English 102-09S        English Composition II        Spring 2003

Reasoning, Humor and Discourse

 

Instructor:                  Shannon C. Stewart

Office:                        01F Petty Science Building

Office Hours:             Mon. & Wed. 1:00-2:30 p.m. and by appointment

Contact:                     334-3294 or scstewar@uncg.edu (best way to reach me)

 

Course Description: This course emphasizes developing ideas and supporting varied writing and speaking tasks. Goals include uses of evidence, control in style and voice, understanding varied forms and perspectives in both speech and writing.

 

Student Learning Outcomes: Upon completion of this course, the student should be able to :

      1. understand the principles of effective oral and written rhetoric (the rhetorical triangle)

      2. write for a variety of audiences and understand audience demands for oral situations

      3. offer supportive evidence developed ideas for both written and oral presentations

      4. develop evaluative research skills, both library and online sources

      5. participate in group feedback and support processes for improving writing and speaking

      6. understand effective listening skills as part of the writing and speaking processes

 

Objectives:    Humor is a part of our lives everyday—or at least it should be.  Therefore, we will use it as a non-threatening springboard from which to improve our powers of critical thought, our writing, and our ability to exchange ideas in a variety of (often verbal) forms. The aim for this course is not to destroy humorous texts by overanalyzing them though I know that we must murder to dissect.  I truly believe that  looking at humorous texts in the ways we will approach them this semester will deepen our appreciation for them. We will gain a better understanding of what they do for us in society and the ways in which they do it.  To that end, we will look at texts in a variety of genres, cultures, time periods, with a variety of aims, points, and methods of attaining or making them. By building on what we already know about humor, these texts, their backgrounds, and reading and writing, we will develop ways to develop, write, and present more sophisticated analyses and arguments.

 

Teaching Strategies: discussion, group work, conferences, student presentations, and essays

 

Evaluation Methods and Guidelines for Assignments:   Students will collect their materials in a portfolio that will be evaluated at mid-term and the end of the term as well. All final written work will be revised and should approximate twenty to thirty pages of informal and formal writing. For the oral component of the course, students will reflect on the peer and teacher feedback. The feedback evaluations will be included in the portfolio, along with the written reflection about development of speech skills.

 

At this stage in your academic career you should know that the printer or your disk will destroy your paper, your friend will drive off with your books in his car, and the dog will eat your homework. Make copies of everything so that these sorts of disasters don't lower your grade. Remember that I will not accept late work.  In addition to your timely submission of all required work, your grade is based on quality of work, improvement over the semester, and attendance and participation. Specifically, final grades will be based on the following percentages:

 

Writing Assignments=50%

Speaking Assignments=30%

Attendance/Participation=20%

 

Required Texts/Readings/References:

an email account that you check regularly

Naked by David Sedaris

various texts online and on reserve in Jackson Library

some kind of grammar and writing handbook (any one of your choosing)

 

Academic Honor Code:  Using someone else's word or ideas as your own on any type of written or oral assignment is plagiarism. The policy is defined in the student handbook and online (http://www.uncg.edu/cex/common/honor.htm). Please see me if you have any questions concerning what constitutes plagiarism.

 

Attendance Policy:  Since this course is based on discussion, in-class writing and speaking activities, regular attendance is mandatory. If you miss more than three classes, your grade will be lowered. If you miss more than six class sessions, you will be dropped from the course. (Keep up with your absences, and remember that tardies will also significantly and negatively affect your final course grade.)

 

Additional Requirements:    Please remember that group work involves all members of a group and affords you an opportunity to practice your speaking skills in front of a small group before you speak in front of the larger class as a whole. Group work is an integral part of this course, and you must be present on group work days.

 

Also remember that humor is subjective and not everyone has or appreciates the same type. You may not find some of the materials in this course particularly humorous; however, you should remember that none of them were chosen in order to insult or offend anyone. None of our classroom discussion should do so either. Rather than getting angry with a text or a classmate, examine WHY and HOW it has upset you and explain what you discover (this is, after all, a course in reasoning and discourse).

 

Statement about disabilities: If you have a documented disability that I need to know about, please see me during the first week of class so that we can work together to make sure that your needs for this course are met.

