Wednesday, Sept. 7th

Unit 1: The Literacy Narrative

Check In

How is it going? Did you have a chance to complete all outstanding assignments?

• Introductory Writing Assignment
• Read and write a response to “How to Read Like a Writer” by Mike �Bunn

GENRE!

Remember, a genre is: A specific TYPE of music, writing, art. In literature, texts of the same genre usually share a similar style or form or key elements.

What genres have we looked at so far?

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“How to Read Like a Writer” by Mike Bunn

Reading Questions

• What did you think of the piece? Did you like it? Or not? Why? Explain! (Don’t worry my feelings won’t be hurt! Be honest!)
• What tips or ideas did you learn about how to Read Like a Writer? How might you apply it (use it) when you read? Identify at least 3 and explain them! In 2-3 sentences!
• Can you explain what you think the author means when he says, “When you read like a writer, you are trying to figure out how the text you are reading was constructed so that you learn how to ‘build’ one for yourself” (74). Be specific. Share a personal example, if possible.
• Let’s think about the “context” of this text. What is the author (Mike Bunn’s) purpose in writing this piece? Who is his intended audience?
• What is the genre of this text? It's okay if you don’t know! Just give it a shot! (Remember the genre is TYPE of writing– for example, essay, article, poem, etc.)
• What did you notice about HOW this text was written? Choose one observation!

Key Ideas! What is the goal of reading like a writer?

• Identify the choices the author made (from big choices like the structure of the text or the genre of a text or how the text is organized to small choices like word choice) and also imagine/ wonder how the text would be different/ impact readers differently if the author had made different choices.
• Identify “how the text was constructed so you learn how to “build” one for yourself” (74). This means we can use texts as mentors to learn from. The goal of reading like a writer is to see how these writers write so that we can learn from them. We can learn new ideas, new strategies, new techniques.

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Key Ideas! How is reading like a writer different than normal reading?

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• When we read normally, we read for information (recipe, directions, menus, maps) or we read for fun.
• When we read like a writer, we read to learn how to become stronger writers!

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Key Ideas! Why learn to read like a writer?

• Professors, jobs expect you to write in specific ways but rarely explicitly teach you how to write in those ways. “Reading like a writer can help you understand how the process of writing is a series of making choices, and in doing so, can help you recognize important decisions you might face and techniques you might want to use when working on your own writing” (75).

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Key Ideas! How to! Q’s for BEFORE reading!

• Do you know the author’s purpose for this piece of writing?
• Do you know who the intended audience is for this piece of writing?
• What is the context of the piece and the assignment. How does it fit into the big picture.
• What genre is it written in?
• Who is the publisher? When was it published? Is it a professional piece of writing?
• Will you have to do a similar type of writing? If so, what can you learn from it? What might you borrow or use from it?

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Key Ideas! How to! Q’s for AS you read!

• What is the author’s purpose for this piece of writing?
• Who is the intended audience?

These questions depend on the genre/ type of text!

• How effective is the language the author uses? Is it too formal? Too informal? Perfectly appropriate?
• What kinds of evidence does the author use to support his/ her claims? Doe he she use statistics? Quotes from famous people? Personal anecdotes or personal stories? Does he / she cite books or articles?
• How appropriate or effective is the evidence? Would a different type of evidence or some combination of evidence be more effective?

Key Ideas! How to! Q’s AS you read!

• Are there places in the writing that you find confusing? What about the writing makes it unclear or confusing?
• How does the author move from one idea to another in the writing?
• Are the transitions between the ideas effective? How else might he/ she have transitioned between ideas instead?

Key Ideas! Annotating a Text!

What should we write as we read? Annotating a Text!

Anything that answers the following questions:

• What is the technique the author is using here?
• Is this technique effective?
• What would be the advantage/ disadvantage of if I tried this same technique in my writing?

What is annotating a text?? Annotating is taking notes or marking up a text!

Big Questions!

How will we use these strategies going forward?

How can we apply these strategies to this class and other classes you take at City Tech?

Let’s Revisit Our Texts and Read Them Like a Writer

“Maybe I could Save Myself by Writing Poetry” by Jose Olivarez https://gen.medium.com/young-chicago-authors-maybe-i-could-save-myself-by-writing-poetry-latinx-teen-79752108d0b5

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Apply the techniques and strategies we discussed from “Reading Like a Writer” our class text. Think about how you might read it differently now!

PROJECT 1: The Literacy Narrative

AN INTRODUCTION

What Is Literacy?

What Is a Narrative?

What Might We Find in a Literacy Narrative?

Literacy is the ability to read and write

“A narrative is a spoken or written account of connected events or a story.”

A story of one’s growth as a reader and writer; the story of what shaped their literacy identity.

A Literacy Narrative…

A literacy narrative tells the story of the development of a person as a reader and writer (and a speaker). It may capture important pieces of the author’s identity, struggles, turning points, or people who influenced them.

Project 1 Overview

In this unit, you will write about a significant event or events that had an impact on the way you view the ways you view language and literacy. Think about the examples we’ve read in class: they talk about specific events in-depth, using concrete, significant detail– and then they explain why those events were important– not just to the writer, but to the reader.

What can your experiences with language tell your audience about the ways bilingualism is perceived in America, for example? Or about the ways we speak differently around different groups of people? You want your reader to come out of your narrative having learned something or thinking about things in a new way.

The Project

You will craft a literacy narrative of at least 1000 words. The narrative should depict a moment that captures an important element of your life with a focus on the development of your reading or writing identity.

You will not tell the whole story of your life, but rather present a slice of your life. You will focus on one or two key events, moments, people, etc. that influenced the development of your literacy identity. The narrative should tell a personal story about your experience as a reader and a writer.

