Using The Call to Write: Sample Syllabi and Assignments with

Narratives on Book Chapters

Authors: Anthony Edgington, Linda Panczner, Suzanne Smith, and Paul Wise

Created Summer 2008

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The following handbook was created to assist both new and experienced instructors in using the Brief Fourth Edition of John Trimbur’s Call to Write. Within this handbook, teachers will find the following:

Sample syllabi Sample assignments (including both full assignment sheets and ideas for possible

assignments) Narratives about how the four instructors created the course syllabi and

assignments Narratives on Section III (Writing and Research Projects) and Section IV (Writers

at Work). These narratives focus on the strengths and weaknesses of each chapter, along with pointing out important sections and noting how the chapters could be used with other chapters/genres in the Trimbur text

Before you read over this handbook, it is important to look at two other documents first:

1. The University of Toledo Composition Program’s Faculty Handbook. This handbook contains information on course objectives and goals, course policies (such as attendance, late work, and plagiarism policies), prerequisites for the course, and course requirments. In addition, information on select teaching tools, such as peer review, conferencing, and responding to student texts, is included.

2. The Call to Write textbook. We would advise scanning through the textbook before reading this handbook so that you have a better sense of the layout of the book and so that you will be better able to understand the syllabi and assignments offered here.

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Table of Contents

Anthony Edgington’s Course Documents…………………………………………………...page 4

Includes Course Narrative, Sample Syllabus, Sample Profile Assignment, and Sample Commentary Assignment

Linda Panczner’s Course Documents………………………………………………….page 16

Include Sample Syllabus, Sample Letter Assignments (with chapter narrative) and Sample Review Assignments (with chapter narrative)

Suzanne Smith’s Course Documents……………………………………………...…..page 22

Includes Course Narrative, Sample Syllabus, Overviews of Chapters 8 (Reports) and 10 (Proposals), and Sample Proposal Assignments

Paul Wise’s Course Documents…………………………………….……………page 47

Includes Sample Syllabus, Overview of Chapter 5 (Memoir) and Sample Assignments, and Overview of Chapter 3 (Argument) with Sample Assignments

Information about Section III (Writing and Research Projects)…………………………………………………….page 62

Information about Section IV (Writers at Work)………………………………………………..……...page 67

Anthony Edgington’s Course

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When designing my syllabus for ENGL 1110, the first question I often ask myself is “What do incoming students at the University of Toledo need most?” I have found that I usually answer that question in three different ways, each of which influence the syllabus that encompasses the next few pages. First, students entering a first semester composition course need to be introduced to successful writing strategies, ones they can incorporate into not only the current course, but into other writing intensive courses they will take throughout their academic career. They need to know about strong invention strategies, like freewriting, journaling, and brainstorming. They need to be able to conduct both rhetorical and audience analysis as they create and review different texts. They need to be taught systems of proofreading and revision, something that is easier to do using a portfolio system. They need to be able to not only find and use research, but should come to see themselves as researcher, able to create research through their own primary researching skills. And, they need to come to realize the importance of grammar, especially how it affects readers’ views of a writer’s credibility.

Second, new students need to be able to learn about this new community they are entering. For many students, the first year in the university brings with it new faces and environments and often challenges previously held beliefs and assumptions. Thus, the writing assignments I ask students to complete during the course are designed to now only introduce them to genres and writing strategies they will encounter in future classes, but also offers them the chance to learn more about the University of Toledo and life as a college student. I will talk more about these assignments in the section titled “Discussion of Assignments.”

Finally, new students should also participate in many of the activities expected inside of a college classroom. I organize the course so that students have the opportunity to discuss various topics and issues in small and large group formats. Students also receive feedback on their writing through workshop groups and have the chance to talk with me several times during the semester in one-on-one conferences. Having an opportunity to speak to others about a topic they have researched is important; an informal presentation on findings from their researched commentary is also included in the course. Finally, I want students to take time to think about their strengths and weaknesses as writers and researchers, something that is done through reflective journals, letters, and in-class writings. This reflection will help them come to a better understanding of what they can accomplish as writers and sets the stage for their future development in later writing courses.

Discussion of Assignments

As outlined on the syllabus on the next few pages, students are asked to complete four formal assignments for this course. The following are brief overviews of the four assignments, including pertinent information from the chapters that would be highlighted:

Memoir Assignment: Typical of most first semester writing courses, the memoir assignment asks student to write a narrative-based text the recounts experiences

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and memories on a particular topic. For this course, keeping with the theme of introducing students to college, I plan to ask students to write a memoir on a fellow family member’s experiences in college or a memoir about when the student first decided to attend college. In teaching the assignment, I would take time to point out the reading selections in the chapter, focusing on use of detail, how the texts are organized, and the moment of revelation (I think Trimbur’s discussion of this on page 149-150 is a good starting point). The information about social networking sites on page 153 is short and a little vague, but could provide a nice starting point for a class discussion on the topic. There is also a list of additional assignments for this genre on page 157-158. Finally, I plan to use a good amount of the information in second half of the chapter, with a focus on the invention strategies and information on introduction and conclusions under the Working Draft section.

Profile Assignment: The assignment sheet for the profile assignment is listed in this section of the handbook. My goal for the profile assignment is to not only have students learn about this genre, but also to introduce them to different organizations and groups on campus. The assignment has worked very well in the past and, semesters later, I still hear from students who were working with the group they profiled (including students working for Habitat for Humanity, the Black Student Union, and holding an office with the Student Government). For the profile chapter, I would use all three examples offered in the first half of the chapter, but would stress how their profile would be not only focusing on the group member, but also the group. I really like Trimbur’s discussion on open form and dominant impression on page 220-221 and would make sure to point that out to students. Again, more assignment ideas are listed on page 231-232. During the writing strategies section of the chapter, I would point out the important information on background information (pgs 233-234), deciding on the dominant impression (pg. 234) and establishing perspective (pg. 237-238).

Commentary Assignment: The assignment sheet for the commentary assignment is listed in this section of the handbook. As outlined on the assignment sheet, students are asked to research and write a commentary on a problem affecting college students today. In addition to information from the commentary chapter, I often bring in short readings on possible topics, including the economic realities of attending college, school violence, drunk driving, and paying athletes. Newsweek’s My Turn articles work well for this assignment. Make sure to point out the section on Ethics of Writing on page 289-290 to students. The readings for this chapter are okay, but don’t relate directly to the assignment topics, so I tend to use the shorter readings listed above instead and link them to Trimbur’s analysis of his readings throughout the chapter. I’ve also found that incorporating material from chapter three works well here, especially Trimbur’s discussion of logos, pathos, ethos and counterarguments. Additional assignments are listed on page 304-305. Invention strategies are important for an assignment of this nature (especially since students will need to devote significant time to research), so make sure to spend some time with the invention section on page 306-308. There is good information on planning introductions and conclusions later in the chapter. And, while short, the section on maintaining a reasonable tone is

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important to point out to students who may be more accustomed to television and radio commentators yelling and screaming at each other.

Letter Assignment: The final assignment for the course will ask students to write a reflective letter about their writing and themselves as writers. This letter will be used to introduce the final portfolio that will be submitted at the end of the semester. Students will be asked to reflect on and assess their writing in relation to the program objectives outlined in the faculty handbook. I will use the samples and information in Chapter 4 to point out to students the features of writing a formal letter to a specific audience. The reflective letter is the one formal paper students will create that will not receive initial feedback from the instructor. Students will be able to get feedback from peers on the letters, but I will treat this document almost like a final exam, gauging student writing ability and progress without my assistance.

The Portfolio

The final project for this course is a showcase portfolio. Students will include the reflective letter along with two of the other three formal papers written for this course. Students will also be asked to include some in-class and informal writing in the portfolio.

Odds and Ends

The course is built around some lecture and small and large group discussion. Most of this discussion will focus on assisting students in better understanding the genres they are writing and in introducing to them strategies that can be used as the create these genres. Students will also work in peer groups offering feedback on peers’ texts and will meet with me periodically for one-on-one conferences.

English 1110-074: College Composition IMW 5:45-7 pm

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UH 4280Instructor: Dr. Anthony EdgingtonPhone: 419-530-8578E-mail: anthony.edgington@utoledo.edu (send email before trying to call)Office: UH 6050Office Hours: MW 4:00-5:00 (or by appointment)

Required Texts:

Aaron, Jane E. The Little, Brown Compact Handbook (5th edition). Longman, 2003Trimbur, John. The Call to Write (Brief Fourth Edition). Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Course Description:

Welcome to English 1110, a course that will assist you in both your college and professional future. The goals of this course are two-fold. First, we will engage in academic discussions and write about the role of popular culture in our everyday lives. Second, you will be introduced to different genres of writing, including narrative, argument, summary, and rhetorical analysis. You will be practicing your writing skills constantly within these genres. Ideally, this course will sharpen your critical thinking and writing skills and allow you to consider in depth a variety of complex issues through discussion and writing.

When I think about writing, I am reminded of how individuals learn to ride a bike, play an instrument, or drive a car. It’s all about practice, and you will be practicing your writing a lot this semester. You will be writing texts for the instructor, along with texts for possible outside audiences. You will be writing for and with your peers. And, you will write just for yourself. The goal is to keep writing; the more you write, the easier it will get.

From a fortune cookie: Practice is the best of all instructors.

Prerequisites:

Prerequisite for ENGL 1110 - completion of ENGL 1100 with an NC grade or placement through a test score or writing sample

Learning Objectives:

Students who successfully complete ENGL 1110 will learn to do the following: Identify the purpose and thesis in both their own writing and in the writing of others; Display knowledge about multiple ways to arrange a text, including the successful use of

organizational patterns, transitional and topic sentences, and audience awareness; Showcase the ability to develop arguments and perspectives through the successful

incorporation of research, examples, details, and counter-arguments; Demonstrate effective revision skills (global revision, editing, and proofreading) that

leads to clear, concise and error-free prose; Develop critical reading skills, including the ability to locate rhetorical features in a text,

identify the audience for a given text, and identify strengths and weaknesses in an author’s arguments and reasoning; and

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Understand academic researching skills, including how to locate scholarly source, evaluate the reliability of a source, and effectively use sources within a text. The ability to cite sources in-text and develop a works cited page must be shown.

Course Requirements:

Students will produce a minimum of 5,000 words in final draft form over the course of the semester. This will mean roughly 18 to 20 finished pages. At least one paper will be a documented essay using MLA format and incorporating a number of sources with a sustained discussion that results in a paper of at least 5 pages.

Assignments(more information will be provided about each assignment later in the semester)

1. Final Portfolio (40% of final grade)a. Students will submit a portfolio consisting of formal papers, in-class writings,

and other class documents. More information about the final portfolio will be handed out during the last three weeks of the semester.

2. In-Class Writings (20% of final grade) a. Students will complete both individual and group in-class writings about the

course readings throughout the semester. In-class writings will be evaluated based on knowledge of course texts, arguments within, organization, grammar and mechanics. More information about the in-class writings will be handed out throughout the course.

3. Draft Grades (20% of final grade)a. Students will receive credit for workshopping and submitting drafts of formal

papers. More information about the draft grades will be included on each formal paper assignment sheet.

4. Reflection Journal (10% of final grade)a. Students will maintain a reflective journal of their writing experiences throughout

this semester. The journal will be collected periodically for teacher comments. Students will use the journal in writing their reflective letter at the end of the semester.

5. Classroom Work (10 % of final grade)a. Students will be evaluated based upon their work in class. This includes in-class

writing, participation in small and large group discussions, participation in workshop groups, and any other work done during class. Simply showing up for class does not guarantee a high class work grade; students must be active members during group discussions, complete all written work, arrive prepared for workshops, and respect the views and opinions of others.

Grading Scale:100-92: A 91-90: A-

89-88: B+ 87-82: B 81-80: B-79-78: C+ 77-72: C

Anything below a 72 is classified as NC

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In order to pass this course, your final grade must be a C or higher. Grades below a C are recorded as No Credit (NC). While NC does not affect your GPA, Composition I will have to be repeated until a grade of C or better is achieved.

GROUND RULES

1. Cell phones must be turned to vibrate or turned off. If you must answer the call, please quietly walk out of the room to answer.

2. Anyone who has a disability (physical, speech, hearing, etc) that may influence their performance in this class should talk to me about this as soon as possible and should have the disability documented with the Office of Accessibility (x4981 or http://www.student-services.utoledo.edu/accessibility/)

3. Workshops : All students must bring the required number of copies of their paper to workshop sessions. Students who do not have their paper ready and/or enough copies will not be allowed to participate and will find his/her classroom work grade adversely affected. Students who arrive more than five minutes late for class will not be allowed to participate. Decisions on how to arrange groups will either be made early in the semester or on a class-to-class basis.

4. Late Work Policy : My policy on late work is simple: I don’t accept it without a legitimate excuse (including doctor’s note, tow truck bill, etc). All papers are due before or during class time (see schedule). A paper turned in after the class has ended is considered late regardless of the situation.

5. Plagiarism : Plagiarism is defined as "representing the words or ideas of someone else as one's own in any academic exercise." Plagiarism can take different forms, including:

Outright plagiarism: using someone else’s entire paper as your own; Ghostwriting: having someone else write your paper for you; Cut and paste: taking sections from another paper/website and including

it in your own; Insufficient citation: failing to cite information obtained from other

sources and/or your research.Thus, all writing you do for this course must be your own and must be exclusively for this course, unless the instructor stipulates differently. Please pay special attention to the quotes, paraphrases, and documentation practices you use in your papers. If you have any questions about plagiarism, please ask me. If you plagiarize, I reserve the right to grant you a failure for the course and your case may be reported to the College of Arts and Sciences. For additional information concerning plagiarism, please consult the undergraduate catalog and/or consult a writing specialist in the Writing Center.

6. All work in this class is public, and will be read by the instructor and fellow

students. Please keep this in mind when writing texts.

7. Attendance is vital to this class; we will be discussing various concepts and issues each class period and if you are not here, you will miss important information. PLEASE BE AWARE that poor attendance can affect your classroom work grade; if you are not here, you cannot participate and you will find your grade lowered. Students are responsible for finding out what was missed and completing all work.

