by essay
evaluation and students write two drafts of each essay. With this syllabus, students write a total of five essays
over the course of the term. Feel free to play with the syllabus and make changes that work best for you and
your students.
The second syllabus is designed for a classroom in which the teacher uses portfolio evaluation and
students write two drafts of the first three essays, as well as a third draft of each one for the final portfolio. This
syllabus includes four essays, one of which is an argumentation-persuasion essay to which five weeks of the
course are devoted, plus an end-of-the-semester radical revision project which asks students to take an idea they
wrote about in one of their four essays and re-create that idea in another genre of their choice--for example, a
magazine advertisement, pamphlet, skit, poem, short story, memoir, scrapbook, photo essay, poster, website,
video, etc.
If you like the design of the second syllabus but prefer essay-by-essay evaluation, you could substitute
essay-by-essay evaluation for portfolio assessment.
SUGGESTED SYLLABI
On the following pages we present two syllabi that will give you some further ideas on how to use The
Longman Reader. Note that the syllabi assume the course meets twice a week for an hour and a half per
session over the course of fifteen weeks. The syllabi can, of course, be adjusted to fit a variety of course
formats.
The first syllabus would likely work best in a classroom in which the teacher uses essay-by essay
evaluation and students write two drafts of each essay. With this syllabus, students write a total of five essays
over the course of the term. Feel free to play with the syllabus and make changes that work best for you and
your students.
The second syllabus is designed for a classroom in which the teacher uses portfolio evaluation and
students write two drafts of the first three essays, as well as a third draft of each one for the final portfolio. This
syllabus includes four essays, one of which is an argumentation-persuasion essay to which five weeks of the
course are devoted, plus an end-of-the-semester radical revision project which asks students to take an idea they
wrote about in one of their four essays and re-create that idea in another genre of their choice--for example, a
magazine advertisement, pamphlet, skit, poem, short story, memoir, scrapbook, photo essay, poster, website,
video, etc.
If you like the design of the second syllabus but prefer essay-by-essay evaluation, you could substitute
essay-by-essay evaluation for portfolio assessment.
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SYLLABUS #1--ESSAY-BY-ESSAY EVALUATION AND FIVE ESSAYS
WEEK 1
Class 1
• Provide an introduction to the course and handle necessary business matters.
• Direct a “getting to know each other” activity. (See page 2 of this manual.)
• Have students prepare an in-class writing sample to get an initial sense of their writing needs. Do not grade
these, and do not return them to students. They should be used to give you a general sense of where your
students are as writers.
• Assignment—Ask students to read Chapter 1, “Becoming a Critical Reader and Thinker" and make a list
of five things they learned that they think can help them become more critical readers and thinkers.
Class 2
• Have students get into small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned that they
think can help them become more critical readers and thinkers. Then have each group share their discussion
with the entire class.
• Have students complete the pre-reading journal entry that precedes the essay at the end of Chapter 1, “Our
Obsessive Relationship with Technology." Ask for two or three volunteers to share what they wrote and
provide positive feedback.
• Read aloud with the class the essay at the end of Chapter 1, “Our Obsessive Relationship with
Technology," and discuss the reading and craft questions following the essay.
• Introduce the writing process, with emphasis on prewriting.
• Assignment—Have students read up to “Stage 2: Identify the Thesis” in Chapter 2 and make a list of five
things they learned from the reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start
working on their own essays.
WEEK 2
Class 3
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students do some practice prewriting; ask for a few volunteers to share their writing and give positive
feedback.
• Assignments—Have students read up to "Stage 4: Organize the Evidence” from Chapter 2 and make a list
of five things they learned from the assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when
they start working on their own essays.
SYLLABUS #1--ESSAY-BY-ESSAY EVALUATION AND FIVE ESSAYS
WEEK 1
Class 1
• Provide an introduction to the course and handle necessary business matters.
• Direct a “getting to know each other” activity. (See page 2 of this manual.)
• Have students prepare an in-class writing sample to get an initial sense of their writing needs. Do not grade
these, and do not return them to students. They should be used to give you a general sense of where your
students are as writers.
• Assignment—Ask students to read Chapter 1, “Becoming a Critical Reader and Thinker" and make a list
of five things they learned that they think can help them become more critical readers and thinkers.
Class 2
• Have students get into small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned that they
think can help them become more critical readers and thinkers. Then have each group share their discussion
with the entire class.
• Have students complete the pre-reading journal entry that precedes the essay at the end of Chapter 1, “Our
Obsessive Relationship with Technology." Ask for two or three volunteers to share what they wrote and
provide positive feedback.
