Dr. Pienta's All Things Academic Blog

About Dr. Pienta

2011-01-31T07:28:00.000-08:00

Rachel Sutz Pienta, PhD
[Mobile] (850) 321-3582
drpienta@gmail.com

Education
Doctorate of Philosophy - Educational Leadership and Policy Studies, Social Sciences and Education - 2005
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Master of Science- Curriculum and Instruction, English Education- 1997
Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida
Bachelor of Arts-Liberal Arts and Sciences, English-1994
University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida

College Teaching Experience
Assistant Professor, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia, 2009-Present
Teaching graduate College of Education students for Georgia On My Line (GOML) master’s degree and specialist degree programs. Courses taught include EDAT 6001 Using Assessment to Improve Teaching and Learning, MGMS 7000 Professional Seminar, EDET 8020 Using Assessment and Research Data, 7650 Teaching Practicum, EDET 8030 Developing and Leading a Community of Diverse Learners, 8040 Literature Review.

Visiting Assistant Professor [part-time], Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1997 - current.
Began teaching as graduate assistant, became an adjunct, and later given visiting assistant status. Teaching assignments include the following courses Sociology, Education, and Women’s Studies Courses: Introduction to Education, Schooling in American Society, Introduction to Sociology, Social Problems, Family Problems and Social Change, Sex and Gender, Gender and Work, Gender and Popular Culture, Modern Woman Warrior, Introduction to Women’s Studies, Contemporary Women’s Issues: A Global Perspective, Gender and Welfare; Women, Activism, and Social Change; Readings in Oppression; and Women Gender & Power. Courses are web-assisted, using the Blackboard platform.

Methodologist and Professor, Walden University, 2009-current.
Advise doctoral students in Walden University College of Education Ed.D programs. Teach courses in Walden’s Teacher Leadership program.

Adjunct Professor, Florida Agricultural and Mechanical University, Tallahassee, Florida, 2000-2007.
Teaching assignments included the following Sociology courses: Introduction to Sociology, Aging in America, Research Process I, Social Change, and Sociology of Education.

Instructor, Tallahassee Community College, Tallahassee, Florida, 1998 - 2007.
Teaching assignments included the following Education, Sociology, and English courses: Teaching Diverse Populations, Sociology, Social Problems, Freshman English Composition, Writing about Literature, Argument and Persuasion, Creative Writing, and Literary Magazine Production. Course taught on campus, online, and in web-assisted format. As Literary Magazine instructor from 1999-2004, I served as the faculty adviser for the Eyrie, TCC’s student literary art magazine. The Eyrie has won numerous state awards, was named best community college magazine in the nation by the Community College Humanities Association in 2000 and won numerous national awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association.

Instructor, Keiser University, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, 2010 and Keiser College, Tallahassee, Florida, 2000.
In 2010, taught Education Law online for inaugural doctoral program with national enrollment. In 2000, teaching assignments included the following English and Sociology courses: Sociology on-site, English Composition and American Literature on-line using eCollege platform. The on-line courses had statewide enrollment.

Advising
Committee Member, Interdisciplinary Humanities Program, College of Arts and Sciences, Florida State University, 2010-current.
Committee member on doctoral committee for Genevieve Brackins for dissertation entitled, “Hidden in Plain Sight, Gender(ed) Violence: The Dichotomous Disconnect Effect and the Few Who Understand. A Mixed Methods Approach.”

Instructor, Capstone Class, Master of Education with a Major in Middle Grades Math and Science GOML Program, Department of Middle Grades and Secondary Education, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia. 2010.
Instructor for MGMS 7650 Teaching Practicum in which students complete the capstone professional portfolio including the Teacher Work Sample to fulfill the requirements to earn the Master of Education with a Major in Middle Grades Math and Science.

Committee Chair, Administrative Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2009-current.
Committee chair on doctoral committee for Arianna Mitchell for dissertation study entitled, “Single Sex Education.”

Committee Chair, Administrative Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2010-current.
Committee chair on doctoral committee for Attillah Brookshire for dissertation study entitled, “School Uniforms and Effect on Students.”

Committee Member, Teacher Leadership Program, College of Education, Walden University, 2009-current.
Committee member on doctoral committee for Carolyn Warren for dissertation study entitled, “Developing Academic Vocabulary Proficiency in H.S. ELL Students.”

Committee Member, Honors Thesis, Florida State University, 2009-2010.
Committee member on Honors in the Major Thesis Committee for Marlee McCleary for Honors Thesis entitled, “Microfinance and Women’s Empowerment: Interviews from Kosovo.” Degree awarded April 2010.

K-12 Experience
Classroom Teacher, Wakulla High School, 2005-2009
I taught Freshman English, Freshman Writing, Advanced Placement Literature (12th grade).

JV Girls Soccer Coach, Wakulla High School, Fall 2005 – 2008
Head coach for Girls Junior Varsity soccer team.

Dual Enrollment Instructor, SAIL High School, Spring 2002, Fall 2002
I taught juniors and seniors enrolled in college level sociology. Course was taught on-site at the high school.

Practicum Coordinator, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1998.
Coordinated and supervised Introduction to Education school fieldwork experience,
Including classroom observation and volunteer hours for over 200 teacher education students.

Associate Director, School Age Program, Alumni Village Child Development Center, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1997- 1998.
Directed after school and summer program for children ages five through ten with 40-student enrollment. Restructured program during tenure and created new curriculum. Supervised paid and volunteer student staff. Duties included substitute teaching in preschool program.

Reading Recovery Teacher, Raa Middle School, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996.
Worked one-on-one with at-risk sixth grade students in reading, according to principles of reading recovery, three times per week during Spring term.

Preservice Teacher, Godby High School, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996.
Completed pre-service internship teaching freshman general and honors English at local public high school under the supervision of a veteran teacher during Spring term.

Poetry Teacher, "Runaway With Words" program, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1995.
Taught poetry to at-risk students at PACE Center for Girls [high school level] and Capital City Youth Shelter [ages 11 to 17] in weekly program during Fall term.

Division Leader, Pine Forest Camp, Pennsylvania, 1995.
Supervised 50 campers and 18 staff members during eight- week residential camp. Planned summer curriculum for students ages 8 through 12.

Policy Experience
Research Associate, A Vision for Public Education in Georgia, 2010
Conducted policy analysis and co-authored report on early learning and children’s programs in state of Georgia for the Georgia School Superintendent’s Association (GSSA) and the Georgia School Board’s Association (GSBA). http://www.visionforpubliced.org/

Consultant, Artful Truth Project, Burhans and Curva, 2000
Served as outside evaluator on pilot anti-tobacco education project.

Research Associate, Center for Professional Development, Florida State University, 1999- 2000.
Served as lead evaluator/ researcher on contracted program evaluations.

Policy Analyst, Florida House of Representatives, Academic Excellence Council, Education K-12, 1996- 1997.
Served as researcher and analyst on issues related to public school education. Conducted national and regional research studies on policy issues including school over crowding,
year-round education, and graduation standards. Created bill analysis and drafted legislation for Committee Members.

Legislative Intern, United States Congress, Representative Karen Thurman, 1995
Served as assistant on miscellaneous congressional office duties in Washington, D.C. Processed mail, drafted constituent correspondence, researched legislative issues including foreign policy and human rights and briefed the Congresswoman on legislative issues.

Legislative Intern, Florida Senate, Senator George Kirkpatrick, 1994
Served as part-time legislative research assistant in Gainesville district office. Conducted constituent casework and policy research.

Presentations
Facilitator, “Wise Womyn: Conversations about Gender Expression in Women’s Relationships”, The Oasis Center for Women and Girls, Tallahassee, Florida, 2010.
Facilitated series of forum discussions on how race, class, gender, and sexuality impact the lives of bisexuals and lesbians in particular, and women in general.

Presenter, "Studying Best Practices in Web-Enhanced Instruction: A Mixed Methods Study," Paper presented in roundtable session at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver, Colorado, May 2010.

Presenter, "An Examination of Teacher Leadership: A Qualitative Study of Teacher Leaders." Paper presented in poster session at Annual Meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Denver, Colorado, May 2010.

Invited Chair, “Technology Integration Innovations for Elementary and Middle School Contexts” at the 2010 AERA Annual Meeting in Denver, Colorado, April 30 – May 4, 2010.

Moderator, FSU's 1st Annual Sex Symposium, MARC, Tallahassee, Florida, April 2010
Moderated day of education and discussion during Men Advocating Responsible Conduct (MARC) event aimed to educate and empower the Tallahassee community and FSU specifically around rape, the social arrangements that result in it, and prevention efforts.

