TODAY’S GOALS

• Think about writing as a problem solving exercise

• Introduce the prose continuum

• Learn about the scale of abstraction and its uses in open form prose writing

BRAINSTORM ACTIVITY

• Spend 1 minute brainstorming and reflecting on the following:

• Think about some of your favorite television shows, movies, or book series• What makes them so compelling or interesting? • How is the majority of the tension created?• What are the main characters trying to accomplish

GROUP ACTIVITY 1: FINDING A PROBLEM

• In your unit 1 groups

• Select 5 or more pieces of fiction. Novels, movies, comics, and *sometimes* television shows can be acceptable for this.

• If your group is at a loss for common ground, you may use sample essays from the textbook

• For each piece of fiction, identify the main problem that is being addressed in the work. Furthermore, identify how that problem was solved.

• You should produce a coherent sentence or two for each piece of fiction

• Please use examples we have not already discussed in class

GROUP ACTIVITY 2: UNDERSTANDING PROSE TYPE

• In your unit 1 groups

• Review “A Letter to the Editor” on pg. 6 and “A Festival of Rain” on pg. 7

• Answer questions on pg 8

• Note: Each group should turn in one sheet of paper with all the group members’ names and answers

NEW VOCABULARY

• Prose Continuum• Closed Form Prose• Open Form Prose

NEW VOCABULARY

• Thesis Question

• Thesis Statement

• Theme

• How do these three vocabulary items relate to one another? How do they relate to viewing writing as problem solving?

AFTER THE BREAK

• Read A&B p.71-74 (Starting with “Use specific details […]”• Read 487-490 (Starting with “Write low […]”)

OPEN FORM PROSE

• Examples: Novels, poems, short stories, some articles, literacy narratives, exploratory and free writing, journal entries, etc

• Important characteristics:• Organized around a theme or plot rather than a thesis• Has characters and settings that are vividly described• Uses concrete language and figurative language to portray or evoke

emotions. • Dialogue may also be used to provide further emotion and information

NEW VOCABULARY

• Scale of Abstraction• Concrete Words• Abstract Words

GROUP ACTIVITY 3: CONTRASTING DESCRIPTIONS

• In your unit 1 groups

• Select a setting that everyone in the group is familiar with. Suggestions include: the beach, a mall, a particular place at FIU, the park, etc. Be specific here.

• Produce a 1 paragraph description of the setting that extensively uses concrete words. Then, produce a 1 paragraph description that heavily uses concrete words and conveys something important about the setting.

• The whole group should work on both descriptions rather than dividing them up

VOCABULARY THUS FAR

• Rhetoric

• Rhetorical Context• Purpose• Audience• Genre

• Prose Continuum• Closed Form Prose• Open Form Prose

• Scale of Abstraction• Concrete Words• Abstract Words

• Thesis Question

• Thesis Statement

• Theme

Note: these are the types of items that I might ask you about on a possible future quiz

HOMEWORK:

• Find Example Open Form Prose: • Bring in a sample of open form prose that interests you. • You should bring in at least one page of writing with concrete language

and/or figurative language. • Be prepared to use this in class on Friday.

• Finish reading chapter 1

• Minor Essay 1• Follow the “Brief Writing Project 1” prompt on p 23. • This should be a typed, two-page, double spaced, MLA format document. • Due Monday 6/29