…by popular demand:

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Thanks for the input, guys. I’ve placed a copy of the syllabus on WinsomeWiki, so I can edit it as needed throughout the semester, because plans always change.

Ellen and Okie—the (relatively) modern works you mentioned would be great for World Literature and Brit Lit, as well as the connections we’ll make to our primary texts. Keep ‘em coming! I’m trying to keep our required reading sources before 1000CE, though that may change as the semester progresses.

Let me know what you think.

I’ll port more syllabi as they become publishable.

I hope the overview in class was clear, but in case it wasn’t, here’s a primer:

• Heading your paper (link to AP site).  The link also provides an example of in-text citations, margins, and headings.
• MLA format guide at OWL at Purdue.  Most of you will be using the “book” and “online periodical” sections.
• Works cited page (click to make larger):

• Keep in mind that the entire document should be 12pt Times New Roman, double-spaced.  To make sure: after you finish your paper, save it, hit ctrl+A, right click the text, then hit “Paragraph.”  The line spacing option should say “double”, and the spacing before and after should read “0”.  Hit “OK,” then (with the text still highlighted) check the text size and font boxes to ensure they read “12” and “Times New Roman,” respectively.  If not, or if they’re blank, fix them.
• 
• You’re all set!  Send me a copy tonight if you want me to look it over, but don’t depend on me to do your final editing.  I won’t have access to a computer all night.

[This post was WinsomeWiki’d on 4 Jul. 2009.]

Today we began watching Maxed Out, a 2006 expository documentary on American debt.  As we watch, take note of how the argument is presented, keeping in mind the various elements that make up the movie:

• Audio
  • Spoken
  • Background
  • Soundtrack
• Video
  • Shot composition
  • Shot
  • Mise en scene
  • Camera placement
  • Framing
  • Subject arrangement
  • Camera angles
• Written
  • Title
  • Labels
  • Subtitles

We will discuss articles tomorrow and finish up the movie on Wednesday.  You will be analyzing the film (as you would an article) on Friday.

[BTW, Rope was filmed in ten shots—not bad for an eighty minute film.]

[Also, there was no mention of a kangaroo in the seven-year-old’s “rampage” at the zoo in Australia…]

[This post was WinsomeWiki’d on 5 Jul. 2009.]

Here are some (legible) notes from our discussion in class.  While we are going to be using these steps to create newspaper/magazine articles, the process is the same for coming up with a topic for just about any type of nonfiction writing.

• Choose your topic.  It should be something you’re interested in, something you have a question about.
• Research your topic. As you go, make sure you have a solid understanding of your topic. If you don’t understand your topic, you are likely to confuse or put off your audience.
  • Take notes, mark up your book, look up other sources, mark them up.  This step is important.  You’ll thank yourself later if you do this.
  • As you consume, ask questions of the work:
    • Am I a cockroach?  Does the author’s comparison work?
    • Is radio really irrelevant?  Does music really make commercials better?
    • Where are video games headed?
    • Why do people go to Disney World?
    • Where can I buy one? [Okay, that last one would be a short article.
  • These questions will become the “prompt” for your essay.  The great thing about it is that you can change your question if the answer seems obvious or the answer would take too long to come up with.  [Avoid “What is the meaning of life,” for example.  (Unless your answer is “42.”  Wait, that’s too short.)]
  • After you find your question, begin thinking about a possible answer.  Read through your notes, look for other sources, and talk with friends that know something about your topic, and some that don’t.  The first group can help clarify and help with ideas, while the second can ask questions and check your understanding.
  • Begin writing your article.

  We’ll talk about the last steps tomorrow.

[This post was WinsomeWiki’d on 5 Jul. 2009.]