Course Packet --Summer 2006

Instructor: Cara Snider
E-mail: carasnider_unh @ya hoo.com
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays, 2:30-3:30

Course Description: We are our stories. This is something writer Patrick S hannon discusses in his book Text, Lies, and Videotape: Stories about Life, Learning and Literacy. He writes: “Stories are how people make sense of themselves and their worlds. In young children's spontaneous stories that they act out as they play, we can see how they believe people relate to one another, who they hope to become, and how they will behave. We can see adolescents play roles in their own and other people's stories in order to figure out where they fit into their ever-expanding worlds. As adults, the true and imaginary stories we wish to tell and believe suggest what we value most in this world. In a real sense, stories make people.”

At first the concept seems overly simplistic—how do stories make people? But we encounter this everyday in our interactions with people,o ur memories and thoughts, in stories on the news and in the plots of movies and television, etc. Everywhere we turn, people are sharing the stories of their l ves, telling their experiences, and giving us clues into who they are and how their experiences have shaped them.

This summer we’re going to think about what stories shapes us—from brief encounters with strangers to long-lasting family ties, and from simple moments of discovery to profound moments of loss. We’ll be reading short stories from Lost in the City as well as several other short stories I’ll photocopy and hand out. Along the way, we’ll ask: what is the importance of stories, whose stories get to be told, what really is the difference between fiction and non-fiction (and is there a difference?), what stories are hard to tell, what role do people play in our stories, what role does “place” play in our stories, and how do our circumstances and values help make us who we are? We’ll also analyze the places that are important to us, the actual things (artifacts) that we value, and the family myths and stories that we carry with us. In these next few weeks, our two main focuses wil l be REFLECTION and ANALYSIS—and our writing projects will incorporate these concepts. Not only will these ideas help you to be a better writer, but also a better observer and a better questioner, both of what you inherited and what you’ll encounter.

Course Objectives:

To see your life as a series of stories, overlapping and intersecting with the stories of those around you
To take the pressure off first drafts and realize that writing is a process of drafting, revising, questioning, rewriting
To complete two reflective writing assignments in which you ask how people (famil y, friends, even strangers), circumstances, place and values have helped to make the stories of your life
To include, in the second essay, a broader understanding of your story’s “context,” meaning, how your stories intersect with the world around you (local, national, and global events, values and concerns)
To report to the class one time this summer on a current event that has become part of your individual story
To understand the important role ofshowing not telling in personal, reflective writing
To know what it means to analyze your experiences, your memories, your world
To realize the difference between writing for yourself and “writing with the door open.”

Required Items for Class:

Jones, Edward P. Lost in the City. Amistad: New York, 1992. (yours to keep, so feel free to underline important parts for class discussion)
Selected stories (which I will give you as handouts) from: Potok, Chaim. Zebra. Knopf: New York, 1998.
One current event/ news story print out from a news or credible web source
A notebook you use just for this class, where you will keep your freewrites, brainstorms, classmate feedback, class notes, handouts, etc.

Requirements: You will be expected to

attend all class meetings and be prepared for class (see attendance policy, below);
participate in class discussions, both by speaking and by actively listening;
participate in our in-class writing exercises;
participate in draft workshops and group work (a draft for workshop must be a complete draft that is ready to share);
compose and submit on time approximately 5 one-pagers;
write and revise two main assignments;
present to the class information on one current event or news story that has impacted your “story”;
submit all work on time (on the hour/ day it is due; late papers will normally be docked one letter grade per day, unless you get my approval for an extension before the assignment’s due date);
write an end-of-summer self-evaluation of your experiences in this class.

Class Conduct:

You will be expected to follow Upward Bound’s No Discount policy, as well as the Honor Code, both of which recognize you as responsible, mature scholars. In this class we will read and discuss some very complex and sensitive issues, so it is important to keep in mind that our class environment is really a community. That said, we will discuss without fear of judgment, listen with understanding, encourage each other daily, and challenge one another to become better scholars and better people. Not only will these goals help you to earn your daily points, but they will also make our classroom an open forum for ideas and learning.

Attendance: If you miss a class, YOU must take responsibility to get the assignments, class notes and course changes from a classmate, or contact me directly. It is not up to me to track you down. It is also your responsibility to keep track of and complete the missing work by the next time you come to class. For example, if you miss a Tuesday class, then all of Tuesday’s work is due in class Thursday (if that’s the next time you come to class), in addition to anything that’s already due on Thursday. In-class work cannot be made up. If you miss class on the day a written assignment is due, make arrangements to send it along with a classmate.

Major Assignments:

Personal Narrative Essay: (3-4 pages) For this assignment you will be exploring, in depth, one of your own stories and analyzing what factors have made you who you are. Ideas for these assignments will come out of in-class freewrites, the readings, One Pagers, and class discussion and activities. More information will be given in an additional handout.

Multi-Genre Essay: (approx. 3 pages) For this second essay assignment, you’ll have a choice of several projects that combine your understanding of “story” with the world around you, via newspaper stories, current events, fiction writing, readings for this class, and/or visual and multimedia sources. The goal is to tailor this project to your own interests, and do more with the stories you carry with you and the stories you encounter al l around you. More information will be given in a handout for this project.

