Hi! Welcome to English 101B! This blog is designed to be the central information hub for the course. Come here for your syllabus, course handouts, and assignment details and deadlines. Below you will see a section titled “Essential Course Documents,” where you’ll find the syllabus and other key documents.
Scroll down a little more and you’ll see our course schedule, arranged by date. Please note that the date above each reading/writing assignment is the due date. If a reading is labeled “handout,” this means I gave you a copy of it during the previous class session. If you must miss a class, please make arrangements for someone in the class to pick you up a copy of the reading.
If you ever have questions about something on the blog (or if a link is broken), please email me at jhurley@ohlone.edu. The course schedule shouldn’t change much, but in the event that I have to revise an assignment or a deadline, those changes will appear on the blog. Thus, it’s a good idea to check the blog regularly so that you always know what’s going on in the course.
Essential Course Documents
Documenting & Integrating Quotes
Group Presentation Grading Rubric
WEEK ONE
T Jan. 29
Introduction to the course
In class we will read “Hills Like White Elephants”
PURCHASE course materials (see syllabus for list)
Th Jan. 31
1. READ “How I Met My Husband” by Alice Munro (handout)
2. READ “At the Vietnam Memorial”
3. READ Course Syllabus and Homework Requirements
4. WRITE (HW#1): Is “How I Met My Husband” by Alice Munro a love story? Is it a love story between Edie and Chris or between Edie and her husband?
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE DOING YOUR HOMEWORK: Homework must follow MLA format. For help formatting your paper in MLA, watch this video. Also, in order to receive full credit for your homework, you must integrate your quotes according to the rules you learned in English 101A. To review these skills, read Documenting & Integrating Quotes
WEEK TWO
T Feb. 5
1. READ “The Overcoat” by Nikolai Gogol (handout). This is a long story, so start early!!
2. READ “Snow” from The White Museum (page 9)
3. PREPARE for a quiz on “The Overcoat.”
Turn in revised HW #1
Th Feb. 7
NO CLASS TODAY! Start on the reading for Tuesday. It is loooong…
WEEK THREE
T Feb. 12
1. READ “Jon” by George Saunders. (Click here to access the story.) Please do me a favor and print this story and bring it to class. It is long, but you are welcome to cut and paste it into a Word document and shrink the font. Before reading “Jon,” please read this document for help.
2. READ “Bridal Shower” from The White Museum (pages 4-5)
3. WRITE (HW#2): What is George Saunders criticizing about American society through “Jon”?
Th Feb. 14
1. READ “A Temporary Matter” by Jhumpa Lahiri (handout)
2. READ “Laundry Chute” from The White Museum (page 13)R
3. PREPARE for a collaborative reading quiz on “A Temporary Matter.” For more information on these quizzes, look under “Essential Course Documents.”
WEEK FOUR
T Feb. 19
1. READ “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson (handout)
2. READ “Shine” from The White Museum (pages 15-16)
T Feb. 21
In-Class Writing #1 will be today. No makeups! Bring all your readings and notes, and a laptop if you have one. To prepare, reread your readings and class notes. Also, read my Tips for In-Class Writing
WEEK FIVE
T Feb. 26
1. READ “My Friend Lucy Who Smells Like Corn” by Sandra Cisneros
2. READ “View From the Deck” (page 18) and “Trash” (pages 22-23) from The White Museum
Th Feb. 28
1. READ “Boys” by Rick Moody (handout) and “Muscle” (page 31) from The White Museum
2. WRITE (HW #3): Complete the attached document for your homework. As always, please type your homework.
WEEK SIX
T March 5
1. READ and PRINT “The School” by Donald Barthelme
2. READ Assignment Sheet for Formal Paper #1
3. READ My Thoughts on Writing
4. READ Thesis Statements: Quick Tips
5. Bring in a thesis statement for Formal Paper #1 (typed)
Th March 7
NOTE: By now you should have purchased The Road. We will start reading it next week.
