English 180 – Composition II – Sports and Athletics (section 7)

Spring 2011 – meets GE III requirement

Location: CSB 029 (T/F); LC 110 (F)Time: 9:25 – 10:40 a.m. (T/F); 10:50-11:50 a.m. (F)

Instructor: Matt Newcomb

Office Hours: (T) 12:15-2:15 p.m. (TH) 1:30-3:30 p.m.

Email: hone: 845-257-2732

Description:

Our course is primarily about your writing. Specifically, we will work on becoming stronger writers for the academic discourse communities that we participate in. We will focus on research elements and argument in our writing—but issues like our writing voices and the contexts in which we write will be important too. At the same time, we will be working through the theme of Sports and Athletics for this class—specifically as it relates to writing. We will also write frequently in class and will have multiple other papers.

Texts: (both main texts available at the campus bookstore)

Beckelhimer, Lisa. Sports Talk.New York: Pearson Longman, 2009. Print.

The Composition Program Handbook: 20010-2011. SUNY New Paltz. Web.

Rigolino, Rachel, Ed. New Voices, New Visions: Composition at the StateUniversity of New

York at New Paltz. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2010. Print.

Troyka, Lynn and Douglas Hesse, Eds. Simon and Schuster Handbook for Writers. 9th ed. Custom for

SUNY New Paltz. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009. Print. (especially chapters 1-6, 16-22, and 31-34; abbreviated as SS)

-Handouts as assigned (usually on Blackboard)

Objectives:

  1. To develop the ability to write in different rhetorical situations, i.e., for different purposes, occasions, and audiences.
  2. To develop the ability to write effectively in a variety of rhetorical modes, i.e., description, narration, exposition, and particularly analysis and argumentation.
  3. To develop the ability to write well-developed, well-organized, and clear paragraphs and essays.
  4. To develop the abilities to reason, to think critically (i.e., to analyze, to infer, to synthesize, to interpret, and to evaluate information), and to argue effectively (i.e., to develop a position, reasons, and evidence).
  5. To analyze and evaluate arguments (i.e., premise, deductive and inductive reasoning, forms of appeals, logical fallacies, and forms of evidence).
  6. To analyze literary works.
  7. To increase the ability to write correctly, grammatically, and coherently.
  8. To read and critique one’s own writing and the writing of others effectively.
  9. To evaluate courses of information using criteria such as currency, authority, objectivity, accuracy, specificity, and relevance.
  10. To use information ethically and legally (i.e., to avoid plagiarism).
  11. To develop oral presentation skills.
  12. To critique the oral and written discourse of members of the class.
  13. To develop methods of conducting research (i.e., develop a research topic and search strategy, use general or specialized databases, use Internet search engines; locate, retrieve, and evaluate information sources; construct a bibliography; and organize and synthesize information).

Schedule:

