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2024-25

Essential Objectives

Course Syllabus

Revision Date: 07-Dec-23

Creative Writing: Autobiography & Memoir

Credits:
Semester Dates: Last day to drop without a grade: 02-11-2024 - Refund Policy
Last day to withdraw (W grade): 03-24-2024 - Refund Policy
This course has started, please contact the offering academic center about registration

Faculty

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View Faculty Statement

Course Description

This creative writing course will include the critical reading of published essays, autobiographies and memoirs to examine point of view, use of time, place, details, and language. Student writing will focus on these techniques and will draw upon personal experience to facilitate personal essay and memoir writing.

Essential Objectives

1. Through reading the autobiographical essays and memoirs of established writers, describe how events in a writer's life can inform the shape of the writing.
2. Discuss features of narrative such as voice, imagery, time structure, and evocation of place as they are used to represent the self in autobiography, memoir, and the personal essay.
3. Develop a process for getting started, developing, and structuring drafts of his/her own personal and memoir writings, as well as revising toward a final product.
4. Analyze personal strengths and weaknesses in writing, as well as to discuss one another's work constructively.
5. Submit a final portfolio of selected work which demonstrates a commitment to the writing process and practice.

Required Technology

More information on general computer and internet recommendations is available on the CCV IT Support page. https://support.ccv.edu/general/computer-recommendations/

Please see CCV's Digital Equity Statement (pg. 45) to learn more about CCV's commitment to supporting all students access the technology they need to successfully finish their courses.

Required Textbooks and Resources

This course uses one or more textbooks/books/simulations, along with free Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials.

Spring 2024 textbook/book details will be available on 2023-11-06. On that date a link will be available below that will take you to eCampus, CCV's bookstore. The information provided there will be specific to this class. Please see this page for more information regarding the purchase of textbooks/books.

For Open Educational Resources (OER) and/or library materials details, see the Canvas Site for this class.

The last day to use a Financial Aid Advance to purchase textbooks/books is the 3rd Tuesday of the semester. See your financial aid counselor at your academic center if you have any questions.

Methods

Short memoir and personal essay readings

Collaborative discussion questions

Weekly reading quizzes

Weekly notebooks

Portfolio of creative writing in short memoir and personal essays

Evaluation Criteria

Discussion Questions 30% of grade

Weekly Quizzes 10% of grade

Weekly Notebooks 10% of grade

Creative Writing Portfolio 50% of grade

Grading Criteria

CCV Letter Grades as outlined in the Evaluation System Policy are assigned according to the following chart:

High Low

A+ 100 98

A Less than 98 93

A- Less than 93 90

B+ Less than 90 88

B Less than 88 83

B- Less than 83 80

C+ Less than 80 78

C Less than 78 73

C- Less than 73 70

D+ Less than 70 68

D Less than 68 63

D- Less than 63 60

F Less than 60

P 100 60

NP Less than 60 0

Weekly Schedule

Week/Module	Topic	Readings	Assignments

1	Types of Autobiography Writing	Week 1 Tuesday 1/23 – Monday 1/29 Read: The House on Mango Street – A House of My Own by Sandra Cisneros Read: Flash Memoir: The Benefits of Writing Short Memoir by Marilyn Bousquin Read: Personal Essay Writing by Private Writing	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 1/24 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 1/29 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 1/29 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 1/29 11:59 pm EST.

2	Selecting Portfolio Path	Week 2 Tuesday 1/30 –Monday 2/5 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street Hairs Boys and Girls Read: Superman and Me by Sherman Alexie Read: Erasure by Joy Harjo	Submit Portfolio Proposal by Wednesday 1/31 by 11:59 pm EST. Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 1/31 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 2/5 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 2/5 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 2/5 11:59 pm EST.

3	Exploring Your World	Week 3 Tuesday 2/6 –Monday 2/12 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros My Name Cathy Queen of Cats Our Good Day Read: There’s No Recipe For Growing Up by Scaachi Koul Read: The Year I Grew Wildly, While Men Looked On by Ashley C. Ford	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 2/7 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 2/12 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 2/12 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 2/12 11:59 pm EST. Begin writing either your flash story or personal essay draft this week as it will be posted by Wednesday of next week on the workshop DB.

