English 0105 Sections 001 and 002, Dr. Beth Ann Rothermel
Go Straight to Assignments
Required Texts and Supplies:
- Deans, Thomas. Writing
and Community Action: A
Service-Learning Rhetoric with Readings.
New York: Longman, 2003.
- Faigley,
Lester. The Penguin Handbook. New
York:
Longman, 2003.
- Optional: Martel, Yann. The
Life of Pi. Orlando,
FL:
Harcourt, 2001.
- A folder with pockets for
your journal entries with loose-leaf lined or computer paper.
- File folders for handing in
essays.
Welcome!
Although they are
Only breath, words
which I command
are immortal
Sappho, Greek
Poetess, 7th Century, B.C.
“But really, writing has nothing to do with
luck. It has everything to do with hard
work, confidence, bravery, organization, business sense, and intuition.”
Valerie
Smart, Westfield State College Graduate and Published Writer, quoted from an
address given at the English Department’s Spring 2003
Student/Faculty Gathering.
Statement of Intent: In this
course you will have opportunities to explore the varied roles writing,
reading, and speaking may play in your personal, civic, and professional
lives. Throughout the semester you will
strive to think more analytically about your lives, varied texts, and social
issues; to generate, construct, organize, and express your written and oral
arguments more effectively; and to write and speak about these issues in a way
that engages and convinces varied audiences.
By the end of this course, you should have more confidence in your
ability to handle the wide variety of writing tasks you will face in the
future.
Since we are a small group, you will also have many opportunities to work
collaboratively. Class discussions,
small group activities, and peer responses are some of the ways in which you
will work together. I hope that you will
learn from one another, forming strong intellectual and social connections that
will energize you as you interact with the larger Westfield State College
community. Your participation and
interest in one another is critical to your success and to the success of this
class.
The blue WSC Composition Program Brochure lists detailed objectives for
this course. These objectives include
to:
- Identify, evaluate,
construct, and organize logical arguments addressed to different
audiences.
- Read rhetorically and
reflectively.
- Engage in library and
on-line research, evaluate source material, and integrate source material
into your own arguments.
- Marshal evidence in support
of claims and accurately document sources.
- Write using an engaging
prose style, while adapting that style for different audiences.
- Identify revisions and
corrections that would improve your own and others' writing.
- Produce final versions of
your writing that show awareness of language and genre conventions
appropriate to the rhetorical situation.
Attendance: This class requires collaborative learning, so attendance
is vital. Students who miss more than three classes will lose points off of
their participation grade (10 per absence). Students will also be completing
in-class journal assignments on a weekly basis. These may not be made up,
although I will drop the two lowest grades.
Much of the work that we will be doing in this class involves discussion.
Your success, as well as the success of your peers, depends upon your regular
participation. This is especially true on days when rough drafts are due.
Failure to attend class on these days means that you
will not be given a peer response assignment, and this will affect your grade.
Assignments: I will assign both in-class and out-of-class essays,
along with various written and oral assignments. Unless otherwise notified,
out-of-class assignments are due at the beginning of class on the date
specified by the course outline. For each out-of-class essay, you will submit
at least one rough draft before producing the final draft. You will also be
expected to complete a peer critique for each of these essays.
Assignments handed in late will be marked down (five points per day).
Failure to hand in a rough draft and peer critique
will lower the grade on your final draft considerably (see section on grading).
All drafts should be typed and double-spaced. Papers should be documented using
the MLA or APA citation system. You will always need at least 2 photocopies of
your rough drafts. Consider this an additional course expense. You should also
retain a photocopy of all of your final drafts. Conferences with the instructor
will be arranged when necessary. Any exceptions to the above guidelines must be
discussed with me in advance of due dates.
Grading: As a class,
throughout the semester, we will discuss the criteria for success connected
with each genre and assignment. For a
general overview of departmental grading policies, see the blue Composition
Program Brochure. Your final grade will
be based on the following assignments, each earning you up to a certain number
of points:
- Essay 1: A Literacy/Service Narrative, 100
- Essay 2: Observation and Analysis Essay, 100
- Essay 3: A Documented Essay, 150
- Essay 4: A Proposal, An Oral History, or a
Work-Place Document, 100
- Essay 5: Portfolio with Self-Assessment, 150
- Journal/In-class Writings:
100
- In-Class Essay: 50
- Four Peer responses: 50
- Participation: 200 (100
points of this for writing process)
For a total of 1000 points.
