Course Schedule

Weekly Schedule
(subject to change)

 Week 1

Monday, Aug. 31

  • Introductions to each other and the course
    Diagnostic writing: Write a short autobiographical piece that presents a chapter in your history as a writer. Describe what you now view an especially formative experience in how you came to be the writer you are today. What practices and ideas has this experience or set of related experiences led to? You might begin by jotting down ideas or making a list of important experiences, people, or classes that have influenced your thinking about writing, then flesh out these ideas into a draft. Due by end of class in hard copy or via email to me at [email protected]

Wednesday, Sept 2

  • Assignment for next class: Read chapters 1-3 in George Lakoff and Mark Johnson’s “Metaphors We Live By”; read “On Reading and Thinking Critically,” and respond to prompts on your blogs@baruch site for both no later than 11:59pm Tuesday, 9/8 [I will be handing out hard copies of readings, and you will annotate them based on our class discussion and today’s reading].

Week 2

Monday, Sept 7 NO CLASS, LABOR DAY

  • Assignment for Thursday, 9/10: Read Willa Cather short story,  “The Namesake”. Use “Reading Critical” strategies on this story and be prepared to talk about how you used them.

Wednesday, Sept 9

Thursday, Sept 10

Explain extra credit of two course points if you blog about an artist show or other Baruch event dealing with art or writing (check with me first if it’s something I don’t know about).

  • Watch clip from Paris Was a Woman and show book to class:Stein video
  • Stein interview: stein interview
  • Discuss OnReading Thinking Critically
  • Apply strategies to MoreWar powerpoint
  • Discuss Cather Reading in light of first assignment.
  • Begin brainstorming as a group for first assignment, creative non-fiction essay.
  • Go over Rhetorical Strategies prezi:Prezi
  • Assignment for next class: Read Gertrude Stein excerpt, “The War,” in The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas and respond to discussion lead questions on your own blog by Tuesday, September 15, 11:59 pm. Stein group prepare for discussion lead and get me your three questions by Sunday, September 13, 11:59 pm. Reading is available on ereserve. Password for ereserve: hammer2100. Begin brainstorming ideas for Creative Non-Fiction essay

Week 3

Monday, September 14- NO CLASS

Wednesday, Sept. 16

  • Let’s listen to Stein! Penn Sound Recordings
  • Watch videos from discussion lead:1 and 2
  • Discuss reading, led by Catherine, Itai, and Lawrence
  • go over assignment prompt: CreativeNon_prompt: we will go around the room and see what people are thinking.
  • Style Imitation exercise: First let’s try Stein! SteinExamples and  StyleImitationExercise (1)
  • Assignment for next class: Chapter One from Virginia Woolf’s A Room Of One’s Own. On ereserve. Woolf discussion leads, please get me three questions by Sunday, September 20, 12:00 pm. Students, please answer questions on the front page of your personal blog by Monday, 9:00 am. No late work, and you must this time submit your answers on your blog.

Week 4

Monday, Sept. 21

  • Attendance
  • Extra credit if you go see Jenny Perlin’s show and blog about it (1 course point at end of semester).
  • Go over new discussion lead schedule
  • Woolf videos:
  • 1
  • 2
  • Discuss reading.
  • Blog workshop
  • Work with writing group (TBD) on paper draft thus far.

Wednesday, Sept. 23 NO CLASS

Week 5

Monday, Sept. 28

  • Prezi on rhetorical strategies
  • exchange papers in pairs and answers questions on projector
  • discuss papers
  • share in a large group about what you discussed
  • Discuss Straub piece and Fletcher blog
  • Assignment for next class: Revise your essay (final draft due next class).

Wednesday, Sept. 30

  • Creative Non-Fiction essay due before class in your Google Drive folder.
  • Watch Best Years of Our Lives (1946) (available in DVD through CUNY Grad Center) and discuss in light of readings thus far.
  • Assignment for next class: Read Art Spiegelman’s Maus (1973), chapters 1-3. Maus group prepare for discussion lead.

 Week 6

Monday, Oct. 5

  • Discuss Maus
  • Show WWII slides WWII pics. Do a little bit of free writing.
  • WWII poemWWII poem
  • Discuss film thread
  • prezi for rhetorical strategies
  • Assignment for next class: Read over Reflective Annotated Bibliography assignment and be prepared with questions [RefAnnBib]: RefAnnBib

Wednesday, Oct. 7

  • Discuss Film Thread: Critical analysis prep
  • prezi for rhetorical strategies
  • Discuss Critical Analysis essay assignment: CriticalAnalysis15
  • WWII poem and free write
  • Assignment for 10/14: Read Maus, Ch. 4-end. Reading available as link to ebook on Ereserve; Maus group 2,  prepare for discussion lead.

Week 7

Monday, Oct. 12 NO CLASS

Wednesday, Oct. 14

  • Open discussion on Maus and return to discussion question of group 1–does anyone feel differently about the comic form, having reached now the end of the book?
  • Discuss leads, Maus 2
  • Fortunoff Archives
  • Meet with writer’s group (I have assigned them) Writers’ Groups
  • Assignment for next class:
  • Read Richpoem, “Eastern War Time” and excerpts from Susan Sontag, Regarding the Pain of Others (2004) on ereserve.
  • Rich and Sontag group prepare for discussion lead.