• Read aloud with the class the essay at the end of Chapter 1, “Our Obsessive Relationship with
Technology," and discuss the reading and craft questions following the essay.
• Introduce the writing process, with emphasis on prewriting.
• Assignment—Have students read up to “Stage 2: Identify the Thesis” in Chapter 2 and make a list of five
things they learned from the reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start
working on their own essays.
WEEK 2
Class 3
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students do some practice prewriting; ask for a few volunteers to share their writing and give positive
feedback.
• Assignments—Have students read up to "Stage 4: Organize the Evidence” from Chapter 2 and make a list
of five things they learned from the assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when
they start working on their own essays.
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Class 4
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students, in groups or as a class, do three of the activities from the first half of Chapter 2: one from
“Activities: Prewrite,” one from “Activities: Identify the Thesis,” and one from “Activities: “Support the
Thesis with Evidence.” Discuss answers as a class.
• Assignments—Have students read up to "Stage 5: Write the First Draft” from Chapter 2 and make a list of
five things they learned from the assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when
they start working on their own essays.
WEEK 3
Class 5
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• While still in their small groups, ask students to discuss experiences they've had in the past with designing
outlines and how they think outlines are supposed to help them during the writing process. Then have
each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students remain in their small groups or work individually to complete "Activities: Organizing the
Evidence," #1. Then have groups or individuals share their work with the class.
• Assignments--Have students finish reading Chapter 2 and make a list of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays.
Class 6
• Have students share some of the items on their lists of what they learned from the assigned reading and
submit the lists to you for review.
• Read aloud in class and lead a discussion of Caylah Francis's sample first draft, the peer review worksheet
her classmate filled out, and Caylah's revised draft. Have students comment on how the peer review helped
Caylah write a stronger essay and on what they think of the revised essay overall--its strengths and
weaknesses. Find out something about their previous experiences writing essays and how many have had
experience writing essays that incorporate outside sources.
• Introduce the first pattern of development, Description or Narration--your choice.
• Assignment—Have students read Chapter 3, “Description,” through the student essay and accompanying
commentary or, alternatively, Chapter 4, “Narration,” through the student essay and accompanying
commentary.
Class 4
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students, in groups or as a class, do three of the activities from the first half of Chapter 2: one from
“Activities: Prewrite,” one from “Activities: Identify the Thesis,” and one from “Activities: “Support the
Thesis with Evidence.” Discuss answers as a class.
• Assignments—Have students read up to "Stage 5: Write the First Draft” from Chapter 2 and make a list of
five things they learned from the assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when
they start working on their own essays.
WEEK 3
Class 5
• Have students get in small groups of 3-4 students and share their lists of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays. Then have each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• While still in their small groups, ask students to discuss experiences they've had in the past with designing
outlines and how they think outlines are supposed to help them during the writing process. Then have
each group share a couple of the things they discussed.
• Have students remain in their small groups or work individually to complete "Activities: Organizing the
Evidence," #1. Then have groups or individuals share their work with the class.
• Assignments--Have students finish reading Chapter 2 and make a list of five things they learned from the
assigned reading that they think they'll be able to put to good use when they start working on their own
essays.
Class 6
• Have students share some of the items on their lists of what they learned from the assigned reading and
submit the lists to you for review.
• Read aloud in class and lead a discussion of Caylah Francis's sample first draft, the peer review worksheet
her classmate filled out, and Caylah's revised draft. Have students comment on how the peer review helped
Caylah write a stronger essay and on what they think of the revised essay overall--its strengths and
weaknesses. Find out something about their previous experiences writing essays and how many have had
experience writing essays that incorporate outside sources.
• Introduce the first pattern of development, Description or Narration--your choice.
• Assignment—Have students read Chapter 3, “Description,” through the student essay and accompanying
commentary or, alternatively, Chapter 4, “Narration,” through the student essay and accompanying
commentary.
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WEEK 4
Class 7
• Discuss descriptive or narrative writing and answer students' questions.
• Discuss with students the student essay, "Enduring with Dignity: Akua's Surviving Children" and
commentary in Chapter 3, or the student essay "Letters from Dad" and commentary in Chapter 4. Discuss
how students can apply what they learned from the sample student essay to their own writing.
• Assignments—Have student read “El Hoyo” by Mario Suárez in Chapter 3, study the accompanying Essay
Structure Diagram, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
Alternatively, have them read “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde in Chapter 4, study the accompanying
Essay Structure Diagram, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
Class 8
• Discuss the assigned selection, the Essay Structure Diagram, and students' responses to the critical
reading and craft questions.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned description or
narration selection or at the end of Chapter 3 or 4. Using groups, have students share their prewriting and
get feedback.
