English 99 Class For Febuary 2nd/3rd

We're going to be doing things a bit differently in English 99 this week. First, you can look on this blog to see what assignments are due and copies of materials I've handed out in class. If you would like to create your own blog, you can link back to this blog.
On Monday (evening section) and Tuesday (morning section), we will be doing some in-class freewriting. You have been assigned this Definition Essay:

You have just finished reading how Jared Medina Bigelow responded to labels that others gave him and how he ultimately created a definition for himself. Now it’s time for you to define yourself. Spend some time thinking about the labels that society, friends, co-workers, and family have given you. Are these labels accurate, or do they differ from your definition of yourself?
To get started on this essay, take ten to fifteen minutes and write in your journal about how you define yourself compared to how others see you. Do not worry about grammar or spelling when you write. Do not stop to look back at what you have written. If you cannot think of anything to write, write “I cannot think of anything to write” until something comes to you. When your time is up, take a look at what you have written. If you find any ideas, words, or phrases you would like to include in your paper, mark them for later use. You may make your paper as long or short as you like, so long as you stick to your thesis statement and do not tell the story of your life. Your thesis will be you term (what is being defined=you) + the definition of yourself.
Your essay should:
· Tell your readers what is being defined
· Present a clear definition
· Use examples to show what you mean
· Give details about the examples your readers will understand
You will organize your essay in this way:
Introduction containing thesis statement
Main point #1 (How your family sees you):
Examples
Main point #2 (How your friends, co-workers, and society see you)
Examples
Main point #3 (How you see yourself)
Examples
Conclusion

Some of your classmates commented that they had a hard time thinking of labels or definitions for themselves. This assignment takes some introspection. You must look at yourself and the people around you with a critical eyes.

In class, we will be freewriting a poem. This poem will help you understand where you came from. This assignment will be completed in your jounral, in class. We will be sharing the poems in class, so please your audience in mind as you write. The assignment is:

Where Are You From?

The WHERE I'M FROM Template

I am from _______ (specific ordinary item), from _______ (product name) and _______.
I am from the _______ (home description... adjective, adjective, sensory detail).
I am from the _______ (plant, flower, natural item), the _______ (plant, flower, natural detail)
I am from _______ (family tradition) and _______ (family trait), from _______ (name of family member) and _______ (another family name) and _______ (family name).
I am from the _______ (description of family tendency) and _______ (another one).
From _______ (something you were told as a child) and _______ (another).
I am from (representation of religion, or lack of it). Further description.
I'm from _______ (place of birth and family ancestry), _______ (two food items representing your family).
From the _______ (specific family story about a specific person and detail), the _______ (another detail, and the _______ (another detail about another family member).
I am from _______ (location of family pictures, mementos, archives and several more lines indicating their worth).

Example: Where I’m From ~ Fred First ~ November 2003

I am from the peaceful banks of a creek with no name; from JFG, toast and blackberry jam and home-made granola. I am from "a house with double porches," a room filled with good ghosts and creek laughter in the mornings before first light.I am from Liriodendron and Lindera, butterfly bush and mountain boomersI am from Dillons and Harrisons, Betty Jean and Granny Bea-- frugal and long-lived, stubborn and tender, quick to laugh. Or cry.I am from a world whose geography my children know better than I, from a quiet valley where I am the proprietor and world authority of its small wonders.From barn loft secret passwords and children who can fly if they only try.I am from oven-baked Saran Wrap and colds caught from jackets worn indoors. I am from pire in the blood Baptists, from the cathedral made without hands, the church in the wildwoods, the covenant of grace.I'm from the Heart of Dixie, son of Scarlett O'hara. From War Eagle, Wiffle, UAB and PT, from Walnut Knob's blue ridge and the soft shadows of Goose Creek.From a "fast hideous" dresser and a home body from Woodlawn, from a grandfather I never knew that I can blame for my love of nature and my stubbornness, they tell me.I am from fragments, the faint smell of wood smoke, and familiar walks among trees I know by name, from HeresHome and good stock. A man can hardly ask to be from more.

(Assignment Source: http://www.swva.net/fred1st/wif.htm)

DUE DATES:

Morning Section (Tuesdays and Thursdays): FINAL DRAFT OF DESCRIPTION ESSAY DUE ON FEB. 3rd.
Bring in a draft of your DEFINITION ESSAY on FEB. 5th for a PEER EDIT. TURN IN THE ROUGH DRAFT TO ME.

Evening Section (Mondays and Wednesdays): FINAL DRAFT OF DESCRIPTION ESSAY DUE ON FEB. 2nd.
Bring in a draft of your DEFINITION ESSAY on Feb. 4th for a PEER EDIT. The ROUGH DRAFT IS DUE ON FEB. 9th (TURN IN TO ME).