Writing as Social Practice

WRT 101 Curriculum

 

Developed by Dana Driscoll and Anne Beaufort

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Table of Contents

 

 

1. General Curriculum Materials

 

2. Unit 1 Materials: Literacy Autobiography

 

3. Unit 2 Materials: Genre Analysis

 

4. Unit 3 Materials: Ethnography of a Discourse Community

 

5. Unit 4 Materials: Teacher-Designed Research Unit

 

6. Unit 5 Materials: Revision Unit

 

7. Handout Library

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Note on Organization: This binder is organized into seven different sections. Each section contains a specific table of contents that gives an overview of all materials in each section. Each unit section contains not only the essay assignment and homework assignment sheets, but also a series of handouts and in-class activities to assist in teaching the unit. Additional handouts in a variety of subjects are located in the handout library.

 

General Materials

 

 

1. Course Overview and Curriculum Rationale

A description and overview of the course curriculum, readings and assignments as a whole.

 

2. Curriculum Timeline

Describes the timeline for the curriculum; includes major projects, topics and due dates.

 

3. What is a Discourse Community?

Gives an overview of one of the central concepts to this curriculum—the discourse community. Also includes visual charts describing a discourse community.

 

4. Course Syllabus

         A prepared syllabus that describes the course to your students.

 

5. Primary Trait Scoring Rubric

The grading criteria the Program in Writing and Rhetoric uses for assessment.

 

6. Primary Trait Grading Grid

         A grading sheet that can be used to assess students.

 

7. Personal Information Sheet

A survey to give your students on the first day of class to get to know them better.

 

8. Mid and End-of-Semester Surveys

Additional surveys to give students to assess your own teaching strengths and weaknesses.

 

 

 

Unit 1: Literacy Autobiography

 

1. Unit 1 Essay Assignment (Handout)

 

2. Unit 1 Feeder Assignment (Handout)

        

3. Unit 1 Lesson Plans

A guide for class lessons for Unit 1. Note that Unit 1 is the only unit in which we have provided day-to-day lesson plans.

 

4. Essential Questions (Handout)

Essential questions are a way to drive discussion and promote critical thinking skills

 

5. Demonstrating the Writing Process

This exercise is an effective way of introducing students to the writing process – and encouraging a student-centered classroom.

 

6. Writing Process: The Seven R’s (Handout)

 

7. The Writing Process (Handout)

 

7. Organization Mystery Exercise

This exercise is a fun way to teach the importance of organization and encourage the students to work as a group.

 

8. Paper and Paragraph Organization (Handout)

 

9. Tips for Better Paragraphing (Handout)

 

10. Paragraphing Checklist (Handout)

 

11. Discourse Community Analysis Chart (Handout)

 

12. Introduction to Peer Response Work

 

13. Conferencing Tips

 

14. Sample Literacy Autobiography Essays (Strong and Weak)

Unit 2: Genre Analysis

 

1. Unit 2 Genre Analysis Essay Assignment (Handout)

 

2. Unit 2 Feeder Assignments (Handout)

 

3. Genre Samples

Two samples of writing on the same topic (Dinosaurs) from different discourse communities.

 

4. Heuristic for Analyzing a Genre (Handout)

 

5. Says/Does Exercise

The says/does exercise is an effective way of teaching your students rhetorical analysis skills. It has students separate content from craft of the writing.

 

6. Says/Does Descriptive Outline

 

7. Summary Checklist (Handout)

 

8. Sample Genre Analysis Essays (Strong and Weak)

 

9. Scott McCloud “Setting the Record Straight” Reading

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 3: Discourse Community Ethnography

 

1. Unit 3 DC Ethnography Essay Assignment (Handout)

 

2. Unit 3 Feeder Assignments (Handout)

 

3. Unit 3 Feeder Assignments 3.3 (Handout)

 

4. Ethnographic Research Overview (Handout)

This handout gives students the basics of ethnographic research including the ethics of research, types of participation, data collection & analysis.

 

5. Teaching Observational Skills

Teaching students how to “do” ethnography is an important part of this unit. This will introduce them to some of the basic skills needed to conduct ethnographic research.

 

6. Synthesizing Raw Data (Handout)

An exercise that has students organize their raw data and then create a short piece of writing from it.

 

7. From Raw Data to Draft (Handout)

This advanced exercise has students both synthesizing raw data into a written format with special concern for their audience.

 

8. Discourse Community Charts and Questions (Handouts)

 

9. Principles of Good Interviewing (Handout)

 

10. Mid-Semester Jeopardy Game

The game is a fun way to both review for the students and to discover how much the students have learned.

 

11. Sample Ethnography Essays (Strong and Weak)

 

Unit 4: Teacher-Designed Research Unit

 

1. Teacher-designed Research Unit Overview

 

 

In addition to some basic instructions, several handouts have been included to help teach research and/or argumentation.