 

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Schedule of Class Meetings (Subject to Change)

 

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Mondays

 

Wednesdays

Fridays

 

Mon., Jan. 13
Introduction to course, me, and each other
Overview of English 102-08 and just what that “S” means

Wed., Jan. 15
Introduction to rhetoric, especially as it relates to humor
Specifics of class policies (noting lots of speaking and group work)
Introduction to group work, establishing of groups for the term
First group assignment given

Fri., Jan. 17
General information on writing assignments and how to succeed on them

 

Mon., Jan. 20
MLK Holiday—NO CLASS

Wed., Jan. 22
General information on speaking assignments and how to succeed on them

Fri., Jan. 24
General course information, rituals, etc.
“Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County” by Mark Twain

 

Mon., Jan. 27
"Cindy Ellie, a Modern Fairy Tale" by Mary Carter Smith -- on reserve at JACKSON LIBRARY in Honey, Hush  on page 292

Wed., Jan. 29
Discussion of rhetoric of short fiction
Individual presentation information

Fri., Jan. 31
30 Seconds in Hell
How-to information for paper one and presentation one

 

Mon., Feb. 3
Shel Silverstein exercise

Wed., Feb. 5
Workshop paper one and presentation one
Individual presentation 1

Fri., Feb. 7
PAPER ONE AND PRESENTATION ONE DUE

Mon., Feb. 10
Discussion on humor of short video
Individual presentation 2

Wed., Feb. 12
 Young Ones screened in class (read the script!)

Fri., Feb. 14 ♥

Crocodile Hunter screened in class

Mon., Feb. 17
How-to information for paper two and presentation two

Wed., Feb 19
Workshop day

Individual presentation 3

Fri., Feb. 21
Conferences

Mon., Feb. 24
PAPER TWO AND PRESENTATION TWO DUE

Wed., Feb. 26
Work on mid-term portfolio
Individual presentation 4

Fri., Feb. 28
Discussion of rhetoric of long fiction
Individual presentation 5 & 6

Mon., Mar. 3

Introduction to David Sedaris and Naked

Individual presentation 7

Wed., Mar. 5 ☺

Naked  (3 Stories)

Individual presentation 8

Fri., Mar. 7
MID-TERM PORTFOLIO DUE

Naked (2 Stories)

Individual presentation 9

Mon., Mar. 10
SPRING BREAK

Wed., Mar. 12
SPRING BREAK  

Fri., Mar. 14
SPRING BREAK

Mon., Mar. 17
Naked (3 Stories)
Individual presentation 10

Wed., Mar. 19
Workday

Fri., Mar. 21
Workday

Naked
Individual presentation 12

Mon., Mar. 24
Princess Bride screened in class (read the script!)

Wed., Mar. 26
Princess Bride screened in class

 

Fri., Mar. 28
Discussion of long fiction rhetoric

information about paper and presentation three
Individual presentation 14

Mon., Mar. 31
Workday

Individual presentation 11

Wed., Apr. 2
Individual presentation 12 & 13

Fri., Apr. 4
PAPER THREE AND PRESENTATION THREE DUE

Mon., Apr. 7
Individual presentation 14 & 15

Wed., Apr. 9
Meet in the computer lab

Fri., Apr. 11
Discussion of internet humor
information about paper four

Mon., Apr. 14
Individual presentation 16 & 17

Wed., Apr. 16
PAPER FOUR DUE 
Individual presentation 18 & 19

Fri., Apr. 18

SPRING HOLIDAY—NO CLASS

Mon., Apr. 21
General revision guidelines

Wed., Apr. 23
Information about final portfolio

Fri., Apr. 25
Individual presentation 20 & 21

Mon., Apr. 28
Conferences

Wed., Apr. 30
Conferences

Fri., May 2
Individual presentation 22

Mon., May 5

FINAL PORTFOLIO DUE
Discussion of ways writing and speaking inform one another
Course evaluations

Tue., May 6 ***

make up day

****FRIDAY, MAY 9****
FINAL EXAM 
Meet at 3:30 PM
Portfolios and final grades </TBODY>

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