Invited Keynote Speaker, “The Many Faces of the Modern Woman Warrior: The Contemporary Feminist” Speaker for Zonta International, Tallahassee chapter, Florida, March 2007.

Invited Presenter, “Project HOPE: Using Service-Learning to Link Classroom to Community,” Paper Session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, Chicago, Illinois, April 2007.

Presenter, “Making Sense of Teacher’s Work Lives,” Paper Session at the Annual Conference of the American Educational Research Association, San Francisco, California, April 2006.

Panel Speaker, “An Interfaith Response to Domestic Violence.” Workshop sponsored by the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council, Tallahassee, Florida, October 12, 2004.

Panel Speaker, “No Ugly People Allowed: Body Image in the Age of Plastic Surgery.” Ladies Misbehavior Society, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, October 27, 2004.

Co-Presenter, “Current Trends in Teaching about Gender.” Paper session at the 16th Southeastern Conference on the Teaching of Psychology, Atlanta, GA, February 28, 2004.

Co-Presenter, “Making Sense of Practice in an Era of Accountability: Two Qualitative Studies of Teachers in Florida.” Paper session at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicaco, Illinois, April 21-25, 2003

Presenter, “Exploring Knowledge Construction Within a Woman-Centered Dissertation Support Group.” Poster session at the annual meeting of the American Educational Research Association in Chicaco, Illinois, April 21-25, 2003

Co-Presenter, “Integrating Practice and Theory: Helping Teacher Education Students Make Sense of the Classroom Fieldwork Experience.” Florida Association of Teacher Educators (FATE), Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, October 3-5, 2002.

Presenter, “Transforming Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Combat Sexual Assault.” Workshop session at National Council Against Domestic Violence (NCADV) Conference, Orlando, Florida, August 5-7, 2002.

Discussant, “The Construction of Feminisms of Young Women: Educational Implications” Discussion Session at American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2002 Annual Meeting in New Orleans, Louisiana, April 1-5, 2002.

Presenter, “You’ve come a long way, baby…but not that far.” Workshop session at Women Extinguishing Barriers Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, March 23, 2002.

Presenter, “Transforming Social Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Combat Sexual Assault.” Workshop session at Women Extinguishing Barriers Conference, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, March 23, 2002.

Panel Chair, “From the Margins.” Panel Presentation at the annual conference for the Comparative International Education Society (CIES), Kissimmee, Florida, March 6-9, 2002.

Co-Presenter, “Transforming Social Norms in a College Town: A Collaborative Project to Prevent Sexual Assault on Campus.” Presentation at the Eleventh International Safe Schools Coalition Conference on Sexual Assault and Harassment on Campus in Kissimmee, Florida, November 8-10, 2001.

Presenter, “Studying Teacher Preparedness and Performance in Florida,” in paper session entitled: “Understanding Effective Teaching.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2001 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 10-14.

Presenter, “Teachers and Recent Reforms in Florida,” paper presentation as part of symposium session: “Teachers and Educational Reform: More Demands and Scrutiny, Less Power.” American Educational Research Association (AERA) 2001 Annual Meeting, Seattle, Washington, April 10-14.

Presenter, “Gender, Work, and Family: Cultural Constraints on Constructing a Life” as part of a panel on Women, Work, and Family. South Eastern Women’s Studies Association (SEWSA) 2001 Conference, Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, Florida, March 16-18.

Presenter, “Proposed Dissertation Study,” Division K Graduate Student Seminar at American Educational Research Association (AERA), April 23-24, 2000, New Orleans.

Panel Speaker, “Explicating Gender Issues in the Paula Vogel play How I Learned to Drive”, November 17, 1999, Theater Department, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.

Presenter, “Skeletal Sex Symbols: The Media’s Influence on Body Image.” Panel Presentation, Generations of Change: The Fourth Annual Women’s Studies Conference, March 4-6, 1999, Valdosta State University, Valdosta, Georgia.

Co- Author, "The Resurgence of Exclusionary Immigrant Education Policies: An Examination of Practice and Theory." Thompson, Sutz, and Papagiannis. Co-authored paper presented at conference of the Comparative International Education Society (CIES). Mexico City, Mexico, 1997.

Presenter, "Women as Nomadic Subjects in Alice Walker's The Temple of My Familiar." Panel Presentation at the 22nd Annual Conference on Literature and Film "Virtual Reality in Film and Literature." January 30 - Feb 1, 1997, Tallahassee, Florida.

Presenter, "Women as Second-Class Citizens in the Works of Buchi Emecheta: The Double Yoke of Womanhood in Nigerian Society." Panel Presentation at the 21st Annual Conference on Literature and Film "Genre and Gender in Film and Literature." January 25-27, 1996, Tallahassee, Florida.

Publications and Reports
Invited Author, Chapters on “Million Mom March”, In press,. Ed., Andrea O’Reilly, You Say You Want a Revolution: The Motherhood Movement of the 21st Century, 2011, Demeter Press.

Co-Author, “Using In-Class Debates to Teach Gender Issues in Psychology.” E-xcellence in Teaching, August 2004, Volume 6, Essays from Excellence in Teaching, 2004, Volume 4.

Co-Author, Electronic Book Review, Fischman, Gustavo E. (2000). Imagining Teachers: Rethinking
Gender Dynamics in Teacher Education. Lanham, MD: Rowman and Littlefield. Reviewed in 2001 by Karen Monkman and Rachel Sutz, Florida State University, http://coe.asu.edu/edrev/

Researcher and Co-Author, “Review of Florida teacher preparation: a study conducted in response to the teacher quality act of 1999 section 231.0002, Florida Statutes.” Tom Gallagher, Commissioner, Florida Department of Education, Tallahassee, Florida, January 1, 2000.

Co-Author, "How to Break Through Techno-Shock and Build Multi-Media Units." Published in January 1998 issue of the English Journal, The Journal of the Secondary Section of the National Council of Teachers of English, Volume 87, Number 1.

Professional Service
Committee Member, Task Force to Address Bullying and Teen Suicide Prevention, 2010-2011
Task force formed to inform the community on how the anti-bullying state policy is being enforced/implemented at the local community level and a campaign to let students know that being yourself is okay. Chaired steering committee for Tallahassee premiere of Southern Poverty Law Center film “Bullied” with a panel discussion for community in partnership with Tallahassee Community College.

Committee Member, State Instructional Materials Committee, 2008
Served on State of Florida Department of Education Committee to review and select approved materials for Advanced Placement English Literature and Language courses.

Advisor, Interact Service Club, 2006-2009, Wakulla High School
Served as faculty advisor for Rotary Interact Service Club at Wakulla High School. In Fall 2006, the group led a food drive in partnership with America’s Second Harvest that collected over 1000 lbs of food in one night.

Co-Chair, American Cancer Society Relay for Life Committee, Wakulla High School, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.
Led faculty and student efforts for Relay for Life event in Wakulla county. In first year, involved over 150 students and 20 faculty members. Efforts raised over $9000. Served on county committee as Team Development Chair. Slated to become Publicity Chair in 2008.

Committee Member, Positive Behavior Support Committee, 2006-2007, Wakulla High School
Served as committee member to foster positive behavior among students and faculty.

Committee Member, Women’s History Month 2003, Tallahassee Community College
Served as committee member to commemorate Women’s History Month with celebration honoring pioneering community professionals and college students.

Student Representative, Dean’s Search Committee, Florida State University, July 2000 – May 2001
Appointed by Provost to serve as search committee student representative from the College of Education

Chair, [Women’s] Dissertation Support Group, Florida State University, 1999- 2003.
Co-founder and chair of university-wide women’s dissertation writing group. Group became co-educational in Spring 2000.

President, College of Education Student Advisory Council, 1999-2000, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida.
Represent College of Education concerns to university at large. Planned first annual college-wide new student orientation.

Chair, Student Advisory Committee, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department, May 1999-December 2000.
Represent student concerns to department faculty, dean of College of Education, and Congress of Graduate Students.

Student Representative, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department Admissions Committee, 1998.
Served as student representative on departmental admissions committee.

Student Representative, Educational Foundations and Policy Studies Department Faculty Search Committee, 1998.
Served as student representative on faculty search committee.

Festival Organizer, International Student Center, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1996 and 1997.
Planned first and second annual International Food Festivals. Coordinated food service and entertainment for 2000+ attendees.

