Syllabus ENGL 1302-013 MW 1-2:20 SH 205 Fall 2008
Alicia Plaski
Office/Hours: Carlisle Hall 408
MW 4p–5:30p (or call for appointment)
Home (817) 354-4485
Email: cell (817) 905-3699
Phone (Messages Only): 817-272-2692
Texts and Materials
Nancy V. Wood Perspectives on Argument. 5th edition
Quick Access – green handbook for writers (strongly recommended)
Small dictionary jump drive
Course Description. This course teaches reading, writing and critical thinking with a special emphasis on argument. Attention is given to identifying and taking positions on issues, developing ideas, both through reasoning and library research, and writing well-developed papers that exhibit an awareness of particular audiences. Students are taught argumentative strategies, analytical models, argumentative proofs, modes of appeal, and methods of reasoning. Special applications are made but not limited to scholarly argument.
Student Learning Outcomes. In ENGL 1302, students build on the knowledge and information that they learned in ENGL 1301. By the end of ENGL 1302, students should be able to:
Rhetorical Knowledge
- Identify and analyze the components and complexities of a rhetorical situation
- Use knowledge of audience, purpose, genre, format, structure, tone, diction, and syntax to produce situation-appropriate argumentative texts, including texts that move beyond formulaic structures
- Know and use terminology for analyzing and producing arguments
Critical Reading, Thinking, and Writing
- Integrate personal experiences, values, and beliefs into larger social conversations and contexts
- Analyze the rhetorical appeals of written discourse
- Find, evaluate, and analyze primary and secondary sources for appropriateness, timeliness, and validity
- Produce situation-appropriate argumentative texts with a focus, thesis, and controlling idea, and identify those elements in others’ texts
- Incorporate source material in their argumentative writing, synthesizing sources with their own ideas
- Provide valid, reliable, and appropriate support for claims
Processes
- Use and develop flexible strategies for generating, revising, and editing complex argumentative texts
- Conduct ethical research as appropriate to a particular rhetorical task
- Practice writing as a recursive process that can lead to substantive changes in ideas, structure, and supporting evidence through multiple revisions
- Utilize the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes to critique their own and others’ works
Conventions
- Apply and develop knowledge of genre conventions ranging from structure and paragraphing to tone and mechanics
- Summarize, paraphrase, and quote from sources using appropriate documentation style
- Revise for style and edit for features such as syntax, grammar, punctuation, and spelling
- Employ technologies to format texts according to appropriate stylistic conventions
Description of Major Assignments.
Grades.Grades in FYC are A, B, C, F, and Z. The Z grade is reserved for students who attend class regularly, participate actively, and complete all the assigned work on time but simply fail to write well enough to earn a passing grade. This judgment is made by the instructor and not necessarily based upon a number average. The Z grade is intended to reward students for good effort. While students who receive a Z will not get credit for the course, the Z grade will not affect their grade point average. They may repeat the course for credit until they do earn a passing grade. The F grade, which does negatively affect GPA, goes to failing students who do not attend class regularly, do not participate actively, or do not complete assigned work.
All major essay projects must be completed to pass the course. If you fail to complete an essay project, you will fail the course, regardless of your average. All essay projects must be turned in with a two-pocket folder containing all drafts, peer review sheets, and writing slips for that project. Keep all papers until you receive your final grade from the university. You cannot challenge a grade without evidence.
Grade Weighting. Your final grade for this course will be calculated in the following manner:
Essay Project One`10%
Essay Project Two10%
Essay Project Three IN CLASS20%
Researched Position Paper30%
Quizzes20%
Class Participation and Attendance10%
Late Assignments. Papers are due at the beginning of class on the due date specified. Late papers will be penalized unless the instructor has agreed to late submission in advance of the due date. 5 points off per day late.
Re-write Policy. Re-writing is an important means for improving both the writing process and the final product.Students have the option of revising two major essays after grading.
The last major paper, after it has beensubmitted for grading, cannot be re-written for a higher grade.In addition, rewrites must be critiqued by the WritingCenter before submitting. Please do not abuse this privilege by re-submitting papers without doing some serious and considerable revisions. The revised version of the paper will be due no later than one week after the original paper is returned to you. All rewrites must be accompanied by the original, graded paper and all draft work. If your grade after rewriting is higher than the original, the two grades will be averaged for a new grade.
Attendance Policy. Improvement in writing is a complex process that requires a great deal of practice and feedback from readers. Regular attendance is thus necessary for success in this course. Two weeks of unexcused absences (six absences in a MWF course or four absences in a MW or TR course) constitute grounds for lowering a student’s course grade.. Excused absences include official university activities and illness with a physician’s note. Unexcused absences include sleeping in and long weekends.
Drop Policy: If you choose to withdraw from the course for any reason, you must follow University procedures. It is your responsibility to execute these
procedures correctly and within the deadlines (Oct 31). I cannot and will not drop
anyone for any reason from this course. However, I may strongly recommend that you drop if you are significantly behind on completing the required assignments.
