Composition I: Entering the Academic Conversation

1

English 101.65 Course SyllabusFall 2011

Composition I: Entering the Academic Conversation

English 101, Section 65 Instructor: Sonya Blades

Fall 2011Email:

Time: TR 2:00-3:15pmOffice: MHRA 3210 E

Location: MHRA 3208Office Hrs: TR 11am-12 noon

(and by appointment)

Course Description:

Every day we enter some form of conversation or discourse, whether this discourse is written, spoken, or visual. Of course, there is the obvious verbal conversation between ourselves and our friends, families, and others with whom we interact on a regular basis. However, some “conversations” might be less obvious. People might exhibit a certain style or manner to show solidarity within a group, thus also providing a personal statement. You might not realize how often you switch styles of dress, styles of speech, and styles of writing depending on with whom you are interacting. Furthermore, your roles as active reader and listener add to the conversation. This course is intended to help you learn how to distinguish the rhetorical techniques used to enter and analyze conversations, as well as how to effectively put those techniques into use in your own various forms of composition.

English 101 satisfies three of the six hours of the Reasoning and Discourse (GRD) requirement at UNCG, which asserts that students “gain skills in intellectual discourse, including constructing cogent arguments, locating, synthesizing and analyzing documents, and writing and speaking clearly, coherently, and effectively” (

In addition, English 101 is designed to meet Learning Goal #1 (LG1) in the UNCG General Education Program. This is the ability to“think critically, communicate effectively, and develop appropriate fundamental skills in quantitative and information literacies.”(

The following are English 101 Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs), each of which correspond to both the GRD goals and to LG1:

At the completion of this course, students will be able to:

1. Analyze the content and structure of complex texts (written, oral, and/or visual in nature);
2. Compose cogent, evidence-based, argumentative texts;
3. Identify and employ the rhetorical triangle, the canons, and the appeals in both formal and informal discourse;
4. Summarize, quote, paraphrase, and synthesize source material in support of an argument;
5. Employ drafting, peer review, and revision techniques in order to improve content, style, and structure of their own writing;
6. Appraise their own composing abilities and composing processes through critical reflection.

Required Texts:

Babb, Jacob, Sally Smits and Courtney Wooten, eds. Technê Rhêtorikê: Techniques of

Discourse for Writers and Speakers. 3rd ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden-McNeil

Publishing, 2011. [ISBN: 978-0-7380-4669-3]

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/I Say: The Moves that Matter in

Academic Writing.2nd ed. New York: Norton, 2009. [ISBN: 978-0393933611]

Sedaris, David. Me Talk Pretty One Day. New York: Vintage Books, 2009.

[ISBN: 978-0316776967]

Recommended Text:

Hacker, Diana. A Pocket Style Manual. 5th ed. New York: Bedford St. Martin, 2009.

[ISBN: 978-0312593247]

*Additional assigned readings posted on Blackboard (indicated in class schedule as BB) must be printed and brought to class. Laptops are NOT an acceptable substitute for the print-out of the readings due. Students without these Blackboard materials may receive deductions in course participation grades and/or be unable to complete in-class work.

Other Materials:

You will need a large folder or file to store all of your coursework. DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY! You will need all of your work for your end-of-semester portfolio, including drafts, in-class writings, and reflection papers.

*Please remember to bring note-taking materials to every class session. I will not supply you with missing materials. STAPLE ALL PAPERS BEFORE HANDING THEM IN!! Remember: part of your student ethos (how you come across as a responsible, credible member of our class) is shown through the physical presentation of the work you turn in.

Course Requirements and Grading:

Portfolio (connects to SLOs 1,2,3,4,5,6)50%

Essay Revisions (connects to SLOs 1,2,3,4,5,6) 20% (5%, 5%, 10% respectively)

Annotated Bibliography (connects to SLOs 1 & 4)10%

Reflection Papers (connects to SLOs 1,2,3,4,6)10%

Participation10% (includes peer review you give others)

Assignments:

Many short assignment prompts will be given during the class before the class the assignment (usually a reflection paper) is due. Large assignments with set due-dates include:

1. Essay 1 – Creating an Argument (aka: paper proposal): 4-5 pages
2. Annotated Bibliography (“They Say”) – To include 10 “good” sources
3. Essay 2 – Analyzing Visual Rhetoric in the movie WALL-E or Amélie (you will choose ONE of the movies to analyze): 5-6 pages
4. Essay 3 – “They Say/I Say” – Bringing together your question and research: 8-10 pages

Portfolio:

The major projects for this course will be turned-in portfolio style, which means that I will evaluate your project on both the final product and the writing process. In order to document this for me, you should save everything you write for the course. This includes brainstorming, free-writing, prewriting, drafting, revision, editing, and research. You should keep every fragment of work that contributes to the final product and turn it in with the final draft. Again, DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY! The more you have to show me, the more effort I can assume was put forth in the final product. Following English departmental guidelines, your portfolio is required to have AT LEAST 15 pages of polished prose. I highly recommend you revise each graded paper that is handed back to you and include those revisions in your final portfolio.