Week 8

Monday, Oct. 19

  • Housekeeping: students who need to see me regarding the first paper– first come, first serve, Wednesday office hours, 2:15-3:30.
  • More than ten minutes late counts as an absence!!
  • Framing for Rich and Sontag: Adrienne Rich and Susan Sontag
  • Discuss Rich and Sontag (discussion leads).
  • My talking points
  • 10 minute writing: Compare_Sontag
  • Discuss Critical Analysis Essay in light of Sontag/Rich and meet with Writing Group–use Rich/Sontag to pursue a sample critical analysis: RichSontag_GroupWork
  • If there is time, look back at WWII photos in light of Sontag’s argument.
  • Hand back writings from class with comments
  • Assignment for next class: Read “What is Academic Writing?” pgs 3-16 in Writing Spaces, Vol. 1. and respond to prompts on course blog; read “I Need You to Say I: Why First Person is Important in College Writing,” pgs 180-190, Writing Spaces, Vol. 1

Wednesday, Oct. 21

  • Discuss readings.
  • Brainstorm for Critical Analysis Essay with your writer’s group
  • Assignment for next class: No formal class meeting; instead you will sign up to meet with Prof. Hammer about your analysis essay. Respond to prompts to prepare for conference.

Week 9

Monday, Oct. 26

  • No formal class meeting; writer’s group conferences with Prof. Hammer.
  • Assignment for next class: Please bring two hard copies to share. You must have revised intro and thesis statement plus 3-4 body paragraphs to participate in peer review.
  • Looking Ahead, Assignment for Monday, Nov. 2: Work on your essay; post draft 1 + Writer’s Letter as page 1 to Google Drive for peer and instructor feedback.

Wednesday, Oct. 28

  • Explain posting of drafts and Writer’s Letter, due next class: Instructions for Writer’s Letter
  • Show student example: Student Example
  • Go over homework from last week (mini lecture).
  • Field Trip?- Let’s vote and plan
  • Peer review Critical Analysis Essays: please bring two hard copies to share. You must have revised intro and thesis statement plus 3-4 body paragraphs to participate in peer review.
  • Assignment for next class: Read Kayla William’s Love My Rifle More Than You (2005) and respond to prompts on course blog. Love My Rifle group prepare for discussion lead.
  • PDF for first part of reading: Williams1

Week 10

Monday, Nov. 2

  • Discuss Readings
  • Iraq documentary:Iraq
  • Assignment for next class: Work on essay

Wednesday, Nov. 4

  • Zach’s link
  • Free writing based on Iraq powerpoint: Iraqpics
  • In-class writing workshop (Richard Lanham’s “Revising for Concision”; “Editing Like a Pro”).
  • Meet with writing groups to brain storm and come up with topics.
  • Assignment for next class: Final revisions on essays; post your final draft + revised Writer’s Letter to your personal class folder in Google Drive by before class, Monday 11/9. Read Wayne Booth, The Craft of Research, Chapters 3 and 4.
    Booth_The Craft of Research

Week 11

Monday, Nov. 9

  • Library Visit with Librarian, Stephen Francoeur
  • Assignment for next class: Make a complete “mind map” and find three sources for your refined topic. Write 3-4 sentences on how each source might be helpful for your research paper.

Wednesday, Nov. 11

  • Go over prompts: RefAnnBib and Paper3_Argument_Assignment
  • Share mind map and sources with your writing group. Begin formulating research questions.
  • Assignment for next class: Work on RefAnnBib, due for Wednesday, 11/25.

Week 12

Monday, Nov. 16

  • Events in France: play by play of Friday night’s events: minute by minute
  • Vigils: vigil
  • General overview of the crisis: Understanding the Syrian Refugee Crisis (read article)
  • The Scale of the Migrant Crisis: Scale
  • Refugees in Paris: refugees in Paris
  • More numbers and statistics: scale
  • What are the goals of Isis?: Isis (read article)
  • Why are young men (mainly men) attracted to Isis?: UN address
  • France Reaction: read article and watch clip: French reaction
  • U.S. Reaction: Read Op-Ed
  • Prospectus assignment description
  • Assignment for next class: Work on Prospectus, due for Monday 11/23

Wednesday, Nov. 18

  • NO CLASS

Week 13

Monday, Nov. 23

  • Go over prospectus in writing groups
  • Assignment for next class: Work on RefAnnBib, due for Wednesday 11/25

Wednesday, Nov 25

  • RefAnnBib is due before class today
  • Practice with summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting directly from others’ work in ethical and rhetorically savvy ways
  • Assignment for next class: Begin first draft of research assignment. Sign up for individual conference with Prof. Hammer in lieu of class Monday.

Week 14

Monday, Nov. 30

  • No formal class meeting; individual conference with Prof. Hammer
  • Assignment for next class: Read other student Research-Based Argument Essays and comment on generic and stylistic elements and strengths and areas for improvement.

Wednesday, Dec. 2

  • Discuss student essays and rubric for assessing your project.
  • Assignment for next class: Work on your essay; draft for review due Monday 12/7 in Google Drive with your Writer’s Letter as page 1.

Week 15

Monday, Dec. 7

  • Assignment for next class: Work on your essay; final draft due Monday, Dec 14.

Wednesday, Dec. 9

  • In-class writing workshop
  • Assignment for next class: Work on your essay; post final draft of your essay to your personal Google Drive folder + revised Writer’s Letter as page 1.

Week 16

Monday, Dec. 14

  • Research-Based Argument Essay due
  • Last class wrap-up