Clare 110: Composition and Critical ThinkingFall 2015

Policy Statement – 2 Schedule – 5 Assignments – 7

Clare 110: Composition and Critical Thinking IFall 2015

Professor: Matt KingEmail: mrking@sbu.eduPhone: 716.375.2457Office Hours: MW 3:30-5:00 and by appointmentOffice Location: Plassmann D6Class Website: http://mattrking.com/courses/c110

Clare College Core Objectives Students demonstrate rhetorical knowledge by adapting their writing for specific

audiences and purposes. Students can analyze, synthesize, and evaluate texts from different academic disciplines

and discourses. Students employ a writing process grounded in the production of text across multiple

drafts and strategies for research, invention, revision, editing, peer review, and reflection.

Students apply academic writing conventions related to argument, structure, and style.

Course DescriptionA composition course emphasizing the development of a writing process, rhetorical knowledge, and knowledge of conventions of academic discourse. Course assignments foreground critical reading, writing, and argumentation skills as well as the analysis of academic and cultural texts. This course is a prerequisite for CLAR 111. (3 credits)

Course Goals Develop strategies for addressing various challenges in establishing a writing process,

from the productive to the critical; Successfully draw upon and distinguish between different modes of inquiry and

academic discourse; Gain a foundation in basic terms and practices of rhetorical analysis; Attend to different textual modalities and develop an understanding for how they

facilitate different purposes, types of reasoning, and relationships to an audience; Produce writing that speaks to the Franciscan values of the university and the power of

language to effect social change; Adequately document sources and develop an understanding of the significance of

different types of sources and the function of documentation.

Class Texts- Sidney Dobrin, Writing Situations- Other readings available on Moodle and the web

GradingPaper 1 – Art Observation (1.1) = 10%Paper 2 – Taking an Approach (2.2) = 15%Paper 3 – APA Research (3.2) = 20%Paper 4 – Social Action (4.1) = 15%Critical Reflection Paper = 20%Short Assignments (5) = 10%Participation = 10%

TOTAL 100%

Papers are graded based on the quality of the final product as well as your writing and revision process work (self- and peer-evaluation will be used for Paper 4). The Critical Reflection Paper will be self-evaluated based on your development and efforts as a writer and critical thinker throughout the semester. Short Assignments will receive a completion grade. Participation is based on preparedness for class and participation in class activities.

Late Work. I tend to be flexible concerning late work if you let me know ahead of time. That being said, excessive or unexcused late work will not be acceptable, and I reserve the right to penalize late work in such circumstances (generally, such penalties will be a letter grade for every day an assignment is late). If circumstances prevent you from being able to submit an assignment on time, you should discuss the situation with me ahead of time.

Attendance. You should arrive to class on time with all assigned readings and papers for the day completed. You are allowed six absences throughout the semester without a grade penalty (although missing class can affect your participation grade and your ability to succeed in the class generally). If you have 7-8 absences, you cannot receive higher than a C for your semester average. If you have 9-10 absences, you cannot receive higher than a D for your semester average. If you have 11 or more absences, you will receive an F for the semester. For every 3 instances of tardiness, you will incur 1 absence. If you only have 0-1 absences, you will receive a 1/3 letter grade bonus on your semester average.

For athletes, students who provide documentation for absences related to athletic competitions will be excused for all such absences. Student athletes can also miss two more class periods throughout the semester without a grade penalty. If you have three or more unexcused (non-athletic) absences throughout the semester, then all of your absences will be counted toward the attendance policy.

+/- Grades. Plus and minus grades will be used in awarding final grades for this course.

Paper Grades Semester AverageA+ = 98.5 A = 95 A- = 91.5 93-100 = A 90-93 = A- B+ = 88.5 B = 85 B- = 81.5 87-90 = B+ 83-87 = B 80-83 = B- C+ = 78.5 C = 75 C- = 71.5 77-80 = C+ 73-77 = C 70-73 = C-D+ = 68.5 D = 65 D- = 61.5 67-70 = D+ 63-67 = D 60-63 = D-F = 55 Less than 60 = FPlassmann Writing Center:

Revising and responding to feedback will be an invaluable and necessary part of your development as a writer this semester. Toward this end, you are strongly encouraged to visit me during office hours or by appointment, and you are also strongly encouraged to visit the Writing Center in the basement of Plassmann Hall (6A). There is a sign-up sheet outside the Center and, while occasional walk-in appointments may be available, you will likely want to sign up for an appointment ahead of time. Bring your work with you to your appointment. You will receive a 1/3 letter grade bonus on the grade of each course paper that you workshop at the Writing Center.

Academic Integrity: Academic dishonesty is inconsistent with the moral character expected of students in a University committed to the spiritual and intellectual growth of the whole person. It also subverts the academic process by distorting all measurements. A list of unacceptable practices and procedures to be followed in prosecuting cases of alleged academic dishonesty may be found in the Student Handbook and here.

Students with Disabilities: Students with disabilities who believe that they may need accommodations in this class are encouraged to contact the Disability Support Services Office, Doyle Room 26, at 375-2066 as soon as possible to better ensure that such accommodations are implemented in a timely fashion. Documentation from this office is required before accommodations can be made. Please see the official SBU Student with Disabilities policy here.

EmailEmail will serve as an official means of communication for this class, and you should check the email account you have registered with the university regularly. Feel free to email me with your questions and concerns.

