Return to Unit One:MWF

MWF Unit One, Day 1

• Introduce ourselves to each other
• Introduce the course & policies

Writing - Describe your most memorable experience with reading or writing (1 page); on a separate sheet of paper, answer questions 3 & 4 on p. 12, PHG and answer the following questions about Baker essay on pp. 19-20: what is the essay about? what is the main idea of the essay? what are the most vivid and/or memorable details of the essay?

Activities:
Introductions - Make sure everyone is in the right course and section. Putting the course name, number, section number, and your name on the board helps weed out students who have wandered into the wrong room. Expect students to drift in late on the first day.

Go around the room and introduce ourselves. Give name and something interesting about yourself such as what you like to do in spare time.

An alternative would be to have students pair up and interview each other. Put the questions you want them to ask each other on the board, such as, name, hometown, local residence (residence hall? off-campus?), major, hobbies, most interesting thing they did this summer. (This method will take longer than just going around the room.)

Course policy - Have each student write 1-2 questions about things they want to know about the class before they leave today.

• Collect, read and answer the student questions.
• Be sure to show books, pocket folder, etc.
• Emphasize attendance policy, course topic, placement exam, preparation for class, grading.

OR
Read/gloss course policy statement.

PUT ASSIGNMENT for tomorrow ON OVERHEAD OR BOARD. Have students copy the assignment. Tell them your expectations for homework assignments, i.e. do you want them typed or handwritten, do you want a heading on them, will you collect them every day when due, how will they be graded, what part of the grade reflects homework, etc.

If time, get started on Wednesday's assignment
Have students write about their most memorable experience with reading and/or writing. Collect those that finish. If you have 15 minutes or more, collect them all.

OR
Brainstorm together on the board on the question "What is good writing?" List student responses. Talk about which qualities are most important, i.e. is content more or less important than mechanics, and what features are context dependent, e.g. is it ever okay to use "I" in an academic paper? This will tie in nicely with the reading in the PHG assigned for Wednesday about writing myths.