ENG-111-O2O1-2024SP-Merritt

To Do: March 05-08

**Please note that when contacting an instructor, whether in person, via email, Moodle message, etc. he/she should be addressed by the appropriate prefix (Mrs. for this particular class) followed by his/her surname. The same goes when you are following MLA format while writing papers. This is not a hard and fast rule for everyone (some instructors allow students to address him/her by first name, for example), but it is considered to be more professional and courteous to address by surname. 

To Do: March 11-15

1. Read the Quiz One notes carefully and completely.

2. Complete and submit Quiz One (due March 13).

3. Write and submit Essay Two - Expository Essay & Essay Outline (March 15)

4. Watch the two informative videos about how to write effective thesis statements - see resource links below. These videos will greatly help you with your essays not only in this course, but also for any essay you write. A thesis statement should be the strongest point in a paper: it lets your readers know what you are writing about, and it serves as a road map for you to structure your paper. Take your time and work hard on the thesis: I will be looking at them closely and grade them strictly.

5. Look at the sample outline, sample paper, and blank outline I have provided in the resources section: many times breaking a paper down into individual parts helps you to understand how those parts work together as a whole and make your paper flow and have cohesion. You are not required to outline, but I do recommend it. If you take your time and work hard on an outline it makes writing the paper quicker and easier because you already have your ideas and flow of thoughts down. An outline is the skeleton, the foundation that sets up a paper for success, and the paper itself is the meat on the bones, the house on the foundation.

6. Make sure to read ALL provided resources/materials and incorporate them into your writings: the provided materials will greatly help you with structuring essays and making sure you have all required elements in your writings. Do I expect perfection? No. Do I expect your best effort and to be able to tell that you have read all the materials and are trying to incorporate them in your writing? Absolutely. As always, I am here to help, and I will be more than glad to answer any questions you all may have.

To Do: March 18-22

Please pay close attention to the due date and cut-off dates for each assignment!! 

Also, please be aware that you need to go through the to-do list each week and make note of all assignments due; forums will not show up as a due date on the calendar or upcoming assignments, so make sure to write down the dates for those and get them done prior to the deadline. 

Ensure that you have read ALL materials that have been posted, especially in Topic 2. The most important resource to read is the document titled "Writing Tips and Tricks" in Topic 2. I can definitely tell who has read the materials and who has not because of how each paper is formatted. The first formal essay is not graded as harshly as everything from this point on because you all are getting used to the class, writing, and my grading, but from this point on, I expect to be able to tell that all materials have been read, and points will be deducted for incorrect formatting, usage, etc. Please, please, please make sure to contact me BEFORE a deadline if you have any questions or experience technical issues. Again, I am here to help you be successful. 

This particular assignment, the reaction/response essay, is my favorite in this course simply because of the materials you are assigned to read: they are challenging, thought-provoking, and will make you think deeply and critically. Don't be afraid to challenge the "norm" in your thought process, and have fun with this assignment :)

1. Write and submit New York Times Argumentative Forum 2. Remember to respond to other forums as a way to earn extra credit points (due March 20).

2. Read/listen to ALL the following text selections: "The Sanctuary of School" by Lynda Barry, "Waiting on the World to Change" by John Mayer, "Dumbing Down Dad: How the Media Presents Husbands, Fathers as Useless" by Sarah Peterson, and Literacy Education Online's "Writing a Reaction or Response Essay."

3. Write and submit Reaction or Response Essay 3 on one of the pieces of assigned reading. Before you write your Reaction or Response Essay please read carefully the Literacy Education Online "Writing a Reaction or Response Essay." This will serve as a guide for writing your essay (due March 22).

To Do: March 25-29

**March 29: Good Friday Holiday**

1. Read Quiz Two Notes carefully and completely.

2. Look over the assigned text selections from Topic 3.

3. Complete and submit Quiz Two (due March 27).

4. Write and submit the Concept Analysis Essay (due March 29).

5. Be sure you have submitted all forums, essays, and quizzes up to this point. If not, this is your opportunity to catch up.