Title IXTitle IX makes it clear that violence and harassment based on sex and gender are Civil Rights offenses subject to the same kinds of accountability and the same kinds of support applied to offenses against other protected categories such as race, national origin, etc. If you or someone you know has been harassed or assaulted, you can find the appropriate resources at the Health and Wellness Center or at the Campus Safety Office. For on-campus reporting, see the Title IX Coordinator (Sharon Burke, Director of Human Resources) and Residence Life Staff (RAs, RDs, and other professional staff). The University's policy and procedures regarding gender-based and sexual misconduct can be found online.

In the event of an emergency, call Campus Safety at 716-375-2525 or contact Nichole Gonzalez, Residential Living and Conduct, 716-375-2572, ngonzale@sbu.edu. Be aware that most university employees are mandated reporters.

Clare 110 | Course Schedule

Date Major Due Dates; Homework (due day listed); In classM 8/31 Introduction to Course

W 9/2 Read WS Ch. 1 (2-12), Ch. 2 (17-22), Ch. 3 (31-42); Invention activities: clustering orientations, cubing influences

F 9/4 Meditation Observation dueM 9/7 Read Harris on “Coming to Terms” (Moodle), WS Ch. 6 (76-91); Discuss Van GoghW 9/9 Art Observation due; visit Quick CenterF 9/11 Paper 1 due for revision activities and peer reviews in classM 9/14 Paper 1.1 due; write Paper Reflection, watch JohnsonW 9/16 Read Harris on “Taking an Approach” (Moodle), WS Ch. 7; Taking an Approach activityF 9/18 Read Lessig and LangM 9/21 Taking an Approach due; Inventing Creativity activityW 9/23 Read WS Ch. 4 (45-58) and Ch. 28 (674-679); Research and Citations activityF 9/25 Read Harris on “Revising” (Moodle) and WS Ch. 5 (60-73); Incorporating Sources activity and Citations ExerciseM 9/28 Paper 2 due for peer reviews in classW 9/30 Conferences; Paper 2.1 due at conferenceF 10/2 Conferences; Paper 2.1 due at conferenceM 10/5 Conferences; Paper 2.1 due at conferenceW 10/7 Paper 2 Revision ActivityF 10/9 Paper 2.2 due; write Paper Reflection, complete surveyM 10/12 Midterm BreakW 10/14 Read Reid and BernsteinF 10/16 Midterm Reflection due; Discuss Postman

M 10/19 Readings from WS sections on “Technology” (503-508), “Image/Culture” (533-537), and “Sustainability” (560-563)

W 10/21 Readings from WS sections on “Education” (596-598), “Food” (623-627), and “Millennials” (652-659); Mapping arguments activity

F 10/23 Read WS Ch. 18 and Ch. 19M 10/26 Issue Proposal due; Discuss credibility: New York Times, Huffington Post, and Townhall; Discuss researchW 10/28 Add two entries to annotated bibliography (see Research)F 10/30 Add two entries to annotated bibliography (see Research); Discuss literature reviews, scholarly sourcesM 11/2 Research due; Discuss JohnsonW 11/4 Read WS Ch. 29 and Ch. 30F 11/6 Paper 3 Peer Review Draft dueM 11/9 Conferences; Paper 3.1 due at conferenceW 11/11 Conferences; Paper 3.1 due at conferenceF 11/13 Conferences; Paper 3.1 due at conferenceM 11/16 Paper 3.2 due; write P aper Reflection W 11/18 Read “Letter from Birmingham Jail”F 11/20 Read Coates, p. 1-39 (Moodle)M 11/23 Social Action Proposal dueM 11/30 Discuss social action and comedyW 12/2 Discuss Paper 4 Scoresheet

F 12/4 Paper 4 due for peer reviews in classM 12/7 Revise Paper 4 for peer evaluation in classW 12/9 Final Draft of Paper 4 due (bring hard or electronic copy to class)F 12/11 Paper 4 Peer Evaluations due (email to MK); Workshop Critical Reflection PaperT 12/15 Critical Reflection Paper due

Meditation Observation

As we start thinking about writing and how it works this semester, we want to be mindful of a few key terms and practices. For this assignment, we’ll focus on two of these: observation and orientation. Observation involves a particular sort of attention to our experiences and what we notice about them, and it is fundamental to any number of writing practices. For example, responding to an argument involves observing what that argument is and how it is constructed; analyzing a cultural text (like a song or a movie or an advertisement) involves making observations about those texts, what they mean, and how they affect us. In any situation, we can make observations about any number of things, and different types of observations will be helpful for us in different situations and for different writing challenges. So, we want to be mindful of what we can observe and what we can do with these observations.

Orientation helps us think about how we position ourselves in relation to what we observe and encounter. The way I interact with new people at college will differ depending on whether I take up a friendly orientation or a judgmental one. The way I respond to a piece of writing will differ depending on whether I’m trying to analyze it or offer an argumentative response. The orientations we adopt toward the world around us go a long way toward shaping our actions and responses. Some of these orientations are deeply ingrained; we inherit many of them from our cultures, families, religions, etc. Other orientations we learn over time or use in limited situations. As an English professor, I can orient myself toward language and writing such that I notice if someone misspells a word or is missing a comma, but I don’t go around thinking about these concerns on a regular basis. So, we want to be mindful of our own orientations toward the world and how we can take on different orientations for different purposes.

