A 15-Week Kutz, Groden and Zamel course + a 3-week unit (2 blogs)

Blog 1:

Unit 1

Introduction to the course, and to ethnography. 

Students will learn about ethnographic research, and about ethnography as a genre of writing. They will read articles on ethnography and on various sub-cultures in which they might participate.  They will begin to explore the idea of reading critically, by reading images and the world around them first (and then short texts on ethnography). 

Major assignment: students will write a narrative about a community to which they belong.  They will find a photograph which represents a community familiar to them, and write an essay about their involvement with that community.  The photograph serves as inspiration, and can be described as part of the essay.  

Unit 2

Students will start to explore the differences between spoken and written text.  They will “read" both, allowing them to start to explore various features of writing in connection to different cultures. 

Major assignment: students will go out into the community (perhaps the community they wrote about in Unit 1) and record some speech. (This will be a very short recording, as transcribing is a difficult skill).  After transcribing, they will write a paper about what they discovered regarding the differences between spoken and written text (this can be somewhat of a compare/contrast essay)

Unit 3

In this unit students will explore more closely how language functions in their chosen community.  They will observe the community (taking field notes) and interview some participants in it.  They will work on generating effective interview questions.  They will read transcripts of effective interviews, and texts about language and culture. 

Major assignment: Students will write about their interviews, and what they learned about use of language in their community.  How do members of this community use language?  How does this use of language connect to your identity both as a member of this community and as a student?  

Unit 4

In this unit students will more deeply explore the use of language in their academic communities.  They will more look more closely at academic discourse.  They will interview members of their academic community, much like they did with their chosen community in Unit 3. 

Major assignment: Students will write about their interviews, and what they learned about the use of language in the academic discourse community?   How would you compare and contrast the use of language in the two communities?  Why is the use of academic language important (or not important) to you and to society?  (we're moving into more persuasive writing here)  

Unit 5

In this unit, students will work toward compiling a final portfolio including all or their ethnographic work. 

Major assignment: a final portfolio including revisions of all previous papers, and a reflection paper on the process of the students’ research.  What did they learn about themselves as users of language both in and outside of the academic community.  How do students situate themselves in each community?

Blog 2:
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Unit 2: Spoken vs. Written Text (fleshed out, sort of - see above for major assignment details)

day 1: introduce unit.  Freewrite – what is the difference between writing and speaking?  Short class discussion.  Short text on the topic followed by group and whole-class discussion + introduce the unit’s major assignment. 

day 2: spend time reviewing the major assignment prompt carefully.  Class activity: students are assigned a location on campus.  They observe and take notes on the language they hear.  Homework:  write an informal proposal.  Where will you go to record language?  How will you record?  Why is this community interesting to you? 

day 3: discuss proposals.  Group and whole class discussions.  Discuss recording and transcribing methods.  Drafts of transcriptions due on day 4. rough drafts of final unit paper due on day 6.

day 4: group discussions/review of transcriptions.  What was difficult?  What is the next step you will take to write your paper?  reading about language and culture (I’m not sure what, specifically). 

day 5: informal, in-class writing.  What processes are you using to complete your assignment? Students are introduced to some strategies.  Pair/small group discussion – what strategies work and don’t work for you when you are writing?  Why?  Reminder: rough drafts due on day 6. 

day 6: rough drafts/peer review.  Focus on ideas.  Did the writer express what they discovered in their paper? 

day 7:  Review of the peer review.  What did students find useful about the peer review and vice versa?  In class work on final papers, with support from the teacher. 

day 8: another in-class reading activity will happen here. 

day 9: final papers due.  Individual free writes followed by small group then whole-class discussion: reflection on the paper, the writing process, and what was discovered.