• Review stages of the writing process including identifying the thesis, supporting the thesis with evidence,
organizing the evidence, and writing the first draft that they will need to keep in mind as they begin
drafting their descriptive or narrative essays.
• Assignments—Have students read a second assigned selection from Chapter 3 or 4, answer and the critical
reading and craft questions following it, and prepare a draft of the description or narration essay.
WEEK 4
Class 7
• Discuss descriptive or narrative writing and answer students' questions.
• Discuss with students the student essay, "Enduring with Dignity: Akua's Surviving Children" and
commentary in Chapter 3, or the student essay "Letters from Dad" and commentary in Chapter 4. Discuss
how students can apply what they learned from the sample student essay to their own writing.
• Assignments—Have student read “El Hoyo” by Mario Suárez in Chapter 3, study the accompanying Essay
Structure Diagram, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
Alternatively, have them read “The Fourth of July” by Audre Lorde in Chapter 4, study the accompanying
Essay Structure Diagram, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
Class 8
• Discuss the assigned selection, the Essay Structure Diagram, and students' responses to the critical
reading and craft questions.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned description or
narration selection or at the end of Chapter 3 or 4. Using groups, have students share their prewriting and
get feedback.
• Review stages of the writing process including identifying the thesis, supporting the thesis with evidence,
organizing the evidence, and writing the first draft that they will need to keep in mind as they begin
drafting their descriptive or narrative essays.
• Assignments—Have students read a second assigned selection from Chapter 3 or 4, answer and the critical
reading and craft questions following it, and prepare a draft of the description or narration essay.
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• Introduce the next pattern of development--Illustration. Provide students with a general overview of this
pattern of development.
• Assignments—Have students read Chapter 5, “Illustration,” through Charlene Adams' student essay
"Professors Open Up About the Benefits of a College Degree" and the accompanying commentary.
WEEK 6
Class 11
• Pass back students' descriptive or narrative essays with your feedback. (You might prefer to do this towards
the end of the class, rather than at the beginning.)
• Discuss the student essay and commentary in Chapter 5, "Illustration," and answer students' questions
about the chapter. Ask students to reflect on what they learned from reading the student essay and
accompanying commentary that could help them strengthen their own writing.
• Have students do in class Activities 1 and 2 in “Activities: Illustration” in Chapter 5. Use groups or pairs
to share responses to both activities. Read aloud responses to Activity 2.
• Assignments—Have students:
a. Complete Activity 4 in “Activities: Illustration” in Chapter 5, “Illustration.”
b. Read “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen” by Kay S. Hymowitz in Chapter 5, study the Essay Structure
Diagram that accompanies the essay, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions
following it.
Class 12
•
• Introduce the next pattern of development--Illustration. Provide students with a general overview of this
pattern of development.
• Assignments—Have students read Chapter 5, “Illustration,” through Charlene Adams' student essay
"Professors Open Up About the Benefits of a College Degree" and the accompanying commentary.
WEEK 6
Class 11
• Pass back students' descriptive or narrative essays with your feedback. (You might prefer to do this towards
the end of the class, rather than at the beginning.)
• Discuss the student essay and commentary in Chapter 5, "Illustration," and answer students' questions
about the chapter. Ask students to reflect on what they learned from reading the student essay and
accompanying commentary that could help them strengthen their own writing.
• Have students do in class Activities 1 and 2 in “Activities: Illustration” in Chapter 5. Use groups or pairs
to share responses to both activities. Read aloud responses to Activity 2.
• Assignments—Have students:
a. Complete Activity 4 in “Activities: Illustration” in Chapter 5, “Illustration.”
b. Read “Tweens: Ten Going on Sixteen” by Kay S. Hymowitz in Chapter 5, study the Essay Structure
Diagram that accompanies the essay, and respond to the critical reading and craft questions
following it.
Class 12
•
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xviii
• Review stages of the writing process including identifying the thesis, supporting the thesis with evidence,
organizing the evidence, and writing the first draft that they will need to keep in mind as they begin
drafting their illustration essays.
• Assignments—Have students prepare a draft of the illustration essay. Also have them read a second
assigned selection from Chapter 5, “Illustration,” and prepare to discuss the reading and craft
questions at the end of the selection.
Class 14
• Initiate peer review on students’ illustration essays. Use the Revision/Peer Review Checklist in the chapter.
• Discuss the assigned reading selection and accompanying questions. In addition, review the end of the
chapter visual text and accompanying critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
• Review stages of the writing process including revising the essay and editing and proofreading.
• Assignments—Have students revise the illustration essay.
