Short Story

This is the short story we will be using for our literary analysis.  Click on the link below: 

"The Gift of the Magi" by O. Henry

Argument Rough Draft

English Composition I Argument Essay
PURPOSE: Refer pages 67-85 of your Hacker text. This paper will present YOUR side of an issue. There is an example of an argument paper on pages 74-76 of your Hacker text.
TOPIC: Your topic must be approved by me.
SOURCES: Next you must locate information from a minimum of three sources about your topic; you must have information which supports the opposition’s stand as well as information which supports your stand.  ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT COMES FROM YOUR SOURCES, NOT FROM YOUR PERSONAL POINT OF VIEW.
POINT OF VIEW: Use third person point of view for your argument. Your tone in this argumentative essay should be formal and serious.
AUDIENCE: Your audience will be a person of your own age who tends to disagree with your stand on this issue. Anticipate that your reader will ask questions like: Why should I change my mind? Can you prove it? Why should I do it?
THESIS STATEMENT: Include the word (s) must/must not or should/should not in your thesis sentence to produce a firm statement about your side of the issue. The thesis statement should be the last sentence of your introduction. The thesis statement must have a should/should not or must/must not in it to make it a thesis statement appropriate for a formal argument.
INTRODUCTION: Explain why the topic is controversial. Give any needed background information and definitions. The introduction needs to be one paragraph long. The last sentence in the introduction is to be your thesis statement.
BODY: The first body paragraph is to present information from an opposing viewpoint. Begin the paragraph with an appropriate transition; alert your audience that these points are from an opposing view. The second body paragraph begins your argument. The third body paragraph will be an emotional appeal to the audience. You will have a total of 3 body paragraphs. Which means, this paper will have a total of five paragraphs only.
CONCLUSION: Staying in third person, suggest what the audience can do to help make what you are suggesting happen. Be sure to restate the thesis.
WORKS CITED PAGE: Follow MLA Format. Review the MLA section in your Hacker text.
QUOTES: You will need a minimum of 3 quotes in your paper. You will also have to document where you got those quotes. This means you will be using MLA to cite your sources within the paper. This is called PARENTHETICAL DOCUMENTATION
TITLE: The title of your argumentative essay should clearly indicate your stand.
Point Value: 50
Due Date: April 5 by 11:55 pm via Moodle or April 4 in class as a hard-copy.

Observation assignment:

From your notes, you need to write a detailed observation.
Treat this like a short descriptive story.
Make sure to add LOTS of description – sounds, colors, etc.
Write all the dialogue.
You CAN use first person references.
This is due at the end of class

Compare and Contrast Final Copy

Take the rough draft that was returned to you. Make any changes that you need to make.


Due date: March 4 in the class OR March 4 at 11:55pm via Moodle.


Point Value: 40

Compare and Contrast Rough Draft

You will need to pick one of the topics listed below:

• Learning to ride a bike and learning to drive a car

• Going to the movies and watching a movie at home

• A professional athlete and a famous movie star

• Friends that are girls and friends that are guys

• Two different video games

Audience: Someone who is unfamiliar with these two topics.

Point of View: Stay in third person

Title: Come up with something clever that hints at the ideas you are comparing and contrasting.

Thesis: Make the thesis the final sentence of your introduction.

Introduction Paragraph: Briefly introduce the ideas you are comparing and contrasting. Make sure to also state your purpose.

Body: You will use three paragraphs only. Each of these paragraphs will discuss ONE idea only.

Topic sentences: Make sure that EACH paragraph in your body has a topic sentence.

Conclusion: Restate your purpose and your thesis.

Page 28 of your Hacker text has an example of a comparison and contrast paragraph.

This assignment must be double spaced using Times New Roman 12 point font.

Point Value: 35 points

Due Date: Feb 28 in class or Feb 28 by 11:55pm via Moodle.

Birthplace Assignment

You need to write one long paragraph about your birthplace. You will need to use at least 3 quotes and have a minimum of 3 sources. You must include a Works Cited page.


You can include information about the town, tourist attractions, information about the hospital, population info, famous people from that place, and any other information you can think of.

