Writing Workshop: Please note that this
syllabus is for fall 2000, not for spring 2005.
A new syllabus, with different texts, will be posted by the first week
of classes.
English 0200-001
Professor Beth Ann Rothermel
Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 2:30-4:30, and by appointment, Bates
213, #572-5336.
Meeting place and time: Mon, Wed, Fri 10:30-11:20, Bates 210
Go Straight to Assignments
Required Texts and Supplies:
- Writing Arguments: A
Rhetoric with Readings. John D. Ramage and
John C. Bean. Fouth Edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon, 1998.
- Style: Ten Lessons in
Clarity and Grace. Joseph M. Williams. Sixth Edition. New York:
Longman, 2000.
- A Pocket Style Manual.
Diana Hacker. Second Edition. Boston: Bedford, 1997.
- Into Thin Air. Jon Krakauer.
- One folder for reading log
entries.
- Additional file folders for
handing in individual papers.
Welcome!
General Course Description: Designed for students in all majors, the
workshop will develop skills in rhetorical techniques and provide practice in
specific types of expository writing appropriate to many disciplines.
Specific Course Goals--at the end of this semester you should be able to:
- Write clearly for a broad
readership about issues in your major.
- Identify, evaluate,
construct, and organize logical arguments addressed to different
audiences.
- Read rhetorically and
reflectively, summarizing what you read in succinct language.
- Evaluate, use and document
source material accurately.
- Identify revisions and
corrections needed in your own and others' writing.
- Write with power and
precision, using a variety of stylistic devices.
Attendance: This class requires collaborative learning. Attendance is
vital and absences will be recorded. Missing more than three classes will
affect your grade, regardless of whether you have excuses. Two "lates" will count as one absence.
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. This will affect your grade.
Assignments: I will assign both in-class and out-of-class essays,
along with various written and oral exercises. 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 write 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. Students should
also retain a photocopy of all their 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: Please note the criteria for grading distributed to you
during class. Your final grade will be based on the following assignments:
- 5 Out-of-class essays: 500
points (Each essay will be worth 100 points)
- Two letters: 50
- Reading Log: 75 (five points
each)
- Midterm: 75
- Final exam: 100
- 5 Peer responses: 50
- Homework/Quiz: 50
- Participation: 100 (50 points
of this for writing process)
For a total of 1000 points.
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 not only leave you with a
process grade of zero, but also 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
Scholastic Dishonesty: Please read and sign the statement on plagiarism
given to you during class during the second meeting. Retain note cards, drafts,
and any other relevant materials for all major writing assignments. You may be
required to submit these on request.
All readings are found in the textbooks unless otherwise specified. Note
that reading logs will be picked up randomly and unannounced. Always have them
in class with you along with all texts. Note that assignments and due dates are
subject to change.
September
- 1: Introductions. For 9/3
read in WA, 1-23.
- 3: In-class writing. For 9/8
read in WA, 24-51.
- 6: Labor Day.
- 8: The art of summary. For
9/10 read in WA, 81-94. First reading log assignment, due 9/10.
- 10: The art of response. For
9/13 read in WA, 95-112 and 659-665. Second reading log assignment,
due 9/13.
- 13: Claims and reasons. Essay
1 (analysis of disagreements) assigned. Rough draft due 9/17.
- 15: Toulmin.
For 9/17 working on rough draft of essay 1. Bring 3 copies of your paper
to class.
- 17: Rough draft of essay 1
due. Peer critiques assigned. Final draft of essay 1 due 9/24.
Collaborative work.
- 20: Revision workshop. For
9/22 read 113-145. Third reading log assignment due.
- 22: Evidence. For 9/24
working on final draft of essay 1. Turn in a folder with the final draft,
all earlier prewrites, drafts, and peer
critiques.
- 24: Final draft of essay 1
due. Claims of fact. For 9/27 read in WA, 198-228. Third reading
log assignment, due 9/27.
