Course Description:
The focus of Eng. 102 is the development of critical thinking skills. This course is both writing and speaking intensive. It balances both the written and oral communication of your ideas and opinions. We will practice using reason and logic to construct informed arguments. Because this course is advanced composition, you will be required to do a great deal of writing in several different forms and genres. Because it is also speaking intensive, you will be required to speak publicly in a number of ways. Part of what you will learn in this course is how the elements of good communication, both written and oral, intersect and diverge in interesting ways.
Learning Goals:
Interpret and evaluate argumentative discourse, including writing and speech
Construct cogent arguments
Communicate those arguments clearly, coherently, and effectively
Locate, synthesize, and evaluate relevant information
Demonstrate an understanding of the aims and methods of intellectual discourse
Weigh evidence and evaluate the arguments of differing viewpoints.
Required Texts:
Fiction 100
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
Black Boy
Policies and Procedures:
Attendance: Since much of the written work is done in class, and all of the oral communication and spoken projects, you must be here in order to do your job. It’s not possible to make up the kind of work we’ll be doing without access to the class, nor is it fair to your group or the class (or me!) if you don’t prepare for the day’s conversation. Regular attendance and participation is crucial to the success of this course. I take issues of prompt, prepared attendance very seriously. If you aren’t in class, you can’t learn from class discussion nor do we have the chance to learn from you. Miss three classes, you’ll be docked a letter grade. Miss six classes, you’ll be dropped from the course. I also have no tolerance for tardiness; it disrupts class. Don’t do it.
Class Participation: Though there will be occasional lectures, this course is primarily discussion based. This means that participation is MANDATORY. A lack of participation will significantly affect your grade. Come to all classes prepared to talk about the reading materials. When a majority of the class has not done the reading, class discussion is curtailed and a quiz results. Also, be prepared to give extensive feedback to your fellow student’s on their writing and on their oral presentations. Class etiquette is extremely important for this course. We will be having several small and large group discussions, as well as individual and group presentations. It is extremely rude to carry on another conversation while someone else is talking, whether it is me or one of your classmates. If you can’t possibly pay attention, you should leave, and I reserve the right to ask students to leave the class at any time.
Response Journal: For this course you are asked to keep an ongoing response journal. There will be no set schedule in which I collect these; it will be random. I will, however, give you one class period’s notice before I collect the journals. You are required to write in the journals 3 times a week for at least 15 minutes each time. The subject of your writing will not be assigned, though it must relate to the course in some way. The journal is an outlet for you to work through your ideas on paper. Write about class discussion, assigned readings, or upcoming papers and presentations. Journals will be collected 4 times throughout semester.
Discussion Leaders: One way in which you’ll be required to participate in this class is by acting as discussion leader. Once throughout the semester you will be assigned a day in which you take on this role. Though these are more informal presentations, they still play a large part in determining your grade. You will lead your fellow classmates (for at least the first five minutes of class) in an analysis of the day’s assigned reading.
The Writing Center: The Writing Center is located in 101 McIver, and is open Monday-Thursday, 9:00am-8:00pm, and Friday, 9:00am-3:00pm. You may make an appointment by calling 334-3125, or you can simply drop in, bringing your work-in-progress with you. It is highly encouraged that you utilize this resource.
The Speaking Center: The Speaking Center, located in 22 McIver Building, is resource that I highly encourage you to use. The hours are Mon 10am-8pm, Tue-Thurs 10am-6pm, and Fri 9am-Noon. To schedule an appointment, call 256-1346.
Grading:
2 Papers (5-7 pages each): 40%
Presentation: 25%
Class Participation: 15%
Response Journal: 10%
Quizzes: 10%
Class Schedule:
Week 1:
Aug 16: Intro to class. Syllabus.
Aug 18: Flannery O’Connor, “A Good Man is Hard to Find”
Week 2:
Aug 23: Tim O’Brien, “The Things They Carried”
Aug 25: Joyce Carol Oates, “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?”
Week 3:
Aug 30: Raymond Carver, “Cathedral”
Sept 1: Shirley Jackson, “The Lottery”
Week 4:
Sept 6: Sherman Alexie, “This is What is Means to Say Phoenix, Arizona”
Sept 8: Lorrie Moore, “How” Response journals due
Week 5:
Sept 13: Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
Sept 15: Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?
Week 6:
Sept 20: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
Sept 22: Papers due!
Week 7:
Sept 27: James Joyce, “The Dead”
Sept 29: James Joyce, “The Dead”
Week 8:
Oct 4: Susan Minot, “Lust”
Oct 6: James Baldwin, “Sonny’s Blues” Response journals and
midterm letters
Week 9:
Oct 11: Fall Break. No classes.
Oct 13: Gabriel Garcia Marquez, “A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings”
Week 10:
Oct 18: Black Boy
Oct 20: Black Boy
Week 11:
Oct 25: TBA
Oct 27: Group Presentations
Week 12:
Nov 1: Group Presentations
Nov 3: Group Presentations. Response journals due.
Week 13:
Nov 8: Raymond Carver, “Cathedral”
Nov 10: John Updike, “A&P”
Week 14:
Nov 15: Nikolai Gogol, “The Overcoat”
Nov 17:June Spence, “Missing Women”
Week 15:
Thanksgiving break
Week 16:
Nov 29: Tobias Wolff, “Powder” and “Yes”
Dec 1: Joy Williams, “Taking Care”
Week 17:
Dec 6: Reading Day. No classes
Dec 8: Final papers and final letters due!
Happy Holidays!