English 101.12
Spring 2012
Instructor: Mr.Williams
E-mail:
-I check e-mail once a day, Monday-Friday. I will try to respond to e-mails within 48 hours. I will rarely or never respond to e-mails during weekends, university holidays, or spring break.
-I will only respond to e-mails sent from UNCG e-mail accounts.
-I will not respond to any e-mail written in an unprofessional manner. No shorthand or “text message”-style language.
Class time: MWF 10:00-10:50 am
Classroom: HHP 340
Office Hours: MW 11:00-11:50 am
Office Location: MHRA 3112
Required Texts (you must purchase the assigned editions of these books):
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein.They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing with
Readings. New York: Norton, 2010.
ISBN: 9780393931747
Wooten, Courtney, ed. Techne Rhetorike. 3rd ed. Plymouth, MI: Hayden McNeil, 2011.
ISBN: 9780738046693
Additional readings will be posted on the class Blackboard page under “Course Documents.” You must print these out and bring them to class. I do not allow laptops, tablet devices (iPads, etc.), smart phones, cell phones, music players, or any other electronic devices I deem potentially distracting in class.
Course Description: The section of English 101 will focus on the key concepts and techniques of argument-based writing. You will identify and discuss these concepts and techniques, and then apply them to your own writing. There is no particular “theme” to this course, as the focus is on technique over topic.
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” (
GECDescription.aspx).
In addition, English 101 is designed to address 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” (
reg/Bulletin/Current/UnivReq/GECProgram.aspx).
The following are English 101 student learning outcomes, each of which correspond to both the
GRD goals and to LG1:
A. English 101 Student Learning Outcomes:
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.
Online/Technology Requirements:
-iSpartan e-mail account
-Blackboard account
-Printing access – Make sure to budget enough money and time for this. I will not accept “My card ran out of money” or “My printer ran out of ink” (or any other printing difficulty) as an excuse for not bringing required documents (readings, assignments, etc.) to class. Not having documents printed out and with you in class will bring your participation grade for that day to an F.
------Grades ------
Grading Scale: I utilize the full range of grades from A to F (including plusses and minuses), in keeping
with university grading policies. Your final course grade will be based on the following components that
make up our work for the semester. UNCG defines an A as excellent; a B as good; a C as average; a D as
lowest passing grade; and an F as failure. In adherence to this scale, you should understand that a C means
you successfully met the requirements of the course, not that you did poorly, which would be indicated by
either a D or an F. Likewise, an A or B indicate that you met and exceeded course requirements.
FinalPortfolio (SLOs 1-6): 50% of final course grade
The Final Portfolio, due at the end of the semester, is composed of representative pieces of your work
this semester. Your portfolio will include a Critical Rationale Essay and revisions of three major writing
assignments. All work must be substantially revised over the course of the semester. Keep all drafts: At
minimum, I want to see your first graded draft, the revised peer review draft, and the revised final draft.
When you have all of the components prepared and printed, you will have them bound as a booklet at
UNCG Graphics and Printing for a small fee.
The Critical Rationale Essay (SLO 6) will be a 6-8 page document that:
-Assesses how individual pieces of writing as well as the collective contents of the portfolio
illustrate the student’s growth as a writer throughout English 101.
-Explains the stylistic and organizational choices made in the portfolio, i.e., the thoughtful and
deliberate arrangement of all portfolio components.
-Illustrates an awareness of rhetorical choices across contexts and an understanding of course
materials.
-Offers a deep and sustained critical reflection on the writing and revision process that resulted in
these polished essays and other writings.
Unlike the assignments, I will not grade the rationale essay separately. Instead, it will serve as an extended
analysis of your work this semester, and thus it is a crucial component of the Final Portfolio. Rationale
essays do not evaluate the quality or validity of individual assignments or course texts, nor do they assess
my capabilities as an instructor. Rather, rationale essays should illustrate how you have met the Student
Learning Outcomes (SLOs) in English 101. You will submit a draft of the rationale essay for peer review
before submitting the final revised essay in the Final Portfolio.
Portfolios must include both a rationale essay and evidence of drafting and revision in order to receive a
passing grade (D- or above). Students who do not submit a portfolio will automatically receive an F for
English 101, regardless of the quality of work otherwise submitted prior to the portfolio. See Blackboard
for complete Final Portfolio guidelines.
