Greetings.
For those who missed class on Monday, you will need to print out the handout below. We began discussion of its contents and got through only Step One, Pre Reading. Please bring this handout to class until we complete our discussion. You will want to get notes from a student who was present on Monday.
English
CSUS
Prof. Fraga
How to Critically Read an Essay
Educated adults exist in a delusional state, thinking we can read.
In a most basic sense, we can.
However, odds are, some of us cannot read, at least not as well as we would like.
Too many college students are capable of only some types of reading and that becomes painfully clear when they read a difficult text and must respond critically about it.
Intelligence and a keen memory are excellent traits and most students have learned to read in a certain way that is only useful for extracting information. Thus, students are often fairly well skilled in providing summary.
However, the act of reading to extract information and to read critically are vastly different!
The current educational system in American primary schools (and many colleges) heavily emphasizes the first type of reading and de-emphasizes the latter.
In many ways, THIS MAKES SENSE.
Reading to extract information allows a student to absorb the raw materials of factual information as quickly as possible. It is a type of reading we all must engage in frequently. However, each type of reading calls for different mental habits. If we do not learn to adjust from one type of reading to another when necessary, we cripple our intellectual abilities to read critically.
DIFFERENCES BETWEEN READING TO EXTRACT INFORMATION AND READING CRITICALLY.
1. They have different goals. When students read to extract information, usually they seek facts and presume the source is accurate. No argument is required. On the other hand, when students read critically, they try to determine the quality of the argument. The reader must be open-minded and skeptical all at once, constantly adjusting the degree of personal belief in relation to the quality of the essay’s argument.
2. They require different types of discipline. If students read to learn raw data, the most efficient way to learn is repetition. If students read critically, the most effective technique may be to break the essay up into logical subdivisions and analyze each section’s argument, to restate the argument in other words, and then to expand upon or question the findings.
3. They require different mental activity. If a student reads to gain information, a certain degree of absorption, memorization and passivity is necessary. If a student is engaged in reading critically, that student must be active!!! He or she must be prepared to pre-read the essay, then read it closely for content, and re-read it if it isn’t clear how the author is reaching the conclusion in the argument.
4. They create different results. Passive reading to absorb information can create a student who (if not precisely well read) has read a great many books. It creates what many call “book-smarts.” However, critical reading involves original, innovative thinking.
5. They differ in the degree of understanding they require. Reading for information is more basic, and reading critically is the more advanced of the two because only critical reading equates with full understanding.
ULTIMATELY, WHAT WE WANT IS THE CONSCIOUS CONTROL OF OUR READING SKILLS, SO WE CAN MOVE BACK AND FORTH AMIDST THE VARIOUS TYPES OF READING.
FIVE GENERAL STAGES OF READING
1. Pre-Reading—examining the text and preparing to read it effectively (5 minutes)
2. Interpretive Reading—understanding what the author argues, what the author concludes, and exactly how he or she reached that conclusion.
3. Critical Reading—questioning, examining and expanding upon what the author says with your own arguments. Skeptical reading does not mean doubting everything your read.
4. Synoptic Reading—putting the author’s argument in a larger context by considering a synopsis of that reading or argument in conjunction with synopses of other readings or arguments.
5. Post-Reading—ensuring that you won’t forget your new insights.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Tuesday evening, March 22, 2011
Greetings...
I hope the break from classes this week is going wonderfully for you.
As you will note on your course outline, Reading Packets 1 & 2 are due to be read by Wednesday of next week, March 30th.
Packet One is an article titled "The Magic of the Family Meal." It can be found at the link below. Be sure to read the entire article...it is four pages long.
"The Magic of the Family Meal"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html
Packet Two is an article titled "Down & Out in Fresno and San Francisco" and can be found at the link below.
"Down & Out in Fresno and San Francisco"
http://www.esquire.com/features/down-and-out-0709
Be sure to print out both articles and bring to class on Wednesday.
I hope the break from classes this week is going wonderfully for you.
As you will note on your course outline, Reading Packets 1 & 2 are due to be read by Wednesday of next week, March 30th.
Packet One is an article titled "The Magic of the Family Meal." It can be found at the link below. Be sure to read the entire article...it is four pages long.
"The Magic of the Family Meal"
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1200760,00.html
Packet Two is an article titled "Down & Out in Fresno and San Francisco" and can be found at the link below.
