English
102/Section 108: Composition II
Dr. Lincoln Shlensky
MWF 10:10-11:00 AM
Spring 2004
Office Hours: MWF
11:00-11:30 + 2:15-3:00
Office: Humanities
270
E-Mail: shlensky@jaguar1.usouthal.edu
REQUIRED TEXTS AND MATERIALS
Barnet, Sylvan and
Hugo Bedau. Critical Thinking,
Reading, and Writing: A Brief Guide to Argument. 4th ed.
Boston: Bedford/St. MartinÕs, 2002.
The Modern
WriterÕs Handbook with Resources for Composition Ed. Larry Beason.
2nd ed. Boston: Pearson, 2003.
A good college dictionary published within the last
five years.
A notebook with
paper that can be removed easily.
Several manila (or
colored) folders for portfolio and essay assignments.
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION
This course aims to
teach you how to write clear, effective, documented essays and to guide you in
evaluating and developing an effective argument. The course will culminate with your writing a
well-researched and documented research essay. Along the way you will write
shorter essays for which developing the skills of evaluation, analysis, and
argumentation are the goals. Related course goals are to strengthen your skills
in paraphrasing, summarizing, and incorporating quoted passages into your
written work. This course will
emphasize the practice of Òcritical reading,Ó whereby you not only read a
particular text but also interact with it, posing questions, evaluating
information, and elaborating on relevant points. During the semester, you will
be writing not only for the instructor but also for your fellow students. In this sense, you will form a
community of writers whose purpose is to discuss ideas and provide crucial
feedback in the creative process of writing. As you read and revise your own work as well as providing
constructive feedback for others, you will have the opportunity to make your
writing clearer and more effective. The writing skills you practice in this
course will be beneficial for academic writing assignments as well as your
future professional careers.
CLASS PARTICIPATION
This is not a lecture
course. Nearly every class will involve a writing workshop in which you will
work in pairs or small groups, sharing your ideas/evaluations about assigned
readings, engaging in brainstorming sessions, or providing useful feedback to
first drafts of your formal essays. Active participation in group activities is
a requirement of this course. I expect you to make constructive use of the peer
response workshops. Your class participation grade reflects your degree of
commitment to and participation in group activities, particularly peer response
workshops (See ÒFormal EssaysÓ). I will be available for questions during group
activities. In addition, each student will meet with me in a conference during
the semester.
ATTENDANCE POLICY
As we will be
working on many assignments during the semester, each designed to help improve
your writing, it is essential that you attend class regularly and come to class
prepared. If you must be absent on a particular day, you are required to make
up the assignment. You should have the telephone number and e-mail address of at
least two students in the
class. The Composition Department policy on absences is as follows: Any
student who misses more than FOUR class meetings will have his/her grade for
the course lowered by a third of a letter grade for EACH subsequent absence. This penalty applies to excused as well as
unexcused absences. Note: students will be counted absent if they arrive more
than 10 minutes late.
FORMAL ESSAYS
There will be five
formal essays submitted for evaluation. The final drafts of these essays MUST
BE TYPED and accompanied by all earlier drafts and the peer response sheets. I
strongly recommend that you type your first draft as well. I will not accept
an essay that is not accompanied by a first draft (which resembles but is not identical to the
final version) and comments from members of your peer response group
recorded on designated response sheets. If you happen to miss a scheduled peer response session, you are
responsible for asking two members of the class to respond to your essay
OUTSIDE OF CLASS. Students who provide written feedback to essays in addition
to the required in-class responses will receive extra credit. Note: I will spot
check peer response sheets.
Each formal essay
will have a due date. I will grant a grace period of one class day for ONE
essay (except for the final essay). Otherwise, I will deduct one-third grade
for each day (not class day) the essay is late. Note: No essay will be accepted more than one week
after the due date.
You may revise ONE
essay (essay 1, 2, or 3 only) after it is graded. This must be done in
consultation with the instructor. Significant revision of the essay may result in a higher grade for that particular
essay. A revised essay must be
resubmitted with the earlier drafts no later than two weeks after the graded
essay is returned.