Assignments (Essays) (SLOs 1-5): 30% of final course grade
You will regularly turn in formal writing assignments, each of which will receive a grade. Late assignments
receive no credit, but you still need to turn them in to receive my feedback. These grades are entirely
separate from the Writing Portfolio grade. Each assignment is designed to meet the first five Student
Learning Objectives for English 101. Below are brief descriptions of the formal assignments.
Each assignment has a corresponding full assignment prompt on Blackboard. Each assignment should be a
minimum of five FULL pages in length (double-spaced, 12-point Times New Roman, 1-inch margins), not including Works Cited pages or appendices.
The first essay will be a rhetorical analysis of one of the essays you will have read for class, while the second and third essays will be responses to essays you will have read for class.
Reading Quizzes/In-Class Writing Assignments (SLOs 1-5): 10% of final grade
You will have several quizzes and/or writing assignment to complete in class. These will not only help to ensure that you are reading the material; they will also serve as a way of helping generate class discussion.
Participation (SLOs 1-5): 10% of final grade
Much of the learning in this class will come from discussion. To ensure you receive credit, you will need to participate regularly in all discussions and course activities. In order to meet the Student Learning Outcomes, you will need opportunities to practice rhetorical, analytical, and argumentative techniques. Participation in class gives you this necessary practice. This includes being prepared for class. Not having necessary materials will bring your participation grade to an F for that day.
------Course Policies------
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 I expect you to abide by the Academic Integrity Policy. If I find evidence of plagiarism, I will judge what is best for the situation, from a very stern reprimand to giving you an F for the semester.
Accommodations: 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 Elliott University Center (EUC) in suite 215, and the office is open 8 am-5 pm, Monday-Friday. Telephone: 334-5440; e-mail:
Attendance: Because this is a participation-based course, I expect you to attend class regularly. You are allowed two free absences without a grade penalty. Your third, fourth, and fifth absences will result in grade reductions. If you miss six classes, you automatically fail the course. I do not differentiate between excused and unexcused absences. Should a crisis arise, come talk to me or email me before you miss too many classes. In addition, it is vital to get to class on time. I take attendance at the beginning of class, so being late may result in you being marked absent. Besides, tardy students are very distracting and irritating. You are by state law allowed two excused absences due to religious holidays. These absences do not count toward the total maximum allowed above. If you plan to miss class due to a religious holiday, you must notify me, in writing, at least 48 hours prior to the absence.
Assignment submission: You must submit all assignments to me in class. I accept hard copies only. No e-mail or electronic submissions of any kind will be accepted.
Late Work: I do not give credit for late work. I do accept early work; if you know you are going to miss a class, turn in your work before it is due. Computer problems do not qualify as cause for extra time. If your personal computer gives you trouble, leave time to work in one of the computer labs around campus.
Email Policy: Email is the best way to reach me. I will do my best to respond within forty-eight hours, excluding weekends and university holidays. It is good practice to treat email as a writing situation that reflects on you as an individual. Use appropriate language and etiquette: present yourself professionally. This doesn’t mean emails have to be long and elaborate, but they should be moderately professional forms of communication with your instructor.
Conferences: We will meet for conferences in my office once to discuss your writing. I cancel three class meetings for conferences. Therefore, if you miss your conference, you will receive three absences. Come to conferences prepared to discuss your work and ask questions about the course.
MLA Citation and Format: I expect you to responsibly cite all material you use in your work. (See “Academic Integrity.”) Both in-text citations and references must be in MLA format. Purdue University’s OWL is an excellent resource for learning how to properly cite sources. I also expect you to use MLA formatting: 1” margins, doubled-spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman font.
Electronics: I do not allow laptops, tablet devices, cell phones, music players, or any other electronic devices I deem potentially distracting during class. If I see you with your electronic device out during class, I will call you out and it will be embarrassing.
Exceptions will only be considered with proper documentation from the Office of Disability Services.
Two More Things:
- I reserve the right to make any changes to policies, grading, assignments, readings, and schedule that I deem necessary.
- I reserve the right to ask any student to leave class and mark him/her absent for the day if I deem it necessary.