Campus Organization Committee Chair, "Women As Leaders Conference" Planning Committee, Florida State University, Tallahassee, Florida, 1995- 1996.
Coordinated one-day campus leadership conference for 100+ university women. Recruited campus organizations for conference participation.

Professional Affiliations
American Educational Research Association
Proposal Reviewer, American Education Research Association
Served as proposal reviewer for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2010, and 2011 conferences.

National Women’s Studies Association, 2009-2011.
Member.

Volunteer Experience
Steering Committee Member, League of Women Voters, 2011
Serving on planning committee for annual gala to fundraise for League of Women Voters of Florida.

Membership Committee, Business and Professional Women of Florida, 2010-11
Serving on planning committee to host inaugural “Support the Girls” charity event in midtown business district to highlight women business owners while also replenishing depleted statewide breast cancer relief fund.

President, Wakulla Democratic Women’s Club, Crawfordville, Florida, 2010-2011.
Member, National Federation of Democratic Women and Democratic Women’s Club of Florida.

President, PTA, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Florida 2010-2011.
Serve as leader for local elementary school parent-teacher association.

Mentor, Kate Sullivan Elementary, Tallahassee, Florida, 2009-2010, 2010-2011
Mentor two kindergarten students weekly during the school year.

Committee Member, Phi Sigma Sigma Alumnae Development Task Force, 2008-Current.
Serve on national committee to determine best practices for engaging sorority alumnae after college graduation.

Public Relations Chair, Relay for Life Wakulla County Committee, 2008-2010
Write and distribute press releases for local Relay for Life event serving Wakulla County, Florida.

Team Recruitment Chair, Relay for Life Wakulla County Planning Committee, Wakulla, Florida, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.

Regional Programming Coordinator, Phi Sigma Sigma International, Inc. 2004-2005.
Served as programming coordinator and facilitator for national sorority. Past service included work on National Risk Management Committee and Judicial Board Committee.

Relay for Life Team, American Cancer Society, Tallahassee, Florida, 2004, 2005
Served on team as fundraiser and walker for relay group that raised $3000 for 2004 event. Group is currently in process of raising funds for the 2005 event.

Disaster Services Volunteer, Capital Area Chapter American Red Cross, Tallahassee, Florida, 2004
Served as a shelter manager and damage assessment volunteer for Big Bend region of Florida during hurricanes in 2004.

Vice President, American Association of University Women, Tallahassee, chapter 2007-2008.

Secretary, American Association of University Women, Tallahassee chapter, 2004-05.

Vice-President, Alumnae Panhellenic Council, Tallahassee, Florida, 2002-03, 2004-05, 2010-2011.
Serve as officer for local Greek alumnae organization devoted to the advance of service and scholarship among Greek collegiate organizations. Served as Alumnae Representative representing Phi Sigma Sigma, 2001-Present.

Community Volunteer, Refuge House, Tallahassee, FL, 1999- 2005.
[1999-2001] Advocate for and counsel survivors of sexual violence in coordination with local law enforcement officials and medical personnel at Tallahassee Memorial Hospital. [2002-2005] Served on fundraising event committees.

Grants
Center for Faculty Scholarship Grant, Valdosta State University, 2010
Awarded grant to fund participation in AERA 2010 by the Center for Faculty Development & Instructional Improvement.

National Endowment for the Humanities Summer Grant(s), 2008
Awarded two study grants for summer 2008. Grants provide stipend for housing and living expenses to engage in study of Zora Neale Hurston and Eudora Welty.

Service Learning Mini Grant, Wakulla County School District, 2005-2006, 2006-2007, 2007-2008.
Awarded a grant to create service learning project that taught students to do peer and community education about cancer in partnership with the American Cancer Society.

Travel Grant, Awarded by CORE, College of Education, Florida State University, 2003

Dissertation Research Grant. Awarded by Office of Graduate Studies, Florida State University, 2002.

Travel Grant. Awarded by CORE, College of Education, Florida State University, 2002.

Honors
Invited Participant, AERA Division D Mentoring Luncheon for New Professionals, AERA, Denver, Colorado, 2010.
Invited participant to work with discourse analysis methods group.

Invited Participant, Boyd Workshop, co-sponsored by the Politics of Education Association and UCEA, AERA, Denver, Colorado, 2010.
Invited participant to work with Dr. Marilyn Grady from the University of Nebraska, Lincoln.

Teacher of the Year Nominee, Wakulla High School, 2008.
One of six teachers nominated by colleagues out of 90 staff members.

Outstanding Volunteer Award, Big Bend Victim Assistance Coalition, Tallahassee, Florida, 2002
Recognized by regional coalition for volunteer work as victim advocate.

Tallahassee Democrat Volunteer of the Year Award Nominee, Refuge House, 2002
Nominated by Refuge House as outstanding community volunteer of the year.

Graduate Student Citizenship Award, Department of Educational Foundations and Policy Studies, Florida State University, 2001
Nominated by department chair for campus award honoring graduate students who have made outstanding contributions to the academic life of other graduate students.

Women's Studies Summer 2010

2010-06-05T18:39:00.000-07:00

WST 4931 & WST 5934

Global Perspectives on Contemporary Women’s Issues “Global Women’s Issues”

Instructor: Rachel Sutz Pienta, PhD

Classroom Location: PDB A0102

Time: Wednesday 5:15 – 8:15PM

Instructor Contact Information:

Office Hours will be conducted before class, in the classroom, and by appointment in the Women’s Studies office.

Women's Studies - Psychology Bldg. 1107 W. Call Street

2nd Floor - Room A208.
Phone: (850) 644-9514

Instructor email: rsutz@fsu.edu or dr.sutzpienta@yahoo.com

Course Blackboard Site: https://campus.fsu.edu, www.fsu.edu

Instructor Phone: (850) 321-3582 Note: Email is the best way to contact me. I check email multiple times each day. I have text messaging on my phone—I check text messages more frequently than voice mail.

Syllabus

Welcome to Global Perspectives on Contemporary Women’s Issues. I look forward to embarking on an intellectual journey with you over the course of the term. We will examine a global array of women’s issues through the lens of gender. While the course will focus on studying issues particularly relative to women, men will not be ignored.

For Undergraduate and Graduate Students:

Ensler, Eve. (2010). I am an emotional creature: the secret life of girls around the world. Random House: New York. ISBN-13: 9781400061044

Kristoff, N. and WuDunn, S. (2009). Half the Sky: Turning Oppression Into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. Alfred A. Knopf: New York. ISBN-13: 9780307267146

McCann, C. and Kim, S. (2009). Feminist Theory Reader. 2^nd edition. Routledge.

ISBN: 978-0-415-99477-4.

Additional Readings will be assigned at the instructor’s discretion. Students should check Blackboard weekly to view added readings.

Required for Graduate Students, Recommended for Undergraduates:

Bose, C. and Kim, M. (2009). Global Gender Research. Routledge.

ISBN: 978-0-415-95270-5

Hesse-Biber, S. and Leavy. P. (2007). Feminist Research Practice. Sage: Thousand Oaks.

ISBN-13: 9780761928928

Course Description

This course is intended to give you the tools to become knowledgeable about the tremendous range of women's and feminist issues on a global level. We will analyze those cultural, economic and political conditions that impact women's rights. Three general questions will guide our path of inquiry: (1) What do you need to know to understand gender condition in a specific place? (2) What factors contribute to gender-related ability to alter conditions? (3) How, when and why do women's movements emerge?

The purpose of this course is to develop an interdisciplinary conceptual framework within which a discussion and gender related global issues could occur. We will examine the links between poverty and women’s lives, including health & well being, economic development and social change, and will investigate the role of women in societal development to determine how they share, if they do, in the rewards of the development/ social change process. We will explore the reasons why these problems exist (economics, culture, religion, social values, etc.), and will try to determine personal, organizational and community actions that lead can lead to some resolution.

Certain gender relations and sexual practices provoke controversy and debate, which in turn lead to social movements and state policies, both globally and locally. Among these practices are: prostitution/sex work; interracial and/or international dating and marriage; international migration; the family; abortion, infanticide, family planning and other reproductive practices and interventions; homosexuality; and gendered bodily aesthetic practices. In this course we will draw upon historical, anthropological, sociological and cultural studies on these issues.

Course Outcomes and Goals

Identify global issues that impact the status of women
Compare and contract various international approaches to gender issues
Critically examine social conditions which alternately oppress or empower women
Acquire an increased awareness of (in)equalities from a comparative and relativistic perspective
Write and think critically via discussions, assignments, and assessments about about concepts, theories, and research related to global gender issues.

