What’s New?
Critical
English 102-11S Spring
2003
Monday, Wednesday
Curry 237
Bonnie Libby
Office: 02 Petty, MW
334-3294 (office—call only during office hours),
334-5311 (English Dept.), 218-0429 (home)
Course Rationale:
This semester, we will explore ways to think, read,
write and speak more critically and knowledgeably about the world around
us. Each week, we will study current
events with the aim of developing reasoning skills and an understanding of
basic rhetorical principles and theories.
In addition, we will use the Newsweek
issues as springboards for class discussion, informal and formal writing, and
some preplanned speaking. Note that this
course fulfills the speaking-intensive requirement.
Course Objectives:
All assignments in this course will be an attempt
to meet one or more of the following University learning goals:
·
Students will be able to interpret and
evaluate argumentative discourse, including writing and speech.
·
Students will be able to construct cogent
arguments and communicate those arguments clearly, coherently, and effectively.
·
Students will locate, synthesize, and
evaluate relevant information.
·
Students will demonstrate an understanding
of the aims and methods of intellectual discourse.
·
Students will be able to weigh evidence and
evaluate arguments of differing viewpoints.
Course Requirements:
1) The largest part of the coursework
will be the Course Notebook. This must be a 3-ring binder with divider
tabs for the following sections (in any order):
§
Informal Writing
§
Activities and Quizzes
§
Formal Writing (including drafts)
§
Research Notes
§
Any other section you would like to include
(such as articles you would like to keep, etc.)
The Course Notebook will be collected three
times during the semester and will be worth 50% of your grade.
2) Next, class participation is extremely important in this course. You will be expected to participate regularly
(and preparedly!) in class and group discussions, as well as threaded
discussion on the course Blackboard site.
This involves group activities, also.
This component is worth 20%
of your final grade.
3) Each
student will participate in a mini-debate. These will occur two times in the semester,
with half the class participating in each.
These sessions fall after each of the Position Papers, so that you may
choose to use the same issue you have written on, if there is another student
willing to take the opposite side of the issue.
The mini-debate is worth 10%.
4) There
will also be a research project
along with an oral presentation, worth 10%
of your grade.
5) Finally,
you will participate in a group project
related to Frankenstein worth 10%.
Details will come later.
Attendance:
Three absences are allowed for whatever reason, but
after that the final grade will be lowered by a third of a letter grade for
each absence over three. Excessive tardies may also adversely affect your grade. On the other hand, students with two or fewer
absences may find their grade raised slightly.
Communication:
In addition to the office hours listed above, I can
meet other times by appointment. The
office phone number is good only during my office hours. If you need to leave a message at other
times, you can e-mail me, pin a note to my office door, leave a note in my box
in the English Department (132A McIver), call the English Dept., or call me at
home. Feel free to do any of these
whenever you have a question. There is
no excuse for showing up unprepared for a class, even if you have missed the
previous one. Find out what you missed before
the next class.
Academic Honor Code:
Using someone else’s words 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 (www.uncg.edu/saf/studediscp/Honor.html).
Tentative Course
Calendar (subject to change):
|
|
Monday |
Wednesday |
Looking Ahead |
|
Jan 13
& 15 |
Introductions Syllabus |
Discussion
and activities on 1/13 issue |
|
|
Jan 20
& 22 |
NO
CLASS |
Discussion
and activities on 1/13 issue |
|
|
Jan
27
& 29 |
Begin
“My Turn” essay; discussion and activities on 1/20 issue |
Discussion
and activities on 1/20 issue |
Finish
writing “My Turn” essay |
|
Feb 3
& 5 |
“My
Turn” essay DUE; discussion and activities on 1/27 issue |
1/27
issue |
|
|
Feb
10
& 12 |
2/3
issue |
2/3
issue Notebooks
DUE |
|
|
Feb 17 & 19 |
Begin Position Paper #1; 2/10 issue |
2/10 issue |
Work on Position Paper #1 |
|
Feb 24 & 26 |
2/17 issue |
Position Paper #1 DUE; 2/17 issue |
|
|
Mar 3
& 5 |
2/24
issue |
Mini-debates;
2/24 issue |
|
|
Mar 10 & 12 |
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK |
NO CLASS – SPRING BREAK |
Begin research project |
|
Mar
17
& 19 |
3/10 issue |
3/10 issue |
|
|
Mar 24
& 26 |
Research
project DUE; oral presentations; 3/17 issue |
Oral
presentations; 3/17 issue |
Be
reading Frankenstein |
|
Mar 31 Apr 2 |
Oral presentations; 3/24 issue |
Notebooks DUE; 3/24 issue |
|
|
Apr 7 & 9 |
Frankenstein |
Frankenstein |
Read Newsweek issues for Position Paper ideas |
|
Apr 14 & 16 |
Frankenstein |
Frankenstein; groups meet |
Groups meet outside class if necessary |
|
Apr 21 & 23 |
Frankenstein groups meet |
Frankenstein Group Project |
Work on Position Paper #2 |
|
Apr 28 & 30 |
Position Paper #2 due; 4/21 issue |
Mini-debates; 4/21 issue |
|
|
May 5 |
LAST
DAY – Notebooks DUE Course
evaluations |
READING
DAY |
|
|
FINAL
EXAM IS SCHEDULED FOR MONDAY May 12, |
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