4	Life Lessons	Week 4 Tuesday 2/13 –Monday 2/19 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Those Who Don’t And Some More Beautiful and Cruel Read: My Dad Tried to Kill Me with an Alligator by Harrison Scott Key Read: Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris	Workshop Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 2/14 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 2/19 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 2/19 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 2/19 11:59 pm EST.

5	Capturing a Moment in Time	Week 5 Tuesday 2/20 –Monday 2/26 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Laughter Gil’s Furniture Bought & Sold Meme Ortiz Read: Coming Home by Bill Bryson Read: I Had a Stroke at 33 by Christine Hyung-Oak Lee	Submission of your portfolio draft due Wednesday 2/21 by 11:59 pm EST in dropbox. Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 2/21 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 2/26 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 2/26 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 2/26 11:59 pm EST.

6	Exploring Selves and Roles	Week 6 Tuesday 2/27 –Monday 3/4 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Louie, His Cousin & His Other Cousin Marin There Was An Old Woman Read: A Difficult Balance: Am I a Writer or a Teacher? by Kyoko Mori Read: Goodbye to All That by Joan Didion	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 2/28 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 3/4 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 3/4 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 3/4 11:59 pm EST.

7	Descriptive Visions and Language	Week 7 Tuesday 3/5 –Monday 3/11 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Alice Who Sees Mice Darius & the Clouds The Family of Little Feet Read: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Read: A Chronology of a Young Reading Life by Kelly Jensen	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 3/6 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 3/11 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 3/11 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 3/11 11:59 pm EST. Begin writing either your flash story or personal essay draft this week as it will be posted by Wednesday of next week on the workshop DB.

8	Labels and Stereotypes	Week 8 Tuesday 3/12 –Monday 3/18 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Papa Who Wakes Up Tired in the Dark Born Bad Bums in the Attic Read: Edward Cullen is a Comedian by Ashley Holstrom Read: How I Learned to Stop Being Sexist and Love Miss Marple by Elisa Shoenberger	Workshop Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 3/13 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 3/18 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 3/18 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 3/18 11:59 pm EST.

9	Standing Out in Uniqueness	Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros The First Job A Rice Sandwich Chanclas Hips Read: In Search Of The Lesser Told Lesbian Stories by Lois-Soto Minah Read: Pregnancy Books During a Pandemic Are Fantasy Reads by Kelly Jensen	Submission of your portfolio draft due Wednesday 3/20 by 11:59 pm EST. Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 3/20 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 3/25 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 3/25 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 3/25 11:59 pm EST.

10	Searching for Answers	Week 10 Tuesday 3/26 –Monday 4/1 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Elenita, Cards, Palm, Water Geraldo No Last Name Edna’s Ruthie The Earl of Tennessee Read: Visiting the Past by Sejal H. Patel Read: When Your Co-Author is Missing by Maggie Messitt	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 3/27 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 4/1 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 4/1 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 4/1 11:59 pm EST. Begin writing either your flash story or personal essay draft this week as it will be posted by Wednesday of next week on the workshop DB.

11	Bridges of Time	Week 11 Tuesday 4/2 –Monday 4/8 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Sire Four Skinny Trees No Speak English Rafaela Who Drinks Coconut & Papaya Juice Read: This Is My Oldest Story by Emily Brisse Read: I Said Goodbye To My Grandfather by Melissa Rivero	Workshop Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 4/3 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 4/8 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 4/8 10:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 4/8 11:59 pm EST.

12	Humor in Situations	Week 12 Tuesday 4/9 –Monday 4/15 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Sally Minerva Writes Poems A Smart Cookie What Sally Said Read: The 2 Best Times I’ve Fainted As A Grown Man by Josh Gondelman Read: The Time I Dabbled In Do-It-Yourself Dentistry by Chelsea Martin	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 4/10 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 4/15 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 4/15 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 4/15 11:59 pm EST.