How does gender relate to peace, violence, development or international relations? Does gender really matter? This class will focus on the violence of conflict as well as that of poverty, using gender as a lens.

In particular, we will consider questions pertaining to gender and armed conflict, and then move on to some of the related issues such as trafficking, sex work and HIV/AIDS and the global women's movement.

Course Requirements: Students are required to read all assigned materials prior to coming to class. Required readings are listed on the syllabus. Additional readings may be assigned by the instructor with due notice to the student.

Attendance is mandatory. Roll will be taken and reported to the university as required.

Students are required to activate an email account for this course. An FSU email account is required. You may set up mail forwarding to your off-campus account, see the ACNS web page for details. Blackboard will be used extensively.

Academic Honesty:

Florida State Academic Honor Policy—

The Florida State University Academic Honor Policy outlines the

University’s expectations for the integrity of students’ academic work, the

procedures for resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the

rights and responsibilities of students and faculty members throughout the

process. Students are responsible for reading the Academic Honor Policy

and for living up to their pledge to “be honest and truthful and…[to] strive for

personal and institutional integrity at Florida State University.” (Academic

Honor Policy)

Students with Disabilities: Students requiring reasonable accommodations should notify the professor during the first two weeks of class.

ADA Policy: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT:

Students with disabilities needing academic accommodation should:

(1) Register with and provide documentation to the Student Disability Resource

Center; and (2) bring a letter to the instructor indicating the need for

accommodation and what type. This should be done during the first week of

class. This syllabus and other class materials are available in alternative format

upon request.

For more information about services available to FSU students with disabilities,

contact:

Student Disability Resource Center

97 Woodward Avenue, South

108 Student Services Building

Florida State University

Tallahassee, FL 32306-4167

(850) 644-9566 (voice)

(850) 644-8504 (TDD)

sdrc@admin.fsu.edu

Class Format: This course relies strongly on student participation. Students will be asked to analyze and discuss various scholarly concepts and issues throughout the term. Attendance is required. Students who think a class absence may happen due to prior plans should discuss the schedule with the professor prior to missing class. The class format combines a mix of collaborative learning, lecture, and Socratic method in order to accommodate a multiplicity of learning styles. Additionally, both verbal and written skills are important in this course. Students will be held to a high standard in both verbal and written communication.

Students who do not follow basic rules of courtesy may be asked to leave the classroom. A meeting with the instructor may be required to return to class. Disrespect to the instructor or other students will not be tolerated.

Cell phone policy: phones should be out of sight during class. Avoid sending or receiving text messages during class.

Laptop policy: Please take notes by hand and leave laptops and other computers closed/turned off unless their use is specifically authorized by the instructor. Please notify the instructor if an ADA accommodation is needed.

Missed Quizzes/Tests and/ or Late Work: I discourage missing quizzes or tests and I do not accept late work. If you miss a quiz, you will be able to add in “bonus” quiz points or utilize opportunities for enrichment “bonus” points. See Blackboard and your instructor for details.

Quizzes may not be made up for any reason—no excuses are accepted. Remember, attendance is mandatory. Students experiencing emergencies as defined by university policy should contact the instructor individually as soon as possible. Otherwise, excused and unexcused absences are the same in terms of missing quizzes. Please do not ask when a quiz will be scheduled—assume a quiz is ALWAYS scheduled.

Missed a quiz or an assignment (NOT the poster or final paper)? Read Stones into Schools and then see your professor for your assignment. http://www.stonesintoschools.com/

All out of class assignments will be given with sufficient notice to allow timely completion—so such work should never be late (if for some reason you are incapacitated, it is likely that you have friends that can be paid to drop off your work to class, right?).

All written assignments must be turned in as a hard copy form to the instructor at the designated time and location. Papers should be typed, double-spaced, and include a cover sheet and a works cited page. Pages should be numbered. Papers will be graded according to quality of writing, number of proofreading-related errors, substantive content, use of research, and adherence to APA or MLA format (depending on your discipline—identify citation format on cover page).

All papers should be submitted to the course Blackboard electronic drop box and saved to the student’s personal disk or hard drive. While the instructor will only grade hard copies, having electronic back up will help everyone. The instructor reserves the right to utilize TurnItIn.com to proof papers for plagiarism.

Instructor’s Note: Except for changes that substantially affect implementation of the evaluation (grading) statement, this syllabus is a guide for the course and is subject to change with advance notice.

Grading

Plus and minus grades are assigned, according to the FSU grading scale. Grades on Blackboard may be assigned in numerical or letter format.

Quizzes 100

Blackboard assignments 100

Other class assignments 100

Book Discussion & Essays 100

Conference style poster presentation 100

Final term paper 100

Total course points 600

545-600 = A

550 –544 = A-

525-549 = B+

500 – 524 = B

475- 499 = B-

450 – 474 = C+

425 – 449 = C

400 – 424 = C-

375 – 399 = D+

350 – 374 = D

325 – 349 = D-

324 ↓ = F

Assignments/Course Components Overview

Detailed instructions will be posted on Blackboard and course requirements will be discussed during class meetings. However, the Blackboard site is not a substitute for class attendance.

Quizzes

I will give 6-10 quizzes. Each quiz will be worth 10-20 points. I do not allow quiz make-ups for any reason. If you miss one quiz, your grade is minimally impacted. If you take all the quizzes given, you can earn up to 120 points. Quizzes will be based on readings and class lectures. Quiz format will be short-answer/essay. Quizzes are always given on the readings covered in the previous class session. Remember, class attendance is required. If you miss a quiz, see the instructor for whole class “bonus” opportunities as available. One possible “bonus” assignment: read Stones into Schools (the entire book!) and see the professor for the corresponding written assignment. http://www.stonesintoschools.com/

Blackboard Participation Assignments

Blackboard assignments will require students to post written work related to the class research project in the course discussion board. Students will have a posting deadline. The instructor will not look at assignments posted after the deadline. No late assignments will be graded. Detailed instructions for assignments will be posted on Blackboard and discussed during class meetings.

Book Discussions and Papers

Students will read assigned texts, prepare discussion questions, and write analytical response essays that incorporate support from scholarly journal articles in contrast or juxtaposition with the class readings.

Other Class Work

Other class work may include creative responses or brief written responses that best fit the topic of discussion. Ample notice of such assignments will be provided.

Poster

You will create a scholarly poster to illustrate your final term paper. A poster itself is a visual presentation comprising whatever the contributor wishes to display on the poster board. The purpose of a poster is to outline a piece of work in a form that is easily assimilated and stimulates interest and discussion. The ultimate aim is a fruitful exchange of ideas between the presenter and the people reading the poster.

In preparing a poster, simplicity is the key. A typical reader may spend only a few minutes looking at the poster, so there should be a minimum of clutter and a maximum of pithy, informative statements and attractive, enlightening graphics. A poster should tell a story. As always in a scientific presentation, the broad outline includes a statement of the problem, a description of the method of attack, a presentation of results, and then a summary of the work. But within that format, there is much scope for ingenuity. A question-and-answer format, for example, may be appropriate for part of the poster.

A poster should not contain a lot of details—the presenter can always communicate the fine points to interested participants.

The poster should begin with a definition of the problem, together with a concise statement of the motivation for the work. It is not necessary to write in complete sentences; sentence fragments may be easier to comprehend. Bulleted lists are effective. An alternative is to break the text into chunks—small units that are not necessarily paragraphs in the usual sense. For presenting results, graphs and figures—easier to scan than the columns of figures in a table—are even more appropriate than in a paper.

Poster Guidelines from the National Women’s Studies Association

http://www.nwsaconference.org/2008/posters.php

Additional poster resources will be posted on Blackboard.

Final Term Paper

You will be asked to identify a topic relevant to the scope of the course for individual study. You will have my guidance as well as the assistance of library reference staff. Ample opportunity for peer interaction and feedback will also be provided.

There is no final exam. The poster and the paper count as final assessments for the course. Undergraduate papers should be 8 to 10 pages long. Graduate papers should be a minimum of 12 pages long. Graduate students will discuss paper proposals with the instructor for individual approval.

One paper page should be approximately 250 words. Double space, use a 12 point Times font, and one inch margins. Papers should include a cover sheet and a works cited page.

Wednesday February 11 -- Finishing the Narrative Essay Assignment

2009-02-11T07:26:00.000-08:00

Welcome Writing Students! Today, finish typing your essay. Save your work! Then, read the ENTIRE blog entry for Tuesday, February 10 and follow the peer response directions. When you have finished the peer response assignment, email that document as an attachment to me at drpienta@gmail.com. Your final revised and edited copy of should be printed and turned in with all the prewriting work by the end of class on Thursday or at the beginning of class on Friday.

