This course is designed to help you become better readers, writers, and critical thinkers. With a little luck and effort, this course will help you devise strategies for other college and career writing, as well. In this class your voice and style will not be banned; as a matter of fact, they are required. To be successful, develop your writing persona, an awareness of audience, and a sense of purpose; these tools make your rhetoric stronger.
We’ll all be reading our work out loud at times. Get comfy with it.
We’ll discuss how to develop tone (persona), how to develop and manipulate
ideas (message/purpose), and how readers (audience) affect both persona and
message. We will have a lot of discussions, in small groups and as a class.
These groups (and your work in them) will be an important part of your success.
Ultimately, through this class, I hope you develop confidence in your writing,
recognize the writing tools you already own, and take fun (fun?!) and interesting
rhetorical chances. The best writers do take chances.
Save all drafts of your work!
Some of my goals include…
• for you to try your hand at four different types of essays:
o Advertisement/visual analysis
o Personal narrative
o Ethnography
o Argument• for you to evaluate and use some basic and some sophisticated tools for composition, such as:
o Aristotle’s triangle—persona, audience, message/purpose (and context?)
o First, second, and third person—I, you, they (respectively)
o Paragraph unity, paragraph structures, and topic sentences
o Types of appeals—ethos, pathos, logos
o Grammar/punctuation (as tools rather than rules), including:
? Semicolons with independent clauses
? Colons, dashes, and commas with appositives
? Commas with “FANBOYS,” non-restrictives, and intro phrases
? Punctuation with quotation marks
? MLA in-text citation and works cited
? Integrating quotations and paraphrases
Also see “University Student Learning Goals” listed on our Blackboard site: http://blackboard.uncg.edu.
What you need to succeed…
•
Books (available at the bookstore on campus, on line, and at Addams on Tate
St.):
o Writing Logically, Thinking Critically 4th edition, edited by Cooper and
Patton
o The New Century Pocket Guide for Writers by Hult and Huckin
o 2005-2006 Writing Matters UNCG English department publication
•
Other Stuff:
o You must have a UNCG email account and access to Blackboard and e-reserve!
MUST! VERY IMPORTANT! CAN’T STRESS THIS TOO MUCH!
o A folder for journal writings and a notebook or folder for in-class writings
and notes
o Metal tab folder or skinny 3-ring binder for your portfolio
Don’t Miss Out or be Unfashionably Late
Because this class is rooted firmly in the belief that learning is not achieved
through osmosis, active attendance is required at every class session. Your
learning and grade are based on in-class discussion, group work, and writing
(see below); therefore, your chances for success are greatly increased with
regular attendance. Missing more than four classes will lower your grade
for this course. If you miss more than eight classes, you will not pass this
course. Being late makes me mad. Finally, if you come to class, but I have
a hard time distinguishing you from plant life, you’re not really in
class.
Talk to Me
Throughout this course, you will be required to have two individual conferences
with me. We’ll have one at mid-term, so we can take a look at a “grade-so-far”;
the other conference time/day is up to you to choose. You’re also welcome
to have as many additional conferences as you’d like. Stop by during
office hours or make an appointment. These are opportunities to get some
individual assistance with the papers you are writing. Failure to show up,
prepared, for a scheduled conference will negatively affect your grade.
How to Be
Have respect for yourself, your classmates, and me. I like to think of this
class as a safe zone. In here, you will encounter opinions that may be different
from your own. You may be exposed to ideas and cultures that you have never
encountered. No worries. I ask that each member of our class be allowed to
express her or his views (even those that are unpopular) without having to
endure personal attacks. Diversity is great for discussion. Be part of the
action in small groups and in class discussions. Be bold; the class needs
to hear your voice. But, do turn off your cell phones, ipods, etc.; we don’t
need those “voices.”
Cheaters Never Prosper
Plagiarism: it’s theft of thought; don’t do it. If you have any
questions regarding what constitutes plagiarism, please see me. Otherwise,
please understand that it is a violation of the Academic Integrity Policy and
is grounds for failing an assignment, and, potentially, the course. No one
wants that, so please know that I value your ideas—no need to look elsewhere.
Need Some Assistance?
The Writing Center, McIver 101, is for any writer at any level who wants some
qualified, outside input on any essay for any class. Call for an appointment,
334-3125, or just drop in.
Disability Services
If you have any sort of disability that could affect your performance in the
class or for which you need accommodation, please contact me and/or the Office
of Disability Services at 334-5440.
The Way to an ‘A’
This is where many of you might get nervous. The grading in this course is
unlike the method that many of you may have experienced. Grades will only
be given twice during the semester: a “grade-so-far” at midterm
and a final grade at the end of the semester. On essay drafts, you will receive
two things: 1) useful feedback that will guide you in the revision process
and 2) a very general grade range that lets you know where your paper sits
before revision. If you are ever concerned about your progress, please come
by my office; we’ll talk about how you’re doing.
Late Policy
•
Journals need to come in on time. You have two “Freebies” that
allow you to be one class day late. Write your own “Freebie” note.
After that, if journals are late, you lose two points per day.
•
The “On-time Drafts” portion of your grade (10%) rewards you for
turning in essay drafts on time. You simply forfeit 2.5% of your grade for
every late essay.
•
Portfolios must be in on time—no exceptions.