- 27: Definitions. Coming up
with topics. For 9/29 read in WA, 145-166, 641-644, and 596-599.
Essay #2 assigned (definition). Rough draft due 10/1.
- 29: Ethos, Pathos, and Logos.
For 10/1 working on rough draft of essay 2. Bring 3 copies of your paper
to class.
October
- 1: Rough draft of essay 2
due. Peer critiques assigned. Final draft of essay 2 due 10/13.
- 4: Revision workshop. For
10/6 read in WA, 166-187. Also, read 3-13 in Style. Fourth
reading log assignment, due 10/6.
- 6: Style. For 10/13 working
on final draft of essay 2. Turn in a folder with the final draft, all
earlier prewrites, drafts, and peer critiques.
Also, read 14-37 in Style.
- 8: I am at a conference. No
class.
- 11: Holiday, no class.
- 13: Final draft of essay 2
due. Style workshop.
- 15: Midterm. For 10/20 read
in WA, 228-264. Fifth reading log assignment, due 10/15.
- 18: TBA.
- 20: Midterm. For 9/22 read in
WA,
- 22: Cause and effect. Essay 3
assigned. Rough draft due 11/29. For 10/25 read 380-413. Sixth reading log
assignment, due 10/25.
- 25: Using source material.
For 10/29 read 41-67 in Style. HW TBA.
- 27: Style workshop. For 10/29
working on rough draft of essay 3. Bring 3 copies of your paper to class.
- 29: Rough draft of essay 3
due. Peer critique assigned. Final draft of essay 3 due 11/5. Krakauer reading TBA.
November
- 1: Krakauer.
Read TBA.
- 3: Krakauer.
For 11/5 working on final draft of essay 3. Turn in a folder with the
final draft, all earlier prewrites, drafts, and
peer critiques.
- 5: Final draft of essay 3
due. Style workshop. For 11/5 read in WA, 281-304. Eighth reading
log assignment, due 11/5.
- 8: Claims of value.
Evaluation arguments. Essay 4 assigned (evaluation). Rough draft due
11/12. Krakauer reading TBA.
- 10: Evaluations and Krakauer. For 11/12 read in Style, 68-96. Ninth
reading log assignment, due 11/10.
- 12: Krakauer
and style. For 11/15 working on rough draft of essay 4. Bring 3 copies of
your paper to class.
- 15: Rough draft of essay 4
due. Peer critique assigned. Final draft of essay 4 due 11/19. For 11/15
reading in Krakauer.
- 17: Revision workshop. For
11/19 read in Style, 97-117. Tenth reading log assignment, due
11/17.
- 19: Krakauer
and style. For 11/22 working on final draft of essay 4. Turn in a folder
with the final draft, all earlier prewrites,
drafts, and peer critiques.
- 22: Final draft of essay 4
due. Style workshop. For 11/24 read in WA, 304-339. Reading log
assignment, due 11/24.
- 24: Proposal arguments. For
11/29 read in Krakauer 187-280. Reading log
assignment. Essay # 5 assigned (proposal paper). Rough draft due 12/6.
Topic proposal due 12/1.
- 29: Topic proposal due.
Proposal arguments. For 12/1 read in Style, 118-135.
December
- 1: Topic proposal due. For
12/3 finish Krakauer.
- 3: Krakauer.
For 12/6 working on rough draft of essay 5. Bring three copies of your
paper to class.
- 6: Rough draft of essay 5
due. Peer critique assigned. Final draft due 12/13. For 12/8 read in Style,
139-164.
- 8: Style workshop. For 12/10
read in Style, 165-190, 191-216. Reading log assignment, due 12/10.
- 10: No class. Conferences
- 13: Style. For 12/15 working
on final draft of essay 5. Turn in a folder with the final draft, all
earlier prewrites, drafts, and peer critiques.
- 15: Final draft of essay 5
due. Review for exam.
Final exam will be held on Monday, December 20, 10:30-12:30 in Bates 210.
Return
to Beth Ann Rothermel's Homepage