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a. The University recognizes the following as excused absences: 1) personal emergencies, including illness or death in the family; 2) religious observances; 3) participation in University-sponsored events, such as athletics and academic competitions; 4) government-required activities, such as military assignments and jury duty; and 5) other absences approved by the professor in advance. ONLY THESE ABSCENCES WILL BE RECOGNIZED IN THIS CLASS. For more information on the universities missed class policy, please see the University of Toledo’s Missed Class Policy

b. Students must have a viable excuse, documentation (doctor’s note, mechanic bill, obituary, etc) may be asked for, and, if necessary, the student may have to schedule a conference with me before turning in any major assignments. Each case will be handled on an individual basis and the instructor reserves the right to accept or refuse absences.

c. IMPORTANT: Any student who misses three weeks (six classes) of this course without notifying the instructor of the reasons for the missed classes may fail the course. If you miss six classes in a row without notifying me, you WILL fail the course. NO EXCEPTIONS.

8. Students who have questions or concerns about grades, the class, or an assignment are encouraged to see the instructor as soon as possible.

9. Students looking for extra assistance during this course should contact the Writing Center, (530-4939 or http://writingcenter.utoledo.edu/about.htm). Students can meet with writing tutors to discuss ideas and arguments in texts; the center is not a “fix-it” shop set up to correct errors in grammar and mechanics. When going to the Center, make sure to take two copies of your essay and the assignment sheet for the class. Feel free to have the Writing Center contact me about your visit.

Course Schedule This schedule is subject to change if necessary. The instructor will make every effort to

inform students about changes as soon as possible. All readings should be read for the day listed, and the instructor may increase or decrease

reading loads if necessary. If the instructor feels readings are not being finished, he reserves the right to schedule

unannounced quizzes to gauge student reading.

August

25: Introductions27: Read Chapter 1 (5-30)

September

1: NO CLASS (Labor Day)3: Introduce Memoir Assignment; Read 137-157

8: Read 159-17010: Read 521-541

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15: Discuss Peer Workshops17: Bring in four copies of Memoir Assignment for Workshops

Post revised version of Memoir Assignment to Epsilen Share It folder by no later than noon on Friday, September 19

22: Conferences (Submit Reflective Journal)24: Conferences (Submit Reflective Journal)

29: Introduce Profile Assignment; Read 209-231

October

1: Read 232-242

6: Read Chapter 15 (476-500)8: Read 388-391 and Chapters 1-3 of Understanding Plagiarism

13: Read Chapters 4-6 of Understanding Plagiarism15: Bring in four copies of Profile Assignment for Workshops

Post revised version of Profile Assignment to Epsilen Share It folder by no later than noon on Friday, October 17

20: NO CLASS (Fall Break)22: Conferences (Submit Reflective Journal)

27: Conferences (Submit Reflective Journal)29: Introduce Commentary Assignment; Read 288-304 of CTW

November

3: Read 306-317, 419-4255: Read Chapter 14 (468-475); Library Orientation

10: Read 56-7412: Read 85-91 and 426-438

17: Bring in four copies of Commentary Assignment for Workshops

Post revised version of Commentary Assignment to Epsilen Share It folder by no later than noon on Wednesday, November 19

19: Conferences

24: Conferences26: NO CLASS (Thanksgiving Break)

December

1: Introduce Reflective Letter Assignment; Read 102-124

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3: Read 125-136

8: Bring in four copies of Reflective Letter for Workshops10: Wrap-Ups, Portfolios, etc

Portfolio Turn-in Date: TBA

Profile Assignment (3-4 pages)

General: For this assignment, you will write a short profile of a member, volunteer, or participant in an organization or group affiliated with the University of Toledo. My hope is that, by the end of the semester, each student in the class will receive a booklet that includes all of the different profiles so that we will know more about the different organizations on campus.

Specifics: You have been asked by the Student Senate to be involved in an informal undergraduate handbook that will be distributed to new students during orientation at the University of Toledo. This handbook will include information on different groups, organizations, departments, and activity groups that are affiliated with the University of Toledo.

However, the group wants this handbook to be different than the other material already out there (websites, pamphlets, etc). They are hoping to capture the “feel” of these particular organizations, not just general information. Thus, they are asking you to write a profile of someone directly affiliated with the group that will not only inform readers, but will also give them an idea of the interesting aspects of this group and what it is like to be a member, volunteer, or client. For example, the profile could focus on:

A volunteer as he or she works for the organization; An individual who is employed by the organization; An athlete who competes as part of the organization; A student who uses the organization, such as a student who uses career services or a

student who attends the writing center.

To accomplish this task, the Senate is asking you to do the following:

Obtain informational material on the group (websites, handouts, public relation materials);

Spend at least two to three hours observing the individual in action (possible during an initial visit, a meeting, an organizational activity, or just a day in the individual’s office);

Interview the individual to gain their reactions and insights about the group and their thoughts on if and why the group is important to the campus culture. Interviews can be face-to-face, over the phone, or through email/instant messenger.

As you gather information and write the profile, keep the following in mind:

What is the important information that a new audience needs to know about this group? What is the most interesting aspect or event that occurs during your research? Use this to

sell the group to readers. How does someone get involved (either as a volunteer, employer, or client)? Any current or potential problems affecting the group? What does the group do? Who do they represent? What does the individual do while

you are observing him/her? What is your reactions to and analysis of the group?

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Criteria: Some of the criteria I will be using while looking at these profiles include:

Use of research and level of detail and specificity about the individual and groupConnection to the audience(s) Introductions/ConclusionsOrganization Grammar/Sentence Structure

Possible Group Topics

The following is a list of possible organizations and groups that could be researched for this paper. To ensure that we get the most out of this project as a class, I am asking that each person in the class research a different organization; if we have two or more people interested in researching the same group, then we will make decisions on who will research this topic.

Acacia ClubActive Christians TodayAdmission AmbassadorsAffirmative Action OfficeAmerican Constitution SocietyAmerican Marketing AssociationAmerican Society of Civil EngineersApple Tree Child CareArab Student UnionArchives (Library)Association for the Advancement of Africa American WomenAssociation of Non-Traditional Service StudentsBadminton ClubBlack Law Students AssociationBlack Student UnionBlue CrewCamp AdventureCampus Student MovementCareer ServicesChinese Student UnionCarter Hall Activities Management PeopleCircle KCollege LibertariansCollege RepublicansCommuter and Off-Campus ServicesContinuing EducationDance Marathon CommissionEberly Center for WomenEnvironmental Law SocietyFederalist SocietyFire Dance SquadFirst Year ExperienceFossils Artifacts Culture over TimeGerman Club

Hillel Homecoming CommissionIndian Student Cultural OrganizationInternational Student AssociationJunior Year in England ProgramLacrosse ClubLatino Student UnionMuslim Student AssociationNAACPNational Pan-Hellenic Council, IncNational Society of Pershing Rifles, Troop L-1National Student Speech, Language, Hearing AssociationOffice of AccessibilityOffice of Recreational SportsPakistan Student AssociationPeer Networking AssociationPhilosophy ClubPublic Relations Student Society of AmericaRecreation CenterResident Student AssociationRitter PlanetariumRotaractSpectrumSports Law AssociationStranahan ArboretumStudent African American BrotherhoodStudent Alumni AssociationStudent GovernmentStudent Support ServicesStudent Success CenterToledo Museum of Art (this can be broken down into specific areas in the museum)

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Habitat for Humanity Writing Center

For more information, check out the organization’s webpages and/or the following pages:

http://www.utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/dos/http://utoledo.edu/studentaffairs/http://www.utoledo.edu/fye/

Commentary Assignment: College Life

General: For this paper, you will have the chance to write a commentary about a problem that affects college students (either nationally or locally at the University of Toledo). In addition, you will learn how to use the commentary to structure and advance an argument. Some key writing tools will include structuring arguments, using tools of persuasion, identifying a call to action, and incorporating research into a commentary.

Specifics: For this assignment, you are being asked to write a My Turn article (like the ones we have read in class) that will offer a commentary on a problem affecting college student life (including academic, social, economic, political, and cultural lives). The topic you pick can be general (i.e. affects college students in different areas and contexts), local (a problem that currently affects students at the University of Toledo) or both (general and local). Your goals will be to summarize the current problem, recount other perspectives/arguments on the topic, and then advance your argument and call to action in relation to that topic. For this paper, you will choose an audience(s) for the text. However, as you write this commentary, keep in mind that your readers may have different levels of knowledge on your topic; thus, part of your job will be to provide some background information for these readers as well.

For the assignment, you will write three documents:1. A Casebook (3-4 pages)2. The My Turn article (4-5 pages)3. Reflective letter (1-2 page)

Questions: As you write your commentary, keep in mind the following questions:

Why is this a problem? Does everyone agree that this is a problem and, if not, what are other perspectives on this issue?

Which audiences will be most interested in reading this commentary? What do readers need to know about this topic in order to both understand it and to understand why it is a problem?

What is your perspective/argument on this topic? What is most interesting and/or persuasive about the topic? What are some possible problems with the topic?

What types of evidence, research, emotional appeals, and statements from authority will you need to strengthen your argument?

What are possible solutions? What is the possible call to action?

Criteria: As I look over your commentaries, I will keep in mind the following criteria:

Summary of issue Clarity and Strength of ArgumentUse of evidence/research Effective introduction Effective conclusion

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Fitting commentary to the audience Strong organization Strong Mechanics

Important Dates:

November 8: Turn in Casebook to me for any commentsNovember 17: Peer Review November 22: Turn in Review Assignment for Teacher Comments

The Casebook

A casebook is a document that is constructed prior to writing a formal research paper that outlines the research you have done and your understanding of this research, allowing you to organize it for your commentary. To construct a casebook, follow these steps:

1. You will first need to conduct research on your chosen topic. Find at least five sources (you can include more) on your topic (books, articles, websites, primary sources, media, etc) that will assist you in writing your commentary. Look especially for other commentaries that support and contradict your position on the issue. In order to get you into the library, you are not allowed to include more than two websites. One source can be a primary source (i.e. interview, survey, observation, etc). INCLUDE YOUR EMAIL WITH THE CASEBOOK SO I CAN EMAIL A RESPONSE TO YOU.

2. In the casebook itself, you will include the following:a. A brief introduction that gives readers an overview of the problem, including

what it is, why you chose it, what you know about it, and why it is controversial (i.e. why it is a problem);

b. After the introduction, you should have a half to three-fourths page summary for each of your sources. Each summary should begin with the citation information for the source. The summary should provide readers with a general overview of what the source says on your problem, along with a statement on how this source will be used in your research;

c. At the end of the casebook, include several questions that you will be pursuing in your own commentary (questions that originate in the sources you are reading).

The Reflective Letter

Finally, when you turn in your completed commentary, I also want you to turn in a 1-2 page reflective letter that addresses each of the following points:

How you feel about the commentary? What are the commentary’s strengths and weaknesses?

Who do you see as the audience(s) for this commentary? Why? What are any problems you experienced while writing the commentary? What are any suggestions you would offer another student while doing this

assignment?

The reflective letter should be written to me as your audience.Linda Panczner’s Course

Suggested syllabus that uses The Call to Write, 4th ed.

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Composition I with Workshop1100-Section #

Fall 2008

Classes meet on Mondays/Wednesdays from 8-9:40 in HH 3320,and on Fridays from 8-8:50 in UH3780

Instructor’s Name: Instructor’s Email address, office phone, other contact information Office Hours – days, times, and locations

Composition I requires students to observe, think, read, and write at an advanced academic level, so throughout the course, they’ll be introduced to techniques for improving their skills. Students will practice addressing diverse target audiences through use of different “voices” reflecting various perspectives, along with evaluating, analyzing, and “arguing” a range of topics. Also, students will engage in exercises to strengthen grammatical and research applications, including use of both in-text and Works Cited citations. Frequent writing assignments and larger papers will demonstrate students’ ability to effectively communicate in writing.

In addition, we will use the online WebCT/Blackboard website as a supplemental tool – note the class dates when students use WebCT/Blackboard rather than meet in the classroom, to complete assignments posted online. To access this course in WebCT/Blackboard, you must activate your UTAD account. The online site is www.dl.toledo.edu/login.htm . If you have technical problems accessing or using this website, call Distance Learning at (419) 321-5130 or email them at www.dl.utoledo.edu/help_desk/help.htm

Classes start on time! You may be marked absent if you arrive late or leave early. Scheduling other appointments that interfere with your ability to attend these classes and/or arrive on time or stay for the class duration could affect the final course grade. ATTENDANCE COUNTS! I DO NOT ACCEPT ASSIGNMENTS BY EMAIL AS A SUBSTITUTE FOR ATTENDING CLASS. Simply submitting the papers that receive a letter grade instead of attending classes will reflect negatively on the final course grade, since in-class work contributes to 40% of the course grade. Two absences and two missed writing assignments are allowed before additional misses may count against the course grade. This allowance should cover

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any unforeseen or planned absences. Students who complete the semester with NO attendance or assignment misses will receive extra credit toward the final course grade.

Course textbook:Trimbur, John. The Call to Write. 4th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2008.Recommended supplemental textbook for citation/grammar guide:Little Brown Compact Handbook

In-Class Conference:. Students whose work is problematic meet with the instructor at the semester mid-point, though all students are encouraged to meet with the instructor regarding any concerns. Meeting with instructor during office hours does not substitute for class attendance.

Policy: The UT plagiarism policy: representing the work of another as your own, whether through direct copying, un-attributed paraphrasing, or inadequate citation practices constitutes plagiarism. Give credit where/when credit is due. A paper that is plagiarized in whole or even in part can receive an F, and it may be turned over to the administrative supervisors for further action, even college dismissal.

Grading: Sixty percent of the course grade reflects the three letter grades that students will receive for developing three papers outside of class. Submit both draft and final versions of these papers by the recorded due dates. In addition, students will complete writing assignments in class or via online assignments, which are not graded, but are marked as: √ (for average), or √+ (for above average), or √- (for below average), and will be tallied at the end of the semester to contribute positively or negatively toward the final course grade. The other forty percent of the course grade is based on the writing assignments, final group oral presentation, and participation in class activities. Following are the grades/points calculation for the university grading policy. A = 4.00 A- = 3.67 Bt = 3.33 B = 3.00 B- = 2.67C+ = 2.33 C = 2.00 C- = 1.67 D+ = 1.33 D = 1.00D- = .67 F = 0

Turn to next page for some details of weekly schedule

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Weekly Schedule for Comp I with Workshop, 1100 - ###

Here is an outline for classes throughout the semester. Obviously, more activities will occur during each class, including frequent writing assignments, class participation exercises, and audio/visual presentations. Students must attend 5 of the 8 Friday workshops, while all students should do the work posted in WebCT/Blackboard on Fridays and other days.