DayActivities for the dayAssignments due

1-Jan 25 – (T) / Intro class, go over syllabus, diagnostic
2-Jan 28 –(F) / Key terms and issues for class; self-assessment of writing / SS ch. 1
3-Jan 28 (F) / intro paper 1; rhetorical situation
Unit I – Categorical Proposals (CP)
4-Feb 1 (T) / Discourse communities, Sentence control, CPs / ST 180-85
5-Feb 4 (F) / MLA style/format; thesis statements / SS ch. 36, DFW tennis article (Blackboard)
6-Feb 4 (F)
7-Feb 8 (T) / How to do RD wkshop, Fahnestock/Secor on 4 levels of argument (categorical/causality/evaluation/proposal); enthymemes / ST 18-20
8-Feb 11 (F) / Rough draft workshop; read intros and conclusions aloud / Paper 1 RD due, ST 180-85
9-Feb 11 (F) / 5-paragraph essay; diamond intro;
10-Feb 15 (T) / Intro paper 2, Assess a source as a group / Paper 1 Turn-in due,ST 60-64
Unit II – Cause/Effect Arguments
11-Feb 18 (F) / Library Day / SS ch. 3
12-Feb 18 (F) / Paragraph types and transitions
13-Feb 22 (T) / Cause and effect – maps vs. directions / Title IX (online)
14-Feb 25 (F) / Ethos, logos, pathos; grammar terms / SS ch. 14, ST 186-90
15-Feb 25 (F) / Rough draft workshop; writing conclusions / Paper 2 RD due
16-Mar 1 (T) / Intro Paper 3; multimedia lesson; assign all 3 parts – oral, written, web / Paper 2 Turn-in due; ST 40-46
Unit III – Evaluation Arguments, Oral Presentations, and Online Arguments
17-Mar 4 (F) / criteria and argument, examine web sites and look at online tech options (blog, vuvox, wiki, facebook, weebly). Brainstorm topics / SS ch. 4 + SS ch. 15, Jenkins’ Matrix chapter on Blackboard
18-Mar 4 (F)
19-Mar 8 (T) / look at visual arguments (nytimes slideshows or time.com slideshows) with visual argument materials; Practice oral skills in class. Go over notecards and outlining. Make better oral version of one of our readings. / ST 11-17, ST 136-39
20-Mar 11 (F) / Brief mid-term prep (timed writing tips); assign oral presentation days. Discuss what is unique about writing on the web – chunking, etc. Write proposal / visual sketch of what web version will be like. Work on projects in class. / SS ch. 5, ST 197-203
21-Mar 11 (F)
22-Mar 15 (T) / Mid-term / ST 176-79, Mid-term in class
23-Mar 18 (F) / rd workshop of papers. Make- up other missed activities or just workshop or work with a reading or practice the tech stuff if all using same technology. / Paper 3 RD due, SS ch. 9
24-Mar 18 (F)
March 21-25 / Spring Break
25-Mar 29 (T) / In class, explain what your web version will be like – standing in front of class – 2 minutes or so each. Discuss delivery issues / Paper 3 Turn-in due, ST 214-16
26-Apr 1 (F) / oral presentations with student feedback and teacher feedback and questions from all. / ST 93-95, SS ch. 8, Outline and notecards due with presentations
27-Apr 1 (F) / Style exercises and work with readings
28-Apr 5 (T) / oral presentations with student feedback and teacher feedback and questions from all. / Outline and notecards due with presentations, ST 210-213
29- Apr 8 (F) / oral presentations / web versions due. In class write on how you adapted things to move from web with visuals to paper to oral, etc. / Outline and notecards due with presentations ; Web documents due; SS ch. 10
Unit IV – Proposal Arguments and Research
30-Apr 8 (F) / Introduce paper 4, brainstorm ideas
31-Apr 12 (T) / Start with question that is not answered. Determine audience issues and re-formulate the problem. Make at least two hypotheses / SS ch. 33, ST 81-92
32-Apr 15 (F) / Create research plan / SS ch. 11 + 32,
33-Apr 15 (F)
34-Apr 19 (T) / Passover – No Class
35-Apr 22 (F) / Do annotated bibliography, compile and comment on quotes / Annotated bibliography due, SS ch. 12 + 34
36-Apr 22 (F)
37-Apr 26 (T) / Re-visit your research question with preliminary ideas and new questions. / SS ch. 35, ST 171-75
38-Apr 29 (F) / Outline in some form / SS ch.7 , ST 47-57
39-Apr 29 (F)
40-May 3 (T) / Rough draft workshop / Paper 4 RD due,ST 204-09
41- May 6 (F) / Film? / Paper 4 Turn-in due;ST 217-28
42-May 6 (F) / Write reflections on the course,
43-May 10 (T) / Course evaluations, review for exam, final questions / ST 3-10
44-May 17 (T)
10:15-12:15 a.m. / Final exam session / Final Exam

Assignments:

You must complete all major assignments to pass the course. Late work will be reduced by up to one letter grade per day late. Approximately 1000 words per essay (more on the research paper). You may revise any of the first three essays for a completely new grade (you get two weeks from the day I hand them back to the class).