"Down & Out in Fresno and San Francisco"
http://www.esquire.com/features/down-and-out-0709
Be sure to print out both articles and bring to class on Wednesday.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Sunday, March 13, 2011--- 12 noon
Greetings,
below are copies of two handouts I distributed and discussed last week in class.
1. A sample paragraph illustrating how MLA in-text citations work in an essay.
2. An explanation of how one paraphrases research and weaves that information into an essay.
Also, please be prepared to share your essay topic with the class tomorrow. In other words, you should definitely have made a decision on your essay topic for Out of Class Essay 2 by tomorrow in class.
See you then!
***********************************************
MLA In-text citations
Sample paragraph from an English 1A research essay:
The history of the debutante ball and a young girl’s coming out to society dates back as far as the early 1800s (McCormick 18). Daughters of very wealthy parents who were between the ages of sixteen and eighteen were introduced into the world of dating when their parents planned a party focused just on their daughter. It was a way to inform everyone in their circle of socially ‘acceptable’ people that their daughters were eligible to be courted (Samson 21-22). Daughters had no choice; they were obligated to go along with their parents’ wishes for a coming out party, even if they had no interest or desire (McCormick 42). According to a journal entry published in the book, The Journals of Emily St. Clare, 1875 – 1899, and edited by Rosemary Sparks, many girls begged their parents not to put them through such a social ordeal: “For weeks, I pleaded with father not to spend the time or money on such a frivolous event. I would much rather he spent more money on books for my personal library” (64). Certainly the ritual of coming out has a long tradition, yet in the past as well as currently, some young women gravitate towards the celebration and some despise it.
*******************************************************************
English 1A
FROM SOURCE TO ESSAY
Topic: Joining a Girl Gang as a Rite of Passage
Thesis Statement: In the past, as a rite of passage, young girls joined gangs in order to develop self-esteem; however, most girl gangs today are less friendly and more competitive among members.
Bibliography Card (3”x5”):
Vida, Vendela. Girls on the Verge: Debutante Dips, Drive-bys, and Other Initiations.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Print.
Note Card (4”x6”):
Vida 89
Initiation into the Bentral Valley Bloods(B.V.B.), a girl gang in Central Valley of CA:
initiate gets “jumped in”
• has to walk down a line with sixteen girls on each side of her, beating her
• has to sleep with a male gang member
In Text Citation
In the Central Valley of California, there are several girl gangs, including the Bentral Valley Bloods (B.V.B.). In order to become a member, each initiate must be “jumped in.” This rite of passage initiation requires the girl to walk down a line with sixteen girls on each side of her, who beat her continuously. She must also sleep with a male gang member (Vida 89).
below are copies of two handouts I distributed and discussed last week in class.
1. A sample paragraph illustrating how MLA in-text citations work in an essay.
2. An explanation of how one paraphrases research and weaves that information into an essay.
Also, please be prepared to share your essay topic with the class tomorrow. In other words, you should definitely have made a decision on your essay topic for Out of Class Essay 2 by tomorrow in class.
See you then!
***********************************************
MLA In-text citations
Sample paragraph from an English 1A research essay:
The history of the debutante ball and a young girl’s coming out to society dates back as far as the early 1800s (McCormick 18). Daughters of very wealthy parents who were between the ages of sixteen and eighteen were introduced into the world of dating when their parents planned a party focused just on their daughter. It was a way to inform everyone in their circle of socially ‘acceptable’ people that their daughters were eligible to be courted (Samson 21-22). Daughters had no choice; they were obligated to go along with their parents’ wishes for a coming out party, even if they had no interest or desire (McCormick 42). According to a journal entry published in the book, The Journals of Emily St. Clare, 1875 – 1899, and edited by Rosemary Sparks, many girls begged their parents not to put them through such a social ordeal: “For weeks, I pleaded with father not to spend the time or money on such a frivolous event. I would much rather he spent more money on books for my personal library” (64). Certainly the ritual of coming out has a long tradition, yet in the past as well as currently, some young women gravitate towards the celebration and some despise it.
*******************************************************************
English 1A
FROM SOURCE TO ESSAY
Topic: Joining a Girl Gang as a Rite of Passage
Thesis Statement: In the past, as a rite of passage, young girls joined gangs in order to develop self-esteem; however, most girl gangs today are less friendly and more competitive among members.