WEEK 8
Class 15
• Pass back and discuss students’ illustration essays. (You might prefer to do this towards the end of the
class rather than at the beginning.)
• Introduce the next unit on either division-classification or process analysis. Read in-class and with your
students the sample student essay ("The Benchers, the Nappers, the Jellyfish, and the Musicians" in
Chapter 6, or "Don't Write Poetry--Be a Poet" in Chapter 7) and discuss with students what works well,
along with any shortcomings you see. Talk with students about what they can learn from reading and
reflecting on the student essay that can help them better understand the pattern of development and how
they can use the pattern as they begin thinking about their third essay.
• Review stages of the writing process including identifying the thesis, supporting the thesis with evidence,
organizing the evidence, and writing the first draft that they will need to keep in mind as they begin
drafting their illustration essays.
• Assignments—Have students prepare a draft of the illustration essay. Also have them read a second
assigned selection from Chapter 5, “Illustration,” and prepare to discuss the reading and craft
questions at the end of the selection.
Class 14
• Initiate peer review on students’ illustration essays. Use the Revision/Peer Review Checklist in the chapter.
• Discuss the assigned reading selection and accompanying questions. In addition, review the end of the
chapter visual text and accompanying critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
• Review stages of the writing process including revising the essay and editing and proofreading.
• Assignments—Have students revise the illustration essay.
WEEK 8
Class 15
• Pass back and discuss students’ illustration essays. (You might prefer to do this towards the end of the
class rather than at the beginning.)
• Introduce the next unit on either division-classification or process analysis. Read in-class and with your
students the sample student essay ("The Benchers, the Nappers, the Jellyfish, and the Musicians" in
Chapter 6, or "Don't Write Poetry--Be a Poet" in Chapter 7) and discuss with students what works well,
along with any shortcomings you see. Talk with students about what they can learn from reading and
reflecting on the student essay that can help them better understand the pattern of development and how
they can use the pattern as they begin thinking about their third essay.
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xix
• Discuss the assigned reading selection, the accompanying Essay Structure Diagram, and the critical
reading and craft questions.
• Assignments—Have students read “What Makes a Great Teacher?” by Francis Gilbert or another
reading selection in Chapter 6 and answer the reading and craft questions at the end of the selection.
Alternatively, read “The Fine Art of Complaining” by Caroline Rego or another reading selection in
Chapter 7 and answer the reading and craft questions at the end of the selection.
WEEK 9
Class 17
• Discuss the assigned reading and accompanying critical reading and craft questions from Chapter 6,
“Division-Classification.” Also, read and review with students the visual text at the end of the chapter.
Alternatively, discuss the assigned reading and accompanying critical reading and craft questions from
Chapter 7, “Process Analysis,” and read and review with students the visual text at the end of the chapter.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned division-
classification or process-analysis selection or at the end of Chapter 6 or 7. Using groups, have students
share their prewriting and get feedback.
• Review stages of the writing process.
• Assignments—Have students prepare a draft of the division-classification or process-analysis essay.
Class 18
• Initiate peer review on students’ division-classification or process-analysis essays. Use the chapter
Revision/Peer Review Checklist.
• Assignments—Have students revise the division-classification or process-analysis essay.
WEEK 10
Class 19
• Discuss the assigned reading selection, the accompanying Essay Structure Diagram, and the critical
reading and craft questions.
• Assignments—Have students read “What Makes a Great Teacher?” by Francis Gilbert or another
reading selection in Chapter 6 and answer the reading and craft questions at the end of the selection.
Alternatively, read “The Fine Art of Complaining” by Caroline Rego or another reading selection in
Chapter 7 and answer the reading and craft questions at the end of the selection.
WEEK 9
Class 17
• Discuss the assigned reading and accompanying critical reading and craft questions from Chapter 6,
“Division-Classification.” Also, read and review with students the visual text at the end of the chapter.
Alternatively, discuss the assigned reading and accompanying critical reading and craft questions from
Chapter 7, “Process Analysis,” and read and review with students the visual text at the end of the chapter.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned division-
classification or process-analysis selection or at the end of Chapter 6 or 7. Using groups, have students
share their prewriting and get feedback.
• Review stages of the writing process.
• Assignments—Have students prepare a draft of the division-classification or process-analysis essay.
Class 18
• Initiate peer review on students’ division-classification or process-analysis essays. Use the chapter
Revision/Peer Review Checklist.
• Assignments—Have students revise the division-classification or process-analysis essay.