Point value: 35

Due date: Monday, February 21 in class OR Monday, February 21 via Moodle at 11:55pm.

Re-learning MLA

MLA

For this assignment you need to write one long paragraph about a famous musician.

You will need to use in-text citations. You must have at least 3 in your essay.

You will need to include a Works Cited page. You must have at least 3 sources.

Please use your Hacker text and/or the Internet for help with this assignment. Page 412 in your Hacker text has an example of a Works Cited page.

Due Date:  Feb 14 via Moodle  at 11:55pm OR Feb 14 at the start of our class
 
Point value:  35

We will not have class today. I am off campus. On Friday, we will meet in lab 104.  Let me know if you have any questions.

MLA Information

Link to a Works Cited page.  Beginning on page 379 of your Hacker text you can find HOW to list each sourc.

Link to EasyBib

Link to Parenthetical Documtation (In-Text Citation) examples. You can also find this info beginning on page 371 of your Hacker text.

In your Hacker text - the MLA section starts on page 355.

You can find an entire paper and a sample Works Cited page beginning on page 408 of your Hacker text.

Personal Narrative

English Composition I


Personal Narrative Essay

PURPOSE: The purpose of this assignment is to introduce you to the method of writing you will be following in this course. You are to relate a personal experience in a five paragraph composition with at least five sentences in each paragraph.

SELECT A TOPIC: You must choose from one of the topics below:

• A time when you won something
• How you met one of your friends
• A time you did something wrong and got punished
• A vacation or trip you’ve taken
• A memorable birthday for you

POINT OF VIEW: first person WHO'S THE AUDIENCE?: a new friend with whom you wish to share the experience

WRITING THE INTRODUCTION: Have the people, the action, and the setting clearly in mind before you begin to write. A narrative often begins with the WHO, WHAT, WHERE, WHEN, WHY, and HOW of a news story. Don't give away all the facts at the beginning though. Begin with enough background information to enable your reader to understand the rest of the events. You should grab his or her attention so that he or she wants to continue reading; hook the reader. The introduction is not a part of the exper¬ience itself.

THESIS STATEMENT: The thesis is a complete sentence which will explain the importance of the story. It will be the last sentence of the introduction. It will be restated, stated in other words, in the conclusion. This restatement may be any sentence in the conclusion.

WRITING THE CONCLUSION: The last paragraph, even more than the first, gets special emphasis from its position. Since what the reader reads last is likely to impress him or her the most, your narrative should end with the idea or impression that you want the reader to carry away. Choose your words carefully. The conclusion is not to be a part of the experience.

TITLE: Think of an appropriate title for your paper--one that will attract readers but will not reveal too much about the narrative. Do not get hung up on determining a title. Also, your title may change several times while you are working; that's fine.

WRITING THE PERSONAL NARRATIVE: You are to write the essay in chronological sequence of events. Present the actions or events in the order in which they happened. The essay must have meaningful structure and order. Events cannot happen helter-skelter. You must have three body paragraphs.

WORD CHOICE: A good narrative attempts to make the reader live the experience. To do so, it must use words which appeal to the same senses a reader would use if he or she were having the actual experience. Use many sensory words: taste, touch, smell, hear, see.
VERB TENSE AND VOICE: Past tense, active voice. Because the experience is over, this narrative is written in past tense.

As with all your papers for this class, please submit in WORD using 12pt Times New Roman font. Please double space all of your assignments. Submit via Moodle.

DUE DATE: January 30 at 11:55pm

Point Value: 25

Go to the text website. www.dianahacker.com/writersref 
You will need to register as a student for this class. They will ask for your teacher's email:  bethanief@coffeyville.edu

Once you're registered, you will need to take the following tests:

• Writing Exercises
• C1-1 Purpose and audience
• C2-1 Thesis Statements
• C2-2 Introductions
• C3-2 Choosing an appropriate point of view
• C4-1 Topic Sentences

Your grades will automatically be submitted to me. These are due at the end of the hour. Once you are fnished you may be excused.