Finishing Your Personal Narrative Essay

2009-02-10T16:49:00.000-08:00

YOUR ASSIGNMENT:

Exercise: Students are asked to write about a memorable experience or an important event that occurred in their lives. After producing a rough draft, each student will revise his or her essay at least twice. Students first critique their own essay using the Six-Trait Scoring Guideline and the Student Friendly Guide to Writing With Traits. After revising their first draft, students exchange essays with a partner for a peer-editing session. Again, using the Six-Trait Scoring Guide and the Student-Friendly Guide to Writing Traits, each student reviews his or her peer’s essay, scoring it and adding helpful comments on the Peer Edit Response Form. Students then revise their essays a second time, based on comments given by their peers. The result is a higher quality of writing from each student than a teacher would see without assigning revisions.

In the Computer Lab Wednesday and Thursday:

Finish typing your essay today! Save it...get ready to edit your own work and to help your classmates edit their papers, as well. Remember, you'll need to print your work at the end of class Thursday (bring $) or print it at home to turn in on Friday.

When you have finished and saved your work, let me know. Your next step, copy and paste your essay into a NEW document. Save the new document with a new name. Your classmate (s) will read and edit this new saved document--that way you can compare the edits to the original.

By Thursday, you will need to have 5 classmates read and respond to your work! They will need to make changes/and or comments in the document AND, at the end of the paper, write a paragraph telling you 3 good things about the paper and 2 things you need to improve.

When you turn in your paper, you will write a list of 10 things your classmates told you -- 5 good things about your writing and 5 things you had to work on. Attach it to the back of your typed final essay!

Use this site to help you respond to your classmates' work using the six traits:

http://litsite.alaska.edu/workbooks/writetrait/peeredit.html

Here are additional sites to help you respond effectively:

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/peeredit.html

http://arapaho.nsuok.edu/~oseland/eng1213/peerediting.html

http://www.d.umn.edu/~jschwetm/w2000/engl1001/pe2.html

http://web.uvic.ca/~sdoyle/E302/Notes/Peer%20editing.html

http://www.madison.k12.ky.us/district/projects/WebQuest/Emily/revision.htm

http://www.stmary.k12.la.us/intech/INTECH/k6/day1/peerediting.htm

Writing Class - Completing The Poetry Unit Dec 4 and 5

2008-12-03T14:21:00.000-08:00

Finish those last 3 poems today!

Get your work back from me, then start to re-read, revise, and edit your work. Have a friend or parent read your work. Check it for spelling errors, punctuation issues, and word choice.

Then, decide how you will turn in your poetry unit.

(1) Binder
(2) self-bound pages with creative cover
(3) web site using free site http://wordpress.com/
(4) Power Point -- you will need to print out your powerpoint and turn it in.

Poetry Unit Requirements

1. Title Page/Cover/Header
2. Introduction letter including personal autobiographical statement and any dedications you want to make
3. Table of Contents listing poem types and titles (10 total)
4. The following 8 poems: free verse, blues poem, senryu poem, concrete poem, biopoem, 3 poems from the 30 Days page.
5. 2 additional original (written by you) poems of any type

Please include appropriate images/pictures and color to make your work interesting.

The Poetry Unit will be scored on following directions, including all 5 required elements, creativity, evidence of effort, overall style, and attention to proofreading.

You may include more than 10 poems if you wish. All submitted poems must be original and must be appropriate for school.

If you want to quote other poets or songwriters as part of your creative elements, you must the writer's name and give appropriate credit.

Poetry Units are due on Tuesday. We will take some time to share them during class.

Interested in the website option? Check out Mrs. Robinson's site at http://mcnerds.wordpress.com

Poetry for Writing One December 3

2008-12-02T15:55:00.000-08:00

We've been studying poetry for a few weeks now. We're not quite done yet...Check out the following site for directions on numerous poetry forms.

Note: we have already done Day 1!

http://www.msrogers.com/English2/poetry/30_days_of_poetry.htm

Choose a minimum of 3 poems from Days 2-29. Copy the directions into your notes...then work on your own poems! You'll have time to write during class on Thursday.

You may choose additional poetry forms -- the more types of poems you write, the better your overall grade will be.

Thursday and Friday: We'll start working on how best to preserve and present our poems from this unit. Websites, Power Points, books???? You will have 2 days as a class in the library. Choose a computer-based format for your poetry publishing ONLY if you have regular access to a computer and the Internet. If you do not have access, start thinking about how to do a poetry binder or how to make a poetry book.

Discussion Board Forums Active!

2008-06-11T16:38:00.000-07:00

You can register and start posting on the forums:

http://dr.sutzpienta.com/

Register for the Discussion Board -- Follow this link!

2008-06-10T17:29:00.000-07:00

Follow this link to register for the discussion board:

http://dr.sutzpienta.com/members/BBoard/members/register.cfm

Greetings to the Class of 2009 Advanced Placement Literature Class!

2008-06-10T06:28:00.000-07:00

Hi Students- Hope your summer has started off well. I've been traveling and will be on the road quite a bit this summer. My online discussion board is ALMOST ready...Stay tuned for instructions and a site address.

In the meantime, I still want to hear from you! Please send me an email from an email address I can use to contact you in return and tell me a little bit about what you have planned for this summer...other than reading a bunch of books for me, of course.

Even though I am traveling, I will still check email, be online, and have my cell phone with me. I have unlimited texting on my cell but please tell me who you are if you text me (I block unknown people after one anonymous text).

Looking forward to receiving emails, talk to you soon!

Dr. P

Homework Reminder for English One Friday April 18

2008-04-18T05:34:00.000-07:00

Remember, you have Act II (the balcony scene) in your workbook to read and analyze for Monday's class. (p. 182-188). Be prepared!

Continue reading for today's notes and journal assignment (see below).

Journal Assignment #5 and Friday's Class Notes

2008-04-18T04:52:00.000-07:00

English One Notes April 18th

Assessment Quiz

Journal #5 -- Use the Internet and/or an encyclopedia to find out what life was like in Renaissance Italy. You may NOT use Wikipedia. Use at least 3 different sites. List the website addresses that you use to answer the questions and complete the journal.

Journal Questions [Answer ALL the questions] -- (1) Describe the art, architecture, food, clothing, and music of Renaissance Italy. (2) What time period was Renaissance Italy? (3) Name 2 or more famous people who lived during the Renaissance in Italy. What were these people famous for? (4) Why do you think Shakespeare set Romeo and Juliet in Verona, Italy during the Renaissance? Would this story be different if it were set in Wakulla County in 2008? What would be different?

Extra Credit opportunity tonight -- Attend Relay for Life at the WHS Track tonight (event is from 6 pm to 11 am, starting today and ending Saturday morning). Write one page describing the event in such a way that someone who had never been to the event before would want to go next year. Submit your one page essay AND a program from the event on Monday April 21 for 20 points extra credit.

Writing Tuesday March 25

2008-03-24T06:58:00.002-07:00

Hello Writing Students!

Time to begin writing your very own editorial position essay. Your assignment requires you to write an essay that is informative AND persuasive -- similar to the "Save Hillhouse" essay and the Leonard Pitts' articles that you also read.

What issue do you want to discuss? What do you feel people need to know? Is there something you want to change or influence? Refer back to Caleb's essay about alternative fuels to see an example of how to do this.

Your essay should include an introduction, at least 3 paragraphs supporting your position, and at least one paragraph that counters/addresses an opposing point or perspective. Your essay should end with a strong conclusion paragraph.

Your finished essay should reflect our work on thesis statements and transitions. Remember that a well-developed paragraph should have at least 5-9 sentences. Paragraphs should develop and support one point or idea.

You will be able to research and type your essay in the library this week. Save your essay to a flash drive and/ or send it to yourself via email. You may bring money to print it out at school on Friday or bring a typed final draft with you to class that day.

For extra credit, you may submit your essay to be considered for publication to one or both of the following publications (However, I have to approve it first!): Wakulla.com and or The Wakulla News. I will provide contact names and email addresses once I have approved your final essay. Email submissions will earn up to 25 points extra credit.

Final Essays are due on Friday!

Note: You will have time to read in the library on Friday once essays are completed.

The Outsiders and Robert Frost--A Journal Prompt for English One

2008-03-24T06:58:00.001-07:00

The Robert Frost poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" Appears in Chapter 5 of The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton.