Week 1: Mon. 8/25 Introduction of textbooks, syllabus, WebCT/BlackboardWed. 8/27 Definitions, pp 2-3. Chapter 1. Homework: bring in t-shirt (or object) w/message

to Friday’s class.Fri. 8/29 Start with “scavenger hunt” via Carlson Library, Writing Center, English Dept.

Office/mailroom, and instructor’s office. Back in classroom: share homework.

Week 2:Mon. 9/1 HOLIDAYWed. 9/3 Chapter 2: rhetorical analysisFri. 9/5 Chapter 5: memoirs

Week 3: Mon. 9/8 Receive Paper 1 Instructions: personal narrative – Chapter 3: persuasive

Arguments, 1st halfWed. 9/10 Chapter 3: 2nd halfFri. 9/12 Chapter 17: essay construction

Week 4:Mon. 9/15 Chapter 12: research processWed. 9/17 Submit Paper 1 Draft -- Chapter 13: research sourcesFri. 919 Use WebCT/Blackboard instead of coming to class – do assignment posted on WebCTWeek 5:Mon. 9/22 drafts returned w/comments – Chapter 14: online sourcesWed. 9/24 Chapter 15: fieldworkFri. 9/26 1st optional workshop: in-text and Works Cited citation practice

Week 6:Mon. 9/29 Submit Paper 1 Final – Receive Paper 2 Instructions: a researched and

cited report -- Chapter 8: reports, 1st halfWed. 10/1 Chapter 8, 2nd halfFri. 10/3 2nd optional workshop: reports practice

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Week 7:Mon. 10/6 Bring hard copies of Paper 2 sources w/all citation info. –

develop Works Cited page in classWed. 10/8 Chapter 11: reviewsFri. 10/10 3rd optional workshop: reviews practice

Week 8:Mon. 10/13 Use WebCT/Blackboard instead of coming to class – do assignment posted on WebCTWed. 10/15 Submit Paper 2 Draft -- Chapter 4: lettersFri. 10/17 4th optional workshop: letters to the editor & responses to same

Week 9:Mon. 10/20 FALL BREAKWed. 10/22 drafts returned w/comments – Chapter 9: commentaryFri. 10/24 5th optional workshop: mock interviews/debates

Week 10:Mon. 10/27 Film, first halfWed. 10/29 Film, second half – Submit Paper 2 FinalFri. 10/31 6th optional workshop: grammar glitches

Week 11:Mon. 11/3 Receive Paper 3 Instructions: collaborative project – choose groups –

Chapter 19: visuals, 1st halfWed. 11/5 Chapter 19, 2nd half – group work on Paper 3Fri. 11/7 Use WebCT/Blackboard instead of coming to class – do assignment posted on WebCTWeek 12:Mon. 11/10 Chapter 10: proposals, 1st half – group workWed. 11/12 Submit Part 1 of Paper 3 draft for peer-review – (optional copy for

instructor) -- Chapter 10, 2nd half -- group work and submit group proposalFri. 11/14 7th optional workshop: students’ choice

Week 13:Mon. 11/17 Chapter 16: case study – optional drafts returned – group workWed. 11/19 Chapter 18: collaborative writing – group work and submit group progress reportFri. 11/21 8th optional workshop: students’ choice

Week 14:Mon. 11/24 Submit Part 2 of Paper 3 draft for peer-review - group-workWed. 11/26 HOLIDAYFri. 11/28 HOLIDAY

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The Call to WritePart 2: Writing Projects - Letters and Reviews

Week 15:Mon. 12/1 group work – optional drafts returnedWed. 12/3 group workFri. 12/5 Use WebCT/Blackboard instead of coming to class – do assignment posted on WebCTWeek 16:Mon. 12/8 PresentationsWed. 12/10 PresentationsFri. 12/12 Submit Paper 3 Final – In-class essay prompt response

Part 2: Writing Projects provides a goldmine of information and assignment ideas. Even if instructors choose not to use the text examples, likely they’ll be inspired by Trimbur’s suggestions. Below are my examples of writing assignments that can be used for practicing

1) Letters – Chapter 4 and 2) Reviews – Chapter 11along with some comments on Trimbur’s suggestions for practicing in these genres.

Writing assignments for Letters, Chapter 4:This chapter begins by pointing out the recognizable standard format of letters and their conversational tone. The function of letters depends on their intent: to convey or request information.

1) Trimbur’s inclusion of the column by Mark Patinkin (“Commit a Crime …,” 108) and the resulting opposing Letters to the Editor (109-111) are insightful examples of the power of the pen, and the example of a student’s response to those letters (Michael Brody’s Letter to Editor, 132-35) offers further exam of reading and response. So, after an in-class reading and observation of these text samples, refer to Trimbur’s suggestion on page 125 in Alternative Assignments – Working with Sources, to “Look at the letters in the editor section … find an article … that prompted [those] letters. Write your own letter that responds to both the article and the letters.”

2) This next assignment can be done in groups but I prefer each student have the opportunity to demonstrate these skills on their own, at least the first time. Students are directed to write a letter from you, as a representative of a new UT student group, to a (fictional) organization, requesting information. This letter should be directed to a specific person, so students use the correct letter formatting for an inside address and

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salutation. Print the letter on letterhead designed paper that you design for the UT organization, including a logo, a motto, and contact information. In this one-page letter soliciting information (for example, in the spring semester, students could write to a resort requesting information about their spring break packages), students should request a response from the company, in order to set up the second part of this assignment. Also, students should “carbon-copy” the letter to the instructor. Last, students should fold their letter into a properly formatted and printed envelope.

Part two of this assignment is to collect those letters and distribute them to other students. Each student should write a response letter to the student-request letter given to them. In their response, (which should be on company letterhead design) they should include an enclosure. For the sake of time, either they can simply mention an enclosure, or, (if instructor wants to turn this into a larger project), ask the student to create and include that enclosure (such as a flyer, 2-fold/6-column brochure, …).

3) James Baldwin’s letter to his nephew on pages 112-115 successfully serves two purposes: 1) delivers an impassioned personal plea, and 2) conveys a message that applies to a larger audience. Before reading this letter in class, instructors might want to point out Trimbur’s “Analysis: Private & Public Audiences” on page 116. One of Trimbur’s writing assignments on page 124 include a suggestion (4th bullet) to use the Baldwin letter as a model to write “a letter to a younger relative or student” that includes a message for a public audience about a social issue. Students could write to a high school student, advising them about an encounter outside of their comfort zone. Or, a variation on this, I’ve asked students to write a letter to an imagined relative in, say, 100 years from now (this letter was enclosed in a “time capsule”), in which the student apologizes or boasts about an imagined condition or state of affairs in the future that is influenced by today’s activities. For example, some students choose to apologize to the future generation for global pollution, based on lack of attention for global warning issues now.

Writing assignments for Reviews, Chapter 11:Trimbur points out explicit opposing reviews of a music CD, an implicit critique of a film, an explicit video game review, and a student-authored book review. Any or all of these examples can be given a closer look, though only the CD review (355-60) includes both pro and con critiques.

1) Instructional and entertaining: this is a good time to show a film that is relevant to the instructor’s chosen topic. Before showing the film, read to the class a published good review and poor review of that movie (therefore, limiting film choice to those for which instructor can find both good/bad reviews, and a film that not too many/if any students have seen, since it is better not to have any pre-formed opinions on it). Based on the review, note how many students think the film will be interesting to them. After showing the film, ask students if they liked the movie, and why. They write their own review, including 2 criteria: 1) they must be explicit in their statements, and 2) they must

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include a comparison of the movie to another film. A third option is to ask students to include their analysis of the comments in the published good/poor reviews read to them before viewing the film. Students write whether they agree/disagree with those critiques.

A follow-up assignment to the above can be to ask students to make the film choice this time, by recommending a film that can be targeted to two different target audiences (could be kids 5-10, while also appealing to adults). Students write two reviews of their chosen film: the first review noting the appeal of this film for one target audience, and the second review noting the appeal for the other audience. Obviously, students have to choose a film carefully, so it has that universal appeal. (For example, an animated film may be interesting to young kids because of its cartoon portrayals, while its double-entendre dialogue and clever cinematography interest adults.)

One more possible follow-up to this assignment is to stage some debates between two “film critics” in front of the class. Two students are assigned to write opposing views on the same movie, and present their perspectives to the class.

2) Trimbur’s inclusion of travel guide reviews (370-72) can spark some interesting assignments. Critical Inquiry, #2 on page 372 states, “Design a similar presentation of the top ten highlights for your college ….” This suggestion can result in an interesting comparison of responses. As part of a larger project, I’ve asked students (individually or in groups) to create a flyer that portrays (five) attractions that visitors to the Toledo area can cover in one day. Another idea is to ask students to create a list (or brochure) that includes an alternative UT tour, to avoid the obvious sites. (Yes, favorite alcohol hangouts are a popular alternative tour package.) In all of these suggestions, students must include a rationale for why the specific sites were chosen, and “talk them up” in a way that uses effective description and facts.

3) The assignments that Trimbur suggests, starting on page 373 work well. He starts with genres that are particularly popular with students. However, I’d probably take advantage of this fall’s presidential candidate debates to add this assignment suggestion. Start by recording various editorial feedback that airs immediately following a recent national debate, and/or clipping next-day print editorials, to share with students. Point out the implicit and explicit statements for/against a candidate. (As a sideline, these supposedly unbiased [??] editorials can be compared to the candidate-endorsed commercials.) In turn, students can be directed to view an upcoming debate and view/read at least two of the follow-up reviews, and then compare their commentary on the debate with the reviewers’ input. Perhaps different students can be assigned to seek reviews from specific media outlets that are known for their objective or their subjective sway, (such as Fox, CNN, Christian Monitor, …).

Last, an opportunity to turn the above assignment into an oral presentation: years ago, the TV show Sixty Minutes ended with a Point-Counterpoint segment with two commentators representing opposing views on a given topic. Each commentator had the chance to state their respective overview of the topic; concede an opponent’s view and then refute it with their own claim; and then wrap up their view with a statement for their

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perspective. In similar fashion, students can be assigned to two-people teams to write opposing reviews and present them in front of the class. In response, the other students can write their response to the presentation, noting which side they agree with, and why, or why they choose to compromise.

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Suzanne Smith’s Course

I design a syllabus based on the premise that students in Composition I should write often in a variety of contexts and genres, be involved in the evaluation of their own and each others’ work, and learn the academic conventions in which they will be expected to research and write. Reflecting this approach in my course involves the following strategies:

Staging assignments and activities to increase in complexity of ideas and acquisition of skills needed for college-level writing

Underscoring the textbook’s approach to discovering a “call” to write and to writing in different genres according to situation, purpose and audience

Discovering meaning in written as well as visual texts through close rhetorical analysis

Creating original meaning in their own written and visual texts

Introducing argument and conventions of research to situate students as writers in public and academic discourse

Reinforcing the collaborative nature of planning, writing and reviewing work with other writers

Writing and collaborating in an online environment to foster the literacy practices they are likely to need in their professions

Compiling a portfolio to emphasize ongoing reflection and revision of written text as well as the “presentational” nature of public writing

Each assignment in my syllabus is intended to engage students in conversation and inquiry about writing. Dialogue about how and why we write and about the decisions writers make to achieve particular rhetorical goals take place in class and online as we work through the syllabus. The selection and staging of assignments progresses students from personal-centered writing to more public and academic modes of inquiry and presentation. The sequence is in keeping with one of the aims of The Call to Write, as stated by John Trimbur: “enabling [students] to see how writing connects individuals to others and to the cultural practices and social institutions that shape their lives” (xxxiv). The rationale behind my syllabus is that writing in Composition I should prepare students to participate as thinkers and writers in varied academic and professional contexts.

Accordingly, I have chosen the following sequence of assignments from among several possibilities in CTW for this semester:

Memoir: It is common to start a freshman composition class writing about personal experience and with good reason. Many freshmen enter Comp I comfortable with writing about themselves, a topic they think they know well. However, it is not likely that they have fully examined their personal experiences to discover meaning beneath the surface and a purpose for writing about it. Nor is it likely that they have considered how to make personal experience significant to another reader. The memoir assignment, then, is a good way to introduce analysis, writing with a purpose, and audience awareness.

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Commentary / blog: Students like opportunities to choose their own topics to write about (well, some do)—whatever attracts their attention in their lives outside the classroom. Blogging and the expanded commentaries that develop from these entries call on students to respond to events and ideas of their own choosing (from other classes, dorms, jobs, news, media, etc.) and to develop their writer’s “voice” in a public context. Blogging also opens the conversation about a writer’s ethos in online writing which I think students need to consider---beyond text messaging and emailing. It also introduces them to argument strategies.

Review: Writing a review or evaluation is another way to explore analytic reasoning and argument. A review requires a claim (argument), reasons for supporting the claim (criteria) and use of evidence. While this assignment does not necessarily require research, it does move the student in the direction of defending a claim with observable and verifiable evidence while writing about something they may think they know well, such as music and movies. In this assignment they have to think about why and how to get their point of view across to a reader and to be persuasive.

Collaborative Proposal: A proposal is an exercise in analysis and problem-solving. It asks students to analyze the causes and effects involved in a problem situation and apply creativity and persuasion to present and defend solutions. As such, it promotes the kind of critical thinking and analysis students will need in their college coursework. I use this assignment to introduce primary research (fieldwork) and integrating visual elements (graphs, charts, diagrams, photos) with written text. I frame the proposal as a collaborative assignment so that students learn to work with other writers according to their strengths and weaknesses in coordinating and producing a document for a defined audience.

Critical Essay with Research : This assignment is the student’s more formal introduction to a common type of college writing: the research paper. It opens the conversation about why and how academics conduct research and how student writers can enter the academic conversation. In addition to forming a purpose, analyzing a topic, selecting and presenting evidence and writing to an audience (all skills they have practiced up to this point), specific research skills are introduced including the evaluation and use of sources and the conventions of academic writing, including citation practices.

Portfolio The rationale for portfolio assessment is described in my syllabus, and I also frequently talk with students in class about the necessity and power of ongoing reflection and revision in their writing. When one considers how many of our Comp I students come into this class directly from high school and how much growth can take place in their writing during a first semester in Comp I, it is incumbent on us to help students experience that progress for themselves as they reconsider and revise selected assignments. In addition, a portfolio underscores the “presentational” and public nature of student writing.

These assignments and preliminary writings leading up to them can offer flexible options for presenting written work in a variety of genres such as letters, fact sheets, policy statements, travel guides (the review), annotated source lists, or oral presentations and power points.

