ENGLISH 015: Introduction to Rhetoric and Composition
Section 006 Spring 09
MWF 9:05-9:55 Willard 219
Shawna Ross smr343@psu.edu
Office hours: M 10-12; F 10-12 at Burrowes 129 (in the South wing)
DESCRIPTION You are taking English 15, the introductory course in rhetoric and writing. You will learn rhetorical strategies – that is, how to communicate effectively and persuasively – by using both written text and live communication. Your goal for this semester is simply to write persuasive essays by developing a clear, graceful prose style that expresses logically sound, culturally relevant, and well-developed arguments. For each of the four basic units – Narrative, Classification, Definition, and Causal – you will learn how to write a specific genre of essay by listening to lectures, reading sample essays, expressing your opinions (both on paper and during class discussion) about the strengths and weaknesses of the sample essays, peer-reviewing your fellow students’ efforts, and (of course) writing an essay in that particular mode. The fifth and final unit (Proposal) will consist of a group project, for which you and three of your classmates will diagnose a problem on campus and create a solution for it.
GOALS
1) Write an argument successfully in terms of ethos, pathos, and logos;
2) Analyze the audience for your argument and tailor your argument towards them;
3) Address counterarguments fairly and adequately;
4) Express your ideas with clarity and concision;
5) Understand grammar in terms of choice and effectiveness rather than rules;
6) Organize your argument with an analytical thesis, powerful introductions and conclusions, and coherent paragraphs that adequately cover a single aspect of your argument;
7) Use visual components like photographs and charts to augment your argument;
8) Analyze literary essays (both fiction and non-fiction) according to rhetorical effectiveness;
9) Learn basic research and citation skills; and
10) Develop skills for expressing your personal fields of expertise and interest.
THEME Rhetorical skills mean nothing and do nothing unless you have expert knowledge to convey and unique ideas to spread. Therefore, during the first week of class, you must choose a particular theme that you will use for your four unit papers (Narrative, Classification, Causal, Definition). To choose your theme, ask yourself, “What am I an expert in?” You can choose a hobby (cooking, knitting, collecting, crafting, antiquing, shopping), a sport or physical activity (football, soccer, volleyball, dancing), a game (video or otherwise), a job (cleaning, lifeguarding, babysitting, waiting), a talent you have (music, art, creative writing, advice-giving), an academic field (chemistry, poetry, actuarial sciences, kinesiology, sociology), a genre of literature, music, film, or television (soap operas, science fiction, punk) or any topic you know a whole heap about (green living, coffee, THON, your hometown, a band or actor you like, Vogue magazine, sandwiches). Doing so will not only relieve you from the burden of brainstorming a brand-new topic for each paper you write, but also (and more importantly) will allow you to develop an authoritative rhetorical persona. If you have trouble brainstorming a theme ask yourself these questions: Where do I love to go? What do I love to eat? What activity can’t I do in the dorms that I truly miss? What object, activity, movie, television series, or habit can I not live without? What would I take with me on a desert island? What can I talk about for hours on end without running out of material? What are my professional goals? What was my favorite class last semester? If I could be doing anything right now, what would it be? What kinds of problems do your friends run to you for solutions for? If you still find yourself stuck, ask your friends, “What do you think of when you think of me?” or “What am I an expert in?”
GRADE BREAKDOWN
Narrative (3-5 pages): 15%
Classification (4-6 pages): 15%
Definition (4-6 pages): 20%
Causal (5-7 pages): 20%
Proposal Project: 15%
Participation: 15%
PROPOSAL PROJECT For your proposal project, you and three of your peers will form a group. You will choose a problem on campus, perform research on the topic, and propose a solution to this problem. This project will contain four components: an annotated bibliography (that is, a list of eight sources using MLA format, accompanied by a short description of each source), a 10-12 page essay, a visual component (such as a Power Point? project, short film, website, or photo essay), and a short presentation to the class.
PARTICIPATION
Your participation grade will depend on three criteria: attendance, participation, and homework. You will not succeed in this class if you do not attend every single lecture you possbly can. Each absence over three will significantly affect your participation grade. If you reach six or more absences, your participation grade will be zero. No exceptions will be made.
Participation includes arriving on time to class, listening attentively to lectures, actively contributing to class discussions, giving useful and thoughtful critiques to your fellow students during peer review sessions, and contributing your full share to group work during the weeks devoted to the final project (which will include showing up to group meetings on time, turning in research, drafts, and revisions according to the schedule your group decides on, attending and contributing to each group meeting, and communicating with your group in a timely, open, and courteous manner).