In addition, you will be responsible for a 6 page rationale essay to be included at the beginning of the portfolio. Instructions and guidelines about the final portfolio will be given out later in the semester.

Academic Integrity:

“Academic integrity is founded upon and encompasses the following five values: honesty, trust, fairness, respect, and responsibility. Violations include, for example, cheating, plagiarism, misuse of academic resources, falsification, and facilitating academic dishonesty. If knowledge is to be gained and properly evaluated, it must be pursued under conditions free from dishonesty. Deceit and misrepresentations are incompatible with the fundamental activity of this academic institution and shall not be tolerated” (from UNCG’s Academic Integrity Policy). To ensure that you understand the university’s policy on academic integrity, review the guidelines and list of violations at academicintegrity.uncg.edu. I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. Depending upon the severity and the affected assignment, violations of academic integrity may result in an automatic F for the course.

Late Work:

Late work will be accepted with a penalty of one letter grade off per day late, no exceptions. Any extensions are at the discretion of the instructor. If you are not in class, I will not accept your work. I do not accept work via email.

Attendance and Tardiness:

Students in TR classes are allowed a maximum of TWO absences without a grade penalty. Students who miss FIVE classes will automatically fail the course. If you are absent from class, you are responsible for contacting a classmate for notes and reflection paper topics. DO NOT EMAIL ME FOR NOTES OR ASSIGNMENTS. A tardy of 10 minutes or later after class begins will count as an absence. Recurrent tardiness will result in a grade penalty, and all grade penalties are at the discretion of the instructor.

Students are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximums allowed above. If a student plans to miss class due to a religious holiday, he or she must notify the instructor at least 48 hours prior to the absence.

Classroom Conduct:

Disruptive students will be asked to leave the class session and will receive an absence for the day. Disruptive behavior includes any form of disrespectful comment or action directed toward the instructor and/or another student, as well as interruptions while the instructor or another classmate is speaking. Please be respectful at all times. This includes NO TEXT MESSAGING, no cell phones, and NO LAPTOPS(unless stated otherwise) during class sessions. TURN CELL PHONES OFF COMPLETELY. Furthermore, if listening to music through earphones before class begins, make sure the volume is low enough so that you do not disturb those around you. Last, please do not bring food to class – it’s stinky and distracting!

Email Correspondence:

If you email me with a question, you may expect a response within 24 hours (excluding evenings and weekends). In conjunction with our “Classroom Conduct” policy of respectfulness, please have the common courtesy to respond back to me so that I know you received my response.

Accommodations for Students with Disabilities:

Students with documentation of special needs should arrange to see me about accommodations as soon as possible. If you believe you could benefit from such accommodations, you must first register with the Office of Disability Services on campus before such accommodations can be made. The office is located on the second floor of the Elliot University Center (EUC) in suite 215.

------

CLASS SCHEDULE (Subject to Change):

**All reading should be done before the class time in which it is listed.

Week One: August 23/25

T23 – Introduction to the course – syllabus, course expectations and policies

Th 25 – Your responsibility in the classroom and issues with plagiarism - TR* “Academic

Integrity” (Tedder) & BB “Mixing the Pieces” (Lyda); TR “The Response Essay

(Bowman)

Week Two: August 30/September 1

T30 – The Basics – BB “English 101: A Primer” (Roskelly); TR “Understanding the Rhetorical

Appeals” (Dodson); TR “Reading for the Rhetorical Appeals” (Shook); TR “The Canons

of Rhetoric as Phases of Composition” (Dodson)

**READING QUIZ (will count as a reflection paper)

Th1 –TR “The Genre of Academic Discourse” (Morehead); TR “Asking Questions to Find a

a Starting Point (Leuschen); Discuss Essay #1 (Project Proposal);In-Class Writing

Week Three: September 6/8

T 6 – Rhetorical Approaches – TR “Developing an Idea of the Audience” (Babb);