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FALL 2008 Syllabus—College Composition I Writing is an exploration; you start from nothing and learn as you go—E.L. Doctorow

Instructor InformationName: Suzanne E. Smith

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Email: ssmith3@utnet.utoledo.edu Office location: UH-2280D Office hours: TO BE filled in Phone: 419-530-4405

Course InformationComposition I provides instruction and practice in critical thinking and informed writing using the writing process in various genres. Students will engage in sequenced writing tasks based on responding effectively to texts, classroom interaction, and ongoing public arguments. Introduction to research writing and documenting sources is incorporated. Our goal is to develop personal, public and academic literacy in response to specific purposes and audiences.

Course methodology will include: lecture in writing instruction, practice in planning, drafting and revision, collaborative writing, one-on-one conferences with the instructor, class discussion, peer and instructor review, and self evaluation. A portfolio method of assessment will be used for the final grade.

Required TextbooksThe Call to Write , J. Trimbur , Brief Fourth Edition, Houghton Mifflin (2008), ISBN: 978-0-547-05016-4

The Little, Brown Compact Handbook, J. Aaron, 6th ed, Longman (2007), ISBN:0-321-10495-1

Course Goals In Composition I students will learn to:

Develop a clear purpose that shapes the organization and development of written communication

Effectively communicate a purpose and message to multiple audiences Make informed decisions about organization and sequence of ideas Present information and ideas in various genres to particular communities of readers Incorporate research material to present evidence and support arguments Use standard written English (grammar and mechanics) and effective word choices as

rhetorical strategies Develop an effective writing process of successive drafting, reflection and revision.

In addition, course activity and instruction will include the following:

Students will write a minimum of 5,000 words in final draft form, for a total of 18 to 20 finished pages.

Course assignments will include writing in a variety of genres including personal narrative, expository essays, argument, academic research, analysis of visual images and media criticism, public documents, and others—on a wide range of topics drawn from contemporary culture.

Instruction and practice in using the UT Carlson Library research databases will be required for one or more of the major assignments.

In-class and online writing assignments in response to required reading will be assignedweekly

In-class and online peer review will be a required feature of class participation

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Students will prepare a final presentation portfolio to be submitted to the “Epsilen Environment for Student ePortfolios” (details forthcoming)

Note: All work submitted for the course is considered “public (classroom) domain,” meaning it is subject to be read and reviewed by fellow students as well as by the instructor. If there is reason why you may wish to exempt a particular text from this requirement (one time), please let me know ahead of time.

Grading and EvaluationAssignments are typically worth 100-200 points, depending on their scope and degree of required preparation. Point values and the grading scale for individual assignments will be posted with each assignment. The scale will be adjusted according to the number of points to be achieved with each assignment, but will be based on the following conversion of percentage points to letter grades:

93-100=A90-92=A-87-89=B+ 83-86=B 80-82=B-

77-79=C+ 73-76=C 70-72=C-0-67= NC

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Assignments will receive a letter grade, A through C. Pluses and minuses are used. A grade of C- or below results in the grade of No Credit or NC. Although an NC will not affect your GPA, Composition I must be repeated until a grade of C or better is achieved. A student who does not complete the course–either by poor participation or by not completing all assignments–is also required to repeat the course.

All course material will be organized and presented at the end of the semester in a final presentation portfolio of your best writing along with a reflective self-evaluation essay. Details concerning the preparation of the portfolio and grading policies connected with it will be presented in class by mid-term. The quality of your portfolio will determine your final grade in the class and whether or not you move on to Composition II

Assignments will include : See “Writing in Composition I” at end of syllabus for more information

4-6 presentation essays 70% (portfolio presentation)o Includes 4 assigned essays and 2 independent commentaries

In-class/online writings/blog 20% Research assignment 10%

All required coursework must be completed in order to receive full credit for Composition I. In addition, the following policies will apply throughout the semester:

Assignments will be prepared according to specific instructions posted with the assignment.

E-mailed assignments are never accepted unless by prior arrangement with me. All writing is to be word-processed in conventional 12-point font and must be formatted

according to format requirements presented in class. All writing should be carefully edited and proofread before submission. This includes in-

class writings and responses/discussions carried out online. Keep all of the work you prepare for this class—all preliminary assignments leading to

drafts, successive drafts, final graded copies, reading responses, etc. You must be able to show evidence that you are completing your own work, whether online or in the classroom. No assignments will be accepted if you cannot show evidence of having completed the appropriate preliminary work leading to the final presentation.

Writings that are chosen for revision and submission in your presentation portfolio will be loaded into a Learning Matrix on Epsilen.

Your writing this semester will be evaluated primarily for its rhetorical effectiveness. This means:

Sense of purpose: Does it have a clear purpose relative to the aims and requirements of the assignment? Furthermore, does it present a specific focus and overall main idea to readers?

Awareness of audience: Does it adequately consider the needs of the audience to whom it is addressed? Is it convincing, interesting and inventive?

Academic value: Does it contribute to the production and dissemination of new knowledge to an audience of peer scholars? Does it reflect the conventions of academic discourse as required by its topic, genre and purpose?

Presentation: Is it written in clearly understandable, standard English with effective construction of sentences and word choices? Is it presented in a readable and academically appropriate format?

Does it adequately and honestly reflect the ethos and skill of its writer?

You will be expected to demonstrate thoughtful and edited writing in all class assignments, including in-class, online, and blog writings.

WebCT and EpsilenWe will use WebCT as a companion website for this course. Course materials and assignments will be posted on WebCT and you will be asked to access them there for class use. Also, we will conduct some class activities, such as peer review, on WebCT and use its email feature exclusively (see “Contacting Instructor”). A complete introduction to WebCT and the features we will use will be presented in class during the first two weeks of the semester. If you have not already done so, you will need to activate your UTAD account in order to log in to WebCT.

o Go to www.utoledo.edu and click on myUT Web Portal. On the UT Web Portal main page, click on Need login help? Here you will find instructions for activating your UTAD account. Or, you may go directly to the Distance Learning site at www.dl.utoledo.edu which is the portal for WebCT. There, you will also find directions for establishing your UTAD account as well as directions for logging into WebCT for the first time.

Please take care of activating your UTAD account and securing access to our WebCT site by September 5.

Many of you established your eFolio account on Epsilen during your orientation session in the summer, so I will assume that you are able to log into your eFolio account and perhaps have already begun to set up your homepage. Those of you who have not established an Epsilen account will be asked to do so in order that you can link up to the Learning Matrix and upload your portfolio of work at the end of the semester. Instructions for setting up your Epsilen account will be presented in class during the first two weeks of the semester and also posted on WebCT. It will be your responsibility to create your Epsilen account by September 12.

Course PoliciesThese are the policies and procedures by which I keep this course running smoothly and insure optimum success for all students. Please read through this section carefully and make sure you understand all of the policies by which this course will operate. Ask questions now if there is anything you do not understand or about which you feel you need clarification. Both of us—you and me—will be expected to know and abide by these procedures during the term.

Attendance Your consistent and active presence and participation in this writing class will help you to achieve the goals of the course and your personal academic goals as well. Accordingly, I expect that you will attend every class meeting, as will I, unless an unforeseeable problem presents itself. This would include personal illness or another unavoidable emergency or obligation. I do NOT repeat course instruction via email or office hour conferences. I use those means to answer specific questions about course material, but not to replace it. If you miss a class, do NOT email me and ask me to inform you “what we did for the day.” I simply don’t have time or patience for that. You might arrange to exchange emails with another student for that purpose.

I take attendance at the beginning of every class meeting—not 20 minutes later. It is your responsibility, should you arrive after attendance has been taken, to ask me to record your attendance for the day. See me after class (not during) for that purpose. However, if you are consistently late for class or if you routinely leave class early, your attendance will not be recorded. Repeated absences may cause you to fail the course as I will assume that you have not availed yourself of the instruction required for entry into Composition II.

My stance on missing class due to personal illness is addressed in the next section, so please read that. Let me also mention, however, that there are two reasons for missing class that are much overused and I do not consider legitimate: 1) “I have to work”; and 2) “I have a doctor’s appointment.” Neither of these must necessarily take place during our class time. I try to be tolerant and understanding of unexpected exigencies that take place in all of our busy lives, including my own, but I do ask that you keep these “emergencies” to a minimum and that you do not abuse my desire to accommodate your circumstances.

Occasionally, a class or two may be cancelled so that I can conduct individual conferences with students to discuss progress. One round of conferences will take place at mid-term and others may be scheduled. These conference appointments are mandatory and are counted double for attendance (likewise, double for lack of attendance).

Missing Class and/or AssignmentsIf you miss class when an assignment is due, you may or may not be able to make up the work. Read on:

If your absence is an excused absence as defined in the University of Toledo Missed Class Policy, you may be asked to provide documentation in order to make up missed work. Excused absences include:

o Personal emergencies due to student illness (but see special note** below) o Death in the family o Recognized religious observances o Participation in some University-sponsored activitieso Military duty, jury duty, and court appearances.

Please familiarize yourself with the entire UT Missed Class Policy in your Student Handbook.

**Special Note on Student Illness:Determining the legitimacy of student illnesses will be at my discretion. If your illness becomes prolonged or chronic, you must contact me when you recognize that the illness is interfering with your class work and I will expect some sort of documentation (doctor’s verification of treatment, etc.) at that point. In that event, I will attempt to accommodate you to facilitate your completion of course requirements, within reason. However, if illness regularly prevents you from attending class and turning in assignments, you will want to consider pursuing a medical withdrawal from the course.

In the event of illness, you must contact me either in person or via WebCT email as soon as possible and you will be granted an alternate day and time by which to make up most assignments (again, at my discretion). However, in-class assignments, designed to be written and used for class discussion on a particular day, cannot be made up. If you do

not contact me immediately (e.g., same or next day) about a missed assignment due to illness, you forfeit the opportunity to make up that assignment.

Penalties for late assignments If you miss an assignment deadline for an unexcused reason, it will receive a 10 percent penalty (10 percent of the total number of points for that assignment) for each calendar day it is late, regardless of the reason. In-class activities (including reading responses and peer review) cannot be made up. Any assignment late by one week or more will not be accepted for credit and will receive a grade of NC. Missing 3 turn-in dates will cause you to fail the course.

Contacting InstructorPlease feel free to drop by my scheduled office hours any time you have a question or just want to chat. You don’t need an appointment as long as it is during the times I have set aside for the purpose. I am located on the second floor of University Hall (2280), next to the elevator. If you need to schedule another time, please let me know and I will do my best to accommodate you.

If you would like to email me, please use the E-MAIL tool on our WebCT course site. Use email to ask questions about class assignments or to pass along concerns. I am usually able to respond in a timely manner, as I check my UT email every day. For security reasons, I will not read or respond to emails sent from another email service you may have (hotmail, yahoo, etc.) to conduct class business. In fact, I do not even open these emails so don’t expect a response.

I also have a phone extension in my office (530-4405), but I do not check this very often simply because I am so accustomed to email. You may leave a voice-mail message if you wish, but there may be a delay before I am able to respond to it. Therefore, matters which require my immediate attention or a quick response should not be left on a voice-mail message. E-mail or a personal visit to my office during scheduled hours are the best options.

Available Resources Should you encounter a problem with the course, our Director of Composition is

available to you. She is Dr. Barbara Schneider; her office is in University Hall 6050. You may call the English Department (530-2318) for her office hours. Her phone is 530-2086. However, both Dr. Schneider and I request that you first attempt to resolve your problem with me as your instructor.

If you decide you could use some extra help with one of your writing assignments, then you might try UT's Writing Center. This is a free peer tutoring service available to you whenever you feel you could use an extra eye or ear to help out with your writing—and we can all use that from time to time. The Writing Center is located in the hallway across from the entrance to Carlson Library. I encourage you to check it out at least once during the semester, and I may even refer you to their services if I think you would benefit. I will pass along their semester hours as soon as I know them at the beginning of the term.

If you require any special accommodations for completing your work in this course, you should be registered with the Office of Accessibility. Please let me know and present documentation from that office during the first week of class so that I can plan to help you succeed.

Classroom Environment

CELL PHONES AND ALL OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES MAY NOT BE USED DURING CLASS TIME!

TEXT MESSAGING DURING CLASS TIME IS PROHIBITED!

PUT THE IPODS AND OTHER MP3 PLAYERS AWAY DURING CLASS TIME!

This is not high school, folks; I cannot and will not “confiscate” your cell phone (etc.) and take it to the principal’s office, right? Likewise, you are no longer high school students, and you are expected to adjust your academic classroom behaviors accordingly!

Here’s what I can and will do: If you have your cell phone and/or Ipods out during class time, if you use your cell phone and/or Ipods during class time (and this includes the BlueTooth devices), I will cancel your attendance for that day—in other words, strike it out. I do also have the right, according to the University’s Student Code of Conduct, to ask you to leave the classroom for the day as the use of electronic devices during class session is disruptive to me and to other students.

You may bring something to drink (non-alcoholic, of course) during class time and a light snack if necessary, but please do not bring entire meals to be consumed during class time. As a matter of respect, please do not read the newspaper or material for another class during our class time. If you cannot show me or your class that respect, then I assume you believe that class is not worth your time and you should stay home. Children (and pets—yes, I have had that happen) are not to be brought to class. Finally, I assume that we will conduct our course activity with respect and support for each other. Everyone’s views and lifestyles are to be respected, whether you agree with them or not. We can have spirited debates on many different matters (I hope we do!) and may very much disagree with each other, but no personal verbal attacks will be tolerated. Likewise, please do not use our course email to contact another student in this class except on a legitimate classroom matter. Let me know immediately if you feel this policy is being violated. In the event of a disciplinary problem–which I am certainly not anticipating–I will follow the procedures outlined in “The Student Code of Conduct” in the Student Handbook.

Academic DishonestyPlagiarism is representing the work of another writer (author or student) as your own, through:

direct copying of another writer’s words paraphrasing ideas, word and sentence structure from another writer without

acknowledging its source failing to cite source material through a conventional citation system such as MLA or

APA. submitting work for this course prepared by another student or for another course direct cutting and pasting of web source material into your paper (web material is not

there for the taking!)

The University’s policy on plagiarism may be found in detail in your UT catalog. Familiarize yourself with it, as I will follow the University’s printed policy in penalizing plagiarism. It includes the following: Any writing assignment that is determined to be plagiarized in whole or in part will receive an F, and the paper will be turned over to administrative supervisors to determine further action. This may result in a grade of F for the course and/or academic suspension.