Note that students who do not complete all of the formal essay assignments
(Essays 1-5) will not pass this course.
Process and Revision: Each final paper will receive two grades: the
first grade, for product, will be added into your essay grade accordingly; the
second grade, for process, will be added into your participation grade. Note,
however, that failure to pass in a rough draft on the date the rough draft is
due will leave you with a process grade of zero and will lower your final
product grade by one grade.
When I compute grades at the end of the semester, numbers will correspond to
the following letters (i.e., 925 and above equals A, 900-924 equals A-):
- A = 925
- A- = 900
- B+ = 875
- B = 825
- B- = 800
- C+ = 775
- C = 725
- C- = 700
- D+ = 675
- D = 625
- F = 624 and below
- Checkplus
= 93
- Check = 80
- Checkminus=67
Extra Credit Options: Students may earn extra points if they
undertake one of the following options:
- The Life of Pi: Read
text, complete a reading response activity, and participate in a class
roundtable one late-afternoon or early evening in October. Up to 25 points.
- Community Service
Option: Engage in a community
service project (guidelines will be provided) 3-4 times over the course of
the semester and write a series of reflective entries on this project. Up to 25 points.
- Visit the reading and
writing center at least once to consult on a paper related to this or
another course. Up to 10 points.
Academic Support: These services are intended for students of
all ability levels.
- Visit me during my office
hours (see above)
- Visit the WSC Reading
and Writing Center
in Parenzo 218, #5569. Meet with a trained writing or reading
professional to discuss your work.
- Visit Student Support
Services, which offers weekly workshops on writing (phone 5462 for
specifics). A consultant is also available
to those students who have English as a second language.
Scholastic Dishonesty: Plagiarism is a serious offense that may lead
to failure for the course or even suspension from the college. All cases of plagiarism and misuse of source
material will be reported to Academic Affairs.
Please read and sign the statement on plagiarism given to you during
class. Retain note cards, drafts, and any other relevant materials for all
major writing assignments. You may be required to submit these on request.
In addition to what is listed below, each student is required to keep a
writer’s journal, making at least two out-of-class 150-200 word entries per week
(entries, which may be typed on a computer or neatly handwritten, should be
placed in a folder with pockets and kept there throughout the semester). You
will write one of these entries in response to an assigned prompt. The other
entry may be about whatever you like (see the journal assignment sheet for
suggestions). Journals will be picked up randomly and at unannounced times. You
will also make entries during class, so always have your journal folder in
class with you along with all other texts. Note that assignments and due dates
are subject to change.
Note: WC stands for your text, Writing
and Community Action.
Week 1:
- September 3: Welcome!
Introductions. Why write? Why read?
Why communicate? HW: For Sept 10, do introductory writing assignment and
purchase a journal folder for in-class and out of class use (have it with
you during every class meeting).
Week 2:
- September 8: Intro writing
assignment due. Tuning the senses/Breaking boundaries. Journaling (be sure
to have your journal with you in class). The rhetorical triangle. HW: Read pp. 1-24 in WC.
Journal prompt in box on p. 22.
- September 10: The writing
process. Genre and the aims of
discourse. Group rhetorical
analysis of readings. HW: Read pp. 25-50 in WC.
Week
3:
- September 15: Essay 1, a
Literacy or Service Narrative, assigned.
Invention—coming up with ideas. Group discussion of readings.
Prewriting. HW: Read pp. 68-93
in WC. Journal prompt
TBA. Working on first formal draft
of essay 1, due Monday, Sept 22.
- September 17: Literacy—defining and debating. Hidden assumptions and warrants. Prewriting for our own essays. HW:
Working on first formal draft of essay 1, due Monday, Sept 22. Bring three copies of your essay with
you to class on the 22nd.
Week 4:
- September 22: First formal draft of essay 1 due.
Identifying the purpose and organizing principle that
govern your own essay. Adding details. Revision—reseeing
your own work. HW: Journal entry
outlining your purpose. Read pp. 50-67 in WC.
