Here's a rough outline of what I thought could help under prepared students adjust. I still want to shift some ideas around but I couldn't quite decide on what to move where. I wanted to keep the reading strategies relatively close together so students retain as much information as possible, but then I felt like the grammar exercises were too spread apart. I think it's a relatively good balance focusing on both reading and writing.
Week 1: Self-narrative and assessment
Cover general study skills needed to succeed in college
Week 2: Grammar!
Practice Christensen rhetoric
Week 3: Reading strategies (pre-reading)
In-class reading to practice
Week 4: Topic sentences
Paragraphs
Week 5: Reading strategies (during reading)
In-class reading and practice annotating
Week 6: Simple Writing Assignment Due
In-class reading and discussion
Week 7: Reading strategies (post reading)
Assigned reading and respond
Week 8: Thesis statements
Read an argumentative piece and take a position
Week 9: Grammar
Imitation writing exercises
Week 10: Essay 1 Due
In-class reading and discussion
Week 11: Incorporating textual evidence
Citing evidence
Week 12: Grammar
Sentence combining exercises
Week 13: Assigned reading
Respond to the reading
Week 14: Peer review essays
Week 15: Essay 2 Due
In-class reading and response
Week 16: Self-reflective piece in class
I like how you designed the course to start out with a self-narrative piece, and you end it with a self-relflective piece. This shows the students the progression of where they came from to where they are when the course ends.
ReplyDeleteI think your layout of the course is great. In one look, I can visually see how your course is laid out. I much prefer to read this than a full on paragraph on how you would set up your 16 week course. Also, if I were to see a syllabus like this, I would want to stay in your class! I have seen some other syllabi that are grammar heavy but your class seems low stress. Great way to motivate students!
ReplyDeleteI always complain that students don't get enough grammar, but when I saw it listed during your second week of school, my reaction was, "so early?" But I think you're absolutely right to talk about it early, because it's integral to writing. I wonder whether having mini-lessons each week would be more productive, than having a whole week of grammar in Weeks 2 and 9. I'll have to go back and look at the Christensen approach.
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