View the link below for the poem's text and a slideshow containing images represented in the poem.

http://www.lincoln.k12.ky.us/lcms/web%20gallery/Nature%20gallery.htm

For today's journal, discuss how S.E. Hinton uses the poem in this chapter. Why is the poem relevant to the conversation between Johnny and Ponyboy? How does the poem relate to what you've read in the story so far? What do you think the poem means?

Note the page number where this poem appears in your edition of the novel. We will return to the poem for additional discussion once we have completed the novel.

Caleb Fisher's Position Essay for 9th Grade Writing at Wakulla High School

2008-03-24T06:58:00.000-07:00

Click on the link to view Caleb Fisher's position essay assignment. Yes, he earned an A!

http://www.wakulla.com/Wakulla_County_School_System/Wakulla_High_School/Spotlight_On%3A__Caleb_Fisher%2C_WHS_9th_Grader%2C_Writes_about_Alternatives_to_Fossil_Fuels_200612142310/

Their Eyes Were Watching God Resource Collection

2007-11-18T14:38:00.000-08:00

Reading group guide

http://www.readinggroupguides.com/guides/their_eyes_were_watching_god.asp

lesson plan

http://www.sdcoe.k12.ca.us/score/eyes/eyetg.htm

http://www.novelguide.com/theireyeswerewatchinggod/

http://jupiter.phy.ohiou.edu/~rouzie/307/hurston.html

questions

http://www.barrsenglishclass.com/zora.html

Wright and Hurston

http://www.womenwriters.net/editorials/hurstonwright.html

How does it feel to be colored me

http://students.ed.uiuc.edu/hbarajas/lp_hurston.html

http://www.barnard.edu/sfonline/hurston/wall_03.htm

http://itech.fgcu.edu/faculty/wohlpart/alra/hurston.htm

http://www.vdare.com/misc/epstein_hurston_on_blacks.htm

the essay:

http://people.whitman.edu/~hashimiy/zora.htm

http://www.aug.edu/~lngtba/southernlit/resp3B.htm

http://www.aug.edu/~lngtba/southernlit/resp3B.htm

http://voices.cla.umn.edu/vg/Bios/entries/hurston_zora_neale.html

Their Eyes Were Watching God Study Questions -- For use with 1991 AP Lit Exam Passage and Multiple Choice Questions

Explain what the following phrases or lines mean or represent:

Starched and ironed her face (1)
Rollicking with the springtime across the world (11-12)
Asking lonesomeness some questions (27-28)
Great journey (37)

Answer each question with support from the text selection:

Why did Janie hate her grandmother?
In context, what depends on “the way you see things? (42)
In context, interpret the phrase “deal in scraps” (45).
What is the purpose of the parable of creation in lines 59-66?
What does Janie believe to the very basic characteristic of human nature?
What does “each little spark” (64) in the parable of creation mean?
What can be inferred about each man who drove “considerable distances” (line 74) to see Janie?
How would you describe Janie at the end of the passage?
Describe the tone of the last paragraph (lines 70-80).
Describe how Janie felt about the influence of her mother and grandmother on her character?

Finally, list and explain each instance of figurative language that appears in the passage with quotations and line numbers.

One more site...

http://www.fultonschools.org/teacher/stratton/hurston2.html

Jane Eyre and The Bildungsroman

2007-11-11T16:29:00.000-08:00

In my class, I teach Their Eyes Were Watching God, Song of Solomon, One Hundred Years of Solitude, and Jane Eyre. I also teach theories related to the "hero's journey" using lecture material from Joseph Campbell including a DVD with an interview between Bill Moyers and Joseph Campbell.

I also use several sites to pull together analysis of the hero's journey with various other works:

http://home.rmi.net/%7Eseifert/id22.html

http://www.mythsdreamssymbols.com/he http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/sffilm/mmswtab.html roinfilm.html

http://www.cerritos.edu/fquaas/resources/English102/hero.htm

http://ias.berkeley.edu/orias/hero/

http://hubcap.clemson.edu/~sparks/heroj.html

http://www.cerritos.edu/fquaas/resources/English102/HeroChart.htm

http://www.clickok.co.uk/index4.html

I have students chart the hero's journey with something familiar, this year we are using Harry Potter. When we finish reading Jane Eyre, we will analyze the novel using the hero's journey chart.

Resources for Teaching Jane Eyre

http://www.victorianweb.org/authors/bronte/cbronte/rosengarten.html

http://english.byu.edu/novelinks/Novel%20pages/Jane%20Eyre.htm

http://www.webenglishteacher.com/cbronte.html

A Capstone Project (I revised this annually...suggestions always appreciated).

The following assignment is prefaced by a lecture on the bildungsroman and related coming-of-age stories. The list of readings included below are familiar to our students from the current AP curriculum and from prior year’s study in other English courses.

Some examples of coming-of-age stories that can be considered within the Bildungsroman genre include:
Anaya, Rudolfo. Bless Me, Ultima.
Bronte, Charlotte. Jane Eyre.
Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations.
Garcia Marquez, Gabriel. One Hundred Years of Solitude.
Hurston, Zora Neale. Their Eyes Were Watching God. New York: Harper & Row, 1937.
Joyce, James. Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.
Lee, Harper. To Kill a Mockingbird.
Morrison, Toni. Song of Solomon.
Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye.
Twain, Mark. The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Walker, Alice. The Color Purple. New York: Washington Square Press, 1983.

The Bildungsroman or Coming of Age Story in Literature

Over the course of the year, we have encountered several stories that can be considered to be a Bildungsroman or coming of age story. For the final six weeks project, students will be required to document their own “coming of age” as they approach a major rite of passage—high school graduation. Projects should give the audience a sense of the creator’s individual development over time and leave the viewer/listener with a sense that graduation is a threshold about to be crossed and that senior year has been the homestretch of a transformative journey preparing the student to be launched into the future—whatever that may mean and whatever may transpire in years to come.

This project will incorporate some combination or all of the following elements: quotations from literature; poetry; excerpts from movies; song lyrics; original writing in the form of prose, poetry, song lyrics, or musical compositions; photos; interviews; performances; and/or original artwork.

The project may take one of several forms. Students may opt to create a PowerPoint presentation or slide show; a video documentary; a memory book; and/or a graphic novel.

Students must frame their personal Bildungsroman in two ways: (1) by drawing a parallel with a story from the canon of classic literature; and (2) by establishing a connection with the current historical moment via some element of popular culture.

The project should be accompanied by a typed explanatory overview of the project. The overview should be at least 500 typed words in length. Students will have up to 10 minutes to present their projects.

Questions to consider when working on this project:

What experiences have shaped me into who I am today?
How am I different today than when I first started high school?
What do I know about myself now that I did not know last year, four years ago, or as a child?
What books have influenced my thinking?
What songs and/or films have influenced my thinking?
Are there books, films, or songs that I associate with specific time periods in my life? Why were these works important to me at those times?
If I had to choose one quotation from a book, song, play, poem, or film to represent who I am today, what words would best represent me?
What, if anything, has prepared me to venture into the world beyond the environment of high school? If I am not prepared, how will I deal with whatever awaits me?

The final project is completed during the last two weeks of school. The AP exam is also administered within the final two weeks we meet with our seniors.

Writing Syllabus Using Write Source text

2007-08-25T13:04:00.000-07:00

Writing Curriculum/Course Outline

Daily and weekly course elements: reinforcement of focus lesson key words in daily note taking, daily “on-demand” writing journal, weekly vocabulary instruction, and quizzes.

WS = Write Source text

Week 1 Writing Diagnostic/PreTests
Course Introduction
Textbook Sign Out

Introducing the “Tools of the Trade”
Key Writing Terms WS p. 598-99
Writing Techniques WS p. 600-01
Introduction to Six Traits WS p. 39-54
Improving Vocabulary WS p. 501-12

Vocabulary War/other Vocabulary enrichment [this week or next]
[Teachers may alternate between Vocab War, Scrabble, other vocabulary building activities]

Week 2 Begin daily journal writing this week
Basic Elements of Writing Unit Begins WS p. 533-580
Using Words Effectively WS p. 533-548
Responding to Writing Prompts WS p. 193-99
WS p. 247-252

Activities: Hide the Adjective, Going Bohemian

Week 3 Understanding Sentence Style WS p. 549-560

Activities: “The 120-Word Sentence”(Going Bohemian, Lawrence Baines). Instructor will provide examples of sentences from literature such as William Faulkner’s A Rose for Emily. Students will analyze examples and then have the opportunity to create their own complex sentences.