- September 24: Workshop and
peer review. HW: Working on
final draft of essay 1, due Monday, Sept 29. Submit final drafts in a
folder. For full credit include a copy of the first formal draft (the one
commented on by your instructor) and the peer critique done by your
partner. Read pp. 94-100 in WC.
Week 5:
- September 29: Final draft
of essay 1 due. Community—defining
and debating. Rhetorical analysis
of Kirp piece.
Analysis as argument. HW:
Read pp. 100-116 in WC. Journal prompt
(observation activity).
- October 1: Essay 2, Observation
and Analysis Essay, assigned.
Discussion of readings.
Supporting evidence. Using
all the senses critically. HW: Working on first draft of essay 2, due
Wednesday, October 8. Read
116-133 in WC.
Week 6:
- Oct 6: Perspective and audience. Discussion of readings—beginnings and
endings. Prewriting. HW: Working on first formal draft of essay
2, due Wed, October 8. Bring three copies of your essay with you to class
on the 8th. Journal prompt TBA.
- Oct 8: First formal draft of essay 2 due. Workshop and peer critique. Sign up for conferences. HW: Editing logs. Working on final draft of essay 2, due
Wednesday, October 15. Submit
final drafts in a folder. For full credit include a copy of the first
formal draft (the one commented on by your instructor) and the peer
critique done by your partner. Read
pp. 134-141 in WC.
Week
7:
- October 15: Final draft of
essay 2 due. Writing about our
majors—discourse communities—defining and debating. The value of summary. The Empirical Report. HW:
Read pp. 166-184 and pp. 273-284 in WC. Journal
prompt TBA.
Week
8:
- October 20: Balancing your own voice with your
research—establishing a claim or thesis.
Research and community life.
Essay 3, the Documented Essay, assigned. HW:
Editing logs. Working on a
proposal for essay 3 (first formal draft due November 10). Read 285-318 in WC. Journal prompts
TBA.
- October 22: TBA.
Week 9:
- October 27: Drawing on other
people’s work in our own writing—cultivating ethos. Discussion of reading.
HW: Prewriting activity (journal entry).
- October 29: Library
visits. Meet in Ely Library. Sign up for mini conferences. HW:
Working bibliography and source evaluations due Monday, November
3. Read pp. 318-337 in WC.
Week 10:
- November 3: Working bibliography
and source evaluations due. In
dialogue with our sources—maintaining our own voice—avoiding
plagiarism. HW: Source scouring activity (journal
entry). Reading TBA.
- November 5: Citation
workshop. Analyzing the
audience. HW: Audience activity. Working on first formal draft of essay 3,
due Monday, November 10. Bring three copies of your essay with you to
class on the 10th.
Week 11:
- November 10: First formal
draft of essay three due. Living and writing our research. HW: Read pp. 207-232. Journal entry
TBA.
- November 12: Workshop and peer critique. Sign up for conferences. HW: Working on final draft of essay 3 for
Monday, Nov 19. Submit final draft in a folder. For full credit include a
copy of the first formal draft (the one commented on by your instructor)
and the peer critique done by your partner.
Week 12:
- November 17:
Conferences. No class.
- November 19: Final draft of
essay 3 due. Discuss pp. 207-232
(selection from Nickel-and-Dimed). HW:
Reading in WC TBA.
Week 13:
- November 24: In-class
writing. HW: Read pp. 338-347 and 384-396 in WC.
Journal entry TBA.
Week 14:
- December 1: Films,
arguments, and activism. HW: Read
pp. 396-424 in WC. Journal entry
TBA.
- December 3: Film and Writing Proposals. Essay 4, Proposal, Collaborative
Work-place Document, or Oral History, assigned. HW: Working on first formal
draft of essay 4, due Wednesday, December 10.
Week
15:
- December 8: Oral
histories. Discuss readings. Prewriting for our own papers. HW: Journal entry TBA. Working on first formal draft of essay 4
for Wednesday, December 10.
- December 10: Workshop
and peer critique. Final assignment
given out. HW: Working on second
formal draft of documented essay, due December 10. Bring three copies of your essay with
you to class on the 10th.
Week 16:
- December 15: Final drafts due. HW: Portfolio with self-assessment, due
Friday, December 19, by 5:00 p.m.
Portfolios must be submitted along with a self-addressed envelope
so that work may be returned to you over the break.