PORTFOLIO
Your portfolio,
containing homework assignments and revised sentences from your formal essays
will be collected near the end of the semester. You will receive a grade for
your portfolio based on the number of assignments completed and the overall
effort you have made. I expect all assignments to be legible (preferably
typed).
COURSE GRADES
Final course grades
will be determined as follows:
Essay 1 10% Essay 2 10% Essay 3 10% Essay 4 15% Essay 5 25% Portfolio
15%Class Participation 10% Presentation
5%
In accordance with
the Americans with Disabilities Act, students with bona fide disabilities will
be afforded reasonable accommodations.
Note: Students will
be given adequate notification should it become necessary to change course
requirements or the schedule of assignments.
SCHEDULE OF ASSIGNMENTS
All reading
assignments are in our text, Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing.
WEEK I
Diagnostic essay
Welcome to the course and introductions
Homework:
1. Buy required
texts.
2. Read pages (pp.) 3-9 in Critical Thinking, Reading, and Writing (CTRW). Write a one paragraph response to the 1989 West Virginia law (pp. 3-4)
Imagination, analysis and evaluation
Pair task: Writing a dialogue on the West Virginia law (p. 26, ex. 1)
Homework:
1. Read pp. 9-15
2. Write a letter to the editor: choose one of the three topics presented at the bottom of p. 13 and use the model presented on p. 14
Examining assumptions: Silber
Read examples of our letters to the editor in class
Homework:
1. Read pp. 15-21
(Paul Goodman, ÒA Proposal to Abolish GradingÓ and Leon Botstein, ÒA Tyranny of
Standardized TestsÓ).
2. Answer questions 1, 2, 5 (p. 18) and 1, 3 (p. 21).
WEEK II
Martin Luther King, Jr. memorial holiday: no class
Go over homework
questions
Checklist for
examining assumptions (p. 14)
-- examining
GoodmanÕs and BotsteinÕs assumptions
Small group task: p.
26, ex. 2 (a, b, or e -- pros and cons)
Homework:
Read pp. 27-31
Previewing, skimming, annotating, analytic reasoning
Homework:
Read Susan Jacoby, ÒA First Amendment JunkieÓ (pp. 36-8)
Active Reading
-- annotating and
elaborating
-- posing questions
about the reading material
Individual task:
decide on your position on pornography; then reread Jacoby essay, annotating
and elaborating
Homework:
None. Take a break.
Paraphrasing
-- class paraphrase
of first few sentences in Jacoby essay
-- pair task:
paraphrase paragraph #11 (Jacoby)
Homework:
Write a 250 word
response (one full page typed) to the Jacoby essay. Do you agree with her? Why
or why not?
Responding to an essay
Introduce Essay 1: Responding to an Essay
Pair task: Compare responses to Jacoby essay -- use guidelines for responding to an essay
Homework:
1. Read Susan Brownmiller, ÒLetÕs Put Pornography Back in the ClosetÓ (pp. 43-45)
2. Answer questions 1, 3, 5 (pp. 45-6)
WEEK IV
Go over homework questions
Discuss Brownmiller and hate speech
Distribute Essay I prompt
Homework:
Draft Essay I. Bring TWO copies of your essay to the next class.
Peer Editing Workshop for Essay I
Homework:
Begin revising Essay I
Summarizing
-- pairs summarize
ÒOn Racist SpeechÓ in one paragraph
-- compare summaries
Homework:
1. Continue revising Essay I. The final version is due on Monday, February 9th.
WEEK V
Peer response to Essay I (handout)
Homework:
Read Ronald Takaki, ÒThe Harmful Myth of Asian SuperiorityÓ (pp. 103-04) and write a one paragraph (100 words) summary of the essay.
-- Pairs exchange and
review summaries
Introduction to
argumentation:
-- Definitions (by synonym, by example, by stipulation)
Friday, February 13: Argumentation
-- Small group task: define ÒstudentÓ
Homework: Reread BrownmillerÕs essay on pornography (pp. 43-45) as well as pp. 61 (bottom) - 66 (top). Offer a one paragraph definition of pornography (consistent with BrownmillerÕs view) based on the following: synonym, example, stipulation, mentioning the essence, and stating necessary and sufficient conditions.