Week 4 Writing Effective Paragraphs WS p. 561-579

Activities: Narrative paragraph WS p. 90-91
Expository paragraph WS p. 146-147

[1] Teacher will provide stimuli to illustrate sensory perception (drawing on research by writer Diana Ackerman, A Natural History of the Senses). Students will be asked to write descriptions rich in sensory detail.
[2] “The Moody House: A Perspective Lesson for Developing Description”—Lesson will provide an opportunity for students to experiment with description as a technique to create mood and establish perspective. The lesson will enhance students’ command of voice. (Source material – Going Bohemian, Anthony Kunkel; The Art of Fiction, John Gardner)
[3] Synesthesia Lesson on Descriptive Writing. (Activities for an Interactive Classroom, Jeffrey Golub).
[4] Describe a Place Lesson. (Activities for an Interactive Classroom, Jeffrey Golub).

Week 5 Proofreading Unit Begins WS p. 605-763
Marking Punctuation WS p. 605-647

Week 6 Checking Mechanics WS p. 648-671

Week 7 Understanding Idioms WS p. 672-77
Choosing the Right Word WS p. 678-79
Parts of Speech WS p. 700-37

Week 8 Understanding Sentences WS p. 738-63
Using Transitions WS p. 592-93

Activities: Rapid Transitions – Writing “game” that helps students learn how to identify and use transitions. (Going Bohemian, Anthony Kunkel).

Week 9 Developing Voice WS p. 278-279

Activities: [1] Developing Voice and Tone, “Voices from Beyond the Grave” (Activities for an Interactive Classroom, Jeffrey Golub). Teacher provides examples to illustrate how writers establish voice and tone. Students will imagine what they would say to comment on their “past life.”
[2] “Same Facts, Different Audience” (Going Bohemian, Lawrence Baines). Students will learn how presentation of content, style, voice, and tone affect audience and purpose.

Week 10 Descriptive Writing Assignment
Using Graphic Organizers WS p. 588-91
The Writer’s Process WS p. 1-72
Activities: [1] ‘Teacher Spy” (Going Bohemian, Lawrence Baines). Students will keep an observation journal on selected teacher to prepare for this assignment. The teacher will provide prompts to help students focus observations. The final character sketch will be rich in description but will not use the teacher’s real name. Students will be required to write positive descriptions ONLY. This assignment can include instruction on taking notes, conducting interviews, incorporating source material into the final essay, etc. [2] Visit to computer lab with instruction on working with Microsoft Word.

Week 11 Persuasive Writing
Responding to the Persuasive Prompt WS p. 247-253
Writing a Position Essay WS p. 201-206
Note: The “Save Hillhouse” essays provides excellent opportunity to instruct on the importance of close reading skills and attention to detail.
Activities: [1] Using a graphic organizer to plan or pre-write
[2] Writing a persuasive paragraph (Letters to the principal, the school board, the editor regarding school or community issues can be written).

Week 12 Persuasive Writing Continued – The Position Essay
Writing a Position Essay WS p. 207-246
Activities: [1] Students will be asked to write a persuasive essay that states and defends a position.
A. Listing Controversies and Issues, WS p. 208
B. “Why” Chart Graphic Organizer, WS p. 209

Week 13 Persuasive Writing
Drafting, revising essays WS p. 207-246
Activities:
[1] Revising for Ideas, Write Source pp. 218-219
[2] Revising for Organization, Write Source pp. 220-221
[3] Revising for Voice, Write Source pp. 222-223
[4] Revising for Word Choice, Write Source pp. 224-225
[5] Revising for Sentence Fluency, Write Source pp. 226-227
[6] Allow students to present opposing viewpoints during classroom and provide time for discussion.
[7] Students may wish to submit position essays to local print media for publication. This option can be a great extra credit or enrichment opportunity.

For example, Caleb Fisher wrote the following essay to complete the Position Essay Assignment:
http://www.wakulla.com/Wakulla_County_School_System/Wakulla_High_School/Spotlight_On:__Caleb_Fisher,_WHS_9th_Grader,_Writes_about_Advantages_of_Fossil_Fuels_200612142310/

Week 14 Expository Writing—Comparison Essay WS p. 145-184
Activities:
[1] Pre-writing strategy WS p. 146, 153
[2] Supporting with details WS p. 155
1. Select the points of comparison
2. Arrange your details
[3] Using contrasts in the essay WS p. 165
[4] Use the model to write thesis statement WS p. 156
[5] Complete thesis statement exercise WS p. 164
[6] Prepare sentence outline WS p. 156
[7] Switch sentence outlines for peer feedback

Week 15 Comparison essay continued
[8] Draft essay WS p. 158-162
[9] Peer revision exercise WS p. 166
[10] Middle part organization WS p. 167
[11] Revising for Voice WS p. 168-169
[12] Several options for further revision activity:
a. Revising for Word Choice
i. Review word choice
ii. Complete and discuss exercises pp. 170-171
iii. Homework: Read your essay aloud and underline words that are used too often. Find synonyms or rewrite sentences to avoid repetition.
b. Revising for Sentence Fluency
i. Review sentence fluency
ii. Discuss compound sentences and complex sentences
iii. Complete and discuss exercises pp. 172-173
iv. Use the revising checklist on p. 174
c. Edit for conventions
i. Review conventions
ii. Complete and discuss exercise p. 176
iii. Use the editing checklist on p. 178

Week 16 Expository Writing—Explaining a Process WS p. 185-192
Students will have the opportunity to write a “how-to” essay on something they know how to do or make. This assignment allows students to write a process essay based on personal experience and expertise. Students are also asked to do a presentation in addition to the essay. They have made videos on how to clean a fish, how to throw a softball, how to build a hunting blind, etc. Other students have done demonstrations on golf putting, speed skating, guitar playing, etc.

Optional – If students opt to write about cooking a family recipe I have allowed students to share a recipe they have actually prepared with their classmates.

Follow the writing process WS p. 7-72
Process essay as personal narrative WS p. 89-143

Activities: Instructor should design a writing schedule with frequent checkpoints to keep students on track. Plan to conference individually with students while class works independently on writing assignment. By the end of week, each student should have had a personal writing conference with the instructor.

Week 17 Process Essay Presentations WS p. 393-404
Instruct students on oral presentation guidelines
Note: It is a good idea to have students construct a written presentation plan. This plan can be completed for a grade.

Once preparations are complete, this week should be devoted to presentations.

Week 18 Final Exam Review WS p. 598-601
WS p. 605-793

Final Exams!

The First Week of School

2007-08-19T08:32:00.000-07:00

School begins tomorrow! The first day is always nerve wracking. There are so many new students to meet!

AP students out there? Is anyone blogging about their senior year and is it somewhere other than MySpace? Can I link your blog to this one?

Collecting Acronyms as Analytical Tools

2007-07-08T10:02:00.000-07:00

Annotation Acronyms

I've been collecting acronyms from various sources such as websites and other AP teachers...Are there more that I've missed? This list is intended to serve as a starting point for teachers and students engaged in the process of analyzing literature. Comments and additions are welcome.

The following acronyms may help students to remember different elements of writer’s craft to consider when annotating a text.

D.U.C.A.T.S. – The “6 gold pieces” of writer’s voice

Diction refers to a writer's word choice with the following considerations:
denotation / connotation of a word
degree of difficulty or complexity of a word
level of formality of a word
tone of a word (the emotional charge a word carries)
the above will often create a subtext for the text

Unity refers to the idea that all of the ideas in a written piece are relevant and appropriate to the focus. Some considerations:
each claim (assertion, topic sentence) supports the thesis
each piece of evidence is important and relevant to the focus of the paragraph or the piece of writing as a whole
occasionally, a writer may choose to purposely violate the element of unity for a specific effect (some humorists / satirists will sometimes consciously do this)
it is important to consider what has been omitted from a piece and examine the writer's intent in doing so

Coherence refers to the organization and logic of a piece of writing; some considerations include:
precision and clarity in a thesis and supportive arguments
the arguments ordered in the most effective way for the writer's intent
the sentences and paragraphs "flow smoothly" for the reader; there should not be any abrupt leaps or gaps in the presentation of the ideas or story (unless the writer makes a conscious choice for a specific and appropriate effect)

Audience refers to the writer's awareness of who will be reading his or her piece of writing; some considerations are:
Who are the targeted readers?
How well informed are they on the subject? What does the writer want the reader to learn as a result of this piece?
What first impression is created for the reader and how does the author's voice shape this first impression?
How interested and attentive are they likely to be? Will they resist any of the ideas?
What is the relationship between the writer and the reader? Employee to supervisor? Citizen to citizen? Expert to novice? Scholar to scholar? Student to teacher? Student to student?
How much time will the reader be willing to spend reading?
How sophisticated are the readers in regard to vocabulary and syntax?