1. Before writing your introduction, read this
2. Bring in an introduction for your formal paper (typed)
3. READ “A Man-To-Be” (handout)
WEEK SEVEN
T March 12
1. Bring in a draft of Formal Paper #1 (3 pages minimum!) Before revising, read My Thoughts on Revision
2. READ and PRINT this obituary about Oriana Fallaci, an Italian journalist who is the subject of the play at the Berkeley Rep, and “The Agitator”
3. HW #4 postponed to Tuesday, March 19. However, be ready for a quiz on the readings above.
Th March 14
CLASS WILL NOT MEET TODAY! Please email your formal paper as a Word document to jhurley@ohlone.edu. Deadline: Thursday by 11:59pm.
READ “Whirlpool” (pages 21-22) and “Blank” (page 24) from The White Museum
(We’ll discuss these poems next week.) You can also work ahead on the homework for Tuesday, March 19.
WEEK EIGHT
T March 19
1. READ Extra Credit Assignment
2. READ this work by Fallaci
3. WRITE (HW #4): What are your feelings about Fallaci? Is she someone to admire, despise, or both? Please be specific in your response, and as always, use at least two quotes from any of the readings on Fallaci.
4. PURCHASE your tickets for “Fallaci” at Berkeley Repertory Theatre!
As part of this Entourage, get $15 tickets to any of the following performances:
Thursday, April 4 @ 8:00pm
Sunday, April 7 @ 2:00pm
Sunday, April 7 @ 7:00pm
Tuesday, April 9 @ 8:00pm
Your unique discount code is: ORIANA
Instructions for Buying Tickets
1. Click here to buy tickets. Your code is automatically applied when you click the link.
2. Select one of the above dates from the calendar. Choose the seats you would like from the seating map.
3. Once you’ve selected your seats, use the drop-down menu beside each ticket to select the “Entourage Student” price. If you don’t see that option, stop! Try again or call the box office for help: 510-647-2949.
Th March 21
1. READ pages 1 – 34 of The Road
2. READ “The White Museum” from The White Museum (pages 19-20)
MARCH 25-MARCH 31: SPRING BREAK! No classes meet this week! Whoo Hoo! Have fun. 
If you feel you are a slow reader, please get a head’s start on The Road.
WEEK NINE
T April 2
1. READ pages 35 – 102 of The Road
2. READ “Roses” from The White Museum (page 40)
3. Read Group Presentation Guidelines. We’ll be choosing groups in class today.
4. WRITE (HW #5): What has happened to the world in The Road? What clues does the text give you about what caused these changes?
Th April 3
1. READ pages 103 – 137 of The Road
2. READ “Rhino” from The White Museum (page 32)
WEEK TEN
T April 9
Please take a minute and read the *awesome* presentations that you and your classmates did the other day. Hot damn! I was impressed.
1. READ pages 138 – 199 of The Road
2. READ “Below the Rim” from The White Museum (page 48)
Th April 11
READ pages 200 – 227 of The Road
WEEK ELEVEN
T April 16
1. Extra Credit Papers due today!
2. READ to the end of The Road
3. READ “A Nice Place to Live” from The White Museum (pages 57-58)
Th April 18
Catch up day!
WEEK TWELVE
T April 23
In-Class Writing #2 will be today. No makeups! Bring all your readings and notes, and a laptop if you have one. To prepare, reread your readings and class notes. Also, read my Tips for In-Class Writing
Th April 25
NOTE: April 26 is the last day to drop the class with a W grade.
1. Start working on Formal Paper #2 (link coming soon)
2. Bring in a thesis statement for your paper
WEEK THIRTEEN
T April 30
Presentations begin today!
Groups 1 and 2 present
Th May 2
Groups 3 and 4 present
Introduction Workshop today! Bring in your introduction for your paper.
WEEK FOURTEEN
T May 7
Groups 5 and 6 present
Bring in 2 copies of a 3-page draft of your paper.
Th May 9
Groups 7 and 8 present
WEEK FIFTEEN
T May 14
Bring in a current draft of your paper for intense editing!
Th May 16
Formal Paper #2 due
Final exam review
To prepare for the final, please read “The Lady, or the Tiger”: http://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-stories/UBooks/LadyTige.shtml
FINAL EXAM
The final exam is scheduled for Thursday, May 23 (12-2pm) in our regular classroom. Please plan to be there.