Our first writing assignment for the semester gives us an opportunity to focus on these concerns with observation and orientation. To prepare yourself for the writing, you’ll need to complete two “observation sessions” of about 10-15 minutes each. In the first session, practice meditating. Find a quiet place where you can be alone with your eyes closed. The main challenge is to quiet your mind. This does not mean that you empty your mind such that you’re not thinking at all, but rather that you don’t fixate on any thoughts. It’s okay if thoughts about homework or stress or what you want to eat for dinner come into your mind, but don’t dwell on them. Instead, let them go, and try to observe what’s happening in the moment: focus on your breathing, what you hear, what you feel. For the second observation session, find a place to sit somewhere on campus (or let yourself wander) and focus on observing your immediate environment – what you observe around you and what you experience or feel in response – without letting your thoughts wander to other concerns. You can take notes during this observation session if you find it helpful.

Immediately after you complete each mediation/observation, start writing. You should aim to end up with about 250-400 words for each session (500-800 words overall). There are a few different directions your thinking and writing can go, but your main focus should be on observation and orientation. Try to address some combination of the following prompts and questions (whichever strike you as most relevant or helpful):

What did you observe? What did you experience? Do these observations or experiences mean anything to you in particular? Did they make you feel anything in particular? Did you notice or observe or experience anything that you haven’t before?

How would you describe your orientation toward what you observed and experienced? Were you peaceful? Bored? Inspired? Stressed or worried? Was this activity fun? Awkward? Silly? Informative? How did your own attitude toward the situation or what you were observing shape what you saw, experienced, or felt? What else might you have observed with a different orientation toward the situation?

When you finished meditating/observing, did you have anything in particular on your mind? If so, you might try following your thoughts. Where does this thought take you? Why did it come up in this situation?

If you’re not inspired to write about anything from the meditation/ observation experience itself, try freewriting about anything immediately after the observation session. Whatever comes to mind, write about it non-stop for ten minutes.

Submit your writing as a .doc, .docx, or .rtf file via email before class on Friday, and bring a hard or electronic copy with you to class as well.

Paper 1

Our first substantial paper asks you to take up our recent conversations and readings on observation, orientation, and “coming to terms.” You will complete this paper in three stages: the Art Observation, the first draft of Paper 1 (which includes your art observation and your response to a classmate’s), and the revised version of Paper 1 based on peer feedback. Each stage is outlined below.

Art ObservationThis observation asks you to visit the Quick Center on campus and to find a piece of art to observe and analyze. Some pieces are on display in the lobby or other open areas, but there are many more paintings and pieces in the galleries. Wander around until you find something that captures your attention. Once you find a particular work to observe, study it for at least twenty minutes. It could help to take notes of your observations at this time. Your observations, and the writing that emerges out of them, should address the following sorts of prompts and questions:

What details do you notice? Think about different possible aspects of the art: subject, character, setting, narrative, color, medium and material (e.g., oil paint, water color, pencil, wood, stone, etc.), light, texture. What is the significance of these details? How they shape your understanding of the art? How do they affect your experience of it? How do they shape its meaning? Similarly, how does the larger situation (the date the art was produced, who the artist was and their background, and even the immediate situation: the lighting in the room, where the art is located, what time of day it is, what other people are around, etc.) shape your experience or understanding of the art work?

Orient yourself toward the artwork in different ways. Focus on its social meaning, what it depicts, what its subject is, and how it contributes to our understanding of this subject or takes a position or offers a perspective on this subject. Alternately, focus on how it affects you, how it makes you feel, and what sort of experience you have looking at it. Alternately, focus on its technique, on the actual work of art itself, how the materials are used.

Again, spend at least twenty minutes looking at the piece so that you can make a broader range of observations and reflect on their importance. Keep in mind that you don’t need to have any prior knowledge of art history or experience with art criticism. This is about your observations and insights.

Your Art Observation paper should be about 400-600 words. Rather than simply listing all of your observations and the thoughts that come to mind from the orientation exercises, you should aim to work toward a larger insight or argument that organizes and makes connections between your observations. As Joseph Harris notes in “Coming to Terms,” when you engage with another text (in this case, a piece of art), you “need not only to explain what you think it means but to say something about the perspective from which you are reading it. In coming to terms with the work of others, then, you also say a good deal about who you are as a writer, about your own interests and values” (15).

Along these lines, Harris identifies three moves involved in coming to terms with another text, and we can take these up in this assignment as well, particularly the first two. So, based on your observations and reflections, how would you define the project of the artist? Our three perspectives on orientation (social meaning, experience, and technique – which are very similar to Harris’s attention to aim, method, and material) are particularly relevant here. In other words, we can formulate an artist’s project or purpose in terms of what they want to communicate through the art, what sort of experience they want to offer through their work, or what they are trying to do with the material itself. There’s not necessarily one right answer here; again, your perspective will shape how you come to terms with the text you are observing.

Another move that Harris associates with coming to terms involves noting keywords or passages in the text. The art probably won’t include words (although you could think about the title or any other words on the art), but you can identify keywords that come to mind to you when observing and reflecting on the art. These keywords might be conceptual or concrete, focusing on specific details or ideas.

In this sense, offering a larger argument or insight about the artwork will involve articulating your understanding of the artist’s project or purpose in the work. This definition of the artist’s project should draw on specific details and observations (“keywords and passages”) in order to support and provide evidence for your thinking.

Be sure to include your name and the title and artist of the artwork at the top of your paper. Also, bring a hard copy of the paper to class the day it is due.

