IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. In groups of two, design a 8 1/2 x 11 inch flier to promote a Dr. Seuss’ birthday celebration. Relevant information includes:
   • Date: Tuesday, March 2, 6:00 – 8:00 PM.
   • Location: Skutt Ballroom West.
   • Sponsor: Creighton One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Society.
   • Food and drink: Snacks, drinks, birthday cake, ice cream.
   • Activities: games, best costume contest, Dr. Seuss readings.
   • Cost: $8, $5 if wearing a costume. Proceeds to benefit the Creighton One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish Society literacy programs.

   Post your fliers to BlueLine –> Lessons –> In-class Group Work –> Dr. Seuss Fliers Dropbox.

HOMEWORK

• Enjoy your  break.
  

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Quiz on visual design.
3. Introduce concepts of metaphorical and visual thinking. Resources:
   • Metaphorical Thinking handout from ThinkSmart Learning System
   • Metaphorical Thinking from Creativity Web
   • Interfering with Metaphorical Thinking from Babel’s Dawn
   • Visual Thinking from Wikipedia
   • Visual Thinking School from Squidoo
   • Visual Thinking from Visual Thinking Strategies
4. Introduce Project1 Re-envisioned.
5. Work on Project 1 Re-envisioned or Project 2.

HOMEWORK

• Based on the peer review, revise Project 2. The instructor-review draft is due Friday, March 5.
• Begin Project 1 Re-envisioned.
• Journal.

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Peer review of Project 2.

HOMEWORK

• Based on the peer review, begin revising Project 2. The instructor-review draft is due Friday, March 5.
• Finish working through the IX: Visual Exercises CD-ROM. You’ll want to have worked through all nine exercises by Wednesday, March 3. Make note of questions you may have as you work through the CD-ROM.
• Finish reading The Everyday Writer, Ch. 4. This too should be read by Wednesday, March 3.
• Come to class with materials to work on Project 2 Instructor-review draft and a revision of Project 1.
• Journal

SPECIAL BONUS HINT

• Expect a quiz on Wednesday, March 3.

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Reminder of General Guidelines for Written Work handout.
3. Mini Lecture: Actors and Agents: Little Red Ridding Hood. [Little Red Riding Hood handout]

HOMEWORK

• Finish Project 2 for the peer-review on Monday. Bring two hard copies to class.
• Begin working through the IX: Visual Exercises CD-ROM. You’ll want to have worked through all nine exercises by Wednesday, March 3. Make note of questions you may have as you work through the CD-ROM.
• Begin reading The Everyday Writer, Ch. 4. This too should be read by Wednesday, March 3.
• Journal

SPECIAL BONUS HINT

• Expect a quiz on Wednesday, March 3.

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Work on Project 2.

HOMEWORK

• Read EW, Ch. 28.
• Work on Project 2.
• Journal

IN-CLASS

1. Class cancelled.

HOMEWORK

• Continue working on Project 2. Wednesday’s class will be an in-class work day.
• Journal

• If you find yourself lost, behind, wanting to discuss your work, etc., I’m always available to meet during my office hours or by appointment. I don’t bite (honest!) and I want you all to do well.
• If you’re unsure why we’re doing a particular activity, such as working on summaries, just ask. I try hard to not give you busy work, so if a particular assignment or activity seems like busy work, ask why we’re doing it. Staring next fall, I plan to have concept maps and flow charts indicating the relationships between activities, assignments, concepts, and course learning outcomes (known as Graphic Syllabi and Learning Outcomes Maps). Producing for students such visual guides as to how the various elements of a class work together is a fairly new concept in education. It’s something I learned about Fall semester and I know no one else in the English Department has done it yet. While you don’t get the benefit of these Graphic Syllabi and Outcomes Maps, that doesn’t mean I can’t explain the purpose of an assignment or activity and how it relates to the learning objectives of the course. These aren’t always apparent to students—often they’re not—and your learning is enhanced when you understand how these various pieces fit together as a whole.
• Keep up with the journals! As a reminder, you can post up to four entries per week. To be “on track,” you should have 14-16 journal entries by Spring Break, which works out to about 2 entries/week. If you’re behind, start posting! It’s not yet too late to catch up.
• As I announced in class, I’m offering a homework amnesty. If you’re missing one or more assignments, I’ve sent you an email. You have until class Wednesday, Feb. 24 to turn in missing homework for full credit. If  you have not received an email and want to double-check, feel free to email me.

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. As a group, use the “Enthymeme Diagramming” handout to check, and if necessary revise, your group enthymemes for each section of Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.” Once you are satisfied with the enthymemes for each section, write an enthymeme that represents Johnson’s overall argument in the essay. Post your enthymemes to the “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” Enthymemes wiki in BlueLine. (Lessons -> In-Class Group Work.)
3. Discuss group enthymemes.
4. Discuss Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.”

HOMEWORK

• Read Project 2: Rhetorical Analysis Guidelines and Project 2 Rubric.
• Start planning Project 2. (Come with some written ideas how you want to organize the essay and specific rhetorical strategies you plan to discuss.)
• Journal

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Submit homework.
3. As a group, use the “Enthymeme Diagramming” handout to check, and if necessary revise, your group enthymemes for each section of Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.” Once you are satisfied with the enthymemes for each section, write an enthymeme that represents Johnson’s overall argument in the essay. Post your enthymemes to the “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” Enthymemes wiki in BlueLine. (Lessons -> In-Class Group Work.)
4. Discuss group enthymemes.
5. Discuss Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.”

HOMEWORK

• Read Graff and Birkenstein handout “What’s Motivating This Writer?“
• Using They Say/I Say, The Everyday Writer, and the Wysocki and Lynch handouts, identify 20 specific rhetorical strategies in Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes you Smarter.” For each, indicate the following:
  • Identify the strategy so someone can find it (indicate the paragraph and describe or quote it), and
  • Explain how the rhetorical strategy works.
• Bring to class an electronic copy of your summary of “Watching TV Makes You Smarter.”
• Journal.

IN-CLASS

1. General questions.
2. Submit homework.
3. In groups of 3-4, map out Steven Johnson’s essay “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” (handout version). As you map out the essay, do the following, which you will want to type up as a Word document and email to each member of your group and to me. (Make sure all your names are on the document.):
   1. Identify the main sections.
   2. For each section, identify the main claim and reason and express them as an enthymeme.
   3. For each section, identify the main forms of support upon which the main claim and reason are based. Do keep in mind that such support may itself be another argument.
   4. For the section “Even Bad TV Is Better,” write  a descriptive outline (a says sentence and a does sentence). (See Jan. 25 Daily Agenda for descriptive outline guidelines.)

HOMEWORK

• Create a descriptive outline of Johnson’s “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” (handout version). Bring a printed out hard copy of your descriptive outline to class Wednesday to turn in
• Journal.