Tone refers to a writer's ability to create an attitude toward the subject matter of a piece of writing; the tools a writer uses to create tone:
Diction, Figurative language, Characterization, Plot, Theme

Syntax refers to the arrangement--the ordering, grouping, and placement--of words within a phrase, clause, or sentence. Some considerations:
Type of sentence
Length of sentence
Subtle shifts or abrupt changes in sentence length or patterns
Punctuation use
Use of repetition
Language patterns / rhythm / cadence
How all of the above factors contribute to narrative pace
The use of active and/or passive voice
D.I.T.S. – The elements of tone

Diction refers to a writer's (or speaker's) word choice; besides the dictionary definition of a word (its denotation) a word can have an emotional charge or association that creates a secondary meaning (its connotation) "The difference between the right word and almost the right word is the difference between lightning and a lightning bug." Mark Twain
Imagery refers to mental pictures or sensations that a writer evokes in a reader. Look carefully at the pictures that a writer creates; note his/her descriptive details in the setting such as: colors, objects, weather, seasons, use of light or darkness, look at any symbols and what feelings they may suggest.
Theme refers to the author’s message or to the overarching idea that the text leads the reader to consider. Think about the author's message; what attitude comes through in his/her main point?
Style refers to the writer’s use of language; is it formal, informal, technical? What details did the writer choose to include or omit? Examine the various elements of characterization; assess what messages the writer is sending through his characters’ actions, reactions, thoughts, speech, physical description or other character’s comments. What feelings are created by the writer’s plot? What feelings are created by the conflict and how it is solved or resolved?

T.A.P.S. – General literary analysis

Topic: What is the topic of the text?
Audience: To whom is the message directed?
Purpose: What is the writer’s goal?
Speaker: What can be inferred about the speaker’s attitude toward the topic or the audience?

S.O.A.P.S.Tone - Analyzing point of view

Speaker: Is there someone identified as the speaker? Can you make some assumptions about this person? What class does the author come from? What political bias can be inferred? What gender?
Occasion: What may have prompted the author to write this piece? What event led to its publication or development?
Audience: Does the speaker identify an audience? What assumptions can you make about the audience? Is it a mixed in terms of: race, politics, gender, social class, religion, etc.? Who was the document created for? Does the speaker use language that is specific for a unique audience? Does the speaker evoke: Nation? Liberty? God? History? Hell? Does the speaker allude to any particular time in history such as: Ancient Times? Industrial Revolution? World Wars? Vietnam?
Purpose: What is the speaker’s purpose? In what ways does the author convey this message? What seems to be the emotional state of the speaker? How is the speaker trying to spark a reaction in the audience? What words or phrases show the speaker’s tone? How is this document supposed to make you feel?
Subject: What is the subject of the piece? How do you know this? How has the subject been selected and presented by the author?
Tone: What is the author’s attitude toward the subject? How is the writer’s attitude revealed?

S.Q.U.I.D.S. – A reminder of the steps in the process of analysis and commentary
Select
Quotation: a specific line or passage from the text
Understand
Identify (explain, hold forth, etc.)
Define / Describe / Deconstruct its
Significance
D.I.D.L.S. – A mnemonic for literary analysis

Diction: the denotative and connotative meanings of words (What words does the author choose? Consider his/her word choice compared to another. Why did the author choose that particular word? What are the connotations of that word choice?)
different words for the same thing often suggest different attitudes (happy vs. content vs. ecstatic)
denotative vs. connotative (dead vs. passed away)
concrete vs. abstract (able to perceive with 5 senses, tangible, vs. an idea or concept that exists in one’s mind, intangible)
monosyllabic vs. polysyllabic
positive vs. negative (slender vs. skinny, determined vs. stubborn)
colloquial / informal / formal
cacophonous vs. euphonious (e.g., harsh sounding, raucous, croak or pleasant sounding, languid, murmur)

Images: Vivid appeals to understanding through the five senses – sight, sound, touch, taste, smell. (What images does the author use? What does he/she focus on in a sensory way? How do the kinds of images the author puts in or leaves out reflect his/her style? Are they vibrant? Prominent? Plain? NOTE: Images differ from detail in the degree to which they appeal to the senses. A farmer and a real estate developer would use different imagery to describe the same piece of land. Imagery would differ in a romantic vs. realistic description of the countryside.)

Details: Facts that are included or those that are omitted (What details does the author choose to include? What do they imply? What does the author choose to exclude? What are the connotations of the choice of details? NOTE: Details are facts or fact-lets. They differ from images in that they don't have a strong sensory appeal. Hard Copy vs. CNN vs. NPR)

Language: The overall use of language such as formal, clinical, informal, slang (What is the overall impression of the language the author uses? Does it reflect education? A particular profession? Intelligence? Is it plain? Ornate? Simple? Clear? Figurative? Poetic? Make sure you don't skip this step. Ambassador will speak differently than a cop or a kid.)

Sentence Structure: How the author’s use of sentence structure affects the reader (What are the sentences like? Are they simple with one or two clauses? Do they have multiple phrases? Are they choppy? Flowing? Sinuous like a snake? Is there antithesis, chiasmus, parallel construction? What emotional impression do they leave? If we are talking about poetry, what is the meter? Is there a rhyme scheme? Long flowing sentences give us a different feeling than short choppy ones. If the narrator has awkward sentence structure, we night think he is uneducated or fearful. Sophisticated mature sentences might suggest artistic creativity.)

S.M.E.L.L. – Evaluating argumentation and persuasion (with rhetorical appeals)

Sender/receiver relationship: Who is the speaker? Who is the audience? What is the tone directed from one to the other?

Message: What is the content and/or claim?

Evidence: What kind of evidence is given and to what extent?

Logic: What is the quality of the reasoning? What types of appeals are being used?

Language: What stylistic and rhetorical devices are being employed?

S.O.L.L.I.D.D.D. - Analyzing rhetorical elements and author’s style

Syntax: Sentence structure

Organization: The structure of sections within a passage and as a whole

Literary Devices: Metaphor, simile, personification, irony (situational, verbal and dramatic), hyperbole, allusion, alliteration, etc.

Levels of Discourse: Cultural levels of language act, with attendant traits (does the narrator’s voice represent a particular social, political, or cultural viewpoint or perspective?)

Imagery: Deliberate appeal to the audience’s five senses

Diction: Word choice and its denotative and connotative significance

Detail: Descriptive items selected for inclusion

Dialogue: Spoken exchange selected for inclusion

S.L.L.I.D.D. T.O.P. – Analyzing a Passage

Syntax: defining/effective sentence structure

Language: type used (refer to ‘language’ words) and connection to audience (do a SOAPS)

Literary devices: metaphor, personification, hyperbole, etc.

Imagery: visual, auditory, tactile, olfactory, gustatory

Diction: connotative word choice

Detail: concrete aspects of the passage

Tone: identify specifically/provide a pair of different yet complementary tones (refer to ‘tone’ words)

Organization: movement in the passage between tones, ideas, defining literary/rhetorical strategies

Point of view: perspective of the passage and significance (do a SOAPS)

TP-CASTT Analysis – useful for analyzing poetry

Title: Ponder the title before reading the poem

Paraphrase: Translate the poem into your own words

Connotation: Contemplate the poem for meaning beyond the literal

Attitude: Observe both the speaker's and the poet's attitude (tone)

Shifts: Note shifts in speakers and in attitudes. Devices that help readers discover shift:
Key words (but, yet, however, although)
Punctuation (dashes, periods, colons, ellipsis)
Stanza or paragraph divisions
Changes in line or stanza length, or both
Irony (sometimes irony hides shifts)
Structure (how the work is written can affect its meaning)
Changes in sound (may indicate changes in meaning)
Changes in diction (ex: slang to formal language)

Title: Examine the title again, this time on an interpretive level

Theme: Determine what the poet is saying

S.A.T.T.T. – especially useful when first considering a narrative work

Setting: when and where is the event occurring? Could there be any symbolic significance to the author's choice of setting?

Action: What is occurring in the passage? Why did the author choose those particular actions?

Time: How much time elapses? How is the passage of time (if any) depicted? How is it significant to the text?

Tone: What is the author's attitude toward the subject? What does that suggest about the author? the topic?

Theme: What message is the author trying to convey? What lesson is being taught?