This is an archived course. A more recent version may be available at ocw.mit.edu.

Calendar

Class # In-Class Activities Assignments
I. THEME: Shopping, WRITING SKILLS: Finding a Voice; Developing a Narrative
1

Introductions

  • You and Writing
  • Overview of Class

Homework #1

  • Letter to Me
  • Rose. "Shopping as a Spiritual Adventure." (Handout)
  • Johnson. "Rolex." (Handout)
2

Syllabus

  • Elements of the Essay: Voice and Sensibility
  • Shopping as part of our lives

Homework #2

  • Gopnik. "The Winter Circus . . ."
  • Begin Journals.
3

Service Learning

  • What makes an Essay?

Homework #3

  • Essay I - 1st Draft
4

Workshop: Essay I

  • Introduce Research Project

Homework #4

  • Brubach. "Mail-Order America."
II. THEME: Advertising, WRITING SKILLS: Analysis; Forming a Thesis
5

Return drafts and discuss

  • The Secret Life of Words (Word Power)
  • Discuss "Mail-Order America"
  • Advertising and Manipulation

Homework #5

  • Revise Essay I
  • Gladwell. "The Science of Shopping." (On line)
6

Techniques of Persuasion

  • Reading values in Texts and Pictures

Homework #6

  • Rushkoff. "They Say."
  • Gladwell. "Listening to Khakis." (On line)
  • Bring Ads to Class for Essay II
7

"They Say" and "Listening to Khakis"; Evidence and Argument

  • Work with Ads

Homework #7

  • Essay II
8

Workshop: Essay II

Homework #8

  • Jarrell. "A Sad Heart at the Supermarket."
  • * Proposal for Research Project
III. THEME: Critiquing Consumer Culture, WRITING SKILLS: Engaging in Conversation with Other Writers--Representing Their Ideas Accurately; Connecting Writers' Ideas; Critiquing Writers' Ideas
9

Return Drafts and Discuss; Work on Essay II

  • Discuss "Sad Heart"

Homework #9

  • Revise Essay II; Catch up with Journals
10

Video: Merchants of Cool

Homework #10

  • Annotated Bibliography for Research Project
11

Discuss Research Essay Topics & Sources

  • Thesis Clinic

Homework #11

  • Schor. Intro. to The Overspent American
12

Critiquing Consumer Culture: The Overspent American

Homework #12

  • Twitchell. "Two Cheers for Materialism."
  • Cross. "Irony of the Century."
13

Discuss "Two Cheers" and "Irony"

Homework #13

  • Research
  • Singer. "The Singer Solution."
14

Critiquing Consumer Culture: The Claims of the Poor

  • Paragraph Clinic

Homework #14

  • Berry. "Getting Along with Nature."
  • Berry. "Back to the Land."
  • Research
15

Critiquing Consumer Culture: The Claims of the Environment

  • Defining Terms

Homework #15

  • Bring notes for Essay III to class
16

Discuss Singer's Solution

  • Pre-Writing for Research Essays

Homework #16

  • Essay III
  • Bring sentences to work on to class
17

Introduce Essay IV

  • Clinic: Polishing Sentences

Homework #17

  • Respond to your group's Research Essays
  • Klein, Excerpt from No Logo
18

Workshop: Essay III

Homework #18

  • Re-revision of Essay II
19

Return Drafts of Essay III and discuss

  • Klein: Consumer Activism

Homework #19

  • Begin Essay IV
20

Work on Essay IV

Homework #20

  • Continue w/Essay IV
21

Workshop: First Part of Essay IV

Homework #21

  • Write last 2 letters for Essay IV
22

Revision Concerns?

  • Workshop: Essay IV and hand in to me

Homework #22

  • Prepare Oral Presentation
23

Pointers for Oral Presentations

Homework #23

  • Revise Essay III
24

Oral Presentations

Homework #24

  • Revision as Needed
25

Oral Presentations

Homework #25

  • Revise Essay IV; Prepare Portfolios
26

Oral Presentations

  • Evaluations; Summing Up