Paper 1This paper in its entirety will include your Art Observation and your response to a classmate’s observation. You will have the opportunity during class time to look at your classmate’s observation and the piece of art they are observing. As you look at the observation and the art, you should aim to “come to terms” with your classmate’s thinking. They have offered a perspective on this artist’s project and noted details from the artwork that support their thinking. Going back to Harris’s third step for “coming to terms,” you should now assess your classmate’s thinking. This portion of your paper should address the following prompts:

First, summarize your classmate’s work in your own terms. How would you characterize their understanding of the artist’s project? What keywords come to mind for describing your classmate’s approach and perspective? Include specific quotes from their paper where applicable.

Next, assess this perspective in your own terms. In what ways is your classmate’s thinking effective and persuasive? To what extent do they offer a helpful understanding of the artwork and the artist’s project? Which details from the artwork best support this perspective? Are there any other details you notice that also work to support this perspective? On the other hand, what are the limitations of this perspective? Are there any details in the artwork that go against the perspective?

Finally, articulate your perspective on the artwork and the artist’s project. How would you add or respond to your classmate’s thinking? What else can we see happening in the artwork? What other details can we notice?

This response paper should also be 400-600 words. Ultimately, both your own Art Observation and your response to a classmate’s observation should be included in one document, although they should be separated into different sections. Be sure to include the name of the artist and the title of the work for both the observation and the response. You are welcome to include images of the artwork in your paper as well. You will have the opportunity to get feedback from your partner in class and then to revise your paper based on this feedback.

Taking an Approach

For this short assignment (500-700 words), you should start to work toward analyzing the text that you will address further in Paper 2. For both the short assignment and the paper, we want to draw on Harris’s notions of “coming to terms” and “taking an approach” so that we can better understand how the text works and then add our own perspective on it. Our main emphasis will be on creativity, and we’ll want to draw on the texts we’ve been discussing from Johnson, Harris, Lessig, and Lang that help us think about creativity and generating ideas from different perspectives.

One challenge will be choosing a text to analyze. Our understanding of “text” is broad here. Any thing or person that helps us think about creativity could work here. You could focus on a text from popular culture such as a song, music video, television show, movie, or advertisement. You could look at examples from fashion, sports, food and entertainment, politics, or business. You can focus on a particular person that embodies a sense of creativity. Just about anything will work as long as you can point to specific examples and make specific observations of the text you are analyzing.

For this short “Taking an Approach” paper, you should address the following prompts and questions:

In order to prepare yourself for “taking an approach” and offering your own perspective on the text, you should first “come to terms” with it. Identify the text you are analyzing and define its project. What is the purpose of the text? How does it shape our ideas about what it is about? What sort of perspective does it offer? Also, what keywords and passages (or examples and details more generally) can you identify from the text to support your thinking about its purpose and perspective? What details from the text are particularly important in terms of our understanding of it?

Offer your own thoughts on how this text embodies a sense of creativity. How does the text offer new ideas or shape our thinking in a new way? How does the text build on its influences? How is it different from other texts that are similar to it?

Put the text into conversation with one of our secondary texts on creativity. Can you use Johnson, Harris, Lessig, or Lang to help us think about how this text is creative? Alternately, does your text help us extend on what these authors have said, offering a different understanding of how creativity works?

Paper 2

This paper builds on the Taking an Approach short assignment. Again, our main goal is work toward analyzing a specific text or person with reference to the concept of creativity. In our analysis, we want to draw on Harris’s notions of “coming to terms” and “taking an approach” so that we can better understand how the text works and then add our own perspective on it. Our main emphasis will be on creativity, and we’ll want to draw on the texts we’ve been discussing from Johnson, Harris, Lessig, and Lang that help us think about creativity and generating ideas from different perspectives.

One challenge will be choosing a text to analyze. Our understanding of “text” is broad here. Any thing or person that helps us think about creativity could work. You could focus on a text or texts from popular culture such as a song, music video, television show, movie, or advertisement. You could look at examples from fashion, sports, food and entertainment, politics, or business. You can focus on a particular person that embodies a sense of creativity. Just about anything will work as long as you can point to specific examples and make specific observations of the text you are analyzing.

For Paper 2 (1500-2500 words, about 4-7 double spaced pages), you should address the following prompts and questions, although not necessarily in this order:

Ultimately, you will need to offer your own argument (insight, perspective, approach) about the text you are analyzing and how it embodies a sense of creativity. It will help to situate your argument within a larger conversation on creativity or on your specific text or creator. You should be able to articulate how your analysis of the text adds to this conversation. How does your analysis help us to understand creativity in a new way? How does your analysis help us to understand your text or creator in a new way?

To support your argument, you will need to analyze specific details from the text(s). For example, if you are analyzing a song, you should discuss specific lyrics, aspects of the music, aspects of the video, etc. If you are analyzing someone in the fashion industry, you should discuss specific aspects of their clothes in terms of color, material, design, etc. If you are analyzing an athlete, you should discuss aspects of their playing style. You’ll need to make connections between these detailed observations and the larger insights and perspectives you want to offer so that we see how they relate. Your analysis could involve attention to the purpose of the text as well, or some other understanding of the “creator’s project.” In this sense, you can draw on Harris’s understanding of “coming to terms” in your analysis. Your analysis should work to address the following sorts of questions: How does the text offer new ideas or shape our thinking in a new way? How does the text build on its influences? How is it different from other texts that are similar to it?