You will receive specific instruction in Composition I on how to properly integrate source material into your own writing, as this is a common feature of academic writing and a skill we want you to learn to perform—honestly. If at any point while you are preparing a writing

assignment, you feel you do not know how to give credit to another author’s work, please let me know and we will review the process. I like to believe that most instances of plagiarism are unintentional, but let’s not allow unintentional plagiarism to be construed as intentional plagiarism. The responsibility to ask what you don’t know is yours.

If you have any questions about the information and policies presented in this syllabus, please let me know during the first week of classes. I look forward to working with all of you this semester.

Important Fall Semester Dates8/259/19/810/20-2110/3111/1111/26-2812/12

Fall classes beginLabor Day—no classLast day to Add/DropFall BreakLast day to withdrawVeteran’s Day—no classThanksgiving BreakFall classes end

Writing in Composition I

Writing activities in this course will take shape in various genres and contexts, and be directed to multiple audiences. As a result, the course will give you ample practice in expressing your ideas and finding your strengths and voice as a writer. Writing assignments in and out of class are sequenced so that one assignment helps you to practice ideas and generate evidence for another. You can expect to complete the following types of assignments:

Presentation/Portfolio essays Presentation essays are major writing assignments which we will take through several stages of planning, drafting, reviewing and revising. I will collect them on the day they are due and return them with an “advisory” or provisional grade. You will select two of these for revision and inclusion in your final presentation portfolio where they will be assessed again, this time according to criteria that pertain at the end of a 16-week writing course. All essays in the final portfolio must exhibit passable writing in order for the portfolio to pass and insure that you move on to Composition II.

Evidence of successive drafting and peer reviews must be submitted with each presentation paper in order to receive credit for completion. No presentation essay will be read without this accompanying material. Submit successive drafts for each assignment, along with the final, in a manila or thin pocket folder with your name clearly marked on the front. I will not accept stapled packets of papers or loose pages under any circumstances.

If you fail to complete a presentation essay, it cannot be included in your portfolio for credit.

In-class or online writings You will write in class or on WebCT at least once a week, usually in about 30 minutes of sustained planning and writing. These writings will be based on:

o questions and topics related to assigned reading from the textbook o follow-ups and reactions to class discussions o brief research activities o warm-up writings for major essays

While some of these assignments may not be assessed with a letter grade, they will be collected and checked for completion. Together, you and I will choose a sampling of your in-class/online work to be expanded and revised for your presentation portfolio at the end of the semester.

In-class /online writings cannot be made up outside of class or at a later time, as their purpose is to enhance and contribute to class discussion on a given day and to explore ideas in writing within a particular context and time frame. Consequently, if you miss an in-class assignment, that assignment will not be eligible for inclusion in your final portfolio. Missing a number of in-class or homework writing activities may therefore affect your ability to pass the course.

Epsilen BlogAs a component of your online writing, you will create and maintain a blog on your Epsilen eFolio homepage. Your blog will serve a couple of different purposes: 1) it provides more practice in thinking and writing about issues important to you outside of the classroom environment; 2) it will help you generate ideas for your independent commentaries (see below) to be expanded and included in your end-of-semester portfolio; 3) it provides a more public audience for your writing. You should expect to receive responses from members of the Epsilen community on your writings.

You will be expected to contribute a minimum of seven substantial blogs (multiple paragraphs each) throughout the semester on topics of interest and significance to you and your audience of peers. These topics may be drawn from your personal experiences, your reading in this and other classes, your exposure to media sources such as news, television, music and the Internet. We will discuss several potential sources for “blog” material in class.

Scheduled reviews of your blog are listed on your course schedule. Details about using Epsilen and creating this blog will come in a separate handout.

CommentariesYou will produce two 2-4 page commentaries based on topics approached in your Epsilen blog. We will read about the genre of commentaries in Chapter 9 in Trimbur and particularly on “Writing in a Digital World.” I will collect these commentaries twice during the semester (dates tba) to check for completion and to get a sense of what topics have engaged you. While I will not put a grade on them at that point, I will write my reactions and comments as guidance for later revision. If time allows, we may also review these in class to get your classmates’ responses as well.

Research exercise(s)Research activities in Composition I are designed to introduce you to basic research and documentation skills you will need to write in an academic context. You may be asked to do an interview and report on your findings, to summarize and critique an article you find in research databases, or to provide an annotated bibliography of several sources you consult on a topic we have encountered in class. In addition, the Critical Essay in your portfolio must show evidence that you can conduct relevant research and document sources appropriately.

COMPOSITION I SCHEDULE FALL 2008All page numbers refer to Call to Write unless otherwise noted. Reading and work from the Little, Brown Compact Handbook will be added to this schedule as needed.

WEEK ASSIGNMENT DUEI 8/25 – 8/29 Intro to syllabus; syllabus q&a

Intro, 2-4; “Writing in School” 17-23; Intro to LB Handbook

Diagnostic response to writing prompt (high school vs. college writing)

II 9/2 – 9/59/1 Labor Day

Begin memoir: 137-150Essay assignment #1“Invention” 159-163

WebCT sign up

III 9/8 – 9/129/8 Last day to add/drop

“Working draft” : 163-64 (Framing)Peer Commentary: 164-5

Epsilen sign upLink ELM Rough draft due

IV 9/15 – 9/19 Revising: 165-66Chap 9 on Commentary: 288-292; 298-301 (“Writing in a Digital World”)Analyzing writing: 41-49

Memoir due Begin blog**

V 9/22 – 9/26 Begin chapter on Reviews: 353-361Essay assignment #2: p. 373-4“Invention” & “Criteria” 375-377

Submit topic selection email

VI 9/29 – 10/3 “Planning” 378-9“Working Draft” 379-81

Rough draft due

VII 10/6 – 10/10 Finish revisions on Reviews Ch. 18 “Working Together” 551-555Begin Proposal (assignment #3)Ch. 10: 318-322 “Rx for an Ailing Planet” Form writing groups / “jobs” sign-up

Review dueDB on solving problemsSubmit prop topic

VIII 10/13 – 10/17 Continue work on proposals: 333-338; 338-344 Planning fieldwork (Ch. 15 tba as needed) and visuals Ch. 19 “Visual Design” (tba as needed)

DB group collaboration

IX 10/20 – 10/2410/20-21 Fall Break

Mid-term conferences (22-24)Ch. 10: “Working Draft” 344 Blog review

Write “Progress report” on WebCT

X 10/27 – 10/3110/31 Last day to withdraw

In-class group exchange and review of proposals “Peer Commentary” 344-5

Full proposal draft due

XI 11/3 – 11/7 “Confidential Self-Evaluation” 557 Group evaluations

Groups: finish proposal revisions

Critical Essay assignment & topic selection: 388-89 and 390-91

online

XII 11/10-11/1411/11 Veteran’s Day

Finding and Evaluating Sources: 426-434“Assembling a Casebook”, 304Intro to library research / databases

Group Proposal dueResearch exercise in class

XIII 11/17 – 11/21 “Making an Argument” 435-437Ch. 13 Working with Sources 439-441

Brief research exercise due

XIV 11/24 – 11/2511/26-11/28 Thanksgiving Break

Plagiarism 441-444Integrating Sources 444-51

In-class exercises on quoting/paraphrasing, using sources

XV 12/1 -12/5 Drafting critical essay Assembling casebook

XVI 12/8 – 12/1212/12 Last day of classes

Conferences on Critical Essay Final review of blogsWriting Portfolios: 632-635“A Reflective Letter” 633

Critical Essay & casebook duePortfolios due (Friday)Write Reflective Letter for ELM

XVII 12/15 – 12/19 Exam Week

Portfolios returned: tba Load ELM by Wed.

** I have not scheduled your required (minimum) 7 blog entries on your Epsilen site; you need to plan these into your schedule yourself. However, your first blog should take place in week 3 or 4 and the rest should be spread somewhat evenly throughout the semester as I will check on them periodically, particularly at mid-term. Do not leave all of these for the end of the term; you will be too busy. See “Epsilen Blog” in Writing in Composition I at the end of the syllabus.

Using Chapter 8 “Reports: Informing and Explaining”

Chapter 8 of The Call to Write can be used to introduce basic research skills into the Composition I curriculum, particularly those of gathering information and presenting it to inform an audience. Students could be assigned a full investigative report of several pages or smaller assignments, such as news reports and fact sheets, in which they attempt to give readers a factual overview of an issue. The chapter also would be useful in conjunction with Part 3 “Writing and Research Projects,” in which Chapters 12 and 13 introduce students to working with sources responsibly.

Writing a “report” initially draws on what students coming into Composition I think they already know how to do and have probably performed several times in high school: gathering facts and data from websites. However, as this chapter points out, even the facts can be “framed” in such a way as to serve different rhetorical purposes. The two news reports on the link between mental illness and violence that Trimbur includes on pp. 244-249 show how two writers can organize and present the results of the same study with varied emphases, leading their audience to two “readings” of the same issue. Thus, the persuasive nature of organizing information (Trimbur calls this “framing”) might be pointed out to students who often do not critically work with the data they gather.

The “Fact Sheet” on Prisons and Prisoners on pp. 250-255 could be reviewed with students to demonstrate that information is rarely “neutral” but is selected and presented according to the rhetorical perspective of the writer. As Trimbur says in his analysis of this multi-page fact sheet, “information and persuasion are closely linked” (256). Students could be lead into a discussion of the influence and responsibility of a writer in gathering and reporting information—a good introduction to research skills and ethics they will need to practice in their college writing.

The next two examples in chapter 8 are included to show how explanatory reports—one about the nature of graphic design and the other on scientific research—shape information to explain concepts to a non-professional audience. The science report from Scientific American (263) on a decline in fish populations illustrates how information is translated to a general audience in both text and visuals (photographs, diagrams, maps, etc.). Students might write a similar type of explanatory paper (with text and illustrations) on a specialized concept they know well drawn from their hobbies, academic classes, or personal experiences. In these examples, Trimbur emphasizes that report writers do more than just give information. They also draw conclusions and make recommendations from the evidence they present. In explanatory writing, he says, “report writers create the impression that their conclusions have been suggested by the data” (244). Drawing conclusions from evidence is an important research and writing skill to teach students who may not recognize a link between gathered data and its use, purpose or meaning. The report on fish population makes specific recommendations (in very small print on p. 268!) that

could be evaluated in terms of how they are drawn from the evidence presented in the report. Ask students if they would draw similar or different conclusions from the information they have read. Assess the validity of the conclusions drawn.

In addition to the report examples, Chapter 8 offers opportunities for students to organize information in multiple genres. (See pp. 275-76 for assignment topic and genre suggestions.) Presenting information in alternative forms imparts shape and purpose to facts gathered from sources that is very different from students’ prior experiences with the traditional high school research paper. Students may also see how genre and purpose come together in presenting text effectively. Here are some other ideas:

Working in groups or as a whole class, have students put together a newsletter or website of news reports on one issue or several current topics in the news, following the readings and discussion of this genre on pp. 244-249. Students could follow up with a brief (2-3 page) rhetorical analysis of what they have learned about how information is framed to inform and to persuade.

Since we are in the middle of a presidential campaign, an assignment might be to have students see how information on a particular issue (e.g., the troop surge in Iraq, the facts about off-shore oil drilling, illegal immigration) is “framed” differently by each campaign. How does each campaign use similar data to persuade voters to accept a particular perspective on the issue?

Ask students to gather and present data on a specific topic visually, in an original graph, chart, diagram, etc. Examples of presenting research information to an audience in visual form can be seen throughout chapter 8, such as on pp. 254-255 and in the “report on scientific research” on 263-268. Chapter 19 on “Visual Design” (see page 567) could be useful here as well. An oral presentation (chapter 21) explaining the visual could accompany this assignment.

Prepare an informational brochure on a topic related to travel, such as health or safety precautions one must take to travel to a particular foreign country. Other suggestions for writing brochures to inform the public are on p. 275.

Have students write a brief explanatory essay or a fact sheet on one aspect of a topic they have chosen for a research paper (in this or another class) or for a topic selected for the casebook assignment. This assignment could be included in the casebook as well.

Design a brief assignment in which data is gathered on a topic (4-5 different sources) and ask students not only to report on what information they have learned from the sources but also what conclusions they would draw from the data gathered (for instance, about the environmental impact of off-shore oil drilling or perhaps a current campus topic).

Trimbur provides plenty of useful inventing, planning and drafting strategies at the end of this chapter, as well as questions for peer review and revising.

Using Chapter 10 Proposals: formulating and solving problems

Writing proposals teaches a couple of valuable academic skills: defining and analyzing a problem to be solved and assessing viable solutions. Proposals involve students in the skills of problem-solving as well as primary and secondary research in support of presenting the problem and finding solutions. A proposal is essentially a persuasive document, so Chapter 10 could be usefully combined with Chapter 6 on writing other forms of public documents, or as an early document in planning a research project (the research proposal). The proposal can be used not only to inspire critical thinking in the form of problem-solving but also to introduce fieldwork and using visuals to present information.

It might be good to start this chapter with Leon Botstein’s “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood” (329-331). This proposal essay could bring about a lively class discussion for one class meeting since he proposes to “abolish high school as we currently know it.” This is a topic that most if not all students will have in common; in fact, no doubt they may have already thought about several ways in which they would change their high schools, especially from their fresh perspectives as recent graduates and now college freshmen. Also, to get students warmed up to the idea of proposing a problem and offering a solution, it is worth examining a couple of questions Trimbur poses at the end of this essay on p. 331: such as #2 in which students have to think about the assumptions on which Botstein’s argument rests and question #4 in which they are asked to consider the feasibility of his plan. Both of these questions are good practice in analyzing proposals as well as arguments and are likely to spark a few debates among students in the classroom as well (e.g., should young people really graduate at 16 rather than 18?)

To broaden the scope of the discussion, consider “Rx for an Ailing Planet” (320-22). In an election year, proposals for various ways to solve national problems are in the news every day. This particular article is a timely choice since addressing environmental concerns (energy consumption and global warming) is one of the more hotly-contested issues in the national debate. It would be useful to assign and analyze this proposal and perhaps have students compare it to others on this topic that they find in newspapers and magazines. Students will see that how the problem is framed is as important as the viability of the solutions offered—there is room for disagreement and interpretation just on defining the issue as well as solving it.

The “Fieldwork proposal” on pp. 323-327 closely models a research proposal; if students are asked to write a proposal of this type, this sample could be reviewed for its organization into various sections. It also serves as a good introduction to planning primary research.

