Jennie Thompson
Classroom 322 McIver, TR 11-12:15
Office 137F McIver (office hours: M 1-3, Tu 12:30-1:30), 334-5867
jmariathompson@yahoo.com
Course Description:
Some of you may be wondering what exactly you are getting yourselves into. Well, in the simplest and most basic terms, the rhetoric portion of this class will teach us how to persuade and impress readers and our composition is the vehicle to this impression. Not only will this course help you survive the writing demands that you will face throughout your college career but those you will encounter post-graduation. Together, we will learn how to write well with the helpful tools of grammar and an understanding of who your audience is.
Though it may seem that this course is designed for writing alone, a significant portion is devoted to reading—the reading of texts and of one another’s work. This semester, your readers may be divided into three major audiences: your classmates, me, and you. Readers are ultimately listeners, editors, and encouragers. They are the support group that will recognize and assist in the development of your own personal style and voice. Each of your voices has something to say; in this course, we will find the confidence and direction to say it.
Texts:
Bishop, On Writing: A Process Reader
Jones-Hyde, Porter, & Vogel, Writing Matters
Maimon & Peritz, The Writer’s Resource
Pipher, The Middle of Everywhere
Requirements:
3 essays of 4-5 pages (revised and edited by the end of the semester)
journal of reflections, responses (loose-leaf paper bound in a 3 ring binder)
2 extended journal entries
daily in-class writing
2 conferences with me
final portfolio
Portfolio 50%
Participation 50%
We will write a personal essay, a persuasive/argumentative essay, and a descriptive essay. You are required to turn in a typed paper topic (approximately 4-5 sentences long) for each of the three essays. Then, you will compose a first draft of your essay which will be workshopped by your group. Next, you will turn in your revised essay to me on the specified due dates. Finally, your essays will be revised once again and included in a final portfolio at the end of term.
You will also keep a journal composed of both daily 10 minute in-class writing and 15-20 minutes of journaling outside of class per week. For in-class writing, each of you will bring a topic to class once during the semester for you and your classmates. Of your out of class journaling, you will choose two journals to extend into a paper length discussion for your portfolio.
Learning Goals for English 101:
Writing and evaluating arguments
Communicating clearly and effectively
Evaluating and using relevant information
Understanding aims and methods of intellectual discourse
Evaluating different viewpoints
Grading:
Grades will be given according to participation and the completion of work—both throughout the term and at its end. Participation depends upon attendance, so if you miss more than two classes your grade will reflect this. And, if you plagiarize, rest assured that there are serious penalties: http://studentconduct.uncg.edu/policy/academicintegrity/. If you are concerned that you may miss a class or are unsure of what plagiarism may be, please talk with me about these things.
Behavior:
Please be courteous to your fellow students when they are speaking, writing, and listening. This includes coming to class on time and with cell phones turned off.
The Writing Center (McIver 101):
If at any point throughout the term you need help with a paper or would like to gain a new perspective on your work, feel free to visit the Writing Center. Readers are available Monday through Thursday from 9 am to 8 pm, Fridays until 3 pm and Sunday evenings from 5 to 8 pm.
Tentative Course Schedule:
T Aug 17 introduction, review of syllabus
R Aug 19 first in-class writing, discussion of Rita Dove (Bishop 146-152)
T Aug 24 discussion of Spike Lee (Bishop 196-204), introduction to the journal
R Aug 26 discussion of Wendy Bishop & Leonora Smith (Bishop 278-285), introduction
to the personal essay, topics for personal essay due
T Aug 31 discussion of Richard Wright & Amy Tan (Bishop 89-101) and how
we manipulate speech and language
R Sep 2 first draft of personal essays due, discussion of surroundings, sense, & atmosphere
(Bishop 220-223)
T Sep 7 workshop of personal essays, discussion of Eileen Simpson (Bishop
86-89) & Christy Brown (55-60)
R Sep 9 workshop of personal essays, discussion of Richard Rodriguez (Bishop
76-85) & Langston Hughes (65-66)
T Sep 14 discussion of Evans D. Hopkins (Bishop 247-252) & Donna Steiner
(256-259)
R Sep 16 personal essays due
T Sep 21 essay conferences (no class)
R Sep 23 essay conferences (no class)
T Sep 28 first journal extension due
R Sep 30 discussion of Annie Dillard (Bishop 339-348) & Scott Russell Sanders
(488-494)
T Oct 5 discussion of Jay Szczepanski (Bishop 552-559)
R Oct 7 turn in journals (midterm checkup)
T Oct 12 fall break (no class)
R Oct 14 discussion of Pipher (chapters 1-4), topic for persuasive/argumentative
essay due
T Oct 19 Pipher (chapter 5)
R Oct 21 Pipher (chapter 6), first drafts of persuasive essays due
T Oct 26 Pipher (chapter 7-8), workshop of essays
R Oct 28 Pipher (chapter 9), workshop of essays
T Nov 2 election day! Pipher (chapter 10-11), persuasive/argumentative essays
due
R Nov 4 finish Pipher, topic/idea for final descriptive essay due
T Nov 9 discussion of Anne Lamott (Bishop 205-210)
R Nov 11 first draft of final descriptive essay due
T Nov 16 workshop of essays
R Nov 18 workshop of essays, second journal extension due
T Nov 23 final descriptive essays due, last official class meeting
R Nov 25 Thanksgiving Holiday
T Nov 30 essay/portfolio conferences (no class)
R Dec 2 essay/portfolio conferences (no class)
T Dec 7 reading day
R Dec 9 portfolios due
Final Exam Period: December 14 (12-3 pm)—pick up portfolios