WEEK VI
-- Pairs exchange and review definitions
Assumptions
-- unexamined
beliefs
-- identify
BrownmillerÕs assumptions
Homework: Read pp. 66-72 and offer two valid syllogisms and one invalid one (using the model on page 71) about students
Comparing/Contrasting
two views
Introduce Essay 2:
Comparison/Contrast of two views on an issue
-- inserting brief
quotes into an essay (signal words)
Homework:
Read Charles R.
Lawrence III, ÒOn Racist SpeechÓ (pp. 46-50) + Derek Bok, ÒProtecting Freedom of Expression on
the CampusÓ (pp. 51-52). Write down each writerÕs thesis.
Compare LawrenceÕs
and BokÕs theses
Deduction
Sound Arguments
-- group task: Are
LawrencesÕs and BokÕs arguments sound?
Homework:
Draft essay 2 and
bring TWO copies of your draft to the next class.
WEEK VII
Peer Response Workshop
Homework:
1. Revise Essay 2. The
final version is due next class.
*Essay 2 is due*
Homework:
Read James Q.
Wilson, ÒJust Take Away Their GunsÓ (pp. 105-08). Answer questions 1, 2, 4, 5
on p. 108.
Friday, February 27
Discuss Wilson essay
(go over question 1)
-- Is his argument
sound?
Evidence
-- group task: Examine
evidence in Wilson essay. How can his evidence be made stronger?
Homework: Read pp. 72-79
WEEK VIII
Statistics
Homework:
Read pp. 78-86. Using the ÒChecklist for Analyzing an ArgumentÓ (p. 86), write a 250-300 word (one full page typed) evaluation of WilsonÕs argument. Note: You need not use all of the questions listed in the checklist. Choose the ones which seem most appropriate for WilsonÕs essay.
-- Pairs exchange and reviewevaluations of WilsonÕs argument.
Introduce Essay 3:
Analysis of an Argument
Homework:
1. Read Jeff Jacoby,
ÒBring Back FloggingÓ (pp. 149-51). Begin drafting Essay 3.
2. Read pp. 133-41. Write a one-paragraph summary of Stanley S. Scott, ÒSmokers Get a Raw DealÓ (pp. 138-39).
Friday, March 5
Pairs compare
summaries of ScottÕs essay
Go over student
essay (pp. 142-45)
Pair task: Draft a
mini-essay 3 (analyzing ScottÕs argument following assignment guidelines)
Homework:
Continue drafting
essay 3
NOTE: MondayÕs
class will meet in the library auditorium at 10:10. Please be punctual!
WEEK IX
Library Session Ð class meets today in the USA library auditorium.
Homework:
Finish drafting
Essay 3 and bring TWO copies to the next class.
Peer response workshop
Homework:
Revise Essay 3. Final version is due in the next class.
Friday, March 12
*Essay 3 is due*
Homework:
1. Read pp. 87-97,
find an image from a magazine or the Internet and write a one-paragraph
analysis of it using the checklist on p. 97
2. Have an enjoyable Spring Break!
WEEK X
Monday, March 15-Friday, March 19
Spring Break
WEEK XI
Groups exchange images and discuss analyses
Discuss visual
rhetoric
Homework:
Read pp. 98-102 and complete the exercise explained under the heading ÒTopics for Critical Thinking and WritingÓ (p. 102)
Topic vs. Issue vs.
Thesis
Introduce general
topics for Essays 4 and 5
-- group task:
generate subtopics and issues
Homework:
1. Read Nora
EphronÕs essay (pp. 109-114).
3. Think of any
other recent incident youÕve read or heard about that bring up similar issues,
and write one paragraph discussing the incident. This may be used for your essay topic for essays 4 and/or 5.
Pair task: discuss
responses to EphronÕs essay and generate brainstorm ideas about your topic for
essays 4 and 5.
