practice exit exam, knapp discussion for extra credit, and Wed. 12/9

You need be aware of some procedures for the Practice Exit Exam this upcoming Monday to ensure you can make the most of the allotted 75 min. time period.

Upon arriving in class Monday immediately approach my desk to receive the second essay and some lined paper on which you will compose the exam.

You will have the entire class period to read, outline your paper, and write it. I would suggest, in the interest of time, that you only compare and/or contrast one or two main points (items) between authors. This can be accomplished in the 75 min. window; should you endeavor to write a "full" essay you may find yourself without time to finish.

The Practice Exam is not graded. However, I will look over each exam and provide any necessary comments and/or criticisms as I see fit, returning these on Wednesday 12/9.

While on the topic... next Wed. 12/9 I will not be able to attend the entire class period and will have to leave approx. at 2:50p to, lo and behold, take an exam of my own! Yikes! The end of the semester gets us all, no? Still, you must attend class for it will be devoted to three important things:

1. Collection Revisions #4 and #5
2. Returning of Practice Exams
3. Peer Group Discussions of Exit Exam Article #1 (Schlosser, "Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good")
   

When we must depart from the classroom, you are welcome to stay for the remainder of the class period to continue discussing Schlosser's article. Remember you are all allowed to talk about this essay with each other to increase comprehension, gather possible points of comparison and contrast, and finally to share notes and annotations with each other. I am not, under any circumstances, allowed to discuss the essay with you.

So, use this opportunity next Wednesday wisely. You are in a university setting now which means that the responsibilities (and perks) of true adulthood are upon you. Our class, and further your Learning Community, is a viable resource of peers who have a great amount of academic insight to impart. Learn from each other. Work towards the common goal of passing this Exit Exam by preparing.

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Given that we only discussed the Knapp article for half an hour today in class, I wanted to offer a space for you all to continue the discussion in preparation for the Practice Exit Exam this upcoming Monday.

As an incentive... for every post/reply you make to this thread I will discount one day's absence. You must provide at least one "new" citation in your comment to gain credit. By "new" I mean that you must offer a different quotation and/or a different explanation/reading/interpretation to gain credit. Remember, if you're replying specifically to one author include "Re:NAME" in your comment.

Topics for suggested discussion:
-- anxiety and its connection, according the Knapp, to anorexia
-- cultural stereotypes and the feminine ideal
-- prevalent rhetorical devices used in Knapp's essay
-- agreement/disagreement with Knapp's views, claims, generalization, etc.
-- any personal reactions or responses to this piece
-- any connection of this piece to other themes discussed thus far in the course

article paper #2 (10/28)

For class tomorrow, Wed. 10/21, please bring your first Article Paper so that we can review some vital issues and so that I can provide constructive remarks to the class.


For the second Article Paper, I would like you to follow the same format as the first assignment. Therefore, review the rubric for the first Article Paper if you need guidance.

Here are some general observations and criticisms I noticed from the first round of assignments that I'd like to share with you:

• in the introduction some were lost as to the direction and scope of their paper; be sure to compose effective intros which seek to accomplish what they set forth

• many students failed to draw a parallel between their quotes and the subsequent explanations; thus, I wanted most students to offer more in terms of explanation of their evidence and support

• many students left their quotes without proper introduction or prior explanation; remember, you cannot simply plop a quote into your paper, it needs to be adequately foregrounded.

• statements like “I believe that”, or “in my opinion” can be avoided; be more direct and just state that it is!

• offer/focus more on your analysis than your summary, as the former is more fruitful in terms of academic writing

impt. reminder

Please, everyone DO NOT FORGET to bring TWO UNMARKED COPIES OF YOUR FIRST ESSAY assignment tomorrow to class! One more time: you should bring the memoir essay or the Obama/Du Bois/Washington essay -- ESSAY #1 -- TO CLASS TOMORROW!!!

If you fail to do this then you will not be able to participate in the PEER-EDITING ACTIVITY; thus, you'll be excused from class.