Bibliography Card (3”x5”):
Vida, Vendela. Girls on the Verge: Debutante Dips, Drive-bys, and Other Initiations.
New York: St. Martin’s Press, 1999. Print.
Note Card (4”x6”):
Vida 89
Initiation into the Bentral Valley Bloods(B.V.B.), a girl gang in Central Valley of CA:
initiate gets “jumped in”
• has to walk down a line with sixteen girls on each side of her, beating her
• has to sleep with a male gang member
In Text Citation
In the Central Valley of California, there are several girl gangs, including the Bentral Valley Bloods (B.V.B.). In order to become a member, each initiate must be “jumped in.” This rite of passage initiation requires the girl to walk down a line with sixteen girls on each side of her, who beat her continuously. She must also sleep with a male gang member (Vida 89).
Friday, March 11, 2011
Friday afternoon, March 8, 2011
Greetings...
below is a copy of the take home quiz I distributed and explained on Wednesday.
I will post copies of the other handouts I distributed later this weekend. If you did miss class on Wednesday, please be sure to get notes from a fellow student. One of the handouts I do not have on my computer so I will not able to post it here. We covered a LOT of material. It was an especially bad day to miss. Be safe and enjoy your weekend.
(note: when I copied and pasted this quiz onto the blog, the example now does not indicate the second line tabbed in, but of course YOU know that second and consecutive lines are tabbed in! :-)...)
Name____________________________________________English 1A, Section_______
Quiz, 100 points, MLA Documentation
TAKE HOME QUIZ…DUE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
PLEASE TYPE THIS ASSIGNMENT.
DIRECTIONS: This is an open book test. YOU NEED NOT ARRANGE THESE WORKS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. JUST COMPLETE EACH ONE IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
EXAMPLE: An article titled “College Students Egg Professor’s House in Protest.” It is written by Joe Shmo and published in a magazine called College Life in California. It is on pages 12-15 and was published in the September 2010 issue.
Shmo, Joe. “College Students Egg Professor’s House in Protest.” College Life in California September 2010: 12-15. Print.
1. A book by Jane Lee and Thomas Soho. The title of the book is The Joy of Gardening. It was written in 2005 and published by Cookbooks, Inc. in Boston.
2. A film/DVD titled The War at Home. It was directed by Emilio Estevez and the screenplay was written by James Duff. It was produced in 2000 by Touchstone Pictures. Lead performances were by Kathy Bates, Martin Sheen, Kimberly Williams and Emilio Estevez.
3. A story titled “The Good Twin and the Bad Twin.” It is published in an anthology titled American Indian Myths and Legends and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. It is published by Pantheon Books located in New York. It was published in 1984.
4. A pamphlet published by the United States Dept. of the Interior. The title of the pamphlet is The Issue of Voter Registration in the Hawaiian Islands. It was published in Washington by GPO and there is no date given for the year of publication.
5. An advertisement for Solgar Vitamins. This advertisement is in Cooking Light magazine, in the April 1997 issue on page 77.
6. An article in the Sacramento News & Review titled “Something about Mary.” It can be found on page 15 in the November 5, 2009 issue. The author is Cosmo Garvin.
7. An article you found online (on the web) titled “The Ten Best Ways to Study for a Test.” It is written by Suzy Smarty and was found on the website College Rocks.com and was originally published in Esquire magazine, in the April-May 2008 issue. You viewed this article on the 16 of October 2009.
8. An e-mail sent to you by Catherine Fraga on the 12 of October 2009. The subject line was “You have missed WAY too many classes!”
9. An article titled “How to Eat Smart for a Healthy Heart.” It is published in Eating Well magazine and there is no author given. It is published in the January 1999 issue on pages 17-22.
10. A book titled Carolina Moon by Jill McCorkle and published by Algonquin Books in 1996, located in New York.
EXTRA CREDIT (optional) Each correct answer is worth 1 point.
A note card without a ___________________________is useless.
According to Prof. Fraga’s method of collecting research, all note cards should be on what size index card?___________
According to Prof. Fraga’s method of collecting research, all bibliography cards should be on what size index card?___________
below is a copy of the take home quiz I distributed and explained on Wednesday.