SCHEDULE
TR=Techne Rhetorike
TSIS=They Say / I Say
Bb=Blackboard
WEEK ONE
1/9
-Introduction
1/11
-Bb: Parker, “Hidden Meanings, Treatment of Time, Supreme Irony, and Life Experiences in the Song ‘Ain’tGonna Bump No More No Big Fat Woman’”
-In-class Diagnostic essay
1/13
-TR: Dodson, “The Canons of Rhetoric as phases of Composition”
-Bb: Lamott, “Shitty First Drafts”
WEEK TWO
1/16
MLK Day—no class
1/18
-TR: Dodson, “Understanding the Rhetorical Appeals”
-Bb: King, “Letter from a Birmingham Jail”
1/20
-TR: Morehead, “The Genre of Academic Discourse”
-TSIS: Introduction; Obama, “A More Perfect Union”
WEEK THREE
1/23
-TSIS: Ch. 12, “Reading for the Conversation”; Zinczenko, “Don’t Blame the Eater”; Balko, “What You Eat Is Your Business”
1/25
-TSIS: Ch. 1, “They Say: Starting with…”; Olssa, “Up Against Wal-Mart”
-Print assignment sheet #1 and bring to class
1/27
-TSIS: Ch. 3, “As He Himself Puts It: The Art of Quoting”; Goldwasser, “What’s the Matter with Kids Today?”
WEEK FOUR
1/30
-Bb: Swift, “A Modest Proposal”
2/1
-Bb: Wallace, “Consider the Lobster”
2/3
-TSIS: Ch. 4, “Yes/No/Okay, But: Three Ways to Respond”; Campos, “Being Fat is OK”
WEEK FIVE
2/6
-Essay 1 Peer Review—bring two copies of full-length draft
-TR: Ensor, “Viewing Peer Review as a Rhetorical Process”
2/8
-TSIS: Ch. 5, “And Yet: Distinguishing What You Say from What They Say”; Bartlett, “The Truth About Wages”
2/10
-TSIS: Ch. 6, “Skeptics May Object: Planting a Naysayer in Your Text”; Peacocke, “Family Guy and Freud: Jokes and Their Relation to the Unconscious”
WEEK SIX
2/13
-Revised Essay 1 Due
-TSIS: Ch. 7, “So What? Who Cares?: Saying Why It Matters”; Herbert, “A Fire in the Basement”
2/15
-TSIS: Ch. 8, “As a Result: Connecting the Parts”; The Economist, “Inequality and the American Dream”
2/17
-TSIS: Ch. 9, “Ain’t So/Is Not: Academic Writing Doesn’t Mean Setting Aside Your Own Voice”; Graff, “Hidden Intellectualism”
WEEK SEVEN
2/20
Conferences—class cancelled
2/22
Conferences—class cancelled
2/24
Conferences—class cancelled
WEEK EIGHT
2/27
Fall Break—no class
2/29
-TSIS: Ch. 10, “In Other Words: The Art of Metacommentary”; Friedman, “The World Is Flat”
3/2
-TR: Leuschen, “Asking Questions to Find a Starting Point”
WEEK NINE
3/5
Spring break—no class
3/7
Spring break—no class
3/9
Spring break—no class
WEEK TEN
3/12
-TR: Guy-McAlpin, “How the Thesis Guides Effective Writing”
-Bb: Trask, “From a Native Daughter”
3/14
-Essay 2 Peer Review—bring two copies of full-length draft
3/16
-TSIS: Ch. 2, “Her Point Is: The Art of Summarizing”; Schank, “Understanding Other People’s Stories”
WEEK ELEVEN
3/19
-Bb: Rose, “I Just Wanna Be Average”
3/21
-Revised Essay 2 Due
-TSIS: Sklar, “The Growing Gulf Between the Rich and the Rest of Us”
3/23
-TSIS: Berman, “The Meaning of 9/11”
WEEK ELEVEN
3/26
-Bb: Bartholomae, “Inventing the University”
3/28
-Bb: Pollan, “An Animal’s Place”
3/30
-TSIS: Dowd, “The Decline and Fall of Declinism”
WEEK TWELVE
4/2
-Bb: Kozol, “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society”
4/4
-Essay 3 Peer Review—bring two copies of full-length draft
4/6
Spring Holiday—no class
WEEK THIRTEEN
4/9
-TR: Mullins, “Revision is Writing”
-Bb: Hirsch, “Cultural Literacy”
4/11
-Bb: “The Joy of Reading and Writing…”;Boorstin, “A Flood of Pseudo-Events”
4/13
-RevisedEssay 3 Due
WEEK FOURTEEN
4/16
-Critical Rationale Essay/Portfolio Workshop
4/18
-Critical Rational Essay/Portfolio Workshop
4/20
-Critical Rational Essay/Portfolio Workshop
WEEK FIFTEEN
4/23
-Critical Rationale Essay/Portfolio workshop
4/24 TUESDAY
-Final portfolio due
April 30
Final exam period: Come pick up graded portfolio between 12:00 and 1:00.
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