Homework will consist of short responses to daily readings. For each day of readings, you will choose which one essay to respond to. Then, identify what you consider to be the best aspect of the reading (what the writer did most successfully; what part of the reading was most persuasive or most memorable), as well as its worst aspect (where the reading failed; where it confused, bored, or irritated you). Please write 2-3 full sentences for both the good and the bad aspect of the reading, for a grand total of 4-6 sentences. You should word-process this homework and turn it into me at the end of each class. (During class, you can refer to your written answers as a stimulus for class discussion.)
You do have one free homework pass this semester; please email me or turn in a piece of paper that says you would like to take your homework pass that day. Otherwise, I do not accept late homework. If you must be absent and would like to turn in your homework, you have two options: either email me your homework before the end of class that day (9:55), or ask another student to turn in your questions during regular class time.
READINGS
You can access all of your readings online, and you should print them out and bring them to class. That way, you won’t have to rely on your memory to participate in class discussions. All of the links are posted on Angel. Click on “Lessons,” and then look under the appropriate folder (“Narrative,” “Classification,” etc).
GRADING SCALE
This grading standard comes directly from the College of Liberal Arts. It’s tough, but fair:
A = 94 to 100
A- = 90 to 93.9
B+ = 87.9 to 89.9
B = 83.3 to 87.6
B- = 80 to 83.32
C+ = 75 to 79.9
C = 70 to 74.9
D = 60 to 69.9
F = 59.9 and below
TURNING IN YOUR ESSAY
All essays should use Times New Roman, font-size 12. I will not accept essays that use any other font or font-size. I’m sorry to ruin the fun of picking your own font, but my eyesight is truly awful, so I need your cooperation. Also, make sure they’re stapled: experience has shown that unstapled papers are much more likely to get lost than stapled ones, so I’m protecting you here.
EXTRA CREDIT
For extra credit, you may revise one of your essays whose grade you were not satisfied with. Depending on the quality of the revisions, I will add 1-10 points on to your grade for that essay.
PLAGIARISM
If I suspect a student of plagiarism, I have to go through certain procedures specified by the College of Liberal Arts. Remember that the term “plagiarism” covers many varieties: taking someone else’s work, not citing your research properly, using someone else’s ideas without acknowledging him/her, and using papers you yourself have written for previous classes. Keep in mind that, in most cases, all I have to do to detect plagiarism is Google a few of your key phrases or send a paragraph of your paper through one of the plagiarism detection software programs that the English Department sponsors.
As you can see, plagiarism in this internet age is just not a good idea. You won’t learn anything new, you’ll suffer unnecessary anxiety, and you might jeopardize your university career. If you seriously have problems with an assignment, just visit me during office hours or email me to discuss your paper. We can work something out! For more information about the definition of plagiarism and the university’s official policies, visit
http://www.la.psu.edu/CLA-LAUS/integrity/plagiarism.shtml?
EXTRA HELP
In addition to office hours, you can use the Undergraduate Writing Center for extra help. For a consultation with a peer tutor, you can just drop by the WC for help, or you can set up an appointment. If you would like to have extra help regularly, you can sign up for the one-credit class ENG 05, in which you meet with a graduate student tutor once a week for 35 minutes. If you want to sign up for ENG 05, you should tell me as soon as possible (only a limited number of seats in that class are available). This course is not “remedial;” it can benefit students who feel confident in their writing just as much as it can help students who feel they do not have much experience with writing. To take advantage of this opportunity, you will need to register for ENG 05 with Cindy Clem in 206 Boucke during one of the following drop-in times: Monday, 1/12: 10am-4pm; Tuesday, 1/13: 12-5pm; Wednesday, 1/14: 10am-5pm; Thursday, 1/15: 12-5pm; Friday, 1/16: TBA (hours will be posted outside of 206 Boucke). For more information about the WC in general, visit http://www.psu.edu/dept/cew/?
DISABILITY NOTICE
If you have registered with the Office for Disability Services, you will need to give me the documentation the Office will provide as soon as possible so we can work out arrangements to accommodate your needs. If you have not registered but still would like extra consideration for your learning difficulty, come talk to me in my office. For more information, visit
http://www.equity.psu.edu/ods/?
