2009 Writing I Class

[Mary Beth Jones]

This forum is for information regarding Mary Beth's Writing I classes for the 2009 spring semester.

I will post your essay assignments here, as well as websites and links for homework use.
You will have 13 essay assignments, including the in-class essay written during the last class.

1. Reasons paragraph
2. Example paragraph
3. Incident paragraph
4. Paragraph using Transitional Expressions
5. Paragraph using Chronological Order & an Incident for development
6. Summary paragraph of a Newspaper article
7. Summary of a magazine article
8. Character sketch of a real-life person
9. Character sketch of a fictional character
10. Biographical essay of a past American President
11. Biographical essay of an African American
12. Research Essay
13. In-class Essay

[Mary Beth Jones]

Wiki's are networking tools for sharing "What I Know I..."

You will need to create and use Wiki's for collaboarative projects with other students.

www.commoncraft.com/video-wikis-plain-english

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 1/12/09


1. 100-word Paragraph using Reasons for development
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Topic: Choose from handout

Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words

Include: at least four (4) prepositional phrases




2. 100 word paragraph using Examples for development
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Topic: Choose from handout

Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words

Include: at least four (4) prepositional phrases




Remember: Do your worksheets and follow paragraph instructions given in class!

Have a fun holiday on MKL Day! I will see you again on Monday, Jan. 26th.

Ms. Mary Beth
CIAS

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 1/26/09


1. 100+ word Paragraph using AN INCIDENT for development
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Topic: __________________________


Make sure you:
q Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle).
q Check your paragraph for unity.
q Make sure that your topic sentence is clearly evident.
q Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words




2. 100+ word paragraph using Transitional Expressions for development
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Topic: _______________________

Make sure you:
Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle).
Check your paragraph for unity.
Make sure that your topic sentence is clearly evident.
Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 02/02/09


1. 250+ word Paragraph using Chronological Order & an Incident for development
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Choose a Topic: __________________________
My Most Embarrassing Moment
Why People have Hobbies
My Most Serious Accident
Why I like to Observe People
A superstitious Practice
How deceit can destroy a friendship
What are the effects of jealousy?

Make sure you:
q Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle),
q Check your paragraph for unity.
q Make sure that your topic sentence is clearly evident.
q Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 109 words



2. Write a Summary paragraph of a Newspaper article of your choice
Remember that it should be about 1/3 the length of the original!
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Title: _______________________

Make sure you:
q Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle).
q Use three transitional expressions.
q Check your paragraph for unity.
q Make sure that your topic sentence is clearly evident.
q Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words
q Staple the Newspaper article to the back of your paragraph/essay

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 02/09/09


1. 200+ word Character Sketch of a real-life character (someone that you know, a character in a movie, a historical figure)
Use sensory details
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Make sure you:
q Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle),
q Check your paragraph for unity.
q Make sure that you use sensory details: vivid verbs, adj’s, adv’s
q Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 109 words



2. Write a Summary paragraph of a Magazine article of your choice
Remember that it should be about 1/3 the length of the original!
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Title: _______________________

Make sure you:
q Include at least three (3) prepositional phrases, one of each verbal phrase (gerund, infinitive, participle).
q Use three transitional expressions.
q Check your paragraph for unity.
q Make sure that your topic sentence is clearly evident.
q Include Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 265 words
q Staple the Magazine article to the back of your paragraph/essay

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 2/23/09


1. 250+ word Character Sketch of a FICTIONAL (made-up) character
Use sensory details
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Check List
m Include: at least three (3) prepositional phrases. Highlight in yellow.
m Include: one of each verbal and/or verbal phrase- gerund, participal, infinitive. Highlight in green.
Ex: Running down the street was the only thing that the frightened boy thought to do. (gerund phrase, used as subject),
m Include: Assonance (repetition of vowel sounds) in a series of 3. Highlight in blue.
Ex: The rain in Spain stays mainly in the plains.
The sailor’s main course stayed on track.
m Check your paragraph for unity.
m Make sure that you use sensory details: vivid verbs, adj’s, adv’s
m Include: Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of your page. Ex: WC: 109 words



2. 250+ word Biography of a past American President
Find out something unusual or interesting about your choice; can you find
an odd fact?
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Check List
m Include: a Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of the page.
Ex: WC: 265 words
m Include: Works Cited page. Where did you get your info? List your books and/or websites.
m Include: a Participle or Participial Phrase. Highlight in green.
Ex: Handing Matt the loaf of bread, the older lady complained about the holes in it.
m Include: 4 Prepositional Phrases, used as adverbs (2) and adjectives (2). Highlight in yellow.