You are not required to do this, but one way of developing your analysis is by comparing your text or creator to another. For example, if I were analyzing Taylor Swift, I could compare one of her country songs to one of her pop songs, or one of her pop songs to a song by Nicki Minaj or Miley Cyrus, or one of her songs to song from a different genre, such as punk music. A comparison could help you be more precise in articulating how your text helps us think about creativity in a different way.

Your analysis will need to substantially incorporate at least two outside sources, including at least one of our class sources (Johnson, Harris, Lessig, and Lang) and at least one source that you locate through your own research. You should use these sources to extend your thinking on the text you are analyzing, putting that text into conversation with these outside sources. How do these sources help you think about how this text is creative? Alternately, how does your text help us extend on what these authors have said, offering a different understanding of how creativity works? Since you are incorporating outside sources, you will also need to correctly cite your sources using MLA formatting guidelines, both in-text and on a works cited page.

Issue Proposal

For this short paper (500-700 words), choose one of the six issues from Writing Situations – technology, image/culture, sustainability, education, food, or millennials – that you want to research and write about for Paper 3. With this issue in mind, your proposal should address the following sorts of prompts:

What makes this issue important? Who is affected by this issue and how? Why do people disagree about this issue?

For this part of the proposal, read three of the articles from Writing Situations on this issue (you can include the one we read for class the other day or focus on three new articles). What are the main arguments and perspectives that these articles offer on the issue? Where do their arguments intersect and diverge, agree and disagree?

What questions, concerns, and problems within the broader issue are most important to you? What’s your perspective on the issue?

Research

To prepare for Paper 3, we will conduct research on our issues in order to identify a range of sources that we can use to map the conversation around our issues and that we can draw on or respond to in our own arguments about the issue. The readings from Writing Situations on research (Ch. 18 and Ch. 19) will be particularly helpful here, and you should review those readings as needed to help you with the research. I would particularly direct your attention to the questions for analyzing and evaluating sources (407) and the tips for using library and online resources (410-433). The material from Ch. 19 should be helpful as we transition from the research to the paper.

As you complete research on your issue, you should contribute your work to a class annotated bibliography. This will help us organize and share our work so that we can benefit from what everyone has found related to our topics. You can find the annotated bibliography for your issue at the following links: Technology, Image Culture, Sustainability, Education, Food, and Millennials. Each link also contains more detailed instructions on how to add your research.

In addition to your contributions to the class annotated bibliographies, you will complete a short paper (400-600 words) that functions as a literature review (this is the “Research” paper due on Monday, November 2). Following the recommendations in WS Ch. 19, you should aim to synthesize your research, and you should draw on at least six sources (which means you’ll also need a references page with full citations in APA format). Rather than focusing on summarizing individual sources, you should aim to map the conversation more generally. What are some of the main questions and problems that people address within the issue? What are some of the main positions that people take? Who are the main stakeholders (people invested in the issue and taking positions in response to it)? Where are the main places in the debate that people agree and disagree? As you answer these questions, you can make reference to specific sources to support your thinking, but your main goal is to review the conversation overall rather than summarize individual sources.

Paper 3

This paper asks you to explore one of the six issues from Writing Situations (technology, image culture, sustainability, education, food, or millennials) through an APA style paper in which you map out the conversation around your issue and advance your own argument. Your paper should include the following:

A title page that follows APA formatting conventions (note that the running head should appear on every page);

An abstract page with abstract and keywords; In the paper proper, a literature review that maps out the conversation in terms of the

main questions, positions, and stakeholders and that draws on and cites at least six sources, including at least one scholarly source;

In the paper proper, a discussion of at least one source at length in which you evaluate its argument, reasoning, and evidence in order to support and develop your own reasoning about the issue (you can agree or disagree with the source, using it as a source that you want to build on or respond to);

In the paper proper, the development of your own position, an argument that includes a claim or claims and the reasoning and evidence supporting your position and that contributes to the conversation in a specific and substantial way;

A references page that includes APA citations for all of your sources.

Your paper should be about 1200-2000 words (about 3-6 pages, not counting the title page, abstract page, or references). Also, keep in mind that the research component of the paper requires that you post four sources to the appropriate class Google Doc; failure to post four sources with annotations will result in a grade deduction on the paper.

Social Action Proposal

You have three options for our social action paper (Paper 4). For this short proposal (300-500 words), you should choose one of the three options below to begin working toward the larger paper. Bring a hard or electronic copy of your proposal with you to class the day it is due and email it to me.

Social Action AnalysisThis option takes a similar approach to Paper 2 in that it involves a close analysis of texts. In Paper 2, we analyzed texts to see how they embodied a sense of creativity; for this paper, we would switch our attention to social action. The first challenge here would be choosing a text or collection of texts. Your text could be a book or article, a song or album, a movie or television show, a documentary, a speech, an image, a theatrical performance, a protest or other real-world event, a collection of tweets (perhaps around a particular hashtag) or other social media posts, or anything else along these lines that embodies a sense of social action. For this short paper, you should identify and describe the text and begin to develop your analysis. How does this text embody a sense of social action? In what ways is this approach to social action effective or ineffective? Drawing on Harris’s notion of “taking an approach,” how would we analyze this text from the perspective of Martin Luther King, Jr., or Ta-Nehisi Coates (or anyone else you have read who shapes your understanding of social action)? You can develop your thinking further in Paper 4, but you should get a start on your analysis here.