SCHEDULE
INTRODUCTION
M, Jan 12
Syllabus jog
No homework
NARRATION
W, Jan 14
Introduction to Narrative
HW: Virginia Woolf, “Solid Objects,” from http://www.socialfiction.org/
solidobjects.html and Ernest Hemingway, “Cat in the Rain,” http://www.qca.org.uk/14-19/6th-form-schools/ downloads/cat_in_the_rain.pdf
F, Jan 16
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: George Orwell, “Shooting an Elephant” from http://www.online-literature.com/orwell/887/ and Katherine Mansfield, “The Fly” at http://www.geocities.com/short_stories_page/mansfieldthefly.html
M, Jan 19
Discuss reading, finish lecture
HW: Student essays: “Studying for the SATs” and “A Fish Tale”
W, Jan 21
Discuss reading; share topic with class
HW: Student essays: “Crash Landing” and “A Car Accident”
F, Jan 23
Discuss reading, grading standards
HW: Draft your narrative; print out a copy
M, Jan 26
Peer Review
HW: Complete your narrative
CLASSIFICATION
W, Jan 28
Turn in narrative; introduce new assignment
No homework
F, Jan 30
Introduction to classification
HW: Sharon Begley’s “The Stereotype Trap,” http://www.kinetwork.com/mikey/archive/stereotype-trap.html
M, Feb 2
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: Eric Kester, “The Ten Types of College Students,” http://www.collegehumor.com/
article:1706044
Chad Chamley’s “Types of College Students, http://www.pointsincase.com/chad/2005/
11/types-of-college-students.html
and “Five Types of College Students,” http://just-iced.blogspot.com/2007/08/five-types-of-college-students.html
W, Feb 4
Discuss reading, continue lecture, share your topic with the class
HW: Student essays: “The Seating Chart” and “Party Animals 101”
F, Feb 6
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: Student essays: “Sweet Melodies” and “Whose Line Is It Anyway?”
M, Feb 9
Discuss reading, grading standards
HW: Draft essay; print out a copy
W, Feb 11
Peer Review
HW: finish essay
DEFINITION
F, Feb 13
Turn in classification; introduce definition
No homework
M, Feb 16
Definition lecture
HW: Malcolm Gladwell’s “Big and Bad” http://www.gladwell.com/2004/
2004_01_12_a_suv.html
W, Feb 18
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: Gretel Ehrlich’s “About Men” http://www.noblenet.org/bhcc/LL/
About_Men.pdf
F, Feb 20
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: Student essays: “La Verita” and “Joe Pa”
M, Feb 23
Discuss reading, continue lecture
HW: Student essays: “The X Box” and “A Real Linebacker”
W, Feb 25
Discuss reading, finish lecture
HW: Student essays: “South Jersey” and “Halloween”
F, Feb 27
Discuss reading, grading standards
HW: Draft your essay; print out a copy
M, Mar 2
Peer Review
HW: Complete essay
W, Mar 4
Turn in definition; discuss causal essay
No homework
F, Mar 6 – F, Mar 13: SPRING BREAK
CAUSATION
M, Mar 16
How to Research
No homework
W, Mar 18
How to Incorporate Research
No homework
F, Mar 20
How to Cite
HW: Philip Elmer-De Witt?’s “Bards of the Internet,” http://www.time.com/time/magazine/
article/0,9171,981013,00.html
M, Mar 23
Discuss reading; begin causal lecture
HW: Nicholas Carr, “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200807/
google
W, Mar 25
Discuss reading; continue lecture
HW: Student essays: “Worse Music” and “Texting Turmoil”
F, Mar 27
Discuss reading; continue lecture
HW: Student essays: “Cam to Cam” and “A Text a Day”
M, Mar 30
Discuss reading; finish lecture
HW: Student essays: “No Title” and “Is This Still On?”
W, Apr 1
Discuss reading; grading standards
No homework
F, Apr 3
Opportunity to ask questions in class
HW: Draft essay; print out a copy
PROPOSAL
M, Apr 6
Turn in essay; introduction to assignment; break into groups and choose topic
No homework
W, Apr 8
Proposal Lecture
HW: work on project
F, Apr 10
Proposal Lecture, contd
HW: work on project
M, Apr 13
Presentation of past student work
HW: work on project
W, Apr 15
Grading standards; discussion of media
HW: work on project
F, Apr 17
No class
HW: work on project
M, Apr 20
No class
HW: work on project
W, Apr 22
No class
HW: work on project
F, Apr 24
Meet in class to share any last-minute questions or concerns
HW: work on project
PRESENTATIONS
M, Apr 27
Groups 1, 2, and 3
HW: finish project
W, Apr 29
Groups 4, 5, and 6
HW: finish project
F, May 1
Turn in projects; SRTEs
Have a great summer!