Final grades will be based on the following criteria:
Participation 20% (group work, in-class writing, writing workshops, readings,
discussion, etc.)
Journal 20% (out-of-class, typed writing, graded on a 0-10 scale)
On-time Drafts 10% (see dates on course schedule)
Portfolio 50% (mid-term and final) Save your drafts so you can include them
here!
General Class Schedule for English 101-59, Fall 2005
Be aware that this schedule will change; to be current with what is due and
when, you have to be in class every day. This schedule lists due dates and
other important dates that you need to be aware of. You will receive a more
detailed, day-by-day schedule as we begin working on each different essay.
Essay #1 Advertisement Analysis Tuesday, 8/16 – Thursday, 9/8
Tuesday, 8/23 Journal #1 due
Thursday, 8/25 Journal #2 due
Thursday, 9/1 Journal #3 due
Monday, 9/5 Labor Day holiday—No Classes
Tuesday, 9/6 Writing Workshop—Attendance required!
Thursday, 9/8 Complete draft of essay #1 is due!
Essay #2 Personal Essay Thursday, 9/8 – Tuesday, 10/4
Tuesday, 9/13 Journal #4 due
Tuesday, 9/20 Journal #5 due
Thursday, 9/29 Writing Workshop—Attendance required!
Thursday, 10/4 Complete draft of essay #2 is due!
Essay #3 Ethnography Tuesday, 10/4 – Thursday, 10/27
Thursday, 10/6 Journal #6 due
Friday, 10/7 Last day to drop w/o penalty, start of Fall Break (at 6:00 PM)
Monday, 10/10 Indigenous Peoples Survival Day (Columbus Day), still Fall Break
Tuesday, 10/11 No Class—still Fall Break!
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 13: MID-TERM PORTFOLIO IS DUE!
Failure to turn in a mid-term portfolio will drop your final grade by one full
letter; e.g. A becomes B, B- becomes C-, C becomes D, etc.
Tuesday, 10/18 No Class—scheduled one-on-one student/instructor conferences
Wednesday, 10/19
and Friday, 10/21 Scheduled one-on-one student/instructor conferences
Thursday, 10/20 Journal #7 due
Tuesday, 10/25 Writing Workshop—Attendance required!
Thursday, 10/27 Complete draft of essay #3 is due!
Essay #4 Argument Thursday, 10/27 – Tuesday, 11/29
Tuesday, 11/1 Journal #8 due
Tuesday, 11/8 Journal #9 due
Thursday, 11/17 Journal #10 due (annotated bibliography)
Writing Workshop—Attendance required!
Tuesday, 11/22 and
Thursday, 11/24 No Class—Thanksgiving holiday
Tuesday, 11/29 Complete draft of essay #4 is due!
Tuesday, 11/29 Class “Open Mic”— read a 2-4 minute passage
of your writing
Thursday, 12/1 Class “Open Mic”— read a 2-4 minute passage
of your writing
and…Final Portfolios are due!
Friday, 12/9 3:30-6:30 Portfolios returned, final grade awarded
Detailed Schedule for Essay #1, Ad Analysis—What do we consume and why?
Essay #1 Advertisement Analysis Tuesday, 8/16 – Thursday, 9/8
In class activity: For next class:
Tuesday, 8/16 -Compost writing -Check Blackboard, email team
-Fact finding mission: ethos, -Find a magazine ad to bring in
pathos, logos -Read p. 7-12 in Writing Matters
-Form writing teams -Read p. 152-154 in New Century
-Go over syllabus
Thursday, 8/18 -Comma splices and semicolons -Read Chap. 2 in Writing Logically,
(Thursday’s gram/punc moment) Thinking Critically (WL,TC)
-Intro to Aristotle’s Triangle (AT) -Read p. 39-41 in Writing Matters
-Apply the AT to advertisements -Write Journal #1 (typed!): use the
-How to write a 10 pt. journal AT and ethos, pathos, logos to
analyze a TV or magazine ad
Tuesday, 8/23 -Compost writing -Read selections from Affluenza
-Journal #1 due -Read p. 53-67 in WL,TC
-Discussion: Facts and Media, -Write Journal #2: response to
Facts and Advertising, Is anything Affluenza
“non-fiction”? *Note: selections from Affluenza
-Ex. 3A in WL,TC are posted on Blackboard (Bb)
Thursday, 8/25 -The dreaded comma -Read 70-86 in WL,TC
-Journal #2 due -Read p. 19-25 in New Century
-Discussion on Afflluenza, analysis -Read p. 19-22 in Writing Matters
of argument structure -Decide on ad to analyze
Tuesday, 8/30 -Intro to Library Research -Read selections from Affluenza
-Read p. 31-65 in New Century
-Write Journal #3: options
Thursday, 9/1 -Compost writing -Write rough draft of essay #1
-Journal #3 due -Read p.32-34 in Writing Matters
-The “how to” of MLA citations
-Hidden assumptions from WL,TC
Monday, 9/5 Labor Day holiday—No Classes
Tuesday, 9/6 -Punctuation with quotation marks -Write complete draft of essay
#1
-Writing Workshop—
Attendance required!
Thursday, 9/8 -Complete draft of essay #1 is due! -Read “Memory and
Imagination”
-Reflect on writing process by Patricia Hampl (posted on Bb)
-Compost writing: food