Homework:
Choose a topic and
issue you would like to work on for the next two essays. Your topic may be drawn from class
exercises, a newspaper or magazine article, a book, movie, your work or your
life.
NOTE: Next class
will meet in the library. Meet at the circulation desk at 10:10. Please be
punctual!
WEEK XII
Introduction to
library research (class held in library)
Homework:
Begin looking for sources on your chosen topic/issue. Photocopy or print out articles; charge out of the library relevant books. For articles in journals (electronic or print), list all identifying information (author, title, publication, date, page numbers). Read the articles/essays, underlining or noting most important points relating to the issue you are investigating. BRING YOUR SOURCES TO THE NEXT CLASS.
Sources
-- types
-- evaluating
sources
Introduce Essay 4:
Synthesis Essay
Groups (according to
general topic) examine one anotherÕs sources
-- suggestions?
Homework:
1. Continue looking
for sources which address your issue. Read pp. 228-31.
2. After you have
found (and read) three, write a one-paragraph summary of EACH source. Make sure
you identify the authorÕs thesis.
-- Works
Cited page
-- review
plagiarism (pp. 229-31)
--
looking at a student synthesis essay (handout)
Homework:
Read pp. 236-243.
WEEK XIII
Integrating quotes
and paraphrases
-- Long quotations,
short quotations, and paraphrasing
Homework:
Draft Essay 4 and
bring TWO copies to the next class.
Peer Response
workshop
Homework:
Revise Essay 4. The
final version is due next class. Remember to hand in copies of your sources
with the final version of your essay.
*Essay 4 is due*
Developing an
argument
-- developing your
thesis
-- synthesis vs.
argument essay
-- taking a stand
(pp. 190-93); thesis (pp. 193-94); audience (pp. 194-98)
-- the opposing view
Homework:
Search for two more
sources on your issue (one should hold the opposing view -- or at least address
the opposing view). For each source, write down the authorÕs thesis and two
points of evidence in support of the thesis.
Week XIV
Introduce Essay 5:
Argument Essay (based on research)
-- groups meet to
help one another identify issue for Essay 5.
Sign up for conferences
Homework:
Read pp. 205, 233-235. Write a first-draft outline of your Essay 5.
-- Pairs exchange
and evaluate outlines for sense and comprehensiveness
Using an outline (p.
205)
Homework:
Prepare a 1-2 page detailed outline for Essay 5. Include the issue you are examining and your thesis. List all the sources you intend to use. Bring your outline to class if you are scheduled for a conference.
Title; opening
paragraph (pp. 198-202)
Tone (pp. 206-09)
Conferences
(Additional
conferences 2:15-3:30)
Homework:
Search for
additional sources if needed (write down authorÕs thesis and two points of
evidence in support of the thesis); continue working on Essay 5.
WEEK XV
Groups meet
according to same general topics
-- progress reports
on research
-- share/exchange
information on sources
-- provide one
another with feedback on relevance of sources
-- brainstorm
additional support for one anotherÕs argument
Conferences
Homework:
Continue working on Essay 5. Portfolios will be collected next class.
In-text
documentation; Preparing the Works Cited page
*Collect
portfolios*
Homework:
Prepare first draft
of Essay 5 and bring TWO copies to the next class. Make sure you have a title
for your essay.
Peer Response
Workshop
Sign up sheet for
date and time of presentation
Homework:
Revise draft of Essay
5. Find additional sources if needed. If you are scheduled for a presentation
in the next class, practice and time your presentation -- it should be 5
minutes long (approx. 2-2-1/2
typed pages)
WEEK XVI
Course evaluation
Class Presentations
Homework:
Prepare final version of Essay 5. If you are scheduled for a presentation in the next class, practice and time your presentation -- it should be 5 minutes long (approx. 2-2-1/2 typed pages)
Class Presentations
Homework:
Prepare final version of Essay 5. It is due next class. NO EXCEPTIONS.
*Essay 5 is due*
Class Presentations
Course wrap-up