Freewrites: Each class meeting, you will do an in-class freewrite, which is written in a “grammar-free” zone. These writings are not graded and are simply a way for you to put your thoughts on paper and think through the readings, assignments, and specific prompts that I present to you. Most freewrites will last about 10 minutes and could certainly be of help to you as you consider what you’d like to write about for the two main writing projects. Please take these seriously as they will be of help to you and will often be used to stimulate class discussion. Freewrites cannot be made up if you are absent.

One Pagers: Once a week you will also be handing in “One Pagers.” These one page, typed, double-spaced writings will often, but not always, be in reaction to the reading that is due that same day. I will give you prompts for these in advance, and they really should be a quick way for you to get your thoughts on paper and to informally respond to what you’re reading and learning. All one pagers will be graded with a √, √+ and √-system.

Current Events/ News Story Presentation: To expand our idea of “story” beyond our sometimes limited experiences, I want to consider how the outside world impacts our lives as well. For instance, how do we feel the effects of world events, politics, war, natural disasters, community events, local values, media, and our environment? In other words, how do our individual stories intersect with the world at large? Two people will be responsible for this activity every week. When it’s your week, come to class prepared to give a description of the event, news story, concern, issue, etc., then explaining how this has affected you or reflects something you’re concerned with or value (or, if it’s new to you, how might it reflect your values or opinions?). Please bring a two paragraph response: use the first paragraph to explain what you learned by looking up the current event/ news story, and use the second paragraph to explain how this overlaps your own “story” in some way.

Grades:

To passthis course, you must complete both main essays and the five one pagers. Your attendance and class participation will also affect your final grade. Please talk to me if you have questions.

Attendance/ Class Participation: 20%

This includes being prepared for class (bringing appropriate materials as well as assignments that are due), coming to class on time, engaging in discussion, listening actively, being alert during class,completing in-class work, etc.
Please note: 5% of this grade comes from the current event/ news story presentation

• The attendance grade also includes conference attendance and punctual ity. One Pagers: 20% Personal Narrative: 30% Multi-Genre Project: 30%

Essay Format:

Your main assignments (the two essays) should be typed, double-spaced, and have one-inch margins. Place your name, date, and my name in the upper left-hand corner of the first page, and include a creative title that gives a bit of “flavor” to your written assignments. Staple all pages together.

Contacting Me: I have provided my e-mail address to you on the front page of this syllabus, however, please do not use that address to submit work, to dispute a grade, or to discuss time-sensitive information about an assignment. My “office hours” will be on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 2:30-3:30, and if possible, please let me know when you’re coming… I will be around Alexander Hall, just outside the building if it’s nice weather. We’ll also be conferencing in class, so we’ll be working together closely this summer!

Course Schedule:

***: All readings are from Lost in the City unless otherwise noted

***

OP= One Pager responses

***

Text in bold indicates assignments due the day they are listed

• For instance, on Thurs 6-29, “The Girl Who Raised Pigeons” p.1-25 and OP #1 is due

Week 1:

Tues 6-27:	Intros/ background What is the purpose of “story?” Classmate scavenger hunt
Thurs 6-29:	Discuss “The Girl Who Raised Pigeons” p. 1-25 • “Family ties” writing activity OP #1 due
	How to construct meaning without the violins Example of news story presentation (mine)
Week 2:
Tues 7-4:	SHORTENED CLASSES
	Discuss “An Orange Line Train to Ballston” p. 105-115 • “Our pathways” writing activity OP #2 due
	News story presentations: Ian and Matt
Thurs 7-6:	Discuss “The First Day” p. 27-31 Rough draft of Personal Narrative due Workshop drafts	(must have at least 2 pages)
Week 3:
Tues 7-11:	FINAL DRAFT of Personal Narrative due (3-4 pages)Discuss “A Dark Night” p. 217-228 • “What makes us human” writing activity In-class personal evaluations News story presentations: Kayla, Jessika, and Amy REMEMBER: Work due on Tuesday!
Thurs 7-13:	NO CLASS—Group Discovery Trips
Week 4:
Tues 7-18:	Discuss “The Night Rhonda Ferguson was Killed” p. 33-54 • “Being a teenager in today’s world” writing activity OP #3 due
	News story presentations: Elizabeth, Daria, and Joe
Thurs 7-20:	SHORTENED CLASSES (CPS Day) Discuss “Zebra” (handout p. 1-25) • “Expecting the unexpected” writing activity Show and Tell (remember to bring your item—artifact—to class!)
Week 5:
Tues 7-25:	Discuss “Moon” (handout p. 44-69) • “Fighting for a cause” writing activity

Thurs 7-27:

Week 6:

Tues 8-1:

Thurs 8-3:

OP #4 due News story presentations: Saby, Krystal, and Crystal

Discuss “Marie” p. 229-243

• “The forgotten members of society” writing activity In class work on multi-genre projects

Rough draft of Multi-Genre Essay due (need to have at least 3 pages) OP #5 News story presentations: Maray, William and Sarah

Explanation of everyone’s projects/ in class workshop

LAST DAY OF CLASS

Final draft of Multi-Genre Essay due with critical evaluation letter

Personal evaluations of semester in class Celebrate!