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You may want to write about:

• An event in when you noticed language (either your own or someone else’s) that was particularly formative;
• An experience around speech or communication that led you to become the person you are today;
• The first time you had a profound experience related to language;
• A place, person, book, author, community or experience that influenced your identity in a positive or negative way. Focus particularly on your identity as a reader, writer or student;
• An important lesson that was learned, a time you learned something about yourself as a reader or a writer;
• An occasion when you had to display literacy in a particular academic discipline;
• A new literacy (way of communicating) you had to learn at a workplace;
• An experience using varying methods of communication with classmates, team members or people in your community.

You may want to write about:

• An event in when you noticed language (either your own or someone else’s) that was particularly formative;
• An experience around speech or communication that led you to become the person you are today;
• The first time you had a profound experience related to language;
• A place, person, book, author, community or experience that influenced your identity in a positive or negative way. Focus particularly on your identity as a reader, writer or student;
• An important lesson that was learned, a time you learned something about yourself as a reader or a writer;
• An occasion when you had to display literacy in a particular academic discipline;
• A new literacy (way of communicating) you had to learn at a workplace;
• An experience using varying methods of communication with classmates, team members or people in your community.

Whichever context you choose, you should discuss

• Talk about how the event shaped your relationship to communication in general;
• Talk about how your particular experience relates to some of the bigger social and cultural issues we discussed in class, such as race, Standard Written English (SWE), etc.;
• Reflect upon how your experience has enabled you to understand something specific about reading, writing, learning, or language AND how that understanding reflects on the communities/world you inhabit.

Mentor Authors

We will use the readings:

• Maybe I Could Save Myself by Writing by Jose Olivarez Wed. Aug. 31s (in class)
• Amy Tan “Mother Tongue” Reading Due Mon. Sept. 12th
• Jamila Lyiscott’s “Broken English Mon. Sept. 12th (in class)
• Jose Antonio Vargas “My Life as an Undocumented Immigrant” Due Wed. Sept. 14th
• Malcolm X’s “Learning to Read” Due Mon. Sept. 19th
• You will also use your Intro Writing Assignment

Format

The assignment must be typed in 12-point Times New Roman Font.

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It must be double- spaced and have one-inch margins.

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Please use the MLA style guide for citations.

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Due Dates

• Draft of Literacy Narrative Due Wed. Sept. 21st (for in class revision and editing):
• Final Literacy Narrative and Unit 1 Reflection Due: Monday Oct. 3rd

Grading Criteria (more details later)

Content/ Genre: Is my literacy narrative an example of a literacy narrative (does the genre match!)? Do I reflect on how a specific event has snapped my relationship with communication in general? Do I include all of the required components (History, Process, Influences, Language)? Do I use different narrative techniques to tell the story and strengthen the message?

Organization: Are my ideas well-organized? Does my literacy narrative follow a clear structure?

Purpose and Audience: Is the purpose and intended audience for my narrative clear? Do I write in a tone and voice that matches my purpose and audience?

Presentation: Did I revise for content and edit for grammar, spelling, and conventions? Does it meet formatting requirements? Does it look presentable (not sloppy)?

Citations: If relevant, did I properly cite all sources referenced or used in the piece?

Let’s Have Some Fun!

Micro Autobiographies

Micro Autobiography

A Micro Autobiography is a VERY short autobiography that tells a story about you.

We are going to have fun trying to write our own Micro Autobiographies!

Micro Autobiography: Step 1

Free write a list of words/phrases to describe yourself (memories, personality traits, favorite possessions/ pastimes/ activities, places you like to visit, and feelings. (think about the 6 words you used to describe yourself on the first day!)

Circle the words/phrases that stand out as most important. Select and circle two or three words or phrases that you could expand on or that tell a powerful story of your life.

Micro Autobiography: Step 2

Pick one word/phrase and free write about it (aim for about 1 paragraph). Write whatever comes to mind when you think of that word or phrase in relation to who you are and your own life. Do not worry about length or editing.

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Micro Autobiography: Step 3

Synthesize (or shorten/ condense) your writing! Reread your free write and decide what it is that you are truly trying to say. What is the main idea or message that drives your writing around this word or phrase?

Choose a subgenre to write your Micro Autobiography that should be 60 words or less. Examples are: Ten-word memoir, poem (list poem, shape poem), haiku, online bio, dating profile

Micro Autobiography: Examples

Examples 6-10 word memoirs:

• Refining the content of my character over and over again
• Making music got me through it
• My clothes aren’t who I am
• Why did you have to leave?
• Set up. Eye contact. Kick. Score!

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Examples of Haikus:

• Dreaming of rainbows / Seeing thunder and lightning/ Embracing the rain
• Soccer super star/ Shower singer, change maker/ Student, parent, friend

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Weekly Assignment Due Monday, Sept. 12th!

Read “Mother Tongue” by Amy Tan, write a response to the questions on OpenLab.

• What did you think of this text? Explain!
• What is it mostly about? Write a 2-4 sentence summary. Be specific. Refer to the text itself. Use quotes even!
• What is the genre of the text? What is the tone?
• Amy Tan writes, “Recently, I was made keenly aware of the different Englishes I do use.” What does she mean by this? What different “Englishes” does she use? When does she use them?
• What does Amy Tan mean when she uses the term “mother tongue?”
• What was Amy Tan’s perspective on her mother’s English as a child? How does it change over time? What influences led to her shift in perspectives?
• Why do you think Amy Tan wrote this article? Who do you think is her intended audience?
• Think about your relationship to the languages in your life. Describe at least two different languages or forms of language that you use either in speaking or writing. For example, when you text or email vs. when you speak. Or when you speak to a family member vs. a friend. Or a professor vs. a friend. Does it change depending on your audience? How? Why?