I will post copies of the other handouts I distributed later this weekend. If you did miss class on Wednesday, please be sure to get notes from a fellow student. One of the handouts I do not have on my computer so I will not able to post it here. We covered a LOT of material. It was an especially bad day to miss. Be safe and enjoy your weekend.
(note: when I copied and pasted this quiz onto the blog, the example now does not indicate the second line tabbed in, but of course YOU know that second and consecutive lines are tabbed in! :-)...)
Name____________________________________________English 1A, Section_______
Quiz, 100 points, MLA Documentation
TAKE HOME QUIZ…DUE ON WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16
PLEASE TYPE THIS ASSIGNMENT.
DIRECTIONS: This is an open book test. YOU NEED NOT ARRANGE THESE WORKS IN ALPHABETICAL ORDER. JUST COMPLETE EACH ONE IN NUMERICAL ORDER.
EXAMPLE: An article titled “College Students Egg Professor’s House in Protest.” It is written by Joe Shmo and published in a magazine called College Life in California. It is on pages 12-15 and was published in the September 2010 issue.
Shmo, Joe. “College Students Egg Professor’s House in Protest.” College Life in California September 2010: 12-15. Print.
1. A book by Jane Lee and Thomas Soho. The title of the book is The Joy of Gardening. It was written in 2005 and published by Cookbooks, Inc. in Boston.
2. A film/DVD titled The War at Home. It was directed by Emilio Estevez and the screenplay was written by James Duff. It was produced in 2000 by Touchstone Pictures. Lead performances were by Kathy Bates, Martin Sheen, Kimberly Williams and Emilio Estevez.
3. A story titled “The Good Twin and the Bad Twin.” It is published in an anthology titled American Indian Myths and Legends and edited by Richard Erdoes and Alfonso Ortiz. It is published by Pantheon Books located in New York. It was published in 1984.
4. A pamphlet published by the United States Dept. of the Interior. The title of the pamphlet is The Issue of Voter Registration in the Hawaiian Islands. It was published in Washington by GPO and there is no date given for the year of publication.
5. An advertisement for Solgar Vitamins. This advertisement is in Cooking Light magazine, in the April 1997 issue on page 77.
6. An article in the Sacramento News & Review titled “Something about Mary.” It can be found on page 15 in the November 5, 2009 issue. The author is Cosmo Garvin.
7. An article you found online (on the web) titled “The Ten Best Ways to Study for a Test.” It is written by Suzy Smarty and was found on the website College Rocks.com and was originally published in Esquire magazine, in the April-May 2008 issue. You viewed this article on the 16 of October 2009.
8. An e-mail sent to you by Catherine Fraga on the 12 of October 2009. The subject line was “You have missed WAY too many classes!”
9. An article titled “How to Eat Smart for a Healthy Heart.” It is published in Eating Well magazine and there is no author given. It is published in the January 1999 issue on pages 17-22.
10. A book titled Carolina Moon by Jill McCorkle and published by Algonquin Books in 1996, located in New York.
EXTRA CREDIT (optional) Each correct answer is worth 1 point.
A note card without a ___________________________is useless.
According to Prof. Fraga’s method of collecting research, all note cards should be on what size index card?___________
According to Prof. Fraga’s method of collecting research, all bibliography cards should be on what size index card?___________
Monday, March 7, 2011
Monday, March 7, 6 pm
Greetings...
below is a copy of the out of class essay #2 assignment that was distributed in class today.
Also, just a reminder to bring your Rules of Thumb text for Wednesday, as we will have our third and last quiz on Rules of Thumb.
Cheers!
English 1A, Section 11
Spring 2011
Course Theme: The Significance of Home
Instructor: C. Fraga
Out of Class Essay Assignment #2 (worth 200 points total)
Assigned: Monday, March 7
ROUGH DRAFT: If you wish to have me review a rough draft of this assignment, please submit it to me NO LATER Monday, March 28.
Due: Monday, April 4
(YOU HAVE FOUR WEEKS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND WRITE YOUR ESSAY…PLAN YOUR TIME ACCORDINGLY)
• Essay must follow MLA format exactly.
• Essay must be typed and double spaced.
• Do not write a formulaic five paragraph essay.
• Essay must have a minimum of five sources on the Works Cited page. You are welcome to use the Internet for sources, but at least one of your sources cannot be found on the Internet (for example, use a book, watch a film, conduct an interview, etc.)
