Essay 1   Schools and Education:  Case Study or Synthesis of Research      

A Personal Essay and Essay 1 Draft on School Experiences: 
What comes to mind when you think about “my school experiences” or “my education in schools”? 
Consider such questions: What experiences (yours or others/) do you remember best and why? 
What classes, projects, activities, extracurriculars were important to you and why?  What did you learn best and why? 
What school influences (teachers, coaches, classmates, friends, class projects, activities, tests etc)
had an impact on your motivation, learning, or self-concept?
Did your teachers set and enforce high standards or seem ineffective? 
What about school made you happy, proud, disappointed, and why? Did you work hard or not, & why? 
Did you have blocks or fears, & how did you overcome them? 
Has school given you a sense of power or lack of control?

 Essay 1: Choose a topic and write an informative essay about school and education, based on your own and
our class’s experiences and Writing in the Disciplines as well as other readings or original research (interview/survey). 
           *Write as a social scientist, journalist, or individual explaining to a general audience
           *Aim for about 700-900 words (3-4 pages, 1 ½ or double spacing, 6-8 paragraphs).
           *Include 3-4 APA credit notes (quote & paraphrase) & APA References list of 2-3 sources (WiD required)
           *Evaluation is based on Essay Guidelines and Criteria in your ENG 105 Writing Guide, p.1.

Topic 1  Write a case study with analysis essay (like “A Day in the Life”): tell and explain your (and perhaps others’) 
good and/or bad school experience/s, then analyze what your case(s) reveal about conditions in today’s schools:
values,  policies, problems, successes.  In your intro & your analysis section, refer to WiD essay(s) & the “Schools” handout.
        OR
Topic 2  Write a synthesis of research essay (like “Myth 5: Self Esteem”) on an issue suggested in your personal essay draft
 (or someone else’s).  You may draw upon your experiences, experiences mentioned by classmates, field research
(interview or survey), and/or published research (from WiD and web sites). 
Your issue may be high standards, classes, projects, homework, identity/self-esteem, testing, motivation, learning style differences
(by race, income, gender), peer interactions, teaching styles, etc.
Discuss current trends, myth vs. reality, benefits, problems, causes, or solutions, etc.
       OR
Topic 3  Write a  comparison essay:   Drawing on school experiences--yours, other people’s, information in readings--
compare and contrast (similar &/or different or one is better &/or worse) two schools, two types of schools,
or school experiences of boys verses girls, or two ethnic groups, etc. 
Comment on benefits, problems, coping strategies, etc., or explore why there is difference, advantage, change.
 

Class Schedule       Bring to class:   SF Writer, Writing in the Disciplines, folders, handouts, all work( printed)

Wed. Aug. 25
read WiD Botstein 472 and this page & mark 2-3 places in the readings that interest you; then
write & send by your uncp e-mail 1 page of comments about your school experiences: see below
class: more prewriting: response to readings, mapping/clustering  (SF Writer ch. 2-3)

Fri.  Aug. 27  Dial 149 lab (bring computer disk)
bring in folder: 2 more pages with 2 [new] types of  prewriting about specific school experiences
class:  focused prewriting and planning for topic, thesis, content, organization  (SFW  ch. 4-5)

Mon.  Aug. 30
due: a plan and a 500-word personal essay about experiences (in folder with all prewriting)
class: WiD 331-5  Social Sciences methods and genres: research reports & case study
          and draft workshop: share experiences, plan to revise your draft for a social science essay

Wed.  Sep. 1
read McQuillan“A Day in the Life of Rafael Jackson” WiD 475-88 (case study) and
        write answers to four questions on 489:  Reading for Information #1 & 3 and Reading for Form etc #1 & 2
class: critical reading for writing (WiD ch.1, 5-15)

Fri.   Sep. 3 
read one WiD essay and answer your group’s critique questions (see Critique handout):
    Steele“Educating Black Students”90-98 (theory) OR “Myth 5:Self-Esteem”514-20 (synthesis)
class: groups discuss essays and critiques, present to class;  intro to quote, paraphrase, credit (WiD 16, 30)

Wed. Sep. 8
prepare for group presentation and skim read the other essay (Steele or Myth);
class: essay reports and discussion of essays; use quote & paraphrase w. APA credit

Fri Sep.  10
bring, for Schools Essay: choose topic, write 2-3 paragraphs of a new draft, all earlier writing
class: revision workshop: plans for intro, thesis, organization, APA References & notes

Mon Sep 13
due in folder: new draft for Schools essay, with one extra copy (and all earlier work)
class: peer revision workshop  analyze thesis, organization, information, notes from sources

Wed Sep 15    no class: group conferences: bring two cop(ies) of your newest draft

Fri. Sep 17    Dial 149   
class:  Schools Essays:  revisions and reflection (bring essay, disk, & materials)

Mon.  Sep.20
Schools Essay Due in folder with all stages/responses, disk, and a copy of any source not in WiD.