Essay 5

The topic for Essay 5 is how family and other groups shape a person’s sense of self. Base your topic on some of the readings we have looked at recently, including “The Magic of the Family Meal” by Nancy Gibbs and “Childhood” by Alice Walker. Feel free to use your own experience in discussing the topic, but be sure to both refer to a text you have read and make larger claims about how people in generally are shaped by their groups.

Your essay needs a clear main idea that makes your argument about identity. Then support that main idea with clear, appropriate, well-organized details, organized into intelligent paragraphs. Refer to one or more of the readings mentioned above, or another relevant and respected text you have found on your own related to the topic. I will grade Essay 5 on your main idea, organization, paragraph and sentence constructions, and the style of your writing.

We will hold a workshop in class on Monday, July 20/Tuesday, July 21. Bring your brainstorming and organizational materials to class that day, along with any drafting you have begun. We will work on drafting part of Essay 5 in class that day. We will also spend time on peer feedback exercises.

Essay 5 is due to me via email by 5 pm on Friday, July 24, and graded essays will be returned electronically by 5 pm on Wednesday, July 29.

Essay 5 Readings

Next week we will begin discussing Essay 5.  Here are the readings we will work with for this assignment:

• “The Magic of the Family Meal” by Nancy Gibbs, Models for Writers page 208
• “Childhood” by Alice Walker, Models for Writers page 222

Easy Participation Credit

To earn the participation credit for Wednesday/Thursday, all you need to do is attend class and submit Essay 4 by the end of class time.  nothing fancy.  You’re working hard and deserve a break.  (If you cannot attend your own section, you can come to another section–Wednesday at 10:30 in MS 310 or Thursday at 7:30 am in MS 316 or 10:00 am in MS 310.)

Grammar Resources

For today’s participation credit, spend some time looking over these online grammar resources.  Then do some research and find another useful resource to add to these links.  Post the link as a comment here.

Grammar Materials

Next week we will discuss sentences, which will involve a review of some grammar.  To prepare for this, please look over these Grammar Materials.  I will have a copy of this for you in class.

Reading for Week 8

For next week’s discussion of sentences, please read the following sections from Easy Writer:

• 7a, pages 58-60
• 8a-j, pages 65-70
• 12a-f & 13a-c, pages 82-86
• 14a-d & 15a-b, pages 88-94

Movie Reviews

Here is a movie review that we will read and discuss in class this week.  Your participation credit exercise for Wednesday/Thursday is to post a comment here in which you review a movie you have seen recently (in the theater or on DVD).  Your review needs to be at least 250 words in length to earn the credit.  Briefly summarize the plot, and then explain whether the film was good and why (or why not).

Essay 3 Debrief

For the participation credit for Monday/Tuesday, please post a comment here in which you respond to this question:

• What did writing Essay 3 teach you about the process of preparing for, planning, drafting, and revising an essay?