Readings

syllabus readings   HOMEWork - Click image to download. T. Bob's homepage

     

NEW! VISUAL ARGUMENT ASSIGNMENT

Link to chapter on Conducting Visual Argument

 

MEMOIR

sketching

http://chronicle.uchicago.edu/020711/hillocks.shtml

personal narrative prompts

THE Personal Narrative Assignment explained

assignment guidelines

the assignment and help

ideas to help start writing

group critique for personal narrative

CRITIQUE

ideas to help you revise

a rubric to help evaluate features of your essay(this is not the teacher's grading sheet

grammar review for essay 1

autobiography--from Mary Karr's "The Liar's

 Club"

The 95000 Bank error-a gripping first person story told in series form

 

HOMELESS ON CHRISTMAS, a personal narrative

Jamaica Kincaid's "voyage through literature

GRAMMAR/STYLE
Jack Lynch's wonderful guide to grammar and style (knotty questions answered HERE)

PowerPoint Presentations

help and exercises for almost  every technical aspect of composition and mechanics

what I think about when I think about grades

 

EXPLAINING CONCEPTS

Sarah Vowell explains the concept of Patriotism

PJO'Rourke explains the concept of "money"

intro to concept group exercise

definitions

definition assignment

drafting  your concept paper

CRITIQUE for concept paper

MLA citations simplified

a brief guide to internal citations

works cited exercise from Grinnell College

INVENTION STRATEGIES:

topical invention

cubing 

dialoguing

Integrating outside sources

Anne Lamott's "Shitty First Drafts" or, a helpful reading on writing process

 

observational essay

Bunnyburgers: an observational essay using field research

About observation

tips for interview (this is media focused and the English is poor, but there's a lot of good advice you can use

how to interview

more interview tips

how not to conduct an interview

 journalist explains what makes a good profile

nytimes advice for profilers

journalists explain what makes a good profile

an editor's talk on profiles

critique of profile

starting to write your observational essay

reflecting on the social dimension of your profile

 

 

a process for writing a response

an exercise in understanding context (discourse that surrounds a language unit and helps to determine its interpretation )

topics for position/evaluation/cause speculation/solution papers

help for justifying an evaluation

help speculating about cause/effect

help proposing a solution

help arguing a position

2. An argument to analyze

3. Complete series of argument exercises

Sample argument:

 

Guide to logical fallacies

 

exercise in logical fallacies

http://bcs.bedfordstmartins.com/theguide/