TR “Understanding Tone” (Webb); TR “Understanding Voice” (Bufter); BB: “Talking Back to Books: In Defenseof Marginalia” (Parker)

Th 8 – Discussion of “Rhetorical Approaches” continued – BB: “How to Write with Style”

(Vonnegut); BB: “A First Look at Gobbledygook” (O’Hayre); BB: “Shitty First Drafts”

(Lamott)

Week Four: September 13/15

T 13 – Building your own argument from what you already know – They Say/I Say Introduction

and Part 1; TR “How the Thesis Guides Effective Writing” (Guy-McAlpin);

BB “Why Women Smile” (Cunningham)

15 – The Importance of Peer Review – BB: “Making the Move From Peer Editing To

Writing Workshops” (Gibson); Peer Review Practice (in groups)

Week Five: September 20/22

T 20 –Essay #1 Draft Due (4-5 pages) for peer workshop (bring a copy of your draft for

each of your group members)

Th 22 – Revising your paper – TR “Revision is Writing” (Mullins); BB: “The Maker’s Eye:

Revising Your Own Manuscript” (Murray); BB: “Teaching the Other Self: The Writer’s First Reader” (Murray); BB: “What Do We Talk About When We Talk About Flow?”

(Smith)

Week Six: September 27/29

T 27 – Research – Discuss Annotated Bibliography Assignment; TR “Finding a Conversation

to Find Research” (Wooten); TR “Researching Rhetorically” (Benson and Lyda); group exercises todiscuss what makes a “good” or acceptable source; TR “Conferencing Rhetorically” (Meriwether)

Th 29 – Essay #1 REVISION DUE; Library Tutorial – MEET AT COMPUTER LAB

Week Seven: October 4/6

T 4 – Student-Instructor Conferences (NO CLASS)

Th 6 –Student-Instructor Conferences (NO CLASS)

Week Eight: October 11/13

T 11 – NO CLASS (FALL BREAK)

Th 13 – Annotated Bibliography Due; Discuss Essay #2 (Visual Rhetorical Analysis);

TR “Rhetorical Analysis and Visual Media” (Laminack); bring a magazine advertisement for in-class exercise (will count as one reflection paper)

**OCTOBER 14 = LAST DAY TO DROP WITHOUT PENALTY**

Week Nine: October 18/20

T 18 – Visual rhetoric continued – TR “Rhetorical Analysis and Film” (Burns); BB example

film analysis of the movie Grease; in-class practice analyzing movie scene

Th 20 –Essay #2 (Visual Rhetorical Analysis) DRAFT due (5-6 pages) for peer workshop

(remember to bring a copy for each group member)

Week Ten: October 25/27

T 25 – “I Say” – They Say/I Say Part 2, pp. 55-101; “Don’t Blame the Eater” (Zinczenko) p. 195

Th 27 –Essay #2 REVISION DUE; discuss essay #3; BB “What You Eat is Your Business”

(Balko)

Week Eleven: November 1/3

T 1 – Using what you’ve researched to your advantage – They Say/I Say Parts 3 & 4;

BB “From Outside, In” (Mellix); BB “Says Who” (Curzan)

Th 3 – The Rhetoric of Creative Nonfiction: where fiction and nonfiction meet – TR “Rhetoric

and the Creative Writer” (Welden); BB “Girl” (Kincaid)

Week Twelve: November 8/10

T 8 – Creative nonfiction continued – Me Talk Pretty One Day (chapters TBA)

Th 10 – Creative nonfiction continued – Me Talk Pretty One Day (chapters TBA)

Week Thirteen: November 15/17

T 15 –Essay #3 (Final Project: 8-10 pages) DRAFT due for peer workshop

Th 17 –The Portfolio Process as a Rhetorical Act – TR “The Portfolio Process” (Ray);

Group workshop of portfolio materials

Week Fourteen: November 22/24

T 22 – Student-Instructor Conferences – NO CLASS

Th 24 – THANKSGIVING – NO CLASS

Week Fifteen: November 29/December 1

T 29 – Student-Instructor Conferences – NO CLASS

Th 1 – LAST DAY OF CLASS – PORTFOLIOS AND ESSAY #3 REVISION DUE

(put essay #3 at end of portfolio); final wrap-up; course evaluations

PORTFOLIO PICK-UP DATE TO BE DETERMINED

(tentatively DECEMBER 8th, 12 noon-3pm)

*Abbreviations:

BB = Blackboard Document

TR = Techne Rhetorike

1

English 101.65 Course SyllabusFall 2011