• You may certainly utilize the Wikipedia website to gain background information and to locate reference sites, but you may not use it as one of your documented sources on the Works Cited page.
• You must submit the essay as instructed in class—please record the requirements during the discussion.
Essay Prompt:
• For this essay, you will first select a group of people from another culture/country that you are genuinely interested in finding out more about.
• You will then conduct research in order to discover and then write about at least three significant ways in which someone from this culture/country must adapt to life in the United States.
• You will then begin by writing a thesis that is assertive and debatable.
For example, imagine that you selected the adaptation of the Hmong once they arrive in the US. After conducting some research, you decide to present information on male and female roles in marriage, religious practices and diet as the three areas of adjustment you feel are most significant and would make the most interesting reading.
Your thesis might read something like the following:
Hundreds of Hmong people immigrate to the United States every year and face many difficult challenges, particularly in the areas of religious practices, changes in diet and male/female roles within a marriage.
(An essay that asks you to address a topic such as this one would be difficult to complete in less than five or six pages, approximately.)
below is a copy of the out of class essay #2 assignment that was distributed in class today.
Also, just a reminder to bring your Rules of Thumb text for Wednesday, as we will have our third and last quiz on Rules of Thumb.
Cheers!
English 1A, Section 11
Spring 2011
Course Theme: The Significance of Home
Instructor: C. Fraga
Out of Class Essay Assignment #2 (worth 200 points total)
Assigned: Monday, March 7
ROUGH DRAFT: If you wish to have me review a rough draft of this assignment, please submit it to me NO LATER Monday, March 28.
Due: Monday, April 4
(YOU HAVE FOUR WEEKS TO CONDUCT RESEARCH AND WRITE YOUR ESSAY…PLAN YOUR TIME ACCORDINGLY)
• Essay must follow MLA format exactly.
• Essay must be typed and double spaced.
• Do not write a formulaic five paragraph essay.
• Essay must have a minimum of five sources on the Works Cited page. You are welcome to use the Internet for sources, but at least one of your sources cannot be found on the Internet (for example, use a book, watch a film, conduct an interview, etc.)
• You may certainly utilize the Wikipedia website to gain background information and to locate reference sites, but you may not use it as one of your documented sources on the Works Cited page.
• You must submit the essay as instructed in class—please record the requirements during the discussion.
Essay Prompt:
• For this essay, you will first select a group of people from another culture/country that you are genuinely interested in finding out more about.
• You will then conduct research in order to discover and then write about at least three significant ways in which someone from this culture/country must adapt to life in the United States.
• You will then begin by writing a thesis that is assertive and debatable.
For example, imagine that you selected the adaptation of the Hmong once they arrive in the US. After conducting some research, you decide to present information on male and female roles in marriage, religious practices and diet as the three areas of adjustment you feel are most significant and would make the most interesting reading.
Your thesis might read something like the following:
Hundreds of Hmong people immigrate to the United States every year and face many difficult challenges, particularly in the areas of religious practices, changes in diet and male/female roles within a marriage.
(An essay that asks you to address a topic such as this one would be difficult to complete in less than five or six pages, approximately.)
Friday, March 4, 2011
Friday late afternoon, March 4, 2011
Greetings...
wishing you a very enjoyable and safe weekend.
For Monday, please remember to bring your Rules of Thumb text. The quiz will be open book.
Also for Monday, please view the following two videos on youtube. (Part 1 and Part 2) Together the viewing will take about 20 minutes. You are welcomed to take notes if you wish.
Ms. Divakaruni talks about how she became a writer as well as how she got some of her ideas for her short stories (in Arranged Marriage) and she reads from her first novel, The Mistress of Spices.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOrmaxMUa9U&feature=related
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGXkY_Vf6E
wishing you a very enjoyable and safe weekend.
For Monday, please remember to bring your Rules of Thumb text. The quiz will be open book.
Also for Monday, please view the following two videos on youtube. (Part 1 and Part 2) Together the viewing will take about 20 minutes. You are welcomed to take notes if you wish.
Ms. Divakaruni talks about how she became a writer as well as how she got some of her ideas for her short stories (in Arranged Marriage) and she reads from her first novel, The Mistress of Spices.
Part 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOrmaxMUa9U&feature=related
Part 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONGXkY_Vf6E
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)