Another good choice, especially if students will be writing their own proposals to solve a local or national problem, is “Proposal for a Neighborhood Street Tree Program” on 333-

337. This sample includes visual elements as well and the presentation is broken down into useful sub-headings that Trimbur calls “a familiar pattern of organizing proposals” in his brief analysis on page 336. Use this opportunity to instruct students on integrating visual elements with accompanying text effectively so that visuals do not become mere “decorations” in a document (consult chapter 19, “Visual Design”).

Chapter 10 contains copious notes for inventing and planning a proposal assignment on pp. 340-344, including: providing background information to make the problem convincing, assessing alternative solutions and choosing the one which best addresses the problem, and developing a organizational outline for drafting. Included in this handbook is a sample assignment that follows this proposed assignment sequence. This planning and drafting material is followed by a useful sample of a collaborative student proposal for a campus coffee house in the “Writers’ Workshop beginning on 347. It serves as the model for the proposal assignment presented in this handbook.

Proposals are a good introduction to critical thinking, defense of argument, presentation of evidence and beginning research skills. See the sample proposal assignment that follows as well as a list of alternate assignments that could be used in conjunction with this chapter.

The following is a sample assignment I do with Chapter 10 on Proposals.

Composition I

Assignment #3

Collaborative Project: Proposals

Required background reading: Chapter 10, “Proposals: Formulating and Solving Problems” and Chapter 18, “Working Together: Collaborative Writing Projects” 551-559.

For this paper, you will be assigned to work in groups of four students to prepare a proposal that presents a problem and assesses solutions. While each of you will take on a specific task in helping to prepare this project, everyone will share equally in the writing.

“Proposals put forth plans of action and seek to persuade readers that those plans should be implemented” (Trimbur 318). A proposal requires you to determine the factors, causes and consequences of a problem situation, consider alternative solutions, and persuade a designated audience to accept the feasibility of a specific solution you have chosen.

Task Each group will write a proposal that identifies and offers a solution to a problem on the University of Toledo campus. This may be a proposal to:

solve an existing problem, such as freshman parking at Scott Park provide a new service that does not currently exist on campus, such as a campus

cybercafé or a movie theater improve a service that currently does exist but is not working effectively, such as online

registration procedures

See other suggestions for topics on pages 339 and 340. Each group must take on a different problem; no two groups can write about the same issue. I will provide an proposal topic of my own as well as samples of previous proposals written by students in Composition I.

You will also need to identify a specific audience for your proposal by working through point #5 on page 340. Who would be most likely to be concerned about the problem you describe and carry out the solution you propose? I will help you to identify an appropriate UT audience for your proposal (administrators, organizations, offices, etc.).

Your proposal must also include:

primary research (fieldwork, observation interviews, surveys). For this purpose, we will review pp. 486-500

one or two visuals to explain and illustrate the problem or your proposed solution. See pp. 333-336 and Chapter 19.

Both of these components will be reviewed and practiced in class. You may also decide to include a small amount of secondary research material drawn from reputable web sources and from the UT library databases. Again, we will devote class time to explaining and reviewing this secondary research option.

Collaborative WritingYour writing groups will meet in class and on WebCT’s Discussion Board to carry out the planning, drafting and revising of this proposal. We will not be able to complete every facet of this project in our allotted class time. Each group should plan on working outside of class on Discussion Board, especially between Wednesdays and Mondays.

The first task of your group will be to brainstorm ideas about campus problems that you believe warrant solutions and to agree on which one your group will write about for this project. Then, you will need to decide how to assign tasks within the group (see “Jobs” below). Keep in mind that it is mandatory that each student in the group is involved in writing text for this assignment.

To plan your proposal, your group will work through the Invention and Planning advice (exercises) offered in Trimbur on pages 340-344. This material will help you to: a) choose your topic; b) formulate the problem adequately; c) identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions; d) present and defend your preferred solution, and e) plan the outline of paragraphs for your draft.

You will also all need to agree on a time when you can carry out the required fieldwork (site visit, observation, interview) for this project. I will try to leave some class time available for the purpose.

Jobs Everyone in the group must help to write the proposal, and everyone is expected to contribute ideas about research and visual elements. However, each group will need one person primarily responsible for carrying out certain tasks. Which of these do you think best represents your strengths? Which are you most qualified to do?

Group Leader: responsible for assigning and coordinating writing assignments with the group, keeping group on task and on deadlines, leading online collaboration, resolving issues, communicating with instructor

Editor/Proofreader: responsible for compiling, typing and editing the document, insuring the continuity of the document, and editing/proofreading for final presentation

Visual Designer: responsible for formatting the appearance of the proposal, and designing and integrating all visual elements into the text.

Researcher: responsible for planning and coordinating primary research for the proposal, and conducting secondary research as needed.

Other “jobs” may come up during the preparation of this assignment that are not anticipated here; it will be up to the group leader to disperse these tasks. Also, there is certainly room for overlap in these job descriptions. However, final responsibility for each area must fall to one person.

For models of presentation, we will use the “Proposal for a Neighborhood Street Tree Program” on pp. 333-36 and “Proposal for a Campus Coffee House” on pp. 347-50.

Major parts of the project and their due dates are as follows:

Task Due Form writing groups / choose “jobs”/ decide on topic/audience 10/6 – 10/10Carry out fieldwork / work through Invention and Planning 10/13-10/17Assign writing tasks / being online collaboration * This is mid-term conference week and Fall Break

10/20-10/22 Progress report on Web Ct

Draft due for in-class proposal review 10/29Final revisions / online group evaluations /conferences w me 11/3-11/7PROPOSAL DUE 11/10

Evaluating a collaborative project Each of you will receive an individual grade for this assignment, and it is assumed that everyone in the group will receive the same grade. However, failure to adequately participate in your group may result in a letter-grade deduction (or more) in your individual grade. This will be determined by a consensus of confidential evaluations submitted on WebCT at the end of the project in which each group member will have an opportunity to assess his/her own participation and other members’ performance in this project. I will mediate any differences in opinion within groups.

This proposal will be eligible for group revision near the end of the term and inclusion in the portfolio. Each group member should have a hard and electronic copy of the final proposal for portfolio and for uploading into the Epsilen Learning Matrix.

Alternate assignments from Chapter 10

An alternate group proposal could be written on larger national issues like global warming, energy consumption or illegal immigration. While I often steer clear of such large issues for an individual students assignment in Composition I, it might be more feasible for a group to explore problems and solutions of this scope. Also, it would be interesting to see how students frame the problem: for instance, there might be disagreement about how to define the problems of global warming or illegal immigrants as well as how to solve them. Proposals on such topics would require group members to find “common ground” (a good exercise in argument and persuasion).

Students could use Chapter 10 to write a research proposal for the casebook or critical essay assignments. Trimbur discusses research proposals briefly on p. 328.

A topic proposal could be assigned for another paper, such as the review, a persuasive argument, a report, a commentary, or a critical essay. Students would be asked to provide a rationale for pursuing a particular topic, including background information, a tentative thesis, a list of supportive points and even a brief description of planning or research methodology. Such a topic proposal might be submitted to provide evidence of planning or to request approval to proceed with an assignment.

Students could write a proposal to the Board of Education of their local school district identifying a problem they encountered in their high school and suggesting a feasible solution. Students are usually quite prepared and even eager to be able to have their say on policies, procedures or even curriculum at their former schools.

As a class, conduct a rhetorical analysis of Leon Botstein’s “Let Teenagers Try Adulthood”(329-331) and have each student write a letter to Botstein in response to his proposal (the way he frames the problem, the assumptions he makes, and the feasibility of his solution) or write an alternate proposal based on his “proposal to abolish high school as we currently know it” (331).

Look up proposals online (public campaigns on the Internet) and write an analysis of how advocacy groups identify problems and propose solutions. One example I have used is the “Crips’ and Bloods’ Plan for the Reconstruction of Los Angeles,” a surprisingly effective proposal jointly prepared by rival gangs for improving conditions in Los Angeles following the Rodney King riots in the 1990s. This example is a bit dated now, but other advocacy and community groups use proposals on the Internet to advance causes. These can be researched and subjected to rhetorical analysis, perhaps in a review paper. (See Trimbur, p. 332 regarding public campaigns).

Since this is an election year, have students examine a proposal on any one issue put forth by both presidential candidates (such as energy, illegal immigrants, the war in Iraq, terrorism, global warming, gas prices, or the housing crisis). Ask them to compare and contrast how each candidate frames and describes the problem and the feasibility of their solutions.

Paul Wise’s Course

Syllabus

Course Information Instructor InformationENGL 1110, Sct. 008 Dr. Paul WiseCollege Composition I Office: 2280B University HallMW 8-9:15 LEC 151

Office Hours: M 9:15-10:15, in classroom; TR 1-3, in office.

Fall 08 Email: paul.wise@utoledo.eduPhone (answered during

office hours): *2708

Textbook:

The Call to Write, brief 4/e. John Trimbur. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2008.

Operating Principles:

Why We Write

In writing we actively comprehend and engage our world, whether in its social, ecological, professional, or academic dimensions. It is a process of learning, not merely of informing. As a fundamentally social activity, writing draws us into conversation with others, and engages us more closely with the communities we inhabit. When we write, we expand our capacities for perceiving, reflecting, and acting.

What We Write

We will write personal memoirs, informative documents, an argumentative essay, and a research paper. Though they represent different genres of writing, each assignment will call on you to carefully examine and communicate the importance of experiences and ideas--as does academic writing generally.

At the end of the semester, you will also assemble a portfolio containing revised selections of major assignments.

How We Do It

Whether one is writing a story, an opinion essay, or a research paper, writing requires imagination, reflection, planning, and artful delivery. We will practice all these in online discussions and invention work. Each assignment will proceed in stages: you will need to prepare prewriting exercises or portions of your essay before the rough draft due date.

We will share papers for peer review on rough drafts to guide the revision of your essays. Through these activities, we will, hopefully, form an online community that encourages conscientious and engaged writing.

My Role as Teacher

My job is, first of all, to create an atmosphere in which all feel comfortable, and that supports class aims. For each assignment, it is my responsibility to clearly set forth objectives and engage you in activities that will help you achieve them. My work with you, individually and collectively, will emphasize generating, developing, and articulating ideas you find substantive and meaningful. I will evaluate your work with the aim of teaching you to evaluate your own. Though I will offer guidance with certain tasks and techniques, my primary objective is to help you move toward independence and self-direction as writers.

Your Role As Student

If you remain in this class beyond the drop/add period, you commit yourself to the following:

* Regularly visiting the class web site; I recommend you check in every Monday.

* Treating your classmates and the instructor with respect.

* Becoming familiar with information in DL primer and syllabus, and keeping track of work in the class schedule.

*Giving thoughtful and honest feedback in peer reviews and web discussions.

* Completing all reading assignments AND being prepared to comment on them.

* Completing all work on time.

Policies:

ATTENDANCE: Attendance—both physical and mental—is mandatory. I will take attendance at the beginning of each class, and my attendance records will remain open for ten minutes afterward. If you are more than ten minutes late, you will be marked absent. If you leave early without presenting me with your reason for leaving at the beginning of class, you will be marked absent. Sleeping in class, using electronic devices such as phones, text messengers, etc. in class, or failing to bring rough drafts for peer review days, will also result in an absence.

I allow each student three unexcused absences without penalty. For each subsequent absence, I will deduct .1 from your semester average. Excused absences require documentation. For definition of what constitutes an excused absence, see the university’s Missed Class Policy at http://www.utoledo.edu/_campus-info/faculty-senate/missed-class-policy.htm.

LATE WORK: Late work hinders your participation in our class writing process. You will not receive participation credit for major assignments handed in late. I will not accept late minor writing assignments. I will waive these penalties if I determine an excused absence prevented your turning an assignment in on time.

PARTICIPATION: Your participation in class will count for 30% of your grade. Participation includes: Speaking up and listening attentively during class and small group discussions; working diligently during in-class writing periods; handing in major assignments on time, including having rough drafts ready for peer review days; giving honest and thorough evaluations of others’ papers in peer reviews; and being prepared for student/instructor conferences.

ELECTRONIC DEVICES: Please turn off any laptops, mobile phones, pagers, etc. before coming into our classroom. You may use a laptop computer to take notes only if the Office of Accessibility notifies me that you require one. Use of phones, text messengers, etc, will have a toxic effect on your participation grade.

PLAGIARISM: Representing the work of another as your own constitutes plagiarism. Examples of plagiarism include: • Having someone else write your paper in whole or part. • Having someone give you substantial help with the substance of your paper. • Using the words or thoughts of another person in your paper without giving them proper credit through in-text citations and a works cited page. Note that you must give credit for ideas and thoughts, not just for direct quotes. • Cutting and pasting materials from sources without integrating them into a coherent paper and without giving them credit. A paper plagiarized in part or whole will receive an F, and the student producing it may receive an F in the course. The paper may be turned over to administrative supervisors for further action. Plagiarism can result in dismissal from the University. Please review the University’s plagiarism policy at:

http://www.dl.utoledo.edu/current_students/academic_dishonesty.htm

PAPER FORMAT: Unless I indicate otherwise, all essays submitted for a grade must comply with MLA formatting requirements, typed in a standard 12-point font, double-spaced, with one-inch margins. Papers must have a title.

EVALUATION: Your writing will be graded primarily for its rhetorical effectiveness. You will receive credit to the extent that your work:

*Demonstrates a well defined purpose.

*Is directed toward a distinct audience.

* Advances its purpose consistently using rhetorical tools appropriate to the audience and the genre of the assignment.

Ideal essays will demonstrate conscientious reflection on the topic, be convincing and/or attention-getting, written in a fresh and distinctive style, and will lead your readers to understand your subject in new ways. Papers that lack an apparent context and purpose, or that do not take up the task presented by each assignment, no matter how well written, will not receive high grades.

GRADING: In order to pass this course, your final grade must be a C (2.0) or above. A grade of "incomplete" is only given in rare circumstances, and only for a student who is unable to complete a small portion of coursework because of excused absences and who is likely to pass the work only when completed. If you believe you may qualify for and IN, please see me no later than two weeks before the end of the semester.

Each course component will be graded on the 4.0 scale (A=4.0 etc.). The first three major essays will not earn credit toward the final grade, but will be given an advisory grade, indicating what grade the assignment would earn if it contributed to your course grade. They will also earn participation credit (see below). When submitted with your portfolio, these assignments will earn a number grade that will contribute toward the grade for your full portfolio.