Dropping the Course: The last day to drop the course with a “W” is October 31. If you decide to drop the course, you are responsible for doing so. I cannot do it for you.
Syllabus and Schedule Changes. I have tried to make this document as complete as possible; however, during the course of the semester I may be required to alter, add, or abandon certain policies/assignments. I reserve the right to make such changes as they become necessary. You will be informed of any changes in writing.
The WritingCenter. The WritingCenter, Room 411 in the Central Library, will assist you with any writing assignment while you are a student at UT-Arlington. During Fall 2008, the WritingCenter’s hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday through Thursday; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Friday; and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m., Saturday and Sunday. You may schedule appointments online by following directions available at by calling 817 272-2601, or by visiting the WritingCenter. If you come to the WritingCenter without an appointment, you will be helped on a first-come, first-served basis as tutors become available. WritingCenter tutors are carefully chosen and trained, and they can assist you with any aspect of your writing, from understanding an assignment to revising an early draft to polishing a final draft. However, the WritingCenter is not an editing service; tutors will not correct your grammar or rewrite your assignment for you, but they will help you learn to solve your grammatical and organizational problems. I encourage each of you to use the WritingCenter.
Academic Dishonesty and Plagiarism. It is the philosophy of The University of Texas at Arlington that academic dishonesty is a completely unacceptable mode of conduct and will not be tolerated in any form. All persons involved in academic dishonesty will be disciplined in accordance with University regulations and procedures. Discipline may include suspension or expulsion from the University. "Scholastic dishonesty includes but is not limited to cheating, plagiarism, collusion, the submission for credit of any work or materials that are attributable in whole or in part to another person, taking an examination for another person, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts." (Regents’ Rules and Regulations, Series 50101, Section 2.2) You can get in trouble for plagiarism—even if you do not intend to cheat—by failing to correctly indicate places where you are making use of the work of another. It is your responsibility to familiarize yourself with the conventions of citation by which you indicate which ideas are not your own and how your reader can find those sources. Read your handbook for more information on quoting and citing properly to avoid plagiarism. If you still do not understand, ask your instructor.
**The first case of plagiarism will result in a letter from the university which will be put in your permanent file.
**The second case of plagiarism will result in your suspension from this university for ONE YEAR.
Student Success Programs. The University of Texas at Arlington supports a variety of student success programs to help you connect with the University and achieve academic success. They include learning assistance, developmental education, advising and mentoring, admissions and transition, and federally funded programs. Students requiring assistance academically, personally, or socially should contact the Office of Student Success Programs at 817-272-6107 for more information and appropriate referrals.
Americans with Disabilities Act. The University of Texas at Arlington is on record as being committed to both the spirit and letter of federal equal opportunity legislation; reference Public Law 92-112 - The Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. With the passage of federal legislation entitled Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), pursuant to section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, there is renewed focus on providing this population with the same opportunities enjoyed by all citizens. As a faculty member, I am required by law to provide "reasonable accommodations" to students with disabilities, so as not to discriminate on the basis of that disability. Student responsibility primarily rests with informing faculty of their need for accommodation and in providing authorized documentation through designated administrative channels. Information regarding specific diagnostic criteria and policies for obtaining academic accommodations can be found at Also, you may visit the Office for Students with Disabilities in room 102 of University Hall or call them at (817) 272-3364.
E-Culture Policy. The University of Texas at Arlington has adopted the University email address as an official means of communication with students. Through the use of email, UT-Arlington is able to provide students with relevant and timely information, designed to facilitate student success. In particular, important information concerning registration, financial aid, payment of bills, and graduation may be sent to students through email.All students are assigned an email account and information about activating and using it is available at New students (first semester at UTA) are able to activate their email account 24 hours after registering for courses. There is no additional charge to students for using this account, and it remains active as long as a student is enrolled at UT-Arlington. Students are responsible for checking their email regularly.
Reading Quizzes: You will take very informal quizzes over all assigned reading material. If you read closely, you should do well on these. I give quizzes to encourage you to complete the reading assignments, and the questions on these quizzes concern main ideas from your reading assignments. I do not allow students to make up missed quizzes. Be here.
Grades: To pass the course and earn three credit hours, you must complete all assignments. I keep grades on Excel, and I will be glad to show you your grades at any time. A student’s semester grade will be based on the following components:
Essay Project One`10%
Essay Project Two10%
Essay Project Three IN CLASS20%
Researched Position Paper30%
Quizzes (4 @ .5 on Excel)20%
Class Participation and Attendance10%
Your final grade will be A, B, C, Z, or F. The English Department does not assign
the grade of D for first year English. If you complete all of the course
work but have a final average below C, you will be given a Z (which has no
effect on your GPA) and allowed to repeat the course for credit. If you do
not complete all of the course work and do not drop the course before the
last drop date you will receive an F.
The Z Grade: The Z grade is reserved for those students who turn in their work in a
timely manner and participate in the class, but whose grades are still below passing. The "Z" grade means that you must repeat the course. It does not affect your overall GPA. An "F" is given to a student only if he or she does not complete the course requirements.