WEEK 10
Class 19
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xx
• Discuss and answer questions on Chapter 8, “Comparison-Contrast,” and go over the student essay
and commentary. In class, have students do Prewriting Activity 1 in Chapter 8. Use groups to share
responses to the activity. Alternately, discuss and answer questions on Chapter 9, “Cause-Effect,” and
go over the student essay and commentary. In class, have students do Prewriting Activity 1 in Chapter
9. Use groups to share responses to the activity.
• In class, read and discuss "A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization" in Chapter 8, along with the Essay
Structure diagram and questions accompanying the reading. Alternately, read and discuss "Nature in the
Suburbs" in Chapter 9, along with the Essay Structure Diagram and questions accompanying the reading.
• Assignments—Have students:
a. Read an additional selection in Chapter 8, “Comparison-Contrast” (or alternately, in Chapter 9,
"Caurse-Effect") and answer the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
WEEK 11
Class 21
• Discuss the assigned selection and accompanying questions, and then read and review with students the
visual selection at the end of Chapter 8 or Chapter 9, including the critical reading and craft questions
following the selection.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned comparison-
contrast selections or at the end of Chapter 8 or Chapter 9. Using groups, have students share their
prewriting and get feedback.
• Assignment—Have students prepare a draft of the comparison-contrast or cause-effect essay.
• Discuss and answer questions on Chapter 8, “Comparison-Contrast,” and go over the student essay
and commentary. In class, have students do Prewriting Activity 1 in Chapter 8. Use groups to share
responses to the activity. Alternately, discuss and answer questions on Chapter 9, “Cause-Effect,” and
go over the student essay and commentary. In class, have students do Prewriting Activity 1 in Chapter
9. Use groups to share responses to the activity.
• In class, read and discuss "A Mickey Mouse Approach to Globalization" in Chapter 8, along with the Essay
Structure diagram and questions accompanying the reading. Alternately, read and discuss "Nature in the
Suburbs" in Chapter 9, along with the Essay Structure Diagram and questions accompanying the reading.
• Assignments—Have students:
a. Read an additional selection in Chapter 8, “Comparison-Contrast” (or alternately, in Chapter 9,
"Caurse-Effect") and answer the critical reading and craft questions following the selection.
WEEK 11
Class 21
• Discuss the assigned selection and accompanying questions, and then read and review with students the
visual selection at the end of Chapter 8 or Chapter 9, including the critical reading and craft questions
following the selection.
• Have students do prewriting for one of the writing assignments at the end of the assigned comparison-
contrast selections or at the end of Chapter 8 or Chapter 9. Using groups, have students share their
prewriting and get feedback.
• Assignment—Have students prepare a draft of the comparison-contrast or cause-effect essay.
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WEEK 14
Class 27
• Initiate peer review on students’ definition or argumentation-persuasion essays. Ask students to use the
chapter checklist during the peer-review session.
• Assignments—Have students revise their drafts.
Class 28
• Collect definition or argumentation-persuasion essays.
• Give students class time to begin working on a two-page double-spaced reflection on the course, what
they've learned, what class activities and assignments most helped them grow as writers and critical thinkers,
and what work they've done that they are most proud of.
• Assignments—Have students complete their reflections and revise them for the next class.
WEEK 15
Classes 29 and 30
• Use these two last classes to return students' definition or argumentation-persuasion essays and have each
student make a short presentation (around 3 minutes) to the class. Ask them to share what they consider the
best essay they wrote during the semester, the essay's subject, and two or three things they learned from the
course that they believe they'll be able to transfer to other college courses they take and beyond.
WEEK 14
Class 27
• Initiate peer review on students’ definition or argumentation-persuasion essays. Ask students to use the
chapter checklist during the peer-review session.
• Assignments—Have students revise their drafts.
Class 28
• Collect definition or argumentation-persuasion essays.
• Give students class time to begin working on a two-page double-spaced reflection on the course, what
they've learned, what class activities and assignments most helped them grow as writers and critical thinkers,
and what work they've done that they are most proud of.
• Assignments—Have students complete their reflections and revise them for the next class.
WEEK 15
Classes 29 and 30
• Use these two last classes to return students' definition or argumentation-persuasion essays and have each
student make a short presentation (around 3 minutes) to the class. Ask them to share what they consider the
best essay they wrote during the semester, the essay's subject, and two or three things they learned from the
course that they believe they'll be able to transfer to other college courses they take and beyond.
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SYLLABUS #2—PORTFOLIO EVALUATION, FOUR ESSAYS,
AND AN END-OF-THE-TERM RADICAL REVISION PROJECT
WEEK 1
Class 1
SYLLABUS #2—PORTFOLIO EVALUATION, FOUR ESSAYS,
AND AN END-OF-THE-TERM RADICAL REVISION PROJECT
WEEK 1
Class 1
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