Assignments are weighted as follows:

Minor Assignments 5%50% for argument analysis/50% for MLA quiz): Participation: 35% (50% for major assignment drafts/50% for discussion) Research Paper: 25% Semester Portfolio: 35%

Participation credit for papers:

Drafts of major assignment papers, with any specified supporting work, count for 50% of your participation grade. If they are submitted on time and meet all format and content requirements, they will earn a 4.0 participation grade regardless of the advisory grade the paper receives. If they are missing one or two required elements, they will earn half credit. If they are missing more, they will earn no participation credit. Penalties for late work are described above.

Schedule

We will try to maintain this schedule as closely as possible, though readings and due dates may be changed at the instructor’s discretion. Reading assignments should be completed by the day they are scheduled here.

WEEK MONDAY WEDNESDAY1 Introduction Begin Memoir Project

8/25-29 Telling Your Story

Reading: Dillard, from An American Childhood

2

9/1-5

Labor Day—No Class

Reflecting on Experience

Reading: Soto3

9/8-12

Organization

Reading: Caldwell

Due—First Draft, Memoir.

Peer Review

Revision 4

9/15-19

Due—Revised Draft, Memoir.

Begin Unit II, Reporting and Explaining.

Due—First Draft, Memoir.

Peer Review

Revision

5

9/22-26Begin Unit II, Reporting and Explaining.

Reporting and Using Information

Reading: Articles on Mental Illness

Researching

Reading: The Sentencing Project

6

9/29-10/3

Surveying your Subject

Reading Pauly & Watson; The Triangle Factory Fire

Organization.

In-class writing

7

10/6-10/10

Due—First Draft, Informative Document.

Peer Review

Due—Revised Draft, Informative Document.

Begin Unit III, Arguing

Why Argue?

Reading: pp. 56-68,; 94-97, CTW

810/13-17

Reading: Liu

Structures of argument

Reading: pp. 73-85, CTW

Defining your topic, controversy.

Reading: Pp. 68-85, 537-39; Rand

9 10/20-24 No Class--Fall Break Due—Argument Analysis.

Summary Outline begin/Ending strategies.

10

10/27-31Organization.

Reading: pp. 521-47, CTW

Due—First Draft, Argument.

Peer Review

11

11/3-7

Due—Revised Draft, Argument

Begin Unit IV, Research.

The Research Process

Reading: pp. 419-26, CTW

Due—Revised Draft, Argument

Begin Unit IV, Research.

The Research Process

Reading: pp. 419-26, CTW

12

11/10-14

The Research Process, cont.

Reading: pp. 439-51, CTW

Due: Proposals

Using Sources

Sign up for conferences.

13

11/17-21

Using Sources, cont.

Plagiarism

Due: Progress Report

Introductions

14

11/24-28

No Class-- Conferences

No Class--Thanksgiving Break

15

12/1-5

No Class-- Conferences

Due—First Draft, Research Paper

Peer Review.

Intro to Portfolios16 Due—Revised

Draft, Research Paper

Work on Porfolios

Work on Porfolios

EXAM WEEK Pick up Research Papers/Turn in Porfolios During Scheduled Exam Time, TBA

Have a good break!

Teaching Memoir with Ch. 5 of The Call to Write

Memoirs can provide a bridge between the students’ previous writing experiences and the work they will undertake in composition classes. They call for the writing about personal experience with which students are often comfortable and fluent, yet also require writers to gather, analyze, and synthesize information as they would in writing research essays, fact sheets, or profiles. These higher-level skills come into play as students try to move from simply telling something that happened to presenting the reader with a vivid and reflective account of their experience that reveals some broadly resonant meaning. Invention activities and discussion prompts from chapter five can help students recognize and negotiate the intellectual and rhetorical challenges that come with writing memoir.

After students have chosen an experience to write about, the initial focus of their efforts should be generating details of that experience which will allow them to present a concrete and engaging recollection of it. The “Sketching” exercise on pp. 159-60 will help students lay down a diverse array of particulars relating to their experience. The “Writing From Experience” exercise on p. 138 offers a trial run at this activity. It might be used either in conjunction with one of the readings, after discussing how the author used details to flesh out his or her recollection, or as an icebreaker activity for this project, prior to considering readings or the assignment guidelines. The examination of social network sites could be used to introduce the sketching exercise, or, like the “Writing From Experience” activity, as an informal introduction the invention work underlying successful memoirs. However pursued, the process of assembling details to use in writing about past events and people connected with them naturally raises questions about what constitutes a fair and accurate representation of them, providing an opening for taking up the issues considered in the “Ethics of Writing” box on p. 157.

It is a good idea to instruct students to keep and draw upon lists or observations generated though the sketching activity and other invention exercises as they work on their memoir draft—sometimes things get lost if they’re not being collected. You may wish to ask students to submit all invention work along with drafts and count them as a portion of the assignment grade.

What students often struggle most with in the memoir assignment is presenting the significance of the experience they write about. Some simply recount the experience with little interpretation, while others do not adequately connect the experience with its significance. The exercise “Exploring Past and Present Perspectives” on p. 161 will help students better define and set in context the meaning they draw from the experience. “Background Research: Putting Events in Context” on pp. 161-62 prompts students to look beyond their immediate experience to its broader historic or cultural context, a too seldom attempted move that can greatly enhance the import of the students’ observations. The Planning/Arranging prompts on pp. 162-63 have the benefit not only of giving

students ideas for structuring the paper but of prompting them to think about how they might incorporate analysis of the experience and presentation of its meaning into different sections of the paper.

Chapter readings suggest a variety of ways to incorporate the revelation emerging from the experience into the memoir; these should receive attention in discussions of the readings or in conjunction with the invention exercises looking at past and present perspectives or the experience’s broader context (Discussion prompts often address this). Point out how writers foreshadow or reinforce the significance of an episode throughout their narrative. Focusing attention on conveying this significance also will help students sort through details generated though sketching to pull out those which can support or communicate it. (This, incidentally, gives students an experience of how a paper’s controlling idea or thesis can help to organize a paper and to identify which research findings are pertinent and which aren’t; you can refer back to this when your class takes up assignments that require work with external sources.)

Memoir projects risk eliciting purely expressive writing that lacks the awareness of purpose and audience work in college composition requires, but they can avoid this result by deliberately challenging students to bring the world of their past to life for readers and to illuminate what something in it meant. They allow students to keep one foot in their comfort zone while cultivating the rhetorical consciousness they will need in writing that takes them beyond it.

ENG 1110F08

P. Wise

Assignment #1--Memoir

Directions: Write a personal essay of 3-4 pp. relating a memorable experience in your life. You may wish to use one of the suggested approaches on p. 158. The essay should combine direct description with personal reflection on the things you see, or saw.

Your objectives in this assignment are:

1) To convey a rich and detailed impression of the experience and its setting. What are the sights, sounds, or smells you encounter. What happens there? What was happening or what was of interest at the time you observed it? Help the reader to see or experience what you did.

2) To communicate some significance about the experience. What about your experience is noteworthy? Does it help you understand something about yourself or your world? Did it mark a turning point in your life or have a lasting effect or you or those close to you? The significance of the experience---whether your state it overtly or imply it-- should provide a center of gravity (or thesis) for your essay. Present the experience to the reader in ways that will support and develop that idea.

The narration of the experience and your interpretation of it should be integrated. Descriptive details should prepare reader for and support the meaning you discern in your experiences. Use transitions that smoothly connect descriptive/narrative and reflective passages.

Write in the first person, and keep your perspective in front in this essay. You are presenting the experience and its importance through your eyes‚ not giving a purely objective description.

See the memoir project page on our web site for due dates and information on peer reviews and submitting drafts.

ENG 1140F07

P. Wise

Assignment #1--Place Memoir

Directions: Write a personal essay of approximately 4 pp. relating a visit to or observation of a certain location, either recently or in the past. The essay should combine direct description with personal reflection on the things you see, or saw.

Your objectives in this assignment are:

1) To convey a rich and detailed impression of the place. What are the sights, sounds, or smells you encounter. What happens there? What was happening or what was of interest at the time you observed it? Help the reader to see or experience what you did.

2) To communicate some significance about the place. What about this place or your experience there is noteworthy? Does this place help you understand something about yourself your world? Is this a place especially worth paying attention to? Does it play some important role in the life of a community? Does it register some kind of larger social or environmental trend? Help the reader understand why this place is meaning-ful. The significance you perceive in the place---whether your state it overtly or imply it-- should provide a center of gravity (or thesis) for your essay. Present the place to the reader in ways that will support and develop that idea.

To begin your essay, look to journal entries you’ve made for your individual or class outings, or about memories of other places. Where do those contain details that can help the reader see this place vividly? What did you record there that helps you get a sense of why the place is significant? Through freewriting and drafting, build upon those details to create a coherent narrative of your experience in the place and the significance it reveals: try to remember more about what you saw or what was happening when you recorded those details, or to reconstruct the context in which you saw them; think about what impressions lay behind your sense of the place, its significance, and how they may translate into ideas about that significance. What ideas or emotions inform your reactions to the place?

Write in the first person, and keep your perspective in front in this essay. You are presenting this place and its importance through your eyes, not giving a purely objective description.

A first draft is due in class on Mon., 9/15 for peer review. Turn in revised drafts on Wed., 9/17

Teaching Argument with Ch. 3 of The Call to Write

Chapter 3 of The Call to Write is a versatile resource that can be used as the basis for a major assignment or to complement work on other assignments that call for argumentation, especially commentaries or research projects. It examines concepts of logical argument and presents argumentative strategies and structures. The chapter ends with an assignment directing students to write an analysis of a brief argumentative essay, but instructors may adapt it to “reverse engineer” a more traditional, issue-focused argumentative essay assignment.

The “Working Together” exercise on pp. 57-58 invites students to think through their experiences of argument and begin forming their own sense of what makes arguments effective and of the interpersonal considerations behind successful argument. The opening section on Understanding Argument builds on this by distinguishing reasoned argument from shouting matches or simple assertions of opinion, and examining expectations audiences bring to reading arguments. It might be interesting to look concurrently at some of poorly reasoned, uncontextualized, or hyperbolic arguments that abound in popular discourse; the letter exchange presents a starting point for this discussion.

Pp. 64-69 comprise some of the most valuable portions of the chapter, and possibly of the book. Here, Trimbur discusses how to define a suitable argumentative approach to a topic and form an arguable claim about it. The section opens up a view of argumentative paper topics as active controversies that comprehend a variety of different issues that writers argue about rather than monolithic propositions one may take a position for or against. It is common for composition students to take these simplistic, pro/con approaches to argumentative writing. The section could be used to expand upon the guide to formulating a research question on pp. 420-25.

The sections on argumentative appeals and argument structure give students tools for turning opinions about issues into purposeful and credible arguments. When introducing these elements, it is often helpful to have students work in groups to lay out tentative arguments on topics of their choosing that employ and identify them. Have each group outline their argument on the blackboard/screen for class critique. The outline of an argument about school uniforms on pp. 83-84 offers a model for this exercise. If you use the commentary assignment from ch. 9, you might present the structure for presenting claims and backing points discussed ch. 3 as an option for developing ideas in the body of the paper. Likewise, it can be used to help students expand upon “topic chains” for outlining research papers discussed on p. 539 in ch. 17 (“The Shape of the Essay”).

The argument analysis project on pp. 94-97 will help students analyze and practice argumentation more proficiently, and is useful to assign even (and perhaps especially) if

your syllabus does not include a designated “argumentative essay.” Students may initially need help recognizing a suitable piece of writing to analyze. Some class time may be devoted to learning to distinguish argumentative writing from writing that makes some reference to an argument ( a common point of confusion), and directing students to the “Opinion” section of Yahoo! News (or a similar resource) will lead them to appropriate pieces quickly. In addition to writing the analytic essay, students should annotate a copy of their chosen article, noting the various elements, appeals, etc. and turn it in with the essay.

Argumentation will feature in many of the genres that The Call to Write presents, though it doesn’t receive the attention it needs in many of the assignment chapters. Ch. 3 can fill that lack, or provide an intensive introduction to argument through a major assignment built around it.

ENG 1110P. Wise

F08

Project #3—Argument

For this assignment, you will create an essay or website that interprets and/or argues a position on topic of your choosing. Whatever you choose to write about should be controversial, and subject to varying interpretations or points of view. Pp. 66-67 and 304-05 suggest some possible approaches to the assignment. Your objective, regardless of subject or approach, is to present and support, a well-defined position on some issue within the chosen the subject; your document should attempt to bring readers to accept your opinion about the issue and give them good reason to do so.

Your genre options for completing the assignment are as follows:

1) A 5 pp. argumentative essay. Your paper must contain (explicitly or implicitly) all the features of argument outlined on p. 75, and incorporate the three rhetorical appeals from p. 70. Which appeal to give priority to is a choice you will need to make as a writer, based on the subject and the audience’s relation to it and to you. Give your audience enough background information about the topic to understand the controversy surrounding it and follow the argument you make about it. You must use at least THREE outside sources, documented in MLA format, including a Works Cited page. (The WC page does not count toward the 5 pp. requirement.) Sources may help you to support claims, to provide background on the issue, or to present opposing views.

2) Create a website gathering opinion and information about your topic. The site should itself be argumentative, representing a particular point of view on the subject rather than an objective overview. This site should consist of pages developing, through words AND images important issues and ideas related to the topic—in some way, the pages should develop through various media your perspective on and major claim about the topic. The pages might combine several of these elements: photos, videos, quotes, graphs, other self-created designs. Include a link to an essay of roughly 3 pp. presenting your opinion on the subject, which should have the same features as the longer essay described in the option above. Along with your essay, include links to at least three other opinion articles on the subject that take a position similar to yours and at least three news articles on the subject. (Think carefully about how to integrate these links into the site) Your links may include sources used for writing your essay. Your essay should include a Works Cited list in MLA format.

If you choose the essay option, bring a rough draft to class on Wed., 10/29 for peer review. If you are creating a web site, be sure your site is complete and functional by that

day and tell your peer review the URL when you come to class. A revised draft is due on Mon. 11/3.

ENG 1110Argument Analysis Assignment

Select one brief piece of argumentative writing and evaluate its structure and credibility. This assignment consists of two parts:

1) Clip or copy/print the article you will discuss. On it, underline (or highlight) and label the thesis (central point/argumentative statement), all reasons offered in support of the argument, and any counterarguments (consideration of opposing or alternative views) it contains. This portion of the assignment will count for half your score.