Social Action ArgumentThis option takes a similar approach to Paper 3 in its emphasis on argument (although you would not need to take a full APA approach). In Paper 3, we developed our own positions in response to an issue while building on a foundation of research that gave us a sense for the broader conversation. For this approach, you should identify a particular issue within the larger conversation on social action that you would like to make an argument about. Just like with Paper 3, we want to work toward narrowing our focus here. So, you could start with an issue like racism, misogyny, homophobia, human trafficking, poverty, or anything else that interests you, but we would ultimately want to get more specific – for example, racism at work in the criminal justice system, gender discrimination in the workplace, how we address poverty through social welfare programs, etc. In Paper 4, you will need to draw on at least two sources as you work to advance your argument. For the proposal, you can begin to address these sources if you want, but the main challenge is identifying the topic and beginning to articulate your argument and the reasoning behind it.

Inventing Social ActionThe final option is more exploratory. Rather than taking up one of the approaches we have already explored with our previous papers, you would have the opportunity to try something new. This could involve an attempt to take or plan an approach to social action more directly. For example, you could write a letter to an elected official, a newspaper editorial, a speech, or a series of social media posts. You could write out a plan for a specific protest, conversation, or gathering. You could write a reflection on your own experience and observations of a specific social issue and the social action that people take in response

to it. In other words, if there’s anything you want to say and write about related to social action that is not addressed in the first two paper options, you can explore it here. For the proposal, you should begin to describe what sort of text you want to produce and what you want to accomplish in it. NOTE: This might seem like an easier option than the first two at first glance (“oh, I just need to write down some observations and then I’m done”), but it will need to be just as long and substantial as papers that take the other approaches. This approach will likely involve some element of analysis, argument, and/or research. It just gives you more flexibility in terms of what your work looks like.

Paper 4

You have three options for Paper 4. Regardless of the approach you take, your paper should be at least 1000 words and should in some way draw on or incorporate outside sources. This paper also has a peer evaluation component, which is discussed further below.

Social Action AnalysisThis option takes a similar approach to Paper 2 in that it involves a close analysis of texts. In Paper 2, we analyzed texts to see how they embodied a sense of creativity; for this paper, we would switch our attention to social action. The first challenge here would be choosing a text or collection of texts. Your text could be a book or article, a song or album, a movie or television show, a documentary, a speech, an image, a theatrical performance, a protest or other real-world event, a collection of tweets (perhaps around a particular hashtag) or other social media posts, or anything else along these lines that embodies a sense of social action. How does this text embody a sense of social action? In what ways is this approach to social action effective or ineffective? Drawing on Harris’s notion of “taking an approach,” how would we analyze this text from the perspective of Martin Luther King, Jr., or Ta-Nehisi Coates (or anyone else you have read who shapes your understanding of social action)? How does this text compare to others in its approach and effectiveness? You should ground your analysis in specific details from the text.

Social Action ArgumentThis option takes a similar approach to Paper 3 in its emphasis on argument (although you would not need to take a full APA approach). In Paper 3, we developed our own positions in response to an issue while building on a foundation of research that gave us a sense for the broader conversation. For this approach, you should identify a particular issue within the larger conversation on social action that you would like to make an argument about. Just like with Paper 3, we want to work toward narrowing our focus here. So, you could start with an issue like racism, misogyny, homophobia, human trafficking, poverty, or anything else that interests you, but we would ultimately want to get more specific – for example, racism at work in the criminal justice system, gender discrimination in the workplace, how we address poverty through social welfare programs, etc. You will need to draw on at least two sources as you work to advance your argument. Your argument should include a clear position with supporting sources, reasons, examples, and/or evidence.

Inventing Social ActionThe final option is more exploratory. Rather than taking up one of the approaches we have already explored with our previous papers, you would have the opportunity to try something new. This could involve an attempt to take or plan an approach to social action more directly. For example, you could write a letter to an elected official, a newspaper editorial, a speech, or a series of social media posts. You could write out a plan for a specific protest, conversation, or gathering. You could write a reflection on your own experience and observations of a specific social issue and the social action that people take in response to it. In other words, if there’s anything you want to say and write about related to social action that is not addressed in the first two paper options, you can explore it here. NOTE: This might seem like an easier option than the first two at first glance (“oh, I just need to

write down some observations and then I’m done”), but it will need to be just as long and substantial as papers that take the other approaches. This approach will likely involve some element of analysis, argument, and/or research. It just gives you more flexibility in terms of what your work looks like.

Peer EvaluationRegardless of which approach you take to the paper, your work will undergo a process of peer evaluation that will help you revise your work and that will also help determine your paper grade. Similarly, you will be expected to evaluate the work of your classmates. Your peer evaluation should be about one page, double-spaced. It should identify your partner’s paper’s strengths and weaknesses, and you should be specific here: what exactly is effective or ineffective in terms of purpose, use of sources, academic conventions, or our other concerns? The evaluation should also summarize the main feedback and scores that the paper received through the peer review process and comment on how the paper improved through the revision process.

Reflection Assignment

Modeled on the Learning Record, this assignment has two main goals. First, it aims to encourage reflection on your strengths and weaknesses as a student – an invaluable activity for your development as a reader, writer, and thinker. Second, it introduces a different grading economy into your final average by allowing you to evaluate yourself. This portion of your grade will be determined by the paper you submit at the end of the semester, although you will also write other reflection papers earlier in the semester to help you prepare for this final paper. In the final paper, you will analyze your development throughout the semester with reference to specific dimensions of learning and course strands. The dimensions of learning have been developed by teachers and researchers, and they represent where learners develop in most any learning situation: confidence and independence; knowledge and understanding; skills and strategies; use of prior and emerging experience; reflectiveness; and creativity. Your reflection will also consider the specific goals (“Course Strands”) for this course: academic writing; critical reading, analysis, and argument; and exploratory writing.