13	Making Choices	Week 13 Tuesday 4/16 –Monday 4/22 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros The Monkey Garden Red Clowns Linoleum Roses Read: I Was Sure Freezing My Eggs Would Solve Everything by Doree Shafrir Read: Trying To Protect My Son From The Anxiety I've Passed On To Him by Kevin Wilson	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 4/17 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 4/22 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 4/22 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 4/22 11:59 pm EST.

14	Finding Ourselves in the World	Week 14 Tuesday 4/23 –Monday 4/29 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros The Three Sisters Alicia & I A House of My Own Read: How I Learned To Date After Drinking by Kayla Rae Whitaker Read: How Black Books Lit My Way Along The Appalachian Trail by Rahawa Haile	Final Portfolio due on Monday 4/29 by 11:59 pm EST in the dropbox. Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 4/24 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 4/29 by 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 4/29 by 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 4/29 by 11:59 pm EST.

15	Souvenirs	Week 15 Tuesday 4/30 - Monday 5/6 Read: The House on Mango Street – Sandra Cisneros Mango Says Goodbye Sometimes Read: Dr. Trish Hopkins Leaves Pajamas Plaids Little Man (poem) Galway Bay (poem)	Discussion Board Reply due Wednesday 5/1 by 11:59 pm EST. Three Replies to Classmates due Monday 5/6 11:59 pm EST. Quiz due by Monday 5/6 11:59 pm EST. Notebook Entry due by Monday 5/6 11:59 pm EST. Monday 5/6 is the last day of the semester that I can accept any work for credit.

Attendance Policy

Regular attendance and participation in classes are essential for success in and are completion requirements for courses at CCV. A student's failure to meet attendance requirements as specified in course descriptions will normally result in a non-satisfactory grade.

In general, missing more than 20% of a course due to absences, lateness or early departures may jeopardize a student's ability to earn a satisfactory final grade.
Attending an on-ground or synchronous course means a student appeared in the live classroom for at least a meaningful portion of a given class meeting. Attending an online course means a student posted a discussion forum response, completed a quiz or attempted some other academically required activity. Simply viewing a course item or module does not count as attendance.
Meeting the minimum attendance requirement for a course does not mean a student has satisfied the academic requirements for participation, which require students to go above and beyond simply attending a portion of the class. Faculty members will individually determine what constitutes participation in each course they teach and explain in their course descriptions how participation factors into a student's final grade.

Participation Expectations

https://vsc.instructure.com/courses/32130/pages/welcome

The heart of our learning this semester unfolds in our weekly discussions. Students do well by participating per the guidelines listed in our Canvas classroom each week. Since this aspect of the course is group work, students are expected to participate before the end of the week. Discussion boards (DBs) close at the end of the week and cannot be made up for credit.

Missing & Late Work Policy

While students are expected to keep up with the weekly assignments, certain issues arise out of our control. As long as you contact me ahead of time, we can work out late assignments.

The discussions are group work, meaning they cannot be made up after the week ends.

However, the quizzes and notebooks can be made up without a late penalty if you contact me.

Accessibility Services for Students with Disabilities:

CCV strives to mitigate barriers to course access for students with documented disabilities. To request accommodations, please

Provide disability documentation to the Accessibility Coordinator at your academic center. https://ccv.edu/discover-resources/students-with-disabilities/
Request an appointment to meet with accessibility coordinator to discuss your request and create an accommodation plan.
Once created, students will share the accommodation plan with faculty. Please note, faculty cannot make disability accommodations outside of this process.

Academic Integrity

CCV has a commitment to honesty and excellence in academic work and expects the same from all students. Academic dishonesty, or cheating, can occur whenever you present -as your own work- something that you did not do. You can also be guilty of cheating if you help someone else cheat. Being unaware of what constitutes academic dishonesty (such as knowing what plagiarism is) does not absolve a student of the responsibility to be honest in his/her academic work. Academic dishonesty is taken very seriously and may lead to dismissal from the College.