Monday, November 26, 2007

 

Afternoon class 1-3

We reviewed the types of arguments: inductive and deductive. The class then identified the fallacies in Hacker (367-368). We reviewed the logical fallacies and students then got into groups to figure out the answers.

There were complaints and grumbles; however, soon students settled down and went to work. The attendance was down; perhaps students dropped last week. English 201 in two hour blocks is a hard class. If a student misses one class, it is hard to catch up.

Those who had essays swapped papers and had their peers respond with comments. I asked students to use the Hacker "Checklist for Global revision" (26-27), but not many students complied. Many students didn't see the value in having someone review their essay and give comments. It is a part of the grade.

All teachers do not incorporate peer comments into the writing process which at it's heart is revision. Get used to rewrites. Seldom is an essay perfect after 1-2 drafts. It can always be improved.

Homework is to finish the essay and bring it in on a disk or CD. You can turn in the planning sheets and peer reviews as hard copies. See below for the criterion.

It is 5:21 and I have just finished reading over a student essay that was responded to the way I told students to respond. It was rewritten, not reviewed. Do not rewrite each other's papers. You are to ask questions and make comments. You are not editors. Grammar is the least of my worries. For the final essay, remember this. I will take off points from a student who doesn't comply with the peer review guidelines.

Research Essay English 201 1-3 p.m.

Essays were due for peer reviews last Wednesday, Nov. 21. We will do the peer reviews today instead. The final draft is due to me, Wednesday, Nov. 28 on a disk or CD. I'd like your planning sheet and outline, plus at least one peer review based on the handout I gave you last week (see Hacker pages 26-27. If you do not have all these parts you will loose points on the essay.

The grading will be based on the following:

The essay writing: 65 percent
essay structure and organization: introduction, body and conclusion
clearly stated thesis,
topic sentences,
evidence

Research 15 percent
How well does the student know the topic
How sound is the research
Use of signal phrases
paraphrases
block quotes

Grammar 15 percent
Syntax and mechanics
I am particularly looking at dependent and independent clauses; fused sentences, comma splices, subject verb agreement, pronoun reference agreement in gender and count, spelling and misuse of words

A way to avoid this is to read the paper aloud before you turn it in

Supplementary documents: 5 percent
Essay Planning Sheet
Essay outline
Peer review or review of essay by a teacher/tutor in the Writing Center.

What the tutor/teacher recommends is just that, a recommendation. Take what you agree with and leave the rest.

An A is 95-100 percent; B 85 percent; C 80 percent

There is an automatic revision required for any grades below 80 percent. You have one week to respond. This is a high impact grade which is none negotiable. You need to have a passing grade on this essay to pass the class.

Comments:
Jonathan Munoz
12-11-07

Jena 6

The Jena 6 is a group of black teenagers who were racially charged with the beating of a young white teenager by the name of Justin Barker. The setting takes place in a Jena, Louisiana on the day of December 4, 2006. Some of the Jena 6 has now been charged for the attempted murder. The weapon they used in the assault was their tennis shoes. But this is such an irony in the matter of the situation because usually if one were to be charged with murder; it would be a real weapon like a knife or a gun. I have read many articles on how the situation of the Jena 6 went about and it is just not fair.
There are many events that took place before the incident of Justin Barker happened. Jena High School is a segregated school with 80 % white being the majority and 10 % black. In front of the school, there use to be a tree and the white students sat there. One day, a black student asked the principal if he could sit under the “white tree” and the principal responded he could sit anywhere he wanted to. The following day, a group of black students sat under the “white tree.” Everyone was astonished the following day as students passed by the “white tree” to see 3 nooses hanging. The black students and black community acknowledged the symbol as a sign of racism and hate. The three students who hung the nooses were simply given a slap on the wrist in comparison to the Jena 6. Due to what happened, the Jena Police Department asked La Salle Parish District Attorney J. Reed Walters to attend and speak at the assembly. At the assembly he states "I can be your best friend or your worst enemy. With the stroke of a pen I can make life miserable on you or ruin your life. So I want you to call me before you do something stupid." The black students took offense to his statement. Another event followed as the main building of Jena High School was burned down. The arsonists were never found.
Soon racial tensions arose in the small town of Jena. On Friday, December 1, 2006, there was a private party, attended mostly by whites but with some blacks, at the Jena Fair Barn. Six black youths, including 16-year-old Robert Bailey, Jr., attempted to enter the party at about 11 p.m. A white lady told the six black youth that they could not enter the party. One of the youths began to argue with the woman and a white male, who was not a student, then jumped in front of the woman and a fight ensued. After the fight broke up, the woman told both the white male and six black students to leave the party. Once outside, the black students were involved in another fight with a group of white males, who were not students. Police were called to investigate. Justin Sloan, a white male, was charged with simple battery for his role in the fight and was put on probation. The following day, another incident occurred at the "Gotta Go" convenience store, outside Jena in unincorporated LaSalle Parish, between Matt Windham and a group consisting of Robert Bailey, Ryan Simmons, and Theodore Shaw. Matt Windham pulled out a shotgun on the blakc youth and the black youth wrestled it from him, but after consulting with witnesses, the black youth were charged with theft of a firearm, second-degree robbery, and conspiracy to commit second-degree robbery.
By now the town was really stirred up and racial tension grew greatest. On December 4, 2006 17-year-old Justin Barker, a white Jena High School student, was assaulted at school by a group of black students. According to court documents based on eyewitness testimony and the school and police investigations, someone hit Barker from behind, knocking him out, and then others began to kick and stomp him. Five of them (Robert Bailey, Jr., then 17; Mychal Bell, then 16; Carwin Jones, then 18; Bryant Purvis, then 17; and Theo Shaw, then 17) were charged with attempted second-degree murder. The sixth student, Jesse Ray Beard, was charged as a juvenile because he was 14 at the time. Due to having the right lawyers and activist coming to aid the Jena 6, charges have been reduced and a new civil rights movement was seen and broadcasted. I believe it was wrong for the police and the district attorney to be biased and racist towards the black youth. Even though, a crime was committed, they should be tried like everyone else and not with severe penalties. Just because someone has a different pigment tone of skin, that does not give us a right to be racist or prejudiced towards another person, because in the eyes of God; everyone is equal.


PS: this is my Jena 6 response i could not find the blog
 
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