The following links contain further information about different aspects of the Reflection Assignment.

Dimensions of Learning Course Strands Grading Criteria Midterm Reflection Final Reflection

Dimensions of Learning, Course Strands, and Grading Criteria

Learning theorists have argued that learning and development cannot be broken down into discrete and precise steps but is rather an organic process that unfolds in complex ways. Teaching and learning occur in dynamic environments where teachers, students, texts, technologies, concepts, social structures, and architectures interact. In our reflection papers, you will be documenting evidence of your development across six dimensions. These six dimensions cannot be “separated out” and treated individually; rather, they are dynamically interwoven. Our goals for a particular class should describe a trajectory of learning across multiple dimensions, and our measurements should be able to identify the paths taken by students and their progress from their individual starting points along that trajectory.

Confidence and IndependenceFor this dimension, it is not a simple case of “more (confidence and independence) is better.” For example, an overconfident student who has relied on faulty or underdeveloped skills and strategies can learn to seek help when facing an obstacle; an independent student can learn to work collaboratively. In both cases, students are developing along the dimension of confidence and independence.

Skills and StrategiesSkills and strategies represent the “know-how” aspect of learning. When we speak of “performance” or “mastery,” we generally mean that learners have developed skills and strategies to function successfully in certain situations. Skills and strategies are not only specific to particular disciplines, but they often cross disciplinary boundaries. In a writing class, for example, students develop many skills and strategies involved in communicating and composing effectively.

Knowledge and UnderstandingKnowledge and understanding refers to the “content” knowledge gained in particular subject areas and is the most familiar dimension, focusing on the “know-what” aspect of learning. In a psychology class, knowledge and understanding might answer a wide range of questions such as, What is Freud’s concept of ego? Who was Carl Jung? What is “behaviorism”? These are typical content questions. Knowledge and understanding includes what students are learning about topics; research methods; the theories, concepts, and practices of a discipline; the methods of organizing and presenting ideas to others; etc.

Use of Prior and Emerging ExperienceThe use of prior and emerging experience involves learners’ abilities to draw on their own experience and connect it to their work. A crucial but often unrecognized dimension of learning is the capacity to make use of prior experience as well as emerging experience in new situations. In a math class, for example, students scaffold new knowledge through applying the principles and procedures they’ve already learned: algebra depends on the capacity to apply basic arithmetic procedures.

Reflection

Reflection refers to the developing awareness of the learner’s own learning process, as well as more analytical approaches to the subject being studied. When we speak of reflection as a crucial component of learning, we are referring to the learner’s ability to step back and consider a situation critically and analytically with growing insight into his or her own learning processes. For example, students in a history class examining fragmentary documents and researching an era or event use reflection to discover patterns in the evidence and construct a historical narrative. Learners draw on this capability to use what they are learning in other contexts, recognize the limitations or obstacles confronting them in a given situation, take advantage of their prior knowledge and experience, and strengthen their work.

Creativity, Originality, ImaginationAs learners progress across the dimensions of learning, they generally become more playful and experimental, more creative in the expression of that learning. This is true not only in “creative” fields but in nearly all domains. In all fields, primary contributions at the highest levels are the result of creative or imaginative work. Even in the early stages of learning in a discipline, exploration and experimentation, taking new or unexpected perspectives, and playfulness should be recognized and encouraged as a natural part of the learning process. Among other things, it recognizes the value of creative experimentation even when the final result of the work may not succeed as intended.

These three categories represent the main activities and skills that we will be practicing and developing throughout the semester. As with the dimensions of learning, the course strands are dynamically interwoven.

Critical Reading, Analysis, and ArgumentationOur work this semester focuses on different semiotic and rhetorical situations – that is, different situations in which we can read texts to analyze their meaning and their persuasive force. In terms of analysis, we will be using terms, concepts, and arguments from the class readings and from our own research. For each paper, we will be working to make an argument that is grounded in our analysis and our reading of texts and outside sources. This course strand asks you to consider aspects of the course and our assignments that focus on analysis and argumentation.

Academic WritingThis course strand focuses on how we translate the skills of analysis and argument into formal academic prose grounded in considerations of style, arrangement, and delivery. This course strand also provides an opportunity to consider activities and skills related to research and citation. Overall, it asks you to consider the specific writing challenges related to expression, organization, and documentation as something separate from the critical skills that will help you develop the content for your writing.

Exploratory Writing

This course strand draws on writers who use the metaphors of mountain climbing and occupation to describe writing. As mountain climbing, “writing is complicated. It’s tricky and unfair. Of course, as a student, you want good grades; you want to head off to a great career. But writing doesn’t care about that. Writing doesn’t care if you are trying to tell the truth or do the right thing. It’s not ethical; it’s not rational. … writing and symbolic behavior bridge the natural and the cultural, the human and the technological.” As occupation, writing “requires that we move inward, that we creatively and critically try to find a blank space that we can fill, a hole in the writing that we can turn inside out, that we perceive our subject with renewed senses in order to infuse language with deeper persuasive and imaginative meaning.” In this sense, we will think of exploratory writing as less concerned with formal writing skills and more concerned with writing as an activity and a capacity that draws on language to account for our evolving relationship to ourselves, others, and the world around us.