 

2. Teaching Research Overview (Reading)

 

3. Evaluating Sources and Internet Sources (Handout)

 

4. Argumentation: Types of Claims (Handout)

 

5. Locating and Assessing Fallacies in Reasoning (Handout)

 

6. Argument in Advertising (Handout/Teacher Prep)

 

7. Strategies for Rebutting Evidence / Fallacies (Handout)

 

8. Partial Transcript of the Presidential Debate (Handout)

 

9. Research Worksheet (Handout)

 

10. Conducting Visual Arguments (Handout)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit 5: Revision

 

1. Unit 5 Revision Essay Assignment (Handout)

 

2. Unit 5 Feeder Assignments (Handout)

 

3. Teaching Revision Tips

 

4. Revision Strategy: Essay/Paragraph Structure Partner Exercise (Handout)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Handout Library

 

This library contains a host of handouts, short in-class exercises, and other materials that you can use to supplement your teaching. The library is organized by subject area. All handouts that are directly relevant to the units are already packaged with the unit—these are supplemental handouts and strategies you may use. The subject areas include: Research; Writing Basics; Textual Analysis (includes rhetorical and genre analysis information); Revision; Argumentation; Ethnography; Peer Response, Sources/MLA, Grammar, Student Feedback and Miscellaneous.

 

Grammar:

1.    Grammar Teaching Tips

2.    Punctuating Compound and Compound-Complex sentences or Avoiding Comma Splices

3.    Editing Sentences for Impact

4.    Grammar Practice- Pronouns

5.    Concise Writing Worksheet

6.    Apostrophes

7.    Conciseness Worksheet

 

Miscellaneous:

1.    Extra Credit Option: College Major Treasure Hunt

2.    Common Assignment Keywords

3.    Plagiarism Quiz

4.    Discourse Community Questions

5.    Connections Charts - Argumentation

 

Peer Review:

1.    Peer Review Handout

2.    Peer Response: Textual Analysis

3.    Summary of Kinds of Responses

 

Sources/MLA

1.    Handling Quotations

2.    Quotations Practice

3.    More Practices with Sources

4.    Works Cited Formulas

 

 

 

 

Textual Analysis

1.    Ways to Work With Texts to Promote Critical Thinking

2.    Rhetorical Analysis: Structural Devices

3.    Annotating a Text

4.    Critical Reading Exercises

5.    Genre Analysis Comparisons

6.    Rhetorical Analysis Tip Sheet

7.    Sample Textual Analysis

8.    Textual Analysis Tips

9.    Textual Analysis Heuristic

10. Rhetorical Analysis Structural Devices

11. Summary/Thesis Writing Exercise

 

Writing Basics:

1.    Summary/Thesis Writing Exercise

2.    On Titles

3.    Four Essential Writing/Thinking Skills

4.    Academic Writing Exercises

5.    Telling Facts

6.    Summary Writing

7.    Summary Exercise

8.    Strong Verbs

9.    Rendering Skills Development

10. Sequence of Activities to teach Rendering

11. Quotations Practice

12. Paragraph Development and Unity

13. Writing Process Journal Prompts

14. Thesis Statements

15. Introductions

16. Academic Writing Exercises

17. Essay Structure

18. Checklist for Analyzing Audience

19. Ten Ways to Use Informal Writing to Deepen Subject Matter Learning

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Grammar

 

1.   Grammar Teaching Tips

 

2.   Punctuating Compound and Compound-Complex sentences or Avoiding Comma Splices

 

3.   Editing Sentences for Impact

 

4.   Grammar Practice- Pronouns

 

5.   Concise Writing Worksheet

 

6.   Apostrophes

 

7.   Conciseness Worksheet

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Miscellaneous

 

1.   Extra Credit Option: College Major Treasure Hunt

 

2.   Common Assignment Keywords

 

3.   Plagiarism Quiz

 

4.   Discourse Community Questions

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peer Review

 

1.   Peer Review Handou

 

2.   Peer Response: Textual Analysis

 

3.   Summary of Kinds of Responses

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sources/MLA

 

1.   Handling Quotations

 

2.   Quotations Practice

 

3.   More Practices with Sources

 

4.   Works Cited Formulas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Textual Analysis

 

 

1.   Ways to Work With Texts to Promote Critical Thinking

 

2.   Rhetorical Analysis: Structural Devices

 

3.   Annotating a Text

 

4.   Critical Reading Exercises

 

5.   Genre Analysis Comparisons

 

6.   Rhetorical Analysis Tip Sheet

 

7.   Sample Textual Analysis

 

8.   Textual Analysis Tips

 

9.   Textual Analysis Heuristic

 

10. Rhetorical Analysis Structural Devices

 

11. Summary/Thesis Writing Exercise

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Writing Basics

 

1.   Summary/Thesis Writing Exercise

2.   On Titles

3.   Four Essential Writing/Thinking Skills

4.   Academic Writing Exercises

5.   Telling Facts

6.   Summary Writing

7.   Summary Exercise

8.   Strong Verbs

9.   Rendering Skills Development

10. Sequence of Activities to teach Rendering

11. Quotations Practice

12. Paragraph Development and Unity

13. Writing Process Journal Prompts

14. Thesis Statements

15. Introductions

16. Academic Writing Exercises

17.    Essay Structure

18.    Checklist for Analyzing Audience

19.    Ten Ways to Use Informal Writing to Deepen Subject Matter Learning