Save all of the work you have completed in this class until you receive your final grade from the university.
All major essay projects must be completed to pass the course. If you fail to complete an essay project, you will fail the course, regardless of your average. Keep all papers
until you receive your final grade from the university. You cannot challenge a grade without evidence.
Class Schedule Fall 2008
Essay Project One = Exploratory10%
Essay Project Two = Advertising (mag)10%
Essay Project Three IN CLASS = Draft Position Essay20%
Researched Position Paper30%
Quizzes (4 @ .5 on Excel)20%
Class Participation and Attendance10%
Week 1 August 25 – 28
- Introduction to the course.
- Students teach the syllabus.
- Read: Perspectives on Argument Chapter 1 & discuss in class
- Intro to Issue Proposal 26 – 27.
Week 2 Monday September 1 (holiday) September 1–4
Read: Perspectives on Argument 29 – 46 + 54 –56 + 59 - 60
Class (this means YOU argue) Argument
“Giving People” and “Why I want”
**homework: Read 63 – 81 TRACE
Week 3 September 8 - 11
TRACE discussion
Read 109 – 111 Exploratory paper + 123 - 124
Brainstorming your topic / issue
These databases are especially useful for finding information about controversial issues.
- Academic Search Complete
- CQ Researcher Plus Archive
- iPoll
This database has the largest archives of public opinion polls with over 500,000 questions and answers asked in the U.S. since 1935. You will need to provide an email address the first time you use this database.
- LexisNexis Academic
- Points of View Reference Center
This full text database provides access to opinion essays about controversial issues. It also indexes journal, magazine, and newspaper articles.
**homework: READ 475 – 476 Intro to “The Reader”
There are seven main issues in “The Reader” (the last half of the book).You will use some of the essays in each of these sections. What’s in each section? You tell me – next week. Divide into 7 groups and each group will read one of the following and present to the class:
Families 477 – 479
Modern Tech 508 – 510
Crime & Criminals 547 – 549
Race & Identity 579 – 581
Civic Responsibility 608 – 611
Poverty 639 –641
War and Peace 679 -- 681
Your Presentation: Summarize the Issue, the Rhetorical Situation, and Questions to consider. Each person in your group must also read one essay which he/she will briefly present to the class.
Week 4 September 15 – 18
Presentations on Sections and Essays in “The Reader.”
Week 5 September 22 – 25
The Exploratory Paper is VIP because you will use this topic for your
Final Paper Sequence – worth 30% of your Final Grade. The Exploratory Essay will be your first argument paper.
Discussion and begin work on the Exploratory paper. (123)
Due: One page Issue Proposaland annotated bibliography.
(3 - 5 Work Cited entries + a summary of each entry)
In small groups, present your Issue Proposal. Ask your group:
What is important about my topic?
What info should I add?
Have I explained my argument clearly?
Library workshop: Plagiarism (how NOT to) class
Library workshop: Evaluating Sources
Library workshop: Controversial Issues Research
Week 6 September 29 – October 2
Due: Rough Draft Exploratory Paper and Works Cited
PEER EDITING !!
**Final paper due October 6 Monday
Week 7 October 6 – 9 PAPER DUE !!
Lecture over Chapter 5 In class: Discuss Toulmin analysis
Claim, Support, Warrants
**homework: Read 127 – 128 Toulmin Model
157 – 158 Claims & parts of an Argument
197 Logos
207 Ethos
208 Pathos
Ms. P lectures. (handout on my notes…)
***EXAM over notes, lectures, textbook readings
Week 8 October 13 - 16
Essay #2 Advertising Handout: Magazine Activity
Week 9 October 20 - 23
Handout: Create a Commercial (group activity)
Week 10 October 27 - 30
In class: Sunday’s news and discussion / debate. Examples of editorials
Handout: Write your own Letter to the Editor (brainstorm issues)
EXTRA 20 points if your Letter is published
Week 11 November 3 - 6
Final Paper begins today.
Due on Wednesday, November 19.
Rules:
- Works Cited with total of 6 – 8 entries (you should have 3 – 5 already)
- Paper = 5 pages + WC page
- Times New Roman, 12 font, double-spaced
- Argue your position although you acknowledge other opinions.
You will be expected to set forth a specific claim and support it with evidence gathered from your research. You must use the various elements of argument theory we have covered to construct your paper. I expect to see elements of the Toulmin Model in your papers. But remember, the Toulmin Model is just a model. Do not label the parts of the model using Toulmin’s terms (TRACE) within the text of your paper. Those terms are implicit in the construction of an argument.
Your grade will be based on your ability to construct a sound argument and support your claim. Your paper must be a minimum of five full pages, typed, double-spaced, with standard margins, and in proper MLA format. Turn in your paper in a pocket folder with all drafts, notes, and critiques that helped you write it. Please be aware that your skills at argument should be well-developed by this point. In that light, your papers will be graded more stringently. This is the last assignment of the semester and must be handed in on time. I cannot accept papers after the due date.