You should use the following criteria to assess yourself on the Critical Reflection Paper.

A - Represents excellent participation in all course activities. Evidence of significant development across the dimensions of learning and course strands. Demonstration of specific goals for the semester and substantial work toward and progress on these goals. The emphasis here is on “excellent” – giving yourself an A means that you truly excelled throughout the semester.

B - Represents good participation in all course activities. Evidence of marked development across the six dimensions of learning and the course strands. Demonstration of specific goals for the semester and good work toward and progress on these goals. The emphasis here is on “good” – giving yourself a B means that you went beyond the minimum requirements and pushed yourself throughout the semester but not to the level of consistently excelling.

C - Represents acceptable participation in all course activities. Evidence of some development across the six dimensions of learning and course strands. Demonstration of some consideration of goals for the semester and some progress made toward these goals. The emphasis here is on “acceptable” – you did what was required in terms of work and effort but not much more.

D - Represents uneven participation in course activities. Evidence of development across the six dimensions of learning and course strands is partial or unclear.

F - Represents minimal participation in course activities, serious gaps in assigned work completed, or very low quality in course work.  Evidence of development is not available.

Midterm Reflection

This assignment gives you an opportunity to reflect on the work you have done this semester and to think about ways you can continue to improve throughout the rest of the semester. This paper will not have a direct impact on your grade, but it will help you prepare for your final Critical Reflection Paper at the end of the semester. To complete the Midterm Reflection, you should complete the following steps.

1) Look over the dimensions of learning and the course strands. These categories and concepts will give you a framework for thinking about your development this semester.2) Look over all of the work you've done so far this semester, both in terms of assignments and in-class activities.3) Write a 3-5 page paper (double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins) that examines and demonstrates your development so far this semester. Your paper should address the following questions and prompts.

How have you developed with reference to the dimensions of learning and course strands? Keep in mind that development doesn’t have to be “positive.” Development can involve confusion, trying and failing, etc., just as much as it involves success. Be sure to point to specific examples from any of the work you have done for this class, formal or informal.

How has your writing changed throughout the semester? How has your understanding of writing changed this semester? What are the three most important/helpful things you learned about writing this semester?

Where was your writing most and least successful this semester? What made this work particularly effective or ineffective? What were the main comments you received on your work, whether from peers, your instructor, or other outside help? What steps did you take to address these comments? How effective were the revisions? Did your approach to revisions change? What aspects of your writing do you want to continue to improve upon in the future?

How would you describe the efforts you made in this class? Consider both the amount of effort you put into the course and how productive and effective this effort was. How much time did you spend on different aspects of the writing process – reading, researching, brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, etc.? Which efforts felt most productive and effective? Least so?

How would you describe the context of your writing process? What was your writing environment like? What technologies did you use? How long did you spend on writing at a given time? How many writing sessions did you have for the papers?

In your last paragraph, you should evaluate yourself using specific grading criteria and explain the reasoning behind your evaluation. Give yourself a specific letter grade (feel free to use + or – grades if you fit between two different categories) and explain why this grade is appropriate. NOTE: The grade that you give yourself at this point will not affect your final Reflection grade. It will only give you a sense for where you stand at this point and what you can do to continue improving throughout the semester.

4) Email your Midterm Reflection to me.

Final Reflection

This assignment provides you an opportunity to reflect on the work you have done throughout the semester. To complete the Critical Reflection Paper, you should complete the following steps.

1) Look over the dimensions of learning and the course strands. These categories and concepts will give you a framework for thinking about your development this semester.2) Look over all of the work you’ve done so far this semester, both in terms of assignments and in-class activities. Look over your midterm reflection as well (you are welcome to incorporate material from the midterm in the Final Reflection).3) Write a 5-7 page paper (double-spaced, 12 pt font, 1 inch margins) that examines and demonstrates your development this semester. Your paper should address the following questions and prompts. You might not be able to address all of these thoroughly, but try to touch on all of them in some way.

How have you developed with reference to the dimensions of learning and course strands? Keep in mind that development doesn’t have to be “positive.” Development can involve confusion, trying and failing, etc., just as much as it involves success. Be sure to point to specific examples from any of the work you have done for this class, formal or informal.

How has your writing changed throughout the semester? How has your understanding of writing changed this semester? What are the three most important/helpful things you learned about writing this semester?

Where was your writing most and least successful this semester? What made this work particularly effective or ineffective? What were the main comments you received on your work, whether from peers, your instructor, or other outside help? What steps did you take to address these comments? How effective were the revisions? Did your approach to revisions change? What aspects of your writing do you want to continue to improve upon in the future?

How would you describe the efforts you made in this class? Consider both the amount of effort you put into the course and how productive and effective this effort was. How much time did you spend on different aspects of the writing process – reading, researching, brainstorming, outlining, drafting, revising, etc.? Which efforts felt most productive and effective? Least so?

How would you describe the context of your writing process? What was your writing environment like? What technologies did you use? How long did you spend on writing at a given time? How many writing sessions did you have for the papers?

In your last paragraph, you should evaluate yourself using specific grading criteria and explain the reasoning behind your evaluation. Give yourself a specific letter grade (feel free to use + or – grades if you fit between two different categories) and explain why this grade is appropriate.

4) Email your Critical Reflection Paper to me.