1. Paper 1 – 15 points: Categorical Proposition

2. Paper 2 – 15 points: Causal Argument

3. Mid-term Essay (in-class) – 5 points: (timed in-class essay, may also include definitions, short answer, and grammar questions)

4.Paper 3 – 25 points (in two parts): Evaluation Argument—Make a case for something being good or bad. This paper will have a text-only version (worth 15 points) and a web version (worth 10 of the points) that has images and a changed format.

5. Paper 4 – 20 points: MLA-style Research Paper/Proposal Argument (approximately 6-8 pages): with an annotated bibliography and research proposal/plan along the way.

6. Oral Presentation – 5 points: On an aspect of paper 3.

7. Library workshop and journal/FB entries – 10 points

9. Participation and attendance – 5 points

10. Final -- (P/F)

Total – 100 points

A total of 100 points will be possible. You have 15% of the grade (participation and writing exercises) that should be easy to get an “A” on from effort alone, so I do not round grades at the end of the semester. The grade ranges are below:

93-100 = A90-92.9 = A-87-89.9 = B+83-86.9 = B80-82.9 = B-77-79.9 = C+

73-76.9 = C70-72.9 = C- 60-69.9 = D59.9 or below = F

Statement on Academic Integrity: “Students are expected to maintain the highest standards of honesty in their academic work. Cheating, forgery, and plagiarism are serious offences, and students found guilty of any form of academic dishonesty are subject to disciplinary action” (SUNY NP Faculty Handbook 33).

Plagiarism is the unacknowledged (intentional or unintentional) use of summary, paraphrase, direct quotation, language, statistics, or ideas from articles or other information sources including the Internet. A student must cite according to the Modern Language Association (MLA) format (which is outlined in the Simon and Schuster Handbook and other locations).

Accommodation and Disability: “Students with disabilities are entitled to the right to accommodation under Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Ace and ADA of 1990. ADA students are responsible for self-identifying to the DisabilityResourceCenter, who will inform me of your needs of accommodation related to the structure of the course” (Faculty Handbook 30).

Attendance: Students are expected to be in class every day. Much of work will involve in-class writing and discussion, so the class time is important. For significant health issues or family emergencies we will work out what to do on an individual basis. The key is to communicate with me in absence situations (before you miss class if at all possible). Also, class will start and finish on time. Excessive lateness will lead to being counted as absent (three days late equals one absence).

For this section of ENG 180 we have a workshop session for an hour every Friday. You are expected to attend these like any other class. Also, we will be given a writing tutor whom you will meet with each week to work on aspects of your papers. These are required attendance elements and are potentially of great benefit for you too.

Absences from class and/or tutoring sessions for whatever reason in excess of four will mean an automatic failing grade.Tutoring outside of class is essential. This means that your attendance at tutoring is just as important as your attendance in class. Also, if you are dropped from tutoring because of excessive unexcused absences (more than two), you are also eligible to fail this course. If you are dropped from tutoring, you must be reinstated by the Tutoring Center Coordinator in order to pass this course.In summary, even if your class attendance is perfect, if you are dismissed from tutoring and not reinstated, you will not be able to pass this course. You are responsible for reviewing TutoringCenter policies about attendance with your tutor and knowing these policies.

Tutoring Center Information

Location: SouthClassroomBuilding (SCB), Room 132

Phone: 845-257-3580

Coordinator of Tutoring: Landan Gross; SCB 130; 845-257-2636;

Classroom Courtesy: I want this course to be a place where, for a brief three hours a week, we can freely discuss ideas and work on our writing. I have found that certain interruptions can be extremely distracting to both your classmates and me, so I ask that you observe these basic guidelines of classroom decorum:

-Please turn your cell phones off or to silent for the duration of our classroom meetings.

-I expect you to fully present during our time together, so during class, please do not text message, send e-mail, surf the web, use Morse code, telepathy, or do anything else that will distract you or others from the work of the course.

-Please come on time to class and make your bathroom breaks, coffee runs, and smoke breaks BEFORE coming to class. Unless you have an emergency, I ask that you join us for the entirety of class.