1. TITLE & NUMBER OF THE COURSE: English 1302: Composition II
  2. TITLE OF THE ASSIGNMENT: Taking a Position on a Work of Literature or an Issue of Culture
  3. GENERAL EDUCATION CORE OBJECTIVES
  1. CRITICAL THINKING: Students will develop habits of mind, allowing them to appreciate the processes by which scholars in various disciplines organize and evaluate data and use the methodologies of each discipline to understand the human experience.
  2. COMMUNICATION SKILLS: Students will communicate ideas, express feelings and support conclusions effectively in written, oral and visual formats.
  3. TEAMWORK: Students will consider different points of view and work interdependently to achieve a shared purpose or goal.
  4. PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY: Students will develop habits of intellectual exploration, personal responsibility, and physical well-being.
  1. COURSE LEARNING OBJECTIVES

A. Demonstrate knowledge of individual and collaborative writing processes.

B. Develop ideas and synthesize primary and secondary sources within academic arguments, including one or more research-based essays.

C. Analyze, interpret, and evaluate a variety of texts for the ethical and logical uses of evidence.

D. Write in a style that clearly communicate meaning, builds credibility, and inspires belief or action.

E. Apply the conventions of style manuals for specific academic disciplines (e.g. APA, CMS, MLA, etc.)

  1. ASSIGNMENT GIVEN TO STUDENTS
  1. Write an essay of 650+ words (2.5+ pages) that takes a stand on an issue raised by one of our class readings. In your essay by sure to
  2. Introduce the issue, using evidence from the reading as a primary source
  3. State your own opinion on the issue in an assertive thesis
  4. Support that thesis effectively with evidence from the primary source and other written secondary sources as specified by your professor
  5. Refute other arguments against the stand you have taken
  6. Draw an informed conclusion based on all the items listed above
  7. Use Edited American English
  8. Address a college-level audience
  9. Follow MLA format and documentation standards
  10. Complete this essay in several stages (for example: pre-writing, drafting, or editing a draft)
  11. Submit the work for each of those stages by posted deadlines
  12. Work within a group of 3 or more students to gather and analyze sources
  13. Submit to Blackboardan evaluation of how well your group worked together
  1. DESCRIPTION OF ASSIGNMENT FOR INSTRUCTORS
  1. The project develops an academic argument paper of650+ words (2.5+ pages) that includes both primary and secondary sources to take a position on work of literature or a theme/issue of culture. (CLO :B, C; GEO: A, B, D)
  2. Guided by their instructor, students study primary and secondary sources that speak to a broad cultural issue or theme, e.g. gender bias, social class, ethical behavior, etc. (CLO: B, C; GEO: A,B,D)
  3. Working in small groups of at least 3, students gather and analyze resources approved by their instructor and collaborate in understanding the topic and planning their written analyses. The students share the results of their collaboration in a manner described by their instructor. (CLO:A ,B,C; GEO: A,B,C)
  4. As indicators of their understanding of the writing process, students submit individual pre-writing documents as graded assignments, e.g. plans, pre-writing journals, summaries of resources, paper drafts, and peer reviews.
  5. Students write and submit individual papers reflecting their collaborative effort and demonstrating their knowledge of appropriate MLA documentation. (CLO: B,C,D,E; GEO: A,B,D)
  6. Students reflect on their teamwork efforts and on their expanded understandingof personal responsibility developed by their participation in the project.
  7. Components of the project are graded assignments.