2) An essay of @ 1 ½ pp. in which you—

a) describe the purpose and likely audience of the article, as well as the kinds of evidence (statistics, examples, comparisons, expert opinion, etc.) offered in support of each of the reasons

b) Identify the types of appeals (emotional, logical, ethical) the author makes on behalf of his/her argument.

c) evaluate how convincing the argument is. Do you accept the writer’s conclusions? What questions do you have about his/her reasoning? How effectively does the writer refute opposing views?

When you turn in your analysis, please staple your copy/printout of the article to your essay. The assignment is due Thurs., 10/11.

Teaching from Section III of The Call to Write

Despite the groans that inevitably accompany any announcement that some class time will be devoted to the subject of research, the various aspects of research (therefore, the chapters in Part 3), are important inclusions that should be presented to students. Part 3 (Writing and Research Projects) points out that research is a skill students have already practiced in academics and in their personal lives. Sure, anyone can seek answers, but can they discern among legitimate sources by knowing where to look, what to look for, how to extract relevant information, and understand the correct ways in which to apply it?

Chapter 12: “The Research Process: Critical Essays and Research Projects”

Textbook author, John Trimbur, distinguishes between simply researching a topic for information and researching a topic in order to understand the opposing viewpoints of various spokespeople. In so doing, students find which views and authors they agree with, and methods for arguing for that perspective.

In the first half of chapter 12 are three student papers that illustrate how a student writer develops an argument and supports it, based on their research. If time permits pointing out only one of these writings, I prefer the second paper, “The Prison Privatization Debate: The Need for a New Focus” (398-408), because of its clear-cut, organized style, appropriate MLA citations, and directional transitions. Also, the conclusion effectively summarizes opposing viewpoints, showing not only which perspective the student writer agrees with, but why. Any student can conduct research; this research paper exemplifies how that research is applied (both with appropriate citation extractions and correct MLA formatting) and what opinion the writer surmises from it. Before students read this research paper, I’d point out Trimbur’s Analysis: Finding a Place in a Debate on pages 408-409. Next, I’d assign students to “quick-read” this research paper on their own time, so that it can be picked apart in the next class. I’d also address a common problem with citation use (in-text citations that do not match with reference page citations) by asking students to use a highlighter to match every use of a citation in-text with its notation on the Works Cited page.

Moving along in chapter 12, the MLA/APA Checklist on page 410 is a handy source of information, though the following chapter 13 presents much more detailed facts.

The second half of chapter 12 backtracks to the preliminary steps taken before the actual writing process begins. On pages 420-438, Trimbur breaks down the initial process with definitive and illustrative step-by-step details (select a topic overview – search for appropriate sources – analyze the worthiness of sources and take notes on relevant citations – determine whose opinion reflects the student’s view – and how to formulate an argument that effectively reflects those opinions). The example assignment in the second

half of chapter 12 calls for students to choose any aspect in the history of American immigration to research. What a topical issue this is: not only are immigration issues popular commentaries in the news, but it’s a hot topic in the current presidential candidate debates.

A writing assignment for practicing the research process: students could meet in a reserved computer classroom in Carlson Library, or in their regular classroom if a computer/overhead screen is present, so that a librarian representative can give a presentation about the library’s research tools. Practice gathering information on a given topic by demonstrating a search for (three) legitimate sources. As each source is obtained, ask students to record the citation information, as noted on page 428 in the citation checklist, that they’ll need to cite on a bibliography (Works Cited) page. Then have students format that information into the correct arrangement for the reference page.

Chapter 13: “Working with Sources”

A common misconception among many students is that their job merely is to report what others state about a topic; if they’re honest, they’ll credit those sources as they present those statements. Although it is understandable why intentional plagiarism needs to be addressed, so does unintentional. Students who try to credit sources are halfway there, but they need to know why they’ve made mistakes, what to cite, and the correct way to do it. Finally, another problem that accompanies plagiarism is when students assume that simply presenting source material (cited or not) fulfills the writing assignment; yet, they’ve neglected to balance the paper by presenting their point of view. They have to understand why and how their writing should present their own thoughts and words; and the citation information should only enhance the student’s view rather than substitute for the student’s voice. Chapter 13 includes clear explanations that point out: 1) what plagiarism is; 2) how to identify it and avoid it; and 3) how to incorporate citations around the writer’s commentary. Many textbooks present this information, but chapter 13 includes enough explanation and examples so students can understand the research rationale and application. For those who prefer a backup, the Little Brown Handbook devotes a significant portion to referencing techniques.

In preparation for the citation work that students produce in their major papers, I assign at least a few small assignments that practice creating both in-text and Works Cited citations.

A writing assignment for practice with citations: hand out to students copies of the one or two pages that contain the citation information from each of these sources: a book with two authors, and an article within a magazine/journal. Ask the students to prepare a Works Cited page from the information on these pages. In addition, ask them to include the citation information for: 1) a personal interview, 2) the course textbook, and 3) an online source (assign a topic). For the online source, students are required to print out the first page of that source, (the page that includes the citation information for that source), and highlight that citation information. When they submit their Works Cited page,

submit that highlighted printout of the online site as well. Also, on the back of their Works Cited page, students are required to write a few sentences on the source topic, in which they include a (properly formatted) in-text citation, which can be a direct quote or a paraphrase. Because the instructor has provided two of the citation sources, and the student has to print out the online source citation information, the instructor is able to see if the students have correctly chosen what information to cite, and if they have done so correctly.

Another writing assignment distinguishes a paraphrase from a direct quote. Read something to the class (such as a politically-correct bedtime story, a paragraph-long quotation, excerpt from a speech, …) and then ask students to write a few sentences on that topic, including a paraphrase from the reading. Next, hand out printed copies of that reading and ask students to write a few more sentences on the topic, this time including a direct quote from that source. Before the reading, instructors could put the author’s name and the source on the blackboard or overhead screen so students can correctly note the in-text citation information as well. A third option on this assignment is to practice using ellipses: rather than record a long quotation, extract only the key words in the quote, using ellipses in between.

Chapter 14: A Guide to Print, Electronic, and Other Sources

Chapter 14 focuses on helping students understand the differences between many of the sources they will encounter when working in the library on research papers. Trimbur goes into detail about many of these sources and explains how they are similar to and different from each other. The first section deals with books and periodicals. Under books, Trimbur offers information on scholarly books and trade books, including how reputable each one is in the area of research. There is also a listing for other books, where he includes texts from nonprofits, trade unions, and religious or political presses. The section on periodicals goes into detail about the differences between scholarly journals (a particularly difficult topic for new students that is explained well here), public affairs magazines, newsmagazines, trade magazines, and popular magazines. Trimbur then offers some discussion on how to work within the library, including basic information on the library catalog (you may have to supplement this information with information from the UT library), using reference books, and working with electronic sources (such as Lexis/Nexis and InfoTrac). Trimbur then includes a short section on using online search engines (Google, Yahoo, AltaVista); there is a nice discussion on the bottom of page 473 on using keywords with search engines that would be very beneficial for new students. Finally, the chapter ends with a short section on government documents and then information on other potential research sources such as performances, museums, and media (if you plan on working with the Toledo Museum of Art at all, the section here could be valuable).

Chapter 14 would work well as an introduction for students to doing secondary research. One idea would be to assign the chapter as reading prior to library orientation (for more information on setting up an orientation to the library for your class, go to

http://www.utoledo.edu/library/serv/fac.html and look under Instructional Services for your class). The chapter may also work well when an instructor begins to discuss how to conduct web research, including how to analyze and evaluate potential web sources. The section on periodicals is especially important, as students do have difficulty understanding the differences between journals and magazines. The section here would work well as a starting point for beginning a discussion on these types of sources.

Chapter 15: Fieldwork and the Research Report

Chapter 15 deals with one of my favorite topics: students conducting their own fieldwork while conducing research. Pay particular attention to the Ethics of Research section on the top of page 477; while most freshman papers do not require the submission of informed consent forms, students should be aware of the ethical responsibilities that comes with studying other individuals and should be prepared to ask for consent before doing research.

Trimbur then moves into a discussion of the research report, including providing a sample research paper with marginal notes on different issues to recognize and understand. Following the sample paper, he provides a nice overview and analysis of the text, helping students note how the different sections of the paper work together (teachers may find the information on page 485 under Introduction to be important for new students to understand). The working together section on page 486 is a good classroom activity students can work on to better understand the research paper.

Trimbur then moves into discussions of different field research. After offering some strong questions to consider on pages 486-487 and a brief overview of how to write a fieldwork proposal (this may need to be supplemented with more specific information), he begins his discussion of fieldwork with a look at observations. A detailed overview of the steps needed to conduct observations is included (don’t move to quickly past the information on the bottom of page 488 under Three Considerations. This is information that can prove useful to students as they conduct their research). The section on analyzing your notes is a strong one; I would also mention to students to conduct this analysis as soon after their observation as possible, so they don’t forget anything.

The next section deals with interviews. Again, there is a detailed overview of the interview process (Trimbur does not include an overly strong discussion of types of interview questions—i.e. open, closed, leading—so you may need to supplement this with additional information). I was happy to see that Trimbur included information on doing email and telephone interviews; because of time and difficulty getting off campus, many students will rely on these two types for their research. Again, there is a good discussion of how to analyze notes/transcripts from an interview.

The last method discussed is using surveys. I would stress the shorter section on Getting Background Information, as students often don’t reflect on what they already know before creating the survey. Again, the Ethics of Research section on page 496 is important (you may also want to stress this when discussing interviews). On pages 497-

499, Trimbur gives a nice overview of the different types of questions that can be included on a survey; I would stress to students to use different types of questions on the survey, not all of one type. This will help them get back different perspectives and types of data for their projects. Finally, the section ends with information on compiling, analyzing, and presenting results. This is a quick overview of this topic, but one sufficient enough for the type of survey data a first year student will create.

Chapter 15 is one that can be used in conjunction with many of the projects in Part 2. Discussing observations would work well with profiles, reports, commentary, maybe even reviews (depending upon what is being reviewed). Interviews are a necessary part of profiles, and can also be used with public documents, reports, commentary and proposals. Surveys could work well with reports, proposals, commentaries, and possibly reviews.

Teaching from Section IV of The Call to Write   The chapters in Part IV of The Call to Write acquaint students with habits and practices essential to developing a mature approach to writing.  Its contents can be used in conjunction with other assignments or for creating short exercises to prepare students for genre-based assignments presented by other chapters.  Chapter 16 leads students through basic stages of the writing process, explaining them and demonstrating them by following one student’s work on a paper. You might employ this chapter as the class begins working through its first major paper assignment, as it is not uncommon for students to arrive at college accustomed to writing a paper in one sitting the night before it is due.   The exercise on p. 503, asking students to analyze a recent writing task, is suitable to use in class or to assign as an informal essay, to start students thinking about their own writing process. Whether or not you work through the entire chapter, the section on peer commentary (pp. 510-18) is especially worth the class’s attention.  It provides a model of how peer reviewers can write well-developed and targeted responses to their peers’ work and how writers can incorporate those responses into the revision process. Students often claim that they are not qualified to review each others'  papers and may not put much effort into the process unless strategies and guidelines are discussed in class.  Chapter 17, “The Shape of the Essay,”  offers  a palate of options for how to organize written work and raises considerations to help student writers decide which to employ and how.  The three ordering strategies examined in pp. 522-34—top-down, culminating and “open”— might be discussed in relation to informative, argumentative, commentary, and research projects, or any assignment requiring students to present complex ideas in purposeful and accessible ways. Students often come into their first college writing course with arbitrary and inflexible notions of the “5-paragraph” essay with a thesis at the beginning. Chapter 17 gets them thinking about why a writer may decide to use that “top-down” order or another strategy according to his or her purpose, genre and awareness of reader needs.

Since the hardest part of a writing project often is getting it started, the discussion of introductions (pp. 535-36) is helpful to bring up in the course of at least one major writing assignment. In addition to—or in place of—the exercise at the top of p. 536, you may wish to spend a class period asking students to draft tentative introductions to their paper using at least two of the strategies listed on p. 535 then read each to their classmates and receive feedback on which is most effective and why.  You  might do something similar with conclusions—perhaps in the course of  a different assignment.  Returning to parts of Chapter 17 intermittently throughout the semester as writers gain more experience may help to reinforce the strategies presented. 

While it is common for many handbooks and textbooks to focus on introductions and conclusions, too often they offer few ideas on connecting the body of the essay in a cohesive sequence, aside from employing transitional words and phrases. Trimbur’s emphasis on “the middle section” (539) is helpful. Using “reasons” to explain an idea, as demonstrated on pp. 538-39,  models an approach to developing an argumentative essay or research paper. (You can equate these reasons with backing points described in Ch. 3.)   The “topic chain” sketched there suggests a means of establishing and maintaining an essay's center of gravity through a useful metaphor that students can visualize. This is followed by the more customary discussion of transition strategies. The chapter’s approach to paragraph design as both a “visual” and “psychological” unit also offers a unique way to get students to think about the shape that their writing may take—while also introducing the more traditional notions of topic sentences and paragraph unity. The exercise on p. 543 could result in good discussion in small groups about paragraphing on both levels—appearance and focus. Trimbur’s discussion of the topic sentence (546) as driven by the writer’s purpose and the reader’s needs and not as a necessary “rule” of writing may be meaningful to students. The presentation of traditional rhetorical patterns of paragraph development would be most usefully introduced as they may be needed in different writing assignments where, for instance, comparison/contrast is called for, or a definition needs to be established—such as in commentary and research. A class period could be devoted to developing paragraphs according to one or more of these patterns with topics provided by the instructor, perhaps related to a current writing project.  If your course will include collaborative work, Chapter 18 surveys matters that are important for you and your students to take into consideration.  Review "Guidelines for Collaborating in Groups" on pp. 551-55 with your class at the beginning of any collaborative project.  Collaborative work usually goes more smoothly when students prepare and submit several documents to plan and assess their work.  First, a project proposal as described on pp. 555-56 greatly increases the likelihood of successful collaboration; assigning specific responsibilities to each group member and outlining a timetable for completing stages of the project gives members a direction and helps eliminate confusion over how the work should proceed.  Second, requiring groups to submit progress reports at some stage in the project helps prevent procrastination and can help identify problems the members may be having with the assignment or each other. You might also ask groups to submit (with the progress report and/or with the final draft of their project) minutes of each meeting or at least a short summary of what happened at each.  Finally, either at different stages in the project or at the end, self-evaluations will help bring into focus for students what worked, or didn’t, in collaborative efforts. Confidential self-evaluations can also help instructors assess grades for a collaborative project.

Paul Wise, Suzanne Smith