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 3/09/09


1. 300+ word Biographical Essay of an African American
Focus on a character quality that made this person famous or infamous. What was it about their life that stands out?
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Check List
m Include: a Word Count (Go to Tools menu, Click on Word Count) at the bottom of the page.
Ex: WC: 265 words
m Make sure that you use sensory details: vivid verbs, adj’s, adv’s
m Include: one of each verbal and/or verbal phrase- gerund, participal, infinitive. Highlight in green.
Ex: Running down the street was the only thing that the frightened boy thought to do. (gerund phrase, used as subject),
Ex: Handing Matt the loaf of bread, the older lady complained about the
holes in it. (participial phrase, used as adjective)
m Include: 4 Prepositional Phrases, used as adverbs (2) and adjectives (2). Highlight in yellow.
m Include: Works Cited page. Where did you get your info? List your books and/or websites.
m Include: Alliteration (repetition of vowel sounds) and alliteration (repetition of vowel sounds). Highlight in blue.
Ex: The sassy sailors sang a silly diddy on the way back to their ship.
m Read your essay aloud to someone else. Does it flow smoothly? Is it choppy of awkward in parts? If so, fix it!

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 03/23/09


Preparation for your Research Essay:
m Choose a Topic for your Research Essay; choose a topic that you are interested in and would like to know more about. It cannot be one that you already know about.
m Find 4-5 sources of information to use in your essay. These may NOT include Wikipedia. They must include one encyclopedia, one online magazine or newspaper, and several other legitimate sources.
m Prepare your Works Cited Page, listing your sources properly (see examples handed out in class)
m Learn about MLA formatting and parenthetical notation (see samples)
m Prepare and write your Thesis Statement.
m Prepare a Working (Preliminary) Outline for your paper (see sample).

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Format like samples
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Best wishes on testing next week!
Have a great 2-week break. J

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 4/13/09

In Class:
Turn in your chosen Topic & Works Cited Page (4-5 sources listed)
Learn about Thesis Statements, Brainstorming, & Freewriting

Homework:
Preparation for your Research Essay:
m Go to writing2.richmond.edu/WRITING/wweb/thesis.html
and read the article about Thesis Statements. Fill in the Exercise, PRINT, and bring to next class.
m Go to writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/1stqs.html
and read the article on Where To Start a Paper. Fill in the Exercise, PRINT, and bring to next class.
m Did you write your Thesis Statement? Make sure that you avoid the fallacies that we covered in class!
m Have you turned in your Works Cited Page yet? If not, please do so this week (info taught/given out on 3/23)!

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Have a great week! Remember that at this point in the class, if you do not turn in your homework on time, ten (10) points will be taken off the grade.
Ms. Mary Beth

[Mary Beth Jones]

Catch up week!

Rather than give you new assignments this week, I would like you to catch up on any assignments that you have missed or not completed. Check the previous assignment lists and make sure that all the essays are complete!

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 4/27/09

In Class:
Turn in your Outline, Works Cited, Thesis Statement (if you haven’t already)
Relevant Titles
Brainstorming
Freewriting

Homework:
Write the rough draft of your Research Essay paper this week.
Be sure to do the following:
1. m Use the sources that you have chosen- paraphrasing (as much as you want), summarizing (as much as you want), and direct quotes (no more than 5).
2. m Follow the Outline that you created to stay organized: Introduction, 2-3 Body paragraphs, Conclusion
3. m Include your Thesis Statement into the introductory paragraph.
4. m Include the proper title at the top of the first page.
5. m Include your Works Cited page as the last page.
6. E-mail your rough draft to Ms. Mary Beth by Friday at midnight. [e-mail]

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Have a great week. J Remember to turn in your assignments on time!
Ms. Mary Beth

[Mary Beth Jones]

Essay Assignment for Week of 5/4/09

In Class:
Review of Rough Drafts
Fellow student critiques
Review of MLA formatting, evaluation of college argumentative paper
Intro to “In-Class Essays”


Homework:
Edit the rough draft of your Research Essay paper this week.
Be sure to do the following:
1. Use Parenthetical Notation to reference your sources! Correlate your Notations with your Works Cited page.
2. Pay attention to the editing marks that I have given your submitted papers. You will receive them back by e-mail attachment tomorrow (Tues) with red marks & corrections. Edit your Rough Draft again!
3. If you have not already done so, create a page with your heading, Thesis Statement and Outline; print and turn in.
4. Submit your 2nd Rough Draft & Outline page by e-mail to [e-mail] by Friday, May 8th @ midnight.
5. Bring a printed copy of your Final Rough Draft to class on Monday.
6. Research/read this website to prepare yourself for the In-Class Essay assignment on May 18th:
www.enotes.com/topics/how-write-class-essay

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Have a great week. Remember to turn in your assignments on time! Only two more weeks to go!!!

Ms. Mary Beth